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‘Chicagoans feel like they own the Loop’: Violence resonates downtown as city’s center reflects troubles in its neighborhoods

Over a 48-hour period last weekend, three shootings erupted within a mile of one another in Chicago’s downtown area, leaving two people dead. During that same time, some 17 other people were shot around the city, most of them in neighborhoods where a higher level of violence is more commonly experienced. Yet it was the shootings downtown, one outside a major theater that canceled its evening ...

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Chicago schools reopen doors after tough union fight

Starting Thursday, Lear will return to class as the nation's third-largest school district slowly reopens its doors following a bitter fight with the teachers union over COVID-19 safety protocols. The Chicago Teachers Union accepted the plan after defying district orders, city threats to lock them out of teaching systems, and talk of a potential strike. Several educators lined up Thursday for vaccinations at a high school on Chicago's northwest side. AdPreston’s two high school children will keep learning online at their South Side home. And if the high school students can't focus working in their rooms, they must “report to the dining room,” he joked.

Chicago begins return to classrooms after bitter union fight

Starting Thursday, Lear will return to class as the nation's third-largest school district slowly reopens its doors following a bitter fight with the teachers union over COVID-19 safety protocols. Their youngest daughter, 4-year-old Lear, returns to class as the nation’s third-largest school district slowly reopens its doors following a bitter fight with the teachers union over COVID-19 safety protocols. The Chicago Teachers Union accepted the plan after weeks of bitter talks that included defying district orders, threats from the city that they would be locked out of district teaching and a potential strike. The district hasn’t rolled out a plan for high school students to return, which is expected to prompt more negotiations. And if his high school students can't focus working in their rooms, they must “report to the dining room,” he joked.

VIRUS TODAY: In COVID-19 era, Americans choose dying at home

For many families, home is a better setting than the terrifying scenario of saying farewell to loved ones behind glass or during video calls amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)Here’s what’s happening Sunday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY:— More Americans are making the decision to have their terminally ill loved ones die at home rather than in nursing home and hospice settings. For many families, home is a better setting than the terrifying scenario of saying farewell to loved ones behind glass or during video calls amid the coronavirus pandemic. Gavin Newsom is facing a potential recall election, in part stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. “So I really do think that we need to watch this and be careful.”___Find AP’s full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

The Latest: LA County says medical center broke virus rules

The Supreme Court is telling California it cant enforce a ban on indoor church services because of the coronavirus pandemic. The celebration is on hold until next year as Rio struggles with a rise in coronavirus cases. ___OKLAHOMA CITY — The number of reported coronavirus cases in Oklahoma has surpassed 400,000. Health officials are urging football fans to forego Super Bowl gatherings with members outside of their own households. France has registered 3.5 million confirmed cases and more than 78,700 confirmed deaths.

Globe-trotter Candace Parker returns home to play for Sky

(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)CHICAGO – Candace Parker talked about seeing her grandmother hold up the newspaper during their call, thrilled she is coming home to play for the Chicago Sky. “I'm so excited to be home and I say that from the bottom of my heart,” Parker said during a Zoom conference Tuesday. “When she decided, she told me even before, ‘If I come, I’m coming to ball,'” he said. She said she started thinking about playing for the Sky a few weeks ago and would not have left Los Angeles for any other team. “(I) have obviously evolved, and a lot of it had to do with me living in Knoxville and me living in Los Angeles and Russia and Istanbul and China.

Chicago schools extend talks with union over in-person class

Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey, who has said the union wants an agreement, said holding off on locking out educators is an encouraging step. Such a move, if approved by the union's house of delegates, could shut down remote learning across the roughly 340,000-student district. School officials and the union reported weekend progress on issues including contact tracing and ventilation. But the union says those measures don’t go far enough and without more protections, remote learning is safest. District officials haven't said when high school students will return.

Chicago schools reopening uncertain as union talks stall

(Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP, Pool)CHICAGO – A plan to reopen Chicago schools remained in limbo as last-minute negotiations over COVID-19 safety measures with the teachers' union stalled Sunday, amplifying the possibility of a strike or lockout. The Chicago Teachers Union has fought returning to classrooms in the nation's third-largest district, defying orders to come to class ahead of students. AdChicago Public Schools officials and the union reported weekend progress on issues including contact tracing and ventilation. Union officials held a news conference later Sunday, saying without protective measures such as widespread vaccinations remote learning was safest. District officials haven't said when high school students will return.

Things to Know: Fewer Black Americans are getting vaccinated

Espinoza said she never imagined the virus would take the life of her 36-year-old husband, who managed a hospice nurse program. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)Here’s what’s happening Saturday with the pandemic in the U.S.:THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY:— An Associated Press analysis shows that Black people in many parts of the U.S. are lagging behind whites in receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. Statistics released by 17 states and two cities tell the same story: Through Jan. 25, Black people were getting inoculated at levels below their share of the general population. Ad— Hospital systems around the country are coming under fire over accusations that they are playing favorites when it comes to who gets the first crack at COVID-19 vaccines. In the past week, California has recorded an average of 544 daily COVID-19 deaths, and its pandemic death toll has reached 43,000.

The Latest: UK reports lowest daily new virus cases in weeks

State health officials Monday reported fewer than 13,000 people were being treated for the virus in Texas hospitals, marking the seventh consecutive day of declining patient loads. Some hospitals and clinics have reported having to cancel immunization appointments because they didn’t have enough vaccine doses to distribute. A little more than half of Ochsner employees have yet to get the vaccine, officials said at a news conference Monday. Health officials are also worried about variants that were first reported in the United Kingdom and South Africa. The Democratic governor says Nevada officials were told vaccine doses would be administered to the states based on population.

The Latest: China says COVID-19 hospitalizations above 1,000

(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)BEIJING — China says it is now treating more than 1,000 people for COVID-19 as numbers of cases continue to surge in the country’s north. ___AUSTIN, Texas — Texas has distributed more than 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. State health officials say Texas had more than 14,000 COVID-19 patients in hospitals and its death toll has passed 30,000. ___COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina will now allow medical students, retired nurses and other qualified professionals to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. ___MADRID — Spain reported 35,878 confirmed coronavirus cases and 201 new deaths from the coronavirus.

The Latest: Mexico sees record 16,105 new virus cases

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)MEXICO CITY — Mexico has posted another daily record for newly confirmed coronavirus cases, with 16,105 new infections reported Saturday, and a near-record of 1,135 deaths related to COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour period. ___AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan announced it is expecting the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine to arrive in the kingdom late Saturday. Official data also show that the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.K. has exceeded 3 million. The daily numbers brought Arizona’s total confirmed cases to 607,345 and the state’s death toll in the pandemic to 10,036. With 10.4 million confirmed coronavirus cases, India has the second-highest total behind the United States.

Chicago 7-year-old raises money for hospital's pandemic gear

Hayley Orlinsky poses for a portrait Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, with several colorful rubber band bracelets she makes in her Chicago home. The spunky 7-year-old from Chicago has spent most of the coronavirus pandemic crafting the creations as a fundraiser to buy personal protective equipment for a children's hospital. So far, the endeavor has generated nearly $20,000 for Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, prompting praise and purchases from Chicago politicians, a Broadway actor and her beloved White Sox. It all started when she heard news stories about PPE shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic and was inspired to help. She's done holiday themed-bracelets, sports teams colors and red and light blue bracelets to represent the Chicago flag.

The Latest: S Korea begins stronger limits in some areas

In September, the district reported about 13 new coronavirus cases weekly, mostly involving teachers and staff, when it first opened early childhood education classes. ___ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Five Florida mayors are expressing concern about the rising number of coronavirus cases in the state, and are urging Gov. But the state’s rolling seven-day average for new coronavirus cases was more than nine times higher Wednesday than it was than when her first order took effect. Officials began instituting local shutdowns in neighborhoods where coronavirus cases were rapidly rising. There were 5,102 cases reported in Minnesota on Wednesday, along with 67 deaths.

Governors ratchet up restrictions ahead of Thanksgiving

Phil Murphy said Monday as he restricted indoor gatherings to 10 people, down from 25. The move closes many nonessential indoor businesses and requires the wearing of masks outside homes, with limited exceptions. Philadelphia banned all indoor dining at restaurants and indoor gatherings of any size, public or private, of people from different households, starting this Friday. Fourteen men were charged earlier this fall in an alleged plot to kidnap the governor in anger over her COVID-19 restrictions. Still, several other GOP governors were taking incremental steps, or resisting even those — continuing to emphasize “personal responsibility” rather than government edicts.

Chicago officer sues former chief for sexual harassment

FILE - In this Nov. 7, 2019 file photo, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks at a news conference in Chicago. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford File)CHICAGO – A Chicago police officer has filed a lawsuit alleging sexual assault by former police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who was out drinking with her the night he was found asleep behind the wheel of his SUV. The lawsuit also names the city as a defendant, alleging that Mayor Lori Lightfoot “exacerbated the hostile work environment by ordering Superintendent Johnson to “dump” Plaintiff by having her relocated away from CPD Headquarters. " Later, media reports and surveillance video from a Chicago bar revealed he had been drinking heavily that night. Officers responding to a 911 call from someone reporting a man asleep at a wheel of his idling vehicle did not issue any citations for Johnson.

The Latest: Australian hot spot extends state of emergency

(AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)MELBOURNE, Australia Australias hot spot Victoria state on Wednesday extended its state of emergency for another six months as its weekly average of new COVID-10 infections dipped to 95. The state health department reported 90 new infections and six deaths in the latest 24-hour period. ___WASHINGTON Federal officials will begin shipping tens of millions of rapid coronavirus tests to state governors this month for use in reopening schools. ___LAWRENCE, Kan. The University of Kansas is requiring no fans at athletic events and Kansas State University is battling four new coronavirus outbreaks. In the Manhattan, Kansas, health officials say the four newest outbreaks include 10 positive cases among the Kansas State football team.

Chicago convenience store ransacked twice since May

A broken cash register sits on the counter of African Food & Liquor in Chicago, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. The West Side convenience store was ransacked Monday just hours after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned vandals that the city will hold them accountable for ransacking downtown retailers earlier that day. It was the second time since May that the neighborhood store was vandalized. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)Security cameras captured the pillaging of a West Side Chicago convenience store hours after Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned vandals that the city would hold them accountable for ransacking downtown retailers. He says Chicago police officers arrived about a half hour after the store had already been emptied.

Lack of body cameras fuels suspicion in Chicago shooting

Authorities have said they found a gun at the scene, but they acknowledge that the officers who shot him were not wearing cameras. After Allen was shot on Sunday, activists immediately seized on the news that the officers were not wearing body cameras. These details are uncorroborated, partially because CPD also claims there is no body camera footage available for this interaction, the group said. Questions about the lack of body cameras extend beyond activist groups. Chicago police have also used body camera footage to show that officers acted properly, possibly heading off the kind of rampage that unfolded this week.