December 4, 2025 Edition

THE OLD THE OLD G G

WHEN ART WHEN ART MEETS MEETS ALCHEMY ALCHEMY DECEMBER 4–10 2025. Volume No. 24

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Publisher

E-NOTES

Cheryl Mainor Norman

Editor-In-Chief

Kai El Zabar

Chief Content Officier Laura Miller Malachi Webster Editorial Assistant Creative Direction

CNW Studio, LLC

Sales Manager Sales Manager Copy Editor Staff Writers

Kevin Ross Michael Toliver Max Blaisdell Mila K. Marshall PhD. Candi McCrary Neffer Kerr Cabryl Breotti CL. Blackburn

Columnists

Dr. Sanja Rickette Stinson David Seaton

Intern & Illustrator Elijah Lee

Cover Photography Bianca Garcia Chicago News Weekly, LLC 700 N Sacramento Blvd Suite 320 Chicago, IL 60612 (312) 877-5151 Volume 3 No. 21 October 15, 2025 Chicago News Weekly is Published on Thursday www.cnwmedia.com advertising@cnwmedia.com editorial@cnwmedia.com

CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S ISSUE AT WWW.CNWMEDIA.COM/E-EDITIONS

On Leaving a Relationship Kai El Zabar - Editor-In-Chief Leaving a long-term relationship is never easy, but sometimes it’s the necessary step toward a more fulfilling life.

One of the hardest decisions we make is walking away from a relationship that simply isn’t working.

As the saying goes, “Breaking up is hard to do when you love someone.”

And it is—especially after you’ve invested time and effort trying to repair what’s broken. You’ve tried counseling, therapy, communication exercises. Things seem to improve, and then comes that moment when you must respond from deep within your soul—and your partner still cannot hear or feel you. Suddenly you’re back in that dark pit: silence, anger, blowups, walkouts. That may be the sign that it’s time to consider moving on.

Love? What’s love got to do with it?

Does compatibility come first? Passion can feel like love and create a false sense of harmony. Meanwhile, the real foundations of partnership—shared values, balance, respect—get overlooked. I remember my ex, with his fast metabolism, baking cookies and devouring them instantly. I couldn’t do the same, so he and his mother decided I wasn’t “fun,” even as he asked me to weigh myself daily to keep my weight in check.

Partnership is the heart of a love relationship. Too many of us let romantic notions cloud our judgment.

I was ultrasensitive to those I wanted to please. My mother and my husband were the only two people who could make me cry—not out of weakness, but because feeling misunderstood hurt deeply. I wanted them to truly see me.

In any loving connection, each person must commit to the work—listening, understanding, accepting differences.

That requires asking the right questions from the very start: Do we want children? Does our religion matter? What about the social demands of my career? Can we disagree and still sit down to dinner?

These questions matter more than passion alone.

Our emotions are powerful. When they’re tied to someone else’s, letting go can feel like jumping into the deep end when you can’t swim—but staying can feel like drowning in shallow water. Taking that dive is an act of courage. Many of us stay in unfulfilling relationships to avoid pain or embarrassment.

We wonder if the happiness we want even exists. We consider settling. But deep down, we know we deserve joy.

We are like plants growing toward the light— we instinctively move toward what helps us thrive. Even if we came into the world as twins, we arrived as individuals with our own paths. Summoning the courage to leave a relationship that holds us back is part of honoring that truth.

The first steps are always the hardest. Let go of the romantic lens and embrace the beauty that awaits once we release ourselves from what drains us. Once your eyes are open, you can begin disentangling yourself from what has hung around your neck like an albatross.

Each step forward brings you closer to the relationship you deserve—and to the freedom to find genuine happiness.

The love of my life eventually became the love of my youth.

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NATIONAL NEWS Trump Accuses Democratic Senators of “Sedition” After They Warn Troops Against Following Illegal Orders CNW STAFF REPORT President Donald Trump escalated a political dispute over military authority this week, accusing several Democratic senators of “sedition” and “treason” after they released a video reminding service members of their duty to refuse unlawful orders. Trump claimed the senators’ actions were “punishable by death” and suggested they should be arrested or jailed.

Trump responded by accusing the senators of undermining the chain of command and encouraging insubordination within the armed forces.

Speaking to reporters and in posts on social media, he called the lawmakers “traitors,” claimed their remarks constituted “sedition,” and said their actions “should be punishable by DEATH.”

The video, released by a group of Democratic lawmakers who are also military veterans, emphasized a longstanding principle of U.S. military law: service members must obey lawful orders but are required to refuse “manifestly unlawful” ones under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

The lawmakers said their message was prompted by concerns about the legality of some recent military actions ordered by the Trump administration, including certain strikes and domestic deployments.

Legal experts note that the senators’ statement largely restated existing military law.

Under the UCMJ, it is a crime for service members to disobey a lawful order, but it is also a crime to follow an order that is clearly illegal. The principle is widely taught in military training and is rooted in post– World War II jurisprudence.

“Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders,” the senators said in the video, framing their remarks as a constitutional reminder rather than a political challenge to the White House.

The debate over the limits of lawful authority has prompted comparisons to the military courtroom drama A Few Good Men, which centers on a Marine court-martial and the question of whether “just following orders” is a defense for illegal conduct. While fictional, the film reflects a real legal standard: troops can be held accountable for carrying out unlawful directives.

The senators’ message, they said, was intended to protect service members from facing such accountability in the future. Trump, who has no military background and has previously discouraged his sons from serving, argued that publicly urging troops to scrutinize presidential orders threatened civilian control of the military.

The clash highlights a broader tension between military law, which prioritizes adherence to the Constitution, and political concerns about maintaining the integrity of the chain of command.

It also reflects ongoing debate over the boundaries of dissent, particularly after the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, when Trump’s rhetoric played a central role in the events leading to the insurrection.

Illustration: Eli

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NATIONAL NEWS

When Flesh Meets Steel: Chicago Looks Ahead to Self‑Healing Cyborg Machines MALACHI WEBSTER - STAFF WRITER Science fiction’s favorite nightmare— machines made of living flesh—is inching closer to the lab bench than the movie screen. Around the world, researchers are fusing living cells with electronics to create “biohybrid” robots covered in self‑healing skin, powered by muscle, and guided by tiny networks of brain cells.​ In June, scientists at the University of Tokyo unveiled a robot face coated in lab‑grown human skin, complete with collagen “ligaments” that tether the tissue to an underlying mechanical skull. The result: a silicone‑smooth visage that can smile, frown and, crucially, repair small cuts on its own.

Unlike earlier synthetic skins that tore easily, this living layer moves with the robot’s mechanics and then knits itself back together when damaged, much like a paper cut closing over time.​ At the same time, engineers in the United States and elsewhere are racing to perfect electronic “skins” made from stretchable polymers and liquid metals.

These thin films can sense touch, strain and temperature while healing their own circuitry after being sliced or punctured. One recent prototype restored more than 80% of its sensing ability within seconds of being damaged, a leap forward from earlier designs that needed minutes or hours to recover.​

Put these threads together and the outline of a new kind of machine emerges: soft, wrapped in living or living‑like tissue, aware of its own wounds and capable of patching them without human help.

For Chicago, a city anchored by world‑class medical centers and an expanding robotics and AI ecosystem, the implications run far beyond sci‑fi spectacle. Biohybrid devices—tiny robots seeded with muscle cells and controlled by light or micro‑electronics —are already being tested as potential tools for minimally invasive surgery, targeted drug delivery and cancer detection. Instead of a rigid metal instrument, imagine a soft, worm‑like robot that can slither through arteries, sense trouble, and repair its own shell if it tears along the way.​ Self‑healing electronic skin could turn prosthetic limbs into sensing, adaptive tools that feel more like part of the body than equipment bolted on at the shoulder.

Researchers have demonstrated e‑skins that stretch to several times their original length, detect subtle movements and then re‑form intact after being cut and rejoined. For amputees navigating Chicago’s winter ice or crowded CTA platforms, that resilience could mean fewer repairs, better grip, and longer‑lasting devices.​

The ethical unease is harder to heal. Living skin grown for robots raises questions about where the line between tool and creature begins—especially as labs add nerve cells, blood vessels and eventually more complex sensory systems. A crawling robot powered by living brain and muscle cells, as demonstrated in a recent “biobot” study, blurs that line even further. If a machine can move, sense, adapt and self‑repair using biological parts, how should society regulate it? Who is responsible when it fails—a software engineer, a tissue lab, or both?​ Policy has not caught up. Current medical device rules were written for pacemakers and metal implants, not soft robots stitched together from hydrogels, stem cells and AI‑driven control circuits. Labor law has little to say about machines that can heal themselves and return to work without a human technician. And public comfort will be shaped as much by culture as by code; the first time a self‑healing humanoid greets patients in a Chicago clinic, the reaction may be wonder, revulsion—or both.

For now, these systems remain prototypes: small, fragile and confined to research facilities. But the direction is clear. Step by step, lab by lab, machines are borrowing strategies from flesh—resilience, sensing, self‑repair—to survive in messy, unpredictable real‑world environments.​ Chicago has always lived at the intersection of industry and humanity, from stockyards to steel mills to server farms. As the city leans into health tech, AI and advanced manufacturing, it may soon find itself hosting the next stage of that evolution: robots that bruise, bleed (synthetically) and then quietly stitch themselves whole.

When that happens, the most pressing question may not be whether the machines are part human, but how prepared humans are to share space— and responsibility—with machines that refuse to stay broken.

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COVER STORY

Art & Alchemy

THE OLD G AND THE FUSION OF ART AND EXPERTISE REDEFINING MODERN GIN LAURA MILLER - MANAGING EDITOR

BIANCA GARCIA - PHOTOGRAPHY

The first thing you notice about The Old G is its presence. The matte-black bottle stands with quiet certainty—the kind that feels intentional rather than performative. It looks modern, culturally fluent, and rooted in a point of view that does not waver once it is in your hand. That clarity comes from two men who did not grow up together but speak with the ease of people who could have.

When Peter Ibrahim and Hebru Brantley talk, the partnership becomes obvious before the business story even starts. Their humor shows up first. Brantley likes to say their first encounter involved him punching Ibrahim in the chest like a scene from an old comedy. Ibrahim shakes his head and claims Brantley fell in love with him immediately. Brantley calls him a compulsive liar. Ibrahim accepts the accusation without hesitation.

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COVER STORY

Nothing about it feels scripted. Their rhythm is natural—full of laughter, interruptions, and small jabs that only work when the friendship is real. Their closeness forms the quiet architecture beneath the brand. Before there was a product, there was a connection. Before there was a bottle, there was chemistry.

And before there was a name, there was a shared sense of what the world was missing.

Their strengths meet in a way that feels organic. Ibrahim spent years developing a gin that reflects his palate, his international background, and his belief that gin should be smooth, balanced, and welcoming. Brantley shaped the visual identity with the same intention he brings to his artwork, creating a design that carries cultural weight and modern elegance. Together, they shaped a brand that feels alive and deliberate, informed by two perspectives working in harmony instead of competition.

The rooms where no one looked like him Long before The Old G existed, Ibrahim had been paying attention. For more than 15 years, he worked inside major spirits companies, sitting in strategy meetings, pitch sessions, and boardrooms from London to New York to Chicago. The pattern was impossible to ignore.

“There was a representation problem,” he says. “Everywhere I went, everyone I worked with, everyone I saw, all looked the same. There was no diversity or representation, especially as you get higher in the ranks.”

He explains it calmly, but the weight is unmistakable. He wanted to see people whose experiences and histories echoed his own. He rarely did.

“I wanted to see at least a few people I could relate to. But there were very, very few people who looked or sounded like me.”

“ This brand was built to represent people who rarely see themselves in the room. ”

Despite being noted for their courage and discipline, they faced constant prejudice. Retired Col. Frank Knox of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the “Rough Riders,” during the Spanish-American War, famously declared of the Buffalo Soldiers: “I never saw braver men anywhere.”

He also understood who was actually shaping nightlife, taste, and spending power. He saw the gap between who created culture and who held ownership in the industry.

When Ibrahim suggested building a gin brand together, Brantley did not see it as a detour. He saw it as another medium.

“We were always drinking everyone else’s stuff,” he says. “Never anything that represented us.”

At the same time, the absence he felt echoed across the industry. Marketing manager Jonn Richardson, who spent seven years managing the Bacardi portfolio, had seen the same thing.

His work had become a cultural force, reimagining contemporary Black imagery with emotion and cinematic imagination. His characters carry symbolism. His colors carry memory.

His style is instantly recognizable.

“The bottle had to be a statement piece,” he says. “People display the things that matter to them. We wanted something that could live in someone’s collection.

Something that draws curiosity.”

Traditional gin aesthetics rely on bright blues, greens, and heritage cues.

Brantley and Ibrahim wanted something different. They studied silhouettes, materials, proportions, and tone. They chose a matte-black finish because it felt intentional, modern, and honest to who they were.

“People see it anywhere, and they gravitate toward it,” Brantley says. “That curiosity was something Peter and I always intended.”

A spirit designed to change minds If Brantley shaped the design, Ibrahim shaped the flavor.

Ask him how many gins he has tasted, and he answers like a man who has lived through that number.

“It is definitely in the thousands,” he says. “At some point they come out your nose.”

“I spent seven years managing the Bacardi portfolio, including their gins, and most of that time I was one of the only Black men in the room,” Richardson says. “Not just in Chicago but even in our national meetings.

Ownership is even rarer. That is why what we’re building with The Old G matters.”

Together, these experiences underscore why the brand exists at all.

The artist who understands the power of objects While Ibrahim was navigating corporate patterns that felt increasingly narrow, Brantley was expanding the world through art.

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His journey to The Old G took Their core audience is adults 35 three years. He visited distilleries to 55, or in their words, “the across continents. He studied people we go outside with.” It is production methods, tested not a marketing strategy. It is ingredients, compared lived experience. processes, and kept meticulous notes. He knew exactly what he This is the generation that learned life lessons from Shawn wanted.

Carter lyrics and understands “I knew what the spirit had to the weight of a line that feels like be,” he says. “Flavorful, but not advice an older relative might harsh. Something you can have given you. They know the drink neat or with one mixer or bravado of a moment, the quiet in a cocktail. A positive confidence of stepping into a room already carrying your experience.” story, and the bluesy undertone He also knew gin’s reputation in that comes from having lived the United States. Many people enough life to tell it well. tried gin once and never returned. They remembered They grew from analog the burn and the sharp edges. childhoods into digital Ibrahim wanted The Old G to adulthood without losing their be the opposite. He designed it instinct for real connection. to be smooth.

They value authenticity, intention, and the feel of The process was demanding. something made with care. The He developed batch after batch, Old G speaks to them naturally adjusting botanicals, refining because its founders come from temperatures, and modifying the same world, share the same distillations. He distilled nine shorthand, and understand times for clarity and texture. He how this generation shows up added an oxygenation process for taste, identity, and craft. to refine the finish. He discarded expensive batches Premium craft with real that did not meet the standard. accessibility

COVER STORY

“We probably did between 30 Everything about The Old G is and 40 final liquids to get to this premium. The botanicals are one,” he says. “It was long, organic. The distillation is laborious, and expensive.” repeated nine times. The oxygenation process refines the The result proved him right. finish. The design is custom and The Old G earned Best Gin in distinctive. Even so, the Show at the 2025 Global Spirit founders made a choice about Awards, scoring 98 out of 100. price that reflects the heart of The Global Spirit Awards are the brand. known for rigorous blind judging, which means the gin’s “It is thirty-five dollars because quality had to speak for itself we want it to be accessible,” without branding or storytelling Ibrahim says. “The quality is influencing the decision. easily worth far more, but the intention is to meet people “No one can take that away,” where they are.”

Ibrahim says. “Once you earn it, Brantley agrees. “We want the it is yours.” people who look like us to Richardson has seen that access the brand. We do not want to price them out.” reaction everywhere.

Smooth was not an accident. It was engineered, refined and earned

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“I’ve been in meetings with multimillionaires in the largest hospitality groups and in neighborhood liquor stores on the South Side,” he says. “They all say the same thing: that’s some of the best gin they’ve ever had. Gin isn’t the easiest spirit to sell, so that kind of reaction means everything.”

A perspective shaped by international background and an artist’s eye Gin’s flavor comes from botanicals sourced across continents.

That global foundation fits The Old G naturally. Ibrahim brings an international background and a global palate shaped by years of travel and spirits expertise.

Brantley brings an artist’s eye and a sensitivity to visual storytelling. Together, they created a spirit that feels worldly, culturally aware, and grounded in modern taste.

Their approach builds community rather than exclusivity. It creates presence without pretense. It reflects leadership instead of gatekeeping.

Redefining modern gin The Old G is more than a bottle on a shelf. It is a shift in how the category can look, who it can speak to, and what it can represent. The design reflects culture. The flavor reflects discipline. The mission reflects lived experience.

“The product we are selling is real,” Ibrahim says. “People will understand that the moment they taste it.”

Brantley’s design ensures you feel that before you even open the bottle. For Richardson, the meaning is deeply personal.

“The name speaks to the community. Everyone knows The people we go outside with an OG who guided them in some way,” he says. “I meet From the beginning, Brantley people in their 20s who are and Ibrahim knew exactly who shocked that a regular Black The Old G was speaking to. man can own a liquor brand.

“Many people try gin once and never go back.

We wanted to change that.”

Not a celebrity. Not an athlete. Just someone committed to quality. Our early awards are just the start of something special.”

This is art meeting craft. This is culture meeting expertise. This is The Old G. And this is only the beginning

CITY NEWS A Broken System: How Chicago Fails Violence Prevention and Rehabilitation MALACHI WEBSTER - STAFF WRITER

Video captured kids punching, stomping, and dragging the victims to the ground. The mother, Corshawnda Hatter, said she’d reported bullying for two years without school intervention. Other families came forward with similar experiences from the same group of children.

The Lawrence Reed Case: 72 Arrests The most harrowing incident occurred November 17th when Lawrence Reed, 50, allegedly set 26-year-old Bethany MaGee on fire aboard a CTA Blue Line train. Reed purchased gasoline 20 minutes before boarding, poured it on MaGee without provocation, and ignited her as she tried to escape. She remains hospitalized with life-threatening burns covering more than half her body.

Reed has been arrested 72 times since turning 18, with convictions including battery and arson.

In 2020, he was sentenced to mental health probation for setting a fire at the Thompson Center. Just months before the train attack, Reed was arrested for assaulting a social worker while a psychiatric patient at MacNeal Hospital—yet a judge released him on electronic monitoring despite prosecutors’ objections.

Federal prosecutors charged Reed with committing a terrorist attack on mass transportation, carrying a potential life sentence.

During custody transport, he repeatedly yelled “burn b**” and “burn alive b**.” In court, he declined legal representation and asked to be detained, stating “it’s for my own safety.”

A wave of violent incidents has shaken Chicago’s communities, disproportionately affecting Black residents and raising urgent questions about the city’s criminal justice approach. The attacks span from brazen commercial burglaries to horrific assaults, each revealing gaps in both prevention and accountability. What becomes clear in these examples is a glaring absence of rehabilitation for those causing harm—both kids and adults repeatedly cycle through the system with little meaningful intervention or support to change their paths. This is not just about crime rates; it is about a system continually failing to rehabilitate, resulting in recurring violence and trauma throughout the city.

Retribution vs. Rehabilitation These cases illuminate Chicago’s struggle between punishment and prevention.

These cases illuminate Chicago’s struggle between punishment and prevention.

Mayor Brandon Johnson called the CTA attack “an absolute failure of our criminal justice and mental health institutions,” noting Reed was “clearly mentally unstable” and posed danger to himself and the public.

The tension reflects broader criminal justice debates.

Retribution emphasizes accountability and proportional punishment, providing moral closure for victims and deterring future crime.

Rehabilitation focuses on addressing root causes—poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, lack of education—to break cycles of violence.

Evidence shows rehabilitation programs work. Northwestern University research found participants in Chicago’s CRED violence intervention program were 73% less likely to be arrested for violent crimes over two years. Yet Chicago allocated only $44 million in federal COVID relief to violence prevention from 2021-2024, far below initial commitments.

The reality: Chicago needs both accountability and healing. Reed’s case shows that releasing severely mentally ill individuals without treatment endangers communities.

The Bright Elementary bullying demonstrates that ignoring early warning signs allows violence to escalate. The question isn’t punishment versus rehabilitation—it’s how to implement systems that hold people accountable while addressing the conditions that create harm.

Until Chicago commits resources to both, the cycle continues.

"Sip & Savor, a Bronzeville coffee shop owned by Trez Pugh III, was burglarized in September, with thieves stealing nearly $2,000 in alcohol and baked goods. The community rallied to support the business, which Pugh built as “a safe space” for the neighborhood, including programming for disabled veterans and recovering addicts.

Multiple Bronzeville businesses faced similar break-ins, part of a pattern CPD has linked to nearly 20 burglaries citywide.

In Ravenswood Manor, two 15-year-old girls were attacked on November 21st by two men who chased them down and sexually assaulted one at gunpoint while holding the other at knifepoint. Neighbors have increased patrols and added security cameras, with residents expressing fear that such violence could happen in their typically quiet neighborhood. A South Deering mother and her 9-year-old son were brutally attacked by a group of children outside Orville T. Bright Elementary School on November 18th.

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HOLIDAY SPECIAL Black-Owned & Chicago-Grown: Holiday Favorites CNW STAFF REPORT The holiday season always brings a shift in the city.

Lights go up, families gather, neighborhoods feel warmer and our traditions take center stage. This year, we encourage you to be intentional about the places you choose to support. Chicago’s Black owned businesses represent food, culture, creativity and community. They are the places where we meet, celebrate and feel at home.

8. Sip & Savor Multiple locations A beloved coffeehouse rooted in community. Customers appreciate the consistently good drinks, friendly staff and local art.

Whether you are revisiting a familiar favorite or discovering a new venue for the first time, your support helps keep these spaces thriving. At Chicago News Weekly, we plan to highlight Black owned businesses all season long. We also want to hear from you. Tell us your favorites so we can continue to share them in the weeks ahead.

9. Ain’t She Sweet Café 526 E 43rd St and 9920 S Western Ave A South Side favorite for wraps, smoothies and desserts. People describe it as comforting, fresh and dependable.

Below is our list of fifteen of the most loved, most talked about and most trusted Black owned businesses in Chicago. These spots continue to earn strong reviews, loyal customers and real community energy.

Whether you are revisiting a familiar favorite or discovering a new venue for the first time, your support helps keep these spaces thriving. At Chicago News Weekly, we plan to highlight Black owned businesses all season long. We also want to hear from you. Tell us your favorites so we can continue to share them in the weeks ahead.

1. Bronzeville Winery 4420 S Cottage Grove Ave A beautifully designed South Side space with live music, curated wines and a warm, artistic atmosphere.

Many people call it one of the best date night spots in Chicago.

2. The Staley 932 W Randolph St Stylish, modern and perfect for celebrations. Visitors often highlight the thoughtful details, polished service and sophisticated cocktails.

3. Lexington Betty Smokehouse 756 E 111th St Award winning barbecue from Chef Dominique Leach. The brisket, rib tips and smoked turkey are favorites for locals across the city.

4. Cleo’s Southern Cuisine 4248 S Cottage Grove Ave Soulful comfort food that tastes like family. Known for warm service, flavorful dishes and an inviting atmosphere.

5. Signature Steakhouse 415 N Milwaukee Ave A River West favorite for anniversaries and special nights out.

Guests appreciate the premium cuts and elegant presentation.

6. Taste 222 222 N Canal St A calm and bright café atmosphere known for homemade soups, fresh salads and exceptional service. A great spot for lunch or happy hour.

7. Rebel & Rye Lounge 414 S Wells St An elegant lounge where people enjoy curated cocktails, good music and a grown, relaxed vibe.

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10. Pookie’s Crack Cakes 105 E. 47th St, Known for sweet potato cakes, banana pudding and desserts that taste nostalgic and homemade.

11. Soul Vibez 226 W Chicago Ave A lively space for brunch, music and celebrations.

Guests love the energy and weekend atmosphere 12. Bronzeville Soul 4655 S King Dr Authentic soul food with generous portions and warm hospitality. A neighborhood staple.

13. Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery 1802 W Grand Ave A space dedicated to literacy, storytelling and art. Visitors describe it as inspiring and intentional.

14. The Silver Room (Hyde Park) 1506 E 53rd St A cultural landmark offering jewelry, apparel, art and community focused events. A cornerstone of Chicago’s creative scene.

15. Kilwins Hyde Park 5226 S Harper Ave A beloved shop known for handmade fudge, ice cream, chocolates and caramel apples. Family friendly with strong community ties.

BONUS BUSINESS! One of your favorite venues Green Dragon Tacos is now Crossover Grill, with the new design, and same quality taoos, this new space located on 825 W. 75th street. Keep them on your radar!

EMPOWERMENT The Power of the Shift Part 3 of the series Dr. Sanja Rickette Stinson - Columnist IIf the pause is where clarity begins, and the pivot is where courage steps in, then the shift is where transformation takes root.

The shift is the moment when what God has been stirring in your spirit becomes visible in your steps. It’s the place where faith turns into movement, ideas turn into action, and vision turns into a new lived reality. In truth, the shift is the most challenging part of the journey— because it requires you to become the person you’ve been praying about, preparing for, and pivoting toward. The shift doesn’t wait for perfect timing or perfect conditions. It shows up asking one question: Are you willing to move differently now?

The pivot introduces the new direction but the shift demands that you walk in it. And walking into a new chapter—especially after decades in a role, a relationship, a ministry, or a career—takes a different kind of strength. It’s one thing to sense change. It’s another to step into it.

My pivot didn’t lead me backward—it expanded me forward. For many leaders—especially those of us who have poured decades into the work of service—the pivot can feel both exciting and terrifying.You’ve spent years building systems, solving problems, filling gaps, and carrying the weight of entire communities on your shoulders.Your identity becomes intertwined with the work, the mission, and the people you’ve served.

After retiring from more than three decades of nonprofit leadership, I felt the weight of this truth. I had paused and gained clarity. I had pivoted emotionally, spiritually, and professionally. But stepping into the shift meant embracing an identity beyond the familiar. It meant trusting that my gifts, wisdom, and leadership didn’t expire when my job description did. Consequently, the shift required me to: Use technology in new ways Step boldly into AI strategy and digital innovation Launch new platforms for coaching and teaching Show up with the confidence that God was still writing my story Walk in purpose without clinging to an old position Shifting felt like walking on water some days—steady and miraculous.

Other days, it felt like learning to walk all over again. But just like Peter, the key was not the water beneath me—it was the One calling me forward.

Why the Shift Feels Like a Stretch It felt like a stretching, because it is.

The shift will stretch your comfort zone, your mindset, your habits, and your faith. It will stretch your imagination and your willingness to try something new. But the stretch is not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of growth.

Many of us have lived through seasons where we were stretched thin. Yet the shift that I am speaking about it quiet difference because it stretches you upward toward new possibilities, new connections, and new expressions of purpose. Being transparent, the shift is emotional, spiritual strategic and necessary.

Because purpose evolves. Calling deepens. Assignment changes. And the shift opens the door for all of it.

The moment you realize you can’t go back. With shift contains a defining moment—a point where going backward is no longer an option. For some, it’s the moment a job ends, others, it’s when the children leave home. Sometimes it’s the loss of a role, a relationship, a ministry, or a season. And sometimes it’s simply the undeniable sense that “I cannot stay where I’ve been.” The shift is the internal agreement that forward is the only direction left. This is where you take everything from the pause and everything from the pivot and begin to live out the next version of yourself.

You stop apologizing for your reinvention.

You stop minimizing your experience.

You stop waiting for someone else to confirm what God already said.

In this phase, here’s where you give yourself permission to evolve.

Viewing it from biblical lenses, scripture is clear. No one God call stayed the same. Scripture is clear: “no one God called stayed the same”.

Great question. Here are three truths to build you into your shifting season: 1. Walk Even If You’re Wobbling: You don’t need confidence to start; starting building confidence, as consistency will create clarity and your movement attracts momentum.

2. Trust What God Developed in the Dark: The many lessons, disappointment, tears, the years of leadership, the quiet moment of uncertainty, none of it was wasted. This is where the shift begins to make sense.

3. Surround Yourself with Forward Thinkers: Not everyone will understand your shift and that’s okay. Some people are connected to who you were, and not who you are becoming.

The shift is your permission to “live again”. For many women—especially seasoned women over 50 and 60 and beyond the shift is the season where life finally comes into alignment. You’ve served, led, sacrificed, built, nurtured, and carried so much. Now the shift invites you to build something that carries you. Be very clear: It’s not selfish, nor is it reckless, or to late. It’s alignment.

Your shift might look like entrepreneurship, teaching, consulting, writing, becoming an AI strategist, traveling, speaking, mentoring, or rediscovering passions that were placed on hold. Whatever form it takes, the shift is proof that purpose never retires. In conclusion: The pause prepared you.

The pivot redirected you.

The shift will transform you.

And this—right here, right now—is the season to walk boldly into everything God is unfolding.

But a pivot is an invitation to grow beyond what was. It’s permission to evolve without apology. This is why pivoting is essential: Your calling is still alive.

Your wisdom is still valid.

Your voice still carries weight.

Your experience is still needed— just in a new form.

After pausing in the wilderness and pivoting at the burning bush, Moses shifted into leadership.

After losing everything and pivoting toward Naomi, Ruth shifted into destiny.

After encountering Jesus, Paul shifted from persecutor to preacher.

Even Jesus, after pausing in stillness and pivoting toward purpose, shifted into His public ministry with power.

Your shift is not about becoming someone new—it’s about becoming who you were always meant to be.

So, what are some practical ways to embrace the shift.

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AROUND TOWN

PRESS FORWARD – CNW REWIND

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Images capture a vibrant evening at Tala Gallery as Press Forward Chicago welcomed its 2025 grant recipients into the Peer Learning Community (PLC). A key moment features Chicago News Weekly’s Chief Content Officer, Laura Miller, in a live interview where she shared her organization’s experience in the Peer Learning Community Program. Photos highlight guests networking across cohorts, celebrating the achievements of the 2024 PLC members, and enjoying appetizers and beverages while DJ Antonio Robles provided the night’s soundtrack.

AROUND TOWN

PRESS FORWARD – CNW REWIND Images highlight the Peer Learning Community’s third skill-based gathering on November 6, 2025, hosted at CNW Studios, Chicago News Weekly’s new headquarters. Cohort members explored revenue diversification through collaboration, sharing challenges, identifying areas of alignment, and brainstorming early joint project ideas. The photos capture operations, development, and executive team members engaging in practical frameworks and strengthening relationships to support future collaborative fundraising and revenue opportunities.

NOV 7 --- NOV 14, 2025 13

We've Come a Long Way, But AIDS Is Still Real

HEALTHY LIVING

CNW STAFF REPORT Listen, I was reading an article last week that reinforced what I already know to be true: AIDS is still real, and it still kills. Yes, we’ve come a long way since those early days in the 1980s—those terrifying years when it felt like a never-ending plague, a constant doomsday of fear and dread. Friends, family, lovers… people were dropping like flies.

Back then, we were misinformed and told it was a “white gay man’s disease.” Time—and painful experience—quickly proved that false. Anyone can contract HIV if they have sexual contact with an infected partner.

Recently, I read an article on BlackDoctor.org titled “My Story: My Dad Died From AIDS… & I’m HIV Positive.” It’s the story of Duane, whose father died of AIDS 40 years ago.

Because the stigma was so heavy then, the family told everyone he had died of cancer.

Duane recalls, “He had been sick on and off for quite some time; the doctors really didn’t know what was going on. In the ’80s, when my father died, there were no medications… there was a lot of shame and guilt around HIV/AIDS. We were really fearful of the stigma… we actually told people he had died of cancer.”

Reading this, I smiled sadly, remembering just how far we’ve come. Today, Duane Cramer is an internationally known, award-winning photographer and a powerful advocate for HIV awareness. He stepped into that role after discovering that his best friend—his father— had died of the disease.

As I read, I thought to myself: we need to be reminded that sexual-relationship etiquette has not changed, my friends. Brothers, put a raincoat on it. Sisters, make sure they do. And ladies—you have the option of female protection as well. Yes, these things may take away some of the spontaneity and romance, but think about the alternative. I think we all agree that precautions win the debate every time.

After his father’s passing, Duane began volunteering to help create an informed community around HIV/AIDS from a Black perspective—a story that needed to be told.

Ten years into that work, he contracted HIV through a relationship. Both diagnoses—his father’s and his own—fueled his passion to educate the community even more.

Duane’s continued advocacy includes working with Merck on Project I Design, an educational campaign that empowers people living with HIV to work with their doctors on their own terms. He urges, “I want our Black community to be authentic and share their experiences, especially with their doctors. Too often we don’t tell our doctors the whole story, which delays accurate diagnosis and treatment. Be real so you can be healthier. No matter what happens, keep a positive attitude.”

What Is Duane Up to Now? Duane is a member of the AIDS United Advisory Council. The council provides strategic guidance to AIDS United’s Board of Trustees and leadership, acting as ambassadors to strengthen the organization’s resources, grantmaking, capacity-building, and advocacy.

14 DEC 4-- DEC 10, 2025

Their experience and passion are essential as the HIV sector faces ongoing political and economic challenges. Mistrust and stigma: A legacy of medical racism, from Tuskegee to present-day inequities, fosters deep mistrust. Within the community, stigma often delays treatment.

Criminalization: Too often, those in crisis are met with police rather than healthcare providers, leading to incarceration instead of recovery.

Ways You Can Get HIV Just to clear up any misconceptions: HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is spread through contact with specific body fluids from a person who has HIV and a detectable viral load.

Those fluids include: Blood Semen

Sweat, tears, or saliva (unless mixed with large amounts of blood—extremely rare)

Vaginal fluids

Coughing or sneezing

Rectal fluids

Donating blood (equipment is sterile and single-use)

Breast milk

Memorize these precautions, and don’t throw them out the window in the heat of passion.

Common methods:

transmission

Unprotected sex (anal, vaginal, or —rarely—oral) with someone who has HIV Sharing needles or syringes for drugs, hormones, or steroids Mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding if the mother is untreated Receiving contaminated blood or organs (extremely rare where screening occurs) Accidental needle sticks, usually in healthcare settings Ways You Cannot Get HIV HIV cannot be spread through casual or everyday contact. It does not survive long outside the body and cannot reproduce outside a human host.

You cannot get HIV from: Hugging, shaking hands, or kissing (unless blood is present) Sharing food, drinks, or utensils Toilet seats, showers, swimming pools

or

Insect bites (mosquitoes, ticks, etc.)

SPORTS

“Da Bears” Sit Atop the NFC — But For How Long?

MALACHI WEBSTER - STAFF WRITER For the first time in more than a decade, the road to the Super Bowl currently runs through Chicago. After a statement win over the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles and a chaotic Week 13 across the league, the Bears have climbed to the top spot in the NFC playoff picture with a 9–3 record, holding tiebreakers over both the Los Angeles Rams and Eagles.​ In a city used to seeing its football team in rebuilding mode by Thanksgiving, the Bears’ surge feels almost surreal. Under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, Chicago has ripped off five straight wins and nine victories in its last 10 games, transforming a team many expected to hover near .500 into the conference’s current No. 1 seed.​ The formula has been equal parts oldschool Monsters of the Midway and newschool finesse. On Black Friday in Philadelphia, the Bears’ ground game bludgeoned the Eagles with a rare doublebarrel performance: Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift each rushed for more than 125 yards and a touchdown, the first teammates to hit that mark in the same game since 2014. Quarterback Caleb Williams, in his second season, has quietly stabilized after early inconsistency, throwing eight touchdowns to just one interception over the last five games.​ But if the record screams contender, the schedule whispers caution. Chicago’s victories have largely come against the league’s middle and lower tiers, with critics noting that the combined record of the teams the Bears have beaten sits well below .500. The true tests are stacked up in December.​

Four of the Bears’ final five games are against teams firmly in the playoff hunt: a home‑and‑home with the Green Bay Packers, a trip to San Francisco to face the 49ers, and a New Year’s showdown at Soldier Field with the Detroit Lions. Even a seemingly softer date with the 3–9 Cleveland Browns comes in the middle of that gauntlet. Inside Halas Hall, there is little interest in standings banners or “Team to Beat” headlines. Johnson has been adamant that the No. 1 seed is a snapshot, not a destination.​ “Being on top right now doesn’t mean anything,” Johnson said this week. “We haven’t clinched a thing. The only way you earn your spot is by going 1–0 each week.”​ That attitude appears to have seeped into the locker room. Tight end Cole Kmet shrugged off talk of the Bears being on the “mountaintop,” reminding reporters how quickly perception swung earlier this season after a blowout loss to Baltimore. For a roster still scarred by years of false dawns, there is a sense that respect will only be real if Chicago finishes the job.​ Still, for a city that has watched January football from the couch since 2020, the present moment is worth savoring. Chicago has not started 9–3 since 2010, and the last two times the franchise hit that mark, it reached the NFC Championship Game. Sportsbooks and data models now give the Bears strong odds to make the playoffs and a non-trivial shot at representing the conference in the Super Bowl.​

Whether “Da Bears” are truly the class of the NFC or merely the beneficiaries of a soft schedule will be decided in the coming weeks. What is undeniable is that, for now, the standings show Chicago on top — and that alone has flipped the mood in this football town from resignation to possibility.

If this run holds, Soldier Field in January won’t just be a punch line about frozen turf and dashed hopes. It will be the place every NFC contender has to come through. And in Chicago, that sounds just right.

COMMENTARY

The Book of David: The Flawed Logic of Voting for “The Black Candidate” DAVID SEATON - COLUMNIST In recent months, a familiar theme has resurfaced across Black media: the claim that Black voters should support “the Black candidate.” This argument rests on two assumptions—first, that electing a Black leader allows Black voters to vicariously experience victory through someone who shares their complexion; and second, that a Black candidate, by virtue of race alone, is more attuned to the lived experiences of Black Americans.

If this logic is valid for Black voters, then it must also be valid for others. Latinos would vote for Latinos. Asians for Asians. Whites for whites. But if everyone votes based on racial identification, a Black candidate—representing just 15% of the population—could never win outside of a majority-Black district or city. The very premise of the argument undermines its feasibility.

It’s an appealing narrative, but it collapses under scrutiny. While there are many problems embedded in this logic, two stand out as especially troublesome.

The second flaw emerges when the Black candidate loses. Too often, the explanation defaults not to policy disagreements, turnout challenges, strategic errors, or shifting voter priorities— but to racism. We saw this after the last presidential election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Harris lost by just over two million votes, yet the dominant explanation in much of Black America was that she lost because the country is racist and sexist.

Flaw #1: Demographics and Simple Math Black Americans represent roughly 15% of the U.S. population and historically have the lowest voter turnout of any major ethnic group. Even if every eligible Black voter turned out and voted unanimously for the Black candidate, the numbers simply aren’t there. No Black candidate can win a national election— or most statewide elections—without substantial support from non-Black voters.

Here’s where the contradiction surfaces: the entire justification for “vote for the Black candidate” is rooted in racial affinity—the idea that Black people understand Black people better than anyone else.

Flaw #2: Losing Becomes Proof of Racism

This overlooks a simple but important fact: more than 70 million people voted for her. It also ignores the openly stated reasoning of many Black voters who supported Harris because she was Black. If that motivation is accepted and celebrated, why would it be illegitimate for other groups to vote based on their own perceived identity alignment? People hear these arguments.

Other communities observe the racial rationale. And, unsurprisingly, some consider applying the same logic. If the Black community defends voting based on race, it cannot persuasively condemn others for doing the same.

This commentary reflects the personal perspectives of the columnist alone and should not be interpreted as the viewpoint of Chicago News Weekly or its editorial leadership.

The Path Forward: Policy Over Pigment Ultimately, race-based voting undermines the very case for broad political support. The only legitimate reason to vote for any candidate—Black, white, Asian, Latino, or otherwise—is policy. What are they offering?

What solutions are they proposing? Whose interests do their ideas serve? Which direction will they take the country, the state, or the city?

Identity politics is a dead end because it appeals to the few, not the many. Policy, however, can appeal to anyone.

And if Black voters want broader support for Black candidates, alienating millions of potential allies by casually labeling them racist after an election loss is not a winning strategy. People are unlikely to vote for you in the future if they believe you view them with suspicion or contempt. Leadership is not about symbolism. It’s about substance.

And substance is what wins elections.

DEC 4 --- DEC 10, 2025 15

ARTS & CULTURE

Holiday Arts & Culture Guide: Exhibitions, Theater and Events Fill Chicago’s Winter Calendar KAI EL ZABAR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chicago’s arts and culture scene is closing out 2025 with a packed slate of exhibitions, performances, and special events stretching across the city’s major museums, theaters, and cultural institutions. From large-scale biennials to intimate stage productions, this season offers no shortage of opportunities for holiday exploring.

Theater & Performing Arts

Major Exhibitions and Citywide Events

“A Beautiful Noise” fills the Cadillac Palace Theatre throughout November and December.

The Chicago Architecture Biennial returns for its sixth edition with “SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change,” running September 19, 2025 through February 28, 2026. The event anchors dozens of installations and programs at the Chicago Cultural Center and partner sites citywide.

Also at the Cultural Center, “Not a Soft Thing: A Group Exhibition by Artist Mothers” remains on display through March 22, 2026, showcasing new work by mothers who use art to explore identity, care, and labor.

At the Museum of Contemporary Art, “Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind” offers an expansive look at the pioneering artist’s multimedia practice. The exhibition runs through February 22, 2026.

The Cultural Center will also host Siskel & Ebert at 50, a month-long November screening series and live program celebrating the influential Chicago critics.

Spotlight: DuSable Black History Museum & Education Center Through December 31, 2025, the DuSable Museum is presenting “Paris in Black: Internationalism and the Black Renaissance,” a major new exhibition tracing the journeys of Black artists, writers, and intellectuals who found creative refuge in Paris. More than 100 objects— from sculpture to archival photographs—are drawn from the museum’s permanent collection.

Additional standing exhibitions include: “The Harold Washington Story,” chronicling the life and political legacy of Chicago’s first Black mayor. “Fighting Racism in the Trenches: A Colored Woman in World War I,” exploring the service of Kathryn Magnolia Johnson.

“The Many Colors of Us,” an interactive, family-oriented experience focused on racial and ethnic diversity.

Chicago’s theater district remains active heading into the winter months: “Much Ado About Nothing” continues its run at Chicago Shakespeare Theater through late November.

“SIX,” the hit musical remixing the lives of Henry VIII’s wives, opens at the CIBC Theatre in December.

“Amadeus” takes the stage at Steppenwolf Theatre in late November.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra will maintain a full performance schedule at Symphony Center through the season.

Black Theater: A Season of Milestones and New Work Chicago’s Black theater community—long one of the city’s cultural pillars—enters the holiday season with new productions and major institutional developments.

The Black Ensemble Theater (BET) is moving forward with plans for Free to Be Village, a mixed-use development that would expand its Uptown footprint.

The project includes a Performing Arts Education Center, a Media and Technology Center, retail space, and 53 affordable housing units for artists. BET is currently rehearsing “Blue Heaven,” a musical tribute to the blues, as the company prepares to mark its 50th anniversary in 2026.

The Congo Square Theatre Company, one of the city’s two Equity theaters dedicated to Black work, continues to advance its Celebration of Healing (COH) model. The initiative pairs theatrical productions with community conversations, film screenings, and resource fairs—a program recently backed through the city’s We Will Chicago plan.

Other notable productions include: “The Black Excellence Revue” at The Second City, an improv and sketch celebration of Black joy.

“Blue Heaven” at Black Ensemble Theater.

The DuSable will also host two holiday-season events:

A recent staging of “The House That Will Not Stand” at Invictus Theatre Company, reflecting continued demand for works by Black playwrights.

“Mothership Connected” Book Signing & Conversation, featuring Seth Neblett and Marcus Chapman on December 6 and 14. The 32nd Annual Glitz Holiday Masquerade, a fundraising gala supporting the museum’s educational programming.

As the year winds down, Chicago’s arts institutions are offering residents and visitors a chance to celebrate the holidays with everything from global art retrospectives to homegrown theatrical innovation—ensuring the city’s cultural calendar stays as lively as ever.

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STAY READY PLAYBOOK

CNW STAFF REPORT

Holiday Blues: What Americans Are Carrying Into the Remainder of the Season Across the United States, millions of people are moving through the holiday season with something far heavier than shopping bags or gift boxes. They’re carrying grief, disconnection, financial strain, unresolved trauma, and an exhaustion that can’t be disguised by twinkling lights or cheerful greetings.

In recent years, Americans have endured seismic emotional shifts: the loss of loved ones, fractured family structures, distance between relatives who once gathered easily, and benefit changes that leave many unsure how they will feed their children from one month to the next. Some still have not reconnected since the pandemic. Others no longer know where their cousins, aunts, or siblings have relocated. Many cannot afford to travel at all.

This year, inflation, delayed benefits, and rising mental-health challenges have collided at the height of a season that demands joy. As one community leader put it, “People are reaching out because they don’t know how they’re going to get through the holidays.” That sense of uncertainty — mixed with memories of better years — has created an emotional climate unlike anything we’ve seen in recent history.

To better understand what communities are carrying into the holiday season, Chicago News Weekly contributor Laura Miller sat down with Founder Phyllis Rogers, Clinical Psychologist Dr. Milton Armstead, and Ambassador Tony Bean of PEER Plus Education & Training Advocates for an expansive conversation on the emotional realities behind this time of year.

The Weight of a Season That Expects Joy The holiday season is marketed as warm, bright, and harmonious — but the lived reality is often much more complex.

People are juggling bills and hoping their benefits arrive on time. They’re choosing between prescription refills and preparing holiday meals.

They’re cooking dishes that remind them of loved ones who are no longer here. They’re bracing for emotional pressure, difficult family dynamics, and the expectation to smile even when they are quietly hurting.

Rogers feels this deeply each year. In her kitchen, as she prepares seasonal dishes, she is transported back to her late mother: “When I’m in the kitchen preparing, I see my mother… I can smell the celery and onions on her hands.”

The memory is both beautiful and painful. She fills her home with warmth for guests, yet she admits: “I’m torn.”

This duality — celebrating outwardly while grieving inwardly — is something many Americans quietly carry. America Has Changed — And So Have Our Holidays

Rising depression and anxiety among Black men. Growing stress for older adults. Food insecurity for single mothers. Worsening fatigue among caregivers. These are no longer isolated experiences — they are widespread.

Many people, he noted, don’t even recognize their symptoms: “Sometimes people don’t know the name for what they’ve been going through… and they realize, ‘I’ve been depressed for 20 years.’”

Previous generations lacked the language for mental health. Expressions like “nervous breakdown” masked complex emotional truths. Now, long-buried struggles are surfacing amid increasing social and financial pressures.

The Silent Burden of Being the ‘Strong One’ Bean shared a story that reflects a common but often invisible struggle: being the person expected to hold everything together.

As the eldest grandchild, she was seen as resilient and steady — even while she was privately facing suicidal depression.

“It would feel like I was in Lake Michigan drowning. And they’d say, ‘Go home, you can swim.’”

Her honesty highlights a critical reality: those who appear strongest are often the ones suffering in silence.

Bean found purpose in caring for animals and visiting seniors, directing her compassion outward. But this season, she is learning to protect her own emotional reserves: “I’m starting to love myself and tell people, ‘No… I don’t have time.’”

Her message is clear: “No” is not rejection. It is self-preservation.

What Our Communities Carrying Into December

Are

Quietly

Throughout Miller’s conversation with the PEER Plus team, several themes surfaced repeatedly — themes millions are experiencing at this moment: Grief that resurfaces through food, music, and tradition The empty chair.

The recipe no one can replicate.

A familiar scent that brings tears without warning.

Financial strain and food insecurity Rising grocery prices, inconsistent benefits, and families stretching limited support.

The emotional pressure to “perform joy” Pretending to be fine for the sake of tradition.

Caregiver fatigue and eldest-sibling overload People who care for everyone else while neglecting themselves.

Family disconnection Loved ones who’ve moved away, relationships that have quietly unraveled.

Unnamed, decades-long mental-health struggles Symptoms normalized so long they’ve gone unaddressed.

These realities do not make the holidays less meaningful — they make them honest, human, and deserving of compassion.

LISTEN TO THE REST OF THE STORY AND CONVERSATION ON CNW’S THE STAY READY PLAYBOOK PODCAST ON ALL PODCAST PLATFORMS.

During the conversation with Miller, Armstead described dramatic shifts in emotional well-being, particularly in Black communities.

DEC 4 --- DEC 10, 2025 17

TEEN COMMENTARY Do We Want Our Children Witnessing Children Bound by Zip-Tying?

GRACE DE LEON - DIXON

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This commentary was submitted by Grace De Leon - Dixon, 14 years old Midtown High School, Atlanta, GA Chicago, notorious for its welcoming behavior, has turned into what many can only describe as absolute chaos.

During the ensuing ICE crackdown, arrests of undocumented immigrants have increased, accompanied by violence that has left the community horrified. “This is only the beginning,” is what an ICE agent claimed 9 months ago following President Trump's inauguration.

Images of ICE agents zip-tying children, ripping away loving fathers from their daughters, and shooting tear gas has flooded the streets, painting an agonizing picture of the current crisis. Communities wonder why such a merciless approach is being used by ICE, and why the treatment is lasting so long. Well, the answer is simple.

They are doing it simply because they can.

Because Chicago is a self-proclaimed sanctuary city, (a city that typically limits its interactions with the national government in enforcing immigration law) it’s been considered a safe haven for immigrants, and therefore the city is being targeted by the Administration’s immigrant detention initiative.

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Children should fear monsters and ghouls on Halloween. They should not be afraid that either they or their parents will be detained.

On October 31st, parades and other Halloween festivities were cancelled due to ICE raids. Parents, community members and Democratic Illinois Gov. Jay Pritzker strongly urged the agents to cease operations.

In response to their pleas, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem responded, "We're absolutely not willing to put on pause any work that we will do to keep communities safe."

ICE’s tactics have been deemed heartless and harmful. There are other ways to get undocumented citizens either out of the country, or to become legal citizens.

For example, the voluntary return program found in the CBP Home App provides $1,000 and a plane ticket home.

Since January 2025, thousands of people have chosen to voluntarily “self-deport” using this program. Though risks such as potential detention and no guarantee of being able to return legally still stand. Since January 2025, thousands of people have chosen to voluntarily “self-deport” using this program. Though

Since January 2025, thousands of Unfortunately, the examples of people have chosen to voluntarily ongoing violence don’t stop. “self-deport” using this program. Another video has recently Though risks such as potential surfaced, which involves a father detention and no guarantee of and his eighteen-month-old being able to return legally still daughter. stand.

Twenty-four-year-old Carlos ICE has been advised to not Sebastian Zapata and his conduct enforcement in ICE Free daughter, Alaia, were taking Zones that Chicago Mayor Zapata’s wife, Alaia’s mother, to Brandon Johnson identified in an her job at Burger King, when their car was suddenly executive order. surrounded by agents who Areas like schools and day cares banged on their windows. should be protected. However, since Trump has been in office, he has While attempting to try and stop disregarded the order since ICE agents from pulling his wife away, agents are not legally bound by the one officer pressed on Zapata’s neck which caused him to lose mayor’s executive order. consciousness while Alaia, his toddler, lay in his arms, crying. In Federal authority supersedes city the video, he appears to have ordinances. ICE agents detain convulsions. residents from these locations, and consequently violent arrests have been made in front of children. For Is it healthy for our children to example, a video of two ICE agents witness this level of assault? Is it aggressively detaining a preschool healthy for anyone to witness teacher in front of students has and experience this? surfaced.

“I have papers,” she said, desperately.

The woman is a loved member of the community. Parents and children were shocked, some enraged.

At this point, I believe it’s not a matter of who, what, or why. It’s how. We, including ICE, need to find and use new tactics that are beneficial to everyone, or simply cease all operations if enforcement can’t be done responsibly!

a.I The Answer Is..

Today’s complex socio-political environment demands that we stay on top of our game.

Otherwise, we can easily be hoodwinked—lost in translation and left accepting or internalizing the wrong meaning of a word. It is the responsibility of each of us to check facts.

One such word is seditious.

Seditious means intending to encourage people to oppose or rebel against a government or lawful authority. It refers to speech, writing, or actions that stir up resistance to the government, including inciting insurrection or plotting to overthrow it.

This can include: Inciting rebellion: Encouraging revolt against established power.

Acting against the government: Working in ways that undermine a lawful authority.

Examples: Distributing seditious pamphlets, making seditious remarks, or engaging in protests that explicitly encourage rebellion.

Synonyms include subversive, rebellious, dissident, mutinous, and insurgent.

More In-Depth Definition of “Seditious” Core Meaning: Encouraging or inciting rebellion against a ruling power.

Focus: The action or intent is specifically directed at the government or another recognized authority.

Origin: From the Latin seditionem, meaning “civil disorder, dissension, strife, or rebellion.”

Synonyms and Their Interconnections These related words share a common thread—challenging or resisting established power —but each emphasizes a slightly different nuance: Subversive – Undermining authority from within, often subtly or indirectly. Its connection to seditious lies in the shared goal of destabilizing authority, though subversion is typically less overt.

Rebellious – Openly resisting or defying authority. It overlaps with sedition through its direct defiance of control, the very attitude that often leads to seditious behavior.

Dissident – Disagreeing with an established political or religious system. A dissident voices opposition, while sedition encourages others to take action against authority.

Seditious conspiracy—a federal crime—occurs when two or more people plot to overthrow the government by force or use force to hinder the execution of U.S. law.

Mutinous – Refusing to obey the orders of someone in authority, especially in a structured group like the military or aboard a ship. It shares the element of active rebellion within a hierarchy.

Insurrection as the Action: Insurrection is the active, often violent rebellion against authority. It is the physical manifestation of the ideas encouraged by sedition

Insurgent – Rising in active revolt against an established government. Insurgency represents the physical rebellion that sedition seeks to incite.

Sedition vs. Insurrection If sedition is the incitement or planning of an uprising, then insurrection is the uprising itself —the actual violent or forceful action. Insurrection is the culmination of what sedition puts into motion.

Here’s how they relate: Sedition as the Catalyst: Sedition involves words or covert actions that encourage, promote, or plan rebellion. It creates the environment in which an uprising becomes possible.

The Spectrum of Opposition These terms fall along a continuum—from disagreement to encouragement of revolt to the revolt itself: Dissident: Disagrees with authority Seditious: Encourages others to rebel Insurgent: Carries out the rebellion All describe actions or attitudes that move away from compliance and toward opposition against a legitimate governing body or system.

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIP Quiet Quitting in Marriage Isn’t New. We Just Finally Named It LAURA MILLER - MANAGING EDITOR For all the buzz around “quiet quitting” in relationships, you’d think modern couples invented the idea of emotionally checking out. Social media treats it like a new revelation: partners who stop trying, stop fighting, stop hoping, and quietly drift. But as anyone with a meemaw can tell you, this is nothing new. The only modern part is the label. The behavior itself is older than most of the advice columns discussing it.

Quiet quitting in marriage is the slow retreat that happens when emotional needs go unmet for so long that confronting the problem feels harder than avoiding it. And let’s be honest: confrontation is exhausting. It requires energy and vulnerability, two things many adults struggle to find after work, bills, children, and the general weight of daily life. So instead of addressing issues, couples shift their attention elsewhere. They adapt rather than ask for change. They coexist rather than connect.

This drifting is not passive. It is shaped by small decisions. The choice not to mention something that hurt. The choice to stay busy rather than engaged. The choice to let distance feel easier than honesty. It seems harmless at first, maybe even protective. But like a slow leak, the damage grows until the foundation of the marriage quietly reshapes itself.

What is striking is how universal this experience is. Your meemaw probably quiet quit her marriage at least once. Long-married couples often lived through years of distance, came back together, separated again, and eventually found each other in old age. They did not call it quiet quitting. They called it making do or simply life. And sometimes, like meemaw and Big Jim on their porch in the evening light, people do reconnect.

Modern couples, however, face different pressures. We have more language, more psychological insight, more autonomy, and fewer cultural expectations to simply endure. So when people disconnect now, it is not out of obligation. It is out of exhaustion. And exhaustion has consequences. Emotional distance, once normalized, can become a lifestyle.

Here is the difficult truth: if the relationship is already over, do you want to wait years before admitting it? That is often what happens in quiet quitting. Couples do not end the marriage. They simply stop participating in it. One or both partners may feel the relationship has flatlined, yet remain out of fear, convenience, habit, or hope that something might shift on its own.

Meanwhile, time keeps moving. It takes with it moments of joy, connection, and possibility. You can end up haunting your own life long before the marriage officially ends.

And caught inside this quiet retreat is an overlooked question: how does the other partner feel? Even while sharing a home, their internal experience can remain completely unknown. They might sense something is off or they may have no idea what changed. They might feel rejected, confused, ashamed, or numb. Living together does not guarantee understanding. Sometimes the person next to you feels like someone whose language you no longer speak.

This is not an argument for impulsive endings. It is an acknowledgment that silence often stretches far longer than intended. Quiet quitting becomes harmful not only because it weakens the relationship, but because it drains the individuals within it. When people finally face the truth, they often regret the time they remained in limbo more than the relationship itself.

20 DEC 4 --- DEC 10, 2025

In the midst of this, choosing to stay can be just as difficult as choosing to end the relationship. Both paths demand courage, honesty, and a willingness to confront truths that are easier to ignore.

This is why the conversation around quiet quitting matters. It names something that has always existed but was often dismissed as the natural decline of marriage. Naming it makes it visible. Once visible, it can be evaluated. Couples can determine whether the distance is a temporary pause or a slow disappearance.

Quiet quitting is not automatically destructive. Some seasons require pulling back to regain stability or clarity. But when the pause becomes the default, the marriage enters a fragile place. Reconnection requires intention, not hope. You cannot revive a relationship you no longer show up for.

So no, quiet quitting is not new. It is an old coping mechanism dressed in modern vocabulary. What is new is our willingness to acknowledge it and to ask the harder question: If you realize you have quietly quit, how long will you remain silent before you choose what comes next?

Quiet quitting may be quiet, but the consequences never are.

IN MEMEMORIAM A Life in Full: Remembering Kevin E. Ross LAURA MILLER - MANAGING EDITOR Kevin E. Ross—creative visionary, cultural architect, and beloved figure bridging Sacramento and Chicago—passed away of natural causes on December 1, 2025. He is survived by his loving mother, sister, and niece in the Bay Area, along with an expansive family of colleagues, artists, entrepreneurs, and friends who were touched by his generosity, brilliance, and warmth.

Born and raised in Sacramento, Kevin often described himself simply: “I’m just a kid from Sacramento who had a dream at 15—not to be the artist, but to build the artist.” That dream guided him for more than 40 years as he shaped talent, culture, and brand storytelling in music, media, and later in fashion. His childhood was shaped by the diverse sounds of his parents’ albums and late nights listening to his father’s portable radio.

Those early moments sparked a gift for recognizing talent and understanding cultural shifts long before others noticed them.

Kevin’s early career began in college radio at the University of California, Davis, where he became an on-air personality at KDVS. His growing reputation led to roles at Valley Records, Tower Records, and KSFM 102.5. These experiences expanded his network and introduced him to label executives, artists, and opportunities that would mark the foundation of his life’s work. A pivotal moment came with his encounter with Suge Knight during Snoop Dogg’s early rise—an encounter that confirmed Kevin’s calling to shape culture from behind the scenes.

His move to Los Angeles and subsequent hiring at Motown Records in 1995 were defining moments. There, Kevin worked under celebrated industry leaders and supported projects involving iconic artists. His journey ultimately brought him to Chicago—a city that transformed him. As he often said, “California raised me, but Chicago made me.” This was where he grew not only professionally, but personally, expanding his creative identity and deepening his connection to the communities he served.

In 2008, following a corporate layoff, Kevin turned uncertainty into reinvention by founding what would become TwoguardMediaGroup.

Originally envisioned as a support system for independent Chicago artists, the company evolved into a branding, media, and cultural strategy firm serving musicians, venues, authors, designers, and major national brands. Kevin led with intuition, style, and intention—always believing in the stories behind the work.

In recent years, Kevin embraced reinvention again through MODE, his fashion-forward business venture. Reinvention was never a fear for him—it was a philosophy. He understood the need to evolve, to stretch, and to find new spaces that allowed his gifts to grow. He was constantly learning, never intimidated by unfamiliar territory, always humbled and excited by what he didn’t yet know. This hunger to learn made him deeply admired and widely respected.

Kevin’s presence in Chicago’s fashion community became especially significant in his later years. He was a regular front-row supporter at Chicago Fashion Week, known for championing designers, creatives, and new talent. Beyond attending, he took on active roles within the community: working with Fashion Labs Chicago Fashion Week as a host, curator, and collaborator, assisting in producing events that uplifted Chicago’s diverse fashion voices.

Through MODE, he built partnerships that solidified his influence in Chicago’s expanding fashion movement.

Kevin was also a valued member of the Chicago News Weekly family. As a Sales Associate, he contributed by bringing in community-minded businesses and strengthening partnerships that supported the publication’s mission. He believed in highlighting organizations that gave back and uplifting stories of service across the city. His colleagues admired his professionalism, kindness, and unwavering dedication.

Faith grounded Kevin. He put GOD first—always. He spoke often about gratitude: for blessings he had received and for those he trusted were still on the way. His humility, paired with ambition, made him rare. He was grounded yet visionary, confident yet teachable, bold yet deeply human.

Reflecting on his life, Kevin once said, “They said I wouldn’t make it. I almost believed them. We were both wrong.”

This truth reflected his journey: one of resilience, reinvention, love, and unwavering belief in his purpose Kevin’s legacy lives on in the artists he uplifted, the brands he built, the businesses he supported, the fashion community he elevated, and the countless lives he encouraged. It lives in every dream he helped someone pursue and in every space he enriched with his presence.

He will be deeply missed, profoundly remembered, and forever loved.

Photo Credit: Jamie McKinley JMark Productions

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FOOD & WINE Mixed Cheese Macaroni MARI EVANS - STAFF WRITER It’s holiday season—a perfect time to indulge in the joy of comfort food while enjoying the glow of festive decorations. Across America, macaroni and cheese remains a top favorite. This recipe celebrates the rich, layered flavor that comes not from one cheese, but from a blend of three, creating a dish you’ll savor and remember.

This version promises to become one of your all-time favorites. Let’s get started.

Overview And let me tell you—last year’s champion dish was the big, puffy baked sweet potatoes. My memory footnoted their warm, cozy, healthy goodness. So move over and let’s get jiggy with it.

The key to a rich, flavorful macaroni and cheese is blending cheeses for depth and texture—sharp cheddar, Gruyère or Gouda for complexity, and Monterey Jack or mozzarella for creaminess. Mix and match to suit your taste.

Ingredients 1 lb elbow macaroni (or similar pasta) 4 tbsp unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing and topping) ¼ cup all-purpose flour 3 cups whole milk ½ cup heavy cream (optional) 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar, divided 1 cup shredded Gruyère or smoked Gouda ½ cup shredded Parmesan, divided 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp nutmeg 1 tsp dry mustard ½ cup breadcrumbs (preferably Panko), mixed with 2 tbsp melted butter

Instructions 1. Cook Pasta: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Cook pasta in salted water until slightly underdone. Drain.

2. Prepare Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add milk and cream, whisking until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mustard. Simmer until thickened.

3. Add Cheese: Remove from heat and stir in most of the cheeses until melted and smooth.

4. Assemble: Combine pasta with sauce and transfer to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.

5. Top and Bake: Sprinkle reserved cheese and the breadcrumb mixture over the top. Bake for 25–35 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

6. Serve: Let rest 10–15 minutes before serving.

Suggested Side Dishes Sweet potato casserole, green beans, okra, baked potatoes, homemade dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, baked ham, pork chops, or roasted chicken.

Popular Cheese Combinations: Cheddar & Monterey Jack: Classic flavor with creamy texture Smoked Gouda & Cheddar: Smoky depth Fontina, Parmesan & Cheddar: Rich and complex White Cheddar & Provolone: Smooth and mild Cheddar, Mozzare

22 DEC 4 --- DEC 10, 2025

Ballet Flats Are Back With a Vengeance MARI EVANS - STAFF WRITER If you’re a six-inch stiletto kind of girl, you may never have reached for the smooth, sleek ballet flat—which has always owned its own unique brand of sexy. As much as I love my stilettos, I love my ballet flats just as much.

They’re two different sides of sexy.

They may seem like extremes, but they’re truly not.

Designers still haven’t figured out what to do with that true ballet wooden-toe look—the one style that says it all. Naturally, the nonthreatening round-toe ballet flat has swung in and out of fashion for decades, resurfacing in various designers’ collections as a tease. But it never quite catches on as a standalone thang.

Right now, though, they finally have a chance to become central to the conversation—thanks to the shift away from bulky, maximalist footwear and toward shoes that feel lighter, cleaner, softer, and genuinely wearable.

FASHION

The old ballet-flat formula—a soft round toe—no longer applies. Now it’s all about contrast: wide trousers with squaretoe flats; that badass ballerina energy with floaty dresses grounded by glovesoft leather; coats and structured jackets paired with a simple almond shape. Just check the fashion pages and catch the fire. Look to designers like Chanel, Givenchy, Ferragamo, Alaïa, Isabel Marant, Erdem, Simone Rocha, Dries Van Noten, Sandy Liang, and Ludovic de Saint Sernin, all rolling out versions in satin, leather, studs, and crochet.

Let me tell you: I do 10,000 to 16,000 steps a day, and I take every one of them in ballet slippers—comfortably.

Functional? Yes! I’ve walked in them through cities, skipped in them through parks and golf courses while holding a lover’s hand, chilled on a yacht in shorts and a tank top, and ridden my bike in ballet slippers. I’ve worn them on planes, to dinners with a fabulous dress in place of heels, through airports, and on all-day shopping sprees. And that’s not even the full list.

Ballet slippers have me because I can get my sexy on and feel like my outfit is complete. I always hated the look of athletic shoes with a suit or dress— even though we all bought in for a minute. And I definitely hate seeing women start the night in Louboutins or Jimmy Choos and end it sloshing around in house shoes. And just because they’re Gucci doesn’t make it any better. Switching from expensive heels to equally expensive slippers?

Spare me. It’s not a good look—and honestly, it just says you’re crazier than we thought. All that money spent to look good, all for naught, because what people remember is the finale.

And listen—don’t follow the stars.

They don’t know either … unless they have an A-list stylist.

Zendaya is one to watch. She’s always classically flawless, and lately she’s been anchoring her looks with leather ballet flats.

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