Illinois Review

Masks required or not? Confusion plagues Illinois parents and school boards

ELGIN - Parents concerned about their children being forced to wear COVID masks when the 2021-22 school year begins are engaging with their local elected officials and school boards with hopes of lifting restrictions. A recent announcement from the Illinois State Board of Education agitated the mask discussion, and a response from Governor Pritzker's office heightened confusion for parents. 

Over the past few weeks, school districts throughout Illinois have lifted mask requirements for all students - even those below age 12, the Center of Disease Control's minimum age for approved vaccinations. While stating clearly that masks are no longer required for those fully vaccinated, the CDC was more vague about those that are not vaccinated - saying they "recommend" unvaccinated persons (all students under age 12) wear masks as one layer of protection against COVID. The other "layers" include social distancing, hand washing and COVID screening testing.

The Elgin District U-46 will be deciding their mask policy Monday night, July 19, and a growing group of parents have been pleading with their school board to hold the meeting in a location that will allow for more than 75 participants - the number the ad hoc parents' group is expecting. 

However, the parents are being met with a school board that is resisting the idea.

We Deserve the Truth on the Origin of COVID

By Christina Herrin - 

The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the world. At the start, we were told that the lab leak theory was incorrect and dangerous. It's now generally accepted. We deserve the whole truth.

More HERE

Malkin: The Jan. 6 Video Cover-Up

By Michelle Malkin - 

Hide and seek should be a game for children, not for ruthless feds. But here we are. An American citizen, innocent until proven guilty, is fighting for his freedom against a government juggernaut hell-bent on framing him as a violent Jan. 6 insurrectionist. One crucial key to clearing his name, his lawyer argues, lies in 30 seconds of a Capitol surveillance video that prosecutors don’t want the public to see.

John Steven Anderson, 61, stands accused of “civil disorder,” “assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers,” “disruptive conduct” and other federal felonies related to his presence in a Capitol building tunnel where police officers pepper-sprayed pro-Trump marchers near the lower west terrace door. Anderson’s lawyer, Marina Medvin, has battled Swamp attorneys who have designated video of Anderson struggling to breathe and seeking help from cops “highly sensitive” and subject to a restrictive protective order.

More HERE

Parker: The Costs of Biden’s Big Government

By Star Parker - 

It is one of the unfortunate ironies coming out of the Biden administration that, with all the obsession about so-called equity, policies they are putting forth will only hurt the very low-income Americans they pretend to want to help.

The Biden administration is growing government at a record pace.

If what they want is opportunity for every American, government policy should aim to encourage economic growth. Bigger, more intrusive government achieves the opposite. It stifles economic growth.

More HERE

Wokeness Gone Wild

By Oliver North and David L. Goetsch - 

Wokeness may be the most absurd, harebrained concept foisted on the American public in our lifetimes. Consider just a few of the actions taken and claims made by proponents of this inane philosophy. Graduate students at Oxford University recently voted to remove a photograph of Queen Elizabeth from a campus common area. The movement was led by an American exchange student, the privileged son of a wealthy Washington, D.C., attorney.

This should surprise no one since many proponents of wokeness are white, pampered, mansion-dwelling dilettantes.

More HERE

$69 Billion in COVID-19 Relief Went to Colleges

The Covid pandemic will direct $69 billion — a record-setting amount of federal higher education aid — to the nation’s colleges and universities. The tables, maps and charts below show California leads all states, with $9.5 billion in aid approved by Congress in 2020 and 2021.

EdSource compiled data on the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) money, which was approved by Congress in three bills passed in 2020 and 2021: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed on March 2, 2020; The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Act, signed on Dec., 27, 2020; and The American Rescue Plan Act, signed on March 11, 2021.

The data reflect what colleges are eligible to receive and amounts received and spent as of April 30, 2021. EdSource obtained the data from the U.S. Department of Education based on information reported by 5,696 colleges and universities.

More HERE

Professors Take to Media to Rationalize Church Vandalism in Canada

By Ben Zeisloft - 

Some Canadian professors are trying to justify recent church burnings in the country by invoking “systemic injustice” and “civil disobedience.”

Over the past several weeks, several Canadian churches have been torched after the discovery of hundreds of unmarked Native American graves near former residential schools, which as the BBC explains, were intended to assimilate children into Canadian culture.

Many activists across the nation therefore decided to cancel “Canada Day,” with some wearing orange to recall the residential schools’ history.

The holiday commemorates the formation of Canada into a distinct nation on July 1, 1867, upon which the Canadian colonies were enjoined into a single union within the British Empire.

More HERE

Blame the Government for Vaccine Distrust

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a mockery of freedom. For more than a year, the federal government (and several state governments) forced Americans to hunker down in isolation, all in the name of combatting a virus that isn’t as deadly as we once thought. For the majority of Americans under the age of 65 (without certain co-morbidities) COVID-19 is about as lethal as the flu. However, the government’s draconian measures and the media’s unending fearmongering made many Americans think COVID-19 was akin to the bubonic plague.

Unfortunately, information about the COVID-19 virus, its origins, and risk factors have been contorted and manipulated into mistruths by our government and Fourth Estate.

More HERE

IPO Disasters – China Swindles Billions from US Investors

American investors in Didi and Full Truck Alliance lose over 20% of their investment as Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs collect their fees selling companies surviving on the whims of China’s Communist Party.

Last Wednesday, Wall Street helped Chinese rideshare company Didi raise billions from American investors in a massive Initial Public Offering (IPO). Didi had originally grown out of its acquisition of Uber in China, after the latter was forced to leave due to stifling regulations. 

The Chinese ride-sharing tech company raised $4.4 billion, giving the company a total market value of $68 billion. At first, things looked promising for Didi and the Americans who invested billions in it. CNBC host Jim Cramer advised them to “buy as much as you can,” but didn’t take seriously his own warning that Didi would only do well if it could stay clear of CCP dramas.

The drama began a week later when Chinese regulators spontaneously removed Didi from app stores for failing to comply with Chinese cybersecurity regulations worried about private user data.

In the fallout, Didi’s share price tanked, and investors lost $15 billion almost overnight. Lawsuits have been filed, but there’s only so much that can be done. Chinese companies only have as much control over their operations as the CCP allows them to have. 

After multiple back-to-back China IPOs gone wrong, lawmakers in Washington are asking the question: Why was Didi even allowed to IPO in the U.S. in the first place?

More HERE

Talgo: Why vaccine mandates are a bad idea

By Chris Talgo - 

First, all three COVID-19 vaccines have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

Second, less than a month after FDA gave the go ahead for adolescent Americans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, disturbing reports have surfaced of young Americans being hospitalized with heart problems.

Third, what about students who have already contracted COVID-19 and have ample natural antibodies? Why in the world should they be forced to receive a COVID-19 vaccine?

Fourth, and perhaps most significant, is the fact that by and large, COVID-19 poses little threat to young people.

More HERE

Thorner: Global Warming Becomes a setup for more lockdowns

Physics World photo

By Nancy Thorner - 

There is so much real news, yet the media babbles on about climate change, so the globalist, one-world agenda keeps going forward. Consider this article:  Alert: Climate 'Lockdowns' Coming Soon -- Welcome to the NWO   

The globalist elite are calling for the equivalent of a coronavirus-pandemic-scale lockdown once every two years to tackle climate change.

“Under a “climate lockdown,” governments would limit private-vehicle use, ban consumption of red meat, and impose extreme energy-saving measures, while fossil-fuel companies would have to stop drilling,” according to various reports. 

Major Education Realignment In The Works?

By Larry Sand - 

According to data released by Education Week, America's government-run schools lost almost 1.3 million students this year... The downtick was due to the Covid pandemic and its overwrought response, including draconian lockdowns and subsequent forced digital learning - mostly occurring in school districts with strong teachers unions.

More HERE

The Woke Defense Contractor

Raytheon adopts critical race theory and tells employees to acknowledge their “privilege.” Christopher Rufo writes:

Raytheon Technologies Corporation, the nation’s second-largest defense contractor, has launched an “anti-racism” program that promotes critical race theory, rejects the principle of “equality,” and instructs employees to “identify [their] privilege”—or else.

Beginning last summer, the program, called Stronger Together, encourages employees to “becom[e] an anti-racist today.” Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes supported the campaign by signing an Action for Diversity & Inclusion statement, promising to “promote diversity” and “cultivate meaningful change for our society,” then asking all Raytheon employees to sign the pledge and “check [their] own biases.”

The ‘Minneapolis Effect’ Caused Last Year’s Spike in Violent Crime

(Photo: Kerem Yucel/AFP/Getty Images)

Understanding the cause of last year’s surge in violence is particularly important for saving lives in the future. Alexander Phipps writes:

The spike in violent crime last year was a serious departure from recent crime patterns over the last several decades. In fact, 2020 was likely the deadliest year for gun-related homicides since 1999.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, more than 19,000 people died of gun violence in 2020. This spike was particularly acute in major cities across the country.

State and Local Barriers Hurt Entrepreneurs

State and local governments lure businesses with incentive packages.  Yet these governments impose rules stifling entrepreneurs starting new businesses, forgetting that Amazon, offered multi-billion dollar deals for its HQ2, started out of Jeff Bezos’s garage.

A new Cato Institute study, “Entrepreneurs and Regulations” by Chris Edwards, details the state and local government burdens on startups.  Elected officials should carefully weigh these policies’ benefits against the burdens.  The administration of many rules can be significantly improved.

More HERE

Illinois students under age 12 must wear masks when they return this fall

Despite a growing outcry from parents, all children under 12 (down to age 2) will be required to wear masks while attending school this fall, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced last Friday.

The IDPH, under Governor Pritzker's authority said that only people that are considering "fully vaccinated" will be allowed to be maskless, and as of the announcement Friday, vaccinations are not eligible for children under age 12.

From the Illinois Department of Public Health:

Gov. Pritzker May Pay Bonuses to Get People off Unemployment

To combat above-average unemployment, Illinois state leaders discussed a possible back-to-work bonus. The state would pay cash to those who go off unemployment. In other states, lawmakers have used different incentives and programs to get residents back to work – some by offering money, some by taking it away. Twenty-six states have suspended, or plan an early end to the $300 weekly federal unemployment supplement. Some state policymakers say the federal supplement is keeping workers on unemployment. Pritzker has no plans to suspend the federal supplement early. It is set to expire Sept. 6. More HERE

Illinois' Less-Populated Areas Lead Jobs Decline

New data shows Illinois’ May job declines mainly hit outside of urban areas, accounting for 7,100 lost jobs out of a total drop of 7,900. Illinois lost 7,900 jobs from mid-April to mid-May, marking the first month of job losses for the state in 2021,data released June 17 showed. Most of the decline came from less-populated areas of the state, with the Elgin, Rockford and Bloomington being the only urban areas area to lose jobs, more recent data showed.

More HERE

Rossi: The Tragic Decline of Our Schools and Teachers

By Randy Rossi - 

Just 2 decades ago teachers were one of the most respected people in America and schools were considered a critical part of a successful life. When I went to school long ago, we passionately pledged allegiance to the flag before class and at all sports games. Our schools and teachers proudly, enthusiastically, and passionately taught us American history and constantly reminded us that America was the “Land of the free and home of the brave”. During our history courses they taught us about the bravery and wisdom of our Founding Fathers that gave us our magnificent Constitution and Bill of Rights. They taught us with pride how America freed the slaves in the Civil War with the blood of 650,000 Americans that were killed and 1.2 million that were wounded. They taught us how America brought freedom to over a billion people in Europe & Asia in WWI and WWII and rebuilt our allies and enemies after WWII with our money through the Marshall Plan.

Kinzinger does it again

On #CNNSOTU, when asked by @jaketapper about his Republican colleagues' outrage at President Biden's call for door-to-door vaccine outreach, @RepKinzinger said this was "outrage politics" on behalf of the GOP and "absolute insanity." https://t.co/arovCAP0CW

— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) July 11, 2021

Thorner: The Zinn Project will destroy any Zen public schools ever cultivated

By Nancy Thorner - 

 

The Teachers Unions Go Woke, appearing in the Wall Street Journal by the Editorial Board on July 7, 2021 may be one of the most frightening articles about public education and national teachers’ unions ever published.

 

It is the most radical set of measures ever adopted by any organization, especially one that holds over 3,000,000 members that are teaching our children. Now they are focusing on indoctrination of wild concepts that totally undermine the ideals and foundational principles of the country. This isn’t just radical; it is treasonous and dangerous. The leadership of the National Education Association is leading America's public education system into a cauldron of unimaginable destruction.

 

Parents are alarmed, as they should be, and many will either overthrow school boards that comply or find alternative forms of education. Sadly, most private schools are adapting much of this idiocy as well. 

 

What is happening to our country when organizations such as the NEA and American Federation of Teachers spew such nonsense through progressive political indoctrination and when there is little push back from our institutions? It is a looming catastrophe. 

The Prosecutor Exodus

In an adverse political environment, experienced professionals are leaving the field—and crime is surging. Thomas Hogan writes:

Prosecutors across the United States are leaving their jobs. In the years since progressive prosecutor Kim Gardner took over as St. Louis Circuit Attorney, turnover in her office exceeded 100 percent: more prosecutors resigned or were fired during this time than were in the entire office when Gardner was elected. In cities, suburban counties, and rural jurisdictions, elected chief prosecutors and line attorneys alike are stepping away from jobs they once loved. This brain drain of experienced prosecutors has gone overlooked but will have dire long-term effects on the administration of justice.

Prosecutors are leaving the profession for several reasons, the first and most obvious being the new wave of progressives sweeping into office. Consider St. Louis, where Gardner has de-prosecuted both felonies and misdemeanors, reduced or eliminated cash bail, lessened sentences for violent offenses, and accused the police and the entire criminal justice system of racism. A violent crime spike followed, and for the prosecutors in the office, morale plummeted. Told that they were part of the problem, the attorneys had their hands tied in trying to prosecute and punish criminals. Not surprisingly, many left for private practice, academia, or retirement. The same trend has played out in Chicago, Philadelphia, and other progressive hot spots.

These Woke Firms Are Sponsoring China’s Genocide Games

(Photo: VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

Companies that are sponsoring China’s Olympic games should strongly reconsider their decision to normalize China’s genocide and cover-up of the COVID-19 virus. Conn Caroll writes:

“I never said that I hated the country,” third-place hammer thrower Gwen Berry told CNN after turning away from the United States flag as the national anthem played during this week’s Olympic trials. “All I said was I respect my people enough to not stand or acknowledge something that disrespects them.”

Berry’s statement echoes that of benched San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who told NFL.com that he refused to stand for the flag during the anthem because, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”

‘More Work, Fewer Babies’: The future of family in an age of ‘workism’

Birth rates are in free fall across the Western world, spurred along by a complex web of factors, from increases in economic prosperity and egalitarianism to declines in religiosity to idols of choice and convenience. Whatever the reasons, family has taken a back seat in the hearts and minds of many.

“Most of today’s Americans believe that educational and economic accomplishments are extremely important milestones of adulthood,” according to a recent study by the U.S. Census Bureau. “In contrast, marriage and parenthood rank low: over half of Americans believe that marrying and having children are not very important in order to become an adult.”

More HERE

What you should know about China’s population control measure

Last month, China announced that it would allow couples to have up to three children, an increase from the two children allowed per couple previously. Prior to 2016, China had a one-child policy, which was instituted in 1980 and enforced by the National Health and Family Planning Commission. It legally restricted most couples to only one birth, with some notable exceptions. For example, rural families were allowed to have two children if the first was a girl, and urban families were allowed to have a second child if the parents were both single children.

Trump supporters greet Joe Biden in McHenry County

MCHENRY - Trump supporters were out in full force Wednesday when President Joe Biden visited Illinois for the first time since becoming the 46th president of the United States. 

Between 200-250 patriots came out, reports photographer Susie Ejzak. Many had Trump flags and MAGA gear.

Where’s Weyermuller? Heading to Texas to see President Trump

By Mark Weyermuller - 

I’m in Dallas Texas for the Conservative Political Action Conference on July 9-11, 2021.  The event is commonly called CPAC.  It will be held at Hilton Anatole Hotel. 

The event is considered the largest gathering of conservatives in the world. Last February, another CPAC gathering was held in Orlando, Florida. Here is the full agenda for Texas: https://cpac.conservative.org/agenda/

Despite an "F" in US History, Illinois added a new curriculum requirement Friday

Photo from Governor's Facebook page

Although Illinois is getting an "F" on its civics and US HIstory standards, Governor Pritzker signed into law Friday another requirement for history classes. From his office's press release: 

Illinois is First State to require history curriculum include Asian American unit

SKOKIE - Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed HB 376, the Teaching Equitable Asian American History Act, into law, making Illinois the first state in the nation to require a unit of Asian American history be taught in public schools. The monumental measure will ensure every high school graduate in Illinois will learn about Asian American history as well as the rich contributions and traditions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

The legislation builds on the progress the state has made in ensuring the content taught in Illinois classrooms reflects the diversity of the people who call Illinois home. With the recent rise in acts of violence and bigotry against the Asian American community, teaching students about rich culture and important contributions of the Asian American community throughout history will help combat false stereotypes.

Beckman: Beware of frustrated parents

NBC photo

By Hank Beckman

“Thou shall not screw with the parents of school children.”

So goes an unspoken but immutable principle of local politics that any number of school districts are determined to violate when they push their critical race theory/white oppressor curriculum on the children of America.

I spent more than a decade covering school districts in DuPage County and the La Grange area and I can assure you that messing with their kids is the surest way to enrage the parents of any community.

To get an idea of the influence that parents are capable of wielding in any argument over local school policy, put aside for a moment the debate over critical race theory, a fairy recent controversy.

Illinois school curriculum gets an "F" in civics, history standards

Illinois' civics and history curriculum standards are inadequate, the Fordham Institute reports. Illinois is one of twenty states that failed to pass an acceptable level, the group said. 

To ensure that every American student has access to a rich and balanced civics and U.S. History education, the foundation encourages states to:

• Maximize attention to civics and U.S. History in elementary and middle school and require at least one year of U.S. History and one semester of Civics in high school;
• Provide comprehensive and detailed guidance in both subjects;
• Take a user-friendly approach to the organization and presentation of their standards; and
• Put more emphasis on writing, argumentation, problem analysis, and the connections between core content and current events.

Illinois' civics and history class standards don't do that, they said. An overhaul should take place.

These Woke Firms Are Sponsoring China’s Genocide Games

(Photo: VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

“I never said that I hated the country,” third-place hammer thrower Gwen Berry told CNN after turning away from the United States flag as the national anthem played during this week’s Olympic trials. “All I said was I respect my people enough to not stand or acknowledge something that disrespects them.”

Berry’s statement echoes that of benched San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who told NFL.com that he refused to stand for the flag during the anthem because, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”

Nike ended up giving Kaepernick millions of dollars for his refusal to show pride in the American flag. Berry’s Nike payday should be coming soon, too.

But while Nike loves to promote its brand by showing the utmost disrespect for America’s flag and anthem, it sure does know how to salute when the subject comes to China.

More HERE

Bailey launches first radio attack ad on Pritzker

From the Bailey for Governor Campaign - Wednesday, July 7, 2021 - 

Louisville—Southern Illinois farmer, small business owner, State Senator, and Republican primary front-runner Darren Bailey releases an ad calling out current Governor JB Pritzker for liberal policies that have hurt businesses and economic growth throughout Illinois. He also released the following statement. 

“Pritzker continues to fail working Illinoisans and businesses across the state. His liberal policies have forced businesses to relocate or close. They have cost us jobs and opportunities. Even worse, they have forced our family, friends, and neighbors to flee the state looking for affordable housing, work, and better opportunities.

"A billionaire like Pritzker doesn’t understand the struggle of hardworking Illinoisans, small businesses, and working families. That’s why he’s pushing his woke agenda instead of fighting for the people and providing some much-needed tax relief and opportunity.” Bailey stated.

RNC says Democrat Policies Are Failing Illinois

Washington Post photo

The Republican National Committee sent out the following press release Wednesday during President Biden's visit to northwest suburban McHenry County Community College: 

Biden Is Visiting The Poster Child For Failed Democrat Leadership, With Illinoisans Suffering The Consequences Of Crime, A Faltering Economy, And Chronic Corruption

THE SIX TRILLION DOLLAR MAN

• Today, Biden is traveling to the Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake, Illinois to sell his American Bankruptcy Plan.
• With a price tag of $1.8 trillion, Biden’s “family” plan is full of spending and tax increases that would shrink the economy and reduce hours for Illinois workers.

o   The Penn Wharton Budget Model puts the cost of Biden’s latest plan even higher, projecting it will cost $2.3 trillion, $500 billion more than Biden claims.

Pritzker announces more vaccine incentives, this time for state employees

From Governor Pritzker's office on Wednesday, July 7 - 

SPRINGFIELD – As Illinois continues to lead the Midwest in vaccinating its residents, Governor Pritzker announced a new pilot program offering a range of incentives to state employees who work in direct care facilities and receive at least one dose of the vaccine. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA), the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) announced the drawings to eligible employees in late June and will announce winners on July 19.

Dozens of frontline employees will be chosen in drawings conducted by the Illinois Lottery. Lucky winners will receive:

• Cash bonuses: ranging from $5,000 to $10,000
• State prizes: a choice among lifetime hunting and fishing licenses, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum passes or memberships, and State Fair admissions and concert passes
• Airline vouchers: first-class tickets to any domestic U.S. destination or coach tickets to any international destination on American Airlines
• Sports tickets: home game tickets to cheer on the Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Fire FC and St. Louis Cardinals

President Biden tweets: On my way to Crystal Lake, IL

I’m on my way to Illinois to highlight how my Build Back Better Agenda will help working families. See you soon, Crystal Lake!

— President Biden (@POTUS) July 7, 2021

Di Leo: The Military Pension – A Nation’s Debt of Honor

By John F. Di Leo - 

Reflections on the Anniversary of the Congressional Decision to Award a Pension to Margaret Corbin 

Some serve in the military for years and years, never seeing action in combat; others see action before their training is even complete.  Today’s story concerns a moment of tragedy and heroism at one of the worst days of the War of Independence:  November 16, 1776, the Battle of Fort Washington. 

One of the legendary characters of our Revolutionary War is the valiant Molly Pitcher, a female volunteer who operated the cannon in battle, as courageously and precisely as any male soldier.  

This may sound like an easier task than it really was. Weapons today have precision-calibrated sights, often scopes, lasers, or high-tech navigation systems that use heat-seeking technology to keep changing trajectory even after they’ve been fired.  During the Revolutionary War, a cannon weighed thousands of pounds, and every step was completely manual, from loading to aiming.   One or two artillery soldiers in front would load the powder, wadding and cannonballs; one or two others would apply their best efforts of physics and geometry to aim and fire the weapon from the back. 

Dr. Rosenwasser: Critical Race Theory's skewing of history

By Tamzin A. Rosenwasser, M.D. - 

Just as Karl Marx interpreted all of human history as a fight between the “proletariat” (oppressed) and the “capitalists” (oppressors) using a method I can only call “Illogical Abstractionism,” so also do the “critical race theorists” use a rigid abstraction to divide all of mankind into one of two groups.           

Karl Marx had no understanding of history or the time course in human affairs. He never set foot in the situations he wrote about with such certainty. Stupid. The “revolt of the proletariat” never happened, because the people whose strengths did not include invention of machinery, or founding of factories, (the proletariat) became much more comfortable and wealthier as a result of the existence and work of those whose strengths did include those things (the capitalists). The capitalists provided useful work, and it was an enormous benefit to the workers (proletariat).           

Could humanity have managed without refrigerators and automobiles? We did so for millennia. Do you want to return to a world without refrigeration or the other comforts brought to us thanks to capitalism?  

Democrats’ sneaky plot to ‘cancel’ student loan debt

Democrats and far-left liberal groups know that a bill that would “cancel” student loan debt has little, if any, hope of making its way through Congress in the near future — even with Democrats firmly in charge of the House, Senate, and White House.

There are simply too many voters, especially blue-collar workers in historically blue-colored states, who have no interest in paying for the debt of those with high-priced college degrees to push through the sort of sweeping legislation desired by politicians such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent.

But since when has Congress’s failure to pass legislation ever stopped the far Left from attempting to achieve massive alterations of society?

More HERE

Parents in Court Over Online ‘Portal’ Where Students Anonymously Accuse Each Other

(Photo illustration: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images)

Parents in an affluent Virginia county are speaking out against their school system’s online “portal” that allows students to anonymously report on each other for exhibiting racial or sexual bias. 

Daniel Suhr, a lawyer representing parents in a lawsuit against the Loudoun County school system, told The Daily Signal that the “so-called bias incident response system” is in direct violation of Americans’ free speech rights.

More HERE

GOP gubernatorial candidate Gary Rabine on Illinois credit rating

From the Rabine for Governor campaign - 

Woodstock, IL – Gov. Pritzker may be patting himself on the back for the uptick in Moody’s ratings of Illinois’ General Obligation bonds, but Gary Rabine, a candidate for Governor, says the truth is that federal spending is masking the state’s irresponsible fiscal policies and the state still has the worst credit rating of all 50 states.

Moody’s has upgraded Illinois’ General Obligation bonds rating from Baa3 with a stable outlook to Baa2 with a stable outlook. Bond ratings impact the interest rates states pay to borrow money. The better the rating, the lower the interest cost to borrow money. A Baa2 rating still carries substantial risk for a lender. Illinois’ credit rating still ranks the worst in the nation.

Rabine said, “what this essentially means is that Illinois has moved from junk bond status to just barely above junk bond status. This is hardly a sea change and yet the Democrats in Springfield are breathless with excitement.”

Parenting after the pandemic: More freedom, less ‘safetyism’

Should parents prioritize extreme safety or thoughtfully push their kids toward independence and self-reliance? It’s a question that moms and dads have long grappled with, and in light of the recent waves of lockdowns and school closures, there are likely plenty of lessons to be learned.

Alas, in addition to the many lives lost to COVID-19, the pandemic has led to significant suffering among children. While some have experienced severe learning loss with tilting disparities, others have struggled to cope with the effects of social isolation, leading to an increase in teen suicides and a string of other mental health-related issues.

Whatever one thinks of the prudence of the lockdowns as a means for containing the virus, they inadvertently doubled as an extreme experiment in what happens to children when they are over-sheltered and over-protected from the outward journeys of daily life. Yet, to a lesser degree, that experiment was already well underway before the pandemic ever began.

More HERE

Rossi: Have We Become a Nation of Sheep Being Led to Slaughter?

By Randy Rossi - 

Our corporate psychologist and head of Human Resources who taught us how to identify, hire, and motivate the best employees always warned us that 80% of people are “sheep” and shouldn’t be hired. He told us we must look for and hire “sheep dogs” that protect the sheep and deal with facts and data. What does that mean? It means that a majority of people will “follow the herd over the cliff” because they care more about being “liked” by the herd than doing what is best for themselves, their family, their company, and their country. It means that they cannot think strategically, they run from conflict instead of solving it, and they don’t dare to challenge what the “herd” believes even if hard facts prove them wrong. Facts  don’t matter to them. And to make it worse today, the “Fake News”, social media, and our tragic “Cancel Culture” are scaring even more Americans to be sheep who don’t dare stand up for the truth anymore because of the fear of being “unliked” and cancelled by the herd.

Sadly, only a small minority of people are “sheep dogs” that protect the “sheep” and have the courage to stand by and defend the facts, our country, their kid’s futures, and what is right no matter what the “herd” thinks. Those “sheep dogs” are the people we were trained to identify and hire. And our psychologist was right because those great “sheep dogs” that we hired helped make our company incredibly successful and they delivered outstanding results to our customers, employees, and shareholders.

Plummer: Teen killer back in jail after Pritzker parole board release is revoked

Chicago Mayor Lightfoot says 99% of critics motivated by racism, sexism

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot recently whined that “99%” of the criticism she faces can be attributed to racism and sexism. Yeah, the woke media needs to be less biased against liberal black female lesbian mayors of liberal cities in ruin. 

More HERE

What is CRT (Critical Race Theory)?

The controversial Critical Race Theory is the topic of a recent discussion on an Association of Mature American Citizens recent podcast between the association's CEO Rebecca Weber with journalist Ben Weingarten. 

Just what is CRT and what does the curriculum teach that the National Education Association voted Monday to actively support? It's meant to Divide and Conquer Americans, the two determine.

NEA members vote to actively promote Critical Race Theory curriculum; oppose anti-CRT rhetoric

CHICAGO - Members of the nation's largest teachers union - the National Education Association - voted virtually Monday to adopt as amended a resolution on the controversial Critical Race Theory curriculum which commits the NEA to actively promote the curriculum, and "fight back against anti-CRT rhetoric" by committing a team of staffers to share information about those that oppose it. 

The curriculum, as described by the resolution, will critique "empire, white supremacy, anti-Blackness, anti-ingidegeneity, racism, patriarchy, capitalism, and other "forms of power and oppression." 

Directly from the NEA website:

The Creation of the Declaration of Independence; Narration by Ronald Reagan

Farris: A Very Dark Day in the Supreme Court

As posted an hour ago on Facebook by Michael Farris, Alliance Defending Freedom CEO, attorney and constitutional law expert -

A Very Dark Day in the Supreme Court

 

This morning the Supreme Court denied review to Barronelle Stutzman. She is the florist in Richland, Washington who happily served a gay customer for years but politely and lovingly declined to design flowers for his wedding.

 

The State of Washington and the ACLU jointly prosecuted Barronelle for her decision to stay true to her faith.

 

Three justices indicated they wanted to take the case: Justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch.

 

While a denial of certiorari creates no binding precedent, this sends a very bad signal about general claims of religious freedom when in conflict with LGBT rights.

 

We should all expect a scene reminiscent of the celebration at the Stone Table in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. The LGBT forces will come after every Christian business owner with fierce intentions and a taste for revenge.

Where’s Weyermuller? Visiting with Priests "canceled" for speaking their minds

By Mark Weyermuller - 

Have you ever heard of a “cancelled priest?” A couple weeks ago on June 24, 2021, over 1000 people attended a sold out event at  the Carlisle Banquet Hall in Lombard, Illinois to discuss the topic. The event was sponsored by “the Coalition for Cancelled Priests.” The event was seen by thousands more on a live stream. 

The keynote speakers were Elizabeth Yore and Father James Altman. Altman has been more or less suspended from his parish for speaking out against mandatory vaccines for Covid 19.

Thorner: Why the Masses Unquestioningly Obeyed Covid Restrictions

The 1960s Milgram Experiment - Pacific Standard photo

By Nancy Thorner - 

Playing the fear card is as old as the hills, and it's easy to do.  The following quote by Herman Goering illustrates how easily people can always be brought to the bidding of their leaders. Then it was WWII, now it is the "war" on Covid.  Same difference.

“Naturally, the common people don't want war . . . but after all it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship.  Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.  That is easy.  All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.  It works the same in every country."