Illinois Review

Illinois Right to Life Action rates Curran most prolife in state's US Senate race

IL GOP US Senate candidates Mark Curran, Peggy Hubbard, Bob Marshall, Tom Tarter

SPRINGFIELD - Before federal and state elections, Illinois Right to Life Action surveys candidates to determine their position on issues concerning life. For the March 2020 IL GOP primary, the group rated former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran as most "pro-life."

Alaska US senator declares she's a "no" on impeachment witnesses, making vote 51 to 49

DC - Via five Tweets Friday afternoon, Alaska US Senator Lisa Murkowski revealed she is opposed to calling witnesses in the Trump impeachment trial - the last "moderate" Republican vote that could have allowed a pathway for Democrats to continue their impeachment goal before the 2020 Presidential Election. 

With fellow US Senator Lamar Alexander's announcement Thursday night he also opposed calling witnesses to build up the Democrats' case against Donald Trump, the vote in the US Senate is expected to be 51 to 49 against witnesses. Two Republican US Senators - Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine - defected the Trump camp and committed to side with the Democrats.

Murkowski's vote ensures Leader McConnell that he will be able to block additional witnesses, and the impeachment trial is coming to a close.

Di Leo: Immigration, the Welfare State, and the Public Charge Rule

By John F. Di Leo -

Through a temporary stay of a lower court’s action, which is usually a signal about what they will decide in the end, the Supreme Court has hinted that it will soon settle one of those obvious questions that never should have needed to go to the Supreme Court in the first place:

In confirming the “public charge rule” in DHS v. NY, SCOTUS will confirm that a President of the United States has the right to refuse green cards to applicants for immigration who would be virtually certain to be dependent on welfare if we let them in.

Op-Ed: NYT Mocks Christians Who 'Just Trust God' with Health Care Sharing. Here's the Truth:

Op-ed by Ted Pittenger - 

 

A recent New York Times story by Reed Abelson about health care sharing organizations used Samaritan Ministries International members Mark and Caroline Collie for the opening of the piece. It had a catchy headline: "It Looks Like Health Insurance, but It's Not. 'Just Trust God,' Buyers Are Told."

 

Unfortunately, the article misrepresented both the Collies' story and Samaritan Ministries, and both the Collies and Samaritan Ministries requested a correction, to no avail.

Liberal elites' secret weapon is conservative family values

It turns out, conservative family values help everyone, including liberals. Tim P. Carney writes:

America’s elite — that is, the 30% of adults with at least a college degree — enjoy one very particular privilege that enhances their life and nearly guarantees their success. And too many of them refuse to share it.

The privilege isn’t a college education. That merely correlates with what really matters.

It’s Time for the Supreme Court to End Anti-Religious Prejudice in This School Choice Case

End of anti-Catholic Blaine Amendments could be a huge boon for school choice. Emilie Kao and Lindsey Burke write:

Anti-Catholic prejudice, which spread like gangrene in the 19th and 20th centuries, often manifested itself in so-called Blaine Amendments, which enabled government discrimination against religious families, students, and schools.

How the 'Birth Tourism' Industry Hurts the U.S.

“Birth tourism” has become big business. Today, hundreds of companies advertise to pregnant women—particularly upper-middle-class women from China, Nigeria, Russia, and Turkey—offering assistance to get visas that would allow them to visit the U.S. during the time they expect to give birth.

The U.S. hosts tens of thousands of “birth tourists” every year. In 2015, the Center for Immigration Studies pegged the number at 35,000. The Qianzhan Industry Research Institute reported that, in 2016, as many as 80,000 birth tourists came to the U.S. Whatever the total number, it appears to be growing.

What draws these women to our shores isn’t U.S. obstetric or natal care. It’s automatic U.S. citizenship for their babies.

The 14^th Amendment declares: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, [emphasis added] are citizens of the United States … .” The government currently interprets this as meaning that anyone born on U.S. soil is a U.S. citizen, regardless of the parent’s nationality or immigration status. Essentially, this reading ignores the qualifying phrase italicized above.

More HERE

Pro-Life Women Stand in the Shoes of Early Suffragists

By Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie - 

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted American women the right to vote and catapulted them out of the shadows of dependence into the full sunlight of long-awaited civic freedoms. 

The right to vote was only the beginning of a long list of goals achieved by the early women’s right movement. It also gained for us the right to control our property, to defend ourselves and our children from abusive husbands, to earn advanced degrees, and join professions reserved for men.

Mike Pence called ‘one of the most persecuted Christians in America’

Bishop Vincent Mathews Jr., world missions president of the predominantly African American and 5.5 million member Church of God in Christ, called Vice President Mike Pence one of the “most persecuted Christians in America” Sunday.

Greta Hectors Davos: Why Are Elitists Thrilled To Be Lectured By A Child Who Knows Nothing?

Swedish teen Greta Thunberg scolded the political and business aristocracy Tuesday at the World Economic Forum, insisting “that we start listening to the science and that we actually start treating this crisis as the crisis it is.” Why is she continually treated as a savant and prophetess when she has nothing to offer but embellishment?

Though only 17, Greta is an accomplished nag, a word we don’t use lightly, but it fits because she is perpetually badgering and complaining. In her speech, which the New York Times posted in transcript form as if it were actually important and must be preserved for future generations, she demanded international leaders “immediately end all fossil fuel subsidies and immediately and completely divest from fossil fuels.

“We don’t want these things done by 2050, or 2030 or even 2021,” she said, “we want this done now.”

She even went so far as to tell the Davos crowd “our house is still on fire,” and declared “your inaction is fueling the flames by the hour.”

More HERE

Political groups respond to Pritzker's 2020 State of State Address

SPRINGFIELD - Political groups responded to Governor Pritzker's 2020 State of the State Address Wednesday:

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider released the following statement in response to Governor Pritzker’s State of the State address:

In his State of the State speech today, Governor Pritzker talked about his desire to reach across the aisle and find common ground to solve the enormous challenges facing Illinois. Republicans in Illinois stand ready to work in good faith with the Governor, but we will not solve the immense challenges we face by pushing the same tax-and-spend policies that created the mess in Illinois.

Business groups react to Gov Pritkzer's 2020 State of the State Address

SPRINGFIELD - Business groups reacted to Governor Pritzker's State of the State Address Wednesday at the State Capitol.

Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch released the following statement on Governor Pritzker's State of the State Address:

Governor Pritzker presented a positive view of his first year in office, much of which the Chamber agrees with. The Governor embraced pro-growth tax incentives - including the Chamber’s data center incentive legislation - championed by pro-business legislators. He has committed to a professional economic development program, greater investment in workforce development and expansion of access to advanced technology for small businesses.

GOP House members respond to Gov Pritzker's 2020 State of the State Address

 

SPRINGFIELD - Several Republican members of the Illinois House responded to Governor Pritzker's first State of the State Address, presented Wednesday afternoon at the State Capitol. 

Former Illinois State Senator Pleads Guilty to Federal Bribery and Tax Offenses

CHICAGO — The Federal Bureau of Investigation released the following press announcement about State Senator Martin Sandoval, who resigned January 1, 2020 from public office:

Former Illinois State Sen. MARTIN A. SANDOVAL pleaded guilty January 28, 2020 in federal court in Chicago to bribery and tax offenses included in an information filed in federal court Monday.

Sandoval, 56, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to one count of federal program bribery, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison, and one count of willfully filing a false income tax return, which is punishable by up to three years.  As part of a plea agreement, Sandoval has agreed to fully and truthfully cooperate in any matter in which he is called upon by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  The government requested that Sandoval’s sentencing be delayed until his cooperation is complete.  U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood did not immediately set a sentencing date.

Gov JB Pritzker's State of the State Address

SPRINGFIELD – From Governor Pritzker's office, comments about Wednesday's speech and the text of his 2020 State of The State Address in their entirety:

Governor JB Pritzker Wednesday delivered the State of the State address, showcasing how Illinois is growing stronger each day – from improving financial stability to historic bipartisan accomplishments. Working with members of both parties, Governor passed a balanced budget on time, launched a historic capital plan to transform infrastructure throughout the state and made record investments in education. Using that progress as a blueprint, the Governor emphasized that the state can continue to address our challenges when we work together.
 
The Governor stressed that the state’s historic progress must not be hampered by corruption and self-dealing and urged the General Assembly to pass comprehensive ethics reform, including a ban on lawmakers lobbying any unit of government, more disclosure of conflicts of interest with stiff penalties for withholding information, and a revolving door prohibition for lawmakers.

JFK Opposed Trump-Style Impeachments

An unwelcome ghost haunts the U.S. Senate this week as it takes up the dubious charges against President Donald Trump: the disembodied spirit of a slain president who six decades ago spoke from a desk near the back of the Senate chamber.

Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy in 1957 won the Pulitzer Prize for biography for his portrait of eight of his predecessors in the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body, “Profiles In Courage” (even though speechwriter Ted Sorenson ghostwrote almost all of it), and the notoriety helped propel him to the highest office in the land several years later.

The fifth courageous senator JFK profiled in the bestselling volume was Edmund Gibson Ross of Kansas, unexpectedly responsible for the deciding vote that acquitted President Andrew Johnson in his Senate impeachment trial in 1868. Kennedy proclaimed Ross a hero who saved the presidency from congressional overreach.

More HERE

Trump, Congressman Darin LaHood on USMCA signing

D.C. - President Trump on Wednesday signed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade deal meant to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.

“We have replaced a disastrous trade deal,” Trump said at the signing ceremony. “This is something we really put our heart into.”

Both the Senate and House passed the USMCA by wide margins with bipartisan support. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer called the agreement a “bipartisan success,” and said he was “grateful to the leadership of the House” and Democratic and Republican lawmakers for their work. (More at National Review.com)

Illinois Congressman Darin LaHood of 18th CD attended the signing ceremony Wednesday.

Dr. Orient The Corona Virus—1918 All Over Again?

By Jane M. Orient, M.D. - 

Clusters of a dozen or so deaths may get nonstop “if-it-bleeds-it-leads” press coverage. But the lack of preparedness for the really, really big threats may be met with virtual radio silence—until panic breaks out.

The worst, possibly existential, threat is the stealthy, invisible one that multiplies exponentially—in the accurate sense of the term: 400 cases today, 800 tomorrow, then 1600, 3200, 6400, 128000, 256000, 512000, and 1.024 million after only eight doubling times. Biological threats proliferate—until they run out of susceptible victims.

In 1918, the great influenza pandemic killed as many people in 11 months as the medieval Black Death did in 4 years. Ultimately, at least 50 million may have perished. Young healthy people, especially young soldiers headed off to the front in World War I, succumbed quickly. To avoid interfering with the war effort, the U.S. government denied and covered up the threat, preventing the implementation of public health measures.

Preventing Suicide by Higher Education

Universities are the chief asset of the left, so why should we keep giving them more money? Arthur Milikh writes:

From the birth of the modern conservative movement, dissidents concerned with civic and liberal education have tried almost everything to reshape America's universities: from refusing to donate to their alma maters (as William F. Buckley prescribed), to funding tenure-track positions, forming independent centers on campuses to host outside speakers, organizing external supplementary seminars to make up for what students do not get in the classroom, and creating new academic departments. Despite 70 years of increasingly sophisticated efforts, conservatives are now begging on many campuses merely to be heard.

Trump Backs Law Protecting Babies with Down Syndrome from Abortion

In a filing before a federal appeals court, the Trump administration sided with Ohio regarding a state law that prohibits targeting babies with a diagnosis of Down syndrome for abortion.

In its filing before the 6th U.S. District Court in Cincinatti, the Department of Justice declared on Tuesday, “Nothing in Ohio’s law creates a substantial obstacle to women obtaining an abortion,” adding, “and nothing in the Constitution or Supreme Court precedent requires States to authorize medical providers to participate in abortions the providers know are based on Down syndrome.”

Planned Parenthood exposed: Report shows why oft-mentioned 4% stat is misleading

Although the number of yearly abortions in the U.S. appears to be declining, Planned Parenthood reached an all-time high in the 2018 fiscal year and performed 345,672 abortions, nearly 13,000 more than the year before.

Planned Parenthood is the nation's leading abortion provider, but its most recent annual report claims abortions were only 4 percent of the 9.8 million "medical services" provided in 2018 -- services which also included testing for sexually transmitted infections, screening for cancer, administering pregnancy tests and more.

"Planned Parenthood arrives at this false statistic by dividing the number of children it aborted (345,672) for the year by the number of 'services' the group provided (9.8 million)," Liberty Counsel said in a news release.

More HERE

Economos: Lawsuit Caps Needed to Help Local Doctors and Businesses

By Dr. Jim Economos, DDS

Growing up in Illinois, I had the chance to see first-hand the unique role local businesses and medical practices fill in communities across our state. They bring all sorts of opportunities to the communities they serve and create valuable jobs for those communities in the process. Unfortunately, since becoming the owner of one of my own dental practice, I’ve also seen first-hand a lot of the unnecessary hurdles small-business owners face every day.

One of the biggest challenges associated with operating your own business in this state is the bevy of lawsuits that you risk facing every time you open your doors. Liability suits, malpractice lawsuits, workers’ compensation cases, and more pose a real danger to small businesses every day.

Why do they represent such a serious threat? That’s because the legal bills associated with addressing and settling these claims – not to mention the further costs of trying to prevent future cases – are big. They’re expenses that a lot of smaller medical practices and family-owned businesses simply can’t afford to shoulder, and unless we do something about it, we risk putting well-meaning and hard-working entrepreneurs out of business.

Where’s Weyermuller? Heading to Des Moines to see Trump Thursday

By Mark Weyermuller -

President Donald J. Trump will be holding a campaign rally Thursday, January 30, 2020 in Des Moines, Iowa.  He will speak at the Knapp Center on Drake University's campus at 7:00 p.m.

Beckman: Lenin’s Maxim—Any Cook can run the state

By Hank Beckman - 

Death came for V.I. Lenin 96 years ago this week when he left this earth due to complications from a stroke.

The first leader of the Soviet Union, and one of the great villains of the Twentieth Century, Lenin’s legacy includes a long list of quotes attributed to him, preserved by various leftist historians and writers for the benefit of those unfamiliar with the old monster.

Rossi: Have You No Shame House Democrats?

By Randy Rossi - 

As many fact witnesses and Constitutional experts testified, this House Democrat “Impeachment Charade” is the most unconstitutional, illegal, immoral, shortest, most partisan, and most dishonest impeachment in the history of the United States of America.

Democrats: Destroying America to 'Save' It

By Arnold Ahlert - 

Published from Patriot Post

From the 2016 election campaign right through the current travesty of impeachment, the Democrat Party and its march-in-lockstep media allies have made it clear that their hatred of Donald Trump — which necessitates his removal by any means necessary — transcends any resulting damage they have done to the nation. Damage that may be irreparable.

Let’s begin with a reality check. The current impeachment effort is only the latest vehicle being used to remove Trump from office. Previous vehicles included the emoluments clause, the Logan Act, the 25th Amendment, and the Russia investigation. Prior to his inauguration, the media campaigned for Democrats to reach a deal with Republicans and persuade Electoral College electors to defect, and The Washington Post reported efforts to impeach Trump had begun 17 minutes after he was sworn into office. Far more important, before Trump’s election, the Obama administration initiated its scandalous Crossfire Hurricane project to investigate Russian collusion with members of Trump’s campaign staff and the president himself.

Reality check number two: Any and all collusion that ostensibly occurred did so while the Obama administration was in charge. Moreover, rather than warn fellow Americans from the opposition party that the Russians might be seeking to influence the 2016 election, Barack Obama’s administration instead chose to assume those opposition party members were committing treason, thereby justifying all methods, even felonious ones, used to stop them.

Rossi: Democrat’s Impeachment Charade Eviscerated by Trump’s Defense Team!

By Randy Rossi - 

I realize most Americans did not watch President Trump’s Defense Team presentations to the U.S. Senate on Saturday, but they should have because it totally eviscerated the Democrat’s “Impeachment Charade” and exposed it for the unconstitutional, illegal, dishonest, and immoral charade it is. And unlike the Democrat’s endless 24 hour attacks on President Trump; the Trump Team’s presentation was concise, short, based on facts, and simply uncontestable. While Democrats Adam Schiff and Nadler went on and on for 24 hours bombarding Americans with the same untruths, the Trump Team took just 2 hours and 10 minutes to totally destroy the Democrat’s bogus impeachment charges.

Let me just summarize a few critical issues that the Trump Defense team focused on to destroy the Democrats dishonest impeachment case. First, they quickly showed that the Democrats did not have one fact based witness and intentionally hid the fact based testimony that completely cleared President Trump. The only two witnesses that actually spoke to President Trump about Ukraine said that he told them he did not want a quid pro quo. While Schiff didn’t show this in the Senate, the Trump Team played Ambassador Sondland’s testimony when he was asked what President Trump told him when he asked him what he wanted from Ukraine and he said President Trump told him “I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo”. That is as simple as it gets! That was reconfirmed by this question and answer under oath by Republican Mike Turner: “Mr. Sondland, let’s be clear: no one on this planet—not Donald Trump, Rudy Guiliani, Mick Mulvaney, Mike Pompeo—no one told you aid was tied to political investigations, is that correct?”. “That’s correct,” Sondland said. Why didn’t Democrat Adam Schiff share this in his presentation?

Sen. Bernie Sanders tweets blueprint for a housing crisis

Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders, I-VT, recently tweeted a reaction to a story from The Economist describing rising American rent payments. In the tweet, Sanders writes, "This is a crisis. We need national rent control." Sanders is certainly right that we face a housing crisis. Prices for housing have continued to rise with the decline in housing stock relative to population. However, Senator Sanders’ call for national rent control does nothing about this underlying shortage but would rather make it worse. So, what is the solution?

More HERE

To Keep African Americans Safe, Target Criminals, Not Police

Leftists and social justice warriors charge that what blacks have to fear most is being shot and killed by police, but the numbers don't add up.

Criminal activity imposes huge costs on black residents in low-income neighborhoods of cities such as Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and many others.

Thousands of black Americans were murdered in 2019. Over 90% of the time, the perpetrator was also black.

Leftists and social justice warriors charge that what blacks have to fear most is being shot and killed by police, but the numbers don’t add up.

For several years, The Washington Post has been documenting police shootings in America. Last year, 933 people were shot and killed by police. Twenty-three percent (212) of people shot and killed were black; 35% (331) were white; 16% (155) were Hispanic, and 201 were of other or unknown races. The high homicide rate within the black community doesn’t begin to tell the full tragedy.

More HERE

How To End White Privilege

Brandon Tatum doesn’t forgive you for your white privilege. How can he forgive you for something that doesn’t even exist? So, where did the notion of white privilege come from? Who does it benefit? And who does it hurt? The answers might surprise you.

New Hampshire Is Fighting Back to Defend the Electoral College

New Hampshire legislators have introduced an election bill that would be completely unacceptable under normal circumstances. But these are not normal times.

Constitutional institutions, especially the Electoral College, are under attack.

Extraordinary action may be needed. Thus, some New Hampshire legislators have proposed to withhold popular vote totals at the conclusion of a presidential election. The numbers would eventually be released, but not until after the meetings of the Electoral College.

The idea sounds crazy and anti-democratic. In reality, however, such proposals could save our republic: They will complicate efforts to implement the National Popular Vote legislation that has been working its way through state legislatures.

More HERE

Christian Bakers Challenge $135K Fine for Quoting Bible Verse

Did Oregon officials violate their duty to remain neutral on matters of religion when they ordered Christian bakers Aaron and Melissa Klein to pay $135,000 for declining to create a custom same-sex wedding cake, a move that crushed the small, family-owned business?

That’s the question that the Oregon Court of Appeals will answer after having heard oral argument last week in the case of Melissa Klein v. Bureau of Labor and Industries.

Oregon courts are taking up the case once again, after being ordered to do so by the U.S. Supreme Court.

In June 2019, the Supreme Court threw out the original Oregon decision that upheld the crushing fine with orders to revisit the case in light of the Supreme Court’s earlier decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.

More HERE

Republican shocks conservatives by signing onto Illinois Leftists' Green New Deal

St Rep Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville)

NAPERVILLE - One Republican is convinced a state version of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal is something Illinois should adopt. House Assistant Minority Leader Grant Wehrli of Naperville signed on as Chief Co-sponsor of the Clean Energy Job Act, he announced last week.   

The "ambitious legislation" would "make Illinois the national leader in renewable energy," a press statement says.

The Clean Energy Jobs Act seeks to move Illinois to 100% renewable energy by 2050, a move that represents a substantial increase in renewable energy expectations when compared to the Illinois Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016.

The 2016 Act calls for Illinois to move to 25% renewable energy by 2025, and Wehrli admits the new legislation is extremely aggressive.

Tarter responds to Log Cabin Republicans' endorsement

SPRINGFIELD - Earlier this week, the Log Cabin Republicans, a group of Republicans committed to LGBT rights, announced their pick in the March 17th GOP primary for US Senate. 

Their pick, Springfield area cancer surgeon Tom Tarter, had answered the group's questionnaire satisfactorily, earning him their support.

"Dr. Tarter wil be a strong voice to fix our broken healthcare system. He supports the President, he's a conservative, and he supports inclusion in the Republican Party," said Alex Walker, the Log Cabin Republicans' communications manager.

Tarter responded to the group's endorsement and confirmed that he was also standing by the positions he took on the Illinois Family Action's questionnaire as well. IFA is a firm supporter of the traditional family and opponent of groups and movements that work to limit religious rights when they collide with LGBT rights.

St. Rep. Wilhour: Illinois should not ignore in-state solutions to energy production

By State Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Effingham) - 

When we return to Springfield later this month, one of the issues on the table will be energy.

Since the Legislature has adjourned, there has been a big push for so-called green energy solutions. The solutions they are highlighting would dramatically increase the cost of energy in Illinois and threaten the availability of reliable sources of energy during those peak times when more power is needed.

Negotiations are under way to dramatically change the way energy is produced in Illinois. The Governor, along with environmental groups, want Illinois to go to 100 percent renewables by 2050.

Trump at March for Life: Every child is a precious and sacred gift from God

DC - President Donald Trump confirmed and asserted his views for the sanctity of life and the evils of abortion. His words were unapologetic and stunning for abortion advocates. 

But in a day when science tells us the brain begins functioning at six weeks, as other organs continue to develop weeks after the heart begins beating at 22 days after conception, there are fewer and fewer mysteries about in utero life. 

The president told the thousands in the crowd he was "truly proud to stand" with them for life.

His 13 minute speech:

Covington High School's Sandman returns to D.C.

DC - Last year, as the 46th March for Life was winding down, students from Kentucky's Covington High School were waiting for their bus to come and pick them up after joining thousands of other Life supporters. 

As young Nicholas Sandmann was waiting, Nathan Philips, a frequent protester with an native American group, came up to him and began beating a drum and chanting in Sandman's face.

DuPage family "witnesses history" at 47th March for Life in DC

Peter Breen and wife Margie at 47th March for Life

DC - At least one DuPage County family made their way to DC Friday to join the 47th Annual March for Life. For the first time in American history, the nation's president personally appeared at the gathering, telling the thousands gathered that he was "Proud to stand with them for Life."

Di Leo: Family Planning and the Real World

By John F. Di Leo - 

Reflections on the 47^th anniversary of Roe V. Wade

What is “family planning?”

Most of us think of the term as referring to logical, traditional advice: Don’t have sexual relations until marriage; try to time things so that you don’t have more kids, more quickly, then you can handle; agree on which denomination to raise your children in, early on, so you don’t have fights later… things like that.

But since the 1960s and 1970s, Planned Parenthood’s definition of “family planning” has taken over. Planned Parenthood, in fact, basically owns the term. They market themselves as “a family planning organization…” in fact, as the family planning organization.

Thorner: Once Never-Trumper says he was "wrong about Trump"

ST LOUIS - Once a "Never Trumper," Dr. Everett Piper told an audience of conservative activists last weekend that he was "wrong about Trump." 

Born in 1959, Dr. Piper is an American former university president, author of Not a Day Care, and Washington Times columnist. He served as President of Oklahoma Wesleyan University from August 2002 until his retirement in May of 2019.

Shehab: Hijab Day Promotes Muslim Women’s Suppression

By Hesham Shehab - 

While women in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and some Muslim-majority countries are facing imprisonment, torture,  and, sometimes, acid attacks for removing the hijab, a Muslim woman in New York, Nazma Khan, came up with the idea of promoting hijab in the West and founded the annual event, “World Hijab Day,” in 2013.

Khan tells her story of being called “Batman” and “ninja” in school for wearing a hijab. She concluded that “the only way to end discrimination is if we ask our fellow sisters to experience hijab themselves.”

World Hijab Day takes place on February 1st each year in many countries worldwide. While its stated purpose is to encourage women of all faiths and cultures to wear and experience the hijab, the event seeks to normalize a Sharia law ordinance that oppresses women.

Chicago Tribune faces ownership crisis

CHICAGO - The Chicago Tribune is facing an ownership crisis, according to industry news sources during the past week. It's so bad that the papers reporters are reportedly trying to find a new owner for their newspaper. 

"They're doing it because they're afraid of Alden Global Capital's plans for all of the papers owned by Tribune Publishing," CNN Business reports.

Illinois hits new historical low unemployment rate

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced Friday that the state's unemployment rate fell another -0.1 percentage point to 3.7 percent, a new historical low.

The IDES news release gave all the credit for the low unemployment rate to Democrat Governor Pritzker, and did not mention the Trump Administration's national economic boom.

“Over the past year, Governor Pritzker has worked hard to improve Illinois’ economy and create the conditions for good jobs around the state that will build long-term economic success,” said Deputy Governor Dan Hynes. “From the bipartisan balanced budget and historic Rebuild Illinois infrastructure plan to lifting up workers and families by raising the minimum wage, this administration is creating an economy that works for everyone.”

Dr. Jane Orient: New Year’s Thoughts from a ‘Boomer’ Doc

By Jane M. Orient, M.D. -

The words of the year as 2019 ends appear to be “OK Boomer” and “woke.” To this Boomer, it appears that the younger generation is blaming us for all the Evil in the world, from their perch of “woke” moral superiority. They consider us to be out of touch and over the hill.

According to Merriam-Webster, “woke” means “aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).” It went from being a black activist watchword to internet slang.

It is apparent that there is a giant political divide in this country, partly but not entirely intergenerational. In my opinion, my generation bears a lot of blame, but probably not in the way that most Millennials think. Waiting for us to die and get out of the way is not going to solve the problem—particularly in medicine.

Facebook Now Classifies ‘Denying Existence’ of Transgender Identities as ‘Hate Speech’

In a rule change quietly implemented at the end of the year, Facebook announced it now forbids “denying [the] existence” of various sexual identities.

The Silicon Valley-based company announced the change in a December update to its Community Standards. In the post, Facebook described “protected characteristics” as “race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, caste, sex, gender, gender identity, and serious disease or disability.”

By classifying the denial of certain sexual orientations as a form of “hate speech,” Facebook is potentially barring users from posting any content critical of the more than 50 gender identities preloaded into the networking site or the innumerable markers people can come up with by using the “custom” option.

More HERE

Parents Challenge ‘Radical’ LGBT Curriculum in New Jersey Schools

“Gender ideology has brainwashed my son and erased his childhood,” says Crystal Lopez. “My son now thinks he is really a girl. The curriculum that is being implemented is really harmful and is meant to confuse our children.”

Parents are plenty angry about a New Jersey law that requires LGBT material to be incorporated into public school classroom instruction.

Abraham Kuyper: ‘The school belongs to the parents’

During the early and middle part of the 19th century, the view that children belonged first and foremost to the state was spreading among many school leaders at both the national and municipal level. Of course, the family took care of children’s physical care, but the mind of the child must be formed by the state.

Another Women’s Sport Is Letting Biological Males Compete

The latest women’s professional sport to pay homage to transgender ideology is World Long Drive golf, a sport that involves driving golf balls long distances off of tees.

A female golfer who participates recently contacted me with concerns about the upcoming season because it will include a transgender woman competing in the women’s division.

Australian Jamie O’Neill, born male and now identifying as female, holds a bodily advantage over all the women in World Long Drive. The stats from O’Neill’s website predict the trajectory of O’Neill’s promising career in long drive golf.

In August 2019, O’Neill’s total yardage was 280 yards. By December 2019, it was 301 yards. O’Neill’s goal is 350 yards by April 2020, which would pass the highest championship score recorded in the Women’s Division since its inception of 347 yards.

Without a doubt, O’Neill will crush the female competitors in long drive golf sports. The reason is simple biology. Although now wrapped in a female persona, O’Neill’s 43-year-old male body still provides a dominating upper body strength and hand grip advantage.

More HERE

How Obamacare Made Things Worse for Patients With Preexisting Conditions

Nationwide, one-quarter of the cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute participate in no Obamacare plans.

One of the strange features of the national health care conversation is how it has evolved.

What is often referred to as Obamacare began as an attempt to insure the uninsured. In fact, the initial Congressional Budget Office estimates predicted the Affordable Care Act would be largely successful in doing just that.

Yet it was the Senate’s Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, who identified the political problem with that goal early on. About 95% of those who vote already have insurance, Schumer noted. So Obamacare was promising to spend a great deal of money on people who don’t vote.

Perhaps for that reason, the public case for health reform underwent a dramatic shift. On the eve of its passage, virtually every advocate who went on national TV to advocate for the Affordable Care Act had nothing to say about insuring the uninsured.

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Curran calls for deportation of those non-citizens that illegally voted

LAKE COUNTY - Republican candidate for US Senate Mark Curran lost his re-election bid for Lake County sheriff in 2018 by 137 votes in a county election where 245,000 votes were cast. That meant Curran lost by .000559 percent of the votes cast - insignificant most of the time. 

What happened to Curran in 2018 reinforces the fact that some call a "nominal" number of non-citizens  "mistakenly" registered to vote through the Secretary of State's office does matter, Curran told Illinois Review Wednesday. 

"Anybody that voted as an illegal citizen should be put up for deportation immediately," Curran said. "The message needs to be loud and clear. [Secretary of State] Jesse White violated his constitutional oath. There needs to be a federal investigation into what transpired."