Hal Dardick
chicagotribune.com
Germany
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Past articles by Hal:
Tallying up indoor dining ban fines: Chicago dinged restaurant, bar owners; suburban counties issued warnings
While Chicago levied hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines on bars, restaurants and other businesses for violating COVID-19 restrictions during the pandemic’s first year, suburban county governments largely let scofflaws off the hook, a Tribune review of public records found. → Read More
The power of mRNA, the threat of mutations and the difficulty of the last mile — things we’ve learned about COVID-19 at the year mark
Things we’ve learned about COVID-19 a year into pandemic. → Read More
New Cook County property assessments continue to shift tax burden from homeowners to businesses in south suburbs
Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi continues to shift property tax burden from homeowners to businesses in south suburbs → Read More
Thousands of languishing vacant and abandoned properties with unpaid taxes harm Black neighborhoods and suburbs. Cook County treasurer says program aimed at fixing the problem is not working.
Thousands of properties with unpaid taxes are languishing on the South Side, south suburbs. The Cook County treasurer says a key program aimed at helping is broken. → Read More
Contact tracing in Illinois may not slow the coronavirus much. But the data is helping guide state decisions.
The information gleaned by contact tracers is feeding a growing database that Gov. J.B. Pritzker has cited as a guide in making decisions about pandemic restrictions. → Read More
With final tweaks, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s $6.9 billion budget wins approval
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s $6.9 billion budget for 2021 won the approval of commissioners Tuesday on a 17-0 vote after a series of final adjustments, including reallocating money to keep open a health clinic at Mort East High School in Cicero. → Read More
Should you get tested for COVID-19 before your Thanksgiving gathering? Here’s what the experts say.
Experts have mixed opinions about whether pre-holiday COVID-19 testing could make gatherings safer, but some families are considering it. → Read More
Chicago-area voters shatter records as they cast ballots with ‘a sense of hope and purpose’
Chicago-area voters shatter records as they cast ballots with ‘a sense of hope and purpose’ → Read More
Illinois is nearing its contact tracing hiring goal. Is it too late?
As Illinois finally nears its goal of employing 3,800 people to track down and warn the contacts of people infected with COVID-19, experts say that number may no longer be sufficient to help control the virus. → Read More
Antibody drug tested in Cook County may be helpful to some COVID-19 patients, results show
A new antibody-based drug shows promise in treating outpatients who have mild to severe COVID-19, according to initial results of research conducted in part at Cook County Health and Northwestern University. → Read More
Feel like your property taxes are climbing higher than your other bills? New 20-year study shows you’re right.
In the past 20 years, the total annual amount of property taxes billed by local governments in Cook County increased at nearly three times the rate of inflation, according to a new study out of the county treasurer’s office. → Read More
Researchers surprised: 20% of Chicagoans in blood-test study came up positive for coronavirus antibodies
Researchers surprised: 20% of Chicagoans in blood-test study came up positive for coronavirus antibodies → Read More
A national group studied commercial property tax assessments in Cook County under the last assessor, Joe Berrios. The results were not pretty.
A national group studied commercial property tax assessments in Cook County under the last assessor, Joe Berrios. The results were not pretty. → Read More
Cook County health department announces plans to spend up to $5.4M fighting COVID-19 in most-affected areas
The Cook County Department of Public Health announced Friday it is planning to spend up to $5.4 million to educate people about contact tracing, provide services to quarantined and isolated suburban county residents and facilitate setting up more COVID-19 testing sites. → Read More
Silent spreaders and long haulers. Aerosols and protocols. 10 things science has learned about COVID-19 in less than a year.
Here are a few things that science has learned — so far — about the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and the disease it causes. → Read More
Illinois Senate President Don Harmon’s office subpoenaed by feds who wanted information on land parcel in Chinatown
Add Illinois Senate President Don Harmon’s office to the long list of organizations, politicians, lobbyists and others subpoenaed in a wide-ranging federal probe that has already led to a series of political corruption charges and convictions. → Read More
Volunteers start getting COVID-19 vaccine at UIC as part of large clinical trial
Volunteers start getting COVID-19 vaccine at UIC as part of large clinical trial. → Read More
A COVID-19 vaccine that is safe, effective and available: How do we get there?
Effective COVID-19 vaccine is the great hope. How do we get there? → Read More
Record $926 million flows into controversial Chicago TIF districts, more than a third of city property taxes
Chicago's controversial special property tax districts this year are expected to bring in a record $926 million, accounting for more than a third of the city's property tax collections. → Read More
In search for COVID-19 treatments, consumer group pushes drugmaker Gilead to test alternative to remdesivir
The pharmaceutical company that makes remdesivir — the only medication to receive emergency authorization to fight COVID-19 — should also be conducting human trials on a related drug with strong potential, according to a citizen advocacy group → Read More