FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— GOP senator singles out former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot during Todd Blanche DOJ hearing.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/15/lori-lightfoot-todd-blanche/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/16/ice-chicago-traffic-stops/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/16/editorial-when-an-ice-tactic-keeps-ending-in-tragedy-it-must-be-rethought/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Ex-Mayor Lori Lightfoot bashed during Todd Blanche confirmation hearing that featured no Boutros questions.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/us-senate/2026/07/15/lori-lightfoot-todd-blanche-confirmation-hearing-us-attorney-general-us-attorney-andrew-boutros
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/07/15/brandon-johnson-city-council-ice-immigration-midway-blitz
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/07/15/ice-should-keep-making-traffic-stops-despite-recent-shootings-trump-says
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/07/15/chicago-immigrant-advocates-abolish-ice-fatal-shootings-houston-maine
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Congressional hearing on UIC med school veers from antisemitism to DEI, gender care
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/health-care/ccb-uic-medical-school-antisemitism-congress-20260715/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Dr. Enrico Benedetti, along with officials from the University of California Los Angeles and University of California San Francisco, was initially accused of being soft on antisemitism on campus since the Trump administration took office, but the debate about the state of medical education has shifted since the congressional probe began last year. The Committee on Education & the Workforce began investigating the colleges in light of “complaints of severe antisemitism” at the schools, which committee Chairman Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, said stemmed from an activist infrastructure the universities had constructed. Walberg accused the schools of teaching that incited antisemitism, including “labeling of Jews as white, and therefore privileged and oppressors.” In his opening comments, Walberg went on to say the schools have integrated DEI into their admissions decisions and curricula, promoting courses that have nothing to do with medical science, but seek to turn medical students into “far left activists.” In opening testimony, Benedetti addressed the questions over antisemitism at the medical school, which has campuses in Chicago, Peoria and Rockford, saying the school has taken steps to better deal with religious and other bigotry. Benedetti testified the medical school had discontinued an internal communication channel that had become a forum for inappropriate and offensive commentary; changed its leadership structure to ensure clear lines of accountability, in which a new vice dean of education will now have oversight over student complaints regarding misconduct; and is updating the curriculum to better ensure that all of its physicians are trained to effectively treat patients from all communities. Benedetti was joined by Dr. Sam Hawgood, chancellor at UCSF, and Dr. Steve Dubinett, dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr., president of the National Medical Association, the organization serving Black physicians, also testified. Benedetti and the other two school officials testified that their universities do not use race as a factor in determining acceptance into medical school. “The college’s primary goal is simple: to train excellent physicians who provide the best care to all patients, regardless of their own background or the background of those they serve,” Benedetti testified. “We provide a medical education that focuses on science, evidence-based medicine and the professional competencies required to care for patients.” The hearing moved away from antisemitism to diversity, with Walberg stating that medical education ought to be based on merit and “organic diversity” versus “merit flexibility with manufactured diversity.” He asked each dean whether students of different races were treated differently and whether students are chosen on the basis of race. Benedetti testified that race is not considered “when we choose the best student.” However, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said UI Medical College still states it is “committed to diversity and inclusion,” concluding that it was “clear that DEI is still the core mission” of the school. The ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Robert Scott of Virginia, said that while the committee had begun by investigating antisemitism, it became a discussion of DEI, as Republicans “abandoned good faith efforts to end discrimination,” turning a blind eye to other members of their party who actively promote bigotry. He defended the role of DEI in medical education, saying teaching about diversity is how to combat discrimination. Schools need to teach future doctors “to recognize and confront bias,” he said. “Inclusion isn’t just fair, it’s more effective medicine,” Scott said. Gender care at UI Health. Questioning turned to transgender care when Rep. Robert Onder, R-Mo., noted the Illinois university’s health system, UI Health, had suspended gender-affirming surgeries for minors in August 2025. Benedetti testified the system had “immediately” followed President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for a halt to all gender surgical procedures for minors. However, Benedetti could not answer whether minor patients could still receive puberty blockers or “cross-sex hormones” at UI Health, which Onder said should also be abolished for minors. “UI Health remains steadfast in its mission to provide compassionate, inclusive and patient-centered care,” the health system said in an emailed statement today. “The hospital suspended gender-affirming surgical procedures for patients under age 19, effective August 1, 2025. We have made no additional changes to our services.”)
FOX32
— Start your business with Chicago’s free entrepreneur certificate program.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-cxnkhnca9f3rulcp
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Senate hearing spotlights Lightfoot
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/07/16/senate-hearing-spotlights-lightfoot-01000127
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/15/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-556/
— Giannoulias generates most excitement in early mayor’s race.
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/15/poll-giannoulias-generates-most-excitement-in-early-mayor%e2%80%99s-race/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Corbett Takes on Bailey
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/15/corbett-takes-on-bailey/
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Toll and sales tax hikes: What Pritzker said vs. what Pritzker did. The governor said Illinoisans wouldn’t be interested in a toll increase to keep the Bears. Then he signaled support for what would be the largest passenger toll hike in state history.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/toll-and-sales-tax-hikes-what-pritzker-said-vs-what-pritzker-did/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democratic Socialists of America’s new platform calls for abolishing ICE and the U.S. Senate.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/15/updated-dsa-platform-calls-abolishing-ice-scrapping-senate/
— Mike Lindell wins Trump’s endorsement for Minnesota governor.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/15/mike-lindell-wins-trumps-endorsement-minnesota-governor/
— Government just keeps spending. Low hopes for Vance’s attempt to rein in deficit.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/15/government-keeps-spending/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Democrats are as extreme as their most radical faction.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4649918/democrats-extreme-most-radical-faction/
— Socialist Democrats represent the rich, white voters in their party.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4649944/socialist-democrats-represent-the-rich-white-voters-in-their-party/
— Trump says ‘proud American veterans’ will replace illegal immigrant truck drivers. DD: I often drove postal trucks while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/4650629/trump-veterans-replace-illegal-immigrant-truck-drivers/
— Joy Behar calls Darline Graham Nordone a DEI hire for South Carolina. DD: According to Google AI, “Relevant work experience means any past professional or academic activity that equips you with the transferable skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to perform a specific target job.” GAO Audits IRS. To force me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut to transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors outrageously, disgustingly, and unethically ignored/dismissed/belittled/badmouthed a) what I had learned working for IRS’s Collection Division for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, b) my having passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, c) my earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, and d) the fact that much of what I did for IRS was similar to what I would do for GAO. They kept me off audits of IRS’s Collection Division for all of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO but did let me work on audits of IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division for 3 years. They would not have wasted my knowledge of IRS if I had been a Democrat, female, or veteran.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/4649663/joy-behar-graham-nordone-dei-hire-south-carolina-senate/
— Republicans whistle while Big Abortion seeks their defeat.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/community-family/4650113/republicans-whistle-planned-parenthood-seeks-their-defeat/
CHRONICLES MAGAZINE
— Blame Democrats, Not ICE, for Recent Deadly Shootings.
https://chroniclesmagazine.org/web/blame-democrats-not-ice-for-recent-deadly-shootings/
COLLEGE FIX
— A federal appeals court reinstated a medical professor’s defamation and civil rights retaliation case against the University of Pittsburgh last week over an article he wrote criticizing affirmative action. DD: When I was a 40-year-old GAO employee in 1988, I did much more than write an article. I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged my superiors with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. I represented all of GAO’s Chicago office employees who were White, male, more than 40 years old, and GS-14, currently $140,604-$182,790/year in today’s dollars, or below. To punish me, my Democrat GAO Chicago office superiors immediately threw me off audits of IRS for the rest of my GAO career, gave me a very bad job assignment, gave me very unfair performance expectations, gave me a very unfair performance appraisal, and ranked me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/court-sides-with-u-pittsburgh-professor-demoted-for-criticizing-affirmative-action/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Socialist War on Public Safety Coming to a Town Near You
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/15/socialist-war-on-public-safety-coming-to-a-town-near-you-socialist/
— Foreign-born truckers who illegally immigrated to the United States are receiving inadequate driving instruction, taking jobs away from American workers, and endangering the lives of fellow drivers. DD: I often drove postal trucks while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/15/illegal-alien-truckers-documentary/
FEDERALIST
— Democrat Senator Wants ICE Agents To Choose Between Getting Run Over And Going To Jail.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/15/democrat-senator-wants-ice-agents-to-choose-between-getting-run-over-and-going-to-jail/
FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— No English, No Problem — Until the Crash Happens. DD: I often drove postal trucks while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.fairus.org/opinion/no-english-no-problem-until-crash-happens
FOX NEWS
— How the ‘long march’ through the institutions led to socialist takeover of Dem Party.
https://www.aol.com/news/long-march-institutions-led-socialist-144158152.html
— Powerful LGBTQ+ group’s endorsements could tank vulnerable Dems over radical youth trans agenda. DD: How successful have Democrat leaders been in making everyone a LGBTQer in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/powerful-lgbtq-groups-endorsements-could-tank-vulnerable-dems-radical-youth-trans-agenda.amp
— Sunny Hostin calls Lindsey Graham’s sister a ‘DEI’ hire, questions her qualifications. DD: According to Google AI, “Relevant work experience means any past professional or academic activity that equips you with the transferable skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to perform a specific target job.” GAO Audits IRS. To force me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut to transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors outrageously, disgustingly, and unethically ignored/dismissed/belittled/badmouthed a) what I had learned working for IRS’s Collection Division for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, b) my having passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, c) my earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, and d) the fact that much of what I did for IRS was similar to what I would do for GAO. They kept me off audits of IRS’s Collection Division for all of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO but did let me work on audits of IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division for 3 years. They would not have wasted my knowledge of IRS if I had been a Democrat, female, or veteran.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/sunny-hostin-calls-lindsey-grahams-sister-dei-hire-questions-qualifications
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin criticized South Carolina on Wednesday over Republican Gov. Henry McMaster’s appointment of Darline Graham to replace her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, arguing the state’s first female senator lacked the political experience needed to represent its residents in Washington. Hostin branded the appointment an example of diversity-based hiring and nepotism after co-host Joy Behar called Graham’s selection “the very definition of DEI.” “Correct, correct. It’s everything that the Republican Party stands against. Everything!” Hostin said. “It’s DEI. Nepotism. All these things thrown in together.” Hostin also attacked South Carolina for reaching the milestone through an appointment rather than the election of a female candidate. “She’ll be the first woman to be a U.S. senator in South Carolina in the history of the state, and I think that that’s just — it’s just fundamentally wrong that South Carolina just couldn’t elect a woman and this is the only way that it was done,” Hostin said. The former federal prosecutor questioned Graham’s qualifications, referring to her as a certified optician and arguing that her professional background did not prepare her for the Senate. “I think the experience does matter,” Hostin said. “While she is a certified optician and while she has done great work in that field, I don’t think that she should be representing the people of South Carolina in the U.S. Senate. I just don’t.” Behar agreed and argued that public office required specialized knowledge. “It’s not like taking over your mother’s job at McDonald’s,” Behar said. “You’re in government. You have to know what you’re doing.” Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, who served as the White House Director of Strategic Communications in President Donald Trump’s first term, pushed back, noting that Graham would serve as a caretaker and comparing the appointment to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s selection of Laphonza Butler after the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein. “You guys are putting too much stock in who’s currently in Congress,” Griffin said. “Yeah, you got a point,” co-host Whoopi Goldberg said. Hostin tied the appointment to reports that War Secretary Pete Hegseth had blocked several proposed promotions of Navy officers, including women and people of color. “I feel like our government is fundamentally broken,” Hostin said. “I just — I disagree with this.” . . . Darline Graham, a native of Central, S.C., has dedicated her career to public service,” the spokesperson added. “She has served the people of South Carolina for nearly 30 years, and the governor believes she is the right person to finish her brother’s work.” Graham has served as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind since 2019, working to expand employment and independent-living opportunities for residents who are blind or have low vision, according to the governor’s office. She previously held roles with Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce and the South Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.)
HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— DEI Is a Threat to the Republic. DD: Affirmative Action (AA) and DEI are political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination. My critics/opponents promote AA and DEI a) because they personally benefit from AA and DEI and/or b) because they want to curry favor with those who benefit from AA and DEI.
https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/report/dei-threat-the-republic
MINDING THE CAMPUS
— The Fourth Year Is on Trial. If colleges can’t prove a fourth year is worth the cost, states should keep cutting. DD: Immediately after I completed 16 graduate evening business courses one course at a time 1972-1976 and earned an MBA from Loyola, Loyola cut its requirement for an MBA to 12 courses if you had a bachelor’s degree in business which I did. My not earning an MBA sooner than I did harmed my IRS career.
https://mindingthecampus.org/2026/07/15/the-fourth-year-is-on-trial/
POST MILLENNIAL
— Trump to replace illegal alien truckers with American veteran drivers. All veterans with experience driving US military trucks will automatically be eligible for a commercial driver’s license (CDL). DD: I often drove postal trucks while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://thepostmillennial.com/president-trump-to-replace-illegal-alien-truckers-with-american-veteran-drivers
TOWNHALL
— Democrats Want to Put DEI Before Your Health and Safety.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/07/15/dei-in-medical-schools-n2679470
— Leftist Podcasters Trash Christianity and Homeschooling: ‘It’s Child Abuse’
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/julia-cassidy/2026/07/15/leftist-podcasters-sound-off-on-christianity-and-homeschooling-its-child-abuse-n2679513
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
AOL
— O’Reilly pushes personal responsibility amid affordability crisis. What did you do to help you afford things? 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. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.aol.com/articles/o-reilly-pushes-personal-responsibility-035055000.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/us/hegseth-blocks-navy-promotions.html
USA TODAY
— These 5 states (California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Washington, DC,) still penalize you if you don’t have health insurance. DD: The federal government paying 72% of my health insurance since 1966 and then also paying 72% of my wife’s health insurance since 1978 helped me endure tremendous efforts by my Democrat superiors in the federal government to waste my career and to get rid of me.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2026/03/18/states-penalty-no-health-insurance/89168539007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— India’s Affirmative-Action Lesson for America. Quotas hold the country back, even as China’s meritocracy fuels its economic advancement. DD: All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/indias-affirmative-action-lesson-for-america-26f2dbaf
— Democrats Fall for Socialism Again.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/democrats-fall-for-socialism-again-71155b18
POLITICO
— In seismic shift, more than 100 House Democrats vote to end Israel aid. The amendment to block military assistance failed, but partisan split cemented the increasingly polarized view of the U.S. ally. Rep. Lauren Underwood — a leader of House Democrats’ campaign arm who flipped her Illinois seat blue in 2018 — voted for the amendment as well.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/15/israel-aid-vote-house-democrats-00999917
— The military benefits bill that’s tearing the veterans community apart. The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act may not get a House vote this week because of ongoing controversy surrounding the measure.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/15/house-take-care-veterans-act-00999260
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), chair of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and sponsor of the measure, held a rally outside the capitol Tuesday to marshal support for the bill, featuring supportive remarks from the American Legion, Wounded Warrior Project, the Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors and Vietnam Veterans of America.)
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders blame Trump for affordability problems. What did you do to help you afford things? 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. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/04/poll-americans-trump-voters-affordability-crisis-00674747
HR DRIVE
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers use Affirmative Action and DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.hrdive.com/news/eeoc-2026-agenda-enforcement/825281/
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
SKY NEWS
— Trump to stop blue cities registering illegal aliens to vote as Mamdani continues to brag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdYQ20aNxc8
INDIAN EXPRESS
— What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/a-strong-woman-is-not-marriage-material-neena-gupta-reveals-that-95-of-men-want-women-who-are-helpless-10462475/
FROM OTHER SOURCES
HAGERTY
— Your definitive 1968–70 Dodge Charger buyer’s guide. DD: My dream car is a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T, As it came from the factory, Numbers matching/correct, Like new, 440 or 426, Automatic, Blue exterior, Black vinyl roof, Black leather interior, and Air conditioning. I owned a 1968 R/T 1994-2005 and a 1969 SE 1968-1971.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/definitive-1968-70-dodge-charger-buyers-guide/
