Stories by Amanda Vinicky
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.
City Council Narrowly Approves Measure Giving Lightfoot Emergency Powers
| Heather Cherone
The 29-21 vote is the closest in recent City Council history, as tensions between aldermen and the mayor continue to rise during the pandemic that forced the meeting to take place virtually.
Preckwinkle Shuts Down Parking Lots at Busiest Forest Preserves on Weekends
| Patty Wetli
Too many visitors are flocking to the most popular forest preserves and ignoring social distancing rules, prompting weekend parking lot closures through the end of May, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Friday.
‘Gemütlichkeit’: Documentary Captures Last Days of Chicago Brauhaus
| Patty Wetli
The Lincoln Square mainstay closed in 2017 and filmmaker Matt Richmond set out to learn why. The documentary will stream for free on April 30.
State Parks Set to Reopen, But Lightfoot Says Lakefront Will Remain Closed
| Heather Cherone
Even though state parks are set to reopen May 1 with restrictions, Chicago’s lakefront will remain closed, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
COVID-19 Policy: Ald. Lopez on Southwest Side Pandemic Response
| Quinn Myers
The 15th Ward alderman says COVID-19 has strained already scarce resources in his ward, which is home to many essential workers and undocumented immigrants.
Tech Giants’ Plan to Track COVID-19 Raises Privacy Concerns
| Dan Andries
As governors grapple with the question of when to reopen their states, the need for a wide-scale contact tracing effort is at the top of many experts’ lists. Help may be on the way, but it’s getting a lot of scrutiny.
Facing ‘Terrible Story’ of COVID-19 Impact, Neighborhood Group Gets to Work
| Quinn Myers
The Brighton Park Neighborhood Council provides a wide range of social services and programming on Chicago’s Southwest Side. We learn how it’s adjusting to community needs sparked by the pandemic.
COVID-19 Across Chicago: Brighton Park
| Paris Schutz
As part of our series on the local impact of the coronavirus, a report from the Southwest Side, where a troubling situation has gotten worse as the pandemic has intensified.
A Virtual Tour Inside Chicago’s Center for Outsider Art
| Marc Vitali
For 29 years one small but significant place has been a showcase for visionary artwork. The art center called Intuit had to close a new show last month, and we got a look at what you’ll see when it one day reopens.
Ask Geoffrey: How Major League Baseball Survived Past Pandemics
| Erica Gunderson
As Chicago baseball fans hunker down and hope for the return of their favorite summertime sport, a viewer wonders how Chicago sports soldiered through the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.
Pritzker Extends Stay-at-Home Order Through May 30
New statewide totals: 36,934 cases, 1,688 deaths
| Kristen Thometz
After much anticipation, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces the stay-at-home order will not be lifted at the end of the month. But changes are coming. What to expect from the modified order on May 1.
Lightfoot Launches Task Force to Shape Chicago’s Eventual Recovery From Coronavirus
| Heather Cherone
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has announced the creation of a task force to lead the city’s eventual recovery from the coronavirus pandemic — even as she reminded residents the virus is still running rampant.
Illinois Poison Center Reports 36.5% Increase in Exposures to Household Cleaners
| Kristen Thometz
Concerns about the new coronavirus have unleashed a cleaning frenzy and, along with it, a rise in reports of exposure to household cleaning products.
Wear Glasses? We’ve Got More #MaskHacks to Cut Through the Fog
| Patty Wetli
Face masks and eyeglasses don’t mix. Here’s how to keep your glasses fog-free while you cover up to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Federal Judge to Hear Testimony on Use of Social Distancing in Cook County Jail
| Matt Masterson
A federal judge will decide whether social distancing and other preventive measures ordered at the Cook County Jail are being properly instituted following calls from criminal justice advocates for additional precautions.
Trump Signs Immigration Order Featuring Numerous Exemptions
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday that he had signed an executive order “temporarily suspending immigration into the United States.” But experts say the order will merely delay the issuance of green cards for a minority of applicants.
95th-Bound Red Line Trains Skipping 3 Edgewater Stations This Weekend
| Nick Blumberg
Passengers riding the CTA Red Line toward 95th won’t be able to get on or off at the Granville, Thorndale or Bryn Mawr stops this weekend.
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