Lohengrin Foundation Announces Two Final Grant Partners in $15 Million Thriving Youth, Stronger Communities, Youth and Community Center Capital Investment Initiative
The Lohengrin Foundation announced the awardees of its Thriving Youth, Stronger Communities initiative, a capital investment initiative supporting the creation of two new youth- and community-centers in Chicago.
Collins joins Supportive Reentry Network Collaborative to sustain reentry support
State Senator Lakesia Collins joined legislators and leaders from the Supportive Reentry Network Collaborative at the Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 25, to call for a $2.1 million investment to sustain a proven, community-based reentry health model that reduces recidivism and improves access to care for people returning from incarceration.
Action Fund Expands Commitment to Protect Historically Black Churches with $13.5 Million in New Grants
The National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (Action Fund) awarded $8.5 million in grants to 33 historically Black churches through its fourth annual Preserving Black Churches (PBC) program grant round. This new investment follows $5 million in grants awarded on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to five churches, underscoring the Action Fund's sustained commitment to protecting sacred places that anchor Black faith, culture, democracy, and community life.
Giannoulias Joins Illinois Literacy Foundation, YMCA to Celebrate National Read Across America Day with Book Donation and Day of Service
In recognition of National Read Across America Day, Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias announced a coordinated literacy initiative that distributed thousands of children’s books and brought volunteer readers into YMCA sites across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, reinforcing the importance of reading as a shared, lifelong activity.
CHICAGOLAND NAMED #1 U.S. METRO FOR CORPORATE RELOCATION & SITE SELECTION
Chicago has again been named the top U.S. metro for corporate relocation and site selection by Site Selection Magazine, marking a record 13th consecutive year in the No. 1 position. The annual ranking, based on verified corporate facility projects, is widely regarded as a measure of business expansion and investment activity nationwide and underscores Chicago’s sustained competitiveness in attracting capital and jobs. Illinois ranked No. 2 among states for corporate expansion projects.
ILLINOIS AFRICAN DESCENT-CITIZENS REPARATIONS COMMISSION RELEASES LANDMARK REPORT ON HARMS TO BLACK ILLINOISANS
The Illinois African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission (ADCRC) today released “Taking Account: A History of Racial Harm & Injustice Against Black Illinoisans,” the State’s first comprehensive, evidence-based report examining how slavery and its vestiges produce historical harms and continue to generate inequities for Black Illinoisans.
Anne Frank The Exhibition Makes Midwest Debut at Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry will be the Midwest host of Anne Frank The Exhibition. A presentation of the Anne Frank House, the exhibition features a pioneering experience outside of Amsterdam to immerse visitors in a full-scale, fully furnished recreation of the Annex rooms where Anne Frank, her parents and sister and four other Jewish refugees spent two years hiding to evade Nazi capture. Anne Frank The Exhibition opens May 1, 2026.
Pritzker Traubert Foundation Awards First-Ever $5 Million Chicago Talent Challenge to City Colleges, Cook County Health
The Pritzker Traubert Foundation announced HealthCatalyst Chicago as the inaugural winner of the Chicago Talent Challenge, a $5 million investment to accelerate the training, placement and success of workers in critical healthcare roles.
Governor Pritzker Announces Public-Private Partnership to Restore Historic Hotel Florence and Revitalize Pullman Site
Governor JB Pritzker announced a transformative public-private partnership to restore and redevelop the historic Hotel Florence and key buildings within the Pullman State Historic Site on Chicago’s South Side — leveraging $21 million in state capital funds to unlock more than $83 million in private investment for a total project value exceeding $100 million.
Governor Pritzker Announces $40.5 Million Expansion of DMG MORI in Illinois
Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and the Illinois Economic Development Corporation (Illinois EDC) announced that DMG MORI Federal Services, Inc. (DMG MORI) will invest more than $40.5 million to expand the company’s footprint in Illinois — establishing a new advanced manufacturing and R&D facility in the Chicagoland area and creating 74 new full-time jobs. The expansion further strengthens Illinois’ position as a national leader in advanced manufacturing and solidifies the state’s commitment to pairing business growth with workforce development.
MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON JOINS YOUTH WELLNESS DISCUSSION AT PROJECT SWISH’S 29 HOURS OF PEACE COMMUNITY LOCK-IN
Mayor Brandon Johnson joined Project sWISH Chicago (PSC) to kick off the 29 Hours of Peace ‘community lock-in,' sitting down with youth and mental health experts to help guide the ‘Brotherhood Circle,’ a discussion encouraging young men to share their experiences with community leaders and professional councilors. During the event at Kennedy-King College, over 150 young men aged 14-21 will have the opportunity to take part in healing activities, community-centered discussions, and organized basketball.
Raja Gives Closing Pitch to Voters on Restoring the American Dream
With one week remaining before the Illinois primary election, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi is making his closing argument to voters across Illinois: the American Dream is slipping away for too many families, and he’s fighting to restore it.
Memorial Services Set for Warren Cooper Pioneer Air Traffic Controller and Forensic Drug Testing Industry Leader
Memorial services for Warren Cooper, founder of the nation's first wholly Black-owned forensic drug testing laboratory and the first African American air traffic controller assigned to the FAA's O'Hare Tower, will be held Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at New Life Covenant Church, The Tabernacle, 1028 East 78th Street, Chicago.
Treasurer's Office Newsletter: Chicagoans Hit with 2025 Property Tax Bills Struggle to Pay
Chicago homeowners in lower-income community areas on the South and West sides who were hit with dramatic property tax increases on their second-installment bills mailed in 2025 were struggling to pay the full amount owed, according to the latest edition of a Cook County Treasurer’s Office newsletter.
Clerk Mariyana T. Spyropoulos’ Office Advances Legislation to Create County-Level Will Depository System in Illinois
The Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, under the leadership of Clerk Mariyana T. Spyropoulos, announced proposed legislation that would establish a statewide, optional, county-level will depository system. The legislation would authorize Clerks of the Circuit Court across Illinois to securely accept and safeguard original wills during a testator’s lifetime.
ANOTHER STRONG HALF-YEAR RESULT FOR THE ILLINOIS LOTTERY
The Illinois Lottery today announced its results for the first six months of Fiscal Year 2026, reporting nearly $2.0 billion in sales and generating an estimated $430 million in returns to the State of Illinois during the period, which is a new first half-year sales record for the Illinois Lottery.
Illinois State Rep. Introduces Legislation To Empower Young Voters
Illinois State Representative Kimberly DuBuclet has introduced legislation in Springfield that would make voting more accessible to graduating high school students. The goal of the legislation is to engage students in the political process early. The Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Young Voter Empowerment Act, or HB 4339, would offer high school students who are eligible the opportunity to vote. DuBuclet introduced the legislation in January and upon passage, it would be effective immediately.
Daughters Of Oscar Brown, Jr. Keep His Legacy Alive
Oscar Brown, Jr. was a poet, a playwright, a songwriter, an activist and a truth teller. His discography includes “Sin & Soul,” “Between Heaven & Hell,” “In a New Mood” and “Oscar Brown, Jr., Tell it Like it Is.” He mounted the musical “Opportunity Please Knock” in 1967 and In De Beginnin’” in 1977. Oct. 10, 2026 would have been his 100th birthday. His daughters Africa and Maggie Brown are celebrating his contributions to the culture and sharing his work with the world, starting with Chicago.
Simone Green Releases Single “Black Queen”
Simone Green recalls being around nine years old at church, and hearing her cousin sing The Clark Sisters “You Brought the Sunshine.” In that moment, Green said that she realized that she wanted to be a singer. She said that she has been pursuing her dream ever since that day in church. Green recently released the single “Black Queen,” which is available on all streaming platforms.
