Adam Toledo videos released
Thursday, Apr 15, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WGN…
A key detail raised in court about the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo may have been wrong.
During a bond hearing for 21-year-old Ruben Roman, who was with Adam the night of the shooting, Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy described the altercation in a proffer: “The officer tells [Toledo] to drop it as [Toledo] turns towards the officer. [Toledo] has a gun in his right hand.”
But now, in response to a WGN Investigates inquiry, the state’s attorney’s office says the detail about Adam having a gun in his hand the moment he was shot was inaccurate.
“An attorney who works in this office failed to fully inform himself before speaking in court,” Sarah Sinovic, a spokesperson for Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, told WGN Investigates Thursday. It comes just before the Civilian Office of Police Accountability releases several videos of the incident.
* This is really hard to watch…
* Related…
* Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says video of Adam Toledo’s fatal shooting by police ‘incredibly difficult to watch,’ calls for peace as city braces for its release
* Lightfoot says Chicago ‘failed’ Adam Toledo, vows to do more to save teens like him
…Adding… In case you do not want to watch the videos, here’s a description from Block Club Chicago…
Video released Thursday shows a Chicago police officer fatally shooting 13-year-old Adam Toledo as he raised his hands in a Little Village alley on March 29. […]
Video taken from the front door of a Little Village church shows Toledo and 21-year-old Ruben Roman walking down the street before stopping at the corner of 24th Street and Sawyer Avenue, where it appears Roman fired shots at a target that is out of view. Toledo and Roman leave, video footage shows.
Body-camera footage shows an officer chasing Toledo through an alley, with the officer yelling at Toledo to stop. The officer catches up to Toledo, who appears to have stopped running near a gap in a fence between the alley and a church parking lot.
The officer flashes a strobe flashlight at Toledo and says, “Hands! Show me your f***ing hands!” The body-camera footage appears to show Toledo standing near the fence with a gun in his hand, holding it behind his back.
Immediately after commanding Toledo to show his hands, the officer shot the boy at close distance. Toledo’s hands were raised when he was shot, the footage shows. […]
Footage released by police does not show Toledo point or raise a gun at the officer at the conclusion of the chase. Toledo does not appear to be holding the gun as an officer shot him, though video does not clearly show him dropping the gun.
80 Comments  
|
* SJ-R…
After firearms owners identification card and concealed carry license applications backed up over the last year, lawmakers are trying to address the delay and make the renewal process more efficient with support from Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly.
“The ISP is requesting legislation to consolidate the FOID and CCL card into a single card,” Kelly said at a Wednesday press conference.
If passed, House Bill 745 and Senate Bill 1165 would allow FOID and concealed carry cards to be renewed at the same time to make the process faster and easier for the state police. It would also provide a way for the card to be automatically renewed.
State Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, said this would “modernize the FOID card.” It would also allow for the card to be digital.
The bill would also allow gun owners to voluntarily submit their fingerprints to expedite renewal. Normally, this idea draws sharp criticism from Republicans. However, state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, said the voluntary nature of this bill can help the ISP deal with the backlog without forcing people to submit fingerprints for state record.
Other Republicans also voiced support for the ISP bill.
* However, G-PAC hates the legislation…
Today Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC) Illinois released the following statement in anticipation of Senator David Koehler’s press conference on SB 2889, a gun-lobby backed bill that guts critical background check provisions included in real gun safety legislation:
“Senator Koehler’s gun lobby-backed bill guts real universal background checks in exchange for nothing,” said Kathleen Sances, President of Gun Violence Prevention PAC Illinois. “24 Democrats in the Senate are cosponsoring our bill because of their commitment to a safer Illinois, unlike the NRA and ISRA who continue to push desperate legislation like this bill that does nothing to actually close dangerous loopholes in our gun laws.”
COMPARISON: SB568/HB3245 (The Block Illegal Ownership and Fix the FOID Bill) and SB2889/HB745 (The Gun Lobby-Backed Bill)
How do these two differences change the ability of these bills to block Illegal guns from entering the criminal market?
Without background checks on all gun sales and fingerprints to verify the criminal histories of FOID applicants, illegal guns can be sold to prohibited people when:
• A gun is sold by an unlicensed dealer without a background check
• A gun is sold to a prohibited person who has obtained a FOID card with an incomplete criminal history.
Why is Universal Background Checks for All Gun Sales in Illinois Important?
• Current law requires that unlicensed gun dealers see a valid FOID card, but does require them to run the background check to verify a potential gun buyer’s mental health and criminal history.
• Requiring a background check for every gun sale is the foundation of a strong and effective gun violence prevention policy and a valuable tool to help reduce illegal firearm trafficking. For example, a 2009 study found intrastate gun trafficking was 48% lower in cities in states that regulated unlicensed handgun sales.
• Polling shows that 81% of Illinois support expanding background checks to all gun sales.
Why are Fingerprints as Part of FOID Application Important?
• Fingerprinting is the only form of background check search that verifies the identity and criminal history of FOID card applicants. This would better protect the public through rapid completion of background checks and efficient processing of FOID applications. The live scan fingerprint vendor fee is capped at $30 in HB3245/SB568.
• Fingerprints as part of FOID applications would have prevented the Aurora, IL shooting because the shooter’s criminal history was not accurately verified when he applied for and received his FOID card. He was then able to buy and keep illegal guns.
• Polling shows that 88% of Illinoisans support requiring fingerprints to acquire a firearm.
SB2889 is now SB1165.
* Director Kelly was asked yesterday for the ISP’s position on universal background checks at the above-mentioned press conference…
So, after Aurora, the position of the administration has been clear and it continues to be clear and consistent that we support universal background checks. We absolutely do that. That is the position of the administration that we support universal background checks. I think the governor has been very clear that that is the policy of this administration to support legislation that has universal background checks.
But by eliminating and reducing waste in a government system, the background check process, is not one which is mutually exclusive from improving the requirements of the background check.
* Asked about negotiations on the bill, Kelly said…
We will provide information and give feedback and provide specific statistical analysis of the statute as they are based on how they are operating within the Illinois State Police and we provide that to legislators all the time. … We don’t do negotiate. That’s what these these folks do. And I’ll leave it in their capable hands. We will talk to anybody on any issue, whatever the perspective is, as it relates to information from the police, they can make informed decisions about about whatever legislation they’re discussing.
* The ISP later emphasized in a statement that it also supports the G-PAC bill…
The lessons of the Henry Pratt shooting clearly exposed gaps in the state and federal background check system. The FOID processing system and statutes desperately need amending and we support those legislative efforts, while the administration continues to advocate and strongly support stricter, universal background check legislation contained in the BIO bill.
* Sun-Times…
The Illinois State Rifle Association denied backing Koehler’s bill, saying that they were “neutral.”
But Pearson’s group is firing blanks, said a spokesperson for the gun control PAC.
“The gun lobby speaks pretty loudly on just about every piece of gun legislation under the sun, so their silence or claims of neutrality on this bill is deafening,” the spokesperson said.
*** UPDATE *** G-PAC…
“We appreciate the Illinois State Police clarifying yesterday that this administration supports universal background checks and the BIO Bill.”
28 Comments
|
* Sen. Rob Martwick’s bill to create an elected Chicago school board passed the Senate Executive Committee yesterday, but its fate is still uncertain in the face of a completing plan (not yet introduced) from Mayor Lori Lightfoot that will be sponsored by Majority Leader Kim Lightford. Sun-Times…
Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford voted for the bill, but said it was important to continue negotiations to “come up with the absolute best process and the best model that we can” for students and families.
“There’s so much that goes into this huge change that we will be making, for the better is my hope, but we can’t do it because we’re siding with this group versus that group,” the Maywood Democrat said.
State Sen. Rob Martwick, sponsor of the bill, said he was open to amending it, but the Northwest Side Democrat said concerns mentioned Wednesday were already considered.
“Whether it does it adequately or not, I guess we can debate about that,” he said. “I am always open to hearing how we can improve it.”
* ChalkBeat…
Sybil Madison, Chicago’s deputy mayor for education and human services, testified against the elected school board bill, citing progress that public schools have made since 1995, when the state gave the mayor control over the board.
“In 2020, CPS had a record-high graduation rate at 83%. The University of Chicago research shows that CPS’ English language learners have equivalent gains and achievement from K through eighth grade as their peers who never classified as English language learners,” Madison said.
She mentioned that any version of the board should include parents’ voices because they have often felt left out of board decisions.
After public testimony during the committee hearing, Lightford said that while she supported the idea of an elected school board, the Senate proposal for 21 members would be hard to implement. She raised concerns about the number of members, the cost of the board, finances for each race, and how to draw voting districts to ensure that all sides of the city are represented. […]
Lightford has been instrumental in passing ambitious legislation. During the lame-duck session in fall, she pushed through a bill that created new graduation requirements for all Illinois students and more access to advanced courses.
* WTTW…
Adrian Segura, Chicago Public Schools’ deputy chief of family and community engagement, also testified, and cautioned that an elected board doesn’t necessarily come with guarantees.
“L.A. has the largest elected school board in the country and currently there are no parents on their board. An election does not guarantee equity among representation, as was seen in the elections in California. They cost millions of dollars, which for most of our parents – at least mine, I know – they don’t have, which brings up the question of special interests and who is funding school board elections and for what reason,” Segura said.
Many parents and community members testified in favor of the bill, saying it would give parents and community members a long-overdue seat at the table when deciding how students in Chicago should be educated. And while many parents want to see elected representatives on the school board, there are a variety of views as to how it should be structured.
* Politico…
Nonprofit leaders have written a letter to legislators asking that they make sure Chicago’s school board represents parents, especially from Chicago’s “disadvantaged and disenfranchised” communities.
*** UPDATE *** Meant to add this earlier…
* Related…
* School board politics, revisited - There are billions of reasons that have nothing to do with education to keep the schools under mayoral control.
* Why can’t my daughter return to high school? Three words: Chicago Teachers Union
38 Comments
|
* From this past January…
The Pritzker administration has hired an outside firm to scrutinize Exelon’s claims that some of its Illinois nuclear plants are losing money.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency early this month finalized a $215,000 emergency contract with Cambridge, Mass.-based Synapse Energy Economics. The firm, which has done work in the past for consumer advocates like the Illinois attorney general’s office and the Citizens Utility Board, will report back on the financial condition of the nukes by April 1.
It’s tasked with auditing the company’s plants, assessing costs and revenues given now and projecting over the next five years, according to the emergency purchase statement. Among the qualifications the Pritzker administration specified for the role was that the firm chosen could not have done work for Exelon in the past. That disqualified a fair number of bidders.
The move comes as Exelon for the second time in four years has said it would shutter nukes in Illinois unless they’re subsidized by the state. In August, the company announced it would close the Dresden and Byron reactors this coming fall without government action.
* Click here for the completed audit. And here’s today’s Tribune story…
Synapse Energy Economics concluded that keeping Byron and Dresden open would cost dramatically less than the $235 million-a-year bailout negotiated in 2016 by former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner — a deal that prompted Exelon to back down from its plans to close two other nuclear plants outside the Quad Cities and downstate Clinton. […]
Unlike the Rauner bailout, which guaranteed Exelon subsidies for a decade, Synapse said the Pritzker administration could limit special payments for Bryon and Dresden to five years and provide them during each of those years only if the company opens its books and proves the power plants need the money. The program would cost $150 million a year at most, according to a redacted copy of the audit shared Wednesday with the Chicago Tribune.
It remains unclear if the findings will provide enough political cover to muscle another subsidy package through the Democratic-controlled General Assembly, which is still roiling from a multiyear bribery scheme involving jobs, contracts and payments from ComEd to allies of former House Speaker Michael Madigan.
But there are significant climate and labor ramifications if Byron and Dresden close.
* WBEZ…
The Pritzker administration’s study, released Thursday, found the plants “do face real risk of becoming uneconomic in the near term.
“This has implications for Illinois’ policy goals because the plants generate carbon-free electricity that is currently undervalued or even ignored within current wholesale electricity markets,” the report by Cambridge, Mass.-based Synapse Energy Economics concluded.
“In addition, the plants employ hundreds of workers directly and contribute to the economies of numerous Illinois communities,” the report continued. “Illinois could reasonably determine that it is in the public interest for the plants to remain in operation, warranting public support.” […]
But whether the company believes roughly a $70 million increase in annual ratepayer subsidies is enough, as Synapse recommends, is another question. Legislation pushed by labor unions aligned with Exelon recommends subsidy levels roughly quadruple what Synapse proposes for the two plants, administration sources said.
“To anyone who’s making a proposal on this that says these numbers are too low, we’re going to want to see their math,” said Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell, the governor’s point person on utility legislation.
* Crain’s…
Pritzker is likely to advocate for setting Illinois’ first-ever price on carbon, which would be paid by generators whose plants emit the heat-trapping gas. A modest price, similar to what Northeastern states have imposed for years, would reduce the need for direct subsidies to Exelon. In that case, only Dresden would need support to remain open, the report said. […]
Synapse’s methodology for assessing the plants’ financial health differs from Exelon’s. The auditor questioned the large amount the Chicago-based company labels a “cost” when it in fact is a cushion for scenarios in which the plants don’t operate. […]
Asked whether the governor’s support for another bailout is, in effect, rewarding past bad behavior by the company, [Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell] said there are clear differences this time compared with four years ago, when the company demanded that policymakers take its word that plants were losing money. “There was a reason Gov. Pritzker called for an audit,” Mitchell said.
The state has more information than it’s ever had on plant financials. And the governor will support only the minimum amount needed by the plants to remain in the black, as well as annual audits. If the plants don’t need as much money in a given year, the subsidies should decline, Mitchell said.
The question will be if organized labor, which is supporting a much larger bailout, can agree.
* Related…
* Chicago biz figures exit ComEd board while CEO is paid like 2020 was a good year
…Adding… Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…
“We applaud Governor Pritzker for requiring this independent audit, and putting consumers and the goal of 100% clean energy ahead of utility profits. The Synapse study proves there are many different ways Illinois can keep producing carbon-free electricity from nuclear plants, without the giant subsidy Exelon and their allies are demanding. Putting Illinois on a path to a carbon-free power sector by 2030 by passing compressive energy policy as proposed in the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) is critical to combating climate change, creating equitable jobs, and ending excessive subsidies to fossil fuels.”
5 Comments
|
* Still a lot of cases, but it’s down from last week’s highs…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 3,536 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 31 additional deaths.
- Carroll County: 1 male 70s
- Cook County: 1 female 20s, 1 female 30s, 1 female 50s, 3 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 4 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 3 males 80s
- DuPage County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 90s
- Kane County: 1 male 30s
- Lake County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
- Madison County: 1 male 70s
- McHenry County: 1 female 90s
- Peoria County: 1 female 40s
- Richland County: 1 female 60s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 80s
- Vermilion County: 1 female 30s, 1 female 70s
- Whiteside County: 1 female 30s
- Will County: 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,288,934 cases, including 21,570 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 88,390 specimens for a total of 21,371,760. As of last night, 2,076 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 453 patients were in the ICU and 198 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 7-13, 2021 is 4.2%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 7-13, 2021 is 5.0%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 9,386,135. A total of 7,482,650 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 132,810 doses. Yesterday, 138,538 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for a death previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
* Part of Gov. Pritzker’s response to a question today…
We are seeing upward movement of our cases and hospitalizations, obviously. But we have seen a beginning of maybe a lessening of the rise of cases. I don’t want to predict anything because this virus is unpredictable. But I think at least in the short term that seems to be good news.
Thoughts?
…Adding… Press release…
To further expand availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, Governor JB Pritzker today announced an additional state mass vaccination site in Cook County and that will open to all eligible Illinois residents on Thursday, April 15. As of April 12, all Illinois residents age 16 and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine with nearly 19,000 residents receiving vaccinations at state mass vaccination sites in the first 24 hours of universal vaccine eligibility. With the state’s seven-day test positivity rate and hospitalizations on the rise, local and state health officials are urging Illinois residents to seek out a vaccination location near them in order to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19.
“I’m proud to deploy Illinois National Guard teams and additional state resources to Cook County to ensure residents can receive their vaccines as efficiently and equitably as possible,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The brave men and women of the Guard have already administered over one million vaccine doses to Illinoisans across the state, and as the federal government prepares to increase Illinois’ deliveries to over 100,000 a day in the coming weeks, IDPH and our 97 local health departments are prepared to meet the moment. In the meantime, I encourage all Illinoisans to wear their masks and stay vigilant as we power through to the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Opening on April 15, the former Target location in Matteson is the 12th mass vaccination site located in Cook and the collar counties and is the state’s 21st mass vaccination site open to all eligible Illinois residents. The new site will provide Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The State of Illinois is committed to improving healthcare access and equity in underserved communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
7 Comments
|
* Rachel Hinton…
Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford said Wednesday she tested positive for COVID-19.
In a brief phone conversation with the Chicago Sun-Times, Lightford said she left Springfield, where legislators are convening for session, and returned home where she will join committee meetings through Zoom.
The Maywood Democrat said after testing positive, she was “aching an awful lot.”
Lightford is the third person connected to state government known to have contracted the virus this week.
Meanwhile, the House told lobbyists and members of the public today that they must be tested in order to access House members. However, House members have not yet been required to take any tests.
*** UPDATE *** Leader Lightford told me she had planned to be vaccinated at the same time as her husband, who needed to wait to be cleared by his surgeon after a battle with cancer. Her husband was confirmed cancer-free and got the green light on Wednesday, she said. The two planned to get their shots together when she returned from session this week.
“All of my family members and staff that I have come into contact with tested negative,” Lightford said.
25 Comments
|
* Jaclyn Driscoll…
A staff member in Speaker Welch’s office tested positive for the coronavirus. The staff member tested yesterday as part of the required protocols to return to in-person work in the Capitol. Contact tracing was performed, and those who were in contact with the staff member are now quarantining, pending negative tests. The Speaker was not in contact with the staff member and continues to stress the vital importance of public health safety measures as the House of Representatives gets back to work for the people of Illinois. Thanks to the implementation of the U of I Shield testing, the Speaker’s Office was able to catch the positive result prior to the start of session today and it remains a requirement for all staff to be tested regularly.
…Adding… Unlike the Senate, House members are not required to be tested. Instead, they’re just “strongly” encouraged to take the test. I’m sure that’ll end well.
2 Comments
|
Lawsuits! Lawsuits! Lawsuits!
Tuesday, Apr 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Capitol News Illinois…
A Kane County restaurant’s legal challenge to Gov. JB Pritzker’s ban on indoor dining can continue, a Sangamon County judge ruled this week.
Attorneys for Pritzker tried to have the lawsuit dismissed but Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow on Wednesday declined to do so. While Grischow decided not to dismiss the case, she did not reach a decision on the merits of their argument.
The order is here.
* Cook County Record…
A federal judge has not only refused to grant Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s wish to end federal oversight of state employment and hiring practices, but has also granted a modest expansion of that watchdog duty.
“The message is not getting across to employment decision-makers” that overseers “will root out the problems and that there is a price to pay,” said Judge Edmond Chang.
On March 31, Chang, of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, denied motions by Pritzker to kill off the so-called Shakman Decrees, court orders requiring federal court oversight of hiring practices in a host of government agencies in Chicago and Springfield. […]
Chang acknowledged the state has made “significant” progress in its employment practices, and he might be receptive to another request late this year to terminate oversight. Chang noted that if the Cook County sheriff, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the city of Chicago and Cook County have been able to satisfy Shakman, then “so can the State.” These governmental bodies are no longer under federal monitoring. […]
Adding that implementation is “complex,” Chang noted there is “evidence of ongoing noncompliance.” He particularly noted problems with Pritzker’s attempt to persuade the court to place trust in the Inspector General’s office. The judge pointed to an “apparent lack of sanctions for disregarding recommendations” made by the OEIG.
The opinion is here.
…Adding… The governor’s office points to this passage from page 30…
“t bears repeating and emphasis that this is not to cast pejorative criticisms on any particular institution or person. It just is not easy to durably protect State employees from partisan decision-making in employment, because those in power will do much to keep unlawful employment decisions out of the light and employees who lose out naturally fear retribution if they speak up. Nor does the Court downplay the significant progress made by the State, especially in the past two years, toward implementing a durable remedy. Indeed, as the implementation of the CEP continues, and as HEM continues its efforts and—it is hoped—increases its impact on State agencies, then the Court would be receptive to consider another motion to terminate in the last quarter of this year.
* Cook County Record…
A coalition of road construction contractors have asked the Illinois Supreme Court to step into the first court fight over whether an Illinois state constitutional amendment can be used to force Cook County and other local governments to spend money from local transportation-related taxes on actual transportation projects, and not county operations.
This week, attorneys for the group, headlined by trade lobby group, the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association, filed a petition with the Illinois Supreme Court, seeking permission to appeal to the state high court of a state appellate court’s decision.
In that decision, a panel of the Illinois First District Appellate Court declared their belief that Cook County is free to spend transportation-related tax dollars as the county government deems fit, despite a state constitutional amendment intended to lock away transportation funding from being spent elsewhere.
In their petition to the state Supreme Court, the road builders said the high court needed step in to set the precedent that local governments – not just the state government – must abide by the language of the so-called Safe Roads Amendment, and dedicate transportation money to transportation projects.
“This is not only a matter of first impression, but one of great public importance,” the road builders wrote. “At stake are hundreds of millions of dollars in transportation tax revenue that, under a constitutional amendment that the people of Illinois overwhelmingly approved, must be invested in our transportation infrastructure.”
The petition is here.
4 Comments
|
* AP…
The U.S. is recommending a “pause” in using the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday they were investigating unusual clots that occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination. The clots occurred in veins that drain blood from the brain and occurred together with low platelets. All six cases were in women between the ages of 18 and 48; there was one death and all remained under investigation.
* IDPH…
In accordance with recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine out of an abundance of caution. The CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine.
IDPH has notified all Illinois COVID-19 providers throughout the state to discontinue use of the J&J vaccine at this time. In order to keep appointments, IDPH is strongly advising providers to use Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
Moderna and Pfizer make up the vast majority of doses on hand in the State of Illinois. This week, the state’s allocation of J&J was 17,000 doses. For the week of April 18, 2021, the expected allocation for the State is 483,720 total doses. Of that total allocation, 5,800 doses were expected to be J&J.
Per the federal health authorities, people who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider. Patients with other clinical questions should contact their health care provider.
IDPH will continue to update the public as additional information becomes available.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Johnson & Johnson…
The safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority. We are aware of an extremely rare disorder involving people with blood clots in combination with low platelets in a small number of individuals who have received our COVID-19 vaccine. The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases out of more than 6.8 million doses administered. Out of an abundance of caution, the CDC and FDA have recommended a pause in the use of our vaccine.
In addition, we have been reviewing these cases with European health authorities. We have made the decision to proactively delay the rollout of our vaccine in Europe.
We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and we strongly support the open communication of this information to healthcare professionals and the public.
The CDC and FDA have made information available about proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot. The health authorities advise that people who have received our COVID-19 vaccine and develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.
For more information on the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, click here.
A commenter asked how many people would die from contracting COVID-19 as a result of this pause. It’s a good question.
…Adding… Another good point…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Block Club Chicago…
The state will send 50,000 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to Chicago as the city suspends using its Johnson & Johnson doses. […]
The pause is only expected to last several days, officials have said.
The one-shot vaccine has been administered to tens of thousands of people in Chicago, and officials hoped that, as supply of the doses increased, it would play a significant role in getting residents vaccinated as quickly as possible — especially with cases on the rise in the city.
*** UPDATE 3 *** IDPH…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is developing and implementing plans to move forward with COVID-19 vaccinations in Illinois after putting a pause on administration of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine, including robust communication with all providers and the transfer of 50,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Chicago.
Earlier today, at the recommendation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), IDPH paused the use of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine out of an abundance of caution. The CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine, out of a total of more than six million Americans who have received the J&J vaccine. In Illinois, of the total 7.3 million doses administered to date, 4% or approximately 290,000 have been J&J. These individuals remain fully vaccinated and do not need to seek out an alternate vaccine. People vaccinated with J&J should consult with their medial provider if they develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination.
“Public health officials made a commitment that any safety signals that came up concerning COVID-19 vaccines would be fully addressed in a transparent manner, which is what is occurring right now with the J&J vaccine,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “The blood clot cases appear to be extremely rare and there are no reported cases associated with either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna vaccines. IDPH is taking immediate action to ensure as little disruption to Illinois residents as possible during this pause, and I strongly encourage people to continue to get vaccinated. Millions upon millions of people have already been safely vaccinated and it will take millions more before we can put this pandemic behind us.”
Upon learning of the recommendation, IDPH took the following actions to ensure COVID-19 vaccine providers and health care workers in Illinois were aware of the pause and received the support they needed to adjust their planning:
• Immediately sent notification about the pause to COVID-19 providers, local health departments, and health care providers via the State of Illinois Rapid Electronic Notification system, which included follow-up calls, text, and emails.
• Directly emailed and called all local health departments through IDPH Emergency Response Coordinators, to assess impact and work to mitigate using Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
• Connected with all mass vaccination sites, Illinois National Guard vaccination missions, and one-day J&J clinics scheduled in EMTrack to develop alternate plans where necessary and ensure the least amount of disruption possible on individuals with appointments.
• Sent notification to hospitals, emergency departments, physicians, and other health care providers about treatment for this specific type of blood clot
The pause on the J&J vaccine will not have a large impact on state vaccination efforts as the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines make up the vast majority of doses on hand in the State of Illinois. No state-supported mass vaccination sites will be closed and no rapid response team clinics, faith-based or equity clinics, or rural clinics have been cancelled at this time. They will all move forward with a different type of vaccine.
The total allocation of J&J vaccine to Illinois, including Chicago, is 760,300, of which 290,615 doses have been administered. This week, the state’s allocation of J&J was 17,000 doses. For the week of April 18, 2021, the expected allocation for the State is 483,720 total doses. Of that total allocation, 5,800 doses were expected to be J&J.
In an effort to vaccinate as many people as possible across Illinois, the State is allocating 50,000 first doses of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to the City of Chicago over the next seven days to help meet demand. The State will also be allocating 50,000 doses to Chicago when second doses come due to be administered.
IDPH encourages people to register with V-safe After Vaccination Health Checker, a smartphone-based tool that uses text messages and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccine. For more information on v-safe, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/vsafe.html.
35 Comments
|
* The governor has been quite silent and the Republicans want to hear his thoughts…
Representative Elizabeth Hernandez
Chair, House Redistricting Committee
109 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Senator Omar Aquino
Chair, Senate Redistricting Committee
627 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Dear Chairs Hernandez and Aquino:
Comments from Members of the Democratic party during hearings on the 2021 redistricting process lead us to believe that the majority fully plans to enact new maps for both the Legislature and U.S. House of Representatives through a process that includes Governor Pritzker signing legislation by June 30, 2021.
To date, not a single House or Senate hearing has included testimony from the Governor or anyone representing his office.
We request the Governor, or a high-level member of his office, testify at our only scheduled joint House-Senate hearing on Monday, April 19, 2021, 5:00 p.m. in East St. Louis.
In March of 2018, then-candidate JB Pritzker said that without a constitutionally-implemented independent commission, “I would urge Democrats and Republicans to agree to an independent commission to handle creating a new legislative map”.
On January 30, 2020, Governor Pritzker stated “we should have compact, contiguous districts as best we can.” Additionally, the Governor added “I am going to veto any unfair map that gets presented to me.”
On January 5, 2021, the spokesperson for the Governor reiterated the position by saying the Governor “has been clear he will veto a partisan map.”
Given the Governor’s numerous stated positions in favor of fair mapping, as well as a commission process for redistricting, it is vital that both the people of Illinois and our Committees hear directly from the Governor in a public hearing as to his views and plans for redistricting.
We ask that you immediately invite and confirm the Governor’s presence at the April 19 hearing so plans can be made accordingly.
Sincerely,
Senator Jason Barickman
Spokesman, Senate Redistricting Committee
Representative Tim Butler
Spokesman, House Redistricting Committee
Frankly, I wouldn’t mind seeing that, either. I’ve asked Pritzker’s office for comment.
*** UPDATE *** Jordan Abudayyeh…
As the Governor has said, he believes legislative maps should reflect Illinois’ gender, racial, and geographic diversity, along with preserving the Voting Rights Act decisions that help ensure racial and language minorities are fully represented in the electoral process.
* Meanwhile, I went over this topic with subscribers earlier today…
The statement below can be attributed to Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee, and Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, Vice Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee:
“As Republicans nationwide seek to silence Black and Brown communities, Democrats in Illinois remain committed to the creation of a fair map that reflects the great diversity of our state. We have invited communities of interest across Illinois to participate in this process, including establishing an online portal that allows anyone to draw and submit their own proposed maps. Meanwhile, Republicans are presenting the public with a false choice by promoting legislation that is legally unsound. They know a bill cannot supersede the Illinois Constitution, which requires the General Assembly to undertake the redistricting process every ten years. Democrats are focused on inclusion, not legally questionable distractions.”
* Related…
* Tom Kacich: Will Illinois Democrats opt for inferior data in map-making?
* Aurora hearing gives residents chance to speak out on redistricting
* Who Draws The Line? - Northern Illinois Residents Discuss Redistricting During Recent Hearing
* Elected officials, witnesses debate best ways to redraw legislative districts at CLC hearing
15 Comments
|
* Chicago never opted in to legalized video gaming, so those gray-market sweepstakes games have popped up all over. The same sort of thing is now happening with the slow rollout of cannabis dispensaries and on-site consumption…
A growing number of Chicago businesses are now exploiting a loophole in federal law that appears to allow the unfettered sale of a trendy hemp byproduct called Delta-8-THC, which has commonly been described as “marijuana-lite” or “diet weed.”
Retailers across the city have started selling a variety of Delta-8 products in settings that resemble licensed cannabis dispensaries but aren’t subject to the same stiff regulations. Many sell everything from edibles to vaping cartridges, as well as smokable hemp flower sprayed with Delta-8 extract.
Some places are dosing food and drinks with Delta-8 and allowing customers to consume it on site. That flies in the face of a hard-fought provision in the state’s marijuana legalization law that tightly regulates on-site consumption, which isn’t allowed in Chicago yet. […]
Pam Althoff, a former state senator who now serves as the association’s executive director, said Delta-8 sellers are increasingly cropping up in “cannabis deserts,” where licensed pot shops haven’t opened.
* Related…
…Adding… This could turn into whack-a-mole, but we’ll see…
Rich -
Saw your “An unintended…” post. Wanted to flag that my legislation (expecting it to be voted out of the House this week, bipartisan support and supported by the IL Department of Agriculture and IDPH) would provide regulatory authority for the first time to the Illinois Department of Agriculture to oversee and regulate CBD and Delta 8 products.
https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=HB&DocNum=147&GAID=16&SessionID=110&LegID=127978
Happy to provide further explanation/comment as well.
Bob Morgan
IL State Representative (58th Dist.)
9 Comments
|
* Remember that Sundays generally have lower numbers, particularly deaths, because locals aren’t filling out the forms. Hospitalization numbers are generally accurate, though…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,433 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 18 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 1 male 20s, 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 2 males 60s, 3 females 70s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s, 2 males 90s
- Kane County: 1 female 90s
- Vermilion County: 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,282,205 cases, including 21,523 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 53,115 specimens for a total of 21,225,122. As of last night, 1,998 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 418 patients were in the ICU and 177 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 5-11, 2021 is 4.4%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 5-11, 2021 is 4.9%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 9,001,105. A total of 7,243,383 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 132,188 doses. Yesterday, 64,772 doses were reported administered in Illinois. The Illinois National Guard has administered more than one million doses of COVID-19 vaccines at state-supported vaccination sites around the state.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
*** UPDATE *** Tribune…
In the 20-county region that stretches from Kendall and Grundy counties to the Quad Cities, the seven-day average of available intensive care beds has dipped below 20% for four straight days beginning Thursday.
The percentage of available staffed ICU beds was one of the bench marks used to trigger tighter restrictions under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan. Health officials recently have said they’re reevaluating those criteria, which were developed before vaccines were available.
The test positivity rate is also rising in the region, home to Peoria and Bloomington-Normal, reaching a seven-day average of 7.2% as of Friday, up from 6.5% a week earlier.
Under the rules that were enforced during the fall surge, a rolling test positivity rate of 8% or higher for three consecutive days triggered tighter restrictions.
In suburban Cook County, where officials have been warning since last week that stricter rules could be coming if trends don’t reverse, the seven-day average for ICU bed availability was 20% Sunday for the second straight day.
13 Comments
|
* Let’s start with this surprise press release on April 5…
On Monday, the eight members of the Illinois State Board of Elections voted unanimously to place Executive Director Steve Sandvoss on administrative leave after he reported being the victim of an online extortion attempt last week. Director Sandvoss reported the attempt to the Illinois State Police, which has begun an investigation.
Based on Director Sandvoss’ description, the attempted extortion scheme appeared typical of many such online scams.
However, because this attempt targeted a top official at the Illinois State Board of Elections, and out of an abundance of caution, the board has taken the cautionary step of placing Director Sandvoss on administrative leave. The board authorized Assistant Executive Director Bernadette Matthews to assume directorship at this time.
The board also authorized the agency’s Chief Information Security Officer, Jeremy Owens, to cooperate fully with the law enforcement investigation, as well as conduct an internal assessment of all SBE devices to which Director Sandvoss had access and ensure the security of the Board’s systems.
At this time, there is no reason to believe that any election data or information has been compromised. All further questions regarding the investigation should be addressed to the Illinois State Police at isp.pio.personnel@illinois.gov.
If you read the release closely, it looks like the board doesn’t believe that Sandvoss’ problems were state-related. But the probe is in the hands of the Illinois State Police, so the board isn’t 100 percent certain of what exactly happened. I-Team…
However, what prompted the alleged extortion attempt they will not disclose, nor will they discuss the nature of the communication, what was being demanded of the state election director, whether it was made on a state computer or Sandvoss’s personal device, or what they are referring to by describing the attempted extortion as typical of many such online scams.
The Illinois State Police are investigating to determine who was behind this alleged extortion attempt, and how and why Sandvoss apparently became targeted.
State police officials told the I-Team that their investigation of the reported extortion “remains open and ongoing.”
* Anyway, the board has called a special meeting for this afternoon at 3 o’clock. Their only agenda item is an executive session. By law, the board has to summarize what went on during the executive session, so we’ll likely know more later today.
Somebody’s personal business is their own personal business, but Russian hackers targeted the board in 2016 and Sandvoss apparently has a security clearance, so he’s held to a much higher standard than if a low-level state worker got catfished, or whatever. Hopefully, the board clears this up today.
Sandvoss has been with the board since 2004.
*** UPDATE *** I was logged on to the Zoom meeting just in time to hear them adjourn. I asked Matt Dietrich what happened…
The board took no action today. So Steve remains on administrative leave.
What you got in the Zoom conference is exactly what I got.
9 Comments
|
* Thread…
That Chatham race was quite something. Tiffani Saunders, Andrea Rediger and Ann Strahle all won seats on the board and campaigned on progressive platforms.
* Daily Herald…
Numerous incumbents in DuPage County’s most contentious school board races appeared to hold onto their seats Tuesday, fending off a flood of opposition candidates in an election largely seen as a referendum on COVID-19 restrictions and the pace of reopening classrooms.
Unofficial results indicated voters seemed to favor experience over new blood as many districts shifted to return to in-person learning after spring break while navigating a possible pandemic resurgence in DuPage.
From Naperville to Glen Ellyn, sitting board members fought off challengers who focused their campaigns on expediting school reopenings.
The debate sparked protests across the suburbs as frustrated parents called for their children to return to classrooms while school leaders said they were following the advice of health experts. It also made for clear fault lines in large fields of candidate
Lots more in there.
* More Daily Herald…
Janice Krinsky, school board president in Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59, appears to have been ousted by the political strength of widespread teacher opposition.
Krinsky, of Arlington Heights. had lost the backing of the faculty because of her previous support for departing Superintendent Art Fessler, the subject of controversy among teachers partly because of how he introduced a new currciulum.
Teachers instead backed the other four candidates in the race: longtime incumbent Mardell Schumacher of Elk Grove Village, incumbent Roberto Mancilla Jr. of Arlington Heights and challengers Daisy Espino of Mount Prospect and Joseph Sagerer of Elk Grove Village.
* Jeanne Ives…
When only 15% of voters show up to vote, expect more tax hikes, more indoctrination at your school with less learning, more public debt, overly generous public employee contracts, and more wokeness from your school boards.
The teachers union - who has kept your schools closed and property taxes high - cleaned up in the suburbs because many people didn’t care to vote.
For those of you who did show up - THANK YOU!
* Ives is not alone, however…
The Illinois Education Association’s local union chapters vetted and endorsed candidates in 38 school board and college trustee races statewide. Of 132 union-backed candidates, 107 were elected, according to unofficial results.
Additional union-endorsed candidates could prevail once all votes are counted, including provisional ballots and late-arriving mail votes, IEA President Kathi Griffin said Friday.
“Some of the races are quite close,” Griffin said. “Basically, we have about 81% (of candidates) currently successful, as of yesterday.” […]
Political groups trying to influence local school board elections is cause for concern, say leaders of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters.
“It changes the game,” said Heidi Graham, president of the League of Women Voters of Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Buffalo Grove and surrounding areas. Graham said the league supports getting special interest money and influence out of local nonpartisan elections.
While Graham opposes political parties in local elections, teachers unions also should get out of the business of endorsing candidates, she said.
Or, they could move these elections to presidential/governor years.
* Related…
* Slowik: Integrity squeezed as politics creeps further into south suburban public higher education
*** UPDATE *** John Kass on March 12…
Suburban parents are rightfully angry. They pay among the highest residential property taxes in the nation and most of it goes to the public schools.
And they’ve agonized as parochial and private schools have been mostly open through the pandemic while their public schools have been closed and their children waste away on remote learning. […]
Elizabeth Bauer is a writer for Forbes and a suburban mom running for the District 214 board in the northwest suburbs. The district includes John Hersey High School and schools in Mount Prospect, Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows and Wheeling. Bauer knows how to read a budget. She’s well-known on Twitter as @JanetheActuary. I respect her.
The other day Bauer wrote a superb op-ed in the Tribune asking parents to run for school board seats. The headline: “Want to reopen schools and hold them accountable? Run for office.” […]
“I suppose this is a test, in my own small way, to determine if Illinois is broken at all levels,” Bauer said. “I guess we’ll find out.”
Bauer finished in 5th place. She has questions about why she lost…
if I hadn’t lost a weekend of door-knocking due to the emotional hit of the board-meeting blindside?
if the Daily Herald editorial board hadn’t endorsed the incumbent slate despite their admission that they operate behind the scenes?
if the union hadn’t sent out its postcard using the D214 logo to imply endorsement, and the Superintendent hadn’t refused to comment?
if the Superintendent hadn’t timed the full reopening to coincide with the election?
if an unrelated personal matter hadn’t taken much of my time and energy in an unplanned way?
if I hadn’t been navigating the strategy and trying to work out, from scratch, how to best get my message out, and if I hadn’t been learning as I went along, about what my key concerns were, as I watched the academic year play out and researched the board’s actions?
52 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
|
Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
|
   
|
Hosted by MCS
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax
Advertise Here
Mobile Version
Contact Rich Miller
|
