💻 From Under the El
As I’ve been writing these newsletters, it’s made me think a lot about how Chicago handles ambition. We don’t always brag about it (though we should sometimes). In the City of Broad Shoulders, we just get things done. We build institutions, careers, movement, art. It’s not always perfect. It’s not even polished sometimes. But we keep building. We keep trying. I think that’s a big part of what makes Chicago such a great place to live.
A lot of today’s stories are about the things we build here. As much as your doom-scrolling may try to tell you otherwise, we’re getting a lot of good done. It’s Tuesday. Let’s celebrate some good news.
⏰ tl;dr
A $5 million investment will train and guarantee 1,000 healthcare jobs for Chicagoans over three years
Former White Sox player Micah Johnson returned to a South Side school to inspire students with art and literacy
Chicago’s International Women’s Day Rally & March is bringing people downtown this weekend
🌻 What’s Going Right In Chicago Today
🥼 Pritzker Traubert Foundation awards first-ever $5 million investment to train and guarantee healthcare jobs
A new $5 million investment will immediately scale healthcare training programs and guarantee 1,000 high-impact jobs for Chicagoans over the next three years.
City Colleges of Chicago has unlocked a major funding boost aimed squarely at workforce development. The investment will expand healthcare training programs designed to move students into stable, high-demand roles, from nursing support to advanced clinical pathways.
“Chicago’s future depends on investing in its people. Helping more Chicagoans access on-ramps to economic mobility has been a passion and focus of mine for decades. We are proud to support this innovative project, which can create real opportunities for residents, help address employer pain points, and, importantly, show what’s possible when major institutions collaborate to solve the city’s workforce challenges.”
Healthcare isn’t going anywhere, and now 1,000 Chicagoans will have a clearer path into it. The investment will train and place Chicagoans into 1,000 health care jobs over the next three years and up to 400 positions each year after that
Image Credit: Bahman Razani
🎨 Chicago artist uses his work to speak out against the Iranian regime
An Iranian artist living in Chicago is using public art and performance to challenge the Islamic Republic — something he says he could never safely do back home.
Bahman Razani has lived in Chicago for nearly five years, but he left Iran in 2016 carrying something heavier than luggage: years of silence. Under the current regime, he says, speaking openly through art wasn’t possible. Here, it is.
As an artist, I cannot be silent. As an artist, I have to do something ... it's my duty.
Razani’s work has been openly political and critical of the Islamic Republic. One of his public installations honored grieving families in Iran seeking justice. Another piece drew inspiration from a haunting 2022 image of a detained protester chained to a flagpole with a water bottle just out of reach, a symbol that circulated widely during protests.
Now, as conflict escalates in the Middle East, Razani says his resolve has only intensified and he’s brainstorming his next project.
🩺 Promising mRNA breakthrough could provide a cure for diabetes
Researchers have engineered an mRNA therapy designed to protect insulin-producing cells from immune attack, moving closer to a preventative approach for diabetes.
In research news that could reshape the future of Type 1 diabetes, scientists at the University of Chicago have developed an mRNA-based therapy that sends genetic instructions aimed at shielding insulin-producing cells from the immune system’s attack. Instead of managing the disease after it develops, this approach focuses on prevention: protecting the cells before they’re destroyed.
While it’s still in development and not yet a cure, it represents a meaningful shift toward intervening earlier in the disease process. For millions affected by diabetes — including many Chicago families — even incremental progress toward prevention provides hope.
⚾ Micah Johnson returns to a South Side classroom to inspire a new generation of dreamers
Former White Sox player Micah Johnson visited Minnie Miñoso Academy to read his children’s book and encourage students to dream beyond limitations.
Micah Johnson knows what it’s like to chase one dream and then pivot to another. After his time with the White Sox, he transitioned from baseball to art, building a career that centers imagination, identity, and representation. This week, he brought that message directly to students at Minnie Miñoso Academy.
“My nephew asked if astronauts could be Black, so I was painting him as an astronaut and that evolved into this character Aku… The book is the next form of this character to reach kids all across the country.”
Johnson read from his children’s book Aku, talked about creativity and resilience, and emphasized something simple but powerful: representation matters. For students, hearing from someone who has navigated big transitions and built something new offers proof that it’s never too late to chase after a big dream.
🗓️ Eye On the Chi
Rally & March for International Women’s Day
Solidarity, advocacy, and collective action for International Women’s Day
When: March 8, 11:30 a.m.
Where: Daley Plaza
Stand Up For Science Rally
Scientists, advocates, and supporters come together to defend research, public health, and evidence-based policy.
When: March 7, 1 p.m.
Where: Federal Plaza
💌 Do you have good news of your own? Reply to this email and share your good news. It could be featured in a future issue of Good News, Chicago!
Till next time,
Good News, Chicago
Know someone who could use some good news? Share this newsletter with them ⬇