January 21, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— DHS increasing self-deportation stipend from $1,000 to $2,600. DD: How many will come to America illegally to get a stipend to go back home?
https://abc7chicago.com/post/dhs-increasing-deportation-stipend-1000-2600/18444117/

NBC5
— Here’s who’s running for governor of Illinois in the 2026 election
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/heres-whos-running-for-governor-of-illinois-in-the-2026-election/3879200/
— ICE officers authorized to enter homes without a judge’s warrant ICE memo says. The memo authorizes ICE officers to use force to enter a residence based solely on a more narrow administrative warrant to arrest someone with a final order of removal.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/ice-officers-enter-homes-without-warrant-memo/3879382/

CBS2
— U.S. Rep. for Illinois Robin Kelly has introduced an amendment to the defense funding  bill to prevent President Trump from taking over Greenland.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/illinois-rep-robin-kelly-amendment-prevent-trump-greenland-takeover/
— Bremen High School students in Midlothian launch closet to help students in need. DD: Back in the good old days, back in the 1950s and 1960s, extremely few of my grade school and high school classmates were in need. Virtually all of them, if not all of them, were products of traditional marriages.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/bremen-high-school-midlothian-closet-students-in-need/

FOX32
— Chicago’s homeless population far higher than official count
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/report-chicago-homeless-population-far-higher-than-official-count

CHICAGO TRIBUNE & CHICAGO SUN-TIMES & WTTW
— Immigration Officers Assert Sweeping Power to Enter Homes Without a Judge’s Warrant. DD: I was an IRS Revenue Officer for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year. According to Google AI: IRS Revenue Officers are specialized, field-based personnel who handle high-priority, complex, and delinquent tax cases, exercising broad, legally authorized enforcement powers to secure payments. These officers possess greater discretion and authority compared to automated systems, allowing them to take direct, in-person action. Core Collection Powers  Levies and Seizures: They can place levies on bank accounts, investment funds, and wages, and have the authority to seize property to satisfy tax debts. Summons Authority: Under IRC 7602(a), they may issue a summons to the taxpayer or third parties (banks, employers, etc.) to produce books, papers, or testimony, a power upheld by the Supreme Court. Liens: They can file a Notice of Federal Tax Lien, which acts as a public claim against a taxpayer’s property. Direct Interaction: They can visit a taxpayer’s home or place of business to demand payment or investigate financial situations. Employment Tax Enforcement: They are specifically assigned to cases involving unpaid payroll tax deposits.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/immigration-officers-entering-homes-warrant/
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/01/21/immigration-customs-enforcement-warrant-memo
https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/21/immigration-officers-assert-sweeping-power-enter-homes-without-judge-s-warrant-memo-says
— DD: Anticipate/expect that Democrat leaders will ever-increasingly flood their day care centers and their churches with their illegals.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/minnesota-st-paul-cities-church-renee-good-protesters/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Judge denies former Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau’s attempt to dismiss order regarding his political blog
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/judge-denies-orland-park-mayor-keith-pekau/
— Chicago paid $26.5M in OT to ineligible employees
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/chicago-26-5-million-overtime-ineligible-employees/
— New Melissa Conyears-Ervin ad in Illinois’ 7th District race highlights federal campaign spending loophole
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/melissa-conyears-ervin-loophole-federal-campaign-spending/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— More than 58,000 Chicagoans were homeless in 2024. DD: The Democrat Party platform destroys traditional marriage and family, that is, it promotes homelessness.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/2026/01/21/more-than-58-000-chicagoans-experienced-homelessness-new-report-says
— DD: Soon, under the Democrats, everyone in Illinois will be a) handing out welfare and/or b) receiving welfare.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/01/21/new-snap-work-requirements-cook-county-warn-health-consequences-cut-off-congress-donald-trump-food-stamps
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2026/01/21/congress-must-pass-older-americans-act-reauthorization-meals-services-caregivers-michael-pessman

DAILY HERALD
— What’s the holdup?: Six months in, county is still waiting for an attorney’ general’s ruling with widespread implications
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260121/editorials/daily-herald-opinion-whats-the-holdup-six-months-in-county-is-still-waiting-for-an-attorney-ge/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: DuPage County Board members had good reason to grumble last week as they reflected on a sluggish response from the state attorney general’s office to an appeal regarding the county clerk’s refusal to abide by county purchase and accounting policies. The county’s hit on the legal bills in this yearslong standoff has reached nearly $280,000 and counting, the county already has a judge’s ruling in its favor and the Attorney General’s Office has been doing whatever it is doing in its investigation since last July — without yet even having interviewed the central figure in the case, DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek.)
— Davis, Rice try to differentiate themselves at debate in 8th Congressional District GOP primary
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260121/us-congress-politics/davis-rice-try-to-differentiate-themselves-at-debate-in-8th-congressional-district-gop-primary/

JOURNAL COURIER
— GOP governor hopefuls in unison against sanctuary policies, state spending
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/governor-candidates-sanctuary-policies-state-21307412.php

SOUTHERAN
— DHS increasing self-deportation stipend from $1,000 to $2,600
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2026/01/21/dhs-increasing-self-deportation-stipend-from-1000-to-2600/

CAPITOL CITY NOW
— GOP: You won’t find ‘affordability’ in Dem-run Illinois. McCombie: IL spends big bucks on illegal immigrants while inflation is down 70 percent under Trump.
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-gop-you-wont-find-affordability-in-dem-run-illinois/

DAILY ILLINI
— Champaign protesters rally against Trump administration
https://dailyillini.com/news-stories/champaign-urbana/2026/01/21/champaign-protestors-trump-administration/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/21/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-452/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CHICAGO CONTRARIAN
— Chicago parents expect Chicago Public Schools educators to teach reading, writing, and critical thinking skills — not to use classrooms as staging grounds for foreign and domestic political activism.
https://www.chicagocontrarian.com/blog/cant-spell-sign-dont-wave-chicago-schools

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Jeanne Ives Condemned the Irvin Playbook, Now She’s Using It In The Dabrowski Campaign
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/01/jeanne-ives-condemned-the-irvin-playbook-now-shes-using-it-in-the-dabrowski-campaign.html

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— Weaponized Compassion: How Federal Food Programs Undermine Culture
https://illinoisfamily.org/federal/weaponized-compassion-how-federal-food-programs-undermine-culture/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump calls for ‘immediate’ talks to acquire Greenland. Says Denmark couldn’t defend it in WWII, and can’t protect it now.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/21/trump-calls-immediate-talks-acquire-greenland/
— Vance to visit Minneapolis as tensions rise over ICE operations
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/21/jd-vance-visit-minneapolis-tensions-rise-ice-operations/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— New York Times Hiring a Reporter To Cover US Jews. Expert understanding of Judaism required. DD: What do you have an expert understanding of? I have an expert understanding of how the leaders of the following treat conservatives: Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization.
https://freebeacon.substack.com/p/new-york-times-hiring-a-reporter

NEW YORK POST
— House committee finds Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress after skipping Epstein depositions
https://nypost.com/2026/01/21/us-news/house-committee-finds-bill-and-hillary-clinton-in-contempt-of-congress-after-skipping-epstein-depositions/

BREITBART
— Minnesota AG Keith Ellison Tries to Stop Sheriffs from Turning Criminal Illegal Aliens Over to ICE Agents
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/01/21/minnesota-ag-keith-ellison-tries-to-stop-sheriffs-from-turning-criminal-illegal-aliens-over-to-ice-agents/

EPOCH TIMES
— Trump Right About Arctic Security
https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/trump-right-about-arctic-security-natos-rutte-says-5974139

JUDICIAL WATCH
— Americans Pay Over a Billion Dollars a Year to Subsidize Illegal Aliens’ College Education. DD: Where did the money come from to pay for your college expenses? The money to pay for my bachelor’s degree in 1970 and for my master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997 came from what I earned a) doing yard work 1962-1964, b) delivering newspapers 1962-1966, c) washing dishes 1964-1966, d) cleaning golf shoes and chipping slag in 1966, e) pumping gasoline in 1966, 1971, and 1972, f) delivering mail 1966-1969, g) working on an automobile assembly line in 1970, h) selling tires, automotive services, and major appliances in 1971 and 1972, i) collecting delinquent taxes for IRS 1971-1980, and j) auditing federal agencies for GAO 1980-1997.
https://www.judicialwatch.org/subsidize-illegal-aliens-education/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

MOTLEY FOOL
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for inflation. While I worked for IRS in 1971, my superiors had me make phone calls for 2 weeks as part of Nixon’s “Wage & Price Freeze” program. What has helped you deal with inflation.? For me, it has been COLAs, step increases, and promotions. I have gotten federal wage, Civil Service Retirement System pension, and/or Social Security COLAs almost every year since 1966. I got step increases in 1967, 1968, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979 and 1987-1996. I got promotions in 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1986.
https://www.fool.com/retirement/2026/01/18/im-not-counting-on-social-security-colas-to-carry/

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— New Duckworth Senate bill would bar administration officials from serving as an inspector general. Most IGs confirmed since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term have experience working in his administration. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, I often worked with the Chicago offices of inspector generals. Democrats do not want Republicans to audit Democrats.
https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2026/01/new-senate-bill-would-bar-administration-officials-serving-inspector-general/410829/?oref=ge-author-river

NPR
— How ICE grew to be the highest-funded U.S. law enforcement agency
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/21/nx-s1-5674887/ice-budget-funding-congress-trump

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.