August 19, 2026

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

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 3, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS2
— FRESH Illinois program provides food benefits to those who lost SNAP.  DD: According to Google AI, “able-bodied” means an adult is physically and mentally fit for work, is aged 18 through 64, and does not have a dependent child under age 14 in their household. You are automatically exempt from these strict rules if you meet any of the following conditions: You receive federal or state disability benefits (like SSI or SSDI). A doctor or medical professional verifies that you are physically or mentally unable to work. You are pregnant. You live with a child under 14, even if that child isn’t yours or isn’t on your SNAP case. You are experiencing homelessness, are a veteran, or are a young adult aging out of foster care.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/fresh-illinois-program-food-benefits-those-who-lost-snap/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A new Illinois program launched this weekend, providing food benefits to people who lost their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits because of federal changes. The Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger, or FRESH, program kicked off on Saturday. State lawmakers put aside $70 million in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget for the program. On May 1, as many as 150,000 Illinois SNAP participants were set to lose their benefits due to new, stricter eligibility rules in the Trump Administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The bill requires all able-bodied adults 64 or younger to meet new work requirements to keep their food stamp benefits by either working, volunteering, or going to school for at least 80 hours a month. The new requirements apply to people ages 18 to 64, including veterans and unhoused people. Now, households that lost their SNAP benefits have been automatically enrolled to get to receive a $400 payment from the state.)

WGN9
— Chicago church holds lakefront baptisms to reach young adults after summer of teen takeovers. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://wgntv.com/news/features/chicago-church-holds-lakefront-baptisms-to-reach-young-adults/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvEzeUWpiJg

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Joining mayor’s race, Giannoulias casts himself as a coalition builder, says Johnson ‘has not met the moment.’ Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias enters the race as a presumed frontrunner, with a political target on his back after raising $22 million from business leaders and building trade unions.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2026/08/02/alexi-giannoulias-chicago-mayor-candidate-2027-february-election-secretary-of-state

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES & WBEZ
— Many women with high-risk pregnancies can’t get abortions in their home states. Illinois welcomes them. More people travel to Illinois than to any other state for an abortion. A program helps the small percentage who need care in a hospital.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/08/03/many-women-with-high-risk-pregnancies-cant-get-abortions-in-their-home-states-illinois-welcomes-them
https://www.wbez.org/health-medicine/2026/08/03/many-women-with-high-risk-pregnancies-cant-get-abortions-in-their-home-states-illinois-welcomes-them

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Special interests have dropped more than $4 million on suburban congressional races.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260802/us-congress-politics/special-interests-have-dropped-more-than-4-million-on-suburban-congressional-races/
— Residents submit nearly 9,000 signatures seeking Aurora recall referendum.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260802/local-politics/residents-submit-nearly-9000-signatures-seeking-aurora-recall-referendum/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is running for mayor.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics-policy/ccb-alexi-giannoulias-mayoral-campaign-20260802/

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to stop voter fraud.
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/08/03/illinois-pushes-back-on-federal-voter-roll-threats/91098671007/

BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
— Illinois launches new program to provide food benefits to people who lost SNAP. DD: According to Google AI, “able-bodied” means an adult is physically and mentally fit for work, is aged 18 through 64, and does not have a dependent child under age 14 in their household. You are automatically exempt from these strict rules if you meet any of the following conditions: You receive federal or state disability benefits (like SSI or SSDI). A doctor or medical professional verifies that you are physically or mentally unable to work. You are pregnant. You live with a child under 14, even if that child isn’t yours or isn’t on your SNAP case. You are experiencing homelessness, are a veteran, or are a young adult aging out of foster care.
https://pantagraph.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_f6368e6b-604d-5f5a-89b6-a6f2c5de1bd9.html

CHICAGO CRUSADER
— Just 14 percent of Chicago voters want Mayor Johnson to run again.
https://chicagocrusader.com/poll-says-just-14-percent-of-chicago-voters-want-mayor-johnson-to-run-again-2/

NPR ILLINOIS
— Trust in public health institutions is eroding.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-08-02/trust-in-public-health-institutions-is-eroding-what-can-officials-do

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— DD: Democrat leaders say Senate Republicans see Trump as a growing political liability.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/hill-politics/senate-republicans-see-trump-as-a-growing-political-liability/

HINSDALE PATCH
— Bailey Campaign Tied To Hinsdale Woman Who Bashed Blacks, ‘Mexican Parades.’  The lieutenant governor candidate says the woman would have been his running mate had he sought the top job.
https://patch.com/illinois/hinsdale/bailey-campaign-tied-hinsdale-woman-who-bashed-blacks-mexican-parades
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A Hinsdale woman who has criticized Black people, Muslims, the LGBTQ community and “Mexican parades” could have been the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor. Kristina McCloy, who founded the conservative Concerned Parents of Illinois, introduced Republican lieutenant governor candidate Aaron Del Mar during a campaign launch event last fall in Oak Brook. It was for Del Mar and GOP governor candidate Darren Bailey, who chose Del Mar. During the event, McCloy, a former Republican Downers Grove Township trustee, introduced Del Mar. After reaching the podium, Del Mar called McCloy “a woman of integrity, courage and deep conviction.” “Kristina stood ready to run alongside me when I was preparing to launch my own campaign for governor,” Del Mar said, adding that he shares her values. Afterward, McCloy said it was a pleasure to speak at the Bailey-Del Mar event. “When Aaron Del Mar explored a run for governor, he asked me to be his running mate, and I was truly honored,” she wrote on the Concerned Parents social media page. More than a week ago, Patch asked McCloy about her past statements and her ties to the Bailey campaign. In response, McCloy said she had retained legal counsel in the matter. She also sent a link to a piece in the conservative DuPage County Policy Journal that she published after she received the Patch inquiry. In it, McCloy lays out a case that she says shows that the local Patch reporter is biased against conservatives. Del Mar and the Bailey campaign did not return messages for comment over the last week. ‘Mexican parades’ In 2024, McCloy asserted on the Concerned Parents’ Facebook page that schools are hiding the issue of African American children attacking white children. “Black children on white children attacks are frequently trending on social media,” McCloy said. “Schools, parents and towns have been downplaying and even hiding it.” She said some are scared to be at the forefront of the issue for fear of being labeled a racist. Lately, she has been criticizing Greg Hart, who became Hinsdale’s village president last year. He is a former Republican member of the DuPage County Board. On her Concerned Parents social media page, McCloy criticized Hart for “participation in LGBTQ community events, Mexican parades, Muslim events, public support for (Black Lives Matter), publicly complimenting the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), and thanking Joe Biden for his service.” ‘Illegal aliens’ In a DuPage Policy Journal piece, she also said Hart has not been aggressive enough in opposing Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s housing proposal, known as the BUILD Act, which would reduce local zoning powers. (Hart said on social media that he has let legislators and regional leaders know that Hinsdale opposes less local control. That effort has included his visiting Springfield, he said.) McCloy said Pritzker’s proposal would open the door to “increased Section 8 affordable housing” and more crime. As for crime, she said a Hinsdale robbery suspect did not speak English and lives in an area with a lot of Section 8 housing full of “illegal aliens.” Also in the DuPage Policy Journal, she denounced Hinsdale Republican Kari Galassi, a District 3 member of the DuPage County Board. She said Galassi backed giving money for Section 8 housing, the social services arm of the Islamic Circle of North America and “illegal alien assistance.” McCloy also posted a photo of Galassi wearing a headscarf while attending a Muslim community event, an appearance that McCloy said brought Galassi accusations of political pandering. On social media, McCloy posted a meme saying that no foreign-born people should hold powerful elected positions in the United States. She was referring to a President Joe Biden-appointed federal judge, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago. As it turns out, President Donald Trump appointed at least one foreign-born judge, James Ho, who is from Taiwan. At one point, Ho was under consideration for the Supreme Court. ‘Won’t apologize’ Recently, Village President Greg Hart responded on social media to McCloy’s criticism. He said he would work with Republicans, Democrats and independents whenever it advances Hinsdale. “I won’t apologize for believing our community should be welcoming, safe and full of opportunity for every law-abiding resident,” he said. Hart also pointed to McCloy’s passage about Mexican parades, Muslim events, LGBTQ functions and the NAACP. “In reading this op-ed, it seems like the views of the Concerned Parents founder belong in 1826,” he said. “I’ll keep governing in 2026.” In a social media response, Galassi said McCloy, whom she did not name, was criticizing her service for something she considers a strength – working with people of different perspectives to get things done. She said she invited McCloy to meet for “a respectful conversation to discuss our differences.” “Unfortunately, those invitations have been repeatedly denied,” Galassi said. ‘Certified young racist’ Among those responding to Galassi was Hinsdale conservative Jeff Waters, a member of the Hinsdale High School District 86 board. “That commentary is gum on your shoes, Kari – long on criticism and short on solutions,” Waters said. “Keep being you, KG. Since you stepped up to serve your friends and neighbors, the community has benefited greatly. Those who throw stones without ever picking up a shovel contribute zero, zilch, nada. And that’s no mystery to anyone.” In June, Zoe Marsh-Leigh, who is an African American conservative from Chicago, called McCloy “a certified young racist.” She applied the same label to Del Mar. She pointed to Patch’s 2024 story about McCloy’s warning of black children attacking white ones. “Black Chicago, we’re going to have to sit this out until Del Mar voluntarily withdraws,” Marsh-Leigh said on social media. Marsh-Leigh is a co-founder of Chicago Flips Red, which supports GOP candidates.)

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Giannoulias makes it official
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/03/giannoulias-makes-it-official-01021972

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/03/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-783/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— Pritzker’s Worship Of Fauci Led To The Covid Bafoonery In IL.
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/08/02/pritzkers-worship-of-fauci-led-to-the-covid-bafoonery-in-il

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Grocery store closures reignite debate over taxpayer-funded food access
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_00a0a83a-e71f-4103-8530-caf85e502c9e.html

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Stacy Davis Gates: The scandal-plagued leadership of a teachers union president
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/stacy-davis-gates-the-scandal-plagued-leadership-of-a-teachers-union-president/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Republicans should make Democrats own the radical agenda they refuse to reject. Voters deserve to know what the Democratic Party’s ‘big tent’ now includes. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for a Democrat is to vote for socialism.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/2/republicans-make-democrats-radical-agenda-refuse-reject/
— A federal appeals court has given the go-ahead for an Oregon school system to fire a social worker who displayed books defending the idea that there are only two sexes. DD: Democrats ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/1/court-says-school-employee-punished-displaying-books/
— Democrats’ anti-ICE fervor eclipses Laken Riley’s murder by illegal immigrant, the law named for her.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/2/democrats-anti-ice-fervor-eclipses-laken-rileys-murder-illegal/

WASHINGTO.N EXAMINER
— Bernie Sanders says he’s confident socialists can win in purple states
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4672307/bernie-sanders-confident-socialist-win-purple-states/

NEW YORK POST
— Asylum-fraud crackdown is another key step in fixing the US immigration system. DD: What percent claim asylum falsely?
https://nypost.com/2026/08/02/opinion/asylum-fraud-crackdown-is-another-key-step-in-fixing-the-us-immigration-system/
— California Democrats need more spine to stop the socialists.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/02/opinion/california-democrats-need-more-spine-to-stop-the-socialists/
— Members of Mamdani’s DSA pledge to ‘support’ and ‘defend’ China: ‘Survival of Chinese socialism is a crucial matter’
https://www.aol.com/articles/members-mamdani-dsa-pledge-support-224305000.html

AMERICAN THINKER
— Boomer-era Democrats’ growing concerns about the socialist monster they created do not resonate with the young people they’ve trained to love socialism and communism. DD: What generation are you? What percent of them are Democrats?
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/older-dems-ok-boomer-problem-with-communism-in-their-party/

BLAZE
— Credentialed jobs are treated as precious, low-wage jobs are kept cheap, and working-class Americans are expected to disappear from the equation entirely. The left suddenly fears that artificial intelligence will replace American workers. It showed far less concern when illegal immigration undercut wages and jobs. The double standard reveals a larger economic vision: protection for the credentialed class, cheap labor at the bottom, and little concern for the working Americans caught between them. DD: If I had not earned an MBA when I was 27 in 1976 and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, the Democrats who ran GAO would not have hired when I was 31 because I was not a Democrat, minority, female, younger, or veteran. If had not earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA when I was 32, earned four more professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48, and earned a master’s degree in finance when I was 48, my Democrat GAO superiors would have gotten rid of me much sooner than they did because I was not a Democrat, minority, female, younger, or veteran.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/americas-two-tier-economy-is-working-exactly-as-planned

BREITBART
— Donna Brazile to Dems: Don’t Get Caught in This ‘Socialist Wave’
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/02/donna-brazile-democratic-party-cant-get-caught-in-this-socialist-wave/amp/

FOX BUSINESS
— The rise of ‘Gen Z affordability socialism,’ why younger voters are embracing government intervention to address the cost-of-living crisis. DD: When you were young, what did you do to afford things? I did not seek government intervention. 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.youtube.com/watch?v=3aCddPoh6WQ

FOX NEWS
— Socialism’s war on success. DD: Under socialism, to be successful, all you need to do is be a socialist. Under Democrats, to be successful, all you need to do is be a Democrat. For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote 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. I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. 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) had no professional license like the one I had and/or were a) minority, b) female, c) younger, d) veteran, e) non-Protestant, f) non-German American, and/or g) had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.aol.com/articles/socialisms-war-success-champion-running-090055000.html
— Entire Squad endorses Abdul El-Sayed days before Michigan Democratic Senate primary.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/squad-endorses-abdul-el-sayed-days-before-michigan-democratic-senate-primary.amp
— Trump targets Biden-era billion-dollar Smithsonian budgets amid anti-‘woke’ push.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-targets-biden-era-billion-dollar-smithsonian-budgets-amid-anti-woke-push

LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
— Candidate Vulnerability Assessment
https://leadershipinstitute.org/event/701VL00000xvu8MYAQ
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Identify the Problem Before Your Opponent Does. Every candidate enters a race with potential vulnerabilities. These may include previous statements, professional history, financial records, social media activity, personal relationships, policy positions, or inconsistencies in the candidate’s public record. Campaigns often devote significant time and resources to researching their opponents while failing to conduct the same level of research on their own candidate. This can leave a campaign unprepared when a reporter, opponent, activist, or social media account uncovers damaging information. Join Tom Jones and the Leadership Institute’s Advanced School of Politics for a one-hour online workshop exploring how campaigns can identify, evaluate, and prepare for candidate vulnerabilities before they become public crises. This workshop will provide a practical introduction to internal candidate research and help participants understand how successful campaigns uncover potential problems early, determine the seriousness of each issue, and prepare accurate and defensible responses.)

NEWSMAX
— Mamdani’s Grocery Plan Is Socialist.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/fernando-mateo-mamdani-nyc/2026/08/02/id/1264806/
— ICE Detentions Hit Trump 2nd-Term High.
https://www.newsmax.com/us/ice-migrants-detention/2026/08/02/id/1264826/

PJ MEDIA
— How Noncitizen Voters Sway Presidential Election Results.
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/08/02/presler-shows-how-noncitizen-voters-can-sway-presidential-election-results-n4955729

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— The Election Questions Democrats Won’t Answer.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/08/03/the_election_questions_democrats_wont_answer_154384.amp.html

TOWNHALL
— All the Democrats Are Marxists.
https://townhall.com/columnists/allenwest/2026/08/03/dont-be-fooled-all-the-democrats-are-marxists-n2680492
— Democrats Want to Close the Prisons, Except Not for People Like You.
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2026/08/03/democrats-want-to-close-the-prisons-except-not-for-people-like-you-n2680504
— For people who scream about wanting affordability, Democrats have yet to deliver on any of it. They have made education, housing, and healthcare costs skyrocket thanks to government intervention under the guise of “lowering costs.” DD: When you were young, what did you do to afford things? I did not seek government intervention. 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://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/08/02/sun-vip-ny-dems-nuke-affordability-10-percent-discount-on-self-checkout-n2680469
— The Trump Administration Just Prosecuted Another Case of Election Fraud.
https://townhall.com/news/josephchalfant/2026/08/02/the-trump-administration-just-prosecuted-another-case-of-election-fraud-n2680527

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— ICE detentions set Trump-era high in July, as immigration crackdown widens. DD: How many illegals are Democrats harboring in Illinois, in your county, in your township, in your municipality, in your school district, and in your precinct?
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-detentions-trump-high-july-2026-immigration-crackdown-widens/

NEW YORK TIMES
— ‘Comradely’ Talks and a ‘Deer Leader’ Mascot: Scenes From the D.S.A. Summit. At a national meeting of the Democratic Socialists of America, nervous energy and a sprawling tableau of sometimes-competing interests were on display.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/02/us/politics/democratic-socialists-america-convention.html
— What the Crackup of the Heritage Foundation Says About the Post-Trump Right. The bastion of American conservatism best known for Project 2025 has been consumed by an ideological — and generational — civil war.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/magazine/heritage-foundation-trump-republicans.html

WASHINGTON POST
— A democratic socialist in the White House? Activists are thinking big. The Democratic Socialists of America summit was abuzz about whether to endorse a presidential candidate, potentially Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for a Democrat is to vote for socialism.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/02/democratic-socialists-are-already-eyeing-2028-with-aoc-mind/

USA TODAY
— Democratic Socialists of America propose radical overhaul of US govt. The Democratic Socialists of America want to fight for working-class Americans by offering free healthcare and abolishing the U.S. Senate. What else does their “Workers Deserve More” platform say? DD: For non-Republicans, government exists to take opportunities, money, and everything else away from Republicans and to give it all to non-Republicans.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/02/democratic-socialists-america-platform/91092595007/
— What Trump’s asylum change means for people seeking protection.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/08/03/what-trumps-new-asylum-policy-means-for-migrants-the-excerpt/91125161007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Trump Team Feuds Over Whether Reflecting Pool Was Hit by Vandals or Botched Work. President criticizes Jeanine Pirro, his appointee as U.S. attorney, for dropping vandalism charge.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/trump-team-feuds-over-whether-reflecting-pool-was-hit-by-vandals-or-botched-work-4c02ed6b
— Will Michigan’s Democrats Choose Socialism? Abdul El-Sayed looks headed for a victory.
https://www.wsj.com/video/series/journal-editorial-report/wsj-opinion-will-michigan-democrats-choose-socialism/21F80F90-77B4-4882-8196-656E2F5ABE43
— Socialist Chic and the ‘Medicare for All’ Sham. What Abdul El-Sayed proposes is a single-payer system nothing like the program for the elderly.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/socialist-chic-and-the-medicare-for-all-sham-ceb05ab4

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— Who watches the watchdogs? GAO finds flaws in inspector general oversight system. President Donald Trump has fired nearly 20 IGs, and his administration last year put a hold on funding for the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. DD: While I worked for GAO for almost 18 years and served on the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter Executive Committee for 13 years, I had lots of interactions with IG employees. I worked for GAO on an audit of EPA’s IG office in 1985.
https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2026/06/who-watches-watchdogs-gao-finds-flaws-inspector-general-oversight-system/414195/

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
— How College Impacts Salary and Future Earning Potential. DD: If I had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business, Firestone Stores would not have hired me when I was 21 in 1970. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination, IRS would not have hired me when I was 22. If I have not been taking graduate evening business courses, IRS would not have promoted me when I was 23, 24, and 25. If I had not earned an MBA when I was 27 and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, GAO would not have hired me when I was 31. If I had not I earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31 and passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA when I was 32, GAO would not have promoted me when I was 38.
https://www.umassglobal.edu/blog-news/how-college-impacts-salary-and-future-earning-potential

PHILLY VOICE
— With school out, Philly teens say they need more places to build community and stay safe. Young people feel overpoliced and misunderstood when gathering in public and say they want more spaces dedicated just for them. DD: When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://www.phillyvoice.com/philly-teens-public-gatherings-third-spaces-school-summer/

July 24, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/07/24/chaotic-crowded-chicago-immigration-mega-court-hearings-are-fueling-record-deportation-orders

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Journalists discuss free press challenges. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I am not a journalist a) because I do not have a degree in journalism, b) because no one pays me for what I do as the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, c) because all the money needed for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters and for my www.gopillinois.com website comes from my Civil Service Retirement System pension, my Social Security, and my retirement savings, d) because either my newsletters nor my website contain any advertising or donation requests, e) because I do not claim to be nonpartisan, f) because I state that and because I am conservative Republican, and g) because I state that and because I am an elected Republican Precinct Committeeman. My critics/opponents ignore/dismiss/belittle the fact a) that I worked for GAO as an Analyst for almost 18 years 1980-1997, b) that what GAO Analysts do is very similar to what journalists do, and c) that during my last 11 years at GAO, my salary increased from $118,984/year to $154,682/year in today’s dollars.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/24/journalists-discuss-free-press-challenges/

FOX32
— Chicago crime: 5 killed, 4 wounded in 6 shootings from Thursday into Friday.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-crime-5-killed-4-shootings-thursday-friday

WTTW
— What Happened to the American Dream? DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I worked my way through college and earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/07/23/what-happened-american-dream-new-documentary-asks-1000-people-across-50-states

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Democrats to finalize their 2028 presidential nominating calendar, led by more diverse states. DD: The Democrat Party ever-increasingly moves further to the left.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/ap-democrats-to-finalize-their-2028-presidential-nominating-calendar-led-by-more-diverse-states/

ADVANTAGE NEWS
— Illinois election integrity advocate Carol Davis says Trump’s allegations mirror concerns raised by state watchdogs.
https://www.advantagenews.com/news/local/illinois-election-integrity-advocate-says-trumps-allegations-mirror-concerns-raised-by-state-watchdogs/article_d4d50eef-73ed-4ff2-9418-c13f0bf500a2.html

CWB CHICAGO
— Robbery suspect caught trying to cut off ankle monitor with bolt cutters at Home Depot.
https://cwbchicago.com/2026/07/robbery-suspect-caught-trying-to-cut-off-ankle-monitor-with-bolt-cutters-at-home-depot.html

POLITICO ILLINOIS
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/07/24/illinois-sexual-harassment-harry-benton-01010509

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/24/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-777/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— What’s Happening to Illinois Ex-Pats Running for Congress in Florida?
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/23/whats-happening-to-illinois-ex-pats-running-for-congress-in-florida/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— It’s Time for the DOJ Civil Rights Division to Investigate Speaker Chris Welch and Illinois House Democratic Leadership.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/07/its-time-for-the-doj-civil-rights-division-to-investigate-speaker-chris-welch-and-illinois-house-democratic-leadership.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Sitting judge posts ‘F*** ICE’: The shocking double standard of Illinois courts.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4659330/judge-ramirez-f-ice-post-double-standard-illinois-courts/
— DHS has issued $84 billion in fines to illegal immigrants who won’t go home.
DHS Announces More Than $84 Billion in Civil Fines Issued to Illegal Aliens

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Racial quota reckoning: Merit just got a deadline. DD: Since the 1960s, everyone above me has been under ever-increasing pressure to give more preference to those who do not share my demographics, that is, they have been under ever-increasing pressure to discriminate against those who share my demographics.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4660403/racial-quota-reckoning-federal-contracting/
— Establishment Democrats risk extinction as socialism rises.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/4660428/establishment-democrats-risk-extinction-socialism-rises-joe-concha/
— Will Democrats pick Harris or a socialist? Primary calendar may give early clue.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/4659947/harris-socialist-democrats-2028-primary-calendar/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Socialism goes mainstream in America, and no one is stopping it. It was bad enough when they’d crept into all the American institutions. Now they’re getting elected to national office.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/socialism-goes-mainstream-in-america-and-no-one-is-stopping-it/

DAILY SIGNAL
— ‘They Don’t Know What It’s Like’: Communism Survivors Question Why Americans Like Marxism.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/23/communism-survivors-question/
— Trump Axes Regulations Pushing Race-Based School Discipline.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/23/education-department-strikes-regulations-requiring-racial-quotas-in-school-discipline/

DAILY WIRE
— New Republican Amnesty Bill Ignites Ire Of Immigration Hardliners. “Vote every single one of them out in a massive wave, and replace them with real immigration hawks.”
https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-republican-amnesty-bill-ignites-ire-of-immigration-hardliners

FEDERALIST
— Every American Needs To Know That Socialism Is Slavery.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/23/every-american-needs-to-know-that-socialism-is-slavery/
— Congress Spotlights American Bar Association’s Dance With The DEI Devil.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/23/congress-spotlights-american-bar-associations-dance-with-the-dei-devil/

FOX BUSINESS
— How America reached a political tipping point for socialism. The storm began with the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/how-america-reached-political-tipping-point-socialism.amp

FOX NEWS
— Laura Ingraham: They KNOW socialism is anti-American.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401968228112
— Partisan divide on capitalism and socialism. DD: To destroy Trump, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401934457112
— Democratic Party’s socialist wing gains ground. DD: To destroy Trump, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401954225112
— Trump heads back to correspondents’ dinner months after gunfire forced evacuation. The WHCA will honor Secret Service Officer Gonzales for his role in stopping the armed suspect at the Washington Hilton.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-heads-back-correspondents-dinner-months-after-gunfire-forced-evacuation

HOMELAND SECURITY
— DHS Announces More Than $84 Billion in Civil Fines Issued to Illegal Aliens.
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/07/23/dhs-announces-more-84-billion-civil-fines-issued-illegal-aliens

PJ MEDIA
— Communism-Socialism, Islam: How to Meet the Threats?
https://pjmedia.com/eric-florack/2026/07/23/communismsocialism-islam-how-to-meet-the-threats-n4955364

POST MILLENNIAL
— Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson aims to give ‘reparations’ to illegal immigrants, residents impacted by ICE.
https://thepostmillennial.com/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-aims-to-give-reparations-to-illegal-immigrants-residents-impacted-by-ice
— Brandon Gill, Jim Banks draft bill to classify birth tourists as ‘invaders,’ prevent automatic citizenship. The legislation comes as Justice Kavanaugh left the door open for Congress to adjust who is not eligible for birthright citizenship.
https://thepostmillennial.com/brandon-gill-jim-banks-draft-bill-to-classify-birth-tourists-as-invaders-prevent-automatic-citizenship

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Trump on Democratic Socialists: “They’re Highly Educated, But Doing Very Poorly; In Other Words, They’re Losers”
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/07/23/trump_on_democratic_socialists_theyre_highly_educated_but_doing_very_poorly_in_other_words_theyre_losers.html
— Trump: Communists Promise “Free Rent, Free House,” But Deliver “Squalor, Poverty, Death, And Destruction”
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/07/23/trump_communists_promise_a_free_house_but_they_deliver_absolute_squalor_poverty_death_and_destruction.html

STATES TOP LEADING NEWS
— 9.5 Million Student Loan Defaults: Systemic Failure or Personal Choice? DD: What percent of those who took out student loans had no intent of paying those loans back? I never sought a student loan or got a student loan. I worked my way through college. Because of that, my GPA suffered. That harmed my job searches. Students who took out student loan should be expected to have much higher GPAs than those who had to work their way through college.
https://www.stl.news/9-5-million-student-loan-defaults/

U.S. HOUSE
— DEI Erodes Integrity of Law Schools and the Legal Profession.
https://oversight.house.gov/release/hearing-wrap-up-dei-erodes-integrity-of-law-schools-and-the-legal-profession/

TOWNHALL
— Chicago Is Broke, but the Mayor Is Floating Another Plan for Reparations.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/07/23/brandon-johnson-reparations-for-ice-n2679998
— The Democratic Socialists of America vs. the United States of America.
https://townhall.com/columnists/christalgo/2026/07/24/the-democratic-socialists-of-america-vs-the-united-states-of-america-n2679963

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CNN
— DD: To destroy Trump, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/23/politics/republicans-capitalism-socialism-poll

AOL
— Voters should take Democratic Socialists at their word.
https://www.aol.com/articles/voters-democratic-socialists-word-opinion-090848000.html

CBS NEWS
— Career limiting decisions. DD: What were the biggest decisions that you made that limited your career? I spent far too many hours working to earn money to buy new cars instead of studying. I avoided the Vietnam War draft with draft deferments. I majored in management instead of accounting. I did not start taking graduate accounting courses until I was 27. I did not take and pass the CPA examination on my first attempt until I was 30. I did not earn a master’s degree in accounting until I was 31. I did not take and pass on my first attempt the Certified Internal Auditor examination until I was 32. I did not become a licensed CPA until I was 32. When I became federal employee when I was 18, I refused to become a Democrat and I never became a Democrat. I ever-increasingly complained about my Democrat superiors’ political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination. I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid discrimination when I was 40.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/10-career-limiting-mistakes-to-avoid/

NEW YORK TIMES
— To Win Their Races, Black Politicians Confront a New Landscape. With the Voting Rights Act weakened, Black representation will depend less on Black voters and more on broad, multiracial appeal or on ideological outsider campaigns. As majority-Black districts are blown up one by one, the future of Black representation in Congress could look something like Yorkville, Ill., where Representative Lauren Underwood joined the town parade on the Fourth of July. The congresswoman and her parents were among the few Black people in a sea of white faces along the mile-long route.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/us/politics/black-representation-voting-rights-act.html
— Did Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace? DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, they ever-increasingly a) assigned me to work for their female employees, b) stressed to them that I opposed gender base preference giving, and/or c) had them waste my career and get rid of me. During my last 8 years that I worked for GAO all my superiors were females. They always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance and they forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. I should write about that.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/opinion/women-workplace-feminism-conservative.html
— Google Is Building an A.I. Fence Around the Internet It Once Championed. As Google incorporates more artificial intelligence into search, people are spending more time on Google. Some website operators are crying foul. DD: The Democrats who run Google ever-increasingly a) steer everyone to websites that promote liberal principles and the Democrat Party platform and b) steer everyone away from websites that promote conservative principles and the Republican Party platform.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/technology/google-ai-open-web.html
— Biking to work: Tips to get started, stay safe and look presentable when you arrive. DD: I walked to/from work and evening classes 1974-1978. I first walked to/from my Outer Drive East studio condo and then my ODE one bedroom condo to my IRS job in the Loop and first to graduate evening business classes at Loyola and then to graduate evening accounting classes at DePaul.
https://www.newstimes.com/living/article/biking-to-work-tips-to-get-started-stay-safe-22357001.php

NEW YORK SUN
— The Socialists Await the Gullible. The leftist surge in America is shadowed by the incompatibility of Marxism and civil liberties.
https://www.nysun.com/article/the-socialists-await-the-gullible

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The ‘Bernie Bros’ Could Spoil Democrats’ Midterms. Republicans will make even moderate opponents answer for the radical views of DSA candidates.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-bernie-bros-could-spoil-democrats-midterms-0e6e6289
— How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, by JD Vance. His online minions attack me fiercely over last week’s column. They should hear what my kids call me. DD: I should write about my critics/opponents who have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me since 2000 because of my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/how-to-lose-friends-and-alienate-people-by-jd-vance-a6a1d5fe
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Over many years of writing pieces critical of politicians, my Republican targets mostly took the beatings like men, many going so far as to acknowledge—if only in confidence—that they probably deserved it. Not so Vice President JD Vance, and his dreary band of online enforcers. This egotism—or rather, insecurity—is worth analyzing. This column reported last week on the bitterness Mr. Vance’s congressional colleagues are feeling over his continual absence. In recent administrations, governing majorities have come to rely on the vice president—who is ex officio Senate president—to act as primary liaison between the White House and Congress. Mr. Vance has blown off this important if unsung duty, preferring to stay in the spotlight. Tempers hit a boil last week when—at a pivotal legislative moment—Mr. Vance canceled a planned Tuesday House meeting in favor of appearing on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” where he bashed Congress. Republicans have mostly held their tongues on Mr. Vance out of deference. But the vice president has shown a lot of lefty leg lately: undermining Israel, panning free markets, touting a Christian-themed big-government agenda. That’s in addition to what many Republicans view as Mr. Vance’s naive approach to Iran. That elected Republicans were joining conservative commentators in a Vance rethink was worthy of reporting. And most readers would have seen the column for what it was: part of a growing GOP debate over who should lead the party in 2028. Team Vance saw it as it sees any slight: an all-hands call to delegitimize a critic—to brand her a RINO, “establishment,” a liar, a captive tool, or part of some anti-JD “op.” The Vance press team contacted my editors to demand corrections. They wanted a mea culpa for what I didn’t write—namely that Mr. Vance had showed up to the House . . . on Wednesday. Never mind that Congress’s anger stemmed from Mr. Vance’s decision to ditch them for Mr. Rogan’s program. They claimed that wasn’t “the reason” for canceling, though they didn’t provide an alternative explanation. What else was Mr. Vance doing in Austin, Texas? Their final complaint was a hair-splitting gotcha: I wrote that “lawmakers can count on a few fingers the times former Sen. Vance has set foot in the Capitol.” That’s what lawmakers told me. Mr. Vance’s spokesman insisted the vice president had been there more than two dozen times since taking office. The phrase obviously referred to the infrequency with which Mr. Vance huddled with members of Congress to solve problems and wasn’t a literal count of the number of times he was physically present to attend a speech or break a tie. Mr. Vance’s real bully-boy strength shows up with his online army, where a retinue of “influencers” and “journalists” stand ready with an arsenal of labels, whataboutisms and falsehoods. The tactics aren’t new. They are straight-up Saul Alinsky—pick the target, freeze it, personalize and polarize it—long practiced by the left. I wrote a whole book about that, “The Intimidation Game.” What is new is for the right to use such means in an effort to shut down conservative dissent.)
— Biden officials predicted 17,000 arbitration disputes a year under the No Surprises Act. In 2026 there were 2.6 million. DD: I have been a FINRA arbitrator since 1998.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/surprise-billing-act-health-insurance-providers-15c1eadb
— For Sale: The Childhood Home of Conservative Commentator William F. Buckley Jr.  The historic Connecticut property, which dates back to 1812, was visited by influential figures like Ronald Reagan, Henry Kissinger and Sylvia Plath.
https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/luxury-homes/william-buckley-jr-childhood-home-connecticut-cc241ca2

BLOOMBERG
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly glorify and praise everything that is foreign.
https://www.bloomberg.com/sessions/2026-07-28/live-q-amp-a-is-the-american-dream-fading-for-international-students

FORBES
— Women Don’t Have A Merit Problem. They Have A Sponsor Problem. DD: My Democrat IRS superiors got rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me when I was 23 in 1972, 23, and 25. My Democrat GAO superiors got rid of the GAO manager who had arranged my transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31 and was finally able to assign me to audits of IRS and to promote me when I was 38. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, younger, or a veteran. All the women who my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors promoted over me a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/shaheenajanjuhajivrajeurope/2026/07/24/women-dont-have-a-merit-problem-they-have-a-sponsor-problem/

MOTLEY FOOL
— Why COLAs Have Lost Retirees 14% of Their Buying Power Since 2016. DD: My critics/opponents were, are, and will always be furious a) that I got COLAs when I was a federal employee 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and b) that I have gotten COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://www.aol.com/articles/why-colas-lost-retirees-14-152000000.html

HARVARD CRIMSON
— Students Still Want Public Service. They Just Don’t Want Washington Right Now. Students and faculty say the traditional pipeline from the school into the federal government has narrowed — and with it, the assumption that a degree from the school leads directly to a career in Washington. DD: I worked for GAO 1980-1997. While Charles Bowsher ran GAO 1981-1996, he did everything that he could to get rid the agency’s employees who had degrees in business, accounting, and finance and to replace them with employees who had degrees in public administration from Ivy league  universities. That rendered worthless a) my having earned an MBA in 1976, b) my having passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, c) my earning a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, d) my passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, e) my becoming a licensed CPA in 1981, f) my earning four more job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, g) and my earning a master’s degree in finance in 1997.
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/4/6/hks-public-service/

WEST CENTRAL TRIBUNE
— Cal Thomas: Who are our domestic enemies? “The ignorant and sometimes deliberate voters who support the DSA agenda should be careful what they wish for.”
https://www.wctrib.com/opinion/columns/cal-thomas-who-are-our-domestic-enemies

TRILL MAGAZINE
— The American Dream Is Expensive. Is Democratic Socialism the Answer? Rising costs and changing expectations are driving a new generation of Americans to rethink the future of the American Dream. DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I worked my way through college and earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.trillmag.com/news/politics/the-american-dream-is-expensive-is-democratic-socialism-the-answer/

JD SUPRA
— What Employers Need to Know About the EEOC’s Rescission of Affirmative Action Guidelines and Enforcement Priorities. DD: Since the 1960s, Democrats and RINOs have used Affirmative Action to get rid of Republicans who are White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/what-employers-need-to-know-about-the-2097270/

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
— Affordability For All: It’s Time To Rescue The American Dream. DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I worked my way through college and earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://nul.org/news/affordability-all-its-time-rescue-american-dream

July 23, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Durbin pressing for action amid possible Legionella at Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/sen-dick-durbin-pressing-general-services-administration-gsa-amid-possible-legionella-dirksen-federal-courthouse/19565422/

NBC5
— Man, 24, and woman, 27, fatally shot in car on University of Chicago campus. A weapon was recovered from the scene, police said.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/man-24-and-woman-27-fatally-shot-in-car-on-university-of-chicago-campus/3965571/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Iran against America.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/23/house-passes-iran-war-resolution/
— DD: Democrat leaders continue to use Emmett Till to promote more hatred against Republicans.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/23/emmett-till-day/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— 2 fatally shot in Hyde Park. A 24-year-old man and 27-year-old woman were found inside a vehicle in the 5900 block of East Ellis Avenue at 5:35 p.m. with single gunshot wounds to each of their heads, police said.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/07/23/2-fatally-shot-in-hyde-park

DAILY HERALD
— Wheaton man charged with sexually assaulting woman.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260723/news/authorities-wheaton-man-charged-with-sexually-assaulting-woman/
— Arlington Heights couple pleads guilty to vandalizing local GOP headquarters.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260723/news/arlington-heights-couple-pleads-guilty-to-vandalizing-local-gop-headquarters/

FOX32
— DD: Democrat leaders continue to use Emmett Till to promote more hatred against Republicans.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-6f7oirzh028a7g8i

RIVER BENDER
— DD: Democrat leaders continue to use Emmett Till to promote more hatred against Republicans.
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/gov-pritzker-designates-emmett-till-day-in-illinois-95340.cfm?

WSIL TV
— Push to make Illinois the 51st State.
https://www.wsiltv.com/video/push-to-make-illinois-the-51st-state/video_b96da2f7-14de-531c-90bd-0f3bfe157607.html

WJOL
— Diane M. Harris Named Interim Chairman Of Joliet Township Republican Organization.
https://www.wjol.com/diane-m-harris-named-interim-chairman-of-joliet-township-republican-organization/

WGLT
— DD: The mainstream news media exists to drive Trump’s approval rating down.
https://www.wglt.org/2026-07-23/a-year-after-trump-funding-cuts-public-media-finds-support-from-audiences

NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Iran against America.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-07-23/for-a-2nd-time-house-approves-resolution-to-end-the-war-in-iran-in-a-rebuke-to-trump

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Here’s how Illinois election authorities guard against noncitizen voting. Officials say safeguards are in place prevent inadvertent registration.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/heres-how-illinois-election-authorities-guard-against-noncitizen-voting/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/23/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-562/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump administration falls short of ‘mass deportations.’ New data released by DHS is disappointing.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/23/trump-administration-falls-short-mass-deportations/
— The Smithsonian’s museum of woke. Federal funding should not support ideology masquerading as history.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/23/editorial-smithsonians-museum-woke/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Medical students are being trained in left-wing activism. That puts us all in danger.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4658905/medical-students-left-wing-activism-puts-us-in-danger/
— Wikipedia is training Google and AI to lie to you.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4659114/wikipedia-training-google-and-ai-lie-to-you/
— JD Vance handed Iran $6 billion — American soldiers paid the price.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4659856/jd-vance-iran-mou-us-military-casualties-strait-hormuz/

NEW YORK POST
— Democrats’ shameful refusal to fund the Pentagon is making AOC the heart of the party.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/23/opinion/democrats-shameful-refusal-to-fund-the-pentagon-is-making-aoc-the-heart-of-the-party/
— China’s schemes are poisoning every facet of American life — and could bend us to its will.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/23/opinion/chinas-schemes-are-poisoning-every-facet-of-american-life-and-could-bend-us-to-its-will/

DAILY CALLER
— Conservative Leaders Call GOP-Led Amnesty Bill ‘Betrayal’ To Voters.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/07/23/conservative-leaders-call-gop-led-amnesty-bill-betrayal-to-voters/

FOX NEWS
— Smithsonian pushed ‘revolting’ social action training after ‘whiteness’ chart apology.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/smithsonian-pushed-revolting-social-action-training-whiteness-chart-apology-expert

NEWSMAX
— House GOP Farm Bill Draws Conservative Amnesty Fury.
https://www.newsmax.com/us/house-gop-farming/2026/07/22/id/1263724/

TOWNHALL
— Mamdani Makes It Clear He Believes International Law Trumps US Sovereignty.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/07/23/mamdani-international-law-trumps-us-law-n2680000

FROM OTHER SOURCES

THIS OLD HOUSE
— Undergrounding Power Lines. DD: I have asked ComEd to put its line underground between my subdivision and its line along the Illinois Prairie Path, and failing that, to trim the trees that are pushing the line down and to the north.
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/this-old-house/season-47/walpole-ranch-with-adu/all-about-undergrounding-power-lines

July 21, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/21/chicago-aldermen-ice-out-pledge/
— DuPage board followed law when approving salary increases, state’s attorney says.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/21/dupage-attorney-clerk-board-salaries-violation-open/
— Stressed parents. 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. They used against me big time a) my wife and I giving up trying to have children without trying IVF, our not adopting, and our not becoming foster parents and b) my wife’s good job. According to them, were it not for the aforesaid, we would not have been able to buy two new cars and a home in Wheaton when we got married in 1978 and 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, or f) to have a home built in Wheaton in 1984. 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. Should write about my Democrat GAO superiors?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/21/naperville-zip-most-stressed-parents-illinois-mission/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/07/21/chicago-police-directives-ice-agents-law-violations-operation-midway-blitz
— Bipartisan housing bill is just one step toward expanding homeownership. DD: University Park was a federally-backed “new town” approved by HUD in 1968 under Title IV of the New Communities Act. It was designed as a racially integrated, planned suburb. Because of that backing, I was able to buy a new townhome in University Park when I was 24 in 1972. My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued that I knowingly, unfairly, and wrongly benefitted from that backing because the township I bought was earmarked for Blacks.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/07/20/bipartisan-housing-bill-affordable-rents-mortgage-congress-marc-morial
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Housing is more than shelter. Home ownership is the primary pathway many families use to build wealth, create financial security and pass opportunity from one generation to the next. When families cannot afford a home, cannot access fair financing or are displaced by rising costs, the consequences ripple through entire communities. The challenges are particularly acute in Black communities and other historically marginalized neighborhoods, where decades of redlining, appraisal bias, discriminatory lending practices and unequal access to credit have limited opportunities for home ownership and wealth creation. The home ownership gap did not emerge by accident, and it will not disappear on its own.)

WGEM
— Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial candidate makes campaign stop in Quincy.
https://www.wgem.com/2026/07/21/illinois-lieutenant-gubernatorial-candidate-makes-campaign-stop-quincy/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “There’s 102 counties in Illinois, 97 are ruby red Republican rural areas of Illinois. You need to go out there and govern for everyone and if you don’t actually put your boots on the ground, if you don’t go to these communities and talk to the people and see what the challenges are on that level, you can’t effectively govern,” Del Mar said.)

NPR ILLINOIS
— Bailey seeks to classify any organization receiving $10K in state grants as a ‘public body’
https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2026-07-21/bailey-seeks-to-classify-any-organization-receiving-10k-in-state-grants-as-a-public-body
— Smithsonian too focused on ‘oppressors and the oppressed,’ say House Republicans. DD: All my ancestors immigrated from what is now Germany during the 1840s and 1850s. They always lived in northeast Illinois. They never were in a position to oppress anyone and they never did oppress anyone.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-07-21/smithsonian-too-focused-on-oppressors-and-the-oppressed-say-house-republicans

ILLINOIS SENATE DEMOCRATS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.illinoissenatedemocrats.com/?view=article&id=7044:illinois-legislative-latino-caucus-responds-to-continued-escalation-of-ice-involvement

BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— The fight over the future of renters’ rights in Chicago is heating up, as supporters of a proposal put forth by Mayor Brandon Johnson are blasting a competing measure as the “Chicago landlord’s big, beautiful bill.” DD: I was a reluctant landlord 1976-1984. I rented out my University Park townhome because I would have had to suffer a big loss to sell it. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/07/21/big-beautiful-bill-for-landlords-tenant-groups-slam-counterproposal-to-mayors-housing-plan/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/21/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-560/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative. Republican candidates should show how their following conservative principles enabled their successes in life. The more conservative principles that you follow, the more successes that you will have in life. The more liberal principles that you follow, the fewer successes and the more problems that you will have in life. My following conservative principles enabled me to a) buy new cars when I was 17 in 1966, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc., b) earn a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU when I was 21, c) buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, etc. d) earn an MBA at Loyola when I was 27, e) get married when I was 29, f) pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, g) earn a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul when I was 31, h) pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32, i) become a licensed CPA when I was 32, j) earn four more professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48, and k) earn a master’s degree in finance when I was 48. To qualify myself for better paying jobs, I always made earning job-related college degrees, professional certifications, and a professional license a high priority. I drank very little booze and I never used pot. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What delayed/harmed/stopped your successes in life? Instead of studying, I spent far too many hours washing dishes in Chicago Heights while I was student at Crete-Monee High School 1964-1966 to buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint before I graduated to use to commute to/from my parents’ home in Crete and classes at UIC. Instead of studying, I spent far too many hours delivering mail for the Park Forest Post Office 1966-1968 while I was a student at UIC so that I could buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967 and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968. Consequently, my ACT score was only 24, I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class, and my UIC and NIU GPAs suffered. Further, I should have majored in accounting at UIC, NIU, and Loyola. I did not start taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul until I was 27. I did not take and pass the CPA examination on my first attempt until I was 30. I did not earn a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul until I was 31. I did not take and pass on my first attempt the Certified Internal Auditor examination and become a licensed CPA until I was 32. By then, it was too late. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What could you have done to get promoted, but you refused to do? I refused to become a Democrat while I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. Further, virtually all their employees who they assigned me to supervise were Democrats who were minority, female, younger, veteran, disabled, non-Protestant, non-German American, had ancestors who had not been in American for a long time, and/or had performance problems. While I carried out their orders to give them preference, they always wanted me to give them even more preference. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— New Jersey finds 6,600 noncitizens registered to vote and hundreds voting.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/21/new-jersey-finds-6600-noncitizens-registered-vote-hundreds-voting/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— At 250 years, postliberalism risks undoing America.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/4630841/250-years-postliberalism-risks-undoing-america/
— The unknown Darline Graham.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/4658078/the-unknown-darline-graham/

NEW YORK POST
— Mamdani and his DSA comrades have one goal — a communist revolution in America.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/19/opinion/mamdani-and-his-dsa-comrades-have-one-goal-a-us-communist-revolution/

AMERICAN SPECTATOR
— China’s Treacherous Assault on American Elections.
https://spectator.org/chinas-treacherous-assault-on-american-elections/

AMERICAN THINKER
— The Odyssey: Nolan’s Toxic Assault On Western Civilization.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/07/the-odyssey-nolan-s-toxic-assault-on-western-civilization/#google_vignette

GATEWAY PUNDIT
— United Airlines Offers Free Flight Changes to Avoid Landing at Newly Named ‘President Donald J. Trump International Airport’
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/07/united-airlines-offers-free-flight-changes-avoid-landing/

NEWSMAX
— Wealth-Bashing Dems Do Nothing for America.
https://www.newsmax.com/robtaub/affluence-sanders/2026/07/20/id/1263460/

TOWNHALL
— Islam and the Left Will Both Bring Tyranny.
https://townhall.com/columnists/marklewis/2026/07/21/islam-and-the-left-will-both-bring-tyranny-n2679820

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— DD: Trump fired a U.S. Attorney because the judges who picked him did not consult with Trump. Who did my Democrat GAO superiors consult with before they forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997? GAO works for Congress. My U.S. Congressman was Henry Hyde and my U.S. Senators were Carol Moseley-Braun and Dick Durbin.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/roger-rogoff-us-attorney-seattle-trump-firing-lawsuit/

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Liberalism promotes poverty and crime.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/opinion/liberalism-democratic-socialists-future.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Liberalism promotes poverty and crime.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/03/24/conservatism-progressivism-liberalism/

NEW YORK STATE UNIVERSITY
— DD: Liberalism promotes poverty and crime.
https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2020/november/conservatives-and-liberals-motivated-by-different-psychological-.html

AMERICAN PROSPECT
— How the Republican Party Forgot It Was Conservative.
https://prospect.org/2026/03/27/apr-2026-magazine-how-republican-party-forgot-it-was-conservative/

GALLUP
— DD: Liberalism promotes poverty and crime.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/609914/women-become-liberal-men-mostly-stable.aspx

July 16, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— GOP senator singles out former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot during Todd Blanche DOJ hearing.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/15/lori-lightfoot-todd-blanche/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/16/ice-chicago-traffic-stops/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/16/editorial-when-an-ice-tactic-keeps-ending-in-tragedy-it-must-be-rethought/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Ex-Mayor Lori Lightfoot bashed during Todd Blanche confirmation hearing that featured no Boutros questions.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/us-senate/2026/07/15/lori-lightfoot-todd-blanche-confirmation-hearing-us-attorney-general-us-attorney-andrew-boutros
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/07/15/brandon-johnson-city-council-ice-immigration-midway-blitz
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/07/15/ice-should-keep-making-traffic-stops-despite-recent-shootings-trump-says
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/07/15/chicago-immigrant-advocates-abolish-ice-fatal-shootings-houston-maine

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Congressional hearing on UIC med school veers from antisemitism to DEI, gender care
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/health-care/ccb-uic-medical-school-antisemitism-congress-20260715/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Dr. Enrico Benedetti, along with officials from the University of California Los Angeles and University of California San Francisco, was initially accused of being soft on antisemitism on campus since the Trump administration took office, but the debate about the state of medical education has shifted since the congressional probe began last year. The Committee on Education & the Workforce began investigating the colleges in light of “complaints of severe antisemitism” at the schools, which committee Chairman Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, said stemmed from an activist infrastructure the universities had constructed. Walberg accused the schools of teaching that incited antisemitism, including “labeling of Jews as white, and therefore privileged and oppressors.” In his opening comments, Walberg went on to say the schools have integrated DEI into their admissions decisions and curricula, promoting courses that have nothing to do with medical science, but seek to turn medical students into “far left activists.” In opening testimony, Benedetti addressed the questions over antisemitism at the medical school, which has campuses in Chicago, Peoria and Rockford, saying the school has taken steps to better deal with religious and other bigotry. Benedetti testified the medical school had discontinued an internal communication channel that had become a forum for inappropriate and offensive commentary; changed its leadership structure to ensure clear lines of accountability, in which a new vice dean of education will now have oversight over student complaints regarding misconduct; and is updating the curriculum to better ensure that all of its physicians are trained to effectively treat patients from all communities. Benedetti was joined by Dr. Sam Hawgood, chancellor at UCSF, and Dr. Steve Dubinett, dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr., president of the National Medical Association, the organization serving Black physicians, also testified. Benedetti and the other two school officials testified that their universities do not use race as a factor in determining acceptance into medical school. “The college’s primary goal is simple: to train excellent physicians who provide the best care to all patients, regardless of their own background or the background of those they serve,” Benedetti testified. “We provide a medical education that focuses on science, evidence-based medicine and the professional competencies required to care for patients.” The hearing moved away from antisemitism to diversity, with Walberg stating that medical education ought to be based on merit and “organic diversity” versus “merit flexibility with manufactured diversity.” He asked each dean whether students of different races were treated differently and whether students are chosen on the basis of race. Benedetti testified that race is not considered “when we choose the best student.” However, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said UI Medical College still states it is “committed to diversity and inclusion,” concluding that it was “clear that DEI is still the core mission” of the school. The ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Robert Scott of Virginia, said that while the committee had begun by investigating antisemitism, it became a discussion of DEI, as Republicans “abandoned good faith efforts to end discrimination,” turning a blind eye to other members of their party who actively promote bigotry. He defended the role of DEI in medical education, saying teaching about diversity is how to combat discrimination. Schools need to teach future doctors “to recognize and confront bias,” he said. “Inclusion isn’t just fair, it’s more effective medicine,” Scott said. Gender care at UI Health. Questioning turned to transgender care when Rep. Robert Onder, R-Mo., noted the Illinois university’s health system, UI Health, had suspended gender-affirming surgeries for minors in August 2025. Benedetti testified the system had “immediately” followed President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for a halt to all gender surgical procedures for minors. However, Benedetti could not answer whether minor patients could still receive puberty blockers or “cross-sex hormones” at UI Health, which Onder said should also be abolished for minors. “UI Health remains steadfast in its mission to provide compassionate, inclusive and patient-centered care,” the health system said in an emailed statement today. “The hospital suspended gender-affirming surgical procedures for patients under age 19, effective August 1, 2025.  We have made no additional changes to our services.”)

FOX32
— Start your business with Chicago’s free entrepreneur certificate program.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-cxnkhnca9f3rulcp

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Senate hearing spotlights Lightfoot
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/07/16/senate-hearing-spotlights-lightfoot-01000127

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/15/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-556/
— Giannoulias generates most excitement in early mayor’s race.
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/15/poll-giannoulias-generates-most-excitement-in-early-mayor%e2%80%99s-race/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Corbett Takes on Bailey
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/15/corbett-takes-on-bailey/

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Toll and sales tax hikes: What Pritzker said vs. what Pritzker did. The governor said Illinoisans wouldn’t be interested in a toll increase to keep the Bears. Then he signaled support for what would be the largest passenger toll hike in state history.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/toll-and-sales-tax-hikes-what-pritzker-said-vs-what-pritzker-did/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democratic Socialists of America’s new platform calls for abolishing ICE and the U.S. Senate.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/15/updated-dsa-platform-calls-abolishing-ice-scrapping-senate/
— Mike Lindell wins Trump’s endorsement for Minnesota governor.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/15/mike-lindell-wins-trumps-endorsement-minnesota-governor/
— Government just keeps spending. Low hopes for Vance’s attempt to rein in deficit.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/15/government-keeps-spending/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Democrats are as extreme as their most radical faction.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4649918/democrats-extreme-most-radical-faction/
— Socialist Democrats represent the rich, white voters in their party.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4649944/socialist-democrats-represent-the-rich-white-voters-in-their-party/
— Trump says ‘proud American veterans’ will replace illegal immigrant truck drivers. DD: I often drove postal trucks while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/4650629/trump-veterans-replace-illegal-immigrant-truck-drivers/
— Joy Behar calls Darline Graham Nordone a DEI hire for South Carolina. DD: According to Google AI, “Relevant work experience means any past professional or academic activity that equips you with the transferable skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to perform a specific target job.” GAO Audits IRS. To force me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut to transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors outrageously, disgustingly, and unethically ignored/dismissed/belittled/badmouthed a) what I had learned working for IRS’s Collection Division for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, b) my having passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, c) my earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, and d) the fact that much of what I did for IRS was similar to what I would do for GAO. They kept me off audits of IRS’s Collection Division for all of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO but did let me work on audits of IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division for 3 years. They would not have wasted my knowledge of IRS if I had been a Democrat, female, or veteran.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/4649663/joy-behar-graham-nordone-dei-hire-south-carolina-senate/
— Republicans whistle while Big Abortion seeks their defeat.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/community-family/4650113/republicans-whistle-planned-parenthood-seeks-their-defeat/

CHRONICLES MAGAZINE
— Blame Democrats, Not ICE, for Recent Deadly Shootings.
https://chroniclesmagazine.org/web/blame-democrats-not-ice-for-recent-deadly-shootings/

COLLEGE FIX
— A federal appeals court reinstated a medical professor’s defamation and civil rights retaliation case against the University of Pittsburgh last week over an article he wrote criticizing affirmative action. DD: When I was a 40-year-old GAO employee in 1988, I did much more than write an article. I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged my superiors with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. I represented all of GAO’s Chicago office employees who were White, male, more than 40 years old, and GS-14, currently $140,604-$182,790/year in today’s dollars, or below. To punish me, my Democrat GAO Chicago office superiors immediately threw me off audits of IRS for the rest of my GAO career, gave me a very bad job assignment, gave me very unfair performance expectations, gave me a very unfair performance appraisal, and ranked me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/court-sides-with-u-pittsburgh-professor-demoted-for-criticizing-affirmative-action/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Socialist War on Public Safety Coming to a Town Near You
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/15/socialist-war-on-public-safety-coming-to-a-town-near-you-socialist/
— Foreign-born truckers who illegally immigrated to the United States are receiving inadequate driving instruction, taking jobs away from American workers, and endangering the lives of fellow drivers. DD: I often drove postal trucks while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/15/illegal-alien-truckers-documentary/

FEDERALIST
— Democrat Senator Wants ICE Agents To Choose Between Getting Run Over And Going To Jail.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/15/democrat-senator-wants-ice-agents-to-choose-between-getting-run-over-and-going-to-jail/

FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— No English, No Problem — Until the Crash Happens. DD: I often drove postal trucks while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.fairus.org/opinion/no-english-no-problem-until-crash-happens

FOX NEWS
— How the ‘long march’ through the institutions led to socialist takeover of Dem Party.
https://www.aol.com/news/long-march-institutions-led-socialist-144158152.html
— Powerful LGBTQ+ group’s endorsements could tank vulnerable Dems over radical youth trans agenda. DD: How successful have Democrat leaders been in making everyone a LGBTQer in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/powerful-lgbtq-groups-endorsements-could-tank-vulnerable-dems-radical-youth-trans-agenda.amp
— Sunny Hostin calls Lindsey Graham’s sister a ‘DEI’ hire, questions her qualifications. DD: According to Google AI, “Relevant work experience means any past professional or academic activity that equips you with the transferable skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to perform a specific target job.” GAO Audits IRS. To force me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut to transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors outrageously, disgustingly, and unethically ignored/dismissed/belittled/badmouthed a) what I had learned working for IRS’s Collection Division for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, b) my having passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, c) my earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, and d) the fact that much of what I did for IRS was similar to what I would do for GAO. They kept me off audits of IRS’s Collection Division for all of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO but did let me work on audits of IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division for 3 years. They would not have wasted my knowledge of IRS if I had been a Democrat, female, or veteran.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/sunny-hostin-calls-lindsey-grahams-sister-dei-hire-questions-qualifications
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin criticized South Carolina on Wednesday over Republican Gov. Henry McMaster’s appointment of Darline Graham to replace her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, arguing the state’s first female senator lacked the political experience needed to represent its residents in Washington. Hostin branded the appointment an example of diversity-based hiring and nepotism after co-host Joy Behar called Graham’s selection “the very definition of DEI.” “Correct, correct. It’s everything that the Republican Party stands against. Everything!” Hostin said. “It’s DEI. Nepotism. All these things thrown in together.” Hostin also attacked South Carolina for reaching the milestone through an appointment rather than the election of a female candidate. “She’ll be the first woman to be a U.S. senator in South Carolina in the history of the state, and I think that that’s just — it’s just fundamentally wrong that South Carolina just couldn’t elect a woman and this is the only way that it was done,” Hostin said. The former federal prosecutor questioned Graham’s qualifications, referring to her as a certified optician and arguing that her professional background did not prepare her for the Senate. “I think the experience does matter,” Hostin said. “While she is a certified optician and while she has done great work in that field, I don’t think that she should be representing the people of South Carolina in the U.S. Senate. I just don’t.” Behar agreed and argued that public office required specialized knowledge. “It’s not like taking over your mother’s job at McDonald’s,” Behar said. “You’re in government. You have to know what you’re doing.” Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, who served as the White House Director of Strategic Communications in President Donald Trump’s first term, pushed back, noting that Graham would serve as a caretaker and comparing the appointment to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s selection of Laphonza Butler after the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein. “You guys are putting too much stock in who’s currently in Congress,” Griffin said. “Yeah, you got a point,” co-host Whoopi Goldberg said. Hostin tied the appointment to reports that War Secretary Pete Hegseth had blocked several proposed promotions of Navy officers, including women and people of color. “I feel like our government is fundamentally broken,” Hostin said. “I just — I disagree with this.” . . . Darline Graham, a native of Central, S.C., has dedicated her career to public service,” the spokesperson added. “She has served the people of South Carolina for nearly 30 years, and the governor believes she is the right person to finish her brother’s work.” Graham has served as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind since 2019, working to expand employment and independent-living opportunities for residents who are blind or have low vision, according to the governor’s office. She previously held roles with Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce and the South Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.)

HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— DEI Is a Threat to the Republic. DD: Affirmative Action (AA) and DEI are political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination. My critics/opponents promote AA and DEI a) because they personally benefit from AA and DEI and/or b) because they want to curry favor with those who benefit from AA and DEI.
https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/report/dei-threat-the-republic

MINDING THE CAMPUS
— The Fourth Year Is on Trial. If colleges can’t prove a fourth year is worth the cost, states should keep cutting. DD: Immediately after I completed 16 graduate evening business courses one course at a time 1972-1976 and earned an MBA from Loyola, Loyola cut its requirement for an MBA to 12 courses if you had a bachelor’s degree in business which I did. My not earning an MBA sooner than I did harmed my IRS career.
https://mindingthecampus.org/2026/07/15/the-fourth-year-is-on-trial/

POST MILLENNIAL
— Trump to replace illegal alien truckers with American veteran drivers. All veterans with experience driving US military trucks will automatically be eligible for a commercial driver’s license (CDL). DD: I often drove postal trucks while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://thepostmillennial.com/president-trump-to-replace-illegal-alien-truckers-with-american-veteran-drivers

TOWNHALL
— Democrats Want to Put DEI Before Your Health and Safety.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/07/15/dei-in-medical-schools-n2679470
— Leftist Podcasters Trash Christianity and Homeschooling: ‘It’s Child Abuse’
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/julia-cassidy/2026/07/15/leftist-podcasters-sound-off-on-christianity-and-homeschooling-its-child-abuse-n2679513

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

AOL
— O’Reilly pushes personal responsibility amid affordability crisis. What did you do to help you afford things? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970, job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and a job-related professional license in 1981. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.aol.com/articles/o-reilly-pushes-personal-responsibility-035055000.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/us/hegseth-blocks-navy-promotions.html

USA TODAY
— These 5 states (California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Washington, DC,) still penalize you if you don’t have health insurance. DD: The federal government paying 72% of my health insurance since 1966 and then also paying 72% of my wife’s health insurance since 1978 helped me endure tremendous efforts by my Democrat superiors in the federal government to waste my career and to get rid of me.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2026/03/18/states-penalty-no-health-insurance/89168539007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— India’s Affirmative-Action Lesson for America. Quotas hold the country back, even as China’s meritocracy fuels its economic advancement. DD: All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/indias-affirmative-action-lesson-for-america-26f2dbaf
— Democrats Fall for Socialism Again.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/democrats-fall-for-socialism-again-71155b18

POLITICO
— In seismic shift, more than 100 House Democrats vote to end Israel aid. The amendment to block military assistance failed, but partisan split cemented the increasingly polarized view of the U.S. ally. Rep. Lauren Underwood — a leader of House Democrats’ campaign arm who flipped her Illinois seat blue in 2018 — voted for the amendment as well.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/15/israel-aid-vote-house-democrats-00999917
— The military benefits bill that’s tearing the veterans community apart. The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act may not get a House vote this week because of ongoing controversy surrounding the measure.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/15/house-take-care-veterans-act-00999260
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), chair of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and sponsor of the measure, held a rally outside the capitol Tuesday to marshal support for the bill, featuring supportive remarks from the American Legion, Wounded Warrior Project, the Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors and Vietnam Veterans of America.)
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders blame Trump for affordability problems. What did you do to help you afford things? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970, job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and a job-related professional license in 1981. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/04/poll-americans-trump-voters-affordability-crisis-00674747

HR DRIVE
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers use Affirmative Action and DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.hrdive.com/news/eeoc-2026-agenda-enforcement/825281/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

SKY NEWS
— Trump to stop blue cities registering illegal aliens to vote as Mamdani continues to brag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdYQ20aNxc8

INDIAN EXPRESS
— What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/a-strong-woman-is-not-marriage-material-neena-gupta-reveals-that-95-of-men-want-women-who-are-helpless-10462475/

FROM OTHER SOURCES

HAGERTY
— Your definitive 1968–70 Dodge Charger buyer’s guide. DD: My dream car is a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T, As it came from the factory, Numbers matching/correct, Like new, 440 or 426, Automatic, Blue exterior, Black vinyl roof, Black leather interior, and Air conditioning. I owned a 1968 R/T 1994-2005 and a 1969 SE 1968-1971.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/definitive-1968-70-dodge-charger-buyers-guide/

July 15, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Graham Platner’s implosion should be a dire warning to Democrats. Is the party listening?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/15/editorial-graham-platners-implosion-should-be-a-dire-warning-to-democrats-is-the-party-listening/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism. How soon will the Democrat Party officially change its name to the Socialist Party? For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/15/column-socialist-democrats-center-majority-washington/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2026/07/14/maine-ice-shooting-man-killed/4e1a0ba8-7f8f-11f1-8a16-393bd03340b0_story.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/14/ice-suspends-most-vehicle-stops/

ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
— DOJ threatens to prosecute election officials over noncitizen voting
https://www.rrstar.com/story/news/state/2026/07/15/doj-threatens-state-officials-with-prosecution-over-noncitizen-votes/90701312007/

EVANSTON NOW
— Mayor Daniel Biss Monday night defended an Evanston pro-Palestine group’s participation in the 4th of July parade against claims by members of a Jewish group that it should have been banned. DD: I should write about my critics/opponents who have done the most since 1978 to diminish/stop Republican participation in Wheaton Independence Day parades.
https://evanstonnow.com/biss-defends-parade-free-speech/

STATE LINE
— Pritzker signs Certificate of Innocence Act to expand Illinois restitution laws. DD: My critics/opponents have taken many big adverse actions against me. Should I try to get exonerated?
https://www.mystateline.com/news/gov-pritzker-signs-certificate-of-innocence-act-to-expand-illinois-restitution-laws/

WBEZ
— Mayor Johnson’s controversial plan to crack down on ICE agents now faces City Council scrutiny
https://www.wbez.org/politics/2026/07/15/brandon-johnson-city-council-ice-immigration-midway-blitz

POLITICO ILLINOIS
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/07/15/pritzker-hochul-diverge-on-data-centers-00997971

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Illinois Second in Loss of Millionaires from 2010 thru 2022
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/14/illinois-second-in-loss-of-millionaires-from-2010-thru-2022/

BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— Ammons Indictment Exposes the Useless NGO Spending in the IL Budget
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/07/13/ammons-indictment-exposes-the-useless-ngo-spending-in-the-il-budget

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— The New York Times stumped for Stalin. Now it’s mooning over Mamdani.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4645547/new-york-times-mooning-over-mamdani-socialism/

NEW YORK POST
— Maine socialists try again — with another he-man fake to sub for Graham Platner.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/14/opinion/maine-socialists-boost-another-he-man-fake-after-graham-platner/
— DD: LGBTQ advocates destroy those who do not advocate LGBTQ.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/14/us-news/west-hollywoods-lindsey-graham-tribute-sparks-debate-over-his-lgbtq-record/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— The birthright citizenship battle is back.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/07/14/the-birthright-citizenship-battle-is-back-and-the-left-is-nervous-1650502/
— CNBC mocked for list of top 10 worst states to live – they are ALL red.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/07/14/cnbc-mocked-for-list-of-top-10-worst-states-to-live-they-are-all-red-1650489/

BLAZE
— CNBC’s ‘worst states’ ranking under fire for scoring conservative policies as negatives.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/cnbcs-worst-states-ranking-under-fire-for-scoring-conservative-policies-as-negatives

BRITBART
— Socialists Will ‘Absolutely Rip Apart’ the Democrat Party.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/07/14/gop-rep-gill-socialists-will-absolutely-rip-apart-the-democrat-party/

DAILY CALLER
— Deranged American Rich Kids Are America’s Greatest Threat.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/07/14/ingersoll-deranged-american-rich-kids-leftists-marxism-education/

DAILY SIGNAL
— New York Times Countersues Trump Admin in DEI Hiring Case. DD: The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/14/new-york-times-countersues-dei/

FOX BUSINESS
— Democratic socialists erupt over 2028 endorsement.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6401119900112

FOX NEWS
— College students reveal political ignorance on Trump, Iran and socialism.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401116345112

NEW AMERICAN
— DSA’s New Plan: Abolish Senate, Amnesty for Illegals — Deliver Madison’s “Tyranny”
https://thenewamerican.com/uncategorised/dsas-new-plan-abolish-senate-amnesty-for-illegals-deliver-madisons-tyranny/

U.S. HOUSE
— DEI is Discriminatory and Illegal. DD: Since the 1960s, my critics/opponents have used Affirmative Action and DEI against me.
https://oversight.house.gov/release/hearing-wrap-up-dei-is-discriminatory-and-illegal/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

YAHOO
— Johnson warns of socialist, communist, ‘barbarians in the gate,’ during GOP briefing.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/johnson-warns-socialist-communist-barbarians-210303192.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/us/hegseth-blocks-navy-promotions.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Federal Hiring. If I had not earned a high school diploma and passed the employment test, the Democrats who ran the Post Office would not have hired me in 1966. If I had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business, Firestone Stores would not have hired me in 1970. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination, the Democrats who ran IRS would not have hired me in 1971. If I have not been taking graduate evening business courses at Loyola, my Democrat IRS superiors would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had not earned an MBA from Loyola and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, the Democrats who ran GAO would not have hired me in 1980.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/federal-hiring-isnt-a-one-test-fits-all-box-350cc742

DESERET NEWS
— The socialists trying to reshape the Democratic Party. Is communism making a comeback?
https://www.deseret.com/politics/2026/07/14/are-democratic-socialists-of-america-communists-like-president-trump-says/

DALLAS EXPRESS
— What The Democratic Socialists Of America Want.
https://dallasexpress.com/national/democratic-socialists-of-americas-plan-to-remake-america/

INTER NEWS GROUP
— JD Vance’s New Neighbors Are Furious About His Arrival. DD: Those who have demographics that vote for Democrats do not want those who have demographics that vote for Republicans to be their neighbors. I base that on my having been the Republican Committeeman for my precinct since 1999. Since then, about 4 out of every 5 times when a Republican home is sold in my precinct, Democrats buy it. Since Trump got elected in 2016, things have gotten ever-increasingly worse. Democrat homebuyers especially do not want Republican neighbors who share Trump’s demographics: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, draft avoider, Protestant, German American, and have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Because I share all of the aforesaid demographics with Trump and because I am their Republican Precinct Committeeman, I am ever-increasingly unpopular in my precinct, if not persona non grata, if not despised/hated. The hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters in my precinct ever-increasingly take their hatred against Trump out on me. It is caller displaced aggression. Should I write about that? Should I wear a body camera when I go door-to-door delivering Republican campaign literature for my self-defense?
https://internewsgroup.com/2026/07/jd-vances-new-neighbors-are-furious-about-his-arrival/

FORBES
— Meritocracy. DD: All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2026/05/19/the-myth-of-meritocracy-and-other-outdated-beliefs-women-are-told-at-work/

CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS
— Lessons In Vetting: Don’t Just Google Your Candidate. Before you agree to work for a political candidate make sure you do more than a Google search. This article lays out the key rules for vetting candidates. DD: Far too many run for offices as Republicans and get elected as Republicans who have far too much baggage, that is, far too many skeletons in their closets. I should write about candidates on ballots in my precinct since 2000 who ran as Republicans, but had far too much baggage, that is, far too many skeletons in their closets. I would focus on those who had their political consultants, major donors, pollsters, campaign managers, campaign staff members, and campaign volunteers destroy me because I refused to cover up their wrongdoing.
https://campaignsandelections.com/industry-news/lessons-in-vetting-don-t-just-google-your-candidate/

NEW REPUBLIC
— The ICE agent who shot and killed a 26-year-old Colombian immigrant in Biddeford, Maine, Monday morning had been with the agency for just a few short months. DD: The first 6 months that I worked for IRS in 1971 was in classroom training.
https://newrepublic.com/post/213081/new-details-ice-agent-fatal-maine-shooting

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

STANDARD
— Meritocracy: The foundation of strong institutions and national prosperity. DD: All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/health/amp/opinion/article/2001552327/meritocracy-the-foundation-of-strong-institutions-and-national-prosperity

July 12, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Sen. Lindsey Graham dies at 71 after a ‘brief and sudden illness. DD: I remember speaking with Graham at a fundraiser for Henry Hyde.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/us-sen-lindsey-graham-dies-71-brief-sudden-illness-office-says/19490033/
(FROM GOOGLE AI: Senator Lindsey Graham and former Congressman Henry Hyde were key Republican figures who worked together most notably as House managers during the 1998–1999 impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton. The two maintained a close political and personal bond, frequently aligning on conservative constitutional principles and the pro-life movement.)
— Bridgeview delays ‘Little Palestine Way’ sign unveiling amid claims of political interference. DD: Ever-increasingly, immigrants talk and/or act like they remain loyal to their motherland if not like they came to America to turn America into their motherland.
https://www.aol.com/articles/bridgeview-delays-little-palestine-way-222250000.html

NBC5
— DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? What did you do when you were at teen? 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.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/hundreds-of-youth-explore-chicago-as-part-of-my-block-my-hood-my-citys-downtown-day/3960320/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly diminish Second Amendment rights.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/12/editorial-the-7th-circuit-made-the-right-decision-on-illinois-assault-weapons-ban/
— Trump suggests a standing order to attack Iran if it assassinates him. But JD Vance would make the call.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/11/trump-vance-iran/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly punish America to punish Trump.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/12/state-funded-america-250-commemorations-kept-mellow-as-federal-funding-cuts-still-sting-in-illinois/
—  Illinois Republicans aren’t just losing. They’re disappearing. DD: Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative. According to political consultants in Illinois who want Republican candidates to continue to lose in Illinois, Republican candidates in Illinois should continue to become ever-increasingly more Democrat Lite if not anti-conservative if not RINO. But Republican candidates in Illinois should advocate conservative principles and planks in the Republican Party platform including 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. They should cite how their following conservative principles and the aforesaid planks helped them succeed. I attribute my successes in life to my following conservative principles and planks in the Republican Party platform.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/19/bailey-dabrowski-proft-republican-politics-illinois-gop-ilgop-elections/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/08/charles-selle-column-gop-voters/
— 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/2026/07/12/courthouse-immigration-arrests/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? What did you do when you were at teen? 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.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/07/11/my-block-my-hood-my-city-downtown-day-teen-takeovers

BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT
— Illinois state government hiring for 38 metro-east jobs, including one that pays up to $139,764 per year. DD: In today’s dollars, when I was 22 in 1971, after I had earned a bachelor’s degree in business from NIU when I was 21, my IRS starting salary was $56,409/year. In today’s dollars, when I was 31, after I had earned an MBA from Loyola when I was 27, passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul, and had worked for IRS 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, my starting GAO salary was only $89,703/year. It would have been $113,402, if not $118,984/year (GS-13 Step1), if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran.
https://www.aol.com/news/illinois-state-government-hiring-38-134933231.html

CHICAGO MAGAZINE
— How Illinois Became a One-Party State. DD: Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative. According to political consultants in Illinois who want Republican candidates to continue to lose in Illinois, Republican candidates in Illinois should continue to become ever-increasingly more Democrat Lite if not anti-conservative if not RINO. But Republican candidates in Illinois should advocate conservative principles and planks in the Republican Party platform including 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. They should cite how their following conservative principles and the aforesaid planks helped them succeed. I attribute my successes in life to my following conservative principles and planks in the Republican Party platform.
https://www.chicagomag.com/news/opinion-how-illinois-became-a-one-party-state/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: On Aug. 8, 2001, George Ryan stood on the steps of the Kankakee County Courthouse and announced he would not seek a second term as governor of Illinois. Ryan’s governorship had been tainted by the licenses-for-bribes scandal, for which he would eventually spend five years in federal prison. Ryan knew he was un-reelectable, but he used the occasion to take a parting shot at the right wing of his party. “I worry for the Republican Party — the party of Lincoln under whose banner I have proudly served all of my life,” he said. “If we’re to be successful, we need to listen more and shout less. We need to moderate our positions. I learned a long time ago that winning public office is about addition and not subtraction, and I would hope that the party folks are listening.” Ryan had once been an archconservative. As speaker of the state House in the early 1980s, he worked with Phyllis Schlafly to stamp out the Equal Rights Amendment. But he won the governorship by running to the left of his Democratic opponent — Southern Illinois congressman Glenn Poshard — on gay rights and abortion. As governor, he instituted a moratorium on the death penalty and, just before leaving office, commuted all death sentences to life in prison. Like any successful politician, Ryan could tell which way the wind was blowing. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, as America’s Red vs. Blue divide developed, Illinois was turning Blue. In 2002, the Democrats took complete control of the state, winning the governorship for the first time in 30 years and the state senate for the first time in more than a decade. Part of their success was due to the national political trends Ryan had observed; part was due to Ryan himself. As the third and last in a 26-year run of Republican governors, his corruption had damaged the brand of a party that had overstayed its welcome.)

MAYOR BROWN
— What Employers Need to Know About “Anti-American” Bias in the Workplace. DD: I am 100% German American. German is one of the worst national origins to have because of WWI, WWII, and the Holocaust. In my defense, I have always stressed that all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s, that my grandfather on my father’s side fought the Germans in WWI, that my uncles on my mother’s side fought the Germans in WWII, and that my father would have fought the Germans in WWII if he had not been 4-F.
https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/insights/publications/2026/03/what-employers-need-to-know-about-anti-american-bias-in-the-workplace

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Political Friends
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/06/27/political-friends/
— Health Care at Illinois Prisons and ICE Detention Centers, Underwood v. Mullin
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/06/27/health-care-at-illinois-prisons-and-ice-detention-centers-underwood-v-mullin/
— Unemployment Rises 19% in McHenry County Over Last Year
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/06/29/unemployment-rises-19-in-mchenry-county/
— State To Gather Height of Water Needed to Flood Structures Along Fox River & Chain of Lakes
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/06/29/state-to-gather-height-of-water-needed-to-flood-structures-along-fox-river-chain-of-lakes/
–Democrats Assumed $500 Million Too Much To Spend
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/06/30/democrats-assumed-500-million-too-much-to-spend/
— An Astounding Reason the CTA “Needs a Bailout”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/06/30/an-astounding-reason-the-cta-needs-a-bailout/
— Early Voter Says She Was “Testing the System” When She Also Voted on Election Day
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/06/30/early-voter-says-she-was-testing-the-system-when-she-also-voted-on-election-day/
— Block Club Chicago Analyzes Uses of Force by Immigration Officers in Operation Midway
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/06/30/block-club-chicago-analyzes-uses-of-force-by-immigration-officers-in-operation-midway/
— Wilcox Holding Bull Valley Golf Club Outing July 13th
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/01/wilcox-holding-bull-valley-golf-club-outing-july-13th/
— But Not in Illinois
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/01/but-not-in-illinois/
— Brian Sager To Continue Representing McHenry County on Commuter Rail Agency
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/01/brian-sager-to-continue-representing-mchenry-county-on-commuter-rail-agency/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— U.S. extends work permits for immigrants with temporary protected status. 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.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/11/us-extends-work-permits-immigrants-temporary-protected-status/
— The vile evil attacking Erika Kirk must be condemned.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/10/vile-evil-attacking-erika-kirk-must-condemned/
— Could birthright citizenship be the next Roe v. Wade? It took nearly 50 years for conservatives to see Roe v. Wade overturned. They’re hoping it won’t take that long to nix Trump v. Barbara, last month’s decision on birthright citizenship.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/11/could-birthright-citizenship-next-roe-v-wade/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Trump’s welcome crackdown on illegal immigrant truckers
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4642674/trump-welcome-crackdown-illegal-immigrant-truckers/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Selling Our Birthright. The Myth of Birthright Citizenship: What the Fourteenth Amendment Really Says.
https://freebeacon.com/politics/selling-our-birthright/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Naturalization Acts of 1790 and 1795, which offered citizenship to “any alien, being a free white person, who shall have resided within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States for the term of two years.” . . . 14th Amendment: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State where in they reside.”)

NEW YORK POST
— Capitalists fight back: NY Dem launches campaign to counter socialist wave sweeping party.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/11/us-news/ny-democrat-launches-campaign-to-counter-socialist-wave-sweeping-party/

1819
— Combatting the rise of socialism in America
https://1819news.com/news/item/kristin-landers-combatting-the-rise-of-socialism-in-america

AMERICAN THINKER
— Platner may be gone, but the new leftist Democrat party remains. Graham Platner was not an anomaly: The spoiled scion of an affluent family perfectly represents the Jacobin takeover of the Democrat party.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/platner-may-be-gone-but-the-new-leftist-democrat-party-remains/
— Did JD Vance just attack meritocracy and Milton Friedman? Why yes, he did, and that, along with his continued failure to make a clean break from the increasingly lunatic Tucker Carlson, worries me.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/did-jd-vance-just-attack-meritocracy-and-milton-friedman/

BLAZE
— Democratic Socialists of America will seek to RADICALLY upend the federal government in platform update.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/democratic-socialists-new-platform-govt

BREITBART
— Trump Delays Shutdown of Haitians’ Temporary Protected Status. 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.breitbart.com/economy/2026/07/11/trump-delays-shutdown-of-haitians-temporary-protected-status/amp/
— Los Angeles Gives Free Pass to Illegal Alien Food Vendors While Restaurants Must Comply Or Get Fined and Even Shut Down.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/07/11/exclusive-los-angeles-gives-free-pass-to-illegal-alien-food-vendors-while-restaurants-must-comply-or-get-fined-and-even-shut-down/amp/

CITIZEN FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES
— Immigration Enforcement Has Benefitted American Workers. 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/Camarota/Has-Immigration-Enforcement-Benefitted-American-Workers

DAILY SIGNAL
— Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died of a “brief and sudden illness” on Saturday, his Senate office announced early Sunday morning. DD: I remember speaking with Graham at a fundraiser for Henry Hyde.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/12/republican-senator-lindsey-graham-dead-71/
(FROM GOOGLE AI: Senator Lindsey Graham and former Congressman Henry Hyde were key Republican figures who worked together most notably as House managers during the 1998–1999 impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton. The two maintained a close political and personal bond, frequently aligning on conservative constitutional principles and the pro-life movement.)

FOX NEWS
— NYC map omits Little Italy. DD: My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that Crete was “little Germany” when I lived their 1948-1972.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/die-hard-actor-robert-davi-blasts-mamdani-nyc-map-omits-little-italy

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— White House Report Details the Wokeification of the Smithsonian American History Museum.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/07/white-house-report-details-the-wokeification-of-the-smithsonian-american-history-museum/

PJ MEDIA
— American Houses Are for American People.
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/07/12/secretary-turner-american-houses-are-for-american-people-n4954931
— Michigan State University Spends Almost $900,000 on Five DEI Staffers.
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/07/11/michigan-state-university-spends-almost-900000-on-five-dei-staffers-n4954930

TOWNHALL
— The ghost of communism is indeed haunting America. How could that be? Didn’t we win the Cold War? In the late 1980s, the Berlin Wall came down, and the Eastern European nations threw off the yoke of Marxist bondage. Then in the early 1990s, the Soviet Union — the “evil empire” as Ronald Reagan called it— imploded.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jerrynewcombe/2026/07/12/is-there-a-spectre-haunting-america-n2679079
— Equal Protection Wasn’t Supposed to Be Negotiable. 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 would not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did. My Democrat GAO superiors a) forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, b) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, c) delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13, and d) forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980. But even though I was a union member at the time, a) my Democrat IRS superiors never promoted me beyond GS-12, disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974 and b) my Democrat Post Office superiors forced me to resign in 1969 and disallowed my sick leave requests in 1969 and 1968. That was because I was not a Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran. 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. Virtually all federal employees are Democrats who are one or more of the aforesaid. All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jay-rogers/2026/07/12/equal-protection-wasnt-supposed-to-be-negotiable-n2679251

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— DD: The Democrat Party is ever-increasingly becoming the Socialist Party. DD: To work for a socialist employer is like working for a Democrat employer. The federal government is a Democrat employer. To advance working for a socialist employer you have to be a socialist. To advance working for a Democrat employer you have to be a Democrat. I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. If I had been a Democrat, they would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service, currently $197,200/year, long before I was 40. I had earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. But my Democrat superiors flushed all that down their toilets because I was not a Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5962999-democrats-defeat-trump-policies/

CBS NEWS
— DOJ threatens criminal action against states that allow noncitizens to vote.
https://www.aol.com/articles/doj-threatens-criminal-action-against-013522000.html

ASSOCIATE PRESS
— Federal appeals court upholds Illinois ban on semiautomatic weapons. DD: According to Google AI, “A semiautomatic firearm automatically performs the reloading steps but requires a separate trigger pull for every individual shot. One Pull, One Round: Pulling and holding the trigger fires only one single bullet. Self-Loading Action: The firearm uses the internal energy of the fired cartridge (gas, recoil, or blowback) to automatically eject the empty casing and chamber a fresh round. Manual Reset: The shooter must completely release (reset) the trigger and pull it again to fire the next shot.”
https://www.aol.com/articles/federal-appeals-court-upholds-illinois-005044000.html

AOL
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.aol.com/news/self-deported-mps-teachers-aide-022654449.html
— For Texans making the state’s median household income of $84,084 in 2026, it would take 7.2 years to save enough money for a down payment on a house with the state’s typical home value of $302,187. DD: For you, how many months did it take to save enough money for your first down payment? For me, back in the good old days, it took only 25 months. Where did the money come from for your first down payment? When I was 24 in 1972, HUD made the new townhome that I bought in University Park ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ) affordable. I could not have afforded to buy that townhome if it had cost more. In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and my 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.aol.com/news/much-longer-texans-must-save-210001679.html

CNBC
— DD: Democrats exist to promote more hatred against Republicans.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/11/worst-states-to-live-in-america-2026.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and Staunch Trump Ally, Dies at 71. Mr. Graham died of a “brief and sudden” illness on Saturday evening, his office said. Over more than two decades in the Senate, he consistently pushed for the use of U.S. military power overseas. DD: I remember speaking with Graham at a fundraiser for Henry Hyde.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/us/politics/lindsey-graham-dead.html
(FROM GOOGLE AI: Senator Lindsey Graham and former Congressman Henry Hyde were key Republican figures who worked together most notably as House managers during the 1998–1999 impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton. The two maintained a close political and personal bond, frequently aligning on conservative constitutional principles and the pro-life movement.)
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly crow about their success in promoting socialism.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/nyregion/dsa-upstate-new-york.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/nyregion/dsa-young-voters-primary-ny.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Teen takeovers confound cities struggling to define the problem — and find solutions. A spate of sometimes violent gatherings has stoked demands for action. But officials know they need to provide outlets for the many teens who are not breaking laws. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? I did not need an outlet when I was a teen because 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.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/07/11/teen-takeovers-confound-cities-struggling-define-problem-find-solutions/
— Trump attacks ‘communists.’ Both want a bigger government role in the economy. The president has had the federal government take partial ownership of nearly two dozen companies since returning to the White House.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/07/12/trump-attacks-communists-pushes-bigger-government-role-economy/

NEW YORK SUN
— Democrats’ Turn to Socialism Offers GOP a Golden Opportunity. The best path Republicans have to defy historical trends and retain both houses of Congress comes in the form of a concerted campaign against far-left policies.
https://www.nysun.com/article/democrats-turn-to-socialism-offers-gop-a-golden-opportunity

USA TODAY
— Lower-income wages catching up with fastest growth in 3 years. DD: What did you do to increase you earning power? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when in 1970 when I was 21. I earned job-related master’s degrees when I was 27, 31, and 48. I earned job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 46, and 47. I earned a job-related professional license when I was 32.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2026/07/09/lower-income-wages-fastest-growth-june/90859814007/

FOX BALTIMORE
— Rural Illinois wants to split from Chicago and form a new state, it’s not alone. DD: Democrats despise/hate farms, farming, and farmers. My great grandparents on my father’s side were farmers. My grandparents on my mother’s side were farmers. During the 1950s, I spent lots of time at their farm in Grant Park along the Indiana border.
https://foxbaltimore.com/news/nation-world/rural-illinois-wants-to-split-from-chicago-and-form-a-new-state-its-not-alone-cook-county-idaho-oregon-portland-indiana

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— In New York and Britain, Socialism Is on the March. It’s no longer just vibes; socialists in Britain and elsewhere want to nationalize the means of production. DD: To work for a socialist employer is like working for a Democrat employer. The federal government is a Democrat employer. To advance working for a socialist employer you have to be a socialist. To advance working for a Democrat employer you have to be a Democrat. I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. If I had been a Democrat, they would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service, currently $197,200/year, long before I was 40. I had earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. But my Democrat superiors flushed all that down their toilets because I was not a Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran.
https://www.wsj.com/economy/in-new-york-and-britain-socialism-is-on-the-march-1448f618

FORTUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly crow about their success in promoting socialism.
https://fortune.com/2026/07/11/white-collar-socialists-tech-workers-working-class-dsa-members-blue-collar-economic-anxiety/

24/7 WALL STREET
— Musk qualifies for a maximum Social Security benefit of just $5,181 per month ($62,172/year) if he waits until age 70 to claim. DD: My critics/opponents are furious that my Social Security is now $18,712/year and that my Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension is $68,640/year. In my defense, I paid into Social Security for 10 years and I paid into CSRS for almost 30 years.
https://www.aol.com/articles/elon-musk-world-first-trillionaire-143410000.html
— The 2027 COLA Is Coming. Medicare’s Premium Hike Could Swallow Most of the Raise Before It Hits the Bank. DD: My critics/opponents were, are, and will always be furious a) that I got COLAs when I was a federal employee 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and b) that I have gotten COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/2026/07/11/the-2027-cola-is-coming-for-this-retiree-medicares-premium-hike-could-swallow-most-of-the-raise-before-it-hits-the-bank/

MARKETS TODAY
— How the Social Security special minimum benefit works. DD: DD: My critics/opponents were, are, and will always be furious that I benefit from the special minimum benefit. My salary was low when I washed dishes, cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, pumped gasoline, delivering mail, and pumped more gasoline.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/how-the-social-security-special-minimum-benefit-works/ss-AA25QHUd
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Social Security Special Minimum Benefit was introduced in 1972 to ensure a baseline income for retirees with long histories of low earnings. It is based on years of coverage rather than lifetime average wages, with payments ranging from $53.50 to over $1,100 per month in 2026. Fewer people now qualify due to slower price-indexed growth, but it remains an important safety net, particularly for women and long-term low-wage earners.)

CAPITOL SKYLINE & MOTLEY FOOL
— While higher inflation often creates financial pressure, current projections suggest that the 2027 Social Security COLA could provide an unusual advantage for some retirees. If forecasts hold, next year’s increase may outpace the growth in Medicare Part B premiums for the first time since 2023, allowing many beneficiaries to keep more of their annual raise. DD: My critics/opponents were, are, and will always be furious a) that I got COLAs when I was a federal employee 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and b) that I have gotten COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://capitolskyline.com/social-securitys-2027-cola-could-bring-an-unexpected/
https://www.fool.com/retirement/2026/07/11/social-security-2027-cola-silver-lining-first-2023/

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://nul.org/news/ice-has-run-rogue-these-governors-and-mayors-are-last-line-defense-american-democracy

REASON
— Public employees are not underpaid. DD: In today’s dollars, when I was 49 in 1997, my salary was only $154,682/year working in the Democrat public sector. My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if I had worked in the private sector, I never would have earned that much. In my defense, I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. If I had been a Democrat, my GAO salary would have been $197,200/year in today’s dollars.
https://reason.org/commentary/public-employees-are-not-underpaid/

RECORD
— Your Data Will Be Used Against You. DD: What do your critics/opponents use against you?  My critics/opponents use the following against me: a) my demographics, b) my being conservative, c) my being Republican, d) my promoting conservative principles and planks in the Republican Party platform that they reject, e) my having avoided the Vietnam War draft, f) my having been a federal employee for almost 30 years, g) my having been a federal retiree for almost 29 years, h) the lawsuits that I have filed, i) their not being able to manipulate/dominate me, j) my refusing to glorify and praise them, k) my refusing to pander to them, l) my refusing to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, m) my refusing to cover up their wrong doing, and/or n) my refusing to give them money. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://therecord.media/your-data-will-be-used-against-you-author-surveillance-technology

PEW RESEARCH
— Dual income, no kids: What we know about ‘DINKs’ in the U.S. 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. They used against me big time a) my wife and I giving up trying to have children without trying IVF, our not adopting, and our not becoming foster parents and b) my wife’s good job. According to them, were it not for the aforesaid, we would not have been able to buy two new cars and a home in Wheaton in when we got married in 1978 and 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, or f) to have a home built in Wheaton in 1984. My Democrat GAO superiors ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being disgusting selfish rich DINKs. I should write about my Democrat GAO superiors.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/11/03/dual-income-no-kids-what-we-know-about-dinks-in-the-us/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

ECONOMIST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/07/11/checks-and-balance-newsletter-the-weirdness-of-american-socialism

NATURE
— Entrepreneurs v. wage earners. DD: My critics/opponents look down if not despise wage earners. I was a wage earner 1964-1997. Few political candidates, elected officials, and party leaders were wage earners for very long if at all.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-024-04338-x