Category Archives: Nation

Pelosi To Resign As Speaker After Defeat

By Bernard P. Lawson, The Chicago Times

November 17, 2022

WASHINGTON – Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that she will not seek a leadership position in the new Congress after her party’s failure to secure a majority in the House of Representatives in the midterm elections.

Pelosi said in a brief speech in the House chamber that after serving some 20 years as the top House Democrat, she will walk away from a job done and open the door for “new” blood to take on a leadership role.  Pelosi will now take a back bench as the representative from San Francisco, a seat she has held for nearly 40 years.

“I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” Pelosi said in a speech. “For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect.”

Pelosi was first elected in 1987 and scratched her way to the Speakership by 2007. She was swept from power in 2011 and replaced by disgraced Republican Dennie Hastert.  Pelosi regained the Speakership in 2018 during the Trump administration.

FDA: Issues Warning On Infant Head-Shaping Pillows

By The Chicago Times Staff

November 4, 2022

WASHINGTON –  The Food and Drug Administration released a safety bulletin Thursday  urging parents and caregivers not to use head-shaping pillows intended to change an infant’s head shape..

According to the FDA, head-shaping pillows have no proven medical benefit and can create an unsafe sleeping environment for infants and may increase the risk of suffocation and death.

“Infant head shaping pillows are not FDA-approved. The safety and effectiveness of these products have not been established for the prevention or treatment of flat head syndrome (also known as positional plagiocephaly or deformational plagiocephaly), or the more serious condition where the developing infant’s skull bones join together too early (known as craniosynostosis).  Do not use infant head shaping pillows due to the risk of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), inclusive of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and suffocation and death.” The FDA said in a statement.

The FDA added “Be aware that, in most cases, flat head syndrome will go away on its own as an infant grows, it is not painful and it does not cause any developmental concerns. If your infant has an unusual head shape, talk to your infant’s health care provider about management options. Know that the use of infant head shaping pillows may delay the necessary evaluation and management of harmless conditions, such as flat head syndrome, or more serious conditions, such as craniosynostosis.”

Biden Administration Shrinks Strategic Petroleum Reserve To 40-Year Low

By Bernard P. Lawson, The Chicago Times

October 9, 2022

WASHINGTON – As the threat of war grows throughout the world and OPEC+ cuts production, the Biden administration has allowed the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to fall to a 40-year low in an attempt to keep gas prices “low” ahead of the midterm election.

The Biden administration has again announced a release of another 6.2 million barrels of oil which brings the level of the SPR to 416.4 million barrels, the lowest it has been since 1984.  According to the Department of Energy, the Biden administration has dipped into the SRP 4 times over the past year in a meager attempt to lower gas prices.  The average US gas price in 2019 was $2.60 in comparison to $4.50 in 2022.

On October 5, the Biden administration announced the release of 10 million barrels of oil from the SRP in response to an OPEC+ decision to cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day.  The US consumes about 20 million barrels of oil per day not just for gasoline production but also in the production of 6,000 products used throughout the US.

Indiana House Passes Abortion Ban

By Harold W. Reid, The Chicago Times

August 5, 2022

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The Indiana House passed a bill that would ban nearly all abortions in the state.  The bill will now head to the Indiana Senate for review.  The bill was passed 62-38 and would ban most abortions with limited exceptions, including rape and incest, and to protect the life and physical health of the mother.

If the bill is passed, Indiana wiill become the first state in the nation to pass new legislation restricting abortions since the US Supreme Court’s ruling in June that returned abortion laws to the states.  Friday’s passage came just one week after the Senate passed its version with similar measures.

Currently, Indiana abortion laws permit an abortion up to 22 weeks after the last menstrual period.

Indiana Police Officer Killed During Traffic Stop

by The Chicago Times Staff

August 1, 2022

ELWOOD, IN – An Indiana police officer was shot during a traffic stop on Sunday.

According to police, 24-year-old Noah Shahnavaz was shot while exiting his squad car while conducting a traffic stop early Sunday in Elwood, Indiana.  Shahnavaz was airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital where he later died.  Shahnavaz was on the job for 11 months and had previously served in the US Army.

Charges have been filed against 42-year-old Carl Roy Webb Boards II of Anderson, Indiana.  Boards is being held without bond at the Hamilton County Jail.

According to police, Boards allegedly shot Shahnavaz around 2 am Sunday near the intersection of State Road 37 and County Road 1100 N. in Madison County.  Allegedly, Boards fled the scene after the shooting and traveled into Hamilton County where police were able to conduct a pit stop maneuver on I-69 near State Road 37. 

Boards currently faces the following charges: murder, possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, resisting law enforcement.  Prosecutors may seek the death penalty.

Biden And Xi Talk To Ease Tensions And Promote Cooperation

By Bernard P. Lawson, The Chicago Times

July 28, 2022

WASHINGTON –  President Joe Biden’s call with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping will center on tensions facing both nations spanning from intellectual property thrift, espionage, to CCP silence on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In a press conference, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said “There is an awful lot in the bilateral relationship between the United States and China for these two leaders to talk about the next few days.”

The meeting between Biden and Xi comes as the US Congress looks to pass the CHIPs act which will promote the US semiconductor industry with $52 billion in subsidies and tax credits to chip plants worth nearly $24 billion.  Many lawmakers and voters are waking up to the fact that China has virtually taken control of all manufacturing of vital products leaving the US homeland in a vulnerable position on the world stage.  Many on Capitol Hill are beginning to call for the return of manufacturing in the US or at least to countries that are true allies, not strategic enemies.

Photo: Reuters