The real meaning of Paddy’s, deadly storms across the U.S. and a potential Ukraine peace deal
plus, a spring break beach read
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team Lauren, Ellie, Mason, Naimah, Gia, Annabelle, Claire, Nupur and Kateleen. We’ve got a good one for you today.
To start, we have a feature on the origins and meaning of St. Patrick’s Day as well as information on a donation to DePaul’s Irish Studies department. Then, we have information on Cook County preparations for the 2026 election season, potential drops in egg prices and a Palestinian journalist detained by Israeli police. To wrap up, we have information on Chicago City Council’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights and a recommendation for “Rainbow Black” by Maggie Thrash.
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With that, let’s get into it!
The real meaning of St. Patrick’s Day
By Lauren Sheperd
The real meaning of St. Patrick’s Day
By Lauren Sheperd
Chicagoans took to the streets on Saturday for some of the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations including the dying of the Chicago river, parades and pub crawls. The festivities typically occur the Saturday before the actual holiday — allowing people to go out and have fun while still having the next Sunday to recover for the week.
However, St. Patrick’s Day is about far more than drinking, partying and dressing up in your favorite green attire. The traditional holiday began as a religious holiday in Ireland, but with mass immigration from the island, particularly to the United States, St. Patrick’s Day became more secular. The first official St. Patrick’s Day parade on U.S. soil took place in Boston in 1737, and Chicago dyed the river for the first time in 1962, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
“For centuries, the Catholic Church in Ireland, and then gradually internationally, marked that day as what was called a ‘feast day,’ and it would be a more relaxed kind of day within that calendar,” said Mary McCain, the head of the Irish studies department at DePaul University. “It was really when immigrants came from Ireland to the U.S. that it took on what we would now recognize as its modern shape.”
According to McCain, St. Patrick’s Day or Paddy’s (not Patty’s, as the nickname comes from the traditional Irish name “Pádraig”), is traditionally a very somber day for Irish families. Typically, families would attend a church service and have a meal together that day. Recently, even celebrations in Ireland have become more focused on partying and celebrating, especially in the big cities of the country like Dublin and Cork.
While St. Patrick was not the only Christian missionary to conduct work in Ireland, he was the most successful at the time. Living in the 400s, St. Patrick was originally born in England and was kidnapped and enslaved in Ireland. After fleeing back to England and becoming a bishop, he returned to Ireland “with the aim of spreading the Gospel,” according to the Irish Times. He is now celebrated for bringing a new way of thinking about life, death and the universe to Ireland and inspiring centuries of a strong tie to Christianity to the island, McCain said.
According to McCain, St. Patrick was also known for driving Ireland into a more modern era by tying a new religion into the very traditional and ancient Gaelic society.
“He understood this culture very well, even though he was from outside of it originally,” McCain said. “He could see what could remain of the previous religious fabric or previous religion and make some of those symbols and understandings work within Catholicism without diluting what he believed to be the full truth of the universe.”
DePaul News
By Ellie Shelton
Irish Studies program gifted $1.4 million for scholarships — DePaul University’s Irish Studies program has been gifted $1.4 million from John and Maureen King Haggerty that will be applied toward numerous scholarships for the minor. The undergraduate program was established in 2005 and has connected students with global and local Irish leaders. The program has continued to grow after former Irish president, Mary Robinson, pledged to donate hundreds of literary works from her personal collection to DePaul last year. DePaul Newsline has more.
Graphic Design USA recognizes DePaul students in ‘Students to Watch’ — Two DePaul students have been recognized for their outstanding work in Graphic Design USA’s list of ‘Students to Watch.’ Seniors Tyler Hausser and Aaliyah May were both recognized for their exceptional work at DePaul. To see their work and for further information, check out DePaul Newsline for more.
Chicago schools partner to drive AI-driven biomedical research – For the third consecutive year, DePaul University and Rosalind Franklin University have partnered to provide funding for AI-driven biomedical research amidst evolving healthcare challenges. Faculty have been awarded $180,911 in grants to recognize and optimize the use of AI in healthcare. DePaul Newsline has more.
Chicago Headlines
By Mason McKee
Police granted greater filing power after new Chicago Prosecutor implements program — A new initiative is being tested in regions of Chicago’s South Side which allows police to file felony gun possession charges without prosecutor approval. It is being tested in the Seventh District, an area covering Englewood and other nearby neighborhoods. Headed by State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke and designed jointly by the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the county prosecutor’s office, it was launched January 1 soon after Burke took office. The CPD has now used the initiative to file at least 22 felony cases without prosecutor review, the state’s attorney’s office told Bolts. Released as a soft-launch in the one police district, officials plan to review it every three months and could expand it as far as county-wide. For more information, you can find Shawn Mulcahy’s article at Block Club Chicago.
Cast from ‘The Bear’ visit classic pizza place Vito and Nick’s on the South Side – Members from the cast of “The Bear” including Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon-Moss Bachrach, Will Poulter, Lionel Boyce and Abby Elliott visited Vito and Nick’s this past Saturday. The actors could be seen posing with the restaurant and the Facebook post shows one of the employees holding a pizza board signed by the cast. “It’s always a pleasure when ‘The Bear’ cast comes in,” restaurant management wrote on Facebook. “Thank you Chef,” the restaurant wrote on Facebook to the cast. Located on 8433 S. Pulaski Road, Vito and Nick’s has been visited by members of the cast in the past, both for filming in the restaurant and to visit while filming took place nearby. After operating multiple taverns since 1920, the vintage pizzeria has been around for 105 years and is officially one of the city’s oldest pizzerias. For more information, you can find Joe Ward’s article at Block Club Chicago.
Cook County Democrats prepare for the 2026 election season – As election season just starts to move into gear, Democratic Cook county officials are already planning for re-elections and investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into their campaigns. County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Sheriff Tom Dart, Treasurer Maria Pappas and Assessor Fritz Kaegi have all announced they will run again. During an interview with Politico, Preckwinkle, who turned 78 today, announced she would run for re-election to lead the board. Kaegi has already sunk $500,000 into his campaign coffers as a “self-funding” notice for next year’s primary, serving as a reminder to any challengers of his deep pockets. Pappas, Dart and Preckwinkle have been in their roles since 1998, 2006 and 2010, respectively. For more information, you can find A.D. Quig’s article at the Chicago Tribune.
National Headlines
By Naimah Artega
Deadly storms devastate U.S., National Guard deployed — Tornados, wildfires and dust storms devastated communities across the Midwest and the South over the weekend, leaving many without homes, power and other essential resources. At least 42 people are dead due to the intense storms, fires and tornados with over 300 of homes and structures destroyed by wildfires. The National Guard has been deployed to begin cleanup efforts in Kansas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, Missouri and Oklahoma. Missouri suffered the highest death toll, with 12 fatalities and over 25,000 power outages following an EF-3 tornado. President Donald Trump has pledged federal support and assures that his administration is ready to tackle the damage and assist the states affected by the storms. Meanwhile, fire weather warnings remain in effect across multiple states, heightening concerns over further catastrophe. N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Dinah Voyles Pulver and Thao Nguyen from USA Today have more information.
Professor from Brown University deported to Lebanon despite U.S. visa — Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a kidney transplant specialist, entered the U.S. with a visa on March 13 to teach at Brown University, but was deported back to Lebanon this past weekend. A judge ordered her to stay in the U.S. until there was a proper hearing, however custom officials did not abide. Her deportation follows a trend of visa revocations that the Trump administration is upholding, affecting foreign-born individuals such as Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, who was involved in Gaza War protests at the university. Additionally, Alawieh’s absence significantly impacts patient care, as she was one of three transplant nephrologists in Rhode Island, serving people across other states. Colleagues and lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo, are demanding answers and working to bring her back. A rally is planned to support Alawieh Monday night at Rhode Island Statehouse. Michael Casey, Rodrique Ngowi and Kathy McCormack from The Associated Press have more information.
Wholesale egg prices are dropping, but it may take some time before consumers see lower prices — Since late February, the national average wholesale price of eggs has been declining. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest report indicates that the wholesale price of a dozen large white eggs has fallen to $4.15, nearly 50% lower than it was just weeks ago. The primary reason for the price reduction is due to the decrease of major bird flu outbreaks in March. However, how soon prices may change is up in the air. If bird flu remains contained in the U.S. over the next few months, the prices will most likely remain low. Retail prices may take time to reflect this decrease due to inventory cycles and cautious pricing strategies from grocery stores. Furthermore, with upcoming holidays like Easter and Passover, there may be an increase in demand. However, economists suspect this will not be a major barrier for lowering retail costs. Concerns over price remain but experts believe that this has to do with supply disruptions rather than corporate manipulation. Juliana Kim from NPR has more information.
Harvard to offer free tuition to families making 200k or less — Starting the 2025-26 school year, Harvard will implement a plan to allow for at least 86% U.S. families to qualify for their financial aid. President Alan M. Garber said this initiative aims to “expand the Ivy League college’s commitment to providing all undergrads the resources they need to enroll and graduate.” The average annual tuition for an undergraduate student attending Harvard is $82,866 with the inclusion of housing, food and other student services. Harvard also assures that students from families earning $100,00 or less will not only have tuition covered but also additional student services such as housing and food. The previous financial aid plan only included families that made $85,000 or less. Harvard has a long history of increasing financial aid with significant reductions in costs for students from lower-income backgrounds. The initiative has awarded over $3.6 billion in undergraduate financial aid since 2004, ensuring that talented students from various socioeconomic backgrounds can attend. Taylor Dunn and Bill Hutchinson from ABC News have more information.
International Headlines
By Gia Clarke
Palestinian journalist detained by Israeli police — Latifeh Abdellatif, a well-known Palestinian freelance journalist, was arrested in Jerusalem by Israeli police. According to Israeli police, she was charged “on suspicion of incitement and support for terrorism.” The proof given by police was a video that Abdellatif filmed and posted six months ago of late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar where he says he wants to die a martyr. In a statement, Israeli police said, “In these and other posts, it is evident that the suspect praises and glorifies the actions of terrorist organizations.” The judge ordered today for her release under the condition that she pays 2,000 Israeli shekels ($550) for bail and another 10,000 shekels as a guarantee she would show up once called in for an investigation. The Israeli police immediately repealed the decision. Nasser Odeh, Abdellatif’s lawyer said she was interrogated for three hours yesterday “about social media posts that are part of her professional work as a journalist.” Kareem Khadder, Abeer Salman, Eugenia Yosef, Pauline Lockwood and Ivana Kottasová from CNN have more information.
White House claims we’re close to a Ukraine peace deal - President Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin would speak tomorrow about ending the Ukraine war. They are likely to discuss territorial concessions with Kyiv and control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Trump is trying to get Putin to agree on the 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine accepted last week. Trump said: "We'll be talking about land. We'll be talking about power plants ... We're already talking about that, dividing up certain assets." The Zaporizhzhia power plant sits on the border of Ukraine and Russia, but it is occupied by Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy has consistently said that the sovereignty of his country is non-negotiable and that Russia must give back the Crimean Peninsula and give up control over the four major regions in Ukraine that Russia has seized. Gram Slattery, Nathan Layne and Jeff Mason from Reuters have more information.
New anti-LGBTQ+ bill in Hungary would ban Pride events - Hungary’s ruling coalition introduced a bill banning the annual Budapest Pride event and allow authorities to use facial recognition to identify attendees. The bill is almost certain to pass, as the ruling coalition has a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Hungary currently has a “child protection” law, which bans public displays or promotion of homosexuality to minors under 18. This bill would fall under that law. The child protection law also bans homosexual content to minors — books, TV, films, etc. and especially bans any mention of homosexuality or gender identity in schools. Justin Spike from The Associated Press has more information.
At least 100,000 people rally in anti-corruption protest in Belgrade - Hundreds of thousands of people took to Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, on March 15 to protest against Serbia’s populist president Aleksandar Vucic and his government. This protest was the culmination of many university student-led protests over the past four months. The protesters were part of a whole anti-corruption movement in Serbia that erupted after a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in November, killing 15 people. Many blamed the crash on government negligence and disrespect for construction safety regulations. Serbian independent media described the protest as the biggest ever in the country. All public transportation was canceled that day due to how crowded the streets were. Jovana Gec and Dusan Stojanovic fromThe Associated Press have more information.
14 East Pueblo: Chicago’s Immigration Committee hasn’t met in 8 months, even as ICE raids target the city
By Annabelle Rivera
The City Council’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights, which was formed to oversee immigration issues, hasn’t met in almost eight months, despite publicized ICE raids in immigrant communities.
Committee Chair Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) said the team is focused on “on-the-ground” tactics, like hosting workshops to educate immigrants on their rights. He also said they are still discussing what legislative action they could take, given that immigration issues mostly fall under federal jurisdiction.
“It’s a little bit challenging to get things done via hearing when there’s not much legislatively that the city can do,” Vasquez told Block Club. “So we plan on doing quarterly hearings to then report back all the things that we’re doing.”
The lack of meetings has been an issue for years. In June 2023, they passed a resolution vowing to meet once a month. However, that has still not been fulfilled, with the team meeting only four times last year. The committee did not meet at all after the election of President Donald Trump, who campaigned on promises to crack down on illegal immigration, and after Trump’s “border czar” announced Chicago would be their starting point for mass deportations. They still have not met despite highly publicized immigration raids.
“You mean to tell me [the] committee could not have met to discuss next steps? What our options are for our residents?” Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th), who often criticizes the city’s migrant response, asked.
There is hope, however. This year’s first meeting will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday at City Hall. An agenda posted online revealed the meeting will cover “recent efforts to support immigrant and refugee communities in Chicago.”
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Claire Rooney
One of my favorite things to do after finishing finals is curling up with a new book in some cozy cafe with some sort of iced concoction. I picked up a random novel at the DePaul Center a few months ago and it has quickly become one of my favorite reads of all time.
“Rainbow Black” by Maggie Thrash is a queer murder mystery centered around the Satanic Panic in the 90s, and I did not expect it to hit so hard. It’s like if “Love Lies Bleeding” had less muscles and more lawyers.
It’s setting is New Hampshire, where a young Lacey Bond witnesses her parents get accused of practicing Satanic Worship at the daycare they run out of their house. Even though the accusation is unfounded, Lacey’s left to the care of her teenage sister and Saul Goodman-esque lawyer. Suddenly, when Lacey finds herself caught in the middle of a murder, the book picks up when Lacey’s an adult living in hiding in Montreal. Will her past mistakes haunt her, or will she make it out unscathed?
I didn’t have any expectations when I started reading this book, so I was blown away by how well written the main character is. She’s unintentionally funny, dry and incredibly quick witted. I absolutely love her, not to mention she’s one of the best lesbian heroines I’ve ever read.
Please, please, please go pick up “Rainbow Black” if you’re looking for spring break reads this week!
Resources
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That’s it for today! See you next Monday.
The 14 East Newsletter Team