‘Shang-Chi’: Marvel offers beauty, humor and cool combat as a villain’s son fights his way to heroism

The hero of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (Simu Liu) is pulled into the supernatural world of his warlord father. | Disney

The wonderful cast is led by likable Simu Liu as the everyman on a mission, the magnificent Tony Leung as his father and Awkwafina as his friend who acts like Awkwafina.

Razzle dazzle — with a ton of heart and a generous sprinkling of warm humor. That’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” right there.

You might not know a whole lot about the Marvel Universe character of Shang-Chi, who has a relatively obscure and somewhat complicated history, as he was the son of the fictional Dr. Fu Manchu, a character steeped in stereotyped Chinese villainy. No expertise required, because “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” while firmly planted in the Marvel Universe, works perfectly fine as a stand-alone origins story. Director Destin Daniel Cretton (“Just Mercy”) has fashioned a visually popping fable with a wonderful, Asian-led cast, a screenplay brimming with sharp and funny dialogue, and some pretty cool fight sequences.

More good news: Shang-Chi’s father has been reworked and renamed, and is played by Tony Leung, one of the finest actors in the world.

Leung’s Xu Wenwu is a legendary and to some eyes mythical warlord who for centuries has maintained possession of the 10 rings — glowing bracelets he wears that make him immortal, invincible and capable of great feats of power (and lead to some impressive visual effects). Entire armies don’t stand a chance against Wenwu, who has grown increasingly arrogant and ruthless over a period of 1,000 years.

This all changes when Wenwu discovers a magical land called Ta Lo and meets its beautiful and peaceful guardian, Li (Fala Chen). Over the objects of the citizens of Ta Lo, who want nothing to do with this bloodthirsty warlord and fear he’ll ruin their idyllic outpost, Li marries Wenwu, and he takes Li from Ta Lo so they can start a new life, with Wenwu vowing to retire from the warlording business to become a loving and tender husband and father.

Disney

Glowing bracelets give invincible powers to Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), Shang-Chi’s father.

THAT all changes when Wenwu’s past comes back to haunt him and Li is brutally murdered. Wenwu returns to his life of crime and violence, all the while teaching his young son Shang-Chi (played by Jayden Zhang as a boy and Arnold Sun as a teen) how to become a killing machine.

Cut to present-day San Francisco, with Simu Liu (“Kim’s Convenience”) now playing the 30ish Shang-Chi, who has renounced his father’s evil ways and has cut off all ties with the family and has even renamed himself Shaun, as he leads a normal and borderline dull life as a parking valet who finds something comforting about the routine of his job and likes to spend his nights having a few drinks and singing likes to sing karaoke with his best friend Katy, and it’s pure gold to have Awkwafina playing Katy.

Disney

Shang-Chi’s friend (Awkwafina, left) joins him in meeting his long-lost sister (Meng’er Zhang).

Shaun and Katy are happily underachieving their way through life when a band of thugs attacks Shaun on the bus, leading to the best battle-on-the-bus hand-to-hand combat sequence since “Nobody” from earlier this year. Turns out Shaun has some mad fighting skills, and now he’s fighting mad at his father because for sending these goons after him and in particular the green pendant his mother gave him as a child. Shaun reveals his true identity to Katy (who cracks wise about his half-hearted name change), and the next thing you know they’re off to Macau, where Shaun/Shang-Chi seeks out his long-lost sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang), who runs an underground fight club that’s actually way ABOVE ground — at the top of a 100-story skyscraper that’s still under construction. This leads to a wildly entertaining fight sequence on some wobbly outdoor scaffolding, with gorgeous cinematography by Bill Pope.

With Doctor Strange’s valet Wong (Benedict Wong) and “Iron Man 3” figure The Mandarin/Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) making key cameo appearances along the way, “Shang-Chi” eventually takes us back to the land of Ta Lo, where Shang-Chi’s aunt, Jiang Nan (Michelle Yeoh), and her fellow villagers are preparing for an attack by Wenwu and his warriors. (Why is Wenwu hell bent on attacking Ta Lo? Let’s just say he believes he can resurrect his deceased wife via a method that is more likely to unleash a gigantic and evil beast that will pretty much destroy the world if set free. Bad plan, Wenwu!)

Leung is a magnificent presence, commanding every scene he’s in as Wenwu, who still might have a father’s heart beating beneath all the vengeance and power he’s wrapped himself in for so many years. Simu Liu has a likable, everyman persona, but he’s a believable action hero as well, which makes him a great choice to play a likable everyman who becomes a superhero. Awkwafina does her thing and does it as well as ever, while Meng’er Zhang is so strong we’d like to see Xialing get her own showcase film. “Shang-Chi” gets a little bogged down in the grand finale, which features an overlong and typical MCU battle featuring all manner of otherworldly creatures and bombastic special effects — but the journey to that final destination is fantastic.

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Chicago’s 311 non-emergency system in line for another upgrade

The 311 Operations building at 2111 W. Lexington St., Friday afternoon, June 18, 2021. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Instead of asking city departments to “come up with a number” about how long a service request might take, the city’s Department of Assets, Information and Services will base the response on actual data of how long it really takes to do the work.

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40^th) used Chicago’s 311 non-emergency system to request a tree trim and was told the work would be done in fourteen days. A year later, he was still waiting. He got another email saying the same tree would be trimmed in fourteen days.

On Tuesday, the City Council’s Committee on Economic and Capital Development approved a Vasquez-sponsored ordinance aimed at minimizing that frustrating experience for everyday Chicagoans.

Instead of asking city departments like Streets and Sanitation, Water Management and Transportation to “come up with a number” about how long a service request might take, the city’s Department of Assets, Information and Services will base the response on actual data of how long it really takes to do the work.

The estimate given will be the average response time to similar requests.

And when a “311 ticket” is transferred from one city department to another, the constituent who made that service request will be told why and what happened. No longer will the service request be designated as “closed.”

Vasquez believes that Chicagoans are willing to accept almost anything if only they are told the truth. He argued that rampant frustration with 311 stems from being told, as he put it, “b.s.”

“I’ve worked customer service in retail for 20 years. People are much more frustrated when you don’t tell them the truth and try to give ‘em an excuse than when you actually them ‘em what’s going on and how it’s occurring. We owe that to the taxpayer that pays for all of this stuff,” Vasquez said.

“When they’re asking, ‘Why does this take so long?’ we can say, ‘Some of your funding — 40 percent of it is going to CPD [the Chicago Police Department]. But if some of that actually went to the other departments, you’d get better service.’”

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) speaks during a Chicago City Council meeting at City Hall, Friday afternoon, June 25, 2021.

But what about complaints that 311 calls take too long to answer, as highlighted in several stories by the Chicago Sun-Times?

“That’s something we haven’t heard that often about. But it’s something we can tackle. That would be a staffing issue based on the amount of folks they have to pick up calls,” Vasquez said.

Audrey Mathis, director of 311 Services, said issues like staffing and extreme weather can explain why a seemingly routine request can drag on for months or even a year.

“Rather than going with static data to make an assumption that it will take fourteen days —maybe two years ago, it was fourteen days. But through a number of factors, it now is 40 days or 35 days,” she said.

From now on, “It’s actually taking past performance of what is normally happening over the last year or the last six months to give a more accurate” estimate.

West Side Ald. Michael Scott Jr. (24^th) noted that historic staffing shortages in the Bureau of Forestry make it difficult to pinpoint how long it’ll take to get a tree trimmed.

“If we have storms and they have go out and they have to pick up stuff on the North Side if there was a storm over there or in Garfield Park, that takes them away from their ordinary tree-trimming responsibilities,” he said.

“Will the departments update when that kind of stuff happens and extend that timeline?”

Mathis said city departments will be taken out of the equation altogether.

“The way it is now, they would have to say, ‘It’s no longer fourteen days. We believe it’s going to be 30 days.’ This new process will actually take on what’s been happening in the system and will give more of an accurate [picture]. On average, it’s really been taking 90 days or 100 days,” she said.

In 2015, a City Council rebellion forced then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel to shelve his controversial plan to privatize Chicago’s 311 non-emergency system.

Emanuel was forced to find another way to bankroll a sorely needed system upgrade after aldermen argued that services so pivotal to their residents must be provided by Chicagoans who know the city and its neighborhoods.

In 2018, City Hall finally flipped the switch on an overhaul that allowed Chicagoans to text their service requests, along with photographic evidence, and let the city text those same residents back to let them know when crews will do the work.

Now, the upgrade that Emanuel bragged would “revolutionize” how city services are delivered is in line for yet another round of improvements to provide more accurate information.

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White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn lands on IL with knee inflammation

The White Sox put starter Lance Lynn on the 10-day injured list with knee inflammation. | Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

The All-Star righty is expected to miss one start.

White Sox right-hander Lance Lynn has inflammation in his right knee, it was revealed Tuesday, and the All-Star pitcher will likely miss a start while he’s on the 10-day injured list.

Infielder Danny Mendick was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to take Lynn’s spot on the active roster. Reynaldo Lopez will take Lynn’s start, most likely in Kansas City this weekend.

Lynn, 34, is 10-4 with a 2.59 ERA over 24 starts this season.

Mendick, 27, is batting .217 with two home runs and 20 RBI in 66 games.

Manager Tony La Russa also said that outfielder Billy Hamilton (oblique) is expected to be activated from the injured list Wednesday. Outfielder Adam Engel (shoulder) will likely head out for a rehab assignment when the Sox begin their road trip Friday.

La Russa said that shortstop Tim Anderson will continue resting his sore legs through a two-game series against the Pirates at Guaranteed Rate Field.

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Authorities identify man killed in Roseland triple shooting

A man was killed and two others wounded in a shooting August 30, 2021. | Foto de archivo de Adobe

The three were attacked while standing in the 400 block of East 111th Street, police said.

Authorities have released the name of a 31-year-old man killed in a triple shooting Monday night in Roseland on the Far South Side.

Rahyil Lee and two other men were shot by a gunman who opened fire from a car at 8:50 p.m. in the 400 block of East 111th Street, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Lee was shot in the back and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Another man, 54, was struck in the wrist and went to Roseland Hospital in good condition, police said. A third man, 30, was shot in the foot and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

No arrests were made.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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Biden praises airlift, defends departure from ‘forever war’

President Joe Biden turns to leave the podium after speaking about the end of the war in Afghanistan from the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in Washington. | AP

“I was not going to extend this forever war,” President Joe Biden said in an address from the White House State Dining Room. “And I was not going to extend a forever exit.”

WASHINGTON — Addressing the nation, a defensive President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the U.S. military airlift to extract more than 120,000 Afghans, Americans and other allies to end a 20 year war an “extraordinary success,” though more than 100 Americans and thousands of Afghans looking to leave remain.

Twenty-four hours after the departure of the last American C-17 cargo plane from Kabul, Biden vigorously defended his decision to end America’s longest war and withdraw all U.S. troops ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline.

“I was not going to extend this forever war,” Biden said in an address from the White House State Dining Room. “And I was not going to extend a forever exit.”

Biden has faced tough questions about the way the U.S. went about leaving Afghanistan — a chaotic evacuation and spasms of violence including a suicide bomb that killed 13 American service members and 169 Afghans.

He is under heavy criticism, particularly from Republicans, for his handling of the evacuation, though it successfully airlifted more than 120,000 people from Kabul airport.

But he said it was inevitable that the final departure from two decades of war would be difficult with likely violence, no matter when it was planned and conducted.

“To those asking for a third decade of war in Afghanistan I ask, ‘What is the vital national interest?’” Biden said. He added, “I simply do not believe that the safety and security of America is enhanced by continuing to deploy thousands of American troops and spending billions of dollars in Afghanistan.”

In addition to all the questions at home, Biden is also adjusting to a new relationship with the Taliban, the Islamist militant group that the U.S. toppled after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and that is now once again in power in Afghanistan.

The last Air Force transport plane departed Kabul one minute before midnight Monday, raising questions about why Biden didn’t continue the airlift for at least another day. He had set Tuesday as a deadline for ending the evacuation and pulling out remaining troops after the Taliban took over the country.

In a written statement Monday, Biden said military commanders unanimously favored ending the airlift instead of extending it. He said he asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken to coordinate with international partners to hold the Taliban to their promise of safe passage for Americans and others who want to leave in the days ahead.

Blinken put the number of Americans still in Afghanistan at under 200, “likely closer to 100,” and said the State Department would keep working to get them out. He said the U.S. diplomatic presence would shift to Doha, Qatar.

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said Tuesday of the effort to get remaining Americans out: “It’s just that it has shifted from a military mission to a diplomatic mission.” On ABC’s “Good Morning America,” he cited “considerable leverage” over the Taliban to complete that effort.

The closing hours of the evacuation were marked by extraordinary drama. American troops faced the daunting task of getting final evacuees onto planes while also getting themselves and some of their equipment out, even as they monitored repeated threats — and at least two actual attacks — by the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate. A suicide bombing on Aug. 26 killed 13 American service members and some 180 Afghans. More died in various incidents during the airport evacuation.

The final pullout fulfilled Biden’s pledge to end what he called a “forever war” that began in response to the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and rural Pennsylvania. His decision, announced in April, reflected a national weariness of the Afghanistan conflict.

In Biden’s view the war could have ended 10 years ago with the U.S. killing of Osama bin Laden, whose al-Qaida extremist network planned and executed the 9/11 plot from an Afghanistan sanctuary. Al-Qaida has been vastly diminished, preventing it thus far from again attacking the United States.

Congressional committees, whose interest in the war waned over the years, are expected to hold public hearings on what went wrong in the final months of the U.S. withdrawal. Why, for example, did the administration not begin earlier the evacuation of American citizens as well as Afghans who had helped the U.S. war effort?

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Tuesday described the Biden administration’s handling of the evacuation as “probably the biggest failure in American government on a military stage in my lifetime” and promised that Republicans would press the White House for answers on what went wrong.

“We can never make this mistake again,” McCarthy said.

A group of Republican lawmakers gathered on the House floor on Tuesday morning and participated in a moment of silence for the 13 service members who were killed during the suicide bomber attack last week.

They also sought a House vote on legislation from Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., which among other things, would require the administration to submit a report on how many Americans remain in Afghanistan as well as the number of Afghans who had applied for a category of visas reserved for those who were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government.

The GOP lawmakers objected as Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., gaveled the House into adjournment and then gathered for a press conference to denounce the administration.

—-

Associated Press writer Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldor contributed reporting.

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‘Ella Is So Honored': Mother of Fallen Officer Ella French Writes Thank You Letter to Chicago

The mother of fallen police Officer Ella French sent a thank you note to Chicago on Tuesday, nearly two weeks after hundreds honored her daughter’s life at a private funeral service and on the day that would have been Officer French’s 30th birthday.

“My family and I wish to say THANK YOU to the people of the City of Chicago and the surrounding communities,” Elizabeth French wrote in a letter distributed by CPD. “We wish to thank all the women and men of the Chicago Police Department, those special people of the Special Activities Division of CPD, and all the women and men in law enforcement near and far.  

“We wish to thank Chicago dispatcher Keith Thornton, Jr., the CPD chaplains, Fr. Brandt, and Cardinal Cupich. We wish to thank Milos Djordjevic of Caring Cremations, all the wonderful people and students of St. Rita of Cascia, and the staff of Queen of Heaven Cemetery. We wish to thank all friends, old and new, and we wish to thank the many faces and names of people who remain unknown to us.   

“Your beautiful and heartfelt words of comfort, prayers, and donations will be remembered forever. More importantly, your love and support during this difficult time will be a treasure I carry with me for the rest of my life.

“I wish it was possible to thank each and every one of you personally. I will try where I can. Please accept this humble letter of thanks to all of you from a grateful mother. I am so blessed. Ella is so honored.

“God bless you all,” the letter ends, with a signature from Elizabeth French and a post script: “P.S. Happy Birthday Ella Grace! I love you. Mom”

Officer French was killed after she and her partner were shot during a late-night traffic stop in the city’s West Englewood neighborhood. Police said three officers stopped a car with three people inside near 63rd Street and Bell for expired plates.

When the officers approached the car, one of the vehicle’s occupants opened fire, according to authorities. French was shot in the head and her partner was also shot.

French joined the department in April 2018, according to police officials. She is the first Chicago police officer to be killed in the line of duty since officers Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmalejo were struck and killed by a Metra train while responding to a call of shots fired in December 2018. She is the first female officer to be killed in the city since 1988.

French, a young officer who made a big impact during her short time on the force, was remembered during her funeral service for her empathy, compassion and determination.

“She was loud, fun and outgoing,” her partner Josh Blas, one of two officers with French during the traffic stop that took her life, said. “She always loved getting to know people and talking to them. She was bubbly and always smiling. She genuinely loved people.”

Once a foster child who was adopted into her family, French dedicated her spare time to fostering dogs and helping animals to give back in a way that mirrored her own journey.

Speaking directly to her mother during his homily at the service, Cardinal Blase Cupich recalled a conversation in which Elizabeth French described the empathy her daughter exuded not just in her work, but also in her life.

“Elizabeth, you told me when we met that Ella always understood herself as a work in progress, how her experience especially as a corrections officer with Cook County, made her a better human being because it helped her develop an empathy for others,” he said. “It was her empathy that prompted her to rush a 1-year-old baby and her mother on her own to a hospital, something she no doubt was encouraged to do as she witnessed the example of her fellow officers. It was her ability to connect with others that taught her compassion, empathy and responsibility for others.”

The streets outside Officer French’s funeral service flooded with squad cars and mourners as the church filled to capacity.

Ella French Aug 13

Suspect in Officer's Killing Was Out of Jail Despite Being Charged With Hit-and-Run While on Probation For Robbery

Chicago Police Department Aug 13

Several Bars and Restaurants Donate Proceeds To Help Families of Officer Ella French and Her Partner

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CDC: 180 Cases of COVID-19 Linked to Illinois Church Camp, Men's Retreat

The Illinois Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have announced the findings of an investigation into an outbreak of COVID-19 cases that occurred following an overnight church camp and a two-day men’s conference, both of which were held by the same organization earlier this summer.

According to the findings, a total of 180 cases of coronavirus were ultimately linked to the events, including 122 that occurred among attendees.

On June 30, IDPH says it contacted the CDC concerning the outbreaks, which occurred at two separate events. One of those events was a five-day overnight church camp for individuals between the ages of 14 and 18, and the other was a two-day men’s conference.

Neither event required COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results before attendees arrived, and neither event encouraged attendees to wear masks while in indoor spaces, according to the report.

As of Aug. 13, a total of 180 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 were linked to the events, reported either among the attendees or among those who were in close contact with them after they left the events.

A total of 122 attendees were ultimately diagnosed with COVID-19. Of those, 18 cases were reported in individuals who were fully vaccinated against coronavirus, according to officials.

Among all of the cases, five individuals were hospitalized, and no deaths occurred. None of those five individuals were fully vaccinated against the virus, according to officials.

Officials say that 294 campers attended the five-day youth event, and were met by 41 staff members. They were housed in large, congregant boarding facilities, with approximately 100 campers in each unit. Those participants dined in a cafeteria together and participated in indoor and outdoor small group activities.

On the second-to-last day of the camp, one camper departed after coming down with symptoms of COVID-19, and a laboratory test later confirmed the diagnosis. Six camp staff members later tested positive, and had onset of symptoms in the days after the camp ended.

The CDC and IDPH say that the outbreaks are another example of why COVID vaccination is so critical in the fight against the virus. The CDC cites an outbreak in Los Angeles County, where unvaccinated residents were five times more likely to be infected with COVID, and 29 times more likely to be hospitalized from an infection than vaccinated residents were.

The departments also advise that “multiple prevention strategies” should be implemented, including vaccination and mitigations like masking, social distancing and screening testing.

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Man Who Stole Urn Containing Ashes of Elmhurst Couple's Baby Sentenced to Prison

A suburban man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to stealing items from an Elmhurst residence, including an urn containing the ashes of the victims’ child.

According to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, the 68-year-old man pleaded guilty to one count of residential burglary, a felony, earlier this month. Because of his extensive record, he was eligible for more-severe Class X sentencing, according to the press release.

The burglary occurred on Dec. 9, 2019, when police were called to a home on Melrose Street in suburban Elmhurst. The victims reported to officers that several items, including an urn containing the ashes of their infant son, had been stolen from the residence during the burglary.

Police eventually identified the suspect, who was already on parole for a burglary committed in 2014. The suspect was taken into custody and has been in custody at the DuPage County Jail since.

Judge Jeffrey MacKay signed an order at a 2019 bond hearing ordering that the urn be returned to the family, and it is once again in possession of the family, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin.

“The fact that (the defendant) stole an urn containing the ashes of a deceased infant, which offered absolutely no monetary value to him, demonstrates the utter callousness of his actions and his complete disregard for the sanctity of human life,” Berlin said.

According to authorities, the man will be required to serve at least 50% of the 15-year sentence, with credit given for time served.

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High Waves, Rip Currents to Cause Dangerous Swim Conditions on Lake Michigan

Cooler temperatures may be inspiring Chicago area residents to travel to the beach in coming days, but weather forecasters are warning swimmers to stay out of the water, as high waves are expected on Lake Michigan this week.

According to the National Weather Service, winds will slowly increase along Lake Michigan on Tuesday evening, resulting in dangerous swimming conditions and high waves along all Illinois and Indiana beaches along the shoreline.

That “high swim risk” warning will remain in place through at least Wednesday, as dangerous swells and rip currents are expected.

Residents are being asked to stay out of the water, and are being asked not to walk out onto piers or breakwaters on the lake because of the high waves.

Waves of up to six feet are expected through at least Thursday morning. The National Weather Service says that waves between three and six feet are “typically the most deadly,” as they can catch swimmers off-guard.

Dangerous rip currents are also possible in Lake and Cook counties in Illinois, along with Kenosha County in Wisconsin and Lake County in Indiana.

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No Power, No Water, No Flights: Louisiana Confronts Ida's Aftermath

Louisiana communities beginning the huge task of clearing debris and repairing the damage inflicted by Hurricane Ida are facing the dispiriting prospect of weeks without electricity in the oppressive, late-summer heat.

Ida ravaged the region’s power grid, leaving the entire city of New Orleans and hundreds of thousands of other Louisiana residents in the dark with no clear timeline on when power would return. Some areas outside New Orleans also suffered major flooding and structure damage.

“I can’t tell you when the power is going to be restored. I can’t tell you when all the debris is going to be cleaned up and repairs made,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said Monday. “But what I can tell you is we are going to work hard every day to deliver as much assistance as we can.”

The storm was blamed for at least four deaths in Louisiana and Mississippi, including two people killed Monday night when seven vehicles plunged into a 20-foot-deep (6-meter-deep) hole near Lucedale, Mississippi, where a highway had collapsed after torrential rains.

More Hurricane Ida Coverage

HURRICANE ida 20 hours ago

EXPLAINER: Hit by Ida, New Orleans Faces Weeks Without Power

HURRICANE ida 7 hours ago

Mississippi Highway Collapse Sends Vehicles Plunging, Killing 2

On Monday, rescuers in boats, helicopters and high-water trucks brought more than 670 people in Louisiana trapped by floodwaters to safety. An additional 20 people were rescued in Mississippi. Crews planned to go door to door in hard-hit areas to make sure everyone got out safely.

Also stuck in New Orleans were tourists who didn’t get out before the storm. The airport canceled all incoming and outgoing commercial flights for a third day, saying the lack of power and water meant no air conditioning or restrooms.

Adding to the misery was the steamy weather. A heat advisory was issued for New Orleans and the rest of the region, with forecasters saying the combination of high temperatures and humidity could make it feel like 105 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday and 106 on Wednesday.

Power crews rushed into the region. Louisiana’s governor said 25,000 utility workers were on the ground in the state to help restore electricity, with more on the way.

Still, his office described damage to the power grid as “catastrophic,” and power officials said it could be weeks before electricity is restored in some spots.

More than 1 million homes and businesses in Louisiana and Mississippi were left without power as Ida pushed through on Sunday with winds that reached 150 mph (240 kph). The wind speed tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to hit the mainland.

A giant tower that carries key transmission lines over the Mississippi River to the New Orleans area twisted and collapsed in the storm, and power company Entergy said more than 2,000 miles of transmission lines were knocked out of service along with 216 substations. The storm also flattened utility poles, toppled trees onto power lines and caused transformers to explode.

In New Orleans, city officials told residents without power there was no reason to stay or return, at least for a few days.

Pamela Mitchell said Monday she was thinking about leaving New Orleans until power returned, but her 14-year-old daughter, Michelle, was determined to stay and was preparing to clean out the fridge and put perishables in an ice chest.

Mitchell had already spent a hot and frightening night at home while Ida’s winds shrieked, and she thought the family could tough it out.

“We went a week before, with Zeta,” she said, recalling an outage during the hurricane that hit the city last fall.

Hank Fanberg said both of his neighbors had offered him access to their generators. He also had a plan for food: “I have a gas grill and charcoal grill.”

Some places are also facing shortages of drinking water. About 441,000 people had no water service in 17 parishes, and an additional 319,000 people were under boil-water advisories, federal officials said.

Hurricane Ida blew ashore on the 16th anniversary of Katrina, the 2005 storm that breached New Orleans’ levees, devastated the city and was blamed for 1,800 deaths.

This time, New Orleans escaped the catastrophic flooding some had feared. But city officials still urged people who evacuated to stay away for at least a couple of days because of the lack of power and fuel.

In Mississippi’s southwestern corner, entire neighborhoods were surrounded by floodwaters, and many roads were impassable. Several tornadoes were reported, including a suspected twister in Saraland, Alabama, that ripped part of the roof off a motel and flipped an 18-wheeler, injuring the driver, according to the National Weather Service.

Ida’s remnants continued to bring heavy rain and flooding to parts of the Tennessee and Ohio valleys. Flash flooding and mudslides were possible around Washington on Thursday and in New England on Friday.

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Reeves reported from LaPlace, Louisiana. Associated Press writers Janet McConnaughey and Kevin McGill in New Orleans; Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge; Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta; and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

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Masks Required at Indiana School District After 55 COVID Cases Recorded, Over 800 Quarantined

An Indiana school district announced a new mask requirement after 55 positive COVID-19 cases among students and staff were recorded in the first nine days of the academic year, causing over 800 people to be quarantined due to close contact.

Crown Point Community School Corporation jumped from five new COVID cases the week of Aug. 18 to 50 new cases last week, according to data from the school district.

The new cases recorded two weeks prior sent 29 students and staff into a quarantine, then 707 more last week. This week, the school district has already asked 146 students to isolate.

Because classroom settings only allow for three feet of social distancing as opposed to the six feet needed for masks to be considered optional, the district said face coverings will be required during school hours starting Wednesday.

The new guidance allows for the district to follow additional protocols for those in quarantine to return to school earlier. Those who are unvaccinated showing no symptoms of COVID can:

• Provide a negative PCR COVID test result. The test must occur after day five and produce a negative result for a return on day eight.
• Return to school without a negative test result on day 11.

“We committed to watching our school data to determine policy changes throughout the year. That data shows that wearing masks would significantly lower our number of quarantines. Using the return procedures above can help shorten the length of quarantines. We must do what we can to keep our students in class.”

In all, Crown Point Community School Corporation has 9,821 students and staff stretching over a portion of northwest Indiana, including the following schools:

• Crown Point High School
• Colonel John Wheeler Middle School
• Taft Middle School
• Eisenhower Elementary
• Lake Street Elementary
• MacArthur Elementary
• Solon Robinson Elementary
• Timothy Ball Elementary
• Winfield Elementary
• Crown Point Community School Corporation Learning Center
• Central Office and SSC Departments

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Arwady Recommends Parents With Unvaccinated Kids Avoid Labor Day Weekend Travel

As Chicago changes its recommendations for unvaccinated travelers as part of its travel advisory, what will parents need to do if they have unvaccinated children?

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said ultimately the decision will be left to parents and schools, but she urged those with unvaccinated kids to avoid traveling for the long Labor Day weekend.

“It is higher risk,” she said. “I would not recommend traveling, right, if you’ve got unvaccinated children, and particularly younger children. And the whole country is doing really badly from a COVID perspective right now so… I can tell you my own sister, you know, they have three young children who are too young to be vaccinated. They were hoping to go to Michigan for Labor Day, they’re not going in the context of it now being an orange state and their kids not being able to be vaccinated. I know that’s hard for people but we’re just trying to avoid infection and I think especially when we’re back in school the bar is a little higher in terms of trying to think about limiting that risk as much as possible.”

Chicago updated its travel advisory recommendations for unvaccinated travelers Tuesday, adding additional testing guidelines for those going to or coming from higher-risk locations as well as quarantining.

According to the city, before travel, unvaccinated individuals should:

• Get tested 3-5 days prior to departure.

While traveling:

• ALL individuals regardless of vaccination status should wear a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and while indoors at U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
• In Chicago, wear a mask in all indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status.
• Avoid crowds, try to stay at least 6 feet/2 meters (about 2 arm lengths) from anyone who is not traveling with you, and wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).

 After travel, unvaccinated individuals should:

• Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days.
• Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.
• If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
• If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.
• Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.

The city advised all travelers to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms and isolate and get tested if they develop any after travel.

“We have seen and know that travel is a significant risk factor for acquiring COVID,” CDPH Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said. “If you decide not to get tested, the recommendation is actually to stay home and self quarantine for 10 days after travel, and you should avoid being around anybody who has an increased risk for severe COVID outcomes for 14 days after travel regardless of whether you get tested or not. Obviously we want anybody who’s traveling to self monitor for COVID symptoms and get tested if you develop symptoms.”

Nearly every U.S. state, with the exception of Vermont, is now on the city’s travel advisory.

Increases in COVID metrics pushed those newly added states over the threshold of 15 cases per day per 100,000 people to get onto the “orange” list. Any below that mark are on the “yellow” list, with public health officials still warning against non-essential travel.

“Unfortunately COVID is surging across the entire United States,” Arwady said. “The average right now is at 39 cases per 100,000 per day. We’re doing much better than that here in Chicago, but nevertheless the news remains not good from a COVID perspective at the national level.”

This week’s update to the travel advisory comes at a time when the average daily number of new cases in Chicago is up to 473 per day – a 2% increase over the previous week.

That figure is also more than 12 times the low of 34 that the city saw in late June but remains lower than the more than 700 cases per day the city was seeing during the most recent surge earlier this year.

Hospitalizations in Chicago are down 29% from last week and deaths are down 31% from the week prior, per the city’s data. The positivity rate in testing is down to 4.4% this week, a drop from 4.5% last week.

Arwady noted earlier this month that about 99% of new COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths are among unvaccinated individuals.

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Drive-By Recurring Egg Attacks Reported Throughout Chicago, Police Confirm

Chicago Police confirmed reports of “several incidents” of drive-by serial egg attacks throughout the city.

Chicago Police said in a statement that officials are “aware of several incidents in which victims have reported to police that an unknown offender(s) in a vehicle threw an egg at them.”

A Facebook group of over 700 people has been tracking serial egg attacks across the city over the past several months.

Based on accounts from the page, an individual in a white truck with graffiti has been throwing eggs at people on Chicago streets during the day.

“My first reaction was like ‘Oh my God, that’s the truck like, that is the truck that I saw’,” said Melissa Benge, who was hit with an egg last month with her friends near Broadway and Sheridan in Chicago’s Lake View neighborhood.

“I feel like a really cold, like sticky substance all over me on my face, my hair, my shirt,” she said. “And then we released someone had just thrown eggs at us.”

The reports range from the far North Side into the city’s South Side and have been identified on a map created by the page’s creator, Moshe Tassmot. View the full map here.

Tassmot discovered the egg attacks had been going on for two years through data collected on his Facebook page. He said the group tracked down the truck’s license plate and found who owns it.

“We had a conversation and they confirmed that they own the truck and they were going to have to sit down at the end of the shift with all the truck drivers to debrief and figure out who was responsible,” Tassmot said.

No injures have been reported, according to police. Anyone with information is asked to contact police or submit a tip to CPDTIP.com.

Individuals can report egg attacks and sightings to the Facebook page here.

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Bishop Sycamore official says football program is not a ‘scam’

AP

After its game on ESPN, the school has drawn national attention and questions about its legitimacy as a football program and an educational institution. 

Bishop Sycamore is trending for all the wrong reasons.

A blowout loss in a game on ESPN supposedly against two elite high school football teams has drawn national attention and questions about the legitimacy of Bishop Sycamore as a football program and an educational institution.

The school claims to be based in Columbus, Ohio, though there’s no address listed on the website. On Sunday, it lost to the second-ranked team in the country, IMG Academy of Florida, 58-0.

Andre Peterson, who played for Jim Tressel at Youngstown State in the 1980s, is Bishop Sycamore’s founder, director and currently coaches the football team’s offensive and defensive lines.

On Tuesday, he told USA TODAY Sports that the football coach, Roy Johnson had been fired Sunday after the game. Peterson also defended Bishop Sycamore’s purpose of giving players a better chance of playing college football and denied any inkling of a “scam” related to Sunday’s game or Bishop Sycamore.

“There’s nothing that I’ve gotten out of this that would constitute it as a scam because I’m not gaining anything financially from what we’re doing,” Peterson told USA TODAY Sports on Monday night. ”The reality of it is that I have a son (Javan) that’s also in the program and has been in the program for four years.

“If it’s a scam and the kids are not going to school and not doing what they’re supposed to do, then I’m literally scamming myself. And most importantly, I’m hurting my own son. So when people say stuff like that … I would literally be taking my son’s future and throwing it in the trash.”

In addition to lacking basic information about the school, Bishop Sycamore’s website looks more like a football blog with advice on how to be recruited.

“We have to make sure that website also includes the academic part of it. There’s things that you learn,” he said. ”There’s growing pains that you have. We realized that’s an issue. The reality of it is we’ve caused some of the questions by not doing some of the things that should have been done before. So that’s understandable. I totally get that.

“We have to make it an actual school website.”

However, the Ohio Department of Education lists no charter school for 2021-22 by the name Bishop Sycamore, and last year the department listed Bishop Sycamore as a “non-chartered, non-tax supported school,” a type of school that “because of truly held religious beliefs, choose to not be chartered by the State Board of Education.”

On multiple occasions, Peterson said the school has existed for four years, only to later say it was founded in 2019.

When asked why Bishop Sycamore’s listed address is a P.O. box, he said the school’s actual location is private to protect students who were harassed at their pre-pandemic location. Bishop Sycamore rents space in a building in the Easton neighborhood of Columbus, according to Peterson.

“Prior to COVID, the design of it is they go into the building, they have their computers, they sit down, they do their classes, we have some (adults) that are there that monitor what they do,” Peterson said.

Peterson said it was suggested to him on Monday that he fold the program.

“I can’t,” Peterson said. ”I have kids that are dependent on what we do. For me to start all over and send them home and say ‘Hey, you work it out for yourself,’ would be a disservice to them. I just know that we have things to get right.

“We have to make this to where every question that’s asked, there’s an answer to it.”

Read more at usatoday.com

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Mets fans get apology from Javy Baez, Francisco Lindor for thumbs-down jab

The Mets’ Javy Baez apologized for this thumbs-down gesture directed at New York fans. | Corey Sipkin/AP

“I didn’t mean to offend anybody,” Báez said. 

NEW YORK — Javier Báez and Francisco Lindor have apologized to Mets fans after Báez revealed that a thumbs-down celebration gesture adopted by players was in part a dig at New York fans who have booed the underperforming ballclub.

Báez and Lindor took turns saying they were sorry less than an hour before first pitch of a game Tuesday against the Miami Marlins. That followed a stern statement from team president Sandy Alderson on Sunday night disavowing the gesture, as well as a team meeting Tuesday in which players said they would stop making it.

“I didn’t mean to offend anybody,” Báez said.

The 28-year-old Báez was acquired from the Cubs on July 30 and has hit .210 with four homers and a .709 OPS in 17 games since. Mets fans booed him and others throughout August, when the team has gone 8-19 to fall out of playoff position after leading the NL East for nearly three months.

Players began making the thumbs-down gesture toward their dugout after base hits and other positive plays while at Dodger Stadium from Aug. 20-22.

“When we don’t get success, we’re going to get booed,” Báez said Sunday. “So they’re going to get booed when we have success.”

Lindor and manager Luis Rojas said Tuesday they believe Báez — whose first language is Spanish but doesn’t use an interpreter when speaking to media — misspoke when he said Mets players were booing the fans.

“I didn’t say the fans are bad, I love the fans, but like, I just felt like we were alone,” Báez said Tuesday. “The fans obviously want to win, and they pay our salary like everybody says, but like, we want to win, too, and the frustration got to us. And, you know, I didn’t mean to offend anybody, and if I offend anybody, we apologize.”

Lindor also said the gesture was not explicitly about fans.

“Thumbs-down for me means adversity, the adversity we have gone through in this whole time,” Lindor said. “Like the negative things, we overcome it, so it’s like, ‘We did it! We went over it!’

“However, it was wrong, and I apologize to whoever I offended. It was not my intent to offend people.”

Báez and Lindor spoke to reporters in front of the Mets’ dugout. Lindor was booed by a few fans when he emerged, and two young boys held up thumbs-down signals behind him while he spoke.

Lindor was booed before his first at-bat and again after laying down a successful sacrifice bunt. Báez was not in the lineup for the resumption of a game postponed by rain on April 11.

A four-time All-Star, Lindor was acquired from Cleveland over the offseason in the first major move for the team since Steve Cohen purchased the franchise. Lindor signed a $341 million, 10-year deal to remain in New York, but he has been jeered often during a season in which he is hitting .224 with 11 homers and a .686 OPS.

He was hopeful the gesture wouldn’t spoil his relationship with the fan base he is committed to through 2031.

“I hope this doesn’t stick around because it wasn’t meant to offend anybody, to disrespect nobody,” he said. “This is just a time of trying to pick each other up. We’re going through a rough time, and it was a gesture to pick each other up.”

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Chicago fails to flex muscle to stop predatory lending practices, audit shows

Chicago is collecting data that banks holding city deposits are required to submit about their lending practices; it just isn’t doing much with the information, a new audit has found. | Sun-Times file

To promote “diversity, inclusion and equity” in lending, Chicago requires banks receiving city deposits to submit details about their lending practices. But an inspector general’s report shows even though that information was collected, it was not being properly evaluated.

Chicago continues to deposit millions of tax dollars in banks that engage in predatory lending practices because the Department of Finance is not using the tools at its disposal to stop it, an internal audit disclosed Tuesday.

Banks designated as “municipal depositories” have long been accused of investing far more money in majority white neighborhoods than they have in communities of color.

Those discriminatory lending practices have made it more difficult for African Americans and Hispanics to secure home mortgages, business loans or loans for home improvements. That has perpetuated a wealth gap and the historic disinvestment in South and West Side neighborhoods.

The most recent study documenting those inequities was conducted by WBEZ-FM (91.5). It showed banks lend 12 cents in Black neighborhoods and 13 cents in Hispanic neighborhoods for every $1 they lend in white neighborhoods.

To promote “diversity, inclusion and equity” in lending, Chicago’s “Responsible Banking Ordinance” requires banks receiving city deposits to submit detailed information about their lending practices.

Retiring Inspector General Joe Ferguson audited the city’s process for designating so-called “municipal depositories” to determine whether the city’s goals were being enforced.

The audit revealed “rigorous collection” of the legally-required information, but “no substantive evaluation” of that information.

The Department of Finance “does identify potentially predatory loans” and follows up with banks to inquire about the “specific conditions underlying” those loans. But the department has “never declined to designate a bank as a municipal depository on the basis of such lending conduct.”

“Without undertaking a substantive evaluation of each bank seeking designation,” the audit states, the finance department “cannot identify demographic disparities in banking activities. Banks may then continue to lend inequitably across Chicago while the city continues to partner with them.”

Even after the finance department uses a request for proposals to identify eligible banks, the full City Council does not regularly vote on that municipal depository ordinance.

Further hampering the process is the fact that the Department of Finance, the city treasurer’s office and Council “have not coordinated their efforts” to achieve the city’s objective of encouraging equitable banking practices.

“The three entities largely act in isolation and Council designates depositories infrequently. … This lack of coordination has hindered meaningful discussion of alternative banking options.” the audit states.

“For example, the Department of Finance, the City Council and the Treasurer’s Office have all separately expressed interest in allowing credit unions to become municipal depositories. ... Without a coordinated effort, the initiative has failed to gain traction.”

In a press release accompanying his audit, Ferguson was quoted as saying the Responsible Banking Ordinance is where “the rubber meets the road, but for a car we have historically kept it in park.”

He added: “Without proper evaluation measurements and procedures in place, there will continue to be racially and geographically inequitable income and lending practices.”

The finance department responded to the audit with a promise to “share information related to banks’ predatory and equitable lending” and work with City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin to “determine the information it will request of banks in the future.”

In addition, the finance department is working with the treasurer’s office to update the 2022 RFP process and form an evaluation committee to ensure banks meet those requirements. It already has created a task force to “explore alternative solutions” to lending inequities.

Ald. Harry Osterman (48th), chairman of the City Council’s Housing Committee, said the audit “shows what a lot of us already know” — that there’s “a lot of work we need to do as a city” to put Chicago’s money where its mouth is.

“We just came through a census. Parts of our city lost great population and part of our city grew. Part of that’s access to capital dollars and access to loans. It’s a historic disinvestment. Lenders have been a part of that,” Osterman said.

“Look at the housing sales that have increased in the last five months and the loans that are part of that. Are those in communities that need it most in Chicago? Or are they on the North Side? It’s gotta be equitable. It’s got to be in communities we care about that need the help.”

Earlier this year, the Finance Committee delayed a vote that would have designated 13 banks as municipal depositories to turn up the heat on banks to start lending to Black and Hispanic Chicagoans and businesses, invest in South Side and West Side neighborhoods, and get them to attend a hearing about their lending practices.

It didn’t work.

Eight banks declined invitations to attend: Associated Bank; Bank of America; Citi Bank; Fifth Third Bank; PNC Bank; U.S. Bank; Wells Fargo; and Wintrust. J.P. Morgan did not respond, Osterman said.

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What frustrates vehicle owners most? Trying to link up their smartphones for calls, infotainment

Unsold 2021 Ram pickup trucks are parked in a storage lot outside a dealership on Littleton, Colo. Ram trucks were ranked No. 1 for having the fewest problems, according to the annual survey by J.D. Power. | David Zalubowski / AP

Automobile quality rose last year, but glitches in pairing smartphones with vehicle infotainment systems frustrated owners more than anything, J.D. Power’s ‘initial quality survey’ found.

Automobile quality rose last year, but glitches in pairing smartphones with infotainment systems frustrated owners more than anything, according to a major new survey.

For the first time, a brand from Fiat Chrysler, now renamed Stellantis, was ranked No. 1 for having the fewest problems. Ram trucks finished first, followed by another company brand, Dodge, according to the annual J.D. Power “initial quality survey.” Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Kia, Genesis, Hyundai, Jeep and Chevrolet rounded out the top 10 brands.

Smartphone connections — mainly linking Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to automobiles — was this year’s top problem. It beat voice recognition as the survey’s No. 1 gremlin for the first time since 2011.

Automakers have been trying to link phones to cars for more than a decade, yet the problem persists, said Dave Sargent, J.D. Power’s vice president of automotive quality. Now, it’s the connection to make the Apple and Android systems show up on the vehicle screens, Sargent said.

“People see that their phone works fine by itself, but, when they come to connect it to the vehicle, go through the Wi-Fi system, that’s where the problems exist,” he said.

Consumers often blame their vehicle, but tech companies are part of the problem and should share some of the burden in solving it, Sargent said. About one-third of vehicles for sale in the United States have the ability to link to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the problem is pervasive with all manufacturers, Sargent said.

Auto and tech companies point the finger at each other, and consumers are caught in the middle, Sargent said.

Operator error isn’t the problem because all that people are doing is trying to connect, not use any of the features, he said.

“I’m sure the industry will get it figured out, and, in a couple years’ time, it will work better,” Sargent said.

Mass market brands such as Ram continued to outperform luxury brands in the survey largely because they don’t have as much glitch-prone technology as the pricier vehicles, Sargent said.

Only pickup trucks were included in the Ram score, he said, because the brand’s other vehicles are commercial vans that largely aren’t sold to consumers. Owners reported 128 problems per 100 Ram trucks during the first 90 days of ownership, the survey found.

Dodge owners reported 139 problems. The average among all 33 brands counted in the survey was 162.

Another Stellantis brand, Chrysler, was ranked last, with 251 problems per 100 vehicles. It was followed by Audi, Volkswagen, Volvo, Alfa Romeo, Land Rover, Acura, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru and Mazda in the bottom 10.

For most of the survey’s 35 years, the former Fiat Chrysler brands performed poorly in the survey, which used to be dominated by Japanese brands. But some Stellantis brands have improved steadily during the past decade, Sargent said. Last year, Dodge tied for first, and Ram tied for third.

Nissan’s Maxima full-size car got the highest score of any individual model, with just 85 problems reported per 100 vehicles.

For the second year, the survey included a score for Tesla, the world’s top electric car maker. The company had 231 problems per 100 vehicles, an improvement from last year but still poor. J.D. Power said the brand can’t be ranked against others in the survey because, unlike other manufacturers, Tesla doesn’t allow J.D. Power to survey owners in 15 states where an automaker’s permission is required. The score was based on surveys from owners in 35 states.

The survey was based on 110,827 responses from people who bought or leased new 2021 vehicles, J.D. Power said.

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Nearly 100 Quarantined After COVID ‘Outbreak' Reported at Sycamore School, Supt. Says

Nearly 100 students are in quarantine after at least 17 tested positive for coronavirus in a suburban school district, officials said.

According to Sycamore Community School District 427, 97 students were quarantine as of Friday, 54 of which had close contact with a positive case.

The district, which has roughly 3,480 students overall, reported 17 positive cases at that time.

“A large portion of those quarantines were due to what the local [health department] identified as an ‘outbreak’ at our Middle School,” Supt. Steve Wilder told NBC 5 in an emailed statement.

No positive cases or quarantines are currently reported in staff, according to the district’s COVID dashboard.

Under district protocols “any student who has not been fully vaccinated, and has been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 should quarantine.”

“We’ve had a very positive start to the school year despite still dealing with some COVID challenges,” Wilder said. “We aren’t out of the pandemic yet, so we expected cases this year. Unfortunately, it has become part of how we operate. However, we’re continuing to focus on the positive that students are back in person learning and we are looking forward to welcoming all of those students back as soon as possible.”

The Sycamore district isn’t the only one reporting cases and quarantines due to COVID exposure as schools return to in-person learning.

An Indiana school district recorded 50 new positive COVID-19 cases among students and staff last week, causing over 700 people to be quarantined due to close contact. The district reported it has 9,821 students and staff across portions of northwest Indiana.

At least two students who attend Algonquin-based Community Unit District 300 have been hospitalized for COVID-19 and another 48 have tested positive for the virus, according to the district’s superintendent. Approximately 20,000 students attend the district, which covers several suburban communities including Carpentersville, Hampshire, Pingree Grove and West Dundee.

Chicago’s top doctor said COVID cases in schools are expected.

Addressing crowding concerns during a press conference Tuesday, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said similar scenes have been reported across the U.S., “even before a vaccine was available.”

“And somewhat to people’s surprise, we didn’t see that driving major outbreaks,” she said. “There will be cases don’t get me wrong, but I expect no cases to broadly track what we’re seeing in the general community among COVID. There’s also going to be a lot more testing of children I expect, so in that setting we’ll probably see an increase of cases because we’re doing a better job of detecting kids who may be asymptomatic or very mildly symptomatic. So those numbers will also go up for that reason, but I remain, you know, based on absolutely everything we know, really convinced that we absolutely can be in school safely.”

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Every US State Except 1 Now on Chicago Travel Advisory, Top Doctor Announces

Nearly every U.S. state, with the exception of one, is now on Chicago’s travel advisory, the city’s top doctor announced Tuesday, adding changes to the policy for travelers visiting “high-risk” locations just ahead of Labor Day weekend.

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said every state except Vermont is now on the city’s list recommending unvaccinated travelers test negative for COVID-19 or quarantine upon arrival.

Last week, the city added four states to that list, including Maryland, South Dakota, Nebraska and Colorado. That addition brought the total number of states on the advisory to 43 states, along with two territories.

“So unfortunately COVID is surging across the entire United States,” Arwady said. “The average right now is at 39 cases per 100,000 per day. We’re doing much better than that here in Chicago, but nevertheless the news remains not good from a COVID perspective at the national level.”

Increases in COVID metrics pushed those newly added states over the threshold of 15 cases per day per 100,000 people to get onto the “orange” list. Any below that mark are on the “yellow” list, with public health officials still warning against non-essential travel.

Arwady said the city also updated its guidance for what unvaccinated travelers in such locations should do, adding new testing recommendations before and after travel.

According to the city, before travel, unvaccinated individuals should:

• Get tested 3-5 days prior to departure.

While traveling:

• ALL individuals regardless of vaccination status should wear a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and while indoors at U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
• In Chicago, wear a mask in all indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status.
• Avoid crowds, try to stay at least 6 feet/2 meters (about 2 arm lengths) from anyone who is not traveling with you, and wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).

 After travel, unvaccinated individuals should:

• Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days.
• Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.
• If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
• If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.
• Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.

The city advised all travelers to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms and isolate and get tested if they develop any after travel.

“We have seen and know that travel is a significant risk factor for acquiring COVID,” Arwady said. “If you decide not to get tested, the recommendation is actually to stay home and self quarantine for 10 days after travel, and you should avoid being around anybody who has an increased risk for severe COVID outcomes for 14 days after travel regardless of whether you get tested or not. Obviously we want anybody who’s traveling to self monitor for COVID symptoms and get tested if you develop symptoms.”

This week’s update to the travel advisory comes at a time when the average daily number of new cases in Chicago is up to 473 per day – a 2% increase over the previous week.

That figure is also more than 12 times the low of 34 that the city saw in late June but remains lower than the more than 700 cases per day the city was seeing during the most recent surge earlier this year.

Hospitalizations in Chicago are down 29% from last week and deaths are down 31% from the week prior, per the city’s data. The positivity rate in testing is down to 4.4% this week, a drop from 4.5% last week.

Arwady noted earlier this month that about 99% of new COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths are among unvaccinated individuals.

States and Territories on the advisory include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.  

The travel advisory will be updated every Tuesday, with any changes taking effect the following Friday.

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