Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The star football player denies he knew the woman he met online and called his girlfriend was not real. Do you believe him? Take our poll below.
The University of Notre Dame and its star football player Manti Te'o find themselves in the hot seat in light of information coming forward late last week about Te'o's apparently fictitious girlfriend dying of cancer. Te'o reportedly learned in early December that his online amour Lennay Kekua, whom he never actually met in person, had not died and was real. He is said to have notified the school is late December and the school verified that the story was false, but did not to go public with the information before ND's championship game against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Jan. 7. Te'o has since admitted that he lied about several aspects of the story, including perpetuating it even after he knew it was untrue and misrepresenting such …
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Enquiring minds need to know: Is it just fun escapism to read celeb magazines and watch "Entertainment Tonight," or are we doing it too much? Take our poll.
Reading People magazine and watching Entertainment Tonight seem like harmless guilty pleasures, a way to get a glimpse into the lives of people who fill up our TV and movie screens and to enjoy a bit of escapism from our harried lives. But when a paparazzo gets killed trying to snap photos of Justin Bieber and Newsweek magazine has lost so many readers that it's been forced to switch to an online-only format, have things gone too far? Do we know and care more about Brad and Angelina than Barack and Congress? Where do you come down on this topic? Take our poll and leave your opinion in the comment box below. Last week, we asked readers if the thought the Chicago Bears were right to fire coach Lovie Smith. Overwhelmingly, the answer was yes…
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
The Chicago Bears gave the coach the boot today. Do you agree with the decision? Take the poll below and tell us your thoughts.
We've just got to ask: Did the Bears do the right thing firing Lovie Smith? Take our poll and leave your opinion in the comment box, if you're so inclined. (For more background, click here to read about the firing.)
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Take our poll below and tell us whether you think a tax increase for the most wealthy or spending cuts to social service programs is the way to go.
A crisis is looming if the federal government cannot resolve the so-called "fiscal cliff" dilemma by Dec. 31. In a simplified nutshell, that means that a long-term, bipartisan budget reduction plan must be agreed upon by the president and Congress or two things will be triggered: all of the tax cuts put into effect during the George W. Bush administration will expire and $1.2 million in mandatory spending cuts will start kicking in. President Obama and the Democrats want taxes to increase for those who make the most money, which Republicans oppose. The Republicans want to see spending cuts, and favor reducing money earmarked for many social service programs, which Democrats oppose. So, which side of the coin do you fall on? Take our poll …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Take our poll below and tell us where you stand on this issue.
** Editor's note: The wording of this story has been changed to reflect the most recent court ruling on this issue. Those who voted before 2 p.m. Tuesday read a version that was more speculative about a concealed-carry law in Illinois. Today, a U.S. appeals court has ruled that Illinois' ban on carrying a weapon in public is unconstitutional. The General Assembly has given the state 180 days in which to "craft a new gun law that will impose reasonable limitations, consistent with the public safety and the Second Amendment as interpreted in this opinion, on the carrying of guns in public." Not everyone thinks concealed carry is a good idea, and there are arguments on boths sides. Those in favor say it's not only a constitutional right but a…
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Cast your vote -- do you favor legalizing pot for medical treatment or will it just open the door to misuse and further legalization?
State Rep. Lou Lang's going to again try to win General Assembly approval to make marijuana for medical purposes legal -- and this time, he tells the Chicago Tribune, he has the votes to get it done. That could mean a tax windfall for Illinois: Witness places such as Colorado, which netted $5 million in new state taxes in 2011, or Oakland, Calif., which collected $1.4 million with just four dispensaries last year. But it could also be a slippery slope, given the belief that some doctors may be too lenient when prescribing marijuana and that it will eventually lead to pot legalization. Just this month, voters in Colorado and Washington State approved such measures, although federal law still superceded state law on the issue. So, what do …
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Take our poll and tell us how you would advise the school board to vote on the issue next month?
Tuesday night the Joliet Township High School District 204 board got into a discussion about whether the district should consider returning to a Friday night football schedule next year. No decisions are likely to be made until the board's Oct. 16 meeting, but there are a lot of issues to consider, not the least of which is cost -- $12,600 for security for two games on Friday night vs. $5,200 for two Saturday games. There's also the issue of work that will need to be done to some of the parking lots and fences. The district had to pull the plug on night games in 2008, when a series of fights at games prompted the Joliet Police Department to tell the district it would no longer provide security for games unless they were moved to Saturdays…
Monday, July 23, 2012
There are million ways to serve this all-American favorite; who does it best in our town?
We start eating them when we're barely able to walk, and by the time we're adults, we're slapping everything from pickle relish to hot peppers to raw onions on to them. Is there any food that's more associated with America than the hot dog? And if you grew up in Chicago or its suburbs, is there anything people like to debate more than where you can get the best one? You already nominated your favorite local businesses. Now it's time to vote! You have until Aug. 17 to cast your ballot. We will announce the winner Aug. 24. So, what place in Joliet sells the best dog? (We'll save the ketchup vs. mustard debate for another day.) The poll can be found below this post.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
The split vote, with Chief Justice John Roberts making the surprising vote to uphold most of the law, has triggered debate on both sides of the issue.
The U.S. Supreme Court has backed the individual mandate of Obama's signature health care law. The court handed down the 5-4 decision Thursday morning. "We do not consider whether the act embodies sound policies," Chief Justice Roberts wrote. "That judgment is entrusted to the nation's elected leaders. We ask only whether Congress has the power under the Constitution to enact the challenged provisions." (See how the decision will affect you through this interactive feature from the Washington Post.) As might be expected, the ruling has set off a firestorm of opinion over whether the court's ruling was the correct one, with the chief justice serving as the lightning rod for angry conservatives. Our question to you: Do you agree with the …
Sunday, June 24, 2012
The statistics say it has, but is it possible people are dropping off the rolls because they no longer qualify for unemployment benefits? Take our poll and tell us what you think.
According to the latest numbers from the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the jobless rate in the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville area dropped from 10.1 percent in May 2011 to 8.6 percent in May 2012. The Rockford area saw a similar decline, going from 11.3 percent to 10.4 percent. Department Director Jay Rowell told The Associated Press that the most recent data was a reason for cautious optimism. However, it might also be possible that some people who have been unemployed for a long period of time have dropped off the jobless count because they no longer qualify for benefits. Based on what you know of what's going on with your family, friends and neighbors, do you think things are getting better? Take our poll below, and feel free …
Ray
5:26 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013
it sure sounds fishy to me! more ›