May 30, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Groups work on alternative options for young people to avoid ‘teen takeovers’ in Chicago. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-community-groups-work-alternative-options-young-people-avoid-teen-takeovers/19195189/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQqO5VeVgJc

NBC5
— Worries expressed over teen takeovers turning violent. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.nbcchicago.com/video/news/local/worries-expressed-over-teen-takeovers-turning-violent/3942177/

CBS2
— Chicago police, community groups mobilize to stop teen takeovers. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/teen-takeovers-rainbow-beach-university-of-chicago-hyde-park/

WGN9
— Johnson’s message to Chicago youth regarding ‘teen takeovers’: ‘Do not attend’ DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/johnsons-message-to-chicago-youth-regarding-teen-takeovers-do-not-attend/

FOX32
— Father Pfleger weighs in on teen takeovers, violence and Chicago’s summer safety concerns. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-b0ngnqlx85nm7yf4
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-cannabis-businesses-push-regulatory-changes-legislative-session-winds-down
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-fa78rtf5bv0f2y4o

WTTW
— DD: Brandon Johnson and the Pope team up to destroy Trump. To destroy Trump is to destroy those who voted for Trump.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/05/29/mayor-brandon-johnson-sees-pope-leo-xiv-key-ally-social-justice-migration-after-vatican

WGN RADIO
— Alderman Yancy’s plan to tackle teen takeovers.  DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://wgnradio.com/bob-sirott/alderman-yancys-plan-to-tackle-teen-takeovers/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: For Democrats, democracy exists to take opportunities, money, and everything else away from Republicans and to give it all to Democrats.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/05/28/democracy-race-civil-rights-social-justice-equality-redistricting-marc-morial

DAILY HERALD
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ in Buffalo Grove.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260528/news/rinse-and-repeat-buffalo-grove-pride-parade-heading-into-its-eighth-year/

TELEGRAPH HERALD
— Police request charges against 20 juveniles in fights at Crete-Monee High School.
https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/iowa-illinois-wisconsin/article_067a3727-6a34-4b4f-82cf-f61dd9a5ddc8.html

IOWA CAPITOL DISPATCH
— Trump endorses U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra for Iowa governor. DD: Which Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct a) are seeking Trump’s endorsement and b) have been endorsed by Trump?
https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/05/29/president-donald-trump-endorses-u-s-rep-randy-feenstra-for-iowa-governor/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/hill-politics/red-white-and-trump-how-americas-250th-is-drawing-controversy/

WHEATON PATCH
— Wheaton-Area Events To Show LGBTQ+ Support During Pride Month. See how you can celebrate queer love in and around Wheaton for Pride Month 2026. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family.
https://patch.com/illinois/wheaton/amp/34203967/wheaton-area-events-to-show-lgbtq-support-during-pride-month
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Rainbow flags, live music, family activities and community booths will return to Wheaton this June as part of a Pride Month season unfolding against a backdrop of sharp political debate across the country. Dancing Queen will play ABBA tribute music at Ross Ferraro Town Center for the Carol Stream Pride Concert on June 18. Access to the venue and food trucks begins at 6 p.m. and the concert starts at 7 p.m. On June 12, the Downers Grove Public Library will host a pride party for students grades six through 12. Billed as a “celebration of queer joy,” the event features food and music, along with arts and crafts. EQuality Downers Grove will host DG PrideFest on June 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fishel Park, 935 Maple Ave. The festivities include food trucks, a tie-dye station, live music and a parade for residents and their pets. The Church of Lombard UCC will host the 5th Annual Lombard Pride Fest on June 7 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors can grab snacks from food trucks, dance to live music and browse goods from local vendors. Therapy dogs, games and prizes are also planned for the festival.)

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MORNING ANSWER
— Bob Grogan, the new chairman of the Illinois Republican Party and former DuPage County auditor, joined Dan Proft to discuss what he plans to do differently, how he thinks about the party’s chronic problems in the state, and what realistic goals look like with a statewide election six months away.
https://www.facebook.com/votebobgrogan/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative. What do you hope that the Illinois Republican Party (IRP) will do differently under Grogan? I hope that it will dump its Democrat Lite approach and instead promote the Republican Party platform, and especially 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. Of course, I certainly hope that the IRP will encourage everyone to read my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What do you have in common with Illinois Republican Party (IRP) chairman Bob Grogan? Grogan and I are both long-time DuPage County residents, Republican Precinct Committeemen, CPAs, Certified Fraud Examiners, and members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and Illinois CPA Society. Grogan was my IRP State Central Committee member 2018-2022. I worked hard to elect and to reelect Grogan as DuPage County Auditor. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Have you wanted to run for a government office? Since I was 49 years old in 1997, my DuPage County critics/opponents have falsely hinted/implied/argued/shouted that I wanted to run for DuPage County Auditor. To discourage me from considering doing that, they have taken many big adverse actions against me. I should write about my DuPage County critics/opponents and the many big adverse actions that they have taken against me. Of course, they ignore/dismiss/belittle/badmouth what did to elect and to reelect Jim Rasins and Bob Grogan as DuPage County Auditors. My critics/opponents base their false accusations against me on my being highly qualified for the office. I became a licensed CPA. I passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt. I earned professional certifications in fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting. I worked for IRS for almost 9 years as a Revenue Officer, the last 5 1/2 years at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year and I worked for GAO for almost 18 years as an Analyst, the last 11 years of at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year. I have master’s degrees in business, accounting, and finance. I first visited the DuPage County Auditor’s office in 1986 when I became the Membership Director for the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) Chicago Chapter (CC). I remember recruiting Rasins to speak at an AGA CC event.

http://www.gopillinois.com
— When those who have demographics that vote for Republicans do better at something than those who have demographics that vote for Democrats, Democrat leaders blame that on discrimination against those who have demographics that vote for Democrats. Overwhelmingly, a) those who earned master’s degrees in business (1976), accounting (1980), and finance (1997) with me were White males, b) those who passed the CPA examination (1979) and Certified Internal Auditor (1981) examination on our first attempt with me were White males, c) those who became certified fraud examiners (1990), government financial managers (1994), financial services auditors (1996), and forensic accountants (1997) with me were White males, and d) those who became licensed CPAs (1981) with me were White males. My critics/opponents have always used the aforesaid to turn minorities and females against me. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— Equality Illinois and the Network Behind It
https://illinoisfamily.org/marriage/equality-illinois-and-the-network-behind-it/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Chicago’s Teen Takeovers Didn’t Happen Overnight. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/05/chicagos-teen-takeovers-didnt-happen-overnight.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Postal service reveals plan to enforce Trump’s citizenship voting order
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/29/postal-service-reveals-plan-enforce-trumps-citizenship-voting-order/

BREITBART
— FCC Details Disney’s History of Alleged Discrimination Based on Race, Gender, Other Protected Classes.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/05/29/fcc-details-disneys-history-of-alleged-discrimination-based-on-race-gender-other-protected-classes/amp/

DAILY CITIZEN
— Cities Beg for Parents to Stop Violent ‘Teen Takeovers.’ DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/cities-beg-parents-to-stop-violent-teen-takeovers/

DAILY WIRE
— Another Red State Is Counter-Programming Pride Month, Focusing On Family Instead. “Here in Arkansas, June is Fidelity Month: fidelity to family, fidelity to country, fidelity to God.”
https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-red-state-is-counter-programming-pride-month-focusing-on-family-instead

FOX NEWS
— Illinois GOP Chairman Bob Grogan says city official casting ballot for her dead mother raises broader concerns. Grogan called on Waukegan, Illinois alderman, Sylvia Sims Bolton, to resign after she turned herself in Wednesday for violating voting laws.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6396957989112
— Chicago Mayor Johnson hopes to enlist pope in reparations fight after he apologized for ‘scourge of slavery.’ Pope Leo XIV recently apologized for the Vatican’s historical role in legitimizing the ‘scourge of slavery.’  DD: Affirmative Action and DEI are reparations.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/chicago-mayor-johnson-wants-enlist-highest-profile-religious-leader-pope-reparations-fight
— DD: My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued that TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois and Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) were hate groups. I served as the TAPROOT chairman 2005-2012 and as an ICRC Steering Committee member 2003-2007. My critics/opponents had their operatives and their dupes destroy TAPROOT in 2012 and ICRC in 2007. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://www.aol.com/articles/splc-faces-blowback-hate-map-173113000.html

HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— Invisible Men: How Guaranteed Income Programs for New Moms Diminish Dads. Guaranteed income programs are marketed as efforts to strengthen families, yet they often discount the institution of marriage and the importance of fathers.
https://www.heritage.org/marriage-and-family/event/invisible-men-how-guaranteed-income-programs-new-moms-diminish-dads

TOWNHALL
— Democrats Are Soft on Crime, but Hard on Law-Abiding Citizens
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/05/29/fri-am-vip-va-law-enforcement-gun-owners-v-illegals-n2676847

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

MSN
— Teen summer hiring projected to hit lowest level in nearly 80 years. DD: I did yard work in 1962, 1963, and 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. According to my critics/opponents, the aforesaid proves that I have always been an unmitigated loser.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/teen-summer-hiring-projected-to-hit-lowest-level-in-nearly-80-years/ar-AA24h6ju
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/11-reasons-why-more-women-are-walking-away-from-men-and-marriage/ss-AA1YvbfS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight to keep the U.S. military woke that is, against those who are conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, married, Protestant, German American, and/or those who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. My critics/opponents are either woke and/or are operatives or dupes for those who are woke.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pete-hegseth-left-isolated-at-pentagon-as-he-continues-firing-spree-to-weed-out-wokeness/ar-AA22jE1c

CBS NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders take new approach to Democrat teen takeovers, create safe space for teens to gather. DD: When you were a teen, did you “gather?” I did not. I did yard work in 1962, 1963, and 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. According to my critics/opponents, the aforesaid proves that I have always been an unmitigated loser.
https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/pontiac-leaders-take-new-approach-to-teen-takeovers/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Poll: 43% are dissatisfied with both the Republican (R) and Democrat (D) parties. 30% are satisfied with R and dissatisfied with D. 23% are satisfied with D and dissatisfied with R. 4% are satisfied with both R and D. DD: What differentiates the Illinois Democrat Party (IRP) and the Illinois Republican Party (IDP) the most? The IDP aggressively promotes its platform. The IRP does not promote its platform.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/polls/dissatisfied-voters.html
— Up-or-out. DD: Ever-increasingly, starting when I was 25 years old in 1974, my Democrat superiors in the federal government used my age against me. They used “up-or-out” to get rid of me because they had not promoted me to GS-13 by the time was 25. I finally made GS-13 at GAO when I was 38. But I would not have been able to do that if I had not a) earned an MBA when I was 27, b) passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, c) earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, d) passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA when I was 32, and e) if the GAO manager who had arranged my transfer from IRS had not finally gotten back into power and promoted me when I was 38.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/world/americas/actually-democracy-dies-in-hr.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE:  The data showed that the official’s offhand comment had been right. For the most part, the Argentine military operated under a meritocratic “up or out” system. Officers who underperformed early would fall behind their peers, and eventually be forced into retirement. But Battalion 601 offered a detour around that meritocracy: Low performers could transfer into the secret police, spend a few years earning promotions there and then return to the regular army, often leapfrogging over peers who had stayed with the regular forces. Men who took the detour ended up with longer careers, higher salaries and better pensions than similar individuals who stayed in the mainstream military units. The worse an officer’s academic record had been at the military academy, the more likely he was to join Battalion 601. And once inside, the lowest performers were assigned to the most brutal units, carrying out the day-to-day tasks of torture and murder, work that was so morally repugnant that it carried a serious risk of both social stigma and psychological trauma. But that meant that the career rewards for doing it were the most valuable. A stint as a monster could rehabilitate the most disastrous underperformer.  The playbook for a leader to create a loyal security service, they said, is to set up or repurpose an institution that can become a “second ladder” for career promotions, resource it generously and ensure that the barriers to getting hired there are low, signaling that it offers career opportunities to those who cannot find them elsewhere. (Cutting other government jobs or squeezing budgets can create a larger pool of potential recruits.) The leadership then signals impunity for people on that second ladder, to assure them that they won’t face consequences for wrongdoing.)
— Jury selection. DD: Could you get a fair trial? One could argue that I could not get a fair trial in Cook County and that was why I was denied my 7th Amendment right to a jury trial in Diersen v. GAO. I lacked “jury appeal’ because of my bad demographics. I was , Republican, White, male, old, getting a $68,640/year federal pension in today’s dollars, my wife had a good-paying job, the federal government was paying 72% of our health insurance, we had no debts, we had no dependents, we lived in a home we had built in Wheaton in 1984, we owned cars, I am Protestant, I am 100% German American, and my ancestors have been in America since 1844, I had been a Crete resident 1948-1972, etc. One could argue that because of the aforesaid, no jury would ever rule in my favor.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/28/opinion/supreme-court-jury-discrimination.html
— Iran, Gas Prices, the Ballroom: Trump Professes Indifference Over Fallout. President Trump has increasingly adopted a posture of nonchalance when pushed on the political consequences of his actions.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/28/us/politics/trump-iran-economy-ballroom-midterms.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to stop illegal drugs.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/world/americas/us-boat-strikes-cocaine-trump-south-america.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Trump: Pope endangers Catholics by opposing Iran war
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-accuses-pope-leo-of-endangering-catholics-by-opposing-iran-war/ar-AA22rgpb
— What to Know About Trump’s $1.8 Billion ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund.’ President’s allies and supporters stand to receive payouts based on claims they were mistreated by the government. DD: Should I apply? My Democrat U.S. Senators and my Democrat U.S. Representatives weaponized my Democrat GAO, IRS, and Post Office superiors against me. They had my superiors waste my career and take many big adverse actions against me. My Democrat GAO superiors a) forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, b) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, c) delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13, and d) forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980. My Democrat IRS superiors a) never promoted me beyond GS-12, b) disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and c) disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974. My Democrat Post Office superiors a) forced me to resign in 1969 and b) disallowed my sick leave requests in 1969 and 1968. My critics/opponents have always stressed that in Diersen v. GAO, not only Bush’s DOJ sided with my Democrat GAO superiors against me, but that no Republican federal elected officials in Illinois came to my defense, that is, they sided with my Democrat GAO superiors against me. To side with my Democrat GAO superiors, is to promote Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, to promote race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/what-to-know-about-trumps-1-8-billion-anti-weaponization-fund-d8ceb872

FORTUNE
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers use Affirmative Action and DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://fortune.com/2026/05/28/eeoc-chair-andrea-lucas-demographic-data-eeoc/

DAILY NEWS RECORD
— “Liberty And Justice For All” DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, there is less and less and less justice for Republicans who are conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Court decisions ever-increasingly show that. SEE: https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf
https://www.dnronline.com/opinion/open_forum/what-does-liberty-and-justice-for-all-mean/article_5abc6258-18ad-5b8d-9257-fe6a0a4e6147.html

IRS
— Apply for a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic grant to serve taxpayers in your community. DD: My father died suddenly when he was 47 and I was 21 in 1969. He never earned more than $50,000/year in today’s dollars. Consequently, I had to work my way through college. My father had brittle type 1 diabetes from childhood. His doctors advised him to not seek a college degree because the stress would further harm his health.
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/apply-for-a-low-income-taxpayer-clinic-grant-to-serve-taxpayers-in-your-community

NATIONAL ALLIANCE TO END HOMELESSNESS
— State of Homelessness: 2025 Edition. DD: The Democrat Party platform promotes homelessness a) because it destroys personal responsibility, b) because it promotes dependency on government and charity, c) because it destroys traditional marriage and family, and d) because it promotes vices.
https://endhomelessness.org/state-of-homelessness/

CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS
— DD: When those who have demographics that vote for Republicans do better at something than those who have demographics that vote for Democrats, Democrat leaders blame that on discrimination against those who have demographics that vote for Democrats.
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/occupational-segregation-in-america/

DAILY BEAST
— DD: Brandon Johnson and the Pope team up to destroy Trump. To destroy Trump is to destroy those who voted for Trump.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-shades-trump-with-gift-to-pope-leo/

POLITICO
— Judge launches inquiry into Trump-IRS settlement that led to ‘anti-weaponization’ fund. DD: Democrat judges ever-increasingly stop everything Trump does.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/29/trump-irs-settlement-anti-weaponization-fund-00943459

PEW RESEARCH
— DD: When those who have demographics that vote for Republicans do better at something than those who have demographics that vote for Democrats, Democrat leaders blame that on discrimination against those who have demographics that vote for Democrats.
https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2021/04/01/stem-jobs-see-uneven-progress-in-increasing-gender-racial-and-ethnic-diversity/

JD SUPRA
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers use Affirmative Action and DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/employer-protections-for-voluntary-6235739/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

ECONOMIC TIMES
— “America is next if we don’t wake up”: Trump ally says New York conquered by mainstream Muslims under ‘Jihadi Mamdani’
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/america-is-next-if-we-don-t-wake-up-trump-ally-says-new-york-conquered-by-mainstream-muslims-under-jihadi-mamdani-shares-video/ar-AA24fxsK

GUARDIAN & INDEPENDENT
— DD: Brandon Johnson and the Pope team up to destroy Trump. To destroy Trump is to destroy those who voted for Trump.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/29/chicago-mayor-pope-leo
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/pope-leo-chicago-mayor-ice-raids-vatican-meeting-b2986213.html

IRISH STAR
— Ex-GOP congressman declares party a ‘cult’ as Trump’s cabinet meeting compared to ‘hostage video.’  Former Illinois Republican congressman Joe Walsh described the GOP as a ‘cult’ after Donald Trump’s Cabinet heaped praise on the president during a televised meeting.
https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/ex-gop-congressman-declares-party-37222402

FROM OTHER SOURCES

AUTO GUIDE
— Top 10 Defunct Auto Brands. DD: The list includes Pontiac and Oldsmobile. I owned a 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint 1966-1967 and a 1968 Oldsmobile 442 1967-1968.
https://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2016/01/top-10-defunct-auto-brands.html

May 29, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Community organization hosting youth-centered conversation on ‘teen takeovers’ in Chicago.  DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://abc7chicago.com/post/community-organization-season-soar-hosting-youth-centered-conversation-teen-takeovers-chicagos-south-side/19187556/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/cps-student-ricardo-hernandez-navarrete-detained-ice-receives-diploma-mather-high-school-graduation-chicago-return/19189259/

NBC5
— ‘Significant police presence’ expected in Naperville ahead of teen gathering. NPD included a flyer for a “Downtown Naperville Teen Takeover” that has been circulating on social media in the warning. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/significant-police-presence-planned-for-western-suburb-on-monday-ahead-of-teen-gathering/3941662/
— DHS Secretary threatens to pull CBP agents from ‘sanctuary city’ airports
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/dhs-secretary-threatens-to-pull-cbp-agents-from-sanctuary-city-airports/3941489/
— Illinois U.S. Attorney denies he’s investigating Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/embattled-illinois-u-s-attorney-now-investigating-trump-accuser-e-jean-carroll-sources/3941585/

CBS2
— South Side youth weigh in on teen takeovers after recent gatherings turned violent. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/teen-takeovers-conversation-south-side-discussion/

FOX32
— Migrant arrivals linked to homelessness spike
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-idxer8y5ndv2ahfm
— Group wants to split Illinois into two states
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-aq7666zdpi2sd3xg

WTTW
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasing promote more abortion.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/05/28/illinois-lawmakers-look-protect-abortion-care-records

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Possible ‘teen takeover’ has Naperville beefing up downtown police presence.  DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/28/possible-teen-takeover-monday-has-naperville-beefing-up-downtown-police-presence/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increase promote Springsteen.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/28/bruce-springsteen-power-to-the-people-festival/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/28/ice-cps-mather-graduation/
— FRONT PAGE WITH PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/28/e-jean-carroll-investigation/
— CTU must put the brakes on excessive political activity and be considerate of its members
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/29/opinion-chicago-teachers-union-dues-political-action/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2026/05/28/mather-senior-laces-up-his-soccer-shoes-again-after-months-in-immigration-detention
— ‘Broadview Six’ might try to tap Trump’s $1.8B ‘anti-weaponization fund’ after feds’ conduct tanked case. DD: Democrat U.S. Senators and Democrat U.S. Representative weaponized my Democrat GAO, IRS, and Post Office superiors against me.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-house/2026/05/28/broadview-6-trump-blanche-doj-justice-department-weaponization-fund

SOUTHERN
— DD: How many votes will Corbett take from Bailey?
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2026/05/28/286512/

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— New Illinois GOP boss says party rebuild a long-term project. DD: Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative.
https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/columns/jim-dey-new-illinois-gop-boss-says-party-rebuild-a-long-term-project/article_0ed9ba0f-a63b-4c9d-933e-89e814ff76f7.html

WIFR
— DD: How many votes will Corbett take from Bailey?
https://www.wifr.com/video/2026/05/28/former-republican-strategist-collin-corbett-files-run-illinois-governor-independent/

NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION
— Naperville police increasing downtown presence due to possible teen takeover. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.nctv17.org/news/naperville-police-increasing-downtown-presence-monday-due-to-possible-teen-takeover/

ILLINOIS PATCH
— Community Violence Intervention Members Search For Solutions To Prevent “Teen Takeovers.”  Police intervened as hundreds of teens came out to 56th Street Beach before spilling into Hyde Park. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://patch.com/illinois/southside/community-violence-intervention-members-search-solutions-prevent-teen-takeovers

BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— ‘Teen Takeovers’ Revive Chicago Debate Over Curfews And Parental Accountability. Large Near West Side and Hyde Park gatherings have alderpeople again weighing stricter rules to combat them, while the mayor sees programming and prevention as a better approach. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/05/28/teen-takeovers-revive-chicago-debate-over-curfews-and-parental-accountability/

CWB CHICAGO
— 15 years of flash mobs, teen trends, and takeovers: Chicago’s repeating summer problem
https://cwbchicago.com/2026/05/15-years-of-flash-mobs-teen-trends-and-takeovers-chicagos-repeating-summer-problem.html

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Johnson courts pope amid budget crunch
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/05/29/johnson-courts-pope-amid-budget-crunch-00941969

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/05/28/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-534/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Republicans claim fake transparency in early budget, demand better.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_6cb0ccac-d097-4221-8530-b224b38eec6a.html
— Illinois may take DOJ ‘Anti-Weaponization’ payouts from residents. DD: Democrat U.S. Senators and Democrat U.S. Representative weaponized my Democrat GAO, IRS, and Post Office superiors against me.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_49042d8e-1fa5-49ad-8016-c6a715e767f0.html

THOMAS DEVORE
— Colin Corbett Didn’t “Leave” the GOP — He Planned to Sabotage It
https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=thomas%20devore&filters=eyJyZWNlbnRfcG9zdHM6MCI6IntcIm5hbWVcIjpcInJlY2VudF9wb3N0c1wiLFwiYXJnc1wiOlwiXCJ9In0%3D
— Illinois Republicans Cannot Afford Another Insider Experiment
https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=thomas%20devore&filters=eyJyZWNlbnRfcG9zdHM6MCI6IntcIm5hbWVcIjpcInJlY2VudF9wb3N0c1wiLFwiYXJnc1wiOlwiXCJ9In0%3D

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Pritzker’s proposed budget shorts pensions by $5.4 billion.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pritzkers-proposed-budget-shorts-pensions-by-5-4-billion/
— More schools double-dipping taxpayers for teacher pension costs
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/more-schools-double-dipping-taxpayers-for-teacher-pension-costs/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Johnson Brings CTU President Whose Leadership Is Viewed as Hostile to Catholic Education to Vatican Meeting.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/05/johnson-brings-ctu-president-whose-leadership-is-viewed-as-hostile-to-catholic-education-to-vatican-meeting.html

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— State Legislature Finally Moves to Reform Property Tax Sale Process Three Years after U.S. Supreme Court Decision
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/05/28/state-legislature-finally-moves-to-reform-property-tax-sale-process-three-years-after-u-s-supreme-court-decision/
— U.S. Attorney Calls Out Media for False Story
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/05/29/u-s-attorney-calls-out-media-for-false-story/
— AI Regulation Bills Pass Senate
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/05/29/ai-regulation-bills-pass-senate/
— Tony Colatorti Running for Sheriff Again
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/05/29/tony-colatorti-running-for-sheriff-again/
— Turkey Harvest Larger This Year Than Last (links to all counties)
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/05/29/turkey-harvest-larger-this-year-than-last/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— ‘Go back’: DHS secretary tells hunger-strike migrants to deport back home for better food.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/28/go-back-dhs-secretary-tells-hunger-strike-migrants-deport-back-home/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— As pope apologizes for slavery, remember it was African countries that started slave trade.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4585496/pope-apologizes-slavery-african-countries-started-slave-trade/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Having a wild weekend. “Teens” in Chicago whoop it up and cause mass destruction. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/05/having_a_wild_weekend.html

BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION
— Colorado Middle School Student Censored from Reciting Pro-Life Poem
https://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/articles/colo-middle-school-student-censored-from-reciting-pro-life-poem

CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES
— Anti-ICE Activism on Campus. The purpose of abolishing ICE is not to abolish unjust suffering, but to redistribute it onto Americans.
https://cis.org/Cao/FirstHand-Look-AntiICE-Activism-Campus

COLLEGE FIX
— Medical watchdog demands removal of DEI standards in social work education. DD: While worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, their top priority was advancing their Democrat employees who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/medical-watchdog-demands-removal-of-dei-standards-in-social-work-education/

FIRST THINGS
— Combating Vice. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice.
https://firstthings.com/combating-vice/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

REUTERS & CHRISTIAN CENTURY & NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER & CATHOLIC WEEKLY & PALESTINE CHRONICLE
— DD: According to America’s enemies, no war against them is just.
https://www.reuters.com/world/spurning-just-war-pope-leo-ends-catholic-permission-slip-conflicts-2026-05-28/
https://www.christiancentury.org/news/pope-leo-calls-just-war-theory-outdated-new-encyclical-nbsp
https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/editorial/editorial-pope-leo-xiv-says-just-war-theory-outdated-catholics-should-take-heed
https://catholicweekly.com.au/george-weigel-the-peace-we-can-make/
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/unjust-to-remain-neutral-on-popes-algorithmic-peace-and-middle-easts-real-wars/

CBS NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders crow about their success in turning Vietnam War veterans against Trump. They stress that Trump avoided the Vietnam War draft.
https://www.aol.com/articles/group-vietnam-vets-standing-trumps-100005000.html

ABC NEWS
— Some federal pensions pay handsome rewards. DD: I got in line for a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension when I was 18 in 1966. Since then, ever-increasingly, my critics/opponents, and especially those who are not in line to get a pension and are not getting a pension, have been increasingly furious about that. In my defense, I paid 7% of my Post Office (almost 3 years), IRS (almost 9 years) , and GAO (almost 18 years) salaries into the CSRS for my $68,640/year CSRS pension. Further, my critics/opponents are ever-increasingly furious that the federal government has paid 72% of my health insurance premiums since 1966 and 72% of my wife’s health insurance premiums since 1978. Further, my critics/opponents are ever-increasingly furious that I get $18.711.60/year Social Security. In my defense, I paid into Social Security 1964-1973, and more recently, I have been entitled to about half my wife’s Social Security.
https://abcnews.com/Business/federal-pensions-pay-handsome-rewards/story?id=17007196
(FROM THE ARTICLE: More than 21,000 retired federal workers receive lifetime government pensions of $100,000 or more per year. Of these, nearly 2,000 have federal pensions that pay $125,000 or more annually, and 151 take home $150,000 or more. Six federal retirees get more than $200,000 a year. Some 1.2% of federal retirees collect six-figure pensions. By comparison, 0.1% of military retirees collect as much. The New York State and Local Retirement System pays 0.2% of its retirees pensions of $100,000 or more. The New Jersey retirement system pays 0.4% of retirees that much. Comparable private figures aren’t available. The six-figure pensions spread across a broad swath of the federal workforce: doctors, budget analysts, accountants, public relations specialists and human resource managers. Most do not get Social Security benefits. Retired law enforcement is the most common profession receiving $100,000-plus pensions, including 326 Drug Enforcement Administration agents, 237 IRS investigators and 186 FBI agents. The Postal Service has 714 retired workers getting six-figure retirements. The Social Security Administration has 444. A retired Smithsonian zoologist has a $162,000 annual lifetime pension. The six $200,000-plus pensions include a doctor, a dentist and a credit union regulator, plus three retirees whose occupations weren’t listed. Pensions are a growing federal budget burden, rising twice as fast as inflation over the last decade. Pension payments cost $70 billion last year, plus $13 billion for retiree health care. Taxpayers face a $2 trillion unfunded liability — the amount needed to cover future benefits — for these programs, according to the government’s audited financial statement. “These people are highly trained, highly skilled and often put their lives on the line in law enforcement,” says Julie Tagen, legislative director of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees. “It’s a very, very small portion of retirees at that ($100,000) level.” “Government pensions are vastly more generous than those in the private sector,” says economist Veronique de Rugy of the market-oriented Mercatus Center. “It’s no coincidence that if there is a good plan, it’s available to federal employees rather than in the private sector.” USA TODAY and the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press— both owned by Gannett — analyzed the Civil Service Retirement System database, obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request. The Office of Personnel Management withheld some information, including names, ages and length of service. The records cover 1.9 million federal civilian pensions. Congress members were not included, nor were military retirees. The average federal pension pays $32,824 annually. The average state and local government pension pays $24,373, Census data show. The average military pension is $22,492. ExxonMobil, which has one of the best remaining private pensions, pays an average of $18,250 per retiree, Labor Department filings show. The federal government has two retirement systems: one for those hired before 1984 (Civil Service Retirement System) and another for those hired after. Under the older system, employees did not participate in Social Security. CSRS covers 78% of current retirees and accounts for 96% of six-figure pensions. All federal retirees receive health benefits.)

NBC NEWS
— Teen ‘takeovers’ push cities to take action. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/covid-pandemic-blame-teen-takeover-experts-say-rcna347075

AOL
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers use buyout and early retirement “offers” to get rid of their employees who are: 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.
https://www.aol.com/articles/retirement-trend-among-60-olds-162700030.html

MSN
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/11-reasons-why-more-women-are-walking-away-from-men-and-marriage/ss-AA1YvbfS

NEW YORK TIMES
— Does Trump Want to Lose the Midterms? He is intervening in a bunch of Republican primaries to purge people who opposed him in one way or another. DD: I should write about my critics/opponents who have had their operatives and their dupes purge me. Have your critics/opponents purged you? If so, what have your critics/opponents used to purge you? To purge me from the Illinois Republican Party State Convention Platform and Resolutions Committee, from my role as the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks, from my Milton Township Republican Organization webmaster position, from TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois, from Illinois Center Right Coalition, from etc., my critics/opponents have used a) my using my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters to promote conservative principles and planks in the Republican Party platform that they reject, b) my promoting Republican candidates who they reject, c) my encouraging Republican participation in Wheaton Independence Day parades, d) my successfully leading efforts to ban video gambling and the sale of pot in Wheaton, e) my suing them, f) my successfully leading the effort to stop the installation of a stoplight at the intersection of Harrison and President in Wheaton, g) my successfully leading the effort to force Xfinity to carry Fox News Channel in Wheaton, h) etc.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-liam-donovan.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH PICTURE: IVF. DD: Duckworth has an extremely low opinion of Trump. What does she think of you? Both Trump and I avoided the Vietnam War draft. We are both conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and our ancestors have been in America for a long time. In 2006, Duckworth had me throw out of her press conference with Michael J. Fox in Wheaton. SEE: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2006/10/25/celebrity-and-controversy-mark-6th-race/  Further, my wife and I gave up trying to have children without trying IVF. We did not adopt. We did not become foster parents.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/24/us/ivf-embryos-custody.html
— Southern Poverty Law Center Accuses Justice Dept. of Vindictive Prosecution. DD: What adverse actions have been taken against you? I should write about a) my critics/opponents who had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me and b) why they did that.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/26/us/politics/southern-poverty-law-center-doj.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly turn the Pope against Trump.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/05/28/pope-leo-chicago-brandon-johnson-visit-vatican/deedce52-5ab5-11f1-8a9d-afb1148204e1_story.html

USA TODAY
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2026/04/29/fentanyl-awareness-day-kids-drug-prevention/89756058007/

SAN ANTONIO FIRST
— Teen takeovers are a result of repeated failures to prosecute juvenile delinquents. DD: Teen takeovers are a result of Democrat leader success in destroying traditional marriage and family.
https://woai.iheart.com/featured/san-antonios-first-news/content/2026-05-27-the-main-reason-teen-takeovers-have-been-spreading/

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS
— DD: For Democrats, democracy exists to take opportunities, money, and everything else away from Republicans and to give it all to Democrats.
https://www.expressnews.com/opinion/letters-editor/article/impeach-remove-president-trump-bipartisan-issue-22277275.php

DAILY MONTANAN
— Trump-style loyalty tests fracture Montana’s Republicans. DD: My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty. They have their operatives and their dupes destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate/dominate b) who refuse to glorify and praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money.
https://dailymontanan.com/2026/05/29/trump-style-loyalty-tests-fracture-montanas-republicans/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Reparations for Trump and Slavery? Given the precedent of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, a future president could do all sorts of mischief.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/reparations-for-trump-and-slavery-e439ce51
— The GOP Wants to Tax Your Car. A federal registration fee is one of the worst Republican ideas to come along in a while.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-gop-wants-to-tax-your-car-e6c78ff6?mod=opinion_lead_pos8

BLOOMBERG LAW
— EEOC Seeks to Revoke Rule Shielding Affirmative Action Plans. DD: Democrats and RINOs have always used Affirmative Action to get rid of Republicans.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/eeoc-seeks-to-revoke-rule-shielding-affirmative-action-plans

AMERICAN IMMIGRATION COUNCIL
— Guide to Hiring Noncitizens. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have.
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/guide-to-hiring-noncitizens-on-temporary-visas/

LAW 360
— EEOC Set To Scrap Decades-Old Affirmative Action Guidance. DD: Since the 1960s, my critics/opponents have used Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of me. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://www.law360.com/employment-authority/amp/articles/2482950

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers use buyout and early retirement “offers” to get rid of their employees who are: 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.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-shutdown/2026/05/as-agencies-try-to-bring-in-new-talent-a-lot-of-current-employees-are-making-tough-decisions/

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
—  Political Stress. DD: Putting GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters together and sending them out has harmed my health, is harming my health, and will ever-increasingly harm my health. My critics/opponents ever-increasingly stress that to discourage/stop me from putting the newsletters together and sending them out.
https://news.syr.edu/2025/03/27/protecting-your-health-in-a-polarized-world-expert-advice-on-political-stress/

REASON
— DD: Democrat leaders, their operatives, and their dupes decry DHS and ICE cracking down on fraudulent asylum claims.
https://reason.com/2026/05/28/dhs-directs-ice-to-crack-down-on-allegedly-fraudulent-asylum-claims/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

EDUCATOR
— It’s time to stop blaming teachers: Students are responsible for their learning. What motivated you to learn things in high school? For me it was getting the highest ACT score that I could, getting highest class ranking that I could, and getting accepted by UIC. But I spent far too much time washing dishes instead of studying.
https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/its-time-to-stop-blaming-teachers-students-are-responsible-for-their-learning/288964

FROM OTHER SOURCES

CHRISTIE’S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE
— FOR SALE: 629 West Elm Street, Wheaton – $985,000
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/629-W-Elm-St-Wheaton-IL-60189/4447893_zpid/

May 26, 2026

How will things change under Grogan? For how long and how closely have you watched the Illinois Republican Party (IRP)? Ever since Big Jim Thompson got elected governor in 1976, the IRP has moved to the left, that is, it has become Democrat Lite and the more that it has pushed out platform Republicans like me, that is, the more that it has pushed out conservatives like me. How will things change under Grogan? I have watched the IRP since the 1960s, and more closely since I started working the Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, and more closely since I started working for the Democrats who ran IRS in 1971, and more closely since I was the subject of a 4-page One Person’s Finances article in Money Magazine ( https://gopillinois.com/documents/ ) in 1978, and more closely since I started working for the Democrats who ran GAO in 1980, and more closely since they forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, and more closely since I filed Diersen v. GAO in 1998 ( https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf ), and more closely since I became a Republican Precinct Committeeman in 1999, and more closely since I became the GOPUSA Illinois Editor in 2000, and more closely since I became an Illinois Center Right Steering Committee member in 2003, and more closely since I became the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman in 2005. I have attended all the IRP State Conventions as a delegate since 2000. I have attended many IRP State Central Committee (SCC) meetings, although not recently. I served on the IRP State Convention Platform and Resolutions Committee in 2008. How will things change under Grogan? Many believe that nothing will change until IRP SCC members are directly elected.

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Can Bob Grogan rebuild the Illinois GOP in the suburbs?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/26/bob-grogan-gop-ilgop-illinois-republicans-kathy-salvi-tom-cross-gop/
(FROM THE EDITORIAL: After years of infighting, ideological warfare and organizational atrophy, Illinois Republicans appear to be betting on a different model: coalition building over purity tests, precinct organizing over political theatrics and suburban recovery over grievance politics. “You can’t purge your way to 51%,” new Illinois Republican Chairman Bob Grogan told us over the phone Thursday. He went on: “Fratricide isn’t a good campaign strategy.” Republican State Central Committee members on May 18 voted out Kathy Salvi after roughly two years at the party’s helm in favor of Grogan, an accountant, former DuPage County auditor and a lifelong resident of the collar counties Republicans once dominated politically. Grogan, who served as DuPage County auditor from 2008 to 2020, is no stranger to rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, almost a prerequisite for anyone who wants to take on Springfield’s many challenges. Some may remember Grogan from his 2014 primary campaign for state treasurer against longtime Illinois Republican politician Tom Cross, a race Grogan lost before Cross himself lost the general election to Democrat Michael Frerichs. Yet Grogan comes off today as more of a tempering force than one might expect to meet in today’s GOP. First and foremost, he told us, he wants to present a positive message. Among his many catchphrases, Grogan shared a vision that’s at odds with what’s playing in Washington. “You can’t grow the church by excommunicating all the sinners,” he said. Something must be in the water, because that’s the tone GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey of downstate Xenia is taking this time around, too. Bailey, a Republican who had trouble ginning up support here in Chicagoland when he last ran for governor in 2022, is doing his level best to right past wrongs. He even came before the City Council on May 20 to apologize formally for calling our city a “hellhole” in his previous gubernatorial campaign. Can a kinder, friendlier GOP work? Not on its own, and adjusting the party’s tone and tent are not the only things Grogan aims to change about the tired party structure. He also pointed out the obvious: Illinois Republicans need to focus on getting out the vote. “We haven’t failed in a very short period of time, we’ve had failures over a long period of time,” he said. He’s not wrong there. After former Gov. Bruce Rauner — temporarily the GOP’s largest benefactor and anchor — picked up his ball and went home, the party became rudderless. The Rauner void led to competing factions, overlapping power centers and deep internal discord. While we respect Republicans like state Rep. Ryan Spain of Peoria and House Republican Leader Tony McCombie of Savanna, others within the party have gone to the fringes alongside many of their national counterparts. While outgoing Chair Kathy Salvi has been praised for her fundraising abilities, the party remains disorganized and has been unable to assemble and execute adequate GOTV strategies. Republican turnout tells the story. The four GOP gubernatorial candidates this year combined had about 560,000 primary votes — nearly 230,000 fewer than Republicans cast in the 2022 gubernatorial primary, and far below even the low-turnout 2014 contest won by Rauner. While many tend to view the ticket top-down, Grogan said he sees things in a more bottom-up way. If Republicans think Salvi’s best skill set was fundraising, Grogan says his is his ground game. For Grogan, “ground game” means rebuilding the Republican Party as a neighborhood-level organization again — training volunteers, strengthening precinct operations, coordinating county groups and creating a durable turnout machine instead of relying on personalities and TV ads. It also helps that he’s from DuPage, formerly a Republican stronghold where the GOP has atrophied and needs to build back up. That means running candidates in all races, no excuses. While Republicans this primary season had a crowded gubernatorial race, down the ticket Republicans have done a spottier job of making sure Democrats face a challenger. That’s part of what frustrates would-be Republican voters here, especially because Illinois is a land of political opportunity for anyone with a solid plan to make a go of it. First, there’s money here. Ahead of the 2024 election, President Donald Trump and affiliated super PACs raised over $30 million out of Illinois.  Second, it’s not as if Democrats are wildly popular. Illinois Democrats control the Statehouse and the governor’s mansion, and preside over years of fiscal mismanagement and an unwillingness to face up to our state’s biggest problems, though they aren’t as shy about turning to taxpayers for more revenue. And while it’s likely Gov. JB Pritzker will win reelection in November, his most recent victory wasn’t exactly a sweeping mandate — he didn’t even crack 55% of the vote. All that to say, Illinois is ripe for a commonsense voice to come in and challenge our state’s one-party rule. “If it takes a long time to screw things up, it’ll take a long time to make things right,” Grogan said. He has less than six months until the November general election to make his mark, but the new Republican chairman’s legacy will extend far beyond this fall. Moderate voters and Republican donors need a reason to invest in the state party. Grogan’s task is to give them one.)
— Stomping on IRS audits is an egregious abuse of power by Trump. DD: Has IRS audited you? To get rid of me, my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my education deductions when I was 29 years old in 1978. I had deducted graduate evening business courses at Loyola 1972-1976 and accounting courses at DePaul 1976-1978. They outrageously, disgustingly, falsely, and unethically argued in tax court a) that the courses I deducted did not relate to my job duties, b) that they did not maintain or improve my job skills, c) that I took them to get a job in the private sector, and d) that I took them to qualify myself for a new trade or business. They outrageously, disgustingly, falsely, and unethically ignored the fact a) that my IRS employee manual encouraged me to take the courses, b) the course descriptions and my position descriptions, and c) that I had stated in my applications that I wanted to take the courses to maintain and improve my IRS job skills. They would not have done that a) if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, younger, or veteran and/or b) if I had not complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/21/editorial-donald-trump-justice-department-lawsuit-settlement-lawfare-fund-irs/

DAILY HERALD
— ‘Discussion by discussion’: Republicans make promising choice with new state party leader.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260526/editorials/daily-herald-opinion-discussion-by-discussion-republicans-make-promising-choice-with-new-state-p/
(FROM THE EDITORIAL: A combination of voter demographics and structural election dynamics — read gerrymandering — has made it tough in recent years for Republicans to show enough political strength to become relevant in Illinois government. Adding to the picture have been philosophical differences eating away at the party from within. In 2024, then-state party Chairman Don Tracy stepped away from the job complaining that he spent “far too much time dealing with intraparty power struggles, and local intraparty animosities.” Some of that squabbling appears to have settled down under Tracy’s successor, Kathy Salvi, of Mundelein, yet it’s not clear whether that is because the internal forces are cooperating or much of the strength of the party has simply abandoned ship. If the latter is true — and, for that matter, even if it is not — Republicans could hardly have done better last week than to elect former DuPage County Auditor Bob Grogan to take the reins. In three terms as auditor, Grogan, of Downers Grove, was an innovative, efficient, taxpayer-focused executive, known for his concentration on the demands of the job over partisan political concerns. His lists of county firsts include a county online checkbook, an office transparency and an auditor hotline. He was one of the most respected auditors in the state, eventually serving as president of the Association of Illinois County Auditors. Yet, although his focus centered on the functions of his job, he also understood the political side of the equation and demonstrated leadership in promoting traditional Republican values, including serving on the influential Republican State Central Committee. His new role no doubt will be one of the most challenging he has faced. Through a systematic process of legislative boundary control, Democrats have stacked the political calculus strongly in their favor, and the animus-driven influence of Trumpian politics that breaches no sense of compromise still fractures the party. Yet, if anyone can placate what the Republicans’ arch-conservative wing call the “grass roots” while wooing back traditional conservative voters like those in the molds of George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan who used to dominate suburban politics, it is someone like Grogan. His basic spirit is a good place to start. In an interview following his election, he told our Marni Pyke, “I consider myself a member of the ‘civil right.’ Which means I consider myself conservative, however, I believe in deliberate, peaceful discussion. I don’t believe in calling people names.” That alone will be a welcome priority in elevating political discussions. But Grogan’s fundamental strategy also holds great promise. “I do believe in the average common sense of the Illinois voter,” he said. “At some point, one by one, discussion by discussion, door knock by door knock, Facebook post by Facebook post … they do see that Republicans’ answers to some of these everyday life problems are better.” It takes two strong, influential political parties to produce the kind of strong, well-moderated government needed for a diverse state like Illinois. That has not been the case for too long. The state Republican Party took a good step in the right direction by putting Grogan at its head.)

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Dozens march in anti-war protest on Memorial Day in the Loop. Dozens, including many veterans and relatives of veterans, gathered in front of the city’s Riverwalk Vietnam War memorial wall to protest ongoing U.S. military action around the globe. DD: My many Democrat superiors who were veterans blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/05/25/dozens-march-in-anti-war-protest-on-memorial-day-in-the-loop
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/music/2026/05/24/suenos-music-festival-midway-blitz-latino-mexican-celebration-joy-fuerza-regida
— DD: Democrat leaders will never stop using George Floyd to promote more hatred against Republicans.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2026/05/23/george-floyd-murder-racial-injustice-civil-rights-black-brown-zindy-marquez

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Seth Lewis: Illinois has all the advantages to make it an economic leader, not a laggard
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/forum/ccb-illinois-pritzker-economic-advantages-leader-20250525/

ABC7
— Trump honors troops killed in Iran war during Memorial Day remarks.
https://abc7chicago.com/live-updates/iran-war-news-trump-peace-deal-strait-of-hormuz-oil-gas-prices/19168718/
— Chicago veterans protest against Trump administration’s military interventions on Memorial Day. DD: My many Democrat superiors who were veterans blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/veterans-gather-downtown-chicago-protest-iran-war-donald-trump-administration-actions-vietnam-memorial/19169540/

WBEZ
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.wbez.org/music/2026/05/24/suenos-music-festival-midway-blitz-latino-mexican-celebration-joy-fuerza-regida

ALTON TELEGRAPH
— Juliana Stratton doubles Don Tracy in Illinois U.S. Senate fundraising. Inside the money trail shaping the Illinois race to replace U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/juliana-stratton-illinois-senate-fundraising-tracy-22229090.php
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Meanwhile, Tracy has pulled together roughly $2.32 million for his Senate campaign, with $2 million of that coming from a loan. The remainder of his fundraising dollars came predominantly from individual and committee contributions. Tracy ended the reporting period with about $1.54 million in cash on hand.)

SHAW LOCAL
— DD: Pot industry oversold medical benefits, downplayed risks. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.shawlocal.com/news/2026/05/26/lawsuit-claims-cannabis-industry-oversold-medical-benefits-downplayed-risks/

FOX NEWS ILLINOIS
— Trump will see doctors for his annual physical. What the public finds out is up to him. President Donald Trump is scheduled to get a medical exam on Tuesday, putting his health back under public scrutiny. DD: How old are you? I am 77. What do you stress to defend your health? I stress my putting together and sending out GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/trump-will-see-doctors-for-his-annual-physical-what-the-public-finds-out-is-up/article_0ef56e9f-4e3e-574a-81ba-ace909033f26.html

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Durbin will return to Springfield on Wednesday to address a rare joint session of the Illinois General Assembly, where lawmakers are also expected to recognize his nearly 44 years in Congress. DD: GAO works for Congress. Durbin was my U.S. Senator in 1997 when my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 years old.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/05/26/ctus-dues-hike-falls-flat-00935596

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/05/26/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-744/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER_RIGHT SOURCES

WIREPOINTS
— Totaling the unsustainable tax increases and windfall revenue during Pritzker Administration
https://wirepoints.org/totaling-the-unsustainable-tax-increases-and-windfall-revenue-during-pritzker-administration-wirepoints/

OPEN THE BOOKS
— Southern Poverty Law Center Received Millions of Taxpayer Dollars to Spread its Message and Materials, Including in Schools
https://openthebooks.substack.com/p/southern-poverty-law-center-received

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Pride for veterans, America’s 250th felt from crowd during D.C. Memorial Day parade
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/25/pride-veterans-americas-250th-felt-crowd-dc-memorial-day-parade/
— IRS weighing adding non-U.S. citizen checkbox to tax forms
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/25/irs-reportedly-weighing-adding-non-us-citizen-checkbox-tax-forms/
— Pope Leo XIV makes historic apology for Vatican’s role in legitimizing slavery.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/25/vaticans-role-legitimizing-slavery-leo-makes-historic-apology/
— Trump thanks service members who died in Operation Epic Fury
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/25/trump-thanks-service-members-died-operation-epic-fury/
— Primaries prove Trump clout stronger than ever
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/25/primaries-prove-trump-clout-stronger-ever/
— Will Democrat wrongdoers ever face justice? Public memory of leftist malfeasance is short thanks to legacy media.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/24/democrat-wrongdoers-ever-face-justice/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Pope Leo urges significant regulation to disarm AI
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/4581180/pope-leo-artificial-intelligence-regulation-encyclical/

NEW YORK POST
— AOC lays groundwork for White House bid while insisting she’s not focused on presidency.
https://nypost.com/2026/05/25/us-news/aoc-lays-groundwork-for-white-house-bid-while-insisting-shes-not-focused-on-presidency/
— Classic cars don’t need smog tests —so pass Leno’s Law. DD: Emissions testing for cars with low mileage is a waste.
https://nypost.com/2026/05/25/opinion/classic-cars-dont-need-smog-tests-pass-lenos-law/
— More proof that progressives are pro-crime.
https://nypost.com/2026/05/25/opinion/more-proof-that-progressives-are-pro-crime/
— Mai Vang, who disdains Pledge of Allegiance, has no place in Congress.
https://nypost.com/2026/05/23/opinion/mai-vang-who-disdains-america-has-no-place-in-congress/
— Democrats’ radicalism is their biggest problem.
https://nypost.com/2026/05/23/opinion/the-concept-of-transgenderism-has-created-disarray-in-the-democratic-party/
— With gambling, marijuana, NYC’s new vice economy is set up for failure. DD: To get more votes, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice. I led the successful efforts to ban video gambling and the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://nypost.com/2022/12/10/why-nycs-new-vice-economy-weed-casinos-might-be-doomed/

FOX NEWS
— Anti-ICE protesters clash with agents outside New Jersey detention center as Gov Sherrill denied entry.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/anti-ice-protesters-clash-agents-outside-new-jersey-detention-center-gov-sherrill-denied-entry.amp

INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY STUDIES
— The Success Sequence. DD: My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. 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://ifstudies.org/blog/what-does-the-success-sequence-mean
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Finish high school. Get a full-time job once you finish school. Get married before you have children. . .Most men and women have the  capacity to make choices, to embrace virtues or avoid vices, and to otherwise take steps that increase or decrease their odds of doing well in school, finding and keeping a job, or deciding when to marry and have children.)

TOWNHALL
— DEI Is Not Disappearing. New York Is Just Renaming It.
https://townhall.com/columnists/gregory-lyakhov/2026/05/26/dei-is-not-disappearing-new-york-is-just-renaming-it-n2676632

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

MSN
— DD: How successful have Democrat leaders been destroying traditional marriage and family in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/11-reasons-why-more-women-are-walking-away-from-men-and-marriage/ss-AA1YvbfS
— DD: Democrat leaders had tremendous success making the military woke. To be woke is to be against those who are conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, married, Protestant, German American, and/or those who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. My critics/opponents are either woke and/or are operatives or dupes for those who are woke.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pete-hegseth-left-isolated-at-pentagon-as-he-continues-firing-spree-to-weed-out-wokeness/ar-AA22jE1c

NEW YORK TIMES
— Vice and the Crisis of Liberalism. DD: To get more votes, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice. I led the successful efforts to ban video gambling and the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/opinion/vice-liberalism-addiction-gambling-drugs.html
— Retirees Expect Their Home to Be a Financial Safety Net. They Shouldn’t. DD: Reverse mortgages have limits.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/09/business/retirement-home-equity-selling-your-house.html
— FRONT PAGE: G.O.P. Worries It’s Trump First, Midterms Last. Trump’s Self-Indulgence Deepens G.O.P. Fears in Midterms. “The stupid stuff is killing our chances,” said a retiring Republican senator.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/25/us/politics/trump-gop-fears-midterms.html
— Trump Wants to Compile Citizenship Lists, but They Would Be Hard to Create. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/24/us/politics/trump-lists-noncitizens-states.html

USA TODAY
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: USPS  DD: I delivered mail for the Park Forest Post Office 1966-1969.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/05/18/usps-built-a-mighty-network-financial-problems/90044771007/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/05/06/liberal-women-less-likely-marry-conservatives/89929874007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Reports of Woke’s Death Are Exaggerated. DD: My critics/opponents are woke. According to them, I owe all my successes in my life to my benefiting from discrimination against those who are liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, poor, veteran, LGBTQ, unmarried, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or noncitizen.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/reports-of-wokes-death-are-exaggerated-30f09ab8
— Trump’s Anti-DEI Push Is Unraveling College Scholarships. DD: Since the 1960s, ever-increasingly, scholarships are for those who are  liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, poor, veteran, LGBTQ, unmarried, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or noncitizen.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/how-trump-s-anti-dei-push-is-unraveling-college-scholarships/ar-AA1I1HlT
— People Hate the Idea of Losing Their Job. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors’ success in forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 was one of the biggest negatives in my life.
https://www.wsj.com/economy/consumers/people-hate-the-idea-of-losing-their-job-even-more-than-high-gas-prices-f25e3a49
— The New Big Labor GOP. Republicans in Congress hand union bosses a pair of political victories. DD: My critics/opponents are anti-union. They stress that I was a union member for almost 12 years. According to them, my salary would not have increased from $19.57/hour to $113,402/year in today’s dollars if I had not been a union member. In my defense, during that time, I earned a bachelor’s degree in business, I earned an MBA, and I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-new-big-labor-gop-41539fa0
— You’ve Landed Your First Job. Now Don’t Sink Your Career Before It Starts. Your first job holds promise and peril. Here’s how to protect your future self. DD: If I had become a Democrat, the federal government would have promoted me into its Senior Executive Service long before I was 40 years old. I earned a bachelor’s degree in management when I was 21. I earned an MBA when I was 27. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. I earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31. I passed the Certified Internal Auditing examination on my first attempt when I was 32. I became a licensed CPA when I was 32. I earned four more job-related professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48. I earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading when I was 48.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/youve-landed-your-first-job-now-dont-sink-your-career-before-it-starts-96a3ad5b

FORBES
— Pope Leo Paints Bleak AI Future—With ‘Tower Of Babel’ Warning—Without Human Control
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/05/25/pope-leo-paints-bleak-ai-future-with-tower-of-babel-warning-without-human-control/

FORTUNE
— It’s a lot harder to put yourself through college than it used to be. Even if you do, you’ll probably graduate later. DD: To discredit me, my critics/opponents stress that it was much easier to work yourself through college like I did 1966-1970. They stress that if my ACT score and my GPA were higher I could have gotten scholarships. What percent of those who graduated in 1970 worked their way through college?
https://fortune.com/2023/01/11/college-students-with-jobs-20-percent-less-likely-to-graduate-than-privileged-peers-study-side-hustle/

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
— DD: According my critics/opponents, I owe all my successes in my life to my benefiting from discrimination against those who are liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, poor, veteran, LGBTQ, unmarried, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or noncitizen.
https://hbr.org/2018/09/use-your-everyday-privilege-to-help-others

BUSINESS INSIDER
— 8 Ways That Money Can Buy Happiness. DD: When you were young, what did you use the money for that you earned? For me, it was for job-related college degrees when I was 21, 27, 31, and 48; professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and a professional license when I was 32. Also, for cars when I was 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, 41, etc. Also, for real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, and 35.
https://www.businessinsider.com/8-ways-that-money-can-buy-happiness-2012-11

POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU
— DD: All my female coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me had less work experience than I had, had less education than I had, had no professional certifications or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.prb.org/resource/college-education-benefits-some-more-than-others/

NATIONAL AFFAIRS
— The Case for Prohibiting Vice. DD: To get more votes, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice. I led the successful efforts to ban video gambling and the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/case-prohibiting-vice

ATLANTIC
— America Has Gone Too Far in Legalizing Vice. DD: To get more votes, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice. I led the successful efforts to ban video gambling and the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/02/legalized-gambling-marijuana-use-addiction/673028/

DAILY KOS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly crow about their successes in destroying Republicans.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/5/25/800028836/news/woke-mob-defeats-trumps-team-3-times/
— DD: My critics/opponents want Blacks to get preference. They were overjoyed when my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 and gave my job and my preferred corner office to my Black subordinate. He had less work experience than I had. He had less education than I had. He had one professional certification while I had six. He had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/5/20/800041803/community/if-it-was-a-black-person-theyd-be-let-go/

POLITICO
— Donald Trump’s unlikely weed wager. The former president’s pro-cannabis policies could bolster his efforts to gain support with key Democratic constituencies. DD: To get more votes, Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice. I led the successful efforts to ban video gambling and the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/15/donald-trump-marijuana-legalization-00179205

PEW RESEARCH
— DD: According my critics/opponents, I owe all my successes in my life to my benefiting from discrimination against those who are liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, poor, veteran, LGBTQ, unmarried, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or noncitizen.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/03/11/about-one-in-four-americans-say-theyve-had-fewer-advantages-in-life-than-others-their-age/
— DD: For Democrats, voting exists to take opportunities, money, and everything else away from Republicans and to give it to Democrats.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/07/22/wide-partisan-divide-on-whether-voting-is-a-fundamental-right-or-a-privilege-with-responsibilities/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

NATIONAL HERALD INDIA
— The new US immigration policy forces millions of Indians into uncertainty. Green card applications currently under adjudication will be significantly impacted as it changes how officers handle pending and incoming applications. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have.
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/amp/story/opinion/the-new-us-immigration-policy-forces-millions-of-indians-into-uncertainty

May 19, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NBC5
— Trump asked about potential Darren Bailey endorsement. Trump endorsed Bailey in the 2022 gubernatorial race, but did not when Bailey ran for Congress in 2024.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/donald-trump-darren-bailey-endorsement-question/3938017/
(FROM THE ATICLE: Will President Donald Trump endorse Darren Bailey in his bid to unseat Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker? Trump did back Bailey during the 2022 election, which the former state senator lost to Pritzker, and he was asked whether he would do so again this time around. The president did not confirm whether he’d offer Bailey his endorsement, but did say he liked him while also criticizing Pritzker. “I like Darren Bailey,” Trump said at the White House. “JB Pritzker is a slob of a governor. He could call me and I’d send in the National Guard and Chicago would have no crime.” While Trump did endorse Bailey in the 2022 race, he notably did not when he tried to unseat Rep. Mike Bost in a Congressional primary. Bost won that race and ultimately kept his seat in the House. In this election cycle, Bailey has at times criticized Trump, including when the president blasted Pope Leo XIV in social media posts and in interviews. “I’m a Christian and I’m an Illinoisan. President Trump mocking a Chicago-born Pope and posting himself as Jesus Christ is wrong. I don’t care whose name is attached to it—I’ll always call it like I see it,” Bailey said in a post after Trump had posted an image depicting himself as Jesus. Bailey has also softened his rhetoric when it comes to Chicago, which he famously called “a hellhole” during his 2022 campaign. “Being a farmer, being a former state legislature, you learn from your mistakes. And as we started this journey, moved through the primary, I wanted to make sure that people understood that I learned, you know, what I did wrong the last time,” he said. “And I want to represent all of Illinois. And in order to represent all of Illinois, I’ve got to be heard. I’ve got to watch what I say. I got to bring unity, not just to my party, but to all of Illinois and that’s exactly what I intend on doing. Even with Bailey seeking to forge a new path in the 2026 race, Pritzker’s campaign has repeatedly continued to tie his opponent to the Trump administration, which has seen its polling numbers dropping amid rising gas prices and the ongoing conflict in Iran. “Don’t be fooled. My opponent, Darren Bailey, wants to be the Donald Trump of Illinois,” he said in a social media post last week.)
— Could Illinois split in two? A deeper look at the movement to divide the state. DD: Under the Democrats, Cook and the collar counties ever-increasingly move further to the left.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/could-illinois-split-in-two-a-deeper-look-at-the-movement-to-divide-the-state/3937683/
— Teens face a cold summer job market; How can they improve their hiring chances?  “Especially if you have no experience in any industry, it will be really tough this year.” DD: I did yard work the summers of 1962, 1963, and 1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline the summer of 1966. I delivered mail the summers of 1967, 1968, and 1969.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/teens-face-a-cold-summer-job-market-how-can-they-improve-their-chances/3938095/

CBS2
— Chicago Muslims say unchecked Islamophobia creates conditions for attacks like San Diego shooting.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-muslims-islamophobia-san-diego-shooting/

WGN9
— Flamethrower used during street takeover in Virginia
https://wgntv.com/news/watch-flamethrower-used-during-street-takeover-in-virginia/

FOX32
— Trump backs Darren Bailey for Illinois governor. President Trump made his support for GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey very clear on Tuesday and threw another jab at incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-fb0tlfwz2xwk3m7m
— House proposal would charge EV owners $130 yearly for road repairs
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/house-proposal-ev-owners-fee-road-repairs

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— New head of Black Lives Matter Lake County outlines goals: ‘It feels good to come home and make a difference’
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/18/lake-county-black-lives-matter/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/19/chicago-public-schools-student-mother-ice-detention/
— DD: For Democrats, voting exists to use government to take money away from Republicans and to give that money to Democrats.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/19/aldermen-chicago-voting-access-ordinance-rev-jesse-jackson/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/05/19/liliana-ricardo-navarette-mather-immigration-custody-release
— Former high-ranking Chicago cop sues city, claims he was wrongfully placed on ‘don’t hire’ list. DD: The following adverse actions that my Democrat superiors in the federal government took against me put me on do not hire lists: My Democrat GAO superiors a) forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, b) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, c) delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13, and d) forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980. My Democrat IRS superiors a) never promoted me beyond GS-12, b) disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and c) disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974. My Democrat Post Office superiors a) forced me to resign in 1969 and b) disallowed my sick leave requests in 1969 and 1968. They ever-increasingly ignored/dismissed/belittled a) my 1970 job-related bachelor’s degree, b) my 1976, 1980, and 1997 job-related master’s degrees, c) my 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997 job-related professional certifications, and d) my 1981 job-related professional license. They would not have done any of the aforesaid if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/police-reform/2026/05/19/police-michael-barz-larry-snelling-chicago-cpd-do-not-hire
— DD: The Democrat Party is ever-increasingly anti-Christian.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/05/19/national-mall-prayer-session-christian-nation-donald-trump

DAILY HERALD
— Backpacker, accountant, ‘civil right’ member: New GOP chair steps up to lead fractious team
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260519/illinois-state-politics/backpacker-accountant-civil-right-member-new-gop-chair-steps-up-to-lead-fractious-team/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: CPA Bob Grogan’s resume includes walking precincts, serving on the powerful Republican State Central Committee and three terms as DuPage County auditor. His latest job is herding elephants as the new Illinois Republican Party chair, the state GOP’s third chief in five years. “This is not something that I necessarily sought,” the Downers Grove resident said Tuesday. “It was my peers and people in the Republican Party that asked me to do it. And sometimes when people ask, and you feel that you can actually contribute, you step into the breach.” Illinois Republicans face an uphill midterm election fight in a blue state where President Donald Trump’s poll numbers are shaky amid the Iran war and high gas prices. But, “I do believe in the average common sense of the Illinois voter,” Grogan said. “At some point, one by one, discussion by discussion, door knock by door knock, Facebook post by Facebook post … they do see that Republicans’ answers to some of these everyday life problems are better. “We need to speak a little bit more loudly and a little bit clearly, and I think that’s how you overcome all the structural disadvantages that the Democrats have dealt us.” On the Republican spectrum, Grogan said he’s hard to label. “I consider myself a member of the ‘civil right.’ Which means I consider myself conservative, however, I believe in deliberate, peaceful discussion. I don’t believe in calling people names,” he said. His takeaway is “it’s either the conservative, moderate coalition that runs the state or the liberal, moderate coalition that runs the state. If (Republicans) have any interest in advancing our agenda, we have to embrace both conservatives and moderates. We cannot purge our way to 51%.” State Central Committee members picked Grogan over incumbent Chair Kathy Salvi of Mundelein at a meeting Monday. Salvi stepped in as chair in July 2024, just before the Republican National Convention, when her predecessor Don Tracy resigned citing party dissension after three years in office. Illinois Democrats claimed on Tuesday that Salvi was GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey’s preferred choice and her departure signaled defeat for the former state senator from downstate Xenia. Bailey thanked Salvi for her leadership and “unwavering commitment to supporting candidates up and down the ticket” in a statement Monday. He congratulated Grogan, saying “we look forward to working with Bob to win the support of Illinois voters and take back our state in November.” Grogan credited Salvi for her “incredible job making sure that our finances are strong,” and offer of continued help. “Kathy and I, we were friends before and we were friends after,” he added. “There was a vote, and it was not unanimous for me, which is totally fine. It was just a matter of emphasis. Kathy has skills that exceed mine, and I have some skills that exceed hers, and folks just wanted to look at which ones are appropriate for right now.” Grogan, who is a certified fraud examiner, served for three terms as DuPage auditor before losing by 75 votes to Democratic challenger Bill White in 2020. He conducted his interviews for the GOP job virtually over the weekend while attending two separate out-of-town college graduations for his son and daughter. “My family is fortunately tolerant,” Grogan said. On his leadership style — “I’m kind of a no-nonsense person. I’m trustworthy in that regard. When you’re an auditor, (people) have to trust that you’re calling balls and strikes. I guess that’s what the party needed at this time, and that’s why I was asked and elected.”)
— DD: What harms your municipality’s best place to live ranking?
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260519/news/buffalo-grove-ranked-best-place-to-live-in-illinois-by-u-s-news-world-report/

CANTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/more-than-100000-children-separated-from-parents-during-trump-immigration-crackdown-report/

WROK
— Children Mistake THC Gummies For Candy At Illinois School
https://1440wrok.com/ixp/722/p/cannabis-edibles-illinois-schools/

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Illinois county clerks are preparing for mail voting amid continued attacks, changes
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/illinois-county-clerks-are-preparing-for-mail-voting-amid-continued-attacks-changes/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/05/19/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-528/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Pritzker touts EV plant in Normal, Bailey says taxpayers bear the burden
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_e4f2d532-9d53-40fe-aac1-97071f7d8355.html

DON TRACY
— Don Tracy Congratulates New Illinois Republican Party Chairman
https://mailchi.mp/460acf05aca0/illinois-leads-nation-in-lost-income-as-families-flee-strattons-blueprint-1001

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

FOX NEWS
— The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) filed a lawsuit against Illinois officials Tuesday over the state’s Firearm Owners Identification Act, also known as the FOID Card Act, a state law that requires Illinois residents to apply for and carry an identification card at all times to possess any firearm or ammunition.  DD: I have had a FOID card since I was 20 years old in 1968.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/civil-liberty-lawsuit-illinois-state-police-foid-gun-law.amp

NEW AMERICAN
— Major Victory Against Child Transgenderism
https://thenewamerican.com/us/culture/woke-doctors-paying-the-price-major-victory-against-child-transgenderism/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— No More Tax Audits for Trump. Plus, mediators see little progress in U.S.-Iran talks, and branded condos rock Miami
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/government-deal-with-trump-expands-to-end-tax-audits-aad8f2bc
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/no-more-tax-audits-for-trump-d4c961b8

FORTUNE
— DD: Democrats and RINOs use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://fortune.com/2026/05/19/dei-experts-diversity-equity-inclusion-fortune-workplace-innovation-summit/

FORBES
— Pritzker Rips Trump’s ‘BFF’ Darren Bailey—Says Bailey Is ‘Unable’ To Criticize Iran War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9AsCJ5U8E8

POLITICO
— Trump endorses Paxton over Cornyn for Texas Senate. DD: Which of the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct a) are seeking Trump’s endorsement and b) have gotten his endorsement?
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/19/trump-endorses-ken-paxton-texas-senate-00927811

May 19, 2026

WGN9
— Kathy Salvi ousted as Illinois GOP chair, Bob Grogan takes over
https://wgntv.com/news/illinois/kathy-salvi-ousted-as-illinois-gop-chair-bob-grogan-takes-over/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Kathy Salvi is out as Illinois Republican Party chair less than two years after being elected by the State Central Committee. In a Monday release, the Illinois Republican Party announced the election of Bob Grogan, effective immediately. A native of DuPage County, Grogan previously served as county auditor from 2008 to 2020. “I am honored and humbled to be elected as the next Chair of the Illinois Republican Party. I’m grateful to my good friend, Chair Salvi, for her dedication to the party and her work to build a brighter future for Illinois families. Illinois Republicans are united and I’m excited to get to work electing Republicans up and down the ballot in November,” Grogan said in a statement. Darren Bailey, the former state senator set for a gubernatorial rematch with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in November, and Lt. Gov. candidate Aaron Del Mar thanked Salvi for her unwavering commitment to supporting GOP candidates and also hailed Grogan’s appointment. “We look forward to working with Bob to win the support of Illinois voters and take back our state in November!” read Bailey’s statement. Salvi, a lawyer and former Lake County assistant public defender, took over as Illinois GOP chair on July 19, 2024, succeeding Don Tracy, who had announced his decision to step down.)

DAILY HERALD
— State Republicans choose suburbanite Grogan to lead the party
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260518/illinois-state-politics/state-republicans-choose-suburbanite-grogan-to-lead-the-party/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: For the third time in five years, Illinois Republican Party officials on Monday picked a new leader to navigate the choppy waters of Prairie State politics. Downers Grove resident Bob Grogan, whose experience includes serving as former DuPage County auditor, grass-roots organizer and State Central Committee member, is the new GOP chair. “I am honored and humbled to be elected as the next chair of the Illinois Republican Party. Illinois Republicans are united and I’m excited to get to work electing Republicans up and down the ballot in November,” Grogan said in a statement. He recognized outgoing Chair Kathy Salvi, who had sought reelection. “I’m grateful to my good friend, Chair Salvi, for her dedication to the party and her work to build a brighter future for Illinois families,” Grogan said. Mundelein attorney Salvi took over the leadership of the party in July 2024 just before the Republican National Convention convened in Milwaukee. “When you cross the border into Illinois, don’t you sorta feel a blue funk sometimes?” Salvi told state delegates at a RNC gathering July 17, 2024 . “Well I’ll tell ya, that blue funk is over.” She succeeded Springfield attorney Don Tracy, who was selected in February 2021 and resigned in June 2024, blaming infighting in the ranks. “Unfortunately, however, I have had to spend far too much time dealing with intraparty power struggles, and local intraparty animosities that continued after primaries and county chair elections,” Tracy said at the time. Tracy and Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton are running for the U.S. Senate seat held by outgoing Sen. Dick Durbin in the November election. Inspiring Republicans and raising funds in a blue state is a challenge, however party officials say Grogan is up to the task. As DuPage auditor, “Grogan focused on transparency, radically transforming the office to make the county checkbook publicly available, create a transparency portal and create a fraud hotline,” the Illinois Republican Party said in a statement. “His work rooted out waste, fraud and abuse, saving Illinois taxpayers millions of dollars.”)

CAPITOL CITY NOW
— Salvi out as Illinois GOP leader. No reason was given for the change.
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-salvi-out-as-illinois-gop-leader/

THOMAS DEVORE
— The Illinois GOP Just Voted to Lose
https://www.facebook.com/
(FROM THE POSTING: If you want to understand why the Illinois Republican Party cannot win in Illinois, look no further than the weighted vote tally that just installed Bob Grogan, Part-Time Plummer’s boy, as Chairman of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee. The chart is below. Seventeen members. Seventeen votes, weighted by district. And by a margin of 61.1 to 38.9 percent, the same establishment faction that has presided over a generation of statewide defeat has handed itself the keys to the party once again. The result was not earned on the merits. It was assembled, district by district, deal by deal, by people whose only common thread is their contempt for the grassroots conservatives who keep showing up despite them. Start with Grogan. He did not arrive on the State Central Committee through anything resembling a clean process. Grassroots Republicans in DuPage County have, almost without exception, described the contest that put him there as rigged from the start. He got the seat anyway. Now he gets the gavel. And now he gets to spend the next four years steering the apparatus on behalf of the same circle of self-styled “reformers” who keep losing. Look at the slate that delivered him the chairmanship — and what each of them walked away with. Zach Emberton (District 15) controls the largest single weighted vote on the committee — 16.5 percent. He voted Grogan. He is now Vice Chair. Emberton does not move without Tony McCombie’s permission, and through him, she now has her hand on the wheel of the state party. Rhonda Belford (District 12) — 15.9 percent, the second largest weighted vote on the committee — voted Grogan. She supplied the margin and it is yet to be seen what she gets out of the deal. Keith Brin (District 10) voted Grogan. He is now Secretary. Cindy Lamar (District 13) voted Grogan. She is now Treasurer. Cindy replaced Miles Nelson and votes, on every consequential question, the way Miles would have. Add in the votes of Bunting, Flynn, and Boulton, and the deeply disappointing vote from Beth Findley-Smith (District 14) — who has spent years presenting herself as a grassroots conservative and then cast her 5.5 percent share for the very people who exist to suffocate the grassroots, and you have your majority. This is not a coincidence. It is a coalition. It is the same coalition we have seen for years: the Jason Plummer, Jeanne Ives, Dan Proft, Ted Dabrowski axis of the party. The people who lose every competitive race they touch and whose answer to losing has always been to purge the people who told them why. They lost a primary to Darren Bailey that they thought they owned. They have been trying to settle that score ever since. This vote was the next installment. Here is what it means for November. Darren Bailey is running. Aaron Del Mar, himself a member of this State Central Committee from District 5, is running. The party they belong to is now controlled by people whose explicit political project is to ensure that neither of them succeeds, because the success of either one would discredit the entire faction that just took power. These officers will not raise the money. They will not coordinate the field. They will not show up for our candidates in any meaningful way. They will smile for the cameras at the State Fair, issue the obligatory press releases, and quietly do everything in their power to keep state party resources away from any campaign that has not been blessed by the inner circle. I know how this reads. It reads like sour grapes from a side that lost a vote. It is not. Look at the names. Look at the percentages. Look at the alignments. Then ask yourself one question: in the last decade, has a single Illinois Republican from this Grogan, Plummer, Proft, Ives axis won a competitive statewide race? The answer is no. They lose, they blame the grassroots, and they consolidate. Grassroots Republicans across this state need to recognize what just happened and respond accordingly. Stop sending money to Springfield. Stop trusting state party leadership to do the right thing. Start building independent infrastructure, county by county, precinct by precinct, that does not need the State Central Committee’s blessing to function. We are going to lose in November. The people who just took control of this party are prepared to lose, they want to lose, because a loss is the cleanest argument for keeping their grip on the apparatus that produced it. Don’t give them the satisfaction of pretending otherwise.)

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— I am one of those who are reluctant to blame Salvi for Republican losses. Fioretti, Harris, and Solomon have stressed her accomplishments. Serving as the chairman of a political organization is a thankless job; they are always blamed for their party’s losses. I survived for 7 years as the chairman of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois 2005-2012. During that time, I invited speakers for all 78 of the organization’s monthly meetings, August picnics, and December Christmas parties. I should list all those who spoke at those events; my critics/opponents always demonized, denigrated, and condemned them. To end my TAPROOT chairmanship and to destroy TAPROOT in 2012, my critics/opponents had their TAPROOT officers and their TAPROOT directors charge me with gross incompetence. They argued/shouted that anyone could do a better job of heading TAPROOT than I did. Previously, I survived for 4 years as a member of the Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) Steering Committee (SC) 2003-2007.  My critics/opponents had my fellow ICRC SC members end my ICRC SC membership and destroy ICRC in 2007. In 2006, they unsuccessfully tried to get ICRC to censure me for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on IRP SCC members since 1999.
http://www.gopilinois.com
— INITIAL QUESTIONS FOR IRP CHAIRMAN GROGAN: What are you going to do differently than Salvi? What is your response be to Thomas DeVore’s criticisms? Who do you want to replace you as the IRP SCC District 6 member? With the IRP’s Executive Director resignation, who do you want to serve as the IRP Executive Director? What are you going to do to improve IRP communication with Illinois Republican Precinct Committeemen? What do you say to those who want the IRP to be the “Democrat Lite Party?” What is your position on direct election of IRP SCC members? What is your position on Dave Diersen and his GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters? What is your position on Diersen being thrown off the 2024 IRP State Convention Platform and Resolutions Committee? – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What do your critics/opponents want you to do? My critics/opponents want me to stop sending out GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters. Failing that, they want to stop everyone from reading my newsletters. Failing that, they want to stop me from promoting conservative principles in my newsletters. Failing that, they want me to stop promoting the planks in the Republican Party platform that they reject in my newsletters. Most commonly, they reject the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and/or equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Ever since my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, to discourage/stop me from running for a government office or for a political office, my critics/opponents in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois have done everything that they could to destroy me. They most feared that I would run for DuPage County Auditor a) because I had worked for GAO as an Analyst for almost 18 years, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year, b) because I had worked for IRS for almost 9 years before that, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, c) because had I passed the CPA examination and the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt, d) because I had become a licensed CPA, e) because I had become a certified fraud examiner, government financial manager, financial services auditor, and forensic accountant, and f) because I had master’s degrees in business, accounting, and finance. I should write about my critics/opponents in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois and the many big adverse actions that have had their operatives and their dupes take against me. Of course, they ignore/dismiss/belittle/badmouth what I did to help elect and to help reelect Jim Rasins and Bob Grogan as DuPage County Auditors. They always stressed that Grogan got better scores on the CPA examination than I did and that he became a Certified Fraud Examiner by passing an examination while I grandfathered in. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Bob Grogan Elected to Head Illinois State Republican Party (FROM THE ARTICLE: The Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party is stepping down for health reasons.)
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/05/19/bob-grogan-elected-to-head-illinois-state-republican-party/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: From a Friend of McHenry County Blog: Grogan Beats and Replaces Salvi  The Chairman race was won by district 6 SCC member Bob Grogan who defeated incumbent Kathy Salvi. The vote was 9-8 for Grogan, however, that doesn’t matter since weighted vote is used. Grogan received 61.1% of the weighted vote. The State Central Committee met on Monday, May 18 to pick its executive committee. The Secretary race was won by Keith Brin who serves as the 10th district SCC member. The Treasurer race was won by Cindy Lamar who is the 13th district SCC member. The Vice Chairman race was won by Zach Emberton who represents the 15th district on the SCC. Deputy SCC members were also approved. The Illinois Republican Party, according to its bylaws, requires that deputies be the opposite gender of the SCC member, so if the SCC member is a male he has to pick a female and vice versa. For McHenry County, I am told that former Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger will be the deputy in the 10th district serving with Keith Brin, that former congressional candidate Susan Altman will be the deputy in the 11th district with Chris Yaeger, and that Jan Klaas will be the deputy in the 16th district with Jim Rule. I did not get a deputy name for the 9th district which is also in McHenry County, and I was told that some SCC members did not nominate deputies. Joan LaSonde is the SCC member in the 9th district.  Matt Janes, the Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party, is stepping down for health reasons. McHenry County Blog contributors and readers will put Matt Janes in our prayers.)
— Illinois Unemployment Up to 5%, Trump Blamed
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/05/19/illinois-unemployment-up-to-5-trump-blamed/
— Wilcox Outlines What Will Happen in Last Two Weeks in Springfield
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/05/18/wilcox-outlines-what-will-happen-in-last-two-weeks-in-springfield/
— DeWitte Outlines Last Two Weeks of Legislative Session
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/05/18/dewitte-outlines-last-two-weeks-of-legislative-session/
— Algonquin Raises Comprehensive Alarm About Pritzker’s Grab of Local Zoning Power
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/05/18/algonquin-raises-alarm-about-pritzkers-grab-of-local-zoning-power/
— Crystal Lake Park Board Set to Sell $2 Million in Non-Referendum Bonds
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/05/18/crystal-lake-park-board-set-to-sell-2-million-in-non-referendum-bonds/
— Collin Corbett Collects Some Money, Has Website and Schedules Announcement Party
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/05/18/collin-corbett-collects-some-money-has-website-and-schedules-announcement-party/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURSES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: For Democrat leaders, education exists to crank out good little Democrats.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/19/university-of-chicago-laboratory-schools-university-of-chicago-chicago-statement-free-expression-free-speech-first-amendment/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Justice Department announces a $1.7B fund to compensate Trump allies in a deal to drop IRS suit. DD: My critics/opponents have always stressed that in Diersen v. GAO, not only Bush’s DOJ sided with my Democrat GAO superiors against me, but that no Republican elected officials in Illinois came to my defense, that is, they sided with my Democrat GAO superiors against me. To side with my Democrat GAO superiors, is to promote Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, to promote race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/18/justice-department-irs/
— DD: Democrats always want a) Democrats to pay less taxes and b) Republicans to pay more taxes.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/19/opinion-illinois-budget-trump-tax-cuts/

WSIU
— DOJ creates an ‘anti-weaponization fund’ as part of Trump IRS settlement. DD: My critics/opponents have always stressed that in Diersen v. GAO, not only Bush’s DOJ sided with my Democrat GAO superiors against me, but that no Republican federal elected officials in Illinois came to my defense, that is, they sided with my Democrat GAO superiors against me. To side with my Democrat GAO superiors, is to promote 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.wsiu.org/2026-05-19/doj-creates-an-anti-weaponization-fund-as-part-of-trump-irs-settlement

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Pritzker returns swinging at City Hall
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/05/19/pritzker-returns-swinging-at-city-hall-00927376

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/05/19/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-740/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Illinois Should Stop Passing 3,000-Page Budgets Sight Unseen
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/05/19/illinois_should_stop_passing_3000-page_budgets_sight_unseen_154134.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

DAILY SIGNAL
— California School District Spends $300K to Partner With LGBTQ Center
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/05/18/california-school-district-lgbtq/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

MSN
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/11-reasons-why-more-women-are-walking-away-from-men-and-marriage/ss-AA1YvbfS

NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PASGE TOP OF FOLD: DD: The Democrat Party and its mainstream news media exist to drive Trump’s approval ratings down.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/us/politics/poll-trump-republicans-midterms-iran.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Trump’s deal to drop suit against IRS creates $1.8B ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund.’ DD: My critics/opponents have always stressed that in Diersen v. GAO, not only Bush’s DOJ sided with my Democrat GAO superiors against me, but that no Republican elected officials in Illinois came to my defense, that is, they sided with my Democrat GAO superiors against me. To side with my Democrat GAO superiors, is to promote Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, to promote race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/05/18/trump-will-end-10-billion-lawsuit-against-irs-over-leaked-tax-records/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— A Master’s Degree Isn’t the Job Guarantee It Used to Be. New data shows the unemployment rate for professionals under 35 with advanced degrees has rarely been higher in the past 20 years. DD: I spent lots of my time and my money earning three master’s degrees: 16 courses for an MBA from Loyola in 1976, 12 courses for a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, and 14 courses for a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/a-masters-degree-isnt-the-job-guarantee-it-used-to-be-53e237aa
— FRONT PAGE: Parents Are Fuming About Other Peoples’ Kids Getting Extra Time on the SAT. Special accommodations for irritable bowel syndrome? Families are getting creative, and spending big, in pursuit of an edge.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/parents-are-fuming-about-other-peoples-kids-getting-extra-time-on-the-sat-2daeea8c

WEEK
— DD: Democrats and RINOs have always, are now, and will always use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://theweek.com/articles/462937/origins-affirmative-action

INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— DD: Democrats and RINOs have always, are now, and will always use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2026/05/19/after-dei-backlash-what-can-individuals-do-opinion

May 18, 2026 Evening Edition

ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY
— PRESS RELEASE: Bob Grogan Elected Chair of the Illinois Republican Party
http://www.illinois.gop
(THE PRESS RELEASE: CHICAGO — Today, The State Central Committee of the Illinois Republican Party elected Bob Grogan as the next Chair, effective immediately. Grogan released the following statement following the election: “I am honored and humbled to be elected as the next Chair of the Illinois Republican Party. I’m grateful to my good friend, Chair Salvi, for her dedication to the party and her work to build a brighter future for Illinois families. Illinois Republicans are united and I’m excited to get to work electing Republicans up and down the ballot in November.” Bob Grogan is a lifelong resident of DuPage County, where he served as DuPage County Auditor from 2008 to 2020. As Auditor, Grogan focused on transparency, radically transforming the office to make the County Checkbook publicly available, create a transparency portal and create a fraud hotline. His work rooted out waste, fraud and abuse, saving Illinois taxpayers millions of dollars, and the removal of county employees and criminal convictions by the State’s Attorney. Grogan lives in Downers Grove with his wife, Beth. NOTE: Chair Grogan was not elected by acclimation as previously stated.)

ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY
— May 18, 2026 post by three of the Republican statewide candidates (Fioretti, Harris, and Solomon) concerning the IRP chairman election
https://www.facebook.com/search/top
(THE POSTING: To the members of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee: Before you vote today for State Chairperson of the party, we, the statewide candidates whose names will be on the ballot this fall, we want to weigh in on who the leader of our party should be moving forward. We understand and respect that this is your decision to make, but we want our voices heard and considered ahead of the vote. The work Chairwoman Kathy Salvi has done to build the party in the two years since she took over the party leadership has laid the groundwork for a victory statewide this November. She has professionalized the fund-raising arm of the party. Absent a Republican Governor, the state party has never raised more money, and this has been done without the benefit of billionaire donors from previous election cycles. Her insistence on focusing in 2024 on improving party performance with early, mail-in voting, and targeting intermittent Republicans resulted in the following results: -Additional 77,000 R voters to vote by mail or vote early, -Additional 202,000 R voters on Election Day, -The ILGOP increased R mail and early vote turnout by 35%, -1 in 4 low propensity R voters voted before Election Day, the highest in IL History, -Roughly 2,450,000 R voters, -303,000 more R voters compared to Trump’s first run. In addition, in 2024, 98 out of 102 counties, 29 of 30 Cook County Townships, and 48 of 50 Chicago Wards increased their Republican turnout over 2020. We believe these across-the-board increases in GOP turnout can be attributed in large part to the efforts made by the Illinois Republican Party under Kathy Salvi’s leadership. This demonstrated success at party building, her boundless energy in carrying the Republican fight to every corner of our great state, and her being a constant source of wisdom in advising GOP candidates, fund-raising, and messaging is unparalleled. If the party makes the same numerical gains in 2026 that it did in 2024, we will be victorious. In short, five months before this general election is no time to upend our effective party leadership. We are asking you to please vote for Kathy Salvi to be our Chairman. We would be happy to answer any questions from members of the Central Committee. Thank you for your consideration.)

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
—  New Illinois GOP chair elected as voting data shows record-low primary turnout and suburban voter collapse. DD: I am one of those who are reluctant to blame Salvi for Republican losses. See the statement from Fioretti, Harris, and Solomon above. Serving as the chairman of a political organization is a thankless job. They are always blamed for their party’s losses. I survived for 7 years as the chairman of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois 2005-2012. During that time, I invited speakers for all 78 of the organization’s monthly meetings, August picnics, and December Christmas parties. I should list all those who spoke at those events. My critics/opponents always demonized, denigrated, and condemned those who spoke at those events. To end my TAPROOT chairmanship and to destroy TAPROOT in 2012, my critics/opponents had their TAPROOT officers and their TAPROOT directors charge me with gross incompetence. They argued/shouted that anyone could do a better job of heading TAPROOT than I did. Previously, to end my membership on the Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) Steering Committee (SC) and to destroy ICRC in 2007, they almost got their ICRC SC members to get ICRC to censure me for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters in 2006. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on IRP SCC members since 1999. What Grogan’s response be to Thomas DeVore’s criticisms?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/18/new-illinois-gop-chair-elected/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Former DuPage County Auditor Bob Grogan was elected Monday as the new chair of Illinois’ Republican Party, taking over what has become a moribund political organization that new election data shows has hemorrhaged voters from what was once its key suburban base and a March primary turnout that is the lowest non-presidential-year balloting in four decades. Grogan, of Downers Grove, was elected by the state GOP’s 17 state central committee members in a closed meeting held virtually on Monday. He defeated incumbent state Chair Kathy Salvi of Mundelein, who was elected to the post in July 2024 following the resignation of Don Tracy of Springfield, the GOP’s current U.S. Senate nominee. Grogan had held the DuPage County auditor’s post for three terms before losing by 75 votes to Democrat Bill White in 2020 and by fewer than 5,000 votes in a rematch in 2024. Grogan also made an unsuccessful 2014 GOP primary bid for the party’s nomination for state treasurer. Though four candidates ran for the post, including former Kendall County Board Chair Scott Gryder and Lawrence Stowe of Moline, only Grogan and Salvi received votes, with Grogan gaining the majority of the weighted vote of the 17 state central committee members on a single ballot, according to a person familiar with the voting process who was not authorized to speak. In a statement, Grogan said he was “honored and humbled” to assume the post and thanked Salvi for her work. Grogan called the state GOP “united” and said he was “excited to get to work electing Republicans up and down the ballot in November.” Grogan takes over a Republican state party that has been plagued by factional infighting with few successes over Democrats who hold all statewide offices, a majority of state Supreme Court justices and supermajorities in both the Illinois House and Senate. The GOP’s dire standing in Illinois was reflected in Republican voter turnout in the March 17 primary, according to an analysis of primary voting data by the Tribune. Despite competitive Republican races for the party’s nomination for governor and U.S. Senate, Democrats, with their own battle for the U.S. Senate, swamped the GOP in ballots cast. Nearly 1.3 million Democratic votes were cast compared to 591,913 GOP ballots — a 68% to 31% turnout advantage for Democrats — based on official primary results recently certified by the Illinois State Board of Elections. There were more than 220,000 fewer Republican votes cast in the 2026 primary compared to four years earlier, when downstate farmer Darren Bailey, the current GOP nominee for governor, won a costly contested ballot battle to seek the state’s highest office, only to lose the 2022 general election to Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker by nearly 13 percentage points. The poor Republican turnout in March was the party’s lowest since the 1986 primary, when then-Gov. James R. Thompson, a Republican, was en route to a record fourth term as Illinois’ chief executive, and two little-known Republicans challenged each other for the right to take on a then-undefeatable Democratic U.S. Sen. Alan Dixon. In that primary, 570,661 Republicans cast ballots. Worse strategically for Republicans has been the gradual erosion of GOP votes in suburban Cook County and the collar counties surrounding Democrat-heavy Chicago in the last dozen years, the state elections board figures show. Once the base of Republicanism in Illinois, DuPage, Kane, Lake, Will and McHenry counties have become increasingly Democratic in recent years as the GOP has turned further rightward. The state GOP’s base is now firmly outside the Chicago area, where fewer voters live. In 2014, when Bruce Rauner won a heavily contested GOP primary en route to his single term as governor and served as the last Republican elected to statewide office, suburban Cook and the collar counties accounted for 424,483 Republican ballots or 51% of the statewide GOP total. But four years later, suburban Cook and the collars fell to 47% of the statewide GOP primary vote, and in 2022, the region dropped to 43% of the statewide Republican turnout. In March, the suburban vote, a key region for any candidate to win a statewide race, had fallen to only 39% of Illinois’ GOP primary total. “You can draw a direct line, in my opinion, from Donald Trump into the demise of the Illinois Republican Party because Donald Trump’s message never has and never will sell in the suburbs,” said Pat Brady, a former state GOP chairman from 2009-2013. “I think they’ve abandoned my notion of traditional conservatism for Trumpism, which is populism, and they’ve bought all in, and so whatever Trump says or does, they agree with, and they’re not going to change their minds, no matter what he does, and that has decimated the Illinois Republican Party,” he said. Brady said he was “optimistic” that the GOP nationally would move in a different direction, toward traditional conservatism and away from Trump’s “Make America Great Again” posture, after the president’s term ends in 2029. “But if the party is looking for another Donald Trump, we’re going to be in the same boat in Illinois going forward as we have been for the last dozen years,” he said.)
— Subjects in Park Forest documentary share stories of town’s racial ‘Utopia’ era. DD: I attended eighth grade at Hope Lutheran Grade School in Park Forest 1961-1962. I delivered mail in Park Forest 1966-1969. I collected delinquent federal taxes in Park Forest 1972-1973. I owned a townhome in Park Forest South (now University Park) 1972-1984.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/17/park-forest-documentary-racial-utopia-era/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/05/18/ald-jessie-fuentes-lawsuit-federal-government-immigration-raid-abuse-operation-midway-blitz

DAILY HERALD
— Justice Department announces a $1.7B fund to compensate Trump allies in a deal to drop IRS suit. DD: To get rid of me, my Democrat IRS superiors a) disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974, b) got rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974, c) ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning an MBA in 1976, d) disallowed my education deductions in 1978, e) ignored/dismissed/belittled my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, and f) refused to promote me beyond GS-12.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260518/nation-and-world-politics/trump-moves-to-dismiss-10b-suit-against-the-internal-revenue-service-over-leak-of-tax-returns/

NBC5
— DD: Anticipate/expect that Pritzker will run for President.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/pritzker-asked-about-possible-white-house-run-opposition-to-trump-in-new-interview/3937154/

RIVER BENDER
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Iran against America.
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/duckworth-warns-trumps-iran-tactics-risk-a-forever-war-93478.cfm?

CHICAGO MAGAZINE
— Pritzker Isn’t Thinking About Running for President (or so he says)
https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/june-july-2026/jb-pritzkers-moment/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/05/18/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-527/
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/05/18/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-739/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— ICE relied on ‘honor system’ to track illegal immigrants from Biden’s catch-and-release
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/18/ice-relied-honor-system-track-illegal-immigrants-bidens-catch-release/
— Republican voters want team players. Those who run divergent to MAGA agenda face party expulsion. DD: Jim Ryan backers continue to destroy me because I backed Pat O’Malley in the 2002 Republican gubernatorial primary.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/18/republican-voters-want-team-players/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— New York Times Blames Jews For Antisemitism—In Obituary of ADL Chief Abe Foxman
https://freebeacon.substack.com/p/new-york-times-blames-jews-for-antisemitismin

AMERICAN GREATNESS
— Supreme Court May Agree to Hear a First Amendment Case Against District 211. A teacher’s firing over off-duty Facebook posts has reached SCOTUS, exposing how a politicized school board used “disruption” claims to punish dissent.
https://amgreatness.com/2026/05/18/supreme-court-may-agree-to-hear-a-first-amendment-case-against-district-211/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Illinois’ worst school board member, District 211’s arrogant leftist Kim Cavill, may finally be getting what she so richly deserves: infamy on the national level. Her name has come up in a case being considered by the Supreme Court of the United States.)

AMERICAN THINKER
— Systemic racism is real; the ‘system’ is the Democrat Party.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/05/systemic_racism_is_real_the_system_is_the_democrat_party.html
— The climate scam is fueled by stupidity more than fraud.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/05/the_climate_scam_is_fueled_by_stupidity_more_than_fraud.html
— Major victory against the abomination of child transgenderism
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/05/major_victory_against_the_abomination_of_child_transgenderism.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Trump: Massie ‘must be thrown out of office’  DD: I have survived as a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999. I have survived as the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000. I survived as the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks 2005-2021. I survived as the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman 2005-2012. I survived as an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5882724-donald0-trump-targets-thomas-massie-primary/

CNN
— DD: the Democrat Party and its mainstream news media exist to drive Trump’s poll numbers down.
https://www.cnn.com/polling/approval/trump-cnn-poll-of-polls

POLITICO
— Trump settles $10B lawsuit against IRS over leaked tax returns. DD: To get rid of me, my Democrat IRS superiors a) disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974, b) got rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974, c) ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning an MBA in 1976, d) disallowed my education deductions in 1978, e) ignored/dismissed/belittled my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, and f) refused to promote me beyond GS-12.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/18/trump-irs-lawsuit-settlement-00925801

May 18, 2026

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Republican Precinct Committeemen (RPC) elect Illinois Republican Party (IRP) State Central Committee (SCC) members who elect IRP chairmen. I have been a RPC since 1999. QUESTION: What information should each of the 17 IRP SCC members have provided directly to each of the RPCs in their congressional district by now concerning their electing the next IRP chairman? ANSWER: The date, time, and location of the election. Who the candidates are. The candidates’ letter/document outlining their vision for the IRP, a list of the those who submitted letters of recommendations for them, and their biography and/or professional resume. The weighted vote that each IRP SCC member has. Who each candidate intends to pick for vice chairman, secretary, and treasurer. Most importantly, which candidate the IRP SCC member intends to vote for and why. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— I hope that by close of business today, all the RPCs in Illinois will receive an email from the IRP concerning the IRP chairman election that includes a) the name of winning candidate, b) how the weighted voting played out, c) a statement from the winning candidate, c) any statements from the losing candidates, and d) who the winning candidate wants to serve as vice chairman, secretary, and treasurer. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— QUESTIONS TO ASK THE IRP CHAIRMAN CANDIDATES: What would you do to improve IRP communication with RPCs? What do you say to those who want the IRP to be the “Democrat Lite Party?” What is your position on direct election of IRP SCC members? What is your position on Dave Diersen and his GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters? What is your position on Diersen being thrown off the 2024 IRP State Convention Platform and Resolutions Committee? – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY
— Thomas DeVore May 14, 2026 Posting
https://www.facebook.com/
(THE POSTING: In my opinion, what is happening inside the Illinois Republican Party right now is nothing short of an establishment takeover by a bunch of bad actors who hate grassroots conservatism. Behind the public statements and polished talking points, there is a coordinated effort underway by entrenched insiders, political operatives, donors, and career party figures to consolidate power, crush the grassroots movement, and sideline the conservatives who could actually build the energy behind the modern Illinois GOP. And at the center of this fight is the party chair vote. You must stop pretending this is some open, organic process driven purely by ideas and debate. Most grassroots Republicans already believe the outcome is being engineered behind closed doors by the same network of establishment figures who always seem to end up protecting each other while the base gets ignored. It is well accepted inside political circles that Rhonda Belford is all but certain to support Bob Grogan, not because grassroots conservatives in the 12th Congressional District demanded it, but because the pressure and influence surrounding this vote are being leveled on Belford. Remember that one of Belford’s four titles is the Illinois RNC committee member.  She’s in Florida right now on a trip that costs thousands. The reality nobody wants to say out loud is that national party politics are expensive. RNC involvement requires travel, appearances, conferences, donor events, dinners, and constant participation in a political world built around money and access. That system naturally creates dependency on the people willing and able to finance it and when a person like Belford who naturally can’t afford it, it opens the door for donor influence. And within Illinois Republican circles, Eloise Gerson is widely viewed as one of the people eager to wield financial influence on anyone she can rope in. That matters because when political survival and continued access depend on wealthy benefactors, independence becomes very difficult. People can dance around that fact all they want, but grassroots Republicans are not stupid. They understand how influence works. They understand how loyalty is cultivated. And they understand why certain votes suddenly become “inevitable” long before they ever happen publicly. I believe Rhonda Belford knows exactly where the power structure wants her vote to go, and I believe defying that structure would come with political consequences she has no interest in facing. An unhappy Eloise Gerson could spell financial problems for a modest Belford who doesn’t have an extra $30-$40K a year to travel the nation and attending events with national political figures. You picking up what I’m laying down here? But this is bigger than Rhonda Belford. The real issue is the growing establishment machine forming around Bob Grogan, Jeanne Ives, Jason Plummer, Tony McCombie, and the network of insiders who appear determined to regain total control over the Illinois Republican Party apparatus. Grassroots conservatives should not ignore what is happening here. This is not merely a disagreement over leadership style. This is a battle over whether the Illinois GOP will belong to Republican voters or to a handful of connected insiders, donors, consultants, and power brokers who believe they are entitled to run the party from the top down. The Bailey-DeMar movement terrified the establishment because it proved the grassroots could organize outside the control of the traditional power structure. Ever since Dabrowski lost, there has been a clear effort to neutralize, isolate, and marginalize conservative grassroots wing of the party while reasserting establishment dominance. Maybe the establishment succeeds. Maybe Grogan gets the votes. Maybe the insiders lock down the machinery once again. But if that happens, grassroots Republicans should at least understand exactly what they are watching: not a movement driven by principle, but a consolidation of power driven by influence, access, and political self-preservation. This will all but guarantee more Republican losses and a continued path to political irrelevance!)
— Thomas DeVore May 14, 2026 Posting
(FROM THE POSTING: I’ve recently began warning people that State Senator Jason Plummer has been working behind the scenes to undermine the grassroots movement rising up inside Illinois Republican politics. And the deeper you look, the more obvious the network becomes. Take Bob Grogan. Plummer and Grogan have known each other for years. Plummer appointed Grogan to the board of Constitution Bank, Plummer’s bank, despite the fact that Grogan lives hours away in northern Illinois. People don’t drive across the state to sit on small-town bank boards unless there’s a close political and personal alliance involved. Then there’s the Dabrowski campaign. While Plummer served as chair, Bob Grogan was made treasurer; therefore, putting one of Plummer’s closest allies in charge of the campaign finances and infrastructure. Again, the same names. The same inner circle. The same power structure. Now suddenly Grogan is being positioned as a potential Illinois Republican Party chairman right after the establishment operation in DuPage County shoved its way through internal party politics and maneuvering. Republicans are supposed to believe this is all organic? Please. This looks like a coordinated effort by Plummer to consolidate influence over every layer of Republican politics in Illinois campaigns, party leadership, donor networks, and institutional power. The grassroots movement threatens the old insider system, and the insiders are responding exactly how political machines always respond: by tightening control and elevating loyalists. Republicans need to wake up to what’s happening here. This isn’t about reform. It isn’t about unity. It’s about power, who controls it, who keeps it, and who gets shut out. And from my perspective Jason Plummer appears to be right in the middle of it.)
— Illinois Freedom Caucus May 17, 2026 Posting
https://www.facebook.com/
(THE POSTING: Tomorrow, the State Central Committee will vote on who should be the Chair of the Illinois Republican Party. The grassroots deserve real Republicans. We’re not here to endorse a candidate – rather something much more important. We’re here to endorse ideals, principles and the Republican Party Platform. Whoever is going to lead the party must: – Believe, firmly, in the conservative principles and ideals that make us REPUBLICANS, – Be unafraid to call out leaders and elected representatives of the party when they sell out the good people of this state by voting for things such as tax increases, the green bad deal, woke education mandates and other items that violate Republican principles, – REJECT woke, immoral, blood money from organizations like the teachers unions that seek to indoctrinate and exploit our children. If someone cannot commit to these values, then they should not be chairing a party that represents the interests of working families, taxpayers, and small businesses.)
— Beth Findley Smith April 17 Posting
https://www.facebook.com/
(FROM THE POSTING: Recently, many people have asked me “what the heck is an SCC?” I thought I’d post some information to clarify the ILGOP structure. The Illinois Republican Party has a fairly structured, top-down leadership system—but it’s built on local participation at the base. Here’s a clear breakdown of how it works: Top Level: State Party Leadership State Party Chair Leads the ILGOP day-to-day Acts as the public face of the party  Hires staff, coordinates statewide campaigns, and fundraising  State Central Committee (SCC): Made up of one State Central Committeeman and Deputy (opposite sexes) from each of Illinois’ 17 congressional districts (34 total members). Elected at the County Convention 29 days after the Primary. The Deputy is appointed later. The SCC: Sets party direction and strategy  Oversees operations and finances  Elects the State Party Chair  These are your direct link between: grassroots voters, county organizations, and the state party  County Level  Each county has its own Republican organization: Led by a County Chairman  Governed by a County Central Committee  Who makes up the County Central Committee? Precinct Committeepersons (PCs) These are elected (or sometimes appointed) at the precinct level (elected in the primary) They vote on: County leadership  Local endorsements  Filling vacancies for certain offices  Precinct Level (The Grassroots)  This is the foundation of everything: Precinct Committeepersons  Represent voters in a small geographic area  Recruit candidates and volunteers  Get out the vote (GOTV)  Communicate voter concerns upward  If the grassroots are active, the whole party is stronger. If not, everything above gets disconnected. How It All Connects  Think of it like a chain: Voters → Precinct Committeepersons → County Party → State Central Committee → State Party Leadership  Ideally: Information flows UP (grassroots concerns)  Support/resources flow DOWN (strategy, funding, messaging))

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/18/ice-detains-chicago-public-schools-senior/

DAILY HERALD
— Trump supporters gather for ‘silent majority’ rally in McHenry County
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260517/nation-and-world-politics/trump-supporters-gather-for-silent-majority-rally-in-mchenry-county/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Power Families of Chicago: Uihlein
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics-policy/ccb-most-powerful-families-uihlein-20260518/
— Chicago power families: Who holds influence now
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/nonprofits-philanthropy/ccb-most-powerful-families-intro-20260518/

NORTHWEST HERALD
— Trump supporters gather for ‘silent majority’ rally in McHenry. The rally coincided with the White House’s National Day of Prayer in D.C.
https://www.shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/2026/05/17/trump-supporters-gather-for-silent-majority-rally-in-mchenry/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Black leaders and the redistricting divide
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/05/18/illinois-black-leaders-and-the-redistricting-divide-00925683

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— Illinois Taxes Are Being Used to Celebrate Homosexuality
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/05/12/illinois-taxes-are-being-used-to-celebrate-homosexuality

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— QUESTION: Why do pollical parities and their organizations exist? ANSWER: To help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Illinois Republican Party (IRP) exists to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance its IRP platform. The platform is conservative. I served as the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman 2005-2012. During that time, I invited speakers for all 78 of the organization’s monthly meetings, August picnics, and December Christmas parties. I routinely took the chairman’s prerogative and asked candidates who spoke at those events the first question after they spoke. I asked them if it would be correct to say that if elected, they would defend and advance all the planks in the IRP platform. Of course, the more planks in the IRP platform that they rejected, the more furious that they were against me. The more planks in the IRP platform that Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders rejected, the more that they rejected my invitations to speak. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— QUESTION: Which planks in the Republican Party platform do RINOs most commonly reject? ANSWER: Personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and/or equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving). – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— In Illinois, ever-increasingly, leaders make it clear that their top priority is advancing those who are liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, LGBTQ, unmarried, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time. To do that is to discriminate against those who are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, heterosexual, married, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. The aforesaid destroys meritocracy and destroys everything else. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Kathy Salvi, Bob Grogan, Scott Gryder, and Lawrence Stowe are candidates for IRP chairman. The 17 IRP State Central Committee (SCC) members will cast their weighted votes today, Monday, May 18, in Springfield. The three IRP SCC members with the greatest weighted vote are Zach Emberton (15th CD) with 16.5%, Rhonda Belford (12th CD) with 15.9%, and Jim Rule (16th CD) with 10.2%. Other IRP SCC members include Grogan (6th CD) with 5.9%, Aaron Del Mar (5th CD) with 3.3%, and Mike Flynn (3rd CD) with 2.7%. In 2005, as an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member, I organized a candidate forum in Springfield the evening before the day the IRP SCC elected Andy McKenna as the IRP chairman. Participants in that forum were John Cox, Stephen McGlynn, McKenna, and Jim Nalepa. Jim Oberweis wanted to participate, but could not. Back then, IRP SCC members let the candidates give their presentations in an open forum before they voted in a closed session. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Which of the four candidates for IRP chairman (Salvi, Grogan, Gryder, and Stowe) do you want your IRP SCC member to vote for and why? In my opinion, the IRP should publish on its website the candidates’ letter/document outlining their vision for the IRP, a list of the those who submitted letters of recommendation for them, and their biography and/or professional resume. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— How could a registered Republican voter in Illinois have input on the May 18 IRP SCC chairman election? One route would be providing input to their Republican Precinct Committeeman (RPC) who would provide that input it to his/her IRP SCC member. RPCs elect IRP SCC members. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— According to Google AI, serving as the chairman of a political organization is a thankless job. I survived for 7 years as the chairman of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois 2005-2012. During that time, I invited speakers for all 78 of the organization’s monthly meetings, August picnics, and December Christmas parties. I should list all those who spoke at those events. My critics/opponents always demonized, denigrated, and condemned those who spoke at those events. To end my TAPROOT chairmanship and to destroy TAPROOT in 2012, my critics/opponents had their TAPROOT officers and their TAPROOT directors charge me with gross incompetence. They argued/shouted that anyone could do a better job of heading TAPROOT than I did. Previously, to end my membership on the Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) Steering Committee (SC) and to destroy ICRC in 2007, they almost got their ICRC SC members to get ICRC to censure me for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters in 2006. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on IRP SCC members since 1999. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

AMERICAN THINKER
— Seattle contemplates a state of emergency because of red state LGBTQ migrants
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/05/seattle_contemplates_a_state_of_emergency_because_of_red_state_lgbtq_migrants.html

TOWNHALL
— The GOP’s Midterm Reversal of Fortune
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2026/05/18/the-gops-midterm-reversal-of-fortune-n2676169

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

AOL
— DD: My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty. They have their operatives and their dupes destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate/dominate b) who refuse to glorify and praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money.
https://www.aol.com/articles/fbi-veteran-claims-kash-patel-173044000.html

USA TODAY
— DD: My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty. They have their operatives and their dupes destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate/dominate b) who refuse to glorify and praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/05/18/trump-massie-revenge-republican-kentucky-primary/90058239007/

SEATTLE TIMES
— DD: My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty. They have their operatives and their dupes destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate/dominate b) who refuse to glorify and praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money.
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/cassidy-tried-to-get-along-with-trump-after-his-impeachment-vote-retribution-came-anyway/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Career: You need sponsors more than mentors. DD: My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors got rid of my sponsors. My Democrat IRS superiors got rid of my IRS sponsor who promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. My Democrat GAO superiors got rid of my GAO sponsor who arranged for my transfer from IRS in 1980 and was finally able to assign me to audits of IRS in 1986 and to promote me in 1986.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/no-one-cares-about-your-gpa-and-more-career-advice-for-new-grads-2696c174
FROM THE ARTICLE: These terms sound similar, but “there’s a difference,” researcher Emily Riley told me when we discussed her study of women who have cracked the top 1% of U.S. earners. The distinction comes down to advocacy. Mentors dispense good advice. Sponsors lobby for you to get that stretch assignment or promotion. “Mentorship is valuable because you always want to learn, but sponsorship is really where the power lives,” Riley says.)

May 15, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— US students performing worse in school than 10 years ago. DD: Democrats run education in America.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/us-students-performing-worse-school-10-years-ago-education-scorecard-researchers-harvard-stanford-dartmouth/19101276/

CBS2
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more abortion.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/supreme-court-preserves-access-to-abortion-pill/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DuPage County approves a 35% raise for its board chair. Taxpayers should ask why.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/15/dupage-county-deb-conroy-raises-illinois-legislature/
— DD: Democrat leaders know that they cannot win elections unless the racially gerrymander.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/14/south-suburban-black-leaders-southern-redistricting/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with America’s enemies against America.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/15/column-defense-budget-pete-hegseth-shackelford/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Has Facebook begun the long slide toward ruin?
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/05/14/facebook-popularity-decline-meta-mark-zuckerberg
— DD: To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly give Blacks more preference. To keep my Black subordinate from leaving GAO, my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire and gave him my job and my preferred corner office. He had less education than I had, he had less work experience than I had, he had one professional certification while I had six, and he had no professional license like the one I had.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/05/14/redistricting-black-white-voters-democrat-republican-trump-s-e-cupp

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Algonquin-based Community Unit District 300 is being sued by a parent who claims her constitutional rights were violated when the district aided her child’s gender transition without parental involvement. The lawsuit was filed this week in federal court on behalf of the mother of a high school student. DD: In your school district, how strongly do Democrat teachers push LGBTQ?
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260514/news/parent-sues-district-300-over-students-gender-transition/

DURBIN
— Durbin Speaks Against Extreme, Unqualified Trump U.S. Attorney Nominees. DD: GAO works for Congress. Durbin was one of my U.S. Senators when my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. Of course, Durbin did not speak out against that. My Democrat GAO superiors gave my job to my Democrat Black subordinate who had less education than I had, who had less work experience than I had, who had one professional certification while I had six, and who had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/videos/view/durbin-speaks-against-extreme-unqualified-trump-us-attorney-nominees

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Dems fine-tune midterm message
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/05/14/illinois-democrats-midterm-message-00922460

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/05/14/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-525/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

NEWS TALK ST. LOUIS
— Dabrowski on gerrymandering, jobs and outmigration in Illinois
https://omny.fm/shows/newstalk-stl/ted-dabrowski-of-wirepoints-5-12-2026

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— According to Google AI, Trump exhibits hostility toward federal employees. Federal employees are demonized, denigrated, and condemned as being lazy, incompetent, and grossly overpaid. How hostile are you toward federal employees and retirees? My critics/opponents have always been hostile toward federal employees and retirees. I was cursed as being a postal employee 1966-1969, an IRS employee 1971-1980, and a GAO employee 1980-1997. I have been cursed as being a federal retiree since 1997. In my defense, I would not have become a postal employee in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to take the postal employment test with him. I would not have become an IRS employee in 1971 if my Firestone Store boss had not fired me because I had accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile, an offer that Oldsmobile withdrew saying it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. I would not have become a GAO employee in 1980 if my Democrat IRS superiors had not made it clear that they would never promote me to GS-13. Further, my Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government were always hostile toward me because I am a Republican, because I avoided the Vietnam War draft, and because I benefitted from rights that federal employees have to transfer between federal agencies. Further, while I worked for the Democrats who ran IRS, I worked for their Collection Division. IRS employees who work for other IRS divisions look down on IRS Collection Division employees. Further, while I worked the Democrats who ran GAO, they stressed that GAO is part of the legislative branch. They looked down on executive branch employees like I had been for almost 12 years. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Chicago drug store closure is another case study in Leftist failure.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4568031/chicago-drug-store-closure-case-study-leftist-failure/
— One in five Fairfax County residents is an illegal immigrant or lives with one.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/4568989/fairfax-county-illegal-immigrants-david-bier-cato-institute/
— DD: My critics/opponents hint/imply/argue/shout at those who are the following that conservatives cause all their problems: liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, poor, LGBTQ, unmarried, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or are noncitizen.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/conservatives-must-embrace-personal-responsibility-and-reject-victimhood/ar-AA231zZA

CITY JOURNAL
— Straight White Males Strongly Encouraged Not to Apply
https://www.city-journal.org/article/straight-white-males-strongly-encouraged-not-to-apply

COLLEGE FIX
— White males need not apply: Universities continue to hire faculty that meet diversity quotas
https://www.thecollegefix.com/white-males-need-not-apply-universities-continue-hire-faculty-meet-diversity-quotas/
— 6 to 1: Democratic speakers dominate 2026 commencement stages at Top 100 universities.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/democrats-outnumber-graduation-speakers-6-to-1/

DAILY CITIZEN
— SPLC Has Been Poisoning Pupils’ Minds for Years
https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/the-splc-has-been-poisoning-pupils-minds-for-years/

DAILY SIGNAL
— It’s All According to Plan: Protesters Target Jewish Area in Mamdani’s NYC
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/05/14/protesters-target-jewish-mamdanist/

FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— DOJ Targets Criminals and Terror Suspects for Denaturalization
https://www.fairus.org/legislation/executive/doj-targets-criminals-and-terror-suspects-denaturalization

FOX NEWS
— Hundreds of criminals now UNTRACEABLE in Illinois. Cook County officials admitted they lost track of hundreds of people on electronic monitoring systems, including 21 charged with murder.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6395547655112

EPOCH TIMES
— The Age of Cultural Tribalism Has Begun. Why We’ve Become Increasingly Siloed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qov9Ukqb3RE

INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY STUDIES
— Modern Marriage. DD: I owe my successes in life to my parents and to their traditional marriage.
https://ifstudies.org/blog/modern-marriage-for-our-kids

NATIONAL REVIEW
— DEI or DIE: White Males Need Not Apply
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/dei-or-die-white-males-need-not-apply/

NEW AMERICAN
— SCOTUS Redistricting Decision Just Ended Affirmative Action — for House Democrats
https://thenewamerican.com/us/scotus-redistricting-decision-just-ended-affirmative-action-for-house-democrats/

USA FACTS
— Immigrants were 18.9% of employed workers in Illinois in 2024. Immigrants are defined as foreign-born residents, including those who became US citizens, are authorized to work in the US, or are undocumented residents. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have.
https://usafacts.org/answers/what-percent-of-the-workforce-in-the-us-are-immigrants/state/illinois/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— Trump promised to hold 30,000 migrants at Guantanamo. A year later, it’s mostly empty.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-guantanamo-bay-migrants/

MSN
— Gita Gopinath slams all-male US-China summit
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/end-of-meritocracy-gita-gopinath-slams-all-male-us-china-summit/ar-AA23c8Hu
— DD: Those who speak for Democrats ever-increasingly make it clear that Democrats hate Republicans and especially Republicans who are conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/reid-claims-america-was-built-by-weak-chinned-mediocre-white-men/ss-AA23b1HG

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Iran against America.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/opinion/trump-arrives-china-xi-beijing.html
— DD: Yale medical school favors Black applicants. My Democrat GAO superiors favored my Black subordinate. They forced me to retire and gave him my job and my preferred corner office. He had less education than I had, he had less work experience than I had, he had one professional certification while I had six, and he had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/us/politics/doj-lawsuit-yale-medical.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly replace those in America who have demographics that vote for Republicans with those who have demographics that vote for Democrats. Demographics that vote for Republicans: conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, married, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Demographics that vote for Democrats: liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, poor, unmarried, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/05/14/redistricting-census-shed-light-democrats-immigration-stand/
— Why the U.S. job market is so hard, especially for recent college graduates. DD: When you earned your bachelor’s degree, what harmed your job search? For me, it was potential employers seeing me as being draft bait. They did not believe that my application for a financial hardship draft deferment would be approved. Further, potential employers were under tremendous pressure from Democrat elected officials to hire Democrats who were minority, female, and/or veteran and I was none of the aforesaid. Consequently, I accepted the only job offer that I got. But it was for a job that did not really require a college degree.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/05/13/why-us-job-market-is-so-hard-recent-college-graduates/

USA TODAY
— DD: According to Democrats and to RINOs, when Whites and males do better than minorities and females, it is because Whites and males discriminate against minorities and females.  Virtually all their employees who my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors assigned me to supervise were Democrats who were minority and/or female. They blamed me for all the problems that my subordinates had.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/05/14/trump-dei-crackdown-fewer-women-boardroom/90069767007/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that Jesus is a liberal Democrat who hates those who are conservative, Republicans, American, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/05/13/catholic-church-fights-border-wall-on-sacred-mountain/90062506007/

WSJ
— The Congressional Pension Racket
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-congressional-pension-racket-b2fd3eac

FORBES
— 10 Scholarships And Grants For Adults Going Back To School. DD: I went back to school when I was 23 in 1972. I started taking graduate evening business courses at Loyola. But by then, it was too late.
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/student-loans/scholarships-for-adults/

GAO
— DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, those who are the following will be ever-increasingly under-represented: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, married, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106320

LAW & LIBERTY
— Embracing the American Family. DD: I owe my successes in life to my parents and to their traditional marriage.
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/why-the-decline-of-marriage-matters/

BROOKINGS
— DD: My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to earn a) a job-related bachelor’s degree, b) three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. But according to my critics/opponents, I was able to accomplish the aforesaid because I benefitted from discrimination against those who are liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, LGBTQ, unmarried, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-sequence-of-personal-responsibility/

CATO
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.cato.org/testimony/fairfax-virginia-highlights-the-value-of-immigration-to-the-country

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

HINDUSTAN TIMES
— Gita Gopinath calls out lack of female representation at US-China high-level talks. Gita Gopinath’s post about the all-male Xi-Trump meet has gone viral.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/us/gita-gopinath-calls-out-lack-of-female-representation-at-us-china-high-level-talks-101778819282136-amp.html

GUARDIAN
— Photo of US-China delegation criticized over absence of women: ‘masculine, militarized and exclusionary.’  ‘Backward’ photo panned for display of patriarchy, signaling that ‘women’s voices don’t matter in shaping global order.’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/14/us-china-delegation-photo-no-women

ECONOMIST
— The Republican Party has lurched towards populism and illiberalism. DD: My critics/opponents in the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization would love it if I would leave the Republican Party and join the Conservative Party of Illinois. SEE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Party_(United_States)#Illinois
https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/10/31/the-republican-party-has-lurched-towards-populism-and-illiberalism

May 13, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Former Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas fined $214,000 by ethics board for campaign finance violations
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/12/former-chicago-mayoral-candidate-paul-vallas-fined-214000-by-ethics-board-for-campaign-finance-violations/

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH PICTURE: Kane County tax bill angering some residents, but it’s not why you think
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260512/news/kane-county-tax-bill-angering-some-residents-but-its-not-why-you-think/

WBEZ
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/05/13/many-illinois-public-colleges-fail-to-follow-law-to-protect-immigrant-students-from-federal-agents-on-campus

NORTHERN PUBLIC RADIO
— DD: For Democrats, education exists to crank out good little Democrats. If my parents had not sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools, I would not have been able 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.northernpublicradio.org/wnij-news/2026-05-12/in-illinois-everyone-wants-higher-education-reform-but-disagree-on-what-reform-looks-like

ELMHURST UNIVERSITY
— A Guide to Getting Financial Aid for Graduate School. DD: If you earned a master’s degree, where did the money come from? For my 1976 MBA from Loyola, it came from what I earned working for IRS 1972-1976. For my 1980 master’s degree in accounting from DePaul, it came from what I earned working for IRS 1976 -1980 and for GAO in 1980. For my 1997 master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT, it came from what I earned working for GAO 1992-1997.
https://www.elmhurst.edu/blog/a-guide-to-getting-financial-aid-for-graduate-school/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/05/13/pritzker-to-feds-hit-send-already-00917897

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/05/13/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-736/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Kathy Salvi, Bob Grogan, Scott Gryder, and Lawrence Stowe are candidates for Illinois Republican Party (IRP) chairman. The 17 IRP State Central Committee (SCC) members will cast their weighted votes on Monday, May 18, in Springfield. The three IRP SCC members with the greatest weighted vote are Zach Emberton (15th CD) with 16.5%, Rhonda Belford (12th CD) with 15.9%, and Jim Rule (16th CD) with 10.2%. Other IRP SCC members include Grogan (6th CD) with 5.9%, Aaron Del Mar (5th CD) with 3.3%, and Mike Flynn (3rd CD) with 2.7%.  Which candidate will your IRP SCC member vote for and why? In 2005, as an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member, I organized a candidate forum in Springfield the evening before the day the IRP SCC elected Andy McKenna as the IRP chairman. Participants in that forum were John Cox, Stephen McGlynn, McKenna, and Jim Nalepa. Jim Oberweis wanted to participate, but could not. Back then, IRP SCC members let the candidates give their presentations in an open forum before they voted in a closed session. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— The following was posted on the Illinois Republican Party’s (IRP) Facebook page on May 4, 2026 by IRP State Central Committee member Beth Findley Smith: “IF YOU WANT THE CHAIRMAN APPLICATION MATERIALS, I WILL EMAIL THEM TO YOU. The Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee will convene on Monday, May 18, 2026, for its reorganizational meeting. During this meeting, the Committee will elect a Chairman. Individuals interested in being considered for the position are invited to submit the required materials outlined below. All application materials must be submitted to Matt Janes, Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party, at Matt@illinois.gop no earlier than Monday May 4th, 2026 at 9:00 AM CT and no later than Sunday, May 10, 2026, at 11:59 PM CT. This deadline is firm and necessary to allow sufficient time for Committee review. Applicants may be invited to address the Committee. Applicants must provide the following: Completed and signed the Ethics Disclosure Form portion of this application. Provide a certified copy of your voting history. A letter/document outlining the applicant’s vision for the Illinois Republican Party. Provide a letter of recommendation from an elected Republican official who resides in Illinois. Any elected Republican who appears on a partisan ballot is eligible to serve as a recommendation (There is no limit on the number that may be submitted). If you have any questions on eligibility, please contact ILGOP Executive Director Matt Janes. Provide a biography and/or professional resume. In addition, all applicants must consent to a background check as a condition of consideration. Please ensure that all materials are submitted in full by the stated deadline.”
— Which of the four candidates for Illinois Republican Party (IRP) chairman (Kathy Salvi, Bob Grogan, Scott Gryder, and Lawrence Stowe) do you want your IRP State Central Committee member to vote for and why? In my opinion, the IRP should publish the candidates’ letter/document outlining their vision for the IRP, a list of the those who submitted letters of recommendation for them, and their biography and/or professional resume. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— How could a registered Republican voter in Illinois have input on the May 18 Illinois Republican Party (IRP) State Central Committee (SCC) chairman election? One route could be providing input to your Republican Precinct Committeeman who would provide it to his IRP SCC member. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Since 2000, ever-increasingly, my critics/opponents have blamed me for losses suffered by Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on past and present a) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Illinois Republican Party, b) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct, d) Republican political consultants, fundraisers, major doners, pollsters, campaign managers, campaign staff members, and campaign volunteers, e) conservative leaders, and f) religious leaders. Of course, if Grogan does not win on May 18, Grogan promoters who are the aforesaid will blame me. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What do your critics/opponents charge you with the most? My critics/opponents charge me the most with being “too conservative.” According to them, Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct lose elections because I paint them in my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters as being more conservative than they want to be. According to my critics/opponents, to win elections in Illinois, Republican candidates have to be “Democrat Lite,” that is, they have to dump the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving), and other planks in the Republican Party platform. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Ever since my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, to discourage/stop me from running for a government office or for a political office, my critics/opponents in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois have done everything that they could to destroy me. They most feared that I would run for DuPage County Auditor a) because I had worked for GAO as an Analyst for almost 18 years, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year, b) because I had worked for IRS for almost 9 years before that, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, c) because had I passed the CPA examination and the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt, d) because I had become a licensed CPA, e) because I had become a certified fraud examiner, government financial manager, financial services auditor, and forensic accountant, and f) because I had master’s degrees in business, accounting, and finance. I should write about my critics/opponents in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois and the many big adverse actions that have had their operatives and their dupes take against me. Of course, they ignore/dismiss/belittle/badmouth what I did to help elect and to help reelect Jim Rasins and Bob Grogan as DuPage County Auditors. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What do your critics/opponents do? My critics/opponents have their operatives and their dupes destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate/dominate b) who refuse to glorify and praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What do your critics/opponents demand? My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty. My critics/opponents want to manipulate/dominate everything. My critics/opponents want me to stop sending out my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters. Failing that, they want to stop everyone from reading my newsletters.  According to my critics/opponents, my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters cause Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct to lose. I should start naming my critics/opponents and start writing about them. I would start with my critics/opponents who have had their operatives and their dupes take the biggest adverse actions against me lately. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Registration is open for political entries in Wheaton’s July 4 Independence Day Parade. SEE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wheaton-independence-day-parade-entry-2026-tickets-1984881886153 The deadline is June 28. The cost is $183.58. I hope that all the Republican candidates on the ballot in my precinct will participate: Tracy, Bailey/Del Mar, Fioretti, Harris, Drew, Soloman, Oakley, Lewis, Vrankovich, Grasso, Noonan, Schiappa, Henry, Eckhoff, Michaud, Schultz, Quirk, and Helland. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Conservatives must embrace personal responsibility. DD: My critics/opponents reject personal responsibility. They blame those who are the following for their problems: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, married, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America longer than their ancestors.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/conservatives-must-embrace-personal-responsibility-and-reject-victimhood/ar-AA231zZA

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Chicago Walgreens shuts doors over theft, reveals eye-popping number
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/05/12/chicago-walgreens-shuts-doors-over-theft-reveals-eye-popping-number-1638430/

DAILY SIGNAL
— The Intifada Comes to Brooklyn Under New York’s Socialist Mayor
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/05/12/intifada-brooklyn-new-york/
— What’s Behind the Demonization of Israel?
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/05/12/hanson-demonization-israel/

FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— Anti-ICE ‘Protests’ are Propaganda Disguised as Citizen Activism
https://www.fairus.org/anti-ice-protests-are-propaganda-disguised-citizen-activism
— Twenty-Five Years After the Attacks of 9/11–Illegal Aliens Can Still Open U.S. Bank Accounts
https://www.fairus.org/fair-investigations-twenty-five-years-after-attacks-911-illegal-aliens-can-still-open-us-bank

NEWSMAX
— Republicans Shut Out in Deep Blue States. DD: I am ever-increasingly shut out in Wheaton, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois because I am conservative and because my demographics are terrible: Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and my ancestors have been in America since 1844.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/dan-meuser-supreme-court-map/2026/05/12/id/1256006/

TOWNHALL
— ICE Uncovered a Massive Immigration Fraud Scheme
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/josephchalfant/2026/05/12/ice-uncovered-a-massive-immigration-fraud-scheme-n2675971

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— DD: Democrat leaders know that they cannot win elections unless the racially gerrymander.
https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-republicans-voting-primaries-black-voters-c12196b188922ae2c03319bcb9533431

MSN
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/11-reasons-why-more-women-are-walking-away-from-men-and-marriage/ss-AA1YvbfS
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/why-many-young-people-no-longer-believe-in-marriage-or-long-term-commitment/ss-AA22NmTN
— US faces population collapse as birth rates hit record lows. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly replace those in America who have demographics that vote for Republicans with those who have demographics that vote for Democrats. Demographics that vote for Republicans: conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, married, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Demographics that vote for Democrats: liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, poor, unmarried, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/joe-rogan-warns-us-faces-population-collapse-as-birth-rates-hit-record-lows/gm-GMABCA8AB5

NEWSWEEK
— Turning Point USA Blamed for Election Losses. DD: Since 2000, ever-increasingly, my critics/opponents have blamed me for losses suffered by Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on past and present a) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Illinois Republican Party, b) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct, d) Republican political consultants, fundraisers, major doners, pollsters, campaign managers, campaign staff members, and campaign volunteers, e) conservative leaders, and f) religious leaders.
https://www.newsweek.com/turning-point-usa-blamed-for-election-losses-11803898

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Since 2000, ever-increasingly, my critics/opponents have blamed me for losses suffered by Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on past and present a) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Illinois Republican Party, b) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct, d) Republican political consultants, fundraisers, major doners, pollsters, campaign managers, campaign staff members, and campaign volunteers, e) conservative leaders, and f) religious leaders.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/us/politics/republicans-elections-trump.html
— DD: What do your critics/opponents demand? My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty. My critics/opponents want to manipulate/dominate everything. My critics/opponents want me to stop sending out my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters. Failing that, they want to stop everyone from reading my newsletters.  According to my critics/opponents, my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters cause Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct to lose. I should start naming my critics/opponents and start writing about them. I would start with my critics/opponents who have had their operatives and their dupes take the biggest adverse actions against me lately.
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/14/nyregion/aide-fired-by-christie-is-called-loyal-team-player-not-rogue-operative.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DOJ paid millions to FBI agents suspended for misconduct. DD: My Democrat superiors in the federal government always hinted/implied that my misconduct was the reason why they took so many big adverse actions against me.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/05/12/doj-paid-millions-fbi-agents-suspended-misconduct-raskin-says/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Are There Five Parties in America’s Future? DD: My critics/opponents are anti-conservative, curry favor with anti-conservatives, and/or pander to anti-conservatives. They have always wanted me to leave the Republican Party and join the Conservative Party. SEE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Party_(United_States)#Illinois
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/are-there-five-parties-in-americas-future-f1068d72
— FRONT PAGE: There Is a Fire Sale on MBAs. With applications down, more business schools are offering discounts. DD: If I had not been taking evening MBA courses at Loyola, the Democrats who ran IRS would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. But by the time I earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976, they had gotten rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me those three times. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning that MBA just like they ignored/dismissed/belittled my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. My Democrat coworkers who were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran and who they promoted over me earned no such master’s degrees or certifications.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/there-is-a-fire-sale-on-m-b-a-s-87d56c69
— Included in President Trump’s May 4 proclamation for Jewish American Heritage month was a call for Jewish-Americans to observe a “national Sabbath” from sundown on May 15 to nightfall on May 16. “Shabbat 250,” as it has been dubbed, precedes “Rededicate 250,” Mr. Trump’s coinciding national Christian prayer and worship event in Washington on May 17.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/shabbat-brings-out-our-better-angels-fe47ab12

VIRGINIA PATCH
— Here’s How Loudoun County Precincts Voted On State Redistricting. DD: I should write about how my critics/opponents gerrymandered my precinct in 2015.
https://patch.com/virginia/ashburn/heres-how-loudoun-county-precincts-voted-state-redistricting

AMERICAN PROSPECT
— DD: To get elected and to get reelected, Democrat candidates ever-increasingly call Republicans racists.
https://prospect.org/2026/05/13/trumps-appalling-racial-legacy/

May 12, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Secret Service runs specialized training in Illinois’ Lake County to help prevent targeted violence
https://abc7chicago.com/post/us-secret-service-runs-specialized-training-lake-county-illinois-help-prevent-school-shootings-other-targeted-violence/19083936/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Chicago Public Schools to cut teaching staff to help close $732.5 million deficit. DD: Democrat employers use budget cuts to get rid of their employees who are White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/12/chicago-public-schools-cut-teaching-staff-deficit/
— Pay raises set for DuPage County elected officials, including 35% bump for board chair
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/12/dupage-salary-increases-elected-offices-chair/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— CPS plans to cut teacher positions, raise class sizes in bid to shrink $732 million deficit. DD: Democrat employers use budget cuts to get rid of their employees who are White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2026/05/12/cps-plans-to-cut-teacher-positions-raise-class-sizes-in-bid-to-shrink-723-billion-deficit

KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE
— Kane County tax bill insert on treasurer’s accomplishments spurs complaints
https://www.shawlocal.com/kane-county-chronicle/2026/05/12/kane-county-tax-bill-insert-on-treasurers-accomplishments-spurs-complaints/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.shawlocal.com/kane-county-chronicle/2026/05/12/batavias-first-ever-cannabis-shop-celebrates-ribbon-cutting/

CHICAGO CRUSADER
— Illinois redistricting amendment subject to recent U.S. Supreme Court decision
https://chicagocrusader.com/illinois-house-votes-on-redistricting-amendment-illinois-house/

CWB CHICAGO
— Shoplifting surged 187% at South Side Walgreens before closure announcement
https://cwbchicago.com/2026/05/shoplifting-surged-187-at-south-side-walgreens-before-closure-announcement-city-data-shows.html

WHEATON PATCH
— Shoplifters Hit 2 Stores In Wheaton In 1 Week
https://patch.com/illinois/wheaton/shoplifters-hit-2-stores-wheaton-1-week

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/05/12/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-523/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Ex-rep Ives sues Pritzker, Illinois over race-based congressional map. Ives told The Center Square Daily that state Democrats have brazenly moved to draw maps based on racial lines.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_d5af3f75-f286-45df-8d70-a771bba4b22a.html

ILGOP GRASSROOTS FORUM
— The future leadership of the Illinois Republican Party will be decided Monday, May 18 in Springfield, when the Illinois Republican State Central Committee (SCC) votes for the next ILGOP Chair in a closed meeting. Each SCC member casts a weighted vote based on Republican performance in their congressional district, so every district has a voice in the process. (See the spreadsheet I made below.) The four announced candidates for Chair are: • Kathy Salvi (incumbent) • Bob Grogan • Scott Gryder • Lawrence Stowe If you have thoughts about the direction of the Illinois Republican Party, now is the time to contact your SCC member and make your voice heard. If you’re in my district, give me a call at 815-508-3717 or message me here. SCC contact information can be found here: https://illinois.gop/party-officials  Leadership matters. Fundraising matters. Candidate recruitment matters. Grassroots engagement matters. This vote will help shape the future of the Illinois GOP heading into the 2026 election and beyond. Chair is a 4-year term.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3334566549901981

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Pope Leo needs a history lesson on war and peace. Lincoln and Roosevelt used force to defeat slavery and Nazism.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/12/pope-leo-needs-history-lesson-war-peace/
— 5,000 churches claim sanctuary status from ICE warrantless arrests. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly invade, infest, infiltrate, conquer, and destroy churches. The Democrat Party platform is extremely anti-religious.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/12/5000-churches-claim-sanctuary-status-ice-warrantless-arrests/
— Secret Service says Trump ballroom would get $220 million, not $1 billion, for ‘hardening’ security
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/12/secret-service-says-trump-ballroom-would-get-220-million-not-1/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— College isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. Universities must slim down. DD: UIC would not have accepted me if I had not gotten an ACT score of 24 and graduated in the upper 20% of my class.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/4563367/college-isnt-for-everyone-universities-must-slim-down/

NEW YORK TIMES
— New York Times’ libelous campaign against Israel continues apace
https://nypost.com/2026/05/12/opinion/new-york-times-libelous-campaign-against-israel-continues-apace/

DAILY CALLER
— Trump Admin Says Globalist Org Drove Replacement Migration, Refuses To Take Part
https://dailycaller.com/2026/05/12/trump-state-department-rejects-un-replacement-migration/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly replace those in America who have demographics that vote for Republicans with those who have demographics that vote for Democrats. Demographics that vote for Republicans: conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, married, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Demographics that vote for Democrats: liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, poor, unmarried, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/05/12/trump-admin-state-department-twitter-great-replacement-theory-illegal-immigration/

FEDERALIST
— Election Integrity Group Challenges Illinois’ ‘Unconstitutional’ Racial Gerrymandering Law
https://thefederalist.com/2026/05/12/election-integrity-group-challenges-illinois-unconstitutional-racial-gerrymandering-law/
— It’s Time For Reparations For Taxpayers Forced To Pay Reparations. DD: Affirmative Action and DEI are reparations.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/05/12/its-time-for-reparations-for-taxpayers-forced-to-pay-reparations/

NEWSMAX
— Republicans Shut Out in Deep Blue States
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/dan-meuser-supreme-court-map/2026/05/12/id/1256006/

NUMBERS USA
— Sanctuary Policies Are Undermining Enforcement and Inviting the Next Surge
https://www.numbersusa.com/blog/sanctuary-policies-are-undermining-enforcement-and-inviting-the-next-surge/

TOWNHALL
— The Missouri Supreme Court Just Solidified a Republican Redistricting Victory
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/josephchalfant/2026/05/12/the-missouri-supreme-court-just-solidified-a-republican-redistricting-move-n2675976

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NEWSWEEK
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly replace those in America who have demographics that vote for Republicans with those who have demographics that vote for Democrats. Demographics that vote for Republicans: conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, married, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Demographics that vote for Democrats: liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, poor, unmarried, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://www.newsweek.com/us-rejects-un-migration-replacement-claims-11939723

KWQC
— Duckworth pushes for job protections at Rock Island Arsenal. DD: Assigning me to an audit at the Rock Island Arsenal in 1989 was part of my Democrat GAO superiors’ plan to get of me.
https://www.kwqc.com/video/2026/05/12/duckworth-pushes-job-protections-rock-island-arsenal/

WFMD
— SPLC’s far-left curriculum found in classrooms as early as kindergarten
https://www.wfmd.com/2026/05/12/exclusive-splcs-far-left-anti-racism-curriculum-found-in-classrooms-as-early-as-kindergarten-watchdog/

SALON
— DD: To win, Democrats have to racially gerrymander.
https://www.salon.com/2026/05/12/gerrymandering-cant-fix-the-gops-voter-problem/

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR
— DD: Democrat employers use DEI training to promote hatred against Republicans.
https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/employment-law/federal-court-tosses-white-employees-hostile-work-environment-claim-over-dei-training/574959