DePaul at the Chicago International Film Festival, opening statements for the Madigan trial and Trump serving fries at McDonald’s
plus, the closing of migrant shelters
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team Lauren, Gia, Ella, Elliot, Sam, Audrey, Isabella, Noah, Annabelle and Noel. We’ve got a good one for you today.
To start, we have a poem written by Deputy Managing Editor Gia Clarke and a preview for three election stories set to publish this Friday. Then, we have information on DePaul’s new interim vice president for Student Affairs, a look back on Open House Chicago and monetary rewards to registered voters from Elon Musk’s super PAC. Finally, we have information on the closing of migrant shelters in Chicago and a play to see up in Glencoe.
If you want to show support for 14 East and ‘In the Loop,’ we invite you to donate directly to our newsroom. Whether it’s a one-time contribution or a monthly gift, every cent helps us build a newsroom that serves you, our readers, and we get 100% of your donation.
With that, let’s get into it!
The Fireman
By Gia Clarke
I remember my little hands carrying buckets of fresh water
When I should have been drinking dirty water from the garden hose
My strength was of a child
And like a child I played dress up,
Slipping my little feet into the black fireman boots,
Slipping my little arms into the coat that draped over my shoulders
My clothes were never covered in dirt and grass stains
As I opted for the stench of smoke
And the black marks of soot that colored my cheeks
Now my lungs are clouded in smoke
I cough and wheeze, struggling to remember what fresh air feels like
I am one with the flames and the wet, rotting floorboards stained with mildew
Now my feet fit into the black boots
And the jacket feels snug around my arms
Just once I want to take it all off
And let someone else do the heavy lifting
But the laces are too tight around my feet
And my arms are too weak to zip off the coat
I perpetually lay in the rotting floorboards,
Rotting with the rubble and the flames
As they all see me as a fireman
And I can no longer be a little girl
desperate to be saved
Upcoming Election Stories
By 14 East Staff
Celebrity Endorsements in Politics: With recent celebrity endorsements attracting the attention of voters and politicians alike, many are wondering, “How much do celebrity endorsements actually matter?” Staff Writer Ella McCoy examines the relationship between celebrity endorsements and the opinions of young voters to gauge how celebrities’ increasing involvement in politics is shaping our political landscape.
Poll Workers in Chicago: In such a close and tense election cycle, there exists some concern regarding whether there will be enough people to work the polls, and if the violence in the political rhetoric will come to a head at polling sites. Elliot Allison explains the different roles poll workers fill, how they are hired and if there is any risk of violence at the polls this year. The short answer: within the City of Chicago, risk of political violence at the polls is low, owing to the city residents’ mostly aligned political views.
A Trump/Harris Policy Analysis: Confused about the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates’ policies? Deputy Managing Editor Gia Clarke and Senior Associate Editor Audrey Leib discuss the candidates’ policies pertaining to CNN’s top issues for young voters: economy, housing, cost of living, immigration, climate, foreign policy, gun control and abortion rights.
DePaul News
By Isabella Salinas
Kimberlie Goldsberry named interim vice president for Student Affairs — DePaul University Provost Salma Ghanem has named Kimberlie Goldsberry interim vice president for Student Affairs. Goldsberry currently serves as associate vice president for Student Affairs, a position she has held since June 2022. She will take her role on January 2, 2025, when current Vice President Eugene L. Zdziarski, II retires. During her time as Associate Vice President, Goldsberry has had leadership for departments within Student Affairs, such as the Center for Students with Disabilities, the Dean of Students Office, Health Promotion and Wellness, the Office of Gender Equity, University Counseling and Psychological Services and Veteran Services. DePaul Newsline has more.
DePaul represents at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival — The 60th Chicago International Film Festival – being held from October 16 to October 27 – will feature short films from faculty members of DePaul's School of Cinematic Arts, James Choi, Chi Jang Yin, Erika Valenciana, and alumnus Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan. Choi's “Resonancia," Eblahan's “Vox Humana" and Valenciana's “Broken Flight" will be shown at the festival. Kenneth Adusah at DePaul Newsline has more.
Behind the scenes of employee accommodations and accessibility — October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and DePaul's employee relations and equal employment opportunity specialist Nick Obis sees his job as an opportunity to strategize equity in the workplace by fostering connections with people of different backgrounds and welcoming supportive work environments for employees of all cultural identities and abilities. Obis is dedicated to DePaul's Vincentian values of equity and diversity, a belief in the dignity of every individual, and paying attention to the marginalized. Emily Diaz at DePaul Newsline has more.
Chicago Headlines
By Noah Tomko-Jones
Opening statements begin today in Madigan’s corruption trial — The trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan began today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Striecker accused Madigan of using his powerful position in Illinois politics for financial gain. Along with revisiting last year’s ComEd bribery case – which led to Madigan ally Michael McClain’s conviction – Streicker also referred to three other racketeering schemes that Madigan was allegedly involved with. Former 25th Ward alderman Danny Solis, who helped gather evidence for the FBI against Madigan, is expected to testify in the case, as well as Alaina Hampton, who accused a former Madigan aide of sexual harassment in 2018. Prosecutors plan to use Madigan’s awareness of the alleged misconduct and subsequent hush-money payments to prove the possible existence of political racketeering schemes. Read more in Jon Seidel and Matthew Hendrickson’s Sun-Times article.
City aims to shut down migrant shelters by the end of the year — Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Monday that the migrant shelter system, put in place to handle the increased number of asylum seekers from the Southern border, will end and merge with existing homeless shelters. According to the Department of Family and Support Services, 3,800 beds from existing homeless shelters will be added. The number of migrants arriving in the city has dropped since this summer, for which Johnson credits President Joe Biden’s tightened immigration policy. “Currently, we are seeing fewer and fewer asylum seekers arrive in the city of Chicago,” Johnson said. “We are now able to shift from a large-scale crisis response to a more cost-effective, equitable and strategic approach that addresses homelessness for all who need support.” The new arrival shelters will be maintained for migrants who have only been in the country for 30 days or less, as well as those who are pregnant or disabled. Get more details on this story from Melody Mercado at Block Club Chicago.
Open House Chicago 2024 welcomes visitors into Chicago history — The yearly citywide architecture and history showcase, which lets Chicagoans into a series of iconic buildings usually closed off to the public eye added a series of new locales this weekend. The Astor Club, a restoration of the exclusive dining club Maxim’s, gave visitors a luxurious Art Nouveau afternoon. Nearby, Salvage One, a store dedicated to displaying and selling items salvaged from torn-down buildings, let tours in to see their impressive collection of old-school ephemera, from church pews to antique furniture. “We want people to spend an hour or two hours in a neighborhood and get to know the place a little bit,” said Adam Rubin, Senior Director of Public Engagement at the Chicago Architecture Center. Read more about this event from Erica Thompson’s coverage in the Sun-Times, and learn about Open House Chicago on their website.
Joffrey Ballet debuts new “Atonement” adaptation — The 2001 novel by Ian McEwan, telling the story of a young girl in 1935 who witnesses a horrendous crime committed among her family, leapt to the Joffrey’s stage this weekend. It is choreographer Cathy Marston’s first full-length production for the company, and the first time that the novel, which was adapted into a 2007 film starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, has been produced on stage. The minimal and muted design of the show creates a dreamlike tone, leading reviewer Lauren Warnecke to describe it as “That ambiguity [that] courses through the novel and this ballet — with the viewer never really knowing what is real and what is imagined. As Briony seeks to atone for her actions, the question remains who that apology is intended to serve.” Read the rest of her review in the Tribune.
National Headlines
By Sam Freeman
Elon Musk offers $1 million a day to those that sign his PAC petition — Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX who’s an avid supporter of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, is giving away $1 million to a registered voter in Pennsylvania for signing his political action committee’s petition backing the Constitution. Some experts say it’s a violation of the law to link a cash handout to signing a petition that also requires a person to be a registered voter. Since Musk’s announcement on Saturday, two people have already won the prize money for signing his PAC’s petition supporting the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and the Second Amendment right to bear arms. "I think there are real questions with how he is spending money in this race, how the dark money is flowing, not just into Pennsylvania, but apparently now into the pockets of Pennsylvanians,” Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said to NBC. “That is deeply concerning.” Read more from CBS News.
Democrats rely on a write-in campaign after a lawyer with extreme right views won the primary — In a congressional race in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, Democrats are rushing to find an alternative nominee after disavowing the current candidate Katy L. Stamper, a lawyer who argues that the incumbent Republican is not conservative enough. Stamper refers to herself as “an independent candidate running on the Democratic ticket,” despite supporting a call for mass deportations and repealing the right to gay marriage. Her message before the primary was toned down, but after the primary she expanded on her visions, claiming that 25 million people need to be deported. As a result, Democrats have been scrambling to find someone who aligns with their platform. Tracey Verhoeven became that candidate. She supports abortion rights and finding a compromise to add restrictions on gun access. Rick Rojas from the New York Times has more information.
Judge to hear arguments about blocking Louisiana’s Ten Commandments display requirement in schools – A federal judge will hear arguments on Monday on whether he should temporarily block the requirement that schools publicly display the Ten Commandments by January 1. Opponents say the law is unconstitutional because it violates the separation of church and state, and that the display will isolate students who are not Christian. Proponents say that the measure isn’t solely religious but has historical significance to the foundation of U.S. law. Louisiana’s legislation, which applies to public schools K-12 and state-funded university classrooms, requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed on a poster or framed document that’s at least 11 inches by 14 inches. According to the legislation, the text must be the central focus and “printed in a large, easily readable font.” A lawsuit was filed in June, and U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles is expected to hear arguments all day. As of now, the deadline for schools to comply with the requirement is January 1, 2025. Sara Cline from the Associated Press has more information.
Trump served french fries at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania — While Trump was serving french fries in a McDonald’s in Bucks County, Pa., Trump supporters and locals protesting Trump’s visit gathered outside. People shouted about Project 2025 and the January 6 riot; transgender youth and vaccines; tariffs and abortion; and fascism and communism. Trump supporters wore shirts that said “I’m voting for a convicted felon.” The other side yelled, “Lock him up!” Someone else wore an orange prison jumpsuit and a mask of Trump's face. Tensions are rising high in swing states only 16 days before the election. The parking lot was in a frenzy while Trump worked the fryer and at one point leaned out the drive-through window and shouted, “I’m having a lot of fun here, everybody!” Shawn McCreesh from the New York Times has the story.
14 East Pueblo: Chicago’s migrant shelter system to shut down
By Annabelle Rivera
Chicago’s migrant shelter system, which accommodated hundreds of migrants sent to the city from Texas, will cease operations by the end of the year, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Monday. It will be combined with the city’s homeless shelter network due to a decrease in new arrivals.
“Currently, we are seeing fewer and fewer asylum seekers arrive in the city of Chicago,” Johnson said at a press conference. “We are now able to shift from a large-scale crisis response to a more cost-effective, equitable and strategic approach that addresses homelessness for all who need support.”
The city plans to add 3,800 more beds to existing homeless shelters. They also announced a decrease in other migrant services due to low arrivals. Beds will be given to those who have been in the United States for 30 days or less.
Chicago surpassed 50,000 new migrants this weekend since arrivals began in 2022. However, the city says they have not received any new buses since June.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Ella McCoy
When one of my theater-loving friends recommended that I get tickets for a show in Glencoe, Ill.— I can’t lie — I was a little skeptical. She described the show as an avant-garde depiction of 80 pages of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. As my friend passionately implored me to get tickets while I still could, my brows furrowed in confusion. Isn’t War and Peace that 900-page classic about the Napoleonic Wars?
Alas, I could not help myself and bought a discounted student ticket to see Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at Writers Theatre in Glencoe. I went in with an open mind, but by the end of the show, I was so grateful that I bought those tickets. Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is a shining display of humanity, the power of storytelling, and the immense talent of the Chicagoland theater scene that is as rare and beautiful as the great comet itself.
The set is massively impressive and reflects the grandeur of the lives of Russian elites: grand ivory staircases, bright and elegant floor tiles and delicate, dim lighting all set the stage. The theater in which this play was produced is unique in its seating — the sloped seats form a semicircle, which gives each audience member their own individual perspective of the play. There truly isn’t a bad seat in the house.
Though I won’t give too much away, the story is gripping, heartfelt as it is funny, and leaves the viewer with a sense of renewed humanity. If I had to describe the show in one word, I would say that Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is about forgiveness.
This show has been extended through November 3, and I would recommend getting these tickets ASAP, as they are selling quickly. There is a student discount available through Writers Theatre’s website. Buy your tickets here!
Resources
Need resources regarding cooling centers, rental assistance, abortion access, COVID-19 testing and vaccines or mental health? Check out our complete list here.
That’s it for today! See you next Monday.
The 14 East Newsletter Team