May 16, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— DD: According to the Illinois Freedom Caucus, “Jim Durkin’s strategy of offering voters a ‘Democrat Lite’ agenda has been a colossal failure.” Anticipate/expect that the more that the Illinois Republican Party moves to the left, the more that it will do a) to stop me from sending out my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters and b) to stop everyone from reading them. That is, the more that it will do to officially strike the following planks in the IRP platform: personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving). That is, the more that those who are the following will leave Illinois: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.  Democrats defend/advance the Democrat Party platform. RINOs fail/refuse to defend/advance the Republican Party platform. Far too many of them are really Democrats and Libertarians or function and operatives and dupes for the Democrat and Libertarian Parties.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/jim-durkin-illinois-house-republican-resigning/12678017/
— Some suburban mayors push back on Pritzker’s affordable housing initiative
https://abc7chicago.com/post/suburban-mayors-push-back-gov-jb-pritzker-build-initiative-focused-affordable-housing/19108253/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Trump Truth Store is reopening
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/15/trump-truth-store-reopens-crystal-lake/
— At 15, Romeoville teen makes Lewis University history as youngest student ever to receive master’s degree. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/15/daca-delays-trump-immigration/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/14/chicago-dreamers-say-theyre-fearful-of-job-loss-deportations/
— FRONT PAGE WITH PICTURE: At 15, Romeoville teen makes Lewis University history as youngest student ever to receive master’s degree. DD: How old were you when you earned your master’s degree? I did not earn an MBA from Loyola until I was 27 in 1976. By then, it was far too late, I was viewed as being far too old. But my taking graduate evening business courses one at a time helped me get promoted in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had taken two courses at a time instead of one, I would have earned that MBA in 1973. But I had to pay for the courses because my employer, IRS, did not reimburse tuition or books. Further, my focus was my IRS job, not completing courses as fast as I could.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/16/benyamin-bamburac-lewis-university-graduate/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/05/12/willie-horton-black-brown-immigrants-crime-second-chances-ben-jealous

DAILY HERALD
— Diverse interest groups — from public school activists and downstate voters to state officials and school boards — have pushed Gov. JB Pritzker to finally make a decision about the Trump administration’s Education Freedom Tax Credit.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260515/education/school-choice-option-languishes-as-illinois-lawmakers-weigh-benefits-political-fallout/
— DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, Democrat leaders racially gerrymander.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260515/nation-and-world-politics/supreme-court-voting-rights-ruling-fuels-a-new-push-to-defend-black-representation/

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
— What Wisconsin Democrats’ leftward shift means for midterms. DD: Ever since Big Jim Thompson got elected in 1976, the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization have moved further to the left. That is, unofficially, if not officially, they have dumped conservatives like me.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/analysis/2026/05/15/what-wisconsin-democrats-leftward-shift-means-for-midterms-gilbert/90050933007/

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/local/2026/05/15/pridefest-to-include-parade-entertainment-and-more-in-springfield/89952499007/

WGLT
— GOP state lawmakers want to reform property taxes by increasing taxes on wind and solar
https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-05-13/gop-state-lawmakers-want-to-reform-property-taxes-by-increasing-taxes-on-wind-and-solar
— This Republican voted to convict Trump. Now he’s up for reelection. Can he survive?
https://www.wglt.org/2026-05-16/this-republican-voted-to-convict-trump-now-hes-up-for-reelection-can-he-survive

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— More than 1,500 first-time homebuyers benefit from state’s ‘Access Home’ program.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/more-than-1500-first-time-homebuyers-benefit-from-states-access-home-program/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/05/15/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-526/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

ILLINOIS FAMILY ACTION
— Why Are Noncitizens Receiving Voter Registration Forms?
https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2026/05/why-are-noncitizens-receiving-voter-registration-forms/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Republicans create prosperity and safety. Democrats create poverty and crime. The big problem with voting with your feet, that is, with leaving states, counties, townships, municipalities, school districts, and precincts that Democrats have taken over to escape the poverty and crime that Democrat leadership brings is that sooner or later, Democrats will follow you and destroy the Republican state, county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct that you move to. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Debate grows over bill on gender, abortion care access in child placement. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ and abortion.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_41837b39-7b64-49c4-b4c3-5aae0cf5c7f0.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— U.S. student test scores in a generation-long decline. DD: Democrats run education in America.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/15/editorial-us-student-test-scores-generation-long-decline/
— A marriage crisis? Stunning stats raise concerns. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote LGBTQ, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/15/marriage-crisis-stunning-stats-raise-concerns-hopes/
— Immigration law is made in Washington. New York’s governor is creating a constitutional crisis.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/14/editorial-immigration-law-made-washington/

NEW YORK POST
— Higher education still playing race games
https://nypost.com/2026/05/15/opinion/higher-education-still-playing-race-games-ai-sucks-at-poetry-and-other-commentary/

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— Why Democrats Don’t Cry ‘DINO.’ DD: Democrats defend/advance the Democrat Party platform. RINOs fail/refuse to defend/advance the Republican Party platform. Far too many of them are really Democrats and Libertarians or function and operatives and dupes for the Democrat and Libertarian Parties.
https://www.aei.org/op-eds/why-democrats-dont-cry-dino/

AMERICAN GREATNESS
— Replacement Migration and the Slow Death of Illinois. Illinois can’t tax or subsidize its way out of decline; the state’s survival depends on reversing mass immigration and restoring an American majority.
https://amgreatness.com/2026/05/16/replacement-migration-and-the-slow-death-of-illinois-2-2/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Fake asylum claims go ‘poof’ as illegals skip their asylum hearings in droves. Suddenly, they aren’t so terrified of returning to their home countries anymore. And they are skipping their bogus asylum hearing cases left and right.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/05/fake_asylum_claims_go_poof_as_illegals_skip_their_asylum_hearings_in_droves.html

COLLEGE FIX
— Concordia U. scholars: Racism a ‘multi-sensory experience’ that ‘transforms’ how minorities act
https://www.thecollegefix.com/concordia-u-scholars-racism-a-multi-sensory-experience-that-transforms-how-minorities-act/

FEDERALIST
— Democrats Keep Protecting Illegal Alien Murderers
https://thefederalist.com/2026/05/15/worst-prosecutor-in-america-struggles-to-explain-why-democrats-keep-protecting-illegal-alien-murderers/

FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION
— Equality of Opportunity, Not Outcome, Is What Made America Great. DD: My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to earn a) a job-related bachelor’s degree, b) three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and c) a job-related professional license. But according to my critics/opponents, I was able to accomplish the aforesaid because I benefitted from discrimination against those who are liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, LGBTQ, unmarried, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://fee.org/articles/equality-of-opportunity-not-outcome-is-what-made-america-awesome/

JONATHAN TURLEY
— “Teach Through the Lens of Enslavement and Racism”: Penn State’s Anti-Racism Course Draws Criticism
https://jonathanturley.org/2026/05/16/teach-through-the-lens-of-enslavement-and-racism-penn-states-anti-racism-course-draws-criticism/

NEWS BUSTERS
— Penn State Professors Caught Using Mandatory Class to Vilify Whites, Police, Males
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2026/05/15/penn-state-profs-use-mandatory-class-vilify-whites-police

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Fetterman frustrates Democrats with pro-Trump remarks
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5880487-john-fetterman-democrat-controversy/
— The damaging effects of shifting from equal opportunity to ‘equal outcomes.’ DD: My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to earn a) a job-related bachelor’s degree, b) three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and c) a job-related professional license. But according to my critics/opponents, I was able to accomplish the aforesaid because I benefitted from discrimination against those who are liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, LGBTQ, unmarried, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://thehill.com/opinion/education/529262-the-damaging-effects-of-shifting-from-equal-opportunity-to-equal-outcomes/

REUTERS
— American Bar Association votes to eliminate DEI rule for law schools. DD: Democrats and RINOs use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/american-bar-association-votes-eliminate-dei-rule-law-schools-2026-05-15/

MSN
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders fail/refuse to promote personal responsibility. They blame conservatives like me for all the problems that those who are the following have: liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, poor, LGBTQ, unmarried, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or are noncitizen.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/conservatives-must-embrace-personal-responsibility-and-reject-victimhood/ar-AA231zZA
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/i-m-sick-and-tired-of-hearing-my-grandkids-whine-about-how-the-system-isn-t-fair-whatever-happened-to-taking-personal-responsibility/ss-AA1XEFuS
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote LGBTQ, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/11-reasons-why-more-women-are-walking-away-from-men-and-marriage/ss-AA1YvbfS
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/why-many-young-people-no-longer-believe-in-marriage-or-long-term-commitment/ss-AA22NmTN
— DD: To get more votes from those who are the following, Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems: liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, poor, LGBTQ, unmarried, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who had not been in America for a long time, and/or noncitizen.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/photos-of-all-male-delegations-in-beijing-trigger-claims-of-end-of-meritocracy/ar-AA23g8TN

NEW YORK TIMES
— Trump Administration Pushes I.R.S. to Identify Undocumented Immigrants. The deliberations are a sign that the Trump administration may once again try to harness the power of the I.R.S. to advance its immigration agenda.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/us/politics/trump-irs-undocumented-immigrants.html
Cassidy Fights for Political Future
— With Loyalty to Trump Under Debate, Cassidy Is Fighting for His Political Life. Senator Bill Cassidy, Louisiana, is targeted by President Trump and walking a political tightrope as he battles other Republicans for the chance to seek a third term.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/15/us/politics/senator-bill-cassidy-louisiana-primary.html
— Why U.S. Test Scores Are in a ‘Generation-Long Decline.’ The drops go beyond the pandemic and cut across income, geographic and racial divides, new data shows. DD: Democrats run education in America.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/upshot/test-scores-school-districts-us.html

CALIFORNIA GLOBE
— Vote With Your Feet. DD: Republicans create prosperity and safety. Democrats create poverty and crime. The big problem with voting with your feet, that is, with leaving states, counties, townships, municipalities, school districts, and precincts that Democrats have taken over to escape the poverty and crime that Democrat leadership brings is that sooner or later, Democrats will follow you and destroy the Republican state, county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct that you move to.
https://californiaglobe.com/fr/americans-vote-with-their-feet-away-from-california/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Inside Trump’s Midterm Strategy: a Mountain of Cash to Stem GOP Losses. Redistricting battle provides glimmer of hope for Republicans in November.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/trump-republican-midterm-election-strategy-81278c65
— FRONT PAGE: Southern Poverty Law Center Got Rich Opposing Trump. Now He’s Trying to Crush It. SPLC faces federal charges and has come under fire for accumulating a nearly $800 million war chest.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/southern-poverty-law-center-trump-587424b5
— Mifepristone as a Tool of Coercion. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled May 14, 2026, that abortion drug Mifepristone can continue to be accessed via mail, without an in-person visit to the doctor—even as women across the country claim relatives or boyfriends forced or deceived them into taking it.
https://www.wsj.com/video/wsj-opinion-mifepristone-as-a-tool-of-coercion/63960770-96B3-47E1-BFC4-0D2F5D802295

ABA
— ABA Legal Ed council votes to repeal diversity and inclusion standard. DD: Democrats and RINOs use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.abajournal.com/web/article/aba-legal-ed-council-votes-to-repeal-diversity-and-inclusion-standard

BLOOMBERG LAW
— Trump Pressure Forces ABA Weakening of Law School DEI Standard. DD: Democrats and RINOs use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/trump-pressure-forces-aba-weakening-of-law-school-dei-standard

PRINCETON ALUMNI WEEKLY
— How Is the Class of 1966 Doing? Reunion Leaders Asked Them. In a 60th reunion book, class members shared how they feel about the country and the world. DD: If those who you graduated with responded to a similar survey, how would they respond? I graduated from Crete-Monee High School in 1966, Loyola in 1976, DePaul in 1980, and IIT in 1997.
https://paw.princeton.edu/article/how-class-1966-doing-reunion-leaders-asked-them
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Number of class members who responded to the survey: 236 (41.4%), Living with a spouse or partner: 86.4%, Widowed: 7.7%, Average number of children: 2.3, Average number of grandchildren: 3.5, Had a joint replacement: 29.4%, Average number of pills taken per day: 6 or more, Physical condition negatively interferes with life: 24.6%, Cognitive decline negatively interferes with life: 6%, Enjoy “some sort” of sex life: 46.4%, Do not fear death: 62.1%, Own a gun: 20.3%, Political affiliation: Democrat: 53%, Independent: 22.4%, Republican: 11.6%, Democratic Socialist: 5.2%, MAGA Republican: 3.4%, Feelings about current political issues (1 = strongly oppose, 5 = strongly support): Abortion rights (pro-choice): 4.46, Affirmative action: 3.64, Climate change action: 4.22, Deportation of undocumented immigrants: 2.3, Enhanced border security: 3.36, More legal immigration: 3.96, Same-sex marriage: 4.18, Tighter regulation of AI: 3.77, Transgender rights: 3.71, Feelings about the University’s current direction: 3.82, Happy they attended Princeton: 92.3%)

SALON
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly make it clear that they hate America, and that they hate Americans, and especially Americans who are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.salon.com/2026/05/15/the-christian-right-hijacks-americas-250th/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

GUARDIAN
— Can a Republican defy Donald Trump and survive? Kentucky voters will decide. Congressman Thomas Massie, chastised by the US president as a ‘lowlife’, will soon face the ballot box – setting up a crucial test of Trump’s political strength.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/16/kentucky-republican-primary-election-massie-gallrein

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.