![\"e11.Chicago](\"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/v-2025-11-13T162734.384.png\")
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In the heart of America\u2019s third-largest city, a political firestorm is raging\u2014and it\u2019s not just the wind that\u2019s making headlines in Chicago. The city\u2019s police force, once the backbone of local order, has openly rebelled against Mayor Brandon Johnson, refusing to comply with his controversial, arguably illegal, executive orders. With National Guard troops rolling in from Texas and the city administration locked in a battle with the federal government, Chicago has become ground zero for the nation\u2019s immigration crisis and a stunning case study in municipal dysfunction.The drama began with a simple, explosive premise: Mayor Johnson, whose approval rating has plummeted into the single digits, signed an executive order creating \u201cICE-free zones\u201d across Chicago. City property, and even private businesses, were suddenly off-limits to federal immigration agents. The mayor\u2019s message was clear\u2014Chicago police would not cooperate with ICE, and the city would stand as a sanctuary, even if it meant defying federal law. For Johnson, this was a bold declaration of values. For the city\u2019s police, it was an untenable demand that threatened their oath, their safety, and the very rule of law.<\/p>\n
The first cracks in Johnson\u2019s authority appeared during a violent weekend of ICE activity. Federal agents, responding to a series of incidents, found themselves boxed in by protesters and vehicles, fearing ambush and forced to deploy tear gas. In one incident, a woman was shot by federal agents after their car was rammed by suspects\u2014a chaotic, dangerous scene that left 27 Chicago police officers caught in the crossfire of chemical agents. The mayor\u2019s office tried to spin the narrative, blaming ICE for \u201cteargassing our police officers,\u201d but Superintendent Larry Snelling quickly set the record straight.<\/p>\n
Snelling, a veteran cop with deep Chicago roots, refused to toe the mayor\u2019s line. In a fiery press conference, he dismantled Johnson\u2019s rhetoric point by point. \u201cIf you box them in with vehicles, it is reasonable for them to believe they are being ambushed and that this could end in a deadly situation,\u201d Snelling declared, emphasizing that federal agents have the right to use force when threatened. The superintendent\u2019s message was direct: don\u2019t attack law enforcement, don\u2019t interfere with federal agents, and don\u2019t expect Chicago police to arrest ICE officers, no matter what City Hall says.<\/p>\n
The audio dispatch from that fateful weekend revealed even deeper divisions. As federal agents called for backup, the chief of patrol ordered Chicago officers to \u201chold tight for instruction,\u201d then abruptly cleared everyone out. \u201cWe\u2019re not responding over there. We\u2019re going to clear out as soon as we can.\u201d The message was unmistakable: Chicago police would not intervene in federal operations, nor would they enforce the mayor\u2019s anti-ICE agenda. Snelling backed his chief, stating, \u201cWe do not arrest and cannot arrest federal agents because someone deems what they\u2019re doing is illegal or unlawful.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mayor\u2019s ICE-free zones, hailed by progressive activists, became a flashpoint for legal and political conflict. Governor JB Pritzker joined Johnson in condemning the federal deployment of National Guard troops, calling it \u201cunlawful and unconstitutional.\u201d But a federal judge refused to block the deployment, greenlighting the arrival of hundreds of National Guard members from Texas and Illinois. Their mission: protect federal property and personnel from escalating violence and local resistance.<\/p>\n
As National Guard convoys rolled into Chicago, the city\u2019s administration scrambled to maintain control. Lawsuits flew back and forth, with state attorneys arguing that federalizing the National Guard was a dangerous overreach. But the federal memo was clear\u2014up to 300 troops would be stationed in Chicago, and local officials had no authority to stop them. The city\u2019s welcoming ordinances and Trust Act, which prohibit police from cooperating with ICE or asking about immigration status, were suddenly at odds with the reality on the ground.<\/p>\n
Superintendent Snelling, caught between city hall and the federal government, explained the impossible position his officers faced. \u201cWe abide by the law. We don\u2019t make the laws, we uphold them. But let me explain how difficult it is for our officers at times\u2026 You\u2019re damned if you do and damned if you don\u2019t.\u201d Snelling\u2019s candor struck a chord with rank-and-file cops, many of whom felt betrayed by an administration more interested in ideology than public safety. The superintendent made it clear: \u201cAlthough we do not engage in immigration enforcement, we are going to enforce the law when the laws are violated.\u201d<\/p>\n
The tension reached a boiling point as protesters clashed with federal agents, barricades were moved, and tear gas filled the air. Chicago police, ordered to stand down, watched as federal agents struggled to control the chaos. Some officers were injured by thrown objects, others by the chemical agents deployed by ICE. The city\u2019s leadership tried to blame the violence on federal overreach, but the facts told a different story. The police were caught in the middle\u2014unable to enforce federal law, forbidden from cooperating with ICE, and increasingly unwilling to follow orders they viewed as illegal or dangerous.<\/p>\n
The rebellion within the ranks was no secret. Chicago police had already turned their backs on Johnson at public events, refusing to let him attend officers\u2019 funerals after a series of anti-police remarks and policy blunders. The superintendent\u2019s public statements only fueled the sense of mutiny. \u201cWe do not interfere with the duties and responsibilities of federal agents. We don\u2019t have to agree with it. We do not interfere with their orders.\u201d For many officers, this was a matter of principle\u2014the law is the law, and no mayor can rewrite it with a stroke of a pen.<\/p>\n
Just as the world slumbered, the ground beneath suddenly roared to life.<\/p>\n
Without a hint of warning, the earth convulsed and cracked, sending shockwaves through sleeping towns. Buildings shuddered violently, some giving way entirely.<\/p>\n
Barefoot and disoriented, people poured into the streets, their faces etched with fear. What began as a subtle tremor rapidly escalated into one of the most powerful earthquakes the region has seen in years\u2014a terrifying ordeal that had only just begun.<\/p>\n
In the early morning hours of Monday, a massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck near the China\u2013Myanmar borde<\/p>\n
The quake\u2019s epicenter lay a mere 10 kilometers beneath the surface, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, unleashing violent shaking felt across southern China, northern Thailand, and parts of Myanmar.<\/p>\n
Tragically, initial reports confirm dozens of lives lost and hundreds more injured, with countless others feared trapped under collapsed structures.<\/p>\n
The quake\u2019s reach extended far beyond its epicenter, rattling major northern Thai cities such as Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, where panicked residents evacuated buildings en masse.<\/p>\n
Rescue teams are battling immense challenges\u2014damaged infrastructure, power failures, and broken communication networks\u2014to deliver urgent aid.<\/p>\n
Around the clock, emergency responders strive to provide shelter, medical attention, and relief to those caught in the disaster\u2019s wake.<\/p>\n
In Summary<\/p>\n
As the devastation becomes clearer, the race to save lives intensifies. This powerful quake has left a wide swath of destruction across several countries, underscoring the critical need for swift international cooperation and humanitarian assistance. The hours ahead will be crucial in determining how many can be rescued and cared for\u2026<\/p>\n
After Zohran Mamdani\u2019s victory in the New York City mayoral election\u2014making him the city\u2019s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor-elect\u2014Republican leaders in Washington, D.C., signaled plans to try to block him from taking office.<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump has accused the 34-year-old Ugandan-born politician of being a communist, after previously warning that he would withhold federal funding from New York City if Mamdani won. Mamdani secured his win last week with a decisive margin, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo by nearly 10 percentage points, though Mamdani barely won a majority of votes overall.<\/p>\n
But some Republican lawmakers have vowed to block him from taking office. Some Republican lawmakers have demanded investigations into Mamdani\u2019s naturalisation process, calling for him to be stripped of his US citizenship and deported. They have accused him of involvement in communist and \u201cterrorist\u201d activities and figures linked to terrorism.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Mamdani lied on his naturalisation documents, he doesn\u2019t get to be a citizen, and he certainly doesn\u2019t get to run for mayor of New York City. A great American city is on the precipice of being run by a communist who has publicly embraced a terroristic ideology,\u201d Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) said in an October 29 news release, after asking US Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the mayor-elect,\u00a0<\/p>\n
the Economic Times reported.\u201cThe American naturalization system REQUIRES any alignments with communism or terrorist activities to be disclosed. I\u2019m doubtful he disclosed them. If the information is confirmed, put him on the first flight back to Uganda,\u201d Ogles added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a campaign finance watchdog\u00a0has filed two criminal referrals against Mamdani, accusing the leftist socialist of taking illicit donations from overseas contributors.<\/p>\n
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation sent the recommendations to the Department of Justice\u2019s Criminal Division and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg\u2019s office last week. They say that Mamdani may have broken the Federal Election Campaign Act and the New York Election Code.<\/p>\n
The recommendations were made after the New York Post reported earlier this month that Mamdani\u2019s campaign got about $13,000 in donations from at least 170 people who live outside the US, including one from his mother-in-law in Dubai.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are not isolated incidents or clerical errors,\u201d Dan Backer, a national campaign finance expert and president of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a sustained pattern of foreign money flowing into a New York City mayoral race which is a clear violation of both federal law and New York City campaign finance rules,\u201d Backer added. \u201cMamdani\u2019s campaign was on notice for months that it was accepting illegal foreign contributions, and yet it did nothing meaningful to stop it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation has previously filed complaints against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Hillary Clinton\u2019s presidential campaign, and the Democratic National Committee.<\/p>\n
The watchdog told Bragg and the DOJ to look into and arrest Mamdani for the campaign cash that may have come from Australia, Turkey, France, Canada, Germany, and other countries.<\/p>\n
The group said that Mamdani\u2019s campaign had shown a \u201csystematic failure to comply\u201d with the rules about campaign money.<\/p>\n
The Federal Election Campaign Act says that it is against the law to \u201caccept or receive\u201d donations from people who are not US citizens in any federal, state, or local election.<\/p>\n
People who knowingly accept donations from other countries could face big fines and jail time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe law is crystal clear that foreign nationals may not participate in American elections, and that includes making contributions,\u201d Backer continued. \u201cYet Mamdani\u2019s campaign repeatedly accepted donations from individuals abroad, some even tied to regions and individuals openly sympathetic to hostile actors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether through negligence or intent, this conduct undermines the integrity of the democratic process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mamdani\u2019s campaign for mayor of New York City sent back about $9,000 in donations from people outside the U.S., the Post reported.<\/p>\n
New emails have surfaced suggesting that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), encouraged federal employees to destroy government records related to the origins of COVID-19.<\/p>\n
The revelations come from a series of emails obtained by congressional investigators and highlighted by Senator Rand Paul, who has long pressed for transparency regarding Fauci\u2019s handling of the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe now have clear evidence that Dr. Fauci instructed federal employees to delete official records,\u201d Senator Paul told the\u00a0New York Post<\/em>. \u201cThis is a violation of federal law and contradicts his sworn testimony.\u201d<\/p>\n One email from February 2020 was particularly damning. It came shortly after a high-level call with virologists about the origins of COVID-19. According to congressional memos, the email included instructions to \u201cdelete\u201d messages that discussed the possibility of a lab leak.<\/p>\n The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic released a memo describing \u201cserious misconduct and potentially illegal actions\u201d by Fauci\u2019s senior adviser, Dr. David Morens.<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Morens unlawfully deleted federal COVID-19 records, used a personal email to avoid FOIA, and repeatedly acted unbecoming of a federal employee,\u201d the subcommittee memo stated.<\/p>\n Emails from Morens also appear to implicate Fauci directly. In one exchange, Morens wrote that Fauci \u201cis too smart to have things in writing,\u201d adding that he would help keep certain discussions \u201coff the record.\u201d<\/p>\n Lawmakers say this proves Fauci was aware of efforts to destroy records. \u201cThese revelations demonstrate that Dr. Fauci was not only complicit but may have personally directed the destruction of federal records,\u201d Rep. Brad Wenstrup, chair of the subcommittee, said in a press release.<\/p>\n The alleged cover-up centers around the controversial February 2020 paper,\u00a0The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2<\/em>, which dismissed the lab leak theory as a conspiracy. Critics argue Fauci\u2019s behind-the-scenes influence shaped that narrative while publicly denying any involvement.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing now is evidence of deliberate deception,\u201d Paul said. \u201cFauci told the American people one thing while working behind the scenes to suppress alternative theories.\u201d<\/p>\n The emails also reveal an ongoing effort within the NIH to avoid Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Morens admitted in one exchange that he would \u201cdelete anything\u201d that might be requested by watchdogs.<\/p>\n \u201cI always try to communicate via Gmail because my NIH email is FOIA\u2019d constantly,\u201d Morens wrote in an email subpoenaed by Congress.<\/p>\n Senator Paul blasted this as a clear violation of federal transparency laws. \u201cThe law is very clear\u2014federal employees cannot use private emails to conduct official business and then destroy records to avoid oversight,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In response, Paul sent a letter to the Department of Justice demanding a full investigation into Fauci and Morens. \u201cThe DOJ must investigate whether Dr. Fauci and his associates engaged in the unlawful destruction of records,\u201d Paul wrote.<\/p>\n The\u00a0New York Post<\/em>\u00a0reported that Fauci has been called back to Congress for further questioning. Lawmakers want him to explain the newly released emails that appear to contradict his past testimony.<\/p>\n \u201cFauci testified under oath that he never instructed anyone to delete records,\u201d Wenstrup said. \u201cThese emails suggest otherwise, and that raises serious questions about perjury.\u201d<\/p>\n The controversy is not new. In 2022, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) warned the NIH about potential violations of federal recordkeeping requirements.<\/p>\n In a letter obtained by\u00a0archives.gov<\/em>, NARA said NIH staff had allegedly been ordered to \u201cshred notes and other documents\u201d referencing its work with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.<\/p>\n \u201cIf proven true, these are unauthorized dispositions of federal records,\u201d the letter from NARA stated.<\/p>\n Conservative lawmakers say the implications are massive. \u201cIf Fauci ordered records destroyed, that is criminal,\u201d Rep. Jim Jordan said in a Fox News interview. \u201cWe\u2019re talking about one of the most consequential cover-ups in U.S. history.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul went further, accusing Fauci of intentionally misleading Congress. \u201cThis is about accountability,\u201d he said. \u201cNo federal employee, no matter how powerful, is above the law.\u201d<\/p>\n Fauci, however, has denied wrongdoing. In past interviews, he insisted he has always complied with federal transparency rules. \u201cI have nothing to hide,\u201d Fauci said in July when asked about earlier reports of email deletions.<\/p>\n Still, lawmakers say his denials don\u2019t match the evidence. \u201cHe told us under oath that he never destroyed records,\u201d Wenstrup said. \u201cNow we see emails where his top adviser brags about deleting them on his behalf.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the heart of America\u2019s third-largest city, a political firestorm is raging\u2014and it\u2019s not just the wind that\u2019s making headlines in Chicago. The city\u2019s police force, once the backbone of local order,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11850,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t