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In a world ravaged by climate disasters, rising sea levels, and ecological degradation, few voices cut through the noise with the force and clarity of David Suzuki. At 88 years old, the legendary Canadian geneticist, broadcaster, and environmentalist stands as both a revered elder and a fierce critic of the systems pushing the planet toward what he calls “absolute self-destruction.” This isn’t hyperbole. It’s science, observation, and a lifetime of connecting the dots — and Suzuki’s message is urgent: we are out of time, and our habits are killing us. In a recent interview with The Seattle Times , Suzuki’s tone was more urgent than ever. The man who helped shape environmental awareness in North America is sounding the alarm one final time. And as he stands on the shores of Vancouver’s English Bay, collecting seaweed and watching the skyline overshadow the natural landscape, one can’t help but feel the weight of his words. This is a man who’s been screaming into the void for decades, ...

By: A Local Who Has Seen Some Things Ah, Round Lake Beach — the quiet little corner of Lake County known for its suburban charm, splash pads, and, let’s be honest, a rather impressive collection of strip malls per square mile. But now, hold onto your hats, folks, because the Village is rolling out what they’re calling a “major draw” for the area. And no, it’s not a new Aldi or another Starbucks awkwardly plopped next to a Walgreens — it’s something far more electrifying . Introducing: The Family Entertainment Center That Ate the Shuttered Theater. That’s right. The abandoned husk of the Regal Cinemas on Rollins Road — which closed back in January 2023 after Regal Cinemas went bankrupt like a mid-life crisis dad trying to open a frozen yogurt franchise — will be reborn. Rebranded. Reimagined. Rethrown. (More on the axes in a minute.) If you’ve ever driven by the old Rollins Crossing Shopping Center and thought, “You know what this forgotten temple of sticky floors and stale nacho c...

Welp, it's finally happened. Uncle Sam is getting kicked out of the PTA. On March 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump — in a bold, sweeping gesture that’s somewhere between a policy decision and an exasperated dad firing a nanny he never liked — signed an executive order to effectively close the Department of Education. That’s right. Forty-six years after its birth in the golden era of disco and bell bottoms, the Department is being shown the door by a President who thinks centralized education is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. The executive order, titled Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities , sounds innocent enough — almost like a Pinterest board full of homeschooled crafting ideas. But beneath its wholesome, apple-pie façade lies a flamethrower aimed at the heart of federal education policy. And frankly, the aim is very deliberate. Let’s unpack this chaos, shall we? Section 1: “The Purpose is We’re Sick of This Crap” ...

The U.S. economy is often compared to a cruise ship—it takes a lot of time and force to change its direction. That’s why many economists looked at the strong economy inherited by the Trump Administration and projected a continued period of fast growth, low unemployment, declining inflation, and a healthy stock market. However, President Donald Trump’s economic strategy has been less about turning the rudder and more about firing torpedoes at his own ship. The reversal in economic data since the Trump Administration took over has been historically rapid—and devastating. The stock market is in free fall. Interest rates are also plummeting, but not for any good reason—investors assume the Federal Reserve will soon need to step in aggressively to rescue a collapsing economy. Unemployment insurance claims for federal workers have noticeably increased even before the full force of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) layoffs has been recorded. Of course, economic data is reported r...

Oh look, humans have once again meddled with nature in ways that backfire spectacularly. This time, we’ve disrupted bat habitats, altered their diets, and—surprise!—increased the spread of deadly viruses. If this were a horror movie, it’d be called Bats: The Fast-Food Plague , and we’d all be the clueless extras about to get wiped out in the opening scene. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B (a journal that sounds fancy but essentially tells us we’ve done something dumb again) has connected diet changes in bats to increased viral shedding. Translation: When bats lose their native food sources, thanks to rampant deforestation and climate change, they turn to whatever they can find—like agricultural crops—and, in doing so, become more contagious. Fantastic. The Plot Thickens: Junk Food Bats and Virus Central Dr. Raina Plowright and her team at Cornell University took a closer look at this unfolding disaster and found that bats eating suboptimal diets—like t...

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. One day you’re devouring a Crunchwrap Supreme like it’s a love letter from the fast-food gods, and the next, you’re spiraling down a rabbit hole of organic produce, screaming about seed oils like a conspiracy theorist with a grudge. Enter Shawna Holman, California’s latest wholesome food messiah, who once strutted into marriage with a Taco Bell feast but now preaches the gospel of “a little less toxic” eating. What’s her secret? Small, almost imperceptible changes—so tiny you might miss them if you’re still blinded by your morning venti caramel macchiato with a side of artificially flavored despair. A Wake-Up Call Served on a (Non-Toxic) Platter Holman’s story starts like any great redemption arc: with a health crisis. Years of sinus infections, migraines, and a brain fog so thick it probably needed its own weather forecast finally pushed her into the arms of “real food.” Apparently, years of consuming ultra-processed snacks with ingredient lists that re...

Ah, manufacturing and construction—the peanut butter and jelly of the industrial world. One mass-produces widgets with obsessive efficiency; the other hammers together buildings with a seemingly unbreakable allegiance to “the way we’ve always done it.” But guess what? The times, they are a-changin’. Turns out, when construction takes a few cues from manufacturing, the result is safer job sites, more efficient processes, and, dare we say, some actual sustainability. Manufacturing vs. Construction: Not So Different After All At first glance, manufacturing and construction might seem like distant cousins. Manufacturing churns out products in controlled environments, while construction operates in the great, chaotic outdoors. Yet both industries are in the business of making stuff—big, complex, often expensive stuff. And let’s be honest, construction has been dragging its feet on digital transformation while manufacturing has been sprinting toward Industry 4.0 like it’s chasing an Olympic ...