A 21-year-old leftist college student is in custody after admitting to burning a cross in Chicago’s Grant Park, saying it was a protest against the Trump administration — an act that sparked outrage from Democrats who initially called it the “seeds of racism and fascism.”
The incident first flared up on June 9. A disturbing video showed a wooden cross burning at Grant Park in Chicago. Firefighters extinguished the flames and police released photos of a &#8220;person of interest&#8221; fleeing the scene, per <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/post/1-custody-connection-burning-cross-grant-park-chicago-police-say/19308857/?ex_cid=TA_WLS_TW&amp;taid=6a314feea3997400016fe6fd&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitter">ABC 7</a>.
With no suspect in custody, Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a potential presidential contender, rushed to judgment. 
“The fact that it even occurred at all speaks to what happens when the seeds of racism and fascism grow unchecked in our country,” <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/06/11/pritzker-summons-words-of-the-late-rev-jesse-jackson-to-decry-cross-burning-in-grant-park?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Pritzker said</a>, appearing to blame the arson on the political Right. “The threats are real. And in times like these, it’s easy to fall prey to despair, to think that the fight for justice is just too costly to engage in, that the mountain is too high to climb and the path is too narrow to navigate.”
Then came the twist. 
On Monday, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQhCFLw1p80">NBC Chicago</a> identified University of Illinois Chicago senior Merlin Lu as the suspect in the cross-burning arson, who admitted to constructing and burning the cross and placing a red hat — symbolizing MAGA hats — on top in a protest against the Trump White House.
For decades, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), a white supremacist group, used cross burnings to intimidate black communities. 
&#8220;How did you land on a burning cross?&#8221; reporter Chuck Goudie asked.
&#8220;Just it came up to my head one day. I wanted to find something that I could do by myself, like no organization, no friends,” Lu said. &#8220;I did know about this historical relevance beforehand, but I didn&#8217;t know the severity, how racially motivated it may seem from what I did.” 
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<a href="https://t.co/8VGIZPhP4U">pic.twitter.com/8VGIZPhP4U</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2066894517933142235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
Last week, Lu sent a scripted video to the local NBC affiliate, claiming responsibility for the cross burning. In his statement, he made alarming comments about President Donald Trump.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t want to wait till his term ends,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t wanna wait until he may or may not get impeached. I want him gone right now.&#8221;
“On that video, are you threatening him?” Goudie asked. 
“No,&#8221; Lu replied. 
Goudie said back: “You say that you think he should be brought to an end.”
“I think no, I said, I said he deserves to stand trial to the American people,” Lu responded.
Goudie pressed again: “You use the word end.&#8221;
“That’s what I mean. By end, I don’t mean like a civil war, if that’s the imagery that you’re trying to imagine,” Lu said. 
The college senior said he was trying to send a message to Trump and what he called “MAGA Christian nationalist supporters.” 
“He’s just scamming people,” Lu said. “And I think that&#8217;s a great reflection of how this country works right now, where money controls everything. Money has power over health care, money has power over transportation.” 
Even with Lu in custody and his intentions known, Mayor Brandon Johnson <a href="https://x.com/WesternLensman/status/2066936632243007877?s=20">said</a> the incident is &#8220;a painful reminder of how hatred towards black Americans still permeates in our society.&#8221;
 The FBI is investigating to determine whether the arson amounts to a hate crime.
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Brandon Johnson is asked about the guy who set up the burning cross in Chicago:
“It&#8217;s a painful reminder of how hatred towards black Americans still permeates in our society.&#8221;
It was actually an Asian socialist’s protest against MAGA. Other than all of that, dead on, Mr Mayor. <a href="https://t.co/d8gIM4RCJV">pic.twitter.com/d8gIM4RCJV</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://x.com/WesternLensman/status/2066936632243007877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2026</a></blockquote>

Illinois Gov. Pritzker Discusses Trump’s Authorization Of National Guard Troops In Chicago

Anti-Trump Activist Behind Burning Cross That Sparked MAGA Blame

Donald Trump

JB Pritzker

Leftist

President Donald Trump has spoken with the family of Sheridan Gorman, the college freshman who was allegedly fatally shot by an illegal immigrant roaming Chicago earlier this month, a White House official told The Daily Wire Monday.
Gorman was allegedly shot and killed as she tried to run from crazed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rare-reason-keeps-illegal-alien-suspect-in-loyola-student-slaying-from-facing-court?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Rare+Reason+Keeps+Illegal+Alien+Suspect+In+Loyola+Student+Slaying+From+Facing+Court">Venezuelan illegal immigrant</a> Jose Medina-Medina. The Loyola University student was walking with friends to see the Northern Lights around 1 a.m. on March 19 when she was fatally shot, her family said.
Medina, 25, was released after crossing the southern border illegally in May 2023 before he turned up in Chicago, where he&#8217;s accused of shoplifting from a Macy&#8217;s that June, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The Venezuelan national never appeared for a hearing in the earlier case, leading a judge to issue a warrant for his arrest.
Days after the killing, Trump slammed the Biden administration’s “open door” policies for Medina&#8217;s release.
“It’s devastating. These people were let in by Biden. We’re getting them out. We’re getting them out fast. That’s why ICE is so important. They are doing such a good job,” Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-doesnt-hold-back-when-daily-wire-asks-about-loyola-murder-suspect-and-biden-era-link">told</a> Daily Wire reporter Mary Margaret Olohan. “This animal, I saw the whole thing last night. They gave me a briefing.”
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Here is Sheridan Gorman’s mom, Jessica, speaking about her daughter at a community vigil last night.
It’s nearly impossible to watch—every mother can feel her anguish, devastation, fury, and promise to find justice for her daughter.
And we will help her fight: <a href="https://t.co/42ZZhEmHEC">pic.twitter.com/42ZZhEmHEC</a>
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) <a href="https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/2038239230497796606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Gorman&#8217;s grieving mother, Jessica, delivered an emotional speech during a Saturday vigil for her late daughter.
&#8220;I want to say this gently, but honestly, as a mom, I&#8217;m angry,&#8221; Jessica Gorman said as she fought back tears. &#8220;I&#8217;m like completely heartbroken, and we are going to fight for justice for our sweet Sheridan, and we&#8217;re going to fight for change.&#8221;
&#8220;But we know, not everyone will see it the same way we do and not everyone will approach it the way we will, and that&#8217;s okay,&#8221; Jessica said, adding, &#8220;At the heart of all of this, we all want the same thing — for your children and for ours to be safe, to be protected, and to come home. Because, at the end of the day, that&#8217;s what this is all about. All of our kids, every single one of them, protecting them, loving them, showing up for them. And that is how we honor her.&#8221;
The family has criticized the responses of Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, along with Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, to Gorman&#8217;s tragic slaying.
Initially, Johnson <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/24/us-news/chicago-mayor-asked-about-citys-immigration-policies-after-illegal-immigrant-allegedly-killed-college-student/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he planned to eventually speak with the family.
It is not clear whether or not that&#8217;s happened, as his office didn&#8217;t respond to a request for comment.
Pritzker&#8217;s office also didn&#8217;t immediately respond when asked if the Democratic official had spoken with Gorman&#8217;s family.
Medina appeared in court Friday. His initial hearing was delayed due to his hospitalization for tuberculosis.
The illegal immigrant&#8217;s defense has pointed to a 2018 incident where Medina was shot in the head while being robbed in Colombia, <a href="https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-investigates/what-we-know-about-loyola-murder-suspect-jose-medina/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to WGN. The public defender presented a photo appearing to show Medina with a dent in his forehead, arguing that he is developmentally delayed and can&#8217;t read or write.
At one point, Medina asked to go back to Colombia, but was sent on a bus to Chicago, his attorney said. It was at a Windy City migrant shelter where he contracted tuberculosis.
Medina&#8217;s mother came to Chicago “to care for him” and lived with him in a shelter near Loyola&#8217;s campus, according to WGN.

White House: Donald Trump

Trump Steps In After Illegal Immigrant Accused Of Slaying College Freshman

Brandon Johnson

Chicago

Democrats

Illegal Immigration

Former President Bill Clinton walked back remarks he made under oath that appeared to suggest Illinois Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker accompanied him on one of the flights he took aboard convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private plane. 
Clinton mentioned Pritzker when asked who typically accompanied him on flights he took on Epstein’s plane, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgJrYKAl6T0">according</a> to a video released Monday by the House Oversight Committee. After the clip circulated on social media, Clinton’s spokesman asserted that the former president did not mean to say that Pritzker flew on Epstein’s plane. 
“President Clinton was simply giving an example of the many people he traveled with to see the Clinton Foundation’s work. Governor Pritzker joined a Clinton Foundation trip in 2008,” said Clinton spokesman Angel Urena. “Not on Epstein’s plane. Not with Epstein. Not with Maxwell.”
During his deposition, Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) asked who Clinton “normally” brought with him on those flights. Clinton said he “brought people who work with me, especially people who would have to follow up on the fundraising, or people who were involved” in his work. 
“I had the Secret Service with me. And then on occasion, I had people who had volunteered to help us and wanted to see what we’re doing,” Clinton added. “For example, I think it was on one of these trips, I think that I had my first trip for the man who’s now the governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker and his wife, they gave me, they helped me get started.”
A clip circulating on social media, shared by RNC Research, highlighted the exchange.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bill Clinton says he brought JB Pritzker on pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s plane: “I think that I had my first trip for the man who’s now the Governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker and his wife.” <a href="https://t.co/p6GtSbpgGX">pic.twitter.com/p6GtSbpgGX</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/2028647022119551010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Pritzker campaign spokesman Alex Gough told The Daily Wire that the governor traveled with Clinton twice, but said the travel was not on Epstein’s plane. 
“Governor Pritzker was asked to travel with President Clinton on two trips, once in 2008 and once in 2013. Neither utilized Jeffrey Epstein’s aircraft, nor was he accompanied by that man or Ghislaine Maxwell,” he said. “We understand that the GOP is desperate to deflect from the heinous accusations against President Trump in the Epstein Files, but this is a particularly weak effort to assign blame where there is none.”
Gough did not provide a comment on whether Pritzker had ever had any other interactions with Epstein. 
The governor’s cousin, Thomas Pritzker, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/terrible-judgement-epstein-fallout-forces-top-hotel-exec-to-leave-hes-jb-pritzkers-cousin">announced</a> last month that he was stepping down from his executive position at the Hyatt hotel corporation over his ties to Epstein and Maxwell. 
“Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply regret. I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner,” Thomas Pritzker said in a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260216864815/en/Tom-Pritzker-Retires-as-Executive-Chairman-of-Hyatt-After-22-Years-of-Service-and-Will-Not-Stand-for-Reelection-to-Board-of-Directors">news release</a>. “I condemn the actions and the harm caused by Epstein and Maxwell and I feel deep sorrow for the pain they inflicted on their victims.”

Clinton Global Initiative America Meetings Begin In Chicago

Bill Clinton Walks Back Remarks Suggesting JB Pritzker Flew On Epstein’s Plane

Bill Clinton

House Oversight Committee

Illinois

Jeffrey Epstein

Illinois businessman Thomas Pritzker said Monday he was stepping down from his executive position at the Hyatt hotel corporation over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. 
Emails released by the Justice Department show Pritzker corresponding with Epstein in the years after his 2008 convictions for solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of a minor. Pritzker is the cousin of Democratic Governor JB Pritzker and has been the executive chair of Hyatt for over two decades. 
“Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply regret. I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner,” Pritzker said in a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260216864815/en/Tom-Pritzker-Retires-as-Executive-Chairman-of-Hyatt-After-22-Years-of-Service-and-Will-Not-Stand-for-Reelection-to-Board-of-Directors">news release</a>. “I condemn the actions and the harm caused by Epstein and Maxwell and I feel deep sorrow for the pain they inflicted on their victims.”
In a letter to the Hyatt board on Monday, Pritzker said he would not seek to continue as executive chair after his term ends in June 2026. 
“When I look at my care for Hyatt, my respect for good governance and the focus that [my wife] and I have on our legacy, they all lead me to conclude that what is right for Hyatt and for me is that I retire as Executive Chairman of Hyatt effective immediately and not stand for reelection at our 2026 annual shareholder’s meeting,” he wrote in the letter. 
The announcement came after emails showed him corresponding with Epstein about a variety of topics. In one email from May 2012, Pritzker boasted to Epstein about attending an apparent dinner with high-ranking Chinese officials. 
“It was beyond awesome. I should have pushed you to go,” Pritzker <a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00712657.pdf">wrote</a>. “Hot sh*t in a cool place.”
Another email exchange from July 2012 included Pritzker <a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00629316.pdf">telling</a> Epstein, “Still at same coordinates. Took a bath this week,” and “more good news. Expect to take a bath again next week.”
Other emails included in the Justice Department Epstein files include emails between Epstein and his associates <a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02441069.pdf">scheduling calls</a> and <a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02246837.pdf">appointments</a> between Pritzker and Epstein. 
Hyatt praised Pritzker in a statement following his announcement. 
“Tom’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping Hyatt’s strategy and long-term growth, and we thank him for his service and dedication to Hyatt,” said Richard Tuttle, the chair of Hyatt’s nominating and corporate governance committee.
Over the years, Pritzker made significant <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Thomas+Pritzker">political contributions</a> to both Democratic and Republican political candidates, including former President Barack Obama, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Senator Cory Booker (D-NY), and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). 
The release of the Epstein files has led to a shakeup in the business and political world. 
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/keir-starmer-in-hot-seat-after-admitting-he-knew-appointee-was-close-to-epstein">faced pressure</a> after emails shed new light on the relationship between former U.S. Ambassador Lord Peter Mandelson and Epstein. Last week, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-obama-white-house-lawyer-out-at-goldman-sachs-after-cozy-uncle-jeffrey-emails-with-epstein?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=SEE+IT%3A+‘Uncle+Jeffrey%2C’+Birthday+Wishes+And+‘Xo’+Emails+Rock+Obama-Era+Insider">Kathryn Ruemmler</a>, Obama’s longest-serving White House counsel, announced that she would be leaving Goldman Sachs after emails revealed her cozy relationship with Epstein.
The Trump administration has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-cabinet-secretary-confirms-he-visited-epsteins-island-with-wife-and-children-in-2012">faced questions</a> after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told senators last week that he visited Epstein’s Little Saint James Island with his wife and children in 2012.

MixCollage-17-Feb-2026-10-17-AM-917

Epstein Fallout Forces Top Hotel Exec To Leave — He’s JB Pritzker’s Cousin

'Terrible Judgement': Top Illinois Hotel Exec Exiting Position Over Epstein Ties

Department of Justice

Epstein Files

Ghislaine Maxwell

Even as many Americans are poised to see the benefits of the tax cuts written into President Donald Trump&#8217;s signature One Big Beautiful Bill, only a few states have fully adopted the most popular provisions into their own tax codes — and two, New York and Illinois, are actively blocking them.
Under the legislation, American workers will not pay federal income taxes on qualified tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest. Senior citizens will see an enhanced deduction of $6,000. But in a majority of states across the country, those changes will not automatically be rolled into the state tax code, meaning taxpayers may not see the full advantage intended by the provisions in the law.
According to a <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/26/us-news/here-are-the-blue-states-blocking-trumps-popular-tax-cut-provisions/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_social_post_id=634548005&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_social_handle_id=17469289&amp;utm_source=twitter">report</a> published by the New York Post, only four states have fully adopted all of the new tax breaks: South Carolina, North Dakota, Montana, and Idaho. Governor Jared Polis (D-CO) said that because of the way state taxes work in his state, the majority of federal tax cuts would automatically apply to state tax filings.
&#8220;Claims that Colorado is refusing to adopt the majority of tax changes from H.R.1 [One Big Beautiful Bill] are not accurate,” a spokesperson for Polis told The Post. “All tax cuts in H.R. 1 are automatically incorporated into state tax code unless there is specific action to decouple.&#8221;
The reason Colorado&#8217;s state taxes align with the federal tax code is that they are based on federal taxable income — meaning the state only taxes the amount of income remaining after all federal tax breaks are applied. Other states that use the same process are South Carolina, Iowa, North Dakota, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.
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The majority of states rely on Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), which does not reflect any federal tax cuts, and would have to take legislative steps to allow the cuts included in the recent legislation to trickle down to the state level.
&#8220;Some states start with federal taxable income, so most of the new deductions flow through automatically unless lawmakers opt out,” Adam Michel, director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, told the Post. &#8220;Many more states—blue and red—start with adjusted gross income or run their own tax system, which means they don’t pick up these new deductions unless they affirmatively pass a bill to do so.&#8221;
Arizona <a href="https://www.azleg.gov/press/house/57LEG/1R/250123GRIFFINHB2081.pdf">passed a law</a> exempting taxes on tips already, and similar bills have been proposed in New Jersey and North Carolina.
Several solidly blue states <a href="https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/blog/state-decoupling-from-federal-tax-provisions/#three-paths-forward">have indicated</a> that they won&#8217;t take those steps, claiming that doing so would quickly lead to budget shortfalls. California, for example, will not adopt the new tax breaks because officials believe the state would lose too much revenue to manage the current budget. In New York and Illinois, where static conformity laws would have caused the tax cuts to automatically transfer into the state tax code, the states are requiring an &#8220;add-back&#8221; for any deductions related to taxes on tips or overtime in order to protect revenue streams.

US-POLITICS-CRIME-TROOPS-CHICAGO

Two Blue States Scramble To Block Citizens From Cashing In On Trump Tax Cuts

Two Blue States Scramble To Prevent Citizens From Cashing In On Trump Tax Cuts

Blue States

California

Gavin Newsom

Politics

Democrat Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation on Friday that conservative advocates say will turn Illinois into a hub for “suicide tourism.” 
The <a href="https://ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?GAID=18&amp;DocNum=1950&amp;DocTypeID=SB&amp;LegId=161335&amp;SessionID=114">new law</a> allows doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to end the lives of those who are terminally ill and have been given a prognosis of less than six months to live. The bill had been sitting on his desk for over a month after Democrat lawmakers in the state Senate passed the measure a few hours after midnight on Halloween in a 30-27 vote. 
“I have been deeply impacted by the stories of Illinoisans or their loved ones that have suffered from a devastating terminal illness, and I have been moved by their dedication to standing up for freedom and choice at the end of life in the midst of personal heartbreak,” Pritzker said in a <a href="https://gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/s/0f091ea3-1845-4a06-a5eb-8f487c594841?preview">statement</a> after signing the legislation. 
Conservatives fear that the law will force doctors to promote and make referrals for the deadly practice. It would also bar Christian hospitals from firing doctors or employees who perform assisted suicides. The Thomas More Society, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beyond-the-pale-jb-pritzker-could-soon-make-illinois-a-hub-for-suicide-tourism">previously told</a> The Daily Wire that it would sue to block the law if signed, lamented the news. 
“This is a dark and sorrowful day for Illinois. When the state signals that some lives are no longer worth living, the most vulnerable pay the price,” said Thomas Olp, the executive vice president at Thomas More Society. “Instead of offering true compassion, support, and care, this law offers a fatal prescription. That is not mercy. It is abandonment.” 
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The Thomas More Society said that the law would put the elderly, disabled, and vulnerable at risk and jeopardize the religious liberty of Christian doctors. 
“By legalizing physician-assisted suicide, the Land of Lincoln has crossed a profound moral and legal red line. As signed into law, this fatal misstep places vulnerable lives at risk, tramples the inherent dignity of human life, and erodes the foundational conscience rights of medical professionals and religious medical practices.” 
Illinois becomes the 12th state to legalize assisted suicide, and is the first Midwest state to do so. Thomas More Society Head of Litigation Peter Breen previously told The Daily Wire that “There’s a significant concern that this is going to turn Illinois into a suicide tourism state.”

A Moral ‘Red Line’: Pritzker Signs Bill That Could Make Illinois A Hub For ‘Suicide Tourism’

A Moral 'Red Line': Pritzker Signs Bill That Could Make Illinois A Hub For 'Suicide Tourism'

Assisted Suicide

Pro-Life Movement

Religious Liberty

Chicago could lose federal funding after a 26-year-old woman was set on fire on the city’s train system in what the Trump administration described as a “preventable attack.”
Federal Transit Administration Administrator Marc Molinaro sent <a href="https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/2025-12/The-Honorable-Brandon-Johnson-FTA-Special-Directive-Letter-to-Chicago-12-08-2025.pdf">letters</a> on Monday to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Democratic Governor JB Pritzker, directing them to immediately enhance safety on public transportation. Molinaro said that officials had failed to take the necessary steps to keep the public safe.
“Creating a safe, reliable transit system is the responsibility of leaders at every level. CTA, the City of Chicago, and the State of Illinois have failed to meet this obligation,” Molinaro wrote. “If CTA does not promptly increase its law enforcement presence, FTA will act, including by withholding federal funds.”
The letter comes after Bethany MaGee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woman-set-on-fire-by-convict-with-72-priors-on-chicago-train">was doused</a> in gasoline and set ablaze in an unprovoked attack on a Chicago train last month. Lawrence Reed, the man charged in the attack, had previously been arrested more than 70 times and had 15 criminal convictions.
The letter said that officials needed to “implement immediate, measurable, corrective actions to reduce assaults on transit workers and passengers and to address unsafe conditions contributing to elevated violent crime rates.”
“The horrific attack on Bethany MaGee onboard a CTA train has shaken not only Chicago but also every community that depends on public transportation. As FTA Administrator, I call on you as an elected leader and on Chicago transit officials to take decisive action on safety issues that lead to such tragedies.”
“I will not accept the brutal assault of an innocent 26-year-old woman as an inevitable cost of providing public transportation,” Molinaro added. “The attack on Ms. MaGee was preventable. Transit leaders and elected officials who fail to enforce basic laws and permit disorder to erode the integrity of their systems are making deliberate choices that endanger riders.”
According to Molinaro, violent crime on Chicago’s public transportation system is four times the national average, and assaults on passengers have surged 150% in the last five years.
Molinaro directed Chicago officials to update the city’s public transportation agency safety plans and adopt appropriate measures to address violent crime. Pritzker and other Democratic officials have long downplayed crime rates in the Windy City, claiming high crime is part of being a big city.

Trump Admin Issues Ultimatum To Chicago After Latest ‘Preventable’ Train Attack

Crime

Trump Administration

U.S.

Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has yet to address a string of deadly violence in Chicago, including a brutal public transit attack on Monday, where a 26-year-old woman was set on fire by a career criminal, and a deadly shooting on Friday that followed the city’s official Christmas tree lighting ceremony. 
After Friday’s shooting, President Donald Trump offered to send in the National Guard. The president <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115595274389789024">wrote</a> on Truth Social on Saturday, “The people are chanting, BRING IN TRUMP!!!” 
The president has now made several offers to send in the National Guard. “Pritzker needs help badly, just doesn’t know it yet. I will solve the crime problem fast, just like I did in DC. Chicago will be safe again,&#8221; he stated in September, per <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-vows-crime-chicago-fast-after-violent-labor/story?id=125181053">ABC News</a>. 
Earlier this week, a 26-year-old woman was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/media/1419031/dl?inline">set on fire by career criminal </a>Lawrence Reed on Chicago’s public transit system. Reed doused the woman in gasoline before setting her on fire, per the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/21/us-news/chicago-career-criminal-lawrence-reed-had-over-70-arrests-before-setting-woman-on-fire-in-train-attack/">New York Post</a>. After his arrest, Reed allegedly shouted, “burn b*tch” and “burn alive b*tch.” 
Following the incident, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson requested expedited funding for Chicago&#8217;s transit system. 
“All I can say is that as awful and as horrific as this tragedy is, this is an isolated incident,” <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-mayor-calls-cta-attack-left-woman-burned-isolated-incident">stated</a> Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “The level of accountability that has to happen at this moment, I trust that the federal level will do its part.” 
President Trump said on Saturday&#8217;s Truth Social post that his offer of federal support is being denied. “Governor Pritzker and the low IQ Mayor of Chicago are refusing Federal Government help for a situation that could be quickly remedied.” 
Friday&#8217;s shooting left eight people injured and one person dead after the city’s official Christmas tree lighting ceremony, CBS News<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/shooting-loop-state-randolph-christmas-tree-lighting-millennium-park/"> reported</a>. 
Mayor Johnson said he wants parents to step up and help address gun violence. 
“I am the first person to recognize that we have more work to do in this city,” he said after Friday’s shooting. “We need parents, guardians, and other responsible adults to do their best to accompany young people to large, unsanctioned gatherings where weapons are likely present.” 
Governor JB Pritzker has yet to comment on either incident and did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Daily Wire.

Still No Response From JB Pritzker After Insane Stretch Of Deadly Violence In Chicago

No Reaction From Gov JB Pritzker After Deadly Week In Chicago

National Guard

A Democrat-backed bill sitting on Governor JB Pritzker’s desk would turn Illinois into an assisted suicide destination and severely curtail the rights of Christian doctors, a conservative legal group is warning. 
Just a few hours after midnight on Halloween morning, Democrats in the Illinois Senate rammed through legislation that would legalize doctor-assisted suicide in a 30–27 vote. The <a href="https://ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus/VoteHistory?GAID=18&amp;DocNum=1950&amp;DocTypeID=SB&amp;LegId=161335&amp;SessionID=114">bill</a>, which was passed by the state House in May, is awaiting Pritzker’s signature. It would allow doctors to prescribe deadly pills to those who are sick and have been given a prognosis of less than six months to live. 
Conservative groups in the state say that the legislation would force doctors to promote and make referrals for the deadly practice.
“You&#8217;re not just allowing physicians to give people deadly drugs to kill themselves, but you&#8217;re actually forcing us or people of faith, to be part of it, to promote it,” Peter Breen, the head of litigation at Thomas More Society, told The Daily Wire. “I know of no other state where the legislature has gone this far in restricting the religious liberty rights of people of faith.”
While the bill says that doctors would not be forced to participate in prescribing the fatal pills, Breen said that the text contains provisions that would “force institutions and physicians to refer for and to inform about the opportunity to take deadly drugs and end your life.”
Breen noted that parts of the bill would make it impossible for a Christian hospital to fire a doctor who promoted assisted suicide or facilitated one off the grounds of the hospital. 
Currently, 11 states and Washington, D.C., allow for physician-assisted suicide, but Illinois would be the first in America’s heartland. 
“Illinois would become the first state in the middle of the country to enact assisted suicide,” Breen said. “There&#8217;s a significant concern that this is going to turn Illinois into a suicide tourism state.”
He said that what Illinois Democrats were trying to do was “beyond the pale” and that assisted suicide was in opposition to Christian ethics. The Illinois Catholic Conference has come out strongly against the bill and urged Pritzker to veto it. 
While Breen acknowledged that Pritzker was one of the most leftist governors in America, he said he had some “hope” that he would veto it because of the religious liberty implications. 
Pritzker has not yet signaled whether he will sign the measure. 
“I know how terrible it is that someone who’s in the last six months of their life could be experiencing terrible pain and anguish. And I know people who’ve gone through that,” he <a href="https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/legislature-passes-medical-aid-in-dying-bill-that-governor-says-he-will-review/">said</a> on Monday. “It hits me deeply and makes me wonder about, you know, how we can alleviate the pain that they’re going through?”
If Pritzker signs the legislation, Breen said that the Thomas More Society would sue to block it. The law firm has already challenged Illinois over a similar law forcing crisis pregnancy centers to promote abortion.

Learning With Love: The 2025 PFLAG National Convention in Chicago, IL

‘Beyond The Pale’: JB Pritzker Could Soon Make Illinois A Hub For ‘Suicide Tourism’

Christianity

An illegal immigrant is accused of killing a county official and his wife while driving drunk on an Illinois road, The Daily Wire has learned.
Honduran illegal immigrant Edwin Pacheco-Meza, 34, was swiftly arrested by local cops after allegedly killing Coles County board member Michael Clayton, 71, and his wife, Gail, 66, in a drunk driving crash on Friday. Pacheco-Meza snuck across the border illegally at an unknown date, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire.
The couple was pronounced dead at the scene.
Pacheco-Meza was charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI. Local authorities also found an extended magazine, ammunition, and marijuana in his van.
Illinois state Rep. Adam Niemerg blamed the &#8220;failed leadership&#8221; of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker for the fatal crash in a recent X <a href="https://x.com/adamniemerg/status/1982592201780531429" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a>.
&#8220;Gov. Pritzker&#8217;s reckless policies keep putting Illinois families at risk. Instead of protecting citizens, Democrats continue to protect those here illegally — and our communities are paying the price,&#8221; Niemerg wrote.
Guatemalan illegal immigrant Juan Morales-Martinez, 18, was a passenger in Pacheco-Meza&#8217;s truck during the fatal collision. He was also arrested by local police.
While ICE quickly lodged a detainer to ensure Morales-Martinez wasn&#8217;t released onto the streets, the local jail still let him walk free on Monday, according to DHS. Luckily, ICE officers were waiting outside and scooped him up.
Morales-Martinez crossed the border illegally in December 2023 and was released into the United States shortly thereafter, DHS said.
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Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Daily Wire that the illegal immigrant pair &#8220;should’ve never been in our country in the first place.&#8221;
“President Trump and Secretary Noem have unleashed ICE and CBP in Illinois to restore law-and-order and remove criminal illegal aliens from our communities,&#8221; McLaughlin said.
&#8220;Anyone who is in the U.S. illegally and thinks they can roam free while breaking our laws and harming Americans is in for a rude awakening. If you are in our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, arrest you, remove you, and you will never return,&#8221; she added.
The Trump administration commenced &#8220;Operation Midway Blitz&#8221; in September to flood Illinois with immigration officers. The raids have resulted in roughly 3,000 arrests, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/post/ice-chicago-3k-arrested-immigration-crackdown-border-patrol-chief-gregory-bovino-says/18076935/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> ABC News on Monday.

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Illegal Immigrant Accused Of Killing Illinois County Official, Wife In Drunk Driving Crash

Illegal Immigrant Accused Of Killing County Official, Wife In Illinois Drunk Driving Crash

Drunk Driving

illegal immigrant

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker at first denied, then dismissed Chicago’s notorious murder rate among America’s most populous cities.
Pritzker sat for an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on Thursday evening and was forced to defend his approach to crime when his state’s capital is consistently one of the worst ranked among comparable urban areas.
The Democratic governor at first claimed that Chicago is “not in the top 30 in terms of our murder rate” before Baier brought up a map of the United States&#8217; most populous cities, showing Chicago’s murder rate, at 17.47 per 100,000 people, higher than that of Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, and San Diego.
“Look, you can pull statistics up. I can, too,” Pritzker responded before asserting that “our murder rate has been cut in half” over four years.
While true, the significant drop in Chicago’s murder rate, down from a peak in 2021 of 30.1 per 100,000 people, mirrors a trend reflected across the United States and is not necessarily because of any specific action taken by Pritzker. Homicide rates have <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/06/30/nx-s1-5448852/murders-down-nationwide-covid">plummeted</a> across the country since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic when millions of people were barred from work or other activities.
Chicago’s current homicide rate is just better than what it was in 2019 before the pandemic when the city <a href="https://counciloncj.org/crime-in-chicago-what-you-need-to-know/">tallied</a> 18.9 murders per 100,000 people.
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Pritzker declined to note the national trend in crime since the pandemic and instead pointed to his own policies.
“Very importantly, we&#8217;ve been doing the things that are necessary to bring crime down,” Pritzker claimed. “We&#8217;ve invested in community violence interruption. We&#8217;ve invested in police. I&#8217;ve added more state police than any governor in quite a long time. It&#8217;s very important that we do both of those things, and more, to invest in our communities so that we bring crime down.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: <a href="https://twitter.com/BretBaier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BretBaier</a> presses Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on why Chicago has the highest murder rate of all big American cities <a href="https://t.co/LbhTU0CQMn">pic.twitter.com/LbhTU0CQMn</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1981492592433918160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
Pritzker has battled President Donald Trump in the media for weeks over the president’s attempts to crack down on crime in America’s most dangerous cities. The president’s anti-crime agenda has run parallel to his deportation agenda, though Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have struggled for backing from local law enforcement in deep blue areas.

Pritzker Puffs About Investment When Asked About Chicago’s Obscene Murder Rate

Illinois’ Pritzker Puffs About Investment When Asked About Chicago’s Obscene Murder Rate

Fox News

Media

President Donald Trump lambasts Democrats as the shutdown grinds on, blue state governors form a “shadow” public health alliance, and one of the boldest heists of the century leaves the Louvre missing priceless jewels.
It’s Wednesday, October 22, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Brennan Referred And Shutdown Drags On</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-989357" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump is applying more pressure on Democrats as the government shutdown stretches on. Meanwhile, a major political opponent of Trump is referred for charges.
Former CIA Director John Brennan has been referred for charges from the Justice Department. Similar to former FBI Director James Comey, he is in hot water over statements he made during the probe into Trump-Russia collusion.
House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) announced that his committee was recommending the charges on Tuesday. Jordan said that Brennan “knowingly made false statements” during sworn testimony last year. The Judiciary Committee says Brennan lied when he denied using the discredited Steele Dossier in drafting an intelligence assessment in 2017 – specifically, the Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian interference.
Rose Garden lunch: Trump – in typical Trump fashion – surprised lawmakers on Tuesday with a Rose Garden lunch. No one really knew what the lunch was about, not even Republicans.
A reporter asked Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana what the purpose of the lunch was, and he said, “I have no idea.” But Chuck Schumer and the Democrats saw things through a more sinister lens, <a href="https://x.com/AmberJoCooper/status/1980656632246988850">calling</a> the event a “Rose Garden pep rally” for the shutdown.
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There was a pep rally element to the lunch. The president had just redone the Rose Garden and spoke excitedly about how it looks. YMCA blared over the speaker system prior to the president’s remarks.
Despite the festive atmosphere, Trump and Senate Republicans were clear that they were there for business: the business of reopening the government.
“From the beginning, our message has been very simple: we will not be extorted on this crazy plot of theirs. They’ve never done this before. Nobody has!” <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1980681699529752893">said</a> Trump. “Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats need to vote for the clean, bipartisan CR and reopen our government. It’s gotta be reopened, right now. We’re not doing that. They are the obstructionists. The reason they’re doing that is because we’re doing so well.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) spoke with the press after the lunch concluded. He stressed that Republicans are united on Trump&#8217;s team.
Senate Republicans are planning to hold a separate vote on paying troops and law enforcement agents for the remainder of the shutdown. It’s not clear if Democrats will join them. But there’s a chance that, if they manage to get those essential workers paid, it may empower both sides to dig in and keep the shutdown fight going even longer.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Democrats’ ‘Shadow Public-Health Alliance’</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-989359" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: More than a dozen Democrat governors have signed on to a new health alliance, in a direct challenge to the Trump administration&#8217;s federal health agencies. 
The Governors&#8217; Public Health Alliance is being pitched as “non-partisan” and “all about the science.” The claim is that the Trump administration, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in particular, is anti-science. Therefore, this organization is necessary to protect Americans. However, so far, the Governors’ Public Health Alliance is strictly partisan: only Democrat governors have signed on. 
The alliance will dole out medical guidance that will likely challenge federal agencies such as the CDC and FDA, or at least lobby the federal government on these matters. It will make public health guidelines or offer “best practices&#8221; on vaccines and other measures. The allied states will share medical statistics, data, and advice on preventive care, and buy vaccines and supplies in bulk. 
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.hcinnovationgroup.com/policy-value-based-care/article/55323774/fifteen-governors-create-new-public-health-alliance?utm_source=chatgpt.com">called</a> the alliance a “shadow public-health alliance” and said it’s the “largest move” so far “to create an alternative public-health universe outside the federal government.”
Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois, a Democrat, signed on to this association and <a href="https://gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/gov-pritzker-joins-launch-of-governors-public-health-alliance-to-protect-illinoisians-from-trumps-attack-on-science?utm_source=chatgpt.com">claimed</a> that Trump and Kennedy have turned the CDC “into a misinformation machine.”
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom also signed on. He said “extremists” in the Trump administration are trying to “weaponize the CDC and spread misinformation.”
Other states include Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and the territory of Guam. The residents in these states make up about one-third of the U.S. population.
The Democrat health effort has to do mostly with vaccines. The governors who have signed on have highlighted vaccine “access” and attacked Kennedy for challenging orthodoxy. There was also mention of abortion “access.”
The association is primarily funded by a nonprofit called Governors Action Alliance, known as GovAct. The nonprofit claims to be nonpartisan, but supports Democrat causes and generally teams up with Democrats to expand Medicaid and bolster abortion and voting rights.
GovAct is behind the “Reproductive Freedom Alliance,” a coalition of 23 Democrat governors working to expand abortion. GovAct is also behind the “Governors Safeguarding Democracy” alliance that is like a Resist Trump 2.0 effort launched just days after Trump won the 2024 election.
Trump admin’s response: HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon <a href="https://apnews.com/article/governors-public-health-alliance-kennedy-7d5f277178697bbdfc228567c6d9f616">called</a> out Democrat governors for “destroy[ing] public trust in public health.” He noted that Democrat-led states “imposed unscientific school closures, toddler mask mandates, and vaccine passports during the COVID era.” He said the Trump administration is rebuilding trust by “grounding every policy in rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science – not the failed politics of the pandemic.” 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Louvre Heist</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-989361" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Investigators are still scrambling for clues after priceless jewels were stolen from the world’s most famous museum during a daring, broad-daylight heist.
On Sunday morning, a half-hour after the Louvre Museum in Paris had opened its doors, four thieves arrived in a construction truck with an electric ladder mounted on top. Two men, posing as construction workers, then ascended to a second-floor facade, where they used special disc cutters to slice holes through the windows.
The thieves entered through the windows to the famed Galerie d’Apollon, home to some of France’s most priceless Crown Jewels. With stunned patrons watching, they smashed two display cases. They removed nine objects, including a large brooch, a pair of emerald earrings, a necklace, and other jewelry belonging to Empress Marie-Louise, the second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.
The thieves then joined their accomplices on the street, where they escaped on motorbikes, fleeing along the banks of the Seine River. The operation lasted no more than seven minutes.
As the heist went on, museum visitors were ordered to evacuate immediately. Many said they thought the building was on fire or had been struck by terrorists.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the heist an “attack on a heritage that we cherish.” The biggest concern now is that the jewels may never be recovered. Experts say the thieves certainly know they’d likely get caught if they tried to sell them on the black market, so it’s a real possibility they could remove the stones and melt down the precious metals to sell piece by piece. One of the tiaras alone had more than 1,000 diamonds and dozens of sapphires.
One official said the heist wasn’t an art crime, but a “commodity theft.” The jewels they took are of “inestimable worth,” according to the museum.
The haul could have been even larger. In their haste to get away, the thieves abandoned efforts to take the crown of Empress Eugénie, which contained nearly 2,500 diamonds and more than 50 emeralds, though it was damaged during the robbery.
The investigation: Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the robbery was “a major, highly organized operation” carried out by a team that had clearly done scouting. But at the moment, if they have any leads, they aren’t letting the public know.
Speculation has been rampant. Many people wonder if this could’ve been part of an inside job – they want to know if someone on staff at the Louvre could have offered aid. The country’s foreign minister said they weren’t ruling out an inside job.
Others have questioned why these specific jewels were targeted. In the same room they hit lies a display case housing the famous Regent Diamond, a $60 million stone. Even some French officials have expressed confusion over why the thieves, who clearly had done their research, seemingly ignored such a prime target just a few feet away.
Heist hysteria: Just last week, a group of thieves stole a number of collectible clocks from the President Jacques Chirac Museum in the French town of Corrèze. Then last month, a separate heist saw thieves lift $700,000 worth of gold from the French Museum of Natural History. Weeks before that, $11 million worth of porcelain was stolen from yet another museum in the city of Limoges.
This is only the latest heist to hit the Louvre. A diamond-studded sword was stolen back in 1976. Most famous of all, the Mona Lisa was lifted back in 1911. Ultimately, the world-famous portrait painting was located two years later.

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Morning Brief: Govt Gridlock Persists, Dem ‘Shadow’ Health Alliance, & Louvre Heist Intrigue

Morning Brief: Govt Gridlock Persists, Dem ‘Shadow’ Health Agency, And Louvre Heist Intrigue

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