Stories by Quinn Myers
Social Service Agency Turns to Technology to Keep Tabs on Teens
| Quinn Myers
We check in with Corazon Community Services in suburban Cicero, which works with about 400 teenagers every month, offering after-school programs and community events focused on violence prevention and education.
Suffering From the Coronavirus? Chicago Now Has An App for That
| Heather Cherone
City officials on Monday launched a new web-based application they say was designed to help those suffering from the coronavirus while laying the groundwork for a massive vaccination campaign.
Home Studios, Near-Empty Stations: How Chicago Radio Hosts Are Staying On-Air
| Nick Blumberg
Broadcasters around the world have made big changes to stay on the air, and stay safe. We speak with three local radio veterans about how they’re staying connected with their listeners during the pandemic.
Controversial Workers’ Comp Rule Repealed Amid Business Pushback
| Amanda Vinicky
The emergency rule passed earlier this month would have presumed essential workers who contract COVID-19 got it on the job – an assumption that would have been costly for businesses and their insurers.
If Baseball Returns to Chicago This Summer, It Will ‘Likely Be Without Fans’: Lightfoot
| Heather Cherone
Chicago is “a ways away” from even considering plans to reopen Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field because the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus are still rising, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday.
Health Officials Ready New Guidelines as Restrictions Ease
| Associated Press
The Trump administration is reviewing proposed new guidelines for how restaurants, schools, churches and businesses can safely reopen as states look to gradually lift their coronavirus restrictions.
Michelle Obama Documentary ‘Becoming’ to Premiere on Netflix
| Associated Press
The film, described as “an intimate look into the life of former first lady Michelle Obama” chronicles her 34-city book tour in 2018-2019 for her best-selling memoir “Becoming.”
Final Test Results Show Smokestack Demolition Posed ‘No Apparent Health Risk’
| Heather Cherone
The plume of dust that coated homes in Little Village after the botched demolition of a coal plant smokestack did not threaten residents’ health, according to final test results released Monday by the city of Chicago.
After COVID-19: Anxious, Wary First Responders Back on Job
| Associated Press
The new coronavirus doesn’t care about a blue uniform or a shiny badge. Police, firefighters, paramedics and corrections officers are just a 911 call away from contracting COVID-19 and spreading it.
Video of House Party During COVID-19 Crisis Draws International Ire
| Amanda Vinicky
Dozens of young adults flouted social distancing guidelines Saturday night at a house party that appears to have been held in Chicago. Mayor Lori Lightfoot called it “reckless and utterly unacceptable.”
WHO, CDC and FDA: No Link Between COVID-19 and Food Packaging
| Patty Wetli
What to do with groceries has been the source of much debate. But the amount of the virus that survives on surfaces is a tiny fraction of the original material, experts say.
Pritzker Says Schools, Students Should Prepare for Remote Learning This Fall
| Amanda Vinicky
As parents and students know, schools will be closed for the remainder of the school year. Gov. J.B. Pritzker says educators should be prepared to stay the course in case their doors have to remain closed this fall.
Illinois Puts COVID-19 Overflow Sites on Back Burner
New statewide totals: 43,903 cases, 1,933 deaths
| Amanda Vinicky
The state reported another 2,126 COVID-19 cases and 59 fatalities Sunday. Despite those rising numbers, Illinois is not seeing so many severe cases that the medical system is overwhelmed.
White House Aiming for Trump Pivot from Virus to Economy
| Associated Press
Days after he publicly mused that scientists should explore the injection of toxic disinfectants as a potential virus cure, President Donald Trump has now rejected the utility of his daily task force briefings.
Census Delay Could Put Off New Voting Districts, Primaries
| Associated Press
The U.S. Census Bureau needs more time to wrap up the once-a-decade count because of the coronavirus, opening the possibility of delays in drawing new legislative districts that could help determine what political party is in power.
Bugged: Earth’s Insect Population Shrinks 27% in 30 Years
| Associated Press
The world has lost more than one quarter of its land-dwelling insects in the past 30 years, according to researchers whose big picture study of global bug decline paints a disturbing but more nuanced problem than earlier research.
‘Mask Up, Save Lives’ Movement Gets Masks to Chicago’s West Side
| Amanda Vinicky
In less than a week, wearing a mask or face covering will be mandatory in Illinois. But not everyone has a mask, nor does everyone have resources to get one.
Lawsuit Pits Businesses vs. Pritzker in COVID-19 Legal Battle
| Amanda Vinicky
The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to withdraw a temporary, emergency rule put in place earlier this month.
Chicago-Based Potbelly to Return $10M Small Business Loan
| Amanda Vinicky
The Chicago-based sandwich chain announced Saturday that it will return the money after having received “further clarification from the Treasury Department” about the loan.
Don’t Drink Bleach, Illinois’ Public Health Director Warns
New statewide totals: 41,777 cases, 1,874 deaths
| Amanda Vinicky
As Illinois seeks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the state’s chief health director warned residents from resorting to possibly lethal, unproven means of prevention, such as drinking bleach.
Global Death Toll From Coronvirus Surpasses 200,000
| Associated Press
States including Georgia, Oklahoma and Alaska have begun loosening lockdown orders on their pandemic-wounded businesses, even as the confirmed U.S. death toll from the coronavirus soared past 50,000 and health experts warned that such steps might be coming too soon.
In Trump’s Shadow, Congress-at-Home Eyes Reboot During Virus
| Associated Press
With no real plan to reopen Capitol Hill any time soon, the coronavirus shutdown poses an existential crisis that’s pushing Congress ever so reluctantly toward the 21st century option of remote legislating from home.
The Week in Review: Stay-at-Home Order Extended Through May 30
| Alexandra Silets
Illinois sets a new record of confirmed COVID-19 cases as testing capacity expands. Gov. J.B. Pritzker extends the stay-at-home order until May 30 with some modifications. And Chicago aldermen narrowly approve emergency powers for Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Pritzker: Illinois Surpasses Goal of 10,000 Daily COVID-19 Tests
New statewide totals: 39,658 cases, 1,795 deaths
| Matt Masterson
Weeks ago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he wanted to perform 10,000 coronavirus tests a day. On Friday, Pritzker announced Illinois has reached and surpassed that mark.
City Council Unanimously Bans Horse-Drawn Carriages Starting Jan. 1
| Heather Cherone
The distinctive sound of hooves clip-clopping along downtown streets will soon become a relic of a bygone era.
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