October 30, 2025 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— DHS Secretary Noem rejects Gov. Pritzker’s calls for pause in immigration operations over Halloween. Illinois lawmakers pushing ahead with legislation to curb illegal ICE activity. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly call everything that ICE does illegal.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-immigration-operations-dhs-secretary-kristi-noem-speak-gary-indiana-thursday/18089639/
— Pritzker signs order supporting Illinois residents who rely on SNAP benefits. Nearly two million people in Illinois use SNAP benefits. DD: Under the Democrats, more and more and more people will be on SNAP.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/snap-food-aid-shutdown-governor-jb-pritzker-sign-order-supporting-illinois-residents-rely-benefits/18089802/
— DD: The Democrat news media can and does turn Americans against just about everything that Trump does or does not do.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/americans-largely-oppose-trump-tearing-down-white-house-east-wing-ballroom-poll/18090583/

NBC5
— Noem reacts to Pritzker request to pause immigration enforcement for Halloween. Pritzker asked feds to pause enforcement for the weekend, but federal officials have indicated no intention to do so.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/noem-reacts-to-pritzker-request-to-pause-immigration-enforcement-for-halloween/3845735/
— Suburban food pantries step up operations as SNAP benefits paused. Some restaurants are also offering free meals to SNAP holders as those benefits are paused this weekend. DD: Under the Democrats, more and more and more people will be on SNAP.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/suburban-food-pantries-step-up-operations-as-snap-benefits-paused/3845691/

CBS2
— Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino sits for deposition over agency’s actions in Chicago
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/border-patrol-cmdr-gregory-bovino-deposition-chicago/
— Kristi Noem providing update on “Operation Midway Blitz” in Gary, Indiana
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/kristi-noem-midway-blitz-gary-indiana/

FOX32
— Request denied for immigration operations pause during Halloween in Illinois
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/request-denied-immigration-operations-pause-during-halloween-illinois

WTTW
— DD: Democrat leaders use Halloween to promote more hatred against Republicans.
https://news.wttw.com/2025/10/30/chicagoans-come-together-help-kids-feel-safe-celebrating-halloween-amid-immigration
https://news.wttw.com/2025/10/30/pritzker-denounces-ramped-aggressive-immigration-enforcement-raids-calls-federal-agents

WBEZ
— DD: Under the Democrats, more and more and more people will be on SNAP.
https://www.wbez.org/politics/2025/10/30/snap-government-shutdown-november-1-food-pantries-hunger-medicaid-republicans-democrats-trump
— Illinois grad rate hits new high even as ACT scores lag and students continue to miss class. DD: My critics/opponents have always used my low ACT score of 24 against me. I spent far too many hours washing dishes for the minimum wage in the basement of the S.S. Kresge in Chicago Heights instead of studying. I used the money that I earned to buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint, a poor man’s GTO, to get to/from my parents’ home in Crete and classes at UIC.
https://www.wbez.org/education/2025/10/30/illinois-test-scores-state-report-card-graduation-rate-absenteeism-chicago-public-schools
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Chicago Public Schools, where graduation rates have also climbed, had a particularly low average ACT score. It was 15.1 in English Language Arts and 15.8 in math. That was down from a composite score of 18.4 in 2016. Nationally, the average ACT composite score was 19.4 this year.)
— DHS has arrested people filming their agents, and Sens. Duckworth, Durbin say those arrests must stop. In a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the senators demand that she keep federal agents from arresting people who are simply exercising “a core First Amendment right.” DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote obstruction of justice.
https://www.wbez.org/immigration/2025/10/30/dhs-kristi-noem-tammy-duckworth-dick-durbin-ice-agents-filming-arrests

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Kristi Noem, Gov. Mike Braun talk ICE, ISP partnership in Gary
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/30/kristi-noem-gov-mike-braun-talk-ice-isp-partnership-in-gary/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote obstruction of justice.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/30/pepper-spray-immigration-aurora/
— Trump sets 7,500 annual limit for refugees entering US. It’ll be mostly white South Africans. DD: White South Africans should be advised that Democrats will do everything that they can to destroy them.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/30/trump-sets-7500-annual-limit-for-refugees-entering-us-itll-be-mostly-white-south-africans/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Under the Democrats, more and more and more people will be on SNAP.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/2025/10/29/where-to-find-chicago-area-food-pantries-if-snap-goes-away
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, unmarried, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2025/10/30/department-of-labor-donald-trump-memes-social-media

DAILY HERALD
— DuPage County Board members balk at clerk’s request for more funding
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251030/local-politics/dupage-county-board-members-balk-at-clerks-request-for-more-funding/
— Suspects fleeing immigration officials caught entering Warren High School in Gurnee
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251030/crime/suspects-fleeing-immigration-officials-caught-entering-warren-high-school-in-gurnee/

NEWS CHANNEL 20
— Illinois treasurer pledges $50M for loans to unpaid federal workers during shutdown. DD: I was a federal worker for almost 30 years. Federal workers have always been demonized, denigrated, and condemned as being grossly overpaid and that their benefits are far too generous.
https://newschannel20.com/news/local/illinois-treasurer-pledges-50m-for-loans-to-unpaid-federal-workers-during-shutdown

WRTV
— DHS announces arrest of 146 truck drivers on northwest Indiana highways
https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/dhs-announces-arrest-of-146-truck-drivers-on-northwest-indiana-highways

ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO
— Cost of marketplace health plans to soar in 2026. DD: The federal government paying 72% of my health care insurance premiums since 1966 and paying 72% of my wife’s health care insurance premiums since 1978 helped me endure my Democrat superiors wasting my career, taking many big adverse actions against me, and forcing me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.
https://www.stlpr.org/health-science-environment/2025-10-30/marketplace-health-plan-costs-soar-2026-illinois-hit-hard

ELMHURST PATCH
— Elmhurst Politico Ducks ICE Resolution Vote. The DuPage County Board majority condemned the federal agency’s actions.
https://patch.com/illinois/elmhurst/elmhurst-politico-ducks-ice-resolution-vote

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Illinois school report card continues to show wide achievement gaps
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/illinois-school-report-card-continues-to-show-wide-achievement-gaps/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The 2025 report card shows more than half of all students (52.4%) scored proficient or better on English language arts exams, but only 38% met grade-level proficiency standards for math.)

ILLINOIS
— Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs Announces $50 Million Loan Program to Help Federal Workers During Shutdown. DD: I was a federal worker for almost 30 years. Federal workers have always been demonized, denigrated, and condemned as being grossly overpaid and that their benefits are far too generous.
https://www.illinois.gov/news/release.html?releaseid=31861

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/10/30/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-414/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— How the Crystal Lake Park District Intends to Spend the Four Cent Tax Rate the Legislature Did Not Put Under the Property Tax Cap
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/10/30/how-the-crystal-lake-park-district-intends-to-spend-the-four-cent-tax-rate-the-legislature-did-not-put-under-the-property-tax-cap/
— McLaughlin Slams Dem’s Energy Bill
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/10/30/mclaughlin-slams-dems-energy-bill/
— State Treasurer Offers Low/No Interest Loans to Federal Employees
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/10/30/state-treasurer-offers-low-no-interest-loans-to-federal-employees/
— Denial of Federal Disaster Aid Could Be Appealed, If Those Who Didn’t Report Damage Do So
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/10/30/denial-of-federal-disaster-aid-could-be-appealed-if-those-who-didnt-report-damage-do-so/

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— An Illinois wealth tax would be a legal disaster.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/an-illinois-wealth-tax-would-be-a-legal-disaster/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Staffing shortage at Reagan National affects senators trying to fly home amid shutdown impasse. DD: While I worked for GAO 1980-1997, I often used the Reagan for job meetings and training in DC.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/oct/30/staffing-shortage-reagan-national-affects-senators-trying-fly-home/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Liberals are all mean girls now
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/faith-freedom-self-reliance/3869731/liberals-are-all-mean-girls-now/

NEW YORK POST
— DHS will no longer automatically renew work permits for migrants
https://nypost.com/2025/10/30/us-news/dhs-will-no-longer-automatically-renew-work-permits-for-immigrants/

BREITBART
— Ignored Officers in Democrat Cities Fed Up with Illegals Getting Billions in Funds
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/10/30/police-group-ignored-officers-democrat-cities-fed-up-illegals-getting-billions-funds/

DAILY CALLER
— Ed Dept To End Loan Forgiveness For Orgs Who Want To Trans Kids, Aid Illegals
https://dailycaller.com/2025/10/30/ed-dept-to-end-loan-forgiveness-for-orgs-who-want-to-trans-kids-aid-illegals/

FOX NEWS
— ‘Gen Z’ Dem candidate charged with interfering with ICE posted video of herself in mob blocking unmarked SUV. Kat Abughazaleh faces federal charges of conspiracy and impeding federal officers during September protest.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/gen-z-dem-candidate-charged-interfering-ice-posted-video-herself-mob-blocking-unmarked-suv

HOMELAND SECURITY
— Secretary Noem Highlights More than 140 Illegal Alien Truck Drivers Arrested During Operation Midway Blitz. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens if they could have.
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/10/30/secretary-noem-highlights-more-140-illegal-alien-truck-drivers-arrested-during

NEWSMAX
— Drastically Shrink Govt, or Keep it Shutdown
https://www.newsmax.com/ericgolub/butler-democrats-scalise/2025/10/30/id/1232521/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CNN
— DD: Democrat leaders blame Trump for their shutdown
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-government-shutdown-news-10-30-25

MSNBC
— DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens if they could have.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/jd-vance-makes-clear-conservative-event-s-legal-immigration-rcna240763

NEW YORK TIMES
— After Charlie Kirk’s Death, Brilyn Hollyhand Steps Into the Ring
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/style/brilyn-hollyhand-charlie-kirk-young-republicans.html
— DD: Democrat leaders blame Trump for their shutdown
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/us/politics/democrats-republicans-shutdown-impasse.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders blame Trump for their shutdown
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/30/trump-shutdown-blame-poll/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Federal Reserve to Reduce Bank Supervision Staff by 30%. DD: I worked on audits of bank supervision for 10 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO.
https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/federal-reserve-to-reduce-bank-supervision-staff-by-30-84fcd65f

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— DD: Democrat leaders blame Trump for their shutdown
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/10/shutdown-double-whammy-snap-food-benefits-ending-and-federal-workers-go-unpaid/409160/?oref=ge-featured-river-secondary

BUZZFEED
— 14 Jobs That Are Shockingly Underpaid, And 7 Jobs That Are Very, Very Overpaid. DD: I was a federal employee for almost 30 years. Federal employees have always been demonized, denigrated, and condemned as being grossly overpaid and that their benefits are far too generous. In today’s dollars, when I was 49 years old in 1997, my GAO GS-13 Step 10 salary was $153,151/year. But to get that salary, I had passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970. I had worked for GAO for almost 18 years and for IRS for almost 9 years before that. I had earned a job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970 and job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997. I had earned job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. I had earned a job-related professional license in 1981.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/lizmrichardson/most-overpaid-jobs-underpaid-jobs
(FROM THE ARTICLE: OVERPAID: “Government employees. I live in the DC area. The Government offices here are very top-heavy (over GS-13 and GS-14), and so many staff members make over six figures for very little responsibility. In many offices, people get into work anytime between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., but they all leave between 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. On Fridays, they sometimes just all leave after lunch.”)

PBS
— DD: Democrat leaders blame Trump for their shutdown
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/medicare-patients-go-without-needed-treatment-as-government-shutdown-disrupts-telehealth

AXIOS
— DD: I was a federal worker for almost 30 years. Federal workers have always been demonized, denigrated, and condemned as being grossly overpaid and that their benefits are far too generous.
https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/10/30/government-shutdown-free-food-federal-workers-snap

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.