Want a piece of Northwestern Athletics history? 🏟️
During demolition of Ryan Field, Northwestern has partnered with Rebuilding Exchange, an Evanston and Chicago-based nonprofit, to preserve pieces of the stadium for Wildcat fans, alumni and collectors:
https://bit.ly/3IscEDs
Stadium seats, seat backers, signage, banners, equipment, storage units and more can be purchased—all profits go to supporting the mission of Rebuilding Exchange.
The United States has just undergone its most substantial one-year population increase in history, with growth exceeding 3.8 million people in 2023, primarily attributed to illegal immigration, according to a recent report by John Burns Research and Consulting.
Under President Biden’s leadership, over 8 million people have entered the country illegally.
On Biden’s inaugural day, he signed executive orders that incentivize illegal immigration:
As the nation grapples with the rising costs linked to illegal immigration, major cities are making budget cuts to essential services such as fire, police, sanitation, libraries, and education.
Despite facing these domestic challenges, President Biden and Washington D.C. politicians are advocating for allocating an additional hundred billion dollars to protect foreign borders from distant invasions.
This situation exemplifies the “America Last” approach, wherein America and its citizens bear hardships and sacrifices, functioning as pawns on a geopolitical chessboard that primarily serves the interests of the elites.
“Where’s the Beef?” is arguably the most famous catchphrase concerning a fast food chain. Can you think of another that rivals Wendy’s ad from 1984?
There have been many iconic catchphrases from commercials over the years. But in the 1980s, one catchphrase ruled them all — “Where’s the Beef?” If you grew up during this time, you know how iconic this catchphrase was. It had a tremendous impact on pop culture throughout the decade and beyond. It would be repeated everywhere and made Clara Peller — the woman who uttered the phrase — world famous.
The phrase “Where’s the Beef” continued to grow and would be used to question things such as ideas, events, or products as to if they had any substance.
In the mid 1980s, McDonald’s and Burger King were leaders of the fast-food burger market, and they promoted the size of their burgers with products like the “Big Mac” and the “Whopper.”
Wendy’s didn’t have any specific “big-name” type burger, and most of their products were single patty burgers. But they contained more meat than they believed people realized.
They wanted to showcase that their hamburger had more beef and that McDonald’s and Burger King were hiding their lack of meat by using larger buns. Wendy’s wanted to call them out for these tactics while showcasing that they had more beef.
First airing in 1984, the original commercial featured three elderly ladies at the “Home of the Big Bun” examining an exaggeratedly large hamburger bun. The other two ladies poked at it, exchanging bemused comments (“It certainly is a big bun. It’s a very big bun. It’s a big fluffy bun. It’s a very big fluffy bun”). As one of the ladies lift the top half of the bun, a comically minuscule hamburger patty with cheese and a pickle is revealed (prompting her to finish the sentence “—bun.” with a much more disappointed tone). Peller immediately responds with her outraged, irascible question.
Sequels featured Peller yelling at a Fluffy Bun executive from his yacht over the phone and approaching fast food drive-up windows (including the “Home of the Big Bun” and a restaurant with a golden arch) that were slammed down before she could complete the line.
The advertising campaign ended in 1985 after Peller performed in a commercial for Prego pasta sauce, saying “I found it, I really found it”, a phrase alluding to the beef in the listener’s mind.
Roy F. McCampbell is an Attorney, Special Ed Advocate, Speaker and Author. He started a blog so everyone can read his thoughts and observations, ending conjecture. Sarcasm and Silliness by a Resident of Leyden Township. This year he was rated number 5 in the top 20
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You may have thought it was a cannabis urban legend, but there actually is scientific evidence that you could fail a drug test because of secondhand weed smoke.
Don’t panic, but it is actually possible to fail a drug test because of secondhand marijuana smoke, according to the evidence from more than a dozen research papers. That doesn’t mean if you walk through a cloud of marijuana smoke at a concert or stroll through a backyard BBQ that you’ll fail a urine test, but it’s probably a good idea to be wary.
And considering that smoking is the most common method of consuming cannabis, it’s worth asking: What are the effects of cannabis smoke on those who aren’t actually smoking?
The answer isn’t as clear-cut as one might hope.
So how does secondhand pot smoke show up in a urine test?
According to a 2017 review of 15 existing research papers, exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke resulted in the presence of cannabinoid metabolites in bodily fluids, specifically in the saliva, blood, and urine. The authors of the review also suggested that higher THC content of the smoked marijuana is correlated with higher the THC metabolite content in the urine.
So yes, is it possible to fail a drug test without smoking — just from secondhand exposure to cannabis smoke.
“Using levels of cannabinoid or THC metabolites found in blood or urine samples to determine marijuana use or intoxication is challenging,” the researchers wrote. “There is no universal threshold that can differentiate between those who have actively smoked marijuana and are intoxicated, those who have actively smoked marijuana in the past and those who have been exposed to second-hand smoke.”
In other words, you could potentially fail a drug test due to secondhand smoke and the technicians performing the test would be unable to tell whether or not your exposure to THC was due to secondhand smoke or actively smoking marijuana.
And secondhand smoke doesn’t necessarily cause only small or trace amounts of exposure. According to the researchers, some of the people who were exposed to secondhand marijuana smoke in some of the research had THC metabolite levels higher than those legally allowed for motor vehicle drivers in a number of jurisdictions.
“This raises questions about whether there should be tolerance for people who claim that their positive urine test result is due to second-hand exposure,” the researchers wrote.
Drug testing, of course, is also impacted by how long THC stays in your system.
Urine tests for marijuana are designed to find tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main intoxicating ingredient in cannabis, as well as the metabolite THC-COOH, which is produced when the body breaks down THC.
A positive result typically entails more than 50 nanograms of THC per milliliter, though this isn’t always the case. In 2019, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) increased the THC testing threshold for student athletes from 15 to 35 nanograms per milliliter, from the previous threshold of 5 to 15 nanograms. And in 2020, the National Football League increased the allowed amount of THC in urine tests from 35 to 150 nanograms per milliliter.
It’s commonly-known that you can fail a urine test for THC even weeks after smoking. This is because THC is fat soluble, which makes cannabis great for infusing oil or butter, but also means that it can stay detectable in your urine for as much as around a month because it is stored in fat cells. And if you’re taking a hair follicle test THC can be detectable for up to 90 days.
But the good news for those who just got exposed to a little secondhand weed smoke? It depends a great deal on how much THC you are exposed to or consume and how often it happens.
According to the Mayo Clinic, THC can be detectable in the urine of chronic users for more than 30 days, while “single exposure to marijuana in nonusers typically can be detected in the urine only up to 72 hours,” the Mayo Clinic states.
In other words, even if you were exposed to a thick cloud of secondhand marijuana smoke, you probably don’t need to worry about a drug test next week.
Hair follicle testing involves taking a 100-milligram sample of hair (around 90 to 120 strands) which is removed at the scalp. In addition to THC, hair follicle testing can detect a wide variety of drugs including cocaine, opiates, and amphetamines among others.
The main difference between hair follicle and urine testing is that drugs can be detected in hair follicles for up to 90 days after use and samples are less likely to be adulterated or contaminated during collection.
The good news is that you’re significantly less likely to be given a hair follicle test for a job interview or as a condition of deferred adjudication. The tests also were found to have a high potential for “under-identification of low-frequency use,” according to a 2014 study.
Saliva tests are used to detect the presence of THC, not its metabolites, and are administered by way of a mouth swab. They are much less invasive and easier to administer than urine or hair follicle tests, and can be a popular method of testing in the workplace.
The good news is that for the casual smoker — and potentially even more so for the secondhand smoker — saliva tests can only detect the presence of THC for a few days. Chronic smokers, though, can fail saliva tests for around a month after smoking.
In a poorly ventilated room, marijuana smoke can linger in the air longer, increasing the level of exposure. This is actually true for any type of smoke. Indoors, the concentration of the chemicals, compounds, and particles in any type of smoke is higher, and it doesn’t clear out nearly as quickly as it does outdoors.
The bottom line, if you’re in an environment where people are smoking, you’ll be less exposed for less time if you’re outside.
The “contact high” is a staple of cannabis lore. It typically entails someone who finds themself in a room where joints are being passed at a rapid clip, and feels a secondhand high even though they didn’t partake.
While in some cases this may be something of a placebo effect, there is some scientific evidence to back up the cannabis urban legend of a contact high.
In the 2017 review, researchers found that the psychoactive effects they observed were also present in those exposed to secondhand cannabis smoke, although weaker than for those actually smoking it. The researchers also stated that there was a correlation between the intoxicating effects of THC from secondhand exposure and the strength of the cannabis strain involved.
However, the researchers stressed that many of the scenarios that were observed took place in closed areas with limited ventilation and they probably don’t apply as much to more common scenarios like smoking outside.
A 2019 study published in Preventive Medicine Reports was the first of its kind to examine the effect of indoor secondhand cannabis smoke on child health. Researchers placed air particle monitors in 298 family homes across San Diego County, CA and examined how particulate material data impacted children’s health.
The study found an association between indoor cannabis smoking and adverse health outcomes in children, including ear infections, asthma, other respiratory dysfunction, and skin conditions, but the association was not statistically significant.
The research also suggests that the act of combustion and smoke produced, rather than what material is being smoked, poses the greatest health threat.
Very little research on the topic has been done, however.
Vaporizing, on the other hand, does not involve combustion. So is it safer?
Non-combustible forms of cannabis “may be associated with lower relative harm both for users and for those who are exposed to the aerosol vapor” compared to those exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke, wrote the authors of a 2018 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
“While there is currently less evidence on the health effects of exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke, cannabis smoke is similar in chemical composition to tobacco smoke (although in varying concentrations),” they wrote.
There are currently no scientific studies on the long-term health effects of exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke, vapor, or other products. With more cannabis products on the market, that gap needs to be filled in order to properly assess and address the public health concerns involved.
At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, Illinoisans will see more than 300 new laws take effect – with changes that impact the state’s healthcare, public safety and employment sectors.
The Paid Leave for All Workers Act will require most employers to provide their workers with at least 40 hours of annual paid leave. And minimum wages will increase from $13 to $14 per hour.
Illinois Legal Aid Online offers online support for some of the state’s underserved residents. Executive Director Teri Ross said she understands many will want to know how the new laws affect them.
“We take the legislation, which is often difficult to read and somewhat opaque, and we translate that into a plain language explanation,” said Ross, “and in some cases, into some tools that people can use to assert their rights and to understand their rights.”
Under a new Telehealth Services law, Illinois mental-health and substance-use patients will continue to receive telehealth coverage for treatment.
And a patient’s medical care cannot be delayed while a hospital staffer verifies their payment method or insurance status.
Ross said hospitals will also be required to screen uninsured or underinsured patients for public financial assistance eligibility before their bill is sent to collections.
Another new law on the books has stirred up concerns about immigrants applying for jobs in public safety.
It allows a person who is not a citizen – but is legally authorized to work in the U.S. – to apply to become an Illinois police officer.
Ross said low numbers on police forces are due to veteran officers retiring and a lack of new applicants – and claimed policing overall needs to change.
“One of the problems that we have, in our society generally,” said Ross, “is that law enforcement has been focused on communities of color, and is often not made up of people who are of color.”
Applicants who are non-citizens and possess a green card that allows them to live and work in the U.S. must be authorized under federal law to obtain, carry, purchase or otherwise possess a firearm.
Illinois is set to have several new laws go on the books starting in 2024, with several of those affecting prisoners throughout the state.
One of the measures taking effect in 2024 is Senate Bill 423, which supports the reintegration of individuals into the community while aiming to lower the possibility of recidivism and increase public safety.
Senate Bill 2073 allows those sentenced to life in prison while under the age of 21 to become eligible for parole review.
Another going into effect has to do with the resentencing of prisoners, according to Jenny Vollen Katz of the John Howard Association.
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“One is around the earned program sentencing credits and that they are going to apply retroactively,” Vollen Katz told The Center Square. “I know there is still conversation on how they will implement that law.”
The law will give prisoners time-off credits for participating in programs.
“What it does is make up for time where people were not getting those credits but participating in activities or a job that would earn them sentencing credits at different points in time,” Vollen Katz said. “So I think sort of making people whole.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed SB243 back in July and explained his hopes for the law through a statement.
“It’s a system that is evidence-based and transparent, which is just what our families and neighborhoods deserve,” Pritzker said. “This bill speaks to the promise of Illinois. A promise of equity, empathy, public safety and true justice.”
Cook County will also be making changes as a new program will offer state ID cards for those who are finishing up their jail sentence in Cook County jail with the aim to help those who have recently been released with job searches, opening bank accounts, and buying a home or car.
The program is spearheaded by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who said it will help recently released people get a start on reentering society.
“For those who have been incarcerated, access to a home, a job, and a doctor is commonly impeded by unfair barriers,” Giannoulias said. “Each is crucial for a successful reentry back into society, and that access starts with a small but significant item that many of us take for granted, the state-issued identification card.”
New Illinois Laws:
Measures will go into effect in 2024.
Whether or not you have ever been pulled over in your vehicle by a police officer, you have probably wondered about this age-old strategy: policemen touching tail lights when they pull you over. This occurs when a police officer gets out of his or her vehicle and approaches yours, but rather than heading straight to your window, the policeman will touch your tail light first.
Rest assured this practice is completely legal and common, dating back decades — at first being implemented to mitigate the risk that police officers are often exposed to when practicing traffic law. So why do cops touch tail lights, exactly?
While most times a police officer approaches a vehicle, nothing out of the ordinary will happen. But, there is always the risk of danger, especially with violence against police increasing each year. Police need to be able to examine a vehicle quickly before approaching it, and touching/tapping a tail light can tell cops a lot about the person being pulled over.
For instance, this tactic can give the officer an idea of the driver’s mental state. Did the driver get startled when the officer touched the tail light, or were they too distracted by something else? Are they driving under the influence or hiding a weapon? These are questions officers must consider in the moments before approaching the driver. And while there are several theories about why cops touch your tail light, here are a few of the most common reasons.
Inevitably, police officers are going to run into unsafe situations when they pull people over. Sometimes drivers will have illegal substances or prohibited items in their cars like guns, ammunition, or drugs. Naturally, if the driver does have something illegal in the vehicle, he or she will want to hide it before the officer approaches the window.
So, one of the reasons why cops touch tail lights is to startle the person inside. The driver is likely not expecting the noise of the tap, which typically causes him or her to stop for a moment, giving the police officer additional time to witness what the driver is trying to hide (if there is anything).
The continuous practice of this surprise tactic has proven:
However, the practice of touching the tail light of vehicles can put our police officers in a risky situation. This is because this practice exposes the police officer’s position making him or her susceptible to attack.
Originally, another reason why cops touch tail lights was to leave their fingerprints on the vehicle. In case the officer found himself in a dangerous situation while pulling over the subject vehicle, fingerprint evidence would prove that he or she was present at the scene. The fingerprints would only be utilized if the interaction between the driver and the cop led to a criminal investigation, like a car accident or shooting.
However, this isn’t always a surefire way to help an investigation some since the fingerprints can be smudged or tampered with, as well as washed away by rain or snow. More often than not, there are better ways for police to obtain evidence from a vehicular crime scene than the fingerprints on the car.
Police officers put their lives at risk everyday on the job and must be prepared for danger and violence to arise at any moment. While tapping a tail light may startle a driver and leave evidence on the vehicle, there is another tactic cops use. If the police officer believes they are in a dangerous situation as they pull you over, they may touch the backend of your vehicle on the way to your window to make sure the trunk is latched. It might sound bizarre, but this tactic ensures that no one is hiding in the trunk and could pop out.
If a police officer does check that your trunk is shut, they will typically have their partner with them. One officer will check the trunk, while the other approaches your window. This is to ensure the safety of the officers and make sure the driver is not able to get away with hiding anything or obtaining a weapon while the officer is checking the trunk.
Due to the rampant crimes that happen on the road, officers are exposed to greater danger than in the past. In lieu of this practice, our law enforcers, instead, have adopted new technology in implementing traffic rules.
Now, there are security cameras installed on almost every corner of the road, and it’s standard for all cops to have dash or body cams recording live video of the vehicle and every interaction that happens between the driver and the officer, eliminating the original reason tail tapping was ever implemented.
Some police departments still instruct their officers to leave some form of fingerprint evidence on the car, but it does not have to be a tail light. If you get pulled over and the officer still touches your tail light, it’s likely out of habit rather than necessity.
Cops touching your tail light as they pull you over seems like an innocent strategy, but is it actually compromising their safety? With violence against police happening more often than ever, tail light tapping could cause officers to be in danger. F
or instance, some police departments will instruct their officers not to touch tail lights at all, while others tell them to only touch the side of the vehicle, not the very back. Touching the tail light could put the officer right behind the vehicle, which would put them at risk of being hurt if the driver puts the car in reverse. As morbid as it sounds, these things happen, and officers must always be prepared for the worst as they approach any vehicle.
To learn more about traffic law, check out what happens when you get pulled over without a driver’s license.
If you’ve been pulled over by the cops and have questions about a ticket you received, get a free case evaluation by a local attorney to learn about your options.
This article contains general legal information but does not constitute professional legal advice for your particular situation. The Law Dictionary is not a law firm, and this page does not create an attorney-client or legal adviser relationship. If you have specific questions, please consult with me, Roy F McCampbell at 708-878-7957 or my website at https://attorneymccampbell.com/
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The whole situation goes deeper than just a seemingly entitled kid being cut from his varsity basketball team
— Read on deadspin.com/hindsale-basketball-lawsuit-headlines-brendan-savage-1851054880
Illinois’ highest court is considering whether it is constitutional for the state to impose lifetime restrictions on where registered sex offenders can live. The case recently heard by the Illinois Supreme Court involves Martin Kopf, an Illinois resident who went to prison after being convicted of having improper relations with a 15-year-old boy in 2003.
Kopf seeks to remain in his Kane County house, even though a children’s care center is within 500 feet. Both the Hampshire Police Department and the Illinois State Police told Kopf that the property complied with his sex offender residence restrictions.
Three months after his family moved in, authorities told Kopf he had to move because the home was too close to the daycare center.
A Kane County judge found the residency law unconstitutional during an earlier stage of Kopf’s lawsuit.
Representing himself before the Supreme Court, Kopf said the process has caused him a lot of trouble.
“Their mistakes have cost me a low ballpark of $35,000, my wife, possibly my kids … plus risk losing my house, causing bankruptcy, oh and I am sleeping in my truck,” Kopf told the court. “All this is to protect the public from someone who has been rehabilitated.”
According to a 2002 Chicago Tribunestory, Kopf was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy who was on a basketball team Kopf coached. Kopf allegedly gave the boy beers and tequila until he passed out. When the teen woke up, Kopf was performing a sex act, the story said.
Kopf received probation. Appearing before the Supreme Court, he argued that he is rehabilitated and has not had any brushes with the law in 21 years.
Representing the state, attorney Kaitlyn Chenevert said even if Kopf is no longer a danger, it is still against the law for him to live that close.
“The process which Mr. Kopf seeks, a process in which he could establish that he would not re-offend, is irrelevant to his registration requirement and to the residency restrictions,” Chenevert said. “Those are imposed by virtue of his conviction.”
Kopf argued that he is being punished even after serving his time in prison and registering as a sex offender.
Chenevert said the state is trying to protect children.
“The residency restriction here does not amount to punishment,” Chenevert said. “The clear aim of the statute is to protect children.”
The Illinois Supreme Court took the case under advisement.
First, local control is a myth. Education is legislated at the state level.
Second, that legislation is NOT for the students, parents, or society. It is for teachers, administrators, and employees. The goal is to eat taxes, not educate citizens.
Third, school boards are and artifice. They are designed to create the illusion of “local control” so they can tap the mother lode of property taxes to fund the insatiable greed of the education establishment.
This is why ANY AND ALL “take over” of school boards” is a waste of time. Any district where conservatives win will be isolated, and they will lose in the next election.
If you want to change education policy, you need to work at the state level. To do so, you have to make the current system unpopular.
STOP being afraid of teacher’s unions, administrative liars, and their pay and pension piggery. Relentlessly attack them, connecting the waste and greed to property taxes.
Drive “public education” down under 50% support in the suburbs, and then gut them like the pigs they are.
Ban strikes, fire 90% of administration, and pass school choice.
Here’s the thing about school boards. I know because I was on one. Keep in mind, school board candidates are usually parents who have a specific issue with the district. Maybe some of them don’t like a particular administrator, maybe they’re upset that a particular program or activity might be in jeopardy. Running for school board is no different than running for any other political office; it cost money and manpower. Guess who’s usually the first in line to assist with those. It’s usually the teachers union. Unlike most other political offices, school board members are not paid and there’s not much they can do to personally profit from being on the board. Once a candidate gets in a race and sees how much money and manpower it would take to run competitively, they are willing to accept help from wherever it comes from, and the most willing is the teachers union. If businesses or other taxpayer groups put up the same levels of support that teachers unions come up with, there would be better representation. Most voters know very little about school board candidates; the press gives them very little unpaid publicity. Those with the most resources are usually the ones who win.
If businesses or other taxpayer groups put up the same levels of support that teachers unions come up with, there would be better representation.
I’ve helped school board campaigns, I’ve sued school boards. I’ve testified at boards re: policy.
Your sentence above is not false in theory, but in practice reformers, even if they win, are stifled, outvoted, and undermined.
If a board is “taken over,” it become one or two out of 14,000 targeted with resources, and take back in the next election.
Personally, get your kid out of far left schools (nearly all), and home school.
As a matter of policy, destroy the current system, and have money follow the child to a vast new array of private, charter, and independent schools.
And yes, the most “systemically racist” structure in America is the “school district.” Destroy it.
The best way to defeat corrupt educational system is with School Choice. By taking away funding is the only way. If we just remove our children, the school districts still receive our tax dollars. Not a real deterrent.
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