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LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO PRESENT YOUTH-FOCUSED COMMUNITY PLANS AT MY CHI. MY FUTURE. CITYWIDE PARTNER MEETING

Mayor Brandon Johnson and the City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) invited Chicago leaders, youth-serving stakeholders and young people to the Harold Washington Library Center Winter Garden for the December My CHI. My Future. (MCMF) citywide partners meeting. This meeting provides an opportunity to hear from the MCMF Community Anchor Organizations about their efforts to convene stakeholder networks and develop community plans focused on meeting the needs of youth in their communities. Organizations representing 15 regions across the city are presenting data identified through a community needs assessment and outline strategies to address opportunity gaps for young people.

IBM to Build New National Quantum Algorithm Center

IBM’s Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna joined University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos, Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) CEO Harley Johnson, and industry stakeholders to announce the new National Quantum Algorithm Center. This groundbreaking Center will be fueled by IBM’s next-generation, modular quantum computer (“IBM Quantum System Two”), and will aim to advance the exploration of quantum-centric supercomputing across industries, furthering Illinois’ status as a leader in emerging technology and a global quantum computing capital.

POAH Completes Renovations at Jesse Jackson Jr. Apartments for Seniors in Harvey

More than 100 seniors in Harvey had a little extra to celebrate this holiday season, with the completion of renovations on the 120-unit Jesse Jackson Jr. Apartments in Harvey. Mayor Christopher Clark joined the residents earlier this month at a holiday lunch and tour of the buildings’ new amenities.

ILLINOIS STATE POLICE EXPANDS MOVE OVER ALERTS TO PROTECT DRIVERS AND TROOPERS

The Illinois State Police (ISP) is expanding the number of ways drivers receive alerts when ISP activity is up ahead and they need to slow down and move over. ​ ISP and the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology, (DoIT) are partnering with HAAS Alert to expand notifications to select Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, RAM, and Volkswagen vehicles. These safety alerts to drivers will be powered by Safety Cloud, HAAS Alert’s solution for delivering digital alerts through leading navigation apps and compatible vehicle infotainment systems. ​

2025 CHICAGO AUTO SHOW DATES AND EVENT HIGHLIGHTS ANNOUNCED

The Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA), producer of the Chicago Auto Show, released the dates and plans for the 2025 event, held Feb. 8-17 at McCormick Place. Showgoers can once again expect an engaging show with the latest new vehicles, outdoor ride-and-drives and indoor test tracks, including the return of Chicago Drives Electric, a one-stop-shop for electric vehicle ride-alongs and education.

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL LEADS COALITION SUPPORTING FAIR WAGES FOR FEDERAL CONTRACT WORKERS

Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a coalition of 22 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief supporting the federal government’s actions to increase the minimum wage for employees of certain federal contractors. In April 2021, President Biden issued an executive order increasing the minimum wage for these workers to $15 and directing the U.S. Department of Labor to implement subsequent annual raises to reflect changes in the cost of living.

Black Girl Vitamins Provides Much Needed Vitamins And Supplements For Black Women

Black Girl Vitamins was founded three years ago in 2021 when the co- founder Maxine Manager found out she was Vitamin D deficient. It inspired her to do something about it since Vitamin D deficiency affects Black women at higher rates.

Documentary Shows Impact Of School Closures

In 2013, fifty schools were closed by the Board of Education, including Overton, Woods and Emett. More than 10 years later, a documentary looks at the impact of the closures on the communities they served, as well as efforts to redevelop the shuttered school buildings.

Acclivus Continues To Focus On Violence Prevention Strategies

Acclivus has been providing violence prevention strategies, with the goal of stopping the cycle of violence for six years, after a five-year hiatus. Representatives from Acclivus talked to the Citizen Newspaper about the organization, its mission and programs.

HBCU Honors Celebrates Black Excellence

Michelle M. Bailey founded HBCU Honors, with the goal of recognizing the achievements of people who are connected to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Book Details Journey of the First Black Disneyland VIP Tour Guide

Martha Blanding grew up in South Central Los Angeles and became the first Black Disneyland VIP tour guide. She details her time as a VIP tour guide and working in various capacities with the Walt Disney Company for 50 years in her book, Groundbreaking Magic: A Black Woman’s Journey Through ‘The Happiest Place on Earth’. She talked to the Citizen Newspaper about her experience and about the book.

THE TOP THREE WINES YOU MUST HAVE FOR YOUR NEW YEAR’S ENTERTAINING Noted wine expert offers her personal recommendations to bring in the New Year, putting a cultural twist on traditional holiday seaso

The reservations and tickets for the best New Year’s Eve parties, or for dinner at the premier restaurants are almost all sold-out, and the prices have been hiked through the roof. Or, your budget may just be shot from all of that holiday spending, and you’re weary from the travel nightmare of just getting home.

Cook County Department of Public Health Launches New Website on Maternal Health

Black women in Illinois and Cook County are two to three times more likely than white women to die from a pregnancy-related condition, such as blood pressure disorders, heart disease and infections; yet 90 percent of these deaths are preventable.

Wandering and Getting Lost: Who’s at Risk and How to Be Prepared

Wandering is a common yet dangerous behavior for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, with six in 10 people with dementia likely to wander at least once. This risk, which can occur even in the early stages of the disease, creates significant safety concerns for those affected and adds stress for caregivers and family members.

MCA Chicago’s Wafaa Bilal: Indulge Me opens February 1

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s upcoming exhibition Wafaa Bilal: Indulge Me will open on February 1 and run through October 19, 2025. Indulge Me is a major survey of renowned artist Wafaa Bilal (b. 1966, Najaf, Iraq; lives in New York, NY). The exhibition covers five major works from Bilal’s immersive, interdisciplinary practice, which investigates the complex dynamic between international and interpersonal politics, with a particular focus on US–Iraq relations. Whether putting his own body on the line to interrogate notions of power or inventing new technological methods to rectify acts of cultural destruction, Bilal shows us what it means to consciously engage across cultures while highlighting negative global implications of consumption, exploitation, and profiteering.