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Archive for the ‘WTF’ Category

 

Juliana Stratton

By Mark Glennon* | Wirepoints

Abdul El-Sayed is unquestionably the most controversial and radical major party candidate in memory to run for the United States Senate, which he is doing in Michigan as a Democrat. He is disavowed even by some fellow Democrats, and his critics on the right routinely call him a jihadist, terrorist, radical Islamist or the like.

Juliana Stratton is now using her campaign fund to help El-Sayad win. She is Illinois’s Democratic candidate for the Senate facing Republican Don Tracy.

Linked here and here are recent campaign blast emails signed by El-Sayed but sent by Stratton’s organization and clearly marked, “Paid for by Juliana Stratton for Illinois.” Unknown at this point is how much further financial support she is providing, but Stratton is clearly helping El-Sayed, financially and otherwise, to some degree.

In the case of El-Sayed, any amount of support would have been unthinkable for Democrats and Republicans alike until the left became the nightmare it is today.

To top it off, Stratton is funded mostly by Gov. JB Pritzker, who has long purported to be a rock solid supporter of Israel’s right to exist. El-Sayed is anything but.

Some background on El-Sayed

For starters, El-Sayed has likened Oklahoma’s Sharia law ban to the Trail of Tears and said that ban and the Oklahoma City bombing are products of “white supremacy.” He is repeatedly criticized for dismissing the importance of the 9/11 attacks on America, saying the war on terror that ensued should have been directed to domestic programs.

He opposes Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state and consistently refuses to say it has a right to exist at all. He would end all military aid not just for Israel but Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. He often condemns terrorism but proceeds to explain it away. After a Muslim terrorist drove a truck full of explosives into a Jewish temple in Michigan this year, for example, he condemned it but said “hurt people hurt people.” He is not a member of the Democratic Socialist party, but supports much of its most controversial agenda, including abolishing ICE (which he says “cannot be reformed”), Medicare for all, ending all military aid for Israel, and housing as a right. “When they go low, we don’t go high. We take them to the mud and choke them out,” Piker has said.

It gets worse: El-Sayed and Hasan Piker

El-Sayed has regularly platformed and campaigned with Hasan Piker, a prominent and open America-hater, radical Islamist and fan of Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong “I say I hate America all the time,” Piker has said. “A lot of motherfuckers want to kill me over that take, but at least I say it with my fucking chest.”

Article continues here.

*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.

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An Illinois neighbor is vying for donations from state residents.

By Hannah Schmid | Illinois Policy Institute

A new local billboard is garnering media attention by advertising that Illinois taxpayers can get a federal income tax credit for donating money to students out of state.

The billboard, in south suburban Chicago near the Indiana border, refers to the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, also known as the Education Freedom Tax Credit. The program offers taxpayers a dollar-for-dollar income tax credit for donations of up to $1,700 per year to qualified scholarship-granting organizations.

Any taxpayer in any state can claim the credit starting in 2027. But only students in states whose governor has opted into the program can benefit from the donated education money.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has not opted Illinois in. Four of Illinois’ neighbors have, including Indiana, where the billboard is advertising Illinoisans to donate scholarship money.

The billboard is correct:

  • If Pritzker opts Illinois in: Donated money flows to eligible Illinois students.
  • If Pritzker does not opt Illinois in: Illinois donors can still claim the federal tax credit by contributing to qualifying scholarship-granting organizations in participating states such as Indiana, but Illinois students cannot receive any of the donated money.

Article continues here.

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Homer Glen announced Monday that it was suspending the use of Flock cameras within its borders pending an investigation after a Will County sheriff’s deputy was placed on administrative leave amid allegations he misused the database of license plate-tracking data.

By Violet Miller | Chicago Sun*Times

Several suburban municipalities are reviewing the use of Flock cameras and placing police officers on leave amid a growing epidemic of alleged police abuse of the vast surveillance system.

Homer Glen announced Monday that it was suspending the use of Flock cameras within its borders “pending final determination of the investigation and review of the Sheriff’s ALPR protocol” after a Will County sheriff’s deputy was placed on administrative leave amid allegations he misused the technology.

“The Village understands that the investigation has to take its course and remains committed to public safety,” it wrote in a statement Monday. “However, given the limited information that has been reported to date, and the privacy concerns at issue, the Village has suspended the utilization of Flock ALPR cameras located within the Village of Homer Glen, pending final determination of the investigation and review of the Sheriff’s ALPR protocol.”

West Chicago is also reviewing its use of Flock cameras after officials announced Tuesday that city police officers may performed unauthorized searches between late 2024 and early 2025 using the technology. The Channahon Police Department is also making a similar review after an investigation found that its officers may have also made unauthorized searches. Officers accused of wrongdoing in each case were placed on administrative leave.

At West Chicago’s request, the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office is investigating alongside an internal inquiry into the officer’s conduct and a review of the safeguards around use of the system, according to a statement from the city.

“[West Chicago] recognizes the broader public concern surrounding the use of automated license plate readers,” the city said in a statement. “These tools have provided important public safety benefits, but their use must be balanced with appropriate safeguards, clear policies, meaningful oversight, and accountability.”

Report continues here.

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The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District (BCFPD) Board of Trustees should be meeting tonight at 6:30 PM at 22222 N. Pepper Road in Lake Barrington according to their website which  states, “Meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of the month.”

No agenda is posted for the August meeting, and the last published agenda is for June. Furthermore, the last time they published an agenda in advance of their monthly meeting was back in April, so that’s four (4) Open Meetings Act violations (so far) this year.

For more information, the district website can be found here or call 224-848-4800.

Related: “Website posting requirements for local governments in Illinois”

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Image courtesy M.A. Rothman

By M.A. Rothman via Facebook

A federal judge just told a teenage girl and her father that under Title IX, she has no right to a bathroom or locker room free of biological boys.

𝐔.𝐒. 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧, nominated by President Obama in 2010 to the Northern District of Illinois, dismissed the lawsuit brought by a student identified only as F.F. and her father, James Ellard Fisher, against 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝟑𝟔𝟓𝐔 in suburban Chicago.*

The family argued the district violated Title IX and the Constitution’s equal protection clause by letting biological male students into girls-only bathrooms and locker rooms. Coleman disagreed, ruling that Illinois law lets schools allow transgender students to use the facilities of their choice, and that federal civil rights law only requires facilities be “𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦” across the sexes, not sex-separated.

Read Rothman’s full post here.

*Valley View Community Unit School District 365U (VVSD) is a large public school district in Will County, Illinois, serving most of Bolingbrook and Romeoville, plus portions of Plainfield, Lockport, and Downers Grove – Wikipedia.

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The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Cult of Barrington Hills will hold a closed session meeting Monday at 6:00 PM. The sole topic on their agenda is:

  • To discuss the purchase or lease of real property for the use of the public body, including meetings held for the purpose of discussing whether a particular parcel should be acquired pursuant to 2(c)(5) of the Open Meetings Act; and to discuss the setting of a price for sale or lease of property owned by the public body pursuant to 2(c)(6) of the Open Meetings Act

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.

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The following was posted late this afternoon to the Village Facebook page:

“UPDATE: HOFFMAN ESTATES PLUM FARMS REZONING REQUEST

On June 3, 2026, the Hoffman Estates Plan Commission held a public hearing regarding a request to rezone the Plum Farms property from TN Traditional Neighborhood and C-MU Commercial Mixed Use to M-2 Manufacturing. The property is located north of Higgins Road between the Canadian National Railway and New Sutton Road.

President Brian D. Cecola submitted written public comment on behalf of the Village of Barrington Hills, expressing concern that a broad industrial zoning classification at this location would not be appropriate. While no specific development plan was before the Plan Commission, M-2 zoning would allow a range of industrial uses, including, among other uses, a data center. Director of Administration Anna Paul attended the meeting on behalf of the Village.

There were nearly three hours of public testimony; all speakers who provided testimony spoke in opposition to the proposed rezoning. Following public comment and discussion, the Plan Commission voted 2-4 on the recommendation, meaning the motion to recommend approval did not pass.

The Village of Barrington Hills hopes the Hoffman Estates Village Board will accept the Plan Commission’s recommendation and not approve the proposed rezoning to M-2.

The date for Hoffman Estates Village Board consideration of the rezoning request has not yet been determined. At the meeting, Hoffman Estates officials stated that the item was not anticipated to appear on the June 15 agenda. The next regular Village Board meeting after that is scheduled for July 6, with the agenda required to be posted no later than 48 hours before the meeting.

The Village of Barrington Hills will continue to monitor this matter and provide updates as additional information becomes available.

TO READ PRESIDENT CECOLA’S WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT, FOLLOW THE LINK”

We’ll be posting our comments on this “update”  very soon.

Related: “Do you trust our Board of Trustees? We don’t. But you decide for yourself once we have finished. (Follow-up),” “Do you trust our Board of Trustees? We don’t. But you decide for yourself once we have finished. (Part 3),” “Do you trust our Board of Trustees? We don’t. But you decide for yourself once we have finished. (Part 2),” “Do you trust our Board of Trustees? We don’t. But you decide for yourself once we have finished. (Part 1),” “7 things to know about Illinois data centers,” “Data Center group concerned over pause,” “110 Acre AI data center campus pitched to Village Board”

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In case you missed it and are curious about the increases in the D220 property taxes on your recent tax bills, the Board of Education discussion during the November 18, 2025, Board of Education Meeting provides some insight.

You may recall the 2024 $64 million referendum voted on by residents was widely publicized by District 220 in its “Transform 220” campaign. The District formed a community advisory committee and hosted public information forums to educate voters on what the $64 million bond would fund. They also promoted the initiative across their official website and social media channels, highlighting how the funds would be used.

In contrast, the expenditures quietly voted on by the Board at its December 2, 2025, to issue up to $5.4 million in Working Cash Fund bonds (DSEB), specifically for District capital projects, was barely mentioned prior to the Board’s vote and was done so without any buy in from the taxpayers.

Why weren’t these expenditures included in the November 2024 Referendum? We don’t know, especially since they were previously identified in the failed 2019 Referendum for $185 million in the Blueprint 220 Master Facility Plan.

While the District maintains that the overall 2024 referendum impact is consistent with their total budget projections, individual tax bills have spiked. The May 2026 property tax bills for Barrington CUSD 220 residents reflect the significant cumulative impact of both the $64 million referendum and the $5.4 million DSEB issuance approved by the Board in December 2025.

The full transcript of the November 18, 2025, discussion on DSEB is available here. We will follow up with some additional insight in future reports.

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Rep. Kelly Cassidy and Jose Medina (Facebook, Dept. of Homeland Security)

By Tim Hecke | CWB Chicago

A bill that would bar Illinois law enforcement agencies from using facial recognition databases to help identify crime suspects is scheduled for a second day of legislative hearings, days after the technology helped Chicago police identify the man accused of murdering a Loyola University freshman in the bill’s sponsor’s own district.

House Bill 5521 is sponsored by Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who represents the 14th District, which includes Rogers Park. Cassidy introduced the measure last Wednesday, hours before 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman was shot and killed at the Loyola Beach pier. Chicago police have since charged Jose Gregoria Medina Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan citizen, with Gorman’s murder.

An arrest report obtained by CWB Chicago describes how detectives worked to identify Medina as the shooter. Among the investigative steps, an officer wrote that video images of the gunman were sent to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which “returned matching candidate Jose Gregoria Medina Medina.”

If passed, HB5521 would prohibit Illinois law enforcement agencies from obtaining, retaining, possessing, accessing, requesting, using, or entering into agreements with third parties, state or local government agencies, or federal agencies to use certain biometric identification systems, including facial recognition.

It also bars the Secretary of State from providing facial recognition search services except when issuing a mobile driver’s license or identification card. That facial recognition database is the most commonly used within CPD.

On Sunday, CWB Chicago published a report detailing dozens of violent crimes — including murders, robberies, and sex offenses — that Chicago Police Department detectives have solved with the assistance of facial recognition. The technology has proven particularly useful in cases involving the CTA, where offenders are often anonymous, crimes can be random, and the transit system’s high-definition cameras provide broad coverage.

Article continues here.

Related: “Facial recognition helps cops solve some of Chicago’s most heinous crimes. This state legislator wants to shut it down,” “Hundreds of police departments use camera company (seen below) accused of breaking state law”

Automated license plate readers such as this one are installed throughout Barrington Hills.

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The Village Roads & Bridges Committee meets this afternoon at 4 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

  • [Vote] Road Program 2026 Recommendation (Left blank)
  • River/Algonquin Road Curve

A copy of the full posted agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.

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