By: Diane Benjamin The first story was published by WGLT on May 15, 2026. Quote: ISU student deposits are down 8% compared to last year. Of course they are jumping throw a lot of hoops, including paying students to attend (scholarships) to entice students. https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-05-15/isu-student-deposits-drop-as-enrollment-cliff-arrives Obviously the birth rate is down which means fewer high […]
The writer’s name is Jeff Lord, candidate for McLean County Board Distrist 5 By: Diane Benjamin Krystle Able’s version is in this story: https://blnnews.com/2026/04/15/some-things-you-need-to-know/ This was posted on Facebook by a guy who attended. I would use his name but I don’t have his permission to use it. If he contacts me or comments below, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Andrew Franson responded to this story on his Facebook page: https://blnnews.com/2026/02/02/5-things-you-need-to-know-11/ I hope ISU is proud of this student with no grasp of the English language. Maybe he’s aiming for a job in Illinois government: . Franson did send a pictures of people standing in front of the BCPA. They could have […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Remember the communist organizer from ISU – Andrew Franson? https://blnnews.com/2025/10/16/email-from-an-isu-communist/ He calls himself a communist, I didn’t label him. I received an email from him saying the picture in this story is wrong: https://blnnews.com/2026/01/30/tiny-anti-ice-crowd/ Andrew claims people had left by the time the picture in the story was taken. He claims […]
By: Diane Benjamin State Compliance Examination Release Date: March 27, 2025For the Year Ended June 30, 2024 This report shows 3 failures at ISU: The auditor stated these are MATERIAL WEAKNESSES for failure to comply with State Law. “Material” are the worst kind of weaknesses. The first one was noted in 2011, 2015, and 2019. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2026/01/12/the-local-clueless/ Every President before Biden knew illegal immigration wasn’t good for a sovereign country. If you want proof, ask me! The comments to Krystle Able’s post prove where mental illness comes from. Did Krystle mean to incite violence? See if you think she did. I added notes to […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Illinois State University football team came from behind to force overtime last night for the FCS championship. The team ended up losing by 1 point. They deserve to be proud of what they accomplished. Meanwhile, an ISU professor was one of the organizers of the protest Sunday: https://www.25newsnow.com/2026/01/05/activists-protesting-us-military-force-venezuela-gather-busy-bloomington-shopping-center/#aj0ltkn477e8vlubp6audiolk8wpxhqt Excerpts: Activist group Bloomington […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when ISU wouldn’t give me emails that mentioned Charlie Kirk? https://blnnews.com/2025/11/15/isu-foia-fail/ ISU claimed there were too many emails, even when I narrowed the request to ONE DAY. I wasn’t the only person trying to find out what staff were telling students about Kirk. Another FOIA was filed by Chad Berck on […]
By: Diane Benjamin I can’t post links to this information because a PACER account is required to access federal case information. Lopez has one charge against him. His court appointed attorney requested bail, the judge denied it. An Order of Protection against him was granted, I don’t know who requested it. The below was copied […]
By: Diane Benjamin Cloudfare, the company keeping the internet safe from attacks, was attacked earlier today. It appears to mostly back up and running but it has affected WordPress and therefore my posts. I don’t know if stories are going to anyone who hasn’t subscribed. Now would be a good time to subscribe if you […]
By: Diane Benjamin See if you can follow how ISU responded to my FOIA. I was looking for emails mentioning Charlie Kirk around the time he was on the ISU campus. Read the below chain, what don’t they want you to know? Original request 9/12/25: All communication in any form by any ISU employee using […]
Update to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/29/derek-s-lopez-arrest-details/ By: Diane Benjamin Derek Lopez, the guy who flipped the Turning Point USA table at ISU, was arrested again: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/22/derek-lopez-confession/ Lopez lives in El Paso which is in Woodford County. No other information is available. He might only be in custody because he hasn’t appeared before a judge yet, I […]
By: Diane Benjamin Read to the bottom of this one! Getting millions of tax dollars and tax breaks requires transparency. Rivian stopped providing even the basics. We have no idea how many employees work in Normal because they stopped saying: https://wirepoints.org/after-getting-millions-in-tax-breaks-rivian-now-wont-say-how-many-people-work-in-normal-wglt-npr-at-isu/ Do you know Rivian just settled a lawsuit for $250,000,000? https://www.rttnews.com/3585443/rivian-automotive-reaches-250-mln-settlement-in-securities-class-action.aspx 600 employees across […]
By: Diane Benjamin It is alway nice when criminals confess. Derek Lopez wrote the below on X. He blamed the victim and not himself, typical deflection: . Below are excerpts from an email sent by Turning Point USA: . Pick a side.
By: Diane Benjamin If you didn’t know, the McLean County Sheriff’s office has an app that allows looking up inmates being held: https://mcleancountyil.gov/95/Sheriff I know it feels like too many accused persons are let loose with no bail, but the app is currently showing 218 inmates. One of them is Lopez even though initial reports […]
Lopez was arrested. This does not say he was banned from campus: By: Diane Benjamin Make sure you read this entire post because Unit 5 is involved too. In case you missed the first story: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/15/more-reasons-isu-should-be-embarrassed/ Since it appears ISU did nothing, including the ISU police, the same guy repeated his criminal activities: . This […]
Picture added by request By: Diane Benjamin This is the email writer: . This self-admitted communist sent this email – note the typos and command of the English language: . In case the print is too small, here is the text: I tried to leave a comment on your posts about the Nazi situation (I […]
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois State University SHOULD be embarrassed but probably won’t be. Monday this happened on the ISU campus: . This is the guy student say flipped their table, a police report was filed: . I’m sure ISU knows who this guy is. Are they doing anything to him? Is this the poster child […]
By: Diane Benjamin Why I burned my diploma. Pension from openthebooks.com
By: Diane Benjamin Below is a comment made on my site about Charlie Kirk. The writer is employed by Illinois State University. I thought this comment deserved attention, it was made to the Evil Hates Love story: Did I agree with most of what he said? Nope. Did he deserve to die for what he […]
By: Diane Benjamin Public Education has led to this: . Socialism doesn’t produce liberation, it enslaves. No Nazis were ever going to march in Bloomington. PSL has no idea what Fascism is, they have been taught it is the extreme right wing. It isn’t. Ending capitalism means freedom disappears with it. Education needs a reset […]
By: Diane Benjamin See the agenda, financial information is crossed off for both June and July because of year end: https://connect-transit.com/file/3810/2025%2008%2026_Meeting%20Packet.pdf Every other year this data has only been delayed 1 month. The Managing Director, David Braun, claimed they are still collecting June bills. When Flex replaces vehicles, the new ones will be electric! Meanwhile […]
Links: (Above is a picture) https://www.bing.com/search?q=Department+of+Education+stops+federal+funding+of+workforce+study&pc=GD03&form=GDAVG1&ptag=9309 https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careers/department-of-education-ends-support-for-political-activism/ar-AA1KU6P5?ocid=BingNewsSerp https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-admin-bans-federal-work-study-funds-from-supporting-political-activism-college-campuses?msockid=27d69318ee1a6ba8370886faef646a80
By: Diane Benjamin After looking for months I finally found it! I’ve been saying for a long time when I do find this I can’t wait to burn it! I did yesterday. Below are 2 videos. The 1st one is 3 minutes and 33 seconds and explains most of why I did this. The second […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington is now dreaming up ways to keep discriminatory DEI policies by calling them other names: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-08-12/city-of-bloomington-to-host-a-free-symposium-discussing-the-future-of-inclusion-and-access Mentioned in the story: (What happened to the .gov extension?) All of the salaries came from OpenTheBooks.com. If you haven’t tried the new format, you should! Michael Hurt salary in 2024: $121,804.15 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Additional information on this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/07/07/is-terri-ryburn-still-living-at-spragues/ From Open The Books Note: These numbers are MONTHLY.
By: Diane Benjamin Before enrolling in college the first question that should be asked is: Can the accumulated debt be paid back with my chosen major? Unless public schools are hiring, who is going to welcome recent grads with this degree: https://illinoiseagle.com/2025/05/29/isu-establishes-queer-studies-certificate/ Illinois State University (ISU) launched an undergraduate queer studies certificate this month. The […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is why judges should NEVER be retained. They end up thinking they are gods. Trump was elected to get criminal illegals out of the country. Obstructing the President’s performance of his duties deserves justice. Remember when states wanted to deport illegals and the Supreme Court told them immigration enforcement was the […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) The Vidette finally published a story late yesterday on Charlie Kirk’s ISU rally: https://www.videtteonline.com Charlie Kirk Creates a Stir at Illinois State University with Open Discussion The reporter included comments from students who attended as well as Kirk’s opening remarks. Also included was the proverbial “racists” label that gets thrown at […]
By: Diane Benjamin According to the Vidette website: https://www.videtteonline.com/ The “Student Voice” has written NOTHING about the massive gathering on their campus yesterday. These are the top 2 stories under NEWS: The Vidette has joined the ranks of FAKE NEWS. Congrats Maybe the staff doesn’t get out of bed until mid afternoon. Keep in mind […]
Where you get news matters. Read the title: This pic from today was posted by Turning Point USA of the ISU rally, massive crowd! Sent to me by a reader, much bigger crowd than showed up for the Hands Off Protest: What conservative event wouldn’t have a clown shop up to protest: Demonic, of course. […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) I was notified by a reader the BNWRD owns the tent city property in Normal. That’s the Bloomington Normal Water Reclamation District. Illinois law prevents them from removing the campers. It doesn’t prevent them from demanding they CLEAN up their mess. 2) I was also notified that ISU is planning for […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you didn’t know, enrollment at ISU increased this year because many students received tuition breaks. ISU knows future enrollment will decrease because birth rates have declined, which means fewer kids will be available to fill seats. That doesn’t stop the faculty union from demanding more money. There’s an online video of […]
Below are two documents. The first one is a press release that was just issued. The second is a complaint that was filed with the US Department of Education. It accuses Universities, including ISU, of violating students Rights to Privacy. Personal information was released to NGO’s who use that data to increase voter participation on […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader This clown shouldn’t be anywhere near young people. It should embarrassing to IWU that their political science teacher doesn’t bother with facts before spouting far left talking points. I bet he didn’t watch the almost hour long press conference that was cordial until Zelensky decided to renegotiate the deal […]
By: Diane Benjamin According to Krystle Able they do. Below is part of a video of Able imploring ISU students to get out and vote for her April 1st. In this clip she claims local unions support illegals. Evidently the local unions want to lose jobs to illegals. Illegals don’t respect picket lines, they just […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) The entire turbine field by Carlock was turned off yesterday: To be fair, a few hours later they were spinning. Maybe they require wind. 2) Krystle Able finally revealed why she wants the rent control ban lifted: Of course she doesn’t see the ridiculous here. Let me help her out: Proof […]
By: Diane Benjamin Keep in mind GAZA was free until they attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Palestinians elected Hamas and haven’t had elections again since that happened in 2006. Hamas then murdered opposition to keep power. Nice folks. I wasn’t going to do a story on just Krystle Able, but when Corey Beirne chimed […]
By: Diane Benjamin Progressives are FAR left. They don’t believe in capitalism or the Republic. Below are pictures from the Student for Justice in Palestine ISU Facebook page. 7 members were arrested Friday after refusing to leave the Hovey Hall Administration Building. https://www.25newsnow.com/2024/05/03/pro-palestinian-protesters-stage-sit-in-after-meeting-with-illinois-state-universitys-president/ One of those arrested was 40 year old Steven Lazarov. More about […]
h/t a reader There aren’t many kids left in the Palestinian protest. Students walking by didn’t support them, just their right to peacefully protest.
