Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team, Sarah, Ella, Gia, Eliot, Marcy, Diego, Seren and Macy. We’ve got a good one for you today.
To start, we have a piece on the updated rules regarding Oscar eligibility for international films and regulations for those that use AI. Then, we have news on the 10th year of DePaul’s Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence and Mayor Johnson trying to block the Bears from moving. Next, we have information on two consecutive abortion method rulings and Spirit Airlines ceasing operations amid the Iran war. To wrap up, we have news on a Mother’s Day 5K being held in Pilsen and a recommendation for a music group.
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With that, let’s get into it!
The Academy Changes Oscar Rules, Introduces Anti-AI Eligibility and International Film Expansion
By Sarah Janito
Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) update and release new rules and eligibility for the next awards season and Academy Awards (informally known as the Oscars). This year, the updated regulations are seeing major changes to the International Film category and stricter, more defined guidelines on films using artificial intelligence (AI).
Previously, when submitting international films for Oscar consideration, just one film was allowed to represent a given country. While the same submission process can still be followed if desired, additional films from the same country have more leeway and multiple submissions are now allowed.
The caveat to this expansion, however, is that additional films can be submitted should they win a “qualifying award at an international film festival,” as reported by Rebecca Ford with Vanity Fair. These qualifying awards include, but are not limited to: the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Grand Jury Prize and the famous Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival.
The Academy has also integrated stricter AI policies, specifically in their acting and screenplay categories. For actors, only roles “demonstrably performed by humans with their consent will be considered eligible,” the rulebook reads. For screenplay writers to be considered, the Academy dictates submissions as needing to be “human-authored.”
The updates to AI and awards eligibility come after several industry incidents and public backlash involving the new technology. This includes the 2023 actor and writers strike, the longest general strike in the industry’s history, the introduction of AI actress Tilly Norwood and multiple AI-use scandals during the 2025 awards season — the most prominent including voice cloning tools for certain singing scenes in Emilia Pérez as well as the team behind The Brutalist using AI to augment pieces of Adrien Brody’s (who won the acting Oscar that year) Hungarian accent. Blueprints designed by Brody’s character, an architect, shown near the end of the film were also partially AI-generated. According to the film’s editor Dávid Janscó, AI was consulted because, “It just makes the process a lot faster.”
Despite these additional boundaries, the general rule on films using generative AI for Oscar consideration is as follows: “[T]he tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination. The Academy and each branch will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship when choosing which movie to award. If questions arise regarding the aforementioned use of Generative Artificial Intelligence, the Academy reserves the right to request more information about the nature of the use and human authorship.”
So, while it seems to be grounds for disqualification to use AI to aid in writing and aid in acting performances, the Academy may be more lenient and subjective in categories like visual effects and animation due to the “degree” in which humans were involved in each step. Though, it is specified in these categories that they craft awards, and human artistry and skill are parameters of voting for said awards.
These rules and more are set to go into effect for the 99th Academy Awards, taking place on March 14, 2027 and honoring films from this year — the ones that abstain from relying on AI, that is.
DePaul News
By Ella Malczyk
Journalism center distributes recognitions of excellence — Last week, political analyst Amy Walter, university alum Haley BeMiller and retired professional lecturer Rick Brown received recognition from DePaul’s Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence (CJIE). Walter received the Distinguished Journalist Award, BeMiller received the Distinguished Alumna Award and Brown received the Distinguished Mentor Award. The CJIE also marked its 10th year celebrating excellence in the field. For more information, read from Mary Hansen with University News here.
Baccalaureate Mass for graduating students continues tradition — It was announced in an email to graduating seniors that the annual Baccalaureate Mass will take place Friday, June 12 at 4 p.m. in the Lincoln Park Campus’ St. Vincent de Paul Parish Church. The Mass is a “spirit of prayer and thanksgiving with family, friends and DePaul faculty and staff.” Those graduating are welcome to attend the Mass in their regalia. An RSVP is required and can be done here. Additional Mass information can be found here.
School of Music offers music education for all ages — The students of DePaul’s School of Music are working with Susanne Baker of the Community Music Division to connect with locals and teach aspiring musicians their first notes. Adults and children can get involved as the Music School students help them connect or reconnect with music and build up to performances. This is giving DePaul students the opportunity to learn more about music through teaching. More information can be found from Julia Cremin with University News here.
Chicago Headlines
By Gia Clarke
Dismissed Chicago immigration judge sues Trump administration — Former immigration judge Carla Espinoza filed a lawsuit against the federal government Tuesday, arguing that her dismissal last July by the Justice Department violated her first amendment rights and federal equal rights protections. She is at least the third ex-immigration court official based in Chicago who has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, and publicly claims she was fired due to her past work history with immigrants, her race and her sex. Caroline Kubzansky from the Chicago Tribune has more information.
Mayor Johnson seeks to block bill providing tax breaks for new Bears stadium — As the Bears seeks funding and approval for their Arlington Heights stadium, Mayor Brandon Johnson questioned why any Chicago lawmaker would think of providing a tax break for a professional sports team that is valued at around $9 billion while “ignoring the need” to increase public school funding and decrease the cost of living for working people. Johnson also wants to keep the Bears playing in Chicago rather than moving to the suburbs, arguing that it would disenfranchise employees and contractors who live in the city and would have to extend their commute to work in Arlington Heights. Fran Spielman from the Chicago Sun-Times has more information.
Chicago residents gather for a local Met Gala — The fifth annual “Chicago Does the Met Gala” was thrown by the Chicago Fashion Coalition in Streeterville Monday, timed to coincide with the New York Met Gala. Attendees were encouraged to choose a piece of art by a Chicagoan to take inspiration from when picking their outfits, creating a spin-off of the New York Met Gala theme “Fashion is Art.” Tickets to the local event were $50 and over 300 tickets sold out days in advance. Brittany Sowacke from the Chicago Sun-Times has more information.
Cook County landlords have filed more than 40,000 evictions since 2022 — It was found that Chicago residents, mostly from the South and West sides and particularly in the South Shore neighborhood, have been hit hardest by evictions in recent years. However, nearly a quarter of the court records are missing important information like addresses and other eviction cases are being sealed by Cook County judges, so there is a lot of missing eviction data. For a more thorough breakdown on the data gathered, Matt Krupnick from Block Club Chicago has more information.
National Headlines
By Eliot Solomon
Abortion remains contentious in midterm elections after contradicting Supreme Court rulings — After back-to-back court rulings on abortion pill access, the topic is becoming a hot-button issue for voters in this year’s midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term. Friday’s federal appeals court ruling restricted mail access to mifepristone prescriptions — one of the country’s most common abortion methods. On Monday, the Supreme Court temporarily restored broad access as they further consider the case. Read the full AP story by Ali Swenson here.
Pennsylvania suing AI company for allegedly posing as licensed doctor — Pennsylvania is taking action against the operators of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Character.AI after it allegedly posed as a licensed medical professional. The state’s medical board filed a complaint against Character Technologies Inc. after an investigator posed as a patient seeking psychiatric help and came across an alleged provider, “Emile,” who claimed to have gone to medical school and received a license. A company representative responded by stating that the site is “clearly” not meant to be used for medical purposes and that their AI characters are “fictional and intended for entertainment and roleplaying.” Read David K. Li’s full story for NBC News here.
Navy redirects ships in Strait of Hormuz to avoid mines — The U.S. military is redirecting ships on a path the Navy has spent weeks clearing in the Strait of Hormuz to go farther away from Iran. The U.S. warned mariners on Monday that remaining on the usual path could be “extremely hazardous” due to mines laid by Iran. In March, CBS News reported there were around a dozen Iranian mines in the strait. Iran has said its actions in the strait is a response to the bombing and will continue until the U.S. military “ends its blockade on Iranian ports.” Read the full story by Eleanor Watson and James LaPorta from CBS News here.
FDA withdraws from publishing vaccine research findings — It was confirmed Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew the publication of studies tracking the safety of COVID-19 and shingles vaccines because “authors drew broad conclusions that were not supported by the underlying data,” a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson said. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has frequently made false claims relating to vaccine safety and efficacy, saying the Center for Disease Control (CDC) approved COVID vaccines “without any scientific basis.” However, clinical studies have found COVID vaccines are among the most studied in history and the CDC found shingles vaccines to be safe and “not associated with serious adverse events.” Read more from Arthur Jones II and Mary Kekatos’s reporting for ABC News here.
International Headlines
By Marcy Menzes
Cruise ship denied ability to dock following cases of hantavirus on board — Following the discovery of an outbreak of hantavirus on an Oceanwide Expeditions cruise ship, with around 150 people still on board and several seriously ill, the Hondius has been denied the ability to dock at the port of Praia by Cape Verde officials. The remaining passengers have been ordered by the cruise operator to follow strict precautionary measures, which require isolation and medical monitoring. The virus is suspected to have killed three people so far, and one remains hospitalized in critical condition. This is a developing story. For more information, check Patrick Smith and Dennis Romero’s article with NBC News.
Spirit Airlines ceases operations as oil prices continue to rise — After 34 years of business, Spirit Airlines announced Saturday that it would be going out of business. All flights were canceled following the announcement, customer service is no longer available and the company alerted patrons to issue refunds. While Spirit has filed for bankruptcy twice before, the company cited high oil prices as a result of the ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran as making it difficult to stay afloat. The Trump administration had considered a government bailout for the airline, but a deal was not reached in time. Aamer Madhani, Rio Yamat, Jeff Amy and Mike Catalini have more with the AP on this story.
Magnitude 5.6 earthquake strikes southern Mexico — A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck southern Mexico Monday morning. It left zero initial fatalities or damages, according to a social media post from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Citizens were urged to evacuate after Mexico City’s earthquake alarm was triggered. Saloman Jara, the governor of the state of Oaxaca, said local authorities were taking time to evaluate possible damages and reminding citizens to stay calm. Reuters has more on this story here and here.
Japanese Defense Minister meets with Philippine president to strengthen security ties — On Tuesday, Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited the Philippines to witness an international combat drill and talk with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila to “broaden defensive ties.” In 2024, the countries signed a pact allowing their forces to stage large-scale combat drills, paving the way for 1,400 of Japan’s military personnel to become regular participants. “As Japan faces the most severe and complex security environment in the postwar era, it is important to establish a multilayered network of allies and like-minded countries, while expanding it and strengthening the deterrence,” Koizumi said, as reported by Jim Gomez with ABC News.
14 East Pueblo: Carrera De Las Madres 5K to Take Place on Southwest Side to Support Local Community
By Diego Yepez
Around 2,000 participants are set to attend the inaugural Carrera de las Madres 5K charity race this Mother’s Day weekend on the Southwest Side.
On Saturday, racers will run along major streets like Archer and Pulaski avenues and 47th Street to celebrate Mother’s Day and the culture of the community. The event is also raising money for the girls’ mentorship program Girls Empowered.
Founder of the 5K, Carlos Jaramillo, told Block Club Chicago that hosting the race is an opportunity to celebrate the matriarchs who make up the community: “Moms are the backbone, they’re the glue that keeps families together, and certainly in our culture, they go beyond the term ‘mom.’ They’re everything.”
The organization behind the 5K, UNO, has also directed Pilsen’s annual traditional Carrera de los Muertos race, which gained a lot of traction. Pilsen, which has become a hub for Mexican and Latino immigrants, has also been seeing residents leave and establish roots in other communities like the Southwest Side.
Jaramillo’s goal with these events is to show people what the area has to offer and has seen a boost of support to local businesses that were hurt by federal immigrant operations. Now Jaramillo hopes to extend that to the Southwest Side.
Many elements of Mexican culture can be found at the event this Saturday, like aguas frescas or margaritas after the race and, instead of a trophy, winners will be able to take home an art piece created by Mexican artisans.
Looking ahead, Jaramillo said, “We want to keep building off this year and bringing a truly unique experience.”
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Macy Hildebrand
If you like alternative music, I encourage you to check out The Veldt.
The Veldt is a band made up of brothers Daniel and Danny Chavis, Hayato Nakao, Alex Cox and Martin Newman. They pioneered influences in the ‘90s shoegaze scene, and their music is uniquely special. I first discovered them through two of my favorite bands, Bloc Party and TV On the Radio, to whom they were a major influence. Their impact on the post-punk revival scene is obvious after listening to just a few songs. They were way ahead of their time in blending the soul, gospel and shoegaze genres. I never hear about them in current music conversations, and I think they deserve so much more credit for their contributions to the modern alternative genre.
You can find some of their songs on SoundCloud under their other moniker Apollo Heights, but they have also started uploading their music to mainstream platforms like Apple Music and Spotify. Some of my favorite songs are “In a Quiet Room,” “The Everlasting Gobstobber” and “Until You’re Forever.” Their songs make me close my eyes and picture beautiful watercolors melting together. The Veldt’s music is the perfect dizzy and optimistic soundtrack for the beginning of spring.
Resources
Need resources regarding cooling centers, rental assistance, abortion access, COVID-19 testing and vaccines or mental health? Check out our complete list here.
International students concerned about their visa status can contact the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Students can check their visa status through the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) or the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
That’s it for today! See you next Monday.
The 14 East Newsletter Team