OPINION

Divided America is a long way from healing and unity
Divided America is a long way from healing and unity Despite the sincere words of President Joe Biden, it is doubtful he will be able to unite America … Click to Read
Cook County sets new murder record and Foxx is to blame
Cook County sets new murder record and Foxx is to blame Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx has set a lower threshold for fighting crime, creating an environment … Click to Read
Media hypocrisy in their coverage of DC Protests versus BLM protests
Media hypocrisy in their coverage of DC Protests versus BLM protests Ray Hanania tears into the hypocrisy of the mainstream news media which is playing politics with the … Click to Read
At-risk populations need to be priority beyond vaccine
At-risk populations need to be priority beyond vaccine By Patrick J. Kennedy An end to the pandemic is finally in sight. Both Pfizer and Moderna reported that their … Click to Read
Coronavirus COVID-19 infections continue to surge in Orland Park: Opinion
Coronavirus COVID-19 infections continue to surge in Orland Park: Opinion The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic continues to increase, not dissipate in Orland Park in part because of the failure … Click to Read
Facebook censors video of fight at Orland Park Mall
Facebook censors video of fight at Orland Park Mall A fight at the Orland Park Mall in southwest Suburban Chicagoland has become the focus of a debate over … Click to Read

News Wire

McLaughlin blasts Pekau for using board meetings to promote his political campaign
McLaughlin blasts Pekau for using board meetings to promote his political campaign Former Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin accused Mayor Keith Pekau of using taxpayer-funded village board meetings and staff to unleash a series of vicious political accusations. McLaughlin said the Village board should be used to champion the rights of taxpayers not to fund the mayor’s political re-election campaign. McLaughlin called Pekau’s abuse of power “shameful” and disgusting.” Here is Dan McLaughlin’s statement on the “Culture of Misinformation” in Orland Park’s Current Leadership “What an incredible sadness I feel about how Mayor Pekau used time owed to Orland Park residents to campaign with a made-up scandal when he could have been providing answers on issues that matter to the community,” McLaughlin said. In response to false accusations made by Mayor Keith Pekau and two trustees at a recent village board meeting, mayoral candidate Dan McLaughlin released the following statement: “I am appalled that my opponent would bring a ridiculous accusation into a village hall meeting that could have been used to address the pressing issues that Orland Park citizens are facing. Using taxpayer time and money to fling false allegations and out of context stories while threatening investigations for political advancement is disgusting and not what Orland Park residents deserve. It makes me sad to see local government used like this. This type of lying and attacking started four years ago, and it’s a disservice to the residents of Orland Park. This is not what politics at the local level should look like – we should be united, we should be transparent and open, and leaders should be in constant service to their residents. Our community will see through Mayor Pekau’s political game of using false stories and a sham investigation started by him and paid for by the citizens of Orland Park. It’s not right, and I’m frustrated on behalf of residents that village meetings are being used for campaigning instead of dealing with issues facing residents — which should be the whole job. Orland Park needs to move forward. We need to put these political games behind us and get back to work. I am proud of the way my team and I have always put our community first, and I look forward to being in a position to offer that leadership to them again. There are much better things for the village staff to do than spend hours and hours looking through 20-year-old documents to help the Mayor start a phony political charge.”
AHRC Congratulates Joseph Biden on Being Sworn in as America’s 46th President:
AHRC Congratulates Joseph Biden on Being Sworn in as America’s 46th President: The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) congratulates Mr. Joe Biden and Mrs. Kamala Harris for being sworn in yesterday, Jan 20, 2021 as America’s President and Vice President in a historical ceremony amidst exceptional security measures. This year’s inauguration ceremony was watched by people across the globe witnessing American democracy in action. AHRC welcomes President Biden’s call for unity, healing and reconciliation. Unity requires that all elected officials from all political parties tone down the rhetoric and engage in real dialogue to find solutions. The ultimate challenge is to win the hearts and the minds of millions of Americans to bridge the gap and reunite the nation focusing on the economic and health challenges facing the nation. COVID-19 remains the number one issue facing the country today and it needs the attention of all the political branches. Saving lives should be the nation’s top priority. AHRC commends President Biden for taking executive action on his first day of office to put an end to practices that many Americans considered in violation of America’s democratic values- such as the Muslim Ban and the Wall. AHRC welcomes President Biden’s decision to re-join both the Climate Change agreement and the WHO organization. Climate change is a global challenge that merits serious attention and global collaborative efforts to address. These are global challenges that impact and affect all with no exception. While the executive measures taken by President Biden are important and set the tone for a promising path, executive orders are not enough. Instituting policies through Congress is what lasts and matters. Working with Congress the President can make national policies that cannot easily be undone by future presidents. We urge that the President and the Congress work together to make the needed changes such as immigration reform. “Political vindictiveness is never the solution,” said Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director. “I hope that divisive politics is behind us and the political parties will be able to work together productively to deal with the nation’s real problems,” concluded Hamad. ###### Help AHRC Protect Human Rights: These are challenging times. It is our common humanity that we are determined to protect. To donate, please visit: www.ahrcusa.org for safe & secured donation
Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance Program to offer financial wellness webinar Jan. 27
Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance Program to offer financial wellness webinar Jan. 27 The COVID-19 pandemic introduced uncertainty and fear to the lives of most small business owners around Cook County. To continue to support small businesses through this difficult time, Cook County’s COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance Program is planning a finance-focused webinar, titled “It’s Your Turn: Time to Survive and Thrive – PPP and More”, for 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27. All small business owners in Cook County are welcome to register for the free event at https://t2m.io/itsyourturnppp. The webinar will discuss the reopened Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loans and how small businesses can work with local lenders to secure assistance. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, representatives from Small Business Assistance Program partner organizations and small business owners who have received assistance from the program in the past — like Luz Cavazos, owner of Juicy Luzy Sangria — will speak during the event. Attendees will also have the opportunity to join small group discussions. “Getting that email was a blessing,” Cavazos said of finding out about the Small Business Assistance Program. “I’m grateful for the grant we got, because if we wouldn’t have gotten it… it was literally just making it, not knowing how long you had.” The County also invites small businesses to sign up for the Cook County – Chicago Business Advising Program, also known as technical assistance, which provides individualized assistance to business owners to help them address needs; acquire new capital and customers; understand finances, as well as change and risk management; adjust business models; and operate under changing safety regulations. This assistance is provided by program partners like Accion, Chicago Urban League, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Business Development Center, Berwyn Development Corporation, Chicago TREND, Cook County Black Chamber Corporation and Southland Development Authority. ABOUT THE COOK COUNTY COVID-19 RECOVERY SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: The Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance Program provides support for small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program offers advising for small businesses in Cook County and grants for small businesses in suburban Cook County and the unincorporated areas. For more information about the program, visit https://t2m.io/CookCountySBassist.
Biden names Rachel Levine as Asst. Secretary for Health & Human Services
Biden names Rachel Levine as Asst. Secretary for Health & Human Services Dr. Levine would be the first openly transgender Senate-confirmed federal official President-elect Joe Biden announced Tuesday (Jan. 19, 2021) the nomination of Dr. Rachel Levine to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health at the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Levine currently serves as Secretary of Health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is leading the state’s public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A deeply experienced and effective public servant and public health expert, Dr. Levine was confirmed three times by the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania state senate to serve as Secretary of Health and the state’s physician general. She is poised to become the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. President-elect Joe Biden said, “Dr. Rachel Levine will bring the steady leadership and essential expertise we need to get people through this pandemic — no matter their zip code, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability — and meet the public health needs of our country in this critical moment and beyond. She is a historic and deeply qualified choice to help lead our administration’s health efforts.” Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said, “Dr. Rachel Levine is a remarkable public servant with the knowledge and experience to help us contain this pandemic, and protect and improve the health and well-being of the American people. President-elect Biden and I look forward to working with her to meet t p.” The following White House announcement was made today: Dr. Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health at the United States Department of Health and Human Services Link to hi-res photo Dr. Rachel Levine is currently the Secretary of Health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine. She is the President of ASTHO, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, and the Academy for Eating Disorders. Dr. Levine joined Governor Tom Wolf’s administration in January 2015 as the Physician General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and served from 2015 to 2017. She was named Acting Secretary of Health in July 2017 and confirmed as Secretary of Health in March 2018. Her previous posts included: Vice-Chair for Clinical Affairs for the Department of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine and Eating Disorders at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. In addition to her recent posts, Dr. Levine is also an accomplished regional and international speaker, and author on the opioid crisis, medical marijuana, adolescent medicine, eating disorders, and LGBTQ+ medicine. Dr. Levine graduated from Harvard College and the Tulane University School of Medicine. She completed her training in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

STATEWIDE NEWS

IDPH Announces Region 5 Moves into Tier 1 Mitigation – Limited Indoor Dining
IDPH Announces Region 5 Moves into Tier 1 Mitigation – Limited Indoor Dining The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced Region 5, southern Illinois (Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, …
Supporting Our Police: Statement from the Orland Fire Protection District
Supporting Our Police: Statement from the Orland Fire Protection District The Orland Fire Protection District strongly condemns the Illinois Legislature’s adoption of a law, HB 3653, that impose sweeping changes to police departments throughout the …

The Political Pundit Comic Strip: The Wrath of Keith

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The Political Pundit Comic Strip: The Wrath of Keith

By all measures including those of Klingons, or any of the Star Trek characters, the Nemesis of Truth, Mayor Keith “Khan Noonien Singh” Pekau, seems to go where no insane politician has gone before. The needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many. Enjoy this political comic satire, the Political Pundit

By Ray Hanania

Mayor Keith Pekau “fiddles” with his Youtube videos and no-holds-barred public celebrations while Orland Park “burns” in the heat of the rising coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

As long as the people dying from COVID-19 are living in senior care homes, the virus isn’t a problem, we are told. And as long as people who eat positive for COVID-19 don’t get hospitalized, then the number of people infected is meaningless.

That’s the mantra from Orland Park’s Village government. And that’s why Orland Park went ahead with this year’s Taste of Orland Park, which seemed to satisfy the political needs of a few at the cost of the many, resulting in a variation of the original Star Trek movie line, “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,” from the film “The Wrath of Khan” which we will call “The Wrath of Keith.”

Click here to read the story about how coronavirus COVID-19 infections in Orland Park have increased nearly 50 percent just in the past 30 days

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The Political Pundit Comic Strip for August 2, 2020. “The Wrath of Keith” by Ray Hanania

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A critic of mainstream news media bias, Hanania advocates for peace & justice for Israel & Palestine, & the empowerment of Arabs in America.

Click here to listen to Ray's Political Podcast.

Hanania's columns are archived on his personal website at RayHanania.com. Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Hanania is President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group which provides communications services to governments and private businesses, and hosts writing training workshops, and publishes books.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.

Find him on MeWe.com and on Idobbonate.com the alternatives to Facebook