January 27, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCS

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Soon, under Illinois Democrats, everyone in Illinois will be a) handing out welfare and/or b) receiving welfare.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/2025/10/29/where-to-find-chicago-area-food-pantries-if-snap-goes-away

DAILY HERALD
— DD: Democrat leaders do everything that they can a) to flood America with their illegals and b) to fight their deportation.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260127/nation-and-world/trumps-immigration-crackdown-led-to-drop-in-us-growth-rate-last-year-as-population-hit-342-million/

RIVERSIDE BROOKFIELD LANDMARK
— Former Riverside police chief  Tom Weitzel honored by conservative advocacy group A wake Illinois. Village officials stress that Weitzel does not speak for them.


PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— DD: The mainstream news media exists to drive Trump’s approval rating down.
https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/politics/government/2026/01/27/trump-immigration-approval-drops-following-minnesota-ice-shootings-illinois-ratings/88380039007/

STATELINE
— Immigration drops shift population, political power to Texas and Florida. Southern states saw largest gains, while California saw the steepest drop.
https://stateline.org/2026/01/27/immigration-drops-shift-population-political-power-to-texas-and-florida/

CITIES 92.9
— More Illinois Catholic schools close; candidates call for change
https://www.cities929.com/2026/01/27/more-illinois-catholic-schools-close-candidates-call-for-change/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/27/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-456/
— Heidner questions Trump 2024 Illinois election results, insinuates undocumented voters put Harris over the top
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/27/heidner-questions-trump-2024-illinois-election-results-insinuates-undocumented-voters-put-harris-over-the-top/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Transgender-skeptical liberals fight Illinois law blocking ‘Democrat’ in group name
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/27/transgender-skeptical-liberals-fight-illinois-law-blocking-democrat/
— End the American Bar Association’s grip on law schools, It’s no neutral referee.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/27/end-american-bar-associations-grip-law-schools/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Trump flexes clout against Indiana foes as affordability and deportation headwinds grow
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/4436051/trump-flexes-clout-against-indiana-foes-as-affordability-and-deportation-headwinds-grow/

NEW YORK POST
— Pritzker says US under Trump is worse than COVID-19 pandemic — where people died ‘in droves’
https://nypost.com/2026/01/27/us-news/jb-pritzker-says-us-under-trump-is-worse-than-covid-19-pandemic-where-people-died-in-droves/

AMERICAN GREATNESS
— How the Pro-Family Movement is Failing in America. The pro-family establishment’s half-measures on the LGBT agenda only accelerate cultural decline, while real reform demands total resistance and no compromise in schools.
https://amgreatness.com/2026/01/27/how-the-pro-family-movement-is-failing-in-america/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Who needs to carry all that ammunition?
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/who_needs_to_carry_all_that_ammunition.html
— Did anyone realize the significance of the gun Alex Pretti was carrying?
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/did_anyone_realize_the_significance_of_the_gun_alex_pretti_was_carrying.html
— Running Saul Alinsky’s playbook in Minneapolis. Those enforcing the law are blamed, those breaking it are excused, and the public is told that the only way to stop the disorder is to surrender authority. DD: My critics/opponents are disciples of Saul Alinsky.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/running_saul_alinsky_s_playbook_in_minneapolis.html
— 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 their victory.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/01/minnesota_shows_why_the_left_will_win_america_s_2026_civil_war.html

BLAZE
— Alex Pretti broke a rib in a previous altercation with feds a week before he died
https://www.theblaze.com/news/alex-pretti-broke-ribs-previous

BREITBART
— Anti-Trump Democrats Seek Office in States That Backed Trump
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/01/26/anti-trump-democrats-seek-office-states-backed-trump/amp/

DAILY WIRE
— Teachers Unions Shut Down Minnesota Schools For Activism. Minnesota’s education system Is producing activists, not students.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/teachers-unions-shut-down-minnesota-schools-for-activism

FEDERALIST
— Trump Is Letting Tim Walz Beat Him In Minneapolis
https://thefederalist.com/2026/01/27/trump-is-letting-tim-walz-beat-him-in-minneapolis/
— Tim Walz Cannot Be Trusted To ‘Cooperate’ On Immigration Enforcement
https://thefederalist.com/2026/01/27/tim-walz-cannot-be-trusted-to-cooperate-on-immigration-enforcement/

FOX NEWS
— Chicago teacher placed on leave after Facebook post supporting ICE sparks outrage from activists. The school district confirmed that the teacher was placed on leave on Monday.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/chicago-teacher-placed-on-leave-after-facebook-post-supporting-ice-sparks-outrage-from-activists
— Canada is a small power biting the hand that protects it. How unfortunate for our friends up north to be led by a banker who thinks he can reorder the world.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/morning-glory-canada-small-power-biting-hand-protects

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Dozens of Rioters Arrested Outside Minnesota Hotel Where ICE Agents Supposedly Stay
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/01/dozens-of-rioters-arrested-outside-minnesota-hotel-where-ice-agents-supposedly-stay/

MEGYN KELLY
— Megyn Slams the Outrageous Actions of Leftists Trying to Disrupt Immigration Enforcement in Minnesota
https://www.megynkelly.com/2026/01/26/megyn-kelly-slams-reaction-to-alex-pretti-shooting-in-minnesota/

PJ MEDIA
— Alex Pretti Committed Previous Felony on Officers Before Deadly Attack
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/01/27/alex-pretti-committed-previous-assault-on-officers-before-deadly-attack-n4948803

TOWNHALL
— What Happened in Minneapolis Is Part of the Left’s Plan
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2026/01/27/what-happened-in-minneapolis-is-part-of-the-lefts-plan-n2670115
— The Trans Trend May Be Dying. But the Fallout Is Just Beginning.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/01/27/the-coming-trans-fall-out-n2670149

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— ICE agent charged with misdemeanor after altercation with activist in Illinois
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5709241-ice-officer-altercation-activist/

CNBC
— Musk’s $1 trillion pay package renews focus on soaring CEO compensation. DD: Ever since I became a part-time postal employee when I was 18 years old in 1966, my critics/opponents have ever-increasingly demonized me, denigrated me, and condemned me as having been grossly overpaid. In today’s dollars, my Post Office, IRS, and GAO salary increased from $19.57/hour to $154,682/year in 1997. In my defense, during that time, I earned 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.cnbc.com/2026/01/24/musks-1-trillion-pay-package-renews-focus-on-rising-ceo-compensation.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders do everything that they can a) to flood America with their illegals and b) to fight their deportation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/us/politics/minnesota-politics-immigration-trump.html

WSLS
— Yale to waive all costs for new undergraduates from families earning less than $100,000
https://www.wsls.com/news/politics/2026/01/27/yale-to-waive-all-costs-for-new-undergraduates-from-families-earning-less-than-100000/

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— Ahead of filing season, IRS scraps customer service metric it’s used for 20 years. DD: In 1974, when I was a newly promoted 25-year-old GS-11 (currently $83,482/year) IRS Revenue Officer, I was responsible for IRS answering all the calls that came into IRS’s new Centiphone automated answering system in downtown Chicago. I supervised the operation’s entire staff which included a rotating staff of about 90 IRS Revenue Agent trainees. Because of my job performance, the IRS manager who had given me that developmental opportunity and who had promoted me in 1972 and 1973 promoted me to GS-12 (currently $100,059/year) in 1974.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/management/2026/01/ahead-of-filing-season-irs-scraps-customer-service-metric-its-used-for-20-years/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The IRS and the Treasury Department did not respond to requests for comment. Bisignano told the Washington Post that the new metrics will track the agency’s average speed to answer incoming calls, call abandonment rates and the amount of time taxpayers spend on the line with the agency. He told the Post that the agency’s old phone metrics didn’t help the IRS with its mission of solving taxpayers’ problems — and that the agency is investing in technology to better service its customers. “We’re constantly investing in technology. We constantly must reap the rewards of it,” Bisignano told the Post. The IRS is specifically sunsetting its Customer Service Representative Level of Service metric. The agency has used this metric for more than 20 years. But the National Taxpayer Advocate, an independent watchdog within the IRS, told Congress last year that this metric is “misleading” and “does not accurately reflect the experience of most taxpayers who call” the agency. National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins wrote in last year’s mid-year report to Congress that this Level of Service (LOS) metric only reflects calls coming into IRS accounts management phone lines, which make up only about 25% of the agency’s total call volume. Using the LOS metric, the IRS achieved an 88% level of phone service in fiscal 2024. But IRS employees actually answered less than a third of calls received during the 2024 filing season — both in terms of total calls, and calls to accounts management phone lines. The agency calculates its LOS metric by taking the percentage of phone calls answered by IRS employees and dividing it by the number of calls routed to IRS staff. The IRS relies on this metric, as well as historical data on call volumes, to set targets for how many calls it has the capacity to answer, and to set hiring and training goals in preparation for each tax filing season.)

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.