Whatever happened to the American Dream of owning a home and giving your children a better life than you experienced as a child? Is this ‘dream’ being deferred or denied? In 2019, these questions are as timely as they are ...

Transparency and communication are two elements most of us expect from our governments from the national level right on down to the local levels. That’s a big expectation. Oftentimes, it’s not government officials that transmit the transparency and communication. So, ...

Most consumers would likely agree that consumers should get what they pay for. If a product or service fails to deliver its promises, refunds are in order. That kind of thinking guided the Obama Administration’s decision to address false promises ...

Note to readers: The accompanying editorial was written by the editorial board of Shaw Media and distributed to Illinois newspapers by the Illinois Press Association. In 1998, Jesse White was elected to lead an Illinois Secretary of State’s office that ...

Like most people, I care about my community, its opportunities, as well as its future. But as a man of faith, I believe I am additionally called to give voice and support to lift every life. From counseling congregants on ...

Unless you always pay attention to city government regularly you might find recent deliberations regarding Joliet’s City Manager position somewhat troubling. Watching the Joliet City Council debate the issue has been a real head spinner the last few months. According ...

We thank Gov. J.B. Pritzker for signing into law the strongest consumer protections in the history of Illinois’ energy markets. This is one of the toughest consumer protection laws in the nation, and it is a major victory for Illinois ...

History commonly and most often points to late August in the year 1619 when some “20 and odd Negroes” originating from Angola arrived in the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia as the first documented enslaved Africans to land in what ...

A few weeks back I questioned whether our Joliet government was a sugar-daddy based on the many requests it receives from organizations needing revenue beyond their means. One that was mentioned was the Joliet Public Library. The Library Board has ...

Democracy’s premise is that ordinary citizens can make solid decisions on complex issues. But this basic principle and the structure of laws and practices erected over the centuries to safeguard it are being questioned as rarely before. It’s not just ...

America is experiencing the most perilous of times in recent history as the result of its president, Donald Trump. Even though Monday morning he stepped forward to speak against the weekend's hate crimes, it lacks residence because of the hate ...

It’s not always easy to know the facts. That’s a phrase we all hear frequently. The initial reaction to that expression is often times one of skepticism because the facts are thought to be based on proven data. The facts ...

The Trump administration recently axed a proposal that would have saved patients billions of dollars by requiring insurers to share discounts they negotiate with drug companies directly with patients. The proposed rule would have changed Medicare Part D, which provides ...

I’ve been struck recently by news coverage of humans’ degradation of the planet. Two opposing themes keep appearing. One is the sense that, as individuals, there’s little we can do; the forces are too large. The other – and many ...

Did you ever have a rich uncle? You know, one that you always depended on to give the best gifts for birthdays and holidays? The relative you always thought you could depend on if you were in a financial bind? ...