January 12, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

FOX32
— Vigils and protests against ICE held across Chicago and Chicagoland
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/vigils-protests-against-ice-held-across-chicago-chicagoland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBaHEJNT7PM
— Chicago demonstrators rally in solidarity with Iranian protesters. DD: What did your ancestors do after they immigrated? On my father’s side, my ancestors worked in brick factory in Chicago and then homesteaded a farm in Crete Township. On my mother’s side, they sharecropped a farm in Grant Park along the Indiana border.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-demonstrators-rally-solidarity-iranian-protesters

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Doctors: The Illinois windfall from legal marijuana has come at a price. DD: Pot is poison. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/opinion-illinois-legal-marijuana-health-dangers/
— FRONT PAGE: Documenting the immigration crackdown, from Chicago to Minneapolis
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/documenting-the-immigration-crackdown-from-chicago-to-minneapolis/

DAILY HERALD
— COD offers discounted college courses for high school seniors. DD: What did you do while you were a senior in high school? Instead of studying, I spent 28 hours a week washing dishes for the minimum wage to earn money for UIC expenses and for a new car to get to/from classes there and my parent’s home in Crete. Nevertheless, I got an ACT score of 24 and I graduated in the upper 20% of my Crete-Monee High School class of 1966.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260111/submitted-content/cod-offers-discounted-college-courses-for-high-school-seniors/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly push more pot. Pot is poison. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/elevate/cannabis-equity-illinois-still-dream-many
— Diana Rauner stepping down from helm of education nonprofit Start Early
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/nonprofits-philanthropy/diana-rauner-stepping-down-president-start-early

ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
— ICE shootings prompt hundreds to protest in Rockford. Hundreds of Rockford-area residents gather in solidarity and protest after a fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis.
https://www.rrstar.com/videos/news/2026/01/11/rockford-area-residents-protest-ice-shooting-death/88133591007/
https://www.rrstar.com/videos/news/2026/01/11/ice-shootings-prompt-hundreds-to-protest-in-rockford/88135402007/
https://www.rrstar.com/story/news/local/2026/01/11/incensed-by-ice-shootings-hundreds-of-rockford-area-residents-gather/88101594007/
https://www.rrstar.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2026/01/11/hundreds-protest-in-downtown-rockford-after-ice-shootings-photos/88135188007/

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Erika Harold, the executive director for the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism and 2003 Miss America, will be the guest speaker for the 51st Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast on Jan. 19.
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/local/2026/01/12/the-2003-miss-america-will-keynote-the-martin-luther-king-jr-breakfast/87961675007/

NPR ILLINOIS
— The ICE agent involved in the deadly Minnesota shooting has central Illinois ties
https://www.nprillinois.org/news/2026-01-12/the-ice-agent-involved-in-the-deadly-minnesota-shooting-has-central-illinois-ties-first-listen

WAND
— A protest was held in Moline for the death of Renee Nicole Good, debating ICE agents’ actions. Protesters in Moline rallied over the death of Renee Nicole Good, citing fear and morality as the national debate continues over an ICE agent’s actions.
https://www.wqad.com/article/news/politics/protest-held-moline-death-renee-nicole-good-debating-ice-agents-actions/526-124c11b8-cff0-445e-be99-f7de5a9376c4

WQAD
— Hundreds protest against ICE in Moline for the death of Renee Good
https://www.wqad.com/video/news/local/hundreds-protest-against-ice-in-moline-for-the-death-of-renee-good/526-07dd18db-a617-49d6-830a-fcbc45301053

EVANSTON NOW
— Anti-ICE protest draws hundreds
https://evanstonnow.com/anti-ice-protest-draws-hundreds/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Republican candidate Ted Dabrowski is out with a digital ad on social media featuring the father of Katie Abraham, a college student killed in a drunk driving hit-and-run crash caused by an undocumented immigrant in Urbana. The father blames Gov. JB Pritzker. . .Paula Deacon Garcia, a DuPage County Board member, has been endorsed by DuPage County Chair Deb Conroy in her bid for county clerk. In a statement, Conroy cited Deacon Garcia’s record of “transparency and accountability.” Deacon Garcia is challenging incumbent County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek in the March 17 Democratic primary.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/01/12/bear-down-reality-roars-back-00721818

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— How successful will Democrat leaders be organizing Renee Good/George Floyd protests in your county, township, and municipality? Democrat leaders ever-increasingly turn Renee Good into George Floyd. Democrat leaders ever-increasingly make it clear that they will never stop bringing illegals into America and fighting to keep them in America. Democrat leaders have declared a Second Civil War against Republicans. Illegals are soldiers in the Democrat Army. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative. I promote conservative principles with my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters, that is, I promote the Republican Party platform with my newsletters. Far too many Republican leaders reject far too many conservative principles and planks in the Republican Party platform. Everyone in Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, Wheaton, and my precinct sees how the leaders of the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization treat me and treat my newsletters. I should write about the aforesaid leaders, the conservative principles and planks that they reject, and the many big adverse actions that they have taken against me since 2000. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What do you do? I put GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters together and send them out. What motivates you to do what you do? I am ever-increasingly motivated by the ever-increasing success that Democrat leaders are having destroying America, Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton. I am ever-increasingly motivated by the ever-increasing failure/refusal of RINO leaders to fight back against the Democrats. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— DD: A Dabrowski critic says “Dabrowski Pivoting From Property Taxes to Crime After Poll Shows Him Trailing by 26 Points.”
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/01/ted-dabrowski-pivoting-from-property-taxes-to-crime-after-poll-shows-him-trailing-by-26-points.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Border czar Tom Homan accuses Democrats of fueling chaos as ICE shooting fallout grows
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/11/tom-homan-white-house-border-czar-accuses-democrats-fueling-chaos-ice/

NEW YORK POST
— Bronx building Mamdani used to showcase new housing commish’s talents has 200 violations — after favored nonprofit ran it into the ground
https://nypost.com/2026/01/11/us-news/bronx-building-mamdani-highlighted-to-showcase-nycs-new-housing-commissioners-talents-has-nearly-200-violations/
— Black New York homeowners blast Mamdani’s radical tenant advocate Cea Weaver. DD: Have you been a landlord? I was a reluctant landlord  1976-1984 because I could not sell my University Park townhome ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ) unless I took a big loss.
https://nypost.com/2026/01/11/us-news/black-new-york-homeowners-blast-mamdanis-radical-tenant-advocate-cea-weaver-white-supremacy-im-not-white/
— Aging NY judges challenge ancient state law that would force them to retire at 76. DD: How old are you? I am 77. I have been fighting age discrimination since I was 25 in 1973. My Democrat IRS superiors used “up-or-out” to waste my career and get rid of me. According to them, if they had not promoted me to GS-13 by the time I was 25, I was forever too old to be promoted to GS-13. Of course, they applied that rule only to Republicans like me. They forced the IRS manager to transfer to Dallas who had promoted me to GS-9 in 1972, GS-11 in 1973, and GS-12 in 1974. They disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974 and my education deductions in 1978. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning an MBA in 1976 and my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. Because of the aforesaid, I transferred to GAO in 1980. The Democrats who ran GAO finally promoted me to GS-13 when I was 38 in 1986. But that was not until after I had earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, I had passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, and I had become a licensed CPA in 1981. I never would have made GS-13 at GAO if the GAO manager who had arranged my transfer not gotten back into power in 1985. They forced him to retire in 1987.
https://www.aol.com/articles/aging-ny-judges-challenge-ancient-232601282.html

AMERICAN THINKER
— Federal Law is Supreme on Immigration. The states are trying to legislate immigration law.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/01/federal_law_is_supreme_on_immigration.html

COLLEGE FIX
— Indiana University professor back to class after complaint about linking MAGA to ‘white supremacy.’ DD: To get more votes from minorities and from females, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame White male Republicans for the problems that minorities and females have.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/indiana-u-professor-back-to-class-after-complaint-about-linking-maga-to-white-supremacy/

DAILY CALLER
— Harvard Hires Drag Queen ‘LaWhore Vagistan’ As Visiting Prof For Class About ‘Sexual Dissidents’
https://www.aol.com/news/harvard-hires-drag-queen-lawhore-194557216.html

DAILY SIGNAL
— Leftist Group Dodges Accountability for ‘Hate Group’ Accusation After Judge Blocks Discovery. DD: My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that the Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) and TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois were hate groups that caused Republicans to lose elections. I was an ICRC officer 2003-2007 and the TAPROOT chairman 2005-2012. My critics/opponents had their operatives and their dupes destroy ICRC in 2007 and TAPROOT in 2012. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/01/10/splc-leftist-group-dodges-accountability-hate-group-accusation-after-judge-blocks-discovery/

ICE
— National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. DD: As an IRS Revenue Officer 1971-1980, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, I enforced IRS tax laws.
https://www.ice.gov/national-law-enforcement-appreciation-day

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Noem defends ‘domestic terrorism’ assessment in Minneapolis ICE shooting
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5683488-noem-defends-ice-shooting/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly defend/promote Maduro
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5682340-trump-administration-maduro-venezuela-un-charter/

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— George Floyd and Renee Good: 5 years between Minneapolis videos, and confusion has increased
https://apnews.com/article/video-minneapolis-immigration-good-ice-george-floyd-9dc5b1f19af644f861963f0a041516f4
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly defend/promote Maduro
https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-migrants-maduro-ouster-tps-deportation-2b00b6057435fafe1828a06bd1e7a14c

CNN
— Hundreds of immigration officers headed to Minneapolis as tensions flare amid protests
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/12/us/minneapolis-immigration-officers-mobilizing-protests

REUTERS
— DHS to send more officers to Minnesota after ICE shooting protests
https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/idRW596512012026RP1/
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/homeland-security-send-hundreds-more-officers-minnesota-noem-says-2026-01-11/
— With Venezuela raid, US tells China to keep away from the Americas
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/with-venezuela-raid-us-tells-china-keep-away-americas-2026-01-11/

MSN
— NYC mayoral aide who says whites owning homes is racist sobs when asked about mom’s $1.4m home
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nyc-mayoral-aide-who-says-whites-owning-homes-is-racist-sobs-when-asked-about-mom-s-1-4m-home/ar-AA1TKzVO

NEWSWEEK
— Noem Signals Federal Surge in Minnesota
https://www.newsweek.com/kristi-noem-signals-federal-surge-minnesota-11342319

CBS NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly turn Renee Good into George Floyd.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/protests-continue-in-minneapolis-amid-ice-operations/
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/live-updates/minneapolis-renee-good-ice-shooting-minnesota-bca-investigation/
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/colorado/news/rally-colorado-ice-facility-centennial-renee-good-shooting/
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/anti-ice-protest-takes-place-over-a-dallas-highway/

NBC MARYLAND
— Bill could bar some ICE agents, officers from MD state law enforcement jobs. DD: In 1997, when I was 49 years old, when my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire, Republicans ran Illinois. Even though I was highly qualified for many state jobs, they had no use for me. I had worked for GAO as an Analyst for almost 18 years, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year. I had worked for IRS as a Revenue Officer for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year. I was a licensed CPA. I was a certified public accountant, internal auditor, fraud examiner, government financial manager, financial services auditor, and forensic accountant. I had master’s degrees in business, accounting, and finance. Since 1997, my critics/opponents have stressed that the Republicans who ran Illinois had no use for me.
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/bill-could-bar-some-ice-agents-officers-from-md-state-law-enforcement-jobs/4040702/

CBS NEWS LOS ANGELES
— “ICE Out for Good” protest hits streets of Hollywood
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/video/ice-out-for-good-protest-hits-streets-of-hollywood/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Noem Says ‘Hundreds More’ Agents Will Be Sent to Minnesota Over ‘Corruption’
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/11/us/trump-news
— Agents in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Have Fired at Vehicles at Least 10 Times. The confrontations over the last four months have left two people dead and prompted criticism of federal agencies for allowing officers to open fire on moving vehicles.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/us/immigration-agents-shooting-vehicles.html
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Somalians.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/us/somalis-fled-civil-war-and-built-a-community-now-they-are-a-target.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Hundreds in D.C. protest at ICE headquarters over Minneapolis killing. Protesters filled Independence Avenue in downtown D.C. Sunday chanting, “ICE kills moms” and calling masked U.S. Immigration and Enforcement agents “cowards.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/01/11/dc-ice-protest-renee-good/
— More federal officers headed to Minnesota; officials point fingers over ICE shooting. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem remained adamant that Renée Good was responsible for her own death, as Democrats insisted that on a full investigation before drawing conclusions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/11/rene-good-ice-shooting-investigation/

USA TODAY
— Don’t call me a Republican. I’m a conservative. DD: Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative. I promote conservative principles with my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters, that is, I promote the Republican Party platform with my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters. Far too many Republican leaders reject far too many conservative principles and planks in the Republican Party platform. Everyone in Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, Wheaton, and my precinct sees how the leaders of the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization treat me and treat my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters. I should write about the aforesaid leaders, the conservative principles and planks that they reject, and the many big adverse actions that they have taken against me since 2000.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/05/11/trump-republican-party-maga-conservative/83481933007/
— DD: Virtually all illegals are non-White.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2025/12/27/ice-arrests-racial-profiling-deportation/87473441007/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/01/08/ice-shooting-minneapolis-use-of-force/88082677007/

KPRC HOUSTON
— George Floyd and Renee Good: 5 years between Minneapolis videos, and confusion has increased
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/anti-ice-protest-takes-place-over-a-dallas-highway/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Inside Minneapolis’s Sprawling Network of ICE Watchers. Renee Nicole Good lived in a community where residents by the thousands are using text alerts, whistles and Google documents to shadow federal agents.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/inside-minneapoliss-sprawling-network-of-ice-watchers-2c286b6d
— Bread Lines in Mamdani’s New York. A protest at a synagogue and a union drive against ‘genocide’ at a bakery.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/breads-lines-in-mamdanis-new-york-4532ba80
— How Mamdani and Cea Weaver Plan to End Private Housing. DD: To get elected and reelected, Democrat candidates ever-increasingly promise free housing, free food, free clothing, free healthcare, free transportation, free college degrees, free everything.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/how-mamdani-and-cea-weaver-plan-to-end-private-housing-c1bec4e7
— About That ‘Disappearing’ Middle Class. Yes, the middle class is hollowing out—because more are rising upward. DD: What helped you rise upward? For me, it was my earning a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. Neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/about-that-disappearing-middle-class-54948a18
— Is Mexico Slouching Toward Venezuela? President Sheinbaum topples democratic institutions and cozies up to Cuba.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/is-mexico-slouching-toward-venezuela-36ed9042

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— Safeguarding the federal merit system at the Office of Special Counsel. DD: OSC failed/refused to protect me when my Democrat GAO superiors forced to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.
https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2026/01/safeguarding-federal-merit-system-office-special-counsel/410590/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Transparency and accountability are cornerstones of trust in government. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel exists to protect those values. As we begin a new year, it is worth revisiting what OSC is, why it exists and how its work makes a difference. Established by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, OSC is an independent investigative and prosecutorial agency that safeguards the merit system by protecting employees from prohibited personnel practices, especially whistleblower retaliation. It also enforces the Hatch Act, provides a forum for employees to disclose government wrongdoing and protects veterans’ job rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.

INDEX BOX
— Dangers of Early Retirement. DD: I should write about being forced to retire early. It is extremely devastating. If you are forced to retire early, your critics/opponents will use that against you viciously. My critics/opponents side with my Democrat GAO superiors who forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997. According to them, their motives for doing that were a) not to retaliate against me because I was an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, b) not because I had complained about their political affiliation discrimination. reverse discrimination, and age discrimination since I transferred from IRS to GAO in 1980, c) not because I was one of their few remaining Republican employees and Gingrich had dramatically cut GAO’s budget, and d) not because they were under tremendous Affirmative Action pressure and they wanted to give my job and my preferred corner office to my Black subordinate. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://www.indexbox.io/blog/the-hidden-dangers-of-early-retirement-financial-strains-and-emotional-consequences/

NPR
— Celebrities wear pins protesting ICE at the Golden Globes
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/12/g-s1-105659/celebrities-pins-protesting-ice-golden-globes

AXIOS
— Noem defiant, vows more ICE agents as Dems allege coverup
https://www.axios.com/2026/01/11/noem-minneapolis-shooting-renee-good-jonathan-ross

RAW STORY
— Kinzinger calls on Republicans to rebel against the recent economic decisions made by Trump.
https://www.rawstory.com/amp/trump-economy-2674873887-2674873887

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

ARAB NEWS
—  Niki Conforti, the Republican candidate for the Illinois 6th Congressional District, has told Arab News that she will not accept campaign funds from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2629038/amp

GUARDIAN
— Council member who lost eye in George Floyd protest sees echo in Ice killing. Soren Stevenson says Minneapolis shooting ‘reminiscent in a scary way’ – but he and his neighbors are feeling activated.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/11/minneapolis-ice-killing-george-floyd

INDEPENDENT
— Minneapolis ICE shooting latest: Trump admin sending ‘hundreds’ of federal agents to Minnesota as protests continue. Minneapolis mayor has said the presence of ICE officers has made the community less safe.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ice-shooting-minneapolis-victim-renee-good-live-updates-b2898294.html
— Celebrities protest ICE on Golden Globes red carpet
https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/news/golden-globes-anti-ice-protest-pins-b2898480.html

MEAWW
— Celebrities protest ICE on Golden Globes red carpet with ‘Be Good’ pins. Hollywood stars including Mark Ruffalo and Wanda Sykes honored Renee Good with anti-ICE pins after her killing in Minneapolis.
https://news.meaww.com/celebrities-protest-ice-on-golden-globes-red-carpet-with-be-good-pins

HINDUSTAN TIMES
— What’s happening in Minneapolis? Car window smashing, ICE arrests, protest videos emerge after Renee Good shooting. ICE and border patrol operations in Minneapolis continue even after the Wednesday shooting that killed Renee Nicole Good.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/whats-happening-in-minneapolis-car-window-smashing-ice-arrests-protest-videos-emerge-after-renee-good-shooting-101768158336831.html

AL JAZEERA
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly defend/promote Maduro
https://www.aljazeera.com/video/the-bottom-line/2026/1/11/after-maduro-is-the-us-driving-global-instability

January 10, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from freezing child care funding in Illinois, 4 other states. The temporary ruling comes a day after Illinois and the four other Democrat-led states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the federal government’s intention to freeze funding for social services programs in the states.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/01/09/judge-temporarily-blocks-trump-administration-from-freezing-child-care-funding-in-illinois-4-other-states
— Feds agree to halt proposed national youth gender care ban while court weighs motion. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agreed to hold off on communicating its new regulations regarding gender-affirming care, per documents filed this week in an ongoing suit from officials from 20 states, including Illinois, and Washington, D.C.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/01/09/feds-agree-to-halt-proposed-national-youth-gender-care-ban-while-court-weighs-motion

BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRATY
— Trump admin to garnish wages of delinquent student loan borrowers, including IL residents. DD: Did you get a student loan? I did not. I did not try to get one. My critics/opponents would a) hint/imply/argue/shout that I was not college material and b) stress that my ACT score was only 24, that I only just barely made it into the upper 20% percent of my class, and that I displayed no leadership potential.
https://www.bnd.com/news/state/illinois/article314265869.html

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— DD: Democrat leaders say fractures are starting to show in Trump’s GOP at the start of this election year.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/ap-fractures-are-starting-to-show-in-trumps-gop-at-the-start-of-this-election-year/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

ILLINOIS FAMILY ACTION
— Weaponizing Tragedy: The Left’s War on Law and Order
https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2026/01/open-borders-political-stunts-and-the-cost-in-innocent-lives/

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Chicago gets lowest employment score since 2009
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-gets-lowest-employment-score-since-2009/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Renee Good is a cautionary tale on the dangers of the Left’s cult of ideology. DD: Will Democrat leaders succeed in making Renee Good George Floyd 2?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4412656/renee-good-cautionary-tale-dangers-left-cult-ideology/

NEW YORK POST
— Trump admin blocked from freezing $10B in child care, social services funding to NY, 4 other blue states. DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to provide social services to Democrats, that is, to provide welfare to Democrats.
https://nypost.com/2026/01/09/us-news/judge-blocks-trump-admin-from-freezing-10b-in-child-care-social-services-funding-to-five-blue-states/

BREITBART
— Seattle’s Socialist Mayor to Illegals: ‘This Is Your City’
https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2026/01/09/seattles-socialist-mayor-to-illegals-this-is-your-city/

DAILY CALLER
— How American Leftist Groups Collaborated With Maduro For Over A Decade
https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/09/maduro-venezuela-trump-black-lives-matter-blm-democratic-socialists-america-dsa-chavez-socialismmaduro-venezuela-trump-black-lives-matter-blm-democratic-socialists-america-dsa-chavez-socialism/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Minnesota Somali Fraud, Illegal Trucking Scandals Share One Thing: DEI
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/01/09/minnesota-somali-fraud-illegal-trucking-scandals-share-one-thing-dei/amp/

EPOCH TIMES
— Behind the Group That Controls Chinese Students in America. ‘Fight with all their might for the motherland.’ Chinese students are pressured into advancing Beijing’s interests in America.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/behind-the-group-that-controls-chinese-students-in-america-5962330

FOX NEWS
— NAACP posts split image comparing ICE agents to KKK members: ‘Different mask, same agenda’ DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly equate their runaway slaves with their illegals.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/naacp-posts-split-image-comparing-ice-agents-kkk-members-different-mask-same-agenda.print
— DD: Will Democrat leaders succeed in making Renee Good George Floyd 2?
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6387438147112

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— School Must Allow Parent to Opt Kindergarten Student Out of LGBTQ+ Lessons, Court Rules. DD: How successful have Democrats been making the students in your school district sexually active LGBTQers?
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/01/school-must-allow-parent-to-opt-kindergarten-student-out-of-lgbtq-lessons-court-rules/

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Scenes from Last Night’s Anti-ICE Protest in D.C. DD: Will Democrat leaders succeed in making Renee Good George Floyd 2?
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/scenes-from-last-nights-anti-ice-protest-in-d-c/

NEWSMAX
— Judge Blocks Trump Freeze on Child Care Funds in 5 States. DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to provide social services to Democrats, that is, to provide welfare to Democrats.
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/child-care-funding-freeze/2026/01/09/id/1241549/

TOWNHALL
— Mamdani Voters Shrug at Venezuelan Immigrant’s Warning Against Socialism
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/dmitri-bolt/2026/01/09/venezuelan-immigrants-vs-pro-mamdani-new-yorkers-n2669100

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC NEWS
— Protests against ICE planned across US after shootings in Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon. DD: Will Democrat leaders succeed in making Renee Good George Floyd 2?
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/protests-ice-planned-us-after-shootings-minneapolis-portland-129078604

NBC NEWS
— Protests against ICE planned across US after shootings in Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon. DD: Will Democrat leaders succeed in making Renee Good George Floyd 2?
https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/wireStory/protests-ice-planned-us-after-shootings-minneapolis-portland-129078604

REUTERS
— Fatal ICE shooting of Minneapolis activist sets stage for national protests. DD: Will Democrat leaders succeed in making Renee Good George Floyd 2?
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fatal-ice-shooting-minneapolis-activist-sets-stage-national-protests-2026-01-10/

MSN
— ‘You’re just an unqualified yes man’: Hegseth sat in silence as Duckworth gave a lengthy speech lambasting him. DD: Who has hinted/implied/argued/shouted that you were unqualified? My Democrat IRS superiors, supervisors, workers, and subordinates hinted/implied/argued/shouted that I was unqualified when an IRS manager a) promoted me in when I was 23 and 24, b) gave me a very high-profile developmental assignment when I was 25, and c) promoted me because of my performance on that assignment when I was 25. According to them, those promotions and that assignment should have been given to my Democrat coworkers who were veterans. They all blamed Republicans like me for America losing the Vietnam War. They all stressed that I got student draft deferments when I was 18-21 and a financial hardship draft deferment when I was 21-22. They all hinted/implied/argued/shouted that the real reason why I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU when I was 21 was to avoid the Vietnam War draft. According to them, if I had not avoided the Vietnam War draft, I would not have been a able to a) earn that degree, b) pay for graduate evening business courses at Loyola when I was 23-27 and accounting courses at DePaul when I was 27-31, c) buy new cars when I was 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc., d) buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, etc., and e) get married when I was 29. To punish me, they a) forced my aforesaid IRS manager to transfer to Dallas, b) disallowed my travel vouchers when I was 25, c) disallowed my education deductions when I was 29, and d) made it clear that they would never promote me again. They ignored/dismissed/belittled a) my earning an MBA from Loyola when I was 27, b) my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, c) my earning a master’s degree from DePaul when I was 31, d) etc.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/you-re-just-an-unqualified-yes-man-pete-hegseth-sits-in-silence-as-tammy-duckworth-gives-lengthy-speech-putting-him-in-his-place/vi-AA1TTm4h

NEW YORK TIMES
— Judge Blocks Trump Officials From Freezing Billions in Social Services Funds. DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to provide social services to Democrats, that is, to provide welfare to Democrats.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/09/us/trump-news
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/us/politics/trump-minnesota-food-stamps-usda.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/us/politics/trump-child-care-funding-freeze.html
— What Happens if Federal Agents and Local Officers Stop Getting Along? DD: Democrat leaders have declared a Second Civil War against Republicans. Illegals are soldiers in their Democrat Army.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/us/federal-agents-law-enforcement-trump.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Protests against ICE planned across US after shootings in Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon. DD: Will Democrat leaders succeed in making Renee Good George Floyd 2?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2026/01/10/ice-protests-shootings-minneapolis-portland/f9fc2cd4-ede6-11f0-91a9-9928b22be817_story.html

LOS ANGELES TIMES
— Fast-food workers make $20 an hour. California’s other low-wage earners ask: What about us? DD: In today’s dollars, I started earning $19.57/hour when I was 18 in 1966 and started working part-time for the Park Forest Post Office. To get that job, I had passed the postal employment examination, earned a high school diploma, passed a physical examination, passed a background investigation, had a driver’s license, and had a car to use to deliver mail.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-05-09/fast-food-workers-now-make-20-an-hour-californias-other-low-wage-earners-ask-what-about-us

USA TODAY
— DD: Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters ever-increasingly side with Venezuela against America.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/01/10/trump-ousted-venezuela-nicolas-maduro-immigrants-safety/88034921007/

FORTUNE
— Did your career get a bad start? My career in the federal government sure did. My Democrat Post Office supervisor a) disapproved of my getting student draft deferments and b) disapproved of my being Protest, German American, and a Crete resident. He was a veteran who blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War. He disallowed my sick leave requests and forced me to resign when I was 20 in 1969. According to him, I got student deferments to avoid the Vietnam War draft. I passed the test to get into a postal management program, but my score was not high enough to get into the program. My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors used the aforesaid against me.
https://fortune.com/2015/03/31/four-successful-business-tycoons-first-jobs/

PBS
— Shootings in Minneapolis and Portland spur protests over federal enforcement operations. — DD: Will Democrat leaders succeed in making Renee Good George Floyd 2?
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/shootings-in-minneapolis-and-portland-spur-protests-over-federal-enforcement-operations-after

NEW REPUBLIC
— DD: Will Democrat leaders succeed in making Renee Good George Floyd 2?
https://newrepublic.com/article/205067/renee-good-george-floyd-minneapolis-resistance-violence

NEW YORKER
— DD: Will Democrat leaders succeed in making Renee Good George Floyd 2?
https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/an-ice-killing-puts-minneapolis-on-the-brink

CREATORS SYNDICATE
— DD: Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters ever-increasingly side with Venezuela against America.
https://www.creators.com/read/mona-charen

AXIOS
— Liberal media tries to curry favor with Trump. DD: I should write about those Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois who since 2000 have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me to curry favor with the Democrat news media.
https://www.axios.com/2024/11/19/liberal-media-trump-favor-effort

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

GUARDIAN
— Six years after George Floyd, we must stand against an ICE killing in Minneapolis. DD: Will Democrat leaders succeed in making Renee Good George Floyd 2?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/09/george-floyd-ice-killing-minneapolis

January 9, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Renee Good’s wife speaks out after fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis: ‘She literally sparkled’
https://abc7chicago.com/post/renee-goods-wife-speaks-fatal-ice-shooting-minneapolis-she-literally-sparkled/18378823/
— Illinois 5th worst state in US, Chicago 3rd worst city for fraudulent odometer rollback on used cars. DD: There were more than enough facts to make the Chicago Car Exchange (CCE) suspicious of the 1968 Dodge Charger R/T’s claimed mileage that CCE sold me, and therefore, CEE should have verified its claimed milage. The court left out many of those facts in its written decision. SEE: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F3/110/481/526770/  I argued this case before Chief Judge Posner. Further, CCE refused to offer to pay me the car’s loss in value because of the odometer discrepancy or the thousands of dollars of improvements that I had made to the car. The odometer exemption decision was rendered moot when the BIG THREE had Congress modify the Federal Odometer Act. I appealed the rest of the decision to the Supreme Court, but Supreme Court refused to hear it. According to Google AI: “Diersen v. Chicago Car Exchange was a federal appeals court case that established that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) did not have the authority to exempt vehicles ten years or older from the Odometer Act’s disclosure requirements. Case Summary  Plaintiff: David Diersen, who bought a 1968 Dodge Charger from Chicago Car Exchange (CCE). Defendant: Chicago Car Exchange (CCE), an automobile dealership. Allegation: Diersen claimed CCE violated the federal Odometer Act by providing an inaccurate odometer reading and intended to defraud him. The Odometer Act allows purchasers to sue for triple actual damages or $1500. Initial Ruling: The district court ruled for CCE, citing a 1988 NHTSA regulation that exempted vehicles ten years or older from the Act’s requirements. Appeals Court Ruling: The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed, stating the NHTSA regulation was invalid as it lacked statutory authority. The court noted that Congress did not exempt any vehicle class in the Odometer Act, which aims to protect all purchasers from odometer tampering. Outcome: While finding the regulation invalid, the appeals court upheld the summary judgment for CCE because Diersen did not provide enough evidence that the dealership intended to defraud him, a required element for a claim under the Odometer Act. The court distinguished “mere negligence” from “intent to defraud” and noted that CCE had no reason to question the car’s original seller’s sworn statement. CCE had also offered Diersen a full refund, which he declined.”
https://abc7chicago.com/post/fraudulent-odometer-rollbacks-used-cars-14-past-year-illinois-5th-worst-state-us-chicago-3rd-city/18379513/

CBS2
— Judge blocks Trump administration from freezing $10 billion in social services funding to 5 Democratic states
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/judge-blocks-trump-administration-freezing-social-services-funding/
— Illinois leaders reject claims of fraud, say Trump’s childcare funding freeze is politically motivated
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/illinois-child-care-funding-freeze-no-fraud-trump-politically-motivated/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Pritzker, Illinois House Speaker Welch open to tweaking SAFE-T Act
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/01/09/pritzker-illinois-house-speaker-welch-open-tweaking-safe-t-act-electronic-monitoring-rich-miller

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Wife of Minnesota woman killed in ICE shooting: ‘We had whistles. They had guns’
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/09/wife-of-minnesota-woman-killed-in-ice-shooting-we-had-whistles-they-had-guns/
— A needless death in Minneapolis
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/editorial-ice-minneapolis-shooting-renee-good-immigration-enforcement/
— Vivek Ramaswamy’s family bodyguard arrested on drug trafficking charges
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/09/vivek-ramaswamys-family-bodyguard/

DAILY HERALD
— DD: Democrat leaders push medial pot to push recreational pot.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260109/news/schaumburg-family-losing-access-to-daughters-medical-marijuana-patches-faces-pivotal-week/
— ‘Democracy in action’: Training teens as election judges — and encouraging them to vote — is a vital mission. DD: But Democrats run high schools and shout at teens that Republicans cause everyone’s problems.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260109/editorials/daily-herald-opinion-democracy-in-action-training-teens-as-election-judges-and-encouraging-the/

WGEM
—  League of Women Voters’ candidate forums next month. DD: If I was still the chairman of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois and a member of the Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee, the organizations would still be hosting candidate forums.
https://www.wgem.com/2026/01/08/wgem-stream-league-women-voters-candidate-forums-next-month/

WFIW
— JEFFERSON COUNTY REPUBLICANS TO HOST GOVERNOR CANDIDATE FORUM IN JANUARY DD: If I was still the chairman of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois and a member of the Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee, the organizations would still be hosting candidate forums.
https://www.wfiwradio.com/2026/01/06/jefferson-county-republicans-to-host-governor-candidate-forum-in-january/

NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-08/renee-nicole-good-isnt-the-first-death-caused-by-ice-under-trump-administration

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/09/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-446/
— ILGOP Chair Salvi: ‘The partisanship of Democrats has reached the level of undeniable insurrection’
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/09/ilgop-chair-salvi-the-partisanship-of-democrats-has-reached-the-level-of-undeniable-insurrection/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Poll of Republican U.S. Senate Primary Shows Nobody above 6%, 84% Undecided
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/09/poll-of-republican-u-s-senate-primary-shows-nobody-above-6-84-undecided/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— New video shows protester taunting ICE officer before Minneapolis shooting
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/9/new-video-shows-protester-taunting-ice-officer-minneapolis-shooting/

NEW YORK POST
— Renee Nicole Good’s 6-year-old son attends ‘social justice’ school that teaches about George Floyd, warned staffers to report ICE
https://nypost.com/2026/01/09/us-news/renee-goods-kindergarten-son-attends-social-justice-school-that-teaches-about-george-floyd-warned-staffers-to-report-ice/
— Socialist politician turns LA City Hall into anti-ICE, abolish-police spectacle
https://nypost.com/2026/01/09/us-news/la-lawmaker-eunisses-hernandez-hosts-anti-cop-anti-ice-presentation/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— NYC protesters chant, ‘Kristi Noem will hang… Save a life, kill an ICE’
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/09/nyc-protesters-chant-kristi-noem-will-hang-save-a-life-kill-an-ice-1614951/

BREITBART
— Democrats Defend Tren de Aragua Migrants Shot During Attack on ICE
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/01/09/democrats-defend-tren-de-aragua-migrants-shot-during-attack-on-ice/

FRC ACTION
— No “flexibility” on tax dollar funding for abortion
https://www.frcaction.org/get.cfm?c=CHECKOUT&dmy=75509402-9BEA-3BC3-82CFD1DCF3A7C4A1&srcItem=PT26A01&fromItem=AL26A01&x=0#gsc.tab=0

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Heed the Unforgettable Words of Henry Hyde
https://www.nationalreview.com/the-lifeline/heed-the-unforgettable-words-of-henry-hyde/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The controversy this week involving the president insisting that pro-lifers be flexible on the Hyde amendment in budget negotiations in Congress has me longing for the days of the late Illinois Republican Congressman Henry Hyde. He drew the line on taxpayer funding of abortion, and so much else.)

NEWSMAX
— Democrats ‘Demonized’ Agents Ahead of Minn. ICE Shooting
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/dan-meuser-democrats-ice/2026/01/09/id/1241481/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— DD: I should write about those Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois who since 2000 have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me to curry favor with the Democrat news media.
https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5416852-elizabeth-warren-stephen-colbert-cbs/

CBS NEWS
— Prosecutors in DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will not investigate Minneapolis ICE shooting, sources say
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doj-civil-rights-division-will-not-investigate-minneapolis-ice-shooting-sources-say/

DESERT REVIEW
— GOP, Pro-Life orgs forcefully defend Hyde Amendment amid Trump’s backpedaling
https://www.thedesertreview.com/news/national/gop-pro-life-orgs-forcefully-defend-hyde-amendment-amid-trump-s-backpedaling/article_fcfbf23d-4097-45fc-8151-ed09370a70d5.html

January 8, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Minneapolis ICE shooting: Tensions flare after ICE officer kills woman
https://abc7chicago.com/post/minneapolis-ice-shooting-community-edge-fatal-woman-federal-immigration-officer/18371827/
— DD: Pritzker calls for Noem to resign. Democrats oppose use of deadly force by federal agents.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/minneapolis-ice-shooting-illinois-governor-jb-pritzker-calls-dhs-secretary-kristi-noem-resign-chicago-groups-speak/18373900/
— House passes bill to extend health care subsidies in defiance of GOP leaders
https://abc7chicago.com/post/house-vote-aca-subsidies-extension-9-republicans-help-get-floor/18373443/
— Senate advances war powers resolution to rein in Trump on Venezuela
https://abc7chicago.com/post/senate-advances-war-powers-resolution-rein-president-trump-venezuela/18372940/

NBC5
— ICE officer who fatally shot Minnesota woman was dragged by car during June immigration arrest. In a June incident, the agent was dragged by a vehicle at least 50 yards and required stitches, according to DHS and court documents.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/ice-officer-fatally-shot-minnesota-woman-dragged-car-june-immigration-arrest/3873500/

CBS2
— Judge won’t yet dismiss lawsuit over use of force during Midway Blitz, citing deadly Minneapolis shooting by ICE agent
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/judge-ellis-force-lawsuit-noem-bovino-dhs-chicago-immigration-enforcement/
— Illinois Rep. Robin Kelly filing articles of impeachment for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/robin-kelly-impeachment-kristi-noem-ice-shooting/
— 2 people shot and wounded by Border Patrol agents in Portland, Oregon
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/portland-oregon-shooting-federal-agents/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: DHS said Border Patrol agents stopped a car searching for a Venezuelan they claim is in the country illegally and a member of the Tren de Aragua gang. DHS said after the agents identified themselves, the driver “weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents.”  “Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot,” DHS said. The department said the man drove off with his passenger. The shooting occurred around 2:20 p.m. local time in the Hazelwood neighborhood in East Portland, police said.)

FOX32
— Illinois officials warn Minneapolis ICE shooting echoes Chicago incidents
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-officials-warn-minneapolis-ice-shooting-echoes-chicago-incidents

WGN9
— Orland Park vigil honors those killed amid ICE operations
https://wgntv.com/news/southwest-suburbs/orland-park-vigil-honors-those-killed-amid-ice-operations/
— Woman killed by ICE agent was a mother of 3, poet and new to Minneapolis
https://wgntv.com/news/national/woman-killed-by-ice-agent-was-a-mother-of-3-poet-and-new-to-minneapolis/

WTTW
— Illinois Families, Child Care Providers Brace for Cuts as Trump Administration Withholds Social Safety Net Funds
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/08/illinois-families-child-care-providers-brace-cuts-trump-administration-withholds-social

WGN RADIO
— Krishnamoorthi leads big in senate Dem primary, Bailey tops GOP field for governor
https://wgnradio.com/news/poll-krishnamoorthi-leads-big-in-senate-dem-primary-bailey-tops-gop-field-for-governor/
— Rep. LaHood: Not going to jump to conclusions on ICE shooting
https://wgnradio.com/john-williams/rep-lahood-not-going-to-jump-to-conclusions-on-ice-shooting/

WBEZ
— Child care funding freeze causes anxiety for Chicago-area parents. The Trump administration is cutting about $1 billion in funding to Illinois for child care and social service programs, citing alleged fraud. It’s mostly caused confusion and fear for parents who do and do not benefit from the subsidized programs.
https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/01/08/child-care-funding-freeze-causes-anxiety-for-chicago-area-parents

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Bailey distances himself from Trump but defends immigration crackdowns
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/darren-bailey-dismiss-loyalty-to-trump/
— Federal immigration officers shoot and wound 2 people in Portland, Oregon
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/federal-immigration-shooting-portland-oregon/
— Fatal ICE shooting sparks jurisdiction clash between state and federal authorities
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/ice-shooting-jurisdiction-clash/
— Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot launches ‘ICE Accountability Project’ to document immigration agents
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/former-chicago-mayor-lori-lightfoot-launches-ice-accountability-project-to-document-immigration-agents/
— Judge cites Minneapolis shooting by ICE agent in declining to immediately dismiss lawsuit over use-of-force tactics in Midway Blitz
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/lawsuit-dropped-tactics-immigration-agents/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Judge cites Minneapolis ICE shooting as she pauses dismissal of Chicago-area use-of-force lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis on Thursday cited her obligation to protect the class governed by her preliminary injunction, telling lawyers she wants to do more research before closing the matter entirely.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/01/08/judge-cites-minneapolis-ice-shooting-as-she-pauses-dismissal-of-chicago-area-use-of-force-lawsuit
— DD: Democrats ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/01/08/ice-shooting-minneapolis-renee-nicole-good-kristi-noem
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/01/08/law-enforcement-rationale-invading-venezuela-license-war-donald-trump-marco-rubio-jacob-sullum
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blast Trump.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/01/08/donald-trump-america-first-imperialism-maduro-invasion-venezuela-greenland-charlie-kirk-cupp

DAILY HERALD
— GOP race for governor tightens up after Severino removed from ballot
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260108/illinois-state-politics/gop-race-for-governor-tightens-up-after-severino-removed-from-ballot/
— A suburban congressional candidate’s name was struck from upcoming primary ballots Thursday after the Illinois State Board of Elections decided her petitions fell one signature short of the legally required 799. Eleventh District hopeful Tedora M. Brown, a Republican from Palos Park, is expected to appeal the decision. Brown couldn’t be reached for comment after the ruling.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260108/us-congress-politics/gop-congressional-candidate-falls-one-signature-short-removed-from-ballot/
— Community members express anger, fear and frustration over immigration enforcement in Elgin
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260108/news/it-just-hurts-community-members-express-anger-fear-and-frustration-over-immigration-enforcement/
— ‘I will not back down’: DuPage clerk’s dispute with county board heads to appeals court
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260108/news/i-will-not-back-down-dupage-clerks-dispute-with-county-board-heads-to-appeals-court/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— A generation gives up on homeownership. That’s not the only thing they’re giving up on.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/residential-real-estate/housing-despair-affects-work-and-family-choices-paper-finds

JOURNAL COURIER
— University of Illinois Springfield offering cannabis education programs
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/uis-offering-cannabis-education-programs-21283840.php

CAPITOL FAX
—  Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/08/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-445/
— Emerson College/WGN-TV Statewide Poll
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/08/poll-just-8-percent-of-illinoisans-think-crime-is-most-important-issue-plus-lots-more/
— Bailey, Dabrowski, Pritzker talk about Elon Musk’s DOGE, ‘forensic audits,’ federal funding freeze
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/08/bailey-dabrowski-pritzker-talk-about-elon-musks-doge-forensic-audits-federal-funding-freeze/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Signature shortfalls knock multiple candidates off Illinois ballot
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_45bde6ed-2f6e-416e-8742-fd05faf3f719.html
— An Illinois lawmaker and Air Force veteran says U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly’s call for troops to refuse “illegal orders” undermines the chain of command, as the Defense Department moves to downgrade his retirement rank and pay over the remarks. State Rep. David Friess, R-Red Bud, said former military and intelligence officials understand better than most the importance of discipline and lawful obedience in the armed forces.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_fa04d01c-c17e-410a-ac51-584f1561b4eb.html

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Tax-Exempt Wirepoints Breaks IRS Rules to Smear Bailey and Boost Dabrowski’s Governor Run
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/01/tax-exempt-wirepoints-breaks-irs-rules-to-smear-bailey-and-boost-dabrowskis-governor-run.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— George Floyd 2.0
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/8/george-floyd-20/
— Automobiles become weapons for anti-ICE protesters
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/8/automobiles-become-weapons-anti-ice-protesters/
— Vance says ICE officer’s fatal shooting of victim in Minneapolis was ‘tragedy of her own making’  Refuses calls to remove immigration officers: “We’re not going to give in to terrorism on this”
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/8/vance-says-ice-shooting-victim-tragedy-making-rejects-calls-leave/

NEW YOIRK POST
— Renee Nicole Good was Minneapolis ‘ICE Watch’ ‘warrior’ who trained to resist feds before shooting
https://nypost.com/2026/01/08/us-news/renee-nicole-good-was-minneapolis-ice-watch-warrior-who-trained-to-resist-feds-before-shooting/
— ICE agent who opened fire on Renee Good was dragged, hospitalized by illegal migrant driver last year
https://nypost.com/2026/01/08/us-news/ice-agent-who-opened-fire-on-renee-good-was-dragged-hospitalized-by-illegal-migrant-driver-last-year/
— Trump’s right about boosting US military spending — but he should threaten our enemies, not our allies
https://nypost.com/2026/01/08/opinion/trumps-right-about-boosting-us-military-spending-but-he-should-threaten-our-enemies-not-our-allies/

DAILY CALLER
— Wisconsin School District Cares More About Hiring ‘Diverse,’ ‘Culturally Competent’ Teachers Over Effective Ones
https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/08/wisconsin-school-district-diverse-culturally-competent-teachers/

EPOCH TIMES
— Russia Says Western Troops Sent to Ukraine Would Be ‘Legitimate Targets’
https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/russia-says-western-troops-sent-to-ukraine-would-be-legitimate-targets-5967885

FOX NEWS
— These people’s ‘views of fairness’ rarely apply to themselves, Greg Gutfeld says. Fox News host Greg Gutfeld decries the hypocrisy of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top housing appointee calling homeownership a ‘weapon of White supremacy’ despite her family’s cushy quarters on ‘Gutfeld!’
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6387392650112

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— More ICE protests in New York City day after Minneapolis shooting
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/ice-protests-nyc-minneapolis-shooting-immigration-enforcement/
— Trump says 5 GOP senators who voted to limit Venezuela war powers “should never be elected to office again”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-republican-senators-venezuela-war-powers/

January 8, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Will 2026 be the year Illinois GOP primary voters learn politics? DD: Which candidate in the March 17, 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary do you predict will get the most votes in your precinct, township, county, and Illinois and why? What percent of the registered voters in your precinct do you predict will vote in the primary and why? What is your Republican Precinct Committeeman doing/going to do to maximize Republican turnout?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/opinion-illinois-gop-politics-midterms/
— Only in Chicago, do you get targeted for ‘leaking’ a public meeting. DD: My critics/opponents want to stop me from sending out GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters. Failing that, they want stop everyone from reading them.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/editorial-only-chicago-targeted-leaking-110000167.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: ICE agent fatally shoots woman during immigration operation in Minneapolis. Live video posted online showed a large presence of federal and local officers, yellow police tape and cars that had been in a crash. DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/01/07/shooting-is-reported-in-minneapolis-where-the-feds-are-conducting-an-immigration-crackdown
— Protesters march in Little Village after ICE killing in Minneapolis. The group marched more than a mile and rallied in front of a mural of the Virgin Mary before disbanding with calls for people to get involved with rapid responder groups. DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/01/07/little-village-protest-ice-minneapolis

CBS2
— Welch: Affordability takes priority in Illinois General Assembly’s spring session. DD: That should include urging everyone in Illinois to follow conservative principles. If I had not followed conservative principles, I would not have been able to a) to buy a 6-year old car when I was 16 with money I earned delivering newspapers and doing yard work, b) to buy new cars when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc. with money I earned washing dishes, cleaning golf shoes, chipping slag, pumping gasoline, delivering mail, working on an automobile assembly line, selling tires, automotive services, and major appliances, pumping more gasoline, collecting delinquent taxes, and auditing federal agencies, d) to pay for tuition and books to earn a bachelor’s degree when I was 21 and master’s degrees when I was 27, 31, and 48 with money I earned doing the aforesaid, f) to buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, etc. with money I earned doing the aforesaid, g) to get married when I was 29, h) to earn professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and i) to earn a professional license when I was 32. Admittedly, inflation makes doing the aforesaid more difficult. But not everything is more expensive. I paid $600 in 1972 for a TV that is primitive by today’s standards. That $600 is almost $5,000 in today’s dollars. My wife and I paid $7,000 in 1982 for a computer system that is primitive by today’s standards. That $7,000 is more than $23,000 in today’s dollars. What does it mean to follow conservative principles? It means focusing on making yourself a productive member of society, focusing on making the most of your potential, complying with all laws, avoiding all vices, minimizing immediate pleasures, always being employed even if that means taking bad jobs, saving as much of what you earn that you can, and focusing on earning college degrees, getting married, and earning professional certifications, and professional licenses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1kjHb7skqM

WGN9
— DD: Democrat leaders continue to treat Pat Brady like he is still the chairman of the Illinois Republican Party.
https://wgnradio.com/lisa-dent/pat-brady-minneapolis-ice-shooting/

DEKALB CHRONICLE
— DD: Democrat leaders organize a rally in DeKalb 5 years after January 6, 2021. Dozens protest against Trump’s military operation in Venezuela and his plans there.
https://www.shawlocal.com/daily-chronicle/2026/01/07/dekalb-rally-draws-dozens-against-us-military-operation-in-venezuela/

RIVER BENDER
— Raoul Wins Civil Hate Crime Lawsuit Against Two Carroll County Residents. DD: Democrat leaders always hint/imply/argue/shout that the more of the following that you are, the more likely that you commit hate crimes: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Democrat leaders do that to get more votes from those who are liberal/moderate, non-Republican, non-American, minority, female, younger, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/attorney-general-raoul-wins-civil-hate-crime-lawsuit-against-carroll-county-residents-who-engaged-in-racebased-intimidation-89644.cfm

POLITICO
— Illinois Dems say Noem must go  DD: For Democrat leaders, their top priorities include a) flooding America with citizens of foreign countries, b) keeping them in America, and c) officially giving them the right to vote ASAP.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/01/08/illinois-dems-say-noem-must-go-00715867

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/08/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-655/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WIREPOINTS
— ‘Here We Go Again’: Pritzker Launches Repeat of Meddling in Illinois Republican Primary
https://wirepoints.org/here-we-go-again-pritzker-launches-repeat-of-meddling-in-illinois-republican-primary-wirepoints/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— ‘Implicit bias’ training mandate among new health care-related laws in Illinois
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4410081/implicit-bias-training-mandate-among-new-health-care-laws-illinois/

NEW YORK POST
— Trump pulls US out of ‘racist’ UN forum that pushed ‘global reparations agenda.’ DD: To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push reparations.
https://nypost.com/2026/01/07/us-news/trump-pulls-us-out-of-racist-un-forum-that-pushed-global-reparations-agenda/

DAILY CALLER
— Brown University Learned Nothing From Campus Assassination Of Conservative Student
https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/07/brown-university-shooting-dei-christina-paxton-matthew-guterl/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Conservative Lawmakers Unveil Blueprint to Balance Budget, Execute Trump Agenda
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/01/07/exclusive-conservative-lawmakers-unveil-blueprint-to-balance-budget-execute-trump-agenda/

FEDERATION FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM
— Maduro’s Policies Contributed to the U.S. Border Crisis
https://www.fairus.org/legislation/executive/fair-shows-how-maduros-policies-contributed-us-border-crisis

FOX NEWS
— Woman Rams ICE Agents, Gets Shot. DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://radio.foxnews.com/2026/01/08/woman-rams-ice-agents-gets-shot/

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Trump: ‘Venezuela is Going to be Purchasing Only American Made Products.’  “In other words, Venezuela is committing to doing business with the United States of America as their principal partner.”
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/01/trump-venezuela-is-going-to-be-purchasing-only-american-made-products/

NEWSMAX
— Ramaswamy Gets Gov. DeWine Endorsement in Ohio Race. DD: I might very well have not been elected a Republican Precinct Committeeman in 2000 if Roskam and Hultgren had not endorsed me in that contested race. Because of their endorsements, anti-conservative RINO candidates, elected officials, party leaders, major donors, etc. in Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton have viciously punished Roskam and Hultgren ever since. They were furious when Hultgren made me the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) webmaster in 2000. Their vicious punishment of Roskam and Hultgren got even worse after I supported Pat O’Malley instead of Jim Ryan in the 2002 Republican gubernatorial primary. They cringed that I raised $2,000 on very short notice for an elephant to walk behind Roskam in Wheaton’s 2007 Independence Day parade. Of course, they blame me and blame my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters for Roskam’s and Hultgren’s defeats in 2018. They stress their success in stopping Roskam and Hultgren from coming to my defense when the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, MTRO, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois, and Illinois Center Right Coalition, Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, Wheaton, and Wheaton Park District leaders took big adverse actions against me.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/vivek-ramaswamy-ohio-mike-dewine/2026/01/07/id/1241238/

REAL CLEAR DEFENSE
— DEI Resurfaces in the Marine Corps
https://www.realcleardefense.com/2026/01/07/dei_resurfaces_in_the_marine_corps_1157261.html

TOWNHALL
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that when Whites and males succeed, it is because they benefitted from discrimination against non-Whites and females.
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2026/01/07/why-do-they-try-to-make-bad-things-cool-n2668946

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5677863-woman-shot-minneapolis-ice/
— GOP backlash to Omar earmark slows government-funding bill
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5676884-gop-opposition-justice-empowerment/amp/

ABC NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://abcnews.go.com/US/ice-related-shooting-occurred-minnesota-governor/story?id=128984401

CBS NEWS
— Illinois Rep. Robin Kelly filing articles of impeachment for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/robin-kelly-impeachment-kristi-noem-ice-shooting/

ACSSOCIATED PRESS
— DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-shooting-crackdown-surge-173e00fa7388054e98c3b5b9417c1e5a

CNN
— Large crowd gathering in Minneapolis following shooting of woman less than a mile from where George Floyd was killed. DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/07/us/video/minneapolis-ice-woman-shot-george-floyd-digvid
https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/minnesota-fraud-state-reps-testify-01-07-26

ABC NEWS
— Minneapolis shooting by ICE agent brings debate over police force and moving vehicles back in focus. DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/minneapolis-shooting-ice-agent-brings-debate-police-force-129000719

ABC SAN FRANCISCO
— DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://abc7news.com/post/protest-held-san-francisco-following-deadly-ice-shooting-37-year-old-renee-nicole-good-minneapolis/18370169/

NBC NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/federal-law-enforcement-involved-ice-related-shooting-minneapolis-rcna252812
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/minnesota-ice-shooting-live-updates-rcna252852

CBS NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/live-updates/minneapolis-federal-agents-protesters-clash-portland-avenue/

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/07/us/minnesota-shooting-ice
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/07/us/ice-minneapolis-somalis-immigration.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Maduro Is Gone, but Repression in Venezuela Has Intensified. DD: Some on my critics/opponents are gone, but their operatives and their dupes continue to take big adverse actions against me.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/07/world/americas/venezuela-repression.html
— Fixing Affordability Isn’t Easy. Here Are Four Suggestions.  Fixing affordability should include urging everyone to follow conservative principles. If I had not followed conservative principles, I would not have been able to a) to buy a 6-year old car when I was 16 with money I earned delivering newspapers and doing yard work, b) to buy new cars when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc. with money I earned washing dishes, cleaning golf shoes, chipping slag, pumping gasoline, delivering mail, working on an automobile assembly line, selling tires, automotive services, and major appliances, pumping more gasoline, collecting delinquent taxes, and auditing federal agencies, d) to pay for tuition and books to earn a bachelor’s degree when I was 21 and master’s degrees when I was 27, 31, and 48 with money I earned doing the aforesaid, f) to buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, etc. with money I earned doing the aforesaid, g) to get married when I was 29, h) to earn professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and i) to earn a professional license when I was 32. Admittedly, inflation makes doing the aforesaid more difficult. But not everything is more expensive. I paid $600 in 1972 for a TV that is primitive by today’s standards. That $600 is almost $5,000 in today’s dollars. My wife and I paid $7,000 in 1982 for a computer system that is primitive by today’s standards. That $7,000 is more than $23,000 in today’s dollars. What does it mean to follow conservative principles? It means focusing on making yourself a productive member of society, focusing on making the most of your potential, complying with all laws, avoiding all vices, minimizing immediate pleasures, always being employed even if that means taking bad jobs, saving as much of what you earn that you can, and focusing on earning college degrees, getting married, and earning professional certifications, and professional licenses.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/opinion/affordability-health-care-housing-prices-costs.html
— FEMA Staff Bracing for Dismissal of 1,000 Disaster Workers. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, the agency shrank from more than 6,000 employees to less than 3,000 employees because of Gingrich budget cuts. My Democrat GAO superiors punished me big time for that.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/climate/fema-staff-cuts-1000-workers.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/01/07/minneapolis-shooting-ice/
— Democrats call Trump’s freeze of childcare funds an act of retribution. The administration is freezing more than $10 billion in grants to California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York. Some Democrats called it political retribution. DD: Since I was born in 1948, my critics/opponents have used against me the fact that my father made enough money that my mother could stay home a raise me and my brother. But my father never earned more than $50,000/year in today’s dollars. He died suddenly when he was 47 and I was 21. He almost always worked second jobs to pay the family’s bills. My mother’s earning potential was very limited because she never attended high school. I had to work my way through college.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/01/07/child-care-grants-frozen-democrats/
— Why America stopped building the ‘starter home.’ DD: Back in the good old days, I was able to buy a new starter home, that is, a new townhome, in University Park when I was 24 in 1972. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/01/05/starter-home-disappearance/

FOX MINNEAPOLIS
— Minneapolis ICE shooting occurred roughly 1 mile from George Floyd killing. DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://www.fox29.com/video/fmc-yotuwnpsbu7cfiz7

MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use vehicles against ICE officers?
https://www.startribune.com/she-was-an-amazing-human-being-mother-identifies-woman-shot-killed-by-ice-agent/601559922

WEAU
— ICE guidance restricts shooting at moving vehicles, GAO report shows. DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use cars against ICE officers?
https://www.weau.com/2026/01/07/ice-guidance-restricts-shooting-moving-vehicles-gao-report-shows/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: ICE’s directive page was temporarily unavailable online, but a 2023 Government Accountability Office report quotes ICE’s guidance directly. The GAO quote reads: “Firearms shall not be discharged solely to disable moving vehicles, vessels, aircraft or other conveyances, except when deadly force is authorized or under the limited circumstances in the policy.” That language mirrors guidance used by the Department of Justice and the FBI, which also say officers should not discharge firearms solely to disable moving vehicles and may do so only when occupants present an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm and no reasonable alternative exists. Law enforcement experts say shooting at moving vehicles raises high risks of ricochet and collateral harm and is widely discouraged except in narrow, life‑threatening circumstances. Federal guidance aims to limit such discharges and require documentation and review when they occur.)

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— ‘Tax Me,’ Mitt Romney Says, Pointing at You. His proposals begin with a huge hike on salarymen—strivers who earn income of the sort he doesn’t. DD: My critics/opponents have always wanted me to pay more taxes and especially since I became an IRS employee when I was 22 in 1971.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/tax-me-mitt-romney-says-pointing-at-you-27e7f47f?mod=opinion_lead_pos5

BLOOMBERG TAX
— Big Four Accounting firms Diverge on Diversity as Culture War Hits Accounting. DD: The accounting profession had no use for me a) because I did not start taking graduate accounting courses until I was 27, b) because I did not take and pass the CPA examination on my first attempt until I was 30, c) because I did not earn a master’s degree in accounting until I was 31, d) because I did not take and pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination until I was 32, e) because I did not become a licensed CPA until I was 32, and f) because I was not a minority and/or a female.
https://news.bloombergtax.com/financial-accounting/big-four-diverge-on-diversity-as-culture-war-hits-accounting

NPR
— DD: To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that Republicans discriminate against Blacks and that is why Blacks should forever be given more tremendous preference. My Democrat GAO superiors hinted/implied that I discriminated against my Black subordinate and that justified their forcing me to retire and giving him my job and my preferred corner office. He had less work experience than I had. He had less education than I had. He had one professional certification while I had six. He had no professional license like the one I had. Of course, in Diersen v. GAO ( https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf ), they did not argue that I discriminated against him because I did not discriminate against him. I gave him lots of preference.
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/08/nx-s1-5646525/supreme-court-voting-rights-congressional-black-caucus

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

INDEPENDENT
— Trump goes on defense after seeing footage of agent fatally shooting Renee Nicole Good in the head. The FBI is investigating the ICE shooting of the mother-of-three, which Trump administration officials have described as an act of self defense
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/renee-nicole-good-minneapolis-ice-shooting-live-updates-b2896627.html

MEAWW
— Mamdani slams ICE raids following Minneapolis shooting: ‘Cruel and inhumane’  DD: Democrat leaders are always looking to repeat the success that they had with George Floyd. Will Democrats ever-increasingly use cars against ICE officers?
https://news.meaww.com/zohran-mamdani-slams-ice-raids-following-minneapolis-shooting-cruel-and-inhumane

FROM OTHER SOURCES

GOOGLE AI
— You can’t take that away from me. DD: My father often decried his not having a college degree. That had a tremendous impact on me. It motivated me to make earning a job-related bachelor’s degree by the time I was 21 my top priority. It motivated me to earn a) a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21, b) job-related master’s degrees when I was 27, 31, and 48, c) job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and d) a job-related professional license when I was 32. My father was discouraged from going to college because he had brittle type 1 diabetes. The belief was that the stress would kill him.
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22can%27t+take+that+away+from+me%22+%22college+degree%22
(FROM Google AI: The phrase “You can’t take that away from me” is often used in the context of a college degree or an education to express that the knowledge, skills, and accomplishment gained are permanent personal assets that no one can rescind or devalue, regardless of external circumstances like job loss, economic shifts, or others’ opinions. This sentiment highlights several key aspects of earning a degree: Permanent Value The core knowledge, critical thinking skills, and personal growth achieved through education provide a lasting foundation for life and career, unlike material possessions or job titles that can be lost. Personal Achievement Earning a degree often involves significant effort, discipline, and perseverance. The pride and self-worth associated with this accomplishment are inherent and cannot be diminished by others. Career Mobility While specific job markets fluctuate and some question the universal necessity of a degree in the modern world, a college education typically increases an individual’s chances for better career opportunities and provides a base level of credentialing that can open doors. Empowerment The understanding that one’s education is a secure, internal asset can be empowering, especially when facing life’s challenges, such as workplace demotions, financial difficulties, or societal limitations. This perspective suggests that even if external factors like student debt or an unpredictable job market make the journey difficult, the intrinsic value of the education itself is unassailable.)

January 7, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Woman killed in ICE-involved Minneapolis shooting identified
https://abc7chicago.com/post/shooting-is-reported-minneapolis-where-feds-are-conducting-immigration-crackdown/18367784/
— Protests in Little Village, across Chicago area after deadly ICE officer shooting in Minneapolis
https://abc7chicago.com/post/minneapolis-ice-shooting-today-protest-held-little-village-chicago-area-dhs-says-ce-officer-shoots-kills-woman-mn/18368707/

WGN9
— Noem holds press conference following deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis
https://wgntv.com/minnesota/shooting-involving-federal-agents-reported-in-minneapolis/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Illinois Democrats express outrage, seek full investigation into ICE fatal shooting of Minnesota woman
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/01/07/illinois-democrats-outrage-ice-shooting-minneapolis-woman

DAILY HERALD
— Two Republicans fall off the ballot in gubernatorial, Senate contests
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260107/nation-and-world-politics/two-republicans-fall-off-the-ballot-in-gubernatorial-senate-contests/
— Democratic candidate for 3rd Congressional seat removed from ballot
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260107/us-congress-politics/democratic-candidate-for-3rd-congressional-seat-removed-from-ballot/

RIVER BENDER
— Duckworth Cosponsors Kaine’s Bipartisan War Powers Resolution on Venezuela
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/duckworth-cosponsors-kaines-bipartisan-war-powers-resolution-on-venezuela—89641.cfm?

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Tracy’s Senate bid includes an affordable America
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/don-tracy-republican-senate-bid/

DUPAGE COUNTY
— DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek invites the public to a Vote-by-Mail Forum on Thursday, Jan. 15th from 5:00-6:30 pm, at the County’s Auditorium, 421 County Farm Road, Wheaton. This event will give voters the opportunity to raise questions to the Clerk’s staff on the entire voting-by-mail process.
https://www.dupagecounty.gov/county_clerk/dupage_county_clerk_jean_kaczmarek_invites_public_1615.php

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/07/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-444/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Illinois gives $12M to NASCAR
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/waste-watch-illinois-gives-12m-to-nascar/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

NEW YORK POST
— Mamdani’s woke, privileged tenant advocate Cea Weaver breaks down crying when asked about hypocritical gentrification comments
https://nypost.com/2026/01/07/us-news/zohran-mamdanis-tenant-advocate-cea-weaver-breaks-down-crying-when-asked-about-hypocritical-gentrification-comments/

AMERICAN THINKER
— ICE shoots Minneapolis protester who seemed to be trying to ram them, leftists try to create a new George Floyd. Clearly a case of self-defense, based on the numerous videos.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/ice_shoots_minneapolis_woman_trying_to_ram_them_leftists_try_to_create_a_new_george_floyd.html

BLAZE
— Tim Walz says Minnesota is ‘at war’ with the federal government after fatal ICE shooting
https://www.theblaze.com/news/walz-minnesota-war-federal-govt

CAMPUS RFEFORM
— Complaint targets seven Illinois public campuses over race and sex-restricted awards
https://www.campusreform.org/article/complaint-targets-seven-illinois-public-campuses-race-sex-restricted-awards/29229

FEDERALIST
— Yes, ICE Agents Can Defend Themselves From People Using Cars As Murder Weapons
https://thefederalist.com/2026/01/07/yes-ice-agents-can-defend-themselves-from-people-using-cars-as-murder-weapons/

PJ MEDIA
— Shooting in Minneapolis: Vehicular Assault on ICE, Mob Threatens Agents
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/01/07/shooting-in-minneapolis-vehicular-assault-on-ice-mob-threatens-agents-n4948005
— Get Ready, George Floyd 2.0 Is Coming
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/01/07/get-ready-george-floyd-20-is-coming-n4948014

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Walz rips Trump after deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5674957-live-updates-trump-venezuela-greenland-minnesota-fraud/

ABC NEWS
— Duckworth on fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis
https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/sen-tammy-duckworth-fatal-ice-shooting-minneapolis-128995389

CBS NEWS
— House Speaker Mike Johnson invites Trump to deliver State of the Union on Feb. 24
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-2026-state-of-the-union-february-24-mike-johnson/
— Actions in Venezuela divide Americans as they look for clarity on Trump admin. goals
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-actions-venezuela-opinion-poll/

January 6, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Rauner: When it comes to K-12 education, Illinois families deserve high standards and proven policies
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/opinion-illinois-k-12-education-standards/
— Vallas: Maduro is not just a corrupt leader. He’s also a direct threat to US security.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/opinion-venezuela-war-powers-venezuela-nicolas-maduro/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against Trump.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/column-venezuela-us-maduro-trump-depetris/

DAILY HERALD
— Every Chicago suburb should strive to meet the state’s affordable housing requirements. DD: How diverse is housing affordability in your precinct? There is tremendous diversity in my DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260106/editorials/daily-herald-opinion-a-group-effort-every-chicago-suburb-should-strive-to-meet-the-states-afforda/

WBEZ
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against Trump.
https://www.wbez.org/politics/2026/01/06/venezuela-occupation-not-good-for-venezuela-america-chicago-uchicago-professor-says

WAND TV
— Illinois bans life insurance companies from discriminating against people with criminal records. DD: Democrats ever-increasingly encourage people to engage in bad behavior.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/illinois-bans-life-insurance-companies-from-discriminating-against-people-with-criminal-records/article_e4b3f956-51fe-4289-a221-9dd7d5d0934c.html

FOX ILLINOIS
— Heightened security in DC after capture of Maduro
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/nicolas-maduro-court-capture-venezuela-strikes-president-trump-washington-dc-heightened-security-white-house-embassy-us-military-delta-force-team-narco-terrorism-marco-rubio-venezuelans-pete-hegseth

NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against Trump.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-05/trump-opposed-regime-change-but-now-he-says-the-u-s-is-in-charge-of-venezuela
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-05/former-trump-administration-officials-calls-on-president-to-let-venezuelans-run-their-country

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Giannoulias cash surge fuels City Hall buzz
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/01/06/giannoulias-cash-surge-fuels-city-hall-buzz-00712205

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/06/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-653/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Could $1.5 Million in Congressional Pork for DuPage County’s Prairie Food Co-op Inspire Woodstock’s Food Shed To Request the Same?
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/06/could-1-5-million-in-congressional-pork-for-dupage-countys-prairie-food-co-op-inspire-woodstocks-food-shed-to-request-the-same/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What will your Republican Precinct Committeeman do to encourage voters in your precinct to cast Republican ballots in the March 17, 2026 primary? I will hand-deliver a sample ballot and the campaign literature that the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) provides me to the 400 residences in my precinct that have at least one registered Republican or Independent voter. The contested Republican races in my precinct are U.S. Senate, Illinois Governor, Illinois Attorney General, Illinois Secretary of State, Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court, and DuPage County Sheriff. I have obtained a PDF file from the DuPage County Election Division and printed individual mailing labels for the 800 registered Republican and Independent voters in my precinct. I have asked MTRO for 400 envelopes. As soon as the sample ballot is available, I will photocopy it and stuff the envelopes with them and the campaign literature that MTRO provides me with, put them in walk order, divide them into five batches, and hand-deliver them. I hope we have a mild winter. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What discourages people from visiting websites? Paywalls, advertising, popups, cookie permission requests, donation requests, and/or lack of full disclosure of sources, who is paying for the website, and who is running then. Visitors to http://www.gopillinois.com have never seen any of the aforesaid and they never will. But sadly, the many websites that I have to visit to put GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters together are ever-increasingly full of the aforesaid. Because news and commentary websites are overwhelming fronts for the Democrat and Libertarian parties, my having to visit them for opposition research is ever-increasingly stressful, painful, and disgusting. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Are you conservative? Are you Republican? I am. How hard have Democrat and RINO leaders tried to get you to leave Illinois? They have tried extremely hard to get me to leave Illinois. But I am not leaving. My ancestors have lived in northeast Illinois since 1844. I have lived in northeast Illinois since 1948, in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton since 1978, and in Wheaton’s West District and my precinct since 1984. My parents, brother, uncles, aunts, virtually all my relatives have died. I earned my four college degrees, six professional certifications, and professional license in Illinois. Hopefully, Democrat and RINO caused poverty and crime will not increase as much as I fear. I should write about those Democrat and RINO leaders who have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me to get me to leave Illinois. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform in conservative. RINO leaders have chosen. They have chosen to make the Republican Party the Democrat Lite Party, that is, they have chosen to dump conservative principles and virtually all the planks in the Republican Party platform. They have chosen to drive conservatives, that is, Republicans, out of the Republican Party. They have chosen to destroy the Republican Party. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— How Illinois has changed under Pritzker
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/presidential-profile-how-illinois-has-changed-under-pritzker/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Fraud Targeting Children Went Unchecked for Years in Minnesota as Pritzker Praises Walz. DD: I became Certified Fraud Examiner in 1990 and a Forensic Accountant in 1997. I became a CPA in 1979, Certified Internal Auditor in 1981, and a licensed CPA in 1981. While I worked for IRS as Revenue Officer 1971-1980, I referred cases to IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) for investigation. I worked for GAO on audits of IRS’s CID 1986-1988.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/01/fraud-targeting-children-went-unchecked-for-years-in-minnesota-as-pritzker-praises-walz.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

NEW YORK POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/us-news/gavin-newsom-slams-donald-trump-for-nicolas-maduro-arrest/
— CIA concluded Maduro’s lackeys more likely to maintain order in Venezuela than opposition leader
https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/world-news/pro-maduro-thugs-ordered-to-hunt-down-us-collaborators-as-tension-fills-venezuelan-streets/
— Illegal immigrant trucker accused of causing fatal crash appears in court wearing turban he requested
https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/us-news/illegal-immigrant-truck-driver-accused-in-fatal-crash-appears-in-court-wearing-turban/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Trump freezes $10 billion in childcare social services funds for five blue states
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/06/trump-freezes-10-billion-in-childcare-social-services-funds-for-five-blue-states-1614170/

FOX NEWS
— Bondi says Trump ‘saved countless lives’ in Venezuelan dictator Maduro capture operation. Attorney general defends military operation as ‘well within’ presidential authority after Democratic criticism.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/bondi-says-trump-saved-countless-lives-venezuelan-dictator-maduro-capture-operation
— The ‘Jewish question’ was a needless distraction at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest
https://www.aol.com/articles/david-marcus-jewish-becomes-needless-184821505.html
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for inflation and for some people having less money than others.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-laser-focused-affordability-trump-softens-tariff-strategy.print

DAILY SIGNAL
— ‘Seize Private Property’: Mamdani and Lieutenants Were Serious About the Socialist Thing
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/01/05/seize-private-property-mamdani-and-lieutenants-were-serious-about-the-socailist-thing/

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— University of Illinois Hosted State-Funded Committee Meeting Where Professors Advocated for Reparations. “They shared with White workers labor exploitation. That is the hallmark of capitalism: theft.”
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/01/u-illinois-hosted-state-funded-committee-meeting-where-professors-advocated-for-reparations/

NATIONAL REVIEW
— The Crowd Cheered Ramaswamy. DD: Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform in conservative. RINO leaders have chosen. They have chosen to make the Republican Party the Democrat Lite Party, that is, they have chosen to dump conservative principles and virtually all the planks in the Republican Party platform. They have chosen to drive conservatives, that is, Republicans, out of the Republican Party. They have chosen to destroy the Republican Party.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-crowd-cheered-ramaswamy/amp/
(FROM THE ARTICE: Vivek Ramaswamy’s speech at Turning Point USA’s flagship event last month is worth watching — both for the content of the Ohio gubernatorial candidate’s remarks, and for the reaction of the crowd. Because of their growing numbers and influence, some on the right seem to believe that the political success of the GOP playing footsie with racists, bigots, and antisemites. But not Ramaswamy, who accurately argued that the political right currently faces a time for choosing: It is the American dream that makes American exceptionalism possible. And the answer of what it means to be a conservative — this is what it’s up to us to answer. It is a fork in the road for the future of the conservative movement right now. What does it mean to be a conservative? It means we conserve those ideals that define our country. And now is a moment, a time for choosing in the future of our conservative movement to determine with clarity who’s actually on that team of conserving the ideals versus who actually is not.)

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— DEI has no place in our K-12 classrooms
https://thehill.com/opinion/education/5673073-radical-activism-dei-antiracism/
— Trump moves to dominate Western Hemisphere
https://thehill.com/newsletters/morning-report/5674161-trump-venezuela-foreign-policy/
— Venezuelans praise Trump for taking out Maduro
https://thehill.com/opinion/robbys-radar/5673039-us-forces-oust-venezuelan-dictator/amp/
— Twenty-five years ago, Gallup began asking Americans if they were proud of their country. Nine out of 10 said yes, they were extremely or very proud of the United States. Things have changed. National pride has sunk to 58 percent, an all-time low. The response among young people is especially telling. Gallup found that the members of each new generation since 2001 have been less likely than the previous one to say they are very proud to be Americans. Only 41 percent of the Gen Z, the latest generation to reach adulthood, feels that way today. DD: Ever-increasingly since the 1960s, Democrat and RINO leaders have replace meritocracy with race and gender based preference giving.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5668737-we-need-a-program-of-national-service/amp/

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— DD: Anti-Americans ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-united-nations-maduro-trump-waltz-1433e10bbb800fb41b21a70c7501ad88

ABC NEWS
— DD: Anti-Americans ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-donroe-doctrine-seeks-influence-western-hemisphere-citing/story?id=128926397

CBS NEWS
— 2,000 federal agents deploying to Minneapolis in immigration crackdown, fraud probe. DD: I became Certified Fraud Examiner in 1990 and a Forensic Accountant in 1997. I became a CPA in 1979, Certified Internal Auditor in 1981, and a licensed CPA in 1981. While I worked for IRS as Revenue Officer 1971-1980, I referred cases to IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) for investigation. I worked for GAO on audits of IRS’s CID 1986-1988.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minneapolis-federal-agents-crackdown/

NBC NEWS
— DD: What percent of Venezuelans in America support Maduro?
https://www.nbcnews.com/video/venezuelan-americans-react-to-nicolas-maduro-s-removal-255445061938

NEW YORK TIMES
— Maduro’s Gesture Was Not Just a Peace Sign. The captured authoritarian leader flashed a symbol that many took to be a defiant peace sign. Loyal lawmakers repeated the gesture at a session in Caracas.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/world/americas/maduro-gesture-peace-sign.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/01/06/nytfrontpage/scan.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/world/europe/trump-venezuela-china-russia.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/us/politics/congress-venezuela-maduro.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/world/americas/maduro-new-york-arraignment-venezuela-protest.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/opinion/trump-venezuela-maduro-clausewitz-aquinas.html
— Hegseth Starts Proceedings Against Sen. Mark Kelly Over His Remarks. DD: I got no proceedings when my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997. If GAO had been unionized, there would have been.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/us/politics/hegseth-mark-kelly.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/01/05/maduro-arraignment-international-law-trump-justified/
— Trump officials bar Head Start providers from using ‘women’ and ‘race’ in grant applications. The Trump administration is telling Head Start providers to avoid dozens of terms in federal grant applications, including “race,” “belonging” and “pregnant people.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/05/head-start-dei-women-race/79c256b0-ea80-11f0-91a9-9928b22be817_story.html

USA TODAY
— So now Democrats are mad that Trump ousted a dictator? Kudos to President Donald Trump and our military. I hope the president can finish the job and reinstate democracy to the Venezuelan people.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/01/05/democrats-criticize-trump-capture-maduro-venezuela/88017748007/
— Are opposing political views a bad thing at work? DD: To get rid of me, my Democrat GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates ever-increasingly asked me questions to get me to defend my conservative beliefs, to remind me that I was not welcome.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2025/12/30/how-to-address-clashing-political-viewpoints-work/87896476007/
— Is the 4% rule too stingy for your retirement? Try spending 5%. DD: My retirement savings are dramatically less because my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/12/30/4-percent-rule-retirement-savings-spending/87922293007/

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL
— Maduro action not without historical precedent
https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-maduro-action-not-without-historical-precedent-3604261/

WGME
— Noem: Venezuelan migrants under TPS can apply for asylum in the US
https://wgme.com/news/nation-world/venezuelan-migrants-under-tps-can-apply-for-asylum-in-the-us-noem-nicolas-maduros-migrant-joe-biden-threat-deportation

KSL
— Utah County GOP censures County Commissioner. DD: I should write about my critics/opponents who had their operatives and their dupes try to get the Illinois Center Right Coalition to censure me for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters in 2006. I would focus on those who continue to have lots of religious, government. political, and/or financial clout in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois.
https://www.ksl.com/article/51428753/utah-county-gop-censures-county-commissioner-amelia-powers-gardner

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Dow Jumps to Record After U.S. Captures Venezuela’s Maduro. Blue-chips close near 49000; gold, silver and copper rally.
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-01-05-2026
— Welfare Fraud Takes Out Tim Walz. Minnesota’s Governor ends his re-election run as the scandal bites. DD: I became Certified Fraud Examiner in 1990 and a Forensic Accountant in 1997. I became a CPA in 1979, Certified Internal Auditor in 1981, and a licensed CPA in 1981.  While I worked for IRS as Revenue Officer 1971-1980, I referred cases to IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) for investigation. I worked for GAO on audits of IRS’s CID 1986-1988.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/tim-walz-ends-campaign-minnesota-welfare-fraud-7b276269
— Trump Administration to Freeze Social-Service Funds in More Democratic States. Government is pausing funds for child care and poor families in California, Colorado, Illinois and New York; expanding pause in Minnesota.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-administration-to-freeze-social-service-funds-in-more-democratic-states-bcb35c1d

BLOOMBERG
— Venezuela Swears in Rodríguez After Maduro Capture
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-01-06/venezuela-swears-in-rodriguez-after-maduro-capture
— Venezuela Regroups With New Leader, Old Repression Tactics
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-05/maduro-s-son-backs-rodriguez-even-as-she-extends-hand-to-trump
— Trump Asks Rubio to Lead Venezuela Overhaul After Maduro Arrest
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-06/trump-asks-rubio-to-lead-venezuela-overhaul-after-maduro-arrest?embedded-checkout=true

FORTUNE
— Trump’s strike on Venezuela gives the U.S. 30% of the world’s oil reserves on paper and a $100 billion rebuilding job in reality
https://fortune.com/2026/01/05/how-much-oil-is-in-venezuela-trump-maduro-jpmorgan-outlook/

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— ICE more than doubled its workforce in 2025. The Trump administration has reconfigured its onboarding and training process to quickly deploy agents into the field.
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2026/01/ice-more-doubled-its-workforce-2025/410461/?oref=ge-featured-river-top

NPR
— Amid fraud claims, Trump admin announces more changes to federal child care funding. DD: I became Certified Fraud Examiner in 1990 and a Forensic Accountant in 1997. I became a CPA in 1979, Certified Internal Auditor in 1981, and a licensed CPA in 1981. While I worked for IRS as Revenue Officer 1971-1980, I referred cases to IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) for investigation. I worked for GAO on audits of IRS’s CID 1986-1988.
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/05/nx-s1-5667019/hhs-child-care-federal-funding

OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY
— Just Following Orders. DD: I never failed to follow orders from my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors to give preference to my Democrat subordinates who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. All those who they assigned me to supervise were the aforesaid. I gave them lots of preference. But that was not enough. They punished me severely a) because I complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination and b) because I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid when I was 40 years old in 1988.
https://outsidethebeltway.com/just-following-orders/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

GUARDIAN
— Venezuela detains journalists and seizes communication devices after Maduro’s removal
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/06/venezuela-detains-journalists-after-nicolas-maduros-captured

CBC NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpQ_Rp1YDRQ

AL JAZERRA
— US critics and allies condemn Maduro’s abduction at UN Security Council
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/6/us-critics-and-allies-condemn-maduros-abduction-at-un-security-council
— Americans evenly split on Maduro’s abduction
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/6/americans-evenly-split-on-maduros-abduction-poll-shows
— DD: Anti-Americans ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/1/6/live-un-security-council-members-slam-us-abduction-of-venezuelas-maduro

January 4, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— DD: Democrats rally in St. Charles to support ban on federal immigration enforcement agencies. Democrats ever increasingly a) encourage citizens of foreign countries to come to America illegally and b) fight their deportation. Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/st-charles-demonstrators-rally-support-ban-federal-immigration-enforcement-agencies-denounce-ice-border-patrol/18348183/

NBC5
— Protest in Chicago after U.S. military operation in Venezuela, president captured. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Maduro’s capture “violates international law and dangerously escalates the possibility of full-scale war,” in a statement Saturday. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/protest-in-chicago-after-u-s-military-operation-in-venezuela-president-captured/3870910/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasing fight deportation of their illegals.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/04/operation-midway-blitz-cost/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD IN NAPERVILLE SUN WITH BIG PICTURE: North Central University of Naperville? NCC considers name change as it grapples with brand recognition, identity. DD: According to my critics/opponents, degrees from non-Ivy League universities are worthless, that is, my 1970 NIU, 1976 Loyola, 1980 DePaul, and 1997 IIT degrees are worthless.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/north-central-college-naperville-name-change/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Republicans, and especially Republicans who are conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Ever-increasingly, to be a Democrat is to be a promoter of hatred.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/04/opinion-cancer-battle-systemic-racism/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Police chief is a top job, but not all Illinois’ top cops meet highest standards. Illinois should make certified law enforcement executive training a prerequisite to landing a job as a police chief, which could help weed out appointments based on loyalty, personal relationships or political convenience. DD: What if to be a county auditor, you had a) to have a degree in accounting, b) to have passed the CPA examination, c) to have passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination, d) to be a licensed CPA, and/or e) to have auditing work experience? I have a master’s degree in accounting. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt. I became a licensed CPA. I worked for GAO as an auditor for almost 18 years, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year. In addition, I became a Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Government Financial Manager, Certified Financial Services Auditor, and Forensic Accountant. I served on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter for 13 years.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2026/01/03/police-chief-hiring-illinois-should-require-certified-law-enforcement-executive-training-tom-weitzel
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Illinois holds its police officers to some of the highest professional standards in the country. Officers must be trained, certified and continually retrained. Supervisors must meet additional requirements. Specialized assignments demand advanced credentials and ongoing education. Yet the most powerful position in any police department — the chief of police — can still be filled with no mandatory statewide certification at all. It is a policy failure with real consequences.)
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for everything that is bad.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2026/01/03/college-career-professional-lived-within-means-unemployment-job-loss-economic-uncertainty-sarah-rand

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE: Uber-wealthy Illinoisans already spending big on 2026 campaigns
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260103/us-congress-politics/uber-wealthy-illinoisans-already-spending-big-on-2026-campaigns/
(FROM TRHE ARTICLE: The Uihleins  Founders of the Uline shipping- and business-supply company, the Uihleins have been among the nation’s leading Republican donors for years. They gave nearly $143.5 million to federal candidates and groups during the 2024 election cycle, records show, which placed them fourth on OpenSecrets’ nationwide list but first in their home state. So far this cycle, the Uihleins’ donations have included $7 million to a conservative political action committee called Restoration of America; $4 million to a committee called Fair Courts America; $620,200 to the National Senatorial Committee; and $620,200 to the National Republican Congressional Committee. The Uihleins also have donated to more than a dozen U.S. Senate and House candidates across the country this cycle — but none from Illinois, records show. Shirley W. Ryan  Ryan — the philanthropic wife of billionaire Aon Corp. founder Pat Ryan and the namesake of a renowned rehabilitation hospital in Chicago and other venues — donated $32.2 million to federal Republican candidates and political groups during the 2024 cycle, landing her at 19th place on OpenSecrets’ Top 100. Ryan’s donations this cycle have included $51,000 to a Republican political action committee called Secure the Senate 2026 and $24,000 to another called Uphold the Senate, as well as thousands to U.S. Senate candidates outside Illinois. Janet J. Duchossois  Oak Brook resident Janet J. Duchossois, the wife of Duchossois Group CEO and Chairman Craig Duchossois, donated $16.3 million to federal candidates and political groups in the 2024 cycle, placing her 34th on OpenSecrets’ list. Duchossois’ donations this cycle include $44,300 to the Republican National Committee, $41,300 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee and $46,300 to Uphold the Senate. Like the Uihleins and Ryan, she’s also backed U.S. House and Senate candidates outside Illinois, but not here.)
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more video gambling. In 2009, I led the successful effort to ban video gambling in Wheaton.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260102/business/st-charles-again-delays-push-tax-on-video-gaming-terminals/

JOURNAL COURIER
— More than half of Illinois to continue paying 1% grocery tax
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/illinois-1-grocery-tax-continuing-2026-half-state-21266702.php

LINCOLN COURIER
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.lincolncourier.com/story/news/local/2026/01/04/central-illinois-protests-against-trumps-military-action-in-venezuela/88007076007/

NPR ILLINOIS & WAND TV
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-03/maduro-faces-drug-charges-in-u-s-even-as-trump-freed-others-convicted-of-trafficking
https://www.wandtv.com/news/national/capture-of-maduro-and-us-claim-it-will-run-venezuela-raise-new-legal-questions/article_2bb82f1d-411d-5fc5-b34d-e86160b408bd.html

CWB CHICAGO
— He attacked and robbed pregnant woman in the Loop while on electronic monitoring
https://cwbchicago.com/2026/01/he-attacked-and-robbed-pregnant-woman-in-the-loop-while-on-electronic-monitoring-officials-say.html

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— IL U.S. Senate candidates differ on Affordable Care Act tax credits
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_d61bb46b-4e18-4b90-9717-b727d0588844.html

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— U.S. Indictment Accuses Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro and Wife of Running Decades-Long Cocaine Empire Targeting America
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/01/u-s-indictment-accuses-venezuelan-dictator-nicolas-maduro-and-wife-of-running-decades-long-cocaine-empire-targeting-america.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

AMERICAN THINKER
— Mamdani and the new collectivists. DD: My critics/opponents are collectivists.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/mamdani_and_the_new_collectivists.html

DAILY CALLER
— MAGA World Speaks Out On Trump’s Maduro Operation
https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/03/make-america-great-again-reacts-donald-trump-nicolas-maduro-venezuela-military-operation/

DAILY SIGNAL
— 7 Left-Wing Groups to Watch in 2026. DD: RINO leaders of the Illinois Republican Party (IRP), DuPage County Republican Central Committee (CRCC), and Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) have always demonized. denigrated, and condemned TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois and Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) as being right-wing groups and even worse things. They have always blamed TAPROOT and ICRC for losses suffered by the Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct. They had their operatives and their dupes destroy TAPROOT in 2012 and ICRC in 2007. I should write about those RINO IRP, DCRCC, and MTRO leaders. I would focus on those who have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me lately.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/01/03/7-left-wing-groups-watch-2026/amp/

EPOCH TIMES
— 9 Takeaways From Trump’s Address on Operation to Capture Maduro. The U.S. president previewed heavy investment in the nation’s oil industry to rebuild infrastructure and increase production.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/9-takeaways-from-trumps-address-on-operation-to-capture-maduro-5965704
(FROM THE ARTICLE: US to Run Venezuela Until Transition. . .US Will Tap Venezuela’s Oil Reserves. . . Threat of 2nd Attack. . .Operation Executed at Trump’s Direction. . .A Spectacular Assault. . .No Troops Killed, No Equipment lost. . .Maduro Was Given Many Chances. . .Monroe Doctrine. . .Cuba Next?)

FOX NEWS
— Maduro arrives in New York after capture, arraignment expected Monday.
https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/us-strikes-venezuela-maduro-captured-january-3-2026
— Venezuelan leader Maduro, wife arrive at Brooklyn detention facility after capture by US forces. Venezuelan leader faces narco-terrorism conspiracy charges along with his wife.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/venezuelan-leader-maduro-lands-new-york-after-being-captured-us-forces-drug-conspiracy-charges
— How a socialist cell in the US mobilized pro-Maduro foot soldiers within 12 hours. DD: How many socialist cells are there in Illinois, in your county, in your township, in your municipality, and in your school district?
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/second-front-how-socialist-cell-us-mobilized-pro-maduro-foot-soldiers-within-12-hours
— Maduro capture echoes Noriega takedown that used rock music as psychological warfare against dictator. Both operations proceeded without congressional authorization and targeted leaders accused of drug trafficking.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/maduro-capture-echoes-noriega-takedown-used-rock-music-psychological-warfare-dictator
— Black Republican calls for total, permanent abolition of DEI: ‘I want to earn every opportunity on merit.’ DD: My Black subordinate who my Democrat GAO superiors replaced me with when I was 49 years old in 1997 a) had less work experience than I had, b) had less education than I had, c) had one professional certification while I had six, and d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.aol.com/news/black-republican-calls-total-permanent-151042227.html

LAW ENFORCEMENT TODAY
— Trump Administration Shuts Down Minnesota’s Childcare Money Machine in Fraud Crackdown
https://lawenforcementtoday.com/trump-minnesota-fraud-child-care-money

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Cold, Confusion, and ‘Resistance’ Buttons: On the Ground at Mamdani’s Inauguration
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/01/cold-confusion-and-resistance-buttons-on-the-ground-at-mamdanis-inauguration/amp/

NEW AMERICAN
— Forever War — on Whites: Harvard Has Gone Full Racist
https://thenewamerican.com/us/education/forever-war-on-whites-harvard-has-gone-full-racist/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: It’s sadly ironic that a university founded in 1636 to train clergy has embraced the devilish religion of racist dogma. But this is the case, warns 40-year Harvard history professor James Hankins. In fact, it’s so bad that he has left the school. What’s at issue is damning, Hankins warns. Harvard University not only rejects teaching Western civilization’s virtues, but also won’t hire white males — no matter their qualifications. It has instead embraced a “hate whitey” philosophy that demeans the West and the European-descent peoples who birthed it. This is merely the latest, too, in the war on white men. Just last month, for example, an aspiring Hollywood writer documented entertainment’s, media’s, and academia’s refusal to hire white males. Also revealed in December was that a university writing center had claimed that emphasizing proper English is “linguistic white supremacy.”)

PJ MEDIA
— ICE Emphasizes the Impact of Sanctuary Districts Defying Detainers
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/01/03/ice-emphasizes-the-impact-of-sanctuary-districts-defying-detainers-n4947836

REAL CLEAR MARKETS
— Warm Individualism or Cold Collectivism? DD: My critics/opponents are collectivists.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/2026/01/03/warm_individualism_or_cold_collectivism_1156543.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Mamdani pledges to introduce ‘the Warmth of Collectivism’ DD: My critics/opponents are collectivists.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5670467-marxian-manhattan-mamdani-pledges-to-introduce-the-warmth-of-collectivism/
— Maduro capture adds to Hegseth’s combative first year at the Pentagon
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5671429-pentagon-hegseth-venezuela-maduro-capture/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Maduro’s Capture Prompts Protests and Celebrations in U.S. Cities. Opponents of the U.S. intervention in Venezuela called it illegal. Supporters celebrated the ouster of Nicolás Maduro, the country’s authoritarian president.  DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/world/americas/venezuela-chicago-washington-protests.html
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/us/venezuela-asylum-seekers.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/world/americas/maduro-last-interview-before-capture.html
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders give citizens of India and Indian Americans preference over Americans.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/29/opinion/indian-americans-trump.html
— Maduro, in Previous Stints in New York, Sought to Connect with Harlem. The self-described socialist leader tried to tie the Latin American fight against imperialism with the struggle of Black Americans against racism. DD: Maduro sounds like a typical Democrat, that is, he sounds like a typical anti-American.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/04/nyregion/maduro-earlier-nyc-visit.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Wisconsin judge convicted of obstructing arrest of immigrant resigns as GOP threatens impeachment. DD: Since I was 51 years old in 1999, my critics/opponents have used against me the many big adverse actions that the Republican leaders of Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton have taken against me. Since I was 49 years old in 1997, my critics/opponents have used against me my Democrat GAO superiors forcing me to retire. Before that, they used against me their always ranking me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, their delaying my promotions and never promoting me beyond GS-13, their keeping me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO, and their forcing me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980. Before that, they used against me my IRS superiors never promoting me beyond GS-12 and their disallowing my education deductions in 1978 and my travel vouchers in 1974. Before that, they used against me my Firestone Store boss rudely firing me in 1971. Before that, they used my Post Office superiors forcing me to resign in 1969 and disallowing my sick leave requests in 1969 and 1968.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2026/01/03/wisconsin-judge-resigns-immigration-ice/b6ed69d0-e8be-11f0-ae3e-837f914c795b_story.html

USA TODAY
— Here are the charges against Nicolás Maduro after US capture
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/03/charges-against-nicolas-maduro-venezuela-president/88006801007/
— Republicans rally behind Trump’s Venezuela strikes.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/03/trump-venezuela-strikes-maduro-reactions/88006247007/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/01/03/venezuela-maduro-capture-trump-illegal/88010497007/

LOS ANGELES TIMES
— Many U.S. Venezuelans praise Maduro capture. DD: Democrat leaders opposed Maduro until Trump took action against him.
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2026-01-03/many-u-s-venezuelans-praise-maduro-capture-but-some-protest-in-los-angeles

STAR TRINUNE
— DD: Hundreds of Democrats march through Minneapolis to protest Trump’s action in Venezuela.  Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-venezuela-protest-maduro-us-military-emmer-klobuchar/601557029

FAST COMPANY
— How to make progress on your career goals. DD: What did you do to meet your career goals? When I became a federal employee when I was 18 years old in 1966, I soon learned a) that Democrats ran the federal government and b) that they used up-or-out to get rid of federal employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or nonveteran who they did not promote to GS-13 (currently $118,984/year) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $140,604/year) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $165,386/year) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $197,200/year) by age 40. To meet those promotion deadlines, a) I took the postal management test when I was 21, b) I took the Federal Service Entrance Examination (FSEE) when I was 21, c) I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21, d) I started taking job-related graduate evening courses when I was 22, e) I earned a job-related master’s degree when I was 27, d) I earned a job-related professional certification when I was 30, f) I earned a second job-related master’s degree when I was 31, g) I earned a second job-related professional certification when I was 32, and h) I earned a job-related professional license when I was 32. But obviously, I did not earn the aforesaid fast enough. Things that slowed me down were a) my not majoring in accounting from the beginning, b) my Democrat Post Office superiors forcing me to resign when I was 20, c) my not getting higher scores on the postal management test and the FSEE when I was 21, and d) my taking only one job-related graduate evening course at a time. Consequently, a) the Post Office never offered me a management job and b) IRS did not offer me a job until I was 22 and it was only at the GS-7 Level. I did not make GS-9 until I was 23, GS-11 until I was 24, and GS-12 until I was 25. By then, it was far too late for someone like me with my bad demographics. I did make GS-13 when I was 38. But again, by then, it was far too late for someone like me with my bad demographics.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91382022/how-to-make-progress-when-youre-in-a-slump

FEDERAL NEWS NEWORK
— 3 efforts federal employees should track from Trump’s management agenda: Future federal staffing plans, Accountability of federal employees, and Merit-based workforce reforms. DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats, and especially Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2026/01/3-efforts-federal-employees-should-track-from-trumps-management-agenda/

FED WEEK
— A provision in the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) guaranteeing certain veterans rights to compete for federal jobs does not apply to those who already are federal employees and are seeking merit promotions, a federal appellate court has ruled. DD: I am not a veteran. Even worse than that, I avoided the Vietnam War draft with student deferments 1966-1970 and a financial hardship draft deferment 1970-1971. While I was a Post Office employee 1966-1969, an IRS employee 1971-1980, and a GAO employee 1980-1997, my many Democrat superiors  and supervisors who were veterans gave tremendous preference to their many employees who were veterans. That is, they discriminated tremendously against their non-veteran employees who were Republican like me and who were White, male, older, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time like me. I should write about that. Charles Bowsher, a veteran, who ran GAO 1981-1996 assured that GAO employees who were veterans would not suffer any adverse impacts from Gingrich’s massive budget cuts. My Democrat superiors in the federal government a) blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War and b) used the VEOA to punish their Republican non-veteran employees.
https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/veoa-rights-dont-apply-to-merit-promotions-court-holds/

POLITICO
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/03/trump-venezuela-democrats-2028-president-00709912

EDUCATION NEXT
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote dependency on government and dependency charity, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy personal responsibility. My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That motivated to work my way through college and earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.educationnext.org/whats-wrong-with-personal-responsibility/

AOL
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasing destroy traditional marriage. Under the Democrats, fewer and fewer and fewer people are marriage material. What helped make you marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary for the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance in 1986. SEE: https://gopillinois.com/documents/
https://www.aol.com/finance/crippling-financial-anxiety-leading-gen-204426436.html

MEDIUM
— DD: What is your position on traditional marriage? According to my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors, if I had not gotten married when I was 29 years old in 1978, I would not have been able to a) to pass the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, b) to afford to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980, c) to earn a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, d) to pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, e) to become a licensed CPA in 1981, f) etc. Further, we would not have been able a) to buy a home in Wheaton in 1978, b) to buy two new cars in 1978, c) to have a home built in Wheaton in 1984, d) etc.  SEE: https://gopillinois.com/documents/  My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors painted my marriage as giving me tremendous unfair advantages in life.
https://medium.com/@tessjenner/the-shocking-truth-about-traditional-marriage-roles-thats-breaking-modern-families-2aa5008c6f79

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

VARSITY
— The myth of meritocracy. DD: My critics/opponents oppose meritocracy. According to them, meritocracy is not why those who share my demographics have successes in life.  They have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that I passed the following tests because standardized tests are biased in favor of those who share my demographics: a) the postal employment test when I was 17 in 1966, b) the ACT test with a score of 24 in 1966, c) all the tests that I needed to pass to graduate in the upper 20% of my high school class in 1966, d) the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970, e) all the tests that I needed to pass to earn a bachelor’s degree from NIU in 1970 and master’s degrees from Loyola in 1976, DePaul in 1980, and IIT in 1997, f) the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. and g) the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981. In my defense, neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school. I had to work my way through college.
https://thevarsity.ca/2026/01/04/the-myth-of-meritocracy-2/

FROM OTHER SOURCES

REMAX
— FOR SALE: 1021 Greenwood Drive, Wheaton: $1,685,000
https://ronlewis.remax.com/holp/listing/103/12488277
— FOR SALE: 1219 Golf Lane, Wheaton: $625,000
https://ronlewis.remax.com/holp/listing/103/12467706

January 3, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— US strikes Venezuela and says its leader, Maduro, has been captured and flown out of country
https://abc7chicago.com/post/us-venezuela-news-strikes-country-says-venezuelan-president-nicols-maduro-captured-wife/18346121/

CBS2
— U.S. launches military strikes on Venezuela, Trump says Maduro captured and flown out of the country
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— US strikes Venezuela and says leader Nicolás Maduro has been captured and flown out of the country
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/03/us-strikes-venezuela-nicolas-maduro/

DAILY HERALD
— New laws: Illinois expands job-protected leave for parents with a newborn in a neonatal intensive care unit
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260102/business/new-laws-illinois-expands-job-protected-leave-for-parents-with-newborns-in-nicu/
— Illinois’ electric grids may soon face power shortages and further price increases as fossil fuel plants go offline and data centers fueling the rise of artificial intelligence demand ever-increasing amounts of power.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260102/business/as-state-regulators-warn-of-impending-energy-shortfalls-capacity-prices-rise-again/

JOURNAL COURIER
— Morgan Republicans plan meet-and-greet with gubernatorial candidate. DD: If I was still the chairman of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois and a member of the Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee, the organizations would still be hosting candidate forums.
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/morgan-republicans-set-gathering-gubernatorial-21272921.php

NPR ILLINOIS
— Naps, bruising, cognitive tests: Trump addresses aging questions. DD: How old are you? I am 77. What do you stress to defend your age? I stress the GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters that I put together and send out. Putting those newsletters together and sending them out takes lots of time and focus.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-02/naps-bruising-cognitive-tests-trump-addresses-aging-questions

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Trump tries to beat back questions about health: Key takeaways.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/hill-politics/trump-tries-to-beat-back-questions-about-health-key-takeaways/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— 9th Congressional District Democratic Party Hopeful Bushra Amiwala Joins Others in Attacking the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/03/9th-congressional-district-democratic-party-hopeful-bushra-amiwala-joins-others-in-attacking-the-american-israel-public-affairs-committee/

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Illinois local governments lose out on $10.9B in state taxes
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-local-governments-lose-out-on-10-9b-in-state-taxes/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

BREITBART
— 41 Percent of Netflix Shows for Children Contain LGBTQ+ Content in 2025
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/01/02/report-says-41-percent-of-netflix-shows-for-children-contain-lgbtq-content-in-2025/

CHRISTIAN POST
— Mamdani’s inaugural address: ‘Godless, rancid ideology’
https://www.christianpost.com/news/top-responses-zohran-mamdani-inaugural-address.html

EPOCH TIMES
— Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down California Ban on Open Carry of Firearms
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/federal-appeals-court-strikes-down-california-ban-on-open-carry-of-firearms-5965490

FOX NEWS
— Mamdani ignites fierce backlash on day one in office
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdL7ph03298
— Mamdani’s inauguration fuels debate over Gen Z shift toward socialism, away from free markets. Zohran Mamdani’s first moments in office embraced ‘collectivism’ as Republicans warn Gen Z is rejecting free markets.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mamdanis-inauguration-fuels-debate-over-gen-z-shift-toward-socialism-away-from-free-markets.amp
— Redistricting battles brewing across the country as parties compete for power ahead of 2026 midterms
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/redistricting-battles-brewing-across-country-parties-compete-power-ahead-2026-midterms.print

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Horse Therapy, Gender-Neutral Bathrooms, and Hate Crime Work Leave: The Wild Blue State Laws of 2025
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/horse-therapy-gender-neutral-bathrooms-and-hate-crime-work-leave-the-wild-blue-state-laws-of-2025/amp/
— Mamdani to Establish New ‘Office of Mass Engagement’ Led by Veteran Socialist Organizer
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/mamdani-to-establish-new-office-of-mass-engagement-led-by-veteran-socialist-organizer/
— Let’s Hire Professors Purely on Merit. DD: My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that I passed the following tests because standardized tests are biased in favor of those who share my demographics: a) the postal employment test when I was 17 in 1966, b) the ACT test with a score of 24 in 1966, c) all the tests that I needed to pass to graduate in the upper 20% of my high school class in 1966, d) the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970, e) all the tests that I needed to pass to earn a bachelor’s degree from NIU in 1970 and master’s degrees from Loyola in 1976, DePaul in 1980, and IIT in 1997, f) the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. and g) the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981. In my defense, neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school. I had to work my way through college.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/lets-hire-professors-purely-on-merit/

TOWNHALL
— Socialism in the City
https://townhall.com/columnists/christalgo/2026/01/03/socialism-in-the-city-n2668789
— Pritzker’s Pretzels
https://townhall.com/columnists/alanjosephbauer/2026/01/02/pritzkers-pretzels-n2668747

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Trump insults Pritzker with AI-generated social media post
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5670567-trump-pritzker-ai-image-feud/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Mamdani Acts on Vow to Protect Renters With Move Against a Big Landlord. DD: Have you been a landlord? I was  reluctant landlord 1976-1984 because I could not sell my University Park townhome ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ) unless I took a big loss.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/nyregion/mamdani-pinnacle-housing.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly replace those in America who have demographics that vote for Republicans with those who have demographics that vote for Democrats.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/business/us-immigration-trump-1920s.html

YAHOO
— Nobody Cares About Your Career. DD: During my federal career working for the Democrats who ran the Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, 1997, only two of my superiors cared about my career. I should write the IRS manager who promoted me to GS-9 in 1972, GS-11 in 1973, and GS-12 in 1974. Because he did that, my Democrat IRS superiors forced him to transfer to Dallas. I should write about the GAO manager who arranged my transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980 and who was finally able to assign me to audits or IRS and to promote me to GS-13 in 1986. Because he did that, my Democrat GAO superiors forced him to retire in 1987. To get rid of me, my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974, disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and never promoted me to GS-13. To get rid of me, my Democrat GAO superiors a) forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars, a downgrade from GS-12 Step 5 to GS-9 Step 10, to transfer, b) delayed my promotions back to GS-12 Step 5, c) kept me off audits of IRS except 1986-1988, d) never promoted me to GS-14, e) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and f) forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. In today’s dollars, my Civil Service Retirement System pension is less that what my IRS salary was when I was 23 in 1972.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nobody-cares-career-mcdonalds-ceo-000116698.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The Corruption of the Welfare State
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/minnesota-welfare-fraud-immigrants-government-handouts-8076eb83
— Your Key Survival Skill for 2026: Critical Ignoring. DD: My critics/opponents want everyone to ignore my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus those who were/are a) leaders of the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization, b) elected Republican leaders in Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct, d) conservative leaders, and e) religious leaders.
https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/critical-ignoring-social-media-7e236f52

FORBES
— Should An Experienced Professionals Take Internships To Change Careers? DD: Have you changed careers? Have you wanted to change careers? I have not. Due to circumstances, I have wanted to be a career federal employee since I was 18 years old in 1966. However, to waste my federal career and get rid of me, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors outrageously, disgustingly, and unethically panted a) my earning a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21, b) my earning job-related masters degrees when I was 27 in 1976, 31, and 48, c) my earning job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and d) my earning a job-related professional license when I was 32 a) as being efforts by me to change my career and get a job in the private sector, b) as being justification to disallow my job-related education deductions in 1978, and c) to force me to take a $23,699 (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980. I should write about the aforesaid
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecenizalevine/2025/06/25/should-an-experienced-professional-take-internships-to-change-careers/

EDUCATION
— Professional Certifications Worth It in 2026. DD: What is your position on professional certifications? I sought and obtained professional certifications to defend/advance my federal career. I became a CPA when I was 30 in 1979, a Certified Internal Auditor when I was 32, a licensed CPA when I was 32, a Certified Fraud Examiner when I was 41, a Certified Government Financial Manager when I was 45, a Certified Financial Services Auditor when I was 47, and a Certified Forensic Accountant when I was 48. But my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors ignored/dismissed/belittled that a) because I was a Republican who complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination and b) because I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid when I was 40. I should write about the aforesaid.
https://vocal.media/education/is-investing-in-professional-certifications-worth-it-in-2026

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

DAILY MAIL
— Karoline Leavitt calls out Mamdani’s wife as White House quits playing nice with ‘communist’ mayor
https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/world/karoline-leavitt-calls-out-mamdani-s-wife-as-white-house-quits-playing-nice-with-communist-mayor/ar-AA1Ttrwy
— Mamdani unveils plan conservatives claim will usher in communism
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15429711/amp/zohran-mamdani-warmth-collectivism-socialist.html

BUSINESS STANDARD
— Mamdani takes action against Israel with his oath?
https://www.tbsnews.net/videos/tbs-stories/mamdani-takes-action-against-israel-his-oath-1325186

NDTV
— “Antisemitic Gasoline On Open Fire”: Israel vs Mamdani Over Revoked Orders
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/zohran-mamdani-vs-israel-over-revoked-order-on-antisemitism-definition-10237972

TIMES OF ISRAEL
— Anti-Zionism Was Never Harmless. Now It Governs. DD: Have your critics/opponents painted you as being an antisemite? Democrats have always painted Republicans as being antisemites. Because of my demographics, Democrats have especially painted me as being an antisemite.  Needless-to-say, my Democrat Chicago office GAO superiors’ efforts to paint me as being an antisemite were stymied when I volunteered to work for their only Jewish group manager in late 1989. In 1989, to get rid of me because in late 1988, I had become the office’s only active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, they had a) thrown me off the group that audited IRS, b) gave me a very bad job assignment, c) gave me unfair performance expectations, d) gave me a very unfair performance appraisal, and e) ranked me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance. She managed the office’s group that audited federal financial industry regulators. She reluctantly had to accept me a) because very few of my coworkers would work for her because she was Jewish, b) because I had previously worked on audits of federal financial industry regulators, c) because I had become a licensed CPA in 1981, d) because I had passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, e) because I had earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, and d) because I had earned an MBA in 1976. She was very demanding. But beyond that, my coworkers were intimidated a) by her having an MBA from the University of Chicago, b) by her having passed the CPA examination on her first attempt, c) by her being wealthy, d) by her being younger, and e) by her being attractive. Because she demanded that her subordinates have master’s degrees in finance, I started taking graduate evening finance courses at IIT in 1992 and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997. I succeeded in making her a member of IIT’s advisory group for that graduate program. Further, I became certified fraud examiner in 1990, government financial manager in 1994, financial Services Auditor in 1996, and forensic accountant in 1997. I was her only defender/promoter in the office. But nevertheless, when my Democrat GAO Chicago office superiors decided to force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, she took the lead in doing that. I should write about the foresaid.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/anti-zionism-was-never-harmless-now-it-governs/

January 2, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— 2026 elections: What to know about major political races in Illinois this year
https://abc7chicago.com/post/2026-elections-what-know-illinois-governor-election-chicago-mayoral-midterm/18339645/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push medical pot to push recreational pot. Pot is poison, In 2019. I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/schaumburg-illinois-family-fights-keep-access-daughter-ashley-surins-medical-marijuana-patches/18340448/

WBBM
— New laws: Illinois education measures focus on immigrant rights in the classroom. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly replace American students with foreign students.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/new-laws-illinois-education-measures-focus-on-immigrant-rights-ai-in-the-classroom/ar-AA1Tiv7W

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: DD: Chicago Democrat leaders take credit for fewer murders.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/01/01/chicago-crime-murder-homicide-shooting-president-trump-mayor-johnson

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) flood America with their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/opinion-illinois-health-worker-shortage-immigration-raids/

NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-02/how-the-trump-administrations-freeze-on-child-care-funding-will-affect-families

ADVANTAGE NEWS
— Madison County Democrats make endorsements for 2026. DD: Officially, the Illinois Republican Party (IRP), DuPage County Republican Central Committee (DCRCC), and Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) do not endorse candidates in contested primaries, but unofficially, they do. I know that from being an IRP, DCRCC, and MTRO Precinct Committeeman (PC) since 1999. I know that the aforesaid organizations severely punish and do everything that they can to get rid of PCs who support Republican primary candidates who they did not endorse. I should write about that. I would focus on candidates on Republican primary ballots in my precinct since 2000 who I supported, but the aforesaid organizations did not endorse. I would focus on how they continue to severely punish me and do everything that they can to get rid of me because I supported Pat O’Malley instead of Jim Ryan in the 2002 Republican gubernation primary. Further, I would focus on what the aforesaid organizations have done to me because I supported candidates who they did not endorse in nonpartisan rases in Wheaton. I would focus on what they have done to me because I supported Alan Bolds for Wheaton Mayor instead of Mike Gresk in 2007.
https://www.advantagenews.com/news/local/madison-county-dems-make-endorsements-for-2026/article_485d59b7-3a9c-4c7e-afac-b918eca9a2f8.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Madison County Democrats met recently to choose candidates for endorsement in the 2026 primary elections. A total of 72 precinct committee members took part in the process. Following discussion and deliberation, they voted to issue endorsements in a wide range of federal, state, and county races, while choosing to remain neutral in several contested races.)

WREX
— New laws: Illinois education measures focus on immigrant rights in the classroom. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly replace American students with foreign students.
https://www.wrex.com/news/top-stories/new-laws-illinois-education-measures-focus-on-immigrant-rights-ai-in-the-classroom/article_97824d6c-b7e4-47f7-8668-78ec7b201c72.html

DAILY LINE
— Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Heidner raises more than $1.5M in large donations in fourth quarter
https://www.thedailyline.com/republican-gubernatorial-candidate-rick-heidner-raises-1-5m-large-donations-fourth-quarter

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Gubernatorial Forum Set by McHenry Township Republican Party. DD: If I was still the chairman of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois and a member of the Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee, the organizations would still be hosting candidate forums.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/02/gubernatorial-forum-set-by-mchenry-township-republican-party/
— Young People Find Fraud Across the USA
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/01/15614/
— Illinois Labor Department Rolls Out Accomplishments
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/01/illinois-labor-department-rolls-out-accomplishments/
— Another New Year’s Day Cartoon
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/01/another-new-years-day-cartoon/
— How Are New Year’s Resolutions Like Campaign Promises?
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/01/how-are-new-years-resolutions-like-campaign-promises/
— Bruce Leon “Pauses” Campaign for 9th District Democratic Party Congressional Nomination
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/12/31/bruce-leon-pauses-campaign-for-9th-district-democratic-party-congressional-nomination/
— Tribune 2026 First Baby Story Doesn’t Mention the $1,000 Trump Account for Which He Is Eligible
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/01/tribune-2026-first-baby-story-doesnt-mention-the-1000-trump-account-for-which-he-is-eligible/
— Fox River Grove Creating A New Tax Increment Financing District
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/01/fox-river-grove-creating-a-new-tax-increment-financing-district/

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Pensions make homeownership unaffordable in Illinois. DD: What is your attitude toward pensions and toward those who get them? My critics/opponents despise/hate my Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension and my and my wife’s 72% federal health insurance subsidy and therefore, they despise/hate me. In my defense, I would not have become a postal employee when I was 18 in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment examination. I would not have become an IRS employee when I was 22 if my Firestone Store boss had not rudely fired me because I had accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile that Oldsmobile withdrew because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. I paid 7% of my Post Office, IRS, and GAO salaries into the CSRS.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pensions-make-homeownership-unaffordable-in-illinois/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— $22 Billion Wasted: Pritzker’s Big Government Spree Bleeds Illinois Dry as Residents Flee and Taxes Soar
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/01/22-billion-wasted-pritzkers-big-government-spree-bleeds-illinois-dry-as-residents-flee-and-taxes-soar.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

NEW YORK POST
— Mamdani’s lies about the rich are only meant to demonize — they already foot NYC’s bills
https://nypost.com/2026/01/01/opinion/mamdanis-lies-about-the-rich-are-only-meant-to-demonize-they-already-foot-nycs-bills/

CHRISTIAN NEWS
— Mamdani takes oath of office on Quran, becomes first NYC mayor to do so
https://christiannews.net/2026/01/02/zohran-mamdani-takes-oath-of-office-on-quran-becomes-first-nyc-mayor-to-do-so/

COLLEGE FIX
— DePaul University trains students on how to run pot shops. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push pot. Pot is poison. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/depaul-university-trains-students-on-how-to-run-pot-shops/

DAILY SIGNAL
— 4 Things to Expect From the Trump Administration in 2026
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/01/01/what-expect-trump-administration-2026/

FOX NEWS
— Mamdani’s WOKE policies will bankrupt the city
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay79V7Jmw8I
— Black Republican calls for total, permanent abolition of DEI: ‘I want to earn every opportunity on merit.’  ‘I never want to be chosen, promoted, or rewarded because of how I look,’ Rep. Wesley Hunt noted. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors promoted over me were Democrats who a) were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran and/or b) 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.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/black-republican-calls-total-permanent-abolition-dei-i-want-earn-every-opportunity-merit

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Northwestern University Publishes Strategies to Anchor DEI in University Policies
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/01/northwestern-university-publishes-strategies-to-anchor-dei-in-university-policies/amp/

PJ MEDIA
— The Great Replacement Chronicles: White-Knighting For the Somalis. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly replace those who have demographics that vote for Republicans with those who have demographics that vote for Democrats.
https://pjmedia.com/benbartee/2026/01/01/the-great-replacement-chronicles-white-knighting-for-the-somalis-n4947770

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— Records reveal Minnesota’s long history with day care fraud warnings
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-day-care-fraud-warning-records/

MSN
— Mamdani takes oath on Quran as He is sworn in as New York mayor
https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/other/zohran-mamdani-takes-oath-on-quran-as-he-is-sworn-in-as-new-york-mayor/ar-AA1TnZ5H

NEW YORK TIMES
— Mamdani Vows to Govern ‘Audaciously’ and Protect New York’s Vulnerable. DD: According to Democrats and according to RINOs, those who are liberal/moderate, non-Republican, noncitizen, non-rich, minority, female, younger, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time NEED PROTECTION from those who are conservative, Republican, American, non-poor, White, male, older, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Democrats and RINOs ever-increasingly promise to provide that PROTECTION.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/nyregion/mamdani-inauguration-mayor.html
— Minnesota Families Are Rattled by Threat to Cut Federal Aid for Child Care. After the federal government threatened to withhold funds for Minnesota’s child-care program, citing fraud concerns, parents and providers warned that the effects could be dire.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/us/minnesota-child-care-funding-impact-fraud.html

USA TODAY
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, there will be more and more and more homeless.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2025/12/28/number-of-homeless-students-jumps/87620804007/
https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/nation/2025/12/30/us-students-forced-to-deal-with-reality-of-homelessness/87961285007/
https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/nation/2025/12/30/americas-growing-number-of-homeless-students/87959473007/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2025/12/17/homelessness-crisis-caregiving/87381952007/
— Donald Trump’s whirlwind year changed America. Here are eight ways.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2025/12/30/donald-trump-changing-america/87605660007/

NEWS NATION NOW
— Trump says fraud in California, New York, Illinois worse than Minnesota
https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/trump-fraud-california-new-york-illinois-worse-minnesota/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly a) flood America with their illegals, and b) fight their deportation. Democrat leaders because illegals vote for Democrats. RINO leaders because RINOs want cheap labor.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/why-trump-is-quickly-losing-hispanic-support-aa88d8d0
— The Hindu Attacks on India’s Christians. Modi stays silent as chauvinists in his party assault the religious minority.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-hindu-attacks-on-indias-christians-269f6d83

HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
— In Unsteady Times, Job Seekers Need a Reality Check. Mentors Can Help. DD: What happened to those who helped your career? I should write the IRS manager who promoted me to GS-9 in 1972, GS-11 in 1973, and GS-12 in 1974. Because he did that, my Democrat IRS superiors forced him to transfer to Dallas. I should write about the GAO manager who arranged my transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980 and who was finally able to assign me to audits or IRS and to promote me to GS-13 in 1986. Because he did that, my Democrat GAO superiors forced him to retire in 1987. To get rid of me, my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974, disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and never promoted me to GS-13. To get rid of me, my Democrat GAO superiors a) forced me to take a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars, a downgrade from GS-12 Step 5 to GS-9 Step 10, to transfer, b) delayed my promotions back to GS-12 Step 5, c) kept me off audits of IRS except 1986-1988, d) never promoted me to GS-14, e) always ranked me in the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and f) forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. In today’s dollars, my Civil Service Retirement System pension is less that what my IRS salary was when I was 23 in 1972.
https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/job-seekers-need-a-reality-check-mentors-can-help

BANKING RATES
— Inflation Affects the Cost of Raising a Child. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors and supervisors always decried their cost of their raising their children. They all had spouses who had little or no income. They hinted/implied/argued/shouted that GAO employees who had children should be paid more than GAO employees who did not have children. They viciously used against me my and my wife’s giving up trying to have children, our not adopting, and our not becoming foster parents. They hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if my wife and I had children, I would not have been able to a) pass the CPA on my first attempt in 1979, b) earn a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, c) pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination in my first attempt in 1981, or d) become a licensed CPA in 1981. They stressed that without my wife’s income and savings, we would not have been able to a) buy a home in Wheaton in 1978, b) buy two new cars in 1978, c) have a new home built in Wheaton in 1984, d) etc.
https://www.aol.com/inflation-affects-cost-raising-child-120605680.html

AARP
— What to Do if You’re Forced Into Early Retirement. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, the more of the following that you are, the more that you should anticipate/expect that you will be forced to retire early: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America fora long time. I should write about that. Are you retired? I have been retired since I was 49 years old in 1997. If you are retired, were you forced to retire? I was. What would the rest of your employment had been like if you had not retired? If I had not retired when I did, I would not have eligible to retire for another 6 years. My Democrat GAO superiors had made it extremely clear that if I did not retire, they would make those 6 years a living hell. They would constructively if not literally demote me. They would give me adverse transfers. They would give me bad job assignments. They would give me unfair performance expectations. They would give me unfair performance appraisals. They would rank me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance. They would treat me like they had treated me in 1989. They could do all of the aforesaid because GAO was not unionized. GAO did not unionize until 2007. I considered asking my Congressman Henry Hyde to come to my defense like I had done in 1989, but I decided not to. There were too many around Hyde who were against me. Further, my Democrat GAO superiors had taken so many big adverse actions against me, I could not see myself surviving another them for another 6 years. But nevertheless, I will always ask myself, what would have happened if I had again asked Hyde to come to my defense. His coming to my defense in 1989 enabled me to survive until 1997. It motived me to earn job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. It motived me to earn a job-related master’s degree in 1997.
https://www.aarp.org/money/retirement/forced-into-early-retirement/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

KHALEEJ TIMES
— Mam­dani takes oath on Holy Quran, becomes NYC’S first Muslim mayor
https://www.pressreader.com/uae/khaleej-times/20260102/281801405328872

FINANCIAL EXPRESS
— Three Qurans, One Historic Moment: Mamdani Sworn In as NYC Mayor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHhlYw7y8A4

FROM OTHER SOURCES

MED CITY NEWS
— The Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) Adoption Gap Is Worse Than You Think. DD: I have type 2 diabetes. I delayed using a CGM because my Medicare and BC/BS insurance does cover it. But recently, I bought a Stelo CGM using Amazon for $100/month. It has immediately shown that my glucose spikes to over 250 after I eat, that is, I have high hyperglycemia. I am anxiously awaiting my diabetes doctor’s instructions.
https://medcitynews.com/2025/12/cgm-diabetes-healthcare/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A new study found that continuous glucose monitors can cut healthcare costs by about 20% while also improving outcomes for insulin-dependent diabetes patients, largely by reducing hospitalizations and emergency department visits. Despite these benefits and broad insurance coverage, roughly 80% of eligible patients still are not using the technology — highlighting a significant adoption gap.)