How is everyone’s weekend going? Thanks for spending a portion of it with the Six.
The latest primary season in memory has come and gone in Illinois. General election campaigns are ramping up.
Throughout the primaries, multiple GOP politicians invoked a familiar figure when speaking on core values – that figure being Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln’s name is often mentioned in speeches, and not only by those representing the state of his birth. His values, ethics and principled leadership make Honest Abe one of our nation’s most laudatory figures in history.
But there is one university that doesn’t share in the almost always unanimous praise of Lincoln: Cornell University in upstate New York.
This past week, a display in a university library of a Lincoln bust and Gettysburg Address plaque was abruptly removed. No explanation has yet to be given from school officials. An article reported that ‘someone complained’ and the university took the display down.
One school professor said: “To take his words (and bust) out of the hallway says something about our love of liberty.”
As we approach the anniversary of the birth of our nation Monday, I thought it important to remind us all what we are celebrating.
Independence. Freedom. Liberty.
Almost 250 years in, we must continue to fight for these principles.
Let’s proceed with the Six.
Swing Voters Swing Over to the GOP.
More than 1 million voters have switched their registration from Democrat to Republican in the last year. There is a popular idea among Democratic thinkers in recent years that swing voters don’t exist or aren’t important, so politics can be about mobilizing the base with your craziest ideas. Using this philosophy, the belief is, thoughts on nuance and softening extremes is senseless because the base loves the savage stuff. Hardcore Republicans have plenty of unpopular ideas too but appear to be better at downplaying those parts and voters are responding. The AP has the story.
Holiday Tradition: Illinoisans Leave State To Buy Fireworks.
Illinois residents are given a daily dose of reasons to flee the state – high gas price, taxes, crime, autocratic state government, etc. There’s another one come 4th of July time – fireworks. Illinois is one of only three states (Vermont and Massachusetts being the others) that ban all or most consumer fireworks. The result of the ban means big business for neighboring counties in Indiana and Wisconsin. Said one Illinois state congressman: “I think it's just ridiculous that every state around us is making money off of Illinois citizens and here we are once again giving up money that could better be earned and spent here in Illinois.” The Center Square has more.
The Lottery Hackers: Jerry and Marge Go Large.
I had missed this story, which is a few years old, until I listened to a podcast this week. The guest was Bryan Cranston, the actor who famously played Walter White in the epic TV series “Breaking Bad.” Cranston was promoting his new film, “Jerry and Marge Go Large” about a retired Michigan couple that managed to hack the lottery and win $27 million. The incredible story became a movie, with Cranston playing the husband Jerry who figured out the mathematical equation to win all the loot. The movie is based on a series of articles on the couple, one of them appearing in the Huffington Post in 2018. That’s the one linked to here. A super compelling read.
Inflation Killed the $1 Pizza Slice. Long Live the $.99 Iced Tea.
There is no better deal, even pre-inflation, than the $1.50 hot dog and soda at Costco. Not long ago, you could get a pizza slice for $1 or $2 (the pizzeria in my neighborhood, Donati’s, sold a cheap slice until just a few years ago). Don’t get me started on the “Dollar Menu” at McDonald’s (take it down!) With inflation impacting every purchase, are there still any cheap items left and for how long can businesses maintain these fixed prices? NPR takes a stab at answering that question.
Summer Camp Cancelled Over Buddhist Emblem Controversy.
A group of Bay Area camp instructors walked into a historic house that had been built in 1929. They saw three tiles, each approximately 12x12 inches, that featured Buddhist swastikas and a lotus. There was a staff outcry. How could these 100-year-old Buddhist tiles be here! Facts ignored: the tiles were bought in 1913 while the camp’s founders were on a trip through Asia. A back-and-forth ensued between the instructors and leaders on removing the emblems. Soon, according to Palo Alto News, the camp’s leadership team promptly resigned. Camp is cancelled and 900 kids have to find something else to do this summer as the counselors ‘heal together.’ Good grief.
The Elvis Business is Booming.
There’s a new movie out on Elvis Presley and feature films are always good business for dead celebrities. The Elvis estate bounced around ownership for a while – and as recently as 2020, the value of the estate was about $400 million to $600 million. Now, with the Elvis movie doing well in theaters and Elvis’ music still succeeding and remaining relevant, it’s now probably closer to $1 billion, according to this article in Billboard. Overall, Elvis’ catalog probably produced $12 million in royalties annually over the past three years. That’s a heckuva lot Spotify streams of “Hound Dog” and “Heartbreak Hotel.”
Thanks for reading everybody and enjoy your long 4th of July holiday weekend.
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