Chicago Fidel Castro supporters say farewell to a controversial man
By David Jordan Ilona Gersh of the Socialist Worker’s Party offered solace through remembrance Monday by selling mourners books of transcribed speeches from the late Fidel Castro. She also offered relief through other such left-leaning works as, “Is socialist revolution in the US possible?” Since the death of Castro, she has seen a lot of […]
NoDAPL supporters chant ‘Mni wiconi’ and it’s not just about water
By Pat Nabong and June Leffler [Package of Standing Rock and the Dakota Access Pipeline stories here] Women in black burkas have marched around the Oceti Sakowin camp in North Dakota with a banner that reads, “Muslims stand with Standing Rock.” In a ceremonial dance, Aztec dancers from South America have skipped to the beat […]
What’s the payout from Illinois new energy law?
By Yu-Ning Aileen Chuang The massive energy bill that passed in the last minutes of Illinois lawmakers’ fall schedule last week has critics fuming about its bailout of Exelon’s two money-losing nuclear plants. But supporters reply that the time for criticism has passed and it’s time rather to maximize the benefits to the public. The Future Energy […]
Stony Island Arts Bank works to change narrative of Chicago’s South Side
by Christen Gall Ten minutes south of Hyde Park, the South Side’s intellectual haven, sits a neoclassic building on the unlikely corner of Stony Island Ave. and 68th St. in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood. Theaster Gates, a renowned Chicago artist, urban planner and University of Chicago professor, bought the building in 2013 for a mere $1 from the city […]
Generation Z turns to secret online accounts in ‘frustration’ with social media
By Lauren Ball The chatter of an undergraduate party swarmed, steadily competing with the indiscriminate tunes blasting from hidden speakers. The revelers – college-aged and already buzzed on Hennessy shots and cheap wine – lazed calmly. All social anxiety and menial conventions had been congenially dismissed hours before. Cigarette smoke clung to quiet conversations and […]
Power to the People: How prison abolitionist Ric Wilson shares his work through music
By Thaddeus Tukes Good luck trying to catch artivist Ric Wilson. Traversing the city of Chicago with wide eyes and a feather earring, his flutters have already been making waves throughout the Chicago area. A native of Alsip, a suburb southwest of the city, his soul has “bounced” from the North Coast Music Festival in […]
5 steps to branding Indie artists
By Thaddeus Tukes Since I started playing music professionally as a teenager, I’ve run into countless people whose shining star fizzled out — and most of them believe it was too early. Many initially took the independent artist route, but said they lacked the resources to make it work. They couldn’t attract consistent visibility or […]
Southwest Side business cooperative puts waste to good use
By Yu-Ning Aileen Chuang Before you trash the remnants of that Thanksgiving turkey or ram the last bits of stuffing into the garbage disposal, try thinking about how much food is wasted in the U.S. every day. The U.S. throws away 30 percent of edible food annually, an equivalent of $161 billion worth of produce, […]
Trump’s ‘fantastic’ call to Pakistan’s ‘terrific’ prime minister receives mixed response
By Shahzeb Ahmed When it comes to foreign policy and diplomatic relations, most world leaders tend to stick to the script of mundane diplomatic-speak and inert compliments. President-elect Donald Trump’s call to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sounded anything but ordinary. “You are a terrific guy,” Trump told Sharif, per a transcript released by Sharif’s office […]
For the love of birds: Carolyn Marsh’s 30-year fight for the Hammond environment
By Puja Bhattacharjee Plan to navigate through the Horseshoe Casino parking lot and take a short walk along the lakefront before you can get to the turnstile entrance of the Hammond Bird Sanctuary in Hammond, Indiana. I followed Carolyn Marsh, 72, into the sanctuary early one morning. Marsh cleaned the bird baths inside the sanctuary, […]