Illinois

Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste — two artists from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — met 25 years ago, in a high school orchestra class. Growing up, neither one had had much exposure to classical music; both said their parents were more likely to listen to reggae or calypso. Classical music felt like it was supposed to be for other people, which had the effect of drawing them even closer to … [Read more...] about On ‘Time To Shine,’ Black Violin Focuses On The Light

Peter Sulewski spent nearly four years roving through Baltimore's homeless shelters, and saw the toll it takes on health — even without the added threat of COVID-19."I've seen people freeze to death out there," says Sulewski, whose home burnt down six years ago. At the same time, he says, "I would hate to be in a shelter during a pandemic. You're walking through doorways at the … [Read more...] about Vaccinating Homeless Patients Against COVID-19: ‘All Bets Are Off’

NPR Music's Tiny Desk series will celebrate Black History Month by featuring four weeks of Tiny Desk (home) concerts and playlists by Black artists spanning different genres and generations each week. The lineup includes both emerging and established artists who will be performing a Tiny Desk concert for the first time. This celebration highlights the beautiful cornucopia of … [Read more...] about 2 Chainz: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Amazon Tuesday, claiming the massive e-commerce company's "flagrant disregard for health and safety requirements" during the coronavirus pandemic put the lives of workers and the general public at risk.She accused the company of shoddy contact tracing and poor cleaning - both designed to prevent the spread of the virus - at two New … [Read more...] about New York Sues Amazon For COVID-19 Workplace Safety Failures

Decades of tough-on-crime policies have begun to give way in recent years to conversations about alternatives to incarceration. State lawmakers on Tuesday heard from advocates who say interventions that get at the roots of crime, like mental health and poverty, can be more effective at reducing crime. Greg Jackson of the Community Justice Action Fund, which provides support to … [Read more...] about Sentencing Reform Advocates Urge State To Prioritize Incarceration Alternatives