Illinois Review

Starkehaus: Guess what, conservative America ... Hollywood doesn't like you

Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting was pummeled this week for saying she's not a feminist

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

No doubt about it. This year's State of the Union Address should have you deeply concerned, but this is sort of water under the bridge. It's wise to remember that President Barack Obama would have been completely unelectable had it not been for the hard sell of media elites who saw to it that his obvious flaws as a leader were never discussed in any meaningful way. Barack Obama and our entire federal system own responsibility for the abysmal state of our national affairs, but pop culture decay sold the American people on this bill of goods. Isn't that our real problem?

While it's true that pop culture often fails to challenge or provoke meaningful thought, we all know – especially members of the political Left Wing – that positive representation in the media and entertainment industries ultimately leads to representation in our government. To that end, the lack of any meaningful conservative opinions coming from the entertainment industry denotes a cultural handicap that could lead to the extinction of the conservatism as a political movement.

Starkehaus: Has the State of Colorado infringed upon the right to privacy and expression?

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

Back in 2012, a cake maker by the name of Jack Phillips refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple (Charlie Craig and David Mullins) on the grounds that doing so would violate his conscience and religious principles. Mr. Phillips explained that he would be glad to bake anything else for them, but his religious beliefs precluded him from making them a wedding cake.

Seeing as how Jack Phillips is apparently the only baker in the greater Denver area and is therefore responsible for depriving all gay people everywhere of the constitutionally protected right to delicious confections, the ACLU filed a complaint on behalf of Mr. Craig and Mr. Mullins stating, "…the baker's religious beliefs don't give him a right to discriminate and violate Colorado law." The specific Colorado law in question is the 2008 Public Accommodations Law on sexual orientation and identity.

Judge Robert N. Spencer agreed with the ACLU and ordered Mr. Phillips and Masterpiece Cakeshop to serve gay couples. Quoting from CBS News in Denver:

Starkehaus: Is it a mystery that Chicago Catholics have given up on their religion?

Cardinal Bernadin - 1996 Associated Press photo

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

The January edition of Chicago Magazine explores the question, "Why is Chicago losing its Catholics?" This article by Elizabeth Fenner is the exactly formulaic reaction that one might expect from progressivist publication that has enjoyed watching a conservative Pope resign from office to be replaced with a progressivist Holy See and a conservative Cardinal of Chicago resign to be replaced with a progressivist Archbishop.

With all due candor, Catholic Leftists (which is an oxymoron if I ever did hear one…Marx was a jealous god that didn't believe in sharing power) have their pied pipers in place, and it is time for members of an obedient media to write the script for the new collectivist mandates.

Why are Chicago Catholics leaving the Church? Well, it's clear from Chicago Magazine and from other sources in the mainstream media that Chicagoans and Americans as a whole are just too darned cosmopolitan for the small thinking of traditional Catholicism, which holds humanity back from its real potential by setting standards of proper conduct when it should be busying itself with social and environmental justice. Where does the Church get off anyway? It's filled with sinners and hypocrites. The world is changing and the Church must change with it. So it is written in Chicago Magazine's opinion poll, so it must be done.

O'Brien: How George W. Bush Took it To the NORKS

By Teri O'Brien - 

If anything captures the state of a hobbled, declining America under President Payback, it is this headline from Friday's Wall Street Journal story about the cyber-terrorist attack by the North Koreans on Sony Pictures: "U.S. Struggles for Response to Hack." The story goes on to quote another hack, Obama spokes imbecile, the inappropriately named Josh Earnest, saying that the Regime is seeking a "proportional" response.  

History has shown that the Obama administration has a very twisted and skewed view of proportionality. Five Islamofascist terrorists for 1 deserter. Three citizens of a brutally repressive regime that harbors American fugitives who killed Americans, one of the three convicted of attempted murder, in exchange for an American hostage whose crime was trying to help the Cuban people get on the internet. A junk-science based "climate change" agreement with China, in which the U.S. agrees to strangle its economy by reducing its carbon emissions by at least 26% from 2005 levels, and the Chinese agree to a "target" of getting 20% of its energy from renewable sources by around 2030, maybe, if they feel like it. China builds one coal burning power plant a month, while Obama's war on coal has destroyed jobs and economic growth in some of the poorest regions of America. Just one month after this "historic" agreement, we learn about the North Korea cyber attack, an event that could not have been accomplished without the assistance of the Chinese. 

The Interview…the movie that everyone is talking about for all the wrong reasons

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

The business of entertaining has long been bathed in an ethereal mix of duplicity and defamation whereby the power brokers in Hollywood can wrongly accuse conservative Americans of harboring the very prejudices that apparently burden their own minds and hearts. When called on it, they can claim sanctuary under the pretext of "It's just showbiz. It's not real." Talk about eating your cake and having it too. (Reference Dan Quayle vs. Murphy Brown here.)

The Sony hack merely validates the concerns that conservatives have been voicing about the Left's monopoly in entertainment. The Left has had the power to sway national opinions against conservative values and has had no checks or balances in place to keep them honest. It's nothing short of artistic tyranny, but short-lived has been the conservative celebration over exposed progressivist intolerance because the North Korean hackers could not be content with mere humiliation. They had to wreck this one glorious moment of exoneration with egoistic chest thumping and threats of violence.

To that end, the vainglory displayed by North Korean hackers offers demonstrable proof that it is so much harder to be conservative than liberal…because conservatives have to live by principles when we would much rather watch the Left steep in the brine of their own corruption until they pickle. Alas, we can't sit back and enjoy the show. Instead, we'll have to provide a united front in the defense of free speech over what may be the dumbest movie of all time.

Starkehaus: How Darius Rucker became a target of the Left

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

I am struggling with a growing concern that Martin Luther King Jr. will one day be viewed by the Left as an enemy of the Civil Rights Movement instead of one of its forefathers. This wisp of a Philippian twist has been gnawing at me for some time with little concrete substantiation to back it up, but last week's snark treatment of Darius Rucker during Rockefeller Plaza's tree lighting ceremony has strengthened the theory enough in my own mind that I think I may be on to something.

More on Mr. Rucker in a minute.

There's something about the hollowness in modern day progressivism's chosen muses that leads me to believe that race activists will ultimately devour their heroes to keep the beast of enmity strong. The Left's strident movement toward disingenuousness notwithstanding, I can foresee a time in the not too distant future when "I have a dream that one day my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" will be categorized by agents of the race industry to represent words spoken by an insufferable Uncle Tom.

O'Brien: Time for a Criminal Investigation of the Obama Regime's Amnesty?

By Teri O'Brien - 

Seventy-three years ago yesterday, the Japanese attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Today, our liberty hangs in the balance, but not due to any foreign threat, but because of the enemy within, the traitorous, corrupt media, enabling a lawless, gangsta regime, by running endless stories on the irredeemable racism of our country, most of which conflate the Garner case with the Michael Brown incident in Ferguson, Missouri.

As you well know, but for his race, Barack Obama would still be on a Chicago street corner with his clipboard and bullhorn, trying to stir up a sense of entitlement and rage among poor black people. So, the last thing he, and his fellow race baiters like Eric Holder, revered presidential advisor/tax cheat "Rev." Al Sharpton, and his repellant wife, Michelle "Black Solidarity" Obama, want is what Dr. King urged; that is, a society in which people are judged, not by the color of their skin, but the content of their character.

If that lofty and admirable vision were to be realized, where does that leave this passel of mediocre, affirmative-action assisted jerks, all of whom are C players, at best? Their supporting that would make about as much sense as the CEO of McDonald's dreaming of everyone on the planet going vegan. Right on cue, the dead enders of the Occupy Wall Street and anti-globalization imbeciles display their ignorance and even stupidity, staging "die ins" by lying down in the street, and chanting irrational slogans like "Hands up. Don't Shoot," which are at war with the facts in the Ferguson case. Thought experiment: Obama's America, Mobocracy or Idiocracy? Discuss among yourselves.

Starkehaus: 'Don’t Shoot' is the truth that is a lie

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

The Congressional Black Caucus came to the floor of the US House of Representatives on Monday with game faces on. They entered with their hands up in the air as a display of faux surrender to show solidarity for Michael Brown of Ferguson, Missouri because Mr. Brown was shot and killed by Officer Darren Wilson during an altercation earlier this year. As a recap, a grand jury has decided not to indict Wilson after reviewing evidence, and this has led to civil unrest and devastation in Ferguson and throughout the nation.

In addition to the lynch mob mentality displayed through what one might interpret as the Congressional Black Caucus's public infidelity to the truth, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan prophesied of the certain destruction of American cities because the grand jury in Ferguson – which he contends is representative of American injustice – failed to provide the proper sacrificial lamb to Farrakhan's golden cow of hatred. Following his logic, we are required to submit that, guilty or no, Wilson needed to be martyred in order to make up for the original sin of slavery, so that peace may prevail in America.

O'Brien: The Awful Truth About Obama's Lawless Amnesty

By Teri O'Brien -

So, Barack Obama finally made good on his threat to unilaterally amend our immigration laws with his pen and phone, and celebrated by jetting off to Vegas, where he lied to an audience of shrieking high school students. He favors groups of backward children for these performances. They are ignorant about even the most basic information about public policy issues, but what they lack in knowledge and information, they make up for in youthful exuberance. Ignorance plus emotions on overdrive, for a demagogue, what's not to like?

I won't insult your intelligence by stating the obvious, or at least not only the obvious; that is, that this amnesty is an affront to the rule of law, separation of powers and the Constitution, and that it is an exercise in pure cynicism and political expediency. We'll discuss the lies in Obama's Friday speech at De La Sol High School in Las Vegas, but there's more to it than that. Beneath the surface, there's a larger agenda. We'll connect the dots today. 

You'll learn:

Starkehaus: The Cosby Convergence

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

Bill Cosby, perhaps the most iconic TV dad of the 1980s and outspoken critic of the deteriorating condition of the African American family, stands accused by multiple women of being a serial rapist. Prior to these accusations, Cosby was positioning an evolving political perspective that tended toward social conservatism. Although it is unlikely that he considers himself a Republican, he espouses an almost Tea Party-like affinity for moral clarity in our culture, and preaches steadfastly for economic self-sufficiency within the African American community.

At the time of this writing, the scandal is rolling along with the accusation and information gathering phase, and it still remains to be seen whether Cosby is guilty of rape. There's nothing to be gained in belaboring that point of innocence or guilt with gossip and conjecture. Within this space and time, Bill Cosby is a little like Schrödinger's cat. He's both guilty and innocent until the public's final judgment.

So instead of reveling in the innuendo that will likely undo Cosby's well-crafted public persona and leave him ruined – because guilty or no, he will forever be a punch line to the Left's tale of hypocrisy about social conservatism – let us consider the question, "Why now?"

O'Brien: Will The Supreme Court Rescue Us from Obamacare?

By Teri O'Brien - 

In spite of the clear message of last Tuesday's election, specifically, that the people want Barack Obama's radical, lawless behavior stopped, leaders of the victorious GOP are sending disturbing signals that they are not as determined to do what they promised when they were looking for our votes.

For example, more than once Senate Majority-Leader-in-Waiting, Mitch McConnell, vowed to fight to repeal Obamacare. Just days before the election, he ran an ad, featuring a Kentucky nurse and mother saying just that. Suddenly, we're hearing about ditching the medical device tax, but not much else.

Perhaps there is still hope. Will the Supreme Court rescue the GOP from its own gutlessness, and thereby rescue the country from Obamacare? Its decision last week to review the Fourth Circuit's decision in King v. Burwell strongly suggests that four justices are willing to reverse the lower court's ruling authorizing tax credits for insurance purchased on federal exchanges, something clearly prohibited by the statute. 

O'Brien: Will Barack Office Poison Create a GOP Wave Election, and Does it Matter?

By Teri O'Brien -

Will the GOP take the Senate? Polls strongly suggest that on Tuesday, Election Day 2014 (and by "Election Day," I mean our current mess of a system consisting of early voting, voting by mail, and casting a ballot when you stream a movie from Netflix or buy the "Bagel of the Day" at Dunkin' Doughnuts) will bring a bloodbath for the democrats, brought on by the collective realization by millions that they have been played for suckers by the most successful race hustling con artist in American's history, Barack Hussein Obama? Desperate members of the Jackass Party are resorting to ridiculous measures, including attempting to shame their base into voting by threatening to tell their neighbors that they didn't vote, a tactic that seems to be working about as well as everything else they've tried.

So, get the popcorn ready, and look forward to jubilation on Tuesday, but be under no illusions. Even if the GOP does take the Senate, which is essential, what will change? Are we forgetting that Sen. Mitch McConnell has had three or four different positions on whether the GOP will push for a repeal of Obamacare? Don't get me wrong: the evil reanimated cadaver currently serving as Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, must go, and if we have to elect some RINO's to make that happen—and make no mistake, establishment Republicans like McConnell are no conservatives—so be it. What say you? Will the GOP win big? Does it matter? Do you care, or are you suffering from end-stage politics fatigue, preferring to ponder whether Mama June will survive the current scandal involving her TV show? Let me know in the comments.

Prediction: Post-election Barry will be even more lawless and radical than he has been this year. The new focus of his "remaking" of America will be amnesty, to dramatically alter the demographics of this country for decades to come.

O'Brien: Obama's Pen and Phone in Action

By Teri O'Brien -

Start spreading the news, or the plague. Thanks to the ideological fanaticism of the Obama Regime, the deadly Ebola virus has made it to New York City. Not to worry, though, as we are reminded by an endless parade of government apparatchiks. It isn't spread by "casual contact," and can be contracted only by those with direct exposure to the bodily fluids of someone with symptoms, but what does that mean? Bottom line: once again, we're being lied to.

In the interest of political correctness, Obama refuses to seal the border and stop the flights from the Ebola hot zone, and you don't have to french kiss an Ebola patient to have contact with bodily fluids. We'll explain how that could happen, and how you can protect yourself and your family.

O'Brien: Obama parties with celebs While Enterovirus kills American children

9-year-old patient Jayden Broadway of Denver is being treated for the enterovirus 68 

By Teri O'Brien - 

How many American children have died from the Enterovirus D-68, or do you call it the “Unaccompanied Alien Minors Virus?” Were illegal alien children shipped all over the United States after this past summer’s invasion to try to cover up the origin of these infections with a virus that hasn’t been seen in the U.S. since 1962, and which some experts consider more dangerous than Ebola? There is evidence that the answer is yes. 

Speaking of Ebola, the third-world plague that Obama was eager to see invade our country for reasons stated here, now a Dallas health care worker, probably a nurse, who took care of the late Liberian, Thomas Eric Duncan, is infected, despite taking every precaution recommended by “experts” from the federal government’s CDC. How could that happen? During a Sunday morning news conference on October 12, the CDC director stated that the cause was a "breach of protocol," while other experts are warning that it may too late to stop the spread of this disease in the U.S. If we had only listened to left-wing lunatic Rep. Alan Greyson. Even he could see back in July that we should have shut down flights from West Africa.

It looks like the One has found a worthy successor to his race-baiting disgrace of an Attorney General, Eric Holder, and he’s a doozy. Reports are that he will be named before the election, which is only 23 days away.

O'Brien: Eric Holder’s Legacy of Left-wing Lawlessness

By Teri O'Brien -

Now that Eric Holder has announced that he will step down once his successor has been named, it's time to review some of the greatest hits of his disgraceful tenure, from “race cowards” to his role in ginning up racial resentment in Ferguson, Missouri, and everything in between. Why did he resign now? What have Obama and Reid cooked up for the lame duck session of Congress?

O'Brien: 9/11 Anniversary and Obama's "Manageable" Middle East disaster

By Teri O'Brien - 

Thursday is September 11, the two-year anniversary of the attack on the Benghazi compound, and the 13th anniversary of the murder of nearly 3000 people on American soil by our determined Islamofascist enemy, so it seems like a good time to revisit the effects of Barack Obama's "lead from behind" strategy.

Are you aware that there was another ISIS beheading yesterday? Do you know what's going on in Libya, Obama's template for "how the international community is supposed to work?"

Under Obama's brilliant leadership, we intervened to dispatch wacko dictator Mohamar Gaddafi. How's that working out? Don't worry about the threat of our determined, vicious, murderous enemy. Focus on the "war on women," and racism in local police departments like the one in Ferguson, MO, the current hobby horse of the worst attorney general in America history, Eric Holder.

IR EXCLUSIVE: Kaifesh, West talk Iraq, War on Terror and Naive Americans

(L-R) Colonel Allen West, Colonel Larry Kaifesh

SCHAUMBURG - Colonel Allen West and Colonel Larry Kaifesh, GOP candidate for Congress in 8th CD, talked with Illinois Review about the upcoming election and the ongoing War on Terror. Part 1 is HERE. Here is Part 2: 

IR: Many voiced hope that America would have a new generation of leaders coming back from fighting terrorism in the Mid East. But we’re seeing a tone of disrespect for the military growing as people grow tired of war.  What are your thoughts as things are changing – from the Administration down – towards the military?

KAIFESH: I’d just like to highlight that as one of the reasons I’m running. Because there’s a complete failure in leadership from the Administration on down. And in regards to Iraq, we had a success – it was a fragile success – but it was success. At one time before we pulled out, Iraq was one of the most stable countries in the region. And there’s not one national security or military person that didn’t understand this fragile success needed to have some work.

We just couldn’t pull out the support network. It was amazing what we were able to do there – build a Western democracy in a foreign, Islamic country in the heart of the Middle East. It was a major accomplishment. But it was there, and it was succeeding. It was fragile.

When the Status Armed Forces Agreement failed, I don’t think anyone of us believed it would make it. It was just a matter of time at that moment. And that is the unfortunate part. Leadership would recognize that and identify.

We need to do what’s right for the sacrifices of those that served, all the commitment and the treasure we gave to fight this war – and for the Iraqi people. And make sure we saw it through to success, instead of pulling out because it was politically favorable. When we start making national security decisions based on political pulls, bad things happen.  This is just the perfect example.

IR: The military budget is being cut by this Administration. Where will all this end up?

O'Brien: How's That "Great Society" Working Out?

President Lyndon Johnson launched the "Great Society" program 50 years ago

By Teri O'Brien -

Just wondering …who kills more young black men, white police officers or other young black men? Do "civil rights leaders" from black-on-black shooting gallery Chicago, like Jesse Jackson, who has insinuated himself into the mess in Ferguson, MO, have any credibility there?

Recently, on The Teri O'Brien Show, we joined the rest of the country in celebrating Barack Obama's arrival on the national scene, what has become known as "The Speech," his 2004 Democrat convention performance, and what a performance it was, a declaration that there are no divisions among Americans, and a rejection of attempts by "cynics" to divide us into warring groups based on race, religion or any other external, and irrelevant, difference.

What a difference 10 years makes.

Starkehaus: Remembering Robin Williams, but not praising him

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

I got the news via instant message while spending way too much money for the back-to-school supplies that I'm required to purchase if my kids want to access their free education that I paid too much money to provide.

The text read, "Robin Williams is dead. He killed himself." This communication had a sort of Kafkaesque quality to it…just dangling there in the logosphere with no consideration of where I was and what I was doing – so detached from the humdrum chore at hand that I couldn't quite grasp what was being said to me.

"Seriously?" was my aporial response.

"And why would I kid about something like that? Yes, seriously."

I don't know. We've often been told and I am quite certain that we will be reminded enough in the coming weeks about the comic genius that was Robin Williams. I felt like there must be a punchline on its way, but none was forthcoming. Fifteen minutes later, I was at the register ringing through the loose leaf notebook paper that represents but a small fraction of this year's back-to-school extortion and thinking through the tragic event. It occurred to me that "Yes. Of course. He killed himself. That makes perfect sense actually."

O'Brien: World in Flames, Obama Phones it In

President Obama on the phone with British Prime Minister Cameron | Photo: by Pete Souza

By Teri O'Brien -

Barack Obama's "lead from behind" foreign policy strategy is working out even better than his brilliant stewardship of things here at home. Fortunately, he was able to go off on his vacation to one of the playgrounds for the 1% that he and his repellant wife, Michelle Antoinette, love so much, Martha's Vineyard, and was able to get in one round of golf already. Just who was in yesterday's jolly foursome on the delightful resort links yesterday as children starved and died of dehydration in Iraq?

The group that Obama mocked as the "J.V.," ISIS, now poses a direct threat to the United States. As usual, the Lame Stream Media hasn't told you about the terrifying details of why that's the case. We will.

O'Brien: Nixon, Watergate, Vietnam - Lessons from History We Ignore at Our Peril

By Teri O'Brien - 

In any rational universe, with an informed citizenry, Barack Hussein Obama would never have been elected to any important public office, and certainly not re-elected. His relentless and aggressive lawlessness, since that re-election, which was all too predictable, certainly rises to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanors," and there is not doubt that that same informed citizenry, would have demanded that he be impeached and removed from office.

Should the G.O.P. impeach him?  Why don't they? The truth is that the democrats are lying about impeachment to raise campaign cash, very successfully. Forty years ago, another U.S. president faced an actual threat of impeachment.

What was the Watergate scandal really all about? What does it have to do with another event, which occurred 50 years ago, and prolonged our involvement in what the Lame Stream Media dubbed with the cliché "quagmire," the Vietnam War? As stunning as this assertion may be, I am here to tell you that the current media narrative about Watergate is a fairy tale. Find out what really happened.

Starkehaus: Should children see Dinesh D’Souza’s America the Movie?

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

background

Rather than jumping right into my answer, I'm going to tell you a personal story to set the scene from which I'm basing my thinking. At the time that this event took place, my child was in seventh grade and was getting ready for school one morning. My child asked me to help print a document that needed to be handed in for a Language Arts class. I was given a thumb drive and my child took off up the stairs to work on other tasks that required attention. I printed the document and read it because I'm fundamentally nosy, and I'm unashamed to say that enjoy what my children write.

On this particular day, my child had penned a critique based on an article that was assigned to the class from a book called Us and Them – A History of Intolerance in America by Jim Carnes.

After I had finished reviewing the critique which was heavily biased against the Texas Rangers for being racist terrorists, I called to my child and asked if I might please see the original source from which the assignment took its information. My child had written forcefully against the atrocities that were brought upon the Mexican people at the hands of the Texas Rangers during the border disputes between South Texas and Mexico in 1917. My child's scorn thoroughly startled me. Keep in mind that the assignment was to be based on what was written in the article. The written directions were for the students to critique the way the Mexican people were treated. This was not to be a criticism of the quality of the writing.

My child handed me a photocopied version of an article entitled Untamed Border. Quoting now from an eight paged article:

Starkehaus: The battle of the ages – determinism versus free will

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

According to research published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, human choice is born out of predictable electric impulse in the brain which suggests that human beings do not possess free will but are slaves of determinism. Read the full article here in the Independent Online. JoCN is published by the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute out of Berkley.

Volunteers within the experiment conducted at the University of California, Davis were asked to sit in front of a screen and focus on its central point while their brains' electrical activity was recorded. They were then asked to make a decision to look either left or right when a visual cue appeared on the screen, and then to report their decision.

Based on the brain activity, researchers could determine with reasonable accuracy which way the volunteers would look.

(I shudder to think how much money was spent to discover something that Penn Jillette could have offered for free or at least for the cost of a ticket to his next show, but such is the politics of science.)

Gallup poll shows Americans have little faith in media

CHICAGO - Maybe it's not so much what news is covered, it's what is not covered that has caused confidence in media to dip to its lowest levels ever. A Gallup poll in early June showed that Americans simply don't trust the media anymore than they do the neighborhood gossip. The Daily Signal reports:

Confidence in American newspapers has fallen to less than half of what it used to be at its apex. In 1979, 51 percent of Americans placed their confidence in print institutions, but today only 22 percent express confidence in newspapers.

While news sites have reached newfound prominence on the Internet, their confidence ratings continue to lag behind. Internet news sources garnered 22 percent of American’s confidence in 1999 at Gallup’s only previous measure. Fifteen years later, confidence remains anemic at 19 percent.

O'Brien: House GOP shuffles just to dance to the same tune

By Teri O'Brien - 

Last week, after Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor's recent primary defeat and resignation as Majority Leader, the GOP's theme song could have been The Who's "We Won't Get Fooled Again," as in "meet the new boss. Same as the old boss." California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, beloved by Silicon Valley and, despite his vociferous denials, enthusiastic supporter of amnesty for illegals, is the new Majority Leader.

In an interesting coincidence, like many of you, I find myself feeling like Kevin McCarthy, not the guy in Congress, but the actor, or rather the character that he played in the classic film "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." He could clearly see the terrifying destruction of his perfect American town by an alien invasion, which so many of his friends and neighbors could not. Many of them decided there was no point in resisting, passively assenting to and becoming part of the takeover. 

Starkehaus: Controversal exchange at Heritage Foundation event

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

The Heritage Foundation held a panel discussion on the Benghazi massacre that occurred in September of 2012. The purpose for the event was to ascertain how the U.S. government failed to protect U.S. citizens in its U.S. Embassy during a period of unrest. Saba Ahmed attended the conference and posed a question that was off topic regarding so-called Islamophobia and the panelists went about answering her question.

Particularly brilliant was Brigitte Gabriel who laid down some of the most simple and concise arguments regarding the accusations of bigotry that are occassionally thrown down by peaceful Muslims.

The MSM is doing their best to portray Ms. Gabriel's response as an over-the-top personal attack on Ms. Ahmed which it was not. Additionally, and I am quoting heavily from a good friend who took the time to dig into this matter further -

Starkehaus: Las Vegas rampage – the sham revolution?

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

Over the weekend, Jerad and Amanda Miller of Las Vegas entered a CiCi's Pizza, shot two police officers, and covered the bodies with swastikas and a "Don't Tread on Me" flag that is frequently associated with the Tea Party movement. They then fled to Walmart where they allegedly fulfilled a bizarre murder-suicide pact by killing themselves after shouting that the revolution has begun.

Now, I'm admittedly a natural born skeptic, but I've got to say this. Something seems off about the whole homicidal rampage. I can't put my finger on why and maybe I'm completely wrong, but the story just doesn't connect. The sickening feeling that the specifics are artificial has me concerned. Of the Tea Party conservatives that I've met, this is what I do know. Reputation is of supreme importance to conservatives. They are skittish sorts of activists right out of the gate – this from having lived through decades of attacks from the Left and increasingly from the RINOs. The suggestion that this heinous crime might have been committed by a fellow Tea Partier will have hordes of Reagan Republicans diving for the nearest rabbit hole over a desperate fear of beig associated with murderous lunacy.

Now, I'm not going to tell conservatives that they shouldn't be shouting disavowals from the rooftops. It only makes sense to proclaim one's innocence in the face of unjustified accusations. But what I would caution is that before giving themselves immediately over to the passion play that will come from the media and an administration that is itching to justify its misuse of power through harassment of conservatives, and before conservatives start peeling off their "NObamacare" bumper stickers and replacing them with "I'm pro-union and I vote" out of fear of recrimination, they should take a deep breath and reconsider.

O'Brien: Is Sgt. Bergdahl a Hero or a Deserter?

By Teri O'Brien - 

Another day, another lawless act by the Obama regime, this time the release of five Gitmo detainees in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who has been held in Afghanistan since June 30, 2009. Was Sgt. Bergdahl actually captured, or, as some strong evidence suggests, did he willingly walk away from duty? Does that matter?

Does it matter that, once again, Barack Obama violated a duly-enacted Congressional statute, which requires that he give 30 days notice to Congress prior to transferring prisoners from Gitmo. The One acknowledges that he broke the law, but says it doesn't matter because he issued a signing statement when he signed the law last year, declaring the notification unconstitutional. And he should know, of course, as a "former Constitutional law professor," right?

Starkehaus: On priests and marriage, Pope Francis leaves the door solidly shut

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

The clock radio – ever punctual with its reminder that I can't laze around in bed forever – began blaring its commitment to morning talk show prattle at 5 am as a way of freeing me from my cocoon of blissful slumber. I initiated phase one in my ritual of pre-dawn sloth by reaching for the snooze button, but found my hand hovering in midair as, much to my dismay, a discussion caught my attention. Confound it all anyway. I was counting on at least two more rounds of dozing in nine minute intervals and wasn't pleased when I learned that (according to news reports) Pope Francis has rewritten Church history by opening the door to the possibility of priests marrying.

I reigned in my "Groundhog Day" déjà vu and listened intently. Yes. He did. He did it again. The pope simply cannot resist muddying the waters of marital intrigue by turning the priesthood into soap opera fodder.

As IR readers have come to understand, I am not exactly a card carrying member of the Pope Francis Fan Club and the news that the Holy See might be set on changing a millennium of tradition with a wave of his shepherd's hook didn't register as completely unrealistic at 5 o'clock in the morning, so I merely rolled my eyes and mumbled something along the line of, "What else is new?"

On this high note, I grumpily began my day.

As I was buttering the kids' toast, my morning fog began to lift, and I was able to start thinking through the probability that Pope Francis had truly converted to Protestantism with just a smidgen of judiciousness. "I wonder what he actually said," thought I as a glass of milk made contact with a bevy of hands vying for it and went flying across the table. I grabbed a towel to clean the mess and began sifting through what I know about this pope and matching it to the morning's titillating report.

Sticks and Stones: The Donald Sterling Saga

By Irene F. Starkehaus -

One late evening in November of 1938, Germany erupted into a violence that was fuel by years of "organized outbursts of popular anger" and in that night of terror against the Jewish people, homes were burned, riots raged, temples were destroyed and tens of thousands of Jewish men were rounded up and corralled into the concentration camps of Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen and Dachau. The prevalent description assigned to November 9, 1938 is Kristallnacht. (We translate this as "night of broken glass.") It is believed that Joseph Goebbels created the term as a way of dehumanizing the event as a crime against property instead of a crime against mankind, but in post-Nazi Germany where the people are understandably cautious about adopting Nazi euphemisms, the events leading up to Jewish internment are now called the "Reich pogrom night." See Kristallnacht 1938 by Alan E. Steinweis.

Pogrom is a word of Russian origin that portends grassroots anti-Semitic violence that was perhaps not organized by authorities but was most certainly condoned because Jews of that era had an unusually high representation in the commercial classes which have always been vulnerable to accusations of greed – especially in times of misfortune. Pogroms were intended to frustrate and collapse what was termed "Jewish privilege," and they were used in conjunction with Hitler's "anti-Semitism of reason" against Jews through a "systematic legal struggle." Kristallnacht was tacitly endorsed by Hitler as a means of frustrating private property rights in Germany.

That's how fascists work. Through populist anger and through bureaucratic means, the Left creates unrest in order to authorize controls that are said to protect populations from the commerce that purportedly fosters discontent. Popular anger and bureaucratic control invariably combine and use scapegoats as a way of disenfranchising the middle class from its God-given rights thereby creating a permanent underclass that can then propagate the unrest.

Powers: An Interview with "Moms' Night Out" Producer Kevin Downes

New comedy "Moms' Night Out" features Patricia Heaton (third from left)

By CJ Powers - 

I had the opportunity to interview producer Kevin Downes about his latest film, Moms' Night Out. It's a comedy due to release on May 9th.

The synopsis is as follows: All Allyson and her friends want is a peaceful, grown-up evening of dinner and conversation . . . a long-needed moms' night out. But in order to enjoy high heels, adult conversation and food not served in a paper bag, they need their husbands to watch the kids for three hours—what could go wrong? Moms' Night Out is an endearing true-to-life family comedy that celebrates the beautiful mess called parenting. 

Here are the highlights from our conversation...

CJ: Most summer films seem to be aimed at men, but this film seems to be designed for women.

KEVIN: Most of my films in the past have been sort of geared toward men – Films I’ve acted in like Courageous, or films I’ve produced. And, I’ve just really felt like God has put it on my heart to make a film for women. That’s really where it started for me in wanting to produce Mom’s Night Out.

O'Brien: My Stunning Nightmare Starring Obama, Sharpton and Ledbetter

By Teri O'Brien - 

Here's what happened in my nightmare:

On Tuesday, Barack Obama, POTUS (aka "Preezy of the United Steezy") told lies about women getting paid less than men for the same work, something that has been illegal in the United States of America since 1963. Seriously. He also said a bunch of untrue stuff about some woman named Lilly Ledbetter and her equal pay lawsuit, something I think I remember from an earlier nightmare.

On Thursday, the President of the United States went to Fort Hood, Texas, to attend a memorial service for some American heroes who were murdered, apparently by a mentally-disturbed fellow serviceman (or should I say "corpsman?"), but bugged out early. He spent less time at Fort Hood then he did collecting big checks from his wealthy campaign contributors later that same day. Weird, right?

Even more disturbing, the president refused a request for ten minutes of his time while he was at Fort Hood on Thursday from a survivor of Major Hassan's jihadi killing spree, Staff Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford (ret.) . He was shot 7 times in November 2009, but Barack Obama didn't have time for him.

Heaven is for Real - A Behind the Scenes Interview with Todd Burpo

By CJ Powers - 

Heaven is for Real (in theaters Wednesday, April 16^th) is the near death story of a young boy named Colton who visited heaven, while fighting an illness that brought his father and mother to their knees in prayer. During his recovery, Colton shared what he saw in heaven, which changed his family, community and world forever.

The film was directed by Randall Wallace (Braveheart, The Man in the Iron Mask) and is based on the best selling book by the same name, which was written by Colton’s dad, Todd Burpo. Todd is a down to earth pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial, Nebraska. He is also a firefighter for the volunteer fire department and a chaplain for the Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighter’s Association.

I had the good fortune of connecting up with Todd and here are the highlights of our conversation:

CJ: During the pre-screenings, was the film enjoyed more by conservatives or liberals?

O'Brien: Michelle's Latest Junket and The Politics of Black Skin Privilege

By Teri O'Brien - 

The Obamas, the most successful race hustlers in the history of this country, continue to play their skin game and exploit their black skin privilege, while the lap dog media continues to dangle shiny objects like the missing Malaysian aircraft, "March Madness," and bootleg butt injections (and you thought it was just Michelle's arms that people envied!) before the American people.

The use of huge posteriors to distract us from Moochelle's latest junket is not the only irony at play here. Yesterday, the First Klingon took a break from her opulent getaway to speak out in favor of free speech and religious freedom. Perhaps her husband's regime, who has unleashed the IRS on his political opposition and is currently in court trying to force religious institutions into violating their beliefs, could consider applying those fine noble principles here in the United States. Is there also a bit of irony in the fact that Michelle, who, along with the rest of this phony bunch, portrays herself as a champion of the "little guy" has a mother who apparently is terrorizing the staff at their Chinese luxury hotel?

O'Brien: Is Armstrong Williams the Latest Target of Obama Regime?

By Teri O'Brien - 

The Obama regime's M.O. is clear, and right out of the Chicago playbook,specifically, as Barack himself has said "punish your enemies," as in anyone who opposes the policies that our enlightened Dear Reader is trying to bestow on us.

Average citizens who dared to get involved with politics by forming and joining Tea Party groups, wealthy contributors to Mitt Romney, filmmaker, author and two-time Teri O'Brien Show guest Dinesh D'Souza all found them on the receiving end of harassment and intimidation from Obama's alphabet soup of tyranny. OSHA, the FEC, and most famously, the IRS have all been used by Obama and his lieutenants in their persecution campaign.

IR Movie Review: How To Be A Man

By CJ Powers - 

College humor is no longer restricted to students with the release of this independent raunch-fest production of How To Be A Man. This coming of age film isn’t about a young twenty-something, but instead is about a forty-something finally coming to grips with his life succumbing to cancer. That’s right, it’s a comedy about cancer, sort of. It’s about Mark’s self-diagnosis after finding a lump in one of his “man-boobs”.

In an attempt to prepare his unborn son for life without him, Mark (Gavin McInnes) convinces a student to shoot a documentary of him teaching his son the finer points of life. The segments start out a bit sentimental, but soon turn into lessons on how to handle bullies, deal with flatulence and be a real man. It’s a dark comedy, so a real parent wouldn’t teach any of the techniques that Mark documents.

As the story unfolds, Mark takes his young cinematographer under his wings and teaches him about winning a woman through a sensually explicit explanation that draws the attention of many sitting at the bar. With Mark’s popularity on the rise, he impulsively decides to demonstrate why his son should avoid drugs – taking the film into darker forms of abuse as he demonstrates what not to do.

O'Brien: How We Will Repeal Obamacare

By Teri O'Brien - 

As Vladimir Putin delights in Barack Hussein Obama's "fantasy" foreign policy, and Democrats are on the verge of needing adult diapers as the November elections approach, His Royal Highness issued another unilateral, and not incidentally, completely lawless, change to his "signature achievement." By this measure, the Titanic was the "signature achievement" of the White Star Line. The "Affordable Care Act" isn't about care and the insurance it provides is less affordable than what it destroyed.

 Today is a very important Obamacare anniversary. Do you know that it is? And just how many changes have been made to this "law" since Obama and his merry band of Marxists used bribes, backroom deals and bare-faced lies to foist it on us? Listen to today's show and learn.

O'Brien: More Obamacare Horror Stories as Kiev, and the "Obama Doctrine" burns

By Teri O'Brien - 

No surprise. Justice Scalia was right.

Do you have the first clue of the depth of the sinister scheming that has gone on for years to destroy this country? Lawlessness abetted by an ignorant, uninterested public, dumbed down by government schools, at the mercy of activist liberal judges and agenda-driven “public interest” lawyers is helping the Left "transform" America, as our Dear Reader has promised.

As J.D. Longstreet so eloquently stated recently at teriobrien.com, it’s not possible to be free and ignorant.

Recently, two federal judges, one in Virginia, an unqualified appointee, who is like the man who appointed her, Barack Obama, an affirmative action beneficiary, and one in Utah, decided to blow their noses on the Constitution, the rule of law and federalism in the service of advancing so-called "same sex marriage." Who cares if the people of those states oppose that "forward" thinking idea? How did we get to the point in this country that federal judges could disregard the will of the people because of some supposed right to sodomy? To understand that, we have to connect some dots, and learn the shocking facts about the landmark case that set us down the road to Gomorrah. 

O'Brien: The United States of Phillip Seymour Hoffman

By Teri O'Brien -

I wish I could take credit for that headline, but I can't. It comes from a spot-on piece that we will discuss on today's show, exploring the destruction of exceptional America, a takedown that was a fantasy shared by all of Barack Obama's communist mentors, from Frank Marshall Davis to Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright. Just as heroin addiction is a form of slow motion suicide, so is the gradual "remaking" of this country from one of proud, free men and women enjoying their God-given rights to a nation of supplicants, dependent on the government for subsidence the end of the country we grew up in.

In the wake of California's attempt to do an end run around the 2nd Amendment, Smith and Wesson and Sturm Ruger have elected to leave the state. What are they so upset about? More important, should you also be upset? We'll ask our guest, author and nationally-renowned 2nd amendment attorney David Hardy.

O'Brien: King Barack's Super Bowl of Deceit, Lies, and Broken Promises

NOTE: Teri's show will begin 1 hour earlier, at 3 pm Central, to make sure you're ready for kickoff

By Teri O'Brien -

Like most Americans, I love the Super Bowl, and I want to publicly declare here and now, that, despite years of warnings from feminists, I don't fear being slapped around by the Husband today. Their war on football is gaining traction, but for now, we can still enjoy the game. 

It's also Groundhog Day, which is an AWESOME movie, by the way, and in the age of the most lawless regime in American history, is also another way of saying it's another day. While the last century media wants to talk about Chris Christie, Justin Beiber and Amanda Knox, a leftist ideologue continues lying, shucking and jiving to accomplish his "remaking" of America. It's hard to keep track of all the lies and broken promises from the One, but since we watch so you don't have to, we'll remind you of some you may have forgotten, a veritable Super Bowl of lies. Speaking of how we watch so you don't have to, we witnessed Barack Obama's "virtual road trip" on Friday, a Google+ hangout. Based on what we saw there, and in the interview with CNN's Jake Tapper—and I know you may find it difficult to believe—but he may be talking out of both sides of his mouth on the issue of "comprehensive immigration reform." His PR flacks, sometimes called "journalists," are expressing despair after his latest borefest, last Tuesday's State of the Union speech. Is he a "shrinking president," playing small ball instead realizing his ambitious 1st-term agenda? That sort of thing happens when your approval rating drops into the high thirties, but there could be a lot more to it than that. We'll unpack it for you.

O'Brien: State (Hate) of The Union Preview and Boehner's Buffoonery

By Teri O'Brien - 

This morning, according to an ABC News poll, only 37 percent of Americans trust Barack "I've got a pen and a cell phone" Obama to make the right decisions for the country. Thirty seven percent? I didn't know Barack Obama had that many relatives, at least not in this country. No worries, though, Obama Kool-Aid drinkers, I'm sure that he'll fix everything when he applies that sure-fire cure to all that ails the country, or even the planet; that is, a Barack Obama speech! Demagoguery to the rescue again! As we watch, the One lament the horrors of income inequality, we'll know what it feels like to watch an arsonist arrive to tearfully witness the clean up of the house he burned down.

With the Obamacare debacle shining a huge spotlight on the failure of liberal arrogance and hypocrisy, you'd think that the GOP would seize the chance to make the case for free markets, liberty and limited government. Instead, the Speaker of the House John Boehner squandered a golden opportunity to introduce millions of low-information citizens (and one low information comedian) to do that. Seriously? We watch so you don't have to, and we'll share some truly cringe-inducing segments of this ridiculous performance.

O'Brien: Hooray for Hollywood Hypocrisy

By Teri O'Brien - 

As they released this year's nominations this week, it's a good time to ask an obvious question. Does anyone really care about the Oscars anymore? It seems like they nominate about 75 different entries in every category, most of which very few people have seen.

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time shelling out $20 to go sit in what Jay Leno famously called "the concrete bunker" in the parking lot of the mall, listening to imbeciles talking on their cell phones or to each other, or turning around to see if a bomb is going off, only to see that the sound is actually an enormous porker opening his super-sized Twizzlers, especially since I know that in a few months I can watch the same thing in the comfort and privacy of my own home. The fact that most movies are a major disappointment doesn't inspire me to leave that comfort and privacy.

O'Brien: Gender Neutral Snow Removal and Other Cultural Marxist Idiocy

By Teri O'Brien - 

During one of my first host appearances on Chicago's radio home for Rush Limbaugh, after which I would enjoy several years of terrestrial radio fun there, I expressed my disgust over the fact that feminists had sold young women a bill of goods. Misery loves company, after all, and this bitter, unattractive bunch, with their institutional-style haircuts and their sensible shoes, wanted to make sure if they couldn't get a date, none of us could. The ultimate gulag for women, they explained, was "patriarchy" as embodied by traditional marriage. Many young women dallied with this foolishness during their early twenties, but most outgrew it by graduation. Sadly, many of those who did not found themselves unhappy, lonely and confused as they approached age 40, despite their outward "success."

Today's guest, Chicago writer and school psychologist Bernard Chapin has addressed about the havoc the feminists have wreaked on society, both in his book, Women: Theory and Practice, and at his YouTube channel, Chapin's Inferno.

O'Brien: The Return of King Barack, and al Qaeda

By Teri O'Brien -

When His Highness returned from his lavish Hawaiian holiday, he left something, or I should say, someone behind, his wife Michelle. The White House explained "As part of her birthday gift from the President, the first lady will remain in Hawaii to spend time with friends ahead of her upcoming 50th birthday." Birthday gift from the President? Isn't the minimum $63,000 it will cost for her to fly back separately actually a gift from you and me, one of a seemingly never-ending series of perqs enjoyed by these two grifters, who have been living large on our dime for over 5 years? It's one thing to watch them live out their belief that reparations have to start somewhere. It adds insult to injury to endure the ridiculous spectacle of people who enjoy a standard of living unheard of in human history repeat threadbare platitudes about "income inequality," when it is their policies that have destroyed opportunity. At least most of the wealthy that they want to steal from to buy votes from their mascot groups have earned what they have. They live in luxury with their money. The Obamas live in even greater luxury on ours.

Shazam! Liberal Death Star Reveals "Truth" About Benghazi Murders. It WAS the Video!

By Teri O'Brien -

The New York Times has a penetrating report out this morning, revealing everything you wanted to know about what really happened in Benghazi on September 11, 2012; that is, if you are hoping to bolster Hillary Clinton's presidential prospects in 2016. I thought it didn't make any difference at this point? What some East Coast Brain afflicted types still consider "the newspaper of record," and the rest of the country considers a joke, claims that we bitter clingers who suggested that the Obama administration, including its uber-competent Secretary of State, dropped the ball were wrong. It wasn't an al Qaeda attack, after all; that is, not CORE al Qaeda. No, your Honor, my client isn't a burglar. He's a robber, not a burglar.

Damning and Hopeful Lessons From the Duck Controversy

By Sam Pierce -

The saga of Phil Robertson's suspension from A&E's money making machine, "Duck Dynasty," has come to a happy ending (for the time being). The forces of good have won a battle against the wholly intolerant bullies who ironically push their ideas of "tolerance" and "anti-bullying." Perhaps the icing on the cake is the ignoring of efforts to capitalize by extortion whore, Jesse Jackson.

There are lessons that can be taken from the saga as it unfolded over the last couple of weeks. The lessons, which stem from something the pompous TOTUS reader in Hawaii might refer to as a "teachable moment," illuminate the state of at least three facets of our society and its culture. Two areas are painted with a damning brush as exposed by the various reactions to Phil's answer to the targeted question by the liberal ragporter. The third area is highlighted as a reason to not abandon all hope.

O'Brien: Is It Time to Impeach Delusional Obama?

By Teri O'Brien - 

Other than psychiatrists seeking to have more insight into narcissistic personality disorder and self-delusion, no one could have gotten anything out of Barack Obama's pre-Hawaiian vacation press conference. For the rest of us, it was a complete waste of time. He brushed aside his de facto repeal of his "signature achievement" the night before, which allowed people to return to the catastrophic health insurance policies they used to have.

It's a "hardship" exception from Obamacare, which as it turns out, is in fact the hardship that caused the need for the exception. Obamacare made these "substandard" policies illegal, forcing insurance companies to cancel them, which has created the "hardship." See what I mean about delusion and insanity? Is it time to use the only remedy available to rid this country of this lawless regime, impeachment? Is that even possible? Is there another possible way to return to constitutional government and the separation of powers the Founders understood was so critical? 

O'Brien: The Truth About the Colorado Shooter, Plus More Obamacaid Chaos

By Teri O'Brien - 

As the "Selfie" Leader of the Free World prepares for his annual luxury vacation in Hawaii, millions of Americans face the possibility of showing up at their doctors' offices or pharmacies to learn that they have no health insurance, or that the doctor that they have seen for years, or even decades, are not in their insurance company's network and the medication that they need are not on the covered list of drugs.

Not to worry, though, because the One's administration once again has the solution, to a problem that they hope people won't notice they caused. In yet another unintentionally hilarious statement from her Department of Health and Human Services, last Thursday Kathleen Sebelius accompanied the release of a new regulation forcing insurance companies to cover everyone and everything retroactively and to ignore the terms of insurance contracts with the explanation that "there have been unforeseen barriers to enrollment on the exchanges."

What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

By Teri O'Brien - 

For the past three days, we have been subjected to the predictably lame, bed wetter coverage of the death of former South African president Nelson Mandela. It has been simplistic, celebrity-obsessed, superficial, agenda-driven, and of course, all about Barack Obama. Isn't everything? Still, there is actual news that you need to know, including about Nelson Mandela, that you aren't hearing from the legacy media. For example,

• Seven quotes from Nelson Mandela You Won't Hear in the Worshipful Coverage from the Lame Stream Media
• The Real Economic Inequality That Barack Obama Didn't Mention, But Thoroughly Embraces
• Sec. of Health and Human Services Kathleen "Nurse Ratched" Sebelius' War on Bone Marrow Donors
• The Department of Homeland Security's Attorney Hiring Blitz: What Do They All Have in Common

O'Brien: Obama’s Hidden Plan to Bailout Insurance Company Cronies

By Teri O'Brien - 

On Friday, we noted that after spending nearly four years demonizing “bad apple” insurance companies for selling his simple-minded subjects “substandard” insurance policies, made illegal by his signature “achievement,” suddenly His Royal Highness King Barack has decided that he wants to “work together” to make sure that they can resume doing just that. He invited insurance executives to the White House to apologize to them for all those mean things he said, and to have a friendly exchange of ideas.

No, not really. He invited them to experience the Chicago Way, as in “Nice little company you have there. Shame if anything happened to it.” Of course, it’s not all stick. It turns out there could be a little carrot for the insurance companies if they know what’s good for them and play ball. We’ll unpack that on today’s show.