Author: Voxtrend News
Taste of Chicago will return to its long-held July slot in Grant Park next summer, the city’s cultural commissioner told aldermen this week. The free, city-run food and music festival had been bounced from the spot by NASCAR three years ago. But with the race not taking place in 2026, the once-iconic public pig out is returning to its marquee mid-summer perch, said Clinee Hedspeth, commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. “I think overwhelmingly, the citizens want it back in July, and so we’re excited to do that in 2026,” Hedspeth told aldermen during mid-year budget…
Political violence is abhorrent. It undermines democracy and cannot be tolerated. But the rush to turn conservative activist Charlie Kirk into a martyr for the MAGA movement risks fueling the very division we should be working to contain. As a Black man, I find this martyrdom for someone who has so blatantly pushed racist sentiments not only troubling but also infuriating. Kirk built his platform on provocation. One of his recurring arguments was that Black Americans get ahead because of their skin color, supposedly taking opportunities from more qualified white candidates. This is covert racism and dog whistling, dressed up…
Two new spots, Ancho & Agave and Tollywood Lounge, are joining south Naperville’s dining scene Monday. Here’s what you need to know before grabbing a table. Ancho & Agave, 2860 Showplace Drive Mexican restaurant Ancho & Agave is taking over the former Houlihan’s space at the Naperville Crossings shopping center off Route 59. The Naperville location will be the sixth in the Midwest for the Illinois-based chain, according to its website. Most of the food is made from scratch, Vice President of Operations Kevin Reed said. That includes everything from the salsas and guacamoles to the corn tortillas used for chips…
JERUSALEM — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he will be seeking answers from Israeli officials about how they see the way forward in Gaza following Israel’s attack on Hamas operatives in Qatar that has upended efforts to broker an end to the conflict. Rubio told reporters on Saturday before leaving for Israel that President Donald Trump remained unhappy with the Israeli strike but that it would not shake U.S. support for Israel. “We’re going to talk about what the future holds, and I’m going to get a much better understanding of what their plans are moving forward,” Rubio…
Fox Sports came to Evanston on Saturday for its “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame show, showcasing Northwestern’s Big Ten opener against No. 4 Oregon for a national TV audience. Despite an early-morning monsoon that turned the Lakefill into a mud pit, all the gang was on hand, except for designated Ohio State-basher Dave Portnoy, who had a prior engagement at a pizza festival that obviously was more important than hyping a game everyone expected would be over by halftime. Still, it was NU’s first chance to host a big game at cozy Martin Stadium, its Instagrammable field on the shores of…
LOS ANGELES — “The Studio” looks like a runaway hit, the innies and outies of “Severance” could solidify a spot among the prestige TV elite, and Noah Wyle could finally have his big awards moment as the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards arrive. Comic Nate Bargatze will be a first-time host Sunday night when the ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles airs on CBS Sunday night. Apple TV+ is poised to have a breakout Emmy year with the two most nominated shows, “Severance” and “The Studio,” which are the favorites to win the two biggest awards. How to watch…
ROME — Pope Leo XIV has marveled at the “huge learning curve” he has taken on as pontiff and likened some aspects of the job to jumping “in on the deep end of the pool very quickly,” in excerpts of an interview released Sunday on his 70th birthday. History’s first American pope said he had quickly found his footing as a pastor for the universal Catholic Church, but discovered the diplomatic job of being pope was more challenging. “The totally new aspect to this job is being thrown onto the level of world leader,” he was quoted as saying. “I’m…
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — After all of the wild, back-and-forth blows Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium — from the first-quarter Irish blocked-punt-return touchdown to their botched extra point minutes earlier — it came down to this. Texas A&M had fourth-and-goal from the 11-yard line with 19 seconds to play. Aggies tight end Nate Boerkircher ran a wheel route and turned his body in front of Notre Dame linebacker Drayk Bowen. Quarterback Marcel Reed pumped once and let the football fly. Boerkircher tumbled into the end zone as he caught the pass, and with the extra point, the No. 16…
A Chicago day laborer arrested by immigration officials as part of the Trump administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz” campaign filed a petition in federal court Sunday asking a judge to bar his deportation and release him on bond. Willian Alberto Giménez González, who came to Chicago from Venezuela in 2023, was detained Friday when he went to a barbershop in the Little Village neighborhood, according to the petition filed in U.S. District Court. He’s being housed at the Department of Homeland Security’s processing center in west suburban Broadview, the petition stated. Kevin Herrera, Giménez González’s lawyer, said Saturday he believes the…
There are a couple unusual elements to an otherwise typical classroom on the fourth floor of Bloom High School in Chicago Heights. One is the fancy iron gridwork outside the windows that throws interesting shadows on the floor when the sun hits it just right. Then there’s the white painted door just to the right of the stout teacher’s desk. It could be mistaken for the entrance to a closet, except it’s always closed, always locked. “That’s for insurance purposes,” said Nancy Cavallo-Banolek, a 1972 Bloom graduate who volunteers overseeing the school’s extensive archives. Unbarred, the door would offer access…