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Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be mostly sunny with a high near 63 degrees, but breezy, with wind gusts as high as 30 mph. Tonight’s low will be around 41 degrees. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high near 57.

Top story

An unregulated, weed-like drug dubbed ‘CBD on crack’ has spiked in popularity. Now the legal pot industry is calling for a crackdown.

There’s a new high in town.

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.

Read Tom Schuba’s full story for more on the legal pot industry’s calls for a crackdown on the Delta-8-THC market.

More news you need

1. 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.
2. Illinois’ COVID-19 positivity rate has reached its highest point since mid-January, climbing to 4.4% today since hitting a statewide low of 2.1% on March 13. Officials continue to warn that rising numbers could lead to restrictions being put on businesses again.
3. City officials were closely involved three years ago in numerous steps leading up to the controversial relocation of the car-shredding operations of General Iron to the Southeast Side, a review of hundreds of pages of emails shows. Those emails are being scrutinized in two federal civil rights complaints that allege environmental racism.
4. The Silver Room Block Club Party, one of the main events on summer’s social calendar for many Black Chicagoans, won’t happen for the second straight year. Eric Williams, owner of the Silver Room in Hyde Park, cited COVID-19 and business concerns for canceling the event.
5. With less than two weeks until the 2021 Academy Awards, our Richard Roeper revealed his predictions for all 23 categories. Look at who Roeper sees winning Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress and more.

A bright one

After Kamala Harris visit, business jumps at Brown Sugar Bakery on Chicago’s South Side

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.

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.”

Read Lynn Sweet’s full story here.

From the press box

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.

Your daily question ?

What’s been the hardest part of life in a pandemic for your kids?

Email us (please include your first name and where you live) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

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

“It’s calming.” — Jackie Waldhier

“Water sports! Swimming, kayaking, sailing.” — Erika Hoffmann

Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

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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.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said each local health department will determine the process for those vaccinations.

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.

Chicago residents who are eligible can register for appointments via zocdoc/vaccine. More information is available at covidcoach.chicago.gov/.

A map of Chicago vaccinations sites is at chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid19-vaccine/home.html.

Suburban Cook County residents can check eligibility at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov/.

Go to https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/vaccination-location for a map of locations around Illinois.

Among the sites offering vaccines:

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.

More details are at chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid19-vaccine/home/united-center.html of by calling 312-746-4835.

Pharmacies: The city lists several where members of eligible groups under the state’s guidelines can sign up to get the vaccine:

o Walgreens at walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination/covid-19

o Jewel-Osco at mhealthappointments.com/covidappt

o Walmart at walmart.com/cp/1228302

o Mariano’s at marianos.com/i/coronavirus-update/vaccine

o Chicago Costco Pharmacies (Lincoln Park)

o Chicago Costco Pharmacies (Medical District)

o CVS at www.cvs.com

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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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.

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MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Timberwolves postponed games scheduled for Monday because of safety concerns following the fatal police shooting of a Black man and the potential for unrest in the area.

Major League Baseball’s Twins and Boston Red Sox were scheduled to begin a four-game series Monday afternoon at Target Field. The Twins said their decision was made in consultation with Major League Baseball and state and local officials “out of respect for the tragic events that occurred yesterday.” There was no word yet about rescheduling or the status of games set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The NHL’S Wild were supposed to host the St. Louis Blues on Monday night, a game the team said was postponed “out of respect for the community.” That game was rescheduled for May 12.

The NBA also announced that Monday night’s scheduled game between the Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets was postponed “in light of the tragic events in the Minneapolis area.”

The shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright occurred Sunday after a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, a suburb adjacent to Minneapolis. The death sparked violent protests, with officers in riot gear clashing with demonstrators into Monday morning. The Brooklyn Center police chief said the shooting was accidental, as the officer involved intended to fire a stun gun and not a handgun during a struggle with Wright. Police were trying to arrest him on an outstanding warrant.

The metropolitan area already has been on edge because of the ongoing trial of the first of four police officers charged in George Floyd’s death last May.

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Chicago Blackhawks win big with Carl Soderberg trade by Vincent Parise

The Chicago Blackhawks snuck in a last-minute trade before the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline passed. The announcement came well after the buzzer but as long as the trade is submitted to the National Hockey League before the deadline, it can be processed. That happened here when the Hawks acquired a 2021 fourth-round pick from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Madison Bowey and a 2021 fifth-round pick. That is an interesting trade for the Hawks to close out the trade deadline.

The Chicago Blackhawks snuck in one last trade before the deadline hit.

This trade is one that is more than likely going to be proven late in time as there is a lot of unknown here. The Hawks barely used Madison Bowey in the NHL as he only had one assist in two games played with them. Before that, he had 154 games played with the Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings. Now, he is headed to the Vancouver Canucks where he might get more of a chance to play.

The Hawks used Bowey to upgrade a fifth-round pick to a fourth-round pick in 2021. That isn’t terrible as the team looks to add as much young talent as they can. You are more likely to do that in the fourth round than the fifth round so you can chalk this up as a win for the Hawks for now. It is up to them to take advantage of having that extra fourth-round pick in a draft that has a lot of unknowns.

Related Story: The Chicago Blackhawks did well in the trade with Colorado

It is probably going to be the last trade that comes in for the Blackhawks who were very busy on this big day. The key is the team preparing for the future by getting as many quality assets as possible. It will be fun to see how these trades work out for them in the future. This one involving Bowey is the one that could go either way as it seems like they did a very good job with the first three trades.

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The Minnesota Twins postponed their game against the Boston Red Sox on Monday because of safety concerns following the fatal police shooting of a Black man and the potential for unrest in the area.

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins postponed their game against the Boston Red Sox on Monday because of safety concerns following the fatal police shooting of a Black man and the potential for unrest in the area.

The Red Sox and Twins were scheduled to begin a four-game series Monday afternoon at Target Field. The Twins said their decision was made in consultation with Major League Baseball and state and local officials. There was no word yet about rescheduling or the status of games set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The shooting of 20-year-old Duante Wright occurred Sunday after a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, a suburb adjacent to Minneapolis. The death sparked violent protests, with officers in riot gear clashing with demonstrators into Monday morning. The Brooklyn Center police chief said the shooting was accidental, as the officer involved intended to fire a stun gun and not a handgun during a struggle with Wright. Police were trying to arrest him on an outstanding warrant.

The metropolitan area already has been on edge because of the ongoing trial of the first of four police officers charged in George Floyd’s death last May.

“Out of respect for the tragic events that occurred yesterday in Brooklyn Center, and following the additional details in this evolving situation, the Minnesota Twins have decided it is in the best interests of our fans, staff, players and community to not play today’s game,” the organization’s statement said. “The Minnesota Twins organization extends its sympathies to the family of Daunte Wright.”

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The state’s seven-day test positivity rate 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.

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.

The Illinois Department of Health also announced 2,433 new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed from 53,115 tests. Eighteen additional deaths were also reported.

Nearly 2,000 people diagnosed with the virus were hospitalized Sunday, according to the agency’s data. That’s the highest number of statewide hospitalizations since Feb. 10.

Meanwhile, the number of inoculations administered Sunday dropped to 64,772 after five straight six-figure vaccination days, state health officials reported. So far, more than 7.2 million vaccine doses have gone into arms.

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Philonise Floyd, 39, shed tears as he was shown a picture of his late mother and a young George. “That’s my oldest brother George. I miss both of them,” he testified

MINNEAPOLIS — George Floyd’s younger brother took the witness stand Monday and lovingly recalled how George used to make the best banana mayonnaise sandwiches, how George drilled him in catching a football, and the way George used to mark his height on the wall as a boy because he wanted to grow taller.

Philonise Floyd, 39, shed tears as he was shown a picture of his late mother and a young George.

“That’s my oldest brother George. I miss both of them,” he testified at the murder trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, accused of killing George Floyd by putting his knee on the 46-year-old Black man’s neck during an arrest last May.

Philonise Floyd took the stand as part of an effort by prosecutors to humanize his brother in front of the jury and make him more than a crime statistic. Minnesota is a rarity in allowing “spark of life” testimony during the trial stage.

Philonise Floyd described growing up in a poor area of Houston with George and their other siblings.

“He used to make the best banana mayonnaise sandwiches. And he used to make the best syrup sandwiches because George couldn’t cook, he couldn’t boil water,” he said.

He said Floyd also played football and purposely threw the ball at different angles so Philonise would have to practice diving for it. “I always thought my brother couldn’t throw. But he never intended to throw the ball to me,” he said, smiling.

He said that as a child, George used to mark his height on the wall, because he loved sports and wanted to grow taller. And he said his brother was someone he went to for advice.

Earlier Monday, the judge refused a defense request to immediately sequester the jury, the morning after the killing of a Black man during a traffic stop triggered unrest in a suburb just outside Minneapolis.

Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson argued that the jurors could be influenced by the prospect of what might happen as a result of their verdict.

“Ultimately, your honor, the question becomes will the jury be competent to make a decision regardless of the potential outcome of their decision,” he said.

But Judge Peter Cahill said he will not sequester the jury until next Monday, when he anticipates closing arguments will begin. He also denied a defense request to question jurors about what they might have seen about unrest following Sunday’s police shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center.

In the wake of the shooting, hundreds of protesters broke into about 20 businesses at a shopping center, jumped on police cars and hurled rocks and other objects at officers in Brooklyn Center, about 10 miles from the heavily fortified Minneapolis courthouse. Police in riot gear fired gas and flash-bang grenades.

The Brooklyn Center police chief later called the shooting accidental, saying the officer who fired apparently meant to draw a Taser, not a handgun.

Prosecutor Steve Schleicher argued against sequestering the Chauvin jury, saying: “I don’t think that would be an effective remedy.” He also opposed questioning the jurors.

“World events happen,” Schleicher said. “And we can’t have every single world event that might affect somebody’s attitude or emotional state or anything be the grounds to come back and re-voir dire all the jurors.”

The judge previously told the jury to avoid the news during the trial.

The ruling came as the trial entered its third week, with the prosecution close to wrapping up its case and giving way to the start of the defense. Prosecutors built their case on searing witness accounts, experts condemning Chauvin’s use of a neck restraint, and medical authorities attributing Floyd’s death to a lack of oxygen.

When testimony resumed Monday morning, Dr. Jonathan Rich, a cardiology expert from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, echoed earlier witnesses in saying Floyd died of low oxygen levels from the way he was held down by police.

He rejected defense theories that Floyd died of a drug overdose or a heart condition. Floyd had fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system and had high blood pressure and narrowing of the heart arteries, according to previous testimony.

“It was the truly the prone restraint and positional restraints that led to his asphyxiation,” Rich said.

In fact, the expert said, “Every indicator is that Mr. Floyd had actually an exceptionally strong heart.”

Rich said he had reviewed Floyd’s autopsy report. He said that some narrowing of the arteries is extremely common, and that Floyd had a mildly thickened or mildly enlarged heart but that that would be normal in someone with high blood pressure.

Corroborating other experts’ testimony, Rich said that Floyd was “restrained in a life-threatening manner,” noting among other things that he was facedown on the ground, a knee was on his neck, his hands were cuffed behind his back and being pushed upward, and a knee was on the lower half of his body.

Rich said that as one officer noted on video that Floyd was passing out, police probably still could have saved his life if they had repositioned him so that his lungs could expand again. And once an officer noted that Floyd’s pulse had stopped, police still had a significant opportunity to save his life by administering CPR, he said.

On cross-examination, Nelson tried to shift blame onto Floyd for struggling with police when they tried to put him in their car. The defense attorney asked Rich if Floyd would have survived if he had “simply gotten in the back seat of the squad car.”

But Rich quickly reiterated the death was caused by the officers’ actions: “Had he not been restrained in the way in which he was, I think he would have survived that day. I think he would have gone home, or wherever he was going to go.”

Nelson responded: “So, in other words, if he had gotten in the squad car, he’d be alive.”

Derek Chauvin, 45, who is white, is charged with murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s May 25 death. Police had been called to a neighborhood market where Floyd was accused of trying to pass a counterfeit bill.

Prosecutors say Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck as he lay pinned to the pavement for 9 1/2 minutes. Bystander video of Floyd crying “I can’t breathe!” until he finally went limp sparked protests and scattered violence in Minneapolis and around the U.S.

Chauvin’s attorney is expected to call his own medical experts to make the case that it was not the officer’s knee that killed Floyd. The defense has not said whether Chauvin will testify.

___

Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan.

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Get the latest news on how COVID-19 is impacting Chicago and Illinois. Follow here for live updates.

The latest

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.

Read the full story from Tom Schuba here.

News

2:23 p.m. CPS ‘firmly committed’ to reopening high schools next week despite CTU’s threat to stay remote

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.

Read Nader Issa’s full story here.

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.

Read the full story here.

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.”

Read the full story here.

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.

Keep reading the story from Nader Issa and Madeline Kenney here.

8:21 a.m. After Kamala Harris visit, business jumps at Brown Sugar Bakery on Chicago’s South Side

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.

Read Lynn Sweet’s full story here.

New cases and vaccination numbers

• State health officials on Sunday announced 2,942 new and probable COVID-19 cases and an additional 16 virus-related deaths. That brings the state’s pandemic totals to 1,279,772 cases and 21,505 deaths.
• Sunday’s new cases were detected among 69,600 tests processed by the Illinois Department of Public Health in the last day. That keeps the statewide seven-day positivity rate at a 10-week high of 4.2%.
• Illinois is averaging about 3,204 new cases each day this month, up sharply from the first 11 days of last month when the state recorded a daily average of 1,610. Officials have said the uptick in cases is led by younger adults.
• 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.

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