Free Republic

Well, it was not a good day for the stock market and it wasn’t a good day for gun rights. A federal judge decided to uphold a law that already strengthened the state’s ban on so-called assault weapons. The judge went on the whole weapons of war tangent in his opinion (via Bloomberg) Massachusetts’ beefed-up ban on assault weapons doesn’t violate the Second Amendment of the Constitution, a U.S. judge ruled, handing a victory to gun-control advocates seeking to pass such a law nationwide following a spate of deadly mass shootings."The AR-15 and its analogs, along with large capacity magazines,...

Police are looking for a man who exposed himself to a child in a Chicago Target women's restroom last week, prompting some to blame the store's gender-neutral bathroom policies for the crime. Hey @Target! We told you https://t.co/98V0XDhevb — Jaihawkk (@Jaihawkk) April 5, 2018 According to Chicago police, a mother entered the bathroom with her young daughter. A man, insisting that he needed to use the restroom too, went into the women's room soon afterward. The sicko pushed into the stall where the little girl was, exposed his genitals, used the facility, and then fled the scene, police said. He...

A city board in northwestern Illinois near Chicago has taken a significant step to increase gun control in their town. On Monday night, members of The Deerfield Village Board of Deerfield, Illinois voted unanimously to ban what they view as “assault weapons” and high-capacity magazines, CBS News reported. The ordinance also includes “semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns with certain features.” “The possession, manufacture and sale of assault weapons in the Village of Deerfield is not reasonably necessary to protect an individual’s right of self-defense or the preservation or efficiency of a well-regulated militia,” the ordinance states. As noted by CBS,...

As the state promises gun rights activists they’re not coming for their guns, behind the scenes they’re pleading for it to happen. And now the feared gun grab is occurring. Residents in Deerfield, Illinois have 60 days to surrender their “assault weapons” or face fines of $1000 per day per gun. The gun ban ordinance was passed on April 2nd with residents left with few choices of how to dispose of their valuable “assault weapons.” Upon careful reading of the ordinance, residents will be left with revolvers, .22 caliber “plinking” rifles, and double barrel shotguns to defend their homes and families from criminals who...

The Village Board of Trustees unanimously approved a ban on certain types of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, amending a 2013 ordinance that regulated the storage of those items. The new ordinance prohibits the possession, sale and manufacturing of certain types of assault weapons and large capacity magazines within the village, according to the ordinance. One change from the law as it was originally discussed exempts retired police officers from the ban, according to Village Manager Kent Street. Violations carry a fine of between $250 and $1,000 per day, according to Matthew Rose, the village attorney. He said the fine...

Officials and visitors assembled for an Illinois tollway board meeting Thursday morning were out in record time. That wasn't because of a light agenda. Rather, the absence of board directors meant the agency didn't have enough for a quorum. Six directors are required, and only four were there at 9 a.m. when the meeting was supposed to start. Board members present were Chairman Robert Schillerstrom, the Rev. Corey Brooks of Chicago, David Gonzalez, the mayor of Chicago Heights, and Craig Johnson, Elk Grove Village mayor. Director Earl Dotson arrived shortly after the meeting was canceled. The board has been short...

The Illinois Tollway invited about 20 Hinsdale property owners to meetings Thursday, but at least 50 people showed up, including state Sen. Chris Nybo. The Elmhurst Republican asked tollway officials why they are not reconstructing Interstate 290/Interstate 88 interchange first, and then reassess whether the proposed widening farther south with two lanes in each direction is still needed to relieve congestion. "The tollway has not clearly explained why they need to expand this stretch to six lanes, instead of five, in each direction. That additional lane in each direction is a big deal for Hinsdale and Western Springs," Nybo said...

While Target touts its progressive views, as seen in the company’s decision to allow men who identify as a female to use women’s restrooms and changing rooms, its the store’s customers who continue to bear the burden of this stance. Police are looking for a man who exposed himself to a child last Sunday at a Chicago Target, NBC Chicago reported. According to authorities, the man entered the women’s restroom and pushed into a stall where a young girl was, exposing his genitals before leaving the bathroom. “It’s very sad. Children are innocent,” Stanley Hughley, a shopper at the Target...

Owners of assault weapons living in Deerfield have until June 13 to remove the firearms from village limits or face daily fines after a ban was approved Monday night. The Village Board of Trustees unanimously approved a ban on certain types of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, amending a 2013 ordinance that regulated the storage of those items. The new ordinance prohibits the possession, sale and manufacturing of certain types of assault weapons and large capacity magazines within the village, according to the legislation. One change from the law as it was originally discussed exempts retired police officers, according to...

As many people know, Illinois is a fiscal mess and a national leader in out-migration. To turn Illinois around, how about our elected officials Take the Pledge this November? Will our elected officials endorse these eight suggestions? Does any of these suggestions apply to your state? 1. Illinois is sinking in pension debt. Moving to a 401(K)/403(b) defined contribution plan for all new State of Illinois hires with the ability to put all newly hired public-sector (municipal, school, etc.) employees on a defined contribution plan as well will finally put a cap on unfunded pension liabilities and give certainty to...

(Mayor)Emanuel has a job performance rating of just 32 percent and a favorability rating of just 36 percent. Asked to weigh in on Emanuel’s re-election without a named opponent, only 18 percent of those surveyed said they would “vote to re-elect him.” Another 34 percent said they would “vote to replace” Emanuel, while 38 percent said they would “consider someone else.” An overwhelming 69 percent of those surveyed identified “having an honest or trustworthy city government” as a “major problem.” Sixty-nine percent also agreed with the leading statement, “Rahm Emanuel has not provided trustworthy and reliable leadership for our city.”...

Northwestern University, a school initially founded by members the United Methodist Church, will offer a Christian service in the Protestant tradition to celebrate Easter Sunday. Two days later, the university will celebrate NU Sex Week 2018, a multiday extravaganza of sexual promiscuity and educational techniques related to sex. The events kick off on Tuesday, April 3, with a “Condoms and Candy Celebration,” followed by a lively round of Sex Jeopardy. Tuesday’s events conclude with a talk by the feminist writer Roxane Gay, who once called on former President Barack Obama to direct the U.S. Treasury to replace Andrew Jackson’s likeness...

But some trail neighbors in Glencoe cited concerns over diminished property values, saying that if the invasive plants were removed, it would cause more noise since the plants might buffer street sounds, additional light coming into homes from car traffic on Green Bay Road and a decrease in security for children who will be crossing nearby tracks."

Roseanne returns on Tuesday night for a 10th season no one could have predicted. Having vanished in 1997 with, among other things, the death of John Goodman’s Dan Conner, the new Roseanne opens with the whole Conner clan miraculously intact as the show picks up 21 years later. The series doesn’t just acknowledge the time that has passed — it makes it central to the drama that always tinged this show’s comedy. In 2016, we are told, Roseanne Conner voted for Donald Trump, and her sister, Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), voted for — well, someone else. ...

WASHINGTON—As tens of thousands of students and supporters of gun violence prevention prepare to march in Washington D.C., Chicago, and cities and towns across America, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress for still being unwilling to push for any gun reforms that the gun sales lobby opposes.  

This year’s annual “Sex Week” at Northwestern University will feature a Chicago-based dominatrix named “Lady Sophia” who will teach the students various BDSM practices. “What better way can you learn about the basics of BDSM than from a professional domme in Chicago? Sophia the Dominatrix runs Chicago Dungeon Rentals and is an established sex educator,” student organizers of the event stated on Facebook.

Arthur Jones, a Holocaust denier described as a Nazi by the Illinois Republican Party, won the Republican primary on Tuesday in the state’s Third Congressional District, a heavily Democratic district that includes part of Chicago and its suburbs, according to The Associated Press. Mr. Jones, 70, unsuccessfully sought the nomination five times before, and his victory on Tuesday was a foregone conclusion after the Republican Party failed to draft another candidate to enter the race against him. “Even if only myself and my wife voted for me, I’d win the primary because the Republican Party screwed up big time,”...

In 30 years of writing op-ed columns for the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, I'm hard pressed to recall making any political predictions. I prefer to leave it to the Chicago Tribune's Eric Zorn. But here comes an exception. Bruce Rauner has slit his throat, with his general incompetence and a campaign that was so dishonest that it set some sort of record in a state where truth is typically flushable. The way he failed to get a single one of his goals accomplished in his three and a half years as governor is by itself a flop worthy of...

The Associated Press has just called the primary race in Illinois’ third congressional district for pro-life Democratic congressman Dan Lipinski, who narrowly defeated his progressive challenger Marie Newman. Lipinski has represented the district in the U.S. House for over a decade, but this year’s primary threat from Newman — which was a nail-biter even as the last votes trickled in — gained traction as the result of his moderate stances on a handful of political issues, most notably abortion. His win tonight was likely aided by his high name recognition in the district — Lipinski’s father, Bill, represented the same...

The Associated Press has called the Republican gubernatorial primary race for current Illinois governor Bruce Rauner, who defeated his conservative challenger Jeanne Ives in a tight contest tonight. Ives conceded to Rauner around 11:30 p.m., saying, “We fell just a bit short.” In spite of the close loss, the Ives campaign put together a remarkable effort in the primary, challenging Rauner to a difficult campaign season despite his massive spending advantage. When the race was called, Ives lagged behind the sitting governor by a little over three percentage points. Meanwhile, Erika Harold defeated Gary Grasso tonight for the GOP attorney-general...