January 6, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Trump demands Venezuela kick out China and Russia, partner with US on oil
https://abc7chicago.com/post/trump-demands-venezuela-kick-china-russia-partner-us-oil-exclusive/18364005/

NBC5
— Trump administration freezes social safety net money to Illinois, 4 other states
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/trump-administration-freezes-social-safety-net-money-to-illinois-4-other-states/3872383/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal drugs.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/could-a-u-s-military-raid-on-mexico-cut-chicagos-illicit-drug-supply/3872422/

WTTW
— Charged With ‘Impeding’ Federal Agent at Broadview ICE Facility, Cook County Board Candidate Drops Out
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/06/charged-impeding-federal-agent-broadview-ice-facility-cook-county-board-candidate-drops

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Trump says US to get 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela at market price
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/venezuela-barrels-oil-trump/
— Democrat leaders say “Dabrowski fills news conference with contradictions.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/republican-candidate-for-illinois-governor-ted-dabrowski-fills-news-conference-with-contradictions/
— Rampant fraud is undermining faith in government. Gov. Tim Walz was right to exit.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/minnesota-theft-ppp-wirtzburg-chicago-medicaid-fraud/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Trump administration freezing $10 billion in social service funding for Illinois, four other blue states
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2026/01/06/trump-administration-freeze-social-service-funding-illinois
— Appeals court sides with Illinois, 21 other states against White House on cuts in medical research funding
https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/01/06/appeals-court-kwame-raoul-trump-administration-medical-research

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Darren Bailey promises a DOGE for Illinois
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/darren-bailey-promises-doge-illinois

WBEZ
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.wbez.org/politics/2026/01/06/venezuela-occupation-not-good-for-venezuela-america-chicago-uchicago-professor-says
— DD: Many if not most of my Democrat older White male GAO superiors were big drinkers.
https://www.wbez.org/food-drink/2025/12/03/chicago-is-a-drinkers-paradise-even-for-the-sober-and-the-sober-curious-among-us

SHAW LOCAL
— Duckworth calls Trump ‘a coward and a liar’ with no clear plan in harsh rebuke over Venezuela strikes. ‘If Donald Trump wants to run a country, he should think about running the United States of America.’
https://www.shawlocal.com/news/2026/01/07/duckworth-calls-trump-a-coward-and-a-liar-with-no-clear-plan-in-harsh-rebuke-over-venezuela-strikes/

STATELINE
— Illinois allocates $50M to combat systemic racism and disinvestment
https://www.mystateline.com/news/local-news/illinois-allocates-50m-to-combat-systemic-racism-and-disinvestment/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Trump tells Republicans to be ‘flexible’ on abortion restrictions to get a health care deal
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/ap-trump-tells-republicans-to-be-flexible-on-abortion-restrictions-to-get-a-health-care-deal/

WSIU
— DD: Democrats ever-increasingly push more pot in Carbondale.
https://www.wsiu.org/2026-01-06/carbondale-dispensary

WFIW RADIO
— JEFFERSON COUNTY REPUBLICANS TO HOST GOVERNOR CANDIDATE FORUM IN JANUARY
https://www.wfiwradio.com/2026/01/06/jefferson-county-republicans-to-host-governor-candidate-forum-in-january/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/06/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-443/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— Another $1.5M Democrat-Socialist Boondoggle In Illinois
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/01/04/another-1-5m-democrat-socialist-boondoggle-in-illinois

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Illegal immigrants cost IL taxpayers more than enforcement
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_8317cd33-b4e7-4017-9404-ee5336eddd97.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

NEW YORK POST
— Mamdani stands by radical ‘housing justice’ appointee Cea Weaver — as Trump admin warns NYC ‘should be on notice’
https://nypost.com/2026/01/06/us-news/zohran-mamdani-stands-by-housing-justice-appointee-cea-weaver/
— Mom of Mamdani aide who said owning a home fuels ‘white supremacy’ has $1.6M house in Tennessee
https://nypost.com/2026/01/06/us-news/mom-of-zohran-mamdani-aide-who-said-owning-a-home-fuels-white-supremacy-has-1-6m-house-in-tennessee/

BREITBART
— Rand Paul, Mike Lee Sound Alarm over $5.7 Billion for Refugees in Spending Bill
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/01/06/rand-paul-mike-lee-sound-alarm-over-5-7-billion-for-refugees-in-spending-bill/

FOX NEWS
— Chicago Teachers Union promotes Venezuela regime change protests organized by socialist groups. Chicago Teachers Union promoted rally organized by ANSWER Coalition and Party for Socialism and Liberation.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/chicago-teachers-union-promotes-venezuela-regime-change-protests-organized-socialist-groups
— Mamdani’s top housing pick once called homeownership a ‘weapon of white supremacy’
https://wfin.com/fox-political-news/mamdanis-top-housing-pick-once-called-homeownership-a-weapon-of-white-supremacy/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— Maduro capture will go down in history as the day “justice defeated tyranny”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maria-corina-machado-maduro-capture-us-operation/

CNN
— Mounting tensions in Venezuela as rights groups denounce repression
https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/venezuela-maduro-trump-president-military-01-06-26?post-id=cmk2l9b8k0000356qhv3feyw3

WASHINGTON POST
— Fear grips Caracas as a new wave of repression is unleashed in Venezuela. Venezuela’s government launched a far-reaching crackdown after Maduro’s ouster, detaining journalists and civilians and sending armed gangs to the streets.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/01/06/venezulea-maduro-rodriguez-government-repression/

January 5, 2025 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Maduro declares ‘I am innocent’ and ‘still president’ in Manhattan court appearance
https://abc7chicago.com/post/venezuelas-nicols-maduro-arrives-manhattan-federal-court-arraignment/18354979/
— Local advocates ask Trump admin. to reinstate Venezuelans’ Temporary Protected Status, stop deportations amid uncertainty. An estimated 50,000 Venezuelan migrants settled in Illinois over the last three years after being bused there from Texas.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/advocates-ask-donald-trump-administration-reinstate-tps-venezuelans-stop-deportations-nicolas-maduro-captured/18357232/

WGN9
— Kelly fires back at Hegseth over demotion threat: ‘I will fight this with everything I’ve got’
https://wgntv.com/news/kelly-fires-back-at-hegseth-over-demotion-threat-i-will-fight-this-with-everything-ive-got/

FOX32
— Hegseth censures Sen. Mark Kelly after ‘illegal orders’ video
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/hegseth-censures-sen-mark-kelly
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Jan. 5 he has issued a letter of censure to U.S. Senator Mark Kelly. The censure stems from a video posted to social media where Kelly and other members of Congress called on troops to “refuse illegal orders.” In December, the Pentagon announced it was launching a full command investigation into Kelly over “serious misconduct” allegations.)

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois Democrats criticize Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela and look to block further engagement
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/05/illinois-democrats-criticize-trump-administrations-actions-in-venezuela-and-look-to-block-further-engagement/
— Mysterious cannabis syndrome becoming more common. DD: Pot is poison.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/05/scromiting-cannabis-cannabinoid-hyperemesis-syndrome/

DAILY HERALD
— Hegseth censures Sen. Kelly after warning about following illegal orders
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260105/nation-and-world-politics/hegseth-censures-sen-kelly-after-warning-about-following-illegal-orders/
— Young Democrats of Illinois to host primary debate for 8th Congressional District. DD: If I was still the chairman of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois and a member of the Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee, the organizations would still be hosting candidate debates.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260105/submitted-content/young-democrats-of-illinois-to-host-primary-debate-for-8th-congressional-district/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Mike Tyson accuses ex-cannabis business partners of racketeering in $50M lawsuit
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/cannabis/mike-tyson-sues-ex-cannabis-business-partners
— Midway slips as O’Hare soars, but Southwest plans a rebound. DD: Most of the audits that I worked for GAO on 1980-1997 required taking flights  in/out of Midway and O’Hare.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/airlines-airports/midway-slips-ohare-soars-southwest-plans-rebound

COURIER JOURNAL
— The state of Illinois blocked the Louisville Metro Police Department’s access to its license plate surveillance system after an LMPD detective allegedly aided a federal agency in conducting immigration-related searches.
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/crime/2026/01/05/illinois-blocks-lmdp-from-flock-surveillance-camera-system/87995365007/

25 NEWS NOW
— Bailey appears to be front-runner again in GOP race for governor
https://www.25newsnow.com/2026/01/05/bailey-appears-be-front-runner-again-gop-race-governor-says-iwu-political-scientist/

NPR ILLINOIS
— Amid fraud claims, Trump admin announces more changes to federal child care funding
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-05/amid-fraud-claims-trump-admin-announces-more-changes-to-federal-child-care-funding

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/05/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-442/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— More people continue leaving Illinois than arriving
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_9f59f645-6340-4756-8110-655dd4f6eeeb.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democrats wanted Maduro gone — until Trump took him out
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/5/democrats-wanted-maduro-gone-trump-took/
— Sen. Mark Kelly on Monday vowed to fight efforts to cut his rank and pay as a retired U.S. Navy officer after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused him of making “seditious statements” in a video to military personnel.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/5/mark-kelly-vows-fight-back-retired-military-rank-pay-cut-seditious/
— HHS targets Biden-era rule that funds child care centers before verifying attendance. Kennedy seeks to cancel ‘loopholes’ in wake of Minnesota day care fraud allegations.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/5/hhs-targets-biden-era-rule-funds-child-care-centers-verifying/

NEW YORK POST
— Alleged JD Vance home vandal is son of wealthy doctor, Dem donor — who recently changed name to Julia
https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/us-news/alleged-jd-vance-home-vandal-is-child-of-wealthy-local-doctor-who-recently-changed-name/
— Far-left, China-aligned groups organized pro-Nicolas Maduro protests in New York and other US states: ‘Unprecedented crime’
https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/us-news/marxist-peoples-forum-organized-pro-maduro-protests/
— Far-left Dems call Trump’s capture of Nicolas Maduro ‘an impeachable offense’
https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/us-news/far-left-dems-call-trumps-capture-of-maduro-an-impeachable-offense/
— ‘Diversion’ from prison is another way progressives keep getting people killed
https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/opinion/progs-obsession-with-diversion-programs-keeps-getting-people-killed/

AMERICAN GREATNESS
— Venezuela’s Interim Leader Vows to Work With U.S. After Trump Threats
https://amgreatness.com/2026/01/05/morning-greatness-venezuelas-interim-leader-vows-to-work-with-u-s-after-trump-threats/

AMERICAN SPECTATOR
— Hegseth’s Pentagon delivered where others failed.
https://spectator.org/the-experts-were-wrong-about-pete-hegseth/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Confederacy of Enablers Downplays Somali Fraud
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/01/confederacy_of_enablers_downplays_somali_fraud.html

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Two professors, one researcher advocated for reparations at University of Illinois-hosted committee meeting
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/05/two-professors-one-researcher-advocated-for-reparations-at-university-hosted-committee-meeting-1613971/

BLAZE
— DHS accuses Hilton Hotels of ‘siding with murderers and rapists’ over ICE — and the hotel chain responds
https://www.theblaze.com/news/dhs-ice-hilton-hotels-obstruct

BREITBART
— Hilton Hotels Responds: Hotel Highlighted by DHS Is ‘Independently Owned’
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/01/05/hilton-hotels-responds-hotel-highlighted-dhs-is-independently-owned/

COLLEGE FIX
— University of Maryland stands by security fees for Turning Point USA event
https://www.thecollegefix.com/university-of-maryland-stands-by-security-fees-for-turning-point-usa-event/

DAILY CALLER
— Harvard Dean Removed After Posts Trashing Police, ‘Whiteness,’ And Trump Resurface
https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/05/harvard-dean-removed-after-posts-trashing-police-whiteness-and-trump-resurface/
— Democrats Just As Godless As You’d Imagine
https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/05/democrats-republicans-ryan-burge-christians-atheists-trump-kamala-harris-study/
— Hegseth Takes Action Against Sen. Mark Kelly, Who Egged On Military To Defy Trump In Viral Video
https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/05/pete-hegseth-mark-kelly-demotion-illegal-orders-video/

DAILY WIRE
— Why Venezuelans Are Dancing In The Streets. What Venezuelans feel today is not bloodlust or vengeance. It is relief, gratitude, and hope.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-venezuelans-are-dancing-in-the-streets

EPOCH TIMES
— Trucking Insiders Reveal How Licensing System Enabled Illegal Immigrant Drivers. Variance between state regulations and limited federal regulation also contributed to the proliferation of ‘CDL mills,’ multiple training providers said.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/trucking-insiders-reveal-how-licensing-system-enabled-illegal-immigrant-drivers-5961182

FEDERALIST
— Pentagon Moves To Demote Mark Kelly For ‘Seditious’ Video
https://thefederalist.com/2026/01/05/pentagon-moves-to-demote-mark-kelly-for-seditious-video/
— Outrage From Dems Who Once Demanded Trump Target Maduro Is Completely Fake
https://thefederalist.com/2026/01/05/outrage-from-dems-who-once-demanded-trump-target-maduro-is-completely-fake/

FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— How Sanctuary Cities Enable Benefit Fraud
https://www.fairus.org/opinion/how-sanctuary-cities-enable-benefit-fraud

FOX NEWS
— Illinois sheriff blames America’s ‘most dangerous’ law on spike in drugs, homelessness. Sheriff of Franklin County, Illinois delivers his take on the SAFE-T Act and it’s impact on his community after eliminating cash bail.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6387258582112
— University of Illinois hosted state-funded committee meeting where professors advocated for reparations. Members of school community discussed ‘rectificatory justice’ and other reparations programs for African Americans.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/university-illinois-hosted-state-funded-committee-meeting-where-professors-advocated-reparations
— Tim Walz’s White guilt finally ends his career as Minnesota’s fraud explodes. Minnesota governor cites inability to focus on campaign while dealing with massive childcare fraud investigation. DD: This harkens back to George Ryan. My critics/opponents supported/promoted George Ryan.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/david-marcus-tim-walzs-white-guilt-finally-ends-his-career-minnesotas-fraud-explodes
— Celebrations erupt in Miami streets after Maduro’s capture
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6387268560112

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— China, Russia, Iran Condemn Capture of Venezuela’s Maduro; Hezbollah Decries ‘American Arrogance’
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/01/china-russia-iran-condemn-capture-of-venezuelas-maduro-hezbollah-decries-american-arrogance/

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Teddy Roosevelt Would Be Proud
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/01/teddy-roosevelt-would-be-proud/

NEW AMERICAN
— Blue States Driving the “Affordability Crisis”
https://thenewamerican.com/us/economics/economic-blues-are-blue-states-driving-the-affordability-crisis/
— Charlie Kirk Coalition Falling Apart Amid MAGA Civil War?
https://thenewamerican.com/video/deep-state/charlie-kirk-coalition-falling-apart-amid-maga-civil-war/

NEWSMAX
— Mamdani Official: Homeownership Is ‘White Supremacy’
https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/zohran-mamdani-homeownership-official/2026/01/05/id/1240820/

PJ NEWS
— Turning Point USA Headquarters Renamed Following Record $10 Million Donation
https://pjnewsletter.com/tpusa-hq-erika-kirk/

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Who’s Responsible? Identity Theft Fueled by Government Inaction and Illegal Immigration
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/video/2026/01/02/whos_responsible_identity_theft_fueled_by_government_inaction_and_illegal_immigration_1156510.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— 2028 Democrats rip Trump’s ouster of Maduro
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5673139-potential-2028-democrats-venezuela/amp/

CBS NEWS
— Judge in Maduro’s case has previously been a thorn in Trump’s side
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maduro-judge-previously-thorn-in-trumps-side/
— 2,000 federal agents deploying to Minneapolis in immigration crackdown, fraud probe
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minneapolis-federal-agents-crackdown/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Hegseth Moves to Downgrade Sen. Mark Kelly’s Military Rank. Potential reduction in retired rank follows Arizona Democrat’s participation in video calling on troops to resist illegal orders.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/hegseth-moves-to-downgrade-sen-mark-kellys-military-rank-56055879

ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasing
https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/01/affordability-is-the-political-buzzword-of-2026/

POLITICO
— Pentagon moves to punish senator for anti-Trump video
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/05/hegseth-kelly-punish-video-00710555
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Defense Department is taking steps to downgrade Sen. Mark Kelly’s retirement rank and pay in response to his November video warning servicemembers not to follow illegal orders. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a post on social media, called the Arizona Democrat’s remarks “seditious statements” and claimed they are part of a “pattern of reckless misconduct.”)

ATLANTIC
— The college backlash is a mirage
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-college-backlash-is-a-mirage/ar-AA1TBfay
(FROM THE ARTICLE: If you were to judge by public-opinion polling, you might reasonably conclude that Americans have broadly given up on the idea of going to college. In 2013, 70 percent of adults surveyed by Pew said that a college education was “very important.” This year, only 35 percent did. Over the same time period, the share of Americans who believe that college is “not worth the cost” rose from 40 to 63 percent, according to NBC. If you were to judge, instead, by the choices that Americans are actually making, you might draw a different conclusion. Despite the reported skepticism of higher education, enrollment in four-year colleges and universities is growing. These institutions awarded 2 million bachelor’s degrees in 2023, compared with 1.6 million in 2010, and the fraction of 25-year-olds with a bachelor’s degree has steadily increased for the past 15 years. Even as Americans tell pollsters that college isn’t worth it, their behavior suggests that they still recognize the value of a degree for themselves and their children. And they’re correct to do so. For the overwhelming majority of graduates, the returns on going to college more than offset the cost of tuition. The college wage premium—the difference in earnings between people with only a high-school diploma and people with a four-year college degree—surged in the 1980s and ’90s and has remained close to those historic highs for the past two decades. One recent analysis found that the average person with a bachelor’s degree earns about 70 percent more than a high-school graduate with a similar amount of work experience. Researchers at the Cleveland Fed recently estimated that the college wage premium will stand at 76 percent in 2042. Even though plenty of young people struggle in the job market right after graduation, a college degree tends to unlock more lucrative career paths with greater long-term opportunities for advancement.)

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

INDIA TRIBUNE
— Raja Krishnamoorthi Builds Financial and Political Momentum in Illinois Senate Race
https://www.indiatribune.com/public/index.php/raja-krishnamoorthi-builds-financial-and-political-momentum-in-illinois-senate-race

January 3, 2025 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— US strike on Venezuelan: Protesters gather in Chicago, Illinois and Indiana leaders speak out. Democrats condemn ‘illegal’ military operation, Republicans praise Trump for taking action.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-illinois-indiana-leaders-speak-trump-announces-us-captured-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro-wife/18347741/

— Why Venezuela?
Trump’s shifting explanations about military buildup
https://abc7chicago.com/post/venezuela-trumps-shifting-explanations-military-buildup/18346832/

NBC5
— Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, wife arrive in New York after capture by US military. Maduro’s government accused the United States of attacking civilian and military installations, calling it an “imperialist attack” and urging citizens to take to the streets.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/watch-live-president-trump-to-address-nation-at-10-a-m-after-venezuelas-nicolas-maduro-captured/3870739/
— Illinois lawmakers react to US strikes in Venezuela, capture of Maduro. Illinois’ Republican members of Congress praised the mission, while Democrats largely condemned the U.S. military’s actions.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/illinois-lawmakers-react-to-us-strikes-in-venezuela-capture-of-maduro/3870791/
— Who will run Venezuela? U.S. will, Trump says, and tap its oil reserves. Speaking to reporters hours after Maduro’s capture, Trump revealed his plans to exploit the leadership void to “fix” the country’s oil infrastructure and sell “large amounts” of oil to other countries.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/u-s-plans-to-run-venezuela-and-tap-its-oil-reserves-trump-says/3870857/

CBS2
— Trump says “we’re going to run” Venezuela after Maduro’s capture until peaceful transition takes place
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/trump-venezuela-nicolas-maduro-captured-transition/
— Illinois leaders, Chicago communities react to U.S military operation in Venezuela
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-reactions-military-operation-venezuela/

WGN9
— Rubio sends warning to Cuba’s leaders after Maduro’s removal: ‘I’d be concerned’
https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/rubio-sends-warning-to-cubas-leaders-after-maduros-removal-id-be-concerned/

FOX32
— Can the U.S. ‘run’ Venezuela? What the law says about Maduro’s arrest
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/can-u-s-run-venezuela-what-law-says-about-maduros-arrest
— Illinois politicos criticize Trump for strike in Venezuela: ‘reckless and unconstitutional’ Trump says U.S. will run Venezuela until a new government is in place
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-politicos-criticize-trump-strike-venezuela-reckless-unconstitutional
— Who is Nicolás Maduro? Venezuelan president captured by US forces
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/who-is-nicolas-maduro-venezuelan-president-captured-us-forces

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— US plans to ‘run’ Venezuela and tap its oil reserves, Donald Trump says, after operation to oust Nicolás Maduro
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/03/us-strikes-venezuela-nicolas-maduro/
— Venezuelans wonder who’s in charge as Donald Trump claims contact with Nicolás Maduro’s deputy
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/03/venezuelans-trump-maduros-deputy/
— After ousting Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, Donald Trump commits himself to another foreign policy project
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/03/maduro-venezuela-trump-foreign-policy-project/
— How the US captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/03/how-the-us-captured-nicols-maduro/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Chicago’s Venezuelan community applauds Maduro removal but question Trump’s motives. Illinois political leaders criticized the U.S. government’s attack on Venezuela as unconstitutional because of President Donald Trump’s failure to consult Congress.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/nation-world/2026/01/03/chicago-venezuelans-applaud-maduro-ouster-trump-attack-motives

DAILY HERALD
— With capture of Maduro, Trump claims successful operation as he treads into uncharted territory
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260103/nation-and-world-politics/with-capture-of-maduro-trump-claims-successful-operation-as-he-treads-into-uncharted-territory/
— ‘What comes next?’ Democrats warn U.S. could be walking into a quagmire after Maduro capture
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260103/nation-and-world-politics/what-comes-next-democrats-warn-u-s-could-be-walking-into-a-quagmire-after-maduro-capture/
— Thousands of mail-in ballots could be discounted under new post office policy
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260103/nation-and-world-politics/thousands-of-mail-in-ballots-could-be-discounted-under-new-post-office-policy/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Trump’s Venezuela move sparks sharp divide among area pols
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/trumps-venezuela-move-sparks-sharp-divide-among-area-pols

SUBURBAN LIFE
— Downers Grove Township group working to put 708 Mental Health Board referendum on November ballot
https://www.shawlocal.com/my-suburban-life/2026/01/02/downers-grove-township-group-working-to-put-708-mental-health-board-referendum-on-november-ballot/

SOUTHERN
— Republicans largely back Trump on Venezuela action, Democrats decry it as unjustified
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2026/01/03/republicans-largely-back-trump-on-venezuela-action-democrats-decry-it-as-unjustified/

NPR ILLINOIS
— ‘We are going to run the country,’ Trump says after strike on Venezuela
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-03/we-are-going-to-run-the-country-trump-says-after-strike-on-venezuela

25 NEWS NOW
— LaHood praises Trump for removing ‘thug’ while Sorensen worries about US running Venezuela
https://www.25newsnow.com/2026/01/03/gops-lahood-praises-trump-team-removing-thug-while-sorensen-worries-about-us-plans-run-venezuela/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Capture of Maduro and US claim that it will run Venezuela raise new legal questions
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/ap-capture-of-maduro-and-us-claim-it-will-run-venezuela-raise-new-legal-questions/
— Democrats rip Trump administration for strikes on Venezuela: ‘Illegal’
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/democrats-rip-trump-administration-for-strikes-on-venezuela-illegal/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Pritzker: Trump’s military action in Venezuela is ‘unconstitutional’
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_f248d3b9-4a12-48ad-a416-17a640422fa6.html

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Chicago Records Nearly 2,000 Shooting Victims in 2025, Outpacing New York and Los Angeles
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/01/chicago-records-nearly-2000-shooting-victims-in-2025-outpacing-new-york-and-los-angeles.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump’s arrest of Maduro is a victory over corruption, communism and isolationism. It’s time to secure the Western Hemisphere and let the criminal, communist dominoes fall.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/3/trumps-arrest-maduro-victory-corruption-communism-isolationism/
— Trump says U.S. will run Venezuela until a new government is in place
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/3/trump-says-us-run-venezuela-new-government-place/
— Democrats to force war powers vote to prevent escalation in Venezuela without congressional approval
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/3/democrats-force-war-powers-vote-prevent-escalation-venezuela-without/
— Rubio says administration notified Congress after grabbing Maduro
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/3/rubio-says-administration-notified-congress-grabbing-maduro/
— The ‘warmth of collectivism’ is a bloody lie
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/3/warmth-collectivism-bloody-lie/
— Democrats should get blame for health care costs, inflation. If Obamacare, economy decide 2026 midterms, Republicans will win.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/1/democrats-get-blame-health-care-costs-inflation/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— ‘Illinois is worse’ as HHS enforces verification for child care funding: Trump
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/investigations/4400830/illinois-child-care-worse-hhs-funding-trump/
— This wasn’t an arrest in Venezuela. This was an unauthorized regime-change war
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4400798/this-wasnt-an-arrest-in-venezuela-this-was-an-unauthorized-regime-change-war/
— Mamdani’s collectivist vision for America
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4399614/mamdani-collectivist-vision-for-america/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Donroe Doctrine: Trump Nabs Maduro in Daring, Middle-of-the-Night Operation. US will run Venezuela until a legitimate government can be installed.
https://freebeacon.substack.com/p/donroe-doctrine-trump-nabs-maduro

NEW YORK POST
— Trump tells Post that US troops won’t be in Venezuela if Maduro VP ‘does what we want’: ‘We have a second wave’
https://nypost.com/2026/01/03/us-news/trump-says-us-troops-wont-be-in-venezuela-if-nicolas-maduro-vp-delcy-rodriguez-does-what-we-want/
— Mamdani, other NY lefties rip Trump over Maduro arrest, condemning it as ‘act of war’
https://nypost.com/2026/01/03/us-news/mamdani-other-ny-lefties-rip-trump-over-maduro-arrest/
— World leaders gripe over US arrest of tyrant Nicolás Maduro, despite legal precedent: ‘Deeply alarmed’
https://nypost.com/2026/01/03/world-news/world-leaders-gripe-over-us-arrest-of-tyrant-nicolas-maduro-despite-legal-precedent-deeply-alarmed/
— Trump issues thinly veiled warning to Mexico, slams Cuba, Colombia after US strikes Venezuela, arrests Maduro
https://nypost.com/2026/01/03/world-news/trump-issues-chilling-warning-to-colombia-cuba-after-us-strikes-venezuela-captures-maduro-he-does-have-to-watch-his-a/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Rubio details why Venezuela strike did not require congressional authorization, says no further action
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/03/rubio-details-why-venezuela-strike-did-not-require-congressional-authorization-says-no-further-action-1613609/

BREITBART
— ‘Brewing Discontent’ Among GOP Senators About Trump’s Misbehavior
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/01/02/whitehouse-brewing-discontent-among-gop-senators-about-trumps-misbehavior/amp/

DAILY CALLER
— Congressional Democrats Rage At Trump’s Venezuela Operation
https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/03/congressional-democrats-donald-trump-venezuela-nicolas-maduro/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Trump Announces Major Victory in Venezuelan Drug War
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/01/03/trump-celebrates-capture-maduro-venezuela/

EPOCH TIMES
— There is No Such Thing as Being Transgender
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTtBHfiiQZo

FOX NEWS
— Republicans line up behind Trump after US strikes Venezuela, Maduro arrested: ‘Changed the course of history’  Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed a number of Republican lawmakers on the Venezuela strike Saturday morning.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republicans-line-up-behind-trump-after-us-strikes-venezuela-maduro-arrested-changed-course-history

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— DePaul University Offers Students Training on How to Run a Pot Dispensary
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/01/depaul-university-offers-students-training-on-how-to-run-a-pot-dispensary/amp/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— Venezuelan officials condemn Maduro’s capture, calling it a “kidnapping”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/venezuelan-officials-condemn-maduro-capture-kidnapping-trump-delcy-rodriguez/
— U.S. seeks to tap Venezuela’s vast oil reserves after military strikes. Here’s what to know.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/venezuela-oil-reserves-us-strike-trump-what-to-know/
— Photos show damage at Fuerte Tiuna, the military base where Maduro was captured
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fuerte-tiuna-satellite-images-after-maduro-captured/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Venezuela Live Updates: Maduro Arrives in N.Y.; Trump Says U.S. Will ‘Run’ Venezuela. Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, rejected the U.S. intervention and demanded President Nicolás Maduro’s return. Maduro and his wife were being brought to New York City to stand trial on drug and weapons charges.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/03/world/trump-united-states-strikes-venezuela

MIAMI HERALD
— After Maduro’s capture, Venezuelans in South Florida dream of going home
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article314149807.html

January 2, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

FOX NEWS
— Mamdani’s WOKE policies will bankrupt the city
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay79V7Jmw8I
— Black Republican calls for total, permanent abolition of DEI: ‘I want to earn every opportunity on merit.’  ‘I never want to be chosen, promoted, or rewarded because of how I look,’ Rep. Wesley Hunt noted. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors promoted over me were Democrats who a) were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran and/or b) had less work experience than I had, had less education than I had, had no professional certifications or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/black-republican-calls-total-permanent-abolition-dei-i-want-earn-every-opportunity-merit

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

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

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

FROM OTHER SOURCES

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

December 28, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

DAILY HERALD
— Kane County’s top prosecutor Mosser seeks judicial seat
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251228/news/kane-countys-top-prosecutor-mosser-seeks-judicial-seat/

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Barriers to upward mobility. DD: To get more votes from those who are minority, female, and younger, Democrat and RINO candidates and elected officials paint those who are White, male, and older as being barriers.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/study-education-still-pays-but-barriers-to-upward-mobility-persist-in-illinois/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— Sickness & Hypocrisy in Academia
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2025/12/22/sickness-hypocrisy-in-academia

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— I have started using Stelo by Dexcom to continuously monitor my blood sugar level. If you have type 2 diabetes like I do and use Stelo, please phone me at 630-653-0462. My blood sugar spikes to over 250 after I eat. That means I have high hyperglycemia. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Pence becomes unlikely face of conservative opposition to Trump and populism.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/4363005/pence-unlikely-face-conservative-opposition-trump-populism/
— With the impending rescheduling of marijuana in the U.S., the transportation industry is searching for answers on whether it still will legally be able to test employees before sending them on the road or in the air. DD: Pot is poison.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4363202/dot-realizes-road-safety-concern-with-marijuana-rescheduling/
— More Floridians, Californians moving to Texas
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4363199/more-floridians-californians-moving-to-texas-than-reverse/
— A dangerous Supreme Court decision. In a short three-page decision written with little briefing and no oral argument, a 6-3 majority denied the Justice Department’s request to stay a district court restraining order preventing President Donald Trump from deploying the National Guard in Chicago. The court’s holding is tenuously founded, rushed, and will endanger the lives of federal law enforcement officers.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4362312/dangerous-supreme-court-decision-national-guard/

NEW YORK POST
— Hating the rich may feel good — and win elections — but it’s self-destructive
https://nypost.com/2025/12/27/opinion/hating-the-rich-may-feel-good-and-win-elections-but-its-self-destructive/

AMERICAN GREATNESS
— The Pence Mirage: Why the Right Isn’t Leaving Trump. The Heritage Foundation “mutiny” isn’t a conservative realignment so much as the latest anti-Trump mirage, with Mike Pence cast as a moral standard-bearer no one is following.
https://amgreatness.com/2025/12/28/the-pence-mirage-why-the-right-isnt-leaving-trump/
— Let Americans Choose Their Cars—Not the Government. EVs aren’t failing because consumers don’t want them, but because tariffs block affordable competition—leaving Americans stuck with costly choices the rest of the world has outgrown. DD: I bought a 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T EV early this year. If it had been offered with a Hemi V-8, I would have bought that. I have owned a 2013 Charger R/T Max since 2012. I owned a 1968 Charger R/T 1994-2005. I owned a 1969 Charger SE 1968-1971.
https://amgreatness.com/2025/12/26/let-americans-choose-their-cars-not-the-government/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Third World cultures have a corruption problem, and Democrats capitalize on it
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/third_world_cultures_have_a_corruption_problem_and_democrats_capitalize_on_it.html
— The dangerous cost of erasing Western wisdom
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/victor_davis_hanson_on_the_dangerous_cost_of_erasing_western_wisdom.html
— Blue states surrendering to Somalis, Islam, and diversity
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/blue_states_surrendering_to_somalis_islam_diversity.html

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
— Federal workers with a professional degree or doctorate—about 10 percent of the federal workforce—earned about 29 percent less, on average, than their private-sector counterparts. DD: I worked for the Democrats who ran IRS 1971-1980 and I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997. I earned an MBA in 1976. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. I earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980. I passed Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981. I became a licensed CPA in 1981. I earned four more job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. I earned  a master’s in finance in 1997. In today’s dollars, IRS paid me $112,280/year in 1980 and GAO paid me $153,151/year in 1997.
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60235

BREITBART
— TPUSA Continuing Campus Debates Nationwide
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/12/28/we-are-not-afraid-erika-kirk-says-tpusa-continuing-campus-debates-nationwide/
— Indian Government Protests Rubio’s Visa Curbs That Help Americans
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/12/27/indian-government-protests-rubios-visa-curbs-that-help-americans/

DAILY CALLER
— Minnesota’s Lt Gov Takes Pandering To Somalis To The Next Level
https://dailycaller.com/2025/12/26/minnesota-lt-gov-peggy-flanagan-hijab-somali-migrants/

LIFE NEWS
— New York and Illinois Glorify Suicide in the Name of Compassion
https://www.lifenews.com/2025/12/28/new-york-and-illinois-glorify-suicide-in-the-name-of-compassion/

TOWNHALL
— FBI Teases Denaturalizing, Deporting Eligible Minnesota Fraudsters
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/scott-mcclallen/2025/12/28/fbi-teases-denaturalizing-deporting-minnesota-fraudsters-n2668553

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— You cannot be America first and pro-Russia
https://thehill.com/policy/international/5664765-turner-russia-war-aggression-ukraine/

CNN
— It’s time for Republicans to start thinking about 2028 and the post-Trump era
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/28/politics/2028-presidential-election-republicans-vance-rubio-analysis

NBC NEWS
— Much of the Black middle class was built by federal jobs. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997 so that they could give my Black subordinate my job and my preferred corner office. He had less work experience than I had. He had less education than I had. He had one professional certification while I had six. He had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/black-federal-job-cuts-trump-musk-dei-middle-class-rcna191704

LOS ANGELES TIMES
— GOP coalescing behind Vance as Trump privately dismisses third-term run
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-12-28/gop-coalescing-behind-vance-as-trump-privately-dismisses-third-term-run

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Companies Are Outlining Plans for 2026. Hiring Isn’t One of Them. Large employers indicate that they either want to maintain the size of their teams next year or let go of workers; ‘Everybody’s afraid for their jobs’
https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/2026-job-hiring-growth-plans-10bc3470
— Pritzker’s Illinois Political Clout Faces Test in Senate Primary. Billionaire governor is backing his lieutenant governor in a Democratic face-off, but she has struggled to outshine two top rivals.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/jb-pritzkers-illinois-political-clout-faces-test-in-senate-primary-4140cfa1
— You Can’t Work Your Way Through College Anymore. DD: Back in the good old days, I worked my way through college. The money came from what I earned washing dishes 1964-1966, cleaning golf shoes, chipping slag, and pumping gasoline in 1966, delivering mail 1966-1969, and working on an automotive assemble line in 1970. My parents provided me with room and board in their Crete home 1966-1968, my first semester at NIU in 1969, and the summer of 1969. I graduated debt-free with a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in August of 1970 owning a 1969 Dodge Charger SE that I had bought new in 1968.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/you-cant-work-your-way-through-college-anymore-1521239612

FORBES
— OK, Boomer: Are Baby Boomers Preventing The Upward Mobility Of Younger Employees? DD: I am a baby boomer. My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997 so that they could give my Black subordinate my job and my preferred corner office. He had less work experience than I had. He had less education than I had. He had one professional certification while I had six. He had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2019/11/08/ok-boomer-are-baby-boomers-preventing-the-upward-mobility-of-younger-employees/

FORTUNE
— These 10 companies offer workers the best chance to advance. DD: Democrats run the federal government. For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats. To advance in the federal government you have to be a Democrat. The more of the following that Democrats are, the faster that they can advance: minority, female, and/or veteran.
https://fortune.com/2022/10/13/american-opportunity-index-best-places-to-work-worker-career-advancement/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: 1) AT&T, 2) American Express, 3) Cisco, 4) PG&E, 5) Microsoft, 6) Fiserv, 7) HF Sinclair, 8) Liberty Mutual, 9) International Paper, 10) Southwest Airlines)

HR DAILY ADVISOR
— Steps to Foster Internal Promotions and Career Advancement. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, they focused on making room at the top, that is, they focused on getting rid of their employees who they had not promoted to Senior Executive Service (currently $195,200/year) by age 40 and who were White, male, and/or non-veteran. That ever-increasingly rendered worthless my three job-related master’s degrees (1976, 1980, and 1997), my six job-related professional certifications (1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997), and my job-related professional license (1981).
https://hrdailyadvisor.com/2025/04/23/4-steps-to-foster-internal-promotions-and-career-advancement/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Create Room at the Top. A promotion pipeline’s useless if there’s nowhere to go. Stagnant org charts—where tenured folks squat in senior roles—kill mobility. Some firms hoard headcount, afraid to expand; others cling to “we’ve always done it this way” structures. Shake that up. Regularly audit roles: Are they still relevant? Can they split or scale? A bloated middle management layer might need pruning to open slots above. Turnover is not the enemy here—natural attrition (retirements, lateral exits) can unclog the system. Encourage it gracefully—exit packages or sabbaticals for long-timers can free space without bad blood. And don’t fear invention. If a star performer’s outgrowing their role, craft a new one. A tech firm once turned a standout engineer into a “solutions architect” rather than lose her to a rival. Flexibility beats rigidity.)

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT DAILY
— Upward mobility: Unlocking career advancement opportunities. DD: My critics/opponents have always used my having three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license against me. They have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that my having the aforesaid and my never having earned more than $153,151/year in today’s dollars and my being forced to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997 proves that I am seriously flawed, an abject failure, and even worse things.
https://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/75364/upward-mobility-unlocking-career-advancement-opportunities/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Access to education is a major deciding factor in determining someone’s eligibility for upward mobility. Society members with access to the best schools and universities will find it easier to find higher-paying jobs and qualify for promotions. Lower-income areas in the United States often have subpar educational facilities, making it more difficult for graduates to pursue upward mobility in society.)

HARVARD MAGAZINE
— The Upward Mobility Problem. Most Americans earn less than their parents did. DD: My father often decried his not having a college degree. That motivated me to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.harvardmagazine.com/faculty/features-upward-mobility-problem

WHARTON
— How Social Class Affects the Career Ladder. DD: What class were you born into? Neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school. I had to work my way through college.
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/podcast/knowledge-at-wharton-podcast/how-social-class-affects-the-career-ladder/

FORDHAM INSTITUTE
— Is military enlistment a pathway to upward mobility? DD: Because my parents lacked money, my plan to earn a college degree was to enlist and use the GI Bill. But because I was able to earn high enough grades taking college preparatory courses, to get an ACT score of 24, and to graduate in the upper 20% of my class, UIC accepted me in 1966. I worked my way through college. I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in 1970. I got student draft deferments 1966-1970 and a financial hardship draft deferment 1970-1971.
https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/military-enlistment-pathway-upward-mobility

TUFTS
— Upward mobility is becoming obsolete. DD: Back in the good old days, even though neither of my parents attended college, my father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma, and my mother never attended high school, I was able to work my way through college and earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. But because of my bad demographics, I doubt that I could do that today.
https://www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024/10/coffee-table-socioeconomics-upward-mobility-is-becoming-obsolete

BROOKINGS
— The American Dream in crisis: Helping low-wage workers move up to better jobs. DD: Back in the good old days, I was a low-wage worker. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966, 1971, and 1972. I delivered mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automobile assembly line in 1970. To qualify myself for better paying jobs, I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (1970). I earned three job-related master’s degrees (1976, 1980, and 1997). I earned six job-related professional certifications (1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997). I earned a job-related professional license (1981).
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-american-dream-in-crisis-helping-low-wage-workers-move-up-to-better-jobs/

POLITICO
— The 2028 Race Has Begun. Here’s Who’s Winning. White House hopefuls in both parties are maneuvering for the post-Trump era. Here’s where they stand at the end of 2025.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/12/28/presidential-race-2028-candidates-analysis-00695164

NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— Why History Points to Huge 2026 Losses for Trump’s GOP
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/why-history-points-to-huge-2026-losses-for-trumps-gop.html

December 22, 2025 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Medicaid fraud is a problem.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/medicaid-one-big-beautiful-bill-trump-fraud-reform/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Illinois lawmakers visit Broadview ICE facility months after they were denied entry. The lawmakers said ICE expects immigration arrests to ramp up in the near future. While the facility only had two detainees on Monday, they said ICE anticipates increasing staffing at the facility with 85 additional agents.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/12/22/broadview-ice-chuy-garcia-delia-ramirez-danny-davis
— These two crooks can still convert millions from their campaign funds into personal use if they want. Because they’re grandfathered in under an old law, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and ex-Ald. Edward Burke can collectively pocket nearly $4 million and use it for virtually anything they want, so long as they pay income taxes.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2025/12/22/michael-madigan-edward-burke-illinois-campaign-contributions-convert-to-personal-use-elections-board

DAILY HERALD
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Republicans for the high cost of healthcare.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251222/business/health-care-among-americans-biggest-priorities-for-2026-according-to-a-new-ap-norc-poll/
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251222/business/how-the-end-of-extra-affordable-care-act-subsidies-could-affect-you/
— DD: Under the DuPage Democrats, more and more and more DuPage residents want/need/demand more welfare.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251222/lifestyle/dupage-foundation-awards-100000-in-emergency-food-response-grants/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The foundation said more than 94,000 DuPage County residents struggle with food insecurity, including 8.4% of the county’s children.)
— After staging a collection drive, Republican state Sen. Darby Hills of Barrington Hills and her staff last week delivered food, toiletries and other items to eight food pantries in her 26th District. More than 2,000 items were collected in the Moms & Meals drive, according to a news release from Hills’ office. Boxed up for delivery, it was enough for five carloads.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251222/local/state-sen-hills-delivers-donated-goods-to-food-pantries/
— DD: Democrat leaders use “medical marijuana” to push pot.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251222/news/schaumburg-family-launches-campaign-to-retain-access-to-daughters-medical-marijuana/

FOX32
— ‘Rails and Roots’ shows how Mexican railroad workers built Chicago. DD: My ancestors on my father’s side immigrated from what is now Germany in 1844 and worked in a Chicago brick factory until 1854 when the homesteaded a farm in southeast Crete Township.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-mexican-worker-railroads

WTTW
— A group of Illinois Congressional representatives on Monday were allowed inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s processing center in suburban Broadview, months after they were previously turned away. Illinois U.S. Reps. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Delia Ramirez, Jonathan Jackson and Danny Davis toured the controversial west suburban facility Monday as part of a routine congressional inspection, six months after they said they were denied access by ICE agents without authority.
https://news.wttw.com/2025/12/22/accountability-not-optional-illinois-congressional-reps-tour-broadview-ice-facility

SOUTHERN
— Senate Democrats raise concerns about IRS readiness for tax filing season. DD: What does GAO say about that? GAO audits IRS. I worked for IRS 1971-1980 and for GAO 1980-1997. GAO wasted my knowledge of IRS. It kept me off audits of IRS except 1986-1988. Have you ever phoned IRS with a tax question? If you did during the 1974 filing season, the IRS employee who answered your call was one of my subordinates. Back then, as a 25-year-old GS-11 (currently $82,655/year) IRS Revenue Officer, I supervised all of the IRS employees, which included a rotating staff of about 90 IRS Revenue Agent trainees, in IRS’s new downtown Chicago office who answered taxpayer questions using IRS’s new tollfree CentiPhone system. Because of my job performance, the IRS manager who had given me that developmental opportunity and who had promoted me in 1972 and 1973 promoted me to GS-12 (currently $99,069/year) in 1974.
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2025/12/22/senate-democrats-raise-concerns-about-irs-readiness-for-tax-filing-season/

NPR ILLINOIS
— Skyrocketing number of ‘no-shows’ in immigration court
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-12-22/npr-analysis-shows-skyrocketing-number-of-no-shows-in-immigration-court
— A rift in MAGA has top Heritage Foundation officials leaving to join with Mike Pence
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-12-22/a-rift-in-maga-has-top-heritage-foundation-officials-leaving-to-join-with-mike-pence
— Federal judge says U.S. must give due process to deported Venezuelans. DD: The federal justices and judges in Diersen v. GAO denied me my 7th Amendment right to a jury trial. SEE: https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf They would not have done that if Republicans had been the discriminators and I had been a Democrat, minority, female, younger, or veteran.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-12-22/federal-judge-says-u-s-must-give-due-process-to-deported-venezuelans

FOX ILLINOIS
— DHS offers $3,000 ‘home for the holidays’ incentive to migrants who self-deport
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/dhs-homeland-security-offers-3000-home-for-the-holidays-incentive-to-migrants-who-self-deport-illegal-immigration-crackdown-secretary-kristi-noem-cbp-home-app-customs-and-border-protection

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— U.S. Senate Hopeful Don Tracy Appears Before McHenry County GOP Central Executive Committee
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/12/22/u-s-senate-hopeful-don-tracy-appears-before-mchenry-county-gop-central-executive-committee/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Republicans for the high cost of healthcare.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/22/health-care-poised-key-issue-midterms-republicans-scramble-solutions/
— DHS holiday deal for illegal immigrants: Leave now and get $3,000 — or face arrest
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/22/dhs-tells-illegal-immigrants-go-home-holidays-stay/
— Heritage Foundation loses a dozen scholars to Pence-led group in rift over leadership. Josh Blackman resigns from Heritage, says judges, contributors distancing themselves.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/22/heritage-foundation-loses-dozen-scholars-pence-led-group-rift/
— Trump leading U.S. toward unprecedented economic prosperity. Cleaning up the Democrats’ massive mess takes time.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/22/trump-leading-us-toward-unprecedented-economic-prosperity/
— Ban the Muslim Brotherhood, or witness the West’s demise. We must act now.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/22/ban-muslim-brotherhood-witness-wests-demise/
— Universities, colleges not producing employable adults. DD: Firestone Stores would not have hired me in 1970 and IRS would not have hired me in 1971 if I had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business in 1970. IRS would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974 if I had not been taking graduate business evening courses. GAO would not have hired me in 1980 if I had not earned an MBA in 1976 and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. GAO would not have promoted me in 1986 if I had not earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, and became a licensed CPA in 1981.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/22/universities-colleges-producing-employable-adults/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: These days, it’s rare for anyone to challenge sacred cows, but Charlie Kirk was the exception. He questioned one of America’s most entrenched assumptions: that everyone needs a college degree. He argued that college has become an overpriced credentialing system that fails to deliver on its age-old promises of rigorous education and better job prospects. Kirk asked tough questions with honest curiosity and respect, and he never backed down from calling out the problems in higher education, even when it made people uncomfortable. Genuine education demands engagement with difficult and often opposing ideas, something Charlie understood, and America’s colleges have largely ceased to provide. While the value has plummeted, the price tag has risen. Charlie Kirk brought this skepticism into mainstream discourse. Now, more than ever, people are questioning whether a college degree is worth it.)
— Democrats thrive on government fraud. A look at Minnesota Somalia, Obamacare, student loans and more.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/22/democrats-thrive-government-fraud/

NEW YORK POST
— Vance smashes AmericaFest 2028 straw poll, tops Trump’s position 2 years ago
https://nypost.com/2025/12/22/us-news/jd-vance-smashes-americafest-2028-straw-poll-tops-trumps-position-2-years-ago/
— Elite colleges admitting Asian students at incredible rates post affirmative action
https://nypost.com/2025/12/22/us-news/elite-colleges-admitting-one-student-minority-group-at-incredible-rates-post-affirmative-action/
— Heritage ousts two staffers as more scholars flee to Mike Pence’s group: ‘Brain drain’
https://nypost.com/2025/12/22/us-news/heritage-ousts-two-staffers-as-more-scholars-flee-to-mike-pences-group-brain-drain/
— It’s time to treat Bill Clinton like Prince Andrew — and banish him from polite society
https://nypost.com/2025/12/22/opinion/its-time-to-banish-bill-clinton-like-prince-andrew/
— DEI hollowed out a generation — and sapped America’s promise. DD: My Democrat superiors in the federal government used Affirmative Action, DEI, the veterans preference, and up-or-out to waste my career, to take many big adverse actions against me, and to force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://nypost.com/2025/12/22/opinion/dei-hollowed-out-a-generation-and-sapped-americas-promise/
— Mamdani doesn’t care about ‘upward mobility’, and his charter school snub proves it
https://nypost.com/2025/12/22/opinion/mamdani-doesnt-care-about-upward-mobility-and-his-charter-school-snub-proves-it/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— University of Illinois lecture material is wildly bias, teaches ‘white supremacy and xenophobia brought on by … Trump’
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2025/12/22/university-of-illinois-lecture-material-is-wildly-bias-teaches-white-supremacy-and-xenophobia-brought-on-by-trump-1611831/
— School bus driver fired for sign directing students to speak English
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2025/12/22/school-bus-driver-fired-for-sign-directing-students-to-speak-english-1611767/

BREITBART
— Justice Department Ends Clinton Rule Giving Welfare to Migrants
https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/12/22/justice-department-ends-clinton-rule-giving-welfare-to-migrants/amp/

CAMPUS REFORM
— Of course students must master standard English
https://www.campusreform.org/article/prof-jenkins-course-students-must-master-standard-english/29175

DAILY SIGNAL
— Accreditation Mandates Bring CRT Into Colleges and K-12 Schools
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/12/22/accreditation-mandates-bring-crt-into-colleges-and-k-12-schools/

FOX BUSINESS
— Sanctuary city policies are more interested in keeping illegal aliens in the country than protecting Americans
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6386843095112

NEWSMAX
— Ted Cruz Eyes 2028 Bid, Vance Showdown Looms
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/ted-cruz-2028-gop/2025/12/22/id/1239245/

PJ MEDIA
— DHS Now Offering Big Bucks for Illegals to Self-Deport
https://pjmedia.com/michaelcantrell/2025/12/22/dhs-now-offering-big-bucks-for-illegals-to-self-deport-n4947398

TURNING POINT USA
— FROM ERIKA KIRK: Thousands of students, patriots, and freedom fighters came together in the desert for the biggest conservative gathering of the year…This is what Charlie dreamed of — not just a crowd, but a movement gaining steam: 80% of attendees had never been to a Turning Point event before, More than one-third were students, Over half were young women, All 50 states were represented, And 40 breakout sessions trained students to lead
https://tpusa.com/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest puts conservative rift on display as Vance urges unity
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/turning-point-usa-feuding-jd-vance-ben-shapiro-tucker-carlson/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Playwrights Horizons Is Sued Over Discounts to People of Color. The lawsuit, against the prominent Off Broadway theater, is backed by Edward Blum, who has long challenged race-based policies.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/theater/playwrights-horizons-lawsuit-race-based-discounts.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Migrants Who Self-Deport to Be Paid $3,000 in ‘Exit Bonus’ DD: In 1993, to get rid of GAO employees who were Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran and who had 25 years of federal service, the Democrats who ran GAO offered a $25,000 buyout if they took early retirement.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-dhs-migrant-self-deportation-payment-e3ea8933
— Top Heritage Officials Flee to Mike Pence’s Nonprofit as Think Tank Fractures. Conservative movement continues to splinter about how to deal with its most controversial voices.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/top-heritage-officials-flee-to-mike-pences-nonprofit-as-think-tank-fractures-28765f2b

December 18, 2025 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Trump signs executive order that would reclassify marijuana as less dangerous drug. DD: Pot is poison. In 2019, I led the successful effort to stop the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/reclassification-weed-president-donald-trump-signs-executive-order-today-would-reclassify-marijuana-less-dangerous/18298372/
— Trump administration moves to cut off gender-affirming care for transgender youth
https://abc7chicago.com/post/trump-administration-moves-cut-off-gender-affirming-care-transgender-youth-new-hhs-restrictions/18298513/
— Trump’s handpicked board votes to rename Washington performing arts center the Trump-Kennedy Center
https://abc7chicago.com/post/trumps-handpicked-board-votes-rename-washington-performing-arts-center-trump-kennedy/18298307/

NBC5
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) bring in more illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/new-illinois-laws-will-impact-thousands-of-students-in-the-new-year/3865125/

FOX32
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/buffalo-grove-volunteers-send-handwritten-support-cards-lgbtq-people-nationwide

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— President Donald Trump signs order that would reclassify marijuana as less dangerous drug. DD: Pot is poison. In 2019, I led the successful effort to stop the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/18/trump-executive-order-reclassify-marijuana/
— New Trump administration proposals could further reduce gender-affirming care for minors in Illinois. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly make children sexually active LGBTQers.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/18/gender-affirming-care-trump-proposals/
— State commission highlights ‘unjustified’ uses of tear gas, pepper spray by federal immigration agents
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/18/illinois-accountability-commission-pritzker-border-patrol/
— President Donald Trump’s Justice Department sues Illinois over sensitive state voter data
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/18/illinois-voter-data-lawsuit/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Durbin, Duckworth seek criminal probe of Chicago’s immigration blitz — even after Trump leaves office
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/12/18/durbin-duckworth-criminal-investigation-operation-midway-blitz-ice-tactics
— New state panel takes shot at holding Trump immigration blitz to account: ‘We will not forget’  The chairman of the newly formed Illinois Accountability Commission acknowledged their eventual recommendations are likely to “fall on deaf ears” in the Trump administration.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/12/18/illinois-accountability-commission-trump-immigration-midway-blitz

DAILY HERALD
— Palatine Township trustees this week approved a $1.65 million tax levy for its community mental health board.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251218/local-politics/a-good-thing-for-people-palatine-township-levies-first-tax-for-community-mental-health-board/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Justice Department sues for access to Illinois voter rolls
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/justice-department-sues-access-illinois-voter-rolls
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly push more pot. Pot is poison.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/cannabis/trump-signals-marijuana-rescheduling-tax-relief-ahead

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— The head of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has urged white men to report workplace discrimination based on race or sex.  DD: In Diersen v. GAO, the courts ruled that discrimination against older White males was not only legal, but that it is what Congress wanted.
https://www.news-gazette.com/news/nation-world/head-of-workplace-rights-agency-urges-white-men-to-report-discrimination/article_6026fc17-ba43-52f4-98bc-f22f3c675724.html

NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly demonize, denigrate, and condemn Trump
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-12-17/with-costs-a-growing-worry-for-americans-trump-seeks-to-defend-his-economic-record

NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY
— North Park University Invites Dreamers to Apply for TheDream.US Scholarship. DD: Did you get any scholarships? I did not. My critics/opponents have always used that against me.
https://www.northpark.edu/stories/north-park-university-invites-dreamers-to-apply-for-thedream-us-scholarship/

DUCKWORTH
— Duckworth-Led Provisions to Protect Rock Island Arsenal. DD: During the first 6 months of 1989, I worked for GAO at the Rock Island Arsenal on an audit of DOD’s 1990 ammunition budget request. SEE: https://www.gao.gov/assets/150/148194.pdf
https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-led-provisions-to-protect-rock-island-arsenal-support-illinois-quantum-technology-research-and-safeguard-care-for-veterans-passes-congress-awaits-presidents-signature
(FROM THE ARTICLE: By Constructing a Child Development Center at Rock Island Arsenal: The bill authorizes $50 million in Major Construction funds for a new addition to the Child Development Center at Rock Island Arsenal and to consolidate the existing facilities and make upgrades to meet DoD guidelines and safety requirements, ensuring that eligible families at Rock Island Arsenal have a safe, modern facility for childcare.)

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/12/18/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-440/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Pritzker disputes Trump claims, says Illinois GOP backs president ‘100%’
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_594bb86c-7336-490e-936f-3e3c69b17fc0.html
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/pritzker-disputes-trump-claims-says-160400287.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Mamdani says free buses means fewer assaults over ‘fare collection’
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/crime/3926075/mamdani-free-buses-fewer-assaults-fare-collection/

NEW YORK POST
— Mamdani appointee made vile antisemitic comments in unearthed social media posts
https://nypost.com/2025/12/18/us-news/zohran-mamdani-appointee-catherine-almonte-da-costa-made-vile-antisemitic-comments-in-unearthed-social-media-posts/
— NYC Council pushes bill to create Zohran Mamdani’s $1B ‘safety’ agency that would pull cops off some 911 calls
https://nypost.com/2025/12/18/us-news/nyc-council-pushes-bill-to-create-zohran-mamdanis-1b-safety-agency-that-will-pull-cops-off-some-911-calls/

BREITBART
— ‘It’s Open Season’: Antisemitic Attacks in NYC Highlight Broader Threat, ‘This is Mamdani’s NY’
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/12/18/its-open-season-antisemitic-attacks-in-nyc-highlight-broader-threat-this-is-mamdanis-ny/
— Inflation Unexpectedly Tumbles To 2.7%, Much Better Than Expected, Core Inflation Falls to Lowest Since Early 2021
https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/12/18/inflation-unexpectedly-tumbles-to-2-7-much-better-than-expected/

DAILY SIGNAL
— EEOC Urges White Males to Report Discrimination—And Promptly. DD: In Diersen v. GAO, the courts ruled that discrimination against older White males was not only legal, but that it is what Congress wanted.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/12/18/eeoc-urges-white-males-report-discrimination-promptly/amp/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: White males who have faced discrimination should file a federal complaint, the head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says. In a video posted on social media Thursday, EEOC Acting Chairwoman Andrea Lucas advised potential victims of discrimination to file complaints in a timely manner. “Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex?” Lucas said. “You may have a claim to recover money under federal civil rights laws.” The Trump administration has opposed diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in the government, and terminated DEI federal grants. A person has a deadline of 180 days from the alleged discrimination to make a complaint, according to the EEOC. “Contact the EOC as soon as possible. Time limits are typically strict for filing a claim,” Lucas continued. “The EOC is the federal agency charged with enforcing federal antidiscrimination law against businesses and other private sector employers.” “The EOC is committed to identifying, attacking, and eliminating all forms of race and sex discrimination, including against white male applicants, and employees,” Lucas clarified. The EEOC website says the 180-day deadline can be extended up to 300 days if a state or local agency enforces a law that prohibits employment discrimination on the same basis, and would have to first hear the case. Although the EEOC has frequently taken up discrimination cases on behalf of minority groups, earlier this year the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that someone who belongs to a “majority group” can sue for discrimination, in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services. That case involved a straight woman who alleged she was passed over for employment due to her sexual identity, but the “majority group” principle would likely apply for a white male. During his first term, President Donald Trump appointed Lucas—a former labor and litigation lawyer at the firm of Gibson Dunn—to the EEOC, and the Senate confirmed her in 2020. After Trump returned for a second term in January, he designated her as the acting chair of commission. [Lucas is not related to The Daily Signal reporter who wrote this news story.] Lucas has not been confirmed by the Senate as chair. But, as previously noted in The Daily Signal, as acting chair she forced major law firms to stop using DEI to discriminate based on race.  She further ordered the EEOC to be evenhanded in its enforcement priorities. Lucas made it easier for employees to report DEI discrimination and made it a priority to protect Americans from religious discrimination. This is move is a Trump administration “stunt,” said Markus Batchelor, national political director at People For the American Way, a liberal activist group. “Stunts like this demonstrate the lengths Trump is willing to go to dismantle institutions meant to do good and make them tools that once again unbalance the scales in favor of privilege and white supremacy,” Batchelor told The Grio. “A call for ‘color-blind, merit-based’ employment falls flat from a White House that is overwhelmingly white, wealthy, and unqualified to govern.”)

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more foreign truck drivers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/business/trump-immigrants-trucks.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Trump’s unconvincing argument on affordability. Hyperbole is not a plan. DD: What did you do to help you afford things? To help me afford cars, college expenses, real estate, etc., I took bad jobs that my peers would never stoop to take. I a) did yard work 1962-1964. b) delivered newspapers 1962-1966, c) washed dishes 1964-1966, d) cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966, e) delivered mail 1966-1969, f) worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970, g) sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971, h) pumped more gasoline 1971-1972, i) collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980, and j) audited federal agencies 1980-1997. I earned a) a job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970, b) job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, c) job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and a job-related professional license in 1981. I was able to do the aforesaid even though I was not viewed as being college material. Neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school. I have never been able to run because I have a bone disease. My eyesight has never been correctable to 20/20. I have always had partial red/green color blindness. My ACT score was only 24. I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class. According to my critics/opponents, I have always been stupid. They stress that I got no scholarships or student loans and that had to work my way through college. One could argue that if I could do the aforesaid with the limitations that I had, just about anyone could do what I did academically and professionally.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/12/18/trump-speech-tariffs-economy-checks/
— How the end of extra Affordable Care Act subsidies could affect you.  DD: Are/were your healthcare insurance premiums subsidized? Ever since I became a part-time postal employee when was 18 in 1966, my critics/opponents have been furious that the federal government has paid 72% of my healthcare insurance premiums. They have been even more furious ever since I got married when I was 29 and the federal government started paying 72% of my wife’s healthcare insurance premiums. That 72% subsidy is a major reason why people despise/hate federal employees, federal retirees, and their spouses. That 72% subsidy helped me withstand tremendous efforts by my Democrat superiors in the federal government to waste my career and to get rid of me.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/12/18/affordable-care-act-subsidies-expire/

FORTUNE
— Mamdani gets 74,000 resumes in sign of New York City’s job-market misery
https://fortune.com/2025/12/17/mamdani-gets-74000-resumes-in-sign-of-new-york-citys-job-market-misery/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

GUARDIAN
— FCC chair suggests agency is not independent amid fears of Trump power-grab. Brendan Carr’s declaration raises concerns amid Trump efforts to exert greater control over independent agencies. DD: GAO is not an independent agency. Congress funds it. It works for Congress.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/17/trump-fcc-brendan-carr

December 17, 2025 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Apparent arrest made by federal agents in Chicago area amid concerns of Bovino’s return
https://abc7chicago.com/post/border-patrol-chicago-today-little-village-business-concerned-amid-immigration-arrests-greg-bovino-returns-area/18295179/
— Communities on edge amid apparent immigration-related arrests, Bovino’s return to Chicago area
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7dtqITqHlY
— Trump writes partisan plaques for predecessors in his newly installed Presidential Walk of Fame
https://abc7chicago.com/post/trump-writes-partisan-plaques-predecessors-newly-installed-presidential-walk-fame/18295678/

NBC5
— Judge blocks ICE from requiring members of Congress to provide prior notice before detention center visits
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-blocks-ice-congress-prior-notice-detention-center-visits/
— House passes GOP health care bill without ACA extension
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/house-health-care-vote-republicans-congress/

CBS2
— Bovino and agents return to Chicago area
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/border-patrol-cmdr-gregory-bovino-and-agents-return-to-chicago-area/

WGN9
— Border Patrol Commander Bovino back in Chicago
https://wgntv.com/news/operation-midway-blitz/border-patrol-commander-greg-bovino-back-in-chicago/

FOX32
— Evanston mayor Biss confronts Border Patrol chief amid rising immigration fears
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/evanston-mayor-confronts-border-patrol-chief-amid-rising-immigration-fears
— Bovino ramps up immigration raids in Chicago
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-j23iafl6hbu6nunz
— Chicago groups vow resistance as Border Patrol chief, agents return to area
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-groups-vow-resistance-border-patrol-chief-agents-return
— Chicago vote-by-mail applications open for 2026 primary election
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-vote-by-mail-applications-open-2026-primary-election

WTTW
— Biss Confronts Bovino as Immigration Enforcement Continues
https://news.wttw.com/2025/12/17/evanston-mayor-daniel-biss-confronts-border-patrol-chief-greg-bovino-immigration
— 4 Republicans Defy Speaker Johnson to Force House Vote on Extending ACA Subsidies
https://news.wttw.com/2025/12/17/4-republicans-defy-speaker-johnson-force-house-vote-extending-aca-subsidies

WBEZ
— Bovino’s Border Patrol caravan hits Chicago area for second day, making arrests in Evanston. Bovino had a tense standoff with Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss after federal agents arrested a man at a gas station Wednesday. Later, agents broke out the window of a pickup truck to detain two men outside of a Home Depot.
https://www.wbez.org/immigration/2025/12/17/chicago-immigration-ice-border-patrol-bovino-president-donald-trump-deport-midway-blitz

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Bovino praises police assistance in immigration enforcement as CPD denies support
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/17/bovino-praises-local-police-assistance-in-immigration-enforcement-argues-with-evanston-mayor-daniel-biss/
— Bovino in Evanston
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_lQWyqU0Xs
— Trump keeping 300 Illinois National Guard troops federalized until April despite no missions
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/17/illinois-national-guard-federalized-april/
— Illinois Republicans in Congress urge President Donald Trump not to pardon ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/17/gop-illinois-congress-madigan-pardon-trump/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Bovino’s Border Patrol caravan hits Chicago area for second day, making arrests in Evanston. Bovino had a tense standoff with Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss after federal agents arrested a man at a gas station on Wednesday. Later, agents broke out the window of a pickup truck to detain two men outside of a Home Depot.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/12/17/chicago-immigration-ice-border-patrol-bovino-president-donald-trump-deport-midway-blitz
— Illinois Republicans tell President Trump to reject Michael Madigan pardon request. U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood, Mary Miller and Mike Bost, staunch Trump allies, penned the request on Tuesday.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/michael-madigan/2025/12/17/illinois-republican-congress-members-president-trump-michael-madigan-pardon-request

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/border-patrol-returns-haunt-chicago-economy-holidays

EVANSTON NOW
— Immigration raids return to Evanston
https://evanstonnow.com/immigration-raids-return-to-evanston/

ALTON TELEGRAPH
— Trump writes partisan plaques for predecessors in his newly installed Presidential Walk of Fame
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/trump-s-white-house-adds-partisan-plaques-to-21248405.php

WAND TV
— Sen. Mark Kelly calls Pentagon investigation into his remarks a move to chill military dissent. DD: My Democrat superiors in the federal government chilled my dissent big time. I ever-increasingly dissented their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination. They ever-increasingly wasted my career, took more and bigger adverse actions against me, and then forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/national/sen-mark-kelly-calls-pentagon-investigation-into-his-remarks-a-move-to-chill-military-dissent/article_dbddfc77-3bfc-5fa7-834f-9f52554bf9b4.html

WIFR
— Trump will sign executive order to reclassify marijuana, loosen federal restrictions. DD: Pot is poison. I led the successful effort to stop the sale of pot in Wheaton in 2019.
https://www.wifr.com/2025/12/17/trump-will-sign-executive-order-reclassify-marijuana-loosen-federal-restrictions/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Woman sues IRS to have pets classified as dependents
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/woman-sues-irs-to-have-pets-classified-as-dependents/amp/

CITIES 92.9
— Amid continued enforcement, Pritzker tells ICE protesters: ‘Do as you have’
https://www.cities929.com/2025/12/17/watch-amid-continued-enforcement-pritzker-tells-ice-protesters-do-as-you-have/

BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— Bovino Leads Caravan Through Chicago Before Clashing With Evanston Mayor. Wednesday marked Bovino’s second day back on the job in the Chicago area after he left in November.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/17/bovino-leads-caravan-through-chicago-and-suburbs-clashes-with-evanston-mayor/

DURBIN
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly charge Trump with abusing his powers. The courts in Diersen v. GAO ruled that my Democrat GAO superiors had the power to force me to retire, that is, to fire me, when I was 49 years old in 1997 because I had been an active member in a class action lawsuit since I was 40 in 1988 that charged them with reversed discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation.
https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-highlights-the-senates-responsibility-to-hold-the-executive-branch-accountable-amid-president-trumps-abuses-of-powers

CHALKBEAT
— Illinois quietly changes scholarship for teachers of color amid lawsuit, threats from federal government
https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/12/17/illinois-teacher-diversity-scholarship-changes/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/12/17/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-438/
— Bovino: ‘We’re here for the taxpayer’
https://capitolfax.com/2025/12/17/bovino-were-here-for-the-taxpayer/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Biss Calls for Repeal of Second Amendment
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/12/17/biss-calls-for-repeal-of-second-amendment/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump owes America — and the Reiner family — an apology
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/17/donald-trump-owes-america-reiner-family-apology/
— Trump wounds MAGA brand with inhuman rant on Rob Reiner. Polls show once-fierce supporters are bailing in droves.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/17/trump-wounds-maga-brand-inhuman-rant-rob-reiner/

NEW YORK POST
— Trump rips predecessors Biden, Obama and Bush with new plaques on ‘Presidential Walk of Fame’
https://nypost.com/2025/12/17/us-news/trump-rips-predecessors-biden-obama-and-bush-with-new-plaques-on-presidential-walk-of-fame/

COLLEGE FIX
— Illinois amends ‘minority teachers’ scholarship to end federal lawsuit
https://www.thecollegefix.com/illinois-amends-minority-teachers-scholarship-to-end-federal-lawsuit/

FOX NEWS
— Protesters CONFRONT federal immigration agents in Chicago. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino details street arrests of illegal immigrants in Chicago as residents protest immigration agents.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6386612177112
— ICE chief fires back at ‘100% false’ sanctuary city ‘harassment’ claims. Todd Lyons says sanctuary cities force agents into communities by releasing convicted criminals.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/ice-chief-fires-back-sanctuary-city-harassment-claims-100-false

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

PBS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for everything that is bad.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/americans-are-more-dissatisfied-with-trumps-handling-of-the-economy-than-ever-poll-shows

WORKERS WORLD
— Young workers reject capitalism’s dead-end future. DD: Under socialism, everyone is a government employee. Ever since I became a government employee when I was 18 years old in 1966, my critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if I had been a private sector employee, I never would have had the career successes that I had. They have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted a) that career advancement in government is much easier than it is in the private sector, but nevertheless, I never earned more than $153, 151/year in today’s dollars notwithstanding the fact that I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. In my defense, my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran. How successful in the private sector would someone with my qualifications have been?
https://www.workers.org/2025/12/89607/

December 16, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Hundreds of Chicagoans contribute campaign money in hotly contested mayoral election . . . in New York City?  The Nov. 4 general election between New York mayoral candidates Mamdani, Cuomo and Sliwa drew interest from across the country, including Illinois, where more than 800 people contributed over $70,000 to candidate campaign funds. Mamdani won the race on a progressive platform that’s drawn comparisons to Brandon. DD: Mamdani is not progressive, he is socialist.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2025/12/16/illinois-chicago-campaign-contributions-new-york-mayor-candidates-zohran-mamdani-andrew-cuomo-curtis-sliwa
— DePaul University lays off 114 staff members. The Lincoln Park-based school said it’s facing financial headwinds due to a significant drop in enrollment among international graduate students, an increased demand for financial aid and the rising costs of benefits.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2025/12/15/depaul-university-layoff-cuts-chicago-lincoln-park

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders use vandalism of Evanston Church Nativity scene to promote more hatred against Republicans.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/15/nativity-smashed-mary-evanston-church/
— What the mayor can do to address the rise of anti-Jewish crime in Chicago. DD: Democrats run Chicago. Chicago residents are overwhelmingly Democrat. Enough said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/16/opinion-antisemitism-chicago-solutions/

DAILY HERALD
— Kane County officials: Police can’t enforce new law banning civil immigration arrests at courthouses
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251215/news/kane-county-officials-police-cant-enforce-new-law-banning-civil-immigration-arrests-at-courthouses/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH PHOTOS: The mainstream news media is ever-increasingly nothing more than a mouthpiece for the Democrat Party.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251215/nation-and-world-politics/another-blue-wave-napervilles-lauren-underwood-working-to-make-it-happen-while-republican-fights/

WGN9
— Local ‘Worst of the Worst’ list includes serious crimes, also traffic and weed offenses
https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-investigates/local-worst-of-the-worst-list-includes-serious-crimes-also-traffic-and-weed-offenses/

FOX32
— Illinois invests $2M to strengthen fight against homelessness. DD: The Democrat Party platform promotes homelessness.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1756794

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Illinois Republicans look for SAFE-T Act changes after Governors comment
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/safe-t-act-pre-trial-release-concerns/

FOX ILLINOIS
— Trump again says he is considering reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous drug. ‘So we are looking at that very strongly,’ Trump said. DD: Pot is poison. I led the successful effort to stop the sale of pot in Wheaton in 2019.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/trump-again-says-he-considering-reclassifying-marijuana-less-dangerous-drug

WAND TV
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight getting rid of SNAP fraud.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/national/trump-administration-says-it-needs-to-fight-snap-fraud-but-the-extent-of-the-problem/article_8ec03628-6e2b-5bd1-9050-d73bcc9eeb89.html

WCIA
— IDPH releases first-ever report on alcohol use in Illinois. Nearly 23 percent of Illinois high schoolers reported consuming at least one alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days. DD: If I had been a drinker or a pot smoker, a) S.S. Kresge would not have hired me to wash dishes, b) my ACT score would have been lower, c) I would not have made it into the upper 20% of my class, and d) UIC would not have accepted me.
https://www.wcia.com/news/health-news/idph-releases-first-ever-report-on-alcohol-use-in-illinois/

NPR ILLINOIS
— Springfield receives $2 million to address homelessness. DD: The Democrat Party platform promotes homelessness.
https://www.nprillinois.org/springfield-il/2025-12-15/springfield-receives-2-million-to-address-homelessness

INDIANA STUDENT DAILY
— Indiana University Turning Point USA membership increases significantly after Kirk assassination. DD: Who heads Turning Point USA in Illinois, in your county, in your township, in your municipality, and in your school district? If I had been active in Republican politics when I was in high school, the Democrats who ran the Post Office would not have hired me in 1966. If I had been active in Republican politics while I attended UIC and NIU, the Democrats who ran IRS would not have hired me in 1971. If I had been active in Republican politics while I took graduate courses at Loyola and DePaul, the Democrats who ran GAO would not have hired me in 1980.
https://www.idsnews.com/article/2025/12/charlie-kirk-turning-point-indiana-university-iu-news

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Pritzker slams Trump’s rhetoric on Reiner
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2025/12/16/pritzker-slams-trumps-rhetoric-on-reiner-00692394

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2025/12/16/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-649/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— QUESTION: What motivates mainstream news media owners, leaders, employees, and advertisers? ANSWER: Electing and reelecting Democrat candidates and defeating Republican candidates. I base that mainly on my serving as the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000. Since 2004, GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters have included links to more than 530,000 articles. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Questions Swirl as GOP Candidate Gabby Shanahan Hands Out Policy Awards to GOP Legislators While Taking Party Cash
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2025/12/questions-swirl-as-gop-candidate-gabby-shanahan-hands-out-policy-awards-to-gop-legislators-while-taking-party-cash.html
— Illinois Republican grassroots activists are voicing growing frustration – not just with State Rep. Norine Hammond’s latest staged photo-op, but now with Aaron Del Mar’s response that many believe let her off the hook.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2025/12/grassroots-furious-after-del-mar-plays-nice-following-hammond-photo-op-controversy.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

NEW YORK POST
— Top Zohran Mamdani fundraiser celebrated anti-NYPD slurs, said US should be ‘punished for its sins.’  DD: Immigrants to America ever-increasingly stress that their hands are clean, that is, that their ancestors were not responsible for slavery in America. I have always stressed that while all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s, they have always lived in northeast Illinois.
https://nypost.com/2025/12/15/us-news/top-zohran-mamdani-fundraiser-celebrated-anti-nypd-slurs-said-us-should-be-punished-for-its-sins/

BREITBART
— Machado: “Hundreds Of Thousands” Will Return To Venezuela Once Maduro Goes. DD: If/when Republicans regain control of Illinois, how many Republicans will return to Illinois?
https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2025/12/15/maria-corina-machado-says-hundreds-of-thousands-venezuelans-will-return-home-once-maduro-goes/amp/

CAMPUS REFORM
— 5 times higher ed pushed socialism in 2025. DD: While I earned four college degrees, I escaped such pushes by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/5-times-higher-ed-pushed-socialism-2025/29080

CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES
— The H-1B Tsunami: Why the U.S. Must Act to Protect American Jobs, Security, and Prosperity. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have.
https://cis.org/Siddiqui/H1B-Tsunami-Why-US-Must-Act-Protect-American-Jobs-Security-and-Prosperity
— Were Refugees Resettled under Biden Properly Vetted? A look at the process suggests potential hazards.
https://cis.org/Report/Were-Refugees-Resettled-under-Biden-Properly-Vetted

DAILY CALLER
— Left-Wing Podcaster Jennifer Welch Says With Straight Face Charlie Kirk Justified His Own Murder. DD: Your reaction to Kirk’s assignation says more about you than anything that you can say about yourself.
https://dailycaller.com/2025/12/15/left-wing-podcaster-says-with-straight-face-charlie-kirk-justified-his-own-murder/

DAILY WIRE
— Mamdani And The Expanding Army Of DEI-Trained Social Workers. For the far-left, this is about growing the ranks of credentialed supporters of DEI in public institutions, especially schools.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdani-and-the-expanding-army-of-dei-trained-social-workers

FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— Chicago Wants Money for Lawbreaking. FAIR shows city has no standing to object to Trump’s funding cutoff.
https://www.fairus.org/press-release/misc/chicago-wants-money-lawbreaking

FOX NEWS
— AOC’s luxury spending binge in Puerto Rico reignites questions about ‘socialist’ brand: ‘Peak hypocrisy.’ DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that under socialism, everyone gets free housing, free food, free clothing, free medical care, free childcare, free transportation, free education, free everything. They ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that under socialism, you do not have to work unless you want to. More and more and more in America are falling for that.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/aocs-luxury-binge-puerto-rico-reignites-questions-about-socialist-brand-peak-hypocrisy.print
— Trump admin launches ‘MerryChristmas.gov’ to roll out 12 days of federal gifts as Christmas comeback ramps up. DD: The Post Office would not have offered me a job when I was 18 years old in 1966 if it had not gotten a budget increase for the 1966 Christmas rush.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-admin-launches-merrychristmas-gov-173246390.html

TOWNHALL
— The Destructive Force Enabling Mayhem. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with those who hate conservatives, hate Republicans, hate Americans, hate Whites, hate males, hate older people, hate heterosexuals, hate married people, hate non-poor people, hate Protestants, hate German Americans, and/or hate those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors have been.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jeffdavidson/2025/12/16/the-destructive-force-enabling-mayhem-n2667942
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In assessing the weekend from hell, as Islamic terrorists grabbed headlines worldwide – with Jews being slaughtered on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Jews being massacred at Brown University in Providence, and U.S. soldiers and a staff member murdered in Palmyra, Syria – what is the enabling force behind such mayhem? Spoiler Alert: It’s Leftists. As demonstrated each and every day, leftists in America – Democrats and the fakestream media which carries their water – are anti-Western civilization.)

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Fewer MAGA Republicans ‘strongly’ support Trump. DD: What makes someone a Trump supporter? Their giving money to Trump? Their attending his rallies? Their voting for candidates he endorses?
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5649278-maga-republicans-donald-trump-approval-drop/

REUTERS
— Ford takes $19.5bn hit amid electric vehicle retreat as Trump policies bite. Company to scrap several electric models and focus on gas and hybrid as US president pulls support for EVs.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/15/ford-electric-vehicles-trump

NEW YORK TIMES
— Trump Confronts a Backlash of the Reasonable
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/13/opinion/trump-swing-voters-approval-rating.html
— Rob Reiner Fought for Democrats, and They Loved Him Back. The Hollywood star was an unusually hands-on activist and donor, whose deep understanding of politics set him apart from other celebrities.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/us/politics/rob-reiner-democrats-politics.html

WASHINGTON POST
— MAGA leaders warn Trump the base is checking out. Will he listen? Trump’s advisers say he is preparing to hold near-weekly rallies to spend more time with the base, but he has faced criticism from within MAGA in the meantime. DD: What makes someone a member of Trump’s base? Their giving money to Trump? Their attending his rallies? Their voting for candidates he endorses?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/15/trump-base-maga-midterm-voters/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism. They ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that under socialism, everyone gets free housing, free food, free clothing, free medical care, free childcare, free transportation, free education, free everything. They ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that under socialism, you do not have to work unless you want to. More and more and more in America are falling for that.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/12/15/reckoning-over-capitalism/

NEW YORK SUN
— New ‘Animal Farm’ Adaptation Sparks Backlash Over ‘Woke’ Retelling
https://www.nysun.com/article/new-animal-farm-adaptation-sparks-backlash-over-woke-retelling

USA TODAY
— DD: The mainstream news media ever-increasingly exists to drive Trump’s approval rating down.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/12/14/trump-economy-inflation-affordability-hoax/87725036007/
— DD: Gun laws do reduce gun violence. The fewer people that have guns, the more emboldened that criminals are.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2025/12/15/australia-gun-laws-bondi-beach-shooting/87771943007/

ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION
— Effort to overhaul ‘woke’ college accreditation system raises questions about politics and power. DD: For Democrats, education exists to crank out good little Democrats.
https://www.ajc.com/education/2025/12/effort-to-overhaul-woke-college-accreditation-system-raises-questions-about-politics-and-power/

WEEK
— Trump signs executive order classifying fentanyl as a ‘weapon of mass destruction’
https://www.25newsnow.com/2025/12/15/trump-signs-executive-order-classifying-fentanyl-weapon-mass-destruction/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Orwell Gets an Orwellian Rewrite. What is ‘Animal Farm’ without a focus on communist tyranny?
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/orwell-gets-an-orwellian-rewrite-83635dcf
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly force EVs on everyone.
https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/can-u-s-automakers-compete-with-chinese-evs-while-focusing-on-gas-guzzlers-1b10c881
— A New Journal Opinion Offering. Free Expression writers will focus on life, culture and politics. DD: Will the WSJ invite me to be one of their Free Expression writers? I am completely independent. No one pulls my strings. I have been the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/a-new-journal-opinion-offering-free-expression-97c5c341
— Trump Criticizes Rob Reiner After His Death. Democrats and some Republicans said the president went too far in his social-media post.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-rob-reiner-death-comments-4ab536d1

FORBES
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers use disparate impact a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees. According to them, when Republicans who are conservative, White, male, older, nonpoor, nonveteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time succeed, it is because they have benefitted from discrimination against those who are not aforesaid. According to my critics/opponents, because I am all of the aforesaid, a) I owe all of my successes in life to my benefitted from discrimination against those who are not the aforesaid and b) I should pay the price of Affirmative Action and DEI big time.
https://theweek.com/politics/doj-civil-rights-disparate-impact-discrimination-bondi
— Alarming Update On Student Loan Forgiveness Posted By The Education Department. DD: My critics/opponents have always stressed that I could not have gotten a student loan. My ACT score was only 24. I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class. I could not run because I had a bone disease. My eyesight could not be corrected to 20/20. I was 1-A for the Vietnam War draft. I had not demonstrated any leadership potential. Further, I was not a minority or a female.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamminsky/2025/12/15/alarming-update-on-student-loan-forgiveness-posted-by-the-education-department/

FAST COMPANY
— ICE is spending millions on ads to recruit new agents. DD: I was rudely fired by my Firestone Store boss when I was 22 years old in 1971 because I had accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile. But Oldsmobile withdrew that offer saying that it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. Because I had to have a job to help support my mother and brother, I accepted a job offer from IRS. What if the only job offer I had gotten was from ICE?
https://www.fastcompany.com/91460777/ice-is-spending-millions-on-ads-to-recruit-new-agents

MIT MANAGEMENT
— DD: Anticipate/expect that Democrat and RINO employers will ever-increasingly use AI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/ai-reinventing-hiring-same-old-biases-heres-how-to-avoid-trap

HR GRAPEVINE
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers use budget cuts a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.hrgrapevine.com/us/content/article/2025-12-15-journalists-of-color-question-recent-media-layoffs-amid-dei-purge

NPR
— DD: What is your attitude toward federal employees and federal retirees? I was a federal employee for almost 30 years and I have been a federal retiree for more than 28 years. My critics/opponents have always despised/hated federal employee and federal retirees. I should write about that. They believe that federal employees are grossly overpaid, that federal pensions are much too generous, and that their benefits are much too generous. In my defense, I would not have become a postal employee when I was 18 in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment test. I would not have become an IRS employee when I was 22 in 1971 if my Firestone Store boss had not fired me because I had accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile, an offer that Oldsmobile withdrew because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.
https://www.npr.org/2025/12/15/nx-s1-5620842/how-a-va-social-workers-life-has-changed-since-leaving-the-job

THOMAS REDICK
— “Time for Trump’s Patriotic Reparations” is an Urgent Call for Trump to Finally Enact Reparations for Black Americans. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders promote Affirmative Action (AA) to get votes from Blacks. Since the 1960s, AA has been reparations. Since the 1960s, Democrat and RINO leaders have forced those who are the following to pay the price of AA: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Because I am all of the aforesaid, my Democrat superiors in the federal government forced me to pay the price of AA big time. It all culminated when I was 49 years old in 1997 when they forced me to retire and gave my job and my preferred corner office to my Black subordinate who had less work experience than I had, who had less education than I had, who had one professional certification while I had six, and who had no professional license like I had.
https://www.pr.com/press-release/955740

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

DAILY MAIL
— Fury over family-friendly film adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm that blames capitalism and has a happy ending
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tv/article-15384471/Fury-family-friendly-film-adaptation-George-Orwells-Animal-Farm-blames-capitalism-happy-ending.html

FROM OTHER SOURCES

WORLD ATLAS
— 12 Best Places to Live in Illinois. DD: Wheaton is not one of the 12. Why is that?
https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/12-best-places-to-live-in-illinois-2025.html

AUTO GUIDE
— These 11 Classic Cars Are A Good Investment. DD: If I had more money back in 2005, I would not have sold my 1968 Dodge Charger R/T to buy a 2005 Corvette. I had far less money in 2005 because my Democrat superiors wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.autoguide.com/auto/featured-articles/s-10-photos-of-bmw-s-futuristic-vision-neue-klasse-x-concept-44610355
(FROM THE ARTICLE: 1968–1970 Dodge Charger — $91,450  With roughly 40,000 R/Ts built and available Hemi power up to 425 hp, the second-gen Charger remains muscle-car royalty. More than half its owners today are Gen X or younger.)

HOT CARS
— America’s Oldest Surviving Car That Makes The Country’s Most Reliable Cars In 2025. DD: If I was in the market for a SUV, I would consider Buick.
https://www.hotcars.com/americas-oldest-surviving-car-brand-makes-most-reliable-cars/

December 15, 2025 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Nearly 23% of Illinois high school students say they drink. DD: If I had been a drinker, a) S.S. Kresge would not have hired me to wash dishes, b) my ACT score would have been lower, c) I would not have made it into the upper 20% of my class, and d) UIC would not have accepted me.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/15/alcohol-report-illinois-department-of-health/

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— DD: Anticipate/expect that under Pritzker, homelessness will ever-increasingly increase in Illinois.
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/local/2025/12/15/gov-pritzker-announces-2m-in-state-funding-to-help-with-unhoused/87774489007/

WSIL TV
— Illinois’ first report on alcohol use reveals concerning trends
https://www.wsiltv.com/news/illinois/illinois-first-report-on-alcohol-use-reveals-concerning-trends/article_87bae20e-07b9-4e2e-8eea-86410235228b.html?

CITIES 92.9
— Illinois Freedom Caucus raises new questions about noncitizen police officer
https://www.cities929.com/2025/12/15/watch-illinois-freedom-caucus-raises-new-questions-about-noncitizen-police-officer/

CWB CHICAGO
— Man wearing ankle monitor attacked 3 women days after judge refused to detain him
https://cwbchicago.com/2025/12/man-wearing-ankle-monitor-attacked-3-women-days-after-judge-refused-to-detain-him-documents-show.html

DAILY ILLINI
— Trump administration moves to end student loan forgiveness program. DD: I could not have gotten a student loan. My ACT score was only 24. I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class. I could not run because I had a bone disease. My eyesight could not be corrected to 20/20. I was 1-A for the Vietnam War draft. I was not a minority or a female.
https://dailyillini.com/news-stories/university-news/2025/12/15/trump-student-loan-forgiveness/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/12/15/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-436/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

FREEDOMS JOURNAL
— Symbolism Is Not Salvation: A Black Conservative Response to Chicago’s Reparations Push
https://freedomsjournalinstitute.org/blog/2025/12/15/symbolism-is-not-salvation-a-black-conservative-response-to-chicago-s-reparations-push

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— Reclassifying Marijuana Ignores Science and Endangers Families
https://illinoisfamily.org/marijuana-2/reclassifying-marijuana-ignores-science-and-endangers-families/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Conservatives line up against Trump’s marijuana downgrade. DD: Pot is poison. I led the successful effort to stop the sale of pot in Wheaton in 2019.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/15/conservatives-line-trumps-marijuana-downgrade/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Reclassifying marijuana will not make America great again. DD: Pot is poison. I led the successful effort to stop the sale of pot in Wheaton in 2019.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/3917642/reclassifying-marijuana-will-not-make-america-great-again/
— Democrats blame guns, not evil, for Bondi Beach and Brown University shootings
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/3917487/democrats-blame-guns-not-evil-bondi-beach-brown-shootings/

BLAZE
— ‘Rents will come down’ — but not in sanctuary cities
https://www.theblaze.com/news/rents-come-down-sanctuary-cities

CAMPUS REFORM
— 5 times higher ed pushed socialism in 2025
https://www.campusreform.org/article/5-times-higher-ed-pushed-socialism-in-2025/29080

FOX BUSINESS
— Sanctuary cities accused of shielding dangerous offenders from ICE enforcement
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6386509733112

FOX NEWS
— Leaked lessons from first-year University of Illinois education course show extreme left bias: ‘Just so wrong.’  Student whistleblower shares PowerPoints from first semester education class riddled with far-left messaging.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/leaked-lessons-from-first-year-university-illinois-education-course-show-extreme-left-bias-just-so-wrong

FOX SPORTS
— Chicago radio host rips Cubs player for Turning Point event attendance, likens it to ‘Nazi-adjacent pep rally.’  Matt Shaw attended Kirk’s funeral during the season. DD: People’s attitudes toward Kirk and toward his assassination say a lot about them.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/chicago-radio-host-rips-cubs-player-turning-point-event-attendance-nazi-adjacent-pep-rally

TOWNHALL
— NBC News Stirs the ‘Systemic Racism’ Pot
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2025/12/15/nbc-news-systemic-racism-in-certain-activities-n2667899

WESTERN JOURNAL
— Chick-fil-A Doubles Down on Wokeness After Getting Backlash for Gay ‘Marriage’ Stunt
https://www.westernjournal.com/chick-fil-doubles-wokeness-getting-backlash-gay-marriage-stunt/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

WASHINGTON POST
— Chicago has lost its mind. The city’s fiscal situation is dire, and Mayor Brandon Johnson is determined to make things worse.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/12/15/chicago-budget-brandon-johnson-taxes/

FORBES
— DD: Anticipate/expect that under Pritzker, homelessness will ever-increasingly increase in Illinois.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQiCy48UMhQ

BANKING RATES
— 5 Expensive Items Everyone Should Sell Before Retiring. DD: When my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997, I owned two collector cars, a 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS and 1968 Dodge Charger R/T. I held on to them until 2005. I wish I still owned them.
https://www.aol.com/finance/5-expensive-items-everyone-sell-000608065.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “One of the first things I suggest to clients is to take a hard look at their vehicles,” said Kevin Marshall, CPA and personal finance professional at Amortization Calculator. That dream car in the garage or the second SUV might have been exciting at one point, but it also carries weight — insurance premiums, maintenance costs, and repairs that never come cheap. “Retirement often brings fewer commutes and a slower pace, so why keep paying for something that spends most of its time sitting still?” He’s seen people sell an extra car and use the money to fund an entire year of travel or home improvements. “It’s not about downsizing — it’s about reallocating your resources to what actually brings you joy now.”)

JD SUPRA
— DOJ Promulgates Final Rule Removing Disparate Impact Regulations Under Title VI. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders use disparate impact to get rid of Republicans who are conservative, White, male, older, nonpoor, nonveteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. According to Democrat and RINO leaders, when those who are the aforesaid succeed, it is because they benefit from discrimination against those who are not aforesaid. According to my critics/opponents, because I am all of the aforesaid, a) I owe all of my successes in life to my benefitted from discrimination against those who are not the aforesaid and b) I should pay the price of Affirmative Action and DEI.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/doj-promulgates-final-rule-removing-7150551/

PEW RESEARCH
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/12/15/growing-shares-say-the-trump-administration-is-doing-too-much-to-deport-immigrants-in-the-us-illegally/

MOTHER JONES
— Trump Is Hellbent on Crushing Federal Unions, But They’re Still Kicking. DD: My critics/opponents despise/hate past, present, and future federal employees, and especially those who are, were, or might be union members. I was a union member while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969 and for IRS 1971-1980.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/12/trump-doge-layoffs-federal-unions-busting-resistance-strike-protest-collective-bargaining-rights/