Jim Hightower PHOTO BY LARRY D. MOORE With the 2016 presidential campaigns in full swing, the burdens of the working middle class have taken center stage. And believe it or not, there is bipartisan support from the front-runners on a key issue brought up over and over again. Donnie Trump is for it. Hillary Clinton […]
America
Posted inArts & Culture
The high court and Constitution
PHOTO BY Win McNamee/TNS Celebrate Constitution Day by attending an ECCE Speaker Series presentation that offers a close look at the Supreme Court of the United States under the direction of Chief Justice John Roberts, who has led the court for the past decade. Speaker Jason Mazzone, professor of Law and Lynn H. Murray Faculty […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Three evenings of culture, learning
PHOTO COURTESY HTTP://JACKSONVILLEIL.ORG/PRAIRIELAND-CHAUTAUQUA/ Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt once referred to the Chautauqua, the adult education movement made popular in the 19th and 20th centuries, as, “The most American thing in America.” Chautauqua festivals included musical shows, storytellers, communal suppers and evenings with reenactors representing famous Americans. Modeled after a traditional Chautauqua, the 17th Annual […]
Posted inOpinion
Marriage equality moves from taboo to justice
From 1956 until 2010, CBS television’s daytime lineup included America’s longest-running soap opera: “As the World Turns.” But times change, and now a real-life human drama of profound importance has debuted in America: “As the Generations Turn.” It’s the inspiring story of our society’s continuing struggle to evolve toward dignity and mutual respect… as well […]
Posted inOpinion
The KBParty of Plutocratic Rule
Shouldn’t America have at least one major party that isn’t beholden to the corporate elite? Well don’t look now, but such a party has recently popped up, raring to roar into the 2016 presidential race. Called the KBParty, it has the funding, political network and expertise needed to bypass the establishment’s control of the election […]
Posted inOpinion
Has America gone crazy?
It might appear that the U-S-of-A has gone bonkers. So let me clear up any confusion that you might have: Yes, it has! Yet, it hasn’t. More on that in a moment. First, though – whether looking at the “tea party” congress critters who’ve swerved our nation’s political debate to the hard right, or at […]
Posted inOpinion
Let’s re-fund America
The powerhouses of Wall Street have tunneled directly into the cloistered backrooms of Washington deal making, extracting trillions of dollars worth of government bailouts, special tax breaks and regulatory favors every year. Yet, in a stupefying act of hypocrisy, they have also been the major force pushing policymakers to embrace extreme laissez-faire bunkum and to […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Heavenly harp
Harpist, arranger and composer Frank Voltz of North Carolina will play Saturday, Sept. 28, at Springfield Bible Church. Second prize winner in the lever harp division at the 1997 Lyon and Healy International Jazz and Pop Festival Competition, Voltz has played at festivals and venues across the country. In 2012, he was guest clinician for […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Quality brews at Grab-a-Java
There’s coffee and then there’s coffee. It ranges from gas station black swill you buy at 1 a.m. solely to push through the last hour of an extended road trip to fragrant ambrosia made from carefully selected and roasted beans that are freshly ground before being turned into brews prepared by trained baristas. For 16 […]
Posted inMusic
Thanks for Thanksgiving Eve
As reported in this column for the past several years, for those of you who care, the night before Thanksgiving is known as the biggest party of the calendar year for the live music/bar scene. Even lacking a proper name like St. Patrick’s Day or New Year’s Eve – the other big participants in the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Modern Romeo and Juliet
Broadway comes to Sangamon Auditorium, UIS with the Tony Award-winning Arthur Laurents musical West Side Story, recreated for tour by David Saint. Don’t miss this one night of amazing dance, song and story that for more than 50 years has captivated theater goers. The Bernstein and Sondheim score features songs you’ve never forgotten “Tonight,” “America,” […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Civil liberties
Springfield-area American Civil Liberties Union and Liberty Brew & View host a free showing of the powerful new documentary, Better This World, on Tuesday, July 17. UIUC Law Professor Steve Beckett speaks after the film. The film is a dramatic story of idealism, loyalty, crime and betrayal as the War on Terror made its impact […]
