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Friday, March 30, 2012

Mega Millions jackpot grows to $640M | VIDEO The Mega Millions jackpot hit a world-record $640 million on Friday, the day of the drawing. The odds of winning are about 1 in 176 million, lottery officials say. 1 dead, 5 hurt in Gresham store shooting | VIDEO One person is dead and five others are recovering after a shooting near 79th and Bishop inside a convenience store. NW Side yard won't be searched for Gacy victims Cook County sheriff's police will not get a second chance to search a Northwest Side yard for victims of serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Ill. law would stop password snooping by bosses Employers would be barred from asking workers and job applicants for their passwords to social media sites such as Facebook under legislation approved Thursday by the Illinois House. New lion arrives at Lincoln Park Zoo Lincoln Park Zoo welcomes a new lion, Sahar, who is currently on quarantine. He will join Myra, whose longtime companion Adelor died last month, at the Kovler Lion House. All Urban Prep seniors to attend 4-year schools | VIDEO For the third year in a row, seniors at Urban Prep Academy have repeated an accomplishment that some thought would be impossible. MORE STORIES Strange News Driver dressed as Batman escapes ticket in Md. | VIDEO Judge: US House candidate can say he was astronaut Alabama club starts 'Food Stamp Friday' promotion Conn. police free sex shop customer from handcuffs Replica of Civil War sub stuck beside interstate Consumer Hiring a Home Contractor | VIDEO Consumer Reports: Dicey Debit Cards Mattel to make bald Barbie Study finds most consumers pay car loans first LivingSocial launches delivery, takeout service Healthbeat Healthbeat Report: Ulcerative Colitis | VIDEO Alcohol may raise woman's breast cancer risk Autism rates up; screening, better diagnosis cited Report: US cancer rates decreasing Study says Gardasil reduces HPV recurrence MOST POPULAR Mega Millions drawing Friday; odds not in your favor Police arrest 57 in crackdown on drug dealing Illinois sells lottery tickets online as jackpot soars Hundreds buy Illinois Lottery tickets online 1 dead, 5 hurt in Gresham store shooting All Most Popular

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Action Alert # 3 - Save Crossroads Adult Transition Center - Please Act Now

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Public Policy and External Relations March 30, 2012 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Urgent SAFER FOUNDATION: ACTION ALERT #3   __________________ SAVE CROSSROADS ADULT TRANSITION CENTER    March 30, 2012   Crossroads ATC helps rebuild lives, families, and communities     We need your help! Contact your state legislators today to voice opposition to Governor Quinn's proposal to cut FY 2013 funding for the vitally important reentry program at Crossroads Adult Transition Center.   Consider this:   When a person with a criminal record is able to rebuild his life through employment and education, the impact goes well beyond the individual.  The family becomes stronger and healthier when the individual is a productive member, and the community is stronger and safer when there are more contributing members of society.   Crossroads ATC, which has served Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood since 1983, provides 750 men each year with access to cost-effective services, such as substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, basic skills, GED preparation, job preparedness training, parenting skills, and family reunification. Crossroads works, and it makes a difference in lives, families and communities!   Watch this short video to see how Crossroads clients are making a real difference in their communities.  How Safer Foundation Helps   Without reentry programs, like those provided by Crossroads, there are real risks: Unsuccessful transition from prison (the revolving syndrome) Communities and human services organizations being forced to bear the financial and social burden of managing unemployed persons with criminal records Public safety put in jeopardy.   We need your help to save Crossroads!   Take Action Today:   Call your state lawmakers today to express your disagreement with Governor Quinn's proposal to cut funding to Crossroads. CLICK HERE, to use the attached phone script. Find your legislator here: http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109435319415&s=0&e=001k1DwNk1g59X6IecujTCNr1YHJUEuSXBe2R0mvRRapiKkbqv2Fn90_CaUt1B-0JHCNS9tNG59sMTHUuePuxvqQMefMH_omIUH    Mail a letter to ask your legislator to work to reverse the Governor's decision and to convince his/her colleagues to do the same. CLICK HERE, to use the attached letter. Find your legislator here: http://www.ilga.gov/    Sign an online petition encouraging Illinois legislators to restore funding to Crossroads. http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109435319415&s=0&e=001k1DwNk1g59X6IecujTCNr1YHJUEuSXBe2R0mvRRapiKkbqv2Fn90_CaUt1B-0JHCrfEdHcmQ64ANWiRFaJwkJKSgU3_SwKfp    Encourage your family and friends through conversation, and your Facebook and Twitter followers, to join you in this stand to save Crossroads.              The Message: Below are several points to make when calling or writing your legislator.   The decision to close Crossroads Adult Transition Center will have a severely negative impact on the public safety and fiscal health of our State. We understand that the current economic situation is difficult, but cutting funding to programs that actually save taxpayers money and protect our communities is not the way to fix it. Closing Crossroads would:     Hurt our State's long-term economic health. Put thousands of families in our communities at risk of increased criminal activity. Hinder hundreds of former offenders from becoming productive members of society. Be an irresponsible use of taxpayers' dollars.   Please ask lawmakers to reverse Governor Quinn's decision and help protect the people and the financial future of Illinois.   If you have any questions, please call Jon Kaplan or Veronica Cunningham at Safer Foundation, (312) 922-2200.   Follow Us on Twitter! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Follow @SaferFoundation on Twitter for more updates on criminal justice news and more information about the organization. We appreciate your support!  Public Policy and External Relations Contacts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ B. Diane Williams, President / CEO Veronica Cunningham, Vice President, Public Policy and External Relations Jon Kaplan, Director, Marketing ans Communication Anthony Lowery, Director, Policy and Advocacy phone: 312-922-2200 www.saferfoundation.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Many articles refer to people with criminal records as "ex-offenders" or "offenders". While we appreciate all the positive press these issues receive, we are working to use other terms to describe our clients that do not carry such negative connotations. These terms include "people with criminal records" or "people reentering society".

Andrea Zopp Discusses the Trayvon Martin Tragedy in the Chicago Defender

The Chicago Urban League joins the National Urban League movement in calling for justice in the death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. We encourage you to visit iamempowered.com  to stay informed about the case and to have your voice heard.      JUSTICE DEMANDED IN THE DEATH OF TRAYVON MARTIN Andrea L. Zopp on the triumph of Don Thompson and the tragedy of Trayvon Martin in this week's Chicago Defender   Triumph and Tragedy   By Andrea L. Zopp   Published in the Chicago Defender on March 28, 2012   Like bookends, two major news events that have recently captured the attention of America stand distinctly and tragically apart. One involves the senseless shooting of Trayvon Martin, 17, an unarmed Black teenager in Florida by a white Hispanic, self-deputized neighborhood watch captain; the other, Don Thompson, 48, a Black man who grew up poor but got a great education and a chance to prove his himself and will soon become the CEO of McDonald's.   Trayvon may have died because of his race, showing what can happen when fear and bias rule. Thompson was elevated to CEO of McDonald's Corp. one of the largest and most successful companies in the world, proving the value of embracing our differences. The opposing fates of Martin and Thompson, 48, are like two sides of a mirror on our country showing both our deepest challenges but also our amazing power and potential.  CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL COLUMN      National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial Demands Justice in the Death of Trayvon Martin      NEW YORK (March 21, 2012) -- Being a young black man has been called the hardest job in America.  Young black men are much more likely than white men to be jobless, in jail and labelled "suspicious," sometimes with deadly consequences.  Such was the case on February 26th, when 17-year-old high school student, Trayvon Martin, was shot and killed by a white neighborhood-watch vigilante in Sanford, Florida.  The shooter, George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old white Hispanic, noticed Trayvon walking through his gated community and called 911 to report a suspicious person.  Instead of following the dispatcher's instructions and ending his involvement there, Zimmerman continued following Trayvon.  An altercation ensued and Trayvon was shot.  Zimmerman claimed self defense and has not been charged with a crime.  Trayvon's parents are both heartbroken and outraged.  As Benjamin Crump, the family's lawyer put it, "If Trayvon would have been the triggerman, it's nothing Trayvon Martin could have said to keep police from arresting him Day 1, Hour 1."   CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL COLUMN       Sign the Petition to Prosecute the Killer of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin    CLICK HERE to sign the petition to prosecute George Zimmerman.     CHICAGO URBAN LEAGUE ANNUAL SUMMIT WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012  |12PM - 1:30PM        CLICK HERE TO REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFO        FOR SPONSORSHIP INFO EMAIL US AT VSPITZER@THECHICAGOURBANLEAGUE.ORG OR CALL 773-285-5800   LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD BY JOINING BOARDLINK  CLICK HERE TO JOIN BOARDLINK OR FOR MORE INFO CELEBRATE THE BAYARD RUSTIN CENTENNIAL AT UIC Honor the legacy of civil rights leader Bayard Rustin at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Bayard Rustin Centennial Conference on March 30 and 31. Shari E. Runner,  Chicago Urban League Sr. Vice President for Strategy and Community Development, will participate in the closing panel, "Intersectional Coalition Building." email: lgbtqa@uic.edu or call (312) 413-8619 for more info or for accommodations 2ND SESSION OF YIEP - BEGINS MARCH 31 DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS FRIDAY, MARCH 23      CLICK HERE TO EMAIL JOSHUA MERCER FOR MORE INFO  OR CALL 773-285-5800  REGISTER TODAY FOR 10,000 SMALL BUSINESSES  FREE CLASSES/WORKSHOPS!!! APPLICATIONS DUE  ON APRIL 23, 2012   FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE    THE CHICAGO URBAN LEAGUE CELEBRATES ITS 95TH YEAR   Text "CUL95" to 48510 to donate $95 and help us continue to empower communities and change lives!    CLICK HERE TO DONATE!! Community Events and Programs    Register by Friday, March 30th for early-bird deadline and for the Elevator Pitch Competition deadline and Conference Creative     Could your company use a boost to maximize its potential? If so, join us for the 2012 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo hosted by Nationwide "where your small business IS big business" taking place May 23-26, 2012, at the Hilton Chicago in Downtown Chicago. Prepare to take your organization to higher heights with dynamic workshops and speakers that will enable you to be a major competitor in your market. Register by the March 30th early-bird deadline to save $200 off this worthy investment in your future success at www.blackenterprise.com/ec. Use the Chicago Urban League promo code MCARE2 upon checkout for even greater savings! DREAMGIRLS ON STAGE AT THE HAROLD WASHINGTON CULTURAL CENTER TICKETS ON SALE NOW    CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION     Visit http://www.commongroundfoundation.org/ for more info.     Call (773) 553-5664 to RSVP for more info call Marie F. Penny at 773-543-0341 or email her at bronzevillecac53@gmail.com       Chicago Urban League 4510 S. Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60653