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Countries Trump was talking about
I have made it a practice to travel to countries where toileting facilities are different from ours. I can understand an obsession with scatology from somebody with a diet of cheeseburgers. He thinks he needs a chair to sit on while doing his business, because he probably has to sit there a big part of every day.

Good news for a change on climate change
Nature and the gods of technology have blessed us with the means to avoid the worst consequences of climate warming. Now there is good climate news for a change. What we must do is put less carbon into the sky and start taking the carbon we have already put in out of the sky.

What’s killing America’s middle class?
And, yes, “created” is the correct term for how our middle class came to be, with two historic forces of social transformation pushing it. First, the widespread economic devastation of the Clutch Plague created a grassroots rebellion of labor, farmers, poor people, the elderly and others against the careless moneyed class that caused the crash.

LETTERS
I recently saw U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis touting the tax reform bill passed by Congress. This “accomplishment” was so important that he spent most of his time in his district doing media interviews.

Ad wars heat up
It turns out, the Pritzker campaign already had a response ad in the can, just waiting for whatever might come. So, when the Rauner campaign’s new TV ad featuring an FBI-wiretapped conversation between Pritzker and Rod Blagojevich was leaked online last week, the Pritzker folks unveiled their counterassault within minutes.

Putting on the Ritz
The city council on Tuesday voted 5-5 to commit $1.8 million more in public tax increment financing money to the project than had already been approved, with Mayor Jim Langfelder breaking the tie to approve the deal.

Kidzeum hires first executive director
The Kidzeum of Health and Science in Springfield took a step closer to opening with the hiring of its first staff member. Leah Wilson started Jan. 2 as executive director. Wilson says the words in the museum’s name touch issues about which she cares deeply.

LLCC’S BISTRO VERDE
Bistro Verde, Lincoln Land Community College’s studentrun café, will be open during the spring 2018 semester on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. beginning Tuesday, Feb. 6. The café’s dining room is staffed by students from the dining room operations class, and food is prepared by students in the food production IV class.

DON’T SPEND IT ALL IN ONE PLACE
CITY After a decade in a fi nancial holding pattern, employees at the State Journal-Register are set to get raises. GateHouse Media, parent company to Springfi eld’s daily paper, is giving newsroom workers a 1-percent raise this year, starting in September, and an additional 1.

Overtime woes for Illinois caregivers
When IDHS implemented the policy change, SEIU filed a lawsuit alleging that the implementation violated state law, as it took place without bargaining with the union. The Rauner administration implemented the policy through the administrative rulemaking process, avoiding the union.

A mill’s tale
No one had told neighbors that a massive metal building was going to fall that day in October 2014. Towering more than 10 stories, the so-called dryer building – locals say artificial sweetener was once made there – produced plenty of dust and debris in its death throe.

Exploring early Illinois with Pierre and Popeye
As students of Illinois history know, the site of the first capital was next to that great river, which had its way with the town after Vandalia and then Springfield took over as the seat of government.

Appetite for destruction
The concrete stairs leading to the DEMO Project house’s front entrance have been reduced to rubble. Considering that the current (and final) exhibit – entitled “demo DEMO” – is a celebration leading up to the alternative art space’s impending demolition, it might be assumed that the destroyed stairs are intended as an artistic statement.

What is real food?
Fifteen years ago, when my wife began thinking about teaching cooking classes, she asked me to help her come up with a name for her new cooking school. I asked her what she wanted to accomplish.

Thread unravels in the end
As we all know, expectations are a doubleedged sword. While they may inspire us so that we may exceed them, at times they can be so great they simply can’t be overcome. The best example I can think of this, in regards to films, is The Godfather: Part III,.

Be cool, stay warm
What better way to thaw the cold than by making a visit to a nearby watering hole or other house of performance to see some live music and feel the sound waves eradicate your chills. Who knows, it might even be a balmy 40 degrees by the time you get around to reading this.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Astrofix
Hailing from towns in central Illinois, friends and bandmates Jamie Merideth (vocals, keys), Phil Cooper (rhythm guitar), Dave Primeaux (lead guitar), Aaron Kaufmann (bass) and Jake McNamara (drums), along with contributions on recordings from...

PUB CRAWL
Casey Cantrall’s Jukebox Open Jam.

THE CALENDAR
Jorge Machaen and Matt Linville. Also featuring Jeff Tolbert, Buddah Eskew and host Tim Laffey. $10. jorgecomedy.com. Capital City Bar & Grill, 3149 S. Dirksen Pkwy, 529-8580..

MUSIC | Concert and conversation
On Saturday, Jan. 20, take in an evening of stories and songs from songwriters Sally Barris, Amy Benton and Tom Irwin. Sally Barris is a sought-after Nashville songwriter who has penned music for Martina McBride, Kelli Pickler, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood and others.

BOOKS & AUTHORS | Featured author Tim Hunt
Join the Vachel Lindsay Association on Saturday, Jan. 21, from 2-4 p.m., for the first “Poets in the Parlor” event of 2018. The featured poet will be Tim Hunt, author of three poetry collections (Poem’s, Poems & Other Poems, The Tao of Twang,.

LECTURES | Training horses for film and TV
Warm up on Friday, Jan. 26, with a hearty meal paired with a captivating presentation by Dr. Karl Luthin, a veterinarian who is experienced in training horses for film and television. Luthin has trained animals for Gods and Generals.