Whether it's the state of women in Afghanistan, civilian deaths in Libya or even Chicagoans' rights to free speech and assembly, the NATO summit has brought the topic of human rights into the foreground. From poster board on the sidewalks to elevator conversations among strangers, we are encountering issues that too-often get ignored. With all this, and the busloads of human rights activists hitting the streets even as we type, there should be more a larger than usual potential audience for the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, which screens five new documentaries at the Gene Siskel Film Center starting tonight. more ›

Under the new policy, female city employees would get four to six weeks of paid maternity leave. more ›

Advocates to abolish the death penalty in Illinois ramped up their efforts to end capital punishment for good in the state on Thursday. The Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty held a rally in Springfield, urging lawmakers to move from a moratorium to a full ban on the practice. Illinois has had a moratorium on the death penalty since 2000. Some of this renewed interest in the issue is due to GOP Gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady. Brady is opposed to the moratorium and has said he would lift it if elected, provided that “adequate reforms” were put in place. Death penalty opponents however, have said the system is broken beyond repair. more ›

A University of Chicago student created a controversial organization dedicated to the advancement of men, encouraging undergraduate male students to sharpen their understanding of business and politics. "Men in Power" was inspired by a satirical column in the school's newspaper, the Chicago Maroon, in March. The article was obviously a parody, but it was taken seriously enough to cause a controversy over whether it could be perceived as misogynistic or logical. more ›

Former Chicago mayor Eugene Sawyer has died, following a long illness. Sawyer was 73 years old. more ›

Wow, it's been hours since Al Sharpton was in the news, so here we are today with a new round of Sharpton headlines. He held a press conference outside the Mayor's office this morning demanding that the City effectively treat its police brutality issues--or Sharpton will campaign against Chicago's Olympic bid. He also urged aldermen to reject Daley's nominee for police superintendent Jody Weis's because Daley selected Weis without input from the black community. Psst,... more ›

We were downtown at work yesterday when a co-worker said "What's with the protest outside? There's someone chanting for justice or something." Knowing from the "Saturday Plans" post that The Lady herself, Paula Deen was appearing, this was a head-scratcher. Who could be so upset at a TV chef? Besides the obvious, of course. more ›

As John Edwards buckles down and tries to keep his presidential bid moving forward while his wife deals with the return of cancer, the two other major Democratic players — Hillary and Barack — have been in the news lately for their stands not just on gay marriage, but the morality of homosexuality in general. After Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Chicago Tribune that "homosexual acts between... more ›

It would be easy to write the obligatory piece about "the man and the dream" today. The fact of the matter is that the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is so much more than just the speech he give at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 in Washington, DC. Although he is remembered in the US as one of the leaders, if not the leader, of the civil rights movement in the 1950's... more ›

In the wake of an election which media outlets say demonstrated “clear popular opposition to the war in Iraq,” DePaul University is holding a forum tonight that will expound upon our governments' plans in the Middle East, particularly with regards to Iran. Two Iranian Studies scholars, Hamid Dabashi, and Golbarg Bashi, will present their views along with anti-war activists. Subjects include global geopolitics, the neocon agenda, Islam, human rights, and feminism, to name a few.... more ›

When Chicagoist was living abroad, discussions of American politics were often the most interesting, as well as the most embarrassing. Unlike the U.S., where many people would prefer news about Brangelina to political races around the globe (or in the States, for that matter), the global media has always taken interest in American politics. This election season, the hotly contested 6th Congressional District seat has unexpectedly become an international election favorite, with reporters from Europe,... more ›

Chicagoist is a big believer in human rights. In fact, we think us humans should have more rights. For one, every living soul should have the right to visit Wisconsin Dells at least once and bask in its wonderful tackiness. Two, everyone should have the right to walk on a sidewalk without falling through giant holes. We're frivolous like that. Lastly, one should be able to go through life without looking like a celebrity because, really, what kind of life could that possibly be? more ›

Tenth Congressional District Representative Mark Kirk is the kind of centrist legislator that, with one or two minor opinion changes, could move from Republican to Democrat - or vice versa - pretty easily. In 2001 the League of Conservation Voters rated him a 71 out of 100, and the National Taxpayers Union rated him a 59 out of 100. Pretty close to the middle, as votes go. He's a Naval Reserve Commander, and yet gained... more ›

With all the sad events this past week, Chicagoist needs a good laugh. This weekend, get your fill of giggles at Laughing Out Loud, a two-night event featuring gay and lesbian comedians in support of the Human Rights Campaign. Tomorrow night comedian Vicki Shaw opens for the "often flamboyant and irreverant actor/stand-up comic" ANT, who was interviewed in January's issue of Instinct Magazine. We recently listened to Ant's new CD, "Follow My Ass" and couldn't... more ›

This morning the Illinois House passed an amendment to the Illinois Human Rights Act (the Senate passed it yesterday) banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in matters of employment, housing, public accommodations (restaurants, hotels, etc.) or credit. The Senate passed the bill with a 30-27 vote and the house passed it 65-51. Activists have been trying to get a bill passed adding "sexual orientation' to the Human Rights Act for decades and the House passed... more ›

Not sure how this escaped our radar, but last week was National Bible Week. Mayors in 400 communities across the U.S., and in at least 35 Illinois communities, made proclamations that…proclaim…Bible Week. The National Bible Association organizes events and stuff to encourage everyone to read and discuss the Bible. more ›

So how’d that voting thing go for you? Felt pretty good didn’t it? Even if your candidate didn't win you gotta love taking part in democracy, steering the direction of the country, all that good stuff. Why not keep that good feeling going for the rest of the week and see some good music too? more ›