Illinois news

• Chicago named the rat capital of the country for the third consecutive year, and other news

  17-10-2017 13:00 via Chicago Reader
  Welcome to the Reader's morning briefing for Tuesday, October 17, 2017.…
  
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• #MeToo Sheds Light On Sexual Assault Victims

  17-10-2017 10:32 via The Chicago Defender
  To be completely honest, as a boy growing up, I had no idea that so many women had experienced sexual assault, rape or intimidation. I thought that it was only a select few or celebrities that were “in that life.” Now, I’d be surprised if I could find a single one who hadn’t.
  With more than 30 women coming out against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, on Sunday afternoon, actress Alyssa Milano used her Twitter account to encourage women who’d been sexually harass
  
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• The Daily Show live, and more of the best things to do in Chicago this week

  16-10-2017 23:03 via Chicago Reader
  Here are some of the events we recommend this week:…
  
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• Will the soda tax repeal be the start of a new day?

  16-10-2017 22:25 via Austin Weekly News
  Ding dong, the tax is dead, the soda pop tax, the pop tax is dead. Ding dong the wicked tax is dead! Read More...
  
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• West Siders voice worries about gun violence

  16-10-2017 22:23 via Austin Weekly News
  Lifelong Austin resident Jessica LaShawn was walking with two of her teenage students by her home near North and Central avenues on a recent Saturday when they heard the sound of gun fire. Read More...
  
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• The amazing arrogance of white supremacy

  16-10-2017 22:21 via Austin Weekly News
  The dog whistle language of racism in America can no longer be categorized as a dog whistle. Read More...
  
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• New Moms getting new digs

  16-10-2017 22:18 via Austin Weekly News
  New Moms, Inc., a West Side-based nonprofit that provides transitional housing for low-income mothers is planning to build a four-story building at 206-212 Chicago Ave. Read More...
  
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• County cans soda tax

  16-10-2017 22:16 via Austin Weekly News
  The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted 15-1 on Oct. 11 to repeal the deeply unpopular sweetened beverage tax. Read More...
  
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• A march for Anthony Clark

  16-10-2017 21:58 via Austin Weekly News
  Iesha Oliver-Hollins, an Austin activist, was in Oak Park on Saturday to support Anthony Clark Read More...
  
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• New police oversight body reaches out

  16-10-2017 21:56 via Austin Weekly News
  The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which replaced Independent  Read More...
  
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• No budget cuts for 11 Austin schools

  16-10-2017 21:50 via Austin Weekly News
  More than half of Austin's public schools had fewer students enroll than expected, but none will see their budgets cut. Read More...
  
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• Joe Maddon compares MLB plate collision rule to overturned soda tax, and other Chicago news

  16-10-2017 16:30 via Chicago Reader
  Welcome to the Reader's morning briefing for Monday, October 16, 2017.…
  
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• Morehouse College Names New President

  16-10-2017 15:38 via The Chicago Defender
  The Morehouse College Board of Trustees voted Sunday to name Dr. David A. Thomas as the 12thPresident of Morehouse College, ushering in a new era of leadership for the 150-year-old historically black institution. Dr. Thomas is the H. Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and the former Dean of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
  Thomas’ appointment ends a six-month period of leadership transition at the College that beg
  
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• What Trump Supporters Hear About Health Care

  16-10-2017 15:31 via Illinois
  There is a theme: A misconception about how insurance works.
  
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• How to Win Against Big Soda

  16-10-2017 01:57 via Illinois
  Taxing sugary drinks requires public education and grass-roots organizing.
  
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• PARENTS OUTRAGED AT SLAVERY-SIMULATION GAME IN PHOENIX SCHOOL

  15-10-2017 21:32 via The Chicago Defender
  A summary of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Humanities funded Misson US says it “immerses players in rich, historical settings” and “empowers them to make choices that illuminate how ordinary people experienced the past,” but some parents and advocates are saying it trivializes the most violent history the world has experienced.
  One of its simulations, Mission US: Flight to Freedom has students play as 14-year-old Lucy King, an
  
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• No Drama At Howard University Over Cheerleaders Taking A Knee During Anthem

  15-10-2017 20:01 via The Chicago Defender
  The Kennesaw State University community in Georgia is having a divisive debate after five football cheerleaders kneeling during the national anthem on Sept. 30, in solidarity with NFL players who are bringing awareness to racial injustice.
  According to The New York Times, cheerleaders at Howard University began kneeling during the anthem since September 2016, when quarter Colin Kaepernick launched his controversial protest. Unlike the Kennesaw cheerleaders, there’s been no drama at th
  
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• David Clarke Bashes Hillary Clinton Over Her Reaction To Harvey Weinstein’s Sex Abuse Scandal

  15-10-2017 17:31 via The Chicago Defender
  During an appearance in a segment on “Fox & Friends” Saturday, controversial former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke criticized Hillary Clinton for her reaction to sexual abuse allegations against film executive Harvey Weinstein, Fox News Insider, reports.
  David Clarke Cries Foul on Hillary's Weinstein Response: 'Her Ethics Elevator Has No Bottom Floor' https://t.co/gPCxcKsToq
  — Fox News (@FoxNews) October 14, 2017Clarke said Clinton is more concerned ab
  
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• Obama Surprises Chicago Students During Civic Engagement Workshop

  15-10-2017 16:18 via The Chicago Defender
  Students from Chicago who participated in a program organized by Barack Obama’s foundation, received a surprise visit from the former president himself on Saturday evening, the Chicago Tribune reports.
  Former President Obama makes surprise appearance at his foundation’s first program initiative for youths https://t.co/zq8VBEL956 pic.twitter.com/51jvyx35Yh
  — Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) October 15, 2017Nearly 175 participants, who gathered at the Gary Comer Youth Center in
  
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• The Rohingya Who Made It to Chicago

  14-10-2017 21:58 via Illinois
  Muslims persecuted in Myanmar find a haven in Rogers Park.
  
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• Got a sweet tooth? Celebrate National Dessert Day Oct.14

  14-10-2017 14:04 via The Chicago Defender
  We all love a delectable treat! Celebrate National Dessert Day on Saturday, October 14 with great deals at your favorite sweet spots.
  Please read all coupon details and call your local store to make sure the offer is eligible for your location.
  Baskin Robbins – Check out these great deals:
  Free scoop when you download the Baskin Robbins App (Excludes waffle cones)
  New for fall: get a small Cappuccino Blast for $2.99 through OctoberBen & Jerry’s –&nb
  
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• Rahm’s police academy plan met with youth-led backlash from #NoCopAcademy campaign

  14-10-2017 03:39 via Chicago Reader
  As rain pelted the Fullerton el platform on Tuesday night, two dozen young people boarded a southbound Red Line train with printed and hand-drawn signs.…
  
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• The Cubs Are Going Back To Cali! Face NLCS Rematch vs Dodgers

  13-10-2017 22:11 via The Chicago Defender
  The Cubs Are Going Back To Cali! Face NLCS Rematch vs Dodgers (John L. Alexander/ The Bigs Visuals)
  CHICAGO — Exhale Cubs fans!If you thought getting that 108 year-old chip off your shoulder would mean less stressful October baseball then think again. It took all five games of the NLDS but the road to back-to-back World Series Championships rages on after a thrilling 9-8 Game 5 “W” over those (G)Nats from DC.
  The Cubs, a team never short on confidence, were not shy about how di
  
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• Trump Weakens Obamacare: 3 Things Black Folks Need To Know

  13-10-2017 21:55 via The Chicago Defender
  In his unending effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act—President Barack Obama‘s signature legislation—Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order that effectively begins the long process of repealing and replacing the hard-won measure.
  Here are three things to know:
  1.The Affordable Care Act is still the law
  The executive order, not buttressed by law, stops about $7 billion in subsidies or scheduled payments to insurance companies that help lower deductibles for low
  
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• Jump into an ocean of mezcal during Mexico in a Bottle

  13-10-2017 21:49 via Chicago Reader
  If you haven't yet dove into the growing river of mezcal that's been flowing north from Mexico in the last few years, you have an opportunity this Sunday, October 15, to get very wet when Mexico in a Bottle returns to the Chop Shop. That's a daylong tasting of more than 100 mezcals and other agave spirits, including racilla, bacanora, tuxca, and even a couple Mexican rums.…
  
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• Open House Chicago, and more of the best things to do in Chicago this weekend

  13-10-2017 21:33 via Chicago Reader
  Here's some of the goings-on about town we recommend for your weekend:
  …
  
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• The foodways of Chicago’s new immigrants

  13-10-2017 21:06 via Chicago Reader
  Newcomers from five countries discuss the differences between eating here and in their homelands, where they dine out and shop for ingredients, what kinds of adaptations they’ve had to make, and which American foods they’re learning to love. Chicago is a sanctuary city.…
  
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• They’re in town as sidemen, but Fabian Almazan and Jason Rigby shine as leaders on their own recent records

  13-10-2017 20:58 via Chicago Reader
  Powerhouse drummer Mark Guiliana gives two performances with his agile quartet Sunday night at Constellation (the first show sold out, so a second has been added at 10 PM). His terrific band features players who lead their own projects, and two of them, Cuban-born pianist Fabian Almazan and Cleveland-based saxophonist Jason Rigby, have released strong records this year that illustrate their range—their approaches are very different from the fusion-informed rhythmic aggression and comp
  
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• Starbucks doesn’t compare to Ukrainian coffee

  13-10-2017 20:02 via Chicago Reader
  “But American food? I love it! I like burgers, fries, chicken fingers, and cheese sticks,” Anna Tsymbaliuk says. Anna Tsymbaliuk, 31, works as a babysitter and takes ESL classes at Truman College.…
  
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• In praise of The Conformist, one of the greatest-looking movies ever made

  13-10-2017 19:57 via Chicago Reader
  On Monday at 9:30 PM, Doc Films will present a 35-millimeter print of Bernardo Bertolucci's The Conformist (1970). One of the greatest-looking movies ever made, it's easily the most important revival screening in town this week. It remains a career best for cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, who also shot Apocalypse Now and Warren Beatty's Reds.…
  
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• A Mexican immigrant awed by the abundance of American grocery stores

  13-10-2017 19:46 via Chicago Reader
  “Sometimes I like to go to the stores here just to see the quantity of products that you can choose,” Elizabeth Franco says. Elizabeth Franco, 31, moved to Chicago from Mexico City in 2015.…
  
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• These Armenian-Iraqi immigrants tried tacos for the first time in Chicago

  13-10-2017 19:03 via Chicago Reader
  "She likes them, I don't." A century ago, Krikor Sarkees's grandparents fled the Armenian genocide and settled in Baghdad, Iraq, where Krikor would eventually be born.…
  
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• An Ethiopian mom introduced her kids to KFC, but they'd rather eat Indian

  13-10-2017 18:54 via Chicago Reader
  “Because we have similar spices, similar flavors, Indian and Pakistani food makes sense for Ethiopians,” Tigist Tesfaw says. Until arriving in the U.S. in 2013, Tigist Tesfaw, 51, was an attorney in Ethiopia and ran a large social service agency for survivors of gender-based violence.…
  
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• Why The Question Of Trump’s Mental Fitness May Be Better Than Impeachment

  13-10-2017 18:38 via The Chicago Defender
  Chatter in mainstream and social media about Donald Trump‘s mental fitness for office appears to be growing louder and louder amid his threats of nuclear war against North Korea, challenging Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to an IQ Test, and provoking a Twitter fight with Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, calling him, um, “Liddle Bob Corker.” Yes, the president of the United States tweeted that.
  The Failing @nytimes set Liddle' Bob Corker up by recording
  
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• Cooking Congolese cuisine without recipes

  13-10-2017 18:23 via Chicago Reader
  “If I write it down that would be American food,” Francine Maombi says. Francine Maombi, 30, settled in Chicago a little more than a decade ago.…
  
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• It Only Took 13 Years for Facebook to Consider Hiring a Black Board Member

  13-10-2017 18:21 via The Chicago Defender
  Thirteen may be a lucky number after all. That’s how many years it took for Facebook to consider adding a Black member to its board of directors, Mashable reported. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer who famously told women that the way to fight gender discrimination was to “lean in,” told members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday that the company was committed to bringing in a Black board member.
  “All Lives Splatter”;: Sheriff Apo
  
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• Rep. John Lewis Responds to Audit Results and Mismanagement of Georgia’s Foreclosure Funds

  13-10-2017 17:40 via The Chicago Defender
   
  In 2016, Rep. John Lewis asked the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program  to audit the state-run Hardest Hit Fund, TARP’s primary federal foreclosure mitigation program in Atlanta. Today, SIGTARP released its final audit which revealed statewide mismanagement by Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs, which is the state’s housing finance agency and Treasury’s HHF contractor.
  Known locally in Georgia as the HomeSafe program, HHF pro
  
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• New Travel Ban Listing Important U.S. Ally Stumps Area Experts

  13-10-2017 16:10 via The Chicago Defender
  African countries working with the U.S. to defeat terrorism are questioning why Chad has been added to the latest group of countries excluded under the U.S. travel ban.
  The addition of Chad took that country’s government by surprise and bewildered analysts of Central Africa.
  For years, the United States and its European allies have praised the central African nation of Chad as a helpful partner in the fight against terrorism, noted the Washington Post. Chad has been a longtime American all
  
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• September’s Unemployment Rate for Black Men Declined, but Still Twice as High as White Men

  13-10-2017 15:49 via The Chicago Defender
  September’s jobless rate for the Black men 20 years old and older dropped, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported.
  The unemployment rate for Black men in this age group was 6.7 percent compared to 7.8 percent in August, BLS said. Despite the dramatic improvement, Black men’s jobless rate was still much higher compared to White  men (3.4 percent) and Hispanic men (4.0 percent). BLS did not report a jobless rate for the Asian men 20 and older.
  However, the labor partici
  
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• NEW EXHIBIT: All Black Everything

  13-10-2017 15:35 via The Chicago Defender
   South Fulton County Art Center will debut a new art exhibition titled ALL BLACK EVERYTHING on October 13th. All Black Everything is a glorification of blackness in the literal sense of the phrase. Although there is often a certain stigma that surrounds the color black, this exhibition aims to explore the psychological implications of our fundamental relationship with the color.
  “Black has a curious mystique that is usually associated with the unknown or the ominous, but it also repre
  
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• Louis Carr’s “Dirty Little Secrets” Conference Seeks to Empower Men

  13-10-2017 14:56 via The Chicago Defender
  Chicago-born “Renaissance Man” Louis Carr  seeks to change the culture for men in Chicago through his multi-layered men’s conference entitled, “Louis Carr Presents: Dirty Little Secrets | Men Only Edition,” at the Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile, 633 N. Saint Clair St., on both Friday, Oct. 13 and Saturday, Oct.14.
  Media guru, Louis Carr
  Alhough Carr’s day job is president of Media Sales at Black Entertainment Television (BET) Networks, his resume
  
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• Apple VP of Diversity Says White Men Can Be Diverse, Too

  13-10-2017 13:12 via The Chicago Defender
   
  Apple’s first Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion recently told an audience at One Young World Summit in Bogotá, Colombia that diversity was for everyone. Denise Young Smith has worked at Apple for 20 years, and “will lead a team responsible for improving Apple’s diversity figures and ensuring the company’s hiring practices and retention is open and inclusive,” Quartz Media reported.
  The audience shouldn’t conflate “di
  
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• Former Manishevitz front man Adam Busch debuts as Adam Ostrar with a lovely but uneasy new album

  13-10-2017 03:05 via Chicago Reader
  It's not unusual to have your identity stolen on the Internet. What happened to Adam Busch is a little less common, a lot less sinister, and a bit more complicated.…
  
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• Democratic Candidate Ameya Pawar Drops From Illinois Governor’s Race

  13-10-2017 01:03 via The Chicago Defender
  Alderman Ameya Pawar has officially dropped out of the Illinois governor’s race. The 47th Ward alderman ran a solid platform addressing racial disparity, social injustice and fighting for fair economic empowerment among the middle class. Bringing on Cairo mayor, Tyrone Coleman as his running mate for lieutenant governor in late August was considered the first multicultural pairing to run for the state’s highest public office.  Pawar, the son of Asian Indian immigrants was t
  
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• Tuba player Dan Peck makes doom metal sound frisky with his trio the Gate

  12-10-2017 23:17 via Chicago Reader
  I've said it before, but few instruments get less respect than the tuba—not only is it unwieldy to play, but most folks associate it strictly with oompah music or marching bands. Obviously the tuba also has a long history in symphonies, and over the decades a few exemplary explorers have played it in improvised and avant-garde contexts, among them jazz artists Ray Draper, Bob Stewart, and Jose Davila and less categorizable experimenters Robin Hayward and Martin Taxt.…
  
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• Drake, Bruno Mars Lead 2018 American Music Awards Nominations

  12-10-2017 18:53 via The Chicago Defender
  It’s that time of year again, as the nominees for the 2018 American Music Awards have just been announced and it’s a round-up of the usual chart-toppers, with Drake and Bruno Mars leading the way.
  Source: TIMOTHY A. CLARY / GettyAll you have to do is turn on the radio at any given moment and you’ll likely hear Drake and Bruno Mars dominating the airwaves multiple times a day, which is why it comes as little surprise that two of music’s biggest stars have the most nominati
  
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• The 2017 Chicago International Film Festival, reviewed

  12-10-2017 18:30 via Chicago Reader
  Watching the watchers at the Chicago International Film Festival The 53rd Chicago International Film Festival runs Thursday, October 12, through Thursday, October 26, offering itself up to the city with the slogan "Because Life Is a Movie."…
  
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• Shonda Rhimes Among Inductees For 2018 TV Hall Of Fame

  12-10-2017 17:54 via The Chicago Defender
  She’s the reigning Queen of TV and now Shonda Rhimes will forever be immortalized for her tremendous contributions to the world of scripted television. It was recently announced that the prolific TV titan will be inducted into the TV Hall Of Fame.
  Shonda Rhimes, Original ‘SNL’ Cast Among TV Hall Of Fame Inductees https://t.co/0UMAUxvfuq pic.twitter.com/vOGVbmFRbU
  — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) October 12, 2017As her groundbreaking series Scandal enters its final season
  
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• Amazon Hiring for Over 120,000 Holiday Season Jobs

  12-10-2017 17:47 via The Chicago Defender
  Every year, thousands of holiday positions lead to regular, full-time roles with the company
  Amazon today announced that it will create more than 120,000 positions this season across its U.S. network of fulfillment centers, sortation centers and customer service sites. Last year, thousands of holiday positions were transitioned to regular, full-time roles after the holidays and the company expects to continue that trend this year.
  “We prepare year round for the holidays and we&rs
  
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• Andy Cohen To Co-Host CNN New Year’s Eve, Replacing Kathy Griffin

  12-10-2017 17:02 via The Chicago Defender
  Even though Halloween is still a few weeks away, the time has come to already start thinking about your New Year’s Eve plans. If you plan to stay home and ring in 2018 CNN has you covered, as the network just announced the new co-host for its New Year’s Eve telecast—Bravo network head honcho Andy Cohen.
  Source: Bravo / GettyThe decision to select a new co-host for CNN’s annual NYE celebration comes after comedienne Kathy Griffin was promptly fired earlier this year as a r
  
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