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Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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With all four regions of the state as defined under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s phased-in reopening plan slated to advance to the next stage Friday, the state rolled out detailed guidance Sunday for what precautions restaurants and bars need to have in place to be able to serve customers outdoors, how manufacturers and some offices can resume operations with restrictions and how barbers can offer those badly needed haircuts.
The industry-specific guidance the state released Sunday for the sectors of the state’s economy that will see loosened restrictions in the third phase of the governor’s plan provides a glimpse at a gradual return to normalcy after more than two months under a stay-at-home order meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The Illinois legislature’s historic pandemic-driven special session ended in overtime early Sunday morning after lawmakers approved a maintenance-level $40 billion state budget that depends heavily on federal funds and made another effort to get a Chicago casino off the ground.
The record-setting spring rains that pummeled the Chicago region this May overwhelmed northern Illinois rivers, knocked out power to Willis Tower, filled Lake Michigan to the brim and forced thousands of residents to tackle soaked basements, muck-covered yards and damaged foundations.
The renovation and reinvention of the old Cook County Hospital is a triumph of historic preservation, one that should resonate far beyond the walls of the beloved Beaux-Arts landmark on Chicago’s Near West Side, writes Tribune architecture critic, Blair Kamin.
More than a thousand local Muslims celebrated Eid al-Fitr — the holiday marking the end of the month of Ramadan fasting — at a drive-up gathering Sunday at the Mecca Center in southwest suburban Willowbrook.
