Latest news with #Ramson
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why some Chicagoans struggle to find financial freedom
CHICAGO (WGN) — Achieving economic mobility has become difficult for many Chicagoans. That's among the key findings in a recent and wide-ranging series of stories from the Illinois Answers Project. The Chicago-based nonprofit examined why many residents are struggling to find financial footing and the successes and failures of some government efforts to help them. WGN interviewed one man who shared his story, detailing how crime in his West Side neighborhood almost derailed his dream of home ownership. Bryan Ramson purchased a four-flat in Garfield Park in 2019. He renovated the property and rented the units. But he ran into issues with drug dealers near his home. 'What we found is that there was basically lawlessness in front of our house,' Ramson told the Illinois Answers Project. He acknowledged that others may have backed down or bailed. But he chose to take action, in what could be a model for other homeowners facing similar challenges. Ramson worked to organize a block club, beautify the neighborhood and even got elected to the 11th Police District Council. Over time he says those things have made a difference. Besides violence, the Illinois Answers Project examined how other factors such as medical debt and the high cost of child-care impact economic mobility. To read more, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Millennial's Key Detail of Life 'Back in the Day' To Shock Gen Z Goes Viral
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A man has gone viral for sharing a common childhood memory every millennial has that Gen Z would "never" be able to do. AJ Ramson, 32, a comedy screenwriter from Long Island, New York, shared a video to his TikTok account @ on May 1, where he responded to a simple question: "What's one thing millennials did back in the day that today's generation would think was crazy?" His answer was immediate—that, as children, "we would call our friends' house phones. And their parents would pick up, and we would have to ask for permission to talk to our friend." Ramson told Newsweek: "I immediately thought of calling my friends' house phones because I always dreaded talking to my friends' parents when they picked up. Sometimes, a parent would be polite and say 'hi how are you?', which was a nightmare. I always hoped for a silent passing of the phone! "I was never good at talking to adults and I'm not sure I'm any better now, but I would always soldier on and call anyway because I had critical time-sensitive information to share." Ramson finished the short video by declaring he thinks that "if kids today had to do this, they would have a mental breakdown." He added to Newsweek: "I thought that, if I hated talking to my friends' parents, I bet Gen Z would hate it even more. I remember making a video on Gen Z's 'menu anxiety'—where some Gen Zers are too afraid to order at restaurant." AJ Ramson shares his childhood memory that today's generation would not be capable of. AJ Ramson shares his childhood memory that today's generation would not be capable of. TikTok @ Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, are between 29 and 44 years of age, whereas the youngest of Gen Z are 13, and the oldest 28—so, while some of the older generation may well remember having to call a landline to talk to their childhood friends, it would be unfathomable to the younger side. Cellphones, followed by smartphones, became increasingly popular throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and house phones are now redundant in many households. By 2023, 76 percent of adults and 87 percent of children lived in homes without landlines, according to a report from the National Center for Health Statistics. TikTok users responded in a big way to Ramson's video, awarding it more than 222,000 likes and viewing the clip close to 2 million times. Read more Gen Z ask how millennials made it through 2008—all have the same answer Gen Z ask how millennials made it through 2008—all have the same answer And commenters recalled their own childhood memories that would be unthinkable to the younger generations, as one wrote: "Calling your parent's job and talking to the secretary to ask to speak to your parent!" "Pausing a song every 10 seconds to write down the lyrics," another added, as a third remembered: "Waiting for someone to get off the house phone to use the internet." And one commenter said that the things they used to do as a kid already seems wild to them now, adding: "For me, the idea of walking 20 [minutes] to my friend's house to knock on the door and see if they are home and want to do something sounds insane now." Ramson said he believes the video had such a big response "because it unlocked nostalgic memories in millennials that we haven't thought about in a long time. I saw a lot of people tagging their friends and sharing funny memories, which was nice to see." He added: "It's always nice to see a stream of 5,000 comments reminding me I'm not nearly as young as I thought!" Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures you want to share? Send them to life@ with some extra details, and they could appear on our website.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Afternoon Briefing: CPD set to deliver a new policy on traffic stops
Good afternoon, Chicago. Brian Ramson, one of the district councilors for the Chicago Police Department's Harrison District on the West Side, moved to Chicago in 2013. Since then, he said, he's been pulled over by police roughly 50 times — about four of those coming after he was sworn in less than two years ago. A search of Cook County court records suggests Ramson — a physicist at Fermilab who is Black — has never been issued a ticket, let alone arrested. And he may not be alone. Last week, Ramson was the first speaker during the fifth and final listening session to solicit feedback for the department's forthcoming general order related to traffic stops. CPD will submit the first draft of the new general order this week that will likely change the rules governing when police officers are permitted to pull over a motorist. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History State Sen. Emil Jones III ignored 'screaming red flags' in entertaining a red-light camera company executive's ask for help with legislation in exchange for a promised $5,000 campaign contribution and a no-show job for his intern, federal prosecutors argued Monday. In arguments that capped the nine-day trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Ardam asked jurors how Jones allegedly changed his views on red-light camera legislation over the course of the summer of 2019. Jones had been handling it for years by the time he met red-light camera executive Omar Maani, Ardam said. Read more here. More top news stories: Oak Forest teen shot in Mexico continues recovery Chicago homicides in 2025: 106 people slain. Here's how that compares with previous years. 4 killed in central Illinois plane crash were from Menomonie, Wisconsin Stocks tumbled this morning as worries about President Donald Trump's trade war and his criticism of the Federal Reserve cause investors to pull further from the United States. Read more here. More top business stories: Oswego eyes possible grocery tax This Midwestern city has long been a federal hub. The pain from DOGE's cuts is everywhere The biggest day on the NFL's offseason calendar is almost here. The NFL draft begins Thursday. Here is everything Chicago Bears fans need to know ahead of the 2025 draft, including how to watch, where the Bears are picking, which local prospects to look out for and more. Read more here. More top sports stories: Construction of new Chicago Sky training facility in Bedford Park delayed into 2026 to accommodate expansion United States wins the women's ice hockey world championship final 4-3 in OT against Canada We put together some programming highlights — both on and off the Pier. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: Cherry blossom blooms make long-awaited return at Jackson Park Review: In 'Prayer for the French Republic,' past is prologue for a Jewish family in Paris Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, released a statement following the death of Pope Francis. Read more here. More top stories from around the world: Pope Francis' cause of death revealed by the Vatican Photos: The world reacts to the death of Pope Francis Sports world mourns soccer-loving Pope Francis as games in Italy and Argentina are postponed
Chicago Tribune
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Afternoon Briefing: CPD set to deliver a new policy on traffic stops
Good afternoon, Chicago. Brian Ramson, one of the district councilors for the Chicago Police Department's Harrison District on the West Side, moved to Chicago in 2013. Since then, he said, he's been pulled over by police roughly 50 times — about four of those coming after he was sworn in less than two years ago. A search of Cook County court records suggests Ramson — a physicist at Fermilab who is Black — has never been issued a ticket, let alone arrested. And he may not be alone. Last week, Ramson was the first speaker during the fifth and final listening session to solicit feedback for the department's forthcoming general order related to traffic stops. CPD will submit the first draft of the new general order this week that will likely change the rules governing when police officers are permitted to pull over a motorist. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Bribery vs. entrapment: Jury in trial of state Sen. Emil Jones III hears closing arguments State Sen. Emil Jones III ignored 'screaming red flags' in entertaining a red-light camera company executive's ask for help with legislation in exchange for a promised $5,000 campaign contribution and a no-show job for his intern, federal prosecutors argued Monday. In arguments that capped the nine-day trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Ardam asked jurors how Jones allegedly changed his views on red-light camera legislation over the course of the summer of 2019. Jones had been handling it for years by the time he met red-light camera executive Omar Maani, Ardam said. Read more here. Dow sinks 1,000 points amid worries about Trump's trade war Stocks tumbled this morning as worries about President Donald Trump's trade war and his criticism of the Federal Reserve cause investors to pull further from the United States. Read more here. 2025 NFL draft: Everything you need to know, including when the Chicago Bears pick and how to watch The biggest day on the NFL's offseason calendar is almost here. The NFL draft begins Thursday. Here is everything Chicago Bears fans need to know ahead of the 2025 draft, including how to watch, where the Bears are picking, which local prospects to look out for and more. Read more here. More top sports stories: We put together some programming highlights — both on and off the Pier.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
Still grappling with ‘nuanced space' of traffic stops in high-crime zones, CPD is about to deliver a new policy
Brian Ramson, one of the district councilors for the Chicago Police Department's Harrison District on the West Side, moved to Chicago in 2013. Since then, he said, he's been pulled over by police roughly 50 times — about four of those coming after he was sworn in less than two years ago. A search of Cook County court records suggests Ramson — a physicist at Fermilab who is Black — has never been issued a ticket, let alone arrested. And he may not be alone. Law enforcement officials are quick to note the thousands of guns recovered by Chicago police officers during traffic stops each year, but civil rights activists and residents of predominantly Black and Latino communities have long called the Police Department's traffic stops pretextual — using possible minor violations as a means to try to uncover more serious criminal activity. 'What I've seen from police officers in my district is they use traffic stops as a way of going around some of the limitations that they're finding and trying to enforce drug laws,' Ramson said. Last week, Ramson was the first speaker during the fifth and final listening session to solicit feedback for the Police Department's forthcoming general order related to traffic stops. CPD within days will submit the first draft of the new general order that will likely change the rules governing when police officers are permitted to pull over a motorist. As he spoke, Ramson urged two members of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability to 'really approach the situation with … the perspective that emphasizes the people who have the, I guess, the quietest voices.' Police Superintendent Larry Snelling often calls for officers to receive 'the best' training and be accountable when they don't adhere to department standards. In an interview with the Tribune last year, he said that any changes to CPD policy must consider the professional duties of Chicago's cops. A report from the advocacy group Impact For Equity noted the city's Department of Emergency Management & Communications documented more than 504,000 traffic stops by officers last year. In 2023, the Police Department said it conducted 523,000 traffic stops. 'We need the best possible rules and regulations for our officers to follow, but those rules and regulations have to be fair, and they can't be rules and regulations that are going to hinder our officers from being able to go out and do their jobs constitutionally,' Snelling said in December. The Harrison District (11th), which Ramson represents — roughly bounded by Division Street, Roosevelt Road, Western and Cicero avenues — often sees the most gun violence and most drug arrests of any of the department's 22 patrol districts each year. The neighborhoods encompassed by the district have long been the epicenter of the city's narcotics trade and opioid crisis. 'I've also watched two people bleed out in front of my house,' Ramson said. It's the same district where, in March 2024, a team of Chicago tactical officers pulled over Dexter Reed. An exchange of gunfire ensued and Reed was killed, leading to a lawsuit city leaders have so far not settled. The residents he represents, Ramson said, don't feel safe because of open drug activity in the area, but unfair stops shouldn't be part of a just overall strategy. 'So what I really want to make sure that we're paying attention to is that this is a nuanced space, and that while I agree with the spirit of what we're trying to do with limited-protection traffic stops, what I think is important to recognize is that there is a delicacy in how we approach this policy,' he said. The department's policy on traffic stops has in fact reemerged as another point of contention in the department's ongoing reform efforts, largely propelled by the 2019 consent decree. Last year the independent monitor called for the consent decree to once again be expanded, this time to also include CPD's traffic stop policy. The CCPSA — the oversight body crafting the policy with the department — has since held the series of listening sessions across the city to solicit feedback from residents, including the one at which Ramson spoke. The policy draft is expected to be submitted for review Tuesday, and it will be made available to the public on Thursday, CCPSA Vice President Remel Terry said last week during the feedback meeting at Truman College in Uptown. Terry's fellow commissioner, Sandra Wortham, noted that the first policy draft is far from the final word on the matter. 'While we are close to the first draft of a policy, this is not at all the end of our engagement with community (members),' Wortham said. 'We want to continue to hear from the community, and that means from all perspectives of the community.' It remains unclear when any new policy would be put into effect. A report issued this month by Impact For Equity found that the number of traffic stops initiated by CPD officers spiked after 2015. However, the report noted that thousands of stops were not properly documented as officers often failed to issue an Investigatory Stop Receipt. In 2023, the ACLU of Illinois filed a still-pending class-action lawsuit that, among other things, seeks to 'prohibit CPD officers from conducting pretextual traffic stops (such as those with a primary goal of searching for contraband or engaging in alleged general deterrence of crime) or traffic stops for any reason other than enforcing moving violations that affect roadway safety.'
