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

Illinois

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

JB Pritzker

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

Chicago

Donald Trump

Fox News

Media

Politics

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.
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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.

MRN_251022_V1

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

Department of Health and Human Services

Emmanuel Macron

France

Gavin Newsom

Government Shutdown

John Brennan

John Thune

Morning Wire

Paris

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

White House

IL Gov. Pritzker Holds Press Conference After Visit To Metropolitan Peace Academy

Here’s The Latest Round Of Democrat Money Laundering Schemes

Corruption

Democrats

Los Angeles City Council

Matt Walsh

Money

Opinion

A Biden-appointed judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard to the Chicago area amid widespread immigration enforcement operations. 
U.S. District Judge April Perry issued a two-week temporary <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ilnd.487574/gov.uscourts.ilnd.487574.67.0_2.pdf">restraining order</a> blocking the activation of the National Guard in Illinois. The Trump administration has said the National Guard is necessary to protect federal property, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. Perry concluded at a hearing on Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security had been citing “unreliable evidence” to justify the deployment. 
Perry’s ruling said that the Trump administration was “temporarily enjoined from ordering the federalization and deployment of the National Guard of the United States within Illinois.”
The judge said that allowing the National Guard to be deployed would “only add fuel to the fire that the defendants themselves have started,” <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/chicago-portland-trump-national-guard-deployments-court-hearings-rcna236201">according</a> to NBC. 
A follow-up ruling is scheduled for October 22, when Perry says she will determine whether to extend the injunction another two weeks. The Trump administration has appealed the order. 
The ruling was celebrated by Illinois Democrat Governor JB Pritzker, who has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-deploys-national-guard-to-chicago-as-pritzker-melts-down-over-invasion">likened</a> the deployment to an “invasion.” 
“The court confirmed what we all know: There is no credible evidence of a rebellion in the state of Illinois. And no place for the National Guard in the streets of American cities like Chicago,” he said. 
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/donald-trump/2025/10/09/federal-judge-set-to-hear-arguments-in-high-stakes-national-guard-hearing">responded</a> by saying that Trump had “exercised his lawful authority to protect federal officers and assets” in the face of “ongoing violent riots and lawlessness, that local leaders like Pritzker have refused to step in to quell.”
“President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities and we expect to be vindicated by a higher court,” she added. 
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White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller ripped into the judge over the ruling.
“A federal judge seems not to know that federal troops come from many different states. They are, again, federal troops on a federal protective mission,” he <a href="https://x.com/StephenM/status/1976500349792821503">wrote</a> on X. 
There has been a significant federal presence in the Chicago area for the last few weeks as the Trump administration has been carrying out “Operation Midway Blitz” to crack down on illegal immigration. ICE agents have been targeted in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-arrests-two-after-attack-on-border-patrol-in-chicago?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=FBI+Arrests+Two+After+Attack+On+Border+Patrol+In+Chicago">multiple</a> car rammings, according to DHS.

National Guard Members Guard Ice Facility Near Chicago

Biden Judge Blocks National Guard Rollout In Chicago Amid Immigration Crackdown

Courts

Judges

Trump Administration

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Chicago Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker should be thrown in jail &#8220;for failing to protect ICE officers&#8221; as Trump&#8217;s immigration enforcement operation in the Windy City continues to face opposition from state and local leaders.
&#8220;Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115338509988551290">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
Johnson and Pritzker have pushed back against Trump&#8217;s efforts in Chicago and have also condemned the president&#8217;s move to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to the city. On Sunday, Pritzker <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/us/politics/pritzker-chicago-immigration.html">responded</a> to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem&#8217;s description of Chicago as a &#8220;war zone,&#8221; accusing the Trump administration of &#8220;making it a war zone.&#8221;
&#8220;They need to get out of Chicago if they’re not going to focus on the worst of the worst, which is what the president said they were going to do,&#8221; Pritzker added.
After Pritzker refused Trump&#8217;s request to deploy Illinois National Guard troops to Chicago, Texas National Guard troops arrived in Illinois earlier this week, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-national-guard-headed-illinois-gov-pritzker-calls/story?id=126283676">reported</a>.
Mayor Johnson also took a step on Monday to impede ICE&#8217;s operations in the city, signing an executive order that creates “ICE-free zones,&#8221; The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-signs-executive-order-establishing-ice-free-zones">reported</a>.
“The order establishes ICE-free zones. That means that city property and unwilling private businesses will no longer serve as staging grounds for these raids,” Johnson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-signs-executive-order-establishing-ice-free-zones">said</a>.
Trump&#8217;s “Operation Midway Blitz,” a massive federal effort to crack down on violent crime and detain illegal immigrants that began last month, has resulted in more than 1,000 arrests in Chicago. The operation, however, has been met with fierce and sometimes violent opposition.
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Over the weekend, federal immigration agents driving in Chicago were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/armed-attack-on-ice-agents-unfolds-in-chicago-pritzker-rails-against-trump">rammed</a> and surrounded by 10 vehicles in an area where anti-ICE protesters had taken to the streets. One of the drivers accused of ramming into the agents&#8217; vehicles &#8220;was armed with a semi-automatic weapon,&#8221; according to Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
The federal agents fired at the armed agitator, &#8220;who drove herself to the hospital to get care for her wounds,&#8221; McLaughlin said. The armed suspect, identified as 40-year-old Marimar Martinez, was on Border Patrol&#8217;s radar after she allegedly doxxed federal agents and threatened to &#8220;f*** those mother f***ers up.&#8221; After Martinez was released from the hospital, she was taken into FBI custody, according to the DHS.
No federal agents were injured in the apparent attack, according to McLaughlin, who also accused the Chicago Police Department of refusing to assist federal law enforcement &#8220;in securing the area.&#8221; According to internal dispatch obtained by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/chicago-police-sources-blast-departments-response-after-officers-were-told-not-help-fed-agents-cover-a">Fox News</a>, Chicago Police Department officers were told by their chief of patrol not to respond to the incident.
&#8220;PLEASE CHIEF OF PATROL NO UNITS WILL RESPOND TO THIS AS RELATED FROM 04-Oc5-2025/12:34:44…CALLER IS 1 OF APPROX 30 ARMED PATROL AGENTS (ICE) WHO ARE BEING SURROUNDED BY A LARGE CROWD OF PEOPLE REQUESTING CPD,&#8221; a dispatch message said.
The police department responded to the report, claiming that officers were on the scene &#8220;to maintain public safety.&#8221;
&#8220;To clarify misinformation currently circulating, CPD officers did in fact respond to the shooting scene involving federal authorities on Saturday to maintain public safety and traffic control,&#8221; the department said.
&#8220;The Chicago Police Department will always respond to anyone who is being attacked or is under the threat of physical harm,&#8221; the department added. &#8220;For incidents involving federal immigration enforcement, CPD supervisors will respond to the scene and determine the appropriate course of action in accordance with City law.&#8221;
Fox News, however, quoted &#8220;two senior Chicago police sources&#8221; who said that the Chicago Police Department&#8217;s statement is &#8220;not true.&#8221;
The ramming over the weekend was not the first time that federal immigration officers were targeted with vehicles in the Chicago area. Last week, illegal immigrants used their vehicles to target federal agents during enforcement operations, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-illegal-aliens-ram-cars-into-ice-agents-in-two-separate-attacks-dhs-says?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Illegal+Aliens+Ram+Cars+Into+ICE+Agents+In+Two+Separate+Attacks%2C+DHS+Says">reported</a>.

Donald Trump, JB Pritzker, Brandon Johnson

Trump Wants Brandon Johnson, JB Pritzker Jailed ‘For Failing To Protect ICE Officers’

Border Patrol

Brandon Johnson

Executive

Illegal Immigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

As President Donald Trump deploys the National Guard to crime-ridden cities like Memphis and Portland, Republican lawmakers across the country say they would like the president to send troops into their cities next.
Two cities that could be the next targets for Trump’s crime crackdown are the notoriously violent Midwest cities of St. Louis and Chicago. These Democrat-controlled cities have been crippled by crime for decades and have been ground zero for the implementation of soft-on-crime policies from leftist prosecutors.
“It is dystopian. You can&#8217;t even believe you&#8217;re in an American city in some parts of it. You cannot even believe it,” Missouri state Rep. Justin Sparks told The Daily Wire of St. Louis. “Like the streets are crumbling. The infrastructure is crumbling. Electricity, trash, piles of trash in alleys, like animals running freely.”
St. Louis consistently <a href="https://usafacts.org/articles/which-cities-have-the-highest-murder-rates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranks</a> as one of the worst cities in America for murders, and prosecution in the blue city was recently led by leftist Kim Gardner, who was bankrolled by George Soros. Gardner resigned in 2023 amid pressure from Republicans.
Still, state lawmakers tell The Daily Wire that the city has a massive crime problem.
“You cannot take your families to a ballgame or to a sporting event … because the drug problem is so bad and they don’t do anything about it,” Republican Rep. Holly Jones told The Daily Wire.
Republican State Senator Nick Schroer said that Trump should work with Governor Mike Kehoe to clean up the city.
“If Trump is able to work with the Kehoe administration and get some troops in there to kind of clean it up, we could expedite this thing and be on the right course within two to three years,” he said.
Schroer said that a recently passed <a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB495&amp;year=2025&amp;code=R" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crime bill</a>, which shifts control of police out of the hands of Democratic officials in cities like St. Louis and Kansas City, should help address the problem, but that more aid from the Trump administration would be welcome.
The lawmakers said the best way to fight crime was to surge law enforcement, including federal troops, to crime-ridden cities.
“That’s what will work at every urban decaying hellhole in our country, flood the zone, and take the bad guys and actually charge them with crimes and hold them down,” Sparks said.
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On Sunday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D) stated that Trump was about to deploy 400 National Guard troops to Chicago. Pritzker, who has long downplayed the Windy City’s crime problem, claimed the mobilization would be an “invasion.”
Prior to Pritzker’s latest lament, Illinois state lawmakers told The Daily Wire that they would support Trump sending the National Guard to Chicago.
“I think it would restore order. I think just the threat of the National Guard has the radical left scared and they&#8217;re probably going to let the police do a little bit better of a job,” Republican Rep. Adam Niemerg said.
Rep. Chris Miller, the husband of Congresswoman Mary Miller, said he would “absolutely” support the National Guard being sent into Chicago.
“When I look at what’s going on with JB Pritzker and [Chicago Mayor] Brandon Johnson, they are missing a golden opportunity to be heroes in the state of Illinois. If they would cooperate with ICE, if they would cooperate with President Trump, Illinois could begin to enjoy the Golden Age of America that everybody else is enjoying, that are embracing the policies and what Trump’s trying to do.”
Miller said that Pritzker needed an “ICR” — inner-cranial rectal removal — saying that the governor and Johnson needed “to get their head out of their ass.”
The Illinois Republican said that they should look at the template of Trump’s Washington, D.C., crime crackdown and get Chicago under control in a couple of weeks.

National Guard To Be Deployed In Portland, Oregon

These Lawmakers Want Trump To Send The National Guard To Their ‘Dystopian’ Cities Next

Missouri

National Guard

St. Louis

In just the latest attack on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, officers in Chicago were targeted in an apparently coordinated strike on Saturday morning.
According to Assistant Secretary Dept. of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin, officers were &#8220;rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars&#8221; and agents were forced to exit their vehicles on foot.
&#8220;One of the drivers who rammed the law enforcement vehicle was armed with a semi-automatic weapon,&#8221; McLaughlin explained. &#8220;Law enforcement was forced to deploy their weapons and fire defensive shots at an armed U.S. citizen who drove herself to the hospital to get care for wounds.&#8221;
The armed woman in question was already on Border Patrol&#8217;s radar after she recently doxxed agents and posted online, &#8220;Hey to all my gang let’s f*** those mother f***ers up, don’t let them take anyone,&#8221; according to the assistant secretary.
McLaughlin said &#8220;no law enforcement officers were seriously injured&#8221; in the attack, while noting that the Chicago Police Department refused to assist ICE to secure the area.
&#8220;[Democrat Gov. JB] Pritzker&#8217;s Chicago Police Department is leaving the shooting scene and refuses to assist us in securing the area,&#8221; she posted to X. &#8220;There is a growing crowd and we are deploying special operations to control the scene.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This morning, during routine patrolling in Broadview, in the same area of Chicago that law enforcement were assaulted yesterday, our brave law enforcement officers were rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars.
Agents were unable to move their vehicles and exited the car. One…
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) <a href="https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/1974524869892276682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
Illinois is a sanctuary state for illegals, and Chicago, specifically, refuses to work with federal law enforcement on immigration matters. Gov. Pritzker has repeatedly railed against President Donald Trump for trying to effectively enforce immigration laws in his state. 
Additionally, just days ago, the governor ratcheted up his rhetoric against ICE agents, calling them &#8220;<a href="https://www.notus.org/illinois/jb-pritzker-ice-immigration-chicago-raids-federal-agents-troops">jackbooted thugs</a>&#8221; and accusing them of intentionally &#8220;causing chaos and mayhem&#8221; in Chicago so Trump can deploy troops.
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Notably, a day before Saturday&#8217;s attack, ICE agents were blocked by protesters and one man tossed a tear gas canister toward officers.
&#8220;ICE drone footage shows anti-ICE protestors obstructing the duties of our officers and agents during Operation Midway Blitz last week in Chicago,&#8221; ICE said on X. &#8220;While personnel tried to protect federal property, one agitator who made headlines last week because of his superhero apparel can be seen picking up a tear gas canister and throwing it toward our officers. He was arrested and charged.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ICE drone footage shows anti-ICE protestors obstructing the duties of our officers and agents during Operation Midway Blitz last week in Chicago.
While personnel tried to protect federal property, one agitator who made headlines last week because of his superhero apparel can… <a href="https://t.co/qZqrz7988R">pic.twitter.com/qZqrz7988R</a>
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICEgov/status/1974263245255983503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
Pritzker did not comment on the recent attacks on ICE. Instead, he took to X to again lash out at Trump for trying to send in the National Guard to tackle Chicago&#8217;s rampant, violent crime and assist with immigration efforts.
&#8220;This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will,&#8221; the governor said. &#8220;It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will. It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPritzker/status/1974531904767656030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;In the coming hours, the Trump Administration intends to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard,&#8221; Pritzker argued. &#8220;They will pull hardworking Americans out of their regular jobs and away from their families all to participate in a manufactured performance &#8212; not a serious effort [to] protect public safety. For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
They will pull hardworking Americans out of their regular jobs and away from their families all to participate in a manufactured performance &#8212; not a serious effort the protect public safety. For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control.
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPritzker/status/1974531909066842516?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>

J.B. Pritzker

Armed Attack On ICE Agents Unfolds In Chicago; Pritzker Rails Against Trump

Crime

Illegal Immigration

U.S.

President Donald Trump posted edited and AI-generated videos on Truth Social Wednesday night, mocking Democrats such as California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and California Senator Adam Schiff.
Trump also posted two videos celebrating Cracker Barrel&#8217;s decision to forego changing its logo after backlash from customers and a phone call with the president. Trump&#8217;s social media blast began just after 10:00 p.m. ET Wednesday, when he posted a short clip of Sen. Schiff speaking on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221; The video of Schiff, whom Trump calls &#8220;Pencil Neck,&#8221; was edited to make the senator&#8217;s neck extremely long.
<iframe class="truthsocial-embed truthsocial-video" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115143582465780366/embed" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><script src="https://truthsocial.com/embed.js" async="async"></script>
Around 15 minutes later, Trump posted a video of himself dancing while a CNN host talks about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftists-panic-even-nyt-says-democrats-face-voter-registration-crisis">massive losses</a> for Democrats and gains for Republicans with voter registration.
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At 9:20 p.m., the president posted a video showing a pole vaulter with his head superimposed, soaring over a banner featuring the new Cracker Barrel logo. In the video, poll vaulter Trump rips down the new logo to reveal a banner with the traditional &#8220;Uncle Herschel&#8221; Cracker Barrel imagery. Trump also posted a video that had been going around X last week, showing the president dancing to &#8220;Y.M.C.A.&#8221; with Uncle Herschel.
<iframe class="truthsocial-embed truthsocial-video" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115143635413560059/embed" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><script src="https://truthsocial.com/embed.js" async="async"></script>
&nbsp;
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Trump then ripped into Democrats with multiple posts, including an AI-generated video showing Governor Pritzker sumo wrestling with former New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie, set to the &#8220;Chariots of Fire&#8221; theme in the background. Trump and Pritzker have traded barbs over the past week as the president mulls deploying the National Guard to Chicago to address the city&#8217;s violent crime. Trump&#8217;s son, Eric, posted a <a href="https://x.com/EricTrump/status/1963091795472240874">video</a> on X earlier this week that showed him stepping onto the dohyō against a sumo wrestler.
<iframe class="truthsocial-embed truthsocial-video" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115143645294071041/embed" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><script src="https://truthsocial.com/embed.js" async="async"></script>
The president also went after Governor Newsom. In one video, Newsom&#8217;s head is superimposed on a man who&#8217;s slapping and kicking a punching bag with Trump&#8217;s image on it. The AI-image of Newsom lets out girlish yelps that wouldn&#8217;t be out of place at a Jonas Brothers reunion tour as he serves up dainty palm-slaps.
<iframe class="truthsocial-embed truthsocial-video" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115143647388212083/embed" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><script src="https://truthsocial.com/embed.js" async="async"></script>
Another clip mocking Newsom shows the governor saying that he received &#8220;Trump 2028&#8221; hats in the mail. The video was edited to place one of the hats on Newsom&#8217;s head.
<iframe class="truthsocial-embed truthsocial-video" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115143655123481643/embed" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><script src="https://truthsocial.com/embed.js" async="async"></script>
Trump often rages against Democrats, the legacy media, and sometimes fellow Republicans on Truth Social, but Wednesday night was especially active — even for the president. The meme dump attacking Democrats comes as the party attempts to paint Trump as an authoritarian dictator who is seeking to grab more power by using the military to crack down on crime in big cities.
Newsom&#8217;s press office X account, which has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gavin-newsom-is-embracing-a-new-social-media-strategy-as-2028-rumors-swirl-trump-parodies">focused</a> on posting memes and rants mocking Trump in recent weeks, posted a picture of an overweight Trump shortly after the president&#8217;s meme rampage on Wednesday night.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/kVwdI5Jr4e">pic.twitter.com/kVwdI5Jr4e</a>
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPressOffice/status/1963431098505142700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Some on the Left have questioned Trump&#8217;s health after he was diagnosed with a condition that causes swelling in his legs. The president has also been pictured with bruising on his hand. Some people even speculated over the weekend that Trump had died or was suffering from a severe illness.
On Wednesday, Trump <a href="https://abc7.com/post/president-donald-trump-addresses-health-rumors-days-public-events/17729308/">responded</a> to the rumors, saying that he was &#8220;very active over the weekend.&#8221;

Trump Goes On Late-Night Meme Rampage Mocking Democrats

Adam Schiff

General

Governor JB Pritzker (D-IL) blew off concerns about the rampant crime in Chicago, saying that &#8220;big cities have crime&#8221; and the real problem was still President Donald Trump.
Pritzker has been sparring with Trump of late over the president&#8217;s threat to send National Guard troops to Chicago, hoping to clean up the city in much the same way he did in Washington, D.C., and has said that he&#8217;s doing well enough without bringing in the Guard.
Pritzker responded to a reporter who noted that he&#8217;d likely face more pointed questions after an especially deadly Labor Day weekend — according to ABC News, there were 37 separate <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/58-shot-weekend-chicago-governor-rejects-trumps-threat/story?id=125134744">shootings</a> between Friday evening and Monday night — that left 58 shot and eight dead.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
REPORTER: &#8220;This past weekend, 54 shot, 7 dead&#8230;&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/GovPritzker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovPritzker</a>: &#8220;Big cities have crime&#8221;
President Trump finds this completely unacceptable — and his success in Washington, D.C. has proven that Americans don&#8217;t have to live this way. <a href="https://t.co/vaKj5fxvSa">pic.twitter.com/vaKj5fxvSa</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1962949118088675839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;You&#8217;re going to hear people, especially after this past weekend — 54 shot, seven dead,&#8221; the reporter began. &#8220;They&#8217;re going to say the city&#8217;s not safe. Would you ask your friends to ride the El [elevated train] after midnight? You know, or after nine o&#8217;clock at night, even, to go down to the city from O&#8217;Hare [International Airport]?&#8221;
&#8220;Look, big cities have crime, there&#8217;s no doubt about it,&#8221; Pritzker said, before pivoting to attack Trump. &#8220;But let&#8217;s just pay attention to what President Trump is doing, targeting Chicago. He&#8217;s overlooking red states that have much higher crime rates.&#8221;
Pritzker has made that argument several times before, arguing that some of the cities with the highest crime rates are in red states — and he is correct, but leaves out the fact that of the 20 cities with the highest murder rates, all but one are controlled by Democrats. St. Louis, for example, currently has the highest murder rate and is in a very red state — Missouri — but is run by a Democrat, Mayor Cara Spencer.

DES MOINES – JANUARY 15: Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker speak

‘Big Cities Have Crime’: Dem 2028 Hopeful Blows Off Deadly Chicago Weekend, Attacks Trump

'Big Cities Have Crime': Dem 2028 Hopeful Blows Off Deadly Chicago Weekend, Attacks Trump

Chicago&#8217;s mayor leads protests against President Trump&#8217;s potential crime crackdown as judges block the deportation of illegal immigrants. India cozies up to China and Russia at a summit in Beijing, a major foreign policy challenge for the Trump administration as a federal court strikes down his tariffs. The FDA moves to ban a potent, opioid-like substance called 7-OH that is being sold in gas stations and marketed to kids.
It’s Tuesday, September 2, 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>Chicago Mayor Fights Trump Crime Crackdown</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-967537" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH1.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is leading protests against President Trump&#8217;s potential federal crime crackdown in his city, while Democrat-appointed judges are blocking the administration&#8217;s efforts to deport illegal immigrants.
After President Trump signaled that Chicago would be the next target of a federal crime crackdown similar to the one in Washington, D.C., Mayor Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker have threatened non-cooperation and legal action. Pritzker called a potential deployment of the National Guard an &#8220;invasion,&#8221; and Johnson has preemptively ordered Chicago police not to cooperate with any federal law enforcement. The moves have drawn criticism from some local Democrats who argue the city should be coordinating with the federal government to reduce crime.
Meanwhile, the administration&#8217;s deportation efforts are being stalled in the courts. On Sunday, a Biden-appointed judge blocked the deportation of 76 Guatemalan children. Last week, an Obama-appointed judge halted the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 gang member. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a clip of a recent CBS News interview, noting that the network edited out the serious allegations against Abrego Garcia, including that he is a &#8220;known human smuggler&#8221; and a &#8220;wife beater&#8221; who &#8220;solicited nude photos from minors.&#8221;
<h2>India Tilts Toward China, Russia as Court Strikes Down Trump Tariffs</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-967541" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH2.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: In a major foreign policy challenge for the Trump administration, India’s Prime Minister joined the leaders of China and Russia for a summit in Beijing, signaling a potential realignment as a U.S. federal court struck down many of President Trump’s global tariffs.
This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting a summit with leaders from across Asia and the Middle East. A rare public display of unity between Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is setting off &#8220;alarm bells in Washington.&#8221; The move is seen as a direct response to Trump&#8217;s 50% tariffs on Indian goods and signals that India is willing to work with U.S. adversaries if its relationship with Washington deteriorates.
The summit comes as a federal appeals court dealt a major blow to Trump&#8217;s signature trade policy. On Friday, the court ruled that the president was not justified in using emergency powers to unilaterally impose his global tariffs. Trump responded over the weekend, warning, &#8220;More than 15 Trillion Dollars will be invested in the USA&#8230; If a Radical Left Court is allowed to terminate these Tariffs, almost all of this investment&#8230; will be immediately cancelled!” The ruling allows the tariffs to remain in effect until at least October, giving the Supreme Court time to potentially hear the case.
<h2>FDA Moves to Ban Opioid-Like ‘Kratom’ Product</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-967539" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.2.25-Tue-SH3.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The FDA is taking emergency action to ban 7-OH, a potent, opioid-like substance derived from the kratom plant that is being sold in gas stations and vape shops and aggressively marketed to children.
The FDA has recommended that 7-OH be classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, which would make it illegal to sell or possess. The agency says the compound is an opioid, up to 13 times more potent than morphine, and carries significant health risks, including addiction and overdose. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary issued a stark warning that the substance &#8220;may be the fourth wave of the opioid epidemic.&#8221;
The products are sold in forms that are appealing to kids, such as fruit-flavored gummies, vapes, and even ice cream cones, often without clear or accurate labeling. There is currently no federal age restriction on the products. The move to ban the substance comes after a number of anecdotal reports of addiction and death, including a Georgia two-year-old who had to be revived with Narcan after accidentally ingesting a 7-OH product marketed as an &#8220;energy pill.&#8221; Several states, led by Florida and Ohio, are also moving to ban or restrict the substance.

MRN 9.02.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Chicago Crime, Beijing Summit, FDA Moves To Ban ‘Kratom’

Communist China

Drugs

Global Politics

India

Russia

Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez (D-15th Ward) lashed out at Mayor Brandon Johnson (D-Chicago) and Governor JB Pritzker (D-IL) during a recent appearance on NewsNation, saying that their insistence on engaging in a political battle with President Donald Trump over crime was sending a message to the people that the victims did not matter.
Lopez pressed Johnson and Pritzker to instead work with President Trump and get any help he might offer in order to make the streets of Chicago safer for the people who live there.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨NEW: Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez *TORCHES* Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov J.B. Pritzker for not collaborating with TRUMP to crack down on crime🚨
&#8220;How many victims are we comfortable with? Because that&#8217;s ultimately the subtext of what the mayor and the governor are saying is… <a href="https://t.co/7WzOBG4Akr">pic.twitter.com/7WzOBG4Akr</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1962536060237255044?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;We should be working to make sure that we are in coordination with each other,&#8221; Lopez said. &#8220;There&#8217;s nothing stopping the mayor of the city of Chicago, the governor of the state of Illinois, from picking up the phone and reaching out to the President of the United States and saying, &#8216;What can we do to be on the same page?'&#8221;
&#8220;We should all be looking to continuously decrease the number of victims in our city and in our state, and instead we&#8217;re getting into this tit-for-tat social media back and forth nonsense, which is only putting the people of Chicago and the people of Illinois in the middle, in the crosshairs of criminals who are going to use this time to exploit and go crazy as we&#8217;re continuing to see this weekend where we&#8217;ve had multiple mass shootings,&#8221; he continued.
The outlet then showed a graphic recounting the crime stats from Labor Day weekend in Chicago, where there were 31 shootings, seven shooting deaths, 52 people shot, and only three persons of interest identified or arrested.
&#8220;I hear the governor talking about an &#8216;invasion,&#8217; an &#8216;insurrection,&#8217; I hear the mayor writing useless orders against the federal government,&#8221; he added. &#8220;But what no one is talking about is, if our crime stats are decreasing, why can&#8217;t we push with Donald Trump&#8217;s help and decrease them even more? How many victims are we comfortable with? Because that&#8217;s ultimately the subtext of what the mayor and the governor are saying is that we are comfortable with the amount of victims we have right now. We don&#8217;t need to improve on our numbers any further than that.&#8221;
Pritzker, just as Lopez suggested, had touted the progress made in Illinois as recently as Sunday morning during an appearance on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation.&#8221;

Chicago Alderman Blows Up At Mayor, Governor Over ‘Tit-For-Tat’ With Trump Over Crime

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