February 6, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— ABC7 Chicago to broadcast, stream 2026 Republican US Senate primary forum Wednesday
https://abc7chicago.com/post/abc7-chicago-league-women-voters-illinois-univision-broadcast-stream-2026-republican-us-senate-primary-forum-wednesday/18554376/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: ABC7 Chicago, the League of Women Voters of Illinois and Chicago and Univision Chicago will present live and without commercials the 2026 Republican U.S. Senate Primary Forum at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11. ABC7’s Anchor Judy Hsu will lead the 60-minute forum, with questions also asked by the station’s political reporter Craig Wall and WGBO/Univision Chicago anchor/reporter Enrique Rodriguez. Three of the Republican candidates running for U.S. Senate in Illinois will participate in the forum: Republican Candidate Casey Chlebek, Republican Candidate Jeannie Evans, and Former Chair of the Illinois Republican Party Don Tracy. The 2026 Republican U.S. Senate Primary Forum will stream live on ABC7Chicago.com, on ABC7 Chicago’s news app and Facebook page, and on ABC7’s 24/7 streaming channels. It will be broadcast on ABC7 directly following the station’s late newscast at 10:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13. The forum will also be translated and streamed live on Univision’s digital platforms, and it will air on Univision’s main channel at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14.)
— Memo from state’s attorney’s office to Chicago mayor’s office criticizes fed investigation order. ‘(Order) jeopardizes our ability to effectively prosecute and secure convictions,’ memo says.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/memo-cook-county-states-attorneys-office-chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-criticizes-federal-investigation-executive-order/18555854/

WTTW
— Top Cop: COPA Should Probe Chicago Police Conduct During Immigration Raids Because Public Wouldn’t ‘Trust’ Internal Affairs
https://news.wttw.com/2026/02/06/top-cop-copa-should-probe-chicago-police-conduct-during-immigration-raids-because-no-one
— Police Oversight Board to Top Cop: Explain Why CPD Officers Are Using Force More Often
https://news.wttw.com/2026/02/05/police-oversight-board-top-cop-explain-why-cpd-officers-are-using-force-more-often

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders say Illinois GOP urges early, mail voting despite Trump’s baseless fraud claims and calls to nationalize elections.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/illinois-gop-urges-early-mail-voting-despite-trumps-baseless-fraud-claims-and-calls-to-nationalize-elections/
— West Chicago teacher resigns after being placed on leave for social media post supporting ICE. DD: Will anyone come to the teacher’s defense? Will anyone argue that his punishment was too severe? The message of all this is that Democrats can and will destroy you if you a) oppose their flooding America with their illegals and/or b) oppose their fighting their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/west-chicago-teacher-resigns-after-social-media-supporting-ice/
— Judge rules Trump administration can’t withhold child care and social service funds to Illinois and 4 other states
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/illinois-child-care-federal-funding-ruling/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Democrats have 10 ICE reforms they want to see before agreeing to fund DHS. DD: Democrats want to stop deportation of their illegals. But failing that, they want to obstruct, cripple, disable, hinder, impede, hamstring, and undermine ICE.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/02/06/department-of-homeland-security-funding-democrats-10-demands
— Walmart, Amazon and CPS top list of employers where Illinois workers still need SNAP benefits. State data obtained by the Sun-Times identifies where SNAP recipients say they work as expanded employment requirements could push as 400,000 off the food assistance program this spring. DD: In today’s dollars, my part-time Post Office salary increased from $19.57/hour to $20.87/hour when I was 18-20 years old 1966-1969. According to my critics/opponents, I was grossly overpaid. They hinted/implied/argued/shouted that the job I had should have been given to a needy Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran. They stressed that my parents provided me with room and board and that I had no dependents. They were furious that the money that I earned enabled me to pay for my UIC expenses 1966-1968, to pay for my NIU expenses 1969-1970, to buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967, to buy a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968, and to graduate debt-free from NIU in 1970 owning that Charger.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/02/06/walmart-amazon-cps-top-employers-illinois-workers-still-need-snap-benefits-trump-work-requirements-lose-benefits
(FROM THE ARTICLE: At $18.42 an hour, she’s among the school district’s lowest paid staffers. . .Among the people in Chicago living in SNAP households who are 22 or older, she is among the 47% who are employed but still need government support to help buy groceries, according to 2024 U.S. Census data analyzed by WBEZ. . .Profile of a SNAP worker  People who are employed but also need to rely on SNAP, like Brooks and Mendez, often fit a certain work profile. Their incomes are relatively low, making them eligible for the help — the monthly household income for a family of four has to be under about $4,400 or roughly $53,000 a year — and they are clustered in certain occupations. The fields with the greatest percentages of Chicago workers living in households receiving SNAP include nursing and home health aides, childcare workers and personal care aides, and a category that covers janitors, housekeepers and groundskeepers, according to 2024 American Community Survey Census data analyzed by WBEZ. SNAP recipients, along with people on Medicaid public health insurance, also receive fewer pay increases and face more volatility than other workers, according to a 2018 analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington D.C-based research and policy organization. Republicans said they pushed for the expanded rules that went into effect this month to get more SNAP recipients to work and to reduce what they called abuse of the program. A person who doesn’t meet the requirements can get benefits for only three months in a three-year period.)

DAILY HERALD
— West Chicago teacher in pro-ICE comment controversy resigns. DD: Will anyone come to the teacher’s defense? Will anyone argue that his punishment was too severe? The message of all this is that Democrats can and will destroy you if you a) oppose their flooding America with their illegals and/or b) oppose their fighting their deportation.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260206/education/west-chicago-teacher-in-pro-ice-comment-controversy-resigns/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A West Chicago District 33 teacher whose pro-immigration agent comment on social media was criticized by many people has resigned. On Thursday, the school board accepted the resignation and a separation agreement of the Gary Elementary School teacher. “This situation was never about politics. It has been about our responsibility to keep schools operating normally and to minimize disruption to learning,” board President Rita Balgeman said after the vote. The board did not discuss the terms of the settlement. As part of the separation agreement, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, the teacher will be paid his salary and health benefits through the end of the school year. It also states that the district will give a neutral reference about him to future employers. According to West Chicago Mayor Dan Bovey, the teacher commented, “go ICE!” in a social media post. Bovey, whose wife works at the school, said he spoke with the man when the controversy erupted. After the district learned of the comment Jan. 22, the teacher initially resigned that day but retracted it later that day. The district put him on leave while it investigated the matter. More than 81% of the district’s students are of Hispanic descent, according to its 2025 state school report card. Bovey said West Chicago schoolchildren have been traumatized because their parents were taken by immigration enforcement agents, and that the comment was hurtful and offensive. After the board voted, members of the public spoke about the matter. “We want our students to feel respected and valued, which is why we request that the seriousness of the comment be recognized,” one mother of a student said, speaking in Spanish. But another woman, Corinne Ingrum, urged the community to “pick your battles more wisely,” saying the action against the teacher will not resolve the community’s concerns with immigration agents’ actions. “You could have chosen to rally around one of your own beloved teachers, but instead you chose to bring more unwanted ICE attention to West Chicago,” Ingrum said. She suggested that people bring their concerns to elected officials. Timothy Lorman asked the school board whether it is a prerequisite of employment “to agree with the majority or the popular opinion of the day.” Another man urged the board to look at anti-ICE statements made by teachers and consider whether they were inappropriate.)
— Candidate exits Democratic primary for DuPage County sheriff
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260206/local-politics/candidate-exits-democratic-primary-for-dupage-county-sheriff/
— Democrats seeking to replace Mendoza offer various approaches to comptroller’s job. Bryan Drew, a Republican from southern Illinois, is running unopposed for his party’s nomination.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260206/illinois-state-politics/democrats-seeking-to-replace-mendoza-offer-various-approaches-to-comptrollers-job/
— DuPage group to build altars, hold vigil Saturday in Wheaton for those killed by immigration enforcement officers
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260206/news/dupage-group-to-build-altars-hold-vigil-saturday-for-those-killed-by-immigration-enforcement-office/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Casa DuPage Workers Center, together with community members, will honor three people killed by federal immigration officers by constructing Day of the Dead altars Saturday in Wheaton. Members of the group said in a news release that they’ll build altars to honor Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed in January in Minneapolis, as well as Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, who was fatally shot in September by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Franklin Park. The altars will be built from 1 to 4 p.m. at Casa DuPage, 311 S. Naperville Road in Wheaton, and then taken on the back of a pickup truck to the site in Franklin Park where Villegas-Gonzalez was killed near 25th and Grand avenues. A candlelight vigil will be held at the site. “We need to keep track of our humanity in this moment, as we feel to the marrow of our bones the pain that ICE has unleashed on us all by constantly remembering these martyrs,” Cristobal Cavazos, executive director of Casa DuPage Workers Center, said in a statement. “We will continue to struggle for justice, honoring their lives (and) legacy.” Casa DuPage Workers Center is a program of Immigrant Solidarity DuPage, a grassroots, community-funded, activist group whose goal is to build solidarity locally with the immigrant community.)
— Reliving the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, and discovering an Illinois connection. The first shot of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War was fired by a man from DuPage County.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260206/travel/reliving-the-civil-war-battle-of-gettysburg-and-discovering-an-illinois-connection/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— DD: Democrat leaders say Illinois Republicans lend credibility to Trump’s voter-fraud fiction
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/illinois-gop-lends-credibility-trumps-voter-fraud-fiction-yohnka

HERALD NEWS
— Joliet student protesters say as they stage walk out over ICE actions. DD: Anticipate/expect that sooner or later, Democrat leaders will get most if not virtually all of the students in your school district to walkout to protest enforcement of federal immigration laws. Anticipate/expect that the students who walkout will overwhelmingly be illegals, females, and minorities. Of course, their walking out will be on their records for the rest of their lives. Anticipate/expect that Democrat colleges and employers will give preference to those students who walked out over those who did not. For Democrat leaders, education exists to crank out good little Democrats. Democrats exist to destroy Republicans.
https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2026/02/06/joliet-high-school-students-stage-walkout-as-part-of-anti-ice-protests/

KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE
— 2026 Election Questionnaire: Chris Lauzen, Kane County Treasurer
https://www.shawlocal.com/kane-county-chronicle/2026/02/06/2026-election-questionnaire-chris-lauzen-kane-county-treasurer/

NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat protest tactics are winning.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-02-06/trumps-harsh-immigration-tactics-are-taking-a-political-hit

FOX ILLINOIS
— Judge orders Trump administration to bring back 3 families deported to Honduras, other countries. A federal judge says the Trump administration must bring back three deported families who should have been allowed to remain in the United States under a court settlement involving the separation of children from their parents at the border.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/judge-orders-trump-administration-to-bring-back-3-families-deported-to-honduras-other-countries/article_b3d63ca5-88de-58cf-a5b2-b9a9781cb310.html

WSPY
— Plano High School students hold ICE protest walkout
https://www.wspynews.com/news/local/plano-high-school-students-hold-ice-protest-walkout/article_9b4ffc95-e041-4e53-9ec2-fba7064c00f6.html
https://www.wspynews.com/news/local/district-308-responds-to-planned-ice-protest-walkouts/article_a25b7cc5-8b64-40ec-8345-be642b2fed89.html

WGLT
— Rep. LaHood praises federal immigration policy
https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-02-06/rep-lahood-praises-federal-immigration-policy
— DD: The mainstream news media exists to destroy Trump.
https://www.wglt.org/2026-02-05/media-faces-challenges-under-trump
— New Pantagraph owner takes over. The new owner of the parent company of the Bloomington Pantagraph newspaper said the chain’s flagship paper is “a little too far left.”
https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-02-06/new-pantagraph-owner-takes-over

25 NEWS NOW
— Upstate Illinoisan vying for GOP gubernatorial slot remains off ballot after appellate court decision
https://www.25newsnow.com/2026/02/06/upstate-illinoisan-vying-gop-gubernatorial-slot-remains-off-ballot-after-appellate-court-decision/

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders say conservative policy wonk Ted Dabrowski gets off sidelines with run for governor. Dabrowski said Republicans need to try something new to beat Pritzker in 2026.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/conservative-policy-wonk-ted-dabrowski-gets-off-sidelines-with-run-for-governor/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Governor candidate Ted Dabrowski argues he is uniquely positioned to unite the fractured Illinois GOP, raise the funds needed to compete statewide and win back suburban voters crucial to a Republican victory. Dabrowski is making electability his central argument, pointing to Darren Bailey’s decisive 2022 loss to Pritzker as evidence Republicans need a new standard-bearer. His policy platform includes capping property taxes at 1% of home value, cutting the state income tax rate, auditing state spending and repealing the SAFE-T Act.
He also said he’d like to see the income tax rate decreased from 4.95% to 3%.)

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/02/06/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-464/
— State GOP at cross-purposes with itself. DD: All elections should have both Republican and Democrat oversight.
https://capitolfax.com/2026/02/06/state-gop-at-cross-purposes-with-itself/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CORTES INVESTIGATES
— The Foreign Student Crisis Destroying American College Admissions. While American students struggle to get acceptance letters, 6,000 Chinese nationals have found a home at the University of Illinois. Is this globalism gone wrong, or a financial necessity for American higher education? In this documentary, we investigate the shocking reality in America’s heartland. From Fighting Illini football games broadcast in Mandarin Chinese to the displacing of local students, we uncover why U.S. universities are prioritizing foreign tuition over domestic talent. Who is really funding our education system, and at what cost to national security?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ykPKDdZaL4

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Illinois placed 38th nationally for social mobility. Its rank was pulled down by economic problems and corruption in its legal system. DD: Back in the good old days, even though 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 earn bachelor’s degree, three master’s degrees, six professional certifications, and a professional license. With the money I earned, I was able to buy new cars when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc. while my father was not able to buy a new car until he was 45 and it was a bottom of the line Chevrolet 2-door 6-cylinder with no air conditioning.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-social-mobility-is-worst-in-midwest/

MCHENRY COUNTY
— Appellate Court Denies Severino Appeal to Appear on the GOP Gubernatorial Primary Election Ballot
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/06/appellate-court-denies-severino-appeal-to-appear-on-the-gop-gubernatorial-primary-election-ballot/
— West Chicago Democrat: “We Need To Tax”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/06/west-chicago-democrat-we-need-to-tax/
— Here Is a Distinctive Congressional TV Ad
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/06/here-is-a-distinctive-congressional-tv-ad/
— Cost of Subsidized Housing in Chicago
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/06/cost-of-subsidized-housing-in-chicago/
— Bailey Attacks Democrat’s Attempt to Banning Open Burning
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/06/bailey-attacks-democrats-attempt-to-banning-open-burning/
— Reminding Me of Elgin Legislator John Friedman Who Is on My Profiles in Courage List
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/06/reminding-me-of-elgin-legislator-john-friedman/
— State Treasurer Earns $1.5 Billion on Investments
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/05/state-treasurer-earns-1-5-billion-on-investimates/
— Ponzi Scheme Indictment for James Brothers, Whose Firm Owns McHenry’s Brake Parts
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/05/ponzi-scheme-indictment-for-james-brothers-whose-firm-owned-brake-parts/
— Opponents of Battery Farm Post Billboards
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/05/opponents-of-battery-farm-post-billboards/
— Politico Illinois Reports on 9th District Debate Among Democrats
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/05/politico-illinois-reports-on-9th-district-debate-among-democrats/
— Lakewood President, Under Oath, Says Village “Will Have $1.4 Million Deficit withing Four Years”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/05/lakewood-president-under-oath-says-village-will-have-1-4-milliondeficit-withing-four-years/
— Lauzen Lays Out Tax Hiking Politicians Promoting “Affordability”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/04/lauzen-lays-out-tax-hiking-politicians-promoting-affordability/
— SuperPAC Runs Ad for Laura Fine in the 9th Congressional District
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/04/superpac-runs-ad-for-laura-fine-in-the-9th-congressional-district/
— Hills Introduces Bill To Encourage Hiring Developmentally Disabled
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/04/hills-introduces-bill-to-encourage-hiring-developmentally-disabled/
— Illinois Death Tax Collection from Estates over $4 Million Soaring with Stock Market
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/04/illinois-death-tax-collection-from-estates-over-4-million-soaring-with-stock-market/
— LaHood’s Pork Excludes McHenry County
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/04/lahoods-pork-excludes-mchenry-county/
— Illinois Anemic Job Growth
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/04/illinois-anemic-job-growth/
— Daily Herald Asks 9th District Democrats about Gaza
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/04/daily-herald-asks-9th-district-democrats-about-gaza/
— The Probable Motivation for Governor George Ryan’s Stopping of Executions
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/04/the-probable-motivation-for-governor-george-ryans-stopping-of-executions/
— Two 9th District Democratic Party Hopefuls Leave the Race
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/04/two-9th-district-democratic-party-hopefuls-leave-the-race/
— Laura Fine Poll Shows She Is Tied with Daniel Biss in 9th District
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/03/laura-fine-poll-shows-she-is-tied-with-daniel-biss-in-9th-district/
— Tribune Endorses John Elleson for GOP 9th District Congressional Race
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/03/tribune-endorses-john-elleson-for-gop-9rh-district-congressional-race/
— Tribune Endorses Laura Fine in 9th District Democratic Party Congressional Race
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/03/tribune-endorses-laura-fine-in-9th-district-democratic-party-congressional-race/
— Craig Wilcox Follows Darby Hills’ Example Offering $20 per Hour Internships
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/03/craig-wilcox-follows-darby-hills-example-offering-20-per-hour-internships/
— Senator Darby Hills Offers $20 per Hour for Spring Interns
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/02/senator-darby-hills-offers-20-per-hour-for-spring-interns/
— New Illinois Tax Proposed on Fuel and Natural Gas
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/03/new-illinois-tax-proposed-on-fuel-and-natural-gas/
— Tribune Looks at Congressional Races, Again Gives Kat Free Publicity
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/03/tribune-looks-at-congressional-races-again-gives-kat-free-publicity/
— Illinois Pork for Pickleball and Tennis Courts
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/03/illnois-pork-for-pickball-and-tennis-courts/
— Status of Federal School Choice Plan, Which Pritzker Has Refused to Join
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/02/02/16406/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

NEW YORK POST
— Turning Point Super Bowl halftime show with Kid Rock carries Charlie Kirk’s legacy — and Trump’s support. DD: My critics/opponents will watch Bad Bunny, not the Turning Point USA show.
https://nypost.com/2026/02/06/us-news/turning-point-super-bowl-halftime-show-with-kid-rock-carries-charlie-kirks-legacy-and-trumps-support/
— Mamdani blasts ICE in fiery speech at event meant to promote unity
https://nypost.com/2026/02/06/us-news/mayor-mamdani-blasts-ice-in-fiery-speech-at-event-meant-to-promote-unity-cruelty-that-staggers-the-conscience/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Could blue states boxing out ICE give Democrats upper hand in next census?
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/02/05/could-blue-states-boxing-out-ice-give-democrats-upper-hand-in-next-census-1620430/

CITY JOURNAL
— Blue States’ Demographic Nightmare. Recent migration numbers emphasize how population gains, economic growth, and political power are shifting toward Republican strongholds.
https://www.city-journal.org/article/blue-states-demographic-nightmare

FEDERALIST AND REAL CLEAR POLICY
— Dems Hate The SAVE Act Because They Want Illegals to Vote
https://thefederalist.com/2026/02/06/democrats-hate-the-save-act-because-they-want-illegals-to-vote/
https://www.realclearpolicy.com/2026/02/06/dems_hate_the_save_act_because_they_want_illegals_to_vote_1163364.html

FEDERALIST
— Mass Amnesty In Spain Heralds The End Of Nationhood
https://thefederalist.com/2026/02/06/mass-amnesty-in-spain-heralds-the-end-of-nationhood/

FOX BUSINESS
— Sanctuary cities are the ‘problem’, not ICE
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6388884907112
— How sanctuary cities have ‘gotten away’ with shielding criminals
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6388904300112

FOX NEWS
— Mamdani quotes the Quran, Bible to support sanctuary city status. Mamdani signed executive order barring federal agents from city property without judicial warrant. DD: The Democrat Party’s domination of all religions is almost complete.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/mamdani-quotes-quran-bible-support-sanctuary-city-status

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

REUTERS
— Bad Bunny’s hometown beams with pride ahead of Super Bowl halftime show
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/bad-bunnys-hometown-beams-with-pride-ahead-super-bowl-halftime-show-2026-02-06/

MSN
— Irish illegals fleeing Trump’s America to avoid being caught by ICE
https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/world/irish-illegals-fleeing-donald-trump-s-america-to-avoid-being-caught-by-ice/ar-AA1VNAyB

NBC NEWS
— DHS warned its independent watchdog that Noem can kill its investigations, senator says. Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth wrote that she fears “repeated tacit threats” could be weakening the Department of Homeland Security inspector general’s independence. DD: During the 1980s, while I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO, a powerful Democrat Representative killed a major GAO audit that I had worked on for more than a year.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/dhs-independent-watchdog-noem-duckworth-investigations-rcna257846
— White House blames ‘staffer’ for racist Obamas post that Trump shared
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/live-blog/trump-nj-mejia-malinowski-elections-iran-dhs-immigration-live-updates-rcna256969

WASHINGTON POST
— Those seeking to sue ICE for injuries or damage face an uphill battle. Scores of claims are expected to arise out of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Experts say suing the government will be tough. DD: I knew that my successfully suing my Democrat GAO superiors ( https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf ) was not likely. But I nevertheless sued to get my evidence into the public record.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/02/06/ice-legal-claims-cost-lawsuits/

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
— Jesse Jackson’s son appeals to Trump on ICE victims at Prayer Breakfast
https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/02/05/prayer-breakfast-jesse-jackson-son-trump-minneapolis-ice-victims/

BLOOMBERG
— Illinois Sees ‘Unprecedented’ Budget Pressure From Trump Cuts
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-06/illinois-sees-unprecedented-budget-pressure-from-trump-cuts

FORBES
— Republican Leaders Denounce Trump For Sharing Racist Video
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/02/06/gop-members-want-trump-apology-for-racist-clip-of-obamas-he-shared-then-deleted/

January 27, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS2
— Gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey weighs in on ICE tactics
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/gubernatorial-candidate-darren-bailey-weighs-in-on-ice-tactics/

NBC5
— Durbin, Duckworth against DHS funding package without ICE reform. The duo joined a large group of Democratic senators aiming to tie reform to DHS funding. DD: For Democrats, to reform ICE is to destroy ICE. Democrats ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals. Democrat protesters succeeded in getting America to lose the Vietnam War. Will today’s Democrat protestors succeed in getting America to surrender to their illegals? NOTE: My Democrat superiors in the federal government blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/durbin-duckworth-against-dhs-funding-package-without-ice-reform/3881873/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Juliana Stratton takes progressive lane, only one who calls for abolishing ICE in Democratic US Senate debate
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/26/illinois-senate-debate-democrats-stratton-aggressor/

DAILY HERALD
— GOP hopefuls dig into taxes, school choice at gubernatorial debate. DD: If I was still the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman and an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member, the organizations would still be hosting candidate debates.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260126/illinois-state-politics/gop-hopefuls-dig-into-taxes-school-choice-at-gubernatorial-debate/
— Candidate’s supporters come together to knit, crochet for people in need
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260126/us-congress-politics/candidates-supporters-come-together-to-knit-crochet-for-people-in-need/

DAILY EGYPTIAN
— Bailey rallies support in southern Illinois. DD: If I was still the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman and an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member, the organizations would still be hosting candidate debates.
https://dailyegyptian.com/123074/showcase/gubernatorial-candidate-darren-bailey-rallies-support-in-southern-illinois/

FOX ILLINOIS
— DD: Vote yes that Trump should cut funding to cities and states that resist immigration enforcement. Democrats ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals. Democrat protesters succeeded in getting America to lose the Vietnam War. Will today’s Democrat protestors succeed in getting America to surrender to their illegals? NOTE: My Democrat superiors in the federal government blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War.
https://foxillinois.com/question-of-the-day/vote-should-president-trump-withhold-federal-funds-from-cities-and-states-that-dont-cooperate-with-immigration-enforcement-question-of-the-day-minnesota-social-services-fraud-immigration-enforcement-sanctuary-cities

IIT
— IIT in Chicago and Mumbai: Two Campuses, One Global Community
https://www.iit.edu/blog/illinois-tech-mumbai

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Stratton goes on the offense
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/01/27/stratton-goes-on-the-offense-00748805
(FROM THE ARTICLE: GOP response: Jeannie Evans, a GOP candidate for Senate, said the Democratic debate sounds familiar: “They still want higher taxes, open borders and a defunding of our law enforcement. Their policies make Illinois unsafe, and cause businesses, jobs and opportunities to leave the state.”)

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— DD: Democrats have no problem with their protesters carrying their loaded guns to their protests.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4433470/kyle-rittenhouse-blasts-democrats-using-his-story-rage-bait/

NEW YORK POST
— Alex Pretti was among 50 anti-ICE protesters who confronted Border Patrol before Minneapolis shooting
https://nypost.com/2026/01/26/us-news/alex-pretti-was-among-50-anti-ice-protesters-who-confronted-border-patrol-before-minneapolis-shooting/
— FBI investigating Minnesota anti-ICE Signal chat groups. DD: Democrats ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals. Democrat protesters succeeded in getting America to lose the Vietnam War. Will today’s Democrat protestors succeed in getting America to surrender to their illegals? NOTE: My Democrat superiors in the federal government blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War.
https://nypost.com/2026/01/27/us-news/fbi-investigating-minnesota-anti-ice-signal-groups-kash-patel/

FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— APRIL 3, 2012 FLASHBACK: E-Verify
https://www.fairus.org/issue/e-verify
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Overseen by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), E-Verify: Is a voluntary, free online workforce verification system, Acts as a virtual wall that allows employers to compare information on an employee’s Form 1-9 with records at the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration, In partial use in 22 states, but only mandatory in Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi, and Tennessee, One of the highest-rated government programs in terms of user satisfaction. WHY E-VERIFY? E-Verify is a highly-effective way to combat illegal immigration because it works to eliminate that illegal jobs magnet. Several studies show: The number of recent immigrants fell by almost 40 percent when a state had a universal E-Verify law in effect, That illegal immigration fell by as much as 50 percent in a single year in states with mandatory E-Verify laws. Mandatory E-Verify not only reduces illegal immigration, but encourages illegal workers to return home. E-Verify protects American workers by ensuring employers only hire individuals authorized to work in the United States.)

FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION
— Equality of Opportunity, Not Outcome, Is What Made America Awesome. If we truly want to raise the living standards for everyone, we must promote equality of opportunity—not spend our time policing equality of outcome. DD: My critics/opponents promote equality of outcome, that is, they promote race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination,  religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination. According to my critics/opponents, I owe all my successes in life to my benefitting from discrimination against those who share their demographics: liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, Libertarian, minority, female, younger, unmarried, have less money than others, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for as long as mine have been.
https://fee.org/articles/equality-of-opportunity-not-outcome-is-what-made-america-awesome/

FOX NEWS
— Democrats have continuously sided with criminal illegal aliens
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6388358741112
— Trump admin wins court victory freeing ICE agents from Minnesota protest restrictions
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-admin-wins-court-victory-freeing-ice-agents-minnesota-protest-restrictions.print
— Anti-ICE mobs bankrolled by ‘shadowy interests’ putting law enforcement in danger. Crowds for hire CEO calls for Trump ‘cease-fire posture’ and outlines policy recommendations to prevent further escalation.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/anti-ice-mobs-bankrolled-shadowy-interests-putting-law-enforcement-danger-ceo-warns

HOT AIR
— DD: Democrats have no problem with their protesters carrying their loaded guns to their protests.
https://hotair.com/generalissimo/2026/01/26/finding-out-what-happens-when-you-bring-a-gun-to-an-ice-fight-n3811209

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Left Is Making Huge Progress Toward Letting Illegals Stay. DD: Democrats ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals. Democrat protesters succeeded in getting America to lose the Vietnam War. Will today’s Democrat protestors succeed in getting America to surrender to their illegals? NOTE: My Democrat superiors in the federal government blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2026/01/26/left_is_making_huge_progress_toward_letting_illegals_stay_687523.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— DD: Democrats say Republicans are divided on ICE tactics as shutdown looms. Democrats ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals. Democrat protesters succeeded in getting America to lose the Vietnam War. Will today’s Democrat protestors succeed in getting America to surrender to their illegals? NOTE: My Democrat superiors in the federal government blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5704000-senate-republicans-ice-tactics/
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5707180-gop-backlash-immigration-minneapolis/

NBC NEWS
— DD: Democrat anti-ICE protesters clash with federal officers. Democrats ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals. Democrat protesters succeeded in getting America to lose the Vietnam War. Will today’s Democrat protestors succeed in getting America to surrender to their illegals? NOTE: My Democrat superiors in the federal government blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War.
https://www.nbcnews.com/video/shorts/anti-ice-protesters-clash-with-federal-officers-256627781897
— Most of the government could shut down this weekend. ICE operations would carry on. After a federal agent killed Alex Pretti in Minnesota, Democrats say they won’t vote for what was a bipartisan bill to fund most of the government, including DHS and ICE. DD: Democrats ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals. Democrat protesters succeeded in getting America to lose the Vietnam War. Will today’s Democrat protestors succeed in getting America to surrender to their illegals? NOTE: My Democrat superiors in the federal government blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/government-shut-weekend-ice-operations-carry-rcna255971

NEWSWEEK
— DD: Democrats have no problem with their protesters carrying their loaded guns to their protests.
https://www.newsweek.com/kyle-rittenhouse-addresses-comparisons-to-alex-pretti-11420109
https://www.newsweek.com/what-kyle-rittenhouse-has-said-about-alex-pretti-ice-shooting-11417690

NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Democrats ever-increasingly use Pretti to promote mor hatred against Trump.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/us/alex-pretti-minneapolis-shooting.html
— FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrats ever-increasingly blame Trump for inflation and for everything else that is bad.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/pageoneplus/quote-of-the-day-economic-fear-running-deep-times-poll-says.html
— DD: Democrats have no problem with their protesters carrying their loaded guns to their protests.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/us/politics/minneapolis-shooting-trump-ice-gop.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/style/alex-pretti-kyle-rittenhouse-online.html
— DD: Democrat protesters enter Minneapolis hotel. During the 1970s, Democrat protesters succeeded in getting America to lose the Vietnam War. Will today’s Democrat protestors succeed in getting America to surrender to their illegals? NOTE: My Democrat superiors in the federal government blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/us/ice-protests-minneapolis-hotel.html
— Trump Hobbled the I.R.S. This C.E.O. Now Has to Make It Work. Frank Bisignano is the first chief executive of the I.R.S., where there’s hope he will end a chaotic stretch at the agency. The tax filing season, which started Monday, is his first test.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/us/politics/trump-irs-taxes-bisignano.html
— DD: The point of college is to qualify yourself for jobs, that is, to become a productive member of society.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/opinion/college-thinking-illiberalism.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters ever-increasingly blame Trump for affordability problems. My critics/opponents have always stressed a) what I could not have afforded if I had not avoided the Vietnam War draft and b) what my wife and I could not have afforded if we had children. What helped you afford more things? For me, it was my always earning money since I was 14 years old. 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.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/27/donald-trump-iowa-affordability/a1088034-fb40-11f0-954b-b80c7ed67fc7_story.html

USA TODAY
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: The mainstream news media exists to promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/01/24/ice-trump-frey-police-community-relations-minneapolis/88194150007/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/25/trump-ice-death-turning-point-immigration-video/88349058007/
— DD: Democrats have no problem with their protesters carrying their loaded guns to their protests.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/01/25/alex-pretti-minneapolis-shooting-gun-rights-border-patrol-ice/88348880007/

TENNESSEAN
— Nobody forced you to take out that student loan. DD: Did you take out a student loan? I did not even try. My critics/opponents have always stressed that I could not have gotten a student loan if I had tried. My ACT score was only 24. I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class. I had not demonstrated any leadership capabilities. I had washed dishes for the minimum wage for 28 hours a week during my junior and senior years and for 40 hours a week during the summer in between. I could not run because I had a bone disease. My eyesight could not be corrected to 20/20. I had partial red/green color blindness.
https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2025/05/08/nobody-forced-you-to-take-out-that-student-loan-opinion/83499281007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrats use Pretti to stop deportation of their illegals.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/minneapolis-pretti-trump-immigration-protests-068b69d4
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/the-48-hours-that-convinced-trump-to-change-course-in-minnesota-a91d7683

FORTUNE
— Trump’s war on immigration entangles business in PR disaster and the literal site of contested arrests
https://fortune.com/2026/01/26/business-immigration-controversy-disaster-public-relations-site-of-arrests/

FAST COMPANY
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers a) will not hire you if you do not promote LGBTQ and b) will get rid of you if you do not promote LGBTQ.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91479625/the-reason-the-gay-glass-ceiling-hasnt-been-shattered

REDFIN
— Housing affordability by generation. DD: Back in the good old days, that is, back when I was 24 in 1972, I was able to buy a new townhome ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ). The down payment came from the money I earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. That money I earned also enabled me to buy a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 and to pay for four graduate evening business courses at Loyola in 1972.
https://www.msadvocate.com/premium/stacker/stories/housing-affordability-by-generation,56660

TIME
— DD: Democrats have no problem with their protesters carrying their loaded guns to their protests.
https://time.com/7357961/ice-shooting-alex-pretti-guns-trump/

BEAST
— DD: Democrats say Trump’s immigration polls hit record low after “nurse killing.” During the 1970s, Democrat protesters succeeded in getting America to lose the Vietnam War. Will today’s Democrat protestors succeed in getting America to surrender to their illegals? NOTE: My Democrat superiors in the federal government blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-immigration-polls-hit-record-low-after-nurse-killing/
— DD: Democrats have no problem with their protesters carrying their loaded guns to their protests.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trigger-happy-kyle-rittenhouse-breaks-ranks-with-trump-after-nurse-killing/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

MEAWW
— DD: Alex Pretti was part of a Democrat anti-ICE group that confronted ICE Minneapolis shooting. Democrats ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals. Democrat protesters succeeded in getting America to lose the Vietnam War. Will today’s Democrat protestors succeed in getting America to surrender to their illegals? NOTE: My Democrat superiors in the federal government blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War.
https://news.meaww.com/alex-pretti-part-of-anti-ice-group-that-confronted-border-patrol-before-minneapolis-shooting

January 26, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— NRA, legal experts question Trump administration stance after fatal Minnesota protest shooting
https://abc7chicago.com/post/nra-response-alex-pretti-gun-rights-groups-question-trump-administration-stance-minneapolis-minnesota-shooting/18480147/
— Comparisons drawn between Alex Pretti, Kyle Rittenhouse in renewed Second Amendment debate. Ex-Illinois House GOP Leader Durkin called the White House’s comments on the Minneapolis shooting ‘the height of hypocrisy.’
https://abc7chicago.com/post/alex-pretti-shooting-minneapolis-comparisons-drawn-between-kyle-rittenhouse-renewed-second-amendment-debate/18480088/
— Congressional GOP criticism grows over Pretti shooting and Minnesota ICE operation
https://abc7chicago.com/post/congressional-gop-criticism-grows-pretti-shooting-minnesota-ice-operation/18479552/

NBC5
— Minneapolis remains on edge, ‘Border Czar’ heads to city after Pretti shooting. Protests have continued in the aftermath of Pretti’s death over the weekend.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/minneapolis-remains-on-edge-border-czar-heads-to-city-after-pretti-shooting/3881688/
— Gregory Bovino to leave Minneapolis, Border Patrol to draw back agents. NBC News confirmed reports from earlier in the day that Bovino would be leaving the Twin Cities.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/gregory-bovino-to-leave-minneapolis-border-patrol-to-draw-back-agents/3881725/
— Border Patrol commander and some agents planning to leave Minneapolis, sources say. Gregory Bovino, a public face of Trump’s immigration crackdown, will leave Tuesday, while some agents plan to leave sometime this week, sources told NBC News.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/border-patrol-commander-some-agents-planning-leave-minneapolis-sources/3881752/

CBS2
— “A terrible miscalculation”: Officials’ response to fatal Minneapolis shooting causes anger among some at DHS.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alex-pretti-minneapolis-shooting-causes-internal-anger-dhs/

WGN9
— Republicans divided on ICE tactics as shutdown looms
https://wgntv.com/politics-3/republicans-divided-on-ice-tactics-as-shutdown-looms/

FOX32
— Senate Democrats block DHS funding, risking partial shutdown
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/senate-democrats-block-dhs-funding-risking-partial-shutdown

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Trump’s Minneapolis misadventure turns deadly for a second time
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/26/editorial-minneapolis-border-patrol-gregory-bovino-ice-alex-pretti/
— Alex Pretti’s death shows why militarized immigration raids portend lethal force
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/26/opinion-alex-pretti-minneapolis-ice-border-patrol-raids-lethal-force/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— New SNAP work rules leave unemployed Englewood man and thousands of others at risk. The new work rules for the federal food assistance program start Feb. 1 in Illinois, with state officials estimating that as many as 400,000 residents could be pushed out of the program.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/01/26/new-snap-work-rules-leave-unemployed-englewood-man-thousands-of-others-at-risk-food-benefits-cut-off-trump

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— House passes ICE funding bill. Here’s how Illinois lawmakers voted.
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/26/house-passes-ice-funding-bill-heres-how-illinois-lawmakers-voted/88320024007/

SOUTHERN
— Trump to send border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis as admin faces outrage over Pretti shooting
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2026/01/26/trump-to-send-border-czar-tom-homan-to-minneapolis-as-admin-faces-outrage-over-pretti-shooting/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals.
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2026/01/26/americans-largely-at-odds-with-trump-administration-on-immigration-ice-tactics-polls/

FOX ILLINOIS
— Trump demands Congress end sanctuary cities amid rising ICE tensions
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/trump-demands-congress-to-end-sanctuary-cities-amid-rising-ice-tensions

NPR ILLINOIS
— Amid lawsuits and protests, Trump signals changes to Minnesota immigration surge
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-26/amid-lawsuits-and-protests-trump-signals-changes-to-minnesota-immigration-surge

NORTHERN STAR
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot. Pot is poison.
https://northernstar.info/132043/opinion/opinion-with-weed-legalized-cannabis-lawbreakers-should-be-released/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/26/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-455/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— The McHenry GOP Governor’s Forum That Darren Bailey Skipped
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/26/the-mchenry-gop-governors-forum-that-daren-bailey-skipped/
— Gloria Van Hoff Gets Free Ride to Re-Election to the McHenry County Board, GOP COULD SLATE SOMEONE
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/25/gloria-van-hoff-gets-free-ride-to-re-election-to-the-mchenry-county-board/
— Cynthia Schenk Makes Pitch for Dabrowski Followed by Loud Speech by Rocio Cleveland
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/22/cynthia-schenk-makes-pitch-for-dabrowski-followed-by-loud-speech-by-rocio-cleveland/
— State Rep. Steve Reick’s Democratic Party Opponent Thrown Off the Ballot
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/26/state-rep-steve-reicks-democratic-party-opponent-thrown-off-the-ballot/

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Waste watch: Illinois spends $2.6M on tennis, pickleball
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/waste-watch-illinois-spends-2-6m-on-tennis-pickleball/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— With Maduro gone, Venezuelan asylum-seekers should go home. ICE must prepare for those who won’t.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/26/maduro-gone-venezuelan-asylum-seekers-go-home/
— ICE fight starts another shutdown showdown with Democrats demanding reworking of DHS funding bill
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/26/ice-fight-starts-another-shutdown-showdown-democrats-demanding/
— Democrats stoke chaos for political gain. Lawlessness and disorder.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/26/democrats-stoke-chaos-political-gain/
— The growing conservative rift risks fracturing America. Will we hang together or hang alone? DD: Who leads conservatives in Illinois, in your county, in your township, in your municipality, and in your school district? Hate-filled conservative-hating conservative-haters had their operatives and their dupes destroy TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois in 2012 and Illinois Center Right Coalition in 2007.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/26/growing-conservative-rift-risks-fracturing-america/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Does America have the resolve to deport illegal border crossers?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/4434193/america-resolve-deport-illegal-border-crossers/

NEW YORK POST
— Trump makes 4 demands to end Minneapolis chaos, calls on Congress to ban sanctuary cities
https://nypost.com/2026/01/26/us-news/trump-makes-four-demands-to-end-minneapolis-chaos-calls-on-congress-to-ban-sanctuary-cities/
— DHS investigating whether Alex Pretti’s gun accidentally fired — and sparked deadly Minneapolis shooting
https://nypost.com/2026/01/26/us-news/dhs-investigating-whether-alex-prettis-gun-accidentally-fired-and-sparked-deadly-minneapolis-shooting-sources/
— Holocaust Museum scolds Tim Walz over ‘deeply offensive’ comparison of Trump to horrors witnessed by Anne Frank
https://nypost.com/2026/01/26/us-news/holocaust-museum-scolds-tim-walz-over-deeply-offensive-anne-frank-comparison/

HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— Vetting of 80,000+ Afghans Brought to America Failed the National Security Test
https://www.heritage.org/border-security/report/vetting-80000-afghans-brought-america-failed-the-national-security-test

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ROLL CALL
— The race for Florida’s 19th District, which includes Fort Myers and Naples, has attracted an eclectic mix of Republican candidates who’ve run for office in other states. Among them are former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who lost a 2022 primary after a scandal-plagued single term; former Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweis, who’s made multiple unsuccessful bids for Congress; conservative activist Catalina Lauf, who ran for a suburban Chicago House seat in 2022; and businesswoman Ola Hawatmeh, a 2020 House candidate in New York. Other GOP hopefuls include businessman Jim Schwartzel and Marine veteran Mike Pedersen.
https://rollcall.com/2026/01/23/former-new-york-rep-chris-collins-pardoned-by-trump-seeks-comeback-in-florida/

MSN
— Best and worst degrees for earning money. DD: Choosing the right college major is extremely important. I should have majored in accounting from the beginning. But I did not start taking graduate evening accounting courses until I was 27. I did not take and pass the CPA examination and pass it on my first attempt until I was 30. I did not earn a master’s degree in accounting until I was 31. I did not take and pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt until I was 32. I did not become a licensed CPA until I was 32. But by then, the accounting profession viewed me as being too old to have a career in accounting. The profession would not have done that if I had been a minority, female, or veteran.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/best-and-worst-degrees-for-earning-money/ss-AA1V0ueo

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that if you cannot afford something, it is Trump’s fault. Why do you have less money? I have lots less money because my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/26/trump-affordability-midterms/

USA TODAY
— DD: Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters ever-increasingly blame Trump for affordability problems. My critics/opponents have always stressed a) what I could not have afforded if I had not avoided the Vietnam War draft and b) what my wife and I could not have afforded if we had children. What helped you afford more things? For me, it was my always earning money since I was 14 years old. 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.
https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-plays-blame-game-white-034521979.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Sanctuary Cities Can Be Deadly. To reduce tension and violence, let local police departments cooperate with ICE.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/sanctuary-cities-can-be-deadly-906eec57

BLOOMBERG
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2026-01-26/ice-has-engineered-chaos-in-my-minneapolis-community

BROOKINGS
— DD: Democrat leaders say ICE expansion has outpaced accountability.
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/ice-expansion-has-outpaced-accountability-what-are-the-remedies/

MANHATTEN INSTITUTE
— Unlike Mamdani, Most Dems Want Prosperity — Not Class Warfare
https://manhattan.institute/article/unlike-zohran-mamdani-most-dems-want-prosperity-not-class-warfare

RUSMUSSEN REPORTS
— 55% Want Penalties on Companies That Hire Illegals. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have.
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration_second_term/55_want_penalties_on_companies_that_hire_illegals

January 17, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Large crowds return to Broadview ICE facility, protesting against immigration enforcement operations
https://abc7chicago.com/post/broadview-ice-protest-today-expected-draw-thousands-renee-good-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota/18421001/

NBC5
— Protesters stage demonstration against federal agents outside Broadview ICE facility. Among the speakers was a young woman from Miami who told NBC Chicago her father was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in October.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/protesters-stage-demonstration-against-federal-agents-outside-broadview-ice-facility/3877638/

CBS2
— “No Kings” protest held near Broadview ICE facility on Saturday
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/no-kings-protest-broadview-ice-facility-saturday/

FOX32
— Greenland latest: Trump charging tariff to 8 European countries
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/greenland-trump-control-us-tariff-european-countries-oppose

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Hundreds return to Broadview to denounce federal agents’ killings in Minneapolis, Chicago area
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/17/hundreds-return-to-broadview-to-denounce-federal-agents-killings-in-minneapolis-chicago-area/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Hundreds brave freezing temps at protest outside Broadview ICE facility. Protesters called for an end to immigration enforcement actions that have sparked protests nationwide, including over the killing of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/01/17/broadview-protest-ice-renee-good
— Illinois Democrats join growing calls to ‘Abolish ICE’  Once a dicey political proposition, an increasing number of established Democrats are calling for a dissolution of the federal Immigration and Customs and Enforcement agency.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/01/17/abolish-ice-movement-illinois-democrats-delia-ramirez-juliana-stratton-patty-garcia

FOX ILLINOIS
— Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) criticizes Trump’s ICE tactics, compares them to Nazi raids and slave patrols
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/crockett-criticizes-trumps-ice-tactics-compares-them-to-nazi-raids-and-slave-patrols-ice-renee-good-trump-administration

NEW CHANNEL 20
— House Republicans launch investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar’s finances
https://newschannel20.com/news/nation-world/house-republicans-launch-investigation-into-rep-ilhan-omars-finances-wealth-money-probe-report-minnesota-fraud-somali-community-ethics-house-oversight-committee-gop-republicans-democrats-politicians

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democrats bent on destruction pivot from ‘defund police’ to ‘defund ICE’
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/16/democrats-bent-destruction-pivot-defund-police-defund-ice/

DAILY CALLER
— Biden-Appointed Judge Limits ICE Tactics To Avoid ‘Retaliating’ Against Minnesota Protestors
https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/17/joe-biden-appointed-federal-judge-limits-immigration-customs-enforcement-tactics-avoid-retaliating-minnesota-protestors/

EPOCH TIMES
— $4 Billion in Healthcare Fraud in California
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbn0sONnd_E

PJ MEDIA
— This Is How the Minneapolis Sanctuary City Policy Is Getting People Shot
https://pjmedia.com/tim-o-brien/2026/01/17/this-is-how-minneapolis-sanctuary-city-policy-is-getting-people-shot-n4948417

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— DD: Since the Civil War, to get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders have hinted/implied/argued/shouted at Blacks that Republicans cause all the problems that Blacks have.
https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/5693043-trump-reversing-mlk-legacy/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Help Wanted at the Obama Presidential Center. Here are some jobs the center should offer to provide a more complete picture of the Obama administration’s record.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/help-wanted-at-the-obama-presidential-center-6bbbe42c

FORBES
— Career success. DD: In retrospect, with benefit of hindsight, what could you have done, but you did not do, to avoid career setbacks? I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. I could have enlisted, but I did not. I could have become a Democrat, but I did not. I could have given even more preference to my subordinates because they were Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran, but I did not. I could have not complained about political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination, but I did. I could have not become an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged my superiors with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation when I was 40 in 1988, but I did. Consequently, my Democrat superiors wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997. Further, I have been a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999. I could have become a RINO, but I did not. I could nave not become the GOPUSA Illinois Editor in 2000, but I did. I could have supported in Republican primaries only those candidates who my Republican leaders endorsed, but I did not. I could have not served as an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, but I did. I could have not served as the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman 2005-2012, but I did. I could have not served as the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks 2005-2021, but I did.  Consequently, I have never been asked to serve as an officer of the Milton Township Republican Organization.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2025/03/06/why-career-success-depends-on-embracing-failure/

BUSINESS INSIDER
—  DD: AFL-CIO sides with illegals against Americans.
https://www.businessinsider.com/afl-cio-ice-raids-minnesota-day-truth-freedom-homeland-security-2026-1

POLITICO
— ‘Hands off Greenland’ protests sweep Denmark as Trump escalates takeover threat. DD: Of course, when Putin invades Denmark, Denmark expects Trump to drive Putin out. In WWIII, will Denmark side with Russia or America?
https://www.politico.eu/article/hands-off-greenland-protests-sweep-denmark-donald-trump-escalates-takeover-threat/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

TIMES OF INDIA
— Minneapolis IN FLAMES: Anti-ICE Protests Directly Challenge Trump’s Federal Power | Streets On Fire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3ls1COOuxM

January 10, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

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

January 8, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

November 30, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

DAILY HERALD
— The more that you urge rejection or Trump’s orders, the more that hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters glorify and praise you.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251129/editorials/daily-herald-opinion-unnerving-overreach-government-intimidation-not-justified-for-lawmakers-who-s/

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Too little economic growth has too many fighting for state support
https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-too-little-economic-growth-has-too-many-fighting-for-state-support/article_99862403-d353-4d14-84f9-8eb707002b9b.html

ADVANTAGE NEWS
— Illinois business group warns of ‘backbreaking’ progressive income tax. DD: Who wants you to pay more taxes? My critics/opponents have always wanted me to pay more taxes.
https://www.advantagenews.com/news/local/illinois-business-group-warns-of-backbreaking-progressive-income-tax/article_b34d63d2-1446-483e-a4a8-1ca67da37f04.html

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— 5 ways Republicans are breaking with Trump
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/hill-politics/5-ways-republicans-are-breaking-with-trump/amp/

NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders always want more immigration because immigrants are future Democrats.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-11-29/how-one-attack-is-reshaping-the-fight-over-immigration-policy

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— County Board Set to Approve 3% Automatic Annual Raises Starting in 2030, End of Free Family Health Insurance for Those Elected in 2028
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/11/29/county-board-set-to-approve-3-automatic-annual-raises-starting-in-2030-end-of-free-family-health-insurance-for-those-elected-in-2028/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

NEW YORK POST
— We must totally overhaul our immigration system. DD: According to Democrat and RINO leaders, citizens of foreign countries come to America only for good reasons. Democrat leaders want immigrants because immigrants are future Democrats. RINO leaders want immigrants because RINOs want cheap labor.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/29/opinion/afghani-lunatic-proves-we-must-totally-overhaul-our-immigration-system/

AMERICAN SPECTATOR
— Reclaiming America’s Graduate Pipeline.  DD: UIC admitted me in 1966, NIU in 1969, Loyola in 1972, DePaul in 1976, and IIT in 1992. But they would have admitted foreign students instead of me if they could have.
https://spectator.org/reclaiming-americas-graduate-pipeline/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The United States has long been the world’s university. More than 1.6 million international students studied here last year, according to the 2024 SEVIS by the Numbers Report from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which tracks active F-1 visa holders. At the graduate level, many of them pay no tuition at all, receive annual stipends ranging from $25,000 to $65,000, and health benefits funded by U.S. universities and federal research grants. As someone who has run Health and Human Services departments in multiple states, I have seen how difficult it is for middle- and lower-income American families to send their children to college. Parents juggle extra jobs to afford tuition. Students borrow tens of thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, many foreign doctoral candidates enjoy full tuition waivers and monthly paychecks funded by American institutions. The imbalance is real. According to the 2023 National Science Foundation’s Survey of Earned Doctorates, approximately 90 percent of 215,000 international Ph.D. students in the United States receive full tuition support, salaries and health benefits. By comparison, only 84 percent of American students receive the same treatment. This has been a consistent trend. Data from 2019 to 2023 shows that temporary visa holders consistently have a slightly higher rate than U.S. citizens. Cornell University reports that 97 percent of its doctoral students are fully funded. The same pattern holds across major research universities. The result is that over a five year space more than a million non-U.S. students are effectively educated in highly sought after doctoral programs for free underwritten by American resources. No other developed nation does this at such scale. In most countries, foreign students pay higher tuition than domestic students. Scholarships for non-citizens are rare and usually tied to explicit national interests. America stands alone in offering open-ended funding that includes tuition, health coverage, and salaries to foreign students who may or may not remain here after graduation. Beyond financial considerations, prioritizing American doctoral students in funded positions would ensure that our undergraduates benefit from instructors who are fully fluent in English and deeply familiar with American cultural and educational norms. Many international Ph.D. students, face significant proficiency challenges that lead to communication barriers in the classroom, as evidenced by frequent complaints from U.S. undergraduates about difficulties understanding accents, explanations, and instructions.  We have created a system that rewards global recruitment without requiring any justification that the position serves a defined American need. Even with justification our own citizens deserve the first opportunity. This situation doesn’t come without danger to national security.)

AMERICAN THINKER
— Earned Entitlements And Mass Immigration
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/11/earned_entitlements_and_mass_immigration.html

COLLEGE FIX
— Oregon questionnaire asks 6th graders if they’re ‘genderfluid,’ ‘trans,’ ‘pansexual,’ and more. DD: How much success have Democrats had making students in your school district sexually active LGBTQers?
https://www.thecollegefix.com/oregon-questionnaire-asks-6th-graders-if-theyre-genderfluid-trans-pansexual-and-more/

DAILY CALLER
— 43-Year-Old Socialist Mayor-Elect Brags She Doesn’t Need Parents To Bankroll Her Anymore. DD: I should write about my critics/opponents whose parents had the most money.
https://www.aol.com/news/43-old-socialist-mayor-elect-152726896.html

DAILY SIGNAL
— Democrats’ Dangerous Game of Federal Nullification
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/11/25/insurrection-chic-democrats-dangerous-new-fad/

FOX NEWS
— ‘America is the most generous country in the world when it comes to legal migration’ DD: Democrats run the federal government. They make immigrants Democrats.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6385717483112

NEWSMAX
— Blagojevich: Pritzker ‘Pandered to Crazies’
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/jb-pritzker-democrats-politics/2025/11/29/id/1236437/
— NYC Protesters Now Using Barriers to Halt ICE Agents
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/nyc-protesters-zohran-mamdani/2025/11/29/id/1236451/
— Republicans must look beyond Trump to combat the spread of socialism. DD: My critics/opponents promote dependency on government, that is, they promote socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DG5d0Gnr-U

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— 5 ways Republicans are breaking with Trump
https://thehill.com/homenews/5624163-trump-faces-republican-resistance/

NEWSWEEK
— Trump’s approval rating among Gen Z Americans has improved. Polling shows that while it is still underwater, Trump’s net approval among adults ages 18 to 29 has increased from -55 percentage points to -34 points in November. A conservative shift among Gen Z voters proved key to Trump’s success in the November 2024 election. DD: What is your approval rating? My critics/opponents have always worked very hard to make mine low. They stress the many big adverse actions that they have had their operatives and their dupes take against me. They stress that virtually no one has ever come to my defense.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-approval-shifts-gen-z-11126435

AOL
— Millions Could Lose Out on Social Security COLA Adjustments Next Year. DD: I have benefitted from COLAs since I was 16 years old in 1966 and became a part-time postal employee. My critics/opponents have always been furious about that. I got COLAs while I was a postal employee 1966-1969, IRS employee 1971-1980, and GAO employee 1980-1997. I have gotten COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010. My critics/opponents either a) would never stoop to take a federal job or b) failed to qualify themselves for one.
https://www.aol.com/articles/why-millions-could-lose-social-151601641.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Ultimately, the heart of the matter is that for those Americans who receive Medicare Part B premiums, which are expected to jump a whopping 11.5% in 2025, to around $206.20 monthly, up from $185, this COLA increase doesn’t amount to much of anything. Consider that for most retirees, these premiums for Medicare Part B are going to be automatically deducted from their future Social Security checks in 2026. What this means is that a sizable portion, if not the entirety, of someone’s 2.8% COLA increase will be lost well before any check hits a bank account. There is no way around this, and it’s quickly becoming a frightening reality for millions of Americans who rely on Social Security. The situation is basically summed up by saying that as one government benefit rises slightly, another offsets it almost immediately. Now, factor in the fact that 2026 is going to mark the eighth double-digit increase in Medicare Part B premiums in the past 25 years, and it’s just disheartening news all around. The Big Picture: COLA Is Based on an Outdated Formula)

NEW YORK TIMES
— Mamdani hires car-hating activist Ben Furnas for NYC transportation team: ‘War on drivers.’  DD: My critics/opponents are anti-car if not car-haters.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/29/us-news/mamdani-hires-car-hating-activist-ben-furnas-to-transportation-team-war-on-drivers/
— Democrats say “Afghans Who Assisted U.S. During the War Underwent Rigorous Vetting.” DD: One more reason to restrict immigration.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/29/us/politics/afghans-cia-vetting.html

KCAU
— Iowa GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Forum. DD: If I was still the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, the organization would still be hosting candidate forums.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RHjD0DKomU

FORTUNE
— America is developing a ‘dependency’ on the top 1% of workers, while the bottom 60% are struggling and unproductive. DD: What did you do to advance your career? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree and three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license. My critics/opponents use the aforesaid against me. They stress that notwithstanding the aforesaid, I never made more than $153,151/year in today’s dollars. They stress that I was forced to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.
https://www.aol.com/finance/ray-dalio-says-america-developing-085611572.html

FORBES
— How Workforce Development Boosts Career And Economic Growth. DD: None of my Democrat IRS superiors encouraged me to take job-related graduate evening courses. I got that encouragement from my IRS employee manual. My taking graduate evening business courses at Loyola helped me get promoted in 1972, 1973, and 1974. My Democrat IRS superiors would have encouraged me if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicamendoza1/2025/01/31/how-workforce-development-boosts-career-and-economic-growth/

ZIP RECRUIER
— GS-13 Salary. (currently $117,807-$153,151/year) DD: My Democrat GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates have been furious ever since I got promoted to GS-13 when I was 38 year old in in 1986. By then, I had worked for GAO for almost 7 years. I had become a licensed CPA in 1981. I had passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981. I had earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980. I had worked for IRS 1971-1980. I had passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. I had earned an MBA in 1976.
https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Government-Gs-13-Salary

JUST THE NEWS
— Poll finds 51% of young voters prefer democratic socialist in 2028. DD: My critics/opponents promote dependency on government, that is, they promote socialism.
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/polling/poll-finds-51-young-voters-prefer-democratic-socialist-2028

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

DAILY MAIL
— All the ways ‘white female Mamdani’ is set to change her city as she attempts to ‘Trump-proof’ liberal stronghold
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15324867/mayor-elect-katie-wilson-socialist-change-seattle-trump.html

ECONOMIC NEWS
— Google parent Alphabet races toward $4 trillion valuation as AI-fueled gains accelerate. DD: Google ever-increasingly steers everyone to websites that promote the Democrat Party platform.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/alphabet-races-toward-4-trillion-valuation-as-ai-fueled-gains-accelerate/articleshow/125545183.cms

November 29, 2025 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

JOURNAL COURIER
— Pritzker’s approval rating up slightly from June in new poll. DD: How does Pritzker poll in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/jb-pritzker-approval-rating-june-new-poll-21208424.php

SHAW LOCAL
— The growing dependency on government. DD: My critics/opponents promote dependency on government, that is, they promote socialism.
https://www.shawlocal.com/daily-journal/opinion/2023/11/25/jackson-the-growing-dependency-on-government/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— DD: The mainstream news media exists to drive Trump’s approval rating down.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/trump-approval-rating-drops-to-new-low-poll/

CWB CHICAGO
— Auto thieves point guns at firefighters outside Avondale firehouse. DD: While I worked for IRS in Chicago, my 1969 Dodge Charger SE was stolen in 1971 and my 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air was stolen in 1973.
https://cwbchicago.com/2025/11/auto-thieves-point-guns-at-firefighters-outside-avondale-firehouse.html

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

TAZEWELL COUNTY GOP
— Tazewell County Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Forum. DD: If I was still the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, the organization would still be hosting candidate forums.
https://www.tazewellgop.org/tazewell_county_republican_gubernatorial_candidate_forum

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— White House launches media bias tracker
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/29/white-house-launches-media-bias-tracker/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The White House has launched a new section on its website dedicated to calling out media it considers misleading or having a bias in its coverage of President Trump and his policies. At the top of the site it says, “Misleading. Biased. Exposed.”  It lists the “media offender” of the week, which will seemingly be updated. When users scroll down, it names the outlet, the reporter, the offense, the claim the article makes, what “the truth is” and what the key points of the issue are, among other things. There is an “offender hall of shame” and users can search for a specific headline, or scroll through specific outlets and reporters. It also features a “leaderboard” characterized as a “race to the bottom.” The leaderboard has The Washington Post as first, followed by MSNBC, CBS News, CNN, The New York Times, Politico and The Wall Street Journal.)
— Taking ‘woke’ out of Wall Street. New report shows corporate investors are rejecting radical shareholder activism.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/29/editorial-taking-woke-wall-street/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— White House unveils ‘Media Bias’ website to expose ‘fake news’
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/3901687/white-house-unveils-media-bias-website-to-expose-fake-news/
— The growing threat of toxic empathy
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/3888073/growing-threat-toxic-empathy/
— Trump’s immigration crackdown already benefiting American students
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/3899942/trump-immigration-crackdown-already-benefiting-american-students/

NEW YORK POST
— Illegal immigrant students allowed unlimited absences under Chicago Public Schools policy
https://nypost.com/2025/11/29/us-news/illegal-immigrant-students-allowed-unlimited-absences-under-chicago-public-schools-policy/

ARMY
— Is “Up or Out” Holding Us Back? DD: Democrat and RINO leaders use up-or-out to get rid of Republicans. Democrats run the federal government. They get rid of their employees who are Republican employees who are White, male, and/or non-veteran who they do not promote to GS-13 ($117,807) by age 25, GS-14 ($139,211) by age 30, GS-15 ($163,749) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service ($195,200) by age 40. Extremely few federal employees make the aforesaid promotion deadlines. I never would have made GS-13 when I was 38 or survived until I was 49 if I had not a) earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management) when I was 21, b) made GS-12 ($99,069) when I was 25, c) earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance) when I was 27, 31, and 48, d) earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting) when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and e) earned a job-related professional license (CPA) when I was 32. The Army equivalent of GS-12 is Major. The Army equivalent of GS-13 is Lieutenant Colonel.
https://www.army.mil/article/247749/is_up_or_out_holding_us_back

DAILY WIRE
— Treasury Sec: We’re Cutting Off Benefits To Illegals, They Belong To Americans. “Illegal aliens that use our financial institutions to move their illicitly obtained funds is exploitation.”
https://www.dailywire.com/news/treasury-sec-were-cutting-off-benefits-to-illegals-they-belong-to-americans

HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— Why the U.S. Has a Culture of Dependency. DD: My critics/opponents promote dependency on government, that is, they promote socialism.
https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/commentary/why-the-us-has-culture-dependency
— The Rise in Dependency. DD: My critics/opponents promote dependency on government, that is, they promote socialism.
https://www.heritage.org/commentary/the-rise-dependency
— Biden Boosted the Need for Food Stamps—And Calls That a “Success.” DD: My critics/opponents promote dependency on government, that is, they promote socialism.
https://www.heritage.org/welfare/commentary/biden-boosted-the-need-food-stamps-and-calls-success

HOT AIR
— The Erosion of College Readiness
https://hotair.com/headlines/2025/11/29/the-ideological-erosion-of-college-readiness-n3809351

HOUSE WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE
— More Americans Dependent on Welfare Checks, at the Expense of Work. DD: My critics/opponents promote dependency on government, that is, they promote socialism.
https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2025/01/08/new-report-shows-more-americans-dependent-on-welfare-checks-at-the-expense-of-work/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Buying Americans out of poverty is undermining incentives to work, with families living in poverty relying more on taxpayer-funded welfare checks than income from work, according to a newly released report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Costing well over $1 trillion, America’s social safety net encompasses more than 80 federal programs, and is discouraging beneficiaries from seeking income from work. The report, which was requested by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08), shows low-income families are becoming increasingly dependent on government transfers. In 1979, families living below the poverty line earned about 60 percent of their income from work. In 2021, that number dropped to an all-time low of around 25 percent. The report also shows how the dramatic increase in dependency on government transfers for low-income families was accelerated by COVID-era benefits.)

NATIONAL CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH
— Showdown Over SNAP Benefits Points to Excessive Government Control and Dependency. DD: My critics/opponents promote dependency on government, that is, they promote socialism.
https://nationalcenter.org/ncppr/2025/10/31/showdown-over-snap-benefits-points-to-excessive-government-control-and-dependency/

TOWNHALL
— Trump Announces Major Move to Prevent Future Terrorist Attacks
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/jeff-charles/2025/11/28/trump-says-he-will-permanently-pause-immigration-from-third-world-countries-after-dc-shooting-n2667127

WESTERN JOURNAL
— Chicago Police Department Hit with Civil Rights Complaint for Race-Based Hiring Practices Meant to Address ‘Systemic Inequities’
https://www.westernjournal.com/chicago-police-department-hit-civil-rights-complaint-race-based-hiring-practices-meant-address-systemic-inequities/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NEWSWEEK
— Map Shows 19 Countries Impacted as Trump Threatens Migration Halt
https://www.newsweek.com/map-19-countries-impacted-trump-threatens-migration-halt-11127499
—  Map Shows Donald Trump’s Approval Rating in Each State After 10 Months. DD: What is Trump’s approval rating in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.newsweek.com/map-donald-trump-approval-rating-each-state-10-months-11127534
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Conversely, the president is experiencing significant disapproval in historically Democratic states, according to the polling. Hawaii reports a net approval of -55 percent, Vermont sits at -50 percent, Maryland at -44 percent, Massachusetts at -42 percent, California and Rhode Island at -40 percent, and Washington and Oregon at -36 percent. In populous states such as New York (-32 percent) and Illinois (-29 percent), the figures further reinforce national partisan divides.)

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
— Protesters block ICE from leaving garage to conduct Canal St. sweep as NYPD makes arrests
https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/11/29/protesters-block-ice-from-leaving-garage-to-conduct-canal-street-sweep-as-nypd-makes-arrests/

BLOOMBERG
— Protesters Disrupt Federal Immigration Action in Lower Manhattan
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-29/protesters-disrupt-federal-immigration-action-in-lower-manhattan

FINANCIAL REVIEW
— More than 50 percent of voters now rely on government for their main income. DD: My critics/opponents promote dependency on government, that is, they promote socialism.
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/culture-of-dependency-lifts-spending-to-highest-level-since-wwii-20250722-p5mgu0

REASON
— Americans Grow Increasingly Dependent on Government Payments. Many citizens of the land of the free are hooked on government checks. DD: My critics/opponents promote dependency on government, that is, they promote socialism.
https://reason.com/2024/10/04/americans-grow-increasingly-dependent-on-government-payments/

AXIOS
— Trump says he’ll “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries.” DD: What percent of those who are in America illegally are from third world countries?
https://www.axios.com/2025/11/28/trump-third-world-countries-immigration-pause-permanent

November 18, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Mayor declares ’emergency order’ amid death threats against Broadview officials
https://abc7chicago.com/post/broadview-illinois-declares-civil-emergency-order-amid-death-threats-mayor-katrina-thompson-fbi-investigating/18165937/
— Coalition of organizations working to help communities rebuild after Chicago-area immigration raids
https://abc7chicago.com/post/ice-chicago-news-coalition-organizations-meets-humboldt-park-works-help-communities-impacted-immigration-raids/18166454/

NBC5
— Reprimand of Rep. ‘Chuy’ García over election withdrawal advances in House
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/reprimand-of-rep-chuy-garcia-over-election-withdrawal-advances-in-house/3852636/

FOX32
— Broadview mayor declares ‘civil emergency’ after out-of-town protesters threaten violence amid anti-ICE unrest. Katrina Thompson cites ‘serious and credible’ threats following protests at ICE facility that led to 21 arrests.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/illinois-mayor-declares-civil-emergency-after-out-of-town-protesters-threaten-violence-amid-anti-ice-unrest

WTTW
— Decision to Send Texas National Guard Home Represents ‘Unconditional Surrender’: Mayor Brandon Johnson
https://news.wttw.com/2025/11/17/decision-send-texas-national-guard-home-represents-unconditional-surrender-mayor-brandon
— Illinois Public Universities See Highest Enrollment Levels in a Decade
https://news.wttw.com/2025/11/17/illinois-public-universities-see-highest-enrollment-levels-decade

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Pritzker deposits $25.5M of his own money into campaign fund as he ramps up bid for third term
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/17/pritzker-25-million-2026-campaign/

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH PHOTOS: Republican 9th Congressional District candidate Rocio Cleveland confronts Democratic rival Kat Abughazaleh with prison-themed gift bag at event
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251117/us-congress-politics/republican-congressional-candidate-confronts-democratic-rival-with-holy-water-and-prison-themed-gift/
— DD: Democrats push pot in Elburn. In 2019, I led the successful effort to stop the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251116/business/cannabis-dispensary-coming-to-elburn/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Dems clash over García rebuke
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/11/17/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-424/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
—  If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump. What did you do to help you afford things? I took bad jobs that my critics/opponents would never have stooped to take. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. My critics/opponents remain furious a) that I could afford the expenses to earn the aforesaid degrees, b) that I could afford to buy a 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air when I was 16 in 1964, a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint when I was 17, a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 when I was 19, a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE when I was 20, a new 1972 Corvette when I was 23, etc., and c) that I could afford to buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, etc. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What stopped you from affording more things? For me, it was my Democrat superiors wasting my career and getting rid of me. My Democrat Post Office superiors forced me to resign when I was 20 in 1969. My Democrat Firestone Store boss fired me when I was 22. My Democrat IRS superiors never promoted me beyond GS12. My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to take a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer when I was 31. They delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13. They always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance. They forced me to retire when I was 49. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Trump says that America does not have plenty of talent. Do you have talent? According to my critics/opponents, I do not. What do you stress that shows your talent? I stress that I passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt, that I became a licensed CPA, that I earned four other job-related professional certifications, and that I earned master’s degrees in business, accounting, and finance. I stress that despite my Democrat superiors’ tremendous efforts to get rid of me, I survived as a postal employee for almost 3 years, as an IRS employee for almost 9 years, and as a GAO employee for almost 18 years. I stress that my Democrat IRS superiors promoted me to GS-12 Step 5, currently $112,280/year and that my Democrat GAO superiors promoted me to GS-13 Step 10, currently $153,151/year.
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What entry-level jobs did you have? I had three. I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU when I was 21 years old in 1970. My first entry-level job was a Retail Sales Manager for a Firestone Store. My salary was about $50,000/year in today’s dollars for a 44-hour workweek. In 1971, my second entry-level job was a GS-7 IRS Revenue Officer. The salary was $55,850/year in today’s dollars. To get that job, I had passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination. My taking graduate evening business courses at Loyola helped me get promoted to GS-9 ($68,315/year) in 1972, to GS-11 ($82,655/year) in 1973, and to GS-12 ($99,069/year) in 1974. I earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976. In 1980, my third entry-level job was a GS-9 Step 10 GAO Analyst. The salary was $88,808/year in today’s dollars. To get that job, I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and almost earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul. Almost 18 years later, after earning a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, after passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, after becoming a licensed CPA in 1981, after earning four more professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and after earning a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997, my salary was $153,151/year in today’s dollars. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Who do you know who voluntarily took a pay cut? I voluntarily took a downgrade from GS-12 Step 5 to GS-9 Step 10, that is, a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31 years old in 1980. Why did I do that? My Democrat IRS superiors had made it clear that they would never promote me to GS-13 even though I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976, passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, and almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul. The GS-15 GAO Staff Manager (Bill) who arranged for my transfer assured me that I would be assigned to audits of IRS and soon promoted back up to GS-12 Step 5 and soon to GS-13. But almost immediately, Bill was replaced with a new Staff Manager (Dave) who despised me, if not hated me. Dave kept me off audits of IRS, gave me bad job assignments, gave me unfair performance expectations, and gave me unfair performance appraisals. Dave delayed my promotions back up to GS-11 Step 10 and to GS-12 Step 5. Dave stopped me from being promoted to GS-13. But then, in late 1985, Dave went on extended sick leave. That enabled Bill to assign me to audits of IRS and promote me to GS-13 in 1986. But then, Dave came back. Dave forced Bill to retire in 1987. Dave threw me off audits of IRS, gave me a very bad job assignment, gave me very unfair performance expectations, gave me a very unfair performance appraisal, and ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance in 1989. Dave took the aforesaid adverse actions against me a) even though I had earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, and became a licensed CPA in 1981. Dave would not have taken the aforesaid adverse actions against me if had been a Democrat, minority, female, younger, or veteran. Dave would not have been able to take the aforesaid adverse actions against me if GAO had been unionized. GAO did not unionize until 2007. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Republicans’ message not reaching younger generation enamored with socialism
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/17/republicans-message-reaching-younger-generation-enamored-socialism/
— Illegal immigrant used gun-show loophole to traffic firearms
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/17/illegal-immigrant-used-gun-show-loophole-traffic-firearms-feds/
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/17/trump-praises-affordability-policies-mcdonalds-impact-summit/
— Judge threatens DHS program that lets states scrub noncitizens from voter lists
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/17/judge-threatens-dhs-program-lets-states-scrub-noncitizens-voter-lists/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Foreign-funded socialist group behind anti-ICE uprising in Charlotte
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/investigations/3889926/foreign-funded-socialist-group-behind-anti-ice-uprising-charlotte/
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/economy/3890125/trump-affordability-message-mcdonalds-summit/
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/3889645/watch-live-trump-affordability-speech-mcdonalds-impact-summit/

NEW YORK POST
— Massive drop in Latino support for Trump
https://nypost.com/2025/11/17/us-news/massive-drop-in-latino-support-for-trump-stuns-cnns-harry-enten/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— L.A. Mayor Karen Bass faces socialist Mamdani-like-challenger
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2025/11/17/and-so-it-begins-mayor-karen-bass-faces-socialist-mamdani-like-challenger-1600800/

CENTER SQUARE
— Average cost of family insurance nears $27,000 a year. DD: My critics/opponents ever-increasingly demonize, denigrate, and condemn the 72% health insurance subsidy a) that I got when I was federal employee, b) that my wife got when she was a federal employee, c) that I will always get as a federal retiree, and d) that my wife has gotten since we got married in 1978 and will always get.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_4d30b633-d1f0-4f95-a085-967734edb4de.html

DAILY CALLER
— Mamdani’s West Coast ‘Sister’ May Spark Cascade Of Socialist Politicians
https://dailycaller.com/2025/11/17/katie-wilson-zohran-mamdani-socialist-analysts/
— Mamdani-Loving Queer Socialist Primaries Hakeem Jeffries
https://dailycaller.com/2025/11/17/chi-osse-hakeem-jeffries-democratic-primary-zohran-mamdani-new-york/

EPOCH TIMES
— Appeals Court Halts DOT Restrictions on Commercial Driver’s Licenses for Immigrants
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/appeals-court-halts-dot-restrictions-on-commercial-drivers-licenses-for-immigrants-5945727

FOX BUSINESS
— Dems ‘embracing socialism’ amid leadership turmoil
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6385212204112
— Congress is looking at every tool to address the affordability crisis. DD:  If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump. What did you do to help you afford things? I took bad jobs that my critics/opponents would never have stooped to take. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyJiyXlOfjA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWuSUxCPpzQ
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6385224326112

FOX NEWS
— Sean Hannity: This socialist contagion is ripping through the Democratic Party
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6385230892112
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6385226053112

NEW AMERICAN
— The Real Affordability Agenda
https://thenewamerican.com/opinion/the-real-affordability-agenda/

NEWSMAX
— We Need to Make America, America Again. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders have no problem with citizens of foreign countries taking over America.
https://www.newsmax.com/michaeldorstewitz/india-roosevelt/2025/11/17/id/1234861/
— Dems to Push Housing Crisis on Trump in ’26
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/democrats-housing-affordability/2025/11/17/id/1234875/
— GOP Presses Abortion Limits in ACA Subsidy Talks
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/gop-abortion-limits-aca-subsidies/2025/11/17/id/1234869/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu7wA8OVR4w

CNN
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/18/politics/trump-mcdonalds-economy-tariffs-rebate-checks-inflation-analysis

NEWSWEEK
— Trump’s surprising shift on legal immigration — from welcoming 600,000 Chinese students to endorsing more H-1B visa holders — triggered outrage among MAGA supporters who saw it as a betrayal of his “America First” stance. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. All the colleges that admitted me would have admitted noncitizens instead of me if they could have.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q42JhZN8zxw
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-mcdonalds-affordability-inflation-tariffs-updates-11062285
— Trump Admin Revoking Tens of Thousands of Visas
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-admin-revoking-tens-of-thousands-of-visas-stephen-miller-11063811
— Social Security COLAs To Be Capped for High Earners Under New Proposal
https://www.newsweek.com/social-security-cola-capped-high-earners-11057294

MSN
— ‘We don’t need low-wage servants…’: Vance sparks row amid H-1B visa debate, takes U-turn from Trump’s stance.
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/we-don-t-need-low-wage-servants-jd-vance-sparks-row-amid-h-1b-visa-debate-takes-u-turn-from-donald-trump-s-stance/ar-AA1QtOza

AOL
— 12 Remote Entry-Level Jobs That Pay at Least $50,000 a Year. DD: What entry-level jobs did you have? I had three. I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU when I was 21 years old in 1970. My first entry-level job was a Retail Sales Manager for a Firestone Store. My salary was about $50,000/year in today’s dollars for a 44-hour workweek. In 1971, my second entry-level job was a GS-7 IRS Revenue Officer. The salary was $55,850/year in today’s dollars. To get that job, I had passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination. My taking graduate evening business courses at Loyola helped me get promoted to GS-9 ($68,315/year) in 1972, to GS-11 ($82,655/year) in 1973, and to GS-12 ($99,069/year) in 1974. I earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976. In 1980, my third entry-level job was a GS-9 Step 10 GAO Analyst. The salary was $88,808/year in today’s dollars. To get that job, I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and almost earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul. Almost 18 years later, after earning a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, after passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, after becoming a licensed CPA in 1981, after earning four more professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and after earning a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997, my salary was $153,151/year in today’s dollars.
https://www.aol.com/articles/12-remote-entry-level-jobs-110500241.html

MS NOW
— Trump faces blowback from MAGA base over defense of H-1B visas and ‘America First’ agenda
https://www.ms.now/katy-tur/watch/trump-faces-blowback-from-maga-base-over-defense-of-h-1b-visas-and-america-first-agenda-252086853892
— DD: The more planks in the Republican Party platform that my critics/opponent reject, the harder that they work against me.
https://www.ms.now/opinion/msnbc-opinion/republican-party-platform-trump-project-2025-rcna161259

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/nyregion/mamdani-trump-meeting.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/us/politics/trump-mcdonalds-affordability-inflation.html

USA TODAY
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/17/trump-mcdonalds-affordability-taxes/87329117007/

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-the-chutzpah-of-democrats-and-the-affordability-theme-3583011/

WEEK
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://theweek.com/politics/affordability-trump-answer

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Affordability Costs a Bundle. Republicans need a free-market answer to Democrats’ turn toward socialism. DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/affordability-costs-a-bundle-057bb0ee
— Trump, Affordability and Growth. The economy has rebounded smartly; the end of tariff fights could ignite a boom. DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trump-affordability-and-growth-c8e5a50a
— Identity Politics, Seattle Edition. Mayor-elect Katie Wilson lays out her cabinet priorities.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/seattle-mayor-elect-katie-wilson-progressives-2slgbtquia-cabinet-0eb657c8
— Why Ford Can’t Find Mechanics. Forget about reshoring manufacturing without more skilled workers. DD: What did you do to maintain and improve your job skills? I earned thee job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/ford-motor-ceo-jim-farley-mechanic-shortage-autos-skilled-workers-334ae52d

BLOOMBERG
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-11-17/tariffs-and-trump-and-affordability
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-18/trump-hails-mcdonald-s-extra-value-meals-in-affordability-pitch

FOIRBES
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote citizens of foreign countries over citizens of America.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2025/11/17/top-us-technology-companies-dominate-h-1b-visa-list-in-2025/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvhz58D0KYQ

FORTUNE
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://fortune.com/2025/11/17/zohran-mamdani-donald-trump-affordability-meeting/
— Work-life balance finally outranks pay as a top motivator for job seekers. DD: Who do you know who voluntarily took a pay cut? I voluntarily took a downgrade from GS-12 Step 5 to GS-9 Step 10, that is, a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31 years old in 1980. Why did I do that? My Democrat IRS superiors had made it clear that they would never promote me to GS-13 even though I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976, passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, and almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul. The GS-15 GAO Staff Manager (Bill) who arranged for my transfer assured me that I would be assigned to audits of IRS and soon promoted back up to GS-12 Step 5 and soon to GS-13. But almost immediately, Bill was replaced with a new Staff Manager (Dave) who despised me, if not hated me. Dave kept me off audits of IRS, gave me bad job assignments, gave me unfair performance expectations, and gave me unfair performance appraisals. Dave delayed my promotions back up to GS-11 Step 10 and to GS-12 Step 5. Dave stopped me from being promoted to GS-13. But then, in late 1985, Dave went on extended sick leave. That enabled Bill to assign me to audits of IRS and promote me to GS-13 in 1986. But then, Dave came back. Dave forced Bill to retire in 1987. Dave threw me off audits of IRS, gave me a very bad job assignment, gave me very unfair performance expectations, gave me a very unfair performance appraisal, and ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance in 1989. Dave took the aforesaid adverse actions against me a) even though I had earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, and became a licensed CPA in 1981. Dave would not have taken the aforesaid adverse actions against me if had been a Democrat, minority, female, younger, or veteran. Dave would not have been able to take the aforesaid adverse actions against me if GAO had been unionized. GAO did not unionize until 2007.
https://fortune.com/2025/11/17/work-life-balance-outranked-pay-top-perk-peoeple-choosing-a-job/

POLITICO
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/17/trump-says-americans-are-damn-lucky-hes-in-office-in-first-affordability-pitch-00655751

HARVARD CRIMSON
— Harvard Students Hate Capitalism — Until Recruiting Season. DD: My critics/opponents hint/imply that under socialism, they would have been more successful.
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/11/18/isaac-harvard-hates-capitalism/

BEAST
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trumps-favorite-food-is-failing-the-affordability-test/

RASMUSSEN REPORTS
— Democratic Socialism 2028? Most Young Voters Say ‘Yes’ DD: My critics/opponents hint/imply that under socialism, they would have been more successful.
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/partner_surveys/democratic_socialism_2028_most_young_voters_say_yes

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

FINANCIAL EXPRESS
— ‘Have ordinary skills but can be easily controlled’: Indian-origin US professor on H-1B visa workers. According to Hira, it is a “no-brainer” for corporations to opt for H-1B employees because while they have “ordinary skills”, that are widely available in the US job market, they are still favored due to economic advantages, such as legally being underpaid as compared to American workers.
https://www.financialexpress.com/business/investing-abroad-have-ordinary-skills-but-can-be-easily-controlled-indian-origin-us-professor-on-h-1b-visa-workers-4047556/

NDTV
— Indian-Origin Howard Professor Explains Why US Companies Prefer H-1B Workers: “Cheaper And Controllable”  He explained that US companies favor the program because it lets them hire workers at lower wages who are tied to their employers, limiting job mobility.
https://www.ndtv.com/feature/indian-origin-howard-professor-explains-why-us-companies-prefer-h-1b-workers-cheaper-and-controllable-9651274
— H-1B Visa Holders Are Replacing US Workers
https://www.ntd.com/panel-discussion-are-h-1b-visa-holders-replacing-us-workers_1108457.html

INDIA
— Trump: “US doesn’t have plenty of talent.” DD: Do you have talent? According to my critics/opponents, I do not. What do you stress that shows your talent? I stress that I passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt, that I became a licensed CPA, that I earned four other job-related professional certifications, and that I earned master’s degrees in business, accounting, and finance. I stress that despite my Democrat superiors’ tremendous efforts to get rid of me, I survived as a postal employee for almost 3 years, as an IRS employee for almost 9 years, and as a GAO employee for almost 18 years. I stress that my Democrat IRS superiors promoted me to GS-12 Step 5, currently $112,280/year and that my Democrat GAO superiors promoted me to GS-13 Step 10, currently $153,151/year.
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/white-house-issues-clarification-on-h-1b-visa-programme-after-trump-admits-us-doesnt-have-plenty-of-talent/ar-AA1QkxDV

TIMES OF INDIA
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote citizens of foreign countries over citizens of America.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/busting-myths-donald-trump-h-1b-visa-holders-are-not-cheap-labour-why-foreign-workers-are-important-for-us/articleshow/125403553.cms
— Musk under fire for claiming Americans can’t do challenging physical work amid H-1B row
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/elon-musk-under-fire-for-claiming-americans-cant-do-challenging-physical-work-amid-h-1b-row/articleshow/125387130.cms

DAILY MAIL
— DD: If you have trouble affording things, Democrat and RINO leaders want you to blame Trump.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/trump-returns-to-mcdonald-s-golden-arches-to-sell-affordability/ar-AA1QCRo2?ocid=finance-verthp-feeds

WORLD SOCIALIST WEB SITE
— Chicago workers speak out against ICE neighborhood arrests
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/11/17/kupj-n17.html