Afternoon Edition: Sept. 29, 2020

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 some isolated showers and a high near 62 degrees. Tonight’s low will be around 49 degrees. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high near 65 degrees.

Top story

Lightfoot debuts sweeping multiyear plan to combat Chicago violence

The city unveiled a sweeping anti-violence plan today that will govern Chicago’s public safety efforts for more than two years.

The plan — dubbed “Our City, Our Safety: A Comprehensive Plan to Reduce Violence in Chicago” — was crafted over the last year by Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration in collaboration with several other government agencies, and it will focus on five pillars, each of which has a series of short- and long-term goals.

“Just as Chicago has come together to fight the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on our communities, we must do the same to address the immense challenges they continue to face due to violence of all kinds,” Lightfoot said.

The plan’s five pillars are empowering and healing people; protecting and securing public places; improving and advancing policing; affecting public policy; and planning and coordination.

The stated goals run the gamut from requiring law enforcement officers to be licensed to expanding career and housing opportunities in the city’s poorer and more violent areas to “enacting equitable public safety legislation on the local, state and federal levels.”

“Put simply, without addressing the root causes of disinvestment, poverty, and inequitable social policies, Chicago’s violence reduction efforts will fail,” the 81-page plan reads.

Some initiatives are already in the works, while others are in the planning phase and still need funding secured. Ideally, the plans will be put into motion by May 2023 — the end of Lightfoot’s term.

Through Sept. 27, the city recorded 581 murders so far in 2020 — a 50% increase from 2019 — according to data from the Chicago Police Department. Over the past 10 years, more than 5,000 people have been murdered in Chicago.

“Our City, Our Safety” will prioritize 15 neighborhoods on the South and West sides, where shootings are most common. Those neighborhoods are Austin, North Lawndale, Little Village, Humboldt Park, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, Englewood, West Englewood, Auburn Gresham, Greater Grand Crossing, South Shore, Back of the Yards, Chicago Lawn, Roseland and West Pullman.

“Only a sustained effort over several years rather than months will untangle the web of root conditions which fuel the violence and hopelessness that is the everyday experience of too many Black and Brown Chicagoans, and is spreading to all Chicagoans through this time of immense uncertainty,” the plan states.

“This plan assumes that violence is not an intractable problem but rather a public health crisis that is preventable and treatable through an intentional, coordinated, and sustained effort based on national best practices and available evidence.”

Read Sam Charles’ full story here.

More news you need

1. The highly anticipated first match-up between Democratic nominee Joe Biden and incumbent Republican President Donald Trump airs tonight. Here’s how to watch.
2. A former ComEd executive pleaded guilty to corruption charges today, helping the feds nab their first conviction in an ongoing criminal probe into a political bribery scheme. Fidel Marquez has agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors, which could help him avoid prison time.
3. Gov. J.B. Pritzker will self-isolate for 14 days after a member of his staff tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday. The staff member had attended multiple events with Pritzker last week. A contact tracing effort is underway.
4. Four more states are being added to Chicago’s travel quarantine list: Kentucky, Wyoming, Texas, and Nevada. Chicagoans returning from states on the travel advisory list are asked to quarantine themselves for 14 days.
5. An outbreak of COVID-19 at a north suburban volleyball league may have exposed nearly 200 people to the virus in September, health officials said today. So far, 14 positive cases were traced to people who played or watched league volleyball at Jesse Oaks Food & Drink in Gages Lake.
6. Today is National Coffee Day, which means you can get caffeinated for little or no cost at some of your favorite coffee spots, including Starbucks, Dunkin’ and McDonald’s. We rounded up some of today’s best deals.

A bright one

On ‘Fargo,’ DePaul’s Matthew Elam plays Lemuel, ‘an alien’ to his family’s crime empire

DePaul theater school alum Matthew Elam’s newest acting role is that of a son unwilling to follow in his parents’ footsteps. Instead of running guns and collecting loan-shark payments, his “Fargo” character has aspirations to become a musician like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

“My character wants to do my own thing, and Noah [Hawley, the series’ showrunner] described me as kind of like an alien to that world,” said Elam. “Especially when you have a father figure who is adamant about passing his legacy on, or wants to craft you in the same mode. You have a passion that is non-traditional, especially to a man like that. Of course, you’re going to have to be a little revolutionary or radical in that sense.”

Provided

In Season 4 of FX’s anthology series, Elam plays Lemuel Cannon, the eldest son of Chris Rock’s Loy Cannon, the figurehead of a 1950s Kansas City Black crime syndicate. The season was filmed at numerous locations in the city and in suburban Blue Island and Elgin.

During filming, Elam said he soaked up some lessons from Rock and fellow cast member Glynn Turman.

“He and Glynn gave some game [advice] about how to navigate and maneuver throughout my career,” said Elam. “One thing they really touched upon was picking the things you want to do and make sure they’re in alignment with your integrity. Our work is reflective of who we are, and if you settle for something because it’s convenient — or it’s for the money — oftentimes in the long run that might damage your career or make it harder to move forward.”

Read Evan F. Moore’s full interview with Matthew Elam here.

From the press box

Given the possibility that Nick Foles won’t go the distance as the Bears’ starting QB this season, Mitch Trubisky cannot let his approach falter now that he’s been demoted to backup, Patrick Finley writes.

And while the White Sox are currently battling the Athletics in Game 1 of their wild card series, Eloy Jimenez didn’t suit up due to a sprained ankle. The outfielder will test his ankle again tomorrow before Game 2 to determine whether he’s ready to go.

Your daily question ☕

If you could ask one question during tonight’s presidential debate, what would it be?

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

Yesterday, we asked you: As the weather cools down, will you be dining and drinking inside restaurants and bars? Here’s what some of you said…

“Hard no. We’ve only done patio dining five times so far, and that was awkward enough. Just 2 of us. Yesterday, on my way to Walgreens, I passed five bars full of screaming Bears fans spitting into each other’s faces.” — Diana Williams

“I want to support my favorite businesses so they’ll be around when this is over. But inside? I don’t know. However, I have a good winter coat, and I’m seriously ready to sit on patios all winter. Bring it.” — Jennifer E. Hill

“I have been eating inside restaurants through the whole pandemic. There have been no problems.” — Tom Buchner

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