Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
I don’t need a day to remember my father George John Hanania was a great guy and a phenomenal father, for the 16 years that I knew him. My dad fled the Holy Land in 1926 to get away from the hatred that consumed both Arabs and Jews. An older brother Joseph drowned in the…
The solution to climate change grows on trees By John Keppler Americans are tired of half measures on climate change. Seven in ten Americans want utility companies to overhaul their operations and generate 100 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewables in the near future. That’s ambitious. Renewable energy accounts for just 17 percent of…
Podcast: A preview of the upcoming battle for the 3rd Congressional District Another battle in the 3rd Congressional District: Dan Lipinski, Marie Newman, Rush Darwish. Season 1, Episode 17, June 17, 2019 Award-winning former Chicago City Hall reporter, and syndicated political columnist Ray Hanania offers a preview of the upcoming battle brewing in the…
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Republican legislators criticize Pritzker Gas Tax Governor Pritzker’s doubling of the Illinois Gasoline Tax causes damage to Illinois economy coalition of Republican legislators argue in an Op-Ed commentary By Republican State Representatives Transportation is a vital part of the Illinois economy. When it comes to Interstate highways, Illinois has the third most Interstates in the…
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Hold communities accountable and stop blaming the police Chicago continues to be ravaged by street gang gun-related violence. Mayor Lightfoot has vowed to address the problem. But only focusing on the Chicago Police is not the answer. More emphasis needs to be placed on the residents living in the communities where the violence occurs to…
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Mayor Lightfoot should not rush to judgement on Burke Newly elected Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has used the troubles of Alderman Ed Burke to bolster her image as a “reformer” and pandered to the hedonic character of the mainstream news media demanding that he resign. But in America, the mob doesn’t rule, the Rule of…
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The psychology of JB’s massive tax hike plan JB Pritzker has been lobbying hard to get the legislature to adopt his “Fair Tax” plan, but that plan is just a cover for 18 other big tax hikes that are waiting to slam your pocket book. The Pritzker “Fair Tax” will replace the Flat Tax with…
Ben Joravsky tackles Chicagoland politics on podcast It was a lot of serious laughs joining longtime Chicago political writer and TIF Authority Ben Joravsky on his podcast this past Wednesday with former Tribune political writer Monroe Anderson. Joravsky’s podcast is one of the top discussions on Chicagoland politics By Ray Hanania Ben Joravsky’s Podcast Tuesday…
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Governor Pritzker needs a reboot on his tax plan Is Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker anti-women, or does he just not care about empowering women in politics? His faulty drive to replace the Flat Income Tax with the Graduated Income Tax is driven by a male arrogance and a shortsighted political strategy that spells loser across…
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Orland Park’s Texas de Brazil knocks it out of the park Texas de Brazil opens a new restaurant in Orland Park and it sizzles with perfect meat selections. It’s one of the best restaurants to enjoy a great family meal with the family for lunch or dinner. And it has a phenomenal salad bar which…
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Lightfoot targets gun violence in inauguration Mayor Lori Lightfoot is sworn into office on May 20, 2019, as Chicago’s first African American woman and first “openly Gay” mayor. Much of Lightfoot’s inauguration speech reflected many of the same principles that were reiterated 40 years ago when on April 16, 1979, Jane Byrne was inaugurated as…
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The Mother of TV Shows Game of Thrones comes to an end A recap of Game of Thrones for the 290 million Americans who didn’t watch the eight season series on HBO, putting into modernday context so the rest of the world might understand what’s going on. A spoiler summary for those who haven’t watched…
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Applauding Game of Thrones for an exciting run Forget all of the whiners and complainers. HBO’s Game of Thrones series which is ending this week after nine years and eight seasons, has been fantastic and thrilling. There have been a few disappointments, like the rush to end the series in only six final episodes rather…
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Stratton takes back-stage in Pritzker administration Juliana Stratton, who was elected as the lieutenant Governor running mate to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, has not been given the role she was promised. Instead, high profile issues are being handed out to Pritzker’s male cronies including former Comptroller Dan Hynes By Ray Hanania After J.B. Pritzker was elected,…
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Game of Thrones is a “thrilling disappointment” The Final Season of Game of Thrones is thrilling because fans like myself have invested more than 8 years into the series. It is a fantastic series, one of the best. But the ending is proving to be a huge disappointment as if the Game of Thrones writers…
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“Hate Night” TV will re-elect Trump I am sick and tired of listening to late night “talk show hosts” crusading against President Trump with stupid and sick jokes. The partisanship is disgusting and the viciousness of the attacks are even worse. Trump isn’t the best President but today’s crop of late night talk show hosts…
Landscape Structures Provide Function and Beauty By Melinda Myers Incorporate arbors, trellises and other structures into your designs when planning new or updating existing gardens and landscapes. These structures help form the framework of any garden, add year-round interest and provide years of beauty and function. Utilize arbors to define and connect distinct areas of…
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Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast: Pritzker’s “unFair Tax” In his latest podcast, Ray Hanania on Politics, former Chicago City Hall reporter Ray Hanania digs deep into the problems that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “Fair tax’ poses for Illinois taxpayers. Hanania explores the problems caused when the state replaces the Flat Tax on incomes with a “graduated…
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