February 4, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use Marimar Martinez to promote more hatred against Republicans.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/my-own-government-attempted-to-execute-me-chicago-woman-shot-by-border-patrol-testifies/ar-AA1VCjBE

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/04/opinion-federal-agents-immigration-raids-accountability/
— Chicago schools, transit, public housing remain rudderless under Mayor Brandon Johnson
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/chicago-schools-transit-public-housing-110000025.html

DAILY HERALD
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use Good and Pretti to promote more hatred against Republicans.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260203/nation-and-world-politics/renee-goods-brothers-others-describe-assaults-shootings-at-hearing/

WTTW
— As Illinois Weighs Joining Federal School Voucher Program, Education Policy Experts Debate the Impact. DD: My parents paid to send me and my brother to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools. Because of that, I had to work my way through college.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/02/03/illinois-weighs-joining-federal-school-voucher-program-education-policy-experts-debate

WMBD
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government.
https://wmbdradio.com/2026/02/03/child-care-funding-freeze-could-worsen-shortage-in-illinois-providers-say/

SHAW LOCAL
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote bilingualism. Everyone in America speaking English is what made America great. My ancestors speaking German held them back. All my grandparents spoke German. Consequently, my father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school.
https://www.shawlocal.com/news/2026/02/04/bilingual-education-surges-in-illinois-as-state-seal-of-biliteracy-marks-10-years-of-success/

ENEWS PARK FOREST
— Southland Career and Technical Education Center. DD: Choosing the right college major is extremely important. I should have majored in accounting from the beginning, but I did not until I was 27 when I started taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. I earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul when I was 31. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32. I became a licensed CPA when I was 32. But by then, the accounting profession had no interest in me a) because it viewed me as being too old and b) because my demographics were terrible. The profession was under tremendous pressure to advance minorities and females. Why didn’t I major in accounting from the beginning? I erroneously believed that because I was not strong in math, I could never pass the CPA examination. But I belatedly learned that accountants do not use the types of math that I was not strong in.
https://www.enewspf.com/latest-news/the-latest-on-the-southland-career-and-technical-education-center/

IPM NEWS
— U of I students react to Illini Republicans controversial ICE social media post
https://ipmnewsroom.org/u-of-i-students-react-to-illini-republicans-controversial-ice-social-media-post/

BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— DePaul Students Push For ‘Sanctuary Campus’ Policies After Immigration Agents Spotted Nearby. Students want limits on cooperation with federal immigration agents, real-time alerts and formal policies they say would better protect immigrant and international classmates.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/03/depaul-students-push-for-sanctuary-campus-policies-after-ice-sightings-nearby/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Everyone’s making moves in IL-07
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/02/04/everyones-making-moves-in-il-07-00763953

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/02/04/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-673/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CHICAGO CONTRARIAN
— Chicago Democrats Declare War on the Federal Government
https://www.chicagocontrarian.com/blog/chicago-democrats-declare-war-federal-government

JOHN KASS
— The Loss of Trust in Legacy Media
https://johnkassnews.com/the-loss-of-trust-in-legacy-media/

WIREPOINTS
— Scrutiny Grows Over Benefits Fraud and Fiscal Policy as Illinois Faces Mounting Pressures
https://wirepoints.org/scrutiny-grows-over-benefits-fraud-and-fiscal-policy-as-illinois-faces-mounting-pressures-wirepoints-mark-glennon-on-am560/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Were you active in politics when you were in school? I was not. If I had been active in Republican politics when I was a Crete-Monee High School student 1962-1966, the Democrats who ran the Park Forest Post Office would not have hired me in 1966. If I had been active in Republican politics when I was an UIC student 1966-1968 and 1971 and/or a NIU student 1969-1970, the Democrats who ran IRS would not have hired me in 1971. If I had been active in Republican politics when I was a part-time Loyola student 1972-1976, the Democrats who ran IRS would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, or 1974. If I had been active in Republican politics when I was a part-time DePaul student 1976-1980, the Democrats who ran GAO would not have hired me in 1980 or promoted me in 1986. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Dems fail in first try to use ‘state sovereignty’ to ‘veto’ ICE. DD: Federal law trumps state and local law.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_766b220c-5727-543c-9c95-094fcc2c326d.html
— Congresswoman Mary Miller, R-Oakland, slammed the Illinois State Board of Elections on Monday for what she called a “dereliction of duty” in maintaining accurate voter rolls, criticizing the board’s decision to delay its response to a congressional inquiry until Feb. 12. “For years, Illinois has refused to mandate voter ID, a commonsense election integrity measure. The State also insists on counting mail-in ballots received long after election day, a controversial practice that is subject to ongoing litigation,” states a letter sent by Illinois Republican congressmen.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_b1290fcf-d81a-4723-9980-deb70b2e7a7d.html

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— FBI Formally Asked to Review Illinois GOP Over Alleged Illegal Use of Nonprofit Postage
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/02/fbi-formally-asked-to-review-illinois-gop-over-alleged-illegal-use-of-nonprofit-postage.html

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Illinois politicians still want boosted tax power
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-politicians-still-want-boosted-tax-power/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

BLAZE
— How to watch Turning Point USA Super Bowl halftime show — ‘American culture, freedom, and faith.’ DD: Those who are anti-conservative will not watch this except maybe for opposition research.
https://www.theblaze.com/align/tpusa-super-bowl-halftime-show
— Wokeness runs on ungratefulness — and normal people are over it. DD: All my critics/opponents are woke.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/wokeness-runs-on-ungratefulness-and-normal-people-are-over-it

BREITBART
— People Victimized by Illegals Should Be Heard as Well
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/02/03/dem-sen-blumenthal-people-victimized-by-illegals-should-be-heard-as-well-gop-should-face-facts-here-on-dhsdem-sen-blumenthal-people-victimized-by-illegals-should-be-heard-as-well-gop/

COLLEGE FIX
— Ohio University TPUSA students face gun threat, harassment during tabling event. DD: How strong is the opposition to Turning Point USA in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.thecollegefix.com/ohio-u-tpusa-students-face-gun-threat-harassment-during-tabling-event/
— Philadelphia universities mostly quiet about plans for America’s 250th
https://www.thecollegefix.com/philadelphia-universities-mostly-quiet-about-plans-for-americas-250th/

DAILY WIRE
— Illinois Bill Would Ban ICE Agents Hired Under Trump From Working As Local Cops. “If you enabled the cruelty of the Trump administration, you don’t get to wear a badge in Illinois.” DD: My their wasting my career, by their taking many big adverse actions against me, and by their forcing me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997, my Democrat superiors in the federal government banned me from getting any kind of employment appropriate for someone with my work experience, education, professional certifications, and professional license.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/blue-state-bill-would-ban-ice-agents-hired-under-trump-from-working-as-local-cops

EPOCH TIMES
— Why Skyrocketing Premiums Were Inevitable Under Obamacare’s Design. The Affordable Care Act caused a cracked insurance market and skyrocketing premiums, now at an average of nearly $500 per month for a 40-year-old to be insured. DD: Because I am a retired federal employee, the federal government pays 72% of my and my wife’s healthcare insurance premiums. The 28% that we pay just increased from $600/month to $700/month.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/why-skyrocketing-premiums-were-inevitable-with-obamacares-design-5961530

FOX NEWS
— ICE arrests New Orleans police recruit with deportation order who was issued firearm by department. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have because of my bad demographics.
https://noticias.foxnews.com/us/ice-arrests-new-orleans-police-recruit-deportation-order-who-issued-firearm-department
— DD: I have been the Illinois reporter for GOPUSA since 2000. I should write about the times that “Republican” candidates, “religious” leaders, “conservative” leaders, and “Republican” party leaders a) hid their events from me, b) barred me from attending their events, and/or c) threw me out of their events. I would focus on the aforesaid a) who want to curry favor with the Democrat news media and b) who pander the most to the Democrat news media.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6388738477112
— Fox News host Jesse Watters discusses Democrats’ rhetoric about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6388735870112
— Fox News host Sean Hannity discusses Democrats embracing illegal immigration.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6388739785112

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Voters Overwhelmingly Back Deportations and ICE. “Americans support deporting those in the country illegally by a [nearly] 2-to-1 margin, 61% to 34%.”
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/02/new-poll-shatters-narrative-voters-overwhelmingly-back-deportations-and-ice/

HOMELAND SECURITY
— DHS Law Enforcement Experienced More Than 180 Vehicle Attacks Since President Trump Took Office. DD: How soon, if not already, will Democrat leaders officially offer training in using vehicles to attack ICE?
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/02/03/dhs-law-enforcement-experienced-more-180-vehicle-attacks-president-trump-took
— ICE Arrests Illegal Alien One Week Before Graduation from New Orleans Police Department Academy Training, Issued Firearm. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have because of my bad demographics.
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/02/03/ice-arrests-illegal-alien-one-week-graduation-new-orleans-police-department-academy

TOWNHALL
— The Turning Point Halftime Show Is Gonna Be Interesting. DD: Those who are anti-conservative will not watch this show except maybe for opposition research.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/josephchalfant/2026/02/03/the-turning-point-halftime-show-lineup-is-gonna-be-interesting-n2670636

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use Good and Pretti to promote more hatred against Republicans.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5720210-oversight-democrats-report-dhs-impunity/amp/

ABC NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use Good and Pretti to promote more hatred against Republicans.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/renee-goods-brothers-testify-capitol-hill-after-deadly/story?id=129826762
https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/minneapolis-alex-pretti-shooting-death-immigration/?id=129787621

CBS NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use Good and Pretti to promote more hatred against Republicans.
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/live-updates/renee-good-brothers-testify-operation-metro-surge-february-3-2026/

AOL
— Your $1.5 Million Nest Egg Runs Out 5 Years Early When Inflation Hits 4.5%. DD: My retirement income and savings are dramatically less because my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career, took many big adverse actions against me, and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. They would not have done that if I had been a been a Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran.
https://www.aol.com/articles/1-5-million-nest-egg-143541736.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/style/platonic-co-parenting-apps.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: All during the almost 30 years that I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government, they were under tremendous pressure from Democrat elected officials to hire, retain, and promote Democrats, and especially Democrats who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/02/03/nfl-diversity-black-coaches/

WASLL STREET JOURNAL
— Emanuel: Trump Hands Democrats a Golden Opportunity
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trump-hands-democrats-a-golden-opportunity-a9527397
— Trump’s ICE Tactics Alienate Americans. The hard-core MAGA base supports him, but that won’t be enough to win the midterms.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trumps-ice-tactics-alienate-americans-7c2664fd

COEUR D’ALENE PRESS
— PROTESTS: Don’t interfere with law enforcement
https://cdapress.com/news/2026/feb/04/protests-dont-interfere-with-law-enforcement/

KXAN
— Gov. Abbott criticizes statewide public school ICE protests. DD: What policy does your school district have on student walkouts?
https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/gov-abbott-cites-youth-alcohol-arrests-to-criticize-statewide-public-school-ice-protests/

OSV NEWS
— Catholic high school students in Utah walk out to protest ICE and support immigrants. DD: What policy does your school district have on student walkouts?
https://www.osvnews.com/catholic-high-school-students-in-utah-walk-out-to-protest-ice-and-support-immigrants/

FLORIDA TODAY
— Students will be disciplined for ICE walkouts despite Florida state guidance. DD: What policy does your school district have on student walkouts?
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/students-disciplined-ice-walkouts-despite-102810036.html

SPOT ON FLORIDA
— School board chair said he was threatened over warning to students over ICE walkout. DD: What policy does your school district have on student walkouts?
https://spotonflorida.com/east-central-florida/5954755/school-board-chair-said-he-was-threatened.html
— Parent questions daughter’s suspension following ICE protest walkout at Pensacola high school. DD: What policy does your school district have on student walkouts?
https://spotonflorida.com/western-panhandle/5954592/parent-questions-daughters-suspension.html

BENZINGA
— Anthony Scaramucci Says ‘Formula Hasn’t Changed’ For Building Wealth: ‘Get A Job.’ DD: My critics/opponents would not stoop to take the jobs that I took.
https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/financial-advisors/26/02/50363407/anthony-scaramucci-says-formula-hasnt-changed-for-building-wealth-get-a-job
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Former White House communications director and SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci outlined a simple, step-by-step approach to financial success, emphasizing work, discipline, and consistent saving. On Tuesday, in a post on X, Scaramucci shared a video clip offering practical advice for anyone looking to grow wealth from the ground up. “Step one is simple: get a job,” he wrote on X. He added, “That means showing up ready — personal hygiene, clean clothes, whatever you can manage. Start somewhere.” He encouraged workers to save at least 10% of their earnings, even if the amount feels small. “Bank it, invest it, build the habit. That’s how a nest egg forms — week by week,” Scaramucci wrote. The former financier drew on lessons from the 1926 classic The Richest Man in Babylon. “I started with almost nothing at 18 and learned this from a 100-year-old book,” he said. “The formula hasn’t changed: discipline, work, and saving. That’s how momentum begins.” Scaramucci also stressed the importance of personal presentation. “Work on personal hygiene. Try to get a clean suit or clean garments. Clean yourself up. Go get a job somewhere,” he said in the clip. Scaramucci On Resilience, Financial Reality  Scaramucci urged resilience and personal responsibility while warning that many Americans were under growing financial pressure. Last month, the SkyBridge Capital founder encouraged young people to confront setbacks without self-pity, citing his own White House dismissal as a lesson in accepting reality and moving forward. He also cautioned entrepreneurs about the volatility that comes with risk. Separately, Scaramucci highlighted a widening gap between income and basic stability in the U.S., saying it took about $131,000 a year to live without constant financial stress, compared with a median income of about $84,000. He said the disparity was evident in everyday hardships and questioned whether such conditions were acceptable in the world’s richest nation.)

FED WEEK
— Boost in $25,000 Buyout Incentives under Consideration in House. DD: To get rid of their employees who had 25 or more years of federal service and were GS-14 or lower, conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time, in 1993, the Democrats who ran GAO offered them a) a $25,000 buyouts ($55,600 in today’s dollars) for one year and b) early retirement for 4 years. I was all of the aforesaid. The following helped survive for 4 years: I earned a master’s degree in finance in 1997. I earned professional certifications in forensic accounting in 1997, financial services auditing in 1996, government financial management in 1994, fraud examination in 1990, internal auditing in 1981, and accounting in 1979. I became a licensed CPA in 1981. I earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980. I earned an MBA in 1976.
https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/boost-in-value-of-buyout-incentives-under-consideration-in-house/

NPR
— The history of Black History Month. DD: My Black Democrat GAO subordinate who my Democrat GAO superiors replaced me with led the office’s Black History Month events.
https://www.npr.org/2026/02/04/nx-s1-5690184/the-history-of-black-history-month-one-hundred-years-in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRz1nKH6ll0

Author: David Diersen

The opinions that I express in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are based on experience that I have gained doing many things since 1948. I base my opinions on what I learned a) working for the federal government for almost 30 years -- Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, serving on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996, and being a union member while I worked for the Post Office and IRS; b) earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, a masters degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, and a masters degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997; c) passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981; c) serving as a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999, the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois Chairman 2005-2012, a member of the 2008 Illinois Republican Party (IRP) Platform and Resolutions Committee, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member 2003-2011, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, and an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004; d) attending the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 IRP State Conventions as a delegate; e) being the subject of a nasty 4-page article in the February 1978 issue of Money Magazine; f) pursing litigation including Diersen v. GAO and Diersen v. Chicago Car Exchange; g) being married since 1978; h) living in Crete 1948-1972, in University Park 1972-1976, in Chicago 1976-1978, and in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton since 1978; and i) being baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran.