The Supreme Court at press time was scheduled to hear arguments Feb. 26 on “Janus v AFSCME District Council 31,” the controversial lawsuit about whether employees at unionized workplaces who benefit from collective bargaining agreements must share in the costs…
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Letter: Why water maters
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Our planet is in a crisis. In 2015, we saw the hottest temperatures ever recorded, and as our environment suffers, we continue to contaminate our precious water. At the present rate, many cities will be running very low on water…
Op-Ed: The Peoria City Council should vote to conduct “due diligence” of the city’s water system
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BY CHERYL BUDZINSKI Chairwoman, League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria Water Action Committee The League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria believes a financial analysis that could lead to public ownership of a water utility is warranted. Our LWVGP…
Reflections From A Baha’i: How Humans Can and Will Establish Peace
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Are humans naturally violent? Judging from the aggression and conflict that has plagued humanity’s past, many have succumbed to the view that such behavior is intrinsic to human nature. Uncritical acceptance of the view, however, leads to negativity, apathy and…
Labor Roundup: CWA sues AT&T over layoffs instead of bonuses
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The Communications Workers of America last month took AT&T to federal court. The issue is the corporation promising to give workers $1,000 bonuses due to the Trump/Republican tax overhaul, and days later laying off more than 1,000 techs and call-center…
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Halt corporate mining industries from destroying sacred native lands President Trump lashed out at America’s conservation history and the growing movement for Native American tribal sovereignty with his pair of “repeal and replace” proclamations revoking the Bears Ears and Grand…
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Soil: Last Great Hope to Mitigate Climate Change BY DAVE BISHOP Dave Bishop farms organically in Central Illinois on PrairiErth Farm, a multi-generational, 480-acre operation that follows “regenerative farming” practices. Developing regenerative farming systems has been the mission at PrairiErth…
Reflections From A Secular Humanist
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A Humanist View of Religion’s Role in Environmental Protection BY HARRY ELGER According to NASA, greenhouse gas emissions and mass extinctions are making the Earth less inhabitable. As role models of ethics and morality, shouldn’t religions be stronger supporters of…
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Lawmakers hit secret VA scheme to partially privatize health care. Five congressional Democrats, all military veterans, have warned the Department of Veterans Affairs against its reported scheme to partially privatize VA health care by merging part of its system with…
Mark Clark’s body in morgue unclaimed; family never notified
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BY LAWRENCE J. MAUSHARD Editor’s Note: Peorian Mark Clark was 22 and a member of the Peoria NAACP and leader of the Peoria Chapter of the Illinois Black Panther Party. He was running a BPP free breakfast program for children…