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‘Burdensome,’ ‘costly’ fracking regulations blamed for keeping companies away from Illinois
Illinois still is waiting for its first fracking operation, four years after a law opened the door to the practice. My story for Illinois News Network is here. Continue reading
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Talking Dave Mattthews on “Political Beats”
Your hosts @ScotBertram and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD), with guest Robert Costa, national political reporter for the Washington Post and moderator of Washington Week on PBS: follow him on Twitter at @CostaReports. We’re talking Dave Matthews Band! Read more and listen to the podcast here. Continue reading
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Political Beats at NRO
It’s launch day for my new podcast at National Review Online. I’m incredibly excited to be joined by Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD on Twitter) to host “Political Beats”. What is it? We talk about the musical passions of people who work in, comment on, or report on the world of politics. These will be in-depth discussions about… Continue reading
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Jillian Kay Melchior: Higher Ed Goes Low
I recently had the opportunity to do some fill-in work on The Steve Gruber Show and was thrilled to be joined by Hillsdale alum and Wall Street Journal opinion page writer Jillian Kay Melchior. Click below for the audio: https://www.podbean.com/media/player/jy8yw-6f1163?from=site&skin=1&share=1&fonts=Helvetica&auto=0&download=0 Continue reading
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Could Increased School Choice End Illinois Funding Fight?
Could expanding school choice in Illinois be the solution to funding talks? A prominent education reform advocate wants Illinois to adopt a tax-credit scholarship program as a part of any deal. My story for Illinois News Network. Continue reading
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Dem Blames Madigan For Rauner’s Win
A Democrat running for Illinois governor blames House Speaker Michael Madigan for creating the environment that allowed Gov. Bruce Rauner to win in 2014. My story for Illinois News Network. Continue reading
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IRS phone scams spike in Illinois
The Better Business Bureau is warning of a recent spike in phone scam attempts across Illinois. Steve Bernas, president and CEO of Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois, says this is a long-running operation in which people pose as IRS agents and demand immediate payment. I write for Illinois News Network… Continue reading
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Illinois could become latest state to legalize switchblade knives
A bill now on Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk would eliminate a decades-old ban that state Sen. Tim Bivins, R-Dixon, says never made much sense to begin with. I write for Illinois News Network. Continue reading
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Jason Riley: False Black Power?
I recently had the chance to talk to Jason Riley about his new book, “False Black Power?”. Jason is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, and a commentator for Fox News. In “False Black Power?”, he takes an honest look at why increased black political power has not paid… Continue reading
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Illinois Tax Hike Falls Short of Revenue Expectations
Five years ago last month, another tax hike was hitting pocketbooks around the state of Illinois. In June 2012, a dollar-per-pack cigarette tax increase raised the state levy from 98 cents to $1.98. The same law also increased taxes on other products such as loose tobacco and supplies. Supporters estimated the state would see an… Continue reading
Scot Bertram 