April 19 - 25, 2023

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Arts & Entertainment Event highlights of the week!

SportsWise

NBA teams are so evenly matched that just getting into the playoffs is as exciting as the playoffs themselves.

healthWise

Dr. Marina Claudio of Molina Health discusses good hygiene.

Cover Story: Chevalier

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de St. Georges, was the son of an 18th century French colonial plantation owner and an African slave, but raised to be a nobleman. He was an ace fencer, a violinist on a par with Mozart and a knight to the French king. He was recognized last year by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Music of the Baroque. Now, he is the protagonist of a major film being released this week.

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From the Streets

KIDS (Kids in Danger) annual report shows 293 recalled items related to children – the highest number since 2013.

The High Speed Rail Alliance says that the funding is in place for two train routes across Illinois.

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and U.S. Sen Cory Booker (D-NY) sponsor a bill that would repeal a law that forbids U.S. foreign aid from being used for abortions overseas.

The Playground

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ON THE COVER: Kelvin Harrison Jr. in the film "Chevalier" (photo by Larry Horricks). THIS PAGE: Promotional poster for "Chevalier" (both photos courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved).

DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of StreetWise.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Part of Your World!

Joffrey presents ‘The Little Mermaid’

John Neumeier’s beautifully haunting interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 folktale follows the tormented mermaid on a journey between the divergent worlds of land and sea. With sets and costumes of the grandest scale and an original score by composer Lera Auerbach, this heartbreaking tragedy, based on Andersen’s original and complex themes, makes its long-awaited Chicago debut. The show runs April 19, 21, 22, 27, 28, & 29 at 7:30 p.m., and April 22, 23, 29, & 30 at 2 p.m. at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Lower Wacker Drive. Tickets are $36+ at joffrey.org/performances-and-tickets

Going Green!

Earth Day Events at Chicago Cultural Center

"Invest in our planet" is the theme of the 53rd anniversary Earth Day celebration, April 22 at the Chicago Cultural Center. Join One Earth Film Festival, the City of Chicago's Office of Climate & Environmental Equity, and their partners working on environmental and climate justice initiatives. Enjoy refreshments and learn about environmental groups and events around Chicago. This free event starts at 12:30 p.m. and includes a screening of the U.S. premiere of the movie “Biocentrics” at 2 p.m. in the Claudia Cassidy Theater of the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Registration is recommended at biocentricsculturalcenter.eventbrite.com

Tap Utopia!

‘Rhythms of Resistance’

For one night only, New York-based tap dance company Dorrance Dance joins two of Chicago’s finest: Trinity Irish Dance Company, and tap dance company M.A.D.D. Rhythms. The thunderous evening will celebrate American tap dance and Irish step and the similarities they share with a past full of resistance and hope. The evening presents individual company works, riveting premiere pieces, and never-before-seen collaborations that will celebrate the intersections of tap and Irish step, their rhythmic sensibilities, and a history of rebellion. This performance will be at 7:30 p.m. April 22 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive. Tickets are $25+ at auditoriumtheatre.org

Building An Empire!

‘Writing About Empire - Literature, History, and the American Past’

Explore the different themes of the American empire, and how historians write about the complex histories of U.S. foreign relations, in this conversation between authors Nicholson Baker and Daniel Immerwahr. Baker and Immerwhar will discuss how literature and historical writing have shaped understandings of American power. The 6 p.m. April 27 event will be in-person at the Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St., and livestreamed on Zoom. FREE with advance registration required at at www.newberry.org/calendar/writing-about-empire

Compiled by Emma Murphy

The Power of Voice!

American Songbook’ - Chicago A Cappella

Chicago A Cappella, Chicago’s unique vocal ensemble, concludes its season with “American Songbook.” Enjoy the witty tunes and ballads of Gershwin, Porter, Kern, and Rodgers & Hammerstein and see why many call this “America’s classical music.” Four performances will be at 8 p.m. April 22 at Ganz Hall, 425 S. Wabash Ave., 4 p.m. April 23 at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston, 8 p.m. April 28 at Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville, and 4 p.m. April 30 at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake St., Oak Park. Tickets are $35+ at chicagoacappella.org/tickets-subscriptions

The Enduring Promise of Tomorrow!

‘Last Night and the Night Before’

Monique and her daughter Sam are on the run. From what, they will not say. The family is forced to consider what must be sacrificed to raise a child in an often-cruel world. “Last Night and the Night Before” is a heartbreaking and poetic portrait of love (Black, queer, familial) and a bold tribute to the enduring promise of tomorrow. This Chicago premiere will run April 6 - May 14 at Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. Showtimes are 3 or 8 p.m. on various days. Tickets are $20+ at www.steppenwolf.org/ticketsevents/seasons-/2022-23

Celebrate Spring!

Spring Center Day

Center Day is a family-friendly day of intergenerational art making, artist workshops and talks, open studios, exhibition celebrations, and community collaborations at the Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Art-making activities and community collaborations will be inspired by the exhibitions on view. Visit with resident artists, Eric Perez, Sofía Fernández Díaz, Kushala Vora, and Rhonda Wheatley, and Creative Wing Studio Artists, Heather Smith, Candace Hunter, Juarez Hawkins, and Malaika Jackson. This free event is 1 - 4 p.m. April 22. More information is available at www.hydeparkart.org/event

Concert Series Returns!

‘Under the Dome’

The “Under the Dome” concert series returns to the Chicago Cultural Center presenting musical performances under Preston Bradley Hall’s Louis Comfort Tiffany art glass dome – the largest Tiffany glass dome in the world. This April, the concert series returns with two acclaimed Chicago artists: NNAMDÏ (pictured) and Jodi. This free event is at 6:30 p.m. April 27 at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Reservations are recommended but not required at www.chicago. gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/dome.html

‘Indecent’ - Northwestern University

A Play About A Play!

“Indecent” is inspired by the true events surrounding the controversial 1923 Broadway debut of Sholem Asch’s “God of Vengeance,” a play seen by some as a seminal work of Jewish culture and by others as an act of traitorous libel. Talkback with director Kelsey Leigh Ervi and Rabbi Rachel Weiss and facilitated by Dramaturg Noah Marcus is scheduled for April 27 following the show. The show runs April 21 - 30 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. at the Josephine Louis Theater, 20 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston. Tickets $10+ at wirtz.northwestern.edu/indecent

Chicago Voices!

‘New Faces Sing Broadway 1984’

Porchlight’s series is inspired by a set of musical revues produced from 1934-1968 entitled “New Faces,” which introduced emerging talents that have subsequently become well known. Now in its eighth season, Porchlight Music Theatre’s “New Faces Sing Broadway” series takes audiences on a musical journey from the start to the finish of an entire Broadway season in 90 minutes. “New Faces Sing Broadway 1984” will be at 7:30 p.m. April 25 at Evanston SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston; and at The Den, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., at 7:30 p.m. April 26. Tickets are $37 at porchlightmusictheatre.org/events

Patrick: The NBA this year is awesome, y’all. I’ve never seen it this good.

Russ: Yeah, it’s piggybacking on March Madness. I can’t wait to see who makes the playoffs this year! Oowee….

Patrick: Can y’all believe that in the West, only five games separate the 4th-best and the 12thbest teams? Which means, we could have a shift of teams so ridiculous that we won’t recognize the list as we’ve seen it this season.

Donald: I’ve never seen so many teams hovering around .500 ball. 39-37, 37-38, 36-38, etc…it’s crazy.

John: Plus, these are really good teams we’re talking about—and both leagues are extremely similar. The Bulls and other teams in the East are in the same predicament as those teams out West.

Patrick: For you who may not follow as tough as we do, the teams in the West battling for a playoff spot between the 4th and the 10th spot—the last possible spot—are as follows: the

Phoenix Suns, L.A. Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, New Orleans Pelicans, L.A. Lakers, Oklahoma Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, and the Utah Jazz. The Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, and the Sacramento Kings are comfortable in the 1-2-3 spots. They could juggle a bit, but for the most part, they appear to be set.

Russ: Some really good teams won’t make it this year.

Donald: Yeah, and the thing is, we’re going to have a great Western Conference playoff season with whatever teams make it. They’re all tough.

John: You’re right, Donald. To me, the NBA is wide open, especially the West. Now, in the East, I feel a bit different. The Milwaukee Bucks are the favorite, in my eyes. Of course, this is assuming that Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo stay healthy. The Boston Celtics have been inconsistent, the Phil-

adelphia 76ers have Joel Embiid, but Father Time’s caught up with James Harden and, overall, the 76ers are not a very deep team. And the Cleveland Cavaliers are at least a year away.

Patrick: Now, we talk tons about the top 3 teams in the East: Bucks, Celtics and 76ers, but I must acknowledge the Cavaliers. Acquired before this season, guard Donovan Mitchell is amazing. I’ve been a huge Celtics' believer—with a big look-over to the Bucks—but this Mitchell guy is capable of leading an upset. Hopefully, the Cavaliers don’t have to play our Bulls during these playoffs. What’re you thinking about, Russ?

Russ: Well, John captured it well: that the top 3 teams— Bucks, Celtics, and Philly—are the Real McCoys. After that, we got Cleveland, the Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and the New York Knicks fighting to stay in the top 6—one won’t make it, but could still make the playoffs

by landing in the 7-10th spot range.

Donald: I want to hear something good about the Bulls, Russ.

Russ: Okay. So, the teams who are currently in the 7-12 range— which includes our Bulls—are fighting to make the playoffs or, even better, get to the 6 spot to avoid the play-in games—

John: Excuse me, Russ. For those who don’t understand the playin games, this is where those teams who end up in the 7-10 spot have to fight hard to make the playoffs. The 7-seed plays the 8-seed—whoever wins is the 7-seed; the loser plays the winner of the 9- vs. 10-seed— and the winner of that game secures that final 10th spot.

Patrick: I can’t take it. This is just too much! Fellas, let’s go watch some NBA basketball. C’mon, Bulls!

Any comments or suggestions? Email pedwards@streetwise.org

Rashanah Baldwin

Vendors Russell Adams, John Hagan and Donald Morris chat about the world of sports with Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards.

the importance of good hygiene

The World Health Organization states that, "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to continue good health and stop the spread of diseases." Hygiene practices help to protect us and others from infections and their spread. Our bodies have a protective shield covering us - our skin. Even with this protective shield, we can still be at risk for infections. The most common ways that infections can enter our bodies is through our eyes, nose, throat, genitals, anus, breaks and cuts in the skin and through our blood.

One important example of a personal hygiene practice to lower and prevent infections is washing your hands. To wash your hands correctly, lather up with soap for 20 seconds, the amount of time needed to sing the ABC song. The longer you wash, the more germs will be washed away. Be sure to rinse well with running water. Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and then use it to turn the doorknob when leaving the bathroom. If soap is not handy, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer may be used.

Be sure to wash your hands after using the toilet, after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose, before meals or handling food, and after touching blood or any body fluid.

Here are some other examples of good personal hygiene practices:

• carry tissues and use them to catch coughs and sneezes, or sneeze into your elbow; be sure to throw away used tissues as soon as possible

• shower or bathe regularly

• wash scalp and hair

• wear clean clothing

• brush teeth

• do not share brushes and combs to prevent and stop the spread of lice

• cut finger nails

• clean or wipe the anal area after having a bowel movement

Keeping a clean living space also helps to lower the risk of infection. Regularly clean surfaces in the kitchen (such as counter tops and food preparation areas) and the bathroom (such as toilet bowls, seats, flush and door handles, bath and basin surfaces) in order to lower the of spread of germs. Cleaning is also important to stop the spread of fungal infec-

tions. A fungus is a living organism that is different from bacteria and viruses. One example of fungus is mold. Mold can live on walls, floor tiles and on shower curtains. Mold can cause infections, allergic responses, can damage surfaces, and cause smelly odors.

Good habits take time to develop. These new practices can then become everyday routines. Teaching our youth to practice good hygiene can also help to create and support these good habits early.

The sooner we can put these practices into our daily routines, the sooner we can lower the danger of disease spread.

Dr. Marina Claudio is a board-certified family physician who has been in practice since 2003. She is currently a Medical Director at Molina Healthcare of Illinois/Wisconsin. She's a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and completed her residency in Family Medicine at the UIC/Advocate Illinois Masonic Family Medicine Residency Program.

by Dr. Marina Claudio

Chevalier

the often overlooked contemporary of Mozart receives attention from chicago institutions and a major motion picture

by Emma Murphy

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, is possibly a name you’ve never heard, but this 18th century biracial nobleman, fencer, and violinist is starting to gain the recognition he has always deserved. In the last two years since performances of his music in Chicago by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and Music of the Baroque, he has become the subject of a film being released this week that is bold enough to match the real man.

As the trailer for “The Chevalier” opens, the French aristocracy is in full swing. It’s a world that young Bologne is not meant to be in, let alone flourish. However, we watch as he encounters each obstacle with the passion and determination to prove himself equal to his white, upper-class peers. His fight for recognition leads Bologne to work harder than all of his schoolmates: to become as successful as possible at all he attempts, from sword fighting to composing.

Eventually, we watch as Bologne swaggers into a full auditorium mid-concert, with charisma and confidence, and challenges a young Mozart to a violin duel. Mozart agrees, before being shocked to discover someone with similar skill. Bologne astounds Mozart and the crowd, earning him a standing ovation and stirring shocked whispers.

Of course, Bologne doesn’t succeed in all that he does, including romance. Joseph Bologne finds himself in the middle of two distinct sides of the French Revolution. He has to choose between the people he was raised to impress, and the people more like his mother, whom he is consistently degraded for resembling. Some choices don’t come with a truly right answer. Searchlight Pictures has produced the biographical drama, which will be released nationwide on April 21.

Joseph Bologne (1745-1799) was a virtuosic violinist, a composer on a par with Mozart, and a renowned fencer caught between opposite worlds. He was born in the Caribbean archipelago of Guadeloupe, the illegitimate son of a French plantation owner and his slave, who was likely born in Senegal. When Bologne was a child, he and his mother followed his father and the rest of his father’s family back to France, where he received an education befitting an aristocrat. He was enrolled in the Académie royale polytechnique des armes et de l’équitation (the Royal Academy of Fencing and Horsemanship).

When Bologne graduated in 1766, he became a Gendarme du roi (officer of the King’s Bodyguard) and a chevalier (knight). It was then that he became known as “Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges.” Joseph was his father's only son, and so was treated much better and given more opportunities than most illegitimate children during this time period. Even so, his talent and hard work took those opportunities and made him a truly iconic historical figure.

You might wonder why such an extraordinary figure was forgotten to history. The truth is that Joseph Bologne, while unknown to most people, was never fully forgotten. Music lovers and classical musicians never lost the compositions of Bologne, but it wasn’t promoted the way Mozart’s and Bach’s was. His work has been buried under his contemporaries,' and the music world moved on. Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven all continued composing new music during the upheaval of the French Revolution (1789-99); Bologne's story was buried, but never lost. Now, there is a new desire to share it.

Top: Kelvin Harrison Jr. (as Joseph Bologne / Chevalier de Saint-Georges) and Lucy Boynton (as Marie Antoinette) in the film "Chevalier." Below: Ronke Adekoluejo (as Nanon) and Harrison Jr. in the film. Photos by Larry Horricks. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

Bologne was well known and successful during his lifetime, even a friend and fellow composer to Mozart, yet his name is not held next to Mozart’s

Last February, Music of the Baroque teamed up with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association and The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts for the Midwest premiere of “The Chevalier,” a concert theater work written, directed, and produced by Bill Barclay regarding the life and work of Joseph Bologne.

Over an email interview Bill Barclay shared his reasons for creating the play. “What prompted my interest was largely shame. Why had I never heard of this person? Why aren't the orchestras I adore playing him? Why do violinists not learn about him in conservatories? Why is so much of his music not yet published? Why is there not even an entry on him in the Grove Dictionary of Music? It's appalling. Much has been done since then, but so much more is still required.”

Barclay’s questions are ones we should continue to ask ourselves. Bologne was well known and successful during his lifetime, even a friend and fellow composer to Mozart, yet his name is not held next to Mozart’s. The new movie has similar aims to Barclay’s in sharing Bologne’s story, a story that deserves more recognition than it has yet received.

In a phone interview, Music of the Baroque’s (MoB) Executive Director Declan McGovern was able to explain why Bologne is suddenly gaining attention. In short, audiences have proven that they care. “I do feel particularly after the death of George Floyd, there has been an upsurge in curiosity and a devotion from arts institutions to pay further attention to providing

a stage and a platform for works that had been forgotten, and particularly from composers who have been forgotten and overlooked: composers of color.”

After the death of George Floyd in 2020 and the corresponding rise of social justice campaigns like Black Lives Matter, music historians realized how much diversity matters to audiences. Organizations like CSO and MoB, as well as Searchlight Pictures, have all realized that the stories people want to see now are stories that exemplify the beautiful diversity of people, and show how people of all nationalities, backgrounds, and races have always managed to succeed.

As Kelvin Harris Jr., who plays Joseph in the movie “Chevalier,” said in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, “It’s a crazy story, I’ve never heard something like this before. My dad is a classical music teacher at a university, and so I grew up listening to music constantly, and I remember my dad telling me he was the first Black man in the South to be a part of the Philharmonic Symphony. And to see it go as far back as Joseph, it was really cool to just see the origin story and, you know, be a part of that, and in some ways it felt like I was gonna get to honor my dad and Joseph all at the same time, and the lineage that got passed down afterwards.”

“I felt just an unfathomable shame and sadness that I had never heard of this person,” said Minnie Driver, who plays an older woman in the French court of Louis XVI, in the same interview about “Chevalier.” Lucie Boynton plays Marie An-

'What prompted my interest was largely shame. Why had I never heard of this person?... Why is so much of his music not yet published?... It's appalling. Much has been done since then, but so much more is still required.'

-playwright bill barclay

from "Chevalier" featuring Harrison Jr. and Minnie Driver (center - as La Guimard). Photos by Larry Horricks. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

toinette, who received private lessons from Joseph and who became his friend.

Luckily for music and movie lovers alike, Searchlight Pictures isn’t the only organization continuing to showcase figures, including Bologne, who were lost to history. While theaters across Chicagoland will be screening “Chevalier” on its opening day of April 21, other Chicago organizations are continuing to bring Bologne’s pieces alive on stage.

The CSO is one of many committed to showcasing the existing diversity and including more compositions from composers of color, including Bologne. On February 5, violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi performed Bologne’s Violin Concerto in A Major, Op. 5, No. 2, as part of a Symphony Center Presents Chamber Music concert.

Music of the Baroque has similar plans, including compositions by Bologne or other composers of color every season. This November, MoB will perform Bologne’s 2nd Symphony, having performed his first in January. In the future, MoB will continue to perform Bologne’s violin concertos and bring to light more compositions by other people of color.

Bologne was known for much more than just his musical compositions, and both the play and the new movie continue to showcase the full figure. He had the social graces to navigate the French aristocracy as well as the empathy to care about the lives of other Black people who often weren’t as lucky as he was. Amid the chaos of the French Revolu-

tion, for example, there was a civil war on the colonial island of St. Domingue (now known as Haiti). One side wished for change, and the other to restore slavery. Bologne was bitterly disillusioned by this conflict. This contradiction was part of his downfall.

Standing between worlds, Joseph Bologne was both the son of a slave and the son of a slave master. The color of his skin caused people in the upper classes to look down on him, and not allow him the success of a white man with the same skills. Still, he was the son of an upper class plantation owner who took him to France, to be educated like nobility. Bologne had the musical and military education of the upper class, and the passion to show his worth and to succeed.

Barclay stated in the earlier email interview “...the film plainly helps our goal: to inspire more interest in who else may be missing. I'm confident this is a part of a much larger story of looking for who else has been forgotten by white-washed history. There are brilliant women, people of color, and differently-abled luminaries that haven't yet had their ‘Chevalier’ moment. My dearest hope is that my piece inspires someone else to get to work.”

While Joseph Bologne could certainly inspire even more plays or movies covering other aspects of his life, his story is not the only one to be left in the dark. Now, more than two centuries after his death, Bologne's life is an inspiration, a hint of others yet to be uncovered.

KIDs in Danger releases consumer report for 2022 product recalls

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued 293 recalls on children’s products in 2022 – the highest number since 2013 – according to the annual report by Kids in Danger (KID). A Chicago nonprofit dedicated to protecting children by fighting for product safety, KID released its annual report, “Hidden Hazards: 2022 Children’s Product Recalls” on March 14 at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

KID Executive Director Nancy Cowles was joined at the news event by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), ranking member of the House Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee; by Karen Sheehan, M.D., an emergency room physician and medical director of the Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities; by Abe Scarr, director of Illinois PIRG; and by April Janney, CEO of Illinois Action for Children.

Overall, more than 5.56 million individual children’s items were recalled in 2022. There were also four deaths last year before products could be recalled, down from 14 deaths in 2021.

FROM THE STREETS

The 4moms MamaRoo Baby Swing and RockaRoo Baby Rockers alone were responsible for 2,220,000 recalled units in 2022. The Baby Swing was also the cause of one of last year’s four deaths, when a child was strangled by the restraint straps that dangled beneath the swing seat. Two more deaths were associated with the Pillowfort Weighted Blankets; children can be asphyxiated if they unzip and climb into the blanket. The fourth death was associated with Goalsetter Wall-Mounted Basketball Goals, which can detach and fall.

Nine recalled products were responsible for 47 reported injuries prior to recall. This is a decrease in injuries compared to 2021, in which 136 injuries were reported prior to recall.

The Huffy Corporation Blue's Clues Foot to Floor Ride-on Toys caused the most injuries before recall, with 18 reported. Other recalls and the number of injuries they caused beforehand were:

• Pacific Igniter and Pacific Bubble Pop 20" Kids’ Bicycles (10 injuries)

• Mockingbird Single-to-Double Strollers (8)

• HD Premier DigitDots Magnetic Balls (4)

• Goalsetter Wall-Mounted Basketball Goals (2) and Stokke Clikk High Chairs (2)

• UPPAbaby All-Terrain RIDGE Jogging Strollers (1), the 4moms MamaRoo Baby Swing (1), and Konges Sløjd Baby Mirror Activity Toys (1)

Toy recalls were the top category in 2022 with 33, closely followed by clothing product recalls with 32. Outdoor/sports and nursery categories were each responsible for 12 recalls. Hazards ranged from entrapment to failure to meet federal flammability standards. The latter products are commonly sold by third-party sellers on online shopping sites. Other recalls were due to violation of federal lead-content standards choking or laceration hazards. Furniture recalls decreased over the past four years. Alternatively, outdoor and sports recalls have gradually increased over the past four years, with 13 in 2022.

KID has tracked the use of social media to announce recalls since 2014 and it remains low: 37% percent of recalls on Facebook, 32% on Twitter and 28% on Instagram.

KID recommends that recalling companies use all tools at their disposal to retrieve products: social media, direct notification of consumers and marketing to the same extent as original introduction of the product. The companies should also work with retailers, marketers, consumer groups, state and local governments, to reach more consumers.

KID was founded in 1998 by Linda Ginzel and Boaz Keysar after the death of their 16-month-old son, Danny, in a dangerous, recalled portable crib. KID’s mission is to save lives by enhancing transparency and accountability through safer product development, better education and stronger advocacy for children. Its annual report looks at data collected by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which was created by Congress in 1972 as part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The full report is at https://kidsindanger.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Hidden-Hazards-2023-1.pdf

-Suzanne Hanney, from email and online material

From top: Pacific Igniter 20" kids' bicycle; Mockingbird Single-to-Double Strollers; Stokke Clikk High Chair; HD Premier DigitDots Magnetic Balls; Goalsetter Wall-Mounted Basketball Goal; UPPAbaby All-Terrain RIDGE Jogging Stroller; 4moms MamaRoo Baby Swing; Konges Sløjd Baby Mirror Activity Toy. Photos provided by Consumer Reports.

high speed trains would connect chicago to rockford, quad cities

The High Speed Rail Alliance is asking Illinoisans to urge Gov. J.B. Pritzker to make trains from Chicago to Rockford and the Quad Cities a reality. The governor’s Chicago office can be reached at 312.814.2121 or 2122.

“The return of service to these routes has been promised for more than a decade,” Alliance officials said in an email blast. “The funding is there, but we need the governor to take action to get construction underway.”

On the Quad Cities route, negotiations between the Iowa Interstate Railroad and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) seem to be at an impasse, Alliance officials wrote. They want Pritzker to direct IDOT to engage Amtrak in negotiations with the railroad and to take action at the Surface Transportation Board, if needed.

The 160-mile, Chicago-to-Quad Cities route would run entirely within Illinois, on the BNSF Railway and Iowa Interstate Railroad. Trains would leave Chicago’s Union Station and stop in LaGrange, Naperville, Plano, Mendota, Princeton and Geneseo before terminating at the Moline Multimodal Station.

The Rockford route awaits a decision as to whether Amtrak or Metra will operate the trains. The Alliance wants Pritzker to tell IDOT to announce its choice quickly and to move forward with final engineering.

According to amtrakconnectsus.com, two trains daily in each direction would make the 80-mile trip between Chicago and Rockford in 111 minutes. Intermediate stops would be Roselle, Elgin, Huntley and Belvidere. The website compares the route to the 90-mile service by Amtrak’s Hiawatha between Chicago and Milwaukee. It cites $1.4 billion in economic impact from the capital investment alone, followed by $31.8 million annually. The demand would come from tourism to Chicago, as well as college and university students living between the two cities.

'Abortion is Health Care Everywhere act' would expand safe abortions internationally

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus Providers and Clinics Task Force, and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced their legislation, the “Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act” March 23 in both houses of Congress. Schakowsky and Booker hosted their press conference on the House Triangle, on the east front of the U.S. Capitol.

The two legislators were joined by U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (DCA), Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Norma Torres (D-CA), all original sponsors; and by U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Marilyn Strickland (D-WA). The bill has 142 original cosponsors in the House.

The Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act would repeal the 1973 Helms Amendment to the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act, Schakowsky said. “For nearly 50 years, the racist, harmful Helms Amendment has barred U.S. foreign assistance from being used to offer abortion care, even in countries where abortions are legal. The United States should not stand in the way of health care and bodily autonomy in other countries. Developing countries bear the burden of 97% of all unsafe abortions. We must protect women's health around the globe.”

“For decades, many countries around the world relied on Roe v. Wade to expand access to abortion care in their own countries,” U.S. Sen. Booker said. “In the wake of the disastrous decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, …we must repeal the Helms Amendment and ensure that US foreign aid can be used for safe, legal abortion care overseas.”

According to research by the Guttmacher Institute, repeal of the Helms Amendment would mean 19 million fewer unsafe abortions, 17,000 fewer maternal deaths and 12 million fewer women who have abortion-related complications requiring medical treatment each year. The overall number of maternal deaths from unsafe abortions in these countries would decline by 98%.

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)

To

March 29 - April 4 Puzzle Answers

How StreetWise Works

StreetWise exists to elevate marginalized voices and provide opportunities for individuals to earn an income and gain employment. Anyone who wants to work has the opportunity to move themselves out of crisis.

StreetWise provides “a hand up, not a handout.”

All vendors go through an orientation focusing on their rights and responsibilities as a StreetWise Magazine Vendor. Authorized vendors have badges with their name, picture and current year.

Vendors purchase the magazine for $1.15 and sell it for $3 plus tips. The vendor keeps all of their earnings.

Buy

When you buy the magazine, take the magazine, and read the magazine, you are supporting our microentrepreneurs earning an income with dignity.

New vendor orientation is every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at 2009 S. State St. Find your nearest vendor at www.streetwise.org