January 4 Evening Edition

DAILY HERALD
— OUTSTANDING: Hundreds of Trump supporters rally in Algonquin – Joe Lewnard
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200104/hundreds-of-trump-supporters-rally-in-algonquin
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Burt Constable discusses using pot. I have never used an illegal drug and I never will. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 when I was 30 years old and I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981. Only about 20 percent of those who take those examinations pass them on their first attempt.  I wonder what percent of the 80 percent of those who failed to pass those examinations on their first attempt were booze drinkers and/or pot smokers.) 
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200104/constable-after-decades-of-abstinence-i-gave-pot-a-try
— How to get marijuana convictions expunged – Barbara Vitello (DIERSEN: If you smoked pot in the past, you demonstrated your disrespect for the rule of law. Your past predicts your future.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200104/how-to-get-marijuana-convictions-expunged
— Past marijuana convictions can be erased, but it could take years And it might depend on where you live – Barbara Vitello (DIERSEN: If you smoked pot in the past, you demonstrated your disrespect for the rule of law. Your past predicts your future.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200104/past-marijuana-convictions-can-be-erased-but-it-could-take-years

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Democrats promote LGBTQ activity.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2020/1/4/21048772/transgender-childen-kimberly-lightford-heather-steans-laura-washington

NBC5
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats glorify and praise Pritzker.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/after-successful-debut-pritzker-has-work-on-ethics-taxes/2196452/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters use Trump’s action in Iran to promote hatred against Trump. 
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/thousands-protest-in-chicago-and-across-country-against-trumps-actions-in-iran
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/trump-threatens-to-destroy-52-iranian-locations-including-cultural-sites-if-iran-retaliates

ALTON TELEGRAPH
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Illinois-shops-excited-to-sell-bongs-as-pot-law-14949278.php

PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— ‘Don’t drive while high’: Illinois officials ramping up cannabis education with billboards, social media advice
https://www.pjstar.com/news/20200103/dont-drive-while-high-illinois-officials-ramping-up-cannabis-education-with-billboards-social-media-advice

PEKIN TIMES
— State law now requires workplace harassment-prevention training – Abdel Jimenez (DIERSEN: What about training to prevent harassment of those who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, past/present union members, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time?)
https://www.pekintimes.com/news/20200104/state-law-now-requires-workplace-harassment-prevention-training

DANVILLE COMMERCIAL NEWS
— Be careful if, when you consume – Bloomington Pantagraph 
https://www.commercial-news.com/opinion/guest-editorial-be-careful-if-when-you-consume/article_e15ac0f4-2e2b-11ea-85e9-af355ebfbac3.html

DEKALB DAILY CHRONICLE
— Health departments remind public about health effects of marijuana – Mark Busch
https://www.daily-chronicle.com/2020/01/03/health-departments-remind-public-about-health-effects-of-marijuana/az0fud1/

KANKAKEE DAILY JOURNAL
— Immigration attorneys urge caution with new marijuana law – AP
https://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/immigration-attorneys-urge-caution-with-new-marijuana-law/article_73acc29c-da2a-5410-8315-0eaa359784ab.html
— Black market impact – John Dykstra
https://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/black-market-impact/article_744cd334-2bf7-11ea-bc34-034ac3583740.html
— Pot is now legal, but ramifications still exist – Lee Provost
https://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/pot-is-now-legal-but-ramifications-still-exist/article_1726313e-2d7b-11ea-82da-4f87348e40d7.html
— Know your limits when it comes to driving and cannabis – Jeff Bonty
https://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/know-your-limits-when-it-comes-to-driving-and-cannabis/article_3a6693c8-2b55-11ea-94c4-fb91a52f0a2f.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
https://www.daily-journal.com/guide-to-illinois-dispensaries/article_f73b5270-2e59-11ea-a2d9-affcb768d6cf.html

KCRG
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: With recreational marijuana legal, Iowans wasting no time traveling to Illinois – Aaron Scheinblum
https://www.kcrg.com/content/news/With-recreational-marijuana-legal-Iowans-wasting-no-time-traveling-to-Illinois-566700321.html

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Estimated 500 at Algonquin Trump Rally
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/04/estimate-500-at-algonquin-trump-rally/ 
— Shallow Thinking Evident about School Consolidation in Property Tax Relief Draft Report
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/04/shallow-thinking-evident-about-school-consolidation-in-property-tax-relief-draft-report/

WASHINGTON TIMES
— What is the future of the Republican Party? Republicans dismiss Trump’s resurrection of the party at their peril – Dennis Lennox (DIERSEN: How supportive of Trump are the Republican leaders in your county, in your township/ward, and in your municipality?) 
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/4/where-will-republicans-with-or-without-trump-go-th/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Why was it OK for Obama to kill so many with drones? – Jack Hellner
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/01/why_was_it_ok_for_obama_to_kill_so_many_with_drones.html
— The death of decorum – Dexter Wright (DIERSEN: The more of the following that you are, the more that Trump-haters demonize, denigrate, and condemn you: Trump supporter, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owner, draft avoider, German American, and/or if your ancestors have been in America for a long time.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/12/the_death_of_decorum_.html

THE HILL
— Trump threatens hit of Iranian sites if country retaliates for Soleimani killing – BRETT SAMUELS 
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/476794-trump-threatens-to-hit-iranian-sites-if-it-retaliates-over-soleimani

CBS NEWS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters use an “Iran expert” to promote hatred against Trump. 
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/qassem-soleimani-iran-expert-calls-strike-that-killed-iranian-general-stunningly-stupid-and-counterproductive-2020/

WASHINGTON POST
— JUNE 6, 2019 FLASHBACK: In Va. GOP primary for legislature, a candidate’s criminal past becomes an issue – Laura Vozzella (DIERSEN: Needless-to-say, candidates should fully disclose all the skeletons that they have in their closets BEFORE they enter primaries. SEE Jack Ryan at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Ryan_(politician) )
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/in-va-gop-primary-for-legislature-a-candidates-criminal-past-becomes-an-issue/2019/06/06/51c83ab0-87c4-11e9-98c1-e945ae5db8fb_story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Former Stafford County supervisor Paul Milde, who is challenging Del. Robert M. Thomas Jr. in Tuesday’s Republican primary, has a criminal record that hasn’t stopped voters from electing him three times in the past. But it has emerged as an issue in the hotly contested race between Milde and Thomas in the 28th District, which includes parts of Fredericksburg and Stafford County. In 1986, when he was 18, Milde was convicted of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute — a felony — in Prince William County. He was sentenced to six years in prison, with five years suspended. Nine years later, Milde pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to an attempted burglary in Fairfax County — a misdemeanor for which he was sentenced to 360 days, all but 20 suspended. . .Milde has responded with a flier with a photo of a skeleton looming behind a rack of dress shirts. “Bob Thomas says I have skeletons in my closet,” it begins. In it, he explains his cocaine conviction, though not the burglary. He suggests voters should care more about recent behavior, including Thomas’s decision in early 2018 to vote with Democrats to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Thomas had run for office on a pledge to oppose expansion.)

FORTUNE
— Amazon Is on a Collision Course With Employee Activists Outraged by the Climate Crisis – Alyssa Newcomb
https://fortune.com/2020/01/04/amazon-employee-activist-climate-crisis/

January 4 Morning Edition

ABC7
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
https://abc7chicago.com/business/$54m-of-pot-products-sold-in-ill-on-first-2-days-of-legalization/5813133/

WTTW
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
https://news.wttw.com/2020/01/03/week-review-legal-pot-brings-long-lines-millions-revenue
https://news.wttw.com/2020/01/03/pot-focused-campaigns-aim-educate-consumers-about-new-law

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/illinois-legal-pot-rollout-promising-start

ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
https://www.rrstar.com/news/20200103/recreational-pot-sales-soar-in-rockford-neighboring-businesses-cry-foul

ALTON TELEGRAPH
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/State-earns-1-1M-in-tax-revenue-first-day-of-14947433.php

ALTON DAILY NEWS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
http://altondailynews.com/news/details.cfm?id=296635#.XhCgzCN_OM8

JOURNAL GAZETTE TIMES COURIER
— Campaign stresses cannabis abuse health risks – Robert McCoppin
https://jg-tc.com/news/state-and-regional/campaign-stresses-cannabis-abuse-health-risks/article_0ec862f2-561d-5469-95ac-d5125e3e2e92.html

WSIL TV
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
https://wsiltv.com/2020/01/03/local-marijuana-distributor-hopes-to-expand/

WRAL
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
https://www.wral.com/marijuana-sales-through-the-roof-in-first-days-of-legalization-in-illinois/18866597/

MDJ ONLINE
— Illinois lost more than $12 billion in income in 2 years: Analysis of IRS migration data – Greg Bishop
https://www.mdjonline.com/neighbor_newspapers/extra/news/illinois-lost-more-than-billion-in-income-in-years-analysis/video_0a387d58-245c-55c3-a7f3-cd010869990c.html

WMTV
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, to send your child to a public school in Illinois is to encourage your child to engage in LGBTQ activity.
https://www.nbc15.com/content/news/Illinois-schools-to-start-teaching-LGBTQ-history-in-2020-566698061.html

NEWS CHANNEL 20
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
https://newschannel20.com/news/local/illinois-green-rush-how-long-can-we-expect-to-see-high-sales

STATELINE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
https://www.mystateline.com/news/local-news/high-demand-for-marijuana-shuts-down-rockford-dispensary-for-3rd-day-in-a-row/

KANE COUNTY CONNECTS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
https://kanecountyconnects.com/2019/12/which-kane-county-communities-allow-or-prohibit-marijuana-sales/

CHICAGO CITY WIRE
— Cook County GOP Chairman blames ‘oversized, bloated government’ for Chicago’s onslaught of new taxes, fees – Glenn Minnis 
https://chicagocitywire.com/stories/522687912-cook-county-gop-chairman-blames-oversized-bloated-government-for-chicago-s-onslaught-of-new-taxes-fees

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Joe Walsh Lays An Egg
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/03/joe-walsh-lays-an-egg/ 
— Democratic Party Presidential Delegate/Alternate Candidates from McHenry County – Final
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/03/democratic-party-presidential-delegate-alternate-candidates-from-mchenry-county/
— IL-14: Fallout from Qassem Soleimani Death and Left Attempts to Rein In President Trump with New Legislation
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/04/il-14-fallout-from-qassem-soleimani-death-and-left-attempts-to-rein-in-president-trump-with-new-legislation/

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— IFI Files Pro-Life Brief With SCOTUS – David E. Smith 
https://illinoisfamily.org/life/ifi-files-pro-life-brief-with-scotus/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Democrats are going to nominate a white person, and there’s nothing wrong with that – Editorial (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, in Wheaton, in Glen Ellyn, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois, the more of the following that you are, the less likely that you will ever be appointed to or elected to any kind of government or political office: Trump supporter, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owner, German American, non-veteran, and/or if your ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/democrats-are-going-to-nominate-a-white-person-and-theres-nothing-wrong-with-that

AMERICAN THINKER
— In 2020, the United Methodist Church will formally divorce over gay marriage – Andrea Widburg (DIERSEN: How soon, if not already, will municipalities, townships/wards, counties, states, America, and the rest of the world formally banish individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that do not promote LGBTQ activity? 
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/01/in_2020_the_united_methodist_church_will_formally_divorce_over_gay_marriage.html

DAILY WIRE
— Trump-Hating Leftists Usher In New Year Of Trump Hatred – David Limbaugh
https://www.dailywire.com/news/limbaugh-trump-hating-leftists-usher-in-new-year-of-trump-hatred

FEDERALIST
— Trump’s Strike On Soleimani Is About America First, Not Reckless Interventionism Now Iran knows America is unconstrained by politically correct rules of engagement, and no longer acting out of delusions about bribing a jihadist regime into peace. – Ben Weingarten
https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/03/trumps-strike-on-soleimani-is-about-america-first-not-reckless-interventionism/

THE HILL
— Trump lashes out at ‘squad’: ‘They hate Jewish people’ – TAL AXELROD 
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/476737-trump-lashes-out-at-squad-they-hate-jewish-people

ABC NEWS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. If you want to destroy an individual, organization, company, government, or country, push pot on that individual, organization, company, government, or country.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/marijuana-sales-illinois-top-3m-day-legal-recreational/story?id=68051493

NEW YORK TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters side with Qassem Suleimani against America.
https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/01/03/world/middleeast/ap-ml-soleimani-killing-whats-next.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters side with Iran against America.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/world/middleeast/trump-iran-suleimani.html
— In Miami Speech, Trump Tells Evangelical Base: God Is ‘on Our Side’ – Jennifer Medina and Maggie Haberman (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Trump-haters hint/imply/argue/shout that God is on their side and a) that God hates not only Trump, but that God hates all individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time and b) that God promotes dependency on government, dependency on charity, LGBTQ activity, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, booze, gambling, pot, and other vices, abolition of the First and Second Amendments, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation for complaining about the aforesaid.) 
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/us/politics/trump-miami-rally-evangelicals.html

NEW YORK POST
— ‘Ascendant America’ no longer seems a sure bet – Michael Barone (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those who ever-increasingly dump those who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time. I would focus on those in Wheaton, in Glen Ellyn, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois who have lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout and who paint themselves as being religious, conservative, and/or Republican.)
https://nypost.com/2020/01/03/ascendant-america-no-longer-seems-a-sure-bet/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: From the first years of the one-fifth of this century already completed, we’ve been told that a new, ascendant America — more nonwhite, more culturally liberal, more feminist — was going to dominate our politics for years to come. Those predictions have partially come true. Barack Obama was elected and reelected president in 2008 and 2012, respectively, and Democrats won majorities in House contests in 2006, 2008 and 2018. But those are slimmer pickings than promised. And President Trump’s victory in 2016 has made a mockery of the predictions. He wasn’t ascendant America’s choice. From millennials and Generation Z, he evokes the ­response, “OK, boomer.” Demographics, it turns out, don’t automatically turn into destiny. Ascendant groups’ triumphalism can coalesce those with opposite values into unaccustomed unity and enthusiasm. Ascendant leaders, not cautioned by sympathetic media, can concoct extreme policies unsellable to most voters. And perhaps ascendant groups, with their low birth rates, may not become as ascendant as demographers expected. That’s a conclusion you might draw from the Census Bureau’s state population estimates for midyear 2019, released just one day before the year-end deadline. They’re the best leading indicator we’ve got for the 2020 census, whose results will reapportion the House of Representatives and the Electoral College.)

WASHINGTON POST
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters a) glorify and praise Trump-haters in rural America and b) demonize, denigrate, and condemn Trump-supporters in rural America.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/01/03/five-myths-about-rural-america/

USA TODAY
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters promote protests against Trump.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/01/04/iraq-iran-tensions-protests-condemn-u-s-actions-middle-east/2807176001/

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
— How Population Growth and Loss Will Shape Future Elections The Census population estimates affect congressional districts and presidential elections. Here’s what the latest numbers mean. – Louis Jacobson
https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/2020-01-03/how-population-growth-and-loss-will-shape-future-elections

BLOOMBERG LAW
— House to Vote on Age Bias Bill This Month – Jaclyn Diaz (DIERSEN: All my critics/opponents promote age discrimination, reverse discrimination, political affiliation discrimination, patronage, and up-or-out. They paint themselves as being champions of younger people, minorities, females, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, RINOs, etc.)
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/house-to-vote-on-age-bias-bill-this-month

SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
— Utah has 600K unaffiliated voters. They need to act quickly to vote on Super Tuesday. – Lee Davidson (DIERSEN: What percent of the voters in your precinct a) cast Republican primary ballots to do whatever damage that they can and then b) vote for Democrat candidates in general elections?) 
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2020/01/04/utah-has-k-unaffiliated/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: More than one of every three Utah voters — 619,000 of them — are unaffiliated with any political party. They may not receive a by-mail ballot for the quickly approaching Super Tuesday presidential primary on March 3 unless they take some action soon.)

GAINESVILLE REGISTER
— Why isn’t your name on there? – Editorial (DIERSEN: What discourages you from seeking a government office or political office? The following discourages me from seeking a government office or political office. Ever-increasingly, more and more and more of those in my neighborhood, in my precinct, in Wheaton, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois are anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time. The aforesaid do not want me a) to seek or hold any kind of elected or appointed office in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, or Illinois, b) to serve as a Republican Precinct Committeeman, or c) serve as the GOPUSA Illinois Editor. They certainly did not want me to serve as a TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member, Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster, Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member, American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member, GAO employee, IRS employee, Post Office employee, etc.) 
https://www.gainesvilleregister.com/opinion/editorials/our-viewpoint-why-isn-t-your-name-on-there/article_d005a3fc-2e74-11ea-907c-8f06efc8dde5.html
(FROM THE EDITORIAL: What your May 2020 local ballot will look like will begin taking shape next week. What if your name were on it? Local schools, towns and cities are all governed by boards you elect. The members of those boards are not that different from you — they live where you live and may well run into you at work or in the grocery store aisles. What put them on the city council or school board was that they care about the future of your community. If you share that interest, maybe it’s your turn to seek local office. We often use this editorial space to encourage residents of Cooke County to get involved in our area’s civic life, whether that be in the local schools, city elections or the county at large. Seeking elected office is just another way you can help fulfill your civic duties as an American. But research shows just 2% of Americans have ever run for public office at any level. So let’s change that. Most municipal and school boards have pretty simple qualifications for who can run, and they don’t require a lot of formal training or connections. They boil down to four things: — Live in Texas for at least a year before the filing deadline — Live in the town or city ward or school district for at least six months before the filing deadline — Be at least 18 years old — Be a registered voter In other words, you don’t have to know everything or be wealthy to run for office. Just be willing to accept help and learn as you go. If you’re already happy with how your local government is being managed, there might still be reason for you to seek a seat on the school board or municipal council. One, the folks on your local board can’t fill the office forever. You might be surprised at how difficult it can be for board members to find someone to take their place when they are ready to pass the baton. They may be praying for someone like you to turn up — ask them and see. Two, first-time candidates rarely achieve the office they seek, for a variety of reasons. Inexperience with running a campaign for local office is just one of those reasons, but it’s one you can head off now. At the very least, attend a few board meetings and talk to your current elected officials about what they do and how they got elected. By the way, volunteering on the board of a local nonprofit or church is another way to gain experience that would prepare you for elected office, and such organizations are almost always looking for new hands on deck. Consider stepping up as a board member at an organization whose mission you care about. Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be reporting the specific filing requirements and deadlines for local governing bodies with positions up for election this year. Keep an eye out for the ones that interest you and consider whether your name ought to be the next one on the ballot.)

GUARDIAN
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters side with Qassem Suleimani against America.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/03/donald-trump-qassem-suleimani-haunt-quds-iran

January 3 Evening Edition

ABC7
— President Trump says Iranian general killed in US airstrike plotting ‘imminent’ attacks; Iran vows ‘harsh retaliation’ – AP
https://abc7chicago.com/trump-declares-iranian-generals-reign-of-terror-over/5809381/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— Trump says US took action ‘to stop a war’ in Iran – Amy Lieu
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/trump-says-us-took-action-to-stop-a-war-in-iran

WGN TV
— With no standard way to test drivers for THC, suburban cops test an option – MARCELLA RAYMOND
https://wgntv.com/2020/01/02/with-no-roadside-thc-test-available-carol-stream-cops-test-out-an-option/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois presidential primary filing ends with Donald Trump facing one opponent — and it’s not Joe Walsh. Democratic delegate slates show split between establishment and progressive candidates. – RICK PEARSON
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-presidential-primary-filing-period-ends-20200104-abodkyqcondfboz6z2gifx7nxm-story.html
— Tensions soar as President Trump declares Gen. Soleimani’s ‘reign of terror’ over and Iran vows revenge – AP
https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-nw-iran-general-killed-qassem-soleimani-20200103-o7md6ywzavaphaojwb2gqkjo5i-story.html
— United Methodist Church announces plan to split over gay marriage, clergy: ‘We have come to an impasse that can’t be bridged’ – ELYSSA CHERNEY and JAVONTE ANDERSO
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-methodist-church-splits-lgbt-united-20200103-7vbcxyqivjgljiithuwn4iqnia-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/marijuana/illinois/ct-food-marijuana-dinner-house-party-tips-0108-20200103-6eiqnyshlvcc7jdfqesxhko63q-story.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/marijuana/illinois/ct-equity-minority-cannabis-illinois-20200103-lpo26dq6ozeofnufd4py6d24mq-story.html
— Trump takes out Iran’s architect of mayhem. Now can he de-escalate? – Editorial
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/editorials/ct-editorial-trump-iran-iraq-soleimani-pompeo-war-pentagon-20200103-4epfby7ixbcz7gyzsqxe55yp4e-story.html
— President Trump portrays himself as defender of faith for evangelicals supporters at Miami megachurch – AP
https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-nw-trump-faith-evangelical-supporters-20200104-fh7fxna6dzd3plp3xhtn2yhnie-story.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Joe Walsh to skip Illinois GOP presidential primary Walsh spokesman Charles Siler said the decision was made to allocate scarce resources in other states, especially Iowa and New Hampshire — the states with the first 2020 votes in February. – Lynn Sweet
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2020/1/3/21048849/joe-walsh-skip-home-state-illinois-gop-presidential-primary
— Illinois lawmakers, candidates react to killing of Qassem Soleimani on party lines Democrat Rep. Bobby Rush called the president an “imbecile,” while Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger approved of the strike, saying, “Mess with the bull, get the horns.” – Lynn Sweet
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/1/3/21048392/iran-iraq-illinois-lawmakers-candidates-react-trump-airstrike-killing-qassem-soleimani
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2020/1/3/21048744/legal-weed-sales-second-day-illinois-marijuana-pot
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters say “America can’t go to war behind a president who can’t be trusted.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/1/3/21048288/iran-qassem-soleimani-donald-trump-impeachment

DAILY HERALD
— Law enforcement agencies to host forum about religious hate crimes – Russell Lissau
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200103/law-enforcement-agencies-to-host-forum-about-religious-hate-crimes
— How community colleges are supporting low-income black, Latino students – Madhu Krishnamurthy
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200103/how-community-colleges-are-supporting-low-income-black-latino-students

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— A Springfield observer’s wish list for the state’s power players Just in case the governor, the speaker of the House and a few others haven’t drafted their own New Year’s resolutions yet. – RICH MILLER
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/rich-miller-springfield/springfield-observers-wish-list-states-power-players
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/marijuanacannabis/chefs-and-bartenders-see-opportunity-pot-and-cbd
— Partisan bickering threatens to derail property tax relief plan Unless resolved, the dispute will complicate—and potentially kill—any serious effort to reduce property taxes in Illinois. – GREG HINZ
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg-hinz-politics/partisan-bickering-threatens-derail-property-tax-relief-plan

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Booker, Gabbard added to Illinois primary ballot – Bernard Schoenburg
https://www.sj-r.com/news/20200103/booker-gabbard-added-to-illinois-primary-ballot

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/politics/one-day-in-demand-for-recreational-marijuana-still-sky-high/article_167bf9db-2947-5a7b-b55b-7a08060a9458.html

PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.pjstar.com/news/20200103/legal-pot-sales-in-illinois-hit-524-million-in-first-two-days

SOUTHERN
— What role does federal government have when enforcing marijuana laws? – Steven D. Weinhoeft
https://thesouthern.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-steven-d-weinhoeft-what-role-does-federal-government-have/article_7ae74964-dff9-5017-8dc3-b26181b5c38e.html

STATELINE
— Illinois health departments warn of marijuana risks
https://www.mystateline.com/news/local-news/illinois-health-departments-warn-of-marijuana-risks/

QUAD CITY TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://qctimes.com/news/local/the-faces-of-legalization-these-people-helped-bring-recreational-cannabis/article_383b632e-3598-521a-bd7b-3b5e67332126.html

NPR ILLINOIS
— For Illinois Primary, 16 Presidential Candidates File To Appear On Ballot – By BRIAN MACKEY
https://www.nprillinois.org/post/illinois-primary-16-candidates-file-appear-ballot#stream/0

WQAD
— Recreational marijuana buyers complain about the tax – ELEANOR TABONE
https://wqad.com/2020/01/02/recreational-marijuana-buyers-complain-about-the-tax/

CHICAGO READER
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/legalization-weed-dealer-profile/Content?oid=76456003&mc_cid=3be3f79d16&mc_eid=c968c7978e
https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/cannabis-underground-community-baking-painting-yoga/Content?oid=76452408&mc_cid=3be3f79d16&mc_eid=c968c7978e

MCHENRY COUNTY CLOG
— IL-06: Both Dr. Jay Kinzler and Jeanne Ives Support President’s Actions
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/03/il-06-both-dr-jay-kinzler-and-jeanne-ives-support-presidents-actions/ 
— Minimum Wage Hike Amelioration, Roll Calls
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/03/minimum-wage-hike-amelioration/ 
— IL-14: Sue Rezin Statement on Iraq Attack and General Soleimani Death and Challenge to Lauren Underwood
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/03/il-14-sue-rezin-statement-on-iraq-attack-and-general-soleimani-death-and-challenge-to-lauren-underwood/ 
— Iraq Action on Thursday More Reason to Show Support Saturday at President Trump Rally in Algonquin Hosted by Joe Ptak
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/03/kickoff-2020-support-president-trump-rally-in-algonquin-copy-copy/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— 14TH CD REPUBLICAN SUE REZIN CALLS ON UNDERWOOD TO “SPEAK UP” ON SOLEIMANI DEATH
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/01/14th-cd-republican-sue-rezin-calls-on-underwood-to-speak-up-on-soleimani-death.html
— LEGALIZED CANNABIS AND JB PRITZKER
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/01/legalized-cannabis-and-jb-pritzker-.html

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Trump and RNC bank $200M while Democrats exhaust ammo on primary shootout – David M. Drucker 
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/trump-and-rnc-bank-200m-while-democrats-exhaust-ammo-on-primary-shootout
— Evangelicals for Trump embraces moral political action – Jenna Ellis
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/evangelicals-for-trump-embraces-moral-political-action

AMERICAN THINKER
— Minnesota governor doubles down on ‘refugees,’ rubs constituents’ faces in it – Diana Mary Sitek
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/01/minnesota_governor_doubles_down_on_refugees_rubs_constituents_faces_in_it.html

BREITBART
— Poll: Republican Jeanne Ives Claims 9-Point Lead over Incumbent Democrat in IL-06 – JOEL B. POLLAK
https://www.breitbart.com/2020-election/2020/01/03/poll-republican-jeanne-ives-claims-9-point-lead-over-incumbent-democrat-in-il-06/
— DHS Prepares Push on States Giving Drivers’ Licenses to Illegals – NEIL MUNRO
https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2020/01/03/dhs-prepares-push-on-states-which-give-drivers-licenses-to-illegals/

DAILY CALLER
— Trump Explains His Decision To Strike Iran’s Qasem Soleimani – AMBER ATHEY
https://dailycaller.com/2020/01/03/trump-explains-strike-qasem-soleimani-iran/

FEDERALIST
— Democrats Hate Trump More Than They Hate Terrorists Who Kill Americans Democratic 2020 candidates and outspoken celebrities jump through hoops to use the death of the world’s most violent terrorist to attack Trump. – Madeline Osburn
https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/03/democrats-hate-trump-more-than-they-hate-terrorists-who-kill-americans/

ONE NEWS NOW
— Illinois lights up legally but not all are cheering – Chris Woodward 
https://onenewsnow.com/culture/2020/01/03/illinois-lights-up-legally-but-not-all-are-cheering

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Historians Roast the 1619 Project – RICH LOWRY
https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/01/1619-project-top-historians-criticize-new-york-times-slavery-feature/

THE HILL
— The real threat to civil rights? Trump haters – DONNA JACKSON
https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/476438-the-real-threat-to-civil-rights-trump-haters
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: To vote for a Democrat is to promote LGBTQ activity.
https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/lgbtq/476643-how-lgbtq-policies-changed-dramatically-in-the-last-year
— Democrats must not take Latinos for granted – MARIA CARDONA (DIERSEN: RINOs not only take members of the following groups for granted, RINOs get rid of them: Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older people, gun owners, German Americans, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time. I should write a book about RINOs who have dominated the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Milton Township Republican Central Committee, etc.)
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/476695-democrats-must-not-take-latinos-for-granted

NEW YORK TIMES
— United Methodist Church Announces Plan to Split Over Same-Sex Marriage Under an agreement to be voted on in May, a new “traditionalist Methodist” denomination would continue to ban same-sex marriage and gay and lesbian clergy. – Campbell Robertson and Elizabeth Dias
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/us/methodist-split-gay-marriage.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Iran and U.S. Shift to Open Confrontation in Iraq American forces are placed on alert after Tehran’s allies strike on a familiar battleground – Sune Engel Rasmussen
https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-and-u-s-shift-to-open-confrontation-in-iraq-11577991681
— Taiwan Turns to Facebook and Viral Memes to Counter China’s Disinformation As election nears, government heightens efforts to dispel online rumors fostered by Beijing – Chun Han Wong and Philip Wen
https://www.wsj.com/articles/taiwan-turns-to-facebook-and-viral-memes-to-counter-chinas-disinformation-11578047403

SEARCH ENGINE ROUNDTABLE
— Google Company Culture Not Doing Well? – Barry Schwartz (DIERSEN: I should write a book about the cultures of the following: Milton Township Republican Central Committee, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Illinois Republican Party, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Center Right Coalition, American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter, GAO, IRS, Post Office, etc.)
https://www.seroundtable.com/google-company-culture-bad-28777.html

January 3 Morning Edition

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Gov. J.B. Pritzker knows what angry taxpayers need: Legal weed – John Kass (DIERSEN: What do your critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes do? Mine talk and/or act like they a) did smoke pot, b) are smoking pot, c) want to smoke pot, d) want to kill all restrictions on smoking pot, e) want to make money selling pot, and/or f) want governments to take in lots of revenue from the sale of pot. As my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes waste away smoking pot, my future looks brighter.) 
https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/john-kass/ct-illinois-weed-jb-pritzker-kass-20200103-oogf3rbk7raatn6wd6dan3223i-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: With economic refugees continuing to flee Illinois — we’ve lost more residents than any state in the U.S. over the decade — taxpayers have waited in vain for the political ruling class to explain how they’ll reverse the Illinois Exodus. But there were no answers from the ruling Democrats, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, House Speaker Mike Madigan and their Illinois Republican handmaidens. Until now. They’ve made weed legal. Logically, it follows that our wise masters want the people of Illinois to get stoned. Get stoned, Illinois. Thanks, Pritzker. Thanks, Boss Madigan. You’ve made Illinois into the Land of the Lotus-Eaters. What this means is that angry Illinois taxpayers can finally stop being angry. We can forget our mental anguish at being left behind in the Illinois Exodus by smarter, luckier people who got out when they could. All this reminds me of the companions of Odysseus in the land of the lotus-eaters. Once they bit into the lotus fruit, they lost their anger and wrath. They sat down and went to sleep. And taxpayers who remain in Illinois may legally sit in passive stupor before their video screens, waiting for Grubhub to bring Baja Blast from Taco Bell and playing “Call of Duty” until dawn. But don’t think I’m being critical of pot smokers. And medical marijuana users? I don’t mean you. If weed helps soothe your pain, do what’s best.)
— The government will try to count the entire U.S. population this year: Here’s what you need to know about the census — and why it’s so important for Illinois – ELVIA MALAGÓN (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those who have worked the hardest to drive out of Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois those who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, draft avoiders, German American, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time. I would focus on those who have lots of religious, government, and/or financial clout. I would focus on those who promote dependency on government, dependency on charity, LGBTQ activity, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, booze, gambling, pot, and other vices, abolition of the First and Second Amendments, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation for opposing the aforesaid.) 
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-cb-2020-census-illinois-what-you-need-to-know-20200102-45d5qisbd5ebloltexq65yw4ca-story.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH COLOR PICTURE: Illinois Senate President John Cullerton talks about Blagojevich, bipartisanship and changes brought by social media as his time in Springfield comes to an end – RICK PEARSON
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-senate-president-john-cullerton-20200103-27qggmvcb5cohcrlwksi3beczy-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: But ask the veteran Northwest Side lawmaker what he sees as the biggest change, and he replies: the digitalization of democracy — the growing influence of social media to affect policy combined with a decline in the number of media outlets covering state government. “It’s the difference from a representative democracy to a direct democracy,” Cullerton said. “So, the old model (for voters) is, ‘I’m busy. I’m hiring you. Go down to Springfield. Listen to testimony. Make your informed decisions. Every two years, I’ll check on you,’” he said. “And now, you just go directly to the legislator (who says), ‘We don’t need to listen to any testimony. I got 500 emails and 5,000 tweets retweeted saying I’ve got to vote for this bill.’”)
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Democrats crow about their past, present, and future success in promoting vices. To be a Democrat is to be a vice promoter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-flashback-prohibition-repeal-chicago-20200103-3k6b3myex5bqnjhwt4vm32kiem-story.html
— ‘Don’t drive while high’: Officials ramping up cannabis education with billboards, social media advice – Robert McCoppin (DIERSEN: Needless-to-say, you should NOT do ANYTHING while you are high. The higher that you are, the more likely that you will not only harm yourself, but that you will harm others.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/marijuana/illinois/ct-illinois-marijuana-education-campaign-20200103-zbwtxytk5fekdc266o6dexilre-story.html
— 3 easy ways to preserve your serenity during the toxic political year ahead – Eric Zorn
https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/eric-zorn/ct-column-social-media-delete-ignore-block-zorn-20200102-d6bcove5urflrd55ut7a4dts6a-story.html
— Conservatives ask judge to force Wisconsin to immediately purge disputed voters despite appeal pending – AP
https://www.chicagotribune.com/midwest/ct-nw-wisconsin-voter-purge-20200102-gw4tthojqrddhfhifd5ivvm3mu-story.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2020/1/3/21042376/illinois-recreational-marijuana-weed-randolph-streets-west-loop

DAILY HERALD
— 2020 brings higher labor costs for small businesses – AP
https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20200102/news/301029935/

NORTHWEST HERALD
— OUTSTANDING: Pro-Trump rally scheduled in Algonquin, 1 of many across Midwest Rally one of many planned across the Midwest – DREW ZIMMERMAN
https://www.nwherald.com/2020/01/02/pro-trump-rally-scheduled-in-algonquin-1-of-many-across-midwest/a4g77dc/

SAUK VALLEY
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Put pushers encourage gun owners to smoke pot.
https://www.saukvalley.com/2020/01/02/its-not-a-smoking-gun-in-illinois-taking-a-toke-wont-keep-you-from-owning-a-weapon-despite-what-social-media-says/aaacu7y/

ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
— The Winnebago County elected job no one wants Precinct committee posts prove tough for party leaders to fill – Isaac Guerrero (DIERSEN: I should write a book about what discourages conservatives like me from serving as a Republican Precinct Committeeman in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois. According to this article, in Winnebago County, “Only 86 (23%) people filed to run for 378 precinct committee jobs up for grabs in the March primary.” In DuPage County, Republicans filed for Precinct Committeeman in 364 (39%) of DuPage County’s 930 Precincts. 2 years ago, 470 (51%) filed in those 930 precincts. 39 (57%) filed in Addison Township’s 69 precincts, 23 (56%) filed in Winfield Township’s 41 precincts, 50 (48%) filed in Bloomingdale Township’s 104 precincts, 56 (43%) filed in Milton Township’s 130 precincts, 29 (43%) filed in Wayne Township’s 68 precincts, 63 (40%) filed in Downers Grove Township’s 156 precincts, 48 (35%) filed in York Township’s 136 precincts, 34 (26%) file in Lisle Township’s 129 precincts, and 22 (23%) file in Naperville Township’s 97 precincts.)
https://www.rrstar.com/news/20191207/winnebago-county-elected-job-no-one-wants
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In the lowest-stakes election this voting cycle, candidates don’t even care if they’re thrown off the ballot. “If someone goes to the trouble of challenging my petitions and I’m thrown off the ballot, I’ll just get appointed after the election,” said county Auditor Bill Crowley, one of many precinct committeemen who didn’t trouble himself with getting the required 10 signatures this year. Precinct committeeman was once a job that aspiring politicians used to get a foot in the door of their party. These days, the elected position draws little interest. That’s understandable given the lack of pay and prestige and the generally minimal responsibilities. There are times, though, when the precinct committeeman plays a critical role. If a state representative dies in office or resigns, committeemen select a replacement. Committeemen historically have served as the foot soldiers of the two major parties, walking their neighborhoods to hand out literature and talk up their candidates. The lack of interest in the job troubles people who understand that committeemen don’t just build their parties from the ground up — they help nourish democracy at the grass roots. “As a precinct committeeperson, I teach people how to vote,” said Rockford Alderwoman Karen Hoffman, D-8, who also serves as a precinct representative in Ward 8, Precinct 3. She’ll be on the March ballot to keep that job. “I go out and I say, ‘OK, guys, if you’re not registered to vote, here’s what you need to do, here’s where you need to go, this is the deadline.’ I speak to people about early voting all the time. My whole purpose is to get out the vote. You’d be surprised how many people don’t understand the voting process. “Hopefully, after listening to me they’ll vote for Democrats — that’s my hope,” Hoffman said. “But I just want people to vote, no matter how they vote, to be a part of the process. My whole purpose is to teach and train people to vote and become involved in the election process. And if you don’t want to do that, then you really shouldn’t complain.” Only 86 people filed to run for 378 precinct committee jobs up for grabs in the March primary. (A committeeman, though elected, is a party official, not a government official.) Nearly a quarter of the 86 didn’t bother to obtain the minimum 10 signatures on their nominating petitions as required by law. Linda Lundquist, running in Ward 8, Precinct 4, is one who takes the job seriously. “When I went knocking door to door collecting signatures, I met some people who shared with me that they don’t like to get involved in politics,” Lundquist said. “But like it or not, we are all involved in politics. Now, whether we choose to be engaged is another matter entirely. But I think that the more of us who are engaged in our government, the more that our government will reflect all of us. Because when we are engaged and when we are involved, our government and our politics becomes so much richer. And the community is richer because the government truly reflects all of us.” Lundquist is something of an overachiever — she obtained nearly 150 signatures. “Wow. That’s a lot of door knocking,” Crowley said. “That’s remarkable.” Crowley obtained just one signature — his own — on his nominating petition. He and dozens of other precinct committee candidates will be elected in March even though they didn’t collect the 10 voter signatures required by state law. A resident of Crowley’s precinct could have filed paperwork by Dec. 9 to challenge the validity of his petition and knock him off the ballot, but no one did. “The trouble is, we can’t get enough people to run for precinct committeeman,” Crowley said. “I mean, we can’t give these positions away. And we’re giving them away.” The job’s low profile doesn’t help, either. “The precinct committee system is a very arcane system and very few people understand how it works,” said Charles Laskonis, chairman of the Winnebago County Democratic Central Committee. “Sometimes, I guess it’s just the political wonks that consider it cool to run for precinct committeeman, just so they can say that they’re part of the political process.” Rock Valley College trustee Gloria Cudia, a Republican, collected nine signatures on her petition to represent Ward 10, Precinct 2 in Rockford. Rockford Alderman Tuffy Quinonez, D-11, obtained only two signatures on his petition to represent Ward 11, Precinct 1. He could have had three signatures if he had simply put his own John Hancock on the petition, but he didn’t bother. Crowley, Cudia and Quinonez said they simply didn’t have time to obtain 10 signatures while juggling hectic schedules as the Dec. 2 filing deadline approached. Crowley knows the drill better than most. He has served as a Democratic precinct committeeman for decades. He’s running for re-election next year to keep his county auditor job. He’s also seeking a precinct committee post in Harlem Township. Even after appointments, however, most precinct positions remain vacant. “Try finding a Democrat who wants to run for Burritt Township precinct committeeman,” said Laskonis, referring to the sparsely populated township that’s home to far more cornstalks than humans and far more registered Republicans than Democrats. “You can’t even find someone to appoint to that job. Maybe there’s someone. But I haven’t found them.” A good precinct committeeman may be hard to find these days, but there’s really no need to worry, said state Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford. “There’s a lot of people out there who volunteer for campaigns and they basically do the role of the precinct committeeman, but without the official title,” Syverson said. “They get out there and they walk door to door and they’re actively supporting party candidates. They’re doing the same work for individual candidates, just not through the local party infrastructure. So it’s really the role of the political party to encourage and help people understand why it’s important to do this grass-roots kind of work.” Either way, there are plenty of benefits to walking around your block and introducing yourself to your neighbors, Lundquist said. “I feel good about Rockford, in general,” Lundquist said. “There’s so many good things happening in Rockford, really. But in my small neck of the woods, in my precinct, I felt so good after knocking on doors and meeting all these people who are my neighbors. “I wish everyone would do this because everyone would feel better about the state of the world,” she said. “You’d see we’re in much better shape than what is sometimes shown to us.”)

DEKALB DAILY CHRONICLE
— Sycamore man won’t take down Trump banner sprayed with ‘Vote Bernie’ ‘Politics has ratcheted up to such a degree it’s turned into something where you hate your neighbors’ – KEVIN SOLARI (DIERSEN: If you displayed a Trump sign at your home, what would the Trump-haters in your neighborhood, in your precinct, in your municipality, in your township/ward, and in your county do to you and do to your sign?)
https://www.daily-chronicle.com/2020/01/02/sycamore-man-wont-take-down-trump-banner-sprayed-with-vote-bernie/aslhex7/

FOX ILLINOIS
— Illinois to Indiana: Weed is still illegal, police on the lookout – Lauren Kostiuk
https://foxillinois.com/news/local/illinois-to-indiana-weed-is-still-illegal-police-on-the-lookout

WILL
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe to push pot.
https://will.illinois.edu/news/story/decatur-mayor-says-her-mind-is-set-on-banning-cannabis-sales-at-least-for-now

MDJ ONLINE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.mdjonline.com/neighbor_newspapers/extra/news/estimated-million-paid-on-million-in-first-day-of-legal/video_7cbb59a4-1ed4-59e6-acb2-03647f4542f8.html

NEWS CHANNEL 20
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://newschannel20.com/news/local/why-legal-marijuana-is-worth-the-extra-money

PEORIA PUBLIC RADIO
— Illinois Congressmen Join In Call For Supreme Court to “Reconsider” Roe v. Wade – TIM SHELLEY
https://www.peoriapublicradio.org/post/illinois-congressmen-join-call-supreme-court-reconsider-roe-v-wade#stream/0
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A lone Democrat joined Illinois’ House Republican delegation in signing a legal brief calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to “reconsider” the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion access nationwide. More than 200 members of both houses of Congress signed the amicus brief filed with the high court on Thursday. U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Chicago) joined Illinois Republicans Darin LaHood, Adam Kinzinger, Rodney Davis, Mike Bost and John Shimkus.)

WIFR
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Illinois public schools to do more to promote LGBTQ activity in 2020. 
https://www.wifr.com/content/news/Illinois-schools-to-start-teaching-LGBTQ-history-in-2020-566660911.html

WQAD
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://wqad.com/2020/01/02/local-head-shops-see-spike-in-sales-after-first-few-days-of-legalized-marijuana/

CHICAGO CATHOLIC
— March for Life Chicago moves location, expands events – Michelle Martin
https://www.chicagocatholic.com/chicagoland/-/article/2020/01/02/march-for-life-chicago-moves-location-expands-events

WIREPOINTS
— Lieutenant Governor Stratton’s Shameful First Day With Legal Marijuana – Mark Glennon
https://wirepoints.org/lieutenant-governor-strattons-shameful-first-day-with-legal-marijuana/
— New IRS data release: Record losses of taxable income and taxpayers for Illinois – Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
https://wirepoints.org/new-irs-data-record-number-of-illinoisans-leave-state-as-tax-base-continues-to-shrink-wirepoints-special-report/

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Suggestions for Alternative to Woodstock’s Bag Tax
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/03/suggestions-for-alternative-to-woodstocks-bag-tax/ 
— McClellan’s Legal Ability Questioned in Analysis of Next Filing to Reveal Identifies of McHenry County Blog Commenters – Part 2
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/03/mcclellans-legal-ability-questioned-in-analysis-of-next-filing-to-reveal-identifies-of-mchenry-county-blog-commenters-part-2/ 
— IL-14: Catalina Lauf and James Marter Quick to Support President Trump’s Decisive Action in Iraq
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/03/il-14-catalina-lauf-and-james-marter-quick-to-support-president-trumps-decisive-action-in-iraq/ 
— IL-14: James Marter Pulls Out 18-Year-Old Attack on Jim Oberweis on Abortion
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/03/il-14-james-marter-pulls-out-18-year-old-attack-on-jim-oberweis-on-abortion/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— GOP 6TH CD CANDIDATE JEANNE IVES RESPONDS TO US AIR STRIKE
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/01/gop-6th-cd-candidate-jeanne-ives-responds-to-us-air-strike.html
— COMING TO IL: CANNABIS-RELATED PSYCHOSIS, ADDICTION, ER VISITS
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/01/coming-to-il-cannabis-related-psychosis-addiction-er-visits.html
— LGBT FLAGS HANDED OUT AT SCHOOL, KIDS REBEL AND RAISE CONFEDERATE FLAG
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/01/lgbt-flags-handed-out-at-school-kids-rebel-and-raise-confederate-flag.html

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Gabbard joins Yang and throws cold water on Democratic impeachment efforts – Becket Adams 
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/gabbard-joins-yang-and-throws-cold-water-on-democratic-impeachment-efforts
— Is the Democratic Party still the party of diversity? – Kaylee McGhee (DIERSEN: To get votes from minorities, females, those who are younger, those who are LGBTQers, those who have less money than others, those whose ancestors have not been in America for a long time, those who are not Protestant, those who are not German American, those who have financial, health, and/or other problems, those who are moderate or liberal, those who are veterans, those who say that they are not gun owners, etc., Democrats and RINOs promise to use government to give preference to the aforesaid big time by taking money, opportunities, etc. away from Republicans.) 
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/with-julian-castros-campaign-over-the-democratic-party-must-ask-is-it-still-the-party-of-diversity

FOX NEWS
— Trump rakes in cash with impeachment boost – Chris Stirewalt
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-rakes-in-cash-with-impeachment-boost

FEDERALIST
— Washington Post Writer Can’t Figure Out Why Trump Supporters Won’t Talk To Her In corporate media, conservative women are simply presumed to be bigoted, or stupid, or who cares, as long as it’s an opportunity to trivialize them. – Casey Chalk
https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/03/washington-post-writer-cant-figure-out-why-trump-supporters-wont-talk-to-her/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Addressing Islam’s role in rising urban black anti-Semitism. – Andrea Widburg
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/01/addressing_islams_role_in_rising_urban_black_antisemitism.html

ACCURACY IN MEDIA
— San Diego State University removes Nation of Islam leader from a list of suggested speakers
https://www.academia.org/san-diego-state-university-removes-nation-of-islam-leader-from-a-list-of-suggested-speakers/

TOWNHALL
— Trump-Hating Leftists Usher in New Year of Trump Hatred – David Limbaugh (DIERSEN: If you displayed a Trump sign at your home, what would the Trump-haters in your neighborhood, in your precinct, in your municipality, in your township/ward, and in your county do to you and do to your sign?)
https://townhall.com/columnists/davidlimbaugh/2020/01/03/trumphating-leftists-usher-in-new-year-of-trump-hatred-n2558872

THE HILL
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: What drugs are prescribed for you that are also prescribed for Bernie Sanders? Recently, atorvastatin ( https://www.drugs.com/atorvastatin.html ) has been prescribed for me.)
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/476266-sanderss-doctors-declare-him-healthy-after-october-heart-attack
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Sanders takes atorvastatin, aspirin, clopidogrel, levothyroxine, and lisinopril every day, and has in the past been treated for a cyst on his vocal cord and two hernias.)

NEW YORK TIMES
— Biden Warns About Disinformation After Misleading Video – Katie Glueck (DIERSEN: According to my critics/opponents, all government and political news and commentary is disinformation and misleading, except for the government and political news and commentary that they put out or bless. Because my critics/opponents cannot manipulate or dominate me, my critic/opponents focus on destroying me and destroying my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/us/politics/joe-biden-culture-video.html
— The Case for a One-Term Joe The quickest way to get a President Stacey Abrams or President Pete Buttigieg is to first elect a President Biden. – Timothy Egan
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/opinion/joe-biden-age.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters condemn Trump and condemn everyone who does not hate Trump.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/us/christianity-today-mark-galli-evangelicals.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Pot pushers use booze to push pot.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/01/us/100-years-ago-the-booziest-january-suddenly-dried-up.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Hispanics at Harvard unite to protect Hispanics at Harvard. During the 1980s and 1990s, GAO employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who had not made GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40 DID NOT UNITE TO PROTECT THE AFORESAID. Instead, to keep their jobs as long as possible, virtually all of them “cut deals” with their superiors. Most commonly, they agreed to help their superiors get rid of their employees like me who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who had not made the aforesaid promotion deadlines.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/us/harvard-latinos-diversity-debate.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Demographic Shift Poised to Test Trump’s 2020 Strategy Base of white, working-class voters projected to decline and be replaced by Democratic-leaning groups – Aaron Zitner and Dante Chinni (DIERSEN: How bad are your demographics? Ever-increasingly, Trump-haters encourage everyone to dump those who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time. I should write a book about those in Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois who ever-increasingly dump the aforesaid.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/demographic-shift-poised-to-test-trumps-2020-strategy-11578047402
— Drug Prices Climb by 5.8% on Average, Less Than Last Year Pfizer led the way with increases of over 9% on more than 40 products, according to a new analysis – Jared S. Hopkins
https://www.wsj.com/articles/drug-prices-climb-by-5-8-on-average-less-than-last-year-11577984680
— Transit Systems Take On Role as Homeless Advocates As number of people living on the streets rises, many transit officials worry about social welfare as well as trains and buses – Paul Berger (DIERSEN: How much have you used public transit? I used public transit a lot in 1971 and 1973-1997. I should write a book about my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes who hint/imply/argue/shout that they would never stoop to use public transit.) 
https://www.wsj.com/articles/transit-systems-take-on-role-as-homeless-advocates-11577973601
— Blackouts, Disasters Give Generators a Sales Boost California’s wildfires raised demand for auxiliary power at businesses and cell towers – Bob Tita and Jim Carlton
https://www.wsj.com/articles/blackouts-disasters-juice-generator-sales-11578000689
— ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ ‘I have long been particularly concerned with the lack of intellectual diversity at the law school.’ – Stephen Bainbridge 
https://www.wsj.com/articles/notable-quotable-diversity-and-inclusion-11578008804
(FROM THE ARTICLE: As regular readers know, I’m up for a merit raise at UCLAW this year and am now required to submit a statement of how I contribute to the University’s goals in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. I have just emailed the statement to the administration. It reads as follows: “Although I am aware and respectful of the many dimensions within which a university properly seeks a diverse faculty and student body, I have long been particularly concerned with the lack of intellectual diversity at the law school. A survey of U.S. law professors in general found that white Democratic professors (both male and female), Jewish professors, and nonreligious professors ‘account for most (or all) of the overrepresentation among racial, gender, religious, and ideological groups in law teaching.’ The groups that ‘account for most of the underrepresentation among racial, gender, religious, and ideological groups in law teaching’ are Republicans (both male and female), Protestants, and Catholics. This disparity persists even though ‘religious and political diversity are probably more important for viewpoint diversity than gender diversity and roughly as important as racial diversity.’)
— Census 2020 Tests Social-Media Giants’ Ability to Combat Disinformation Facebook, Google and others roll out initiatives designed to help protect U.S. population count – Sarah E. Needleman (DIERSEN: According to my critics/opponents, all government and political news and commentary is disinformation except for the government and political news and commentary that they put out or bless. Because my critics/opponents cannot manipulate or dominate me, my critic/opponents focus on destroying me and destroying my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/census-2020-tests-social-media-giants-ability-to-combat-disinformation-11577977790

QUARTZ
— How to survive the coming retirement crisis – Allison Schrager (DIERSEN: The purchasing power of my Civil Service Retirement System pension and my Social Security decreases every year because cost of living adjustments are much less than inflation.) 
https://qz.com/1766478/how-to-survive-the-coming-retirement-crisis/

January 2 Evening Edition

ABC7
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://abc7chicago.com/business/nearly-$32m-of-pot-products-sold-in-ill-on-1st-day;-dispensary-applications-due/5807922/

NBC5
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/illinois-reveals-first-day-marijuana-sales/2195516/
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/entrepreneurs-hope-new-dispensary-licenses-will-benefit-minority-business-owners/2195655/
— Trump, Democratic Presidential Candidates File to Appear on Illinois Ballot
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/trump-democratic-presidential-candidates-file-to-appear-on-illinois-ballot/2195531/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-rakes-in-nearly-3-2m-on-first-day-of-legal-weed-sales

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— GOP congressmen Darin LaHood and Mike Bost with paperwork for Donald Trump first in line as presidential primary candidate filing begins in Springfield – JAMIE MUNKS and RICK PEARSON
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-presidential-primary-filing-period-20200102-atk2hxugwzba3iaytm4vkxejcu-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elmwood-park/ct-elm-cannabis-story-tl-0109-20200101-bxf7rjpvt5b3znd6h3mzqfkz6y-story.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/marijuana/illinois/ct-biz-illinois-legal-weed-early-days-20200102-trakidlua5hlrcqi753zrk6y4e-story.html
— No, we won’t shut up about the Illinois Exodus. Latest downside: Chicago’s top real estate investors are shopping elsewhere – Editorial
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-illinois-exodus-developers-leaving-chicago-20200102-rgw5eheuhrbcdosj5nohvt5i44-story.html
— Naperville councilman John Krummen, DuPage board member Dawn DeSart holding public forum on suicide awareness – ERIN HEGARTY
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-community-conversations-suicide-awareness-krummen-desart-st-20200102-mv4mel6rnjbp3pyg7xks7cmjlu-story.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot. – Robert Sanchez
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2020/1/2/21046792/recreational-pot-marijuana-sales-dispensary
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2020/1/2/21046978/legal-weed-sales-illinois
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Trump-haters promote hatred against Trump and against those who do not hate Trump.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2020/1/2/21046687/mass-shootings-antisemitism-american-politics-s-e-cupp

DAILY HERALD
— Cronin on his ‘frustrating’ year as DuPage County Board chairman
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200102/cronin-on-his-frustrating-year-as-dupage-county-board-chairman
— DuPage sheriff’s office giving car seats to families in need
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200102/dupage-sheriffs-office-giving-car-seats-to-families-in-need
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: According to Trump-hates, the following do not “belong” anywhere: individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, gun owners, draft avoiders, German American, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time. 
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200102/naperville-prayer-event-envisions-world-where-everyone-belongs

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Signs that Biden is Illinois Dems’ establishment bet Party pros seem to be lining up behind the candidate, while the list of delegates for Trump include none of the state’s former GOP governors nor top business leaders active in party politics. – GREG HINZ
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg-hinz-politics/signs-biden-illinois-dems-establishment-bet
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: People with severe health, financial, and/or other problems spend $3.2 million on pot on January 1, 2020.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/marijuanacannabis/illinois-legal-weed-tally-32-million-day-one

PEKIN TIMES
— 10 Democrats, President Trump file for Illinois primary – Bernard Schoenburg
https://www.pekintimes.com/news/20200102/10-democrats-president-trump-file-for-illinois-primary

KEWANEE STAR COURIER
— Kewanee Police Department draws first blood for pot enforcement – Susan DeVilder 
https://www.starcourier.com/news/20200102/kpd-draws-first-blood-for-pot-enforcement

NORTHWEST HERALD
— Recreational marijuana purchases should not affect FOID card status, state police say Recreational purchases should not affect FOID card status – Derek Barichello
https://www.nwherald.com/2020/01/01/recreational-marijuana-purchases-should-not-affect-foid-card-status-state-police-say/av8hbze/

HERALD & REVIEW
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://herald-review.com/news/state-and-regional/customers-line-up-at-collinsville-store-on-day-of-legal/article_2a48ff2d-c20f-54ea-a725-1cc7390e7520.html

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.news-gazette.com/news/day-of-recreational-marijuana-you-can-tell-this-is-what/article_7d7e2b92-122c-5cdd-805a-e60e2a7da32b.html

HERALD NEWS
— OUTSTANDING: Activists to hold pro-Trump rally Jan. 11 in Joliet Multiple rallies planned throughout Midwest – ALEX ORTIZ
https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/12/31/activists-to-hold-pro-trump-rally-jan-11-in-joliet/ahz424a/

FOX ILLINOIS
— Sanders and Trump surge, Biden rebounds in fundraising race – AP
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/sanders-raises-impressive-345m-in-2019s-final-quarter

WQAD
— President Trump officially on Illinois primary ballot – BRODY WOODDELL
https://wqad.com/2020/01/02/president-trump-officially-on-illinois-primary-ballot/

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Democratic Party Presidential Delegate/Alternate Candidates from McHenry County
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/01/02/democratic-party-presidential-delegate-alternate-candidates-from-mchenry-county/

WIREPOINTS
— New IRS data: Record number of Illinoisans leave state as tax base continues to shrink – Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
https://wirepoints.org/new-irs-data-record-number-of-illinoisans-leave-state-as-tax-base-continues-to-shrink-wirepoints-special-report/

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— Popular Trends Rule Adolescent Desires – Dr. Everett Piper
https://illinoisfamily.org/faith/popular-trends-rule-adolescent-desires/

ILLINOIS FAMILY ACTION
— How the 2020 Census Will Change the U.S. House – Matt Palumbo
https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/tag/remap/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— ‘Authority and power’: Ilhan Omar and AOC plan to make Progressive Caucus a ‘new kind of centrism’ – Spencer Neale (DIERSEN: Democrat plants, Libertarian plants, Green plants, RINOs and other conservative-haters falsely paint themselves as being centrists.) 
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ilhan-omar-and-aoc-plan-to-make-progressive-caucus-a-new-kind-of-centrism

AMERICAN THINKER
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to lose her congressional seat based on all those NYC residents fleeing socialism? – Monica Showalter
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/01/alexandria_ocasiocortez_to_lose_her_congressional_seat_based_on_all_those_nyc_residents_fleeing_socialism.html
— Unable to find new fake news, Vox editor recycles old fake news – Andrea Widburg
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/01/unable_to_find_new_fake_news_vox_editor_recycles_old_fake_news.html

CONSERVATIVE HQ
— Trump Nails Reason Pelosi Is Withholding Articles Of Impeachment
http://www.conservativehq.com/node/31671

DAILY CALLER
— ‘Teacher’ Is The Most Common Occupation Among Bernie Sanders’s 4th-Quarter Donors – MARY MARGARET OLOHAN
https://dailycaller.com/2020/01/02/teacher-bernie-sanders-donors/

NEWSMAX
— Thirteen States Sue Over New Rule to Limit Legal Immigration
https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/apnewsalert/2020/01/02/id/928615/

TOWNHALL
Fairfax Virginia Is Now A Marijuana Sanctuary City – Marina Medvin
https://townhall.com/columnists/marinamedvin/2020/01/02/fairfax-virginia-is-now-a-marijuana-sanctuary-city-n2558850

PJ MEDIA
— Trump Administration to Go After States Allowing Illegal Immigrants to Obtain Driver’s Licenses – MATT MARGOLIS
https://pjmedia.com/trending/trump-administration-to-go-after-states-allowing-illegal-immigrants-to-obtain-drivers-licenses/

SEAN HANNITY
— MEGA MAGA: Trump Campaign Raises $46 MILLION in 4th Quarter, $143 MILLION in 2019
https://hannity.com/media-room/mega-maga-trump-campaign-raises-46-million-in-4th-quarter-143-million-in-2019/

COLLEGE FIX
— How social justice is destroying objectivity, excellence, due process, science — and much more – Heather Mac Donald
https://www.thecollegefix.com/bulletin-board/how-social-justice-is-destroying-objectivity-excellence-due-process-science-and-much-more-speech/

INDEPENDENT JOURNAL REVIEW
— RNC Chairwoman Knocks NYT Op-Ed Claiming Republican Women Are ‘on the Brink of Extinction’ – Bradley Cortright
https://ijr.com/rnc-chairwoman-knocks-op-ed-republican-women-brink-extinction/?ut

THE HILL
— Ex-Google executive hammers company over diversity – EMILY BIRNBAUM (DIERSEN: I should write a book about what employers I have worked for and organizations that I am/was a member of to promote diversity, that is, to get rid of those who are Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.)
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/476540-ex-google-exec-hammers-company-over-diversity

NEW YORK TIMES
— More Than 200 Republicans Urge Supreme Court to Weigh Overturning Roe v. Wade Two House Democrats joined them in signing a legal brief in a case that is certain to inject the divisive politics of abortion into the 2020 presidential race. – Sheryl Gay Stolberg
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/us/politics/republicans-abortion-supreme-court.html
— Fourteen Democrats, Three Republicans in U.S. Presidential Race – Reuters
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/01/02/us/politics/02reuters-usa-election-2020-candidates.html

REASON
— Although Cannabis Consumers Who Own Firearms Are Federal Felons, Illinois Says They Can Keep Their Guns The Illinois State Police confirms that people who try newly legal marijuana are not considered “unlawful users” of narcotics. – JACOB SULLUM
https://reason.com/2020/01/02/although-cannabis-consumers-who-own-firearms-are-federal-felons-illinois-says-they-can-keep-their-guns/

HR DRIVE
— Ageism — the ‘last acceptable bias’ — is rampant at work, AARP says – Valerie Bolden-Barrett
https://www.hrdive.com/news/ageism-the-last-acceptable-bias-is-rampant-at-work-aarp-says/569649/

LGBTQ NATION
— New Illinois law requires all public single-use restrooms be gender neutral The Equitable Restroom Act mandates that single-occupancy facilities shall be labeled “All-Gender.” – Bil Browning 
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/01/new-illinois-law-requires-public-single-use-restrooms-gender-neutral/

January 1 Evening Edition

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What are the following doing to discourage the sale and use of pot in Illinois, your county, your township/ward, and your municipality: a) Trump, b) the leaders of the Illinois Republican Party, c) the leaders of your Republican county/township/ward party organizations, d) the Republicans who represent you in the U.S. House, Illinois Senate, Illinois House, your county, your township/ward, and your municipality, e) your Republican Precinct Committeeman/Captain, f) the conservative, religious, education, healthcare, law enforcement, etc. leaders in your county, township/ward, and municipality, g) etc.? – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

ABC7
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://abc7chicago.com/business/legal-recreational-marijuana-sales-begin-in-illinois/5804233/

NBC5
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/governors-office-calls-first-day-of-legalized-cannabis-sales-an-historic-new-day/2195296/
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/history-made-first-legal-cannabis-sales-complete-as-dispensaries-open-in-illinois/2195119/

CBS2
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/01/01/long-lines-recreational-marijuana-chicago/
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/video/4348453-legal-weed-sales-underway-in-illinois/
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/video/4348313-pot-sales-now-legal-in-illinois/
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/video/4348499-smooth-first-day-sales-of-recreational-marijuana/
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/01/01/the-wait-for-legal-weed-is-over-as-marijuana-sales-get-started-in-illinois/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/turning-over-a-new-leaf-illinois-sees-first-legal-sales-of-recreational-marijuana

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2020/1/1/21043086/legal-weed-marijuana-live-updates-recreational-sales
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2020/1/1/21045390/renzo-mejia-first-recreational-weed-marijuana-illinois-dispensary-33

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/marijuana/illinois/ct-legal-weed-illinois-first-day-20200101-7cjmnsifxvhrxc4evr2alua7ue-story.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/marijuana/illinois/ct-legal-weed-first-day-recreational-sales-20200101-fhtdvp4j6naphff6jmnnh6fkqy-story.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/oak-park/ct-oak-cannabis-store-tl-0109-20200101-f6h3zshcezfnlm42jucbcngy6u-story.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/ct-sta-recreational-marijuana-sales-st-0102-20200101-bs4qmzlgmvab7l7hznruyshfwa-story.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/marijuana/illinois/ct-liststory-illinois-legal-weed-20191219-vy7no4bg7vdwbcsa77f7lr4giy-list.html
— Bloomberg’s campaign ad spending tops $155 million – BILL ALLISON
https://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-tns-bc-campaign-spending-20200101-story.html
— Dry January isn’t for everyone, experts say. Some drinkers need treatment. Others are trying Dry-ish January – Kate Thayer
https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-life-dry-january-cb-tt-20200101-24tkyxqn4rdarjx5mj7f6ezjce-story.html

DAILY HERALD
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200101/got-my-legal-weed-recreational-marijuana-sales-start-with-enthusiasm
— Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie headlining Barrington Town-Warming – Bob Susnjara
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20191231/former-new-jersey-gov-chris-christie-headlining-barrington-town-warming
— The Great Divide: Congress, voters on immigration – Joe Guzzardi
https://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20200101/the-great-divide-congress-voters-on-immigration

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/marijuanacannabis/ringing-new-year-weed
— As our economy evolves, so does the hunt for a ‘good’ job – CLAIRE BUSHEY (DIERSEN: According to my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes, all of the jobs that I had were BAD JOBS that they would never stoop to take. I did yard work and delivered newspapers 1962-1964; washed dishes 1964-1966; cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966; delivered mail 1966-1969; worked on an automobile assembly line and as a security guard in 1970; sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971; pumped gasoline 1971-1972; collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980; and audited federal agencies 1980-1997.)
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/crains-forum-jobs-wages/shift-change

NORTHWEST HERALD
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.nwherald.com/2020/01/01/photos-hundreds-line-up-for-legal-marijuana/dmcn3bt/

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.news-gazette.com/news/day-of-recreational-marijuana-you-can-tell-this-is-what/article_7d7e2b92-122c-5cdd-805a-e60e2a7da32b.html

ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.rrstar.com/news/20200101/long-lines-excitement-high-for-first-day-of-legal-weed-in-rockford

PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.pjstar.com/news/20200101/long-line-and-upbeat-camaraderie-mark-predawn-pot-sales-in-east-peoria
https://www.pjstar.com/news/20200101/marijuana-sales-go-smoothly-in-springfield
https://www.pjstar.com/news/20191231/peoria-medical-pot-facility-approved-for-recreational-sales-which-begin-wednesday
https://www.pjstar.com/news/20200101/luciano-just-as-with-legal-weed-peoria-celebrated-end-of-last-prohibition

BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/photos-recreational-pot-sales-begin-in-illinois/collection_2798cd59-444e-507e-b601-67ad51d211a6.html

JOURNAL STANDARD
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.journalstandard.com/news/20200101/todays-pot-shops-will-leave-old-timers-dazed-and-confused

HERALD & REVIEW
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://herald-review.com/news/local/photos-recreational-pot-sales-begin-in-illinois/collection_5c6f213d-7662-575e-a802-472d6e73e620.html#1

HERALD NEWS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/01/01/hundreds-come-out-early-for-legal-marijuana-in-joliet/d7x6iqe/

BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.bnd.com/news/local/article238884078.html

GALESBURG REGISTER MAIL
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.galesburg.com/news/20200101/hundreds-line-up-before-dawn-to-purchase-pot-in-canton

QUAD CITY TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://qctimes.com/it-s-the-end-of-prohibition-recreational-marijuana-sales-began/collection_0b97a4ef-5e91-5c11-b122-e50f4e45d010.html#1

TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.mywebtimes.com/2020/01/01/the-prohibition-has-ended-on-marijuana/admqzp4/

LINCOLN COURIER
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.lincolncourier.com/news/20200101/first-in-line-for-adult-use-cannabis-this-is-something-thats-going-to-go-down-in-history

LASALLE NEWS TRIBUNE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.newstrib.com/2020/01/01/the-prohibition-has-ended-on-marijuana/admqzp4/

DECATUR DAILY
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.decaturdaily.com/business/illinois-sees-first-legal-sales-of-recreational-marijuana/article_5093bb03-9a85-5e51-a987-dd9e3b9a4909.html

SOUTHERN
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://thesouthern.com/news/local/with-lines-hundreds-deep-southern-illinoisans-celebrate-legal-marijuana-sales/article_6de09443-0b7f-5f01-87e3-3a606a7d62ee.html

ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/illinois/long-lines-in-collinsville-greet-first-day-of-recreational-weed/article_ebd288a9-5650-50e5-a0cb-5b6faec24180.html

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/01/01/wisconsin-residents-visit-illinois-first-day-legalized-marijuana/2786716001/

FOX ILLINOIS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://foxillinois.com/news/local/sunny-side-marijuana-dispensary-gearing-up-for-recreational-sales-tomorrow

WIFR
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.wifr.com/content/news/Legal-Cannabis-Sales-566624891.html

WSPY
— Petition Challenges Dropped Against Republican Primary Candidate in 14th Congressional – Tyler Bachman
http://www.wspynews.com/news/local/petition-challenges-dropped-against-republican-primary-candidate-in-th-congressional/article_e90d69de-2c9e-11ea-bcac-b351db8e7e8f.html

WILL
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://will.illinois.edu/news/story/first-day-of-legal-recreational-cannabis-sales-draws-hundreds-to-cu-dispensaries

WGEM
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://wgem.com/2020/01/01/lines-formed-outside-dispensaries-for-sale-of-recreational-marijuana/

WAOW
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://waow.com/2020/01/01/people-begin-camping-out-ahead-of-legal-marijuana-in-illinois/

WRAL
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.wral.com/recreational-use-of-marijuana-is-now-legal-in-illinois-and-retailers-are-ready/18862747/

WGLT
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.wglt.org/post/patrons-look-make-history-peorias-first-legal-recreational-cannabis-customers#stream/0

WSIL TV
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://wsiltv.com/2020/01/01/three-dispensaries-set-to-open-in-southern-illinois-selling-recreational-marijuana-wednesday-morning/

WSBT
— Indiana man caught going 103 in 55 mph zone with marijuana purchased in Illinois – Stefanie Dyga
https://wsbt.com/news/regional/indiana-man-caught-going-103-in-55-mph-zone-with-marijuana-purchased-in-illinois

BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/01/01/legal-recreational-weed-goes-on-sale-and-chicagoans-line-up-for-blocks-in-the-cold/

CHICAGO REPORTER
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.chicagoreporter.com/a-moral-argument-and-course-of-action-for-legalized-marijuana-in-2020/

EVANSTON NOW
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://evanstonnow.com/story/business/bill-smith/2020-01-01/83986/legal-weed-draws-a-crowd-for-first-day-of-sales

EVANSTON ROUNDTABLE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://evanstonroundtable.com/Content/Default/Community-Updates/Article/Hello-2020-Large-Crowds-Greet-Opening-of-First-Recreational-Marijuana-Dispensary-in-Evanston-/-3/225/17372

WASHINGTON TIMES
— The president counts on black voters for a second term – Allan H. Ryskind
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/1/president-trump-needs-to-count-on-black-voters-for/

AMERICAN THINKER
— A new year needs a new renaissance…against Islam and leftism – Diana Mary Sitek
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/12/a_new_year_needs_a_new_renaissanceagainst_islam_and_leftism.html

BREITBART
— Hollywood Rings in the New Year Hating Trump: ‘Kick His Ass in 2020’ – HANNAH BLEAU
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2020/01/01/hollywood-rings-in-the-new-year-hating-trump-kick-his-ass-in-2020/

NEWSMAX
— House Democrats Would Have Impeached Lincoln – Rod Blagojevich 
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/trump-impeachment-abraham-lincoln-rod-blagojevich/2020/01/01/id/948017/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Roseanne Barr praises Trump for protecting Jewish Americans, says Jews should arm themselves – Frieda Powers
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2020/01/01/roseanne-barr-praises-trump-for-protecting-jewish-americans-says-jews-should-arm-themselves-870909

THE HILL
— Rapid turnover shapes Trump’s government – MORGAN CHALFANT (DIERSEN: While I worked for GAO 1980-1997, there was very little turnover because the agency was almost always under hiring and/or promotion freezes.)
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/476083-rapid-turnover-shapes-trumps-government

CBS NEWS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/where-is-marijuana-legal-in-2020-illinois-joins-10-other-states-legalizing-recreational-pot-2020-01-01/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— ‘Hate Crime’ Is Only a Step Away From Thoughtcrime   Punishing people, even criminals, for ideas is inimical to the American tradition of free speech. – Myron Magnet
https://www.wsj.com/articles/hate-crime-is-only-a-step-away-from-thoughtcrime-11577905525

USA TODAY
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/01/01/cannabis-illinois-legal-weed-sales-start-jan-1/2789415001/

DAILY MAIL
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7843017/Illinois-sees-legal-sales-recreational-marijuana.html

MARIJUANA MOMENT
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Illinois Lieutenant Governor Buys Marijuana On State’s First Day Of Legal Sales – Kyle Jaeger
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/illinois-lieutenant-governor-buys-marijuana-on-states-first-day-of-legal-sales/

December 28 Morning Edition

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— You still can’t smoke weed and drive — but tests to prove impairment murky The state law legalizing weed authorizes a study to find the best way to enforce laws against driving while stoned. – Sam Charles
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2019/12/27/21038162/pot-recreational-marijuana-illinois-driving-dui-pot-cannabis-impaired-police

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG COLOR PICTURE: DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Trump-haters promote illegal immigration, amnesty, and open borders. 
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-family-reunification-holidays-20191228-6j4lckt2mzc7tgupsagyue7o7q-story.html

ALTON DAILY NEWS
— Census Will Show Illinois Population Decline – Cole Lauterbach 
http://www.altondailynews.com/news/details.cfm?clientid=17&id=296357#.Xgde5SN_OM8

SUBURBAN LIFE
— Young political activists dedicated to understanding residents’ needs – F. AMANDA TUGADE
https://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2019/12/23/young-political-activists-dedicated-to-understanding-residents-needs/azbh1ey/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Cicero is an industrial neighborhood tucked at the border of Chicago’s West Side. It’s home to more than 82,000 residents, and almost 90% of the population is Latino. Rodriguez, 31, a Cicero native, said the town has undergone – and is still going through – many changes, from economic development to its demographics. And there are various issues that fall under these large umbrellas.)

NPR ILLINOIS
— In A Month, Michael Bloomberg Has Spent More Than $100 Million On Campaign Ads – ASMA KHALID
https://www.nprillinois.org/post/billionaires-bring-big-money-democratic-primary#stream/0

WJBC
— AAA: Driving high on marijuana is dangerous, illegal – Neil Doyle
http://www.wjbc.com/2019/12/27/aaa-driving-high-on-marijuana-is-dangerous-illegal/

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— IL-14: Catalina Lauf Takes Aim at “deep swamp IL rivals”
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/12/27/il-14-catalina-lauf-takes-aim-at-deep-swamp-il-rivals/ 
— IL-14: Final Days of 4th Quarter Fundraising
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/12/27/il-14-final-days-of-4th-quarter-fundraising/ 
— IL-06/IL-14: Democrats Protection Plan for Impeachment Votes
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/12/28/il-06-il-14-democrats-protection-plan-for-impeachment-votes/ 
— Bob Miller’s Reply to Interrogatories at Odds with Patrick Kenneally’s Report
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/12/28/bob-millers-reply-to-interrogatories-at-odds-with-patrick-kenneallys-report/

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— Did You Know? Pro-Family Trump Administration Victories – David E. Smith 
https://illinoisfamily.org/federal/pro-family-trump-administration-victories/

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Nearly all Illinois metro areas see lower unemployment – AP
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/dec/28/nearly-all-illinois-metro-areas-see-lower-unemploy/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Elizabeth Warren’s fibbing is forming a pattern – Editorial
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/elizabeth-warrens-lies-are-a-pattern
— Michael Moore predicts 2020 Trump win because of ‘rabid’ supporters – John Gage
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/michael-moore-predicts-2020-trump-win-because-of-rabid-supporters

FOX NEWS
— Pelosi keeps hold on impeachment articles in hopes of leveraging more favorable terms in Senate trial
https://www.yahoo.com/news/pelosi-keeps-hold-impeachment-articles-154545245.html

AMERICAN THINKER
— Another lie: Elizabeth Warren called out by her own brother for claiming their dad was ‘a janitor’ – Monica Showalter
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/12/another_lie_elizabeth_warren_called_out_by_her_own_brother_for_claiming_their_dad_was_a_janitor.html
— Fake News at the OK Corral – Brian C. Joondeph
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/12/fake_news_at_the_ok_corral.html

ADDICTION CENTER
— General Drug Slang
https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/drug-alcohol-slang/

ASK HEALTH NEWS
— ‘Marijuana is not harmless’ – Mariyam Tanveer
https://askhealthnews.com/5671/marijuana-is-not-harmless-a-new-campaign-about-the-weld-county-health-department-to-raise-awareness-about-marijuana-usage/

POLICE ONE
— Illinois officers undergo drug recognition expertise training ahead of new marijuana laws Specially trained officers, which make up 160 of the state’s 40,000 LEOs, use a 12-step evaluation process to detect intoxication not measurable on tests like breathalyzers – Megan Jones
https://www.policeone.com/drug-interdiction-narcotics/articles/ill-officers-undergo-drug-recognition-expertise-training-ahead-of-new-marijuana-laws-pYfhNeHJCmSmJ7FB/

BREITBART
— Republican Outreach to Black Community Must Be New Year’s Resolution – Charlie Kirk
https://www.breitbart.com/2020-election/2019/12/27/charlie-kirk-republican-outreach-to-black-community-must-be-new-years-resolution/

PJ MEDIA
— Germans Think Trump Is More Dangerous Than Kim Jong-Un – RICK MORAN (DIERSEN: Will anti-German Americans become less anti-German Americans because of this?)
https://pjmedia.com/trending/poll-tds-infected-germans-think-trump-more-dangerous-than-kim-jong-un/

NEWS BUSTERS
— ‘New Yorker’ Editor: Evangelicals Back Trump Due to ‘Xenophobia’ and ‘Nativism’ – Ryan Foley
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/ryan-foley/2019/12/27/new-yorker-editor-evangelicals-support-trump-because-shared-cultural

TPM
— The Evangelical War Over Impeachment Has Been A Long Time Coming – Nicole Lafond
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/whats-going-on-evangelicals-impeachment-rift

NATIONAL REVIEW
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “Trump Isn’t a Nazi. He’s a Failure.”
https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/12/trump-presidency-democrats-squander-case-against-him/
— Who Must Protect the Ukraine-Trump Whistleblower? – Stephen M. Kohn (DIERSEN: While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years, I blew the whistle on political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. My Democrat superiors took adverse actions against me because they knew that I was not “protected.” They knew that overwhelmingly, those who dominated the Illinois Republican Party (IRP) were anti-conservative and favored political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. I should write a book about those who have dominated the IRP since 1966.) 
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/who-must-protect-ukraine-trump-whistleblower
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The ICWPA anti-retaliation law is not limited simply to preventing whistleblowers from being fired. The law defines the types of “adverse action” the President must shield whistleblowers from, including “any change in working conditions.” In the case of the Ukrainian “quid pro quo” whistleblower, the catastrophic impact on the whistleblower’s ability to perform his or her job duties that would be triggered by violating his right to confidentiality is obvious. This would include undermining his or her ability to work oversees, be promoted to a covert agent (if not one already), or effectively interact with employees in the White House. Furthermore, breaching the confidentiality of whistleblowers is well established as an “adverse action” under whistleblower law. Federal courts and administrative agencies as divergent as the SEC and Department of Labor have ruled that revealing the name of a whistleblower is an adverse action. Anyone with experience working with whistleblowers knows that once their identity is revealed, their working conditions will never be the same, and they will have a target on their back for the rest of their careers.)

THE HILL
— House GOP vows to use impeachment to cut into Democratic majority – JULIEGRACE BRUFKE
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/476037-house-gop-plans-to-use-impeachment-to-cut-into-democratic-majority

NEW YORK TIMES
— In the U.S., an Angioplasty Costs $32,000. Elsewhere? Maybe $6,400. A study of international prices finds American patients pay much more across a wide array of common services. – Margot Sanger-Katz
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/27/upshot/expensive-health-care-world-comparison.html

WASHINGTON POST
— America’s schools are more diverse than ever. But the teachers are still mostly white. – Laura Meckler and Kate Rabinowitz
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/local/education/teacher-diversity/

LOS ANGELES TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters want Latino evangelical voters to dump Trump.
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-12-27/latino-evangelical-voters-face-a-tug-of-war-in-the-trump-era

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— For the New Year, Say No to Negativity Bad experiences affect us much more powerfully than good ones, but there are ways to deal with this destructive bias and overcome it – John Tierney and Roy F. Baumeister
https://www.wsj.com/articles/for-the-new-year-say-no-to-negativity-11577464413
— Modern ‘Image Scrubbing’ Would Have Come in Handy in Centuries Past Too bad historical figures couldn’t use Google to clean up their bad press – Joe Queenan
https://www.wsj.com/articles/modern-image-scrubbing-would-have-come-in-handy-in-centuries-past-11577383386

DENVER POST
— Weld County launches “marijuana is not harmless” campaign. – SAM TABACHNIK (DIERSEN: When will your county, your township/ward, and/or your municipality launch such a campaign?)
https://www.denverpost.com/2019/12/26/weld-county-marijuana-campaign/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: County officials started brainstorming this summer after the health department noticed youth marijuana and vaping rates were increasing along with car crashes, Aakko said. Those factors, combined with what the county found to be a lower perception of risk around marijuana, helped convince health officials that something needed to be done. “We wanted to get out there that there are consequences to heavy marijuana use and certainly when you get behind the wheel and drive,” Aakko said. Marijuana industry experts said it’s true that there are some harms and risks to marijuana.)

GALLUP
— How Much Does the World Trust Journalists? – ZACC RITTER (DIERSEN: According to my critics/opponents, you can be a journalist or a reporter ONLY if you claim to be non-partisan. However, beyond overwhelmingly, those journalist and reporters who claim to be non-partisan promote the Democrat, Libertarian, and/or Green party platforms.) 
https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/272999/world-trust-journalists.aspx

(FROM THE ARTICLE: Another potential source of distrust in journalists is political polarization. In the United States, trust in the mass media, broadly, has fallen from 68% in 1972 to 41% today. Similarly, a recent Gallup-Knight report found that trust in U.S. local media declines for people who perceive a large gap between their political ideology and the perceived ideology of local news organizations. While trust in the media and trust in journalists differ, the two concepts are related enough to suspect a relationship between political polarization and trust in journalists may exist around the world. Political polarization — measured as the extent to which differences of opinions on major political issues in society exist by country-level experts and part of the Varieties of Democracy project — is strongly associated with less trust in journalists. As the graph shows, the more politically polarized a country is, the less trust the public tends to have in journalists.)

December 25 Morning Edition

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD IN NAPERVILLE SUN: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Sports betting, 6 new casinos, thousands more video slot and poker machines. Illinois is set to become a Midwest gambling mecca. Here’s what’s coming. – ROBERT CHANNICK
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-gambling-sports-betting-illinois-20191220-5ldbt7qb65gorc2kmggjszskhm-story.html

DAILY HERALD
— HARDCOPY ARTICLE TITLE: We need – and generally get – competence from bureaucrats – Lee Hamilton (DIERSEN: If you sought a government office, what would you stress? I would stress my work experience, professional certifications and license, and education. I worked for GAO for almost 18 years, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 levels, currently $98,198-$127,654/year. 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 $82,579-$93,592/year. I passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt. I became a became a licensed CPA, Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Government Financial Manager, Certified Financial Services Auditor, and Forensic Accountant. I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU, MBA from Loyola, master’s degree in accounting from DePaul, and master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT. I served on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter for 13 years.)
https://www.bainbridgereview.com/opinion/in-praise-of-competence-lee-h-hamilton/

ALTON DAILY NEWS
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
http://altondailynews.com/news/details.cfm?clientid=17&id=296270#.XgNFCiN_OM8

EVANSTON NOW
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://evanstonnow.com/story/government/bill-smith/2019-12-25/83878/weed-legalization-is-a-week-away

ACCURACY IN MEDIA
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Washington Post, CNN Journalists Celebrate ‘Merry Impeachmas’ After House Vote – Don Irvine
https://www.aim.org/don-irvine-blog/wapo-cnn-journalists-celebrate-merry-impeachmas-after-house-vote/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Dissing Joe Biden: That strange Obama tilt toward Elizabeth Warren – Monica Showalter
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/12/dissing_joe_biden_that_strange_obama_tilt_toward_elizabeth_warren.html

DAILY CALLER
— DISGUSTING TRAGIC: Democrats Seek To Outlaw Suburban, Single-Family House Zoning, Calling It Racist And Bad For The Environment – LUKE ROSIAK (DIERSEN: If you want to stay away from pot smoke, you should buy a single-family home on a large a lot as possible. Needless-to-say, do not buy a home downwind from a pot smoker. Can precincts, municipal districts, municipalities, townships, wards, counties, etc. vote to ban all uses of pot in their jurisdictions?)
https://dailycaller.com/2019/12/23/virginia-house-zoning-environment/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Pot Pushers and Cartels Would Reap Benefits From This Bill – Garth Van Meter
https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/12/11/pot-pushers-and-cartels-would-reap-benefits-from-this-bill/

NEWS BUSTERS
— WORST OF THE DECADE: Damn Those Conservatives – Geoffrey Dickens (DIERSEN: I should write a book about past/present Republican leaders who sought/seek a legacy of driving conservatives like me out of the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Milton Township Republican Central Committee, etc.)
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/geoffrey-dickens/2019/12/24/worst-decade-damn-those-conservatives

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Jill Biden’s open border Christmas message a slap in the face to dead officers – Michelle Malkin
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2019/12/25/michelle-malkin-jill-bidens-open-border-christmas-message-a-slap-in-the-face-to-dead-officers-868311

NEWS BUSTERS
— Trump Derangement Syndrome – Geoffrey Dickens (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those who have Diersen derangement system. I would focus on those in the Milton Township Republican Central Committee, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Illinois Republican Party, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois.) 
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/geoffrey-dickens/2019/12/25/worst-decade-trump-derangement-syndrome

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Dershowitz: Pelosi Holding On To Articles Of Impeachment “Abuse Of Power,” Obstruction Of Senate – Ian Schwartz
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/12/24/dershowitz_pelosi_holding_on_to_articles_of_impeachment_abuse_of_power_obstruction_of_senate.html

INDEPENDENT JOURNAL REVIEW
— Don’t let Church failings distance you from God, Pope says on Christmas Eve – Alex Skatell (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those in Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois who a) shout that they are a member of a church, that they attend church services, and that they give money to a church and b) who focus on destroying me. They shout a) that I am not a member of a church, that I do not attend church services, and that I do not give money to a church and b) that instead of attending church services, I put GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails together and send them out. In my book, I would focus on the aforesaid who fail/refuse to oppose the promotion of dependency on government, dependency on charity, LGBTQ activity, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, booze, gambling, pot, and other vices, abolition of the First and Second Amendments, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, retaliation, etc. I would focus on those who paint themselves as being extremely judgmental, nasty, mean, rude, cruel, threatening, etc. I would focus on those who talk and/or act like they smoked pot, are smoking pot, want to smoke pot, want all restrictions on smoking pot to be abolished, want to make money selling pot, and/or want governments to take in lots of tax revenue from the sale of pot.) 
https://ijr.com/dont-let-church-failings-distance-you-from-god-pope-says-on-christmas-eve/

HUFFINGTON POST
— Poll: About Half The Public Approves Of Vote To Impeach Trump Americans’ opinions on ousting the president remain stable and deeply polarized. – Ariel Edwards-Levy (DIERSEN: What percent of the voters in your neighborhood, in your precinct, in your municipality, in your township/ward, in your county, and in Illinois approve of the vote to impeach Trump? What percent of those in the aforesaid jurisdictions who approve of the vote to impeach Trump are anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time?) 
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/impeachment-vote-approval-poll_n_5e026a8fe4b0b2520d10f381

CNN
— Why Biden’s endorsement edge matters – Harry Enten (DIERSEN: If you sought a government office or a political office, who would NOT endorse you? The following would NOT endorse me: those who are anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-those who have more/less money than they do, anti-gun owners, anti-draft avoiders, anti-German Americans, anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time, anti-federal employees/retirees, anti-pension recipients, anti-married people, anti-childless people, anti-American nameplate vehicle owners, anti-past/present union members, anti-those who do not own dogs, anti-those who have lived in Crete, anti-those who they cannot manipulate/dominate, anti-etc.)
https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/25/politics/biden-endorsements-analysis/index.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— Steering Impeachment With an Iron Grip, Pelosi Forges a Legacy She Never Sought – Sheryl Gay Stolberg (DIERSEN: I should write a book about past/present Republican leaders who sought/seek a legacy of moving the Illinois Republican Party (IRP), DuPage County Republican Central Committee (DCRCC), Milton Township Republican Central Committee (MTRCC), etc. to the left, that is, to get rid of IRP, DCRCC, MTRCC, etc. members like me who are conservative, that is, to get rid of IRP, DCRCC, MTRCC, etc. members like me who support the traditional family, right to life, immigration, Second Amendment, illegal drugs, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks in the Republican Party platform.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/18/us/politics/nancy-pelosi.html
— Christianity Today Again Slams Trump, Raises Issue of ‘Unconditional Loyalty’ – Reuters (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents a) demand unconditional loyalty and b) destroy individuals, destroy organizations, destroy companies, and destroy governments that do not give them unconditional loyalty. I should write a book about my critics/opponents. I would focus on those who have lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout in Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois. 
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/12/23/us/politics/23reuters-usa-trump-religion.html
— Pentagon Warns Military Personnel Against At-Home DNA Tests The tests, from companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry, have become popular holiday gifts, but the military is warning service members of risks to their careers. – Heather Murphy and Mihir Zaveri (DIERSEN: What if I had lied and successfully claimed Swedish ancestry? During the 1840s and 1850s, all my ancestors immigrated to northeast Illinois from what is now Germany. Of course, needless-to-say, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always used that against me. In my defense, I stress that my grandfather on my father’s side fought the Germans during WWI, that my uncles on my mother’s side fought the Germans during WWII, and that my father would have fought the Germans during WWII if he had not been 4-F. Further, according to http://dna.ancestry.com, my ancestry is 33% Europe West, 28% Scandinavia, 24% Great Britain, 11% Ireland, 2% Europe East, 1% Finland/Northwest Russia, and 1% Italy/Greece. Again, what if I had lied and successfully claimed Swedish ancestry?)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/24/us/military-dna-tests.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: With cannabis use an open secret in the NBA, this ex-player is pushing the league to allow CBD – Candace Buckner 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/12/25/nba-cbd-marijuana-al-harrington-weed/

USA TODAY
— AG Barr offers forceful endorsement of FBI after suggesting it may have acted in ‘bad faith’- Kevin Johnson (DIERSEN: I charge my Democrat superiors in the federal government with acting in bad faith. They used Affirmative Action, Diversity, Inclusion, up-or-out, budget cuts, etc. to get rid of their employees who were Republican, and especially those who were White, male, older, non-veteran, conservative, Protestant, German American, non-poor, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time. I charge RINO leaders with acting in bad faith. They use Diversity to get rid of Republicans who are conservative, and especially those who are White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, non-poor, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/12/18/attorney-general-william-barr-praises-fbi-director-christopher-wray/2690439001/

NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— Donald Trump’s Not-So-Hostile Takeover of the GOP – Eric Levitz (DIERSEN: Who has taken over your Republican township/ward party organization, your Republican county party organization, and the Illinois Republican Party? What do they say and do to promote the traditional family, right to life, immigration, Second Amendment, illegal drugs, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks in the Republican Party platform? Did they speak out against recreational pot at your municipal and county meetings?) 
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/12/trump-takeover-gop-impeachment-prescription-drugs.html

NEWSWEEK
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters promote Trump-haters.
https://www.newsweek.com/former-republican-congressman-trump-morally-intellectually-unfit-office-1478976

NEW REPUBLIC
— How the Democratic Party Learned to Wage Class Warfare Occupy Wall Street was widely ridiculed by liberals. Now, rage against the one percent is a major theme of the 2020 primary. – MELISSA GIRA GRANT (DIERSEN: My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government promoted class warfare. They stressed the new cars that I bought, the money that I spent for tuition and books, the real estate that I bought, my wife’s savings and income, the vacations that I went on, the collector cars that I bought, the computers that I bought, the money that I saved for retirement, etc.) 
https://newrepublic.com/article/155989/democratic-party-learned-wage-class-warfare

AMERICAN COUNCIL ON SCIENCE AND HEALTH
— Linking Healthy And Wealthy – Chuck Dinerstein (DIERSEN: How healthy are you? How wealthy are you? My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that I have been undeservedly healthy notwithstanding the fact that my eyesight could never be corrected to 20/20, I have partial red/green color blindness, and I had Osgood-Schlatter disease ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osgood%E2%80%93Schlatter_disease). They have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if I had not avoided the draft, that if I had served in Vietnam, that my good health would have ended.) 
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/12/24/linking-healthy-and-wealthy-14470

CPA JOURNAL
— Fostering Diversity and Inclusion in the Accounting Workplace – Stephen R. Goldberg
https://www.cpajournal.com/2019/12/25/fostering-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-accounting-workplace/

ALTERNET
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Trump-haters make it clear that they are going to destroy all individuals, all organizations, all companies, all governments, and all countries that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time. 
https://www.alternet.org/2019/12/can-our-pluralistic-democracy-survive-an-attack-by-those-who-view-themselves-as-engaged-in-a-holy-war/

December 24 Evening Edition

CBS2
— Mayor Lightfoot Issues Letter To U.S. State Department Authorizing Refugee Resettlement In Chicago (DIERSEN: Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, and RINOs focus on turning refugees, and everyone else, against Republicans.)
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/12/24/mayor-lightfoot-issues-letter-to-u-s-state-department-authorizing-refugee-resettlement-in-chicago/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/marijuana/illinois/ct-biz-new-marijuana-store-river-north-20191224-jyc2fihvsvgdvbkyp6wa4qlzue-story.html
— The Democrats’ ‘wine cave’ dilemma – MICHAEL GRAHAM
https://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-tns-bc-democrats-winecave-commentary-20191224-story.html
— Trump says he’s in a ‘very good position’ with impeachment in Senate – JORDAN FABIAN
https://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-tns-bc-trump-impeachment-20191224-story.html
— Letters: The mentor who changed my life was … (DIERSEN: My Democrat IRS superiors got rid of my IRS mentor who promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. My Democrat GAO superiors got rid of my GAO mentor who hired me in 1980, got me assigned to audits of IRS in 1986, and promoted me in 1986.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/letters/ct-opinion-letters-chicago-forward-mentors-20191224-6djbmvruk5gdvn66yjs4v75w7q-story.html

DAILY HERALD
— Ride-share use one reason DUI arrests are down 30% in Lake County – Doug T. Graham
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20191224/ride-share-use-one-reason-dui-arrests-are-down-30-in-lake-county

NPR ILLINOIS
— Trump Campaign Site Offers Help In Winning Arguments With ‘Snowflake’ Relatives – BOBBY ALLYN
https://www.nprillinois.org/post/trump-campaign-site-offers-help-winning-arguments-snowflake-relatives#stream/0

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Return of the Parking Tax
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/12/24/return-of-the-parking-tax/ 
— IL-14: Lauren Underwood’s Lower Insulin Cost Now Act with Discernment
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/12/24/il-14-lauren-underwoods-lower-insulin-cost-now-act-with-discernment/ 
— Attorney Robert Hanlon Predicted Tax Protest Suit Against Algonquin Township Road District
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/12/24/hanlon-predicted-tax-protest-suit-against-algonquin-township-road-district/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— ‘They wrecked our country’: Ann Coulter ‘excited’ to see 2020 Democrats ‘attacking billionaires’ – Spencer Neale 
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/they-wrecked-our-country-ann-coulter-excited-to-see-2020-democrats-attacking-billionaires

AMERICAN THINKER
— Democrats’ impeachment dealings reach for the absurd – Monica Showalter
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/12/democrats_impeachment_dealings_reach_for_the_absurd.html
— Democrats foolishly declaring war on single-family housing – Thomas Lifson
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/12/democrats_foolishly_declaring_war_on_singlefamily_housing.html
— Ocasio-Cortez: America ‘not an advanced society … it is fascism, what we have’ – Thomas Lifson
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/12/ocasiocortez_america_not_an_advanced_society_it_is_fascism_what_we_have.html

CAMPUS REFORM
— Colleges are dropping testing, curriculum standards in order to create ‘diversity’ – Hannah Lalgie (DIERSEN: Democrats and RINOs use Affirmative Action, Diversity, Inclusion, and up-or-out to get rid of Republicans, and especially to get rid of Republicans who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, White, male, older, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://campusreform.org/?ID=14114

CBS NEWS
— Trump campaign launches website to help supporters beat “snowflake” relatives in arguments
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-campaign-launches-website-to-help-supporters-beat-snowflake-relatives-in-arguments/

NEW YORK TIMES
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Recreational Marijuana Becomes Legal in Illinois on New Year’s Day – Reuters
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/12/24/us/24reuters-usa-marijuana-illinois.html
— Democrats Who Flipped Seats in 2018 Have a 2020 Playbook: Focus on Drug Costs House Democrats in key swing districts hope the debate over rising costs will give them a decisive advantage next year, especially in suburbs where President Trump remains unpopular. – Jennifer Steinhauer
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/24/us/politics/prescription-drug-costs-democrats.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “The president has been playing Ping-Pong,” said Representative Lauren Underwood, Democrat of Illinois. “He stood in the House chamber and asked us for the authority to negotiate drug prices, and we delivered, and he walked away.” Health care, Ms. Underwood said, “is central” to her re-election campaign. She has written 30 pieces of legislation this year, much of it health care related, like a bill signed Monday by Mr. Trump that was designed to make a cheaper generic form of insulin available to consumers more quickly.)

WASHINGTON POST
— It was the year of ‘OK boomer,’ and the generations were at each other’s throats – Karen Heller (DIERSEN: While I worked for GAO 1980-1997, my Democrat superiors promoted age discrimination, that is, “up-or-out,” big time so that they could promote their employees who were Democrat, minority, and/or female. They got rid of their employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who they had not promoted to GS-13 (currently $98,198) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $116,040) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $136,495) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $165,500) by age 40.) 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/it-was-the-year-of-ok-boomer-and-the-generations-were-at-each-others-throats/2019/12/24/a2c2b586-1792-11ea-8406-df3c54b3253e_story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: This year it became “OK” to be ageist. It became acceptable to digitally flick off your elders or young’uns on social media, to respond “OK boomer” or “OK millennial,” when, in truth, the people being addressed were often far from okay. . .While many people — though certainly not all — try to be more sensitive about race, orientation and heritage, ageist tropes ran rampant. “Age-based prejudice is the last acceptable form of prejudice,” says New York University’s Michael North, who studies ageism in the workplace. “People are making age-based generalizations and stereotypes that you wouldn’t be able to get away with about race or background. Insert some sort of racial or ethnic group, or ‘OK Woman,’ and it wouldn’t go over too well.”)
— Journalist leaves Christian Post amid its plans to attack Christianity Today – Sarah Pulliam Bailey 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/12/23/christianity-today-called-trumps-impeachment-why-it-could-cost-magazine/

FORBES
— This New Platform Can Tell You What It’s Like To Be A Minority At The World’s Largest Companies – Janice Gassam (DIERSEN: Because I am conservative, Republican, Protestant, German American, non-veteran, and someone whose ancestors had been in America for a long time, I was almost always a minority during the almost 30 years that I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997. Further, because I am conservative, I have been a minority in the Milton Township Republican Central Committee, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Illinois Republican Party since 1999. Further, because I am conservative, I was a minority in TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois 2005-2012, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee 2003-2011, Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee 2003-2007, and American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board 2001-2003. The majorities in the aforesaid were/are moderate, liberal, Democrat, Libertarian, RINO, non-Protestant, non-German American, veteran, and/or their ancestors have not been in America for a long time.) 
https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2019/12/23/this-new-platform-can-tell-you-what-its-like-to-be-a-minority-at-the-worlds-largest-companies/#3e91247a6b2f

NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— Does Joe Biden’s Catholicism Matter? – Ed Kilgore
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/12/does-joe-bidens-catholicism-matter.html

ACCOUNTING TODAY
— Personal accomplishments (DIERSEN: What do your personal accomplishments include? The list below includes some of my personal accomplishments.) 
https://www.accountingtoday.com/list/the-top-100-people-personal-accomplishments
– passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979
– passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981
– earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in 1970
– earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976
– earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980
– earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997
– became a licensed CPA in 1981
– became a Certified Fraud Examiner in 1990
– became a Certified Government Financial Manager in 1994
– became a Certified Financial Services Auditor in 2996
– became a Forensic Accountant in 1997
– served on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996
– got hired by the Post Office in 1966 and worked there almost 3 years
– got hired by Firestone Stores in 1970 and worked here almost 2 1/2 years
– got a job offer from Oldsmobile in 1971
– got hired by IRS in 1971, promoted in 1972, 1973, and 1974 and worked there almost 9 years
– got hired by GAO in 1980, promoted in 1986, and worked there almost 18 years
– got married in 1978
– bought real estate in 1972, 1974, 1976 and with my wife in 1978 and 1984
– bought new cars in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, etc.
– bought collector cars in 1989 and 1994
– served as an elected Republican Precinct Committeeman since 2000
– served as the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000
– served as a TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman 2005-2012
– served on the Illinois Republican Party Platform and Resolutions Committee in 2008
– served as a Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004
– served as an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007
– served as an Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004
– raised money from Republicans each and every year since 2005 to help sponsor Wheaton’s Independence Day Parades and Fireworks
– put together and sent out a GOPUSA ILLINOIS email each and every morning since 2004
– put together and sent out a GOPUSA ILLINOIS email each and every evening since 2015

December 23 Evening Edition

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— Trump signs bill giving military members largest pay increase in a decade
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/trump-signs-bill-giving-military-members-largest-pay-increase-in-a-decade
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Democrats promote LGBTQ activity, the destruction of traditional marriage, and the destruction of the traditional family.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/american-airlines-becomes-second-carrier-to-offer-non-binary-gender-option

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2019/12/23/21035740/chicago-pot-shop-moca-modern-cannabis-recreational-marijuana-application-river-north-dispensary

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Amid sweeping federal investigation, panel begins work to overhaul Illinois ethics, lobbying laws – Dan Petrella
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-ethics-commission-beings-20191223-ytyrxpqnh5fs7mc4lhsvqoxsei-story.html
— New law means big changes to how Americans save for retirement – AP
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-secure-act-retirement-law-20191223-t6x5gc7njbdqzlkr6lhqa7t74u-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In addition, it raises the age that Americans must start drawing from retirement savings, known as the required minimum distribution age, from 70½ to 72, as people are living and working longer. It also provides more years for people to contribute to individual retirement accounts, for the same reason.)
— Retirement: The case for 70 being the new 65 – CARLA FRIED
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-tns-bc-pfp-rate-retirement-20191223-story.html
— Fighting Splinternet: Keep the internet forever open and free — worldwide – EDITORIAL (DIERSEN: Since 2000, my critics/opponents have worked very hard a) to stop me from sending out GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails and b) to stop everyone from reading those emails.) 
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/editorials/ct-editorial-internet-digital-nationalism-censorship-kashmir-web-20191223-c7mpajcbw5fmhmcsnbz7hz6nk4-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The electricity didn’t go out in Kashmir, a disputed region of India, but something almost as vital was turned off over the summer: the internet. In a preemptive move to assert political control, the Indian government shut down internet service, as well as phone service, in the Kashmir region. No email. No Google. No texting. No digital businesses in operation. No news beyond state-sanctioned outlets. It was censorship in extremis, resulting in a loss of freedom. Eventually most mobile phone service was restored, but the World Wide Web has stayed dark for months. “The government’s control over the flow of information has made journalism nearly impossible in Kashmir, and is a humiliation of Kashmiri journalists,” the Telegraph, an Indian daily, reported. Darkness, indeed.)

DAILY HERALD
— DuPage forest preserve board hopeful Natalie Rose Shannon-DiCianni removed from the ballot – Robert Sanchez
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20191223/dupage-forest-preserve-board-hopeful-removed-from-the-ballot
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Meanwhile, two Republican candidates will have their names appear on the March 17 primary ballot after the electoral board overruled objections to their nominating petitions. Wheaton Republican Babette Holder Youngberg survived a challenge of her petitions to remain in the county recorder race. Objector Mark Tarnowski of Wheaton said the candidate didn’t start including her maiden name “Holder” until recently. But the electoral board ruled that doesn’t matter. “The candidate has fulfilled one of the two circumstances for the legal use of a double surname: through marriage,” Kaczmarek said. Holder Youngberg will face Ron Almiron of Wheaton in the contest to decide the GOP nominee for the recorder seat held by Republican Fred Bucholz, who is retiring. Democrat Kathleen Carrier of Carol Stream is running unopposed for her party’s nomination. “I’m ecstatic that I get to stay on the ballot,” Holder Youngberg said. “I’m using a birth name and a married name. The public can now look me up by both names.” Almiron, who is an attorney, represented Tarnowski during the hearing. Almiron said afterward that he and his client are yet to decide if they will appeal the ruling. Finally, a Wheaton attorney survived a challenge to stay in the race to replace an ousted DuPage circuit court judge.)
— Drivers’ fees, taxes spiking in 2020 to pay for roads, infrastructure – Mari Pyke
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20191223/drivers-fees-taxes-spiking-in-2020-to-pay-for-roads-infrastructure
(FROM THE ARTICLE: But Mark Tuttle thinks increasing car registrations from $101 to $151 on Jan. 1 is wrong. “I feel we’re way overtaxed in this state to begin with. If the government was run correctly, there would be no need for this tax,” said Tuttle, a former Lombard resident.)

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Political activist Dan Proft gets Joe Walsh’s radio syndication spot With Walsh running for president, his slot as a Chicago-based conservative pundit and talk show host is inherited by someone even more outspoken. – GREG HINZ
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg-hinz-politics/political-activist-dan-proft-gets-joe-walshs-radio-syndication-spot

PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Head shops come out of the shadows as weed becomes legal in Illinois – Abdel Jimenez
https://www.pjstar.com/news/20191223/head-shops-come-out-of-shadows-as-weed-becomes-legal-in-illinois

ALTON TELEGRAPH
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Ag department certifies 21 adult use cultivation centers
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Ag-department-certifies-21-adult-use-cultivation-14927682.php

OUR QUAD CITIES
— Illinois Secretary of State reminds holiday travelers to ‘drive safely’ and ‘avoid driving impaired’ – Britni Moses (DIERSEN: Disgustingly, outrageously, and ever-increasingly, to get more tax revenue, government encourages everyone to spend more and more and more on booze, gambling, and pot. Disgustingly and outrageously, conservative, Republican, religious, education, healthcare, law enforcement, etc. leaders say little or nothing in opposition of the aforesaid.) 
https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/local-news/illinois-secretary-of-state-reminds-holiday-travelers-to-drive-safely-and-avoid-driving-impaired/

NPR ILLINOIS
— Trump Appears To Be Emboldened By House Impeachment Vote
https://www.nprillinois.org/post/trump-appears-be-emboldened-house-impeachment-vote#stream/0

FOX ILLINOIS
— Number of gun background checks increase in November – Angelica Alvarez
https://foxillinois.com/news/connect-to-congress/number-of-gun-background-checks-increase-in-november

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Difference in Value of Homestead Exemption in Cook County and Elsewhere – Updated
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/12/23/difference-in-value-of-homestead-exemption-in-cook-county-and-elsewhere-copy/
— Property Tax Reform Commission Seems to Be Headed to Higher Income Tax
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/12/23/property-tax-reform-commission-seems-to-be-headed-to-higher-income-tax/ 
— IL-06: Head to Head Poll Between Jeanne Ives and Sean Casten
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/12/23/il-06-head-to-head-poll-between-jeanne-ives-and-sean-casten/ 
— Illinois Township Consolidation Considered by Think Tank
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/12/23/illinois-township-consolidation-considered-by-think-tank/ 
— On the Way to Potterville
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/12/23/on-the-way-to-potterville/
— Oberwies Pans Budget Bill
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2019/12/23/oberwies-pans-budget-bill/

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— New Federal Rules to End Discrimination Against Faith-Based Child Welfare Providers – Christine Misner
https://illinoisfamily.org/federal/new-federal-rules-to-end-discrimination-against-faith-based-child-welfare-providers/

WIREPOINTS
— When JB Pritzker Was A Fiscal Conservative – Mark Glennon
https://wirepoints.org/when-jb-pritzker-was-a-fiscal-conservative-wirepoints-original/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— NEW IVES POLL SHOWS SHE COULD BEAT DEMOCRAT CASTEN IN 2020
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2019/12/new-ives-poll-shows-she-could-beat-democrat-casten-in-2020.html
— HUNDREDS SUPPORT TRUMP AT WILL COUNTY INTERSECTION SATURDAY
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2019/12/hundreds-support-trump-at-will-county-intersection-saturday.html
— 14TH CD REPUBLICANS PROTEST DEMOCRAT UNDERWOOD’S IMPEACHMENT VOTE
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2019/12/14th-cd-republicans-protest-democrat-underwoods-impeachment-vote.html
— REP. SKILLICORN CONDEMNS CAPITOL SATANIST DISPLAY AS “TARGETED AFFRONT TO …CHRISTIANS”
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2019/12/rep-skillicorn-condemns-capitol-satanist-display-as-targeted-affront-to-christians-.html
— FRANKLIN GRAHAM: ‘MY FATHER WOULD HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED’ IN CHRISTIANITY TODAY’S CALL TO REMOVE TRUMP
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2019/12/franklin-graham-my-father-would-have-been-disappointed-in-christianity-todays-call-to-remove-trump.html
— THE INVENTION OF HISPANICS: WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT THE POLITICS OF RACE
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2019/12/the-invention-of-hispanics-what-it-says-about-the-politics-of-race.html
— CHINA VIOLATES DISCLOSURE LAW TO PUBLISH PROPAGANDA IN NY TIMES, WAPO
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2019/12/china-violates-disclosure-law-to-publish-propaganda-in-ny-times-wapo.html

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Why Congress should reject amnesty for illegal agricultural workers Once illegal agricultural workers secure worker status, they can stay in the country for at least five and a half years – Daren Bakst 
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/dec/23/why-congress-should-reject-amnesty-for-illegal-agr/
— ‘Awakening’: Black voters ‘abandoned’ by Democrats warm to Trump – Dave Boyer (DIERSEN: Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, and RINOs want the Republican Party to abandon individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, gun owner, German American, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/dec/23/black-voters-abandoned-democrats-warm-donald-trump/

BREITBART
— Democrats to Rapidly Gain Political Power from Anchor Baby Population – JOHN BINDER (DIERSEN: Democrats count on the anchor baby population to get rid of individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/12/23/anchor-babies-to-redistribute-congressional-seats/

GOPUSA
— Democrats from 1998 Clinton impeachment still in Congress but they’re singing a different tune
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=81613
— Democrat run California drives increase in homeless numbers
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=81630

LIFE SITE NEWS
— Conservatives can’t take it for granted that Trump will survive impeachment – Michael Finch
https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/conservatives-cant-take-it-for-granted-that-trump-will-survive-impeachment
— United States withdraws ambassador who urged Zambia to embrace homosexuality – Calvin Freiburger (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, in the United States, you are persona non grata if you do not promote LGBTQ activity. Soon, if not already, the Democrat, Libertarian, Green, and Republican parties will officially announce that they will not support candidates who do not promote LGBTQ activity. Soon, if not already, they announce that they will get rid of candidates, and everyone else, who do not promote LGBTQ activity.) 
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/us-withdraws-ambassador-who-urged-zambia-to-embrace-homosexuality
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Now, the U.S. State Department has recalled Foote from the country, Bloomberg reported. “We are dismayed by the Zambian government’s statement that Ambassador Foote’s position ‘is no longer tenable,’ which we consider being the equivalent of a declaration that the Ambassador is persona non grata,” a State Department spokesman explained. “Despite this action, the United States remains committed to our partnership with the Zambian people. We seek an open and frank relationship of mutual respect, commensurate with the generous aid provided to the Zambian people by the United States.”)

THE HILL
— Biden vows to make ‘voter protection a foundation’ of his administration in new op-ed – REBECCA KLAR (DIERSEN: Democrats protect, that is, Democrats give preference to, only those voters who are anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/475761-biden-vows-to-make-voter-protection-a-foundation-of-his-administration-in
— 2019 lessons for the media – JOE CONCHA
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/475739-2019-lessons-for-the-media

NEW YORKER
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater promotes hatred against Trump.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/on-religion/what-it-would-take-for-evangelicals-to-turn-on-president-trump

FED SMITH
— 2020 Pay Raise Unfair to Retirees? – Ralph R. Smith 
https://www.fedsmith.com/2019/12/23/2020-pay-raise-unfair-retirees/

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— OPM Proposes Making It Easier to Rehire Former Feds Under a new plan from the Office of Personnel Management, federal agencies would be able to rehire former federal workers at a higher pay grade than their previous job, provided they were high performers. – Erich Wagner
https://www.govexec.com/management/2019/12/opm-proposes-making-it-easier-rehire-former-feds/162093/

(FROM THE ARTICLE: “Oftentimes, when an individual leaves federal service, he or she acquires skills and/or experience that may qualify the individual for a position at a higher grade level than the one the individual held prior to leaving government,” OPM wrote.)