Citizen Suburban Times Weekly 8-21-2024 by CITIZEN NEWSPAPERS

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An appeals court last week reversed state regulators’ approval of a permit for the Illinois portion of an

New state laws taking effect Jan. 1

State appeals court tosses proposal for new transmission line in central Illinois

Minimum wage hike, pets in public housing among new changes

Continued from page 1

BY PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com

SPRINGFIELD – Minimum wage workers in Illinois will see a boost in their hourly pay to $12 per hour starting Jan. 1, while tenants in affordable housing units will be allowed to keep pets.

Those are just some of the more than 300 new laws that take effect in the new year.

The minimum wage increase is actually the result of a 2019 law that phases in a state minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. This year, it will increase by one dollar to $12 an hour.

Advocates say the controversial project is necessary to meet renewable energy needs

tenants to keep pets is the result of Senate Bill 154, by Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, and Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego. It provides that tenants of multifamily housing units that are acquired, built or renovated with money from the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund may keep up to two cats or one dog weighing less than 50 pounds. It applies to residents of housing units that are designated as affordable housing for low- and very-lowincome families. The bill passed both chambers in its final form on May 30 and Gov. JB Pritzker signed it into law Aug. 6. Other new laws include:

BY ANDREW ADAMS CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS AADAMS@CAPITOLNEWSILLINOIS.COM

An appeals court last week reversed state regulators’ approval of a permit for the Illinois portion of an 800-mile, high-voltage transmission line, setting up a possible fight at the state’s Supreme Court.

The Grain Belt Express, or GBX, is owned by Chicago-based Invenergy and is meant to carry renewable electricity generated by wind farms. It would run through parts of Kansas, Missouri and Illinois before terminating just over the Indiana border.

Its backers say the project is a key piece of infrastructure that’s needed to boost renewable energy in the region as well as deliver billions in savings to electricity customers over 15 years.

The company received approval for a key permit from the Illinois Commerce Commission in March last year, but the 5th District Appellate Court overruled that decision last week.

Justice James Moore, writing the unanimous opinion for the threejudge panel, said the issue with the ICC’s permit is primarily a lack of evidence that its owners can actually pay for the development.

the Midwest will need to more than double its mileage of high-voltage transmission lines by 2040, assuming a moderate increase in electricity needs and high adoption rates of renewable energy.

A similar appeals court ruling overturning an ICC permitting decision in 2015 nearly killed the development before it was sold to Invenergy.

The Illinois Farm Bureau, a lobbying and advocacy group representing farmers, has been a driving force in the legal fight against the transmission line. It was joined by several smaller groups of landowners and farmers who organized opposition to the project independently.

Laura Harmon, associate counsel for the Illinois Farm Bureau, said the organization doesn’t oppose all transmission line projects, noting that many are backed by public utilities and are “vetted based on need, reliability.”

“This one was different,” she said. “We had a project with no wind farms, no customers.”

That introduced uncertainty for farmers who may be asked to sign easements to allow the company to build on their property, which could potentially cloud the title for that land.

The law allowing public housing

Darrell Garth

Vehicle taxes: SB58 raises the private vehicle tax, which is a sales tax paid on the purchase of vehicles, by $75 for each model year where the purchase price is less than $15,000 and by $100 for vehicles priced above that amount. However, the registration fee for trailers weighing less than 3,000 pounds will drop to $36 instead of $118.

“Ultimately, there was not substantial evidence put forth to support the Commission’s finding that GBX is capable of financing the project,” Moore wrote. “The evidence put forward demonstrated that GBX lacked the funding at the time of the hearing, had no customers, contracts, government or bank commitments.”

Moore also noted the parties involved in the case “agree on very little” about the underlying law authorizing companies like Invenergy to build these transmission lines.

That law was approved by the General Assembly in 2021 as part of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, a broad legislative package that was meant to decrease the state’s reliance on fossil fuels and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation by 2045.

“Depending on the language of the easement, it may not be void if that project is never built,” she said.

CEJA does not name Grain Belt but says a project of its magnitude “shall be deemed” a public use line, giving the company the ability to invoke eminent domain if needed – a policy opposed by many farmers and large landowners.

The law includes voltage and capacity parameters and requires any “qualifying direct current project” to pass through nine counties along the proposed route of the Grain Belt Express project. Those counties are Pike, Scott, Greene, Macoupin, Montgomery, Christian, Shelby, Cumberland and Clark.

Darrell President / Publisher

President / Publisher

Darrell

Garth President / Publisher

Janice Garth

Sales Manager/General Manager

Sales Manager/General Manager

Sales Manager/ General Manager

College admissions: HB226, establishing the Higher Education Fair Admissions Act, prohibits public colleges and universities from requiring applicants to submit SAT, ACT or other standardized test scores as part of the admissions process, although prospective students may choose to submit them if they wish.

Proponents of the Grain Belt Express point to this reading of CEJA as a threat to other renewable energy projects.

“Today’s ruling completely misinterprets law and threatens billions in energy cost savings for Grain Belt Express consumers,” Invenergy Director of Public Affairs Dia Kuykendall said Friday. “The erroneous ruling has far-reaching implications beyond Grain Belt Express and contradicts the State’s efforts to secure a reliable and affordable clean energy future.”

Kuykendall also said the company will “immediately appeal” the decision to the Illinois Supreme Court.

The Farm Bureau contends that the provision at issue in the case was added as unconstitutional “special legislation” meant to provide a way to benefit the Grain Belt project specifically.

In the decision handed down Thursday siding with the Farm Bureau, the justices explicitly declined to rule on that argument, leaving it legally untested.

Grain Belt and its parent company have 35 days after the appeals court ruling to request the Supreme Court to take up the case. In 2022, the most recent year for which data is available, the Illinois Supreme Court only accepted about 7 percent of petitions to appeal filed.

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CST Weekly, published weekly on Wednesdays and distributed in the Township of Bloom, (publishing 52 issues annually). W ritten permission is required to reproduce contents in whole or part from the General manager or the publisher CST Weekly does not assume the responsibility for nor are we able to return unsolicited marterials. Deadline for advertising is every Monday at noon. For information on subscriptions or advertising call us at (773) 783-1251. Our office is located at 8741 S. Greenwood Ave., Ste# 107, Chicago, Illinois 60619.

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Drug prices: SB1682 requires pharmacies to post a notice informing consumers that they may request current pharmacy retail prices at the point of sale.

The decision was also criticized by representatives of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, Laborers’ International Union and Illinois Environmental Council.

“We need this transmission infrastructure to bring renewable energy online,” IEC Energy Policy Director Samira Hanessian said in an interview.

FOID card changes: HB562 enacts several changes to the Firearm Owner Identification card law. Among other things, it provides for a streamlined renewal process for FOID cards and Concealed Carry Licenses for people who voluntarily submit fingerprint records. It also allows the Illinois State Police to issue a combined FOID card and Concealed Carry License to qualified applicants, and it establishes a new Violent Crime Intelligence Task Force to take enforcement action against people with revoked FOID cards.

In an October 2023 study, the U.S. Department of Energy found that

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of print and broadcast outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL ANNOUNCES MULTISTATE SETTLEMENT WITH CAMEO FOR VIOLATING CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a settlement with Baron App Inc. (Cameo) resolving an investigation into Cameo’s violation of consumer protection laws by not providing appropriate disclosures to consumers who purchased video business messages using the popular personalized video service.

general to protect Illinoisans and consumers across the nation from fraud and deceptive business practices.”

to the appropriate school support personnel.

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Student mental health: HB576 and SB1577 allow students in Illinois up to five excused absences to attend to their mental or behavioral health without providing a medical note. Those students will be given an opportunity to make up any work they missed during the first absence and, after using a second mental health day, may be referred

As part of the agreed settlement announced by a bipartisan coalition of 30 attorneys general, Cameo will establish and maintain programs and policies to help ensure its website and mobile applications users comply with all applicable state and federal laws, including the FTC’s Endorsement Guides. Cameo will also implement a watermark system for paid advertisements, implement a system for legal disclosures to and acknowledgements from all celebrities and consumers and monitor paid advertisements for compliance and establish reporting mechanisms for non-compliant Cameo videos.

Official flags: HB605 requires state agencies and institutions to purchase Illinois and American flags that are made in the United States.

Raoul and the coalition’s investigation found potential violations of states’ consumer protection statutes and the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Endorsement Guides’ paid advertiser disclosure requirements. Raoul and the coalition allege that Cameo failed to provide appropriate disclosures to consumers purchasing personalized video business messages that an endorsement of a product is a paid endorsement. Additionally, the investigation showed Cameo failed to refund users who paid for the business Cameo feature but mistakenly signed up for the less-expensive personal message Cameos.

United States. In June, President Joe Biden also signed a bill designating Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Hair styles: SB817 prohibits discrimination in schools against individuals on the grounds of wearing natural or ethnic hairstyles, which include dreadlocks, braids, twists and afros.

its public health authorities from regulating or shutting down lemonade stands or similar operations that are operated by children under the age of 16. Known as “Hayli’s Law,” it was inspired by 12-year-old Hayli Martinez, whose lemonade stand in Kankakee was shut down by local officials.

“Today’s settlement ensures Cameo is held accountable after the company failed to follow state and federal laws intended to protect consumers,” Raoul said. “I will continue to work with fellow attorneys

Lemonade stands: SB119 prohib-

Juneteenth: HB3922 recognizes June 19, or “Juneteenth,” as an official state holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the

Joining Raoul in announcing today’s settlement are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

University of Michigan Professor of Robotics, Dr. Chad Jenkins, Honored

with the 2024 Richard Tapia Achievement Award

LEMONT, Ill., PRNewswire -- The Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in IT (CMD-IT) honors Dr. Chad Jenkins, University of Michigan Professor of Robotics, as the 2024 recipient of the Richard A. Tapia Achievement Award for Scientific Scholarship, Civic Science, and Diversifying Computing. The awards ceremony will take place during the CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference, held in San Diego, California, Sept. 18-20, 2024. Last year, more than 2,000 attendees, including students from more than 250 colleges and universities, attended the conference.

Each year, the Richard A. Tapia Achievement Award for Scientific Scholarship, Civic Science, and Diversifying Computing is presented to a distinguished computational scientist, computer engineer who is making significant contributions to computing and civic areas, including teaching, mentoring, advising, and building and serving diverse communities. The award winner represents extraordinary leadership in computing scholarship and CMD-IT’s mission to increase the par-

ticipation of underrepresented communities in computing.

“We are proud to honor Dr. Chad Jenkins, the University of Michigan Professor of Robotics, as this year’s recipient of the prestigious Tapia Award,” said Dr. Valerie Taylor, CEO and President CMD-IT. “The recognition is a testament to his outstanding contributions to the field of robotics, in particular computational reasoning and perception, and his exemplary work with mentoring students and professional from underrepresented communities in computing.”

“I am deeply honored and grateful to be recognized with the 2024 Richard A. Tapia Achievement Award for Scientific Scholarship, Civic Science and Diversifying Computing. I have been incredibly fortunate to stand on the shoulders of giants across the Tapia community,” said Chad Jenkins.

“The commitment to both excellence and equity at Tapia has provided a guiding light for how to be a trailblazer, mentor, mentee, and catalyst for positive impact,” Jenkins adds. “Joining the distinguished group of Richard A. Tapia Achievement Award honorees is a crowning accomplishment in my career. I look forward to our continued work together as a community to extend and expand the ladder of opportunity for future generations.”

Chad Jenkins is a Professor of Robotics and a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan. His work aims to discover methods for computational reasoning and perception that will enable robots to effectively assist people in common human environments. Professor Jenkins’ research pertains primarily to robot learning from demonstration, semantic perception, and mobile manipulation towards enabling the usability of technology by people in real situations.

Professor Jenkins is currently serving as the Vice President for Educational Activities for the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. Professor Jenkins was the found-

ing Program Chair of the Robotics Major Degree Program launched in 2022 for undergraduates at the University of Michigan. He was a founding Editor-in-Chief for the ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction, serving from 2016 to 2024. Professor Jenkins served on the Computing Community Consortium from 2019 to 2022. Recently, he was elected Member-At-Large for the Association of Computing Machinery.

As a member of the Computing Research Association’s Committee on Widening Participation in Computing Research (CRA-WP), he helped found The Skip Ellis Early Career Award in honor of Professor Clarence “Skip” Ellis, the first American Black person to earn a doctorate in computer science.

Professor Jenkins is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI). He is a Senior Member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He is an alumnus of the Defense Science Study Group (2018-19).

The CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference (TAPIA Conference) is the premier annual event to acknowledge, promote, and celebrate diversity in computing. Each year, the conference brings together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, researchers, and professionals in computing from all backgrounds and ethnicities to celebrate the diversity that exists in computing and tech. The annual conference presents an opportunity to connect with others and to create communities that extend beyond the event.

For more information about the Tapia Conference, please visit the CMD-IT/ACM Tapia Conference website at http://www.tapiaconference.org.

Morehouse College Receives $20 million Gift to Support Academics, Recruit New Professors

ATLANTA, PRNewswire -- Morehouse College has received a $20 million anonymous gift to expand academic programs and professorships at the College, the only liberal arts institution in the nation dedicated to the education and development of Black men. The contribution—the largest gift ever designated for faculty positions at Morehouse—will be used to fund six endowed professorships that will enhance innovation and research in several academic areas.

The professorships will be added to the Division of Business and Economics, the Division of Humanities, Social Sciences, Media, and the Arts (HSSMA), and the Division of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, including the Office of Health Professions.

“Our faculty are the heartbeat of this institution. They lead our academic programs, develop the intellect of our students, and challenge them to go out in the world and be great. They have fueled the success of thousands of Morehouse Men,” said David A. Thomas, Ph.D., President of Morehouse College. “This transformational $20 million gift will allow us to increase the ranks of our esteemed and talented professors so that we can uphold the legacy of excellence in our classrooms as our as veteran faculty retire.”

Morehouse, which educates more than 2,300 students annually, has world-class academic programs that have been especially successful at cultivating men of distinction who rise as leaders in every field, including the U.S. Congress; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General; the Olympics; as well as the recipients’ platforms of the Nobel Peace Prize and the Academy Awards. The

Morehouse College President David A. Thomas, Ph.D., (middle) and Provost Kendrick Brown, Ph.D., (right) present Adria Welcher, Ph.D., chair of the Sociology Department, (left) with the prestigious Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award at Morehouse’s Commencement in May. National recipients of this award are recognized for their dedication to teaching, ability to inspire students, and contributions to the academic community. Morehouse College.

College is the top producer of Black men who go on to receive doctorates, and is the top-feeder school for Black men entering top-ranked MBA programs as well as managerial and executive positions in business.

The anonymous $20 million gift was contributed to the “Making Men of Consequence” Campaign, the largest fundraising initiative in Morehouse’s 157-year history. The goals of the $500 million campaign are to expand Morehouse’s ability to offer scholarship support

to any deserving student, recruit new faculty at the top of their fields, invest in innovative academic programs, and to fund campus improvements.

Specifically, the donation falls under the campaign’s “Inquiry with Distinction” pillar, which focuses on expanding investment in academics, including distinguished faculty positions, curricular and academic programming, and evidence-based research. The fundraising goal for that pillar is $100 million. Currently, Morehouse employs more than 300 full-and-part-time faculty.

“Investing in Morehouse College’s talented faculty is critical to maintaining the College’s reputation and relevance as a world-class institution of higher learning,” said Provost Kendrick Brown, Ph.D. “At Morehouse, we are developing men with integrity and intellect to become 21st-century leaders and innovators. That takes resources—not only funds for technology and classroom materials, but also a significant investment in attracting accomplished professors to Morehouse who will continue to elevate our profile in all academic areas.”

With the addition of the anonymous gift, nearly $290 million has been generated for the “Making Men of Consequence” Campaign to date.

“We are grateful to the anonymous donor for this generous investment in our faculty,” said Hodan Hassan, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. “This significant gift fuels our ongoing commitment to excellence in higher education and our ability to offer students transformative academic experiences that help them to reach their full potential.”

Learn more about Morehouse College at morehouse. edu.

Dr. Chad Jenkins, Phd. CMD-IT

Celebrate Summer’s Finale in the Mile High City

DENVER, PRNewswire --

The calendar may say summer is winding down, but not in Denver! Summer in Denver is still in full swing here with live entertainment, outdoor adventure and more. Although Labor Day Weekend is the unofficial end of summer, the fun doesn’t stop there. Below is a list of activities and events for the whole family to get the most of out of the last days of summer. For more information about Labor Day Weekend and late summer in Denver, check out the VISIT DENVER website.

Can’t-Miss Events

Dashiki Fest, Aug. 31, 2024

Levitt Pavilion Denver

Dashiki Fest will be a vibrant and entertaining festival. Performances will feature local artists, dances and other renowned African artists of this generation. Guests can explore a variety of food from various African vendors, African art and fashion vendors, and many interesting stands for small businesses.

Denver Food + Wine Festival, Sept. 4–7, 2024

The Tivoli Quad, Auraria Campus

Don’t miss a multi-day extravaganza of food, wine and spirits. Festival events feature the best of metro Denver’s restaurant community, the finest wine and spirits, educational seminars and the culminating signature Grand Tasting.

Flock Party 2024, Sept. 7, 2024

Denver Zoo

Now in its fifth year, this colorful annual benefit is a movable feast with live music, unforgettable animal experiences, on-the-spot fashion illustrations, craft cocktails and artisan eats — all in the company of real party animals! Proceeds benefit the zoo’s beloved animal family and support their wildlife conservation work in Colorado and worldwide.

Music & Performing Arts

‘DARKFIELD’, Thru Sept. 1, 2024

The Bird Lot | RiNo Art District

Aug. 27–28, 2024: Khruangbin with Peter Cat Recording Co.

Aug. 29, 2024: Lamb of God & Mastadon with Kerry King, Malevolence

Aug. 30, 2024: REZZ Rocks VI

Aug. 31, 2024: Dierks Bentley: Gravel & Gold Presented by Jersey Mike’s

Sept. 1–2, 2024: Gregory Alan Isakov with Passenger

Sept. 3–4, 2024: Human Musical Group Sensations Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Levitt Pavilion Concerts

The Levitt Pavilion is a state-ofthe-art amphitheater in Ruby Hill Park that was created as a gift to the community. This outdoor venue hosts a slew of free concerts every summer, and a few ticketed events, too.

Aug. 29, 2024: Kurt Vile and The Violators (Ticketed)

Aug. 30, 2024: Alternative TentaclesFEST hosted by Jello Biafra featuring Tsunami Bomb with Kultur Shock, Wheelchair Sports Camp and Dead Pioneers (Free)

Sept. 6, 2024: Mariachi Sol de Mi Tierra, the Fiesta Colorado Dance Company & Baile Caliente with El Javi (free)

Museum Exhibitions

Making its U.S. premiere in Denver this summer following sold-out runs in the UK, Australia, Asia and Mexico, DCPA Off-Center and Realscape Productions present a spine-tingling collection of immersive audio experiences inside custom-built shipping containers — and in complete darkness. DARKFIELD utilizes its signature 360-degree audio along with sensory effects and hyper-realistic sets to place you in the middle of intense narratives that will leave you questioning reality. Step inside three uniquely captivating worlds — SÉANCE, FLIGHT or COMA — and find out who you really are when the darkness sets in.

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre Concerts

No summer in Denver is complete without at least one — or two, or five — trips to the awe-inspiring Red Rocks Amphitheatre, just 15 miles from downtown Denver. More than 70 million years in the making, the 9,450-seat venue is flanked by enormous 300-foot red sandstone rock formations and always boasts a star-studded musical schedule.

Hand in Nature, Thru Sept. 1, 2024

MCA DENVER — Museum of Contemporary Art Denver

Gala Porras-Kim is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work questions how knowledge is acquired and tests the potential for artworks and objects to function as meaning-makers outside of traditional museum contexts. For this exhibition, Porras-Kim extends lines of questioning into conservation, preservation and care within institutional contexts to the broader natural world and lived environment.

Fazal Sheikh: Thirst | Exposure | In Place, Thru Oct. 20, 2024

Denver Art Museum

This exhibition was created from three projects photographer Fazal Sheikh made on the Colorado Plateau from 2017 to early 2023. Sheikh’s portraits and landscapes of displaced communities and marginalized people shed light on the far-reaching consequences of extractive industry and climate change.

MOXY ST. PETE OPENS IN THE EDGE DISTRICT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., PRNewswire -- PTM Partners and DoveHill are proud to announce the opening of Moxy St. Pete, under management from the Wurzak Hotel Group. Located on Central Avenue, one of the most vibrant streets in Florida, the newly built property is the first lifestyle hotel in downtown St. Petersburg. Meticulously designed by Storyn Studio for Architecture, the hotel introduces 163 guest rooms and suites; the Edge District’s first rooftop pool deck, as well as a poolside bar; and a dynamic lobby featuring Rose’s coffee bar, indoor and outdoor spaces, a large lobby bar that opens up to the street, a podcast studio, conference space, and work areas. Additionally, the hotel will open the new location of Sparrow this fall, marking the latest destination of a Florida-favorite rooftop dining and nightlife experience.

Situated at the new EDGE Collective mixed-use development near Tropicana Field on St. Pete’s lively Central Avenue, Moxy St. Pete blends with the buzz of this walkable neighborhood filled with local shops, restaurants, and nightlife.

Upon entry into the hotel, guests step into a lobby inspired by the unique charm of downtown St. Petersburg, celebrated for its mural-lined streets, creative atmosphere, and beautiful waterfront. The bright and playful lobby features mid-century modern design with laid-back Florida beach decor. Capturing the classic charm of St. Pete, the check-in desk is anchored by a lively mural showcasing a collage of botanical flora and fauna by Tampa artist Ashley Cassens and a sculptural art mirror by St. Pete artist Ted VanCleave.

The lobby also offers an array of spaces for work and play, including eye-catching furnishings and comfortable seating areas, along with an indoor stage area to host local live music and entertainment. Bar Moxy, the hotel’s indoor-outdoor lobby bar, offers specialty cocktails, beer, wine, and seltzers along with an assortment of refreshing non-alcoholic beverages–the perfect kick-off to a hotel stay or for enjoying a drink before heading to dinner on Central Avenue. At Bar Moxy, guests can also enjoy classic salads, flatbreads, fresh sushi rolls including the Central Ave Crunch, and an array of handheld options from the Lobster Roll and Tuna Poke Fish Tacos to the signature Moxy Grass-Fed Beef Burger.

Continuing through the lobby, Rose’s Coffee Bar is an elevated coffee shop serving espresso-based beverages, cold brew, nitro brew, and drip coffee. Rose’s also offers assorted pastries, toasts, smoothies, and other light bites. This location marks the second Rose’s Coffee Bar, joining its first location in Fort Lauderdale.

Additional hotel offerings include a podcast studio in the lobby, available for the public to rent for free, and 1,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, adorned with a unique pool mural that plays on viewers’ depth perception, by Miami-based artist duo Allison Matherly and Jeffrey Noble. The hotel’s meeting room also features shuffleboard floors as a tribute to the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, the oldest and largest in the world. On the sixth floor, the hotel’s 24-7 fitness center is equipped with a boxing bag, gymnastics equipment, Peloton bikes, and a full-circuit gym.

Moxy St. Pete is home to the neighborhood’s first rooftop pool destination. Located on the 7th floor, guests are greeted by a pool lined with colorful cabanas alongside Sip ‘n Dip, an open-air bar ideal for enjoying refreshing cocktails and poolside favorites including fresh fruit plates, chips and guacamole, and chicken tenders, as well as elevated offerings such as the fresh Seafood Tower featuring Citrus Shrimp, Oysters, Tuna Poke, Lobster, and Black Pepper Mignonette. Miami-based artist Douglas Hoekzema, known as Hoxxoh, designed the rooftop’s distinctive and complex geometric mural overlooking the surroundings.

Moxy St. Pete is located at 1234 Central Avenue. Opening rates start at $249 per night. Reservations can be made online or by calling 727-677-2000.

Courtesy of Denver Arts & Venues, photo by Stevie Crecelius

Azazie Teams Up with Jordyn Woods to Celebrate New Atelier Collection

LOS ANGELES, PRNewswire --

Azazie, the leading DTC e-tailer for all things bridal and occasion wear, teamed up with Jordyn Woods to celebrate the launch of its new Atelier collection, Secret Garden: Eveningwear in Full Bloom, in Beverly Hills, CA on August 6.

Hosted at the newly-opened AZAZIE STUDIO, the star-studded event brought VIPs and fans of the brand alike, including Vanderpump Rules’ Scheana Shay, Charli Burnett, and Ally Lewber, Selling Sunset’s Nicole Young, Love Island’s Justine Ndiba, as well as Hayley Hasselhoff. Joined by Azazie’s CEO Charles Zong and Creative Director Daniel Sanchez, guests enjoyed a DJ set from Natalina, light bites and beverages, and a DIY bouquet bar. Jordyn Woods, the event’s co-host, wore Reina White Cross Neck Maxi Dress ($99) while Shay, Burnett, and Lewber wore Emery Rose Pink Floral Printed Ruched Ruffle Midi Dress

($119), Rosina Little White Dress ($109) and Joanna Black and Blush Pink Bow Mini Dress ($169) respectively.

The Secret Garden: Eveningwear in Full Bloom collection ranges from $89 - $199 and is available in sizes 0 - 30 and can be purchased at www. azazie.com.

Azazie is the leading DTC e-tailer for bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, special occasion wear, and accessories, offering high-quality gowns at affordable prices. Based in the tech capital of Silicon Valley, Azazie is disrupting the traditional bridal industry while garnering high ratings from customers and review sites alike. With 200+ bridal gowns and 400+ bridal party dresses in over 80 colors, Azazie is committed to body-positive fashion, offering all dresses from size 0-30, cut and sewn to order like expensive bespoke designs. Visit the website at www. azazie.com.

Azazie is the leading DTC e-tailer for bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, special occasion wear, and accessories, offering highquality gowns at affordable prices.

Sassy Jones: Global Fashion & Lifestyle brand celebrates 11 years of changing lives!

RICHMOND, Va., PRNewswire --

On July 20, chants of “We are family. I got all my sisters with me.” could be heard through the Short Pump Town Center in Richmond, VA from Sassy Jones’ VIP clients. Dressed in pink, they flew in from all over the US to celebrate the brand’s 11th year anniversary. Ingrid Seals, VIP customer, stated “I will be at every Sassy event. The brand has changed my life. I love Charis, the staff, all products, and the ladies I’ve met through the brand.”

The journey of the global fashion and lifestyle brand, is one of determination, inspiration and hope to make a positive impact in the lives of others. CEO and Chief Designer, Charis Jones created the brand that is primarily focused on the confidence of a woman and how that spark can change the perspective and approach in life.

Sassy Jones started with a trade show tour, then to Charis’ kitchen because of raising twin boys at the same time. She quickly pivoted to creating her own popup shop at home and conducting live streams via

social media naming it The Sparkle Party®️. This is where the brand began to impact the lives and confidence of women all across the globe by empow-

ering them to practice decision audacity with their lifestyle choices.

During the past 11 years, the brand has accomplished the following:

First black woman owned business to build two girls dormitories in Kenya, Africa at an academic center to assist in the aid of the menstrual poverty epidemic.

Ranked #24 on the Inc. 5000 list

Featured in Forbes

Featured on the Today Show’s “She Made It” Segment

Pop Up Shop Feature in Macy’s

Special collections featured on HSN

Flagship store opening in Richmond, VA

Styled Tabitha Brown for book tour stops and hosted the event in Richmond, VA

With all the accomplishments over the years, Charis states, “the biggest achievement is changing women’s lives one experience at a time through our products and community, so that they feel undeniably confident to conquer anything in life.”

Charis Jones (center), CEO and Chief Designer of Sassy Jones, celebrates 11 years of business along with staff members. PRNEWSFOTO/SASSY JONES

Jordyn Woods co-hosts the Azazie Midsummer Soiree event. Bobby Rachpoot.

Shalamar and Rose Royce Took Over Horseshoe Casino Venue Recently

Photos By L.M. Warbington Photography

National Museum of African American History and Culture To Release Its First Book of Sports Photography

Cover

of Game Changers: Sports Photographs from the National Museum of American History and Culture.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will publish a dynamic new book Sept. 17 tracing the history of sports through photographs from the turn of the 20th century to the present day with Game Changers: Sports Photographs from the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This publication is the first in the Double Exposure series to include photographs from the Johnson Publishing Company Archive, co-owned by the museum and the Getty Research Institute. The 84-page softcover book showcases 57 black-and-white and 11 color images.

“The Black athlete has long served as a symbol of excellence, a figure of change, and an image of the otherwise impossible,” wrote Kevin Young, Andrew W. Mellon Director of NMAAHC, in the foreword to the book. “We soar when they do, we root for them even as we doubt; we win even when they lose, as long as the attempt proves as noble as the victory. More than 20 of the photographs in this book, spanning almost 40 years, come from the Johnson Publishing Company Archive, remarkable for its ability to get inside athletes’ homes and experiences, documenting ordinary moments in often extraordinary lives.”

Organized around key moments in the history of African American sports, Game Changers explores the sometimes-complex world of athletes, their sports and their impact on American culture on and off the field. While football, basketball, baseball and boxing are prominently featured, the book also includes images of male and female athletes, amateur and professional, competing in gymnastics, track and field, skiing, golf, tennis and other sports.

Images of iconic moments in sports history include Jack Johnson vs. Jim Jeffries during the 1910 “Fight of the Century,” Jackie Robinson stealing home in 1952 and Colin Kaepernick taking a knee in 2016. Also presented are the more personal moments—Larry Doby teaching his son how to hold a bat, Wilt Chamberlain in class at the University of Kansas, Wilma Rudolph standing outside her charitable foundation

office, Muhammad Ali in conversation with Fannie Lou Hamer and a young Venus Williams smiling after a practice session.

Among the 40 featured photographers are Ernest C. Withers, Roderick J. Lyons, Walter Iooss Jr., Maurice Sorrell, Ozier Muhammad and Moneta Sleet Jr.

Game Changers features three essays followed by four sections of photographs:

Survival and Community Building: 1900–1945

This section explores how African Americans created a vibrant yet diverse sporting culture in the face of segregation and other constraints. It also covers how the Great Migration shaped youth athletics in Chicago and the role of historically Black colleges and universities, such as Samuel Huston College and Tuskegee Institute, in promoting sports at the collegiate level.

Struggle and Breakthrough: 1945–1968

The period between the end of World War II and the Civil Rights Movement focuses on the various athletes, starting with Robinson in 1945 who integrated sports, and how some let their accomplishments speak for themselves, while others used their platforms to speak out in support of the movement. Featured athletes include Willie Mays, Althea Gibson and Wilt Chamberlain.

Disruption and Acceptance: 1968–1980

The post-Civil Rights Movement era saw an increase in athletes as activists on the national and international stage, pushing for equal pay, representation and opportunities in all levels of sports. This section features Kareem Abdul-Jabbar executing a slam dunk, Debra Kay Thomas playing in the Women’s Professional Basketball League and the first African American to play in the Master’s Tournament, Lee Elder.

Innovation and Dominance: 1980–Today

The final section looks at the progress African Americans have made since 1980, focusing on the emergence of prominent women athletes, including Gail Devers and Briana Scurry, and the participation

of Black athletes, such as Kaepernick, in the social justice protests of the 2000s.

The editors of Game Changers are Michèle Gates Moresi and Laura Coyle, both at NMAAHC. Contributors to the book include Damion L. Thomas, NMAAHC curator of sports, and Kevin Young, Andrew W. Mellon Director at NMAAHC; David K. Wiggins, professor emeritus of sport studies at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia; and Domonique Foxworth, commentator, retired American football cornerback and former president of the National Football League Players Association.

Published by NMAAHC in collaboration with D Giles Limited of London, it retails for $16.95. The book is supported by the Earl W. and Amanda Stafford Center for African American Media Arts and funded by the NMAAHC’s Sport Leadership Council.

Game Changers is the ninth volume in the museum’s Double Exposure series, which showcases the museum’s growing photography collections. Previous volumes focused on areas ranging from civil rights and military history to fashion and spirituality. For more information, visit nmaahc.si.edu/publications.

Since opening Sept. 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has welcomed 11 million in-person visitors and millions more through its digital presence. Occupying a prominent location next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. The museum has also launched and is continually expanding its reach with the Searchable Museum portal and other efforts to bring African American history into the world’s hands and homes. For more information about the museum, visit nmaahc.si.edu, follow @NMAAHC on X, Facebook and Instagram or call Smithsonian information at (202) 633-1000.

LEGISLATION INITIATED BY ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL AND ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS TO ENHANCE CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS SIGNED INTO LAW

“This measure makes important clarifications to the law to enhance protections against discrimination in housing and employment and will help make the implementation of IDHR’s new hate crimes hotline a success,” Fine said.

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that legislation amending the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) to clarify and strengthen its protections was signed into law.

House Bill (HB) 5371 is the result of the collaborative efforts of the Attorney General’s office and the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), which enforce the state’s Human Rights Act.

“The Illinois Human Rights Act provides one of the strongest sets of protections against discrimination in the country, in part because our state continues to clarify and expand the Act,” said (IDHR) Director Jim Bennett. “We applaud Governor Pritzker’s support of HB 5371. The bill improves the Human Rights Act by enhancing enforcement of civil rights protections in employment and housing.”

The new law will enhance civil rights protections for people in Illinois and provide important clarifications to the law. Specifically, it will:

Continue to bring the IHRA into substantial compliance with federal fair housing law.

Strengthen relief in discriminatory pattern-and-practice determinations by clarifying the term “per violation.” For example, a business that repeatedly discriminates against multiple employees could be held accountable for each instance of a violation. Repeated harassment

and discrimination should not constitute a single violation of the act, and relief should be proportionate to the amount of harassment and discrimination victims had to endure. The law also increases the maximum penalty amounts that a court may award in the Attorney General’s pattern-and-practice determinations and fair housing lawsuits.

Clarify that aggrieved parties have the right to take action to collect judgments, even if they do not intervene in the state’s enforcement action.

Codifies criteria language from the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003 to expressly prohibit unjustified disparate impacts in real estate transactions.

Ensure confidential reporting of discrimination and hate incidents to helplines administered by IDHR and the Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes.

Reduce redundancies and improve enforcement processes.

State Sen. Laura Fine sponsored the bill in the Senate, and State Rep. Ann Williams sponsored it in the House.

“HB 5371 cuts red tape and will help victims of harassment and discrimination collect judgments to which they are entitled but have historically had a difficult or impossible time collecting. This will make a real difference in the lives of victims,” Williams said.

The Illinois Attorney General’s office is committed to protecting the civil rights of all Illinois residents. The IHRA grants the Attorney General the authority to investigate broad, systemic problems or incidents of discrimination, referred to as “patterns or practices,” and file suits to remedy such violations. To file a complaint regarding a pattern or practice of discrimination, visit the Attorney General’s website or contact the office’s Civil Rights Bureau by calling 877-581-3692 or emailing civilrights@ilag.gov.

IDHR is committed to securing freedom from unlawful discrimination for all Illinois residents. Any Illinoisan who believes they have been a victim of discrimination can file a charge with IDHR within 300 days of the date of the incident or within one year of a housing violation. To file a charge with IDHR, call (312) 814-6200 or visit dhr. illinois.gov/filing-a-charge. Illinoisans can also report hate incidents by calling (877) 458-4283 or by visiting cdhc.illinois.gov/ report-hate.

Bally’s Chicago Casino Named Chicagoland’s Best Casino by Casino Player Magazine

“Bally’s Chicago Casino is thrilled to be named the Best Casino in Chicagoland during our first year of operations,” said Mark Wong, Vice President and General Manager.

(CHICAGO, IL) – Bally’s Chicago Casino is proud to announce it has been named “Best Casino – Chicagoland” in Casino Player Magazine’s Best of Gaming 2024, an annual award competition voted on by magazine readers and casino guests.

“Bally’s Chicago Casino is thrilled to be named the Best Casino in Chicagoland during our first year of operations,” said Mark Wong, Vice President and General Manager. “To stand out as the best in the region is a high honor and reinforces what we hear daily from our guests –they love the Bally’s Chicago experience.”

Every year, Casino Player Magazine invites readers and casino guests to vote on a range of categories related to casinos around the country. Voters considered twelve casinos within the Chicagoland area, ranging from Bally’s, Chicago’s only casino within the city limits, to other casinos in the collar counties and northwest Indiana.

Bally’s Chicago Casino opened the temporary location at the Medinah Temple in Chicago’s River North neighborhood in September 2023. The temporary location features nearly 800 slot machines over three floors, 56 tables games, a full-service restaurant, two bars, a cafe

and a new VIP Lounge.

Bally’s Chicago Casino plans to open a permanent casino, resort and entertainment destination on the former site of the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center in fall 2026. The development will feature a 500-room hotel tower, 3,000-seat theater, six restaurants and cafes, a food hall and a 2-acre public park. The casino will offer approximately 3,300 slots, 173 table games and VIP gaming areas. The casino development will create 3,000 construction jobs and 3,000 casino jobs once Bally’s Casino Chicago becomes operational.

“Our temporary location is just a taste of what the future holds for Bally’s Chicago,” said Wong. “We will continue to build upon the momentum generated by the success of our temporary casino but can’t wait to show Chicagoland the best of Bally’s when the permanent casino opens its doors in 2026.”

Bally’s Corporation has taken top honors in the 2024 Best of Gaming Awards, securing 231 total wins, and 97 FIRST PLACE Wins across 13 properties! Two of those first-place wins are in the state of Illinois including Bally’s Chicago Casino voted Best Casino and Bally’s Quad Cities voted Best Overall Gaming Resort.

To read more on Bally’s Chicago

TRUMP’S PROJECT

recognition as Casino Player Magazine’s Best of Gaming 2024: Chicagoland Best Casino, please visitwww.casinocenter. com/best-of-awards/.

About Bally’s Corporation

Bally’s Corporation is a global casino-entertainment company with a growing omni-channel presence. It currently owns and manages 15 casinos across 10 states, a golf course in New York, a horse racetrack in Colorado, and has access to OSB licenses in 18 states. It also owns Bally’s Interactive International, formerly Gamesys Group, a leading, global, online gaming operator, Bally Bet, a first-in-class sports betting platform, and Bally Casino, a growing iCasino platform.

With 10,600 employees, the Company’s casino operations include approximately 15,300 slot machines, 580 table games and 3,800 hotel rooms. Upon completing the construction of a permanent casino facility in Chicago, IL, and a land-based casino near the Nittany Mall in State College, PA, Bally’s will own and/or manage 16 casinos across 11 states. Bally’s also has rights to developable land in Las Vegas post the closure of the Tropicana. It shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “BALY”.

2025 IS A THREAT TO BLACK AMERICANS

Project 2025 is Donald Trump and JD Vance’s plan to remake the federal government if they win. It would:

Use Civil Rights-era laws created to address discrimination to instead bene fit white people – Axios, 4/1/24

Gut the Affordable Care Act, which will raise health care costs and threaten health care coverage for millions of Americans – AP News, 11/27/23

Cut Social Security and Medicare Americans have earned – Washington Post, 2/9/23

Ban abortion nationally – New York Times, 2/16/24

MISSY ELLIOTT

RECOGNIZED WITH CONGRESSIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL HONORS

LOS ANGELES —

Missy Elliott continues to skyrocket with first-ever recognitions during her history-making debut headline tour, OUT OF THIS WORLD —

The Missy Elliott Experience. The Portsmouth, VA, native was honored once again as a hometown hero during her stop at Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, VA, on Friday, Aug. 2.

“It would be a crime — a ‘Misdemeanor’! — not to recognize you, and to thank you for all you’ve done, not only with the fame and fortune, but giving back to the community,” said Congressman Bobby Scott, United States Congress, VA 3rd Congressional District, who presented her with a Congressional Certificate Of Community Service from the United States Congress, commending her for her continued support in the community. Additionally, Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck declared August 2 as “Out of This World Tour Day” in the City of Hampton and Delegate Don Scott, Speaker of the House of Delegates, presented her with a resolution for her first arena tour. Elliott was previously recognized by October 17 being proclaimed “Missy Elliott Day” in Portsmouth, VA – in addition to a street being named after her and receiving a key to the city (2022).

About her hometown concert experience, Variety praised, “The show is a staggering spectacle: an immersive, interactive experience.” With a setlist jam-packed of four acts spanning Elliott’s 30-year career, the superstar bill also marked a standout moment for mega producer Timbaland. Hailing from Norfolk, VA, Elliott’s longtime collaborator and friend since high school, called special attention to his DJ – his son Demetrius – and premiered a new song called “Love Again (feat. Alejandro).”

Also on Aug. 2, Elliott appeared on Nightline for a full episode with ABC News’ Megan Ryte, dedicated to OUT OF THIS WORLD — The Missy Elliott Experience.

Tickets and more information about this summer’s hottest concert experience is

available at Missy-Elliott.com. Fans can take an inside look at the run through Elliott’s personal tour diary on Instagram here. OUT OF THIS WORLD — The Missy Elliott Experience is produced by Live Nation in association with Mona Scott-Young, Elliott’s longtime manager and CEO of Monami Entertainment.

VIP: OUT OF THIS WORLD — The Missy Elliott Experience offers a variety of VIP packages and fan activations to elevate their concert experience. Select packages will include premium tickets, group photo onstage, VIP Lounge access, exclusive tour poster, specially designed VIP gift items, and more. For more information, visit VIPNation.com.

Marvin Sapp Releases New Album - Then

& NowAugust 30th

Dallas, TX – Gospel music luminary Marvin Sapp is set to release his 16th album, Then & Now, on Aug. 30th. It will be the second album released on Elev8 Media & Entertainment, his independent label.

Recorded live at Valley Kingdom Ministries, Then & Now is Sapp’s 16th album release. During the evening of the recording, Sapp dazzled the capacity crowd with powerful new songs as well as refreshed favorites from his more than 30-year career in music.

For almost two hours, Sapp – accompanied by a powerhouse band and extraordinary background vocalists – kept the crowd on its feet. The energy in the room was electrifying the entire evening. Then & Now is the culmination of that memorable night: a collection of live music from Marvin Sapp, pristinely mastered for perpetuity.

“I’m really proud of this album; I think it sounds incredible,” says Sapp.

“I enjoyed working with some new creatives who helped me bring to life this vision of doing a record that feels like a live Marvin Sapp concert – with some tried and true favorites sprinkled in with new songs. On the back end, I enlisted veteran mixers to ensure a high-quality sound – that’s where the magic happens when it comes to producing a live record. I can only hope that everyone who listens to it is blessed by it, but I had an absolute blast recording Then & Now.

One of the new creatives that Sapp worked with was Curtis Lindsey. Although Lindsey has been a member of Sapp’s band for over a decade, he took the helm as Music Director for this project.

“Marvin Sapp is a legend. I was humbled and honored for him to bring me on as music director. It was a highlight of my career. Recording in my hometown of Chicago, a place that also loves Marvin Sapp, added to the joy of bringing Then & Now to life,” says Lindsey.

Marvin Sapp is known for delivering rich live recording experiences that translate into musical masterpieces. His platinum-selling album Thirsty was recorded live, in addition to Here I Am (2010), You Shall Live (2015), and Chosen Vessel (2020).

Then & Now will soon be added to his masterful “live album” discography.

Pre-sales begin August 23rd everywhere music is sold digitally and www.marvinsapp.com for physical copies. Fans will also be able to purchase physical copies of Then & Now in any of the 35 cities of the upcoming Reunion Tour.

Photo provided by Kymberlee Norsworthy

Sweet Talk Publicity

U.S. Department of Education Awards More Than $40 Million to Improve College Completion Rates for Underserved Students

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced more than $40 million in grant awards to seven grantees to improve completion rates for underserved students. The grants are being provided under the Postsecondary Student Success Grant (PSSG) program, which aims to equitably improve postsecondary student outcomes, including retention, transfer, credit accumulation, and completion, by leveraging data and implementing, scaling, and rigorously evaluating evidence-based approaches.

“Across the country, colleges and universities are rejecting the old idea that weeding out students was a sign of quality, and instead they are taking responsibility for all of their students’ success,” said U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal. “These awards will not only help find new ways to help students graduate; they will help change expectations.”

Only 62% of students graduate within six years, including fewer than half of Black students, according to the most recent data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. However, the national rate has grown by 7 percentage points over the past decade, indicating that new approaches are helping hundreds of thousands more students earn college degrees.

Seven grantees are receiving awards through PSSG to fund evidence-based strategies that result in improved outcomes for underserved students. The funding is being awarded to three grantees that are in the early phase and four grantees in the mid-phase/expansion phase, based upon the amount of existing research vali-

dating their effectiveness in improving student postsecondary education outcomes.

The Department also published the final rule for the Postsecondary Student Success Grant program. The rulemaking sets up priorities, requirements, definitions and selection criterion that could be used in future competitions for this funding.

The Final Rule sets three tiers of evidence standards that can be used – from Demonstrates a Rationale/Promising to Moderate to Strong – to ensure that grantees’ projects are based on evidence and designed and implemented to have an impact on increasing student completion. There is also a priority that aligns with the Department’s recognition of the important role college-to-career pathways and supports play in student success.

The rule requires grantees to submit an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of their project and targets the funds to the most under-resourced institutions by focusing eligibility on Title III and V institutions, or non-profits or states in partnership with such institutions.

Finally, the rule sets a new selection criterion measuring the extent to which proposed projects use data for continuous improvement of student outcomes for underserved students.

A list of grantees can be found below: California State University, Fresno Foundation $7,959,963 CA Proposes to develop and deliver an enhanced advising project, which will impact retention

and completion.

Center for Collaborative Education

$8,000,000 MA Proposes to work collaboratively with 5 community colleges to strategically address student success in teacher preparation programs by focusing on enhanced advisory mentoring with financial supports.

New York Institute of Technology

$2,763,820 NY Proposes to supplement and enhance its existing advising and student success infrastructure for second and third-year underserved students with the ultimate goal of increasing persistence and graduation.

Research Foundation for The Suny - Albany

$3,998,852 NY Proposes to provide personalized financial coaching that aligns with the student success infrastructure to position its diverse student population to thrive, persist, and graduate.

Portland State University (PSU) $7,823,199 OR Proposes facilitating the transfer pathway between two feeder colleges and PSU by providing early/proactive, wrap-around guidance and the removal of financial barriers to transfer students.

Jarvis Christian University

$3,418,794 TX Proposes to serve under-resourced and underperforming currently enrolled students to ensure reenrollment, progression, completion, and employment.

The University of Texas at San Antonio

$7,299,868 TX Proposes to refine and scale coaching, develop guided learning pathways and utilize system-level financial incentives to support first generation students.

Total $41,264,496

The Democratic National Convention in Chicago: Then and Now COVERAGE

By Trinity Webster-Bass Howard University News Service

CHICAGO (HUNS) — Agitated and disillusioned are two words to describe the national mood when the Democratic National Convention gathered in Chicago during the summer of 1968. Civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in April 1968 after marching with striking sanitation workers in Memphis. Eight weeks later, Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was murdered moments after winning California’s primary election.

Their deaths sent the country into a state of both grief and heightened racial tension. This was on top of political turmoil that led nearly 10,000 anti-war demonstrators to gather at the convention to protest the Vietnam War. The unpopular conflict lasted from 1955 to 1975 with a death toll that overshadowed President John F. Kennedy’s concerns about the spread of Communism and that continued to haunt President Lyndon B Johnson long after JFK’s assassination in 1963.

“What’s happening in that period is that it is a bit more turbulent than most points in American political history,” said Keneshia Grant, an associate professor of political science at Howard University.

“And not only more turbulent, but when we compare it to today, it is a little bit more violent than what we experience today, because they’re also coming off a string of assassinations to prominent individuals in American society and life.”

So what’s different now?

and her running mate is a military veteran and former school teacher. This new pairing is generating excitement among Democratic voters.

However, on the horizon of this year’s DNC lies some of the same issues, just with a different spin. The Chicago metropolitan area is home to the nation’s largest population of Palestinian Americans, and Pro-Palestinian protests are expected to occur throughout the week. The Biden Administration’s support for Israel has been a point of contention, causing many to question their vote for the Harris-Walz ticket.

But on the DNC floor, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez exclaims that Vice President Harris is “working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.”

More than 50 years later, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov.

Walz are taking the stage as the Democratic Party’s nominees for president and vice president. This is the first time in U.S. history that a Black and Asian American woman will be at the top of the ticket,

Lorenzo Morris, Ph D., professor emeritus of political science at Howard, cautions against

drawing direct parallels between the anti-war protests of 1968 and the Pro-Palestinian protests of 2024.

“Many American men are drafted and die in that war. And so there is a war, yes, but the Vietnam conflict should not be thought to be the same as the conflict in Palestine.”

“War is bad,” Morris says. “America is directly involved in Vietnam and not directly involved in the war in Gaza. So, the war protest is about like this idea that Kennedy started, but then Johnson perpetuated this war in Vietnam that didn’t seem to have a point. Then, why are we sending all our young people to die? Why are we pulling folks out of college to die in this war? That was kind of a question there.”

Although some would argue that the Democratic Party has adopted a more left-leaning standpoint, the issues that Americans were concerned about in the 1960s still resonate with the Democrats today.

The Roe v. Wade lawsuit was filed in 1970, just two years after the convention. Reproductive rights is still a key issue that influences the vote of many Democrats. Likewise, in the summer of 1968, the Poor People’s Campaign, an initiative to improve the economic conditions of blue-collar workers, drew thousands to Washington, D.C. Today, workers’ rights and the protection of labor unions sets the foundation of the Democratic Party’s economic policies.

During the 1968 convention, Democrats nominated former Vice President Hubert Humphrey for president and Sen. Edmund Muskie of Maine as vice president. Humphrey was a “decades-long familiar face hobbled by his support for the hugely unpopular domestic and foreign policies that animated the protests” at the convention, Morris explained. In the fall, he lost the election to Republican and former Vice President Richard Nixon, The violence that occurred during the four days of the 1968 convention was substantial. Businesses in downtown Chicago were destroyed, and hundreds of protesters and civilians were injured. It was a reflection of the political state of the nation. Today's political

climate remains tumultuous in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection, the challenges to Supreme Court rulings and the use of excessive force on unarmed Black Americans. But as a new choice for Democrats in November, Vice President Harris has an opportunity to maintain the peace and unite the Democratic Party.

“Donald Trump’s candidacy, Project 2025, will roll back rights like it is 1968,” said Aprill Turner, communications director of Higher Heights of America, referring to the conservative blueprint to dismantle the federal government that was prepared by the Heritage Foundation and members of Trump’s inner circle.

“We are excited for Vice President Kamala Harris, because she represents the future,” Turner said. “She represents change.”

And as Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett puts it, “We deserve a bright light in a sea of darkness. Because we won’t go back.”

Trinity Webster-Bass is a reporter for HUNewsService.com.

Vietnam War protesters and National Guard soldiers face off outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention near Grant Park in Chicago. (Photo: Warren K. Leffler/Library of Congress)

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are generating excitement among Democratic voters. (Photo: @KamalaHarris/Twitter/X)

Tim

Vice President Hubert Humphrey and his running mate, Sen. Edmund Muskie of Maine, secured the nomination at the 1968 DNC in Chicago, but lost the election. (Photo: Public Domain)

Pregnant Women Undertested for STIs, Finds Quest Diagnostics

Health

Trends® Study of Over 4 Million Pregnancies

One in three women who tested positive for chlamydia or gonorrhea while pregnant were not retested before giving birth, despite potential to transmit infections to newborns

SECAUCUS, N.J., PRNewswire -- A new study by researchers from Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) and the University of Alabama suggests adherence to guideline-based laboratory testing and treatment of pregnant women for two of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is suboptimal in the United States, with potentially dire effects on maternal and newborn health.

The study, titled Chlamydia and gonorrhea testing in pregnancy: Time to improve adherence and update recommendations, was published in the peer reviewed Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease, the official journal of the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology. It is based on deidentified results of lab tests performed by Quest in all 50 states and the District of Columbia for 4,077,212 pregnancies.

The findings suggest gaps in guideline-based care, intended to reduce the risk of infection and medical complications. Untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea can raise risks of infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease in women. The risk of transmission during birth is approximately 50%, raising the potential for newborns to develop infections of the eye (conjunctivitis), lungs (pneumonia) and other health problems.

positive prior to delivery. (53.0% chlamydia and 49.3% gonorrhea).

The authors believe reinfections (or ineffectively treated initial infections) may result in an increased number of deliveries while women are positive with one or more STIs, which can impact both maternal and newborn health.

The authors conclude current guidelines are inconsistent and they provide several recommendations for improvements. For instance, the CDC recommends women be retested for cure at 4 weeks of pregnancy while the USPSTF recommends retesting before 3 weeks. Current guidelines also do not recommend screening women after the age of 25 years unless there are risk factors (such as multiple partners), based on a study from 1998 when women married at younger ages than today. Guidelines recommend that all women under the age of 25 be screened, regardless of perceived risk.

“Our study adds to a troubling body of evidence highlighting inconsistent quality in maternal and child healthcare in the U.S.,” said Damian P. Alagia, MD, co-author of the study and Medical Director of Women’s Health at Quest Diagnostics. “Our analysis shows that improved adherence to existing recommendations, harmonization of guidelines across agencies, and even updated recommendations for STI testing will be critical to ensuring the mothers and babies in the United States receive medically appropriate testing and treatment.”

Key findings:

Over 4% of women who received guideline-based screening for chlamydia or gonorrhea in pregnancy during the first trimester received a positive result for one or both infections.

More than one in three of these women (35.1% chlamydia; 36.9% gonorrhea) did not receive a follow up negative test before delivery, suggesting they may not have been treated and cured (or were treated, cured but then reinfected) before birth.

About 2% of patients who received a negative test result for chlamydia or gonorrhea early in pregnancy later received a positive result, suggesting “an ongoing risk of infection during pregnancy”. Of these, about one in two were still

The study’s strengths include its large size, national representation, and use of objective laboratory data. Its limitation is the lack of clinical follow-up information for the positive cases, as testing was limited to one national clinical laboratory. While the authors did not evaluate other STIs, such as syphilis, they caution these patterns of irregular adherence to guideline-based testing in maternal care may extend to other conditions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cases of sexually transmitted disease are at an all-time high, with more than 2.5 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia reported in the United States in 2022.

Quest Diagnostics works across the healthcare ecosystem to create a healthier world, one life at a time. We provide diagnostic insights from the results of our laboratory testing to empower people, physicians and organizations to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from one of the world’s largest databases of de-identifiable clinical lab results, Quest’s diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve healthcare management. Quest Diagnostics annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our nearly 50,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives and create a healthier world. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

For more Quest Diagnostics Health Trends®️ reports, visit www.Newsroom.QuestDiagnostics. com/Health-Trends.

FDA Approves First Nasal Spray for Treatment of Anaphylaxis

SILVER SPRING, Md., PRNewswire -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved neffy (epinephrine nasal spray) for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions (Type I), including those that are life-threatening (anaphylaxis), in adult and pediatric patients who weigh at least 30 kilograms (about 66 pounds).

“Today’s approval provides the first epinephrine product for the treatment of anaphylaxis that is not administered by injection. Anaphylaxis is life-threatening and some people, particularly children, may delay or avoid treatment due to fear of injections,” said Kelly Stone, MD, PhD, Associate Director of the Division of Pulmonology, Allergy and Critical Care in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “The availability of epinephrine nasal spray may reduce barriers to rapid treatment of anaphylaxis. As a result, neffy provides an important treatment option and addresses an unmet need.”

Allergic reactions happen when a person’s immune system reacts abnormally to a substance that normally does not cause symptoms. Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction that typically involves multiple parts of the body and is considered a medical emergency. Common allergens that can induce anaphylaxis include certain foods, medications and insect stings. Symptoms usually occur within minutes of exposure and include, but are not limited to, hives, swelling, itching, vomiting, difficulty breathing and loss of consciousness. Epinephrine is the only life-saving treatment for anaphylaxis and has previously only been available for patients as an injection.

Neffy’s approval is based on four studies in 175 healthy adults, without anaphylaxis, that measured the epinephrine concentrations in the blood following administration of neffy or approved epinephrine injection products. Results from these studies showed comparable epinephrine blood concentrations between neffy and approved epinephrine injection products. Neffy also demonstrated similar increases in blood pressure and heart rate as epinephrine injection products, two critical effects of epinephrine in the treatment of anaphylaxis. A study of neffy in children weighing more than 66 pounds showed that epinephrine concentrations in children were similar to adults who received neffy.

Neffy is a single dose nasal spray administered into one nostril. As with epinephrine injection products, a second dose (using a new nasal spray to administer neffy in the same nostril) may be given if there is no improvement in symptoms or symptoms worsen. Patients may need to seek emergency medical assistance for close monitoring of the anaphylactic episode and in the event further treatment is required.

Neffy comes with a warning that certain nasal conditions, such as nasal polyps or a history of nasal surgery, may affect absorption of neffy, and patients with these conditions should consult with a health care professional to consider use of an injectable epinephrine product. Neffy also comes with warnings and precautions about use of epinephrine by people with certain coexisting conditions and allergic reactions associated with sulfite.

The most common side effects of neffy include throat irritation, tingling nose (intranasal paresthesia), headache, nasal discomfort, feeling jittery, tingling sensation (paresthesia), fatigue, tremor, runny nose (rhinorrhea), itchiness inside the nose (nasal pruritus), sneezing, abdominal pain, gum (gingival) pain, numbness in the mouth (hypoesthesia oral), nasal congestion, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.

The FDA granted neffy Fast Track designation for this application.

The FDA granted the approval of neffy to ARS Pharmaceuticals.

Quest Diagnostics

by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders

1771 West Diehl Road, Suite 120, Naperville, IL 60563. (630) 453-6960. 7242-182846 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3248678 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION (''FANNIE MAE''), A CORPORATION ORGANIZED AND EXISTING UNDER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Plaintiff, -v.- JOHN J LYDON, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DECEASED MORTGAGOR MELVIN CANNON, CHERYL CANNON, MELVIN CANNON, JR., MARK CANNON, MICHAEL CANNON, REGINA LEVESTON, ANDORA VALENTINE, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF MELVIN CANNON A/K/A MELVIN CANNON, SR. A/K/A CANNON MELVIN, IF ANY Defendants 2016 CH 16710 7 DEBRA COURT SAUK VILLAGE, IL 60411 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on February 25, 2020, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 3, 2024, at The Judicial Sales

building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook

County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff's Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602 312-346-9088 E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com Attorney File No. 20-05321IL_615283 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 2016 CH 16710 TJSC#: 44-1868 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff's attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 2016 CH 16710 I3248747

ATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD,

SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300

E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-23-00864 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002

Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2023 CH 01259 TJSC#: 44-2026 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff's attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 2023 CH 01259 I3249272

AC 8/21/2024

than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 151701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver's

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION ALLIED FIRST BANK, SB DBA SERVBANK Plaintiff, -v.- GEORGE JUSTYNSKI, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Defendants 2023 CH 01259 3133 FLORENCE AVENUE STEGER, IL 60475 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on June 29, 2023, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 6, 2024, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 3133 FLORENCE AVENUE, STEGER, IL 60475 Property Index No. 32-33-313-015-0000, 32-33-313-0160000 The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in "AS IS" condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver's license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff's Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCI-

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC PLAINTIFF vs. VICTOR GALLOWAY; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS DEFENDANTS 22 CH 11615 CALENDAR 56 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on September 30, 2024, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty's office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 31-26-408-0120000. Commonly known as 22111 Central Park Avenue, Park Forest, IL 60466. The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff's Attorney, Diaz Anselmo & Associates P.A., 1771 West Diehl Road, Suite 120, Naperville, IL 60563. (630) 4536960. 1691-189691 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3250351

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: G24000379 on August 14, 2024. Under the Assumed Business Name of DMMS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY With the business located at: 2056 W. 70th STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60636. The true and real full name (s) and residence address of the owner(s) partner (s) is: Owner/Partner Full Name Complete Address DANIEL RIVERA 2056 W. 70TH ST, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60636, USA

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to ..An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State’,.as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of

Cook County. Registration Number: G24000375 on August 9, 2024 Under the Assumed Business Name of PHILAMESSENGER with the business located at: 4932 N MENARD AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60630 The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: Owner/Partner Full Name Complete Address JOSEPH G LARIOSA 4932 N MENARD AVE CHICAGO, IL 60630, USA