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Damage from the September Storms and Flooding? Apply for Federal Assistance

Cook County residents affected by the severe storms and flooding of September 17- 18, 2023, may now call or go online to register for disaster assistance from FEMA. If you have insurance coverage, first file a claim. If you have uninsured or underinsured losses, contact FEMA by going online to disasterassistance.gov, downloading the FEMA app or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use video relay service, captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. When calling the FEMA Helpline, multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).

CHA announces new “Restore Home” initiative; major capital effort will rehabilitate nearly 200 vacant apartments in small and medium buildings in 2024-25

The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) announced the new Restore Home initiative at the Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. The initiative is part of the agency’s proposed 2024 budget and capital plan, which will be considered at a special board meeting in December.

FROM ADVERSITY TO VICTORY: DIXMOOR VIKINGS 11U AND 10U TEAM EYE SUPER BOWL GOLD IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA

The Dixmoor Vikings 11U and 10U Pop Warner teams are gearing up for an exhilarating opportunity as they head to the prestigious Pop Warner Super Bowl in Orlando, FL. This remarkable achievement comes on the heels of the team’s incredible performance, having clinched the National Runner-Up position after narrowly missing out on Nationals last year.

ROBBINS EAGLES 13U TEAM MAKES HISTORIC BREAKTHROUGH, ADVANCING TO AYF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 40 YEARS

In a historic moment that resonates beyond the field, the Robbins Eagles 13U Team has shattered barriers and secured their place in the American Football League (AYF) National Championship for the first time in the program's four-decade history. Led by Head Coach Justin Harris, this remarkable achievement symbolizes a journey of perseverance, resilience, and unwavering determination

Sheriff’s Office and Housing Authority of Cook County Distribute Free Turkeys to Cook County Residents

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office joined the Cook County Housing Authority on Tuesday to provide free turkeys to south suburban residents, just in time for Thanksgiving.

Azazie and The Bachelorette Star, Charity Lawson, Collaborate on Ultimate Bride-to-Be Holiday Gift Guide

Azazie, the leading direct-to-consumer bridal and special occasion dress brand, is thrilled to announce that Charity Lawson, beloved star of The Bachelorette, is joining forces with the brand to curate the Ultimate Bride-to-Be Holiday Gift Guide. Whether you're treating yourself or showing affection to your dearest friend as she embarks on her journey to 'happily ever after,' dive into Charity's expertly curated selections by the ultimate Bachelorette herself!

JANELLE MONÁE JOINS MILK TO CELEBRATE FEMALE MARATHONERS IN NYC

Milk, as in real dairy milk, proudly returned to New York bringing back the '26.2 You're Gonna Need Milk for That' campaign in an effort to support and sponsor every woman running the marathon over the weekend.

FENDER HONORS BRUNO MARS WITH ARTIST SIGNATURE STRATOCASTER® GUITAR

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) announces the launch of the Bruno Mars Stratocaster®, a limited-edition celebration of the chart-topping artist, multi-instrumentalist, performer, songwriter and producer Bruno Mars. The Bruno Mars Stratocaster® guitar pays tribute to his trailblazing career, dazzling showmanship, and mastery of genre through the power of guitar. Bruno Mars' catalog is defined by air tight songwriting, stunning musicianship and a fearlessness in the face of genre and at the foundation of this iconic body of work is a fundamental appreciation of versatile musicality. The Bruno Mars Signature Stratocaster® has classic appeal with highly optimized features that keep the modern player in mind. Mars envisioned an instrument with class that could still appeal to the most technically driven shredders—and this signature guitar is just that.

GYMGUYZ Unveils Online Personal Training Studio to Meet Demand for Enhanced Virtual Fitness

As demand for access to at-home fitness programs continues to soar, GYMGUYZ, the world's largest in-home and on-site personal training franchise, has announced its all-new, online training sessions, streamed from a state-of-the-art fitness facility.

BLACK AMBITION AWARDS $3.2 MILLION DOLLARS TO 36 ENTREPRENEURS

Pharrell Williams' Black Ambition, the non-profit initiative dedicated to supporting Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs, has awarded $1 million dollars to Antoinette Banks, CEO and Founder of Expert IEP, a parent-facing app that optimizes existing Individualized Education Plans with predictive AI for children diagnosed with a disability, as the Grand Prize Winner of its 2023 Prize competition at the third-annual "Demo Day'' event held on Thursday, Nov. 9th, at Spring Studios in New York, NY. Other Top Prize Winners include ECOMSPACES, a one-stop-shop for e-commerce solutions ranging from product photography to order fulfillment, and HBCU Grand Prize Winner, Monocle, a social e-reader that creates a community-focused reading experience, who were awarded with $250,000 and $200,000, respectively, towards their ventures – in addition to 33 other prize recipients who also received monetary prizes.

Reps. Kelly, Kiggans and Senators Peters, Collins Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Medical Nutrition Therapy Act

Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) and Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced the bipartisan Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2023 to expand Medicare coverage for medical nutrition plans and addressing health disparities. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Susan Collins (ME) introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

Chefs Join Together Providing Meals to the Community Fridge during the Holiday Season

Heather and D’Andre, along with volunteers from Evanston Community Fridges, stock the refrigerator and pantry outside the Soul & Smoke location at 1601 Payne St., Evanston year-round. The need increases during the winter and the holidays, and to address demand this year, they asked Chef Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Cafe & co-founder of Chicago Chefs Cook to help organize additional contributions to the pantry.

Lt. Governor Stratton Convenes Thought Leaders and Policymakers at the Illinois Legislators Retreat Centered Around Education

Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton convened the Illinois Legislators Retreat, in partnership with the Hunt Institute, early this week. Members of the General Assembly and resource experts discussed the early childhood workforce, K-12 reading and mental health, educator diversity and diverse postsecondary experiences.

Biden-Harris Administration Premiers Public Service Announcement Elevating the Teaching Profession

The U.S. Department of Education launched its campaign to elevate the teaching profession and promote educator diversity. The campaign titled “Teachers: Leaders Shaping Lives” is headlined by a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) developed in partnership with TEACH.org and One Million Teachers of Color. The goal of the PSA is to inspire more talented people—especially those from underrepresented communities—to become teachers, while also elevating the teaching profession and celebrating our teachers. The PSA premiered on LinkedIn’s LinkedIn Live and will appear in media markets across the country via television, radio, and social media. To watch the PSA, click here.

ANNOUNCING WINNERS OF THE JOFFREY ACADEMY 14TH ANNUAL WINNING WORKS

The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, presents five world premieres in the culmination of Joffrey's national call for ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American) artists to submit applications for the Joffrey Academy's Winning Works Choreographic Competition. In addition to an added weekend of performances, new to this year's program is the selection of a first-ever Chicago-based choreographer as a fifth candidate, set on the students of the Joffrey Conservatory Program, a preliminary training program for aspiring Trainee dancers ages 14 to 18. This year's Competition winners— Jainil Mehta, Martha Nichols, Manoela Gonçalves, Houston Thomas, and Chicago-based winner Xavier Núñez (Recipient of the Zach Lazar Winning Works Fellowship), each will choreograph an original work created for the Joffrey Academy Trainees and Studio Company, to a commissioned score by a chosen composer collaborator.