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National Restaurant Association Show cancelled
Event organizers of the National Restaurant Association Show announced the cancellation of the 2021 National Restaurant Association Show, which was scheduled to take place May 22-25 at Chicago's McCormick Place. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois ...
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Preservation Chicago unveils list of most endangered Chicago buildings
Preservation Chicago—which works with city officials, neighborhood residents, owners and stakeholders to prevent what is often viewed as the wholesale loss of Chicago's important buildings—has revealed its 2021 list of ...
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COVID Ann Sather restaurant fined $2,000
The Ann Sather restaurant at 909 W. Belmont Ave. has been fined $2,000 for violating the state's indoor dining ban last year, ABC7Chicago.com reported. Chicago Ald. Tom Tunney owns the restaurant, which was cited Dec. 4. ...
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Spots revealed for Chicago Restaurant Week 2021
The venues participating in Chicago Restaurant Week (March 19-April 4) have been revealed. This year's participants include a range of restaurants throughout Chicagoland offering specially priced, prix fixe menus for ...
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Andersonville Chamber expands Restaurant Week
The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (ACC) is expanding its traditional Andersonville Restaurant Week throughout March. Each week will feature a different collection of Andersonville restaurants with meals available for pick-up ...
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Male-only Michigan campsite bans trans men
In Michigan, the owners of Camp Boomerang RV Park and Campground in Orleans—about 50 miles northwest of Lansing—announced they will ban trans men from their male-only park when they officially open this spring, PrideSource.com reported. "Camp ...
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LGBT Chamber's 'Celebration of Black Business Excellence' on Feb. 23
The LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois will hold its annual "Celebration of Black Business Excellence" on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 5:30-7 p.m. Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council President & Ceo Vince Williams will moderate the event. ...
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COVID Chicago expands indoor dining capacity
The city of Chicago plans to reduce indoor dining restrictions for a second consecutive week, allowing bars and restaurants to offer service at either 40% capacity or 50 people, whichever is less, The Chicago Tribune reported. ...
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COVID Lightfoot announces plan to ease restrictions in Chicago
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection announced a roadmap for Chicago to continue to cautiously ease regulations on businesses as COVID-19 metrics improve. ...
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Andersonville Chamber of Commerce expands HYGGE Fest through February
--From a press release
CHICAGO (February 4, 2021) — The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (ACC) is expanding its annual Hygge Fest to run for the entire month of February 2021. The month-long festival will ...
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Chicago Restaurant Week returning in 2021
Choose Chicago has announced the return of Chicago Restaurant Week on March 19-April 4, 2021. Chicago Restaurant Week offers local food enthusiasts an opportunity to experience some of the city's most highly sought restaurants. Participating dining ...
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Unleashed LGBTQ virtual conference March 25-27
Unleashed LGBTQ—which aims to create a space for brands, entertainers and LGBTQ professionals to connect—will hold a virtual conference March 25-27. Attendees can see the latest products, services and campaigns ...
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HRC releases Corporate Equality Index; dozens of Chicago companies score 100
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the organization's educational arm, released its 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI)—a survey and report measuring company policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. ...
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Gay man to vie for state rep's spot--on one condition
Openly gay business owner Tom Elliott has announced that he plans to run for Illinois state Rep. Kelly Cassidy's seat—should a vacancy arise. On Facebook, he posted, "My State Senator [Heather Steans] announced her resignation and ...
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Steamworks launches fundraiser to keep staff insurance
Private men's bathhouse Steamworks Chicago launched an online fundraiser Jan. 21 to continue covering the health insurance of its staff as the pandemic progresses. In a GoFundMe post, General Manager Nirmalpal Sachdev said, "For the past ...
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NATIONAL Bidens, NYC businesses, notable deaths, anti-Trump suit
President Joe Biden and his team recently named openly gay man Jeff Marootian as special assistant to the president on Climate and Science Agency Personnel, according to Instinct Magazine, citing The Washington Blade. Marootian is one ...
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Lightfoot and city leaders lead MLK interfaith event
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot virtually gathered with civic, business and religious leaders this weekend to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the City of Chicago's 35th Annual Interfaith Celebration. This year's ceremony ...
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Social exclusion, career limitations hinder LGBTQ STEM professionals
ANN ARBOR—LGBTQ professionals' pride in their science, technology, engineering, and math work is not reciprocated, say researchers. These STEM professionals are more likely to experience career limitations, social exclusion and ...
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Illinois Restaurant Assoc. asks Pritzker to allow indoor dining
On Jan. 14, the Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA) and restaurant operators around the state issued a press release asking Gov. JB Pritzker to immediately allow for safe and limited indoor dining operations. The IRA's Open Indoor ...
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WORLD Workplace index, Japan survey, stories of the year, Buttigieg
Two years after the India's Supreme Court decriminalized homosexuality, employment for the LGBTQ community is slowly gaining acceptance in the private sector—to the point where there is now an India Workplace Equality Index, RFI.fr reported. The ...
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NATIONAL Aimee Stephens, GNC teen murdered, Katie Hill, Amazon
A consent decree ordered that Michigan business Harris Funeral Homes—which fired the late Aimee Stephens for being transgender and led her to sue the business in litigation that made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court—must ...
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John Pennycuff Memorial Apartments in Castillo Plaza, LGBTQ housing in Logan Square
Last month, The John Pennycuff Memorial Apartments at Castillo Plaza (Pennycuff) opened at the corner of Milwaukee and Campbell Avenues in Logan Square after four years of development and city approval meetings and for the past ...
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Pennycuff Memorial Apartments now open
The John Pennycuff Memorial Apartments at Castillo Plaza is named for the late LGBTQ and civil rights activist, John Pennycuff. Located on Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, the building was designed by Cyrus Subawalla ...
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Report: Take Off Your Mask So I Know How Much to Tip You
--From a press release
Today, One Fair Wage, a national nonprofit organization representing subminimum wage and other tipped workers, in partnership with #TimesUp, the UC Berkeley Food Labor Research Center, Professor Catharine MacKinnon, Professor Louise Fitzgerald and ...
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Lamont Robinson fundraiser with Chasten Buttigieg on Dec. 9
Lamont Robinson, Jr.—a Chicago business owner and insurance agent who became the first openly gay Black state legislator in Illinois history, and who is running for a second term representing the 5th District in the Illinois ...
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Andersonville at Home for the Holidays virtual variety show Dec. 13
--From a press release
CHICAGO (Dec. 8, 2020) — Although we can't all gather for the traditional caroling and festivities that are customary in the Andersonville business district during the holiday season, the Andersonville ...
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COVID-19 City investigators look into Ann Sather violation
City inspectors stopped by Lake View Ald. Tom Tunney's Ann Sather restaurant, 909 W. Belmont Ave., because the official has been allowing people to eat inside the establishment in violation of city and state coronavirus restrictions, ...
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Billy Masters
"You're assuming that I'm completely straight. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. And it's frankly none of your business."—Viggo Mortensen responds to a reporter's question about whether he should be playing a gay character in Falling."Wh ...
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Andersonville Chamber of Commerce highlights COVID-friendly shopping, dining
--From a press release
CHICAGO (Dec. 2, 2020) — From shopping in your pajamas to late-night curbside pick-up to Glogg-to-go, the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (ACC) is rolling out a festive line-up of COVID-friendly ...
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WINDY CITY TIMES 2020 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Even as crazy as this year has been, there have been some constants—such as the observations of holidays (although they have been a lot more virtual). Among said observations is holiday shopping, and Windy City Times ...
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"Holidays With Intention" offers holiday programming to support 100+ local businesses
--From a press release
CHICAGO (November 12, 2020) — The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (ACC) is pleased to announce its annual line-up of holiday programming, featuring a revised schedule of shopping, dining and virtual ...
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Flu shots, mental health, well-being, COVID resources part of Andersonville Cares
--From a press release
CHICAGO — The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (ACC) is expanding its ongoing "Andersonville Cares" initiative to help keep businesses and residents safe throughout the fall and winter months. Neighborhood resources ...
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Major, Lindsey and Africa's Outlaws LGBTQ group hosts virtual panel
Legal executive search firm Major, Lindsey and Africa's Outlaws LGBTQ employee resource group (ERG) hosted a virtual panel Oct. 29. The event focused on how LGBTQ professionals have navigated their careers and personal lives as their ...
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Illinois Restaurant Association, operators object to mitigation plan
--From a press release
CHICAGO (October 30, 2020) — The Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA) and restaurant industry operators and workers gathered this morning for a press conference to discuss the disastrous impact of Governor ...
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Mayor Lightfoot announces election day safety plan
--From a press release
CHICAGO— Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today joined the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), Chicago Police Department (CPD), Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Department of Business ...
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Pritzker administration grants $94M to Illinois businesses, communities
--From a press release
CHICAGO—Governor JB Pritzker today joined the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to announce the release of $94 million in emergency relief funds for communities and small businesses ...
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COVID-19 Big Chicks/Tweet closing temporarily
Uptown venues Big Chicks (5024 N. Sheridan Rd.) and Tweet (5020 N. Sheridan Rd.) have temporarily closed after owner Michelle Fire said a customer who was feeling unwell came to the bar to celebrate his birthday ...
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Lightfoot imposes curfew on city, cracks down on bars
In light of a spike of coronavirus infections in the city, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot followed through Oct. 22 by imposing a 10 p.m. curfew on all nonessential city businesses, The Chicago Tribune reported. In addition, ...
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Booksellers launch "Boxed Out" campaign, a look at consumer choices
--From a press release
(New York, New York) 20% of independent bookstores across the country are in danger of closing. Today, theAmerican Booksellers Association launched the "Boxed Out" campaign to draw attention to the high stakes indie bookstores face this ...
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Restaurant employee relief fund now open
Executives at the Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA) announced the opening of online applications for the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (IRAEF) Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. This ...
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Windy City Times: Quite the ride
The information superhighway… That old synonym for the internet (conjuring up days of AOL Instant Messenger and really loud modems) served as my entry into Windy City Times—way back in 1995. Two friends suggested that I ...
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30 Under 30 Awards 2000-2019
Honoring local LGBTQ people 30 and younger who excelled in entertainment, politics, health, activism, academics, sports and other areas, Windy City Times' 30 Under 30 Awards ceremonies, which started in 2000, were held during Pride Month. ...
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Windy City Times: Making 35
The internecine battles of the gay community are legendary. They are not limited to Chicago, or to any one segment of the community. And the gay media have certainly not been immune to these growing pains ...
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LGBTQI Media: The Long Haul
Working in the LGBTQI press should probably be measured in dog years. Right-wing threats, death and destruction, physical assaults, robberies, property destruction, and that's not to mention the internal struggles ...
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Windy City Times: Serving a community
Our ship will come in. Those are the words Tracy and I used to say all the time. Well, she'd say it and later during a particular rough time, I'd ask: "So, where's the damn ship??" I started with the company ...
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My life at Windy City Times
I came into LGBT media completely by accident, having begun as editorial assistant at Windy City Times' competitor Chicago Free Press in 2005. I had done a favor for CFP's managing editor, Louis Weisberg, and he ...
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The Passing Parade: Cultural Reporting in an Age of Heroes
There are several large plastic storage bins in my office filled with stacks of clippings of articles I wrote for the Chicago gay and lesbian newspapers GayLife, Windy City Times and Outlines during the 1980s and ...
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Lessons learned
For most of my life, I've had a print paper, a physical product, to show for my efforts each week. I've got far too many copies of Outlines, Windy City Times and even Stars & Stripes, where I worked for many ...
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Job well done
Because I was once quite the gay-press guy, and that began in Chicago, they asked me for 600-800 words. I wrote some drafts but in the end, all that's needed is a few sentences: The paper version of the venerable Windy City Times ...
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The Times We Wrote About: The gift of
Windy City Times
"I feel like we're living in times people write about," Matt said as we walked home from the train, dusk settling into Brooklyn for the night. I didn't know what he meant. It was 2008. From where I was standing, everything ...
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Trudy Ring, Outlines/Nightlines 1992-1996
I wonder if Tracy Baim knows what a difference she's made in my life. Tracy gave me opportunities at the time I needed them, and those opportunities have had great significance for my journalism career ...
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Kirk Williamson: Telling stories
Many of you might know me only through my byline on the masthead or, if you're a bit older (and drunker), by my time in the bars as editor of Nightspots. Hey, I WAS that guy from the magazine. But if you have never ...
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Windy City Times in print 1985-2020
Windy City Times' first issue was Sept. 26, 1985. The staff was primarily from GayLife newspaper, which had been around since the 1970s and lasted until 1986. From the start, WCT focused heavily on Chicago-area HIV/AIDS ...
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Outlines 1987-2000
Outlines newspaper started the first week of June 1987. Tracy Baim and most of the staff of Windy City Times left to launch Outlines after major disagreements in personality and goals. Outlines started as a weekly, ...
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BLACKlines 1996-2004, En la Vida 1996-2004, Identity 2004-2006
BLACKlines newspaper started in February 1996, and remained a monthly newspaper produced by Outlines for many years. It started after Robert Ford of Thing 'zine died. A Black gay man, Ford had created a wonderful queer ...
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Brad Edwards talks investigative journalism, coming out, making history
Television journalist Brad Edwards has accomplished much in his life, such as winning multiple awards and including serving on the board of directors at the YWCA, whose goal is to "empower women and eliminate racism." However, ...
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Community reacts to Boystown name change
Northalsted Business Alliance (NBA) announced Sept. 23 that it would discontinue utilizing the term "Boystown" in its marketing of the area. NBA's decision came shortly after a survey answered by 7,890 respondents found that, while 58% ...
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The Alley moves to Avondale
The Alley, located in Lake View since 1976, announced that it is moving to its Avondale warehouse, 2620 W. Fletcher Ave, according to a press release. The warehouse, referred to as "The Mothership" by owner Mark ...
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PASSAGES Gay business owner/nightlife figure Bob Yeaworth dies
Gay business owner and promoter Robert "Bob" Yeaworth died Sept. 14 from complications due to his ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) diagnosis. He was 64. Yeaworth was born Sept. 17, 1955 in Cincinnati, Ohio, ...
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Pritzker aims to connect unemployed with COVID-19 response jobs
Illinois Gov. Pritzker announced a new $16.6-million investment to expand job opportunities for Illinoisans who have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through two new grants received from the U.S. Department of Labor, the Illinois ...
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Windy City Times moves to digital-only
Windy City Times, Chicago's only LGBTQ newspaper, is moving to a digital-only format starting in October. The Sept. 30, 2020 edition, which marks the paper's 35th anniversary, will be its last regular free-standing print issue. The ...
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Windy City Times moves to digital-only
Press release
Windy City Times, Chicago's only LGBTQ newspaper, is moving to a digital-only format starting in October. The Sept. 30, 2020 edition, which marks the paper's 35th anniversary, will be its last regular free-standing print issue. The ...
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MOVIES New documentary visits 'House of Cardin'
It took a queer eye to bring the new documentary House of Cardin to life. Husbands and business partners Todd Hughes and P. David Ebersole have directed a history of designer Pierre Cardin. Viewers of the ...
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Otis Richardson: Gay business owner expands Lavenderpop Greeting Cards
Otis Richardson is an artist and owner of Lavenderpop Greeting Cards—now the first independent and Black-owned greeting card company to be sold at Jewel stores in the supermarket chain's 121 years. "Becoming a Jewel vendor was ...
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WERQ! LGBTQ Job Fair now online Sept. 17-18
Center on Halsted and Brave Space Alliance will hold the annual WERQ! LGBTQ Job Fair on Friday, Sept. 17-18, at the Center. Sessions will be 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-3 p.m. Last year, more than 50 ...
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Virtual Chalk Howard Street extended through Oct. 23
With the nonprofit Rogers Park Business Alliance and Howard Street Special Service Area #19 hosting, Virtual Chalk Howard Street has returned. On every other Friday at 11 a.m. from Aug. 28 through Oct. 23, Chicago 3-D ...
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PASSAGES Medusa's owner Dave Shelton passes away
Dave Shelton, a.k.a. Dave "Medusa" Shelton—so named for his trademark frizzy locks— "just was different," recalled his good friend of 45 years, Richard Cooke. Shelton was the proprietor of the iconic nightspot Medusa's on Sheffield in ...
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WERQ! LGBTQ Job Fair on Sept. 18
EDITOR'S NOTE: Information on this event has changed. See updated information at http://www.windycitytimes.com/lgbt/WERQ-LGBTQ-Job-Fair-now-online-Sept-17-18-/69098.html . Center on Halsted and Brave Space Alliance will hold the annual ...
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COVID-19: Lightfoot announces $6.2M for Together Now applicants
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot announced that the city is awarding $6.2 million in grant allocations to the Together Now fund applicants. The Together Now fund was launched last month—in partnership with Chicago Community Trust and One ...
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Report: Millions of LGBTQs could gain more protections after Bostock ruling
A new report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that millions of LGBT people could gain additional non-discrimination protections if courts interpret state laws consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in ...
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Wizard World postponed until June 24-27, 2021
Wizard Entertainment, Inc. announced that its Wizard World Chicago convention, originally scheduled for Aug. 20-23 at Rosemont's Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, has been postponed due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The revised dates ...
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Racial and LGBT bias persists in ridesharing platforms, research shows
--From a Indiana University Kelley School of Business press release
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Despite efforts by ridesharing companies to eliminate or reduce discrimination, research from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business finds that racial and LGBT bias persists. Platforms such as Uber, Lyft and Via ...
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Survey open for potential Boystown name change
Northalsted Business Alliance is asking for the public to weigh in on the "Boystown" moniker. The Alliance has published a survey asking community members' opinions on the Lake View neighborhood, which was officially designated an "LGBTQ+ ...
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COVID-19 Lightfoot to re-tighten restrictions
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) announced a re-tightening of COVID-19 restrictions for bars, restaurants ...
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ComEd to pay $200M in bribery scheme; Madigan possibly involved
The U.S. Attorney's Office said that ComEd will pay a $200-million criminal fine as part of a federal investigation into a "years-long bribery scheme" involving jobs, contracts and payments to allies of Illinois House Speaker Michael ...
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