January 12, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Chicago, state sue Trump admin. seeking to limit immigration agents’ authority in Illinois
https://abc7chicago.com/post/us-immigration-customs-enforcement-news-chicago-illinois-sue-trump-admin-seeking-limit-agents-authority-state/18392657/
— Minnesota, Minneapolis, Saint Paul file lawsuit to stop ICE’s ‘federal invasion’
https://abc7chicago.com/post/minnesota-twin-cities-sue-federal-government-stop-immigration-crackdown/18392572/
— Sen. Mark Kelly files lawsuit against Pete Hegseth after censure
https://abc7chicago.com/post/sen-mark-kelly-files-lawsuit-pete-hegseth/18392248/

NBC5
— Illinois, Chicago file lawsuit against Trump administration over ‘unlawful’ immigration enforcement tactics
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/illinois-chicago-file-lawsuit-against-trump-administration-over-unlawful-immigration-enforcement-tactics/3875020/

CBS2
— Chicago, Illinois sue Department of Homeland Security, Trump administration for dangerous tactics, unlawful use of force by ICE and Border Patrol agents
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/illinois-chicago-lawsuit-trump-homeland-security-immigration-raids/

WGN9
— Bailey talks Bears, immigration crackdown and family tragedy amid new gubernatorial bid
https://wgntv.com/news/politics/darren-bailey-talks-bears-immigration-crackdown-and-family-tragedy-amid-new-gubernatorial-bid/

WTTW
— Needling Trump as 2028 Looms: Inside JB Pritzker’s All-of-the-Above Media Strategy
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/12/needling-trump-2028-looms-inside-jb-pritzker-s-all-above-media-strategy

WGN RADIO
— Dabrowski, candidate for Illinois Governor
https://wgnradio.com/lisa-dent/ted-dabrowski-candidate-for-illinois-governor/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois extends Affordable Care Act open enrollment, as fate of subsidies remains uncertain
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/illinois-affordable-care-act-open-enrollment/
— Illinois and Chicago sue DHS over ‘militarized’ immigration-enforcement tactics
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/state-city-sue-dhs-over-militarized-immigration-enforcement-tactics-in-chicago-area/
— Minnesota and the Twin Cities sue the federal government to stop the immigration crackdown
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/minnesota-twin-cities-dhs-lawsuit/
— Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly sues the Pentagon over attempts to punish him, declaring it unconstitutional
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/mark-kelly-sues-pentagon/
— Unions make life pricey in Illinois’ political machine
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/opinion-illinois-unions-increase-cost-of-living/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Trump administration hit with federal lawsuit over ‘occupation of Illinois and Chicago.’ The new lawsuit makes claims about the feds’ capture of biometric data, warrantless arrests, immigration enforcement at “sensitive locations” like courthouses and schools, the swapping of license plates and trespassing on private property.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/01/12/illinois-chicago-sue-trump-administration-over-organized-bombardment-under-noem-bovino
— Chicago to weigh paying $875K to settle claims tied to police handling of George Floyd protests. The proposed settlement is tied to a lawsuit that contends Chicago cops “responded to these protests with brutal, violent, and unconstitutional tactics that were clearly intended to injure and silence protesters.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/01/12/george-floyd-protests-chicago-police-department-response-lawsuit-proposed-settlement
— What questions do you have for Illinois political candidates this primary election season? Our journalists will pose some of your questions to the people running for office in 2026.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2026/01/12/what-questions-do-you-have-for-illinois-political-candidates-this-primary-election-season

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push minorities to be pot pushers. Pot is poison.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/elevate/illinois-lending-social-equity-cannabis-tops-62-million
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/elevate/cannabis-industry-deserves-time-and-patience-mature-opinion
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/elevate/illinois-cannabis-law-needs-evolve-industry-opinion

ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government.
https://www.rrstar.com/story/news/2026/01/12/how-illinois-may-be-impacted-by-1b-in-frozen-child-care-funds/88105068007/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/12/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-447/
— Pritzker spent far more time on national news, podcasts in 2025 than ever before
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/12/todays-chart-pritzker-spent-far-more-time-on-national-news-podcasts-in-2025-than-ever-before/
— Will changes actually be made to SAFE-T Act?
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/12/will-changes-actually-be-made-to-safe-t-act/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

NEW YORK POST
— Trump to antisemites: You’re not welcome in MAGA
https://nypost.com/2026/01/12/us-news/trump-to-antisemites-youre-not-welcome-in-maga/

AMERICAN GREATNESS
— Myth, Narratives, and the Death of Renee Good
https://amgreatness.com/2026/01/12/myth-narratives-and-the-death-of-renee-good/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Federal Law is Supreme on Immigration. The states are trying to legislate immigration law again.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/01/federal_law_is_supreme_on_immigration.html
— Dictators are Bad – Unless Trump Stops Them. The double standards are through the roof.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/01/dictators_are_bad_unless_trump_stops_them.html

BREITBART
— Trump Cancels Biden Rules Forcing Banks to Give Loans to Illegals
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/01/12/trump-cancels-biden-rules-forcing-banks-to-give-loans-to-illegals/

FOX NEWS
— Trump declares himself Venezuela’s ‘acting president’ in online post after Maduro ouster. Trump previously has indicated that the US would run Venezuela for years.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-declares-himself-venezuelas-acting-president-online-post-after-maduro-ouster

NEWSMAX
— Civil rights protections resulted in white people being “very badly treated,” Trump said in a recent interview.
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/donald-trump-civil-rights-whites/2026/01/12/id/1241767/

TOWNHALL
— The Reasoning Behind Minnesota’s Anti-ICE Lawsuit Against the Federal Government
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2026/01/12/minnesota-is-suing-the-trump-administration-over-ice-operationsand-the-reasoning-is-a-total-circus-n2669355

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— Trump slaps 25% tariffs on any countries that do business with Iran
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-tariffs-countries-iran/

January 12, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

January 9, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

January 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