'The fact that we’re not even, in our current system, paying those relatives the same amount that we pay a stranger to care for a child, it’s pretty frustrating.'

After the legendary Charles R. Walgreen died at 66 in 1939, you might think that the connection between Dixon and the Walgreens would begin to fade. But the Walgreen connection to Dixon actually increased.

An appreciation for how memories of presidents' brief visits to otherwise anonymous communities can still resonate decades into the future

Altogether, these tidbits send us into the new year with a lesson that turning bills into laws is only one step in a lengthy process. Money is usually required, and simply getting people talking about an issue is no guarantee those conversations will lead to action.

From 1946 until recent changes in the college football landscape, the Rose Bowl has traditionally been a matchup of the champions of the Big Ten and Pac-12.  

'By implementing these changes, we can deter repeated patterns of abuse and remove the source of these issues as they occur.'

This legislation offers two lessons: One, in macro: When operating inside the bounds of legality runs afoul of basic fairness, it might be time to change the rules. And two, in micro: If you’ve got a problem, pick up the phone and call someone.

Almost 300 new laws take effect in Illinois Jan. 1, and as has become custom around here I like to use the last few columns of December to review legislation that might not have gotten proper attention earlier in the year.

We’re less than nine months from when candidates can begin circulating petitions for the 2026 election, so we’re rapidly approaching the time when major figures will need to decide whether to run or not.