PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
Rapper gives $1M to Chicago schools, blasts Illinois’ governor
Chance the Rapper’s unusual intervention into Chicago Public Schools’ funding crisis took a more curious turn Monday when the Grammy-winner presented a $1 million check to city schools and urged Gov. Bruce Rauner to use his executive powers to help the nation’s third-largest district.
Rauner and the artist — whose real name is Chancelor Bennett — met Friday, leaving the rapper visibly agitated. Rauner called the meeting a “good exchange of views.”
On Monday the Chicago native stopped at an elementary school near where he grew up to announce the donation to a schools’ foundation, calling himself a “public school kid.” He also accused Rauner of failing to present solutions without “caveats or ultimatums.”
“This isn’t about politics. This isn’t about posturing. This is about taking care of the kids,” he said. “Everybody and their mama knows what’s going on in Chicago. We’re about to enhance the conversation on supporting and funding the education of the kids in Chicago.”
Paxton died of stroke after heart surgery
Bill Paxton’s death certificate states the actor died last month from a stroke days after surgery to replace a heart valve and repair damage to his aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
The prolific actor died late Feb. 25, 11 days after the surgery. Since Paxton died under the care of doctors, his death was not subject to an autopsy by the county coroner.
Paxton starred in such films as “Twister,” “Titanic” and “Aliens.”