Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
Media spins politics in state government issues The Daily Herald has been doing a lot of stories critical of the Illinois Tollway Authority. Some think it has less to do with good journalism and more to do with the friendship between the newspaper’s reporter and a controversial member of the Tollway Authority board who has…
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Facebook and worthless knock-offs like Classmates.com I always wondered what happened to my old friends back in Hgh school so I opened an account at Classmates.com thinking it would help me answer that question. But it didn’t work. Classmates is nothing like Facebook, where it is far easier to connect with old high school friends,…
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Roseanne Barr should spin-off her own new series Just because ABC TV Network doesn’t want Roseanne Barr in the newly re-engineered Roseanne TV series called “The Conners,” doesn’t mean she can’t be the star of her own re-engineered Roseanne TV series with its own premise, starring Roseanne Barr. By Ray Hanania I really enjoyed the…
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In need of a “voter carwash” after governors’ debate The personal attacks in the first debate between Gov. Bruce Rauner and three challengers including J.B. Pritzker is disheartening for the future for the state of Illinois. Isn’t there anyone out there who has a great idea to save this state? Wake up people! When it…
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Race leverages next election for Chicago mayor Who will be Chicago’s next mayor? The decision will be made by Chicago’s racially divided voters, Blacks, Whites and Hispanics. The first run will see all of the racial blocks divided and the two candidates who receive the most votes — no one will win the 50 percent…
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Killing of Laquan McDonald plays into race more than facts What might Laquan McDonald have done had police not stopped him on that October evening in 2014 near 41st and Pulaski Road in Chicago? McDonald, who was menacingly waving a knife in the air as he walked in the middle of the street late at…
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Who was Chicago’s Best Mayor? With Mayor Rahm Emanuel bowing out of next Spring’s Chicago mayoral elections, it’s a good time to look at the past eight of Chicago’s mayors to decide who was the “best” in a lot of different categories including inspirational, vindictive, vision, historic, and most productive. By Ray Hanania Chicago Mayor…
Orland Park trustee proposes restaurant tax Orland Park’s village board majority is preparing to increase taxes on its residents, both a property tax hike and a massive tax on local restaurants that the village officials defend by asserting that “it won’t just impact Orland Park residents. It will impact everyone.” That’s what they said when…
Singing the blues in the Southwest Region The Southwest Region southwest side of Chicago and the southwest suburbs) continue to grow, adding to their assets including Midway Airport and Toyota Park. The most recent addition is the new Lyons BluesFest which kicks off on Sept. 22, 2018, in the Village of Lyons. The organizers have…
The two faces of John McCain The biased and racist news media has turned the late Senator John McCain into a modern day God, not because they loved him and really respected him but because of their shameless politics: they love that he as a senior Republican challenged and criticized President Donald Trump. McCain had…
Briefs: Seymour Hersh’s Southwest Suburban roots The hidden Southwest SuburbanChicagoland stories of Seymour Hersh, in Oak Lawn and Evergreen Park, and his publication of his own small community newspaper, revealed in his blockbuster new book “Reporter” By Ray Hanania Biographies of award-winning journalist #SeymourHersh leave out a very significant aspect of his career that he describes as having…
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Tollway Chairman slams board members’ bullying The Chairman of the Illinois Tollway Authority released copies of a letter and memos critical of Tollway board member Joseph “Joe” Gomez who has been accused of bullying and using inappropriate language in addressing Tollway employees. Gomez denies the claims but the letters offer specific details about incidents and…
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Getting bored by the empty void of streaming TV With so many streaming cable options all competing for the public’s attention, there are some great choices and some terrible ones. And there are things that each system can do to improve their services, besides adding quality original programming to their offerings. When the monthly subscription…
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Poor journalism blocks Perseid Meteor Shower They said poor weather would probably be the main reason why most people don’t see the Perseid Meteor Shower, but the real obstacle is poor journalism by science and technology writers, and online websites that are filled with “Spam Ads” and “Spam Writing.” Here’s the easy way to find…
When will people in Chicago get serious about violence? Organized protests may bring attention to the problem of neighborhood violence. But if community homeowners and families don’t stand up to the violence in their own community, they can’t make a difference and violence will continue. The past weekend when Chicago saw 74 brutal shootings and…
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The verdict on Jury Duty in Cook County I received my summons to appear at Jury Duty. I didn’t want to use any excuses having been a reporter covering the court system, being a political columnist who writes about court cases, having been in several legal cases as a defendant and plaintiff in political cases in…
Criticism of Trump is just another form of hate President Donald Trump’s critics are so angry and emotional about him their criticism has deteriorated into pure hatred. Many on the Left admit it is hate, but won’t admit that their hatred is a symptom of their own hypocrisies. Donald Trump is the President of the…
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Pretend interview with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel I’ve covered six Chicago Mayors since 1976 including Mayors Richard J. Daley, Michael A. Bilandic, Jane M. Byrne, Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer and Richard M. Daley. But I have yet to get Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to allow me to interview him, despite numerous requests. What’s the excuse…
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