Local News
SUPERVISOR JORDAN, COMMISSIONER McCASKILL, AND STAFFERS DELIVER FOOD FOR HUNDREDS OF SNAP RECIPIENTS IN NEED OF FOOD
Rich Township Supervisor Calvin Jordan and Cook County Commissioner Kisha McCaskill led a mass group of volunteers and staffers in distributing food to hundreds of residents who mostly depended upon the recently downsized SNAP program. The giveaway was held at the Rich Township Food Pantry. The Supervisor and Commissioner publicly addressed the recent report of cuts in the federal food assistance program that has impacted 1.9 million Illinois residents who are facing tough economic times. As a result, massive lines included many who were SNAP program recipients.
Illinois DCFS Honors Adoptive Parents During Adoption Awareness Month
Governor JB Pritzker has proclaimed November as Adoption Awareness Month, joining the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in recognizing the remarkable commitment of thousands of families across the state who have welcomed 20,313 children into their homes over the past decade—providing love, stability and belonging when it was needed most.
Kennedy-King College and Purdue University Northwest sign MOU announcing new partnership that expands Construction Management education pathways
Purdue University Northwest (PNW) and Kennedy-King College (KKC), announce a new partnership to strengthen transfer pathways and support academic and career success for students pursuing Construction Management careers.
Black McDonald’s Operators Association Hosts 25th Annual Food for the Body & Spirit Turkey Giveaway Across Chicago and Suburbs
The Black McDonald’s Operators Association (BMOA) of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana proudly returns with its annual Food for the Body & Spirit initiative, supporting thousands of Chicago veterans and families during the holiday season. Now in its 25th year, the event kicked off on Veteran’s Day, Tuesday, November 11, and continues through November 15 at five McDonald’s locations.
Pre-construction fieldwork getting underway to retire old, corroding energy pipes in Chicago
Over the coming weeks, Peoples Gas work crews will begin pre-construction fieldwork as they ramp up the major task of removing old, rapidly corroding energy pipes from Chicago’s heating system. The iron pipes in the current system date back as far as the 1800s. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) directed Peoples Gas to do the work in order to ensure ongoing safety and reliability in the city’s heating system.
Lilly-Backed Legislation Lowers Costs for Illinois Families
Working to provide more relief to Illinoisans facing rising energy costs, state Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, D-Chicago, passed comprehensive legislation Wednesday evening that seeks to bring down home energy bills both immediately and in the long term for residents, while holding large utility corporations accountable.
Hyde Park Resident Establishes Centralized New Practice to Bring Collaborative, High-Level Mental Health Care to All of Chicago
A new kind of mental health practice opens its doors this week in the heart of Chicago—with a model intended to transform how clinicians work together and how clients experience care. NK Psychological Services, founded by Emily Newman, Psy.D., is pioneering a collaborative, consultation-centered model that blends rigorous clinical practice, mentorship, and accessibility in the heart of the community.
LOVELUVV™ Makes History and Empowers Women: Illinois' First African American Woman-Owned Champagne Brand Commits to Social Impact
November – Driven by a passion for progress, Samantha Danielle Dockery, the first African American woman to own a champagne brand in Illinois, is making a profound impact. She's committing 10% of all profits and/or products from LOVELUVV™ to programs helping individuals and families affected by domestic abuse. This is solidifying her position as a trailblazer in the industry and a champion for women.
MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON AND THE CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION LAUNCH CAMPAIGN TO CELEBRATE NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES AHEAD OF HOLIDAY SEASON
Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) launched the Shop Local Chicago: Neighborhood Pride campaign. The campaign builds on the year-round Shop Local Chicago campaign by encouraging residents and visitors to explore new parts of the city, meet local business owners and neighbors, and share their experiences. The campaign focuses on supporting businesses located in Little Village, Rogers Park, Auburn Gresham and every neighborhood in between. Ahead of the holiday shopping season, the campaign serves as a reminder to shop locally to help preserve the unique character of Chicago’s neighborhoods. Additionally, BACP consumer protection efforts ensure consumers are protected and informed while making the conscious decision to shop local. For more information, including a marketing toolkit, visit Chicago.gov/ShopLocal.
New poll shows supermajority of Chicagoans – 90% of Black and Latino city residents – support higher taxes on big corporations, more resources for schools
The leading Millennial & Minority-owned public opinion research firm in Washington, DC, HIT Strategies, released a new poll today on behalf of the Chicago Teachers Union that outlines enormous levels of support among Chicagoans for revenue strategies that increase taxes on large corporations instead of the alternative of increasing taxes on property owners or cutting education and other city services. An overwhelming 90% of Black and Latino Chicagoans would prefer to increase taxes on large corporations to address the city’s budget.
The DuSable Announces Major Exhibition Opening
A new major exhibition, “Paris in Black: Internationalism and the Black Renaissance,” will open at The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center (The DuSable) on Saturday, November 22, 2025. This new exhibition highlights the personal narratives and artistic contributions of Black American artists who migrated to Europe—particularly Paris—as early as the 1890s in search of creative freedom and refuge from racial oppression in the United States.
Good News in Gary and Pittsburgh — But Still America Declines
Thirty miles south of Chicago, the Gary Works steel mill is getting a $14 billion modernization, protecting tens of thousands of jobs. Similar investments are underway in Pittsburgh. On the surface, these are the headlines American manufacturing needs. But the bigger story is far darker: across the country, American manufacturing is losing ground. Gary and Pittsburgh are exceptions, not the rule.
We Are Not at War with Crime—We Are at War with Poverty
As the Founder, President & CEO of The Link & Option Center, Inc. and one of Illinois’ first Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic’s in Chicago’s Southern suburbs and a behavioral health leader serving the region for over 31 years, I have seen firsthand what happens when systems collapse and communities are left to fend for themselves. Today, similar to COVID and the impact it has on our mental health, we are on the brink of such a collapse for survival of our mental health again—and it is being driven not by crime, but by policy.
ComEd Partners With Local Organizations To Provide Locally Grown Nutrient Dense Produce
ComEd recently celebrated food production with an agriculture pod in North Lawndale as part of a connection between ComEd and the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI). The agriculture pod was done in partnership with the Young Men’s Educational Network (YMEN).
