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Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago's museums for summer 2025: ‘Reptiles' at the Field, brews at the zoos and ‘Spider-Man' the exhibit
The movement du jour is for a museum to describe its offerings as 'immersive.' It's become a cliché, but it does nod to a cultural trend that predated, then was amplified by, the pandemic: Experiences, not exhibitions, are coaxing folks off their couches and into cultural institutions. That trend crops up in our museum preview this year. In fact, some of these suggested events don't even take place within the confines of their host institution. But if you find that a classic, walk-and-read exhibit can't be beat — I tend to be in that camp — we have plenty of those, too. Adventurers, academics and all-around-curious-people, read on! Kayaking for a cause: Dreaming of afternoons idling down the Chicago River? You can live out your summer fantasy while doing good thanks to the Shedd Aquarium, whose experts will lead conservation tours by kayak all summer long. Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 27 on the Chicago River; $65 per person; reservations at 'Reptiles Alive!': This exhibit builds on the work of Field Museum herpetologist Sara Ruane, also featured earlier this year as part of the museum's rotating 'Changing Face of Science' exhibition. If you come expecting the usual models or taxidermy, you're in for a treat: 20 live reptiles, including a spitting cobra and emerald tree boa, are housed onsite for the exhibition. June 20 to April 5 at the Field Museum, 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; requires all-access pass, $43 adults, 'Native Pop!': For generations, activists have pushed museums — including many in Chicago — to depict Native Americans' lives as they are, rather than presenting them like a relic of the past. The 'now' is palpable in this Newberry Library showcase of Indigenous artists working in various pop mediums. Through July 19 at the Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St., open Tuesdays through Thursdays 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; free admission, On at the Art Institute: In addition to its exploration of 'Paris Street; Rainy Day' by painter Gustave Caillebotte, the museum is hosting the largest local retrospective of thought-provoking wartime sculptor H.C. Westermann in decades, open through May 2026. Contemporary art lovers will be agog at Raqib Shaw's epic 'Paradise Lost,' a 21-panel artwork that has never been displayed in its complete form until now (through Jan. 19). Meanwhile, the museum continues to show off its huge collection of Japanese prints with 'The Dawn of Modernity: Japanese Prints, 1850–1900,' in which artists document Japan's encounters with the industrialized West. All at the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave., open Wednesdays through Mondays 11 a.m.-5 p.m., except Thursdays, open 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; admission $26-$32, Become a researcher for a day: A new exhibition opening at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum allows visitors to try their hands at activities inspired by real-life fieldwork. 'By A Thread: Nature's Resilience' emphasizes that conserving the natural world isn't a passive proposition: It requires everyone's help, including yours. The exhibit opens the same day as the museum's Summer Nature Fest. For $10 admission ($8 children), you can stick around for food and activities after the museum closes. June 20 to June 2026 at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, 2430 N. Cannon Drive, open daily 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; adult tickets $12-$17, A peek inside: The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry's upcoming 'Beyond the Surface,' exhibit is a deep dive into the X-ray photography of Andrei Duman, starting July 3. The images show the inner workings of everyday objects, such as the many components of a car or the delicate wiring of a corded telephone. If you can't wait for that, a current exhibition in the spirit of the museum's recent '007 Science' feature, 'Marvel's Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing.' is open through February, though it's a little light on the science. Both at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, open daily 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; admission $26 adults. 'Marvel's Spider-Man' requires an additional ticket costing adults $18-$22; reservations and more information at Boozy zoos: The Brookfield Zoo is becoming a watering hole in the name of wildlife conservation. Next up are 'Tequila and Tails' and 'Wines and Vines,' the latter doubling as the opening of the Zoo's new Tropical Forests habitat. (Non-drinkers rejoice: Mocktail tickets are available for a lower price.) Lincoln Park Zoo also revives its own drinker-friendly summer events with craft breweries and wineries posting up on zoo grounds. 'Tequila and Tails' on June 14 and 'Wines and Vines' on Aug. 23, both 6-9 p.m. at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, 31st Street and Golfview Avenue, Brookfield; non-member tickets $105 or $70 for mocktails, 'Craft Brews' on June 28 and 'Summer Wine Fest' on July 25, both 7-10 p.m. at the Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St.; admission $57; tickets and more information at Waltz of the flowers: After experiencing the lushness of the Chicago Botanic Gardens in midsummer, step into Nichols Hall for a reprise of 'Superbloom,' the dance work premiered by Chicago company The Seldoms in 2023. For those who can't make the three performances, Art on the Mart has commissioned a video version to be projected in full view of the Riverwalk (Thursdays through Sundays July 10-Sept. 7). July 25-27 at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe; tickets $27-$29 adults. Show times and more information at Museum multiplayer: On your hands and knees, begging your kids to do something besides playing video games all summer? Take them to the American Writers Museum, whose 'Level Up: Writers & Gamers' shines a rare spotlight on the scribes behind their favorite titles. Open through Nov. 2 at the American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave., open Thursdays through Mondays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; admission $10-$16, Home is where the history is: If you haven't yet been to the recently opened National Public Housing Museum in Little Italy, it's high time to fix that. Spend an afternoon exploring its attentively curated exhibitions for free, or, for a small sum, take a guided tour through recreations of real families' units on museum grounds, in the former Jane Addams Homes. 919 S. Ada St., open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays; free admission, $15-$25 apartment tours can be scheduled at
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Native Americans Hurt by Federal Health Cuts, Despite RFK Jr.'s Promises of Protection
Navajo Nation leaders took turns hiking alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in April to detail the tribal nation's priorities to improve access to health care and clean water. They also advocated for the preservation and reestablishment of U.S. government programs that have far-reaching impacts for their nation. (Katheryn Houghton/KFF Health News) WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Navajo Nation leaders took turns talking with the U.S. government's top health official as they hiked along a sandstone ridge overlooking their rural, high-desert town before the morning sun grew too hot. Buu Nygren, president of the Navajo Nation, paused at the edge with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Below them, tribal government buildings, homes, and juniper trees dotted the tan and deep-red landscape. Nygren said he wanted Kennedy to look at the capital for the nation of about 400,000 enrolled members. The tribal president pointed toward an antiquated health center that he hoped federal funding would help replace and described life for the thousands of locals without running water due to delayed government projects. Nygren said Kennedy had already done a lot, primarily saving the Indian Health Service from a round of staffing cuts rippling through the federal government. 'When we started hearing about the layoffs and the freezes, you were the first one to stand up for Indian Country,' he told Kennedy, of his move to spare the federal agency charged with providing health care to Native Americans and Alaska Natives. But Nygren and other Navajo leaders said cuts to federal health programs outside the Indian Health Service are hurting Native Americans. 'You're disrupting real lives,' Cherilyn Yazzie, a Navajo council delegate, told KFF Health News as she described recent changes. Kennedy has repeatedly promised to prioritize Native Americans' health care. But Native Americans and health officials across tribal nations say those overtures are overshadowed by the collateral harm from massive cuts to federal health programs. The sweeping reductions have resulted in cuts to funding directed toward or disproportionately relied on by Native Americans. Staffing cuts, tribal health leaders say, have led to missing data and poor communication. The Indian Health Service provides free health care at its hospitals and clinics to Native Americans, who, as a group, face higher rates of chronic diseases and die younger than other populations. Those inequities are attributable to centuries of systemic discrimination. But many tribal members don't live near an agency clinic or hospital. And those who do may face limited services, chronic underfunding, and staffing shortages. To work around those gaps, health organizations lean on other federally funded programs. 'There may be a misconception among some of the administration that Indian Country is only impacted by changes to the Indian Health Service,' said Liz Malerba, a tribal policy expert and citizen of the Mohegan Tribe. 'That's simply not true.' Tribes have lost more than $6 million in grants from other HHS agencies, the National Indian Health Board wrote in a May letter to Kennedy. Janet Alkire, chairperson of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in the Dakotas, said at a May 14 Senate committee hearing that those grants paid for community health workers, vaccinations, data modernization, and other public health efforts. The government also canceled funding for programs it said violated President Donald Trump's ban on 'diversity, equity, and inclusion,' including one aimed at Native American youth interested in science and medicine and another that helps several tribes increase access to healthy food — something Kennedy has said he wants to prioritize. Tribal health officials say slashed federal staffing has made it harder to get technical support and money for federally funded health projects they run. The firings have cut or eliminated staff at programs related to preventing overdoses in tribal communities, using traditional food and medicine to fight chronic disease, and helping low-income people afford to heat and cool their homes through the Low Income Home Energy Program. The Oglala Sioux Tribe is in South Dakota, where Native Americans who struggle to heat their homes have died of hypothermia. Through mid-May the tribe hadn't been able to access its latest funding installment from the energy program, said John Long, the tribe's chief of staff. Abigail Echo-Hawk, director of the Urban Indian Health Institute at the Seattle Indian Health Board, said the government has sent her organization incomplete health data. That includes statistics about Native Americans at risk for suicide and substance use disorders, which the center uses to shape public health policy and programs. 'People are going to die because we don't have access to the data,' Echo-Hawk said. Her organization is also having trouble administering a $2.2 million federal grant, she said, because the agency handling the money fired staffers she worked with. The grant pays for public health initiatives such as smoking cessation and vaccinations. 'It is very confusing to say chronic disease prevention is the No. 1 priority and then to eradicate the support needed to address chronic disease prevention in Indian Country,' Echo-Hawk said. HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard said Kennedy aims to combat chronic diseases and improve well-being among Native Americans 'through culturally relevant, community-driven solutions.' Hilliard did not respond to questions about Kennedy's specific plans for Native American health or concerns about existing and proposed funding and staffing changes. As Kennedy hiked alongside Navajo Nation leaders, KFF Health News asked how he would improve and protect access to care for tribal communities amid rollbacks within his department. 'That's exactly what I'm doing,' Kennedy responded. 'Making sure that all the cuts do not affect these communities.' Kennedy has said his focus on Native American health stems from personal and family experience, something he repeated to Navajo leadership. As an attorney, he worked with tribes on environmental health lawsuits. He also served as an editor at ICT, a major Native American news outlet. The secretary said he was also influenced by his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, and his father, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who were both assassinated when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was a child. 'They thought that America would never live up to its moral authority and its role as an exemplary nation around the world if we didn't first look back and remediate or mitigate the original sin of the American experience — the genocide of the Native people,' Kennedy said during his visit. Some tribal leaders say the recent cuts, and the way the administration made them, violate treaties in which the U.S. promised to provide for the health and welfare of tribes in return for taking their land. 'We have not been consulted with meaningfully on any of these actions,' said Malerba, director of policy and legislative affairs for the United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund, which advocates for tribes from Texas to Maine. Alkire said at the congressional hearing that many Native American health organizations sent letters to the health department asking for consultations but none has received a response. Tribal consultation is legally required when federal agencies pursue changes that would have a significant impact on tribal nations. 'This is not just a moral question of what we owe Native people,' Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said at the hearing. 'It is also a question of the law.' Tribal leaders are worried about additional proposed changes, including funding cuts to the Indian Health Service and a reorganization of the federal health department. Esther Lucero, president and CEO of the Seattle Indian Health Board, said the maneuvers remind her of the level of daily uncertainty she felt working through the covid-19 pandemic — only with fewer resources. 'Our ability to serve those who are desperately in need feels at risk,' Lucero said. Among the most pressing concerns are congressional Republicans' proposed cuts to Medicaid, the primary government health insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities. About 30% of Native American and Alaska Native people younger than 65 are enrolled in Medicaid, and the program helps keep Indian Health Service and other tribal health facilities afloat. Native American adults would be exempt from Medicaid work requirements approved by House Republicans last month. After Kennedy summited Window Rock with Navajo Nation leaders, the tribe held a prayer ceremony in which they blessed him in Diné Bizaad, the Navajo language. President Nygren stressed how meaningful it was for the country's health secretary to walk alongside them. He also reminded Kennedy of the list of priorities they'd discussed. That included maintaining the federal low-income energy assistance program. 'We look forward to reestablishing and protecting some of the services that your department provides,' Nygren said. As of mid-May, the Trump administration had proposed eliminating the energy program, which remains unstaffed. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF. Subscribe to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing. This article first appeared on KFF Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The religious freedom case stuck in Supreme Court limbo
A version of this article was first published in the State of Faith newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Monday night. As the Supreme Court prepared to hear its second religion case of the current term this week, drama was brewing around a different religious freedom battle that could be taken up soon. Three new documents have been filed with the court in recent days regarding Apache Stronghold v. United States, a case that's been stuck in Supreme Court limbo for around five months. The case centers on a proposed mining project in the Oak Flat area of Arizona, which is located about 70 miles east of Phoenix. In 2021, the federal government moved to begin mining in Oak Flat. Apache Stronghold sued to block the work, arguing that allowing mining in the area would violate federal religious freedom protections. 'Oak Flat is our Mt. Sinai — the most sacred place where generations of Apache have come to connect with our Creator, our faith, and our land,' explained Wendsler Nosie Sr. of Apache Stronghold in a press release in September. While the lawsuit has delayed the mining project, it hasn't yet succeeded in securing long-term protections for Oak Flat. Apache Stronghold lost at the district and circuit court levels, where judges said the planned mining project would not substantially burden Native Americans' religious exercise rights. In September, Oak Flat's defenders asked the Supreme Court to overturn those decisions and rule that religious freedom law protects against mining on sacred land. As usual, the court collected responses to that petition. What's strange is that the case has been stuck in the conferencing stage since late November. On Thursday, federal officials announced that, in the absence of Supreme Court action, they've continued to prepare for the mining project and may file the Final Environmental Impact Statement as soon as this summer. In a Friday letter, Apache Stronghold notified the Supreme Court about that announcement and urged the justices to move the case forward. 'This notice confirms the urgent need for this Court's review,' the letter said. Then, on Monday, attorneys for Resolution Copper, the mining company involved in the case, filed another new document with the Supreme Court, in which it argued that the government's Thursday announcement 'has no bearing on this case's suitability for review.' Later on Monday, the Justice Department filed its own letter and similarly argued that Thursday's announcement should have no bearing on the case. 'Nothing about the recent 60-day notice supports petitioner's arguments for further review,' the letter said. The Supreme Court will next discuss the case on Friday. At least four justices will need to vote in favor of hearing it for Apache Stronghold v. United States to make it onto the oral arguments schedule. Pope Francis has died. Here's how he'll be remembered How does the Catholic Church choose a new pope? What world leaders are saying about Pope Francis' death How storybooks on gender and sexuality sparked a major religious freedom battle What does society owe to Christians who celebrate Easter? Supreme Court gives surprise update on birthright citizenship battle U.K. Supreme Court issues unanimous ruling on the definition of 'woman' The latest on ICE raids in churches Aimee Semple McPherson was one of the most famous evangelists in the United States in the early 20th century. She paved the way for prominent televangelists of the 1970s and 1980s by revolutionizing the spread of religious messages over the radio waves. McPherson was a polarizing figure, in part because of her religious teachings and in part because of financial scandals. She's also been accused of faking her own kidnapping. McPherson is the subject of a new book, 'Sister, Sinner,' by Claire Hoffman. My colleague Jennifer Graham has a new profile out on Franklin Graham, a prominent evangelical leader and the son of Billy Graham. Among other topics, she explored his controversial relationship with President Donald Trump. Religious leaders generally don't enter the profession unless they're willing to conduct a funeral. Even so, many take on the role completely unprepared for that kind of work. To help his ministry students avoid that fate, one professor crafted an unexpected solution, according to Religion News Service: field trips to a cadaver lab. A new Gallup survey on religious preferences seems to confirm what Pew Research Center found in its latest Religious Landscape Study: The U.S. religious landscape has stabilized over the past five years. I helped with the Deseret News' coverage of the Boston Marathon on Monday morning. Three — yes, three! — former BYU runners finished in the top 10 of the men's race.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Effort to ban Native American mascots in Illinois would impact 11 metro-east schools
A bill that would prohibit schools from using names, logos or mascots associated with Native Americans, including specific tribes, is headed to the Illinois Senate. The proposed legislation, which passed in the Illinois House of Representatives on Thursday with a 71-40 vote, could impact at least 11 metro-east schools. These include the Mascoutah Indians, Collinsville Kahoks, Cahokia High School Comanches and Whiteside Junior High's Warriors. The bill has raised conversations on the House floor and beyond about the best ways to teach and preserve the state's Native American history and if this can be done appropriately through schools' mascots and imagery. 'We do find it important to celebrate and recognize in a positive way what the Indian mascot means,' Mascoutah School District 19 Superintendent David Deets said. 'To Mascoutah, and I'm sure to other districts in Illinois, our Indian mascot is a source of pride and honor.' But proponents of the bill said there are ways to commemorate the state's Native American roots that won't be seen as divisive, racist or offensive. 'This argument that we are somehow teaching history and learning history through these mascots is nonsense,' Rep. Laura Faver Dias (D-Grayslake), who is a former teacher, said on the House floor Thursday. 'Find a better way to teach and learn history.' The bill was brought forth by Rep. Maurice A. West, the lawmaker behind the Freeburg mascot bill, which passed the Illinois House earlier this week. Names of federally recognized tribes and historical Native American people Mascots depicting Native Americans Imagery associated with Native American people, such as feathered headdresses, tomahawks and arrowheads Terms like 'Redskins, Braves, Chiefs, Chieftains, Tribe, Indians, or any synonymous term, logo or mascot depicting Native Americans' However, the amended legislation would allow a school to continue using the name of a federally recognized tribe, and an agreed upon logo and mascot, so long as the tribe gives permission. The tribe and the school must also partner to create policies that prohibit slurs, stereotypes and other offensive portrayals. A school can continue using uniforms or other materials purchased before the legislation's effective date that feature the name, logo or mascot until September 2030 so long as they don't acquire any more of such materials. They must also have chosen a new name, logo or mascot by July 1, 2026. The bill does not provide any funding mechanisms to make such changes. Deets and Collinsville School District 10 Superintendent Brad Skertich said even with the given lead time, the alterations could have multi-million dollar implications. 'At a time when everything is getting more expensive and when looking at our priorities in terms of safety, security, technology, finding high quality staff, … spending over $2 million on a mascot or logo change, whether over five years or 10 years, is not a responsible use of funds,' Skertich said. The National Indian Education Association and American Psychological Association previously made statements on the harm Native mascots may bring, including how it can perpetuate racial stereotypes and inaccurate portrayals of Indigenous culture, as well as impacting the self-esteem of Indigenous youth. 'Yes, there's a cost to schools to make these changes, but there is a cost to not doing that … to students' mental health (and) a cost to the culture and climate of the school,' Faver Dias said. 'Frankly, sometimes there is a cost to doing the right thing.' The Mascoutah school district received a letter of support from the Native American Guardians Association. The Association's motto, 'educate, not eradicate,' is one Deets repeats. Skertich said the Collinsville district has a formal letter of endorsement from the Western Cherokee Nation of Arkansas and Missouri to use the Kahok mascot. The Western Cherokee Nation of Arkansas and Missouri is not a federally recognized tribe. 'We've been doing this right for a long time, let us continue that opportunity,' Skertich said. All House members from the metro-east voted against the bill. Rep. Amy Elik, R-Godfrey: No Rep. David Friess, R-Red Bud: No Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea: No Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville: No Rep. Kevin Schmidt, R-Millstadt: No Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville: No
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal prosecutor from New Mexico resigns over Trump ‘politicizing and weaponizing' the DOJ
Alex Flores (Courtesy photo) After Donald Trump was reelected as United States president last year, Alex Flores had no plans to leave his job at the federal Department of Justice. But after Trump's second inauguration, Flores said it quickly became clear to him that the administration 'is politicizing and weaponizing the department, turning its powers on political enemies, punishing dissenters and turning its mission on its head,' he told Source NM in an interview on Thursday. Flores, who lives in Albuquerque, resigned from the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico on March 7, but made sure to outline his work in response to the infamous directive by Elon Musk to list five work accomplishments. In his last week at work, Flores wrote in his resignation letter, he 'reminded my fellow prosecutors that although we have now witnessed certain senior government officials engage in gross, politically motivated abuses of power, each of us can stand firm by our oath. By doing so, we safeguard New Mexico's citizens and preserve our own honor.' Flores told Source NM the request from the independent Office of Personnel Management for five work accomplishments stood out as 'highly unusual' based on his experience in the Marine Corps and at DOJ. Every federal employee is required to report their work to be held accountable to a chain of command, he said. 'The idea that an external entity, not even belonging to the U.S. government, would demand work updates was asinine,' Flores said. 'I think that the purpose of that organization has not been to increase the efficiency of government, but instead to gut and handicap government.' He said no one thing caused him to leave, but rather the cumulative effect of the department's promise to punish law firms that provide legal support to the president's political opponents; its discontinuation of the Civil Rights and Public Integrity sections' work; and its elimination of due process protections for whole classes of people being deported under the Alien Sedition Act. But one situation that 'really got under my skin,' Flores said, was when federal prosecutors implemented Trump's policy by questioning Native Americans' U.S. citizenship in court. 'The United States' connection with the children of illegal aliens and temporary visitors is weaker than its connection with members of Indian tribes. If the latter link is insufficient for birthright citizenship, the former certainly is,' the Trump administration argued in a case challenging his birthright citizenship executive order. Flores is married to and a father of enrolled members of New Mexico Pueblos. 'I found it unconscionable that we were citing that kind of law in legal arguments,' he told Source NM. Earlier in Flores' legal career, he clerked for then New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Edward Chávez until joining the Marine Corps in 2014 as a prosecutor and then an instructor on the law of war. He took the job at the DOJ in February 2020, during the first Trump administration, according to his resume. 'I have only ever worked in public service, in government, and so it was a natural continuation on that path,' he said. Flores worked for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico for five years, where he led the Indian Country Crimes Section, a team of six prosecutors who handle cases in and affecting Native sovereign lands in New Mexico. He said he personally prosecuted nearly 200 federal felony cases and supervised the prosecution of approximately 200 to 400 felony cases. Flores said he will continue service in the military reserves and is joining a plaintiffs' law firm in Albuquerque called Singleton Schreiber, where he will focus on personal injury lawsuits, environmental injury, mass tort claims and wildfire litigation. The Indian Country Crimes Section's mission had not fundamentally changed when Flores left earlier this month, he said, and his departure was not about what was happening to the section. 'Good people remain in the department and remain in government doing the good, critical and necessary work,' Flores said. 'This was a very personal decision, and even though I could not go on serving in this administration, I am glad, heartened and grateful that other people are staying.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
