THUMBS DOWN! To pre-emptive protests. The sports world, the media world and the lawyers world crossed streams last week, creating a public that was immediately an expert on subjects they'd never considered before last week. LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey -- who, despite her four national titles, has long been a lightning rod of controversy -- launched into a tirade about an unpublished Washington Post story that she characterized as a "hit piece." Her posturing, including a threat of a lawsuit, only raised interest in the story. Meanwhile, Dodgers baseball superstar Shohei Otani is in the middle of a story about his interpreter's gambling debts. The story is far incomplete, and is complicated by the Japanese-English language gap. Those demanding Ohtani's suspension -- especially those making comparisons to disgraced baseball gambler Pete Rose -- need to wait and let the story play out, just like Mulkey.
THUMBS UP! To U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger. The judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by disgraced (there's that word again) former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. The politician sought a permanent injunction declaring unconstitutional the resolution passed by the Illinois General Assembly in the wake of his 2009 impeachment preventing his ability to seek any nonfederal public office in Illinois. Seeger pointed out "In its 205-year history, the Illinois General Assembly has impeached, convicted, and removed one public official: Blagojevich." The judge also quoted Dr. Suess, which seems appropriate.
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THUMBS DOWN! To playing politics instead of working. As efforts to negotiate a federal budget bill on deadline continued, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., initiated an effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. as the House began the vote but held off on further action until the House returns in two weeks. A similar political dynamic led to the removal of the last speaker, Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. That thing in politics that's never supposed to happen? It's going to happen again, as long as Green continues to ignore reality and try to legislate by ideology.
THUMBS UP! To embracing the novelty of the approaching April 8 total solar eclipse. Businesses and communities from Texas to Maine are preparing for tourists along the path of the event. Carbondale is in the middle of the path and will experience four-plus minutes of darkness. We'll have some darkness here. To be able to experience this event twice in seven years is a rare treat.
THUMBS DOWN! To rising chocolate prices. If you hadn't noticed previously, any thoughts of buying chocolate for Easter snacks made it clear. Cocoa futures have surged this year, roughly doubling since the start of 2024. Rising temperatures and weather conditions have stressed and damaged crops in West Africa, which produces more than 70% of the global cocoa supply. Sugar prices are also rising. Futures for a pound of sugar are up about 8% in 2024, after rising 2.7% in 2023. Big chocolate companies like Hershey's and Cadbury maker Mondelez have reported shrinking sales volumes for their most recent quarters as consumers grow tired of paying higher prices.
THUMBS UP! And welcome back to Saturdays on the Square. Now in its fourth year, the free series, presented by Pantagraph Media and The Castle Theatre in partnership with the City of Bloomington, has drawn in summertime crowds by the hundreds to the museum square in downtown Bloomington. Performances this year include Matthew Curry on May 4, Hairbangers Ball on June 8, The Docksiders on June 22, Loudernow on July 13 and Southern Accents on July 20.