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A big disappointment in politics
Yes it’s gone on for years. And in some respects, limiting the vote has been a feature of American politics since the beginning, when only white men with property could cast ballots. But when I began in politics, I assumed those days were past us, and everyone was on board with the idea that the more people who vote, the better.

Beware shiny balloons
As any first-year law school student knows, shiny balloons are pretty but insubstantial things floated to distract scrutiny from things that actually matter.

Putting the Trump stamp on the public
Yes, he bought a 60-year lease on the “Old Post Office Pavilion,” an iconic 1899 federal structure that once housed our country’s postal service and has also been the home of various other national government agencies. Located just five blocks from the White House, D.

LETTERS
I have been qualified as an expert in radiology and testified on rickets more than 70 times in five countries. I have published peer-reviewed papers on this subject, presented at nine medical conferences and given numerous invited lectures, including debates with leaders of the Society of Pediatric Radiology and the AAP’s child abuse committee.

Small biz and the minimum wage hike
I’m told that Pritzker hopes to shield small businesses from excessive harm to their bottom lines by using some sort of tax relief, including tax credits. Illinois’ current minimum wage is $8.25 per hour. Indiana, which has often made a public spectacle of poaching Illinois businesses, has a $7.

Deaf Wings, a voice for victims
Victims of domestic or sexual violence often don’t reach out for help or report incidents to law enforcement. For deaf women, the barriers are even greater. Deaf Wings is an initiative of the Jacksonville Area Center for Independent Living (JACIL) designed to help women deal with the violence they have experienced.

A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN
Among other things, Bruce, during a criminal trial over which he was presiding, sent an email to a paralegal in the U.S. attorney’s office, suggesting better ways for prosecutors to present their case and laying odds for acquittal.

SAM THE MAN
It works out to a $270.45 boost per year (roughly fi ve bucks per meeting), assuming the maximum hike to salaries now set at $15,454. Incumbent Andrew “Tightwad” Proctor voted no on the pay hike, but that isn’t getting in Cahnman’s way.

A little girl lost
“I’m so tired of hearing it was just an accident,” Loftis says. “Do you realize what he did?” The “he” to whom Loftis refers is Donald Eugene Ruyle, Jr., the only adult aboard an overloaded all-terrain vehicle that flipped last Dec. 17, pinning Mady beneath the vehicle.

Two new cookbooks to give and get this holiday season
Montreal’s restaurant Joe Beef is a study of contrasts. It is considered the second best restaurant in Canada and made it to 81 on the S. Pellegrino list of the “World’s Best Restaurants” a few years ago, though its coowner/chef David McMillan stated, “We have worked all our lives to not be on this list.

Vibrant, imaginative Spider-Verse a true delight
After bringing the web head to the big screen with the trilogy directed by Sam Raimi, they stumbled badly with the Andrew Garfield-led reboot that consisted of two underperforming entries. (I suppose everything’s relative – the pair of films brought in more than $1.

Old, new onesies
In the music scene, we receive great gifts in the form of musical moments throughout the year, but the amount of giving increases during the holidays. Indeed, one of the finest additions to this time of year must be the extracurricular concerts and music performances held around town.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Chris Camp & His Blues Ambassadors
Formed as an outlet for the musical talents of a guy you may know better as The Whip Guy, this group can play those swinging sounds to bridge any diplomatic impasse on the dance floor or barroom.

PUB CRAWL
Chris Camp and His Blues Ambassadors.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS | 19th century holiday decor
See Springfield’s oldest home, the Elijah Iles House, decked with 19th century holiday decor during the Candlelight Tour on Friday, Dec. 14 and the Historic Christmas Open House on Saturday, Dec. 15.

THE CALENDAR
45th Annual Winter Holiday Floral Show.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS | A country Christmas
Classic Nashville Christmas,.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS | Holiday charm downtown
Enjoy shopping, dining and holiday cheer on Wednesday, Dec. 19 during a Wednesday night installment of the Old Capitol Holiday Walks. In addition to shopping and dining at downtown Springfield’s many charming shops and restaurants, the 2018 holiday walks feature carolers, a 12-foot-tall Christmas tree created by Ace Sign Co.