OPINION

Kim Foxx passes on “foundation crimes” that lead to violence and murder
Kim Foxx passes on “foundation crimes” that lead to violence and murder Foundation crimes are a part ad parcel of major crimes. If they are not addressed or … Click to Read
No Whites allowed in Lightfoot’s Chicago
No Whites allowed in Lightfoot’s Chicago Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is a real lightweight when it comes to Chicago mayors. She is not just afraid to take on … Click to Read
Texas de Brazil in Orland Park rocks
Texas de Brazil in Orland Park rocks With the COVID pandemic easing and more and more people getting vaccinations, it just felt GREAT to get out of the … Click to Read
Understanding the conflict between Israel and Palestine
Understanding the conflict between Israel and Palestine Most Americans don’t understand the truth of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. That’s ironic considering that most Americans are Christian … Click to Read
Fishing Column: May best month to enjoy fishing
Fishing Column: May best month to enjoy fishing May is the perfect time to go fishing writes fisherman and sportsman Kenneth Reaves in his new column. By Kenneth … Click to Read
Airlines deal with COVID but not the everyday travel problems
Airlines deal with COVID but not the everyday travel problems The airports know how to apply restrictions and procedures to deal with coronavirus, but they have no idea … Click to Read

News Wire

Paddlers Reminded to be Safe on the Water This Summer
Paddlers Reminded to be Safe on the Water This Summer Safety on the water should be a priority for all boaters this summer – from motor boat operators and passengers to those boaters who prefer non-motorized watercraft. Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Conservation Police and Safety Education experts remind paddlers to stay alert to their surroundings, weather and water conditions, and other factors that can put them at risk on Illinois lakes, rivers, and streams. “Paddling is becoming more and more popular, from canoes, to kayaks, to paddleboards, and we’re reminding all paddlers to practice safety and wear a life jacket (PFD) while enjoying time on the water,” said Jeff Hopkins, administrator of the IDNR Safety Education Section. During 2020 in Illinois, two fatalities were reported involving paddlers in non-motorized watercraft. Some simple safety reminders for paddlers on Illinois waterways: • Always wear a life jacket (PFD) and never overload a canoe, kayak, or other watercraft. • Never paddle alone; enjoy canoeing, kayaking or paddleboard riding with friends and family. • Know the area before putting your watercraft on the water and leave a float plan with others so they’ll know how long you plan to be out and where you’re going. • Be very conscious of weather and water conditions; dress appropriately for the weather and be alert to changing conditions once on the water. • Limit your movements while in small watercraft to prevent capsizing/falling overboard; do not stand up in a canoe or kayak. • Warm or hot weather days and cold water can mean a shock to the system if paddlers end up in the water, causing disorientation and impairing the ability to swim and/or safely return to their watercraft. • High winds and strong currents can make it difficult to keep a canoe, kayak, or paddleboard within reach if the watercraft overturns and the paddler ends up in the water. • Stay hydrated, but do not bring along or consume alcohol or drugs before getting on the water or while on the water. • Stay alert to and pay attention to other boats, or the wake from other boats on the water; and, never approach a low-head dam, fallen tree, or other potential obstacles. For more information on paddling safety, check online resources including the Boat U.S. Foundation website: https://www.boatus.org/study-guide/activities/paddle/
SONIC Drive-In donates $31,128.00 to teachers in Chicago this Teacher Appreciation Month
SONIC Drive-In donates $31,128.00 to teachers in Chicago this Teacher Appreciation Month America’s Drive-In thanked public school teachers by donating $1.5 million to requests for learning supplies across the country To honor the creative efforts teachers have made to maneuver their ever-shifting learning environments and keep students engaged this past year, SONIC® Drive-In donated $1.5 million to teacher requests on national education nonprofit site DonorsChoose on Teacher Appreciation Day, May 4. As part of SONIC’s ongoing Limeades for Learning initiative, the $1.5 million donation helped fund more than 7,000 teacher requests across the country in need of critical resources, including 145 teachers in Chicago, Ill., who received a combined donation of $31,128.00. On Teacher Appreciation Day, the brand matched 50 percent of each donation made to all teacher requests on DonorsChoose. In Chicago, the following teachers at 103 schools received funding: Mr. Luis E. Barrera at Adlai E Stevenson Elementary School for the project “Music Heals” Mrs. Gierhahn at Adlai E Stevenson Middle School for the project “Photos From A Memorable Year!” Mrs. Thuis at Adlai E Stevenson Middle School for the project “Learning How to Use Our Louding Voice” Ms. Altamirano at Agustin Lara Elementary Academy for the project “Something To Snack On While We Learn!” Mrs. Baran at Alain Locke Charter Academy for the project “Put Down That Video Game and Read” Ms. Contreras at Alfred Nobel Elementary School for the project “Color Our World!” Mr. Breen at Amundsen High School for the project “Making the Cut!” Mrs. Nguyen Evans at Amundsen High School for the project “A Work in Translation for AHS Seniors” Mrs. Mcmanus at Andrew Jackson Language Academy for the project “Supplies for School” Ms. Jones at Arthur Ashe Elementary School for the project “KEEPING UP WITH THE WORLD WITH ADEQUATE TECHNOLOGY!” Mrs. D. at Aspira Charter-Early College High School for the project “Excited About Math?” Mrs. Pettis at Avalon Park Elementary School for the project “Expanding Our Library With Science Fiction & Fantasy” Mrs. Pettis at Avalon Park Elementary School for the project “Energize My Brain” Mrs. Olson at Beaubien Elementary School for the project “Hero’s Don’t Always Wear Capes!” Ms. Lee at Benito Juarez Community Academy for the project “BJCA Decision Day Laptop Fundraiser” Ms. Malone at Brennemann Elementary School for the project “Book to Inspire and Engage!” Ms. Mack at Brownell Elementary School for the project “I Am, I Can, I Will! AFFIRMED!” Ms. King at Burley Elementary School for the project “We Need More Diverse Books” Dr. Love at Cameron Elementary School for the project “New Year, New Books!” Ms. Cline at Cameron Elementary School for the project “All Students Deserve the Opportunity to Complete Assignments” Mr. Helbig at Carl Von Linne Elementary School for the project “Let Your Art Work Glow!” Ms. Beal at Carroll-Rosenwald Elementary School – Rosenwald for the project “Fashion Is My Passion” Ms. Preston at Chase Elementary School for the project “Help Us Visualize Art and Become Inspired” Ms. Quintana-Marofske at Chase Elementary School for the project “Organizing the Classroom for Functionality” Mrs. Thompson at Chicago Math & Science Academy for the project “Classroom Library: Gateway to the World” Mrs. Black-Jordan at Chopin Elementary School for the project “Help My Students to Restock Items They Need.” Mrs. Watkins at CICS – Prairie for the project “Engaging Resources to Support the Learning of All” Ms. Cutler at CICS – Prairie for the project “Keeping It Fun” Mrs. Olsen at CICS-Northtown Academy for the project “Freedom to Float in My Classroom” Mrs. Vailant at Cooper Dual Language Academy – South Bldg for the project “Help Me Block Background Noise!” Ms. Calderon at Curie Metropolitan High School for the project “¡Hola! You’re Muted!” Ms. Avila at Darwin Elementary School for the project “Bringing Hands-on Materials to Remote Learners” Mrs. Barone at Dawes Elementary School for the project “Read, Lead, Succeed” Mrs. Lessmeister at Dawes Elementary School for the project “The Lending Library” Mrs. Oliva at Dawes Elementary School for the project “Please Don’t Share the Crayons!” Mrs. Shippy at Dawes Elementary School for the project “Truth is Stranger Than Fiction” Ms. Ryan at Dawes Elementary School for the project “Preschoolers Love Play Dough That Doesn’t Dry!” Mrs. Harvey at Deneen School of Excellence for the project “Update Teacher Tech” Ms. Carter at Deneen School of Excellence for the project “Water and Healthy Snacks for Kindergarten” Ms. Skipper at Deneen School of Excellence for the project “Back Together Again” Ms. Emami at Dewey Elementary Academy of Fine Arts for the project “Learning Through Reading” Mrs. Dechellis Library at Dirksen Elementary School for the project “Flocabulary and Nearpod Virtually in Our School Library” Mrs. Dechellis Library at Dirksen Elementary School for the project “Beautifully Decorated Library” Mrs. Meyers at Dore Elementary School for the project “Hands-on Learning Using our own Materials” Ms. Flanagan at Dyett Arts High School for the project “Diamond Club: SEL Support Group 2” Ms. Flanagan at Dyett Arts High School for the project “Artistic Expression!” Ms. Harduvel at Earle Elementary School for the project “Keeping Social-Emotional Learning Safe” Mr. Graning at Eberhart Elementary School for the project “Cameras for Kids and Memory Making” Mrs. Adamski at Eberhart Elementary School for the project “Gifts for Grads!” Mrs. Yanik at Eberhart Elementary School for the project “Marvelous Mentor Text Collection” Ms. D. at Eberhart Elementary School for the project “World Patriots” Ms. Black at Farragut Career Academy for the project “High School Life Skills Classroom” Ms. Cirignani at Farragut Career Academy for the project “Vocational Training Room” Ms. Baime at G B Swift Elementary Specialty School for the project “Keeping Up With Scholastic” Ms. Devinney at G B Swift Elementary Specialty School for the project “Listen In!” Coach Cruz at Gallistel Language Academy for the project “Virtual Soccer Awards Banquet” Coach Cruz at Gallistel Language Academy for the project “Congrats Grad, You Did It!” Mrs. Hines at Gallistel Language Academy for the project “Teach Me Here, Teach Me There!” Ms. Roffers at Gallistel Language Academy for the project […]
“It’s Not So Late Show” with Aaron Hanania interviews social media leader Salem Furrha
“It’s Not So Late Show” with Aaron Hanania interviews social media leader Salem Furrha During an appearance this week on the “It’s Not So Late Show” online with host Aaron Hanania, guest Salem Furrha, whose west coast family has become one of the most popular social media entertainers on Tiktok, Instagram and Youtube, said the secret to going viral is to “stand out, be funny and be creative.” Hanania, whose interviews are broadcast in video on Youtube, and in audio on iTunes and Spotify and most other popular podcasting systems, talks with Furrha on how his family social media videos have become among the most popular and entertaining on social media systems like Tiktok, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat. Furrha, a former high school coach who operated coffee shops at several universities in Michigan in the 1980s, today leads his family in producing some of the most family-friendly, funny and entertaining video content on social media. He has more than 4.4 million followers on Tiktok, and the family’s YouTube productions have attracted more than 150 million views each. And the numbers keep climbing. “My daughter had a TikTok, her name is Linda. She started back before the pandemic. And she had a couple of her videos go viral. We said wow. Cool. She started becoming famous,” Furrha told Hanania in explaining how he and his family began producing the compellingly funny and entertaining TikTok and social media posts. “I said let’s try it. Everyone did their own accounts. We didn’t do much with our own separate accounts. I said, ok with my account, let’s all do one family one. And boom! It took off and ever since we never looked back.” Today, Furrha and his family use the handle @TheFurrhaFamily to create some of the most family-friendly and entertaining videos on social media. “We do mostly family friendly stuff that is relatable. Big families go through daily life problems and we mostly have fun with those TikToks,” Furrha said as he bantered with family members during the “It’s Not So Late Show” interview. Is there a secret to success? Furrha said yes, “just be creative, standout and keep it fun.” “Stand out, honestly. You have to stand out. It’s a lot of work but it’s fun. It is rewarding as well,” Furrha said. “Once you get yourself a niche, you have to stand out, right? You have to be funny. Good looking. Or something to make you stand out. It’s something that has to be out there to get people’s attention. So, it’s got to be some crazy stuff, some experimental stuff. It has to stand out above the rest of them.” Hanania called Salem Furrha and his family “pioneers” in family friendly, social media entertainment and are role models for what others can do. “The Furrha Family shows you that with the right kind of dedication, creativity, and commitment, you can do anything creative and entertaining,” said Hanania, 20, who is a college student, musician and social media influencer. “The interview with Salem was fascinating. He and his family demonstrate that you can go from owning a coffee shop or any business to become one of the world’s fastest growing social media influencers.” Furrha emphasized that creators just starting or already on the social media systems should not give up in producing great content as they try to build up their followings. “Keep plugging away. You never know which one is going to hit. We go through the same thing as the smaller guys go through. We get into these ruts and it takes us a while to get out of the rut. So you know you have to just keep working, keep creating, keep coming up with funny skits or whatever your niche is, and make sure you keep working hard because you never know which one is going to hit. Once you get that one big one,” said Furrha who also does real estate development on the side,” Furrha said. “It only takes one video to take you to another level. It only takes one. So you have to keep pushing. You have to stand out as well. You gotta stand out. You have got to make people entertained. You have to find your niche. Keep working till you find it.” You can listen to the entire 20-minute interview by visiting the online website for the “It’s Not So Late Show” with Aaron Hanania at Anchor.FM/AaronHanania where you can find links to the Furrha Family and other interviews. You can watch the interview video on Youtube by visiting Youtube.com/c/Aaron411, or use the widget below to watch on this page. The “It’s not so Late show” with Aaron Hanania showcases the stories of people who are doing amazing things. For media or guest inquiries, email Hanania at AaronHananiaMusic@gmail.com or follow the show by visiting TheItsNotSoLateShow.com online, on Instagram and on TikTok at ItsNotSoLateShow. Social Media Links and contacts: For information on the Furrha Family go to any social media and search for “TheFurrhaFamily” or use the handle @TheFurrhaFamily to find them. You can also listen to theFurrhaFamily on Triller every Friday at 5 PM PST. For information on Aaron Hanania search “ItsNotSoLateShow” on any social media or use the handle @ItsNotSoLateShow. Anchor.FM/AaronHanania And on Youtube at www.YouTube.com/c/Aaron411 Use this widget to watch thevideo For more information visit the “It’s Not So Late Show” at TheItsNotSoLateShow.com.
Arab Radio with veteran columnist Ray Hanania on Yemen and the Global Anti-Corruption Coalition
Arab Radio with veteran columnist Ray Hanania on Yemen and the Global Anti-Corruption Coalition Find links to the audio podcast and video podcast of The Ray Hanania Radio Show. Listen and watch every Wednesday at 8 AM on WNZK AM 690 radio in Detroit and on WDMV AM 700 Radio in Washington D.C, and watch on Facebook.com/ArabNews. Join veteran reporter Ray Hanania as he explores issues of importance to American Arabs On this week’s “The Ray Hanania Radio Show,” guests included Saeed Al-Batati, an Arab News reporter, discussing the violence in Yemen and the lack of coverage over the tragedies occurring there, and Business writer Cornelia Meyer on the Global Anti-Corruption Coalition as well as the lack of vaccinations for Third World Countries and the recent Aramco Bond issue Segment 1: Reporter Saeed Al-Batati talked about his coverage of Yemen. This week the Iranian Houthis fired a missile that killed 17 people, including a 5-year-old child. A 5-year-old child who was unlucky twice in her short life, once in the fact that she born in a country that is unsafe, and the second time when she was killed during a barrage of attacks. Saeed is a Yemeni reporter and during the interview he expressed his frustration with the lack of coverage and outrage over the horrible mistreatment of Yemeni citizens by the Iranian Houthis. He then went on to discuss how this lack of coverage removes any pressure on the Houthis and eliminates any possibility for things to change for the better. In Segment 2,Cornelia Meyer, Arab News Op-Ed columnist and business writer, discussed several issues from corruption to vaccinations. To begin they discussed the Global Anti-Corruption Coalition, which shows the nations bonding together to fight anti-corruption on a global scale and gives more support to national efforts. Even though it might not seem the most crucial during Covid-19, as Cornelia stated during the interview, “You have to keep the eye on the ball.” Corruption is a global problem that will continue through elections, pandemics, wars, etc and it cannot be overlooked. Click here to listen to the Audio Podcast or use the widget below The interview then shifted to the USA and the new bill passed by the Senate aimed to bolster technological and industrial capacity in the technology and innovation space. While the US seems to be a very divided country, with Republicans and Democrats constantly disagreeing, having China as a common foe managed to unite the opposing sides and pass the bill by 68-32 votes. The segment with Cornelia then finished off with a discussion about the recent Aramco Bond issue. You can hear the show live every Wednesday morning at 8 AM EST in Detroit on WNZK AM 690 radio (8 AM and 5 PM EST), in Washington DC on WDMV AM 700 Radio (8 AM EST), and online at ArabRadio.us. AND you can watch the live radio show stream on Facebook.com/ArabNews. Use this widget below to watch the radio show video:

STATEWIDE NEWS

Illinoisans who received at least one COVID vaccination automatically entered in $10 million state giveaway
Illinoisans who received at least one COVID vaccination automatically entered in $10 million state giveaway As Illinois Vaccinates 70% of Adults, Gov. Pritzker Launches $10 Million ‘All In for the Win’ Promotion to Reward Vaccinated …
Ald. Pat Dowell Calls for Personal Dashboard for the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office
Ald. Pat Dowell Calls for Personal Dashboard for the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office Chicago Alderman Pat Dowell, candidate for Democratic nominee for Illinois Secretary of State on Thursday June 17, 2021, released an innovative program …

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FX TV Series on funny vampires is a real entertainment bite

If you are looking for a funny series to watch during the coronavirus pandemic, try FX’s series “What We Do in the Shadows,” a hilarious comedic look at vampire life in America through the eyes of four vampires from the 19th Century (or older) who continue to be perplexed by life today. You can stream it on Hulu

By Ray Hanania

We’re all looking for something to watch on TV. Of course, there’ nothing on TV and we have to go to Cable. But cable is so divided up and segmented, the challenge of finding something depends on how much money you want to waste on entertainment.

I have Xfinity/Comcast Cable at one home and DirecTV at another. The DirecTV system is simply basic because I can use an Apple Boxes to access all of the movie channels I already subscribe to at Xfinity.

Now I am thinking of downgrading my Xfinity subscription to only subscribe to the far cheaper basic channels, and then individually subscribe to movie channel options al la carte, like HBO, Showtime, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix and more.

Scene from What We Do in the Shadows, the FX vampire comedy series streamable from Hulu.

In the meantime, I surf the systems looking for great programming and I did find one I love that is out of the ordinary and off the beaten path of favored shows promoted by the mainstream news media. It’s called “What We Do in the Shadows” and it is on the FX system streamable on Hulu.

“What we do in the Shadows” is hilarious. It’s about a group of vampires who are struggling to adjust to life in today’s modern world. The cast includes

The main vampires are Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou). Harvey Guillén plays Guillermo, who is a “familiar,” someone the vampires have enslaved as a servant who happens to be a distant relative of the famous vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing.

Mark Proksch plays a modern-day vampire White man named Colin Robinson.

The group lives in a row house on Staten Island, and they explore regular life in some of the most hilarious situations possible. The series was created by comedic performer Jemaine Clement, a New Zealand actor, voice actor, musician, comedian, singer, director and writer who with Bret McKenzie, starred in the Grammy Award-winning comedy “Flight of the Conchords.” Clement has released several albums and created comedy series for both the BBC and HBO receiving six Primetime Emmy nominations.

It’s not violent at all. Not gory at all. It’s funny. Humorous. And worth your time.

There are two seasons so far and both are phenomenal.

The theme song “You’re Dead” was originally released in 1966. The artist who released it is Norma Tanega as part of her album entitled “Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog”. Title track of album hit #22 on the charts.

What We Do in the Shadows, based on the feature film by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, returns for its second season, documenting the nightly exploits of vampire roommates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Laszlo (Matt Berry), and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) as they navigate the modern world of Staten Island with the help of their human familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén).

Over the course of the season, the vampires will try to find their way in a world of human Super Bowl parties, internet trolls, an energy vampire who gets a promotion and becomes drunk on power and of course, all the ghosts, witches, necromancers, zombies and shadowy cloaked assassins who roam freely in the Tri-State area. Is Guillermo destined to be a vampire or a vampire hunter? Or maybe just a familiar for the rest of his life?

Click here to view a video preview of the show.

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A critic of mainstream news media bias, Hanania advocates for peace & justice for Israel & Palestine, & the empowerment of Arabs in America.

Click here to listen to Ray's Political Podcast.

Hanania's columns are archived on his personal website at RayHanania.com. Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Hanania is President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group which provides communications services to governments and private businesses, and hosts writing training workshops, and publishes books.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.

Find him on MeWe.com and on Idobbonate.com the alternatives to Facebook

FX TV Series on funny vampires is a real entertainment bite

FX TV Series on funny vampires is a real entertainment bite

By Ray Hanania

The Political Pundit