chicagotribune--2020-11-11--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: State tops 500,000 total COVID-19 infections as 12,623 new cases re

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: State tops 500,000 total COVID-19 infections as 12,623 new cases reported — another daily record — and Michigan added to Chicago’s revamped travel order

In the Chicago area , full-service restaurants and hotels were singled out as contributing “ far more to infections ” @ @ @ @ @ according to the study , which has been peer reviewed and was placed on Nature @ @ @ @ @ to final editing .
The travel period examined dates to March and May , before @ @ @ @ @ summer and now in the fall .

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CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois set another daily record for newly confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Tuesday as the total number of cases since the pandemic began soared past a half-million.
In addition to 12,623 newly confirmed and probable cases, state public health officials also reported an additional 79 deaths Tuesday, raising the statewide death toll to 10,289. The state has now logged 511,183 known coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
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The seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 12% for the period ending Monday, up from 8% on Nov. 1.
The new figures come as city officials said Chicago will add Michigan to its travel order this week, but there is a way for residents returning from that state to avoid the mandatory two-week quarantine.
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Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
6:10 p.m.: Study singles out restaurants, hotels as big contributors to COVID-19 infections in Chicago area
Limiting capacities in certain types of businesses could substantially reduce the spread of COVID-19, while still allowing those businesses to stay open and make money, a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature suggests.
The study used a complex statistical model to predict the non-residential places where most infections occur, analyzing travel patterns identified through the movement of mobile phones along with data on COVID-19 cases recorded in scores of census tracts in 10 major U.S. metropolitan regions, including the Chicago area.
Looking at what researchers called “points of interest” -- gathering places like restaurants, hotels, churches, gyms and grocery stores -- they found that, in Chicago, about 10% of these sites could be considered “superspreader” locations because they were projected to be the source of about 85% of all infections occurring at the points of interest.
In the Chicago area, full-service restaurants and hotels were singled out as contributing “far more to infections” among the superspreader locations, according to the study, which has been peer reviewed and was placed on Nature’s website Tuesday prior to final editing. The travel period examined dates to March and May, before the surges seen during the summer and now in the fall.
The researchers, from Northwestern and Stanford universities, suggested that reducing the maximum capacity by 20% at the types of places that are causing disease to spread would cut infections by 80% while reducing visits to the businesses by only 42%.
Taking that step would reduce the number of visits to the businesses “during the most risky high-density periods” while allowing the usual flow of customers at less busy times, according to the study.
“These results support earlier findings that precise interventions, like reducing maximum occupancy, may be more effective than less targeted measures, while incurring substantially lower economic costs,” the study states.
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The study also found that people from lower-income census tracts were “substantially likelier” to visit superspreader locations, partly explaining the higher rates of infection in their communities. The data showed that grocery stores visited by people from lower-income areas had 59% more hourly visitors per square foot, with people staying in those stores 17% longer on average -- a recipe that raises the risk of transmission.
The researcher made five suggestions: tighter occupancy caps on certain types of businesses; emergency food distribution centers to reduce density at certain businesses; free, widely available testing in higher risk neighborhoods; improved paid leave for essential workers so they can stop going to work when sick; and improved workplace infection prevention, including better personal protective equipment, better ventilation and improved social distancing.
—Hal Dardick
5:15 p.m.: Coronavirus pandemic forces changes in Chicagoland Veterans Day ceremonies
With the nation grappling with another surge in COVID-19 cases, the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt almost every aspect of life, including how we publicly celebrate the veterans who served our country.
While many celebrations have been canceled, many places in Chicagoland have found alternate ways to honor America’s service members.
The city of Chicago traditionally hosts a Veterans Day ceremony at Soldier Field. This year, the city will observe Veterans Day with a virtual ceremony that will air on the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events YouTube channel and the Chicago mayor’s office Facebook page, city officials said.
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The ceremony will be recorded in the Grand Army of the Republic Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center and the Victory Monument. Like Chicago, the city of Aurora will also be broadcasting a virtual remembrance event on the city’s Facebook page.
Although there will not be a large ceremony at Soldier Field, the state’s largest war memorial, there will be an abbreviated observance that will include a memorial wreathe laying.
Read more here. —Javonte Anderson
4:45 p.m.: Illinois General Assembly cancels fall session amid coronavirus concerns
Illinois legislators are not expected to return to Springfield in 2020 amid ongoing concerns about convening hundreds of lawmakers and staff as the coronavirus again surges across the state.
House and Senate leaders “will be announcing the cancellation of the veto session,” House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chief of staff Jessica Basham wrote in an email to lawmakers Tuesday afternoon.
“There is a strong majority of members who would prefer the House delay convening to a later date; this is primarily motivated by concerns about the rising COVID-19 rates and proximity to upcoming holidays,” Basham wrote.
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The pandemic also cut the General Assembly’s spring session drastically short. Lawmakers were due to return to the Capitol Tuesday for the first day of the six-day fall veto session, but are instead expected to return in January. The next General Assembly is due to be inaugurated Jan. 13.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella
4:25 p.m.: Should you get tested for COVID-19 before your Thanksgiving gathering? Here’s what the experts say.
Carrie Mangoubi had a plan for Thanksgiving.
She’d ask her guests to quarantine for two weeks before the holiday, or quarantine for one week and then get tested for COVID-19 right before Thanksgiving. Her family members agreed to the arrangement.
But amid travel concerns and rising cases of COVID-19, Mangoubi, 40, abandoned her plan to host the holiday dinner. She now anticipates a quiet Thanksgiving at her Gold Coast home with her husband and two young children.
Mangoubi isn’t the only one weighing the role that COVID-19 testing can play as the holidays approach. Families across the Chicago area, who are desperate to save Thanksgiving, are wondering whether testing can bring peace of mind to their dinner tables. .
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“It’s a very difficult question,” said Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of the Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “It sounds like it should be so easy, but it’s not easy at all.”
Some medical experts say testing could add a layer of protection when combined with quarantining before the holiday. Others say families are better off sticking to other strategies, such as masks, social distancing or avoiding in-person gatherings altogether.
Read more here. —Lisa Schenker and Hal Dardick
3:35 p.m.: Chicago alderman calls for crackdown on COVID-19 ‘super spreader’ hotel parties
With Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker cracking down on restaurants and bars around Chicago to try to stop coronavirus spread, aldermen argued Tuesday that large unregulated parties in hotels and vacation rentals are increasingly causing trouble during this phase of the pandemic.
During Business Affairs Commissioner Rosa Escareno’s hearing on her department’s 2021 budget plan, several City Council members complained about the apparent disconnect between state rules requiring taverns to stop serving patrons inside and for those businesses and restaurants to stop serving alcohol by 11 p.m., and the proliferation of house and hotel parties they say are occurring around the city.
While Pritzker put the rules in place at the state level, Lightfoot has taken her own steps in recent weeks to toughen restrictions on bar and restaurant hours of operation and liquor sales times in response to rising case counts.
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Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, said Tuesday that bars and restaurants have been doing a decent job enforcing COVID-19 distancing rules.
Private hotel parties, by contrast, largely fall outside the ability of the city to keep track of them. He said the tighter rules on bars and restaurants “only is going to grow the opportunity for these super spreader events in hotels, Air BNB and private residences.”
“We are incentivizing the use of hotel rooms downtown for these big parties,” Reilly said. “Hotel rates are cheap and lots of kids are coming down here and renting out these hotel rooms on the weekend. And these aren’t parties of five or six people. We’re talking 60, 70, 80 people, and these are in licensed hotels.”
“Huge groups, totally unregulated, no masks, no distancing. Spreader events,” Reilly said. “Bars and restaurants are being penalized for all that bad behavior, in my view.”
Read more here. —John Byrne
1 p.m.: Michigan added to Chicago’s revamped travel order — with new exceptions to avoid quarantine
Chicago will add Michigan to its travel order this week, city officials announced Tuesday, but there is a way for residents returning from that state to avoid the mandatory two-week quarantine.
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Up until this week, any state averaging an infection rate higher than 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period was added to the list, and travelers had to quarantine for two weeks after returning to Chicago. Starting Friday, the city’s mandatory quarantine list will be divided into three tiers — red, orange and yellow — to match the level of outbreak.
In the red zone, travelers from states above Chicago’s number of daily cases per 100,000 residents, which is now 60, must still quarantine for 14 days. For yellow states, or those below that threshold, there are no restrictions beyond the usual masking and social distancing requirements.
But for orange states, which will be designated as those reporting above the 15-cases per 100,000 residents constraint but below Chicago’s own rolling seven-day average, travelers can either quarantine for two weeks or test negative no more than 72 hours before arriving in the city.
Though Michigan will be in the orange, Illinois' neighbors Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa are all red as the Midwest grapples with a grueling autumn wave of the virus.
The new system was created partly to address that COVID-19 numbers in Chicago are sometimes higher than those of the states on the quarantine list, the city said.
“First and foremost, I would like people to avoid travel at this time if at all possible. But by creating a tiered system and using Chicago’s case rate as a category threshold, it allows us to be responsive to the changing dynamics of the pandemic,” said public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.
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Read more here. —Alice Yin
12:15 p.m.: 12,623 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 79 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Tuesday announced 12,623 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 79 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 511,183 and the statewide death toll to 10,289 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 101,955 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 12%.
—Chicago Tribune staff
8:02 a.m. Chicago expected to update emergency travel order
Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady was scheduled to update the city’s emergency travel order Tuesday afternoon.
The travel order currently lists 31 states and territories with high rates of COVID-19 infections. Anyone who travels to the listed states and returns to Chicago is required to quarantine with some exceptions.
The city last week skipped changing the list of states, after adding Florida to the list the prior week and warning Michigan could soon be added.
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—Chicago Tribune staff
7:35 a.m.: Grubhub, Boston-based nonprofit offer winterization grants to restaurants
Grubhub and the Boston-based Restaurant Strong Fund are offering grants of up to $10,000 to restaurants in Chicago, Boston, New York or Philadelphia with five or fewer locations, with applications open through Nov. 21, according to a news release.
The grants are designed to help smaller restaurant businesses prepare for winter, and applications can be submitted through the nonprofit’s website.
The grants will allow businesses to “address needs for additional infrastructure and equipment to extend outdoor dining, increased personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect their employees, and other necessities to get them through the cold-weather months,” according to the release.
The program is being funded with $2 million from food-delivery app and service GrubHub’s Community Relieft Fund, which was created in the spring to assist the company’s drivers, restaurants and others affected by COVID-19.
—Chicago Tribune staff
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In case you missed it
Here are five things that happened Monday regarding COVID-19:


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--The Spin: Kinzinger, Bost, other local Republicans and the Trump tightrope | Tallying the ballots le

The Spin: Kinzinger, Bost, other local Republicans and the Trump tightrope | Tallying the ballots left to count in Illinois | Illinois General Assembly cancels session as COVID-19 cases rise

“ And should the end result not be in our favor , a Republican Senate majority and a growing Republican @ @ @ @ @ be there to check the liberal impulses of the new administration whenever it goes too @ @ @ @ @ of Nancy Pelosi and The Squad , ” Bost wrote on Twitter , referring to @ @ @ @ @ so-called squad of Ocasio-Cortez and several other progressive women of color in the party .

President Donald Trump with congressman Mike Bost, running for the 12th District of Illinois, during a Make America Great Again Rally, at Southern Illinois Airport Hangar 6 in Murphysboro, Illinois, in 2018. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)
Yesterday, the bright spotlight was on Democrats' intraparty divide with New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a leader in the progressive wing, signaling to the Biden-Harris administration that they don’t want to see former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel land a spot in the White House. (The moderate Democrat’s name has been floated by some outlets as a possible cabinet secretary.)
In a divided Republican Party, lawmakers are trying to find their way as GOP President Donald Trump refuses to concede the race and is pursuing legal action while claiming without evidence that a multistate conspiracy by Democrats gave the election to Joe Biden. What can’t be lost: Trump still garnered nearly 70 million votes and Republican elected leaders - with longer political horizons in solid red voting blocs - must walk a tightrope to not alienate those voters.
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To that end, there are three routes GOP lawmakers seem to be taking: standing with Trump, welcoming Biden and Harris and silence.
Close to home U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, the sole Republican member of Congress in the Chicago area, almost immediately offered his public congratulations to Biden and vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris on Saturday as The Associated Press and other news outlets called the decisive race in Pennsylvania for the Democrats. The 16th District congressman invoked a spirit of bipartisanship.
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Downstate, GOP U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, of Murphysboro who like Kinzinger has patches of blue in his district, offered a careful statement on social media stressing he supports Trump’s “efforts to ensure that all legal votes are counted ... (and) I know that many (southern) Illinoisans agree.” Bost won reelection last week in his 12th Congresional District, which includes the southern tip of the state, and largely voted for Trump last week.
And as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the Illinois General Assembly is canceling its fall session scheduled for next week.
Welcome to The Spin.
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger at Kennedy King College in 2019. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Chanahon Republican whose district stretches from the Indiana boarder to the south west, before curving north to the Wisconsin border, offered a congratulatory note once The Associated Press and other outlets called the race for Biden.
“Sofia and I extend our congratulations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” Kinzinger wrote on Twitter. “Our nation deserves two competing parties who can work together when possible, and compete honorably when not.”
Kinzinger’s relationship has run hot and cold with Trump; he was the only U.S. representative in the state that Trump left off his list of Illinois campaign co-chairs this year.
Beyond Kinzinger, things were fairly quiet Saturday among the balance of the five Republicans in Illinois’ congressional delegation. After Saturday’s announcement of a Biden-Harris victory. But on Sunday, Bost took to Twitter where he carefully said he supports Trump’s call to count “all legal votes,” while steering clear of any unverified claim that the election is being swiped. He then went after the usual target — far-left Democrats — as the volley of vitriol continues between conservative Republicans and Democratic socialists.
“And should the end result not be in our favor, a Republican Senate majority and a growing Republican presence in the House will be there to check the liberal impulses of the new administration whenever it goes too far to appease the wishes of Nancy Pelosi and The Squad,” Bost wrote on Twitter, referring to the House Speaker and the so-called squad of Ocasio-Cortez and several other progressive women of color in the party.
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The Belleville News-Democrat talked to Bost and GOP U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, of Taylorville, after the election about their concerns over the election and ballot-counting here.
Illinois Supreme Court draws Republican criticism for picking interim replacement for Democratic Justice Thomas Kilbride, who lost a bruising retention effort last week, my Tribune colleague Ray Long writes. He notes: “The state’s high court voted 6-0 to name Robert Carter, a 74-year-old Democratic appellate judge who’s been serving on various benches since 1979.” Read the full story here.
Sofia and I extend our Congratulations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Our nation deserves two competing parties who can work together when possible, and compete honorably when not. — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) November 7, 2020
I support President Trump's efforts to ensure that all legal votes are counted; & I know that many So. Illinoisans agree. The foundation of our democracy is built upon the fairness & integrity of our elections. So while Joe Biden & supporters celebrate, our work continues. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/MLzGmTJ8t6 — Rep. Mike Bost (@RepBost) November 8, 2020
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The Tribune’s Patrick O’Connell takes a look at the votes left to count in the 14th Congressional District where first-term Democrat Lauren Underwood, of Naperville, was ahead of Republican state Sen. Jim Oberweis, of Sugar Grove.
She owes that lead to mail-in ballots, which continue to be counted. O’Connell breaks it down, writing, “Underwood has a distinct advantage in vote-by-mail ballots counted so far, doubling or tripling the amount Oberweis received. Oberweis fared better among those who voted in person on the day of the election. The early voting vote was essentially split.”
Both candidates are confident of their chances. Team Oberweis declared victory last week but is now saying a recount is expected; Louisiana U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, the ranking No. 2 Republican in the House, penned a note to supporters today blasting “socialist Pelosi-puppet Lauren Underwood,” a reference to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
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O’Connell reminds that “Underwood is attempting to keep the district in the Democrats' column two years after she defeated Republican incumbent Randy Hultgren, part of suburban blue wave that helped Democrats take control of the U.S. House. Underwood became the youngest Black woman ever elected to Congress.” Read the full story here.
GOP newcomer Mike Buehler holds big lead for McHenry County board chair over embattled incumbent Jack Franks, the Tribune’s Robert McCoppin writes. An unofficial tally shows political newcomer Buehler ahead — to the tune of nearly 10,000 votes — of Franks, who was a state representative for 18 years before upsetting the Republican establishment in 2016 by becoming the county’s first publicly elected chairman. More than 1,900 provisional and mail-in ballots had yet to be counted as of yesterday.
Franks often butted heads with the local GOP establishment in a county where Republicans traditionally hold most countywide offices, and he faced allegations of a scandal. Earlier this year, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s office released a copy of a search warrant executed by Illinois State Police; the documents alleged Franks was suspected of sex crimes, stalking, battery and official misconduct. He has denied any wrongdoing and no criminal charges have been filed. Read McCoppin’s full story on the race here.
Uncounted ballots statewide: Thousands of provisional and mail-in ballots have yet to be counted in Illinois, state election officials report; election officials have until Nov. 17 to complete their count of mail-in ballots. You can check data on uncounted ballots in the city or county where you live here.
Uncounted ballots in Chicago: No surprise that the biggest number of yet-to-be-counted mail-in ballots, 62,452, are in the state’s largest city, according to state and Chicago election officials. That number is down from 141,000-plus a few days ago, Chicago election board spokesman Jim Allen tells The Spin. Whether they’ll all be processed today and tomorrow remains to be seen, he said.
Other news: Additional charges expected against Democratic operative charged in bribery scheme, feds say — The Tribune’s Jason Meisner has the details here.
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U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was unanimously reelected minority whip, continuing his role as the second ranking Democrat in the chamber. He’s been in the No. 2 role since 2005.
The Illinois State Capitol building Wednesday, May 20, 2020, in Springfield, Illinois. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella: Illinois legislators are not expected to return to Springfield in 2020 amid ongoing concerns about convening hundreds of lawmakers and staff as the coronavirus again surges across the state.
When the governor was asked about it during a news conference, he said it was “disappointing” noting that lawmakers had a lot of important business to tackle; his 2020-21 budget relied in part on a now failed ballot proposal to create a graduated income tax; together with the General Assembly, he’ll need either another revenue source or make cuts.
Munks notes that “(a)mong the items left hanging by the cancellation of the fall session is a broad legislative agenda the Black Caucus is developing that aims to address systemic racism in areas ranging from criminal justice to workforce development and economic access. Also on hold is a package of ethics law changes born out of a wide-ranging federal corruption investigation.” They’ll come back in January.
Reminder: Lawmakers delayed convening in the Spring as the pandemic gripped the country, finally coming together in a short May special session to hammer out a budget and some other legislation. Adhering to social distancing and mask requirements, the Senate met in its chambers at the state Capitol while the House convened at the nearby Bank of Springfield Convention Center.
Related: While Pritzker said Michael Madigan should be replaced as state Democratic Party Chair, the governor steered clear of answering Associated Press reporter John O’Connor’s query about Madigan’s fate as Illinois House Speaker, a leadership role that drive’s the legislature’s agenda.
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“That’s a decision that members of the House will make,” Pritzker said during his daily COVID-19 briefing with reporters. “I know in January they’ll be taking a vote on speaker and that’s their business.” As Munks and Petrella note in their piece about the fall veto being canceled, “A handful of House Democrats have said they won’t support Madigan for another term as speaker, part of a growing chorus of Democrats who have called for him to step aside.”
Data points: Illinois announced 12,623 new confirmed cases and probable cases over the last 24 hours and 79 additional deaths. Hospitalizations continue to climb, and state officials have warned there could be impending bed shortages in some regions of the state. As of Monday night, 4,742 people in the state were hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those patients, 911 were in intensive care units and 399 were on ventilators.
Chicago aldermen call for crackdown on COVID-19 ‘super spreader’ hotel parties, the Tribune’s John Byrne reports.
Michigan added to Chicago’s revamped travel order — with new exceptions for travelers to avoid quarantine. Alice Yin has the story here.
Chicago’s travel quarantine list now rates states yellow, orange or red. Here’s what you need to know to avoid a large fine: The Tribune’s Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas has the details here.
Indiana sees record COVID-19 hospitalizations, infections; Lake County adds seven deaths to reach 400, Associated Press is reporting.
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The sun rises behind the U.S. Supreme Court as arguments are heard about the Affordable Care Act on Nov. 10, 2020, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP)
The Associated Press dispatch: The Supreme Court seemed likely Tuesday, a week to the day after the presidential election, to leave in place the bulk of the Affordable Care Act, including key protections for preexisting health conditions and subsidized insurance premiums that affect tens of millions of Americans.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, among the conservative justices, appeared in two hours of arguments to be unwilling to strike down the entire law — a long-held Republican goal that repeatedly has failed in Congress and the courts — even if they were to find the law’s now-toothless mandate for obtaining health insurance to be unconstitutional.
Kavanaugh is one of three justices appointed by President Trump on a court that is more conservative than the ones that sustained the law in previous challenges in 2012 and 2015. Read the full story here.
The BMO Harris Bank sign outside the 115 S. LaSalle St. building is seen May 15, 2019, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Robert Channick: BMO Harris is launching a $5 billion initiative to support minority-owned businesses and communities, with a significant investment earmarked for Chicago.
The five-year program, announced Tuesday, will increase commercial lending opportunities for Black and Latino businesses, which have been hard-hit during the pandemic. It also will include direct investment in underserved communities through affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization.
Nearly a quarter of small businesses in the U.S. have closed since the start of the year, according to September data from Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights. The closure rate among minority-owned small businesses is likely twice that, one BMO executive says. The bank declined to say how much of the investment would stay in Chicago. Read the full story here.
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Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--Understanding Illinois’ 500,000 COVID-19 cases in 5 charts

The surge in cases in Illinois leads the country with the most total new cases between Nov. 2 and Nov. @ @ @ @ @ 68,000 , according to data from the COVID Tracking Project .
Among the high population @ @ @ @ @ ; California 41,000 ; Florida 35,000 ; and New York nearly 21,000 during that time @ @ @ @ @ into account , the rate of new cases in the last seven days puts Illinois @ @ @ @ @ , with 536.6 per 100,000 people .
The highest rate is North Dakota , with @ @ @ @ @

With the announcement of 12,623 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases Tuesday Illinois passed another grim bench mark: more than 500,000 total known cases for the outbreak.
The growth in testing and the spreading outbreak launched the state from 400,000 cases past 500,000 cases in 11 days, by far the shortest period of time for the state’s case count to grow by 100,000.
Additionally, the share of the state’s cases from outside the Chicago area has increased steeply in the most recent surge.
Shape of the outbreak
The steady increase in cases during the spring now appears small in comparison with the surge in cases in October.
Growth in cases outside Chicago area
The number of COVID-19 cases outside the Chicago area passed the individual totals from Chicago, suburban Cook County and the collar counties. All parts of the state have seen case totals grow dramatically, a shift from the spring when most of the cases were in the Chicago area.
Passing bench marks
The gaps between the state’s case total passing multiples of 100,000 have been shrinking dramatically with each passing bench mark. Some of this can be attributed to a significant surge in testing, as the testing early in the pandemic was not widespread. However, the recent surge fed the increase as well.
Other ways to view the numbers
Cases of COVID-19 are only one way to look at the crisis and can tell only so much about what is going on in the state. Looking at deaths from the coronavirus, total tests and the positivity rate during previous bench marks shows the shifting dynamic of the pandemic in the state.
While cases and tests grew along similar trajectories in the spring and summer, deaths from the coronavirus didn’t grow as fast. Additionally, in the spring the positivity rate in the state — the number of confirmed coronavirus cases divided by the number of tests — was very high. As the state began testing more and mitigation measures drove down new infections, the positivity rate fell. In the most recent surge, the positivity rate has grown dramatically, along with increased testing.
How Illinois compares
Illinois is now among only five states with a total number of coronavirus cases more than 500,000. Those other states — California, Texas, Florida and New York — also happen to be the most populous in the U.S. and home to major cities.
The picture changes when taking population into account and looking at the states with the most cases per 100,000 people. California, Texas, Florida and New York drop off the list while Illinois remains, but drops to 14th from fifth.
The surge in cases in Illinois leads the country with the most total new cases between Nov. 2 and Nov. 9, with more than 68,000, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project. Among the high population states, Texas added 53,000; California 41,000; Florida 35,000; and New York nearly 21,000 during that time. However, taking population into account, the rate of new cases in the last seven days puts Illinois 10th highest among other states, with 536.6 per 100,000 people. The highest rate is North Dakota, with 1,255.4 per 100,000 people.


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--State data shows sites of potential COVID-19 exposure, outbreaks in Kane and DuPage counties

Those three categories are the types of places that came up most often in the past month when local contact @ @ @ @ @ region covering Kane and DuPage counties where they visited within 14 days of testing positive @ @ @ @ @ symptoms , the state data shows .
They most often mentioned locations that fell into @ @ @ @ @ category , which includes a variety of places such as warehouses and hair salons , @ @ @ @ @ establishment that came up most often was restaurants and bars , which accounted for 10.8 @ @ @ @ @ .

Staff conduct conduct COVID-19 tests at an Illinois Department of Public Health mobile testing unit in Kane County over the summer. (Kane County Health Department)
Shortly before testing positive for COVID-19, residents of Kane and DuPage counties reported thousands of visits to restaurants and bars, retail or business sites, and other sites such as warehouses, funeral homes and hair salons, new state data shows.
Those three categories are the types of places that came up most often in the past month when local contact tracers asked residents in the region covering Kane and DuPage counties where they visited within 14 days of testing positive for the virus or experiencing symptoms, the state data shows. They most often mentioned locations that fell into the catchall “other” category, which includes a variety of places such as warehouses and hair salons, but the single type of establishment that came up most often was restaurants and bars, which accounted for 10.8% of potential exposure locations.
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The data provides an indication of where people might have been exposed to COVID-19, and state officials have said exposure information is intended to offer insight into the places residents are most at risk for catching the virus. It comes as restaurants and public officials locally and across the state have pushed back against increased COVID-19 restrictions that include shutting down indoor dining and bar service.
But, at least in Kane County, the information has limits, said Uche Onwuta, director of disease prevention at the Kane County Health Department. Less than one-third of the people reached by Kane County contact tracers answered questions about the places they visited before testing positive for the virus, though that figure is higher than it was weeks ago.
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Uche Onwuta, director of disease prevention at the Kane County Health Department. (Kane County Health Department/Handout)
Onwuta said other data and studies show restaurants and bars are high risk for transmitting COVID-19 and they are appropriate areas for virus restrictions. But the health department is not looking solely at the exposure locations identified in contact tracing, she said.
“I don’t really think it’s all that it’s cracked up to be,” she said.
Exposure locations were among a variety of information recently made public that was garnered from county contact tracing, including information about COVID-19 exposures in schools and formally identified outbreaks.
Some restaurants and public officials have sought this type of data, as they questioned whether COVID-19 rules prohibiting indoor service are targeting the right types of places. Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico, who has also questioned the prohibition on indoor service, had called for information showing where the virus was spreading in DuPage County.
Recently, Chirico said the new data was not enough for him to enthusiastically support closing indoor restaurant and bar service. He supports efforts to reduce the spread of the virus, such as washing hands, maintaining distance and wearing a mask, but said he wanted to see evidence of confirmed transmission, not simply potential exposure, for indoor restaurant service to be shut down.
“To me, that just doesn’t pass the test,” he said. “It’s gotta be transmissions from restaurants when you start talking about closing people’s businesses down.”
State and local health officials have said confirmed outbreaks are harder to identify than potential exposure locations, and they account for only a small number of cases. They are defined by the state as five or more otherwise unconnected cases linked to a specific location within 14 days, a definition that state officials have said makes it hard to identify outbreaks at places such as grocery stores or restaurants.
The region covering Kane and DuPage counties has had one confirmed virus outbreak tied to a restaurant since July 1, making up 3.23% of the confirmed outbreaks in the area.
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The highest number of outbreaks in the region during that time were tied to factories or manufacturers, workplaces, and behavioral or mental health facilities, which each had three reported outbreaks.
This marks a change in the course of the pandemic, Onwuta said. While large outbreaks were reported at long-term care facilities in the early months, they soon evolved instead into smaller outbreaks at factories and warehouses. Now, the virus is spreading more outside of group settings, she said.
As for places residents reported visiting shortly before testing positive within the past month, restaurants and bars made up 10.8% of potential exposure locations. Business or retail made up 9.12%, and the “other” category, which was the largest group of locations, made up 13.3%.
Schools made up 8.67% of potential exposure locations. In DuPage County, 76 schools had potential exposures, and in Kane County 34 schools were potentially exposed.
No Kane County schools are currently experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, but there is currently an outbreak of between five and 10 cases at one private DuPage County school, state data shows.
At a recent press conference, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said schools and workplaces are reasonable locations to appear often in exposure data since they are places people are likely to go every day. He cautioned schools’ appearance as potential exposure locations doesn’t necessarily mean a student or teacher contracted the virus there, and said students and teachers are required to wear masks in schools.
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Onwuta said people affiliated with schools are also more likely to get tested for the virus. Rather than schools as the site of exposure to the virus, she thinks schools are a reflection of the virus' transmission in the community.
But the health department is not relying solely on the potential exposure information, Onwuta said. Nearly 30% of Kane County residents reached by contact tracers answered questions about the locations they had recently visited, she said. While that number is higher than the 12% who answered the questions weeks ago, it is still makes up a fraction of the county residents who contracted COVID-19.
“We’re not putting all our eggs in one basket,” she said.
Instead, Onwuta looks also at information such as the age and demographics of the people contracting the virus. For example, she said, people between the ages of 20 and 29 make up a high percentage of COVID-19 cases, and they are more likely to go to restaurants and bars.
Regardless of the exposure locations, restaurants and bars are high risk locations, she said. Groups of people from different households tend to visit together, and they are unlikely to wear masks for the entire visit as they eat and drink. She cited information about the effectiveness of restaurant restrictions from earlier COVID-19 outbreaks in Europe and Asia.
“Knowing there’s economical consequences of shutting down indoor dining for bars and restaurants, if we really want to reduce the incidents of COVID we have to put (in place) these restrictions, with the hope that we can quickly reduce the incidents,” she said. “Then we can move on to the next phase, we can get back to our regular lives.”
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Despite the limits to some contact tracing data, Onwuta said contact tracing is the best path forward.
Pritzker has urged residents to answer contact tracers' calls, which will show up on caller ID as “IL COVID HELP.”
“Just like wearing a mask, answering a contact tracer’s call is a way to help keep your family safe and protect your community,” he said.
sfreishtat@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--Coronavirus pandemic forces changes in Chicagoland Veterans Day ceremonies

The ceremony will be recorded in the Grand Army of the Republic Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center and the @ @ @ @ @ , the city of Aurora will also be broadcasting a virtual remembrance event on the @ @ @ @ @ .

With the nation grappling with another surge in COVID-19 cases, the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt almost every aspect of life, including how we publicly celebrate the veterans who served our country.
While many celebrations have been canceled, many places in Chicagoland have found alternate ways to honor America’s service members.
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The city of Chicago traditionally hosts a Veterans Day ceremony at Soldier Field. This year, the city will observe Veterans Day with a virtual ceremony that will air on the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events YouTube channel and the Chicago mayor’s office Facebook page, city officials said.
The ceremony will be recorded in the Grand Army of the Republic Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center and the Victory Monument. Like Chicago, the city of Aurora will also be broadcasting a virtual remembrance event on the city’s Facebook page.
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Although there will not be a large ceremony at Soldier Field, the state’s largest war memorial, there will be an abbreviated observance that will include a memorial wreathe laying.
Names etched into Chicago's Vietnam War memorial along the Chicago River are shown Nov. 10, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
People sit at Chicago's Vietnam War memorial on Nov. 10, 2020, a day ahead of Veterans Day. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Lutheran Home, a senior living community in Arlington Heights, will host a Veterans Day car parade at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Led by Arlington Heights police, the caravan of vehicles will drive through and around the community’s 84-acre property.
Lutheran Home usually hosts a Veterans Day community breakfast and was determined to find a way to honor veterans despite the pandemic, said Linda Smith, spokeswoman for the living community.
In place of an in-person Veterans Day ceremony, DuPage County will provide a virtual gathering place to celebrate veterans.
“Although we cannot gather in-person, it’s still important that we recognize those brave men and women who answered the call of service to their country,” Dan Cronin, DuPage County Board chairman, said in a news release.
“We hope many of our residents can create posts so that we may all share in these heartfelt tributes to our military veterans.”
Through a portal located on DuPage County’s website, people can upload a photo, the name of a veteran and a “thank you” message.
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Other suburban military organizations, including the Palatine American Legion Post 690 and American Legion Post 974 in Franklin Park, will be hosting outside Veterans Day programs.
“We will remember how men and women set aside their civilian pursuits to serve their nation’s cause, defend the freedom of mankind and preserve our precious American heritage,” Palatine’s Post Cmdr. Paul Clausell said in a release.


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--Oak Lawn boy dies after being struck by vehicle driven by family member, police say

“ We will not be commenting on any possible causes of the incident until those determinations have been accurately made @ @ @ @ @ a news release .

A 6-year-old Oak Lawn boy died after being struck by a vehicle driven by a family member, police said Tuesday.
The incident happened at about noon Monday outside the boy’s home in the 9300 block of South Kolmar Avenue. He was pronounced dead at about 12:30 p.m. at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn.
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The Cook County medical examiner on Tuesday ruled his death an accident.
Police said police and firefighters found the boy “severely injured and unresponsive laying in the street.”
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Police said that no charges had been filed against the adult family member in connection with the boy’s death.
An investigation is continuing and Oak Lawn officers are being assisted by Illinois State Police in reconstructing the accident, police said Tuesday.
“We will not be commenting on any possible causes of the incident until those determinations have been accurately made,” police said in a news release.
mnolan@tribpub.com


Corrections and clarifications

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· In Tuesday’s paper, the word crane was misspelled in a photo caption on Page 1.
· In some early editions, an incorrect date was given for when Gray M. Sanborn Elementary School in Consolidated School District 15 will reopen. It is Nov. 16.
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The Tribune regrets the errors.
Publishing information quickly and accurately is a central part of the Chicago Tribune’s news responsibility and a value shared in all our publications. Our editorial code of principles governs professional behavior and journalism standards. Everyone in our newsroom must agree to live up to this code of conduct. Download the file.
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chicagotribune--2020-11-10--Former Evanston basketball star Ryan Bost, 20, killed in Rogers Park shooting: ‘I wish I could tell

Former Evanston basketball star Ryan Bost, 20, killed in Rogers Park shooting: ‘I wish I could tell him that everything was going to be OK’

“ Anytime Ryan was involved , you could see the strength and stability that Ryan brought — his impact — @ @ @ @ @ Ellis said .
“ It was a calming comfort , no matter how challenging the @ @ @ @ @ .
Whenever he spoke , because he didn ’ t speak up very often , @ @ @ @ @ respect that his teammates had for Ryan .
”

Evanston Township High School's Ryan Bost puts up a shot during at a state semifinal game against Rockford East in Peoria on March 15, 2019. Bost was shot and killed on Nov. 9, 2020. (Brian O'Mahoney/for the Pioneer Press)
For Ryan Bost, basketball was not just a passion, it was a path toward an exciting future.
That’s how Jaheim Holden, one of Bost’s best friends since childhood, and a fellow starter on Evanston Township High School basketball teams, remembers their conversations about the pair’s basketball goals.
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“We always have had the same dream and goal that we’ve talked about since we first started playing basketball together. That was to make it to college,” Holden said.
Bost was an Evanston basketball standout from a local family with deep roots in the city and long ties to the Wildkits basketball program. As a three-year starter, he was part of Evanston teams that earned second and third place finishes at the state tournament.
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“The environment in the community that we live in, a lot of people don’t get that opportunity,” Holden said. “To us, we were gonna be the first in our families to be able to do something like this, to be able to carry on a legacy.”
Bost, 20, died Monday after he was shot while sitting in the back seat of a parked car in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, officials said. A man walked up to the vehicle in the 6700 block of North Newgard Avenue at 7 p.m., exchanged words with Bost and then fired, police said.
A friend drove Bost to Amita Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he died, according to police.
Evanston Township High School basketball coach Mike Ellis said friends and family gathered outside the hospital Monday night, waiting for updates on his condition and then learning of his death.
Ellis coached the Evanston boys basketball teams that competed for state championships when Holden and Bost were juniors and seniors, he said.
Bost’s grandfather, Bob Bost, “introduced me to life in Evanston” when Ellis moved to town 11 years ago, he said. Bob Bost worked as Ellis' varsity assistant coach.
“I’ve always had a unique fondness for the Bost family,” Ellis said. “To see how his grandson’s life has tragically come to an end, it’s definitely painful.”
Ellis remembered Ryan Bost as “one of the most polite kids you would ever know,” who let senior citizens cut in front of him in restaurant lines and cleaned up after teammates who didn’t bus their tables.
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“Anytime Ryan was involved, you could see the strength and stability that Ryan brought — his impact — to the scene," Ellis said. “It was a calming comfort, no matter how challenging the odds were at that moment. Whenever he spoke, because he didn’t speak up very often, it was impressive, the respect that his teammates had for Ryan.”
Bost’s grandfather, Bob Bost, previously worked as assistant principal at Haven Middle School, and was beloved in the community for his work coaching basketball and volunteering at Family Focus Evanston and elsewhere, said former alderman Delores Holmes.
Ellis said Bost shared his grandfather’s enthusiasm for helping children, and always saw that kids "were taken care of.”
“When we were in holiday tournaments and they were coming around for autographs, Ryan would make sure those kids didn’t feel intimidated and always felt welcome,” Ellis said.
Justin Blake, uncle of Jacob Blake, who grew up in Evanston and was shot by police officers in Kenosha, Wisc. in August, said his family was coming back to Evanston to see how they could help after Bost’s death. While not related by blood, Blake said the two families are so close he calls Bost his nephew.
“Their family is just a pillar in the African American community and has been for many many years. It’s disheartening to hear of this God awful attack,” Justin Blake said. “He was a hell of a young man.”
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Evanston Ald. Peter Braithwaite called Bost’s death a tragedy.
“He grew up a really good kid here in town,” Braithwaite said. “I hope that whoever is responsible for his death is brought to justice.”
Holden said Bost was recruited to play basketball at Post University in Connecticut but it wasn’t a good fit, and he moved back to Evanston and was figuring out what to do next.
“He didn’t really like the school, so he thought he would be better off at home,” Holden said.
Bost was looking for another school to transfer to, but the ongoing pandemic and travel restrictions made that hard, said Holden, who is currently playing basketball at Barton Community College in Kansas.
“He texted me the other day,” Holden said. “He told me he was thinking about life and no matter what we went through, he’d always love me. He said we planned for our goal our entire lives, and you’re the only one who pushed me to get there. And he told me he loved me.”
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Holden said he hopes to play basketball professionally overseas and then attend medical school. He’s studying pre-med and will earn his associate’s degree in May, something he wished Bost was here to see.
“I love Ryan. I wish I could tell him that one more time,” Holden said. “I wish I could tell him that everything was going to be OK, that life is hard. I miss him.”
The Tribune’s Paige Fry contributed
gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--Additional charges expected against Democratic operative charged in bribery scheme, feds say

The payments were going to be doled out to the relative in $ 500 installments over a period of eight @ @ @ @ @ charges .
To hide the purpose of the bribes , the money would come from @ @ @ @ @ a manager .

Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that new charges are expected to be brought against a longtime Democratic operative accused of conspiring to pay bribes to a relative of an Oak Lawn trustee to get lucrative red-light cameras installed there.
Patrick Doherty, 64, the former chief of staff to ex-Cook County Commissioner and McCook Mayor Jeffrey Tobolski, was charged in February in a three-count indictment with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery. He has pleaded not guilty.
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Prosecutors alleged Doherty conspired with Omar Maani, a co-owner of SafeSpeed LLC, as well as another sales agent for the company to pay $4,000 in bribes in exchange for the official support of an Oak Lawn trustee to add cameras at additional intersections.
During a brief status hearing Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Stetler said prosecutors expect to file “additional charges” against Doherty within the next several months. He did not elaborate on the nature of the new counts.
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Doherty’s attorney, Michael Joseph Monaco, told the judge prosecutors have so far turned over more than 6,000 wiretapped phone calls stemming from the investigation and that they are in a “holding pattern” in the case until the new charges are brought.
U.S. District Judge Ronald Guzman set a status hearing for Jan. 13.
Maani, who wore a wire as part of the sprawling federal investigation, was charged with bribery in August and has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office.
Tobolski, meanwhile, pleaded guilty in September to separate extortion charges alleging he shook down a McCook restaurant owner for cash in exchange for a license to sell liquor at private events. Tobolski is also cooperating with investigators.
The investigation also ensnared former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, who pleaded guilty in January to bribery and tax charges. He admitted to taking at least $70,000 in government-supplied cash from Maani in return for acting as SafeSpeed’s “protector” in the state Senate.
SafeSpeed and company CEO Nikki Zollar have denied any wrongdoing.
The charges against Maani and Doherty center on a scheme to renew SafeSpeed’s camera contract in Oak Lawn, where the company had been since 2014, and increase the number of intersections the deal covered.
In a recorded phone call in May 2017, Doherty told the other SafeSpeed agent he’d pay the trustee’s close relative the money “if it’s going to get us the job,” according to the indictment filed against Doherty.
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“I’ll just pay it,” Doherty allegedly said on the call. “Just make sure we get the, make sure we get the (expletive) thing, the contract.”
The payments were going to be doled out to the relative in $500 installments over a period of eight weeks, according to the charges. To hide the purpose of the bribes, the money would come from a company where Doherty was a manager.
On June 13, 2017, the FBI recorded Doherty on a cellphone call telling the trustee’s relative, “It’s not like I need ya,” but that he’d pay the money anyway, according to the charges.
Two days later, Doherty cut the relative a $500 check for the first installment, the indictment alleged.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--Feds: Suburban Chicago businessman formed company as pandemic hit, then swindled more than $2.6 mill

Feds: Suburban Chicago businessman formed company as pandemic hit, then swindled more than $2.6 million from hospitals

After the masks were not delivered on time , Haggerty told one hospital his bank had no record of the @ @ @ @ @ complaint states .
Confronted by his two business partners , Haggerty allegedly altered a bank @ @ @ @ @ the money was never received .

The head of a suburban biotechnology company formed as the pandemic hit has been charged with swindling more than $2.6 million from two hospitals that ordered personal protective equipment.
Dennis Haggerty, 44, of Burr Ridge, was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with wire fraud. Federal officials also searched the offices of his company, At Diagnostics in Willowbrook, which was formed in March.
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Haggerty is accused of stealing money from a large university hospital in Chicago and another in Iowa City, Iowa, and using some of it for personal benefit, including two Maserati cars.
Though the hospitals are not named in the complaint, a spokeswoman for the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City confirmed officials there contacted the U.S. Attorney’s office and the Federal Bureau of Investigations “after At Diagnostics did not return the funds sent in escrow when the purchase was canceled.”
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The spokeswoman declined further comment, citing the federal investigation.
Chicago is home to a number of university hospitals, including the University of Chicago Medical Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the University of Illinois Hospital.
The hospitals ordered 1 million N95 masks from At Diagnostics and, combined, paid more than $3 million for them, according to the complaint. The hospitals deposited the money into a bank account that was supposedly the company’s but was controlled only by Haggerty.
After the masks were not delivered on time, Haggerty told one hospital his bank had no record of the money being deposited, the complaint states. Confronted by his two business partners, Haggerty allegedly altered a bank statement to make it appear the money was never received.
Haggerty spent some of the money on two Maserati cars and a Land Rover SUV, according to the complaint, which says he failed to return more than $2.6 million to the hospitals.
Haggerty was formally read the charges against him Tuesday afternoon in U.S. District Court and is due back in court at 1 p.m. Nov. 19 for a pretrial hearing. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--Election fraud allegations from 2016 heard in appellate court as federal probe swirls around Democra

Election fraud allegations from 2016 heard in appellate court as federal probe swirls around Democratic boss Michael Madigan

But the lead attorney for Gonzales , Anthony Peraica , used the ongoing criminal investigation to try to make his @ @ @ @ @ alleged misconduct in the case before the panel took place years before the federal criminal @ @ @ @ @ The ongoing investigation is illustrative of how Madigan exercises control over the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ gain , Peraica argued .

The federal corruption investigation swirling around Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan bled into arguments before a federal appeals panel Tuesday over a lawsuit alleging Madigan conspired to put up two “sham” candidates with Hispanic names to confuse voters in the 2016 Democratic primary.
Lawyers for plaintiff Jason Gonzales were in court to argue the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should overturn a prior district court ruling which tossed out allegations of election fraud by Madigan’s powerful 13th Ward political operation.
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But the lead attorney for Gonzales, Anthony Peraica, used the ongoing criminal investigation to try to make his point, even though the alleged misconduct in the case before the panel took place years before the federal criminal probe came to light. The ongoing investigation is illustrative of how Madigan exercises control over the state’s politics to his own personal gain, Peraica argued.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, left, and Jason Gonzales. (Zbigniew Bzdak, Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The ballot scheme Madigan and his operatives used to suppress votes when Gonzales ran against Madigan in 2016, Peraica said, involved “the same state actors” who are now embroiled into the federal investigation.
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“All of the branches and agencies of government have been permeated by Michael Madigan in the respective positions that he holds to try to advance those that he wants to advance on his behalf,” Peraica said.
Peraica started to talk about one of Madigan’s former top lieutenants, Shaw Decremer, being named in a grand jury subpoena, but was promptly cut off by Judge Frank Easterbrook.
“I cannot see any conceivable relevance of this to your argument,” the clearly irritated Easterbrook said. “We do not engage in argument by smear.”
Decremer did not respond to Tribune messages seeking comment.
Peraica ended by saying that it was Madigan’s power that made it possible to commit the ballot fraud alleged in Gonzales’ case.
“That was the design. That was the plan. They executed the plan, and they succeeded in diluting the vote in a district that is 75% Hispanic.”
Many of the questions asked by the judges on Tuesday appeared to be skeptical of the plaintiffs' arguments, indicating that they have an uphill battle in convincing the panel to revive the election fraud case.
Gonzales was soundly defeated by Madigan in his primary bid, which was bankrolled by allies of then-Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, the speaker’s political nemesis.
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Gonzales contended in his lawsuit that the speaker’s team stacked the ballot with phony candidates with Latino-sounding last names to confuse voters and undermine his legitimate bid for office. He argued that violates federal civil rights voting protections sought as much as $2 million in damages.
In his original ruling last year, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly called it “undisputed” that some members of Madigan’s political organization worked to put the two additional candidates on the ballot and wrote that the “evidence supports a reasonable inference that Madigan authorized or at least was aware of the recruitment effort.”
But Kennelly noted that Gonzales made the allegations of Madigan’s “deceptive tactics a central issue in his campaign” and news outlets publicized them. Kennelly said the publicity “placed the alleged misconduct squarely within the political realm, enabling voters to rebuke Madigan by electing his challenger” and, citing case law, dismissed the suit.
Much of the argument on Tuesday centered on what constitutes a sham candidate under the law and whether the additional names on the ballot in Gonzales' case had any real effect on the electorate.
Plaintiff’s attorney Stephen Boulton argued Madigan’s camp “clearly calculated” that adding Hispanic names to the ballot would siphon votes from Gonzales.
“Hispanic voters were presented with three Hispanic candidates and one white Irish candidate in the form of the speaker,” Boulton said. “That was fully intended.”
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But attorney Michael Scodro, who represents Madigan’s campaign, said courts have clearly steered away from the “untoward position” of trying to determine a sham candidate from a legitimate one.
Either way, Scodro said, the allegations of fraud were put before the voters, who clearly chose Madigan anyway. “The public knew the truth here,” he said.
In the criminal investigation, federal prosecutors have alleged an elaborate bribery scheme by Commonwealth Edison aimed at influencing legislation in Springfield by making payments to Madigan associates and approved lobbyists, some of whom did little or no actual work for the company.
ComEd was charged with bribery in July and has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the government, agreeing to pay a record $200 million fine and cooperate with investigators in exchange for the charges being dropped in three years.
Fidel Marquez, the company’s former chief in-house lobbyist, pleaded guilty in September to bribery conspiracy and is cooperating with investigators.
Madigan, the nation’s longest-serving speaker and Illinois Democratic Party chairman, has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged.
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jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--Illinois Supreme Court draws Republican criticism for picking interim replacement for Justice Kilbri

Illinois Supreme Court draws Republican criticism for picking interim replacement for Justice Kilbride, who lost bruising retention effort

One scenario Republicans had envisioned was that the six remaining justices ― three from each party ― would deadlock on @ @ @ @ @ That would keep the court evenly balanced until the next election in 2022 , a @ @ @ @ @ that Republicans hope to win .

The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday picked an interim justice to replace Justice Tom Kilbride, who lost a retention effort last week after coming under fire for his ties to Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.
But Republicans who worked to defeat Kilbride slammed the move, saying the person selected is a longtime member of the judiciary who has held his position through the outgoing justice’s patronage.
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The state’s high court voted 6-0 to name Robert Carter, a 74-year-old Democratic appellate judge who’s been serving on various benches since 1979.
The appointment takes effect in December, when Kilbride leaves the bench, and lasts until December 2022. That’s the month after an election will take place in the 3rd Judicial District to decide on Kilbride’s replacement.
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Last week, Kilbride lost a retention effort in the 3rd District following a record-smashing, big-dollar fight between the embattled Madigan and a pair of billionaires who wanted to unseat him.
The justice ran in a north-central Illinois district that runs from Will County to Rock Island County against a blizzard of negative brochures and television attack ads funded in part by Ken Griffin, who runs the Citadel investment firm, and Richard Uihlein, a packaging mogul.
But Kilbride received $550,000 from the Madigan-led Democratic Party of Illinois and multiple six-figure contributions from law firms, big labor and teacher unions.
Kilbride, 67, of Rock Island, needed 60% of voters to approve his retention and give him a rare third, 10-year term. Justices running for retention do not face an opponent. He scored around 56% support, however.
The stakes were unusually high in the retention campaign because Republicans viewed the Kilbride seat as their best chance to eventually knock Democrats out of a 4-3 majority on the state’s high court.
One scenario Republicans had envisioned was that the six remaining justices ― three from each party ― would deadlock on a temporary Kilbride replacement. That would keep the court evenly balanced until the next election in 2022, a race in a nonpresidential year that Republicans hope to win.
But that didn’t happen Tuesday, as Carter was announced as the court’s pick. Kilbride did not take part in the replacement vote, the court said.
Even so, the history of Carter’s time on the appellate bench is documented in a November 2018 Supreme Court order that showed he received eight one- or two-year appointments dating back to September 2006.
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Carter previously served as a local associate judge and circuit court judge, including as a chief judge. He was a retired circuit court judge when he received the first assignment on the appellate bench.
Former 3rd District Appellate Court Justice Kent Slater, a former Republican legislator from Macomb, said Carter had been Kilbride’s choice to hold an appointed seat on the appellate for several years.
While appointments are made with support of the entire court, each justice will have a favored person for appointments in their district, and other justices generally honor those choices, said Slater, who said he served briefly on the appellate court with Carter.
“It’s like the Supreme Court’s patronage,” Slater said.
James Nowlan, who chaired a political committee that opposed Kilbride’s retention, said the Carter appointment “represents a continuation of the Kilbride legacy that voters rejected at the polls.”
“It’s an affront to voters,” Nowlan said. “The exasperating thing about the appointment of Tom Kilbride’s patronage judge is that the more things change, the more they stay the same.”
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“If they couldn’t have appointed a Republican, they should not have appointed anyone,” Nowlan added.
Carter and Kilbride could not be reached to address the political charges.
In a statement, Carter, of Ottawa, said he was humbled by the appointment.
“(The state Supreme Court) is a place where I first started my career as a law clerk to Justice Howard Ryan and it is where I will retire after this two-year appointment as I won’t seek to run for this seat in 2022,” Carter said.


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--Chicago alderman calls for crackdown on COVID-19 ‘superspreader’ hotel parties

“ We are incentivizing the use of hotel rooms downtown for these big parties , ” Reilly said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ and lots of kids are coming down here and renting out these hotel rooms on @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t parties of five or six people .
We ’ re talking 60 @ @ @ @ @ , and these are in licensed hotels .

With Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker cracking down on restaurants and bars around Chicago to try to stop coronavirus spread, aldermen argued Tuesday that large, unregulated parties in hotels and vacation rentals are increasingly causing trouble during this phase of the pandemic.
During Business Affairs Commissioner Rosa Escareno’s hearing on her department’s 2021 budget plan, several City Council members complained about the apparent disconnect between state rules requiring taverns to stop serving patrons inside and for those businesses and restaurants to stop serving alcohol by 11 p.m., and the proliferation of house and hotel parties they say are occurring around the city.
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While Pritzker put the rules in place at the state level, Lightfoot has taken her own steps in recent weeks to toughen restrictions on bar and restaurant hours of operation and liquor sales times in response to rising case counts.
Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, said Tuesday that bars and restaurants have been doing a decent job enforcing COVID-19 distancing rules.
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Private hotel parties, by contrast, largely fall outside the ability of the city to keep track of them. He said the tighter rules on bars and restaurants “only is going to grow the opportunity for these superspreader events in hotels, Airbnb and private residences.”
“We are incentivizing the use of hotel rooms downtown for these big parties,” Reilly said. “Hotel rates are cheap, and lots of kids are coming down here and renting out these hotel rooms on the weekend. And these aren’t parties of five or six people. We’re talking 60, 70, 80 people, and these are in licensed hotels.
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“Huge groups, totally unregulated, no masks, no distancing. Spreader events,” Reilly said. “Bars and restaurants are being penalized for all that bad behavior, in my view.”
Escareno said the Lightfoot administration is working with hotel operators and the Chicago Police Department to try to put better measures in place to help the hotels prevent such problems.
Escareno’s department is in charge of enforcing the bar and restaurant rules by issuing warnings and fines for violators. And Lightfoot supported an ordinance the council passed in September to put tougher regulations on place in vacation rentals.
But South Side Ald. Jeanette Taylor, 20th, said Escareno needs to do more to crackdown on illegal vacation rental parties.
“We’re starting to see them pop up more in the community,” Taylor said.
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Escareno’s hearing came as the city Tuesday began accepting applications for grants intended to help independent Chicago bars and restaurants struggling with shutdowns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twiter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--Should you get tested for COVID-19 before your Thanksgiving gathering? Here’s what the experts say.

The CDC also recommends hosts wear masks while making and serving food , offer single-use utensils and plates , have @ @ @ @ @ keep members of different households at least six feel apart throughout the event .
People @ @ @ @ @ illness from COVID-19 , and those who live with them , should avoid gathering with @ @ @ @ @ reside in their households , according to the CDC .
The CDC recommends gatherings be @ @ @ @ @

Carrie Mangoubi had a plan for Thanksgiving.
She’d ask her guests to quarantine for two weeks before the holiday, or quarantine for one week and then get tested for COVID-19 right before Thanksgiving. Her family members agreed to the arrangement.
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But amid travel concerns and rising cases of COVID-19, Mangoubi, 40, abandoned her plan to host the holiday dinner. She now anticipates a quiet Thanksgiving at her Gold Coast home with her husband and two young children.
Rapidly rising cases of COVID-19 have put Illinois families in a tough position as the holidays approach. On Thursday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told Chicagoans to cancel their normal Thanksgiving plans, especially if those plans include guests outside their immediate households. The Cook County Department of Public Health is recommending people postpone holiday gatherings or celebrate virtually. Stay-at-home advisories are set to begin Monday in Chicago and suburban Cook County.
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Still, some Illinois residents may be wondering if they can save a sliver of Thanksgiving through COVID-19 testing and strict quarantines before the holiday.
Some medical experts say testing could add a layer of protection when combined with quarantining. Others say families are better off avoiding in-person gatherings altogether.
“It’s a very difficult question,” said Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of the Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “It sounds like it should be so easy, but it’s not easy at all.”
Dan Lakier and Caroline Rohan make dinner with their children, Naomi, 14, left, Zach, 11, and Eva, 9, right, at their home in suburban Deerfield on Nov. 5, 2020. They plan to spend Thanksgiving at Dan's parents home in Deerfield, but are opting not to see Caroline's parents due to their age and health issues. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
About 35% of 1,005 Americans surveyed in late October, as part of an Ipsos poll, said they plan to have smaller-than-usual Thanksgiving gatherings. About 5% said they plan to get a COVID-19 test before celebrating, and 5% said they’ll ask everyone attending their festivities to get tested.
‘Not worth the risk’
The Illinois Department of Public Health is recommending people stay home as much as possible, only leaving for essential activities. At a recent event, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, asked, “Do we want to sit with people at Thanksgiving, and weeks later attend their funeral?”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the lowest-risk Thanksgiving plans include celebrating only with those who already live in your home, or a virtual dinner with friends and family. College students who live away from home should not be considered part of the household. The CDC also recommends if people from different households do plan to gather, that everyone involved avoid contact with those outside their homes for 14 days beforehand.
Dr. Michael Lin, an infectious disease specialist at Rush University System for Health, said he doesn’t recommend testing as a prelude to holiday gatherings.
“Testing, in general, only applies to the day of your test. It tells you something about your status,” Lin said. “It’s important to know the next day or the day after you may have a different situation. I can’t use a test on one day to guarantee on another day you’re going to be negative.”
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That’s part of the reason that Caroline Rohan, 46, of Deerfield, didn’t consider testing as a way to gather with more of her family for Thanksgiving. Rohan, her husband and three children plan to celebrate with her in-laws, whom they’ve been seeing regularly as part of their bubble, but not her parents, who are older and have health issues.
Caroline Rohan and husband Dan Lakier with their children, from left, Eva, 9, Zach, 11, and Naomi, 14, at their home in suburban Deerfield on Nov. 5, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
“I don’t know how much you can 100% rely on it,” Rohan said of testing.
At first, Rohan and her relatives discussed whether they could host her parents if they sat two rooms away, or if they ate in the garage.
But they decided those protections weren’t enough — and her parents didn’t really want to dine in a garage.
‘No right or wrong answer'
Some experts, however, say COVID-19 testing could lessen the danger of gathering for the holidays — though they agree that it’s not a foolproof way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Northwestern’s Murphy said people should avoid gathering for Thanksgiving this year, but if it’s essential that they do get together, everyone should get tested for COVID-19 — with a type of test known as a PCR test — as close to the event as possible. People must keep in mind that some tests can take days to return results.
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“That’s not a perfect solution, but if you test everybody, that does give you some measure of protection,” Murphy said. “Nothing is 100% protective."
It may be important for many people’s mental health to see their family members for the holidays, and testing can help facilitate that, said Dr. Rahul Khare, CEO of Innovative Express Care, an immediate care facility that offers testing in Lincoln Park and Downers Grove. He believes families can still get together but only if they gather in groups of 10 or fewer and isolate for two weeks beforehand, or test four or five days before and then isolate.
“There’s nothing wrong with seeing them, but do it responsibly,” Khare said.
People may want to also open a window during Thanksgiving gatherings, if they can stand the cold, he said.
The CDC recommends hosts wear masks while making and serving food, offer single-use utensils and plates, have all guests wear masks and keep members of different households at least 6 feet apart throughout the event. People at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and those who live with them, should avoid gathering with people who don’t reside in their households, according to the CDC. The CDC recommends gatherings be held outside when possible.
The testing process
People who want to get tested for COVID-19 before the holidays face a maze of choices — and limitations.
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There are two basic types of tests. One is an antigen test, which looks for specific proteins on the surface of the virus and often returns results within 15 minutes. However, it is not considered as accurate as the other type of test, a molecular test, such as a PCR test.
Molecular tests detect the virus’s genetic material. It can take a day to a week for results, depending on the testing facility.
Northwestern Medicine requires people to get doctors' orders for tests. Rush doesn’t require a doctor’s note, but those who want testing must talk to a nurse or doctor first, and generally must have symptoms.
Other sites, such as the 11 run by the Illinois Department of Public Health, offer tests to everyone, regardless of symptoms.
Registered nurse Anna Reinhart holds open a biohazard bag for a patient to drop in their self-administered COVID-19 test at a drive-thru testing site at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago on Oct. 20, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
People can take at-home PCR COVID-19 tests, such as those sold through Osco Drug and Costco’s website.
To take the at-home tests from Osco and Costco, people have to fill out questionnaires, receive the tests, spit in tubes and then send them to labs. Results are available within a few days. The tests cost $139.99 out-of-pocket through Osco and $129.99 through Costco. Neither store is billing insurance companies for the tests, though they say patients can try to get reimbursed by submitting receipts to their insurance companies.
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People should ask about costs upfront, regardless of where they get their tests. Federal law generally requires health insurance companies to cover COVID-19 tests at no cost to patients, but some people are being charged because of certain exemptions and nuances in the law.
A number of colleges, including Illinois State University, are offering COVID-19 tests to students before they head home for the holidays. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign already requires students to test twice a week.
Still, getting tests for everyone coming to Thanksgiving — a grandmother with health issues, college-age cousins, an uncle who doesn’t believe COVID-19 is a serious threat — can take some logistical gymnastics. And even with testing, any indoor get-together between members of different households carries risks.
That’s part of the reason many people, such as Norma Sanders, may go it alone for Thanksgiving this year.
Sanders still goes to work in person, meeting with members of South Side communities in her role as director of special initiatives for the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corp., which works to revitalize those communities.
She’s much more exposed to the outside world than other members of her extended family, who have been hunkering down in their homes since the pandemic started.
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“I am the only one who’s out almost every day,” Sanders said.
She’s kept her distance from her relatives even after testing negative for COVID-19 in recent months.
She doesn’t plan to change that behavior for the holidays.
lschencker@chicagotribune.com
hdardick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--With Black women in Illinois 6 times more at risk during pregnancy and with hospitals closing, state

With Black women in Illinois 6 times more at risk during pregnancy and with hospitals closing, state legislators look into ‘a very dire situation’

After Leah delivered her baby at just 20 weeks , she was placed in intensive care following a postpartum hemorrhage @ @ @ @ @ scary that her fiance was hesitant to try for another pregnancy .
Not wanting to @ @ @ @ @ hospital , and hoping for a fresh start , she worked to find different doctors @

Pregnant and in the hospital, Leah told medical staff she was feeling increasing pain.
But no one seemed to hear her, she recalled. A day after she was admitted for bleeding, in a Chicago hospital room with only a friend present, she delivered her baby too early.
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“Nobody paid attention,” said Leah, 34, who did not want to give her full name while discussing a personal health issue.
She had read about health disparities, she said, such as that Black women are more likely to die from pregnancy-related conditions. But when she lost her baby in February, she experienced it herself.
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“I’m a lawyer. I’ve gone to law school. I consider myself educated and informed. I feel like I’ve done all the right things. I have really good health insurance,” she said. “You have all that stuff in your favor, and sometimes it still doesn’t work for you.”
Leah is one of many Black women and Illinois patients at the heart of health disparities discussed in hearings Friday and Monday. The Illinois Senate’s Public Health and Health and Human Services committees are looking into ways to shrink this gap.
A car parade supporting Mercy Hospital & Medical Center drove around the Thompson Center in Chicago on Sept. 3, 2020. After a long, storied history in Chicago, the hospital in Bronzeville plans to close next year, dealing a blow to the South Side community it has served for more than 150 years. (Jos M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
“It’s a very dire situation,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngoze Ezike, noting hospital closures within the state; for example, Mercy Hospital & Medical Center announced it will close next year. Ezike said Illinois has maternal death statistics higher than the national average, calling the data “shocking and scary.”
State health officials are reviewing each case to determine the cause and how it could have been prevented. About 72 percent of pregnancy-related deaths reviewed were deemed preventable.
“That leaves a lot of work for us to do,” Ezike said. “These are women in the prime of their lives — young women, by all measures, who should be able to carry these babies to term.”
Along with pregnancy statistics showing that women of color are more at risk, speakers noted that COVID-19 is having a disproportionate effect on people of color and that African Americans face higher death rates for many cancers.
State Sen. Mattie Hunter said more training is needed on implicit bias and more diversity is needed in health care.
“It’s crucial that Black and brown patients have access to health professionals that look like them or, at the very least, understand their circumstances,” Hunter said.
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Planned Parenthood of Illinois Director of Government Relations Brigid Leahy suggested actions legislators could take to improve health disparities, such as covering doula services under Medicaid and expanding home visits, where nurses check on new mothers and babies after they leave the hospital.
And University of Chicago certified nurse midwife Karie Stewart talked about the need for more birth options on the South and West sides, telling legislators about her proposal to create a birth center. She and fellow midwife Jeanine Valrie Logan noted that 25 percent of Black women in Chicago do not get adequate prenatal care, compared with 11 percent of white women.
After Leah delivered her baby at just 20 weeks, she was placed in intensive care following a postpartum hemorrhage. The experience was so scary that her fiance was hesitant to try for another pregnancy. Not wanting to deliver again at that same hospital, and hoping for a fresh start, she worked to find different doctors.
Even this is a burden, she said, requiring extra effort and energy to find answers and care where she feels heard. “It also makes you mistrust the health care system,” she said.
“I just think that if someone would have been listening and I had been heard, it might have been handled a little differently,” she said. “Not only did I lose the baby, but it was a really tragic outcome on my part too.”
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--Niles police, Maine South school resource officer investigating after video shows boy’s beating

“ District 207 and its schools take matters like this very seriously , and if it is determined District 207 @ @ @ @ @ and foremost , it will be extremely disappointing behavior , ” Collins wrote .
“ @ @ @ @ @ do all it can to follow through with disciplinary action .
As with all disciplinary @ @ @ @ @ not be released to the public .
”

Niles police are investigating after a video showing a teenage boy being beaten was reportedly shared on a social app over the weekend.
Niles Police Department Bureau Chief Nick Zakula said Tuesday that detectives are “in the preliminary stages of an ongoing investigation” of the bullying incident.
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Ben Collins, principal of Maine South High School in Park Ridge, discussed the incident in an email to parents Monday.
In the email, Collins wrote that Maine South school officials learned of a video shared on social media that showed “high school aged children using an inappropriate sexual phrase directed at another high school aged child and physical violence towards that child.”
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A clip of the purported video, shared with Pioneer Press and the Chicago Tribune Media Group, shows a boy speaking to a camera before he is punched in the back of the head by another individual.
“District 207 and its schools take matters like this very seriously, and if it is determined District 207 students were involved, first and foremost, it will be extremely disappointing behavior,” Collins wrote. “Secondly, District 207 will do all it can to follow through with disciplinary action. As with all disciplinary issues, that information will not be released to the public.”
Zakula declined to say where in Niles the incident is believed to have taken place.
“NPD will provide information as soon possible without jeopardizing the investigation,” he said.
Park Ridge Police Chief Frank Kaminski said Maine South High School’s new school resource officer is assisting Niles police in the investigation. He declined to share additional information about the case.
Collins, in his email to parents, said school officials learned of the video through Maine Township High School District’s Anonymous Alerts system, which allows students, parents, or community members to submit online tips of “suspicious activity, bullying or other student-related issues.”
The Anonymous Alerts system has been used to inform Maine South officials of prior potential crimes depicted on social media, including a 2017 incident that led to the arrest of two boys who were reportedly holding a handgun in a Snapchat video.
jjohnson@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter: @Jen_Tribune


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--Man taken into police custody in Evanston after shots fired, brief barricade response

The man was not hit by the gunfire but the shooter “ then retreated into a residence , where he @ @ @ @ @ , ” Glew said earlier Tuesday afternoon .

Police officers lead a person away in handcuffs near the corner of Dodge Avenue and Lyons Street in Evanston on Nov. 10, 2020. (Erin hooley / Chicago Tribune)
A barricade situation ended peacefully in Evanston Tuesday afternoon after shots were fired during an earlier altercation between two men, police said.
Officers responded around noon to calls of shots fired in the 1800 block of Dodge Ave., said police Commander Ryan Glew.
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A man told officers that he was in an argument with another man who fired a gun “presumably at the victim,” Glew said.
The man was not hit by the gunfire but the shooter “then retreated into a residence, where he is believed to be contained,” Glew said earlier Tuesday afternoon.
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There have not been any injuries reported, Glew said.
Around 2:30 p.m., the man was taken into custody by police and led away in handcuffs. He entered police custody “without incident,” according to police.
Police officers gear up near the corner of Dodge Avenue and Lyons Street in Evanston on Nov. 10, 2020. (Erin hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Residents were told to avoid Dodge Avenue between Church and Emerson streets as officers responded to the situation.
Officers did not immediately know if the home was the suspect’s residence or belonged to someone he knows, Glew said.
“It was definitely a residence he has access to,” Glew said.
In working to secure the neighborhood, Evanston police evacuated some residents. Officers from neighboring law enforcement jurisdictions also responded, Glew said.
This is a developing story. Check back for more details.


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--District 15 teachers pushing for halt to in-person instruction, citing latest COVID-19 restrictions

“ We are especially concerned about our students and our community .
... Over 60 % of our student population @ @ @ @ @ ” Lundquist said .
“ The science and data has shown those who fall into @ @ @ @ @ greater chance of contracting COVID and are more likely to get seriously ill. We need @ @ @ @ @

Teachers in Marquardt School District 15 said Tuesday that tightened COVID-19 restrictions announced by the state underscore the need to halt in-person student instruction and shift back to remote learning.
“We are calling for an immediate switch to remote learning, and we are asking for a clear, transparent plan that uses metrics and data to drive decision-making in our schools,” teachers union co-President Mary Lundquist said in a statement.
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“We should be putting the safety of our students, our staff and community first, and that means following the advice of the medical professionals at the DuPage County Health Department,” she said.
Officials with the district, which serves 2,600 students in Glendale Heights, Addison, Lombard, Bloomingdale and Glen Ellyn, were not immediately available for comment.
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The Health Department recommended in mid-October that all schools in the county move to remote learning because of growing COVID-19 positivity rates.
“The health and safety of our students and staff is paramount,” said Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin, pointing to the state’s decision to tighten restrictions in DuPage County due to escalating COVID rates. “If gatherings are limited under (the state’s) Tier 2 restriction to 10 or fewer, that restriction should also apply to schools.”
Any districts located where Tier 2 restrictions are in place and “where there are 10-plus gatherings in a classroom or otherwise, should switch to remote learning until it is safe to return to in-person learning,” Griffin said.
“We also strongly believe all school board members, who are often not medical professionals — nor do they have expertise in infectious diseases — should follow the guidelines being put forth by the Illinois Department of Public Health and by county health departments,” Griffin added.
Lundquist, with the teachers union, said educators are not opposed to in-person learning, but are “absolutely against unsafe learning.”
“We are especially concerned about our students and our community. ... Over 60% of our student population are Black and Hispanic,” Lundquist said. “The science and data has shown those who fall into those demographic groups have a greater chance of contracting COVID and are more likely to get seriously ill. We need to do better.”
Lundquist said teachers and community members plan to voice their support for a return to remote learning at a school board meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the District 15 administrative offices, 1860 Glen Ellyn Road, Glendale Heights.
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-11-10--Felony kidnapping, intimidation charges against Gary councilman Ron Brewer could be dropped

Brewer , 45 , was charged with three felonies after he tracked the teen suspects he said stole his Lexus @ @ @ @ @ .
While talking to police on a cellphone , Brewer followed the car to East @ @

Felony charges could be dismissed against Gary Councilman Ron Brewer, according to an amended agreement filed Monday in Lake Superior Court.
The agreement stated the Lake County prosecutor’s office has agreed to dismiss felony charges of kidnapping, criminal confinement and intimidation, if Brewer, D-At large, doesn’t violate a pretrial diversion program over the next six months.
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The prosecutor’s office added a charge of intimidation, a Class A misdemeanor.
The charges stem from a Sept. 22, 2019, incident in which Brewer’s car was stolen in Gary. He pleaded not guilty.
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Brewer, 45, was charged with three felonies after he tracked the teen suspects he said stole his Lexus from a Gary gas station. While talking to police on a cellphone, Brewer followed the car to East Chicago.
He was accused of firing a gun at several teens who were in the car and detaining a 14-year-old and taking him back to Gary against his will.
According to court records, Lake Superior Court Judge Salvador Vasquez approved Brewer’s pretrial diversion agreement. A hearing for a review of the case was set for May 10.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.