Year: 2010

Gov. Quinn Expected to OK Illinois Primary Election Move to March

Posted on by TL

From NBC Chicago:

Gov. Pat Quinn on Thursday received a bill that would push Illinois’ primary election back to March.

He’s expected to sign it.

Four years ago, lawmakers moved the state’s primary election in an effort to give then-Sen. Barack Obama an early win in a big state during the 2008 presidential campaign.  But last month’s election saw voter turnout reach an all-time low.

For those of you running in the Consolidated Election next year, once signed, that will put the primary on March 15, 2011, the third Tuesday of March next year.

This also means that if you turn 18 on or before March 15, 2011, you will be able to register to vote before the election.

For the record, if you currently will  be 18 on or before November 2, 2010, in Illinois, you can register to vote NOW.

First Lady Marks International Women’s Day With Hillary ‘President’ Joke (Video/Text)

Posted on by TL

From Yahoo! News:

In a fitting show of solidarity for International Women’s Day, First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made light of the brutal 2008 battle Clinton conducted to defeat Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. As Michelle Obama launched a State Department commemoration of International Women’s Day, she briefly stumbled over Clinton’s job title. "Let me thank my dear friend, Senator – Secretary Clinton. I almost said, ‘President Clinton,’ " said the first lady to laughter and applause. "But let me thank you for that kind introduction, and most of all thank you for your friendship, thank you for your support, and thank you for your indispensable advice in getting me through this first year and helping me figure out how to get my family settled in our new life in D.C."

The exchange stood as another rebuke to a favored theme of the Beltway pundit set: that tensions between the Obamas and the Secretary of State still run high. More than that, though, the series of events that the first lady presided over drew wider attention to the stubborn lags in gender equality beyond the developed Western world. Both women stressed this issue in their respective speeches. As Secretary Clinton put it, the world "can’t solve problems of financial crisis, climate change, disease and poverty if half of the population is left behind."

It’s so nice to see this pleasant exchange. The pundits on the left and the pundits on the right want to see arguments and fights. Turns out they get along just fine.

Michelle is incredible. And Secretary Clinton is as well.

Johnny Weir Deemed ‘Not Family Friendly’ Enough to Perform in Stars on Ice Tour

Posted on by TL
Johnny Weir

From GLAAD:

GLAAD has learned from a source that wishes to remain anonymous that sponsors of the Stars on Ice Tour, which include Smuckers and IMG Entertainment, have refused to allow 3-time US National Champion and 2-time Olympian Johnny Weir to participate because they claim that he is “not family friendly.”

To say that Weir is “not family friendly” would be a clear jab at his perceived sexual orientation. Weir is extremely involved with his family. He is putting his younger brother through college, and supports the family financially because his father’s disability prohibits him from working. Weir’s dedication to his family can be clearly documented in the Sundance series, Be Good Johnny Weir, which follows him and his family and friends through his life and career as a championship skater.

Catch that again: Weir is “putting his younger brother through college, and supports the family financially because his father’s disability prohibits him from working.”

So it goes.

Mississippi School District Cancels Prom Over Lesbian Couple

Posted on by TL

From GLAAD:

A Mississippi school district cancelled a local high school’s prom on Wednesday after an openly lesbian student asked to bring her girlfriend as a date, The Associated Press reported on Thursday.

In a statement released by the Itawamba County school district, school board members state that “Due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events, the Itawamba County School District has decided to not host a prom at Itawamba Agricultural High School this year.”

The student, Constance McMillen, 18, told Jackson, Miss. newspaper The Clarion Ledger that the cancellation is retaliation for her request to bring her girlfriend to the event.

“I feel like I should be able to go and be myself and not have to worry about what clothes I’m wearing or who I am bringing or who I’m dancing with,” McMillen said.

USA Today reports today that “school officials told McMillen last month that she could not bring her sophomore girlfriend to the prom and also told her she could not wear a tuxedo. The school then circulated a memo that prohibited same-sex dates.”

McMillen then ACLU, and the school district canceled the prom.

So it goes.

Two Illinois Boys Abducted; Amber Alert Issued

Posted on by TL

From the Chicago Tribune:

Decatur police have issued an Amber Alert after two young boys, one of them a 1-month-old infant, who were abducted this afternoon.

Authorities said that J-Amarcus Upchurch and Terry Antonio Smith were taken by two men in the 1900 block of East Cantrell Street at about 3:30 p.m.

They were last seen in a silver passenger car with the partial Missouri license plate U D G, turning on to a side road off Cantrell Street.

J-Amarcus is described as a 1-month-old African-American boy, wearing a blue one-piece jumpsuit, weighing 8 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Terry is a 4-year-old African-American boy about 3-foot-6, 60 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt and blue jeans.

Coward Shoots 22-Year-Old Man Dead in Washington Park

Posted on by TL

From the Chicago Tribune:

A 22-year-old man was found shot in the face and unresponsive this morning on Chicago’s South Side.

Jovan Kelly, of the 8600 block of South Paxton Avenue, was pronounced dead this morning, according to a spokeswoman for the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Police are investigating, according to the Trib.

Any fool can shoot a gun. Put away your guns and talk to each other. That’s a skill worth developing.

Coward Shoots 2 on West Side

Posted on by TL

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Bystanders flagged down a CTA bus for help after a man and a woman were critically shot on the West Side Saturday night.

Both victims, in their mid-20s, were taken from Cermak Road and Rockwell Street to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition at about 7:35 p.m. Saturday night, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Quention Curtis said.

The driver of an eastbound #21 Cermak bus called for help to assist a single person who had been shot, and no shots were fired on the bus, said CTA spokesperson Sheila Gregory.

After the bus pulled over, the male victim, who was not a passenger when he was shot, then got onto the bus, said police News Affairs Officer Daniel O’Brien.

Two pools of blood were seen splattered onto the steps inside the entrance area of the bus, which was still parked at the intersection of Cermak Road and Rockwell Street as of 9 p.m. No blood was seen on the seats inside the bus.

A woman also suffered a side graze wound to the chest, said police at the scene of the shooting.

Two pools of human blood, an image no one should have to see in our society.

Any fool can shoot a gun. Put away your guns and talk to each other. That’s a skill worth developing.

Coward Shoots 8 Teen Boys Outside Gary Skating Rink

Posted on by TL

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Authorities say eight teenage boys were shot while leaving a Gary, Ind., skating rink where they were attending a concert.

Police Cpl. Gabrielle King says "chaos broke loose" when a fight erupted Friday night event at World of Skates. Police say the shooting started in the parking lot.

The victims were taken to three area hospitals, where some remained Saturday. Police say they ranged in age from 14 to 18, with wounds in the legs, wrist, stomach or back. King said injuries weren’t believed to be life-threatening.

Any fool can shoot a gun. Put away your guns and talk to each other. That’s a skill worth developing.

Did You Know Ben Roethlisberger Weighs 241 Pounds?

Posted on by TL

Ben Roethlisberger stands once again accused of sexual assault. The alleged victim is a Georgia college student, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

In the latest incident, a 20-year-old woman attending Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, near Mr. Roethlisberger’s off-season home, is the alleged victim, according to Milledgeville police Deputy Chief Richard Malone.

"We had a sexual assault report," Deputy Chief Malone said during a news conference Friday night. "It is alleged that he was the perpetrator."

Mr. Roethlisberger and his legal team have emphatically denied the accusations in the Nevada case but have not come out as strongly in the latest incident.

Late Friday afternoon, the quarterback’s agent, Ryan Tollner, issued a statement:

"Last night, Ben and his friends met a group of women and everyone mingled together throughout the evening. We have spoken to law enforcement.

"Based on information currently available, an allegation was made against Ben, which appeared to be dismissed after a preliminary investigation last night.

"Obviously, given the prior accusation against Ben, we are skeptical of motive, but we will continue to cooperate with everyone involved."

Here’s the strange part:

The incident report indicates that the victim was with two female friends, ages 19 and 20. Mr. Roethlisberger’s name is obscured, but the "offender" is listed as 6-feet-5 and 241 pounds with brown hair and eyes.

241 pounds? Why not 240 pounds? Why not "between 240 and 250 pounds?" Why is "241" the magic number?

Could it have something to do with the official NFL profile of Big Ben? From NFL.com:

Ben Roethlisberger | #7 | QB
Pittsburgh Steelers | Official Team Site

Height: 6-5   Weight: 241   Age: 28
Born: 3/2/1982 Lima , OH
College: Miami (Ohio)
Experience: 7th season
High School: Findlay HS [OH]

Nailing Ben’s weight exactly is quite the coincidence.

Quite.

Chicago Bears Dole Out Millions for Top Talent: Peppers, Taylor & Manumaleuna

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These men are smiling because they are now filthy rich.

Money talks.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

The Bears officially announced the signing of defensive end Julius Peppers to a six-year contract, running back Chester Taylor to a four-year contract and tight end Brandon Manumaleuna (Ma-nu-ma-li’u-na) to a five-year contract during a press conference at Halas Hall on Friday.

Taylor has agreed to terms on a four-year contract worth $12.5 million, and Peppers is expected to get approximately $12 million per year with the first three years guaranteed.

Taylor will be guaranteed $7 million, according to a source.

Money talks.

Did I say that already?

Go Bears.