February has some interesting distinctives. Back in the olden days (when I was growing up), we celebrated TWO presidential birthdays this month: Abraham Lincoln’s and George Washington’s. Now we celebrate only one—a generic President’s Day for our Monday holiday benefit. 

There are 341,000 students in the Chicago Public Schools, divided among 638 schools—476 elementary schools and 162 high schools. According to the recent report by the Chicago Public Schools Office of Inspector General (OIG), there were 446 sexual misconduct allegations reported to the OIG during the calendar year 2023.

Does it ever seem if the cultural left's calls to action are often aimed at problems that seem—at least somewhat—manufactured? Does it seem almost as if, in a world that isn't run their way, we wouldn't have to face the kinds of issues that they’re trying to fix?

A recent news story by Chicago’s WGN9 is titled “Illinois is Failing Children of Color.” It examines  “Race for Results” –a report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation which found that children of color face several “inequities” in Illinois.

Why are local elections so uninteresting to voters? Local elections in Illinois generally draw about 16% of registered voters. This is compared to the average turnout over the last 20 years for presidential elections in Illinois of 63% and the average turnout in the off-year elections of 44%.

Much of Generation Z is heading into adulthood, and we’re realizing that being an adult is hard, a bit scary, and often unenjoyable. Anxiety and fear are incredibly high among Gen Z-ers, also known as Zoomers. I saw an article last month reporting that 86% of Generation Z has “menu anxiety,” or overwhelming anxiety about eating out. Another article published in November reports that Gen Z is having difficulty adjusting to the demands of a 9-5 work week.

With every passing year, it seems we Christian Conservatives find ourselves increasingly in the minority. There might be more of us than we know, but the loudest and best-funded voices are almost exclusively liberal. If we know our Bibles, this shouldn’t come as a shock to us. For many of us who are weary of fighting in relative obscurity, though, there is a real temptation to uncritically align with anything or anyone that seems allied to our purposes.

Perhaps you’ve never heard of Allie Phillips. She is one to keep your eye on. Her story may help determine the fate of babies in Tennessee and elsewhere. 

For many years, I have been predicting a cultural pushback against the radical left, knowing that, at a certain point, people would say, “Enough is enough...”

The Bud Light and Target boycotts have now become cautionary tales, reminding us that your average American does not share these extremist ideas.

At the beginning of January, the news began to buzz with the report of Chicago alderman Nicholas Sposato, who told journalists that the city's school system is looking into removing all police officers from high schools.

Ever since we were little, when we'd wander out into our backyards and wish we could fly like the birds overhead, every one of us has had to wrestle with the difference between the way things are and the way we want them to be. We didn't create ourselves; we were born with certain physical characteristics that both empower and limit us. The same is true of our human nature overall.

As of January 1, a new Illinois state law is in effect that removes grant funding from public libraries that ban books “because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.” House Bill 2789 was signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker last summer and is just the latest in a string of policies advanced by this administration and motivated by its apparent obsession with indoctrinating kids into sexual orientation and gender identity ideology.

Recently, I noticed an online post of a local church that read: “Everyone is welcome! No exceptions. Period.” Really? Everyone?

January first is often considered the time for “New Year’s Resolutions,”  “turning over a new Leaf,” or launching a new “self-help program.”  Such things may have some benefits but have generally been nothing more than filler for newspapers and TV shows during the slow time following the holiday season. However, because I see our country floundering and confused, divided and drifting, I have a recommendation: How about a change of hearts in America where, for starters, we make truth normative, and children loved? 

Jack Brewer is a former NFL player who is passionate about ending fatherlessness in the United States. In 2006, he founded the Jack Brewer Foundation which includes, among other programs, the American Heroes Fatherhood Initiative (AHFI) which offers after-school programming and serves juveniles and adults who have been affected by the criminal justice system.