WHITE HOUSE
— EXPANDING ACCESS TO IN VITRO FERTILIZATION; ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL AGENCIES
https://www.whitehouse.gov/news/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— ‘We are the patriots’: Chicago federal employees protest mass firings in Federal Plaza (COMMENT: I have always been a Republican. Virtually all federal employees are Democrats. I was a federal employee for almost 30 years. I share many demographics with Trump. If I was still a federal employee, my Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates would have killed me by now figuratively if not literally.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/18/federal-employees-protest-mass-firings/
— Trump administration gives schools a deadline to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/18/trump-schools-end-dei-programs/
— Trump signs order to study how to expand IVF and calls for ‘radical transparency’ from government
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/18/trump-will-sign-new-executive-orders-while-his-first-joint-tv-interview-with-musk-airs-in-prime-time/
— Soon, if not already, under the Democrats and under the RINOs, everyone in America will be a) handing out welfare and/or b) receiving welfare.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/14/dupage-naperville-homeless-winter-emergency-shelter/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Democrats ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/la-voz/chicago-immigration-resource-guide
— Trump’s Friday firings leave EPA Chicago office with fewer scientists, staff. Dozens of probationary employees were cut because they didn’t have job protections.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/environment/2025/02/18/trump-fires-epa-chicago-scientists-staff-environmental-protection-agency
DAILY HERALD
— Suit asks court to block appointment of McConchie successor in Senate
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250218/illinois-state-politics/suit-asks-court-to-block-appointment-of-mcconchie-successor-in-senate/
— College of DuPage board names top pick for president
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250218/news/college-of-dupage-board-names-top-pick-for-president/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: COD Trustee Andrew Manno, who co-chairs the presidential search committee, told the board last month that it had selected about a dozen or so candidates to appear before the committee for interviews. The committee held those interviews over a span of two days — “over long, long hours” — and was able to narrow the search down to four candidates, Manno said in January. Both the board and the committee agreed to follow a “hybrid confidential approach” to “ensure that COD has the best quality candidates that the country has to offer,” Manno said previously.)
ABC7
— Judge declines to immediately block Elon Musk or DOGE from federal data or layoffs
https://abc7chicago.com/post/white-house-claims-elon-musk-does-not-run-doge-new-filing/15925645/
— Democrats ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-leaders-speak-undocumented-business-owners-deportations-illinois-hispanic-chamber-commerce-offers-legal-adivce/15926782/
NBC5
— Republicans consider cuts, work requirements for Medicaid. Eighty million U.S. adults and children are currently enrolled in the nearly-free health care coverage offered to the poorest Americans.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/health/republicans-consider-cuts-work-requirements-medicaid/3677068/
CBS2
— Mentoring program helping Black high school students prepare for college success (COMMENT: To get rid of me, my Democrat IRS superiors got rid of my IRS mentor who promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. To get rid of me, my Democrat GAO superiors got rid of my GAO mentor who arranged for my transfer from IRS in 1980 and was finally able to assign me to audits of IRS and to promote me in 1986.)
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/onegoal-mentoring-program-black-high-school-students-college/
FOX32
— Illinois federal employees protest against Trump’s layoffs. Federal workers held a rally at Federal Plaza in Chicago, protesting planned layoffs under President Donald Trump. The Trump administration offered buyouts to nearly 2 million federal employees, leading to 75,000 resignations. Thousands of probationary workers, including EPA employees, were fired without warning, sparking outrage. (COMMENT: I have always been a Republican. Virtually all federal employees are Democrats. I was a federal employee for almost 30 years. I share many demographics with Trump. If I was still a federal employee, my Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates would have killed me by now figuratively if not literally.)
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-federal-employees-protest-against-trumps-layoffs
WTTW
— Are You a Federal Worker in Illinois? We Want to Hear From You. (COMMENT: Would WTTW be interested in hearing about how my Democrat GAO superiors used Republican-led budget cuts to waste my career and to force me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997?)
https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/17/are-you-federal-worker-illinois-we-want-hear-you
— Fired EPA Workers in Chicago Rally Against Trump’s Mass Government Layoffs
https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/18/fired-epa-workers-chicago-rally-against-trump-s-mass-government-layoffs
— Democrats ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/18/committee-advances-bill-ban-vehicle-searches-based-smell-cannabis
VERMILION COUNTY FIRST
— Chief Budgeteer Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) joined Illinois Senate Republican Leader Senator John Curran (R-Downers Grove) and Deputy Leader Senator Sue Rezin (R-Morris) to call on Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to commit to transparent accounting of taxpayer spending and to deliver a budget that does not include tax increases on Illinois families and businesses in tomorrow’s address.
https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/2025/02/18/illinois-senate-republicans-call-for-no-new-taxes-transparent-accounting-in-budget/
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Illinois Republican Senate members say Democrats state budget is flawed
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/watch-live-illinois-republican-senate-members-discuss-budget/
— Florida is rushing to enforce new immigration laws.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/ap-florida-is-rushing-to-enforce-new-immigration-laws-heres-what-to-know/
FOX ILLINOIS
— Trump’s border czar says ICE arrests way up, illegal border crossings way down
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/trump-effect-has-migrants-thinking-twice-about-crossing-the-border-white-house-says-illegal-immigration-border-security-politics-ice-arrests-public-safety
WQAD
— Democrats ever-increasingly promote more abortion
https://www.wqad.com/video/news/politics/illinois-politics/planned-parenthood-of-illinois-offering-medication-abortion-pills-through-app/526-3295b9a7-c293-4033-9d3d-4a4e89a2c287
— Democrats ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.wqad.com/video/news/politics/illinois-politics/illinois-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-vehicle-searches-based-on-smell-of-cannabis/526-3f033835-2d5d-4df9-b093-e19bb4879010
CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Eliminating immigrant spending, boosting education funding top Senate Republican budget priorities. Gov. JB Pritzker set to give budget address Wednesday.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/eliminating-immigrant-spending-boosting-education-funding-top-senate-republican-budget-priorities/
BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— Residents, Advocates Fear An Encampment Clearing As Tensions At Gompers Park Rise. Though the city said a planned March 5 moving event doesn’t mean the encampment will be cleared, similar events have led to the dismantling of tent cities, advocates said.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/02/18/residents-advocates-fear-an-encampment-clearing-as-tensions-at-gompers-park-rise/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/18/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-250/
— Poll unsurprisingly finds Trump/Musk and their actions unpopular in Illinois, except for a close division on immigration (COMMENT: 2.4 million in Illinois voted for Trump/Vance.)
https://capitolfax.com/2025/02/18/poll-unsurprisingly-finds-trumpmusk-and-their-actions-unpopular-in-illinois-except-for-a-close-division-on-immigration/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Bill would eliminate property taxes for Illinois homeowners after 30 years of residency (COMMENT: I have lived in Illinois for more than 76 years and in Wheaton for almost 47 years. I have paid real estate taxes for more than 52 years.)
https://www.aol.com/bill-eliminate-property-taxes-illinois-213600444.html
— Pritzker to deliver proposed Illinois budget amid mounting spending pressures
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_d154e64e-ee38-11ef-ad97-eb573b7a9e65.html
— Government efficiency caucus formed
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_1951acf4-ee41-11ef-8dfc-47160dadc270.html
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Because Secret Service Clearance Is Required Wednesday Deadline to Buy Tickets to See Lara Trump at McHenry County/Joe Tirio Fundraiser
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/18/because-secret-service-clearance-is-required-wednesday-deadline-to-buy-tickets-to-see-lara-trump/
— Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Danijela Sandberg’s Opponent Prematurely Declares Victory
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/18/algonquin-township-road-commissioner-danijela-sandbergs-opponent-prematurely-declares-victory/
— Illinois Policy Institute Tees Up Opposition to Progressive Income Tax Proposals by Democrats
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/18/illinois-policy-institute-tees-up-opposition-to-progressive-income-tax-proposals-by-democrats/
— Looks Like I Was Wrong on Netflix Subject for “Monsters – Season 3”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/18/looks-like-i-was-wrong-on-netflix-subject-for-monsters-season-3/
— Grafton Township Republican Party Issues Endorsements for Township Trustee
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/18/grafton-township-republican-party-issues-endorsements-for-township-trustee/
— Another View of the Replacement Process for State Senator Dan McConchie
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/18/another-view-of-the-replacement-process-for-state-senator-dan-mcconchie/
— The Censures of Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk – Part 2
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/18/the-censures-of-randy-funk-part-2/
— McHenry County Administrator Peter Austin Gets 5.3% Raise
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/02/18/mchenry-county-administrator-peter-austin-gets-5-3-raise/
ILLINOIS RECORD
— A leaked Video shows the Illinois GOP seemingly lying about their 2024 election get out the vote impact
https://www.illinoisrecord.com/p/a-leaked-video-shows-the-illinois
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Illegal immigrants now paying up to $30,000 as cartels raise prices under Trump
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/18/illegal-immigrants-paying-30-000-cartels-raise-pri/
WASHINGTON EXAMINAR
— CPAC theme: ‘America is back on track’
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washington-secrets/3322407/cpac-theme-america-back-on-track/
AMERICAN WIRE
— Biden admin doled out 10 BILLION to illegals in just one year, shocking probe finds
https://americanwirenews.com/biden-admin-doled-out-10-billion-to-illegals-in-just-one-year-shocking-probe-finds/
CENTER SQUARE
— New guidance seeks to end use of ‘race preferences, stereotypes’ in school admissions
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_127ef2e4-ee26-11ef-a6c4-878910db08f2.html
— IRS tax gap grows to $600 billion as DOGE looks for savings (COMMENT: I worked for GAO for 3 years 1986-1988 on audits of IRS Criminal Investigation Division efforts to close the tax gap.)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_ecd0de72-ee0c-11ef-848d-ebb54839938d.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: As billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency take a look at one of the federal government’s most-disliked agencies, the Internal Revenue Service, some point to a persistent problem: the tax gap. The tax gap is the difference between what taxpayers pay the IRS voluntarily and on time and what they actually owe the IRS. The projected annual gross tax gap for tax year 2022 was $696 billion, with about $90 billion of that paid late or through IRS enforcement, according to the IRS.)
DAILY WIRE
— Education Dept Slashes $600 Million In Grants Promoting ‘Divisive’ Ideologies. Grants had been training teachers in CRT and gender ideology.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/education-dept-slashes-600-million-in-grants-promoting-divisive-ideologies
FEDERALIST
— United States Should Encourage Less Migration, More Stability
https://thefederalist.com/2025/02/18/former-refugee-the-united-states-should-encourage-less-migration-more-stability/
FOX NEWS
— Vance to speak at CPAC’s opening day. CPAC, which dates back to 1974, is the nation’s oldest and largest annual gathering of conservative leaders and activists.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/vice-president-jd-vance-speak-cpacs-opening-day
NEW AMERICAN
— Noem to Illegal Aliens and Would-be Illegals: Get Out, Stay Out, and Don’t Cross the Border
https://thenewamerican.com/us/immigration/noem-to-illegal-aliens-and-would-be-illegals-get-out-stay-out-and-dont-cross-the-border/
NEWSMAX
— If you have a criminal record, you can’t stay here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt8YhNBsLVc
OPEN THE BOOKS
— CASH FOR MIGRANTS: FEMA NOT THE ONLY AGENCY SPENDING BIG. The Office of Refugee Resettlement has faced questions over transparency, conflict of interest.
https://openthebooks.substack.com/p/5f0bfa8c-91b1-4477-baa5-b98ecf340a76?lid=q5u4w2bhnmbt
TOWNHALL
— Homan Has the Perfect Response to AOC ‘Educating’ Illegals on How to Evade ICE
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2025/02/18/tom-homan-aoc-update-n2652391
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CBS NEWS
— Trump says he may impose auto tariffs of around 25%
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-auto-tariffs-25-percent/
NEWSWEEK
— Inside the Five-Star Hotel Where Deported Migrants Are Awaiting Their Fate
https://www.newsweek.com/inside-five-star-hotel-where-deported-migrants-are-awaiting-their-fate-2032899
USA TODAY
— Student asks Supreme Court to say he can wear T-shirt saying ‘There are only two genders.’ In past decisions, the Supreme Court has allowed students to wear arm bands in protest of the Vietnam War but not to hold up a “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” banner.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/16/supreme-court-student-two-genders-t-shirt-free-speech/78390509007/
LEADER
— IRS tax gap grows to $600 billion as DOGE looks for savings (COMMENT: I worked for GAO for 3 years 1986-1988 on audits of IRS Criminal Investigation Division efforts to close the tax gap.)
https://www.myleaderpaper.com/news/national/irs-tax-gap-grows-to-600-billion-as-doge-looks-for-savings/article_e3f7dd85-5ace-5b39-a934-9d543adda481.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: As billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency take a look at one of the federal government’s most-disliked agencies, the Internal Revenue Service, some point to a persistent problem: the tax gap. The tax gap is the difference between what taxpayers pay the IRS voluntarily and on time and what they actually owe the IRS. The projected annual gross tax gap for tax year 2022 was $696 billion, with about $90 billion of that paid late or through IRS enforcement, according to the IRS. The problem has been around for decades and is growing. From 2014 to 2016, the IRS estimated the tax gap was about $496 billion each year, according to a 2024 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.)
ABP
— How Big A Problem Are Illegal Indians For US? 11 Insights From Johns Hopkins Study.
https://news.abplive.com/news/world/how-big-problem-illegal-indians-us-11-insights-johns-hopkins-study-1752190
