The contradiction reminds there’s a large gap between the accomplishment of a grant award and the optimistic press release from a lawmaker who “secured the funding” and the day the check actually clears and concrete plans can take effect.

When the Revolutionary War began in 1775, the Fox Valley was considered part of and was administered from Quebec Province under British rule.

The future isn’t there to hammer you. It’s a rolled-up carpet that unfolds an inch at a time. Don’t punish yourself for not having the entire floor already covered. The joy is in the reveal.

I’m very much guilty of identifying as “not a math person” or, as written in September, an “English major who can’t help his sons with their math homework once they reach middle school.”

The governor has a very good executive staff. But there’s no substitute for a present governor. Legislators are generally a needy bunch. They see him on national TV during session and wonder why he isn’t attending to them. That’s simple Statehouse reality and has been forever.

Sunday marked the 249th anniversary of the establishment of the official American flag, which was created by an act of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777.

That said … real fixes aren’t possible without extra money, either, otherwise the problems probably wouldn’t persist. And so it’s back to the beginning: absent additional spending, no improvements will be sufficient.

Lawmakers should not overlook a proven tool that has quietly delivered results for more than two decades: the Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credit.

To the extent these bills placate either of the competing interests at this juncture – or even after all the audits are released and scrutinized – everything is subject to change if or when Congress changes the tools in the box.

My inbox was full of releases from groups that typically lean left but had plenty to say about the General Assembly’s funding commitments for certain priorities.

It’s the saga that won’t die.

The people who know all too well what consequences this lack of attention has effectuated don’t have the luxury of turning to different challenges.

This week marks the 60th anniversary of Miranda vs. Arizona, a landmark Supreme Court case that established the famous words that must be read before criminal interrogations.

I’ve spent an awful lot of time trying to figure out how to make that all fit into eight semesters for my own kids and suspect I might not be alone.

From our editorial board: The Bears have now advanced a “site TBD” in Hammond, Indiana. The phrasing matters. It is not a plan. It is not a commitment. It is not even a fully described proposal. It is a directional signal carefully calibrated to do two things at once

You can drop in any other policy area (property tax reform, transportation infrastructure, prescription drug access, etc.) and the question is equally applicable: Do voters want somebody with a plan or someone who is merely opposed to the status quo?

Nothing exists in isolation, least of all venues that seat tens of thousands of people.

Years ago, community celebrations were smaller, farther between, and were designed for the amusement of immediate area residents unlike many of today’s statewide marketed fests.