Features

Bill Knight: Medicaid benefits are on the ropes

BILL KNIGHT

It’s one thing to enrich the wealthy through targeted tax cuts, etc., but must government make the poor needier? That’s looking likely since Congress in its Consolidated Appropriations Act, enacted Dec. 29, 2022, set March 31 of this year as…

Inland Art: Garden to garment, no scrap left behind — creative clothing with nod to sustainability

Creative clothing with a view toward sustainability is the focus of three fashionistas in Peoria. Dana Baldwin creates phenomenal evening gowns, wraps and coats, Aareon Boyd up-cycles vintage wear and Lily Scalf focuses on natural dyes and elegant daywear. Each…

Heat Waves in Red & Black: Putin’s petrostate under kleptocratic ‘reiderstovo’

William Rau

Russian oligarchs are named incorrectly. America has oligarchs, men whose extraordinary wealth can sway governments. As Gilens and Page (2014) show, economic elites and big corporations get their way when Congress crafts legislation whereas ordinary citizens have negligible impact. Wealth…

SPECIAL: Gun Violence: Public Health Priority, Part 1

Firearm violence is taking place in communities across the nation and recently surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of injurious death in the United States. Peoria is no exception. Firearm homicides of Peoria County residents doubled from 2020…

EDITORIAL: Abortion exceptions are not as advertised

Emily Gill

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court last June, many states have passed legislation defining and limiting the circumstances under which abortions may be performed. As a result, many doctors and hospitals have been extremely timid about…

Straight Talk: Auditor lost election, but winning in courts

ROGER MONROE

By a whopping 70%, Peoria County voters said the office of County Auditor should be closed. Members of the County Board had overwhelmingly stated there was no need for an elected auditor. Auditor Jessica Thomas was expected to accept the…

Meet the candidates: CW Election Primer looks at 10 candidates for five seats on Peoria City Council

Ten candidates are running for the Peoria City Council’s five at-large seats in the non-partisan election April 4. Under Peoria’s system, voters casting ballots for these races have five votes to cast for the candidates. Voters may choose to cast…

Heat waves in Red & Black: CO2 pipeline for Peoria? Who Benefits?

William Rau

Wolf/ADM (2022) wants to run a CO2 pipeline through Peoria and Tazewell Counties, route a trunk line to Peoria’s BioUrja ethanol plant, and possibly inject CO2 into the Mt. Simon Basin extending beneath your counties. For an antidote to Wolf/ADM…