Welcome to the Reader‘s morning briefing for Tuesday, November 29, 2016.
- Weather: A beautiful day in the 50s
It will be beautiful and warm Tuesday, with a high of 57 and a low of 41. It will be mostly sunny all day, with virtually no chance of rain. [AccuWeather]
- Politicians call for investment in poverty-stricken communities after death of Congressman Danny Davis’s grandson
Dozens of black politicians united at City Hall Monday “to demand that at least 10 percent of city, county, state and federal funds be spent in neighborhoods where at least 20 percent of the population has lived below the poverty line for the past 30 years,” according to the Sun-Times. The call for action comes because of the recent fatal shooting of Javon Wilson, U.S. rep Danny Davis’s 15-year-old grandson, over gym shoes. Poverty is driving the bloodshed in the city’s poorest areas, and investing more money in those communities would reduce the violence, according to Davis. [Sun-Times]
- Video of woman going on racist rant at Lakeview Michaels goes viral
Video of a white woman going on a racist rant, including calling an African-American cashier an “animal,” at a Lakeview Michaels craft store has gone viral. Although another customer was able to catch about ten minutes of the incident on video, it reportedly lasted for about 45 minutes. “But the manager was so calm,” Jessie Grady told DNAinfo Chicago. “Her tone never changed.” “We regret that our customers and team members were affected by this unfortunate incident and are grateful for the leadership of our store team in working to resolve it without further escalation,” the craft-store chain said in a statement. [DNAinfo Chicago]
- The housing crisis in East Chicago
Pacific Standard magazine has a fascinating follow-up on the housing crisis at the West Calumet Housing Complex in East Chicago, Indiana. Residents of the complex are being exposed to toxic metals in the ground, but they might be forced to leave their homes before they are able to find new ones. [Pacific Standard]
- The activists and artists working to save Chicago during violence surge
Local activists—from rappers Common and Vic Mensa to organizers Malcolm London, Charlene Carruthers, and Tasha Viets-VanLear—and the work they’re doing to prevent violence and bloodshed in the city have been profiled by Billboard. “With all that’s happening, you can’t just walk around and pretend it’s not there,” Common writes about the surge in homicides and shootings this year. “You can’t see a dead body in your neighborhood and not care,” he writes. [Billboard]
- Local R&B singer Johnny P dies
R&B singer Johnny P passed away at age 44 after spending a few weeks in a coma, his family confirmed. Johnny P frequently collaborated with fellow Chicagoan Twista, including on their hit song “Po Pimp.” [Hip Hop DX] [Fake Shore Drive]