Local News
January is National Blood Donor Month
The Children’s Organ Transplant Association is a national nonprofit with a powerful tagline -- The Trusted Leader Supporting Families … For a Lifetime. Founded in 1986, COTA will soon be celebrating four decades of standing by this promise. A Pennsylvania family’s transplant journey, which has significant January milestones, is a living testament to COTA’s lifetime commitment.
Caregiving Stress Linked to High Blood Pressure in Younger Black Women
A new analysis finds that the stress of being a caregiver is associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension in 21 to 44-year-old Black women, a group known to have a higher prevalence of the condition compared to women of other racial and ethnic groups. Caregiving has been linked by past studies to high blood pressure in middle-aged and older black women, but this relationship has been understudied in this younger group.
UrbanGeekz Unveils 2nd Annual UrbanGeekz 50 List Highlighting Leaders in Tech, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Independent Black-owned digital news outlet UrbanGeekz has unveiled its 2nd annual UrbanGeekz 50: Gamechangers in Tech, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship List, recognizing fifty outstanding leaders in tech, venture, entrepreneurship, and the innovation economy.
Dream Exchange Sponsors Fireside Chat in Chicago for Local Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs
Dream Exchange, recently hosted a fireside chat at the Union League Club in Chicago with the local minority business community. The event took place on Tuesday, November 19th, 2024, and featured notable panelists Dwain Kyles, Managing Member of DX Capital Partners, LLC, and Lorri Dotson, a Dream Exchange investor, Founder/CEO of VISION Group Cleaning and President of Fleetwood Cleaning Services of GA Inc.
Experian’s Legacy League Game Show™ Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of Empowering HBCU and HSI Students
Experian is celebrating the one-year anniversary of The Legacy League Game Show™, a groundbreaking, high-energy, interactive event designed to educate and engage young adults in financial literacy. The main program within the B.A.L.L. for Life™ initiative, the game show combines the excitement of trivia and audience participation in a competition where students face off against their peers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), testing their knowledge about credit and money matters.
Chicago Public Schools Announces New Network 11 Chief of Schools
The Chicago Board of Education approved the appointment of Latasha M. Geverola as the new chief of Network 11 schools. Network 11 is an elementary school network made up of 29 schools, serving approximately 9,100 students and families in Chicago Public Schools. The network encompasses the Englewood, Auburn Gresham, and Washington Heights communities.
Gov. Pritzker Joins IDOT, CREATE to Celebrate Federal Grants for Illinois
Governor JB Pritzker joined the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program team, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and local leadership to celebrate the Biden-Harris administration’s recognition of Illinois as a major transportation hub for the United States via two grant awards. Previously announced in October, the awards from U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), totaling $290 million, will accelerate improvements to the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project (CIP).
Event-Record 160,000 People Apply for the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon notified runners of their selection status for the 2025 event. The race, which is the final event in the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series, continues to see unprecedented interest with more than 160,000 individuals applying for a chance to participate. Those who secure an entry into the race will join another record-breaking field with more than 53,000 participants expected to cross the finish line in Grant Park on Sunday, October 12, 2025.
Department of Education Announces Borrowers Can Now Apply for Additional Income-Driven Repayment Plans
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) today announced the reopening of two student loan repayment plans to give borrowers more options to keep their payments low. The Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Repayment and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plans offer credit for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and income-driven repayment (IDR) to eligible borrowers enrolled in the currently enjoined Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, as well as additional terms that borrowers may wish to consider.
ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL URGES ILLINOIS RESIDENTS TO BE VIGILANT WHEN SEEKING GLP-1 DRUGS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Attorney General Kwame Raoul is warning Illinois residents seeking to purchase GLP-1 medications – including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound – to be aware that many sellers advertising these name brand medications are instead offering unapproved versions of these products that may put people’s health at risk. Raoul is strongly urging people to obtain prescriptions for GLP-1 medications from a trusted health care provider and to fill those prescriptions at an appropriately-licensed pharmacy.
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.