President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden separately visited Kenosha, Wisconsin this week after the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Biden met with Blake’s family, spoke with him over the phone, and held a gathering with community members. Trump did not meet with Blake or his family, he said this was because the family wanted lawyers involved. Instead, he doubled down on “law and order,” meeting with law enforcement officials and visiting businesses damaged by the protests.

This comes as the mayor of Rochester, New York suspended seven officers involved in the death of Daniel Prude, a Chicago man who suffocated in March after police covered his head with a “spit hood” and shoved his face into the ground for two minutes. Prude died seven days later. His brother had called the police to help find Prude after leaving the house during a mental health crisis.

Prude’s family held a news conference on Wednesday, releasing the body cam footage and written reports.

Chicago Public School’s five-year graduation rate hit a record high in the 2019-2020 school year, along with a record low dropout rate, announced Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPS CEO Janice Jackson on Friday. This comes as a new school year begins on Tuesday.

While classes haven’t yet begun, the Chicago Teachers Union is already voicing concerns for the safety of clerks and other employees who are working in the schools. CTU filed a grievance citing lax enforcement of safety measures and unsafe conditions, and says CPS is requiring some employees to work in person before meeting bargaining obligations.

In a statement, CPS said in part, “Every employee has the ability to apply for an accommodation (including the option to work from home) or apply for a leave of absence. Most importantly, school buildings are nearly empty and there is ample room for social distancing.”

Billionaire Ken Griffin is giving $20 million to a group fighting an amendment to switch Illinois from a flat tax to a graduated income tax system. The change requires voters to approve a constitutional amendment. It will be on the ballot this November.

The city faces a $1.2 billion budget shortfall in 2021, Lightfoot announced on Monday. Lightfoot promised to be a better collaborator and asked others to join her in order to address the shortfall.

Guests

Karen Hawkins, Chicago Reader | @ChiefRebelle
Lourdes Duarte, WGN | @LourdesWGN
John Byrne, Chicago Tribune | @_johnbyrne
Sarah Karp, WBEZ | @SSKedreporter

Did you miss us? Check out more episodes of The Week in Review.