April 13, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NBC5
— Darren Bailey blasts Trump’s remarks on Pope Leo amid controversy
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/darren-bailey-blasts-trumps-remarks-on-pope-leo-amid-controversy/3922137/

FOX32
— Darren Bailey says Trump’s mocking of Pope Leo, post of himself as Jesus is ‘wrong’
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/bailey-trump-pope-leo-post-wrong
— Trump blasts Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social: “Weak on crime” and foreign policy
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/trump-blasts-pope-leo-xiv-truth-social-weak-crime-foreign-policy

WTTW
— Key City Panel Advances Push to Rid CPD of Officers With Ties to Extremist Groups
https://news.wttw.com/2026/04/13/key-city-panel-advances-push-rid-cpd-officers-ties-extremist-groups
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Sposato, one of the City Council’s most conservative members who voted against the measure to ban those who participated in the insurrection, again said the events of Jan. 6 were overblown. “We don’t mention a damn thing about the Black Lives Matter” protests, Sposato said, adding that those who protested against Trump’s mass deportation effort and Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and burned American flags should also be prevented from working for any city department.)

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Local Catholic leaders express support for Chicago native Pope Leo after Trump calls him ‘weak’ and ‘terrible’
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/13/trump-pope-leo-cupich-chicago/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Pope Leo brushes off Trump attack
https://chicago.suntimes.com/pope-leo-xiv/2026/04/13/pope-leo-president-trump-attack-iran-war-chicago-catholics-reaction

WBEZ
— Illinois House Speaker “Chris” Welch is endorsing a proposed 3% tax on those making more than $1 million annually, but there is a split among House Democrats on how much of the potential $4.5 billion yearly windfall should fund property tax relief.
https://www.wbez.org/springfield/2026/04/13/chris-welch-millionaires-illinois-house-democrats-property-tax-relief

JOURNAL STAR
— Darin LaHood speaks on Trump feud with Pope Leo
https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/13/darin-lahood-speaks-on-trump-feud-with-pope-leo/89593581007/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Sudden GOP infighting explodes over bipartisan immigration reform bill
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/hill-politics/sudden-gop-infighting-explodes-over-bipartisan-immigration-reform-bill/

FOX ILLINOIS
— Trump administration agrees to keep flying rainbow Pride flag at New York’s Stonewall monument. The Trump administration has agreed to keep flying a rainbow Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument, reversing course after removing the banner in February.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/trump-administration-agrees-to-keep-flying-rainbow-pride-flag-at-new-york-s-stonewall-monument/article_67a4fa65-09ae-55d7-94bc-69c87b4f43b6.html

WHBF
— Illinois could limit how local governments treat homeless people on the streets
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/illinois-could-limit-local-governments-151600312.html

BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— Protesters Wield Sex Toys Outside ICE Facility In Broadview For ‘Operation Dildo Blitz.’  Saturday’s demonstration was part of a series of sex-toy-friendly protests against federal immigration enforcement, with protesters in Broadview deploying 350 dildos.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/12/photos-operation-dildo-blitz-sees-protesters-wield-sex-toys-outside-ice-facility-in-broadview/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/04/13/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-502/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Every Republican in Springfield Should Resign for Refusing to Demand FBI Probe Into Pritzker and State Finances.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/04/every-republican-in-springfield-should-resign-for-refusing-to-demand-fbi-probe-into-pritzker-and-state-finances.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

AMAC
— The Dignity Act Is a Trojan Horse for Mass Amnesty
https://amac.us/newsline/national-security/the-dignity-act-is-a-trojan-horse-for-mass-amnesty/

BREITBART
— Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Chicago: At Least 28 Shot During Weekend
https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2026/04/13/mayor-brandon-johnsons-chicago-at-least-28-shot-during-weekend/amp/

CAMPUS REFORM
— Yale College Republicans president: there is bias against conservatives in admissions process
https://www.campusreform.org/article/yale-college-republicans-president-bias-conservatives-admissions-process/29719

NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE
— ‘Abortion haven’ Illinois considers five more dangerous, anti-life bills
https://nrlc.org/nrlnewstoday/2026/04/abortion-haven-illinois-considers-five-more-dangerous-anti-life-bills/

TOWNHALL
— Stephen Miller Criticizes the Amnesty-Granting ‘Dignity Act’
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/04/13/stephen-miller-dignity-n2674363

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— Trump won’t back down from Pope Leo feud sparked by “60 Minutes” report, tells CBS News pontiff should stay out of politics
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-pope-leo-feud-politics/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Trump Attack on Pope and Posting of Jesus Image Draw Widespread Criticism. A prominent conservative bishop who serves on President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission was among those who called on the president to apologize.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/us/trump-pope-leo.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Lambasting Pope Leo, Trump risks alienating conservative Catholics. Veteran church observers say an open war of words between a pope and a U.S. president is unprecedented.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/04/13/pope-leo-president-trump-feud/

USA TODAY
— ‘Gross blasphemy.’ Image depicting Trump as Jesus figure removed after uproar
Religious conservatives have been some of President Donald Trump’s strongest supporters, but some are speaking out against his latest Jesus meme.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/13/trump-jesus-truth-social-backlash-pope-leo/89590926007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Trump Criticizes Pope Leo, Deletes AI Image After Backlash. ‘I have no fear of the Trump administration,’ the pope said in response to Trump’s criticism.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/trump-criticizes-pope-leo-accuses-him-of-catering-to-radical-left-2cfb5509

Author: David Diersen

The opinions that I express in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are based on experience that I have gained doing many things since 1948. I base my opinions on what I learned a) working for the federal government for almost 30 years -- Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, serving on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996, and being a union member while I worked for the Post Office and IRS; b) earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, a masters degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, and a masters degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997; c) passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981; c) serving as a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999, the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois Chairman 2005-2012, a member of the 2008 Illinois Republican Party (IRP) Platform and Resolutions Committee, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member 2003-2011, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, and an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004; d) attending the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 IRP State Conventions as a delegate; e) being the subject of a nasty 4-page article in the February 1978 issue of Money Magazine; f) pursing litigation including Diersen v. GAO and Diersen v. Chicago Car Exchange; g) being married since 1978; h) living in Crete 1948-1972, in University Park 1972-1976, in Chicago 1976-1978, and in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton since 1978; and i) being baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran.