Illinois Review

Salvi likely to make bid for U.S. Senate in 2022

Kathy Salvi

MUNDELEIN - Illinois Review learned over the weekend that an effort appears underway to put Mundelein attorney Kathy Salvi, a longtime conservative Republican, on the GOP primary ballot to challenge Tammy Duckworth in the November 2022 General Election.

Despite efforts of several Illinoisans, there has been a shocking lack of interest in the top of the ticket - where the race for U.S. Senate will loom in 2022.

Those visiting Republican organizations and gathering petitions to get on the June 28, 2022 GOP primary ballot include well-meaning, but political unknowns: 

Despite these several candidates offering to head up the 2022 General Election ballot, none of the candidates have thus far grabbed the attention of Republicans statewide as Salvi is likely to do.

UPDATE x1: After reading this story, Eric Wallace reached out to Illinois Review to say he had decided a couple of weeks ago not to pursue the U.S. Senate in 2022. He was encouraged, however, to learn Kathy Salvi was getting in the race. "I look forward to doing what I can to help her win the GOP primary," Wallace said. 

Di Leo: Joe Biden, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and an Errant Nomination

By John F.  Di Leo - 

Once Associate Justice Stephen Breyer was successfully hounded into announcing his retirement (and we all wonder if the full story of that announcement will ever be told), Joe Biden announced that he would only be considering black females for the appointment.

Mr. Biden chose a tumultuous week to announce that name – a week in which Russia invaded Ukraine, energy prices hit new records, the stock market tumbled, and the news was finally starting to circulate that indictments were finally coming on the Obama-Clinton era “Russian collusion” hoax against President Trump. 

When the Biden-Harris regime most needed a distraction from all this, it hoped that a nice, high-profile “diversity hire” would turn the American mind toward something more positive.

The first judge nominated to fill Justice Breyer’s shoes is Ketanji Brown Jackson, and she meets Joe Biden’s rather brief list of qualifications perfectly:  She is indeed a black woman.

Family-Pac Federal spotlights Mandel and Miller

Former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel

Correction: Since first published, this post has been corrected to remove incorrect information concerning Josh Mandel's candidacy. He has NOT been endorsed by President Trump as of March 1, 2022. Our apologies for the error.

By Nancy Thorner - 

Family-Pac Federal Chairman John McEnroe sponsored a fundraising brunch for U.S. Ohio Senate candidate Josh Mandel, running to replace Rob Portman, on Saturday, February 26, 2022, at Gibson's Restaurant in Oak Brook, IL. 

Josh Mandell, Ohio U.S. Senate candidate 

 

Josh Mandel is running for the U.S. Senate in Ohio to replace retiring Senator Rob Portman.  As mentioned by Josh, he doesn't wish to go to Washington to D.C. to make friends but to make good decisions, with a Bible in one hand and the Constitution in another. 

 

He has also been endorsed by US Senator Mike Lee (UT-R), Senator Cynthia Lummis (WY-R), Ambassador David Friedman (former Trump ambassador to Israel), Mark Levin, Club for Growth, and the Senate Conservative Funds.

 

With a clear record of conservative leadership and courage to stand up to powerful forces on both side of the aisle, Josh was elected to statewide office twice winning both the Primary and General elections by double-digit margins.

Illinois becomes last Midwestern state to remove indoor mask mandate

CHICAGO - Indoor masks are no longer mandated in Illinois indoor businesses as of 12:01 am Monday, February 28, Governor JB Pritzker's office confirmed over the weekend. While his original announcement two weeks ago did not include alleviating the mask mandate in the state's public school system, the Illinois Supreme Court stepped in last Friday. 

Doing his best to defend his rights as the state's executive to require COVID masks to be worn longer than any other state in the Midwest, and among only four states nationwide, the Governor's office put out the following statement late last Friday night:  

SPRINGFIELD – Due to the continued decrease in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and increase in available ICU beds, the Illinois indoor mask requirement will end Monday, February 28, 2022, at 12:01 a.m.  Since the Governor announced his plan to lift the indoor mask requirement, the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 has been cut in half and the number of ICU beds available increased by 24%.  Illinois’ weekly COVID-19 case rate has also decreased by 70%,
 
More than 8 million people in Illinois are fully vaccinated with an average of approximately 16,000 COVID-19 vaccines administered each day, including more than 4,600 first doses daily. 
 
“Throughout this pandemic, we’ve taken action to save lives and keep our economy open – and I’m proud that Illinoisans have done the hard work that has our made our state a leader in the Midwest,” said Governor JB Pritzker.  “Today, our hospitals are much better positioned to handle emergencies and more than half of all eligible adults have been boosted; this is the progress we needed to make to remove our state indoor masking requirements. As individuals, I encourage everyone to make the best choices going forward to protect your health, along with that of your family and community – and most importantly to treat each other with kindness and compassion.”

Illinois still missing nearly 1 in 3 leisure, hospitality jobs

Illinois is experiencing one of the nation’s worst recoveries for leisure and hospitality jobs. Of the Illinois jobs that vanished since the COVID-19 pandemic, 35% are in leisure and hospitality – the most of any industry.

Nearly two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois’ leisure and hospitality sector is rebounding slowly compared to other states.

Only 68% of Illinois’ leisure and hospitality jobs have been recouped since recovery started, the lowest in the Midwest and seventh lowest nationally.

More HERE

Lee: The Negative Consequences of Forced Diversity

By Gina Lee - 

Very few people would deny that diversity is a beautiful thing to see. When one walks into a room and sees people from different demographics, it can naturally feel very warm and welcoming; however, the current temperature regarding diversity and inclusion is reaching a boiling point.

It’s not about applauding variety welcomed through merit or character, but simply creating a diverse environment to check a box; for, according to the current cultural narrative, anything other than aiming for diversity is racist and discrimination.

If you dare try to argue the contrary–that discrimination is not always the issue (even using logic or reason), you would be laughed out of the room and called every name in the social justice playbook. This cry for diversity can be seen in nearly every sector, whether it’s the arts or politics.

More HERE

Hillary Clinton’s Greatest Masterpiece

(Photo: Alliance for Women in Media Foundation/Getty Images)

Hillary Clinton’s never-ending shenanigans in 2015 to 2016 could be summarized as an attempted slow-motion coup.

Four years of national hysteria, a divided nation, and dangerous new tensions with Russia were some of the wages of Clinton’s machinations.

Clinton hired a British national and ex-spy, Christopher Steele, to compile dirt on her election opponent, Donald Trump. She hid her likely illegal campaign payments to him through at least three paywalls—the Democratic National Committee, the Perkins Coie law firm, and the opposition research firm Fusion GPS.

Partisans in the FBI helped her, by variously spying on minor officials affiliated with the Trump campaign, like George Papadopoulos and Carter Page. To expedite its improper surveillance, a corrupt FBI hierarchy presented fraudulent documents to a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court that authorized the illicit surveillance.

More HERE

Parker: Blacks Saying Bye-Bye to Biden

By Star Parker - 

A new report from Pew Research shows that the sharpest drop in approval for President Joe Biden is among the Democratic Party’s most loyal and consistent supporters — Black protestants.

In March 2021, shortly after he took office, Biden’s support among Black protestants stood at 92%. By January 2022, this was down to 65%, a drop of 27 points.

Over the same period, overall national approval for the president, per Gallup, was down from 54% to 40% — 14 points. About half the drop among Black protestants.

Other polls among all Black voters tell the same story.

More HERE

IDES report detailing scope of Illinois unemployment fraud remains unpublished one year later

Nearly a year after Illinois lawmakers requested a comprehensive audit of state unemployment fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, IDES, the state agency in charge of issuing assistance, remains unable to tabulate how much money was lost to scammers.

Illinois lawmakers are calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Employment Security to publish a full state audit detailing how much fraudsters stole in unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The demands for transparency from the state agency in charge of dispersing pandemic unemployment assistance comes on the heels of initial audit from July 2021 revealing IDES paid out $155 million to scammers in the first seven weeks of the program’s rollout.

Nearly a year later, those lawmakers are still waiting for the full fraud report to be published with no indication from IDES when it will be released, or just how much money the state lost.

More HERE

CTU-backed Amendment 1 would give teachers unions power over Illinois parents

Chicago Teachers Union takes credit for spreading the “new gospel” of union strike power across the nation. If the CTU-backed Amendment 1 passes in November, it will lock the union’s militant tactics into the state constitution, to the detriment of children and parents statewide.

The Chicago Teachers Union provides a case study in how government unions will use their power in school districts across Illinois if voters pass Amendment 1 in November.

CTU has gone on strike three times in three school years. In its latest work stoppage, over 330,000schoolchildren missed five days of school. Parents were notified of the walkout after 11 p.m. on a school night, leaving them just hours to develop a back-up plan after the union decided not to show up for in-person classes.

While Chicago Public Schools may seem far away – both geographically and politically – from other districts in the state, no district will be safe from this sort of government union power if Amendment 1 passes.

That’s because CTU is poised to take its militant tactics to school districts across the state.

CTU and its parent affiliate, Illinois Federation of Teachers, both publicly registered support – twice – for Amendment 1 when it was before the Illinois General Assembly.

More HERE

Illinois leisure and hospitality industry least recovered in Midwest, 7th-worst in the nation

One-third of Illinois’ missing jobs are from the leisure and hospitality industry, but that sector’s COVID-19 pandemic recovery lags virtually every other state in the U.S. 

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and many state-mandated shutdowns, businesses in the leisure and hospitality sector were among the most affected. While the industry contributed the most to job losses nationwide, it has also been equally vital to propelling states’ economic recoveries.

The states that have made the most progress in recouping their pandemic-related job losses have largely done so because their leisure and hospitality industries have bounced back faster than in other states. Unfortunately, Illinois’ recovery is still a long way away and the state’s leisure and hospitality industry remains the least recovered in the Midwest and the seventh least recovered in the nation.

More HERE

Abortion-related statewide ballot measures: the most in 36 years

Currently, voters in Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, and Vermont are slated to decide at least four ballot measures addressing abortion—the most since 1986. If proponents of an abortion-related initiative in Michigan collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, 2022 will be the year with the most abortion-related measures on record.

More HERE

Rossi: America’s Honor, Dignity, & World Peace Are At Stake Over Ukraine

By Randy Rossi - 

I wonder how many Americans know that America, Britain, and Russia made a pledge to Ukraine in 1994 to defend and protect them if they gave up their nuclear arsenal? That agreement was called the Budapest Memorandum and the picture below shows US President Clinton, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and President Kravchuk of Ukraine shaking hands on the deal. Because of that promise, Ukraine did in fact give up its 4,000 nuclear weapons. Of course Russia has broken that promise and has already invaded Ukraine twice including their invasion and conquest of Crimea and now their attack on Eastern Ukraine. Sadly, President Obama broke America’s promise to defend Ukraine and did nothing when Russia took Crimea. In fact, the whole world did nothing including Britain. Now Russia is invading Ukraine again. Thankfully, the US and Britain are providing Ukraine some military aid and putting moderate financial pressure on Russia.

Why should Americans care? First, because our honor and dignity are at stake. If we don’t keep our promise to Ukraine, countries like Japan and South Korea will have to build their own nuclear arsenals instead of relying on America and that makes the world more dangerous. Why would anybody ever trust America again? On top of that, Vladimir Putin just publicly announced that his ultimate goal is to rebuild the former USSR. If the world doesn’t stop Putin at Ukraine, he will then attack members of NATO to accomplish that goal which will launch WWIII. Third, China is watching and if the “Free World” does not stop Russia, China will absolutely invade Taiwan and possibly Japan to control Asia. That will also lead to WWIII which would result in the deaths of millions and millions of people and destroy the global economy.

President Bill Clinton, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Ukrainian counterpart Leonid M. Kravchuk join hands after signing the nuclear disarmament agreement in the Kremlin, Jan. 14, 1994. Photo: Diana Walker/Getty Images

There is some potential good news if the free world has any common sense and courage. Incredibly, much of  Europe, especially Germany, has destroyed their own energy independence over global warming hysteria making themselves dependent on their enemy of freedom, Russia for roughly 50% of the natural gas and oil that runs their countries. They are dependent on Russia and Russia is dependent on their money since the only things Russia makes is vodka, gas, and oil and their whole economy is about the size of Florida’s! America could end this battle without firing a shot by reestablishing our energy independence and opening up our massive oil and gas production and selling Europe our oil and gas which would bankrupt Russia, free Europe, and make America even richer!! My fellow Americans, as we watch gas prices go through the roof and the world is at the edge of a global war, how could any rational person disagree with that strategy? So here is the deal, it is time for Americans to stand up for protecting America’s honor and dignity by keeping our promise to Ukraine and demand that our politicians open up the America energy independence “gold mine” to free America, make America even more prosperous, and to free Europe from Russia!

IL State Police report seizing $71 Million in Illegal Drugs last year

StLouisToday photo

EFFINGHAM - Citing the urgent need to address the continued epidemic of opioid and meth addiction across the state, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly announced Wednesday that ISP Metropolitan Enforcement Groups (MEGs) dramatically increased the percentage of dangerous drugs and weapons seized in FY 2021, recovering illegal drugs valued at approximately $71,000,000.

“Through the strong state, local and federal partnerships of the MEG units, drug enforcement across our state is focused on apprehending violent, drug-trafficking criminals profiting off the pain of those losing loved ones to dangerous drugs” stated Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “The ISP is thankful for the community-based partnerships like those of the MEG units because it leads to a more united, more effective front pushing back against these merchants of misery causing of this ongoing epidemic.”

The Illinois State Police (ISP) Metropolitan Enforcement Groups (MEGs) are on the front lines of narcotic enforcement strategies, prevention, and treatment strategies. MEGs represent a collaborative effort among state, federal, and local law enforcement agencies to enforce Illinois drug laws and investigate street gang activity. MEGs partner with the Statewide Terrorism Intelligence Center (STIC) and Illinois National Guard Counterdrug analysts to reduce crime through intelligence led policing which focuses enforcement efforts on felony level drug distribution and trafficking. MEGs partner with community groups, health organizations, and local stakeholders to address and prevent substance abuse disorders affecting communities throughout Illinois.

Where’s Weyermuller? Heading to CPAC 2022 in the free state of Florida

By Mark Weyermuller -

This week the Conservative Political Action Conference, commonly known as CPAC will take place February 24-28, 2022. It will be held at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando, Florida. This conference is considered the largest gathering of conservatives in the world.

The event is sponsored by the American Conservative Union headed by Matt Schlapp. The theme this year is “We will not be cancelled —-and you don’t want to miss it.”  Many feel there will be a big focus on the midterm elections in 2022.

Catholic League president says non-violent protesters treated worse than violent rioters

NEW YORK -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue calls attention to the unjust way law enforcement is treating rioters:

On February 15, 2022 Edward McAlanis was sentenced to six months probation, $500 in restitution and 60 hours of community service. He was previously fired from his high salary job in financial services; he is now a pizza delivery driver. What did he do to merit these punishments? On January 6 last year, he joined a protest outside the U.S. Capitol, and entered the building without authorization. He posed for a picture in front of a statue of Abraham Lincoln. That was it.

By contrast, Antifa and Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters killed innocent persons, set buildings on fire, assaulted the police, looted department stores and participated in illegal street demonstrations. Practically nothing has been done to any of them. Moreover, the attacks these thugs made on Catholics have largely been ignored by the media.

Antifa sports a revolutionary ideology, one that is diametrically opposed to Catholicism; to say it hates Catholicism is an understatement. One of the leaders of BLM, Shaun King, stated in 2020 that all images depicting Jesus as a "white European" should be torn down because they are a form of "white supremacy." He added that white people use Christianity as a "tool of oppression."

GOP gubernatorial candidate Paul Schimpf releases new ad

WATERLOO - GOP gubernatorial candidate former state Senator Paul Schimpf appeals to GOP 2022 primary voters with an ad emphasizing the discouraging direction of Illinois - and how NOT to respond to it. 

In the ad he reminds voters of his involvement as a naval officer in prosecuting Saddam Hussein and his determination to change the state's downward trend.

"Hope is not a plan. Anger is not a solution and outrage cannot unify our state," he says. 

P Rae: Stay out of our daughters' panties, Gov. Pritzker

By P Rae, Black Excellence Hour, WVON 160am Chicago - 

The United States of America is the best country in the world because of how it protects children and vulnerable from predators and harm. Our government functions as a body elected by the people to protect the interests of the people. However, in 2021, the IL State Legislature and Governor JB Pritzker passed a bill that was not in the best interest of IL families or girls from around the country, HB 370, repealing Illinois's Parental Notice of Abortion law. This law mandated that the guardians of minor girls be notified that their child was receiving healthcare. 

The issue behind HB 370 is not abortion. The right to terminate a pregnancy has been affirmed by the US Supreme Court. Governor Bruce Rauner (R) passed the Reproductive Health Act establishing the fundamental right to reproductive health care, including abortion, in 2019. Now that the Parental Notification Act has been repealed, any pregnant girl from around the world country can come to IL and get an abortion sponsored by IL taxpayers without her parents knowledge. The average age to begin menstruation in America is 10 years old. This means that a 10 year old can become pregnant, consent to an abortion without her parents’ knowledge, receive the abortion free of charge and go home to bleed on her pretty pink sheets. A doctor can give her an abortion pill at her school clinic without her parents’ knowledge or consent but the girl cannot receive an aspirin for a headache without signed paperwork.

GOP state rep calls for full disclosure of how Illinois is spending federal COVID relief funds

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Deputy House Minority Leader Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) has filed new legislation to ensure transparency in how Governor Pritzker spends remaining federal COVID-19 relief funds allocated to Illinois under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed by Congress in March 2021.

Demmer’s legislation, House Bill 4213, would address specific concerns related to Governor Pritzker’s management of ARPA funds. Specifically, Demmer’s bill would require the Governor to formally notify the four legislative leaders of the Illinois General Assembly in advance before designating how ARPA funds will be spent.  The notice would be required to include the amount being allocated, the purpose that amount is intended to fund, and the reason the expenditure is needed.

Thorner: First they came for Canadian Freedom Fighters

US News photo

By Nancy Thorner - 

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” ~Dietrich Bonheoffer   

Canadians stood up for freedom, and are continuing to stand up against Trudeau's brutal dictatorship, for freedom is necessary for a democracy to exist and flourish.

Never in the history of mankind has there ever been a more peaceful, respectful, clean, moral, and ethical political protest, in stark contrast to all BLM and ANTIFA protests.  The trucker’s protest in Ottawa was a shining example of how decent moral people should assemble in public square for redress of their grievances.

Di Leo: Sanctions Don't Threaten Only the Enemy

By John F. Di Leo - 

The world is reminded every day that the United States will do everything appropriate -- short of firing a single shot, that is -- to scare Vladimir Putin out of invading Ukraine (which, at this writing, may have already begun). While the Biden-Harris regime has already made it clear that the United States will not use military action to support Ukraine, the United States will definitely wield sanctions as a weapon.

Vladimir Putin must be shaking in his best felt boots.

Sanctions are an important element of foreign policy.  Viewed as one tool among many, along with the military, and that most formidable of all weapons, our nuclear arsenal, economic sanctions must be a part of the toolkit. But they are meaningless alone, especially if they hurt others more than they hurt the target.

To begin with, politicians have a tendency to act as if there are no sanctions currently in place… but there are, so all we’re talking about is adding more.  And the more sanctions there already are, the less sting additional ones will have.

More, in the American Thinker, HERE:

Pritzker ad fact check: Pritzker's policies have hurt small business, working mothers

Gov. J.B Pritzker’s latest campaign ad praises his support for small businesses even though his policies contributed to one of the nation’s largest small business closures.

A TV ad for Gov. Pritzker’s re-election campaign credits him for providing a “life raft” for Illinois small businesses. But the data don’t indicate Illinois policy choices during the pandemic supported the small business community enough to keep it healthy, as 35% of the state’s pre-pandemic small businesses were still closed a year into COVID-19.

In terms of overall jobs, Illinois has experienced the worst recovery of any Midwest state, and the eighth worst in the country. Many Illinoisans waited for weeks before their claims were resolved during the height of the pandemic.

More HERE

Illinois bill could create new 3-cent per gallon local gas tax

House Bill 4424 would give every Illinois municipal government the power to impose a 3-cent per gallon tax on gas without first gaining the approval of local taxpayers at the polls.

As Gov. J.B. Pritzker touts his temporary 1-cent gas tax relief proposal for Illinoisans, new legislation could permanently raise local gas taxes up to 3 cents per gallon.

The proposed legislation would allow municipal governments with fewer than 3 million residents to levy up to a 3-cent per gallon tax on gasoline for road projects without first gaining the approval of local taxpayers at the polls.

This would give each of Illinois’ 1297 municipalities the individual power to raise gas taxes on residents at will.

More HERE

CDC Director Admits COVID Is Not the Primary Cause of Death in Most Cases

Most vaccinated people no longer need fear imminent death from COVID-19 or its variants, says Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Remarking on a CDC study showing vaccines targeting COVID-19 and its variants have successfully prevented serious illness, Walensky said most deaths from COVID in vaccinated people occurred in individuals diagnosed with several other conditions or diseases, during an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America on January 7.

“The overwhelming number of deaths, over 75 percent, occurred in people who had at least four comorbidities,” said Walensky. “So, really, these are people who were unwell, to begin with. And yes, really encouraging news in the context of Omicron; this means not only just to get your primary series but to get your booster series. And yes, we’re really encouraged by these results.”

The CDC study found among 1,228,664 people who completed primary vaccinations during the period from December 2020 to October 2021, severe COVID-19-associated outcomes (0.015 percent) or death (0.0033 percent) were rare.

Risk factors for severe outcomes identified in the study included being 65 years and older, immunosuppressed, and having one or more of six other underlying conditions. Indeed, all people with severe outcomes had at least one risk factor, while 78 percent of persons who died had at least four.

More HERE

Socialist Squad Members Demand SEC Implement ‘Climate Rule’

For many years, socialists in the United States have attempted to use the “existential” threat of climate change as a Trojan horse to fundamentally transform the U.S. economy from a dynamic, free-market system to a centralized, redistributionist structure.

For example, in 2018, self-avowed socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced the Green New Deal, which they describe as “a jobs and justice-centered plan to decarbonize the U.S. economy within ten years. It is one of the only plans put forward which is actually in line with scientific consensus and the United Nations’ IPCC Report. The Green New Deal also focuses on creating the maximum amount of prosperity for working people and marginalized communities in the process.”

Never mind that AOC’s Green New Deal would completely bankrupt the country given its price tag of about $100 trillion. Or that it would undercut the very foundation of the U.S. economy. Or that it would incentivize millions of Americans to shed their jobs in place of a universal basic income for those “unwilling to work.” These are just petty details, or so they say.

Fortunately, Congress balked at the socialist scheme known as the Green New Deal. In fact, the Green New Deal was so radical and out of line with America’s values it was universally panned by members of both political parties.

More HERE

Di Leo: General Washington - The Education of a Virginia Patriot

By John F. Di Leo - 

(George Washington as a young surveyor. 1881 illustration entitled "Old Times in the Colonies" by Charles Carleton Coffin)

Our second President, John Adams, attended Harvard, the oldest college in America, already over a hundred years old when he attended.

His successor in the White House, Thomas Jefferson, attended William and Mary… and his successor, James Madison, attended the College of New Jersey (now known as Princeton). 

Most of our earlier presidents, those who led the Continental Congress and its successor body, the Confederation Congress, were similarly well-educated men.  For example, John Jay went to King’s College (now Columbia); Thomas Mifflin attended the College of Philadelphia.

The various colleges of both the United States and Great Britain were well represented by our Founding Fathers… and yet, the greatest of them all, George Washington – surveyor, planter, trader, legislator, executive, and soldier – had no “higher education” at all. How ever did he manage it?

Thorner: Freedom Truckers to come through Illinois March 5

 

By Nancy Thorner - 

 

It was in August of last year when Kristi Hickam, conversed in her back yard with two of her friends, Jamie Cavaness and Ben Roberts, about what they might do about the bleak political situation, specifically about preserving freedom.  Together, they reached the conclusion that freedom is something everyone should play a part in promoting and be willing to fight for, as we presently are witnessing with our neighbor to the north in Canada.

 

Following the backyard meeting, Ben made a flyer detailing a visit to the Governor's Mansion in Springfield to attend a freedom rally.  To Kristi's surprise, twelve people showed up and, as related by Kristi, “Four of them were sent to us by God. They are everything we needed to help continue this fight, and more!" 

Rossi: Painful Gas Prices Today Are a “Sneak Preview” Of the Massive Cost of Killing Fossil Fuels.

By Randy Rossi -

While our current insane and painfully high gas prices are seriously hurting most Americans, they may have a few positive effects. First they may finally wake-up Americans regarding the incredible cost of killing fossil fuels because of “Global Warming Hysteria”. Just a little more than a year ago, gas prices were dramatically lower than today and America was totally energy independent. Then the American people foolishly elected Democrat Joe Biden who immediately started killing that energy independence by shutting down the Keystone pipeline, killing fracking, and killed drilling oil on federal land. That drove oil & gas prices up and believe it or not, now some people on the East Coast are getting their gas from our enemy Russia! While that is not as bad as Germany killing its energy independence by closing all of its safe and effective nuclear energy and then making itself dependent on the enemy of freedom, Russia! To make things even worse, now Russia is on the edge of invading Ukraine so America may have to help provide Germany and other European countries oil and gas if there is war with Russia. If you think gas prices are high now, imagine if we have to send some of our oil and gas to Europe which would drive oil and gas prices through the roof!!!

The Covid State is Crumbling. State Legislatures Must Continue to Curb Emergency Executive Power

The American people are fed up with the Covid state. Nick Murray writes:

Connecticut and Iowa ended their states of emergency declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on February 15th and 16th, respectively. According to Ballotpedia, 26 states still have emergency declarations or public health directives in place, though these declarations confer varying levels of emergency power to each state’s chief executive.

It's likely the last of these dominoes will fall before the end of the calendar year. Just in recent weeks, it has become more apparent that the COVID state is crumbling, both domestically and abroad.

Although most states will have ended their emergencies within the next week, many continue to grapple with finding the proper balance of power between the legislative and executive branches during an emergency.

More HERE

Republicans outraise Democrats by 92% in Texas state legislative races

Since the 2020 campaign cycle, Ballotpedia has partnered with Transparency USA to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections in 10 states, including Texas. Between July 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2021, 282 Republican candidates raised $22.0 million compared to the $8.0 million 197 Democratic candidates raised.

More HERE

Key Indicator Hints America Is Headed For Its Worst Real Estate Crash In History

A shockingly large price bubble appears to have formed in the real estate market.

Although it’s impossible to predict economic crashes with certainty, a key economic indicator suggests the U.S. housing market is on the verge of an unprecedented crash, one that could end up being the biggest in America’s history.

Following the 2008 stock and real estate market crashes, the Federal Reserve, Democratic-led Congress, and the presidential administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama began an unprecedented effort to pump new dollars into the financial system — and, to a lesser extent, the economy at large.

More HERE

GOP Lawmakers respond to Pritzker's loss in 4th Appellate Court

SPRINGFIELD - Republican lawmakers were eager to respond to the Appellate Court's dismissal late Thursday of Governor Pritzker's mask mandate appeal.

State Senator Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) has been vocal in his opposition to Governor Pritkzer's Emergency Orders after they passed the first 30-day limit provided in Illinois state law: 

"This ruling is another victory for freedom that confirms what we already knew and have been fighting for since the beginning. Pritzker is a failure and I will continue fighting against his tyrannical mandates and empty threats while standing up for the rights of parents, students, small businesses, and every Illinoisan who has suffered under his unconstitutional and unilateral mandates. It’s time to restore common sense to Springfield and freedom and opportunities to every Illinoisan."

After learning the governor intends to appeal once again, this time to the Illinois Supreme Court, Bailey  - who is running for governor in the 2022 GOP primary - said:

“After losing his appeal to take our freedoms, JB acts like the spoiled, trust-fund billionaire brat he is by taking his quest to force masks on kids to the Supreme Court. Let's hope Pritzker handles November's loss better than this one to parents, students, and teachers.”

Pritzker Admin appeals to IL Supreme Court over COVID 19 school mitigations

(The Center Square) – The Illinois attorney general is asking the Illinois Supreme Court to take up the legal challenge to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's COVID-19 mitigations in schools.

The Fourth District Court of Appeals late Thursday found Pritzker's appeal of a lower court blocking mask and exclusion rules for students and vaccine or testing mandates for teachers and school staff moot.

The court said the emergency rules promulgated by the governor’s executive order expired and new rules filed this week were blocked by a legislative panel.

On Friday, Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement the ruling does not affect the governor’s executive orders, only the emergency “technical” rule filed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

More on THE CENTER SQUARE here.

GOP state reps segregated from IL House floor for resisting COVID mask mandate

SPRINGFIELD – This week at the State Capitol, State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) along with State Representatives Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville); Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur); Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City); and Chris Miller (R-Oakland) defied the Illinois House mask rules and were forced to vote on bills remotely instead of on the House floor.

The Democrat-controlled Illinois House continued imposing their two-year old mask mandate, despite less and less science that masks are effective in preventing the spread of COVID. Thursday, nine GOP lawmakers were ousted from the chambers in the following vote: 

“For the third day in a row, we refused to comply with the House mask mandate because of our commitment to highlight the unnecessary school mask mandate and because we are tired of rules and policies that don’t make any sense," the lawmakers said in a statement issued Thursday.

"This time the Democrat majority followed through with their threat to remove us from the House floor and we were forced to vote on bills remotely instead of in person on the House floor."

Illinois Family Action picks Miller over Davis in 15th CD GOP primary

U.S. Rep. Mary Miller

ILLINOIS - Due to the Democrats' redistricting tactics and the loss of a whole congressional district due to population loss over the last 10 years, two Illinois GOP Congress members were drawn into the 15th CD.  The two will be facing each other in Illinois' June 28, 2022 GOP primary: U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13) and U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (IL-15). 

Friday, Illinois Family Action released the following endorsement of Congresswoman Mary Miller in Illinois' 15th Congressional District:

"We agree with President Donald Trump’s assessment that Congresswoman Mary Miller is the right candidate to represent the good people of the 15th Congressional District," said David Smith, executive director of Illinois Family Action.

 

"Mary is a proud and vocal believer in Jesus Christ, and her Christian faith guides her positions on moral issues. Mary Miller is pro-life, pro-religious liberty, and pro-marriage between a man and a woman. She supports a strong military, the opportunity for parents to choose home education, and she stands with the nation of Israel. Mary bows her knee to no one but Jesus Christ, and her actions demonstrate that she will always make sound moral judgments as to how legislation will affect the people in her district and the nation."

 

"I am honored to be endorsed by Illinois Family Action, and I will continue to be an outspoken and fearless fighter for life in the womb, parental rights, freedom of conscience, and traditional marriage," said Congresswoman Miller.

Winnebago Co forced to pay $374,000 over firing pro-life nurse

ROCKFORD — This week, Circuit Court Judge Eugene Doherty issued an attorney fee award of over $374,000 against Winnebago County in a case involving the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act, the Dalton & Tomich law firm says.

Attorney Noel Sterett, a partner with the law firm of Dalton + Tomich, and his co-counsel, Whitman Brisky and Nathan Noble, filed the case in 2016 on behalf of pediatric nurse Sandra Rojas after she lost her job of 18 years at the Winnebago County Public Health Clinic. In 2015, the County’s Public Health Administrator, Dr. Sandra Martell, determined that Rojas could not keep her job at the clinic if she was not willing to accept new duties which involved providing abortion referrals and contraception. Rojas, an observant Catholic, exercised her statutory right of conscience and lost her job as a result.

“The purpose of filing this lawsuit was to ensure that no nurse or doctor is ever forced to refer for abortions—least of all those who entered the profession to follow their faith and save lives,” Sterett said. “Healthcare professionals should not be required to violate their conscience to keep their jobs. Thankfully, Illinois has laws that protect a health care professional’s right to not participate in the provision of medical services which violate their conscience,” Sterett said.

Di Leo: The Canadian Truckers' Choice: The Easy Way or the Hard Way

By John F. Di Leo - 

Justin Trudeau, current prime minister of Canada, and heir of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, is angry.  There are truckers — lots of them — clogging the streets of Ottawa, honking their horns, and revving their engines.

Raised in privilege as a prime minister's son, Mr. Trudeau doesn't believe that he should have to listen to the people's voices, let alone their engines. 

So he has ordered police to steal the drivers' fuel and even impound their vehicles.  He has ordered banks to confiscate their bank accounts.  He has even decreed a national emergency — which he didn't do for the virus, by the way, only for the truckers' convoy — and in so doing, jeopardized the majority status of his party, since virtually everyone knows that the Emergencies Act was never intended for anything like this.

Yes, this is a big demonstration.  Yes, it's one of the biggest in Canadian history, possibly the biggest (though there are different ways to count such things).  Yes, the closure of a couple of bridges was a noticeable hit to the economy for a few days — though not nearly as severe a hit as two years of mask mandates, social distancing mandates, lockdowns, and shutdowns have been, and we don't see him apologizing for those, do we?

But there is something about this particular demonstration that the extremist pro-max-and-vax fringe crowd might want to consider: that it could be worse.

More, in the American Thinker, HERE:

Thorner: From the Iron Curtain to Canada: The Canadian Trucker Convoy Protest

 

By Nancy Thorner - 

 

Here is a Romanian refugee from Communism under Nicolae Ceaușescu speaking. For your reference, here is a brief primer on Ceaușescu, so you aren’t one, as philosopher George Santayana wrote, of "Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it."

 

This ordinary, salt of the earth trucker sees very similar tendencies in Mr. Trudeau as he saw in Communist Romania, evident in the words he used, unfiltered by the rich media elite. 

 

The Romanian trucker illustrated exactly and precisely why the Deep State elite, the WEF, George Soros, Bill Gates, et al will lose.  As a microcosm of a much larger truth, the key point is such:  the elite do not have the human terrain. 

 

As the trucker said, “Just as the Soviets and Ceaușescu did not have their people’s hearts or minds, the elite are even uniting the Quebecois and the English to throw off the common oppressor.” 

 

As for uniting the French and the English in Canada after hundreds of years of animosity, only the arrogant elite in their echo chambers could accomplish as much!

Thorner: Biggest News Story in the World, But Crickets From Mainstream Media

Texas Tribune image 

By Nancy Thorner - 

“La, la, la, can't hear you: How the liberal media outlets that relentlessly pushed Trump’s 'Russian collusion' smear have totally ignored Durham's revelation that Hillary SPIED on Trump. CNN, NY Times, Washington Post, NBC and CBS all pass.”

Read Jonathan Turley's excellent account here of how special Counsel John Durham has triggered a media meltdown.

Di Leo: Letter from Facebook Jail

By John F. Di Leo - 

I’m writing from jail… but that’s okay.  I’ve been in jail before.

In 2021, I served two stints in Facebook’s Cell Block H, once for posting about the likely origin of Covid-19 in Wuhan and the fact that masks and lockdowns did far more damage than help… and once for sharing a meme complimentary of Kyle Rittenhouse’s volunteer work in scrubbing graffiti off walls in Kenosha. Thirty days each.

But my current stint came as a surprise to me.

On Sunday, I posted a humorous one-stanza poem by Hilaire Belloc, the great English author and member of Parliament. The title is “Epitaph on the Politician Himself,” and it describes how sad the author is at seeing a corrupt politician die of natural causes when he clearly should have been hanged after conviction for corruption.

A friend asked for clarification on its meaning – not unusual with poetry – and I answered the question. Within seconds my account was restricted, and I received the all-too-familiar notice of a 30-day suspension from the megalomaniacs of Menlo Park.

MORE, in the American Thinker, here:

Is Pope Francis a Socialist?

The current leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has apparently disavowed Pope John Paul II’s anti-Marxist beliefs, marking a severe change in the Vatican’s official stance on socialism.

Consider Pope Francis’ recent comments when meeting with Italy’s revenue agency.

According to Pope Francis, “[Taxation] must favor the redistribution of wealth, safeguarding the dignity of the poor and the least, who always risk being trodden underfoot by the powerful. The taxman, when he or she is just, promotes the common good.”

More HERE

Natural Immunity Is Superior to Immunity from COVID-19 Shots; Reports

After months of denial and dodging, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report showing that, compared to getting the shots, natural immunity to COVID-19 is 2.8 times more effective in keeping people out of the hospital and 3.3 percent to 4.7 percent more effective in preventing reinfection.

The study, “COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations by COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Previous COVID-19 Diagnosis—California and New York, May–November 2021,” was published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on January 19.

The analysis proves what many suspected throughout the pandemic, says Joel Hirschhorn, author of Pandemic Blunder and editor of the Pandemic Blunder Newsletter.

“The refusal by U.S. government public health agencies to formally give credit to people with natural immunity obtained from prior COVID infection made no sense,” said Hirschhorn.

More HERE

Biden's Energy Policies Cost U.S. Households More Than $1,000 in 2021

The average U.S. household in 2021 spent an extra $600 in higher gasoline costs and $70 in higher electricity costs due to the Biden administration's energy policies.

KEY POINTS

DURING THE PAST YEAR:

• Overall electricity prices rose 8 percent 
• Industrial electricity prices rose 15 percent
• Home heating oil prices increased by 43 percent
• Oil prices rose 60 percent
• Natural gas prices surged by 61 percent
• The price of gasoline rose 98 cents per gallon, about 42 percent

More HERE

Cook Co GOP considers dropping GOP committeemen voting history requirement

CHICAGO - Cook County GOP township and ward committeemen are powerful party positions - ones whose support or opposition can make or break a primary candidate's ballot success.

That fact brought to the forefront a heated discussion among current committeemen about requirements the Cook County GOP currently holds: the requirement that GOP candidates for committeemen must have pulled Republican ballots in the two previous primary elections.

Chicago GOP Chairman Steve Boulton says it's not easy to get people to step up into those powerful political positions. 

"There are a lot of angry Democrats out there now, and I'd like to get them involved in the Chicago GOP.  I asked that the Cook County GOP committeemen consider dropping that requirement so I can get some of these angry Democrats involved this year," Boulton told Illinois Review last week. 

He pointed specifically to an angry Democrat that wants to get involved right away - a chance a Republican in Democrat-controlled Chicago can only dream of happening.

But the thought of bringing in untried Democrats into GOP leadership positions did not set well with everyone involved. Indeed, Chicago GOP Secretary Dan Kelley resigned from his position in opposition to the proposed change.  Kelley, an attorney, said he has fought in court the effect "impostors" have had on Republican candidacies in the past.

Legislative committee blocks Pritzker's school mask mandate

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois General Assembly's Joint Committee on Administrative rules voted Tuesday to block re-implementing Governor JB Pritzker's mask mandate for K-12 public and private schools in Illinois.

The 12-member committee, made up of Democrat and Republican members of the Illinois House and Senate, voted 9 for blocking the Governor's mandate, zero opposed and two voted present. One member was not present at the vote. 

Illinois was the last remaining Midwestern state with a mask mandate for schools. Governor JB Pritzker announced last week the mandate would likely be lifted February 28th on indoor businesses, but not on schools. 

On February 4th, a Sangamon County judge issued a temporary restraining order against the governor's school mask mandate, declaring the emergency rules as they applied to schools “null and void.” 

Parents and students have been attending school board meetings to express their opposition or support for continuing the mask mandates. Some have been met with verbal resistance from school board members and intimidating police presence. 

State Representative Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, said JCAR's decision was a "big win."

Where's Weyermuller? Taking public vulgar verbal punches over mask mandates

This particular "Where's Weyermuller?" segment is not one coming FROM the Illinois Review contributor - it's ABOUT him. Mark Weyermuller, who generously donates his time and resources towards reporting on conservative events throughout the state to keep Illinois Review readers informed, is himself in the news Wednesday. 

Here's what Glenbrook Dist 225 High School Board member Joel Taub said to Weyermuller Monday evening when Weyermuller attempted to address the board on the topic of COVID mask mandates: "You can wear the mask on your f****** b*lls! If you don't wear the f****** mask, you get the f*** out of here!"

As a taxpayer, Weyermuller actively challenges local councils over topics such as taxes, budgets, and public policy. This week, during his self-imposed quest to see local school and city councils lift COVID mask mandates - especially in the most rigid enforcement parts of Cook County and Chicago - Weyermuller was publicly dressed down by Taub when he resisted wearing a COVID mask while addressing the  Board.

Despite pleas from parents, citizens and court rulings calling to end the mandates, Monday night the school board decided to continue mandating their students wear masks.

"I just want the kids to go mask-optional," Weyermuller told Illinois Review today. "And to get rid of people like these that are on school boards. I've never been verbally assaulted before."

Parents and community members are calling for Taub's resignation. 

Video below - WARNING: Vulgar language

Billionaire Ken Griffin's $20M into Irvin's campaign reminiscent of Rauner's 2018 disaster

Ken Griffin of Citadel

CHICAGO - As promised for weeks by sources within Mayor Richard Irvin's circles, Citadel billionaire Ken Griffin made a major donation to Irvin for Illinois this week - a check for $20,000,000.

Over the years, Griffin has donated $141,749,097.23 to state political campaigns, the vast majority to Republican organizations, statewide legislative and a few local municipal candidates - including over $36 million to Bruce Rauner alone, State Board of Elections reports.

Griffin's money does give a step up, but doesn't guarantee a win for Irvin, however. The same political consultants that pulled Bruce Rauner over the finish line in 2014 by shaming and intimidating conservative Republicans throughout the state to back off their commitment to pro-life, pro-Second Amendment and pro-legal immigration are becoming millionaires by pushing Irvin forward. Those same consultants and their "anti-social issues" arguments kept conservatives away from the polls in the Rauner vs Pritzker 2018 gubernatorial bid.  

While over 60 Illinois Republican Party leaders signed on recently to endorse Irvin over the other GOP candidates,  observers expect to begin seeing donations via Griffin's money begin showing up in local Republican organization coffers just as they did in 2014 when the same consultants made similar promises on behalf of Bruce Rauner.

Some, it's reported by insiders, are being promised up to and including $10,000 just for allowing their names to be used on Irvin's endorsement list. That is yet to be verified. However, we are seeing Chicago's wealthiest Republicans write checks to Irvin - including Illinois' Republican National Committeeman Richard Porter, who wrote a check to Irvin recently for $10,000. 

It's all quite intriguing to watch, political observers are saying. For Republican leadership to back Irvin - who has consistently pulled Democratic primary ballots election after election, except for 2018, when the Republican Party had a tight gubernatorial primary between incumbent Governor Bruce Rauner and GOP challenger Jeanne Ives.

The Metaverse Is Here, Growing, and Changing

Facebook’s October announcement that it would become a metaverse company and change its name to Meta created quite a stir. Elon Musk mocked the decision, saying people are unwilling to replace the physical world with a virtual one. Jack Dorsey called it dystopian, and others piled on. But Bill Gates said that most office meetings will be in the metaverse in 2–3 years. Gates is right: The metaverse is inevitable and will be as valuable and disruptive as the World Wide Web has been.

What is the metaverse?

More HERE

Hammer: Democrats’ Recent Rejection of COVID Insanity Will Not Save Them This Fall

By Josh Hammer -

As we race toward this fall’s midterm elections, it is obvious to even cursory observers of our political landscape that Democrats are in for a shellacking. As of this writing, both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have job approval ratings that are underwater by double-digit margins. Even more ominous, the RealClearPolitics polling average for voters who have been recently asked about the direction of the country reveals an astonishing 37.5% margin in favor of the idea America is on the “wrong track.”

Put simply, voters can’t stand Biden, hate Harris even more and emphatically think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Also auguring poorly for Democrats is the near-ironclad rule of American politics that a sitting president’s political party will lose seats in the first post-inauguration midterm election. Sensing the writing on the wall, 21 sitting House Democrats have now announced they do not intend to run for reelection — compared with only six House Republicans. The only real question is whether Republicans up and down the ballot this fall will prevail at rates that exceed the Tea Party wave midterm election of 2010.

More HERE

Mistreating Children as ‘Following the Science’

We live in a permanent state of emergency in which, our rulers argue, citizen democracy and individual rights would imperil our safety. Illinoisans, like Americans more generally, expect and deserve to have an active role in the democratic process and thus in the rules that affect our lives and those of our children. This ruling from an Illinois court signals a respect for the traditional separation of powers that defines our system of government.

It has become clear that the “follow the science” narrative – which has effectively shut down reasoned democratic debate and imposed harmful, life-altering rules on our children – was a political tactic to silence dissent, not an evidence-based philosophy for our protection. Two years into this political catastrophe, parents and citizens have begun to demand a meaningful say in the democratic process and a substantive role in the decisions our children are living with every day.

Americans are now living amidst an unprecedented mental health crisis, orders of magnitude more dangerous to children and teenagers than is COVID-19. Despite the grown-up self-delusion that says children are resilient, this crisis has fallen most heavily on children, who are decidedly not resilient, but confused, scared, and vulnerable. These children represent the limits of our care and compassion; they have no money, pressure groups, lobbyists, or political clout – no way to fight back against the abuse to which we’ve subjected them.

More HERE