April 17, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— DD: Democrat leaders hint/imply/imply/shout that Trump inspires threats against the Pope.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/pope-leos-brother-john-prevost-receive-false-bomb-threat-new-lenox-illinois-police-say/18899122/

CBS2
— Chicago parents, mentors, teens come together to discuss solutions to teen takeovers. DD: How soon will Democrat teens takeover your downtown?
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-parents-mentors-teens-come-together-to-discuss-solutions-to-teen-takeovers/

FOX32
— Chicago FOP president calls Mayor Johnson a ‘coward’ over teen takeover response. Chicago FOP President John Catanzara delivers fiery remarks on the growing issue of teen takeovers, sharply criticizing Mayor Brandon Johnson’s response and calling for stronger action. DD: How soon will Democrat teens takeover your downtown?
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-f5oclwr0snegiv2b

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Bailey, lacking big fundraising help, spent just $2.30 per vote to win Illinois GOP governor primary.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/16/illinois-republican-darren-bailey-shoestring-primary-win/
— Pritzker pumped $10 million into Juliana Stratton’s Senate primary win through outside PAC
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/16/jb-pritzker-10-million-stratton-senate/
— The Will County Board voted Thursday to approve a 2,400-acre solar farm near Crete and reversed course on six previously denied solar projects near New Lenox, Wilmington, Shorewood and Channahon.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/16/will-county-solar-farm-votes/
— Salvi: Pritzker should welcome federal tax dollars that would benefit our students
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/17/letters-041726-jb-pritzker-federal-tax-credit-scholarship-program/
(FROM THE LETTER: As a mother of six and grandmother to 12 and a product of public school education, I am deeply troubled by the Chicago Board of Education’s recent decision to urge Gov. JB Pritzker to reject federal funding from the Education Freedom Tax Credit that expands school choice for Illinois families. This reckless decision proves that if President Donald Trump and Republicans are for something, Illinois Democrats are against it, even when it helps our children and empowers our families. This commonsense legislation creates new opportunities for scholarships that help make quality education more affordable. It enables parents to choose the school — public, private, charter or otherwise — that best meets their child’s unique needs. No child should be trapped in a failing school simply because of their ZIP code. Yet, unfortunately, the Board of Education and Mayor Brandon Johnson would rather slam the door shut on these opportunities than allow families real options for their children. Illinois Democrats continue to prioritize political control over our students. They care more about the numbers of students enrolled in failing schools than in educating our students and being held accountable for their schools’ failures to educate them. As chair of the Illinois Republican Party and a proud mom and grandmother who always puts children first, I call on Pritzker to reject this shortsighted resolution and embrace the opportunity to give every Illinois family the educational freedom they deserve. Our kids’ futures are too important to sacrifice for partisan ideology.)

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Republicans rip 4 blue states for keeping taxes on tips, overtime after Trump reprieve. GOP rips Dem obstruction on ‘making life more affordable’ before midterms.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republicans-rip-4-blue-states-keeping-taxes-tips-overtime-trump-reprieve
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi says that while Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is running for re-election in the nation’s third-largest blue state, he is really positioning himself for a 2028 presidential campaign on the agenda of obstructing Trump. “Last year, President Trump delivered the largest tax cut in American history, putting millions of dollars back in the pockets of Americans; this commonsense legislation is good for Illinois, but wannabe president, JB Pritzker would rather slam the door shut on opportunity and relief, knowing full well that he supported and empowered Joe Biden’s economic disaster,” Salvi told Fox News Digital.
— Burdened by costs of an ICE facility in town, Broadview reckons with a spotlight it never wanted. While communities elsewhere have been shielded from the costs of ICE facilities, the western suburb was stuck with bills for nearly $400,000. The costs continue as Broadview preps its new budget. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/04/17/burdened-by-costs-of-an-ice-facility-in-town-broadview-reckons-with-a-spotlight-it-never-wanted
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasing shout at Black women, and at everyone else, that Republicans who are the following cause all the problems that Black women and everyone else have: conservative, White, male. older, non-poor, married, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2026/04/17/black-women-chicago-power-rising-summit-kamala-harris-juliana-stratton-empowerment-voting-elections

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH PICTURE: Did SAFE-T Act loophole contribute to DuPage County slaying? Top prosecutor thinks so.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260416/crime/did-safe-t-act-loophole-contribute-to-dupage-county-slaying-top-prosecutor-thinks-so/
— DuPage County forced to pay bill after vendor disables election equipment
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260416/local-politics/dupage-county-forced-to-pay-bill-after-vendor-disables-election-equipment/
— DuPage Democrats reelect party chair
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260416/news/dupage-democrats-reelect-party-chair/

EVANSTON NOW
— Schakowsky to lead July 4 parade. DD: I was the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks between 2005 and 2020. The Democrats, the RINOs, and the Democrat plants who run Wheaton ended that in 2021.
https://evanstonnow.com/schakowsky-to-lead-july-4-parade/

ST. LOUIS TODAY
— Nearly 1 in 4 people seeking abortions out of state chose Illinois.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/article_b1b3b727-165d-41d2-ad8f-76205e5ba128.html

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— DD: Illinois Democrat leaders make it ever-increasingly clear that they are going to drive all Republicans out of Illinois starting with those who are conservative, White, male. older, non-poor, married, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/stratton-urges-democrats-to-offer-bold-solutions-not-the-bare-minimum/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Pritzker’s cash surge lifted Stratton. DD: How much cash will Pritzker give each Democrat candidate on the November 3 ballot in your precinct? To vote for Democrats is to promote more hatred against Republicans.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/04/17/pritzkers-cash-surge-lifted-stratton-00877876
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Republican State Central Committee has elected its new members, including state Reps. Patrick Sheehan and Jason Bunting. Illinois House GOP attorney Zach Emberton defeated Republican insider Tom DeVore. Beth Findley Smith succeeds her former husband, Larry Smith. And incumbents who won reelection are Aaron Del Mar, who’s running as the lieutenant governor candidate, and Debbie Kanarowski, Joan LaSonde and Rhonda Belford. Here’s the full list.)

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/04/17/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-718/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/04/16/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-505/
— Another loss for Tom DeVore
https://capitolfax.com/2026/04/16/another-day-another-loss-for-tom-devore-2/
— Sen. Rezin: ‘There is a broken concept in Springfield that the taxpayers’ money belongs to the government”
https://capitolfax.com/2026/04/16/sen-rezin-there-is-a-broken-concept-in-springfield-that-the-taxpayers%e2%80%99-money-belongs-to-the-government/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— GOP State Central Committee Results
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/04/16/gop-state-central-committee-results/
— Bill to Send Kids to Mental Health Providers without Parental Permission Passes Senate
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/04/16/bill-to-send-kids-to-mental-health-providers-without-parental-permission/

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Bill advances to prevent local governments from clearing homeless camps. DD: Where do Democrat leaders want to put their homeless camps in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_9ad50af0-4bff-4018-a1ef-1a3d8f7dfb11.html
— Illinois lawmakers grill diversity commission over lack of progress. DD: During the almost 30 years that I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government, they were under ever-increasing pressure from Democrat elected officials to hire, to retain, and to promote more Democrats who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. That ever-increasing rendered worthless my job-related bachelor’s degree, my three job-related master’s degrees, my six job-related professional certifications, and my job-related professional license. During the 4 years that I served on the Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee and during the 7 years that I served as the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, the organizations were under ever-increasing pressure from Democrat and RINO leaders to promote more minorities, females, younger people, and/or veterans.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_e449012f-e439-47b0-9dfe-14e3ac89c8d5.html

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Hundreds Rally in Springfield for IGOLD 2026 as Gun Owners Push Back on Democrat Policies.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/04/hundreds-rally-in-springfield-for-igold-2026-as-gun-owners-push-back-on-democrat-policies.html

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— It would be great if conservative organizations in Illinois and Republican organizations in Illinois, including the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization, would issue more press releases and include GOPUSA ILLINOIS at diersen@aol.com on their press release lists. Facebook is a Democrat website. Posting something on Facebook is not issuing a press release. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Yes, Muslims should assimilate to belong. DD: All my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s from what is now Germany. They were slow to assimilate. All my grandparents spoke German. Consequently, neither of my parents attended college, my father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma, my mother never attended high school, and I had to work my way through college.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/in_focus/4528627/muslims-should-assimilate-to-belong/

NEW YORK POST
— DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, the future is ever-increasingly bleak for those who are conservative, White, male, older, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I was born way back in 1948. If I had been born later, because I am all of the aforesaid, I would not have been able to earn a bachelor’s degree, earn three master’s degrees, earn six job-related professional certifications, and earn a professional license.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/16/lifestyle/the-american-dream-still-persists-despite-financial-stress-new-survey-suggests/
— DD: Ever-increasingly, under the Democrats and under the RINOs, Whites and men cannot advance unless they promise more preference for minorities and for females.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/07/opinion/zohran-mamdanis-acs-choice-puts-racial-equity-above-keeping-nyc-kids-safe-and-alive/
— Woke Boston mayor hands out $500 haircut and massage vouchers to queer and trans migrants, refugees
https://nypost.com/2026/04/16/us-news/woke-boston-mayor-hands-out-500-haircut-and-massage-vouchers-to-queer-and-trans-migrants-refugees/

AMAC
— Chicago Democrats Deny Scholarships to Students to Spite Trump
https://amac.us/newsline/politics/chicago-democrats-deny-scholarships-to-students-to-spite-trump/

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— DD: Google ever-increasingly exists a) to promote liberal principles and the Democrat Party and b) to destroy conservative principles and the Republican Party.
https://www.aei.org/articles/the-real-reason-republicans-should-be-concerned-google-skews-liberal/

CITY JOURNAL
— DD: Ever-increasingly, under the Democrats and under the RINOs, Whites and men cannot advance unless they promise more preference for minorities and for females.
https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-city-mamdani-racial-equity-plan

DAILY CALLER
— Leave it to a Muslim to accidentally prove why Muslims don’t belong in America. “I’m tired of proving I belong in America,” reads the headline of a Washington Post opinion piece by Shadi Hamid.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/muslim-makes-perfect-case-for-keeping-muslims-out-of-america/ar-AA20wYo8

DAILY SIGNAL
— Americans Want Mass Deportations, Not Amnesty
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/04/16/americans-want-mass-deportations-not-amnesty/

FOX NEWS
— DD: Ever-increasingly, under the Democrats and under the RINOs, Whites and men cannot advance unless they promise more preference for minorities and for females.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mamdani-unveils-new-racial-equity-plan-more-equitable-future-prompts-quick-doj-pushback
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nyc-mayor-cites-180k-racial-wealth-gap-justify-taxes-police-cuts
— The Secret Service doesn’t have a recruiting problem, it has a hiring problem — how woke, DEI hiring practices have destroyed the world’s most enigmatic and foremost protective agency.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/i-supervisor-secret-service-has-huge-problems-people-hires
— DD: How successful will foreign countries be using birthright citizenship to destroy America?
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/president-trumps-birthright-citizenship-fight-history-hysteria

HANNITY
— AGE ADVANTAGE: Trump’s Support Among Seniors Historically Strong In Second Term. DD: To get votes from those who are minority, female, and/or younger, the Republican Party ever-increasingly replaces it leaders who are White, male, and/or older with those who are minority, female, and/or younger.
https://hannity.com/media-room/age-advantage-trumps-support-among-seniors-historically-strong-in-second-term-watch/

HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— Shadi Hamid, a Muslim Washington Post columnist, Makes Outlandish Claims About Islam, Assimilation, and America
https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/shadi-hamid-makes-outlandish-claims-about-islam-assimilation-and-america
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Hamid’s arguments are likely to repel even those who harbored hopes that Muslim immigrants and their descendants would be assimilable. Among the main arguments [was] the following: America no longer has a unifying culture to conserve.)

NATIONAL REVIEW
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) encourage minority women have children and b) encourage White women to have abortions. Under the Democrats, the percentage of Americans who are White is ever-increasingly decreasing. Minorities overwhelmingly vote for Democrats.
https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2026/06/birth-rate-citizenship-an-all-american-approach-to-demographic-decline/

PJ MEDIA
— WaPo Columnist Says Muslims Should Not Be Expected to Assimilate, and What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
https://pjmedia.com/robert-spencer/2026/04/10/wapo-columnist-says-muslims-should-not-be-expected-to-assimilate-and-what-could-possibly-go-wrong-n4951659

FROM CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders hint/imply/imply/shout that Trump inspires threats against the Pope.
https://abcnews.com/US/pope-leos-brothers-home-targeted-false-bomb-threat/story?id=132104698

MSN
— Trump’s support plunges among key voter groups ahead of midterms
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/trump-s-support-plunges-among-key-voter-groups-ahead-of-midterms/gm-GMDB6C633A
— Vance faces sparse crowd and protests at Georgia event
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/vance-faces-sparse-crowd-and-protests-at-georgia-event/gm-GMB5DA31E9
— DD: All my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s from what is now Germany. They were slow to assimilate. All my grandparents spoke German. Consequently, neither of my parents attended college, my father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma, my mother never attended high school, and I had to work my way through college.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/assimilation-talk-is-a-dog-whistle-for-white-supremacy/vi-AA20SijB
— DD: Democrat leaders hint/imply/imply/shout that Trump inspires threats against the Pope.
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/insight/bomb-threat-at-pope-s-brother-s-home-deepens-trump-feud-fallout/gm-GM550A3B54

NEWSWEEK
— Trump’s approval rating with women grows
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trumps-approval-rating-with-women-grows-poll-finds/ar-AA20mCKO

NPR
— DD: Facebook ever-increasingly exists a) to promote liberal principles and the Democrat Party and b) to destroy conservative principles and the Republican Party.
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/27/1190383104/new-study-shows-just-how-facebooks-algorithm-shapes-conservative-and-liberal-bub

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Ever-increasingly, under the Democrats and under the RINOs, Whites and men cannot advance unless they promise more preference for minorities and for females.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/nyregion/mamdani-dei-report.html
— DD: Facebook ever-increasingly exists a) to promote liberal principles and the Democrat Party and b) to destroy conservative principles and the Republican Party.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/24/us/politics/facebook-ads-politics.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Facebook ever-increasingly exists a) to promote liberal principles and the Democrat Party and b) to destroy conservative principles and the Republican Party.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/10/26/facebook-algorithm-conservative-liberal-extremes/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— How the ABA Spreads DEI in Law Schools. The lawyers’ guild still has a monopoly on accreditation. Why?
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/american-bar-association-dei-law-school-accreditation-36e77872

POLITICO
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly paint the Pope as despising Trump if not hating Trump. That will inspire even more hatred against Trump. What is the Pope’s position on those who voted for Trump? What does the Pope want them to do?
https://www.politico.eu/article/pope-leo-says-world-ravaged-tyrants-donald-trump/

GALLUP & THE HILL & MSN
— DD: Because ever-increasingly, everything is stacked against White men, young White men should ever-increasingly focus on earning job-related college degrees, professional certifications, and professional licenses. If I had not earned the aforesaid, I would not have been able to a) buy new cars when I was 23, 25, 29, etc., b) buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, etc., c) get married when I was 29, d) etc.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/708410/rise-young-men-religiosity-realigns-gender-gaps.aspx
https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/polls/5835277-religion-gender-gap-millennials/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/number-of-young-men-who-call-religion-very-important-is-skyrocketing/ar-AA213464

PEW RESEARCH
— Multiple indicators show a decline in the health of America’s democracy. DD: Democrats ever-increasingly use democracy a) to take more and more and more away from Republicans and b) to give it all to Democrats.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/04/15/multiple-indicators-show-a-decline-in-the-health-of-americas-democracy-in-2025/
— DD: Facebook ever-increasingly exists a) to promote liberal principles and the Democrat Party and b) to destroy conservative principles and the Republican Party.
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/06/12/how-facebook-users-view-experience-the-platform/

RASMUSSEN REPORTS
— 70% of Republicans Want All Illegal Aliens Deported
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration_second_term/70_of_republicans_want_all_illegal_aliens_deported

FORD FOUNDATION
— Ford Foundation Adds $60 Million in New Funding to Strengthen Democracy. DD: Democrats ever-increasingly use democracy a) to take more and more and more away from Republicans and b) to give it all to Democrats.
https://www.fordfoundation.org/news-and-stories/news-and-press/news/ford-foundation-adds-60-million-in-new-funding-to-strengthen-democracy/

HARVARD LAW TODAY
— Citizens need to make this democracy work. DD: Democrats ever-increasingly use democracy a) to take more and more and more away from Republicans and b) to give it all to Democrats.
https://hls.harvard.edu/today/america-at-250-citizens-need-to-make-this-democracy-work/

AMERICAN IMMIGRATION COUNCIL
— 16 Million Eligible Immigrant Voters Will Decide the Winners and Losers of the 2026 Elections. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly bring in more immigrants because they vote for Democrats. Immigrants want/need/demand massive government assistance, lack education and/or job skills, have financial, health, and/or other problems, and reject the rule of law. Immigrants are overwhelmingly non-White, liberal/moderate, and non-Protestant. Immigrants overwhelming blame those who are the following for their problems: American, conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, married, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/immigrant-voters-2026-elections/

CONVERSATION
— DD: Google ever-increasingly exists a) to promote liberal principles and the Democrat Party and b) to destroy conservative principles and the Republican Party.
https://theconversation.com/google-news-serves-conservatives-and-liberals-similar-results-but-favors-mainstream-media-102389

NIEMAN LAB
— DD: Google ever-increasingly exists a) to promote liberal principles and the Democrat Party and b) to destroy conservative principles and the Republican Party.
https://www.niemanlab.org/2018/08/does-your-google-news-change-based-on-whether-youre-conservative-or-liberal/

ACLU
— DD: How successful will foreign countries be using birthright citizenship to destroy America?
https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/my-child-is-now-a-political-debate-immigrant-families-battle-trumps-birthright-citizenship-threats

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

MEAWW
— Trump leads every 21st century president among seniors, boosting GOP midterm odds. DD: Seniors see how badly anti-Trumps treat seniors.
https://news.meaww.com/cn-ns-enten-says-trump-leads-every-21st-century-president-among-seniors-boosting-gop-midterm-odds

ECONOMIST
— DD: The hatred that you promote against Trump, the more that Trump-haters promote you.
https://www.economist.com/1843/2026/04/17/the-republican-congressman-taking-on-trump

Author: David Diersen

The opinions that I express in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are based on experience that I have gained doing many things since 1948. I base my opinions on what I learned a) working for the federal government for almost 30 years -- Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, serving on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996, and being a union member while I worked for the Post Office and IRS; b) earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, a masters degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, and a masters degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997; c) passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981; c) serving as a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999, the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois Chairman 2005-2012, a member of the 2008 Illinois Republican Party (IRP) Platform and Resolutions Committee, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member 2003-2011, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, and an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004; d) attending the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 IRP State Conventions as a delegate; e) being the subject of a nasty 4-page article in the February 1978 issue of Money Magazine; f) pursing litigation including Diersen v. GAO and Diersen v. Chicago Car Exchange; g) being married since 1978; h) living in Crete 1948-1972, in University Park 1972-1976, in Chicago 1976-1978, and in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton since 1978; and i) being baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran.