Local News
2026 IL Resident Free Days, Free Nights and a Heart-Pumping Valentine's Day House Party Announced at Shedd Aquarium
Shedd Aquarium is announcing new Illinois resident free days in January and February, giving guests an opportunity to escape the cold and dive into aquatic environments from coral reefs to freshwater rivers.
IDPH Urges Flu Shots, Other Preventive Measures as Influenza Rates Climb Statewide
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is urging residents to take precautions against the spread of influenza (flu) and other seasonal respiratory illnesses, as rates continue to climb across the state. Flu activity in the state has climbed to “Very High” in recent days, the most severe of five categories of respiratory illness activity, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition, COVID-19 rates have climbed to “Moderate” levels in Illinois. These trends are similar to what is being seen across the nation.
Illinois DCFS Opens Post-Secondary Scholarship Application to Current and Former Youth in Care
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is accepting applications for the 2026 DCFS Scholarship Program. Through the program scholarships will be awarded to current and former youth in care for the upcoming school year, with four awards reserved for the children of veterans and two awards presented to students pursuing degrees in social work in honor of Pamela Knight and Deidre Silas, two DCFS caseworkers who succumbed to injuries sustained in the line of duty.
Cook County Launches Campaign to Promote Lead Removal Services
Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) has launched a new awareness campaign, “Lead-Safe Cook County,” to encourage eligible suburban Cook County residents and homeowners to apply for free lead removal services and free home repairs.
ICJIA Announces Grant Opportunities Totaling $50 Million to Restore Communities Impacted by Systemic Racism and Disinvestment
The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) announced two funding opportunities for the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) Program, totaling $50 million in grants to historically underserved communities.
MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON ANNOUNCES $33 MILLION IN GRANT AWARDS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
A South Shore intergenerational housing complex, a new headquarters for a West Garfield Park gun violence prevention organization and a Roseland coffee shop are among 58 neighborhood improvement projects to be supported through $33 million in City development grants, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) announced.
MCA Chicago announces Chicago presentation of Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is pleased to announce Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers, a major survey covering nearly thirty years of Rashid Johnson’s (b. 1977, Chicago, IL; lives in New York) practice. Running in the Griffin Galleries from November 7, 2026, through April 25, 2027, the exhibition examines Johnson’s work from his perspective as a student of art history; a consumer and translator of Black popular, literary and intellectual culture; and a cultural participant in the age of globalization and its aftereffects. With works including photographs, videos, large-scale installations, immersive paintings and multimedia assemblages, A Poem for Deep Thinkers asks fundamental questions about the fragile human psyche in the face of ineffable historic forces. Johnson often says “the subject of my work is freedom,” and throughout the exhibition visitors will encounter pieces inspired by radical artistic and political movements from the 1960s to the 1990s that modeled how individuals and communities can resist established orders to carve out new paths through history.
President Obama Invites Chicagoans to Apply for 150 New Full-Time Career Opportunities at the Presidential Center
As the Obama Presidential Center prepares to open its doors in 2026, President Obama personally invited Chicago residents to apply for 150 new full-time career opportunities at the center. See his video here.
DCASE, MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON ANNOUNCE $2 MILLION IN GRANT AWARDS TO SUPPORT THE ARTS, UPLIFT CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the 49 arts, culture, and humanities organizations receiving support through the Johnson administration’s Arts Relief Fund Program, through which the City is stepping in to help sustain arts and culture organizations navigating the loss of critical federal funding, in addition to the 39 organizations benefitting from over $1.4 million in new Neighborhood Access Program (NAP) grants.
Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology Launches “Mastering the State Contracting Game” Webinar Series to Demystify the State Procurement Process for Vendors
The Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) Office of Supplier Diversity, in collaboration with the IT Procurement Office (ITPO), announces the launch of a new webinar series titled “Mastering the State Contracting Game” as part of the “Leveraging Diversity in Technology Procurement” educational series.
National Medical Association and Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health Celebrate Graduation of Climate and Health Equity Fellowship Class of 2025
The National Medical Association (NMA), in partnership with the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health (MSCCH), proudly celebrated the graduation of 14 physician fellows from the Climate and Health Equity Fellowship (CHEF) Class of 2025 this weekend, marking both the completion of the program’s intensive 10-month fellowship and the fifth anniversary of CHEF.
Spelman’s Title IX Office Receives $21,000 from Bison Impact Group in Support of Domestic Violence Efforts
Spelman College’s Office of Title IX and Compliance recently received $21,000 in support of their mission to end campus domestic violence from the Bison Impact Group (BIG), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) introducing Black people to golf for relational wellness and fundraising to stop violence against women and children.
Operation HOPE Announces Historic Partnership with the Country’s Top Nonprofits to Launch HOPE AI™ – a National Strategy for Inclusive Financial and AI Literacy
Operation HOPE, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in an ever-changing economy, today announced a historic partnership with a coalition of the nation’s most trusted and influential nonprofit organizations to launch HOPE AI™, a groundbreaking national strategy to bring both financial literacy and artificial intelligence literacy to every community in America. The announcement was marked by a powerful moment on the main stage at this year’s Annual Meeting of the Hope Global Forums in Atlanta, where the leaders of these organizations stood together with Operation HOPE Founder, Chairman and CEO John Hope Bryant for a historic signing ceremony affirming their shared commitment to this national effort.
Cocolife.black Launches Pennsylvania-Based Multi-City Maternal Wellness Tour to Expand Equitable Care--Bump and Beyond
At a time when maternal health outcomes continue to expose deep and persistent inequities across communities, Cocolife.black is working to change what has long been a historic and systemic failure. Founded in 2019 by Alexia Doumbouya, the Philadelphia-based nonprofit supports women from pregnancy through postpartum, with a focused commitment to improving Black maternal health and reducing racial disparities in care.
