chicagotribune--2020-07-17--The Spin: Gov. Pritzker says Speaker Madigan must ‘resign’ if allegations in feds probe of ComEd  ar

The Spin: Gov. Pritzker says Speaker Madigan must ‘resign’ if allegations in feds probe of ComEd  are true | In Fox interview Trump says Chicago is ‘stupidly run’ | Chicago’s Kanye West qualifies to be on Oklahoma ballot in presidential race

“ It was a mean and cruel world — how else do you express it ?
And then came Martin @ @ @ @ @ , according to a 2017 Tribune story about his address at St. Sabin Catholic Church @ @ @ @ @ “ He forced the most powerful nation in the world to say no when it @ @ @ @ @ yes when it wanted to say no , ” Vivian noted , explaining how the @ @ @ @ @ peaceful protest , was a major influence on the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights @ @ @ @ @ Rights Act .

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, center, visits with House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, right, and then Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker prior to the inauguration ceremony for the Illinois House of Representatives for the 101st General Assembly at the University of Illinois at Springfield's Sangamon Auditorium on Jan. 9, 2019. (Justin L. Fowler/AP)
It’s a bombshell: Federal prosecutors filed court documents today in which utility giant ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine for allegedly giving jobs, contracts and payments to allies of longtime Illinois House Speaker and state Democratic Party Chairman Michael Madigan as part of a “years-long bribery scheme.”
Madigan is not mentioned by name and hasn’t been charged with a crime. But the records repeatedly refer to Public Official A, who is identified as the House speaker, who is Madigan. His office issued a statement saying the feds have subpoenaed records from his office but stressed that Madigan “has never made a legislative decision with improper motives and has engaged in no wrongdoing here.”
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This all came to light in court documents showing Commonwealth Edison cut a deal with federal prosecutors to pay a $200 million fine amid the bribery investigation in what’s known as a deferred prosecution.
Today U.S. Attorney John Lausch, who oversees the Chicago office handling the probe, told reporters that the investigation is “ongoing” and “vibrant” leaving questions about whether a new chapter will be added to Illinois’ book of elected officials being sent to prison.
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And Sunday, Fox News will air an interview with President Donald Trump in which he calls Chicago and New York “stupidly run” cities where Democratic mayors can’t get a handle on rising violent crime.
A day earlier, Trump’s White House press secretary referred to Mayor Lori Lightfoot as “derelict” in her duty to stop crime in the city and Lightfoot responded on Twitter with “Hey, Karen. Watch your mouth.”
It’s getting uglier by the day out there, folks.
Welcome to The Spin.
Speaker of the House Michael Madigan listens to a debate before the Illinois House at the State Capitol in Springfield on Feb. 14, 2019. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
He’s not charged with any wrongdoing. Michael Madigan is not mentioned by name in the criminal documents laying out an alleged bribery scheme against ComEd. But court documents mention “Public Official A,” who is identified as the “house speaker,” making clear the official is Madigan.
Earlier today, the U.S. attorney’s office issued a statement painting a picture of the scheme: ComEd “admitted that it arranged for jobs and vendor subcontracts for Public Official A’s political allies and workers even in instances where those people performed little or no work that they were purportedly hired by ComEd to perform.” Read the court documents and allegations here.
“It’s a big moment in Illinois politics because of the power he (Madigan) wields,” former Chicago-based federal prosecutor Jeffrey Cramer said.
U.S. Attorney John Lausch said at a downtown Chicago news conference today: “The admitted facts detail a nearly decadelong corruption scheme involving top management at a large public utility, leaders of state government, consultants and several others inside and outside of government. In two words, it’s not good,”
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While prosecutors say Madigan’s associates received $1.32 million from 2011-19, they put a value of $150 million on the legislative benefits ComEd received, the Tribune’s Dan Hinkel, Rick Pearson and Alice Yin explain. That included a 2011 bill in which “ComEd was able to more reliably determine rates it could charge customers” and a 2016 renewal of a regulatory law that governs how ComEd does business.
But already there’s discussion about how the case could affect Illinois’ political landscape: “The federal paperwork involving Madigan threatens to roil the fall election season in Illinois, which has become a reliably blue state where the veteran House speaker has used his fundraising power and mapmaking ability to generate veto-proof Democratic majorities in the state House and Senate,” my Tribune colleagues write.
“For years, Illinois Republicans have sought to put their focus on Madigan to try to blame him for decades of state ills but have largely been unsuccessful in using it to motivate voters.”
We’ll see if that changes.
Feds subpoena Madigan for records about AT&T, Walgreens, and Rush University Medical Center In widening probe: WBEZ-FM-91.5 has the details here.
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Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, talks on his cellphone from his desk during an extended session of the Illinois House of Representatives at the Bank of Springfield Center, in Springfield, Ill., on May 23, 2020. (Justin L. Fowler/AP)
Gov. Pritzker said he was “deeply troubled and frankly I’m furious” about the reports of the federal case against ComEd.
“The speaker has a lot that he needs to answer for — to authorities, to investigators and most importantly to the people of Illinois,” Pritzker said. “If these allegations of wrongdoing by the speaker are true, there is no question that he will have betrayed the public trust and he must resign.” Read more of Pritzker’s comments here.
Mayor Lightfoot, who like Pritzker and Madigan is a Democrat, was asked at an unrelated news conference today if the speaker should resign from both his legislative post and as head of the Illinois Democratic Party, but begged off, saying only “well, that’s not really for me to say.” The Tribune’s John Byrne has the full story here.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, also a Democrat, agreed with Pritzker: “I’m deeply disturbed that we find ourselves in this place - yet again. Today’s reports regarding ComEd and the implication regarding Speaker Madigan’s involvement erode the public’s trust in our elected officials and in government. Corruption has no place here. If what is being alleged is true, then he must step down.”
Illinois Senate GOP Leader Bill Brady said: “At the same time Illinois Democrats are pushing for a massive tax increase, residents are again confronted with Democratic corruption at the highest levels of their state government. If the allegations reported today against Speaker Madigan turn out to be true, then he should resign.”
Illinois Republican Chairman Tim Schneider issued a statement saying: “Our hearts go out to the people of Illinois who are once again left yearning for elected leaders who work for them, not for themselves. The Democratic culture of corruption in Illinois must come to an end.”
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FILE - In this photo taken May 24, 2007, Donald Trump is profiled against his 92-story Trump International Hotel and Tower. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
President Trump called Chicago and New York “stupidly run” cities putting the blame for violent crime in both places at the feet of their two Democratic mayors during an interview with Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace.
In a short clip of the sit-down discussion the cable news network released Friday, Wallace asks Trump about the amount of shootings and homicides in two of the nation’s largest cities — a topic that the president repeatedly has raised in recent weeks — and what he intends to do about it.
“I explain it very simply by saying they’re Democrat-run cities, they are liberally run. They are stupidly run,” Trump says in the interview that is scheduled to air on Sunday. Read my full story here about the interview, which is scheduled to air on Sunday.
Lightfoot’s office didn’t immediately comment. But responding earlier today to a similar slam from Trump’s press secretary, said such criticism from Trump is his attempt to heap blame on Democrats for political purposes in order to “change the subject from their failed leadership.”
Mayor stands by tweet calling Trump spokeswoman Karen, telling her to watch her mouth: The Tribune’s John Byrne has the details here.
Hey, Karen. Watch your mouth. pic.twitter.com/zhjRyokKD5 — Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) July 16, 2020
Chicago Public Schools proposes hybrid of online and in-person classes for fall, despite union opposition: My Tribune colleagues have the details here. But Evanston’s high school district announced kids won’t be returning to the classroom this fall.
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FILE - Rapper Kanye West wears a Make America Great again hat during a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Oct. 11, 2018. (Evan Vucci/AP)
Chicago native and rap superstar Kanye West, who famously visited President Trump in the Oval Office, has qualified to appear on Oklahoma’s presidential ballot — the first state where he met the requirements before the filing deadline, the Associated Press is reporting.
A representative for West, who once praised Trump and said the two share “dragon energy,” filed the necessary paperwork and paid the $35,000 filing fee Wednesday afternoon, which was the deadline for a spot on the state’s Nov. 3 presidential ballot, according to the Oklahoma Board of Elections.
West already has missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states, and it’s unclear if he has the ability or willingness to collect the signatures required to qualify in others.
The Oklahoma filing came a day after New York Magazine’s “Intelligencer” quoted West adviser Steve Kramer saying “he’s out” and noting that the staff he had hired were disappointed. Read the AP story here.
Civil rights activist C.T. Vivian sits at his home in Atlanta on Jan. 4, 2012. (David Goldman/AP)
Civil rights icon C.T. Vivian could just as easily been talking about today’s national reckoning over racial justice as he reflected, just a few years ago here in Chicago, on the emergence of friend Martin Luther King Jr. as the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s reached a crescendo.
“It was a mean and cruel world — how else do you express it? And then came Martin King,” Vivian said, according to a 2017 Tribune story about his address at St. Sabin Catholic Church on the South Side. “He forced the most powerful nation in the world to say no when it wanted to say yes and yes when it wanted to say no,” Vivian noted, explaining how the King-led movement, rooted in peaceful protest, was a major influence on the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
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Vivan, who moved to Chicago in the late 1960s and headed the ecumenical social justice outreach group Urban Training Center for Christian Mission here and promoted jobs for African Americans in the city, died this morning, the New York Times reports. He was 95. Read about his life 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--2020-07-17--Judge calls murder of AJ Freund ‘inhumane, repulsive’ as he sends boy’s mom to prison for 35 years.

Judge calls murder of AJ Freund ‘inhumane, repulsive’ as he sends boy’s mom to prison for 35 years. Relatives wanted a stiffer sentence.

“ ( W ) e all hope by examining the history and missed signals involved in this case that other @ @ @ @ @ be spared this horrifying result , ” Wilbrandt said .
“ The heartbreaking story of @ @ @ @ @ our community to seek new ideas and look for new ways to prevent similar abuse @ @ @ @ @ this court can only hope that such efforts will ultimately be successful and that children @ @ @ @ @ come can be spared the disastrous life that befell AJ .

JoAnn Cunningham, 37, reacts as a sentence of 35 years is announced, July 17, 2020, for the murder of son, AJ Freund. (John Starks/Daily Herald)
A McHenry County judge sentenced the mother of AJ Freund to 35 years in prison Friday for fatally beating her 5-year-old son, a violent death that left a community heartbroken and exposed failings in the state’s child welfare system.
Judge Robert Wilbrandt’s decision means JoAnn Cunningham, 37, may be a free woman again someday if she lives until her early 70s. She showed no outward reaction after learning her fate, which some viewed as too lenient given the cruelty of her April 2019 crime.
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McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally said his team was disappointed Cunningham did not receive the maximum 60-year prison term allowed under a plea deal his office reached with defense attorneys last year. She faced a minimum of 20 years.
JoAnn Cunningham reacts as her 35-year sentenced is read on July 17, 2020, for the murder of her son AJ Freund. (John Starks/Daily Herald)
“We felt we put on an incredibly strong case that justified the maximum sentence,” Kenneally told the Tribune.
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In a prepared statement, the slain Crystal Lake child’s family said they also had hoped Cunningham would receive the harshest punishment. The family includes the boy’s former foster mother, who is Cunningham’s cousin and raised AJ for the first nearly two years of his life after he was born in October 2013 exposed to heroin.
“We know that whatever the punishment, it will not ease the loss and pain we feel,” the family’s statement said. “AJ was an innocent, precious little boy whose life was taken from him after he endured, what we now know, was much pain and suffering. We had expected JoAnn would pay for that by spending her natural life in prison.”
Relatives also thanked community members for “their continued caring and support for AJ and helping to keep our little superhero’s spirit alive.”
Wilbrandt told Cunningham her actions were “inhumane, repulsive and, frankly, shocking.” He said her situation could “only be described as drug-addled filth, lying, cheating and manipulating her way through life while terrorizing her small son.”
Still, the judge noted, the charge under terms of the plea agreement did not include elements that Cunningham intended to kill her son or that her acts were “brutal or heinous,” indicative of “wanton cruelty,” which would have made her eligible for a sentence of up to natural life.
Cunningham must serve 100% of the 35-year prison term. The fate of AJ’s father remains unknown. Andrew Freund, 61, also charged with first-degree murder, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Henry Sugden, said he is meeting with Freund to try to resolve his case.
Donna Kopsell, who is Freund’s cousin, told the Tribune that Cunningham’s crime cries out for a tougher punishment than 35 years.
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“Last year, when AJ’s body was found, law enforcement vowed they would seek justice for him,” Kopsell said. “Justice was not served for AJ today.”
Cunningham pleaded guilty to first-degree murder late last year, but she never said what happened the day AJ was fatally beaten. Freund blamed her for the fatal injuries and said that he had been trying to convince her to instead give the boy cold showers as a less severe form of punishment for lying, according to court records.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 19 AJ Freund is held by his parents, Andrew Freund and JoAnn Cunningham in December 2014. The photo was taken at a baby shower for his mother, who was pregnant with her third child. AJ was about 14 months old. The couple had lost custody of him at birth due to drug use, and they were still trying to regain custody of AJ while remaining in drug treatment and after-care programs. (Family photo)
On April 14, 2019, Freund later told authorities, Cunningham engaged in “some hitting,” and the boy was placed in a cold shower until he would admit the truth about hiding his soiled underwear. Freund described watching Cunningham question AJ in the shower as “she was like taking the spray nozzle thing and putting it like right in his face,” causing the boy to fall in the tub, the records said.
Cunningham awoke Freund at 3 a.m. April 15, 2019, to tell him AJ, who had been sent to bed earlier, was not breathing. The couple searched for information on child CPR on Freund’s phone and, after realizing AJ was dead, Freund told Cunningham he would “handle it.” He placed AJ’s body in a plastic tote in the basement and buried him days later.
Freund called 911 early April 18, 2019, to report AJ missing. After a frantic six-day search, his battered remains were unearthed from a shallow grave about 7 miles from his home in Woodstock.
On Thursday, during Cunningham’s sentencing hearing, a forensic pathologist who conducted AJ’s autopsy described fatal head injuries, and cuts and bruises across his entire body and limbs. The child inhaled his own blood before his painful death and had small, circular marks on his forehead consistent with the pattern of a detachable shower head.
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“It’s a pretty bad case,” Dr. Mark Witeck testified. “Not the worse one I’ve seen but very bad.”
Cunningham was known to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services long before AJ’s fatal beating.
A 2019 Tribune review of her troubled history found evidence of 10 hotline calls since 2012 regarding her care of children — including her firstborn son and a foster son she raised for a short time — from police, hospital staff, neighbors and even her own mother. Four of the 10 calls were before AJ was born.
In trying to explain her actions, Cunningham told the judge on Thursday that being a mother “defines me” but that she lost her way during a difficult life and turned to drugs, eventually becoming “a total stranger in my own mirror.”
“I’ve always felt abandoned, unloved, insignificant, forgotten and rejected,” Cunningham said. “I’ve been mentally and physically abused, all without a single moment of encouragement, which slowly drained my heart of joy and peace.”
She and her mother, Lori Hughes, have been estranged in recent years following a 2013 court battle in which Hughes won custody of her daughter’s oldest son.
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“She wasn’t abused, traumatized or anything else,” Hughes said Friday.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 10 Andrew Freund was arrested on Oct. 25, 2012, for domestic battery for an argument in his home involving an ex-roommate. (Crystal Lake Police Department)
A licensed clinical psychologist diagnosed Cunningham with “significant personality dysfunction,” including anti-social and narcissistic traits, as well as depression and anxiety disorders. He said Cunningham had “extreme emotional and impulse control” issues.
Her defense team, Rick Behof and Angelo Mourelatos, said it was clear in videos collected as evidence from Cunningham’s cellphone that captured some of the earlier abuse that she was not in her right mind. They were thankful the judge considered Cunningham’s full history, including earlier efforts to remain sober, in meting out the punishment.
“Obviously, she’s remorseful for her actions,” Mourelatos said. “She pleaded guilty, and that in and of itself shows remorse.”
Besides AJ, Cunningham has three other children. Her oldest, a college student, turns 20 on Saturday. Her youngest, a 5-year-old boy and a nearly 14-month-old daughter, are being raised by AJ’s foster mother.
Of the son she murdered, Cunningham on Thursday said she loves and misses AJ and that she is working to be a better person. “I want my children to be proud of me,” she said.
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The judge lamented the senselessness of the tragedy.
“(W)e all hope by examining the history and missed signals involved in this case that other boys and girls might somehow be spared this horrifying result,” Wilbrandt said. “The heartbreaking story of 5-year-old AJ Freund has spurred our community to seek new ideas and look for new ways to prevent similar abuse in the future. And this court can only hope that such efforts will ultimately be successful and that children now and in years to come can be spared the disastrous life that befell AJ.
“Miss Cunningham was responsible for that life and now she must be responsible for his death.”
cmgutowski@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--‘The whole family was shocked.’ Nearly 40 years after relatives lost track of Antonio Talavera, a co

‘The whole family was shocked.’ Nearly 40 years after relatives lost track of Antonio Talavera, a connection leads to an emotional reunion.

Nursing home records indicated Antonio had been living near 47th Street and Ashland Avenue with a friend and co-worker from @ @ @ @ @ a fall , Antonio was hospitalized .
When it came time to go to a @ @ @ @ @ to go to the Center Home in Humboldt Park .
The home is less than @ @ @ @ @ brother lives .

Antonio Talavera, 77, left, and his older brother, Manuel Talavera, 82, wipe tears from their eyes during a second meeting outside the Center Home nursing home in Humboldt Park July 14, 2020. They had seen each other for the first time in 40 years just three weeks prior. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Antonio Talavera entered the Center Home for Hispanic Elderly in Chicago in June with no known next of kin.
At age 77, he had suffered a fall and was hampered by dementia. Speaking only one word at a time, he couldn’t name any relatives.
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The assistant administrator, Sonia Alonso, remembered a woman named Talavera had worked at the home years ago. Trying a long shot, she contacted the woman by Facebook, and found to her amazement that the man had been lost from the family for nearly 40 years. They thought he was dead.
Alonso asked Antonio if his brother’s name was Manuel. Immediately, a look of recognition crossed his face, and his eyes began to water.
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“Is his nickname Neco?” she asked, and Antonio began to cry.
Antonio Talavera was part of a group of Americans who increasingly are separated from their families. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of households with no family members living together increased significantly in recent decades to more than one-third of the population.
Why Talavera became separated from his family remains a mystery, according to his niece, Carmen Lebron-Talavera, Manuel’s daughter.
Antonio Talavera, who separated from his family 40 years ago, weeps after seeing his older brother Manuel Talavera, 82, outside Center Home for Hispanic Elderly in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood on July 14, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Antonio Talavera, center, breaks down after shaking hands with his older brother, Manuel Talavera, for the first time in 40 years outside the Center Home nursing home in Humboldt Park July 14, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Manuel reunited with his long-lost brother outside the nursing home in the Humboldt Park neighborhood two weeks ago. It was an emotional meeting for both of them. Though both men primarily speak Spanish, Manuel had a habit of calling Antonio “brother” in English, and when he did, Antonio was overcome with emotion.
The hardest part, his daughter said, was that they had to wear masks and stay 6 feet apart due to the coronavirus, so they could not hug.
Because Antonio’s speech is limited, he could not explain why he had lost touch. The family of 14 siblings had come to the Chicago area from Puerto Rico decades ago, and many of them still live in the area, though three have passed away.
“The whole family was shocked,” Lebron-Talavera said of finding Antonio. “We’re ecstatic about it. It was very emotional, especially for my uncle. Hopefully, one day we can give him a hug.”
Nursing home records indicated Antonio had been living near 47th Street and Ashland Avenue with a friend and co-worker from a liquor store. After a fall, Antonio was hospitalized. When it came time to go to a nursing home, he asked to go to the Center Home in Humboldt Park. The home is less than a mile from where his brother lives.
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State records showed the home has had 91 cases of COVID-19 and 30 deaths. Nursing home officials say it’s always important to have family members to support residents, especially during the pandemic.
“You don’t have to worry,” Alonso told Antonio Talavera. “You have a family now. You’re not alone.”
During a second meeting on Tuesday morning, Alonso wheeled Antonio outside to see his brother, who was seated in a chair on the sidewalk.
In the shade outside the facility, the two brothers leaned forward and spoke quietly, both of them frequently breaking out into tears.
“Tio, no llore,” his niece, Lebron-Talavera, said in Spanish, gently telling him not to cry.
Antonio Talavera dropped his face into his hands, as other family members who came by began crying as well.
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Lebron-Talavera brought a bag of items for her uncle, including bananas and a can of Coca-Cola.
“Your favorite,” she said, showing her uncle the soda. He smiled.
Lebron-Talavera also carried a bouquet of pink roses that she handed to Alonso, as a thanks for connecting her father with his long-lost brother.
“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done,” she told Alonso. “I wish I could give you a hug but I can’t.”


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--President Trump calls Chicago, New York ‘stupidly run’ when Fox News host asked about violent crime

President Trump calls Chicago, New York ‘stupidly run’ when Fox News host asked about violent crime in both cities

Earlier this week , Trump vaguely referenced an upcoming announcement on how his administration intends to deal with crime in @ @ @ @ @ Chicago ’ s violence .
In a briefing with reporters about his ongoing efforts to @ @ @ @ @ , Trump said he would have more to say next week “ with the attorney @ @ @ @ @ others concerning our cities , because the left-wing group of people that are running our @ @ @ @ @ job that they ’ re supposed to be doing , and it ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ do if they knew what they were doing .
”

FILE - In this photo taken May 24, 2007, Donald Trump is profiled against his 92-story Trump International Hotel & Tower during a news conference on construction progress in Chicago. Trump’s been telling Americans for nearly three decades that he’s what they really need in the White House, a business-hardened dealmaker-in-chief. Now that he’s actually running for president, Trump gets to say it Thursday night from center stage and in prime-time as the top-polling candidate in the first Republican presidential debate of the 2016 campaign. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File) (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
President Donald Trump called Chicago and New York “stupidly run” cities, putting the blame for violent crime in both places at the feet of their two Democratic mayors during an interview with Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace.
In a short clip of the sit-down discussion the cable news network released Friday, Wallace asks Trump about the amount of shootings and homicides in two of the nation’s largest cities — a topic that the president repeatedly has raised in recent weeks — and what he intends to do about it.
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NEW: Chris and President Trump sit down to discuss the recent spike in violence in major cities across the country. Tune in Sunday to catch the full interview. #FoxNewsSunday pic.twitter.com/r7hwgyVhKM — FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) July 17, 2020
“I explain it very simply by saying they’re Democrat-run cities, they are liberally run. They are stupidly run,” Trump says in the interview that is scheduled to air on Sunday.
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Wallace pushes back, saying “liberal Democrats have been running cities in this country for decades,” only for Trump to interrupt with “poorly.” Wallace continues, asking why the president thinks the violence has flared up so much right now.
“They run them poorly. It was always bad, but now it’s gotten totally out of control, and it’s really because they want to defund the police and Biden wants to defund the police,” Trump said of presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden — to which Wallace corrects “sir, he does not.”
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has rejected calls among activists nationwide to “defund the police” — a call to cut law enforcement funding and allocate it in other areas such as social services.
The Republican president has been pushing a “law and order” message as he enters the final stretch of his reelection campaign against a Democratic challenger whose polling numbers are higher. Trump has been pushing a theme that Democrat-run cities are falling apart.
Lightfoot, responding earlier Friday to a similar slam from Trump’s press secretary, said such criticism from Trump is his attempt to heap blame on Democrats for political purposes in order to “change the subject from their failed leadership.”
“What we’ve seen, and, unfortunately, what we’re going to continue to see, is the Trump administration obviously thinks they will score some political points by trying to demonize and make Democratic mayors, particularly women mayors. ... They think they’re going to take us on and make us look bad because that will score points with their base,” Lightfoot told reporters at an unrelated news conference.
Earlier this week, Trump vaguely referenced an upcoming announcement on how his administration intends to deal with crime in those cities, again citing Chicago’s violence. In a briefing with reporters about his ongoing efforts to deal with the MS-13 gang, Trump said he would have more to say next week “with the attorney general, the FBI and others concerning our cities, because the left-wing group of people that are running our cities are not doing the job that they’re supposed to be doing, and it’s not a very tough job to do if they knew what they were doing.”
He later said, “We’re going to straighten things out” but did not offer specifics.
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Chicago Tribune’s John Byrne contributed.
Lisa Donovan is the host of The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.
ldonovan@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--Coronavirus at Illinois long-term care facilities: 23,604 confirmed cases and 3,974 deaths

The Illinois Department of Public Health is releasing information on COVID-19 tied to long-term care facilities in Illinois .
The @ @ @ @ @ at 643 long-term care facilities in 51 counties .
Of those , 532 facilities have @ @ @ @ @ , defined as a positive test result in the past 28 days .
In all @ @ @ @ @ be tied to long-term care facilities , with 3,974 deaths , as of July 17 @

The Illinois Department of Public Health is releasing information on COVID-19 tied to long-term care facilities in Illinois. The data shows outbreaks have occurred at long-term care facilities in 94 counties. Of those, 1,003 facilities have an “active” outbreak, defined as a positive test result in the past 28 days. In all, 71,103 confirmed cases can be tied to long-term care facilities, with 9,263 deaths, as of Jan. 22.


Corrections and clarifications

Publishing information quickly and accurately is a central part of the Chicago Tribune ’ s news responsibility and a value @ @ @ @ @ .
Our editorial code of principles governs professional behavior and journalism standards .
Everyone in @ @ @ @ @ live up to this code of conduct .
Download the file .

· Ryan’s Ori’s column in Friday’s Business section incorrectly referred to a 47-story apartment and hotel development on North Michigan Avenue as the first high-rise to break ground in Chicago during the coronavirus pandemic. Previously, the 60-story Salesforce Tower office building began construction along the Chicago River in April.
· A story on Page 6 Friday incorrectly said the Cook County Board approved two resolutions about federal COVID-19 stimulus money on Thursday. Commissioners approved one resolution regarding the allocation of $51 million from federal stimulus money. The second resolution, pertaining to $82 million in spending, was sent to the board’s Finance Committee for further consideration.
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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--2020-07-17--Chicago Public Schools proposes hybrid of online and in-person classes for fall; CTU calls plan ‘rus

Chicago Public Schools proposes hybrid of online and in-person classes for fall; CTU calls plan ‘rushed and incomplete’

“ We all agree collectively that the health and safety of our students and staff must come first , ” @ @ @ @ @ Friday as she presented the proposal with Mayor Lori Lightfoot .
“ We believe that @ @ @ @ @ the best model to meet the needs of all of our students throughout the city @ @ @ @ @ of our students to reap the benefits that they can only achieve through in-person instruction @ @ @ @ @ qualified teacher .
”

Elyssa Cherney, John Byrne, Claire Hao, Sophie Sherry

Chicago Public Schools on Friday released a much-anticipated blueprint for fall instruction, saying it plans to adopt a hybrid-learning model that will bring most students back for two consecutive days of in-person classes on a rotating basis if public health officials agree it can be done safely during the coronavirus pandemic.
Under the “preliminary framework” shared Friday, students in kindergarten through 10th grade will have two days of in-person learning and two days of remote work at home, plus three hours of real-time virtual instruction each Wednesday. When at school, students will be grouped into pods of 15 to minimize contact with other classmates. The 11th and 12th graders will mostly continue to learn at home, except for those who need additional support and those in vocational programs.
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“While our youngest learners will benefit from the consistency and social-emotional advantages of in-person classroom instruction, our high school juniors and seniors can benefit from being able to take their diverse, full array of course offerings that a Learn-at-Home model offers,” according to a CPS report explaining the plan. “Given the diverse scheduling needs for juniors and seniors, it is not possible to establish pods to limit interactions with other students and staff.”
[ Read the Chicago Public Schools’ blueprint for hybrid-learning for fall instruction ]
The country’s third-largest school district also outlined increased hygiene protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19: 400 additional custodians have been hired to clean facilities, students will have to wear cloth masks and comply with daily temperature checks before entering school, and a supply of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes will be available in every classroom.
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Nothing in the framework is finalized — but it’s already eliciting opposition from the Chicago Teachers Union, whose vice president, Stacy Davis Gates, on Friday called it a “rushed and incomplete plan.” The union has been adamant that schools should remain virtual in the fall.
“Corporations and businesses are wanting to push parents back into the work site. It doesn’t matter to them that our students will be placed in schools that are not prepared to receive them. What the mayor has to do is tell the business community to put families first,” Davis Gates said.
But CPS says it’s committed to more community feedback, and will solicit it in five virtual meetings through the end of July, and in a new parent survey. Officials say they’ll release a final plan the first week of August and then make a decision about how classes will proceed based on public health conditions.
“We all agree collectively that the health and safety of our students and staff must come first,” CPS CEO Janice Jackson said Friday as she presented the proposal with Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “We believe that a hybrid model will be the best model to meet the needs of all of our students throughout the city. This model allows many of our students to reap the benefits that they can only achieve through in-person instruction in front of a highly qualified teacher.”
Every parent will also have the option of keeping their students home this fall. Any student, regardless of underlying medical conditions, can continue learning remotely when the school year starts Sept. 8, Lightfoot said. CPS said it will provide more information on that alternative later in July.
The mayor acknowledged that teachers might feel anxious about returning to work but said she’s confident that continued discussions will result in policies that address concerns. Additionally, CPS will release revised procedures for staff members seeking accommodations or a leave of absence because of medical or caretaking needs.
“The reality is, every time we wake up and even in our home, there is risk,” Lightfoot said. “What our job is, is to mitigate that risk. And I want everybody to know we are focused and determined to do everything possible to build a safe and nurturing learning environment for your children, whether virtual or hybrid.”
Still, the framework immediately yielded criticism from CTU and at least one City Council member.
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Chicago Ald. Maria Hadden, 29th, posted on Facebook that it was “incredibly upsetting” to see the city release reopening plans “with no engagement with your elected representatives in City Council.”
“Sure, CPS says that you’ll have input, but I’m skeptical that whatever feedback they take will be integrated into their decisions,” Hadden wrote. She said CPS gave City Council members a week to hold a community meeting and provide feedback prior to Friday’s announcement. And after asking CPS for more information for weeks, Hadden said, the district was scheduled to brief the City Council Friday.
In a 24-page document, CPS outlined how it will attempt to bring students back to classrooms for the first time since schools closed in March. Key details of the preliminary framework include:
In-person learning will be available every day for students in special education clusters because of these students’ needs and the small size of their programs. Schools that have the space and staffing capacity will also prioritize in-person classes for English language learners.
Scheduling rotations are designed to limit the student population to about 50% of typical levels on any given day. Full- and half-day Pre-K programs will be held in person.
School drop-off will be staggered to avoid crowding at entrances and exits. Students will enter the building with their pods and remain in the same room, with assigned seating, for the entire day including lunchtime, unless cafeterias are large enough to accommodate social distancing.
CPS will continue providing computers to students who still need the technology to do their schoolwork. The district will extend internet hot spots to students in temporary living situations and provide free, high-speed internet to 100,000 students.
The district’s proposal to reinstate some degree of face-to-face instruction contrasts with other cities that are battling greater inclines in COVID-19 infections. California’s two largest school districts, in Los Angeles and San Diego, announced Monday that classes would continue as online-only in the fall. Public schools in Houston will delay the start of their school year and use remote instruction for the first six weeks.
New York City, meanwhile, is adopting a hybrid model that allows for in-person learning.
In the Chicago area, many suburban districts have begun to roll out their plans for the school year, with a number choosing to pursue the hybrid model. On Friday, Evanston Township High School abruptly reversed course from a few days earlier and announced online learning would continue exclusively in the fall.
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For CPS, the guidelines released Friday are only preliminary plans and can change depending on the severity of the pandemic. The plans were intentionally developed with flexibility in mind so teachers can pivot to fully remote instruction if needed, officials said.
Dr. Allison Arwady, the city’s public health commissioner, said going to school in person is crucial for the social and emotional development of children, particularly those who depend on public resources for food and additional services. She said the Chicago Department of Public Health has signed off on the CPS approach, even though there’s been a recent uptick in the city’s number of confirmed COVID-19 cases following two months of steep decline.
“If one month from now, two months from now, six months from now, our local data worsened to a point where we could not support in-classroom learning or needed to dial back other interactions, we would not hesitate to make that difficult recommendation,” she said. “But right now, for so many reasons, we are pleased to be talking about school this fall.”
In the event of an outbreak in a CPS building this fall, the district will consult with state and local health experts about whether a school needs to be closed. If infections are isolated to a group of students, “it is possible that a pod would need to be quarantined based on the level of contact, rather than an entire school community,” the plan said.
Many teachers, however, remain unconvinced. The CTU has previously said it believes there is not enough time to institute a plan for in-person learning that will keep students and staff members safe, especially considering the resources that would require.
Dwayne Reed, a CPS teacher at a South Side school, called the CPS hybrid plan “dangerously stupid.”
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He said it would make more sense to focus on making remote learning as good as possible, rather than ask teachers to “divide our attention between teaching in class, teaching online and staying alive. The anxiety that is going to overwhelm so many teachers’ minds is incalculable.”
Though Reed understands the inequities of remote learning, “I can’t help you fight to fix these inequities if I’m dead.”
Though CPS has guaranteed mandatory face masks, temperature checks and sanitizing protocols for schools, CTU says that’s not enough. Echoing demands from their protracted strike last fall, CTU is calling for a nurse in every school as well as a transportation plan for students. CTU also wants to ensure that all students have access to broadband and their own devices.
Patricia Brekke, the principal of Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School, who spoke at the press conference with Lightfoot and Jackson, admitted it would “not feel right to have all of my students come back to the building in the fall, no matter how much I miss them.”
But she said the hybrid model “strikes me as the right balance. ... While my upperclassmen may not need to come into the building every day, it’s my hope that having some face-to-face time and instruction will help set the tone for my freshmen and sophomore students. It will help us continue to build school culture, and most importantly, it will help them how to learn at home efficiently and effectively.”
While provisions will be made for teachers who have preexisting or high-risk health conditions, Jackson said “the expectation will be that everybody else comes to work.”
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The remote learning experiment that suddenly gripped the nation this spring has also provided some pointers moving forward. In the fall, CPS will implement new requirements for learning based on guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education. For now, that includes developing an attendance-tracking system for students, ensuring that each student completes a minimum of five hours of daily instruction or schoolwork and rolling out Google platforms for e-learning across the district.
echerney@chicagotribune.com
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
chao@chicagotribune.com
ssherry@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--As schools weigh whether to reopen in the fall, anxiety is high among parents and teachers: ‘This is

As schools weigh whether to reopen in the fall, anxiety is high among parents and teachers: ‘This is not the time to be getting students back together’

“ I ’ ve lost two family members to COVID , my cousin and my great uncle , so I @ @ @ @ @ who are taking this situation very lightly , because they just don ’ t understand @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I have asthma , and one of my sons , who ’ @ @ @ @ @ has diabetes .
If we ’ re back in the classroom , I ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ , and could bring COVID home to my own family .
This is not time @ @ @ @ @ together , as having their lives at risk is just not an option .
”

William C. Goudy Technology Academy in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood stands empty this month. It's still unclear if it will continue to be so in the fall, though Chicago Public Schools announced tentative plans Friday for a hybrid of in-class and virtual learning this fall. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
As a longtime teacher in public schools and the mother of four sons, Gladys Marquez was hopeful that all of her kids — her students at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island and her youngest child still under her roof — would be heading back to the classroom this fall.
But Marquez said her early optimism has been replaced with fear and apprehension in recent weeks, as a surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide — especially among young adults — underscores the potential dangers of a premature return to school as “normal” when the virus continues to rage.
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“I’ve lost two family members to COVID, my cousin and my great uncle, so I’m frustrated by those who are taking this situation very lightly, because they just don’t understand the risks,” Marquez said. “I have asthma, and one of my sons, who’s also a teacher, has diabetes. If we’re back in the classroom, I’ll be exposed to 1,800 students, and could bring COVID home to my own family. This is not time to be getting students back together, as having their lives at risk is just not an option.”
Gladys Marquez, a teacher at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, is among those concerned that returning to the classroom this fall without adequate COVID-19 protections could have dire consequences for educators and families. (Todd Panagopoulos / Chicago Tribune)
As Chicago-area school districts begin to unveil their back-to-schools plans — in many cases still tentative — they are under pressure both to reopen their buildings and to keep them closed. And anxiety is running high for parents, teachers and administrators.
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In Chicago Public Schools, the situation appears headed for a showdown between the city and the teachers union, mere months after the pre-pandemic, 11-day teachers strike. On Friday, CPS unveiled a preliminary plan that would combine in-class and virtual learning, but the powerful Chicago Teachers Union had already said it wants virtual learning to continue in the fall, unconvinced that schools can reopen safely.
Many Chicago-area parents and educators seem to share that concern. While nearly 90% of parents who responded to a spring survey in one North Shore district said they wanted their kids back in the classroom this fall, many teachers — especially those whose students are from economically disadvantaged communities of color — say bringing kids together as the virus is spiking across the world would be reckless, especially for families who have elderly relatives and those with preexisting conditions in their households.
In fact, Evanston Township High School reversed course on Friday and announced that virtual learning will continue in the fall until further notice. Just days before, officials had unveiled plans for a hybrid approach.
Now, with the start of the new school year just weeks away, the wariness among teachers and parents is amplified by escalating politicization of the coronavirus response, playing out both on a national stage and closer to home in heated virtual debates on Nextdoor and Facebook.
Among those championing the return of all students to the classroom is President Donald Trump, whose press secretary said Thursday that “science should not stand in the way” of a full school reopening.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently stated that if precautions are taken to ensure the health and safety of children and teachers, it “strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.”
But on Wednesday, the National Education Association, which represents more than 3 million union members, warned that with the pandemic causing budget shortfalls at school districts nationwide, more funding is needed to reopen schools safely this fall.
“No one wants to be back in the classroom with our students more than educators,” NEA President Lily Eskelsen García said in a statement. “We love our students, our public schools, and our communities, and that is why we need to do this right. We must ensure students have the best possible learning experience this fall. This means all students, whether they are Black, brown or white, have the tools and resources necessary to succeed.”
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The Illinois State Board of Education’s 63-page playbook for navigating the reopening of schools, closed since a statewide coronavirus shutdown in March, calls for the use of face coverings and suggests social distancing “as much as possible.” The guidelines also limit gatherings to fewer than 50 people and call for increased school cleaning and disinfection, as well as symptom screening and temperature checks for people entering school buildings.
But Chicago-area school systems are putting forth an array of approaches for the fall: A few plan for a full return, but most are looking at a continuation of remote learning or, like CPS, a hybrid of in-class and virtual instruction to keep the numbers of students in buildings low at any given time.
New Trier High School in Winnetka and Northfield anticipates such a hybrid for fall.
“We plan to ‘start smart’ with a gradual return to school for teachers and students to get used to new safety protocols and a new way of teaching and learning,” New Trier Superintendent Paul Sally wrote Tuesday in a letter to parents. “As much as we would like to bring back all students every day, we have determined that at this time there is no way to do that safely with the size of our student population.”
Families will also have an opportunity at the beginning of each quarter “to opt out of any in-school learning scenario and to learn remotely,” Sally said.
At Schaumburg-based School District 54, which enrolls about 15,300 students in pre-K through eighth grade at 28 schools, Superintendent Andy DuRoss released a Reopening District 54 Plan this month that offers families two options for the school year: in-person instruction five days a week, or a new Virtual Learning Academy, where students will be taught entirely online.
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Friday’s deadline to choose an option loomed large for parent Traci Morris of Hoffman Estates, whose two daughters, ages 6 and 10, attend District 54.
“We moved to this school district because it’s a special place, and I know how wonderful it is, but I was very disappointed to learn we had one week to decide, and they are not offering a third option, which I would have liked, which is a blended approach,” Morris said.
Morris, who works part time as a dental hygienist, said she understands it would be tough for many parents to juggle their jobs and family responsibilities without a full-time return to school. But she’d hoped for a hybrid option.
“My husband and I have been very good about our family following all of the rules during the pandemic, and we’ve slowly begun to loosen up a little, while still wearing masks and social distancing,” Morris said. “But having our kids diving back in to school full time in five weeks, well, that’s not OK.”
Traci Morris with her daughters Peyton, 6, and Madison, 10, outside their Hoffman Estates home. Morris and her husband would prefer a hybrid approach to the new school year instead of the choice Schaumburg-based School District 54 has offered between full-time virtual or full-time in-person learning. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Of particular concern to Morris is the social emotional health of her children, one of whom has been expressing fears about what school will look like next month.
“They will be going from fully remote learning during the end of the last school year to social distancing this summer, and then full-time school,” Morris said. “My oldest daughter is already asking, ‘What happens if one of my friends get sick?‘”
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Aurora-based Indian Prairie School District 204 crafted its Return to School plan with input from local parents as well as teachers like Cathy Malone, who teaches sixth grade math and social studies at Scullen Middle School in Naperville.
“Teachers want schools to be open, but we want it done safely for our families, teachers and the entire community,” Malone said. “There are differing viewpoints, but we got great feedback from teachers and parents, and that input was definitely taken into consideration.”
The District 204 plan, which was released this week, was based on more than 10,600 parent responses and 2,800 staff responses. The option of offering a weekly blend of in-person instruction and remote learning was the first or second choice for 75% of parents and 74% of staff members, according to the district’s website.
Still, despite the flurry of back-to-school plans released this week, some school district officials, including those at Harvey School District 152, are still collecting information from community surveys before making a final decision.
Karen Moore, a special education teacher at Maya Angelou Elementary School in Harvey, said she would support a decision to hold district classes online for the first semester of the new school year, and if officials can do so safely, then returning in person, giving first priority to students in special education programs and English language learners.
Above all, Moore said educators need to be paying close attention to the social emotional needs of children, many of whom have been struggling with COVID-19-related trauma during recent months.
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Karen Moore, a special education teacher at Maya Angelou Elementary School in Harvey, would like to see remote learning continue at least for the first half of the school year. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
“Some of my students have experienced death, people have lost jobs, and kids have been shipped to other states, because their caregivers are essential workers. ... There have been a lot of disruptions for our students,” Moore said.
Moore is also deeply concerned that — unlike well-funded school districts enrolling children from affluent communities — Harvey schools were already struggling before the arrival of the pandemic, which exposed deep disparities in access to technology and other student services.
“In Harvey, the bus that brings our students to school is already overcrowded, so how do you social distance?” Moore said. “We have been up and running despite a devastating lack of resources. But how are we going to have a nurse in the building all day, when we didn’t before? And our buildings already were not the cleanest.”
In Chicago Public Schools, uncertainty could continue until shortly before the start of school the day after Labor Day. Though CPS released a preliminary framework Friday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has indicated a final plan won’t be set until August.
For Stephanie Fletcher, the thought of sending her 7-year-old son back to the classroom this fall makes her very nervous. Fletcher has two young children: a rising second grader at Stone Scholastic Academy on Chicago’s North Side and a preschooler.
This spring, the family was able to create a schedule where Fletcher could help her son with remote learning in the morning and do her own work in the afternoon. She recognizes working from home is not an option for all parents, but thought that, overall, the teachers and administrations at Stone did their best to check in with families and keep students engaged.
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Looking to the fall, Fletcher says her preference is to keep her son at home for as long as possible.
“For me as a mother, I see my No. 1 job as making sure my children are healthy and safe,” Fletcher said. “And right now, I feel like ... if I send my son into a school where social distancing is not possible, where sanitation supplies and hand sanitizer and soap is scarce and not available at times ... I feel like that I’m putting him in a dangerous situation.”
She’s also worried about the health of teachers and school staff members.
“What happens to the teachers whose immune systems are compromised?” Fletcher said. “Are they still expected to go into a classroom with 30 kids, coming from 30 different households, who have 30 different ways of approaching the coronavirus situation? That’s on my mind too.”
She also wonders how schools are going to be able to get young children to follow rules like wearing masks, washing their hands and social distancing.
“Even though you talk to them about it, they don’t really have a sense, I think, of what the repercussions are if they take that mask off,” Fletcher said.
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For Moore, the Harvey teacher, hearing recent criticism about teachers from officials in Washington who are far removed from the realities of Harvey’s families has been especially difficult.
“I just want people who are making decisions to understand what we deal with every day from the lens of the student, the lens of a parent, and the lens of a teacher,” Moore said, adding: “I’m OK with returning to school, but I think it should be done in phases, not at the same time, so we can see what’s working and what’s not, and lower some of the risk.”
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
ssherry@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--Suburban Cook County to require anyone coming from 17 states struggling with high COVID-19 rates to

Suburban Cook County to require anyone coming from 17 states struggling with high COVID-19 rates to quarantine for 14 days

“ We have come a long way in Cook County and Illinois and we want to keep it that way @ @ @ @ @ Department of Public Health Co-Lead and Senior Medical Officer Dr. Rachel Rubin .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ people want to travel , but we have to remain vigilant to keep our gains @ @ @ @ @ places we ’ ve only just reopened .
”

Suburban Cook County is joining the city of Chicago in requiring people coming to Illinois from states with high rates of COVID-19 infection to quarantine upon arrival for 14 days.
The decision was announced Friday by the Cook County Department of Public Health, which has jurisdiction throughout Cook County suburbs with the exceptions of Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park and Stickney Township, each of which have their own health departments.
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The requirement applies to states that have greater than 15 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents a day, over a seven-day rolling average. In suburban Cook, with the areas not covered by the county public health department, the rate is running about 9 per 100,000.
Exceptions from the requirement will be made for essential workers traveling for work purposes and other specific circumstances, according to a news release announcing the new rule.
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There are 17 states now on the quarantine list. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.
“We have come a long way in Cook County and Illinois and we want to keep it that way,” said Cook County Department of Public Health Co-Lead and Senior Medical Officer Dr. Rachel Rubin. “It is summer and we know people want to travel, but we have to remain vigilant to keep our gains and avoid having to close places we’ve only just reopened.”
hdardick@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @ReporterHal


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--Aldermen introducing plan to create panel aimed at cutting cost on Chicago tree trimming

“ For years , the City has struggled to adhere to a coherent management plan for our urban forest , @ @ @ @ @ , 32nd , said .
“ We maintain an inefficient tree-trimming system , lose trees @ @ @ @ @ removal processes , and reinforce long-standing inequities in the delivery of City services .
The @ @ @ @ @ across agencies and experts in the field to collaborate on these and other pressing urban @ @ @ @ @ the absence of a Department of Environment .
”

In response to a watchdog report that Chicago’s tree-trimming program is needlessly costly and inefficient, aldermen want to set up a panel to monitor it.
The Urban Forestry Advisory Board would be made up of experts and policymakers who would develop a plan and recommend legislation to better run the forestry program.
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“For years, the City has struggled to adhere to a coherent management plan for our urban forest,” Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, said. “We maintain an inefficient tree-trimming system, lose trees due to disease and opaque removal processes, and reinforce long-standing inequities in the delivery of City services. The UFAB will convene policymakers from across agencies and experts in the field to collaborate on these and other pressing urban forestry issues, especially in the absence of a Department of Environment.”
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City Inspector General Joseph Ferguson in 2019 said the city could save up to 60% on the average cost per tree trim.
Waguespack, Ald. George Cardenas and Ald. Samantha Nugent will introduce the ordinance creating the board to the City Council next week.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan

The forward progress still could be derailed by a surge in positive tests for the coronavirus , or if hospitals @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients .
To move forward the share of people testing positive for @ @ @ @ @ or under 20 % and increase no more than 10 percentage points over a 14-day @ @

Nausheen Husain, Chad Yoder, Jonathon Berlin

In need of a haircut or a shopping trip?
There are glimmers of hope that much of the state could move from phase 2 to phase 3 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to reopen Illinois on May 29 if current trends hold.
[ When can Illinois reopen? Check our daily charts on where each region stands. ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
The plan, as detailed below, is dependent on rates of infection, hospital capacity, capacity to test and systems for tracing infections.
The forward progress still could be derailed by a surge in positive tests for the coronavirus, or if hospitals or intensive care units become overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. To move forward the share of people testing positive for the coronavirus must be at or under 20% and increase no more than 10 percentage points over a 14-day period.
Right now, according to the plan, every region of Illinois has reached the second phase, “Flattening,” to some extent. In this phase, the rate of infections is still increasing but at a slower rate, and Illinoisians can resume outdoor activities, while maintaining social distancing guidelines and wearing face masks.
Here is how the plan works.


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--Illinois coronavirus graphs: 7,272 deaths, 159,334 confirmed cases and 2.17 million tests

Illinois announced 1,384 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Friday , the highest daily total of new cases since June 2 @ @ @ @ @ state announced 22 new deaths from coronavirus , and for the second day in a @ @ @ @ @ daily test results , 43,692 .

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


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--Lightfoot: ‘Not really for me to say’ whether Madigan should step down in light of ComEd’s alleged b

Lightfoot: ‘Not really for me to say’ whether Madigan should step down in light of ComEd’s alleged bribery scheme

“ Again , it ’ s not for me , as mayor of the city , to talk about whether @ @ @ @ @ the General Assembly should or shouldn ’ t take certain action , ” Lightfoot said @ @ @ @ @ I know , there has not been any charges against him .
But that , @ @ @ @ @ be the standard .
”

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan walks with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to a House Democrats caucus on Nov. 12, 2019 at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday said it’s “not really for me to say” whether Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan should step down after the U.S. attorney’s office in court records Friday outlined how his political allies allegedly received jobs, contracts and payments from the ComEd utility in a “years-long bribery scheme.”
Hours after the U.S. attorney’s office announced ComEd had agreed to pay a $200 million fine as part of a federal investigation into the utility, Lightfoot was asked whether Madigan should resign as speaker and head of the Illinois Democratic Party.
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Madigan, who was not identified by name in the court filings, has not been charged with wrongdoing. In a criminal filing, prosecutors said Public Official A was the House speaker, which is Madigan.
“Well, that’s not really for me to say,” Lightfoot said. “And as mayor, what I’m really focused on is the conduct of ComEd. And since this story broke last year, I’ve consistently said ComEd is going to have to come before the Chicago City Council and give account for its conduct.”
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While aldermen are planning to hold a hearing later this month where they will certainly ask ComEd officials pointed questions about the bribery investigation and the utility’s use of public funds, it’s not likely they will take any binding action against the utility.
Mayoral critic Ald. Raymond Lopez on Friday, meanwhile, called for Lightfoot to end the city’s involvement with ComEd, saying it’s illegal for the utility agreement to continue now that the company has admitted guilt.
“The law is very clear on this matter,” Lopez said, citing city code that “no person or business is eligible to work with the city if they are convicted and/or admit guilt of bribery, theft, fraud, perjury etc., or conspired to engage in those types of acts.”
“Enforce the law and hold ComEd accountable,” Lopez said.
Lightfoot rolled to victory last year on a pledge to clean up government, end sweetheart deals for connected insiders, and “bring in the light” to City Hall through ethics reforms and more centralized control over city services that have long fallen to aldermen.
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Asked again Friday about her position regarding Madigan’s future, the mayor demurred.
“Again, it’s not for me, as mayor of the city, to talk about whether or not the speaker of the General Assembly should or shouldn’t take certain action,” Lightfoot said. “As far as I know, there has not been any charges against him. But that, really, that need not be the standard.”
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By contrast, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday he was “deeply troubled and frankly I’m furious” about the reports of the federal case involving ComEd and Madigan.
“The speaker has a lot that he needs to answer for — to authorities, to investigators and most importantly to the people of Illinois,” Pritzker said. “If these allegations of wrongdoing by the speaker are true, there is no question that he will have betrayed the public trust and he must resign.”
Chicago Tribune’s Rick Pearson contributed.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--On reopening day at Field Museum, members find new procedures and some very old friends

“ Almost everywhere you turn , there is a hand sanitizer station , ” he said , auto-dispensing and therefore @ @ @ @ @ the new procedures .
Interactive touch-screen maps for instance , have been turned into static @ @ @ @ @ advance tickets online is recommended , and the new hours include being closed Tuesdays and @ @ @ @ @ grab-and-go food at the Field Bistro on the main floor , but you won ’ @ @ @ @ @ coats or bags , and some smaller galleries remain closed for safe distancing reasons .

Field Museum's Luciana Brown, guides members at the east entrance of the museum, the only entrance for now, July 17, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
In its time on Earth, Sue has faced challenges: maintaining status as an apex predator; suffering the injuries paleontologists have diagnosed from its bones; getting layered over by sediment, fossilizing and then being encased in rock for tens of millions of years.
The latest hurdle in the path of the world’s top T. rex specimen was an inability to be before its public because of a new kind of virus that hit humanity in late winter.
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Sue’s forced isolation began to change Friday as its home, Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, reopened after COVID-19 closure.
And the good news for the animal whose likeness is huge on gift-shop T-shirts — and now available on $9.99 gift-shop masks — is that the popularity of Sue (whose gender is unknown) does not seem to have waned.
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In a survey of a handful of guest groups attending Reopening Day, all mentioned Sue as the Field attraction they were eager to see again.
“He loves dinosaurs and he’s been asking about seeing Sue,” South Loop resident Cathay Lancaster said of her 4-year-old son Henry, as they prepared to enter the museum’s East doors, the only ones currently open.
It was the same for Katie Aliaga of Oak Park, a med student who became a member partly to be able to attend this week -- the museum opens to the general public on the 24th — and who brought her two younger siblings.
“He wants to see Sue,” she said, pointing to her brother.
For some of the guests on hand, visiting the Field was the first outside-the-home indoor thing they’ve done that didn’t involve such essentials as grocery shopping. And the good news is that the museum’s cavernous, central Stanley Field Hall, populated by as many guest ambassadors as actual guests early Friday, felt like it could handle social distancing for species much larger than our own.
If, say, the famed fighting African elephants on display there wanted to separate a bit out of caution and concern for one another, there was room. There was probably even space to put another titanosaur skeleton at a safe remove in the hall’s opposite corner.
Having non-employee humans on hand was a huge relief to Jacob Shuler, the Field’s guest relations manager.
“It’s been sort of like a ghost town” the past couple of weeks as employees have returned to the building to prepare for reopening, he said. “It feels really good to have people back in this building.”
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It will, of course, be a number of people limited to 25 percent of ordinary capacity by the city’s safe reopening rules. All those people must be wearing facial masks, and they’ll be able to cleanse their hands almost obsessively.
“Almost everywhere you turn, there is a hand sanitizer station,” he said, auto-dispensing and therefore contactless like everything else in the new procedures. Interactive touch-screen maps for instance, have been turned into static, wide-perspective maps. Buying advance tickets online is recommended, and the new hours include being closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. You can buy grab-and-go food at the Field Bistro on the main floor, but you won’t be able to check coats or bags, and some smaller galleries remain closed for safe distancing reasons.
Like almost all Chicago cultural institutions, the Field closed in mid-March, days ahead of city and state orders, in order to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Like almost all of them it has laid off and furloughed staff, citing the massive financial hit of losing all spring and an unknown amount of future attendance revenue going forward.
And like most, it is tentatively reopening now that the city and state are in Phase 4 of their five-stage reopening plans. The MCA and Art Institute will follow on July 24 and 30, respectively.
How much revenue that will bring is an open question, but it certainly wasn’t bumming visitors out to be doing something that felt at least a bit like the before times.
“I figured it would be a nice alternative to sitting in the house all day,” said member Lynn Phlaum, interviewed outside the museum’s “Ancient Americas” exhibit.
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“And I love the opportunity to see it without a lot of people here,” she added.
Outside, by the southeast corner of the museum’s massive wedding cake of a building, one economic measure suggested there is value in reopening. The Kim and Carlo’s Chicago Style Hot Dogs booth has been doing surprisingly well since its two Museum Campus locations reopened late last month, said worker Maria Cruz.
“We actually are having foot traffic with the Shedd reopening,” she said, referring to the nearby aquarium that began having the general public back in July 3.
The Field’s outdoor areas are newly worth spending time in, and not just because science believes outside is safer than in for limiting coronavirus transmission. Newly planted is a riotous prairie garden on the museum’s northwest terrace and adjacent patio area, matching and even surpassing the similar gardens already on the other side of the north front steps. Animals at the Field are typically frozen in time by taxidermists, but these gardens are teeming with bees, butterflies and vivid flowers.
Back inside, guest services head Shuler said he is especially excited that people will be able to see “Apsáalooke Women and Warriors,” a groundbreaking special exhibition that had a run of exactly one day before the museum closed. That day, Shuler noted drily, was Friday the 13th (of March).
“It’s already my favorite exhibition since I’ve been here,” said Shuler, who bought the official exhibition book when the museum closed because he wanted to spend more time with its story.
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But now the vibrant look at the Native American plains people more commonly known as the Crow — and the museum’s first major exhibition curated by a Native American scholar — is ready again to tell its tale of the Apsáalooke in history and today and with a particular emphasis on female roles.
“It’s so nice,” said Chicagoan Gloria Nardini, a member who brought her Elmhurst grandsons Leo and Enzo Nardini. “I love the emphasis on women. And I like the fact that I didn’t know about this — and I’m a PhD with an emphasis on anthropology.”
Still, as compelling and innovative as the new exhibition is, it’s hard to outshine celebrity.
Aaron Knight brought his wife and two teenage kids on reopening day with the membership the family has maintained even since moving to Pennsylvania, he said.
“We wanted to see Sue,” said Knight. “Sue’s always the star.”
sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @StevenKJohnson


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--21 wounded, 2 fatally, since Thursday afternoon, including 5-month-old baby, police say

Police said the victim , whose age was unknown , was on the street when he heard shots and felt @ @ @ @ @ in the chest , and was taken in critical condition to the University of Chicago @ @ @ @ @ later pronounced dead .

At least 19 people have been wounded, two fatally, including a 5 month-old baby who was grazed by gunfire, since Thursday afternoon in city shootings, said Chicago police.
The wave of violence began with a fatal shooting about 4 p.m. Thursday in the Lawndale neighborhood in the 1500 block of South St. Louis Avenue, said police.
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A 20-year-old man was on a motorcycle in front of a residence when two people approached, pulled out gun and shot at him. He was struck in the back, and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Another fatal attack happened shortly after 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the Englewood neighborhood in the 6300 block of Sangamon Street.
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Police said the victim, whose age was unknown, was on the street when he heard shots and felt pain. He was hit in the chest, and was taken in critical condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.
Police reported from 6:50 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. Thursday, at least 12 people were wounded, including a 5-month-old baby boy.
In those shootings:
About 6:50 p.m., a 30-year-old man was in the 4500 block of South Hermitage Avenue in the Back of the Yards neighborhood when he was shot in the chest. He was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, police said.
About 7 p.m., a 5-month-old baby boy and two men, ages, 19 and 25 were shot in the Old Town neighborhood in the 1400 block of North Hudson Avenue.
About 8 p.m., a 14-year-old boy was wounded in the Lawndale neighborhood in the 1500 block of South Lawndale Avenue. Police said the boy was shot in the arm by a gunman who was with a group who was arguing with another group. He was taken in good condition to Stroger Hospital.
Shortly before 9 p.m., a 16-year-old boy was walking in the 6000 block of South Maplewood Avenue in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood when he was shot by someone in a passing black Jeep. He suffered a wound to the foot, and was taken in fair condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, police said.
Shortly after 9 p.m., two people were shot in the Chatham neighborhood in the 7900 block of South State Street. Police said the men, ages 18 and 19, were both in a commercial parking lot when they heard shots and felt pain. The younger man was struck in the buttocks and shoulder, and the other man suffered a wound to the foot. Both were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said.
About 9:15 p.m. ,a 22-year-old man was shot in the Goose Island neighborhood in the 600 block of West Division Street. Police said someone in a black SUV fired shots, striking him multiple times in the stomach and leg. He was taken in serious condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Shortly after 10 p.m., a 24-7ear-old man was shot in the groin in the West Garfield Park neighborhood in the 4100 block of West Jackson Boulevard. He was taken in fair condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, police said.
About 10:15 p.m., two people were shot in the East Garfield Park neighborhood in the 3300 block of West Huron Street. The victims, ages 32 and 24, were outside when a man on foot opened fire, striking both. The younger victim refused medical attention for a wound to the ankle, and the older man suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. He was taken in good condition to Stroger Hospital.
Early Friday morning, seven people were shot.
Those shootings include:


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--Adapting a restaurant during coronavirus: Pivot and then pivot some more

“ It was really good , ” Wolen said .
“ We did dinners for two or four .
The @ @ @ @ @ have anything to do with Boka ’ s style ; we did chicken , cauliflower @ @ @ @ @ — numerous proteins , all with vegetable , salad and dessert .
Then every Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ Two to go .
This was a more Boka-y whole-roasted duck ; more upscale .
@ @ @ @ @ chicken , kind of a whole basket to go , and that did really well @

Chef Lee Wolen, pictured in Boka's back garden, had to rethink everything during the pandemic, like chefs and restaurant owners across Chicago. He pivoted to offer takeout, then launched his fried chicken side project. Then once outdoor dining reopened, he adapted the restaurant's outdoor space to add more seating. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, many restaurants scrambled to find a way to adapt. Chef Lee Wolen of Boka found four.
In the pre-pandemic days, Boka, the flagship restaurant of the Boka Restaurant Group, was one the finest restaurants in Chicago. The restaurant was a semifinalist this year in the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurant category, and Wolen was nominated — for the fifth consecutive year — for Best Chef in the Great Lakes region.
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Reservations could be hard to come by. “We were full every night back then,” said Wolen, wistfully.
And then came the mid-March shutdown, and it was time to rethink everything.
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The chicken sandwich at GG’s Chicken Shop has been a runaway hit for Lee Wolen's venture, run from the Boka kitchen. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Shortly after the shelter-in-place rules kicked in, Boka became the first restaurant in the Boka Group to offer curbside takeout — one featured protein each day. That was the first pivot.
“It was really good,” Wolen said. “We did dinners for two or four. The food really didn’t have anything to do with Boka’s style; we did chicken, cauliflower, lasagna, short ribs — numerous proteins, all with vegetable, salad and dessert. Then every Wednesday, we started Duck for Two to go. This was a more Boka-y whole-roasted duck; more upscale. Thursdays, we started fried chicken, kind of a whole basket to go, and that did really well.
“Memorial Day, we did grill kits, with chicken and sausages, and different salads like corn, bean, and mac and cheese,” he said. “On Fathers Day, we did prime rib.”
In the beginning of the takeout effort at Boka, customers weren't ready for the acclaimed restaurant's regular fare, like this crudo dish. So Lee Wolen pivoted to meal kits and simple meat-and-sides offerings. Now, patrons are ready for Boka's more refined dishes; hence, the crudo is back. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
At the end of May, Wolen launched his second adaptation, turning part of the Boka operation into a “ghost kitchen” (which prepares food for off-site consumption only) for his GG’s Chicken Shop concept. GG’s was developed to be a vendor in Revival Food Hall, but with that venue closed, Wolen started preparing GG’s rotisserie chicken, fried-chicken sandwiches and salads for pickup and delivery.
“All those things were actually fun, cooking like that for a little bit,” Wolen said. “We sold 110 sandwiches in a single day. The only problem is that Boka kitchen is tight. But it’s not like we’re cooking for 200 people a night, either.”
“The family-style meals sold great,” he said. “In those first months, people weren’t looking to restaurants for what they were before. It wasn’t about crudo and tuna tartare; they wanted casual food at a good price point.”
Now, Wolen thinks people are crudo-ready, as it were; he’s scrapped the family-style menu, marking his third pivot, and now offers carryout based on Boka’s regular, contemporary menu. (GG’s Chicken is still available.)
When outdoor dining was permitted, Wolen opened Boka’s landscaped garden. Distancing rules restricted the space to just three tables — 12 seats, maximum — so Wolen turned to the area in front of Boka’s set-back entrance, and found room for six to eight seats at umbrella-topped tables. It was his fourth move.
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When outdoor dining was permitted again, Boka’s garden opened but distancing rules restricted the space to just three tables. So Lee Wolen turned to the area in front of Boka’s set-back entrance, above, and found room for more tables. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
“It’s actually really nice,” he said.
In the rear garden, Wolen offered a five-course tasting menu and a la carte items. The front space was used for walk-up diners, and served light bites and cocktails. Light bites are still available, but now Boka’s regular and tasting menus are served in front as well.
The return of indoor dining gave Boka a third seating area — limited, of course, to 25% capacity. “It’s super spread out,” Wolen said. “The max we can do, from 5 to 9:30 p.m., is 85 (guests) total. But it works, for sure. We won’t have the same profits for the time being, but this definitely covers what we need to cover.”
“As a group, we’re taking it very, very slow,” he said. “Yes, we need to make money for sure, but we need comfortable employees too. My comfort level at Boka is very good; I get much more weirded out walking into a grocery store.”
Wolen was matter-of-fact about the prospects of increasing indoor capacity.
“I don’t think that many people want to eat indoors yet,” he said. “If we went 100%, we’d probably still do the same 85 covers.”
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“The worrisome part is the end of October,” he said. “What happens once the patios go away? That’s the real question.”


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--Watch live: JoAnn Cunningham faces sentencing in 5-year-old son AJ Freund’s death

McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt will determine the sentence for JoAnn Cunningham , the 37-year-old Crystal Lake woman who pleaded @ @ @ @ @ the beating of her 5-year-old AJ Freund , today in a hearing scheduled to begin @ @ @ @

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chicagotribune--2020-07-17--Mayor Lori Lightfoot stands by tweet calling Trump spokeswoman ‘Karen,’ telling her to watch her mou

Mayor Lori Lightfoot stands by tweet calling Trump spokeswoman ‘Karen,’ telling her to watch her mouth

In a briefing with reporters about his ongoing efforts to deal with the MS-13 gang , Trump said he would @ @ @ @ @ week “ with the attorney general , the FBI and others concerning our cities , @ @ @ @ @ people that are running our cities are not doing the job that they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ and it ’ s not a very tough job to do if they knew what @ @ @ @ @

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday doubled down on an earlier tweet calling President Donald Trump’s White House spokeswoman “Karen” and telling her to watch her mouth, saying she won’t hold her tongue as the president’s administration tries to demonize her and other mayors.
After White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday referred to Lightfoot as “the derelict mayor of Chicago” and accused her of not doing enough to resolve the city’s gun violence, Lightfoot responded with a tweet that read, “Hey, Karen. Watch your mouth.”
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Asked about that Friday, Lightfoot said, “I think it’s pretty straightforward,” before launching into her latest attack on what she said is Trump’s attempt to heap blame on Democrats for political purposes in order to “change the subject from their failed leadership.”
Hey, Karen. Watch your mouth. pic.twitter.com/zhjRyokKD5 — Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) July 16, 2020
“What we’ve seen, and, unfortunately, what we’re going to continue to see, is the Trump administration obviously thinks they will score some political points by trying to demonize and make Democratic mayors, particularly women mayors. ... They think they’re going to take us on and make us look bad because that will score points with their base,” Lightfoot said.
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Lightfoot said presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would be “absolutely the opposite of what we’ve seen from Donald Trump.”
“This won’t be the last time that his flacks try to take me on, but good luck,” Lightfoot said of McEnany’s comment. “I’m still here. I’m going to lead this city as best I can, and we are going to get the job done to protect residents of this city, whether or not the president ever steps up or not.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on Thursday, July 16, 2020. (Evan Vucci/AP)
The Republican president and his administration have focused attention on Chicago and other Democrat-led cities in recent weeks and on Wednesday vaguely referenced an upcoming announcement on how his administration intends to deal with crime in those places.
In a briefing with reporters about his ongoing efforts to deal with the MS-13 gang, Trump said he would have more to say next week “with the attorney general, the FBI and others concerning our cities, because the left-wing group of people that are running our cities are not doing the job that they’re supposed to be doing, and it’s not a very tough job to do if they knew what they were doing.”
When a reporter asked at the end of the Wednesday event whether he planned to follow through on a recent statement that the federal government might take over cities such as Chicago to deal with crime, Trump didn’t answer directly. But he cited recent issues with protesters in Seattle, Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon, before pointing to violence in Chicago.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--United, union strike deal to limit number of pilots affected by mass furloughs in October

Some of the options would let pilots continue training so they can be recalled from a furlough more quickly , @ @ @ @ @ of the United ALPA , said in a news release .
“ The union is @ @ @ @ @ to develop creative and innovative ways to reduce furloughs and protect the careers of United @ @ @

Rows of United Airlines check-in counters at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago are unoccupied on June 25, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic. The airline reached an agreement with its pilots' union on programs meant to avoid the number of pilots affected by layoffs in the fall. (TERESA CRAWFORD/AP)
United Airlines and its pilots’ union reached an agreement on programs meant to limit the number of pilots affected by involuntary furloughs this fall.
Passenger air travel has plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic and airlines that accepted financial assistance through the federal coronavirus aid package, can’t lay off workers before Oct. 1. In recent weeks, airlines have warned that tens of thousands of jobs are at risk after that, and United has sent layoff warnings to 36,000 employees, including 2,250 pilots.
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The agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents United pilots, includes an early retirement deal for pilots over age 62 who have been with the airline for at least 10 years and several programs that would allow pilots to volunteer for a leave of absence or voluntary furlough.
Some of the options would let pilots continue training so they can be recalled from a furlough more quickly, Captain Todd Insler, chairman of the United ALPA, said in a news release. “The union is doing everything in its power to develop creative and innovative ways to reduce furloughs and protect the careers of United pilots.”
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United is working to limit the number of employees furloughed this fall, but “there is no doubt our airline will be a smaller one come Oct. 1, 2020,” Bryan Quigley, senior vice president of flight operations, said in a message to pilots outlining the options Thursday night.
The airline said it is working with all unions representing its employees on options that could reduce the number of involuntary furloughs.
lzumbach@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--Read the Chicago Public Schools’ blueprint for hybrid-learning for fall instruction

Nothing in the framework is finalized .
CPS says it will solicit feedback from parents in five virtual meetings through @ @ @ @ @ with sessions held in English and Spanish , and parents can also their reactions in @ @ @ @ @ the district .

Chicago Public Schools has released a much-anticipated blueprint for fall instruction, saying it plans to adopt a hybrid-learning model.
That model would bring most students back for two-consecutive days of in-person learning on a rotating basis if public health officials say it can be done safely.
Nothing in the framework is finalized. CPS says it will solicit feedback from parents in five virtual meetings through the end of July, with sessions held in English and Spanish, and parents can also their reactions in a new survey launched by the district.
Read the Tribune’s story on the CPS plan here. The preliminary reopening framework document can be found below.
Chicago Public Schools’ preliminary reopening framework


chicagotribune--2020-07-17--Evanston high school district announces students will not attend fall classes in person, reversing e

Evanston high school district announces students will not attend fall classes in person, reversing earlier statement

The announcement is a change from the framework presented at Monday ’ s Board of Education meeting , during which @ @ @ @ @ hybrid plan that would bring about a quarter of the school ’ s nearly 4,000 @ @ @ @ @ square-foot building for a week at a time .
That plan was set to begin @ @ @ @

Students in Evanston Township High School District 202 will continue e-learning this fall and will not participate in a hybrid in-person/remote-learning plan as originally announced earlier in the week.
“Beginning Monday, August 17, all ETHS students will participate in enhanced e-learning until further notice,” reads a statement posted today on the District 202 website announcing the 2020 fall reopening plan.
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ETHS will transition to a hybrid model that includes in-person instruction only “if conditions permit,” the statement reads.
“Our work is not done. In light of continually shifting circumstances and guidance, ETHS must remain flexible and responsive,” said Superintendent Eric Witherspoon in the online statement.
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The announcement is a change from the framework presented at the Board of Education meeting, during which administrators described an in-person/remote learning hybrid plan that would bring about a quarter of the school’s nearly 4,000 students into the 1.3 million square-foot building for a week at a time. That plan was set to begin after Labor Day.
[ Illinois schools reopening updates: What suburban Chicago districts plan for fall ]
The e-learning model for the 2020-21 school year “will look different than e-learning in the spring,” wrote Witherspoon and ETHS Principal Marcus Campbell in a July 17 message to students and families.
Students this fall will follow their daily class period schedule during remote e-learning. Academic expectations and requirements will include attendance, grading and other assessments, according to the statement.
ETHS officials also plan to enhance services to help meet the emotional needs of students during the ongoing pandemic, according to the statement.
ETHS teachers praised the administration’s change of course.
“The ETHS faculty acknowledges and embraces the value of in person instruction. We’re eager to get back,” said Gionmatthias Schelbert, president of the ETHS Dist. 202 teachers’ union.
However, “there’s no perfect system to be in school right now in person, and we have a safe choice” in remote learning, Schelbert said.
With the decision, “We can focus 100% of our efforts between now and the first day on getting our remote instruction ready for game time,” Schelbert said.
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gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com