A new music festival has been announced for Union Park this Memorial Day weekend, headlined by Kaytranada, Keyshia Cole and Kelly Rowland.

Two years after Pitchfork last played the Northside Side park, the first-time Forever Mine Music Festival will have three stages over two days and be devoted to artists “who defined the early 2000s sound and continue to shape the future of R&B and house music,” according to an announcement Tuesday.

Main Stage

May 23: Keyshia Cole, Kelly Rowland, Juvenile and The 400 Degreez Band, JoJo, Lloyd, Bobby V, Baby Bash, Freddy Phatz and Ca$h Era.

May 24: Kaytranada, Monica, Shaggy, Mario, Mýa, Chingy, Nina Sky, M-Dok and Sean Mac.

Warehouse Stage

May 23: Terry Hunter, Lady D, DJ Slugo, John Simmons, Celeste Alexander, Rika B. and Twan.

May 24: Joe Kay, Lou Phelps, Kitty Ca$h, Hillery Banks, Syko, King Inesse and ALL2GTHR.

Silent Disco Stage

Attendees can check out wireless headphones and tune into multiple channels featuring live performances from Francesca Eva, Kid Clay, Evie The Cool and Jukie Tha Kidd.

Forever Mine will be presented by Windy City Events Management and hosted live by Power 92 radio’s DJ Pharris. According to the announcement, the fest will also include art installations from Chicago artists, Y2K-inspired photobooths, merch vendors and the usual assortment of food and drink vendors.

Noon to 10 p.m. May 23-24 in Union Park, 1501 W Randolph St.; tickets (all ages) go on sale at noon Friday with general admission and VIP passes available at foreverminefest.com

dgeorge@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/kaytranada-keyshia-cole-will-headline-new-music-fest-in-union-park/ 

Stephen Foltin, a 14-year-old high school freshman from Arlington Heights, is an avid Blackhawks fan. He’s passionate about his role as a broadcast announcer for various Prospect High School sports.

He’s also raising awareness and funding for pediatric cancer research. Stephen is one of five children — ranging in age from toddlers to teenagers — to be named this year’s ambassadors for St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a nonprofit that funds childhood cancer research grants.

“Representing a wide range of ages, diagnoses, and stages of treatment, they share their stories to highlight the urgency of funding the most promising childhood cancer research,” Jane Hoppen, St. Baldrick’s director of family relations, said in a statement. “Each Ambassador is far more than a diagnosis — they are kids with distinct personalities, strengths, and dreams, reminding us what’s at stake.”

As an ambassador, Stephen will travel across the country to share his experience with cancer.

“I get to represent 400,000 kids worldwide diagnosed with cancer every year,” Stephen said. “I also get to be the voice for them.”

Stephen said he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma — a type of cancer that most often affects children and young adults in their legs or pelvis — in late 2023. He then began treatment, which consisted of inpatient and outpatient chemotherapy, red blood cell and platelet transfusions, and a leg amputation, which resulted in a second revision surgery.

Stephen and his mother, Jennifer Black-Foltin, said doctors gave them options other than amputation, like a limb salvage surgery. But that surgery would lead to a less active lifestyle because the bone would likely be weakened, Stephen said, so he brought up the idea of amputation.

Stephen Foltin, right, laughs with teammate Brendan Meyers following practice with their sled hockey team at Nicholas Sportsplex in Mount Prospect on Jan. 20, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Stephen said he leaned on his family for support during treatment. If he wasn’t feeling well, a family member would pick him up from school and stay home with him.

“Having their support made me feel that I needed to beat this so I could thank them later when this was over,” Stephen said.

Black-Foltin said Stephen remained positive through treatment. Friends and family joined Stephen to celebrate a going-away party for his leg, she said, complete with a cake that read, “We had a good run,” and party hats decorated with stickers of legs with wings.

“Stephen truly comforted us and was more of a rock and support to the rest of us during (his treatment), especially leading up to his amputation,” Black-Foltin said.

His mom added that Stephen researched prosthetics and knew what type of leg he wanted even before his fitting appointment. He also researched sled hockey teams, Black-Foltin said. Sled hockey follows most rules of traditional ice hockey but has special equipment, like sleds resting on blades and hockey sticks with metal picks on the end, to allow players with disabilities to play on the ice. Stephen said he now plays for the Hornets.

Today, Stephen is in remission and said he uses his prosthetic without crutches. He dreams of playing sled hockey in the Paralympics and then coaching hockey before becoming a broadcast announcer.

Stephen Foltin, center, maneuvers himself onto a ramp before hitting the ice at practice for his sled hockey team at Nicholas Sportsplex in Mount Prospect on Jan. 20, 2026. Stephen’s father, Geoff Foltin, is second from right. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

For now, he said he’s going to Washington, D.C., to advocate for pediatric cancer research funding and to Louisville, Kentucky, to promote a Sports Clips campaign against cancer in the coming months. Stephen added that he’ll also speak closer to home in March at a St. Baldrick’s event in Franklin Park.

Sharing his experience has helped some of his friends, who are also amputees, become more comfortable telling their stories, Stephen said. He added that he views his cancer journey as a “rough patch.”

“I don’t give up,” Stephen said. “If I was a professional fighter or boxer, I wouldn’t tap out. I’d be knocked out before I’d ever tap out.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/teen-cancer-ambassador-arlington-heights/ 

NEW YORK — Prize-winning composer Philip Glass has called off a scheduled world premiere at the Kennedy Center of a symphony about Abraham Lincoln, the latest in a wave of cancellations since President Donald Trump ousted the previous leadership.

Glass’ Symphony No. 15, “Lincoln,” was to have been led by Grammy-winning conductor Karen Kamensek for performances on June 12 and June 13.

Philip Glass at 85: He left Chicago more than six decades ago. But Chicago never left him. The CSO is finally playing one of his symphonies.

“Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony,” Glass said in a statement released Tuesday by his publicist. “Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.”

A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center did not immediately response to a request for comment. Glass, who turns 89 on Saturday, was a Kennedy Center honoree in 2018.

More musicians cancel Kennedy Center concerts following addition of President Donald Trump’s name to building

Over the past year, artists withdrawing from planned performances have ranged from Renée Fleming to Bela Fleck. Trump, whose handpicked board of trustees have said they are renaming the center the Trump Kennedy Center, has placed the venue at the heart of his campaign against what he calls “woke” culture.”

Trump’s name already hangs on the outside of the venue, in addition to Kennedy’s, despite such a change requiring and act of Congress.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/philip-glass-kennedy-center-symphony/ 

Guns, Grenades, Killer Drones, & The Hulk: Highlights From The 2026 SHOT Show

Tyler Durden
Tue, 01/27/2026 – 12:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/guns-grenades-killer-drones-and-hulk-highlights-2026-shot-show 

PORTLAND, Maine — The National Transportation Safety Board arrived Tuesday to begin investigating at a Maine airport where a business jet crashed during takeoff, killing all six people on board.

The Paris-bound Bombardier Challenger 600 flipped over and burned on takeoff at Bangor International Airport around 7:45 p.m. Sunday night as the nation’s massive winter storm was beginning to reach the area. It remained unclear on Tuesday if the weather or cold played a role in the crash as investigators were just beginning their work.

Experts say the weather and questions about whether ice accumulating on the wings kept the plane from getting airborne — as has happened at least twice before on that plane model — will likely be an initial focus by the NTSB. However, the agency will consider all possible factors.

The FAA released an updated accident statement on Tuesday that said the six people on board died, and that number included four passengers and two crew members. The statement said the plane “crashed under unknown circumstances on departure, came to rest inverted and caught on fire.”

The crash victims have not been officially identified

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Maine said Tuesday that the office is working with law enforcement to confirm the identities of the people who died.

The jet was registered to a corporation that shares the same address in Houston as the personal injury law firm Arnold and Itkin Trial Lawyers, and one of the law firm’s founding partners is listed as the registered agent for the company that owns the plane.

The international airport in Bangor, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Boston, is one of the closest in the U.S. to Europe and is often used to refuel private jets flying overseas. The Bombardier was headed for France when it crashed.

A preliminary report outlining the facts of the crash should be released in about a month, but the final version likely won’t be published for more than a year.

History of icing problems with these planes

The Bombardier Challenger 600 is a wide-bodied business jet configured for nine to 11 passengers. It was launched in 1980 as the first private jet with a “walk-about cabin” and remains a popular charter option, according to aircharterservice.com.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 model “has a history of problems with icing on takeoff” that caused previous deadly crashes in Birmingham, England; and Montrose, Colorado, more than 20 years ago, aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti said. Even a little bit of ice on the wings can cause serious problems, so careful inspections and de-icing are a crucial step before takeoff, the former federal crash investigator said. And there is a time limit on how long de-icing remains effective. It could last only about 20 minutes.

“Given the weather conditions at the time, and the history of wind contamination with this particular aircraft, I’m sure that’s something the NTSB is going to look into immediately,” Guzzetti said. “If there was any kind of precipitation at all, freezing precipitation, they would have needed to clean off those wings before they took off.”

Funk contributed from Omaha, Nebraska and Dale reported from Philadelphia.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/ntsb-maine-plane-crash/ 

NEW YORK — Pinterest plans to lay off under 15% of its workforce, as part of broader restructuring that arrives as the image-sharing platform pivots more of its money to artificial intelligence.

In a Tuesday securities filing, San Francisco-based Pinterest said it was making these cuts to support “transformation initiatives” — which include reallocating the company’s resources to AI-focused roles and prioritizing AI-powered products. It said it was also working to reshape its “sales and go-to-market approach.”

Beyond the coming layoffs, Pinterest said it will reduce office space. The company expects to complete its restructuring plan by the end of September, incurring pretax charges of $35 million to $45 million.

Pinterest’s job cuts are expected to impact hundreds of workers. As of the end of last year, Pinterest had a total headcount of about 5,200 employees, the company confirmed to The Associated Press.

Like other tech and social media companies, Pinterest has accelerated its integration of AI recently, particularly in consumer-facing offerings. In October, the company introduced AI-powered updates to users’ in-platform “boards” and unveiled Pinterest Assistant, which is also powered by AI and gives users shopping recommendations.

Pinterest isn’t the first company to turn to job cuts while pivoting spending to AI. Last fall, Amazon, for example, said it would cut about 14,000 corporate jobs (close to 4% of its workforce) as it ramped up AI investments while trimming costs elsewhere.

Shares of Pinterest fell more than 9% as of midday trading Tuesday.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/pinterest-workforce-layoffs/ 

Por SAM METZ, WAFAA SHURAFA y SAM MAGDY

JERUSALÉN (AP) — Durante más de dos años, los israelíes llevaron cintas amarillas en sus solapas y se reunieron para recordar a los rehenes secuestrados en el día más mortífero en la historia del país. Sin embargo, como señal de cierre de un doloroso capítulo, el martes, en la Plaza de los Rehenes de Tel Aviv, retiraron sus cintas y apagaron un reloj que daba cuenta de la duración del cautiverio de los rehenes.

El regreso de Ran Gvili, un policía de 24 años asesinado mientras combatía a milicianos de Hamás durante el ataque del 7 de octubre de 2023 en Israel, cumplió con la esperanza nacional de devolver a todos los rehenes, vivos o muertos.

Pero antes de que el país pudiera conmemorarlo, y antes de su funeral, que tendrá lugar el miércoles, equipos forenses peinaron un cementerio en el norte de Gaza, trabajando para localizar, exhumar e identificar sus restos como parte de un amplio esfuerzo en el que participaron equipos de búsqueda, agentes de inteligencia y dentistas forenses.

Una condición del alto el fuego de octubre de 2025 era que Hamás devolviera 20 rehenes vivos y los restos de 28 fallecidos durante la primera fase del acuerdo. Los rehenes vivos, así como los restos de cuatro fallecidos, fueron entregados el día en que el alto el fuego entró en vigor. Los esfuerzos para recuperar más de ellos se convirtieron en un punto de fricción después de que el primer ministro israelí, Benjamin Netanyahu, vinculara la reapertura de un cruce fronterizo en Rafah, la ciudad más al sur de Gaza, a su regreso. Según los términos del acuerdo, Israel se comprometió a devolver los restos de 15 palestinos bajo su custodia por cada cuerpo israelí recuperado.

Un portavoz del Shin Bet, el servicio de seguridad interna de Israel, dijo que los investigadores lograron un avance después de interrogar a un miembro de la Yihad Islámica Palestina, cuya información ayudó a corroborar la inteligencia que los llevó a los restos de Gvili. El Shin Bet dijo que el cuerpo había sido trasladado varias veces.

“Más de 20 dentistas de la unidad trabajaron juntos durante más de 24 horas, explorando aproximadamente 250 cuerpos hasta lograr la identificación del sargento mayor Ran Gvili”, dijo un oficial militar, hablando bajo condición de anonimato según el protocolo del ejército.

El martes, miles de personas que se encontraban en la Plaza de los Rehenes observaron y algunos aplaudieron cuando un reloj se detuvo en 843 días, 12 horas, cinco minutos y 59 segundos, un final agridulce en un lugar que se convirtió en el punto focal de la campaña para liberar a los cautivos.

“Es feliz y triste, habíamos estado esperando un milagro, aunque todos los signos apuntaban en la dirección contraria, que él volvería con vida, pero es un gran alivio que finalmente haya terminado”, dijo Karen Gafen Solomon, quien participó en el movimiento de protesta por los rehenes. “Ha sido lo más importante en nuestras vidas durante los últimos dos años y dos meses.”

Relatos contradictorios

Distintos grupos armados en Gaza cuestionaron la narrativa de Israel sobre cómo se encontró el cuerpo de Gvili, y tanto Hamás como la Yihad Islámica Palestina dijeron que habían proporcionado a Israel información sobre cómo localizar los restos.

Saraya al-Quds, el ala militar de la Yihad Islámica, dijo que compartió coordenadas con Israel a través de mediadores árabes y acusó a Tel Aviv de retrasar la búsqueda. Hamás dijo que también proporcionó información.

Los palestinos que viven cerca del sitio dijeron que los restos exhumados durante la búsqueda quedaron expuestos en el cementerio sin ser enterrados nuevamente.

“Nuestros muertos están al aire libre. Los dejaron sin enterrar o solo cubiertos con tierra”, dijo Mohamed Matter, cuyos familiares están enterrados en el cementerio. Él y otras personas dijeron que intentaron llegar al área el martes, pero fueron rechazados por las fuerzas israelíes. Dos personas murieron en un ataque de dron israelí mientras intentaban llegar al área y fueron trasladadas al Hospital Shifa, donde fueron declaradas muertas, según autoridades del hospital.

El ejército de Israel dijo que no estaba al tanto de los ataques y advirtió que no se debe confiar en informes no verificados.

El portavoz de Hamás, Hazem Qassam, dijo el martes que las fuerzas israelíes habían exhumado “cientos de tumbas”, calificándolo como un patrón de falta de respeto.

Los restos humanos tienen una profunda importancia en el judaísmo y en el islam, que enfatizan el entierro rápido y el respeto por los cuerpos.

“Las cosas deberían ser mejores que esto”

El presidente israelí, Isaac Herzog, dijo que el regreso de los restos de Gvili “cerró el círculo” para Israel, mientras que el enviado estadounidense Steve Witkoff lo calificó el martes como “un nuevo día en Oriente Medio”. Pero en Gaza, las familias que se refugian en tiendas de campaña sin combustible para calefacción dijeron que hoy se sentía casi igual que ayer.

En Jan Yunis, cuestionaron si sus vidas mejorarían rápidamente a medida que el acuerdo de alto el fuego avanza hacia una segunda fase, y algunas personas dudan que Israel cumpla con el avance prometido.

“Se supone que el cruce debe abrirse ahora después de que se encontró el cuerpo del último soldado”, dijo Ali Abu Al-Eish, un exresidente de Rafah. ”¿Por qué sigue cerrado? Hay muchas personas enfermas aquí. Las cosas deberían ser mejores que esto. Basta.”

”¿Por qué demoran Hamás e Israel?”, preguntó Ayda Abu Dheisha. “Que lleguen a un acuerdo y resuelvan esto por nosotros. Queremos regresar a nuestra tierra y a nuestros hogares.”

Ambos forman parte del aproximadamente un millón de antiguos residentes desplazados de Rafah, que sigue siendo una zona militar israelí. Las autoridades israelíes han dicho que se espera que el cruce se reabra de manera limitada tras el regreso de Gvili.

Grandes preguntas sin respuesta

Israel ha dicho que Rafah inicialmente se abriría solo para personas, no para bienes, que continúan ingresando a Gaza a través de cruces desde Israel. Pero ha dado pocos detalles sobre quién podría ser elegible para pasar y si las salidas se limitarán a evacuados médicos. También sigue sin estar claro cuándo se permitirá la entrada de ayuda desde Egipto.

Ninguna de las partes se retiró del alto el fuego de cuatro meses durante su fase inicial, mientras los mediadores internacionales presionaban a Israel y Hamás a dar los pasos posteriores. Se espera que estos sean aún más desafiantes. Además de reabrir Rafah, incluyen desmilitarizar la franja después de casi dos décadas de gobierno de Hamás.

El plan de 20 puntos del presidente estadounidense Donald Trump, publicado en octubre, tiene detalles imprecisos y dejó grandes preguntas sin respuesta sobre la próxima fase del alto el fuego. Entre ellas, está el momento en que Israel podría permitir que el comité tecnocrático palestino que se reúne en El Cairo ingrese a Gaza, y cuándo las fuerzas israelíes podrían retirarse de las áreas que actualmente controlan, permitiendo que los palestinos desplazados regresen.

Otras incertidumbres incluyen cómo se aplicaría y monitorearía cualquier nuevo arreglo de gobierno, y qué condiciones deberían cumplirse antes de una reconstrucción a gran escala.

El Ministerio de Salud de Gaza ha registrado 488 personas muertas desde el inicio del alto el fuego, en ambos lados de la línea amarilla a la que el ejército israelí se retiró en octubre. El ministerio, que es parte del gobierno liderado por Hamás, mantiene registros de bajas que son considerados generalmente confiables por agencias de las Naciones Unidas y expertos independientes.

Los hospitales y el ministerio han continuado informando nuevas muertes casi todos los días, aunque el ritmo ha disminuido desde el alto el fuego, llevando el total de muertes a 71.662 hasta el martes.

El ministerio dijo el martes que alrededor de 20.000 palestinos requieren evacuación médica desde Gaza. Se espera que las salidas hacia Egipto sean de los primeros movimientos permitidos a través del cruce de Rafah.

___

Magdy informó desde El Cairo. Melanie Lidman en Tel Aviv y Natalie Melzer en Nahariya, Israel, contribuyeron a este despacho.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/israel-recibe-los-restos-del-ltimo-rehn-tras-ms-de-dos-aos-de-guerra-y-dolor/ 

As they look ahead to 2026, officials in both Lake Forest and Lake Bluff are focused on a mix of long-term planning and near-term projects aimed at guiding growth, improving infrastructure, and maintaining community character.

Lake Forest City Manager Jason Wicha and Lake Bluff Village Administrator Drew Irvin shared updates on forthcoming initiatives during a Jan. 16 forum hosted by the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce.

Wicha noted the Lake Forest City Council adopted a new strategic plan last year.
“It establishes a vision, goals, and priorities for the community and drives all of our decision-making,” he said. “Everything ties back to the strategic plan.”

Along similar lines, Wicha said the city is in the final stages of updating its comprehensive plan, a document revised every 20 years.
“It is intended to guide all land-use decisions for the city of Lake Forest,” he said. “Land use really is the center of the universe in Lake Forest, and there is a significance and importance in getting this right.”

Wicha acknowledged the competing interests involved in development.
“Lake Forest is not a museum, but we also place tremendous emphasis on maintaining the character of our community,” he said. “That balance is critical.”

He noted there are several potential redevelopment opportunities in the central business district and the Settlers Square business district on the city’s west side.

Separately, Wicha said the city is conducting a parking analysis in the central business district amid concerns about limited availability.
“It’s a great problem for us to have, but it is a problem,” he said.

The goal, he said, is to simplify regulations and improve customer access by creating dedicated employee parking zones along the district’s perimeter. Wicha said the City Council is expected to review a proposed parking plan in February, with new regulations taking effect May 1.

Irvin said Lake Bluff is examining additional residential housing opportunities along the Waukegan Road corridor near Route 176, as well as in an area near the village’s central business district, with a focus on multifamily housing.

“It may only be the size of a postage stamp, but it is a very important area for the village to grow and add housing stock that residents and the market want,” he said.

Irvin said the village’s plan commission/zoning board of appeals is actively reviewing potential development, particularly in the area known as Block Two, bordered by North, Walnut, Scranton, and Oak avenues. He said alignment between the village’s vision and its regulations is necessary before development can move forward.

A planning firm retained by the village is developing concepts for the site, though Irvin said the process is expected to take at least a year.
“Lake Bluff is very much about getting it right,” he said.

Elsewhere in the village, Irvin said there could be movement this year on redevelopment of the long-dormant Stonebridge Estate at 136 Green Bay Road. Irvin said he expects a Pagani, a high-priced sports car brand, dealership to open later this year.

On the infrastructure front, Irvin said work will continue this year on the installation of a large stormwater pipe designed to redirect water out of the village and alleviate flooding. He added that a complete reconstruction of a section of Green Bay Road, along with a bridge replacement, is expected to begin in April as part of a 24-month project.

Wicha reflected on the recently completed Deerpath Road renovation, which disrupted pedestrian and vehicle traffic in downtown Lake Forest for much of 2025.
“We know construction projects are disruptive,” he said, “but once completed, they are critical to enhancing quality of life and reducing future financial burdens for city councils and taxpayers.”

He added the city’s police department is expected to move into its new headquarters at the Conway Park office complex in August or September.

After the forum, Wicha said negotiations for a new firefighters’ contract are expected to begin in the coming weeks.
“I remain optimistic we will continue our tradition of positive labor-management relations and reach an agreement amicably,” he said.

Both communities are also planning enhanced July 4th celebrations in conjunction with the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/lake-forest-lake-bluff-managers-highlight-long-term-planning-and-near-term-projects-at-chamber-of-commerce-forum/ 

If you missed the Elgin Fringe Festival last fall, here’s chance to get a small taste of what it’s all about.

The 7th annual Winter Mini Fringe, presented by Side Street Studio Arts and the Elgin Fringe Festival, will be held from 1 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at Side Street Studio Arts in downtown Elgin.

It’s a one-day event designed to capture the creativity, artistry and purpose of the Fringe Festival on a much smaller scale, said Nick Mataragas, Elgin Fringe Festival’s artistic director.

When they first started doing a Mini Fringe, the event’s organizers hand-picked shows they liked from Fringe Fest and wanted to see again.

“It’s evolved over the years into us giving opportunities to shows that stood out to us in the lottery that weren’t selected,” Mataragas said. “They’re shows we wanted to be in the main festival but that just didn’t get drawn during the lottery.

“We also added a potluck element last year, which was really fun, so we’re continuing it this year. And this year for the first time, we’re partnering with the Green Bay Fringe. We’re having one of their artists come down and perform at the Mini Fringe. Those are the big things that have changed over the years.”

People are encouraged to bring food for a community potluck that artists and audiences alike can share and enjoy throughout the afternoon, he said.

“It adds that kind of Midwest family vibe,” he said.

Nick Mataragas, artistic director of the Elgin Fringe Festival and the Mini-Fringe event being held Saturday, introduces a show at a previous Mini Fringe event. (Elgin Fringe Festival)

The Winter Mini Fringe kicks off with a visual art show featuring Adam Grewenig, the 2026 Elgin Fringe poster artist, and works by previous Elgin Fringe poster artists in the Side Street Studio Gallery.

“It’s a retrospective of artists who have designed posters for the Fringe,” Mataragas said.

The first show at 4 p.m. is called “Ozark Phantasmagoria,” by storyteller Ursa Miles, an original, one-woman performance about cryptids in the Ozarks in the 1930s. At 5:30 p.m. is “The Aisle Play” by Sword and Ink Theater, a dark, post-apocalyptic comedy that is more of a traditional theater piece, Mataragas said.

At 7 p.m. is “Bad Stories for Bad Children” by Cardboard Theatre of Green Bay, Wisconsin, a series of short stories told through a puppet show.

The Closed Captions Spanglish Stand-Up Comedy Show closes out the event at 8:30 p.m. It is hosted by Jose Alfredo and consists of four Chicagoland comics telling jokes mostly in English.

Tickets cost $15 for one show and $40 for all four.

The response has been positive for Mini Fringe, Mataragas said.

“Usually, there’s a pretty good turnout. It’s a pretty fun time. It’s a nice mix — we get a lot of our Fringe regulars coming in (saying) it’s good to have a nice Fringe moment between the main festivals,” he said. “We also get new people in seeing Fringe shows for the first time. It’s definitely a good gateway into the big festival because it’s not overwhelming. It’s only four shows

The shows are his favorite part of the Fringe Festivals, he said.

“I’m a sucker for seeing something different or weird or moving,” he said. “And you get that. The nice thing about the Mini Fringe is we don’t do four of the same shows. Every show is uniquely different than the other shows. I get a chance to see that and get those moments from each of those things in their own way and that’s pretty cool.”

Submissions for the 2026 Fringe Festival in September open on Feb. 1 and close March 1, he said. Entries are picked in April via lottery, with categories including local, touring, equity, first-time Fringe acts and Spanish entries.

The schedule doesn’t allow for much time off, Mataragas said.

“As soon as the festival ends, we start planning this and next year’s festival,” he said. “It is a lot of work but luckily there are enough of us to get the job done. It’s a lot, but it’s also worth it. It always feels so rewarding to see what happens because of all the work that we do.”

Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/mini-fringe-fest-elgin-side-street/ 

A disagreement between U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, and Indivisible McHenry County resulted in a last-minute cancellation of a conversation between the congressman and members of the group.

Sue Rose, the communications lead and a member of the Indivisible McHenry County steering committee, said the group worked for several weeks trying to arrange the gathering. After agreeing on a number of details, the event was scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at a local church.

Rose said she spoke with a representative of Schneider’s campaign several times last week and thought there was an agreement on the format and the list of people who would be attending. Then the event fell apart.

“At 4 p.m. Friday, I got a call canceling,” Rose said. “He is no longer interested in speaking at the event due to his discomfort over some of the people who registered to attend the event,” she added, using language from an email informing registrants of the cancellation.

Schneider’s reelection campaign canceled Indivisible McHenry County’s  “Conversation with Congressman Brad Schneider” on Friday afternoon for the event less than 24 hours before it was scheduled to take place in McHenry.

Cait McNamee, a spokesperson for Schneider’s campaign, said in an email Monday that it is unfortunate the event fell apart after several conversations between both sides.

“It is disappointing that some are trying to mischaracterize the facts,” McNamee said.

Rose said Indivisible originally asked Schneider to do a town hall with its members, but he did not want to call it a town hall so they agreed to characterize it as a conversation. She said participants would not speak —  They would write questions on an index card and a moderator would read them.

Initially, the Schneider campaign suggested doing the event virtually, but Rose said his campaign agreed on Jan. 21 to a live event. The following day, she said, the campaign asked for a list of attendees. She said she was told the purpose of the list was related to security concerns.

“I marked on it who was known to me and who was unknown,” Rose said. “They said they wanted the sergeant-at-arms to look at it for security purposes.”

When Indivisible McHenry County held a town hall with U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville,
Rose said registration was also required for those planning to attend.

Among the people registered to attend Schneider’s appearance was his opponent in the March 17 Democratic primary Morgan Coghill of Mundelein, and some members of Coghill’s family. Rose said Coghill is a member of Indivisible McHenry County.

Less than 24 hours before the scheduled event, Rose said she got a call from Schneider’s campaign canceling the event. She said she was told it was because of some of the people on the list, including Coghill. She offered possible alternatives, but the answer was firm.

“I suggested a Zoom rather than doing it in person,” Rose said. “They said no. We had 80 people signed up and they had to be informed. I was on the phone with our steering committee and we agreed on the language,” she added, referring to the “discomfort” comment. “We believe in transparency.”

McNamee said in her email that the event was supposed to be “a casual conversation between Brad Schneider and their members.” Learning about Coghill’s presence made a difference in what the event would be, she said.

“The campaign team was surprised to learn that Indivisible McHenry had invited the congressman’s opponent to participate in the program, effectively turning what was to be a conversation with Congressman Schneider about recent events and his votes into a debate with his opponent,” she said.

For people who want to hear Schneider and Coghill discuss issues of importance to voters in the 10th Congressional  District, the two are scheduled to participate in an online forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Lake County on Feb. 19.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/brad-schneider-indivisible-mchenry-county/