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Beer Under Glass Returns August 27, Tickets on Sale July 23

Beer Under Glass Returns August 27, Tickets on Sale July 23on July 10, 2021 at 12:47 am Read More »

If ex-Gangster Disciples boss Larry Hoover qualified, he should have gotten sentencing breakMary Mitchellon July 9, 2021 at 11:15 pm

Who’s afraid of ending up like Larry Hoover, the once-upon-a-time chief of the Gangster Disciples street gang, locked up in a supermax prison for life?

Certainly not the person accused of firing into a crowd of people cleaning up after a peaceful holiday barbecue.

Certainly not the man who confessed to wounding two ATF officers and a Chicago police officer when he fired at an unmarked police vehicle on I-57.

And certainly not those responsible for the 104 people shot and 19 killed over the Fourth of July holiday weekend that’s been Chicago’s most violent weekend this year.

But according to U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber’s ruling that denied Hoover the sentencing break he wanted under the federal First Step Act, Hoover’s harsh sentence could deter other criminals.

Leinenweber wrote: “To the extent that any one person can deter another to commit crimes, Hoover’s life imprisonment symbolically demonstrates that the rule of law reaches even those in power who seem untouchable.”

U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber on the bench in 2013.

The judge called Hoover “one of the most notorious criminals in Illinois history” and also wrote: “Hoover is renowned and celebrated to this day by the Gangster Disciples.”

Leinenweber left the door open for Hoover to try again but said he’s concerned about “an active risk of harm” if he’s ultimately freed.

Hoover might be some folk hero among Chicago gangs. But the young people running around shooting people today weren’t even born when Hoover was a top gang leader.

I also don’t think his misdeeds are worse than Al Capone, Baby Face Nelson or John Dillinger, who are treated like cultural icons.

I’m 71, and I can tell you I’m not looking for trouble. I’m looking for peace and spending the years I have left atoning for my hell-raising days.

However any of us might feel about Hoover, if he qualifies for a sentencing break, he should get one.

Besides, the gang members terrorizing our neighborhoods aren’t listening to columnists, the mayor, the aldermen or the police chief or the preachers.

They can’t hear us because we are operating in two different realities.

When I call 911, I expect the police to show up, and I treat them with gratitude when they get there.

But a young Black man with a target on his back because of some festering beef on the block has learned not to count on the police for protection.

By the time the detectives get there, the only things to see are a bleeding body, wailing relatives and evidence markers.

At this point, we’d need an army of trained violence interrupters to squash the beefs before they erupt.

When it comes to justice, young people watch what we do, not listen to what we say.

As elected officials squabble over an urgent plan to deal with the violence, they need to consider that not all of these shootings are over territorial disputes.

For instance, in Austin, a man shot at Fourth of July revelers, killing one woman and wounding two others, supposedly because he was angry that he was asked to stop shooting his gun in the air as children played outside, according to Cook County prosecutors.

Calvin Gonnigan, who’s been charged in that shooting, has a previous unlawful use of a weapon by a felon conviction, for which he got a 10-year-prison sentence.

About a week before that mass shooting, one person was killed and 10 others wounded when two people fired on a crowd in Park Manor near a bustling commercial strip.

While the mayor blames the feds for the gun violence and the police chief blames the state’s attorney’s office and the court system for the brazen street killings, the deaths are mounting.

Obviously, Hoover can’t clean up the streets.

But treating him fairly could have gone a long way toward building the trust needed to end the chaos.

If ex-Gangster Disciples boss Larry Hoover qualified, he should have gotten sentencing breakMary Mitchellon July 9, 2021 at 11:15 pm Read More »

MLB’s top teams, players, stories include lots of the White Sox and — yes — even some CubsSteve Greenbergon July 9, 2021 at 11:40 pm

Are we there yet?

Sorry, kids, we still have a whole second half to go. It might be tougher on the Cubs than anybody, but that’s neither here nor there. Let’s give some first-half recognition heading into the All-Star break, which starts as soon as games end Sunday:

TEAM TO BEAT, AMERICAN LEAGUE

It’s got to be the White Sox, right? No, it’s the Astros, who score the most runs, hit for the highest average, strike out the least, get on base at the highest clip in the majors and — a big ol’ ”and” — have the AL’s only group of starting pitchers with a lower combined ERA than the Sox’ guys. BetMGM lists the Astros at +600 to win the World Series, the Sox at +800 and the Red Sox at +1000.

TEAM TO BEAT, NATIONAL LEAGUE

It might take an upset story along the lines of the Nationals’ NL Division Series stunner in 2019 for any team to unseat the mighty Dodgers, but there’s a compelling list of contenders. The Padres are the best show in baseball, the Giants are Team Mojo, the Mets have Jacob deGrom and the Brewers are coasting with a huge lead.

2 BEST STORIES, AL

Show ’em, Shohei: After a miserable 2020 at the plate — and essentially not having pitched since Tommy John surgery in October 2018 — the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani leads the majors in home runs (32 entering play Friday) and is the first player to make an All-Star team as both a hitter and a pitcher in the same year.

Sox education: What have we learned? They can withstand untold injuries — to Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Nick Madrigal and now Yasmani Grandal — because of their organizational depth. Lock in Dylan Cease as a rotation fixture, though perhaps not come playoff time. When holding a gigantic lead, you definitely don’t swing on a 3-0 count with the bases loaded and a position player on the mound. Oh, and maybe a certain Hall of Fame manager still has a clue after all.

2 BEST STORIES, NL

Giant surprise: The top record in baseball belongs not to the Dodgers, not to the Padres, but to an NL West team that was supposed to be a 2021 loser. The Giants are elevating their division much as the Cubs did in 2015, when the Cardinals and Pirates were perceived as far heavier hitters.

Chicago Cubs v Cincinnati Reds — Where to next for Cubs’ Bryant?

10-4, good Cubbies: Not ”best” as in cheerful, but, man, have things gotten interesting. The Cubs were the NL’s ”it” organization before the Dodgers stole that status. When and where will Craig Kimbrel, Kris Bryant, Javy Baez, Anthony Rizzo and others go? As a head honcho under enormous pressure, will Jed Hoyer stand tall or fall on his face? And of what are the Rickettses really made?

3 FOR MVP, AL

Ohtani: By the way, what fun it’ll be Monday to watch him hit bombs in the Home Run Derby.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays: He leads the majors in RBI (73), OPS (1.118) and total bases (207).

Rafael Devers, Red Sox: Look, somebody has to be third. Devers is two RBI off Guerrero’s pace.

3 FOR MVP, NL

Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres: DeGrom is the slight betting favorite, but Tatis is a WAR machine with a Triple Crown on his mind.

deGrom: His innings are down — intentionally — to keep the tank full all the way to the finish line. But that 1.08 ERA means a chance to take a run at Bob Gibson’s magical 1.12.

Brandon Crawford, Giants: He probably will fade in this race — if he’s even in it now — but he was quietly better than ever throughout the first half and deserves a nod.

Tampa Bay Rays v Chicago White Sox — Lynn belongs right there with rotation mate Rodon.

4 ACES, AL

Carlos Rodon, Sox: Give it to the man with a no-hitter and the most strikeouts per nine innings (14.3) in the AL.

Lance Lynn, Sox: The self-described ”big bastard” has the lowest ERA (1.77) among AL starters.

Gerrit Cole, Yankees: No one was more electric in April and May than the betting favorite to win the Cy Young.

Kyle Gibson, Rangers: He was pretty good all those years with the Twins, but not this good.

4 ACES, NL

deGrom: He really should get at least half of an actual Cy Young Award for his first-half performance.

Kevin Gausman, Giants: Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum only wish they’d had Gausman’s first-half numbers.

Zack Wheeler, Phillies: So many strikeouts, so many innings pitched and the best pitcher WAR (4.9) on the planet.

Brandon Woodruff, Brewers: Woodruff (0.78 WHIP) has been utterly dominant, if somewhat overlooked, in Milwaukee.

TOP 5 SOX

1. Carlos Rodon

2. Lance Lynn

3. Liam Hendriks

4. Jose Abreu

5. Yasmani Grandal

TOP 5 CUBS

1. Craig Kimbrel

2. Kris Bryant

3. Kyle Hendricks

4. Javy Baez

5. Willson Contreras

MLB’s top teams, players, stories include lots of the White Sox and — yes — even some CubsSteve Greenbergon July 9, 2021 at 11:40 pm Read More »

White Sox kept Eloy Jimenez recovery in the family: ‘We made it personal,’ La Russa saidDaryl Van Schouwenon July 9, 2021 at 11:35 pm

BALTIMORE – Tony La Russa’s way of running a ballclub is family first. One of the first indications of that to the White Sox was when slugging outfielder Eloy Jimenez went down with a serious injury in spring training.

A Jimenez jersey hung in the dugout when the season started. Jose Abreu put Jimenez’ red gloves in his back pockets. Everyone stayed in close contact from the moment Jimenez had surgery to repair the torn pectoral muscle through his rehab.

“It started the day he was hurt,” La Russa said. “He was bouncing around and hiding. He was really distraught. We had a meeting about going ahead without him, and we made sure he was in there.”

The message: His teammates were concerned for Jimenez the person.

Losing his Silver Slugger bat was big. But through the rehab, “we were going to do our darnedest to stay in contention until he got back,” La Russa said.

“So we made it personal, taking turns communicating with him. He feels like he’s a part of it and so does Luis [Robert].”

Robert is also on the comeback trail, from a hip flexor strain, and might be a couple of weeks behind Jimenez.

Playing actual games “is a big step in the right direction,” La Russa said.

“We’re also saying, ‘Be careful,’ ” he said.

Personable as always on his Zoom call with reporters Thursday, Jimenez was the life of the party, opening with a loud, “Good morning, everyone!” and closing with “Good bye. Hi mom!”

Jimenez said “sometimes it made me sad” to watch the Sox while he was out, just because he missed it all so much. His interaction with the 76-year-old La Russa has been “really, reall good,” Jimenez said.

“He helped me a lot. He was always there for me, he supported me and said, ‘Just be smart. I’ve talked to the guys, and they say it’s great to play for him, it’s amazing to play for Tony. I’m excited, I can’t wait to play for him.”

“In my interactions with him he was always pleased with the progress he was making,” La Russa said. “He sent videos. Always a big smile and he kids me about my age all the time, so nothing really changed.”

As for how long Jimenez will actually need to be ready to rejoin the Sox, La Russa said the temptation to rush him back must be avoided. The Sox entered Friday with an eight-game lead in the AL Central.

“The number on rehab is 20 days [maximum],” La Russa said. “If we were really patient and he stayed healthy, 20 days would be a lot of work.

“You just have to watch him. Because I know he’s going to be anxious to produce when he gets here and you want to be fair. You want him to have some timing, not be unfair with him asking him to be a big league producer before he’s ready. So we’ll play it by ear.”

White Sox kept Eloy Jimenez recovery in the family: ‘We made it personal,’ La Russa saidDaryl Van Schouwenon July 9, 2021 at 11:35 pm Read More »

Man shot woman after cousin asked him to: prosecutorsMatthew Hendricksenon July 9, 2021 at 10:33 pm

When Bryan Tart’s cousin told him to shoot the woman she had been fighting with at a party in Gresham, he didn’t hesitate, Cook County prosecutors said Friday.

As the fight between Rodjzae Funches-Heard and Tiara Lloyd turned physical on Oct. 18, multiple witnesses allegedly heard Lloyd shout “Shoot that b—-.”

And that’s when 36-year-old Bryan Tart pulled the trigger, shooting Funches-Heard in the face, killing her, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.

Lloyd was charged with Funches-Heard’s murder last year and is currently on house arrest with electronic monitoring while awaiting trial, court records show.

Tart was ordered held without bond Friday for his alleged role in deadly shooting.

Before she was murdered, Funches-Heard, her sister and several others traveled to the 7500 block of South Emerald Avenue to attend the party that was thrown by Lloyd’s boyfriend, Murphy said.

When the group arrived, Lloyd saw Funches-Heard and insisted on talking to her.

Funches-Heard had been upset with Lloyd for how she treated Funches-Heard’s sister, but the two began a private conversation on the porch, Murphy said.

As the two women talked, Tart allegedly walked up to the pair with a “large gun” and said he was Lloyd’s cousin. But Tart put the gun in his jacket when another partygoer told him to “put the gun away,” Murphy said.

Soon, the conversation between the two woman turned physical as Lloyd swung at Funches-Heard, Murphy said.

Then, someone from Funches-Heard’s group punched Lloyd, prompting others to join the fight, Murphy said.

Multiple partygoers saw Tart — following Lloyd’s command — fire the shot that entered Funches-Heard’s lip and lodged in her head, Murphy said.

Tart was taken into custody the following month for an unrelated incident in Indiana. An arrest warrant charging him with Funches-Heard’s murder was issued shortly after, but Tart’s return to Cook County was delayed by his Indiana case until this week, Murphy said.

Tart has previous convictions for several offenses, including burglary and aggravated battery with a weapon, Murphy said.

An assistant public defender said Tart experiences seizures and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety when he was locked up before, but he did not seek treatment once he was out of prison because of a lack of resources.

The father of six is separated from his wife and hasn’t been employed since the barbershop he last worked at closed in 2019, the defense attorney added.

Tart is expected back in court July 27.

Man shot woman after cousin asked him to: prosecutorsMatthew Hendricksenon July 9, 2021 at 10:33 pm Read More »

Blackhawks file motion to dismiss lawsuit from Michigan high schooler assaulted by Bradley AldrichBen Popeon July 9, 2021 at 10:45 pm

The Blackhawks filed Friday a motion to dismiss the negligence lawsuit filed against them by the Michigan high school hockey player who was sexually assaulted by former Hawks video coach Bradley Aldrich in 2013.

The Hawks now have motions to dismiss pending in both lawsuits against them, having filed such a motion June 14 in the lawsuit filed by the former Hawks player (identified as “John Doe 1”) alleging Aldrich sexually assaulted him in 2010.

In Friday’s motion, obtained by the Sun-Times, the Hawks argue the unnamed high schooler has “no basis to sue [the Hawks] for the criminal act committed by Aldrich years after he was employed [by the Hawks].” The high schooler — who was 16 years old at the time, per Michigan police documents, but is now an adult — is identified as “John Doe 2” in court documents.

The motion presents two main arguments. First, the Hawks argue they “under Illinois law…[have] no duty to protect an individual from the criminal acts of a third party,” given they neither knew Doe 2 nor employed Aldrich at the time.

Second, the Hawks argue the claim in the original lawsuit that they provided “positive references to future employers of Aldrich” is “vague and factually unsupported.” They also argue the lawsuit’s lack of allegation claiming they provided positive reference specifically to Houghton High School is a “fatal omission,” rendering irrelevant any arguments about whether they provided positive references to other employers.

Aldrich, who left the Hawks after the 2010 Stanley Cup and was a volunteer assistant coach for the Houghton (Michigan) High School boy’s hockey team in 2013, pled guilty that year to assaulting Doe 2 and served nine months in prison.

Doe 2 claimed Aldrich climbed into bed with, sexually touched and performed oral sex on him and also forced him to sexually touch Aldrich, despite his frequent objections, according to Michigan police documents.

The Hawks had requested a time extension in these legal proceedings in June and were given a Friday deadline to file.

The arguments in this motion to dismiss differ from those in the motion to dismiss the lawsuit from the former Hawks player. That motion argued the statute of limitations expired before the lawsuit was filed and that the player did not exhaust other legal remedies before suing.

Aldrich resigned from a brief job with the Miami (Ohio) University men’s hockey team in 2012 after two separate incidents of alleged sexual assault, WBEZ Chicago reported Friday. The university is currently conducting an internal investigation.

The Blackhawks have hired the Chicago law firm Jenner & Block to investigate the claims that Aldrich assaulted two Hawks players in 2010, that Hawks management refused to report the alleged incident to police and that the Hawks provided Aldrich the positive references.

But Susan Loggans, the lawyer representing both the ex-Hawks player as well as Doe 2, told TSN on Friday that she and her clients would not participate in the investigation because the Hawks and NHL paid for it and have not promised to publicly release its findings.

Hawks CEO Danny Wirtz said in an internal memo June 28 that the Hawks will “refrain from further comment” on the matter until the lawsuits and investigation conclude, but general manager Stan Bowman — one of the people allegedly involved in the 2010 managerial cover-up — will be expected to face the press ahead of the NHL expansion and entry drafts later this month.

Blackhawks file motion to dismiss lawsuit from Michigan high schooler assaulted by Bradley AldrichBen Popeon July 9, 2021 at 10:45 pm Read More »

I’ve heard more ballyhooing over renaming Lake Shore Drive than over how to stop the killingJohn W. Fountainon July 9, 2021 at 10:35 pm

I see the wicked spreading itself like a green bay tree. But are my eyes too clouded by endless tears to see the righteous?

I see killers. But where are the Christians? I see the slayers. But where are the pray-ers? Where is that “old ship of Zion” whose spiritual songs once soothed our souls, led us down the path to being made whole?

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I hear the wail of mourning mothers. They rise above the cacophony of gunfire and chaos, where children at play run for cover. Where brother takes murderous aim against brother. In a city where we seem numb to the slaying of each other.

I see the carnage of another homicidal Chicago summer day, where mass shootings have become commonplace and the city’s knee-jerk response a damn disgrace.

As sure as the rising sun, the city awakens to the sound of the gun. To the carnage of another night, where on the streets an endless river of blood runs.

I hear politicians making the same old excuses, pointing fingers, appearing useless. I see city officials shifting blame, playing the same old PR game. Spinning the tale of violence with no shame.

“Incredible urgency?”

Excuse me, Madam Mayor, it’s a state of emergency.

And yet, I’ve heard more political ballyhooing over renaming Lake Shore Drive than over how to stop the killing. Bore witness to a motorcade on Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive in honor of the renaming on Independence Day weekend when Chicago’s violence was shameful: 104 shot, 19 killed.

We major in minors, and minor in majors — still. Meanwhile, tree-lined neighborhoods have become killing fields.

Maybe we should rename our streets: Drive-by Avenue. Killing Our Children Way. Bloody Outer Drive.

For this is the city that bleeds beneath powder blue summer skies. Where babies get shot and we don’t all cry.

Black bodies drop in the ‘hood with no protest, or a peep from Black Lives Matter. I’ve heard the murder of us by us isn’t on their agenda. But why should the color of the shooter matter?

What’s sadder is that I expect government, politicians and organizations to fail. But where is the church in the midst of so much hell? Pray tell.

The church. That historic anchor in the midst of Black America’s storms and journey over fiery coals. That church — without walls — that uplifted us when ole Massa assailed Black bodies on southern plantations with unspeakable horrors that could not steal our souls.

The church. That caused us to see the invisible and, by faith, to cling to the substance of things hoped for. That made us whole, even when we were dirt poor. The church that reassured us we are so much more.

Even in the face of hate and degradation — just three-fifths a person in this our nation — the church helped us to endure and fight with patience.

The church that once upon a time would not feed us pie in the sky, but inspired us, revived us, taught us how to live by truth not lies.

The church that once, not long ago, inclined her ears to the cries of the least of these. That possessed that sacred spiritual balm that offers healing and hope for all in need.

And yet, everywhere I see churches, even through teary eyes. But relatively few prayers out on the streets where the people die. And I’m left wondering whether “the church” still believes in the power of God. Or if the church has become just another lie.

At least it is clear to me that something must be amiss. For how can so much so-called light and darkness coexist?

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I’ve heard more ballyhooing over renaming Lake Shore Drive than over how to stop the killingJohn W. Fountainon July 9, 2021 at 10:35 pm Read More »

Masks no longer required for Illinois’ vaccinated students, teachers as state adopts new CDC guidanceNader Issaon July 9, 2021 at 10:50 pm

Vaccinated teachers and students don’t need to wear masks inside Illinois school buildings this fall, state officials announced Friday soon after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines for schools, while Chicago leaders are still deciding whether they’ll follow suit.

The changes come amid a national vaccination campaign in which children as young as 12 are eligible to get shots, but also as parents worry with uncertainty about their younger kids who haven’t yet been approved for vaccines.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said the updated federal guidelines represent the latest available scientific information for keeping students and staff safe.

“The CDC is right: vaccination is the best preventive strategy. As school board members, parents, teachers and superintendents plan for a return to in-person learning in the fall, we strongly encourage those who are not vaccinated to continue to mask,” Ezike said in a statement.

State Supt. of Education Carmen Ayala, who has mandated a return to classrooms next school year, said she is “fully confident in the safety of in-person learning this fall.”

CPS leaves door open

Federal and state officials left room for school districts to set their own standards. Chicago schools and health officials said they’d continue reviewing their plans for the fall but were “encouraged by [the] flexibility” of the new recommendations, leaving the door open to a lax masking policy when Chicago Public Schools buildings reopen for full-time in-person learning in late August.

The Chicago Teachers Union, which this week laid out its proposal for the fall return that included an 80% student vaccination goal, said the updated guidance “triggers more questions than answers.”

“Our Black and Brown school communities lie in neighborhoods that have struggled to access vaccinations, at the same time that those neighborhoods have been disproportionately hammered by COVID,” union leadership wrote in a statement.

“While we support the goal of returning every student safely to in-person learning this fall, we are concerned that the vast majority of our students, both under 12 and those 12 and up eligible for shots, remain unvaccinated and vulnerable to catching and transmitting COVID-19, even as the Delta variant continues to spread.”

Meanwhile, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the CTU’s parent union, said “today’s guidance is grounded in both science and common sense” and encouraged widespread vaccinations.

CPS does not have data on how many of its students are vaccinated, but officials plan to ask students’ statuses when they return to schools late next month.

While there has been a significant nationwide decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in recent months, youth inoculations have lagged and it isn’t clear when vaccines will be available for younger children. Families with siblings of different ages have particularly struggled to plan, and the nation’s top public health agency is not advising schools to require shots for teachers and vaccine-eligible kids.

Most youth in Chicago not vaccinated

About 43% of 12- to 17-year-olds in the city — including private school students — have received at least one dose of the vaccine, officials said, meaning the vast majority of all school-aged kids have not gotten a shot. At just public schools, more than two-thirds of CPS’ 340,000 students attend preschool through 8th grade, with the majority of those children under 12 and not eligible for the vaccine.

That’s probably going to make for some challenging school environments, said Elizabeth Stuart, a John Hopkins University public health professor who has children in elementary and middle schools.

“It would be a very weird dynamic, socially, to have some kids wearing masks and some not. And tracking that? Teachers shouldn’t need to be keeping track of which kids should have masks on,” she said.

In Chicago, the district plans to launch running vaccination sites for students and their families next week. Though the city still has its lowest COVID-19 rates and casualties since widespread testing became available last year, infections have been rising the past couple weeks as new vaccinations wane. And the district has a tough task this summer reconnecting with the 75% of CPS students who didn’t return to in-person learning in the spring.

The CDC also said schools should continue to space kids — and their desks — 3 feet apart in classrooms. But the agency emphasized that spacing should not be an obstacle to getting kids back in schools and would not required among fully vaccinated students or staff.

CPS kept its 6-foot spacing requirement when federal and state officials lowered their guidance to 3 feet last school year, but in an email to parents this week the district appeared open to a change. At many cramped CPS schools it might be impossible to fully reopen with farther social distancing requirements.

The biggest questions will be at middle schools where some students are eligible for shots and others aren’t.

In Detroit’s public schools, everyone will be required to wear a mask unless everyone in the classroom has been vaccinated. Philadelphia will require all public school students and staff to wear masks inside buildings, even if they have been vaccinated. But masks won’t be mandated in Houston schools.

As for vaccine mandates, the CDC has repeatedly praised such requirements, but the agency on Friday didn’t recommend that measure because it is considered a state and local policy decision, officials said.

Chicago’s Board of Education recently approved a measure that would allow CPS officials to require eligible students get a COVID-19 shot like other mandatory vaccinations, but the district has not yet implemented that mandate.

The new schools guidance says:

o No one at schools needs to wear masks at recess or in most other outdoor situations. However, unvaccinated people are advised to wear masks if they are in a crowd for an extended period of time, like in the stands at a football game.

o Ventilation and handwashing continue to be important. Students and staff also should stay home when they are sick.

o Testing remains an important way to prevent outbreaks. But the CDC also says people who are fully vaccinated do not need to participate in such screening.

o Separating students into smaller groups, or cohorts, continues to be a good way to help reduce spread of the virus. But the CDC discouraged putting vaccinated and unvaccinated kids in separate groups, saying schools shouldn’t stigmatize any group or perpetuate academic, racial or other tracking.

Contributing: Associated Press

Masks no longer required for Illinois’ vaccinated students, teachers as state adopts new CDC guidanceNader Issaon July 9, 2021 at 10:50 pm Read More »