April 22, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois Democrats trying to get ‘millionaire tax’ and redistricting amendment questions on fall ballot
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/22/illinois-millionaire-tax-redistricting-amendment-questions/

DAILY HERALD
— Illinois House approves redistricting amendment, fearing federal Voting Rights Act will be eliminated
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260422/illinois-state-politics/illinois-house-approves-redistricting-amendment-fearing-federal-voting-rights-act-will-be-eliminate/

ABC7
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote their millionaires tax.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-millionaires-tax-proposal-seeks-fund-education-provide-relief-3-surcharge-people-earning-1-million/18945058/
— Video shows car explosion amid takeover on Chicago’s South Side
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-car-takeover-fire-explodes-76th-street-ashland-avenue-saturday-april-18-gresham/18932977/

WBEZ
— How has the Black Chicago accent retained its Southern roots?
https://www.wbez.org/curious-city/2026/04/22/how-has-the-black-chicago-accent-retained-its-southern-roots

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Five years later, Black caucus says SAFE-T Act working just fine
https://archive.ph/a7W6E#selection-3554.0-3554.3

Q985
— Illinois Marijuana Arrests Rise After Legalization
https://q985online.com/ixp/721/p/illinois-marijuana-arrests-rise/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/04/22/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-509/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Illinois millionaire’s tax moves closer to November ballot
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_1252da07-7b75-43d8-8af0-edd51c6eb765.html

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— IRS: Illinois led nation in rate of income loss in 2023
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/irs-illinois-led-nation-in-rate-of-income-loss-in-2023/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— I served as the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman 2005-2012. My critics/opponents succeeded in having their operatives and their dupes end my chairmanship and destroy TAPROOT in 2012. My critics/opponents have always blamed me for all the problems that TAPROOT had.
http://www.gopillinois.com
(FROM GOOGLE AI: The Taproot Republicans of Illinois is a DuPage County-based political organization that focuses on public policy and supporting Republican candidates. Historically, it has been active in hosting events such as candidate forums and annual brunches to engage with policymakers. The group prioritizes public policy and policymakers over purely partisan campaign activities. It primarily operates within DuPage County, often hosting meetings in areas like Downers Grove or Willowbrook. The organization has historically honored prominent Illinois Republicans, such as the late U.S. Congressman Henry J. Hyde, who received awards from the group for his defense of the Constitution. While the group has held recurring events like an “annual brunch” as recently as 2024, it maintains a relatively low digital profile compared to larger state-level political committees.)
— I served on the Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) Steering Committee (SC) 2003-2007. My critics/opponents succeeded in having their operatives and their dupes end my ICRC SC membership and destroy ICRC in 2007. My critics/opponents have always blamed me for all the problems that ICRC had.
http://www.gopillinois.com
(FROM GOOGLE AI: The Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) is a political organization that aims to unify various conservative and center-right factions within Illinois. It often serves as a networking and coordinating body for Republican candidates, activists, and affiliated organizations to promote conservative principles in the state. ICRC frequently provides endorsements for local and statewide candidates who align with their platform. For instance, current 2026 Republican Secretary of State nominee Diane Harris has previously served as the chair of the coalition. The group hosts annual conventions and forums to bring together conservative leaders and discuss policy priorities for Illinois. It operates as a hub for precinct committeepersons and grassroots organizers to share campaign information and coordinate social platform outreach. The coalition generally adheres to traditional center-right and conservative viewpoints, including: Fiscal Conservatism: Prioritizing balanced budgets and reducing government waste. Economic Liberty: Promoting free enterprise and private property rights. Social Values: Supporting Judeo-Christian frameworks and traditional family structures. Governance: Advocating for election integrity, secure borders, and limited government scope. ICRC remains active in the 2026 election cycle, with former and current members participating in primary races to challenge incumbent Democratic officials.)

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— More Democrats, fewer Republicans, to address college graduates as anti-Trump tensions grow
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/20/democrats-fewer-republicans-address-college-graduates-anti-trump/

AMERICAN GREATNESS
— CPAC Is Dead. CPAC 2026 underscored a movement conference in decline, marked by thin crowds, internal contradictions, and a widening gap between its rhetoric and its base.
https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/22/cpac-is-dead/

BREITBART
— Newsom Spent $1 Billion to Import 400,000 Extra Illegal Migrants
https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2026/04/22/report-gov-newsom-spent-1-billion-to-import-400000-extra-illegal-migrants/

FOX NEWS
— America must choose between faith, order and a culture of lawlessness. Rooftop Revelations: Victor Glover’s biblical call to be neighbors and a young father’s brutal death in Chicago represent two competing visions for America’
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/america-must-choose-faith-order-culture-lawlessness
— The truth behind the gender wage gap myth isn’t what you’ve been told. AAUW and Department of Labor research find most of the commonly cited disparity is explained by individual worker choices.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/truth-behind-gender-wage-gap-myth-isnt-youve-told

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— The Rise of a Dangerous Anti-American Ideology
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/04/intersectionality-the-rise-of-a-dangerous-anti-american-ideology/

TOWNHALL
— Anti-ICE Protesters Are Stalking Federal Employees in Minneapolis
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/04/22/whipple-federal-building-employee-stalked-by-protesters-n2674881

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— White men are disfavored.
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/desantis-signs-florida-law-banning-local-dei-22220777.php

CBS NEWS
— Senate defeats Democrats’ 5th attempt to limit Trump’s war powers in Iran
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-trump-war-powers-iran/

USA TODAY
— Democrats put unions over families. DD: Are/were you a union member? I was a union member 1966-1969 while I worked for the Democrats who ran the Post Office. I was a union member 1971-1980 while I worked for the Democrats who ran IRS. I should write about my critics/opponents who have used that against me the most. I would focus on those who have shouted the loudest that federal employees are overpaid because of federal unions, and that therefore, I was overpaid. In today’s dollars, my Post Office salary increased from $19.57/hour to $20.87/hour and my IRS salary increased from $56,409/year to $113,402/year. In my defense, I earned a bachelor’s degree in management in 1970, I earned an MBA in 1976, and I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/04/22/democrats-trump-tax-credit-scholarship-program/89713286007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— It’s Not Just People Moving to Texas. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker authors a signature policy disaster.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/its-not-just-people-moving-to-texas-653ba966

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— Are federal workers grossly overpaid or underpaid? DD: Are/were you a union member? I was a union member 1966-1969 while I worked for the Democrats who ran the Post Office. I was a union member 1971-1980 while I worked for the Democrats who ran IRS. I should write about my critics/opponents who have used that against me the most. I would focus on those who have shouted the loudest that federal employees are overpaid because of federal unions, and that therefore, I was overpaid. In today’s dollars, my Post Office salary increased from $19.57/hour to $20.87/hour and my IRS salary increased from $56,409/year to $113,402/year. In my defense, I earned a bachelor’s degree in management in 1970, I earned an MBA in 1976, and I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-report/2019/07/are-federal-workers-grossly-overpaid-or-underpaid/

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.