FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Musk comes out against Speaker Johnson going forward with a stopgap government funding bill on Wednesday, saying, “This bill should not pass.”
https://abc7chicago.com/post/will-2024-december-us-federal-government-shutdown-congress-unveils-funding-bill-musk-voices-opposition/15671840/
— Thornton Township building closed after Supervisor Tiffany Henyard warns of shutdown
https://abc7chicago.com/post/tiffany-henyard-news-thornton-township-supervisor-serves-dolton-mayor-warns-shutdown-could-start-wednesday/15671055/
NBC5
— Trump joins Elon Musk in opposing House GOP’s government funding bill
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/business/money-report/trump-joins-elon-musk-in-opposing-house-gops-government-funding-bill/3627853/
— Government funding plan collapses as Trump makes new demands days before shutdown
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/government-funding-plan-collapses-as-trump-makes-new-demands/3627865/
— Democrats promote Democrat Oak Park.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-suburb-named-as-one-of-50-best-places-to-travel-to-in-2025-in-recent-list/3628121/
CBS2
— Elgin may move homeless encampment residents into hotel after 2 fires
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g9JV55ztPc
FOX32
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/buffalo-grove-familys-handwritten-card-campaign-delivers-connection-lgbtq-community
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRNT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: After investigating Jan. 6, House GOP sides with Trump and goes after Liz Cheney
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/17/jan-6-house-gop-liz-cheney/
— Homer Glen Village Board race finalized with 9 candidates for 3 trustee positions
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/18/homer-glen-village-board-candidates/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2024/12/18/brandie-knazze-chicago-dfss-commissioner-stepping-down-migrant-issues
— Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters defame, slander, and libel Trump.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2024/12/19/news-media-press-stand-against-donald-trumps-bullying-lawsuits-abc-disney-stephanopoulos-se-cupp
DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: A big, bold undertaking’: Elgin plans to move ‘Tent City’ residents to hotel, tear down encampment. (COMMENT: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, soon, if not already, everyone will be a) handing out welfare and/or b) receiving welfare.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/20241218/news/a-home-for-the-winter-elgin-approves-plan-to-move-tent-city-residents-to-a-hotel-tear-down-encam/
— Wheaton City Council approves 2025 budget. Wheaton is one of only 21 municipalities in the state with an “AAA” rating — the highest possible — from Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20241217/news/wheaton-city-council-approves-2025-budget/
— 22 apply for DuPage judge position
https://www.dailyherald.com/20241218/news/22-apply-for-dupage-judge-position/
— Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that Republicans are haters.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20241219/editorials/daily-herald-opinion-standing-against-hate-towns-organizations-individuals-who-join-the-fight-ad/
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Illinois sees most significant wage drop in the country since 1935
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/state/2024/12/19/illinois-sees-the-most-significant-wage-drop-in-us-new-data-shows/77047171007/
SOUTHERN
— Trump backs House GOP accusation Liz Cheney tampered with Jan. 6 committee witness
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2024/12/19/trump-backs-house-gop-accusation-liz-cheney-tampered-with-jan-6-committee-witness/
WBEZ
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://www.wbez.org/immigration/2024/12/18/brandie-knazze-chicago-dfss-commissioner-stepping-down-migrant-issues
FOX ILLINOIS
— Trump rejects plan to avert government shutdown, prompting Congress scramble
https://foxillinois.com/news/connect-to-congress/senate-and-house-gop-leaders-plan-to-push-presidentelect-donald-trumps-policies-via-reconciliation#
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Trump allies work to sink government spending bill
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/hill-politics/trump-allies-work-to-sink-government-spending-bill/
— Trump brings chaos back to Washington by attempting to kill bipartisan budget deal with Musk’s help
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/ap-trump-brings-chaos-back-to-washington-by-attempting-to-kill-bipartisan-budget-deal/
WIFR
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.wifr.com/2024/12/19/how-has-rockford-changed-nearly-5-years-since-legalization-cannabis/
— Christmas decorations featuring Donald Trump spark controversy at community center
https://www.wifr.com/2024/12/19/christmas-decorations-featuring-donald-trump-spark-controversy-community-center/
WSIL TV
— Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, soon, if not already, everyone will be a) handing out welfare and/or b) receiving welfare.
https://www.wsiltv.com/news/illinois-colleges-team-up-to-help-feed-the-needy-during-the-holidays/article_181100c2-bdb5-11ef-9643-cb0ee299282e.html
KFVS
— Carbondale City Council member calls for Illinois to secede from United States
https://www.kfvs12.com/2024/12/18/carbondale-city-council-member-calls-illinois-secede-united-states/
WVIK
— Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly shout at those who are the following that Republicans cause all their problems: liberal/moderate, non-Republican, citizens of foreign countries, minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have been in America for a long time, have less money than others, have health, financial, and/or other problems, boozers, gamblers, stoners, criminals, etc. According to Democrat and RINO leaders, the aforesaid are marginalized by Republicans.
https://www.wvik.org/2024-12-18/neighbors-protecting-neighbors-worried-marginalized-communities-prep-for-trump-term
ELMHURST PATCH
— Booze, Cigars On Elmhurst D205 Credit Card. An official who was arrested put $47,000 in personal items on his public credit card. The district said he paid it back.
https://patch.com/illinois/elmhurst/booze-cigars-elmhurst-d205-credit-card
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2024/12/19/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-427/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2024/12/18/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-219/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Blagojevich Urges Trump Legal Team to File Massive Defamation Suit Against Billionaire Pritzker After ABC News Agrees to $15M Settlement (COMMENT: My critics/opponents would defame, slander, and liable me much more than they do were it not for my history of filing lawsuits.)
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2024/12/blagojevich-urges-trump-legal-team-to-file-massive-defamation-suit-against-billionaire-pritzker-after-abc-news-agrees-to-15m-settlement.html
WIREPOINTS
— Illinois lawmakers shouldn’t burden taxpayers with Tier 2 pension “fixes” until they know what they’re doing
https://wirepoints.org/illinois-lawmakers-shouldnt-burden-taxpayers-with-tier-2-pension-fixes-until-they-know-what-theyre-doing-wirepoints/
— Chicago’s $300 million in ‘operational efficiencies’ isn’t a budget cut, it’s a budget coverup
https://wirepoints.org/chicagos-300-million-in-operational-efficiencies-isnt-a-budget-cut-its-a-budget-coverup-wirepoints-on-am-560-chicagos-morning-answer/
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Winfield Township voters will have a chance to impact Illinois’ pension crisis in the April 1 election. They won’t directly change any laws, but voters can send a strong signal to state lawmakers about pensions causing Illinois’ property tax pain.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/suburban-chicago-voters-to-tell-state-leaders-about-pension-reform-need/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Maybe he’s not joking? Trump revives 51st state talk about Canada.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/dec/18/donald-trump-revives-talk-making-canada-51st-u-sta/
AMERICAN GREATNESS
— Almost 8 Million Illegal Aliens Live in American ‘Sanctuary Cities’
https://amgreatness.com/2024/12/18/report-almost-8-million-illegal-aliens-live-in-american-sanctuary-cities/
CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES
— How Many Illegal Aliens Reside in Sanctuary Jurisdictions? 530,000 (3.8%) reside in Illinois
https://cis.org/Richwine/How-Many-Illegal-Aliens-Reside-Sanctuary-Jurisdictions
CENTER SQUARE
— Pork-filled stopgap incites revolt from House Republicans
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_f86669c0-bd72-11ef-8ec1-6b8ff665afb6.html
COLLEGE FIX
— Education Department spent at least $1 billion on DEI under Biden admin
https://www.thecollegefix.com/education-department-spent-at-least-1-billion-on-dei-under-biden-admin-report/
BREITBART
— Securing Southern Border Will Drive up Wages for Americans
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/12/18/tom-homan-securing-southern-border-will-drive-up-wages-americans/
FOX BUSINESS
— Trump, GOP-led Congress need to ‘cut off the spigot’ for illegal immigration funding
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6366203901112
FOX NEWS
— The continuing resolution is ‘woke garbage’
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6366208952112
— ‘Evil terrorists’: House GOP border hawks rally around Trump’s deportation plan targeting ‘cartel thugs’ Republican leaders said Congress needs to sanction sanctuary jurisdictions that are protecting criminal illegal immigrants from deportation.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/evil-terrorists-house-gop-border-hawks-rally-around-trumps-deportation-plan-targeting-cartel-thugs
— Trump says Mike Johnson will ‘easily remain speaker’ if he acts ‘decisively and tough’ on spending bill. Trump told Fox News Digital anyone who supports a bill that doesn’t take care of debt ceiling should be ‘primaried and disposed of’
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-mike-johnson-easily-remain-speaker-he-acts-decisively-tough-spending-bill
HEARTLAND INSTITUTE
— The Constitution Does Not Grant Birthright Citizenship to the Children of Illegal Immigrants
https://heartland.org/opinion/the-constitution-does-not-grant-birthright-citizenship-to-the-children-of-illegal-immigrants/
LAW ENFORCEMENT TODAY
— Over 500,000 migrant children are missing inside the U.S. (COMMENT: How many migrant children have Democrat and RINO leaders put in your school district?)
https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/big-apple-mayor-adams-over-500000-migrant-children-are-missing-inside-the-u-s
NEWSMAX
— Blagojevich to Newsmax: Pritzker Should Stop Defaming Trump (COMMENT: My critics/opponents would defame, slander, and liable me much more than they do were it not for my history of filing lawsuits.)
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/rod-blagojevich-j-b-pritzker-donald-trump/2024/12/18/id/1192198/
PJ MEDIA
— You’re Not Going to Believe How Many Illegal Aliens Reside in Sanctuary Cities
https://pjmedia.com/rick-moran/2024/12/18/youre-not-going-to-believe-how-many-illegal-aliens-reside-in-sanctuary-cities-n4935234
POST MILLENNIAL
— Biden-Harris admin seeks to hire up to 1,200 DEI staffers prior to Trump’s second term
https://thepostmillennial.com/biden-harris-admin-seeks-to-hire-up-to-1200-dei-staffers-prior-to-trumps-second-term-report
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CNN
— Trump and Musk unleash a new kind of chaos on Washington
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/19/politics/trump-musk-capitol-chaos-analysis/index.html
MSNBC
— Democrats watch as ‘co-president’ Musk leads Trump in destroying Johnson on spending bill
https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/democrats-watch-as-co-president-musk-leads-trump-in-destroying-johnson-on-spending-bill-227447365846
NBC NEWS
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-life-and-style/knit-the-rainbow-homeless-lgbtq-youth-winter-garments-rcna184566
NEW YORK TIMES & MIAMI TIMES & DESERET NEWS & BUSINESS INSIDER & PSYCHOLOGY TODAY
— Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, the American Dream, that is, meritocracy, that is, advancement based on merit, is ever-increasingly fading for those who are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who been in America for a long time. To stop the aforesaid is why Trump got elected and reelected. If I had been a Democrat, minority, and/or female, the Democrats who run the federal government would have promoted into their Senior Executive Service long before I was 40 years old.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/14/learning/what-students-are-saying-about-the-american-dream-mindfulness-in-schools-and-how-to-define-family.html
https://www.miamitimesonline.com/opinion/my-identity-shouldnt-prevent-me-from-living-my-american-dream/article_4529576a-bd4e-11ef-92e1-d36fb7bfd623.html
https://www.deseret.com/utah/2024/12/18/housing-crisis-utah-govenor-cox-starter-homes-american-dream/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-dream-fading-gov-cox-024257726.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/american-dream-shrinking-smaller-homes-fewer-kids-vacation-time-commutes-2024-12
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychology-yesterday/201610/the-psychology-the-american-dream
WASHINGTON POST
— Mexico praises its own migrants with a hymn, while abuses continue against those from other nations. Mexico’s president has unveiled a bilingual “hymn” to Mexican migrants living in the United States, even as migrants from other countries continue to suffer abuses, delays and hostility in Mexico. (COMMENT: In WWIII, will Mexico side against America or with America?)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/12/18/mexico-migrants-hymn-song-caravan/76294580-bd78-11ef-b94f-104ed944ce38_story.html
— Musk, Ramaswamy fuel online campaign that leads to Republicans rejecting spending bill
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/12/18/trump-administration-transition/
— Federal employee groups prepare to fend off attacks by Trump and allies. The efforts are aimed at resisting what is expected to be a severe assault on public servants beyond the intimidation many federal employees felt during Donald Trump’s first term. (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, GAO’s annual budget requests were always attacked by Republicans. My Democrat GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates ever-increasingly punished me for that.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/12/18/federal-employees-trump-schedule-f/
LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
— Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://www.dailynews.com/2024/12/18/hundreds-rally-for-undocumented-immigrants-in-los-angeles/
USA TODAY
— Trump’s Cabinet picks are generating controversy
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/12/17/trump-cabinet-picks-reaction/76741244007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— What Trump Can Do About ‘Sanctuary Cities’ The Supremacy Clause is clear. Local officials pledging to resist his policy will lose in court.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/what-trump-can-do-about-sanctuary-cities-supremacy-clause-border-security-709c805f
BARRON’S
— Trump Jokes Canada Becoming 51st US State ‘A Great Idea’
https://www.barrons.com/news/trump-jokes-canada-becoming-51st-us-state-a-great-idea-ed5c760f
FORBES
— Companies use AI for hiring. (COMMENT: The Democrats who ran GAO in 1980, IRS in 1971, and the Post Office in 1966 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job. They gambled and lost that I would become a Democrat.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2023/11/04/how-companies-are-hiring-and-firing-with-ai/
HARVARD GAZETTE
— Affirmative Action and DEI are reparations.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/12/are-reparations-the-answer/
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
— What to Do When Your Boss Is Blocking Your Career Growth (COMMENT: I should write about my career blockers at GAO, IRS, Firestone Stores, and Post Office. I would focus on my Democrat GAO superiors who forced me to retire when I was 49 years old, delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13, always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, kept me off audits of IRS, forced me to take a $22,996/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO, etc. I would focus on my Democrat IRS superiors who disallowed my education deductions and my travel vouchers and never promoted me beyond GS-12. I would focus on my Democrat Firestone Store boss who disapproved of my demographics and demotivated me. I would focus on my Democrat Post Office superiors who forced me to resign and disallowed my sick leave requests.)
https://hbr.org/2022/08/what-to-do-when-your-boss-is-blocking-your-career-growth
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A career blocker is someone with positional authority, power, or influence at work, who is preventing you from achieving a goal that you’ve already earned. How can you confront them, and pursue your goals, despite their blocking behaviors?)
— The Pros and Cons of Competition Among Employees (COMMENT: I should write about my Democrat GAO coworkers and what they did to keep their jobs and to get promoted. I would focus on those who did the most to discredit me, to demotivate me, to demoralize me, to denigrate me, to condemn me, to destroy me, and to get rid of me. Of course, they always stressed my bad demographics: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, my ancestor have been in America since 1844, union member for almost 12 years, Crete resident 1948-1972, Wheaton resident since 1978, etc.)
https://hbr.org/2017/03/the-pros-and-cons-of-competition-among-employees
BROOKINGS
— Which places would be most affected by the Trump administration’s immigrant deportation proposals?
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/which-places-would-be-most-affected-by-the-trump-administrations-immigrant-deportation-proposals/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: California and Texas each have more than 2 million unauthorized immigrants, while Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, and New York are home to between 400,000 and 600,000 each. . .The metro areas with the most DACA recipients—Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Houston, and Chicago—parallel recipients’ state locations. These five metro areas collectively account for 31% of all DACA recipients nationwide (versus 12% of the U.S. population). . .Unauthorized immigrants by state: Illinois: 420,000.)
BUSINESS INSIDER
— The American dream is shrinking (COMMENT: Back in the good old days, that is, during 1960s and 1970s, I was able to a) buy a 6-year-old car when I was 16, b) buy new cars when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, and 29, c) graduate from college debt-free owning a 1-year-old car, d) buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, and 29, e) earn an MBA when I was 27, f) get married when I was 29, g) pass the CPA examination when I was 30, h) etc.)
https://www.businessinsider.com/american-dream-shrinking-smaller-homes-fewer-kids-vacation-time-commutes-2024-12
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The American dream — like a beloved pair of pants you left in the dryer too long — is shrinking. The idealized image of American life we know today was crystallized in the country’s collective imagination in the 1930s. Since then, the idea that anyone can obtain a life that has the house with the white picket fence, 2.5 children, a lucrative career at an office that’s a reasonable distance away, and the occasional trip to an enviable vacation spot has loomed large in nearly every facet of cultural and political life. There’s just one problem: The once expansive vision is getting smaller. Not only is it harder to grab a piece of it, like a bag of chips or a roll of toilet paper that has less substance every time you buy it, but even nominally achieving the dream is leaving people unsatisfied. Americans are having fewer kids, their houses are getting smaller, they’re schlepping further to work, and they’re spending less time on vacation. Americans are taking notice of the diminishing returns. Among the 8,709 US adults surveyed by the Pew Research Center from April 8 to 14, 41% said that achieving the American dream was once possible but no longer. That’s particularly true for younger Americans; 18- to 29-year-olds were the most likely to say that the American dream was never possible, and only 39% said that it’s still possible. Their millennial counterparts felt similarly, though they were slightly more bullish on the possibility of the American dream. . .he central element of the American dream is owning a house. Having a roof over your head is the cornerstone of security and stability; research has found homeowners are less stressed than their renter counterparts, and beyond having a place that they can call their own, they have growing equity. But nowadays, the homes that many Americans live in rarely have enough room for a big dog — much less a picket fence.)
GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— Republicans signal easier firing as priority in the next Congress. Lawmakers are looking ahead toward legislation that will bring changes to the federal workforce. (COMMENT: To force an employee to retire is to fire that employee. My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire for political reasons in 1997 when I was 49 for political reasons, that is, they fired me for political reasons in 1997 when I was 49.)
https://www.govexec.com/management/2024/12/republicans-signal-targeted-federal-hiring-surge-and-easier-firing-priorities-next-congress/401772/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Comer said Trump will “bring the bureaucracy to heel” by implementing Schedule F via executive order, a policy that would enable agencies to treat federal workers as at-will employees and quickly fire them for political reasons.”
POLITICO
— Trump allies suggest Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker should be sued for calling Trump a ‘rapist’ The call comes on the heels of a major settlement with ABC News for using similar language. (COMMENT: My critics/opponents would defame, slander, and liable me much more than they do were it not for my history of filing lawsuits.)
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/12/18/congress/trump-v-pritzker-00195152
— DOGE Can’t Do It All. Here’s What It Can Do. The Elon Musk-led cost-cutting initiative will be constrained by congressional politics, Trump’s preferences and a lack of legal authority.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/12/19/doge-cant-do-it-all-heres-what-it-can-do-00195190
— Biden makes a last big push to keep Trump from killing the electric car. His agencies are leveraging California’s vast market power to prod the auto industry to ramp up production of battery-powered vehicles — regardless of what Trump wants.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/12/18/biden-california-electric-cars-trump-00195143
PHYS
— When I was young, I believed that I could advance based on merit. That motivated me to earn a bachelor’s degree in 1970, master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and a professional license in 1981. But if I was young today, I doubt that I could find that motivation a) because of my bad demographics and b) because of ever-increasing Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, ever-increasing race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.
https://phys.org/news/2024-12-western-meritocracy-people-emotions-envy.html
