Happy Joe's is preparing to open its newest PIZZAGRILLE located at The Mills at Riverbend Commons, 2900 River Drive in Moline, Illinois.  Happy Joe's is celebrating their 43rd anniversary this year and in order to stay current, this new location will showcase the newest evolution of branding for the company.

The Happy Joe's PIZZAGRILLE will be located next to the Western Illinois University Campus, in the commercial level of the new housing development, The Mills at Riverbend Commons, spearheaded by Three Corners Development, Inc.

The evolution of Happy Joe's new branding strategy began in Maquoketa, Iowa, in 2009 when the décor was updated and a quaint little bar and expanded menu were added to appeal to the locals. In 2013 the company took over the Eldridge Happy Joe's location, along with Lancers Grill which is located in the same building. The Happy Joe's side received a few upgrades and our energy was focused on using knowledge obtained from the Maquoketa project to update the Lancer's Grill area. We rolled out a new grill décor and grill menu. The name also changed to 350 Grille, reflecting the address. This experience led to the idea of combining both Happy Joe's and the grill idea into one concept called Happy Joe's PIZZAGRILLE! In 2014 the West Locust Street was the first restaurant to have full implementation.  The doors were closed at 1414 West Locust, and reopened at 1616 West Locust in the former Chef's Hat building. This location now supports new décor, a full-grille menu, and Tap Room offering over a dozen craft beer selections on tap, an all you can eat lunch smorgasbord, carry-out window, Sunday brunch, and seating for up to 150. The Milan, Illinois franchise location was renovated into a PIZZAGRILLE in February 2015, and just this past August, the Galesburg, Illinois, location was closed and moved down the street into a beautiful new building.

Larry Whitty, President stated, "We are excited to see the Happy Joe's brand continue to evolve from its humble beginnings in the Village of East Davenport in 1972, started by our father and founder Joe Whitty.  Our brand continues its endless evolution of adjusting to stay relevant to the quickly changing social and consumer demands. The ne w standard that will not change is our pizza which will stay a Midwestern favorite. That old saying, 'our gum doesn't change, however, the wrapper does,' definitely applies here. The modifications to the latest prototype located at The Mills at Riverbend Commons are dramatic enhancements targeted to a younger demographic of the dynamic residential community that will house this restaurant.  The developers of this property, Three Corners Development, are great people known for creating great results and we are proud to be affiliated with them!"

This is not your mom and dad's Happy Joe's. This "new generation" PIZZAGRILLE with a unique and urban-style décor is fun, young, and trendy with an industrial and outdoor active lifestyle feel. There is a covered outdoor seating area, as well as a party room that can seat 30-40.  This newest location neighboring the Western Illinois University campus is the next step in the Happy Joe's PIZZAGRILLE evolution. This location will feature a coffee area with barista selections and delicious breakfast items, as well as lunch, dinner, snacks, and Joegurt (Happy Joe's twist on the frozen yogurt craze). The breakfast menu has been expanded to include grab-and-go selections, with premium coffee and espressos. This location will still offer the large breakfast pizza perfect for big groups or breakfast events, and the individual pan breakfast scramblers. The new lunch and dinner menu will consist of an array of pub-style cuisine, including new appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, salads, and entrees, as well as your Happy Joe's favorites. Full table service and catering will be available, as well as delivery service to the Western Illinois campus and to the residents in the building where the PIZZAGRILLE resides. There is a private room perfect for meetings, birthday parties, corporate events, and large groups of any kind. Guests can also enjoy the covered outdoor seating and dining area with a beautiful river view.

Three Corners Development and The Mills at Riverbend Commons are excited and proud to be part of the Happy Joe's PIZZAGRILLE evolution!

There is still a small amount of retail space available. If you're interested in joining the excitement at The Mills at Riverbend Commons, please contact Jeff Miller, 563-650-7400 or jsmiller@ngkf.com.

Employment opportunities for all positions (including management, servers, and cooks) are available.  Apply online at www.happyjoes.com/careers.php. Franchise opportunities are also available throughout the Midwest. To inquire, please contact President Larry Whitty at 563-332-8811, or larryw@happyjoes.com.   

If you would like more information, please contact Kristel Whitty-Ersan at 563.332.8811, Ext. 203, or via e-mail at kristele@happyjoes.com.

Obama Administration Allegedly Releasing Unaccompanied Minors into Criminals' Custody

Feds Allegedly Paired Migrant Children with Human Traffickers, Child Molesters

 

WASHINGTON - Federal authorities responsible for vetting potential guardians of children who enter the country without an adult have been placing some with convicted criminals, according to whistleblower claims.  The whistleblower, who is familiar with the vetting process, alleges that at least 3,400 sponsors out of a sample of 29,000 listed in a government database have criminal histories that include domestic violence, homicide, child molestation, sexual assault and human trafficking.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) are seeking details on the review practices for potential sponsors of unaccompanied children, as well as corrective procedures once it has determined that a child has been placed with a convicted criminal sponsor. In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services, the Senators are also asking for statistical information regarding criminal convictions of the sponsors of migrant children.

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement is responsible for coordinating the screening of potential sponsors for exploitation, abuse, or other safety concerns. However, the background checks are allegedly often inadequate, leaving children in the custody of potentially dangerous individuals.  Earlier this year federal agents arrested human smugglers who reportedly posed as sponsors to force at least six Guatemalan boys to work 12 hours a day on an Ohio egg farm.

The whistleblower brought the claims to the Judiciary Committee's attention after raising concerns with supervisors reportedly yielded no immediate corrective actions.

Grassley began asking questions more than a year ago about the process for vetting the people unaccompanied minors have been released to.  These questions continue to take on urgency as unaccompanied children arrive at the southern border in record numbers in recent months.

###

Grassley to Hold Hearing on the Impact of Trade Secret Theft on American Competiveness

November 24, 2015

NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING

The Senate Committee on the Judiciary has scheduled a hearing entitled "Protecting Trade Secrets: the Impact of Trade Secret Theft on American Competitiveness and Potential Solutions to Remedy This Harm" for Wednesday, December 2 at 10:00 a.m., in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

By order of the Chairman.

###

"Lincoln's Law" Slows Washington's Gravy Train by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

Iowans working six ways to Sunday to make ends meet have 18 trillion reasons to resent Washington's appetite for overspending. The soaring $18 trillion national debt reflects disregard for the taxpaying public, especially younger generations who will be saddled with a crushing tax burden to pay for unbridled Big Government.

But what really gets under the American taxpayer's skin is wasteful spending and taxes lost to fraud. There's no question about it. When the size and scope of the government grow, so do opportunities for improper payments, duplicative programs, fraud and mismanagement.

President Abraham Lincoln realized that when the federal spigot is opened for business, greed and corruption trumped patriotism when Civil War-era defense contractors siphoned off war dollars for shoddy goods and services sold to the Union Army. That's when our 16^th president signed into law an anti-fraud tool to help root out unpatriotic war profiteers. The False Claims Act, also known as Lincoln's Law, allowed a private citizen to file a claim on behalf of the government for fraud.

Now it doesn't matter if it's the 19^th century or the 21^st, coming forward with information of alleged fraud isn't easy. It means a whistleblower is going out on a limb, putting one's livelihood and career on the line. That's why Lincoln's Law included "qui tam" provisions that offered financial incentives to provide that a citizen may share in a portion of the recovery. Bilking the government under any circumstance is morally corrupt, particularly when defense dollars assigned to U.S. Armed Forces and national security interests are squandered.

However, during World War II, the "qui tam" provisions were watered down significantly, abruptly reducing the incentives for private citizens to step forward. For four decades, Lincoln's Law collected dust on the prosecutorial shelf and arguably wrongdoers collected untold billions of tax dollars.

Throughout my service in the United States Senate, I've conducted aggressive oversight of federal spending.  From housing, transportation, welfare, health care, agriculture and defense, the revenue stream that runs through the federal bureaucracy has, unfortunately, long been considered a gravy train for unscrupulous wrongdoers. It struck me during my oversight of the Pentagon's books. The U.S. Treasury would benefit from a dose of Honest Abe. So, I worked on Capitol Hill to secure bipartisan updates to the "qui tam" whistleblower provisions that increased civil penalties and the citizen's share of recovered tax dollars lost to fraud.

Since my 1986 amendments were adopted to the False Claims Act, the U.S. Treasury has recovered $44 billion and counting. The Department of Justice says it is the nation's most effective anti-fraud weapon in its arsenal, particularly considering its widespread impact to suppress fraud and deter wrongdoers from risking criminal sentences, financial settlements and civil penalties in the first place.

Like Lincoln's Law, my whistleblower updates targeted fraud to protect the integrity of the nation's defense and military spending. Since then, the False Claims Act has cast a much wider net, capturing widespread fraud in the nation's health care, banking and financial services sectors. And I've worked to build and strengthen even more legislative and prosecutorial tools to beef up the government's ability to gut fraud throughout the bureaucracy, including:

·         whistleblower protections that prevent employers from muzzling employees with "non-disclosure agreements" that seek to gag workers from reporting wrongdoing;

·         stronger protections for programs in the IRS and SEC to encourage workers to report high-dollar tax evasion and wrongdoing in the banking and financial sectors; and,

·         passage of the 2009 Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act that targets mortgage and securities fraud.

Whistleblowers shouldn't be wronged for trying to make things right. That's why I launched the Whistleblower Protection Caucus in the U.S. Senate. We can pass legislation until the cows come home, but if we don't ride herd and scrutinize the enforcement and execution of these laws, rustlers will continue to feed at the public trough.

Taxpayers are fed up with their hard-earned tax dollars paying for a $43 million natural gas station in Afghanistan, for example. Or when mismanaged bureaucracies send farm payments to deceased farmers, deny services and benefits to veterans or put federal workers on extended paid administrative leave for months on end.  The American people deserve better. That's why I'll continue championing the work of whistleblowers who help put a nail in the coffin of bureaucratic misconduct and make wrongdoers pay for pilfering the federal government's coffers.

Cronyism, corruption and incompetence deepen mistrust and widen the credibility gap between the American people and the federal government. That's why I work so hard to derail Washington's gravy train. Let's save the gravy for the Thanksgiving turkey and mashed potatoes.

###

Prepared Floor Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee

Remaining Vigilant Against Terrorist Attacks

Delivered Thursday, November 19, 2015

Madam President, because of what happened in Paris last week, many speeches are going to be given on the floor of the Senate about terrorism.  But it's too bad that we only seem to talk about the dangers of terrorism when an attack occurs - either here in the United States, or elsewhere - that brings the issue to our attention.  Even though we may not see the effects of terrorism on a daily basis, we should remember that terrorism poses a constant danger.  Because somewhere right now, there are people thinking about killing Americans simply because of who we are and what we believe.

So I rise today, first to again express my sympathies to the people of Paris and all those affected by Friday's (Nov. 13) terrible attacks by radical Islamic terrorists there.  On behalf of the people of Iowa, I continue to stand with the people of France.

Unfortunately, the attacks last Friday (Nov. 13) should not have been a surprise.  Radical Islamic terrorists have been waging war against the United States and our allies for years.  In 1972, 11 Israeli athletes were massacred during the Munich Olympics.  In 1983, 241 U.S. Marines and other service personnel were killed in Beirut by a truck bomb.  In 1985, an American was murdered on a hijacked TWA plane there as well.  That same year, an American in a wheelchair was thrown overboard into the Mediterranean by terrorists who had hijacked a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro.  Not long afterward, in 1993, Al-Qaeda made its first attempt to bring down the Twin Towers with another truck bomb.  In 1996, an attack on the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia killed 19 American soldiers.  In 1998, attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania killed over 200 people, including 12 Americans.  And in 2000, the attack on the U.S.S. Cole killed 17 American sailors.

Now, all of those attacks happened before 9/11.  And since 9/11, attacks have continued to occur all around the world - from the train bombings in Madrid in 2004, to the suicide bombings in London in 2005, to the senseless slaughter in the streets of Mumbai in 2008.  My focus today, however, is on the United States homeland.

Terrorists have continued to try to attack us here on many occasions since 9/11.  Some of these attacks have succeeded.  Most of them have failed.  Some of them have involved direct coordination with terrorist leaders abroad.  And some have been committed by "lone wolves," inspired by terrorists overseas or the views.  But these threats are ongoing, and we must be vigilant to guard against them.  We know we will face them again.

Several prominent terrorist attacks in the United States since 9/11 come to mind.  We all remember the carnage at the Boston Marathon in April 2013, where two brothers detonated bombs at the finish line that killed an eight-year old boy and two others and injured hundreds more.  Although the brothers did not appear to have direct ties with terrorist organizations, they were motivated by radical Islamic beliefs.

We also remember the November 2009 shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, where 13 people were killed and several dozen others were wounded.  Incredibly, the Obama administration refused to categorize this as a terrorist attack.  This was in spite of the fact that the shooter had traded emails with then-senior Al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki.  The shooter also later identified his extremist beliefs as the basis for his attack.

But these tragedies only continued the pattern followed by radical Islamic terrorists since Al-Qaeda hijacked and crashed airplanes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon that fateful day in 2001.  Soon after 9/11, for example, British citizen Richard Reid attempted to detonate explosives packed in his shoes while on a flight to Miami in December 2001.  He had previously trained at Al-Qaeda terrorist camps in Afghanistan.  Thankfully he failed, but this attempted attack put us on notice that these terrorists were not finished after 9/11.

More attacks and plots followed, perhaps less well remembered after the passage of time.  But they still demonstrate the ongoing threat we face.

In July 2002, an Egyptian shot and killed two Israelis and wounded four others at the Los Angeles International Airport.   Although the FBI did not find evidence linking the shooter to a terrorist group, the agency concluded the shooting was an act of terrorism.

In March 2006, another radical Islamic terrorist injured six people when he drove his vehicle into a group of pedestrians at the University of North Carolina. The attacker claimed to have conducted the attack in order to avenge the killing of Muslims around the world by the U.S. government.

Another example is the "Fort Dix Six" plot in May 2007.  In that case, six men planned to kill American soldiers at a military base in New Jersey, but were arrested before they could do so.  The men were inspired by Jihadi videos.

In June 2009, a terrorist shot two recruiters at a military center in Little Rock, Arkansas.  One of the recruiters was killed and the other was seriously wounded.  The shooter told the judge in his case that he was a soldier of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Later in 2009, three radical Islamic terrorists were arrested just before they were able to conduct suicide attacks in New York City.  One of these terrorists drove all the way from his home in Colorado to strike the New York City subway system with homemade explosives hidden inside of backpacks.  He later admitted in court that he was trained by Al-Qaeda to be part of a "martyrdom operation."  He further confessed that Al-Qaeda officials ordered these suicide attacks from Pakistan.

Also in 2009, on Christmas Day, a terrorist often referred to as the "underwear bomber" attempted to blow up a bomb concealed in his underclothes while on a flight over Detroit.  Several days later, Al-Qaeda affiliates in Yemen and Saudi Arabia claimed responsibility for the attack.

In May 2010, a terrorist tried to set off a car bomb in the middle of Times Square in New York City.  He was arrested while attempting to flee the country on a flight to the Middle East.  This bomber was trained and financed by the Pakistani Taliban.

More recently, the threat from radical Islamic extremism has sprung from the chaos in Syria.  By now, we are all familiar with ISIS, or the Islamic State.  Last year, we witnessed the horror of ISIS's brutal and barbaric beheading of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and aid worker Peter Kassig in Syria.

But as FBI Director Comey explained to the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year, ISIS presents a new type of Islamic extremist organization.   For one thing, ISIS exploits social media to promote its terrorist agenda and encourage people within the United States to commit terrorist attacks.  As Director Comey explained, ISIS's propaganda machine is like a devil on someone's shoulder, saying "'kill, kill, kill," and "if you can't come to Syria, kill somebody where you are.  Kill somebody in uniform.  Kill anybody."

ISIS's deadly message of terror is having a profound effect here in our country.  Over the last year, the government has stopped numerous individuals in the United States who tried to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS.  According to Director Comey, over 200 Americans have traveled, or attempted to travel, to Syria for this purpose.  I fear that such individuals who successfully return home could re-create the Paris attacks here in our country, given the training, indoctrination, and battlefield experience they have received abroad.  The Washington Post reported on November 16th that 66 men and women in the United States have been charged with crimes associated with ISIS, including both attempting to travel to Syria to join ISIS and planning attacks here.

But beyond ISIS's recruitment of Americans to fight in Syria, the Paris attacks demonstrate the extreme danger the group now poses here in North America.  Look what's occurred just over the past year or so.  In October 2014, a radical Islamic terrorist who could not obtain a passport to travel to Syria shot up the Parliament in Canada, killing a Canadian soldier on duty at the Canadian National War Memorial.  The next day, a self-radicalized Muslim convert attacked four police officers on the streets of New York City with a hatchet after watching ISIS internet propaganda.

In January of this year, the FBI arrested a man in Ohio for plotting to attack the U.S. Capitol with pipe bombs and guns.  The man also allegedly expressed a desire to support ISIS, and he had posted videos and messages on social media supporting violent attacks by radical Islamic terrorists.

Later, in May of this year, two Islamic terrorists drove from Arizona to Garland, Texas to attack a conference center during an art exhibit.  The center was hosting an exhibition of cartoons depicting the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.  The pair shot and injured a security guard before being killed by a police officer.  ISIS subsequently claimed responsibility for that attack.

In June 2015, law enforcement officers in Massachusetts shot and killed a knife-wielding member of a group of ISIS supporters who were plotting attacks here in the United States.  Two other alleged terrorists were arrested and are being prosecuted.

Just this month, an American was arrested in Ohio for supporting ISIS.  He allegedly posted online detailed personal information - including their addresses - of 100 U.S. military members.  He had then allegedly called on fellow terrorists to kill these military personnel in their homes and communities.

Most chilling of all is the video released earlier this week. On Monday, ISIS released a video warning countries against participating in air strikes in Syria.  The video claimed that ISIS would attack these countries just as it attacked France last Friday (Nov. 13).  The video specifically threatened to attack Washington, D.C.

According to the New York Times just this morning, "at least three dozen people in the United States suspected of ties to the Islamic State were under heavy electronic or physical surveillance even before the Paris attacks."

So it is all too obvious that we will continue to face attacks from radical Islamic terrorists in the future.  To help remind us both of that certainty and that we must prepare for it, I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a long list of terrorist attacks on the United States that I prepared from public sources.  The list may not include each and every attack by these terrorists here, but it does include a wide variety of attempted and planned attacks against our citizens.  Because of space limitations on materials submitted for the Record, a more complete and annotated list can be found on my website.  That list also includes a separate list of individuals prosecuted in the United States for attempting to leave the country to fight for ISIS.

These lists include successful attacks that harmed Americans, as well as unsuccessful attacks that did not - often thanks to law enforcement's efforts.  What is common to all the attacks is that they were undertaken by terrorists who coordinated with radical Islamist extremists, were inspired by them, or who shared their views.  The listed attacks should serve as a reminder that we must always be vigilant.  We must never forget that radical Islamic extremists are waging war against us.  And so we must always be prepared to fight this battle and to defend against their attacks.

I am grateful this Thanksgiving season for the people in this country who do the difficult work of protecting us from terrorists every day.  We must continually strengthen our country's ability to win this war.  We must ensure that our military and Special Forces have the ability to take the fight to the terrorists overseas, wherever they are lurking.  We must ensure that our intelligence agencies have the tools needed to identify terrorists and their plots, while preserving the civil liberties that make our country special.  And we must ensure that law enforcement is able to use the lawful tools provided by Congress, consistent with the Constitution and approved by the courts, to help stop terrorist attacks.

I yield the floor.

The Project of the Quad Cities is dedicated to raising awareness of HIV/AIDS year round and with World AIDS Day quickly approaching on December 1st, TPQC has planned several community events to commemorate the day.
The Project of the Quad Cities has been working diligently for nearly 30 years to provide services to those at risk of contracting, affected by or living with HIV/STI/AIDS. To kick off the 30th anniversary, TPQC will be hosting Project Chocolate, a fundraising event, at Jumers Hotel and Casino from 6:00PM to 9:00PM on December 1st. Project Chocolate is a chocolate lover's dream that gives attendees the chance to taste a variety of sweet and savory chocolate creations made by local Quad Cities Vendors. Tickets are $10 (children 6 and under are free) and can be purchased at the door or in advance.
Because one in eight Americans do not know they have HIV, to encourage HIV testing, TPQC, the Moline-Davenport Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (MDAC) and Community Health Care in Rock Island are hosting In You Backyard: Knowledge is Power, a free testing event. The event will be held at the Community Health Care in Rock Island, located at 2750 11th Street, Rock Island, IL from 8:30AM to 12:00PM on World AIDS Day. MDAC will be providing food and giveaways.
Lastly, on Wednesday, December 2nd at 7:00PM, Metropolitan Church of the Quad Cities will be holding an HIV/AIDS service in their Sanctuary located at 2930 West Locust in Davenport. The service is dedicated to raising HIV/AIDS awareness and remembering those who have died of the disease. The proceeds from this event benefit The Project of the Quad Cities.
We hope you will join us to raise HIV/AIDS awareness in the community and create a future where HIV/STIS/AIDS is no longer stigmatized and everyone living with, affected by, or at risk of contracting HIV/STI/AIDS has the support they need to succeed. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/TheProjectOf TheQuadCities or call (309)762-5433.
#####