Illinois news

• ShotSpotter’s reverberations

  07-05-2024 13:00 via chicagoreader.com
  
  In June 2022, the Illinois State Police inked a $362,000 contract with ShotSpotter. The agency planned to pilot the controversial gunshot detection system along eight miles of the Dan Ryan Expressway, beginning at Canalport, just north of Cermak, in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, and stretching south.  The prior year had been a particularly violent one—for the […]
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• CSO Mead Composer Jessie Montgomery Strikes Chord Within the Classical Academy

  02-06-2024 16:30 via chicagodefender.com
  
  The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery (Credit: Todd Rosenberg 2021).
  From Grammy win to inspiring future talent, Jesse Montgomery reflects on her tenure as CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence and the impact of her groundbreaking work.
  Jessie Montgomery was surprised to hear her name called during the 2024 Grammys for the Best Contemporary Classical Composition category.
  “I was genuinely surprised because it was my first nomination and such a huge category a
  
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• CPS Student Duchara Moody Earns Golden Apple Scholarship and Heads to U of I

  02-06-2024 16:15 via chicagodefender.com
  
  More than any other group, the high school graduates of 2024 faced unforeseen challenges that no other students in recent memory have had to face. They had to contend with the specter of the pandemic, the unfathomable loss of friends and relatives, either from Covid or other causes, and George Floyd’s murder and the subsequent fallout. They had to adjust to virtual learning while facing the threat of learning loss. 
  Amid numerous and nefarious challenges, many of these 2024 high schoo
  
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• A lesson on dissent from a Vietnam War protester who joined the US military – and then faced execution after his protest didn’t stop

  02-06-2024 15:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Anti-Vietnam War demonstrators raise their fists during a rally in New York on April 27, 1968. Bev Grant/Getty Imagesby Rodney Coates, Miami University
  During the late 1960s, when protests against the Vietnam War erupted across the country, college campuses emerged as places of more than intellectual debate over U.S foreign policy and the country’s deeply racist history.
  Unlike the protesters against the Israel-Hamas War, many of the college-age demonstrators back then faced the very real
  
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• South Carolina Supreme Court Set To Have No Black Justices

  02-06-2024 14:45 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Photo: Getty Images
  South Carolina’s Supreme Court is set to have all-white justices for the first time in nearly two decades.
  According to reports, South Carolina will be joining 18 other states whose Supreme Courts are entirely white following next week’s election for a new justice.
  The report comes amid Chief Justice Don Beatty, South Carolina’s only Black justice, leaving the bench as he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 72. Circuit Judge Jocelyn Newman was the only B
  
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• Innocent Man Freed After 12 Years: Darien Harris Fights for Justice and Accountability

  02-06-2024 00:22 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Wrongfully convicted at 18 due to false testimony, Darien Harris endured years of abuse in prison. With the help of the Exoneration Project, he now seeks to hold the system accountable and assist others facing similar injustices.
  By Ashleigh Fields
  Darien Harris was 18 years old when Chicago police arrested him on homicide charges.  
  Due to the false testimony of a blind man, Harris, a first-time offender, was charged as the shooter in a murder case. Star witness Dexter Saffold lied ab
  
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• The Chicago Defender Official 2024 #SummerTimeChi Calendar

  01-06-2024 19:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  We made it. 
  SummerTimeChi is here, and we’re like the guy from the movie “Shawshank Redemption” when he raises his arms in the pouring rain because he has finally broken out of prison.
  We’re free.
  Now that the gloomy Winter and chaotic Spring is finally behind us, we get to indulge in another memorable season of festivals, concerts, block parties, day parties, night parties, rooftop parties, beach parties, museum openings, movies in the park, conventions, barbecues,
  
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• Marian Robinson, Beloved Mother of Michelle Obama, Passes Away at 86

  01-06-2024 16:30 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Marian Lois Shields Robinson, mother of former First Lady Michelle Obama, passed away on Friday at the age of 86.
  Her family members, including Michelle and her brother Craig Robinson, announced her passing in a statement, telling her story via a post on the Medium publishing platform.
  “As a mother, she was our backstop, a calm and nonjudgmental witness to our triumphs and stumbles. She was always, always there, welcoming us back home no matter how far we had journeyed, with that deep and
  
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• In Low-Wage Jobs, Working While Black Means Showing Up Sick

  01-06-2024 15:30 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Because they were deemed essential workers, grocery store clerks got paid sick leave — temporarily. Now, they’re forced ot make a tough choice: work while they or a loved one are sick, or lose a day’s pay. (Credit: MART PRODUCTION/Pexels)
  This article was originally published on Word In Black.
  By Jennifer Porter Gore
  Overview:
  The states that mandated paid sick or family leave for hourly workers are in mostly-white states. Given that nearly 20% of low-wage workers are Blac
  
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• Chicago Bears to Star on ‘Hard Knocks’

  01-06-2024 15:15 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Fresh off being the talk of the sports world and securing quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears will continue their reign in the spotlight. 
  The team will be featured on the revered HBO production “Hard Knocks: Training Camp” for the first time.
  As usual, the highly popular sports docu-series will introduce die-hard fans, casuals and every soul in between to the team through its coaches and players. Williams and fellow first-roun
  
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• COLUMN: Breaking the Silence on Mental Health in the Black Community

  01-06-2024 00:22 via chicagodefender.com
  
  As Mental Health Awareness Month ends, we reflect on the importance of destigmatizing mental health issues and embracing therapy and support within our community. It’s time to prioritize our psychological and emotional well-being
  As Mental Health Awareness Month draws to a close, I hope you’ve encountered a news segment, an insightful article, or a meaningful conversation with a friend, family member, or colleague about mental health within our community. 
  For far too long, ment
  
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• Review: Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza (Miniseries)

  31-05-2024 18:40 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Paramount+ debuted its docuseries lionizing Lollapalooza while HBO rolled out the belated sequel to its celebrated 2015 true crime documentary The Jinx. I’m not sure who makes for a more unreliable narrator: Robert Durst, the convicted murderer at the center of The Jinx, or the producers of Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza. The festival’s long-standing […]
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• Web3 is here, but where’s the diversity?

  31-05-2024 18:12 via chicagoreader.com
  
  In the age of artificial intelligence (AI) available for all, women business founders may have the most to gain—and lose—by understanding how to leverage the new technologies. AI is already replacing employees in many industries and, with some jobs more easily automated than others and existing gender distribution in the job market, women are often […]
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• Recapping the Illinois General Assembly’s spring legislative session

  31-05-2024 17:00 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Money, money, money After blowing past a self-imposed May 24 deadline to wrap up the state budget for the 2025 fiscal year, lawmakers closed out the spring legislative session in the early hours of Wednesday morning. It took state representatives three tries, but the House finally signed off on the $53.1 billion spending plan just […]
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• Bentley Evans Brings Laughter and Heart in New Comedy ‘Mind Your Business’

  31-05-2024 16:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Bentley Evans is at it again in his executive producer seat. But this time, he wants you to “Mind Your Business.” 
  He’s brought America some of its favorite characters from renowned and iconic shows! So, if you’ve seen “The Jamie Foxx Show” or “Martin,” you do not want to miss Bounce’s original series, produced by Harvest Studios, “Mind Your Business.” 
  “Mind Your Business” is a comedy based in Chicago, IL, w
  
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• 8 Black Men Kicked Off American Airlines Flight Over Body Odor: Lawsuit

  31-05-2024 14:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Photo: Getty Images
  Eight Black men were temporarily removed from an American Airlines flight over a complaint about body order, according to a new lawsuit.
  On Wednesday (May 29), a lawsuit was filed on behalf of three of the men — Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal — against American Airlines alleging “blatant and egregious racial discrimination,” per Axios.
  The lawsuit states the eight passengers were kicked off their January 5 flight from Phoenix, Ari
  
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• Best Hookup Sites for Adult Dating in 2024

  31-05-2024 10:04 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Looking for casual sex? A one night stand? Here are over 20 legit hookup sites that actually get you laid and you can try for free!
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• Illinois Politicians React to Donald Trump’s Conviction

  31-05-2024 06:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Illinois politicians reacted to news that a New York jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on all counts in connection to a hush money payment made to conceal his 2006 affair with Stormy Daniels. 
  “Justice has been served. After facing a jury of his peers, Donald Trump is exposed as the liar and fraud that he is. Trump evaded the law to deceive voters and today, the law caught up with him,” said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker in a statement. 
  Illinois Republican Party
  
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• Donald Trump Found Guilty: Becomes First President In American History To Be Convicted Of A Felony

  30-05-2024 23:19 via chicagodefender.com
  Former President Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records prior to the 2016 election. Trump is now the first president in American history to be convicted of a felony. 
  Trump was involved in an illegal conspiracy to undermine the 2016 election in connection with concealing hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.
  After being convicted, Trump maintained his innocence and untruthfully claimed that President Joe Biden was the reason he was found guilty. 
  &ldq
  
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• VONtv Premieres CBS 2 Chicago Dorothy Tucker’s Special Report

  30-05-2024 20:12 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Dorothy Tucker’s program, “Investigating Injustice: The Shocking Truth About Black Women And Crime In Chicago” airs this evening on VONtv, WVON’s OTT Digital Streaming network. 
  VONtv, WVON’s OTT Digital Streaming network will premier award-winning journalist Dorothy Tucker of CBS 2 Chicago’s special investigative report on the enormous impact of crime on Black Women in Chicago. 
  The two-part program, Investigating Injustice, will air Thursday May 30
  
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• content note

  30-05-2024 20:01 via chicagoreader.com
  
  By Bindu Poroori
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• It’s an all-Indigenous cookout when Ketapanen Kitchen three-peats at the next Monday Night Foodball

  30-05-2024 17:37 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Jessica Walks First nailed it on Top Chef: Wisconsin a few weeks ago. The chef behind Chicago’s all-Indigenous Ketapanen Kitchen wasn’t competing. Rather, she was sitting at the judge’s table during episode nine’s Elimination Challenge—along with Kristen, Tom, Gail, and Minneapolis chef Sean Sherman—when Adalina executive chef Soo Ahn presented “roasted butternut squash, huitlacoche puree, […]
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• How Chicago forgot about its blues history

  30-05-2024 17:06 via chicagoreader.com
  
  When it comes to the blues, sometimes it’s the same old story, same old song.  Imagine for a moment that you’ve just arrived in Chicago, and you go looking for its blues history. You figure it’ll be easy to find evidence of it—it’s one of the most famous things about the city. You’d be wrong.  […]
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• Q&A: Marvin Sapp Talks Live Recording Event in Chicagoland This Friday

  30-05-2024 16:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  The 11-time Grammy-nominated gospel legend returns to record his 16th album at Valley Kingdom Ministries.
  This Friday, one of the world’s most revered Gospel recording artists is about to have a homecoming back in the Chicagoland area where family, friends, history, music, love and support reside. 
  Marvin Sapp, the ardent and soulful 11-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, is recording his 16th album this Friday evening at Valley Kingdom Ministries in Oak Forest.
  His return to the
  
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• Young Girl Berates Cops Who ‘Falsely Accused’ Mom Of Theft In Viral TikTok

  30-05-2024 14:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Photo: Getty Images
  A young child is going viral after she stood up for her mother who she said was falsely accused by police of stealing sunglasses.
  In a now-viral TikTok video, the mother-daughter duo appeared to be standing outside of a store as the child yelled at New York Police Department officers for allegedly making false theft accusations.
  “Leave my mother alone,” the young girl shouted.
  In the video, the theft suspect was described as a Black female with long braids and a
  
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• 100 Best Phone Chat Line Numbers With Free Trials in 2024

  30-05-2024 14:00 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Who wants to swipe when you can just talk? Here's a list of the top 10 chat lines with free trials you can call to meet someone over the phone.
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• ‘If the culture doesn’t change, it’s going to remain the same’

  30-05-2024 13:00 via chicagoreader.com
  
  In early March, Governor J.B. Pritzker announced a $900 million plan to demolish and rebuild the crumbling Stateville and Logan Correctional Centers over the next five years. The plan sits on the back of a report by CGL Companies, a firm contracted by the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) to assess the conditions of the […]
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• This Week In Black History May 29 – June 4, 2024

  30-05-2024 05:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  ANGELA DAVIS raises her fist in a Black Power salute after being introduced by Rev. Ralph Abernathy, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, in Dallas, Texas, Aug. 17, 1972. (AP Photo/Charles Bennett)
  MAY 291854—Escaped slave and aboli­tionist Sojourner Truth delivers her famous “Ain’t I a Woman” speech at the Ohio Women’s Rights Conven­tion in Akron. Truth, born Isabella Baumfree, had been physically and sexually abused by various slave o
  
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• Emil Ferris communes with Uptown’s ghosts

  30-05-2024 00:52 via chicagoreader.com
  
  There is a ghostliness shrouding Uptown. Even in daylight, its presence lurks and lingers, like at Graceland Cemetery, home to the sculpture Eternal Silence, whose hooded figure is said to foretell death to anyone brave enough to gaze into its shadowy eyes. That cemetery, and St. Boniface Catholic Cemetery just a mile north, both abut […]
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• Stage Door, but make it porn

  29-05-2024 22:40 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Right after the curtain call at First Floor Theater’s world premiere of Pro-Am, a colleague sitting behind me leaned over and asked, “Have you ever seen Stage Door?” Despite the fact that Brynne Frauenhoffer’s play (developed originally with Chicago’s now-defunct Sideshow Theatre) takes place in the contemporary Miami porn industry and the 1937 film (adapted […]
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