Protestors made their presence known upon President Donald Trump’s visit to Chicago in nearly four years. His visit prompted outrage and a boycott of his speech at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference by two top city officials–Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

His early announcement of not attending the keynote address prompted a ‘no confidence’ letter by the Fraternal Order of Police. Johnson was recently in the headlines for being falling asleep in his vehicle after having dinner with friends, admitted in addition to exhaustion, medication, and a couple of dinner cocktails–the combination was not the best for his health.

Launching a full-investigation into his case, Johnson held the full-support of Mayor Lightfoot as they condemned Trump’s racially-charged statements and false data on Chicago’s homicide rate.

The Obama Foundation Summit Makes A Landing For the Third Year

On the last Tuesday of October, former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama nearly shut down part of the Southside as the third annual Obama Foundation Summit kicked off on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus in Bronzeville.

Joining her on stage for a one-on-one conversation was her brother Craig Robinson for an in-depth discussion on equity and inclusion across communities. The topic of race was heavy in the room, and the Southside native did not hold back. Growing up, she recounted the result of ‘white flight’ when her family moved into a then- predominately white neighborhood. “Y’all were running from us, and you’re still running,” she said.

Addressing a packed out-building filled with invite-only attendees, the former First Lady discussed her and President Obama’s vision for the 19.3 acres that would take over Jackson Park.

Throughout the day, the summit included breakout sessions, and a community dinner hosted the night before, prompting celebrity outings by Broadway and television star, Billy Porter, film director and producer, Ava DuVernay, and many others.

Gov. Pritzker, Rep. Welch, Sen. Sims Issue Joint Statement on NCAA Allowing Student-Athlete Compensation

Governor JB Pritzker, Representative Chris Welch, and Senator Elgie Sims released the following joint statement after the NCAA announced they will allow student-athletes to be compensated for their names, images, and likenesses:

“It’s clear that student-athletes deserve to have rights in a billion-dollar industry they helped build. After advocating for our legislation in Illinois, the NCAA took a welcome – though overdue – step forward to allow students to be compensated for their names and likenesses. We remain committed to being the voice of student-athletes in Illinois and will monitor this decision to ensure it is fully implemented. Today is a victory for student-athletes around the country who are fighting for fairness and equity, and we will continue to fight alongside you.”