Substance News

With about 40 days to go until the November 8, 2016 election, I'm going to update once a day with the question of the campaign: Where are Donald Trump's federal income tax returns? Following the . . .

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By the eve of the first presidential debate, only Donald Trump's most devoted disciples are claiming there is no reason for The Donald to release his federal income tax returns, but the Republican candidate continues to cover up the only documents that will finally demonstrate what a liar and cheat he is in his business dealings.

MEDIA WATCH: 'Democracy' Chicago-style... Tribune's hypocritical editorial attack on the CTU gets quick response from thousands...'a democratic militant union is what they despise...'... Readers need to remember the long reactionary history of Tribune's version of 'news'...

By George N. Schmidt - September 23, 2016

On September 22, 2016, the Chicago Tribune — now owned by the same Rahm-buddy millionaire Michael Ferro who owns the Sun-Times — fulminated agains the latest Chicago Teachers Union strike vote. In an editorial, the . . .

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Retired Commonwealth Edison CEO Frank Clark presided over the August 2016 meeting of the Chicago Board of Education. Clark is now in his 15th month as a member of the seven-member Chicago Board of Education, all of whose members are appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Only Chicago in Illinois has a school board appointed by the mayor. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.

BOARDWATCH: Board members and expensive bureaucrats spend Board meetings texting -- and watching You Tube videos? -- rather than listening to public participants while the Board meets (only once a month)...

By Marybeth Foley - September 23, 2016

Chicago students taking Drivers Education classes are now reminded that 'distracted driving' in 2016 includes people who are texting or using cell phones while trying to drive as well. Maybe it's also time that we . . .

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By the March 23, 2016 meeting of the Chicago Board of Education, the newly appointed members of the Claypool bureaucracy knew that they didn't have to pay attention to the members of the public during public participation at Board meetings, so they didn't. Above, three of the five six-figure Claypool appointees demonstrate distracted democracy during the meeting. Substance photo by David Vance.

Chicago Teachers Union members begin three-day strike authorization 'petition' as CPS finances and other issues are debated widely...

By George N. Schmidt - September 21, 2016

More than 25,000 members of the Chicago Teachers Union (active duty teachers and others represented in the CTU bargaining unit) begin voting on September 21, 2016, on a second strike authorization vote since the union's . . .

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Chicago Teachers Union delegates and local school Contract Action Teams have been organizing for the latest strike vote, which begins September 21, 2016 in all of Chicago's more than 500 real public schools.

Charters and 'trickle down edunomics'... Why the NAACP position against charter expansion is so important today...

By Yohuro Williams - September 21, 2016

[Editor's Note: The following analysis originally appeared on the Huffington Post and is being shared here as the debate over charters continues to escalate in Chicago. As usual, the Trump campaign and most of Chicago's . . .

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Protest outside Chicago's City Hall in 2013 tried to stop the closing of 50 of Chicago's real public schools while the administration of Mayor Rahm Emanuel continued to promote the expansion of the city's anti-union charter schools. Despite all the protests, the Chicago Board of Education (appointed by the city's mayor, the only Illinois school board that is not elected) voted to close 50 of the city's real public schools, and over the next three years continued expanding charters.

TRUMPWACHT: Speaking about candidates' 'health,' Trump really is a fat cat... and anyone can get all the Trumpian trumpeting and other nonsense by doing the Mark of the Beast '666' solutions...

By George Schmidt - September 21, 2016

Who is the healthier candidate for President of the United States? With less than a week before the first of three presidential debates, the Donald Trump organizations have been escalating their feud with reality . . .

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When American's elect Donald Trump President of the United States on November 8, 2016, he will be the most morbidly obese Chief Executive since William Howard Taft (see below). Despite Trump's vanity, and his daily hair styling, The Donald is not only a blustering bully, but a major fat cat. Above, a recent golf photo of the Republican candidate for President of the USA.

BOOK REVIEW: Why is the Obama administration working to whitewash the history of crimes of the USA during the Vietnam War and create another 'Noble Cause' myth...

By Kim Scipes - September 19, 2016

Responding to the lies and distortions of President Obama concerning the US war in Vietnam, and his phony “commemoration” of those Americans who fought in the war, John Marciano has written a short, but incisive . . .

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One of the paradoxes of current history is that President Barack Obama is working overseas to bring the United States and Vietnam together, as the photograph above from Obama's recent Asian visit shows. At the same time, Obama's team has been working on the Vietnam commemoration in Washington, D.C. in a way that whitewashes the crimes of U.S. imperialism is ways similar to the historical whitewashes of the Confederacy during the years when the

Education sorority give award to Lotty Blumenthal... Chicago union activist gets awards after nearly a half century of work on vocational education and women's rights...

By Lotty Blumenthal - September 14, 2016

On July 23, 2016, Phi Delta Kappa (PDK). a professional association of educators dedicated to "Service, Research and Leadership," honored CTU member Carlene (Lotty) Blumenthal (this reporter) at a luncheon. Blumenthal received two awards. She . . .

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Louverta Hurt (standing) gives the PDK award to Lotty Blumenthal (seated). Substance photo.

Education for All: Backing the Wrong Horse... House bill 'a colossal mistake...'

By Stephen Krashan - September 14, 2016

The US House of Representatives quietly passed HR 4481 on September 7, the "Education for All" act. HR 4481 has rarely been mentioned in the media, and news of the House's action appeared only in . . .

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BOOK REVIEW: Building Global Labor Solidarity in a Time of Accelerating Globalization (By Kim Scipes)...

By George Schmidt - September 13, 2016

During the time I've been studying Kim Scipes's latest book, Building Global Labor Solidarity in a Time of Accelerating Globalization, the biggest strike in human history took place. In India. There was at least one . . .

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Building Labor Solidarity continues to try to review the progress of capitalist imperialism and the need for international workers' solidarity. Coming out as it does during the era of Donald Trump's attacks on working class people who try to move to other nations from the

BOOK REVIEW: If it's one election book you have the time to read, it must be 'The Making of Donald Trump' by David Cay Johnston...

By George Schmidt - September 12, 2016

The history of the publication of the book itself could be the subject of another book, maybe one to be called "Blindsided: How America's publishing leaders missed the onrushing of the Trump candidacy." A recent . . .

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'Teachers for Social Justice' group is trying to pit police against teachers with false history, damaging hysteria...

By George N. Schmidt - September 10, 2016

The Chicago group called "Teachers for Social Justice" has announced a program this month (and later) trying to pit teachers against police. The pitting will be based on a false history and a silly narrative . . .

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