FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Chicago Cubs warn Crosstown Classic attendees about behavior after fight breaks out in bleachers.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-cubs-white-sox-game-today-north-side-team-warns-fans-disruptive-behavior-will-not-tolerated-fight-breaks/19699019/
— 7 teens shot, 1 fatally, in separate shootings across Chicago.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shooting-7-teens-shot-1-fatally-separate-shootings-city-tuesday-night-wednesday-morning/19701723/
CBS2
— Pentagon orders “research security audit” at University of Illinois, 29 other schools.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/department-of-defense-research-security-audit-university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/
WGN9
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://wgnradio.com/lisa-dent/senator-tammy-duckworth-ice-has-been-detaining-military-and-military-spouses/
WBEZ
— Should colleges and universities require standardized test scores for admission? DD: UIC would not have accepted me in 1966 if my ACT score had not been 24 and I had not graduated in the upper 20% of my class.
https://www.wbez.org/say-more-with-mary-dixon-patrick-smith/2026/08/18/should-colleges-and-universities-require-standardized-test-scores-for-admission
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— CTU sues Illinois Policy Institute, Liberty Justice Center, alleging ‘ongoing smear campaign.’
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/18/ctu-sues-illinois-policy-institute/
— 3 arrested at Wrigley Field during City Series, but none related to viral brawl in bleachers.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/18/man-arrested-wrigley-field-fight/
— Free Illinois tollways? Show us the math, Darren Bailey. But keep the conversation going.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/19/editorial-free-illinois-tollways-show-us-the-math-darren-bailey-but-keep-the-conversation-going/
— The growing political isolation of the Chicago Teachers Union.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/19/editorial-chicago-teachers-union-stacy-davis-gates-illinois-policy-institute/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Pritzker pours $65M into his campaign fund ahead of November elections. While speculation is rampant about whether he will run for president in 2028, the Democratic governor cannot transfer funds from his state campaign fund to run for federal office.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2026/08/17/gov-jb-pritzker-pours-65m-into-his-campaign-fund-ahead-of-november-elections
— A ‘black book’ lists 34 people banned from Illinois casinos. It’s rarely updated and likely missing names. Answering to Gov. JB Pritzker, the Illinois Gaming Board has added just a dozen names to its “involuntary exclusion” list, as the black book is formally known, in his seven-plus years in office. Why certain nefarious characters are banned while others get a pass is a mystery.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2026/08/18/illinois-gaming-board-governor-jb-pritzker-involuntary-exclusion-list-marcus-fruchter-casinos
— Pumpkins, pensions, and the CTU’s ‘cooked’ books. A Chicago Teachers Union lawsuit shines a light on Illinois Policy Institute accusations. Is that smart?
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/18/chicago-teachers-union-defamation-lawsuit-illinois-policy-institute-cooked-books
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Giannoulias calls for $22 minimum wage. DD: I did not start earning $20.87/hour in today’s dollars until I was 20 in 1968 and had worked for the Park Forest Post Office for 2 years and I had completed many undergraduate courses at UIC. Before that, I worked for the minimum wage washing dishes 1964-1966. I today’s dollars, it was $13.47/hour.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics-policy/ccb-alexi-giannoulias-minimum-wage-20260818/
CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Del Mar charges Pritzker has ill-served public.
https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/columns/jim-dey-gop-candidate-charges-pritzker-has-ill-served-public/article_c80c1df4-abf4-481a-9151-4c6b2037691b.html
NORTHEAST WISCONSIN
— Is the American dream still within reach for young Americans? DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.nbc26.com/politics/economy/is-the-american-dream-still-within-reach-for-young-americans
VERMILION COUNTY FIRST
— Del Mar Encourages Republicans all Over the State to GET OUT TO VOTE, and BE PROUD. DD: What is your Republican Precinct Committeeman going to do to get out the vote? As the Republican Precinct Committeeman for DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton, I will hand-deliver to the 400 residences in my precinct that have at least one Republican or one Independent registered voter a copy of the sample ballot, campaign literature from all the candidates who provide their literature to the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO), and a MTRO voter guide. I have obtained a PDF file from the DuPage County Election Division mailing with labels for the 660 Republican and Independent registered voters in my precinct. I have printed out those labels, affixed them to envelopes provided by MTRO, and put them into five batches. I am now putting them in walk order. I will be stuffing those envelopes with MTRO’s voter guide, literature that candidates provided MTRO, and the sample ballot. The Republican candidates on the ballot in my precinct are: Tracy, Bailey/Del Mar, Fioretti, Harris, Drew, Soloman, Oakley, Lewis, Vrankovich, Grasso, Noonan, Schiappa, Henry, Eckhoff, Michaud, Schultz, Quirk, and Helland.
https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/2026/08/18/gop-lt-governor-candidate-aaron-del-mar-encourages-republicans-all-over-the-state-to-get-out-to-vote-and-be-proud/
NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-08-18/families-struggle-with-the-financial-impact-of-fighting-trumps-deportation-campaign
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-08-19/groups-sue-trump-administration-over-new-foreign-student-visa-rule
CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— With $65M infusion, Pritzker has now self-funded $439M since 2018 campaign launch.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/with-65m-infusion-pritzker-has-now-self-funded-439m-since-2018-campaign-launch/
HINSDALE PATCH
— Hinsdale Conservative Kristina McCloy Claims Role In Bailey Campaign; Campaign Won’t Say. She has denounced Black people, “Mexican parades,” Muslims and the LGBTQ community.
https://patch.com/illinois/hinsdale/hinsdale-conservative-claims-role-bailey-campaign-which-wont-say
WHEATON PATCH
— The Wheaton Concours Car Show will bring exotic cars, super cars, classic coupes and other unique vehicles to Memorial Park on Aug. 22. The family-friendly event will also feature live DJ music and food vendors. Proceeds benefit Special Olympics Illinois.
https://patch.com/illinois/wheaton/see-exotic-cars-classic-coupes-more-wheaton-concours-car-show
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— The breakfast Durbin built.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/19/the-breakfast-durbin-built-01041282
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/19/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-794/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/18/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-581/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WIREPOINTS
— Glennon guest on AM560 with Chris Krok discussing CTU lawsuit against Illinois Policy Institute.
https://wirepoints.org/wirepoints-mark-glennon-guest-on-am560-with-chris-krok-discussing-ctu-lawsuit-agains-illinois-policy-and-more/
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to replace capitalism first with socialist and then with communism. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct stressing that? On the Democrat road first to socialism and then to communism, Democrat elected officials ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government. They ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that to advance under Democrats, all you need to do is to be a Democrat. None of my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO coworkers came close to doing what I did to advance. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me a) were Democrats who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
ILLINOIS FAMILY ACTION
— The Clean Face of a Dirty Business.
https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2026/08/the-clean-face-of-a-dirty-business/
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Pritzker Dumps Another $65 Million Into Campaign as Self-Funding Tops $326 Million.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/pritzker-dumps-another-65-million-into-campaign-as-self-funding-tops-326-million.html
— $42M-Backed PAC Shuts Down With No Statewide Wins After $1.1M Paid to Proft’s Consulting Firm.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/42m-backed-pac-shuts-down-with-no-statewide-wins-after-1-1m-paid-to-profts-consulting-firm.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— The World War II Memorial still has a lesson for us. The Greatest Generation was as varied as the country it saved.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/17/world-war-ii-memorial-still-lesson-us/
— Young Democratic Socialists of America members: Unemployed, but maybe not so educated. Given universities’ long decline, don’t be fooled by survey findings.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/18/young-democratic-socialists-america-members-unemployed-maybe-not/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Trump’s Iran struggle comes through on campaign stump.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/4692031/trump-iran-struggle-campaign-stump-speeches-teleprompter/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— ICE may pay for liability insurance for police who help with immigration.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/4690981/ice-may-pay-liability-insurance-for-police-who-help-immigration-report/
— DSA chapter plans ‘Riots and Uprisings’ reading club to study ‘how people struggled.’
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/crime/4691311/dsa-dc-chapter-riots-and-uprisings-reading-club/
NEW YORK POST
— UC Berkeley’s ban on standardized tests produces failure — as predicted. DD: My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors were furious when I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981 because my Democrat coworkers who they wanted to promote over me either a) failed/refused to take the examinations or b) failed to pass them.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/opinion/uc-berkeleys-ban-on-standardized-tests-produces-failure-as-predicted/
AMAC
— Democratic Socialist Plan to Reshape the American Left Through Labor Unions. A DSA pamphlet titled “Why Socialists Should Become Teachers” urges members to take jobs in schools, logistics and health care to push unions further left.
https://amac.us/newsline/the-little-known-democratic-socialist-plan-to-reshape-the-american-left-through-labor-unions
BREITBART
— Moskowitz: My District Has People Who ‘Escaped Socialism’, They Reject DSA. DD: Private sector employers look down on public sector employees. The longer that you work in the public sector, the harder it is to get a job in the private sector. My having been a public sector employee for almost 3 years harmed my efforts to get good job in the private sector after I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU when I was 21 in 1970. In anticipation of that, as a fallback, I took and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination before I graduated. I would not have become an IRS employee when I was 22 a) if my Firestone Store boss had not rudely fired me because I had accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile and b) if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn that offer because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. Because I refused to become a Democrat, starting in when I was 25, my Democrat IRS superiors did everything they could to get rid of me. They disallowed my travel vouchers when I was 25. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning an MBA when I was 27. They disallowed my education deductions when I was 29. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. They ever-increasing made it clear that they would never promote me to GS-13. Of course, the aforesaid made it ever-increasingly impossible for me to get any kind of job anywhere. Because of the aforesaid, to get promoted to GS-13, I had to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer to GAO. My Democrat GAO superiors did promote me to GS-13, but not until I was 38. They would never had promoted me a) if I had not earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, b) if I had not passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32, c) if I had not became a licensed CPA when I was 32, and d) if the GAO manager who had arranged my transfer had not gotten back into power.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/18/moskowitz-my-district-has-people-who-escaped-socialism-they-reject-dsa/
CREATORS SYNDICATE
— Socialism in the Open and on the Right.
https://www.creators.com/read/daily-editorials/08/26/socialism-in-the-open-and-on-the-right-30a47
DAILY WIRE
— VERY SAD IF NOT TRAGIC: Trump has again endorsed a Republican congresswoman leading the fight for amnesty on the Right. DD: Unlike Trump, because my parents lacked money, I had to compete against noncitizens for jobs. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-endorses-congresswoman-at-center-of-amnesty-fight
DISPATCH
— Affordability and the Problem With Populist Pandering. Lessons from Zohran Mamdani and Donald Trump. DD: What did you do to afford things? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://thedispatch.com/article/affordability-trump-mamdani-populism/
FOX BUSINESS
— New York City rent freeze squeezes landlords while DSA targets Gen Z to fuel rise of socialism.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403656155112
FOX NEWS
— Socialist candidates can delete old posts, but they can’t erase their radicalism.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/socialist-candidates-delete-old-posts-cant-erase-radicalism
NATIONAL REVIEW
— Adam Smith’s Warning for America’s New Socialists.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/adam-smiths-warning-for-americas-new-socialists/
NEWSMAX
— An Unexpected Win for Socialist Dems in Florida Senate Primary. DD: Anticipate/expect that wherever Republicans create prosperity and safety, Democrats will move in and create poverty and crime.
https://www.newsmax.com/john-gizzi/vindman-florida-angie-nixon/2026/08/18/id/1266575/
— Colo. Sheriffs, NRA Push Back on New Semiautomatic Gun Law.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/colorado-jared-polis-steven-nowlin/2026/08/18/id/1266556/
PJ MEDIA
— The Democrats’ ‘Big Tent’ With Socialists Is Doomed. Here’s Why.
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/08/18/the-democrats-big-tent-with-socialists-is-doomed-heres-why-n4956262
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Trump-endorsed Lauf loses GOP primary for open Donalds seat in Florida.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6033754-catalina-lauf-loses-florida-house-primary/
— Democratic socialist notches surprise win in Florida Senate primary. DD: Anticipate/expect that wherever Republicans create prosperity and safety, Democrats will move in and create poverty and crime.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6036787-nixon-vindman-peltola-primaries/
ABC NEWS
— Push to punish parents for ‘teen takeovers’ after brawl at DC Chipotle. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://abcnews.com/video/133100696/
CBS NEWS
— DD: Democrats ever-increasingly promote DEI. To promote DEI is to get rid of those who are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dei-policies-company-stock-performance-study/
NEWSWEEK
— Trump-Backed Catalina Lauf Loses Florida Primary Race.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-backed-catalina-lauf-loses-florida-primary-race-12340239
REUTERS
— Trump approval falls to 33%, lowest of his presidency. DD: What is your approval rating? My critics/opponents have always done everything they could to lower my approval rating. They have had their operatives and their dupes take many big adverse actions against me.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-approval-falls-33-lowest-his-presidency-reutersipsos-poll-finds-2026-08-17/
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
— What Is the Average American Net Worth by Age? DD: My net worth is dramatically less because my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/what-is-the-average-american-net-worth-by-age
AOL
— DD: When you met your wife, what impressed you about her? Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. After we got married in 1978, she earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.aol.com/articles/m-letting-jesus-handle-65-050103000.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— Florida Primary Underscores State’s New Identity as a Republican Juggernaut. Republicans hold every statewide elected office and have drastically swung voter registration in the state. A newly gerrymandered congressional map has added four Republican-leaning seats.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/us/politics/florida-primary-republican-dominance.html
— Yes, Woke 1.0 Was Crazy. Now Where’s the Accountability?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/opinion/woke-liberals-restitution.html
— Google Just Made It Easier for Campaigns to Send You Fund-Raising Emails. DD: I should write about how Google has treated my GOPUSA ILLINOIS website and emails.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/us/politics/google-political-campaigns-email-spam.html
WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Noncitizens vote for Democrats because Democrats give noncitizens tremendous benefits.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/18/trump-revives-unverified-claims-noncitizen-voting-2020/
— Key witness in Trump impeachment trial loses to democratic socialist in Florida Senate primary. DD: Anticipate/expect that wherever Republicans create prosperity and safety, Democrats will move in and create poverty and crime.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/results/2026/08/18/florida-us-senate-special-primary-election-results-2026-live-updates/
USA TODAY
— Florida Senate primary winner Angie Nixon is a Democratic Socialist. DD: Anticipate/expect that wherever Republicans create prosperity and safety, Democrats will move in and create poverty and crime.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/19/angie-nixon-dsa-democratic-socialist-florida-election/91364091007/
SCRIPPS NEWS
— Young Americans redefine the American dream as costs rise and priorities shift. DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.scrippsnews.com/politics/economy/young-americans-redefine-the-american-dream-as-costs-rise-and-priorities-shift
NEWS24
— Democratic Socialists of America’s biggest success comes from high-income districts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB3FyQS29tk
— Radical left wants to ‘burn it all down’ amid Democratic Socialists’ rise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on1AX4_idnE
— Privileged Democratic Socialists try to tell voters the system is rigged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGI3iQug0-o
WEEKLY TIMES NOW
— Democratic socialists trying to tear down the system that has given them success.
https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/democratic-socialists-trying-to-tear-down-the-system-that-has-given-them-success/video/0717f51c1258201dc3bc238c0ad08fa5
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— How Radical Will the Democrats Get? Frustration with the economy is fueling the rise of the DSA, and it may not fade by 2028.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/how-radical-will-the-democrats-get-8381ee72
— Key Florida Takeaways: A Socialist Upset and Far-Right Flops. In other contests, scandal sinks Cory Mills while Byron Donalds stays on track to make history. DD: My critics/opponents have always demonized me, denigrated me, and condemned me as being far right. My critics/opponents reject some, many, most, virtually all, if not all conservative principles and planks in the Republican Party platform. I should write about my critics/opponents and the conservative principles and planks they reject.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/key-florida-takeaways-a-socialist-upset-and-far-right-flops-51c25c75
— The Young MAGA Socialists Are Here. Many conservatives in Generation Z think the American Dream is gone. Some of us are building it.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-young-maga-socialists-are-here-8c941877
FORBES
— Trump’s Approval Rating Drops 8 Points Among Republicans. More than half of voters said they are worse off financially since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. DD: I have been worse off financially big time since I was 49 in 1997 when my Democrat GAO superiors succeeded in forcing me to retire. In today’s dollars, my GAO salary was $154,684/year, but my Civil Service Retirement System pension has only been $68,640/year in today’s dollars since then, or 56% less.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/08/18/trump-approval-rating-reaches-second-term-low-in-latest-poll-as-80-think-iran-war-will-drag-on/
MARKET WATCH
— Here’s the net worth you need to start getting ahead in your 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond in the U.S. About three-fourths of Americans lack the wealth needed to prosper in today’s economy, according to a new benchmark developed by the Aspen Institute. DD: My net worth is dramatically less because my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-the-net-worth-you-need-to-start-getting-ahead-in-your-20s-30s-40s-and-beyond-in-the-u-s-520c8d72
KIPLINGER
— What Is the Magic Number to Retire Comfortably? The amount you need might surprise you. Are you on track? DD: My net worth is dramatically less because my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/magic-number-to-retire-comfortably
USA FACTS
— Average wage in Illinois is $63,180/year. DD: In today’s dollars, my IRS salary was $56,409/year in 1971, $68,999/year in 1972, $83,482/year in 1973, and $100,059/year in 1974. I had earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in 1970 and I had started taking four graduate evening business courses a year at Loyola in January of 1972. According to my critics/opponents, I was grossly overpaid.
https://usafacts.org/answers/what-is-the-average-wage-in-the-us/state/illinois/
FEDWEEK
— Guidance Recommends Messaging to Employees about Forced Ratings Distribution. DD: The Democrats who run the federal government use the subjectivity in their rating systems to waste the careers of and to get rid of their employees who are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/guidance-recommends-messaging-to-employees-about-forced-ratings-distribution/
https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/forced-distributions-will-apply-to-current-ratings-cycle-says-opm/
— Job Candidate Vetting Process at USPS Improved but Still Has Gaps, Says IG. DD: If I had not earned a high school diploma and passed the postal employment test, the Democrats who ran the Post Office would not have hired me in 1966. The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job.
https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/job-candidate-vetting-process-at-usps-improved-but-still-has-gaps-says-ig/
FED SMITH
— Is Your Federal Retirement on Track? DD: Until just before their early retirement “offer” expired on September 30, 1997, my Democrat GAO superiors falsely led me to believe that they were going to let me work until I could take regular retirement when I was 55 in 2003.
https://www.fedsmith.com/2026/08/18/is-your-federal-retirement-on-track-a-comprehensive-planning-guide/
NEW YORKER
— Why Millennial Professionals Are Embracing Socialism. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/fault-lines/how-i-became-a-subaru-socialist
— How I Became a Subaru Socialist. By the time Bernie Sanders ran for President, in 2015, I was financially secure. But the previous decade had left a mark. DD: If I had become a Democrat, the Democrats who ran the federal government would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service, currently $197,200/year, long before I was 40 in 1988. For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. I am none of the aforesaid. To get rid of me, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors punished me a) for my not becoming a Democrat, b) for my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, c) for my complaining about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, and d) for my being an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid. Unions provide some protection. But GAO did not unionize until 2007. If GAO had been unionized when I transferred from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors might not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did including forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/fault-lines/how-i-became-a-subaru-socialist
CHALKBEAT
— How American higher education helps the rich get richer. DD: My parents were not rich. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.chalkbeat.org/2026/08/18/selective-colleges-have-funding-advantage-study-finds/
INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— Students’ Roommates. DD: I spent three semesters at University Plaza dormitory ( https://www.uplaza.com/ ) in DeKalb 1969-1970. I should write about the impact that my roommates who University Plaza assigned me had on me.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2026/08/19/students-choices-fueling-polarization-higher-ed
Tag: Family
August 17, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
NBC5
— 16 teens arrested at vacant Congress Theater, 1 week after illegal rave. The teens, ages 13 to 19, were all charged with one misdemeanor count for criminal trespassing. The mass arrest comes after a local DJ held an unsanctioned rave at the theater on Aug. 8 that drew several young people. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/16-teens-arrested-at-vacant-congress-theater-1-week-after-illegal-rave/3976097/
— Frustrations grow as power outages persist in NW Indiana after derecho. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/video/news/local/frustrations-grow-as-power-outages-persist-in-nw-indiana-after-derecho/3976247/
CBS2
— 16 teenagers arrested after trespassing inside Congress Theater on Northwest Side. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/16-teenagers-arrested-trespassing-congress-theater/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/17/ice-out-chicago/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Darren Bailey accepts campaign money from sex offender who’s now pastor, attends service at his church. Victor D. Barr was convicted of sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl when she was a Rockford high school student and he was a teacher. He and his household have made three campaign donations to the Republican candidate for governor, who also visited Barr’s congregation in June. Bailey didn’t know Barr’s background and now plans to give the contributions to charity, an aide says.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2026/08/17/darren-bailey-campaign-money-registered-sex-offender-victor-barr-pastor-faith-center-rockford
— ALLL OF THE FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/08/17/broadview-six-judge-april-perry-trump-vance
DAILY HERALD
— Midwest shows DSA left could take over the Democratic Party.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260816/syndicated-columnists/midwest-shows-dsa-left-could-take-over-the-democratic-party/
WBEZ
— Muslim families look to Arabic immersion education to give their children a foundation in faith and identity. Chicago-area Muslim families are flocking to a small southwest suburban school for its rigorous, play-based curriculum taught entirely in Arabic. DD: Democrat leaders fight assimilation.
https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/05/30/chicago-muslim-families-arabic-immersion-education-faith-identity-bridgeview-quran-mas-blossoms
NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-08-16/what-are-we-going-to-do-the-mom-of-a-trans-teen-grapples-with-trumps-medicaid-move
— Staying in a job for the health insurance? About 1 in 4 Americans do. DD: The federal government paying 72% of my healthcare insurance since 1966 and then also paying 72% of my wife’s healthcare insurance since 1978 helped me endure tremendous efforts by my Democrat superiors in the federal government to waste my career and to get rid of me. For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://www.npr.org/2026/07/22/nx-s1-5902333/health-insurance-jobs-gallup
ILLINOIS TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.illinoistimes.com/news/democracy-rising-rally-held-at-old-state-capitol/
PATRICIA KLADIS-SCHIAPPA FOR DUPAGE COUNTY CLERK
— Burr Ridge park district cancels meet and greet event
https://www.facebook.com/61579580051028/posts/for-immediate-release-burr-ridge-illinois-8162026i-regret-to-inform-the-communit/122178940904986001/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— State Fair glow meets ethics shadow
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/17/state-fair-glow-meets-ethics-shadow-01038943
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Analysis of Catalina Lauf’s Probable Victory in Southwest Florida’s 19th Congressional District.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/16/analyzing-catalina-laufs-probable-victory-in-southwest-florildas-19th-congresisonal-district/
BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— AOC: Cunning and Callous
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/08/12/aoc-cunning-and-callous
— Abdul El-Sayed’s Equally Radical Half-Sister Eman Abdelhad. She is an assistant professor at the University of Chicago in the Department of Comparative Human Development.
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/08/14/abdul-el-sayeds-equally-radical-half-sister-eman-abdelhadi
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin sees room for leftists in ‘big tent’ party. Summer meeting ends without resolving ICE fight, Israel rift or midterm cash gap.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/16/democratic-national-committee-chair-ken-martin-sees-room-leftists-big/
— Democrats need an agenda before socialists write one for them. Empty opposition to Trump keeps handing energy to the party’s radical wing.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/16/democrats-need-agenda-socialists-write-one/
— Radical Democrats gearing up for woke 2.0. Slogans may change, but the extreme leftist agenda remains.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/16/radical-democrats-gearing-woke-20/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Half of Democratic voters hold negative view of capitalism. DD: How successful have Democrat leaders been promoting socialism in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/economy/4689225/half-democratic-voters-negative-view-capitalism-poll/
NEW YORK POST
— Dems now favor socialism over capitalism by this overwhelming amount.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/us-news/dems-now-favor-socialism-over-capitalism-by-this-overwhelming-amount-new-poll/
— Gingrich: Iran betting it can outlast Trump if Dems take Congress. ‘Trying to win in America politically’ like North Vietnam.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/us-news/iran-betting-it-can-outlast-trump-if-dems-take-congress-gingrich-says/
— If we don’t face WHY men are giving up on work, America’s future is grim. DD: Democrat and RINO employers ever-increasingly give more preference to young women and to young minorities.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/opinion/if-we-dont-face-why-men-are-giving-up-on-work-americas-future-is-grim/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: This dysfunction leads to higher rates of drug abuse and suicide, both far worse among men than women, as well as “failure to launch” that now sees one in five men aged 25 to 34 living “at home,” markedly more than their female peers. And men who can’t serve as the family’s prime breadwinners tend not to form families at all, driving both the rise in single-parent (almost always a woman) homes and the decline in US birth rates. Demographers predict that by 2038 more Americans will die than be born.)
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— DD: What do you say to those a) who are able-bodied, b) who refuse to work, and c) who demand welfare?
https://www.aei.org/commentary/are-you-a-bad-citizen/
BRETBART
— Democratic Committee Urges Congress to Defund ICE, Free Illegals.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/17/democratic-committee-urges-congress-to-defund-ice-free-illegal-migrants/amp/
— Democrats Swamp State Legislatures with 250 Pro-Migrant Bills to Obstruct Trump’s Deportation Mandate.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/16/democrats-swamp-state-legislatures-with-250-pro-migrant-bills-to-obstruct-trumps-deportation-mandate/
CAMPUS REFORM
— The new DEI witness protection program at universities. DD: Because of Affirmative Action and because of DEI, that is, because of political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination, those who are the following should anticipate/expect that will always have to do more to advance: conservative, Republican, White, male, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Because I am all of the aforesaid, to advance, I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license. If I had been liberal/moderate, Democrat, minority, female, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, the Democrats who ran the federal government would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service, currently $197,200/year, long before I was 40 years old. Instead, they wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/new-dei-witness-protection-program-universities-analysis/30401
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Changing the acronym may change the press release, but it does not change the requirements of federal civil rights law. At universities across the country, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices are undergoing transformations that would make the Federal Witness Protection Program proud. Diversity becomes “community.” Inclusion becomes “belonging.” Equity becomes “excellence.” Administrators acquire new titles. Departments get new signs.)
DAILY CALLER
— Chicago Has 7 Times The Murders Of Cities In State That Respects Gun Rights.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/16/a-study-in-contrasts-one-city-in-anti-2a-state-has-seven-times-the-murders-as-three-in-a-state-that-respects-2a-rights/
FOX NEWS
— Woke 1 looks TAME compared to Woke 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DfdhvAn5sKa8
— Reince Priebus: Donald Trump is the ‘biggest’ reason why ‘Woke 1.0’ is dead. DD: All my critics/opponents are some degree of woke.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403538809112
— Long Island street takeover erupts as drivers block road, perform donuts, burnouts. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://noticias.foxnews.com/us/long-island-street-takeover-erupts-drivers-block-road-perform-donuts-burnouts-police
HOT AIR
— Chicago Teachers Union’s Sustainable Community Schools Is a Scam.
https://hotair.com/headlines/2026/08/15/chicago-teachers-unions-sustainable-community-schools-is-a-scam-n3817991
TOWNHALL
— If Democrats Win, Trump Will Be Impeached Again.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jeffcrouere/2026/08/17/if-democrats-win-trump-will-be-impeached-again-n2681343
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Fetterman warns of socialism’s rise in the Democratic Party: ‘This is lunacy’
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6032418-fetterman-warns-socialism-rise/
NBC NEWS
— Tough economy forces Gen Z to rewrite the American dream playbook. Squeezed by high costs, an unwelcoming housing market and uncertain career prospects, younger adults are making hard choices — and getting creative. DD: How many Gen Zers are doing what I did? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I worked two jobs for 18 months. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/gen-z-rewrites-american-dream-playbook-rcna591764
CBS NEWS
— Most Americans believe a free market system is a good thing. Americans are net-negative on socialism. Capitalism is better-liked. But those ideas aside, right now they say it’s harder now to do things like buy a house, raise a family, and to just feel financially secure than for the last generation. Younger people are especially apt to feel opportunities are fewer. So most also call the current U.S. economic system unfair, in terms of the way it works for chances to get ahead. DD: To get ahead under socialists, you have to be a socialist. To get ahead under Democrats, you have to be a Democrat. To get ahead under RINOs, you have to be a RINO. To get ahead under Affirmative Action and DEI, you have to be a female or a minority.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democrats-socialism-economy-political-parties-opinion-poll/
NEWSWEEK
— Best Test Prep 2026. DD: I would not have passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30 in 1979 if I had not a) taken the Becker CPA Review, b) taken graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul, c) earned an MBA from Loyola, and d) worked for IRS for 8 years.
https://www.newsweek.com/readerschoice/best-test-prep-2026
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Becker provides professional education and exam preparation programs for individuals pursuing accounting, finance and business certifications. Best known for its CPA Exam review courses, Becker offers comprehensive study materials, practice questions, lectures and personalized learning tools. Its programs help students and professionals prepare for certification exams while building the knowledge and skills needed for career advancement.)
WASHINGTON POST
— His family fled socialism. He’s trying to spread it. A young Cuban American is selling democratic socialism door-to-door across Miami. But he cannot bring himself to discuss it across his family’s kitchen table.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/16/an-activist-tries-sell-socialism-miami-people-who-fled-castro/
USA TODAY
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for inflation.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/grocery/2026/08/10/families-using-credit-grocery-stores-costs/91128536007/
SEATTLE TIMES
— About one-third of single, unemployed Americans have paused dating. DD: What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/one-of-them-was-unemployed-could-they-afford-to-date/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Why White-Collar Workers Can’t Get Ahead. DD: What did you do to get ahead? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/why-white-collar-workers-cant-get-ahead-a5b4870e
— Democrats Try to End Internal Squabbling.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/democrats-turn-focus-to-winning-after-months-of-internal-fights-29c49635
FORTUNE
— Backstabbing is the new office norm: Gen Z and millennials are blame-shifting, snitching, and setting others up to fail—but so are managers. DD: Far too many of my Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were backstabbers. Far too many who claim to be religious, conservative, and/or Republican are backstabbers.
https://fortune.com/article/gen-z-millennials-backstabbing-get-ahead-career-new-office-norm-rto-research/
BUSINESS WIRE
— Getting ahead. DD: What did you do to get ahead? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260324580106/en/New-Employer-Ratings-Reveal-Where-Workers-Actually-Get-Ahead-Role-by-Role
24/7 WALL STREET
— A couple earning $110,000 combined with $65,000 in student debt got Ramsey’s green light to have a baby, thanks largely to $45,000 in imminent PSLF forgiveness. Staying a two-income household is the single variable that determines success. Dropping to $55,000 makes the $2,200 mortgage financially crushing. Jade Warshaw recommends building a faux budget before the baby arrives, modeling both dual- and single-income scenarios with real daycare quotes. DD: According my Democrat GAO superiors, if my wife and I had children, I would not have been able to a) pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, b) afford to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO and earn a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, c) pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and become a licensed CPA when I was 32, d) have a home built in Wheaton when I was 35, and g) buy a collector car when I was 40. My Democrat GAO superiors ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being disgusting selfish rich DINKs. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. They knew full-well that both my wife and I had major fertility problems. They painted themselves as being grossly underpaid. They decried the time and money they spent raising their children. They decried the little or no income that their wives had. Should I write about my Democrat GAO superiors?
https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/2026/08/16/dave-ramsey-tells-couple-earning-110000-they-can-afford-a-baby-but-one-decision-could-change-everything/
HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL
— Defining a “Good Job” DD: What jobs have you had? Overwhelmingly, when I was young, my peers a) had parents who had more money than my parents did, b) did not have to take jobs let alone take bad jobs, and/or c) viewed the jobs that I took as being bad jobs that they would never stoop to take. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/wiener/programs/economy/our-work/reimagining-economy-blog/daniel-schneider-defines-a-good-job
SHRM
— What’s the Difference Between a ‘Good’ Job and a ‘Bad’ Job? 10 Dimensions of Job Quality. DD: What about how jobs are viewed? All the jobs that I had were viewed as being bad jobs. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/employee-relations/whats-difference-good-job-bad-job
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Level of pay. Stable and predictable pay. Stable and predictable hours. Control over hours and/or job location. Job security. Employee benefits. Career advancement opportunities. Enjoying the day-to-day work. Having a sense of purpose and dignity at work. Having the power to change things that are unsatisfying at work.)
BEST COLLEGES
— 40 Companies That Pay for College With Tuition Reimbursement. DD: I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969, Firestone Stores 1970-1972, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997. Because they did not reimburse tuition or reimbursed only token amounts, I paid lots of my own money for tuition a) to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree from NIU in 1970 (many courses), b) to earn a job-related master’s degree from Loyola in 1976 (16 courses), c) to pass a job-related professional examination in 1979, d) to earn a job-related master’s degree from DePaul in 1980 (12 courses), e) to pass a job-related professional examination in 1981, and f) to earn a job-related master’s degree from IIT in 1997 (14 courses). To add insult to injury and to get rid of me, my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my education deductions in 1978 outrageously, disgustingly, falsely, and unethically arguing that the courses I took a) did not relate to my job duties, b) did not maintain or improve my job skills, c) were taken by me to get a job in the private sector, and d) qualified me for a new trade or business.
https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/companies-with-tuition-reimbursement/
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
— Student debt: The hidden affordability crisis. DD: Because I worked my way through college, I graduated debt-free with a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in August of 1970 owning a 1969 Dodge Charger SE. Not that I could have gotten a student loan, but if I had gotten one, I would not have been able to a) buy a new 1972 Corvette in October of 1971, b) pay tuition for graduate evening business courses starting in January of 1972, or b) buy a new townhome in September of 1972.
https://www.aft.org/column/student-debt-hidden-affordability-crisis
BUZZ FEED
— Jobs That Are Either Criminally Underpaid Or Wildly Overpaid. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I was always overpaid. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/29-jobs-either-criminally-underpaid-110103399.html
— Turning To Socialism. DD: To get ahead under Democrats, you have to be a Democrat. Because I refused to become a Democrat, I did not get ahead in the federal government. To get ahead under RINOs, you have to be a RINO. Because I refused to become a RINO, I did not get ahead in the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, or Illinois Republican Party.
https://www.aol.com/articles/fox-news-host-blaming-gop-202209000.html
POLITICO
— DD: Some blame Bernie Sanders for Hong’s defeat. I should write about the following who have blamed me and have blamed my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters the most for defeats suffered by Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct since 2000: past and present a) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Illinois Republican Party, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois, and Illinois Center Right Coalition, b) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct and their political consultants, major donors, fundraisers, pollsters, campaign managers, campaign staff members, and campaign volunteers, d) conservative leaders, and e) religious leaders.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/13/bernie-sanders-wisconsin-progressives-hong-01037121
AXIOS
— America is quickly becoming Sin Nation. Or, as President Trump put it while discussing prediction markets in the Oval Office last month: “The whole world, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a casino.” Why it matters: Once-forbidden vices — weed, gambling and porn — are no longer confined to back alleys or the desert. They’re ubiquitous, digital and spreading at a pace that has outstripped the country’s social and regulatory guardrails. Governments didn’t turn a blind eye to most of this behavior. They encouraged it. We’re scaling sin in real time.
https://www.axios.com/2026/05/12/america-gambling-weed-deepfakes
PSY POST
— DD: As fewer and fewer and fewer men earn college degrees, college women increasingly marry men without degrees. My wife and I got married when I was 29. She was impressed that I earned a bachelor’s degree in management when I was 21 and an MBA when I was 27 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses.
https://www.psypost.org/college-women-are-increasingly-marrying-men-without-degrees-as-college-demographics-shift/
August 16, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/la-voz/2026/08/13/tras-seis-meses-detenida-por-ice-una-vendedora-de-tamales-de-chicago-reconstruye-su-vida
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more Islam.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/15/muslim-politics-democrat-trump-el-sayed-mamdani-piker-rummana-hussain
— DD: Democrat leaders always hint/imply/argue/shout that police are racists.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2026/08/14/traffic-stops-racial-disparities-chicago-police-department-illinois-department-transportation-driving-while-black
ABC7
— A petition to declare U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra “persona non grata” and have him removed from his post had received more than 104,000 signatures as of Thursday. The petition was launched on Canada’s parliamentary petitions portal, where citizens and residents of Canada can set up petitions to parliament. DD: If/when my critics/opponents set up such a petition against me and against my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters, how many signatures will they get? My critics/opponents blame me and blame my newsletters for all the losses that Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct have suffered since 2000. I should write about my “Republican” critics/opponents who paint themselves as being Democrat Lite, if not RINO, if not Democrat or Libertarian Plant. They do not want Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders to defend or promote conservative principles and the following planks in the Republican Party platform: personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving).
https://abc7chicago.com/story/100000-sign-petition-declare-us-ambassador-canada-persona-grata/19672210/
NBC5
— Power outages in northwest Indiana are so bad you can see them from space. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/power-outages-in-northwest-indiana-are-so-bad-you-can-see-them-from-space/3975848/
RIVER BENDER
— DD: Ever-increasingly, the more of the following that you are, the more government assistance that you get: minority, female, younger, veteran, and/or citizen of a foreign country.
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/illinois-commission-on-equity-and-inclusion-announces-bep–vbp-certification-kickstart-workshop-95943.cfm
WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL
— Socialism lost in Wisconsin, but it’s winning in the Democratic Party.
https://madison.com/opinion/column/article_cf423347-2ce6-4bcd-b48a-a29010ef9780.html
WMOI
— LaHood, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Access to Low-Interest Mortgages for First-Time Homebuyers. DD: Mortgage interest rates were 7.4% when I bought a new townhome in University Park when I was 24 in 1972. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ . In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $94,500. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://977wmoi.com/2026/08/lahood-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-expand-access-to-low-interest-mortgages-for-first-time-homebuyers/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democrats plan decade-long strategy to push pro-transgender narrative. DD: How successful have Democrats been promoting LGBTQ in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/15/democrats-plan-decade-long-strategy-push-pro-transgender-narrative/
— The Democrat Party, since the presidential days of Bill Clinton, has been moving down a path toward communism.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/15/bold-blunt-socialism-nope-communism-fought/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Johnson launches website to teach young voters about socialism and communism ahead of midterm elections. DD: How successful have Democrats been promoting socialism in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4688861/mike-johnson-contrast-for-america-tour-midterm-elections/
— The Peter Pan generation chooses pets. DD: My former neighbor Dr. Dan Kiley wrote the Peter Pan Syndrome. SEE: https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Pan-Syndrome-Never-Grown/dp/0380688905
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/4667440/peter-pan-generation-chooses-pets-over-children/
— Democratic Socialists lack accountability by not facing the past.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AoDmip0KHh4
NEW YORK POST
— Socialist NY lawmaker Emily Gallagher says shoplifting for ‘biological need’ is OK.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/us-news/socialist-ny-lawmaker-emily-gallagher-says-shoplifters-have-a-biological-need-to-steal/
— DD: Democrat leaders dump Bill Maher because he thinks immigrants should assimilate and accept American values and principles.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/us-news/bill-maher-thinks-american-values-arent-negotiable/
— Dog owners’ average spending tops $4,000 a year—here’s the cost breakdown. DD: One reason why my wife and I have more money is our never owning pets.
https://nypost.com/lifestyle/true-cost-of-owning-a-dog/
AMERICAN THINKER
— How illegals plunder American billions, in broad daylight. And how Democrats enabled every dollar plundered.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/how-illegals-plunder-american-billions-in-broad-daylight/
— Mass immigration can only work if immigrants are introduced to a common American culture and expected to assimilate.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/america-s-stranger-problem/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Trump says AOC is misleading voters: ‘The woke will become woke again as soon as they get elected’
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/15/trump-says-aoc-is-misleading-voters-the-woke-will-become-woke-again-as-soon-as-they-get-elected-1654961/
BREITBART
— Democratic Socialists Have Been in Party for a While.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/15/progressive-caucus-chair-democratic-socialists-have-been-in-party-for-a-while/amp/
— Rise of Democratic Socialists is a Real Opportunity for the GOP.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/15/mark-levin-rise-of-a-democratic-socialists-a-real-opportunity-for-gop/
— Quarter of Americans Say Most Democrats Are Socialists.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/15/poll-quarter-of-americans-say-most-democrats-are-socialists/amp/
FOX NEWS
— A STEP TOWARD COMMUNISM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3vwDloUkxE
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— EEOC Sues Washington University in St. Louis For Firing Employee Who Complained About DEI Policy. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire not only because I complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination, but because I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/eeoc-sues-wash-u-for-firing-employee-who-complained-about-dei-policy/amp/
NEWSMAX
— The growing influence of democratic socialists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqIshMiul4U
PATRIOT LEDGER
— ‘We’re winning:’ Bernie Sanders and DSA see WI, MI results as progress. DD: How successful have Democrats been promoting socialism in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/08/16/bernie-sanders-dsa-wisconsin-michigan-progress/91276557007/
REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— The Woke Right Is Urging The Abandonment Of “Core Conservative Traditional Reaganite Principles.”
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/08/15/mark_levin_the_woke_right_is_urging_the_abandonment_of_core_conservative_traditional_reaganite_principles.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— The worse it gets, the better it is: American leftism is thriving on its own failures.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/6030675-american-left-politics-failure/
ABC NEWS
— 21% of Married Couples Have a Foreign Spouse. DD: All my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s from what is now Germany. They all married those who shared their national origin.
https://abcnews.com/ABC_Univision/News/census-report-reveals-21-married-couples-foreign-spouse/story?id=20171171
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The number of mixed-nativity married couple households corresponds with the increase in immigration to the United States over the last several decades. . .As the immigrant population has grown, so has the chance that a native-born person will meet and marry a foreign-born person.)
CBS NEWS
— Federal workers sour on government work. DD: I would not have spent almost 30 years of my life working for the federal government if my high school friend had not asked me to join him to take the postal employment test in 1966. Because I passed, I was a part-time postal employee while I attended UIC 1966-1968 and NIU in 1969. I graduated from NIU in 1970 and accepted the only job offer that I got, to be the Retail Sales Manager in a Firestone Store, a job that not really require a college degree. Potential employers saw me as being draft bait. They did not believe that my application for a financial hardship draft deferment to help support my mother and brother would be approved. I accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile in 1971, but Oldsmobile withdrew that offer saying it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. My Firestone Store boss rudely fired me because I had accepted that offer. Because I had to have a job, I accepted a job offer that I got from IRS. I had taken and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination while I was a NIU student as a backup because federal employees are viewed negatively.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-workers-survey-public-service-job-security/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Nearly two-thirds of U.S. federal workers said they wouldn’t enter public service again, citing eroding job security and benefits, according to a recent poll of active and retired government employees. Respondents’ views overwhelmingly reflected concerns about the current federal climate, rather than regret over having chosen careers in government, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) found in a July survey. The Trump administration has made sweeping cuts to the federal workforce by eliminating jobs and weakening civil service protections. In 2025, the White House announced a number of executive orders to slash government jobs, including a hiring freeze on civilian workers and directives to federal agencies to reduce their rolls. President Trump has said there are too many federal workers, pushing to reduce the size and scope of government while making agencies more efficient.)
NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/opinion/kansas-anti-trans-laws-drivers-license.html
WASHINGTON POST
— Democrats are calculating a left turn. The math is inescapable.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/08/07/2028-democratic-contenders-should-not-misread-primary-results/
USA TODAY
— College should be tough. Michigan’s grade plan coddles students. DD: What harmed your college GPA? For me, it was my working far too many hours delivering mail instead of studying.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/08/16/university-michigan-drops-grades-freshmen-lsa/91285520007/
FORTUNE
— Facing a decadeslong shortage, the FAA has now hired more than 2,000 air traffic controllers after its campaign recruiting Gen Z video gamers promising $155K payday. DD: I did not earn $155,000/year in today’s dollars until after I had a) worked for GAO for almost 18 years, b) worked for IRS for almost 9 years, c) earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), d) earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and e) earned a job-related professional license (CPA). 3 years after I started working for IRS in 1971, I earned $100,000/year in today’s dollars. I had completed 10 graduate business evening business courses. According to my critics/opponents, I was grossly overpaid.
https://fortune.com/article/why-is-trump-administration-hiring-gen-z-video-gamers-for-air-traffic-control/
FORBES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice including more pot.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajherrington/2026/07/21/more-employers-drop-marijuana-tests-despite-rising-positive-results/
— Envy. DD: My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government were filled with envy. They always painted themselves as being underpaid. They were ever-increasingly furious at my and my wife’s ever-increasing income and net worth. To turn them against me, my Democrat superiors stressed a) the new cars that I bought when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc., b) the real estate that I bought when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, and 35, c) the collector cars that I bought when I was 40 and 45, d) the college degrees that I earned when I was 21, 27, 31, and 48, e) the professional certifications that I earned when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, f) the professional license that I earned when I was 32, g) the vacations that my wife and I took, h) etc. Some of them circulated copies of Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on me and my wife. SEE https://gopillinois.com/documents/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolelipkin/2024/04/30/how-to-keep-envy-at-bay-by-creating-a-positive-workplace-culture/
— Better Safe Than Sorry Kills Your Career. DD: I knew that I was taking a big career risk when I suggested myself to be the subject of a “One Person’s Finances” article in Money Magazine when I was 28 in 1977. SEE: https://gopillinois.com/documents/ But my Democrat IRS superiors had made it very clear that they would never promote me to GS-13. They had ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976. They had gotten rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me when I was 23, 24, and 25. They had disallowed my travel vouchers when I was 25. SEE: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-180010.11-0 If you were me, would you have taken that risk?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2026/08/15/why-better-safe-than-sorry-kills-your-career-making-success-harder/
BLOOMBERG
— Trump’s ‘Golden Age’ Pitch Meets Affordability Frustration. DD: What did you do to afford things? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2026-08-15/trump-golden-age-pitch-meets-affordability-frustration-video
FORD FOUNDATION
— The Working Class. DD: I define the working class as being wage earners who earn less money. I was a member of the working class for 33 years. To earn more money, I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license. Notwithstanding the aforesaid, I never earned more than $154,682/year in today’s dollars. According to my critics/opponents, I was both grossly overpaid and an abject career failure.
https://www.fordfoundation.org/news-and-stories/stories/the-backbone-of-america-understanding-the-working-class/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The term “working class” often evokes narrow and outdated images in American culture. But in reality, today’s working class is often primarily defined by education rather than occupation: individuals without a four-year college degree. By that measure, the working class constitutes over 60% of the U.S. labor force—more than 93 million people as of 2023. This group is not only large, but richly diverse: Roughly 53% are non-Hispanic white, 13% Black, and 25% Hispanic. Approximately 44% are women.)
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
— Reskilling. Did you reskill? I certainly did. When I was 40 in 1988, to get rid of me, my Democrat GAO superiors made it very clear that they would never again assign me to audits of IRS. Because of that, I applied for and got accepted into their audit group that audited federal financial industry regulators in 1990. The leader of that group made it very clear that she wanted everyone in that group to have a master’s degree in finance. Because of that, I started taking graduate evening finance courses at IIT in 1992 and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in early 1997. But in August and September of 1997, she led her superiors’ successful effort to force me to retire. She gave my Black subordinate my job and my preferred corner office. He did not have a master’s degree in finance. He had less job-related education than I had. He had less job-related work experience than I had. He had one job-related professional certification while I had six. I had no job-related professional license like the one I had. She would not have had to do that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, veteran, or younger.
https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/want-workers-to-reskill-show-them-who-they-can-become
PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE
— Undermining independence and eroding transparency: Examining Schedule Policy/Career reclassifications. A Partnership analysis of recent federal job postings suggests that Schedule Policy/Career reclassifications reach far beyond policy-influencing roles. This apparent expansion runs contrary to the Trump administration’s statement that reclassifications were largely limited to the “highest-ranking career positions outside of the Senior Executive Service.” DD: As a GS-13 GAO Analyst, I had absolutely no policy-influencing roles. I had to do what my superiors told me to do and I did that. But that was not good enough for them.
https://ourpublicservice.org/know-the-facts/blog/examining-schedule-policy-career-reclassifications
PBS
— Forced Retirement: What is it and what can you do about it? DD: I should write about forced retirement. I have almost 29 years of direct experience.
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/chasing-the-dream/2019/03/forced-retirement/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The loss of a career can feel like a death. The resulting grieving process is similar to that following the death of a friend or loved one. The five stages in the process of grieving a loss after death and they’re similar for grieving after an involuntary retirement: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. Denial: You can’t believe this is really happening. You feel paralyzed. Anger: Once the shock has worn off, you begin to feel angry toward your company, supervisor and the world. For many retirees, the job is how they define themselves. When this is taken away, they feel frustrated and angry that they’ve lost their identity. Bargaining: You might want to try to get your job back, even with reduced pay, hours or responsibilities. This rarely works. Depression: Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness take hold and the future looks bleak. Acceptance: When your anger and depression are no longer consuming, you accept your new reality and begin to develop plans to make the most of your life. Each individual passes through these stages at his or her own rate and may move back and forth through some of the stages. The Suddenness of It All. A major problem of forced retirement is the lack of time to plan because of the suddenness of the termination. When someone voluntarily retires, there has been time to think about the future. Do you want to kick back and have a leisure filled retirement? Or do you plan to continue in some form of work or volunteerism? Is there some life passion you’ve been waiting to fulfill? The forced retiree hasn’t had the chance to think about these things. Work provides us with five important functions the forced retiree will suddenly lose. How will you deal with the changes in your financial situation? What about the time management and structure to your day that has been a major part of your working life? What will happen to the status you had and the recognition, reputation and sense of achievement that came with it? Where will you find the sense of usefulness you felt at your job? And how do you replace the social connections that are gone from your everyday life? These losses can lead to feelings of emptiness, shame, embarrassment and worry. You can feel like a failure.)
SHRM
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers reject E-Verify. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997. Many, if not most, if not virtually all of my peers would not have stooped to take the aforesaid bad jobs that I took.
https://www.shrm.org/mena/topics-tools/news/everify-proposal-could-create-new-hr-bompliance-burden
POLITICO
— Democrats finalize 2028 calendar that moves racially diverse states to the front. South Carolina will kick off a presidential primary process, followed by Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/15/democrats-finalize-2028-calendar-that-moves-racially-diverse-states-to-the-front-01038875
POLITIFACT
— How PolitiFact selects facts to check. DD: I often served as a fact checker while I worked for GAO 1986-1997 at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year.
https://politifact.com/video/how-politifact-selects-facts-check/
BUZZ FEED
— Why One Income Could Buy A House In The 1950s But Not Today. 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. My mother stayed home and raised me and my brother. He never bought a house. He rented from his parents. First, an apartment above their hardware store in Crete 1945-1954, and then their home at 1286 Wood Street in Crete. The lower rent he paid helped him afford sending me and my brother to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/victoriavouloumanos/people-debating-about-why-inflation-is-getting-worse
AXIOS
— College loses its monopoly on the American Dream. DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/15/college-bachelors-degree-shift-ai-america
NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at everyone that they cannot advance without massive government assistance. I never fell for that. Instead, to advance, I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://nul.org/news/affordability-all-its-time-rescue-american-dream
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
INDEPENDENT
— Meet the British former detective giving US churches AR-15s to defend against shooters. DD: What are churches in your county, township, municipality, and school district doing to defend themselves?
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-church-assault-rifles-simon-osamoh-protection-shootings-b3032594.html
August 15, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
FOX32
— DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-wpszr7ochva90k0q
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Potential candidates get a lesson in what it takes to run for office from those who have won elections.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/14/lagrange-forum-potential-candidates/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Free summer YMCA memberships draw 3,000 Chicago teens. More than a thousand teens signed up at the South Side YMCA alone. Teens there are playing basketball, lifting weights or just hanging out with friends — and hoping the program continues next year. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2026/08/13/free-summer-ymca-memberships-draw-3-000-chicago-teens
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/14/trump-dictator-reflecting-pool-vandals-vaccines-todd-blanche-mona-charen
https://www.news-herald.com/2026/08/14/s-e-cupp-donald-trumps-third-world-presidency/
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— DD: Democrat leaders demonize, denigrate, and condemn whatever Trump wants.
https://www.sj-r.com/videos/news/2026/07/24/poll-shows-disapproval-of-trumps-dc-changes/91036540007/
SHAW LOCAL
— Underwood calls for removing Trump from office: ‘Unstable,’ ‘dangerous,’ ‘unable to function.’ Congresswoman spoke at town hall meeting at Northern Illinois University.
https://www.shawlocal.com/news/2026/08/14/underwood-calls-for-removing-trump-from-office-unstable-dangerous-unable-to-function/
WHEATON PATCH
— DuPage Regional Office of Education Expands Student Health and Wellness Supports Ahead of New School Year. Partnerships, training, and early-intervention resources help schools create safer, more supportive learning environments.
https://patch.com/illinois/wheaton/dupage-regional-office-education-expands-student-health-wellness-supports-ahead-new
BLACK CHRONICLE
— The executive director of a Chicago violence prevention group has been charged with sexually assaulting a juvenile family member and grooming. Englewood First Responders executive director Charles McKenzie, 37, was arrested Aug. 5 in the 6700 block of South Emerald Avenue.
https://blackchronicle.com/midwest/illinois/illinois-quick-hits-violence-prevention-group-leader-arrested/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/14/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-579/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Trump Endorses Catalina Lauf for Congress in Southwest Florida, Victory Almost Certain
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/14/trump-endorses-catalina-lauf-for-congress-in-southwest-florida-victory-almost-certain/
— Florida Law Preventing Minors from Attending Drag Shows Upheld 8-5 by Federal Appellate Court
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/14/florida-law-preventing-minors-from-attending-drag-shows-upheld-8-5-by-federal-appellate-court/
— Safe-T Act Failure
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/13/safe-t-act-failure-2/
— The Potential Data Center Problems
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/13/the-potelxntial-data-center-problems/
— Vaccine Exemptions
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/12/vaccine-exemptions/
— Triple Shot Vaccinations Led to Hours of Keening
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/11/21787/
— On the National Front
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/10/on-the-national-front/
— Double-Dipping, Something Illinois Legislators Won’t Stop. DD: My critics/opponents have always been furious a) that I earned both Civil Service Retirement System and Social Security credits for almost 5 years a) while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969 and b) for IRS and Firestone Stores 1971-1972.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/11/double-dipping-something-illinois-legislators-wont-stop/
— Group Seeks to Stop Flock Cameras in Woodstock
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/11/group-seeks-to-stop-flock-cameras-in-woodstock/
— Republicans Followed Pritzker’s 2022 Strategy in Wisconsin to Elect the Weakest Candidate in the Opposite Party–Francesca Hong, It Didn’t Work
— https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/11/republicans-follow-pritzkers-2022-strategy-tn-wisconsin-to-elect-the-weakest-candidate-in-the-opposite-party-francesca-hong/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Democrats turn their DEI strategy toward Muslim voters.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4687851/democrats-turn-dei-strategy-toward-muslim-voters/
— ’Tax the rich’ is a scam. You’re the one getting the bill.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4685821/why-taxing-the-rich-hurts-middle-class/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— The carpetbagger primary: Meet the cast of characters running for this Florida House seat. DD: My critics/opponents continue to stress that I have lived in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton only since I was 29 in 1978 and that I never attended schools or churches or worked there. They continue to stress that they have lived in DuPage County, Milton Township, and/or Wheaton their entire lives and that they attended schools and churches there and worked there.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4687660/florida-19th-congressional-district-candidates-carpetbagger-primary/
NEW YORK POST
— Hegseth fumes over the Army’s decision to withdraw new academic standards for college students in the ROTC program — including requiring a SAT score of at least 1000 — to ensure that “stupid people” are not becoming military officers. DD: According to Google AI, an ACT score of 24 equals a SAT score of 1200–1220. My ACT score was 24.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/14/us-news/hegseth-angry-as-army-scraps-new-sat-minimum-for-rotc-to-screen-out-stupid-officers/
— AOC’s student debt unpaid as she embarks on costly egg-freezing journey.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/14/us-news/aocs-student-debt-unpaid-as-she-embarks-on-costly-egg-freezing-journey/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has made at least $174,000 annually for nearly eight years as a member of Congress, but like many of her “Squad” colleagues, she has yet to put a substantial dent in her student loan debt, according to House financial disclosures. The Bronx and Queens Democrat has owed between $15,001 and $50,000 in federal student loan debt since her election to the House in 2018. That’s the same amount she owes now, according to her August disclosure, where lawmakers report ranges for debt and income. The “Tax the Rich!” pol reported less than $81,000 in total assets. Recently, Ocasio-Cortez has suggested that she’d been saving up for some time instead to freeze her eggs, a process that can cost between $10,000 and $20,000 per cycle. “I got sworn into the House of Representatives when I was 29 years old,” she said in an Instagram video. “There’s this flip side where you have to then grow up in the public eye in a time that most people usually get to grow more privately.” Ocasio-Cortez amassed the loans while attending Boston University as an international relations and economics major between August 2007 and May 2011 — and went on to tend bar in Manhattan before her successful run for Congress. The “Squad” Democrat has consistently backed student debt cancellation. During former President Joe Biden’s term, she even pushed the 46th commander-in-chief to cancel as much as $50,000 in debt per student borrower. But she’s not the only US lawmaker who’s still holding student loans. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has held up to $50,000 over the past eight years in student debt — despite her net worth ballooning for a time to as much as $30 million due to her husband’s winery and venture capital businesses. Not all her colleagues who entered the same freshman class of 2018 have failed to pay off their student debts. Fellow “Squad” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) had up to $100,000 in law school loans that have been partially paid off in the same time period — but could still amount to as much as $50,000 too, per House disclosures. Meanwhile, moderate Rep. Jared Golden (R-Maine) similarly held up to $100,000 in outstanding student debt but paid off at least half of it by his last House filing.)
AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
— ‘Woke 1’ Never Really Went Away. Progressives may be less forthcoming, but they haven’t changed their beliefs since the mass lunacy of 2020.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/woke-1-never-really-went-away/
BLAZE
— Wokeism is just the ‘smoke screen’ — Nick Freitas warns of the far more dangerous ideology quietly dismantling the West.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/making-the-argument-with-nick-freitas/wokeism-is-just-the-smoke-screen-nick-freitas-warns-of-the-far-more-dangerous-ideology-quietly-dismantling-the-west
COLLEGE FIX
— 40% won’t hire Trump voters. DD: In Illinois, your primary voting record is public knowledge, it is in the public realm. Employers can easily find out if you cast a Republican primary ballot or a Democrat primary ballot.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/40-wont-hire-trump-voters-new-report-details-higher-educations-ideological-divide/
FEDERALIST
— America lives or dies based on how we address the very real problems that have put the American Dream far out of reach for most people. DD: When I was young, I believed that the American Dream was in my reach even though neither of my parents had attended college, my father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma, my mother had never attended high school, my ACT score was only 24, and I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class. That motivated me 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. But if I was young today and with the aforesaid limitations, I question if I would believe that the American Dream was in my reach. Since I was young, those who share my demographics are ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/14/we-cant-save-the-american-dream-by-pretending-everything-is-just-fine/
— If You Want To Be A Grandparent One Day, Raise Your Kids To Get Married And Want Babies ASAP. DD: My wife and I did not get married until I was 29 and she was 27. We did not know that we both had major fertility problems. We did not try IVF because our problems were so great. We did not adopt. We did not become foster parents. My Democrat GAO superiors used that against me big time.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/14/if-you-want-to-be-a-grandparent-one-day-raise-your-kids-to-get-married-and-want-babies-asap/
— Stepping Down To Raise Her Kids Makes Karoline Leavitt An Even Better Role Model. DD: According my Democrat GAO superiors, if my wife and I had children, I would not have been able to a) pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, b) take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31 and earn a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, c) pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32 and become a licensed CPA when I was 32, d) have a home built in Wheaton when I was 35, and g) buy a collector car when I was 40. My Democrat GAO superiors ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being disgusting selfish rich DINKs. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. They knew full-well that both my wife and I had major fertility problems. They painted themselves as being grossly underpaid. They decried the time and money they spent raising their children. They decried the little or no income that their wives had. Should I write about my Democrat GAO superiors?
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/13/stepping-down-to-raise-her-kids-makes-karoline-leavitt-an-even-better-role-model/
— The Problem With DSA Democrats Isn’t Socialism, It’s Third-Worldism.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/12/the-problem-with-dsa-democrats-isnt-socialism-its-third-worldism/
FINANCIAL CONTENT
— IRS Collections Surge: What 11.5M Delinquent Accounts Mean for You. DD: The Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997 wasted my knowledge of IRS. GAO audits IRS. After working for IRS’s Collection Division as a Revenue Officer for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, I transferred from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980. My Democrat GAO superiors wasted my knowledge of IRS’s Collection Division. The kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for them. While they did assign me to audits of IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division for 3 years, they never assigned me to audits of IRS’s Collection Division. Democrats do not want Republicans to audit Democrats.
https://www.financialcontent.com/article/getnews-2026-8-15-irs-collections-surge-what-115m-delinquent-accounts-mean-for-you
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The IRS is collecting again, and it’s not being subtle about it. The IRS Data Book FY2024 reported over 11.5 million delinquent taxpayer accounts in active inventory, with the agency’s compliance and enforcement division posting measurable increases in both automated notices and field revenue officer assignments. For the millions of Americans carrying unpaid tax balances, that shift isn’t abstract. It means liens, levies, and wage garnishments are moving from paper threats to real collection events at a pace not seen in several years. Noble Tax Relief is responding directly to that shift, offering structured tax resolution services built for taxpayers who are already in the IRS’s line of sight. The IRS Data Book FY2024 recorded 11.5 million delinquent accounts in the IRS’s active collection inventory IRS enforcement revenue from collection activities reached approximately $63.6 billion in FY2024, up from prior pandemic-era lows, per IRS Data Book FY2024 The Inflation Reduction Act directed roughly $45.6 billion of the IRS’s $80 billion funding boost specifically toward enforcement, per the Congressional Budget Office’s August 2023 report “Effects of the Inflation Reduction Act on CBO’s Projections of Federal Tax Revenues” Tax practitioners working IRS Installment Agreement and Offer in Compromise cases consistently report longer resolution timelines when taxpayers wait until a notice of levy or lien has already been filed Noble Tax Relief works with individuals and businesses across delinquent filing situations, unpaid balances, and active IRS collection cases, applying IRS resolution frameworks including Installment Agreements (Form 9465), Currently Not Collectible status, and the Offer in Compromise program The IRS’s own acceptance rate for Offers in Compromise has historically ranged between 30% and 40% depending on the tax year, per IRS Data Book annual records, meaning eligibility analysis before submission is what separates accepted cases from rejected ones. The IRS spent several years pulling back on aggressive enforcement during and after the pandemic. That period is over. With fresh funding, restored staffing in key compliance units, and a mandate to close the estimated $688 billion annual tax gap (IRS Tax Gap Estimates for Tax Years 2014-2016, updated 2023), the agency has both the resources and the political instruction to pursue unpaid accounts more systematically. Taxpayers who received a first notice and sat on it hoping things would quiet down are now finding out that the queue didn’t clear. It moved forward.)
FOX BUSINESS
— Green Beret combat veteran calls out anti-men rhetoric from ‘Woke 1’
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403423368112
FOX NEWS
— Trump: New York is a ‘disaster,’ sanctuary cities protect criminals.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403409149112
— Hannity: The rise of the Democratic socialist movement is no surprise. DD: Both socialists and Democrats promote dependency on government. According to socialists, all you need to do advance is to be a socialist. According to Democrats, all you need to do advance is to be a Democrat. None of my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO coworkers came close to doing what I did to advance. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403430164112
— Lefties backtrack on ‘woke-ism’
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403432784112
FREE PRESS
— Abdul El-Sayed’s Victory and the Democrats’ Anti-American Turn.
https://www.thefp.com/p/abdul-el-sayed-anti-american-turn
INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY STUDIES
— America’s Demoralized Men, Lost Pathways, Greater Struggles. DD: If Affirmative Action and DEI had been stronger when I was young, I might very well have not have able to achieve what I did. I earned a bachelor’s degree from NIU in 1970. IRS hired me and I bought a new 1972 Corvette in 1971. IRS promoted me and I bought a new townhome in University Park in 1972. IRS promoted me in 1973. IRS promoted me and I bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East (ODE) building in 1974. I earned an MBA from Loyola and bought a one bedroom condo in the ODE building in 1976. My wife and I got married and we bought a home in Wheaton and two new cars in 1978. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. I transferred from IRS to GAO and earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981. My wife and I had a home built in Wheaton in 1984. GAO promoted me in 1986. I earned four more job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. I earned a master’s degree in finance from IIT in early 1997.
https://ifstudies.org/report-brief/americas-demoralized-men-part-ii-lost-pathways-greater-struggles
NEWSMAX
— Vote GOP to Stop Socialism.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/mike-lipetri-tom-suozzi-new-york/2026/08/14/id/1266180/
— AOC is rushing to the middle, backing away from past positions.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/aoc-moore-socialists/2026/08/14/id/1266164/
TOWNHALL
— Economic Case for Mass Deportations.
https://townhall.com/news/dmitri-bolt/2026/08/14/scott-bessent-deportations-are-driving-down-costs-and-improving-wages-n2681247
— Stop Dooming. We’re on the Cusp of the Golden Age. DD: What were your best years? My best years include 1970 when I earned a bachelor’s degree from NIU, 1971 when IRS hired me and I bought a new 1972 Corvette, 1972 when IRS promoted me and I bought a new townhome in University Park, 1973 when IRS promoted me, 1974 when IRS promoted me and I bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East (ODE) building, 1976 when I earned an MBA from Loyola and bought a one bedroom condo in the ODE building, 1978 when my wife and I got married and we bought a home in Wheaton and two new cars, 1979 when I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, 1980 when I transferred from IRS to GAO and earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul, 1981 when I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA, 1984 when my wife and I had a home built in Wheaton, 1986 when GAO promoted me, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997 when I earned four more job-related professional certifications, and early 1997 when I earned a master’s degree in finance from IIT. What were your worst years? My worst years include 1969 when my Democrat Post Office superiors forced me to resign by falsely claiming that I was not available to work enough part-time hours and my father died suddenly, 1971 when Oldsmobile withdrew a job offer that I had accepted because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint and my Firestone Store boss fired me because I had accepted that offer, 1974 when my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my travel vouchers, 1978 when my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my education deductions, 1980 when I had to take a $23,699 (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO, 1989 when my Democrat GAO superiors threw me off audits of IRS, gave me a very job assignment, gave me very unfair performance expectations, gave me a very unfair performance appraisal, and began ranking me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and 1997 when they forced me to retire.
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2026/08/14/stop-dooming-were-on-the-cusp-of-the-golden-age-n2681207
— PETA Isn’t Going to Condemn Dog-Killer Democrat Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
https://townhall.com/news/josephchalfant/2026/08/14/shocker-peta-isnt-going-to-condemn-dog-killer-abdul-el-sayed-n2681291
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— For Democrats, it’s the best of times and the worst of times. DD: What were your best years? My best years include 1970 when I earned a bachelor’s degree from NIU, 1971 when IRS hired me and I bought a new 1972 Corvette, 1972 when IRS promoted me and I bought a new townhome in University Park, 1973 when IRS promoted me, 1974 when IRS promoted me and I bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East (ODE) building, 1976 when I earned an MBA from Loyola and bought a one bedroom condo in the ODE building, 1978 when my wife and I got married and we bought a home in Wheaton and two new cars, 1979 when I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, 1980 when I transferred from IRS to GAO and earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul, 1981 when I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA, 1984 when my wife and I had a home built in Wheaton, 1986 when GAO promoted me, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997 when I earned four more job-related professional certifications, and early 1997 when I earned a master’s degree in finance from IIT. What were your worst years? My worst years include 1969 when my Democrat Post Office superiors forced me to resign by falsely claiming that I was not available to work enough part-time hours and my father died suddenly, 1971 when Oldsmobile withdrew a job offer that I had accepted because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint and my Firestone Store boss fired me because I had accepted that offer, 1974 when my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my travel vouchers, 1978 when my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my education deductions, 1980 when I had to take a $23,699 (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO, 1989 when my Democrat GAO superiors threw me off audits of IRS, gave me a very job assignment, gave me very unfair performance expectations, gave me a very unfair performance appraisal, and began ranking me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and 1997 when they forced me to retire.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5893340-democrats-poll-setbacks-congress/
AOL
— Why the American dream feels like a fantasy to many. DD: If Affirmative Action and DEI had been stronger when I was young, I might very well have not have able to achieve what I did. I earned a bachelor’s degree from NIU in 1970. IRS hired me and I bought a new 1972 Corvette in 1971. IRS promoted me and I bought a new townhome in University Park in 1972. IRS promoted me in 1973. IRS promoted me and I bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East (ODE) building in 1974. I earned an MBA from Loyola and bought a one bedroom condo in the ODE building in 1976. My wife and I got married and we bought a home in Wheaton and two new cars in 1978. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. I transferred from IRS to GAO and earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981. My wife and I had a home built in Wheaton in 1984. GAO promoted me in 1986. I earned four more job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. I earned a master’s degree in finance from IIT in early 1997.
https://www.aol.com/articles/why-american-dream-feels-fantasy-160806000.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/us/politics/trump-immigration-crackdown.html
— Conservatives Don’t Like Sociology. Some Sociologists Don’t Either. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/14/us/activist-sociology-independent.html
— Can an 80-Year-Old Senator Outrun the Age Issue? Ed Markey is hoping that his progressive politics will save him in Massachusetts. DD: I remember attending a meeting with Markey when I worked for GAO in the early 1980s.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/14/us/politics/ed-markey-senator-age.html
— Hegseth Is Pressed to Clarify Lawyer’s Role in Promotion Decisions. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me a) were Democrats who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time. Consequently, because I was not a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran, my Democrat Post Office superiors refused to promote me beyond GS-4, my Democrat IRS superiors refused to promote me beyond GS-12, and my Democrat GAO superiors refused to promote me beyond GS-13.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/us/hegseth-jason-crow-military-promotions.html
WILX
— 1 in 5 adults in Michigan choose not to have children. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors viciously used against me a) my wife and I giving up trying to have children without trying IVF, b) our not adopting, and c) our not becoming foster parents. They painted themselves as being grossly underpaid. They decried the time and money they spent raising their children. They decried the little or no income that their wives had. They willfully and falsely ignored/dismissed/belittled our both having major fertility problems. They ever-increasingly hinted/implied/argued/shouted that we lied about our wanting to have children. They ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being disgusting selfish rich DINKs. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. Should I write about my Democrat GAO superiors?
https://www.wilx.com/2026/08/14/1-5-adults-michigan-choose-not-have-children-according-new-research/
BULWARK
— ‘A Slaughter in Our Industry’: Home Builders Say ICE is Destroying Their Business.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/a-slaughter-in-our-industry-home-builders-ice-destroying-business-construction-immigration-vance
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— How Colleges Produce Socialists. When your first brush with adulthood involves endless consumption and no cost, it gives you the wrong idea of how the world works. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/how-colleges-produce-socialists-41fe4257
BLOOMBERG
— First-Time Homebuyers Find American Dream in Midwest. DD: My critics/opponents have always been furious that I was able to buy a new townhome when I was 24 in 1972. They have always stressed that if I had not avoided the Vietnam War draft, I would not have been able to do that.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2026-08-14/first-time-homebuyers-find-american-dream-in-midwest-video
JD SUPRA
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers use disparate impact a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/illinois-joins-other-states-in-4203071/
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
TELEGRAPH
— Reform would end student loans for ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/08/02/reform-would-end-student-loans-for-mickey-mouse-degrees/
August 14, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DuPage board rejects referendum on eliminating elected coroner position.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/13/dupage-board-referendum-coroner-examiner/
DAILY HERALD
— DuPage board rejects proposed referendum on eliminating coroner elections.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260813/news/dupage-county-board-rejects-proposal-for-referendum-on-coroners-office/
— A twofold mission: Historic cemeteries deserve to be both preserved and visited. DD: I served as a Trustee of the Milton Township Cemeteries Authority 2001-2004.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260814/editorials/daily-herald-opinion-a-twofold-mission-historic-cemeteries-deserve-to-be-both-preserved-and-visite/
CBS2
— Chicago’s Agents of Hope Training & Information Center works to connect refugees with jobs. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997. Many, if not most, if not virtually all of my peers would not have stooped to take the aforesaid bad jobs that I took.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicagos-agents-of-hope-training-information-center-refugees/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Bears keep Illinois on hold.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/14/bears-keep-indiana-on-hold-01037042
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/14/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-791/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/13/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-578/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Illinois taxpayers provide nearly $190 million for state fair.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_5c826519-4401-4b3a-9c8e-3062a52233e3.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democrats pick classic tax-and-spend leftist David Crowley for Wisconsin governor. Milwaukee’s county executive brings higher taxes, bigger government and socialist-friendly policies.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/13/democrats-pick-classic-tax-spend-leftist-david-crowley-wisconsin/
— America’s marijuana addiction fuels a public-health crisis. Daily use now outpaces cigarettes and alcohol as high-THC products raise risks for teens, drivers and workers. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/editorial-americas-marijuana-addiction-fuels-public-health-crisis/
— Radical Islam’s three-stage framework for cultural capture. America now faces the point where accommodation turns into political power.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/13/radical-islams-three-stage-framework-cultural-capture/
— State Department cancels DEI diplomacy; ‘White Fragility,’ BLM lessons expunged from training.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/13/state-department-cancels-dei-diplomacy-white-fragility-blm-lessons/
— The Democrats’ socialist moment: Revolution or rebranding? Hillary Clinton is worried that GOP branding of progressive candidates as communists ‘is going to be a very effective attack.’
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/democrats-socialist-moment-revolution-rebranding/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— 26,000 truckers can’t read English road signs. Why are they driving 80,000-pound missiles?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4684338/commercial-trucker-english-proficiency-rule/
— State Department abolishes ‘ideologically extreme and discriminatory’ DEI policies in Foreign Service.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/foreign-policy/4686789/state-department-abolishes-dei-policies-foreign-service/
— Dearborn isn’t a ‘walk for peace’: How Tehran launders the extremism America refuses to see.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4685462/dearborn-walk-for-peace-tehran-extremism-americas-streets/
— The most dangerous socialists aren’t in DC. They’re running for governor.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4684714/most-dangerous-socialists-running-for-governor-francesca-hong-wisconsin/
— California is democratic socialism’s future — and it’s dead last.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4685813/blue-state-affordability-crisis-capitalism/
— COLA increase estimated to be 3.2% in 2027 after summer inflation reports. DD: COLAs have helped me deal inflation big time. My critics/opponents are furious that I got COLAs while I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and that I have continued to get COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4686000/social-security-cost-of-living-adjustment-2027-inflation/
— Catalina Lauf takes on the ‘swamp’ in her new book. Now she wants a seat in it.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4683661/catalina-lauf-new-book-congress/
NEW YORK POST
— NYC will spend $180K in effort to curb rampant dog poop problem.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/13/us-news/nyc-will-spend-180k-in-effort-to-curb-rampant-dog-poop-problem/
— Vance warns Republicans not to blame young Americans for the appeal of socialism. DD: Republican-haters love it that Vance blames Republicans when young people blame capitalism for their problems and want socialism to fix their problems. I never blamed capitalism for my problems. What problems have you had? My critics/opponents stress that under capitalism, even though I did the following, I never earned more than $154,682/year in today’s dollars. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management). I earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance). I earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting). I earned a job-related professional license (CPA). In my defense, I stress that I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government. For them, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats. Because I refused to become a Democrat, they wasted my career and got rid of me. If I had become a Democrat, they would have forgiven my avoiding the Vietnam War draft.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/14/us-news/jd-vance-warns-republicans-not-to-blame-young-americans-for-the-appeal-of-socialism/
AMERICAN GREATNESS
— Nearly Half of Young Americans Still Living With Parents as Affordability Squeeze Delays Adulthood. DD: I lived with and helped support my mother and brother in Crete for 25 months after I graduated from college. My father had died suddenly when he was 47 and I was 21 in October of 1969. He was earning only $50,000/year in today’s dollars. My mother had never attended high school, she had never worked outside the home, and my brother was having problems. I graduated from NIU in August of 1970 and I got a job working for the Firestone Store in Chicago Heights that month. I applied for and I got a financial hardship draft deferment. I lived with mother and brother in Crete and helped support them until September of 1972 when I bought a new townhome in University Park.
https://amgreatness.com/2026/08/13/nearly-half-of-young-americans-still-living-with-parents-as-affordability-squeeze-delays-adulthood/
AMERICAN THINKER
— If Democrats Walk Like Socialists And Talk Like Socialists, They’re Socialists. The media and other Democrats keep trying to tell us there’s daylight between the Democrat and the Democrat Socialists, but that’s increasingly hard to believe.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/if-democrats-walk-like-socialisst-and-talk-like-socialists-maybe-they-re-socialists/
— The Mohammunist Manifest—Trojan-Horsing Society’s Institutions. When they are weak, communists and Muslims create seemingly durable pluralist partnerships that they then ruthlessly destroy once they achieve power.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/the-mohammunist-manifest-trojan-horsing-society-s-institutions/
— AOC retains the option to become a ‘birthing person.’ AOC has debilitating daddy issues. She also has malevolent mental issues. In fact, the former often exacerbates the latter.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/aoc-retains-the-option-to-become-a-birthing-person/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Colorado’s planned purchase permit system for semi-auto guns just got slapped with legal hurdle.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/13/colorados-planned-purchase-permit-system-for-semi-auto-guns-just-got-slapped-with-legal-hurdle-1654696/
BREITBART
— Dallas Airport Installing Foot Washing Stations for Muslim Travelers.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/13/dallas-airport-installing-foot-washing-stations-for-muslim-travelers/
— 52 Percent of Gen Z Morons Have Moved Money From Investments to Sports Betting. DD: Sports Betting is a vice.
https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2026/08/13/nolte-52-percent-of-gen-z-morons-have-moved-money-from-investments-to-sports-betting/
— Socialists and Islamists have this in common: anti-Jew, anti-Israel, and covetousness.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/13/exclusive-dennis-prager-the-one-thing-socialists-and-islamists-have-in-common/
FEDERALIST
— Lawsuit: It’s Unconstitutional That Education Is ‘Free,’ But Only At Government Indoctrination Mills. DD: My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools 1953-1962. 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. I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/13/lawsuit-its-unconstitutional-that-education-is-free-but-only-at-government-indoctrination-mills/
FOX NEWS
— Speaker Johnson slams Dems after noncitizens were charged with illegally voting in battleground state.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/speaker-johnson-slams-dems-after-noncitizens-charged-illegally-voting-battleground-state
NEWSMAX
— Eight Senate Democrats, including Schumer call on GAO to audit Trump’s White House ballroom project, citing concerns over its funding, contracting practices, and lack of congressional oversight.
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/gao-white-house-ballroom/2026/08/13/id/1266017/
REAL CLEAR MARKETS
— Socialism’s Failures Run Roughshod Over Its Promises.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/2026/08/14/socialisms_failures_run_roughshod_over_its_promises_1200303.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— DD: Republican-haters love it that Vance blames Republicans when young people blame capitalism for their problems and want socialism to fix their problems. I never blamed capitalism for my problems. What problems have you had? My critics/opponents stress that under capitalism, even though I did the following, I never earned more than $154,682/year in today’s dollars. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management). I earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance). I earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting). I earned a job-related professional license (CPA). In my defense, I stress that I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government. For them, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats. Because I refused to become a Democrat, they wasted my career and got rid of me. If I had become a Democrat, they would have forgiven my avoiding the Vietnam War draft.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6028771-vance-gop-socialism-young-voters/
CNN
— As Chicago rethinks its monuments, an artist surrounds George Washington with ‘Other Washingtons.’
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/11/style/chicago-washington-monument-amanda-williams
AOL
— Why Traditional Middle-Class Milestones Like Kids, Marriage, and Cars Are Out of Reach for Many Americans. DD: What did you do to qualify yourself for better paying jobs? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.aol.com/articles/why-traditional-middle-class-milestones-190500000.html
NEWSWEEK
— How China Is Changing Its Social Credit System. DD: What costs you points in the Democrat/RINO Social Credit System? For me, it is my being conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and my having ancestors who have been in America for a long time. For me, it is my promoting conservative principles and the 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 in the Republican Party platform.
https://www.newsweek.com/how-china-changing-its-social-credit-system-11079499
NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: My critics/opponents are woke, that is, they promote dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/14/opinion/republicans-woke-radical.html
USA TODAY
— College costs are rising. Here’s what the average family pays. DD: Back in the good old days, in 1970, I was able to graduate debt-free with a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU and owning a 1969 Dodge Charger SE a) by living with my parents in Crete while I took classes at UIC 1966-1968, weekends during my first semester at NIU in 1969, and the summer of 1969 and b) by working part-time for the Park Forest Post Office while classes were in session and full-time during the summers of 1967, 1968, and 1969. In today’s dollars, my postal salary increased from $19.57/hour to $20.87/hour.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personal-finance/2026/08/12/college-costs-inflation-student-loans-tuition/91257662007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— AOC Tries to Make a Joke of Woke. Ask those who were canceled, or killed by released criminals, how funny it was. DD: My critics/opponents are woke, that is, they promote dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/aoc-tries-to-make-a-joke-of-woke-f5ca5733?mod=opinion_lead_pos8
NAPLES DAILY NEWS
— Things continue to worsen in the American classroom. In the U.S., test scores have been sliding since 2013, while students in Japan, Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, South Korea and many European countries have made steady improvements. DD: Democrats run education in America. For Democrat educators, cranking out good little Democrats is their top priority.
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/opinion/2026/08/14/things-continue-to-worsen-in-the-american-classroom-opinion/91284126007/
WBUR
— Is upward mobility still possible? Fewer Americans out-earn their parents than in previous generations. DD: Back in the good old days, I was able to out-earn my father when I was 21 in 1970 because I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU.
https://www.wbur.org/the-wbur-festival/2026/08/13/wbur-fest-chetty-boston
WBAP
— State Department Ends DEI Agenda In Foreign Service, Restores Merit-Based Standards. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.wbap.com/2026/08/13/state-department-ends-dei-agenda-in-foreign-service-restores-merit-based-standards/
NEWS 24
— Democratic socialists are people of privilege.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7ER_IEiInQ
CBS12
— Single adults need to make over $100,000 to live comfortably in Florida. DD: I did not start earning $100,000/year in today’s dollars until I was 25 in 1974. I had worked for IRS for 3 years. I had completed ten graduate evening business courses at Loyola.
https://cbs12.com/news/local/gallery/single-adults-need-to-make-over-100000-dollars-to-live-comfortably-in-florida-smartasset-study-says-palm-beach-county-109200-martin-county-101338-st-lucie-county-99341-cost-of-living-expense-inflation-earnings-families-affordability
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
— Grant County auditor candidates discuss experience, qualifications. DD: I worked hard to elect Grogan and reelect Grogan as DuPage County Auditor in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. Grogan and I are both long-time DuPage County residents, Republican Precinct Committeemen, licensed CPAs, Certified Fraud Examiners, and members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and Illinois CPA Society. Grogan represented me on the IRP State Central Committee 2018-2022.
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2026/jul/28/grant-county-auditor-candidates-discuss-experience-qualifications/
FLORIDA POLITICS
— Catalina Lauf send cease and desist letter to Jim Oberweis over attack ads.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/813658-catalina-lauf-send-cease-and-desist-letter-to-jim-oberweis-over-attack-ads/
POLITICO
— Trump backs Catalina Lauf for Congress to replace Byron Donalds. Lauf worked as a Commerce Department adviser in Trump’s first administration.
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026/08/trump-backs-catalina-lauf-for-congress-to-replace-byron-donalds-01037485
— Trump waged war on EVs. Now he’s helping them out.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/12/trump-waged-war-on-evs-now-hes-helping-them-out-01032336
FORTUNE
— Here’s Why China’s Social Credit System Is So Warped. DD: What costs you points in America’s Social Credit System? For me, it is my being conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and my having ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://fortune.com/media/8abcdbb2-0402-4e44-bf8e-c2f606286669/
FACT CHECK
— DD: I often served as a fact checker while I worked for GAO 1986-1997 at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year.
https://www.factcheck.org/2026/08/trump-uses-deceptive-chart-in-false-inflation-boast/
NEWS ONE
— The Anti-DEI Trump Admin Is Boasting About Speedily Hiring Video Gamers As Air Traffic Controllers. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that his office has taken a huge step towards solving the nation’s air traffic controller shortfall problem by recruiting video gamers to do the job. DD: According to Google AI, “In the United States, video game player ethnicity data shows that approximately 68% of gamers are White/Caucasian, 22% are Hispanic, 15% are Black/African American, 4% are Native American/Alaskan, and 2% are Asian/Pacific Islander.)
https://newsone.com/6868990/video-game-players-air-traffic-controllers/
PROGRESSIVE
— ‘We Are Coming to Get Our Check.’ Black Americans have sought reparations for slavery since the Emancipation Proclamation. DD: Affirmative Action (AA) and DEI are reparations. Blacks have been given many trillions of dollars in AA and DEI since the 1960s.
https://progressive.org/magazine/we-are-coming-to-get-our-check-baker-20260813/
COMMON DREAMS
— Can AOC Win the Working Class? Before running for president, she needs to prove she can build a national working-class coalition. DD: What did you do to qualify yourself for better paying jobs? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/aoc-win-working-class
August 12, 2016
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois and Chicago campaigns defy conventional monied wisdom.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/12/column-illinois-chicago-campagins-defy-convention-washington/
— Backlash against Meta’s smart glasses grows. DD: Republican Precinct Committeemen should consider wearing them to document threats against them when they hand-deliver sample ballots, campaign literature, and voter guides in their precinct.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/11/meta-smart-glasses/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The social media giant dominates the market for smart glasses, which allow people to capture photos and videos, listen to music, take phone calls and ask questions to an artificial intelligence assistant. Some people are using the glasses — which look like a pair of regular spectacles — to record people without their knowledge and publish the videos on social media. The users secretly videotape and share what happens when they try to pick up women. Now, a growing number of people are worried they could be covertly recorded at the gym or even during sex. The backlash has prompted Meta to update its glasses to address privacy concerns, and some places have banned them, adding to the angst surrounding technology that’s rapidly evolving. It’s too early to tell whether the criticism will dent sales of smart glasses, said Jitesh Ubrani, a director at the market research company IDC.)
— If you’re not wealthy, you’re making concessions on big-ticket purchases. Consumers are OK with not getting the fancy car. Homes? That’s a bigger problem.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/12/jd-power-zillow-auto-cars-homebuyers-housing-rich/
DAILY HERALD
— The persecution of Anthony Fauci, a public servant. DD: I should write about federal employees who have had big adverse actions taken against them, what those adverse actions were, who took those adverse actions against them, and those who could/should have come to their defense but did not, and why.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260812/syndicated-columnists/the-persecution-of-a-public-servant/
FOX32
— USDA: SNAP enrollment drops by 5.3 million following new work rules – State-by-state breakdown. DD: Democrat leaders want as many people as possible on SNAP because people on SNAP vote for Democrats.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/snap-fewer-recipients-after-new-rules-implemented
PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— Tracy labels Iran war costs ‘required sacrifices.’
https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/11/don-tracy-calls-iran-war-costs-required-sacrifices/91263175007/
EVANSTON NOW
— Uihlein family giving $35M to NU football.
https://evanstonnow.com/uihlein-family-giving-35m-to-nu-football/
FOX ILLINOIS
— DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, their top priority was hiring, retaining, and promoting Democrats who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/researchers-advocates-rail-against-governments-efforts-to-end-workforce-data-collection/article_36c0db76-e1b3-51f4-9ca6-0c160b2045d6.html
NPR ILLINOIS
— Trump-backed Mike Lindell loses primary for Minnesota governor to Lisa Demuth.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-08-11/trump-backed-mike-lindell-loses-primary-for-minnesota-governor-to-lisa-demuth
WGLT
— New Illinois law empowering sexual assault survivors runs into shortage of female officers.
https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-08-11/new-illinois-law-empowering-sexual-assault-survivors-runs-into-shortage-of-female-officers
WFMD
— Chicago’s South Side is drowning in excuses, dependency and decay.
https://www.wfmd.com/2026/04/28/chicagos-south-side-is-drowning-in-excuses-dependency-and-decay/
RACE AND EQUITY PROJECT
— Nowhere to go: Chicago teens on ‘takeovers,’ curfews, and lost community spaces. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://www.raceandequityproject.org/article/chicago-teen-takeover-police-hyde-park-community-spaces
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— DNC plans a Chicago bootcamp.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/12/dnc-plans-a-chicago-bootcamp-01034396
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/12/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-789/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/11/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-576/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
JOHN KASS
— Democrat Socialist of America: The Threat is Real.
https://johnkassnews.com/democrat-socialist-of-america-the-threat-is-real/
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— 10 Criminal Complaints Filed Against Federal Agents Over Operation Midway Blitz as DHS Calls Effort a ‘Political Stunt’
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/10-criminal-complaints-filed-against-federal-agents-over-operation-midway-blitz-as-dhs-calls-effort-a-political-stunt.html
— Why Are the Courts Clogged? Ask the Democrats Who Created the Crisis.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/why-are-the-courts-clogged-ask-the-democrats-who-created-the-crisis.html
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Pritzker record: He added $300 million last year to Chicago pension woes.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pritzker-added-300-million-last-year-to-chicago-pension-woes/
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Double-Dipping, Something Illinois Legislators Won’t Stop. DD: My critics/opponents have always been furious a) that I earned both Civil Service Retirement System and Social Security credits a) while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969 and b) for IRS and Firestone Stores 1971-1972.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/11/double-dipping-something-illinois-legislators-wont-stop/
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is be a Democrat. If I had listened to socialists, I would have become a Democrat. That would have discouraged me from doing what I did to advance. To advance, a) I worked my way through college, b) I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), c) I earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), d) I earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and e) I earned a job-related professional license (CPA). All of my coworkers who my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors promoted over were Democrats. None of them came close to doing what I did to advance. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Who do your critics/opponents blame problems on? My critics/opponent blame problems on conservatives who are White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, have more money than they do, and/or have more professional credentials than they do. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Men (not) at work: Social instability looms as men shun the labor force. DD: Since the 1960s, Democrat and RINO employers have ever-increasingly focused on hiring, retaining, and promoting women, and especially women who are minority and/or younger.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/men-not-work-social-instability-looms-men-shun-labor-force-analysts/
— Blame colleges for the socialist conquest. They recruit and tolerate Jew-hating professors, students.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/11/blame-colleges-socialist-conquest/
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Abdul El-Sayed Proclaimed ‘Obligation’ To Follow Sharia Law Until the Day He Dies.
https://freebeacon.substack.com/p/abdul-el-sayed-proclaimed-obligation
NEW YORK SUN
— Abdul El-Sayed’s Success Is Owed to Western Values and American Meritocracy That He Seeks To Abolish. He is one of the luckiest people to ever live, and an extremist by choice.
https://www.nysun.com/article/abdul-el-sayeds-success-is-owed-to-western-values-and-american-meritocracy-that-he-seeks-to-abolish
AMERICAN THINKER
— Learn to listen, listen to learn. Leftists today aren’t interested in respectful exchanges of viewpoints, or in offering rationales for their own ideas. Socialism is but a step toward communist oppression. Among the dangers it promotes is the abolition of popular dissent. DD: Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is be a Democrat. If I had listened to socialists, I would have become a Democrat. That would have discouraged me from doing what I did to advance. To advance, a) I worked my way through college, b) I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), c) I earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), d) I earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and e) I earned a job-related professional license (CPA). All of my coworkers who my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors promoted over me were Democrats. None of them came close to doing what I did to advance.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/learn-to-listen-listen-to-learn/
— The Diversity Blindspot. The Arday illusion: academia’s shameful infatuation with the diversity poster boy.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/the-diversity-blindspot/
AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY
— The Upward Mobility Act is a Step Forward on Welfare Reform. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://americansforprosperity.org/policy-corner/the-upward-mobility-act-is-a-step-forward-on-welfare-reform/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Trump administration has lost nearly 17,000 immigration rulings. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/11/report-trump-administration-has-lost-nearly-17000-immigration-rulings-1654342/
BLAZE
— DEI’s favorite trick: Failure proves discrimination. DD: Democrats shout at those who fail that Republicans caused their failures.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/deis-favorite-trick-failure-proves-discrimination
BREITBART
— Pritzker: Trump ‘Put People in Harm’s Way to Save Himself’
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/11/pritzker-trump-put-people-in-harms-way-to-save-himself/amp/
CAMPUS REFORM
— University of Illinois Chicago offers clinicians $5K stipend, abortion training fellowship. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more abortion.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/university-illinois-chicago-offers-clinicians-5k-stipend-abortion-training-fellowship/30380
CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES
— The Biggest Myth About H-1B Is That It’s ‘Broken.’ DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://cis.org/Miano/Biggest-Myth-About-H1B-Its-Broken
DAILY WIRE
— David Crowley Stuns Socialist Frontrunner In Wisconsin Dem Governor Primary. The result marked a dramatic reversal from pre-election polling.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/david-crowley-stuns-socialist-frontrunner-in-wisconsin-dem-governor-primary
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— What’s Wrong with Personal Responsibility? DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://www.aei.org/commentary/whats-wrong-with-personal-responsibility/
FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— A License to Kill on American Highways. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.fairus.org/opinion/license-kill-american-highways
FEDERATION FOR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
— Why States Should Ban Universal Basic Income Schemes. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://thefga.org/research/why-states-should-ban-universal-basic-income-schemes/
FOX BUSINESS
— A working-class party without workers. Why are leading Democrats welcoming socialists into their big tent.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/larry-kudlow-working-class-party-without-workers
— Socialists are going to give the GOP the Senate.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403227460112
FOX NEWS
— Democrat establishment strikes back as socialist candidate downed in battleground primary. Milwaukee County Executive backed by Gov. Tony Evers will face Republican nominee Tom Tiffany in the general election.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/wisconsin-governor-primary-crowley-hong
— Socialists are preparing to come for EVERYTHING you have. DD: The more that you have, the more that you should fight socialism. Anticipate/expect that the less that people have, the more that they will fight for socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcEeda5C8Ug
— Socialism has failed everywhere it has been tried.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403230468112
HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— Why the U.S. Has a Culture of Dependency. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/commentary/why-the-us-has-culture-dependency
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— FAA’s Gamer Recruitment Campaign Scores Over 2,000+ Air Traffic Controller Candidates. Hopefully, the rest of the FAA’s air traffic control enhancement plan will prove as successful.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/faas-gamer-recruitment-campaign-scores-over-2000-air-traffic-controller-candidates/
MINDING THE CAMPUS
— America’s Universities Are Still Shutting Out Conservative Faculty. Campuses are ideologically imbalanced, hostile to dissent, and unwilling to reform. Secretary McMahon’s call for accountability is much needed.
https://mindingthecampus.org/2026/08/11/americas-universities-are-still-shutting-out-conservative-faculty/
PJ MEDIA
— DSA on Illegals: ‘You Don’t Have to Have Papers to Have Power.’ DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2026/08/11/dsa-on-illegals-you-dont-have-to-have-papers-to-have-power-n4956025
— Can Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ride the socialist wave to lead Democrats in 2028 amid party shifts?
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/08/11/is-there-one-democrat-who-can-ride-the-socialist-wave-to-2028-n4956039
REASON
— Americans Grow Increasingly Dependent on Government Payments. Many citizens of the land of the free are hooked on government checks. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://reason.com/2024/10/04/americans-grow-increasingly-dependent-on-government-payments/
TOWNHALL
— Democratic Socialists Are Officially Part of the Democratic Party.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jtyoung/2026/08/12/democratic-socialists-are-officially-part-of-the-democratic-party-n2681026
U.S. HOUSE
— More Americans Dependent on Welfare Checks, at the Expense of Work. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2025/01/08/new-report-shows-more-americans-dependent-on-welfare-checks-at-the-expense-of-work/
— Growth of the Welfare State. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://oversight.house.gov/release/grothman-opens-second-hearing-on-examining-the-growth-of-the-welfare-state/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC NEWS
— Charlotte police chief proposes expanding curfew to combat ‘teen takeovers.’ DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://abcnews.com/US/charlotte-police-chief-proposes-expanding-curfew-combat-teen/story?id=135544849
NEW YORK TIMES
— If you’re single and unemployed, it may make sense to prioritize job hunting. But that doesn’t have to mean putting your life on pause. DD: I met my outstanding wife at a Presbyterian singles event. She is Catholic and I am Missouri Synod Lutheran. What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/11/business/dating-unemployed.html
— Optimizing your life. Instead of focusing solely on retirement savings balance, workers should figure out how they want to spend their time. DD: I spent a tremendous amount of my time and my money a) working my way through college, b) earning a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), c) earning three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), d) earning six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and e) earning a job-related professional license (CPA). My wife and I focused on saving money for child raising expenses, but when our fertility problems ended that, we focused on saving for our retirement.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/business/retirement-plan.html
WASHINGTON POST
— How today’s generation is turning homebuying on its head. DD: Extremely few of my peers did what I did. I bought a new townhome when I was 24 in 1972. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ . In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $93,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/brand-connect/nar/how-todays-generation-is-turning-home-buying-on-its-head/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Trump vs. Socialism: Which Do Voters Revile More? The midterms were the Democrats’ to lose. With candidates like Abdul El-Sayed, they just might.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trump-vs-socialism-which-do-voters-revile-more-2d0d0d10
— The GAO Precedent for Fed Independence. DD: GAO is not independent. GAO is non nonpartisan. Virtually all, if not all GAO employees are Democrats. When I was 31 in 1980, I was one of the last Republicans GAO hired. GAO wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. GAO would not have done that if I had been A democrat, minority, female, or veteran.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-gao-precedent-for-fed-independence-b7b37cc4
— AOC for President? Don’t Rule It Out. As Democrats flirt with socialism, she’s a serious candidate.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/aoc-for-president-dont-rule-it-out-084f5619
FORBES
— Millennials Want Workplace Diversity. Why Don’t They Ask For It? DD: To promote diversity is to dump meritocracy.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/adiaharveywingfield/2026/08/12/millennials-want-workplace-diversity-why-dont-they-ask-for-it/
FLORIDA POLITICS
— Kat Cammack, Greg Steube line up behind Catalina Lauf in contentious CD 19 Primary.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/812950-kat-cammack-greg-steube-line-up-behind-catalina-lauf-in-contentious-cd-19-primary/
FLORIDA CAPITOLIST
— Early turnout builds ahead of Florida primary. Catalina Lauf is the founder of Defense of Freedom PAC and has two previous runs for congress in Illinois. Jim Oberweis previously served in the Illinois Senate from 2013 to 2021 and has several unsuccessful runs under his belt in Illinois.
https://thecapitolist.com/early-turnout-builds-ahead-of-florida-primary/
HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTION
— DD: To promote Affirmative Action and DEI is to dump meritocracy.
https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/diversity-inclusion/us-boardrooms-are-rapidly-dropping-diversity-rules-hr-cant-ignore-the-fallout/585762
EDUCATION NEWS
— Merit or seniority? Teachers question TSC promotion scoring. Teachers are calling for greater emphasis on merit, competence and measurable performance in TSC promotions. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors promoted over me were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, b) who had less work experience than I had, c) who had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) who had no professional license like the one I had.
https://educationnews.co.ke/merit-or-seniority-teachers-question-tsc-promotion-scoring/
EDUCATION NEXT
— DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://www.educationnext.org/whats-wrong-with-personal-responsibility/
JD SUPRA
— Illinois’ Menopause Equity and Care Act Expands Employment Protections.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/illinois-menopause-equity-and-care-act-9912689/
August 11, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Pritzker and Bailey spar over Trump tariffs and farm economy at ag forum.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/10/jb-pritzker-darren-bailey-ag-forum/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/10/column-democrats-democratic-socialism-progressives-donald-trump-red-scare-page/
SHAW LOCAL
— ‘This race is winnable’: Bailey calls on La Salle County Republicans for support in quest for governor’s chair. Candidate stopped in Mendota for appearance in Sweet Corn Fest Grand Parade.
https://www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley/2026/08/10/this-race-is-winnable-bailey-calls-on-la-salle-county-republicans-for-support-in-quest-for-governors-chair/
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Governor candidates fight for the farmers vote.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/your-local-election-hq/illinois-gov-candidates-agriculture/
CAPITOL CITY NOW
— Illinois Republicans fight for name recognition.
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-il-republicans-fight-for-name-recognition/
CHICAGO PARENT
— These are the 10 best places to raise a family in Chicagoland. Explore the top family-friendly suburbs in Chicagoland with great schools, low crime rates and affordable housing. DD: If your municipality is not on the list, why is that?
https://www.chicagoparent.com/how-do-i/these-are-the-10-best-places-to-raise-a-family-in-chicagoland-cbd38771
CHICAGO READER
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://chicagoreader.com/city-life/chicago-gay-games-2006/
BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/08/10/chicagoans-alleging-crimes-by-ice-agents-seek-police-help-after-feds-fail-to-act/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Is Wisconsin becoming Illinois north?
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/11/is-wisconsin-becoming-illinois-north-01032223
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/11/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-788/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/10/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-575/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Dangers of issuing commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. States that weaken CDL standards put American families at deadly risk.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/10/dangers-issuing-commercial-drivers-licenses-illegal-aliens/
— Trump says Democrats are electing ‘jihadists.’
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/10/trump-says-democrats-electing-jihadists/
— Young adults are having trouble finding potential spouses. DD: I met my outstanding wife at a Presbyterian singles event. She is Catholic and I am Missouri Synod Lutheran. What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/10/young-people-looking-love-wrong-places/
— Ceuta invasion another step toward a Muslim Europe. Americans can ill afford to be smug.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/10/editorial-ceuta-invasion-another-step-toward-muslim-europe/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Rainbow reds are more dangerous than communists of old.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/community-family/4680978/rainbow-reds-more-dangerous-communists-no-god-debasing-science-pampered/
— Too conservative. DD: According to Democrats and according to RINOs, I am too conservative, that is, I promote too many conservative principles, that is, I promote too many planks in the Republican Party platform. Most commonly, they reject the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/in_focus/4681101/new-fusionism-blueprint-uniting-gop/
— AOC, 2028, and the coming of woke 2.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/4682228/aoc-2028-woke-1-socialist-democrats/
— Democrats try to dodge ‘Woke 1’
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4681169/the-democrats-crazy-woke-1-dodge-past-comments-trailing-candidates/
— ‘We have to smash the state’: The Left prepares for war.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/in_focus/4681140/we-smash-state-left-prepares-war/
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Move Over, Thanksgiving: Francesca Hong Hosted ‘Feast of the Feminine.’
https://freebeacon.substack.com/p/move-over-thanksgiving-francesca
NEW YORK POST
— DSA darling Francesca Hong doesn’t just want to cancel Thanksgiving — here’s all her nuttiest takes ahead of pivotal Wisconsin primary.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/10/us-news/dsa-darling-francesca-hong-doesnt-just-want-to-cancel-thanksgiving-all-her-nuttiest-takes-ahead-of-pivotal-wisconsin-primary/
— Democratic socialists will act like communists once elected.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/10/opinion/fresh-proof-that-democratic-socialists-will-act-like-communists-once-elected/
— Judge Wayne Ozzi derails Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax. DD: I had a second home in the Outer Drive East building in downtown Chicago 1974-1978, but only because I would have had to suffer a big loss if I had sold my University Park townhome.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/10/opinion/judge-squelches-mamdanis-enemies-list-but-the-socialists-have-still-put-you-on-notice/
AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
— Do Hegseth’s Reforms to Military Universities Go Far Enough? Wokeness isn’t the only problem at war colleges and service academies.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/do-hegseths-reforms-to-military-universities-go-far-enough/
BLAZE
— Socialism’s favorite bait-and-switch.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/socialisms-favorite-bait-and-switch
DAILY CALLER
— Woke 2
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/11/duke-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-woke-1-crazy-francesca-hong/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Far-Left Democrats Lose to Far-Far-Left DSA Challengers.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/10/far-left-democrats-far-far-left-dsa-challengers/
DAILY WIRE
— America’s Professors Break Century-Long Precedent To Go Full Socialist.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/americas-professors-break-century-long-precedent-to-go-full-socialist
FOX BUSINESS
— Let’s not punish the rich.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403158657112
FOX NEWS
— Socialist tax-the-rich plan to face NY judge. DD: Who wants you to pay more taxes and why? My critics/opponents have always wanted me to pay more taxes. Their justifications include a) my having avoided the Vietnam War draft, b) my having worked for the Post Office 1966-1969, for IRS 1971-1980, and for GAO 1980-1997, c) my being a federal retiree since 1997, d) my getting promotions in 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1986, e) my wife and I giving up trying to have children without trying IVF, our not adopting, and our not becoming foster parents, and f) me and my wife having itemized. According to my critics/opponents, I have always had more income because I benefit from discrimination against those who share their demographics.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403179217112
— Will Wisconsin be the place that stops socialism?
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403165635112
— Mamdani clashes with Democratic Socialists’ push to abolish police and prisons. DD: Of course, criminals vote for socialist candidates.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/mamdani-clashes-democratic-socialists-push-abolish-police-prisons
GREENWALD
— The tactic of AOC and her allies to giggle away the ‘craziness’ of Woke-era abuses should not be tolerated. The so-called “Woke 1” period is not something to laugh off. It was a repressive and destructive mob rule which unjustly destroyed careers and requires a reckoning.
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/the-tactic-of-aoc-and-her-allies
HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— Some Migrants Hate America on Arrival.
https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/some-migrants-hate-america-arrival
INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY STUDIES
— It’s still not good for man to be alone. New research on the state of men in America shows the benefits of marriage, family, and work.
https://wng.org/opinions/its-still-not-good-for-man-to-be-alone-1786340259
JONATHAN TURLEY
— “Niceness as Whiteness”: Professors Denounce Niceness as White Privilege.
https://jonathanturley.org/2026/08/11/niceness-as-whiteness-professors-denounce-niceness-as-perpetuating-white-privilege/comment-page-1/amp/
NEWSMAX
— Democrats Are Embracing Communism.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/russell-fry-democrats-communism/2026/08/10/id/1265670/
— ICE Arrests Hit Record Highs.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/tom-homan-newsmax-ice/2026/08/10/id/1265685/
TOWNHALL
— Congress Can Still Act on Birthright Citizenship.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jeremy-beck/2026/08/11/congress-can-still-act-on-birthright-citizenship-n2680998
— A Staten Island judge has blocked a tax hike on second homes proposed by Mamdani. DD: I had a second home in the Outer Drive East building in downtown Chicago 1974-1978, but only because I would have had to suffer a big loss if I had sold my University Park townhome.
https://townhall.com/news/josephchalfant/2026/08/10/new-york-judges-halts-mamdanis-aggressive-socialist-policy-n2681015
— Wisconsin Will Stop the Socialist Wave.
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/08/10/tom-tiffany-wisconsin-will-stop-socialism-n2680967
— Did Abdul El-Sayed Really Say This About White Truck Drivers?
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/08/10/abdul-el-sayed-afraid-of-white-truck-drivers-n2680973
WESTERN JOURNAL
— The House’s Push to Purge LGBT Propaganda from Children’s Shows.
https://www.westernjournal.com/houses-push-purge-lgbt-propaganda-childrens-shows/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— DD: The more problems that Democrats and RINOs have, the more likely that they will a) blame capitalism for their problems and b) want socialism to solve their problems. What did you do to avoid problems? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and a job-related professional license (CPA).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdSicnRRBC0
AOL
— Illinois breaks top 20 best states to live in. DD: The more of the following that you are, the better that Illinois is for you: liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, unmarried, LGBTQ, veteran, poor, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or are in America illegally.
https://www.aol.com/articles/study-illinois-breaks-top-20-175518000.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— Homeland Security Intensifies Pursuit of Noncitizens on Voter Rolls.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/us/politics/noncitizens-vote-crackdown.html
— Women’s Share of Top Military Promotions Falls as Hegseth Blocks Nominees. DD: All my coworkers who were women and who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/upshot/military-promotions-women-hegseth.html
— Now Coming to a Black Media Outlet Near You: Mayor Mamdani. Zohran Mamdani’s “all of the above” media strategy, which encompasses ethnic media, influencers and content creators, has led to a recent Black media blitz. DD: Everyone sees how the following treat me and treat my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters: past and present a) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Illinois Republican Party, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois, and Illinois Center Right Coalition, b) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct, d) conservative leaders, and e) religious leaders.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/09/nyregion/black-media-mamdani.html
WASHINGTON POST
— Trump administration takes aim at website listing diversity scholarships. DD: My critics/opponents have always used my not getting scholarships against me.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/08/10/trump-administration-takes-aim-website-listing-diversity-scholarships/
USA TODAY
— $110,000 needed to afford a typical US home in 2026. DD: What did you do to buy your first home? I bought a new townhome in University Park ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ) when I was 24 in 1972. In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $92,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/08/05/income-needed-afford-typical-us-home-2026-redfin-report/91185869007/
— As Trump drastically rolls back rules for Head Start, some Republicans are wary. DD: My critics/opponents have always used my parents’ sending me to kindergarten at Trinity Lutheran Grade School in Crete in 1953 to falsely hint/imply/argue/shout that they were filthy rich.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/09/head-start-trump-rfk-jr-preschool-senate-republicans-alarmed/91213407007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong’s Wisconsin Primary Lead Alarms Establishment Democrats. Party insiders worry Hong would lose the general election for governor in November.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/democratic-socialist-francesca-hongs-wisconsin-primary-lead-alarms-establishment-democrats-e3b9a1ce
— How to Plan for the Staggering Costs of Fertility Treatments. The amount of money spent can rival a house purchase or college tuition. It’s crucial for couples to figure out the financial equation ahead of time. DD: In 1989, my Democrat GAO superiors pulled out all the stops to get rid of me. That included their viciously demonizing, denigrating, and condemning me for my wife and I giving up trying to have children without trying IVF. They stressed that my wife’s health insurance covered the costs. They ignored/dismissed/belittled our doctor’s advising against it because we both had major fertility problems. They viciously demonized, denigrated, and condemned our not adopting and our not becoming foster parents. They painted themselves as being grossly underpaid. They decried the time and money they spent raising their children. They decried the little or no income that their wives had.
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/fertility-treatment-costs-planning-976703b7
FORTUNE
— We have a happiness-segregated society by marriage. DD: My Democrat IRS superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were furious when I got married when I was 29 in 1978. To get rid of me, they had ever-increasingly painted me as being so bad that I would never get married. They were especially furious because my wife had a good job. SEE: https://gopillinois.com/documents/
https://fortune.com/2026/08/10/americans-unhappy-marriage-rates-peltzman/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The first instinct is to blame money, but Peltzman says it’s not that simple. Yes, while grocery bills and gas prices have soared, blaming the affordability crisis would make sense if the unhappiest Americans were the ones getting squeezed hardest. But Peltzman’s data says the opposite. The people who fell furthest after 2020 were the ones who had the most going in: white, high-income, college-educated, right-leaning Americans. “The affordability business is not an upper-income kind of concern,” he said. “It’s a lower-income kind of concern, and the upper-income people have been hit hardest in the happiness crash. “Any story which says that it’s inequality,” Peltzman said, “those kind of stories are not consistent with the facts.” ‘We have a happiness-segregated society by marriage’ Married people are still, on net, happy. Unmarried people, about 45% of American adults, are now, on net, unhappy. “The only people who are positive, where there’s a clear positive balance in happiness, are married people,” Peltzman said. “We have a happiness-segregated society by marriage.” The obvious next question is whether this is just the marriage rate falling and the crash is only picking that up. It isn’t. The marriage rate itself hasn’t moved in 15 years: “It’s 55/45, and it’s been that way,” Peltzman said. Marriage rates did decline for decades, from the 1970s through the early 2000s, and in an earlier paper, Peltzman found that decline explained most of the happiness slide that came before the pandemic. But that slide had already leveled off well before 2020. The country’s split between married and unmarried adults going into the crash is the same split as today. What changed was not how many people are married, but how much worse it now feels to be unmarried, while married people mostly held their ground.)
— Jamie Dimon says Gen Z is wrong to give up on the American Dream—but admits it’s dying for the bottom 20% of households. DD: Neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. He never earned more than $50,000/year in today’s dollars. He almost always worked second jobs to pay the family’s bills. He died suddenly when he was 47 and I was 21, My mother never attended high school. All my grandparent spoke German. I had to work my way through college.
https://fortune.com/2026/08/10/jamie-dimon-gen-z-giving-up-american-dream-wrong-understandable/?ref=biztoc.com
BUSINESS INSIDER
— Job loss. DD: After my Democrat GAO forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, I soon gave up searching for a job appropriate for someone with my work experience, education, professional certification, and professional license because my Democrat GAO superiors had damaged me so much. Prior to their forcing me to retire, they had a) 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, d) kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 13 years that I worked for GAO, and e) forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980.
https://www.businessinsider.com/laid-off-single-mom-part-time-garden-new-perspective-2026-8
WEEK
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://theweek.com/politics/should-democrats-embrace-democratic-socialists
FLORIDA POLITICS
— Super PAC’s new CD 19 ads warn voters: Don’t let Catalina Lauf ‘Illinois our Florida.’ In the Republican Primary to succeed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, “Illinois” is now a verb. A week after loading three out-of-state candidates into an AI-generated clown car, Southwest Florida First is back with ads aimed at just one of them: Catalina Lauf. DD: My critics/opponents in DuPage County have always stressed that I did not move to DuPage County until I was 29 in 1978.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/812570-super-pacs-new-cd-19-ads-warn-voters-dont-let-catalina-lauf-illinois-our-florida/
ALTERNET
— Former GOP chair Michael Steele: Republicans are socialists — but only for themselves.
https://www.alternet.org/trump-farmers-2677684186/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: President Donald Trump is accusing Democrats of being “communists” and “socialists,” but as a former Republican National Committee chair pointed out on Monday, he supports socialist policies… as long as they benefit Republican constituencies like farmers. “People fundamentally do not understand socialism,” MS NOW commentator and former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele said on Monday. “They do not understand communism. What is it — the median grade level in the United States is eighth grade. Okay? We’re not teaching civics. We’re not teaching world history. We’re not teaching the fundamentals of how all of this comes together. So these terms from the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s are being thrown out into the ecosystem.” He then mentioned Trump’s proposed $17.3 billion bailout to farmers, a group that has been disproportionately economically harmed by his tariffs, his mass deportations and his war against Iran. “Y’all know the Farm Bill is socialism; y’all know that, right?” Steele said.)
LAW
— DD: Democrats and RINOs use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.law.com/article/almID/900005518698/
— STOP THE CLOCK ON AGE RETIREMENTS. DD: Federal employees under the Civil Service Retirement System and who are the following are forced to retire as soon as they are eligible, that is, when they are 55 and have 30 years of service: conservative, Republican, White, male, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. I became eligible for early retirement when I was 45 in 1993. My Democrat GAO succeeded in forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 when their early retirement “offer” expired. I would not have been eligible for regular retirement until I was 55 in 2003. They made it very clear that if I did not take their “offer,” they would make those 6 years a living hell for me. They would constructively demote me, give me adverse transfers, give me unfair performance expectations, give me unfair performance appraisals, and even worse things. SEE: https://www.law.com/article/almID/53G5-97S1-JBM3-R0DM-00000-00/https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf
FED SMITH
— Beyond One Senate Race: What AFGE’s Endorsement Reveals About Federal Employee Unions. AFGE’s endorsement of Abdul El-Sayed highlights the political role of federal employee unions and raises questions about representing a non-partisan workforce. DD: Virtually all federal employees are Democrats who are minority, female, younger, veteran, disabled, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time. Many if not most of them a) paint themselves as being “in need” and b) blame Republicans for their many problems. While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, none of my coworkers did what I did. I earned a) three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), b) six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and c) a job-related professional license (CPA).
https://www.fedsmith.com/2026/08/10/afge-endorsement-federal-unions-senate-race/
PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE
— Civil Service Protections. DD: Democrats run the federal government. For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. I am none of the aforesaid. To get rid of me, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors punished me a) for my not becoming a Democrat, b) for my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, c) for my complaining about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, and d) for my being an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid. Federal employees who are the following have no Civil Service protections: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Unions provide some protection. But GAO did not unionize until 2007. If GAO had been unionized when I transferred from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors might not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did including forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://ourpublicservice.org/know-the-facts/blog/merit-systems-protection-board-mspb-removal-conditions-retaliation-protections
HIGHER EDUCATION DIVE
— Elite colleges are returning to the SAT and ACT. Will others follow? Top-ranked colleges and the Trump administration are embracing the exams, but that doesn’t mean test-optional policies are falling out of favor everywhere. DD: UIC would not have accepted in 1966 if my ACT score had not been 24 and I had not graduated in the upper 20% of my class.
https://www.highereddive.com/news/elite-colleges-are-returning-to-the-sat-and-act-will-others-follow/827299/
DAILY KOS
— DD: Democrat leaders continue to reject the fact that in 2024, voters elected Trump and gave control of the House and Senate to Republicans.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/10/800082538/community/forget-the-socialist-scare-americas-crisis-is-capitalism-without-democracy/
August 8, 2026
If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— GAO: DOGE’s claim of $110B in savings was vastly inflated and riddled with errors. DOGE couldn’t verify 96% of reported grant savings, a review found. DD: If Gingrich had reformed GAO instead of gutting it, there would have been no need for DOGE and my Democrat GAO superiors would not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/doges-claim-110b-savings-was-vastly-inflated-riddled-errors-gao/19641452/
WGN9
— Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s media tour in the wake of the Harry Benton scandal did little to restore top House Republican Tony McCombie’s confidence in the Illinois House leader.
https://wgntv.com/news/politics/wgn-the-point-politics-chicago-illinois/illinois-house-gop-leader-not-swayed-by-speaker-welchs-apology-tour/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Darren Bailey’s running mate Aaron Del Mar maintains abortion is ‘sin against God.’ Del Mar railed against Illinois’ abortion laws during a six-minute speech in Springfield this week, and said Gov. JB Pritzker is “willing to murder millions of babies.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2026/08/07/aaron-del-mar-darren-bailey-abortion
https://www.wbez.org/politics/2026/08/07/aaron-del-mar-darren-bailey-abortion
SHAW LOCAL
— Joliet GOP candidate for secretary of state Diane Harris hopes to capitalize on Giannoulias’ run for Chicago mayor. ‘Is this what the voters are voting him in on – to be secretary of state for three months? ‘
https://www.shawlocal.com/news/2026/08/08/joliet-gop-candidate-for-secretary-of-state-hopes-to-capitalize-on-giannoulias-run-for-chicago-mayor/
NORTHWEST HERALD
— McHenry Outdoor Theater to host private cannabis-themed event. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/2026/08/08/mchenry-outdoor-theater-to-host-private-cannabis-themed-event/
ROYS REPORT
— Wheaton College hid a predator for decades. Now his victims are speaking out.
https://roysreport.com/wheaton-college-hid-a-predator-for-decades-now-his-victims-are-speaking-out/comment-page-1/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/07/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-574/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Republicans Should Stop Preaching to the Choir. Stop Waiting to Win and Start Learning How.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/08/republicans-should-stop-preaching-to-the-choir/
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Socialism destroys motivation. Being a socialist is like being a Democrat. Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is to be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is be a Democrat. To advance, none of my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO coworkers came close to doing what I did. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and a job-related professional license (CPA). All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) no professional license like the one I had. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative. What are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct doing a) to defend and advance conservative principles and the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks in the Republican Party platform and b) to oppose liberal principles including the following planks in the Democrat Party’s platform: promotion of dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, wokeness/wokeism, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination? – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— The Muslim Brotherhood: A Clear and Present Danger.
https://illinoisfamily.org/islam-sharia/the-muslim-brotherhood-a-clear-and-present-danger/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Republicans must counter the lies of socialists with inspiration and truth. DD: Capitalism is what made America great. If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/6/republicans-must-counter-lies-socialists-inspiration-truth/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Universities are fueling the radicalism in American politics.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4679553/universities-fueling-radicalism-american-politics/
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Electric Vehicle Exec Identified as CCP Member Has Given $450K to Democrats This Campaign Season—Including $71K for Senate Nominees Juliana Stratton, Roy Cooper. Stratton, running to replace retiring Sen Dick Durbin, welcomed CCP-tied firm to Illinois as lieutenant governor.
https://freebeacon.com/china/electric-vehicle-exec-identified-as-ccp-member-has-given-450k-to-democrats-this-campaign-season-including-71k-for-senate-nominees-juliana-stratton-roy-cooper/
NEW YORK POST
— NY 3rd-5th graders fail basic reading tests with more than half not even proficient. DD: My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools 1953-1962. 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://nypost.com/2026/08/07/us-news/more-than-half-of-ny-3rd-5th-graders-fail-reading-proficiency-tests-data/
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— States Can Strengthen Families and Fight Welfare Dependence and Fraud. DD: What are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct doing to fight dependency on welfare?
https://www.aei.org/commentary/states-can-strengthen-families-and-fight-welfare-dependence-and-fraud/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Democratic socialists seek to cripple American AI. Democratic Socialists of America have organized a national campaign this summer against AI and data centers under the “Ecosocialism Transition Committee.” DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/democratic-socialists-seek-to-cripple-american-ai/
COLLEGE FIX
— Duke Law School illegally discriminated against white, Asian applicants, DOJ finds.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/duke-law-school-illegally-discriminated-against-white-asian-applicants-doj-finds/
FOX BUSINESS
— Kellyanne Conway: The GOP needs to show why socialism is bad, not just say it. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403016350112
FOX NEWS
— DNC is in shambles amid rise of socialism. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403035978112
— Socialism leads to a failed, third-world state. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403030022112
— Democrats have capitulated to socialism. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403023974112
NATIONAL REVIEW
— The Unwelcome Return of Sentimental Socialism.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/the-unwelcome-return-of-sentimental-socialism/
— Who Really Speaks for the Working Class?
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/who-really-speaks-for-the-working-class/
NEWSMAX
— GOP to Cast Midterm Convention as Case Against Socialism.
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/gop-midterm-convention-dallas/2026/08/07/id/1265428/
NEW AMERICAN
— Democratic Socialists of America Now Controlled by Communists. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://thenewamerican.com/us/politics/ex-dsa-member-democratic-socialists-of-america-now-controlled-by-communists/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CBS NEWS
— Trump’s firings of federal officials set stage for next test of presidential power. DD: Diersen v. GAO ( https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf ) reaffirmed the federal government’s power to fire not only its employees because they are active members in class action lawsuits that charge its agencies with political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, or retaliation, but also because they are Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-firings-federal-workers-presidential-power/
AOL
— It’s not them; it’s you: Why you’re failing at online dating. DD: I met my outstanding wife at a Presbyterian singles event. She is Catholic and I am Missouri Synod Lutheran. What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.aol.com/articles/not-them-why-failing-online-115630000.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— Fact-Checking Trump. DD: I often served as a fact checker while I worked for GAO 1986-1997 at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/01/us/politics/trump-iran-war-toll-oil-fact-check.html
— Republicans Cannot Possibly Let Congressman Max Miller Go On. DD: 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/stop 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 help elect and to reelect Jim Rasins DuPage County Auditor in 2000 and 2004 and Bob Grogan in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. 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.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/07/opinion/max-miller-moreno-ohio-congressman.html
WASHINGTON POST
— Democrats are calculating a left turn. The math is inescapable. Recent primary results could steer presidential hopefuls in the wrong direction for 2028. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/08/07/2028-democratic-contenders-should-not-misread-primary-results/
— George F. Will: DSA socialism is Peter Pan politics for sandbox revolutionaries.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/08/07/dsa-zohran-mamdani-infantilism-todays-socialism/
— The federal government has just radically changed the way it measures higher education outcomes. Now for the first time, all programs that participate in the federal student loan program will be held accountable for the earnings of their graduates. DD: After earning a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in 1970, earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, earning a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, becoming a licensed CPA in 1981, earning four more job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and earning a master’s degree in finance from IIT in 1997, my IRS salary was salary in today’s dollars $56,409/year in 1971, $68,999/year in 1972, $83,482/year in 1973, $100,059/year in 1974, and $113,402/year in 1980 and my GAO salary was $89,703/year in 1980, $108,533/year in 1981, $118,984/year in 1986, and $154,682/year in 1997.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/ripple/2026/07/16/measuring-competencies-modern-economy/
NORTH STATE JOURNAL
— The inadequacy of opposing socialism. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://nsjonline.com/article/2026/08/joecks-the-inadequacy-of-opposing-socialism/
OGLETREE DEAKINS
— Indiana’s New FAIRNESS Act Bars Employers From Employing Undocumented Immigrants. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/indianas-new-fairness-act-bars-employers-from-employing-undocumented-immigrants/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Fewer Workers Keep Unemployment Low. DD: After my Democrat GAO forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, I soon gave up searching for a job appropriate for someone with my work experience, education, professional certification and professional license because my Democrat GAO superiors had damaged me so much.
https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/jobs-report-unemployment-rate-labor-force-70e22c6c
24/7 WALL STREET
— 56% of Workers Plan to Retire at 65 or Later. The Average American Is Out at 62, and Not by Choice. DD: I should write about forced retirement.
https://www.aol.com/articles/56-workers-plan-retire-65-160832000.html
— Retired School Principal Discovers Pension and 403(b) Together Just Triggered a Medicare Hike. DD: My wife and I pay much more for Medicare because of IRMAA.
https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/2026/08/07/retired-school-principal-discovers-pension-and-403b-together-just-triggered-a-medicare-hike/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Social Security Fairness Act restored full benefits for millions of public workers but can push retirees past the $109,000 IRMAA threshold. Crossing the IRMAA cliff by even $1 raises Part B premiums from $203 to $284 monthly, plus a $15 Part D surcharge. Roth conversions and Qualified Charitable Distributions up to $105,000 annually are the two tools to shrink MAGI before RMDs begin at 73.)
MONEY & MARKETS
— Private Sector vs. Public Sector. DD: I worked in the private sector for 10 years, then in the public sector for 30 years, and concurrently in both for 2 years. According to my critics/opponents, the public sector grossly overpaid me. In today’s dollars, when I was a postal employee for almost 3 years 1966-1969 and then an IRS employee for almost 9 years 1971-1980, my salary increased from $19.57/hour to $113,402/year. In my defense, during that time, I earned a bachelor’s degree in management, I earned an MBA, I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, and I almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting. In today’s dollars, my IRS salary was $56,409/year when I was 22 in 1971, $68,999/year when I was 23, $83,482/year when I was 24, $100,059/year when I was 25, and $113,402/year when I was 31. In today’s dollars, my GAO salary was $89,703/year when I was 31, $108,533/year when I was 32, $118,984/year when I was 38, and $154,682/year when I was 49. I earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA when I was 32. I earned four more job-related professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48. I earned a master’s degree in finance when I was 48. If I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran my Democrat superiors would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service, currently $197,200/year, long before I was 40.
https://moneyandmarkets.com/private-sector-jobs-support-58-percent-of-population/
BLOOMBERG LAW
— Civil Service Protections Benefit the Public, Not Just the Feds. DD: Democrats run the federal government. For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. I am none of the aforesaid. To get rid of me, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors punished me a) for my not becoming a Democrat, b) for my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, c) for my complaining about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, and d) for my being an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid. Federal employees who are the following have no Civil Service protections: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Unions provide some protection. But GAO did not unionize until 2007. If GAO had been unionized when I transferred from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors might not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did including forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/legal-exchange-insights-and-commentary/civil-service-protections-benefit-the-public-not-just-the-feds
CENTER FOR RETIREMENT RESEARCH
— Married Women are Upwardly Mobile. Singles – not so Much. DD: Things that continue to impress me about my outstanding wife include that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions, and then for MacNeal Hospital, and then for Central DuPage Hospital. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://crr.bc.edu/married-women-are-upwardly-mobile-singles-not-so-much/
BALLS AND STRIKES
— Upwardly Mobile Black People. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors certainly made my Black subordinate upwardly mobile when I was 49 in 1997. 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. He had no professional license like the one I had.
https://ballsandstrikes.org/law-politics/disparate-impact-trump-going-away-except-in-this-one-situation-haha/
FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— Veterans’ preference, merit hiring and the federal government’s obligation to follow the law. DD: Because I was not a veteran, but more significantly, because I avoided the Vietnam War draft, my Democrat Post Office, Firestone Store, IRS, and GAO superiors used the veterans’ preference to waste my career and to get rid of me. I should write about my many Democrat superiors and supervisors who took many big adverse actions against me. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me and who were Democrat veterans a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/commentary/2026/08/veterans-preference-merit-hiring-and-the-federal-governments-obligation-to-follow-the-law/
AFGE
— Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Illinois’ Juliana Stratton for Election to U.S. Senate. DD: I was a union member for almost 12 years. If had been Democrat or a veteran, the National Treasury Employees Union would have come to my defense when my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my education deductions in 1978.
https://www.afge.org/publication/largest-federal-employee-union-endorses-illinois-juliana-stratton-for-election-to-us-senate/
FROM OTHER SOURCES
EXP REALTY
— FOR SALE IN MY PRECINCT: 25W451 Plamondon Road, Wheaton: $3,300,000
https://leeernst.exprealty.com/details.php?mls=103&mlsid=12664021
(FROM THE LISTING: A once-in-a-generation opportunity to own one of Wheaton’s most prestigious and architecturally significant estates. Tucked away on an ultra-exclusive private lane and backing directly to the legendary Chicago Golf Club-the oldest 18-hole golf course in North America-this remarkable residence offers a setting that simply cannot be replicated. Few homes anywhere can claim a backyard bordering such a historic and revered golf course.)
August 7, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Trump signs executive orders that target birthright citizenship. One of the orders bans “birth tourism.”
https://abc7chicago.com/post/trump-signs-executive-orders-target-birthright-citizenship/19637385/
NBC5
— Data shows costly CPS program fails to make the grade.
https://www-nbcchicago-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/nbc-5-investigates-costly-cps-program-fails-to-make-the-grade/3971089/
CBS2
— Chicago-based DJ Tunjo and partner in ICE custody after arrest at Midway Airport.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-dj-tunjo-ice-arrest-midway-airport/
— Trump issues new executive orders aimed at birthright citizenship after Supreme Court ruling.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/trump-new-executive-orders-birthright-citizenship/
— Feds threaten to prosecute Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart if ICE can’t access jail.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/cook-county-sheriff-tom-ice-jall-prosecution-threat/
FOX32
— Why some of Gen Z is embracing socialism. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-xj16ea8s8zh2p1ki
— Dr. Fauci held in contempt of Congress by Senate committee.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/dr-fauci-held-contempt-congress-senate-committee
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Feds threatened Sheriff Tom Dart with criminal charges over access to jail for immigration enforcement.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/06/cook-county-sheriff-tom-dart-ice-threat/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ICE threatens to file criminal charges against Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart for not turning over inmates. The Trump administration sent similar threats to the sheriff of Minnesota’s Hennepin County, which was targeted in an aggressive deportation campaign after Operation Midway Blitz rocked the Chicago area.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/08/06/ice-tom-dart-trump-immigration
WSIU
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.wsiu.org/politics-elections/2026-08-06/trump-administration-adds-roadblocks-for-people-seeking-asylum-in-the-u-s
POLITICO ILLINOIS
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/07/why-rhymefest-hit-the-brakes-01028419
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/06/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-573/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
AWAKE ILLINOIS
— Girls Have Civil Rights. Defend Them: Launch Of Title IX Resource Hub, Yesterday’s Chicago Press Conference, and the Federal Appeal to Protect Female Students
https://www.awakeil.com/profile/3b879406-9747-41d2-862b-0b7a049c31d4/profile
MCHENRY COIUNTY BLOG
— Ness Scores National Legislative Position
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/01/ness-scores-national-legislative-position/
— Governor Signs Human Rights Bill He Says Provides Protections Federal Law Does Not
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/01/governor-signs-human-rights-bill-he-says-provides-protections-federal-law-does-not/
— Lake in the Hills Police Continue Helping State Police with FOID Cards
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/01/lake-in-the-hills-police-continue-helpingstate-police-with-foid-cards/
— Trump’s Corporate Welfare
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/02/trumps-corporate-welfare/
— Fauci vs. DeSantis: The Florida Governor Gets the Last Laugh
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/02/fauci-vs-desantis-the-florida-governor-gets-the-last-laugh/
— “Best States” Ranking: Illinois vs. Florida
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/02/best-states-ranking-illinois-vs-florida/
— Democrats Quarter Percent Sales Tax for Mass Transit Has Taken Effect
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/02/democrats-quarter-percent-sales-tax-for-mass-transit-went-into-effect-yesterday/
— Is This the Worst Prison in Illinois?
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/03/is-this-the-worst-prison-in-illinois/
— Kirk Donald, Vice Chairman of the McHenry County Republican Party, Writes To His Precinct
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/03/kirk-donald-vice-chairman-of-the-mchenry-county-republican-party-writes-to-his-precinct/
— Corbett Critiques Pritzker’s 10-Day Sales Tax Holiday
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/03/21521/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Nearly half of Americans see nothing good in socialism. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/6/nearly-half-americans-see-nothing-good-socialism-poll/
— DOGE exaggerated its savings; GAO audit questions 96% of Musk office’s claims. DD: If Gingrich had reformed GAO instead of gutting it, there would have been no need for DOGE and my Democrat GAO superiors would not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/6/doge-exaggerated-savings-gao-audit-questions-96-elon-musk-offices/
— Marijuana’s lies are endangering Americans. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/6/marijuanas-lies-endangering-americans/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Post-woke America? Think again. DD: Democrats and RINOs will always use Affirmative Action, DEI, and wokeness/wokeism to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/in_focus/4677564/post-woke-america-think-again/
— Conservatives must embrace personal responsibility and reject victimhood. DD: Because I refused to become a Democrat, my Democrat superiors wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. Because I refused to become a RINO, RINO leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Illinois Republican wasted me and got rid of me.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/in_focus/4563730/conservatives-must-embrace-personal-responsibility-reject-victimhood/
NEW YORK POST
— The GOP has wrapped itself in a silly burrito beef while ignoring cheesed-off voters.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/06/opinion/the-gop-has-wrapped-itself-in-a-silly-burrito-beef-while-ignoring-cheesed-off-voters/
— Why some of America’s most desirable women only want to date older men. DD: What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/06/lifestyle/sugar-babies-are-rebranding-themselves/
AMAC
— The Bold New Proposal to Stop Socialism and Save the American Family. The Young American Family Act would end federal income taxes for married couples under 35 raising children. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors 1980-1997 a) decried the time and money that they spent raising their children and b) decried the little or no income that their spouses had. In anticipation of our having children, when my wife and I got married in 1978, we lived on just one of our salaries and saved as much as we could. But because we both had major fertility problems, we gave up trying to have children without trying IVF. We did not adopt or become foster parents. My Democrat GAO superiors used that against me viciously. According to them, if we had children, I would not have been able a) to pass the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, b) to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980, c) to earn a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, d) to pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, e) to become a licensed CPA in 1981, f) to have a home built in Wheaton in 1984, and g) to buy a collector car in 1989. My Democrat GAO superiors ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being disgusting selfish rich DINKs. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. They knew full-well that both my wife and I had major fertility problems. Should I write about my Democrat GAO superiors?
https://amac.us/newsline/the-bold-new-proposal-to-stop-socialism-and-save-the-american-family
BREITBART
— Homeland Security and Transportation Departments Remove Hundreds More Illegal Migrant Truckers in Midwest.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/06/homeland-security-and-transportation-departments-remove-hundreds-more-illegal-migrant-truckers-in-midwest/amp/
CAMPUS REFORM
— Socialist candidate Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan primary despite losing all counties with low shares of college degrees. DD: Everyone knows that to advance, you need a college degree. What were the reasons why you earned a college degree? For me, the main reason was my father’s often decrying his not having one. He had brittle type 1 diabetes from childhood. His doctors discouraged him from seeking a college degree because of the stress that would cause him. He often decried his being passed over for promotions. He often decried his not being able to keep up with Jones. He died suddenly in 1969 when he was 47 and I was 21. He never earned more than $50,000/year in today’s dollars. The aforesaid motivated me to work my way through college and earn a college degree.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/socialist-candidate-abdul-el-sayed-wins-michigan-primary-despite-losing-counties-low-shares-college-degrees/30387
DAILY CALLER
— If Republicans Want To Beat Socialists, They Need To Acknowledge A Hard Truth. DD: Ever-increasingly, since the 1960s, because of Affirmative Action and DEI, it has been harder and harder and harder for White males to advance. Employers have ever-increasingly given more and more and more preference to minorities and to females. All my many coworkers who were minority and/or female who my superiors promoted over me were a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) no professional license like the one I had.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/06/opinion-republicans-socialists-hard-truth-michael-collins/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Americans Are Embracing Communism.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/06/communism-jin-felt-iron-fist/
FOX BUSINESS
— Democratic leaders decline to rebuke party’s socialist wing. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6402948356112
— Affordability crisis fuels support for Democratic Socialists of America. DD: When you were young, what did you do to afford things? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970; job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997; job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997; and a job-related professional license in 1981. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/larry-kudlow-democratic-party-socialism-unaffordable.amp
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6402925402112
— Why have Democratic socialists suddenly gotten ‘POWER?’ DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUYwGstzBJc
— Here’s the income needed to afford the typical American home. DD: What did you do to buy your first home? I bought a new townhome in University Park ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ) when I was 24 in 1972. In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $92,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/heres-income-needed-afford-typical-american-home.amp
FOX NEWS
— Radical socialists had seized control of Democratic Party. DD: Moderates, that is, anti-conservatives, have seized control of the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402964526112
NEW AMERICAN
— Far-left Think Tank: $2K-plus to Deport an Illegal Is Too Much. Data: Illegals Cost Taxpayers $150B Annually.
https://thenewamerican.com/us/immigration/far-left-think-tank-2k-plus-to-deport-an-illegal-is-too-much-data-illegals-cost-taxpayers-150b-annually/
NEWSMAX
— El-Sayed Win Exposes Dems’ Socialist Shift.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/greg-steube-abdul-el-sayed-michigan/2026/08/06/id/1265311/
— How the Socialist Tail Will Wag the Democrat Dog in the House.
https://www.newsmax.com/morris/dsa-house-jeffries/2026/08/06/id/1265321/
— Making Merit Great Again. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) who were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran and/or b) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/making-merit-great-again-211350005.html
PJ MEDIA
— Socialism Keeps Returning Because America Keeps Forgetting.
https://pjmedia.com/david-manney/2026/08/06/socialism-keeps-returning-because-america-keeps-forgetting-n4955876
REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— One Third of Democrats Now Call Themselves Socialists. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/08/06/schweizer_one_third_of_democrats_now_call_themselves_socialists.html
— Socialism is Evil, But Why Is Socialism So Appealing To People With Less Money? DD: Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is to be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is be a Democrat. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, b) who had less work experience than I had, c) who had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) who had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/08/06/vance_socialism_is_evil_but_we_have_to_ask_why_is_socialism_so_appealing_to_people_with_lower_assets_comments.html
TOWNHALL
— Testimonies From People Who Have Lived Under Socialism. DD: I have not lived under socialism, but I have lived under Democrats and under RINOs. They have no use for conservatives, if not despise conservatives, if not hate conservatives.
https://townhall.com/columnists/calthomas/2026/08/06/testimonies-from-people-who-have-lived-under-socialism-n2680743
— This Is How to Stop the Socialist Juggernaut. The victory of Abdul El-Sayed in the Democratic Party primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan confirms that socialism is gaining a foothold in America. Never mind that El-Sayed coyly claims that he is a “capitalist,” not a socialist nor a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). His policy platform reveals the truth. DD: Far too many falsely claim to be Republican to get leadership roles in Republican organizations and/or to get elected. Once in, they destroy the Republican Party. They have had great success in destroying the Republican Party in Illinois, in DuPage County, in Milton Township, and in Wheaton. I should write about them.
https://townhall.com/columnists/christalgo/2026/08/07/this-is-how-to-stop-the-socialist-juggernaut-n2680828
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CBS NEWS
— GAO: DOGE’s “wall of receipts” riddled with inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims. DD: If Gingrich had reformed GAO instead of gutting it, there would have been no need for DOGE and my Democrat GAO superiors would not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doge-wall-of-receipts-elon-musk-government-accountability-office/
— Trump denies U.S. running low on some munitions, says vast resupplies being produced. DD: I worked for GAO on an audit of the Department of Defense FY 1990 ammunition budget request. SEE: https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-90-23.pdf
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-us-munitions-shortages-iran-war/
— Democratic Socialist organizer says people “have been feeling left out.” DD: Because I am much too conservative for them, the following have left me out: past and present a) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Illinois Republican Party, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois, and Illinois Center Right Coalition, b) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct, d) conservative leaders, e) religious leaders, and d) my Democrat superiors in the federal government.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/democratic-socialist-people-have-been-feeling-left-out/
NEW YORK TIMES
— Moderate Democrats Prepare for ‘War’ Against an Ascendant Left. One moderate group says the progressive wins are “deeply troubling” and is planning a $15 million effort against democratic socialism. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/us/politics/democratic-party-socialists-moderates.html
— Gen Z Fell Out of Love With Work. DD: What generation are you? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970; job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997; job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997; and a job-related professional license in 1981. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/23/opinion/gen-z-ambition-millennials-career.html
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Socialism Is Here—and It’s Serious. As religion recedes, politics takes its place. As confidence fades, political movements grow radical. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/socialism-is-hereand-its-serious-2b3fc422
— Can Democrats Resist Socialism? The signs aren’t good. Schumer backs El-Sayed and touts the party’s ‘big tent-ism.’ DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/can-democrats-resist-socialism-20092dff
— Why Democratic Socialism Feels Good. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/why-democratic-socialism-feels-good-10adfbbe
BLOOMBERG
— Watch Affordability is Top Issue for Midterms. DD: When you were young, what did you do to afford things? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970; job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997; job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997; and a job-related professional license in 1981. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2026-08-06/affordability-is-top-issue-for-midterms-rep-clark-video
AFGE
— Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed for Election to U.S. Senate.
https://www.afge.org/publication/largest-federal-employee-union-endorses-michigans-abdul-elsayed-for-election-to-us-senate/
PHOENIX
— The myth of personal responsibility. DD: What do your critics/opponents attribute your successes to? My critics/opponents attribute my success to my benefitting tremendously from tremendous discrimination against those who do not share my demographics: liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, parent, unmarried, LGBTQ, veteran, poor, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://swarthmorephoenix.com/2016/09/15/the-myth-of-personal-responsibility/
GRIO
— More than 25 million young adults now live with their parents as affordability worsens. Experts say soaring rents, home prices and everyday costs are making independent living harder to afford. The financial pressures facing younger Americans are reshaping living arrangements across the country, with a record number of adults under 35 now living with their parents, according to new housing data. DD: What did you do to buy your first home? I bought a new townhome in University Park ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ) when I was 24 in 1972. In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $92,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://thegrio.com/2026/08/06/record-young-adults-living-with-parents-housing-costs/
August 6, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Community leaders call for accountability after Southwest Side street takeover. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-community-leaders-call-accountability-southwest-side-street-takeover-47th-cicero-avenue/19633041/
NBC5
— Dolton board votes to move up curfew, set penalty in effort to curb teen gatherings. The unanimously approved ordinance established a 9 p.m. curfew in Dolton for anyone under the age of 18, and any teens caught out without adult supervision could be fined between $250 to $2,500. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/dolton-board-votes-to-move-up-curfew-establish-penalty-in-effort-to-curb-teen-gatherings/3971192/
CBS2
— Chicago’s own Mamdani? Behind DSA’s fight to elect socialists to City Council first. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-mamdani-effect-dsa-election-socialism/
FOX32
— Dolton combatting teen takeovers with curfew of 9 p.m. for children. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-razxmsyro71otja5.amp
WTTW
— What Happened to the American Dream? New Documentary Asks 1,000 People Across 50 States. DD: When you were young, what did you do to pursue the American Dream? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970; job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997; job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997; and a job-related professional license in 1981. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/07/23/what-happened-american-dream-new-documentary-asks-1000-people-across-50-states
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Chicago grocers are severely affected by reductions to SNAP: ‘We need to bail out this industry.’ DD: How dependent on SNAP are the grocers in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/05/chicago-grocery-stores-snap-cuts/
— Disability advocates march on Gov. JB Pritzker’s office demanding more alternatives to nursing homes. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO’s Chicago office for almost 18 years, they assigned me to supervise all the disabled employees they hired.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/05/nursing-home-alternatives-rally-pritzker/
— Man who jumped fence into JB Pritzker’s backyard didn’t know it was governor’s home.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/05/jb-pritzkers-backyard/
— DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/05/letters-080526-democratic-socialists/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/05/chicago-dj-tunjo-ice-midway-airport/
BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
— Chicago grocers are severely affected by reductions to SNAP: ‘We need to bail out this industry.’ DD: How dependent on SNAP are the grocers in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://pantagraph.com/news/state-regional/business/article_845819ec-b858-589b-b99f-8a9f938898fb.html
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Alexi Giannoulias is spending six figures to introduce himself to Chicago voters as a mayoral candidate — not secretary of state.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/06/welch-hindsight-is-20-20-01026606
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/06/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-785/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/05/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-572/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER RIGHT SOURCES
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— To advance under socialism, all you need to do is be a socialist. To advance under Democrats, all you need to do is be a Democrat. When you were young, if America had been socialist, would your career have advanced more? My career would not have advance more because just like I refused to become a Democrat to advance, I would have refused to become a socialist to advance. While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, you had to be a Democrat to be promoted to GS-14. While I worked for the Democrats who ran IRS 1971-1980, you had to be a Democrat to be promoted to GS-13. While I worked for the Democrats who ran the Post Office 1966-1969, you had to be a Democrat to be promoted to GS-5. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Socialism disincentivizes work. Capitalism and pursuit of the American Dream motivated me to work my way through college and earn a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and a job-related professional license (CPA). Sadly, extremely few of my peers did anything close to that. My peers included my Crete-Monee High School classmates 1962-1966, my UIC classmates 1966-1968, my NIU classmates 1969-1970, my Post Office coworkers 1966-1969, my IRS coworkers 1971-1980, and my GAO coworkers 1980-1997. Under socialism, even fewer of my peers would have done anything close to what I did. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Back in the 1970s, the Democrats who ran IRS’s Chicago office wanted the broadest definition possible of Chicago’s commuting area to make it easier for them to meet their Affirmative Action quotas. My grievance frustrated that big time. SEE: https://www.gao.gov/assets/b-180010.11.pdf – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Indianapolis TV Station Features Vacation Spots in McHenry County
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/29/indianapolis-tv-station-features-vacation-spots-in-mchenry-county/
— Dem Says ICE Detention in Kentucky Devastating, They Could Be in McHenry County Jail without Dems’ Law
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/29/dem-says-ice-detention-in-kentucky-is/
— Corbett Calls Bailey Extremist on IDV, Relates Personal Experience
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/29/corbett-calls-bailey-extremist-on-idv-relates-personal-experience/
— Six Months for Libertyville Man Threatening Judges
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/29/six-months-for-libertyville-man-threatening-judges/
— Brilliant Takedown of an Unresponsive City Council
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/29/brilliant-takedown-of-an-unresponsive-city-council/
— Another Federal Gun Prosecution, This Time After Illinois Judge Releases Felon Under SAFE-T Act Rules
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/29/another-federal-gun-prosecution-this-time-after-illinois-judge-releases-felon-under-safe-t-rules/
— Juliana Stratton’s Position on Medicare for All Criticized by Washington Post: “Taxes for All”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/juliana-strattons-position-on-medicare-for-all-criticized-by-washington-post-taxes-for-all/
— Deep Southern Illinois Legislator Reveals Concern at Pritzker’s Moving Jobs into the Chicago Metropolitan Area
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/deep-southern-illinois-legislator-reveals-concern-at-pritzkers-moving-jobs-into-the-chicago-metropolitan-area/
— McLaughlin Warns of BIG Pension Problem
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/mclaughlin-warns-of-big-pension-problem/
— Part of Woman’s Head Decapitated When Speeding Boat Crashed into Her Boat Found in Fox River
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/part-of-womans-head-decapitated-when-speeding-boat-crashed-into-her-boat-found-in-fox-river/
— Pritzker Takes the Typical Democratic Party Attack Approach – “He’s Too Extreme!!”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/21424/
— Inspired by Constituent Tragedy, McLaughlin Law Requires Training in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver for Day Care Centers with More Than 12 Kids
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/21414/
— State Sets Up Whistle Blower Webpage for Many Licensed Professionals
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/31/state-sets-up-whistle-blower-webpage-for-many-licensed-professionals/
— The Results of One Party Government
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/01/21386/
— Kat Off the Hook, Whether It Helped or Hurt Her Campaign Up in the Air
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/05/kat-off-the-hook/
— Video of Apparition in McHenry County
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/26/video-of-apparition-in-mchenry-county/
— Illinois Stopped from Allowing Illegal Aliens Lower Tuition Than Americans Living Out of State
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/26/illinois-stopped-from-allowing-illegal-aliens-lower-tuition-than-americans-living-out-of-state/
— Support for Cessation of Treating Illegals Better Than American Citizens
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/27/support-for-cessation-of-treating-illegals-better-than-american-citizens/
— UPDATE: Allegedly Drunk Fox River Killer Boat Driver Set To Remain in McHenry County Jail Until August 5th; Before SAFE-T Act, Meeting Large Cash Bail Would Have Probably Gotten Him Out FROM STATE’S ATTORNEY
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/27/drunk-fox-river-killer-boat-driver-set-to-remain-in-mchenry-county-jail-until-august-5th-before-safe-t-act-meeting-large-cash-bail-would-have-probably-gotten-him-out/
— Republican Marty Mohr Gains Union Endorsement
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/28/marty-mohr-gains-union-endorsement/
— McHenry County Farmer Scores $45,000 of $4 Million Grant Money
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/28/mchenry-county-scores-45000-of-4-million-grant-money/
— Background Discussion on the Rodeo Ordinance That Didn’t Pass Last Tuesday
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/28/background-discussion-on-the-rodeo-ordinance-that-didnt-pass-last-tuesday/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump vows to punish ‘leakers’ who said U.S. munitions are running short. DD: I worked for GAO on an audit of the Department of Defense FY 1990 ammunition budget request.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/6/donald-trump-vows-punish-leakers-who-said-us-munitions-running-short/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Social media has jeopardized immigrant assimilation. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly discourage assimilation. Because my ancestors were slow to assimilate, my father was only the first of them to earn a high school diploma and my mother never attended high school. All my grandparents spoke German.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4666462/social-media-immigrant-assimilation/
— The conservative case for a market-based immigration system. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/4669862/conservative-case-market-based-immigration/
— America was never just an idea — or just a heritage. DD: America is a country with borders and laws.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/4669755/american-heritage-culture-creed-assimilation-immigrants/
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Mamdani Backs Squatters’ Rights in Video Demonizing ‘Billionaire’ Jewish ‘Slumlord.’
https://freebeacon.substack.com/p/mamdani-backs-squatters-rights-in-9f4
AMERICAN THINKER
— Catastrophe Is Left-Wing. When left-wing or socialist policies dominate power, crises not only arrive — they worsen.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/catastrophe-is-left-wing/
— Ceuta: The Time-Lapse Photo Of Western Collapse. Just one week in Ceuta provided a perfect microcosm of what’s been happening across Europe for a decade, and always with European governments’ connivance.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/ceuta-the-time-lapse-photo-of-western-collapse/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Major gun ruling could spark chain reaction ending at Supreme Court.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/05/major-gun-ruling-could-spark-chain-reaction-ending-at-supreme-court-1653543/
BREITBART
— Illegal Alien Caught with Several Molotov Cocktails in Mokena.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/05/prosecutors-illegal-alien-caught-with-several-molotov-cocktails-in-chicago-suburb/
— The Fatal Flaw With Democratic Socialists: ‘You Can’t Just Steal People’s Money’
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/08/05/joe-rogan-explains-the-fatal-flaw-with-democratic-socialists-you-cant-just-steal-peoples-money/amp/
CAMPUS REFORM
— Southern Illinois University system continues DEI agenda despite Trump’s crackdown. Southern Illinois University’s latest strategic progress report continues to identify DEI as a core institutional priority while celebrating a national DEI leadership award. The report comes as the Trump administration has directed federally funded institutions to eliminate DEI programs that may conflict with federal civil rights law. DD: Democrats use DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/southern-illinois-university-system-continues-anti-racism-dei-agenda-despite-trumps-crackdown/30373
DAILY CALLER
— Major Gun Ruling Could Spark Chain Reaction Ending At Supreme Court.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/05/third-circuit-ruling-could-thrust-another-case-to-supreme-court/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Senate Committee Votes to Hold Fauci in Contempt of Congress.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/06/all-he-had-to-do-was-tell-the-truth-senate-committee-advances-contempt-votes-on-fauci/
DAILY WIRE
— Socialists Sweep the Primaries.
https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-260806
EPOCH TIMES
— 12 Glaring Realities of Marxist Socialism.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/twelve-glaring-realities-of-marxist-socialism-6068509
— Progressive El-Sayed Wins Michigan’s Democratic Senate Primary. El-Sayed faced more than $60 million in outside spending in support of Stevens, compared with about $4.6 million spent to support his campaign. The race became a flashpoint in a wider ideological battle taking place nationwide in the Democratic Party between progressives and establishment centrists.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/progressive-el-sayed-wins-michigans-democratic-senate-primary-6070694
FOX BUSINESS
— Can Republicans beat socialism in the Midterms? The far-left of the Democratic party has a field day in the Michigan primaries.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/larry-kudlow-can-republicans-beat-socialism-midterms
FOX NEWS
— Taxpayer-funded housing for illegal immigrants in GOP’s crosshairs: ‘It’s got to stop.’ The legislation would also deny Community Development Block Grants to sanctuary cities and require citizenship verification. DD: The second audit I worked for GAO on in 1980 was of Community Development Block Grants in Aurora.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/taxpayer-funded-housing-illegal-immigrants-gops-crosshairs-got-to-stop
— Trump blasts Democratic socialist candidate as ‘full of s—‘ and Dems are skipping socialism ‘for communism.’ President argues Dems are embracing communism, calling it the greatest threat facing the US.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-blasts-democratic-socialist-candidate-full-dems-skipping-socialism-communism
NATIONAL REVIEW
— El-Sayed’s Coalition Is More Highly Educated and White Than He Lets On. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/el-sayeds-coalition-is-more-highly-educated-and-white-than-he-lets-on/
— The Pendulum Has Swung Back: Standardized Testing Is Again a Core Requirement in College Admissions.
https://natlawreview.com/press-releases/pendulum-has-swung-back-standardized-testing-again-core-requirement-college
NEWSMAX
— New York Business Leaders Cave to Mamdani.
https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/zohran-mamdani-socialism-new-york/2026/08/05/id/1265158/
— 62 Percent of Voters Support SAVE America Act.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/save-america-act-poll-majority-support/2026/08/05/id/1265183/
OPM
— OPM Launches Online Service for Former Federal Employees to Access Personnel Records. DD: I should take advantage of this.
https://www.opm.gov/news/news-releases/opm-launches-online-service-for-former-federal-employees-to-access-personnel-records/
PATRIOT POST
— Zohran Mamdani Should Be Barred From 9/11 Memorial.
https://patriotpost.us/articles/129680-zohran-mamdani-should-be-barred-from-9-11-memorial-2026-08-05
— Why Are Muslim American Politicians Uniformly Democrats? DD: Islam rejects democracy.
https://patriotpost.us/opinion/129710-why-are-muslim-american-politicians-uniformly-democrats-2026-08-05
TOWNHALL
— Driving DEI Through Litigation.
https://townhall.com/columnists/kenblackwell/2026/08/06/driving-dei-through-litigation-n2680746
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
— Illinois Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Failing to Pay Employment Taxes. DD: While I worked for IRS’s Collection Division 1971-1980, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, I collected lots of delinquent employment taxes.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwi/pr/illinois-man-sentenced-15-months-prison-failing-pay-employment-taxes
(FROM THE PRESS RELEASE: Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on July 30, 2026, United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller sentenced George Dilles (age 55) of Inverness, Illinois, to 15 months in prison. Dilles had pled guilty to one count of failure to truthfully account for and pay employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7202. According to court records, Dilles was the president and part-owner of NG Enterprises, Inc. (d.b.a. Visiting Angels), a company that provided elderly home personal care in the Milwaukee area and employed from 50 to 110 workers. Dilles was required to withhold federal income taxes, Social Security taxes, and Medicare taxes from his employees’ wages, hold those amounts in trust, and pay them over to the IRS. Additionally, he was responsible for filing quarterly tax returns (Forms 941) reporting those amounts to the IRS, and for paying the employer’s matching portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes. For 17 quarters from 2019 through 2023, Dilles willfully failed to file employment tax returns and pay over taxes to the IRS of more than $1.2 million. Dilles used some of the funds on personal expenses, including mortgage payments and purchases of a Maserati and a McLaren. He also used employment tax returns, which he had not filed with the IRS, to obtain a Paycheck Protection Program loan in the amount of $312,500. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Stadtmueller emphasized the serious nature of Dilles’ conduct, the substantial loss to the IRS, and the need to provide adequate deterrence to others who might engage in similar conduct. He also ordered Dilles to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release.)
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Democrats quickly coalesce around El-Sayed after Michigan primary win.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6011745-democrats-back-el-sayed-vs-rogers/
— Vance says El-Sayed has no ‘constituency among the working class.’ DD: I was a member of the working class 1964-1997, that is, I was a wage earner 1964-1997. My critics/opponents look down on the working class, that is, they look down on wage earners. According to them, wage earners are grossly overpaid. They stress that in today’s dollars, I was paid $154,682/year in 1997.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6012719-vance-criticizes-el-sayed-michigan/
CBS NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/how-democratic-socialism-is-shifting-politics-in-washington/
— Federal workers sour on government work, decrying eroding job security. DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. I am none of the aforesaid. To get rid of me, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors punished me a) for my not becoming a Democrat, b) for my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, c) for my complaining about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, and d) for my being an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-workers-survey-public-service-job-security/
— DD: What are you loyal to? I am loyal to conservative principles and to the Republican Party platform.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-attacks-supreme-court-justice-neil-gorsuch-loyalty/
NBC NEWS
— DD: What are you loyal to? I am loyal to conservative principles and to the Republican Party platform.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/trump-loyalty-test-thomas-massie-primary-kentucky-georgia-pennsylvania-rcna345556
REUTERS
— Republicans seize on Michigan progressives’ wins, but party is split on socialism message. DD: What positions on socialism do the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct have on socialism?
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/republicans-seize-michigan-progressives-wins-party-is-split-socialism-message-2026-08-05/
AOL
— Planning to work until 65 is a risky strategy. DD: Federal employees under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) who are the following are expected/forced to retire as soon as they are eligible, that is, as soon as they have 30 years of service and are 55 years old: Republican, White, male, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. I became eligible to take GAO’s early retirement “offer” when I was 45 in 1993. My Democrat GAO superiors succeeded in forcing me to take their early retirement “offer” when I was 49 in 1997 because since I was 40 in 1988, I had been an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. That dramatically reduced my CSRS pension and my retirement savings.
https://www.aol.com/articles/suze-orman-says-planning-until-104500000.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— Inside the Oval Office Showdown Between Trump and Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. She told Trump that his interior secretary, Doug Burgum, had misled him with a self-serving cover story for his own mistakes.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/us/politics/trump-jeanine-pirro-showdown.html
WASHINGTON POST
— July sees most ICE arrests of Trump’s second term. The agency continued its heightened enforcement efforts despite two fatal shootings, detaining more than 43,000 people last month.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/08/06/july-sees-most-ice-arrests-trumps-second-term/
— DD: To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push socialism on Blacks. Under Democrats, all you need to do to succeed is to be a Democrat. Under socialism, all you need to do to succeed is to be a socialist. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, b) who had less work experience than I had, c) who had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) who had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/08/05/black-voters-views-democratic-socialism-resist-categorization/
USA TODAY
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialists.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/08/04/michigan-primary-democrats-republican-scare-tactics/91152627007/
— This is the salary needed ($110,000/year) to afford a typical US home in 2026. DD: Back in the good old days, I bought a new townhome in University Park ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ) when I was 24 in 1972. In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it in today’s dollars and the down payment would have been about $36,000 in today’s dollars. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $92,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park. I did not earn $110,000/year in today’s dollars until I was 29 in 1978. I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a that townhome I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/08/05/income-needed-afford-typical-us-home-2026-redfin-report/91185869007/
FORTUNE
— Socialism is a disaster. DD: My critics/opponents blame some, many, most, virtually all, if not all their problems on conservative principles and on planks in the Republican Party platform, most commonly, its personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. But some, many, most, virtually all, if not all of them also blame capitalism.
https://fortune.com/2026/08/05/socialism-disaster-ackman-mamdani-left-wing-housing-policy-affordability/
24/7 WALL STREET
— A City Electrician Dreaded the Windfall Elimination Cut to His Social Security. Then a 2025 Law Erased It. DD: Because of that law, my Social Security increased from about $3,000/year to about $19,000/year.
https://www.aol.com/articles/city-electrician-dreaded-windfall-elimination-110124000.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Social Security Fairness Act repealed both WEP and GPO in January 2025, restoring benefits for roughly 2.7 million retirees and surviving spouses. Teachers, police, firefighters, and municipal workers who split careers between covered and non-covered jobs benefited most; lifelong private-sector workers saw no change. Affected retirees should confirm SSA recalculated their benefit by July 2025 and revisit tax withholding, since higher Social Security income can increase federal tax exposure.)
BLACK WALL STREET TIMES
— 600,000 Black Women Pushed Out of the Workforce. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) who were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran and/or b) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2026/08/05/600000-black-women-pushed-out-of-the-workforce-new-iwpr-report-examines-why/
BANKING RATES
— All the Jobs that you can get Notoriously Overpaid. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I was always grossly overpaid.
https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/jobs/overpaid-jobs/
NBC SAN DIEGO
— Housing affordability remains out of reach for most San Diegans; average home over $1M. In San Diego County, 17% of households could afford to purchase the county’s median-priced single-family home of $1.075 million during the second quarter, according to a new report by the California Association of Realtors. DD: What is the average home price in your precinct? What is the average household income in you precinct? Home prices and household incomes are extremely diverse in my DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton.
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/housing-affordability-holds-steady-in-san-diego-county/4057720/
ROCHESTER SENTINEL
— DD: To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promise to give Blacks more and more and more preference forever.
https://www.rochsent.com/news/national/white-parents-who-tell-their-kids-that-race-doesn-t-matter-are-ignoring-the-long/article_39cc079a-c883-5ad7-b4a2-48e8e6a707e5.html
KFOX TV
— Ted Cruz: Democrat El-Sayed’s primary success part of Islamic ‘takeover’ of US. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for Islam.
https://kfoxtv.com/news/nation-world/senator-ted-cruz-michigan-democrat-abdul-el-sayeds-senate-primary-success-part-of-islamic-takeover-of-us
JD SUPRA
— Illinois Employers Should Prepare for New Menopause Accommodation and Anti-Discrimination Requirements Under HB 5284. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO’s Chicago office for almost 18 years, they assigned me to supervise all the female \employees they hired.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/illinois-employers-should-prepare-for-4140607/
GOVERNING
— Promising Approaches for Keeping Our Seniors Housed and Healthy. States and localities need to improve housing affordability, availability and accessibility. DD: My wife and I saved far more for our retirement than our peers. My critics/opponents ignore/dismiss/belittle/badmouth that. They stress that I avoided the Vietnam War draft and that my wife and I gave up trying to have children without trying IVF, we did not adopt, and we did not become foster parents.
https://www.governing.com/urban/promising-approaches-for-keeping-our-seniors-housed-and-healthy
FED SMITH
— Facing a RIF, Suitability Action, or Probationary Firing? Here Is Your New, Narrower Appeal Process. RIF retention now runs on performance, not tenure, and appeals go to OPM instead of MSPB. Here is what federal employees need to know. DD: Federal employees who are the following have no Civil Service protections: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Unions provide some protection. But GAO did not unionize until 2007. If GAO had been unionized when I transferred from IRS in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors might not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did including forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.fedsmith.com/2026/08/04/new-narrower-appeal-process-for-rif-suitability-or-probationary-firing/
FED WEEK
— For 250 Years, Federal Workers Have Kept America Running. DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. I am none of the aforesaid. To get rid of me, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors punished me a) for my not becoming a Democrat, b) for my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, c) for my complaining about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, and d) for my being an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid.
https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/for-250-years-federal-workers-have-kept-america-running/
FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— Key parts of federal employee performance overhaul ‘non-negotiable,’ OPM says. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, they used the subjectivity in their employee performance systems a) to waste the careers of their Republican employees and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/unions/2026/08/key-parts-of-federal-employee-performance-overhaul-non-negotiable-opm-says/
— Comment on veterans’ preference shines a light on the broken hiring process. Pete Waterman touched the third rail of federal hiring. He publicly criticized the use of veterans’ preference. DD: Because I was not a veteran, but more significantly, because I avoided the Vietnam War draft, my Democrat Post Office, Firestone Store, IRS, and GAO superiors used the veterans’ preference to waste my career and to get rid of me. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me who were Democrat veterans a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had. I should write about my many Democrat superiors and supervisors who took many big adverse actions against me.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/hiring-retention/2026/08/comment-on-veterans-preference-shines-a-light-on-the-broken-hiring-process/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The thing about Waterman’s comments on his personal LinkedIn account, in which he expressed his frustrations with the process and how it kept FedRAMP from hiring the best and brightest cloud security engineers, is he said out loud what many federal executives have been saying privately for decades. The problem Waterman highlighted, maybe less eloquently than he should’ve, has nothing to do with not supporting veterans or recognizing their sacrifice for the country. The issue Waterman shined the light on is all about the federal hiring process. “Pete’s problem is he was dumb enough to stay it out loud, but he shouldn’t be punished for it. People have been saying this behind the scenes for years and have found ways around it,” said Traci DiMartini, the former chief human capital officer at the General Services Administration and the IRS. “It’s not veterans’ preference that is bad. It’s how we are adjudicating the best candidates for the job.”)
FACT CHECK
— DD: I often served as a fact checker while I worked for GAO 1986-1997 at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year.
https://www.factcheck.org/2026/08/trumps-cherry-picked-inflation-boast/
GALLUP
— 39% view socialism positively. DD: The more problems that you have, the more likely that you view socialism positively. What did you do to avoid problems? I worked my way through college and earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and a job-related professional license (CPA). Extremely few of my peers did anything close to that. My peers included my Crete-Monee High School classmates 1962-1966, my UIC classmates 1966-1969, my NIU classmates 1969-1970, my Post Office coworkers 1966-1969, my IRS coworkers 1971-1980, and my GAO coworkers 1980-1997.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/713144/americans-view-capitalism-socialism-free-enterprise.aspx
POLITICO
— Senate panel votes to hold Fauci in contempt.
https://www.paul.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ROM26376.pdf
— The new fight over who gets to be ‘working class.’ Candidates are struggling to define who’s struggling in an age of affordability woes. DD: I was a member of the working class 1964-1997, that is, I was a wage earner 1964-1997. My critics/opponents look down on the working class, that is, they look down on wage earners. According to them, wage earners are grossly overpaid. They stress that in today’s dollars, I was paid $154,682/year in 1997.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/06/the-new-political-arms-race-proving-youre-working-class-01023704
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
— DD: America-haters ever-increasingly encourage false amnesty claims.
https://www.amnestyusa.org/toolkits/a-guide-to-fighting-authoritarian-practices-in-the-u-s-without-losing-hope/
WORLD SOCIALIST WEB SITE
— Michigan primary shows continued shift to the left in US.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/08/06/ezkd-a06.html