“I’ve never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings.” -Joe Biden (9/21/19)
I predict that Joe Biden will resign the presidency for “health reasons” – either in December or January – due to the Democrats looming disastrous midterm election results. Dems have no choice but to dump him or they will have ZERO chance of keeping the White House in 2024. The fact the lamestream media is now finally covering the NY Post’s original 2020 story and are asking the White House tough questions shows this scandal is wearing thin on the main stream media’s patience. They seem to have come to the conclusion they can no longer carry this cognitive and ethically challenged President without losing the little credibility they have left.
“Hunter Biden’s access to lucrative financial opportunities also came with expectations — including kicking back as much as 50% of his earnings to his dad, text messages on his old laptop show. “I hope you all can do what I did and pay for everything for this entire family for 30 years,” Hunter Biden groused to daughter Naomi in January 2019. “It’s really hard. But don’t worry, unlike pop, I won’t make you give me half your salary.” Pop is Joe Biden.”
SB2364 was passed and may become law soon. It was attempting to fix some holes in the “SAFE-T” act. Starting Jan. 1 2023 someone may only be arrested for criminal trespass to property (class B misdemeanor) or disorderly conduct (class C misdemeanor) if they, “(1) poses a specific, real, and present threat to the safety of the community or any person or persons; or (2) has a medical or mental health condition that poses a risk to the safety of the accused.
This applies to all class B and C misdemeanors, traffic offenses, and petty offenses.
Scenario, someone puts a tent on your property or enters a house, store, or restaurant. This person is not a threat to anyone and has no mental health issues. This person will not leave when asked to do so and thus is trespassing.
Sounds like these scenarios are a “cite and release” type violation where the police can only issue a citation and tell the property/store owner that we are unable to physically arrest someone and that we have to leave them on their property. Anyone thinking any differently here?
CWB has secured video of Friday night’s shooting that left a man dead and one other person injured at Fashion Outlets of Chicago in suburban Rosemont. Police said a man in his mid-20s was killed and a 15-year-old girl was shot in the wrist. The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified the slain man as Joel Valdes of Skokie.
Video appears to show a gunman shooting down a short hallway adjacent to the food court. Several people walk into and out of the hallway before the man begins firing.
Rosemont police said two suspects fled in a red vehicle after the 7:08 p.m. shooting. Chicago police license plate readers later located the car as it entered the city’s Northwest Side and made its way to Lake Shore Drive, passing Chicago Avenue southbound around 9:15 p.m. It hit on another plate reader near the Eisenhower and Laramie around 9:40 p.m.
At 11:45 p.m., Rosemont Public Safety tweeted, “we currently have one person of interest located … Further updates [Saturday].” Rosemont officials did not say where that person was found.
There are preliminary reports of a successful and ongoing Ukrainian counter-offensive near Kherson (A); The only major city the Russians have taken thus far on their only route to the port of Odesa (B) on the Black Sea.
Overstretched, low on morale and supplies, Russian forces have taken heavy losses in recent battles to take Mykolayiv (C) on their offensive towards Odesa (B), leaving behind large quantities of equipment and supplies, as they are routed by Ukrainian forces back towards Kherson, where Russian forces are likely regrouping.
In this grainy video you can see a Russian convoy retreating at high speed back towards Kherson or further south into Crimea, with each vehicle struggling to overtake the position of the vehicle in front of them to put distance between themselves and advancing Ukrainian forces; there are many more videos of this withdraw but this is by far the most informative. Clearly things are not going well.
“In this video from the #Kherson city area, southern #Ukraine you can see the Russian military vehicles driving away on a high speed. Possibly, they’re escaping from the #Mykolayiv area the Russian Army planned to capture days ago.” – Victor Kovalenko, Ukrainian Journalist https://lnkd.in/eZSBQAYD
As I stated over a week ago, the Russian advance has stalled, and unless their situation improves in the following week (this week), they will have lost the initiative to Ukrainian forces. Should the Ukrainian’s retake Kherson, it would be a huge blow to Russian morale, which has likely become the primary military objective of limited Ukrainian counter-attacks occurring in several locations across Ukraine.
It’s still too early to tell what the outcome of this unfolding event will be, but if the Ukrainians can retake Kherson, it may mark a turning point in the war, having secured their western flank on the Black Sea, making it impossible for the Russian’s to take Odesa by land or sea. If lost, the Russians will be unlikely to retake the city, without stripping forces and equipment from the Donbas region, the only area Russian forces are still making painfully slow progress.
A brilliant strategic move by Ukrainian forces, if they manage to succeed. We will have to wait and see how the battle develops, and if this counteroffensive is more than superficial reports and rumors.
This is a copy of correspondence that I have sent to the Leyden School District 212 attorney with copies to the Assistant Superintendent of Special Education, Dr. Brian Mahoney and the Leyden High Schools Athletic Director, Rick Mason.:
Ms. Crumley,
I am writing this because of the extensive number of families I consult with in the District who have students on the Autism Spectrum, as well as being a member of the Leyden community as a whole.
Dr. Mahoney advised me that throughout this past academic year swimming was not in the adaptive physical education curriculum because of COVID protocols. With the dropping of the masking requirement which seemed according to Dr. Mahoney’s communication the major barrier in instituting swimming in the curriculum, I am urging that the District look at re-instituting swimming in the Adaptive PE Curriculum.
Drowning is the leading cause of death among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, 2014). According to the National Autism Association, accidental drowning accounted for approximately 90% of total deaths (US) reported in children with ASD ages 14 and younger in 2009 to 2011.
As of last month, further statistics have come to light (American Journal of Public Health), outlining that drowning accounts for 46% of all injury deaths among children with autism, which translates to 160 times the chance of dying from drowning compared to other children. Individuals 14 years and younger are 40 times more likely to die from injury than the general pediatric population. Swimming isn’t just a workout for the body; it also works the mind, and its benefits outlast the time in the pool.
Day-to-day challenges faced by autistic children like anxiety, concentration, overstimulation, and social interaction can all be improved. The statistics of drowning for those children with Downs Syndrome and other disabilities mirror the ASD statistics.
I am going to be requesting that the SD 212 Board of Education undertake this as an initiative in their role of Curriculum approval and COVID protocol adoption move forward to direct the reinstatement of swimming in the Adaptive PE Curriculum this Spring, 2022.
I have to assume that every administrator, faculty member and board member would be greatly distressed to hear of a Leyden High School disabled student who wandered or engages in some water activities this summer drowning, knowing that they may have been saved if the District had reinstated swimming in their curriculum as soon as they were able to do so.
I would appreciate the support of the District in this initiative.
Roy F. McCampbell, Esq
Leyden High School District 212 spent millions of dollars on a new aquatic’s center at East Leyden which was built with the intention of supporting a Water Polo Team but not taking into consideration the utility of purpose for children with disabilities nor the community in general.
The main pool is uniformly 7 feet in depth which is necessary for water polo competition. But this uniform depth of 7 feet deprives many disabled students from utilizing the pool as well as it is not a safe facility for community recreational swimming in the evenings or on weekends.
The West Leyden pool has similar deficient design issues making it difficult for the usage by handicapped students.
Children with autism, and even Down syndrome, often wander, which can obviously be very unsafe if they get close to water unsupervised. Additionally, drowning can occur without making any sound. Children may also be unaware of things such as water depth, water temperature, or water currents. Not every child likes to be in the water, especially children that struggle with sensory issues. However, all children should still be aware of water safety in case of accidental slips or falls into a pool or lake.
This statistic is scary and sobering, but every parent of an autistic child needs to know – drowning is a leading cause of death for children with autism.
Former House Speaker Michael Madigan has been indicted on criminal charges as part of an ongoing federal political corruption investigation, sources said.
Madigan is now one of the most significant politicians in Illinois history ever to face criminal charges, despite having left office more than a year ago. The news is the culmination of one of the most significant, expansive public corruption investigations Illinois has seen in years, already leaving an indelible mark on state politics by knocking Madigan out of power in January 2021.
The powerful Southwest Side Democrat had held his seat in the state House of Representatives since 1971 and served as speaker for all but two years between 1983 and 2020.
The Chicago Sun-Times first revealed in 2019 that the feds had recorded Madigan as early as 2014 at his private law firm, during a meeting with then-Ald. Danny Solis and a developer hoping to build a hotel in Chinatown. In a 2016 federal court affidavit exclusively obtained by the Sun-Times, an FBI agent alleged that Solis agreed to use his public office to provide “private benefits” to Madigan.
Solis later went on to become a secret government cooperator until his work with the feds was first revealed by the Sun-Times.
Still, it wasn’t until July 2020 that federal prosecutors finally implicated Madigan in a bribery scheme involving ComEd, giving him the moniker “Public Official A.” That development would eventually lead to the end of Madigan’s tenure as the longest-serving state House leader in U.S. history.The feds accused ComEd that month of a brazen, years-long Chicago-style bribery scheme, alleging that Madigan’s associates received $1.3 million over nearly a decade while doing little or no work for ComEd, all while ComEd hoped to land Madigan’s support for legislation in Springfield worth more than $150 million.
Lausch also said there’s more “work ahead of us,” as the investigation remains ongoing.
It’s unclear what the charges will mean for a separate indictment filed in November 2020 that accused McClain and others of trying to sway Madigan in favor of legislation beneficial to ComEd. Also charged in that case are ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore,former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and onetime City Club President Jay Doherty.
They are set for trial Sept. 12.
ComEd was charged with bribery in July 2020, in a case that first implicated Madigan. ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine and entered into a so-called deferred-prosecution agreement with Lausch’s office. The three-year dealis already beyond its halfway point.
Similar to the November 2020 indictment of McClain and others, the indictment on Wednesday alleges that Madigan and McClain sought jobs, contractsand money for Madigan’s associates from ComEd between 2011 and 2019 and that Madigan took official action to help ComEd pass favorable legislation.
But it also reveals a new alleged scheme involving Solis in his final weeks as a secret government cooperator. The indictment alleges that Madigan agreed to help Solis land a spot on a state board paying at least $93,926 a year following his retirement from the City Council.
During a meeting Aug. 2, 2018, Madigan allegedly told Solis he would help Solis land the spot by going to Pritzker, who is identified in the indictment as “the future Governor of the State of Illinois.” Madigan allegedly told Solis, “you’d come in as [Pritzker’s] recommendation.”
Madigan allegedly told Solis, “just leave it in my hands” but then also asked Solis to help a relative of Madigan’s, as well as that person’s employer.
Later, on Oct. 26, 2018, after Solis told Madigan that an individual not named in the indictment had agreed to give business to Madigan’s law firm, Madigan allegedly told Solis he would induce the governor to appoint Solis to a state board.
In a Nov. 23, 2018, meeting, Solis told Madigan he would not run for re-election. Madigan allegedly thanked Solis, asked for Solis’ resume and said he wanted to let Pritzker “know what’s coming next.” By then Pritzker was governor-elect.
Madigan allegedly said his communication with Pritzker did not “need to be in writing. I can just verbally tell him.” Madigan and Pritzker then met on Dec. 4, 2018, according to the indictment.
Lausch stressed Wednesday that “there’s no allegation in this indictment against the governor or his staff.” Pritzker spokeswoman Emily Bittner said the governor “does not recall Michael Madigan ever asking him to consider Danny Solis for any position. In addition, the administration has no record of Solis being recommended by Madigan. In addition, he was never vetted, appointed or hired for any role in the administration.”
The Sun-Times revealed Solis was a federal informant seven weeks after the meeting mentioned in the indictment. Two months after that, the Sun-Times also reported on unsuccessful efforts supported by Solis to transfer a Chinatown property from the state to the city to clear the way for a developer’s proposal.
The new indictment alleges thatMadigan agreed to help make the transfer happen in exchange for business for his firm. For example, after Solis allegedly told McClain around Dec. 18, 2017, that, “in the past, I have been able to steer some work to Mike, and these guys will do the same thing,” McClain allegedly agreed that Madigan would assist with the parcel’s transfer.
And on March 27, 2018, after Solis told Madigan that a development group would “appreciate it” and send work to Madigan’s firm if Madigan could take care of the parcel’s transfer, Madigan allegedly said, “Okay, alright, very good.”
However, McClain told Solis on Nov. 21, 2018, that a “major hurdle” had come up in the form of petitions from people in the Chinatown business community opposed to the transfer. So two days later, Solis allegedly told Madigan it was best to wait until after the upcoming elections and try to pass the bill in May 2019. Madigan allegedly agreed.
By May 2019, Solis’ cooperation with the feds was well known.
Gerald Smith is the director of theEquity and Inclusion in Engineering Programat the University of Illinois Chicago College of Engineering. In this role, Smith oversees and conducts outreach to underrepresented students who might consider a UIC education, plans programs to support current students at UIC, and meets one-on-one with undergraduates to advise on topics such as major choice, course selection and career planning.
Cheslie led both a public and a private life. In her private life, she was dealing with high-functioning depression which she hid from everyone — including me, her closest confidant — until very shortly before her death.”
Students across Illinois are now able to take up to five excused mental health days. This started on January 1, 2022.
Under a bill signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in August, 2021, students who decide to take a mental health day will not be required to provide their school with a doctor’s note and will be able to make up any work that was missed on their day off.
“Having this now for all students across the state will be really beneficial, especially with what’s going on with COVID,” State Rep. Barbara Hernandez, who co-sponsored the bill, told the Journal-Courier. “Many students feel stressed, and have developed anxiety and depression because they’re not able to see teachers and friends, and may have lower grades due to remote learning.”
At Leyden High School District 212, several students have already taken advantage of this new law.
But a review of the Leyden SD 212 website https://www.leyden212.org/leyden reveals no reference to the new law nor any guidance to the students or parents regarding the implementation of the law. Unlike other Illinois school districts which notified students and parents regarding the new law in December and provided guidelines as well as information as how to access mental health and social work services, SD 212 has remained silent.
An inquiry with the administration of the District reveals an in-ability to provide an implementation policy. Currently Leyden students taking “mental health days” have received unexcused absences in contravention of the Illinois law. The deans of Leyden School District 212 have never been briefed by the administration or provided with an implementation plan.
Answers and advice to parents is not forthcoming to the parents of SD 212, nor for that matter any of the school districts in Leyden Township. Are the Superintendents not supportive of the mental health needs of their students or have the school districts over looked this important need for children to have a break when they are experiencing a significant decline in their mental health ?
Could your child use a break? Here are 10 mental health signs to look out for
Neither you nor your child has to experience a significant decline mental health in order to benefit from a mental health day. Taking a break to relax, rest, and play is a good idea for all of us.
But if you notice any of the following signs or symptoms in your kid, it could mean their mental health is suffering. Talk to your pediatrician if you’re worried about your child’s:
Persistent sadness (lasting for two weeks or more)
Withdrawal from social interactions
Self-harming behaviors
Discussions about death or suicide
Unusual or extreme irritability
Escalating, high risk behaviors
Drastic change in mood, personality, weight, and/or eating or sleeping habits
Frequent headaches or stomachaches
Problems concentrating
Sudden change in academic performance and/or truancy
If this can happen to Miss America we Ned to pay more attention to our students in Illinois as well as in Leyden Township . See the link:
Roy F. McCampbell's Blog 