Cardinal Francis George, an intellectual and religious leader in Chicago passed today at the age of 78 after battling cancer. State Senator Mattie Hunter released the following statement to honor his memory and lasting influence within the city:

“Cardinal Francis George was a beacon of hope and peace in Chicago. I am deeply saddened by his loss and my thoughts and prayers rest with his family.”

Samuel Love, an 11-year-old Beasley Elementary School student, is launching a tornado relief toy drive for youth in Fairdale, Kirkland, Rochelle and Belvidere. Love will unveil the toy drive April 17 at a press conference on the second floor of city hall.

“This is personal. It’s personal because those tiny towns are our neighbors and when they hurt, we hurt. In previous years, I’ve always given relief packages to people living in different states,” Love said.

Children trapped within guardianship battles may soon remain with a named caretaker versus bouncing from one home to the next, thanks to a new Senate-approved measure.

“Children need stability to thrive.  Adults shouldn’t be able to move kids from state to state without proper notification and due process,” said State Senator Mattie Hunter, a career advocate for youth rights.

State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) received the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force's "Legislator of the Year" award for her work to end breast cancer detection disparities.

"I'm honored to aid the fight against demographic and ethnic disparities among breast cancer survivors. Early detection can save lives if we educate women about breast density and its effect on diagnosing cancer," Hunter said.

Low public awareness, gender-based stigmas and hereditary breast density increase late detection. Dense breast tissue increases the difficulty of early detection. This disproportionately affects minorities who hereditarily are more likely to have dense breast tissue.