A scathing report by the United Nations Human Rights Council on extreme poverty and inequality in America was slammed by UN Ambassador Nikki Haley as “patently ridiculous.” Haley then announced the United States was withdrawing from the UN Human Rights…
The infrastructure of American’s food system entrenches social and income inequality, devastates rural communities and inner cities, drives declining health and further empowers corporations and the politicians they support. Working in resistance to those trends are Dave Bishop, an organic…
The Peoria NAACP has established a special account to fund coverage of diversity issues by central Illinois writers. The goal is to increase coverage of often-untold stories that cut through stereotypes and more accurately depict history, explain institutional racism and…
President Donald Trump is calling for the largest rollback in protected public lands in the history of this country, and a coalition of Native Tribes and conservation groups is spearheading resistance. Working with that resistance is Clayton Daughenbaugh, a speaker…
I have known and watched Brett Kavanaugh for two decades having first met him and his family playing golf at a charity golf outing supporting cancer research. While I was in Congress during President George W. Bush’s term, Brett served…
I did it. Never thought I would. I quit taking the Peoria Journal. I’ve been a reader for decades. Before that, I was a carrier delivering the Peoria Journal Star in the morning to the south of my North Madison…
“Chicago Farmer” is a great name for an act, like “Goofy Ridge Industrialist” or “nonviolent commando.” But Chicago Farmer is much more than a snappy name. Born Cody Diekhoff, Chicago Farmer is more than a 39-year-old “singer/songwriter.” The troubadour is…
REUTERS PHOTO: Man standing at a Trump rally in a T-shirt with this printing: “Rope Tree Journalist Some assembly required” A woman and young girl stand nearby laughing. Since when did this become constitutionally protected free speech in the United…
Governor Rauner’s Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is failing to protect us. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) weakened federal health and water protections for communities near toxic coal ash waste dumps. If you live in the Peoria area, that…
Often times, we wonder why urban inner city violence is so romanticized, and that other races want to mimic the lifestyle in theory but in reality remain distant. While listening to NPR, I heard a podcast about a restaurant that…
Editor’s Note: Immigrants and refugee seekers have different rights. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, everyone has a right to seek asylum from persecution and violence. The UN states that “some mass displacements may…
One of the paradoxes of human nature is that we are capable of cooperating with others for the common good as well as “otherizing” people for our own gain. While many Americans were fervently praying for the safe rescue of…
Family vacations are great opportunities for honing cooperation and adapting skills; and enjoying new sights, family bonding, and relaxation. Ideally they also include experiences to inspire teachable moments. Even the good, beautiful, boring, or challenging can be rich with lessons.…
A new sign stands at the entrance to what used to be the Detweiller Golf Course. It reads “Nature in Progress… Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.” It is an invitation to get out and explore an area…
This year’s Peoria Sculpture Walk raises a few questions about public art –– for Peoria and for urban settings in general. It’s perennially challenging for any artwork to hold viewers attention in the turmoil of urban settings –– particularly if…
Aug. 1: Peoria Municipal Band. 7 p.m. Warehouse District. 691-3318. Aug. 2 and each Thursday: Tanner Picton. 5 p.m. Kickapoo Creek Winery. 495-9463. Aug. 2: Thursday Night Jazz Series, featuring Ellen and Derel Monteith. 7-8:30 p.m., CEFCU Center Stage at…
Boy Scout Troop 11 ice cream social is 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 23 at the West Peoria Fire Station, 406 N. Waverly Ave. A $2.50 donation includes dessert, ice cream and a drink. This is another West Peoria tradition.…
NFL Players union files over anthem policy. The NFL Players Association on July 10 filed a grievance with the league challenging its new National Anthem policy, saying the new policy was imposed without consultation with the union, is inconsistent with…
The big screen at Peoria Riverfront Museum calls for big plans, and independent film producer Allison Walsh is delivering with the first annual Big Picture Film Festival open to aspiring filmmakers in Central Illinois (within 50 miles of Peoria). We…
It lasted just minutes, but it reverberated around the country as yet another example of racism in America. Closely following the unfolding story were long-time NAACP members Jean and Sam Polk. They watched national TV coverage and read newspapers ––…
Glancing at area farm fields, one recalls the Rodgers and Hammerstein lyric “the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye,” and new research from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Studies (ACES) strengthens the notion…
