Afternoon Edition: July 8, 2020

International students at schools across Illinois, including the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, could be forced to leave under a new policy by the Trump Administration. | AP Photos

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 sunny and hot, with a high near 92 degrees and heat index values as high as 98 degrees (!), plus some scattered showers and thunderstorms in the mix. Tonight’s low will be around 75 degrees. Tomorrow’s high will also be 95 degrees. If you need a place to cool down, cooling centers are open across the city.

Top story

New Trump rule on foreign students leaves Illinois universities scrambling: ‘It hurts us … it hurts our students’

The removal of an exemption that allowed international students to remain enrolled in colleges in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic has left universities across the state scrambling to find ways to protect the more than 50,000 international students who study in Illinois from either being denied visas to return to the U.S. or facing deportation as soon as next month.

While the schools say they are concerned for the disruption to students’ education, universities could also see a huge loss in revenue: the country’s 1.1 million international students frequently pay tuition rates that are far higher than what in-state or even out-of-state American students pay.

Under the rule introduced Monday by the Trump Administration, students from foreign countries can no longer stay in the U.S. if they are attending a school that is only offering online courses next semester. The federal government has also laid out strict limitations on online coursework for students at schools offering a mix of in-person and remote learning — a hybrid model many schools have adopted because of the pandemic.

In some cases, international students will be allowed to take no more than a single online class next semester — a requirement that could send thousands of students home if they can’t get enough in-person courses.

Administration officials have defended the new rules as more flexible than current law under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which doesn’t allow international students to live in the U.S. while taking only online courses. But the exemption was put in place last spring after the pandemic forced many universities to close campuses and pivot to remote learning. Schools say it’s unfair to lift that exemption with the pandemic showing no signs of waning in most states across the country.

In Illinois, the new rules could have a big impact.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — which has nearly 13,500 foreign students, the most of any public university in the country — said in a statement yesterday that it was “reviewing the new guidance and will be communicating with impacted students directly as soon as possible.”

Officials at U. of I.’s Chicago campus said with the new rule, officials now have only a few weeks to figure out if their more than 4,000 international students — most of whom have already registered for classes and arranged for housing for next year — will be compliant.

“There are so many barriers being put up, and from our perspective, it makes no sense,” said Neal McCrillis, UIC’s Vice Provost for Global Affairs. “It hurts us, our institution, and it hurts our students.”

Read the full story from Manny Ramos and Jade Yan.

More news you need

1. As murders and shootings continue to surge in 2020, the Chicago Police Department is creating a new unit of officers who will be dispatched to especially violent areas across the city. Police said the new unit will aim “to tackle violent crime and create community partnerships in some of our most challenging areas.”
2. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is calling on the federal government to require face coverings and devise a national strategy to try to contain the virus that has killed more than 133,000 Americans. “It’s not too late for the federal government to make an impact,“ he said. “In fact, it’s more important than ever.”
3. Northside College Preparatory High School has elected to remove the police officer stationed in its building. The first-of-its-kind vote offers a potential preview of dozens of similar decisions likely to be considered in the coming weeks.
4. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn want to take the rare step of putting R&B singer R. Kelly on trial in front of an anonymous jury, arguing, in part, that the evidence will likely lead jurors to believe Kelly is “capable of inflicting violence.” The move is typically reserved for mob, terrorism or street gang cases.
5. United Airlines said up to 36,000 of its frontline U.S. employees, or about 45% of its domestic workforce, could lose their jobs Oct. 1. United is the first major U.S. airline to detail a massive downsizing due to the business decline related to the coronavirus.
6. Small, rural Scott County was known for being the only Illinois county without a single case of COVID-19. It lost that distinction last week when a 66-year-old woman was diagnosed with the virus. But even with the news, little has changed in the central Illinois county of 4,951.

A bright one

No tickets, no special portions as Taste of Chicago moves to storefronts and the cloud

The annual Taste of Chicago won’t be the same this year. But unlike lovers of other summer festivals that have been canceled or postponed due to the pandemic, Taste fans can still enjoy a “re-imagined” version of their favorite fête this week.

Starting today, foodies can experience Taste of Chicago To-Go, which includes offerings from 42 food trucks and brick-and-mortar restaurants, plus online events like cooking demonstrations and virtual concerts and dances.

The “Whadda Jerk Fry” from Chicago food truck “Whadda Jerk” is part of Taste’s 2020 lineup.

Local favorites like Arun’s Thai Restaurant, Billy Goat Tavern and Lou Malnati’s are among the nearly 50 restaurants participating. Some of the cooking demonstrations will be led by popular chefs like Sarah Grueneberg of Monteverde and Darnell Reed of Luella’s Southern Kitchen.

Hungry? With no pre-purchased tickets required and no “Taste portions” in sight, partakers in Taste of Chicago To-Go can order regular menu items online or visit the eateries and food trucks in person (while keeping their social distance, of course).

Read the full story from Evan F. Moore.

From the press box

The White Sox introduced a new initiative today that allows fans to buy a cardboard cutout of their likeness that will be displayed in the stands during the team’s series against the Twins from July 24-27. The cutouts cost $49 and all proceeds will go to White Sox Charities.

Bulls reporter Joe Cowley also continued to break down the upcoming NBA Draft by looking at this year’s point guards, including LaMelo Ball, Killian Hayes and Cole Anthony.

Your daily question ☕

Every summer, there’s a song that encompasses the season perfectly and tops the Billboard charts. What has been your anthem during this unique summer?

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 if you’d go swimming at beaches and pools if they were open. Here’s what some of you said…

“I would go to a pool to swim laps where you have a reservation to keep the numbers to a minimum, but hell no to any ‘free swims.’ I don’t really go to the beach because the lake is cold and sand is annoying.” — Shannon Heath Jeropke

“Yes, other states are open and are drawing large circles to promote social distancing. We could do the same or something similar.” —Elizabeth Sierzega

“No, I’m not taking any chances on getting sick. I’ll splash in my tub.” — Lillie Edwards

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