After weeks of defending a proposal to reopen Chicago Public Schools this fall, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPS CEO Janice Jackson announced Wednesday that the new school year will begin with remote learning instead.

They said the decision was based on public health guidelines and feedback from parents, and that the district will aim to move to a hybrid model, with schools reopened, in the second quarter.

The switch to an all-remote learning plan comes as teachers union leaders were planning to convene the organizations House of Delegates next week and consider a process that eventually could lead to a strike if CPS didnt agree to start the school year with full remote learning, sources said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Illinois health officials Wednesday reported 1,759 new known cases and 30 additional fatalities. The total number of known infections in Illinois now stands at 186,471 and the statewide confirmed death toll is 7,573.

Heres whats happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:

12:57 p.m.: Second stimulus check updates: Where things stand in high-level Washington talks on the huge coronavirus response bill

After more than a weeks worth of meetings, at least some clarity is emerging in the bipartisan Washington talks on a huge COVID-19 response bill.

An exchange of offers Tuesday and a meeting devoted to the U.S. Postal Service on Wednesday indicates a long slog remains, but the White House is offering some movement in House Speaker Nancy Pelosis direction on aid to states and local governments and unemployment insurance benefits. Multiple issues remain, but some areas of likely agreement are coming into focus.

12:55 p.m.: Touchless entry, ionizing HVAC: In the time of COVID-19, these 3 new luxury residences are making sure theyre outfitted for pandemic life.

It was a happy accident that Parkline Chicago, a forthcoming 26-story complex in the Loop, will feature a touchless experience for residents upon entry. As they walk through the front doors, onto the elevator and into their apartment or condo, they wont touch a thing.

Its one of the features that Parkline and two other new luxury residential developments in Chicago might have planned as a neat detail prior to 2020, but find to be much more vital in a world grappling with COVID-19. Co-working space, rooftop gardens teeming with produce and other amenities are increasingly considered essential for people who are spending more time at home for social distancing reasons.

In the cases ofParkline Chicago,PorteandThe Orchard, COVID-19 actually sped up project completion, because most construction was considered essential during the stay-at-home order, developers said. Now or soon to be on the market, these apartments, condos and town homes are a glimpse at what new developments might look like in the time of COVID-19.

12:24 p.m.: Illinois Holocaust Museum to hold annual fundraiser online this fall because of COVID-19

The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie announced Wednesday it plans to host its annual soiree virtually this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The event is free and scheduled for Sept. 2, according to a news release. The museums Womens Leadership Committee plans to stream it live from a studio and feature a musical performance by Katie Kadan, a Chicago native who was a 2019 finalist on NBCs The Voice, among others.

While we are sad that we cannot gather in person this year, we are excited to take the event virtual and feel it is the best way to continue raising funds to support the museums important work, the committees president, Juliet Gray, said in the release.

The benefit is the museums signature event and aims to raise funds to combat hatred, prejudice, and indifference, and to inspire others to speak out for whats right turning powerful lessons of history into positive actions today, according to the release. The museum recommends donations of $200 at the soiree.

12:05 p.m.: 1,759 new known COVID-19 cases, 30 additional deaths

Illinois health officials Wednesday reported 1,759 new known cases and 30 additional fatalities. The total number of known infections in Illinois now stands at 186,471 and the statewide confirmed death toll is 7,573. Within the past 24 hours, officials report 46,668 tests completed.

11:01 a.m.: New University of Chicago imaging center will aid COVID-19 research

University of Chicago Medicine plans to create a massive database of medical images of COVID-19 patients such as X-rays and CT scans that researchers can use to help them better understand and fight the illness, with support from a $20 million federal grant.

The images will be collected at a new center at the University of Chicago and be open source, meaning the material will be available to researchers around the world. The center expects to collect more than 10,000 images in its first three months.

This will speed up the sharing of new research on COVID-19, answering questions about COVID-19 presentation in the lungs, the efficacy of therapies, associations between COVID-19 and other co-morbidities, and monitoring for potential resurgence of the virus, Maryellen Giger, a professor of radiology at University of Chicago, said in a news release.

Giger will lead the center along with leaders from the American College of Radiology, the Radiological Society of North America and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

11 a.m.: CDC warns coronavirus measures could disrupt detection of rare, paralyzing polio-like disease in children

Health experts once thought 2020 might be the worst year yet for a rare paralyzing disease that has been hitting U.S. children for the past decade.

But they now say the coronavirus pandemic could disrupt the pattern for the mysterious illnesses, which spike every other year starting in late summer.

Scientists say its possible that mask wearing, school closures and others measures designed to stop spread of the coronavirus may also hamper spread of the virus suspected of causing the paralyzing disease.

Dr. David Kimberlin, a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, called it the million-dollar question.

"We just simply don't know right now," said Kimberlin, who is co-leader of a national study to gather specimens from children who develop the paralyzing condition.

The pandemic is dominating public health work right now, but officials are trying to draw attention to the polio-like condition they call acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday made a public call for parents and doctors to watch for it, and act.

10:55 a.m.: Joe Biden wont travel to Milwaukee for 2020 Democratic National Convention because of concerns over the coronavirus

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will not travel to Milwaukee to accept his partys White House nomination because of concerns over the coronavirus.

That's according to a Democrat with knowledge of the decision who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity to discuss planning.

The move is the latest example of the pandemics sweeping effects on the 2020 presidential election and the latest blow to traditional party nominating conventions that historically have marked the start of fall general election campaigns.

10:45 a.m.: Northwestern football workouts still on hold after a player tests positive for COVID-19, while Illinois will start camp Thursday

Northwestern football remains in pause stemming from a players positive COVID-19 test late last week, a school official told the Tribune on Wednesday.

As a result of its own strict protocols, Northwestern officials used contact tracing to determine that more than two dozen players needed to be quarantined. They will need to test negative to be released and cleared for workouts.

The Wildcats hope to return to the field by Friday, which is the allowable start date for a contact practice per NCAA rules.

NU is one of six Big Ten schools that has paused its football workouts, joining Ohio State, Maryland, Rutgers, Indiana and Michigan State.

9 a.m.: Chicago Public Schools shelves hybrid reopening plan, as officials announce remote learning plan for new school year

After weeks of defending a proposal to reopen Chicago Public Schools this fall, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPS CEO Janice Jackson announced Wednesday that the new school year will begin with remote learning instead.

They said the decision was based on public health guidelines and feedback from parents, and that the district will aim to move to a hybrid model, with schools reopened, in the second quarter.

The decision to begin the 2020-2021 CPS school year remotely during the first quarter is rooted in public health data and the invaluable feedback weve received from parents and families, Lightfoot said in a release. As we build out this remote learning model and seek to establish a hybrid learning model in the second quarter, we will continue to support and collaborate with parents and school leaders to create safe, sustainable learning environments for our students.

8:57 a.m.: Will movie theaters survive? Cinemark lost $170 million last quarter, but its optimistic.

The third largest movie theater company in the world has taken a nearly $230 million hit this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, but leadership at Cinemark and analysts are optimistic about the prospects of reopening theaters.

Plano, Texas-based Cinemark posted a loss of $170 million for the three-month period that ended June 30, telling investors Tuesday that it's "been working diligently to prepare for reopening our theatres within this new operating environment."

The companys second quarter results reveal just how deeply the coronavirus pandemic has threatened the movie theater industry.

8:30 a.m.: US companies pulled back on hiring in July, ADP payroll report says

U.S. businesses sharply reduced hiring last month, suggesting that resurgent COVID-19 infections slowed the economic recovery as many states closed parts of their economies again and consumers remained cautious about spending.

U.S. firms added just 167,000 jobs in July, payroll processor ADP said Wednesday, far below Junes gain of 4.3 million and Mays increase of 3.3 million. Julys limited hiring means that according to ADP the economy still has 13 million fewer jobs than it did in February, before the viral outbreak intensified.

ADPs figures suggest that the job markets recovery is stalling and will likely fuel concerns that the governments jobs report, to be released Friday, will show a similar slowdown.

7:27 a.m.: Virgin Atlantic, 49% owned by Delta, files for US bankruptcy protection

Virgin Atlantic, the airline founded by British businessman Richard Branson, filed Tuesday for protection in U.S. bankruptcy court as it tries to survive the virus pandemic that is hammering the airline industry.

The airline made the Chapter 15 filing in U.S. federal bankruptcy court in New York after a proceeding in the United Kingdom.

A spokeswoman for Virgin Atlantic said the bankruptcy filing is part of a court process in the United Kingdom to carry out a restructuring plan that the airline announced last month. The process is supported by a majority of the airline's creditors, and the company hopes to emerge from the process in September, she said.

A Virgin Atlantic lawyer said in a court filing that the company needs an order from a U.S. court to make terms of the restructuring apply in the U.S.

6:35 a.m.: Lightfoot, schools and health officials expected to make announcement on public schools

Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Public Schools chief Janice Jackson and city Health Commissioner Allison Arwady were scheduled to make an announcement Wednesday morning regarding the 2020-2021 school year, according to the mayors office.

The Tribune reported Tuesday that CPS planned to announce as soon as Wednesday that the school district would start the school year with all-remote learning. The move comes as the Chicago Teachers Union planned to hold a meeting of its House of Delegates next week, in preparation for a possible strike if the Chicago Board of Education were to go through with a plan to begin school in-person, while allowing parents to opt for remote learning.

6 a.m.: As COVID-19 keeps university fall plans in doubt, community colleges see boost as affordable option closer to home

In some ways, community colleges are better equipped to weather the coronavirus pandemic than traditional four-year universities. Unlike larger institutions, community colleges dont rely on revenue from residence halls which will plummet if students dont return to campus for fear of getting sick.

And local two-year colleges could become more appealing to families who dont want to pay top-dollar tuition for virtual instruction. Very few universities are discounting the cost of attendance despite offering most classes online.

Over the summer, several community colleges in Illinois including College of Lake County, Harper College in Palatine and College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn reported upticks in enrollment. Now, the colleges are watching to see if that trend continues for fall.

Madeleine Rhyneer, vice president and dean of enrollment at the education research firm EAB, said the numbers will likely fluctuate until classes start next month and students are forced to make final decisions.

If a bunch of students who are committed to four-year schools in the next three weeks say, You know what? Im just not doing that. Im going to defer for a year ... or Im going to withdraw and reapply a year from now or six months from now, then I think we definitely could see a bump in community college enrollments, Rhyneer said.

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COVID-19 in Illinois updates: Heres whats happening Wednesday - Chicago Tribune