THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All
August 26, 2021
Good morning.
We got word yesterday that famed WTTW public TV show “Check Please” is ending its run after 19 seasons. It has always been one of my favorites. I applied to be on the show on a whim in 2019 and was selected.
It now appears that I may have been on the last episode ever. I’m an old radio guy, not a TV guy, so I felt a little awkward at the whole production, but really enjoyed the experience. I’m sad to see it go. If you’re a glutton for punishment and want to watch the episode, click here.
But now on to more news-y stuff.
YOUR THURSDAY FREE FOR ALL
(note: we’re not responsible for paywalls and restrictions from other news outlets)
BREAKING: Pritzker to announce statewide indoor mask mandate today, require all school employees to be vaccinated. (Sun-Times)
That announcement, which is planned for Thursday morning, would come just two days after the Democratic governor sidestepped questions about extending his limited coronavirus vaccine mandate to all state workers.
New vaccine mandates and a return to masking are hot topics as COVID-19 cases rise across Illinois, fueled largely by the more highly contagious Delta variant. All of the state’s 102 counties now fall under the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s high transmission category, painting the state’s public health map a troubling coat of red.
I can't imagine teachers unions are going to react positively.
Pritzker extends eviction moratorium to mid-September (Sun-Times)
A spokeswoman for the governor said the goal was to bring the state’s eviction protections in line with the federal ban, which is in effect until Oct. 3. Since executive orders in Illinois last 30 days, the moratorium likely will be extended again to ensure the state follows the federal moratorium.
“We’ll match whatever the federal government does,” Jordan Abudayyeh, Pritzker’s spokeswoman, said. “... Pending any changes, we’ll adjust as we need to.”
Illinois landlords still can begin the eviction filing process, but evictions won’t be enforced until the end of the ban.
Groups representing landlords have taken President Joe Biden’s administration to court to try to lift the federal eviction moratorium. That case is being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Last month, Pritzker said evictions could be filed starting Aug. 1, but pushed the enforcement of those orders to Aug. 31.
The governor also encouraged tenants struggling to make payments to go through Illinois’ rental assistance programs seek part of the roughly $500 million in existing federal funds for rental assistance.
If approved, grants will cover rents owed from July 2020 through June 2021.
Related: Rental relief applications lag in Kane County (Daily Herald)
As COVID cases rise, push for vaccination continues (Kankakee Daily Journal)
Chicago announces Oct. 15 worker vaccine mandate (Crain’s Chicago Business)
As promised, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced [Wednesday] that city employees will be required to be vaccinated against COVID by Oct. 15.
Her announcement follows the formal Food & Drug Administration approval of the Pfizer vaccine and today's announcement that Moderna had completed its FDA application for full approval for its vaccine.
The Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 7, which represents the majority of rank-and-file Chicago police officers, posted yesterday on Facebook that along with sergeants, lieutenants and captains associations, it "stood united and firm in their position against any mandate" and that the city would need to negotiate with the union to require it.
The city has roughly 31,000 active employees in 36 departments. The Police Department—with just under 13,000 workers—is by far the largest.
Related: Peoria's hospitals require employee vaccinations. What about other large employers? (Peoria Journal Star)
Can my employer require me to get the COVID vaccine? (Crain’s Chicago Business)
CPS rolls back some COVID safety measures days before 1st day of classes (Sun-Times)
Chicago Public Schools students and staff won’t have to submit daily online health assessments this year or have their temperature checked when they get to school.
They won’t always sit three feet apart — and almost certainly won’t be six feet apart like they were last year.
Elementary students won’t necessarily be kept in groups of 15 that don’t mix with other kids. And there’s no set health metric that would trigger district-wide school closures in the case of a large COVID-19 spike.
As CPS officials look to resume full-time in-person learning for nearly all students Monday for the first time since the start of the pandemic, they’re stripping away several health and safety protocols that were in place last school year, according to a new back-to-school guide released this week.
Those mitigation steps are being replaced with wider testing and a staff vaccination requirement, while universal masking will remain in place — which public health officials said are the most effective protocols. Air filters, additional cleaning supplies and more custodians will also be maintained.
Nonetheless, the rollback of some of last year’s safety guards has left many families and staff worried, particularly as the more contagious Delta variant causes case numbers to rise.
Related: Some CPS parents seek more COVID safety measures and a remote learning option (Chicago Tribune)
Masks just another part of the program on first day at Collinsville elementary school (Belleville News-Democrat)
Stillman Valley football opener in jeopardy because of 'COVID-19 scare' (Rockford Register Star)
Pinckneyville football opener canceled due to COVID-19 positive player; entire team quarantined (Southern Illinoisan)
Can presidential pardon pave Casey Urlacher’s path to Springfield? (Lake County News-Sun)
Mettawa Mayor Casey Urlacher’s name has been in the news of late. Nothing to do with his hoping to become a state senator, however.
Instead, Urlacher’s name pops up when one of a number of Chicago area gamblers is sentenced or arrested. The latest was a Melrose Park police officer who was sentenced to home probation by a U.S. District Court judge last week.
I’m not going to include anymore of the story because there’s a giant factual problem. Urlacher and McConchie were drawn into different districts in the maps passed by lawmakers in May. Urlacher can run against McConchie, but he would have to move out of his Mettawa, resign as Mayor, and into the new 26th district. Outside of restarting his political committee and giving it about $7,500, Urlacher isn’t raising any money and doesn’t even have a website up.
That could always change when we see a new map is introduced sometime before next week.
Let’s be careful before we position Urlacher as some political mastermind.
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