Three years ago, I went to an interfaith meeting at Peoria’s Islamic Foundation, where an evangelical pastor, a Presbyterian minister and elected officials all spoke on Americans’ freedom to worship, and apart from all of their insightful words, the turnout…
Author Archive for Bill Knight
News analysis: Trump damaging EPA & globe to benefit favored industries
by Bill Knight • • Comments Off on News analysis: Trump damaging EPA & globe to benefit favored industries
Last month, President Trump defended his administration’s role in protecting the environment, remarks observers say were needed after a year of controversies concerning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and climate change – and recent moves sparking even more criticism. “President…
Bill Knight | Red-white-and-blue roots music
by Bill Knight • • Comments Off on Bill Knight | Red-white-and-blue roots music
Capsule reviews can be like speed dating in a bouncy house. Risking insulting artists who spent energy and investments of time and temperament, they’re a way to acknowledge their efforts. (Likewise, excuse the name-dropping comparisons, but they’re efficient.) Anyway, much…
PDC pushes landfill-gas regs despite Trump delays
by Bill Knight • • Comments Off on PDC pushes landfill-gas regs despite Trump delays
Methane is a major contributor to climate change, and worldwide, methane’s top source is natural gas, followed by cows, then you. At least, your waste, deteriorating beneath the surface of area landfills and releasing methane and carbon dioxide (CO2). Clean-energy…
Illinois and eight states sue to carry out landfill-gas rules
by Bill Knight • • Comments Off on Illinois and eight states sue to carry out landfill-gas rules
Rules updating landfill-gas guidelines were finalized in August of 2016 to go into effect that October, but after Donald Trump’s election, his newly appointed Environmental Protection Agency leadership team delayed enacting the changes, and then pushed for a second delay…
Trump attacks judges whose decisions block him
by Bill Knight • • Comments Off on Trump attacks judges whose decisions block him
The federal judge who ruled against delays in implementing the three-year-old landfill-gas rules by President Trump’s EPA was blasted on May 25, when Trump called him an “activist, Obama-appointed judge.” Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr. of U.S. District Court of Northern…
Bill Knight | Climate change is a job-killer
by Bill Knight • • Comments Off on Bill Knight | Climate change is a job-killer
Last month, actor Rainn Wilson (from “The Office”) tweeted, “I love the idea of a Green New Deal but Fox News said the plan includes the mandatory sucking of farts out of camels, solar-panel skull implants, Al Gore face tattoos…
Bill Knight | Two new Americana CDs
by Bill Knight • • Comments Off on Bill Knight | Two new Americana CDs
Pope John XXIII is remembered as saying, “I never met a pessimist who managed to do something good,” a phrase that comes to mind after hearing two new Americana CDs with a sympathetic ear that was charmed, then disappointed. (Full…
Banking on the arts
by Bill Knight • • Comments Off on Banking on the arts
Most people didn’t hear about some big news this spring. It was good news but wasn’t a surprise, say local arts advocates. But the absence of reporting on it seems to some like the heavy-equipment industry making unexpected gains but…
Bill Knight | Ugliness in April elections
by Bill Knight • • Comments Off on Bill Knight | Ugliness in April elections
Dirty politics, surly opposition and ugly social media all surfaced around April’s election. Some races had no challengers; some couldn’t fill vacancies; some unqualified candidates resorted to name-calling or paying others for negative appeals. Willingness to serve takes time, money…