The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 462 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 26 additional confirmed deaths.
- Cook County – 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 4 males 50s, 1 female 60s, 2 males 60s, 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 3 females 80s, 2 males 80s, 2 females 90s, 2 males 90s
- DuPage County – 1 female 100+
- Kane County – 1 male 50s
- Lee County – 1 female 60s
- Madison County – 1 female 60s
- St. Clair County – 1 male 60s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 137,224 cases, including 6,671 deaths, in 101 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 18,219 specimens for a total of 1,379,003. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 15–June 21 is 2%.
Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH is now reporting both confirmed and probable cases and deaths on its website. Reporting probable cases will help show the potential burden of COVID-19 illness and efficacy of population-based non-pharmaceutical interventions. See CDC definition of a probable case on its website. IDPH will update these data once a week.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for deaths previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
• The week ended June 15 was the second in a row when more Chicago-area homes went under contract than in the corresponding week a year ago. It was also the first time that more homes went under contract than the week ended March 16, the last week before the crisis took hold. Buyers put 4,846 homes under contract in the week ended June 15, an increase of nearly 39 percent from the same time a year ago.
• In the second week of June, the number of showings eclipsed the figure from early March by about 5 percent and was about 24 percent above showings at the same time in 2019.
• Open houses are back. Nearly 3,460 properties had open houses in the week ended June 15. That’s more than 10 times the weekly figures from mid-March through mid-April, when agents found themselves improvising ways to show open houses via FaceTime and other virtual technologies.
Homes sales in the Chicago metro area last month dropped by about 40 percent compared to May 2019, and home prices went flat, according to data just released by Illinois Realtors.
In the city proper, 1,666 homes sold in May, down nearly 44 percent from a year earlier. It’s the biggest year-over-year drop in the records of Illinois Realtors, which go back to January 2008. There’s only been one other month when home sales dropped by more than 40 percent: February 2009, in the depths of the recession following the 2008 financial meltdown. […]
The sales declines in both the city and the larger metro area were considerably larger than the nationwide figure. Home sales in May dropped by 26.6 percent across the U.S. from a year earlier, according to data released separately by the National Association of Realtors this morning. The median price of a home sold was up 2.3 percent from a year earlier. Illinois had stricter lockdown measures than in some other states.
Amazon is expanding in south suburban Chicago, with plans to open two fulfillment centers in Matteson and Markham that will employ a total of 2,000 people.
The two warehouses will be the newest additions to Amazon’s sprawling Chicago-area distribution network, which already encompasses 11 sorting and fulfillment centers, according to a statement from the company, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Cook County President Toni Preckwinckle, who held a news conference this morning about the expansion.
The projects will add to the Seattle-based e-commerce giant’s workforce in Illinois, currently encompassing more than 11,000 people.
Heading into the official start of summer, Chicago’s tourism scene will be vastly different from years past.
There will be no major events like Lollapalooza, Chicago Pride Parade or Taste of Chicago. Skydeck Chicago, the observation deck on top of Willis Tower, is closed. So are the museums. Baseball has been canceled since March.
Already the Fourth of July weekend is shaping up to be a dud with the fireworks show at Navy Pier canceled. The event typically draws more than 100,000 people, according to Navy Pier spokesperson Payal Patel.
Without these and other events that draw millions of people to the city each year, the chances of Chicago’s tourism industry rebounding anytime soon will be slim, experts say.
But as Chicago moves forward with a phased reopening, industry insiders see a glimmer of hope. More visitors are coming from outside the state, and suburban residents are venturing downtown after weeks of being cooped up at home.
With the coronavirus shutdown top of mind and the state’s first online sportsbook in hand, Illinois bettors have turned to footy.
Overseas soccer matches drew 78% of the money wagered Thursday on BetRivers.com with the launch of legal, mobile sports betting in Illinois through Rivers Casino.
Representatives for the Des Plaines gambling house declined to share the inaugural handle or the overall number of bets placed. But beyond the soccer-happy handle percentage, they said about 60% of the Illinoisans who created accounts to plunk money down put at least some of their money on soccer.
Most of that money — 56% — was placed on La Liga Spanish football and Real Madrid’s winning matchup against Valencia.
A leading proponent of last year’s gambling expansion bill in Illinois said he is frustrated with delays in its implementation.
State Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, said officials from Rockford submitted that city’s proposal, with a casino to be operated by Hard Rock International, to the Illinois Gaming Board nine months ago.
“The gaming board is telling us they hope to have the license approved by October, which is 12 months from the time it was submitted,” Syverson said. “It is just ridiculous that it’s taking this long for a group just to review a simple application.”
Bartlett village trustee and Republican nominee for an Illinois House of Representatives seat Michael E. Camerer is being remembered for his service to the community.
Camerer died unexpectedly Thursday at age 61 of natural causes. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Robin, sons Jonathan, Daniel and Matthew, his mother, Darielle, and brother Alan. […]
A chiropractor, Camerer opened Camerer Chiropractic in downtown Bartlett in 1990. Camerer also was an adjunct professor at Judson College in Elgin.
Camerer served in the Rotary Club and the Bartlett Chamber of Commerce. He volunteered with the Bartlett Veterans Memorial Foundation, Village Church of Bartlett and Boy Scouts of America Troop 227.
“He was one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life overall,” [Bartlett Village President Kevin Wallace] said. “It’s really a tough thing for the whole village.”
* Camerer won a three-way GOP primary (former Rep. Randy Ramey was one of the two who lost) for the right to take on Rep. Dianne Pappas (D-Itasca) in the fall. Here is Pappas’ statement…
I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Michael Camerer and my heart aches for his family and loved ones. Whenever we crossed paths Michael always went out of his way to show me kindness - a genuine compassion that is often rare in politics. His love for his community, his family, and his patients was undeniable. There is no doubt that the Bartlett community is better because of the legacy he leaves behind. My husband and I are sending our deepest condolences and prayers to Michael’s wife, Robin, and their children.
A St. Clair County woman has sued the consulting company behind the recent data breach in Illinois’ unemployment system. Now, a Southern Illinois lawmaker says there may be more lawsuits coming.
Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) hopes the case against Deloitte will shed light on issues within the Illinois Department of Employment Security. […]
The department alerted 32,483 claimants possibly affected “out of abundance of caution.” However, Bryant explains several people have called her office to report their private information was compromised.
“I want IDES to stop saying that it was only one person and start telling us the truth,” Bryant said. “Until that happens, I’m not going to believe one word that comes out of the mouth of any official at IDES no matter how good or honest that individual is.”
Bryant says someone must be covering up a larger data breach, because some people applying through the state’s normal unemployment system have seen their social security number stolen. Deloitte is facing lawsuits from people impacted by a similar data breach in Ohio.
The downstate Republican says Gov. JB Pritzker has to react as soon as possible. “I do think the governor has been insulated by many of the staff he has, but I’m not sure. I would like to think that they’re not telling him everything and that he’s maybe not understanding some of what’s going on in his own administration. I’d like to believe that,” Bryant exclaimed. “But then, the other part of me says you’re the CEO of the state. You should know what’s going on.”
* I asked the governor’s office for a response. Here’s Jordan Abudayyeh…
There is no evidence there has been a larger data breach at IDES and the department has publicly shared all information available to us on this breach. If the Representative has more information on a data breach she should share it with the proper authorities, but conspiracy theories serve absolutely no purpose.
The administration appreciates the lawmakers who voted for the FY21 budget to increase funding for IDES to hire more employees to do the incredibly important work they do. Unfortunately, Rep. Bryant wasn’t one of them. The Governor has given multiple public briefings on the work at IDES and is updated on progress at the agency multiple times a week. If the Representative would like to do more to help the people she serves, I respectfully suggest that she work to provide sufficient resources to state agencies that were hollowed out and hobbled under the last administration, with her support. Cheap shots in the press and baseless conspiracy theories are not a substitute for leadership.
I’m a farmer about four hours south of here and a first term representative. And as a farmer, when things don’t work right you have to take a look at everything, try to determine what the problem is. And sometimes you’ve got to listen to the advice and and take other people’s ideas into consideration. And Dr. Wilson about two weeks ago, he called me up and he drove four hours south to Lewisville Illinois and sat with several area representatives to talk and share his ideas to this problem, this crisis that we’re experiencing. I don’t know the answer. I don’t know that I completely agree with some of the solutions and ideas that I’ve heard.
But one thing I do know, the one thing that I’ve discovered with government is that people don’t listen very well. A lot of people want to strive with their ideas, a lot of people want to push their agendas. So we are here today to listen, to simply to listen to an idea, and consider and certainly pray for an outcome. I’m so honored that we can be here with the church today, it’s the church that’s going to make the difference in this state and in this country and I’m so honored, of all places, to be here.
Listening has never been Bailey’s strong suit, of course.
* By the way, I asked Dr. Wilson’s spokesperson for comment on this Bailey statement from the other day and never heard back…
Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) is questioning the Black Lives Matter movement based on that fact that a disproportional rate of pregnancies for black women end in abortion.
“If black lives matter, why are Illinois taxpayers funding the killing of unborn black babies?” asked Bailey, the first term 109th District representative and recent winner of a personal lawsuit against Gov J.B. Pritzker.
*** UPDATE *** I didn’t even think to check, but a commenter pointed out that Wilson contributed $3,000 each to Reps. Darren Bailey and Blaine Wilhour and House candidate Adam Niemerg (who’s running in Bailey’s district) this month.
Last week, the Illinois Supreme Court handed down their near unanimous decision in favor of the City of Chicago in a case against the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police. The FOP filed suit against the city for failing to destroy police disciplinary records after five years per their collective bargaining agreement. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that requiring the destruction of police disciplinary records after five years violates public records law.
The decision is being heralded as a positive development in the wake of a growing police reform movement. There was only one member of the Supreme Court who disagreed - Justice Thomas Kilbride of the 5th Judicial Circuit. Both conservative justices from downstate (Garman, Karmeier) and liberal justices from Chicago (Burke, Neville, Theis) came together to recognize the illegality and bad faith nature of the FOP’s effort to protect cops with a history of disciplinary actions, but Kilbride stood alone in dissent (dissent here, starting on page 17).
Even more troubling than Justice Kilbride’s decision is the glaringly obvious motivation for him to be the lone dissenting vote. The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police was his saving grace during his 2010 retention campaign as he came under attack for his record on crime. The FOP and other police groups rushed to his defense and came through for Kilbride with an endorsement and major campaign support. Kilbride ran his retention campaign with a central theme as being a strong ally to law enforcement, even touting an award from the Illinois Crime Commission / Police Athletic League of Illinois and each of his ads painting Kilbride as “tough on crime.”
Kilbride’s decision to allow the destruction of police records after only 5 years is contrary to the police reform movement that Republicans and Democrats are embracing nationally, in which legislation would require law enforcement to retain records for longer periods of time. The just-released “Justice Act” authored by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) requires 30 year record-keeping.
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider pointed out the obvious, saying, “It’s clear why Justice Kilbride felt he needed to be the lone voice against positive police reform that conservatives, moderates and liberals all agree upon. Kilbride is up for a tough retention campaign and needs the support of the FOP and other law enforcement groups that bailed him out in 2010. Political calculations should have no place in the decision making process of our judiciary. Justice Kilbride should be ashamed.”
Kilbride will need 60 percent of the vote to be retained in November, so this is one way to prevent that from happening. The FOP leans heavily Republican, but you use what you got, in other words. So, the FOP goes under the bus.
I respectfully dissent from the majority. My disagreement with the majority has nothing to do with the records that are the subject of this appeal. I firmly believe that police misconduct must be rooted out, and I would vehemently oppose the indiscriminate destruction of police misconduct records. That is not what the arbitrator ordered in this case.
Rather, the arbitrator’s award merely directed the parties to meet and negotiate. The arbitrator did not order the destruction of any records. We do not know what agreement, if any, would have resulted from the parties meeting and negotiating. We do not know whether those negotiations would have resulted in an agreement for the future destruction of any records. We also do not know whether they would have resulted in an agreement that fully complied with the Local Records Act (50 ILCS 205/1 et seq. (West 2016)) and all other applicable laws. I believe the parties should be allowed to meet and negotiate in accordance with the arbitrator’s directive. This court could retain jurisdiction and remand for negotiations. After proceeding with negotiations, it would be warranted for this court to review the status of any agreement.
To repeat, the issue of police misconduct is a serious issue that must be confronted by society. This court was asked, however, to consider a fundamental principle of labor law, namely, the validity and enforcement of arbitration awards.
Residents of a southwestern Illinois community want a statue of the state’s third governor removed from a public plaza, arguing that he owned slaves and used his power to protect the practice.
Nearly 500 people have joined a Facebook group that supports petitioning the city of Edwardsville to tear down a Ninian Edwards statue and also rename a plaza with his moniker, according to The Edwardsville Intelligencer.
* For crying out loud, they’re not arguing that the statue be torn down…
1) Remove the statue of Ninian Edwards from the downtown Ninian Edwards Plaza.
2) Move the statue to a museum or less public city space, to be displayed alongside plaques which describe the harmful historical actions of Ninian Edwards against enslaved persons and Native Americans.
3) Rename Ninian Edwards Plaza or leave the plaza unnamed.
We are not advocating renaming Edwardsville. Our desire is to change this public honoring of Ninian Edwards, not to change the city’s name.
Even by the standards of his time (early 1800s), Ninian Edwards was a racist and immoral man. We know that it was not the intention of the City to honor Edwards’ harmful actions when they raised his statue and named the plaza after him. Nevertheless, such a public display of Edwards’ statue and name creates the impression of approval.
Edwards owned slaves his entire adult life. When he moved to the then-Illinois Territory, he should have been forced to free the slaves he brought with him under federal law. But Edwards did not, and in the process, helped establish slavery in Illinois, a place that was supposed to be free by federal law. Additionally, as territorial governor, Edwards vetoed a bill that would have officially abolished slavery in Illinois. Because of this, slavery persisted in Illinois until 1848, more than thirty years after Edwards chose not to stop it.
Ninian Edwards also committed harmful acts against Illinois’ Native American population during the War of 1812, massacring dozens of tribespeople who were in fact United States allies living peacefully on their own land.
For these reasons, we urge the City Council to move Ninian Edwards’ statue to a museum or community space where better information can be provided about his harmful actions, and to rename Ninian Edwards Plaza.
* And it’s not like Illinois is an impenetrable island, either…
Here you can see when a country bent the curve. • The chart is plotting the rate of daily new confirmed cases against the cumulative case rate on the x-axis. • The line color in our chart shows how well a country is testing.
As of Saturday, 83% of current inpatient beds and 85% of ICU beds were in use for COVID-19 and other patients.
We all need to learn from each other. Come Friday, when Illinois enters Phase 4, our positivity rate will almost undoubtedly increase. So, people need to be careful and use some common sense. Texas is also experiencing an increase in its positivity rate, but its hospitals appear not to be in any danger of being overrun at the moment.
*** UPDATE *** Excerpt from a new Gov. Pritzker press release
Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan creates safety guidelines for the following permitted activities and businesses to resume, with capacity rules in place:
• Meetings and events: Venues and meeting spaces can resume with the lesser of up to 50 people OR 50% of overall room capacity. Multiple groups are permitted given facilities have space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups. This includes activities such as conferences and weddings.
• Indoor and Outdoor recreation: Revised guidelines to allow select indoor recreation facilities (e.g., bowling alleys, skating rinks), as well as clubhouses to reopen. Indoor recreation to operate at lesser of 50 customers OR 50% of facility capacity with outdoor recreation allowing group sizes of up to 50, and permitting multiple groups given facilities have space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups; concessions permitted with restrictions.
• Indoor Dining: Indoor dining can reopen with groups of 10 or less, with tables spaced 6-feet apart in seated areas and with standing areas at no more than 25% of capacity.
• Museums: Can reopen with no more than 25% occupancy, and with interactive exhibits and rides closed; guided tours should be limited to 50 people or fewer per group; museums should have a plan to limit congregation via advance ticket sales and timed ticketing; concessions permitted with restrictions.
• Zoos: Can reopen with no more than 25% occupancy, and with interactive exhibits, indoor exhibits, and rides closed; guided tours should be limited to 50 people or fewer per group; zoos should have a plan to limit congregation via advance ticket sales and timed ticketing; concessions permitted with restrictions.
• Cinema and Theatre: Indoor seated theaters, cinemas, and performing arts centers to allow admission of the lesser of up to 50 guests OR 50% of overall theater or performance space capacity (applies to each screening room); outdoor capacity limited to 20% of overall theater or performance space capacity; concessions permitted with restrictions.
• Outdoor seated spectator events: Outdoor spectator sports can resume with no more than 20% of seating capacity; concessions permitted with restrictions.
• Film production: Allow no more than 50% of sound stage or filming location capacity; crowd scenes should be limited to 50 people or fewer.
Industries with revised guidelines in Phase 4:
• Youth and Recreational Sports: Revised guidelines allow competitive gameplay and tournaments; youth and recreational sports venues can operate at 50% of facility capacity, 20% seating capacity for spectators, and group sizes up to 50 with multiple groups permitted during practice and competitive games given venues have space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups; concessions permitted with restrictions.
• Health and fitness centers: Revised guidelines allow gyms to open at 50% capacity and allow group fitness classes of up to 50 people with new safety guidelines for indoors, with multiple groups permitted given facilities have space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups.
• Day camps: Water-based activities permitted in accordance with IDPH guidelines; no more than 50% of facility capacity with group size of no more than 15 participants in a group, unless participants changing weekly.
Additionally, retail, service counters, offices, personal care (including salons, barber, nail salons), manufacturing and other industries allowed to reopen in Phase 3 will continue to operate at a reduced capacity.
To help businesses prepare to reopen and remain in compliance with new guidelines over the next two weeks, DCEO has released a new set of downloadable materials. Business toolkits are complete with signage, training checklists and other resources to help business owners and workers implement safety procedures and adhere to the latest capacity restrictions. Materials for businesses and operators pertaining to Phases 3 and 4 of the Restore Plan, can be found atIllinois.gov/businessguidelines.
During Phase 4, common public health standards remain in effect – including the use of face coverings and social distancing. Industry-specific guidelines may vary but are designed to help employers, workers and residents feel safe in transitioning to the next phase of reopening the state. All industries should continue to conduct regular cleanings, employee health screenings upon entry and mid-shift, and allow employees who can continue working from home to do so.
The state’s move to Phase 4 of the plan is expected to bring approximately 400,000 additional Illinoisans back to the workplace across all industries. While Phase 4 marks the return of 7 percent of the state’s workforce, it accounts for about $30 billion in annual GDP returned to operations and represents continuous progress towards fully reopening the state’s economy.
* Related…
* Racing returning to Arlington - The Illinois Racing Board clears the way for racing and betting, but no spectators, next month.
As Illinois slowly begins the reopening process, some state legislators have decided to start hosting in-person fundraisers.
For the past few months, most legislative incumbents and challengers have abandoned fundraising. The global pandemic, accompanied by an international economic crash, made the idea of raising campaign money seem crass, inappropriate and even dangerous.
Eventually, some folks began hosting online fundraisers. It’s an election year, after all, and elections cost money. So, for a price, contributors could pay for a password to attend Zoom events and support their candidates of choice.
Several candidates also began dialing for dollars. But April was not a good month for campaigns. $2.87 million in A-1 reports (contributions of $1,000 or over) were filed in April. That’s about a third of the $7.7 million reported in April of 2016, a similar election cycle.
Just $3.6 million in A-1 contributions were reported this May, which is about a fifth of the $15.5 million reported in May of 2016.
June’s A-1s were showing $1.8 million on June 18, which is well below the $8.2 million reported during the same period four years ago.
If all goes well, the governor’s reopening plan will allow for gatherings of up to 50 people (far more than the current 10) starting June 26, and some politicos are taking advantage.
Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero) hosts an annual golf outing to mark her birthday. This year’s fundraiser is tentatively scheduled for July 28 at Gleneagles Country Club in Lemont. Tickets range from $750 for a foursome to $5,000 for a “platinum sponsorship.”
“We’re not doing anything inside,” Rep. Hernandez told me. She said she usually has a dinner during what had been an all-day event, but not this year. She’ll still have a margarita tent set up at the 9th hole and food will be available, but nothing inside.
The Pritzker administration released detailed Phase 3 golfing guidelines in late May, which, among other things, permitted foursomes and restricted golf carts to just one person unless riders were from the same household. Phase 4 golfing guidelines had not yet been issued when I spoke with Hernandez, and she said she’ll need to wait until that happens before she can finalize her preparations.
Rep. Hernandez will not be the first legislator to hold an in-person fundraising event since the crisis began.
I checked around and it looks like Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) might be the first to try to go back to in-person fundraising. Rep. Spain’s golf outing is scheduled for July 13, according to the House Republican Organization.
Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady has a Springfield fundraiser scheduled two days later at a popular local beer garden.
“All CDC social distancing guidelines will be strictly followed,” reads the Brady event invite. Tickets, ranging in price from $250 to $10,000, will therefore be limited, the invite notes.
Rep. Mike Halpin (D-Rock Island) has a golf outing on July 30. Democratic Sens. Dave Koehler and Tony Munoz are holding August events. Republican Sens. Jason Barickman, Don Dewitte and Sue Rezin are also holding August events. Several other folks are likely to schedule events in August and September, numerous sources say.
But will people show up? Rep. Hernandez, for one, says she’s not worried if people decide not to come. “If it’s a small group, it’s small,” she said. “It’s OK.” Hernandez has no general election opponent. Money is tight, so her event may well be on the small side.
Outdoor events like the one Hernandez is planning are undoubtedly much safer than indoor events. And wearing masks really does work to halt the spread of COVID-19. Hospitalizations are a two-to-three week lagging indicator, and three weeks after the massive civil rights protests began, Illinois hospitalizations were actually declining. That’s probably because most protesters wore face coverings.
But make no mistake, there is real risk here, albeit relatively small for outdoor gatherings. If somebody catches the virus at a campaign fundraiser, the unlucky candidate is gonna be in for some absolutely horrible publicity.
The state has pushed the virus curve down so low that the risks of overrunning our hospitals with sick patients are no longer immediately dire. So, go for it if you want.
Just please be careful out there. You cannot possibly raise enough money to overcome the negative publicity of spreading the virus (and possibly killing people) at your event. Strictly police your fundraiser to make sure you don’t wind up a casualty yourself, physically and/or politically. It just ain’t worth it.
Since I wrote that, the Senate GOP updated their website to add Senate candidate Rep. Terri Bryant’s July 9 fundraiser. So, she could be the first.
* Have a wonderful, joyful and healthy Fathers’ Day! My dad turned me on to the Stones way back in the day. I found Bob Dylan on my own. From a recent NY Times interview of Mr. Zimmerman…
A reference to the Rolling Stones makes it into “I Contain Multitudes.” Just as a lark, which Stones songs do you wish you could’ve written?
Oh, I don’t know, maybe “Angie,” “Ventilator Blues” and what else, let me see. Oh yeah, “Wild Horses.”
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) State Lodge and Labor Council have issued the following statements after police officers in Atlanta, Georgia began walking off the job when an officer was charged with murder in the death of a suspect who fought with police:
“The politicians who have once again caved in to the loudest, most divisive voices in our society may soon realize their vision of a nation without police officers, and that is a horrific vision of uncontrolled violence and mayhem,” said FOP State Lodge President Chris Southwood. “When people are dying and businesses are burning in the very neighborhoods they claim to represent, will those politicians wade into the danger and protect those vulnerable citizens? I think we know the answer to that question.”
“While the union would never endorse or condone any work stoppage, you have to ask this question – what profession is there on earth, other than the U.S. military and intelligence services, where you now face the death penalty for doing your job as you were trained, a job for which you risk your life protecting others?” said FOP Labor Council Executive Director Shawn Roselieb. “Who are you going to call when citizens are being bloodied and burned out by the lawless mobs that are emboldened by this disgusting political charade?”
The Fraternal Order of Police, founded in 1915, is the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. With a proud tradition of officers representing officers, the FOP is the most respected and most recognized police organization in the country. The Illinois FOP State Lodge, chartered in 1963, is the second largest State Lodge, proudly representing more than 34,000 active duty and retired police officers - more than 10 percent of all FOP members nationwide. Visit www.ilfop.org for more information.
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council is a law enforcement union representing more than 12,000 professionals in more than 517 bargaining units who work in the criminal justice system. The Labor Council negotiates and enforces contracts and improves salaries, working conditions, and benefits for law enforcement professionals throughout Illinois. Its members include police officers who work for municipalities, universities, and elected Constitutional officials; county sheriff’s deputies, correctional and court security officers; probation officers; 911 telecommunicators; law enforcement records personnel; and some related support staff. Visit www.fop.org for more information.
* The Question: Do you agree or disagree with the sentiment expressed above? Explain.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 692 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 44 additional confirmed deaths.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 135,470 cases, including 6,580 deaths, in 101 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 27,171 specimens for a total of 1,311,003. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 12–June 18 is 3%.
Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH is now reporting both confirmed and probable cases and deaths on its website. Reporting probable cases will help show the potential burden of COVID-19 illness and efficacy of population-based non-pharmaceutical interventions. See CDC definition of a probable case on its website. IDPH will update these data once a week.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for a death previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted.
Hospitalization numbers continue to improve. Don’t mess it up by listening to the crackpots. Wear a mask in public when you can’t social distance and wash your hands.
* First she declared that indoor restaurant dining couldn’t return until July 1, then she complained about the governor not allowing indoor dining until June 26th, and now…
Chicago restaurants can open for indoor dining with the rest of the state starting June 26, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Friday, an about-face from her plan to allow them to reopen July 1. […]
Restaurants will be restricted to 25% capacity, with a maximum of 50 people per room or floor, and tables must be at least 6 feet apart, with 10 people or fewer per table.
On Friday, the governor’s office said they “are pleased to see that the Mayor has aligned the timing of the city’s plan with the state’s plan, allowing restaurants in Chicago to open indoor dining a week from today.”
According to an email obtained by the Sun-Times, the Illinois Restaurant Association has been pushing for 50% occupancy for indoor restaurants, and the state’s safety guidance is likely to include that rate. That would also include gatherings of less than 50 people with social distancing and other safety provisions.
* Being outside and mostly wearing masks appears to have avoided a problem…
The first protests against George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis began on May 26, the day after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes and killed the 46-year-old. By the next night, protesters were filling the streets in cities across the country despite concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
As the protests went on, worries over a spike in the coronavirus grew. Last week, members of the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force warned governors of a protest-related increase in cases. Dr. Deborah Birx, the task force’s coordinator, said on a call last week that yelling from protesters could present a particular problem and potentially cancel the positive benefits of wearing masks.
But given the virus’s incubation period, it was always going to take time to find out if the protests would lead to a spike in cases. That time has come, and three weeks after the protests began, cities across the country where some of the biggest demonstrations took place are reporting no surge in COVID-19 cases.
Northwestern University researchers have discovered Chicago has a unique COVID-19 virus strain that appears to be directly linked from the early outbreak in China, the university said in a news release Thursday.
Another variant discovered in Chicago COVID-19 patients, which happens to be the predominant variant worldwide, and in the U.S. is centered in New York, generates more of the virus in the upper airways than the Chicago version. […]
“These differences might help us understand where a vaccine might be most effective, because they show where these proteins are under selective pressure,” [Dr. Egon Ozer, an assistant professor in infectious diseases at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine physician] said. “That could indicate where you might get the most bang for your buck in the potential vaccine.”
Ozer said that because Chicago is a transportation hub, the city is a melting pot for different variants of the virus.
Illinois is now set to enter the next phase of the governor’s reopening plan as early as next week, which includes allowing even more businesses to open their doors.
Illinois lawmakers have now created a new working group to help with the process.
Lawmakers created the Restore Illinois Collaborative Commission during this year’s special session. Gov. JB Pritzker signed it into law last week.
Their goal is to give Pritzker guidance on reopening the state’s economy.
Illinois has closed the driver’s license facility on Golf Road in Schaumburg. Officials said it’s because an employee tested positive for COVID-19.
The Secretary of State’s Office said the Illinois Department of Public Health has been consulted and that the public is not directly impacted. Employees who work at the facility are quarantining for 14 days.
…Adding… I meant to post this Greg Hinz piece and forgot…
Government leaders and industry officials haven’t been the only ones at the table as the city and state this spring have rolled out a mass of often highly controversial rules as to which businesses can reopen when amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a little-noticed development, consultants from Boston Consulting Group and Bain, working through a Chicago civic organization, have effectively staffed working groups that draft proposed rules and submit them to Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot for final approval.
Those rules cover everything from when inside dining will be allowed to how many people can shop at a store, when movie theaters might reopen and how late in the evening drinks-to-go should be allowed.
The pro bono work is defended as proper and a good deal for taxpayers by the two key officials involved—Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes and Deputy Mayor Samir Mayekar. The Civic Consulting Alliance, a business-backed government aid group, has provided such help for years, and is particularly of use now with government officials all but overwhelmed, they say.
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart does not have to comply — at least for now — with a portion of a preliminary injunction precluding group housing or double-celling at the county jail due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Eager to head back to the lakefront? A rising Lake Michigan — near the historic high water mark — awaits.
CTA and Pace buses will begin collecting fares again, as riders slowly return to public transit
Four Illinois governors owned slaves: Shadrach Bond, the first Illinois governor (1818-1822) had two women indentured to him in 1807, Hannah and Prudence Hansberry, both aged 16. According to the 1820 census, Bond owned 14 slaves. When he died in 1832, he bequeathed 9 slaves to his wife and daughters.
Illinois’ second governor, Edward Coles (1822-1826), inherited 20 slaves from his father prior to living in Illinois. To the shock of family, Coles freed his slaves, came West, and eventually bought 6,000 acres near Edwardsville, hiring some of his freed slaves to work his farm. In Coles’ inaugural address, he asked for the abolishment of the indenture system and black codes; called for the kidnapping of freed blacks to stop; and supported emancipation for descendants of slaves brought to Illinois during the French period. His speech openly accused lllinoisans of practicing a system of slavery that many refused to admit. Two years later, the Illinois legislature had an anti-slavery majority, but little changed.
Illinois’ third governor, Ninian Edwards (1826-1830), bought and sold indentured servants, rented them out for forced labor, and did not free his slaves, who worked on his Kentucky plantation. In fact, in an 1832 register of Blacks, Edwards lists his slave, Charles, as “my property.”
Illinois’ fourth governor, John Reynolds (1830-1834), owned seven slaves and emancipated them over a period of 20 years.
The last emancipation documented in the Archives’ Illinois Servitude Index did not occur until 1863, when Marva Reed was legally freed from Aaron Shook in St. Clair County. That same year the Illinois legislature proposed a resolution objecting to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, but then-Governor Richard Yates dismissed the General Assembly before such resolutions could be enacted. It wasn’t until 1865 that Illinois and the rest of the country ratified the Thirteenth Amendment, which outlawed slavery in the nation.
Illinois is what I would call a quasi-slave state. And what’s surprising to people is that it existed here within the law. It begins with the colonial slave laws that came from France (because Illinois was a French territory). And so slavery, at least the enslavement of Africans and then later African American people, started in the French settlements, at least as early as 1720, maybe even before that. And then the Northwest Ordinance (an act that provided a path for much of the Great Lakes region to be admitted to the Union) stated that there shall be neither slavery nor indentured servitude, nor involuntary servitude, except as the punishment of crime. And so people seem to think, “Well, that does it for slavery.” But people still brought slaves in, in violation of the law.
But then as early as 1803, a loophole was created that [essentially] said: “Bring your slaves to Illinois. It’s fine. Just go through the formality of an indenture contract.” Some contracts were for 99 years.
But most indentured people really weren’t given a choice. If your master, or someone who’s claimed to be your master, or has told you they were your master for, you know, 20, 30, 40 years, tells you to put your mark [signature] on a paper that says you’re willing to continue as my indentured servant, it’s not likely that someone would refuse. […]
(W)hat really surprised me as I began researching slavery in Illinois was there weren’t the big cotton plantations, but at the same time there was slavery. And so our image of slavery is not necessarily wrong, but it’s a lot more complicated. It’s a lot broader. I think that what we tend to do oftentimes is think of slavery and racism as something they have down South and kind of with a judgmental attitude: “You know, we’re not like that [in Illinois]. We don’t have slavery here. We didn’t have slaves.” Actually, we did. It was just a different form that was adapted to meet the needs that we had for enslaved people. […]
Here in Union County, although it’s not officially documented, when our first log cabin courthouse was built on the square in Jonesboro, the person that received the contract to build that log cabin was a slaveholder named Thomas Cox. He would have sent enslaved people to work, cutting the trees and building the cabin. Slaves can work in cornfields just as well as they can work in cotton fields. […]
1848 was the year that the [state] Constitution was passed in Illinois. That was truly our first “free” constitution. The 1818 Constitution was called a “free” constitution, but it allowed indentured servitude. The 1848 Constitution ended that and made Illinois a free state that did not permit slavery.
But then in 1853, the state legislature passed a law which made the settlement of African Americans in Illinois a crime. If African Americans remained in Illinois beyond 10 days, they could be arrested and fined. If they couldn’t pay the fines, they were to be auctioned off. It only lasted five years that we were truly a free state. […]
In the 1820s, Illinois had a state law that said all white men are required to stop any black person and have them prove that they were free. I can remember a woman asking me once if I thought this was the beginning of policing of black communities, and I never really saw the connection before she mentioned that. But every white man was required to do it. If people could not prove their freedom documentation, they were placed under arrest — basically a citizen’s arrest — taken to a justice of the peace, put on trial, advertised in the newspapers as a runaway, and then the white person would receive a reward.
in 1853, under the leadership of southern Illinois Democrat John A. Logan, the General Assembly adopted the draconian “Black Law” of 1853. For the most part, the law simply brought together in one place several existing laws. Under this law, no black from another state could remain within the Illinois borders for more than ten days. Beyond ten days and he or she was subject to arrest, confinement in jail, and a $50 fine and removal from the state. If unable to pay the fine, the law directed the sheriff to auction the offending African-American to the bidder willing to pay the costs and the tine and to work the “guilty” party the fewest number of days. If the convicted man or woman did not leave within ten days after completing the required service, the process resumed, but the fine was increased $50 for each additional infraction. Although most newspapers opposed the measure, there is but little doubt that it reflected the views of much of the state’s population.
For the next twelve years, Illinois African-Americans labored under one of the harshest laws in the nation. […]
The Illinois Black Laws continued in force until the end of the Civil War. Indeed, in the midst of the Civil War, Illinois held a constitutional convention and a new constitution was submitted to the people of the state for ratification. One of the most remarkable features of that document were three provisions that wrote the Black Laws into the proposed constitution. Although Illinois voters rejected the constitution, they overwhelmingly approved the anti-black provisions. Eventually, however, with prodding from John Jones and the logic propelled by the results of the Civil War, the Illinois General Assembly repealed the Black Laws in early 1865. The repeal, however, did not confer suffrage or civil rights on the state’s African-Americans; they had to await the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 1885.
In 1819, the Gallatin County salines at Equality, using over 1,000 slaves, produced nearly 300,000 bushels of salt. The Great Half Moon salt lick was one of the largest in the United States and covered about 13 acres. This was a crescent-shaped depression in the earth that was caused by numerous animals over the years coming to the spot and licking away at the earth to gain access to the salt it contained.
Landowner and illegal slave trader John Hart Crenshaw leased the state-owned salt works located at the Illinois Salines, two saline springs along the Saline River near Equality that were important sources of salt since prehistory. Salt was vital to the early American frontier economy, both as a nutrient and as a means to preserve food. Illinois was a free state, and the Illinois State Constitution bans slavery. However, the law permitted the use of slaves at the salt works since the labor was so arduous that no free men could be found to do it. As the lessee of the salt works, Crenshaw was one of a small minority of Illinois residents legally entitled to keep slaves, and Crenshaw became remarkably wealthy. At one point, Crenshaw’s taxes amounted to one-seventh of the revenue of the entire state.
The slave-mined salt works were, at one time, the state government’s largest revenue source.
Crenshaw was widely believed to be involved in the kidnapping and sale of free black citizens in free states as slaves in the south, an enormously profitable trade later known as the Reverse Underground Railroad. Crenshaw was twice prosecuted for kidnapping, but never convicted.
Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF) may allow outdoor visitation for residents when certain conditions are met. Visitations must be limited to two visitors at a time per resident. The maximum number of residents and visitors in the outdoors space at one time is predicated on the size of the outdoor space. The LTCF must ensure that a minimum distancing of six feet is achievable in the outdoor space when determining the maximum number of residents and visitors who can simultaneously occupy that outdoor space. The LTCF must clearly communicate and enforce social distancing of six feet between the resident and all visitors. The facility must set the maximum number of visitors allowed in a single day.
Visitors must schedule an appointment with the facility to visit a resident. The LTCF must prescreen visitors via phone with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) symptom checklist not more than 24 hours in advance. The facility must also screen visitors on arrival with the CDC symptom checklist and a temperature check. Residents with active COVID-19 infection, either laboratory confirmed or symptomatic, are not allowed to participate in outdoor visits. Residents receiving visitors should also be screened with the CDC symptom checklist prior to visitor’s arrival. Visitors displaying symptoms should not visit the facility.
Visits must be limited to outdoor areas only. However, they may take place under a canopy or tent without walls. Outdoor spaces must have separate ingress and egress which does not require the visitor to enter the LTCF building. Visitors must not enter the facility at any time during their visit. For the duration of each visit, the resident and visitor must wear a face covering. The facility may set the time duration of each visit.
The facility should have staff supervision during each visit to ensure the use of face coverings and social distancing. The facility may determine whether supervision is continuous or intermittent.
Four of the five new cases of COVID-19 reported in Piatt County this week have been tentatively tied to a gathering held at an assisted living facility in Savoy.
“We looked at it again, and our (health department) contact tracing person found that four of five were associated with a birthday party at an assisted living facility in Savoy,” said DeWitt/Piatt Bi-County Health Department Administrator David Remmert.
And while he understands the strain of not being able to see loved ones during the current pandemic, he added, “I don’t know why an assisted living facility would have outside people come into the facility.”
First time I’ve agreed with Remmert.
*** UPDATE *** Health Care Council of Illinois…
Guidance on open-air visitations at long term care facilities was released yesterday by Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office and the Illinois Department of Public Health. Long-awaited reunions for nursing home residents and their loved ones may begin once facilities assess their current status and implement the requirements determined by the state, according to the Health Care Council of Illinois (HCCI), a non-profit member association representing more than 300 licensed skilled nursing facilities.
“This is a positive step in the recovery process for nursing homes. After many months of virtual contact with their spouses, children and other loved ones, we know our residents will have many joyful reunions in the days ahead,” said Pat Comstock, Director of COVID Response for HCCI.
Under the Illinois Department of Public Health’s current COVID-19 regulations, all nursing homes must create a written plan prior to any visitation at their facility. Families will be able to see their loved ones by appointment in a supervised outdoor setting that ensures a minimum distance of six feet between residents and visitors, with one or two visitors per resident at a time or as determined by the nursing home. The number of visits allowed per day and the duration of the visit will be determined on an individual basis by each facility based on occupancy and space availability.
Visitors will be prescreened via phone with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) symptom checklist no more than 24 hours in advance of their visit, as well as undergo an additional screening and temperature check upon arrival at the facility. Residents receiving visitors should also be screened with the CDC symptom checklist prior to visitor’s arrival.
“We understand that families are eager to see their loved ones after months apart, and our members are working tirelessly to create a framework for visitation that keeps their residents, staff and families safe,” said Comstock. “Our members have taken positive steps toward recovery status in the past several weeks, and we cannot afford to compromise this progress and the health of our most vulnerable population.”
Visits must be supervised by staff and follow the strict infection control procedures already in place, including requiring face coverings at all times and prohibiting visitors inside the facility. Visits will be allowed only for residents without a current case of COVID-19. Full visitation guidelines can be found of the IDPH website.
* Restore Justice took a look at Illinois’ early release program during the pandemic…
As the global COVID-19 pandemic caused Illinois to shut down, Governor JB Pritzker acknowledged the dangers of our state’s over-crowded prison system. He encouraged Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) facilities to release incarcerated people in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
Analysis of prison population and release datasets shows IDOC is not actually releasing many people early, and, of those released, there are startling racial inequities. […]
While 54 percent of the people incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) are Black, only 46 percent of those released early are Black. White people comprise just 32 percent of the Illinois prison population but 43 percent of early releases.
White people released early had 80 days cut from their sentences, based on the median. Latino people released early had 60.5 days, and Black people had 49 days.
Latino people account for 13 percent of the IDOC population and 10 percent of those released early. Non-Latino and Non-Black people of color make up one percent of releases.
Just 31 percent of those released early through [Earned Discretionary Sentence Credits] are Black. That discrepancy grows when looking at people who had substantial time, more than three months, cut from their sentences. […]
Between March 1 and June 4, 74 percent of the people released early were convicted of Class 4, 3, and 2 felonies. One possible explanation for this is that some research indicates that Black people are often overcharged and over-sentenced, which makes consideration of “low-level offenders” a de facto review of predominantly white people in prison.
* I asked the governor’s office for a response. Pritzker press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh essentially agreed with the group’s analysis about the possible cause of the racial imbalance…
As this report and many others before it proves, the criminal justice system results in inequitable outcomes for black and brown people. That’s why the Governor supports comprehensive criminal justice reform. The Department of Corrections has used the powers given to the director under statute to grant early release to inmates at the end of their sentences. We know that black and brown people disproportionately face longer sentences and we will work to address this issue as we move forward with advocates on criminal justice reform.
What is less certain — but should not be — is that union contracts for public employees will have to be reopened to reduce costs. Every possible solution to the current crisis must be on the table, including a reconsideration of a host of contract provisions.
Union should take the lead
It is, as we see it, wholly in the interest of the unions to join in this effort. The finances of the state and city were unsustainable even before the pandemic. Now they are close to collapsing, threatening the very existence of those good union jobs and pensions.
By joining in this effort, the unions would be in a position to shape negotiations in ways that work best for their members. They might reasonably insist, for example, that a big portion of any savings from contract changes be put toward paying down pension obligations.
And while we’ve heard the argument that reworking union contracts wouldn’t make a dent in the financial problems of the state and the city, we’re not so sure. Let’s see how scalpel-like revisions in dozens of contracts add up.
The editorial board then goes on to make suggestions for over $100 million in cuts for the city, plus doing away with all state and local government pay raises for a year.
* Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter responded…
The Sun-Times is just as wrong in its divisive attempt to frame the issue as “union versus non-union” We need to come together to combat COVID-19, not be pitted against one another. And workers need a strong voice through their unions now, when workplace health and safety is literally a matter of life and death.
Instead of standing up for working people at this crucial moment, the Sun-Times board presents this crisis as an opportunity for employers to unilaterally reopen contracts and impose changes. This could set a dangerous precedent that may erode workers’ rights in countless ways, even after the pandemic passes.
The labor movement, especially public sector unions, have worked closely with the city, county, and state for years to recommend and implement cost-saving measures. We will continue to find ways to provide the services the public needs as efficiently as possible.
But this isn’t the time for cuts that prolong the crisis and degrade the services we all depend on. Instead, let’s work together to ensure passage of the HEROES Act, and take the necessary steps to protect and strengthen our city, county, and state for the long term.
According to a Crusader analysis, the positivity rate remains under 10 percent in 16 [Chicago] zip codes of predominately Black neighborhoods, or communities with large Black populations. In eight of those zip codes, the positivity rate is less than five percent; another eight zip codes have a positivity rate between five and 10 percent.
However, in four zip codes, the percentage of new cases remain above 10 percent. They include South Shore, Roseland/West Pullman, South and North Lawndale and South Deering.
As businesses reopen across the city and state and COVID-19 infection rates have slowed, new cases in Illinois’ Latino communities have continued to climb. In fact, the total number of infections among Latino residents in Illinois is on track to comprise half of all COVID-19 cases in the state, according to the Latino Policy Forum.
To date, more than 44,000 cases labeled “Hispanic” on the Illinois Department of Public Health dashboard account for about 33% of all cases of the virus in Illinois. Hispanics and Latinos represent about 17% of the state’s population. In Chicago, Latinos represent about 29% of the population, but account for 44% of cases per the city’s data portal.
Now, as Latino communities scramble to understand why the coronavirus has hit them so hard, they’re calling upon elected officials to do more to help reverse the trend of rising infection rates.
And there is concern that the often-incomplete racial and ethnicity data being used to track these cases is masking even greater numbers of Latino cases of infection.
According to IDPH data, as of June 18, cases in which ethnicity data was “left blank” account for more than 31,000, or about 23%, of all confirmed cases in Illinois.
Illinois regained 62,200 jobs from mid-April to mid-May, but they were unevenly distributed and minority workers were suffering the most.
White workers during that time recovered 13% of the jobs lost, but black workers recovered only 2% and Hispanic workers only 1%, according to data released June 18 by the Illinois Department of Employment Security in conjunction with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rebound has been similar for male and female workers.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike didn’t let her kids see their friends until this week.
And that was a carefully supervised backyard get-together — with masks.
She’s all for outdoor dining with the safety guidance she helped craft. And she got a manicure behind plexiglass from a woman who has done her nails for 15 years.
But handshakes?
“Not now. Between a year and never again,” the head of the Illinois Department of Public Health told the Sun-Times in a wide-ranging interview about her personal do’s and don’ts as she helps Illinois navigate through the pandemic. […]
She’s OK with outdoor restaurants, with guidance she helped to craft. But she said she’d wait at least three months to feel safe in any indoor restaurants.
