Last week, Betsy Londrigan, Nancy Pelosi’s candidate for Congress in IL-13, held a press conference via Zoom. The first question Londrigan received was concerning her support for Medicare X, the Medicare public option plan, which achieves health care “cost savings” by cutting funding for hospitals, doctors and nurses by nearly $800 billion over a decade, according to a non-partisan review of the plan. Londrigan was asked to respond to the review, but dodged the question and stuck to her talking points instead.
“Londrigan refuses to talk about her support for Medicare X because she knows her plan would have dire consequences for health care workers and patients across central Illinois. The Londrigan-backed Medicare X plan would result in $800 billion in cuts for hospitals, doctors and nurses. Advocating for massive health care cuts in the middle of a global pandemic is dangerous; unfortunately, that’s Londrigan’s plan.” – Aaron DeGroot, Davis campaign spokesperson
Betsy Londrigan announced her support for Medicare X last fall. Since then, the American Hospital Association has spoken out against the dire consequences of the Londrigan-backed Medicare X plan, if it ever went into effect.
The Londrigan-backed Medicare X plan achieves health care “cost savings” by cutting funding for hospitals, doctors and nurses by nearly $800 billion over a decade, according to research conducted on behalf of the American Hospital Association (AHA).
The spending reductions occur among populations who previously had private coverage and are the result of lower prices under the public plan.
For those who previously had ESI and non-group coverage, spending would fall by 4 percent and 30 percent, respectively. The larger non-group spending impact is driven by both higher per- person spending and higher take-up rates among that population. Among those uninsured in the baseline, we estimate spending would increase by 10 percent, which is driven by higher service utilization rates for those gaining insurance coverage. This increase in spending for the originally uninsured partially offsets the reduction in spending among the other groups. […]
We still forecast high-levels of public plan enrollment that reflects some coverage gains among the uninsured but is mostly driven by crowd-out of commercial coverage. Over the period from 2025 to 2034, health care spending for the relevant population would decline by 8 percent, with hospital spending being more affected than other types of spending. […]
We also find that the revised bill would produce larger spending reductions than the original bill. This is partially the result of one-year change in full implementation (from 2024 to 2025) and medical price inflation. In addition, we find higher take-up in the public plan among both the uninsured and non-group enrollees. Higher uninsured take-up decreases spending impacts and higher non-group take-up increases spending impacts. We find the latter effect exceeds the former, resulting in slightly larger health care spending reductions.
* This congressional district has a huge number of major regional hospitals, likely the most in Illinois and perhaps one of the most in the country. Those hospitals are significant local employers and they also drive technological development. Not to mention that hospitals have been especially hard-hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then again, millions of Americans have lost their employer-based insurance coverage this year.
So, I asked the Londrigan campaign for a response.
* Here’s her campaign manager Jacob Plotnick…
When she is elected, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan will look to support a plan to expand access to affordable health care that protects coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and does not force people off of their private insurance or make cuts to hospitals.
Congressman Davis is trying to divert attention away from the fact that he is partnering with the Trump administration to overturn the Affordable Care Act through the courts which would have an immediate and terrible effect on millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions. After voting 11 times to repeal health care protections for people with pre-existing conditions, supporting a plan that would have charged older Illinoisans an age tax for their coverage, and repeatedly voting against bipartisan bills to lower the cost of prescription drugs, Davis is doubling down on his industry-friendly schemes that line the pockets of the insurance and pharmaceutical companies. He’s trying to muddy the water, but the facts are crystal clear. Congressman Davis wants to restrict access to health care and Betsy Dirksen Londrigan wants to expand it.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 614 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 6 additional confirmed deaths.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 147,865 cases, including 7,026 deaths, in 102 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 21,134 specimens for a total of 1,782,840. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 29 –July 5 is 2.6%.
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.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 639 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 6 additional confirmed deaths.
Champaign County: 1 male 90s
Cook County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 147,251 cases, including 7,020 deaths, in 102 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 27,235 specimens for a total of 1,761,706. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 28 –July 4 is 2.6%.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 862 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 10 additional confirmed deaths.
Cass County: 1 male 90s
Cook County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
DuPage County: 1 male 90s
Kane County: 1 male 60s
Lake County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 146,612 cases, including 7,014 deaths, in 102 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 33,836 specimens for a total of 1,734,471. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 27 –July 3 is 2.6%.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 868 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 18 additional confirmed deaths.
Cass County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s, 1 female 100+
Cook County: 1 female 40s, 1 female 50s, 1 male 60s, 2 females 70s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
DuPage County: 1 male 70s
Grundy County: 1 female 80s
Kane County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s
Kendall County: 1 male 70s
Scott County is now reporting a case. Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 145,750 cases, including 7,005 deaths, in 102 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 34,318 specimens for a total of 1,700,635. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 26 –July 2 is 2.6%.
State Representative Andrew Chesney joined more than 2 dozen fellow House Republican legislators in sending a letter on Friday, May 15 to Governor Pritzker urging he increase childcare capacity at daycares in Illinois.
Chesney and his Republican colleagues are concerned that provisions in Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan will lead to massive shortages in daycare access and availability, especially as people return to work in neighboring states. The House GOP members are also asking the Governor to include them and professionals from the private daycare industry in a new childcare task force Pritzker announced was taking shape last week.
As Illinois closes in on 130,000 cases of COVID-19, child care providers are urging the state to loosen staffing and capacity restrictions that have prevented them from reopening or expanding services to nonessential workers. […]
However, some providers complain the state placed stricter capacity and staffing guidelines on the industry just as they and other businesses were set to reopen in Phase 3 late last month, forcing many to remain closed. And the grant program may not provide funding quick enough to keep them in business.
“I find it very interesting that we remained open for essential workers for 12 weeks and then the next thing we know as we’re ready to add more children we receive notification that we’ve got even stricter rules than before,” said Casindra Mladenoff, owner of Elmhurst Premier Childcare Center. “They want us to reduce class size and add more staff, which is a little counter productive.”
At least 1,335 people have tested positive from child care facilities in Texas, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services reported Monday, citing figures from Friday.
Of those infected, 894 were staff members and 441 were children. The cases came from 883 child care facilities that are open in the state, DHHS said.
The new cases mark a significant increase from June 15, when there were 210 reported cases from 177 facilities — including 141 staff members and 69 children. […]
As of Monday, 12,220 child care facilities are open throughout the state.
Statewide Coalition of Leading Small Business Organizations Join Together and Urge a No Vote on the Illinois Progressive Tax Amendment
WHAT:
Statewide press conference in 4 media markets, simultaneously connected via Zoom, with major statewide organizations that have united together to form the Vote No on the Progressive Tax Coalition and announce the official launch of the Vote No grassroots campaign.
WHEN:
Tuesday, July 7th, 10 AM
WHO:
Illinois Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Todd Maisch
Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert, Jr.
NFIB-Illinois Leadership Council Chair Cindy Neal
Technology & Manufacturing Association President Steve Rauschenberger
WHERE:
Chicago
Illinois Chamber of Commerce
70 West Madison, Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60602
Speaker: Todd Maisch, Illinois Chamber of Commerce
Location Press Contact: [Redacted]
Springfield
Reichert Farms
16751 Hunley Road, Auburn, IL 62615
Speaker: Richard Guebert, Jr, Illinois Farm Bureau
Location Press Contact: [Redacted]
Peoria
LeFleur Floral Design & Boutique
905 Peoria St, Washington, IL 61571
Speaker: Cindy Neal, National Federation of Independent Business-Illinois
Location Press Contact: [Redacted]
Rockford
Circle Boring & Machine Co.
3161 Forest View Rd, Rockford, IL 61109
Speaker: Steve Rauschenberger, Technology & Manufacturing Association
Location Press Contact: [Redacted]
Zoom
Register Online at: [Redacted]
WHY:
Illinoisans are overtaxed. Families, workers, seniors, and small business owners struggle under the weight of the highest overall tax burden in the entire country. Now politicians in Springfield want to raise our taxes yet again with a progressive tax that will do nothing to address sky-high property taxes, will cost Illinois even more jobs and hurt workers, and will end up raising taxes on the middle class and the working poor. Illinoisans can’t afford another tax hike, especially as working families and small businesses struggle to recover from COVID-19.
There is almost an infodemic of misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic on social media and circulating in public, local physicians and public health experts say.
The myths cause health officials to worry that as Illinois reopens, the public will disregard the experts’ advice and instead believe what they read on social media sites, including information that is not vetted by medical professionals or reported from credible sources.
“I think it is very hard for lay people to know what to believe, especially since there is still a lot we don’t know about the virus, so when they see someone speaking with some degree of confidence they want to believe that person,” said Dr. Mary Frances Barthel, Blessing Health System’s chief quality and safety officer, who also is one of the health care system’s COVID-19 response team members.
“Everyone needs to know that most of what is out there can always be clarified and explained with science.”
The article goes on to list several myths, including one about how face coverings “decrease the body’s oxygen levels or lead to carbon dioxide intoxication,” another about how “COVID-19 is not a serious threat to public health due to most people recovering from the virus,” another about how the virus “is comparable to influenza,” a bogus test “if someone can hold their breath for 10 seconds or longer without coughing or feeling discomfort, they do not have the virus,” and the whopper about how “staying indoors in isolation lowers your immune system and that wearing a mask lowers your immune system.”
* The Question: What COVID-19 myths have you been seeing and how did you deal with them, if at all?
* US Sen. Tammy Duckworth on CNN’s “State of the Union” yesterday…
DANA BASH: “Senator, I know that you support change in the name of military bases named after Confederate leaders, but there are leaders like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson who were slave owners. And some people are demanding their monuments come down, too. In your view, where does it end? Should statues, for example, of George Washington come down?”
DUCKWORTH: “Well, let me just say we should start off by having a national dialogue on it at some point. But right now we’re in the middle of a global pandemic. And one of our countries that are opposed to us, Russia, has put a bounty on American troops’ heads. What really struck me about this speech that the president gave at Mount Rushmore was that he spent more time worried about honoring dead Confederates than he did talking about the lives of our 130,000 Americans who lost their lives to COVID-19, or by warning Russia off of the bounties they’re putting on Americans’ heads. His priorities are all wrong here. He should be talking about what we’re going to do to overcome this pandemic. What are we going to do to push Russia back? Instead, he had no time for that. He spent all his time talking about dead traitors.”
BASH: “That may be true, but George Washington, I don’t think anybody would call him a traitor and there are moves by some to remove statues of him. Is that a good idea?”
DUCKWORTH: “I think we should listen to everybody. I think we should listen to the argument there, but remember that the president at Mount Rushmore was standing on ground that was stolen from Native Americans who had actually been given that land during a treaty.”
1) Duckworth has often pridefully boasted that some of her ancestors fought under George Washington during the Revolutionary War. She also has an MA from George Washington University.
2) Never tweet…
All dressd up as historic figures.I just coverd myself in Stars&Stripes.Next year I’m going as Mt.Rushmore! #Muricahttp://t.co/81LENocKij
Donald Trump wants to continue honoring traitors who took up arms against us in the Civil War to protect their ability to enslave, sell & kill Black Americans. This has never been a debate about honoring the complex legacy of those who actually helped *build* our great nation. https://t.co/8ptabclgVI
4) The far right went way overboard with its response…
The fact that Tammy Duckworth called George Washington and Thomas Jefferson "traitors" today and Joe Biden hasn't removed her from his VP shortlist yet tells you everything you need to know about today's Democrat Party
5) Duckworth made the classic mistake of wanting to get her talking points out without first adequately dealing with the question she was asked. As a result of essentially dismissing the question with vague rhetoric, her talking points were overshadowed. Oops. She wants to run on the same ticket as a guy with gaffe issues. So, he’ll likely need someone who doesn’t regularly make gaffes. This was minor in the grand scheme of things, but still important to those who are watching super-closely. Don’t fall for the gotchas and don’t be afraid of Twitter leftists…
Biden’s superpower throughout the cycle has been not taking Twitter bait, instead confidently assuming it’s passing noise. A lot of politicians get caught struggling not to dismiss or endorse it either way. Seems relevant to VP search. https://t.co/sGQeZxKDy0
* This is just the sort of thing that happens when you make the bare minimum payments on your credit card. You pay money in, but your debt still goes up. The object of the pension ramp is to eventually get the state to the point where it’s actually paying down the debt. We’re obviously not there yet. Here’s Hannah Meisel at the Daily Line…
Despite paying historic amounts into Illinois’ five pension systems, the state has made virtually no progress on its path to adequately funding the retirement plans. In fact, three of the five funds experienced net losses in 2019, according to a new report from the state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA).
The total unfunded liabilities for Illinois’ five pension systems ballooned to $137.2 billion during the 2019 fiscal year, according to COGFA — up from $133.5 billion the previous year. But the aggregate level of funding has barely budged at about 40.3 percent.
That’s a far cry from the benchmark set up under former Gov. Jim Edgar in 1994 that required the state pension system to be 90 percent funded by 2045.
When that 50-year plan was passed, the pension system’s funded ratio was significantly better, sitting at 52 percent. The highest the ratio has ever been for all five systems was at nearly 75 percent in the year 2000. But in the subsequent recession the pension systems took a turn for the worse.
The report attributes most of the lack of progress to the state’s failure to annually contribute the amount actuaries say is needed to bring the systems to a 90 percent funded ratio by 2045. The state and its taxpayers are contributing more than ever to the funds, more than $9 billion, but because that’s less than what’s required, any gains on investments are immediately applied to filling the hole rather than raising the funded ratio.
Specifically, according to the report, the pension systems that cover grade and high school teachers outside of Chicago, university professors and judges “experienced a net actuarial loss, mostly due to actuarially insufficient employer contributions and less-than-expected investment returns as well as unfavorable demographics/other factors.“
…Adding… Email from a pal…
The Edgar ramp was a 10-year artificial teaser mortgage to get us into a payment system. AND for all of its problems, it was far better than what existed before.
State Rep. Art Turner (D-Chicago) submitted his resignation from the Illinois House on Friday, cutting his last term in the General Assembly six months short. Turner, who is expected to become a lobbyist, announced he would not run for a sixth full term last year and backed his brother, Aaron Turner, for the seven-way race for the 9th District seat. SEIU Healthcare organizer Lakesia Collins ultimately won the primary in March. Turner has served in the House for nearly a decade, including rising to deputy majority leader, after being appointed to replace his father, Art Turner Sr., in 2010 after he served for 30 years. In a statement, Turner noted he’s resigning at a time of renewed awareness of the challenges faced by the Black community. … Chicago Ald. Michael Scott Jr. (24) is the committeeman with the most weighted votes to choose Turner’s replacement, which must be done in the next 30 days.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve as state representative for the people of the 9th District, ensuring that the voices of Chicago’s West Side communities were heard loud and clear in Springfield,” Turner said. “While this is a bittersweet moment for me, I am proud of the work of I’ve done building a stronger Illinois through criminal justice reform and creating economic opportunity for communities that are too often left behind.”
Turner has served in the Illinois House since December 2010 and rose to the rank of Deputy Majority Leader in the House Democratic Caucus. Turner’s legislative work focused on improving opportunities for communities that have historically faced disinvestment, disproportionate contact with the criminal justice system and a lack of economic opportunity.
During his tenure as a legislator, Turner was a leader in criminal justice reform efforts, fighting to improve conditions for incarcerated individuals and working to reduce recidivism for formerly incarcerated individuals by making it easier for them to find employment.
Turner also fought for educational equity to help level the playing field for Illinois students and families and stronger personal privacy measures to protect consumers. New education funding formulas help ensure that students and schools most in need receive their fair share of education funding in order to reduce academic achievement gaps while Turner’s push for greater consumer protection would ensure that Illinoisans are able to know what personal information online companies and services collect.
“Every day I have had the opportunity to serve the community I’ve always called home, my focus has been on showing the leaders of our state the realities that people in historically underserved communities face on a daily basis, and building consensus for change,” Turner said. “Now at the conclusion of my time in the House, we see that not only people across our state, but throughout our country are awakening to those realities and committing to work together for change. Like everyone in our community, I look forward to seeing this resolve continue to shape our city, our state and our country for the better.”
* And Amdor updates…
Now that Rep. Art Turner is former Rep. Art Turner, let's have a look-see at what the new tenure numbers will be once his replacement is sworn in (assuming that person isn't a former legislator.) pic.twitter.com/M5lwACihxt
Southern Illinois University has laid out a plan that calls for bringing thousands of students back to campus and offering them a mix of traditional face-to-face classes, online and hybrid courses — while implementing numerous precautions.
Chancellor Austin Lane, whose first official day on the job was Wednesday, said the plan emphasizes safety, and also strives to offer returning students some semblance of the campus life they desire. It is the result of hundreds of hours of planning, research and surveys ongoing since March.
“We actually polled our students, faculty and staff, and the majority is saying they want to come back,” Lane said. “Now, they are saying they want to come back and ensure that safety measures are in place.” […]
“I think that’s what we’re doing right now, we’re rolling the dice — making that gamble without having really analyzed the bet,” said Dave Johnson, president of the SIU Faculty Association that represents tenured and tenure-track faculty. Johnson said SIU’s survey missed a key perspective. While a majority of faculty may want to resume face-to-face instruction, the vast majority also believe the decision on what format to hold classes during the pandemic should be theirs alone — rather than directed by administrators.
But for Cornell, one additional piece of information was “very important” in making that decision, according to Martha Pollack, the university’s president. That was the finding from Cornell researchers that holding the semester online potentially could result in more infections and more hospitalizations among students and staff members than holding the semester in person would.
A study by Cornell researchers concluded that with nominal parameters, an in-person semester would result in 3.6 percent of the campus population (1,254 people) becoming infected, and 0.047 percent (16 people) requiring hospitalization. An online semester, they concluded, would result in about 7,200 infections and more than 60 hospitalizations.
The conclusion rested on a few different assumptions. First, the study assumed about 9,000 Cornell students would return to Ithaca — even if there is no in-person learning or physical campus life.
Researchers concluded that during an in-person semester, asymptomatic testing is crucial for containing an outbreak and keeping the total number of infections low. When students live and take classes on campus, the university can enforce such a testing program with a variety of methods. For example, students who don’t get tested can lose access to residence halls or be locked out of their email accounts, said Peter Frazier, a data scientist and professor in Cornell’s School of Operations Research and Information Engineering, who led the study.
But when instruction is online, the university loses much of that ability to encourage and enforce testing.
People coming to Chicago from 15 states experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases must self-quarantine for 14 days upon entering the city beginning next week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced late Thursday afternoon.
The city ordered the quarantine for anyone who has spent more than 24 hours in the following states before arriving in Chicago: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.
The order, which will go into effect on Monday, does not apply to people who are at the airport for a connecting flight or driving through the city on their way elsewhere, city officials said. […]
Anyone violating the order could face fines of $100 to $500 per day, up to a maximum $7,000, the city said.
The order takes effect today.
* The city explained how the states were designated on its website…
A state will be designated if it has a case rate greater than 15 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 resident population, per day, over a 7-day rolling average.
That metric is an odd choice for a couple of reasons. First, the Illinois Department of Public Health flags counties with a warning sign when they surpass 50 cases per 100,000 residents over seven days, more than three times the threshold Chicago is using.
Not to mention that a large number of Illinois counties also wouldn’t qualify. Go see for yourself.
*** UPDATE *** Looks like there’s a difference in methodology here. From the Chicago Department of Public Health…
Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order applies to states that have a case rate greater than 15 new COVID-19 cases PER DAY per 100,000 population. We use the average per day over a 7-day period, consistent with practices around the country. In Chicago, we’re currently adding <200 cases per day. With 2.7m people, we would hit this cutoff at more than 400 cases per day, which is more than twice the rate of new cases we are at now. (15 cases per day x 2.7m population/100,000=405 cases per day.) Using cutoffs like this is very consistent with how other states have approached this.
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh denied a request from Illinois Republicans to block Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s rule that bars political rallies of more than 50 people amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Republicans had filed an emergency petition asking the court to rule before 6 p.m., ET on Saturday.
The Republicans argued the governor’s rule violated the Constitution because it treated political rallies differently than church services or Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
The rush for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in this case was pegged — so went the argument — to the urgent need to clear the legal way for a July 4 picnic and fireworks to rally the Will County GOP faithful — at a farm, a place with plenty of room for people to spread out. […]
On July 3, the judges - Diane Wood, tapped for the bench by Democratic ex-President Bill Clinton; Joel Flaum, an appointee of former Republican President Gerald Ford; and Amy Barrett, tapped by Trump (and who is on Trump’s list of potential Supreme Court justices) - signed an order denying the emergency challenge.
“If 100 Democrats or 100 Republicans gather and ten get infected, those ten may go home and infect a local shopkeeper, a local grocery-store worker, their postal carrier, or their grandmother—someone who had no interest in the earlier gathering. Thus, the balance of harms in this instance strongly favors the governor,” the three judges concluded. […]
On July 4 the Liberty lawyers, Daniel Suhr and Jeffrey Schwab, filed an emergency application for an injunction with Kavanaugh.
They told Kavanaugh in their brief, the question is, “Does the Governor of Illinois, who permits gatherings of 50 or more for religious speech or certain protestors’ speech (a Black Lives Matters reference) violate the First Amendment by prohibiting such gatherings for political parties’ speech?”
All of Gov. JB Pritzker’s executive orders since April 8 pertaining to the novel coronavirus pandemic are void because he exceeded his authority when he used his emergency powers for more than 30 days, a Clay County judge ruled Thursday.
The Illinois Department of Public Health instead has “supreme authority” to close businesses and restrict residents’ activities in a public health crisis, Circuit Court Judge Michael McHaney added.
His decision, which he expanded to apply to all Illinoisans, is the latest ruling in Xenia Republican Rep. Darren Bailey’s lawsuit. He argued in his April 23 filing that the governor could not issue successive disaster proclamations to manage COVID-19.
The attorney general’s office is likely to ask a higher court to reconsider the order. Thomas DeVore, Bailey’s attorney, said business occupancy limitations and other restrictions can no longer be enforced.
An official in the governor’s office, though, said the judge’s ruling is one “contradicted by multiple other” judges. She added “it is not a final judgement and has no injunction.” Phase 4 of the reopening plan is in effect, she said.
The Governor’s spokeswoman, Emily Bittner, says the Order is not final and did not include an injunction barring the State from enforcing the Governor’s phase four rules. No injunction is necessary to effectuate the ruling in the Order. The case was brought as a chancery case. Plaintiffs in chancery cases seek remedies that are non-monetary such as injunctions or, in this case, a declaration of the legality of executive orders. The Court declared that all of the Governor’s executive orders regarding COVID-19 are void as of April 8, 2020. Such declaration is the final say of the Circuit Court of Illinois. No injunction is needed as the Order simply erased the COVID-19 executive orders. If a citizen or a business acts in defiance of the now void executive orders and law enforcement or a government agency seeks to punish such action, then it would be proper for the person or business would seek an injunction to bar enforcement of the executive orders.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has had a stressful few years.
He battled and then beat prostate cancer (which killed his father and his maternal grandfather) and then went on to win a contentious and sometimes bitter 2018 primary and general election for attorney general. He got married, and then his mom died in 2019.
Raoul was barely a year in office when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world. And then in mid-June, he tested positive for the virus.
I talked to Raoul on June 30, his first day back in his Chicago office. He sounded tired, but he was still mentally sharp.
He said he wasn’t as worried when he tested positive for the coronavirus as he was when he was diagnosed with cancer because the same cancer had already taken two family members. Still, he said, he did worry about passing the virus along to his family.
Raoul said tiredness was, and remains, his main symptom. When he was still quarantined in his bedroom for two weeks, in order to avoid infecting his family, even the simple act of reading a legal brief wore him out so much that he’d have to take a nap for a couple of hours. He’s moved past that now, but he’s not yet his old self.
The attorney general continued his work on police reforms throughout his home stay. George Floyd’s murder convinced him to revive his proposal from when he was in the state Senate to license police officers.
Months after the nation’s economy crashed and millions were (and continue to be) put out of work, a large group of Illinois House Democrats is still quite upset at the way Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration is handling unemployment insurance claims.
But the Pritzker administration is refusing to bend on their most important demands, saying the governor will not move selected constituents to the “front of the line” ahead of others, which created a backlash within his own party.
Late last month, 53 of 74 House Democrats, including several members of leadership, sent a letter to the acting director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Thomas Chan. The letter began with an acknowledgement of the hard work put in by Chan’s agency and the Pritzker administration to address the “unprecedented crisis” of vast and sudden unemployment.
But the legislators then complained that many of their constituents “continue to be unable to complete the filing of their claims, process their applications and often, even make contact with someone from the Department despite days and weeks of trying.” And, “despite their best efforts, our staff are unable to help as there is no mechanism to allow them to coordinate with IDES claims services.”
The House Democrats said each of their offices are dealing with, on average, “60-90 open cases at any given time, some dating as far back as mid-March.” They asked that those constituents “receive a call back from IDES within 7-10 days,” requested that IDES directly coordinate efforts with their district office staff and that “IDES increase staff resources dedicated to working with district office staff to handle outstanding cases.”
Gov. Pritzker’s press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh said in response that the administration is committed to working with the General Assembly, but she also claimed “multiple” staff members from IDES and the governor’s office are already “working as liaisons between the General Assembly and the agency to answer their questions,” adding: “We have implemented every solution at our disposal to provide immediate relief and are more than willing to implement any ideas from the General Assembly.”
But then came Abudayyeh’s rejection: “What we will not do is take the 60 to 90 claims General Assembly members call on behalf of each week, and move those claimants to the front of the line ahead of the tens of thousands of claims the department is working to address. The agency cannot pull staff away from processing claims in the system to prioritize claims from legislators.”
Abudayyeh has a valid point. If folks were given preferential treatment in each legislative district each week, everyone else who’s having trouble with the system would undoubtedly be pretty darned upset when a news outlet claimed “political favoritism.”
Many legislators live and die by constituent services, love their districts and are scared to death of what could happen to them if they fail their voters. Most legislators believe that their priorities, as members of a co-equal branch, should be addressed by the governor’s office. And all legislators hate taking blame. That’s politics.
And this is not a new frustration. Members of both parties have been privately grumbling for months about their inability to get help from IDES and the administration. And several were furious about the administration’s response.
“What we want is to be able to tell these people that they are actually going to get a call, and many haven’t, so we can’t,” said Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines). “They’re not calling us because they want preferential treatment, they’re calling us because they are broke, scared, and time is running out for them.”
“The fact that the governor’s office is accusing us of playing politics is just awful,” Rep. Moylan continued. “Now is not the time to shift blame and lob accusations at one another.” He has a point, but legislators also tried to shift blame.
“We’re not looking for favorable treatment, we want to work with the Governor’s office on practical solutions to this challenge,” said Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-Northbrook).
“I’d like to invite the author of that statement… to sit in one of our offices for a day and hear what it’s like to take 100’s of calls from people who are about to lose their house,” texted another Democrat, who asked not to be named.
“I understand why they’re frustrated,” said another. “But they don’t seem to understand why we are.”
I know of no state that isn’t still having serious problems processing a flood of unemployment insurance applications. But the governor needs to find a way to calm this storm.
* I hope you can find some joy this weekend, but also please use some common sense and don’t get sick. Happy birthday, America! Radiohead will play us out…
* Attorney Tom Devore emerged briefly from the Clay County courthouse to tell reporters that he won both cases he was litigating today, according to Tony Yuscious at BlueRoomStream.com, who is on site.
One of those cases was Rep. Darren Bailey’s lawsuit that the state tried to move to federal court. Among other things, Bailey claimed that the governor had no authority to issue multiple Executive Orders on the same topic.
A southern Illinois couple has filed a lawsuit against the Illinois Department of Public Health and the State Board of Education, alleging that the state’s plans to reopen schools this fall with safety protocols in place will “result in immediate and irreparable harm” to their three children.
The suit, filed in Clay County by James and Kali Mainer, requests a temporary restraining order that would put a halt to mandatory facial coverings, temperature checks, and limitations on groups of 50 or more individuals.
In the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday, the couple alleges that the IDPH and ISBE “have promulgated unlawful, arbitrary and capricious mandates” that place an “unreasonable burden” on the family’s three children.
The family’s suit says that they have “protectable rights and interests at stake to be free from unlawful, arbitrary and capricious rule making,” and that the rules that state officials have formulated are “unlawful,” since they are only aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus.
Devore is expected to speak to reporters soon.
*** UPDATE 1 *** OK, what I’m now getting is that on the mask case, Devore withdrew his request for a TRO.
What it looks like here is that nothing really changes.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The AG’s office has ten days to respond in the school mask case.
The judge did declare the EOs after the first one Pritzker issued to be void. Click here. He declined to issue a declaratory judgement. He did grant summary judgement for Bailey.
As to whether this applies anywhere outside Clay County, the AG’s office wasn’t prepared to say one way or another. “We are reviewing the decision and evaluating our options.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Emily Bittner at the governor’s office…
Every other court – both state and federal – that has considered these exact issues has agreed with the administration that executive orders protecting Illinoisans’ health and safety are well within the governor’s constitutional authority. This includes a federal court decision earlier today. Governor Pritzker will continue to prioritize Illinoisans’ health and safety first, and the people of Illinois have taken extraordinary care to follow health experts’ advice, which is why our state has the lowest positivity rate in the Midwest. While this one county circuit court has gone a different direction from all of the other cases, the administration will ultimately seek to appeal this ruling, and the Governor will continue to urge the people of Illinois to exercise constant vigilance and keep doing what has worked: wash your hands, watch your distance and wear your face covering.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 869 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 36 additional confirmed deaths.
Cook County: 1 male 40s, 2 females 50s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 4 males 60s, 3 females 70s, 4 males 70s, 3 females 80s, 2 males 80s, 6 females 90s, 1 male 90s
DeKalb County: 1 male 80s
DuPage County: 1 female 80s
Kane County: 1 female 70s
Lake County: 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s
St. Clair County: 1 female 70s
Winnebago County: 1 female 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 144,882 cases, including 6,987 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 30,262 specimens for a total of 1,666,317. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 25 –July 1, is 2.6%.
* I’m told that Mayor Lightfoot will likely announce an order today requiring self-quarantining for those who’ve come from or have been to certain states. Stay tuned.
…Adding… Lightfoot did, indeed, issue that decree. Click here.
* Illinois Gaming Board warns gaming interests to comply or face the consequences…
Dear Illinois Gaming Industry,
To facilitate the resumption of video gaming and casino gambling across our state as a part of Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) worked closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Governor’s office to develop guidelines and protocols that protect the safety of the staff and patrons of the Illinois gaming industry. The July 1 resumption of gaming was possible only because of the progress and sacrifices people all across Illinois made to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To sustain our progress, the IGB reminds all video gaming locations, terminal operators and casinos of their obligation to abide by all applicable state and local laws, Executive Orders, Disaster Proclamations, IGB Resumption Protocols, Gaming Resumption Plans, and IDPH and CDC guidelines. Among other things, these requirements include wearing face coverings in gaming establishments and casinos, practicing social distancing, washing hands regularly, and following signage. A licensee’s failure to comply with COVID-19 health and safety requirements may result in discipline, up to and including license revocation. More importantly, disregard of such preventative measures and requirements could contribute to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Illinois and another potential suspension of gaming operations. That is a result nobody wants. We urge you not to let it happen.
The IGB will continue to work diligently to protect the safety and integrity of Illinois gaming. We appreciate your ongoing cooperation with our efforts.
Marcus D. Fruchter
Administrator
Illinois Gaming Board
The state of Illinois, like most states, began a new fiscal year on July 1 and the person in charge of managing the state’s bank accounts said she fears it could be one of the most difficult years in modern memory.
“This is going to be, I think, by far perhaps the most challenging year that I’ve had to manage as comptroller,” state Comptroller Susana Mendoza said in an interview Wednesday. “And that’s saying something because, you know, I had to navigate the state through what was, when I took office, the worst fiscal crisis that our state had ever experienced, that two-year budget impasse.”
The difference between then and now, she said, was that during the budget impasse, the state still had revenues flowing in, just no legal authority to spend it. But in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the near shutdown of the state’s economy that it forced, Illinois now isn’t seeing anything close to the revenues it will need to fund the new budget.
Small businesses are still reeling from the sudden onset of the virus-induced recession, but Quincy officials are hoping a new initiative announced Wednesday will help retailers survive.
“What an amazing opportunity that we have here to support Quincy businesses during this challenging time,” said Quincy Aldermen Katie Awerkamp, D-6, who alongside Aldermen Jason Finney, R-4, are championing the initiative known as “Helping Establishments Re-Open,” or HERO.
The proposed initiative would offer up to 4,000 households a one-time $25 credit on a future water bill to residents who spend more than $150 pretax at retail stores, boutiques, salons, studios, clothing stores and other nonessential businesses within city limits that were forced to close. Purchases made at grocery stores, gas stations, home improvement stores, garden centers, liquor stores, cannabis dispensaries, video gaming parlors and pharmacies will not count toward the credit.
Per the initative’s parameters, the water credits will be first-come, first-serve and limited to one per household.
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Defendant JB Pritzker, Governor of Illinois, has issued a series of executive orders including Executive Order 2020-43 (“Order”). The Order prohibits gatherings greater than fifty people but exempts the free exercise of religion from this limit.
Plaintiffs Illinois Republican Party, Will County Republican Central Committee, Schaumburg Township Republican Organization, and Northwest Side GOP Club challenge this exemption as violating their rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Plaintiffs allege that by exempting the free exercise of religion from the general gathering limit, the Governor has created an unconstitutional content-based restriction on speech. Plaintiffs also claim that by not enforcing the Order against protestors following the death of George Floyd, the Governor has created another exception. Plaintiffs filed a complaint and a motion for a temporary restraining order (“TRO”) and preliminary injunction in this Court on June 15, 2020 because they want to hold political party events larger than fifty people, including a picnic on July 4th. Plaintiffs seek a declaration stating that treating political party gatherings differently than religious gatherings violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Plaintiffs also ask the Court to enjoin the Governor from enforcing the Order against political parties.
Because Plaintiffs’ likelihood of success on the merits is less than negligible and the balance of harms weighs heavily against Plaintiffs, the Court denies their motion.
Plaintiffs have not shown how this exemption is a plain invasion of their constitutional rights. The Order involves reasonable measures intended to protect public health while preserving avenues for First Amendment activities. […]
Overall, plaintiffs have failed to point to anything that suggests selective enforcement against protestors based on the content of their message, and the Governor’s participation in one protest does not give rise to content-based discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.
When a gathering is still allowed based on the speech involved, the government has engaged in content-based discrimination. The Court finds that by exempting free exercise of religion from the gathering limit, the Order creates a content-based restriction.
…Adding… A commenter suggests the above means the judge believes the governor’s religious exemption is unconstitutional. I doubt the governor will press that further, but somebody else might. Checking with the AG’s office at the moment, but the ILGOP might want to reconsider its appeal.
…Adding… The AG’s office said the judge didn’t “invalidate the exemption for religious organizations.” True, but the judge may have opened the door to it.
Plaintiffs contend that the Governor cannot satisfy the least restrictive means test because a political party caucus is no more likely to spread COVID-19 than a church service. However, the Constitution does not accord a political party the same express protections as it provides to religion. And by statute, Illinois has undertaken steps to provide additional protections for the exercise of religion. Additionally, the Order’s limited exemptions reinforce that it is narrowly tailored. The Order only exempts two other functions from the gathering limit: emergency and governmental functions. These narrow exemptions demonstrate that the Order eliminates the increased risk of transmission of COVID-19 when people gather while only exempting necessary functions to protect health, safety, and welfare and free exercise of religion. Therefore, the Governor has carried his burden at this stage in demonstrating that the Order is narrowly tailored to further a compelling interest, and the Order survives strict scrutiny.
The balance of harms further confirms that Plaintiffs are not entitled to preliminary relief. Under the sliding scale approach, the less likely Plaintiffs’ chance of success the more the balance of harms must weigh in their favor. Because Plaintiffs’ claims have little likelihood of succeeding on the merits, they are not entitled to preliminary relief unless they show that the scales weigh heavily in their favor.
The scales weigh significantly against Plaintiffs. The number of COVID-19 infections continues to rise across the United States, which has led some states to recently impose greater restrictions on gatherings and activities. COVID-19 is highly contagious and continues to spread, requiring public officials to constantly evaluate the best method by which to protect residents’ safety against the economy and a myriad of other concerns. Granting Plaintiffs the relief they seek would pose serious risks to public health. […]
Plaintiffs to gather in large groups so that they can engage in more effective speech is simply not in the public interest. Such relief would expand beyond any gatherings and negatively impact non-parties by increasing their risk of exposure. Thus, the harms tilt significantly in the Governor’s favor as he seeks to prevent the spread of this virulent virus.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Chairman Tim Schneider…
We are disappointed with today’s results and obviously disagree with the ruling. Our fight to secure our first amendment right is not over, however. Our lawyers have immediately begun the process for appealing the decision.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Emily Bittner at the governor’s office (yes, she’s back)…
Governor Pritzker continues to prioritize Illinoisans’ health and safety first, and the people of Illinois have taken extraordinary care to follow health experts’ advice, which is why our state has the lowest positivity rate in the Midwest. Today’s decision is a win for everyone in Illinois. The administration respects the court’s decision and believes strongly in the First Amendment, and the Governor will continue to urge the people of Illinois to exercise constant vigilance and keep doing what has worked: wash your hands, watch your distance and wear your mask.
* San Antonio went from a positivity rate of less than 4 percent to more than 20 percent in a month. Here’s what is happening at one hospital. You really should take the time to watch this…
“If you want to see August 1st, then maybe you should stay indoors and isolate on July 4th.” Health care workers at the San Antonio Methodist Hospital say they are treating coronavirus patients of all ages, including mothers who can’t meet their newborns to prevent transmission pic.twitter.com/EnWi9F4Nm3
Rep. Darren Bailey’s court battle against Gov. JB Pritzker will return to Clay County Thursday afternoon.
The Xenia Republican is cutting his Florida vacation short to make it back to court. However, Bailey’s spokesman says he won’t get tested for COVID-19 “on the advice of his doctor.” Jose Durbin explained Bailey has no symptoms and stayed in Florida less than 48 hours. Bailey’s Attorney, Tom DeVore, says he won’t get tested either. “I’m feeling fine and don’t see a need for a test.”
Is he being advised by Dr. Kevorkian?
* And the local GOP is throwing an indoors party…
A theory is going around that some of these southern/southwestern outbreaks could be due to people going back inside to recreate in order to escape the heat outside.
* Related…
* Florida shatters records with over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases in single day: In June, Florida infections rose by 168% or over 95,000 new cases. The percent of tests coming back positive has skyrocketed to 15% from 4% at the end of May. Florida, with 21 million residents, has reported more new daily coronavirus cases than any European country had at the height of their outbreaks.
* Florida’s COVID-19 cases have exploded since DeSantis OK’d reopening plan: Since the governor made the announcement on June 3 that bars, movie theaters, bowling alleys, arcades and auditoriums could begin to reopen at 50-percent capacity indoors with strict sanitation and social distancing guidelines in place – and full capacity outdoors – Florida’s COVID-19 numbers have skyrocketed, with a four-digit increase every day except one, which fell just shy of the 1,000 mark.
* Florida’s COVID-19 surge leads to tighter restrictions for some Caribbean visitors: Targeting Florida’s surging coronavirus infections as a public health threat, two Caribbean destinations joined the Bahamas Tuesday in changing their entry requirement for tourists traveling from the state — and elsewhere in the United States.
* Coronavirus in Lee County: What you need to know Thursday, July 2: Those new positive cases resulted from a total of 1,088 tests reported Wednesday by the state for Lee County. That’s a positivity rate of 32.5%. Lee crossed 5,000 COVID-19 cases on Sunday. It took just four more days for the county to easily surpass 6,000. That’s one more day than it took for Lee to go from 4,000 cases (June 25) to 5,000 (June 28).
Illinois lead the country in FBI background checks associated with the sale, transfer or permitting of firearms for the month of June.
The FBI conducted more than 3.9 million background checks making it the highest month on record for background checks since the bureau began keeping statistics in 1998. […]
The state with the most background checks? Illinois.
The FBI ran background checks on 706,404 people in the state, according to the data.
Take your pick. The pandemic, the police killing of George Floyd, the presidential election. Protests, looting, calls to “defund the police.”
Any one of such similar events historically has been enough to push some people off the fence, prompting them to finally buy a gun or add to their collection.
But with a wave of crises crashing across the country, more than 40,000 Illinoisans applied for a gun permit in a little more than two weeks this month, more than 500% over this time last year, according to Illinois State Police.
The St. Louis Cardinals have replaced the New York Yankees as the opponent for the Chicago White Sox in the Field of Dreams game on Aug. 13 at Dyersville, Iowa.
The schedule change caused by the new coronavirus pandemic meant the White Sox no longer play the Yankees this season. The new opponent, first reported by The Des Moines Register, was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the arrangements who spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the matchup has not been announced.
Major League Baseball hopes to announce its new schedule next week. Each team will play 60 games, 40 against division rivals and 20 against teams in the corresponding regional division in the other league. […]
A temporary 8,000-seat stadium is nearing completion at the site, about 200 miles west of Chicago, adjacent to where the movie was filmed on a diamond in a cornfield. This would be the major league game played in Iowa.
I am pretty sure the baseball season will at least start. Whether MLB finishes the season is still far up in the air.
Despite warnings that preemptive sweeps will “drive a wedge between police and communities of color,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday stood firmly behind Chicago Police Supt. David Brown’s decision to sweep young people off drug corners over the July Fourth weekend to prevent another holiday bloodbath.
Brown has branded arrests tied to possession of guns and open-air drug markets “precursors to violence” and vowed to sweep those corners of the young people put there by drug dealers.
The superintendent has pleaded with State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Chief Circuit Court Judge Tim Evans to keep them in jail — at least over the long holiday weekend — to prevent a continuation of the violence that has gunned down four children over the last 10 days alone.
Wednesday, Lightfoot argued the cynical tactic of using young people without criminal records was “shades of Larry Hoover from the 1990’s,” referring to the imprisoned leader of the Gangster Disciples.
She noted “drug enterprises” are “literally willing to fight to the deaths to keep those spots” because some corners can earn them $30,000 to $50,000 a day.
“This is shades of, like Larry Hoover from the 1990s,” Lightfoot said at an unrelated news conference. “What these drug enterprises are doing is this: These spots, they can earn $30 to $50,000 a day. They’re extraordinarily lucrative. Which is why they’re literally willing to fight to the death to keep those spots. But cynically — and this is what the superintendent was saying, and why he’s frustrated — they put young people out on those corners.”
C’mon. “$30,000 to $50,000 a day”? Please. You can’t earn $18 million a year selling drugs on a single street corner. Since when has she been hanging out with Darren Bailey?
Yes, they can be lucrative, but this is just a goofy claim.
The @ChicagoParks IG says a Lakeview East homeowner has cordoned off nearly 3K square feet of property in Lincoln Park for his own personal use. @ChicagoParks has asked to remove the encroachments for 5+ years, but "Homeowner, who is apparently well-connected, has refused."
🤔
— Alejandra Cancino (@WriterAlejandra) June 29, 2020
A wealthy, politically connected family blocked off 3,000 square feet of public parkland in Lakeview as their own front yard for the past five years by planting hedges, Chicago Park District’s inspector general alleged in a new report.
The homeowners put in hedges and fencing in 2015, effectively cordoning off the parkland to create a makeshift yard on land reserved for public use, parks Inspector General Will Fletcher wrote in a report last week.
And for five years, the Park District has been trying to get the family to remove the approximately 4-foot-high landscaping, but they have refused.
Instead, city officials have been met with “unsubstantiated and conflicting explanations” about their right to exclude access to public parkland from an “apparently well-connected” family, Fletcher wrote.
Although the inspector general’s report does not identify the address or homeowner by name, sources confirm it refers to a sleek, modern home in the 3000 block of North Lake Shore Drive West owned by businessman Michael Tadin Jr. and his wife, Natalie Tadin.
* Good point…
Hold up.
The city goes into homeless encampments, throws away tents and personal belongings and upends people's lives in a matter of hours.
But the park district has been **"TRYING"** (???) to get these people to remove their shrubs from public land for FIVE YEARS?!?!? https://t.co/Kg3tBaExW7
Turns out, the clout-heavy Tadin family's "front yard" in Lakeview is actually public parkland, despite what the manicured hedges might lead you to believe. So our @markbrownCST decided to enjoy a little picnic in the park this afternoon. Story to come — stay tuned. https://t.co/V2eSugnegupic.twitter.com/DUNdC2v2IW
I bought some hot dogs Wednesday at Byron’s and scooted over to Lake Shore Drive West for a picnic lunch on a newly discovered patch of parkland.
It’s a lovely setting, almost like having your own private yard, much better maintained than the Chicago Park District property across the street.
In fact, you’d think it’s the front lawn of the mansion located there, set off by bushes that wrap around the property and frame a walkway that leads to the front gate.
A normal person might see those bushes and think, “That’s private property. I’m not supposed to be there.”
The homeowner, Michael Tadin Jr., swears that’s not the case.
* Heh…
"I’m not telling you to hold a Fourth of July picnic there. I’m just saying you could." https://t.co/WcqSkRxXJW
— Hercules Mulligan's back b/c that energy is needed (@johnvmoore) July 2, 2020
In the face of public uproar over bushes he planted that cordon off public parkland in front of his home, Tadin said Thursday he has reached agreement with the city and Park District to remove the offending hedgerow.
Workers were already on the scene early Thursday and Tadin said he expected the work to be done by the end of the day. He said sod will be planted Friday where the bushes have stood.
Goodbye, field trips and perfect attendance awards. Hello, one-way hallways, daily temperature checks and quarantine rooms.
That’s some of what we can look ahead to now that Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave his approval last week for schools in Illinois to reopen for in-class instruction this fall, encouraging schools to welcome back kids and staff under detailed state guidelines aimed at keeping them safe.
In Chicago’s new normal, there will be face masks on everyone over 2, bans on handshakes and any other touching, tons of hand-washing and six-feet social distancing requirements in classrooms, on playgrounds and everywhere else at school. Everyone who enters school buildings will get temperature checks, too.
But how that all will work and what the rest of school is going to look like are among the things still to be decided by school districts in the city, suburbs and statewide as schools face the realities of welcoming back to classrooms kids who are likely to be behind academically after learning from home all spring.
“The COVID-19 crisis shook our structures of teaching and learning to the core, but we have now an opportunity to emerge stronger and to make lasting changes in the ways we support, teach, connect with and value each of the 2 million students in our care,” says a 63-page report from the Illinois State Board of Education. “This return to school is not ‘business as usual’ but rather the convergence of a new reality in educational excellence in Illinois.”
I’m often asked if I think schools and universities really will reopen. I kinda dodge it by saying if the state regresses from Phase 4, then obviously not. But if we keep the flatline going, then yes. Whether they can stay open is the real question.
* Some will certainly become infected. For instance, the San Francisco Bay area has done a remarkable job controlling the virus. Even so…
More than 40 school principals in the South Bay are in quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19 during an in-person meeting held by the Santa Clara Unified School District.
The Scott County R-4 School District announced all of their facilities will be closed to students for the next two weeks due to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in southeast Missouri.
Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 have been attending parties in the city and surrounding area as part of a disturbing contest to see who can catch the virus first, a city council member told ABC News on Wednesday.
Tuscaloosa City Councilor Sonya McKinstry said students have been organizing “COVID parties” as a game to intentionally infect each other with the contagion that has killed more than 127,000 people in the United States. She said she recently learned of the behavior and informed the city council of the parties occurring in the city.
She said the organizers of the parties are purposely inviting guests who have COVID-19.
“They put money in a pot and they try to get COVID. Whoever gets COVID first gets the pot. It makes no sense,” McKinstry said. “They’re intentionally doing it.”
So as the summer gets started, it might seem easy to argue that schools must open for normal business this fall. But we can’t overlook the potential for transmission in the school setting, which can only be reduced and not eliminated. Some tools to reduce that risk definitely work: distancing, hand-washing, mask use, testing and effective tracing and isolation of contacts if a case is found. Yet even as they plan for how to operate safely in person, school systems around the country are also preparing now for how to make online learning work well if they have to shut down again in the event of a large fall surge and extensive community transmission that once again threatens to overwhelm hospitals.
We can avoid that, and keep schools open, if we shift our priorities.
If we want schools to open in a few months and stay open, we need to keep community transmission low. The best way to do that is to suppress the spread of the virus. That means looking at what is reopening and when, and figuring out whether those sectors of the economy are really more important than schools. All reopening will likely increase community transmission to some degree.
So what are we all willing to give up to keep in-person education on the agenda? Can you forgo a night out at a bar or a trip to a casino? Can you give up dining inside a restaurant? What are you willing to give up to ensure that school openings don’t wind up pushing us over the edge? What are we willing to sacrifice? We need to decide where our priorities as a community lie, and in a way we can all support — whether we are ourselves parents, teachers or neither. We need to face this threat together.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 45,249 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of June 22 in Illinois, according to the DOL’s weekly claims report released Thursday.
While this number is based on advanced estimates, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) will be releasing a final number later Thursday.
There were 1,427,000 new claims filed across the U.S. last week.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 46,005 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of June 15 in Illinois.
America is at a crossroads and we need a leader in the United States Senate who will prioritize all people over a political party. Minority Whip Durbin has been in public office for 37 years, and many communities in Illinois have been ignored and forgotten.
He is out of touch with constituents. I attempted to arrange a meeting with Sen. Durbin and for four weeks I did not get a call back from his office. As a businessman, I ask what has been the return on investment for Durbin’s 37-year career? The statistics reflect record levels of unemployment, gun violence, disinvestment, and hopelessness in too many communities. To add insult to injury, Durbin voted for the pernicious 1994 Crime Bill that provided $8.7 billion to build more prisons and led to the mass incarceration of Black boys and men. Black males account for 6.5 percent of the population and 40 percent of the federal prison population. Sen. Durbin’s vote for the 1994 Crime Bill ensured that there are more Black men in prison than on college campuses. Sen. Durbin’s decision to look tough on crime has cost Black men their lives and broken up families.
“Just last week Sen. Durbin displayed his contempt for the Black and Brown community when he voted “no” to allow debate on Police Reform in the Senate. The deaths of George Floyd, Laquan McDonald, Tamir Rice and others at the hands of law enforcement demand police reform. Sen. Durbin knows that for young men of color, police use of force is among the leading causes of death. Nonetheless, Sen. Durbin again chose the Democrat Party over the people. Sen. Tim Scott’s Police Reform Bill fell four votes short of allowing debate to proceed,” Dr. Wilson said.
“Sen. Durbin for three decades has stood in the way of building a third airport to accommodate growth in the South Suburbs of Cook County and congestion at O’Hare and Midway airports. Building a third airport would address overcrowding issues, improve safety, stimulate the local economy and improve the environment. I strongly support building a third airport for the South Suburbs,” says Dr. Wilson.
Dr. Wilson stated: I am running for the United States Senate because Sen. Durbin has taken the African American community and others for granted. Quite frankly, his 37 years in office has caused him to become arrogant and out of touch with citizens from the Land of Lincoln. He has become drunk with the wine of power from the Potomac. He no longer can relate to the problems of people in Englewood, East St. Louis, Austin, and Aurora. Specifically, more than 1.6 million people left Illinois for other states between 2014-2018. Sen. Durbin’s propensity to raise taxes is driving people and businesses out of Illinois. He is more interested in serving the interests of lobbyists and corporations than the people. As a former sharecropper, I understand people, pain, poverty and business. I will always put people before politics.
“The COVID-19 pandemic unmasked the woeful investment the federal government has made in closing gaps in racial disparities in healthcare. In fact, more African Americans and Latinos have been diagnosed with and died from COVID-19. Sen. Durbin has failed in 37 years to improve the quality of healthcare for Black and Brown people in Illinois. For example, there is a 30-year life expectancy gap just based on where you live in Chicago. A person living in Streeterville can expect to live 30 years longer than someone in Englewood. Sen. Durbin has failed to address inequality in wealth, healthcare, housing, education, criminal justice, and contracting. He does not deserve another six-year term. As a part of the Senate Leadership he should be ashamed that he has not done more to improve the lives of poor people. There is no higher calling than serving others, I believe the United States Senate would allow me to better serve the citizens of Illinois and the nation,” Dr. Wilson said.
* I asked the Durbin campaign for a response. From his campaign manager Greg Bales…
Dr. Wilson is not an independent—he’s a Republican who publicly supported Donald Trump, Bruce Rauner, and contributed tens of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates this election. On police reform, he opposes the Congressional Black Caucus and every major civil rights organization — including the NAACP and Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund — and instead supports Trump’s position. A vote for Wilson is a vote for Trump and a Mitch McConnell controlled U.S. Senate.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 828 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 30 additional confirmed deaths.
Cook County: 1 female 40s, 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s, 3 females 70s, 3 males 70s, 3 female 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
DuPage 1 male 40s, 1 female 90s
Kane County: 1 male 60s, 2 females 80s
Lake County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s
Madison County: 1 male 70s
Sangamon County: 1 female 70s
St. Clair County: 1 female 80s
Will County: 1 female 60s
Winnebago County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 144,013cases, including 6,951 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 33,090 specimens for a total of 1,636,055. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 24 –June 30 is 2.6%.
In Illinois, total reported fatalities climbed from 5,548 to 7,124 in June, a hike of 28.4 percent. But in California, the jump was from 4,287 to 6,081, up 41.8 percent. In Texas it was up 46 percent, with 2,496 deaths as of yesterday. And in Florida, up 42.4 percent, with 3,505 fatalities to date.
All of them are pikers compared to Arizona. Total pandemic fatalities there to date soared 78 percent last month, to 1,632 from 917.
Those are deaths, folks. As in permanent removal from this good earth. Not just sniffles from the flu.
Those fatality numbers continue to get worse in a rush. Florida reported 49 new deaths today, and Arizona 88. Texas added 59 deaths yesterday.
* On a scale of one to five, with five being the most worried, how worried are you about the state, or at least some regions, being moved back to Phase 3? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
A southern Illinois couple has filed a lawsuit against the Illinois Department of Public Health and the State Board of Education, alleging that the state’s plans to reopen schools this fall with safety protocols in place will “result in immediate and irreparable harm” to their three children.
The suit, filed in Clay County by James and Kali Mainer, requests a temporary restraining order that would put a halt to mandatory facial coverings, temperature checks, and limitations on groups of 50 or more individuals.
In the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday, the couple alleges that the IDPH and ISBE “have promulgated unlawful, arbitrary and capricious mandates” that place an “unreasonable burden” on the family’s three children.
The family’s suit says that they have “protectable rights and interests at stake to be free from unlawful, arbitrary and capricious rule making,” and that the rules that state officials have formulated are “unlawful,” since they are only aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus.
* Their attorney, of course, is Tom Devore. His statement to WICS TV…
My clients are merely asking the Court to follow Illinois Supreme Court precedent which holds face-masks, and other health regulations, which are intended to try and prevent the spread of COVID-19 are not allowable under the law. It is really a quite simple legal matter unless and until the Illinois Supreme Court changes its position.
That’s a pretty bold statement. An earlier version of the story referenced a 1922 Illinois court case which says, in part…
Health authorities cannot promulgate and enforce rules which merely have a tendency to prevent the spread of contagious and infectious diseases, which are not founded upon an existing condition or upon a well-founded belief that a condition is threatened which will endanger the public health. The health authorities cannot interfere with the liberties of a citizen until the emergency actually exists.
A comprehensive new assessment of flood risk, released this week by the nonprofit First Street Foundation, exposes blind spots in FEMA’s maps to show just how vulnerable the nation’s properties are. Built by researchers from private companies and universities, the model calculates the cumulative risk for every property in the contiguous United States from rainfall, storm surge, tidal and river flooding. FEMA says 8.7 million properties are in areas susceptible to a “hundred-year flood” — a flooding event with a 1% chance of occurring in a given year. The new data says there are 14.6 million properties at risk. […]
In Cook County, where Chicago and its suburbs are located, the new model found more than 150,000 properties are at high risk — about six times as many as FEMA’s estimate. […]
Illinois has warmed about 1.2 degrees and experienced 10% to 15% more precipitation over the last century, according to the Illinois State Climatologist’s office. But the rainfall is not uniform — it’s increasingly coming down in bunches. In the Great Lakes region, the most powerful storms have increased 35% between 1951 and 2017.
Last year, state scientists updated the standard for new construction requiring state permits, including the design of storm sewers, retention ponds and road drainage, to accommodate increasing precipitation trends.
Because state and local officials use FEMA maps to help guide and justify their planning decisions, they tend to focus almost exclusively on the areas the agency has deemed high risk.
For example, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago has spent around $22.2 million helping municipalities acquire 90 flood-prone properties, raze the structures on those properties and keep those areas as open space. The agency has designated additional high-risk zones beyond the FEMA maps, but so far, the properties purchased throughout Cook County have been located in FEMA’s high-risk zones. […]
In Illinois alone, there has been more than $2.3 billion in documented property damage from flooding in urban areas between 2007 and 2014, according to a study led by the Department of Natural Resources. Over 90% of those insurance and disaster assistance claims were for properties outside of the FEMA floodplain — where residents weren’t required to buy flood insurance and may not have been alerted to the risk when they bought their homes.
If anything, the First Street model still underestimates risk in some properties, because its analysis is based on ground-level flooding, as are the FEMA maps. Andrew Smith, chief operations officer at Fathom, said basements can flood more frequently than the model suggests. […]
Between 2007 and 2016, there were nearly 230,000 flood-related claims in Chicago resulting in $433 million in payouts, according to a 2018 report from the Center for Neighborhood Technology. Of those, 87% of paid flood claims were located in communities of color.
With little room to spare at Cook County Jail, Sheriff Tom Dart is seeking a court order to compel the state to take custody of inmates who had been housed at the jail since the coronavirus outbreak.
The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, which Dart is a member of, filed the motion Thursday in downstate Logan County asking a circuit court judge to approve a preliminary injunction that would order the state to accept inmates who are housed in county jails, but should be in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections.
These inmates — unlike detainees at the jail who are awaiting trial — have been convicted and sentenced.
Some of these inmates served their sentences but need to to be transferred to IDOC custody before their release. […]
Concerns voiced by Dart’s office and other sheriffs have been “met with silence” from state officials, [Dart spokesman Matthew Walberg] added. Governor and IDOC officials weren’t immediately available for comment Wednesday.
I get what the state is doing here, but at the very least, IDOC ought to accept inmates who have completed their sentences so they can be released.
* Meanwhile, speaking of the county jail, here’s Karen Sheley, Director, Police Practices Project, ACLU of Illinois…
[Chicago Police] Superintendent Brown’s announced plan to address gun violence during the long holiday weekend is more of the same. The plan to sweep up Black and Brown young men in their neighborhoods across the City could have been uttered by a number of his predecessors in leadership of the CPD. We have heard this all before—paternalistic claims that young men should be in jail for their own safety.
This approaches only further drive a wedge between the CPD and communities of color. The Superintendent again offers the dangerous suggestion that time in Cook County Jail is for these young people’s own good. This is a terrible idea in the best of times – in the midst of a pandemic, it could be a death sentence for these young men or members of their family on release.
The day after her husband died on Easter Sunday, Cassandra Greer-Lee’s emotions swung from shock to pain to confusion. She wondered whether she did everything she could to save Nickolas Lee from the rapid spread of coronavirus inside Cook County Jail.
She thought of the long stream of calls she had frantically dialed over the past few weeks as Cook County Jail rapidly cemented itself as the “largest-known source” of coronavirus cases in the U.S.
Scrolling through her calls, the numbers ballooned from 60 to 70 to 90 to 100 to finally 132 calls made to the sheriff’s office, a jail sergeant’s desk line, the jail hospital and others to alert them to the spread of coronavirus on Lee’s tier—almost all were unanswered.
Lee was the third of seven detainees who have died after contracting the virus at Cook County Jail. Since then, almost 1,000 Cook County Jail employees and detainees have tested positive for COVID-19; two corrections officers and one court deputy have also died, according to WTTW. Like 98 percent of inmates at Cook County Jail, Lee was awaiting trial. He had been charged by the county for gun possession after violating federal parole.
* Wordslinger sent me an email in October of 2017 ahead of the Illinois bicentennial entitled “Bicentennial/Ebert/Prine/Goodman.” He was referring to Roger Ebert, John Prine and Steve Goodman…
I’d like to see those cats carved on the Illinois State Library, because they’re the best Illinois writers of their time.
Amirite?
I’m serious about this, I’m going to ask for your help.
I want to see it before Johnny dies.
Unfortunately, Wordslinger passed away last year and Prine passed earlier this year. We have some unfinished business to attend to here.
I told you in March that when this crazy pandemic was over, I planned to urge Secretary of State Jesse White to consider having Ebert’s and Prine’s names carved into the state library. A high-level official reached out to me later that day to say he would be up for it. Goodman should be on there, too. Let’s get this done.
To commemorate the life of Illinois native John Prine and celebrate his writing and musical contributions, Governor Pritzker has proclaimed Prine an Honorary Poet Laureate of the state. The legendary singer-song writer, who was born in Maywood, passed away on April 7, 2020 after contracting COVID-19. Prine is the first to receive such an honorary designation.
“I have no doubt that John would be proud and delighted to receive this recognition from his home state of Illinois,” said Fiona Whelan Prine, wife of John Prine. “Although he had moved to Nashville in the early 1980’s, he continued to visit Chicago, and Maywood in particular, to spend time with his family. John continued to follow Chicago sports teams and had never found a hot dog, pizza or Italian Beef sandwich to rival the originals. Watching John, as I did many times, play to an Illinois audience was always thrilling. A home boy delighting in the love and approval of his loyal fans - some of them family, longtime friends, old school buddies and neighbors.”
Whelan Prine added, “John had a great respect for Writers of all kinds. He regarded Poets as being among those whose work carried weight, relevance and elevated craft. It is such an honor for me, our sons, and the entire Prine family to acknowledge that our beloved John will be named an Honorary Poet Laureate of the State of Illinois. Thank you, Governor Pritzker, for this wonderful recognition.”
* Prine’s last song was released earlier this month. He still had it…
I remember everything, things I can’t forget
Swimin’ pools of butterflies would slip right through the net
And I remember every night, your ocean eyes of blue
I miss you in the morning light like roses miss the dew
*** UPDATE *** From Henry Haupt at the Illinois SoS…
Rich,
We think this is a great idea. We are looking into this to see what steps are needed and what — if any — other agencies must be involved.
As the United States continues to face record unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic, 30% of Americans missed their housing payments in June, according to a survey by Apartment List, an online rental platform.
That’s up from 24% who missed their payment just two months earlier in April and about on par with the 31% who missed payments in May. Renters, younger and lower-income households and urban dwellers were the groups most likely to miss their housing payments, Apartment List found.
At the same time that this “historically high” rate of Americans are missing their housing payments, eviction protections put in place at the beginning of Covid-19′s spread in the U.S. are beginning to expire. Additionally, the current 30 million unemployed Americans will lose the extra $600 per week in federal unemployment benefits at the end of July.
Taken together, experts warn of a coming housing “apocalypse” unless the government intervenes. Some 37% of renters and 26% of homeowners are at least somewhat worried that they will face eviction or foreclosure in the next six months, Apartment List reports. Columbia University researchers estimate that homelessness could increase by between 40% and 45% this year over where it was in January 2019.
Housing advocates fear eviction boom, urge Gov. Pritzker to cancel rent, mortgage payments
Housing advocates Tuesday taped notices demanding rent payments within five days on the gate of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s home in the Gold Coast in hopes of drawing attention to what they say is an imminent housing crisis.
In a twist, the notices were addressed to the “renters of Illinois” and listed Pritzker as the “landlord or landlord’s agent,” with service on behalf of the real estate lobby.
The group posted the notices while calling on the first-term governor to cancel rent and mortgage payments and to lift the ban on rent control because so many people are out of work due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, said Rod Wilson, one of the organizers of the Lift the Ban Coalition. The group’s efforts took place the day before the first of the month, which is typically when renters have to pay rent.
“All we’re saying is sign the paper, cancel the rent, cancel the mortgage, put a regulation on rent increases. That’s all we’re asking for,” Wilson said. “Otherwise, he’s going to be known as the billionaire governor that led us into the worst housing crisis ever. And I say, ‘Shame on you.’ ”
No governor can simply make rent and mortgage payments go away on his or her own. None. And I don’t know how it would be constitutional for the General Assembly to do it, either. And yet, that’s not even hinted at in the story. All the Sun-Times did was perpetuate a really way out-there myth, which means even more people will believe this tale.
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) today announced the City has awarded a $56 million grant to Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership), in collaboration with the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, NORC at the University of Chicago, Malcolm X College – one of the City Colleges of Chicago – and Sinai Urban Health Institute, to carry out contact tracing services in Chicago, with an effort based in communities most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These organizations will lead a health-equity based approach to further contain the spread of COVID-19, which will include disbursing 85% of the total grant funding to community organizations in areas of high economic hardship to train and certify a 600-person workforce that will support contact tracing. The 600 newly created jobs will be hired directly from the communities of high economic hardship that have been adversely impacted by COVID-19. […]
As part of the grant, The Partnership will be conducting a second competitive bidding process to award the majority of the funding to at least 30 community-based organizations that will recruit and hire the contact tracers and resource coordinators under this grant.
So, they’ve finally awarded the grant money, but now community groups will bid on hiring the workers, which will take time, as will the subsequent hiring process.
(S)tate Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, said after “bragging” about Illinois’ robust contract tracing efforts, the Pritzker administration has “dropped the ball.”
“When the governor made this huge announcement about how there’s going to be investments, we’ve (the Black Caucus) been trying to work with the governor’s office, even to help them with the planning. And you know it’s been real crickets. We have not heard anything from the governor’s office about how they’re going to roll this plan out,” Ford said. “And unfortunately the Black community I think is going to suffer from this.”
Pritzker’s spokeswoman referred WTTW News to the governor’s remarks about contact tracing last Thursday.
“We continue to build up our contact tracing capacities, including new hires that have increased the ranks of contact tracers by 20% since June 1 for a total of 550 active contact tracers across the state. Two hundred-fifty new tracers have been identified and will join their ranks over the few weeks as we continue to scale up our operation, including new technology to multiply their effectiveness,” Pritzker said. “All 97 of Illinois’ local health departments have applied for funding support totaling $230 million to increase contact tracing. That money is on its way out the door with final disbursement coming in the next few weeks.” […]
In a call with reporters on Tuesday, Chicago’s public health director, Dr. Allison Arwady, said the city is currently assigning every case of a Chicago resident testing positive, such that every COVID-19 patient is called by someone from the city within 24 hours.
That wasn’t the case as recently as a couple of weeks ago. Attorney General Kwame Raoul told me yesterday that contact tracers did not reach out to him after he tested positive in mid-June.
* As we discussed yesterday, the Test And Trace website says Illinois has 611 contact tracers and needs 3,113. The folks at the COVID Act Now website say Illinois needs 3,580 contact tracing staff to trace all new cases within 48 hours.
Illinois manufacturers reported layoffs, supply chain disruptions, and closures from the COVID-19 pandemic, however, most are rebounding, according to a new poll.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Survey of Business Conditions interviewed hundreds of manufacturers in Illinois and Michigan between May 20 and June 5.
Many manufacturers were deemed essential through the spring closure orders, with some ramping up production of pandemic-fighting products. Others, including auto manufacturers, closed temporarily. Nearly all respondents to the survey reported revenue losses.
Seventy percent of respondents said their facilities never shut down during the pandemic. Of those that did halt operations, 28 percent said the closure was temporary. Another two percent said they closed for good. […]
Three of every four manufacturers expect the economy to feel the effects of COVID-19 until the end of 2021.
The Fed took a similar poll of small businesses in Illinois and several states in May that showed a much more bleak picture for other sectors.
A 3-year-old girl was shot in the chest outside her home in West Englewood Tuesday night when a gunman opened fire into a yard filled with children, apparently in retaliation for a shooting minutes earlier six blocks away that wounded a 15-year-old boy, according to Chicago police.
The shootings continue one of the most violent stretches of gun violence against children in Chicago. Three days earlier, a 20-month-old boy was killed, also in Englewood, and a 10-year-old girl was fatally shot. A week earlier, five children were shot and killed in Chicago, including a 3-year-old boy. […]
Police say the girl was outside her home in the 7000 block of South Damen Avenue around 8 p.m. Tuesday, playing in the yard with other children, when someone fired shots from a car. Relatives said they thought the gunfire was fireworks, but the girl’s mother ran outside and found the girl lying face up with a wound to her chest.
She was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in critical condition, but was stabilized and upgraded to serious condition overnight, according to community activist Andrew Holmes, who was with the family at the hospital.
* Ugh…
last Saturday while I was dealing with a mother and her one year old that was hot and killed..there was a 3 year old celebrating her birthday…I am now at the hospital with that 3 year olds family…she has been shot and is in critical condition
— Pastor Donovan Price (@sltionsnresrces) July 1, 2020
As the number of murders in Chicago soared in June, there was a huge slowdown of police activity that the police union blames on rock-bottom morale and distrust of Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
In the first 28 days in June, the number of murders was up 83% compared with numbers from the same period in 2019, Chicago Police Department statistics show.
And the number of arrests was down 55%, street stops fell by 74% and traffic stops dropped by 86%.
Police Supt. David Brown said Monday that police activity slowed because fewer people have been on the streets “because of COVID.”
But John Catanzara, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said Tuesday it’s more than that.
* Other than murder (the most important category), most crime has been down in the city this year…
According to newly-posted CPD stats, as of June 28 Chicago had the same number of murders this year as at the same point in 2016, when the city ended with more than 750 murders. There have been fewer shooting incidents so far this year than in 2016, per CPD. pic.twitter.com/uE8cA99Kbn
