GOPUSA Illinois

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Chicago businesses to close for ‘Day Without Immigrants’ protest: ‘Show how strong we are’ (COMMENT: To promote their illegals, Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly lump illegal immigrants in with legal immigrants. Republicans oppose illegal immigration, but promote legal immigration.)
https://abc7chicago.com/post/day-immigrants-protest-chicago-business-owners-close-shops-monday-social-media-campaign-calls-shopping-strike/15858588/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Durbin
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/03/us-sen-dick-durbins-latest-role-leading-democrats-on-judging-president-trumps-top-nominees/
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly demonize, denigrate, and condemn school choice.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/03/opinion-school-choice-drains-public-resources-illinios/
— Do Chicago voters know there are 1,900 places to buy hemp and get high?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/03/editorial-hemp-brandon-johnson-regulation/
— Heading into budget season, Gov. JB Pritzker faces major challenge to show ‘Illinois can govern itself’
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/03/heading-into-budget-season-gov-jb-pritzker-faces-major-challenge-to-show-illinois-can-govern-itself/

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: The Chicago Auto Show is back Saturday
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250202/transportation/start-your-engines-jeep-is-back-and-hybrids-are-hot-at-the-chicago-auto-show/

JOURNAL COURIER
— Hysterical rhetoric on Trump’s funding pause obscures historically important issue
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/opinion/article/hysterical-rhetoric-obscures-important-issue-20096012.php

NORTHERN PUBLIC RADIO
— Democrats promote more illegal immigration in Elgin
https://www.northernpublicradio.org/illinois/2025-02-02/hundreds-gather-in-elgin-to-rally-against-mass-deportations

NPR ILLINOIS
— How safe is your weed? Patchy regulations may leave contaminants in the weed supply.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-03/how-safe-is-your-weed-patchy-regulations-may-leave-contaminants-in-the-weed-supply

ADVANTAGE NEWS
— State Rep. David Friess, R-Red Bud, responds to Kinzinger’s criticism of reimbursing military members dismissed over COVID vaccine refusal (COMMENT: My Democrat GAO superiors dismissed me when I was 49 years old in 1997 because in 1988 I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. Because of that, I should get reimbursed. I suggest $2.4 million, that is $4.2 million in backpay in today’s dollars minus the $1.8 million in pension payments that I have received in today’s dollars.)
https://www.advantagenews.com/news/local/lawmaker-responds-to-kinzinger-s-criticism-of-reimbursing-military-members-dismissed-over-covid-vaccine-refusal/article_3bd2ba94-dfea-11ef-a28e-d3e4e54c1fc9.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Friess, a veteran, agrees that servicemen should be reinstated and questioned the necessity of healthy servicemen needing to get the COVID vaccine. . .Friess confirmed service members do have to make sure that their shots are up to date before they deploy. . .Friess said there might be some resentment from military members who were forced to get the COVID vaccine. “What are the other military members going to say? How are they going to feel about it? And, and I think it’s going to be mixed. I think you’re going to have some people say, ‘yeah, [this was the] way to go,’ and people that might be resentful,” said Friess. Friess pointed out that during government shutdowns, non-essential federal employees go home and that they don’t get paid during the shutdown, but always receive back pay. “Now they don’t get paid during that government shutdown, but they always get back pay. They get compensated because it’s no fault of their own. So, is that [giving them back pay] right? Probably not. There’s a bright line on this,” said Friess. About 8,000 troops were booted from the military for refusing COVID-19 vaccinations. The order, signed by Trump, paves the way for them to be reinstated in the military with back pay.)

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2025/02/03/trumps-trans-military-ban-sparks-alarm-00202050

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/03/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-448/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WIRE POINTS
— No matter what Pritzker or the Tribune says, Illinois’ NAEP education results are abysmal
https://wirepoints.org/no-matter-what-pritzker-or-the-tribune-says-illinois-naep-education-results-are-abysmal-wirepoints/
— Trump is showing he cares more about safe streets in Illinois than Gov. Pritzker does
https://wirepoints.org/trumps-showing-he-cares-more-about-safe-streets-in-illinois-than-gov-pritzker-does-wirepoints-on-with-jeff-daly-of-wzus-decatur-radio/

MCHENRY CUNTY BLOG
— Legislators at County Board Meeting
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/02/legislators-at-county-board-meeting/
— Does DEI -> National Idiocy?
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/02/does-dei-national-idiocy/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What are the main things that distinguish you from your critics/opponents? Overwhelmingly, my critics/opponents had parents who had way more money than my parents had. They did not have to work their way through college like I had to. Their parents bought them cars and paid for their college expenses. Further, they benefitted from Affirmative Action (AA) and DEI or want to benefit from AA and DEI. Further, they look down on if not despise if not hate Protestants, German Americans, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors. I should write about my critics/opponents and the pretexts they used to take big adverse actions against me. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— If Trump had been elected earlier, how would that have impacted your career? Democrats run the federal government. Democrats hate Trump. Because of my demographics, if Trump had been elected before 1980, the Democrats who ran GAO back then would not have hired me in 1980, and if they had, they would not have promoted me in 1986 and they would have forced me to retire much sooner. If Trump had been elected before 1971, the Democrats who ran IRS back then would not have hired me in 1971, and if they had, they would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1975. If Trump had been elected before 1966, the Democrats who ran the Post Office back then would not have hired me in 1966, and if they had, they would have forced me to resign much sooner. However, if Trump had been elected before 1971, EEOC would not have forced Oldsmobile to stop hiring Whites and Oldsmobile would not have withdrawn the job offer that I had accepted. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Consolidation of Marengo FPD, Rescue District, and Union Fire Protection District Being Given Serious Consideration
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/03/consolidation-of-marengo-fpd-rescue-district-and-union-fire-protection-district-being-given-serious-consideration/
— McHenry County College Awarded $118,788 for Mental Health Support
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/03/mchenry-county-college-awarded-118788-for-mental-health-support/
— Consolidation of Marengo FPD, Rescue District, and Union Fire Protection District Being Given Serious Consideration
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/03/consolidation-of-marengo-fpd-rescue-district-and-union-fire-protection-district-being-given-serious-consideration/
— Woodstock Willie Makes Front Page of Chicago Tribune, TV, Even Pittsburgh Paper
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/03/woodstock-willie-makes-front-page-of-chicago-tribune/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Crying and coping: Left struggles with Trump’s aggressiveness
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/2/crying-coping-left-struggles-donald-trump-aggressi/

NEW YORK POST
— Thousands protest against Trump’s immigration crackdown, blocking traffic on Los Angeles freeway (COMMENT: Los Angeles today, your municipality tomorrow.)
https://nypost.com/2025/02/02/us-news/protesters-against-trumps-immigration-crackdown-block-los-angeles-freeway/
— The left’s lies just keep growing — even as each of them gets debunked
https://nypost.com/2025/02/02/opinion/the-lefts-lies-keep-just-growing-even-as-each-of-them-gets-debunked/

AMERICAN REATNESS
— Ten Problems with DEI That Frighten the Public. DEI policies are facing scrutiny amid recent disasters, raising concerns about their impact on competence, meritocracy, and public safety.
https://amgreatness.com/2025/02/03/the-problems-with-dei-that-frighten-the-public/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The first issue is whether hiring, retention, and promotion in the airline industry or the military is not fully meritocratic. That is, were personnel hired on the basis of their exhibited superior education, practical experience, and superb scores on relevant examinations in matters relating to air travel? Or were they instead passed over because of their race, gender, or sexual orientation? Was the shortage of controllers a direct result not of an unqualified pool of applicants but rather because of racial restrictions place upon it to reduce its size? Second, were the promoters of DEI confident that they could argue that “diversity, equity, and inclusion” were as important criteria for the operation of a complex aircraft system as the past traditional criteria that had qualified air traffic controllers, pilots, and administrators? Not only did DEI considerations often supersede past traditional meritocratic requirements for employment, but DEI champions had also argued that “diversity” was either as important to, or more important than, traditional hiring and retention evaluations. The answers to these first two questions make it incumbent to ask further whether DEI played a role in the Washington, D.C., crash, similar to how it may have in the Los Angeles wildfires. It is not racist, sexist, or homophobic to ask such legitimate questions, especially because advocates themselves so often give more attention and emphasis to their race, gender, and sexual orientation than their assumed impressive expertise, proven experience, and superior education. In other words, had one’s race, sex, or orientation been incidental to employment rather than essential, such questions from the public might never have arisen. Finally, what are the problems with DEI that have not just lost its support but put fear into the public that, like the Russian commissar system of old, it has the potential to undermine the very sinews of a sophisticated, complex society? . .In sum, because of these inconsistencies, Donald Trump may well be able to end DEI with a wave of an executive order—simply because its foundations were always built of sand and thus any bold push would knock over the entire shaky edifice.)

BACON’S REBELLION
— Four Anti-School Choice Myths Exploded (COMMENT: Since 1953 when my parents sent me to Trinity Lutheran Grade School in Crete, my critics/opponents have used that against me. They have outrageously/disgustingly/falsely used that to hint/imply/argue/shout that my parents could do that because they were filthy rich. My father never earned more than $50,000/year in today’s dollars and during the 1950s, it was less. He almost always worked second jobs to pay the family’s bills. My mother never attended high school. I had to work my way through college.)
https://www.baconsrebellion.com/four-anti-school-choice-myths-explored-exploded/

BREITBART
— Lady Gaga Preaches Politics at Grammys: ‘Trans People Are Not Invisible’
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2025/02/02/lady-gaga-at-grammys-trans-people-are-not-invisible-queer-community-deserves-to-be-lifted-up/
— Wall St. Journal Scoffs as ‘Dumb’ Trump Uses Tariffs to Reduce American Drug-Deaths
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2025/02/02/wall-st-journal-sneers-at-trump-using-tariffs-to-reduce-opioid-deaths/

COLLEGE FIX
— Florida State University to remove general education designation from hundreds of CRT-infused courses (COMMENT: Back in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1990s, I took many courses to earn a bachelor’s degree and three master’s degrees. But because virtually all of those courses were in business, accounting, and finance, few pushed the Democrat Party platform.)
https://www.thecollegefix.com/florida-state-u-to-remove-general-education-designation-from-hundreds-of-crt-infused-courses/

EPOCH TIMES
— Panama Says It Will Not Renew ‘Belt and Road’ Agreement With China After Rubio Visit
https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/panama-says-it-will-not-renew-belt-and-road-agreement-with-china-5803181

FEDERALIST
— 5 Shocking Reasons Trump Should Exit The U.N. Now
https://thefederalist.com/2025/02/03/5-shocking-reasons-trump-should-exit-the-u-n-now/

FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— H-1B Visas: Cheap Foreign Labor Versus the American Worker (COMMENT: If there had been as many immigrants when I was young as there are today, they would have gotten the jobs that I got, and if not that, my wages would have been lower because immigrants drive wages down. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to work their way through college because their parents were wealthy.)
https://www.fairus.org/issue/h-1b-visas-cheap-foreign-labor-versus-american-worker

FOX NEWS
— Trump order restricting sex-change procedures for minors in line with ‘do no harm,’ doctor says. ‘This fight only ends when children are no longer being abused on our soil. Ever,’ detransitioner Chloe Cole said.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-order-restricting-sex-change-procedures-minors-line-do-no-harm-doctor-says
— Trump defends tariffs, accuses Canada of being ‘very abusive of the United States’: Trump authorized his tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico on Saturday.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-defends-tariffs-accuses-canada-being-very-abusive-united-states-video
— Musk rips ‘fraudulent’ Treasury handouts as reports mount DOGE has access to federal payment system
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/musk-rips-fraudulent-treasury-payments-reports-mount-doge-has-access-federal-payment-system

TUBERVILLE
— Tuberville moves to prioritize American workers over ‘cheap’ foreign labor (COMMENT: If there had been as many immigrants when I was young as there are today, they would have gotten the jobs that I got, and if not that, my wages would have been lower because immigrants drive wages down. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to work their way through college because their parents were wealthy.)
https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/tuberville-moves-to-prioritize-american-workers-over-cheap-foreign-labor-combat-job-outsourcing/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NBC NEWS
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use the Constitution’s “equal protection” guarantee a) to give more preference to Democrats and b) to destroy Republicans.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-conservatives-reignite-battle-race-constitution-rcna189842

CNN
— Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration
https://www.wfft.com/news/national/this-family-of-ten-trekked-from-venezuela-in-hopes-of-asylum-in-america-now-they/article_36b1c546-9826-52b8-8c62-a9bf81b1eb3d.html

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— American dream out of reach (COMMENT: I was able to buy new cars when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc. and real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, and 35. But I doubt that I would be able to do that today at those ages.)
https://www.gjsentinel.com/with-home-prices-and-mortgage-rates-high-many-families-find-the-american-dream-out-of/article_6bc4119e-f033-51a4-aedb-66006acfee6d.html

MSN
— Secret Service Faces Lawsuit Over DEI Standards
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/secret-service-faces-lawsuit-over-dei-standards/ss-AA1rAqbc?ocid=st2

NEW YORK TIMES
— Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities. A poll from The New York Times and Ipsos found that Americans believe abortion, L.G.B.T.Q. issues and climate change concern Democrats more than the cost of living.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/02/us/democrats-ipsos-poll-abortion-lgbt.html
— To achieve Affirmative Action (AA) and DEI quotas, goals, and targets, Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly lower standards big time. Democrat and RINO leaders use AA and DEI to get rid of Republicans. That rendered worthless my job-related bachelor’s degree, my three job-related master’s degrees, my six job-related professional certifications, and my job-related professional license. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less work experience than I had, had less education than I had, had no professional certifications or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, and/or younger. I should write about that.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/us/politics/trump-diversity-racism.html
— NASA Astronaut Recruitment Faces Trump’s Moves Against D.E.I.  The government space agency has vocally promoted diversity and inclusion for decades, even during the first Trump administration. (COMMENT: To promote diversity is to discriminate against those who are conservative, Republican, American, White, male. older, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/science/nasa-astronauts-dei-trump.html
— The more of the following that you are, the faster that Democrat leaders get rid of you: conservative, Republican, American, White, male. older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Because I am all of the aforesaid, I would not have survived for almost 9 years working for the Democrats who ran IRS 1971-1980 if I had not a) earned an MBA in 1976, b) passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, and c) almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting. Because I am all of the aforesaid, I would not have survived for almost 18 years working for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997 if I had not a) earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, b) passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981, c) earned four more job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and d) earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/opinion/transgender-military-ban-trump.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use religious leaders to promote more hatred against Trump
https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2025/02/02/bishop-budde-national-cathedral-trump/
— Democrat leaders ever-increasing promote more illegal immigration and LGBTQ.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/02/03/trump-immigrant-children-transgender/

USA TODAY
— Transgender care on kids is dangerous. Trump was right to block it.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/02/03/trump-bans-funding-gender-surgery-transitioning-kids/78051941007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Democratic States Are Wards of Washington. There’s a reason for the panic over the Trump White House’s temporary federal spending pause. (COMMENT: Ever-increasingly, Democrats take money away from Republicans and give it to Democrats.)
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/democratic-states-are-wards-of-washington-federal-spending-dollars-states-cities-92ace121
— Democrats Have a New Leader Ken Martin, but Haven’t Come to Grips With Failure. Cracks emerge as party confronts deep unpopularity; ‘we utilize identity to break ourselves apart.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/democrats-have-a-new-leader-but-havent-come-to-grips-with-failure-ee77234c
— Rich Countries Are Becoming Addicted to Cheap Labor (COMMENT: If there had been as many immigrants when I was young as there are today, they would have gotten the jobs that I got, and if not that, my wages would have been lower because immigrants drive wages down. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to work their way through college because their parents were wealthy.)
https://www.wsj.com/economy/business-immigrant-low-skilled-labor-addiction-bf009a83

FORTUNE
— Tesla Accused of Using Cheap Foreign Labor in Silicon Valley (COMMENT: If there had been as many immigrants when I was young as there are today, they would have gotten the jobs that I got, and if not that, my wages would have been lower because immigrants drive wages down. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to work their way through college because their parents were wealthy.)
https://fortune.com/2016/05/16/tesla-cheap-labor/

FORBES
— Why Job Benefits Are Disappearing From 2025 Hiring Posts (COMMENT: The federal government does not reimburse its employees’ tuition expenses for job-related graduate courses except for small token amounts in some cases. My Democrat IRS superiors used that to outrageously/disgustingly/falsely                                                          hint/imply/argue/shout that the graduate business and accounting courses that I deducted a) did not relate to my job duties, b) did not maintain or improve my job skills, c) were taken my me to get a job in the private sector, and d) qualified me for a new trade or business. They outrageously/disgustingly/falsely did that knowing full-well that their employee manual encouraged me to take those courses and ignoring my position descriptions and graduate school applications.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/cynthiapong/2025/01/19/why-job-benefits-are-disappearing-from-2025-hiring-posts/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: By proactively detailing what makes a role worthwhile—whether that’s flexible scheduling, mental health support, or tuition reimbursement—employers can still differentiate themselves without overwhelming applicants with a laundry list of minor perks.)
— How many marginalized groups are you a member of? My critics/opponents stress that I am not a member of any marginalized group. I am not liberal, Democrat, minority, female, younger, poor, unmarried, LGBTQ, disabled, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, or citizen of a foreign country. According to my critics/opponents, because I am not a member of any marginalized group, I should pay the price of Affirmative Action and DEI big time.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/genacox/2025/02/02/4-ways-respect-powers-thriving-teams-leadership-and-business-success/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/juliekratz/2025/02/02/tired-of-performative-allyship-10-phrases-inclusive-leaders-use/

BLOOMBERG
— Cheap Foreign Labor Soars in Canada as Young Workers Are Left Jobless (COMMENT: Canada today, America tomorrow. If there had been as many immigrants when I was young as there are today, they would have gotten the jobs that I got, and if not that, my wages would have been lower because immigrants drive wages down. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to work their way through college because their parents were wealthy.)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-12/cheap-foreign-labor-soars-in-canada-as-young-workers-are-left-jobless
— Canada Must End Reliance on Cheap Foreign Labor, Minister Says (COMMENT: Canada today, America tomorrow. If there had been as many immigrants when I was young as there are today, they would have gotten the jobs that I got, and if not that, my wages would have been lower because immigrants drive wages down. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to work their way through college because their parents were wealthy.)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-06/canada-must-end-reliance-on-cheap-foreign-labor-minister-says
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/2024/08/06/canada-moves-to-shrink-low-wage-foreign-worker-program-after-explosive-growth/

BLOOMBERG LAW
— Trump’s Deportation Plans Get Boost From Actions in Red States (COMMENT: Trump’s deportation plans are obstructed in blue states.)
https://news.bgov.com/bloomberg-government-news/trumps-deportation-plans-get-boost-from-actions-in-red-states

WIRED
— The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk’s Government Takeover. Engineers between 19 and 24, most linked to Musk’s companies, are playing a key role as he seizes control of federal infrastructure. (COMMENT: Just kidding, but will Musk ask for my advice on anything? GAO fights fraud, waste, and abuse in the federal government. I worked for GAO for almost 18 years, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 levels, currently $117,807-$153,151/year. I have three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. Further, I worked for IRS for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $99,069-$112,280/year.)
https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-government-young-engineers/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: WIRED has identified six young men—all apparently between the ages of 19 and 24, according to public databases, their online presences, and other records—who have little to no government experience and are now playing critical roles in Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project, tasked by executive order with “modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.” The engineers all hold nebulous job titles within DOGE, and at least one appears to be working as a volunteer.)

SCHOLARSHIPS
— Did you get scholarships? I did not. My critics/opponents have always used that to hint/imply/argue/shout a) that I am academically deficient and b) that my parents were filthy rich. In my defense, I worked my way through college and then earned three master’s degrees, six professional certifications, and a professional license.
https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-type/full-tuition-scholarships

NATIONAL POST
— Fines issued for abusing Canada’s temporary foreign worker program rise 36% (COMMENT: Canada today, America tomorrow. If there had been as many immigrants when I was young as there are today, they would have gotten the jobs that I got, and if not that, my wages would have been lower because immigrants drive wages down. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to work their way through college because their parents were wealthy.)
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/fines-issued-for-abusing-canadas-temporary-foreign-worker-program-rise-36

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— Trump to again freeze federal hiring. The new president will allow some exceptions, but says the freeze is necessary to root out “useless and overpaid” activists from federal rolls. (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats that ran GAO 1980-1997, the agency was almost always under Republican-caused hiring and promotion freezes. My Democrat GAO superiors punished me severely for that. Who does Trump want the next Comptroller General to be, that is, who does Trump want the next head of GAO to be?)
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/01/trump-again-freeze-federal-hiring/402335/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Government Accountability Office raised concerns about the impact of Trump’s and previous hiring freezes, saying they were not effective and exacerbate existing workforce problems. Such freezes, GAO said, cause agencies to hire contractors and temporary staff. “If you want to reduce the workforce, you have to reduce the functions they’re doing,” GAO chief Gene Dodaro told Congress in 2017. “And you have to be able to realign the workforce.” GAO also found that agencies with exceptions, such as the Veterans Affairs Department that allowed the hiring of doctors and nurses to continue, still experienced fallout as they suffered from a lack of support staff.  When Trump ended the freeze, he tasked agencies to create plans to reshape themselves. Few of those plans were ever brought into effect as they ran headlong into congressional resistance. White House officials later refuted that the overall plans were intended to reduce federal workforce personnel. Some federal agencies have already implemented hiring restrictions due to budget caps and the short-term funding mechanism under which they are currently operating.)

TIMES
— US social mobility is overhyped (COMMENT: I was able to earn three master’s degrees, six professional certifications, and a professional license even though a) neither of my parents attended college, b) my father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma, c) my mother never attended high school, d) my ACT score was only 24, e) I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of high school class, and f) I had to work my way through college.)
https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/brutal-truth-us-social-mobility-is-overhyped-xg3dqvg7k