* That’s it for me. Barring extreme craziness necessitating a return to the helm, I’m taking next week off. You’ll have all of the news feeds and the live coverage post to keep you up to date. Judging from the comments, I think we could all use a little rest…
The ‘Edge’. There is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over. The others — the living — are those who pushed their luck as far as they felt they could handle it, and then pulled back, or slowed down or did whatever they had to when it came time to choose between Now and Later. But the edge is still out there.
* Gov. JB Pritzker spoke to reporters today at the Peoria Civic Center. The questions were off-mic, so they are paraphrased here. I skipped over a couple of them. And, as always, please pardon all transcription errors.
* Emergency special session…
What I’ve said is that if the leaders of the General Assembly call for a special session, I’m right there, I think we should do it.
One thing I do think is we need to make sure we have an agenda to put forward. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to develop that agenda. I can tell you what I think I just did, but it needs to be put into effect in more than what I just said. And so there needs to be work to put an agenda together before we call for a special session or any session.
* Legislation has been introduced to require a special prosecutor for every officer-involved death. Would you sign it if it reached your desk?…
This prospect was just brought to me you know over the last few days as one of the things that we ought to be thinking about that. Honestly, I had not thought about a special prosecutor, I had not seen the bill before. That’s the honest truth. I think there’s a lot to it. I think that making sure that there is a truly independent investigation of the circumstances surrounding a killing, that is something that’s very important. Just saying that police will investigate themselves or letting the leadership, even if a city investigate the police. That by itself isn’t enough.
* You’ve deployed the National Guard. Are there additional measures you could take if violence erupts this weekend?…
Well, I think that, let me compliment the National Guard one more time but let me also bring up the name of the Illinois State Police, because they’ve been working in very close collaboration across the last week to bring down the temperature across the state to support local police departments, and you’ve seen I think over night after night I mean I’ve watched it up close and personal. The looting has come down ,the violence has come down. Last night was the best night over the last seven. […]
We’re not just sending them places. The local communities are asking us for help and we’re responding by posting National Guard and state police in those locations, and where we’ve been called to, where they’ve been called to, they’ve done an amazing job backing up local police departments.
* Why are National Guard troops needed in Peoria?…
In short, we go where we are asked. And there is a discussion that takes place between the National Guard with state police involved, and the local officials both elected officials and the law enforcement very importantly, so that’s all done as partnership.
* Worried about huge cuts to local law enforcement budgets?…
Well, I can’t say it enough that there’s no doubt and I don’t want to put Congressman Bustos on the spot because she voted for it already, but the federal government has to step in. This isn’t just happening in Illinois. This is happening in every state in the United States, even the ones you think of as never having any budget problems.
When I first became governor, I remember sitting down with the governor of California, the new governor of California. And he said, What’s your biggest problem? I said well we got to balance our budget in the state. And I said, How is your budget? He said well we have a $23 billion surplus. So I said, well, I won’t tell you the rest of that conversation, but I will tell you this, they have a $54 billion deficit.
So that just tells you one state. But that’s happening all over the United States. So local county and state governments need help from the federal government, just like all the big businesses big industry, the airlines and all the rest of them got help. We need help and we’re on the frontlines of lifting people up when they’ve lost their jobs and they need medical care, they need to take care of their families. They need childcare and so on.
* With the large protests all over the state, are we still on track to move to Phase 4? Do you anticipate setbacks?…
I wouldn’t say I anticipate delays or setbacks, but I’m concerned, worried that seeing so many people pack so close together in the marches that I’ve seen. And again, I support the expression of their first amendment rights. But so many people were so close together. I’m glad to say so many are wearing masks, that’s half the battle for sure. But I worry.
And you won’t see it show up, it doesn’t show up in the case numbers early. Where it shows up, where you really will see it is two to three weeks hence, so two to three weeks from the beginning, at the beginning of this week, look at the hospitalization numbers. That’s where you’ll start to see either movement or not. And then we can either develop some confidence about the outcome for phase three or some concern.
* No new cases after big Memorial Day party in Lake of the Ozarks. What if there is no spike now?…
Well, that would be fantastic. I mean let’s all celebrate. I said when we built out McCormick Place as an alternative health facility, and people were saying oh my gosh how many people are going to get COVID-19. I said, look, if nobody gets it nobody moves in there, you know, what a great day that’ll be. And that’s exactly what it turned out to be, because so many people followed the rules along the way as to, you know, if no if people end up two to three weeks from now, not having COVID-19. Fantastic. Wonderful. And by the way, about three weeks from now is the beginning of phase four all four regions, being currently on track to go to phase four, but again that’s why we have this period to watch the hospitalization numbers and all the rest.
* Would you consider changing anything related to large gatherings if that’s the case?…
You don’t want a politician making decisions like that. What you want is your elected official, your leader listening to the scientists to the epidemiologists which is what I do. And then asking questions, poking and prodding and making sure they’ve got it right. And then a decision gets made. And I’ll take responsibility for the decision, but I’ll also say, I’m not doing it by myself I’m doing it in collaboration with experts.
* What is the strategy for reopening casinos?…
Our public health officials are talking to casino owners and other experts to try to figure out how you could do it. I know other places have opened casinos. We’ve heard a lot about this out of Las Vegas, of course. But, the goal here is to get everybody back to work, but to do it safely. And so when you think about, I don’t know about all of you but when you think about a slot machine, or a blackjack table with six or however many people around it in very close quarters with somebody facing here, you’re all kind of facing each other I mean, those are challenges. I’m not going to make an epidemiological decision about that I don’t fully understand why six feet versus three. I know masks are hugely important.
But the point I’m making is that whatever we do with regard to casinos and with video terminals has got to be done with the thought in mind that the states and the cities that keep their people safest - this is the history of pandemics - the states and the cities that keep their people safest are the ones that do the best economically coming out of it. So we’re doing our best to open our economy, but to do it in a way that keeps everybody safe and healthy.
* Question about summer schools…
When the scientists are giving us information that’s helpful for us toward moving toward opening I’m listening. And so the signals they gave us were that we could move this direction. And of course, it helps us move toward opening schools in the fall, which I’m determined to do, I want to do, and I expect that we will be able to do. But I just want to be clear that these are not arbitrary political decisions that are getting made. They’re decisions that are getting made based upon the development of the research and the science about keeping people safe.
Dave’s been reading the Chicago Tribune [the Sun-Times actually published the story]. And all I can say is, I know there are a number of people who aren’t wearing masks in Scott County because they say they haven’t had any cases, and there hasn’t been a recorded case in Scott County. It’s the only one of 102 counties, the only county that doesn’t have a case. And that’s fantastic. I would say to everybody, this pandemic, this virus has no boundaries. And so I’d be extremely careful because people in Scott County don’t just stay in Scott County. They travel they engage with people and they may become sick as a result that but I just want people to be safe and I hope people do enjoy themselves, but wear a mask wash your hands. Be careful.
* More financial assistance from the state to help those who were impacted financially by the pandemic?…
Well yeah, first of all the budget that was just passed, there’s a lot of federal dollars that are in that budget for COVID relief. And so there there are a lot of dollars still yet to come. We announced today grants to small businesses. But I want to reiterate that so far we’ve sent about $30 million to small businesses across the state to support them and they’re reopening, and they’re surviving and making sure that their employees get paid and so on. We’re trying to help people through this period, there’s more money to come that came from this budget, but one program that we announced today, we put about $1.4 million, out of about $20 million, just in that one loan program but there’s much more to come.
* What would you do differently to prepare for the pandemic?…
That’s such a hard question to answer. And the reason is, if you don’t know all the facts about the virus, you know how it affects people, how it transmits how fast it would move. You don’t know and that’s, so that’s what was happening every day of this crisis. We’ve been reacting to new information, things that we’ve learned what the CDC tells us as they learn things as we watched other countries like Italy, China, Spain, France and so on.
So it’s hard to second guess when you’re in a dynamic environment. I think all of you remember that it was a very quick progression of decisions that needed to be made. I limited gatherings, you remember, I remember having a meeting in my office about closing down St Patrick’s Day. I mean that’s not something you do lightly anywhere in this state. That’s a lot of business for small businesses, that’s a lot of people enjoying themselves, nobody wants to do that. But it became clear that that was something we needed to do. What about just even before that, closing down visitors at nursing homes. I mean, these are very difficult decisions. I don’t know how to second guess what we did. It may be easy to be a Monday-morning quarterback and look back and say well gee, if I had known this I would have done that.
So the answer is, we’re making the best decisions we can with the science and the data. And I’m sure that people wil,l six months or a year or two years from now, look back and say we should have done X Y or Z. But if they weren’t in the room with the information at that moment then I don’t think they have a leg to stand on.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 1,156 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 59 additional confirmed deaths.
Cook County: 3 males 30s, 1 female 40s, 1 male 40s, 3 females 50s, 1 male 50s, 3 females 60s, 1 male 60s, 3 females 70s, 2 males 70s, 4 females 80s, 8 males 80s, 3 females 90s, 2 males 90s
DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s
Iroquois County: 1 male 70s
Kane County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s, 2 females 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
Kankakee County: 1 female 80s
Lake County: 1 female 40s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s
McHenry County: 1 male 70s
Rock Island County: 1 female 80s
St. Clair County: 1 female 90s
Will County: 1 male 80s
Winnebago County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 125,915 cases, including 5,795 deaths, in 101 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 18,903 specimens for a total of 1,000,919. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from May 29–June 4 is 6%.
A pet cat recently tested positive for COVID-19 after becoming sick in mid-May. The cat was in a home with people who had tested positive. This is the first animal to test positive for the virus in Illinois. There is no evidence COVID-19 is transmitted from animal to humans. However, if you are sick, you should distance yourself from pets as well as people.
*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.
As of midnight last night, we have 2911 Illinoisans in the hospital with COVID-19. To give you some perspective at the height of this crisis that number was over 5000. Of those 800 of those 2911 Illinoisans in the hospital, 817 are in intensive care units and 500 are on a ventilator.
* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker today joined U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos, Illinois General Assembly Leaders Jehan Gordon-Booth and Dave Koehler and county and city leaders at a Community-Based Testing Site in Peoria, to announce more than 1 million tests have been performed in Illinois. Testing is critical to preventing additional spread of COVID-19 as Illinois takes a safe and deliberate approach to reopening through the Restore Illinois plan.
“This milestone is the result of the incredible work of so many people behind the scenes in state government, in our National Guard, in our public and private hospital and healthcare systems all around the state – people who were willing to battle it out to build out a testing infrastructure that is accurate, efficient, and accessible,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “And we’re still building – but I’m very proud to be one of the earliest states to hit this landmark.”
* Press release from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois…
This weekend, thousands of people across Illinois once again will gather together to protest anti-Black racism and the police killing of George Floyd and countless other Black people. These inspiring protests have taken place throughout Illinois, including small towns like Anna in Southern Illinois to the City of Chicago and its suburbs.
These protests – and the ability of people to be outdoors for other permissible activities – should not be limited by indefinite curfews. Curfews are a blunt tool that invite unnecessary police interactions and often result in arbitrary and selective enforcement aimed at Black people and people of color, the type of biased policing challenged by many protesters.
Many Illinois cities and towns imposed unnecessary curfews last weekend that have continued throughout this week. It is time for the curfews to be lifted everywhere in our state.
Thoughts?
…Adding… Press release…
ACLU of Illinois Responds to the End of Chicago’s Curfew
The below statement can be attributed to Colleen Connell, Executive Director, ACLU of Illinois:
“Finally! The curfew in the City of Chicago has been lifted. The limitation went on too long and caused disruption for too many of the City’s residents, including those protesting anti-Black racism and police violence, journalists, people experiencing homelessness, and essential workers.
As we said the night the curfew was put in place, the indefinite and vague nature of the curfew invited discriminatory enforcement against Black and Brown communities in the City.”
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced the first round of grants awarded as part of the new Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program, just over a month after the program was launched. The fund was created to support small businesses in downstate and rural counties across Illinois that have experienced a negative impact due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“As businesses across Illinois grapple with the devastating financial impact of COVID-19, my administration continues to look for ways to help provide relief that will allow small businesses, the backbone of our economy, rebuild and thrive,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The Downstate Small Business Stabilization fund will help respond to the needs of our rural and downstate communities and address the impact COVID-19 has had across Illinois so that together we can start to rebuild our economy.”
The first $1.3 million in grants have been allocated to 65 businesses spanning 28 downstate communities. To support small businesses in downstate and rural counties across Illinois, DCEO repurposed $20 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to create the Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program. Through the program, small businesses of up to 50 employees can partner with their local governments to obtain grants of up to $25,000 in working capital.
When Governor JB Pritzker issued his first stay-at-home order more than two months ago, he told small businesses that assistance was available through the Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program administered by DCEO.
Local governments had to apply to DCEO on behalf of businesses in their jurisdiction who had financial need because of COVID related closures and limitations on business. Many small businesses were unable to apply for a grant because the amount of work required from their city or county was too much of a burden on small local governments.
The City of Dixon chose to participate and was a statewide leader, immediately hosting virtual meetings and establishing an 8-person team to assist small business owners with preparing and submitting an 80-100 page application for each business. The City was required to post notice and hold several public meetings to take a City Council vote to support each individual application. Altogether, the City team spent more than 500 hours to prepare, approve, and submit 52 applications on behalf of local businesses.
During this time, DCEO posted initial guidance and criteria, hosted a webinar to explain the program and answer questions, and revised their guidance and criteria more than once. Many applicants in Dixon had already done considerable work to apply for the grant when the rules changed mid-stream. I also contacted DCEO multiple times to try and streamline the application process so more small counties and cities could apply. After being told by DCEO that much of the red-tape was due to federal requirements, I worked through Congressman Adam Kinzinger’s office and contacted officials within the US Department of Housing and Urban Development who oversaw the grant program and got them to agree to waive certain requirements.
In Dixon alone, 52 small businesses chose to apply for a grant to help stabilize their businesses which were greatly impacted by COVID and the stay-at-home order. Many of these same applicants were also forced to wait more than 7 weeks to even be able to apply for unemployment insurance through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Some have still not received unemployment benefits. All through that time, after having been among the first to submit their thorough application for a Downstate Small Business Stabilization Grant, they waited to receive this emergency assistance from DCEO.
Now, more than two months after the stay-at-home order began, the City of Dixon was notified that just 4 of the 52 applications were approved by DCEO. Even though sole proprietors were originally said to be eligible, several Dixon applications were denied simply because “no employees.” Others were denied because they had “negative cash flow” in previous years — precisely the kind of business that you would think needs stabilization during a pandemic. Other businesses were denied because they had “insufficient length of business operation” — again, a fledgling local business would typically be exactly the kind of business you’d want to support when a statewide emergency strikes. Other businesses were denied for their entire grant request with a note that they received other assistance, despite the fact that DCEO guidance explicitly states that application for CARES or other assistance does not impact their ability to qualify for downstate stabilization grants.
Furthermore, many of these denial notes carry dates of late April or early May, meaning DCEO reviewed these applications more than a month ago and made small business owners wait in vain until June only to find out that the financial assistance they hoped for would not be coming.
Now, on June 5, the Pritzker administration has announced that just $1.3 million of the original $20 million has been awarded, and that only 65 businesses in the entire state will receive a grant.
I strongly urge the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Pritzker administration to reconsider these grant applications and truly support small businesses in Dixon and throughout downstate Illinois.
I want to apologize for my delay in addressing you about the recent protests and, more importantly, the underlying reason for them. Part of why I delayed was that I needed time to process my own anger and the thoughts that arose from it.
In my journey to become Attorney General, I was advised along the way to control my anger and not to let it inform my words and actions. Some of this advice was helpful, but at other times it failed to acknowledge the reality with which I live.
As an African American male who has had my own negative experiences with law enforcement, I’m angry.
As an African American male who has felt myself to be the subject of profiling for most of my life, I’m angry.
As the father of two black children whose wellbeing I worry about, I’m angry .
I’m angry because even to this day, at this stage in my career, I get nervous when I walk or drive by a police officer. I’m angry because when I walk into a store, I have to go out of my way to demonstrate that I’m there lawfully, to buy and not to steal. I’m angry because when I walk down a sidewalk or get in an elevator, I have to think about how to show I’m not a threat to someone’s purse.
As I reflected on my anger, I found it important to identify the person I’m angriest at - myself. I’m angry at myself because I’ve accepted the burden of making these adjustments in my daily life as an African American man, rather than confronting the reasons for my fear and discomfort.
So I’ve challenged myself and our senior staff to look at the work we do in the Office of the Attorney General with an eye to how we may have tolerated inequities and, as a result, contributed to the circumstances we have all witnessed.
We are having this discussion, born of our outrage over the death of George Floyd, only because a 17-year-old girl had the presence of mind to record the horrific act of a law enforcement officer purporting to be working in the line of duty. This is far from the first time we have risen up in resonse to police conduct caught on tape. I feel good about having led efforts, prior to assuming the role of Attorney General, to set protocols for the use of body-worn cameras and dash cams, and to have clarified that Illinois law allows members of the public to record officers in the performance of their duties. But I’m angry at myself for having accepted pats on the back for such reforms, knowing that most abusive policing is not recorded. Part of the reason I sought the position of Attorney General was to take on the challenge to do more.
We’ve been engaged in the implementation of a consent decree designed to change the patterns and practices of the Chicago Police Department. We have also recognized that the same communities that suffer disproportionately from law enforcement abuse also experience more heavily the trauma of normalized violence. This is why we’ve enhanced our crime victim services, taking a wider view of who is a victim. At the same time, we are actively reviewing legislation to further reform the way policing is done in this state.
Additionally, I know this time of public health crisis has been stressful for us all. I cannot express to you enough how deeply I appreciate your adjustment to working remotely while handling increased workloads. I also acknowledge that as I have struggled to process my thoughts and emotions concerning recent events and their relation to my lived experiences , so many o f you have felt the direct impact. I encourage you to take advantage of the Employee Assistance Program through which you can access free, confidential counseling services. You can reach them at (866) xxx-xxxx, 24/7, 365 days a year.
I also want you to know that I - and this office - stand in support of you.
The pandemic and both its health and economic effects have disproportionately harmed certain communities. Now, we witness livelihoods being destroyed - in many cases by outsiders - at a time when small businesses were already barely clinging to survival and people were just beginning to go back to work. While we have an eye toward assisting neighborhoods affected by this destruction, we will not allow our focus to be pulled away from our responsibility to look in the mirror and promote ethical, responsible and constitutional law enforcement in all areas that we touch .
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued a statement regarding implementation of a consent decree between the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois that requires the city to implement wide-ranging reforms of the Chicago Police Department (CPD). In a status hearing today regarding the consent decree and the CPD’s response to protests taking place throughout Chicago, attorneys from Raoul’s office argued that the city has failed to implement the consent decree in a timely manner.
“My commitment to enforcing the consent decree between the city of Chicago and state of Illinois has never wavered. If anything, the horrific murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, two in a long list of black lives lost at the hands of police, have strengthened my resolve to do my part to end pervasive police violence against our black and brown residents.
“We cannot let another day go by where the CPD hides behind a broken accountability system, inexcusably misses dozens of court-ordered deadlines with no plan in place to catch up, and fails to take the necessary steps to remedy the problems outlined in the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2017 report. The city owes the community it serves meaningful reform, not lip service, not Band-Aids, and not politics.
“I am calling on the city to recommit to implementing structural change within the Chicago Police Department, to publicly reject systemic racism, and to truly and transparently commit to gaining the trust of communities of color. I look forward to the independent monitor’s upcoming special report that will give us a more complete picture of how the CPD is responding to the protests that are continuing throughout Chicago. The protests are proof that the residents of Chicago are tired of waiting. I am calling on the city to do the hard work it assured people would be done to end systemic racism and restore accountability.
“I was pleased to hear Mayor Lightfoot’s recent comments acknowledging that implementation of the consent decree has been too slow. After several months of missed deadlines, one would be hard-pressed to disagree.
“The obstacle to implementation has never been the consent decree; rather, it has been the Chicago Police Department’s failure to prioritize the consent decree by committing sufficient resources to implement the court-ordered reforms. The city and the Chicago Police Department must finally take meaningful steps to implement the consent decree with the sense of urgency this moment in time demands. As tens of thousands of Chicagoans raise their voices to mourn and cry out for change, the city’s leadership owes them no less.”
Raoul is urging the city to deliver to the court, the monitor, and the Attorney General’s office a plan detailing when and how it will meet all of the consent decree deadlines missed.
To find more information, visit the Attorney General’s consent decree website.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city will not tolerate vigilantism after groups of mostly white men patrolled the streets of Bridgeport on Wednesday night in response to a nearby city protest.
Multiple streets were blocked in the Bridgeport neighborhood Wednesday night as nearby protests dispersed. Near West Pershing Road, water gushed from an open fire hydrant as small groups gathered on corners. Some of the men held bats. One wore a shirt that said “All Lives Matter,” one sipped a beer and another waved at an officer as he drove by. Additional groups of people, some armed with bats, lined West 31st Street.
Asked about the situation in Bridgeport, a diversifying neighborhood that served as an Irish American power base for the Daley political family, Lightfoot said, “It is absolutely not appropriate for people to take up arms, bats, pipes, whatever in patrolling neighborhoods.”
“We’ve seen that end with tragic results across the country and we’re not about to allow that practice to happen here in Chicago. If there’s an issue, call 911,” Lightfoot said. “I absolutely support neighbors being vigilant as to what’s going on on the streets and in their blocks but taking up arms, that leads to chaos and we’re not supporting vigilantism in the city of Chicago under any circumstances.”
* Second City Cop excerpted the above story and responded…
Really? Anyone remember Groot denouncing the Hispanic gangs that certain aldercreatures heaped praise on for “protecting” their businesses from being looted?
Let me just say this. What we don’t need, what we don’t need is gang members thinking that they are now the police and trying to take matters into their own hands. And I’ve had a lot of conversations with local aldermen about that very issue. These are young men that grew up in the neighborhood. They are known. And what we don’t need is for them to be out, and I heard from one alderman [about] a bunch of young men sitting and drinking all day and then pulling out their weapons at night. We don’t need that, we’re not going to tolerate that. The police are the public safety force in our city, not gang members.
The Chicago Police Department issued a requirement that all on duty personnel wear CPD-issued surgical masks and gloves anytime they are out of their vehicle in public. Over the last week, there’s been scores of officers, according to this question, at protests without these masks. Can you tell us why this is happening and what your office is doing to get officers to comply with this basic public health requirement in the middle of COVID-19?
This was an issue that we saw way before this week. We’ve spent a significant amount of money and resources to make sure that our officers are safe in discharging their responsibilities every day, including PPE, masks, gloves, cleaning supplies. And the superintendent I know has issued a number of reminders and directives, and I’ve told him that our patience with this has to be and end. If officers are not complying, if they are not wearing the mask and protective gear that we provide, they need to be disciplined. And that was an issue that we were dealing with way before the events of this week. But clearly no officer should be going out engaging with members of the public. It’s for their protection, as well as members of the public, and we expect them to abide by the directives that have been issued, and if not, then disciplinary action shall be taken.
She also said she’s seen the photo circulating on social media of a CPD officer flipping the bird to protesters and said the officer ought to be stripped of his police powers.
What I’d like to say is, in talking to people all over the city about the events of this week, what I’ve heard from people in neighborhoods is that they want more police protection, not less. And I certainly understand the concern about the amount of money that we spend on policing, not just in Chicago but across the country. But I think in this time where people are feeling physically insecure, it would dishonor those real expressions to be talking about reducing the amount of safety that we’re going to be bringing today to bear.
Jim Rowe is the Kankakee County State’s Attorney, and he is white. He is also embarrassed, frustrated and more than a little angry.
Rowe expressed those feelings before a crowd of about 650 people at the Tuesday evening Community Rally at the Kankakee County Fairgrounds regarding racism and police abuse.
Rowe’s embarrassment, frustration and anger come by the response of those in the white community who “spew racist ignorance and hate” in the aftermath of the George Floyd arrest and subsequent death at the hands of a Minneapolis, Minn., police officer.
“The response to Black Lives Matter is not All Lives Matter. Let’s be honest. Have all lives really ever mattered in the minds of those who say that?” Rowe asked near the conclusion of the nearly 90-minute rally. “Did all lives matter in our country when slaves were inhumanely transported like livestock in the bottom of ships? Did all lives matter when they were lynched by the thousands at the hands of the KKK? Did all lives matter when they were attacked by dogs as they protested for the equal rights they still don’t share today?
“… Did George Floyd’s life matter when he was murdered in broad daylight, on camera, while those charged with protecting and serving watched?” he asked. “The response to Black Lives Matter is not to say ‘Well, what about black-on-black crime?’ We know the difference, we know the difference between swift and fair justice and when it is not.
“Do not be vocal about the looting, but silent about the murder. … Do not say you’re afraid of these protests and criticize their peaceful chants, but embrace the protesters of a few weeks ago on the courthouse lawn simply because they were white. … Shut up and realize that a man was murdered and there is still no justice,” he said. “When you look at the anger and the revolt and the destruction, do not forget the ‘Why?’ This stops only when the world takes the proper steps to fix the matter at hand.”
I was born in Kankakee and grew up hearing stories about race riots and racism in that town.
Protesters marched in Taylorville Thursday evening, speaking about racial injustice and the death of George Floyd.
“Until we all come together, nothing’s gonna change,” said organizer Chadwick Workman. “I don’t understand why we are so divided, when America started as the melting pot, so I want to help bring people together.” […]
Law enforcement officers were also on scene, not only providing public safety, but actually participating in the march.
“This is people’s 1st amendment right, to get out and protest, and let their voices be heard,” said Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp. “I want to be part of that. I want the public to know that our police officers are just sickened by what happened in Minnesota. We are absolutely sickened by what happened.”
Christian County is 97 percent white. And Sheriff Kettelkamp ain’t exactly liberal.
Nearly 200 people marched peacefully Thursday through Anna’s city streets to bring attention to police brutality in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis Police custody. […]
Anna’s march was one of many in small towns through the region — a rally in Carterville drew about 150 people Wednesday — but it is especially significant here because of the city’s history as a haven for racism.
What started as a small group of about 50 to 60 demonstrators in Anna’s city park grew to nearly 200 as it made its way downtown. Gathered in a parking lot, demonstrators recited familiar chants of “black lives matter” and “no justice, no peace.” […]
There were moments of tension, but the only people taken away by police were instigators attempting to argue with demonstrators.
* I have four brothers. One is a hardcore Bernie Bro, two others are solidly conservative Republicans, another leans liberal Democratic with a southern bent. I am in no way responsible for their viewpoints. And Rep. Halbrook shouldn’t have to answer for his brother…
Community leaders around Illinois are responding to comments a state representative’s brother put on social media.
Brad Halbrook represents the 102nd District, which covers parts of Central Illinois.
On a post allegedly referring to looters, someone wrote baiting is illegal in the state to which Brian Halbrook responded, “That’s why u can’t hunt ’em in a watermelon patch either.”
His brother, Representative Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville), is a member of a group known as the Eastern Bloc. Members of the group have called for Chicago to become its own state and filed a lawsuit against the governor’s stay-at-home order.
Rep. Halbrook said his brother’s comments do not reflect his views. He said in a comment:
I have had some conversations with my brother about his social media posts, and I have expressed my deep concerns about the nature of those comments to him. Having said that, he is a private citizen and not an elected official. Unfortunately, because I am his brother and I hold an elected office, he has become a target.
* The only thing I would point out is this Halbrook comment from last year…
“I didn’t know we had a white nationalism problem in Champaign County or Shelby County or Edgar County,” @BradHalbrook says after warning audience they wouldn’t like his answer. Some in crowd gasp, others groan and boo. He says Congress should address it at federal level. pic.twitter.com/fq2BXcyfmU
The virus that has raced around the globe and killed more than 100,000 in the U.S. alone has yet to reach one small community in Illinois.
Scott County, with a population of about 4,951, is the only one of Illinois’ 102 counties that has not yet reported a single case of COVID-19.
The mayor of Winchester, the 1,458-population county seat, suspects it’s because so few people move in and out, lowering the risk of anyone bringing the virus in.
The local public health official thinks they might have actually had a few cases early on, but no one was getting tested back then.
Some residents — particularly the younger crowd — think the whole pandemic has been overblown.
“We think it’s more political than anything,” said Dalton Schoenfelder, 20, a laid-off factory worker. “It’s not as bad as people portray it out to be.”
* This is some of what I told subscribers last week…
Excess deaths is a phenomenon that has been widely reported in other states and countries. The number of deaths since the pandemic began has exceeded the total of average expected deaths plus the number of known COVID-19 deaths, sometimes by huge amounts. [Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike] said [a few weeks ago] that a review would eventually be conducted here which averaged death counts from 2018 and 2019 and then compared that number to deaths this year.
So, that’s what we did. We FOIA’d data from IDPH on a county-by-county basis for March and April of 2018 and 2019, added in known COVID-19 deaths per county in those two months and came up with 1,893.5 excess deaths in Illinois, or 10.5 percent above the number of average expected deaths plus coronavirus deaths.
What that means is, almost 1,900 more Illinoisans passed away in those two months this year than can be accounted for. And nobody yet knows why.
The biggest percentage increases were all in Downstate. The highest such increase was in tiny Scott County (population a bit over 5,000), which saw a 200 percent increase above 2018/2019 average deaths. But the base numbers are so small that I can’t be sure they mean anything. The county is one of only two with no reported COVID deaths in March and April (or May, for that matter), but its average deaths over the last two years was 3, and this March and April it recorded 9 deaths. Could those extra 6 actually be coronavirus deaths? Could they be an anomaly? Could it be something else?
* This was sent to all state employees earlier today…
All,
More than a week has passed since the killing of George Floyd. I know for so many of us it has seemed like a year. Watching the video of white Minneapolis police officers holding down and callously choking the life out of a black man was stunning to anyone who has human emotions. It’s hard to find the right words to express what I feel. I am disgusted. And I am ashamed. Those are just two inadequate words for emotions I’ve had that are indescribable.
I have an even harder time imagining how it must feel to be Black and watch what happened. I don’t know what it is like to fear that racial violence could harm my children and my family. And I am horrified that Black people must live with the dread of having an encounter with the police that looks like George Floyd’s – and may already have had encounters with police that were dehumanizing.
Fear and dread give way to rage, and then to action. For all of us who work in the executive branch of our government — we are in a position to act on our resolve. We have put more people of color in positions of power in Illinois government than ever before in our history. I did this for a reason. It isn’t enough to just have allies in positions of power. There must be people with the lived experiences actually occupying the chairs “in the room where it happens.” That work continues every day of our administration.
The peaceful protesters have offered us a unique opportunity to push for change from inside the halls of power. I feel tremendous responsibility to act – to put the same energy into pushing for reform that we put into our response to COVID over the last few months. I am already working to develop a comprehensive set of proposals – both legislative and administrative – to address racial inequities in our state that have existed since its very founding. I am also actively engaging with leaders in Illinois and around the country to evaluate ideas and bear the responsibility of charting the path forward.
I support peaceful protest – I have engaged in it and have seen the positive influence it can have on policy. I believe deeply that we must address the grievances expressed by the peaceful protestors, and I’m committed to taking substantive and timely actions.
Words are not enough. We need action. I was elected with a mandate for big change, and I fully intend to utilize that mandate in the months and years ahead to dismantle the architecture of inequity. I cannot fix this all at once – but I can promise you we will work every day to make real change – no matter how difficult.
On a more personal note, I want to make sure the Black members of our state government know that I’m aware that the responsibilities of your job may have made the last week that much more difficult to bear. I encourage you to reach out to any senior members of our administration. It’s our job to look out for one another - to move forward with kindness and empathy. I take very seriously the health and well-being of all the people who work for me and for the state. I stand with each of you and am deeply grateful for your service.
Today Natural News has learned that Antifa operatives are organizing a plan to bus large numbers of Antifa terrorists to the vicinity of Sparta, Illinois, where they will be directed to target rural white Americans by burning farm houses and killing livestock. The purpose of the attack, according to sources, is so that Antifa can send a message to white America that “not even rural whites are safe” from the reach of Antifa, and that if their radical left-wing demands are not yet, all of America will burn (not just the cities).
Sources tell Natural News that Antifa terrorists are currently expected to move along state routes 154 and 4, seeking out rural targets including isolated homes and farms to cause maximum mayhem and property destruction. Although our sources did not specifically mention the methods by which killing livestock would be accomplished, it seems almost certain that firearms would be the most effective way for Antifa terrorists to achieve that morbid goal.
Note: Facebook will not allow you to share this story from NaturalNews.com, as Facebook has blacklisted this entire website in order to censor reporting that exposes Antifa and other criminals operating in America. To share this story, look for it on Trump.news and share from there.
Note it is possible that Antifa may alter its planned routes of destruction based on the appearance of this report. Although our sources are highly reliable individuals, the information / disinformation warfare tactics of Antifa are incredibly advanced, and part of the Art of War is to make your enemy think you’re in one place while you’re actually attacking another.
Free Republic picked it up, as did other lunatic fringe sites. And click here to see how many shares it got on Twitter. Unbelievable.
* The local sheriff finally had to issue a press release…
RANDOLPH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELEASE
June 4, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Sheriff’s Office has received reports concerning an article that has been circulating on social media regarding the destruction of farm property and livestock in and around the Sparta, Illinois area. This article cites Antifa support, suggesting members of the “terrorist organization” to be out in full force throughout Randolph County.
Sheriff’s Office personnel have reached out to Law Enforcement Authorities specializing in this type of threat. We have no evidence leading us to believe this threat is at all credible. It would appear that the author’s goal is to place fear in our community members, thereby creating fear and discontent.
That being said, Sheriff Wolff wishes to remind our residents to always remain vigilant and report any suspicious behavior to your local authorities.
The Rivers Casino in Des Plaines is the home to the BetRivers Sportsbook and sports betting lounge, and they were the first retail sportsbook to open up. The casino held a small ceremony before Eddie Olcyzk, a hockey color commentator, made the first official sports bet in the state.
A pair of other casinos were set to join the sports betting industry a week later, but they never got the chance. There will be more than just BetRivers launching when the state reopens, but it appears only BetRivers will be ready to go online.
Currently, there are six different operators that have applied for and received a sports betting license in the state of Illinois. This does give the operators the power to launch a mobile sportsbook, but there are some other rules and restrictions that must be followed. […]
According to Illinois law, all customers must sign up for an online sports betting account at the land-based casino affiliated with the online book. With all of the casinos currently shut down due to COVID-19, it’s impossible for anyone to register for an online account.
The major reason for this law was to keep some big-name companies out of the state of Illinois for at least 18 months. After 18 months, this in-person registration requirement falls off, and customers can simply register through the online sportsbook.
Other states that require this same sort of in-person registration requirement have struggled as well. The difference is that other states had more time to get people registered before the casinos were forced to close.
Even so, there aren’t many sports to bet on these days. I did see bag toss (which some insist on calling “cornhole”) on ESPN 2 this week. And there’s NASCAR, South Korean baseball and German soccer.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today released Part Two of the Transition Plan Advisory Workgroup’s recommendations for transitioning to in-person instruction. The guidance focuses on activities allowed in Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan, including summer school, and aligns with Executive Order 2020-40. The joint guidance, developed in collaboration with educators, superintendents, social workers, nurses, and other stakeholders, provides recommendations for how schools can comply with IDPH health and safety requirements in Phase 3.
While Phase 3 allows for the resumption of limited face-to-face instruction, schools cannot yet return to pre-pandemic operations. Extensive social distancing, enhanced sanitation measures, and other accommodations will be necessary to ensure the safety of students, staff, and their families. View the full guidance at https://www.isbe.net/Documents/IDPH-ISBE-Summer-Programs-Guidance.pdf.
“We are excited and encouraged to see Illinois move into Phase 3 of Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “This progress is due in no small part to the dedication of students, teachers, and their families to staying home, social distancing, and wearing face coverings when in public. I am immensely grateful for these efforts and the sacrifices that school communities have made. While Phase 3 allows some in-person small group activities, we must continue to be diligent in following the required safety protocols to keep Illinois on the path to recovery.”
All public and private schools must follow IDPH requirements in Phase 3, which:
• Prohibit more than 10 individuals from gathering in one space;
• Require social distancing policies; and,
• Require use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
Decisions regarding whether to conduct allowable activities during Phase 3 will remain at the discretion of local school authorities, in consultation with local public health departments.
Schools should ensure individuals wear face coverings and other PPE appropriate to their duties and risk of exposure, wash hands frequently, conduct symptom and temperature checks before entering the school building, regularly clean and sanitize buildings and equipment, restrict the borrowing or sharing of items, and limit capacity in any space to 10 or fewer people. Individuals who show any signs or symptoms of illness should stay home.
The guidance outlines what to do if someone appears ill at school and further considerations for specific areas of the school, such as restrooms, classrooms, water fountains, playgrounds, hallways, administrative offices, and cafeterias. The guidance also contains considerations for specific activities, such as physical education, behind-the-wheel driver’s education, transportation, and music courses. Schools should clearly communicate safety protocols and expectations to students, staff, and families in advance — in the family’s native language — and via multiple modes, including signage around the school.
Activities allowed in Phase 3 include:
• Behind-the-Wheel Instruction — Students may participate in behind-the-wheel instruction. Vehicles must be cleaned and sanitized between each use and only two students and one instructor may be in a vehicle at a time.
• Child Find — Districts may conduct activities pertaining to the legal requirement that schools find all children who have disabilities and who may be entitled to special education services.
• Early Childhood, Special Education, and English Learner Screenings — Schools and districts may conduct in-person early childhood, special education, and English Learner screenings.
• Extended School Year — Districts may offer extended school year services, as appropriate, to students whose Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) require the service.
• Host Summer Camps and Other Programs — Schools and districts may allow buildings to be used for summer camps and other programs sponsored by third parties. Playgrounds may not be used.
• Individualized Education Program Meetings — Districts may conduct IEP meetings for families who have been unable to engage in virtual IEP meetings. These meetings should still be held virtually, to the greatest extent possible.
• Mediation and Due Process Hearings — Mediations and due process hearings may take place in person. However, it is recommended that mediation and due process hearings still be conducted virtually, if all parties agree to do so.
• School Registration — Staff may provide in-person registration for students and families, when necessary. Schools and districts should also provide remote registration opportunities.
• Special Education Evaluations — Districts may conduct evaluations that could not be completed virtually. Evaluations should still be held virtually, to the greatest extent possible.
• Staff Meetings and Professional Development — Districts may convene staff members for any appropriate training, planning, and professional development purposes.
• Summer Meals Distribution — ISBE highly encourages school districts to evaluate the needs of their students and community as they transition into the different phases of opening the state and continue to provide meals through the summer to meet the needs of their communities. The required Summer Food Service trainings can be conducted virtually. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently extended several key flexibilities through Aug. 31, 2020, to allow school districts to continue to provide non-congregate meals to meet the needs of their communities. Further, Public Act 096-0734 requires every public school in which at least 50 percent of the students were eligible for free and reduced-price lunches and has a summer school program must provide a summer breakfast and/or lunch to the students in the summer school and children in that community.
• Summer School — Schools and districts may conduct in-person summer school. Special populations, which may include students with IEPs, English Learners, and students who received incompletes during remote instruction, should receive priority consideration for services.
• Testing Centers — Schools may serve as testing sites for students.
Executive Order 2020-40 and the joint IDPH and ISBE guidance supersede any previous guidance on summer school. The agencies and the Transition Plan Advisory Workgroup will release further guidance in the coming weeks for the 2020-21 school year and activities allowed in Phase 4.
If all goes well, Phase 4 will start in about three weeks.
My cousins pulled over for Chicago police at brickyard yesterday at 1 pm and police bust the windows out, pulled one out by her hair. Glass got in her eyes. Police took one of my cousins and took the car. They left her mother and my other cousin - the driver - in the lot. pic.twitter.com/PqxpSfF463
— Adrienne Spinning Side Kick Gibbs (@AdrienneWrites) June 1, 2020
Tnika Tate, 39, said she was parking near a looted mall Sunday when Chicago police surrounded the vehicle, broke the windows and searched Tate and a group of four friends and relatives in the car with her.
Tate said an officer restrained her cousin Mia Wright, 25, by placing a knee on Wright’s neck while she was prone on the ground. Wright was charged with disorderly conduct and released Monday, according to police and the family.
A video of part of the incident was taken by family friend James Smith, 40, who was driving in a second car. A copy of the video was first published by the nonprofit digital news organization Block Club Chicago, and Smith provided the Tribune with a copy later Wednesday.
“She never resisted. It could have been something deadly,” Tate told the Tribune on Wednesday.
Tate is a longtime funeral director in Chicago, and said she and her family were just hoping to shop at Target.
Police were responding to reports of looting at the mall, but the family says they didn’t know how officers on the scene could have suspected they were involved.
Wright works at that funeral home.
* Keep in mind that Wright was ultimately charged with “disorderly conduct,” which is a city ordinance violation. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s office says the Chicago police did not refer the case to the state’s attorney for felony review. And the state’s attorney won’t have any role in the prosecution…
[Family attorney Nenye Uche] also called for the disorderly conduct charge against Wright to be immediately dropped.
The family still doesn’t understand why police targeted their car in the first place and is demanding answers.
Wright was in the front passenger seat of her cousin’s car Sunday when police, for no apparent reason, began to smash the windows of the vehicle with batons and order everyone out.
An officer grabbed Wright’s hair, which had been wound into a bun, and yanked her from the car, Wright said.
While Wright was on the ground, the officer knelt on her back and neck. Wright, who got a piece of glass in her eye during from the shattered window, was held overnight at a nearby police station, she said.
But what bothers them more than anything is when Wright was yanked from the car. The family said one officer held her down by putting his knee on her back and neck.
“They approached my car so forcefully where they just started bamming and hitting at my car, then they bust out three windows of mine, and then they actually tore off my door handle – the passenger side door handle – and they literally drug my little cousin Mia out to the ground,” Tate said.
“I felt like an animal,” Wright said. “They pulled me by my hair, dragged me out the vehicle, had my face down on the concrete. The officer had his knee in my neck. I just felt like an animal. I felt like I wasn’t nothing, like I was not even a human being at that moment.”
Wright was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct.
As Wright was being pinned to the ground, she said what happened to Floyd flashed in her mind.
“It hit me at that moment. That’s all I thought about. I heard people screaming, ‘Why do you have your knee in her neck?’ That’s why people are protesting,” Wright said. “It was horrible. It was a moment I was scared for my life.” […]
At the station, Wright said she was verbally abused by a sergeant.
“The sergeant opened the door and he looked me in the face and called me a f—— savage,” she said.
While in lockup, she said she wasn’t given access to an attorney and couldn’t call her mother for more than six hours.
Wright was released 16 hours later with a charge of disorderly conduct. Officers said she was gathered with three or more people with intent to disturb the peace — but Wright said she and her four family members were sitting quietly in their car.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability has launched an investigation into the encounter Sunday at Brickyard Mall on the city’s West Side in which police said in a statement that Mia Wright was charged with disorderly conduct. It has also started investigating another incident captured on video showing an officer chasing and punching a protester after a demonstration about the death of George Floyd last week. […]
At a Thursday news conference, Mayor Lightfoot and Police Superintendent David Brown said the police department was working with COPA — which is investigating both incidents captured on the two videos — to identify the officers involved. Lightfoot said as soon as they are identified, their names will be given to Brown, and she promised that any officers who acted improperly would be held accountable.
Still, Lightfoot cautioned that as disturbing as the video at the shopping center might be, the public should not jump to any conclusions. “You can’t just accept everything at face value that you see, and that includes video,” she said.
* From the state’s attorney…
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is committed to public safety and pursuing the fair administration of justice for everyone in our communities. We are aware of the incident that occurred at Brickyard Mall and are currently conducting a thorough, independent review of the matter, including the conduct of the police officers involved. We take law enforcement accountability seriously and have reached out to the family involved through their attorney.
What I saw was horrific. It was horrific. I mean what happened, thank God it didn’t end like George Floyd. But the police that did it are being investigated
State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, called for Pritzker to sign an executive order that Ford says will free up spending to help rebuild African-American communities around the state in the wake of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the looting.
* Rep. Ford sent me a draft of what he believes the EO should look like…
African American Rapid Relief Task Force
Whereas, African American residents across Illinois have been ravaged by suffering from the COVID-19 virus and from recent police misconduct issues across the country; and
Whereas, African American residents in Illinois need tens of millions of dollars in immediate assistance with food, pharmaceuticals, rebuild and establish businesses in black communities, police reform, homeless prevention, mental health, substance use disorder, COVID-19 Relief and health disparities; then
THEREFORE, by the powers vested in me as the Governor of the State of Illinois, pursuant to the Illinois Constitution and Sections 7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 7(8), 7(9), and 7(12) of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, 20 ILCS 3305, and consistent with the powers in public health laws, I hereby order the following, effective immediately:
1. Create an Illinois Office of Diversity and Inclusion that will manage the findings of the task force
2. Set up a 50-member African American Rapid Relief Task Force for Illinois
Task force members will include representatives of:
• Members of the House and Senate – 10
• Governor and Lt Governor – 2
• State treasurer – 1
• Business community including black business representative – 3
• Retailer with fresh food – 1
• Pharmacy representatives - 1
• City mayors – one from downstate — 5
• Mayor of Chicago — 1
• Faith leaders – 3
• Community organizations — 3
• Youth — 3
• DCEO — 1
• IDPH - 1
• IDHS - 1
• ISBE – 1
• Illinois State Police – 1
• Courts representative – 1
• Cook County State’s Attorney/State’s Attorney Association – 1
• Public defender – 1
• Substance abuse provider – 1
• Homeless organization – 1
• Police reform organization – 1
• Black police officers organization – National Organization of Black Law Enforcement (NOBLE) – 1
• Safety net hospitals — 1
• Additional appointees – 4
Within one week, the task force shall submit to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion a plan to provide relief to the African American communities through executive orders and funding with a focus on all the challenges facing the Black communities in Illinois including Coronavirus Relief Funding from the Illinois CARES Act and existing sources of state General Revenue Funding, other special funds.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 929 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 116 additional confirmed deaths.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 124,759 cases, including 5,736 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 22,841 specimens for a total of 982,016. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from May 28–June 3 is 6%.
*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.
Former state Rep. Edward “Eddie” Acevedo has been drawn into the ongoing federal public corruption investigation that has gone quiet but not dormant, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Days after Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued his stay-at-home order, federal prosecutors subpoenaed the Illinois Secretary of State’s lobbyist division for all records related to Acevedo, as well as Michael and Alexander Acevedo and the Acevedo’s lobbying company, Apex Strategy LLC, records show.
The Chicago Sun-Times obtained a copy of the subpoena through a Freedom of Information Act request. The Acevedos have not been accused of wrongdoing. Edward Acevedo told the Sun-Times he had “no clue” what prompted the subpoena. Michael and Alexander could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.
“I have no idea what that’s about,” Edward Acevedo said.
Secretary of State records list Michael Acevedo as Apex’s manager, and Edward and Alexander Acevedo as previously registered lobbyists. Alexander Acevedo ran in 2016 to replace his father in the legislature, but lost. He then ran in 2019 to replace Danny Solis as alderman of Chicago’s 25th Ward in yet another losing bid after Solis was revealed by the Sun-Times to be cooperating with federal investigators in their ongoing investigation of Chicago political corruption.
Read the rest. The grand jury number matches the one on the Ed Burke case.
The feds can’t normally just download the information from the SoS Index Division’s website and present it a grand jury. They usually need the official file. Hence, the subpoena. But what they’re after is really anybody’s guess.
Former Democratic state Rep. Eddie Acevedo said Thursday he was interviewed last fall by the FBI regarding lobbying activities and separate consultant fees paid to him by two ComEd lobbyists with ties to Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. […]
Acevedo, a former police officer, told the Tribune Thursday he worked as a consultant paid by John Bradley, a former House Democrat from Marion who was a contract lobbyist for ComEd until last November. Acevedo said he previously worked as a consultant in a similar role for lobbyist Shaw Decremer, a former Democratic House staffer and campaign operative ousted from the speaker’s political organization following complaints that he was abusive. […]
Acevedo said he could not remember the fee or the length of time he received the payments from Decremer, but that a consulting arrangement moved to Bradley once Decremer was booted from Madigan’s operation in 2018. […]
Acevedo said he did not lobby for ComEd, but he said he was a consultant for Bradley about ComEd issues.
The pastors decried the mayor’s actions, saying that as an elected official he does not have police authority and was out of line for his actions.
“The mayor, who formerly was a Joliet policeman, has no police authority and no right to attack anyone,” said Warren Dorris, pastor of Prayer Tower Church of God in Christ and a former Joliet city councilman and former mayoral candidate. […]
Evans added that O’Dekirk’s service in law enforcement was also troubling, citing a suspension during his tenure as a police officer.
Joliet police Chief Al Roechner, who has been with the Joliet Police Department since 1991 and was named chief in 2018, confirmed that O’Dekirk had been suspended during his tenure as a police officer, but could not confirm the number of days or the reason.
After days of street protests urgently calling for changes in the way police treat African Americans, Mayor Lori Lightfoot lamented in a televised speech this week that “the process of reform has been too slow.”
Indeed, it took decades to even get to the starting line of reforming the historically troubled Chicago Police Department. The police union strongly pushed back, and politicians disagreed on the need for significant change. Overhauling the nation’s second-largest police force is a task of daunting scope. Now, a pandemic stands to slow reforms further.
While Lightfoot promised a handful of prompt adjustments, what she listed largely involved educational and support programs for officers, rather than policy changes to guide the police conduct that has driven protests. She also made a vague call for training efforts that appear similar to some already contained in the federal court order governing department operations.
* ACLU of Illinois…
In response to the murder of George Floyd as the result of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on his neck, Jaylan Butler – the Eastern Illinois University swimmer who was pinned face down on the ground by officers kneeling on his back and his neck, while another pointed a gun at his forehead – today issued the following statement:
“When I saw the video of Mr. Floyd’s death, it snapped me back to my experience being handcuffed face down on the snowy ground, with a knee on my neck and a gun to my head. I know how fortunate I am that my life did not end on the cold ground alongside a highway in Illinois. I am lucky. But I am also afraid and spiritually broken from what happened to me, and from having to relive it over and over as these incidents recur.
Mr. Floyd’s family is suffering the pain that generations of people who look like us have experienced. Too many have died at the hands of police who used brutal chokeholds and unnecessary force on Black men and women that were not used on others. Tragedies do not require firing a gun. Choking someone while they are handcuffed on the ground can bring the same pain and the same result – a family losing the one they love.
I am thankful that my family is not feeling that pain today, but for those of us fortunate to survive police encounters, we still carry the fear and powerlessness instilled in us by those officers. Watching the last moments of Mr. Floyd’s life evokes difficult memories, and I am grateful to have my family and a support system and outlet to help me navigate through them.
I see some people find this discussion uncomfortable. Others do not understand the anger and frustration of the protesters – the people who are fed up with being targeted simply for looking like me and my family. But our country has to talk about these issues. No one else should have to feel this way, and so justice must be served.
We need to ban the use of chokeholds and other dangerous tactics that restrict a person’s breathing. When in handcuffs and facedown it is hard to maneuver and get up. Put yourself in my shoes and lie face down on the ground, grab your wrists, and try to get up. It is undeniably difficult. The situation is already controlled – there is no need for more force.
We must honor the lives of George Floyd and others by demanding accountability, fixing these problems, and showing that Black lives truly matter.”
* The Question: What, if any, policing reforms would you like to see enacted? Explain.
Pray for us…police just warned us 6,000 "rioters and looters" are coming by bus here to Notre Dame Indiana where I live. They said be inside by 9 and lock all our doors. We have plenty of what we need to protect ourselves. l'll keep in touch. Pray for us…don't forget.
And, of course it didn’t happen. And, to no one’s surprise, the South Bend police issued no such warning. This appears to be a bot-like thing. Click here to see how it spread.
A wave of social media posts and images have claimed that pallets of bricks have been appearing near the locations of protests in cities all over the United States. This sparked rampant speculation that the bricks are part of a coordinated effort to incite violence as a way to entrap protesters and instigate chaos.
BuzzFeed News has documented claims made about bricks in Boston, Dallas, Kansas City, San Francisco, and elsewhere. In several cases, bricks were placed long before protests began in the US, or they are clearly linked to ongoing construction. As of now, there’s no evidence to support claims of coordinated brick placements at protests. However, now that the claims have spread across social media — and been amplified by the White House — it’s possible that people could be inspired to start collecting and placing bricks.
As long as we’re talking about South Bend…
We want to clarify this. Upon further investigation, this pallet is NOT connected to any group. It has been there for about a year and the city has known about it. https://t.co/h8l98d8kXm
— South Bend Police (@southbendpolice) June 2, 2020
Will County Executive Larry Walsh died Wednesday. He was 72.
Walsh, first sworn in as Will County executive in December 2004, was battling prostate cancer and was in home hospice, said his friend Jim Murphy.
Murphy said he and Walsh first connected through the ad agency Murphy started with his wife, Vicki Murphy, 25 years ago.
“Even when you know death is imminent, it’s still a shock,” Murphy said. “There will never be another one like him.”
Murphy said he and his wife recently visited Walsh at his Elwood home. They only planned to drop in for a short time but ended up staying an hour and a half. […]
While funeral arrangements have yet to be announced, Murphy said they won’t do Walsh the justice he deserves.
“Unfortunately, there won’t be a funeral to hold all the people who are ready and able to tell their Larry Walsh stories due to the COVID-19 virus,” he said.
“Will County has suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of County Executive Larry Walsh. Larry truly loved the people of Will County and worked tirelessly for their benefit,” Will County State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow said Thursday. “His four terms as County Executive were the final chapter in a lifetime of dedicated service to Will County and the State of Illinois. He touched countless people’s lives and will be greatly missed. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to Irene, Larry’s wife of many decades, and to his entire family. Rest in Peace, Larry Walsh.”
“Larry’s passing is a tremendous loss to his family, certainly, but also to the community,” said Denise Winfrey, speaker of the Will County Board. “He dedicated his life to service. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve with him and learn from him. He touched numerous lives, forged alliances and reached out to work with people from all walks of life. The work he has done speaks for him. Rest in peace Larry, job well done.” […]
“Larry leaves behind an incredible legacy of working to improve people’s lives,” stated Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. “He was a passionate and dedicated public servant whose numerous contributions made our communities and state a better place. My heart goes out to the Walsh family.”
Bertino-Tarrant won the Democratic primary in March and she is running to become the next Will County Executive in the November general election, facing Republican challenger, Nick Ficarello.
“Larry Walsh believed in retail politics,” remarked Will County Republican Party Chairman George Pearson. “He greeted me each time we met with a firm handshake, a smile, and pat to the shoulder. You would not have known we were on opposite sides of the political aisle, and that is what made him popular with Will County residents.”
Respected for his bipartisan approach at every level of government he served, Walsh prided himself in working collaboratively to find solutions to the challenges that were faced. His longest tenure has been as County Executive where Will County built a strong financial foundation which improved the County’s bond rating. That success led to the largest capital improvements campaign in the county’s history and sustained investments in roads and bridge infrastructure. This campaign included a new Public Safety Complex and consolidated 911 dispatch center, a new County Health department facility, and a new Courthouse.
A longtime farmer, Walsh began his political career in 1970 when, at age 21, he was elected a member of the Elwood school board. In 1973, he was elected as Jackson Township supervisor, a position he held until December 2004. Walsh served on the Will County Board in 1974 and again in 1992 and served as Illinois state senator representing the 43rd District from April 1997 until January 2005, when he took office as Will County executive.
“I’ve been a very blessed man and a very lucky man,” Walsh said when he announced his retirement plans to the Will County Board in August 2019. […]
Walsh often shared stories of being Barack Obama’s seatmate in the Illinois Senate and about poker games with Obama. Later, he would share stories of visiting Obama in Washington.
During his tenure in the Senate, Walsh led efforts on a variety of issues including funding local agencies to improve the quality of life for residents with special needs.
Larry was one of the best retail politicians I have ever met.
He was a sweet human being and a regular guy who had a special light inside of him which put people at east. Larry took people as they came, which helped him work with just about everybody. You couldn’t help but love the guy. It seemed like he had a perimeter of joy around him everywhere he went.
…Adding… Senate President Don Harmon…
Whenever I think of Will County, I will forever think of Larry Walsh. Larry was a tireless advocate for his constituents and communities. Those who knew and worked with him are better for it. He never failed to make me smile or laugh or feel better about the world. We will miss him dearly. My thoughts and condolences are with his family.
*** UPDATE *** Been a while since I’ve received anything from this guy…
Today, President Barack Obama issued the following statement on the death of his former Illinois State Senate colleague, current Will County Executive Larry Walsh:
“Larry and I entered the state senate together and became fast friends. I’ll always be grateful for his camaraderie and support, but even more grateful that he was such a good public servant for the people of Illinois.”
Like many of you, I’ve been reeling and angry after George Floyd’s murder. I’ve been driving through the communities I represent and seeing with my own eyes what’s happened. But I’ve struggled to find the right words, and the last thing the world needs right now is yet another person with a title explaining suffering he’s never experienced.
Several of my colleagues in the Illinois Senate’s Black Caucus, however, have encouraged me to speak up, not because I have some particularly great bit of wisdom to share, but rather because members of the Black Caucus do. It is my responsibility to use this position to amplify their voices and support their efforts.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx spoke recently of the ‘casual acceptance’ of so many things that are wrong. Her powerful words should cause us all to rethink what we have too easily accepted – not just the death of another unarmed black man at the hands of police, but the system that allowed it to happen.
The COVID-19 outbreak showed the world the uncomfortable realities revealed in the disproportionate and immoral number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths put upon minority communities. It has exposed the willingness of too many of us for far too long to look away from the suffering happening in other communities.
When you take the time to write it out, the injustice is embarrassingly inescapable. But times of crisis also provide us with an opportunity to examine what our society should be.
If we are angry over the murder of George Floyd and the system that allowed it to happen, we need to be just as angry over a system that would tolerate taking years off the life expectancy of a child just because she grows up on the West Side without access to quality nutrition or health care or all the other things many of us casually take for granted every day of our lives.
These things cannot be tolerated.
The unity that we experience in times of crisis must propel us to bring about meaningful fixes. I pledge my support to making those changes.
We know our economy has been broken by this pandemic. Mr. Floyd’s murder reminds us that there is more broken in our society.
In the days ahead, we have the chance to re-invest in Illinois. Not to rebuild a broken system. Not to restore a sense of comfort to some. Rather, this is an opportunity to re-imagine what Illinois can be for all of us.
As we move forward, I am committed to listening to ideas and building partnerships to make those changes and give a voice to those who feel their voices are not being heard.
The State of Illinois is opening its community-based testing sites to anyone to get tested, regardless of symptoms or other criteria. As we move through the Restore Illinois plan, and into a full reopening of the state, testing will be crucial to identifying new cases and taking immediate action to prevent additional spread.
“As we move forward, COVID-19 testing must be widely available and this is a step in that direction,” said Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “The state-operated Community-Based Testing Sites currently have the capacity to test more than 6,000 people per day, and now there will be no restrictions to who can be tested for this potentially deadly virus.”
No appointment, doctor referral, or insurance is needed at state operated drive-thru sites and testing is available at no cost to the individual.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is recommending anyone who has recently been part of a mass gathering, including rallies and protests over the past week, get tested for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“As people gather in large crowds with varying degrees of social distancing, there is cause for concern about COVID-19 spread and outbreaks, especially if masks were not worn universally,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “I urge anyone who recently attended a rally, protest, or other mass gathering to get tested for COVID-19 so we can identify any cases early. We recommend testing 5-7 days after participating in large group rallies, or immediately if symptoms develop. If there are known cases, we can make sure those people are quarantined and not exposing other individuals.”
The virus has been found to spread between people up to a couple days before people start showing symptoms. Because of this, the number of people an infected person could unknowingly expose can be exponential.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot should not hire an outside agency to oversee contract tracing for COVID-19 cases and instead use the money earmarked for that effort to beef up a diminished Chicago Department of Public Health, progressive activists said Tuesday.
They were reacting to Lightfoot’s announcement last week that the city would use $56 million in state and federal coronavirus relief funds to dramatically expand contact tracing, which public health researchers say is key to preventing new case surges. Of that $56 million, $11 million would go to an outside agency that would oversee the massive effort.
Rose Joshua, president of NAACP Southside, called on the mayor “to immediately stop all contracting out of contact tracing, testing and all public health services and instead use federal, state and local funds to rebuild the Chicago Department of Public Health.”
The department pointed out in a response that the agency that will be chosen to head up the work must distribute 85% of the overall funding to at least 30 neighborhood organizations. Those agencies will be “primarily serving residents of communities of high economic hardship.” […]
Also joining the group were current and former union officials who have an interest in seeing the ranks of public workers expand. They included Tony Johnston, president of the Cook County College Teachers Union, who said city community colleges should be training new contact tracers, and Matt Brandon, former secretary-treasurer of International Service Employees Union Local 73 and current president of Communities Organized to Win.
There is no doubt that the city’s public health system has been horrifically hollowed out over the years. It’s in definite need of a rebuild. But there are legal strings on the disbursements and the city cannot ignore them. Just as importantly, this is a one-time cash disbursement. Even if the city did direct all the money to its public health department (which it cannot do), that money immediately goes away. So, they staff up and then they have to cut them all loose.
* Secretary of State Jesse White has not only reopened his driver services offices, he’s brought back all of his other employees. The rest of the state’s constitutional officers have not yet gone nearly that far. Here’s Doug Finke…
“State agencies are currently building site-specific plans based on their operational need,” said [Pritzker] administration spokeswoman Marjani Williams in a statement. “Agencies will be working with (the Department of Central Management Services) as their thought partners to focus on strategies around social distancing, safety and occupancy guidelines for work spaces to ensure that employees and constituents return to a safe working environment.”
In areas where employees interact with the public, screening or other barriers will be installed and more aggressive disinfectant procedures will be used. In other locations, social distancing will be maintained and workplace meetings will continue to be held using remote meeting technology.
Like other offices, Comptroller Susana Mendoza has had some people continuing to work from state offices and other employees working from home.
Spokesman Abdon Pallasch said in Springfield “there’s been a contingent there the whole time to make sure the checks go out. That really hasn’t changed yet. We haven’t increased the number of folks coming back yet.”
* Yeah, it may be slowing, but 21.5 million people receiving unemployment benefits is still a huge, huge problem…
Nearly 1.9 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, the ninth straight decline since applications spiked in mid-March, a sign that the gradual reopening of businesses has slowed the loss of jobs.
The diminishing pace suggests that the job market meltdown that was triggered by the coronavirus may have bottomed out as more companies call at least some of their former employees back to work.
In Illinois, 46,522 initial claims were filed for the week ended May 30, a decline of 11,741 from the previous week.
The total number of people who are now receiving jobless aid rose only slightly to 21.5 million, suggesting that rehiring is offsetting some of the ongoing layoffs.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker imposed the nation’s strictest lockdown, but rather than save lives it quickly exposed minorities, and especially women, to harsh economic fates expected to take a decade to repair.
So, the IPI is suggesting that the stay at home order didn’t save lives? And everything I’ve ever seen about business closures is that they happened before and regardless of shutdown orders. But, IPI is gonna IPI.
Governor JB Pritzker is adding five counties to the existing disaster proclamation to aid local jurisdictions in efforts to keep communities safe. The following counties are being added: Lake, Peoria, Rock Island, Williamson and Stephenson. These counties represent 1) a threat for looting or destruction through planned protests, 2) home to critical infrastructure, or 3) where the state has received requests for state assistance or resources. To date, 15 counties are included in the current disaster proclamation.
On Sunday, the Governor activated 375 Illinois National Guard soldiers for State Active Duty to assist the Chicago Police Department in protecting the City of Chicago and its residents. The Guard’s role will be supporting the Illinois State Police and local authorities in enforcing street closures around the city.
An additional 250 soldiers were activated on Monday to join the state’s civil disturbance response efforts to address the needs of various jurisdictions throughout the state. These soldiers will represent a Quick Reactionary Force (QRF), staged at various Guard facilities throughout the state to await instructions from the Illinois State Police to help meet the needs of our local communities. These QRF teams will be staging in Chicago, Kewanee, Mt. Vernon, Peoria, Springfield and Scott Air Force Base.
In addition to the soldiers from the Illinois National Guard, personnel from the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and various mutual aid networks are aiding the requests of local governments. The State Emergency Operations Center is monitoring operations throughout the state and fulfilling requests from local governments. All personnel deployed for operations will be outfitted with personal protective equipment, such as face shields and masks, to address the threats of our current COVID environment.
On Tuesday, IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau announced ten of the 11 state-managed Community Based Testing Sites would resume COVID-19 testing operations. Additional security has been brought in to replace personnel that had been reassigned due to ongoing civil unrest throughout the state.
The inclusion of Madison County in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s emergency disaster declaration because of civil unrest in other parts of the state — specifically Chicago — caught local officials by surprise.
On Monday Pritzker announced a disaster declaration including Madison and eight other Illinois counties. But officials with the county, the sheriff’s department and Emergency Management said they had not requested any assistance.
* I asked the governor’s office for a response…
In order to mobilize the National Guard, a disaster proclamation has to be issued to authorize funding. The counties in the proclamation were included based on where possible criminal activity was indicated, home to critical infrastructure, or where we have received requests for state assistance and resources. Additional counties will be added as needed.
