FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Congressional committee requests information on Chicago Public Schools’ gender policies and curriculum.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/congressional-committee-requests-information-chicago-231100746.html
— Collin Corbett: Illinois’ ethics oversight system is broken. Here’s how to fix it..
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/28/opinion-illinois-ethics-oversight-michael-mccuskey/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Kiss video at center of Lyons Township FOIA fight could impact Cook County Board, Congress races.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/27/kiss-video-lyons-fight-cook-county-board-congress/
DAILY HERALD
— Ask — and explain. Cornered DuPage board deserves answers on clerk’s election-spending needs.
https://www.dailyherald.com/opinion/
NBC5
— 374K Cook County residents have requested mail-in ballots amid court fight.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/374000-cook-county-residents-have-requested-mail-in-votes-despite-trump-executive-order/3981555/
WGN9
— Chicago Scholars guiding students to career success. DD: In retrospect, with benefit of hindsight, I should have majored in accounting. I erroneously thought that I could never pass the CPA examination. But I did pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30 in 1979. I earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA when I was 32. But by then it was too late. The accounting profession saw me as being far too old to have a successful career in accounting. On top of that, the profession was under tremendous pressure to hire, retain, and promote young minorities and young females.
https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/chicago-scholars-guiding-students-to-career-success/
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— As midterm elections approach, Republican candidates weigh how closely to align with Trump.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/ap-as-midterm-elections-approach-republican-candidates-weigh-how-closely-to-align-with-trump/
POSITIVELY NAPERVILLE
— DuPage County to Host Special Call Meeting to Address Election Funding.
https://www.positivelynaperville.com/2026/08/28/dupage-county-to-host-special-call-meeting-to-address-election-funding/160707
WHEATON PATCH
— ‘I Was Cheated Out Of A Fair Playing Field:’ DuPage County Clerk. Clerk Jean Kaczmarek is alleging campaign finance violations were made to benefit Paula Deacon Garcia, who won the 2026 primary election.
https://patch.com/illinois/wheaton/i-was-cheated-out-fair-playing-field-dupage-county-clerk
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Closing the tourist visa loophole.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4702584/close-tourist-visa-loophole/
NEW YORK POST
— It’s the socialism, stupid: The DSA may cost Dems their blue wave.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/27/opinion/the-dsa-may-cost-democrats-their-blue-wave/
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— Welfare Reform 30 Years Later: How Has Government Assistance Changed?
https://cosm.aei.org/welfare-reform-30-years-later-how-has-government-assistance-changed/
https://www.aei.org/commentary/the-path-ahead-for-welfare-reform/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Dolly Parton versus the Democratic Socialists. The lesson Dolly Parton leaves us is a better one than what the DSA is selling.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/dolly-parton-versus-the-democratic-socialists/
— We will always love Dolly Parton’s America. Dolly Parton embodied America’s graciousness and kindness in everything she did.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/we-will-always-love-dolly-parton-s-america/
BLAZE
— Still OK with a candidate who calls Sharia criticism ‘white supremacy’?
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/pat-gray-unleashed/the-candidate-who-calls-sharia-criticism-white-supremacy
BREITBART
— Portland: 80% of Fentanyl Trafficking Arrests Are Illegal Migrants from Honduras.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/27/portland-80-of-fentanyl-trafficker-arrests-are-illegal-migrants-from-honduras/amp/
COLLEGE FIX
— ‘Academic crisis’: California GOP joins battle to quickly reinstate SAT for college admissions. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I got a higher ACT score (24), graduated in the upper 20% of my class, and got accepted by UIC because I benefitted tremendously from discrimination against my peers who were minority, female, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/academic-crisis-california-gop-joins-battle-to-quickly-reinstate-sat-for-college-admissions/
— George Washington medical school offers course to ‘change racist culture.’ DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, females, younger people, etc., Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/george-washington-medical-school-offers-course-to-change-racist-culture/
— Michigan State University opens $38 million ‘sanctuary’ for ‘minorities.’ DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, females, younger people, etc., Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans oppress them. My critics/opponents who are the aforesaid absolutely believe that Republicans oppress them.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/michigan-state-u-opens-38-million-sanctuary-for-minorities/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Rubio Puts Merit Over Seniority in Foreign Service Shake-Up. DD: My Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors never put seniority over merit. They put being Democrat, minority, female, younger, and/or veteran over being Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/27/rubio-reform-foreign-service/
— Dolly Parton, RIP: The Story of Her Most Famous Song Embodies Her Life Story—and the American Dream.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/27/dolly-parton-rip-most-famous-song-embodies-her-life-story-daily-signal-dolly-parton/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Parton was born dirt poor in 1946 to a loving family in the mountains of Tennessee. Her father couldn’t read or write, and often worked two jobs to make ends meet, but he inspired her strong work ethos. It was her mother who instilled in young Parton her love of music.)
FOX BUSINESS
— ‘A PACK OF LIES’: Florida congressman UNLOADS on socialism’s affordability promises.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMbmJj7DiLA
FOX NEWS
— Mail-voting crackdown moves ahead as Trump court win opens door to federal action. Federal agencies including USPS can now proceed with election-integrity order as states prepare fresh lawsuits.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mail-voting-crackdown-moves-ahead-trump-court-win-opens-door-federal-action?lid=5u6tm9mz7rhh
TOWNHALL
— States can prevent socialism’s spread by enforcing accurate education on communism in public schools.
https://townhall.com/columnists/christalgo/2026/08/28/states-can-help-nip-socialism-in-the-bud-n2682050
— Socialism: The Greatest Rebrand in Political History.
https://townhall.com/columnists/shabbos-kestenbaum/2026/08/28/socialism-the-greatest-rebrand-in-political-history-n2682049
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
YAHOO
— For Gen Z the American Dream Has No Borders. 82% of Gen Zs in the U.S. already see themselves as part of a global workforce. More than half of Gen Z would choose the world’s best company to work for over the best company in America. 64% said they would be very or extremely interested in temporary work opportunities in another country. 65% said they would be more likely to work for a company that demonstrates an ethical understanding of AI’s impact on people and communities. Only 19% gave Corporate America an ‘A.’ DD: What do Gen Zs think of you and why?
https://finance.yahoo.com/small-business/articles/gen-z-american-dream-no-120000693.html
— DOJ says George Washington University prioritized race over merit. DD: My critics/opponents have always prioritized a) liberals and moderates over conservatives, b) Democrats and RINOs over Republicans, c) non-Whites over Whites, d) women over men, e) younger people over older people, f) veterans over non-veterans, g) non-Protestants over Protestants, h) non-German Americans over German Americans, i) those whose ancestors have not been in America for a long time over those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time, and j) noncitizens over citizens.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/doj-says-george-washington-prioritized-212620947.html
NEWSWEEK
— DD: The mainstream news media exists to drive Trump’s approval rating down.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-approval-rating-underwater-issues-poll-12373563
NEW YORK TIMES
— Republicans Caught in a Bind With Trump as Midterms Near. The president’s pull with the party base has been clear and his resources are vast. But his low approval ratings make him a liability with swing voters.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/us/politics/trump-midterm-election-republicans.html
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/opinion/trump-canada-trade-war-dolly-parton.html
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The Media’s Lawfare Enabling. Legal journalists who know better cheer on meritless lawsuits against Trump.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-medias-lawfare-enabling-c54905c4
— What JD Vance Gets Wrong About Hamilton. The vice president rejects Milton Friedman’s free-market principles in favor of bigger government.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/what-jd-vance-gets-wrong-about-hamilton-b4eed1f1
— We the People Want Serious Welfare Reform. Congress may hem and haw, but the popular consensus is behind accountability and efficiency.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/we-the-people-want-serious-welfare-reform-91ec8522
FORBES
— Despite Recent Headlines, Most Colleges Remain Test-Optional For Admissions. DD: The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job. If I had not passed the postal employment test and earned a high school diploma, the Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966 would not have hired me. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination and earned a bachelor’s degree in business, the Democrats who ran IRS in 1971 would not have hired me. If I had not been taking graduate evening business courses, my Democrat IRS superiors would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had not earned an MBA and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, the Democrats who ran GAO in 1980 would not have hired me. If I had not earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980 and passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981, the Democrats who ran GAO would not have promoted me in 1986. If I had not earned job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997 and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997, my Democrat GAO superiors might very well have succeeded in forcing me to retire in 1993 instead of 1997.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2026/08/28/despite-recent-headlines-most-colleges-remain-test-optional-for-admissions/
— Long-Term Affordability: Finding The Cheapest New Vehicles To Own. DD: My critics/opponents could blast me for my buying a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint when I was 17 in 1966, a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967, a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968, and a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 instead buying of affordable cars. They could argue that I could have been studying instead washing dishes 1964-1966, cleaning golf shoes, chipping slag, and pumping gasoline in 1966, delivering mail 1966-1969, working on an automotive assemble line in 1970, and pumping more gasoline 1971-1972 to pay for the aforesaid cars.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2026/08/27/long-term-affordability-finding-the-cheapest-new-vehicles-to-own/
MOTLEY FOOL
— What Current Inflation Hints About Social Security’s 2027 COLA. Retirees may find a silver lining to the current inflation they’re facing. DD: What has helped you deal with inflation? COLAs have helped me deal with inflation big time. My critics/opponents are furious that I got COLAs while I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and that I have continued to get COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://www.fool.com/retirement/2026/08/27/what-current-inflation-hints-about-social-security/
REALTOR
— Retirees Get 265% of What They Paid Into Social Security—but Will Young Americans? DD: My critics/opponents are furious that I get $18,712/year Social Security in addition to a $68,640/year Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension. But I paid into Social Security for 10 years and I paid into CSRS for almost 30 tears.
https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/social-security-benefits-generational-wealth-divide/
FAST COMPANY
— Coworkers. DD: My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government painted themselves as being grossly underpaid. They decried their spouses having little or no income. They decried the costs of child raising. They were full of envy and were ever-increasingly envious of my and my wife’s income and assets.
https://www.fastcompany.com/video/91594997/what-to-do-if-your-coworker-is-lying
OPM
— Last Year’s Workforce Reductions Were Real. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1960-1997, Republicans reduced the agency’s workforce by 50%. My Democrat GAO superiors punished me viciously for that.
https://www.opm.gov/news/secrets-of-opm/last-year-s-workforce-reductions-were-real/
OPM & FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— Hey Siri, Hire a Federal Employee. Okay, we’re not quite there yet, but we are helping move the federal government a whole lot closer. Every federal agency is now capable of adopting AI in the hiring process. DD: The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job. If I had not passed the postal employment test and earned a high school diploma, the Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966 would not have hired me. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination and earned a bachelor’s degree in business, the Democrats who ran IRS in 1971 would not have hired me. If I had not been taking graduate evening business courses, my Democrat IRS superiors would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had not earned an MBA and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, the Democrats who ran GAO in 1980 would not have hired me. If I had not earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980 and passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981, the Democrats who ran GAO would not have promoted me in 1986. If I had not earned job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997 and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997, my Democrat GAO superiors might very well have succeeded in forcing me to retire in 1993 instead of 1997.
https://www.opm.gov/news/secrets-of-opm/hey-siri-hire-a-federal-employee/
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/artificial-intelligence/2026/08/opm-calls-for-wider-ai-adoption-in-federal-hiring-process/
GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— Unions: OPM’s suitability and performance management overhauls assert ‘plenary’ authority over federal firing. A coalition of labor groups sued the Trump administration Monday, arguing recent moves to centralize authority within the Office of Personnel Management and insert subjective criteria into employee evaluations amount to an end-run around the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act. DD: My Democrat superiors in the federal government used the subjectivity in their employee evaluation procedures to waste my career and to force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2026/08/unions-opms-suitability-performance-management-overhauls-plenary-authority/415635/?oref=ge-topic-lander-featured-river
NFFE
— Trump attacks federal workers again. DD: I was a federal employee for almost 30 years and I have been a federal retiree for almost 29 years.
https://www.nffe.org/news/trump-attacks-federal-workers-again/
NEWS ITEM
— Few Democratic Socialists are blue collar.
https://www.newsitem.com/opinion/columnists/few-democratic-socialists-are-blue-collar/article_e286c9ab-21d2-439c-b77b-8fdd88f129e9.html
CREATORS SYNDICATE
— DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, females, younger people, etc., Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems.
https://www.creators.com/read/mona-charen/08/26/they-will-try-to-steal-the-2026-elections
GOVERNING
— DD: To promote DEI is to get rid of Republicans who are conservative, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.governing.com/management-and-administration/why-we-still-need-diversity-in-public-contracting
PENSION POLICY INTERNATIONAL
— 80% of Americans Say U.S. Faces Retirement Crisis. DD: I got in line for a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension when I was 18 in 1966. I have been getting a CSRS pension, currently $68,640/year, since I was 49 in 1997. My critics/opponents have always been furious about that. In my defense, I paid 7% of my federal salary into the CSRS. Further, I would not have become a postal employee in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment test. Further, I would not have become an IRS employee in 1971 if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn a job offer that I had accepted because Oldsmobile had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.
https://www.pensionpolicyinternational.com/80-of-americans-say-u-s-faces-retirement-crisis-amid-affordability-pressures-and-debt-americans-wary-of-ai-financial-advice-and-crypto-in-retirement-plans/
INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— 90% of Colleges Don’t Require Test Scores for 2026–27. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I got a higher ACT score (24), graduated in the upper 20% of my class, and got accepted by UIC because I benefitted tremendously from discrimination against my peers who were minority, female, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/admissions/traditional-age/2026/08/28/90-colleges-dont-require-test-scores-2026-27
NPR
— DD: To get more votes from those who are the following, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems: liberal/moderate, minority, female, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or are noncitizens.
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/30/nx-s1-5805050/supreme-court-voting-rights-congressional-black-caucus
NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— DD: Illegals are motivated to use their false identifications to vote for Democrats because Democrats give illegals tremendous benefits.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/non-citizen-voting-trump-new-york-city-local-law-11.html
FROM OTHER SOURCES
CORVETTE STORE
— Eric Stalfort’s 2005 C6 Corvette Coupe. DD: I have owned my 2005 Corvette Coupe since 2005. Please let me know if you share my interest in C6 (2005-2013) Corvettes. Sadly, because I lacked money and garage space in 2005, to buy and garage that car, I sold my 1968 Dodge Charger R/T collector car and my 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS collector car.
https://www.corvettestoreonline.com/blogs/customer-spotlights/fan-friday-eric-stalforts-2005-daytona-sunset-orange-c6-corvette-coupe
Tag: ancestors
August 27, 2026 Evening Edition
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Trump signs order renaming Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’ in the United States. Trump cannot force Canada to follow his preferred naming convention.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/trump-signs-order-renaming-lake-ontario-america-united-states/19745641/
CITIES 92.9
— $34.9M Chicago development provides ‘affordable’ homes. DD: What enabled you to afford your first home? I bought a new townhome in University Park when I was 24 in 1972. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ . In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $94,600. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.cities929.com/2026/08/27/illinois-quick-hits-34-9m-chicago-development-provides-affordable-homes/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Parent group raises concerns over Glenbrook North course.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_267d4ee4-a227-4448-85d4-3734c384cbc9.html
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— How can CPS address its 54% of underused buildings?
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-public-schools-underutilized-academic-impact/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— George Washington University Medical School intentionally and illegally gives Black and Hispanic applicants an advantage in admissions, the Justice Department said Thursday.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/27/george-washington-university-med-school-illegally-discriminates/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Charlie Kirk’s murder is a basic ethical litmus test.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/4702870/charlie-kirk-murder-basic-ethical-litmus-test/
— Democrats try to brush aside ‘Woke 1.’
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/4702376/democrats-try-brush-aside-woke-1/
AMERICAN THINKER
— ‘It Can’t Happen Here’? Are You Sure? Why do young people love communism so much nowadays?
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/it-can-t-happen-here-are-you-sure/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— AOC rejoins DSA as socialist diva mulls 2028 White House bid.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/27/aoc-rejoins-dsa-as-socialist-diva-mulls-2028-white-house-bid-1656535/
BLAZE
— America’s young are being recruited into socialism — one dance party at a time.
https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/americas-young-are-being-recruited-into-socialism-one-dance-party-at-a-time
CAMPUS REFORM
— New Jersey course teaches that ‘white supremacy,’ ‘white privilege’ remain ‘institutionalized.’ DD: Under the Democrats, hatred against Republicans is institutionalized, and especially against Republicans who are White, male, older, non-veteran, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/new-jersey-course-teaches-white-supremacy-white-privilege-remain-institutionalized/30487
CENTER SQUARE
— Majority of voters concerned with rise of socialism, communism.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_3d1d2d52-4cad-4a2d-907b-0ed3f57c0fd9.html
https://www.aol.com/articles/poll-majority-voters-concerned-rise-133000000.html
DAILY SIGNAL
— When the Left Ignores Federal Law and Sounds Like Neo-Confederates.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/27/hanson-left-ignores-federal-law/
— Housing Affordability Crisis Results From ‘Too Much Socialism,’ Not Too Little.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/27/housing-affordability-crisis-results-from-too-much-socialism-not-too-little-report/
FEDERALIST
— Democrats’ Racial Grievances Are Just A Cynical Grift.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/27/democrats-racial-grievances-are-just-a-cynical-grift/
FOX BUSINESS
— Democrats’ socialist agenda will make affordability worse.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6404130506112
FOX NEWS
— AOC’s socialist credentials face fresh scrutiny after glaring 7-year gap surfaces: ‘Very convenient’
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/aocs-socialist-credentials-face-fresh-scrutiny-after-glaring-7-year-gap-surfaces-very-convenient
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Gary, Indiana’s Power Outages Aren’t Because Of Racism.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/gary-indianas-power-outages-arent-because-of-racism/
PJ MEDIA
— As Islamic Socialism Rises, a Dem Congressman Says the Real Enemy Is… Christian Nationalism?
https://pjmedia.com/scott-pinsker/2026/08/27/as-islamic-socialism-rises-a-dem-congressman-says-the-real-enemy-is-christian-nationalism-n4956611
REAL CLEAR MARKETS
— 100 Million Reasons To Support Capitalism.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/2026/08/27/100_million_reasons_to_support_capitalism_1202662.html
REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Laura Ingraham: Republican Candidates Have Not Been Effective In Taking On Democrats And Their Tilt Toward Socialism.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/08/27/laura_ingraham_republican_candidates_have_not_been_effective_in_taking_on_democrats_and_their_tilt_toward_socialism_comments.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Mamdani socialism and Trump socialism — reject them both.
https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/6051425-rejecting-left-right-socialism/
CBS NEWS
— Fired Stars and Stripes journalists sue Hegseth and Pentagon spokesperson. DD: Since 2000, my critics/opponents have not succeeded in getting a registered Republican voter in my precinct to run against me for Precinct Committeeman.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fired-stars-and-stripes-journalists-sue-hegseth-and-pentagon-spokesperson/
— Fed’s Lisa Cook pushes back on Trump firing threat, says she “never committed mortgage fraud.” DD: Since 2000, my critics/opponents have not succeeded in getting a registered Republican voter in my precinct to run against me for Precinct Committeeman.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lisa-cook-denies-trump-mortgage-fraud-allegations/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-arrests-record-high-july-new-data/
NBC NEWS
— The job market for new college grads keeps getting worse. DD: When you graduated from college, what harmed your job search? When I graduated from NIU with a bachelor’s degree in management when I was 21 in 1970, potential employers saw me as being draft bait. They did not believe that my application for a financial hardship draft deferment to help support my mother and brother would be approved. Further, potential employers were under tremendous pressure to hire minorities and females. Consequently, I accepted the only job offer that I got, to be the Retail Sales Manager in a Firestone Store, a job that not really require a college degree. Because my future there was bleak, I accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile in 1971. But Oldsmobile withdrew that offer saying it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. My Firestone Store boss rudely fired me because I had accepted that offer. Because I had to have a job, I accepted a job offer that I got from IRS to be a Revenue Officer. I had taken and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination while I was a NIU student as a backup because I had been a federal employees for almost 3 years and because federal employees are viewed negatively.
https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/job-market-new-college-grads-keeps-getting-worse-2026-rcna588700
NEWS24
— Democrats brainwashing impressionable voters into socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y6Gc4H0F2Y
INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— Student indoctrination. DD: For Democrat leaders, education exists to crank out good little Democrats.
https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2023/07/18/we-couldnt-indoctrinate-students-if-we-wanted-opinion
BROOKINGS
— Public schools. DD: For Democrat leaders, education exists to crank out good little Democrats.
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/perceptions-of-us-public-schools-political-leanings-and-the-federal-role-in-education/
PBS
— Systemic racism continues. DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, females, younger people, etc., Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/annual-report-shows-systemic-racism-continues-to-bring-down-black-peoples-quality-of-life
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN
— What Women’s Equality Day Means NOW. DD: To get more votes from women, non-Whites, younger people, etc., Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems.
https://now.org/media-center/press-release/what-womens-equality-day-means-now/
ALTER NET
— White-collar jobs crisis comes home to roost in Trump’s America. DD: When you graduated from college, what harmed your job search? When I graduated from NIU with a bachelor’s degree in management when I was 21 in 1970, potential employers saw me as being draft bait. They did not believe that my application for a financial hardship draft deferment to help support my mother and brother would be approved. Further, potential employers were under tremendous pressure to hire minorities and females. Consequently, I accepted the only job offer that I got, to be the Retail Sales Manager in a Firestone Store, a job that not really require a college degree. Because my future there was bleak, I accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile in 1971. But Oldsmobile withdrew that offer saying it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. My Firestone Store boss rudely fired me because I had accepted that offer. Because I had to have a job, I accepted a job offer that I got from IRS to be a Revenue Officer. I had taken and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination while I was a NIU student as a backup because I had been a federal employees for almost 3 years and because federal employees are viewed negatively.
https://www.alternet.org/trump-white-collar-unemployment/
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
ECONOMIC TIMES
— DD: Pritzker ever-increasingly promotes more hatred against Trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_cZLX_Z_3c
August 27, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— A suburban challenge to Chicago’s monopoly on Lake Michigan water makes major waves
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/editorial-suburban-challenge-chicago-monopoly-100000841.html
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2026/08/26/lawmakers-advocates-allege-chicago-immigration-court-violated-due-process-for-minors-handed-removal-orders
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/08/26/defense-attorney-wants-broadview-6-prosecutor-on-the-stand-in-cbp-sex-assault-case-she-hasnt-testified
WGN9
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/illinois-leaders-slam-immigration-court/
CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Will Supreme Court’s order on mail-in ballots impact voting in Illinois?
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/will-supreme-courts-order-on-mail-in-ballots-impact-voting-in-illinois/
NCTV17
— DuPage County Board, clerk at odds over November election funding.
https://www.nctv17.org/news/dupage-county-board-clerk-at-odds-over-november-election-funding/amp/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Corbett Plays Gender Card in Campaign for Governor on Women’s Equality Day.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/26/corbett-plays-gender-card-in-campaign-for-governor-on-womens-equality-day/
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Illinois Review Calls for Attorney General Probe Into Possible Deletion of Lyons Township FOIA Video.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/illinois-review-calls-for-attorney-general-probe-into-possible-deletion-of-lyons-township-foia-video.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— AOC renews DSA membership after yearslong break ahead of possible 2028 bid.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/4701610/aoc-rejoins-democratic-socialists-2028-after-lapsed-membership-since-2019/
ADVOCATES FOR SELF GOVERNMENT
— 10 DSA Arguments for Socialism and Why They Fail.
https://www.theadvocates.org/socialism-cant-abolish-scarcity/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Air Force awarded nearly $750,000 for AI-powered DEI training tool under Biden.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/26/air-force-awarded-nearly-750000-for-ai-powered-dei-training-tool-under-biden-1656412/
— Hillary says bring on the socialist ‘experiment’ as Democrats chase young voters.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/26/hillary-says-bring-on-the-socialist-experiment-as-democrats-chase-young-voters-1656425/
BREITBART
— Gun Control Support Falls Among Likely U.S. Voters.
https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2026/08/26/rasmussen-gun-control-support-falls-among-likely-u-s-voters/amp/
CAMPUS REFORM
— Cal State San Bernardino requires DEI statement for baseball coaching job.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/cal-state-san-bernardino-requires-dei-statement-baseball-coaching-job/30482
CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES
— The Employment Effects of Immigration Enforcement. DD: Unlike my critics/opponents, because my parents lacked money, I had to compete against noncitizens for jobs. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. 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 federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://cis.org/Academic-Articles/Employment-Effects-Immigration-Enforcement-Initial-Assessment
COLLEGE FIX
— Slavery does not explain black-white health disparities.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/bulletin-board/no-slavery-does-not-explain-black-white-health-disparities/
DAILY SIGNAL
— We Need to Stop Letting in Ungrateful Immigrants.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/26/victor-davis-hanson-we-need-to-stop-letting-in-ungrateful-immigrants/
DAILY WIRE
— Why Global Jihad Remains Invisible To The West.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-global-jihad-remains-invisible-to-the-west
FOX BUSINESS
— Democrats continue to embrace socialists in key races.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6404092708112
— RICH ELITES: Socialists are PRETENDING to help working class.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3r0c6VpXY18
HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— Inflated Federal Pay: How Americans Are Overtaxed to Overpay the Civil Service. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I have always been grossly overpaid. They stress that I was a federal union member for almost 12 years, almost 3 years while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969 and almost 9 years while I worked for IRS 1971-1980. In today’s dollars, a) my Post Office salary increased from $19.57/hour to $20.87/hour and b) my IRS salary increased from $56,409/year to $113,402/year. In my defense, during that time, I stress that I earned a bachelor’s degree in management in 1970, I earned an MBA in 1976, I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, and I almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting. In today’s dollars, while I worked for GAO 1980-1997, my salary increased from $89,703/year to $154,682/year. In my defense, during that time, I stress that I earned a master’s degree in accounting, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt, became a licensed CPA, earned four more job-elated professional certifications, and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading.
https://www.heritage.org/jobs-and-labor/report/inflated-federal-pay-how-americans-are-overtaxed-overpay-the-civil-service
HOT AIR
— DD: Wokeness is not in remission. My critics/opponents are woke.
https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2026/08/26/wokeness-is-in-remission-but-leftists-have-not-been-cured-n3818391
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Hillary Clinton Suggests Rise of Socialism in the Democratic Party is ‘Healthy.’
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/hillary-clinton-suggests-rise-of-socialism-in-the-democratic-party-is-healthy/
NEWS BUSTERS
— Violent Socialists Have Taken Over Messaging for Democrats.
https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/steve-malzberg/2026/08/26/cnns-jennings-rips-violent-socialists-who-have-taken-over
NEWSMAX
— The Left Clears the Way for Crime.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/katie-gorka-virginia-crime-left-policies/2026/08/26/id/1267449/
— 9 Weeks Left: Reframe Election to ‘Capitalism vs. Socialism’ for a Win. DD: Are the Republican candidates on the ballot in your precinct stressing that to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism?
https://www.newsmax.com/mclaughlin/capitalism-midterm-socialism/2026/08/26/id/1267365/
— America Doesn’t Guarantee Parity of Outcomes, and Shouldn’t. DD: My critics/opponents want equal outcome, that is, they reject equal opportunity. They want race and gender based preference giving. According to them, all the problems that minorities and females have are caused by Whites and men.
https://www.newsmax.com/judddunning/mao-marxism-truman/2026/08/26/id/1267399/
— Socialism Among History’s Greatest Failures.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/rudy-giuliani-socialism-new-york-city/2026/08/26/id/1267388/
— Mamdani’s socialism has to lead to dictatorship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PImjnhUb_UA
PJ MEDIA
— The DSA’s Revolution Will Be Funded by Mom and Dad.
https://pjmedia.com/david-manney/2026/08/26/the-dsas-revolution-will-be-funded-by-mom-and-dad-n4956502
REASON
— The GOP Is Becoming Anti-Conservative.
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/03/04/jonah-goldberg-the-gop-is-becoming-anti-conservative/
TOWNHALL
— The Case for Reparations Is Officially Closed.
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/08/26/mehdi-hasan-reparations-vip-n2681937
(FROM THE ARTICLE: One of the worst ideas the Left has ever had is that of reparations. The notion that people who didn’t commit atrocities must give money to people who didn’t experience atrocities in the name of historical fairness has always been a steaming pile of bull dung. As I have often said: I was born in 1983, not 1683. I didn’t own slaves; my ancestors didn’t own slaves. I grew up not benefiting from slavery in any way, shape, or form. Paying for slavery, therefore, is not my responsibility.)
— The DSA Civil War Being Fought on Wikipedia.
https://townhall.com/columnists/theodore-cazals/2026/08/27/the-dsa-civil-war-being-fought-on-wikipedia-n2681991
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ROLL CALL
— Facebook Hires Ex-GOP Senator To Advise On Anti-Conservative Bias.
https://rollcall.com/2018/05/04/facebook-hires-ex-gop-senator-to-advise-on-anti-conservative-bias/
CNN
— State Dept. looking to sell US embassy artwork official called ‘very woke.’
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/26/us/video/wiley-woke-artwork-vrtc-digvid
CNBC
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly discourage traditional marriage and family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5MKgZ24ZtE
— Working your way through college is practically impossible now. DD: I spent far too many hours washing dishes instead of studying during my junior and senior years in high school. My ACT score and GPA suffered. I spent far too many hours delivering mail instead of studying during my first 3 years in college. My GPA suffered.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/23/20-best-cities-for-students-working-their-way-through-college.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Those who promote woke destroy those who do not promote woke. My critics/opponents are woke. To be woke is to be anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-Christian, anti-German American, and/or anti-those who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/opinion/woke-right-trump-free-speech.html
WASHINGTON POST
— Republicans accuse Facebook of anti-conservative bias.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/republicans-accuse-facebook-of-anti-conservative-bias/2018/04/11/05628bc2-3db9-11e8-955b-7d2e19b79966_video.html
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— JD Vance Is the GOP’s Obama. He and the former president have much in common. And both disdain Republicans.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/jd-vance-is-the-gops-obama-2e35f480
FORBES
— What To Do When You Envy Your Colleague’s Success. DD: My coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran. While I could not change my race, gender, age, or veteran status, I could have become a Democrat. But I refused to do that.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ronashkenas/2014/12/12/what-to-do-when-you-envy-your-colleagues-success/
— OK Boomers, About That Working-Through-College Thing. DD: I spent far too many hours washing dishes instead of studying during my junior and senior years in high school. My ACT score and GPA suffered. I spent far too many hours delivering mail instead of studying during my first 3 years in college. My GPA suffered.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickwwatson/2019/12/09/ok-boomers-about-that-working-through-college-thing/
24/7 WALL STREET
— Medicare Part B Went Up 9.7% This Year. Your Social Security Raise Was 2.8%.
https://247wallst.com/investing/etf/2026/08/26/medicare-part-b-went-up-9-7-this-year-your-social-security-raise-was-2-8-these-3-etfs-close-the-gap/
FREE PRESS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) blame capitalism for everyone’s problems and b) promote socialism to fix those problems.
https://www.thefp.com/p/honesty-project-capitalism-socialism-americans
CITY AND STATE
— AOC rejoined DSA this month after 7-year absence. The socialist standard-bearer apparently forgot to renew her annual DSA membership when it expired in 2019.
https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2026/08/aoc-rejoined-dsa-month-after-7-year-absence/415648/
WINSTON SALEM JOURNAL
— Will Black voters save the Democratic Party from socialism?
https://journalnow.com/opinion/column/article_47bdf39b-d6ca-56a1-bc2a-f3c40bb9b795.html
SPECTRUM NEWS
— Students working far more hours to pay for tuition than those 30 years ago. DD: I spent far too many hours washing dishes instead of studying during my junior and senior years in high school. My ACT score and GPA suffered. I spent far too many hours delivering mail instead of studying during my first 3 years in college. My GPA suffered.
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2023/02/09/students-have-to-tack-on-more-hours-of-work-to-afford-college-tuition-
COURTHOUSE NEWS
— Unions sue over new rules expanding feds power to fire workers. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors fired me, that is, they forced me to retire, because I was an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. According to the courts, that is OK.
https://www.courthousenews.com/unions-sue-over-new-rules-expanding-feds-power-to-fire-workers/
FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— GAO finds 96% of DOGE’s claimed savings on federal grants cannot be verified.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-newscast/2026/08/gao-finds-96-of-doges-claimed-savings-on-federal-grants-cannot-be-verified/
NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON RETIREMENT SECURITY
— 80% of Americans Say U.S. Faces Retirement Crisis. DD: I got in line for a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension when I was 18 in 1966. I have been getting a CSRS pension, currently $68,640/year, since I was 49 in 1997. My critics/opponents have always been furious about that. In my defense, I paid 7% of my federal salary into the CSRS. Further, I would not have become a postal employee in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment test. Further, I would not have become an IRS employee in 1971 if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn a job offer that I had accepted because Oldsmobile had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/80-of-americans-say-us-faces-retirement-crisis-amid-affordability-pressures-and-debt-americans-wary-of-ai-financial-advice-and-crypto-in-retirement-plans-302860171.html
INVESTOPEDIA
— The College Majors Facing the Highest Unemployment Rates. DD: In retrospect, with benefit of hindsight, I should have majored in accounting. I erroneously thought that I could never pass the CPA examination. But I did pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30 in 1979, earn a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, and passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA when I was 32. But by then it was too late. The accounting profession saw me as being far too old to have a successful career in accounting. On top of that, the profession was under tremendous pressure to hire, retain, and promote young minorities and young females.
https://www.investopedia.com/the-college-majors-facing-the-highest-unemployment-rates-in-today-s-challenging-job-market-12062003
INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— Wealthy students with high standardized test scores make up the majority of students at the most selective universities. DD: My critics/opponents have always knowingly, outrageously, disgustingly, and falsely hinted/implied/argued/shouted that my parents were filthy rich and that is why I was able to get an ACT score of 24, graduate in the upper 20% of my class, get accepted by UIC, NIU, Loyola, DePaul, and IIT, earn six professional certifications, and earn a professional license. They have always known that I had to work my way through college.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/admissions/traditional-age/2026/08/27/new-paper-takes-aim-meritocratic-admissions-policies
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
— Champion of the Oppressed. DD: My critics/opponents paint minorities, females, and younger people as being oppressed and paint themselves as being champions of the oppressed.
https://online.ucpress.edu/jrpc/article-abstract/29/2/132/204315/Champion-of-the-OppressedRedescribing-the?redirectedFrom=fulltext
PHYS
— DD: According to my critics/opponents, minorities, females, and younger people are oppressed by Whites, males, and older people. My critic/opponents paint themselves as being champions for minorities, females, and younger people.
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-appropriated-racial-oppression-black-parents.html
MEDIATE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly paint today’s Republicans as being yesterday’s Confederates.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/house-democrat-says-confederacy-still-185729081.html
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
DAILY TELEGRAPH
— Socialists took over the Democratic Party.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/michael-knowles-socialists-took-over-the-democratic-party/video/fa388abe1182d9c0d09080422d3abfec
August 26, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Trump floats renaming Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America,’ denies claim he’d interfere with Canadians speaking French. The U.S. and Canada jointly manage the waterway.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/trump-floats-renaming-lake-ontario-america-denies-claim-hed-interfere-canadians-speaking-french/19733253/
WTTW
— ‘Do It Early’: Officials Urge Illinoisans to Submit Mail-In Ballots Well Before Election Day Amid Supreme Court ‘Chaos.’
https://news.wttw.com/2026/08/25/do-it-early-officials-urge-illinoisans-submit-mail-ballots-well-election-day-amid
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Illinois leaders anxious about Supreme Court ruling allowing Trump to push mail-in voting restrictions.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/25/supreme-court-ruling-mail-in-voting-illinois/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Mail ballots are secure, Illinois election officials stress after Supreme Court ruling. Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon said it’s “business as usual,” and she prepares for the election by fighting misinformation, expanding drop boxes for mail ballots and prepares for an influx of early voting, which begins Oct. 19
https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2026/08/25/mail-ballots-secure-illinois-election-officials-supreme-court-ruling-trump-executive-order
— Working class men. DD: Since the 1960s, women have ever-increasing been given more preference over men. That has ever-increasingly brought down men. Because I am a man, I would be nowhere today if I had not earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. As time when on, more and more and more of my coworkers were women. All those who my Democrat superiors promoted over me a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/25/working-class-men-black-white-american-inequity-1879-ben-jealous
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/25/us-supreme-court-ruling-mail-in-voting-donald-trump-executive-order
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/08/25/marimar-martinez-ice-border-patrol-midway-blitz-chicago-police-cpd
DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Hostage crisis? Conroy offers more election funding amid dispute with clerk.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260825/news/hostage-crisis-conroy-offers-more-election-funding-amid-dispute-with-clerk/
— The $6 billion plan that would give the suburbs control over supplying Lake Michigan water.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260824/news/suburban-leaders-detail-6-billion-plan-for-water-independence-amid-pushback-from-chicago/
SOUTHERN
— Caucus to select Republican nominee for Marion County Sheriff set for Tuesday night with questions looming about the process.
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2026/08/25/caucus-to-select-republican-nominee-for-marion-county-sheriff-set-for-wednesday-night-with-questions-looming-about-the-process/
PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— Why are flags lowered in Illinois? Trump orders to honor Dolly Parton.
https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/25/why-are-flags-at-half-staff-today-in-illinois-trump-order-lowered-dolly-parton-death-pritzker/91462262007/
FOX ILLINOIS
— Trump and Vance to keynote Republicans’ midterm convention in Texas. As if there was any doubt, Republicans’ midterm convention will be the Donald Trump show, with the president appearing at both nights of the event in Dallas next month.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/trump-and-vance-to-keynote-republicans-midterm-convention-in-texas/article_7c11c295-a1dd-5301-9a7f-0f10f89fef86.html
NPR ILLINOIS
— Will Supreme Court’s order on mail-in ballots impact voting in Illinois?
https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2026-08-25/will-supreme-courts-order-on-mail-in-ballots-impact-voting-in-illinois
WGEM
— Pritzker, Bailey offer different visions for Illinois education.
https://www.wgem.com/2026/08/25/pritzker-bailey-offer-different-visions-illinois-education/
CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Bailey implores Republicans to improve turnout as he plans to shift focus to Chicago. Republican nominee for governor says late August downstate tour is last of the campaign.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/bailey-implores-republicans-to-improve-turnout-as-he-plans-to-shift-focus-to-chicago/
CAPITOL CITY NOW
— Pritzker, Bailey offer different visions for Illinois education.
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-pritzker-bailey-offer-different-visions-for-illinois-education/
ILLINOIS
— Governor Pritzker Announces $1 Billion to Expand High-Speed Internet Across Illinois. DD: To put together and send out GOPUSA ILLINOIIS newsletters, I have spent lots of money for high-speed internet, backup internet, computers, and backup computers.
https://www.illinois.gov/news/release.html?releaseid=32862
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What if America had been socialist when you were young? When I was young, because I would have refused to be a socialist, a) UIC would not have accepted me in 1966, NIU in 1969, Loyola in 1972, DePaul in 1976, or IIT in 1992, b) the Post Office would not have hired me in 1966, IRS in 1971, or GAO in 1980, and c) I would not have been able to pass the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, become a licensed CPA in 1981, or earn four more job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Mainstream media love Arabs — as long as they hate Jews.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/25/mainstream-media-love-arabs-long-hate-jews/
— Musk faces no criminal charges for million-dollar voter giveaway. DD: Democrats run the federal government. To get more votes for Democrat candidates from their employees, they give their Democrat employees lots of preference.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/25/elon-musk-faces-no-criminal-charges-million-dollar-voter-giveaway/
— FEMA broke federal law by skipping homes with Trump signs after hurricane. DD: I have had a Vote Republican sign in front of my front porch for decades.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/25/fema-refused-visit-11-pro-trump-houses-2024/
— Florida restricts welfare benefits for ‘nonessential’ purchases. Items banned include vapes, tattoos, and spa services.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/25/florida-restricts-welfare-benefits-nonessential-purchases/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Consulting firm Deloitte to pay US government $21.5 million in DEI settlement. DD: The accounting profession had no interest in me a) because I did not pass the CPA examination until I was 30 in 1979, b) because I did not earn a master’s degree in accounting until I was 31, c) because I did not pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt until I was 32, and d) because I did not become a licensed CPA until I was 32. But the accounting profession would have been interested in me if I had been a minority or a female.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/business/4700165/deloitte-us-government-dei-settlement/
NEW YORK POST
— Affordability trumps all other issues in midterm battleground states. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/26/us-news/affordability-trumps-all-other-issues-in-midterm-battleground-states-grassroots-survey-reveals/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Will Supreme Court Ruling Make It Harder for Noncitizens to Vote?
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/25/will-supreme-court-ruling-make-it-harder-for-noncitizens-to-vote/
FOX NEWS
— Utah library confirms LGBTQ ‘Pride’ book for its ‘smallest patrons’ is kept easily accessible. DD: How successful have Democrats been making your children and grandchildren LGBTQers?
https://www.foxnews.com/media/utah-library-confirms-lgbtq-pride-book-its-smallest-patrons-kept-easily-accessible.amp
NEWSMAX
— Democrats embracing socialism.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/democrats-embracing-socialism-043004488.html
— Florida Bars Tattoos, Tanning, Tobacco From Welfare.
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/ron-desantis-florida-tanf/2026/08/25/id/1267295/
OPM
— Restoring Merit With the Right Civil Service Exam. DD: If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination (FSEE) in 1970, the Democrats who ran IRS would not have hired me in 1971. My having been a public sector employee for almost 3 years harmed my efforts to get good job in the private sector after I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU when I was 21 in 1970. In anticipation of that, as a fallback, I took and passed the FSEE before I graduated.
https://www.opm.gov/news/secrets-of-opm/restoring-merit-with-the-right-civil-service-exam/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The exam that hired one in twenty. This is not the federal government’s first rodeo. In fact, we had civil service exams from 1955 to 1982 – the Federal Service Entrance Examination (FSEE) and its successor, the Professional and Administrative Career Examination (PACE) – that were intended to allow an applicant to earn their desk by out-scoring the competition in a proctored exam hall. In practice, however, relatively few civil servants were hired through the FSEE or PACE exam.)
TOWNHALL
— We Now Have the First Details of the Republican Midterm Convention.
https://townhall.com/news/josephchalfant/2026/08/25/we-now-have-the-first-details-of-the-republican-midterm-convention-n2681889
— No Amnesty Ever.
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2026/08/26/get-it-through-your-thick-heads-gop-no-amnesty-ever-n2681808
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
NBC NEWS
— Democratic socialists notch another win in the Oklahoma Senate primary runoff. Nurse N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas has won the Democratic Senate nomination in Oklahoma, NBC News projects, defeating an older, more moderate opponent. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/nkiyla-jasmine-thomas-wins-oklahoma-senate-primary-democrat-rcna593618
CBS NEWS
— Who qualifies for the IRS Fresh Start program? DD: While I worked for IRS’s Collection Division 1971-1980, I made many ability to pay decisions.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-qualifies-for-the-irs-fresh-start-program/
— U.S. airman faces charges under military justice system for criticizing Trump over Iran war. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 because I was an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. In Diersen v. GAO, the court ruled that was OK.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jason-watson-charged-trump-criticism-air-force-article-88/
FOX NEW YORK
— New York’s law banning police cooperation with ICE takes effect. DD: Democrat leaders have declared a Second Civil War on Republicans. Illegals are their soldiers in their Democrat Army.
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/new-york-bans-police-cooperation-with-ice-287-g
REUTERS
— Unions sue OPM over rules on ‘suitability firings,’ ranked performance reviews. DD: I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. According to them, I was never a suitable federal employee, not only because I was not a Democrat, but because I was not a minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and I had ancestors who had been in America for a long time. My Democrat superiors used the subjectivity in their performance appraisal rules to waste my career and to force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/unions-sue-opm-over-rules-suitability-firings-ranked-performance-reviews-2026-08-25/
NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Hegseth’s Purge of Top Generals Leaves the Army Rudderless. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors purged many while I worked for GAO 1980-1997. They were overwhelmingly White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/us/hegseth-purge-army-generals.html
— DD: Democrat leaders want voters on welfare because voters on welfare vote for Democrats.
https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000011107033/how-welfare-became-a-tool-of-humiliation.html
USA TODAY
— Here’s when the Social Security COLA update is expected to be released. DD: What has helped you deal with inflation? COLAs have helped me deal with inflation big time. My critics/opponents are furious that I got COLAs while I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and that I have continued to get COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personal-finance/retirement/2026/08/25/social-security-cola-2027-announcement-date/91454199007/
— A single Corvette just sold for $18,705,000. What makes it special?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/cars/news/2026/08/21/corvette-grand-sport-sells-record-price/91409884007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Ascendant No More, Democrats Are a Coalition of the Pathetic. The party’s base—and its ideological vanguard—consists of downwardly mobile college graduates.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/ascendant-no-more-democrats-are-a-coalition-of-the-pathetic-50d7c6b9
— The Socialism We Already Have. The fundamental flaw in the Marxian slogan: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” is who decides? DD: According to Democrat leaders, since the 1960s, those who are Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran have the ability to pay and those who are Democrat, minority, female, younger, and/or veteran need money. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats who a) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time and b) 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.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-socialism-we-already-have-1328767f
FORTUNE
— The Trump administration proposes $103,000 fee for H-1B visas that DHS itself estimates would paralyze 76% of small businesses. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to take bad jobs like I had to because they had wealthy parents. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://fortune.com/2026/08/25/trump-h1b-visas-fee-startups/
— Gen Z wants to be ‘tradwives.’ New data reveals the exact salary your spouse needs to earn—and in most states it’s under $100K. DD: How old were you when you started earning $100,000/year in today’s dollars? For me, it was when I was 25 in 1974. I had worked for IRS for 3 years. I had completed 10 graduate business evening business courses at Loyola.
https://fortune.com/2026/08/26/stay-at-home-parent-tradwife-exact-salary-spouse-needs-to-earn-revealed-below-100k/
— Every politician says they’re for the working man, so why are only 1% of elected officials from the working class? DD: 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 federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://fortune.com/2026/08/25/working-class-representation-global-democracies/
TIME
— DD: There are tremendous incentives to vote for Democrat candidates. Democrat elected officials give tremendous preference to those who vote for them. I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates got tremendous preference from Democrat elected officials.
https://time.com/article/2026/08/26/the-false-fear-of-noncitizen-voting/
TAMPA FREE PRESS
— Voters Lean Toward Enforcing Existing Gun Laws Over New Bans As Midterms Loom.
https://www.tampafp.com/voters-lean-toward-enforcing-existing-gun-laws-over-new-bans-as-midterms-loom-poll-finds/
NAPLES DAILY NEWS
— More voters trust Democrats over GOP on cost of living. DD: What has helped you deal with inflation? COLAs have helped me deal with inflation big time. My critics/opponents are furious that I got COLAs while I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and that I have continued to get COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/25/voters-trust-dems-gop-affordability-new-poll/91464740007/
LAKE COUNTY EXAMINER
— Who rigged the economy against workers? DD: What did you do to fight the rigged economy? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.lakecountyexam.com/townnews/work/opinion-who-rigged-the-economy-against-workers/article_3a5db58f-0965-458a-9ee5-5c5bb61bcb83.amp.html
NATIONAL NEWS DESK
— Young Democrats increasingly pick socialism in fight against economic woes. DD: When you were young, what did you do to fight economic woes? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://thenationaldesk.com/news/americas-news-now/young-democrats-increasingly-pick-socialism-in-fight-against-economic-political-woes-establishment-primary-elections
WTMJ
— Where are teens supposed to go? DD: When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? 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 delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://wtmj.com/shows/point-taken/2026/08/25/what-happened-to-third-spaces-for-teenagers/
FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK & NFFE
— Unions challenge Trump admin overhaul of suitability, performance rules. DD: I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. According to them, I was never a suitable federal employee, not only because I was not a Democrat, but because I was not a minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and I had ancestors who had been in America for a long time. My Democrat superiors used the subjectivity in their performance appraisal rules to waste my career and to force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/litigation/2026/08/unions-challenge-trump-admin-overhaul-of-suitability-performance-rules/
https://www.nffe.org/news/unions-challenge-trump-administration-rules-governing-federal-employee-performance-evaluations-and-job-suitability-decisions/
FED WEEK
— Within Grade Increases and Who Gets Them. DD: My critics/opponents were furious when I got within grade increases.
https://www.fedweek.com/ask/federal-pay/within-grade-increases/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: General schedule employees. . ..are eligible for within grade increases unless they are denied for poor performance, after the following waiting periods: 52 weeks for advancement to steps 2-4; 104 weeks for advancement to steps 5-7; and 156 weeks for advancement to steps 8-10. . .Within grade increases not meant to be “routine.”)
TAXPAYER ADVOCATE
— IRS halts most unannounced collection employee visits to taxpayers. DD: I made many unannounced visits to taxpayers to collect delinquent taxes while I worked for IRS’s Collection Division as a Revenue Officer 1971-1980.
https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/news/tax-news/irs-halts-most-unannounced-collection-employee-visits-to-taxpayers/2023/08/
POLITICO
— Trump scoffs at ‘affordability’ issues. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/25/trumps-political-gamble-on-beef-shows-his-growing-anxiety-over-affordability-01049917
— Political newcomer Darline Graham wins South Carolina’s GOP Senate runoff. DD: My critics/opponents in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton have always demonized me, denigrated me, and condemned me as being a newcomer. They have always stressed that I have lived in the aforesaid only since I was 29 in 1978, that I never attended any schools there, that I never attended any churches there, and that I never raised any children there.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/25/darline-graham-wins-south-carolina-senate-runoff-01050320
PBS
— Courting the independent vote. DD: I have been a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999. Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct have always gotten more votes because I hand-deliver to the independent voters in my precinct sample ballots, Republican voter guides, and campaign literature from Republican candidates.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/in-arizona-courting-the-independent-vote-requires-a-new-playbook
August 25, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Chicago-area critics question legality, practicality of President Trump’s mail-in ballot order.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-area-critics-question-legality-practicality-president-donald-trumps-mail-ballot-order-involving-usps-restrictions/19729693/
NBC5
— Fan flies down several rows in wild brawl caught on cam at Sox game.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/watch-fan-flies-down-several-rows-in-wild-brawl-caught-on-cam-at-sox-game/3979682/
— Teacher on no-hire list was hired by suburban school district. DD: Have you been put on a no-hire list? Constructively, my Democrat GAO superiors put me on a no-hire list when they forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. Previously, they had a) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, b) delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13, and c) ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning a master’s degree in financial markets and training when I was 48, my earning job-related professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48, my becoming a licensed CPA and passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32, my earning a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, and my earning an MBA when I was 27. They had forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/teacher-on-no-hire-list-for-sexual-misconduct-case-was-hired-by-suburban-school-district/3979810/
CBS2
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/protesters-chicago-southwest-side-masked-ice-agents/
WGN9
— Washington Post ordered to reinstate columnist Karen Attiah fired after Charlie Kirk posts. In addition to reinstatement, the arbitrator ordered the newspaper to compensate Attiah with full back-pay and benefits. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 because I was an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. In Diersen v. GAO, the court ruled that was OK.
https://wgntv.com/news/washington-post-ordered-to-reinstate-columnist-fired-after-charlie-kirk-posts/
(FROM THE WSJ: After his death, Attiah made several comments on social media. “Part of what keeps America so violent is the insistence that people perform care, empty goodness and absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence,” Attiah said in one post on the social-media site Bluesky. “Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is … not the same as violence,” Attiah said in another post.)
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/24/mckinley-park-ice-arrest-damen/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/08/24/crowd-gathers-after-i-55-crash-reportedly-caused-by-federal-immigration-agents
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Following Tribune acquisition and layoffs, Daily Herald workers look to form union. DD: I was a union member for almost 12 years.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/media-marketing/ccb-daily-herald-union-20260824/
SOUTHERN
— USPS makes new rules for mail-in ballots, but they are less restrictive than Trump’s demands.
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2026/08/24/usps-makes-new-rules-for-mail-in-ballots-but-they-are-less-restrictive-than-trumps-demands/
— Trump administration to tout efforts to shut down Education Department as school year begins.
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2026/08/24/trump-administration-to-tout-efforts-to-shut-down-education-department-as-school-year-begins/
WAND TV
— Pritzker signs bill improving sanitation, access to menstrual products on construction sites.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/pritzker-signs-bill-improving-sanitation-access-to-menstrual-products-on-construction-sites/article_188cec41-4e3b-40e2-a698-80fd80c64238.html
NPR ILLINOIS
— Farmers struggle to find workers. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. 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 federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-08-24/farmers-struggle-to-find-workers-amid-trumps-economic-policies
WHEATON RECORD
— Saturday Morning Protest: “Blame the Billionaires.” 14 Advocates took to the streets of downtown Wheaton before the Midterm elections. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://thewheatonrecord.com/2026/08/24/saturday-morning-protest-blame-the-billionaires/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: On Saturday, Aug. 22, 14 members of Indivisible DuPage gathered in downtown Wheaton, just a few blocks from campus, to protest the influence of wealthy donors and corporations in American politics ahead of the November midterm elections. The protesters are members of Indivisible DuPage’s “visibility brigade,” a group that brings the organization’s advocacy into public spaces. Aimee Renkes, the brigade’s leader, noted that the group also posts signs on the bridge over Interstate 88 weekly, holds rallies and supports other protests. This past winter, they were wardens — volunteers who help manage the crowd and de-escalate tensions — during a student-organized demonstration in Adams Park. Each sign featured a different phrase: “Frustrated with gov’t corruption? Blame the billionaires” and “Fuming over grocery prices? Blame the billionaires.” The group also displayed QR codes directing people to the League of Women Voters website and a countdown to November’s midterm elections. The protesters said they were concerned about the influence of money on political campaigns and the political process. “We believe we need to get money out of politics so that we can really have better representation for the people,” Renkes said. “And that’s on both sides of the aisle.” Renkes also mentioned the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which struck down restrictions on certain independent political spending by corporations and unions. Renkes said the decision contributed to the influence of wealthy individuals and corporations in politics. “I can’t outspend Amazon,” she said, referring to the influence she believes corporations have in politics. The protesters packed up their signs at 10:45 a.m. Renkes said some members had been hesitant to protest in Wheaton because of the community’s political and religious demographics. Still, they considered the morning a success after receiving honks, thumbs-up gestures and messages from people passing by. Tuco Fuentes is an active member of the visibility brigade and also serves as its photographer. Throughout the event, he took photographs and videos that were shared on Indivisible DuPage’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. “I believe it is important for people to exercise their constitutional right to free expression, even when there are opposing opinions,” he said. Renkes acknowledged that political conversations can be uncomfortable, but emphasized that they are necessary because politics affects people’s daily lives. She encouraged conversations with neighbors about these topics, civil discourse, voting and participation in local politics as ways to push back against the influence of wealthy donors in politics. “To just stick our head in the sand isn’t doing anyone any good,” she said.)
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCE
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Under socialism, working for socialists would be like working for the Democrats who run the federal government. To get hired, retained, and promoted, all you would need to do is be a socialist. The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats a) who 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) who were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Pritzker defends 57% toll hike approved by board he appointed.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pritzker-defends-57-percent-toll-hike/
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Lyons Township Clerk Calls Emergency Meeting as GOP Opponent Seeks Footage of After-Hours Kiss Inside Government Office.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/lyons-township-clerk-calls-emergency-meeting-as-gop-opponent-seeks-footage-of-after-hours-kiss-inside-government-office.html
— Disgraced Former IL GOP Mayor Keith Pekau, Now Living in Colorado, Works to Defeat Republican Liz Gorman.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/disgraced-former-il-gop-mayor-keith-pekau-now-living-in-colorado-works-to-defeat-republican-liz-gorman.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGHTON TIMES
— Trump highlights school choice agenda at back-to-school event. DD: My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools. That put me on track to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/24/trump-highlights-school-choice-agenda-back-school-event/
— DHS proposes new $103,000 fee to hire foreign skilled guest workers. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. 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 federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/24/dhs-proposes-new-103000-fee-hire-foreign-skilled-guest-workers/
— Why men aren’t working and what we can do about it. DD: If you are a male who is forced to retire early, anticipate/expect that you will never be able to find a job appropriate for your work experience, education, and professional certifications/licenses. That is especially true if you are conservative, Republican, White, older, non-veteran, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/24/men-arent-working/
— Socialism has been discredited time and time again. No nation that has beaten it has wanted a return. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/24/socialism-discredited-time-time/
— Working under the influence: 1 in 5 workers test positive for drugs after increased marijuana use. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/23/report-finds-1-5-workers-testing-positive-drugs-increased-marijuana/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— El Sayed says ‘preemptively’ banning sharia is discriminatory. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for sharia law.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4698959/el-sayed-sharia-law-mike-rogers-beta/
— Trump’s pro-family agenda has won bipartisan support, but economic anxiety clouds GOP midterm hopes.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/4698796/trump-pro-family-agenda-bipartisan-support-economic-anxiety-midterms/
NEW YORK POST
— Trump rips public schools for ‘failing at education’ — touts better way under his school choice plan.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/24/us-news/trump-rips-public-schools-for-failing-at-education-touts-better-way-under-his-school-choice-plan/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Woke education is broken education. DD: My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools. That put me on track to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/24/woke-education-is-broken-education-1656029/
BREITBART
— Vance: We Fight Socialism by Investing in Americans, Not Throwing Slogans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUvnMGFYmtU
— Vance Backs $103,265 Fee for Every New H-1B Visa.
https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2026/08/24/jd-vance-backs-103265-fee-for-every-new-h-1b-visa/amp/
— Leftist Washington Post Ordered to Reinstate Columnist Fired After Mischaracterizing Charlie Kirk Quote.
https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2026/08/24/leftist-washington-post-ordered-to-reinstate-columnist-fired-after-mischaracterizing-charlie-kirk-quote/
CAMPAIGN FOR WORKING FAMILIES
— Muslim Democrat Claims Jesus Is Radical Socialist. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.cwfpac.com/monday-august-24-2026-muslim-claims-jesus-socialist-not-papaws-democrat-party
CAMPUS REFORM
— UW professor with broad collection of leftist research and publications advertises herself as a ‘Marxist scholar.’ DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/uw-professor-broad-collection-leftist-research-publications-advertises-marxist-scholar/30449
DAILY CALLER
— Washington Post Forced To Rehire Columnist Fired Over Distasteful Charlie Kirk Posts.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/24/wapo-reporter-fired-charlie-kirk-tweets-ordered-reinstated-karen-attiah/
DAILY WIRE
— Who Is Behind The Rapid Rise Of The DSA? The DSA is now a terrifying force that’s ready to overthrow the government along with civilization in general.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/who-is-behind-the-rapid-rise-of-the-dsa
— The Bad Ex Who Blackmailed Her Way Back To The Washington Post. Who has time for journalistic integrity?
https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-bad-ex-who-blackmailed-her-way-back-to-the-washington-post
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A year ago, Karen Attiah, an untalented, narcissistic, racist, terror-sympathizing man-hater who loves the word “democracy” more than life itself, was fired from her job as an opinion writer at The Washington Post. Her crimes against journalism? Lying, failing basic standards of accuracy, and posting egregious commentary about Charlie Kirk within hours of his assassination. This week, after a year-long public tantrum, a private arbitrator forced the Post to take her back. Like a bad ex blackmailing you into getting back together. Democracy Lives On…in the forced rehire of every Bluesky Karen who cannot accurately quote a dead man. On September 10, 2025, the same day Charlie Kirk was assassinated in front of thousands, Attiah posted this: “Black women do not have the brain processing power to be taken seriously. You have to go steal a white person’s slot”. – Charlie Kirk Kirk was not, of course, speaking about all black women. He was responding on a live show to Joy Reid, Michelle Obama, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, discussing their own affirmative-action status.)
FEDERALIST
— Treasury Dept. Closes More Loopholes That Gave Illegal Aliens Your Tax Dollars.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/25/treasury-dept-closes-more-loopholes-that-gave-illegal-aliens-your-tax-dollars/
FOX NEWS
— Trump takes aim at critical race theory and transgender ideologies in public schools. DD: My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools. That put me on track to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403976245112
— Opportunities are the only thing that should be equal, not outcome. DD: My critics/opponents want equal outcome. According to them, when whites and males do better at something than minorities and females, it is because Whites and males discriminate against minorities and females. Overwhelmingly, those who earned college degrees, professional certifications, and a professional license with me were Whites and males.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/stephen-smith-says-opportunities-thing-equal-outcome
— The ‘YOUNG, DUMB AND BORED’ are turning to socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20B8tqU_7As
— Socialism doesn’t work.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403987124112
— Wealthy socialist TORCHED over privileged lifestyle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YsdaPnKWqg
— Socialists ripped over kids-focused push in deep-red state: ‘Next generation of comrades.’
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/socialists-ripped-over-kids-focused-push-deep-red-state-next-generation-comrades
JACOBIN
— Class Traitors Are Welcome in the Socialist Movement.
https://jacobin.com/2026/08/dsa-gordillo-socialism-media-hypocrisy
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Washington Post Ordered to Rehire Columnist Fired Over Charlie Kirk Comments.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/washington-post-ordered-to-rehire-columnist-fired-over-charlie-kirk-comments/amp/
— Trump Education Department Takes on Accreditors Pushing DEI on Colleges.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/trump-education-department-takes-on-accreditors-pushing-dei-on-colleges/amp/
NATIONAL REVIEW
— The New York Times Helps to Launder Karen Attiah’s Lie.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-new-york-times-helps-to-launder-karen-attiahs-lie/amp/
NEWS BUSTERS
— Why Colleges Are Bringing the SAT Back (and Why Woke Schools Banned It)
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/john-stossel/2026/08/24/why-colleges-are-bringing-sat-back-and-why-woke-schools-banned-it
POST MILLENNIAL
— Judge forces Washington Post to rehire columnist who lied about Charlie Kirk.
https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-judge-forces-washington-post-to-rehire-columnist-who-lied-about-charlie-kirk
TOWNHALL
— Pritzker’s Absurd Claim About Illinois Home Buying Isn’t Accurate.
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/08/24/pritzker-il-easiest-state-to-buy-a-house-community-note-n2681769
— NYC Mayor Mamdani Sued Over $70 Million Socialist Grocery Plan.
https://townhall.com/news/jeff-charles/2026/08/24/nyc-mayor-mamdani-sued-over-70m-socialist-grocery-plan-n2681804
— The DSA’s Latest Defense of Its Privilege Is About As Hypocritical As You’d Expect.
https://townhall.com/news/dmitri-bolt/2026/08/24/a-wealthy-nyc-socialist-is-defending-her-glaring-hypocrisy-n2681751
— The DSA’s Least Talked-About Policy May Be Its Most Dangerous: a centralized government database containing information about how much you own, what you are worth, and every asset you possess, all in the name of taxing the wealthy.
https://townhall.com/news/dmitri-bolt/2026/08/24/heres-the-least-talked-about-and-most-dangerous-policy-the-dsa-is-pushing-for-n2681774
WHITE HOUSE
— President Trump is fighting to put parents back in charge and reignite America’s education system 🇺🇸.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/president-trump-is-fighting-to-put-parents-back-in-charge-and-reignite-americas-education-system-%F0%9F%87%BA%F0%9F%87%B8/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— The damaging effects of shifting from equal opportunity to ‘equal outcomes.’ DD: My critics/opponents want equal outcome. According to them, when whites and males do better at something than minorities and females, it is because Whites and males discriminate against minorities and females. Overwhelmingly, those who earned college degrees, professional certifications, and a professional license with me were Whites and males.
https://thehill.com/opinion/education/529262-the-damaging-effects-of-shifting-from-equal-opportunity-to-equal-outcomes/
REUTERS
— Trump’s approval holds at record low as US support for Iran war falls.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-approval-holds-record-low-us-support-iran-war-falls-reuters-ipsos-poll-2026-08-24/
CBS NEWS
— Lara Korte, one of three editorial employees of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes who were dismissed last week after speaking to CBS News, said Monday that the paper’s editorial independence remains paramount. DD: Since 2000, my critics/opponents have hinted/implied/argued/shouted at the following that because I am a Republican Precinct Committeeman, they can and they should dictate the content of my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters: the leaders of the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization. I should write about the many big adverse actions that the aforesaid have taken against me since 2000. Those who have taken adverse actions against me reject some, many, most, virtually all, if not all the planks in the Republican Party platform.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lara-korte-interview-stars-and-stripes-fired-editorial-independence/
WASHINGTON POST
— This not-so-secret document is inspiring the left — and tripping up its candidates. The Democratic Socialists of America platform aims to upend the status quo. That can mean a bumpy ride for those trying to win in the short term. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/24/democratic-socialists-biggest-challenge-their-own-platform/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The Warmth of Pizza-Station Collectivism. Democratic socialism thrives in the campus dining hall, where everything is free.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/the-warmth-of-pizza-station-collectivism-9b903d41
— Supreme Court Removes Hurdle to Trump Directive on Mail Voting.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/supreme-court-removes-hurdle-to-trump-directive-on-mail-voting-f2a1437a
— Chicago Dug Itself Out of a Financial Hole. Now It’s Sliding Back In. Windy City’s financial standing is heading south again, with few solutions in sight.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/chicago-dug-itself-out-of-a-financial-hole-now-its-sliding-back-in-9cc9c818
— Government Proposes New Six-Figure Fee for H1-B Visas. Administration plans to charge more than $100,000 for skilled foreign-worker visas after similar move was rejected by federal appeals court.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/government-proposes-new-six-figure-fee-for-h1-b-visas-a0da2d01
— Washington Post Ordered to Rehire Columnist Karen Attiah. She was fired for social-media remarks after killing of political commentator Charlie Kirk. In addition to reinstatement, the arbitrator ordered the newspaper to compensate Attiah with full back-pay and benefits. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 because I was an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. In Diersen v. GAO, the court ruled that was OK.
https://www.wsj.com/business/media/washington-post-ordered-to-rehire-columnist-karen-attiah-84c8ac94
(FROM THE ARTICLE: After his death, Attiah made several comments on social media. “Part of what keeps America so violent is the insistence that people perform care, empty goodness and absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence,” Attiah said in one post on the social-media site Bluesky. “Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is … not the same as violence,” Attiah said in another post.)
— The Makings of a College Campus Socialist. Why has socialism failed in the real world? DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-makings-of-a-college-campus-socialist-7733a079
FORBES
— ‘We Want To Invest In You’: Vance Breaks Down Trump Admin Approach To ‘Defeat Socialism.’ DD: Because I was not a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors not only did not invest anything in me, they did everything they could to get rid of me. Absolutely none of them encouraged me to do what I did to advance. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMgo3BdmJoY
NATIONAL DESK
— American jobs for AMERICAN BORN citizens, not ILLEGAL MIGRANTS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFn4rySBcxI
MAINE PUBLIC
— Vance frames midterms as fight against socialism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2026-08-24/jd-vance-frames-midterms-as-fight-against-socialism-as-gop-confronts-electoral-headwinds
DESERT NEWS
— Trump touts his school choice initiatives during ‘back to school’ Rose Garden event. The president also offers disputed child vaccine advice — while attacking ‘transgender insanity’ in the classroom. DD: My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools. That put me on track to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.deseret.com/education/2026/08/24/trump-back-to-school/
August 24, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— An ethics watchdog, such as our state’s legislative inspector general, should know when to say ‘no comment.’ Former judge Michael McCuskey has been talking too much.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/22/patrick-pfingsten-michael-mccuskey-legislative-inspector-general-harry-benton/
— Recall referendum issue seems like Laesch vs. Irvin round two.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/23/column-recall-referendum-issue-seems-like-laesch-vs-irvin-round-two/
— Data centers near O’Hare win nearly $100M in local tax breaks, leaving suburban homeowners to cover the gap.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/23/special-report-data-centers-taxes/
— Mandatory service can renew young people’s faith in America. DD: My initial plan was to enlist and to earn a bachelor’s degree with the GI Bill. But then I saw that my high school neighbor friend in Crete was on track to get accepted by UIC and to commute to/from classes there from his parents’ home. I adopted that plan, I took college preparatory classes, got an ACT score of 24, and I graduated in the upper 20% of my 1966 Crete-Monee High School class. My high school neighbor friend commuted in a new 1965 base Chevelle that his father bought for him. I commuted in a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint that I paid for with money that I earned washing dishes for 28 hours a week during my junior and senior years 1964-1966 and for 40 hours a week during the summer of 1965.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/24/opinion-national-service-renew-faith-america-patriotism/
— For tens of thousands in northwest Indiana, power outages mean much of August has been hell. ComEd took a few days to restore power after Aug. 11 storms. NIPSCO is taking two weeks. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/24/editorial-nipsco-commonwealth-edison-electricity-outages-storms/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: ‘Why is this OK?’ With no power and a spotty generator, every day is a struggle for a family of seven as they approach two weeks without electricity in Northwest Indiana. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/graphics/weather/powerless/12-nights-without-power-in-Gary-Indiana/
DAILY HERALD
— Geneva Concours highlights rare, unusual vehicles. DD: There were three 1972 Corvettes in the concours. I have owned my 1972 Corvette since October 14, 1971.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260823/festivals-and-fairs/a-fashion-show-for-cars-geneva-concours-highlights-rare-unusual-vehicles/
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/great-lakes/5008067-genevais-concours-dielegance-car-show-pics-lots.html
ABC7
— At least 17 shot, 4 fatally, in weekend gun violence across Chicago.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shootings-weekend-least-16-shot-4-fatally-gun-violence-city-police-department-says/19722721/
NBC5
— A $25-per-hour minimum wage? Some Illinois lawmakers are pushing for it. DD: I did not start earning $25/hour in today’s dollars until I had a) passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination and earned a bachelor’s degree in business from NIU when I was 21 in 1970 and b) got hired by IRS in 1971.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/a-25-per-hour-minimum-wage-some-illinois-lawmakers-are-pushing-for-it/3931575/
CBS2
— Frustration mounts for thousands still without power after deadly Indiana storms. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deadly-indiana-storms-frustration-mounts-thousands-still-without-power/
— Illinois politics are to blame for failure to secure stadium for Chicago Bears in state.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/expert-illinois-politics-blame-failure-secure-stadium-chicago-bears/
WGN9
— Indiana Gov. Mike Braun criticizes NIPSCO over ongoing outages; more than 15K remain without power. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://wgntv.com/northwest-indiana/nipscos-latest-outage-numbers-gary-mayor-provides-update-at-wgn/
WBEZ
— DD: Democrat leaders fight standardized testing because those who have demographics that vote for Democrats get lower test scores than those who have demographics that vote for Republicans. I passed many standardized tests a) to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, b) to earn three job-related master’s degrees, c) to earn six job-related professional certifications, d) to earn a job-related professional license, and e) to get hired by the Post Office, IRS, and GAO. Overwhelmingly, those who took and passed standardized tests with me had demographics that vote for Republicans. The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job.
https://www.wbez.org/say-more-with-mary-dixon-patrick-smith/2026/08/18/should-colleges-and-universities-require-standardized-test-scores-for-admission
NORTHWEST HERALD
— Trump store in Crystal Lake is closing, owner announces – but then seemingly takes it back.
https://www.shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/2026/08/22/trump-store-in-crystal-lake-is-closing-owner-announces/
PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— What income is needed to live comfortably in Illinois: $244,109 for a family of 4 and $101,587 single
https://www.pjstar.com/story/business/economy/2026/08/24/salary-needed-to-live-comfortably-in-illinois-smartasset/91409434007/
ILLINOIZE
— Will there be gubernatorial debates?
https://www.theillinoize.com/articles/will-there-be-gubernatorial-debates
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Ocasio-Cortez endorses Massachusetts Senate incumbent Ed Markey. DD: I remember attending a meeting with Markey when I worked for GAO in the early 1980s.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4694506/ocasio-cortez-endorses-massachusetts-senate-incumbent-ed-markey-green-new-deal/
— California school district’s curriculum cites Osama bin Laden’s manifesto as proof US ‘targeted Muslim communities.’ DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly give more preference to Muslims.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/education/4696334/california-school-districts-curriculum-cites-osama-bin-ladens-manifesto-as-proof-us-targeted-muslim-communities/
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— Inflation Pressures. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for inflation and for everything else that is bad.
https://www.aei.org/featured_data/inflation-pressures/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Colorado to constituents — no guns for you. Colorado leftists attempt an end run around the 2nd Amendment. DD: Colorado today, Illinois tomorrow.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/colorado-to-constituents-no-guns-for-you/
CATO
— Ten Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Arguments for Socialism and Why They’re Wrong. DD: What were you able to do under capitalism? I was able to buy a 1958 Chevy BeAir when I was 16 in 1964 with money I earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers. I was able buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in 1966 with money I earned washing dishes for the minimum wage. I was able buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967 and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968 with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to graduate debt-free from NIU in 1970 owning that Charger with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to buy a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS. I was able to buy a new townhome in 1972 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS.
https://www.cato.org/blog/ten-democratic-socialists-america-dsa-arguments-socialism-why-theyre-wrong
CRISIS MAGAZINE
— In Defense of Private Property: Repelling the Rise of Socialism. DD: What were you able to do under capitalism? I was able to buy a 1958 Chevy BeAir when I was 16 in 1964 with money I earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers. I was able buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in 1966 with money I earned washing dishes for the minimum wage. I was able buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967 and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968 with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to graduate debt-free from NIU in 1970 owning that Charger with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to buy a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS. I was able to buy a new townhome in 1972 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS.
https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/in-defense-of-private-property-repelling-the-rise-of-socialism
DAILY SIGNAL
— Immigration Under the New Left.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/23/immigration-under-the-new-left/
— Why Are So Many Young People Drawn to Communism?
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/23/why-are-so-many-young-people-drawn-to-communism/
EPOCH TIMES
— Why Are So Many Young People Drawn to Communism?
https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/why-are-so-many-young-people-drawn-to-communism-6077478
FOX NEWS
— Socialists don’t believe in liberty of any kind.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403937012112
— Billions spent by key federal agency hasn’t made American dream of homeownership any easier. DD: I bought a new townhome in University Park when I was 24 in 1972. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ . In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $93,700. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/billions-spent-key-federal-agency-hasnt-made-american-dream-homeownership-any-easier-report
NATIONALREVIEW
— Democratic Socialists of America Hate Billionaires — Except Fidel Castro.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/the-democratic-socialists-of-america-hate-billionaires-except-fidel-castro/
REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— We Need To Remind Americans Why Capitalism’s Important. DD: What were you able to do under capitalism? I was able to buy a 1958 Chevy BeAir when I was 16 in 1964 with money I earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers. I was able buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in 1966 with money I earned washing dishes for the minimum wage. I was able buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967 and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968 with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to graduate debt-free from NIU in 1970 owning that Charger with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to buy a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS. I was able to buy a new townhome in 1972 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/2026/08/24/we_need_to_remind_americans_why_capitalisms_important_1201914.html
— DEI Refuses To Die.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/08/24/dei_refuses_to_die_154439.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
AOL
— Curfews, drones, and criminal charges: Cities differ on approaches to ‘teen takeovers.’ DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.aol.com/articles/curfews-drones-criminal-charges-cities-140006000.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— Moving to Florida. DD: More and more and more of those who are the following are moving to Florida: 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.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/realestate/florida-retirement-residency-taxes.html
USA TODAY
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: The Democrat Party platform is extremely anti-religious. How successful have Democrats been taking over your church?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/08/22/democrats-use-faith-to-challenge-red-state-gop/91340610007/
USA HERALD
— California Wants Corporations to Confess Their Ties to Slavery — Under Oath. DD: According to Democrat leaders, the more of the following that you are, the more that you are tied to slavery: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. In my defense, I stress that even though all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s, they always lived in northeast Illinois, they never were in a position to discriminate against anyone, and they never did discriminate against anyone.
https://usaherald.com/california-wants-corporations-to-confess-their-ties-to-slavery-under-oath/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— A Socialist Surprise in Florida.
https://www.wsj.com/video/wsj-opinion-a-socialist-surprise-in-florida/7780BE57-7ACC-4DD7-A963-30D1C441AB05
FORBES
— Unfair Advantages. DD: What unfair advantages do your critics/opponents say you have? According to my critics/opponents, the following are unfair advantages and I have them: White, male, Protestant, German American, and my ancestors have been in America since 1844. In addition, a) my parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools 1953-1962, b) my parents provided me with room and board while I attended UIC 1966-1968, weekends during my first semester at NIU in 1969, and the summer of 1969, and c) I avoided the Vietnam War draft. In my defense. 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.forbes.com/sites/ruthgotian/2022/07/19/you-might-be-overlooking-your-unfair-advantage-heres-how-to-find-it/
MARKETPLACE
— Americans are retiring earlier than they’d like to. And not because they can afford to. DD: The more of the following that you are, the more that you should anticipate/expect that you will be forced to retire early: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or if you have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/07/24/why-some-americans-are-forced-to-retire-too-soon
NEWS BREAK
— Sen. Duckworth Tells Hegseth to “Find a New Job and Let the Press Do Theirs” After Stars and Stripes Editor’s Firing. DD: Since 2000, my critics/opponents have hinted/implied/argued/shouted at the following that because I am a Republican Precinct Committeeman, they can and they should dictate the content of my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters: the leaders of the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization. I should write about the many big adverse actions that the aforesaid have taken against me since 2000.
https://www.newsbreak.com/combat-rated-361333999/4845203759286-sen-duckworth-tells-hegseth-to-find-a-new-job-and-let-the-press-do-theirs-after-stars-and-stripes-editor-s-firing
ATLANTIC
— High-School Reunions. Social media should have killed them. Instead, they’re popular again. DD: I just learned that my 1966 Crete-Monee High School class is going to have a reunion. Sadly, my interactions with my classmates was dramatically less during my junior and senior years because I spent 28 hours a week during the school years and 40 hours a week during the summer in between washing dishes in the basement of the SS Kresge in Chicago Heights. Sadly, that job did not paint me as being college material. Further, my not being able to run because I had a bone disease kept out of sports.
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2025/09/high-school-reunion-attendance/684097/
August 23, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE: DuPage County clerk warns of ‘unprecedented disaster’ in November election if funding shortfalls aren’t addressed.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260822/news/dupage-county-clerk-warns-of-unprecedented-disaster-in-november-election-if-funding-shortfalls-are/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Kaczmarek, who lost a bid for reelection in the March primary, says her office is about $2.5 million short of what is needed to run the election. If the gap isn’t addressed, Kaczmarek said it could lead to cuts resulting in fewer polling places, a later start date for early voting and fewer election judges. . According to budget figures provided by county officials, the clerk’s office has spent 99.8% of its postage budget. The county budgeted $277,050, a 201% increase over what was spent in 2022, for postage, and the clerk’s office already has spent $276,569. In her proposed spending plan last year, Kaczmarek requested $734,672 for postage and $623,226 to cover election-related printing costs. County officials also noted the clerk’s office already has spent 74% of its printing budget, or money used to print ballots and other election materials. The county budgeted $474,700, a 15% increase over actual expenses in 2022, the last year of a gubernatorial election. The clerk’s office already has spent $351,126. . .Kaczmarek said she is reviewing her options for the November election with her office’s election attorney. She does not intend to be at Tuesday’s county board meeting.)
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/08/21/deported-operation-midway-blitz-asif-amin-cheema-pakistan-best-sub-humboldt-park-addison
ABC7
— ComEd crews deployed to NW Indiana as NIPSCO power outages, storm recovery continues. Chicago Bears announce $200,000 in donations for storm relief efforts. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-area-storm-recovery-comed-sending-crews-illinois-assist-nipsco-nw-indiana-power-restoration/19719373/
WGN9
— US Postal Service issues rule to tighten requirements for mail-in voting despite courts looking to block.
https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/us-postal-service-issues-rule-to-tighten-requirements-for-mail-in-voting-despite-courts-looking-to-block/
FOX32
— Here’s how much it costs to live comfortably in your state for 2026: Illinois: $244,109 for a family of 4 and $101,587 single
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/heres-how-much-costs-live-comfortably-your-state-2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— And now the Democrat Party moves into open Marxism territory.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/22/democrat-party-moves-open-marxism-territory/
— Trump moves to cancel American Bar Association accreditation of law schools.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/21/trump-moves-cancel-american-bar-association-accreditation-law-schools/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— RNC raised $19 million in July and has $130 million for midterm elections.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4692615/rnc-touts-record-cash-on-hand/
NEW YORK POST
— DSA’s foreign-policy agenda has one goal: weaken America so that world’s worst regimes can reign instead.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/22/opinion/dsas-foreign-policy-agenda-weaken-america-strengthen-foes/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Socialists aiming to make ‘educational’ indoctrination ‘free.’ Socialists target educational systems for a reason. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/socialists-aiming-to-make-educational-indoctrination-free/
DAILY WIRE
— DD: According to Democrats, Jesus is a Democrat who condemns the concepts of countries, borders, laws, and private ownership. According to Democrats, Jesus wants dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination. According to democrats, Jesus condemns those who are conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. How strongly have Democrats taken over your church?
https://www.dailywire.com/episode/michael-knowles-show-socialism-christianity-debate
FOX NEWS
— Schumer touts Democrats as ‘big tent party’ amid socialist surge.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403876623112
— AOC’s ‘Woke 1’ comment conceals a dangerous pivot to socialist class war.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/aoc-woke-1-comment-conceals-dangerous-pivot-socialist-class-war-media-chief-warns.amp
— DD: According to my critics/opponents, I got a higher ACT score because I benefitted tremendously from discrimination against my peers who were minority, female, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/california-professor-cited-irony-removing-act-sat-didnt-help-disadvantaged-groups-intended
— Trump’s welfare reforms are a major victory; bureaucrats could still wreck them.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/trumps-welfare-reforms-major-victory-bureaucrats-could-still-wreck-them
HOT AIR
— DD: According to my critics/opponents, I got a higher ACT score because I benefitted tremendously from discrimination against my peers who were minority, female, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://hotair.com/john-stossel/2026/08/22/racist-tests-n3818242
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Maoist Faction of the DSA Claims Ocasio-Cortez too ‘Moderate’ to Run for President.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/maoist-faction-of-the-dsa-claims-ocasio-cortez-too-moderate-to-run-for-president/amp/
NEWSBUSTERS
— The Media Struggles with Socialism and ‘Progressive Credentials.’
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jeffrey-lord/2026/08/22/2026-media-struggles-socialism-and-progressive-credentials
PJ MEDIA
— The Democrats Have Already Lost to the Socialists.
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/08/22/the-democrats-have-already-lost-to-the-socialists-n4956436
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
AOL
— The Rise of Democratic Socialists After Primaries.
https://www.aol.com/articles/definitely-growing-cnn-data-guru-135328000.html
— Democrats Have a More Positive View of Socialism Than Capitalism By a 26-Point Margin.
https://www.aol.com/articles/poll-democrats-more-positive-view-164901000.html
CNBC
— The top 10 colleges for financial aid in 2026, according to The Princeton Review — and what families actually pay. DD: My critics/opponents have always used my not getting any scholarships against me big time.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/18/colleges-best-financial-aid-2026-princeton-review.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: I should write about the lawsuits that I have filed. I would focus on the defendants and the big adverse actions that they and their attorneys have taken against me.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/19/opinion/trumps-revenge.html
USA TODAY
— Fetterman calls Dems the party of socialism.
https://www.aol.com/articles/fetterman-calls-dems-party-socialism-165228000.html
— What affordability really means. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/nletter/2026/08/21/affordability-prices-inflation-debt-credit-money/91335601007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Cracks in the Blue Wall Against Voter ID.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/cracks-in-the-blue-wall-against-voter-id-79da7f93
SCRIPPS NEWS
— A growing number of six-figure earners say the American Dream feels out of reach. DD: How old were you when you started earning $100,000/year in today’s dollars? For me, it was when I was 25 in 1974. I had worked for IRS for 3 years. I had completed 10 graduate business evening business courses at Loyola.
https://www.scrippsnews.com/politics/economy/a-growing-number-of-six-figure-earners-say-the-american-dream-feels-out-of-reach
LAS VEGAS JOURNAL REVIEW
— Everyone is campaigning on ‘affordability’ that no one can deliver. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/jonah-goldberg-everyone-is-campaigning-on-affordability-that-no-one-can-deliver-3868118/
NEWS REVIEW
— Affordability is a real issue for Generation Z. DD: What did you do to afford things when you were young? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/opinion/columns/2026/08/22/affordability-is-a-real-issue-for-generation-z-opinion/91286235007/
CONCORD MONITOR
— Consider this before running for office. DD: What are your demographics? From what I see, because the following demographics are ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned, the more of the following that you are, the more likely that you will lose: 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.concordmonitor.com/2026/08/23/my-turn-candidates-american-values-unity/
ALASKA NATIVE NEWS
— A Government of the Rich, by the Rich, for the Rich: Nearly 60 Top Trump Officials Worth $100 Million or More.
https://alaska-native-news.com/a-government-of-the-rich-by-the-rich-for-the-rich-nearly-60-top-trump-officials-worth-100-million-or-more/85802/
ATLANTIC
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/08/socialism-rich-kids-gordillo/688382/
FEDERAL RETIREMENT
— Federal employee retirement benefits are generous. Health, dental, and vision insurance cost the same in retirement as they did while working. DD: My critics/opponents are furious about me and my wife benefitting from that.
https://federalretirement.net/benefits/
SHRM
— Multi-Generational Workforce Poses Challenges for HR Professionals. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, their top priority was getting rid of their older employees who were Republican, White, male, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time. In 1993, when I was 45 years old, to get rid of their employees who were the aforesaid, they “offered” early retirement.
https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/employment-law-compliance/multi-generational-workforce-poses-challenges-hr
LEGIS
— Federal Probationary Workers Leaving Jobs at Higher Rates. DD: After I transferred from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors were furious when they learned that they could not use probationary procedures to get rid of me. Nevertheless, they did everything that could to get me to transfer back to IRS, transfer to another federal agency, or quit. They gave me bad job assignments, unfair performance expectations, and unfair performance appraisals. They kept me off audits of IRS. They delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13. Further, previously, in 1970, my Chicago Heights Firestone Store boss refused to let me start until after I passed a 2-week probationary period in Indiana. He would never had hired me, but his boss had assigned me to him. He did not have a college degree and he disapproved of my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, my being Protestant, my being German American, my having ancestors who had been in America since 1844, and my living in Crete.
https://legis1.com/news/federal-probationary-workers-separation-rates
DAILY KOS
— DD: According to Democrats, a) slaves built America and b) the longer that your ancestors have been in America, the more that you have benefitted from slavery and the more reparations that you should pay. Democrats have always wanted me to pay lots of reparations because all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s. In their defense, they always lived in northeast Illinois, they never were in a position to discriminate against anyone, and they never did discriminate against anyone.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/23/800087432/community/what-does-it-mean-to-remember-slavery/
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES
— The New American Divide, Not Dream: Where You Start May Shape Where You End. DD: What helped you earn more than your parents did? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license. My father had brittle type 1 diabetes from childhood. He was only the first of his ancestors to earn a high school diploma. Because of his diabetes, he never attended college. My mother never attended high school.
https://www.ibtimes.sg/new-american-divide-not-dream-where-you-start-may-shape-where-you-end-92697
(FROM THE ATICLE: The share of American children who earn more than their parents has fallen from about 90% among those born in 1940 to roughly 50% among children born in the 1980s. The decline has affected the entire income distribution, but the fall has been particularly pronounced for the middle class.)
FROM OTHER SOURCES
CHICAGO MOTOR CARS & HAMILTON COLLECTION
— What a great day at the Wheaton Concours! DD: It was an outstanding event! 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. There was one at the concours with virtually all of the aforesaid. I owned a 1968 R/T 1994-2005 and a 1969 SE 1968-1971.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcWahdYRneo/
https://www.chicagomotorcars.com/
https://thehamiltoncollection.com/
August 21, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Tracy: “We believe in equal opportunity. They believe in equal outcomes. We believe in rewarding success. They want to redistribute success.”
https://abc7chicago.com/post/republican-candidates-midterm-election-share-message-unity-2026-illinois-state-fair/19709027/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative. Trump defends and advances many planks in that platform. Democrat and RINO leaders blame Proft for Republican losses in Illinois, but they really blame Trump and the Republican Party platform. To win elections, they want the Republican Party to become the Democrat Lite Party, that is, to officially dump Trump and to officially dump the party’s conservative base, that is, to officially dump the platform’s personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks, that is, to officially dissolve. Democrat candidates win in Illinois because they and their mainstream news media aggressively promote the anti-conservative Democrat Party platform.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/21/illinois-republicans-dan-proft-richard-uihlein-tony-mccombie-ryan-spain-republicans/
WMBD
— With Trump barely mentioned, Illinois Republicans focus on common enemy: Pritzker.
https://wmbdradio.com/2026/08/21/676221/
CAPITOL CITY NOW
— Illinois GOP chief Grogan on 2026 election: ‘It’s common sense versus communism’
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-illinois-gop-chief-on-2026-election-its-common-sense-versus-communism/
CHRONICLE ILLINOIS
— Different state, same results for Catalina Lauf, Jim Oberweis.
https://chronicleillinois.com/news/different-state-same-results-for-catalina-lauf-jim-oberweis/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— DD: According to Democrat and RINO leaders, to win, Illinois Republican candidates have dumped Trump.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/21/gop-says-affordability-trumps-trump-01044966
(FROM THE NEWSLETTER: Trump who? One thing Bailey and other Republicans largely avoided discussing – except when asked – was President Donald Trump.)
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/21/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-796/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— Chicago Public Schools students return amid low proficiency, underused schools.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-public-schools-back-to-school-performance-2026/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— Adam Smith’s Warning for America’s New Socialists.
https://www.aei.org/commentary/adam-smiths-warning-for-americas-new-socialists/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Dividing America On Race: Russia’s Enduring Geopolitical Strategy. Thanks to the Soviet Union, America, rather than moving into a post-racial era after the Civil Rights Movement, has remained stuck in a racial time loop.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/dividing-america-on-race-russia-s-enduring-geopolitical-strategy/
COLLEGE FIX
— UC Berkeley’s top feeder school has 6% math proficiency.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/uc-berkeleys-top-feeder-school-has-6-math-proficiency/
— Trump admin unveils new rule to crack down on DEI in higher ed accreditors.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/trump-admin-unveils-new-rule-to-crack-down-on-dei-in-higher-ed-accreditors/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Democrats’ Minimum Wage Hike Would Make Life Less Affordable. To increase the federal minimum wage to $25/hour would cost the U.S. economy 5 million jobs and especially harm workers ages 16 to 24. DD: I did not start earning $25/hour in today’s dollars until after I had passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination, earned a bachelor’s degree in business, and got hired by IRS.
https://www.chronicle.com/article/no-the-sat-is-not-a-beacon-of-meritocracy
FEDERALIST
— Watchdog Asks Ed Department To Block American Bar Association’s Renewal As Law Schools’ Sole Accreditor. The Trump administration on Wednesday published rules that would open the door for other accreditors to be recognized across American higher education, as Trump himself recognizes that accreditation is the “secret weapon” for controlling universities.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/20/exclusive-watchdog-asks-ed-department-to-block-american-bar-associations-renewal-as-law-schools-sole-accreditor/
FOX NEWS
— As Chicago Suffers, City Found $639.6 Million for Illegals.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2026/08/20/as_chicago_suffers_city_found_6396_million_for_illegals_708439.html
— Want to stop socialism? A modern civic education needs a lot more than you’d think. Only about one-quarter of students who began college in 2012 received any college-level economics instruction.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/stop-socialism-modern-civic-education-needs-lot-more-than-youd-think
— New report lays out plan to tackle America’s affordability crisis. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403787257112
— California lawmakers want corporations to disclose ties to slavery. DD: According to Democrat leaders, the more of the following that you are, the more that you are tied to slavery: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. In my defense, I stress that even though all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s, they always lived in northeast Illinois, they never were in a position to discriminate against anyone, and they never did discriminate against anyone.
https://noticias.foxnews.com/media/california-lawmakers-push-corporate-slavery-disclosure-bill-despite-uncertain-future-reparations
NANCY MACE
— Rep. Nancy Mace Introduces Bill To Ban Non-Citizens From The Federal Workforce. DD: Because my parents lacked money, I had to compete against noncitizens for jobs. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. 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 federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://mace.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-nancy-mace-introduces-bill-ban-non-citizens-federal-workforce
POST MILLENNIAL
— San Francisco drag queen stuns audience with Charlie Kirk assassination reenactment at LGBTQ nightclub.
https://thepostmillennial.com/san-francisco-drag-queen-stuns-audience-with-charlie-kirk-assassination-reenactment-at-lgbtq-nightclub
REASON
— Do You Have the Right to Possess an AR-15? The Supreme Court Will Soon Decide. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a pair of cases involving rifle restrictions imposed by Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly erode Second Amendment rights.
https://reason.com/2026/10/01/scotus-takes-up-assault-weapon-bans/
TOWNHALL
— Socialists Shove the Resistance Aside in Florida.
https://townhall.com/columnists/michaelbarone/2026/08/21/socialists-shove-the-resistance-aside-in-florida-n2681621
— California Democrats Want to Force Companies Into Their Reparations Agenda. DD: According to Democrat leaders, the more of the following that you are, the more that you are tied to slavery: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. In my defense, I stress that even though all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s, they always lived in northeast Illinois, they never were in a position to discriminate against anyone, and they never did discriminate against anyone.
https://townhall.com/news/jeff-charles/2026/08/20/california-democrats-want-to-force-companies-into-their-reparations-agenda-n2681592
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CNBC
— Affordability is a ‘defining challenge’ for Americans. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/05/affordability-grocery-prices.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: My critics/opponents are woke, that is, they promote dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/12/style/woke-1-aoc-dsa.html
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/20/us/politics/trump-nevada-voter-election-fraud.html
— Envy. DD: To promote envy against me, my Democrat GAO superiors stressed to my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates how much money my wife and I had saved for our retirement. They stressed a) my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, b) that we gave up trying to have children without trying IVF, we did not adopt, and we did not become foster parents, c) my wife’s salary, d) the home we owned in Wheaton, e) our cars, and f) our having no debts. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/14/well/mind/envy-friends.html
USA TODAY
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/08/20/nixon-florida-primary-win-fundraising-polling-midterms/91370815007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The End of Harry and Meghan’s American Dream. DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.wsj.com/world/uk/the-end-of-harry-and-meghans-american-dream-172623fd
— Paul Ryan and Les Ford: Americans Are Getting Caught in the Safety Net. The 1996 welfare reform helped move people from dependency to work. We need to do that again.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/americans-are-getting-caught-in-the-safety-net-fed222f4
— Trump Administration Attacks Bar Association’s Power to Accredit Law Schools. The move escalates a feud with the nation’s premier legal organization.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/aba-american-bar-association-law-schools-accredit-trump-education-e56f4cbc
24/7 WALL STREET
— AOC Just Revealed Her Net Worth Is Less Than $100,000, Here’s How Much Fidelity Says She Should Have Saved For Retirement Before She Turns 40. AOC’s 2025 financial disclosure shows a net worth as low as negative $33,000, despite earning roughly $1.22 million in congressional salary since 2019. Fidelity’s 3x-by-40 benchmark applied to AOC’s $174,000 salary sets a $522,000 retirement savings target she needs to hit by October 2029.
https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/2026/08/20/aoc-just-revealed-her-net-worth-is-less-than-100000-heres-how-much-fidelity-says-she-should-have-saved-for-retirement-before-she-turns-40/
FORTUNE
— Gen Z forced to rewrite the American Dream in the ‘Great Postponement’: Fixer-uppers, side hustles and doing life out of order. DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://fortune.com/2026/08/20/gen-z-american-dream-great-postponement-affordability/
INVESTOPEDIA
— Most Americans Say They Won’t Save Enough for Retirement, Even After Decades of Work, DD: To promote envy against me, my Democrat GAO superiors stressed to my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates how much money my wife and I had saved for our retirement. They stressed a) my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, b) that we gave up trying to have children without trying IVF, we did not adopt, and we did not become foster parents, c) my wife’s salary, d) the home we owned in Wheaton, d) our cars, and f) our having no debts.
https://www.investopedia.com/why-most-americans-say-they-won-t-save-enough-for-retirement-even-after-decades-of-work-12009710
PENNSYLVANIA
— More Former Federal Employees Are Choosing the Commonwealth to Continue their Public Service Careers. With 1,350 former federal employees hired since last March, the Shapiro Administration continues to deliver results by helping ensure state agencies have the staff they need to deliver high-quality and responsive services to Pennsylvanians. DD: When my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, the Democrats and the RINOs who ran Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton had absolutely no use for me.
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/oa/newsroom/more-former-federal-employees-are-choosing-the-commonwealth-to-c
CHICO ENTERPRISE RECORD
— Socialism distributes poverty instead of wealth.
https://www.chicoer.com/2026/08/21/letter-to-the-editor-socialism-distributes-poverty-instead-of-wealth/
NEWS34
— Youth group organizers call for more safe spaces for teens in Charlotte amid curfew proposal. DD: When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? 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 delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://www.aol.com/articles/youth-group-organizers-call-more-210422000.html
CENTRAL FLORIDA PUBLIC MEDIA
— Can Government Really Make Life More Affordable? DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.cfpublic.org/podcast/engage/2026-08-20/can-government-really-make-life-more-affordable
GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— DD: Federal employees have file financial disclosure statements. Republican federal employees should anticipate/expect that their Democrat superiors will use that information against them. The more income and assets that you have, the more that they will leak that information to promote envy against you. My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government painted themselves as being grossly underpaid. They decried their spouses having little or no income. They decried the costs of child raising. They were ever-increasingly envious of my and my wife’s income and assets.
https://www.govexec.com/management/2026/06/practical-steps-agencies-mitigate-financial-disclosure-controversies/414003/
NEW YORK REVIEW
— As Democratic Socialists rack up primary victories, the moderate wing of the Democratic Party looks increasingly out of touch.
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2026/08/20/whose-party-democratic-socialists-of-america/
JACOBIN
— How China Picks Its Winners and Losers. China’s university entrance exam is one of the most competitive in the world — a reflection of the cutthroat reality of the country’s labor market. DD: My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors were furious when I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981 because my Democrat coworkers who they wanted to promote over me either a) failed/refused to take the examinations or b) failed to pass them.
https://jacobin.com/2026/08/china-education-inequality-gaokao-exams
WASHINGTON STAND
— DD: How strongly does your church promote the anti-religious Democrat Party platform?
https://washingtonstand.com/article/most-american-churchgoers-say-their-clergy-address-political-issues-poll-finds
NPR
— Should the U.S. have a mandatory retirement age? DD: Federal employees under the Civil Service Retirement System and who are the following are forced to retire as soon as they are eligible, that is, when they are 55 and have 30 years of service: conservative, Republican, White, male, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. I became eligible for early retirement when I was 45 in 1993. My Democrat GAO succeeded in forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 when their early retirement “offer” expired. I would not have been eligible for regular retirement until I was 55 in 2003. They made it very clear that if I did not take their “offer,” they would make those 6 years a living hell for me. They would constructively demote me, give me adverse transfers, give me unfair performance expectations, give me unfair performance appraisals, and even worse things.
https://www.npr.org/2026/08/14/nx-s1-5924910/should-the-u-s-have-a-mandatory-retirement-age
CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
— DD: When Whites and males do better on tests than minorities and females, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Republican discrimination against minorities and females.
https://www.chronicle.com/article/no-the-sat-is-not-a-beacon-of-meritocracy
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
CHINA ACADEMY
— Can Gen Z Socialism Shake the Stronghold of Western Capitalism?
https://thechinaacademy.org/can-gen-z-socialism-shake-the-stronghold-of-western-capitalism/
GUARDIAN
— From McDonald’s to Congress: can a former fry cook flip a key district for Democrats? DD: What are you a former? I am a former yard worker, newspaper boy, dish washer, golf shoe cleaner, slag chipper, gasoline pumper, mailman, automotive assembly line worker, tire, automotive service, and major appliance salesman, tax collector, and auditor.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/20/mcdonalds-congress-affordability-democrats
ECONOMIC TIMES
— DD: Democrats encourage illegal immigration because illegals vote for Democrats. RINOs encourage illegal immigration because RINOs want cheap labor.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/migrate/america-sold-the-world-a-dream-and-kept-millions-chasing-it/articleshow/133394322.cms
August 20, 2026
ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY
— SCC & RCCA 2026 Agenda. DD: I have been a Republican Precinct Committeeman (RPC) since 1999. It would be great if RPCs got monthly emails from the Illinois Republican Party chairman, their IRP State Central Committee member, and their county/township/ward party leader that kept them up-to-date on what RPCs should know.
https://www.politico.com/f/?id=000001a0-1753-d3c1-a7b2-3f5bf2970000
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— According to Google AI, “Roughly 43% to 49% of Americans view the Republican Party’s political stance as “too conservative,” according to long-standing national tracking polls. The phrase “too conservative” is frequently used in American political discourse to describe public perception of the party’s platform, specific legislative proposals, and judicial rulings.” According to my critics/opponents, I have always been too conservative, that is, I have always promoted conservative principles and Republican Party platform planks that they reject, most commonly its personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. But political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative. Democrat leaders aggressively promote the anti-conservative Democrat Party platform. RINO leaders fail/refuse to defend and advance the Republican Party platform. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What motivates you to donate to Republican candidates’ campaigns? For me, it includes their demonstrated commitment, qualifications, and ability to defend and advance the Republican Party platform including its personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What is your Republican Precinct Committeeman going to do to get out the vote? As the Republican Precinct Committeeman for DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton, I will hand-deliver to the 400 residences in my precinct that have at least one Republican or one Independent registered voter a copy of the sample ballot, campaign literature from all the candidates who provide their literature to the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO), and a MTRO voter guide. I have obtained a PDF file from the DuPage County Election Division mailing labels for the 660 Republican and Independent registered voters in my precinct. I have printed out those labels, I have affixing them to envelopes provided by MTRO, and put them into five batches in walk order. I will be stuffing those envelopes with MTRO’s voter guide, literature from the candidates, and the sample ballot. The Republican candidates on the ballot in my precinct are: Tracy, Bailey/Del Mar, Fioretti, Harris, Drew, Soloman, Oakley, Lewis, Vrankovich, Grasso, Noonan, Schiappa, Henry, Eckhoff, Michaud, Schultz, Quirk, and Helland. Literature from the 17 Republican candidates on the ballot in my precinct, the voter guide, and the sample ballot is 19 X 400 or 7,600 pieces. As soon as I have at least 100 literature pieces from each of the candidates, I will start stuffing with the sample ballot to be added last. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CBS2
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/illinois-gov-jb-pritzker-bills-lgbtq-illinoisans/
WTTW
— At State Fair, Illinois Democrats Focused on Trump as They Seek Third Sweep of Statewide Races.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/08/19/state-fair-illinois-democrats-focused-trump-they-seek-third-sweep-statewide-races
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/20/illinois-regulators-propose-allowing-licensed-cannabis-producers-to-grow-outdoors/
— Orland Park to use $1 million grant for Marley Creek flood mitigation. DD: Since 1984, I have spent many thousands of dollars and lots of my labor mitigating flood risk for my home in Wheaton because the stormwater drainage plan for its subdivision was woefully inadequate and because of construction defects.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/18/orland-park-marley-creek-flood-mitigation/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Jesse White Tumbling Team eliminated from ‘America’s Got Talent.’ DD: During one of the 14 years that I raised $2,500/year from Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders 2005-2019 for “DuPage Republicans” to be the lead sponsor of Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks, Wheaton used the money to have the Jesse White Tumbling Team in the parade.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2026/08/19/jesse-white-tumbling-team-americas-got-talent-live-results-show
DAILY HERALD
— Bartlett has no marijuana dispensaries. It could soon have two at the same intersection. DD: In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260819/news/bartlett-has-no-marijuana-dispensaries-it-could-soon-have-two-at-the-same-intersection/
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Governor’s Day at Illinois State Fair focused on U.S. Senate race.
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/politics/state/2026/08/19/illinois-democrats-focus-on-trump-during-governors-day/91377294007/
WAND TV
— Democrats bash Trump, celebrate Durbin during Governor’s Day at Illinois State Fair.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/democrats-bash-trump-celebrate-durbin-during-governors-day-at-illinois-state-fair/article_17ebf0d0-13eb-4aa4-be57-ed32305c3518.html
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— GOP trails Democrats by 8 points on congressional ballot in new poll.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/gop-trails-democrats-by-8-points-on-congressional-ballot-in-new-poll/
DAILY LINE
— Illinois Democrats position state party’s success as an example for Democrats nationwide at annual Governor’s Day.
https://www.thedailyline.com/illinois-democrats-state-party-success-example-nationwide-governor-day
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Illinois Dems dodge left flank wars. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote first for socialism, then for communism, and then for totalitarianism. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct stressing that?
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/20/illinois-dems-dodge-left-flank-wars-01043103
(FROM THE NEWSLETTER: Party moves: Jeff Castle has been named State Central Committeeman for the 6th Congressional District. He replaces Bob Grogan, the Illinois GOP chair, who resigned from the committee seat. Castle is also chair of the Milton Republican Party and secretary of the DuPage Republican Party.)
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/20/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-795/
— Pritzker campaign launches ‘Too Extreme’ TV ad targeting Bailey. DD: Pritzker is extremely extreme.
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/20/pritzker-campaign-launches-%e2%80%98too-extreme%e2%80%99-tv-ad-targeting-bailey/
— Governor’s Day coverage roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/20/governors-day-coverage-roundup/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
RAY HANANIA
— Why is Pritzker pushing the massive 57 percent Tollway hike & other taxes? Pritzker needs the cash to cover his massive funding of undocumented residents (illegal aliens, non-citizens) by increasing more taxes. Meanwhile, seniors struggle under rising state taxes & fees.
https://hanania.substack.com/p/why-is-pritzker-pushing-the-massive
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— COLA increase estimated to be 3.2% in 2027. DD: What has helped you deal with inflation? COLAs have helped me deal with inflation big time. My critics/opponents are furious that I got COLAs while I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and that I have continued to get COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4686000/social-security-cost-of-living-adjustment-2027-inflation/
NEW YORK POST
— The SAT isn’t racist — but woke activists sure are. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I got an ACT score of 24 when I was 17 in 1966 because I benefitted tremendously from discrimination against minorities, females, non-Protestants, non-German Americans, and those whose ancestor had not been in America for a long time.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/20/opinion/the-sat-isnt-racist-but-woke-activists-sure-are/
1819
— Democrats’ disgusting and despicable embrace of socialist candidates. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote first for socialism, then for communism, and then for totalitarianism. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct stressing that?
https://1819news.com/news/item/they-actually-hate-america-britt-blasts-democrats-disgusting-and-despicable-embrace-of-socialist-candidates
AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
— Some Shattering Illusions of Our Declining Empire. Americans are waking up to ugly truths.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/some-shattering-illusions-of-our-declining-empire/
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— Underwhelming Ideas: A Federal Jobs Guarantee. DD: According to Google AI, “Perception of Productivity: Private-sector employers may view state-guaranteed jobs as inferior, creating a secondary tier of worker stigma for program participants. Association with Welfare: Public work programs targeted strictly at individuals unable to find traditional work can carry the cultural baggage of dependency or perceived personal failure.” Private sector employers look down on public sector employees. I was a public sector employee 1966-1969 and 1971-1997. According to my critics/opponents, if I had been a private sector employee, I never would have been able to earn $154,682/year in today’s dollars even though I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. Even worse than that, according to my GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates, if GAO had hired me when I was 22 instead of IRS, GAO would not have promoted me when I was 23, 24, and 25. GAO employees look down on executive branch employees.
https://www.aei.org/economics/underwhelming-ideas-a-federal-jobs-guarantee/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In the smart and whimsical 1993 political comedy Dave, the eponymous character is the owner of a temp agency who has a side gig impersonating the president. And when the real deal suffers a stroke, a cabal of White House advisers offer Dave his own temp job: playing the commander-in-chief until the genuine article recovers. Many twists and turns later, the pretend president announces his very own plan to have Washington find a job for every American who wants one. Pull up the Wikipedia entry for Dave and you’ll see that last plot beat is hyperlinked. Clicking that link brings you to the Wikipedia entry for “job guarantee,” defined as an “economic policy proposal aimed at providing a sustainable solution to the dual problems of inflation and unemployment. Its aim is to create full employment and price stability, by having the state promise to hire unemployed workers as an employer of last resort.” So, yeah, it’s the kind of a silver-bullet solution a left-of-center screenwriter might think is pretty cool. Hey, if someone needs a job and can’t find a job, just have the government give them a job doing something or other. Public policy is so easy peasy.)
AMERICAN THINKER
— The Islamic Republic of NYC. Organized Radical Islam has learned that it is not necessary to mount a frontal assault on our buildings or hijack our planes.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/the-islamic-republic-of-nyc/
— Socialism’s rise is fueled by business leaders’ retreat.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/socialism-s-rise-is-fueled-by-business-leaders-retreat/
BREITBART
— DSA Is Absolutely Funded By and Tied to the Communist Chinese Party.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/19/anna-paulina-luna-dsa-is-absolutely-funded-and-tied-to-the-communist-chinese-party/amp/
COLLEGE FIX
— DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/peers-not-professors-push-students-left-politically-brown-u-study/
DAILY SIGNAL
— The Federal Bureaucracy Helped Build DEI’s Infrastructure. A New Rule Seeks to Change That. DD: While I worked 1964-1997, my employers were under ever-increasing pressure from the federal government to hire, to retain, and to promote minorities and females. I should write about that. Because of that, if I had not earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license, I never would have earned $154,682/year in today’s dollars in 1997.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/19/the-federal-bureaucracy-helped-build-deis-infrastructure-heres-how-you-can-push-back/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A federal regulation intended to combat workplace racial discrimination has become a weapon for the race-obsessed diversity, equity, and inclusion movement—but President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to get rid of it. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency, has required specific employers to file an annual report summarizing data on their employees’ race and sex. The regulations currently apply to more than two million employers, at an estimated cost of $275 million each year and $4 million for the agency to administer the data collection. While the government required this data collection to prevent racial discrimination, it has arguably undermined the key goal of securing a colorblind workplace.)
FEDERALIST
— America Can’t Be A Welfare State And A Republic At The Same Time. DD: To get elected, Democrat and RINO candidates ever-increasingly promise more welfare.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/03/18/america-cant-be-a-welfare-state-and-a-republic-at-the-same-time/
FEDERATION FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION
— DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote first for socialism, then for communism, and then for totalitarianism. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct stressing that?
https://fee.org/articles/the-welfare-state-has-slowly-but-surely-eroded-nordic-character/
FOX BUSINESS
— Victor Davis Hanson condemns ‘Woke 1,’ raises concerns about second manifestation.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403730272112
LAW ENFORCEMENT TODAY
— Oregon Gun Buyers Raced Ahead Of New Restrictions. DD: Oregon today, Illinois tomorrow.
https://lawenforcementtoday.com/oregon-gun-background-checks-measure-114-surge
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Oregon voters narrowly approved one of the nation’s most restrictive gun control measures in 2022. It’s been a boondoggle process of court challenges and implementation delays since then. But Oregonians have responded to the impending restrictions by racing to exercise their Second Amendment rights before the government could make doing so substantially more difficult. New research now puts hard numbers behind that response. Researchers studying Oregon’s Ballot Measure 114 found firearm-related background checks surged 157 percent immediately following the election. The rush to lawfully purchase firearms wasn’t a flash in the pan, either. Eighteen months later, researchers still identified roughly 63,000 additional firearm-related background checks beyond what otherwise would have been expected. The message is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. When government threatens to put a constitutional right behind a permission slip, Americans exercise that right in massive numbers before the restrictions arrive. Oregonians Saw the Door Closing. Measure 114 passed with just 50.7 percent of the vote in November 2022. It created a permit-to-purchase requirement, mandated firearm safety training, implemented an additional completed background check before a permit could be issued and prohibited the manufacture, sale and transfer of magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds, with limited exceptions. NSSF challenged the ballot measure at the time as unconstitutional. Oregonians were clear-eyed about what was coming.)
NATIONAL REVIEW
— Democrats Choose Socialism in the Sunshine State.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/democrats-choose-socialism-in-the-sunshine-state/
— Don’t Fall for Fake Polls
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/dont-fall-for-fake-polls/
PJ MEDIA
— The Democratic Socialists of America Are ‘Deminazis.’ DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote first for socialism, then for communism, and then for totalitarianism. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct stressing that?
https://pjmedia.com/tim-o-brien/2026/08/14/the-democratic-socialists-of-america-are-deminazis-n4956152
(FROM THE ARTICLE: There is no entry in the Associated Press (AP) style book for “Deminazi,” and there likely never will be. That doesn’t make it any less accurate a descriptor for the dominant faction of the left known as the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The closest I could come to a correct usage is to refer back to the inspiration behind the term – Rush Limbaugh’s descriptor for the feminist movement: “feminazis.” All one word, no capital “n.” Works for me. Along these same lines, it’s a shame Graham Platner had to drop out of the Senate race in Maine and go home, taking his Nazi tattoo along with him. Since the DSA has conducted its takeover of the Democrat Party, that was the only notable instance of truth in advertising. Still, if we’re not careful, the socialists are on their way to taking over the country. Any DSA cult member who might read this would likely repeat the party’s key message point: “We’re not socialists, we’re Democratic socialists.” Right. Aesop, the creator of those classic and rather dark children’s fables, may have had the DSA in mind when he wrote “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.” He could just as easily have called the tale, “The Commie Who Will Lie and Do Anything It Takes to Win the 2026 Midterms.” That said, one of the tricks today’s “DSA wolf” uses to seduce young people and unsuspecting voters is to skip over all of the lessons of socialism and communism throughout history and go right back to that age-old doctrine on paper that sounds so good to so many. Concepts like: “Each according to his ability, to each according to his needs;” “People over profit;” “Redistribution of wealth;” and more bluntly, “Tax the rich.” All of it is designed to appeal to that part of us that just doesn’t always want to do the work it takes to succeed in life, but instead, to become a nameless, faceless part of a larger group that will take care of us. Those of us who ignore that part of ourselves are not the targeted market for the DSA. If you’re talking to the right people, usually the powerless or those who feel powerless, the concept practically sells itself. Just ask Lenin, Mao, Castro, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Hasan Piker, and now Abdul El-Sayed. Socialism is a loss leader for totalitarianism. Those who’ve actually read a history book or two know that socialism is always a soft-sell – the loss-leader, the gateway drug to communism. While the two aren’t interchangeable, they’re on the same road. While socialism calls for the state to own and control the means of production, in reality, once the state gets that far, it pretty much finishes the job and takes control of everything. Karl’s Marx’s vision for a communist utopia called for a classless society where there is common ownership of the means of production. Sounds just so nice, doesn’t it? Both socialist and communist idealism quickly falls apart when you realize that someone has to be in charge. Someone has to set priorities, oversee all of this, and be the boss. In other words, some human being still has to have more power than everyone else. But since under socialism and communism, self-governance is not really their thing (that would be something akin to American democracy), in practice, socialists find other ways to determine who’s in charge. In China, Mao Zedong rose to power through his own embrace and interpretation of Marxist ideology, applying it to Chinese society, particularly in rural areas. He became the dominant leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the mid-1930s. Then in 1949 he established the People’s Republic of China. Mao’s version of communism, the brand Piker seems to favor these days, was responsible for the deaths of 40 to 80 million Chinese, due largely to famine, but also a million or two were killed as part of his “Cultural Revolution.” People who weren’t quite on board with Mao suffered violent deaths through purges and in his famous “re-education camps.” Once someone decides your country is going to be socialist, which is a stepping stone to communism, you’ve pretty much given up your own rights and voice. You’ve surrendered them to the group. But since everyone else did the same thing, “the collective” will always consist of a small handful of people at the top (oligarchs) who knew all along it was a ruse, something they had to use to eventually win absolute power over you. Funny thing is, if you visit an American college campus this Fall, and you see that the DSA and socialism are all the rage, just like Taylor Swift and Black Lives Matter (BLM) were in recent years, none of those kids will know much about that whole absolute-power-over-you thing. They’re not thinking this through. Even if they did, they’d be hard-pressed to comprehend that socialist totalitarians have a tendency to let people die or actively kill them to consolidate power. Why totalitarians like socialism. One of the catchphrases about socialism is that, “Yes it has been tried before, but they have never done it the right way,” or some variation of that. In Russia, Vladimir Lenin led the Bolsheviks from the October 1917 Revolution until his death in 1924, which was preceded by a series of strokes. Like Mao, Lenin sold the people on what New York’s Mamdani has called “the warmth of collectivism.” They ate that stuff up. But as is always the case, since under socialism and communism, there is no democratic decision-making, the shots are called by one or two or a handful of people who aren’t bashful about grabbing power and wielding it, usually mercilessly, and often violently. Lenin personally oversaw something called “The Red Terror,” which killed 140,000 to 200,000 threats to his power. Joseph Stalin succeeded Lenin, and he wasn’t all that into empathy or mercy, either. His brand of socialism and communism looked much like that of every other socialist or communist leader, except to scale. To make sure the people knew who was in charge under “Stalinism,” he oversaw the direct killing of 6 million people who didn’t fall in line, but that number rises to 9 million if you count famine. From an economic standpoint, socialism and communism are shortcuts to mass starvation and death as well. At the same time, what always starts as an ideology that promises a perfect world through the power of the collective always ends with a totalitarian in charge. And to make sure that totalitarian stays in charge, many, many people have to pay the price, always with their freedom, often with their lives. This all brings us to perhaps the most notorious socialists in history and his fascist sidekicks, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Since both Hitler and Mussolini were known as much for waging war against the rest of the world as for destroying lives and killing large segments of their own populations, for our purposes here, we’ll keep the focus narrower and center on a couple of terms. This is important because one thing the DSA and its allies like to do is frame Hitler as “far right,” and fascism as far right. The presumption is that socialism by definition is leftist, and so it can’t be fascist. Hitler was a socialist. Hitler was part of and eventually led the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP), also known as the Nazi Party. Mention this to any leftist today, and you’ll hear a word salad about how Hitler’s version of socialism wasn’t the same thing that they espouse, or that he really wasn’t a true socialist because he was a fascist. The fact is, however, there was a reason Hitler called himself a socialist, and that’s because he was one. Then he did what just about all socialist leaders do when they get power: They add “totalitarian” to their resumes. Mussolini is credited with serving as the father of fascism, an ignoble moniker if ever there was one. He entered politics as a socialist and became a prominent member of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI). That party kicked him out in 1914 due to his advocacy for Italian intervention in the First World War. After that, he said something like, “Screw it, I’m just going to come up with my own thing and call it fascism,” though I believe he said it in Italian. Mussolini’s fascism retained or adapted several socialist characteristics, including the way the party was organized, the way the people were mobilized, a hatred of individualism, the rhetoric of revolution, and most importantly, the belief that your economic life exists to serve the larger collective. That’s Mussolini, the OG of fascism. The pattern through all of these examples is that socialism is an excellent pathway, and a well-worn one, on the way to communism, then to dictatorial fascism and totalitarianism. ‘Deminazis’ want to follow in the socialist tradition. Against this backdrop, the DSA today has built itself on a platform that may sound familiar to students of history, particularly students of German socialist or Nazi history. The DSA wants universal healthcare, which means government control over every citizen’s health decisions and health outcomes, not to mention government access to every citizen’s private health information. Imagine that kind of power in the hands of a totalitarian. The DSA wants “housing for all,” which like the healthcare item, puts government in control over every citizen’s home, whether he or she has a home, and the quality of that home. In the process, it puts government, and the small group of people in charge of government, in control over your quality of life. This sort of power can be wielded to reward you or punish you. The DSA wants free college for all. Not that universities need much encouragement here, but such a policy would codify that university campuses serve as nothing more than indoctrination camps. True to its organized labor roots, the DSA has much to say when it comes to work. Shorter workweeks, unionized workforces, higher wages, and likely higher union dues that end up finding their way back into “The Party.” To create dependency on government, rather than on individual industriousness, hard work, and innovation, the DSA really likes policies that require employers to pay people for not working, and policies that kill profitability and productivity. These agenda items include long periods of paid family leave, costly regulations tied to “climate change,” and higher taxes on businesses and business owners. The DSA’s “Free Palestine” pillar has been widely used as cover for antisemitism and all of the targeted discrimination and targeted and violent attacks on Jews, which are on the rise. It’s also been used to attack federal policymaking and foreign relations, including the country’s relationship with Israel. The DSA wants to cut U.S. military spending while knowing that the country’s adversaries, like China and Russia, are building their military strength. And why would that be? I’m getting a “Manchurian candidate” vibe here. The DSA is working to make it palatable to the masses to consider the piece-by-piece destruction of American democracy, starting with the dilution of citizen self-governance, declaring that non-citizens be given the same rights and the same voice in the nation’s governance. It wants to abolish the Senate, abolish the Electoral College, jerry-rig and expand Congress in accordance with its own designs, reduce the power of the Supreme Court, and pack the Supreme Court. None of this happens overnight, of course, but if they are eventually successful, it will be because we lost democracy piece by piece. Every single one of these items, if implemented, would help to put America on the same well-trodden path that failed socialist and communist states have followed before. But failure is in the eye of the beholder. If you really believe in socialism as written on paper, then maybe these others have failed. But if you see socialism as a pathway to totalitarianism, then they were wildly successful, the most notable one being the case of that little German guy with the funny mustache who showed us what socialism looks like if you follow it to its logical conclusion. In America, as we look ahead to the 2026 midterms, the DSA has enough momentum to constitute too much momentum. We as a nation should know by now socialism just can’t be on the table, but it is. And that’s why the Democratic Party is no longer a “democratic” party; it’s why the DSA has nothing to do with democracy; and it’s why the most fitting brand for the Democrats and the DSA is the “Deminazis.”)
TOWNHALL
— Back to Empty Classrooms.
https://townhall.com/columnists/johnandandyschlafly/2026/08/19/back-to-empty-classrooms-n2681500
— ICE Keeps Arresting Predators. Sanctuary Cities Keep Calling It Fearmongering.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jay-rogers/2026/08/20/ice-keeps-arresting-predators-sanctuary-cities-keep-calling-it-fearmongering-n2681552
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
NBC NEWS
— Democratic candidate for FL governor says Trump is ‘promoting socialism’ as president.
https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/democratic-candidate-for-fl-governor-says-trump-is-promoting-socialism-as-president-268551237672
CNN
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/19/politics/video/we-are-united-dnc-chair-on-democrats-civil-war-amid-socialist-surge-lcl
NEWSWEEK
— Many Floridians Escaped Socialism; Now They Could Elect One to the Senate.
https://www.newsweek.com/many-floridians-escaped-socialism-now-they-could-elect-one-to-the-senate-12344087
NEW YORK TIMES
— Ocasio-Cortez Rewrites the Rules. The latest shot heard ’round the world came not from a gun but from a syringe of fertility hormones belonging to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/16/opinion/aoc-egg-freezing-women-politics.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Trump Fired the Watchdogs. Their Replacements Have a Different Mission. President Trump is installing his allies in the offices of inspector general, which are meant to provide independent government oversight. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997 and for the Democrats who ran the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996, I had lots of interactions with the Democrat Chicago offices of Inspector Generals. None of them came to my defense when my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. None of them were interested in hiring me.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/us/politics/trump-inspector-general.html
— Fake Polls in Wisconsin and California Were Part of a ‘Social Experiment.’
https://gvwire.com/2026/08/19/fake-polls-in-wisconsin-and-california-were-part-of-a-social-experiment/
WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/19/how-democratic-socialist-angie-nixon-pulled-off-an-upset-win-florida/
— For the first time in 50 years, college grads are losing their edge. DD: If I had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business, Firestone Stores would not have hired me in 1970. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination, the Democrats who ran IRS would not have hired me in 1971. If I had not been taking graduate evening business courses, my Democrat IRS superiors would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had not earned an MBA and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, the Democrats who ran GAO would not have hired me in 1980. If I had not earned a master’s degree in accounting, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt, and became a licensed CPA, the Democrats who ran GAO would not have promoted me in 1986. If I had not been taking graduate evening finance courses, my Democrat GAO superiors might have succeed in forcing me to retire in 1993 instead of 1997.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/01/31/labor-market-gap-trade-workers-white-collar/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/09/28/golden-era-traditional-marriage-was-never-what-conservatives-thought/
USA TODAY
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/08/19/dsa-candidates-2026-midterms-democratic-socialism/91368818007/
— DD: To be woke is to be anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-Christian, anti-German American, and/or anti-those who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/19/woke-1-woke-2-meme-origin-aoc/91351078007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— How a Democratic Socialist Caught Fire in Florida. Angie Nixon scored an upset with her left-wing economic message but now faces an uphill battle against GOP Sen. Ashley Moody.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/how-democratic-socialism-caught-fire-in-florida-19333a53
FORBES
— Obama, Warren, Pritzker, & More Honor Dick Durbin’s Career In Senate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MK0s5ICRCs
— How To Build A Career That Isn’t Dependent On One Job. DD: Private sector employers look down on public sector employees. The longer that you work in the public sector, the harder it is to get a job in the private sector. My having been a public sector employee for almost 3 years harmed my efforts to get good job in the private sector after I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU when I was 21 in 1970. In anticipation of that, as a fallback, I took and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination before I graduated. I would not have become an IRS employee when I was 22 a) if my Firestone Store boss had not rudely fired me because I had accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile and b) if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn that offer because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. Because I refused to become a Democrat, my Democrat IRS superiors did everything they could to get rid of me. They got rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me in when I was 23, 24, and 25. They disallowed my travel vouchers when I was 25. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning an MBA when I was 27. They disallowed my education deductions when I was 29. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. They ever-increasing made it clear that they would never promote me to GS-13. Of course, the aforesaid made it ever-increasingly impossible for me to get any kind of job anywhere. Because of the aforesaid, to get promoted to GS-13, I took a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer to GAO. My Democrat GAO superiors did promote me to GS-13, but not until I was 38. They would never have promoted me a) if I had not earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, b) if I had not passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32, c) if I had not became a licensed CPA when I was 32, and d) if the GAO manager who had arranged my transfer had not gotten back into power.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/shodewan/2026/06/26/how-to-build-a-career-that-isnt-dependent-on-one-job/
FAST COMPANY
— 5 underrated career strategies for getting promoted. DD: To get promoted, my Democrat coworkers in the federal government a) stressed that they were Democrat, minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time, b) stressed that they blindly loyal to the Democrat Party platform, c) painted themselves as being yes-men and yes-women, d) stressed that their spouse, if they had one, had little or no income, e) stressed the tremendous amount of time and money that they spent raising their children, if they had children, and f) destroyed their fellow coworkers who were Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91586421/5-underrated-promotion-strategies
MOTLEY FOOL
— Millions of Americans Are Retiring Earlier Than They’d Planned To. You will face multiple problems if you’re forced to retire early. DD: My retirement income and savings are dramatically less because my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. But far worse than that, my critics/opponents viciously use against me my being forced to retire early. They hint/imply/argue/shout that I am a bad person and that is why I was forced to retire early. They hint/imply/argue/shout that I am an extremely bad person because I was forced to retire even though I had three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. They stress that I passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt, something that none of my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, or subordinates did.
https://www.fool.com/retirement/2026/06/14/millions-of-americans-retiring-earlier-than-plan/
LAW
— DD: Democrats and RINOs will always use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.law.com/article/almID/900005518698/
August 19, 2026 Evening Edition
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Democrats rally at Illinois State Fair ahead of midterms, decrying costs and corruption.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-state-fair-2026-governors-day-democrats-rally-springfield-ahead-midterm-election/19703516/
https://abc7chicago.com/videoClip/19704715/
— Illinois Tollway board votes to approve toll increases.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-tollway-board-vote-toll-increases/19701930/
CBS2
— Crowd turns out to honor U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin at brunch in Springfield.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/crowd-turns-out-honor-u-s-sen-dick-durbin-springfield/
— More than 83,000 buildings, homes still without power in Northwest Indiana. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/buildings-homes-still-without-power-northwest-indiana/
WGN9
— Democrats rally for Pritzker at Illinois State Fair ahead of gubernatorial rematch with Bailey.
https://wgntv.com/news/politics/democrats-rally-for-pritzker-at-illinois-state-fair-ahead-of-gubernatorial-rematch-with-bailey/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi7u2jipwuQ
FOX32
— Illinois sues Trump admin. over CDL records. Attorney General Kwame Raoul discusses Illinois’ lawsuit against the Trump administration over demands for personal information from millions of commercial drivers.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-unwo4l5f9wgl4sgv
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois Democrats tout party dominance at State Fair but it’s clouded by harassment scandal and fraud case.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/19/democrats-illinois-state-fair/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Welch skips Illinois State Fair, where Democrats focus on Trump instead of harassment scandal. Democrats headed into the home stretch of the campaign season by hammering a familiar foe, while Chicago mayoral politics also made their way downstate.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/springfield/2026/08/19/chris-welch-state-fair-illinois-house-sexual-harassment-harry-benton
— What about Trump’s obsession with his critics? DD: My critics/opponents have taken many big adverse actions against me. They assume that because they have lots of clout, I will not take adverse actions against them in response.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-the-editor/2026/08/19/trump-bears-illinois-indiana-stadium-ballys-city-council-traffic-stop
DAILY HERALD
— Illinois Democrats focused on Trump as they seek third sweep of statewide races.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260819/illinois-state-politics/illinois-democrats-focused-on-trump-as-they-seek-third-sweep-of-statewide-races/
— Tollway imposes 57% hikes on cars, 30% for trucks, with more to come.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260819/transportation/tollway-imposes-57-hikes-on-cars-30-for-trucks-with-more-to-come/
CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— In Illinois, Warren urges Democrats to unite behind all party nominees. Massachusetts senator delivers keynote in event honoring retiring Sen. Dick Durbin.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/in-illinois-warren-urges-democrats-to-unite-behind-all-party-nominees/
CAPITOL CITY NOW
— Warren rallies Illinois Democratic troops. The US senator from Massachusetts praised Gov Pritzker as a fighter: “Go, JB!”
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-warren-rallies-illinois-democratic-troops/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/19/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-582/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY
— ILGOP Announces Jeff Castle as New State Central Committeeman for CD6
https://illinois.gop/news/
(THE PRESS RELEASE: Today, the Republican Party of Illinois announced that ILGOP Chairman Bob Grogan has resigned from his position as State Central Committeeman for the 6th Congressional District. Effective today, Grogan will be replaced by Jeff Castle, the Chairman of the Milton Republican Party and Secretary of the DuPage Republican Party. ILGOP Chair Bob Grogan released the following statement: “I always want to be replaced by someone better than me – and I have the perfect replacement in Jeff Castle. Jeff is the hardest-working volunteer in DuPage County and has been instrumental in moving the party forward, especially in the Collar Counties. Jeff will continue to be a fantastic champion for northern Illinois.” The Republican Party Chairs of the 6th Congressional District, consisting of Cook County and DuPage County, elected Castle unanimously. Castle was nominated by Cook County Chairman, Terrance Carr.)
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Illinois Tollway board approves largest passenger toll hike in Illinois history.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-tollway-hike-approved/
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Corbett Complains That State Fair Has Only Democrat and Republican Days
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/19/corbett-complains-that-state-fair-has-only-democrat-and-republican-days/
— Democrats Pass Another Law That Would Keep ICE from Putting Illegals in McHenry County Jail
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/19/democrats-pass-another-law/
— Law Allows More Flexibility When Dealing with Juvenile Domestic Violence Situations
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/19/law-allows-more-flexibility-when-dealing-with-juvenile-domestic-violence-situations/
— Algonquin Township Board Doesn’t Use Robert’s Rules of Order
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/19/algonquin-township-board-doesnt-use-roberts-rules-of-order/
— Next Spring’s Election Petitions Now Available
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/19/next-springs-election-petitions-now-available/
— Catalina Lauf Loses Third Congressional Race
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/18/catalina-lauf-loses-third-congressional-race/
— Facebook Marketplace Deal Goes Awry
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/18/facebook-marketplace-deal-goes-awray/
— Newsletter Following Florida Politics Awards Illinois Ex-Pat Catalina Lauf “The Apprentice: Carpetbagger Edition,” Latest Polling Shows Close Race
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/18/newsletter-following-florida-politics-awards-illinois-ex-pat-catalina-lauf-the-apprentice-carpetbagger-edition-latest-polling-shows-close-race/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Not so socialist: DSA leader lives in $1.5 million NYC row house purchased by his parents.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/19/not-socialist-dsa-leader-gustavo-gordillo-lives-15-million-nyc-row/
— Medicare for All: The Democratic Socialists of America’s Trojan horse. Government-run healthcare means rationing, fewer choices and more federal control.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/19/medicare-democratic-socialists-americas-trojan-horse/
— Who should control your life: You or the federal government? Young voters need more than warnings about communism’s bloody history.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/19/who-control-life-federal-government/
NEW YORK POST
— SF high school where 94% flunk math has California’s highest Berkeley acceptance rate.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/us-news/mission-high-boasts-top-berkeley-admit-rate-despite-math-failures/
— Deadbeat AOC’s student-loan mooching should be a red flag to her 2028 supporters.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/19/opinion/deadbeat-aocs-student-loan-mooching-should-be-red-flag-to-her-2028-supporters/
AARP
— What the Unemployment Rate Means for Older Adults. The rate for older workers increased in July as the nation lost jobs overall. DD: If you are forced to retire early, anticipate/expect that you will not be able to find a job appropriate for your work experience, education, and professional certifications/licenses. That is especially true if you are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.aarp.org/work/job-search/unemployment-rate-older-workers/
— Unemployed Older Adults Encounter Age Discrimination.
https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/work-finances-retirement/employers-workforce/long-term-unemployment-survey/
AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy personal responsibility. My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to work my way through college, to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, to earn three job-related master’s degrees, to earn six job-related professional certifications, and to earn a job-related professional license.
https://americansforprosperity.org/policy-corner/the-upward-mobility-act-is-a-step-forward-on-welfare-reform/
DAILY CALLER
— Colorado faced a new legal hurdle to a permit-to-purchase system that took effect August 1 when the National Rifle Association joined a state affiliate in seeking an injunction blocking the scheme. In April 2025, Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation initially introduced as an outright ban on so-called “assault weapons” that required anyone wishing to buy a modern semiautomatic firearm, including the AR-15 rifle, to first receive a firearms safety course eligibility card, then complete a firearms safety course within five years.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/13/blue-states-planned-purchase-permit-system-for-semi-auto-guns-just-got-slapped-with-legal-hurdle/
HERITAGE FORNDATION
— U.S. Has a Culture of Dependency. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy personal responsibility. My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to work my way through college, to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, to earn three job-related master’s degrees, to earn six job-related professional certifications, and to earn a job-related professional license.
https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/commentary/why-the-us-has-culture-dependency
— The Rise in Dependency. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy personal responsibility. My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to work my way through college, to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, to earn three job-related master’s degrees, to earn six job-related professional certifications, and to earn a job-related professional license.
https://www.heritage.org/commentary/the-rise-dependency
REASON
— Americans Grow Increasingly Dependent on Government Payments. Many citizens of the land of the free are hooked on government checks. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy personal responsibility. My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to work my way through college, to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, to earn three job-related master’s degrees, to earn six job-related professional certifications, and to earn a job-related professional license.
https://reason.com/2024/10/04/americans-grow-increasingly-dependent-on-government-payments/
US HOUSE
— More Americans Dependent on Welfare Checks, at the Expense of Work. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy personal responsibility. My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to work my way through college, to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, to earn three job-related master’s degrees, to earn six job-related professional certifications, and to earn a job-related professional license.
https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2025/01/08/new-report-shows-more-americans-dependent-on-welfare-checks-at-the-expense-of-work/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT
— Sheriffs, NRA oppose law requiring training for gun purchases. Opponents sue Colorado over new requirement for purchasers of semiautomatic firearms, rapid-fire devices.
https://www.mtdemocrat.com/news/national/sheriffs-nra-oppose-law-requiring-training-for-gun-purchases/article_6302cacf-de53-5865-a86c-4b42ff420a32.html
FORBES
— During a Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association event on Wednesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) criticized the Republican Party.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Eg0Ct7r1s8
FINANCIAL POST
— With $2.4 million in assets, does George need to double that to retire at 50? DD: My retirement income and savings are dramatically less because my Democrat superiors wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://financialpost.com/personal-finance/family-finance/does-george-need-double-assets-retire-50
PARADE MAGAZINE
— Being Forced Into Retirement Is One of the Most Damaging Things That Can Happen to You. DD: I should write about that.
https://parade.com/living/being-forced-into-retirement-can-negatively-impact-mental-health
ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE
— Educated, experienced, and out of work. Long-term joblessness continues to plague the unemployed.
https://www.epi.org/publication/issuebriefs_ib198/