WHITE HOUSE
— When There Are No Illegal Immigrants, There Is No Need for Shelters
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/02/when-there-are-no-illegal-immigrants-theres-no-need-for-shelters/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Father Pfleger, faith leaders call for boycott of Target after company scales back DEI initiatives
https://abc7chicago.com/post/target-boycott-father-michael-pfleger-among-faith-leaders-calling-consumer-company-scales-back-dei-initiatives/15942947/
— Judge blocks Trump’s executive order ending federal support for DEI programs
https://abc7chicago.com/post/dei-judge-blocks-president-donald-trumps-executive-order-ending-federal-support-diversity-equity-inclusion-programs/15943426/
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration
https://abc7chicago.com/post/11-year-old-jocelynn-rojo-carranza-dies-suicide-days-chatter-rumors-ice-raids-gainesville-isd-school/15942540/
WGN9
— Fired IRS employee Vanessa Marie Rollins searching for health insurance after recent cancer diagnosis (COMMENT: I worked for IRS in its downtown Chicago office in 1971 and 1973-1980, its Harvey office 1972-1973, its 63rd & Halsted office in 1973, and its Joliet office 1973-1974.)
https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/chicago-irs-federal-job-cuts-trump/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Judge blocks Donald Trump’s executive order ending federal support for DEI programs
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/21/judge-trump-dei-programs/
DAILY HERALD
— Darby Hills’ appointment to state Senate on hold as Republicans reopen applications for McConchie’s seat
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250221/illinois-state-politics/republicans-reopen-applications-for-mcconchies-suburban-senate-seat/
SOUTHERN
— Fired IRS employee decries irony of being hired to ‘make the IRS ‘more efficient’ (COMMENT: The purpose of GAO’s audits of IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) that I worked on for GAO for 3 years was to help IRS CID close the tax gap.)
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2025/02/21/fired-irs-employee-decries-irony-of-being-hired-to-make-the-irs-more-efficient/
RIVER BENDER
— Duckworth Slams SecDef Hegseth’s Order to Cut Defense Budget by Eight Percent for the Next Five Years (COMMENT: SEE: Downsizing the U.S. General Accounting Office at https://www.gao.gov/assets/Downsizing_at_the_U.S._General_Accounting_Office.pdf )
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/duckworth-slams-secdef-hegseths-order-to-cut-defense-budget-by-eight-percent-for-the-next-five-years-79912.cfm
(FROM THE GAO REPORT: In 1995, Congress sent a legislative branch appropriations bill to the President, which he signed, that reduced the fiscal year 1996 budget of the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) by 15 percent. At the same time, Congress indicated that it would be calling for an additional 10 percent
reduction in GAO’S budget for fiscal year 1997. In order to accommodate those reductions, GAO determined that it would have to trim its workforce
from the fiscal year 1995 level of approximately 4,350 employees’ to 3,500 employees (a loss of 850 positions) by the beginning of fiscal year 1997.)
FOX ILLINOIS
— Kristi Noem deputizes hundreds of State Department agents for immigration enforcement
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/kristi-noem-deputizes-hundreds-of-state-department-agents-for-immigration-enforcement-dhs-department-of-homeland-security-trump-mass-deportations-illegal-immigration-ice
NEWS CHANNEL 20
— MAGA is ‘a Nazi movement’: Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe arrested at city council meeting (COMMENT: Under Pritzker’s lead, anticipate/expect that those in Illinois who voted for Harris (3 million) will ever-increasingly call those who voted for Trump (2.4million) Nazis.)
https://newschannel20.com/news/nation-world/maga-is-a-nazi-movement-former-nfl-punter-chris-kluwe-arrested-at-city-council-meeting-california-huntington-beach-city-council-minnesota-vikings-president-donald-trump-politics-make-america-great-again-red-hat-swastika
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Virtually all federal employees are Democrats. Democrat leaders ever-increasingly glorify and praise them because of Trump budget cuts.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/ap-trump-administration-looks-to-slash-hud-workers-tackling-the-housing-crisis/
WGLT
— IRS cuts over 6,000 jobs in the middle of tax season
https://www.wglt.org/2025-02-20/irs-cuts-over-6-000-jobs-in-the-middle-of-tax-season
WOC 1420
— Former John Deere Employee Sues For Age Discrimination (SEE: Diersen v. GAO at: https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf )
https://woc1420.iheart.com/content/2025-02-21-former-john-deere-employee-sues-for-age-discrimination/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A former John Deere employee is suing the agricultural equipment maker for age discrimination. Sixty-one year-old Terence Murphy of Geneseo, Illinois says he was fired last summer after 26 years, and his job filled days later by a 33 year-old woman. In the suit, Murphy says his performance ratings were excellent. He says the new hire had no prior experience in the position, and lacked his credentials. Murphy’s attorneys say statistics show Deere fired employees over age 60 at a rate 7.5% higher than those under age 40. Deere & Company says it can’t comment on pending litigation.)
WQAD
— Employment law experts break down age discrimination lawsuit against John Deere (SEE: Diersen v. GAO at: https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf )
https://www.wqad.com/article/money/business/john-deere/john-deere-wrongful-termination-lawsuit-age-discrimination/526-5c13b394-2ec9-4933-b724-eb26b9746e13
CHALKBEAT CHICAGO
— Illinois schools chief tells districts to follow state law, not Trump threats (COMMENT: Federal Trumps State Law.)
https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/02/21/illinois-schools-chief-says-keep-teaching-black-history-after-trump-letter/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/21/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-253/
— ILGOP calls out Jewish governor for ‘vile, antisemitic attacks”
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/21/ilgop-calls-out-jewish-governor-for-vile-antisemitic-attacks/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
ILLINOIS GOP
— ILGOP Responds To Pritzker’s Vile, Antisemitic Attacks
https://illinois.gop/category/news/
(THE PRESS RELEASE: Lost in the shuffle of the grandstanding and hypocrisy from Governor Pritzker’s budget speech was the dangerous, divisive rhetoric he used – comparing President Trump and the Republican Party to Nazi’s. During Wednesday’s budget speech, Pritzker referred to Nazi’s six times, painting an inaccurate and dangerously partisan picture of the Republican Party. As Pritzker continues to prepare for his 2028 run for President, ILGOP Chair Kathy Salvi released the following statement: “JB Pritzker stoops to a new low and needs to be condemned by both Democrats and Republicans. His disgusting and repulsive attack on Republicans and this administration comes at a time when President Trump and Republicans are supporting Israel and the Jewish people as they defend themselves from barbaric terrorists. Meanwhile, JB Pritzker is standing with criminal illegals and further dividing our great nation. At the Illinois Republican Party, we continue to fight with the Trump Administration to combat an unprecedented wave of antisemitism and will always call out Pritzker’s repulsive language. Bottom Line: In their effort to combat vile, antisemitic attacks like those by Governor Pritzker on Wednesday, President Trump and Republicans are fighting antisemitism in the United States.)
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Those who have demographics that vote for Democrats benefit from DEI. Those who have demographics that vote for Republicans are harmed by DEI. Demographics that vote for Democrats are liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, unmarried, poor, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time. Demographics that vote for Republicans are conservative, White, male, older, married, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors have been in America for a long time. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Stopping the illegal alien invasion. January was the lowest month of people illegally crossing the border since May 2020.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/20/stopping-illegal-alien-invasion/
EPOCH TIMES
— Trump Fires Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Charles Q Brown. Trump will nominate Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine to replace the general.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-fires-joint-chiefs-of-staff-gen-chair-charles-q-brown-5814407
FOX BUSINESS
— Chicago resident says his city believes it’s ‘more important’ to take care of illegals than Americans
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6369166557112
— Red state businesses put on notice if they intentionally hire illegal immigrants: ‘Stiff penalties’ The bill would give the Montana prosecutors resources to enforce the law.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/red-state-businesses-put-on-notice-intentionally-hire-illegal-immigrants-stiff-penalties
NEWSMAX
— Military Bases to Be Used to House Illegals
https://www.newsmax.com/us/immigration-deportation-ice/2025/02/21/id/1200023/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
NBC NEWS
— Elon Musk becomes a new power center at CPAC. The tech billionaire stole the show Thursday, a surprise guest who wielded a chainsaw to symbolize his government cuts.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/doge/elon-musk-becomes-new-power-center-cpac-rcna193097
— At town halls, Republicans feel the heat from Trump and Musk’s firing and cutting spree. The White House said the incidents represent just a handful of critics. Others noted similarities to earlier backlash against disruptive moves in Washington.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/town-halls-republicans-feel-heat-trump-musks-firing-cutting-spree-rcna193164
CBS NEWS
— White House pushes back on criticism of Trump spending cuts
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/white-house-pushes-back-on-criticism-of-trump-spending-cuts/
MSNBC
— Not all Republicans want Musk’s chainsaw approach to spending cuts
https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/joe-not-all-republicans-want-musk-s-chainsaw-approach-to-spending-cuts-232576069725
USA TODAY
— What is DOGE dividend check? Will Illinoisans get a $5,000 stimulus check?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2025/02/21/will-illinoisans-get-5000-doge-stimulus-check-heres-what-to-know/79440259007/
— More than one way to slice a workforce: How Trump’s cuts differ from Clinton’s.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/21/clinton-trump-federal-workers-jobs/79306710007/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In the wake of mass layoffs under President Donald Trump’s new administration, some have compared the government-shrinking initiative to a 1990s effort under President Bill Clinton, when about 400,000 jobs were cut from the federal workforce.)
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Illinois Cancels Henry Hyde. Progressives stripped the late GOP Congressman’s name from a courthouse over abortion.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/dupage-county-democrats-henry-hyde-courthouse-illinois-abortion-hyde-amendment-bffcbb8d
POLITICO
— AP sues Trump officials after being barred from some White House events. The lawsuit says First and Fifth Amendment rights were violated.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/21/associated-press-lawsuit-trump-officials-white-house-00205504
JEWISH NEWS SYNDICATE
— Who is calling who a Nazi? “Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s comparison of the Trump administration to the Nazi regime is deeply disturbing and unacceptable,” said Rabbi David Katz, executive director of the Israel Heritage Foundation.
https://www.jns.org/who-is-calling-who-a-nazi/
Tag: amendment
February 21, 2025
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Democrat leaders do not want America to be the leader of the free world.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/21/opinion-america-first-nato-ukraine-pete-hegseth/
— According to Democrat leaders Russia has won the Cold War and it all Trump’s fault.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/20/column-russia-wins-cold-war-ukraine-nato-shackelford/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Trump’s anti-DEI stance has Illinois companies tight-lipped or reversing diversity policies. The Sun-Times reviewed the policies of 15 major Illinois-based public companies and found some changed their policies and others won’t discuss them amid what experts blame on fears of being sued.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/work/2025/02/21/trump-dei-stance-illinois-raoul-mcdonalds-kraft-john-deere-reversing-diversity-policies
— Anticipate/expect that soon, Illinois Democrats will legalize prostitution and offer associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.Ds. in prostitution. What about licensing?
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2025/02/21/sex-workers-criminal-charges-exploit-survivor-model-traffickers-pimps-sex-buyers-marian-hatcher
NBC5
— What does DOGE’s IRS shake-up mean for tax season? (COMMENT: I was involved in IRS’s 1974 tax season big time. Have you ever phoned IRS with a tax question? If you did during the 1974 filing season, the IRS employee who answered your call was one of my subordinates. Back then, as a 25-year-old GS-11 (currently $82,655/year) IRS Revenue Officer, I supervised all of the IRS employees, which included a rotating staff of about 90 IRS Revenue Agent trainees, in IRS’s new downtown Chicago office who answered taxpayer questions using IRS’s new tollfree CentiPhone system. Because of my job performance, the IRS manager who had given me that developmental opportunity and who had promoted me in 1972 and 1973 promoted me to GS-12 (currently $99,069/year) in 1974.)
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/doge-irs-shake-up-tax-season/3679235/
WTTW
— Mass Deportations a Cause of Concern for Illinois Restaurant Industry (COMMENT: Have you ever had to compete against immigrants? What percent of restaurant employees are immigrants? I washed dishes for the minimum wage in the basement of the S.S. Kresge in Chicago Heights 1964-1966. If there had been as many immigrants back then as there are now, they would have gotten that job as well as all the jobs that I had 1964-1970. The money that I earned and saved washing dishes enabled me to buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in May of 1966. I used that car to get to/from my parents’ home in Crete and a) jobs cleaning golf shoes, chipping slag, and pumping gasoline during the summer of 1966, b) delivering mail during 1966 and 1967, and c) classes at UIC 1966 and1967. I sold that car in late 1967 and bought a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 that I used delivering mail 1967 and1968 and getting to/from classes at UIC. I sold that car in late 1968 and bought a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE that I used delivering mail 1968 and 1969, getting to/from classes at NIU, and working on the Chrysler assemble line in Belvidere in 1970.)
https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/20/mass-deportations-cause-concern-illinois-restaurant-industry
CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Anticipate/expect that Pritzker will ever-increasingly call Trump and the 2.4 million in Illinois who voted for Trump Nazis. To call someone a Nazi in America today is like calling someone a Jew in Germany during the 1920s, 19390s, and 1940s. Anticipate/expect that Pritzker will focus on those in the 2.4 million who share the most demographics with Trump but not with Pritzker, that is, those who are Protestant and/or German American.
https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/columns/jim-dey-pritzker-says-no-to-new-taxes-cellphones-in-school-and-nazis/article_f7117e3a-eefe-11ef-868c-63cea336ecf0.html
FOX ILLINOIS
— Rand Paul gives post-election endorsement to Trump: ‘I was wrong’ (COMMENT: Will the hate-filled Trump-hating Republican major donors, candidates, elected officials, and party leaders in your county, township, municipality, and school district do the same?)
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/rand-paul-gives-post-election-endorsement-to-trump-i-was-wrong-white-house-2024-presidential-election-politics
— White House avoids question on who Trump blames for Russia’s invasion
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/white-house-avoids-question-on-who-trump-blames-for-russias-invasion-united-states-ukraine-president-volodymyr-zelenskyy-peter-doocy-dmitry-medvedev-putin-senate-intelligence-committee-negotiations-war-freedom-democracy
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Ukrainians rally around their president after Trump seeks to denigrate him
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/world/ap-ukrainians-rally-around-their-president-after-trump-seeks-to-denigrate-him/
— IRS lays off 6,700 employees, torpedoing Democratic enforcement boost (COMMENT: I worked for IRS 1971-1980 and I worked for GAO on audits of IRS’s enforcement efforts 1986-1988.)
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/hill-politics/irs-lays-off-6700-employees-torpedoing-democratic-enforcement-boost/
NPR ILLINOIS
— EV’s and the Trump Administration (COMMENT: I have ordered a 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T EV. If you know anyone who shares my interest in that car, please ask them to contact me.)
https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2025-02-20/statewide-evs-and-the-trump-administration
ILLINOIS TIMES
— Don Tracy clears his name. Illinois executive inspector general previously cited him for prohibited political activity.
https://www.illinoistimes.com/news-opinion/don-tracy-clears-his-name-19783942
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Illinois Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight Trump
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2025/02/21/illinois-ag-kwame-raoul-says-it-costs-to-fight-trump-00205408
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/21/64866/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
JOHN KASS
— Unanchoring Babies
https://johnkassnews.com/unanchoring-babies/
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Anticipate/expect that Pritzker will ever-increasingly call Trump and the 2.4 million in Illinois who voted for Trump Nazis. To call someone a Nazi in America today is like calling someone a Jew in Germany during the 1920s, 19390s, and 1940s. Anticipate/expect that Pritzker will focus on those in the 2.4 million who share the most demographics with Trump but not with Pritzker, that is, those who are Protestant and/or German American. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— The mainstream news media ever-increasingly carries out Democrat Party orders to negatively spin and to demonize, denigrate, and condemn everything that Trump says and does. I base that on what I see spending 10-15 hours each and every day putting GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters together and sending them out. I should write about that. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— I was involved in IRS’s 1974 tax season big time. Have you ever phoned IRS with a tax question? If you did during the 1974 filing season, the IRS employee who answered your call was one of my subordinates. Back then, as a 25-year-old GS-11 (currently $82,655/year) IRS Revenue Officer, I supervised all of the IRS employees, which included a rotating staff of about 90 IRS Revenue Agent trainees, in IRS’s new downtown Chicago office who answered taxpayer questions using IRS’s new tollfree CentiPhone system. Because of my job performance, the IRS manager who had given me that developmental opportunity and who had promoted me in 1972 and 1973 promoted me to GS-12 (currently $99,069/year) in 1974.- Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Have you ever had to compete against immigrants? What percent of restaurant employees are immigrants? I washed dishes for the minimum wage in the basement of the S.S. Kresge in Chicago Heights 1964-1966. If there had been as many immigrants back then as there are now, they would have gotten that job as well as all the jobs that I had 1964-1970. The money that I earned and saved washing dishes enabled me to buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in May of 1966. I used that car to get to/from my parents’ home in Crete and a) jobs cleaning golf shoes, chipping slag, and pumping gasoline during the summer of 1966, b) delivering mail during 1966 and 1967, and c) classes at UIC 1966 and1967. I sold that car in late 1967 and bought a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 that I used delivering mail 1967 and1968 and getting to/from classes at UIC. I sold that car in late 1968 and bought a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE that I used delivering mail 1968 and 1969, getting to/from classes at NIU, and working on the Chrysler assemble line in Belvidere in 1970. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Have you been discriminated against? According to my critics/opponents, no one has ever discriminated against me for any reason. Have you had adverse employment actions taken against you? According to my Democrat superiors in the federal government, all the adverse employment actions that they took against me were justified. In my defense, I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. In my defense, my Democrat superiors never cited any performance problems or employee complaints against me to justify any of the adverse actions that they took against me. In my defense. all my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats who had less work experience than I had, had less education than I had, had no professional certifications or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time. In my defense, my Democrat GAO superiors have never denied a) that I complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination or b) that I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation when I was 40 years old in 1988. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What pretexts have been used against you to justify adverse actions against you? When I was 20 years old in 1969, to force me to resign, my Democrat Post Office superiors falsely argued that I would not be available to work enough part-time hours. Starting in 1974, to not promote me to GS-13, my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors used up-or-out to falsely hint/imply/argue/shout that I was too old to be promoted to GS-13. In 1974, to disallow my travel vouchers, my Democrat IRS superiors falsely charged me with living inside their commuting area. In 1978, to disallow my education deductions, they falsely argued that the courses that I took did not relate to my job duties, did not maintain or improve my job skills, qualified me for a new trade or business, and were taken by me to get a job in the private sector. In 1980, to justify forcing me to take a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO, my Democrat GAO superiors falsely argued that the work that I did for IRS was not similar to the work that I would do for GAO and that my earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, that my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, and that my almost completing the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul were not enough. To keep me off audits of IRS, they falsely badmouthed what I had learned about IRS by working for it for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $99,069-$112,280/year and stressed the adverse actions that my Democrat IRS superiors had taken against me and falsely hinted/implied/argued/shouted that because of that, I could not be objective, that I would take revenge against my former IRS superiors. To delay my promotions, to not promote me beyond GS-13, and to always rank me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay for performance, they falsely used the tremendous subjectivity in their performance appraisal system. In 1997, to force me to take their early retirement “offer,” they falsely denied that they told me that if I did not retire, they would demote me, they would give me adverse transfers, and/or they would take even bigger adverse actions against me. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— The Democrats who ran the Park Forest Post Office hired me in 1966 because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, or veteran who would take the job. I had passed the postal employment examination, I had earned a diploma from Crete-Monee High School, and I was taking classes at UIC. Virtually all my superiors, supervisors, and coworkers were Democrat veterans. My Democrat Post Office superiors despised/hated Republicans, and especially draft avoiding Republicans like me. They disallowed my sick leave requests in 1968 and 1969 and they forced me to resign in 1969 falsely claiming that I was not available to work enough part-time hours. I was available each and every a) Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, b) holiday, and c) day that NIU was not in session. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout at Blacks that Republicans cause all the problems that Blacks have. According to my critics/opponents, all the federal jobs and promotions that I got should have been given to Blacks instead of me. The Post Office hired me when I was 18 years old in 1966. IRS hired me in 1971 and promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. GAO hired me in 1980 and promoted me in 1986. GAO forced me to retire in 1997 and gave my job and my preferred corner office to my Black subordinate. He had less work experience than I had, less education than I had, one professional certification while I had six, and had no professional license like the one I had. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Are you involved in politics? If so, what do your critics/opponents use against you? My critics/opponents in Republican politics use a) my promoting the individual responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, illegal drugs, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks in the Republican Party platform, b) my promoting direct election of Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee members, c) my supporting Pat O’Malley in the Illinois Republican gubernatorial primary in 2002, d) my serving on the Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee 2003-2007, e) my serving as the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman 2005-2012, and f) my serving as the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and firework 2005-2021. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
FOX NEWS
— Frustrated Chicago residents fed up with spending on illegal immigrants, call for Republican leadership. The group ‘Chicago Flips Red’ has been active in pushing for the GOP to take over the traditionally blue city.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/frustrated-chicago-residents-fed-up-spending-illegal-immigrants-call-republican-leadership
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— 5 takeaways from Musk’s CPAC talk
https://www.wjtv.com/news/5-takeaways-from-musks-cpac-talk/amp/
WASHINGTON POST
— Democrat and RINO leaders do not want anyone to be deported.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/02/21/panama-costa-rica-migrants-trump/
USA TODAY
— Trump evolved CPAC beyond conservatism. Is there still room for Reagan Republicans? CPAC has become a parade of prancing personalities, all trying to one-up each other in toadyism to Trump, where provocation is everything and actual policy of governing is, at best, an afterthought.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/02/21/cpac-conservative-conference-trump-republican-party/79313361007/
— Anticipate/expect that the more demographics that you share with Trump, and especially if you are Protestant and/or German American, the more that Democrats and RINOs will call you an extremist and even worse things.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/02/21/extremist-murders-2025-increase-on-the-rise/78385408007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— An Escape Route From Illinois. Indiana takes the first step toward welcoming Land of Pritzker counties that want to secede.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/indiana-illinois-secession-boundary-adjustment-commission-todd-huston-j-b-pritzker-a3c18977
— Trump Is Planning to Take Control of the Postal Service. President seeks to disband governing board and put Postal Service under the Commerce Department. (COMMENT: The Democrats who ran the Park Forest Post Office hired me in 1966 because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, or veteran who would take the job. I had passed the postal employment examination, I had earned a diploma from Crete-Monee High School, and I was taking classes at UIC. Virtually all my superiors, supervisors, and coworkers were Democrat veterans. My Democrat Post Office superiors despised/hated Republicans, and especially draft avoiding Republicans like me. They disallowed my sick leave requests in 1968 and 1969 and they forced me to resign in 1969 falsely claiming that I was not available to work enough part-time hours. I was available each and every a) Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, b) holiday, and c) day that NIU was not in session.)
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-is-planning-to-take-control-of-the-postal-service-officials-say-e9188e7c
— FRONT PAGE: IRS Begins to Fire 6,000 Workers, Threatening Tax-Season Delays. Some collections and audits are likely to be paused, and one-on-one personal service is set to be more limited.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/irs-workers-fired-tax-season-doge-102fbecb
BLOOMBERG GOVERNMENT
— Ambitious MAGA Republicans Hunt for Trump Bump as Others Skip CPAC
https://news.bgov.com/bloomberg-government-news/ambitious-maga-republicans-hunt-for-trump-bump-as-others-skip-cpac
POLITICO
— Trump holds Black History Month celebration amid his administration’s war on DEI. Famed golfer Tiger Woods attended the event. (COMMENT: To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout at Blacks that Republicans cause all the problems that Blacks have. According to my critics/opponents, all the federal jobs and promotions that I got should have been given to Blacks instead of me. The Post Office hired me when I was 18 years old in 1966. IRS hired me in 1971 and promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. GAO hired me in 1980 and promoted me in 1986. GAO forced me to retire in 1997 and gave my job and my preferred corner office to my Black subordinate. He had less work experience than I had, less education than I had, one professional certification while I had six, and had no professional license like the one I had.)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/20/trump-black-history-month-dei-021434
— The Trump administration has defended its cuts at the Federal Aviation Administration by saying safety-critical employees weren’t affected. Experts disagree. (COMMENT: During the early 1980s, I worked for GAO on an audit of FAA that involved air traffic control staffing.)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/20/faa-firings-aviation-safety-experts-00205160
NPR
— A far-right influencer is getting invitations to travel with Trump Cabinet members (COMMENT: My critics/opponents hint/imply/argue/shout that I am a failed would-be far right influencer. They stress the many big adverse actions that they had their operatives and their dupes take against. I should write about my critics/opponents and their operatives and dupes.)
https://www.wesa.fm/2025-02-21/a-far-right-influencer-is-getting-invitations-to-travel-with-trump-cabinet-members
ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS
— Who in the Democratic party Is calling who a Nazi? if any use of Holocaust imagery was justified, it was President Trump’s description of Jewish hostages released from Hamas terrorist captivity last week, certainly not Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s parallels between Trump’s political agenda and the rise of Nazi Germany.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/404252
AL JAZEERA
— Are White Afrikaners at risk in South Africa? Not really, most say. As Trump offers to take in Afrikaner refugees, many say right-wing lobbyists have spread misinformation and fear. (COMMENT: Have you been discriminated against? According to my critics/opponents, no one has ever discriminated against me for any reason. Have you had adverse employment actions taken against you? According to my Democrat superiors in the federal government, all the adverse employment actions that they took against me were justified. In my defense, I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. In my defense, my Democrat superiors never cited any performance problems or employee complaints against me to justify any of the adverse actions that they took against me. In my defense. all my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats who had less work experience than I had, had less education than I had, had no professional certifications or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time. In my defense, my Democrat GAO superiors have never denied a) that I complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination or b) that I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation when I was 40 years old in 1988.)
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/2/21/are-white-afrikaners-at-risk-in-south-africa-not-really-most-say
February 20, 2025 Evening Edition
WHITE HOUSE
— America Is Back — and President Trump Is Just Getting Started
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/02/america-is-back-and-president-trump-is-just-getting-started/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Pritzker Following Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels’ Playbook
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/20/pritzker-following-nazi-propaganda-minister-joseph-goebbels-playbook/
— Indiana About to Pass Real Property Tax Relief
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/20/indiana-about-to-pass-real-property-tax-relief/
— Pritzker Four-Year Junior College Proposal Will Hurt Four-Year State Universities
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/20/pritzker-four-year-junior-college-proposal-will-hurt-four-year-state-universities/
— Judges Go to Schools
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/20/judges-go-to-schools/
— The Censures of Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk – Part 4
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/20/the-censures-of-algonquin-township-supervisor-randy-funk-part-4/
CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Fallout continues after Pritzker’s Nazi comments during budget speech
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_3ad0cf8a-efc3-11ef-b47d-1fb230bbecf6.html
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Food assistance need grows 12% in Illinois since 2019 (COMMENT: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, more and more and more will want/need/demand more and more and more food assistance.)
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/food-assistance-need-grows-12-in-illinois-since-2019/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Democrat leaders promote Pritzker’s hate speech
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-governor-jb-pritzker-getting-national-attention-speaking-president-donald-trump-during-budget-address/15939325/
— Democrat leaders use their “undocumented immigrant children” to promote hatred against Trump
https://abc7chicago.com/post/latest-trump-cuts-leave-26000-undocumented-immigrant-children-legal-representation/15938544/
— Border crossings are down and refugee shelters in border cities are seeing decrease first hand
https://abc7chicago.com/post/us-mexico-border-news-crossings-down-refugee-shelters-cities-seeing-decrease-first-hand/15933759/
NBC5
— What does DOGE’s IRS shake-up mean for tax season? DOGE wants access to filers’ data, and the commerce secretary says Trump wants to scrap the IRS altogether. But filing a return remains mandatory — the earlier the better, tax advisers say.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/doge-irs-shake-up-tax-season/3679235/?os=fuzzscanazstr&ref=app
CBS2
— Thousands of IRS employees facing layoffs by Trump administration. Another round of federal job cuts is coming. This time, it’s at the agency responsible for bringing money into the government’s coffers. (COMMENT: While I worked for GAO 1980-1997, its employees always faced Republican-led layoffs.)
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/thousands-of-irs-employees-facing-layoffs-by-trump-administration/
FOX32
— Chicago Columbus statues could return as city faces art controversy
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-columbus-statues-could-return-art-controversy
— Chicago aldermen push to restore Columbus statues
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1596704
WTTW
— Democrat leaders promote fired federal employees. Democrats and RINOs either could care less or applauded my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors wasting my career and forcing me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.
https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/20/dream-jobs-us-forest-service-unemployment-meet-2-illinois-fired-federal-workers
WGN RADIO
— Former federal employee shares her story of losing her job (COMMENT: Democrats and RINOs do not want to hear my story.)
https://wgnradio.com/lisa-dent/former-federal-employee-shares-her-story-of-losing-her-job/
— Mayor Brandon Johnson shares plan to fight food inequity in the city
https://wgnradio.com/lisa-dent/mayor-brandon-johnson-shares-plan-to-fight-food-inequity-in-the-city/
WBEZ
— To get more votes from minorities, Democrat leaders want more federal money to be spent on them.
https://www.wbez.org/education/2025/02/20/uic-cultural-centers-and-race-based-college-programs-across-illinois-threatened-by-latest-trump-guidance
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Trump, Musk unpopular with Illinois voters, Pritzker poll finds. It is notable that Gov. JB Pritzker’s team released the poll, and it shows he is prepared for a political fight — both in terms of a potential third term for Illinois governor, or a 2028 presidential bid.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/donald-trump/2025/02/20/president-donald-trump-elon-musk-illinois-voters-poll-jb-pritzker
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A new Illinois poll commissioned by Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker finds President Donald Trump and his cost-cutting czar Elon Musk’s early administration actions aren’t quite popular. A Global Strategy Group poll of 800 “likely 2026 voters” conducted Feb. 5-9 found more than 50% of those surveyed called Trump’s actions “extremely concerning.” Of those polled, 56% called Trump unfavorable, including 49% who called him very unfavorable. For Musk, 56% called him unfavorable, with 50% dubbing him very unfavorable. Democrats were the most negative on Musk and Trump, but independents viewed both unfavorably as well. A party-line split was evident in the poll, with 90% of Republican voters saying they approved of Trump, and 83% saying they approved of Musk. Among independents, 40% approved of Trump, and 38% approved of Musk. The poll also delved into some of Trump and Musk’s actions, with 57% of those polled calling any move to end an initiative to lower the cost of prescription drugs “extremely concerning.” Eliminating government programs, including health care, Meals on Wheels and child care; eliminating all members of the Aviation Safety Board; pardoning all the Jan. 6 rioters; and eliminating the Department of Education were among the most concerning topics for those polled. It is notable that Pritzker’s team released the poll, and it shows the Democratic governor is prepared for a political fight ahead — both in terms of a potential third term for governor, or a 2028 presidential bid. Pritzker has been criticizing Trump since his first gubernatorial campaign began in 2017. But now he’s aiming his ire at Musk as well — and has frequently railed against the billionaire adviser at Illinois news conferences. At a Wednesday briefing at the Illinois State Capitol, Pritzker blamed Musk for the unpredictability of federal funding and its effects on the state budget. And he used a collective “we” when talking about Musk and Trump. “We don’t know what they’re going to do. And you’ve seen that. You know, Elon Musk comes out with tweets about Social Security that turned out to be completely false,” Pritzker said. “We don’t know what they’re going to do. We don’t know whether they’re going to cut off the Medicaid expansion across the country. They’ve been hearing from Republican governors, just like they have from Democratic governors about the negative impact on the people of their state.” Despite the poll’s negative approval rating for Trump, the Republican president’s statewide vote grew to 43.8% last year, up from 38.76% in 2016. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.)
— Alderman introduces plan to punish Chicago city employees and officers for having extremist ties. The plan from 47th Ward Ald. Matt Martin follows growing calls for the Chicago Police Department and Mayor Brandon Johnson to fire cops with ties to extremist groups. (COMMENT: I should write about my critics/opponents who painted Illinois Center Right Coalition and TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois as being extremist groups. I would focus on those who have taken the most/biggest adverse actions against me.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/extremism-in-the-ranks/2025/02/20/alderman-introduces-plan-to-punish-chicago-city-employees-and-officers-for-having-extremist-ties
DAILY HERALD
— Facing lawsuit, Republicans to meet a second time to choose McConchie’s successor
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250220/illinois-state-politics/facing-lawsuit-republicans-to-meet-a-second-time-to-choose-mcconchies-successor/
HERALD WHIG
— Black and Latino leaders want more government assistance for Blacks and Latinos
https://www.whig.com/news/illinois-news/black-latino-lawmakers-criticize-pritzker-s-proposed-budget/article_6e2f622e-efa5-11ef-9fea-3fe4be18874d.html
FOX ILLINOIS
— MAGA is ‘a Nazi movement’: Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe arrested at city council meeting
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/maga-is-a-nazi-movement-former-nfl-punter-chris-kluwe-arrested-at-city-council-meeting-california-huntington-beach-city-council-minnesota-vikings-president-donald-trump-politics-make-america-great-again-red-hat-swastika
WAND TV
— Illinois House Democrats bash Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) for saying his caucus is part of ‘team Jew’
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/illinois-house-democrats-bash-republican-for-saying-his-caucus-is-part-of-team-jew/article_690a5734-efd4-11ef-843e-c7d87166bf31.html
WQAD
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.wqad.com/article/news/local/the-current/black-hawk-college-cannabis-courses-cohort-online-industry/526-ddc205a3-5e9c-46c0-9ed3-2a4a141a9018
WSJD
— Pritzker Insults President Trump and Fails to Take Responsibility for Illinois’ Budget Deficit (COMMENT: Pritzker runs Illinois. He hates Trump and he hates the 2.4 million in Illinois who voted for Trump. Anticipate/expect that he will ever-increasingly destroy those 2.4 million voters starting with those who are registered Republicans, who voted in the election, and who share Trump’s demographics: conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, married, Protestant, German America, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.)
https://wsjd.fm/new-blog-1/2025/2/20/severin-pritzker-insults-president-trump-and-fails-to-take-responsibility-for-illinois-budget-deficit
NEWS CHANNEL 20
— Do you support President Trump’s plan to cut the size of the IRS? (COMMENT: I should write about those who have demonized me, denigrated me, and condemned me the most for my having been an IRS employee for almost 9 years.)
https://newschannel20.com/question/vote-do-you-support-president-donald-trumps-plan-to-cut-the-size-of-the-irs-question-of-the-day-internal-revenue-service-doge-department-of-government-efficiency-elon-musk-federal-workforce-downsize-taxpayers
EFFINGHAM RADIO
— IL GOP Reacts To Governor Pritzker’s Budget Address
https://www.effinghamradio.com/2025/02/20/il-gop-reacts-to-governor-pritzkers-budget-address/
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Democrats push a Democrat push poll.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/trump-approval-rating-appears-to-be-underwater-one-month-into-second-term-survey/
— IRS layoffs could hurt revenue collection and foil efforts to go after rich tax dodgers, experts say (COMMENT: Democrats and RINOs either could care less or applauded my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors wasting my career and forcing me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.)
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/ap-irs-layoffs-could-hurt-revenue-collection-and-foil-efforts-to-go-after-rich-tax-dodgers-experts-say/
BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— Plan To Turn Lincoln Square’s Diplomat Hotel Into Transitional Housing Gets $5.5 Million TIF Boost. City Council approved additional funding for the $14 million renovation of the former motel into The Haven for people experiencing homelessness.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/02/19/plan-to-turn-lincoln-squares-diplomat-hotel-into-transitional-housing-gets-5-5-million-tif-boost/
CHALKBEAT CHICAGO
— Chicago releases its Black Student Success Plan amid backlash against race-based initiatives
https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/02/20/cps-releases-black-student-success-plan/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/20/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-252/
— Pritzker’s new Illinois poll has majority ‘extremely concerned’ about a host of Trump’s recent actions
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/20/pritzkers-new-illinois-poll-has-majority-extremely-concerned-about-a-host-of-trumps-recent-actions/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump blasts Zelenskyy as ‘dictator’ who duped U.S. into sending aid
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/19/donald-trump-blasts-volodymyr-zelenskyy-dictator-duped-u-sending-aid/
— Trump has conquered CPAC
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/20/donald-trump-conquered-cpac/
— Musk wields symbolic chainsaw at CPAC in celebration of his federal role: ‘This is awesome’
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/20/elon-musk-wields-symbolic-chainsaw-cpac/
— Vance emerges as an early favorite at CPAC to carry the MAGA flag into 2028
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/20/jd-vance-emerges-early-favorite-cpac-carry-maga-flag-2028/
— ‘I want to find out’: Trump says he is going to personally inspect the gold at Fort Knox
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/20/trump-inspect-gold-fort-knox/
NEW YORK POST
— Musk wields ‘chainsaw for bureaucracy’ on stage at CPAC to symbolize DOGE’s massive government cuts
https://nypost.com/2025/02/20/us-news/elon-musk-wields-chainsaw-for-bureaucracy-on-stage-at-cpac-to-symbolize-doges-massive-government-cuts/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— ‘America-last RINOs’ side with Zelenskyy over Trump
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2025/02/20/america-last-rinos-side-with-zelenskyy-over-trump-1523948/
CAMPUS REFORM
— Ex-UIC prof files lawsuit saying he was fired for opposing racial hiring preferences. The Liberty Justice Center recently filed a lawsuit against the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), alleging that a professor was fired because he criticized the school’s hiring practices, which the professor believes are racially discriminatory. The federal lawsuit was filed on Feb. 10 in the Eastern Division of the Northern District of Illinois. (SEE: Diersen v. GAO at : https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf )
https://www.campusreform.org/article/ex-uic-prof-files-lawsuit-saying-fired-opposing-racial-hiring-preferences/27506
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Liberty Justice Center recently filed a lawsuit against the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), alleging that a professor was fired because he criticized the school’s hiring practices, which the professor believes are racially discriminatory. The federal lawsuit, which was filed on Feb. 10 in the Eastern Division of the Northern District of Illinois, asserts that the school administration violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment when it terminated Professor Stephen Kleinschmit. While he was at UIC, Kleinschmit “observed that multiple hiring and funding programs were either a) explicitly designed to use race as a qualification in hiring decisions or b) being subverted to favor nonwhite applicants and faculty,” according to the lawsuit. The document asserts that when Kleinschmit spoke out about the allegedly discriminatory hiring practices, the school administration terminated his contract. “When he complained about this unlawful behavior, he was terminated—ostensibly due to budget cuts, yet the University retained faculty hired under a non-competitive, racially preferential hiring program, and soon after advertised a new job opening in his old department stating ‘members of a recognized underrepresented group are particularly encouraged to apply,’” the complaint says. Kleinschmit has a Ph.D. in Public Administration and was a professor in the school’s Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics until he was fired in 2023. Among other specific allegations, the complaint asserts that UIC required Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) statements in hiring. The lawsuit additionally accuses the administration of incorporating the race-conscious statements “into departmental norms and guidelines for promotion and tenure.” The 31-page lawsuit also gives other examples of allegedly racially discriminatory school policies. “The University Faculty Senate on July 29, 2020 released the UIC Senate Statement on Black Lives Matter, which asked the white faculty and administrators to ‘acknowledge their white privilege and power, and to commit to take action against systematic racism through anti-racist action,’” the lawsuit explains. In a statement about the lawsuit, Liberty Justice Center Senior Counsel Reilly Stephens called UIC’s hiring practices “blatantly” illegal. “The University of Illinois Chicago repeatedly engaged in blatant acts of racial discrimination, then added illegal retaliation to the mix to avoid accountability for its unlawful behavior,” Stephens asserted in a press release. “These actions are unacceptable violations of the right to equal protection under the law, and we urge the court to put a stop to it immediately.” Campus Reform has contacted the University of Illinois Chicago for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.)
CATHOLIC LIFE
— At CPAC, Vance talks faith, says policies should help ‘choose life’ and ‘start families’
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/262327/at-cpac-vance-talks-faith-says-policies-should-help-choose-life-and-start-families
DAILY CALLER
— ‘Trump Administration Is Serious’: America’s Southern Border Hasn’t Been This Quiet Since The 1960s
https://dailycaller.com/2025/02/20/border-encounters-drop-to-1960s-levels/
EPOCH TIMES
— Federal Judge Allows Trump Admin to Continue Layoffs of Federal Workers. The suit was brought by federal unions seeking to preserve union dues and bargaining power.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/federal-judge-allows-trump-admin-to-continue-layoffs-of-federal-workers-5813651
FOX NEWS
— VP JD Vance speaks on ‘fundamental goal’ of Trump administration at CPAC address. ‘It is easy, unfortunately, to burn the house down. It takes a little bit of time to build it back up and that’s what we have to do,’ said Vance.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/vp-jd-vance-speaks-fundamental-goal-trump-administration-cpac-address
— Homan says billions saved on illegal migrants can be used to help Americans
https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-border-czar-tom-homan-says-billions-saved-illegal-migrants-can-used-help-americans
NATIONAL REVIEW
— Pro-Life Issues Are Given Short Shrift at This Year’s CPAC
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/pro-life-issues-are-given-short-shrift-at-this-years-cpac/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Trump set to speak at CPAC
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5154914-donald-trump-speaking-cpac-2025/
REUTERS
— Musk to appear at CPAC
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/musk-appear-cpac-conservative-gathering-organizer-says-2025-02-20/
CBS NEWS
— Thousands of IRS workers to be laid off (COMMENT: I should write about those who have demonized me, denigrated me, and condemned me the most for my having been an IRS employee for almost 9 years.)
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/thousands-of-irs-workers-to-be-laid-off-source-says/
— GOP lawmakers concerned about impact of DOGE cuts on constituents, but most support effort (COMMENT: How dependent on federal spending are those in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gop-lawmakers-doge-cuts-impact/
POLITICO
— Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote those who seek asylum in America.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/20/asylum-seekers-trump-administration-021337
— At CPAC, Vance finally gets the reception he wishes he got in Munich. Surrounded by allies, the vice president basked in his role as culture-warrior-in-chief.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/20/cpac-jd-vance-culture-war-00205236
HARPER’S MAGAZINE
— Rage Against the Machine. Trump’s second attempt at dismantling the bureaucracy.
https://harpers.org/archive/2025/03/rage-against-the-machine-andrew-cockburn-trump-bureaucracy/
EDUCATION WEEK
— Parents Lose Appeal Over School’s Gender Identity Notification Policy (COMMENT: Democrat teachers ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.)
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/parents-lose-appeal-over-schools-gender-identity-notification-policy/2025/02
RASMUSSEN REPORTS
— 53% Approve Trump Ending DEI Policies
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration_second_term/53_approve_trump_ending_dei_policies
February 18, 2025
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CBS2
— Durbin, congresspeople highlight what they say would be detrimental effects of federal spending cuts (COMMENT: To what extent is your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct dependent on federal spending?)
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/durbin-congresspeople-detrimental-effects-federal-spending-cuts/
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote their protests against Trump.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/protesters-rally-in-chicago-against-president-trumps-policies/
WGN9
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote their protests against Trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFkVQUBlIoY
https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/chicago-presidents-day-trump-musk-protests/
— Illinois Congressional Democrats rail against Trump, Musk cuts (COMMENT: To what extent is your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct dependent on federal spending?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luDPZki4H5Q
FOX32
— Illinois Dem lawmakers push back against Trump budget cuts (COMMENT: To what extent is your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct dependent on federal spending?)
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1594717
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/18/opinion-illinois-fighting-unconcstitutional-actions-donald-trump/
— Homer Township Reset slate challenges Freedom Caucus incumbents in Republican Primary
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/17/homer-township-republican-primary/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote their protests against Trump.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2025/02/17/protesters-march-donald-trump-nationwide-presidents-day-demonstration
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-the-editor/2025/02/17/trump-presidency-republicans-maga-mean-federal-layoffs-debt-conservatives-new-party-usaid
NPR ILLINOIS
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote their protests against Trump.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-17/thousands-of-people-protest-in-washington-d-c-and-across-the-u-s-on-presidents-day
WCIA
— Central Illinois federal workers face unemployment, uncertainty (COMMENT: Because of Republican-led budget cuts, all during the almost 18 years that I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, I faced Democrat retaliation, that is, I faced political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination. I should write about that.)
https://www.wcia.com/news/champaign-county/there-were-people-crying-central-illinois-federal-workers-face-unemployment-uncertainty/
WAND TV
— Democrats ever-increasingly promote more abortion.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/planned-parenthood-of-illinois-expands-medication-abortion-access-through-app/article_206323fe-edf3-11ef-ab84-1f11aa00a2cd.html
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— TROLLING TRUMP: The Illinois Democratic Party has been trolling President Donald Trump by projecting digital phrases onto the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago’s River North neighborhood and a stream of online messaging.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2025/02/18/richard-irvin-returns-to-the-ring-00204650
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/18/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-457/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— How much success have the Democrat and RINO leaders of your county, township, municipality, and school district had promoting fear, anger, and hatred against Trump and against those who voted for Trump? – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— I should write about the tremendous negative impacts from Republican gutting GAO instead of Republican reforming of GAO. If Republicans had reformed GAO, the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997 would not have been able to a) force me to take a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO, b) delay my promotions and never promote me beyond GS-13, c) always rank me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, or d) force me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— GAO is supposed to fight waste in the federal government. But Democrats run the federal government and Democrats run GAO. I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997. Because I have always been a Republican, they did not want me fight waste. To get rid of me, they. a) forced me to take a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO, b) delayed my promotions and never promote me beyond GS-13, c) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and d) forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997. They wasted what I had learned a) working for GAO for almost 18 years and for IRS for almost 9 years, b) earning three job-related master’s degrees, c) earning six job-related professional certifications, and d) earning a job-related professional license. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— According to my critics/opponents, the courts in Diersen v. GAO decided that employers can fire their employees a) because they oppose political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and/or age discrimination and/or b) because they have performance problems. According to my critics/opponents, both of the aforesaid applied to me a) because I was an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged my employer with reverse discrimination and age discrimination and b) because my employer never promoted me beyond GS-13 and always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance. According to them, I had to have performance problems because they took those adverse actions against me even though I had three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. But in fact, they took those adverse actions against me a) because I opposed their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination and b) because I was an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination and age discrimination. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What do your critics/opponents stress about you to turn people against you? My critics/opponents stress that I am conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, my ancestors have been in America since 1844, I was a federal employee for almost 30 years and almost 9 of which working for IRS, I have been a federal retiree for more than 27 years, I have been married for almost 47 years, I have more education than they have, I have six professional certifications and a professional license, I have more real estate, vehicles, and/or money than they have, I have better health than they have, etc. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What do your critics/opponents stress to promote envy against you? Mine stress that I have been a federal retiree for more than 27 years, that I have been married for almost 47 years, that I have more education than they have, that I have six professional certifications and a professional license, that I have more real estate, vehicles, and/or money than they have, that I have better health than they have, etc.
http://www.gopillinois.com
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Congressman Robert C. McClory’s Significant Law
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/17/congressman-robert-c-mcclorys-significant-law/
— Crystal Lake Grade School District Has 20% Fewer Students Than in 2008, But More Staff
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/17/crystal-lake-grade-school-district-has-20-fewer-students-than-in-2008-but-more-staff/
— The Censures of Randy Funk – Part 1
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/17/the-censures-of-randy-funk-part-1/
— The Contract with Peter Bensinger I Would Not Sign in the Thompson Administration
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/17/the-contract-with-peter-bensinger-i-would-not-sign-in-the-thompson-administration/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
U.S. Department of HOMELAND SECURITY
— Secretary Kristi Noem announced a nationwide and international multimillion-dollar ad campaign warning illegal aliens to leave our country now or face deportation with the inability to return to the United States. The international ads warn criminal illegal aliens not to come to America and break its laws or they will be hunted down and deported. (COMMENT: Of course, Democrats and RINOs oppose/reject the aforesaid.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hezXQvjzCkQ
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Time to go: DHS tells illegal immigrants to ‘self-deport and stay out’ Secretary Kristi Noem vows ‘We will hunt you down’
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/17/dhs-tells-illegal-immigrants-self-deport-stay/
NEW YORK POST
— AOC’s harmful migrant assistance (COMMENT: It is criminal to help people commit crimes.)
https://nypost.com/2025/02/17/opinion/aocs-harmful-migrant-assistance-letters/
— Eric Adams is a hostage to New Yorkers’ will — not to Donald Trump
https://nypost.com/2025/02/17/opinion/memo-to-eric-adams-critics-hes-a-hostage-to-nyers-will-not-donald-trump/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Buttigieg insinuates that Trump’s IG firing spree has something to do with promoting ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’ (COMMENT: When the Democrats who ran GAO’s Chicago Office forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997, the Democrats who ran IG offices in Chicago could have offered to hire me, but they did not. I should write about those who they hired instead of me.)
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/02/buttigieg_insinuates_that_trump_s_ig_firing_spree_has_something_to_do_with_promoting_waste_fraud_and_abuse.html
BREITBART
— Supreme Court Path for President Trump on Birthright Citizenship
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/02/17/scotus-path-birthright-citizenship-trump/
— Kristi Noem Warns Migrants Against Entering U.S. Illegally: ‘You Will Be Caught’
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/02/17/kristi-noem-warns-migrants-entering-u-s-illegally-will-be-caught/
FOX BUSINESS
— DOGE critics are in favor of government waste (COMMENT: GAO is supposed to fight waste in the federal government. But Democrats run the federal government and Democrats run GAO. I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997. Because I have always been a Republican, they did not want me fight waste. To get rid of me, they. a) forced me to take a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO, b) delayed my promotions and never promote me beyond GS-13, c) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and d) forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997. They wasted what I had learned a) working for GAO for almost 18 years and for IRS for almost 9 years, b) earning three job-related master’s degrees, c) earning six job-related professional certifications, and d) earning a job-related professional license.)
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6368973252112
FOX NEWS
— Homan takes victory lap after illegal immigrant crossings plummet during Trump admin: ‘He is delivering’ Homan said it’s the lowest he’s seen since President Reagan was in office.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/homan-victory-lap-after-illegal-immigrant-crossings-plummet-during-trump-admin-delivering
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Dear DOGE – Why Is The U.S. Government Funding “Media Literacy” Informers And Indoctrination? DHS, Defense, and State are all involved. I know, I took the trainings. Do Secretaries Noem, Hegseth, and Rubio know?
https://legalinsurrection.com/2025/02/dear-doge-why-is-the-u-s-government-funding-media-literacy-informers-and-indoctrination/
NEWSMAX
— Some Shelters Close as Migrant Flow Slows
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/migrant-shelters-closing-border/2025/02/17/id/1199406/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
NBC NEWS
— Supreme Court could decide who Trump is allowed to fire (COMMENT: According to my critics/opponents, the courts in Diersen v. GAO decided that employers can fire their employees a) because they oppose political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and/or age discrimination and/or b) because they have performance problems. According to my critics/opponents, both of the aforesaid applied to me a) because I was an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged my employer with reverse discrimination and age discrimination and b) because my employer never promoted me beyond GS-13 and always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance (PFP). According to them, I had to have performance problems because they took those adverse actions against me even though I had three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. But in fact, they took those adverse actions against me a) because I opposed their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination and b) because I was an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination and age discrimination.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq2hVZ_zz94
MSN
— Hegseth reports that IRS has audited him and says he owes $33,558.16. (COMMENT: I should write about why my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my education deductions when I was 29 years old in 1978. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, younger, or veteran.)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/pete-hegseth-shares-back-taxes-self-own-while-blasting-biden-irs-for-audit/ar-AA1zfqGt
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A Fox News host until being nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Defense Department, Hegseth’s annual salary at the media company was north of $2 million, according to a financial disclosure report he filed as part of the confirmation process. Additionally, he earned $900,000 in speaking engagement fees over the last two years, according to the report. As Secretary of Defense, Hegseth will be paid $246,000 per year. The Trump administration is expected to soon announce substantial layoffs at the IRS. Furthermore, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is looking to gain access to the IRS’s highly-classified system for housing taxpayers’ financial information.)
ASSOCIATED PRESS & MSNBC & NEWSWEEK & LOS ANGELES & ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER & NBC BOSTON & ABC DENVER & BUSINESS TIMES
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote their protests against Trump.
https://apnews.com/article/president-donald-trump-protest-c8796556fbf20e796f42167f61c3d942
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLJLFiB6bb8
https://www.newsweek.com/photos-show-trump-musk-50501-protests-across-us-2032448
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-02-17/presidents-day-rally-long-beach
https://www.ocregister.com/2025/02/17/on-presidents-day-in-irvine-demonstrators-rally-against-president-trump-and-elon-musk/
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/politics/presidents-day-brings-protests-against-trumps-policies/3634753/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKbNe3qG8MQ
https://www.btimesonline.com/articles/172879/20250218/no-kings-on-presidents-day-rallies-target-trump-policies-musk-s-influence.htm
NEW YORK TIMES
— What do your critics/opponents stress to promote envy against you? Mine stress that I have been a federal retiree for more than 27 years, that I have been married for almost 47 years, that I have more education than they have, that I have six professional certifications and a professional license, that I have more real estate, vehicles, and/or money than they have, that I have better health than they have, etc.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/03/learning/do-you-ever-feel-envious-of-others.html
— Democrats Fear They Are Missing the Moment to Remake the Party. As President Trump steamrolls over their priorities, Democrats say they could miss the opportunity to learn lessons from their defeat and undertake needed reform. (COMMENT: From what I see, the Democrat Party will forever promote dependency on government charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, booze, gambling, pot, and other vices, abolition of the Second Amendment, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination. By doing the aforesaid, the Democrat Party wants to get more votes from those who are liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, poor, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, are in America illegally, boozers, gamblers, stoners, and criminals.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/us/politics/democrats-trump-future.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Trump Targets a Growing List of Those He Sees as Disloyal. In his first month in office, the president has carried out a campaign of retribution that has little analogue in history. (COMMENT: My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty and destroy those like me who they cannot manipulate or dominate, who refuse to glorify and praise them, who refuse to pander to them, who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, who refuse to coverup their wrongdoing, and/or who refuse to give them money.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/us/politics/trump-retribution-list.html
USA TODAY
— Federal government has wasted trillions. Trump and Musk are saying, ‘Enough!’
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/02/17/trump-musk-doge-government-waste-national-debt/78518870007/
WEEK
— How much did Germany pay as WWI reparations? Here’s why Donald Trump’s proposed $500 billion offer for Ukraine is even worse. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked his officials to reject Donald Trump administration’s $500 billion deal, saying it does not give adequate security guarantees for Kyiv.
https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2025/02/18/how-much-did-germany-pay-as-wwi-reparations-here-s-why-donald-trump-s-proposed-500-billion-offer-for-ukraine-is-even-worse.html
WBAL TV
— Employees across federal agencies detail impacts of layoffs, DOGE action (COMMENT: I should write about the tremendous negative impacts of Republicans gutting GAO instead of reforming GAO. If Republicans had reformed GAO, the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997 would not have been able to a) force me to take a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO, b) delay my promotions and never promote me beyond GS-13, c) always rank me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, or d) force me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.)
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/federal-employees-layoffs-impacts-doge-executive-orders/63821109
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The Media Claim to Find No Fraud in Government. Then again, they also told us Biden was sharp as a tack and nothing was amiss at the border.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-media-claim-to-find-no-fraud-in-government-waste-abuse-agencies-8ed673b2
— 6 Ways to Fix the Job-Application Nightmare. Companies are needlessly hurting their reputations among potential employees. Here’s what they can do to improve the process—and attract better talent. (COMMENT: I did not apply to be an IRS employee. IRS offered me a job because I had passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination.)
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/job-search-applications-fixes-476ed638
— America’s Trumpiest City Council Is Thriving—in Newsom’s California. Huntington Beach has become a laboratory for Trump-style local governance; ‘non-sanctuary city’ status and a MAGA plaque at the library. (COMMENT: How strongly do the Republican leaders of the following support Trump: a) your state senate and house districts, county, township, municipality, and school board and b) the Illinois Republican Party and your Republican county and township/ward party organizations?)
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/americas-trumpiest-city-council-is-thrivingin-newsoms-california-e671f21c
INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— Anticipate/expect that Democrat and RINO leaders will ever-increasingly use DEI to get rid of Republicans
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/diversity/race-ethnicity/2025/02/18/after-trumps-diversity-threats-what-should-colleges-do
February 17, 2025 Evening Edition
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Durbin, others in Chicago push back on proposed federal budget cuts to Medicaid. Illinois Democratic Congressional Delegation promise to stand up to Trump administration.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/sen-dick-durbin-joins-citizen-action-aids-foundation-chicago-push-back-proposed-federal-budget-cuts-medicaid/15921887/
— Mexico threatens to sue Google over Gulf of Mexico name change
https://abc7chicago.com/post/mexico-threatens-sue-google-company-continues-label-us-maps-gulf-america-entire-body-water/15921876/
WGN9
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote their protests against Trump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luDPZki4H5Q
FOX32
— Democratic Illinois members of Congress blast Trump budget cuts
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1594551
WTTW
— Illinois Legislative, Labor Leaders Speak Out Against Trump Budget Cuts
https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/17/illinois-legislative-labor-leaders-speak-out-against-trump-budget-cuts
— Durbin, University Leaders Push Back on Trump’s Efforts to Cut Medical Research Funding
https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/17/sen-dick-durbin-university-leaders-push-back-trump-s-efforts-cut-medical-research
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— ‘No kings on Presidents Day’ rings out from protests against Trump and Musk
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/17/trump-musk-protests/
— Illinois secession bill passes out of Indiana committee, but even supporters aren’t totally on board
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/17/illinois-secession-bill-passes-out-of-indiana-committee-but-even-supporters-arent-totally-on-board/
— Mexico awaits new response from Google on dispute over Gulf of Mexico name before filing lawsuit
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/17/mexico-google-gulf-of-mexico/
DAILY HERALD
— Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data, raising alarm at IRS
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250217/nation-and-world-politics/musks-doge-seeks-access-to-personal-taxpayer-data-raising-alarm-at-irs/
— Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise illegals and b) demonize, denigrate, and condemn Republicans.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250217/letters-to-the-editor/save-immigrants-who-are-kind-hard-working/
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER & OUR QUAD CITIES & DAILY EGYPTIAN
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote their protests against Trump
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/state/2025/02/17/illinois-protestors-rally-at-state-capitol-against-president-trump/78992981007/
https://www.sj-r.com/picture-gallery/news/2025/02/17/protestors-rally-against-president-trump-for-second-time-in-illinois/78997988007/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/illinois-protestors-rally-state-capitol-230718017.html
https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/local-news/illinois-advocates-speak-out-against-federal-cuts/
https://dailyegyptian.com/120456/news/carbondale-endures-cold-to-protest-trump-musk-on-presidents-day/
SOUTHERN
— Trump is the only person who can force Putin to the table
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2025/02/17/gop-sen-mullin-trump-is-the-only-person-who-can-force-putin-to-the-table/
CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Don’t believe ‘incredible’ claims about Illinois schools
https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/mark-glennon-dont-believe-incredible-claims-about-illinois-schools/article_ea37a3f4-ea14-11ef-9b08-173768ebbab5.html
STATELINE
— Indiana bill to ‘adopt’ Illinois counties advances in House
https://www.mystateline.com/news/local-news/indiana-bill-to-adopt-illinois-counties-advances-in-house/
STATELINE & ADVANTAGE NEWS & WQRF
— 2.4 million voted for Trump in Illinois
https://www.mystateline.com/news/pritzker-majority-of-illinois-residents-dont-support-trump/
https://www.advantagenews.com/news/local/pritzker-says-trump-may-be-popular-nationwide-but-not-in-illinois/article_8724d48c-eb11-11ef-a176-efe4e140ec9e.html
https://www.yahoo.com/news/jb-pritzker-says-donald-trump-201600367.html
NPR ILLINOIS
— GAO official says fraud does exist, but it’s not widespread
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-16/government-accountability-official-says-fraud-does-exist-but-its-not-widespread
WAND TV
— Durbin, Kelly join Citizen Action Illinois in fight against Trump budget cuts to Medicaid, SNAP
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/durbin-kelly-join-citizen-action-illinois-in-fight-against-trump-budget-cuts-to-medicaid-snap/article_fa0cd2ec-ed78-11ef-b7d9-477fd3841f09.html
CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Second ‘50501’ protest held outside Illinois Capitol. Protestors take aim at Trump, call for “No Kings on President’s Day.”
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/second-50501-protest-held-outside-illinois-capitol/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WIREPOINTS
— With the border closed, will Illinois finally cut spending on illegal immigrants?
https://wirepoints.org/with-the-border-finally-closed-when-will-illinois-stop-spending-on-illegal-immigrants-wirepoints-quickpoint/
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Integrity Team Seeks to Defeat Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk’s Slate
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/17/integrity-team-seeks-to-defeat-algonquin-township-supervisor-randy-funks-slate/
— Former Co-Chair of Republican National Committee Headlining Joe Tirio Fundraiser on February 21st
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/17/former-co-chair-of-republican-national-committee-headlining-joe-tirio-fundraiser-on-february-21st/
— Resident Criticizes McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett’s Stewardship
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/17/resident-criticizes-mchenry-mayor-wayne-jetts-stewardship/
— Is McHenry County Administrator’s Pending 5.3% Raise a Signal That All Non-Union Employees Will Receive the Same?
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/16/is-mchenry-county-administrators-pending-5-3-raise-a-signal-that-all-non-union-employees-will-receive-the-same/
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Bill introduced to again try for progressive income tax in Illinois
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/bill-introduced-to-again-try-for-progressive-income-tax-in-illinois/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democrats protest as Trump’s DOGE squad exposes federal waste. Discoveries of misspent millions reveal a pattern of unauthorized funding to partisan causes.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/17/democrats-protest-trump-doge-squad-exposes-federal/
— DOGE seeks access to IRS system with taxpayers’ financial data
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/17/doge-seeks-access-irs-system-taxpayers-financial-d/
— White House hits back on Democrats’ criticism of DOGE actions
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/17/white-house-hits-back-democrats-criticism-doge-act/
— FAA’s new air traffic control towers go ‘green’ instead of the latest safe tech
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/17/faa-new-air-traffic-control-towers-go-green-instea/
— Vance calls for U.S. and its allies to reject Germany’s ‘Orwellian’ speech laws (COMMENT: My critics/opponents hate the First Amendment. They want to stop me from sending out GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters. Failing that, they want to stop everyone from reading them. Failing that, they have their operatives and their dupes take big adverse actions against me. I should write about my critics/opponents.)
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/17/j-d-vance-calls-u-allies-reject-germany-orwellian-/
— Trump’s immigration crackdown protects Hispanic communities
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/17/trump-immigration-crackdown-protects-hispanic-comm/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Everything you need to know about this year’s CPAC
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/3319947/everything-you-need-to-know-about-cpac-this-year/
— Losing the race: Crass identity politics isn’t what it used to be for Democrats
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/3311358/losing-race-crass-identity-politics-not-what-it-used-to-be-democrats/
NEW YORK POST
— Homan vows to ‘eradicate’ every criminal migrant from US — as he touts staggering drop in daily encounters
https://nypost.com/2025/02/17/us-news/border-czar-tom-homan-vows-to-eradicate-every-criminal-migrant-from-us/
— Wall Street banks scrub DEI language from websites in latest retreat from corporate wokeness
https://nypost.com/2025/02/17/business/wall-street-banks-scrub-dei-language-in-retreat-from-wokeness/
— DOGE discovers $4.7 trillion in Treasury payments were missing critical code: ‘Traceability almost impossible’
https://nypost.com/2025/02/17/us-news/doge-discovers-4-7-trillion-in-treasury-payments-were-missing-critical-code/
— Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says Biden’s IRS targeted him for an audit (DIERSEN: I should write about my Democrat IRS superiors who disallowed my education deductions in 1978.)
https://nypost.com/2025/02/17/us-news/defense-secretary-pete-hegseth-says-bidens-irs-targeted-him-for-an-audit/
— Riots and hijackings — why ICE cuffs and shackles some deportees
https://nypost.com/2025/02/17/opinion/riots-and-hijackings-why-ice-cuffs-and-shackles-some-deportees/
— Dems far outnumber conservatives in government — here’s what department is the worst (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, virtually all my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were Democrats. I should write about Democrat superiors and supervisors who hated Republicans the most.)
https://nypost.com/2025/02/17/opinion/dems-far-outnumber-conservatives-in-government-heres-what-department-is-the-worst/
AMERICAN GREATNESS
— Pete Hegseth Says Biden’s IRS Targeted Him With ‘Sham’ Audit on Their Way Out the Door (DIERSEN: I should write about my Democrat IRS superiors who disallowed my education deductions in 1978.)
https://amgreatness.com/2025/02/17/pete-hegseth-says-bidens-irs-targeted-him-with-sham-audit-on-their-way-out-the-door/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Memo suggests the City of San Diego’s government is loaded with illegals
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/02/memo_suggests_the_city_of_san_diego_s_government_is_loaded_with_illegals.html
BREITBART
— Homan Says Illegal Daily Encounters Down to 229 from 11,000
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2025/02/17/nolte-border-czar-tom-homan-says-illegal-daily-encounters-down-to-229-from-11000/
CHRISTIAN POST
— Lesbian pastor blasphemes Jesus as drag queen at council meeting
https://www.christianpost.com/news/lesbian-pastor-blasphemes-jesus-as-drag-queen-at-council-meeting.html
FOX NEWS
— Obama library, begun with lofty DEI goals, now plagued by $40M racially charged suit, ballooning costs. The Black-owned firm claims it was accused of underperforming in the project because of race.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/obama-center-subcontractor-hired-under-dei-initiative-now-suing-40m-racial-discrimination-lawsuit
NATIONAL REVIEW
— Education Department Ends $600 Million in Grants for DEI, Critical Race Theory Trainings
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/education-department-ends-600-million-in-grants-for-dei-critical-race-theory-trainings/
NEWSMAX
— Big Banks Cutting DEI to Avoid Federal Scrutiny
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/dei-division-inequity/2025/02/17/id/1199374/
— GOP Rep Introduces Proposal to End Asylum for Criminals
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/illegal-alien-criminals/2025/02/17/id/1199423/
TOWNHALL
— Illinois state Rep. John Cabello (R) Wants to Create a DOGE for His State
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2025/02/17/a-republican-lawmaker-in-illinois-wants-to-create-a-state-doge-agency-n2652334
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— DOGE sets up IRS, SEC accounts on X
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5149582-doeg-irs-sec-x-accounts/
— Musk divides GOP
https://thehill.com/newsletters/technology/5149945-musk-divides-gop/
— Musk is coming for your Social Security
https://thehill.com/opinion/5148448-elon-musk-targeting-social-security/
MSN
— NAACP spending guide urges Black Americans to avoid companies that dumped DEI
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/naacp-spending-guide-urges-black-americans-to-avoid-companies-that-dumped-dei/ar-AA1zdVIs
CBS NEWS
— Trump’s firings of independent agency heads put 90-year-old Supreme Court precedent in crosshairs
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-firings-agencies-boards-supreme-court-precedent/
NEW YORK TIMES
— Education Dept. Gives Schools Two Weeks to Eliminate Race-Based Programs. The department’s Office for Civil Rights warned that it would penalize schools that consider race in scholarships, hiring and an array of other activities.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/us/politics/education-dept-race-based-programs.html
February 15, 2025
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC NEWS
— Cracks in a Sanctuary City: How immigration agents are making arrests based on local police data
https://abc7chicago.com/post/cracks-sanctuary-city-how-ice-immigration-agents-are-making-arrests-based-local-police-data-despite-illinois-trust-act/15908159/
— Elgin moves to ban sale of THC products (COMMENT: Pot sellers oppose THC products because THC products compete against pot.)
https://abc7chicago.com/post/elgin-thc-ban-push-city-council-grants-preliminary-approval-edibles/15905902/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH PICTURE: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/15/chicago-immigration-court-hearing/
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/14/daughters-target-ceo-dei-efforts/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Ex-Speaker Michael Madigan’s $158,000/year state pension suspended following conviction (COMMENT: Are you in line to get a pension? Are you getting a pension? I got in line for a Civil Service Retirement System pension when I was 18 years old in 1966. Even though it is dramatically reduced because my Democrat superiors wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997, it is $66,780/year. My critics/opponents have always been furious that I get the aforesaid pension. In my defense, I worked for the Post Office for almost 3 years 1966-1969, IRS for almost 9 years 1971-1980, and GAO for almost 18 years 1980-1997. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970; job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997; job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997; and a job-related professional license in 1981.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/13/michael-madigans-state-pension-suspended/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Anger, chaos, confusion as federal workers face mass layoffs. As layoff notices were sent out agency by agency, federal employees from Michigan to Florida were left reeling from being told that their services were no longer needed. (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, Republicans shrank the agency from more than 6,000 employee to less than 3,000 employees. My Democrat GAO superiors punished me severely for that.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/donald-trump/2025/02/14/federal-workers-mass-layoffs-trump-musk-doge
— Letter: Mayor Johnson acts like a dictator
https://chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-the-editor/2025/02/14/mayor-brandon-johnson-dictator-president-trump-elon-musk-economy-canada-rfk-jr-doge-coders
— Corrupt voters elect corrupt candidates.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2025/02/14/illinois-lawmakers-use-your-power-to-rein-in-political-corruption
DAILY HERALD
— Barrington Hills trustee Darby Hills to fill McConchie’s seat representing Illinois’ 26th Senate District
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250214/illinois-state-politics/barrington-hills-trustee-to-fill-mcconchies-seat-representing-illinois-26th-senate-district/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Hills’ background includes experience as an arbitrator, mediator and Cook County assistant state’s attorney, focusing her efforts on child welfare. She also worked as a labor and employment attorney at Jackson Lewis LLP on behalf of corporations. “Darby’s dedication to children and families, along with her experience as a prosecutor and local leader, make her an invaluable addition to our team,” said Senate Republican Leader John Curran of Downers Grove. “She brings a deeply personal perspective to the fight for Illinois’ most vulnerable children — one that will drive real change in Springfield.” As a village trustee, Hills has advocated for keeping taxes low, responsible budgeting, and accountable government. In Springfield, she will work to create a pro-business environment that supports local job creators and strengthens Illinois’ economy, according to the release.)
— Judge orders Democrat on ballot for York Township supervisor (COMMENT: In your precinct, which offices are on the April 1 ballot, who are the candidates, and which ones are Republican?)
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250214/local-politics/judge-orders-democrat-on-ballot-for-york-supervisor/
SHAW LOCAL
— Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters ever-increasingly use Trump’s tariffs to promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley/2025/02/15/we-might-just-have-to-weather-the-storm-how-trump-tariffs-could-affect-the-illinois-valley/
RIVERSIDE BROOKFIELD LANDMARK
— How to vote in Brookfield and Riverside’s local elections. Voters will decide the makeup of local governing agencies, including village, school and library boards. (COMMENT: What is your Republican Precinct Committeeman going to do to help elect Republican candidates on the April 1 ballot in your precinct? I am going to hand-deliver their campaign literature and a marked copy of the sample ballot to the 400 residences in my precinct that have at least one registered Republican or Independent voter. But according to my critics/opponents in the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO), DuPage County Republican Central Committee (DCRCC), and Illinois Republican Party (IRP), that will cause those candidates to lose many votes a) because I am “too conservative” b) because I do not share their hatred against Trump, c) because my demographics are terrible, d) because MTRO, DCRCC, and IRP leaders have taken so many big adverse actions against me, and e) because Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois have taken so may big adverse actions against me.)
https://www.rblandmark.com/2025/02/14/how-to-vote-brookfield-riverside-local-elections/
NPR ILLINOIS
— Anticipate/expect that Democrat and RINO leaders will ever-increasingly say that everything that Trump says and does causes chaos.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-14/trump-firings-cause-chaos-at-agency-responsible-for-americas-nuclear-weapons
— Democrat and RINO employers ever-increasingly use DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-14/trump-has-gone-after-dei-programs-but-dei-consultants-say-demand-was-already-dropping
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Trump administration begins sweeping layoffs with probationary workers, warns of larger cuts to come (COMMENT: My Democrat GAO superiors and supervisors were furious that they could not use probationary employee procedures to get rid of me in 1980 because I had already survived my probationary period when I worked for IRS.)
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/ap-trump-administration-lays-off-probationary-government-workers-warns-others-of-large-cuts-to-come/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WIREPOINTS
— Illinois’ government-anointed electric bus maker is a bigger fiasco than we knew
https://wirepoints.org/illinois-government-anointed-electric-bus-maker-is-a-bigger-fiasco-than-we-knew-wirepoints/
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters ever-increasingly use against Trump a) everything that he says and does, b) everything that he has said and done, and c) his demographics. My critics/opponents ever-increasingly use against me a) my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters since 2000, b) my demographics, and c) what I did as the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks 2005-2021, as the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman 2005-2012, as the Milton Township Republican Organization webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, as a member of the Illinois Republican Party State Convention Platform and Resolutions Committee in 2008, as an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, as the Milton Township coordinator for Pat O’Malley’s Republican gubernatorial primary campaign in 2002, and as the plaintiff in lawsuits that I have filed. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
NEW YORK POST
— Obama, Biden endangered flights by rejecting whites for air-traffic controller jobs
https://nypost.com/2025/02/14/opinion/obama-biden-endangered-flights-by-nixing-whites-as-air-traffic-controllers/
— Hey, Congress: Make government great again — by turning Trump’s reforms into law
https://nypost.com/2025/02/14/opinion/hey-congress-make-government-great-again-by-turning-trumps-reforms-into-law/
AMERICAN WIRE NEWS
— Homan sets DOJ probe of AOC in motion over webinar on how illegals can avoid ICE
https://americanwirenews.com/border-czar-homan-sets-doj-probe-of-aoc-in-motion-over-webinar-on-how-illegals-can-avoid-ice/
BREITBART
— FBI Points Out It Sent ‘Thousands of Agents’ to Help Deport Illegals
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2025/02/14/fbi-points-out-it-sent-thousands-of-agents-to-help-deport-illegals/
DAILY CALLER
— US Army Says It Will ‘No Longer’ Accept Transgender Applicants, Support Sex-Change Procedures
https://dailycaller.com/2025/02/14/us-army-no-longer-accept-transgender-applicants-bans-sex-change-prodcedures/
DAILY SIGNAL
— F-minus: a tale of two cities’ school districts
https://readlion.com/f-minus-a-tale-of-two-cities-school-districts/
DAILY WIRE
— U.S. Army Bans Transgender-Identifying Individuals From Joining, Halting All Trans Medical Procedures. Trump and Hegseth are crushing wokeness in the military.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-army-bans-transgender-identifying-individuals-from-joining-halting-all-trans-medical-procedures
LAW ENFORCEMENT TODAY
— Elon Musk prescribes LIFE IN PRISON for people who conducted transgender operations on minors! “Children cannot consent. That is why there are laws protecting minors. Those who perpetrated this evil should be in prison for life.”
https://lawenforcementtoday.com/email-letters/let-rev-bm-1776pac-2025-02-13
NEWSMAX
— Slavery Reparations Advocates Are Real Racists
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/owens-slavery-reparations/2025/02/14/id/1199188/
WESTERN JOURNAL
— White House’s Valentine’s Day Card for Would-Be Illegal Aliens Goes Viral
https://www.westernjournal.com/white-houses-valentines-day-card-illegal-aliens-goes-viral/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
NBC NEWS
— Latino Republicans walk tightrope between supporting Trump and advocating for ‘law-abiding’ immigrants. Florida Republicans sent letters to Trump officials over deportation worries for some immigrants but did not oppose the policies, “which in Washington is equivalent to a wink and a nod,” one strategist said. (COMMENT: To come into a country illegally and/or to stay in a country illegally demonstrates gross disrespect for the rule of law and for that country. Of course, illegals argue that Democrats and RINOs invited them to come in illegally and to stay illegally.)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/trump-immigrants-republicans-latino-voter-concerns-deportation-rcna192029
CBS NEWS
— Protests at Stonewall National Monument after “LGBTQ” changed to “LGB” on government website
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/stonewall-national-monument-protest-trans-queer-references-removed/
REUTERS & NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY
— Nearly 10,000 fired as Trump, Musk step up assault on US agencies & Deregulation by Firings’: Breaking Down the Cuts to Financial Oversight & Trump, Musk escalate purge as thousands fired across federal workforce (COMMENT: Have you been fired? I was fired as a) a member of the Illinois Republican Party State Convention Platform and Resolutions Committee in 2024, b) the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day Parades and Fireworks in 2021, c) the chairman of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois in 2012, d) a member of the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affair Committee in 2011, e) the webmaster for the Milton Township Republican Organization in 2010 and 2004, f) a member of the Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee in 2007, g) a director of the American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter in 2004, h) a GAO employee in 1997, i) a Firestone Store employee in 1971, and j) a Post Office Employee in 1969. I should write about those who orchestrated the aforesaid firings and why they did that.)
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/thousands-fired-trump-musk-take-ax-us-government-offices-2025-02-14/
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/business/trump-deregulation-firing.html
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/14/trump-musk-purge-thousands-federal-workers-fired/78606349007/
YAHOO NEWS
— Anticipate/expect that Democrat and RINO leaders will ever-increasingly say that voters regret voting for Trump. I should write a book about those unsuccessful Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct since 2000 who blame me and my blame my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters the most for their defeats. I would focus on those candidates who blame what I did as a) the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks 2005-2021, b) the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman 2005-2012, c) the Milton Township Republican Organization webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, and d) an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/maga-farmers-teachers-latest-groups-170840726.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Vance Tells Europeans to Stop Shunning Parties Deemed Extreme (COMMENT I should write about leaders of the following who demonized TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois and Illinois Center Right Coalition as being extreme: Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization. I would focus on the aforesaid who had their operatives and their dupes destroy the aforesaid organizations.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/world/europe/vance-europe-immigration-ukraine.html
— Layoffs Expand at Federal Agencies, Part of Trump Purge. Mass firings have rocked multiple agencies as President Trump and Elon Musk ramp up plans to drastically slash and reshape the federal work force.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/us/politics/energy-department-layoffs.html
— Democrats become government employees and stay government employees to advance the Democrat Party platform, pure and simple.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/nyregion/adams-prosecutor-danielle-sassoon-profile.html
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote mote illegal immigration.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/opinion/immigration-republicans-democrats-crisis.html
— Trump Cracks Down on Diversity Initiatives Celebrated in His First Term
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/us/politics/trump-diversity-education-department.html
— Trump Wields U.S. Power With Unclear Economic Consequences. The president sees the U.S. economy as a powerful lever against other countries but there are risks to that approach.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/us/politics/trump-economy-threats.html
— State Dept. Suspends Plan to Buy Armored Teslas. Vehicles made by Elon Musk’s company were on a purchase list issued before Donald Trump was inaugurated and before Mr. Musk became one of the president’s top advisers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/us/politics/state-dept-armored-teslas.html
WASHINGTON POST
— My critics/opponents despise/hate cars, and especially American nameplate cars, and more especially muscle cars, and even more especially Corvettes. I have owned my 1972 Corvette since I was 23 years old in 1971.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/01/27/debunking-the-myth-of-the-american-love-affair-with-cars/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Corey B. Brooks: Trump’s Colorblind Message Energizes Black Americans. Self-reliance, stable families and education will lift neighborhoods like mine to untold heights.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trumps-colorblind-message-energizes-black-americans-upward-mobility-913b5206
— How Zoning Ruined the Housing Market in Blue-State America (COMMENT: My DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton is extremely diverse in terms of household income and home values.)
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/how-zoning-ruined-the-housing-market-in-blue-state-america-3fa94568
— Trump Somehow Lowers the Temperature in Washington. Democrats still attack him, but they’ve reverted from catastrophizing to ordinary partisan rhetoric. (COMMENT: As I hand-deliver campaign literature and a copy of the sample ballot for the April 1 election to the 400 residences in my precinct that have at least one Republican or one Independent voter, I will assess the progress that Democrats and RINOs are having promoting more hatred against Trump.)
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trump-somehow-lowers-the-temperature-in-washington-political-rhetoric-second-term-bee3c094
— DOGE’s Federal Job Cuts Threaten Republican Districts Too. The workers Elon Musk seeks to cut are everywhere, including in politically red areas. (COMMENT: Democrats run the federal government. To deal with budget cuts, they first get rid of their employees who are Republican, and then their employees who are White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/federal-workers-doge-job-cuts-maps-988416ec
ATLANTIC
— Democrat and RINO leaders falsely claim that government employees cannot be fired for their political views. If had been a Democrat, my Democrat superiors would not have wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997 notwithstanding my being White, male, old, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and my ancestors have been in America since 1844.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/02/employee-firing-first-amendment/681702/
NAACP
— To get more votes from Blacks, anticipate/expect that Democrat leaders will ever-increasingly promote reparations. To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that Republicans cause all the problems that Blacks have, and especially Republicans like me who are conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I should write a book about that. I would focus on the success that my Democrat GAO superiors had turning my Black subordinate against me 1990-1997. They stressed to him that I was all of the aforesaid, and that in addition, I lived in Crete 1948-1972 and in Wheaton since 1978. They stressed to him that his pre-GAO work experience was more directly related to our group’s financial industry audit work than mine was. They dismissed, belittled, and badmouthed a) what I had learned completing 14 graduate courses in financial markets and trading at IIT 1992-1997 and b) my having become a Certified Financial Services Auditor in 1996.
https://naacp.org/articles/naacp-praises-reintroduction-historic-reparations-bill-during-black-history-month
February 12, 2025
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Trump signs executive order to continue downsizing federal workforce (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, Republicans downsized it from more than 6,000 employees to less than 3,000 employees. My Democrat GAO superiors punished me severely for that. They would have gotten rid of me much sooner if I had not a) earned job-related professional certifications in 1997 (forensic accounting), 1996 (financial services auditing), 1994 (government financial management), 1990 (fraud examination), 1981 (internal auditing), and 1979 (accounting); b) earned a job-related professional license in 1981 (CPA); and c) earned job-related master’s degrees in 1997 (financial markets and trading), 1980 (accounting), and 1976 (business).)
https://abc7chicago.com/post/trump-prepares-executive-order-continue-downsizing-federal-workforce/15894367/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: President Donald Trump made a rare appearance with Elon Musk, his most powerful adviser, in the Oval Office on Tuesday before signing an executive order to continue downsizing the federal workforce. The Associated Press reviewed a White House fact sheet on the order, which is intended to advance Musk’s work slashing spending with his Department of Government Efficiency. Musk said there are some good people in the federal bureaucracy but they need to be accountable and called it an “unelected” fourth branch. “The people voted for major government reform and that’s what the people are going to get,” he said. “That’s what democracy is all about.” It was Musk’s first time taking questions from reporters since he joined the Trump administration as a special government employee with sprawling influence over federal agencies. He’s also the world’s richest person and the owner of X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Despite concerns that he’s amassing unaccountable power with little transparency, Musk described himself as an open book. He joked that the scrutiny was like a “daily proctology exam.” The White House fact sheet said that “agencies will undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force and determine which agency components (or agencies themselves) may be eliminated or combined because their functions aren’t required by law.” It also said that agencies should “hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart from federal service.” There are plans for exceptions when it comes to immigration, law enforcement and public safety. Trump and Musk are pushing federal workers to resign in return for financial incentives, although their plan is currently on hold while a judge reviews its legality. The deferred resignation program, commonly described as a buyout, would allow employees to quit and still get paid until Sept. 30. Administration officials said more than 65,000 workers have taken the offer. Hundreds of people gathered for a rally Tuesday across the street from the U.S. Capitol in support of federal workers.)
FOX32
— Krishnamoorth blasts Trump plan to slash federal funding (COMMENT: How dependent on federal funding are those in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?)
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1591558
— Trump admin asks NCAA, high schools to erase records set by transgender athletes (COMMENT: Transgender athletes should only be allowed to compete against other transgender athletes.)
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/trump-ncaa-transgender-sports
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— White House bars AP reporter from Oval Office because of AP style policy on ‘Gulf of America’ (COMMENT: I have been the GOPUSA Illinois Reporter since 2000. I should write about the candidate press conferences and other political events that I have been barred from since 2000 and those who have barred me. Those who have barred me a) have/had lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, b) have/had their operatives and their dupes take big adverse actions against me, and c) destroy those like me who they cannot manipulate or dominate, who refuse to glorify and praise them, who refuse to pander to them, who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, who refuse to coverup their wrongdoing, and/or who refuse to give them money.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/11/ap-reporter-barred-gulf-of-america/
— Democrat and RINO leaders glorify and praise their illegals.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/07/column-social-workers-in-aurora-can-feel-the-anxiety-of-the-immigrant-community-the-level-of-fear-is-heartbreaking/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: Johnson warns of City Hall house-cleaning triggered by disloyalty: ‘If you ain’t with us, you gotta go’ Johnson’s ominous warning before a church audience Monday night has fueled speculation about a high-level political purge as the struggling rookie mayor approaches the midterm mark. (COMMENT: My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty and destroy those like me who they cannot manipulate or dominate, who refuse to glorify and praise them, who refuse to pander to them, who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, who refuse to coverup their wrongdoing, and/or who refuse to give them money.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2025/02/11/mayor-brandon-johnson-warns-staff-shakeup-coming-clean-house-administration-holdovers-lightfoot-guidice
— Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, soon, if not already, everyone in America will be a) handing out welfare and/or b) receiving welfare. Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, fewer and fewer and fewer of those in America are productive members of society.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/2025/02/11/heartland-alliance-health-shuts-down-clinics-food-pantries
DAILY HERALD
— Judge tells agencies to restore webpages and data removed after Trump’s executive order (COMMENT: I should write about a) what was removed from the websites that I have published since 2000 and served as the webmaster for, b) those did the removing, and c) why they did that.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250211/nation-and-world-politics/judge-tells-agencies-to-restore-webpages-and-data-removed-after-trumps-executive-order/
CHAMPAIG/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Pritzker pursues public profile as Trump’s No. 1 political foe
https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/columns/jim-dey-pritzker-pursues-public-profile-as-trumps-no-1-political-foe/article_4b592eca-e572-11ef-89ee-378b71641aa8.html
NPR ILLINOIS
— Trump official targeting Jan. 6 investigators worked on those cases himself (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, a) all my subordinates were some, many, most, if not virtually all of the following and b) I gave them all tremendous preference: Democrat, minority, female, veteran, disabled, problematic, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time. My defense is that I was required to do that by my Democrat GAO superiors and subordinates.)
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-12/trump-official-targeting-jan-6-investigators-worked-on-those-cases-himself
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Republicans for everything that is bad including bad weather.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-12/trump-funding-freeze-could-leave-communities-on-their-own-as-climate-threats-grow
— Republicans split on best path to advance Trump’s agenda in Congress
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-12/republicans-split-on-best-path-to-advance-trumps-agenda-in-congress
WIFR
— Protestors condemn Trump, Musk ‘coup’ in protest at Rep. Darin LaHood’s office
https://www.wifr.com/2025/02/12/protestors-condemn-trump-musk-coup-protest-rep-darin-lahoods-office/
WSIL TV
— Democrats ever-increasingly push pot on children
https://www.wsiltv.com/news/health/marijuana-ads-on-social-media-bypass-laws-and-endanger-children-experts-say/article_e6564b45-1f7d-5cbf-a885-6b503c89c9e0.html
WCIA
— Democrats ever-increasingly promote more abortion. Why are there so many unwanted pregnancies?
https://www.wcia.com/health/ap-health/ap-what-to-know-about-proposals-to-ban-abortion-pills-and-punish-women-who-seek-abortion/
WGLT
— Public schools promote liberal principles. Lutheran schools promote conservative principles. If I had attended Crete Elementary in Crete 1953-1962 instead of Trinity Lutheran Grade School in Crete 1953-1961 and Hope Lutheran Grade School in Park Forest 1961-1962, I doubt that I would have a) gotten an ACT score of 24, b) graduated in the upper 20% of my Crete-Monee High School class, and c) gotten accepted by UIC in 1966. Conservative principles steered me toward personal responsibility and away from vices.)
https://www.wglt.org/illinois/2025-02-11/how-trumps-education-plans-might-affect-illinois-schools
CHICAGO MAGAZINE
— The more demographics that you have that vote for Republicans, the more reparations that Democrats want you to pay.
https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/march-2025/where-does-chicagos-push-for-reparations-stand/
LOYOLA PHOENIX
— Democrats ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Republicans
https://loyolaphoenix.com/2025/02/loyola-hosts-speaker-on-racial-justice-in-honor-of-black-history-month/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Illinois Democrat leaders say that they are finding their voice, that is, that they will ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2025/02/12/illinois-dems-finding-their-voice-00203773
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WIREPOINTS
— If I was in charge of an Illinois DOGE, the first thing I’d look at is the state’s ballooning budgets
https://wirepoints.org/if-i-was-in-charge-of-an-illinois-doge-the-first-thing-id-look-at-is-gov-pritzkers-ballooning-budgets-wirepoints-joins-tom-miller-of-wjpf-carbondale/
— With $36 trillion in debts, along with massive Social Security and Medicare debts, our nation needs to watch its spending
https://wirepoints.org/with-36-trillion-in-debts-along-with-massive-social-security-and-medicaid-debts-our-nation-needs-to-watch-our-spending-wirepoints-on-chicago-tonight/
— Illinois committed temporary covid aid toward long-term spending on Human Services. Now it’s trapped. (COMMENT: I worked for GAO an entire year on an audit of improper spending of federal funds by Illinois.)
https://wirepoints.org/gov-pritzker-committed-temporary-covid-aid-toward-long-term-spending-on-human-services-now-hes-trapped-wirepoints-on-am-560-chicagos-morning-answer/
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Greater Chicago hit hard as Illinois sees 2,342 mass layoffs in January
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/greater-chicago-hit-hard-as-illinois-sees-2342-mass-layoffs-in-january/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
NEW YORK POST
— Trump admin resumes deportation flights to Venezuela, booting illegal migrants, gangbangers back home — with lots to go
https://nypost.com/2025/02/11/us-news/us-resumes-deportation-flights-to-venezuela-booting-illegal-migrants-gangbangers-back-home-with-lots-to-go/
BLAZE
— While other sports bow to wokeism, NASCAR keeps it patriotic
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/while-other-sports-bow-to-wokeism-nascar-keeps-it-patriotic
BREITBART
— Democrats Release ‘Target Map’ of State Legislatures in Effort to Fight ‘MAGA Extremism of Donald Trump’ (COMMENT: Democrats and RINOs call Republicans extremists.)
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/02/11/democrats-release-target-map-of-state-legislatures-in-effort-to-fight-maga-extremism-of-donald-trump/
CHRISTIAN POST
— Wheaton College rebuked for removing post congratulating alum in Trump admin: ‘Caving to the mob’
https://www.christianpost.com/news/wheaton-college-rebuked-for-removing-russ-vought-post.html
CHRISTIANITY TODAY
— Wheaton College Tangled in Online Spat Over Trump Appointee. The college said “unchristian comments” led it to delete a message congratulating alumnus Russell Vought.
https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/02/russell-vought-wheaton-college-x-omb-confirmation/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Here’s Why Obama Created DEI (COMMENT: Democrats and RINOs use DEI to get rid of Republicans.)
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/02/11/enough-people-were-marginalized-obama-created-dei/
— Immigration Industrial Complex Struggling to ‘Keep Their Lights on’ After Trump Decree
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/02/11/immigration-industrial-complex-struggling-keep-lights-trump-order/
— Pentagon Schools Defy Hegseth by Renaming DEI Efforts
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/02/11/no-exceptions-pentagon-schools-defy-hegseth-renaming-dei-effort/
FEDERALIST
— Wheaton College’s Cowardice In The Face Of Russ Vought Attacks Is Emblematic Of Its Leftward Lurch
https://thefederalist.com/2025/02/11/wheatons-cowardice-in-the-face-of-russ-vought-attacks-is-emblematic-of-its-leftward-lurch/
FOX NEWS
— University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) sued after professor alleges he was fired for objecting to race-based hiring policies. Lawsuit filed against University of Illinois Chicago comes as Trump admin cracks down on DEI. (COMMENT: I attended UIC 1966-1968.)
https://www.foxnews.com/media/illinois-university-sued-after-professor-alleges-he-fired-objecting-race-based-hiring-policies
HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— How Trump Is Uprooting Radical ’60s Foundations of Poisonous DEI and CRT Programs (OMMENT: Since the 1960s, Democrats and RINOs have used DEI to get rid of me.)
https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/how-trump-uprooting-radical-60s-foundations-poisonous-dei-and-crt-programs
NEWSMAX
— DEI Divides the Country
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/tommy-tuberville-dei-social-justice/2025/02/11/id/1198704/
TOWNHALL
— Birthright Citizenship Excluded Illegals From Day One
https://townhall.com/columnists/betsymccaughey/2025/02/12/birthright-citizenship-excluded-illegals-from-day-one-n2652055
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Democrat and RINO employers reject meritocracy because meritocracy frustrates their using Affirmative Action and DEI to hire, to retain, and to promote more young minorities and young females.
https://www.aol.com/news/opinion-trump-crony-meritocracy-could-133000383.html
NBC NEWS
— Immigration Industrial Complex Struggling to ‘Keep Their Lights on’ After Trump Decree
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/trump-hits-delete-race-lgbtq-climate-data-rcna191652
CBS NEWS
— Musk defends DOGE as Trump orders agencies to comply with cuts
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-trump-doge-cuts/
MSN
— Bondi Doubles Down on Second Amendment Rights with New ATF Policy
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/bondi-doubles-down-on-second-amendment-rights-with-new-atf-policy/ss-AA1yLNlk
NEW YORK TIMES
— Fearing Trump, Wall Street Sounds a Retreat on Diversity Efforts (COMMENT: Since the 1960s, employers have been under ever-increasing tremendous pressure to hire, hire, retain, and promote young minorities and young females. That killed my job search after my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997. That rendered worthless a) my almost 18 years of experience working for GAO, the last 8 years of which auditing federal financial industry regulators at the GS-13 Step 4-10 Levels, currently $129,588-$153,151/year in today’s dollars, b) my almost 9 years of experience working for IRS, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $99,069-$112,280/year, c) my professional certifications in forensic accounting, financial services auditing, government financial management, internal auditing, and accounting, d) my CPA license, and e) my master’s degrees in financial markets and trading, accounting, and business.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/business/trump-dei-wall-street.html
— Those who have demographics that vote for Democrats despise/hate those who have demographics that vote for Republicans.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/opinion/trump-real-americans-diversity.html
— Accuses F.B.I. Nominee of Covertly Directing Dismissals (COMMENT: My critics/opponents have their operative and their dupes do their dirty work. I should write about my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/us/politics/kash-patel-fbi-durbin.html
TAMPA BAY 10
— Everyone has always known all along that Biden’s parole program was illegal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqxkMh2SSIM
WYPR
— Citing ‘wokeness,’ Trump says he’s firing boards at Naval Academy, other military colleges
https://www.wypr.org/the-baltimore-banner/2025-02-12/citing-wokeness-trump-says-hes-firing-boards-at-naval-academy-other-military-colleges
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Democrats in Disarray as Trump Pushes Through Agenda. After decisive losses in November, party has found little consensus on message or direction.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/democrats-response-trump-agenda-12be960f
EDUCATION WEEK
— What Trump’s Trans Athlete Ban Means for Schools and States (COMMENT: Transgender athletes should only be allowed to compete against other transgender athletes.)
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/what-trumps-trans-athlete-ban-means-for-schools-and-states/2025/02
FED SMITH
— Seeking Government Efficiency Through RIFs, Hiring Restrictions, Employee Suitability Criteria (COMMENT: Democrats run the federal government. They seek efficiency by first getting rid of their employees who are Republican and then getting rid of those who are White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.fedsmith.com/2025/02/12/executive-order-government-efficiency-workforce-optimization/
GOVERNING
— Democrats and RINOs use DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.governing.com/workforce/making-the-case-for-deis-continuing-value
GUARDIAN
— Democrats and RINOs use DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2025/feb/11/how-trump-made-diversity-a-dirty-word-full-story-podcast
February 11, 1025 Evening Edition
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
NEWSWEEK
— Henry Hyde’s Name Stripped From Courthouse Over Anti-Abortion Law
https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-name-removed-courthouse-over-anti-abortion-law-2029685
— Trump Admin to ‘Double’ Manpower in Sanctuary Cities After Court Rulings
https://www.newsweek.com/border-czar-immigration-sanctuary-cities-legal-challenges-2029469
ABC7
— DuPage County lawmakers vote to remove Henry Hyde’s name from courthouse (COMMENT: Those who spoke eloquently in favor keeping the building named after Hyde include Hyde’s son Anthony Hyde, Chris Kachiroubas, Dennis Reboletti, and Gary Vician. Those who wanted to speak but were not allowed to because of Democrat time limits included Ron Almiron, Kevin Coyne, Jeanne Ives, and Randy Ramey. Of course, the five Republican County Board members who were present spoke eloquently in favor keeping the building named after Hyde: Cindy Cronin Cahill, Grant Eckhoff, Brian Krajewski, Sam Tornatore, and James Zay.)
https://abc7chicago.com/post/dupage-county-lawmakers-vote-remove-late-congressman-henry-hydes-name-courthouse/15892352/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: During public comment at Tuesday’s meeting, Congressman Hyde’s son Anthony spoke on his father’s legacy. “My father didn’t do anything to deserve being canceled and that’s what this resolution aims to do,” he said. “It’s an attempt to erase and rewrite history. As elected officials, you have to be better than that.” . . . The resolution to remove Hyde’s name passed by a 10-5 vote.)
— Democrats ever-increasingly push more pot
https://abc7chicago.com/post/cannabis-news-2024-marks-another-record-breaking-year-legal-marijuana-sales-illinois-industry-grows/15894693/
WGN9
— DuPage County Board votes to strip former congressman’s name from courthouse
https://wgntv.com/news/dupage-county/dupage-county-board-votes-to-strip-former-congressmans-name-from-courthouse/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElsnPTH5xAQ
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DuPage County Board votes to strip US Rep. Henry Hyde’s name from courthouse
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/11/dupage-county-board-to-strip-u-s-rep-henry-hydes-name-from-courthouse/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: While Democrats and Republicans voted along party lines on the issue, Democrats Lynn LaPlante and Lucy Chang Evans abstained from the vote and expressed disappointment that the matter was raised. . .The board’s vote followed several personal pleas from friends, family and supporters of Hyde’s asking members to refrain from moving forward with the name change. Anthony Hyde, Hyde’s son who lives in North Aurora, said his father was his hero. “No matter how you vote today, nothing will ever change that,” he said. “The chair and others in this room have stated the reason you want to remove his name from the judicial center is because of his position on abortion and, in particular, the Hyde Amendment. … Believe me when I say I can empathize with your position. “But also understand that my father was more than just a one-note politician. My father was a statesman for this country. He advocated for those in need locally, nationally and globally.” Public comment totaled 30 minutes. The board voted 10-8 against extending the public comment period by another half hour.)
— Crete hardware store workers rescue man who drove onto iced-over pond
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/11/crete-hardware-store-workers-rescue-driver-frozen-pond/
DAILY HERALD
— Henry Hyde’s name will be removed from courthouse in DuPage County
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250211/news/henry-hydes-name-will-be-removed-from-courthouse-in-dupage-county/
— ‘Hell has open borders’: Palatine church causes stir with sign invoking illegal immigration
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250210/news/palatine-church-causes-stir-with-sign-invoking-illegal-immigration/
NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TV
— DuPage County Board votes to remove Henry Hyde’s name from courthouse
https://www.nctv17.org/news/dupage-county-board-votes-to-remove-henry-hydes-name-from-courthouse/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ‘Hell has open borders’: Palatine church causes stir with sign invoking illegal immigration
https://chicago.suntimes.com/suburban-chicago/2025/02/11/palatine-sign-illegal-immigration-new-hope-community-church
— Democrats ever-increasingly push more pot
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2025/02/11/cannabis-sales-2024-marijuana
WBEZ
— Democrats ever-increasingly push more pot
https://www.wbez.org/business/2025/02/11/cannabis-sales-2024-marijuana
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Democrats ever-increasingly push more pot
https://www.wandtv.com/news/city-of-spirngfield-opens-another-round-of-cannabis-grant-applications/article_e5d7ee7a-e8c7-11ef-ac2d-6312328d5ca4.html
STATELINE
— Democrats protest outside LaHood’s Rockford office
https://www.mystateline.com/news/local-news/activists-protest-trump-actions-outside-office-of-rockford-congressman-darin-lahood/
ALTON TELEGRAPH
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly succeed in getting religious leaders to do their bidding.
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/politics/article/alert-more-than-two-dozen-us-religious-groups-20160387.php
FOX ILLINOIS
— IRS enforcement funding on chopping block as GOP weighs spending priorities
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/irs-enforcement-funding-on-chopping-block-as-gop-weighs-spending-priorities-internal-revenue-service-trump-administration-politics
WCIA
— Republicans once railed against armed IRS agents. Now they want them for immigration enforcement
https://www.wcia.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-republicans-once-railed-against-armed-irs-agents-now-they-want-them-for-immigration-enforcement/
WGME
— Democrat leaders crow about their success in manipulating and dominating Wheaton College
https://wgme.com/news/nation-world/illinois-college-deletes-post-congratulating-trump-appointee-cites-significant-concern-wheaton-college-russell-vought-office-of-management-and-budget-white-house
CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Lawsuits with Trump administration stretching Illinois attorney general’s resources. Raoul involved in multiple suits with other states challenging Trump actions
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/lawsuits-with-trump-administration-stretching-illinois-attorney-generals-resources/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/11/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-247/
— Magic phrase returns: ‘Forensic audit’ (COMMENT: I became a Forensic Accountant in 1997.)
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/11/magic-phrase-returns-forensic-audit/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
DUPAGE POLICY JOURNAL
— Safe Suburbs USA on DuPage County vote to strip courthouse of Henry Hyde’s name: ‘Stop trying to replace our history with woke crazy!’
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/669667623-safe-suburbs-usa-on-dupage-county-vote-to-strip-courthouse-of-henry-hyde-s-name-stop-trying-to-replace-our-history-with-woke-crazy
CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— University of Illinois Chicago sued after fired professor criticized hiring programs
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_1e6f41a8-e8b3-11ef-b51c-cb60d52aa87c.html
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Vallas: Illinois’ woes say more about Pritzker, Johnson than Trump
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/vallas-illinois-woes-say-more-about-pritzker-johnson-than-trump/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump’s dream of making Canada a U.S. state would be a political nightmare for Republicans
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/11/donald-trump-dream-making-canada-u-state-would-pol/
— FEMA employees did avoid pro-Trump homes last year
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/11/fema-employees-avoid-pro-donald-trump-homes-last-y/
— Trump administration officials tell senators they need $175B for border, immigration enforcement
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/11/trump-administration-officials-tell-senators-need-/
NEW YORK POST
— Homan accuses FBI of leaking information about ICE raids: ‘Lives at risk’
https://nypost.com/2025/02/11/us-news/tom-homan-accuses-fbi-of-leaking-information-about-ice-raids/
CHRISTIAN POST
— Palatine church branded hateful for ‘Heaven has strict immigration laws’
https://www.christianpost.com/news/church-branded-hateful-for-heaven-has-strict-immigration-laws.html
DAILY SIGNAL
— Not Enough People Were ‘Marginalized,’ So Obama Created DEI (COMMENT: According to Democrat and RINO leaders, those who are the following are marginalized:
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/02/11/enough-people-were-marginalized-obama-created-dei/
DAILY WIRE
— Government To Fund Study On ‘Fear Of Deportation’ Leading To ‘Systemic Inflammation.’ The study hypothesizes that engaging in political activism could reduce ‘systemic inflammation’ in illegal immigrants.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/government-to-fund-study-on-fear-of-deportation-leading-to-systemic-inflammation
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Texas Tech Course Teaches Critical Race Theory Despite State Ban on DEI. “examine how privilege in the workplace impacts the socioeconomic and cultural status of individuals and groups.”
https://legalinsurrection.com/2025/02/texas-tech-course-teaches-critical-race-theory-despite-state-ban-on-dei/
LIFE NEWS
— Democrats Remove Henry Hyde’s Name From Courthouse Because He Was Pro-Life
https://www.lifenews.com/2025/02/11/democrats-remove-henry-hydes-name-from-courthouse-because-he-was-pro-life/
WESTERN JOURNAL
— ‘They Forced Us’: Tom Homan Warns Sanctuary Cities Are About to ‘Get Exactly What They Don’t Want’
https://www.westernjournal.com/forced-us-tom-homan-warns-sanctuary-cities-get-exactly-dont-want/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CNN
— Democrat leaders promote reverse discrimination in America as well as South Africa
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/11/africa/south-africa-land-aid-freeze-trump-intl/index.html
REUTERS
— Democrat leaders promote reverse discrimination in America as well as South Africa
https://www.reuters.com/world/trumps-accusations-against-south-africa-spark-white-privilege-self-mockery-2025-02-11/
NEW YORK TIMES
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/nyregion/trump-nyc.html
LOS ANGELES TIMES
— Democrat leaders crow about their success manipulating and dominating religious leaders
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-02-11/trump-wont-block-immigration-arrests-in-houses-of-worship-now-these-27-religious-groups-are-suing
FORBES
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly succeed in getting religious leaders to do their bidding.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/02/11/everything-to-know-about-trumps-mass-deportation-plans-pope-francis-slams-trumps-treatment-of-migrants/
February 11, 2025
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— DuPage County lawmakers to vote whether to remove Henry Hyde’s name from courthouse
https://abc7chicago.com/post/dupage-county-lawmakers-vote-remove-late-congressman-henry-hydes-name-courthouse/15892352/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The DuPage County GOP Chair Kevin Coyne disagrees with removing Hyde’s name. “Henry Hyde was a titanic political figure in DuPage County for many, many years, He did a lot of wonderful things for our country and for our state over 30 plus years in Congress. He was a bipartisan gentleman, had a lot of support, a lot of friends on the other side of the aisle. He strikes me as the kind of official that we should be looking to model ourselves after.” The DuPage County Board will meet Tuesday at 10 a.m. If the resolution passes, the Hyde family will be given a plaque.)
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Orland Park resolution states police will work with ICE on immigration matters, opposes state law on issue (COMMENT: What positions do the leaders of your county, township, and municipality have on enforcement of immigration laws?)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/10/orland-park-police-immigration/
— US judge keeps Trump plan to push out federal employees on hold (COMMENT: Democrats run the federal government. When federal agencies have to push out their employees, they first push out those who are Republican and then those who are White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. But I nevertheless survived for almost 18 years 1980-1997 as a GAO employee while Republicans ever-increasingly used budget cuts to push out the agency’s employees. The following helped me survive. I earned job-related professional certifications in 1997 (forensic accounting), 1996 (financial services auditing), 1994 (government financial management), 1990 (fraud examination), 1981 (internal auditing), and 1979 (accounting). I earned a job-related professional license in 1981 (CPA). I earned job-related master’s degrees in 1997 (financial markets and trading), 1980 (accounting), and 1976 (business).)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/10/trump-plan-push-out-federal-workers/
— Illinois and 21 other states file lawsuit challenging ‘devastating’ cuts to federal health research funding
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/10/illinois-challengs-research-funding-cuts/
— Judge finds Trump administration hasn’t fully followed his order to unfreeze federal spending (COMMENT: How dependent on federal spending are those in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct? The more financial, health, and other problems that you have, the more dependent that you are on federal spending. Pritzker ever-increasingly a) attracts voters to Illinois who have problems and b) drives voters out of Illinois who do not have problems.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/10/trump-federal-spending/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell became the first judge to find that the administration had not obeyed a court order. Federal money for things like early childhood education, pollution reduction and HIV prevention research has remained tied up even after his Jan. 31 order to blocking a planned halt on federal spending, he found.)
— Chicago has not been immune from air traffic controller shortages in recent years (COMMENT: I worked for GAO on an audit of FAA that involved air traffic controller staffing in the early 1980s.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/11/chicago-air-traffic-controller-shortages/
— Chicago says it hopes to open city-owned market instead of city-owned grocery store
https://www.yahoo.com/news/chicago-says-hopes-open-city-110000368.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Trump’s pardon of Blagojevich insults Illinoisans who are fed up with corruption. And can President Trump find no one with a clean record to represent Americans as ambassadors? Crime pays, it seems, in Trump’s orbit — including the Jan. 6 rioters he pardoned. (COMMENT: What is in your record that your critics/opponents use against you? My critics/opponents stress the adverse actions that they had their operatives and their dupes take against me.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/editorials/2025/02/10/rod-blagojevich-donald-tump-presidential-pardon-corruption-joe-biden-hunter-chicago-illinois
— Trump says Palestinians won’t have right to return to Gaza under his US ‘ownership’ plan
https://chicago.suntimes.com/war-in-gaza/2025/02/10/trump-gaza-develop-plan-palestinians-no-right-to-return-united-states-us-ownership
DAILY HERALD
— Democrats ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250210/news/illinois-had-record-2-billion-in-legal-marijuana-sales-in-2024/
— FRONT PAGE: Illinois politicians react to Blagojevich pardon
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250210/nation-and-world-politics/it-sets-a-real-bad-example-illinois-politicians-react-to-blagojevich-pardon/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Illinois Republican Party state central committee member Aaron Del Mar of Palatine didn’t object to Trump ending Blagojevich’s prison sentence early with a commutation five years ago but drew the line at wiping the disgraced politician’s slate clean with a pardon. “I think it sets a real bad example, especially since the jury is still out on the former speaker of the House,” Del Mar said, referring to Michael Madigan’s federal corruption trial. “It says that only certain people are going to be held accountable.” . . . “The former governor has served his time, and it’s time to move on,” said Zay, a former chair of the DuPage County Republican Party. While Zay thinks Blagojevich has worn out his welcome with Illinois voters, he said an ambassadorship “would be interesting.”)
WGN9
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more abortion. Why are there so many unwanted pregnancies?
https://wgnradio.com/health/ap-what-to-know-about-proposals-to-ban-abortion-pills-and-punish-women-who-seek-abortion/
FOX32
— Illinois leaders slam Trump’s decision to pardon Blagojevich
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/blago-reaction-illinois-leaders
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran: “I strongly disagree with President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Illinois taxpayers have and continue to be burdened with the cost of public corruption, and this pardon sends the wrong message.”)
WTTW
— How Trump’s Plan to Shrink the Federal Workforce Could Impact Illinois (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, Republicans shrank GAO’s work force in Illinois dramatically. My Democrat GAO superiors punished me severely for that.)
https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/10/how-trump-s-plan-shrink-federal-workforce-could-impact-illinois
WGN RADIO
— Democrats say that “With firings and lax enforcement, Trump moving to dismantle government’s public integrity guardrails.”
https://wgnradio.com/news/political-news/ap-with-firings-and-lax-enforcement-trump-moving-to-dismantle-governments-public-integrity-guardrails/
— Judge orders fired head of whistleblower agency reinstated while fight continues over Trump removal (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, I ever-increasingly blew the whistle on their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination. They ever-increasingly punished me for that. My critics/opponents side with the Democrats. They promote political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.)
https://wgnradio.com/news/political-news/ap-head-of-agency-that-protects-whistleblowers-sues-trump-over-firing/
— Democrats say “News influencers favored Trump over Harris during campaign.” Since 2000, my critics/opponents have demonized me, denigrated me, and condemned as being a failed and far too-conservative would-be news influencer. Since 2000, they have blamed me and blamed my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters for all the general election losses that Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct have suffered. According to my critics/opponents, those candidates lost general elections because voters want Democrat-Lite candidates and I paint candidates as being far more conservative than they want to be painted.)
https://wgnradio.com/news/technology-news/ap-news-influencers-favored-trump-over-harris-during-campaign-study-finds/
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://wgnradio.com/news/national/ap-migrants-stranded-in-mexico-try-to-restart-life-after-trump-eliminates-legal-pathway-to-us/
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more abortion. Why are there so many unwanted pregnancies?
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/health-news/ap-what-to-know-about-proposals-to-ban-abortion-pills-and-punish-women-who-seek-abortion/
WIFR
— Trump’s Blagojevich pardon earns bipartisan disappointment from Illinois lawmakers
https://www.wifr.com/2025/02/11/trumps-blagojevich-pardon-earns-bipartisan-disappointment-illinois-lawmakers/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “This is a decision I would not have come to, so it is something I would disagree with President Trump on,” argues Syverson. The Republican hopes Trump sees an improved Blagojevich; he worries the official forgiveness sends the wrong message. “Maybe he’s learned his ways, but he was guilty of what he did and there should be consequences for that,” comments Syverson. . .Syverson says he trusts Trump’s judgment with any further decision. “Hopefully, he [Blagojevich] will use this, and his history has been a learning lesson and that he’ll be able to make good,” exclaims the state senator. Before signing the official forgiveness, Trump characterized Blagojevich’s treatment as a “terrible injustice.” The President declared it time the former governor had a “normal life.”)
NPR ILLINOIS
— Democrat leaders use against Trump those who Trump pardoned
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-10/presidents-pardons-of-insurrectionists-stoke-worries-in-springfields-jewish-community
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/11/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-454/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WIREPOINTS
— One big example of why Illinois badly needs a DOGE of its own
https://wirepoints.org/one-big-example-of-why-illinois-badly-needs-a-doge-of-its-own-wirepoints/
JEFF BERKOWITZ
— IL GOP House Leader Tony McCombie joins Trump’s fight w/criminal aliens
https://jeffberkowitz208.substack.com/p/il-gop-house-leader-tony-mccombie
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Illinois lawmakers plan to short pensions by $5.1B in July
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-lawmakers-plan-to-short-pensions-by-5-1b-in-july/
— Unfunded mandates keep property taxes high
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/unfunded-mandates-keep-property-taxes-high/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Google axes DEI, progressive-backed markers from its calendar
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/10/google-calendar-axes-dei-labels-black-history-mont/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Trump adopts Biden’s legal playbook to challenge sanctuary cities
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/3315568/trump-adopts-biden-legal-playbook-challenge-sanctuary-cities/
NEW YORK POST
— Trump’s all-out assault on woke is tearing down the left’s cultural sway
https://nypost.com/2025/02/10/opinion/trumps-war-on-woke-is-tearing-down-the-lefts-cultural-sway/
— Anti-woke activist targets Jamie Dimon’s JPMorgan for DEI battle
https://nypost.com/2025/02/10/us-news/anti-woke-activist-targets-jamie-dimons-jpmorgan-for-dei-battle/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Trump is just the tip of the iceberg
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/02/trump_is_just_the_tip_of_the_iceberg.html
BREITBART
— Democrats Help Illegal Migrants Avoid Legal Repatriation
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2025/02/10/democrats-help-illegal-migrants-avoid-legal-repatriation/
— On Monday, White County Resident Circuit Judge T. Scott Webb ruled against a requirement that Illinois residents must obtain a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card in order to possess a gun in the home for self-defense.
https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2025/02/10/circuit-court-judge-strikes-down-illinois-foid-card-requirement-guns-home/
COLLEGE FIX
— Trump fires ‘woke’ advisory board leaders at military academies
https://www.thecollegefix.com/trump-fires-woke-advisory-board-leaders-at-military-academies/
DAILY WIRE
— Trump Wasn’t Joking: Some IRS Workers To Help With Deportation. Trump said last month that he might send IRS workers “to the border.” (COMMENT: While I worked for IRS in 1971, I was assigned for 2 weeks to Nixon project to fight inflation.)
https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-wasnt-joking-some-irs-workers-to-help-with-deportation-report-says
FEDERALIST
— Naval Academy Launches Review Of School Clubs To Ensure Compliance With Trump’s DEI Prohibition
https://thefederalist.com/2025/02/10/naval-academy-launches-review-of-school-clubs-to-ensure-compliance-with-trumps-dei-prohibition/
FOX NEWS
— Pritzker has a long history of not following the law
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8cksnIscE0
— Trump’s Department of Homeland Security looking to deputize IRS agents for immigration enforcement. DHS Secretary Noem requests IRS agents be provided to help ICE. (COMMENT: Fox 3 years, I worked for GAO on audits of IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division at the GS-13 Step 1-3 Levels, currently $117,807-$125,661/year.)
https://www.foxnews.com/us/trumps-dhs-deputize-irs-agents-immigration-enforcement
— Trump pardons former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich: ‘He was set up’
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6368623514112
LAW ENFORCEMENT TODAY
— NYC teachers’ union defies Trump, coaches teachers to advise illegals how to handle ICE
https://lawenforcementtoday.com/nyc-teachers-union-defies-trump-administration-coaches-teachers-to-advise-illegals-how-to-handle-ice
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— CBS News Poll Shows Overwhelming Positive Approval of Trump
https://legalinsurrection.com/2025/02/cbs-news-poll-shows-overwhelming-positive-approval-of-trump/
POINTS & FIGURES
— Secession Is a Good Idea
https://jeffreycarter.substack.com/p/secession-is-a-good-idea
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC NEWS
— FEMA halts migrant housing funds in NY after Musk’s criticism
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/fema-halting-payments-migrant-housing-new-york-after-118670265
CBS NEWS
— Blagojevich expresses gratitude for pardon by President Trump
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/former-gov-rod-blagojevich-expresses-gratitude-for-pardon-by-president-trump/
MSNBC
— The closer one looks at Trump’s Blagojevich pardon, the worse it appears. The message to politicians convicted or accused of corruption couldn’t be clearer: You have a friend in the Oval Office.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/closer-one-looks-trumps-blagojevich-pardon-worse-appears-rcna191638
NEW YORK TIMES
— Trump’s Blueprint for Bending the Media Has Nixon Written All Over It (COMMENT: My critics/opponents destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate or dominate, b) who refuse to glorify and praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, d) who refuse to coverup their wrongdoing, and/or e) who refuse to give them money. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on those who have lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois and who have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/09/business/media/trump-nixon-media-press.html
— Democrat and RINO employers use DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/10/business/trump-dei-employers.html
— White House Undermines Watchdog for Consumers (COMMENT: My critics/opponents are a) pro-seller and b) anti-buyer.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/09/business/vought-cfpb-musk-trump.html
— DOGE Is Corrosive to Our Democracy (COMMENT: If Gingrich had reformed GAO instead of gutting it, there would be no need for DOGE.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/10/opinion/treasure-secretaries-doge-musk.html
WASHINGTON POST
— Trump pardons Rod Blagojevich, who tried to sell Obama’s vacated Senate seat. The former Illinois governor was convicted on multiple charges of corruption in 2011. He served eight years in prison before Trump commuted his sentence in 2020.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/02/10/trump-pardon-rod-blagojevich-illinois-governor/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Democrats and RINOs stand up for Democrats and for RINOs.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/democrats-stand-up-for-the-bureaucrats-protest-dodge-government-policy-d9b18071
MARKETPLACE
— Trump’s purge of federal workers and its historical parallels (COMMENT: The Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997 gave purge lists to all of their new managers of their Chicago office. Of course, I was at the top of all of those lists because I am conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and my ancestors had been in America since 1844.)
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/make-me-smart/trumps-purge-of-federal-workers-and-its-historical-parallels/
POLITICO
— Trump is slashing agencies long hated by the GOP. The next cuts might be harder. “You gotta light things on fire that burn the brightest and have the most distinctive smell of waste fraud and abuse,” said one White House ally. (COMMENT: One reason why I took a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO was to escape hatred against IRS employees.)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/11/trump-musk-vought-future-cut-targets-00203444
— ‘JD gets the game’: Vance embraces role as social media provocateur. Vance’s approach to social media isn’t new. But his perch in the presidential line of succession is.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/10/jd-vance-donald-trump-online-trolling-00203429
February 10, 2025 Evening Edition
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Why Henry Hyde’s name should stay on the DuPage County courthouse. The GOP powerhouse stood for far more than his famous eponymous abortion amendment.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/10/editorial-henry-hyde-dupage-county-courthouse/
(FROM THE EDITORIAL: History often is complex and resistant to simple narratives. So are people. So it is a needlessly divisive mistake for DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy to push for her fellow board members to remove the name of the late Henry J. Hyde, longtime Republican congressman, from the county courthouse. The board is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the issue. Hyde represented DuPage, which until recent years was a Republican power center, in Washington for more than three decades, retiring in 2007. During that time, Hyde wasn’t some low-profile lifer in Congress. He was one of the House’s most prominent members, even when he was serving in the minority, which is to say most of his career there. Conroy’s rationale for removing Hyde’s name from the court building is that the staunchly anti-abortion politician was responsible for the Hyde Amendment, the provision in federal law that for decades barred spending federal taxpayer money on abortions with exceptions for rape, incest or endangerment to the life of the mother. “It’s strictly because of the Hyde Amendment, and it’s very difficult for so many women to walk into the courthouse and see (his name),” she told the Tribune. Abortion rights is an issue that only has grown more intense since Hyde died 10 months after his retirement. We understand the symbolic argument. But to strip his name from the building would be akin to removing Richard J. Daley’s name from the courthouse in the heart of the Loop over a single issue — say, the police beating of protesters at the 1968 Democratic convention on his orders, the culture of corruption that the Daley machine fostered or his brutal segregationist policies. Even many ardent Daley critics wouldn’t suggest doing so. Why is that? Because Daley is a singularly important figure in the history of Chicago and to rename the Daley Center or Daley Plaza would be to try to negate that history. Like Daley, Hyde was a complicated figure and far more than the name adorning a famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) piece of legislation. Memories are short, of course, but for most of his career Hyde was an intellectual heavyweight on the Republican side of the aisle. Agree or disagree, but when Hyde took the floor to speak, people listened. And for good reason. He was a thoughtful conservative. Consider this: Hyde stepped down in 1981 from the advisory board of the National Pro-Life Political Action Committee after Executive Director Peter Gemma Jr. identified incumbent lawmakers the group planned to work to defeat. Hyde objected to targeting officeholders over a single issue. Much the way the DuPage board is considering doing Tuesday. Would the Democratic majority on the DuPage board consider themselves in favor of reasonable gun regulation? If so, against the consensus of his party, Hyde in 1994 voted for President Bill Clinton’s ban on assault weapons, demonstrating that he could be persuaded to change his mind on a monumental issue of the day. Just three years earlier, he had voted against the same ban. Hyde reversed himself after reading detailed accounts of gun victims in Chicago, provided by Democratic Sen. Paul Simon of Illinois. “At the end of reading this list of bloody crimes, I had to conclude these guns have no purpose but to kill a lot of people very rapidly,” Hyde said. “It wasn’t like falling off a horse on the road to Damascus. But like many things complicated and emotional, you don’t dwell on them unless forced to.” Hyde’s change of heart induced Illinois Rep. Bob Michel, then GOP minority leader, and dozens more Republicans to vote for the ban. Such political courage is almost impossible to imagine on today’s Capitol Hill. Of course, four years later Hyde led Clinton’s impeachment proceedings on behalf of the House before the Senate, leading critics to disclose Hyde’s yearslong extramarital affair decades earlier and accusing him of hypocrisy. Hyde admitted to cheating on his wife but claimed Clinton’s alleged wrongdoing was about Clinton’s cover-up attempts rather than his actual affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The public didn’t buy it, and Hyde paid a reputational price in the process. All of this is to say that Henry Hyde was complicated. Just like most people. But what is indisputable is that he was one of the most important political figures to emerge from DuPage County. Ever. His name should stay on that courthouse.)
ABC7
— DuPage County Democrats push to rename courthouse over late Congressman’s abortion views
https://abc7chicago.com/post/local-democrats-push-rename-dupage-county-courthouse-late-congressman-henry-hydes-abortion-views/15890259/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “He had a lot of support, a lot of friends on the other side of the aisle. He strikes me as a kind of official that we should be looking to model ourselves after, not disrespect,” said DuPage County GOP Chair Kevin Coyne. While he was bipartisan on certain issues such as gun control and the Family and Medical Leave Act, Hyde was one of Congress’ biggest opponents of abortion. He authored the Hyde Amendment, which denied abortion access to poor women on Medicaid. . .The board will vote on the resolution to remove Hyde’s name on Tuesday. With a Democratic majority, Conroy says, the proposal will pass. “To cherry-pick this one issue and hold it against a man that was such a big part of our history, to me, is just wrong. It’s short sighted,” Coyne said. Coyne says the decision to remove Hyde’s name may ruin the bipartisanship Conroy says she has proudly created while serving as chair.)
— President Trump pardons ex-Illinois Gov. Blagojevich 5 years after commuting his sentence
https://abc7chicago.com/post/president-donald-trump-expected-pardon-ex-illinois-gov-rod-blagojevich-5-years-commuting-sentence-reports/15889540/
FOX32
— ICE operations intensify across U.S. sanctuary cities
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1591008
DAILY HERALD
— Residents protest proposed cuts to Medicaid at DuPage County rally
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250210/news/residents-protest-proposed-cuts-to-medicaid-at-dupage-county-rally/
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Blagojevich pardoned on corruption conviction by Trump
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/trump-pardons-rod-blagojevich-corruption-conviction
CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Del Mar teases run for ‘higher office,’ sparking 2026 Illinois governor speculation
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_69d594d6-e7c2-11ef-b535-b39343671dce.html
CITIES 92.9
— Illinois circuit judge finds FOID for firearms in home unconstitutional (COMMENT: I have had a FOID card since I was 20 years old in 1968.)
https://www.cities929.com/2025/02/10/illinois-circuit-judge-finds-foid-for-firearms-in-home-unconstitutional/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/10/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-246/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
ILLINOIS STATE RIFLE ASSOCIATION
— FOID Card Found to be Unconstitutional Yet Again
https://isra.org/foid-card-found-to-be-unconstitutional-yet-again/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
NEW YORK POST
— Migrants turning around and heading back home in ‘new trend’ under Trump border crackdown
https://nypost.com/2025/02/10/us-news/new-trend-of-migrants-turning-around-and-heading-back-toward-home-under-trump-border-crackdown/
DAILY SIGNAL
— ‘BETRAYAL’: Lawmaker Responds to FEMA Diverting $59M to House Illegal Aliens
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/02/10/fema-using-59-million-house-illegal-aliens-is-betrayal-highest-order-congressman-says/
DAILY WIRE
— Musk Says FEMA Spent $60M Housing Illegal Immigrants In ‘Luxury Hotels’ Last Week. The payments were suspended by acting FEMA Director Cameron Hamilton after Musk’s announcement.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/musks-says-fema-spent-60m-housing-illegal-immigrants-in-luxury-hotels-last-week
— 27% Of National Science Foundation Grants Went To DEI Projects, Study Finds. ‘Congress must end the politicization of NSF funding and restore integrity to scientific research,’ Sen. Ted Cruz says.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/27-of-national-science-foundation-grants-went-to-dei-projects-study-finds
EPOCH TIMES
— Musk Says FEMA Spent $59 Million on Housing Illegal Immigrants in NYC Hotels. ‘This stops now,’ said acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton, announcing that all such payments from FEMA were suspended on Feb. 9.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/musk-says-fema-spent-59-million-on-housing-illegal-immigrants-in-nyc-hotels-5807322
FOX NEWS
— Trump expected to pardon former Illinois Gov Rod Blagojevich. Trump previously commuted Blagojevich’s sentence in 2020.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-expected-pardon-former-illinois-gov-rod-blagojevich
MRC TV
— Illegal Alien Crossings Have Plummeted 90% Under Trump
https://www.mrctv.org/blog/brittany-m-hughes/border-agent-illegal-alien-crossings-have-plummeted-90-under-trump
TOWNHALL
— Trump Ramps Up Purge of ‘Woke’ Ideology in the Military
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/jeff-charles/2025/02/10/trump-liquidates-woke-board-of-visitors-for-military-branches-n2651967
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Trump says ‘too early’ to name Vance as successor
https://www.aol.com/trump-says-too-early-name-215711428.html
CNN
— Trump imposes 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/10/politics/tariffs-steel-aluminum-trump/index.html
CBS NEWS
— Increasing numbers of Democrats want their party to oppose Trump
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democrats-want-party-oppose-trump-poll-analysis/
— Trump ousts director of Office of Government Ethics
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-office-of-government-ethics-director/
WEEK
— DeSantis signs agreement with ICE to have Florida state troopers detain illegal immigrants
https://www.25newsnow.com/2025/02/10/desantis-signs-agreement-with-ice-have-florida-state-troopers-detain-illegal-immigrants/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— DHS Seeks to Deputize IRS Officers to Help With Deportation Effort. Tax-collecting agency has thousands of special agents in its criminal-investigation division. (COMMENT: I worked for GAO on audits of IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division at the GS-13 Step 1-3 Levels, currently $117,807-$125,661/year, for 3 years.)
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-irs-officers-ice-deportations-ed87c4b5
AUTO GUIDE
— Why Is General Motors Getting Rid Of Key Corvette Personnel?
https://www.autoguide.com/auto/manufacturers/chevrolet/why-is-general-motors-getting-rid-of-key-corvette-personnel-44616109