Blackhawks Say Team Name Honors Namesake Who Inspired
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks say they will continue to use their team name because it honors a Native American leader who has been an inspiration to generations. “The Chicago Blackhawks name and logo symbolizes an important and historic person, Black Hawk of Illinois’ Sac & Fox Nation, whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public,” the NHL team said in a statement Tuesday. “We celebrate Black Hawk’s legacy by offering ongoing reverent examples of Native American culture, traditions and contributions, providing a platform for genuine dialogue with local and national Native American groups. As the team’s popularity grew over the past decade, so did that platform and our work with these important organizations. – Associated Press
University of Chicago Removes Tributes To Stephen Douglas
CHICAGO (AP) — The University of Chicago has removed a bronze plaque and stone that publicly honored Stephen Douglas, a U.S. senator from Illinois in the 1800s. “Douglas does not deserve to be honored on our campus” because he “profited from his wife’s ownership of a Mississippi plantation where Black people were enslaved,” university President Robert Zimmer said in an email to students Tuesday. Douglas probably is best known for a series of debates with Abraham Lincoln in 1858. He was a U.S. senator who lost the 1860 presidential election to Lincoln. – Associated Press
Relocating Some Nursing Home Residents Will Protect Them From COVID-19, Advocates Say
A new coalition of disability rights groups is calling on Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to take emergency action to protect residents in nursing homes and other congregate care facilities from the spread of COVID-19. With nursing homes linked to more than 55% of all COVID-19 deaths in Illinois, the Institutional Rescue and Recovery Coalition on Tuesday called for the state to move some residents out to temporary hotel rooms to allow for social distancing and to make facilities less crowded. “This coalition is calling for more than sympathy and sorrow at the death rate,” said Fran Tobin, executive director of the Alliance for Community Services, one of the groups in the coalition. As of July 3, according to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, a total of 3,856 deaths out of 22,833 COVID-19 cases were linked to long-term care facilities in the state. That’s a rate of 16.9% — about six-and-a-half times greater than the 2.6% rate for the 3,148 deaths out of 122,917 COVID-19 cases in Illinois that are not linked to nursing homes. – Esther Yoon-Ji Kang – WBEZ
Federal Rules Complicate International Student Attendance At ISU
Illinois State University said Tuesday it is still assessing the impact of new rules issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that could prevent some international students from attending the school. ISU has averaged 400-500 international students the past couple of years. The university has tried to grow the number of students from other countries by creating agreements with other universities and by bolstering independent recruitment efforts. A university spokesperson said there are other issues under study as well, including the ability to travel to central Illinois from other countries. The spokesperson said ISU is communicating regularly with international students on a variety of issues. – Charlie Schlenker – WGLT