A 1-year-old boy who was shot on Lake Shore Drive last week continues to make “slow but steady progress” and has started to move his extremities, his doctor said Monday.
Kayden Swann remained on a ventilator at Lurie Children’s Hospital, but Dr. Marcelo Malakooti said his medical staff is “hopeful” that the toddler may be taken off the machine “at some point in the future.”
“The entire Pediatric Intensive Care Unit team, including nursing, social work, family services, respiratory therapists, physicians, and surgeons have provided the best care and support for Kayden and his entire family,” Malakooti said in a statement.
Though Kayden’s initial prognosis seemed grim, his health has gradually improved since the April 6 shooting. Doctors removed Kayden from a medically-induced coma Saturday.
Kayden was shot in the temple while he rode in the back seat of a car on Lake Shore Drive during an apparent road rage incident. The driver of an SUV shot at the car Kayden was traveling in while both vehicles traveled north, Cook County prosecutors said. The altercation started when the SUV tried to merge near Soldier Field and nearly struck the car Kayden was riding in, prosecutors said.
Contrary to initial police reports, there was no evidence, that Jushawn Brown — the driver in the car Kayden was in — fired his weapon or displayed it during the incident, prosecutors said.
After Kayden was shot, a bystander rushed him to Northwestern Hospital before he was transferred to Lurie.
Brown, 43, is out on bond for a felony gun charge in connection with the shooting.
Brown, of Englewood, is in relationship with Kayden’s grandmother, prosecutors said.
The driver of the SUV has not been taken into custody.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Multiple people including a police officer were shot Monday at a high school in the east Tennessee city of Knoxville, authorities said, adding that the scene had been secured.
There was no immediate report on the exact number of people shot or the extent of the victims’ injuries.
The school was the subject of media reports in February after three students were shot to death over a three-week span. Those earlier shootings did not take place in the school, and administrators at the time said students felt the arts magnet school was a safe space, according to a story in the Knoxville News Sentinel.
The Knoxville Police Department tweeted that authorities were at the site of the shooting at Austin-East Performing Arts Magnet High School. The online posting said a Knoxville Police Department officer was reported among the victims.
Bob Thomas, the superintendent of Knox County Schools, tweeted later Monday that a shooting had occurred but the building had been secured.
“The school building has been secured and students who were not involved in the incident have been released to their families,” Thomas said. He added in a separate tweet that authorities were gathering information and about “this tragic situation” and that additional information would be provided later.
Police urged people to avoid the area, adding a reunification site had been set up on a baseball field behind the school for students to be reunited with family.
Details about the shooting remained sketchy and news outlets showed numerous police and emergency vehicles at the scene.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it was sending agents to the scene.
Gov. Bill Lee mentioned the shooting at a news conference but said he had little information. “I just wanted to make reference to that and ask, for those who are watching, online or otherwise, to pray for that situation and for the families and the victims that might be affected by that in our state,” he said.
Last week, the Republican governor signed off on legislation that would make Tennessee the latest state to soon allow most adults 21 and older to carry handguns – openly or concealed — without first clearing a background check and training. Lee backed the legislation over objections from law enforcement groups, who argued that the state’s existing permit system provided an important safeguard for knowing who should or shouldn’t be carrying a gun.
The law, which does not apply to long guns, will take effect July 1. The new measure also increases certain penalties. For example, theft of a firearm — now a misdemeanor that carries a 30-day sentence — will become a felony with a mandatory six month incarceration. It also makes exceptions for people with certain mental illnesses and criminal convictions.
When asked earlier this year whether recent mass shootings in Georgia, Colorado and others gave him any concern about timing, Lee has previously said the increased penalties mean that “we in fact will be strengthening laws that would help prevent gun crimes in the future.”
Eric Williams, the owner of Hyde Park’s Silver Room, announced Monday that plans for a new venue may lift the spirits of South Siders — and foodies, alike.
Williams revealed plans to open Bronzeville Winery, which will be located in a new building development in the 4400 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue., he told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Williams, who says the doors will open this summer, made the announcement Monday on the podcast “Randomly Selected” along with confirming the cancellation of the 2021 Silver Room Block Party and its possible move from the area for 2022.
The eatery that will specialize in comfort food.
“For me, it’s important we have a permanent, cultural space; it’s a sister restaurant concept to the Silver Room is how I can put it,” said Williams, a Bronzeville resident. “I’m excited about this neighborhood and what we can do around here, so that’s what I’ve been really focusing on also.”
Williams says the eatery space will include music, a full wine list, an on-site sommelier, and an outdoor patio seating about 70 guests.
— With the announcement Monday of the cancellation of the 2021 Silver Room Block Party — a staple on the calendar of many Black Chicagoans — Williams has shifted his focus to the eatery’s opening.
“Between the store and opening up this restaurant, I didn’t have the capacity to actually fill in this other event also,” said Williams. “And honestly, we still don’t know where things are going to be, and I know the city is trying to open things up but it is way too much uncertainty for me to say: ‘OK, things look better look now; let’s put this event together in two months.’ That’s impossible.”
Eric WilliamsRohan Ayinde
Bronzeville Winery isn’t Williams’ first foray into the eatery space. In 2001, he started “Square One,” a Wicker Park-based restaurant, juice bar and magazine shop.
Williams says he wants South Siders to have the same amenities often seen downtown, in the West Loop and on the North Side.
“I live in Bronzeville, and we shouldn’t have to go out of our neighborhood to have quality spaces if we want to go out somewhere,” said Williams. “We need something in Bronzeville. … How can we create something now? That is what they had back in the day in some ways, and we need something today. Continuing the legacy of the history of the rich culture of Bronzeville is what I’m looking to do with this new stage.”
Illinois’ COVID-19 positivity rate jumps to highest level since late January; 2,433 new cases
Officials on Monday announced that Illinois’ coronavirus test positivity rate has reached its highest point since late January, when a previous surge in cases was tapering off.
The seven-day positivity rate — a crucial figure for measuring the virus’ spread — jumped to 4.4% and continued an incremental upward trend that could lead officials to again place stronger restrictions on businesses. The statewide positivity rate had dipped to 2.1% on March 13.
Chicago’s numbers are even more alarming. On Monday, the Chicago Department of Public Health reported that the city’s positivity rate now sits at 5.6% — up from 5.1% just a week earlier.
Last week, CPDH spokesman Andrew Buchanan said that figure and other important metrics, including case numbers and hospital data, would factor into any decision to implement stronger mitigations and restrictions, including barring fans from baseball games.
The World Health Organization has advised governments that test positivity rates should remain at or below 5% for 14 days before reopening.
4:50 p.m. Suit against COVID-wracked nursing home can continue despite Pritzker’s immunity order
A lawsuit against a west suburban nursing home where 12 people died last year from coronavirus can go forward despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive order last year granting privately owned nursing homes broad protection against being sued over COVID-19 illnesses, a federal judge has ruled.
Westchester Health and Rehabilitation Center — which had 46 reported coronavirus cases last year — is being sued by the families of Rita Saunders and Lottie Smith, who contracted the virus while living there in March 2020.
Saunders, 64, was hospitalized March 23, 2020, and died about a week later.
Smith, 83, entered the hospital a day earlier and recovered. She says she suffered falls that the nursing home allowed to happen because she’d complained about conditions in the facility.
According to the lawsuit, Westchester knowingly exposed residents to employees who had tested positive for the coronavirus. The suit says nurses with symptoms of the illness were ordered to keep working, and the facility failed to provide them with personal protective equipment.
Westchester wanted a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit because the governor’s March 9, 2020, coronavirus disaster proclamation gave nursing homes immunity over negligence and didn’t create liability for “willful and wanton” misconduct.
But U.S. District Judge Manish Shah said the lawsuit can continue, quoting a Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that found that “an immunity defense usually depends on the facts of the case.”
4:46 p.m. Luke Bryan tests positive for COVID-19, sidelined from ‘American Idol’
LOS ANGELES — Luke Bryan says he’s tested positive for COVID-19, which sidelined him from the season’s first live “American Idol” episode on ABC.
Paula Abdul, an original judge on the talent show when it aired on Fox, was announced as Bryan’s replacement for Monday’s show, joining Lionel Richie and Katy Perry on the panel.
“I’m sad to say I won’t be a part of tonight’s first live @AmericanIdol show,” Bryan tweeted earlier Monday. “I tested positive for COVID but I’m doing well and look forward to being back at it soon.”
2:23 p.m. CPS ‘firmly committed’ to reopening high schools next week despite CTU’s threat to stay remote
CTU members voted for high school teachers and staff to work remotely, starting Wednesday, if a reopening deal with Chicago Public Schools isn’t reached by then.Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Chicago Public Schools officials say they are “firmly committed” to reopening high schools next week for the first time during the pandemic despite a plan by the Chicago Teachers Union to have high school teachers and staff work remotely Wednesday in an attempt to pressure the district into a reopening agreement.
The district has held “productive discussions with CTU leadership to ensure a smooth transition back for our students and staff,” and the two sides are working to reach an agreement “as soon as possible,” CPS CEO Janice Jackson and the district’s education chief, LaTanya McDade, wrote in a letter to high school families Monday.
“Over the weekend we made progress on a number of areas and have general alignment on topics including the scheduling models schools will use and safety protocols to keep students and staff safe in high school buildings,” they wrote.
“We have also agreed that high school staff will be able to work on Wednesdays, which is a remote day for all students, and we will work to support vaccinations for students when they are eligible and doses are available.”
The union’s House of Delegates, however, “told the leadership of the CTU in no uncertain terms that we’re not simply reopening schools without more progress at the bargaining table and without a return agreement in high schools,” CTU President Jesse Sharkey told reporters during a virtual news conference Monday.
1:42 p.m. Muslims navigate restrictions in the second pandemic Ramadan
CAIRO — For Ramadan this year, Magdy Hafez has been longing to reclaim a cherished ritual: performing the nighttime group prayers called taraweeh at the mosque once again.
Last year, the coronavirus upended the 68-year-old Egyptian’s routine of going to the mosque to perform those prayers, traditional during Islam’s holiest month. The pandemic had disrupted Islamic worship the world over, including in Egypt where mosques were closed to worshippers last Ramadan.
“I have been going to the mosque for 40 years so it was definitely a very, very, difficult thing,” he said. “But our religion orders us to protect one another.”
Still, “It’s a whole other feeling, and the spirituality in Ramadan is like nothing else.”
Egypt has since allowed most mosques to reopen for Friday communal prayers and for this Ramadan it will let them hold taraweeh, also with precautions, including shortening its duration.
12:35 p.m. US colleges divided over requiring student vaccinations
BOSTON — U.S. colleges hoping for a return to normalcy next fall are weighing how far they should go in urging students to get the COVID-19 vaccine, including whether they should — or legally can — require it.
Universities including Rutgers, Brown, Cornell and Northeastern recently told students they must get vaccinated before returning to campus next fall. They hope to achieve herd immunity on campus, which they say would allow them to loosen spacing restrictions in classrooms and dorms.
But some colleges are leaving the decision to students, and others believe they can’t legally require vaccinations. At Virginia Tech, officials determined that they can’t because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has only allowed the emergency use of the vaccines and hasn’t given them its full approval.
The question looms large as more colleges plan to shift back from remote to in-person instruction. Many schools have launched vaccination blitzes to get students immunized before they leave for the summer. At some schools, the added requirement is meant to encourage holdouts and to build confidence that students and faculty will be safe on campus.
“It takes away any ambiguity about whether individuals should be vaccinated,” said Kenneth Henderson, the chancellor of Northeastern University in Boston. “It also provides a level of confidence for the entire community that we are taking all appropriate measures.”
9:14 a.m. CTU members vote to work remotely starting Wednesday if high school reopening agreement isn’t reached
With thousands of high school students expected to return to the classroom next week for the first time in over a year, the Chicago Teachers Union is putting pressure on Chicago Public Schools to finalize a reopening agreement early this week.
CTU members Sunday voted for high school teachers and staff to work remotely, starting Wednesday, if a reopening deal with Chicago Public Schools isn’t reached by then, the union said in a statement.
CPS officials have directed 5,350 high school teachers to return to buildings Monday with or without an agreement in preparation for about 26,000 students in grades 9-12 to resume in-person learning next week.
Teachers and staff are planning to honor that request and report in-person Monday and Tuesday while CPS and CTU officials work to solidify a final high school reopening agreement, sources said. That means that staff will be present when juniors at some high schools are scheduled to take the SAT in person Tuesday.
But if a deal isn’t struck or there isn’t “adequate movement at the table” by Wednesday, high school teachers and staff will begin to work remotely, the union said.
8:21 a.m. After Kamala Harris visit, business jumps at Brown Sugar Bakery on Chicago’s South Side
Vice President Kamala Harris chats with the staff of Brown Sugar Bakery as she receives a piece of German Chocolate Cake on April 6.Getty
Since Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Brown Sugar Bakery on the South Side last Tuesday to throw a spotlight on small Black female-owned businesses, in-store retail sales jumped 21% overall and online sales increased 88%, according to owner Stephanie Hart.
Harris made a brief stop outside the bakery at 328 E. 75th en route back to Midway Airport after she toured a COVID-19 vaccination center at 2260 S. Grove St., organized by the Chicago Federation of Labor.
She picked up a slice of German chocolate cake – her favorite – and the bakery staff presented her with two trays of caramel, strawberry and lemon cupcakes.
Something meaningful happened as a result of those few minutes. It resulted in a real time positive economic impact for a business that had to shut down for a few months last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state has also seen an increase in coronavirus hospitalizations over the last month. As of Saturday night, 1,834 beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients — up 23% from last week. Of those, 409 were in intensive care units and 173 were on ventilators, officials said.
The state injected 131,285 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine Saturday, marking the fifth consecutive day Illinois has inoculated more than 130,000 in a single day. Over the last week, Illinois has reported three record-setting vaccination days, including Friday when the state administered an all-time high of 175,681 shots.
The ChicagoBlackhawks were one of the most active teams in the week leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline. They made two moves with the Florida Panthers that led to them improving their depth going into the rest of the season and potentially beyond. It set the tone for what was going to come […]
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A growing number of Chicago businesses are now exploiting a loophole in federal law that appears to allow the unfettered sale of a trendy hemp byproduct called Delta-8-THC, which has commonly been described as “marijuana-lite” or “diet weed.”
Retailers across the city have started selling a variety of Delta-8 products in settings that resemble licensed cannabis dispensaries but aren’t subject to the same stiff regulations. Many sell everything from edibles to vaping cartridges, as well as smokable hemp flower sprayed with Delta-8 extract.
Some places are dosing food and drinks with Delta-8 and allowing customers to consume it on site. That flies in the face of a hard-fought provision in the state’s marijuana legalization law that tightly regulates on-site consumption, which isn’t allowed in Chicago yet.
Those spots have become extremely popular — with lines stretching down the block.
“People travel to Chicago because it’s Chicago and they make it a point to stop here because of the vibe,” said Adryan Delgado, the manager of Wake-N-Bakery, a coffee shop in Lake View that sells drinks and pastries infused with Delta-8 and CBD.
Waits can be 30 minutes to get inside, he said.
Delta-8 is similar to Delta-9-THC, the psychoactive compound in weed that gets users high, though it’s extracted from hemp and not marijuana. Those selling Delta-8 claim it has all the upsides of pot and none of the buzz-killing side effects, like anxiety and paranoia.
Entrepreneurs seized on Delta-8 after the federal Farm Bill of 2018 made legal the distribution and sale of hemp and its byproducts. That law explicitly excluded Delta-9, but there’s no mention of its mellower relative.
High school teachers and staff returned to in-person work today, but could revert to remote teaching on Wednesday if a deal isn’t reached with Chicago Public Schools on a reopening plan. About 26,000 high school students are expected back next week.
Since Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Brown Sugar Bakery on the South Side last Tuesday to throw a spotlight on small Black female-owned businesses, in-store retail sales jumped 21% overall and online sales increased 88%, according to owner Stephanie Hart.
Harris made a brief stop outside the bakery at 328 E. 75th en route back to Midway Airport after she toured a COVID-19 vaccination center at 2260 S. Grove St., organized by the Chicago Federation of Labor.
She picked up a slice of German chocolate cake – her favorite – and the bakery staff presented her with two trays of caramel, strawberry and lemon cupcakes.
Stephanie Hart, owner of Brown Sugar Bakery, shows off a cake in her shop on 75th Street. Vice President Kamala Harris stopped by the bakery Tuesday. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
The stop generated enormous publicity for the bakery and gave a boost to all of 75th Street. It also resulted in a real time positive economic impact for a business that had to shut down for a few months last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hart said “the absolute best part” of Harris coming to Brown Sugar was “the enthusiasm of the neighborhood, how included they felt and how they were amazed that the vice president would come to 75th Street for anything.”
The Blackhawks had a busy day leading up to the NHL trade deadline at 2 p.m., making four different trades:
And Patrick Finley looks at running backs in the latest part of our Bears beat writers’ position-by-position breakdown of the roster ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft.
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On Friday, we asked you: What’s your favorite part of living in a city on the water? Here’s what some of you said…
“Sailing on Lake Michigan with some good summer tunes.” — Devendra Owens
“Sitting on a rooftop feeling the lake breeze. Also watching the boats and fireworks on the lake from the roof.” — Lisa Barnes
“Looking at it against the skyline on a clear sunny day.” — Andrea Fulgham
A Black football player at a Moline high school is seen on video sitting down in a locker littered with banana peels after a teammate threatens to break his knees if he doesn’t comply.
Moline Police Chief Darren Gault called the incident at Moline High School a “disturbing racist scene.” Detectives interviewed student athletes, coaches and staff members over the weekend and turned their findings over to prosecutors, Gault said.
The investigation centers on an 11-second video clip in which another player, whose hand can be seen but face doesn’t appear, threatens the Black player to sit in the locker “or I’ll break both your knees.” When the player sits down, others can be heard shouting, “Yeah!”
Gault said the investigation determined the people involved were teammates “of both different and similar races to the victim.” He also said all players involved have been identified.
“Regardless of these facts, we all agree that this is a disgusting way to treat a fellow teammate, a fellow human being and most certainly a friend,” Gault said.
According to published reports, the video was shot Thursday and authorities learned of it after it was posted on social media and widely viewed in the community Friday night. Teams around the state had their season delayed until the spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Moline team played an away game Friday night. When the players arrived back at the school shortly before midnight, detectives were there to speak to them.
The Moline-Coal Valley School District said it would conduct its own investigation of the incident to determine if there were any school code violations or violations of district polices.
“The vile behavior depicted in the video does not represent our core values and has no place in our learning community,” school district spokeswoman Candace Sountris said in a statement. “Clearly, we have work to do. Decisive action will be taken upon the conclusion of both the law enforcement and the school district’s internal investigation.”
Moline Mayor-elect Sangeetha Rayapati, who is also the school board chair, said in a statement that adults have “a responsibility to hold individuals involved in this incident accountable.”
“I speak from the heart when I say we have a responsibility to teach them a better way. It’s awful to know a child was treated that way. It’s awful to know that that child will be marked forever by the incident and the disrespect they received. And it’s awful to know other children would see this as a joke,” she said.
As Chicago expands its COVID-19 vaccination program, here are some answers to questions on who can get the shots and where to get them.
Who’s eligible for the vaccine?
General public aged 16 and older: All state residents 16 and over are eligible for shots beginning April 12.
Chicago says it will open up eligibility to everyone on April 19. But Chicago residents are encouraged to go to the suburbs or even out of Indiana to get appointments if possible.
Who is eligible in Chicago?
o Health care and nursing home workers: Health care workers as well as employees and residents of nursing homes and congregate facilities have been eligible since December and those individuals can still be vaccinated.
o Seniors and essential workers: In late January, Chicagoans age 65 and older and more than 300,000 essential workers became eligible for the vaccine. The group includes police and firefighters, correctional workers, grocery store employees, educators and transit employees. Go to www.chicago.gov/covidvax for a full list.
o Residents with high-risk medical conditions: In late February Illinois expanded the eligible group to include residents 16 and older with high-risk medical conditions. Examples of conditions given by the state include obesity, diabetes, pulmonary diseases, smoking, heart conditions, chronic kidney diseases, cancer, solid organ transplant, sickle cell disease, pregnancy and persons with disabilities.
Suburban Cook County started vaccinating those with health conditions March 26, while Chicago started March 29. The city has a broader list of health conditions for this eligible group, though smokers aren’t included on the list.
o Additional essential workers: Are eligible as of March 29 in Chicago. The city has said that group will include workers in: transportation and logistics; water and wastewater; food service; construction; finance, including bank tellers; information technology and communications; energy; legal; media; public safety like engineers; and higher education.
How do I sign up to get vaccinated? Where do I go?
Vaccinations are handled through appointments either through a doctor or other health care provider, a pharmacy or an employer. There are also designated sites for mass vaccinations run by cities and counties.
The United Center: Since March 10, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been operating a mass vaccination site at the United Center. Officials have limited who is eligible for an appointment there to all residents 16 and older from certain ZIP codes in vulnerable areas of the city as well as all seniors who live in Chicago.
As of April 12, those ZIP codes include 60608, 60609, 60619, 60620, 60621, 60623, 60624, 60628, 60629, 60632, 60636, 60639, 60644, 60649, 60651, 60652, and 60653.
What if I don’t have a doctor or health care provider?
Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced an outreach plan to engage residents in 15 South Side and West Side communities, largely areas of the city that include many uninsured residents with poor access to health care. The city is working with hospitals, health clinics and other local organizations to inform neighbors on vaccination details. For theses communities, the city has widened the eligibility rules. Go to the city’s Protect Chicago page for more details.
Will it cost me money to get the vaccine?
The vaccine is free to everyone.
Do I need multiple shots?
To be fully effective, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines approved for COVID-19 each require a second dose, which will either be three or four weeks apart from the first dose. Typically your second appointment is scheduled at the time you receive your first dose.
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine only requires one shot.
Experts say all the vaccines are very effective against stopping infections and extremely effective against preventing severe infections. Individuals will not be able to choose which vaccine they get.
Do I still need to wear a mask after getting the vaccine?
Two weeks after getting the second shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, your chance of contracting the virus will be dramatically reduced. No vaccine is completely protective but both of the COVID therapies are more than 90% effective. Johnson and Johnson, which was tested more recently in more countries and against more variants of the virus, is more than 70 percent effective, which officials say is still excellent.
But because there has not been research yet on whether you can still spread the virus to others, officials recommend continuing to take precautions like mask wearing even after you get vaccinated. The CDC said that those who have been fully vaccinated can follow looser restrictions when interacting with others who also have been inoculated.
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