EVENING NEWS CLIPS – 9.18.20 MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT MLL JOINS LOCAL 2 AND CITY LEADERS TO SIGN THE LOCAL 2 CBA ABC7 News at 5PM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA ANCHOR: Chicago firefighters have a new contract after working nearly three years without one. Mayor Lightfoot joined the firefighters union local 2 president to sign that deal this morning. The new short-term deal includes $95 million in back pay, but the contract doubles employee health care contributions, leaving rank-and-file with mixed feelings. FOX32 News at 5PM: MLL joins Local 2 and City Leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: today's signing ceremony will give these brave men and women access to the fair wages and benefits that they deserve whilst being judicious with taxpayer dollars. thus cutting a fair deal for first responders and taxpayers. ANCHOR: Chicago firefighters officially have a new four-year contract with the city. Mayor Lightfoot joined the firefighters union Local 2 President and others to sign the deal. ABC7 News at 4:30PM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: obviously, we anticipated what the amount would be and started setting aside resources to make sure we could get the deal done. ANCHOR: chicago firefighters signed a new contract with the City today. the new deal provides $95 million in back pay. the union, though, with mixed reaction today. WGN News at 4PM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: even in the darkest days of the pandemic and the social unrest this spring and summer. we always knew in every neighborhood across our city that we could count on the men and women of the Chicago fire department. ANCHOR: Chicago firefighters will get a wage hike and back pay but contribute more towards health care under a new signed contract with the city wgn's julian crews is live WGN News at NOON: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: even in the darkest days of the pandemic and the social unrest, the spring and summer. we always knew in every neighborhood across our city that we could count on the men and women of the chicago fire department. ANCHOR: chicago firefighters will get a wage hike and back pay but contribute more toward health care under their newly signed union contract with the city of chicago, ABC7 News at 11:30AM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: we have set aside money to make sure that we could pay it. we anticipated with the amount would be and we started setting aside resources to make sure we could get the deal done so it’s already accounted for. ANCHOR: a short-term contract is reached for chicago's firefighters. the mayor and union both appearing this morning. both sides agree deal is not perfect. WGN News at 11:30AM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: Even in the darkest days of the pandemic, and the social unrest of the spring and summer, we always knew in every neighborhood across our city that we could count on the men and women of the Chicago Fire Department ANCHOR: Mayor Lightfoot and the Chicago Firefighters union signed a new contract this morning. wgn's julian cruz live at clark and peterson with more on the fine print, hi julian. CBS2 News at 11AM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: Even in the darkest days of the pandemic, and the social unrest of the spring and summer, we always knew in every neighborhood across our city that we could count on the men and women of the Chicago Fire Department to be out there, to be on the streets, and to be present for our residents when they needed it most. ANCHOR: the city and union representing firefighters and first responders sealed the deal signing a recently approved collective bargaining. WGN News at 11AM: MLL joins Local 2 and City Leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: Today’s signing ceremony will get these brave men and women access to the fair wages and benefits they deserve while still being judicious with taxpayer dollars. Thus cutting a fair deal for first responders and our taxpayers. ANCHOR: meanwhile Mayor Lightfoot and the Chicago Firefighters Union make their new contract agreement official today they signed the deal at engine 70 at clark and Peterson NBC5 News at 11AM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: today's signing ceremony will give these brave men and women access to the fair wages and benefits they deserve while still being judicious with taxpayer dollars. thus, cutting a fair deal with first responders and our taxpayers. ANCHOR: Chicago firefighters and the Mayor celebrated signing the latest labor contact. Chicago Firefighters Union warns of contentious staffing issues ahead SUN TIMES//Fran Spielman The president of the Chicago Firefighters Union said Friday he and Mayor Lori Lightfoot are “miles apart” from a long-term contract and made the case to maintain staffing levels on fire apparatus even though the city faces a $1.2 billion budget shortfall. Jim Tracy joined the mayor at Engine 70, 6014 N. Clark St., to sign a contract that gives rank-and-rile firefighters and paramedics a 10% pay raise over four years, all but 2.5% of it retroactive. In exchange, the city gets higher health care contributions, saving $10 million. MLL SAYS FANS IN THE STANDS AT SOLDIER FIELD IS NOT LIKELY ABC7 News at 5PM: MLL says fans in the stands at Soldier Field is not likely *MLL: having a conversation about throwing hundreds of people into a venue like soldier field is not responsible. it does not mean we cannot plan for contingencies, but we've got to deal with the realities of where we are, which is in the middle of the fight for our lives with the pandemic. ANCHOR: the bears open their season sunday, but there will no be fans in the stands when they play the New York Giants. ABC7 News at 4PM: MLL says fans in the stands at Soldier Field is not likely *MLL: having a conversation about throwing hundreds of people into a venue like soldier field when we are still seeing an uptick of cases is not responsible. we've got to deal with the reality of where we are, which is in the middle of the fight for our lives with the pandemic. ANCHOR: today Mayor Lightfoot says sports teams that want to have fans in the stands need to work with the City on a realistic plan. NBC5 News at 11AM: MLL says fans in the stands at Soldier Field is not likely ANCHOR: the bears will play their home opener this Sunday at soldier field. they will look to carry the momentum of last week's comeback win over Detroit as they take on the New York Giants. there won't be any fans in the stands this time. the bears say they're optimistic they will have fans at Soldier Field before the season is over. but Mayor Lori Lightfoot said there's less than a 50% chance of that happening. we'll see. The Chicago Bears expressed optimism about fans at Soldier Field later this season — but Mayor Lightfoot says the likelihood is ‘less than 50%’ TRIBUNE//Brad Biggs If the Chicago Bears are going to remain optimistic about the possibility of fans being able to attend games at Soldier Field this season, they’re going to have to become better partners with the city, according to Mayor Lori Lightfoot. A week after Chairman George McCaskey used the word “optimistic,” Lightfoot on Friday called the chances of that happening less than 50% and said the team needs to do a better job of communicating. Mayor: likely Soldier Field stays empty this season SUN TIMES//Patrick Finley Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the odds of Bears fans returning to Soldier Field this season are less than 50 percent. In an interview with “Mully and Haugh” on WSCR-AM on Friday morning, Lightfoot said that “we’re no nowhere near at a place where we can even realistically talk about fans coming back to Soldier Field.” The Bears will not have fans inside Soldier Field for their home opener Sunday. The team just last week said it hopes that will change later in the season. CITY DEDICATES $35 MILLION TO QUICKLY SHELTER HOMELESS FOX32 News at 5:30PM: City dedicates $35 million to quickly shelter homeless ANCHOR: the city of chicago is making a major investment to help people who are homeless. Mayor Lightfoot announced that they will dedicate $35 million to the expedited housing initiative. it is designed to connect people expressing homelessness with available rental units. the city is asking landlords to open up their empty units. most of the money comes from the federal cares act. WGN News at 11:30AM, NOON: City dedicates $35 million to quickly shelter homeless ANCHOR: the city of chicago is dedicating more than 35 million dollars to help homeless people find shelter quickly. the expedited housing initiative removes barriers like income verification that can impede the rapid placement of residents in rental units. Mayor Lightfoot is also encouraging property owners to make their vacant apartments also available so the program can be successful. OTHER MLL NEWS NBC5 News at 6PM: MLL participates in Roll N Peace community event ANCHOR: cyclists in Englewood’s Ogden Park are thinking outside the block tonight for the roll n peace community event. Mayor Lori Lightfoot joined the crew for the ride which promotes health and wellness. The rollin peace event is designed to deter violence, increase physical fitness, and improve psychological well being through community engagement. This is the program’s 6th ride. ‘We Cannot Normalize This Behavior,’ Lightfoot Says After Spike in Juvenile Shooting Victims WTTW//Matt Masterson On the same day a funeral was held for the 8-year-old girl who was shot and killed last week while riding in a vehicle with her family, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city must do more to protect its juveniles during a historic uptick in violence. “We cannot normalize this behavior,” the mayor said during an unrelated press conference Friday morning. “We cannot shelter the people who are recklessly destroying the fabric of our community and, particularly, bringing harm to our children.” Mayor Lori Lightfoot rips Chicago FOP president: ‘I don’t have a lot of good things to say about him’ TRIBUNE//Gregory Pratt and Jeremy Gorner Amid ongoing contract talks with the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday again ripped union president John Catanzara while insisting that any deal must include enhanced police accountability measures. “I don’t have a lot of good things to say about him in particular,” Lightfoot said. “But I care deeply about the men and women of the Chicago Police Department.” City O’Hare debt document indicates COVID-19 could delay huge airport terminal revamp TRIBUNE//John Byrne The devastating impact of COVID-19 on the number of airline passengers using O’Hare International Airport could delay completion of the massive airport terminal modernization project, city officials acknowledge in a recent document. While Lightfoot administration officials have said the $8.5 billion project is moving ahead in spite of the steep downturn in passengers and the revenue they generate to help fund the work, documents submitted this week to try to refinance airport debt show the city hedging its bets on the timing. Developers Break Ground On 26-Story, 11-Story Apartment Towers In West Loop BLOCK CLUB//Mauricio Pena WEST LOOP — Construction has begun on two apartment buildings that will bring more than 500 new units to the border of the West Loop and Near West Side. Developer Marquette Companies, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) gathered Thursday to break ground on a 26-story building at 1400 W. Randolph St., which will include 278 luxury apartments and ground floor retail. Just across Union Park, at 1454 W. Randolph, an 11-story building will include 243 apartments. Will the city slow $8.5 billion O'Hare terminal redo? CRAIN’S//Greg Hinz With airline traffic projected to stall until the middle of the decade, the Lightfoot administration now is pondering whether to delay the $8.5 billion terminal expansion project at O’Hare International Airport it inherited from previous Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Documents the city filed as part of a pending deal to refinance $1.24 billion in O’Hare debt indicate city officials now are “assessing timing” on the Terminal Area Project, and the current 2028 completion date is “subject to change.” Alderman lavished with cash, luxury trips by program for Caribbean med students SUN TIMES//Tim Novak A Chicago doctor is suing his business partner, accusing her of “looting” more than $3.7 million from their business to finance an “extravagant lifestyle” and to lavish Ald. George Cardenas (12th) with luxurious trips, an expensive watch and a monthly stipend for consulting services. Cardenas had been hired to drum up business for Omni Medical Student Training, which places students from Caribbean medical schools in residency programs with Chicago hospitals. City knew of youth baseball field contamination a year ago but didn’t tell residents SUN TIMES//Brett Chase City officials detected high levels of the brain-damaging metal manganese in the dirt of a Southeast Side youth baseball field a year ago but didn’t tell league organizers or families of players. Instead, the city shared its findings with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which this summer confirmed the city’s early soil testing results that high levels of manganese are present in dirt on a section of Babe Ruth Field in Hegewisch. The manganese levels are high enough the contaminated soil needs to be removed, the EPA says. Systemic Racism to Blame for 9-Year Life Expectancy Gap Between Black, White Chicagoans: Report WTTW//Heather Cherone Black Chicagoans die nearly nine years sooner, on average, than white Chicagoans because of the systemic racism that pervades nearly every aspect of civic life, according to a new report from the Chicago Department of Public Health that vows to bridge that gap. While the average white Chicagoan can expect to live until they are 80.2 years old, Black Chicagoans die 8.8 years sooner because they suffer from higher instances of chronic disease, are more likely to be killed in a gun-related homicide or die of an opioid overdose, according to the Healthy Chicago 2025 report released Thursday. Want To Craft Policy For Chicago Police? CPD Says Here’s Your Chance. WBEZ//Patrick Smith The Chicago Police Department is asking the public to weigh in on policies governing the way officers respond to hate crimes, interact with different religious communities and deal with kids, among other areas. The department is also asking for feedback on a potential policy prohibiting sexual misconduct by officers, a policy that still does not exist despite being mandated in the court-ordered police reform plan known as a consent decree. POLICE BUDGET PLIGHT — A JUDICIAL REVOLT — WHITE SOX CLINCH — CORRUPTION CHRONICLES POLITICO//Shia Kapos TGIF, Illinois. Wishing all who celebrate a good and sweet new year. Shana tova. TOP TALKER Faced with a $1.2 billion budget shortfall in fiscal 2021, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration and the City Council are eyeing the police department, which accounts for more than half of the city’s spending, for cuts. Have An Idea To Improve Rogers Park? Neighbors Can Weigh In On How $1 Million Gets Spent In Neighborhood BLOCK CLUB//Joe Ward ROGERS PARK — If you want to see changes in Rogers Park, now is your time to push for funding. Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) has started the ward’s participatory budgeting process, which allows neighbors to propose and vote on projects to improve the neighborhood. Hadden has earmarked $1 million for the process. Chicago Park District’s Plan For New Brighton Park Headquarters Approved By Key Committee BLOCK CLUB//Mina Bloom and Mauricio Pena BRIGHTON PARK — A proposal to build a new Chicago Park District headquarters in Brighton Park received the green light from the city’s Plan Commission on Thursday. The park district’s proposal aims to build an 88,000-square-foot office space, a field house, playground, spray pool and three artificial turf fields on 17 acres at 4800 S. Western Ave., shifting the current headquarters from Streeterville. New Mural Outside Bucktown-Wicker Park Library Brings A Piece Of Rural Illinois To The City BLOCK CLUB//Hannah Alani BUCKTOWN — The rear of the Bucktown-Wicker Park Chicago Public Library is getting a corn-themed makeover. “Illinois Landscape,” a 10-foot-by-90-foot mural, was installed this week on the library’s north-facing wall. The piece overlooks Bucktown Green, 1724 N. Wilmot Ave. The Bucktown Community Organization, a neighborhood group, has been working on the project since July 2018. Facing gaping city budget hole, Lightfoot administration may consider leaving some Chicago police jobs unfilled next year TRIBUNE//John Byrne Mayor Lori Lightfoot will consider slowing down the replacement of retired Chicago police officers or leaving some positions unfilled next year to reduce the Police Department’s massive personnel budget as the city tries to fill a huge COVID-19-induced budget shortfall, officials said Thursday. Lightfoot herself talked about police budget cuts being on the table along with all other parts of city government when she gave a speech last month to lay out a nearly $800 million budget deficit for this year and a $1.2 billion chasm for next year. Head of Chicago’s civilian police oversight agency offers rare pushback on city government watchdog over video releases TRIBUNE//Jeremy Gorner The head of Chicago’s civilian agency that probes police misconduct offered rare pushback against the city’s government watchdog for that office’s report suggesting the agency has not released video or other investigative material in a number of police use-of-force cases within a required 60-day period. At a public meeting Thursday night, Sydney Roberts, who leads the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, sought to downplay the delays cited by the city inspector general’s office by trying to provide context to what the IG described as COPA’s failure to comply with the city’s video release policy. Under fire for blowing deadlines, COPA chief concedes agency has ‘faced challenges in the release of video material’ SUN TIMES//Tom Schuba Two days after Chicago’s inspector general detailed the Civilian Office of Police Accountability’s repeated failure to meet the 60-day deadline to release video, audio and documents related to incidents involving officers’ use of force, the agency’s top official conceded Thursday that the agency has “faced challenges in the release of video material.” During the monthly Chicago Police Board meeting, COPA Chief Administrator Sydney Roberts claimed her agency is “overcoming” the issues outlined in Tuesday’s report by Deborah Witzburg, the city’s newly appointed deputy inspector general for public safety. Head of Police Oversight Agency Defends Operations After Critical Audit WTTW//Heather Cherone The head of the agency charged with investigating allegations of police misconduct defended its operations after an audit by the city’s watchdog found it had failed to release video and audio recordings of use-of-force incidents within 60 days, as required by city law. Civilian Office of Police Accountability Chief Administrator Sydney Roberts told the city’s Police Board on Thursday night that the agency had “never intentionally withheld” information from the public. For Parents Of Children With Disabilities, Remote Learning Feels Like Another Full-Time Job CHALKBEAT//Samantha Smylie and Mila Koumpilova CHICAGO — Chicago families started the school year by logging onto online classes last week. All parents are struggling to navigate remote learning, childcare and work. For parents of children with special needs, those issues are magnified. When school buildings were open, children with special needs were able to have a special education classroom assistant to help them stay on task in class. University of Illinois nurses, hospital extend talks into Thursday night SUN TIMES//Brett Chase Negotiations between nurses and University of Illinois Hospital extended into the evening on the sixth day of a strike Thursday as the two sides failed to resolve issues surrounding workplace safety and other demands. About 800 members of the Illinois Nurses Association went on strike last Saturday morning saying they needed more protective gear and limits on the number of patients assigned to each nurse. The union members announced the strike would last seven days. The Toll of Remote Learning On One Chicago Teacher: ‘I Am Learning Everything Again’ WBEZ//Adriana Cardona-Maguigad This story is part of the series “2020 Lessons.” This fall, WBEZ education reporters are following students and teachers from the Chicago area as they make their way through an education world turned upside down by the coronavirus. It’s been two weeks since remote learning began for about 295,000 students in traditional Chicago public schools. Pickpocketing’s a dying art, but cops say crew of 60-somethings still preyed on L riders SUN TIMES//Frank Main The operation was called Three Blind Mice, and the Chicago police launched it earlier this year to target a three-man crew of pickpockets working subways and L platforms. Pickpocketing’s a dying art, experts say. The three men the cops were after — all in their 60s — had rap sheets dating to the 1970s. Police say they caught the crew on CTA surveillance cameras stalking victims. Sometimes, they used stolen credit cards to buy Ventra passes they could sell at a discount, police say, and would also use what they took to treat themselves at McDonald’s. COLUMNISTS AND EDITORIALS Don't dig Chicago's grave just yet CRAIN’S//Greg Hinz For lovers of cities, the oft-maddening but at other times exhilarating places that many of us call home, 2020 has been a year to forget. Even if the current occupant of the White House possessed the heart and skills needed to deal with wildly diverse populations, COVID-19 has proved to be a massive body blow. The very concept of bringing large numbers of people together in dense settings, especially in congested areas such as central Chicago, now is making many wonder when and maybe if we'll recover—me included. Thanks for lifting our spirits, Sox and Cubs, and for playing with class in strange times SUN TIMES//Editorial Board A great way to follow baseball through a Chicago summer is to dip in and dip out, to come and go. We might listen to a game on the radio outdoors, after mowing the lawn or while walking the dog. We might slip back inside to catch a big moment on TV. Baseball’s our summer soundtrack, our daily diversion, our companion. CHICAGO From Repeat Visits To Tech Troubles, Chicago’s Census Count Faces Issues In Its Final Weeks WBEZ//Esther Yoon-Ji Kang In June, Melna Inge, a resident in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, filled out the census for herself and her elderly mother while getting her car repaired. She said the process was quick and easy, and she took screenshots of the confirmation pages on her phone. Last month, Inge got a visit from a census enumerator — temporary employees assigned to knock on doors and count households that have not self-responded online, via phone or by paper questionnaire. ILLINOIS AND SPRINGFIELD US attorney John Lausch issues guidance for House committee investigating Speaker Michael Madigan TRIBUNE//Jamie Munks SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Attorney John Lausch said in a letter Thursday that his office doesn’t have an issue with an Illinois House committee seeking testimony and documents from witnesses in its inquiry of Speaker Michael Madigan, while also offering some guidelines. Lausch’s letter provides a road map for the newly formed special investigating committee’s query into the powerful speaker, which in its short existence has already become sharply politicized. FULL TRANSCRIPTS NBC5 News at 6PM: MLL participates in Roll N Peace community event ANCHOR: cyclists in Englewood’s Ogden Park are thinking outside the block tonight for the roll n peace community event. Mayor Lori Lightfoot joined the crew for the ride which promotes health and wellness. The rollin peace event is designed to deter violence, increase physical fitness, and improve psychological well being through community engagement. This is the program’s 6th ride. FOX32 News at 5:30PM: City dedicates $35 million to quickly shelter homeless ANCHOR: the city of chicago is making a major investment to help people who are homeless. Mayor Lightfoot announced that they will dedicate $35 million to the expedited housing initiative. it is designed to connect people expressing homelessness with available rental units. the city is asking landlords to open up their empty units. most of the money comes from the federal cares act. ABC7 News at 5PM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA ANCHOR: Chicago firefighters have a new contract after working nearly three years without one. Mayor Lightfoot joined the firefighters union local 2 president to sign that deal this morning. The new short-term deal includes $95 million in back pay, but the contract doubles employee health care contributions, leaving rank-and-file with mixed feelings. TRACY: I'm not happy with all the provisions of the contract as my membership is also not happy with it all, but today is a good day. we are moving forward and we will start negotiations again in march. ANCHOR: the Mayor's office says the new deal will save taxpayers about $7 million a year. FOX32 News at 5PM: MLL joins Local 2 and City Leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: today's signing ceremony will give these brave men and women access to the fair wages and benefits that they deserve whilst being judicious with taxpayer dollars. thus cutting a fair deal for first responders and taxpayers. ANCHOR: Chicago firefighters officially have a new four-year contract with the city. Mayor Lightfoot joined the firefighters union Local 2 President and others to sign the deal. it covers more than 5,000 firefighters and paramedics. this contract stretches back to July 2017 so it gives them raises plus 95 million in backpay. MLL: today's signing ceremony will give these brave men and women access to the fair wages and benefits that they deserve whilst being judicious with taxpayer dollars. thus cutting a fair deal for first responders and taxpayers. ANCHOR: this contract only goes through june 2021 so negotiations will start up again next spring. And today's signing comes as city hall engages in intense contract negotiations with the fraternal order of police. FOP president John Catanzara crashed today's event and let the mayor have it. CATANZARA: I think it was a purpose slap in the face. the mayor wanted to give us the middle finger just to show off that she gave the firemen a new contract and then put it on us like it is our fault. our members have been confronted with the most horrendous working conditions in this nation, bar none, except for maybe portland and minneapolis. we are the last in line in unions, as you can see, to get a contract even considered let alone ratified. ANCHOR: the fop has been working without a contract since june 2017. this week Catanzara rejected a deal that would give officers a 10% raise over four years. the union's counterproposal includes pay bumps for certifications and letting officers live outside the city. ABC7 News at 5PM: MLL says fans in the stands at Soldier Field is not likely *MLL: having a conversation about throwing hundreds of people into a venue like soldier field is not responsible. it does not mean we cannot plan for contingencies, but we've got to deal with the realities of where we are, which is in the middle of the fight for our lives with the pandemic. ANCHOR: the bears open their season sunday, but there will no be fans in the stands when they play the New York Giants. officials say they are optimistic there could be fans in the stands at some point this season, but Mayor Lightfoot said that may not be feasible. MLL: having a conversation about throwing hundreds of people into a venue like soldier field is not responsible. it does not mean we cannot plan for contingencies, but we've got to deal with the realities of where we are, which is in the middle of the fight for our lives with the pandemic. ANCHOR: the bears released a statement saying they are working closely with the Mayors's office to monitor the environment and determine the right time to bring back fans. ABC7 News at 4:30PM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: obviously, we anticipated what the amount would be and started setting aside resources to make sure we could get the deal done. ANCHOR: chicago firefighters signed a new contract with the City today. the new deal provides $95 million in back pay. the union, though, with mixed reaction today. it is also setting the stage for more contentious negotiations with chicago police. craig wall has details on the deal signed today and also the drama over the one still at the bargaining table. WALL: chicago firefighters have been without a contract for more than three years. today, they formalized the new one-year deal that includes a 10% raise, most of it in back pay, but the contract doubles employee health care contributions, leaving rank-and-file with mixed feelings. TRACY: I'm not happy with all the provisions of the contract, as my membership is not happy with all, but today is a good day. we are moving forward and will start negotiations again in march. WALL: the new deal comes at a time when the city is facing an $800 billion budget hole this year. MLL: obviously, we anticipated what the amount would be and started setting aside resources to make sure we could get the deal done. WALL: outside the fire station, members of the fraternal order of police who have also been without a contract for three years, hoping to hand the mayor a counterproposal. earlier this week, Lightfoot sent the fop a letter of frustration after negotiations broke down. MLL: they should come to the table and be serious about getting a deal done. But a deal done with the fop has to include accountability and reform measures. WALL: the fop says it is willing to talk reforms but only after signing a contract and a deal with financials to compensate their members who have worked under challenging conditions due to covid-19 and civil unrest. CATANZARA: i think it was a purpose slap in the face. the mayor wanted to essentially give us the middle finger just to kind of show off that she gave the firemen their contract and now putting it on us like it’s our fault. WALL: while the firefighters contract includes no reduction in workforce until at least 2022, the police department could see a reduction in staff if vacancies created by retirements are not filled order to help offset the funding deficit. ABC7 News at 4PM: MLL says fans in the stands at Soldier Field is not likely *MLL: having a conversation about throwing hundreds of people into a venue like soldier field when we are still seeing an uptick of cases is not responsible. we've got to deal with the reality of where we are, which is in the middle of the fight for our lives with the pandemic. ANCHOR: today Mayor Lightfoot says sports teams that want to have fans in the stands need to work with the City on a realistic plan. And although numbers are falling she’s still concerned about having a late summer spike in cases MLL: having a conversation about throwing hundreds of people into a venue like soldier field when we are still seeing an uptick of cases is not responsible. we've got to deal with the reality of where we are, which is in the middle of the fight for our lives with the pandemic. ANCHOR: the Chicago Bears will play their home opener Sunday without fans at soldier field. some NFL teams have allowed fans to attend their games. WGN News at 4PM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: even in the darkest days of the pandemic and the social unrest this spring and summer. we always knew in every neighborhood across our city that we could count on the men and women of the Chicago fire department. ANCHOR: Chicago firefighters will get a wage hike and back pay but contribute more towards health care under a new signed contract with the city wgn's julian crews is live at clark and Peterson with more on this new union agreement plus a surprise visit to the fire station by the head of the police union julian. CREWS: ben, neither side entirely pleased with what they got. rank and file firefighters unhappy about the increased health plan contributions said to have doubled with this contract. but both sides acknowledging that in these tough financial times a one year deal they say is a fair deal. TRACY: and the mayor was true to her word. CREWS: chicago firefighter local two union chief jim tracy praising Mayor Lori Lightfoot with chicago's mayor returning the gratitude to the courageous men and women of the fire department. MLL: even in the darkest days of the pandemic and the social unrest this spring and summer. we always knew in every neighborhood across our city that we could count on the men and women of the Chicago fire department. CREWS: the signing ceremony held at engine company 70 on the far north side of chicago providing 95 million dollars in back pay since they've been working for 2 years without a contract. firefighters will get a 2% raise this year. but concessions like higher employee contributions for health care unavoidable both sides say with the city facing a 700 million dollar budget shortfall this year. TRACY: she’s been dealt a bad deck of cards with the covid-19. CREWS: tough negotiations aside the relatively amicable atmosphere today's event in jarring contrast to what's happening with police. CATANZARA: the Mayor knew we were out here and what did she do? she ducked out the back door look like a coward. CREWS: harsh words from the president of the fraternal order of police john catanzara watching the signing ceremony from the sidewalk. police still without a contract. and catanzara wondering why everyone but chicago police seem to have a new contract. CATANZARA: you know you have you have learning at home for all the cps students. obvious class crowinding probably is not an issue anymore if everybody's be taught remotely. well some teachers, you know. they got a big race there left all the way to the bank and we're looking like fools right now. CREWS: we reached out to the mayor's office for comment. so far nothing from city hall. Catanzara says the fop has a new counter proposal that they are in the process of distributing to alderman and they're asking the alderman to force a vote on their new is proposed on the far north side julian crews wgn news. WGN News at NOON: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: even in the darkest days of the pandemic and the social unrest, the spring and summer. we always knew in every neighborhood across our city that we could count on the men and women of the chicago fire department. ANCHOR: chicago firefighters will get a wage hike and back pay but contribute more toward health care under their newly signed union contract with the city of chicago, let's go to wgn's julian crews is live at clark and peterson with more on that agreement plus a surprise visit from the FOP president is that right julian. CREWS: that's right an unscheduled visit from the president of the fraternal order of police. of course, the chicago police department the only city department that does not have a contract right now, more on that later. in the meantime, chicago firefighters and paramedics getting 95 million dollars in back pay but they had to concede on health care contributions and other areas. nevertheless, union negotiators say under the circumstances, it's a fair deal. TRACY: the mayor and I are in agreement that this is a fair contract. we are still miles apart on certain issues. again, jim franzic is a is a gentleman. the Mayor is true to her word and her handshake is what I depend on and she came through was what she said she would do. CREWS: union leaders signing the one year contract together with Mayor Lori Lightfoot at engine company number 70 on the far north side the mayor in chicago and everywhere of course grateful for the courageous work of the men and women of the chicago fire department especially during the course of the pandemic their work taking on even greater importance. pay increases of 2.25% for 2018 another 2 and a quarter percent increase for 2019 and a 2% raise this year on tap for firefighters boosting income for the raise that Mayor Lightfoot says was richly deserved. MLL: even in the darkest days of the pandemic and the social unrest, the spring and summer. we always knew in every neighborhood across our city that we could count on the men and women of the chicago fire department. CREWS: of course the city of chicago in deep financial trouble now facing a 700 million dollars budget deficit due to lost revenues during the pandemic so it's not clear how the city is going to be able to a foot the bill on this raise city council have to approve the new contract assuming it gets ratified by the firefighters union. so the only city department still working without a contract are chicago police officers the union president making an unscheduled visit to the signing ceremony. CATANZARA: it doesn't make any damn sense. you know you have you have learning at home for all the CPS students. obvious class crowding is not an issue anymore. if everybody's being taught remotely lay off some teachers, you know. they got a big raise they are laughing all the way to the bank and we're looking like fools right now. CREWS: Catanzara clearly not happy with the state of negotiations. Catanzara and members of lodge 7 fraternal order of police looking to talk to the Mayor they say it's not clear if the mayor knew that Catanzara was outside here of company number 7, Lightfoot departing out a side door with her aids. It is no secret that the mayor and Catanzara have had a difficult relationship. the FOP says it has a counter proposal and they're asking the city council to hold an up or down vote on the proposed contract but typically of course both sides have to agree on a new contract first before Alderman take a vote. on the far north side julian crews wgn news ABC7 News at 11:30AM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: we have set aside money to make sure that we could pay it. we anticipated with the amount would be and we started setting aside resources to make sure we could get the deal done so it’s already accounted for. ANCHOR: a short-term contract is reached for chicago's firefighters. the mayor and union both appearing this morning. both sides agree deal is not perfect. Jessica D’onofrio is live D’ONOFRIO: and despite that, both sides made it official this morning. a one-year deal which includes $95 billion in back pay. Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the firefighters union signing the short-term contract at a firehouse in the the edgewater neighborhood the contract expired in june 2017. the new deal includes a 10% pay raise with all but 2.5% of it retroactive and increases in vacation days for paramedics. However the contract nearly doubled employee health care contributions. The Mayor’s office says that will save taxpayers about $7 million per year but many rank-and-file members are not happy about that. TRACY: I am not happy with all of the provisions of the contract, and my membership is not happy with it all, but today is a good day. D’ONOFRIO: the agreement expires next summer so the city will need to negotiate with firefighters for a longer deal. Meanwhile the City is on the hook to cover the $95 million in back pay attached to this contract at a time when the city is in a $800 million budget hole resulting from the shut down during pandemic. MLL: we have set aside money to make sure that we could pay it. we anticipated with the amount would be and we started setting aside resources to make sure we could get the deal done so it’s already accounted for. D’ONOFRIO: police remain without a contract. the president of the fop who has a tense relationship with the mayor showed up to the firehouse after the news conference to present the mayor with their counter proposal. CATANZARA: I think it was a purposeful slap in the face. the mayor wanted to give us the middle finger just to show off that she give the firemen her contract now trying to put it on us like it’s our fault. D’ONOFRIO: the mayor had already left the firehouse when the FOP president showed up but earlier, she said in this news conference that she doesn't have very good things to say about the fop president. she does care deeply about the police department. the Mayor says the fop has not been serious about accountability or reform measures and is not going to negotiate their contract in the media. WGN News at 11:30AM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: Even in the darkest days of the pandemic, and the social unrest of the spring and summer, we always knew in every neighborhood across our city that we could count on the men and women of the Chicago Fire Department ANCHOR: Mayor Lightfoot and the Chicago Firefighters union signed a new contract this morning. wgn's julian cruz live at clark and peterson with more on the fine print, hi julian. CREWS: good morning, everybody chicago firefighters and paramedics getting 95 million dollars in back pay. they've been working for a couple years without a contract. but firefighters local 2 forced to concede when it comes to health care contributions and other areas. nevertheless, chief negotiators say given the difficult circumstances the city of chicago is in with a very bleak financial picture. the union boss says by and large it's a fair deal. TRACY: the Mayor and I are in agreement that this is a fair contract. we are still miles apart on certain issues. again jim frenzic is a is a gentleman. the Mayor is true to her word and her handshake is what i depend on and she came through with what she said she would do. CREWS: union leaders signing the one year contract together with Mayor Lori Lightfoot at engine company number 70 on the north side. the mayor and Chicagoans everywhere of course grateful for the courageous work of the men and women of the chicago fire department, especially during the course of the pandemic their work taking on even greater importance. pay increases of 2.25% for 2018 another 2 and a quarter percent increase for 2019 and a 2% raise this year boosting income for the department, a raise that Mayor Lightfoot says was richly deserved. MLL: Even in the darkest days of the pandemic, and the social unrest of the spring and summer, we always knew in every neighborhood across our city that we could count on the men and women of the Chicago Fire Department CREWS: the city of chicago of course in deep financial trouble already dealing with billions of dollars in unfunded pension liabilities now facing a 700 million dollar budget deficit due to lost revenues during the pandemic so it's certainly a tough environment. city council will have to approve the new contract assuming it gets ratified by the firefighters union so the only city department still working without a contract right now are chicago police officers. the president the fraternal order of police making a surprise visit here to the fire house where they did the signing ceremony said he wanted to talk to Lori Lightfoot we will hear what he had to say. coming up in the noon hour. the far north side julian crews wgn news WGN News at 11:30AM, NOON: City dedicates $35 million to quickly shelter homeless ANCHOR: the city of chicago is dedicating more than 35 million dollars to help homeless people find shelter quickly. the expedited housing initiative removes barriers like income verification that can impede the rapid placement of residents in rental units. Mayor Lightfoot is also encouraging property owners to make their vacant apartments also available so the program can be successful. CBS2 News at 11AM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: Even in the darkest days of the pandemic, and the social unrest of the spring and summer, we always knew in every neighborhood across our city that we could count on the men and women of the Chicago Fire Department to be out there, to be on the streets, and to be present for our residents when they needed it most. ANCHOR: the city and union representing firefighters and first responders sealed the deal signing a recently approved collective bargaining. it happened just within the hour at fire engine 70 on clark street in rogers park. the contract is set to last for only one year, but it offers, among other things, $95 million in back pay and personal protective equipment guarantees to union members. before signing it, Mayor Lori Lightfoot expressed gratitude. MLL: Even in the darkest days of the pandemic, and the social unrest of the spring and summer, we always knew in every neighborhood across our city that we could count on the men and women of the Chicago Fire Department to be out there, to be on the streets, and to be present for our residents when they needed it most. ANCHOR: the new agreement also includes a second set of bunker gear for each firefighter. that is fresh clothing to change into between fires and emergencies to ensure health and safety. but the labor deal also increases employee health care contributions and does not add any new ambulances to the city's fleet. the cbs 2 investigators have spent the last year exposing delays in ambulance response times. you can find our reporting on the new cbs chicago app which you can download wherever you get your apps. WGN News at 11AM: MLL joins Local 2 and City Leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: Today’s signing ceremony will get these brave men and women access to the fair wages and benefits they deserve while still being judicious with taxpayer dollars. Thus cutting a fair deal for first responders and our taxpayers. ANCHOR: meanwhile Mayor Lightfoot and the Chicago Firefighters Union make their new contract agreement official today they signed the deal at engine 70 at clark and peterson this morning. The contract does include raises. it also keeps retiree healthcare eligibility at 55 years of age, but active members will have to contribute an extra one and a half percent of their salaries toward health care costs. and future retirees between 55 and 60 years of age will have to throw in 3% and those between 60 and 62 will have to toss in one and a half percent of their retirement annuities toward health care. MLL: Today’s signing ceremony will get these brave men and women access to the fair wages and benefits they deserve while still being judicious with taxpayer dollars. Thus cutting a fair deal for first responders and our taxpayers. ANCHOR: this contract follows other agreements with the public safety employees’ union as well as police sergeants lieutenants and captains. NBC5 News at 11AM: MLL joins Local 2 and City leaders to sign the Local 2 CBA *MLL: today's signing ceremony will give these brave men and women access to the fair wages and benefits they deserve while still being judicious with taxpayer dollars. thus, cutting a fair deal with first responders and our taxpayers. ANCHOR: Chicago firefighters and the Mayor celebrated signing the latest labor contact. MLL: today's signing ceremony will give these brave men and women access to the fair wages and benefits they deserve while still being judicious with taxpayer dollars. thus, cutting a fair deal with first responders and our taxpayers. TRACY: the mayor is true to her word and her handshake is what I depend on and she came through with what she said she would do. I’m not happy with all of the provisions of the contract, as my membership is not happy with it all, but today is a good day. ANCHOR: the new contract provides $95 million in backpay and a PPE distribution guarantee but it's a short-term contract. the two sides are back at the bargaining table in March. NBC5 News at 11AM: MLL says fans in the stands at Soldier Field is not likely ANCHOR: the bears will play their home opener this Sunday at soldier field. they will look to carry the momentum of last week's comeback win over Detroit as they take on the New York Giants. there won't be any fans in the stands this time. the bears say they're optimistic they will have fans at Soldier Field before the season is over. but Mayor Lori Lightfoot said there's less than a 50% chance of that happening. we'll see. FULL ARTICLES POLICE BUDGET PLIGHT — A JUDICIAL REVOLT — WHITE SOX CLINCH — CORRUPTION CHRONICLES POLITICO//Shia Kapos TGIF, Illinois. Wishing all who celebrate a good and sweet new year. Shana tova. TOP TALKER Faced with a $1.2 billion budget shortfall in fiscal 2021, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration and the City Council are eyeing the police department, which accounts for more than half of the city’s spending, for cuts. The reduction plans prompted a fierce debate Thursday about budget realities in wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the rise of the movement to “defund the police” after new instances of police brutality surfaced across the country. The debate is further complicated because it’s all happening in the context of a criminal justice crisis across the country and at a time when violence has spiked in Chicago — not to mention the police union contracts. And while folks calling for defunding the police are often the loudest in the room, neighborhoods across the city want to see more police. “We knew debate around the budget would be healthy this year. Compound it with the pandemic, and it will be very robust,” Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) told Playbook. What Lightfoot’s team is suggesting: Not filling the positions of retired officers or those who leave their positions. Personnel makes up 89 percent of the police department’s budget. It wouldn’t be the first time the police budget felt the brunt of spending cuts. During the Emanuel administration, some 1,400 police vacancies were targeted as part of cutbacks. The question, said city Budget Director Susie Park: “What is the right number of officers? What do we need to meet operations? We’re looking at everyone’s vacancies across the city, to be honest. CPD is no different.” She said there are 847 vacant police positions being examined. “We won’t solve budget problems without seriously looking at efficiencies in departments,” Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) told Playbook after the hearing. What the Council’s financial analyst suggests: Cutting “perks'' from the police budget, including uniform allowances and tuition reimbursement. The problem with that is those can’t be touched because they’re part of the police contract (speaking of which, that’s another issue on the mayor’s mind). What some community members want: Reducing the police budget by 75 percent and to move those funds to programs that address mental health and social service programs. How it could play out: The idea that money would be diverted from CPD to other services isn’t likely to happen. Instead, watch for a message urging the police to do more with less. RELATED: Ald. Gilbert Villegas, as head of the City Council’s Economic, Capital and Technology Development Committee, has pulled together 15 IT companies to look at ways to find technology efficiency in city government. Villegas wants the group “to look under the hood” and get creative to modernize city government — and trim budgets in the process. The group’s focus: modernization, innovation, revenue, efficiency and diversity. The acronym is MIRED. It’s a good fit, says Villegas, “because technology will get us out from being stuck in the mud.” THE BUZZ Cook County judges are pushing back at the Democratic Party, which is headed by county Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and it’s not clear what the fallout will be for any of them. The judges are refusing to pay the $40,000 that they’re each required to fork over to the party whenever they’re up for retention, reports Mark Brown in the Sun-Times. The money is used to send out literature to constituents. This year, the judges are taking a stand. They don’t like how politics is being used to dictate whether one of their own, Judge Michael Toomin, should be retained. The party claims it’s not backing Toomin because of his record as a juvenile judge, “an attack that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny even if he does have some detractors,” Brown writes. Judges worry it's politics at play. Tooomin is the judge assigned to the Jussie Smollett case who called for a special prosecutor to look at how State’s Attorney Kim Foxx — a Preckwinckle ally who’s also up for reelection in November — handled that imbroglio. “Whether this turns out to be a revolt from the Democratic Party itself or just a revolt from Preckwinkle’s leadership of the party remains to be seen,” writes Brown. Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: skapos@politico.com A message from Facebook: We support updated internet regulations. We continue to take critical steps to improve our platforms such as tripling our safety and security teams, building privacy tools, and more. But we need updated regulations to hold all companies, including Facebook, accountable. Read why we support updated internet regulations WHERE'S LORI At Engine 70 on North Clark Street at 10 a.m. with Ald. Andre Vasquez, Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza, and CFD Local 2 Union President Jim Tracy for a signing ceremony for the recently approved collective bargaining agreement with Chicago firefighters and public safety employees. WHERE'S J.B. At Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Rock Island at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the 2020 census. Then at Macomb City Hall at 1 p.m. to talk census. Watch live WHERE'S TONI Making introductory remarks at the Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff Event at 11 a.m. The event is a discussion about how Covid-19 has affected Latinx communities. At 3 p.m. she’ll give remarks at a story-telling event for the country’s Racial Equity Week (both events can be seen live here). And at 5:45 p.m. she’ll attend a ribbon cutting at the Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar restaurant in Country Club Hills. THE LATEST NUMBERS The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 25 new deaths to Covid-19 Thursday and 2,056 new confirmed cases. That’s a total of 8,392 deaths and 268,207 cases in Illinois. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total tests from Sept. 10 through 16 is 3.6 percent. Chicago’s positivity rate is at 4.8 percent. KEEP UP WITH THE WORLD FROM HOME: Our Global Translations newsletter, presented by Bank of America, layers international news, trends, and decisions that you may have missed with contextual analysis from the world's sharpest minds. For news, insight, and a unique perspective that you cannot find anywhere else, SUBSCRIBE TODAY. CORONAVIRUS UPDATES — Vaccine distribution isn’t as easy as Trump wants people to think: “State officials say they're still unclear about key details, and the CDC chief warned states need billions of dollars more to ensure people get shots,” by POLITICO’s Rachel Roubein and Dan Goldberg. — As they focused on others with Covid-19, Illinois health care workers bore the brunt of pandemic’s fury: “More than 100 lives of professionals working in the health care field have been lost in Illinois this past six months since COVID-19 began its deadly march through the state,” by Tribune’s Christy Gutowski. — 42 Wisconsin players and staff test positive for coronavirus: “Health officials in Madison and Dane County are urging fans not to gather to watch football games when the Badgers begin their season in October,” by the AP. — A snapshot of Chicago’s economy six months into the pandemic, by Tribune’s Katie Surma and Jonathon Berlin. — Many schools are closed, but the SAT goes on. Why that’s a problem for some.: “Some parents and educators are pushing back, questioning whether sticking with this requirement amid the pandemic is worth the health risks of in-person testing. They point out that most colleges and universities across the country have at least temporarily moved away from requiring the test for admissions this fall,” by Chalkbeat Chicago’s Mila Koumpilova. CHICAGO — WHITE SOX CLINCH 1st postseason berth since 2008: “Jose Abreu hit a grounder to deep short. He raced down the line and beat Jorge Polanco’s throw to first as Jarrod Dyson scored to tie the game. Eloy Jimenez followed with an RBI double to give the team the lead, and the Sox held on to beat the Twins 4-3 and in the process clinch their first postseason berth since 2008,” by Tribune’s Lamond Pope. ... 5 reasons the White Sox can win the World Series: “With only the Los Angeles Dodgers boasting a better record in baseball, the White Sox look capable of winning the whole thing,” by NBC/5’s Vinnie Duber. ... Mayor’s tweet of approval "Best team since 2005. Let's get the same result. Go Sox!" — City knew of youth baseball field contamination a year ago but didn’t tell residents: “After city tests in 2019, EPA confirmed high manganese levels at Babe Ruth Field in Hegewisch and said the chemical must be removed but Illinois officials gave a youth league the go-ahead to play,” by Sun-Times’ Brett Chase. — Systemic racism blamed for city’s nearly 9-year life expectancy gap between Black and white residents: “A growing life expectancy gap between Black and white Chicagoans has a stark and clear cause, city health officials said in releasing a report on the issue Thursday: decades of segregation and systemic racism. The report, titled 'Healthy Chicago 2025,' detailed a nearly nine-year life expectancy gap overall between Black residents and white residents. Chronic disease is the largest contributor, according to the document, with the city’s endemic gun violence as the second-leading reason for the disparity,” by Sun-Times’ Annie Sweeney. — Coleman to head reparations panel: Ald. Stephanie Coleman has been named chair of the City Council’s new Subcommittee on Reparations. Ald. Andre Vasquez will serve as vice chair. “This new Subcommittee will review issues of systemic racial disparities, inequities, and social injustices,” Ald. Roderick Sawyer, head of the Health and Human Relations Committee and former chairman of the Black Caucus, said in announcing the new committee appointments. — COPA chief concedes agency has ‘faced challenges in the release of video material’: “COPA’s chief administrator sought to clarify the findings of a recent inspector general’s report that found 33 instances in which the agency failed to meet the 60-day deadline to release video, audio and documents related to incidents involving officers’ use of force,” by Sun-Times’ Tom Schuba. — I’m a Chicago principal overwhelmed by ‘what ifs.’ Here’s how I got unstuck: “These rough couple of days after Chicago’s Aug. 5 announcement that school would begin fully remote led me to realize how much support my team might need. Was I ready to provide it?” writes Wendy Oleksy for Chalkbeat Chicago. — Protesters voice their opposition to a developer’s plans for the Little Village Plaza: “The youth-led protest featured speakers who said this fight is one that will either stop gentrification in Little Village — or will open up the floodgates to displacement in the Mexican neighborhood,” by WBEZ’s María Inés Zamudio. CORRUPTION CHRONICLES — U.S. attorney spells out rules of the road for legislators investigating Madigan: Republicans see it as a “green light to pursue all avenues of the investigation,” while Democrats say it confirms that hearings must limit what can be discussed. By Sun-Times’ Rachel Hinton. — Ex-Daley operative Victor Reyes once again in midst of a big political storm: “The Chicago lobbyist or one of his firms has come onto federal authorities’ radar in two cases they’re investigating. He has business and personal ties to others under scrutiny,” by Sun-Times’ Robert Herguth and Tim Novak. — Alderman lavished with cash, luxury trips by program for Caribbean med students: “Ald. George Cardenas was a consultant for a Chicago business where one partner is suing another, accusing her of misusing company funds — in part to benefit Cardenas,” by Sun-Times’ Tim Novak. THE STATEWIDES — Mobilizing the National Guard doesn’t mean your state is under martial law. Usually.: “The idea of ‘calling in the National Guard’ can mean different things in practice and perception. We spoke with a public information officer for the Illinois National Guard about rumors, reality and fear,” by ProPublica Illinois’ Logan Jaffe. — Two Springfield Council members propose police reforms: “Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory and Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner introduced the ordinance (PDF) that outlines nine proposals at Tuesday’s city council meeting. It’s set to come up for debate at the committee meeting on September 29, and could be voted on as early as October 6,” reports NPR Illinois’ Mary Hansen. SPOTLIGHT THE FIFTY: Governors and mayors have never mattered more to the future of the nation, and The Fifty, a new series from POLITICO, takes you inside the role they’re playing in the pandemic and more. DAY IN COURT — Netflix’s ‘Cheer’ star Jerry Harris charged with producing child pornography: “Chicago-area native Jerry Harris rocketed to fame earlier this year as the breakout star of the Netflix docuseries 'Cheer,' parlaying his contagious exuberance into talk show appearances, an Oscars gig and more than a million Instagram followers. But the young star’s image was shattered Thursday when FBI agents arrested him on child pornography charges, alleging he repeatedly coerced minor victims to send him obscene photos and videos of themselves and solicited sex from boys as young as 13 at cheerleading competitions.” — Chicago family defends freshman accused in Western Illinois campus shooting, by Sun-Times’ David Struett HIGHER-ED ISU to begin requiring students get tested for Covid-19 'very soon': “Currently, students with or without symptoms have the option to be tested on campus, but it’s not required (with the exception of a few select groups, like those doing clinical experiences for their major). That will change ‘very soon,’ although the details on who and how many will be regularly tested are not yet finalized, said ISU’s testing coordinator John Baur, a chemistry professor,” reports NPR Illinois’ Ryan Denham. CAMPAIGN MODE — Emotional arguments as voters consider Illinois’ biggest taxation shift in four decades: “Before Illinois voters consider any candidate on the Nov. 3 ballot — the presidential contenders, a member of Congress, a state lawmaker or a local judge — they will be asked to cast a simple yes or no vote on whether the Illinois Constitution should be amended to replace a mandated flat-rate income tax with a graduated-rate tax structure that increases the levy as income rises,” by Tribune’s Rick Pearson. — Federal judge rules against Cook County GOP’s effort to prevent expanded vote-by-mail: “The judge rejected as conjecture allegations that the program was a scheme aimed at disenfranchising GOP voters. “U.S. District Judge Robert Dow ruled the Cook County GOP also was tardy in filing its lawsuit in August seeking a preliminary injunction over the law approved in May as an effort to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic by offering an alternative to traditional in-person voting,” by Tribune’s Rick Pearson. — Campaign trail tracker: Where Trump, Biden and their running mates have traveled in presidential race’s final weeks, by Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart and Jonathon Berlin — The Sierra Club has announced its endorsements for the Illinois General Assembly and other offices. Full list CAN HEALTH APPS IMPACT THE ELECTION? Amid persistent concerns about how the pandemic could impact voter turnout, many are overlooking one scenario – digital manipulation via health apps. Some security researchers warn that in the wrong hands, these apps could keep voters home on Election Day. How significant of a threat is this? Get insight into this and the politics, policies, and technologies driving significant change on voters' most personal issues: their health. SUBSCRIBE TO FUTURE PULSE NOW. NATION — Trump’s bluster and millions hasn’t stopped universal mail-in voting plans, by POLITICO’s Anita Kumar — 'Talk about losers': Top moments from CNN’s kid-gloves town hall with Biden, by POLITICO’s Christopher Cadelgo — Biden’s weakness with Black and Latino men creates an opening for Trump, by POLITICO’s Laura Barrón-López, Marc Caputo and Elena Schneider — Cash-strapped Trump campaign awaits a bailout from big donors, by POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt — Barr creates firestorm with comments that appear to boost Trump's reelection campaign, by POLITICO’s Quint Forgey and Josh Gerstein EVENTS Sept. 24: Frank Fahrenkopf Jr., long-time co-chair of the Presidential Debates Commission, is among headliners during The Virtual Table: 2020 Presidential Debates Preview moderated by Sun-Times’ columnists Laura Washington and Lynn Sweet. Details and RSVP here TRANSITIONS Maggie Crotty to resign as Bremen Township supervisor, officials say: “Mary Margaret 'Maggie' Crotty, 71, of Oak Forest, has been township supervisor since 2005. She previously held elected positions as a state senator, state representative and Democratic Party committeeman for Bremen Township,” by Daily Southtown’s Ted Slowik. IN MEMORIAM — Mary Rose Loney, Chicago’s first female aviation commissioner, dies at 68: “Mayor Richard M. Daley was so impressed with Loney he hired her twice. After four years as first deputy aviation commissioner, she left to run Philadelphia International Airport. In 1996, Daley lured Loney back to be Chicago’s first female aviation commissioner,” by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. — Frank Zuccari, who oversaw 2-year El Greco restoration at the Art Institute, has died: “For 18 months, the revered art restorer brightened and touched up the 16th century work ‘The Assumption of the Virgin.’ He worked on the frame for another six months, by Sun-Times’ Maureen O'Donnell. WELCOME TO THE WORLD Michael Jacobson, CEO of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, and his wife, Sarah, program manager for Amazon Web Services, welcomed Owen Michael on Wednesday. Pic! TRIVIA THURSDAY’s GUESS: Congrats to Brett Gustafson for stumping everyone with the fact that Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison once helped bankroll a failed women’s reality fighting show? TODAY’S QUESTION: What Illinois political family produced a vice president, a United Nations ambassador and a U.S. senator? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next Playbook. Send your best guess to skapos@politico.com. A message from Facebook: We support updated internet regulations. We support new regulations that hold companies, including Facebook, accountable on issues including: — Combating foreign election interference — Protecting people's privacy — Enabling safe and easy data transfer between platforms Read why we support updated internet regulations HAPPY BIRTHDAY Today: Former Bulls Coach Phil Jackson, and GrowthPlay co-founder and women’s advocate Amy Dordek. Saturday: state Rep. Karina Villa (49th), former state and U.S. Rep. Tom Ewing, ProPublica reporter Jodi Cohen, and Better Government Association policy director Marie Dillon. Sunday: state Sen. Tom Cullerton (23rd), state Rep. Joyce Mason (61st), Kevin Artl, CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois; attorney Louis Cairo; and Frank Shuftan, former Cook County comms chief. Developers Break Ground On 26-Story, 11-Story Apartment Towers In West Loop BLOCK CLUB//Mauricio Pena WEST LOOP — Construction has begun on two apartment buildings that will bring more than 500 new units to the border of the West Loop and Near West Side. Developer Marquette Companies, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) gathered Thursday to break ground on a 26-story building at 1400 W. Randolph St., which will include 278 luxury apartments and ground floor retail. Just across Union Park, at 1454 W. Randolph, an 11-story building will include 243 apartments. More than 100 of the units will be designated as affordable housing. Lightfoot said the groundbreaking is a testament to the city’s resiliency in the face of its greatest public health and economic crisis. “These two projects will generate 500 jobs during the construction phase. And once completed, they will provide over 500 units for people to call home, 103 of which will be designated affordable units,” Lightfoot said. Lightfoot said the Fulton Market District is the fastest growing, most diverse real estate market in the United States. The project will generate $2.6 million for the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, which will go toward investments in the South and West sides, Lightfoot said. Last year, the Randolph apartment project faced opposition from community residents and Burnett, but it was ultimately approved. Marquette President Darren Sloniger said the project’s prospects looked “bleak” after coronavirus spread to Chicago. Amid the economic downturn, a number of financial groups “stepped into the unknown” to finance the project, Sloniger siad. Despite trying times, Burnett said development isn’t stopping in the area. “We don’t give up … . Chicago keeps rising above the ashes,” Burnett said. The two buildings are expected to be completed in 2022. The Chicago Bears expressed optimism about fans at Soldier Field later this season — but Mayor Lightfoot says the likelihood is ‘less than 50%’ TRIBUNE//Brad Biggs If the Chicago Bears are going to remain optimistic about the possibility of fans being able to attend games at Soldier Field this season, they’re going to have to become better partners with the city, according to Mayor Lori Lightfoot. A week after Chairman George McCaskey used the word “optimistic,” Lightfoot on Friday called the chances of that happening less than 50% and said the team needs to do a better job of communicating. “I would love to get fans back in the stands, including this fan,” Lightfoot said during an appearance on the “Mully & Haugh Show” on WSCR-670 AM. “But we’ve got to be smart and safe about it.” The Bears host the New York Giants at noon Sunday in their home opener and there will be no fans permitted at Soldier Field. The Bears are one of 26 teams in the NFL to at least start the season with no fans at home games. The Cleveland Browns announced an attendance of 6,000 for their Thursday night victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Dallas Cowboys are expected to have about 25% capacity at AT&T Stadium for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off the season Sept. 10 before 15,895 at Arrowhead Stadium, well short of the capacity of 76,000. Public health officials announced Thursday that one fan in attendance tested positive for COVID-19 and now 10 people reportedly are in quarantine. Speaking on Sept. 10, McCaskey said the team presented a plan to city officials about potentially opening up Soldier Field to fans later this season. “We’re very optimistic,” he said. "We’re talking to the city, we’ve presented a plan and we think it’s a good plan. We’re told that it is a good plan but the city wants to see the numbers of active cases in the city come down before we can bring people to Soldier Field. So we’re hopeful but we want to be prudent, we want to do the right thing and we want to cooperate with the city in their health and safety measures.” Lightfoot downplayed the level of planning that has been done, at least to a level in which details have been provided to officials that would require thorough review before providing a green light. “It’s certainly possible but I would say the odds are less than 50%,” Lightfoot said. “We’re willing, absolutely, to work with the Bears but they’ve got to talk to us and be willing to cooperate with us and not just say things in the media. We’ve had little challenges there and the Bears have got to be better partners with us on a range of different issues but this as well if they want to get fans in the stands. “It’s the basics. It’s got to be real dialogue, meaning they’ve got to sit down with us, with our public health folks, they’ve got to demonstrate to us that they actually have a real plan in place, a plan that is going to keep everybody safe, including the workers at Soldier Field. The game doesn’t just happen. There are literally tons of people, the back office and the infrastructure folks at Soldier Field from the Park District to the Bears’ operation that also have to be safe and protected. That’s way before you have any conversation about letting the average fan in.” Later Friday morning in an appearance on WGN-AM 720, McCaskey reiterated the team does want to work in conjunction with city officials. “I think I said we were hopeful,” he said, “but we want to work with the city, have a good cooperative relationship with the city, and they don’t want to bring fans to Soldier Field unless it is safe and appropriate to do so and neither do we. “We’re happy to work with the city. We have a cooperative relationship. When we made the announcement (Aug. 17) that we weren’t going to allow fans at Soldier Field until it was safe and appropriate to do so, it was a joint statement with the city, and we understand their concerns. We want to be to be good partner and we want to do what is right for the city and for Bears fans.” Lightfoot admitted she is curious how safety protocols are being implemented in other cities where some fans are being allowed to attend games, citing the opener in Kansas City. “Very interested to know what they did, how they made the selection, and also what’s the screening process they used to get fans in the stands,” she said. "It’s a complicated thing and I can’t just react to someone saying, ‘Oh yeah, we want to get fans in the stands.’ It’s not going to be that easy and it’s not going to happen unless we have real dialogue and we have a real conversation about the nuts and bolts, the granularity that’s going to be needed to even talk about a plan for having fans in the stands. “That hasn’t happened yet. We’re certainly open to it but I don’t like hearing for the first time on sports media, ‘Oh yeah, we’re going to have fans in the stands.’ That’s not going to happen. Talk to the Cubs. “There’s been some very preliminary discussions but so preliminary that I wouldn’t even count them as discussions. For example, we talk to the restaurant industry all the time, literally every single day. And there’s a real dialogue and there’s a partnership about how to get things done. That’s what we would expect. “This is a professional sports league, right? They’ve got every incentive in the world to make sure they get it right and we understand that, but we need to understand what the plans are. We’re not just going to say, ‘We trust you,’ because if there is problem and there’s a fallout and people get sick, who then suffers the consequences of trying to manage that kind of cluster or sickness? It falls on the city, so we’ve got to be a partner in that discussion at the ground floor. Again, there’s been some preliminary discussions but we’re nowhere near at a place where we can even realistically talk about fans coming back into Soldier Field.” Mayor: likely Soldier Field stays empty this season SUN TIMES//Patrick Finley Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the odds of Bears fans returning to Soldier Field this season are less than 50 percent. In an interview with “Mully and Haugh” on WSCR-AM on Friday morning, Lightfoot said that “we’re no nowhere near at a place where we can even realistically talk about fans coming back to Soldier Field.” The Bears will not have fans inside Soldier Field for their home opener Sunday. The team just last week said it hopes that will change later in the season. Lightfoot, though, sounded frustrated by a lack of communication with the team. “We’re willing to absolutely work with the Bears,” said Lightfoot, who’s also a Bears season-ticket holder. “But they got to talk with us and be willing to cooperate and not just say things in the media.” Just last week, Bears chairman George McCaskey said the Bears were in contact with the city about a plan for fans to return. “We’re very optimistic, we’re talking to the city, we’ve presented a plan and we think it’s a good plan,” he said. “We’re told that it is a good plan but the city wants to see the numbers of active cases in the city come down before we can bring people to Soldier Field. “So we’re hopeful. But we want to be prudent, we want to do the right thing and we want to cooperate with the city in their health and safety measures.” The Colts, Jaguars, Chiefs and Dolphins are the only NFL teams that are allowing fans in their stadiums in September. Head of Chicago’s civilian police oversight agency offers rare pushback on city government watchdog over video releases TRIBUNE//Jeremy Gorner The head of Chicago’s civilian agency that probes police misconduct offered rare pushback against the city’s government watchdog for that office’s report suggesting the agency has not released video or other investigative material in a number of police use-of-force cases within a required 60-day period. At a public meeting Thursday night, Sydney Roberts, who leads the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, sought to downplay the delays cited by the city inspector general’s office by trying to provide context to what the IG described as COPA’s failure to comply with the city’s video release policy. In a report released Tuesday morning, the IG found that of 122 cases that were posted on COPA’s web site over three years, 33 of them were found to be have posted after the 60-day deadline. In 14 of those cases, the IG found, COPA employees relied on the notification date of the use of force rather than the date it occurred, which COPA has said was an “oversight” error, according to the IG’s findings. Roberts said Thursday night those 14 cases were only delayed by one day. During the monthly meeting of the Chicago Police Board, , Roberts insisted there hasn’t been any “deliberate or intentional delay of video in any officer-involved shooting or investigation that qualified for release.” “We own our actions and have and will make necessary corrections,” said Roberts. “That’s the essence of responsibility on which we hold ourselves accountable.” Roberts said there have been times when police-involved shootings or other use-of-force incidents occurred during the 11 p.m. hour on a given day, and Chicago police didn’t get around to notifying COPA of the incidents until after midnight when a new day had already begun. Instances like these caused COPA to mistakenly begin the 60-day countdown for releasing video, 911 recordings and police reports a day late. The clock started at the time COPA investigators were notified of the incidents instead of when they actually occurred, as required by policy, Roberts explained. This scenario was to blame for the 14 cases cited by the IG, she said. “Again, delaying the release for just one day.” said Roberts. “And this has been corrected.” In another batch of 12 cases, the IG’s office found delays resulting from the “flagging” process during which COPA employees were trying to determine if the reported use of force mandated public release. For that finding, Roberts explained that when those 12 complaints were filed, her investigators did not immediately learn through their preliminary reviews that use of force had occurred. They only learned of that when those complaint investigations were already underway, and the 60-day countdown only began in those cases when COPA established that officers used force. The video release policy only requires investigative material to be made public on COPA’s web site if the agency learns someone was shot by police or suffered other physical harm during a confrontation with an officer. “And in these 12 instances, COPA released the transparency materials 60 days after confirming that the complaint was eligible for release,” Roberts said. "These are but a small fraction of the more than 300 use-of-force transparency releases COPA has carried out. “But they are instances in which we take, I take, full responsibility.” IG officials have stressed that the report’s conclusions and recommendations are significant, considering the deep distrust in the Chicago Police Department and the need for a “robust disciplinary system” that instills confidence for officers and the public. On Thursday night, Roberts did not address other shortcomings the IG pointed out in its report, including how the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, which retains some of the video and audio COPA gathers, is often backlogged turning the evidence over to COPA — which means some evidence could be missing when COPA posts it. “COPA reported that as a result of this backlog, many of the incidents on (its) case portal are missing all relevant video and audio files,” the IG report stated. The IG report notes that OEMC personnel reported that the office has increasingly been asked to provide video and other material to an “increasing number of agencies.” But the workload increased — without an increase in staffing, the report said. The policy calling for a 60-day release window was created in 2016 in the wake of the fatal on-duty shooting by a white officer of Black teenager Laquan McDonald. Video evidence of that shooting, which showed officer Jason Van Dyke firing 16 shots into McDonald as he was walking away, was withheld by the city under then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel for a year before a court order forced its release. In response to the sustained protest and outrage over the delay, Emanuel created the Police Accountability Task Force, which was headed by Lori Lightfoot before she announced her candidacy for mayor. The task force wrote the video policy, which was said to be the first of its kind in the country. It was heralded as a long-overdue effort at the kind of transparency that can restore public trust between the community and police. University of Illinois nurses, hospital extend talks into Thursday night SUN TIMES//Brett Chase Negotiations between nurses and University of Illinois Hospital extended into the evening on the sixth day of a strike Thursday as the two sides failed to resolve issues surrounding workplace safety and other demands. About 800 members of the Illinois Nurses Association went on strike last Saturday morning saying they needed more protective gear and limits on the number of patients assigned to each nurse. The union members announced the strike would last seven days. Both hospital officials and union representatives said this week that they made progress in their talks, but as of late Thursday night no tentative contract agreement was reached. Union nurses said this week there was some progress on wage discussions “but none on safe staffing, which is the priority for nurses.” At the hospital’s request, a Cook County judge barred several hundred nurses from participating in the strike so no patients’ health would be at risk. In all, 1,400 union nurses at the hospital will vote to approve any agreement. On Thursday, the nurses asked Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot to support their cause. “Nurses are still fighting for staffing that will keep patients safe,” the union’s executive committee said in a letter to Pritzker. “Putting a maximum limit on the number of patients that may be assigned to a nurse is better for nurses and better for patients.” In a letter to faculty and staff Wednesday, hospital officials said “we remain committed to addressing key issues and believe much can be resolved through further dialogue.” Separately, about 3,700 hospital and university employees announced their own strike to support the nurses and ask for their own protections and wage increases. The employees range from maintenance workers to technicians and are represented by four separate bargaining units, all part of the Service Employees International Union Local 73. The SEIU employees and the hospital have not appeared to be close to an agreement this week. “Union leadership has not shown a willingness to compromise,” hospital executives said in their letter. On Thursday, SEIU accused the hospital system of paying less than minimum wage to more than 150 union employees. Systemic Racism to Blame for 9-Year Life Expectancy Gap Between Black, White Chicagoans: Report WTTW//Heather Cherone Black Chicagoans die nearly nine years sooner, on average, than white Chicagoans because of the systemic racism that pervades nearly every aspect of civic life, according to a new report from the Chicago Department of Public Health that vows to bridge that gap. While the average white Chicagoan can expect to live until they are 80.2 years old, Black Chicagoans die 8.8 years sooner because they suffer from higher instances of chronic disease, are more likely to be killed in a gun-related homicide or die of an opioid overdose, according to the Healthy Chicago 2025 report released Thursday. Life expectancy declined between 2012 and 2017 for all racial and ethnic groups in Chicago except white Chicagoans, according to data compiled by the city. The life expectancy for Latino Chicagoans is 80 years, a decline of 3.1 years in five years. The life expectancy for Asian Chicagoans is 82.9 years, a decline of 2.6 years from 2012 to 2017. The life expectancy of white Chicagoans rose during that five-year period by 0.4 years, according to the data. That disparity is “unacceptable,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. “Racism is at the heart” of the gap, said Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner of the Department of Public Health. During Arwady’s City Council confirmation hearing in January, she told aldermen that she planned to spend the bulk of her time as the head of the city’s health department combating Chicago’s life expectancy gap, the largest in the nation, according to a 2019 study of the largest 500 U.S. cities by NYU School of Medicine. Fewer than two months later, the coronavirus pandemic hit Chicago and scrambled all of Arwady’s plans while casting a blinding spotlight on the disparities at the heart of the life expectancy gap. Although Black Chicagoans make up approximately 33% of the city’s population, Black Chicagoans accounted for 43% of all deaths from COVID-19. Latino Chicagoans, who also make up about 33% of the city’s population, account for 48% of all COVID-19 infections, according to city data. The city’s plan to address the disparity includes efforts to increase access to healthy foods, quality health care and housing while creating “safe spaces for all Chicagoans to live, work and play.” “It’s critically important that we name the root cause of illness and death,” said Dr. David Ansell, the chief health equity officer at Rush University Medical Center. “And when we looked at this life expectancy gap, many people said it was violence. But it was not just violence: heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancer. But dig a little deeper and you see shocking inequities between the West and the South sides and the Gold Coast in social, structural and power differentials. “People’s housing is different. Their schools are different. They live in unsafe neighborhoods. They have different access to food, different access to health care and different access to jobs. And these life conditions create the social inequities that drive poor health. And structural racism and economic deprivation are at the root of these gaps. Structural racism itself is a form of violence.” Want To Craft Policy For Chicago Police? CPD Says Here’s Your Chance. WBEZ//Patrick Smith The Chicago Police Department is asking the public to weigh in on policies governing the way officers respond to hate crimes, interact with different religious communities and deal with kids, among other areas. The department is also asking for feedback on a potential policy prohibiting sexual misconduct by officers, a policy that still does not exist despite being mandated in the court-ordered police reform plan known as a consent decree. The department announced the launch of seven separate community surveys on Thursday, one for each policy, and one survey specifically intended to be filled out by children younger than 18, with parental permission. “In order for our policies to be truly effective, they must reflect the community’s input, feedback and shared experiences,” said Deputy Superintendent Barbara West in a press release announcing the surveys. The seven surveys are: All policies at issue are a major focus of the consent decree. The consent decree, and the monitor overseeing the city’s reform progress, both call for the department to do a better job involving residents in policy decisions. In the first year of the consent decree, the city missed more than 70% of its police reform deadlines. Independent monitor Maggie Hickey, who is tasked with assessing the city’s efforts, wrote in her most recent report that the city and CPD were failing to meaningfully engage the public until too late in the policy process. “Allowing community input at the later stages of the policy development process effectively disenfranchises Chicago community members and prevents them from providing input and comments in the formative stages of the policy development process,” the report reads. The department has also drawn criticism from a coalition of civil rights groups and Chicago activists for not doing a better job working with the public, among other complaints. Those groups have also raised concerns that CPD is not making meaningful progress, despite the consent decree. In particular they’ve focused on how CPD interacts with people of color, people with disabilities and young people — all of which are the subject of the newly released surveys. “I think the failures to set policy to protect young people, to protect women, to people who are nonbinary, trans folks … reflects the culture of the Chicago Police Department,” said attorney Sheila Bedi in a June interview. “It’s also important to lift up that there are a number of provisions in the consent decree that require real, meaningful, authentic community participation in the development of these policies.” Particularly bizarre is CPD’s failure, more than a year into the court-enforced reform plan, to put in place a policy prohibiting sexual misconduct by its members. “The Chicago Police Department knew it was one of the few departments in the country that was operating without a sexual misconduct policy for years, and it failed to take action,” Bedi said. In her most recent monitoring report, filed in federal court in June, Hickey wrote that CPD had submitted a draft of a sexual misconduct policy at the last minute, but that the department had not meaningfully engaged Chicago residents or advocacy groups, even after those groups had reached out to CPD directly. In the new survey, the department is asking respondents whether they would feel comfortable reporting to the Chicago Police Department an act of sexual misconduct by a Chicago police officer. It also asks the survey-taker whether they themselves have been a victim of sexual violence by an officer. The surveys are anonymous. They must be completed by Oct. 15, 2020. Facing gaping city budget hole, Lightfoot administration may consider leaving some Chicago police jobs unfilled next year TRIBUNE//John Byrne Mayor Lori Lightfoot will consider slowing down the replacement of retired Chicago police officers or leaving some positions unfilled next year to reduce the Police Department’s massive personnel budget as the city tries to fill a huge COVID-19-induced budget shortfall, officials said Thursday. Lightfoot herself talked about police budget cuts being on the table along with all other parts of city government when she gave a speech last month to lay out a nearly $800 million budget deficit for this year and a $1.2 billion chasm for next year. At a Thursday City Council hearing on the Police Department’s budget, city Budget Director Susie Park gave some more idea about how that might work. “I think that’s part of the discussion we’re having with CPD around the 2021 budget, as we do every year, and kind of, what is the right number of officers that they need to accomplish and to meet all of their operational needs,” Park said. “And we’re looking at everyone’s vacancies across the city, to be honest, as we’re putting together the 2021 budget.” “We’re really trying to understand what is the need in every department, so CPD is no different in that manner, and we’re having those talks now, about exactly how many of those do we want to fill, can we fill.” Logistically, it will take longer to fill vacancies because coronavirus distancing protocols make it impossible for the Police Department to graduate as many new officers from the academy, Park said. So far this year, 464 police officers have retired, Park said. That compares to 431 retirements by this point in 2019, when 539 officers retired by year’s end, Park said. New officers start out making about $50,000 in the first year, Park said, and then go up to $72,000 in salary by the third year, plus benefits. Top of Form Bottom of Form The city budgeted $95 million in police overtime for this year. Park said the actual overtime cost for 2020 could reach $140 million. About half that was due to protests and looting in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, according to Park. The Police Department’s 2020 budget is $1.76 billion, and $1.56 billion of that goes to personnel, Park said. Lightfoot repeatedly has pointed to that high portion of the budget going to officers' salaries when pushing back against activists who advocate for defunding the police. City Council financial analyst Kenneth Williams presented about $55 million in potential police savings at the Thursday hearing for things such as uniform allowance and quarterly bonuses for police supervisors. But any of those changes would need to be negotiated as part of a new contract. Park later told aldermen most of those proposed savings couldn’t be realized in 2021, because the city is bound by the contract to honor those payments. US attorney John Lausch issues guidance for House committee investigating Speaker Michael Madigan TRIBUNE//Jamie Munks SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Attorney John Lausch said in a letter Thursday that his office doesn’t have an issue with an Illinois House committee seeking testimony and documents from witnesses in its inquiry of Speaker Michael Madigan, while also offering some guidelines. Lausch’s letter provides a road map for the newly formed special investigating committee’s query into the powerful speaker, which in its short existence has already become sharply politicized. The letter acknowledges the committee will be undertaking an investigation that has parallels with the ongoing federal corruption investigation. The committee is considering whether there are grounds to discipline Madigan in light of admissions by Commonwealth Edison that it in engaged in a “yearslong bribery scheme" aimed at gaining the speaker’s favor. Lausch said his office objects to witnesses being asked about grand jury proceedings, communications with prosecutors or federal law enforcement agents related to the federal investigation, as well as any questions that “could reveal confidential information about the course of our investigation and could deter cooperation with our investigation by that witness and others.” Lausch would also object to the committee asking witnesses to reveal any information they learned from prosecutors or federal agents and requests for documents, information or testimony from his office or federal law enforcement agencies regarding facts about the deferred prosecution agreement with ComEd. Lausch’s letter follows up on a call he had with the committee’s chair, Democratic state Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, and Republican state Rep. Tom Demmer, on Monday, after which the two gave different takes on the advised parameters Lausch gave for the committee. Madigan, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing, said in a statement two weeks ago that the committee, created after a petition filed by House GOP leader Jim Durkin, amounted to a “political stunt.” The partisan jockeying continued after Lausch’s letter came out Thursday. Welch issued a statement that said the letter “confirms our understanding that while this committee can call individuals to voluntarily appear, they would be limited in what they can discuss.” Top of Form Bottom of Form “We also see clearly that Republican members of this committee attempted to go beyond what has originally been discussed with the U.S. attorney,” Welch said, adding that he won’t allow it to be “used as a stage for political theater.” Ron Safer, the attorney representing Durkin through the process, said in a statement that Lausch’s office gave the testimony “the green light to pursue all avenues of the investigation, including testimony and documents, that were articulated in the petition.” The six-person special investigating committee has an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. Authorizing a charge against Madigan would require a majority vote. Welch said Thursday he was finalizing details for a second committee meeting later this month. Alderman lavished with cash, luxury trips by program for Caribbean med students SUN TIMES//Tim Novak A Chicago doctor is suing his business partner, accusing her of “looting” more than $3.7 million from their business to finance an “extravagant lifestyle” and to lavish Ald. George Cardenas (12th) with luxurious trips, an expensive watch and a monthly stipend for consulting services. Cardenas had been hired to drum up business for Omni Medical Student Training, which places students from Caribbean medical schools in residency programs with Chicago hospitals. The alderman wasn’t very successful in getting hospitals to sign up, though, according to the suit. Omni’s owners — Dr. Vivek Gupta and Theresa Siaw — are fighting in court over her use of Omni’s money the past five years, including payments to Cardenas, for Siaw’s mortgage and as much as $370,000 spent on her failed bid to defeat Ald. Robert Maldonado (26th) last year. Three months after Siaw lost that election, Gupta filed suit in Cook County circuit court, accusing his partner of spending Omni’s money without his approval. Gupta says in the lawsuit that he discovered this after the Internal Revenue Service began auditing the company. He says the unauthorized expenses continued this summer, with Siaw withdrawing $251,442 from an Omni bank account, according to the suit. Siaw, 33, says she didn’t spend money without Gupta’s approval. In sworn pretrial testimony in a deposition she gave earlier this year, Siaw says Gupta gave her permission to use Omni’s money to run for alderman and that he sued her because she ended their sexual relationship. Gupta and his lawyer William Quinlan won’t comment. City Hall Inspector General Joseph Ferguson questioned Siaw earlier this year as part of an investigation into Cardenas’ campaign finances. Siaw fought his subpoena in court for nearly a year before agreeing to talk with his staff. Cardenas, 55, won’t talk about the $6,000 in campaign contributions he got from Siaw, their trips to Miami and Los Angeles seeking hospitals to accept the Caribbean medical students or the $5,000 watch he got as a bonus from Omni and then wouldn’t return when a hospital decided against working with the company after all. The alderman — whose ward includes Little Village and Brighton Park — says he “provided consulting services to Theresa Siaw years ago.” He referred question to his lawyer Ricardo Meza, a former federal prosecutor and state inspector general, who says, “George Cardenas has done nothing wrong.” Siaw says she met Cardenas in 2012 when her boyfriend, Dr. Amer Rustom, ran the San Pablo Medical Center inside a building the alderman and his family owned at 2829 W. Cermak Rd. Siaw, who was pregnant with Rustom’s son, signed a five-year lease with a minimum yearly rent of $32,400. “He didn’t tell me he was an alderman,” Siaw says of Cardenas. “When my son’s father drowned, that’s when I started to get close to Cardenas. I was just mutual friends with Cardenas.” Rustom was boating on Lake Michigan with friends in September 2014 when he drowned, leaving behind four sons he had with three women. Siaw met Gupta months later, and, in June 2015, they started Omni Medical Training, a program similar to Siaw’s previous business, International Medical Placement. Omni Medical Training operated out of Weiss Memorial Hospital until August, according to a Weiss spokeswoman who says the lease ended and that the North Side hospital no longer uses Omni to place students. In her deposition, Siaw says the alderman recommended the company hire his brother Jose Cardenas as Omni’s accountant and that Jose Cardenas prepared the 2016 federal tax returns that the IRS later audited. Between 2016 and 2017, Siaw says she paid Cardenas Consulting $28,900, using Omni’s money. In 2016, Siaw made two contributions, totaling $6,000, to the alderman’s campaign. She says she made those political contributions using Omni’s money. Cardenas helped Gupta get a contract with Cook County Care, a Medicaid plan run by the Cook County Health and Hospitals System, according to Siaw’s deposition. She says the alderman also helped Gupta join the Chicago Housing Authority’s health partners program. Siaw says Cardenas was paid between $2,200 and $2,500 a month to help Omni try to arrange to place medical students at Mount Sinai Hospital, Rush University Medical Center and St. Anthony Hospital — but they struck out. “I always consulted with George Cardenas because he has brought contracts to Omni,” Siaw says in the sworn testimony. “He’s helped me, you know, get a connection with some hospitals.” Siaw testified that she had agreed to give Cardenas a $5,000 bonus if he could help Omni secure a contract with Rush and that Cardenas asked for a watch from Razny Jewelers on the Gold Coast. “I discussed it with Dr. Gupta,” Siaw told attorneys in the civil case. “I never had somebody ask me for something like that before.” Siaw testified she bought the watch for Cardenas but that the deal with Rush fell through, and the alderman wouldn’t return the watch: “He basically told me that he’s not giving it back.” Meza denies that. “Cardenas was not paid for services rendered and was owed a substantial amount of money by one or more of the business partners,” Meza says. “The watch was payment for some but not all past-due services owed.” He says Cardenas was supposed to have been paid $2,000 a month but that, “For many months, he was not paid at all.” He says the alderman’s work for Omni ended in 2017. Cardenas accompanied Siaw on two trips, trying to land deals for Omni to place Caribbean medical school students at hospitals in Miami and Los Angeles, records show. In December 2016, they stayed in a two-bedroom suite at the luxury Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel, costing the company more than $19,000, according to records. Siaw testified that no other rooms were available. She also spent $17,199 at a Miami nightclub. In June 2017, they stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, according to the suit, which doesn’t detail the cost. Siaw also used Omni’s checking account to buy two vehicles for $88,854, including a BMW that Cardenas was allowed to drive. Siaw says Cardenas drove the car for just 12 miles but refused to return it to her. “I thought he was avoiding me when I asked him for the car,” Siaw told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Our relationship ended over a car. “We were really good friends for a long time. It soured because he wasn’t delivering what I was paying for.” On Aug. 25, Siaw was removed as Omni’s manager by an arbitrator, former federal prosecutor James S. Montana Jr., who is presiding over the case under the terms of Omni’s operating agreement. “The record in this matter is brimming with evidence of Ms. Siaw’s unauthorized, personal use of Omni Student funds, including extensive admissions by Ms. Siaw during hearing testimony,” Montana wrote. “Ms. Siaw has demonstrated she is essentially incapable of not using Omni Student’s funds for her personal use.” Pickpocketing’s a dying art, but cops say crew of 60-somethings still preyed on L riders SUN TIMES//Frank Main The operation was called Three Blind Mice, and the Chicago police launched it earlier this year to target a three-man crew of pickpockets working subways and L platforms. Pickpocketing’s a dying art, experts say. The three men the cops were after — all in their 60s — had rap sheets dating to the 1970s. Police say they caught the crew on CTA surveillance cameras stalking victims. Sometimes, they used stolen credit cards to buy Ventra passes they could sell at a discount, police say, and would also use what they took to treat themselves at McDonald’s. The Blue Line L station at the Thompson Center was their favorite hunting ground. That’s where the police say they arrested Randy Leavell, 63, Donald Wells, 60, and Edward Miller, 60, in an undercover sting in July. Suspected in at least 14 thefts on CTA property between Jan. 1 and July 14, they were charged with felonies and released on bail. And then Leavell and Miller were arrested again earlier this month in connection with seven more thefts on CTA property between July 14 and Sept. 8. Cmdr. Matt Cline, head of the Chicago Police Department’s mass-transit unit, says he’s added seven detectives who work with tactical officers and CTA security. The CTA team is run by Kevin Ryan. He and Cline were supervisors in the police organized crime bureau, investigating gangs and drug trafficking. Cline says they’re bringing that expertise to fighting transit crime. In the past, pickpockets might have been charged with a misdemeanor or ordinance violation instead of a felony, but now, Cline says, “We decided to do something more substantial.” He says Leavell, Wells and Miller have worked on pickpocketing crews for years, targeting women and elderly people, figuring they’re less apt to fight back. In 2015, Wells was sentenced to 4½ years in prison for targeting a couple in their 90s. He told the husband he had a bug on his pants and brushed the man’s trousers while lifting his wallet at Union Station. Wells also was accused of trying to twist a ring off the hand of the man’s wife. On Sept. 8, a CTA surveillance video caught Leavell and Miller in the act on the Washington/Wabash L platform, according to the police, who say it was like a well-practiced sports play. Leavell and another man approach a Purple Line train as Miller comes up the stairs to the platform. Leavell and the other man step inside, blocking their target as he enters, and then, according to the police, Miller comes up from behind, right arm cradling a jacket, pocketing the man’s wallet with his left hand. “For 60-year-old guys, they move pretty well,” Cline says. “It’s like they’re hunting.” Leavell and Miller also are charged with a theft that targeted a lawyer who flew in to O’Hare Airport early this year and took the Blue Line downtown, where he lives. The man, agreeing to an interview on the condition his name not be used, says he keeps his expensive Ferragamo wallet in his briefcase but needed to look at something in the wallet and put it in his back pocket. “I did not protect myself,” he says. He walked toward the Blue Line platform at the Thompson Center and went up the escalator with his luggage and briefcase. “I looked like a tourist, not a Chicagoan,” he says. At the top of the escalator, a man pretended to fall, causing people to bump into each other. That’s when the lawyer’s wallet was stolen, with his attorney’s credentials, pilot’s license and credit cards. “It was a hassle,” he says, even though he reported the credit cards stolen right away. “And I lost a $900 wallet.” The anti-pickpocketing effort is part of a broader effort to make downtown safe after a wave of looting and to restore confidence in a CTA system whose ridership has plummeted amid the coronavirus pandemic. Serious crime is up downtown, with 10 shootings in the Loop and South Loop in the first nine months of this year vs. none in that period last year. In the Gold Coast, there were 15 shootings this year vs. two last year. Gun arrests are up, too, probably because of an increased presence of cops. Burglaries are up more than 150%. The lawyer whose wallet was stolen says he now carries a gun. “I am more inclined to exercise my right to carry a concealed weapon,” says the man, who has a state permit. Despite the downtown cases, pickpocketing happens less and less, says Jay Albanese, a Virginia Commonwealth University criminology professor. With fewer people carrying cash, and credit cards easily canceled, Albanese says thieves gravitate to lower-risk, higher-reward fraud. “Good pickpocketing,” he says, “is almost an art form that has died out.” City knew of youth baseball field contamination a year ago but didn’t tell residents SUN TIMES//Brett Chase City officials detected high levels of the brain-damaging metal manganese in the dirt of a Southeast Side youth baseball field a year ago but didn’t tell league organizers or families of players. Instead, the city shared its findings with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which this summer confirmed the city’s early soil testing results that high levels of manganese are present in dirt on a section of Babe Ruth Field in Hegewisch. The manganese levels are high enough the contaminated soil needs to be removed, the EPA says. The city deferred to EPA, asking the agency to do further testing and notify youth league officials. Saying they “followed standard protocol,” city health officials referred the matter to EPA earlier this year “to ensure the field was appropriately characterized before notifying the public and the league,” according to a City Hall statement. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the 2020 season for Hegewisch Babe Ruth, a league for players 13 to 18, and no games were played in the spring. But a few games were played at the field at 12600 S. Carondolet Ave. in July, said league treasurer Jim Laskowiecki. Adult players also played ball on the field recently, he said. State: Safe to play with precautions Despite the EPA’s findings, state health officials told the league board in a July letter that the field was safe for play even with the presence of manganese. In fact, Brian Koch, of the Division of Environmental Health, said in the letter that teens and adults can play at Babe Ruth as long as grass is covering the contaminated area. Koch said players and spectators can minimize exposure by “cleaning clothing and equipment of dust or loose dirt prior to leaving the field” and washing hands after playing. The letter also suggested removing shoes when going inside homes, using door mats and vacuuming frequently. And Koch recommended eating a balanced diet with vitamins and minerals. However, younger kids should stay away from the field, the letter stated. “Children younger than 6 years of age who play daily in this soil may be at risk of experiencing manganese-related health effects, including learning and behavioral changes and other nervous system effects such as slowed hand movements and incoordination,” it said. Neighbors remain wary Despite the state assurances, the contamination at Babe Ruth and the recent cleanup of lead and arsenic at nearby Hegewisch Little League field, also on Carondolet, has shaken confidence of some area families who say government officials at all levels haven’t given them straight answers. Bernard Ralich’s now adult son Daniel played at both the Little League and Babe Ruth fields as a teenager. His grandson Gavin is a Hegewisch Little Leaguer where play at that nearby field resumed in recent weeks following the EPA cleanup. After noticing a sign at a site near the Little League field warning of toxic material, Ralich said he contacted EPA and other government officials multiple times in 2019 prior to any public warnings about contamination. He’s concerned about the handling of cleanups at both youth fields and called the city’s failure to notify residents of its findings “bull- - - -.” “What about the kids? Do we have to get them checked? We don’t get no answers,” he said. Hegewisch resident Oscar Sanchez, a community activist whose brothers played at Babe Ruth in the past, called the government responses and lack of openness with the residents frustrating. “It’s not only the pollution, it’s also individuals not understanding the health risks,” Sanchez said. City and other government officials need to better communicate these environmental risks, he added. Years of tension The contaminated youth ball fields are just the latest in years-long tensions between government agencies and neighbors concerned about the cumulative effects of polluting industries on the Southeast Side. A number of residents are fighting the planned move of scrap iron shredder General Iron to the Southeast Side. “We don’t need any more pollution,” Ralich said of General Iron. EPA says it’s still trying to determine the source of the manganese contamination but the agency’s website groups the Babe Ruth soil contamination with other environmental testing around the nearby Watco Terminal site on East 126th Street, which handles bulk solid materials such as manganese-bearing alloys. EPA said it’s working with the city “to determine what next steps will be taken” related to cleanup at Babe Ruth. City health officials said they hope to have the field remediated by spring. The agency recently completed remediation of the Hegewisch Little League field after determining it was contaminated. The agency said it removed almost 1,200 tons of lead and arsenic contaminated soil and replaced it with clean dirt. The EPA determined that Watco was not the source of those contaminants found at the Little League ballpark. Under fire for blowing deadlines, COPA chief concedes agency has ‘faced challenges in the release of video material’ SUN TIMES//Tom Schuba Two days after Chicago’s inspector general detailed the Civilian Office of Police Accountability’s repeated failure to meet the 60-day deadline to release video, audio and documents related to incidents involving officers’ use of force, the agency’s top official conceded Thursday that the agency has “faced challenges in the release of video material.” During the monthly Chicago Police Board meeting, COPA Chief Administrator Sydney Roberts claimed her agency is “overcoming” the issues outlined in Tuesday’s report by Deborah Witzburg, the city’s newly appointed deputy inspector general for public safety. After reviewing 122 cases over a three-year period, Witzburg found 33 instances where the 60-day policy was violated. But Roberts also sought to clarify some of the findings of Witzburg’s report and insisted that “COPA has never intentionally withheld the release of a mandated transparency material.” Roberts explained that 14 of the cases were delayed by a single day. She noted that in some instances the videos have been released 60 days after the agency was notified of an incident involving an officers’ use of force, not 60 days after it actually happened. “Incidents can occur in the last hour of the night. However, COPA may not receive notification from CPD until the midnight hour has elapsed. And thus, the following day,” added Roberts, who said the issue “has been corrected.” In 12 other cases, Roberts said the release of video, audio and police documents was delayed because COPA needed to first confirm that “great bodily harm occurred.” “In these 12 instances, COPA released the transparency materials 60 days after confirming that the complaint was eligible for release,” added Roberts, who said she takes “full responsibility” for the delays. She did not discuss the remaining seven cases. Though Roberts said she has modified COPA’s processes to incorporate Witzburg’s recommendations, she didn’t address another recent inspector general’s report that found her agency has improperly ended some inquiries. No Police Board members posed any questions or raised any concerns. For Parents Of Children With Disabilities, Remote Learning Feels Like Another Full-Time Job CHALKBEAT//Samantha Smylie and Mila Koumpilova CHICAGO — Chicago families started the school year by logging onto online classes last week. All parents are struggling to navigate remote learning, childcare and work. For parents of children with special needs, those issues are magnified. When school buildings were open, children with special needs were able to have a special education classroom assistant to help them stay on task in class. Students had critical sessions with a school psychologist, occupational therapist or speech-language pathologist. In the spring, those services vanished for some students for months, and some families didn’t regain them for the rest of the school year. Chicago Public Schools has pledged this year will be better for students in special education. But it’s still unclear how the district will provide some services virtually — and the burden on parents is huge. Many are already overwhelmed. Below are the experiences of three Chicago families as they navigated their first week of school. One parent worries about going back to work without child care Mary Ottinot is a mother of three children with special needs. Ottinot’s youngest child —who she asked Chalkbeat not to name — is a kindergartener with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and cerebral palsy. She needs the most support with virtual classes, her mother said. Before the coronavirus closed school buildings in the spring, Ottinot’s daughter had a paraprofessional to help her with class assignments, consultations with a speech-language pathologist weekly to help her understand how language works, and sessions with a social worker. Without a paraprofessional sitting beside her to help her click links or focus on classwork, it’s difficult for her to do her schoolwork. Ottinot’s daughter has brain damage that affects how she processes language. She can lose her train of thought mid-sentence, and when that happens she needs an adult to intervene and help her. Ottinot doesn’t know how her daughter is going to receive therapy virtually. “She needs to learn how to speak to her peers. When she has blocks in her conversation, the speech pathologist is supposed to be setting up the environment so that she’s able to participate.” For Ottinot, it’s not that her daughter struggles to adjust to remote learning, it’s that she needs to be in a classroom.“With the type of support that she needs I don’t know how you do that with the constraints of remote learning. It’s very difficult,” she said. Another issue that Ottinot faces is childcare. In addition to her 5 year old, she has children aged 12 and 15. Ottinot is a nurse who cannot work from home and cannot go to work without having someone watch her children. Ottinot applied for her family to receive childcare from the district, which is operating childcare sites at six schools around the city. She said her application was denied. “I can’t leave my daughter. I don’t even know how I’m going to go to work but I need to go back,” she said. Even when Ottinot can return, she’s worried about exposing her children to the coronavirus — children with disabilities can have underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to serious illness. But there aren’t many options for her to work remotely and she has to financially support her family. The family that looks forward to their child returning back to school Yolanda Williams’ daughter, Kaylynn, is a 13-year-old with Down syndrome. Kaylynn is an eighth grader at William Penn Elementary School located in North Lawndale on the city’s West Side. Since school started, Williams has logged in alongside her daughter to help her use online applications and keep her on task with her classwork. Williams and her daughter have come up with a rhythm: Short bursts of schoolwork over 20-minute increments because Kaylynn has a short attention span. The key to a successful day is setting and maintaining a strict routine, Williams said. “If you come outside of that routine, and not explain to her why, you’ll just discombobulate her and throw her off for the rest of the day. It’s hard for her to break habits.” One habit that seems to bring a sense of normalcy is Kaylynn’s school uniform. Each morning, the teen puts on her red polo shirt and khaki pants, and at 8 a.m. she signs online to start classes and eat breakfast. Throughout the day, she takes a variety of classes like math, English and gym. Williams also has a yoga mat for her daughter and makes space in their apartment so that she can do jumping jacks and other exercises. So far, remote learning has been going well, Williams said, even though the six-hour day feels too long. Like some families in the city, Williams has been able to support her family while working at home since she works as a tailor doing alterations on suits and dresses. Williams volunteers as an advocate for children in early education, and before the pandemic she used to knock on doors and canvas for different campaigns. She also is the president of Penn’s parent advisory council. Now, she does her volunteer work online. Being able to shift work, volunteering and school online has been useful because Kaylynn, Williams and Williams’ 81 year old mother — who lives in the same apartment building — are all vulnerable to the virus. She hopes that her daughter can go back to school because remote learning is “is kind of hard and it’s boring. She should be changing classes; going to the library and gym. My daughter is restless from being cooped up in a house all day.” The family worried about what’s next Chelsea Ferrer struggled with the abrupt closure of schools last spring. The high school senior, who has autism and attends Back of the Yards High School on the city’s Southwest Side, struggled to understand and come to terms with the idea that a virus had shuttered her school and cut her off from her teachers and classmates. Not only was she disconnected from her school’s community, her mother Consuelo Martinez said, but it was hard to transition to online learning. Teachers and support staff held a virtual meeting with Chelsea and her parents to answer her questions about remote learning and reassure her, with an educator interpreting for her parents — who are Spanish speakers. That helped a lot. Still, said Martinez, “March and April were really hard.” Chelsea wanted to call her teachers with questions about coursework all the time, including late in the evening. Things got easier by the end of the school year. This school year started more smoothly thanks to extra time to plan and prepare for both teachers and families. Martinez said the extra structure and predictability in the school day is helpful for her daughter, who thrives on routine. She has been able to navigate her virtual classes more independently while her mother works during the day. There have been rough moments: Mid-week, a tearful Chelsea called her mom at work to tell her the computer wasn’t working any more. “It’s my fault,” she kept saying. “I can’t see my teachers any more.” Martinez left work and drove home, only to discover the internet at her home was down. By the time Martinez was able to resolve the issue with the family’s internet provider, Chelsea had missed three classes — a major blow to her. Overall, Martinez says the more structured school day with a set daily schedule is helping Chelsea navigate learning more independently. However, the family is struggling with the uncertainty of a school year that started virtually but could involve at least a partial return to school buildings later in the year. Martinez hopes that the district will alert parents sooner to changes of plans — most notably, when it decides to start bringing students back to campuses. Parents need plenty of time to prepare themselves and their children, she said. “For students who are diverse learners, those transitions are the most difficult part,” she said. Have An Idea To Improve Rogers Park? Neighbors Can Weigh In On How $1 Million Gets Spent In Neighborhood BLOCK CLUB//Joe Ward ROGERS PARK — If you want to see changes in Rogers Park, now is your time to push for funding. Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) has started the ward’s participatory budgeting process, which allows neighbors to propose and vote on projects to improve the neighborhood. Hadden has earmarked $1 million for the process. Each year, aldermen receive $1.3 million in what is known as “aldermanic menu” money. The funds are meant to address neighborhood issues like street paving, sidewalk repairs and bike lanes. Aldermen have different methods for choosing projects to fund. Participatory budgeting allows neighbors to conceive of and determine what projects should receive funding. Rogers Park’s 49th Ward implemented participatory budgeting in 2009, the first local government agency in the United States to do so. Previous participatory budgeting processes have funded water features and an AstroTurf playing field at Pottawatomie Park and disability access ramps at local beaches, for example. Now, the 49th Ward office is taking suggestions for how this year’s funds should be dispersed. To submit a proposal, fill out the community survey online. A Spanish-language version of the survey can be found online. The survey asks residents, “If you could change one thing about our community that would make life better for you, what would it be?” A community meeting held Thursday sought to get some ideas. One idea floated was to increase security measures at Rogers Park beaches. The accessibility of Rogers Park’s beaches makes them dangerous for some residents, said Laura Oliver. Earlier this summer, four teens were rescued after launching a kayak from Leone Beach and becoming stranded 7 miles off shore. Oliver would like to see life rings or other life-saving equipment at Rogers Park beaches. “If someone is drowning, there is nothing we can do to help them,” she said. At a previous community meeting to brainstorm ideas, residents suggested installing more tornado sirens in the area. This comes after a tornado ripped through the area and destroyed hundreds of trees. Using the aldermanic funds on tree replacement has also been discussed. Once the ward office has gathered ideas, a group of volunteers will turn those ideas into funding proposals, Hadden said. The proposals will be made public, and residents will be able to vote on the which items they’d like to see funded. Hadden’s office earmarks $300,000 of the aldermanic menu funds for project cost overruns and ward emergencies. Voting in the participatory budget process is open to all ward residents older than 14, Hadden said. The ward office is putting up fliers and hosting social media campaigns to advertise the process. “We try to remove as many barriers [to participation] as possible,” Hadden said. Chicago Park District’s Plan For New Brighton Park Headquarters Approved By Key Committee BLOCK CLUB//Mina Bloom and Mauricio Pena BRIGHTON PARK — A proposal to build a new Chicago Park District headquarters in Brighton Park received the green light from the city’s Plan Commission on Thursday. The park district’s proposal aims to build an 88,000-square-foot office space, a field house, playground, spray pool and three artificial turf fields on 17 acres at 4800 S. Western Ave., shifting the current headquarters from Streeterville. In response to community feedback, the Park District added a teen center to the field house, and a new traffic signal and crosswalk at Western Avenue and 48th Place. The plan also includes two fitness centers and a gym with a full-sized basketball court, according to city officials. Guests also can expect a green roof with more than 30 varieties of plants, more than 200 parking spaces and bicycle parking, officials said at the meeting. John Ronan Architects has been contracted to design the new headquarters. Planning commissioners lauded the project for bringing an amenity-filled complex to the underserved neighborhood. Commissioner Maurice Cox called it “by far one of the most transformational investments” the city has made in the Brighton Park neighborhood. The Chicago Park District sold its headquarters to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for $22.5 million in 2015. City officials unveiled the plan to move the headquarters from Downtown to Brighton Park in 2018. At the time, then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the move would bring 200 existing jobs along with “much-needed recreational assets” to the South Side neighborhood. Brighton Park was selected out of 20 possible locations because it is one of the top five community areas in need of open space, city officials said, and because of the site’s close proximity to the Western Orange Line and the Western bus route. No price tag for the facility has been revealed. Park District Supt. Michael Kelly said officials are working to secure more funding for the project. While the project was well-received, some commissioners raised concerns the project could result in gentrification-fueled displacement. “What we don’t want is to end up with this beautiful park but all of the Latinos pushed out of the neighborhood, commission chair Teresa Córdova said. “We need to make sure this park does not result in the gentrification of this neighborhood. They deserve these amenities, too.” Upon City Council approval, Park District officials said they hope to start construction this winter. Head of Police Oversight Agency Defends Operations After Critical Audit WTTW//Heather Cherone The head of the agency charged with investigating allegations of police misconduct defended its operations after an audit by the city’s watchdog found it had failed to release video and audio recordings of use-of-force incidents within 60 days, as required by city law. Civilian Office of Police Accountability Chief Administrator Sydney Roberts told the city’s Police Board on Thursday night that the agency had “never intentionally withheld” information from the public. The audit from Inspector General Joseph Ferguson does not accuse the agency of acting intentionally to violate the 2016 law passed by aldermen amid an outcry prompted by the revelation that city officials withheld for 13 months the video of former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, and only released it after a judge’s order. Roberts acknowledged the agency’s operations have not been “perfect” and that officials “faced challenges” as it moved to release video and audio recordings as well as other documents. “We understand the importance” of meeting deadlines set in city law, Roberts said, adding that the agency was just one day late in 14 cases identified by the inspector general. In 12 other cases, Roberts said recordings and documents were released within 60 days of investigators confirming that an incident occurred that required the release of records. The inspector general’s audit examined 122 use-of-force incidents that triggered the disclosure rules from June 2016 to February 2019. In 27% of cases, no information was released within 60 days as required, according to the audit. The video release policy applies to all incidents in which an officer fires their gun — whether or not a person is struck — deploys their Taser or when force used by an officer causes a person to die or suffer great bodily harm. In other cases, the police oversight agency did not receive video and audio files from the Office of Emergency Management Communications in time to release them within 60 days. City agencies can ask the Law Department for a 30-day delay, and must abide by a court order not to release the footage or documents. OEMC failed to fulfill 57% of the agency’s requests for video and audio footage within 60 days, making it impossible for the oversight agency to comply with the law in those cases, according to the audit. Officials from Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office did not dispute the audit’s findings, and agreed to coordinate efforts among the city agencies and departments to address the audit’s findings. Chicago Firefighters Union warns of contentious staffing issues ahead SUN TIMES//Fran Spielman The president of the Chicago Firefighters Union said Friday he and Mayor Lori Lightfoot are “miles apart” from a long-term contract and made the case to maintain staffing levels on fire apparatus even though the city faces a $1.2 billion budget shortfall. Jim Tracy joined the mayor at Engine 70, 6014 N. Clark St., to sign a contract that gives rank-and-rile firefighters and paramedics a 10% pay raise over four years, all but 2.5% of it retroactive. In exchange, the city gets higher health care contributions, saving $10 million. Tracy injected a heavy dose of reality into the contract-signing ceremony when he talked about the contentious staffing issues that will be central to the next round of negotiations just six months away. “Unfortunately, we’re gonna be back at this same game again in March. We’ve got six months of reprieve. ... We are still miles apart on certain issues,” Tracy said. Tracy noted it’s been 40 years since the 1980 firefighters strike that saw then-Local 2 President Frank Muscare go to jail in the fight for a rule that requires every piece of fire apparatus to be staffed by at least five employees. “Everybody who put up with all that was incredible to get us our benefits that we enjoy now, and we will continue to enjoy in the future, including manning and making sure that we have enough men and women on every fire engine and every fire truck in the city,” Tracy said. “It can’t be done by two or three people. It has to be by five persons — period. We cannot do our job without it.” Lightfoot did not respond to Tracy’s plea to maintain staffing levels. But she warned “everyone has to contribute to the sacrifices that are gonna be made as a result of the massive budget deficit that we have for next year.” Those sacrifices might include eliminating some or all of the 847 sworn Chicago police officer vacancies, the mayor said. “When you’re staring down the barrel of a $1.2 billion deficit for next year on top of an $800 million shortfall for this year, we’ve gotta look at a variety of options. … Of course we’re looking at vacancies. The taxpayers would expect us to look at every tool in our tool box. … A lot of tough, hard painful choices are gonna have to be made,” she said. Earlier this week, Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara stormed away from a long-awaited negotiating session after the mayor’s team offered his members the same 10% pay raise over four years that firefighters got but tacked on 17 pages, including 40 disciplinary reforms. Catanzara plans to make a financial-only counteroffer and demand an up-or-down vote by the City Council. Those aldermen who oppose the FOP’s offer will find themselves facing opponents recruited and bankrolled by the police union, he said. On Friday, Lightfoot said she doesn’t “have a lot of good things to say” about Catanzara, with whom she has had a stormy relationship. But she “cares deeply” about the police rank and file. “It’s over 1,100 days since the police contracts expired. … And he should get at the table and be serious about getting a deal done. But a deal done with the FOP has to include accountability and reform measures. If he’s not serious about that, we’re gonna quickly find ourselves at an impasse,” Lightfoot said. “The ball is decidedly in the court of the FOP.” Thanks for lifting our spirits, Sox and Cubs, and for playing with class in strange times SUN TIMES//Editorial Board A great way to follow baseball through a Chicago summer is to dip in and dip out, to come and go. We might listen to a game on the radio outdoors, after mowing the lawn or while walking the dog. We might slip back inside to catch a big moment on TV. Baseball’s our summer soundtrack, our daily diversion, our companion. This summer, baseball has been a little less of all that, due to a shortened season and an eerie emptiness at ballparks because of the pandemic. But the game has also meant all the more to us for just the same reason. We are stuck at home. We are stuck in our lives. We can’t do this and we can’t do that. A Saturday is not much different than a Wednesday when there is no weekend concert, no getting together with friends at a restaurant, no family gathering. But there is baseball. And here in Chicago, the baseball’s been good — and it’s not over yet. The White Sox on Thursday clinched an appearance in the postseason, for the first time since 2008, and the Cubs are looking good to get there, too. Both teams have lifted our spirits just by playing good ball — and by coping with the pandemic more or less responsibly. Ballplayers are not naturally big on social distancing. These are guys who pat each other on the butt. But Major League Baseball set out the rules and the Cubs and the Sox have been pretty good about following them, except when the players mob each, like after Alec Mills of the Cubs threw a no-hitter. On July 5, two Sox players tested positive for COVID-19 and were pulled from the lineup. Nobody beefed. On July 27, Sox Manager Rick Renteria was quarantined after waking up that morning feeling crummy. Nobody rolled their eyes. On July 28, Renteria returned to his team after his coronavirus test came back negative. Excellent for him and the Sox. On Aug. 17, the Sox played the St. Louis Cardinals here but turned away reporters from St. Louis. Mayor Lori Lightfoot had put Missouri on a list of states from which travelers to the city must quarantine for 14 days. So be it. Thanks for the lift in tough times, gentlemen. And if you get deep into the playoffs, as we expect you will, you can bet that thousands of Chicago school kids will play hooky to see you play. All they’ll have to do is slip into the next room at home. From Repeat Visits To Tech Troubles, Chicago’s Census Count Faces Issues In Its Final Weeks WBEZ//Esther Yoon-Ji Kang In June, Melna Inge, a resident in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, filled out the census for herself and her elderly mother while getting her car repaired. She said the process was quick and easy, and she took screenshots of the confirmation pages on her phone. Last month, Inge got a visit from a census enumerator — temporary employees assigned to knock on doors and count households that have not self-responded online, via phone or by paper questionnaire. The census worker told Inge that both her and her mother’s units were showing up on the list for the Nonresponse Followup operation, or NRFU, as the Census Bureau calls it. “It was weird,” Inge said. “I talked to [the enumerator] through the window, I was like, ‘Wow, that’s really strange because I completed the census for both of us.’” But Inge was worried about not getting counted, so she went through the entire process of filling out the census again with the enumerator. Inge said she is concerned about a potential glitch in the census — or possibly something more serious. “Particularly with all that’s been going on with the current administration and the postal service and all of that,” Inge said, “it could be nothing, maybe just a couple of mistakes here and there. It could be a glitch, or it could be nefarious.” Inge is not alone in her questions about the enumeration process. Neighborhood Facebook groups and message boards, including the Federal Trade Commission’s, are full of stories like hers: residents who filled out the census weeks or months ago, but are being visited — sometimes repeatedly — by census workers. Those complaints are signs pointing to a host of problems that have surfaced during the enumeration process. Barring any last-minute court decisions or action by Congress, the Census Bureau has less than two weeks to finish counting residents. But tech issues, project management flaws, decreased funding and a shortened timeline have led to a chaotic time for census enumerators and the people they’re counting, WBEZ has learned. The problems have enumerators and others worried that everyone won’t get counted and that the repercussions will cost residents, particularly those in vulnerable communities, for many years to come. The census affects political representation and federal funding. Many have already expressed concerns about an undercount in the Chicago region due to the compressed timeline. “There’s a better way to do this” Mare Ralph, a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago’s urban planning program, is one of several enumerators who’ve witnessed problems. Having used census data regularly during grad school, Ralph was initially excited to work as a door-knocker in Chicago’s Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods. A few weeks into the job, reality has set in. “A lot of my experience has been frustrating … just feeling like there’s a better way to do this,” Ralph said. WBEZ spoke to four current and two former enumerators, all of whom experienced problems with the technology they were issued to do their work: the older-model iPhones issued by the Census Bureau and an app that directs them to the households they’re assigned to visit. For example, enumerators said, the app assigns them to the same homes over and over again — despite the resident maintaining that they already filled out the census online. The software also does not sort addresses by proximity, census workers told WBEZ, which means they often end up zigzagging through the territories they’re covering in no particular order. Often, the addresses and unit numbers that appear on their list do not match with those on mailboxes and doors, the enumerators said. Ralph said the app also has no way to filter out households by a resident’s language preference. The program would assign Ralph, who does not speak Spanish, to the same Spanish-speaking home again and again. “I’ve had to figure out the phrases I can say in Spanish so [residents] can complete the census on their own,” Ralph said. Katrina Herrmann did a six-week stint as an enumerator in Wicker Park starting in late July. During that period, Herrmann said, she had four different supervisors and witnessed “a very, very disorganized” operation with “basic inefficiencies.” With regard to the app, she said there was no way to cut and paste any information nor look up an address or a case number to check whether a resident had already completed the census. Hermman said she and her team members regularly found themselves telling their supervisor that residents said they had already filled out the census. “I would send him the case number, and he’d pass it on up to his supervisor, and we never really got a clear answer on why these double hits kept showing up,” she said. While Herrmann said only about 10% of the residents with whom she spoke said they had already filled out the census online, for Ralph and other enumerators that number was closer to 50%. One enumerator in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, who wished to remain anonymous because census workers are not cleared to speak to the media, said up to 80% of the residents she visited said they had already filled out the census. While some of those residents may not be telling her the truth, this enumerator said, many seemed genuinely concerned and confused about why they were getting the repeat visit. Ray Doeksen, an enumerator who lost his paralegal job due to the COVID-19 pandemic, worked for the 2010 census as a supervisor. He said the closures of physical spaces for local census offices this year — in favor of communicating virtually — has resulted in less knowledge-sharing among enumerators, leading to frustration for both workers and residents. A former U.S. Army captain, Doeksen credits his military background for the resourcefulness needed to “close out” many of his challenging cases in the Logan Square neighborhood. But Doeksen says he wishes there was a way more enumerators could share best practices with one another besides texting each other in a group chat. “I understand why [the bureau] did it this way — it probably saved millions of dollars by not having all these local offices staffed up, but something has been lost in the process,” he said. “There is not a lot of lateral knowledge sharing in this very hierarchical structure that they built digitally.” In some cases, enumerators in Chicago, Ralph and Doeksen included, were asked in group texts to travel to other towns — and even other states like Georgia and Iowa — to help with the counting there, all expenses paid. “It was just bizarre,” Ralph said. “There are tons of places in Chicago that I’m sure could use more attention, so it seems strange to be flying people out of Chicago to enumerate elsewhere.” Chicago’s census self-response rate — the percentage of households that have completed the census on their own — is 59%, compared to 66% nationwide. In some parts of the city’s South and West sides — including tracts in the Back of the Yards, Little Village, Englewood, New City, North Lawndale, South Chicago, West Englewood, West Garfield Park and Woodlawn neighborhoods — those numbers are below 35%. Ralph and other enumerators expressed concern that such neighborhoods may be undercounted at the expense of an inefficient operation — and ultimately be under resourced for the next decade. Enumerators also worried that the problems they’ve experienced would erode the public’s trust in the census. But census officials say productivity during the nonresponse follow-up process has been ahead of schedule. “The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Census mobile devices have performed beyond expectation, resulting in higher than anticipated productivity. All indications at this point are that our devices have been successful,” read a statement that the U.S. Census Bureau provided WBEZ Friday afternoon. As of Sept. 15, with about two weeks remaining in the headcount, census workers had completed about 52 million of nearly 63 million cases nationwide. Census workers, according to figures shared in a census bureau presentation. Census workers are completing about 2.13 cases per hour, more than 1.55 cases per hour needed to tackle the remaining cases, the presentation shows. “We’re sending successful teams of census takers — upon completion of their assigned areas — to areas that require more help. Using experienced staff minimizes the need to train new staff,” the statement continued. “We are committed to a complete and accurate count of all communities. We encourage everyone who has not yet responded — to respond now online at 2020census.gov, by phone, or by mail — or when a census taker visits your home.” In an interview last week, Ellisa Johnson, the assistant regional manager for the Chicago Region of the U.S. Census Bureau, told WBEZ that her office has been fielding numerous calls from residents about the repeat door-knockers. “We have listened to the concerns, we are aware of the concerns,” she said. “And [residents] can rest assured that we are making sure that the non-response follow-up process, the knocking on the doors … is of the highest integrity.” Johnson said there are a number of reasons for the repeat visits from census workers. “We’ve been doing the census for a very long time,” Johnson said. “There are quality controls that we have to follow, so it’s not a waste of resources. It’s not a waste of the enumerator’s time or the public’s time.” Johnson said enumerators will follow up with residents who’ve completed the census using their address but not their specific census ID from the bureau’s mailers sent out to homes several months ago. Sometimes, a second enumerator is sent out to check the work of another census worker, Johnson said. And, in some cases, enumerators will visit residents to verify the headcount of a neighbor’s household. The visits could also be triggered by a delay in processing paper forms that residents have mailed in, Johnson said. Asked why neither the app nor the public website had a system for looking up addresses or case numbers to verify whether a resident had completed the census successfully and correctly, Johnson said, “It’s just not part of what we built into the system.” She pointed out that the 2020 census is the first time the operation has gone online. “We’re innovatively improving things,” Johnson said. A lack of funding, testing and time Some of the issues have resulted from funding problems at the bureau, according to census consultant Terri Ann Lowenthal. She said a lack of funds may have impacted the phase of the census where the bureau updates and verifies its master list of addresses, leading to discrepancies that are manifesting themselves during the enumeration process. The tech problems may have been missed because the census canceled two of its three planned field tests in 2018 due to budget cuts by the Trump administration, said Lowenthal, a former congressional staffer on the census oversight subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives. “When the Census Bureau cannot thoroughly test and retest and validate every aspect of the census before the census takes place, it increases the risk that things will go wrong during the census,” she said. “That certainly includes the application of technology.” But the problems might not end with enumeration. Lowenthal said there is still another operation that could be impacted by the decisions of the Trump administration: the final step of the census, the data processing phase. When COVID-19 hit, the White House initially supported experts’ recommendations to extend the census timeline. But then the administration reversed course, moved up the counting deadline from Oct. 31 to Sept. 30, and ordered the bureau to submit its final tallies by Dec. 31 — the original, pre-COVID-19 deadline. “Under the rushed timeline, the administration would force the Census Bureau to compress five or six months worth of data processing into three months,” Lowenthal said, referring to the final stage of the census where the bureau eliminates duplicate entries and ensures the collected data is as accurate as possible. Given the challenges stemming from budget shortfalls, plus the COVID-19 pandemic and the wildfires on the West Coast, Lowenthal said Congress needs to move quickly to extend the census timelines. On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation to push back the counting deadline to Oct. 31 and also extend the Dec. 31 deadline for data processing by four months. Several groups have also sued the Trump administration to push back the counting deadline beyond this month. In one of those cases, a federal judge from California has issued a restraining order to prevent the Census Bureau from winding down its counting operations. Meanwhile, Lowenthal said residents should be patient with enumerators and cooperate with them — even if it means answering questions about neighbors. She added that more than 20% of the households counted during the NRFU operation in 2010 were by these “proxy interviews,” where enumerators ask neighbors, landlords and other sources how many people live at a given address. “I understand that it’s frustrating to get a visit [from a census enumerator],” Lowenthal said. “But the census is the nation’s largest, most complex activity short of mobilizing for war, and everybody has a role to play.” New Mural Outside Bucktown-Wicker Park Library Brings A Piece Of Rural Illinois To The City BLOCK CLUB//Hannah Alani BUCKTOWN — The rear of the Bucktown-Wicker Park Chicago Public Library is getting a corn-themed makeover. “Illinois Landscape,” a 10-foot-by-90-foot mural, was installed this week on the library’s north-facing wall. The piece overlooks Bucktown Green, 1724 N. Wilmot Ave. The Bucktown Community Organization, a neighborhood group, has been working on the project since July 2018. The $15,000 mural was funded in part by the BCO, the Wicker Park-Bucktown Special Service Area No. 33 and community donations. At 10 a.m. Saturday neighbors will celebrate the unveiling of the mural alongside a staffer from the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd). After more than two years of work, neighborhood leader Darien Hallagan said he’s proud to finally see the mural come together. “I never thought that we would get here,” he said. “It feels really, really good. I’m glad that we’re here.” Sam Marts, owner of Bucktown-based Sam Marts Architects & Planners, created the mural. His design was inspired by the idea of bringing the Illinois rural agriculture landscape — cornfields — into the middle of the city. “Chicago history, with railroads and [the] Board of Trade, all that stuff is about corn,” Marts said. “They still tell the corn prices every morning on AM radio.” Unlike most murals, Marts’ work is not painted onto the building’s facade. Marts designed the mural digitally and printed the artwork onto weather-proof vinyl sheets. The mural was then fitted to a wooden frame installed by Chicago Signs. The method is relatively new, Marts and Hallagan said, and is less expensive and requires less maitenance than painting over brick. Plus, if neighbors ever decide to swap out the design, that’d be easy to do, Marts said. “It’s exciting to have it here,” Marts said. “I think it’s going to be a great year-round improvement to the park, to add color and excitement to the park all year round. Whether there’s snow, sun or rain.” Hallagan said the neighborhood leaders are still trying to raise money to cover remaining costs of the mural. Without a traditional Bucktown Garden Walk due to coronavirus, the ability to fundraise this year was limited, he said. Learn more about the project and contribute to a GoFundMe Fundraiser here. Will the city slow $8.5 billion O'Hare terminal redo? CRAIN’S//Greg Hinz With airline traffic projected to stall until the middle of the decade, the Lightfoot administration now is pondering whether to delay the $8.5 billion terminal expansion project at O’Hare International Airport it inherited from previous Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Documents the city filed as part of a pending deal to refinance $1.24 billion in O’Hare debt indicate city officials now are “assessing timing” on the Terminal Area Project, and the current 2028 completion date is “subject to change.” An analysis by consultant Ricondo & Associates that’s included in official documents explains why: With COVID-19 still raging and discouraging many travelers from flying, the number of passengers boarding aircraft at O’Hare—known as enplanements—is expected to drop 62.1 percent this year. Recovery is expected to be slow, with Ricondo projecting 2021 enplanements will be only two-thirds of what they were, and not top the 2019 level of 42.2 million until 2024. Overall, according to the city’s baseline forecast, the compound annual growth rate in enplanements at O’Hare between 2019 and 2029 now is projected at just 0.4 percent, and it could be worse. That’s well below the 2 percent to 3 percent annual growth the city counted on when it drafted the terminal improvement plan. That drives up costs for airlines and their passengers, who pay the bill for operating O’Hare and expanding and modernizing terminals. Depending on how fast passenger traffic snaps back, the airport’s cost per enplaned passenger could spike from $50.31 this year to as much as $78.21 next year, though costs should drop quickly thereafter. In a statement, spokesman Matt McGrath said the city “is moving forward, period, full stop” with the terminal project He pointed to construction on new runways that’s about to wrap up and $1 billion in new gates being added to Terminal 5, the first part of the project. But he did not deny that the city is eyeing delays. “As you know, (the terminal expansion project) is in the early design and environmental approval stage, which has provided us the flexibility to stay on course and not make sudden decisions,” McGrath said in an email. “On the contrary, it has provided us some flexibility to move forward in a more efficient and economical way, as well as to assess longer-term impacts of the pandemic on traveler expectations." City officials publicly have said little in recent months about the status of O’Hare and the Terminal Area Project,, declining to commit themselves but generally suggesting, like McGrath, that the big project will proceed. A Tribune interview with Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee in January reported the project was “on schedule.” In a July interview with Crain’s, officials declined to release data, and Rhee said she was “not going to get into possibilities” such as whether delays would occur. The new documents, part of a refinancing in which the city hopes to save hundreds of millions of dollars by exchanging old debt for lower-cost financing, clearly envisions the possibility of delays. “TAP Phase 1 is in the early stages of design and the estimated completion date (of 2028) remains subject to change due the impact of COVID or other operational or economic factors,” it states, referring readers to an appendix report by Ricondo for more detail. “The city is in the process of assessing timing of (the terminal project) Phase 1,” Ricondo’s analysis states. “All projects remain subject to change based on impacts from COVID-19 or other factors.” City aviation officials have asserted for a decade that O’Hare’s current terminals and their configuration are outmoded, with long walks for international and domestic passengers and an overall shortage of gates. The centerpiece of the Terminal Area Project is a new international terminal where the existing Terminal 2 stands, one that would be located near domestic gates, making traveling much simpler. It's being designed by Chicago architecture star Jeanne Gang. At the same time, carriers have been resuming service only in fits in starts. For instance, United Airlines, which dominates O’Hare along with American Airlines, expects the number of seats to be available in the third quarter at just 35 percent of last year’s level. United CEO Scott Kirby in July said revenues won’t pass half of last year’s level until a proven COVID-19 vaccine is widely available. There's no indication in the bond documents that the scope of the terminal project is under review, only its timing. The Toll of Remote Learning On One Chicago Teacher: ‘I Am Learning Everything Again’ WBEZ//Adriana Cardona-Maguigad This story is part of the series “2020 Lessons.” This fall, WBEZ education reporters are following students and teachers from the Chicago area as they make their way through an education world turned upside down by the coronavirus. It’s been two weeks since remote learning began for about 295,000 students in traditional Chicago public schools. Teachers say it’s hard trying to keep students engaged for long hours online while supporting the social and emotional needs of those lagging behind. This fall, reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad is following a special education teacher at Brian Piccolo Elementary, a Chicago public school on the Northwest Side. Jessica Vega is there for students beyond academics — working as a teacher and doing social work for them on the side. Vega is starting her third year teaching at Piccolo, a mostly Latino and Black school where 34% of students speak limited English. Any other year, she would be feeling excited to be back with her students. But with the pandemic, and now remote learning, she feels like a first-year teacher all over again. “When I started teaching this is definitely not what I imagined doing in my third year,” said Vega, who can easily be confused as a student, especially when she wears the school’s T-shirt. “As many teachers know, the first year is probably one of the most difficult and stressful years, and I feel like that again because I am learning everything again.” Vega, who is 24 years old, went into teaching to help shape the learning experiences of children in underserved communities. As a first generation Mexican American growing up in Chicago, she knows what it’s like to go to public schools and translate for her Spanish speaking parents as they learned to navigate a new culture. As an adult, she sees the struggles of immigrant families with a new set of eyes. She volunteers to translate for parents and other teachers at Piccolo, and always makes herself available when students need help. She’s always taken on extra work above and beyond just providing lessons. But this year is unlike anything she’s ever seen. The challenge ahead Her main goal these days is figuring out how to best teach eighth graders remotely. Each day, her students are expected to spend nearly four hours in real-time online instruction and more than two hours doing learning activities. Vega has eight students, all with some type of learning disability, including challenges recognizing sounds in reading and difficulties understanding patterns in math. So, she sits at her basement office at the home she shares with her parents, siblings and other relatives. With a big whiteboard by her side and markers of all colors on her desk, she brainstorms ways to reach her students — anything from responding enthusiastically when students participate to playing games. “I am still trying to figure out other ways … what else I can do,” she said. By the end of the day, she’s exhausted. “The screen time, it is insane,” Vega said. “When I mean tired, I mean mentally and physically tired. I am not used to sitting down for so many hours. As a teacher I am used to being up on my feet walking around.” Despite that, Vega said she keeps at it, knowing she needs to come back the next day and be there for her students. But, in quiet moments, a scary thought bubbles up, one she doesn’t want to entertain. “Have I thought about how long I could do this?” asked Vega. “The thought has crossed my mind, but I decided not to linger on it because I want to be positive and optimistic it won’t be forever.” Troubleshooting tech problems is the new normal Vega wears many hats these days. At the same time she’s teaching her students with math and science, she’s also their tech support. Most of them are able to connect, and they all have computers. That’s a big improvement over the spring. But there are still problems. “They are feeling actually pretty frustrated with just technology in general so their WiFi is very slow or it keeps crashing, or the computer keeps crashing or the applications keep crashing and they need a lot of support,” Vega said on Wednesday, seven days after remote learning began. Sometimes, she said, she can’t tell when her students are confused. Not all kids keep their cameras on, either because they don’t work or they don’t feel comfortable due to their living situation. CPS requires students to keep their cameras on during live instruction, but teachers say that rule is hard to enforce. City officials promised to give free high-speed internet to up to 100,000 low-income students. So far, about 33,000 students have signed up. But getting the free internet can be complicated for some, and others aren’t eligible. CPS says it’s considering expanding its reach. More than a teacher Vega learned a few lessons last spring, and now she is trying a few things differently. Instead of overwhelming parents with tons of group messages, she is reaching out to them directly. “Most importantly, something that I learned is checking in with the families,” she said. “Not as, ‘Has the student done the work?’ But how is the family doing and how are the students doing, because sometimes that has a lot of information as to what might be going on that can translate into the virtual classroom.” Working with immigrant families at her school has taught her a lot more about the challenges immigrant families face — challenges that are amplified by the pandemic. “Life here is very different [here] and the expectations are very different, especially in education,” Vega said. “The language barrier is very difficult sometimes to overcome, as well as when there is no one that can translate at the moment, especially if you have something urgent. Some families don’t have housing, financial, food security.” Last May, one of her eighth graders, an immigrant from Guatemala, lost his mother to the coronavirus. Vega had come to know the student’s mother, Carolina Lopez, well over the past year. Lopez left her home in Guatemala in the winter of 2019 to start a new life with her two sons in Chicago far from her abusive husband. Her oldest son was separated from her after getting caught by immigration officials at the U.S-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas. He was later deported. In Chicago, Lopez found a supportive school community when she enrolled her son at Piccolo. Vega stepped in to help Lopez and her son with translations. Vega and Lopez stayed in touch when school closed in March because of the pandemic. She and other teachers helped her son get a computer and internet service. When Vega learned that Lopez died, she was shocked. It took her some time to process the news, but then immediately she offered to help coordinate funeral arrangements for Lopez. “That is how I may have been able to cope with the loss of a parent who I knew cared so much about her son,” Vega said. Carolina’s son is now in the care of an uncle. Vega is making sure he is going to high school. But his future is extremely uncertain. His uncle doesn’t have a stable home, and Carolina’s son is staying with a cousin. In her three years as a teacher, Vega has learned to be there for her students beyond school hours. She is willing to do whatever it takes to support them. This year is no different. But with the pandemic, she knows the stakes are that much higher for all her students and their families. ‘We Cannot Normalize This Behavior,’ Lightfoot Says After Spike in Juvenile Shooting Victims WTTW//Matt Masterson On the same day a funeral was held for the 8-year-old girl who was shot and killed last week while riding in a vehicle with her family, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city must do more to protect its juveniles during a historic uptick in violence. “We cannot normalize this behavior,” the mayor said during an unrelated press conference Friday morning. “We cannot shelter the people who are recklessly destroying the fabric of our community and, particularly, bringing harm to our children.” The number of shootings and homicides in Chicago has risen dramatically in 2020 compared to recent years, with totals up about 50% over 2019. And as the number of shootings has gone up, so too has the number of juvenile victims, including Dajore Wilson, the 8-year-old who was killed on Labor Day when passengers in an unknown vehicle opened fire on her family’s SUV. Through last Sunday, 272 juveniles have been shot this year, according to data from the Chicago Police Department. Forty-five of those victims died. Since Sunday, at least six more juveniles have been shot, per CPD records, including a 5-year-old who was wounded in what appeared to be an accidental shooting Tuesday, and two teens who were among five people wounded in a drive-by shooting later that day in the 3500 block of West Lawrence Avenue. According to CPD data, the number of juvenile shooting victims so far in 2020 is up 42% over the same period last year, while the number of juveniles killed by gunfire has risen 67%. Police are still searching for the suspects in Wilson’s shooting, and community activists have offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who can offer information leading to their arrest. Lightfoot on Friday said it’s imperative no one protects those who “think it’s a good idea to pick up a gun and shoot into crowds.” “We’ve got to keep continuing to push hard to provide services in neighborhoods that are most challenged by violence,” she said. “But we also need to hold the shooters accountable and that’s precisely what we are going to do.” Don't dig Chicago's grave just yet CRAIN’S//Greg Hinz For lovers of cities, the oft-maddening but at other times exhilarating places that many of us call home, 2020 has been a year to forget. Even if the current occupant of the White House possessed the heart and skills needed to deal with wildly diverse populations, COVID-19 has proved to be a massive body blow. The very concept of bringing large numbers of people together in dense settings, especially in congested areas such as central Chicago, now is making many wonder when and maybe if we'll recover—me included. That having been said, recovery is a question of not only money and economics but sheer will. This city recovered from a fire a century and a half ago that could have wiped it from the map. Does Chicago still have what it takes to again thrive? For those who care to look, there are signs that the answer is yes. Not tomorrow, mind you, or necessarily next year, but yes, eventually. Here in Chicago, the budding University of Illinois Discovery Partners Institute recently doubled the amount of office space it's taking in the Loop in anticipation of developing a real research institute on the nearby 78 property. That's a sign that the tech boom that finally had seemed to arrive in Chicago earlier this decade may have legs. Ditto news that two of the nation's five new quantum computing centers will be located here, at Argonne and Fermi national labs. Both are run by the University of Chicago, with significant, cutting-edge research headed for the South Side. Deals for high-end home sales have abruptly picked up, both in the city and suburbs. That's the report from my colleague Dennis Rodkin, and if "Dr. Doom," as he's jokingly known in the newsroom, says it's so, it is. More tea leaves: Mayor Lori Lightfoot's office rolled out a recovery plan. It's not perfect, but it's a plan, a place to start. Samir Mayekar, the deputy mayor for economic development, says consumer credit card spending in the metropolitan area has held up better than in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, and the emphasis he and Lightfoot have placed on helping outlying neighborhoods and not just the central area should, over time, be a boon to all. Most critically, Lightfoot seems to have finally gotten a handle on the two waves of looting that enormously complicated a COVID recovery in the central area. Crime and its root causes are a problem everywhere in Chicago, but if people are afraid to shop and work in the city's heart, it will stop beating. Downtown merchants could help by taking down the rest of those ugly and off-putting wooden barriers that have been on their windows most of the summer. Still, if signs of a rebirth to come exist, so do doubts—grave ones. More than real estate investors are wondering if the fear of mingling will cripple the downtown renaissance of the past two decades, forcing people to work from home or move to the suburbs. Changing those perceptions will take time and work. This city's business community in particular needs to step up, open its wallet and invest in its own self-interest in just the way that Metra did recently in unveiling a $1 million ad campaign aimed at convincing people that riding the rails, mostly to downtown jobs, can be done safely. Will it happen? It should and can, if the will is there. Chicago didn't die after the fire any more than London did after the bubonic plague and the Nazi blitz, Tokyo and San Francisco after massive earthquakes, New York after 9/11, or Los Angeles after the Rodney King beating. Thousands of years of human history prove that creativity and production flourishes best in dense settings. Or as longtime civic leader Ty Fahner, the former head of Mayer Brown puts it, "You don't have a law firm if you just have a bunch of lawyers sending emails (or Zooms) back and forth." Amen. Let's get back to life already, Chicago. Mayor Lori Lightfoot rips Chicago FOP president: ‘I don’t have a lot of good things to say about him’ TRIBUNE//Gregory Pratt and Jeremy Gorner Amid ongoing contract talks with the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday again ripped union president John Catanzara while insisting that any deal must include enhanced police accountability measures. “I don’t have a lot of good things to say about him in particular,” Lightfoot said. “But I care deeply about the men and women of the Chicago Police Department.” The FOP’s last contract expired at the end of June 2017. Lightfoot has offered the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police a 10% raise for thousands of rank-and-file cops over a 4-year period — along with changes to how the city handles disciplinary issues involving allegations of misconduct. Catanzara rejected the deal earlier this week and said he’d be making a new proposal soon, which he may try to take directly to Chicago’s City Council. Any attempt at working around to the mayor is unlikely to be successful, however, as the City Council historically looks to the city for guidance on labor contracts. Asked about the negotiations, Lightfoot said the city is committed to a fair deal but any agreement must include accountability and other department policy changes, she said, without getting into specifics. “I’m not going to negotiate in the media,” Lightfoot said. “I think that that’s a mistake and it’s not what adults should be doing.” When asked later on Friday about the mayor’s comments, Catanzara reiterated his plans to appeal to the City Council and called on the public to pressure their aldermen about the police. Catanzara also said that Lightfoot was in a way negotiating some portions of the contract in public, such as discipline and potential staffing levels. “I’m not running in a personality contest here, so I really don’t care if she likes me or not. I’m here to represent the members of this police department and that’s what I’m going to continue to do,” Catanzara said. “She has an obligation to work with me just like I have an obligation to work with her, personality interests aside. And she doesn’t want to negotiate in the press but yet she certainly takes every opportunity she could over this summer to throw jabs at the police department trying to talk about everything from discipline to obviously funding, now the possibility of not replacing officers as they retire, which is absolutely ridiculous.” Lightfoot in July defended sending a series of insulting text messages to Catanzara in which she called him a “clown,” “fraud,” “cartoon character” and “liar.” Lightfoot’s text messages to the FOP president mirrored a July 2019 controversy in which she was heard on a hot mic referring to the union’s then-vice president, Patrick Murray, as an “FOP clown.” Top of Form Bottom of Form As Murray approached the microphone available for people to speak during public comment, Lightfoot was overheard on the dais saying, “Back again. This is this FOP clown.” She later acknowledged it was inappropriate for her “to say that out loud,” but wouldn’t apologize for the substance of the remark. Lightfoot has had a rocky relationship with the FOP since becoming mayor in May 2019, particularly over police accountability measures. Before becoming mayor, Lightfoot was head of the Chicago Police Board, the panel that rules on police discipline, and chaired Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s police accountability task force, which suggested sweeping changes to Chicago’s policing practices. At the same time, she has been criticized by police other department activists who say she has been too friendly with law enforcement. City O’Hare debt document indicates COVID-19 could delay huge airport terminal revamp TRIBUNE//John Byrne The devastating impact of COVID-19 on the number of airline passengers using O’Hare International Airport could delay completion of the massive airport terminal modernization project, city officials acknowledge in a recent document. While Lightfoot administration officials have said the $8.5 billion project is moving ahead in spite of the steep downturn in passengers and the revenue they generate to help fund the work, documents submitted this week to try to refinance airport debt show the city hedging its bets on the timing. “The city continues to assess COVID-19 and its potential effects on” the project, the document reads. It’s in “the early stages of design and the estimated completion date remains subject to change due to the impacts of COVID-19 or other economic and operational factors.” Crain’s Chicago Business first reported on the possible delay. In a statement Friday, city Aviation Department spokesman Matt McGrath said the O’Hare project “is moving forward, period, full stop.” “Any doubt about the City’s commitment to continuing to invest in O’Hare’s modernization and competitive position should be put to rest by the fact that we’re currently progressing with construction on three runways and a $1 billion expansion of Terminal 5,” McGrath said. The project is in the early stages, “which has provided us the flexibility to stay on course and not make sudden decisions,” McGrath said. “On the contrary it has provided us some flexibility to move forward in a more efficient and economical way, as well as to assess longer-term impacts of the pandemic on traveler expectations.” Top of Form Bottom of Form The city is counting on the airlines to help fund the expansion through passenger fees. But with flights canceled, jets grounded and passenger traffic plummeting because of the coronavirus, those funding sources have dropped. The expansion will consist of a new Global Terminal and satellite concourses. The satellite concourses are being designed under the supervision of Studio Gang by Chicago architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The airport already has started on a $1.2 billion expansion of Terminal 5, which by 2021 will have 10 new gates and 75% more space for passenger amenities. Airport officials say the expansion is needed before major construction on the larger project can begin. The city also is working on the Runway 9R extension and finishing a new 11,245-foot east-west runway. ________________________________ This e-mail, and any attachments thereto, is intended only for use by the addressee(s) named herein and may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail (or the person responsible for delivering this document to the intended recipient), you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, printing or copying of this e-mail, and any attachment thereto, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please respond to the individual sending the message, and permanently delete the original and any copy of any e-mail and printout thereof.