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Hypebeast
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Tequila Don Julio Unveils a Multi-Sensory Tasting Experience at Mercer Labs in NYC
Tequila Don Juliohas teamed up with New York City'sMercer Labs Museum of Art and Technologyto presentPor Amor: An Immersive Tasting Experience,which takes you on a journey through the Blue Weber agave harvesting process,the history and legacy of founder Don Julio González and more — using proprietary technology to reimagine how tequila is experienced and celebrated through art and technology. Mercer Labs is a cultural institution that bridges the gap between art and technology, and this is the museum's first-ever full brand takeover. Tequila Don Julio continues to honor its long-standing tradition of pushing boundaries through innovation with this first-of-its-kind experience, which invigorates the expressions and flavors of the spirit. As guests enter the four-day only installation, they will be met with the sounds, flavors and rhythms of Mexico, which will be personified through interactive rooms that tap into the five senses. Tequila Don Julio tells the story of its founder, as well as its aged expressions — Tequila Don Julio Reposado, Tequila Don Julio 70 Añejo Cristalino, and Tequila Don Julio 1942 — through 4D spatial sound, LED mirrored infinity rooms and volumetric light displays, fusing its passion for innovation with Mercer Labs' capacity for boundless creativity. As visitors are enveloped by the sounds of Mexico and the rich scent of roasted agave and oak, they will also have the chance to craft and sip on their own signature Tequila Don Julio cocktails using fresh ingredients and artisanal tools. Mexico is the home of Don Julio, so the brand wanted this project to encapsulate the magic of the region and connect visitors to Mexico in a deeper way. 'Don Julio González devoted his life to crafting tequila of the highest quality,' said Karina Sánchez, Global Brand Ambassador for Tequila Don Julio. 'This experience honors his unwavering spirit of innovation—a place where tradition and imagination converge, inviting guests to celebrate the extraordinary that can be achieved when passion fuels every step of the journey.' The experience will take place from June 12-15, and complimentary tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis
Time of India
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Time of India
NCR's summer obsession
'Clients prefer blooms that look luxe but don't wilt easily—heat resilience is now a top priority over just visual appeal' No amount of heat, rain, or chill can subdue NCR residents' love for exotic blooms. This summer too, Delhiites are bringing vibrance into their homes and indoor functions with sunflowers, peonies, and more. 'Chrysanthemums & eustoma can withstand the Delhi summer' 'The demand for calla lilies & mokara orchids seems to be increasing, though tulips remain a favourite. In Delhi, we have witnessed a rise in requests for peonies too. For floral subscription boxes, we turn to more hardy varieties of chrysanthemums and eustoma, which usually withstand the Delhi summer like champs. In exotics, we add anthuriums, heliconia, and bird of paradise,which are known to thrive in warmer conditions,' informs Abhineet Kukrety, co-founder of Simply Phoolish. 'Heat resilience trumps visual appeal' 'Clients prefer blooms that look luxe but don't wilt easily – heat resilience trumps visual appeal,' says Sahil Sihag, who manages a flower studio in Noida, adding details of trending blooms: Anthuriums are ideal for minimalist or modern themes Heliconias and bird of paradise adds a bold, sculptural element in home decor Chrysanthemums can be used in setting up a dramatic focal point in the room. Spider mums and football mums in pastel tones are in demand Lisianthus are gaining popularity for indoor summer decor and intimate events 'High demand for peonies, orchids, and hydrangeas for indoor functions' 'Floral arrangements during the summer are all about striking a balance between freshness, opulence and heat resilience. There's a strong demand for peonies, orchids, and hydrangeas, especially for indoor or evening functions. The preferred summer palette is leaning towards soft pastels like blush, dusty rose, buttery yellow, pistachio green, and hints of citrus tones,' says Rhea Dewan, a luxury wedding planner and founder of The Serendepity Co. Floral designer Shalini Dugar, founder of & Blooms, adds, 'Tuberoses and oriental lilies are summer faves. Their heady fragrance and elegance are unmatched.' In floral arrangements, neutral palettes with pops of bold tropical colours are in — think whites and greens with accents of blue or yellow.
Hypebeast
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Everything Coming To and Leaving Netflix in June 2025
Summary With May coming to an end,Netflixis getting ready to kick of summer with its June 2025 offering. Next month's slate is led by the premiere of the third and final season ofSquid Game,which is set to release one June 27. Also joining the June selection are titles including new seasons ofAMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS: Dallas Cowboys CheerleadersandSomebody Feed Phil, as well as documentaries such asTitan: The OceanGate DisasterandTrainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy. Meanwhile, June will mark the final month for subscribers to catch the likes ofBatman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, GoodFellasand more. Check out the full list below. Coming to NetflixComing SoonThe Great Indian Kapil Show: Season 3 (IN) — NETFLIX SERIESComedian Kapil Sharma brings desi fun to an all-new season featuring celebrity guests, side-splitting gags and a dash of classic Indian charm. Rana Naidu: Season 2 (IN) — NETFLIX SERIESForced to team up with his estranged father, can Mumbai's top fixer manage one last job for a wealthy client while keeping his family safe? Too Hot to Handle: Spain (ES) — NETFLIX SERIESA group of flirty Spanish singles expect sun, parties and steamy hookups, but they quickly learn that winning €100,000 requires giving up sex completely. Avail. 6/1/25The AmericanBarbarianBee MovieThe BirdsThe Blues BrothersThe Devil's OwnDune (1984)The EqualizerFamily PlotFocusFrenzyThe Great OutdoorsHitchcockHopThe Legend of ZorroThe Man Who Knew Too MuchNeighborsNow You See MeNow You See Me 2The Nutty ProfessorPokémon The Series: XYPokémon The Series: XY: XY: Kalos QuestPokémon The Series: XY: XYZRear WindowThe Theory of EverythingThe TownU-571UsVertigo Avail. 6/3/25Sara – Woman in the Shadows (IT) — NETFLIX SERIESThe suspicious death of her son pushes a former secret agent back into action, investigating a series of crimes that grows increasingly sinister. Avail. 6/4/25Criminal Code: Season 2 (BR) — NETFLIX SERIESAn elite Brazilian Federal Police unit takes on a ruthless criminal gang in a deadly game of wits. Eva Lasting: Season 3 (CO) — NETFLIX SERIESAs the gang graduates, their newfound freedom brings Camilo a new set of drama — and yearning — for Eva. Can their dreams survive adulthood? Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal — NETFLIX SERIES'Power Moves' follows Shaquille O'Neal as he takes on the role of President of Reebok Basketball, returning to the brand that gave him his first shot. Teaming up with Vice President Allen Iverson, Shaq is on a mission to revive the iconic brand and lead a bold comeback from Reebok's Boston headquarters. Avail. 6/5/25Barracuda Queens: Season 2 (SE) — NETFLIX SERIESYearning for the thrill of their home burglaries, the queens set their sights on an even more lucrative target: the fine art galleries of Stockholm. Ginny & Georgia: Season 3 — NETFLIX SERIESGeorgia has just been arrested for murder during her wedding – ruining her fairy tale ending and putting the spotlight on the Millers like never before. It's always been Ginny and Georgia against the world, but the world has never come for them quite like this. Now, Ginny needs to see where she stands when push comes to shove – Is the two of them against the world something Ginny really wants to sign up for? Tires: Season 2 — NETFLIX SERIESFueled by a surprise marketing victory, Will and Shane have steered the tire shop into the fast lane. But sudden success brings its own challenges. Avail. 6/6/25K.O. (FR) — NETFLIX FILMA former fighter must find the missing son of an opponent he accidentally killed years ago, taking on a brutally violent crime gang in Marseille. Mercy For None (KR) — NETFLIX SERIESAfter severing ties with his gang, a former gangster returns to uncover the truth behind his brother's death — embarking on a relentless path of revenge. TYLER PERRY'S STRAW — NETFLIX FILMWhat will be her last straw? A devastatingly bad day pushes a hardworking single mother to the breaking point — and into a shocking act of desperation. The Survivors (AU) — NETFLIX SERIESFifteen years ago, the loss of three young people tore this sleepy seaside town apart. Now, the mysterious death of a young woman dredges up the past. Avail. 6/7/25Boys on the Side Piece by Piece Avail. 6/9/25The Creature Cases: Chapter 5 — NETFLIX FAMILYIf there's an animal in need, agents Kit and Sam are ready to help! Join them as they tackle more mysteries and meet friendly new critters along the way. Avail. 6/10/25Families Like Ours (DK) — NETFLIX SERIESA teenage girl must choose between her divorced parents and her boyfriend after a permanent evacuation of Denmark turns citizens into refugees. Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy (GB) — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARYFeaturing exclusive interviews with survivors, paramedics and festival staff, this documentary examines the 2021 Astroworld tragedy and its aftermath. Avail. 6/11/25Aniela (PL) — NETFLIX SERIESAfter her wealthy husband leaves her with nothing, a high-society Warsaw snob is forced to use the only survival skills she has left — her sharp wit. Cheers to Life (BR) — NETFLIX FILMA pendant from the past sets Jéssica on a trip through Israel — where family twists, unexpected love and a search for meaning shape the ride of her life. Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft. (FR) — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY2013: four Frenchmen are arrested in Punta Cana with 700 kg of cocaine — none fit the trafficker profile. This documentary asks: who was behind the bust? Our Times (MX) — NETFLIX FILMAfter years of research and companionship, two physicists from the 1960s unlock the secrets of wormhole theory and find themselves stranded in 2025. Titan: The OceanGate Disaster — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARYThis documentary explores the Titan submersible's doomed 2023 journey to the wreckage of the Titanic and the ambitious OceanGate CEO behind the endeavor. Avail. 6/12/25The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish: Season 2 FUBAR: Season 2 — NETFLIX SERIESEager to return to action, Luke, Emma and the crew get more than they bargained for when a mysterious terrorist threatens to unleash worldwide chaos. Plane Avail. 6/13/25Kings of Jo'Burg: Season 3 (ZA) — NETFLIX SERIESVeronica Masire now bears the responsibility of the family curse, as she picks up where her brother left off — ruling Jo'Burg with legacy and power. Avail. 6/14/25Grey's Anatomy: Season 21 Avail. 6/16/25The Last Witch Hunter Avail. 6/17/25Justin Willman: Magic Lover — NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIALSleight-of-hand sorcery. Mischievous mind games. Mind-blowing illusions. Justin Willman conjures up laughs in a special where comedy and magic collide. Kaulitz & Kaulitz: Season 2 (DE) — NETFLIX SERIESThe show must go on! Tom and Bill Kaulitz are back to share their exciting lives, even as dark clouds gather in paradise. Scandal: Seasons 1-7 Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem (GB) — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARYRob Ford scandalized Canadian politics as the brash yet beloved mayor of Toronto — until an infamous video of him smoking crack sparked his downfall. Avail. 6/18/25AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Season 2 — NETFLIX SERIESA new batch of hopefuls face fierce competition, high expectations and even higher kicks as they vie for a spot with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Rosario Tijeras (Mexico): Season 4 (MX) — NETFLIX SERIESYears after Rosario's sacrifice, her legend haunts her daughter, Ruby. As the teen's life takes a dangerous turn, secrets from her past begin to unravel. Somebody Feed Phil: Season 8 — NETFLIX SERIESFresh flavors and new friends await as globetrotting foodie Phil Rosenthal expands his culinary horizons to Amsterdam, Boston, Basque Country and more. YOLANTHE (NL) — NETFLIX SERIESThis reality series follows Yolanthe Cabau in her glamorous new life in Los Angeles as she faces unexpected challenges and ghosts from her past. Avail. 6/19/25The Waterfront — NETFLIX SERIESA prominent North Carolina fishing family wades into treacherous waters to keep their crumbling business empire afloat. Avail. 6/20/25KPop Demon Hunters — NETFLIX FAMILYWhen K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey aren't selling out stadiums, they're using their secret powers to protect their fans from supernatural threats. Olympo (ES) — NETFLIX SERIESThe Pyrenean High Performance Center: home to Spain's most promising athletes. The question is, how far will they go to reach the top — and stay there? Semi-Soeter (ZA) — NETFLIX FILMPower couple Jaci and JP find themselves in a bumpy predicament when a new work pitch for a baby brand forces them to play the perfect pretend parents. Avail. 6/22/25The Intern Avail. 6/24/25Steph Tolev: Filth Queen — NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIALBow down to the queen as fearlessly filthy Steph Tolev rules the stage with hilarious confessions, unfiltered dating stories and absurd observations. Trainwreck: Poop Cruise (GB) — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARYAn engine fire leaves 4,000 passengers stranded at sea without power and plumbing in this wild documentary about the infamous 'poop cruise' of 2013. Avail. 6/25/25The Ultimatum: Queer Love: Season 2 — NETFLIX SERIESSix couples put their love to the test by moving in with other partners. Are they ready for marriage — or is 'the one' actually someone else? Avail. 6/27/25Pokémon Horizons: Season 2—The Search for Laqua Part 3 (JP) — NETFLIX FAMILYWith their training complete, the three young adventurers embark on a new quest to learn more about Lucius and track down the rest of the Six Heroes. Squid Game: Season 3 (KR) — NETFLIX SERIESThe third and final season of Squid Game follows Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) after losing his best friend in the game and being driven to utter despair by The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who was hiding his true identity to infiltrate the game. Gi-hun persists with his goal to put an end to the game, while the Front Man continues onto his next move and the surviving players' choices will lead to graver consequences with each round. The world eagerly awaits to see the grand finale written and directed by Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who has vowed to bring the epic story to its deserved closure. Can we hope for humanity in the cruelest of realities? Fans all over the world are counting the days until the final answer is revealed. Leaving NetflixLeaving 6/1/25Batman BeginsBeginnersBurlesqueCloserCult of ChuckyDaddy Day CareThe Dark KnightThe Dark Knight RisesDen of ThievesFrom Prada to NadaGoodFellasMaMagic Mike XXLPride & PrejudiceTedTed 2Two Weeks Notice Leaving 6/11/25Gran Turismo: Based on a True StoryTrap Leaving 6/14/25Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Leaving 6/16/25The Equalizer: Seasons 1-3Won't You Be My Neighbor? Leaving 6/17/25Carol Leaving 6/19/25Migration Leaving 6/21/25American Sniper Leaving 6/22/25Brain on Fire Leaving 6/26/25Ordinary People
IOL News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
ATM's Vuyo Zungula calls out black parties in GNU for neglecting community needs
ATM leader Zungula criticises black-led GNU parties for failing to negotiate meaningful outcomes, pointing to the Freedom Front Plus as an example of successful negotiations for their community's interests. Image: Oupa Mokoena/Independent Newspapers ATM leader Vuyo Zungula has criticised black political parties within the Government of National Unity (GNU), accusing them of prioritising ministerial positions over tangible benefits for their communities. In a video on X (formerly Twitter), Zungula referenced the Freedom Front Plus, a predominantly Afrikaner party, as an example of a political group that negotiated effectively for its constituency during coalition talks. "Last year, as you know, we had elections in our country, followed by a period of negotiations. During that time, something that's not often talked about, there was a party called the Freedom Front Plus, which is predominantly an Afrikaner party. When they were negotiating, they pushed for the recognition and protection of Orania, an Afrikaner-only town,' said Zungula. He accused black-led parties in the GNU of failing to secure meaningful outcomes for their supporters. 'But you find that the other black parties that are now in the Government of National Unity did not negotiate things for the betterment of our people. As long as they got ministerial positions, they were fine. So I think that is the root cause of our problem,' he said. Zungula's comments come amid an intensifying national debate over the continued existence of racially exclusive towns like Orania and Kleinfontein. As previously reported by IOL, ActionSA condemned both settlements, labeling them 'dangerous symbols of racial isolation masquerading as cultural preservation.' Parliamentary Chief Whip Lerato Ngobeni criticised the use of Section 31 of the Constitution,which protects cultural rights, as a justification for racial separation. 'That section protects cultural expression, not the establishment of modern-day Bantustans for those unwilling to let go of apartheid's legacy,' she said. Ngobeni went further, calling Orania and Kleinfontein 'sanctuaries of apartheid nostalgia' and 'breeding grounds for division and symbolic violence against the dream of inclusion.' The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have also taken a firm stance, staging protests at both Kleinfontein and the Northern Cape Premier's Office. EFF leaders argue that such towns promote segregation and violate the Constitution. The Pretoria High Court has previously ruled that Kleinfontein is unlawful due to zoning infractions. EFF Gauteng chairperson Nkululeko Dunga urged the Tshwane Municipality to act swiftly to shut down illegal developments at Kleinfontein. In the Northern Cape, the EFF has pledged to take further action against Orania. 'We can never be party to a government that is allowing segregation within our province,' said EFF representative Prince Mashele. The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) also joined the debate, announcing plans to introduce a private member's bill to clarify Section 235 of the Constitution, which relates to the right of cultural communities to self-determination. Following a fact-finding visit to Kleinfontein, MK Parliamentary Chief Whip Mzwanele Manyi argued that Section 235 is being exploited to justify racial exclusion. 'We hold the view, as the MK Party in Parliament, that Section 235 is vague and leads to all kinds of interpretations, some of which resemble apartheid-era policies,' said Manyi. 'As much as we must respect all cultures, that respect must not in any shape or form remind us of apartheid.' MK Party leaders maintain that communities like Orania and Kleinfontein distort the Constitution's intention by using cultural rights as a shield for racial separation. Meanwhile, the Freedom Front Plus has defended Orania as a legitimate cultural project aligned with the constitutional principle of self-determination. Freedom Front Plus Member of Parliament Dr Wynand Boshoff dismissed the criticism as politically motivated and an attack on minority rights. 'Since its founding, the VF Plus has been advocating self-determination, as embodied by Orania, among others,' said Boshoff. 'In a multi-ethnic country like South Africa, there is often a majority that pays lip service to recognising diversity but, in reality, denies it.' Boshoff further claimed that the ANC government has marginalised Afrikaners through its transformation policies and insisted that Orania operates within the law and does not engage in racial discrimination. [email protected] Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Early months of combined migrant, homeless shelters in Chicago see success, structural challenges
When a converted Kenwood hotel opened its doors to migrants in the summer of 2023, officials who announced the news received vociferous pushback from residents. They had numerous concerns about the shelter at 4900 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive: whether migrants would be vaccinated and fingerprinted; how their children would be educated; the food they would eat. And many wanted to know what Chicago was doing for the large and growing homeless population that predated the migrants' arrival. Almost three years later, buses sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have stopped arriving from the more closely surveilled southern border. The city has closed down most of the facilities it scrambled to stand up to meet waves of asylum-seekers, mostly from Venezuela. Thousands have transitioned to permanent housing. Police stations, once overflowing with newly arrived people, are empty. What remains is a new, merged shelter network officials have dubbed the One System Initiative,which houses anyone, from anywhere, who doesn't have a place to go. The city and state were running 28 migrant-exclusive facilities at the peak of arrivals in January of last year, according to city census data. They have collaborated with nonprofits to run 50 total sites across the system, city officials said. Homeless advocates have long championed the idea of a combined system, saying it would spread out resources to a wider range of people. The first few months under the new system brought changes those advocates hailed as triumphs, including the opening of a new no-barrier emergency shelter on the Lower West Side that works as a gateway to the social service network for anyone. Challenges remain. The number of people who need a short-term place to sleep still exceeds the 7,400 beds available in the merged systems. Some facilities are still dealing with bilingual staff shortages. Even if Chicago's emergency shelters were perfectly equipped to meet demand, advocates say that issues with homelessness will persist unless the city addresses its inadequate supply of affordable housing. And in Kenwood, some residents are pushing back and may take legal action to try to prevent a shelter that once opened for migrants from becoming a permanent fixture in their area. Inside the shelters, residents and workers say there is empathy among the people staying there. 'Some come because their house burned down, others because they just arrived in the U.S. and have nowhere else to go, some are fleeing violence from places like Mexico, Venezuela, or Haiti,' said Marcos Sanchez, a Venezuelan migrant who now works at a state-funded shelter near Midway Airport. 'People support each other emotionally.' The first waves of arriving migrants set off a swirl of activity across the city in August 2022. As arrivals picked up, thousands of volunteers organized to help people get on their feet and the city and state hurried to find shelter for the asylum-seekers, who at one point were arriving by the hundreds. Kenwood wasn't the only neighborhood to see heated arguments about shelters: Woodlawn on the South Side, Galewood on the Northwest Side and Pilsen, a hub for Chicago's Mexican-American community, also became centers of intense debate about whether and how migrants should stay there. Joy Cobbs remembered that while many residents were unhappy about plans to put migrants in hotel buildings in the 4900 block of DuSable Lake Shore Drive — surrounded by high-rise condominiums and townhouses — she and others thought the neighborhood needed to do its part with what city leaders described as a rapid response to a national emergency. 'There was an understanding in the community that this was an emergency situation and it was going to be for a limited time,' she said. 'We did pitch in with blanket drives and toy drives.' Cobbs, 53, and some of her neighbors came to find the activities around the shelter 'extremely disruptive.' They cited large gatherings in nearby parks, litter, outdoor cooking, crime, smoking and drug use among their concerns. 'People can try to make us feel a certain way, say we're intolerant,' Cobbs said. 'We gave literally close to two years of tolerance.' Cobbs is one of a group of residents who have organized Hyde Park Neighbors Preserving Community, which is trying to prevent the shelter from continuing to operate past July, when the city will take it over from the state. The group, led by a seven-person organizing committee, has gotten about 1,200 signatures on a petition asking legislators to oppose the shelter. State Rep. Curtis Tarver, who represents part of the south lakefront in the Illinois House, wrote a letter to the state and the city in late March, decrying the decision to keep the shelter open, its planned capacity of 750 people and the way the decision was communicated to residents. State Sen. Robert Peters agrees: '750 seems pretty large.' But the Chicago Democrat said he is compelled to support the shelter. 'Hyde Park is about embracing people,' he said. 'It has always been about embracing people.' Ginni Cook shares that conviction. Cook, 83, lives a few blocks from the site and said she'd heard her neighbors' objections but felt that 'we can't keep saying, 'not here, not here.'' 'We've got to do what we can,' she said. 'What if that were me?' She thought the facility should house fewer people for the sake of safety and privacy for those living there, and supported the idea of security measures for their protection. Peters wrote to the city and state late last month asking that the shelter's capacity be capped at 450 people, with a promise not to expand into adjacent buildings. He requested that security cameras be installed at the mouth of the parking lot, increased sanitation service and stepped-up communication between officials and the neighborhood about how the facility is operating. By mid-April, 414 people were staying at the shelter, according to the city. Peters, who visited the facility April 15, said most of the people staying there are children. Officials have since acknowledged the letter and been 'responsive' to his inquiries about operations and data, Peters said. Reached for comment, city officials acknowledged that Ald. Desmon Yancy, 5th, reported a 'lack of clarity' about long-term plans for the site and pointed to an update meeting held for residents in February. Though the city said the meeting was meant to 'reaffirm their commitment to supporting both shelter residents and the broader community,' members of Hyde Park Neighbors Preserving Community said the meeting felt like a lecture and were caught completely off guard by its outcome. A flyer has begun to circulate in at least one of the neighborhood's apartment buildings asking residents to help raise money for a legal challenge to the shelter. 'We must fight to maintain our property value, quality of life, and integrity of our neighborhood,' the flyer reads. 'If we don't, we will surely forget it.' The flyer appears to seek about $7,500. An online fundraiser had raised just over $5,000 as of last week. City officials hired several controversial out-of-state contractors — Favorite Healthcare Staffing and GardaWorld Federal Services — to respond to hundreds of migrants arriving in Chicago daily. But Andre Gordillo, whose nonprofit New Life Centers runs two of the shelters as part of its social service network on the South and West sides, said groups like Favorite have 'packed their bags.' These days, Gordillo, who leads New Life's 'New Vecinos' program, said the two state-funded shelters they help operate in Kenwood and in West Lawn are far less busy than when hundreds of people were arriving every day on buses. At the peak of the crisis, 189 migrants a day needed shelter in addition to the existing needs of Chicagoans, according to the city. Now, everyone who stays in a shelter is enrolled in the city's housing waitlist, known as the Coordinated Entry System, but officials no longer differentiate between individuals who have migrated and those who were born in the U.S. As of March, city officials said there were 128 combined — migrant and nonmigrant — requests for shelter a day. About 75% of the people at the shelters New Life runs are migrants, Gordillo said; the rest are a wide range of nationalities from Haitians to Russians. New Life is adjusting its support resources inside the shelter. 'There's been a bit of a learning curve to serving their different needs and wants,' Gordillo said. 'For example … instead of English classes, we've added Spanish classes.' The city's Department of Family and Support Services said in a statement to the Tribune that the initiative to combine the two systems is 'an ongoing process' and that 'while it is going well, there are occasional issues to work through,' such as challenges in hiring and retaining qualified staff and limited funding. Shelter workers are required to take classes on trauma-informed case management and immigration basics, according to the city. DFSS spokeswoman Linsey Maughan said 966 staff at 47 agencies have completed one or more trainings as of April 18. The shelters haven't been the target of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the Department of Homeland Security, Gordillo said, but both migrants and no-migrants have been invited to Know Your Rights trainings in case. 'We've passed around videos and communication,' he said. 'If there's a raid, there are steps to follow. There are people to call.' Gordillo said that when a family needs a shelter placement, they can usually get it within the day. For single people without a place to go, Sam Paler-Ponce, associate director of city policy for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, said 'there is still huge demand' that outstrips the availability of beds. City officials said family homelessness was more prevalent in the migrant population, and as buses from the border decline, single adult rates are rising. Late last month, Maughan said that a shelter near Midway Airport, housing over 500 families, would reorient to serve single adults 'over the coming months' to help address that demand. 'We're all experiencing similar uncertainty' Nikita Thomas said she wasn't expecting to hear Spanish at mealtimes or in the elevator to her room when she and her 6-year-old son arrived at the converted West Lawn hotel near Midway several weeks ago. Thomas, 36, said she and her son Nakari stayed at several temporary shelters for people experiencing homelessness in Indiana before they moved into the converted hotel. There, they became neighbors with the last of the tens of thousands of migrants who were bused to Chicago. Thomas and her son live on a different floor from the asylum-seekers, but they eat meals together, she said. They use Google Translate to communicate. 'I ask them about things that I need, regular things at the shelter,' Thomas said. 'But they don't speak English, so we translate on our phones. They're really nice.' Nearby, Maria Muñoz, a 39-year-old woman from Venezuela's northern mountainous region, expressed gratitude for the social workers at the shelter who have provided mental health support and helped her son enroll in school. 'We're all experiencing similar uncertainty. Tomorrow, anything could happen,' she said. Sanchez, the migrant who now works at the facility near Midway, said 'the shelter still functions the same' no matter who is living there. Sanchez worked in human resources for a firm and taught music at a school in his home city of Maracaibo, Venezuela. He said he left his home country with his wife and 8-year-old son because its schools and hospitals were crumbling, and he stayed at a shelter himself before joining New Life as an employee. Everyone staying at the shelter where he works comes with a 'different type of trauma,' he said, but they've bonded. 'It's impressive to see how everyone interacts using signs and sounds to communicate,' he said. 'I feel there's a lot of resilience. That ability to bounce back no matter the trauma.' Cobbs, the East Hyde Park resident who opposes the area shelter's long-term operation, wanted to know why the city and state were spending millions on emergency shelters when 'the solution for homelessness is affordable housing.' 'This is a lot of money supporting something that could be going toward permanently housing people, where they have resources and kitchens to cook,' she said. While Mayor Brandon Johnson is floating ideas to boost the city's supply of affordable housing, advocates warn that the city is on track to lose at least 845 units of subsidized housing this year. And at the federal level, cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development could put the city, which has seen a steady increase in its homeless population, even further back on its heels in replenishing its affordable housing stock. Paler-Ponce, of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, said all those dynamics made for a 'huge uphill battle' to reduce homelessness for migrants and nonmigrants in and around Chicago. The question, he said, is 'what's next beyond shelter. … It's a serious need, especially in extreme weather, to get people under a roof, but it's certainly not a permanent solution.' Maughan said no cuts had been announced that would affect DFSS and other agencies it runs, but that the city was 'actively monitoring' federal decisions that could impact funding.
