Illinois news

• Jennifer Hudson Joins Street Performer For An Impromptu Show On The Beach

  27-11-2021 13:15 via chicagodefender.com
  Photo: Getty Images
  Jennifer Hudson has always been living proof that dreams come true — and on Monday, she made one fan’s dream a shocking reality. The Oscar Award winning singer was taking a casual stroll on the beach in Los Angeles when she heard a street performing singing while playing his guitar. When the L.A. based performer, real name Cameron Rowland, announced that his last song of the day would be “Hallelujah”, Jennifer wasted no time joining him in performing t
  
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• North Dakota death-metal band Gorgatron ramp up to a new album

  15-04-2024 22:46 via chicagoreader.com
  
  North Dakota death-metal unit Gorgatron have been building up steam since they released their debut album, Torturetorium, in 2010, but it wasn’t until they toured in support of 2020’s Pathogenic Automation that they scorched their imprint on the national underground scene. The five-piece specialize in deranged, outsize old-school death metal injected with bits of grind […]
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• Jazz-pop talent Laufey gives the classics a bewitching overhaul

  15-04-2024 22:46 via chicagoreader.com
  
  No artist in recent memory has been able to cross the generational divide quite like 24-year-old jazz-pop phenom Laufey. Since she released her full-length debut, 2022’s Everything I Know About Love, the Icelandic-Chinese singer and multi-instrumentalist has commanded a surprisingly young TikTok audience with her orchestral jazz-pop fusion. The cellist and pianist writes and produces […]
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• Helado Negro invites you to surrender to his luminous avant-pop

  15-04-2024 22:46 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Singer, composer, and producer Roberto Carlos Lange, better known as Helado Negro, creates soundscapes that exist in a beautifully liminal space. His luminous avant-pop creations, which he sings in Spanish and English, overlap organic and electronic music while seamlessly shape-shifting between tropical ebullience and plaintive lament. On his ninth studio album, the February release Phasor, […]
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• Owen’s 11th album is more of what makes Mike Kinsella’s solo project endearing

  15-04-2024 22:45 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Twenty-three years have passed since Mike Kinsella issued his self-titled debut as Owen, a largely acoustic solo endeavor that made the twentysomething musician seem older than his years. Even in 2001, his whispered, unhurried vocals already suggested feelings that could make your stomach churn and your bones ache, whether from longing, regret, or fear. The […]
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• Mike brings his masterful left-of-center rap to Metro

  15-04-2024 22:45 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Mike is a slick talker who’s become an even slicker positive force on today’s hip-hop. The rapper occupies a corner with left-of-center MCs such as Earl Sweatshirt and Wiki, yet he’s snuggled into a space all his own. His music is low risk and high reward, and his projects are practically guaranteed to satisfy fans […]
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• Laaraji and Sam Prekop join forces for a night filled with ambient music and laughter

  15-04-2024 22:45 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Laraaji is ambient music’s prince of laughter. Since 1980, when he debuted with a sparkling collection of acoustic string compositions that became the third installment in Brian Eno’s famous ambient series, the multi-instrumentalist has distinguished himself with the optimism in his fantastical soundscapes. Laraaji is known as a pioneer of new age music, a genre […]
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• Narcan para todos

  15-04-2024 20:56 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Read in English. A pesar de una caída drástica en el número total de opioides recetados en Illinois, el número de sobredosis accidentales -tanto fatales como no fatales- ha aumentado continu amente en la última década, según el programa de Monitoreo de Prescripciones en Illinois y los datos del Departamento de Salud Pública de Illinois […]
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• Mission: demolition?

  15-04-2024 17:14 via chicagoreader.com
  
  If you stand in front of the flatiron-style building at 1226-1234 W. Loyola—home to 30 apartments and a trio of businesses on the ground floor—you’re surrounded by vacant lots. Across the street from that building is a vast, unpaved expanse used for parking by Loyola University that’s chained off from the neighborhood and labeled with […]
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• ‘Felicific’ makes the old new again

  15-04-2024 15:37 via chicagoreader.com
  
  “Felicific” refers to an action that will bring happiness or pleasure. Appropriately titled, this exhibition explores how Black environments elicit delightfulness through themes of nostalgia and futurity. Within this space, ordinary scenes depicted from familiar materials are assigned a new meaning. Artists Shonna Pryor and bARBER, current residents in the Chicago Artist Coalition’s HATCH program, […]
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• Nearly 1 in 4 Adults Dumped From Medicaid Are Now Uninsured

  15-04-2024 15:30 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Photo credit: vitapix from Getty Images Signature
  A new survey details how millions of Americans struggle to keep coverage in the government insurance program for low-income people.
  By Phil Galewitz
  This article was originally published on Word In Black.
  Nearly a quarter of adults disenrolled from Medicaid in the past year say they are now uninsured, according to a survey released Friday that details how tens of millions of Americans struggled to retain coverage in the government insur
  
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• Dawn Staley Sets a Trailblazing Legacy for Black Women Coaches

  15-04-2024 15:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  For the third time in seven seasons, Dawn Staley, a 53-year-old Black woman from the Raymond Rosen Homes housing projects of North Philadelphia, has led her University of South Carolina Gamecocks to an NCAA national title. 
  The former WNBA star also guided the Gamecocks to an unprecedented 38-0 record, becoming the 10th team in NCAA women’s basketball history to go undefeated. 
  Lastly, Staley is not only the first Black head coach to help her team win three national titles but al
  
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• Get On a Path to Financial Success, Well-Being with the Chicago Treasurer’s Office “Money Smart Week”

  15-04-2024 14:30 via chicagodefender.com
  
  To help Chicagoans make better financial and lifestyle choices, the Chicago Treasurer’s Office will present two financial education webinars and a support service webinar for the formerly convicted April 16-18, during “Money Smart Week.” These webinars, which are free but require advance registration, are, according to City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin,” designed to help individuals better manage their personal finances, create financial stability, and build a bright
  
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• Bodycam Footage Shows Akron Police Shooting Black Teen Holding Fake Gun

  15-04-2024 14:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Photo: Getty Images
  A family is seeking justice after Akron, Ohio police shot a 15-year-old Black teenager who was holding a fake gun, drawing parallels to the shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, per Newsone.
  The shooting unfolded on April 1 after a woman called 911 to report a teen, later identified as Tavion Koonce-Williams, pointing a gun at homes in the Goodyear Heights neighborhood.
  “He pulled it (the gun) out and acted like he was going to shoot their houses,” the woman told a
  
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• Anne Morrissy delves into the Taxi Wars of the early 20th century

  15-04-2024 14:00 via chicagoreader.com
  
  In the last decade of the 19th century, Chicago was growing much faster than its infrastructure could handle. Most streets were unpaved and became a muddy morass when it rained. The majority of vehicles were pulled by livestock that left mounds of waste in their wake. Asked by the Chicago Tribune in 1890 what the […]
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• Dorri McWhorter: From Chicago Roots to Leadership Heights

  14-04-2024 16:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Born in Chicago and raised between Racine, Wisconsin, and the South Side, Dorri McWhorter was destined for leadership.
  Her passion for advocacy and communications started early. At just 11 years old, she wrote a letter to Santa Claus, urging him to “keep people safe!” showcasing her selfless concern for others. It was at this time that she discovered her love for numbers and desire to become an accountant. 
  McWhorter’s unwavering focus paved the path to inevitable success,
  
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• How ‘Medical Gaslighting’ Ignores Black Women With Long COVID

  14-04-2024 15:30 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Different symptoms, same story: the medical establishment ignoring Black women’s suffering from long COVID ( Photo: tommaso79, Getty Images Signature).
  By Jennifer Porter Gore
  This article was originally published on Word In Black.
  In March 2020, Margot Gage Witvliet had managed to board one of the last flights leaving Amsterdam to return to her family in Houston, Texas. It was very good luck: as the COVID-19 pandemic raced around the globe, states, localities, and entire countries were cl
  
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• Alabama Town Refuses To Allow Elections Or Let Black Mayor Serve: Lawsuit

  14-04-2024 14:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Photo: Getty Images
  A small town in Alabama hasn’t held a political election in decades and white officials aren’t allowing its first Black mayor to exercise his duties, according to a lawsuit.
  The Legal Defense Fund recently filed a preliminary injunction to force the town of Newbern, which has a population of roughly 133 people, to allow citizens to vote in an election for the first time in years, per The Guardian. The preliminary injunction comes after a lawsuit filed last year al
  
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• Clothing swap offers a chance to create a conscious wardrobe

  13-04-2024 22:15 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Looking to expand your wardrobe but mindful about the impact that consumerism has on the environment (and your wallet)? Chicago Fair Trade (CFT) is hosting an event that should be of interest: Conscious Closet Club’s Clothing Swap, a multiformat clothing trade-in and fundraiser for the organization. It’s taking place in conjunction with the artist-run studio […]
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• April’s Alcohol Awareness Month: Insights from Illinois Liquor Control Commission

  13-04-2024 16:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Imagine celebrating a joyful occasion such as a loved one’s 50th birthday party. What about going through the loss of a loved one while in despair? Life’s journey is a rollercoaster ride, and individuals often seek comfort or enjoyment through liquor. 
  However, without suitable education and balance, alcohol can quickly overturn lives.
  April is Alcohol Awareness Month. So, it’s essential to shed light on how liquor consumption can profoundly affect individuals, and underst
  
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• Public Memorial for Karen Yarbrough To Be Held Sunday at Rockefeller Chapel

  13-04-2024 14:30 via chicagodefender.com
  
  A public memorial will be held this Sunday for Karen Yarbrough, the first woman and African-American to serve as Cook County Clerk. 
  Yarbrough passed away on Sunday, April 7 from an undisclosed illness. 
  Her service will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday (April14) at the Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago. 
  Gov. JB Pritzker and Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are scheduled to speak.
  On Friday, a visitation for Yarbrough was held at Grace Central Church in Westchester.
  
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• Black Grandmother Becomes First-Time Homeowner At 79

  13-04-2024 14:15 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Photo: BlackNews.com
  A Black grandmother has officially become a homeowner at 79, KATV reports.
  Mae Bailey, a mother of 5, became a first-time homeowner in Little Rock, Arkansas with help from Habitat for Humanity. The organization’s central Arkansas branch dedicated the fifth home they completed in the past 6 months to Bailey.
  “I want to thank all of Habitat,” Bailey said in a statement. “The employees, workers, everybody that know Habitat. I want to thank God for you al
  
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• Bally’s Chicago Casino Revenue Surged 13.2% in March to $13M

  13-04-2024 14:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  In March, Bally’s Chicago Casino achieved significant milestones with a 13.2% increase in gross gaming revenue to $13,062,666 and a record-breaking attendance of 117,870, leading to over $2.5 million in tax revenue generated.
  “Our record-setting March results – with adjusted gaming revenue also up 12.7 percent over February to $11,127,674 – were driven by a strong events calendar, St. Patrick’s Day festivities and an increasing number of repeat guests,” said M
  
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• Ethiopia’s Qwanqwa swing a danceable blend of the traditional and modern

  13-04-2024 02:16 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Qwanqwa are an Addis Ababa–based ensemble founded by American five-string violinist and Debo Band veteran Kaethe Hostetter in 2012. The group’s shifting intergenerational lineup has included many stellar players over the years, notably Mesele Asmamaw, a vocalist and master of the electric krar, a lyrelike stringed instrument with a very flexible voice; he’s released traditional […]
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• Heccra made the sound of today’s digital emo underground a decade ago

  13-04-2024 02:12 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Every emerging scene has its share of young artists who take inspiration from one or two obscure, forgotten bands, often showing the rest of us what was so special about that relic we discarded, ignored, or plain couldn’t understand. So bless all the fifth-wave emo kids who’ve flocked to Heccra, an early-2010s project by a […]
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• Alt-country stalwart and well-traveled backup singer Nora O’Connor takes center stage

  13-04-2024 02:07 via chicagoreader.com
  
  For decades, Nora O’Connor has played a vital support role in the alt-country scene, not just in Chicago but far afield. Her sunshine-and-honey–tinged vocals recall the counterculture heyday of Laurel Canyon, and as a backup singer she’s lent her pipes to myriad releases by the likes of Iron and Wine, Andrew Bird, Kelly Hogan, Neko […]
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• Chicago alt-Americana group Minor Moon find the comfort in a ruined world

  13-04-2024 02:00 via chicagoreader.com
  
  On Minor Moon’s new The Light Up Waltz (Ruination Record Co.), front man Sam Cantor sings about crossing an unstable bridge over an unearthly abyss (“Blue Timing”) and navigating what feels like an ongoing civilizational collapse (“I Could See It Coming”) with soothing, sure-footed tenderness. Cantor has been releasing rootsy folk tracks under the name […]
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• Bnny embrace love’s ups and downs on the new One Million Songs

  13-04-2024 01:55 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Chicago indie-rock band Bnny, led by charismatic singer Jessica Viscius, have returned this month with their new second album, One Million Songs (Fire Talk). On the band’s 2021 debut full-length, Everything, Viscius embodied the most gripping and opaque aspects of trauma following a personal tragedy—the 2017 death of her partner, local musician Trey Gruber, at […]
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• Bnny embrace love’s ups and downs on the new One Million Love Songs

  13-04-2024 01:55 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Chicago indie-rock band Bnny, led by charismatic singer Jessica Viscius, have returned this month with their new second album, One Million Love Songs (Fire Talk). On the band’s 2021 debut full-length, Everything, Viscius embodied the most gripping and opaque aspects of trauma following a personal tragedy—the 2017 death of her partner, local musician Trey Gruber, […]
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• Myra Melford comes to town with the best all-woman supergroup in jazz

  13-04-2024 01:50 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Myra Melford’s Fire and Water Quintet was born out of a one-off concert during her weeklong residency at New York venue the Stone in June 2019. Its all-woman all-star lineup consciously celebrated the advances women have made within jazz and improvised music since Melford launched her career in the 80s, when the Evanston native was […]
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