April 20, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— CPS CEO Macquline King did not need to cave to the Chicago Teachers Union
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/19/editorial-may-day-chicago-public-schools-macquline-king-ctu-brandon-johnson/
— ICE went on a hiring spree. Sterling credentials were not required.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/17/ice-hiring-ap-investigation/
— DD: Pot is poison. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton. Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push minorities to be pot pushers.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/20/opinion-illinois-cannibis-equity-legalization/
— FRONT PAGE WITH PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against him
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/20/25th-amendment-trump-democrats/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use the Pope to promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/20/column-pete-hegseth-donald-trump-pope-leo-xiv-pulp-fiction-page/
— DD: Far too many nonprofits are fronts for the Democrat Party.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/20/opinion-general-services-administration-nonprofit-certification-dei/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Stratton.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2026/04/18/julianna-stratton-talks-about-the-fight-shes-bringing-to-washington-at-power-rising-summit
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Harris.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2026/04/19/kamala-harris-chicago-trump-made-america-weaker
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use the Pope against Trump.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/religion/2026/04/19/catholic-white-house-comments-trump-vance-pope-leo

DAILY HERALD
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Biss.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260419/us-congress-politics/as-general-election-showdown-begins-biss-has-quarter-million-dollar-lead-in-campaign-cash/

ABC7
— Chicago Cinco de Mayo Parade once again canceled over immigration enforcement fears
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-cinco-de-mayo-parade-2026-canceled-due-fears-president-donald-trumps-immigration-enforcement-policies-organizers/18923021/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use the Pope against Trump.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicagos-st-sabina-father-michael-pfleger-defends-pope-leo-xiv-attacks-president-donald-trump-speaks-iran-war/18921262/

NBC5
— Chicago Cinco de Mayo event cancelled for 2nd year over fear of immigration raids
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-cinco-de-mayo-event-cancelled-for-2nd-year-over-fear-of-immigration-raids/3925024/
— DD: The mainstream news media exists a) to elect and reelect Democrats and b) to defeat Republicans.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/darren-bailey-tries-to-walk-back-calling-chicago-a-hellhole/3925132/

CBS2
— Chicago kicks off bus tours as part of reparations initiative. DD: To get rid of you, the more of the following that you are, the more reparations that Democrats will make you pay: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, married, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/city-of-chicago-kicks-off-bus-tours-as-part-of-reparations-initiative/ar-AA212WTs

FOX32
— DD: The mainstream news media exists a) to elect and reelect Democrats and b) to defeat Republicans.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/bailey-chicago-hellhole-dumb

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MAGAZINE
— Career Counseling. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, young White men should anticipate/expect that career counselors will advise them that to get hired and to advance, that they should not only become Democrats or RINOs, but they should paint themselves as being willing and able at get rid of Republicans who are older, White, male, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. All of my White male coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who excelled at getting rid of Republicans like me who were the aforesaid.
https://mag.uchicago.edu/economics-business/career-counseling-businesslady

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Harris.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/04/20/harris-hits-chicago-questions-linger-00880221

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— Democrats Want To Turn Parks Into Homeless Encampments
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/graphics/il-hb-1429-enough-is-enough

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Under the Democrats, crime ever-increasingly increases. Do you live in a high-crime area? Being able to avoid crime should be and is a big reason to earn more money. To earn more money to avoid crime, I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970, job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and a job-related professional license in 1981. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— DD: Pot is poison. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/4-20-how-illinois-spends-marijuana-money/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Pope Leo XIV’s ‘Denial of Reality’ tour
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/19/pope-leo-xivs-denial-reality-tour/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Illinois: state of insanity. Democrats really do want you dead.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/04/illinois_state_of_insanity.html

BREITBART
— Democrats Don’t Want This President to Protect American Lives
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/04/19/rick-scott-democrats-dont-want-this-president-to-protect-american-lives/amp/

CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES
— Trump II Mass Detention Policy Passes Another Key Hurdle. Our legal process is deliberately slow, but for now it’s working out in the administration’s favor.
https://cis.org/Arthur/Trump-II-Mass-Detention-Policy-Passes-Another-Key-Hurdle

DAILY CALLER
— Over 900,000 migrants were paroled into the United States between May 16, 2023 and January 19, 2025, thanks to former President Joe Biden’s CBP One app. The Trump administration told those migrants to hit the road in April 2025.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/who-are-we-to-blame-for-hundreds-of-thousands-of-migrants-who-now-might-get-to-stay/ar-AA1ZVZQP

TOWNHALL
— Grievance Culture Is Destroying American Resilience. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at those who are the following that Republicans, and especially Trump, cause all their problems: liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, non-rich, non-married, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or are in America illegally. My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. They never encouraged me to blame others for my problems. That motivated me to work my way through college and to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970, job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and a job- related professional license in 1981.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jay-rogers/2026/04/20/grievance-culture-is-destroying-american-resilience-n2674695

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC NEWS
— FBI, DOJ scrambling to rebuild after being depleted by resignations and firings. Some current and former officials see a lowering of long-accepted standards. DD: The Democrats who ran GAO in 1980 would not have hired me if I had not earned an MBA in 1976 and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. The Democrats who ran GAO in 1986 would not have promoted me if I had not earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, and became a licensed CPA in 1981.
https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/resignations-firings-depleted-fbi-justice-department-scrambling-rebuild-132181293

MSN
— Trump sued for firing mostly Black federal government employees. DD: When I was 49 in 1997, my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire and replaced me with my Black subordinate who had less work experience than I had, who had less education than I had, who had one professional certification while I had six, and who had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-sued-for-firing-mostly-black-federal-government-employees/ar-AA2100cd
— US federal civilian workforce shrinks by 12% since 2024. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, Republicans led by Gingrich cut the agency by more than 50%, from over 6,000 employees to less than 3,000 employees. My Democrat GAO superiors punished me severely for that.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/us-federal-civilian-workforce-shrinks-by-12-since-2024/ar-AA1XzPzV
— 15 Trump cabinet picks that were DEI hires
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/15-dei-hires-in-the-current-administration/ss-AA1UoFZl
— ‘Opportunities are now closed’: Trump’s DEI crackdown deals a heavy blow to ‘New Girls Clubs’
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/opportunities-are-now-closed-trump-s-dei-crackdown-deals-a-heavy-blow-to-new-girls-clubs/ar-AA20ZA8T

AOL
— 11 Jobs That Pay $57+ an Hour. DD: I did not start earning $57/hour in today’s dollars until after I was 38 in 1986 and I had worked for the federal government for more than 18 years and I had earned job-related master’s degrees when I was 27 and 31, job-related professional certifications when I was 30 and 32, and a job-related professional license when I was 32.
https://www.aol.com/finance/11-boring-jobs-secretly-pay-161000136.html

CNBC
— Position yourself ‘as a team player.’ DD: Ever-increasingly, under the Democrats, to get hired, you have to show that you can and that you will help your Democrat superiors get rid of their employees who are Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Ever-increasingly, under the Democrats, to get hired, you have stress that you are Democrat, minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/16/the-top-soft-skills-in-demand-for-entry-level-jobs-says-linkedin.html

NEWSWEEK
— Top 10 Agencies Suffering Sharpest Cuts Under Trump. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, Republicans led by Gingrich cut the agency by more than 50%, from over 6,000 employees to less than 3,000 employees. My Democrat GAO superiors punished me severely for that.
https://www.newsweek.com/federal-agency-cuts-trump-administration-11850442

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote birthright citizenship.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/us/politics/ice-cbp-birth-pregnancy-detention.html?searchResultPosition=1
— The Pied-à-Terre Tax Has Failed Before. Could This Year Be Different? DD: In Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on me, to paint me as being grossly overpaid by IRS, it called the studio condo in the Outer Drive East building that I bought in 1974 a pied-a-terre. I owed a townhome in University Park since 1972 that I was unable to sell unless I took a big loss. I began renting it out in 1976.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/15/nyregion/pied-a-terre-tax.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Colleges refocus on career services as students seek return on degrees. DD: What return did you have on your degrees? My 1970 NIU degree in business got me hired by Firestone Stores in 1970 and by IRS. in 1971. My taking graduate evening business courses at Loyola helped me get promoted by IRS in 1972, 1973, and 1974. My 1976 MBA from Loyola, my taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul, and my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 got me hired by GAO in 1980. My earning a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, my passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, and my becoming a licensed CPA in 1981 helped get promoted by GAO in 1986.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/11/24/colleges-career-counseling-programs/

USA TODAY
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/04/16/where-is-marijuana-legal-us-map/89608617007/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/04/19/what-is-420-weed-holiday-history/89665574007/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/california/2026/04/17/california-420-events-span-san-francisco-los-angeles/89649658007/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/nation/2026/04/20/millions-of-asylum-seekers-have-been-impacted-as-caseloads-have-grown/89665965007/

KNOX FOCUS
— Democrat-Socialists: The Enemy Of Affordability
https://www.knoxfocus.com/archives/this-weeks-focus/democrat-socialists-the-enemy-of-affordability/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— DD: How much money do you have? According to my critics/opponents, I have too much money. In my defense, I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970, job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and a job-related professional license in 1981.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/relationships/money-differences-friendship-50c4aae6
— How I Became Less Ambitious—and Happier—in Retirement. I’ve spent a lifetime pursuing career success. Now I needed to ask myself: Was it time to shift focus? And how do I do that? DD: I spent lots of time and money earning a job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970, earning job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, earning job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and earning a job-related professional license in 1981.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/retirement-happiness-ambition-b83a6cd7

FORTUNE
— DD: To hire more Democrats and RINOs, Democrat and RINO employers ever-increasing dump education, dump work experience, dump professional certifications, and dump professional licenses.
https://fortune.com/article/why-elon-musk-bans-resume-cover-letter-hiring/

BLOOMBERG
— Presidents Hire ‘Yes Men’ at Their Peril. DD: According to my critics/opponents, “You can’t tell Diersen what to do.” I take that as a badge of honor.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-08-09/trump-s-impulse-to-hire-a-yes-man-as-chief-of-staff-was-problematic?embedded-checkout=true

FORBES
— Answering ‘Are You A Team Player?’ In A Job Interview. DD: Ever-increasingly, under the Democrats, to get hired, you have to show that you can and that you will help your Democrat superiors get rid of their employees who are Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Ever-increasingly, under the Democrats, to get hired, you have stress that you are Democrat, minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecenizalevine/2024/07/13/team-player-interview-question/

STARS AND STRIPES
— GAO finds that too many service members leave the military without career counseling. DD: Virtually all federal employees are Democrats. While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, virtually all my superiors and/or supervisors were veterans. They despised if not hated Republicans like me, and especially Republicans like me who avoided the Vietnam War draft. They blamed Republicans like me for America losing the Vietnam War. They took many big adverse actions against me. I should write about that.
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2022-12-13/military-separation-report-8404000.html

HECHINGERRER REPORT
— Landing a job may be hard. Navigating the workplace may be harder. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, young White men should anticipate/expect that career counselors will advise them that to get hired and to advance, that they should not only become Democrats or RINOs, but they should paint themselves as being willing and able at get rid of Republicans who are older, White, male, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. All of my White male coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who excelled at getting rid of Republicans like me who were the aforesaid.
https://hechingerreport.org/for-new-grads-landing-a-job-may-be-hard-navigating-the-workplace-may-be-harder/
— College leaders focus attention on their students’ top priority: Jobs after graduation. DD: When I was a senior at NIU in 1970, my career counselor advised me to apply for a financial hardship draft deferment which I did. My father had died suddenly in 1969. My mother had never attended high school, she had never worked outside the home, and my younger brother was having problems. But potential employers did not believe that my application would be approved. Consequently, I accepted the only job offer that I got. It was from Firestone Stores for a sales job that did not really require a college degree. My Chicago Heights store boss would never had hired me, but his boss had assigned me to him. He did not have a college degree. He refused to let me start until after I passed a probationary period in Indiana. He disapproved of my avoiding the Vietnam War draft. He disapproved of my being Protestant, my being German American, my having ancestors who had been in America since 1844, and my living in Crete. Under him, I saw that my Firestone career was bleak if not nonexistent. Consequently, I accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile. But Oldsmobile withdrew that offer saying it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. My Firestone Store boss rudely if not violently fired me because I had accepted that offer. I had to have a job. So I accepted the only job offer that I got. It was to be an IRS Revenue Officer.
https://hechingerreport.org/college-leaders-refocus-attention-on-their-students-top-priority-jobs-after-graduation/

FED WEEK
— Overall views by workers of their career situations declined in 2025, with an especially steep drop among federal employees. DD: Ever-increasingly, under the Democrats, to advance, you have to help your Democrat superiors get rid of their employees who are Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Ever-increasingly, under the Democrats, to advance, you have to be a Democrat and minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://www.fedweek.com/federal-managers-daily-report/poll-finds-declining-worker-views-of-careers-especially-so-in-federal-workforce/
— ‘Career Compass’ Site for HR Positions Launched. DD: My Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted what I knew about HR. I earned a bachelor’s degree in HR from NIU when I was 21 in 1970. I earned an MBA from Loyola when I was 27 in 1976. HR was my area of concentration.
https://www.fedweek.com/federal-managers-daily-report/career-compass-site-for-hr-positions-launched/

INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— DD: Democrats and RINOs use Affirmative Action (AA) and DEI to get rid of Republicans. Liberals and moderates use AA and DEI to get rid of conservatives.
https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2026/04/20/can-diversity-and-meritocracy-coexist-opinion

POLITICO
— Democrats have made up ground in nearly every election since Trump took office. POLITICO’s analysis shows a clear trend in red and blue districts alike.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/18/democrats-special-election-results-analysis-00879021

NEW POLITICS
— Demonstrations and Demographics. DD: The more of the following that you are, the more likely that Democrat leaders will get you to demonstrate: liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, non-rich, non-married, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or are in America illegally.
https://newpol.org/demonstrations-and-demographics/

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.