March 1, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

 ABC7
— Illinois lawmakers holding urgent Humboldt Park rally against proposed Medicaid cuts
https://abc7chicago.com/post/medicaid-illinois-chicago-protest-today-proposed-cuts-held-humboldt-park-health/15966039/?cmp=emc-wls-news-headlines-3/1/2025
— Trump and Zelenskyy key takeaways: Oval Office meeting devolves into shouting match. The bitter exchange was unlike any other in the Oval Office in modern times.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/trump-zelenskyy-hold-high-stakes-summit-amid-tensions-peace-talks-putin/15962520/
— Ukrainians rally around Zelenskyy as defender of Ukraine’s interests after Oval Office blowout
https://abc7chicago.com/post/vance-trump-zelenskyy-meeting-ukrainians-rally-around-volodymyr-oval-office-blowout-russia-ukraine-war/15965924/
— Federal workers start to get a new email demanding their accomplishments (COMMENT: What did you accomplish last week? I put together and sent out GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters that contained links to 572 articles.)
https://abc7chicago.com/post/federal-workers-start-get-new-email-demanding-accomplishments/15965685/?cmp=emc-wls-news-headlines-3/1/2025

CBS2
— Pritzker, other Illinois Democrats warn Republicans against cuts to Medicaid (COMMENT: What percent of those in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct are dependent on federal spending?)
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/jb-pritzker-democrats-warn-against-medicaid-cuts/
— Blowup between Trump and Zelenskyy raises new concerns about Ukraine war in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/trump-zelenskyy-ukraine-white-house-meeting-reaction-ukrainian-village/

FOX32
— Durbin condemns federal cuts, warning they endanger families (COMMENT: What percent of those in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct are dependent on federal spending?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DDGJS42Ysd5k

WTTW
— Pritzker, Democratic Congressional Members Sound Alarm Over Potential Medicaid Cuts for Nearly 770,000 Illinoisans (COMMENT: What percent of those in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct are dependent on federal spending?)
https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/28/pritzker-democratic-congressional-members-sound-alarm-over-potential-medicaid-cuts

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Pritzker and top Illinois Democrats appeal to public in fight against potential Medicaid cuts (COMMENT: What percent of those in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct are dependent on federal spending?)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/28/democrats-make-medicaid-appeal/
— Illinois hit by President Donald Trump’s cancellation of foreign aid contracts (COMMENT: What percent of those in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct are dependent on federal spending?)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/28/trump-illinois-usaid-funding-terminated/
— Trump administration approves major nearly $3 billion arms sale to Israel
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/28/trump-administration-arms-sale-israel/
— Trump administration to slash funding for enforcement of fair housing laws
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/28/trump-administration-fair-housing-laws/
— Bally’s Chicago $250 million IPO stalled at SEC; casino refunding deposits of potential minority investors
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bally-chicago-250-million-ipo-211600079.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Illinois Dems call Donald Trump’s Oval Office blowup with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy a ‘national disgrace’
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/donald-trump/2025/02/28/illinois-democrats-reaction-trump-zelenskyy-oval-office-blowup-ukraine
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2025/02/28/deportations-schools-shootings-closures-donald-trump-ice-undocumented-immigrants-gina-caneva
— Federal layoffs of national parks, forestry workers are sloppy, dishonest, wasteful (COMMENT: During the 1980s and 1990s, virtually no one objected when the Democrats who ran GAO dealt with Republican-led budget cuts a) by protecting their Democrat employees who were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time and b) by getting rid of their Republican employees who were White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time. I should write about the aforesaid.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2025/02/28/federal-layoffs-national-park-service-forestry-trump-musk-doge-ben-jealous
— Illinois spends less on education, other services than it did 25 years ago
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2025/02/28/illinois-spending-health-care-education-public-safety-payment-teacher-pensions-pritzker-rich-miller
— Northwestern University to get visit from federal antisemitism task force (COMMENT: My Democrat superiors in the federal government forced my many Jewish superiors and supervisors to take many adverse actions against me. I should write about that.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/02/28/northwestern-university-visit-federal-antisemitic-task-force

DAILY HERALD
— The Illinois State Board of Education is not telling schools to stop any diversity, equity and inclusion lessons or programs (COMMENT: To promote DEI is to promote more discrimination/hatred. To promote DEI is to shout at those who are liberal/moderate, non-Republican, non-American, non-White, female, younger, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America that all their problems are caused by those who are conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, heterosexual, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250301/news/the-illinois-state-board-of-education-is-not-telling-schools-to-stop-any-diversity-equity-and-inclu/
— Darby Hills chosen — again — to succeed Dan McConchie in state Senate
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250228/illinois-state-politics/darby-hills-chosen-again-to-succeed-dan-mcconchie-in-state-senate/

WGN RADIO
— LaHood: Putin should be held accountable for invading Ukraine (COMMENT: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for Putin invading Ukraine.)
https://wgnradio.com/john-williams/rep-lahood-putin-should-be-held-accountable-for-invading-ukraine/

DEKALB COUNTY DAILY CHRONICLE
— State GOP reps. say budget should prioritize vulnerable Illinoisans first (COMMENT: According to Democrat leaders, the most vulnerable Illinoisans are Democrats who are minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or are in America illegally. According to Democrat leaders, the aforesaid are marginalized oppressed victims of Republicans.)
https://www.shawlocal.com/daily-chronicle/2025/03/01/state-gop-reps-say-budget-should-prioritize-vulnerable-illinoisans-first/

KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE
— Chosen Geneva candidates stump for votes at GOP event. Mayoral, aldermanic challengers Pawlik, Bertheau stump for their positions.
https://www.shawlocal.com/kane-county-chronicle/2025/03/01/chosen-geneva-candidates-stump-for-votes-at-gop-event/

SOUTHERN
— Democrats dismayed, Republicans applaud after White House says Trump kicked out Zelenskyy (COMMENT: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for Putin invading Ukraine.)
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2025/02/28/democrats-dismayed-republicans-applaud-after-white-house-says-trump-kicked-out-zelenskyy/

RIVER BENDER
— Davidsmeyer Calls For End Of Taxpayer-Funded Health Benefits For Illegal Immigrants
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/davidsmeyer-calls-for-end-of-taxpayerfunded-health-benefits-for-illegal-immigrants-80146.cfm?

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, more and more and more people will be on welfare.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/washington/washington-dc/republicans-target-snap-in-federal-spending-cuts-food-banks-brace-for-impact/amp/
— What Trump’s order making English the official language in the US could mean (COMMENT: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasing force everyone to speak, read, and write Spanish.)
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/ap-what-trumps-order-making-english-the-official-language-in-the-us-could-mean/

NPR ILLINOIS
— These National Park workers say a Trump agency fired them illegally. A judge agrees. (COMMENT: According to the judges in Diersen v. GAO, it is legal for federal employers to force their employees to retire a) because they became active members in class action lawsuits that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, b) because they complained about political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and/or retaliation, c) because they were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran and had not made Senior Executive Service (currently $195,20/year) by age 40, that is, that selectively-applied up-or-out is legal, and/or d) because they were Republican at a time when Republicans were imposing budget cuts.)
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-03-01/these-national-park-workers-say-a-trump-agency-fired-them-illegally-a-judge-agrees

WAND TV
— IL House Republicans announce a package of bills to give ‘relief for working families’
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/il-house-republicans-announce-a-package-of-bills-to-give-relief-for-working-families/article_a2d22af8-f553-11ef-b124-274c9203412f.html
— Pritzker: ‘Blood will be on Trumps hands’ as Medicaid cuts could pass in federal budget (COMMENT: What percent of those in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct are dependent on federal spending?)
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/pritzker-blood-will-be-on-trumps-hands-as-medicaid-cuts-could-pass-in-federal-budget/article_3001a2ac-f610-11ef-aa9e-4bcb24ebfa9f.html
— Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly use DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/springfield-city-leadership-celebrate-diversity-achievements/article_9d1687aa-f628-11ef-ae89-2f7c57e90558.html
— Trump expected to sign order designating English as the official language of the US (COMMENT: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasing force everyone to speak, read, and write Spanish.)
https://www.wandtv.com/news/national/trump-expected-to-sign-order-designating-english-as-the-official-language-of-the-us/article_8854bcf3-53b1-58b5-8293-314c97611ba2.html

WQAD
— Combat veteran living in Monmouth loses job amid federal workforce reductions. “I voted for Trump,” James Diaz said. “I still support a lot of his policies, but I don’t necessarily support the method that he is implementing them.” (COMMENT: I was forced to retire early from my $153,151/year federal job in today’s dollars when I was 49 years old in 1997 because of a Republican-led workforce reduction. There was no sympathy for me a) because federal employees are viewed negatively, as being nonproductive, grossly overpaid, and even worse things, b) because I got a $66,780/year Civil Service Retirement System pension in today’s dollars, c) because the federal government continues to pay 72% of my and my wife’s health insurance premiums, d) because we owned a home in Wheaton and vehicles, e) because my wife had a good job, f) because we had no debts or dependents, g) because we had retirement savings, and h) because my demographics are terrible: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and my ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.wqad.com/article/life/people/federal-workforce-layoffs-impact-illinois-veteran/526-b6e7b009-802c-4c0e-b877-7a4131561d9c

WSIL TV
— 5-year-old brings marijuana to preschool in Illinois, parents arrested (COMMENT: Democrats were increasingly push more pot.)
https://www.wsiltv.com/news/illinois/5-year-old-brings-marijuana-to-preschool-in-illinois-parents-arrested/article_378d7ede-3af7-5c3f-9eab-3ba4c138db32.html

CWB CHICAGO
— Violent incidents soared to new highs after alderman vowed to stop talking about ‘racist’ crime
https://cwbchicago.com/2025/02/violent-incidents-soared-to-new-highs-after-alderman-vowed-to-stop-talking-about-racist-crime.html

NEW TRIER NEIGHBORS
— Department of Education launches portal to “End DEI”
https://newtrierneighbors.substack.com/p/department-of-education-launches

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/28/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-258/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Black Republicans blast Pritzker’s migrant spending, Nazi comments
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_a068d1aa-f61a-11ef-acd9-0bcad6d66883.html

JOHN BIVER
— The Mystery of Richard Uihlein
https://johnbiver.com/the-mystery-of-richard-uihlein/

WIREPOINTS
— Bally’s Chicago delays controversial securities sale, offers money back to investors
https://wirepoints.org/ballys-chicago-delays-controversial-securities-sale-offers-money-back-to-investors-wirepoints/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more sympathy for federal employees who lose their jobs because of Republican budget cuts. I lost my federal job because of Republican budget cuts. I was forced to retire early from my $153,151/year federal job in today’s dollars when I was 49 years old in 1997. There was no sympathy for me a) because federal employees are viewed negatively, as being nonproductive, grossly overpaid, and even worse things, b) because I got a $66,780/year Civil Service Retirement System pension in today’s dollars, c) because the federal government continues to pay 72% of my and my wife’s health insurance premiums, d) because we owned a home in Wheaton and vehicles, e) because my wife had a good job, f) because we had no debts or dependents, g) because we had retirement savings, and h) because my demographics are terrible: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and my ancestors have been in America for a long time. In defense of my former salary, I had earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What did you accomplish last week? I put together and sent out GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters that contained links to 572 articles. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Pritzker not only does not represent the 2.4 million in Illinois who voted for Trump, he ever-increasingly makes it clear that he despises/hates them. Anticipate/expect that Pritzker will ever-increasingly take more and bigger adverse actions against the 2.4 million in Illinois who voted for Trump. Anticipate/expect that he will ever-increasingly focus Trump voters who share Trump’s demographics: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, married, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Anticipate/expect that Pritzker will force employers in Illinois to not hire those who are the aforesaid and to fire their employees who are the aforesaid. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— To get more and more and more votes from minorities and from females, Democrat and RINO candidates. elected officials, and party leaders ever-increasingly promote more and more and more hatred against Whites and men who are conservative, older, married, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
— During the 1980s and 1990s, virtually no one objected when the Democrats who ran GAO dealt with Republican-led budget cuts a) by protecting their Democrat employees who were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time and b) by getting rid of their Republican employees who were White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time. I should write about the aforesaid. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— According to the judges in Diersen v. GAO, it is legal for federal employers to force their employees to retire a) because they became active members in class action lawsuits that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, b) because they complained about political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and/or retaliation, c) because they were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran and had not made Senior Executive Service (currently $195,20/year) by age 40, that is, that selectively-applied up-or-out is legal, and/or d) because they were Republican at a time when Republicans were imposing budget cuts. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— If I Had Had to Write Five Things I Did One Week in January While I Was Working at the US Budget Bureau for DOGE…
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/28/if-i-had-had-to-write-five-things-i-did-one-week-in-january-while-i-was-working-at-the-us-budget-bureau-for-doge/
— The Most Comprehensive Report on Lara Trump’s Appearance at McHenry County GOPAC’s Fundraiser
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/28/the-most-comprehensive-report-on-lara-trumps-appearance-at-mchenry-county-gopacs-fundraiser/
— Dundee Township Candidates on Display Saturday
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/28/dundee-township-candidates-on-display-saturday/
— Fuzzy Math at the Northwest Herald
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/28/fuzzy-math-at-the-northwest-herald/
— Premature Darby Hills’ Wikipedia Page
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/28/premature-darby-hills-wikipedia-page/
— Darby Hills Selected a Second Time to Replace Dan McConchie
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/28/darby-hills-selected-a-second-time-to-replace-dan-mcconchie/
— Ness Asks Opinions on Her Proposal to Eliminate Plastic Bags at Grocery Stores and Restaurants
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/28/ness-asks-opinions-on-her-proposal-to-eliminate-plastic-bags-at-grocery-stores-and-reataurants/
— Marengo Candidates’ Forum Saturday
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/28/marengo-candidates-forum-saturday/
— Lake County & State Police Take Down Human Traffickers
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/28/lake-county-state-police-take-down-human-traffickers/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Zelenskyy-Trump meeting unravels in heated argument at White House
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/28/zelenskyy-trump-meeting-unravels-heated-argument-white-house/
— Future of Zelenskyy, peace in Ukraine up in air after Oval Office blow-up with Trump
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/28/future-zelenskyy-peace-ukraine-air-oval-office-blow-trump/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Northwestern University Mandatory Anti-Discrimination Training Pushes Unverified CAIR Data
https://freebeacon.com/campus/northwestern-university-mandatory-anti-discrimination-training-pushes-unverified-cair-data/

BREITBART
— Trump Kicks Zelensky Out of White House, Cancels Press Conference After Ukrainian’s Unhinged Oval Office Outburst
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/02/28/trump-kicks-zelensky-out-white-house-cancels-press-conference-after-ukrainians-unhinged-oval-office-outburst/
— The Collapse of Zelensky: Donald Trump, JD Vance Destroy Ukrainian Leader in Oval Office Beatdown
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/02/28/the-collapse-of-zelensky-donald-trump-jd-vance-destroy-ukrainian-leader-in-oval-office-beatdown/

DAILY CALLER
— Trump Kicks Zelenskyy Out Of White House After Oval Office Blow Up
https://dailycaller.com/2025/02/28/donald-trump-zelensky-white-house-oval-office/
— Senior White House Officials Detail How Trump-Zelenskyy Oval Meeting Went Off The Rails
https://dailycaller.com/2025/02/28/white-house-officials-trump-zelenskyy-oval-office-meeting/
— Democrat Chuy Garcia Complains About ICE Arresting Migrant ‘Parent’ Outside School. Turns Out Perp Is Twice-Deported Gangbanger
https://dailycaller.com/2025/02/28/garcia-rips-ice-for-criminal-ice-arrest/

EPOCH TIMES
— Trump-Zelenskyy Meeting Deteriorates Into Heated Argument
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/zelenskyy-to-meet-trump-in-washington-to-sign-minerals-deal-5817851
— 5 Takeaways From the Explosive Trump–Zelenskyy Meeting
https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/5-takeaways-from-the-explosive-trump-zelenskyy-meeting-5818097

TOWNHALL
— Conservatism, a Recipe for Happiness
https://townhall.com/columnists/jeremyfrankel/2025/02/28/conservatism-a-recipe-for-happiness-n2652977

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— Jury finds Illinois landlord Joseph Czuba guilty of murder, hate crime in 2023 attack on Palestinian American boy (COMMENT: Anticipate/expect that Democrat and RINO leaders will ever-increasing paint Czuba as being a typical Trump supporter.)
https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-family-attacked-illinois-hate-crime-trial-muslim-1834d58621cab37197407204b4104dd3

CBS NEWS
— Second “what did you do last week” email expected to go to some federal workers (COMMENT: What did you accomplish last week? I put together and sent out GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters that contained links to 572 articles.)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/second-what-did-you-do-last-week-email-expected-federal-workers/

NBC NEWS
— Pritzker amplifies his fight against Trump (COMMENT: Pritzker not only does not represent the 2.4 million in Illinois who voted for Trump, he ever-increasingly makes it clear that he despises/hates them. Anticipate/expect that Pritzker will ever-increasingly take more and bigger adverse actions against the 2.4 million in Illinois who voted for Trump. Anticipate/expect that he will ever-increasingly focus Trump voters who share Trump’s demographics: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, married, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Anticipate/expect that Pritzker will force employers in Illinois to not hire those who are the aforesaid and to fire their employees who are the aforesaid.)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/illinois-gov-jb-pritzker-amplifies-012633301.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— Homeland Security Officials Push I.R.S. for 700,000 Immigrants’ Addresses. The tax collector has so far denied the request because of concerns it violates taxpayer privacy laws.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/us/politics/irs-immigrants-addresses.html
— Because of Trump, more illegals are now invading Canada instead of America.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/world/canada/canda-us-border-immigration.html
— How Canadians Are Making Their Anger Toward the U.S. Loud and Clear
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/world/canada/canada-us-trump-tariffs-reactions.html
— The newly released requirements for agencies to move forward with mass cuts to the federal work force have employees even more on edge. (COMMENT: All during the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO 1980-1997, all its employees were always on edge because of Republican-led budget cuts.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/27/us/politics/trump-federal-worker-layoffs.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Most Trump Supporters Also Back Ukraine. Our poll found that 69% of Republican voters say Russia is the aggressor and 83% disapprove of Putin.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/most-trump-supporters-also-back-ukraine-polling-russia-war-87ab141a
— Putin Wins the Trump-Zelensky Oval Office Spectacle. Vice President Vance starts a public fight that only helps Russia’s dictator.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/putin-wins-the-trump-zelensky-oval-office-spectacle-e23e9b21
— To get more and more and more votes from minorities and from females, Democrat and RINO candidates. elected officials, and party leaders ever-increasingly promote more and more and more hatred against Whites and men who are conservative, older, married, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/can-white-men-finally-stop-complaining-f2b190e0
— Booz Allen Hamilton Gets 98% of Its Money From the U.S. Government. DOGE Is Coming for Firms Like It. Memo calls for review of $65 billion in contracts that go to Booz Allen Hamilton and other big firms that do government work. (COMMENT: Charles Bowsher ran GAO 1981-1996. He came from Arthur Andersen. His critics/opponents charged him with gutting GAO to drive federal contracts to Arthur Andersen.)
https://www.wsj.com/business/this-company-gets-98-of-its-money-from-the-u-s-government-doge-is-coming-for-firms-like-it-79db9dc7
— Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly glorify and praise their illegals.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/trump-ice-immigration-crackdown-criminals-1e399e4d
— FRONT PAGE: Inside DOGE’s Federal Takeover (COMMENT: There would be no need for DOGE if Gingrich had reformed GAO instead of gutting it.)
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/inside-doge-elon-musk-government-employees-b87fc17a

February 27, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Pritzker calls for release of $2B in federal funding halted by President Donald Trump administration
https://abc7chicago.com/post/gov-jb-pritzker-democratic-members-illinois-congressional-delegation-demanding-2b-federal-funding-halted-trump-admin/15957989/
— Federal workers rally at Chicago VA hospital in protest of mass layoffs by Trump administration
https://abc7chicago.com/post/federal-workers-rally-chicago-jesse-brown-va-west-side-protest-mass-layoffs-president-donald-trumps-administration/15957573/
— Immigration officials say everyone living in the US illegally must register.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/immigration-officials-say-everyone-living-us-illegally-register-what-does-mean/15957638/
— Apple to fix iPhone dictation glitch that suggests replacing the word ‘racist’ with ‘Trump’
https://abc7chicago.com/post/apple-fix-iphone-dictation-glitch-suggests-replacing-word-racist-trump/15956769/
— ‘Radical agreement’ in SCOTUS discrimination case. The Supreme Court seemed to find common ground in a high-profile case brought by a straight woman alleging “reverse” job discrimination in favor of gay people.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/supreme-court-finds-radical-agreement-employment-discrimination-case/15957259/
— Pritzker announces medical debt relief for 170,000 more Illinoisans under state program (COMMENT: What has helped you avoid medical debt? One thing that helped me endure my Democrat superiors’ tremendous efforts to waste my career and to get rid of me was the federal government paying 72% of my health care insurance premiums since I was 18 years old in 1966 and my wife’s premiums since we got married in 1978.)
https://abc7chicago.com/post/gov-jb-pritzker-announces-medical-debt-relief-170000-more-illinois-state-program/15957129/
— Acero Schools officials say immigration agents detained adult outside schools in Gage Park. Vigil held ahead of Chicago Public Schools Board meeting on taking control of some Acero charter schools.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-acero-schools-officials-say-immigration-agents-detained-adult-outside-soto-high-school-idar-elementary-gage-park/15958346/

WGN9
— Illinois lawmakers’ bill would decriminalize prostitution, create sex workers’ bill of rights (COMMENT: Democrats promote vices. Anticipate/expect that Democrats would promote prostitution just as strongly as they promote pot.)
https://wgntv.com/news/illinois/illinois-lawmakers-bill-would-decriminalize-prostitution-create-sex-workers-bill-of-rights/

FOX32
— Blagojevich compares his case to Trump’s in FOX 32 interview, says ‘corrupt’ prosecutors should be in jail
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/blagojevich-compares-case-trump-fox-32-interview-corrupt-prosecutors-jail
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1599885
— Trump holds first full cabinet meeting, what was discussed
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1599706
— Trump instructs federal agencies to plan for massive layoffs
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1599560

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Gov. JB Pritzker accuses Donald Trump of being a king, but he has acted like one himself – David E Smith
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/26/letters-022625/
— Extreme gerrymandering is as bad – Ray LaHood and James Nowlan
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/27/opinion-gerrymandering-us-house-fair-maps/
— Hundreds protest Musk at Libertyville Tesla dealership: ‘What Elon has done to the brand is just make it feel dirty’
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/26/hundreds-protest-musk-at-libertyville-tesla-dealership-what-elon-has-done-to-the-brand-is-just-make-it-feel-dirty/
— Audit finds thousands were improperly enrolled in state health care program for noncitizens, while costs were vastly underestimated
https://www.yahoo.com/news/audit-finds-thousands-were-improperly-234600903.html
— Local HUD workers terminated in recent Trump administration cuts
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/26/local-hud-workers-terminated-in-recent-trump-administration-cuts/
— Pritzker and state’s Democratic delegation in Washington say White House withholding $1.9 billion in federal funding
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/26/pritzker-omb-freeze-letter/
— Trauma on trauma: Immigration agents detain Acero charter schools parent on eve of school board vote to shutter some locations
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/26/ice-detains-school-parent/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Chicago immigrant advocates plan ‘full week of civil disobediences’ kicking off on May Day. The “week of action” will start with a mega march on May 1 from Union Park to Federal Plaza and end with a “day without margaritas and guacamole” on Cinco de Mayo, May 5. There will also be work stoppages on May 2 and 3.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/02/26/chicago-immigrant-advocates-week-civil-disobediences-may-day
— Trump’s control of press pool, ban of AP clearly aim to drown free speech. The White House’s ongoing beef with the Associated Press and its takeover to control reporters covering President Trump are a slap in the face to Americans who rely on a free press and the First Amendment.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/editorials/2025/02/26/white-house-ban-associated-press-freedom-pool-donald-trump-gulf-of-mexico-america-first-amendment
— Elon Musk, a one-man show of conflict of interest. Musk’s role at DOGE has him in charge of what happens next at the very agencies that can make his businesses thrive or suffer. If that sounds like a bad idea, that’s because it definitely is.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2025/02/26/elon-musk-doge-conflicts-of-interest-federal-agencies-doge-s-e-cupp
— Trump, feds blame private jet pilot for near-collision with Southwest jet at Midway. A Southwest Airlines jet attempting to land at Midway on Tuesday morning nearly crashed with a Flexjet jet that had crossed into its landing path. Federal officials are investigating the incident. A preliminary report could take 30 days.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/transportation/2025/02/26/trumo-ntsb-private-jet-pilot-near-collision-southwest-midway
— Pritzker warns of Medicaid cuts, pushes White House to release $1.88B in funds. Gov. JB Pritzker traveled to Washington Tuesday to push for the release of $1.8 billion in frozen federal funds to the state of Illinois — and to further sound the alarm on a pending GOP budget cut to Medicaid that will strip coverage for more than 700,000 Illinois residents.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2025/02/26/jb-pritzker-donald-trump-frozen-federal-funds-illinois-medicaid-cuts

DAILY HERALD
— Trump administration sets the stage for large-scale federal worker layoffs in a new memo
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250226/nation-and-world-politics/the-trump-administration-sets-the-stage-for-large-scale-federal-worker-layoffs-in-a-new-memo-2/

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Tens of thousands gather for Hindu festival at Nepal temple, with many lighting up marijuana joints
https://www.news-gazette.com/news/nation-world/tens-of-thousands-gather-for-hindu-festival-at-nepal-temple-with-many-lighting-up-marijuana/article_2d1037c0-2de7-5699-a3aa-f9c66d668d41.html

SOUTHERN
— Republicans pushing forward on Medicaid changes, despite potential political fallout
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2025/02/27/republicans-pushing-forward-on-medicaid-changes-despite-potential-political-fallout/

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
— Chicago organizations gather outside Trump Tower on Inauguration Day to protest new administration
https://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/watch-chicago-organizations-gather-outside-trump-tower-on-inauguration-day-to-protest-new-administration/

EFFINGHAM DAILY NEWS
— Illinois schools continuing DEI initiatives despite federal funding threats
https://www.effinghamdailynews.com/news/local_news/illinois-schools-continuing-dei-initiatives-despite-federal-funding-threats/article_a7b56614-f48d-11ef-9b9a-2786de45574a.html

FOX ILLINOIS
— Registry revival: Trump targets undocumented immigrants in sweeping new enforcement push
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/migrants-could-soon-face-fines-and-prison-time-for-failing-to-register-with-government-illegal-immigration-us-mexico-border-asylum-executive-order-immigration-and-nationality-act

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Pentagon orders new purge of social media sites to dump diversity, inclusion mentions by March 5
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/ap-pentagon-orders-new-purge-of-social-media-sites-to-dump-diversity-inclusion-mentions-by-march-5/
— Democrats push pot in Pekin
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/new-cannabis-dispensary-proposed-to-go-in-historic-downtown-pekin-building/

NPR ILLINOIS
— Christianity declines among U.S. adults while ‘religiously unaffiliated’ grows
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-26/christianity-declines-among-u-s-adults-while-religiously-unaffiliated-grows-study-says
— Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly glorify and praise their illegals.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-27/how-trumps-crackdown-plays-into-misperceptions-about-immigrants-and-crime

ILLINOIS TIMES
— Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters glorify and praise those who say that they can “work with” the hate-filled Trump-hating Pritzker.  Pritzker destroys those who do not share his hatred against Trump.
https://www.illinoistimes.com/news-opinion/gop-says-they-can-work-with-dems-19816396

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/27/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-463/
— Isabel’s afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/26/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-256/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WIREPOINTS
— About that “balanced” budget in Illinois
https://wirepoints.org/and-about-that-balanced-budget-in-illinois-wirepoints-quickpoint/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— The Washington Post wants to hear from recently fired federal employees. Does the Washington Post what to hear my story?  My Democrat GAO superiors fired me, that is, they forced me to retire when was 49 years old in 1997. To justify that, they used massive Republican-led budget cuts and up-or-out, that is, they’re not having promoted me beyond GS-13. But they wanted to retaliate against me because I had been an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation since 1988. Previously, they had a) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, b) delayed my promotions, c) kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for them, and d) forced me to take a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS in 1980. By doing the aforesaid, my Democrat GAO superiors wasted what I had learned a) working for GAO for almost 18 years and for IRS for almost 9 years, b) earning three job-related master’s degrees, c) earning six job-related professional certifications, and d) earning a job-related professional license.  – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, to deal with Republican-led budget cuts, they first got rid of their employees who were Republican and then their employees who were conservative, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time. Because I was all of the aforesaid, I never would have survived for the 18 years if I had not a) passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, b) earned additional job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, c) became a licensed CPA in 1981, and d) earned job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— With Bryon Daniels Announcing Candidacy for Florida Governor, Three Past Illinois Congressional Candidates Being Mentioned
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/26/with-bryon-daniels-announcing-candidacy-for-florida-governor-three-past-illinois-congressional-candidates-being-mentioned/
— FOID Retrieval Action in Cary
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/26/foid-retrieval-action-in-cary/
— Ness Reports on Springfield
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/26/ness-reports-on-springfield/
— Illinois Paying for Kaplan Test Preparation Courses for University Students and Those at Five Junior Colleges
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/26/illinois-paying-for-kaplan-test-preparation-courses/
— LaHood Playing Key Role in Selection of Next U.S. Attorney
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/26/lahood-playing-key-role-in-selection-of-next-u-s-attorney/
— Former Algonquin Township Trustee Ed Zimel Reflects on Randy Funk’s Defeat, Posts Victory Celebration Photos
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/26/ed-zimel-reflects-on-randy-funks-defeat-posts-victory-celebration-photos/
— Nail-Biter in Grafton Township Trustee Contest
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/26/nail-biter-in-grafton-township-trustee-contest/
– Pritzker Two-Step 3 AM Tax Hike Predicted
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox?compose=GTvVlcSBpRTKlGmDwHHjfpWkJTSNnwFZNWcqZdGStTcRNvBHZSlhfHFFDjMlLWXSDsbdLWldLzhQg
— Anonymous Letter in Support of Leda Bobera-Drain’s Re-Election Campaign Day Before Voting Did Not Lead to Victory
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/26/anonymous-letter-in-support-of-leda-bobera-drains-re-election-campaign-day-before-voting-did-not-lead-to-victory/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— ICE tallies 20,000 arrests in one month
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/26/ice-tallies-20000-arrests-one-month/
— Trump memo orders ‘large-scale’ federal layoffs in sweeping agency cuts
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/26/memo-calls-large-scale-cuts-federal-agencies/

AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
— Will Trump’s Second Musk Bet Pay Off?  DOGE could reform the government, or it could just aggravate voters.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/will-trumps-second-musk-bet-pay-off/

AMERICAN DECENCY
— Has the Glory of the Lord Departed from Wheaton?
https://americandecency.org/2025/has-the-glory-of-the-lord-departed-from-wheaton/

AMERICAN WIRE
— Michael Moore says deported illegals could cure cancer, stop killer asteroid, but Dem lawmaker reminds people that they are food picking slaves
https://americanwirenews.com/michael-moore-says-deported-illegals-could-cure-cancer-stop-killer-asteroid-but-dem-lawmaker-reminds-people-that-they-are-food-picking-slaves/

BLAZE
— Illegal aliens are criminals, not victims (COMMENT: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly glorify and praise illegals.)
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/illegal-aliens-are-criminals-not-victims

BREITBART
— Illegals Will Have Chance to Register Within 30 Days of Arrival and Be Removed, Will Have Chance to Come Back Later
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/02/26/noem-illegals-will-have-chance-to-register-within-30-days-of-arrival-and-be-removed-will-have-chance-to-come-back-later/
— Migration Arrests Rise Sevenfold Under Trump
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2025/02/26/migration-arrests-rise-sevenfold-under-trump/
— Michael Moore: Trump Might Be Deporting Illegals Who Could ‘Cure Cancer’ or Stop an Asteroid (COMMENT: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly glorify and praise illegals.)
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2025/02/26/michael-moore-trump-might-be-deporting-illegals-who-could-cure-cancer-or-stop-an-asteroid/
— Pentagon Orders the Removal of DEI from All Official Online Content
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/02/26/exclusive-pentagon-orders-removal-dei-all-official-online-content/

FOX NEWS
— The war on woke has ‘certainly’ not been won yet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3FlFq4SoiU

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Wokeness in Medicine Lingers
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/wokeness-in-medicine-lingers/

PJ MEDIA
— Trump Revokes Biden’s Concessions to Commie Venezuela
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2025/02/26/trump-revokes-bidens-concessions-to-commie-venezuela-n4937356

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— USAID Has Done America Extreme Harm Overseas
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2025/02/26/former_usaid_coo_the_agency_has_done_america_extreme_harm_overseas_its_a_multibillion-dollar_money_pot.html
— Pritzker’s Not a Nazi Either – Richard Porter (COMMENT: In my opinion, Pritzker is ever-increasingly treating Republicans like Hitler treated Jews. That explains why more and more and more Republicans are giving up on Illinois. That explains why more and more and more Republicans are fleeing Illinois.)
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2025/02/26/pritzkers_not_a_nazi_either_152419.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Trump suggests pilot’s license be suspended in close call at Chicago airport
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/trump-suggests-pilot-s-license-be-suspended-in-close-call-at-chicago-airport/ar-AA1zQfGk
— Trump hosts event honoring Black History Month  (COMMENT: Democrats and RINOs ever-increasingly promote Black History Month. When I was 49 years old in 1997, my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire and replaced me with their Black History Month coordinator. 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 no professional license like the one I had.)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/watch-live-trump-hosts-event-honoring-black-history-month/ar-AA1zsYRv

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— Democratic governors pitch state jobs to federal workers cut by Trump
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democratic-governors-pitch-state-jobs-to-federal-workers-cut-by-trump/ar-AA1zR4Yr
— Trump administration sets the stage for large-scale federal worker layoffs
https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-2-27-2025

ABC NEWS
— As Trump’s deadline to eliminate DEI nears, few schools openly rush to make changes
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/trumps-deadline-eliminate-dei-nears-schools-openly-rush-119240446
— A Project 2025 author Russell Vought carries out his vision for mass federal layoffs. The Trump administration’s demand that federal agencies plan to radically downsize is driven by a key figure in the conservative movement who has long planned this move. (COMMENT: Vought is a Wheaton College graduate.)
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/project-2025-author-carries-vision-mass-federal-layoffs-119229770

NBC NEWS
— Trump administration creates registry for immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally. Everyone who is in the U.S. illegally must register, give fingerprints and provide an address, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/trump-administration-registry-immigrants-illegal-undocumented-rcna193818

CBS NEWS
— Federal agencies told to submit “reorganization plans,” prepare for mass firings
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-personnel-budget-memo-reorganization-plans/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Trump Administration, Breaking With Musk’s Directive, Says Replying to His Email Is Voluntary. The response to Elon Musk’s “What did you do last week?” email to federal employees suggests that there may be limits to how far he can push the government’s work force.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/24/us/politics/elon-musk-email-federal-workers.html
— The Next Phase of Trump’s Large-Scale Work Force Cuts Is Underway. Workers at a handful of agencies have begun receiving notifications that they are part of the “reduction in force” directed by the president, after a wave of firings that targeted probationary workers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/25/us/politics/trump-musk-doge-cuts-federal-workers.html
— Trump Administration Escalates Layoffs of Federal Workers. Federal officials circulated a memo asking agency leaders to plan even more job reductions after thousands of federal workers were fired in recent weeks.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/us/politics/trump-doge-federal-worker-layoffs-memo.html
— Trump Said E.P.A. Would Lose 65 Percent of Staff. Then, a Correction.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/climate/trump-epa-layoffs.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Elon Musk’s business empire is built on $38 billion in government funding. Government infusions at key moments helped Tesla and SpaceX flourish, boosting Musk’s wealth.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2025/elon-musk-business-government-contracts-funding/
—  Musk attends Trump’s first Cabinet meeting of new term
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/26/trump-presidency-news/
— Are you a federal employee who was fired after a glowing review? Tell The Post. The Washington Post wants to hear from federal employees who were recently fired after receiving a glowing performance review. Tell us your story through this form.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/02/26/submissions-federal-dismissals/

USA TODAY
— Democrat and RINO employers ever-increasingly use DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/02/27/dei-backlash-erase-black-executives-gains/78475480007/

FORBES
— Here’s Where Trump’s Government Layoffs Reportedly Are—Social Security Administration, FEMA, IRS And More
https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/02/26/heres-where-trumps-government-layoffs-reportedly-are-social-security-administration-fema-irs-and-more/

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
— Democrat and RINO employers ever-increasingly use DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://hbr.org/2025/02/how-to-assess-the-new-legal-risks-of-your-dei-policies

BUSINESS INSIDER
— Federal workers react to Trump administration’s new plan for restructuring, staff cuts: ‘They’ll have to fire me.’
https://www.businessinsider.com/doge-office-new-staff-cuts-federal-workers-responde-2025-2

FED SMITH
— RIFs Are Coming: What Federal Employees Need to Know About the Upcoming Workforce Optimization Initiative. The Trump administration is directing agencies to plan for large scale reorganizations and RIFs. Details of the plans have emerged. (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, to deal with Republican-led budget cuts, they first got rid of their employees who were Republican and then their employees who were conservative, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time. Because I was all of the aforesaid, I never would have survived for the 18 years if I had not a) passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, b) earned additional job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, c) became a licensed CPA in 1981, and d) earned job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997.)
https://www.fedsmith.com/2025/02/26/rifs-are-coming-what-federal-employees-need-to-know-about-upcoming-workforce-optimization/

POLITICO
— Elon Musk’s bad rep among Dems threatens EV sales push in statehouses. Tesla’s campaigns to sell its electric vehicles directly to consumers, bypassing traditional dealerships, face more challenges in Democratic statehouses as Musk’s national clout grows.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/27/elon-musk-tesla-ev-sales-00206194

PEW RESEARCH CENTER
— All those in the mainstream news media are LGBTQ and/or promote LGBTQ.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/26/most-lgbtq-adults-expect-trumps-policies-to-affect-gay-lesbian-bisexual-and-trans-people-negatively/

FINANCIAL TIMES
— Democrat and RINO employers ever-increasingly use DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.ft.com/content/87cdf51c-c8e6-439c-aef6-91cb8faed78a

February 22, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— President Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump speaks at McHenry County fundraising event
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-politics-president-donald-trumps-daughter-law-lara-trump-speaks-mchenry-county-gopac-fundraising-event/15943990/
— Trump clashes with Democratic governor at White House event: ‘See you in court’
https://abc7chicago.com/post/maine-governor-janet-mills-president-donald-trump-clashes-executive-order-banning-transgender-athletes-womens-sports/15943839/

NBC5
— Judge blocks Trump administration from terminating DEI-related grants. The court ruling also prevents the Justice Department from bringing any enforcement actions against contractors and grant recipients who have such programs.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/judge-blocks-trump-administration-from-terminating-dei-related-grants/3680425/
— A look at Trump’s latest executive orders as he signs more than 70 in first month. This week, measures surrounding IVF, federal regulation and benefits for immigrants were among the newest additions.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/a-look-at-trumps-latest-executive-orders-as-he-signs-more-than-70-in-first-month/3680178/

FOX32
— Pritzker receives pushback for comments comparing Trump and the MAGA movement to Nazi Germany. (COMMENT: If you are a conservative Republican and White, male, older, Christian, and/or German American, the more demographics that you share with Hitler, the more that Democrat and RINO leaders hint/imply/argue/shout that you are a Nazi. Hitler was White, male, older, Christian, and German American.)
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1597352
(FROM WIKIPEDIA: The religious beliefs of Adolf Hitler, dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, have been a matter of debate. His opinions regarding religious matters changed considerably over time. During the beginning of his political career, Hitler publicly expressed favorable opinions towards traditional Christian ideals, but later deviated from them. Most historians describe his later posture as adversarial to organized Christianity and established Christian denominations. He also staunchly criticized atheism. Hitler was born to a practicing Catholic mother, Klara Hitler, and was baptized in the Roman Catholic Church; his father, Alois Hitler, was a free-thinker and skeptical of the Catholic Church. In 1904, he was confirmed at the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Linz, Austria, where the family lived. . .Toland offers the opinion that Hitler “carried within him its teaching that the Jew was the killer of God. The extermination, therefore, could be done without a twinge of conscience since he was merely acting as the avenging hand of God …” Michael Rissmann notes that, according to several witnesses who lived with Hitler in a men’s home in Vienna, he never again attended Mass or received the sacraments after leaving home at 18 years old. In a speech in 1932, Hitler declared himself “not a Catholic and not a Protestant, but a German Christian”.)

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/22/transgender-trump-executive-order-chicago-impact/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote immigrants. Democrat leaders want immigrants because immigrants vote for Democrats. RINO leaders want immigrants because RINO leaders want cheap labor.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2025/02/21/elaine-soloway-family-refugee-story-russa-immigration-aslyum

DAILY HERALD
— Democrats had mixed reactions last week to Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250222/news/majority-party-democrats-had-mixed-reactions-last-week-to-gov-jb-pritzkers-budget-address-with-le/

SHAW LOCAL
— Gary Sinise & The Lt. Dan Band return to Cantigny in Wheaton this summer Saturday, July 12
https://www.shawlocal.com/thescene/2025/02/22/gary-sinise-the-lt-dan-band-return-to-cantigny-in-wheaton-this-summer/

RIVER BENDER
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly encourage citizens of foreign countries to have their children born in America. Democrat leaders see those children as being soldiers in their army. Democrats have declared a Second Civil War against Republicans.
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/duckworth-and-rosen-introduce-born-in-the-usa-act-legislation-79938.cfm?

WAND TV
— IL Democrats celebrate Pritzker’s budget, GOP criticize Governor for ‘Nazi comparison’
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/il-democrats-celebrate-pritzkers-budget-gop-criticize-governor-for-nazi-comparison/article_7b08d028-ef16-11ef-ba5b-efc1d3148209.html

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Trump says he may take control of the US Postal Service. (COMMENT: To force me to resign in 1969 when I was 20 years old, my Democrats Park Forest Post Office superiors falsely claimed that I was not available to work enough part-time hours. I was available to work every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, holiday, and every day that NIU was not in session. Previously, they denied my sick leave requests in 1968 and 1969.)
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/ap-trump-says-he-may-take-control-of-the-us-postal-service-heres-what-to-know/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WIREPOINTS
— People in neighboring states are getting tax cuts. Gov. Pritzker has never offered Illinoisans the same relief.
https://wirepoints.org/people-in-neighboring-states-are-getting-tax-cuts-gov-pritzker-has-never-offered-illinoisans-the-same-relief-wirepoints-on-wls-ramblin-ray-show/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What are Affirmative Action (AA) and DEI? They are tools that Democrats and RINOs use to get rid of Republicans. I should write about how my Democrat superiors in the federal government used AA and DEI to waste my career and to force me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997. I should write about how RINO leaders of the following used DEI to get rid of me: a) Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Illinois Republican Party leaders, b) Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois leaders, c) conservative leaders, and d) religious leaders. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— How would your life have been different if Trump had ended Affirmative Action and DEI earlier? For me, it would have been much more difficult for my Democrat superiors in the federal government to take adverse actions against me and to force me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997. Because I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license, the federal government would have promoted me into its Senior Executive Service before I was 40 years old in 1988. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— How has DEI impacted you, that is, how has race and gender based preference giving impacted you? Since the 1960s, my critics/opponents have used DEI to get rid of me. I should write about that. I would focus on a) my Democrat superiors in the federal government, b) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Illinois Republican Party, c) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, d) conservative leaders, and e) religious leaders. I would focus on the big adverse actions that the aforesaid would not have taken against me if I had been a minority or female. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Have you been fired? My Democrat Post Office superiors fired me in when I was 20 years old in 1969. My Democrat Firestone Store boss fired me in 1971. My Democrat GAO superiors fired me in 1997. My RINO Milton Township Republican Organization leaders fired me in 2004 and 2010. My RINO American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter leaders fired me in 2004. My RINO Illinois Center Right Coalition leaders fired me in 2007. My RINO Wheaton Chamber of Commerce leaders fired me in 2011. My RINO TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois leaders fired me in 2012. My RINO Wheaton leaders fired me in 2021. My RINO Illinois Republican Party leaders fired me 2024. I should write about those who have fired me and the pretexts that they used. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Did you get scholarships? Since I was 17 years old in 1966, my critics/opponents have used against me my not getting any scholarships. According to them, my not getting any scholarships proves that I am academically deficient and that my parents were filthy rich. They have always stressed that I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class and that my ACT score was only 24. In my defense, I stress that even though I had to work my way through college, I went on to earn three master’s degrees, six professional certifications, and a professional license. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on how much money their parents had. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What are your demographics? If I had been a minority or a woman when I was 49 years old in 1997, I would have been able to get a job appropriate for my work experience, education, professional certifications, and professional license. I had worked for GAO for almost 18 years. I had worked for IRS for almost 9 years. I had earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance). I had earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting). I had earned a job-related professional license (CPA). – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com)

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Judge pauses parts of Trump orders aimed at dismantling DEI
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/3326999/judge-pauses-parts-trump-dei-orders/
— Noem deputizes State Department employees as immigration officers (COMMENT: I worked for IRS as a Revenue Officer for almost 9 years. Will Trump deputize IRS Revenue Officers as immigration officers?)
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/3323486/kristi-noem-deputize-state-employees-dhs-immigration-officers/

NEW YORK POST
— No going back: The left will fail in trying to reverse Trump’s DEI death sentence (COMMENT: How has DEI impacted you, that is, how has race and gender based preference giving impacted you? Since the 1960s, my critics/opponents have used DEI to get rid of me. I should write about that. I would focus on a) my Democrat superiors in the federal government, b) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Illinois Republican Party, c) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, d) conservative leaders, and e) religious leaders. I would focus on the big adverse actions that the aforesaid would not have taken against me if I had been a minority or female.)
https://nypost.com/2025/02/21/opinion/the-left-will-fail-in-trying-to-reverse-trumps-dei-death-sentence/

AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
— Trump Should Lead A World Summit Against Illegal Immigration. Now is time to internationalize the campaign against illegal immigration.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/trump-should-lead-a-world-summit-against-illegal-immigration/

BREITBART
— Attorney General Pam Bondi warned leftist mayors and governors that if they don’t comply with the law and work with federal authorities to deport illegal immigrants, they will be sued. (COIMMENT: Federal Law Trumps State And Local Law.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bg9yVmbd2k

COLLEGE FIX
— Federal agency halts scholarship program at HBCUs following Trump’s DEI crackdown (COMMENT: Since I was 17 years old in 1966, my critics/opponents have used against me my not getting any scholarships. According to them, my not getting any scholarships proves that I am academically deficient and that my parents were filthy rich. They have always stressed that I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class and that my ACT score was only 24. In my defense, I stress that even though I had to work my way through college, I went on to earn three master’s degrees, six professional certifications, and a professional license. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on how much money their parents had.)
https://www.thecollegefix.com/federal-agency-halts-scholarship-program-at-hbcus-following-trumps-dei-crackdown/

EPOCH TIMES
— Trump Considers Merging US Postal Service With Commerce Department. ‘We’re losing so much money with the Postal Service, and we don’t want to lose that kind of money,’ Trump said.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-considers-merging-us-postal-service-with-commerce-department-5814303

FOX BUSINESS
— Citigroup pulls back on diversity in job hiring as Trump administration dismantles DEI nationwide. Citigroup CEO announced in a memo that a diverse job candidate slate is no longer required. (COMMENT: If I had been a minority or a woman when I was 49 years old in 1997, I would have been able to get a job appropriate for my work experience, education, professional certifications, and professional license. I had worked for GAO for almost 18 years. I had worked for IRS for almost 9 years. I had earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance). I had earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting). I had earned a job-related professional license (CPA).)
https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/major-bank-pulls-back-diversity-job-hiring-trump-administration-dismantles-dei-nationwide

NEW AMERICAN
— Noem Ends TPS for 520K Haitians; Almost 1M Illegals No Longer Have Status
https://thenewamerican.com/us/noem-ends-tps-for-520k-haitians-almost-1m-illegals-no-longer-have-status/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CNN
— At CPAC, the MAGA base is skeptical of Trump’s Big Tech alliance
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/22/politics/cpac-tech-trump-musk/index.html

REUTERS
— Scenes from CPAC
https://www.reuters.com/pictures/scenes-cpac-2025-02-21/

CNBC
— Trump, DOGE mass job cuts: Federal workers’ money questions answered
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/21/trump-doge-mass-job-cuts-federal-workers-money-questions-answered.html

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— Experienced workers, not just rookies, get cut as Trump slashes probationary employees. (COMMENT: To deal with Republican-led budget cuts, while I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, they protected their employees who were Democrat, minority, female. younger, or veteran from adverse impacts and made their employees who were Republican, White, male, older, and or non-veteran pay the price.)
https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/2025/feb/22/experienced-workers-not-just-rookies-get-cut-as/

CNN
— Trump administration fires top US general and Navy chief in unprecedented purge of military leadership  (COMMENT: Have you been fired? My Democrat Post Office superiors fired me in when I was 20 years old in 1969. My Democrat Firestone Store boss fired me in 1971. My Democrat GAO superiors fired me in 1997. My RINO Milton Township Republican Organization leaders fired me in 2004 and 2010. My RINO American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter leaders fired me in 2004. My RINO Illinois Center Right Coalition leaders fired me in 2007. My RINO Wheaton Chamber of Commerce leaders fired me in 2011. My RINO TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois leaders fired me in 2012. My RINO Wheaton leaders fired me in 2021. My RINO Illinois Republican Party leaders fired me 2024. I should write about those who have fired me and the pretexts that they used.)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/21/politics/trump-fires-top-us-general-cq-brown/index.html

NBC NEWS
— Mass federal layoffs deliver a gutting one-two punch to America’s veterans. Veterans who lost their government jobs say they also have to worry about the potential fallout from cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs. (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, many of my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were veterans, and at times, most, if not virtually all were veterans.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mass-federal-layoffs-deliver-gutting-one-two-punch-americas-veterans-rcna193127

NEW YORK TIMES
— Frustrated Democrats Urge Leaders to Show More Fight Against Trump. Voters, activists and even some governors, like Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, are growing exasperated with congressional Democrats’ restrained approach.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/22/us/politics/democrats-trump.html
— How Federal Employees Are Fighting Back Against Elon Musk. Some civil servants are using whatever levers they have to resist the orders of the world’s richest man, both in public and behind closed doors. (COMMENT: If I was still a federal employee, my Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates would have killed me by now figuratively if not literally.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/22/us/politics/federal-employees-elon-musk.html
— At CPAC, Leaders of the Global Right See a New World, Led by Trump
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/22/us/politics/cpac-trump-liz-truss-orban-germany-spain.html

WASHINGTON POST
— ‘Lifting’ becomes ‘leveling’: Companies reframe DEI amid Trump upheaval. With private-sector policies in the government’s crosshairs, businesses are ditching representation goals and focusing on inclusion. (COMMENT: I should write about how my Democrat superiors in the federal government used Affirmative Action and DEI to waste my career and force me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/21/trump-business-dei-policy-rebrand-representation-goals/
— Trump expected to take control of USPS, fire postal board. Experts say the move would likely violate the law. Trump said Friday that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick would be “looking at” the mail agency.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/20/trump-usps-takeover-dejoy/

USA TODAY
— Tracking federal layoffs 2025: Impacted agencies include IRS, FAA, TSA and more
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/21/federal-layoffs-2025-list/79415517007/
— Trump keeps teasing a third term, but his fans at CPAC don’t back him on that
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/02/22/trump-third-term-steve-bannon-cpac/79468835007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Debt Has Always Been the Ruin of Great Powers. Is the U.S. Next?
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/debt-has-always-been-the-ruinof-great-powers-is-the-u-s-next-02f16402?page=1

BUSINESS INSIDER
— Trump administration fires raft of top military officers in unprecedented purge
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-administration-fires-raft-pentagon-leaders-in-unprecedented-purge-2025-2

FORBES
— Trump Celebrates Efforts To End ‘Lawless’ DEI Policies Put In Place By Biden (COMMENT: I should write about how my Democrat superiors in the federal government used Affirmative Action and DEI to waste my career and force me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBwKM9YIUP8
— Citigroup Rolls Back Diversity Initiatives—Here Are All The Companies Cutting DEI Programs (COMMENT: I should write about how my Democrat superiors in the federal government used Affirmative Action and DEI to waste my career and force me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/02/21/pepsi-rolling-back-diversity-initiatives-here-are-all-the-companies-cutting-dei-programs/

NFFE
— What is happening to the federal workforce under Trump, updates and information you need (COMMENT: I was a federal employee for almost 30 years. I was a union member for almost 12 of those years. I have been a federal retiree for more than 27 years.)
https://nffe.org/nffe_news/what-is-happening-to-the-federal-workforce-under-trump-updates-and-information-you-need/

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— Impacts of federal layoffs will be felt for years to come, good government group warns (COMMENT: I was a federal employee for almost 30 years. I was a union member for almost 12 of those years. I have been a federal retiree for more than 27 years.)
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2025/02/impacts-of-federal-layoffs-will-be-felt-for-years-to-come-good-government-group-warns/

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— DoD to fire 5,400 probationary employees next week, with hiring freeze to follow (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, the agency was almost always under Republican-imposed hiring freezes and promotion freezes.)
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense-main/2025/02/dod-to-fire-5400-probationary-employees-next-week-with-hiring-freeze-to-follow/

ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE
— A snapshot of the federal workforce that is now under attack from the Trump administration (COMMENT: Virtually all federal employees are Democrats who are hell-bent on getting rid of Republicans. I should write about that. I was a federal employee for almost 30 years. I would focus on the many big adverse actions that my Democrat superiors took against me to get rid of me.)
https://www.epi.org/blog/a-snapshot-of-the-federal-workforce-that-is-now-under-attack-from-the-trump-administration/

CONVERSATION
— Trump’s moves to strip employment protections from federal workers threaten to make government function worse – not better (COMMENT: The more of the following that federal employees are, the fewer protections that they have: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, non-union member, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.)
https://theconversation.com/trumps-moves-to-strip-employment-protections-from-federal-workers-threaten-to-make-government-function-worse-not-better-248086

ABP
— Pentagon To Layoff 5,400 Employees As President Donald Trump And Elon Musk Continue To Downsize Federal Agencies. So far, over 20,000 workers have been laid off and multiple programs have been dismantled across the US government from foreign aid to financial oversight.
https://news.abplive.com/business/pentagon-to-layoff-5-400-employees-as-president-donald-trump-and-elon-musk-continue-to-downsize-federal-agencies-1753184

MANILA TIMES
— Undocumented Filipinos in US up for deportation as Trump cracks down on illegals
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/02/22/news/undocumented-filipinos-in-us-up-for-deportation-as-trump-cracks-down-on-illegals/2060620

February 21, 2025 Evening Edition

WHITE HOUSE
— When There Are No Illegal Immigrants, There Is No Need for Shelters
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/02/when-there-are-no-illegal-immigrants-theres-no-need-for-shelters/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Father Pfleger, faith leaders call for boycott of Target after company scales back DEI initiatives
https://abc7chicago.com/post/target-boycott-father-michael-pfleger-among-faith-leaders-calling-consumer-company-scales-back-dei-initiatives/15942947/
— Judge blocks Trump’s executive order ending federal support for DEI programs
https://abc7chicago.com/post/dei-judge-blocks-president-donald-trumps-executive-order-ending-federal-support-diversity-equity-inclusion-programs/15943426/
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration
https://abc7chicago.com/post/11-year-old-jocelynn-rojo-carranza-dies-suicide-days-chatter-rumors-ice-raids-gainesville-isd-school/15942540/

WGN9
— Fired IRS employee Vanessa Marie Rollins searching for health insurance after recent cancer diagnosis (COMMENT: I worked for IRS in its downtown Chicago office in 1971 and 1973-1980, its Harvey office 1972-1973, its 63rd & Halsted office in 1973, and its Joliet office 1973-1974.)
https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/chicago-irs-federal-job-cuts-trump/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Judge blocks Donald Trump’s executive order ending federal support for DEI programs
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/21/judge-trump-dei-programs/

DAILY HERALD
— Darby Hills’ appointment to state Senate on hold as Republicans reopen applications for McConchie’s seat
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250221/illinois-state-politics/republicans-reopen-applications-for-mcconchies-suburban-senate-seat/

SOUTHERN
— Fired IRS employee decries irony of being hired to ‘make the IRS ‘more efficient’ (COMMENT: The purpose of GAO’s audits of IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) that I worked on for GAO for 3 years was to help IRS CID close the tax gap.)
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2025/02/21/fired-irs-employee-decries-irony-of-being-hired-to-make-the-irs-more-efficient/

RIVER BENDER
— Duckworth Slams SecDef Hegseth’s Order to Cut Defense Budget by Eight Percent for the Next Five Years  (COMMENT: SEE: Downsizing the U.S. General Accounting Office at https://www.gao.gov/assets/Downsizing_at_the_U.S._General_Accounting_Office.pdf )
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/duckworth-slams-secdef-hegseths-order-to-cut-defense-budget-by-eight-percent-for-the-next-five-years-79912.cfm
(FROM THE GAO REPORT: In 1995, Congress sent a legislative branch appropriations bill to the President, which he signed, that reduced the fiscal year 1996 budget of the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) by 15 percent. At the same time, Congress indicated that it would be calling for an additional 10 percent
reduction in GAO’S budget for fiscal year 1997. In order to accommodate those reductions, GAO determined that it would have to trim its workforce
from the fiscal year 1995 level of approximately 4,350 employees’ to 3,500 employees (a loss of 850 positions) by the beginning of fiscal year 1997.)

FOX ILLINOIS
— Kristi Noem deputizes hundreds of State Department agents for immigration enforcement
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/kristi-noem-deputizes-hundreds-of-state-department-agents-for-immigration-enforcement-dhs-department-of-homeland-security-trump-mass-deportations-illegal-immigration-ice

NEWS CHANNEL 20
— MAGA is ‘a Nazi movement’: Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe arrested at city council meeting (COMMENT: Under Pritzker’s lead, anticipate/expect that those in Illinois who voted for Harris (3 million) will ever-increasingly call those who voted for Trump (2.4million) Nazis.)
https://newschannel20.com/news/nation-world/maga-is-a-nazi-movement-former-nfl-punter-chris-kluwe-arrested-at-city-council-meeting-california-huntington-beach-city-council-minnesota-vikings-president-donald-trump-politics-make-america-great-again-red-hat-swastika

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Virtually all federal employees are Democrats. Democrat leaders ever-increasingly glorify and praise them because of Trump budget cuts.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/ap-trump-administration-looks-to-slash-hud-workers-tackling-the-housing-crisis/

WGLT
— IRS cuts over 6,000 jobs in the middle of tax season
https://www.wglt.org/2025-02-20/irs-cuts-over-6-000-jobs-in-the-middle-of-tax-season

WOC 1420
— Former John Deere Employee Sues For Age Discrimination (SEE: Diersen v. GAO at: https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf )
https://woc1420.iheart.com/content/2025-02-21-former-john-deere-employee-sues-for-age-discrimination/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A former John Deere employee is suing the agricultural equipment maker for age discrimination. Sixty-one year-old Terence Murphy of Geneseo, Illinois says he was fired last summer after 26 years, and his job filled days later by a 33 year-old woman. In the suit, Murphy says his performance ratings were excellent. He says the new hire had no prior experience in the position, and lacked his credentials. Murphy’s attorneys say statistics show Deere fired employees over age 60 at a rate 7.5% higher than those under age 40. Deere & Company says it can’t comment on pending litigation.)

WQAD
— Employment law experts break down age discrimination lawsuit against John Deere  (SEE: Diersen v. GAO at: https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf )
https://www.wqad.com/article/money/business/john-deere/john-deere-wrongful-termination-lawsuit-age-discrimination/526-5c13b394-2ec9-4933-b724-eb26b9746e13

CHALKBEAT CHICAGO
— Illinois schools chief tells districts to follow state law, not Trump threats  (COMMENT: Federal Trumps State Law.)
https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/02/21/illinois-schools-chief-says-keep-teaching-black-history-after-trump-letter/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/21/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-253/
— ILGOP calls out Jewish governor for ‘vile, antisemitic attacks”
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/21/ilgop-calls-out-jewish-governor-for-vile-antisemitic-attacks/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

ILLINOIS GOP
— ILGOP Responds To Pritzker’s Vile, Antisemitic Attacks
https://illinois.gop/category/news/
(THE PRESS RELEASE: Lost in the shuffle of the grandstanding and hypocrisy from Governor Pritzker’s budget speech was the dangerous, divisive rhetoric he used – comparing President Trump and the Republican Party to Nazi’s. During Wednesday’s budget speech, Pritzker referred to Nazi’s six times, painting an inaccurate and dangerously partisan picture of the Republican Party. As Pritzker continues to prepare for his 2028 run for President, ILGOP Chair Kathy Salvi released the following statement: “JB Pritzker stoops to a new low and needs to be condemned by both Democrats and Republicans. His disgusting and repulsive attack on Republicans and this administration comes at a time when President Trump and Republicans are supporting Israel and the Jewish people as they defend themselves from barbaric terrorists. Meanwhile, JB Pritzker is standing with criminal illegals and further dividing our great nation. At the Illinois Republican Party, we continue to fight with the Trump Administration to combat an unprecedented wave of antisemitism and will always call out Pritzker’s repulsive language. Bottom Line: In their effort to combat vile, antisemitic attacks like those by Governor Pritzker on Wednesday, President Trump and Republicans are fighting antisemitism in the United States.)

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Those who have demographics that vote for Democrats benefit from DEI. Those who have demographics that vote for Republicans are harmed by DEI. Demographics that vote for Democrats are liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, unmarried, poor, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time. Demographics that vote for Republicans are conservative, White, male, older, married, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors have been in America for a long time. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Stopping the illegal alien invasion. January was the lowest month of people illegally crossing the border since May 2020.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/20/stopping-illegal-alien-invasion/

EPOCH TIMES
— Trump Fires Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Charles Q Brown. Trump will nominate Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine to replace the general.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-fires-joint-chiefs-of-staff-gen-chair-charles-q-brown-5814407

FOX BUSINESS
— Chicago resident says his city believes it’s ‘more important’ to take care of illegals than Americans
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6369166557112
— Red state businesses put on notice if they intentionally hire illegal immigrants: ‘Stiff penalties’  The bill would give the Montana prosecutors resources to enforce the law.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/red-state-businesses-put-on-notice-intentionally-hire-illegal-immigrants-stiff-penalties

NEWSMAX
— Military Bases to Be Used to House Illegals
https://www.newsmax.com/us/immigration-deportation-ice/2025/02/21/id/1200023/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NBC NEWS
— Elon Musk becomes a new power center at CPAC. The tech billionaire stole the show Thursday, a surprise guest who wielded a chainsaw to symbolize his government cuts.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/doge/elon-musk-becomes-new-power-center-cpac-rcna193097
— At town halls, Republicans feel the heat from Trump and Musk’s firing and cutting spree. The White House said the incidents represent just a handful of critics. Others noted similarities to earlier backlash against disruptive moves in Washington.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/town-halls-republicans-feel-heat-trump-musks-firing-cutting-spree-rcna193164

CBS NEWS
— White House pushes back on criticism of Trump spending cuts
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/white-house-pushes-back-on-criticism-of-trump-spending-cuts/

MSNBC
— Not all Republicans want Musk’s chainsaw approach to spending cuts
https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/joe-not-all-republicans-want-musk-s-chainsaw-approach-to-spending-cuts-232576069725

USA TODAY
— What is DOGE dividend check? Will Illinoisans get a $5,000 stimulus check?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2025/02/21/will-illinoisans-get-5000-doge-stimulus-check-heres-what-to-know/79440259007/
— More than one way to slice a workforce: How Trump’s cuts differ from Clinton’s.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/21/clinton-trump-federal-workers-jobs/79306710007/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In the wake of mass layoffs under President Donald Trump’s new administration, some have compared the government-shrinking initiative to a 1990s effort under President Bill Clinton, when about 400,000 jobs were cut from the federal workforce.)

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Illinois Cancels Henry Hyde. Progressives stripped the late GOP Congressman’s name from a courthouse over abortion.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/dupage-county-democrats-henry-hyde-courthouse-illinois-abortion-hyde-amendment-bffcbb8d

POLITICO
— AP sues Trump officials after being barred from some White House events. The lawsuit says First and Fifth Amendment rights were violated.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/21/associated-press-lawsuit-trump-officials-white-house-00205504

JEWISH NEWS SYNDICATE
— Who is calling who a Nazi?  “Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s comparison of the Trump administration to the Nazi regime is deeply disturbing and unacceptable,” said Rabbi David Katz, executive director of the Israel Heritage Foundation.
https://www.jns.org/who-is-calling-who-a-nazi/

February 20, 2025 Evening Edition

WHITE HOUSE
— America Is Back — and President Trump Is Just Getting Started
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/02/america-is-back-and-president-trump-is-just-getting-started/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Pritzker Following Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels’ Playbook
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/20/pritzker-following-nazi-propaganda-minister-joseph-goebbels-playbook/
— Indiana About to Pass Real Property Tax Relief
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/20/indiana-about-to-pass-real-property-tax-relief/
— Pritzker Four-Year Junior College Proposal Will Hurt Four-Year State Universities
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/20/pritzker-four-year-junior-college-proposal-will-hurt-four-year-state-universities/
— Judges Go to Schools
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/20/judges-go-to-schools/
— The Censures of Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk – Part 4
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/20/the-censures-of-algonquin-township-supervisor-randy-funk-part-4/

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Fallout continues after Pritzker’s Nazi comments during budget speech
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_3ad0cf8a-efc3-11ef-b47d-1fb230bbecf6.html

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Food assistance need grows 12% in Illinois since 2019 (COMMENT: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, more and more and more will want/need/demand more and more and more food assistance.)
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/food-assistance-need-grows-12-in-illinois-since-2019/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Democrat leaders promote Pritzker’s hate speech
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-governor-jb-pritzker-getting-national-attention-speaking-president-donald-trump-during-budget-address/15939325/
— Democrat leaders use their “undocumented immigrant children” to promote hatred against Trump
https://abc7chicago.com/post/latest-trump-cuts-leave-26000-undocumented-immigrant-children-legal-representation/15938544/
— Border crossings are down and refugee shelters in border cities are seeing decrease first hand
https://abc7chicago.com/post/us-mexico-border-news-crossings-down-refugee-shelters-cities-seeing-decrease-first-hand/15933759/

NBC5
— What does DOGE’s IRS shake-up mean for tax season?  DOGE wants access to filers’ data, and the commerce secretary says Trump wants to scrap the IRS altogether. But filing a return remains mandatory — the earlier the better, tax advisers say.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/doge-irs-shake-up-tax-season/3679235/?os=fuzzscanazstr&ref=app

CBS2
— Thousands of IRS employees facing layoffs by Trump administration. Another round of federal job cuts is coming. This time, it’s at the agency responsible for bringing money into the government’s coffers. (COMMENT: While I worked for GAO 1980-1997, its employees always faced Republican-led layoffs.)
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/thousands-of-irs-employees-facing-layoffs-by-trump-administration/

FOX32
— Chicago Columbus statues could return as city faces art controversy
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-columbus-statues-could-return-art-controversy
— Chicago aldermen push to restore Columbus statues
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1596704

WTTW
— Democrat leaders promote fired federal employees. Democrats and RINOs either could care less or applauded my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors wasting my career and forcing me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.
https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/20/dream-jobs-us-forest-service-unemployment-meet-2-illinois-fired-federal-workers

WGN RADIO
— Former federal employee shares her story of losing her job (COMMENT: Democrats and RINOs do not want to hear my story.)
https://wgnradio.com/lisa-dent/former-federal-employee-shares-her-story-of-losing-her-job/
— Mayor Brandon Johnson shares plan to fight food inequity in the city
https://wgnradio.com/lisa-dent/mayor-brandon-johnson-shares-plan-to-fight-food-inequity-in-the-city/

WBEZ
— To get more votes from minorities, Democrat leaders want more federal money to be spent on them.
https://www.wbez.org/education/2025/02/20/uic-cultural-centers-and-race-based-college-programs-across-illinois-threatened-by-latest-trump-guidance

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Trump, Musk unpopular with Illinois voters, Pritzker poll finds. It is notable that Gov. JB Pritzker’s team released the poll, and it shows he is prepared for a political fight — both in terms of a potential third term for Illinois governor, or a 2028 presidential bid.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/donald-trump/2025/02/20/president-donald-trump-elon-musk-illinois-voters-poll-jb-pritzker
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A new Illinois poll commissioned by Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker finds President Donald Trump and his cost-cutting czar Elon Musk’s early administration actions aren’t quite popular. A Global Strategy Group poll of 800 “likely 2026 voters” conducted Feb. 5-9 found more than 50% of those surveyed called Trump’s actions “extremely concerning.” Of those polled, 56% called Trump unfavorable, including 49% who called him very unfavorable. For Musk, 56% called him unfavorable, with 50% dubbing him very unfavorable. Democrats were the most negative on Musk and Trump, but independents viewed both unfavorably as well. A party-line split was evident in the poll, with 90% of Republican voters saying they approved of Trump, and 83% saying they approved of Musk. Among independents, 40% approved of Trump, and 38% approved of Musk. The poll also delved into some of Trump and Musk’s actions, with 57% of those polled calling any move to end an initiative to lower the cost of prescription drugs “extremely concerning.” Eliminating government programs, including health care, Meals on Wheels and child care; eliminating all members of the Aviation Safety Board; pardoning all the Jan. 6 rioters; and eliminating the Department of Education were among the most concerning topics for those polled. It is notable that Pritzker’s team released the poll, and it shows the Democratic governor is prepared for a political fight ahead — both in terms of a potential third term for governor, or a 2028 presidential bid. Pritzker has been criticizing Trump since his first gubernatorial campaign began in 2017. But now he’s aiming his ire at Musk as well — and has frequently railed against the billionaire adviser at Illinois news conferences. At a Wednesday briefing at the Illinois State Capitol, Pritzker blamed Musk for the unpredictability of federal funding and its effects on the state budget. And he used a collective “we” when talking about Musk and Trump. “We don’t know what they’re going to do. And you’ve seen that. You know, Elon Musk comes out with tweets about Social Security that turned out to be completely false,” Pritzker said. “We don’t know what they’re going to do. We don’t know whether they’re going to cut off the Medicaid expansion across the country. They’ve been hearing from Republican governors, just like they have from Democratic governors about the negative impact on the people of their state.” Despite the poll’s negative approval rating for Trump, the Republican president’s statewide vote grew to 43.8% last year, up from 38.76% in 2016. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.)
— Alderman introduces plan to punish Chicago city employees and officers for having extremist ties. The plan from 47th Ward Ald. Matt Martin follows growing calls for the Chicago Police Department and Mayor Brandon Johnson to fire cops with ties to extremist groups. (COMMENT: I should write about my critics/opponents who painted Illinois Center Right Coalition and TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois as being extremist groups. I would focus on those who have taken the most/biggest adverse actions against me.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/extremism-in-the-ranks/2025/02/20/alderman-introduces-plan-to-punish-chicago-city-employees-and-officers-for-having-extremist-ties

DAILY HERALD
— Facing lawsuit, Republicans to meet a second time to choose McConchie’s successor
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250220/illinois-state-politics/facing-lawsuit-republicans-to-meet-a-second-time-to-choose-mcconchies-successor/

HERALD WHIG
— Black and Latino leaders want more government assistance for Blacks and Latinos
https://www.whig.com/news/illinois-news/black-latino-lawmakers-criticize-pritzker-s-proposed-budget/article_6e2f622e-efa5-11ef-9fea-3fe4be18874d.html

FOX ILLINOIS
— MAGA is ‘a Nazi movement’: Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe arrested at city council meeting
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/maga-is-a-nazi-movement-former-nfl-punter-chris-kluwe-arrested-at-city-council-meeting-california-huntington-beach-city-council-minnesota-vikings-president-donald-trump-politics-make-america-great-again-red-hat-swastika

WAND TV
— Illinois House Democrats bash Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) for saying his caucus is part of ‘team Jew’
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/illinois-house-democrats-bash-republican-for-saying-his-caucus-is-part-of-team-jew/article_690a5734-efd4-11ef-843e-c7d87166bf31.html

WQAD
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.wqad.com/article/news/local/the-current/black-hawk-college-cannabis-courses-cohort-online-industry/526-ddc205a3-5e9c-46c0-9ed3-2a4a141a9018

WSJD
— Pritzker Insults President Trump and Fails to Take Responsibility for Illinois’ Budget Deficit (COMMENT: Pritzker runs Illinois. He hates Trump and he hates the 2.4 million in Illinois who voted for Trump. Anticipate/expect that he will ever-increasingly destroy those 2.4 million voters starting with those who are registered Republicans, who voted in the election, and who share Trump’s demographics: conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, married, Protestant, German America, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.)
https://wsjd.fm/new-blog-1/2025/2/20/severin-pritzker-insults-president-trump-and-fails-to-take-responsibility-for-illinois-budget-deficit

NEWS CHANNEL 20
—  Do you support President Trump’s plan to cut the size of the IRS? (COMMENT: I should write about those who have demonized me, denigrated me, and condemned me the most for my having been an IRS employee for almost 9 years.)
https://newschannel20.com/question/vote-do-you-support-president-donald-trumps-plan-to-cut-the-size-of-the-irs-question-of-the-day-internal-revenue-service-doge-department-of-government-efficiency-elon-musk-federal-workforce-downsize-taxpayers

EFFINGHAM RADIO
— IL GOP Reacts To Governor Pritzker’s Budget Address
https://www.effinghamradio.com/2025/02/20/il-gop-reacts-to-governor-pritzkers-budget-address/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Democrats push a Democrat push poll.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/trump-approval-rating-appears-to-be-underwater-one-month-into-second-term-survey/
— IRS layoffs could hurt revenue collection and foil efforts to go after rich tax dodgers, experts say (COMMENT: Democrats and RINOs either could care less or applauded my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors wasting my career and forcing me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.)
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/ap-irs-layoffs-could-hurt-revenue-collection-and-foil-efforts-to-go-after-rich-tax-dodgers-experts-say/

BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— Plan To Turn Lincoln Square’s Diplomat Hotel Into Transitional Housing Gets $5.5 Million TIF Boost. City Council approved additional funding for the $14 million renovation of the former motel into The Haven for people experiencing homelessness.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/02/19/plan-to-turn-lincoln-squares-diplomat-hotel-into-transitional-housing-gets-5-5-million-tif-boost/

CHALKBEAT CHICAGO
— Chicago releases its Black Student Success Plan amid backlash against race-based initiatives
https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/02/20/cps-releases-black-student-success-plan/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/20/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-252/
— Pritzker’s new Illinois poll has majority ‘extremely concerned’ about a host of Trump’s recent actions
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/20/pritzkers-new-illinois-poll-has-majority-extremely-concerned-about-a-host-of-trumps-recent-actions/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump blasts Zelenskyy as ‘dictator’ who duped U.S. into sending aid
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/19/donald-trump-blasts-volodymyr-zelenskyy-dictator-duped-u-sending-aid/
— Trump has conquered CPAC
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/20/donald-trump-conquered-cpac/
— Musk wields symbolic chainsaw at CPAC in celebration of his federal role: ‘This is awesome’
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/20/elon-musk-wields-symbolic-chainsaw-cpac/
— Vance emerges as an early favorite at CPAC to carry the MAGA flag into 2028
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/20/jd-vance-emerges-early-favorite-cpac-carry-maga-flag-2028/
— ‘I want to find out’: Trump says he is going to personally inspect the gold at Fort Knox
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/20/trump-inspect-gold-fort-knox/

NEW YORK POST
— Musk wields ‘chainsaw for bureaucracy’ on stage at CPAC to symbolize DOGE’s massive government cuts
https://nypost.com/2025/02/20/us-news/elon-musk-wields-chainsaw-for-bureaucracy-on-stage-at-cpac-to-symbolize-doges-massive-government-cuts/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— ‘America-last RINOs’ side with Zelenskyy over Trump
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2025/02/20/america-last-rinos-side-with-zelenskyy-over-trump-1523948/

CAMPUS REFORM
— Ex-UIC prof files lawsuit saying he was fired for opposing racial hiring preferences. The Liberty Justice Center recently filed a lawsuit against the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), alleging that a professor was fired because he criticized the school’s hiring practices, which the professor believes are racially discriminatory. The federal lawsuit was filed on Feb. 10 in the Eastern Division of the Northern District of Illinois.  (SEE: Diersen v. GAO at : https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf )
https://www.campusreform.org/article/ex-uic-prof-files-lawsuit-saying-fired-opposing-racial-hiring-preferences/27506
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Liberty Justice Center recently filed a lawsuit against the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), alleging that a professor was fired because he criticized the school’s hiring practices, which the professor believes are racially discriminatory. The federal lawsuit, which was filed on Feb. 10 in the Eastern Division of the Northern District of Illinois, asserts that the school administration violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment when it terminated Professor Stephen Kleinschmit. While he was at UIC, Kleinschmit “observed that multiple hiring and funding programs were either a) explicitly designed to use race as a qualification in hiring decisions or b) being subverted to favor nonwhite applicants and faculty,” according to the lawsuit. The document asserts that when Kleinschmit spoke out about the allegedly discriminatory hiring practices, the school administration terminated his contract. “When he complained about this unlawful behavior, he was terminated—ostensibly due to budget cuts, yet the University retained faculty hired under a non-competitive, racially preferential hiring program, and soon after advertised a new job opening in his old department stating ‘members of a recognized underrepresented group are particularly encouraged to apply,’” the complaint says. Kleinschmit has a Ph.D. in Public Administration and was a professor in the school’s Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics until he was fired in 2023. Among other specific allegations, the complaint asserts that UIC required Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) statements in hiring. The lawsuit additionally accuses the administration of incorporating the race-conscious statements “into departmental norms and guidelines for promotion and tenure.” The 31-page lawsuit also gives other examples of allegedly racially discriminatory school policies. “The University Faculty Senate on July 29, 2020 released the UIC Senate Statement on Black Lives Matter, which asked the white faculty and administrators to ‘acknowledge their white privilege and power, and to commit to take action against systematic racism through anti-racist action,’” the lawsuit explains. In a statement about the lawsuit, Liberty Justice Center Senior Counsel Reilly Stephens called UIC’s hiring practices “blatantly” illegal. “The University of Illinois Chicago repeatedly engaged in blatant acts of racial discrimination, then added illegal retaliation to the mix to avoid accountability for its unlawful behavior,” Stephens asserted in a press release. “These actions are unacceptable violations of the right to equal protection under the law, and we urge the court to put a stop to it immediately.” Campus Reform has contacted the University of Illinois Chicago for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.)

CATHOLIC LIFE
— At CPAC, Vance talks faith, says policies should help ‘choose life’ and ‘start families’
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/262327/at-cpac-vance-talks-faith-says-policies-should-help-choose-life-and-start-families

DAILY CALLER
— ‘Trump Administration Is Serious’: America’s Southern Border Hasn’t Been This Quiet Since The 1960s
https://dailycaller.com/2025/02/20/border-encounters-drop-to-1960s-levels/

EPOCH TIMES
— Federal Judge Allows Trump Admin to Continue Layoffs of Federal Workers. The suit was brought by federal unions seeking to preserve union dues and bargaining power.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/federal-judge-allows-trump-admin-to-continue-layoffs-of-federal-workers-5813651

FOX NEWS
— VP JD Vance speaks on ‘fundamental goal’ of Trump administration at CPAC address. ‘It is easy, unfortunately, to burn the house down. It takes a little bit of time to build it back up and that’s what we have to do,’ said Vance.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/vp-jd-vance-speaks-fundamental-goal-trump-administration-cpac-address
— Homan says billions saved on illegal migrants can be used to help Americans
https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-border-czar-tom-homan-says-billions-saved-illegal-migrants-can-used-help-americans

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Pro-Life Issues Are Given Short Shrift at This Year’s CPAC
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/pro-life-issues-are-given-short-shrift-at-this-years-cpac/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Trump set to speak at CPAC
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5154914-donald-trump-speaking-cpac-2025/

REUTERS
— Musk to appear at CPAC
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/musk-appear-cpac-conservative-gathering-organizer-says-2025-02-20/

CBS NEWS
— Thousands of IRS workers to be laid off (COMMENT: I should write about those who have demonized me, denigrated me, and condemned me the most for my having been an IRS employee for almost 9 years.)
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/thousands-of-irs-workers-to-be-laid-off-source-says/
— GOP lawmakers concerned about impact of DOGE cuts on constituents, but most support effort (COMMENT: How dependent on federal spending are those in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gop-lawmakers-doge-cuts-impact/

POLITICO
— Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote those who seek asylum in America.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/20/asylum-seekers-trump-administration-021337
— At CPAC, Vance finally gets the reception he wishes he got in Munich. Surrounded by allies, the vice president basked in his role as culture-warrior-in-chief.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/20/cpac-jd-vance-culture-war-00205236

HARPER’S MAGAZINE
— Rage Against the Machine. Trump’s second attempt at dismantling the bureaucracy.
https://harpers.org/archive/2025/03/rage-against-the-machine-andrew-cockburn-trump-bureaucracy/

EDUCATION WEEK
— Parents Lose Appeal Over School’s Gender Identity Notification Policy  (COMMENT: Democrat teachers ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.)
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/parents-lose-appeal-over-schools-gender-identity-notification-policy/2025/02

RASMUSSEN REPORTS
— 53% Approve Trump Ending DEI Policies
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration_second_term/53_approve_trump_ending_dei_policies

February 20, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Republicans shocked by Gov. Pritzker’s attacks on Trump administration, Nazi Germany references
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jts1KaE_rj0

WTTW
— Pritzker Compares Trump Administration’s Approach to Nazi Germany During State Budget Address
https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/19/pritzker-compares-trump-administration-s-approach-nazi-germany-during-state-budget

BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
— What Central Illinois lawmakers liked, and didn’t like, in Pritzker budget plan (FROM THE ARTICLE: Multiple Republicans walked out of the joint session in the House chamber.”)
https://pantagraph.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/what-central-illinois-lawmakers-liked-and-didnt-like-in-pritzker-budget-plan/article_a48aeb5e-ef23-11ef-b7ba-2f418a049d96.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Near the end of his address, Pritzker compared the actions taken by the Trump Administration in recent weeks to the rise of Nazi Germany in the 1930s. “The authoritarian playbook is laid bare here,” Pritzker said. “They point to a group of people who don’t look like you and tell you to blame them for your problems.” What comes next, he asked, “after we’ve discriminated against, deported or disparaged all the immigrants and the gay and lesbian and transgender people, the developmentally disabled, the women and the minorities, once we’ve ostracized our neighbors and betrayed our friends after that, when the problems we started with are still there staring us in the face — what comes next?’” Before Pritzker could finish making his point, multiple Republicans walked out of the joint session in the House chamber, including state Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville. “That rhetoric was out of place, and (did) not need to be talked and spoken,” Halbrook, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, said. “It was completely wrong.” Fellow caucus member Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Teutopolis, had more heated criticism. “Parts of the governor’s own party want to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth,” Niemerg said. “And to call Trump and Republicans Nazis is dangerous political grandstanding and will only incite the violence he claims to condemn. But this is about JB Pritzker’s misguided aspirations to be the next president.”)

WAND TV
— GOP criticize Governor for ‘Nazi comparison’ (COMMENT: To harm me, my critics/opponents, including those who are Protestant and/or German American, have always stressed that I am Protestant and German American. I should write about my critics/opponents who are Protestant and/or German American and who have taken the biggest/most adverse actions against me to curry favor with non-Protestants and/or with non-German Americans.)
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/il-democrats-celebrate-pritzkers-budget-gop-criticize-governor-for-nazi-comparison/article_7b08d028-ef16-11ef-ba5b-efc1d3148209.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Pritzker ended his speech by criticizing the Trump administration and comparing it to when the Nazis attacked marginalized communities. “To sit there and basically be called Nazis, not only Trump but the Republican party, it was disgusting,” House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) said.)

NBC5
— To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote reparations. Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout at Blacks that Republicans cause all the problems that Blacks have.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/top-videos-home/former-educator-historian-makes-push-for-reparations/3678446/
— President Trump signs executive order to make IVF more affordable (COMMENT: During the 1980s, my Democrat GAO superiors used against me big time my and my wife giving up trying to have children without trying IVF even though they knew full-well that both of us had big fertility problems and that because of that, our doctor had advised against trying IVF. They stressed that IVF was covered by our health insurance and they punished me big time for our not trying IVF. They hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if my wife and I had children, I would not have been able to pass the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, earn a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, or pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981. I should write about my Democrat GAO superiors. I would focus on those who complained the most about the time and money they spent raising their children.)
https://www.nbcchicago.com/top-videos-home/president-trump-signs-executive-order-to-make-ivf-more-affordable/3678347/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— City Council proposal would return Columbus statues to Grant, Arrigo parks. Condemning what he calls “selective censorship,” Ald. Anthony Napolitano also is criticizing the city’s refusal to remove from the city-owned Cultural Center a puppet display titled “U.S.-Israel War Machine.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2025/02/19/columbus-statues-grant-arrigo-park-cultural-center-public-art-gaza-monuments-project-report
— When politics seep into schools, learning becomes harder (COMMENT: Democrat teachers focus on turning their students into good little Democrats.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2025/02/20/schools-politics-culture-wars-learning-becomes-harder-students-want-comfort-jerald-mcnair

WBEZ
— Chicago’s most marginalized students have almost no shot of getting into CPS’ elite schools (COMMENT: According to Democrat and RINO leaders, a) the more of the following that you are, the more marginalized that you are: liberal/moderate, Democrat, minority, female, younger, LGBTQ, unmarried, poor, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or if your ancestors have not been in America for a long time and b) the more of the following that you are, the more of an oppressor that you are: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, heterosexual, married, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or if your ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.wbez.org/education/2024/07/09/chicagos-most-marginalized-students-have-almost-no-shot-of-getting-into-cps-elite-schools

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Anticipate/expect that Democrat leaders will ever-increasingly blame Trump for everything that is bad. My critics/opponents ever-increasingly blame me for all of their problems, your problems, my problems, and everyone’s problems. They mainly blame me for all the losses that Republican candidate candidates on ballots in my precinct have suffered. I should write about my critics/opponents and those candidates and the many big adverse actions that they have had their operatives and dupes take against me.
thing that is bad.
https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/politics/pritzker-calls-55-2b-budget-responsible-and-balanced-warns-trump-policies-could-upend-it/article_3415cc6c-ef33-11ef-ab69-bf48b8db64d3.html

STATELINE
— IRS plans to lay off 7,000 probationary workers beginning Thursday (COMMENT: I worked for IRS 1971-1980.)
https://www.mystateline.com/news/national/ap-irs-plans-to-lay-off-7000-probationary-workers-beginning-thursday-ap-source-says/

WSIL TV
— Democrats ever-increasingly crow about their success in making children and everyone else sexually active LGBTQers. How much success have Democrats had doing that in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.wsiltv.com/news/health/population-identifying-as-lgbtq-in-the-us-has-nearly-doubled-since-2020-poll-finds/article_db540a40-8c28-5949-a7a8-4a96dd9d4432.html

FOX ILLINOIS
— Senate Republicans voice rare dissent after Trump blames Ukraine for Russia’s invasion
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/senate-republicans-voice-rare-dissent-after-trump-blames-ukraine-for-russias-invasion-zelenskyy-american-russian-officials-putin-bipartisan-backlast-chuck-schumer-war

CHICAGO DEFENDER
— Pritzker ‘proud’ to join lawsuit against Trump over federal spending freezes (COMMENT: To get more votes from those who need/want/demand government assistance, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use government to give them more money. How dependent on government spending are those in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?)
https://chicagocrusader.com/pritzker-proud-to-join-lawsuit-against-trump-over-federal-spending-freezes/

BARRINGTON HILLS OBSERVER
— Do Over Scheduled for Meeting to Replace State Senator Dan McConchie
https://barringtonhillsobserver.com/2025/02/20/do-over-scheduled-for-meeting-to-replace-state-senator-dan-mcconchie/

NORTHERN STAR
— Democrats run Illinois. They ever-increasingly use the power that they have to drive Republicans out of Illinois who are conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://northernstar.info/123108/news/pritzker-talks-budget-rise-of-american-authoritarianism-at-state-of-the-state-address/

BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— City Crews Tear Down Tents At Gompers Park Encampment On One Of Coldest Mornings Of The Year. The Park District said the city was removing “smoke stack components and propane tanks used to heat five, illegal structures” in the park. The rest of the encampment would be spared, they said.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/02/19/city-crews-tear-down-tents-at-gompers-park-encampment-on-one-of-the-coldest-mornings-of-the-year/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Democrats love Pritzker’s promotion of hate against Trump, that is, Democrats hate Trump. How much success has Pritzker had promoting hate against Trump in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2025/02/20/pritzker-packs-a-punch-00205092
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Pritzker used the word “idiot” to describe Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk, and he compared the actions unfolding in Washington to Nazi Germany. The governor isn’t apologizing: He had a whole passage about the Nazis trying to march in Skokie. “I do not invoke the specter of Nazis lightly.” Pritzker said in his speech in the Illinois House chamber, adding he’s “watching with a foreboding dread what is happening in our country right now.” In a powerful passage, Pritzker added: “After we’ve discriminated against, deported or disparaged all the immigrants and the gay and lesbian and transgender people, the developmentally disabled, the women and the minorities — once we’ve ostracized our neighbors and betrayed our friends — After that, when the problems we started with are still there staring us in the face — what comes next?” The whole speech is here. Critics see Pritzker’s address as an effort to fuel his political aspirations, though the governor has denied that even saying so in his speech: “I am not speaking up in service to my ambitions — but in deference to my obligations.” Simply put, the governor told reporters later, he is “passionate” about his belief in the Constitution and sees the Trump administration’s efforts to sidestep that as an attack on Democracy. He’s not going to keep quiet about Trump. . .Latino Caucus lawmakers felt stung learning Pritzker wants to eliminate a healthcare benefit for noncitizen immigrants younger than 65. It’s a program that had huge support from Democrats when it was passed. And members of the Black Caucus wished they had heard the governor mention Black History Month or the importance of the Black community in his speech, noting the governor’s sweeping mention of diversity and equity was fine but not enough.)

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/20/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-459/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WIREPOINTS
— Pritzker says he is fighting against Nazis in astounding speech
https://wirepoints.org/jb-pritzker-says-he-is-fighting-against-nazis-in-astounding-speech-wirepoints/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: It was supposed to be the annual State of the State and Budget Address, but the most notable segment by far in Gov. J.B Pritzker’s Wednesday speech was what he said about Americans he opposes. That message was deliberate and unequivocal: “I do not invoke the specter of Nazis lightly,” he said after talking about his work building the Holocaust Museum and an earlier Nazi march. “I’m watching with a foreboding dread what is happening in our country right now,” Pritzker said, citing President Trump blaming a recent plane crash on diversity hiring and the Missouri Attorney General’s reverse discrimination lawsuit against Starbucks. “The authoritarian playbook is laid bare,” he said. “They point to a group of people who don’t look like you and tell you to blame them for your problems.” Pritzker continued. “I just have one question. What comes next? All the atrocities of human history lurk in the answer to that question. And if we don’t want to repeat history – then for God’s sake in this moment we better be strong enough to learn from it…. If you think I’m overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic.” Note that Pritzker’s words weren’t only about Donald Trump. The looming and sinister “they” are the Nazi threat, Pritzker said. The Missouri attorney general is an example. It’s not the first time Pritzker has made such an astonishing charge about so many Americans. Last year, he said all Republican Trump supporters are fascist. “Illinois Democrats have done more in the last five years to push back on the wave of authoritarian, anti-democratic MAGA Republican nonsense than in any other place in the country,” Pritzker said. “Leave it to us to raise the tallest flag in the fight against modern American fascism.” The full text of the relevant part of Pritzker’s speech is below. It’s difficult to imagine words more inflammatory and irresponsible than Pritzker’s. “Nazi” is perhaps the worst conceivable insult, they being tyrannical monsters who slaughtered some 20 million people during World War II and its run-up. How are Pritzker’s words not incitement to violence? To those convinced by Pritzker’s words, would it not be morally right, or even morally imperative, to use violence or even kill those who are bringing Nazism to America? Pritzker’s accusation applies to around half of America, with support growing. A recent CBS poll, for example, found Trump’s job approval rating at 53%. Support is much stronger, as that poll showed, for Trump policies to which Pritzker is most hostile, namely, those  on illegal immigration, deportations and DEI policies (diversity, equity and inclusion). Among other consequences of words as outrageous as Pritzker’s is his loss of credibility on matters that Trump can be reasonably criticized for. There’s no shortage of those. Most Americans, for example, don’t like Trump’s tariff policies, and even Trump’s Republican base doesn’t like his idea for America taking ownership of Gaza. On those and many other matters, Pritzker’s bombast about Nazism dooms him to irrelevance. All hope of constructive input is forfeited. The Trump Administration will laugh him off or perhaps impose reprisals on Illinois. Finally, does Pritzker not know that invoking the Holocaust and comparisons to Nazism must be used sparingly to preserve their impact when true risks arise? Who does Pritzker think benefits from insults like the ones he made? Presumably, he thinks it will help him in the next presidential race, but good luck with that. His speech will help nobody. Not him, his faction of the Democratic Party, the State of Illinois or the United States. Hatred and division help nobody. They are Nazis, he told us.)
— This wasn’t the budget speech that ordinary Illinoisans want to hear. They want tax relief, not more spending.
https://wirepoints.org/this-wasnt-the-budget-speech-that-ordinary-illinoisans-want-to-hear-they-want-tax-relief-not-more-spending-wirepoints-on-the-illinois-radio-network/
— Pritzker declares Lake Michigan is now “Lake Illinois.” The responses are perfect.
https://wirepoints.org/gov-pritzker-declares-lake-michigan-is-now-lake-illinois-the-responses-are-perfect-not-the-bee/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— State Election Board Vindicates Illinois Review in 6-0 Vote as Mayor Pekau Allies Fail to Silence Conservative Voice
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2025/02/state-election-board-vindicates-illinois-review-in-6-0-vote-as-mayor-pekau-allies-fail-to-silence-conservative-voice.html

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Pritzker’s magic beans: Growing a record-setting $55B Illinois budget
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pritzkers-magic-beans-growing-a-record-setting-55b-illinois-budget/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— How much success has Pritzker had promoting hatred against Trump in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct? I anticipate/expect to get a measure of Pritzker’s success when I hand-deliver Republican campaign literature and sample ballots to the 400 residences in my precinct that have at least one Republican or Independent voter for the April 1 election. Anticipate/expect that ever-increasingly, the more demographics that you share with Trump, the more that Pritzker will do to destroy you. Trump is conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, married, Protestant, German American, and his ancestors have been in America for a long time. Anticipate/expect that Pritzker will ever-increasingly focus on destroying those who do not share his demographics with Trump, especially those who are Protestant and/or German American. It is called religious discrimination and national origin discrimination. Are you Protestant? I am. I was baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran. Are you German American? I am. If you are, what do you stress in defense of your national origin? I stress that my grandfather on my father’s side fought the Germans in WWI, that my uncles on my mother’s side fought the Germans in WWII, and that my father would have fought the Germans in WWII if he had not been 4-F. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Are you Protestant? Are you German American? To harm me, my critics/opponents, including those who are Protestant and/or German American, have always stressed that I am Protestant and German American. I should write about my critics/opponents who are Protestant and/or German American and who have taken the biggest/most adverse actions against me to curry favor with non-Protestants and/or with non-German Americans. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What is your position on IVF? During the 1980s, my Democrat GAO superiors used against me big time my and my wife giving up trying to have children without trying IVF even though they knew full-well that both of us had big fertility problems and that because of that, our doctor had advised against trying IVF. They stressed that IVF was covered by our health insurance and they punished me big time for our not trying IVF. They hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if my wife and I had children, I would not have been able to pass the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, earn a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, or pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981. I should write about my Democrat GAO superiors. I would focus on those who complained the most about the time and money they spent raising their children. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Anticipate/expect that Democrat leaders will ever-increasingly blame Trump for everything that is bad. My critics/opponents ever-increasingly blame me for all of their problems, your problems, my problems, and everyone’s problems. They mainly blame me for all the losses that Republican candidate candidates on ballots in my precinct have suffered. I should write about my critics/opponents and those candidates and the many big adverse actions that they have had their operatives and dupes take against me. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— To get more votes from those who need/want/demand government assistance, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use government to give them more money. How dependent on government spending are those in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct? – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Democrats run Illinois. They ever-increasingly use the power that they have to drive Republicans out of Illinois who are conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. – Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Democrat leaders like Duckworth ever-increasingly do everything that they can to turn veterans against Republicans. While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years, many, most, and at times, virtually all of my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were Democrat veterans. To turn them against me, my Democrat superiors stressed to them that I avoided the Vietnam War draft. They hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if had not avoided the Vietnam War draft, I would not have been able to a) earn a bachelor’s degree in management when I was 21, a master’s degree in business when I was 27, pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, earn a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, and pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32; b) buy new cars when I was 19, 20, 23, 25, and 29; c) buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, and 35; and d) get married when I was 29. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Did you enlist? I did not. Worse yet, I avoided the Vietnam War draft. Since 1966, my critics/opponents have used that against me. They stress a) that I am a conservative Republican, b) that I was 1-A for the draft, and c) I would not have been sent into combat anyway because I could not run because I had a bone disease, my vision could not be corrected to 20/20, and I had partial red/green color blindness. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What is your position on age discrimination? My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors used up-or-out, that is, they used age discrimination big time to get rid of their Republican employees. They wrote off their Republican employees as being too old to be promoted if they had not made GS-13 (currently $117,807/year) by age 25, GS-14 ($139,211/year) by age 30, GS-15 ($163,749/year) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service ($195,200/year) by age 40. Extremely few federal employees make the aforesaid promotion deadlines. I should write about that. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What are your demographics? According to Democrat and RINO leaders, a) the more of the following that you are, the more marginalized that you are: liberal/moderate, Democrat, minority, female, younger, LGBTQ, unmarried, poor, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or if your ancestors have not been in America for a long time and b) the more of the following that you are, the more of an oppressor that you are: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, heterosexual, married, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or if your ancestors have been in America for a long time.

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— CPAC attendees ecstatic about conservatives’ big wins in the new Trump-era
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/20/cpac-attendees-ecstatic-conservatives-big-wins-new-trump-era/

EPOOCH TIMES
— Trump Loves Idea of Sending Taxpayers Checks Funded by DOGE Savings. The proposal was first floated by businessman James Fishback, who called it a ‘DOGE dividend.’ (COMMENT: To justify its budget requests, GAO always stresses that its audits save the federal government far more tax dollars than its budget requests. SEE: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-107438 )
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-considers-returning-20-percent-of-doge-related-savings-to-americans-5813167
(FROM GAO’s FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET REQUEST: In fiscal year 2023, GAO’s work yielded $70.4 billion in financial benefits. Our average return on investment for the past 6 years is $133 for every $1 invested in GAO. In this testimony before the House Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations, U.S. Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro discusses GAO’s FY 2025 budget request. Our budget request will enable GAO to continue to meet key areas of importance to the nation and Congress including national security, fraud prevention, science and technology, cybersecurity, and health care costs. These resources will also support GAO’s IT modernization and space optimization efforts.)

FOX NEWS
— Trump signs executive order ending use of taxpayer money to ‘incentivize or support’ illegal immigration. A White House fact sheet said the executive order is to ensure taxes are used to ‘protect the interests of American citizens, not illegal aliens.’
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-signs-executive-order-ending-use-taxpayer-money-incentivize-support-illegal-immigration?lid=q4376bhn4ot7

NEWSMAX
— Democrats Criticize Trump IVF Order as ‘PR Stunt’ (COMMENT: During the 1980s, my Democrat GAO superiors used against me big time my and my wife giving up trying to have children without trying IVF even though they knew full-well that both of us had big fertility problems and that because of that, our doctor had advised against trying IVF. They stressed that IVF was covered by our health insurance and they punished me big time for our not trying IVF. They hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if my wife and I had children, I would not have been able to pass the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, earn a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, or pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981. I should write about my Democrat GAO superiors. I would focus on those who complained the most about the time and money they spent raising their children.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/trump-ivf-pr/2025/02/19/id/1199750/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— To these Black retirees, the federal civil service now under attack was a path to the middle class (COMMENT: According to my critics/opponents, all the federal jobs and promotions that I got should have been given to Blacks instead of me. The Post Office hired me when I was 18 years old in 1966. IRS hired me in 1971 and promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. GAO hired me in 1980 and promoted me in 1986. GAO forced me to retire in 1997 and gave my job and my preferred corner office to my Black subordinate. He had less work experience than I had, less education than I had, one professional certification while I had six, and had no professional license like the one I had.)
https://apnews.com/article/trump-doge-civil-service-race-black-americans-64980891924f179c7395ed7443107ce5

USA TODAY
— Are you a fired federal employee? Here are resources to help you get back on your feet. (COMMENT: My Democrat GAO superiors not only wasted my career, took many adverse actions against me, and forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997, they did everything that they could to stop me from getting a job appropriate for my work experience, professional certifications, and professional license. Their success in doing that drove me into Republican politics. I became a Republican Precinct Committeeman in 1999, the GOPUSA Illinois Editor in 2000, an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member in 2001, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member in 2003, the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman in 2005, the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks in 2005, etc.)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2025/02/17/what-to-do-lost-federal-government-job-resources/78976164007/

SACRAMENTO BEE
— Number of studio apartments has doubled in Sacramento region in last decade. ‘We do sacrifice’ (COMMENT: I bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East building when I was 25 years old in 1974. I lived in it weekdays until 1976 when I traded it in to the building’s developer for a one bedroom condo. During that time, I waked to/from my IRS job in Loop and graduate evening business courses at Loyola. I spent weekends in my townhome in University Park that I had bought in 1972.)
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article298981875.html

STARS AND STRIPES
— ‘On the backs of veterans’: Senators rail against federal workforce purge as vets hit hard by cuts (COMMENT: While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years, many, most, and at times, virtually all of my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were Democrat veterans. To turn them against me, my Democrat superiors stressed to them that I avoided the Vietnam War draft. They hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if had not avoided the Vietnam War draft, I would not have been able to a) earn a bachelor’s degree in management when I was 21, a master’s degree in business when I was 27, pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, earn a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, and pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32; b) buy new cars when I was 19, 20, 23, 25, and 29; c) buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, and 35; and d) get married when I was 29.)
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2025-02-19/veterans-federal-firings-trump-musk-16888063.html

C-SPAN
— VP Vance & Republicans Deliver Remarks at CPAC
https://www.c-span.org/event/public-affairs-event/vp-vance-republicans-deliver-remarks-at-cpac/431061
— Democrats run Illinois. They ever-increasingly use the power that they have to drive Republicans out of Illinois who are conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.c-span.org/clip/state-legislature/illinois-governor-pritzker-warns-against-threats-to-american-democracy-in-state-of-the-state-address/5154061

NBC NEWS
— Democrats run Illinois. They ever-increasingly use the power that they have to drive Republicans out of Illinois who are conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.nbcnews.com/video/illinois-gov-jb-pritzker-warns-against-authoritarianism-in-address-232454725674

BARRON’S
— CPAC: American Conservatives Gather To Savor Trump’s Triumph
https://www.barrons.com/news/american-conservatives-gather-to-savor-trump-s-triumph-468d4b89

360 LAW
— Chicago’s Art Institute School Hit With Age Bias Claims (COMMENT: My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors used up-or-out, that is, they used age discrimination big time to get rid of their Republican employees. They wrote off their Republican employees as being too old to be promoted if they had not made GS-13 (currently $117,807/year) by age 25, GS-14 ($139,211/year) by age 30, GS-15 ($163,749/year) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service ($195,200/year) by age 40. Extremely few federal employees make the aforesaid promotion deadlines. I should write about that.)
https://www.law360.com/employment-authority/wage-hour/articles/2299888/chicago-s-art-institute-school-hit-with-age-bias-claims

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
— Amnesty International sides with countries that send their citizens into America to destroy America.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/02/the-right-to-seek-asylum-does-not-exist-at-u-s-mexico-border/

COMPASS
— FOR SALE: 1000 Delles Road, Wheaton – $889,000
https://www.compass.com/listing/1000-delles-road-wheaton-il-60189/1776211843058275473/
— FOR SALE: 1044 Golf Lane, Wheaton – $1.075,000
https://www.compass.com/listing/1044-golf-lane-wheaton-il-60189/1258102091755862113/
— FOR SALE: 1011 Penny Lane, Wheaton – $1,139,000
https://www.compass.com/listing/1011-penny-lane-wheaton-il-60189/1779055728122503841/

February 14, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Trump administration begins mass layoffs across multiple federal agencies (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, the agency ever-increasingly shrank because of Republican-led budget cuts. My Democrat GAO superiors ever-increasingly punished me for that. I was one of the last Republicans who GAO hired. GAO audits IRS. The Democrats who ran GAO in 1980 let me transfer from IRS when I was 31 years old, but only if I took a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars. They could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job. My qualifications included having a) passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, b) almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul, c) earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976, and d) worked for IRS for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $99,069-$112,280/year. To further punish me for Republican-led budget cuts, my Democrat GAO superiors a) delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13, kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO, always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance purposes, and forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.)
https://abc7chicago.com/post/trump-administration-begins-mass-layoffs-multiple-federal-agencies-sources/15903559/

NBC5
— Local businesses concerned about DEI rollbacks as Illinois AG releases guidance (COMMENT: Democrat and RINO employers use DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.)
https://www.nbcchicago.com/top-videos-home/local-businesses-concerned-about-dei-rollbacks-as-illinois-ag-releases-guidance/3674153/

FOX32
— Trump’s Illinois approval rating: New poll sheds light on president’s favorability (COMMENT: How strongly do the following approve of Trump: a) the leaders of the Illinois Republican Party and your Republican county, township, and ward party organizations, b) the Republican leaders of your county, township, municipality, and school district, c) the Republican candidates on the April 1 ballot in your precinct, and d) your Republican Precinct Committeeman?)
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/trump-illinois-approval-rating-new-poll
(FROM THE ARTICLE: President Donald Trump’s approval rating in Illinois stands at 45%, slightly higher than his election day numbers. Trump’s support grew in suburban Cook County and the collar counties but remained steady in Chicago. The poll highlights a gender gap and varied opinions on Trump’s early policy moves.)
— Durbin slams RFK Jr. as ‘unqualified, unfit, and dangerous’ after health secretary confirmation
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-senator-slams-rfk-jr-unqualified-unfit-dangerous-health-secretary

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Brandon Johnson, brooking no diversity of opinion, summons his inner Donald Trump. Chicago’s mayor is taking precisely the wrong lessons from his administrative failures
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/14/editorial-brandon-johnson-donald-trump-loyalty/
— Democrats ever-increasingly use DEI to get rid of Republicans
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/14/opinion-dei-trump-administration-free-speech/
— Reader: Illinois should follow President Donald Trump’s example and cut the waste (COMMENT: Democrats and RINOs oppose cutting government waste because Democrats and RINOs benefit from government waste. Democrats and RINOs do not want Republicans like me to fight government waste. GAO fights government waste. I would not have survived as a GAO Analyst for almost 18 years 1980-1997 if I had not a) earned master’s degrees in business in 1976, in accounting in 1980, and in finance in 1997, b) passed on my first attempt the CPA examination in 1979 and the Certified Internal Auditor examination in 1981, c) became a licensed CPA in 1981, d) became a Certified Fraud Examiner in 1990, Government Financial Manager in 1994, Financial Services Auditor in 1996, and Forensic Accountant in 1997, and e) worked for IRS for almost 9 years 1971-1980, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $99,069-$112,280/year.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/13/letters-021325/
— Mayor Johnson’s public food market idea leaves us hungry for details
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/13/editorial-mayor-johnsons-public-market-idea-leaves-us-hungry-for-details/
— What to know about the federal workforce under President Trump (COMMENT: GAO did not unionize until 2007. If GAO had been unionized in 1997, I might still be a GAO employee.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/13/president-trump-federal-workforce-explainer/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The civilian federal workforce, not including military personnel and postal workers, comprises about 2.4 million people. While a chunk of federal workers, about 20%, are in Washington, D.C., and the neighboring states of Maryland and Virginia, more than 80% are distributed outside the region. . .Civil servants are the vast majority of federal workers. They’re generally hired through an application process and have strong protections once in their positions. Political appointees, who number roughly 4,000, serve at the discretion of the president and can be dismissed at will by the chief executive. . .“Civil servants tend to be in their jobs as careers, some of them for decades,” said Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who worked in President Bill Clinton’s Democratic administration when about 426,000 federal jobs were cut over more than eight years in a deliberative effort aimed at reinventing government. . .It’s not easy to fire the vast majority of federal workers — they have considerable job security with a long legal history. Federal employees who are not political appointees have strong protections designed to prevent political whims from clearing out the workforce. The protections have grown over time, under leadership of both major political parties. “The president definitely has his work cut out for him,” said Donald Kettl, a professor emeritus and former dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. Federal workers are entitled to due process, which means they can challenge disciplinary actions through a formal process. They have to be notified of the allegations against them and allowed to respond and present their side. “You have to build a record to fire somebody, and that doesn’t often happen,” Kamarck said. . .Federal workers have union representation, but, unlike those of many industries, they do not have the power to strike. Federal workers also can’t bargain over pay, because salaries are set in law. Federal unions can bargain over working conditions and basic protections for their members. Recently, unions have battled over remote working conditions, which they’ve successfully bargained for in the past and Trump is working to sharply reduce. “There also are some limits about what they can bargain over, so, for example, they can’t bargain over what the policy of their agency is,” Super said. “That’s a matter for the political process to work out, but they can bargain for things that affect workers on their jobs and their well-being.”)
— Trump administration begins sweeping layoffs with probationary workers, warns of larger cuts to come (COMMENT: My Democrat GAO superiors and supervisors were furious that they could not use probationary employee procedures to get rid of me because I had already survived my probationary period when I worked for IRS.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/13/trump-administration-lays-off-probationary-workers/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Trump, pensions, health care among pressure points as Gov. JB Pritzker crafts state budget. Uncertainty in federal funding under President Donald Trump’s administration has made a tough state budget season even more difficult for Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Democrats who control Springfield.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/springfield/2025/02/14/jb-pritzker-budget-proposal-donald-trump
— Aviation, COPA chiefs out after Johnson vows to purge disloyal staff (COMMENT: My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty and destroy those like me who they cannot manipulate or dominate, who refuse to glorify and praise them, who refuse to pander to them, who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, who refuse to coverup their wrongdoing, and/or who refuse to give them money.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2025/02/13/aviation-commissioner-retiring-jamie-rhee-ohare-midway-mayor-brandon-johnson-clean-house

DAILY HERALD
— EDITORIAL: Removing Henry Hyde’s name from Wheaton courthouse feels petty. Because it is.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250213/editorials/daily-herald-opinion-removing-henry-hydes-name-from-wheaton-courthouse-feels-petty-because-it-is/
— Elgin moves to ban sale of THC products (COMMENT: Money spent on THC products, booze, gambling, prostitution, and other vices is money not spent on pot.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250213/news/elgin-moves-to-ban-sale-of-thc-products/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use illegals and students to promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250213/news/this-is-a-safe-environment-amid-fears-of-deportation-sweeps-schools-work-to-protect-students/

CARROLL COUNTY NEWS
— Early voting begins for April 1 election (COMMENT: What offices are on the April 1 ballot in your precinct? Who are the candidates? Which ones are Republican?)
https://www.mycarrollcountynews.com/news/article_b1cc4bac-ea21-11ef-a282-2ff1c3444292.html

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— The more demographics that voters have who vote for Republicans, the more that Democrats and RINOs discriminate against those voters. Demographics that vote for Republicans include: conservative, White, male, older, Protestant, German American, and have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/ap-given-christianitys-dominance-in-us-trump-raises-eyebrows-with-anti-christian-bias-initiative/

NPR ILLINOIS
— Trump administration was set to purchase $400 million worth of armored Teslas
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-12/trump-administration-was-set-to-purchase-400-million-worth-of-armored-teslas
— Trump hired Musk as a special federal employee. Here is what that means. (COMMENT: I was just a regular federal employee. But notwithstanding tremendous efforts by my Democrat superiors to waste my career and to get rid of me, I survived for almost 18 years and got promoted to GS-13 Step 10, currently $153,151 year.)
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-13/trump-hired-musk-as-a-special-government-employee-heres-what-that-means
— Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, homelessness will ever-increasingly increase.
https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2025-02-13/statewide-counting-the-unhoused
— A federal worker tried to take Trump’s ‘Fork’ resignation offer. Here’s what happened
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-14/a-federal-worker-tried-to-take-trumps-fork-resignation-offer-heres-what-happened
— Immigration poll shows growing support for restrictions, but deep divisions remain (COMMENT: Democrats want immigrants because immigrants vote for Democrats. RINOs want immigrants because RINOs want cheap labor.)
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-14/immigration-poll-shows-growing-support-for-restrictions-but-deep-divisions-remain

NPR ILLINOIS & WEEK
— As Chicago strengthens immigrant protections, downstate officials split on sanctuary laws (COMMENT: Ever-increasingly, according to Democrat leaders, those who are the following are discriminated against by Republicans and protected by Democrats: liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, unmarried, LGBTQ, non-rich, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, in America illegally, boozers, gamblers, stoners, criminals, etc.)
https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2025-02-13/as-chicago-strengthens-immigrant-protections-downstate-officials-split-on-sanctuary-laws
https://www.25newsnow.com/2025/02/13/chicago-strengthens-immigrant-protections-downstate-officials-split-sanctuary-laws/

WAND TV
— Attorney General Raoul joins coalition proving DEI guidance for businesses (COMMENT: To promote DEI is to promote discrimination.)
https://www.wandtv.com/news/attorney-general-raoul-joins-coalition-proving-guidance-for-businesses-on-diversity-and-inclusion/article_7d3937ce-ea3f-11ef-8955-0341fccb6b8c.html

RUSS STEWART
— DEMOCRATS BESEECH SEN. DURBIN: TIME TO STEP ASIDE IN 2026
http://www.russstewart.com/articles/2025/01-29-25.html

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/14/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-456/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/13/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-248/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Ever-increasing, when push comes to shove, Democrats and RINOs make it clear that they are anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-Protestant, anti-German American, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

WIREPOINTS
— Chicago Public Schools is so corrupted, both morally and financially, that it begs for an intervention like DOGE
https://wirepoints.org/chicago-public-schools-is-so-corrupted-both-morally-and-financially-that-it-begs-for-an-intervention-like-doge-wirepoints-on-wls-ramblin-ray-show/

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Illinois State Corporate Tax Rate Second Highest in the Nation, How the Personal Property Tax Made It So and How It Could Have Been (and Still Could Be) Different?
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/13/illinois-state-corporate-tax-rate-second-highest-in-the-nation-how-the-personal-property-tax-made-it-so-and-how-it-could-have-been-and-still-could-be-different/
— Crystal Lake Grade School District Follows Cary’s Lead on Possible Contacts with ICE
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/13/crystal-lake-grade-school-district-follows-carys-lead-on-possible-contacts-with-ice/
— DuPage Appearance of Lara Trump Sponsored by McHenry County GOPAC
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/13/dupage-appearance-of-lara-trump-sponsored-by-mchenry-county-gopac/
— Movie Tentatively Titled “The Lottery” Being Shot in McHenry County
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/13/movie-tentatively-titled-the-lottery-being-shot-in-mchenry-county/
— Reick Explains Attack on Home Schooling, Plus Private Schools
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/13/reick-explains-attack-on-home-schooling-plus-private-schools/
— Salvi Name Still Potent in Northwest Suburbs, But Joe Salvi No Longer Seeking the Senate Appointment
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/13/salvi-name-still-potent-in-northwest-suburbs/
— Madigan Loses $13,170 Monthly Pension
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/13/madigan-loses-13170-monthly-pension/
— Three McHenry County Nursing Homes Fined by Illinois Public Health Department
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/13/three-mchenry-county-nursing-homes-fined-by-illinois-public-health-department/
— Chinese Companies Indicted for Trade Secret Theft from Aurora Company
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/13/chinese-companies-indicted-for-trade-secret-theft-from-aurora/
— $1.5 Million Food Stamp, that is, SNAP Fraud
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/13/1-5-million-food-stamp-that-is-snap-fraud/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump’s spending pause exposes extreme reach of federal government. Uncle Sam pays for up to 40% of states’ expenses. (COMMENT: To what extent are those in the following dependent on government spending: your county, your township, your municipality, your school district, and your precinct?)
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/13/trump-spending-pause-exposes-extreme-reach-federal/

NEW YOR POST
— AOC shares tips on how illegal immigrants can evade ICE: ‘Do not open your door’
https://nypost.com/2025/02/13/us-news/aoc-shares-tips-on-how-illegal-immigrants-can-evade-ice-do-not-open-your-door/

BREITBART
— Former GAO Head David Walker: What DOGE Is Doing ‘Needs to Be Done,’ But Needs More Transparency (COMMENT: Who does Trump want the next head of GAO to be? Walker headed GAO 1998-2008. Walker could have, but he did not a) rescind GAO’s forcing me to retire in 1997 or b) settle Diersen v. GAO. Therefore, Walker further promoted patronage, political affiliation, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination in GAO.)
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/02/12/fmr-gao-head-what-doge-is-doing-needs-to-be-done-but-needs-more-transparency/
— New York ‘Doing Everything They Should Do’ by Tipping Off Illegals
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/02/13/hispanic-caucus-chair-new-york-doing-everything-they-should-do-by-tipping-off-illegals/
— New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D): ‘We Need’ Illegals Who Haven’t Committed Further Crimes, ‘That Is Part of Who We Are’ (COMMENT: To come into a country illegally and/or to stay in a country illegally is to demonstrate gross disrespect for the rule of law and for that country. Of course, illegals say that under Biden’s policies, they came into America “legally” and/or that they are staying in America “legally.”)
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/02/14/adams-we-need-illegals-who-havent-committed-further-crimes-that-is-part-of-who-we-are/
— Hegseth: Woke Generals ‘Will Have a Different Job in Due Time’
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/02/13/exclusive-defense-secretary-pete-hegseth-woke-generals-have-different-job/

EPOCH TIMES
— IRS to Be Audited by DOGE. IRS collects trillions in taxes. (COMMENT: Democrat and RINO leaders do not want Republicans to audit IRS. I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO on audits of the Democrats who ran IRS for 3 years 1986-1988 while I was at the GS-13 Step 1-3 Levels, currently $117,807-$125,661/year. I had worked for the Democrats who ran IRS for almost 9 years 1971-1980, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $99,069-$112,280/year. I agreed to take a $23,472/year pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer, that is, a downgrade from GS-12 Step 5 to GS-9 Step 10, because the Republican GAO Staff Manager (Bill) who had arranged the transfer promised me that he would assign me to audits of IRS and that he would rapidly promote me back to GS-12 Step 5 and then to GS-13. But my Democrat GAO superiors immediately replaced Bill with a nasty/vicious Democrat Staff Manager (Dave) who despised Republicans and especially Republicans who shared my demographics. Dave kept me off audits of IRS, gave me bad job assignments and unfair performance expectations and appraisals, and delayed my promotions back to GS-12 Step 5. But then, in 1985, Dave had to have major heart surgery and go on extended sick leave because of his heavy drinking. That enabled Bill to assign me to audits of IRS and to promote me to GS-13 in 1986. But then, Dave came back from sick leave and a) forced Bill to retire in 1987, b) threw me off audits of IRS in late 1988, c) gave me an extremely bad job assignment and unfair performance expectations and appraisal in 1989, and d) ranked me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance (PFP) purposes in 1989. But thankfully,  Dave’s efforts to get rid of me moderated because my Congressman Henry Hyde came to my defense. But Dave nevertheless succeeded in a) keeping me off audits of IRS for the rest of my GAO career, b) always ranking me in the bottom of my coworkers for PFP, and c) forcing me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997. If Dave had not taken the aforesaid adverse actions against me that he did, I would have always been assigned to audits of IRS and I would have been promoted to GS-13 sooner and then to GS-14, currently $139,211-$180,974/year, and then to GS-15, currently $163,749-$195,200/year, and then to Senior Executive Service, currently $195,200/year.)
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/irs-to-be-audited-by-doge-trump-says-5809719
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The IRS will be audited by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President Donald Trump said on Feb. 13. “The Internal Revenue Service will be looked at like everybody else,” Trump told reporters at the White House in Washington. He said that just about every federal agency will be examined by DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk. “They’re doing a hell of a job. It’s an amazing job they’re doing,” Trump said. “I call it the force of super-geniuses, but it’s building, and you know they go up, and they talk to some of the people about certain deals, and they get all tongue-tied because these people get it. They’re very smart people. We need smart people.” The IRS declined to comment on the remarks. Trump was responding to a question about how DOGE reportedly arrived at the IRS on Thursday and whether he wanted to close the IRS. Trump said he did not expect the IRS, which is currently processing 2024 taxes, to be shuttered. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said on social media platform X, owned by Musk, that his office has heard that DOGE is at the IRS. “That means Musk’s henchmen are in a position to dig through a trove of data about every taxpayer in America. And if your refund is delayed, they could very well be the reason,” Wyden said. After DOGE accessed U.S. Department of Treasury payment systems earlier in the year, a group of Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives wrote to the acting IRS commissioner asking what confidential information DOGE had requested from the IRS and how many taxpayers had had their confidential information accessed by DOGE. Separately on Thursday, senior IRS executives were instructed to identify all contracts that were nonessential for termination, according to an internal email. The email said that the General Services Administration (GSA), which manages most government contracts, is demanding they review consulting contracts under their purview and determine whether they can be justified. The GSA deems a contract nonessential if it “merely generates a report, research, coaching, or an artifact,” the email says. “Consistent with the goals and directives of the Trump administration to eliminate waste, reduce spending, and increase efficiency, GSA has taken the first steps in a government-wide initiative to eliminate non-essential consulting contracts.” The GSA did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.)

FEDERALIST
— Advocating For Asylum Seekers Made Me Less Sympathetic To Illegal Migrants
https://thefederalist.com/2025/02/14/advocating-for-asylum-seekers-made-me-less-sympathetic-to-illegal-migrants/

NATIONAL REVIEW
— AOC Webinar Teaches Illegal Immigrants How to Avoid ICE Deportation
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/aoc-webinar-teaches-illegal-immigrants-how-to-avoid-ice-deportation/

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Homan: “AOC Is Going To Be In Trouble Now” For Delivering Webinar On How Illegals Can Evade ICE Apprehension
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2025/02/13/tom_homan_aoc_is_going_to_be_in_trouble_now_for_delivering_webinar_on_how_illegals_can_evade_ice_apprehension.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CNN
— RAHM EMANUEL JOINS CNN
https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2025/02/13/rahm-emanuel-joins-cnn-as-senior-political-and-global-affairs-commentator/

REUTERS
— Thousands fired in US government as Trump, Musk purge federal workers (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, the agency ever-increasingly shrank because of Republican-led budget cuts. My Democrat GAO superiors ever-increasingly punished me for that. I was one of the last Republicans who GAO hired. GAO audits IRS. The Democrats who ran GAO in 1980 let me transfer from IRS when I was 31 years old, but only if I took a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars. They could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job. My qualifications included having a) passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, b) almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul, c) earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976, and d) worked for IRS for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $99,069-$112,280/year. To further punish me for Republican-led budget cuts, my Democrat GAO superiors a) delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13, kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO, always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance purposes, and forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.)
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/mass-firings-federal-workers-begin-trump-musk-purge-us-government-2025-02-13/

CBS NEWS
— U.S. is deporting African and Asian migrants to Panama in diplomatic breakthrough
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-deportations-panama-african-asian-migrants/

NEW YORK TMES
— Democrats say “Trump Wants to Destroy All Academia, Not Just the Woke Parts.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/opinion/trump-college-academia-woke.html

USA TODAY
— Musk, Trump degrade federal workers as they put them out of work. It’s sadistic. (COMMENT: What is your opinion of federal employees? From what I see, employers and just about everyone else have a negative opinion of past, present, and future federal employees. I was a federal employee for almost 30 years. I have been a federal retiree for more than 27 years.)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/02/12/elon-musk-donald-trump-federal-workers-jobs-cruelty/78428472007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Trump’s EEOC Firing Will Likely Prevail in Court. The justices’ precedents imply that he has the power to dismiss officials of ‘independent’ agencies. (COMMENT: How has EEOC impacted you? I became an IRS Revenue Officer when I was 22 years old in 1971 because my Firestone Store boss had rudely fired me. He did that because I had told him that I had accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile. But Oldsmobile withdrew that job offer saying it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.)
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/youre-fired-trump-says-the-justices-will-likely-agree-officials-dismissed-supreme-court-precedent-9b40b529
— Trump Layoffs Push Federal Workers Into Tough Job Hunt. Companies have pulled back on white-collar hiring, limiting options for government workers. (COMMENT: What is your opinion of federal employees? From what I see, employers and just about everyone else have a negative opinion of past, present, and future federal employees. I was a federal employee for almost 30 years. I have been a federal retiree for more than 27 years.)
https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/federal-workers-jobs-doge-37b761cd
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Trump administration’s effort to slash the federal workforce is pushing employees into a challenging job market, where their age and lack of corporate experience can hold them back. Federal workers are also facing an environment where hiring for white-collar jobs has slowed. Despite the availability of state and local government jobs, many of these positions take place outside offices and aren’t a good match for federal workers’ experience.)

FORBES
— Jamie Dimon Reportedly Says He’ll Cut Some ‘Stupid’ DEI Costs At JPMorgan Chase (COMMENT: If Affirmative Action and DEI had been implemented earlier/faster, Dimon would have made to where he is now.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/02/13/jamie-dimon-reportedly-says-hell-cut-some-stupid-dei-costs-at-jpmorgan-chase-here-are-all-the-companies-rolling-back-dei/

FORTUNE
— Democrat and RINO employers use DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://fortune.com/2025/02/14/companies-rolling-back-changing-dei-meta-target-fortune-500-diversity-equity-inclusion-policies/

HUFFINGTON POST
— Ever-increasingly, since the 1960s, the Democrats who run the federal government have used Affirmative Action and DEI a) to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, and/or younger and b) to get rid of their Republican employees who are White, male, and/or older.
https://www.aol.com/trump-trying-federal-workforce-whiter-003612069.html

ECONOMIC TIMES & NDTV
— “Will Take Back Verified Illegals”: PM Modi On Illegal Immigrants | PM Modi’s US Visit (COMMENT: How many of those who are in America illegally share you national origin?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqg2zhKkSUo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSm7bjhqMMA

INDIA TODAY
— Impact of US immigration raids on Indians: What visa applicants need to know. Many Indians planning to relocate to the United States have been left anxious after Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegals. As deportation of undocumented immigrants continues, here’s how people applying for work visas can avoid complications.
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/impact-of-us-immigration-raids-on-indians-what-visa-applicants-need-to-know-2679998-2025-02-14

GUARDIAN
— Trump administration sparks outcry as it continues to gut federal workforce. Major union as well as federal worker advocacy group condemn moves to fire probationary employees as thousands told to leave.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/feb/14/trump-musk-federal-government-layoffs-jd-vance-ukraine-latest

February 12, 2025 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Mike Madigan found guilty on 10 counts in partial verdict, not guilty on 7 counts. Republicans, Democrats denounce corruption that brought Madigan down.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/mike-madigan-news-jury-illinois-house-speaker-corruption-trial-reaches-consensus-17-charges-deadlocked-6-others/15897869/
— Senate confirms Gabbard as Trump’s director of national intelligence after Republicans fall in line
https://abc7chicago.com/post/tulsi-gabbard-senate-votes-nomination-trumps-director-national-intelligence/15897871/

FOX32
— Pat Brady reacts to Madigan’s guilty verdict
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1592230

WTTW
— Judge Clears Way for Donald Trump’s Plan to Downsize Federal Workforce With Deferred Resignation Program
https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/12/judge-clears-way-donald-trump-s-plan-downsize-federal-workforce-deferred-resignation

WBEZ
— PBS shutters DEI office. The public broadcaster says it is closing its Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office to comply with a recent executive order from President Donald Trump.
https://www.wbez.org/media/2025/02/12/pbs-shutters-dei-office

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Reader: Removing late Rep. Henry Hyde’s name from DuPage courthouse is ‘terrible and petty’
https://chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-the-editor/2025/02/12/removing-henry-hyde-name-dupage-courthouse-wrong-blagojevich-donald-trump-suenos-ymca

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Michael Madigan guilty of bribery conspiracy, wire fraud
https://chicago.suntimes.com/madigan-trial-news/2025/02/12/mike-madigan-trial-jury-deliberation-write-through

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Madigan jury sends a message — to all of America
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/michael-madigan-jury-sends-message-ethics-greg-hinz

KWQC
— Illinois GOP leader McCombie said Madigan’s guilty verdict ‘sober day’ for state
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx98bYXzi4A

NPR ILLINOIS
— Pritzker emerging as one of Trump’s most vocal Democratic critics
https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2025-02-12/pritzker-emerging-as-one-of-trumps-most-vocal-democratic-critics

FOX ILLINOIS
— White House ‘not satisfied’ with number of ICE arrests
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/white-house-not-satisfied-with-number-of-ice-arrests-illegal-immigration-customs-enforcement-migrants-president-donald-trump-sanctuary-cities-white-house-border-czar-tom-homan-sex-trafficking-ring-gang-tren-de-aragua-gangs

CAPITOL FAX
— Roundup: Madigan, McClain trial verdict
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/12/roundup-madigan-mcclain-trial-verdict/
— Madigan/McClain verdict react (Updated)
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/12/madigan-verdict-react/
— Madigan/McClain trial verdict cheat sheet
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/12/madiganmcclain-trial-verdict-cheat-sheet/
— Madigan jury has come to a unanimous decision on 17 counts, deadlocked on 12 counts
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/12/madigan-jury-has-come-to-a-unanimous-decision-on-17-counts-impasse-on-12-counts/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WHEATON RECORD
— Alumni Sign Letter of Complaint After Vought Controversy. Social media posts congratulating Russell Vought on his new position with the Trump administration sparked controversy.
https://thewheatonrecord.com/2025/02/12/alumni-vought-controversy/

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Illinois House GOP demands ethics reforms after Madigan guilty verdicts
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_201ead3e-e97d-11ef-a7f8-3b73f27018ea.html

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— My Wife Bought Champagne When Investigation of Madigan Began Pledging Not to Open It Until He Was Convicted, Now’s the Time
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/12/my-wife-bought-champagne-when-investigation-of-madigan-began-pledging-not-to-open-it-until-he-was-convicted/
— Press Release from U.S. Attorney on Mike Madigan Conviction
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/12/press-release-from-u-s-attorney-on-mike-madigan-conviction/
— House Republicans Point to Suzanne Ness’ Huge Contributions from Mike Madigan
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/12/house-republicans-point-to-suzanne-ness-huge-contributions-from-mike-madigan/
— Schakowsky Outlines District Impact of Social Security Expansion Law Giving Higher Retirement Benefits to Government Employees
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/12/schakowsky-outlines-impact-of-social-security-expansion-law-giving-higher-retirement-benefits-to-government-employees/
— Election Cartoon
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/12/election-cartoon/
— February 21st Is Day Lara Trump Speaking at McHenry County GOPAC Event
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/12/february-21st-is-day-lara-trump-speaking-at-mchenry-county-gopac-event/
— About the Proposed Commuter Service to Rockford through Huntley
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/12/about-the-proposed-commuter-service-to-rockford-through-huntley/
— LaHood Criticizes Blagojevich Pardon
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/11/lahood-criticizes-blagojevich-pardon/
— Wilcox Files Domestic Abuse Bill
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/11/wilcox-files-domestic-abuse-bill/
— Trump Pardon of Blagojevich Minimizes Problem with Illinois Corruption
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/11/trump-pardon-of-blagojevich-minimizes-problem-with-illinois-corruption/
— Challenges to FOID Card Requirement’s Constitutionality Continue
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/11/challenges-to-foid-card-requirements-constitutionality-continue/
— Schakowsky Demonstrates at Treasury Department
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/11/schakowsky-demonstrates-at-treasury-department/
— Former State Rep. DeLoris Doederlein Honored by Kane County Republicans
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/10/former-state-rep-deloris-doederlein-honored-by-kane-county-republicans/
— DeWitte Outlines Latest on Illegal Aliens
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/10/dewitte-outlines-latest-on-illegal-aliens/
— Schakowsky Defends Federal Employees
www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/10/schakowsky-defends-federal-employees/
— Illinois Compared to Indiana
https://https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/09/illinois-compared-to-indiana/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— The Associated Press exposes its hate for Trump … again
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/12/associated-press-exposes-hate-trump/
— U.S. government employees overwhelmingly back Democrats. In politics, nothing indicates loyalty more than where people put their money. (COMMENT: While I was a federal employee for almost 30 years, virtually all my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were Democrats.)
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/11/u-government-employees-overwhelmingly-back-democra/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The federal workforce has become an integral part of the Democratic Party power structure, rivaling the liberal mainstream media, billionaire donors and the activist nonprofits they fund as its most important political ally. This is why Democrats are proclaiming a guerrilla street revolution. They want to stop President Trump and point man Elon Musk from downsizing their army and from surgically removing liberal agenda offices, agencies and leaders — a force it took Democrats years to put into place. Mr. Musk immediately targeted the U.S. Agency for International Development and its exporting of woke ideologies. Federal election records show that USAID personnel contributed $240,000 to the Kamala Harris campaign in the 2024 election cycle and just $999 to Mr. Trump. Of USAID’s top 20 funded candidates, just one was a Republican. President Biden used executive orders to open the southern border to drug cartel-smuggled migrants, to rewrite Title IX for men in women’s sports and to repay students’ delinquent loans without congressional approval. Democrats cheered. They warn Mr. Trump not to downsize the U.S. government, as our national debt reaches $36 trillion, or we’ll impeach him again. OpenSecrets.org, which tracks campaign donations, shows that government workers bankroll Democrats in large ratios. In politics, nothing indicates loyalty more than where people put their money. Employees in the government’s 15 Cabinet-level departments, such as Defense, State and Justice, contributed over $9 million to candidate Harris compared with $1.6 million to Mr. Trump. Looking at federal employees collectively would put them in the top 12 of Harris donors. “One of the reasons the left gravitates to the bureaucracies is because they know it allows them to exercise unaccountable power,” Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, told me. His group has uncovered government misconduct by aggressively pursuing Freedom of Information Act lawsuits. Mr. Fitton added, “History shows effective conservative government reformers will be targeted, isolated, harassed, smeared and destroyed. And public employee unions necessarily have an interest in bigger government, which means they are allied with and support leftist and Democratic Party politicians.” For example, when IRS whistleblowers came forward to testify about Mr. Biden’s family corruption, agency higher-ups smashed them. Special Agents Joe Ziegler and Gary Shapley testified to the House Ways and Means Committee in 2023 that the Justice Department blocked their probe of Hunter Biden into income tax fraud. In December, the Office of Special Counsel, an independent agency that protects against whistleblower reprisals, concluded that the two were the victims of illegal gag orders and workplace retaliations by top IRS officials. IRS employees donated $644,000 to Democrats and $135,000 to Republicans in the 2024 election cycle.)
— ‘Reverse flow’: Illegal immigrants streaming back home after being blocked by Trump’s border
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/12/reverse-flow-illegal-immigrants-streaming-back-hom/

NEW YORK POST
— Trump says he wants ‘con job’ Education Department closed ‘immediately’
https://nypost.com/2025/02/12/us-news/trump-says-he-would-like-education-department-closed-immediately-but-needs-buy-in-from-congress-unions/
— DOJ announces lawsuit against New York, Hochul and state AG James over ‘sanctuary’ status
https://nypost.com/2025/02/12/us-news/attorney-general-pam-bondi-announces-doj-lawsuit-against-new-york-hochul-and-state-ag-james-over-sanctuary-status/
— Federal judge allows Trump to push forward with buyouts for government workers after 65K accept offers
https://nypost.com/2025/02/12/us-news/federal-judge-allows-trump-to-push-forward-with-buyouts-for-government-workers/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— Attorney General Pam Bondi announces lawsuit against New York over immigration enforcement
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/attorney-general-pam-bondi-immigration-enforcement/
— Judge allows Trump’s deferred resignations plan for federal workers to proceed
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-allows-trumps-deferred-resignations-plan-federal-workers-to-proceed/

CNN
— Government watchdogs fired by Trump sue to get their jobs back
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/12/politics/inspector-general-lawsuit-fired-trump
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Eight inspectors general whom Donald Trump fired from their federal agency watchdog posts are suing for their jobs back, adding to the legal scrutiny over Trump’s first weeks of decisions in the White House and raising questions about his political intentions. They say that Trump shouldn’t have been able to fire them in late January without first notifying Congress and that the White House ignored regulations around their removal that existed to protect them from political interference and retribution. The administration’s “actions have inflicted substantial damage on the critical oversight ethos of transparency, truth-telling without fear or favor, and respect for the rule of law,” the lawsuit, filed in Washington, DC’s federal court on Wednesday, states. The lawsuit is the latest among more than four dozen filed in federal courts to challenge swift, early executive actions by the Trump administration. Many of the lawsuits, like Wednesday’s, allege that Trump’s White House is depriving Congress of some of its power. The IG’s case adds to a pile of challenges from government workers the Trump administration has removed from various posts — especially those in independent or non-political roles. The dismissals also raise questions over Trump and temporary government adviser Elon Musk’s adversarial approach to existing, long-established federal corruption watchdogs, at a time Trump and Musk are dismantling parts of the government, citing in part a desire to root out corruption. Trump’s dismissal of 18 IGs happened in the first week of his second term, when the watchdogs each received two-sentence emails titled “White House Notification” from the Office of Presidential Personnel. The reason they were given was “changing priorities,” which is not a sufficient reason under the law, their lawsuit claims. Soon after, the IG’s government email access was shut off, and they couldn’t return to their office buildings. “Their purported removals were legal nullities, and so they remain the duly appointed IGs of their respective agencies, unless and until the President lawfully removes them in compliance,” attorneys for the eight IGs wrote. “Plaintiffs’ integrity has been baselessly maligned publicly, with the abrupt and unlawful nature of their purported removals incorrectly implying that plaintiffs have done something wrong when in fact they have each done nothing but uphold the values of their positions and the IG community,” the suit adds. The IGs allege Trump has told Congress – as is required by law – nothing. The lawsuit instead points out the president commented to the press some IGs “were not doing their job.” Trump fired a 19th inspector general, the USAID’s watchdog, this week. The inspectors general, in positions across many government agencies, work to find and prevent waste, fraud and abuse within federal departments. The IGs say their work is non-partisan and ultimately saves taxpayers billions of dollars, protects vulnerable Americans’ rights and safeguards national security, according to the complaint. Those whom Trump fired include IGs at crucial departments including Defense, Health and Human Services, State and Veterans Affairs who say their work has saved the agencies millions of dollars. One of the IGs who is suing, Phyllis Fong, had been in her position at the Department of Agriculture for more than 20 years. After Fong was told she was fired, she continued to go to work, “recognizing that her termination was not effective because it failed to comply with the IG Act’s requirements,” her attorneys wrote, until her federal badge was deactivated and her computer and phone were taken back by the Department of Agriculture. Several of those who are suing had worked under Trump during his first term in the presidency, and one, Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the Small Business Administration, had been Trump’s nominee for the post in 2018. The other IGs who are suing are: Robert Storch of the Defense Department; Michael Missal of Veterans Affairs; Christi Grimm of Health and Human Services; Cardell Richardson of the State Department; Sandra Bruce of the Education Department; and Larry Turner of the Department of Labor.)

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Are Trump’s Attempts to Overhaul the Federal Workforce Legal?  Personnel moves will face a range of tests in court.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/are-trumps-attempts-to-overhaul-the-federal-workforce-legal-f36cb5c0

RASMUSSEN REPORTS
— Birthright Citizenship: Majority Want Limits
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration_second_term/birthright_citizenship_majority_want_limits

February 8, 2025 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Aurora mayoral candidates share their views on city issues at forum (COMMENT: What are the issues in your township, municipality, and school district?)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/08/aurora-mayoral-candidates-share-their-views-on-city-issues-at-forum/
— Donald Trump orders freeze of aid to South Africa citing country’s land expropriation law
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/07/trump-freeze-aid-south-africa/
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/08/community-leaders-speak-out-under-little-village-arch-hundreds-rally-for-day-of-love-and-resistance/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/08/nonprofit-warns-of-vigilantism-against-migrants-after-skokie-family-receives-deportation-threats/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/02/07/trump-immigration-executive-order-refugees-resettlement-united-nations-stop-work-order
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly demonize, denigrate, and condemn Republicans.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2025/02/07/illinois-jb-pritzker-revenue-squeeze-trump-congressional-gop-cut-medicaid-expansion-rich-miller

DAILY HEARLD
— Democrats far outspent GOP rivals in suburban U.S. House races — none more than Raja Krishnamoorthi (COMMENT: What discourages you from giving money to Republican candidates? For me, it includes my having less money. In today’s dollars, my federal pension a) is only 44% of what my GAO salary was in 1997 and b) less than what my IRS salary was in 1972. Further, my Social Security is dramatically less because I get a federal pension. Further, far too many unsuccessful Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct since 2000 who I did much to help elect blame me and blame my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters for their defeats.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250208/us-congress-politics/democrats-far-outspent-gop-rivals-in-suburban-u-s-house-races-none-more-than-raja-krishnamoorthi/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Republican candidates in northeast Illinois struggle to compete financially with their rivals across the aisle. Of the eight Republican congressional candidates who ran in the suburbs last year, the 10th District’s Jim Carris of Lake Forest spent the most — nearly $681,000. The campaign spending totals for four others — Rice in the 8th District plus James Marter in the 14th, Jerry Evans in the 11th and Niki Conforti in the 6th — were lower in the six-figure range. Ramirez’s GOP challenger in the 3rd District, John Booras, spent less than $40,000 on his campaign; the 9th District’s Seth Cohen spent less than $8,000 on his race. Postelection and year-end reports weren’t available for 5th District GOP candidate Tommy Hanson.)
— Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly use DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250208/editorials/daily-herald-opinion-in-defense-of-dei-the-phrase-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-may-sound-unga/
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250207/nation-and-world-politics/latino-evangelical-churches-gear-up-to-face-possible-immigration-enforcement-in-churches/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Illinois revs up more EV incentives amid uncertain fate of federal rebates
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/illinois-revs-more-ev-incentives-amid-federal-uncertainties
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more gambling.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/economy/illinois-generates-17-billion-casino-tax-revenue

ABC7
— Trump announces plans to gut the Kennedy Center board, appoint himself chairman
https://abc7chicago.com/post/kennedy-center-president-donald-trump-says-hes-firing-board-trustees-members-naming-himself-chairman/15882171/
— Trump official’s directive tying transportation grants to birth rates could hinder blue states
https://abc7chicago.com/post/us-birth-rates-state-donald-trump-transportation-secretary-sean-duffy-circulates-memo-tying-grants-marriage/15881663/
— Chicago Auto Show 2025: Doors open for Day 1 at McCormick Place
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-auto-show-2025-doors-open-saturday-morning-mccormick-place/15881013/

WGN TV
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration
https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/little-village-protest-trump-deportations/
— Illinois faces funding cut-off for electric vehicle charging stations; Pritzker vows to fight back
https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/illinois-ev-funding-cuts/

FOX32
— Time magazine cover puts Elon Musk behind Trump’s desk
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/time-magazine-elon-musk-trump-desk

WTTW
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration
https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/06/illinois-farm-workers-consumers-alert-amid-mass-deportation-threats

WBEZ
— Lurie Children’s Hospital pauses gender care surgeries for those younger than 19. The move comes after President Donald Trump’s executive order that said the federal government would not support these procedures.
https://www.wbez.org/2025/02/07/lurie-childrens-hospital-pauses-gender-care-surgeries-for-those-younger-than-19

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ
https://www.news-gazette.com/news/nation-world/trump-policies-on-gender-affirming-care-and-passports-for-transgender-people-challenged-in-court/article_a7b7c426-ae4e-58d7-934b-d7c89861987a.html

SOUTHERN
— Here are all the agencies that Elon Musk and DOGE have been trying to dismantle so far
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2025/02/08/here-are-all-the-agencies-that-elon-musk-and-doge-have-been-trying-to-dismantle-so-far/

EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump
https://www.theintelligencer.com/news/article/donald-trump-protest-edwardsville-il-20154122.php

WIFR
— Democrat leaders get high school students to promote more illegal immigration
https://www.wifr.com/gallery/2025/02/08/jefferson-high-schoolers-protest-trumps-immigration-policies/

EFFINGHAM RADIO
— IL House Leader McCombie Demands Transparency And Accountability On Immigration
https://www.effinghamradio.com/2025/02/08/il-house-leader-mccombie-demands-transparency-and-accountability-on-immigration/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/07/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-245/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Anticipate/expect that ever-increasingly, Democrat leaders will use their mainstream news media a)  to promote the Democrat Party platform, that is, to promote dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, booze, gambling, pot, and other vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, race and gender based preference giving, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination, b) to demonize, denigrate, and condemn the Republican Party platform, c) to elect Democrat candidates, and d) to defeat Republican candidates. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Crystal Laker Trevor Keegan in Super Bowl
mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/08/crystal-laker-trevor-keegan-in-super-bowl/
— Blago Being Talked about as Trump Pick for Ambassador to Serbia
https://wwwhttps://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/07/blago-being-talked-about-as-trump-pick-for-ambassador-to-serbia/
— Lakemoor Refuses Comment on $40 Million Illegal Search and Seizure Hemp Suit
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/07/lakemoor-refuses-comment-on-40-million-illegal-search-and-seizure-hemp-suit/
— Pritzker Flips on No New Taxes
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/07/pritzker-flips-on-no-new-taxes/
— Tariffs and How Value Added Taxes Are “Backdoor Tariffs”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/07/tariffs-and-how-value-added-taxes-are-backdoor-tariffs/
— Correcting County Administrator Pete Austin’s Salary Information — Seeking 5.3% Raise
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/07/correcting-county-administrator-pete-austins-salary-information/
— Major “Sin” Tax Brings in $1.5 Billion
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/07/major-sin-tax-brings-in-1-5-billion/
— Schakowsky on Trump’s Early Days as President
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/08/schakowsky-on-trumps-early-days-as-president/
— Pritzker Purports to Re-Name Lake Michigan “Lake Illinois”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/08/pritzker-purports-to-re-name-lake-michigan-lake-illinois/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump says DOGE will look into more federal agencies (COMMENTL Will DOGE look into GAO?
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/7/trump-says-doge-look-federal-agencies/
— Alaska lawmakers officially oppose Trump’s push to change Denali to Mount McKinley
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/8/alaska-lawmakers-officially-oppose-trump-push-chan/
— Russia is using Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to create a migration crisis. The axis of evil is sending masses of illegal immigrants to flood the southwest border.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/6/russia-using-cuba-nicaragua-venezuela-create-migra/

NEW YORK POST
— Trump ordered Secret Service to provide ‘every bit of information’ on would-be assassins
https://nypost.com/2025/02/08/us-news/trump-ordered-secret-service-to-provide-every-bit-of-information-on-would-be-assassins/

BAPTIST NEWS
— Remember that time Wheaton College congratulated Russell Vought?
https://baptistnews.com/article/remember-that-time-wheaton-college-congratulated-russell-vought/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Want to know how controversial it was for Russell Vought to be confirmed by the Senate as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget? Just ask Wheaton College, where Vought earned a bachelor’s degree. On Friday, Feb. 7, the Christian college posted a note on its Facebook page with Vought’s photo saying, “Wheaton College congratulates and prays for 1998 graduate Russell Vought regarding his senatorial confirmation to serve as the White House Director of the Office of Management and Budget!” Then the alumni base of the Illinois school began to vent their disdain for Vought and their disbelief that their alma mater would highlight someone responsible for creating Project 2025 and saying he wants to make federal employees so miserable they all quit — among other things. By Saturday morning, the post was removed from Facebook.)

DAILY WIRE
— Wheaton College Caves to Woke Mob, Apologizes For Congratulating Alum In Trump Admin. Wheaton College posted, and then retracted, a message congratulating Russ Vought on his confirmation to lead the Office of Management and Budget.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/christian-college-caves-to-woke-mob-apologizes-for-congratulating-alum-in-trump-admin

FOX NEWS
— Hegseth to look into ‘what went wrong’ in Afghanistan and pledges accountability, slams diversity motto. ‘We will find strength in unity,’ not diversity, Hegseth says.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hegseth-look-what-went-wrong-afghanistan-pledges-accountability-slams-diversity-motto
— Teachers express fears as Trump strips federal funding for schools teaching CRT. ‘Every teacher I’ve talked to is completely freaked out by it,’ one retired teacher told The Boston Globe.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/teachers-express-fears-trump-strips-federal-funding-schools-teaching-crt

NEWSMAX
— Time for Homan to Decisively Act on Defiant Illegals
https://www.newsmax.com/reagan/homan-cbs-ice/2025/02/08/id/1198327/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/transgender-rights-lawsuits-challenge-trump-policies/

WASHINGTON POST
— Attacks on Catholics, Lutherans suggest new Trump approach on religion. Allies of the president are leveling attacks on religious groups, including Catholics and Lutherans, and questioning their efforts to help migrants.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/02/08/catholic-lutheran-vance-flynn-musk-trump/
— Trump says some white South Africans are oppressed, could be resettled in the US. They say no thanks. Groups representing some of South Africa’s white minority have responded to a plan by U.S. President Donald Trump to offer them refugee status and resettlement in the United States by saying: thanks, but no thanks.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/02/08/trump-south-africa-afrikaners/ac037124-e633-11ef-ab83-bb30e4340014_story.html

REASON
— America’s enemies want mass immigration.
https://reason.com/volokh/2025/02/08/trumps-cruel-assault-on-legal-immigration/

February 8, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Pritzker responds to ‘garbage’ DOJ lawsuit over sanctuary city policies
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-governor-jb-pritzker-responds-garbage-doj-lawsuit-sanctuary-city-policies/15877508/
— Blagojevich may take role as U.S. ambassador to Serbia
https://abc7chicago.com/post/former-illinois-governor-rod-blagojevich-may-take-role-trump-administration-us-ambassador-serbia-politico-report/15879085/

FOX32
— Blagojevich may be considered for Trump Administration role
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/rod-blagojevich-may-be-considered-trump-administration-role-report-says

WTTW
— ‘Get out of the way’: Salvi calls on Pritzker to work with Trump administration
https://www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news/local/illinois-gop-chair-salvi-tells-pritzker-to-work-with-trump

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/08/a-chicagoans-journey-through-incarceration-deportation-and-the-fight-for-a-new-path/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Pritzker trolls Trump with faux Illinois annexation of Green Bay, renaming of Lake Michigan. Pritzker took Trump’s stated desire to take over Greenland as a cue to sarcastically announce “Illinois will now be annexing Green Bay to protect itself against enemies, foreign and domestic.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2025/02/07/pritzker-lake-illinois-green-bay-video-trump
— Trump says he’s firing Kennedy Center board members, naming himself chairman. Trump also indicated he would be dictating programming at one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions, writing on his social media website that the current board members “do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/donald-trump/2025/02/07/trump-firing-kennedy-center-board-trustees-members-naming-himself-chairman
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/02/05/chicago-immigration-lyons-elgin-trump-ice-raids-border-wall-immigration-know-your-rights

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250207/news/conant-high-students-walk-out-to-protest-deportations/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Pritzker takes aim at Team Trump over immigration — and Lake Illinois
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/pritzker-goes-trump-bondi-over-immigration-lawsuit

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Pritzker pokes fun at Trump, jokes he’s renaming Lake Michigan
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/state/2025/02/07/poking-fun-at-trump-pritzker-moves-to-annex-green-bay/78340045007/

STATELINE
— Illinois bill would remove student performance from teacher reviews (COMMENT: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly attract marginalized students to Illinois.)
https://www.mystateline.com/news/local-news/illinois-bill-would-remove-how-students-perform-from-teacher-reviews/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Trump is signing up local law officers to help with immigration enforcement (COMMENT: Hopefully, the leaders of your county and municipal law enforcement agencies have signed up to help with immigration enforcement.)
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/ap-trump-is-signing-up-local-law-officers-to-help-with-immigration-enforcement/

WAND TV
— Trump is signing up local law officers to help with immigration enforcement. Republican lawmakers in about dozen states are advancing proposals that could aid President Donald Trump’s deportation efforts.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/national/trump-is-signing-up-local-law-officers-to-help-with-immigration-enforcement/article_a672a2e8-4544-5594-835c-92b4afc3ee43.html

NPR ILLINOIS
— Trump supporters welcome the first steps in his immigration crackdown
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-02-07/trump-supporters-welcome-the-first-steps-in-his-immigration-crackdown

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/07/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-245/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WIREPOINTS
— Update on discrimination lawsuits against Bally’s Chicago and City of Chicago
https://wirepoints.org/update-on-discrimination-lawsuits-against-ballys-chicago-and-city-of-chicago-wirepoints/

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Advocate warns ‘lack of community care’ around Obama library in Chicago
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_50582248-e327-11ef-a170-33f03845bdc0.html

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Answers Sought for Northeastern Illinois Transportation Survey
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/07/answers-sought-for-transportation-survey/
— Campaign Committees with State Board of Elections Fines Preventing Candidates from Running for Office Until Payment Made
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/07/campaign-committees-with-state-board-of-elections-fines-preventing-candidates-from-running-for-office-until-payment-made/
— Two Running Write-In Campaigns for Marengo Township Trustee
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/07/two-running-write-in-campaigns-for-marengo-township-trustee/
— Pritzker Celebrates Pot Sales
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/06/pritzker-celebrates-pot-sales/
— McLaughlin Seeks to Emulate Other State’s Emulation of Trump’s DOGE
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/06/mclaughlin-seeks-to-emulate-other-states-emulation-of-trumps-doge/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— From what I see, to win elections going forward, Democrat leaders have decided to double down on promoting a) hatred against Trump and b) dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, booze, gambling, pot, and other vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, race and gender based preference giving, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— According to the White House, 65,000 federal employees have accepted buyout offers. What is your position on buyouts and early retirement offers? In 1993, when I was 45 years old, the Democrats who ran GAO “offered” $25,000 buyouts and early retirement to get rid of their older White male non-veteran employees who they had not promoted to GS-15, currently $163,749-$180,974/year. I was eligible because I had 25 years of federal service – 13 with GAO, 9 with IRS, and 3 with the Post Office. They succeeded in forcing me to retire in 1997 just before their “offer” expired. If I had not succumbed, I would not have been eligible for regular retirement until 2003. Things that I did that helped me survive 1993-1997 include a) earning a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997, b) becoming a Certified Forensic Accountant in 1997, Financial Services Auditor in 1996, Government Financial Manager in 1994, Fraud Examiner in 1990, Internal Auditor and licensed CPA in 1981, and CPA in 1979, and c) earning master’s degrees in accounting from DePaul in 1980 and in business from Loyola in 1976. If I was still working for GAO, that is, if my Democrat GAO superiors had not forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, a) I would not have gotten $1.8 million in Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension payments since 1997 in today’s dollars and b) I would have paid into the CSRS $286,262 (7% of my salary) in today’s dollar.)
— Trump has pledged to remove corrupt FBI agents. To remove me, my Democrat GAO superiors did not hint/imply/argue/shout that I was corrupt. But constructively, they hinted/implied/argued/shouted that because I opposed their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination, I was a White supremacist, Nazi, KKK member, hater, racist, sexist, bigot, and even worse things. They had trouble hinting/implying/arguing/shouting that I was incompetent because I had a) become a licensed CPA, b) passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt, c) earned four more job-related professional certifications, and d) earned three job-related master’s degrees. I should write about the aforesaid. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— David Hogg has become the Democratic National Committee’s First Gen Z Vice Chair. If the following would establish a Vice Chair position for Baby Boomers, I would apply for it: Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization. I would also apply for Vice Chair positions for conservatives, Whites, males, Protestants, German Americans, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Are you or someone who you know interested in buying our Iron Gate Motor Condo in Naperville? If so, please let me know. My wife and I are considering buying a more expensive unit there. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump calls for ‘balanced budget’ after proposing tax cuts costing at least $5 trillion
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/7/donald-trump-calls-balanced-budget-proposing-tax-c/
— Immigrants took nearly 90% of new jobs since 2020 (COMMENT: If there had been as many immigrants when I was young as there are now, they would have gotten the jobs that I got.)
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/7/immigrants-took-nearly-90-new-jobs-since-2020/
— Breaking free from the addiction to government schools. The state has only its best interests at heart.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/6/breaking-free-addiction-government-schools/
— Trump says he will name himself Kennedy Center board chair and impose programming changes
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/7/trump-says-name-kennedy-center-board-chair-impose-/
— Justice Department takes fight to sanctuary cities
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/7/trump-launches-multi-front-attack-sanctuary-polici/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Radical LGBT activists lash out over Trump protecting women’s sports
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/fairness-justice/3314702/lgbt-activists-lash-out-trump-women-sports/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Top Biden EV Bus Maker Nears Bankruptcy, Leaving School Districts and Tens of Millions of Taxpayer Dollars in Limbo. EPA administrator Lee Zeldin tells the Free Beacon he is ‘committed to delivering’ answers on green spending.
https://freebeacon.com/energy/bidens-favorite-ev-bus-maker-is-nearing-bankruptcy-and-producing-no-buses-leaving-tens-of-millions-of-taxpayer-dollars-in-limbo/

NEW YORK POST
— Trump appoints himself Kennedy Center chair, fires board members and blasts past drag shows ‘targeting’ children
https://nypost.com/2025/02/07/us-news/trump-to-purge-kennedy-center-board-of-trustees-and-make-himself-chairman/
— Here’s what’s really driving Donald Trump’s tariff threats
https://nypost.com/2025/02/07/opinion/heres-whats-really-driving-donald-trumps-tariff-threats/

BREITBART
— Newsom Signs $50 Million to Fight Trump — After Asking for Federal Aid for Fires
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/02/07/newsom-signs-50-million-to-fight-trump-after-asking-for-federal-aid-for-fires/

DAILY WIRE
— ICE Arrests 11,000 Illegal Aliens In First 18 Days Of Trump Administration. The Trump administration is working to expand ICE’s detention capacity.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/ice-arrests-11000-illegal-aliens-in-first-18-days-of-trump-administration

EPOCH TIMES
— Trump Revokes Biden’s Security Clearance, Bars Him From Intelligence Briefings. Biden had previously revoked Trump’s access to intelligence briefings after he took office, following the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-revokes-joe-bidens-security-clearance-bars-him-from-receiving-intelligence-briefings-5806401

FOX NEWS
— Frustrated Chicagoans back ICE deportations, applaud DOJ lawsuit targeting sanctuary policies. Vashon Tuncle tells ‘Ingraham Angle’ Trump, Homan have growing support from residents to crack down on migrants.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/frustrated-chicagoans-back-ice-deportations-applaud-doj-lawsuit-targeting-sanctuary-policies
— How Trump is uprooting radical ’60s foundations of poisonous DEI and CRT programs. There had been America haters in the past, but the ’60s was the decade when these ideas took root. (COMMENT: Since the 1960s, my critics/opponents have used Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of me.)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/how-trump-uprooting-radical-60s-foundations-poisonous-dei-crt-programs
— Bondi sends warning to sanctuary cities: ‘Comply or you’re next’
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6368429031112

MRC TV
— Woke Bishop Who Lectured Trump Got Tens of Millions of Taxpayers Dollars to ‘Resettle’ Migrants
https://www.mrctv.org/blog/nick-kangadis/woke-bishop-who-lectured-trump-got-tens-millions-taxpayers-dollars-resettle

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CNN
— Trump’s administration is switching positions in a major Supreme Court case on transgender rights, backing away from the Biden administration’s opposition to Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. (COMMENT: Under Bush, his DOJ backed the Democrats who ran GAO in Diersen v. GAO, that is, Bush backed political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination. The Democrats who ran GAO would not have and could not have forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997 if I had been a Democrat, minority, and/or female.)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/07/politics/supreme-court-lgbtq-skrmetti-switch/index.html

REUTERS
— Trump administration for now not naming January 6 FBI agents, president wants some fired  (COMMENT: My Democrat GAO superiors fired me, that is, they forced me to retire, when I was 49 years old in 1997. My critics/opponents have always sided with my Democrat GAO superiors.)
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-justice-department-receives-names-january-6-fbi-agents-2025-02-07/

NBC NEWS
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use courts to block Trump’s agenda
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-sweeping-agenda-hitting-legal-roadblocks-rcna191081
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/democratic-states-sue-trump-administration-order-halt-funding-gender-a-rcna191257

CBS NEWS
— Trolling Trump, Pritzker jokingly renames Lake Michigan, annexes Green Bay
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/jb-pritzker-donald-trump-joke-lake-michigan-lake-illinois-annex-green-bay/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Will Trump Be the President of Vice? (COMMENT: My critics/opponents promote vices big time. They are beyond furious that I stopped video gambling and the sale of pot in Wheaton.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/04/opinion/donald-trump-vice-voters.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: While never a traditional Republican, Mr. Trump, in a second term, looks likely to go further than in his first in dumping many traditional Republican policies. In particular, Mr. Trump seems willing, even eager, to embrace vice. In his recent campaign, Mr. Trump embraced a strategy of social moderation. Not only did he loudly signal his opposition to hard-line anti-abortion policies, but he also endorsed marijuana legalization in Florida and was aligned with the Biden administration’s move to give pot a less restrictive legal status. And he embraced the crypto craze, starting his own cryptocurrency company. Mr. Trump’s moderation on pot, crypto — which some social conservatives see as closer to gambling than a serious investment — and other vices appears to have been part of a calculated effort to turn out young men, who, surveys suggest, helped propel him to victory. Pushing forward with liberalization in these areas could help establish vice voters as part of the new, post-Trump Republican coalition. But it would also have dangerous social consequences — consequences that could help fuel an already growing backlash against both Mr. Trump and addictive, harmful goods of all kinds. Mr. Trump’s cabinet picks indicate he could give these voters what they want. Take the issue of drugs. Mr. Kennedy, chosen to be the nation’s top health official, has supported federally legalizing marijuana. So has Matt Gaetz, Mr. Trump’s first, failed pick to be attorney general — and even with Mr. Gaetz’s name withdrawn, it signaled something striking, given that the attorney general can, after consulting with the health and human services secretary, reclassify controlled substances.)
— As Ground Shifts, ‘Flailing’ Democrats Struggle to Find Footing in Diversity Fight. President Trump’s aggressive moves against transgender rights and diversity, equity and inclusion programs have left the Democratic Party casting about for a strategy for how to respond.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/08/us/politics/democrats-dei-trump.html
— Trump’s New Line of Attack Against the Media Gains Momentum. First Amendment experts say Mr. Trump’s lawsuits, based on an unproven legal theory, lack merit. But more could be on the way.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/business/media/trump-media-lawsuits.html
— Beyond overwhelmingly, mainstream journalists and reporters are Democrats who a) promote the Democrat Party platform and help elect Democrat candidates and b) demonize, denigrate, and condemn the Republican Party platform and do everything they can to defeat Republican candidates.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/business/media/trump-musk-attack-journalists.html
— Hegseth Uses His First Town Hall to Attack Diversity (COMMENT: To promote diversity is to promote discrimination against, if not hatred against, those who are conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, Protestant, German American, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/us/politics/hegseth-pentagon-town-hall.html
— Democrats ever-increasingly reject a) Trump’s election, b) the rule of law, and c) America.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/08/opinion/trump-power-surrender.html
— Musk Wields Scythe on Federal Work Force, With Trump’s Full Blessing. The president defended Elon Musk’s role in seeking to slash budgets and cut payrolls as the young aides burrowing into federal agencies came under scrutiny. (COMMENT: My critics/opponents had no problem with my Democrat superiors wasting my career and forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. In fact, they were and continue be overjoyed about it.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/us/politics/trump-musk-doge-pentagon.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/02/07/trump-transgender-care-lawsuit/
— Democrat and RINO leaders use DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/07/trump-dei-federal-government-discrimination/

USA TODAY
— Federal employees on Trump’s buyout offer: ‘The bridge is burned.’ (COMMENT: I succumbed to my Democrat GAO superiors’ threats and took their early retirement “offer” when I was 49 years old in 1997. If I had not done that, I would not have been eligible for regular retirement for 6 years. They made it all too clear to me that if I tried to work for those 6 years, they would make my life a living hell. The least of which would be demotions and adverse transfers,)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/08/why-federal-employees-accept-trumps-buyout/78295456007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Secession From Illinois Is in the Air. Multiple counties want to leave, and Indiana says come on over.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/illinois-counties-secession-vote-indiana-j-b-pritzker-todd-huston-5a93d624
— Politico Draws DOGE’s Ire, Signaling a Shakeout for Media with Major Government Customers. Elon Musk’s cost-cutting project flags more than $8 million in spending on the political publication. (COMMENT: GOPUSA ILLINOIS subscriptions are worth at least $5,000/year. But I send GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters to anyone who wants them free of charge, without any advertising, and with no donation requests.)
https://www.wsj.com/business/media/politico-draws-doges-ire-signaling-a-shakeout-for-media-with-major-government-customers-8b4db480

FORTUNE
— America’s enemies ever-increasingly use Affirmative Action and DEI to destroy America’s military.
https://fortune.com/well/2025/02/08/american-troops-fear-anxiety-trump-transgender-military-ban/

FORBES
— Bondi Targets DEI At Private Companies And Universities On Day One (COMMENT: Democrat and RINO employers use DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/02/06/ag-pam-bondi-targets-dei-at-private-companies-and-universities-on-day-one/
— Black History Month 2025: Moving Forward With Purpose And Impact (COMMENT: Democrat leaders promote Black History Month. My subordinate who my Democrat GAO superiors replaced me with was Black and had always led the office’s Black History Month events. 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.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonemorris/2025/02/07/black-history-month-2025-moving-forward-with-purpose-and-impact/

CLUB ALFA
— Dodge Charger Daytona wins 2025 MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Award (COMMENT: I have ordered a 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T EV.)
https://www.clubalfa.it/en/dodge-charger-daytona-and-ram-1500-win-the-2025-motorweek-drivers-choice-awards-16296
(FROM THE ARTICLE: John Davis, creator and host of MotorWeek, emphasized the uniqueness of the Charger Daytona: “This is the first time an all-electric model has won the Best Sport Coupe award. Dodge has kept its promise: buyers don’t have to compromise just because the classic HEMI V-8 has been replaced by electric propulsion.” Davis then added: “From the external design to the interior layout, to the virtual sounds that perfectly accompany its extraordinary acceleration, it almost feels like you can still hear the pushrod rhythm under the long, flat ’60s-style hood. The Charger Daytona is first and foremost an all-wheel-drive muscle car, and then an EV.”)

STELLANTIS
— All-new Dodge Charger Daytona Claims 2025 MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Award
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/all-new-dodge-charger-daytona-ram-1500-claim-2025-motorweek-drivers-choice-awards-302369687.html
(FROM THE PRESS RELEASE: The all-new Dodge Charger Daytona, the next generation of Dodge muscle, is available now at dealerships and represents the start of a multi-energy Dodge Charger lineup. . .”The Dodge Charger Daytona is our choice as Best Sport Coupe of the year, the first time an all-electric model has risen to that honor,” said John Davis, creator and host, MotorWeek. “From the outset, Dodge promised that buyers would not have to accept any compromises just because their hallmark muscle car traded in its classic HEMI® V-8 for electric propulsion. Indeed, from its exterior styling and interior layout, to its amazingly fitting virtual sounds audibly underscoring its rocket-like acceleration, you would be hard pressed not to think there was a chorus of pushrods still pulsating under the Charger’s long, wide, flat, ’60s era hood. When all is said and done, the Dodge Charger Daytona is an all-wheel-drive muscle car first and an EV second.)

RESTAURANT BUSINESS
— How restaurants are pushing back on Trump deportation sweeps (COMMENT: What percent of restaurant employees are illegals?)
https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/workforce/how-restaurants-are-pushing-back-trump-deportation-sweeps

WBZA
— Millions of retirees celebrated after former President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law. This new legislation aims to increase Social Security benefits for over 3.2 million retirees and spouses by eliminating two controversial provisions. However, retirees expecting an immediate financial boost just learned there’s an unexpected delay in receiving their benefits. (COMMENT: My Social Security is dramatically less because I get a Civil Service Retirement System pension.)
https://wbza.co.in/new-social-security-law-increases-benefits-for-3-2-million-retirees/#google_vignette

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CACUS
— Congressional Equality Caucus, Democratic Women’s Caucus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Black Caucus charge Trump with undermining civil rights protections and enforcement for workers (COMMENT: My Democrat GAO superiors would not have and could not have forced me to retire when I was 49 year old in 1997 if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, veteran, and/or union member.)
https://cbc.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2774

HUFFINGTON POST
— David Hogg Becomes Democratic National Committee’s First Gen Z Vice Chair (COMMENT: If the following would establish a Vice Chair position for Baby Boomers, I would apply for it: Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization. I would also apply for Vice Chair positions for conservatives, Whites, males, Protestants, German Americans, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.aol.com/david-hogg-becomes-democratic-national-223229994.html

PBS
— Trump says he’ll fire some FBI agents ‘very surgically’ (COMMENT: My Democrat GAO superiors fired me, that is, they forced me to retire, when I was 49 years old in 1997. My critics/opponents have always sided with my Democrat GAO superiors.)
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-says-hell-fire-some-fbi-agents-very-surgically

NEW YORKER
— Democrats ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/immigration-enforcement-and-the-fears-of-the-undocumented-in-chicago
— Democrats and RINOs use DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/trumps-boogeyman-dei

NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— Trump Joins a Global War on ‘Gender Ideology’
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/08/magazine/gender-ideology-trump-orban.html

WORLD SOCIALIST WEB SITE
— White House claims 65,000 federal workers have accepted buyout offers. (COMMENT: What is your position on buyouts and early retirement offers? In 1993, when I was 45 years old, the Democrats who ran GAO “offered” $25,000 buyouts and early retirement to get rid of their older White male non-veteran employees who they had not promoted to GS-15, currently $163,749-$180,974/year. I was eligible because I had 25 years of federal service – 13 with GAO, 9 with IRS, and 3 with the Post Office. They succeeded in forcing me to retire in 1997 just before their “offer” expired. If I had not succumbed, I would not have been eligible for regular retirement until 2003. Things that I did that helped me survive 1993-1997 include a) earning a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997, b) becoming a Certified Forensic Accountant in 1997, Financial Services Auditor in 1996, Government Financial Manager in 1994, Fraud Examiner in 1990, Internal Auditor and licensed CPA in 1981, and CPA in 1979, and c) earning master’s degrees in accounting from DePaul in 1980 and in business from Loyola in 1976. If I was still working for GAO, that is, if my Democrat GAO superiors had not forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, a) I would not have gotten $1.8 million in Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension payments since 1997 in today’s dollars and b) I would have paid into the CSRS $286,262 (7% of my salary) in today’s dollar.)
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/02/08/hutq-f08.html

INDEPENDENT
— ‘We love Japan:’ Watch Trump welcome Japanese prime minister to White House
https://www.aol.com/love-japan-watch-trump-welcome-175225618.html

DAILY MAIL
— Trump pledges to ‘surgically’ remove ‘corrupt’ FBI agents including those on January 6 investigations (COMMENT: To remove me, my Democrat GAO superiors did not hint/imply/argue/shout that I was corrupt. But constructively, they hinted/implied/argued/shouted that because I opposed their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination, I was a White supremacist, Nazi, KKK member, hater, racist, sexist, bigot, and even worse things. They had trouble hinting/implying/arguing/shouting that I was incompetent because I had a) become a licensed CPA, b) passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt, c) earned four more job-related professional certifications, and d) earned three job-related master’s degrees. I should write about the aforesaid.)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14374021/donald-trump-fbi-agents-january-6.html