More than 250 new laws take effect in Illinois Jan. 1. As has become custom around here I like to use the last few columns of December to review legislation that might not have gotten proper attention earlier in the year.

Christmas in the White House in the 1860s was a far cry from the ornate displays of decor familiar to Americans today. During the Lincoln administration, the holiday was observed in a low-key manner.

As with facial scans and voice recognition, technology falling under the blanket descriptor of “artificial intelligence” is advancing far more rapidly that any legislation could hope to match.

Holmes argued there are 'over 20 guardrails in place' against coercion, abuse and forgery, including potential felony charges. No doctors, providers or pharmacists would be required to participate; some health systems have already announced they’ll abstain.

The two most intense state legislative pressure campaigns I’ve witnessed both ended in failure.

'What they have today is a joke compared to what we had in earlier years… and what we had was non-polluting.'

Column: It’s important to reclaim a pocket of silence every now and then. In a way it’s an act of resistance to the bombardment of sensory stimuli all around us, particularly at the holidays, writes Joan Budilovsky.

Some say it just isn’t Christmas without the poinsettia, a colorful addition to the holiday season. Outside of his native state, the flower’s namesake has been lost to history.

"To say 'the most beautiful artificial tree' of any genus is like saying 'the most beautiful impression at Madame Tussaud’s wax emporium,'” Rick Holinger writes.