This month, an average of more than 30 Illinois children a day have been admitted to hospitals with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, with the rolling seven-day average reaching 40 admissions last Wednesday. A year ago at this time, average daily admissions were around 20 in early August before peaking at 35. […]
Still, the increase in childhood hospitalizations in Illinois is far less severe than in states where some pediatric wards are filling up fast. In Florida, for example, admissions are running roughly triple what they were last August, at one point approaching 100 confirmed or suspected childhood cases a day, on average.
Florida’s population is 70 percent larger than ours, so we’ve got a little ways to go before getting that bad. And it could, especially with this attitude…
Last week we delivered nearly 45,000 petitions to Pritzker’s office to demand he rescinds his unilateral mask mandate on our schools. I'm delivering YOUR voice.
Of three suburban private schools that had their recognition status pulled by the Illinois State Board of Education last week after officials said they flouted a COVID-19 mask mandate, just one has been reinstated.
Bethany Lutheran School in Naperville and Lutheran School of St. Luke in Itasca remained on ISBE’s list of sanctioned schools as of Tuesday, the agency reported.
Most epidemiologists say they still believe that in-person school can be conducted safely, and that it’s important considering the academic, social and emotional damage to students since the pandemic slammed into American schools in March 2020.
In some cases, experts say, the reversals reflect a careless approach among districts that acted as if the pandemic were basically over.
“People should realize it’s not over. It’s a real problem, a real public health issue,” said Dr. Tina Tan, a Northwestern University medical professor who chairs the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Infectious Diseases. “You have to do everything to prevent the spread of COVID in the school.”
Tan and others say that means not just masks in schools but a push for vaccination, social distancing, ventilation and other precautions, providing multiple layers of protection.
* IDES press release…
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that it will begin the phased restoration of in-person workforce and limited unemployment services at American Job Centers throughout the state on an appointment-only basis starting Thursday, August 26. In-person appointments will be available at the following locations as part of the first phase of the plan:
Rockford | 303 North Main Street
Harvey | 16845 South Halsted
Champaign | 1307 North Mattis Avenue
Mt. Vernon | 333 Potomac Boulevard, Suite E
To schedule an appointment, individuals should call via the IDES Scheduling Hotline at 217.558.0401 and request a callback. Appointments must be scheduled a minimum of 24 hours in advance of the appointment time. An appointment may be scheduled for one of the following reasons:
Identity verification for an unemployment insurance claim
Assistance registering with IllinoisJobLink.com
Assistance documenting work search activities
Employment services, including resume and job search guidance
Request to use the Resource Room to use computers with internet and other resources
Appointments will be available Monday through Friday between 8:30am and 5:00pm. To ensure efficiency, each appointment will be 20 minutes in length and visitors will be afforded a 10-minute grace period. Visitors who schedule an appointment must bring a photo ID and any other documentation required for the appointment. A scheduled appointment is required for entrance into one of the offices. Individuals who arrive at an office without an appointment will be asked to schedule an appointment via the Scheduling Hotline for a later date.
Masks or face coverings are required when entering an office. If a visitor has been experiencing any symptoms or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 within 14 days prior to their appointment, they will be required to reschedule the appointment.
In the coming weeks, IDES will continue to reopen additional offices on a phased basis and will announce the availability of phone appointments to further assist claimants.
Claimants are strongly encouraged to use the IDES website to apply and certify for benefits, enroll in direct deposit, change passwords, engage in work search, and connect with an employment services professional, among other services. Claimants can also continue to speak with an IDES expert over the phone, by requesting a callback at 800.244.5631. As a reminder, if a callback is received at an inconvenient time, claimants may reschedule the callback for a specific time with a call center agent.
* More…
* Quinnipiac: 6 In 10 Floridians Support Requiring Masks In Schools, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; 61% Say Recent Rise In COVID-19 Cases In Florida Was Preventable
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is reminding the public that beginning the first week of September, customers will be required to make an appointment for behind-the-wheel road tests, REAL IDs, standard driver’s licenses and ID cards at three Chicago facilities. The facilities are Chicago North, 5401 N. Elston Ave. beginning Sept. 1; Chicago West, 5301 W. Lexington St. beginning Sept. 2; and Chicago South, 9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive beginning Sept. 3. Vehicle services, such as renewing a license plate sticker or applying for a vehicle title, do not require an appointment.
The week of Sept. 7, many other metro Driver Services facilities will also require appointments. These facilities and the dates they go live include Schaumburg and Bridgeview on Sept. 7; Lombard and Des Plaines on Sept. 8; Waukegan and Naperville on Sept. 9; and Aurora, Plano and Joliet on Sept. 10.
Lake Zurich, Melrose Park, Midlothian and Woodstock have been serving as appointment facilities since early this year and will continue requiring appointments.
All 16 appointment-based facilities will have the same standardized days and hours of operation: Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Customers and employees are required to wear masks. Customers are encouraged to bring their own masks.
Customers can visit www.cyberdriveillinois.com to schedule an appointment up to 10 days in advance during this phase of the program. New appointment slots will be available each day at www.cyberdriveillinois.com.
Secretary White emphasized that seniors, veterans, persons with disabilities and expectant mothers will be served as walk-ins at all 16 of the designated appointment facilities. They also have the option to make an appointment.
Beginning in September, customers can schedule an appointment online or by calling the appointment helpline at 844-817-4649. The Secretary of State is partnering with the Chicago Lighthouse to provide these call center services. The Chicago Lighthouse’s call centers offer career opportunities for people who are blind, visually impaired, disabled, veterans and economically disadvantaged.
White is launching a comprehensive media campaign this week, which includes television, radio, newspapers, digital display and social media ads that will run in English and Spanish in the Chicago metro area.
White noted that not all facilities will go to the appointment-based system. Many small, rural facilities will not require the appointment system because they do not encounter the heavy customer volume that large facilities encounter.
Larger central and downstate Illinois facilities will implement a customer scheduling system in the near future.
* Valencia Running for Illinois Secretary of State: More than a year before the election, one of the candidates for Illinois secretary of state is visiting the Quad Cities. Anna Valencia met with local Latino leaders Sunday, and Monday is talking with labor, faith, and Democratic party leaders. Valencia was first elected City Clerk for the city of Chicago in 2017, and says her main goal for state wide office is to modernize it so more services are available online. “So you don’t have to take a day off of work, drive thirty miles, wait in line, find child care, and transportation. You can do things on your mobile device. Whether that’s you taking your vision test, paying online, appointment dates, all your renewals should be on your mobile services so that’s priority one.”
* Charlie Watts knew all the way down to his very soul that it isn’t so much the notes you play, it’s the spaces between those notes that truly matter. He also knew when to just sit quiet and when to come in hard and drive a song - and his band - forward. He does both so impeccably well here…
Feel your mouth kissing me again
What a beautiful buzz, what a beautiful buzz
* The Rolling Stones wouldn’t ever have been a thing without Charlie Watts’ swing. RIP, man…
It was hard to imagine the Stones without Watts even then, though. His light touch, singular rhythmic sense, and impeccable feel, as heard on canonical rock songs such as “Paint It, Black,” “Gimme Shelter,” and “Brown Sugar,” made him both the engine that powered the Stones’ music and one of the most famous and respected drummers of all time.
As Keith Richards said in 1979: “Everybody thinks Mick and Keith are the Rolling Stones. If Charlie wasn’t doing what he’s doing on drums, that wouldn’t be true at all. You’d find out that Charlie Watts is the Stones.”
Today, Nikki Budzinski, a labor activist, former senior advisor to Governor JB Pritzker, and former member of the Biden administration at OMB announced her campaign for Congress in Illinois’ 13th congressional district with a coalition of support.
Born in Peoria, Nikki’s parents taught her the importance of family, community, and service to others. From her grandpa, a union painter, she saw how unions built and sustained the middle class. From her grandma, a public-school teacher, she learned the value of a good education. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign, Nikki traveled the country fighting to get hard-working people the pay and workplace protections they deserve while working with the IAFF firefighters union and UFCW.
As Governor JB Pritzker’s senior advisor, Nikki helped pass a $15 minimum wage in Illinois and expand high speed internet across the state. As the Chief of Staff in President Biden’s Office of Management and Budget, she helped implement the American Rescue Plan and established the Made in America office.
Budzinski also announced the endorsement of UFCW Local 881, Pastor Ray McJunkins, the Lead Pastor of Union Baptist Church in Springfield, State Representative Katie Stuart, Sangamon County Democratic Chairman Bill Houlihan, Christian County Democratic Chairman Ben Curtin, Jersey County Democratic Chairman Mark Pohlman, Calhoun County Democratic Chairman Paul “Snow” Herkert, and Macoupin County Democrats Chairwoman Pam Monetti.
Budzinski made the following statement: “I’ve spent my whole life fighting for working people and I’ll do the same in Congress. I want to make sure every Illinoisan has access to the same middle-class opportunities that my grandparents did as union painters and teachers.
Rodney Davis isn’t getting the job done. The stakes are too high for middle class families like the one I grew up in to have ineffective leaders in Congress and I plan to go to Congress and deliver for Illinois.”
Steve Powell, President of Local 881 and UFCW International Vice President made the following statement: “Nikki has spent her entire professional life fighting for working people. As we recover from COVID19 and build a new 21st-century economy, we need leaders like Nikki in Congress that are going to stand up for our members and make sure labor has a seat at the decision-making table. My job is to deliver for our members and having advocates like Nikki in Congress makes that easier. That’s why UFCW Local 881 is supporting Nikki.”
Pam Monetti, Chairwoman of the Macoupin County Democrats made the following statement: “Working people need allies in Congress that will make sure middle-class families get a fair shake. We haven’t gotten that from Rodney Davis the entire time he’s been in office. We need a true ally to working people which is why I’m supporting Nikki. She’s walked the walk - working in the labor movement, working to pass a $15 minimum wage in Illinois, and working on the American Rescue Plan in President Biden’s administration. Nikki will get the job done and I encourage others to support her.”
Pastor Ray McJunkins made the following statement: “Nikki Budzinski’s career spans over 20 years as a public servant. With an impressive and extensive background in government and political science Nikki is an exceptional individual when it comes to her passion of making a difference. She understands the importance of involvement in the decision-making process while working for the common good. With her education and experience, I am confident she will be a strong voice for the working class. Nikki Budzinski will bring to Capitol Hill knowledge, skill, experience, integrity, determination, and character. In fact, my descriptive summary of Nikki includes words such as competent, committed, talented, and innovative. She is an asset to local and state government and will be an even greater asset to federal government as she works for the people.”
Keep in mind that we don’t yet know what the districts will look like, and probably won’t until late October.
*** UPDATE *** Aaron DeGroot at the Rodney Davis campaign…
Hey, Rich.
Here is a quote from me as Davis campaign spokesperson regarding the Nikki Budzinski announcement:
“Nikki Budzinski is a lifelong Democrat political operative who is steeped in corrupt, Madigan-style politics. When she was a top staffer for Governor Pritzker, she helped Mike Madigan put his allies in patronage jobs throughout state government. Illinois voters have had enough of corrupt Madigan Machine politicians like Budzinski.”
And since Budzinski is Dick Durbin’s candidate for Congress against Rodney, I’ll note that Durbin is 0-5 against Rodney.
