FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— US nationals urged to leave 14 countries in Middle East. The U.S. and Israel are continuing strikes on targets across Iran.
https://abc7chicago.com/live-updates/iran-live-updates-trump-says-major-combat-operations-have-begun/18660347/
— Strait of Hormuz is ‘closed.’ An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander said the Strait of Hormuz is “closed.”
https://abc7chicago.com/live-updates/iran-live-updates-trump-says-major-combat-operations-have-begun/18660347/entry/18669060/
NBC5
— Trump won’t rule out sending U.S. troops into Iran if ‘necessary.’ Iran escalated attacks on Israel and targets across the Middle East, with six U.S. service members killed.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/iran-us-israel-middle-east-conflict-march-03-2026-live-updates/3901981/
CBS2
— Iranians in Chicago express mixed emotions to U.S.-Israel attacks in Iran
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/iranians-chicago-express-mixed-emotions-u-s-israel-attacks-iran/
FOX32
— ICE won’t be tolerated at Chicago-area polling places, clerk says. DD: Why do Democrats insist that their illegals do not vote?
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/ice-wont-be-tolerated-chicago-area-polling-places-clerk-says
— Trump speaks on conflict in Iran: ‘Intolerable threat.’ The conflict in Iran is expanding on several fronts. President Donald Trump just spoke moments ago about the conflict in the Middle East.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-dijowlt27oaaz7kr
— Trump says Iran war could last 4 to 5 weeks
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-e0upx1cmkdwtix71
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Primary voting pickings grow slimmer in Lake County
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/02/column-charles-selle-primary/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: For those of Republican persuasion, the coming election should be dispiriting for a party that once ruled the Lake County political roost. In the home county of state GOP Chair Kathy Salvi of rural Mundelein, it should be downright depressing for party regulars. The party has no primary candidates listed in several Illinois House districts within county boundaries and no candidate in the 30th Senate District, a seat currently occupied by Democrat incumbent Adriane Johnson of Buffalo Grove. Of the four countywide offices, Republicans have posted only two candidates: The treasurer’s race and for sheriff. It is at the Lake County Board-level where the party truly shows its continuing minority status in the county. Of the 12 seats up in the Nov. 3 general election, the party has primary candidates in but two districts, and they are unopposed.)
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Voters turn out across Chicago’s 50 wards, suburbs ahead of March 17 primary. With early voting expanding across the Chicago area Monday, election officials gathered at the new South Loop Supersite to provide voters with an update ahead of the primary. DD: How many have voted so far in Illinois, in your county, in your township, in your municipality, and in your precinct? How many Democrat, Republican, and NA ballots have been cast so far? Who does not want the aforesaid information to be reported and why?
https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2026/03/02/chicago-early-voting-wards-suburban-counties
— Illinois Democrats call for state commission to probe Epstein files for local ties
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2026/03/02/epstein-commission-illinois-bill-abdelnasser-rashid-kwame-raoul
DAILY HERALD
— DuPage clerk to ICE: Stay away from polling places. DD: How strongly will this a) discourage Republicans from voting and b) encourage voters to cast Democrat ballots?
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260302/news/dupage-clerk-to-ice-stay-away-from-polling-places/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek made it clear Monday that federal immigration agents are not welcome at polling places. She announced her office has set up a special phone number, (630) 407-5634, for people to report if they see U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other federal agents at or near a polling place. “Today, my office has a message for the voters of DuPage County and for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and that message is that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will not be allowed to interfere with DuPage County elections in any way,” Kaczmarek said at a news conference. She said it is a federal crime for military or federal agents to interfere in elections or intimidate voters. “Those crimes will not be tolerated in DuPage County. Not on my watch,” Kaczmarek said. “ICE, go away. Do not even try. You will fail.” Early voting began several weeks ago at five sites and expanded to 24 on Monday. When asked if immigration agents had been seen at any of the sites, Kaczmarek said, “No.” She said it is a myth that non-citizens vote on Election Day. Kaczmarek also reminded voters that if they feel unsafe at a polling place on the day of the March 17 primary election, they can go to another of the 248 polling places because DuPage residents can vote anywhere in the county. If the clerk’s office receives a report about federal agents, it will notify election judges at that polling place. It will also alert community “rapid response” teams who monitor agents and report their presence to the public, Kaczmarek said. The clerk said she will also notify the appropriate authorities. She said election judges can ask agents to leave. Kaczmarek said she did not consult with DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin or DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick about enforcing any such requests.)
— Early voting kicks into high gear as more polls open across the suburbs. DD: How many have voted so far in Illinois, in your county, in your township, in your municipality, and in your precinct? How many Democrat, Republican, and NA ballots have been cast so far? Who does not want the aforesaid information to be reported and why?
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260302/local-politics/early-voting-kicks-into-high-gear-as-more-polls-open-across-the-suburbs/
— Feud with county board a key issue in DuPage County clerk primary race
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260302/local-politics/feud-with-county-board-a-key-issue-in-dupage-county-clerk-primary-race/
WAND TV
— Hegseth insists the Iran conflict is ‘not endless’ while warning more casualties are likely. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has spoken to widening concerns the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran could spiral into a protracted regional conflict by declaring, “This is not Iraq.”
https://www.wandtv.com/news/national/hegseth-insists-the-iran-conflict-is-not-endless-while-warning-more-casualties-are-likely/article_83e6eb23-8e7c-5f45-b218-74bb1bf22595.html
NPR ILLINOIS
— Trump defends Iran strikes, offers objectives for military operation
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-03-02/trump-defends-iran-strikes-offers-objectives-for-military-operation
ELMHURST PATCH
— DuPage Undersheriff Charged In Bar Disturbance In 2021. He was described as the “primary aggressor.” He said he was targeted with a racial slur.
https://patch.com/illinois/elmhurst/dupage-undersheriff-bar-disturbance-2021-police
BLACK CHRONICLE
— Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says $21 million in state capital funds will unlock more than $83 million in private investment to restore a historic hotel area in the Pullman State Historic Site on Chicago’s South Side. According the governor’s office, the public-private partnership will redevelop the 1881 Hotel Florence, Pullman Car Works building and surrounding grounds into a boutique hotel, dining destination, and cultural and performing arts hub. DD: In 1973, when I was a 24-year-old IRS Revenue Officer, I collected delinquent taxes from a resident in that hotel.
https://blackchronicle.com/midwest/illinois/illinois-quick-hits-state-taxpayers-to-help-restore-historic-chicago-hotel/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/03/02/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-478/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Pentagon insists no ‘regime-change war’ as Iran conflict spreads across Mideast. Trump says war could last a month or longer, maps out four specific U.S. objectives.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/mar/2/pentagon-insists-no-regime-change-war-iran-conflict-spreads-across/
— Trump says Tehran’s long support of terrorism justifies Operation Epic Fury attack
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/mar/2/trump-says-tehrans-long-support-terrorism-justifies-operation-epic/
— After briefing, lawmakers disagree on whether Iran threat to U.S. was imminent
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/mar/2/briefing-lawmakers-disagree-whether-iran-threat-us-imminent/
NEW YORK POST
— Trump won’t rule out sending US troops into Iran ‘if necessary’— tells The Post war is progressing ‘way ahead of schedule’
https://nypost.com/2026/03/02/us-news/trump-wont-rule-out-sending-us-troops-into-iran-if-necessary-tells-the-post-i-dont-care-about-polling/
