Illinois news

• Old Strangers

  12-01-2022 23:29 via chicagoreader.com
  
  In Old Strangers, sometimes friends from the past are best left there. Longtime pals Michael (Ted Evans), Sarah (Madeleine Humphries), and Danny (Colton Eschief Mastro) escape their LA coronavirus lockdown doldrums and reunite for a remote vacation weekend in Big Bear, California. When they encounter a series of mysterious objects in the woods, Danny’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic as Michael and Sarah start to fear for their safety.Old Strangers doesn’t suffer from the typi
  
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• France

  12-01-2022 23:16 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Léa Seydoux gives a rousing performance in this undecipherable treatise on media and celebrity by French writer-director (and unapologetic provocateur) Bruno Dumont, whose films generally evade easy classification. Seydoux stars as France de Meurs, a broadcast journalist fearless in her craft—and just as fearless in her audacity to perform in and even direct already harrowing news stories as if she were staging a dramatic fiction. It’s only after she hits a young man on a sco
  
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• The 355

  12-01-2022 23:06 via chicagoreader.com
  
  The 355 is the epitome of a popcorn movie. The cast alone, which includes Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong’o, Penélope Cruz, and Bingbing Fan, is enough to hook an audience. Add to that action sequences where the weapon of choice is a spiked heel to the head, and it’s easy to reel in viewers. And that’s what Simon Kinberg’s The 355 wants, to bring its audience to the surface where badass women beating baddies worldwide is entertaining, and anything dee
  
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• Stateville prison water testing did not follow federal regulations

  12-01-2022 22:16 via chicagoreader.com
  
  An independent water-quality assessment conducted in November 2021 at one of Illinois’s largest prisons did not follow federal regulations despite concerns over high levels of contamination.  Last month, Injustice Watch reported on the acute water crisis at Stateville Correctional Center that left people incarcerated there with filthy tap water. The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) hired an outside company, Andrews Engineering Inc., to conduct an independent test and an
  
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• A new, deadly COVID outbreak in an Illinois prison

  12-01-2022 22:04 via chicagoreader.com
  
  This article was co-published with the Prison Journalism Project.  Just as the coronavirus is spreading again throughout the country, people at Stateville Correctional Center in Illinois have been getting sick too. On December 31, a team of officers escorted medical staff from outside to administer COVID-19 tests to all the prisoners here. When they came back on January 2 to administer another round of tests, an outside tester told me that the last round had resulted in 140 priso
  
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• Before American slasher movies, there was giallo

  12-01-2022 22:00 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Are you searching for a respite from the Chicago cold this winter? Look no further. This January, Cinematic Void, the Los Angeles cult film series based at the American Cinematheque, has expanded its popular “January Giallo” film program by partnering with the Music Box Theatre’s Music Box of Horrors to bring moviegoers a weekly escape into the stylish subgenre. Since 2017, January Giallo has celebrated the subgenre of Italian cinema popular in the 70s and 80s, known for
  
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• Zo! and Tall Black Guy Create Magic with “Abstractions”

  12-01-2022 21:26 via chicagodefender.com
  
  When it comes to innovative takes on R&B, you cannot go wrong with Zo! and Tall Black Guy. What happens when these two guys collaborate? You get an album like Abstractions.
  The album showcases the undeniable chemistry between the musicians while inviting a whole host of their friends — including Phonte, Divinity, Omar, Josh Milan, and many more to play alongside them. The duo performs tonight at City Winery in Chicago and spoke to the Chicago Defender about tonight’s show and the
  
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• Ayesha Curry Addresses Rumors That She’s In An Open Relationship

  12-01-2022 20:00 via chicagodefender.com
  Photo: Getty Images
  Ayesha Curry is setting the record straight about her marriage.
  On Monday (January 10) the cookbook author responded in the comment section of an Instagram post refuting claims that she and her husband NBA All-Star Steph Curry are in an open relationship.
  The post featured Steph’s most recent GQ cover shoot, which she captioned, “Good gracious God almighty @stephencurry30 my baby’s @gq cover shoot.”
  Multiple people took to the comments to ask Ayesha ab
  
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• History-Making Quarters Featuring Maya Angelou Ship Out To Banks Across US

  12-01-2022 19:56 via chicagodefender.com
  Photo: Getty Images
  Quarters featuring poet Maya Angelou are officially in circulation. The US Mint announced Monday (January 10) that the history-making quarters shipped out to banks across the US.
  Maya Angelou is the first Black woman to be featured on a US quarter.
  The design featuring the late poet laureate and author is the first in the “American Women Quarters Program” which will put out multiple quarters featuring trailblazing women in American history over the next four years
  
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• Lizzo Flaunts Her Flawless Face While Recovering From Major Hangover

  12-01-2022 19:52 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Photo: Getty Images
  You can count on Lizzo to keep it all the way honest about feeling disheveled after a fun night of drinking. The “Truth Hurts” singer donned a multicolored robe and and high, braided ponytail as she served face for her millions of followers to see. She captioned the flawless face photos:
  “Venus is retrograde and so is my hangover.’)
  Lizzo’s serene pics comes just days after the Grammy Award winning star danced around her bathroom in a bodysuit a
  
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• TV Producer P. Frank Williams talks The Source Magazine, Tupac, and TV One’s ‘Unsung’

  12-01-2022 19:35 via chicagodefender.com
  In this episode, Emmy and 8-time NAACP Image award-winning television Executive Producer P. Frank Williams breaks down how his passion for journalism and hip-hop took him from the Los Angeles Times to The Source Magazine to producing television to earning TV writing/producing credits which include the NAACP Image Awards on NBC, BET Honors, BET Hip Hop Awards, BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards on FOX and the 2005 Hip Hop Honors on VH1. He was on NBC’s Emmy winning team for the 2004 Olympics in
  
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• Off-Duty Cop Fatally Shoots Black Man ‘Just Walking Home’

  12-01-2022 19:27 via chicagodefender.com
  Photo: Getty Images
  Members of the Fayetteville, North Carolina community gathered for protests over the weekend after an off-duty police officer shot and killed a Black man who, according to an eye witness, was “just walking home.”
  On Saturday (January 8), Cumberland County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffrey Hash shot and killed 37-year-old Jason Walker as he walked along Bingham Drive.
  Initial reports made by police claimed Walker ran into traffic and jumped on Hash’s vehicle, bu
  
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• More Than 1,700 Members Of Congress Enslaved Black People: Report

  12-01-2022 19:03 via chicagodefender.com
  Photo: Getty Images
  Surprising may not be the best word to describe this American history fact verified by The Washington Post, but it certainly is shockingly telling about this country’s past (and present).
  According to a database compiled by the publication, more than 1,700 members of Congress enslaved Black people at some point in history. Throughout the 18th, 19th and even 20th centuries, people elected to represent states and shape federal law were actively participating in the instit
  
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• NBA And Black Girl Ventures Are Looking For Young Black Entrepreneurs

  12-01-2022 18:58 via chicagodefender.com
  Photo: Getty Images
  Attention entrepreneurs and HBCU students! Here’s a partnership you should know about.
  Black Girl Ventures, in partnership with the NBA, is seeking to invest in the next generation of Black entrepreneurs. Launched back in August, the BGV NextGen program is looking for 25 young entrepreneurs currently attending an HBCU to bring their business plan to life.
  The program aims to “change the playing field for Black and Brown women-identifying founders while closing the
  
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• Nelly Responds To Woman Who Says She Returned His $300K, He Gave her $100

  12-01-2022 18:48 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Photo: Getty Images
  Things are heating up for Nelly on social media after a woman claims she returned his lost $300K in a duffle bag, and he rewarded her with just $100. A friend of the unnamed woman joked about the incident in an Instagram video, sharing:
  “WE UP HERE AT THE BOWLING ALLEY, SHE FOUND NELLY BAG, IT HAD $300,000 IN IT. AND THEN WHAT SHE DO? SHE GAVE IT BACK. AND WHAT THEY GIVE YOU? TELL ’EM WHAT THEY GIVE YOU! They gave her $100 f***ing dollars. Donkey of the Day! They
  
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• Tucker Carlson Uses A Deceased Michael Jackson To Mock Nancy Pelosi

  12-01-2022 17:24 via chicagodefender.com
  Photo: Getty Images
  Tucker Carlson‘s latest antics left some Twitter users in shock after he used a deceased Michael Jackson to mock House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
  “Michael Jackson was spotted on live television over the weekend,” the Fox News anchor tweeted Monday afternoon (January 10), captioning a clip of his weekend segment.
  “You may have found yourself idly flipping the TV dial. And if you flipped far enough, you could have had the shock of your life,” Carlson sa
  
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• New Orleans Reinstates Indoor Mask Mandate Ahead Of Mardi Gras Celebrations

  12-01-2022 17:19 via chicagodefender.com
  Photo: Getty Images
  New Orleans has officially reinstated an indoor mask mandate ahead of its busy Carnival season.
  According to NOLA.com, the mandate was announced Tuesday (January 11) and goes into effect Wednesday morning (January 12) at 6:00 a.m.
  The policy states that masks must be worn in all indoor spaces, except private residences and is expected to last throughout Mardi Gras celebrations and Carnival which runs through February, per New Orleans Health Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno who s
  
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• Biden Says The Battle For Voting Rights Is Not Over During Atlanta Speech [Video]

  12-01-2022 17:10 via chicagodefender.com
  Photo: Getty Images
  President Joe Biden traveled to Georgia Tuesday (January 11) to deliver a speech on voting rights and voter suppression.
  The remarks come as voting rights advocates have called for federal voting protections for years and as the Senate fails to act on two key pieces of legislation that would put those protections in place ahead of the midterm elections.
  Some advocates, including Black Voters Matter co-founders Latosha Brown and Cliff Albright, opted to boycott the speech as t
  
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• Whole Foods Says It’s Constitutional To Ban Black Lives Matter Masks

  12-01-2022 15:19 via chicagodefender.com
  Photo: Getty Images
  Whole Foods Market is claiming the US government is infringing on its constitutional right to ban employees from wearing Black Lives Matter masks.
  In a December 17 filing obtained by Bloomberg News, the Amazon-owned grocery chain argued that the National Labor Relation Board’s complaint about its BLM mask ban was actually an attempt to violate the company’s constitutional right to impose a dress code.
  Whole Foods accused NLRB attorney Jennifer Abruzzo of trying to
  
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• Best of Chicago 2021: Voting begins at noon today

  12-01-2022 15:05 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Thank you to everyone who made nominations for the Best of Chicago 2021. We are tabulating and will reveal the finalists when we publish the final multiple choice Best of Chicago voting ballot on Wednesday, January 12, 2022.The top nominees in each category will face off in the final Best of Chicago ballot voting beginning at noon CST on Wednesday, January 12, right here. (You can reach this page by going to chicagoreader.com/best.) Final voting will run until noon on Wednesday, February 2, and
  
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• Best of Chicago 2021: Final voting begins today at noon

  12-01-2022 14:15 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Thank you to everyone who made nominations for the Best of Chicago 2021. We are tabulating and will reveal the finalists when we publish the final multiple choice Best of Chicago voting ballot on Wednesday, January 12, 2022.The top nominees in each category will face off in the final Best of Chicago ballot voting beginning at noon CST on Wednesday, January 12, right here. (You can reach this page by going to chicagoreader.com/best.) Final voting will run until noon on Wednesday, February 2, and
  
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• Illinois Launches ‘On the Fence’ Campaign to Encourage Vaccinations

  12-01-2022 13:50 via chicagodefender.com
  
  With the current surge of COVID-19 cases due to the highly contagious Omicron variant, the State of Illinois launched a new vaccine awareness campaign to explain the power of the life-saving vaccine. The ‘On the Fence’ campaign features 18 meaningful stories from Illinoisans who were initially hesitant but are now fully vaccinated.
  As health experts continue to advise unvaccinated individuals to get their life-saving shot, the campaign is directed to residents who are reluctant to ge
  
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• IDOC Pauses Intakes to Protect Staff, Individuals in Custody from Latest Covid-19 Surge

  12-01-2022 13:45 via chicagodefender.com
  
  The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is temporarily pausing intakes from county jails as it responds to COVID-19 outbreaks at correctional facilities. These facilities include the Graham, Logan, Menard, and Northern Reception and Classification Centers where county jails transport new admissions. County sheriffs were notified Tuesday afternoon as part of IDOC’s continued commitment to providing them with frequent, transparent communication.
  IDOC is utilizing space normally reserve
  
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• Treasurer Frerichs Encourages Non-Profits to Apply for Funds Through Charitable Trust Program

  12-01-2022 13:15 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Small non-profits that provide food, housing assistance, and workforce and economic development can apply for funding through the Charitable Trust Stabilization Program, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said today. “The new year brings a fresh start and an opportunity for small nonprofits to apply for grants to help their organizations serve the public,” Frerichs said. “We have $200,000 available to assist organizations with feeding, housing, and employing individuals
  
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• Non-Profit Founders First CDC Expands Program for Chicago Businesses

  12-01-2022 13:07 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Founders First CDC, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that empowers expansion in diverse founder-led, revenue-generating businesses, announces a second and expanded Job Creators Quest Grant, which will award 30 grants for a total of $100,000, along with access to a business accelerator program, to support minority and underrepresented business owners in Chicagoland. The grants will be awarded to diverse-led Illinois-based companies, primarily in business-to-business sectors, with a cu
  
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• On the new W, Boris find serene sounds amid their continuous sonic explorations

  12-01-2022 13:00 via chicagoreader.com
  
  As Boris continue to steer in and out of avant-rock territory, the 30-year-old Japanese band increasingly splinter genre ideas and expectations fans might foist upon them. The trio have been prolific during the pandemic, releasing nearly a dozen albums whose variety almost necessitates a disregard for boundaries: they include studio full-lengths, EPs, and live and archival recordings that explore the history of outsider rock music. The title track on November’s Reincarnation Rose EP navig
  
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• MAGA science

  12-01-2022 13:00 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Having spent the better part of the last week closely following the showdown between CPS and its teachers, I’ve concluded there’s no way Mayor Lightfoot truly believes the positions she’s been taking.Not unless the mayor—who ran as a progressive—has suddenly transformed into a Chicago version of Ron DeSantis, ’cause the stuff she’s been spouting is straight-up MAGA.No, I say what’s happened is that the Chicago Teachers Union embarrassed the mayor
  
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• Chicago Dance Student Arayah Lyte Wins National Award

  12-01-2022 12:58 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Deeply Rooted Dance Theater of Chicago, Illinois congratulates student Arayah Lyte, also a student at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, on receiving a 2022 YoungArts award for her caliber of artistic achievement. Lyte is among 720 of the most accomplished young visual, literary, and performing artists from throughout the country. Selected through the organization’s prestigious competition, YoungArts award winners, all 15–18 years old or in grades 10–12, are chosen for their cal
  
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• Motivational Minute with Rev. Derrick B. Wells

  12-01-2022 12:50 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Chicago native and Chicago Defender Men of Excellence honoree, Derrick B. Wells, Ed.D. is an author, artist, corporate CEO, and The Senior Minister of Christ Universal Temple. He is a contemporary man of God whose story is one of radical redemption. His process of redemption has played a major role in his commitment to teaching people how to transform their life. It is the manifestation of the vision God gave him to help build individuals, families, and communities through the power of love, the
  
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• Pritzker appoints Chakena D. Perry to the MWRD Board of Commissioners

  12-01-2022 12:39 via chicagodefender.com
  
  (L-R): MWRD Vice President Barbara McGowan, MWRD President Kari K. Steele, and MWRD Commissioner Chakena D. Perry commemorate Commissioner Perry’s first Board meeting on January 6, 2021.
  A knowledgeable, experienced, and talented water professional serving the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) has been appointed by Gov. JB Pritzker to serve as an MWRD commissioner.
  Chakena D. Perry was appointed to fill the seat of Debra Shore, who now leads U.S. Environment
  
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• Mr. Sonny 1/12/2022

  12-01-2022 03:32 via chicagodefender.com
  
  The post Mr. Sonny 1/12/2022 appeared first on Chicago Defender.
  
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