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Articles by Ali Hart
Agents in the Mix: How the very best marketing teams operate
Things have changed in marketing teams. While marketers are still running the show, agents are now in the briefing, behind the scenes, and handling the work that used to eat everyone’s week. High-quality output, better campaigns, and a marketing department that can now really bring the magic. Agents in the Mix is built for marketers actually doing the work; the ones creating, distributing, optimizing, analyzing, and operating.
Optimizing FinServ: How Opal streamlines content compliance
3 min read time For the financial services industry, content is crucial – but compliance is essential. Every marketing piece, customer communication, and online presence must meticulously adhere to a complex web of regulations. This isn't merely a best practice; it's a legal requirement. But what if there was a method to manage this complexity with greater speed and precision?
Insurers often shortchange mental health care coverage, despite a federal law – Illinois Eagle
By Nada Hassanein, Stateline If you or someone you know is in need of help, dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free and confidential support or text HELLO to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. When she tried to find help for her daughter’s depression, Michelle Romero was frantic, panicked and heartbroken. She searched and searched for mental health clinicians within her daughter’s insurance coverage network.
HIV self-test kits are meant to empower those at risk − but they don’t necessarily lead to starting HIV treatment or prevention – Illinois Eagle
By Oluwafemi Atanda Adeagbo, University of Iowa; Engelbert Bain Luchuo, University of Johannesburg, and Oluwaseun Abdulganiyu Badru, University of Iowa HIV self-test kits were developed to make it easier for people to access HIV testing. However, our research team has found that many people who use self-test kits do not go on to receive needed HIV treatment or start preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, to prevent future infection.
Florida and Kentucky are losing educators to extreme anti-LGBTQ laws – Illinois Eagle
Originally published by The 19th Your trusted source for contextualizing LGBTQ+ and education news. Sign up for our daily newsletter. By Orion Rummler, The 19th In Florida and Kentucky, teachers are struggling under the weight of the most extreme anti-LGBTQ education laws in the country. And some of them are leaving — either their profession or their state.
The Frogtown Show
About this Event **Please note: The Frogtown Show is general seating. A ticket does not guarantee a seat, so arrive early!** The Frogtown Show is a monthly comedy show at Spoke Bicycle Cafe on the LA River every second Saturday! This month we've got an awesome lineup with Cameron Esposito, Steve Hernandez, Nick Turner, Francesca Fiorentini & a SPECIAL GUEST plus host Erin Dewey Lennox! Delicious food and drink available. The show is outdoors but there's a roof over the seating area.
Fabulous Ladies of Fitness | Thursday Night Fever!
About this Event The Fabulous Ladies of Fitness (FLOF) return to Club Tee Gee for Thursday Night Fever: A Celebration of Soundtracks! That’s right: we’re devoting an entire evening to soundtrack songs! Get ready for some seriously dirty dancing to pop music from the films that shaped our youth: Flashdance, Footloose, Fame, Purple Rain, Save the Last Dance, The Bodyguard, Breakin’ and Top Gun, plus some retro TV themes that went harder than they had any right to.
Activists to meet before Talcott Free Library board meeting – Illinois Eagle
ROCKTON – Local activists have set out their agenda for Monday’s Talcott Free Library board meeting. The town just south of the Wisconsin state line has become a flash point since the library announced a drag Q&A for July. After a conservative outcry, the library board meeting was moved to Monday, June 26. With opponents and supporters of the drag event planning to come to the meeting, the meeting has been moved to the Rockton Community Center.
Talcott Free Library board meeting moved to new location – Illinois Eagle
ROCKTON – The June 26 meeting for the Talcott Free Library board has been moved because of the expected large crowd. The library announced that the meeting this coming Monday would now be held at the Rockton Community Center at 302 W Main St. The reason the crowd will be so large is because of an announced drag Q&A planned for July. Both conservatives and the LGBTQ community and allies have been organizing ahead of the meeting. The library also listed rules for public comment.
Activism alert: Talcott Free Library board meeting, June 26 – Illinois Eagle
ROCKTON – Activists in this town between Rockford and the Wisconsin state line are asking people to come out to the library board meeting on Monday, June 26. Last week, the Talcott Free Library posted a Facebook announcement about a drag Q&A planned for July 14 with drag queen Krystal Ball. It got enough angry comments that the library quickly had to limit comments on the post.
First Kewanee LGBTQ Pride Fest on Saturday – Illinois Eagle
KEWANEE – Kewanee will be hosting their first LGBTQ Pride Fest this Saturday, June 10. The event will be split up into two separate events, Day Fest and After Party. Kewanee LGBTQ Pride Fest will kick off with Day Fest at Northeast Park from 12 p.m to 6 p.m. with food and activities for all ages. In the evening, they will also be holding an After Party at 600 N. Lexington Ave. from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. for people 21 and over.
Trans joy and family bonds are big parts of the transgender experience lost in media coverage and anti-trans legislation – Illinois Eagle
By Derek P. Siegel, UMass Amherst Since the beginning of 2023, 49 U.S. state legislatures have introduced over 500 anti-trans bills. While mainstream media increasingly cover violence and legislative attacks against trans people, many scholars and activists worry that focusing just on violence and discrimination fails to capture the full experience of being trans.
State senator’s threat of violence over gender-neutral restrooms brings condemnation – Illinois Eagle
SPRINGFIELD – A state senator’s statement that the just passed gender-neutral restroom bill will bring violence “from dads like me” has been denounced. During last week’s debate on HB 1286, which sets standards for multi-user gender-neutral bathrooms, State Sen. Neil Anderson (R-Moline) said there would be violence if the bill made it into law. “Under this, I can’t see what the floor to ceiling things,” said Anderson. [My daughter] won’t be able to see who’s in there.
Illinois General Assembly passes gender-neutral restroom bill – Illinois Eagle
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate passed HB 1286 to allow gender-inclusive multi-occupancy restrooms on Thursday, May 18. The House passed it on Friday, May 19. The Senate added an amendment requiring that gender-neutral multiple-occupancy restroom include floor to ceiling stall dividers and no urinals. It went back to the Illinois House of Representatives for a concurrence vote. The bill passed the Senate 35-20.
Illinois supports federal effort to protect transgender athletes – Illinois Eagle
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Tuesday joined a coalition of 12 attorneys general in support of robust anti-discrimination protections for transgender students. The coalition submitted a comment letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona supporting aspects of a proposed rule that would prohibit schools from excluding transgender students from school sports at institutions that receive federal funding.
DeSantis speech brings protest, national media attention to Peoria – Illinois Eagle
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke in Peoria ahead of his still unannounced presidential run to both a big crowd inside and protests outside. DeSantis spoke at the Tazewell County and Peoria County Republicans’ Lincoln Day banquet on Friday, May 12. DeSantis has become notorious for signing extreme anti-LGBTQ bills into law in Florida, including banning gender-affirming care for minors, restricting care for adults and banning any mention of LGBTQ in schools.
GOP State Senator complains about furries in opposing HB 2350 – Illinois Eagle
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois HB 2350 would provide coverage required by insurance to include annual cervical smear or Pap smear tests, as well as annual prostate cancer screenings for all insureds. HB 2350 also provides that required coverage includes an annual prostate cancer screening for insureds who are age 40 and over with a genetic predisposition to prostate cancer. State Sen. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) blamed pronouns, furries, and kitty litter in his comments against HB 2350.
Check out the changes on the Illinois Eagle – Illinois Eagle
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Eagle online newspaper has moved to a new web host and, with that, has made some updates. First is the new design. We’ve partnered with IndieGraf, a company that specializes in in working with independent online media outlets. With a cleaner, simpler design, it will be easier to read and design stories on the site. Next among the changes is our event listings. Event organizers can now enter the event directly to the calendar using this link.
Crisis pregnancy center bill heading to Pritzker – Illinois Eagle
CHICAGO — A bill that would bar deceptive practices at “crisis pregnancy centers” is on its way to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D). SB1909, also known as the Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act, would bar limited services pregnancy services from using or employing any deception, misrepresentation, or the concealment of information with the intent to interfere with people needing an abortion or emergency contraception.
Montana House Rep. Zooey Zephyr’s censure shows that American standards of political decorum are failing – Illinois Eagle
By Alauna Safarpour, Harvard Kennedy School A Montana District Court judge has rejected Democratic state Rep. Zooey Zephyr’s attempt to return to the House floor following Republican lawmakers’ moves that blocked her from entering or speaking in the House chamber at the end of April 2023. Zephyr sued Republican leaders of the Montana House of Representatives for barring her from proceedings on the floor.
IDPH reports no Illinois counties at an Elevated Community Level for COVID-19 – Illinois Eagle
CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced Friday that the CDC is reporting that all counties in the state are a for COVID-19. This comes after four counties were listed at Medium Community Level last week. No counties were at High Level this week for the seventh straight week. IDPH has recorded a total of 4,135,808 cases and 36,850 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the beginning of the pandemic.
Advocates keep pushing equality forward in Illinois – Illinois Eagle
More than 100 people gathered at the Illinois State Capitol on Wednesday, April 26, to advocate for pro-LGBTQ legislation. Illinois is one of only a few states to pass laws specifically protecting gender-affirming care and reproductive services and has passed a shield law for healthcare professionals who provide the care. Among the focuses of the day’s advocacy were in favor of the Equitable Restrooms Act (HB 1286), and Healthcare Cultural Competency (HB 2280 and SB 2427), among other legislation.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas moves to reverse the legacy of his predecessor, Thurgood Marshall – Illinois Eagle
By Daniel Kiel, University of Memphis As public attention focuses on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ close personal and financial relationship with a politically active conservative billionaire, the scrutiny is overlooking a key role Thomas has played for nearly three decades on the nation’s highest court. Thomas’ predecessor on the court, Thurgood Marshall, was a civil rights lawyer before becoming a justice.
Abortion clinics in conservative-led states face increasing legal threats – Illinois Eagle
By Aaron Bolton, Kaiser Health News Thirty years ago, Blue Mountain Clinic Director Willa Craig stood in front of the sagging roof and broken windows of an abortion clinic that an arsonist had burned down early that morning in Missoula, Montana. “This morning, Missoula, Montana, learned that there is no place in America that is safe from hateful, misguided groups,” she told the crowd of reporters and onlookers.
Campus Pride index of LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities removes New College of Florida – Illinois Eagle
According to Campus Pride, after “dramatic and contentious administrative changes at New College of Florida prompted Campus Pride to remove New College of Florida from its Campus Pride Index (CPI), which rates colleges and universities on a range of LGBTQ-friendly policies, programs and practices.” Last year, New College of Florida had earned a rating of three out five stars on the CPI, yet this year the campus was taken over at the behest of Florida Gov.
Gender-affirming care bans and bills – Illinois Eagle
At this time, there are at least 51 known anti-trans bills which seek to limit or ban gender-affirming care (GAC). This map was made in collaboration with Trans Radical Activist Network (TRAN) and Ali Hart. The goal of TRAN’s efforts is to spread awareness about the bills that jeopardize access to the healthcare that transgender and gender diverse people need to survive, thrive, and live full lives.
Illinois LGBTQ activists, politicians declare goals for lame duck session – Illinois Eagle
Equality Illinois held a joint press conference with Peoria Proud, Prairie Pride Coalition, Rainbow Cafe, The Phoenix Center, and ALMA at the Illinois State Capitol on Thursday. The conference highlighted statements from representative organizations and members of the Illinois General Assembly. “Illinois has taken important steps to protect LGBTQ folx, but we are not done,” said Mony Ruiz-Velasco, development director of Equality Illinois.
LGBTQ youth in Illinois, nationally struggling – Illinois Eagle
The Trevor Project released its New State-Level Data on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, Victimization, & Access to Support on Dec. 15. According to the Trevor Project, “for the first time, this new report presents findings on the experiences of thousands of LGBTQ youth in the U.S., segmented by all 50 states.” The Trevor Project, founded in 1998, is focused on LGBTQ youth suicide prevention and support, and is the leading LGBTQ suicide prevention organization.
Book review: ‘Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender' – Illinois Eagle
“Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender” by Kit Heyam explores a global history of gender non-conformity, and is a phenomenal read into trans and gender non-conforming history before the modern day use of the word “trans,” was used to describe a person’s gender identity. “Before We Were Trans” dives into histories of cultures where there were respected third genders, which was often how cultures described gender queer people at the time.
Club Q, Pulse survivors to testify at House committee hearing on anti-LGBTQ violence, extremism – Illinois Eagle
The full committee hearing entitled “The Rise of Anti-LGBTQI+ Extremism and Violence in the United States,” is scheduled to take place Wednesday, Dec. 14. This is likely to be one of the committee’s last before Republicans take control of the House. Thus House Democrats on the committee have decided to schedule the panel with the survivors of the Club Q and Pulse Shootings, and representatives from the National Center for Transgender Equality, Inside Out Youth Services, and the Williams Institute.
Satanic Temple holiday display highlights book banning efforts – Illinois Eagle
As we are in the midst of the holiday season, decorations are back up at the Illinois Capitol Rotunda. The Satanic Temple (TST) of Illinois’ showcase display is a crocheted snake wrapped around a basket of apples and a book. This is the third year that the Satanic Temple of Illinois has put up a display at the state Capitol Rotunda. Previous years displays included a hand holding an apple with a serpent wrapped around the wrist, and a baby Baphomet.
Peacock: A Comedy Show at Club Tee Gee
**Please note: Peacock is general seating. A ticket does not guarantee a seat, so arrive early!** Peacock is a weekly stand-up comedy show every Thursday at the historic Club Tee Gee in Atwater Village. Hosted by Kiran Deol (Crooked Media's Hysteria podcast) & Danny Jolles (CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) with music by The Lord, Peacock features a fantastic lineup of comics each and every week.
How to Drive Traffic and Conversions to Existing Content
Editor’s note: This article is based on a presentation at Content Marketing World 2019 from RazorSocial’s CEO, Ian Cleary. Creating net new content that fills your entire editorial calendar and drives business results can be a time- and resource-consuming task. And while it’s obviously important to continue to create new and fresh content as part of your content marketing strategy, you shouldn’t neglect the pieces you already have.
Join Us at Content Marketing World 2019
It’s that time of year — summer vacations are coming to an end and CMW is quickly approaching. We’re excited to be back again this year as a platinum sponsor, and to emphasize our vision of integrating the marketing organization and building a “Team of Teams.” If you’re a CMW veteran, you’ll know where to get your coffee (NewsCred’s booth — which is 407 this year).
Sister Una Lived a Good Death
A feminist and activist from a young age, Sister Úna accepted everyone regardless of race, gender, religion and sexual orientation. She is a much needed uniting force in these divided times. With that same spirit of inclusion, our documentary is lead by a female producer and director of color. “She changed my life.” It’s a chorus that’s often repeated when discussing Sister Úna. But how can an oddball nun be so loved by so many different kinds of people?
14 New Content Marketing Statistics to Help You in 2019
2018 is coming to an end, bringing with it a wave of marketing trend research. According to new data from CMI and MarketingProfs, both content creation and content marketing budgets are on the rise for the coming year. That’s great news for both marketers and consumers, as brand investments in personalization and integrated content experiences increase.
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