Time to close Chicago bars at midnight?

A fight spilled out of Chicago bar at 2:30 AM Sunday morning. According to a neighbor across the street, 10 shots rang out. Sirens began wailing. Three participants lay dead with a fourth in critical condition. The neighbor said that early morning fights and blaring music occur nearly every weekend.

While four shot with three dead is unusual, murder and mayhem in and around Chicago bars after midnight is not. Such violence could be reduced by closing all gin mills at midnight when patrons are likely less impaired and violence prone than hours later. Nearby residents will sleep a little sounder.

There is no upside to keeping bars open after midnight. The downside is littered with former citizens and bullet casings.

Biden pulls Trump card to continue US war in Yemen

Say it ain’t so, Joe.

Yesterday, the President signaled to Sen. Bernie Sanders to pull his Yemen War Powers Resolution from a vote. The measure, if passed, would require the US to end its 7 year support of Saudi Arabia’s vicious war in Yemen that has killed hundreds of thousands from bombs, blockade and starvation. Without US support the woeful Saudi military would collapse.

But just before the vote, Biden took a page from predecessor Trump and threatened a veto. In 2019, Trump not only threatened veto, he used it to quash a resolution that passed. Three more years of murder and mayhem in Yemen was just fine for armchair warriers Trump and Biden.

Sander’s explanation was disturbing. He claimed that Biden threatened veto but agreed to work with Congress to find an acceptable way to end the war without a War Powers Resolution that would embarrass the president. But Sanders warned if that fails, he’ll reintroduce the resolution. Sure.

Say it ain’t so, Bernie.

Once again we learn the sorrowful lesson: The US forces of peace are weak. The US forces promoting endless war all powerful.

Duckworth, Durbin diverge on Yemen War Powers Resolution

The Senate is near a vote to end US participation in Saudi Arabia’s grotesque war in Yemen. Over half a million dead since the Saudis intervened in early 2015 to re-turn the pro-Saudi, Yemen government to power in the Yemen civil war from a year earlier.

Regarding all those dead Yemenis, Saudi Arabia saluted Uncle Sam, “Couldn’t have done it without you.” Our murderous Uncle supplies most of the planes, fuel, bombs, intelligence and gleeful moral support. Why? For America, it's a proxy war against our bête noir Iran, who we fear was extending their influence in the region. That half million dead Yemenis were simply collateral damage.

If the resolution passes, the Saudi military operations in Yemen will go 'Poof'.

Resolution champion, Sen. Bernie Sanders, who may bring the resolution to the Senate floor as early as today, believes it will pass. My senators remain divided. Sen. Dick Durbin was a co-sponsor and will vote to pass. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a loyal supporter of robust and endless US military intervention, remains uncommitted. Fellow Illinoisans should contact her at 833-STOP-WAR and request she hop on board the Yemen Peace Train.

6 state campaign doesn't serve US democracy

Only 6 states, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin are projected to be in play in the '24 presidential election. The other 44 are safely either Democratic or Republican. Since it matters not how big or small the margin, there is no real incentive for candidates to campaign there or spend precious campaign dollars. Most of the time and most of the money will end up in Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin which represent just 12 % of the states and 15% of the population.

The Electoral College should have lost its accreditation to educate the electorate 3 centuries ago. It's as worthless today as a phony internet college.

Newspaper funk

In 2004 there were close to 9,000 newspapers in US. Today it's just 1,250 with one or two going bye-bye every week. Over 200 of our 3,143 counties have nary a legitimate paper.

But that void is being filled by 'pink slime', fake newspapers made to look legit but actually just slick political hit pieces put out by anonymous sources. Right here in Illinois a shadowy far right organization, Local Government Information Services (LGIS), publishes 20 internet and 11 print editions statewide to confuse gullible voters and infuriate legitimate news purists. Chicago gets Chicago Wire while my Glen Ellyn mailbox gets slammed with DuPage Policy Journal.

No subscription necessary. Free delivery gladly paid for by far right billionaire Dick Uihlein and published by his irrepressible conservative gadfly Dan Proft, safely protected from Illinois' hyped dysfunction he rails about from his Florida mansion.

But the November 8 Illinois election results beg the question: "Do ya think all those millions of dollars and thousands of hours squandered publishing that pink slime might just have had the opposite effect?"

Time to close Chicago bars at midnight?

 A fight spilled out of Chicago bar at 2:30 AM Sunday morning. According to a neighbor across the street, 10 shots rang out. Sirens began wailing. Three participants lay dead with a fourth in critical condition. The neighbor said that early morning fights and blaring music occur nearly every weekend. 

While four shot with three dead is unusual, murder and mayhem in and around Chicago bars after midnight is not. Such violence could be reduced by closing all gin mills at midnight when patrons are likely less impaired and violence prone than hours later. Nearby residents will sleep a little sounder. 

There is no upside to keeping bars open after midnight. The downside is littered with former citizens and bullet casings.