Author: THE AMIR SHAKUR SPEAKS BROADCAST CHANNEL & MEDIA GROUP

THE AMIR SHAKUR SPEAKS BROADCAST CHANNEL & MEDIA GROUP is an American media company based in Chicago, IL. The company was founded by Global Influencer and Journalist Amir "King Seven" Shakur in 2000 the company produces Radio, TV, Magazines etc. Black America World News Associated, Soul America Broadcast Network, The Owl Radio, and more are affiliates. Our ideas of "Civic Responsibility," is defined as the "responsibility of a citizen" (Dictionary.com). We encourage actions and attitudes associated with social participation. Our Actions of civic responsibility can be displayed in advocacy for various causes, such as economic, civil, environmental or quality of life issues. We hope to "Help the World Sing in Perfect Harmony."

Lights, Camera, Chicago: The 62nd Chicago International Film Festival Opens Wednesday

Posted on by THE AMIR SHAKUR SPEAKS BROADCAST CHANNEL & MEDIA GROUP in Chicagoland Culture

CHICAGO URBAN DAILY

CHICAGO (CHICAGO URBAN DAILY)— Tomorrow, Chicago’s movie screens get the star treatment. The 62nd Chicago International Film Festival opens Wednesday, October 14, running through October 25 — 113 feature films and 57 shorts from around 60 countries, the longest-running competitive film festival in North America.

The opening night selection is “Club Kid,” the new comedy-drama from writer-director-star Jordan Firstman, who will also receive the festival’s Breakthrough Award. The festival closes October 25 with Tony Gilroy’s “Behemoth!,” starring Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor and Will Arnett.

The lineup runs deep with hometown flavor. The City & State program includes the world premiere of “Ever After,” following Michelin-starred Chicago chef Curtis Duffy, while Chicago filmmaking duo Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson return with the centerpiece selection “Mouse.” Honorees this year include Sophie Okonedo, Carrie Coon, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Marlon Wayans, with Bob Odenkirk and Tim Blake Nelson scheduled to appear in person.

And it’s not all red-carpet prices: the festival is hosting free community cinema screenings, film talks, and its first-ever Physical Media Fair October 17–18 for collectors to trade LaserDiscs, VHS, DVDs and Blu-rays.

AMC NEWCITY is the festival’s main home, with events at the Music Box, the Gene Siskel Film Center, the Logan Center and more. General tickets run $22, $18 for weekday matinees.

Chicago, the cameras are rolling.

Stay tuned to Chicago Urban Daily for more on the city’s biggest week in film.

Reported by Chicago Urban Daily News. Visit chicagourbandailynews.com for updates.

Picket Lines Before the Starting Line: Hotel Workers Strike Six Downtown Hotels as Marathon Weekend Hits

Posted on by THE AMIR SHAKUR SPEAKS BROADCAST CHANNEL & MEDIA GROUP in Breaking Chicago News

NEWS FLASH

CHICAGO (CHICAGO URBAN DAILY)— Hundreds of hotel workers walked off the job Friday morning at six of downtown Chicago’s biggest hotels, throwing picket lines up right in front of the city’s biggest tourism weekend of the fall: the Chicago Marathon.

The strike, called by UNITE HERE Local 1, hit the Millennium Hotel Knickerbocker Chicago, the Palmer House Hilton, the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, the Waldorf Astoria Chicago, the Westin Chicago River North, and the Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago. Room attendants, cooks, dishwashers, bell staff, front desk agents, servers, and bartenders all joined the walkout after contract talks collapsed.

This is just the opening shot. More than 7,000 workers across 46 hotels voted last month — by an 85% margin — to authorize a strike after contracts expired August 31. Local 1 President Karen Kent says workers at any of the remaining properties “could be on strike at any moment,” and the union has warned as many as 40 more hotels could join the line.

The demands are straightforward: better wages, stronger health care and pension benefits, civil rights protections, and safer workloads. The union notes Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt have returned billions to shareholders in recent years — and says the workers who make the guests’ stays possible haven’t seen their share.

The timing is no accident. The walkout landed two days before the 48th Chicago Marathon, when tens of thousands of runners and spectators flood the city and hotels like the Sheraton Grand sell out completely. Union leaders know exactly the leverage a packed city gives them.

As of Monday morning, the union has announced no end date. The hotels say they plan to keep operating, but marathon-weekend guests should expect thinner service.

Stay tuned to Chicago Urban Daily for updates as this labor fight develops.

Reported by Chicago Urban Daily News. Visit chicagourbandailynews.com for updates.

City Hall Hits Fast-Forward on Camera Tickets: Smart Streets Expansion Clears Committee, Full Vote Set for Wednesday

Posted on by THE AMIR SHAKUR SPEAKS BROADCAST CHANNEL & MEDIA GROUP in politics

CHICAGO URBAN DAILY

CHICAGO (CHICAGO URBAN DAILY)— Smile for the camera, Chicago. Your bike lanes are getting watchful eyes — and this time the program is headed citywide and permanent.

On Friday, the City Council’s Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety passed Ald. Daniel La Spata’s ordinance to expand the Smart Streets Pilot, the automated camera enforcement program that tickets drivers blocking bike and bus lanes. The measure cleared committee unanimously and rolls out in three phases, eventually covering the whole city. It could get a final vote before the full Council as soon as Wednesday, October 14.

The numbers La Spata’s office cites are striking. The pilot program has issued more than 140,000 citations and brought in roughly $2 million in revenue. And the deterrent effect appears real: 82% of drivers who get a warning never get a ticket, and 64% of those who do get a first ticket never get a second.

“Too many friends have been seriously injured, and too many families have lost loved ones. We need to design streets for everyone — especially kids getting around in our neighborhoods,” La Spata wrote after the vote.

The committee meeting also delivered a win for the other side of the bike lane. The proposed Divvy/Lyft contract extension was deferred, stalling a deal critics say locks in bad terms for the city.

If the full Council signs off Wednesday, automated enforcement on bike and bus lanes stops being a pilot and starts being the law of the road, permanently — cameras watching every neighborhood, not just the downtown corridors where it started.

Stay tuned to Chicago Urban Daily for the vote.

Reported by Chicago Urban Daily News. Visit chicagourbandailynews.com for updates.

Chicago’s Fastest Day: Kipruto and Feysa Conquer the 48th Chicago Marathon

Posted on by THE AMIR SHAKUR SPEAKS BROADCAST CHANNEL & MEDIA GROUP in Chicagoland Culture

CHICAGO URBAN DAILY

CHICAGO (CHICAGO URBAN DAILY)— Grant Park to the finish line in Grant Park: Sunday’s 48th Bank of America Chicago Marathon delivered one of the fastest days in race history, with both champions running personal bests in front of massive downtown crowds.

Kenya’s Amos Kipruto stormed to the men’s title in 2:01:09, completing a three-year climb up the Chicago podium after finishing third in 2024 and second last year. He left Ethiopia’s Tadese Bikila nearly two minutes behind, with Bikila crossing in 2:02:56 and Milkesa Mengesha taking third in 2:03:46. Uganda’s defending champion Jacob Kiplimo faded to fourth.

The women’s race was a war. Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa defended her title in 2:13:33, breaking away from Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi in the final mile after a tense back-and-forth that began around the 30-kilometer mark. Lokedi took second in a personal-best 2:14:07, with fellow Kenyan Brigid Kosgei third in 2:14:55. Feysa is now a back-to-back Chicago champion — and her winning time was the second-fastest in race history.

American standouts delivered too. Emma Grace Hurley finished seventh in 2:20:47 — the fastest marathon debut by an American woman, ever. Olympian Clayton Young gutted out seventh in the men’s race in 2:05:23 despite a hamstring injury, with Charles Hicks eighth in 2:05:35 and Vincent Mauri tenth in 2:06:45 after a fearless early charge at the lead pack.

In the wheelchair races, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug won in a course-record 1:21:34, and Catherine Debrunner won in 1:33:16 — reported by NBC Chicago as an unofficial world record.

Roughly 55,000 runners took over the city’s streets. Chicago, you showed up.

Stay tuned to Chicago Urban Daily for more on the weekend’s biggest event.

Reported by Chicago Urban Daily News. Visit chicagourbandailynews.com for updates.

The Mayor’s Pen Strikes Again: Johnson’s Fourth Veto Blocks Debt Vote Rule, Sets Up Override Fight

Posted on by THE AMIR SHAKUR SPEAKS BROADCAST CHANNEL & MEDIA GROUP in politics

CHICAGO URBAN DAILY

CHICAGO (CHICAGO URBAN DAILY)— Mayor Brandon Johnson pulled the veto pen out again Friday — for the fourth time — killing an ordinance that would have made it harder for the city to take on debt.

The measure, championed by retiring Ald. Marty Quinn (13th), would have raised the votes needed for City Council approval of city debt from 26 to 30. The Council passed it 32-15 on September 29. Now Johnson has vetoed it, setting up an override attempt that would need 34 votes.

“Neighborhoods with the greatest infrastructure needs should not face additional barriers to securing essential public investment,” Johnson wrote in his veto letter.

Quinn isn’t backing down. He says he’ll chase an override, targeting the three aldermen who ducked the September 29 roll call: Daniel La Spata (1st), Chris Taliaferro (29th) and Andre Vasquez (40th).

The veto fight lands as City Hall gears up for another bruising budget season — in an election year.

Stay tuned to Chicago Urban Daily for updates on this developing story.

Reported by Chicago Urban Daily News. Visit chicagourbandailynews.com for updates.

Charged With Murder: South Side Man Accused in Fatal 87th Street Stabbing

Posted on by THE AMIR SHAKUR SPEAKS BROADCAST CHANNEL & MEDIA GROUP in Breaking Chicago News

NEWS FLASH

CHICAGO (CHICAGO URBAN DAILY)— A Far South Side man is now charged with murder in a deadly stabbing on East 87th Street.

Kelly Day, 32, was charged with first-degree murder, according to the Chicago Police Department. Police say Day got into a verbal and physical altercation with another man in the 1400 block of East 87th Street last Wednesday. During the fight, Day allegedly stabbed the man multiple times.

The victim was taken to a hospital, where he died. Day fled the scene but was arrested just a few hours later, police said. He was expected to appear in court Saturday for a detention hearing.

Stay tuned to Chicago Urban Daily for updates on this developing story.

Reported by Chicago Urban Daily News. Visit chicagourbandailynews.com for updates.

Da Coach Is Gone: Chicago Mourns Mike Ditka, 86, as Bears Honor Him in Green Bay Today

Posted on by THE AMIR SHAKUR SPEAKS BROADCAST CHANNEL & MEDIA GROUP in Chicagoland Culture

CHICAGO URBAN DAILY

CHICAGO (CHICAGO URBAN DAILY)— Chicago lost one of its own Friday. Mike Ditka — “Da Coach,” the iron-fisted leader of the 1985 Bears — died at 86, his family announced.

The news hit the city like a hit at Soldier Field. Ditka coached the Bears to their only Super Bowl title, going 15-1 in that magical 1985 season with one of the most dominant defenses football has ever seen. As a player, he revolutionized the tight end position, becoming the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.

His family asked for privacy. “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend,” the family said in a statement. “While the world knew Mike as a Hall of Fame football player, legendary coach, and leader of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl XX championship team, we knew him as the heart of our family.”

Today, the Bears play the Packers at Lambeau Field at noon — and they play for Ditka. Willis Tower glowed navy and orange Friday night in his honor. Bears coach Ben Johnson called him “the gold standard” and said it was a sad day.

Stay tuned to Chicago Urban Daily for updates on this developing story.

Reported by Chicago Urban Daily News. Visit chicagourbandailynews.com for updates.

Chicago Is the Runway: Fashion Week Takes Over the City With 50-Plus Events

Posted on by THE AMIR SHAKUR SPEAKS BROADCAST CHANNEL & MEDIA GROUP in Chicagoland Culture

CHICAGO URBAN DAILY

CHICAGO (CHICAGO URBAN DAILY)— New York and Paris had their turn. This month, the runway runs through Chicago.

Chicago Fashion Week is back for its third edition — an 11-day takeover running October 8 through 18, with more than 50 runway shows, pop-ups, industry seminars, shopping events and launch parties spread across neighborhoods citywide. Most events are open to the public, with a mix of free and ticketed programming in museums, design spaces, shops and galleries.

And this Saturday is stacked. Marche Prive: Fashion Week Edition lands at the Zhou B Art Center today. The inaugural Chicago Art Fair wraps its run at THE MART today. If high fashion isn’t your lane, the weekend still delivers: TenderFest takes over Navy Pier today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. — an all-you-can-taste chicken tender festival. The Chicago Zine Fest runs today at the Harold Washington Library, free, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. And the 10th annual Lincoln Park Wine Fest pours through Sunday at Jonquil Park.

Sports fans aren’t left out either. Tonight, the Chicago Fire face New York City FC at Soldier Field, and the Blackhawks host the Carolina Hurricanes at the United Center.

Next week keeps the momentum: “The Journey,” an immersive runway experience from the Emergent Fashion Society, arrives October 14 with tickets from $20 to $60 — and the fifth annual Chicago Fashion Showcase takes over Union Station on October 15 with featured designers including Lauren Lein Designs, Kim-LY, Arthouse Clothing and DoviArt Fashion. The Chicago Streetwear Expo hits The Expo Warehouse on October 17.

Chicago’s fashion scene has been building quietly for years — independent labels, fashion schools pulling global talent, streetwear with real roots. This week, the city is done whispering about it.

Stay tuned to Chicago Urban Daily for weekend coverage.

Reported by Chicago Urban Daily News. Visit chicagourbandailynews.com for updates.

Watched Without a Vote: Mayor’s Office Answers Questions Over CPD’s Secret Access to Flock Surveillance Database

Posted on by THE AMIR SHAKUR SPEAKS BROADCAST CHANNEL & MEDIA GROUP in politics

CHICAGO URBAN DAILY

CHICAGO (CHICAGO URBAN DAILY)— Chicago police ran more than 23,000 searches of a private surveillance database this summer — and the City Council never voted on it.

That number comes from audit logs obtained by FOX32 Chicago, showing the Chicago Police Department queried Flock Safety’s camera database more than 23,000 times between May and July of this year. The city has been quietly paying a third-party company for access since 2024 — nearly $75,000 in taxpayer money — routed through what the city calls an “existing master services agreement” that bypassed the budget office and the City Council entirely. No public hearings. No votes.

The arrangement traces back to a memorandum of understanding with Flock Safety, signed in January 2023 after a process that began in 2021. Under the MOU, Chicago officers can log into Flock’s portal and pull from its entire national camera database.

A high-ranking source inside the department told FOX32 that only investigators and a designated tech team of civilians have access — but the department itself has not confirmed that.

Now the Mayor’s Office is weighing in. In a statement to FOX32, a spokesperson said the Office of Public Safety Administration “obtained access to the Flock database following the conclusion of a process which began in 2021” and “used their discretionary budget to pay for access, beginning in 2024,” adding that the spending “did not require or involve the approval of OBM or the Mayor’s Office.”

The statement continued: “The Mayor’s Office recognizes the serious concerns raised by this arrangement and is engaged in urgent discussions to identify and implement measures to mitigate any potential harm to Chicago residents and protect their privacy and safety.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson is expected to address the issue himself.

Twenty-three thousand searches. Seventy-five thousand taxpayer dollars. And the people footing the bill never got a say. Privacy advocates have been warning about exactly this — a city plugged into a surveillance machine with no public sign-off.

Stay tuned to Chicago Urban Daily as this story develops.

Reported by Chicago Urban Daily News. Visit chicagourbandailynews.com for updates.

Overnight in Chicago: Woman Killed in Chicago Lawn Stabbing, Four Others Wounded Across the City

Posted on by THE AMIR SHAKUR SPEAKS BROADCAST CHANNEL & MEDIA GROUP in Breaking Chicago News

NEWS FLASH

CHICAGO (CHICAGO URBAN DAILY)— Another violent night in Chicago — a woman dead, and four more people hurt before sunrise.

The overnight violence stretched from Thursday evening into Friday morning, hitting three different neighborhoods. A 48-year-old woman was killed in Chicago Lawn after what police describe as an argument turned deadly. It happened around 10:10 p.m. Thursday inside a home in the 3400 block of West 59th Place. Police say the woman argued with a man she knew, and he stabbed her in the chest with a sharp object before fleeing. She was taken to Christ Hospital, where she died. Police recovered a weapon at the scene and say the stabbing appears to be domestic-related.

In Roseland, a 26-year-old man was stabbed around 8:45 p.m. Thursday during a fight with two men he knew inside a residence in the 200 block of East 108th Street. He was cut on the abdomen and taken to Roseland Hospital in fair condition.

In Englewood, a 25-year-old man was shot around 11:23 p.m. in the 6900 block of South Lafayette Avenue after an argument in traffic with someone in a gray SUV. The shooter fired on him, hitting him in the chest and left leg. He lost control of his car and crashed into a pole. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition. The shooter fled.

One more man was shot in the leg in a separate incident. Area One and Area Two detectives are investigating.

Five lives changed in a single night. And the city keeps asking the same question: when does it stop?

Stay tuned to Chicago Urban Daily for updates on this developing story.

Reported by Chicago Urban Daily News. Visit chicagourbandailynews.com for updates.