Month: August 2021

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Americans support mask and vaccine mandates for schools, AP-NORC poll finds – AP
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-aud-nw-poll-mask-vaccine-schools-20210823-syqy3mxei5g3hgb2ps6m23ue7u-story.html

DAILY HERALD
— Time for a raise? McHenry County Board considering pay hike for members – Ben Szalinski
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20210822/time-for-a-raise-mchenry-county-board-considering-pay-hike-for-members

JACKSONVILLE JOURNAL COURIER
— COMMENT: Ever-increasingly, Democrats blame Republicans for the problems that Blacks have had, are having, and will have.
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/opinion/article/Commentary-Scott-Reeder-Ignoring-the-real-16404627.php

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— GOP SEES CANDIDATE SURGE – Shia Kapos
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2021/08/23/gop-candidate-surge-jacksons-covid-scare-headline-494086
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Republican legislative candidates are coming forward “at a much higher rate” than they did for the 2018 election, a signal that the Illinois GOP is working to make good on a promise to fill every slot on the 2022 ballot. “I attribute [the uptick] to people understanding the opportunity that we have this cycle and the issues that we’ll run against Democrats,” Jayme Odom, the executive director of the Illinois House Republicans, told Playbook. She says those issues include Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “overreach” by not working with the legislature to enact Covid-19 mitigation rules, passage of police-reform legislation, and signing a law that decriminalizes possession of certain amounts of fentanyl and cocaine. On the state Senate side, “More Republicans in the Cook County region are interested in running for state office than I’ve seen before,” says Senate GOP Political Director Nick McNeely. There’s no litmus test for running, but the House Republican organization is asking whether candidates believe the 2020 election was stolen. “We’re looking for people who are interested in running and who fit the constituency of their district,” said Odom. Recruiting on all fronts: Along with state House and Senate recruitment efforts, the conservative think tank Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) is scouting for candidates. Even Jeanne Ives, a former GOP state representative who in 2018 lost a congressional race, is working to get candidates to run, according to two Republican Party sources. “When you don’t have contested races, a lot of people don’t vote,” IPI’s Matt Paprocki told Playbook. He says IPI has sent out 65,000 mailers statewide to “free-market individuals, Democrats, Independents and Republicans” as part of an outreach effort to potential candidates. “We stop the engagement once they say they want to run.” (The organization, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, can’t be engaged in electioneering.) Republicans aren’t coughing up names of candidates quite yet. “Everyone’s keeping their powder dry until they see the maps,” said McNeely, referring to the legislative map that Democrats will tweak Aug. 31 when they return to Springfield. (Republican leaders filed a federal lawsuit in June challenging boundaries that were drawn and approved by the Democratic-led General Assembly during the spring, saying the boundaries were based on unofficial census numbers. That suit is pending.) Of course, candidate recruitment means nothing without cash. Republicans say they are working on two fronts: trying to ramp up fundraising down the ticket as well as checking in with major donors. Billionaires Ken Griffin and Dick Uihlein come to mind, though Republicans aren’t naming names. “Leader [Jim] Durkin is in contact with potential donors from across the state every day,” said Odom, acknowledging it’s too early for donors to pitch in when they don’t even know who might be on the ballot. For now, House Republicans have about $408,000 cash on hand to get Republicans elected to the General Assembly, and the Senate political committees have a combined $1 million. . .GOP aims to ‘Fire Pritzker’ as party searches for contender who can win statewide: “Congressman [Darin] LaHood, who represents the second-most Republican district in the state, encouraged GOP voters to take hope in other blue states that have elected Republican governors. [He] left out some telling specifics. He didn’t tell the crowd how those governors — Phil Scott (R-VT), Larry Hogan (R-MD), and Charlie Baker (R-MA) — won their elections by appealing to Independents and Democrats, how cautiously they governed their states during the pandemic, or how fiercely and vocally they opposed the former president,” reports WCIA’s Mark Maxwell.)

WIREPOINTS
— CDC squelched its own study showing masks ineffective for kids in schools. Answers needed.
https://wirepoints.org/cdc-squelched-its-own-study-showing-masks-ineffective-for-kids-in-schools-answers-needed-wirepoints-quickpoint/

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump’s poll numbers creep up – Jennifer Harper
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/aug/22/inside-beltway-trumps-poll-numbers-creep/
— ‘Silent amnesty’: Biden admin. quietly dismissing thousands of deportation cases. Migrants get de facto permission to remain in U.S. even though they do not hold a legal status. – Stephen Dinan
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/aug/23/joe-biden-engages-in-silent-amnesty-as-deportation/
— Fox News rescues Afghans who have helped network – Jennifer Harper
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/aug/22/fox-news-rescues-afghan-nationals-who-have-helped-/

AMERICAN GREATNESS
— The Drossy Touch of Joe Biden. A cognitively challenged Biden is pulled in every direction, by left-wing politicos collecting their debts, by his own spite, by his trademark narcissism, and by his hatred of all things Trump. – Victor Davis Hanson
https://amgreatness.com/2021/08/22/the-drossy-touch-of-joe-biden/

BREITBART
— COMMENT: A hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-hater promotes hatred against Republicans.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2021/08/22/mary-trump-the-republican-party-has-white-supremacy-as-one-of-its-major-platforms/

BLAZE
— Border Patrol agents say they aren’t allowed to do their job, feel ‘downtrodden, almost dead inside’ – PAUL SACCA
https://www.theblaze.com/news/border-patrol-morale-collapse-crisis

DAILY WIRE
— Biden Admin Considers Strikes To Destroy U.S. Military Equipment In Afghanistan After Taliban Takeover – Ryan Saavedra
https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-considers-strikes-to-destroy-u-s-military-equipment-in-afghanistan-after-taliban-takeover-report

TOWNHALL
— LA Times Publishes Racist Column Referring to Larry Elder As ‘Black Face of White Supremacy’ – Rebecca Downs
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/rebeccadowns/2021/08/22/la-times-publishes-racist-column-referring-to-larry-elder-as-black-face-of-white-supremacy-n2594544
— Save the Military By Starting with a Woke Purge – Kurt Schlichter
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2021/08/23/save-the-military-by-starting-with-a-woke-purge-n2594516
— Taliban Tyranny Proves the Need for American Values: Life, Liberty – Thomas Glessner
https://townhall.com/columnists/thomasglessner/2021/08/23/taliban-tyranny-proves-the-need-for-american-values-life-liberty-n2594486

FEDERALIST
— University Of Virginia Boots 238 Students For Declining COVID-19 Injection – Jordan Davidson
https://thefederalist.com/2021/08/22/university-of-virginia-boots-238-students-for-declining-covid-19-injection/

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Biden Job Approval Falls to Record Low amid COVID Resurgence – CAROLINE DOWNEY
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/biden-job-approval-falls-to-record-low-amid-covid-resurgence/

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— How the political environment is moving toward Republicans – Harry Enten
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/22/politics/special-elections-republicans-analysis/index.html

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Biden’s Legacy Is Reducing The United States to Groveling. Biden’s debasement of our country should be a life-altering national call to action. – William A. Jacobson
https://legalinsurrection.com/2021/08/bidens-legacy-is-reducing-the-united-states-to-groveling/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— VP of Afghanistan tells Lara Logan difference in ISIS, al Qaeda, and Taliban is like ‘Coke and Pepsi’ – Jon Dougherty (COMMENT: One could argue that RINOs are closer to Democrats than they are to conservatives or to Republicans.)
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2021/08/23/vp-of-afghanistan-tells-lara-logan-difference-in-isis-al-qaeda-and-taliban-is-like-coke-and-pepsi-1123146/

EPOCH TIMES
— Nearly 15 Million Mail-in-Ballots Unaccounted for in 2020 Election, Report Says – MATTHEW VADUM
https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/nearly-15-million-ballots-unaccounted-for-in-2020-election-report-says_3955184.html

POLITICO
— 9 of 10 fastest growing congressional districts represented by Republicans, Census data shows – STEVEN SHEPARD, PATTERSON CLARK, MING LI and SEAN MCMINN
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/22/census-congressional-district-changes-506467

HUFFINGTON POST
— ‘Not American’: Adam Kinzinger Slams GOP Fearmongering About Afghan Refugees. The GOP lawmaker, who served in Afghanistan, slammed right-wing media for stoking fears about refugees. – Josephine Harvey (COMMENT: Ever-increasingly, Kinzinger demonizes, denigrates, and condemns Republicans, and especially Republicans who are Trump supporters, conservative, patriotic, White, male, older, heterosexual, married, non-poor, gun owners, Christian, Protestant, Italian American, German American, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time. Of course, Kinzinger supporters will follow Kinzinger’s lead.)
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/adam-kinzinger-gop-afghanistan_n_6122d264e4b0e5b5d8eb0d17

CBS NEWS
— Race in the Ranks: Investigating racial bias in the U.S. military. David Martin reports on the new efforts being put forth to address inequality in the military, this time under the watch of the country’s first Black Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin. – David Martin
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-military-racism-60-minutes-2021-08-22/

CNN
— COMMENT: Ever-increasingly, Democrats and RINOs use “democracy” to get rid of Republicans, and especially to get rid of Republicans who are Trump supporters, conservative, patriotic, White, male, older, heterosexual, married, non-poor, gun owners, Christian, Protestant, Italian American, German American, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.
https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2021/08/22/maga-media-outlets-are-on-an-anti-democratic-crusade.cnn

NEW YORK TIMES
— Tired Workers Are Opting Out of Careers and Capitalism – Cassady Rosenblum (COMMENT: While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years, very few of my coworkers and subordinates did what I did to advance. While I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969, I took job-related courses at UIC and NIU and earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in 1970. While I worked for IRS 1971-1980, a) I took job-related graduate courses at Loyola and earned an MBA in 1976, b) I took CPA review courses and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, and c) I took job-related graduate courses at DePaul and earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980. While I worked for GAO 1980-1997, a) I took Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) review courses and passed the CIA examination on my first attempt in 1981, b) became a licensed CPA in 1981, and c) I took job-related graduate courses at IIT and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/22/opinion/lying-flat-work-rest.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The Media Ignores Optimistic Black Leaders. The ones you don’t hear about reject narratives of self-pity and resentment. – Arnold L. Goldman, Canton, Conn.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-media-ignores-optimistic-black-leaders-blm-11629497358
— Biden’s Cruel Immigration Policy. Migrants want to fill jobs in the U.S. But there’s no legal path to enter the country. – Mary Anastasia O’Grady (COMMENT: What percent of these jobs are BAD JOBS? To avoid unemployment, I took BAD JOBS that my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes would never stoop to take. I did yard work and delivered newspapers 1962-1964; washed dishes 1964-1966; cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966; delivered mail 1966-1969; worked on an automobile assembly line and as a security guard in 1970; sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971; pumped gasoline 1971-1972; collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980; and audited federal agencies 1980-1997.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-mayorkas-immigration-policy-south-america-labor-shortage-darien-gap-panama-colombia-mexico-border-security-11629646047

ABC SAN FRANCISCO
— Careers: Hiring Our Heroes: Career Fair Town Hall (COMMENT: I will forever deeply regret avoiding the draft. While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years, many, and often most, and at times, virtually all of my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and/or subordinates were Democrat veterans. My Democrat superiors gave preference to their employees who were Democrats, and especially to those who were veterans.)
https://abc7news.com/veterans-career-fair-hiring-heroes-disney-institute/10957627/

NEWSWEEK
— Under Donald Trump, Did a Record Number of Americans Feel Better Off? – JACOB JARVIS (COMMENT: I felt better under Trump because he did much to defend and advance the Republican Party platform.)
https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-donald-trump-better-off-1621962

KNOXVILLE FOCUS
— Why the left prefers equity over equality – Dr. Harold A. Black
https://knoxfocus.com/archives/this-weeks-focus/why-the-left-prefers-equity-over-equality/

GOVERNING
— Women Make Fewer Political Donations and Risk Being Ignored by Elected Officials. Men give more money than women to candidates in high-level statewide elections. Money can equal political influence, so that may lead candidates to be less interested in women’s issues once elected. – Kira Sanbonmatsu and Claire Gothreau
https://www.governing.com/now/women-make-fewer-political-donations-and-risk-being-ignored-by-elected-officials

FEDERAL TIMES
— OPM lays out path for more paid federal interns – Jessie Bur (DIERSEN: Were you an intern? GAO audits IRS. When I transferred from IRS to GAO in 1980 when I was 31 years old, my Democrat GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates did not want me to transfer, but failing that, they wanted me to transfer as a GS-4 Step 1 (currently $34,956/year) intern, that is, to suffer a $62,439/year (64%) pay cut in today’s dollars. They painted what GAO Analysts do as being a unique “trade or occupation.” They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. They viciously demonized, denigrated, and condemned the fact a) that I had worked for IRS as a Revenue Officer for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 levels, currently $85,935-$97,395/year, b) that much of what IRS Revenue Officers do is similar to what GAO Analysts do, c) that I had passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, d) that I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976, and e) that I had almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul. They were furious a) that I suffered a pay cut of only 21%, $20,361/year in today’s dollars, to transfer and b) that I transferred with me almost 12 years of federal seniority, 30 days of unused vacation days, and 130 unused sick days.)
https://www.federaltimes.com/management/hr/2021/08/17/opm-lays-out-path-for-more-paid-federal-interns/

CENTER FOR AMERICA PROGRESS
— It’s Time for a Workforce Disclosure Reset – Alexandra Thornton and Zoe Willingham (COMMENT: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, a) the more Democrat minorities and Democrat females that my superiors promoted, the faster that they were promoted and b) the more Republican Whites and Republican males that my Democrat superiors got rid of, the faster that they were promoted.)
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2021/08/23/502287/time-workforce-disclosure-reset/

WIRED
— Is Your Name Ruining Your Life? Name discrimination is still alive and well in 2021—and I can’t help but wonder how it’s shaped others’ perceptions of me. – AMIT KATWALA (COMMENT: I am 100% German national origin. All my ancestors immigrated to northeast Illinois during the 1840s and 1850s from what is now Germany. What do you say to those who have advised me to pretend that I am Swedish American? According to http://dna.ancestry.com , my ancestry is 33% Europe West, 28% Scandinavia, 24% Great Britain, 11% Ireland, 2% Europe East, 1% Finland/Northwest Russia, and 1% Italy/Greece.)
https://www.wired.com/story/is-your-name-ruining-your-life/

PATHEOS
— What if life wasn’t just a zero-sum game? – Fred Clark (COMMENT: Democrats and RINOs make Republicans pay the price of Affirmative Action, Diversity, and Inclusion, and especially Republicans who are Trump supporters, conservative, patriotic, White, male, older, heterosexual, married, non-poor, gun owners, Christian, Protestant, Italian American, German American, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2021/07/27/what-if-life-wasnt-just-a-zero-sum-game/

INSIDE HIGHER ED
— Equity, Not Equality, in College Admissions. Courtney Pinto writes that the advantages of wealth are not easily dismissed by test-optional admissions. – Courtney Pinto (COMMENT: What tests did you pass and where did the money come from that helped you pass those tests? The tests that I have passed include a) the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 when I was 30 years old, b) the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, c) all the tests necessary to earn a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997, d) all the tests necessary to earn a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, e) all the tests necessary to earn an MBA from Loyola in 1976, f) all the tests necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in 1970, g) the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970, and h) the Post Office employment examination in 1966. I did yard work and delivered newspapers 1962-1964; washed dishes 1964-1966; cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966; delivered mail 1966-1969; worked on an automobile assembly line and as a security guard in 1970; sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971; pumped gasoline 1971-1972; collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980; and audited federal agencies 1980-1997.)
https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/views/2021/08/23/equity-not-equality-should-be-goal-college-admissions-opinion