January 26, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for ICE shootings.  Those who reject America’s immigration laws use enforcement tragedies to fight America’s immigration laws.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/minneapolis-shooting-anti-ice-protests-held-downtown-chicago-federal-agent-killing-alex-pretti-minnesota/18472513/

CBS2
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for ICE shootings. Those who reject America’s immigration laws use enforcement tragedies to fight America’s immigration laws.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/protesters-gather-rally-against-federal-agents-trump-admin-loop/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders use polar bears to promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/26/brookfield-zoo-leads-effort-to-protect-polar-bears-as-trump-opens-arctic-refuge-to-oil-drilling/

CHICAGO SUN_TIMES
— ‘Clean Slate’ law helps former inmates find work while boosting Illinois’ economy. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors not only did not help me find work after they forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, they did everything that they could to stop me from finding work. It was easy for them. They stressed a) that they had always ranked me at the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, b) that they delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13, c) that they kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for them, and d) that they forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-the-editor/2026/01/26/clean-slate-act-former-inmates-independents-libertarians-trump-greenland-bears

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE WITH PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly call Republicans Nazis. I am 100% German American. I have always stressed that my grandfather on my father’s fought the Germans in WWI, that my uncles on my mother’s side fought the Germans in WWII, and that my father would have fought the Germans in WWII if he had not been 4-F.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260125/news/remembrance-is-an-act-of-moral-courage-holocaust-memorial-sign-dedicated-in-northbrook/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that if you vote for Democrats, soon, your healthcare will be free.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/crains-forum-safety-net-hospitals/safety-net-hospitals-set-lose-critical-lifeline

WGLT
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for ICE shootings.  Those who reject America’s immigration laws use enforcement tragedies to fight America’s immigration laws.
https://www.wglt.org/2026-01-25/videos-challenge-the-trump-administrations-account-of-the-minneapolis-killing
https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-01-25/rep-lahood-calls-latest-minneapolis-shooting-deeply-concerning-and-demands-local-and-state-role-in-investigation

NAPERVILLE PUBLIC TELEVISION
— DuPage County Clerk files appeal on rulings; County Board weighs in
https://www.nctv17.org/news/dupage-county-clerk-files-appeal-on-rulings-county-board-weighs-in/

CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION
— Join our People Over Billionaires action this Wednesday. DD: To get more votes from those who have less money than others, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly demonize, denigrate, and condemn those who have more money than others. It is called class warfare.
https://www.ctulocal1.org/posts/join-our-people-over-billionaires-action-this-wednesday/

AXIOS CHICAGO
— Illinois faces funding threat over abortion referral law
https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/01/26/illinois-abortion-law-trump-funding-threat

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Minnesota shooting puts Illinois politics on edge
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/01/26/ice-shooting-puts-illinois-politics-on-edge-00746036
(FROM THE NEWSLETTER: Illinois GOP governor’s race: Former state Sen. Darren Bailey and former Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski didn’t respond to a request for comment about the developments in Minneapolis. Businessman Rick Heidner’s campaign pointed to a statement he posted Jan. 15, urging Trump to “immediately invoke the Insurrection Act and restore order in Minnesota.” Sanctuary status: DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick blamed sanctuary status laws, which prevent police officers from assisting in federal immigration enforcement. He said, if ICE were allowed in Illinois’ jail system, for example, “it wouldn’t otherwise have the manpower to do proactive raids” because they would be visiting 92 correctional facilities across the state. Echoing that: President Donald Trump blamed sanctuary laws for the Minneapolis protests and late Sunday called on Congress to “immediately pass legislation to END” sanctuary status. . .Jim Oberweis and Catalina Lauf, who previously ran for congressional seats in Illinois, are running for a Florida congressional seat.)

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Secret recordings reveal Cruz ripping Trump and Vance to donors
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/4432782/secret-recordings-ted-cruz-trump-vance-donors/

NEW YORK POST
— More martyrs for cynical Dems after fatal Alex Pretti shooting. DD: Those who reject America’s immigration laws use enforcement tragedies to fight America’s immigration laws.
https://nypost.com/2026/01/25/opinion/miranda-devine-more-martyrs-for-cynical-dems-after-alex-pretti-shooting/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Minnesota Shows Why the Left Will Win America’s 2026 Civil War. The saddest thing about this is that the Republicans will work with the left to ensure Democrat victory. DD: Democrat leaders have declared a Second Civil War against Republicans. Their illegals are their soldiers in their Democrat Army.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/01/minnesota_shows_why_the_left_will_win_america_s_2026_civil_war.html

BREITBART
— Tim Walz Compares ICE Enforcing U.S. Immigration Laws to Nazi Germany. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly equate their illegals with their runaway slaves and Jews in Germany under Hitler.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/01/25/tim-walz-compares-ice-enforcing-u-s-immigration-laws-to-nazi-germany/
—  GOP Probes How Democrats Use Illegals and Refugees to Rig Elections
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/01/19/nolte-gop-probes-how-democrats-use-illegals-and-refugees-to-rig-elections/

COLLEGE FIX
— Trump administration abandons court fight to ban DEI in schools and universities. DD: My critics/opponents have always used Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of me.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/trump-administration-abandons-court-fight-to-ban-dei-in-schools-and-universities/

DAILY WIRE
— Tim Walz Compares Immigration Agents To Nazis, Says Minnesota Is Home To New ‘Anne Frank’ Story. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly equate their illegals with their runaway slaves and Jews in Germany under Hitler.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/tim-walz-compares-immigration-agents-to-nazis-says-minnesota-is-home-to-new-anne-frank-story

FOX NEWS
— White House accuses Walz of undermining law enforcement, blocking ICE cooperation
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-accuses-walz-undermining-law-enforcement-blocking-ice-cooperation.print
— The far-left network that helped put Alex Pretti in harm’s way, then made him a martyr. Encrypted Signal messages show ‘rapid responders’ mobilized demonstrators to harass federal agents, then socialist groups capitalized on killing to foment protests. DD: Those who reject America’s immigration laws use enforcement tragedies to fight America’s immigration laws.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/far-left-network-helped-put-alex-pretti-harms-way-made-him-martyr
— Greenland is ‘unsecure’ because Denmark ‘cannot afford’ to protect it.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6388307346112

NEWSMAX
— Trump Issues Urgent Call: End Obstruction, Sanctuary Cities
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/donald-trump-ice-enforcement/2026/01/25/id/1243499/

TOWNHALL
— It’s Time to End ICE Enforcement in Blue States. DD: I vehemently disagree.
https://townhall.com/columnists/scottmorefield/2026/01/26/its-time-to-end-ice-enforcement-in-blue-states-n2670056

WESTERN JOURNAL
— Omar Calls Border Patrol Shooting ‘Execution,’ Demands ICE Give Up Arresting Violent Illegals and Leave Minnesota
https://www.westernjournal.com/omar-calls-border-patrol-shooting-execution-demands-ice-give-arresting-violent-illegals-leave-minnesota/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— DD: Democrat leaders have declared a Second Civil War against Republicans. Their illegals are their soldiers in their Democrat Army.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5705837-greene-maga-shooting-minnesota/

CNN
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for ICE shootings. Those who reject America’s immigration laws use enforcement tragedies to fight America’s immigration laws.
https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/minneapolis-shooting-ice-protests-01-25-26
https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minneapolis-shooting-ice-protests-01-25-26?post-id=cmktu90zl00053b6qleh6xakk

AOL
— Paycheck to paycheck: A quarter of US households struggling to cover essentials. DD: Because I have never had to struggle to cover essentials, my critics/opponents have always demonized me, denigrated me, and condemned me as being privileged and filthy rich. In my defense, I stress that I a) did yard work 1962-1964, b) delivered newspapers 1962-1966, c) washed dishes 1964-1966, d) cleaned golf shoes and chipped slag in 1966, e) pumped gasoline in 1966, 1971, and 1972, f) delivered mail 1966-1969, g) worked on an automobile assembly line in 1970, h) sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances in 1971 and 1972, i) collected delinquent taxes for IRS 1971-1980, and j) audited federal agencies for GAO 1980-1997. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on those whose parents had the most money.
https://www.aol.com/articles/paycheck-paycheck-quarter-us-households-153346010.html
— The biggest trend in Gen Z dating is the search for a steady life with financial stability. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage. What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary for the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.aol.com/articles/biggest-trend-gen-z-dating-000801733.html

REUTERS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for ICE shootings. Those who reject America’s immigration laws use enforcement tragedies to fight America’s immigration laws.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/federal-officials-dig-minneapolis-shooting-narrative-despite-video-evidence-2026-01-25/

NEWSWEEK
— DD: To get more and more and more citizens of foreign countries to come to America, Democrat and RINO leaders give them more and more and more welfare and preference over citizens of America. Democrat leaders because they vote for Democrats. RINO leaders because they want cheap labor.
https://www.newsweek.com/benefits-stripped-non-us-citizens-proposed-bill-11411452
— Kash Patel Sparks Fury From Gun Rights Groups Over Alex Pretti Remarks
https://www.newsweek.com/kash-patel-sparks-fury-from-gun-rights-groups-over-alex-pretti-remarks-11415842
(FROM THE ARTICLE: National Association for Gun Rights questioned Patel’s comments in a post on X, writing “carrying a magazine implies nothing.” “Holsters designed to carry spare magazines are common and widely sold. Training resources and guides across the internet actively recommend it. Thousands of law-abiding Americans do this every day. This is standard, not overkill,” it said. “Claiming otherwise sets a dangerous precedent for Second Amendment rights and creates an easy backdoor argument for magazine bans and similar legislation.” The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus also countered Patel’s remarks, writing on X: “This is completely incorrect on Minnesota law. There is no prohibition on a permit holder carrying a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines at a protest or rally in Minnesota.”)

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for ICE shootings. Those who reject America’s immigration laws use enforcement tragedies to fight America’s immigration laws.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/us/politics/minneapolis-killing-trump-defiant-response.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/us/politics/bill-cassidy-minneapolis-investigation.html
— America Is Waving the White Flag in the New Cold War. DD: In WWIII, which countries will side with China and Russia against America?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/opinion/us-china-cold-war-tariffs-trump.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for ICE shootings. Those who reject America’s immigration laws use enforcement tragedies to fight America’s immigration laws.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/01/24/minneapolis-shooting/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/01/25/live-updates-minneapolis-shooting-alex-pretti/
— Trump tries to reset — again — on affordability. DD: My critics/opponents have always stressed a) what 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/2026/01/26/trump-affordability-midterms/

USA TODAY
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly turn the Pope against America.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/01/21/catholic-church-trump-administration-at-odds/88275266007/

ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION
— DD: Democrats and RINOs use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans who are conservative, White, male, older, non-veteran, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.ajc.com/opinion/2026/01/civil-rights-act-of-1964-is-under-attack-history-shows-why-us-still-needs-it/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The Fraud Allegations That Fueled Minneapolis’s Immigration Crackdown
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/minneapolis-shooting-alex-pretti/card/the-fraud-allegations-that-fueled-minneapolis-s-immigration-crackdown-ugSjlp88fGudvEDX0Hvd
— Trump Says Administration Is ‘Reviewing Everything’ About Minneapolis Shooting
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-says-administration-is-reviewing-everything-about-minneapolis-shooting-a501f48e
— Is a Four-Year Degree Worth It? DD: If I had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business from NIU in 1970, Firestone Stores would not have hired me in 1970 and IRS would not have hired me in 1971. If I had not been taking graduate evening business courses, IRS would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had not earned an MBA in 1976, GAO would not have hired me in 1980.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/is-a-four-year-degree-worth-it-6af09e3b
— DD: WSJ sides with Democrat leaders and with Pretti
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/time-for-ice-to-pause-in-minneapolis-e9ecf097

MINNESOTA HOUSING NEWS
— Hotline operators report flood of calls for rental assistance as residents hide during ICE surge. DD: How many illegals are hiding from ICE in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/23/tenant-advocates-hope-for-eviction-moratorium-during-ice-surge

FED SMITH
— DD: My retirement income and savings are dramatically less because my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.fedsmith.com/2024/07/17/can-federal-employees-retire-on-600k-in-tsp/

PBS
— Supreme Court case on Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook. DD: Trump will win if the Supreme Court goes with the decision in Diersen v. GAO.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/listen-live-supreme-court-case-on-trumps-attempt-to-fire-federal-reserve-board-member-lisa-cook

HUFFINGTON POST
— Minnesota Governor Likens State’s Immigration Crackdown To Nazi Occupation. “We have got children in Minnesota hiding in their houses, afraid to go outside,” the governor said during a Sunday speech. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly equate their illegals with their runaway slaves and Jews in Germany under Hitler.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tim-walz-anne-frank-minnesota-immigration-raids_n_69769a2de4b00d7771d76ce3

BEAST
— DD: Democrat leaders have declared a Second Civil War against Republicans. Their illegals are their soldiers in their Democrat Army.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/ice-civil-war-breaks-out-over-bogus-claims-about-icu-nurse/

DAILY KOS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote their martyr Alex Pretti. Those who reject America’s immigration laws use enforcement tragedies to fight America’s immigration laws.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/25/2365438/-I-Will-Honor-Our-Martyr-Alex-Pretti

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

GUARDIAN
— DD: Democrat leaders have declared a Second Civil War against Republicans. Their illegals are their soldiers in their Democrat Army.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/25/minneapolis-shooting-ice-trump-analysis
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for ICE shootings.  Those who reject America’s immigration laws use enforcement tragedies to fight America’s immigration laws.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/26/trump-administration-alex-pretti-shooting-statements

AL JAZEERA
— DD: Democrat leaders have declared a Second Civil War against Republicans. Their illegals are their soldiers in their Democrat Army.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/1/25/minneapolis-live-us-federal-agents-shoot-dead-nurse-alex-pretti

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.