International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to US: "You're wrong on Iran"

The IAEA's lastest report on the 2015 Five + 1 nuclear deal with Iran reaffirms Iran is fully in compliance with the agreement guaranteeing Iran doesn't produce nuclear weapons. This is nothing new. Every IAEA report since the agreement was reached has verified Iran's compliance. Possibly Trump's biggest lie as president has been Iran's non-compliance prompting US abandonment of the deal six months ago. The latest IAEA report comes just a week after Trump imposed new sanctions on Iran in furtherance of his real goal in Iran: regime change to take out the arch rival of our Middle East allies Saudi Arabia and Israel. All other nations are thumbing their petro dollars at Trump by buying Iranian oil. It's simply another Forest Gump moment for Trump that 'stupid is as stupid does.'

Walt Zlotow

Glen Ellyn, IL 

Time, Trib's salute to free press truth telling only goes so far

The Trib's editorial "Time's salute to truth-telling during 'the War on Truth', extolling Time Magazine's selection of nine journalists killed, imprisoned or being investigated for practicing press freedom, rings hollow due to omission of US-UK hunted journalist Julian Assange. The Trib laments the June 28 murder of 5 Capital Gazette journalists by a crazed gunman and the October 2 murder of US based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudi government. But where was the Trib and Time when establishment political figures such as Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin, former Pentagon official K. T. McFarland, Fox News commentator Bob Beckel and Canadian Prime Minister adviser Tom Flanagan were all calling for the death penalty, even assassination of journalist Assange for publishing purloined, classified US documents identifying US war crimes in Iraq. The Trib boasts of America's constitutional press protection, lamenting President Trump's inflammatory rhetoric against the establishment press which the Trib deems "dangerous". No such outcry when Trump, back in 2010, invoked the "death penalty" solution for Assange's giving America and the world truth about our grotesque, criminal Iraq war. The Trib closed by proclaiming its free press practitioners will "be humbled by a moment in the limelight"..then get back to work. Assange will neither be humbled by his 8 years of imprisonment in London's Ecuador embassy or get back to work. He's fighting for his life.

First Heisman winner stiff-armed the NFL

Entering the University of Chicago in 1963, I became aware of its tortured football history when a football club was formed to play the first game since football was abolished on the Quads in 1939. Some of my classmates weren't thrilled, storming the field before, not after the game, to prevent its return. And, for one game at least, they prevailed. It was hard to compare that sad resurrection with the early glory of UC football: founding member of the Big Ten in 1896, seven Big Ten titles between 1899 and 1924, national championships in 1905 and 1913, and, most startling, first recipient of the Heisman trophy in 1935 in the form of 'one man football team' Jay Berwanger. New York's Downtown Athletic Club awarded him their newly minted trophy (renamed the Heisman in '36) as the best college football player that year. Berwanger also snagged the Chicago Trib's Silver Football as best Big Ten player and was a unanimous All-American. Early in '36 the floundering NFL instituted the college draft to spread college talent to the weak teams struggling to survive. Even tight fisted George Halas, who could outbid his weak sisters for the best talent, agreed the draft was needed for NFL survival. No surprise that Philadelphia Eagles owner Bert Bell used his worst record first pick to draft Berwanger. But unlike today, signing with the NFL in '36, where most players received about $150 a game, was a fool's bet. When Berwanger asked for $1,000, Bell refused, trading his negotiating rights to Halas who lusted to make local hero Berwanger a Bear. But after waiting out a year Berwanger upped his price to 25 grand for two years with a no cut clause. Halas punted, leaving Berwanger to embark on a lucrative career manufacturing plastic car parts. Berwanger was not alone in passing on a shaky future with the dirt poor upstart professional league. Fifty-six others in that first draft of 81 college stars took Berwanger's path and stiff-armed unlikely future NFL wealth and glory. And that first Heisman? Berwanger never gave it much thought, handing it off to his Aunt Gussie who used it as a doorstop. At my UChicago Reunion No. 52 next June, I'll amble over to the University's Athletic Hall of Fame to gander at the trophy (since saved from doorstop duty) that started the annual Heisman Hoopla, and signaled the last glorious gasp of the original Monsters of the Midway.

Invocation withdrawal proposal sets a fresh tone for DuPage Board in 2019

Kudos to incoming DuPage County Board member Dawn De Sart and several other of her newly elected board members for calling for an end to longtime tradition of beginning board meetings with a religious invocation. Such invocations clearly violate the separation of church and state enshrined in our Constitution which makes America a beacon of religious freedom and tolerance around the world, protecting everyone's religious beliefs while safeguarding the rights of non-believers. As a seven decade non-theist I've promoted strict adherence to this separation whenever I encounter its violation. One small effort on that behalf occurs whenever called on to recite the Pledge. At the critical moment I proudly proclaim "one nation, under NO god, with liberty and justice for all".

The DuPage County Board should no more bring up religion to start their meetings, than a church service should bring up county government business at the beginning of theirs. County board Chairman Dan Cronin, who supports the invocation practice as "a wonderful way to start board meetings", says "we'll have to consider changes" if a majority of board members support De Sart's proposal. While passage is not likely based on comments of Cronin and incumbent board members, the newly elected members are signaling early on that it will not be 'business as usual' on the County Board in 2019.

Bush funeral coverage betrays history needed for future progress, enlightenment

I've waited to comment for coverage to fade following the near week long honoring following the death of 41st president George H.W. Bush. Much of the commentary resides on the extremes of adulation for his assumed decency, kindness, good cheer among other laudable attributes; and vilification of alleged monstrous deeds of a murderous foreign policy abroad and neglect of the forgotten, whether AIDS victims, the poor, the marginalized at home. You won't get a smidgen of the latter on mainstream media which coalesced to deify H.W. as another chapter of American exceptionalism.

But as one who both lived through Bush's entire career of government service and cherishes history, I know a fair amount of the latter allegations being denied to most of our 326 million Americans. That is unfortunate if we are to understand and learn from the failings and mistakes of the people we entrust with our well being and future. The same deification was apparent at the funerals of two other presidents who died long after leaving office: Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. There is no established rule on state funerals for such former political leaders. We would, I believe, benefit if such matters were strictly family affairs. That might allow a more honest public assessment of the deceased's role in the American Story which is not being served by the whitewashed versions presented as establishment narrative.