Tag: google

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Illinois lieutenant governor race: Christian Mitchell, Aaron Del Mar vie for a No. 2 job with big stakes.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/10/27/illinois-christian-mitchell/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2026/10/27/illinois-voting-trump-election-day-attorney-general-kwame-raoul

SHAW LOCAL
— Good-not-great turnout expected on Election Day. Pritzker-Bailey 2.0 might draw less interest than in 2022.
https://www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley/2026/10/27/good-not-great-turnout-expected-on-election-day/

ABC7
— Trump offers $1M reward for voter fraud tips that result in conviction. It is not clear where the money for this reward would come from.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/trump-offers-1m-reward-voter-fraud-tips-result-conviction/19982613/
— Judge rules Trump DOJ ‘unlawfully’ fired Maurene Comey. DD: In Diersen v. GAO, constructively, the court ruled that federal officials can fire their employees a) who are Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran and b) who charge their superiors with reverse discrimination and/or age discrimination.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/judge-reinstates-maurene-comey-ruling-firing-unlawful/19981351/

DAILY HERALD
— Endorsement: Noonan for DuPage County sheriff.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20261026/endorsements/endorsement-noonan-for-dupage-county-sheriff/
— Sponsors of the East Dundee Oktoberfest will have their money returned in response to Village President Dan Pearson turning the event into an impromptu Republican political rally. DD: In 2021, my critics/opponents had their operatives and their dupes end my role as the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks, a role that I had since 2005.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20261026/local-politics/east-dundee-to-return-sponsor-money-after-oktoberfest-controversy/

WGN9
— Illinois home prices increased 30% over 5 years. An average home cost roughly $230,000 in 2021, but is now around $300,000. The study also found that five-year annual mortgage costs for a typical home increased around $11,444, and buyers would need to earn nearly $40,000 more in annual salary to afford such a home at today’s prices. DD: Of course, Democrat leaders blame Trump for that.
https://wgntv.com/news/illinois/how-much-have-home-prices-increased-in-illinois-over-5-years/

TAYLORVILLE DAILY NEWS
— Polls, Predictions Point to Democrat Wins in Illinois Elections.
https://www.taylorvilledailynews.com/polls-predictions-point-to-democrat-wins-in-illinois-elections/

FOX ILLINOIS
— 6 citizens sue Trump, saying media ban deprives them of news as audience stakeholders. A new lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s media ban stakes a claim for the public itself. DD: But the mainstream news media is not independent. It is the mouthpiece for the Democrat Party.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/6-citizens-sue-trump-saying-media-ban-deprives-them-of-news-as-audience-stakeholders/article_ed2885f1-2d79-541e-a772-a59e5b5886d3.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In the increasingly bitter legal standoff between President Donald Trump and media outlets whose reporting he dislikes, a new and crucial third party has emerged: citizens who watch and read the news and need it to do their jobs. A lawsuit filed Monday on behalf of six such citizens — effectively representing the audiences for the news media — argues that it’s not only the rights of news organizations that are violated when Trump bans them from White House premises. Even more fundamentally, the lawsuit argues, such bans violate the public’s right to independent reporting about its president and government.)

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Nicki Minaj’s role in Trump’s political circle divides fans.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/nicki-minajs-role-in-trumps-political-circle-divides-fans/amp/

COD COURIER
— College of DuPage Student Leader Removed from Office After Alleged Repeated Use of Racial Slurs. Student Leadership Council’s Operation Officer, Luke (Luka) Volarevic apologizes and takes accountability of his actions as he is removed from office.
https://codcourier.org/college-of-dupage-student-leader-removed-from-office-after-alleged-repeated-use-of-racial-slurs/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/10/27/illinois-dems-take-their-show-on-the-road-01135731
(FROM THE NEWSLETTER: Uihleins, you bet: Republican mega-donors Dick and Elizabeth Uihlein are opening their wallets for a handful of Illinois races after backing Ted Dabrowski’s unsuccessful run for governor. The couple has given $190,000 to state Rep. Martin McLaughlin, who is facing a rematch with Democrat Maria Peterson after narrowly defeating her in 2024. The Uihleins have also donated $100,000 to House Minority Leader Tony McCombie’s campaign and $6,900 to Bailey earlier in the summer. Tracy digs deep: Republican U.S. Senate nominee Don Tracy has lent his campaign another $1.5 million, according to his latest Federal Election Commission report. That’s on top of the $2 million the former Illinois Republican Party chair lent his campaign in August 2025, as the Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau reported. Democrat Juliana Stratton, meanwhile, has $1.6 million in the bank and no campaign debt. . .Dan Wagner has been tapped as Chicago senior adviser at Michael Frerich’s Illinois Treasurer’s Office. He has spent the past 22 years in various roles at The Inland Real Estate Group, working closely with the late Daniel Goodwin, who founded the company.)

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/10/26/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-622/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism. Under socialism, that is, under Democrats, government will take more and more and more away from Republicans and give it to Democrats. When I was 49 in 1997, my Democrat GAO superiors took my job away from me and gave it to my Democrat subordinate. 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. What are you doing to protect what you have? What can I do to protect my Civil Service Retirement System pension, my Social Security, my retirement savings, etc.? What can my wife do to protect her Social Security, her retirement savings, etc.? What can we do to protect our real estate, vehicles, etc.? – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Retirement. According to Google AI: “Retirees remain deeply active and vital contributing members of society by shifting their contributions from traditional paid employment to social, economic, civic, and familial support structures. A person’s value and capacity to contribute do not disappear when they stop collecting a paycheck. Instead, retirement often unlocks the free time, experience, and stability required to anchor critical community frameworks.” When I was 49 in 1997, my Democrat GAO superiors forced me retire and made it impossible for me to get a paid job appropriate for my work experience, education, professional certifications, and professional license. Consequently, since 2000, I have ever-increasingly focused on putting together and sending out my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters. In them, I promote conservative principles and the Republican Party platform. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

ILLINOIS RIGHT TO LIFE
— Cardinal Cupich accuses pro-life Catholics of antisemitism. Here’s our response.
https://secure.illinoisrighttolife.org/cardinal-cupich-petition

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Microsoft offers buyouts to 60,000 employees in AI push. DD: In 1993, when I was 45 years old, to get rid of their employees who were Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran, the Democrats who ran GAO “offered” $25,000 buyouts until September 30, 1994 and early retirement until September 30, 1997 to all their employees like me who had 25 or more years of federal service. They stressed the tremendous budget cuts that Gingrich had imposed on GAO. They succeeded in forcing me to take their early retirement “offer” on September 30, 1997. I was not eligible to take regular retirement until I was 55 in 2003. They made it clear that if I refused to take their early retirement “offer,” they would make those 6 years an ever-increasing living hell for me. The following helped me survive until September 30, 1997: a) I became a Certified Government Financial manager in 1994, a Certified Financial Services Auditor in 1996, and a Forensic Accountant in 1997 and b) I earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/oct/26/microsoft-offers-buyouts-60000-employees-ai-push/
— Why does the Democratic Party give Islam special treatment? Left attacks Christianity at home while excusing political movements that reject many of their stated values. DD: Democrats are pro-Islam and anti-Christian.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/oct/25/democratic-party-give-islam-special-treatment/
— Multiculturalism divides what a common culture once united. Europe’s unrest revives old warnings about assimilation, civic identity and the glue that holds nations together. DD: America-haters use multiculturalism to destroy America.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/oct/25/multiculturalism-divides-common-culture-united/
— Humanities dissertations increasingly critical of Western culture. DD: Democrats are ever-increasingly anti-American.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/oct/21/humanities-phd-dissertations-decline-identity-politics-surges-study/
— Perceived importance of college hits 48-year low. DD: How important has college been for you? If I had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business in 1970, Firestone Stores would not have hired me in 1970 and IRS would not have hired me in 1971. If I had not been taking graduate evening business courses, IRS would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had not earned an MBA and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, GAO would not have hired me in 1980. If I had not earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980 and passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981, GAO would not have promoted me in 1986. If I had not earned job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997 and earned a master’s degree in finance in 1997, GAO would have forced me to retire soon that it did.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/oct/1/perceived-importance-college-hits-48-year-low-gallup-poll/
— Slotkin threatens young Republicans to keep them out of politics. Senator from Michigan says future investigations should make prospective Trump staffers think twice. DD: If I had been active in Republican politics when I was in high school, the Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966 would not have hired me. If I had been active in Republican politics when I was earning my bachelor’s degree, the Democrats who ran IRS in 1971 would not have hired me. I had been active in Republican politics when I was earning my master’s degrees, the Democrats who ran GAO in 1980 would not have hired me.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/oct/25/editorial-slotkin-threatens-young-republicans-keep-politics/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: No one will ever accuse Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Michigan Democrat, of subtlety or finesse. Behaving like a Depression-era thug — “Nice little career you got here. It would be a shame if something happened to it.” — Ms. Slotkin made a clumsy attempt to intimidate young Republicans. Speaking at the University of Chicago on Oct. 13, Ms. Slotkin, a frequently described moderate who endorsed apparent Brotherhood bro Abdul El-Sayed, called for prosecuting members of the Trump administration on unspecified charges. This is reminiscent of Lavrentiy Beria, the head of Josef Stalin’s secret police, who is reported to have once said, “Show me the man, and I’ll show you the crime.” It gets worse. Ms. Slotkin confessed that these prosecutions are intended to keep young people out of Republican politics. “I want them to be like, ’Lord, that might be buying myself a ton of problems that I don’t want, and so let me avoid participating in that.’” Translation: By persecuting Trump officials, we will scare off young people from working in the Trump White House. Ms. Slotkin’s threat was just the latest instance of Democratic strong-arm tactics. The Obama and Biden administrations were infamous for intimidation and the weaponization of justice. President Obama sent the IRS after the tea parties. The Biden administration used the Justice Department against critics of his COVID-19 policy, opponents of the transgender agenda and pro-life demonstrators. The FBI put out an internal memo warning that traditional Catholics were a domestic terrorism threat. People had their personal information, including credit card records, seized. Opponents of the administration were debanked. Some lost their jobs for participating in perfectly legal demonstrations. As a lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, the FBI raided President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home and seized records that the president had offered to surrender voluntarily. The Biden administration tried repeatedly to put the once and future president in prison. Britain has taken this political thuggery even further. There, a social media post considered provocative can get you a visit from the police and even a jail term for expressing unpopular views. Ms. Slotkin’s ham-handed attempts at intimidation will not work. Anyone who has the guts to be a Republican on a college campus today will not be scared off by vague threats of retribution for working for the most conservative president in our lifetime.)
— Why 30 million American men are single — and why that number keeps growing. 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 townhome 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/sep/7/analysts-see-social-economic-changes-pushing-men-not-marry/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Trump administration goes after 60 Minutes for framing of Texas deportation case. DD: The mainstream news media is not independent. It is the mouthpiece for the Democrat Party.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/4779455/trump-administration-60-minutes-framing-texas-deportation-case/

NEW YORK POST
— LA set to mirror NY with socialist supreme leader. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://nypost.com/2026/10/26/opinion/la-set-to-mirror-ny-with-socialist-supreme-leader/

AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
— The Left Wants America to Look Like France. The Hexagon is reaping the consequences of socialism and mass migration. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-left-wants-america-to-look-like-france/

BLAZE
— DD: All my critics/opponents have been woke, are woke, and will forever be woke. To woke is to be anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-heterosexual, anti-married people, anti-non-poor people, anti-Protestant, anti-German American, and/or anti those who have ancestors who had been in America for a long time.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-auron-macintyre-show/woke-went-broke-but-that-doesn-t-mean-it-failed

COLLEGE FIX
— Professors dispute notion America’s founding was based on slavery in new book. DD: All my ancestors immigrated from what is now Germany during the 1840s and 1850s. In their defense, they always lived in northeast Illinois.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/professors-challenge-popular-notion-americas-founding-was-based-on-slavery-in-new-book/

DAILY CITIZEN
— Communist Group Hosts ‘Marxist School’ in Chicago. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/communist-group-rca-hosts-marxist-school-in-chicago/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Nearly 180 attendees attended sessions on topics including: Leading workers in general strikes that “challenge the ruling classes’ right to rule.” Understanding history through the lens of class struggles, rather than “a series of random dates, facts and ‘great men,’” as “bourgeois historians” do. The importance of revolution, instead of reformation, because true change does not come from “taking hold of the bourgeois state for our own ends.” The anti-immigration tactics of “the ruling class.” The excellence of the 1917 Russian Revolution, which “was the first time the working class overthrew capitalism and held onto power in the face of bourgeois counterrevolution.”)

DAILY WIRE
— How Comrade Zoomers Are Re-Branding The American Dream Into A National Nightmare. Gen Z has opted out of normalcy as the most pro-socialist generation in history. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-comrade-zoomers-are-re-branding-the-american-dream-into-a-national-nightmare
— ’60 Minutes’ Featured Deported Illegal’s Sob Story. His Asylum Application Adds A Twist. He had been living in the United States for 25 years. DD: The mainstream news media is not independent. It is the mouthpiece for the Democrat Party.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/60-minutes-featured-deported-illegals-sob-story-his-asylum-application-adds-a-twist

FOX NEWS
— Deported migrant who ’60 Minutes’ painted as sympathetic family man claimed he was gay on asylum application. Malian national Moussa Diawara claimed 25 years ago he was a homosexual facing persecution, but is now a married father of two. DD: The mainstream news media is not independent. It is the mouthpiece for the Democrat Party.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/deported-migrant-60-minutes-painted-sympathetic-family-man-claimed-gay-asylum-application

HEARTLAND INSTITUTE
— Socialism Will Ruin the Economy, Stupid. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://heartland.org/opinion/socialism-will-ruin-the-economy-stupid/

HOT AIR
— France and the Dead End of Socialism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2026/10/26/france-and-the-dead-end-of-socialism-n3820360

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NEW YORK TIMES & REUTERS & AP & THE HILL
— FRNOT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: DD: The mainstream news media ever-increasingly blames all problems on Trump, and by extension, on all those who share Trump’s demographics: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, heterosexual, married, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/25/us/politics/trumps-election-alaska.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/27/opinion/editorials/inflation-war-corruption-trump-editorial.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bipartisan-majority-americans-blame-trump-policies-rising-costs-reutersipsos-2026-10-09/
https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-approval-trump-midterms-8d5809758a31b29c73f4351a8008147c
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6138619-reuters-poll-economic-approval/
— FRONT PAGE: Old Enough for a Driver’s License? They’re in No Rush. Gen Z teenagers are no longer racing toward this rite of passage. What’s the hurry, with so much of their lives happening online? DD: When I turned 16 In 1964, my getting a driver’s license was a top priority for me. I got one right away and then bought with money I had earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers a 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air to commute to/from my parents’ home in Crete and my dish washing job in Chicago Heights. With the money I earned washing dishes, I bought a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint, a poor man’s GTO, in May of 1966 to commute to/from my parents’ home in Crete and classes at UIC.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/24/style/drivers-license-gen-z-teens-learners-permit.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Islam.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/24/us/politics/trump-muslim-voters-feel-used.html

YAHOO
— Vacations. DD: My Democrat Post Office (1966-1969), IRS (1971-1980), and GAO (1980-1997) superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were filled with envy. They were furious when I took vacations in 1969 (Daytona Beach), 1970 (Daytona Beach), 1971 (Bahamas), 1973 (Hawaii), 1974 (Mexico), 1975 (Jamaca), 1976 (Bahamas), and 1978-1992 (four short vacations every year at and around luxury resorts in connection with my wife’s business trips). They painted themselves as be grossly underpaid. They decried the high cost of raising their children. They decided their wives having little or no income. Those who were veterans decried how their service set them back financially.
https://creators.yahoo.com/lifestyle/story/how-much-vacation-can-you-really-afford-what-a-financial-advisor-says-113927296.html

CNBC
— Caregiving for adult relatives can cost thousands. AARP survey finds support could matter to midterm voters. DD: From 2009 until she died when she was 91 in 2022, I had total responsibility for my outstanding aunt Eunice S. Diersen who had Alzheimer’s. She never married. She lived frugally. She helped my parents raise me in Crete. She had saved about $650,000 for her retirement.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/26/family-caregiving-costs-2026-midterm-elections.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Obama Goes Socialist. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/barack-obama-angie-nixon-cheesecake-factory-bf1303ce

FORBES
— America faces communism. Voters must defend America against Democratic Socialists. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j7JzvyIyGw
— Mentors Your Career Needs. DD: My Democrat IRS superiors got rid of the IRS manager who promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. My Democrat GAO superiors got rid of the GAO manager who arranged my transfer from IRS in 1980 and was finally able to assign me to audits of IRS and to promote me in 1986.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andymolinsky/2026/04/20/there-are-5-mentors-your-career-needs-how-many-do-you-have/

CIVIC MEDIA
— The 2026 midterms will also decide who runs elections in 29 states. DD: Democrats are moral relativists. They believe that their ends justify their means.
https://civicmedia.us/news/2026/10/26/the-2026-midterms-will-also-decide-who-runs-elections-in-29-states

REALTOR
— New York City renters looking to live in Manhattan now face a daunting financial threshold: a household income of at least $215,000 per year to afford the typical apartment rent. The latest New York City Rent Report found that Manhattan’s median asking rent surged to $5,375 per month in the third quarter of 2026—an 8.3% increase from a year earlier. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I was always grossly overpaid. In today’s dollars, my salary was $154,682/year in 1997. In my defense, I had earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970. I had earned job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997. I had earned job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. And I had earned a job-related professional license in 1981.
https://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/articles/manhattan-renters-now-215k-afford-081900172.html
— Is the Housing Affordability Crisis Becoming a Generational Wealth Fight? DD: Back in the good old days, that is, back when I was 24 in 1972, I was able to buy a new townhome. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/  But if I was 24 today, I would not be able to do that. The jobs that I got back then are now ever-increasingly being given to noncitizens, to minorities, and to females. Back then, if they could have, all my employers would have hired noncitizens, minorities, and females instead of me.
https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/housing-affordability-generational-wealth-2026-midterms/

GALLUP
— Democrats Say They Have Advantage on Party Image and Issues. DD: The mainstream news media is not independent. It is the mouthpiece for the Democrat Party.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/715523/democrats-advantage-party-image-issues.aspx

WIKIPEDIA
— List of party switchers in the United States. DD: Anticipate/expect that ever-increasingly, my Republican critics/opponents will switch to Democrat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_party_switchers_in_the_United_States

JACOBIN
— A bout of unemployment may find you blaming yourself for your condition. Jobless workers: resist the siren song of self-castigation. DD: When you graduated from college, what harmed your job search? When I graduated from NIU with a bachelor’s degree in management when I was 21 in 1970, potential employers saw me as being draft bait. They did not believe that my application for a financial hardship draft deferment to help support my mother and brother would be approved. Further, potential employers were under tremendous pressure to hire minorities and females. Consequently, I accepted the only job offer that I got, to be the Retail Sales Manager in a Firestone Store, a job that did not really require a college degree. Because my future there was bleak, I accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile in 1971. But Oldsmobile withdrew that offer saying it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. My Firestone Store boss rudely fired me because I had accepted that offer. Because I had to have a job, I accepted a job offer that I got from IRS to be a Revenue Officer. I had taken and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination while I was a NIU student as a backup because I knew that private sector employers look down on federal employees and I had been a federal employee for almost 3 years.
https://jacobin.com/2026/07/unemployment-mental-health-blame-safety-net
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In 2025, employers laid off 1.2 million workers. It’s the highest number of layoffs since the start of the pandemic and nearly the same as seen during 2008. This puts the first year of Donald Trump’s second term on par with the first year of the global financial crisis in the scale of its disastrous impact on the US workforce. The greatness to which Trump is returning the country seems to be that of the Great Recession. But rest assured, 2026 is proving to be more hopeful, as long as you don’t need to work to make a living. This is the miracle of the “jobless recovery,” and I am one of its many victims. Last fall, I was laid off from a staff position in higher education along with the rest of my team due to budget cuts. Seven months and one hundred applications later, I still do not have a job, and my unemployment benefits have expired. It’s a distressing situation. It’s also not exceptional. The number of workers who have been unemployed for twenty-seven weeks or longer, a category known as “long-term unemployment,” has grown to nearly two million and now constitutes 25 percent of the total unemployed population. Many workers are giving up on finding a job altogether. In June, the unemployment rate actually went down, but only because seven hundred thousand unemployed workers stopped searching and are no longer included in the official count. The crisis has been worse for black workers, who are disproportionately represented among the unemployed.)

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

JNS
— The unholy alliance between socialists and Islamists. Iran wants you dead; the socialists want your stuff; they are allies; and you should care. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.jns.org/opinion/daniel-winston/the-unholy-alliance-between-socialists-and-islamists

NEWS24
— Anarchy used as a tool to pave the way for socialism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.news24.com.au/world/global-affairs/anarchy-used-as-a-tool-to-pave-the-way-for-socialism/video/7f084b1833def4d7a3410dceb83b8944
— Europe protesters are ‘pro-socialism’ and ‘pro-communism.’ DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.news24.com.au/world/global-affairs/europe-protesters-are-prosocialism-and-procommunism/video/e89242fbecd5cb36498f52213dc9ecba
— ‘Closest you’ll get to socialism’: France spends 60 per cent of GDP on the public. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.news24.com.au/world/europe/closest-youll-get-to-socialism-france-spends-60-per-cent-of-gdp-on-the-public/video/f9962935be64e7bc287641cd5724458b

WORLD SOCIALIST WEB SITE
— Workers Struggle. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism. What made you struggle at work? For me, it was my refusal to be a Democrat. Working for socialists is like working for Democrats. I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. For them, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats, and especially Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. If I had been a Democrat, even though I was not a minority, female, or veteran, my Democrat superiors would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service long before I was 40 in 1988. To get promoted, 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 when I was 21 in 1970. I earned job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997. I earned job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. I earned a job-related professional license in 1981. All my Democrat coworkers had to do to get promoted was to be a Democrat. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) who were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/10/27/umey-o27.html