chicagotribune--2020-06-02--Sparked by death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, protests in Chicago fueled by decades of Police Dep

Sparked by death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, protests in Chicago fueled by decades of Police Department problems

Activist William Calloway described the situation as a “ perfect storm '' and rattled off the names of black Chicagoans @ @ @ @ @ pointed to the 2012 fatal shooting of Rekia Boyd by an off-duty cop who was @ @ @ @ @ then acquitted , and Paul O ’ Neal , a teenager shot dead in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ him as he drove a stolen car .

Police officers guarding the Trump International Hotel & Tower hold back protesters in the Loop on May 30, 2020, during a rally and march to remember the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
George Floyd’s death at the hands of police 400 miles away catalyzed days of street protests in Chicago, but the demonstrations here are rooted in anger over decades of abuse of African Americans by the city’s officers, activists said.
The protests continued a tradition of Chicago activists crowding streets to complain about bias in enforcement, a lack of accountability for officers and police killing black people.
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The motivating forces driving the protests also extend beyond policing to unemployment and an often-ineffective health care system at a moment when a coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately hurt minorities, said Aislinn Pulley, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter: Chicago.
“In Chicago, we exist within a tinderbox of inequality and so what were seeing is that tinderbox is being lit,” Pulley said.
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Activist William Calloway described the situation as a “perfect storm" and rattled off the names of black Chicagoans killed by police. He pointed to the 2012 fatal shooting of Rekia Boyd by an off-duty cop who was charged with involuntary manslaughter and then acquitted, and Paul O’Neal, a teenager shot dead in 2016 after police tried to stop him as he drove a stolen car.
Members of the Chicago Police Department stand outside the entrance to police headquarters as protesters lay on the ground chanting after the shooting death of Paul O'Neal in 2016. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
"This is deeper for us than just George Floyd. This has been going on with us for years,” he said.
Though protests and unrest have flared in cities across the country, Chicago’s position is unusual in that the city already is in the middle of a court-overseen effort to overhaul the Chicago Police Department. That push was sparked by public fury over the November 2015 release of video of white Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times.
The shooting led to a second-degree murder conviction and a wide-ranging report by the U.S. Department of Justice that portrayed the city’s police as poorly trained and loosely supervised, with little reason to fear discipline. The Justice Department’s findings echoed long-standing complaints about flawed investigations into shootings and the disproportionate use of force against minorities, among a host of other issues.
Following that report, the city signed a consent decree that mandates changes to training, supervision and discipline, but progress has been slow. Late last year, the first periodic report from the independent monitoring team hired to guide the department’s progress found the city had missed 37 of its 50 deadlines during the first six months of implementing the court order.
People protest during an Aug. 20, 2015, board meeting, calling for the firing of Dante Servin from the Chicago Police Department after the shooting death of Rekia Boyd. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Still, that ongoing court case means that Chicago police are handling the recent protests with the added oversight of a federal judge who has the power to enforce the court order.
Craig Futterman, a University of Chicago law professor who represents activist groups involved in the consent decree case, said he and his colleagues were investigating complaints of heavy-handed police tactics against protesters. He said he’d heard allegations that people were arrested but refused contact with attorneys.
Police Department spokesman Luis Agostini encouraged people who felt they’d been mistreated to call 311 to file a complaint with the city’s police disciplinary agency, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
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“All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and Chicago police officers are held to the highest professional standards,” he wrote in an email. "CPD will not tolerate officers who mistreat the same individuals we are sworn to serve and protect. "
Activist Ja’Mal Green said the city had taken steps toward reform but added that, “Progress has been made, but it’s slow, which is why no one is ever satisfied.”
Asked if protests were likely to go on throughout the summer, he said it was “very well possible.”
dhinkel@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-02--After a weekend of chaos, the fallout: Authorities and activists react to a wave of arrests

After aldermen and people in Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s administration made phone calls to police brass , police admitted @ @ @ @ @ present , but not London , Shiller said .
It took another two hours for @ @ @ @ @ was at St. Bernard Hospital with bruises and cuts to his arms and face .
@ @ @ @ @ see the other protesters .

Javonte Anderson, Jason Meisner, Megan Crepeau

Police officers guarding the Trump International Hotel & Tower hold back protesters in the Loop on May 30, 2020, during a rally and march to remember the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
After a weekend of protests was overshadowed by widespread looting and intense gun violence, Chicagoans on Monday were left to grapple with the fallout.
Residents swept up broken glass outside looted storefronts. Prosecutors and police scrambled to process a tidal wave of arrests. And activists called for the release of those they allege were targeted for demonstrating peacefully.
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Among those arrested this weekend: A man who prosecutors say drove to Chicago with homemade bombs in his car and was seen on video saying, “Let’s start a riot." A local activist and poet whose supporters said he was beaten by cops during a peaceful protest. And nearly 700 others who were picked up for looting, according to Chicago police Superintendent David Brown.
Authorities worked hard to draw a line between the protests — organized to condemn the police killing of Minneapolis man George Floyd — and the violent chaos that erupted in their wake.
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Volunteers clean up after the looting of a City Sports store on 71st Street in Chicago on Monday, June, 1, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
“To the peaceful protesters, please continue your peaceful protests," Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said. “You have every right to do that. You are justified in doing so. It was a horrific thing that occurred in Minneapolis. ... But what we can’t do is we can’t conflate that with people who are affirmatively committing criminal acts on purpose."
Floyd, a black man, died May 25 after Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was captured on video pushing his knee into Floyd’s neck despite Floyd’s anguished protestations that he was unable to breathe.
The shocking video sparked protests nationwide, including in the Hyde Park neighborhood Sunday evening, where activist and poet Malcolm London gathered with a group of other activists.
Police arrived and appeared to directly target London, along with another protester, London’s attorney Brendan Shiller told the Tribune.
The officers “got aggressive” and started beating London and others, Shiller said. Several were arrested.
Cellphone video from the scene, provided by Shiller’s law firm, shows police officers shoving London to the sidewalk, where he tumbles over backward.
Shiller got to the police station at 7:45 p.m. Sunday, and for two hours those there were told that none of the arrested activists were present there.
India Moore speaks to a crowd of Black Lives Matter supporters outside a Chicago police station at 51st Street and Wentworth Avenue on Monday, June 1, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
After aldermen and people in Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration made phone calls to police brass, police admitted that two of them were present, but not London, Shiller said. It took another two hours for them to find out he was at St. Bernard Hospital with bruises and cuts to his arms and face. Shiller eventually got in to see the other protesters.
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Police released the others without charges after activists showed up at the police station, Shiller said, adding that someone from the mayor’s office supposedly went there to negotiate their release.
Police said they could confirm London was in custody, but declined to comment further unless charges were approved against him.
But London remained in custody as of Monday afternoon, when more than 100 people gathered to call for his release.
At the news conference outside the police station, Chicago rapper Vic Mensa addressed the crowd.
”It’s been four or five years since we marched in the streets and were beaten by police after the murder of Laquan McDonald, and as you can see, ain’t nothing changed,” he said.
”Don’t ask us to show restraint when restraint and humanity are not given to us and not shown to us.”
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The organized protests contrasted with the two straight nights of looting and other chaos that spread out to neighborhoods across the city and suburbs after authorities attempted to seal off the downtown area.
Police received call after call of lootings, shootings and fires on all sides of the city. There were several “10-1″ calls for officers in immediate need of help. The weekend became one of the most violent in recent years in Chicago, with more than 80 people shot and nearly 20 of them killed.
Chicago officials said they received 65,000 calls in a 24-hour period, 50,000 more than a typical day.
Cook County bond court stretched on for hours Monday as authorities dealt with the onslaught of new cases. Misdemeanor court was a wave of disorderly conduct, theft, and gun charges. Felony court had a mother-and-daughter pair arrested on charges of looting after prosecutors said they crawled through a shattered storefront, as well as an Indiana man caught with a weapon after allegedly looting a beauty supply store.
“Do you think I’m going to come to Chicago and do all this s--- and not have my gun on me?” prosecutors said he stated after his arrest.
Some of the most chilling allegations came in federal court, where a Galesburg man was accused of inciting chaos in Minneapolis and Chicago — looting, rioting and appearing to light a building on fire, according to prosecutors.
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And when Chicago police arrested Matthew Rupert for violating curfew early Sunday, they found several homemade bombs in his car, according to a federal criminal complaint.
After an appearance in Chicago’s federal court, Rupert, 28, will remain in custody and be taken to Minnesota to face the charges there.
According to the complaint, Rupert posted messages on his Facebook account Thursday saying he was going to Minneapolis to protest the death of George Floyd and wanted “goons” to join him.
The next day, he posted a two-hour livestreamed video of himself participating in the protests and violence that erupted in Minneapolis. During the video, Rupert could be heard and seen encouraging others on video to throw bombs at police, appearing to light a building on fire, and damaging property and looting businesses, according to the complaint.
“Light that bitch and throw it at them,” Rupert said at one point to another person, who lit a device and threw it in the direction of police, according to the charges. Moments later, an explosion is heard in the video and Rupert repeatedly yells, “Good shot, my boy!” as well as “F--- 12,” a derogatory reference to law enforcement, the complaint alleged.
On Saturday, Rupert posted a message saying he was on his way to Chicago. Two hours later, prosecutors said, he began posting multiple videos of himself participating in violent acts downtown, including saying things like, “Let’s start a riot."
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The Chicago Tribune’s Hal Dardick, Paige Fry and William Lee contributed.
jaanderson@chicagotribune.com
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Joliet mayor declares state of emergency, curfew after Sunday mayhem

Joliet Mayor Bob O ’ Dekirk said Monday that what began as a peaceful protest at the intersection of Larkin @ @ @ @ @ violent as protest organizers pleaded for calm from those who assembled .
While peaceful protesters @ @ @ @ @ took to the streets , hurling bottles , chunks of asphalt , M-80 explosives and @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Dekirk said , noting he saw at least one officer being struck by @ @ @ @

After a night of unrest, Joliet’s mayor declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew from 8 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday, and he has been in contact with Gov. J.B. Pritzker about the possible need for assistance from the Illinois National Guard.
Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk said Monday that what began as a peaceful protest at the intersection of Larkin Avenue and Jefferson Street turned violent as protest organizers pleaded for calm from those who assembled. While peaceful protesters left the area, others took to the streets, hurling bottles, chunks of asphalt, M-80 explosives and rocks at police officers, O’Dekirk said, noting he saw at least one officer being struck by a thrown rock.
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A handful of Joliet stores sustained damage, including a small grocery store that was set on fire Sunday night. At one point, Joliet’s drawbridges were raised to prevent people from getting into the downtown area, said O’Dekirk, who was out with police Sunday night.
“I was really disgusted by what I saw in our city last night,” said O’Dekirk, a former Joliet police officer. “I just can’t imagine anyone from the city of Joliet who would want to destroy our city.”
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Both O’Dekirk and Joliet police Chief Alan Roechner decried the acts of Minneapolis police officers in the death of George Floyd. His May 25 death at the hands of police has sparked protests — both peaceful and violent — across the country.
“Everyone in law enforcement, including myself, was disturbed by the senseless death of George Floyd,” Roechner said. “There is no justification for the actions of those officers.”
Both Roechner and O’Dekirk noted that there were peaceful protests Sunday, and said they supported the rights of those groups to gather. But both said they will not tolerate violence and were aware of social media posts suggesting additional violence Monday evening.
“We fully support peaceful protests such as the ones that occurred earlier in the day (Sunday),” Roechner said. “With that being said, we will not condone any violence or criminal disobedience. Anyone participating in these types of unlawful actions will be arrested swiftly and will be charged to the full extent of the law, including federal law if appropriate.”
Roechner said officers arrested 30 people Sunday night and early Monday. Of the 30, 18 were from Joliet, Roechner said.
O’Dekirk said curfew will be enforced but exceptions are available for those who are traveling to or from work or for medical care, members of the media, law enforcement officers, those fleeing a dangerous situation or for federal, state or local elected officials.


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--The Spin: President Trump threatens to deploy military to cities where unrest is unfolding | Pritzke

The Spin: President Trump threatens to deploy military to cities where unrest is unfolding | Pritzker, Trump accuse each other of spewing ‘rhetoric’ | Lightfoot: ‘We did not let South, West sides burn’

According to a transcript provided by the governor ’ s office about the exchange between Pritzker and Trump , the @ @ @ @ @ wanted to take this moment — and I can ’ t let it pass — @ @ @ @ @ that I ’ ve been extraordinarily concerned about the rhetoric that ’ s been used @ @ @ @ @ s been inflammatory , and it ’ s not OK for that officer to choke @ @ @ @ @ But we have to call for calm .
We have to have police reform called @ @ @ @ @ called out our National Guard and our state police , but the rhetoric that ’ @ @ @ @ @ White House is making it worse .
And I need to say that people are @ @ @ @ @ and we ’ ve got to have national leadership in calling for calm and making @ @ @ @ @ addressing the concerns of the legitimate peaceful protesters .
That will help us to bring @ @

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, left, and President Donald Trump. President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Saturday, May 30, 2020, after stepping off Marine One as he returns from Kennedy Space Center for the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks Sunday, May 31, 2020 the day after protests led to widespread damage downtown. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Just in: During a brief news conference early this evening, President Donald Trump declared himself “the president of law and order” and threatened to deploy the United States military to American cities to quell a rise of violent protests. The Associated Press has the full report here.
It comes hours after a fiery video teleconference in which the president told U.S. governors to clamp down on the unrest, a lot of it violent. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who was on the call, accused Trump of spewing rhetoric rather than sowing the seeds of peace, according to a transcript the governor’s office provided The Spin along with accounts from other news outlets.
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The Republican president thumbed his nose at the Democratic governor, saying Pritzker had offered up plenty of rhetoric over the White House’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The barb trading might be dismissed as another snapshot of the political divide if the images of confrontations between police and protesters, people looting, torched buildings and National Guard vehicles rolling into Chicago weren’t so crystal clear in the days since George Floyd, a handcuffed black man, died while in Minneapolis police custody after an officer knelt on his neck.
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In an interview today, the Rev. Jesse Jackson — who was in Minneapolis last week to join religious leaders in a call for peace and healing — told the Spin “we have two very different crises happening right now: the coronavirus and the Code Blue virus.” Jackson was referring to strained relations between law enforcement and black communities. While the coronavirus pandemic highlighted health disparities, along with economic and educational inequalities, the video of Floyd dying at the hands of a police officer was a brutal reminder of the line of unarmed African American men killed by white police officers, Jackson said.
Welcome to The Spin.
In this Dec. 13, 2018, file photo, Illinois Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker, center, talks with President Donald Trump during a meeting with newly elected governors in the Cabinet Room of the White House. (Evan Vucci/AP)
During a video teleconference with governors today, President Trump demanded tougher crackdowns after another night of fallout in Chicago and cities across the nation.
“Most of you are weak,” Trump said, according to an Associated Press report. “You have to arrest people.”
According to a transcript provided by the governor’s office about the exchange between Pritzker and Trump, the governor said: "I wanted to take this moment — and I can’t let it pass — to speak up and say that I’ve been extraordinarily concerned about the rhetoric that’s been used by you. It’s been inflammatory, and it’s not OK for that officer to choke George Floyd to death. But we have to call for calm. We have to have police reform called for. We’ve called out our National Guard and our state police, but the rhetoric that’s coming out of the White House is making it worse. And I need to say that people are feeling real pain out there and we’ve got to have national leadership in calling for calm and making sure that we’re addressing the concerns of the legitimate peaceful protesters. That will help us to bring order.
Trump replied, per the transcript: “OK, well, thank you very much J.B. I don’t like your rhetoric much either because I watched it with respect to the coronavirus, and I don’t like your rhetoric much either. I think you could’ve done a much better job, frankly. But that’s OK. And you know, we don’t agree with each other.”
The president also went on to say of Floyd’s killing: "The whole world was disgraced by it — that’s just our country — and the whole world was watching,” Trump said, according to the transcript. “So I — someone can tell me I haven’t spoken about, I’ve spoken about it at great length, at great length, and I will continue to speak about it. But I also have to speak about law and order. We need law and order in our country. And if we don’t have law and order, we don’t have a country. So we need law and order. OK, who’s next?” You can read Jamie Munks’ story here.
During an afternoon news conference, Pritzker said he felt like he had no choice but to speak up in during Trump’s videoconference with governors.
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“I think we were on that call for 40 minutes hearing him express what I found to be inflammatory rhetoric and then I heard other governors get on and not call it out - and so I spoke out and felt that was my obligation. I wish that the president would hold his words. … If he can’t say something that is going to help us across the nation to bring the temperature down., then he shouldn’t say anything at all.”
President Trump and @GovPritzker had a testy exchange on the call. Pritzker called out the president's rhetoric and the president replied that he doesn't like Pritzker's rhetoric either, per a person on the call. — Robert Costa (@costareports) June 1, 2020
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At City Hall on Friday, May 8, 2020, Dr. Allison Arwady, left, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, listens as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot holds a press conference. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
During a news conference to update the city on the fallout from a weekend of protests over the death of George Floyd, some of which resulted in violence and property damage, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said: “There is no way, no way we would ever let any neighborhood receive more resources and protection than any others. Ever. That certainly didn’t happen over the course of the weekend."
She added: “We did not stand by and let the South and West sides burn as some are propagating.” The mayor said the suggestion that these communities, representing some of the largest black neighborhoods in the city, was “offensive” to her as an African American woman.
What happened: The Tribune’s Gregory Pratt notes in a dispatch that Chicago officials deployed across the city but were overwhelmed as the city received 65,000 calls in a 24-hour period, 50,000 more than a typical day.
The reality: “Lightfoot acknowledged that the looting spread so far and fast that the police force couldn’t have stopped it all even if it was four times larger,” Pratt notes.
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What’s next? Pratt writes: “The city will deploy workers from the departments of Streets and Sanitation, Water Management, Transportation, Buildings and other employees into neighborhoods on the South and West sides to assess damage, assist small businesses and chambers of commerce to start the process of rebuilding key commercial corridors.” Mayor’s office personnel will help with cleanup efforts, too.
Aldermen want more National Guard: While the mayor requested the Illinois National Guard to help the city — something Gov. Pritzker granted — Far South Side Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, joined two fellow aldermen, Raymond Lopez, 15th, and Brian Hopkins, 2nd, in requesting 3,000 National Guard troops to patrol the South and West sides, Pratt notes. Read the story here.
Pritzker deploys Illinois National Guard troops to the suburbs: The Tribune’s Stacy St. Clair writes: “The activation of about 250 additional troops comes after the governor ordered 375 service members, all of whom have training as military police officers, to help with crowd control in Chicago. Troops will be deployed to the suburbs and other parts of the state in platoons of 30 to 40 members.”
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart: Carry on peaceful protests, but looters and arsonists will go to jail: The Tribune’s Hal Dardick has the details here.
Metra out of service on Monday, and CTA, Pace impose service cutbacks as George Floyd fallout continues: The Tribune’s Mary Wisniewski has the details here.
Lootings spread into neighborhoods as Chicago sees one of its most violent weekends with more than 80 shot: Read the Tribune story here.
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Businesses reeling from the pandemic face rebuilding after George Floyd protests give way to looting. ‘It’s going to take a slow climb to build back from this.’ The Tribune’s Alexia Elejalde Ruiz, Lauren Zumbach and Ryan Ori have the details here.
Chicago unrest prompts CPS to suspend meal pickup service at schools, but restaurants step up to fill gap: The Tribune’s Robert McCoppin and Grace Wong have the details here.
Protesters return to Waukegan to focus on message after looters take over weekend demonstrations: Emily K. Coleman of the Lake County News-Sun has the details here.
Downtown Aurora begins to clean up after protests turned violent; curfew in effect Monday: Sarah Freishtat with the Aurora Beacon-News has the details here.
Column: White America, if you want to know who’s responsible for racism, look in the mirror: Read Tribune columnist Dahleen Glanton’s take here.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, seen after speaking at Cook County Jail in Chicago on Dec. 6, 2019. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Jackson, who at 78 still heads up the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquartered on Chicago’s South Side, talked to The Spin about the demonstrations as well as the eruptions of violence in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
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“You’ve got the crisis of corona, and you’ve got the Code Blue pandemic,” he said, referring to police killing African Americans.
He questioned whether some of those involved with the violent clashes with police as well as breaking into and burning businesses know who George Floyd is. And, while he is sickened to see the destruction, Jackson says that some of these folks are expressing “unvocalized pain" over the history of police killing black men, but are in turn inflicting pain in the destruction.
“You got the small business — the largest employers of black Chicago is small businesses and those places got burned up last night” and Saturday night. And when you’re talking about the crisis of black unemployment and now these businesses are shuttered "those problems are compounded.”
He said such demonstrations represent a necessary “spectacle” even saying in an interview in Minneapolis that peaceful demonstrations should continue until all four officers at the scene of George Floyd’s arrest are charged. But long term, changing institutions requires expanding voting to elect like-minded politicians who will enact, for instance, police reforms with teeth.
Former President Barack Obama writes about how elections can make for real change in the aftermath of the George Floyd case — and it has nothing really to do with Trump. A snippet from his Medium post: "It’s mayors and county executives that appoint most police chiefs and negotiate collective bargaining agreements with police unions. It’s district attorneys and state’s attorneys that decide whether or not to investigate and ultimately charge those involved in police misconduct. Those are all elected positions. In some places, police review boards with the power to monitor police conduct are elected as well. Unfortunately, voter turnout in these local races is usually pitifully low, especially among young people — which makes no sense given the direct impact these offices have on social justice issues, not to mention the fact that who wins and who loses those seats is often determined by just a few thousand, or even a few hundred, votes.
“So the bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform.”
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Critics decry remote learning in Chicago Public Schools as unfair, say it ‘rewards those with privilege’: The Tribune’s Hannah Leone has the story here.
The Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant is seen on May 27, 2020, in Skokie. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Michael Hawthorne: "In the global effort to stem the novel coronavirus, every toilet flush reveals a vital clue.
"Droplets we breathe, sneeze or cough through our mouths and noses aren’t the only source of SARS-CoV-2. Bits of genetic material from the virus also end up in our waste, offering local health departments lifesaving opportunities to track, trace and prevent outbreaks.
"Researchers and technology startups involved in the rapidly developing science are finding signs of the virus in raw sewage days before people overwhelm hospitals with symptoms of COVID-19, the respiratory disease driving a pandemic that already has killed more than 100,000 Americans and another 256,000 combined in other countries.
“With the United States woefully behind on testing individuals, collecting samples from municipal sewers on a regular basis could give cities early warnings about where the disease is spreading. It also could indicate whether community lockdowns can be eased or if more stringent restrictions on daily life are needed.” Read the full story here.
State Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, speaks with state Rep. Tom Bennett, R-Gibson City, during debate over a bill involving a Chicago casino, during a session of the Illinois House of Representatives at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield on May 23, 2020. (Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register/AP)
The mayor “had to convince enough suburban and Downstate lawmakers to vote for what opponents — and even some legislators who voted in favor of the bill — characterized as a special deal for the city,” the Tribune’s Jamie Munks, John Byrne and Dan Petrella write.
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Statewide appeal: “In addition to a couple of perks for downstate gambling interests, the legislation’s passage benefited from an increased urgency for funds to support a statewide capital construction plan, which relies on gambling revenue,” Munks, Byrne and Petrella note.
While it’s expected to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue for public buildings, parks and other projects through Pritzker’s $45 billion “Rebuild Illinois” infrastructure plan, questions remain about how lucrative it will be as casino revenues have been declining for a decade. Read the full story here.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Chicago schools to resume meal handouts after suspension prompted by unrest; CPS offers ‘toolkit’ to

Chicago schools to resume meal handouts after suspension prompted by unrest; CPS offers ‘toolkit’ to help families talk about George Floyd death fallout

We must acknowledge that far too many of us have come to accept fear and pain as part of normal @ @ @ @ @ be the first thing we feel in the morning and the last thing we feel @ @ @ @ @ for many in the African American community .
If we are going to progress as @ @ @ @ @ must lead us to confront racism — in all of its forms — on a @ @ @

Robert McCoppin, Grace Wong, Hannah Leone

Chicago Public Schools will resume its “grab and go” free meal pickups on Tuesday following a one-day suspension attributed to unrest prompted by the alleged murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
The district also announced late Monday that it has released an “instructional toolkit” to help educators, students and families talk about the fallout from Floyd’s death and “the systemic racial inequities that spurred action in Chicago and throughout the country.”
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CPS CEO Janice Jackson had announced the suspension of meal pickup — a move that prompted an angry response from the Chicago Teachers Union — at a news conference Monday, saying the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution” to protect workers, students and families. The district later blamed “transportation and safety challenges” when it announced Monday evening that meal handouts would resume Tuesday at more than 300 school sites.
“We know our meal sites serve as a critical community resource and we are ready to resume this essential service for our families tomorrow following an assessment of ongoing activities,” said CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson. “We support and stand with Chicagoans who are forcefully, yet peacefully, advocating for the rights of black and brown people. We created a package of resources for families to navigate these difficult times and we hope this leads to critical conversations in households and virtual classrooms across Chicago.”
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In response to the suspension of the meal program, several local restaurants offered free lunch to CPS families.
CPS is still providing about 18,000 delivered meals each day. Anyone in need of emergency food delivery may call 773-553-KIDS (5437).
The Greater Chicago Food Depository also closed Monday but also announced it will resume operations Tuesday. The decision to close was made to ensure safety of the staff “during the continued civil unrest,” according to a release. The statement noted the “outrage, pain and sadness in response to the persistence of racism” in America.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected Black and Brown communities and the need for food assistance is immense,” according to the press release. “We provide an essential service and we will resume operations as soon as possible.”
Jackson also said that teachers should be addressing the ongoing violence in the city in the wake of protests over the death of Floyd following his arrest by police in Minneapolis, calling the situation a “crisis.”
“I don’t think any teacher worth their salt needs me to tell them that this is a unique time and we have to stop and we have to actually talk to students and help them understand what’s going on,” she said. “That’s what’s going to be happening throughout this city today.”
To that end, the district released a list of resources, links and prompts intended to guide conversations with students about events of recent days.
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CPS began offering meal pickup after schools were shut down in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, first at all schools and then at more scattered sites. The district also began delivering meals for families unable to pick up meals.
With Monday’s suspension, restaurants, churches, nonprofits and other entities around the city offered free lunches to CPS families.
Jackson, the CPS chief, also released an unusually personal message about the Floyd’s death:
Dear Families,
Today, I’m writing to you as a mother of a black boy who is worried for him, and the millions of other black boys in our country. I worry that when he leaves our home to ride bikes with his friends, he will come back to me as a headline, a hashtag, a rallying cry—an Ahmaud, a Breonna, a George.
My mother raised me to never bring up a problem without a solution, but today, I can only share with you my hurt and sorrow for our community. Tomorrow and in the days and weeks to come, we will have to have some real and difficult conversations about the worth of a person—not only in death but also in life.
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We must acknowledge that far too many of us have come to accept fear and pain as part of normal life. Fear should not be the first thing we feel in the morning and the last thing we feel at night but it is for many in the African American community. If we are going to progress as a society, this moment must lead us to confront racism — in all of its forms — on a daily basis.
Racism is all around us, but for too long, our nation has locked it away in the Civil Rights chapter of our history books. We taught and talked in terms of segregation, bus seating, and Bull Connor, while not giving enough attention and voice to what’s happening today. I’m challenging our community—parents, teachers, students—to call racist behavior out when we see it. We’ve tolerated intolerance for far too long, and the time has come for us to act.
This work is not easy but that cannot be an excuse to delay progress. Black lives matter, and it’s past due for us to prove it with action. Families of all backgrounds have a role to play, and it starts by speaking honestly with our children and our own respective communities. These will be undoubtedly difficult conversations and we will be sharing resources beginning Monday to help you begin these conversations.
We are here for you today, and we will be here for you tomorrow. Together we have a responsibility to ensure each day is safer, fairer and more just than the last.


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Gov. J.B. Pritzker accuses President Trump of ‘inflammatory’ rhetoric amid unrest that followed Geor

Gov. J.B. Pritzker accuses President Trump of ‘inflammatory’ rhetoric amid unrest that followed George Floyd’s death. Trump’s response: ‘I don’t like your rhetoric much either.’

“ We ’ ve called out our National Guard and our State Police , but the rhetoric that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ House is making it worse .
And I need to say that people are feeling @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve got to have national leadership in calling for calm and making sure @ @ @ @ @ the concerns of the legitimate peaceful protesters .
That will help us to bring order @ @ @ @ @

Police officers guarding the Trump International Hotel & Tower hold back protesters in the Loop on May 30, 2020, during a rally and march to remember the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday told President Donald Trump that he’s been “extraordinarily concerned” about Trump’s rhetoric in the wake of unrest that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police, and urged the president to call for calm.
“It’s been inflammatory, and it’s not OK for that officer to choke George Floyd to death. But we have to call for calm. We have to have police reform called for,” Pritzker said to the president, according to a transcript of the Monday morning call between Trump and governors.
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“We’ve called out our National Guard and our State Police, but the rhetoric that’s coming out of the White House is making it worse. And I need to say that people are feeling real pain out there and we’ve got to have national leadership in calling for calm and making sure that we’re addressing the concerns of the legitimate peaceful protesters. That will help us to bring order,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker’s comments came after Trump demanded tougher crackdowns on protesters in the aftermath of another night of violence in dozens of American cities.
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“Most of you are weak,” Trump said. “You have to arrest people.”
Trump fired right back on Pritzker in the call and criticized the governor’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a transcript.
“I don’t like your rhetoric much either because I watched it with respect to the coronavirus, and I don’t like your rhetoric much either,” Trump said to Pritzker. “I think you could’ve done a much better job, frankly. But that’s OK. And you know, we don’t agree with each other.”
CLIP: Exchange between President Trump and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (via @WashingtonPost).
Gov. Pritzker: "We have to call for calm...The rhetoric that's coming out of the White House is making it worse."
President Trump: "I don't like your rhetoric much either." pic.twitter.com/ezlovyiC6m — CSPAN (@cspan) June 1, 2020
Trump and Pritzker clashed repeatedly over the past several months over the pandemic, as Pritzker has sharply criticized the Trump administration’s response.
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Floyd died after being pinned down by Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged with third-degree murder. The incident has led to unrest in Chicago and cities across the country.
“The whole world was disgraced by it — that’s just our country — and the whole world was watching,” Trump said in Monday’s call, according to the transcript. “So I — someone can tell me I haven’t spoken about, I’ve spoken about it at great length, at great length, and I will continue to speak about it.
"But I also have to speak about law and order. We need law and order in our country. And if we don’t have law and order, we don’t have a country. So we need law and order. ”
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks on May 31, 2020, the day after protests led to widespread damage downtown. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
At a news conference later Monday, Pritzker said Trump has “fanned the flames” when “it is usually the job of the president to stand up in these circumstances and try to bring down the temperature.”
“I think we were on that call for 40 minutes hearing him express what I found to be inflammatory rhetoric, and then I heard other governors get on and not call it out,” Pritzker said.
“And so I spoke out and felt that was my obligation. I wish that the president would hold his words. If he can’t say something that is going to help us across the nation to bring the temperature down, then he shouldn’t say anything at all,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Pritzker deploys Illinois National Guard troops to suburbs

“ We can not allow those who have taken advantage of this moment to loot and smash to also steal @ @ @ @ @ expressing a need for real , meaningful change , '' Pritzker said .
`` This @ @ @ @ @ out of nowhere — it ’ s born of decades and centuries of systemic racism @ @ @ @ @ s what all of us have to recognize and that ’ s where our work @ @ @

Police officers guarding the Trump International Hotel & Tower hold back protesters in the Loop on May 30, 2020, during a rally and march to remember the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is deploying Illinois National Guard troops to the suburbs to help restore order following violent clashes Sunday night.
The activation of about 250 additional troops comes after the governor ordered 375 service members, all of whom have training as military police officers, to help with crowd control in Chicago.
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The soldiers and airmen have been given explicit orders not to interfere with protesters who are exercising their First Amendment rights, the governor said. In Chicago, troops have been tasked with securing street closures, but it’s unclear what their suburban missions will be.
“We are doing — and will do — everything we can to protect private property,” Pritzker said at an afternoon news conference. “We’ll continue to deploy as needed.”
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The governor did not say where the troops would be deployed or which communities have requested help. His spokeswoman did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Illinois National Guard Spc. Jaime Soto, left, and Spc. Nick Wolotowsky work with state police June 1, 2020, to direct traffic at a checkpoint along Cermak Road, where vehicles were stopped before entering downtown. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
In addition the National Guard units, the governor ordered the Illinois State Police to provide an additional 300 troopers to support local municipalities Monday night into Tuesday. He also issued emergency proclamations for nine counties in Illinois to expedite the use of state resources, personnel and equipment to help quell unrest.
The counties include: Champaign, Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Macon, Madison, Sangamon and Will.
“We cannot allow those who have taken advantage of this moment to loot and smash to also steal the voices of those peacefully expressing a need for real, meaningful change," Pritzker said. "This anger doesn’t come out of nowhere — it’s born of decades and centuries of systemic racism and injustice. That’s what all of us have to recognize and that’s where our work begins.”
Each Illinois National Guard member has been given strict guidelines in regards to use of force, said Air Force Brig. Gen. Richard Neely, the Illinois adjutant general. He has declined to discuss those rules of engagement, but the troops deployed to the suburbs will have identical orders.
People in west suburban Aurora looted stores on May 31, 2020, and set a series of fires around a downtown area already financially devastated by the coronavirus lockdown. (Stacy St. Clair / Chicago Tribune)
Troops will be deployed to the suburbs and other parts of the state in platoons of 30 to 40 members.
“This is the mission that we, as the National Guard, (find) most distasteful,” Neely said. “But that is our call. When the state asks for us, we come forward.”
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot had asked Pritzker to send the Guard to help quell the violence, the first time the city has made such a request since Mayor Richard J. Daley brought troops in to police the Democratic National Convention in 1968.
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After seeing the support Lightfoot received, mayors across Illinois made similar request as the unrest spread beyond the city limits. At least 17 people were arrested after a night of violence and vandalism in Aurora, where looters ransacked business and set fires across the downtown after peaceful protests earlier that day.
Police responded by shooting tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd, which largely ignored the citywide curfew. The National Guard provided aerial support during unrest and remains on standby to provide further assistance, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin said.
Aurora has set another citywide curfew for 8:30 p.m. Monday.
Aurora Beacon-News reporter Sarah Freishtat contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--How to help Chicago recover after looting and damage to businesses and neighborhoods

In the Loop , where many businesses were among the first that encountered wide and devastating damage across the city @ @ @ @ @ .
Chicago Loop Alliance President Michael Edwards said people have been eager to help their @ @ @ @ @ advice on how to do so .

Volunteers Marlen Rosas and Jesus Hidalgo carry a broken television they found at bus stop to a dumpster while picking up trash June 1, 2020, in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Images of city shops being looted have filled news reports and social media over the weekend.
In response, many Chicagoans have been out on their local streets and sidewalks to help clean up the damage.
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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday that the looting “spread like a wildfire” and promised to deploy workers from the Department of Streets and Sanitation and other agencies to help assess damage and rebuild.
In the Loop, where many businesses were among the first that encountered wide and devastating damage across the city, people began cleanup efforts. Chicago Loop Alliance President Michael Edwards said people have been eager to help their communities, and he offered advice on how to do so.
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Help clean up
People throughout Chicagoland who want to help with cleanup efforts in their neighborhoods can offer to clean glass-strewn streets or assist store owners with boarding up windows, if needed, and clean the inside of businesses that were damaged.
Have patience
Edwards said simply having patience is also another helpful measure.
“I think people can anticipate store openings, but it’ll take a little while, and I think people could be patient,” he said. “Some of (the stores) might not be having the inventory that they’ve come to expect.”
Support businesses
Edwards hopes people will continue to creatively find ways to support local businesses, such as ordering takeout. “We really want people to patronize them,” he said.
Donate
People can donate time, items or money to organizations such as the Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce, which is accepting monetary donations via PayPal at paypal.me/greaterenglewoodcc, and has also requested brooms, shovels, gloves, masks and trash bags to be used in different areas for cleanup.
“The community has worked so hard to get many of those businesses to come to Englewood and robbing them, damaging their storefronts, is not how we move the needle forward, in our favor,“ a message on the chamber’s Facebook page stated.
Many community members and groups have started fundraisers, including one created for Central Camera Company, whose owner vowed to rebuild, and one organized by Black People Eats to support restaurants impacted by looting.
This Chicago Family Pairing Program seeks to connect families on the North Side who can help deliver groceries to families on the South and West sides who have lost access to stores that sell food such as Walgreens, Target, Costco and Jewel that closed due to damage and looting.
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The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce suggested people donate to nonprofits working toward justice and equality, such as My Block My Hood My City, and support black-owned small businesses, sharing the listings at blackownedchicago.com.
Report looting
Chicagoans also can report looting, vandalism or damage to public property. The Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce is collecting these reports, and said it and other chambers plan to forward the data to the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
If you’d like to help your community, reach out to your local chamber of commerce. Many are directing cleanup efforts or pointing volunteers in the right direction. For example, the Neighborhood Network Alliance is helping to organize South Shore community cleanups with the South Shore Chamber of Commerce.
And even if it’s not an organized event, Edwards said, if you show up with a broom, you’ll likely be welcomed.
“If people want to take a pan and broom out on the street, and they see something in their surrounding neighborhood, or they want to participate, any place, anywhere, would be appreciated,” he said. “Around the country, sort of a similar sentiment is happening, and I think that’s hopeful.”
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--12 times the president called in the military domestically

There are a number of reasons the National Guard may be called to duty in the United States , including to help after disasters and provide security for events .
On any given day , a National Guard spokesman said , 2,000 to 4,000 Guardsmen are on duty for a variety of missions .
A president mobilizing the Guard to respond to a situation , however , is rare .
In January 2017 , threatened in a tweet to `` send in the Feds ! ''
in response to violence in Chicago .
Ultimately , he did n't .
National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request by the Chicago Tribune , listed 12 times since the enactment of the 1952 Armed Forces Reserve Act when the Guard was called into duty and operated under the control of the president .
Many of these incidents were during the turbulent civil rights struggles in the 1960s .
This list does n't include the many times the Guard was activated by a governor and operated under state control , and , in about half of the examples below , the governor of the state asked for help .
On Sept. 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an executive order sending troops from the Army 's 101st Airborne Division to maintain order and peace during the integration of Central High School by nine black students in Little Rock , Ark .
Arkansas Gov .
Orval Faubus earlier called in the state National Guard to bar black students from the school .
Two paratroop officers escort black students from Central High School in Little Rock in 1957 .
( AP ) Riots erupted on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford on Sept. 30 , 1962 , when James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , attempted to integrate the all-white school .
Despite the presence of more than 120 federal marshals who were on hand to protect Meredith from harm , the crowd turned violent .
The next morning , two civilians were dead and scores more were reported injured .
After spending the night of Sept. 30 under federal protection , Meredith was allowed to register for classes the following morning , and became the first black graduate from the university in August 1963 .
Federal marshals move through a group of white students arrested for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Miss.
, in 1962 .
( AP ) On May 16 , 1963 , a federal district court in Alabama ordered the University of Alabama to admit two African-American students .
Alabama Gov .
George Wallace , who had made a campaign promise to prevent the integration even if he had to stand in the schoolhouse door , temporarily blocked the students ' entrance by doing just that June 11 , 1963 .
He ultimately yielded when President John F. Kennedy federalized Alabama 's National Guard .
Alabama Gov .
George Wallace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alabama in 1963 .
( AP ) Although the U.S. Supreme Court 's 1954 decision in Brown vs. the Board of Education found racial segregation of children in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment , it did not immediately eliminate it .
Segregation did n't end in Alabama public schools until 1963 , when Sonnie Hereford IV became one of four black children to enroll in a previously all-white public school in Huntsville , Ala. , following a court order .
Sonnie Hereford IV , 6 , holds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his second day of integrated classes in Huntsville , Ala. , in 1963 .
( AP ) On March 7 , 1965 , which became known as `` Bloody Sunday , '' peaceful protesters led by John Lewis were beaten by local police as they tried to cross Selma 's Edmund Pettus Bridge .
The Rev .
led more than 3,000 marchers across the same bridge two weeks later and continued on a 54-mile trek to Montgomery , the state 's capital , under the watchful protection of the recently federalized Alabama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the seminal moments in civil rights history , led to the passage of the in 1965 .
The Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights marchers cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma , Ala. , in 1965 .
( AP ) Ignited when Detroit 's nearly all-white police force arrested several black revelers at an after-hours drinking club in the early morning on July 23 , 1967 , the riot triggered a devastating period of violence in the city that left 43 people dead and millions of dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops and National Guardsmen were called to the city .
Michigan National Guard equipment rolls out of Detroit in 1967 , after civil unrest subsided .
A woman weeps as she heads for a funeral .
( AP ) On April 4 , 1968 , the Rev .
Martin Luther King , Jr. was assassinated in Memphis , Tenn. As the tragic news spread , riots and looting took place in cities including New York , Washington , Nashville , Tenn. , and Raleigh , N.C .
In Chicago on the first night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black , were killed .
On Saturday , with the approval of Mayor Richard J. Daley , the Army was called in and thousands of troops descended on the city 's troubled areas .
When the fires died out , 162 buildings had been destroyed , 12 people killed and 3,000 arrested .
Soldiers stand guard in front of a supermarket on 63rd Street on Chicago 's South Side in 1968 .
( AP ) In the days following King 's assassination 13,600 troops occupied Washington , according to The Washinton Post , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the Civil War .
When news spread of King 's murder , looting and rioting broke out across the city .
Marines move down the street in southeast Washington .
( AP ) Riots following King 's assassination devastated Baltimore for two weeks .
Six were killed , dozens injured , and fires and looting caused damage .
Thousands of National Guard troops were deployed across the city .
A scene from the 1968 riots in Baltimore .
( Afro American Newspapers ) During a strike of U.S. postal workers involving 152,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
President Richard Nixon called in the National Guard to help get the mail moving in one of the hardest-hit areas : New York City .
The strike concerned what the unions saw as a small pay raise .
The strike lasted for two weeks , the military mail helpers were considered ineffective and the postal workers got their raise .
New York City letter carriers shout on the picket line .
( AP ) President called in the National Guard to restore order on the island of St. Croix of the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broke out following devastating damage from Hurricane Hugo .
The storm damage buried the island in rubble , destroying most homes and knocking out communications .
The storm sparked long-standing racial tensions that led to rioting and looting .
Bush sent in 1,100 heavily armed troops .
Troops patrol Christiansted on St. Croix of the U.S. Virgin Islands , following Hurricane Hugo .
( AP ) Arson , violence and looting broke out across Los Angeles following the not-guilty verdicts in all but one assault charge in the video-taped police beating of Rodney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reserve soldiers were activated .
During six days of rioting , more than 60 people were killed and more than 2,000 people were injured .
Two girls walk by a truck of National Guardsmen in Los Angeles in 1992 .
( AP )

There are a number of reasons the National Guard may be called to duty in the United States, including to help after disasters and provide security for events. On any given day, a National Guard spokesman said, 2,000 to 4,000 Guardsmen are on duty for a variety of missions.
A president mobilizing the Guard to respond to a situation, however, is rare. In January 2017, President Trump threatened in a tweet to "send in the Feds!" in response to violence in Chicago. Ultimately, he didn't.
National Guard historians, in response to a request by the Chicago Tribune, listed 12 times since the enactment of the 1952 Armed Forces Reserve Act when the Guard was called into duty and operated under the control of the president. Many of these incidents were during the turbulent civil rights struggles in the 1960s.
This list doesn't include the many times the Guard was activated by a governor and operated under state control, and, in about half of the examples below, the governor of the state asked for help.
1957-58 Desegregation of Little Rock school On Sept. 23, 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower signed an executive order sending troops from the Army's 101st Airborne Division to maintain order and peace during the integration of Central High School by nine black students in Little Rock, Ark. Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus earlier called in the state National Guard to bar black students from the school. Two paratroop officers escort black students from Central High School in Little Rock in 1957. (AP) 1962 Integration of University of Mississippi Riots erupted on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford on Sept. 30, 1962, when James Meredith, a black Air Force veteran, attempted to integrate the all-white school. Despite the presence of more than 120 federal marshals who were on hand to protect Meredith from harm, the crowd turned violent. The next morning, two civilians were dead and scores more were reported injured. After spending the night of Sept. 30 under federal protection, Meredith was allowed to register for classes the following morning, and became the first black graduate from the university in August 1963. Federal marshals move through a group of white students arrested for protesting integration of Ole Miss at Oxford, Miss., in 1962. (AP) 1963 Integration of University of Alabama On May 16, 1963, a federal district court in Alabama ordered the University of Alabama to admit two African-American students. Alabama Gov. George Wallace, who had made a campaign promise to prevent the integration even if he had to stand in the schoolhouse door, temporarily blocked the students' entrance by doing just that June 11, 1963. He ultimately yielded when President John F. Kennedy federalized Alabama's National Guard. Alabama Gov. George Wallace blocks the entrance to the University of Alabama in 1963. (AP) 1963 Integration of Alabama schools Although the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown vs. the Board of Education found racial segregation of children in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, it did not immediately eliminate it. Segregation didn't end in Alabama public schools until 1963, when Sonnie Hereford IV became one of four black children to enroll in a previously all-white public school in Huntsville, Ala., following a court order. Sonnie Hereford IV, 6, holds his father's hand as he arrives for his second day of integrated classes in Huntsville, Ala., in 1963. (AP) 1965 Selma, Montgomery civil rights march On March 7, 1965, which became known as "Bloody Sunday," peaceful protesters led by John Lewis were beaten by local police as they tried to cross Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led more than 3,000 marchers across the same bridge two weeks later and continued on a 54-mile trek to Montgomery, the state's capital, under the watchful protection of the recently federalized Alabama National Guard. The five-day march, one of the seminal moments in civil rights history, led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights marchers cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., in 1965. (AP) 1967 Detroit riots Ignited when Detroit's nearly all-white police force arrested several black revelers at an after-hours drinking club in the early morning on July 23, 1967, the riot triggered a devastating period of violence in the city that left 43 people dead and millions of dollars in property destroyed. Thousands of Army troops and National Guardsmen were called to the city. Michigan National Guard equipment rolls out of Detroit in 1967, after civil unrest subsided. A woman weeps as she heads for a funeral. (AP) 1968 Chicago riots following assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. On April 4, 1968, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn. As the tragic news spread, riots and looting took place in cities including New York, Washington, Nashville, Tenn., and Raleigh, N.C. In Chicago on the first night of rioting, nine people, all black, were killed. On Saturday, with the approval of Mayor Richard J. Daley, the Army was called in and thousands of troops descended on the city's troubled areas. When the fires died out, 162 buildings had been destroyed, 12 people killed and 3,000 arrested. Soldiers stand guard in front of a supermarket on 63rd Street on Chicago's South Side in 1968. (AP) 1968 Washington riots following King's murder In the days following King's assassination 13,600 troops occupied Washington, according to The Washinton Post, the most to occupy a U.S. city since the Civil War. When news spread of King's murder, looting and rioting broke out across the city. Marines move down the street in southeast Washington. (AP) 1968 Baltimore riots following King's murder Riots following King's assassination devastated Baltimore for two weeks. Six were killed, dozens injured, and fires and looting caused damage. Thousands of National Guard troops were deployed across the city. A scene from the 1968 riots in Baltimore. (Afro American Newspapers) 1970 New York City postal strike During a strike of U.S. postal workers involving 152,000 workers in 671 locations across the country. President Richard Nixon called in the National Guard to help get the mail moving in one of the hardest-hit areas: New York City. The strike concerned what the unions saw as a small pay raise. The strike lasted for two weeks, the military mail helpers were considered ineffective and the postal workers got their raise. New York City letter carriers shout on the picket line. (AP) 1989 Looting after Hurricane Hugo President George H.W. Bush called in the National Guard to restore order on the island of St. Croix of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Looting and racial tension broke out following devastating damage from Hurricane Hugo. The storm damage buried the island in rubble, destroying most homes and knocking out communications. The storm sparked long-standing racial tensions that led to rioting and looting. Bush sent in 1,100 heavily armed troops. Troops patrol Christiansted on St. Croix of the U.S. Virgin Islands, following Hurricane Hugo. (AP) 1992 Riots after Rodney King verdict Arson, violence and looting broke out across Los Angeles following the not-guilty verdicts in all but one assault charge in the video-taped police beating of Rodney King. During the violence, 2,000 reserve soldiers were activated. During six days of rioting, more than 60 people were killed and more than 2,000 people were injured. Two girls walk by a truck of National Guardsmen in Los Angeles in 1992. (AP)


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Watch live: President Trump delivers remarks from Rose Garden

President Donald Trump is expected to speak from the Rose Garden at the White House at 5:30 p.m. CDT .

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chicagotribune--2020-06-01--We’ve lowered the paywall on this essential coronavirus coverage

Testing for COVID-19 has greatly expanded in Illinois , with the state announcing more than 10,000 test results a day @ @ @ @ @ expansion has allowed the state to open up its guidance for who should be able @ @ @ @ @ .
The Illinois Department of Public Health is saying that testing is available without a @ @ @ @ @ anyone with coronavirus symptoms or an underlying risk factor .
Tests are also provided to @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic , such as medical workers , first responders and employees of prisons @ @ @ @ @ the map for coronavirus testing site near you .

As a public service to our readers and community, we have lowered the paywall on some of our most critical stories so everyone can access this important information. We rely on the support of our subscribers to fund our journalism. If you’re not already signed up, we hope you will consider subscribing.
We are updating a daily live blog with the latest developments on the reopening of Chicago and Illinois. This is where you’ll find updates on the number of COVID-19 cases in our area, as well as the most up-to-date recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Public Health, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
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As summer nears, Chicagoans are desperate to get out and about — to have a summer picnic with family, to get back to work, to get a haircut. Here’s how and when you might be able to do those things.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Tuesday a five-phase plan to get Illinois reopened as the COVID-19 pandemic slows its toll on health care providers. The plan, from “Rapid Spread” to “Illinois Restored,” splits the state up into regions and allows each region to open a different phase should the impact of the pandemic be different throughout the state. The plan also emphasizes that a region can move backward if the health metrics indicate enough risk. Read more.
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Testing for COVID-19 has greatly expanded in Illinois, with the state announcing more than 10,000 test results a day since April 24. The expansion has allowed the state to open up its guidance for who should be able to get a coronavirus test. The Illinois Department of Public Health is saying that testing is available without a doctor’s order to anyone with coronavirus symptoms or an underlying risk factor. Tests are also provided to people on the front lines of the pandemic, such as medical workers, first responders and employees of prisons or nursing homes. Search the map for coronavirus testing site near you.
All Illinois residents over age 2 must wear a face mask when they can’t maintain a 6-foot social distance in public. Studies show that the coronavirus can spread between people interacting in close proximity, including people who are not showing symptoms. Here’s where you can find them, what kind to get and how to make your own.
Americans are brainstorming with neighbors, posting questions on social media, and googling for tips and advice. The question at the center of all the hand wringing and head scratching: How do you thank the essential workers who remain out in the world, exposing themselves to greater risk of contracting the novel coronavirus, so that we can buy our groceries, receive our mail, travel by public transportation, and get health care if we need it? Here are some creative ideas to inspire you.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 68 (Chicago Tribune)
They were mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. Many were proud grandparents. Two were sisters from a tight-knit South Side family. All were loved, relatives say, and will be forever missed. As the number of deaths attributable to the coronavirus ticks upward, the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have lost their lives in the Chicago area or who have connections to our region. These are some of those victims.
Hundreds of Chicago restaurants have pivoted their operations to delivery, takeout or curbside pickup after Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that all bars and restaurants in Illinois are closed for dining-in service through April 30. We’re collecting information on restaurants across the area that are still open for delivery or take out. Find a restaurant near you.
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A sign in the windows of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, seen on March 11, 2020, reminds people to wash their hands. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
You wake up with a sore, scratchy throat, and begin coughing and sneezing. It’s probably a run-of-the-mill cold, or it could be the beginning of a bout of seasonal flu. But with dozens of cases of the novel coronavirus surfacing in Illinois, some people are bound to wonder: Could this be the coronavirus? Here’s what experts advise for Illinoisans who fear they are showing signs of coronavirus.
The spread of the coronavirus pandemic has placed an extra burden on Chicagoland nonprofit organizations. Here is an evolving list of where you can make donations to organizations helping those in need.


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart: Carry on peaceful protests, but looters and arsonists will go to jail

“ For individuals committing violent acts , we will find space for you at jail , ” the sheriff added @ @ @ @ @ sure that there is a place available for them .
...
I just want that @ @ @ @ @ because of the issues with COVID , it doesn ’ t mean that there ’ @ @ @ @ @ are going to be able to walk free .
That ’ s not going to @ @ @

Police officers guarding the Trump International Hotel & Tower hold back protesters in the Loop on May 30, 2020, during a rally and march to remember the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Sheriff Tom Dart on Monday delivered a two-pronged message: Peaceful protesters should carry on, but looters and vandals will find there’s plenty of space for them at the jail.
“To the peaceful protesters, please continue your peaceful protests," Dart said, referring to people hitting the streets to condemn the police killing of George Floyd. "You have every right to do that. You are justified in doing so. It was a horrific thing that occurred in Minneapolis. Please continue your peaceful protests to have these issues raised in the appropriate way so change can happen.”
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“But what we can’t do is we can’t conflate that with people who are affirmatively committing criminal acts on purpose," Dart continued. "Their only goal is to utilize these groups of peaceful protesters for their own criminal acts.”
Sheriff Tom Dart talks at Cook County Jail's isolation and quarantine facility on May 20, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
“For individuals committing violent acts, we will find space for you at jail,” the sheriff added. "We will make sure that there is a place available for them. ... I just want that to be clear. Just because of the issues with COVID, it doesn’t mean that there’s an ability where people are going to be able to walk free. That’s not going to happen.”
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Dart said that, as of Monday morning, 110 people had been sent to the jail who were arrested in connection with the Floyd fallout. Fifty bonded out after posting bail, but 60 were being held because they didn’t have bail money or were ordered held without bond. More arrestees are expected, he added.
The sheriff spoke alongside Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle during a virtual news conference. Preckwinkle, too, praised the peaceful protesters — particularly those who wore masks and plan to quarantine now — but also said, “It’s important to recognize the difference between peaceful protesting, and looting and vandalism.”
“I stand with the individuals who exercise their right to protest and transform their frustration and anger into political action, but we have to understand that the looting and the vandalism provide ammunition to those who want to marginalize, discredit, diminish our critique of America,” she added. "As I said yesterday, we cannot allow looting and vandalism to define us.”
Dart said that some of the violence that occurred over the weekend was clearly orchestrated, but he said it’s not known yet whether there is some sort of “overarching” organization behind that orchestration.
He said between 750 and 1,000 people showed up at the North Riverside Park Mall in North Riverside intending to loot the place.
“There was no peaceful protest that any of us were aware of going on anywhere near there,” Dart said. "There was a concerted effort. People went there with a plan to hit it. So that group itself was well organized. Whether or not it had tentacles to a bigger group, we’re working on that.”
Similarly, 20 to 40 people showed up at a strip of stores in Harvey and “just devastated them,” Dart said, calling it “definitely organized.”
Preckwinkle, when asked what needs to be changed to stop police oppression of minorities, cited more accountability and training, but she also called for political action.
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“Clearly we have a white nationalist president, and as I’ve said before, those of us who believe that doesn’t reflect the values of our great nation need to be looking hard at changing that leadership,” she said.
hdardick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Federal authorities accuse Galesburg man of traveling to Chicago for protests with homemade bombs, c

Federal authorities accuse Galesburg man of traveling to Chicago for protests with homemade bombs, charge him with inciting a riot

On one video , Rupert could be seen walking with other people at Dearborn and Van Buren streets — directly @ @ @ @ @ .
He later could be seen entering a store and searching the empty cash register @ @ @ @ @ store that had been broken into and putting cigarettes and other merchandise in his backpack @ @ @ @ @ .

An Illinois man arrested in Chicago over the weekend had homemade bombs in his car and had been seen on videos posted on the internet participating in the looting and rioting in Minneapolis and Chicago, according to federal charges filed Monday.
Matthew Rupert, 28, of Galesburg, was charged in U.S. District Court in Minnesota with inciting a riot and possession of an explosive device, court records show.
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Rupert was arrested by Chicago police early Sunday after allegedly violating the mayor’s emergency curfew order. Police found several homemade explosive devices in his car, according to a seven-page criminal complaint. Officers also found a hammer, a “heavy-duty” flashlight and cash, the complaint alleged.
In a telephonic hearing for Rupert at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, U.S. District Chief Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer granted prosecutors’ request to have him taken in custody to Minnesota to face the charges.
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Rupert’s attorney said that while Rupert had no current objection to being detained, he will likely ask for bond once he appears before a judge in Minnesota.
According to the complaint, Rupert posted a messages on his Facebook account on Thursday saying he was going to Minneapolis to protest the police-involved death of George Floyd and wanted “goons” to join him.
The next day, he posted a two-hour livestreamed video of himself participating in the protests and violence that erupted in Minneapolis. During the video, Rupert could be heard and seen encouraging others on video to throw bombs at the police, appearing to light a building on fire, and actively damaging property and looting businesses, according to the complaint.
“Light that bitch and throw it at them,” Rupert said at one point to another person, who lit a device and threw it in the direction of police, according to the charges. Moments later, an explosion is heard in the video and Rupert repeatedly yells, “Good shot, my boy!” as well as “F--- 12,” a derogatory reference to law enforcement, the complaint alleged.
On Saturday, Rupert posted a message saying he was on his way to Chicago. Two hours later, he began posting multiple videos of himself participating in violent acts downtown, including saying things like, “Let’s start a riot” and “I’m gonna start doing some damage,” the complaint alleged.
On one video, Rupert could be seen walking with other people at Dearborn and Van Buren streets — directly across from the Dirksen building. He later could be seen entering a store and searching the empty cash register and going into a convenience store that had been broken into and putting cigarettes and other merchandise in his backpack, according to the charges.
Several associates were with Rupert when he was arrested, including his live-in girlfriend, who confirmed that he’d traveled to Minneapolis “in order to riot,” the complaint alleged.
Also arrested was his brother, Christopher Rupert, 29, authorities said. He was charged with reckless conduct and disorderly conduct and appeared in bond court at 26th Street and California Avenue on Monday. A judge released him on his own recognizance.
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Tribune’s Liam Ford contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Gene & Georgetti takes a hit from looters, but owner says she understands why ‘there is anger right

Gene & Georgetti takes a hit from looters, but owner says she understands why ‘there is anger right now’

`` And I think for me , I 've learned that every single action that you take , on social @ @ @ @ @ talk to people , the way you look at people , all of it matters @ @ @ @ @ `` As a brand we 've always believed that we led with humanity and empathy @ @ @ @ @ that to make sure that everybody within our brand is educated .
We want to @ @ @ @ @ a conversation that ... continues to ensure that we are moving forward in the right @ @ @

Volunteers Marlen Rosas and Jesus Hidalgo carry a broken television they found at bus stop to a dumpster while picking up trash June 1, 2020, in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
For the second morning in a row, Michelle Durpetti warily arrived at the Italian steakhouse her grandfather Gene Michelotti and his friend Alfredo Federighi ("Georgetti") opened in 1941.
On the corner of Franklin and Illinois streets in River North, Gene & Georgetti and nearby businesses became a hot spot of looting Saturday night after people broke into a Binny’s Beverage Depot down the street, according to Durpetti’s husband, Collin Pierson.
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Collin Pierson and Michelle Durpetti, owners of Gene & Georgetti, stand outside their boarded-up restaurant as cleanup efforts continue on June 1, 2020, following the previous night's unrest in Chicago. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
When the couple got there around 5:30 a.m. Sunday, people were still walking through a "decimated" nail salon next door, Durpetti said.
Monday morning, the salon was covered with the same light wood boards as the restaurant. Durpetti didn't see any new damage.
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Though she is sad for the city and sad for the country, Durpetti said she’s not angry about the vandalism that spun off of protests against the police killing death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“It’s not lost on us that we sustained damage to our building. Nobody was hurt,” Durpetti said. "We can repair our damage. We know that there’s a much larger discussion that should be happening and needs to be happening in the area ... and want to be part of that discussion and have always considered ourselves to be a brand and a family and a team of people that lead with humanity, so we’re not angry.
"We understand that there is anger right now, people experiencing things that I'll never understand because of the color of my skin," she added.
She noted that most of the people protesting this weekend have been peacefully voicing fear, anger and grief, often wearing masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“As a white woman ... I cannot understand the fear, the anger and the grief that black people are feeling,” she said. “I have compassion for it. I am not afraid to have a conversation to learn more. I think that’s how we start. I am not an expert on any of this.”
Durpetti credited the quick actions of the steakhouse’s chef and general manager, who showed up at 1:30 a.m. Sunday after a maintenance worker next door called and told them about the burglary.
"I don't know if we would have had a restaurant to save," she said.
The employees took a great risk by standing outside and trying to prevent further damage, she said.
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"Without even thinking, they came and they stood guard outside the restaurant for four hours," Durpetti said. "They said they talked about 30 cars out of getting in."
A neighbor across the street, whose balcony overlooks the restaurant, sent video of what had happened.
People first tried using bricks to breach a double-pane glass window on the Franklin Street side, but couldn't get through, so they found a door with glass they could smash, she said.
To the sound of clinking shards of glass, the video shows people going in the door and coming back out carrying stolen goods while others hang out around the corner.
People took a lot of alcohol, which was near the door because of the delivery and takeout service setup during the pandemic, Durpetti said. Fortunately, she said, the one-of-a-kind photographs adorning the 79-year-old walls were untouched, though the mahogany bar was damaged.
Inside, broken wine bottles littered the ground and screens were missing, apparently taken off by someone who came in with a pipe wrench, Pierson said.
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The steakhouse has been in a perpetual state of reopening since a grease fire in the kitchen in October, with plans to reopen March 26. Then the coronavirus hit, and the planned grand reopening pivoted to delivery and takeout.
It took Durpetti four months to rebuild the kitchen after the fire, and she was relieved to find it pristine amid the rubble. So much was still in boxes upstairs, there wasn't too much to loot, but people took what they could, she said.
"For me personally, last year at the beginning of October when this fire hit the restaurant and it closed, and then the pandemic and now this, I've had that moment three times: What do you think about that you haven't thought about before? What becomes a priority? What is the perspective that you get?
"And I think for me, I've learned that every single action that you take, on social media, the way you talk to people, the way you look at people, all of it matters," she said. "As a brand we've always believed that we led with humanity and empathy. We're looking at that to make sure that everybody within our brand is educated. We want to make sure that we have a conversation that ... continues to ensure that we are moving forward in the right direction."
That includes training employees and making sure their actions are actively "anti-racist," she said.
“How do I make sure?” she pondered. “I think it’s really important, there’s so much when you talk about restaurants and hospitality, companies in general that have employees, training, there’s sensitivity training, and there’s customer service training and there’s sales training and I think it’s important to include conversations about mindfully speaking, mindfully acting to be anti-racist.”
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On Monday morning, Durpetti, Pierson and their 8-year-old dog, Felix, stood outside the boarded-up windows and took a video to post to Gene & Georgetti's Facebook page.
“Good morning, Chicago,” she says, with Felix tucked under her right arm. "We are very lucky, we did not sustain any additional damage last night and we just wanted to take a minute, it’s a new day, it’s a very quiet day here in River North.
"You can hear in the background some sounds of boards still going up and repairs still being made, but it is a new day and we wanted to extend our heartfelt thanks to every customer and every friend and loved one from all over," she adds.
Support has come from all places, someone she worked with 20 years ago, a furniture store owner who offered help replacing lights that were broken, she said. By name, she thanked three cousins and the employees who "selflessly, bravely" stood guard outside to prevent further vandalism, and the neighbor who shared the video.
"It was really hard to watch, about 15 or 20 people looting the restaurant," she said.
But the repairs will be easy to make, and pale in comparison with the larger issue of race relations in America, she said.
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“We love you, Chicago. Please continue to be safe today,” she said, “We’ve been on this corner for 79 years. Your support means the world to us.”
On nearby blocks in River North, city workers in neon-yellow vests sprayed buildings with pressure washers and scrubbed stubborn graffiti from walls.
At a downtown Walgreens, a hand sanitizer display had been knocked over, and floors remained covered with sanitizer bottles, broken glass, beauty supplies and cash register drawers.


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Chicago tries to clean up amid fallout from death of George Floyd

Chicago ’ s economic engine was expected to restart after nearly three months of being sidelined by COVID-19 , with @ @ @ @ @ permitted at restaurants , hair salons working to reopen , and nonessential stores ready to @ @ @ @ @ businesses in Chicago spent the weekend sweeping up glass , boarding up windows and taking @ @ @ @ @ stolen inventory amid fallout from the death in Minneapolis last week of George Floyd .


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

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

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