FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Naperville’s Last Fling featuring a little of everything — including breakdancing. DD: Democrats and RINOs banished bagpipers from Wheaton’s Independence Day parades because they walk too slow and because they were sponsored by DuPage Republicans.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/30/last-fling-naperville-labor-day/
— Bovino was under internal investigation by Border Patrol when he retired. DD: My critics/opponents hint/imply/argue/shout that my Democrat GAO superiors did not force me to retire because I was an active member in a class action federal lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, but because I discriminated against my Democrat subordinates who were minority, female, younger, veteran, disabled, and/or had performance problems. All my subordinates who my Democrat superiors assigned me to supervise were some, many, most, or virtually all of the aforesaid. They could not get any of them to testify against me because I gave them lots of preference.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/31/bovino-retired-internal-investigation-border-patrol/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Trump administration announces trucking school crackdown. A new federal task force includes two downstate Illinois federal prosecutors.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2026/08/31/trump-administration-illinois-trucking-school-crackdown
— Chicago offering $10,000 grants to help support food access on South and West sides.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/money/2026/08/31/chicago-neighborhood-market-10-000-grants-food-access-south-west-sides
DAILY HERALD
— DD: Democrat leaders promote Pritzker’s bus tour.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260831/illinois-state-politics/on-statewide-bus-tour-pritzker-pledges-to-stay-on-team-fight/
ABC7
— Trump asks Supreme Court to allow immediate firing of 29 transgender military service members. DD: Federal courts allowed my Democrat GAO superiors to fire me, that is, to force me to retire, because I was an active member in a class action federal lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/trump-asks-supreme-court-allow-immediate-firing-29-transgender-military-service-members/19770854/
NBC5
— Pritzker says Trump is ‘neither wanted here nor needed here’ ahead of Chicago-area visit. The governor has frequently criticized the president, with the two often exchanging barbs in recent years, particularly over crime in Chicago and immigration policy.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/pritzker-says-trump-is-neither-wanted-here-nor-needed-here-ahead-of-chicago-area-visit/3983112/
WBEZ
— Chicago offering $10,000 grants to help support food access on South and West sides.
https://www.wbez.org/money/2026/08/31/chicago-neighborhood-market-10-000-grants-food-access-south-west-sides
WQRF
— Illinois food stamp enrollment hits 13-year low following new work requirements.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/illinois-food-stamp-enrollment-hits-133429182.html
ABC4
— Washington Park: Pack of dogs attacks worker on smoke break, mauls him to death in ditch.
https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/washington-park-illinois-pack-stray-dogs-attacks-two-people-kills-james-l-gibson-rental-property-smoke-break-residents-report-frequent-escapes-cincinnati-fatal-attacks-mauled-animal-control-says-no-complaints-about-dogs-in-area
ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat employers use Workforce Demographic Reporting a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://dhr.illinois.gov/about-us/news-and-media/all-news/illinois-joins-states-to-urge-eeoc-to-preserve-workforce-demogra.html
DARIEN PATCH
— DD: SPLC manufactures racism to justify its existence.
https://patch.com/illinois/darien-il/group-accused-darien-man-racist-posts-trouble-feds
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/31/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-585/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— The Ridiculous “Best of CPS High School List”
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/08/30/the-ridiculous-best-of-cps-high-school-list
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump plans federal pay freeze in 2027, raising hackles among Democrats and unions.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/31/trump-plans-federal-pay-freeze-2027-raising-hackles-among-democrats/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Young Americans need to learn communism’s true history.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/4704571/young-americans-need-to-learn-communisms-true-history/
— Octogenarian Ed Markey’s progressive credentials outweigh age concerns in Massachusetts. DD: I remember attending a meeting with Markey when I worked for GAO in the early 1980s.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4704764/seth-moulton-age-ed-markey-massachusetts-senate/
BREITBART
— Pritzker Apologizes for Saying Trump’s Name in Church: ‘I Should Probably Use Code’
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/31/democrat-gov-jb-pritzker-apologizes-for-saying-trumps-name-in-church-i-should-probably-use-code/
— Biden’s Illegal-Migrant Truckers Killed Hundreds of Americans.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/31/markwayne-mullin-bidens-illegal-truckers-have-killed-hundreds-of-americans/
CAMPUS REFORM
— University of Illinois medical school rebrands DEI office as ‘Advocacy and Engagement.’
https://www.campusreform.org/article/university-illinois-medical-school-rebrands-dei-office-advocacy-engagement/30511
DAILY SIGNAL
— DEI Thrives at Elite Law Schools. DD: DEI is political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination against those who are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, Protestant, and/or German American.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/31/even-after-affirmative-actions-fall-dei-thrives-at-elite-law-schools/
FOX BUSINESS
— House GOP anti-socialism resolution forces Democrats on record.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6404365173112
REAL CLEAR POLICY
— Don’t Let the Left Make Dolly a Socialist Mascot.
https://www.realclearpolicy.com/2026/08/31/dont_let_the_left_make_dolly_a_socialist_mascot_1203393.html
REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Democrat leaders blame Trump for the rise of socialism.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/08/31/dems_demonization_of_trump_to_blame_for_rise_of_socialism_154460.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Republicans ready for very hasty Trump convention in Texas.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6058289-rnc-midterm-convention-dallas/
NEW YORK TIMES
— Postal Service Rule Could Bar Millions From Voting by Mail.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/30/us/politics/mail-voting-trump-midterms-supreme-court.html
ENTERTAINMENT WEEK
— Trump threatens to report Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker to FCC for ‘punishment.’ DD: I should write about my critics/opponents and the adverse actions that they had their operatives and their dupes take against me since 2000 because I included links in my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters to articles that they did not like.
https://ew.com/donald-trump-threatens-nbc-news-kristen-welker-with-punishment-from-fcc-12073377
Tag: GOPUSA
August 30, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Trump to attend Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club as tournament’s honorary chairman.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/29/trump-presidents-cup-chicago-honorary-chairman/
— Noncitizen voting claims animate President Trump’s attacks on midterms and set up potential result challenges. DD: Noncitizens have tremendous motivations to vote for Democrats because Democrats give noncitizens tremendous benefits.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/29/noncitizen-voting-claims-midterms/
— First electric commuter trains improved the air, spurred South Side development. DD: In 1971, I rode in very old electric train cars to get from Crete to my new job working for IRS in the Loop. In 1973, I rode in new electric double-decker train cars to get from my townhome in University Park to my job IRS there. In the interim, I worked for IRS in its Harvey, 63rd and Halsted, and Joliet offices.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/30/vintage-tribune-electric-trains/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “The Illinois Central Railroad’s suburban service had been electrified!” the Tribune exclaimed a day after four modern steel electric trains smoothly and noiselessly pulled into the Roosevelt Street depot in August 1926.)
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/29/trump-postal-service-mail-in-voting-supreme-court-marc-morial
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/08/28/trumps-blitz-on-chicago-targeting-the-worst-of-the-worst-only-detained-five-murderers-in-68-days
DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Dillard presided over his final RTA board meeting Aug. 20. The new Northern Illinois Transit Authority replaces the RTA, effective Sept. 1.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260829/transportation/its-all-teed-up-dillards-last-stop-as-rta-chief-comes-as-new-agency-rises/
FOX32
— Tyson Foods shuts down Illinois meatpacking plant: cattle shortage or bad business climate?
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-6hoy7ej7g5ij5rbp
WAND TV
— Noncitizen voting claims animate Trump’s attacks on midterms and set up potential result challenges. DD: Noncitizens have tremendous motivations to vote for Democrats because Democrats give noncitizens tremendous benefits.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/national/noncitizen-voting-claims-animate-trumps-attacks-on-midterms-and-set-up-potential-result-challenges/article_0840ced5-c2f9-5e7f-b46d-b819cc07d8bb.html
KWQC
— Pritzker: Illinois is going to ‘fight like hell’ to find buyer for Joslin plant.
https://www.kwqc.com/2026/08/30/pritzker-illinois-is-going-fight-like-hell-find-buyer-joslin-plant/?outputType=amp
CHICAGO MAROON
— UChicago Enrolled More Male, Fewer Black Undergraduates Last Year.
https://chicagomaroon.com/53303/news/uchicago-enrolled-more-male-fewer-black-undergraduates-last-year/
JOLIET PATCH
— Joliet’s Black community pride was on display in a big way in downtown Joliet as Saturday afternoon marked the return of the Black Joy Parade celebrating Black Excellence in the community.
https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/13-amazing-photos-joliets-black-joy-parade-celebrating-black-excellence-our-diverse
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
JOHN KASS
— Chicago’s Political Dogs Walking Stiff-Legged Into Mayoral Race
https://johnkassnews.com/letting-my-big-mouth-do-the-talking/
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What generation are you? I am a Baby Boomer. I was born in 1948. If I had been a Millennial or a Gen Z, because of my bad demographics, I would not have been able to accomplish what I did. I am White, male, conservative, Republican, Protestant, German American, and my ancestors have been in America for a long time. Because of ever-increasing Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, because of ever-increasing discrimination against those who share demographics, I would not have been able to a) earn a job-related bachelor’s degree (management) when I was 21 in 1970, b) earn job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance) when I was 27, 31, and 48, c) earn job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting) when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and d) earn a job-related professional license (CPA) when I was 32. The Post office, Firestone Stores, IRS, and GAO would not have hired me when I was 18, 21, 22, and 31. IRS would not have promoted me when I was 23, 24, and 25. GAO would not have promoted me when I was 38. I would not have been able to buy new cars when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc. or collector cars when I was 40 and 45. I would not have been able to buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, etc. I would not have gotten married when I was 29. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— AOC renews DSA membership after 7-year lapse.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/29/aoc-renews-dsa-membership-7-year-lapse/
— A Honduran immigrant who earlier this year was convicted of blocking ICE operations now stands accused of illegally registering to vote in California.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/29/noncitizen-who-disrupted-ice-charged-illegally-registering-vote/
— Delusional DSA commemorates ‘fighter’ Fidel Castro.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/29/delusional-dsa-commemorates-fighter-fidel-castro/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Socialism didn’t die with the Soviets — Mamdani just brought it to City Hall.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4694926/mamdani-socialism-private-property-threat-new-york-city/
— Socialists fail math: Everyone can’t ride for free — so no one should. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism. Socialist leaders hint/imply/argue/shout that under socialism, all you need to do to advance is to be a socialist. Democrat leaders hint/imply/argue/shout that under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is to be a Democrat. That destroys motivation and meritocracy. 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 were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) who were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4694556/free-rider-problem-welfare-state-socialism-immanuel-kant/
— Those who wish to breezily dismiss or ridicule the left-wing Democratic Socialists of America amid the organization’s ongoing hostile takeover efforts against the Democratic Party do so at their peril.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/4701113/the-revolution-will-not-be-peaceful/
NEW YORK POST
— ‘Illegal alien’ Milo Yiannopoulos kicked out of US one day after getting nabbed by ICE at airport.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/29/us-news/milo-yiannopoulos-deported-from-us-after-getting-nabbed-by-ice-at-airport/
— DSA’s ‘noblesse oblige’ motto isn’t just hypocrisy — it’s downright racist. DD: According to Democrat leaders, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats, and especially Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. 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. When I was 19 in 1968, my Democrat Post Office superiors came to realize that I would never become a Democrat and proceed to get rid of me. When I was 25 in 1974, my Democrat IRS superiors came to realize that I would never become a Democrat and proceed to get rid of me. When I was 40 in 1988, my Democrat GAO superiors came to realize that I would never become a Democrat and proceed to get rid of me. According to my aforesaid superiors, I held jobs that should have been held by Democrats who were minority, female, younger than me, or veteran.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/29/opinion/dsas-noblesse-oblige-isnt-just-hypocrisy-its-downright-racist/
— Sen. Ed Markey, 80, defies call for new blood — as 43% doubt centrist Dem is mentally, physically capable of serving out his term. DD: I remember attending a meeting with Markey when I worked for GAO in the early 1980s.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/29/us-news/markey-80-defies-call-for-new-blood-as-43-doubt-dem-is-capable-of-serving-his-term/
— Married Lyons Township Clerk Elyse Hoffenberg, 51, beats ‘blackmailers’ to the punch by publishing footage of scandalous kiss with Bridgeview mayor.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/29/us-news/married-illinois-politician-drops-smooch-video-after-alleged-blackmail-plot/
— Socialists offer more of the same decay while LA crumbles in the dark.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/29/opinion/inside-the-14b-los-angeles-governance-failure/
— NYC socialist leaders caught living large, quietly collecting millions from real estate flips.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/29/us-news/dsa-leader-sold-luxe-nyc-triplex-for-nearly-2-5-million-used-profits-to-buy-pad-in-brooklyn/
AMAC
— Universities Push AI Tools As Trojan Horse for DEI Agenda.
https://amac.us/newsline/report-universities-push-ai-tools-as-trojan-horse-for-dei-agenda
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— The Path Ahead for Welfare Reform. Our opportunity-focused safety net will reinforce the social norm of personal responsibility, which starts with employment for those who are able. The 1996 law was formally called the “Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act” for good reason. Its legacy should continue to advance that critical goal.
https://www.aei.org/commentary/the-path-ahead-for-welfare-reform/
AMERICAN PROSPECT
— How the Republican Party Forgot It Was Conservative. DD: Trump would not have won the Republican primary in 2016 if he had not promised Phyllis Schlafly that he would defend and advance the Republican Party platform if elected.
https://prospect.org/2026/03/27/apr-2026-magazine-how-republican-party-forgot-it-was-conservative/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— ‘Woke’ is poised to come roaring back with a vengeance.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/29/insider-dont-look-now-but-woke-is-poised-to-come-roaring-back-with-a-vengeance-1656801/
BLAZE
— DEI refuses to die.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/dei-refuses-to-die
BREITBART
— Top Democrat: Migrant Crime Is a ‘Fake Problem.’ DD: To come into a country illegally and/or to stay in a country illegally demonstrates gross disrespect for the rule of law and for that country.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/29/top-democrat-migrant-crime-is-a-fake-problem/
DAILY CALLER
— Major Corporations Are Keeping ‘Woke 1.0’ Alive.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/29/consumers-research-report-claims-corporations-embrace-diversity-equity-inclusion-practices/
DAILY WIRE
— Socialist Leader’s Immigrant Sob Story Keeps Getting Harder To Believe. The NYC DSA co-chair has portrayed his parents as penniless immigrants, but public records suggest otherwise.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/socialist-leaders-immigrant-sob-story-keeps-getting-harder-to-believe
— DD: My critics/opponents have always been woke, are woke, and always will be woke. To be woke is to be anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-Protestant, anti-German American, and/or anti-those who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.dailywire.com/episode/michael-knowles-show-woke-right-debate
FOX NEWS
— Steve Moore: Socialism creates ruination and deprivation.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6404285560112
— Mark Levin: Socialism requires the control of the entire individual. DD: According to my critics/opponents, “You can’t tell Diersen what to do.” Of course, I take that as a badge of honor. My critics/opponents destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate or dominate, b) who refuse to glorify or praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6404287607112
— Colorado congressman introduces House measure condemning all forms of socialism amid DSA rise.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republican-aims-put-democrats-record-over-dsa-resolution-condemning-socialism
— Socialists use the STRONG ARM of a police state.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StqJ6R42X28
JONATHAN TURLEY
— “Institutionalist” Becomes the New “Oligarch” Label for the Far Left.
https://jonathanturley.org/2026/08/29/f-that-noise-institutionalist-becomes-in-the-new-oligarch-label-for-the-far-left/
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— TX High Schoolers Could Soon Be Subjected to ‘Woke’ Finance Course That Promotes ‘Racial Justice.’ “…in reality, NGPF’s curriculum is a vessel for socialist propaganda and woke ideology that rejects the American notion of equality.”
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/tx-high-schoolers-could-soon-be-subjected-to-woke-finance-course-that-promotes-racial-justice/
PJ MEDIA
— Each Fake Asylum Claim Costs As Much As Treating One Pediatric Cancer Patient.
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/08/29/miller-each-fake-asylum-claim-case-costs-same-as-treating-one-pediatric-cancer-patient-n4956695
TOWNHALL
— Trump Admin Is Setting Sights on States That Give Massive Tuition Discounts to Illegal Aliens.
https://townhall.com/news/josephchalfant/2026/08/29/the-trump-admin-is-setting-sights-on-states-who-give-massive-tuition-discounts-to-illegal-aliens-n2682110
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Trump rejects traditional conservatism, embraces a Republican version of socialism. DD: Trump would not have won the Republican primary in 2016 if he had not promised Phyllis Schlafly that he would defend and advance the Republican Party platform if elected.
https://thehill.com/opinion/5870607-trump-republican-socialism-democrats/
CBS NEWS
— U.S. military uses laser to shoot down 3 cartel drones at southern border.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-military-laser-shoots-down-cartel-drones-southern-border-pentagon/
NBC NEWS
— Mike Pence says the Trump administration has ‘departed’ from conservative principles. DD: Trump would not have won the Republican primary in 2016 if he had not promised Phyllis Schlafly that he would defend and advance the Republican Party platform if elected.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/mike-pence-trump-departed-conservative-principles-anti-weaponization-rcna347743
NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Influencers Have a Lot to Say About Politics. Many Are Quietly Paid for It. Their videos have proliferated on social media, but the payments are frequently hidden from viewers. DD: My direct competitors continue to be furious that I have the money, time, motivation, ability, and experience to put together and send out my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletter every day without a paywall, without any advertising, and without any donation requests. All the money that I spend putting the newsletters together and sending them out comes from my Civil Service Retirement System pension, my Social Security, and my retirement savings. Far too many of my direct competitors destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate or dominate, b) who refuse to glorify or praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money. I should write about them.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/29/us/politics/campaigns-paid-influencers.html
— DD: My critics/opponents have always been woke, are woke, and always will be woke. To be woke is to be anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-Protestant, anti-German American, and/or anti-those who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/29/opinion/wokeism-restitution.html
— Thankful for. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I am not thankful enough for what I have. According to them, I have what I have because I benefitted tremendously from discrimination against those who do not share my demographics, that is, those who are liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, unmarried, LGBTQ, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, noncitizen, etc.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/briefing/what-youre-thankful-for.html
— Is This a New Era of Class Warfare? DD: According to my critics/opponents, I have always had too much money. They have always knowingly, outrageously, disgustingly, and falsely hinted/implied/argued/shouted that my parents were filthy rich and that is why I was able to get an ACT score of 24, graduate in the upper 20% of my class, get accepted by UIC, NIU, Loyola, DePaul, and IIT, earn six professional certifications, and earn a professional license. They have always known that I had to work my way through college.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/opinion/class-warfare-violence.html
— It’s One Parking Spot in New York City. What Could It Cost, $250,000? Some New Yorkers are willing to pay condo-like prices for a bit of concrete convenience. DD: I have owned an Iron Gate Motor Condo in Naperville since 2020. Feel free to contact me about owning one.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/nyregion/private-parking-spots-new-york-city.html
— DD: Ever-increasingly, to get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout at Blacks that Republicans caused, are causing, and will forever cause all the problems that Backs had, have, and will have.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/29/realestate/washington-state-redlining-covenant-homeownership.html
TAMPA FREE PRESS
— Fetterman Rips Dem Socialists As ‘Deeply Unserious Hypocrites.’
https://www.tampafp.com/pennsylvania-sen-john-fetterman-rips-dem-socialists-as-deeply-unserious-hypocrites/
UNION BULLETIN
— Dolly Parton stood up for undocumented immigrants when few others would.
https://www.union-bulletin.com/opinion/opinion_columns/commentary-dolly-parton-stood-up-for-undocumented-immigrants-when-few-others-would/article_c7412eb3-8b39-446a-b22b-7101df4effaa.html
HARVARD GAZETTE
— Gen Z puts high priority on jobs with meaning, purpose, but sees daunting hurdles. DD: The purposes that the Post Office (delivering mail), IRS (collecting taxes), and GAO (fighting government waste, abuse, and fraud) have helped me endure tremendous efforts by my Democrat superiors to waste my career and get rid of me.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2026/08/gen-z-puts-high-priority-on-jobs-with-meaning-purpose-but-sees-daunting-hurdles/
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
HINDUSTAN TIMES
— Chicago, Illinois mass shooting reports: At least 8 people shot near Washington Park. Reports of a mass shooting near Washington Park in Chicago, Illinois, have surfaced on social media.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/chicago-illinois-mass-shooting-reports-at-least-8-people-shot-near-washington-park-101788072984697.html
MEAWW
— ‘Big, big trouble’: Trump delivers new warning about Democrats. Trump said he had previously discussed socialism but argued that Democrats’ policies were ‘largely communism’ and ‘very dangerous’ for the country.
https://news.meaww.com/big-big-trouble-trump-delivers-new-warning-about-democrats
INDEPENDENT
— Consequences. DD: Since the 1960s, negative consequences have increased for being conservative, Republican, Protestant, German American, and/or having ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Ever-increasingly, those negative consequences have increased for being White, male, and/or older. Those who are not the aforesaid and those who curry favor with those who are not the aforesaid ever-increasingly demonize, denigrate, and condemn those who are the aforesaid as being racists, sexists, bigots, and even worse things.
https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/candace-cameron-bure-religion-hollywood-b3039652.html
FROM OTHER SOURCES
HR EXECUTIVE
— 1 in 3 employees say retirement is out of reach. DD: I got in line for a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension when I was 18 in 1966. I have been getting a CSRS pension, currently $68,640/year, since I was 49 in 1997. My critics/opponents have always been furious about that. In my defense, I paid 7% of my federal salary into the CSRS. Further, I would not have become a postal employee in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment test. Further, I would not have become an IRS employee in 1971 if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn a job offer that I had accepted because Oldsmobile had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.
https://hrexecutive.com/1-in-3-employees-say-retirement-is-out-of-reach/
ABC11
— Teacher can buy dream car after $10M scratch-off win. DD: What is your dream car? My dream car is a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T, as it came from the factory, numbers matching/correct, like new, 440 or 426, automatic, blue exterior, black vinyl roof, black leather interior, and air conditioning. There was one at the recent Wheaton concours with virtually all of the aforesaid. I owned a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T 1994-2005 and a 1969 Dodge Charger SE 1968-1971.
https://abc11.com/post/chatham-county-woman-can-buy-dream-car-10m-scratch-off-win/19755056/
August 26, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Trump floats renaming Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America,’ denies claim he’d interfere with Canadians speaking French. The U.S. and Canada jointly manage the waterway.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/trump-floats-renaming-lake-ontario-america-denies-claim-hed-interfere-canadians-speaking-french/19733253/
WTTW
— ‘Do It Early’: Officials Urge Illinoisans to Submit Mail-In Ballots Well Before Election Day Amid Supreme Court ‘Chaos.’
https://news.wttw.com/2026/08/25/do-it-early-officials-urge-illinoisans-submit-mail-ballots-well-election-day-amid
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Illinois leaders anxious about Supreme Court ruling allowing Trump to push mail-in voting restrictions.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/25/supreme-court-ruling-mail-in-voting-illinois/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Mail ballots are secure, Illinois election officials stress after Supreme Court ruling. Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon said it’s “business as usual,” and she prepares for the election by fighting misinformation, expanding drop boxes for mail ballots and prepares for an influx of early voting, which begins Oct. 19
https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2026/08/25/mail-ballots-secure-illinois-election-officials-supreme-court-ruling-trump-executive-order
— Working class men. DD: Since the 1960s, women have ever-increasing been given more preference over men. That has ever-increasingly brought down men. Because I am a man, I would be nowhere today if I had not earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. As time when on, more and more and more of my coworkers were women. All those who my Democrat superiors promoted over me a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/25/working-class-men-black-white-american-inequity-1879-ben-jealous
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/25/us-supreme-court-ruling-mail-in-voting-donald-trump-executive-order
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/08/25/marimar-martinez-ice-border-patrol-midway-blitz-chicago-police-cpd
DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Hostage crisis? Conroy offers more election funding amid dispute with clerk.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260825/news/hostage-crisis-conroy-offers-more-election-funding-amid-dispute-with-clerk/
— The $6 billion plan that would give the suburbs control over supplying Lake Michigan water.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260824/news/suburban-leaders-detail-6-billion-plan-for-water-independence-amid-pushback-from-chicago/
SOUTHERN
— Caucus to select Republican nominee for Marion County Sheriff set for Tuesday night with questions looming about the process.
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2026/08/25/caucus-to-select-republican-nominee-for-marion-county-sheriff-set-for-wednesday-night-with-questions-looming-about-the-process/
PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— Why are flags lowered in Illinois? Trump orders to honor Dolly Parton.
https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/25/why-are-flags-at-half-staff-today-in-illinois-trump-order-lowered-dolly-parton-death-pritzker/91462262007/
FOX ILLINOIS
— Trump and Vance to keynote Republicans’ midterm convention in Texas. As if there was any doubt, Republicans’ midterm convention will be the Donald Trump show, with the president appearing at both nights of the event in Dallas next month.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/trump-and-vance-to-keynote-republicans-midterm-convention-in-texas/article_7c11c295-a1dd-5301-9a7f-0f10f89fef86.html
NPR ILLINOIS
— Will Supreme Court’s order on mail-in ballots impact voting in Illinois?
https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2026-08-25/will-supreme-courts-order-on-mail-in-ballots-impact-voting-in-illinois
WGEM
— Pritzker, Bailey offer different visions for Illinois education.
https://www.wgem.com/2026/08/25/pritzker-bailey-offer-different-visions-illinois-education/
CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Bailey implores Republicans to improve turnout as he plans to shift focus to Chicago. Republican nominee for governor says late August downstate tour is last of the campaign.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/bailey-implores-republicans-to-improve-turnout-as-he-plans-to-shift-focus-to-chicago/
CAPITOL CITY NOW
— Pritzker, Bailey offer different visions for Illinois education.
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-pritzker-bailey-offer-different-visions-for-illinois-education/
ILLINOIS
— Governor Pritzker Announces $1 Billion to Expand High-Speed Internet Across Illinois. DD: To put together and send out GOPUSA ILLINOIIS newsletters, I have spent lots of money for high-speed internet, backup internet, computers, and backup computers.
https://www.illinois.gov/news/release.html?releaseid=32862
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What if America had been socialist when you were young? When I was young, because I would have refused to be a socialist, a) UIC would not have accepted me in 1966, NIU in 1969, Loyola in 1972, DePaul in 1976, or IIT in 1992, b) the Post Office would not have hired me in 1966, IRS in 1971, or GAO in 1980, and c) I would not have been able to pass the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, become a licensed CPA in 1981, or earn four more job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Mainstream media love Arabs — as long as they hate Jews.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/25/mainstream-media-love-arabs-long-hate-jews/
— Musk faces no criminal charges for million-dollar voter giveaway. DD: Democrats run the federal government. To get more votes for Democrat candidates from their employees, they give their Democrat employees lots of preference.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/25/elon-musk-faces-no-criminal-charges-million-dollar-voter-giveaway/
— FEMA broke federal law by skipping homes with Trump signs after hurricane. DD: I have had a Vote Republican sign in front of my front porch for decades.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/25/fema-refused-visit-11-pro-trump-houses-2024/
— Florida restricts welfare benefits for ‘nonessential’ purchases. Items banned include vapes, tattoos, and spa services.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/25/florida-restricts-welfare-benefits-nonessential-purchases/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Consulting firm Deloitte to pay US government $21.5 million in DEI settlement. DD: The accounting profession had no interest in me a) because I did not pass the CPA examination until I was 30 in 1979, b) because I did not earn a master’s degree in accounting until I was 31, c) because I did not pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt until I was 32, and d) because I did not become a licensed CPA until I was 32. But the accounting profession would have been interested in me if I had been a minority or a female.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/business/4700165/deloitte-us-government-dei-settlement/
NEW YORK POST
— Affordability trumps all other issues in midterm battleground states. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/26/us-news/affordability-trumps-all-other-issues-in-midterm-battleground-states-grassroots-survey-reveals/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Will Supreme Court Ruling Make It Harder for Noncitizens to Vote?
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/25/will-supreme-court-ruling-make-it-harder-for-noncitizens-to-vote/
FOX NEWS
— Utah library confirms LGBTQ ‘Pride’ book for its ‘smallest patrons’ is kept easily accessible. DD: How successful have Democrats been making your children and grandchildren LGBTQers?
https://www.foxnews.com/media/utah-library-confirms-lgbtq-pride-book-its-smallest-patrons-kept-easily-accessible.amp
NEWSMAX
— Democrats embracing socialism.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/democrats-embracing-socialism-043004488.html
— Florida Bars Tattoos, Tanning, Tobacco From Welfare.
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/ron-desantis-florida-tanf/2026/08/25/id/1267295/
OPM
— Restoring Merit With the Right Civil Service Exam. DD: If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination (FSEE) in 1970, the Democrats who ran IRS would not have hired me in 1971. My having been a public sector employee for almost 3 years harmed my efforts to get good job in the private sector after I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU when I was 21 in 1970. In anticipation of that, as a fallback, I took and passed the FSEE before I graduated.
https://www.opm.gov/news/secrets-of-opm/restoring-merit-with-the-right-civil-service-exam/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The exam that hired one in twenty. This is not the federal government’s first rodeo. In fact, we had civil service exams from 1955 to 1982 – the Federal Service Entrance Examination (FSEE) and its successor, the Professional and Administrative Career Examination (PACE) – that were intended to allow an applicant to earn their desk by out-scoring the competition in a proctored exam hall. In practice, however, relatively few civil servants were hired through the FSEE or PACE exam.)
TOWNHALL
— We Now Have the First Details of the Republican Midterm Convention.
https://townhall.com/news/josephchalfant/2026/08/25/we-now-have-the-first-details-of-the-republican-midterm-convention-n2681889
— No Amnesty Ever.
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2026/08/26/get-it-through-your-thick-heads-gop-no-amnesty-ever-n2681808
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
NBC NEWS
— Democratic socialists notch another win in the Oklahoma Senate primary runoff. Nurse N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas has won the Democratic Senate nomination in Oklahoma, NBC News projects, defeating an older, more moderate opponent. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/nkiyla-jasmine-thomas-wins-oklahoma-senate-primary-democrat-rcna593618
CBS NEWS
— Who qualifies for the IRS Fresh Start program? DD: While I worked for IRS’s Collection Division 1971-1980, I made many ability to pay decisions.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-qualifies-for-the-irs-fresh-start-program/
— U.S. airman faces charges under military justice system for criticizing Trump over Iran war. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 because I was an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. In Diersen v. GAO, the court ruled that was OK.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jason-watson-charged-trump-criticism-air-force-article-88/
FOX NEW YORK
— New York’s law banning police cooperation with ICE takes effect. DD: Democrat leaders have declared a Second Civil War on Republicans. Illegals are their soldiers in their Democrat Army.
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/new-york-bans-police-cooperation-with-ice-287-g
REUTERS
— Unions sue OPM over rules on ‘suitability firings,’ ranked performance reviews. DD: I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. According to them, I was never a suitable federal employee, not only because I was not a Democrat, but because I was not a minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and I had ancestors who had been in America for a long time. My Democrat superiors used the subjectivity in their performance appraisal rules to waste my career and to force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/unions-sue-opm-over-rules-suitability-firings-ranked-performance-reviews-2026-08-25/
NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Hegseth’s Purge of Top Generals Leaves the Army Rudderless. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors purged many while I worked for GAO 1980-1997. They were overwhelmingly White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/us/hegseth-purge-army-generals.html
— DD: Democrat leaders want voters on welfare because voters on welfare vote for Democrats.
https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000011107033/how-welfare-became-a-tool-of-humiliation.html
USA TODAY
— Here’s when the Social Security COLA update is expected to be released. DD: What has helped you deal with inflation? COLAs have helped me deal with inflation big time. My critics/opponents are furious that I got COLAs while I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and that I have continued to get COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personal-finance/retirement/2026/08/25/social-security-cola-2027-announcement-date/91454199007/
— A single Corvette just sold for $18,705,000. What makes it special?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/cars/news/2026/08/21/corvette-grand-sport-sells-record-price/91409884007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Ascendant No More, Democrats Are a Coalition of the Pathetic. The party’s base—and its ideological vanguard—consists of downwardly mobile college graduates.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/ascendant-no-more-democrats-are-a-coalition-of-the-pathetic-50d7c6b9
— The Socialism We Already Have. The fundamental flaw in the Marxian slogan: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” is who decides? DD: According to Democrat leaders, since the 1960s, those who are Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran have the ability to pay and those who are Democrat, minority, female, younger, and/or veteran need money. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats who a) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time and b) had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-socialism-we-already-have-1328767f
FORTUNE
— The Trump administration proposes $103,000 fee for H-1B visas that DHS itself estimates would paralyze 76% of small businesses. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to take bad jobs like I had to because they had wealthy parents. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://fortune.com/2026/08/25/trump-h1b-visas-fee-startups/
— Gen Z wants to be ‘tradwives.’ New data reveals the exact salary your spouse needs to earn—and in most states it’s under $100K. DD: How old were you when you started earning $100,000/year in today’s dollars? For me, it was when I was 25 in 1974. I had worked for IRS for 3 years. I had completed 10 graduate business evening business courses at Loyola.
https://fortune.com/2026/08/26/stay-at-home-parent-tradwife-exact-salary-spouse-needs-to-earn-revealed-below-100k/
— Every politician says they’re for the working man, so why are only 1% of elected officials from the working class? DD: I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://fortune.com/2026/08/25/working-class-representation-global-democracies/
TIME
— DD: There are tremendous incentives to vote for Democrat candidates. Democrat elected officials give tremendous preference to those who vote for them. I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates got tremendous preference from Democrat elected officials.
https://time.com/article/2026/08/26/the-false-fear-of-noncitizen-voting/
TAMPA FREE PRESS
— Voters Lean Toward Enforcing Existing Gun Laws Over New Bans As Midterms Loom.
https://www.tampafp.com/voters-lean-toward-enforcing-existing-gun-laws-over-new-bans-as-midterms-loom-poll-finds/
NAPLES DAILY NEWS
— More voters trust Democrats over GOP on cost of living. DD: What has helped you deal with inflation? COLAs have helped me deal with inflation big time. My critics/opponents are furious that I got COLAs while I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and that I have continued to get COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/25/voters-trust-dems-gop-affordability-new-poll/91464740007/
LAKE COUNTY EXAMINER
— Who rigged the economy against workers? DD: What did you do to fight the rigged economy? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.lakecountyexam.com/townnews/work/opinion-who-rigged-the-economy-against-workers/article_3a5db58f-0965-458a-9ee5-5c5bb61bcb83.amp.html
NATIONAL NEWS DESK
— Young Democrats increasingly pick socialism in fight against economic woes. DD: When you were young, what did you do to fight economic woes? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://thenationaldesk.com/news/americas-news-now/young-democrats-increasingly-pick-socialism-in-fight-against-economic-political-woes-establishment-primary-elections
WTMJ
— Where are teens supposed to go? DD: When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://wtmj.com/shows/point-taken/2026/08/25/what-happened-to-third-spaces-for-teenagers/
FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK & NFFE
— Unions challenge Trump admin overhaul of suitability, performance rules. DD: I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. According to them, I was never a suitable federal employee, not only because I was not a Democrat, but because I was not a minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and I had ancestors who had been in America for a long time. My Democrat superiors used the subjectivity in their performance appraisal rules to waste my career and to force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/litigation/2026/08/unions-challenge-trump-admin-overhaul-of-suitability-performance-rules/
https://www.nffe.org/news/unions-challenge-trump-administration-rules-governing-federal-employee-performance-evaluations-and-job-suitability-decisions/
FED WEEK
— Within Grade Increases and Who Gets Them. DD: My critics/opponents were furious when I got within grade increases.
https://www.fedweek.com/ask/federal-pay/within-grade-increases/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: General schedule employees. . ..are eligible for within grade increases unless they are denied for poor performance, after the following waiting periods: 52 weeks for advancement to steps 2-4; 104 weeks for advancement to steps 5-7; and 156 weeks for advancement to steps 8-10. . .Within grade increases not meant to be “routine.”)
TAXPAYER ADVOCATE
— IRS halts most unannounced collection employee visits to taxpayers. DD: I made many unannounced visits to taxpayers to collect delinquent taxes while I worked for IRS’s Collection Division as a Revenue Officer 1971-1980.
https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/news/tax-news/irs-halts-most-unannounced-collection-employee-visits-to-taxpayers/2023/08/
POLITICO
— Trump scoffs at ‘affordability’ issues. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/25/trumps-political-gamble-on-beef-shows-his-growing-anxiety-over-affordability-01049917
— Political newcomer Darline Graham wins South Carolina’s GOP Senate runoff. DD: My critics/opponents in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton have always demonized me, denigrated me, and condemned me as being a newcomer. They have always stressed that I have lived in the aforesaid only since I was 29 in 1978, that I never attended any schools there, that I never attended any churches there, and that I never raised any children there.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/25/darline-graham-wins-south-carolina-senate-runoff-01050320
PBS
— Courting the independent vote. DD: I have been a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999. Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct have always gotten more votes because I hand-deliver to the independent voters in my precinct sample ballots, Republican voter guides, and campaign literature from Republican candidates.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/in-arizona-courting-the-independent-vote-requires-a-new-playbook
August 25, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Chicago-area critics question legality, practicality of President Trump’s mail-in ballot order.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-area-critics-question-legality-practicality-president-donald-trumps-mail-ballot-order-involving-usps-restrictions/19729693/
NBC5
— Fan flies down several rows in wild brawl caught on cam at Sox game.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/watch-fan-flies-down-several-rows-in-wild-brawl-caught-on-cam-at-sox-game/3979682/
— Teacher on no-hire list was hired by suburban school district. DD: Have you been put on a no-hire list? Constructively, my Democrat GAO superiors put me on a no-hire list when they forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. Previously, they had a) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, b) delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13, and c) ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning a master’s degree in financial markets and training when I was 48, my earning job-related professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48, my becoming a licensed CPA and passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32, my earning a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, and my earning an MBA when I was 27. They had forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/teacher-on-no-hire-list-for-sexual-misconduct-case-was-hired-by-suburban-school-district/3979810/
CBS2
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/protesters-chicago-southwest-side-masked-ice-agents/
WGN9
— Washington Post ordered to reinstate columnist Karen Attiah fired after Charlie Kirk posts. In addition to reinstatement, the arbitrator ordered the newspaper to compensate Attiah with full back-pay and benefits. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 because I was an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. In Diersen v. GAO, the court ruled that was OK.
https://wgntv.com/news/washington-post-ordered-to-reinstate-columnist-fired-after-charlie-kirk-posts/
(FROM THE WSJ: After his death, Attiah made several comments on social media. “Part of what keeps America so violent is the insistence that people perform care, empty goodness and absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence,” Attiah said in one post on the social-media site Bluesky. “Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is … not the same as violence,” Attiah said in another post.)
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/24/mckinley-park-ice-arrest-damen/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/08/24/crowd-gathers-after-i-55-crash-reportedly-caused-by-federal-immigration-agents
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Following Tribune acquisition and layoffs, Daily Herald workers look to form union. DD: I was a union member for almost 12 years.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/media-marketing/ccb-daily-herald-union-20260824/
SOUTHERN
— USPS makes new rules for mail-in ballots, but they are less restrictive than Trump’s demands.
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2026/08/24/usps-makes-new-rules-for-mail-in-ballots-but-they-are-less-restrictive-than-trumps-demands/
— Trump administration to tout efforts to shut down Education Department as school year begins.
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2026/08/24/trump-administration-to-tout-efforts-to-shut-down-education-department-as-school-year-begins/
WAND TV
— Pritzker signs bill improving sanitation, access to menstrual products on construction sites.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/pritzker-signs-bill-improving-sanitation-access-to-menstrual-products-on-construction-sites/article_188cec41-4e3b-40e2-a698-80fd80c64238.html
NPR ILLINOIS
— Farmers struggle to find workers. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-08-24/farmers-struggle-to-find-workers-amid-trumps-economic-policies
WHEATON RECORD
— Saturday Morning Protest: “Blame the Billionaires.” 14 Advocates took to the streets of downtown Wheaton before the Midterm elections. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://thewheatonrecord.com/2026/08/24/saturday-morning-protest-blame-the-billionaires/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: On Saturday, Aug. 22, 14 members of Indivisible DuPage gathered in downtown Wheaton, just a few blocks from campus, to protest the influence of wealthy donors and corporations in American politics ahead of the November midterm elections. The protesters are members of Indivisible DuPage’s “visibility brigade,” a group that brings the organization’s advocacy into public spaces. Aimee Renkes, the brigade’s leader, noted that the group also posts signs on the bridge over Interstate 88 weekly, holds rallies and supports other protests. This past winter, they were wardens — volunteers who help manage the crowd and de-escalate tensions — during a student-organized demonstration in Adams Park. Each sign featured a different phrase: “Frustrated with gov’t corruption? Blame the billionaires” and “Fuming over grocery prices? Blame the billionaires.” The group also displayed QR codes directing people to the League of Women Voters website and a countdown to November’s midterm elections. The protesters said they were concerned about the influence of money on political campaigns and the political process. “We believe we need to get money out of politics so that we can really have better representation for the people,” Renkes said. “And that’s on both sides of the aisle.” Renkes also mentioned the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which struck down restrictions on certain independent political spending by corporations and unions. Renkes said the decision contributed to the influence of wealthy individuals and corporations in politics. “I can’t outspend Amazon,” she said, referring to the influence she believes corporations have in politics. The protesters packed up their signs at 10:45 a.m. Renkes said some members had been hesitant to protest in Wheaton because of the community’s political and religious demographics. Still, they considered the morning a success after receiving honks, thumbs-up gestures and messages from people passing by. Tuco Fuentes is an active member of the visibility brigade and also serves as its photographer. Throughout the event, he took photographs and videos that were shared on Indivisible DuPage’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. “I believe it is important for people to exercise their constitutional right to free expression, even when there are opposing opinions,” he said. Renkes acknowledged that political conversations can be uncomfortable, but emphasized that they are necessary because politics affects people’s daily lives. She encouraged conversations with neighbors about these topics, civil discourse, voting and participation in local politics as ways to push back against the influence of wealthy donors in politics. “To just stick our head in the sand isn’t doing anyone any good,” she said.)
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCE
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Under socialism, working for socialists would be like working for the Democrats who run the federal government. To get hired, retained, and promoted, all you would need to do is be a socialist. The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) who were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Pritzker defends 57% toll hike approved by board he appointed.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pritzker-defends-57-percent-toll-hike/
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Lyons Township Clerk Calls Emergency Meeting as GOP Opponent Seeks Footage of After-Hours Kiss Inside Government Office.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/lyons-township-clerk-calls-emergency-meeting-as-gop-opponent-seeks-footage-of-after-hours-kiss-inside-government-office.html
— Disgraced Former IL GOP Mayor Keith Pekau, Now Living in Colorado, Works to Defeat Republican Liz Gorman.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/disgraced-former-il-gop-mayor-keith-pekau-now-living-in-colorado-works-to-defeat-republican-liz-gorman.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGHTON TIMES
— Trump highlights school choice agenda at back-to-school event. DD: My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools. That put me on track to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/24/trump-highlights-school-choice-agenda-back-school-event/
— DHS proposes new $103,000 fee to hire foreign skilled guest workers. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/24/dhs-proposes-new-103000-fee-hire-foreign-skilled-guest-workers/
— Why men aren’t working and what we can do about it. DD: If you are a male who is forced to retire early, anticipate/expect that you will never be able to find a job appropriate for your work experience, education, and professional certifications/licenses. That is especially true if you are conservative, Republican, White, older, non-veteran, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/24/men-arent-working/
— Socialism has been discredited time and time again. No nation that has beaten it has wanted a return. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/24/socialism-discredited-time-time/
— Working under the influence: 1 in 5 workers test positive for drugs after increased marijuana use. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/23/report-finds-1-5-workers-testing-positive-drugs-increased-marijuana/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— El Sayed says ‘preemptively’ banning sharia is discriminatory. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for sharia law.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4698959/el-sayed-sharia-law-mike-rogers-beta/
— Trump’s pro-family agenda has won bipartisan support, but economic anxiety clouds GOP midterm hopes.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/4698796/trump-pro-family-agenda-bipartisan-support-economic-anxiety-midterms/
NEW YORK POST
— Trump rips public schools for ‘failing at education’ — touts better way under his school choice plan.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/24/us-news/trump-rips-public-schools-for-failing-at-education-touts-better-way-under-his-school-choice-plan/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Woke education is broken education. DD: My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools. That put me on track to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/24/woke-education-is-broken-education-1656029/
BREITBART
— Vance: We Fight Socialism by Investing in Americans, Not Throwing Slogans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUvnMGFYmtU
— Vance Backs $103,265 Fee for Every New H-1B Visa.
https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2026/08/24/jd-vance-backs-103265-fee-for-every-new-h-1b-visa/amp/
— Leftist Washington Post Ordered to Reinstate Columnist Fired After Mischaracterizing Charlie Kirk Quote.
https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2026/08/24/leftist-washington-post-ordered-to-reinstate-columnist-fired-after-mischaracterizing-charlie-kirk-quote/
CAMPAIGN FOR WORKING FAMILIES
— Muslim Democrat Claims Jesus Is Radical Socialist. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.cwfpac.com/monday-august-24-2026-muslim-claims-jesus-socialist-not-papaws-democrat-party
CAMPUS REFORM
— UW professor with broad collection of leftist research and publications advertises herself as a ‘Marxist scholar.’ DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/uw-professor-broad-collection-leftist-research-publications-advertises-marxist-scholar/30449
DAILY CALLER
— Washington Post Forced To Rehire Columnist Fired Over Distasteful Charlie Kirk Posts.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/24/wapo-reporter-fired-charlie-kirk-tweets-ordered-reinstated-karen-attiah/
DAILY WIRE
— Who Is Behind The Rapid Rise Of The DSA? The DSA is now a terrifying force that’s ready to overthrow the government along with civilization in general.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/who-is-behind-the-rapid-rise-of-the-dsa
— The Bad Ex Who Blackmailed Her Way Back To The Washington Post. Who has time for journalistic integrity?
https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-bad-ex-who-blackmailed-her-way-back-to-the-washington-post
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A year ago, Karen Attiah, an untalented, narcissistic, racist, terror-sympathizing man-hater who loves the word “democracy” more than life itself, was fired from her job as an opinion writer at The Washington Post. Her crimes against journalism? Lying, failing basic standards of accuracy, and posting egregious commentary about Charlie Kirk within hours of his assassination. This week, after a year-long public tantrum, a private arbitrator forced the Post to take her back. Like a bad ex blackmailing you into getting back together. Democracy Lives On…in the forced rehire of every Bluesky Karen who cannot accurately quote a dead man. On September 10, 2025, the same day Charlie Kirk was assassinated in front of thousands, Attiah posted this: “Black women do not have the brain processing power to be taken seriously. You have to go steal a white person’s slot”. – Charlie Kirk Kirk was not, of course, speaking about all black women. He was responding on a live show to Joy Reid, Michelle Obama, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, discussing their own affirmative-action status.)
FEDERALIST
— Treasury Dept. Closes More Loopholes That Gave Illegal Aliens Your Tax Dollars.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/25/treasury-dept-closes-more-loopholes-that-gave-illegal-aliens-your-tax-dollars/
FOX NEWS
— Trump takes aim at critical race theory and transgender ideologies in public schools. DD: My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools. That put me on track to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403976245112
— Opportunities are the only thing that should be equal, not outcome. DD: My critics/opponents want equal outcome. According to them, when whites and males do better at something than minorities and females, it is because Whites and males discriminate against minorities and females. Overwhelmingly, those who earned college degrees, professional certifications, and a professional license with me were Whites and males.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/stephen-smith-says-opportunities-thing-equal-outcome
— The ‘YOUNG, DUMB AND BORED’ are turning to socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20B8tqU_7As
— Socialism doesn’t work.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403987124112
— Wealthy socialist TORCHED over privileged lifestyle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YsdaPnKWqg
— Socialists ripped over kids-focused push in deep-red state: ‘Next generation of comrades.’
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/socialists-ripped-over-kids-focused-push-deep-red-state-next-generation-comrades
JACOBIN
— Class Traitors Are Welcome in the Socialist Movement.
https://jacobin.com/2026/08/dsa-gordillo-socialism-media-hypocrisy
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Washington Post Ordered to Rehire Columnist Fired Over Charlie Kirk Comments.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/washington-post-ordered-to-rehire-columnist-fired-over-charlie-kirk-comments/amp/
— Trump Education Department Takes on Accreditors Pushing DEI on Colleges.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/trump-education-department-takes-on-accreditors-pushing-dei-on-colleges/amp/
NATIONAL REVIEW
— The New York Times Helps to Launder Karen Attiah’s Lie.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-new-york-times-helps-to-launder-karen-attiahs-lie/amp/
NEWS BUSTERS
— Why Colleges Are Bringing the SAT Back (and Why Woke Schools Banned It)
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/john-stossel/2026/08/24/why-colleges-are-bringing-sat-back-and-why-woke-schools-banned-it
POST MILLENNIAL
— Judge forces Washington Post to rehire columnist who lied about Charlie Kirk.
https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-judge-forces-washington-post-to-rehire-columnist-who-lied-about-charlie-kirk
TOWNHALL
— Pritzker’s Absurd Claim About Illinois Home Buying Isn’t Accurate.
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/08/24/pritzker-il-easiest-state-to-buy-a-house-community-note-n2681769
— NYC Mayor Mamdani Sued Over $70 Million Socialist Grocery Plan.
https://townhall.com/news/jeff-charles/2026/08/24/nyc-mayor-mamdani-sued-over-70m-socialist-grocery-plan-n2681804
— The DSA’s Latest Defense of Its Privilege Is About As Hypocritical As You’d Expect.
https://townhall.com/news/dmitri-bolt/2026/08/24/a-wealthy-nyc-socialist-is-defending-her-glaring-hypocrisy-n2681751
— The DSA’s Least Talked-About Policy May Be Its Most Dangerous: a centralized government database containing information about how much you own, what you are worth, and every asset you possess, all in the name of taxing the wealthy.
https://townhall.com/news/dmitri-bolt/2026/08/24/heres-the-least-talked-about-and-most-dangerous-policy-the-dsa-is-pushing-for-n2681774
WHITE HOUSE
— President Trump is fighting to put parents back in charge and reignite America’s education system 🇺🇸.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/president-trump-is-fighting-to-put-parents-back-in-charge-and-reignite-americas-education-system-%F0%9F%87%BA%F0%9F%87%B8/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— The damaging effects of shifting from equal opportunity to ‘equal outcomes.’ DD: My critics/opponents want equal outcome. According to them, when whites and males do better at something than minorities and females, it is because Whites and males discriminate against minorities and females. Overwhelmingly, those who earned college degrees, professional certifications, and a professional license with me were Whites and males.
https://thehill.com/opinion/education/529262-the-damaging-effects-of-shifting-from-equal-opportunity-to-equal-outcomes/
REUTERS
— Trump’s approval holds at record low as US support for Iran war falls.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-approval-holds-record-low-us-support-iran-war-falls-reuters-ipsos-poll-2026-08-24/
CBS NEWS
— Lara Korte, one of three editorial employees of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes who were dismissed last week after speaking to CBS News, said Monday that the paper’s editorial independence remains paramount. DD: Since 2000, my critics/opponents have hinted/implied/argued/shouted at the following that because I am a Republican Precinct Committeeman, they can and they should dictate the content of my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters: the leaders of the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization. I should write about the many big adverse actions that the aforesaid have taken against me since 2000. Those who have taken adverse actions against me reject some, many, most, virtually all, if not all the planks in the Republican Party platform.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lara-korte-interview-stars-and-stripes-fired-editorial-independence/
WASHINGTON POST
— This not-so-secret document is inspiring the left — and tripping up its candidates. The Democratic Socialists of America platform aims to upend the status quo. That can mean a bumpy ride for those trying to win in the short term. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/24/democratic-socialists-biggest-challenge-their-own-platform/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The Warmth of Pizza-Station Collectivism. Democratic socialism thrives in the campus dining hall, where everything is free.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/the-warmth-of-pizza-station-collectivism-9b903d41
— Supreme Court Removes Hurdle to Trump Directive on Mail Voting.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/supreme-court-removes-hurdle-to-trump-directive-on-mail-voting-f2a1437a
— Chicago Dug Itself Out of a Financial Hole. Now It’s Sliding Back In. Windy City’s financial standing is heading south again, with few solutions in sight.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/chicago-dug-itself-out-of-a-financial-hole-now-its-sliding-back-in-9cc9c818
— Government Proposes New Six-Figure Fee for H1-B Visas. Administration plans to charge more than $100,000 for skilled foreign-worker visas after similar move was rejected by federal appeals court.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/government-proposes-new-six-figure-fee-for-h1-b-visas-a0da2d01
— Washington Post Ordered to Rehire Columnist Karen Attiah. She was fired for social-media remarks after killing of political commentator Charlie Kirk. In addition to reinstatement, the arbitrator ordered the newspaper to compensate Attiah with full back-pay and benefits. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 because I was an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. In Diersen v. GAO, the court ruled that was OK.
https://www.wsj.com/business/media/washington-post-ordered-to-rehire-columnist-karen-attiah-84c8ac94
(FROM THE ARTICLE: After his death, Attiah made several comments on social media. “Part of what keeps America so violent is the insistence that people perform care, empty goodness and absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence,” Attiah said in one post on the social-media site Bluesky. “Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is … not the same as violence,” Attiah said in another post.)
— The Makings of a College Campus Socialist. Why has socialism failed in the real world? DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-makings-of-a-college-campus-socialist-7733a079
FORBES
— ‘We Want To Invest In You’: Vance Breaks Down Trump Admin Approach To ‘Defeat Socialism.’ DD: Because I was not a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors not only did not invest anything in me, they did everything they could to get rid of me. Absolutely none of them encouraged me to do what I did to advance. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMgo3BdmJoY
NATIONAL DESK
— American jobs for AMERICAN BORN citizens, not ILLEGAL MIGRANTS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFn4rySBcxI
MAINE PUBLIC
— Vance frames midterms as fight against socialism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2026-08-24/jd-vance-frames-midterms-as-fight-against-socialism-as-gop-confronts-electoral-headwinds
DESERT NEWS
— Trump touts his school choice initiatives during ‘back to school’ Rose Garden event. The president also offers disputed child vaccine advice — while attacking ‘transgender insanity’ in the classroom. DD: My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools. That put me on track to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.deseret.com/education/2026/08/24/trump-back-to-school/
August 24, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— An ethics watchdog, such as our state’s legislative inspector general, should know when to say ‘no comment.’ Former judge Michael McCuskey has been talking too much.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/22/patrick-pfingsten-michael-mccuskey-legislative-inspector-general-harry-benton/
— Recall referendum issue seems like Laesch vs. Irvin round two.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/23/column-recall-referendum-issue-seems-like-laesch-vs-irvin-round-two/
— Data centers near O’Hare win nearly $100M in local tax breaks, leaving suburban homeowners to cover the gap.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/23/special-report-data-centers-taxes/
— Mandatory service can renew young people’s faith in America. DD: My initial plan was to enlist and to earn a bachelor’s degree with the GI Bill. But then I saw that my high school neighbor friend in Crete was on track to get accepted by UIC and to commute to/from classes there from his parents’ home. I adopted that plan, I took college preparatory classes, got an ACT score of 24, and I graduated in the upper 20% of my 1966 Crete-Monee High School class. My high school neighbor friend commuted in a new 1965 base Chevelle that his father bought for him. I commuted in a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint that I paid for with money that I earned washing dishes for 28 hours a week during my junior and senior years 1964-1966 and for 40 hours a week during the summer of 1965.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/24/opinion-national-service-renew-faith-america-patriotism/
— For tens of thousands in northwest Indiana, power outages mean much of August has been hell. ComEd took a few days to restore power after Aug. 11 storms. NIPSCO is taking two weeks. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/24/editorial-nipsco-commonwealth-edison-electricity-outages-storms/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: ‘Why is this OK?’ With no power and a spotty generator, every day is a struggle for a family of seven as they approach two weeks without electricity in Northwest Indiana. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/graphics/weather/powerless/12-nights-without-power-in-Gary-Indiana/
DAILY HERALD
— Geneva Concours highlights rare, unusual vehicles. DD: There were three 1972 Corvettes in the concours. I have owned my 1972 Corvette since October 14, 1971.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260823/festivals-and-fairs/a-fashion-show-for-cars-geneva-concours-highlights-rare-unusual-vehicles/
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/great-lakes/5008067-genevais-concours-dielegance-car-show-pics-lots.html
ABC7
— At least 17 shot, 4 fatally, in weekend gun violence across Chicago.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shootings-weekend-least-16-shot-4-fatally-gun-violence-city-police-department-says/19722721/
NBC5
— A $25-per-hour minimum wage? Some Illinois lawmakers are pushing for it. DD: I did not start earning $25/hour in today’s dollars until I had a) passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination and earned a bachelor’s degree in business from NIU when I was 21 in 1970 and b) got hired by IRS in 1971.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/a-25-per-hour-minimum-wage-some-illinois-lawmakers-are-pushing-for-it/3931575/
CBS2
— Frustration mounts for thousands still without power after deadly Indiana storms. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deadly-indiana-storms-frustration-mounts-thousands-still-without-power/
— Illinois politics are to blame for failure to secure stadium for Chicago Bears in state.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/expert-illinois-politics-blame-failure-secure-stadium-chicago-bears/
WGN9
— Indiana Gov. Mike Braun criticizes NIPSCO over ongoing outages; more than 15K remain without power. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://wgntv.com/northwest-indiana/nipscos-latest-outage-numbers-gary-mayor-provides-update-at-wgn/
WBEZ
— DD: Democrat leaders fight standardized testing because those who have demographics that vote for Democrats get lower test scores than those who have demographics that vote for Republicans. I passed many standardized tests a) to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, b) to earn three job-related master’s degrees, c) to earn six job-related professional certifications, d) to earn a job-related professional license, and e) to get hired by the Post Office, IRS, and GAO. Overwhelmingly, those who took and passed standardized tests with me had demographics that vote for Republicans. The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job.
https://www.wbez.org/say-more-with-mary-dixon-patrick-smith/2026/08/18/should-colleges-and-universities-require-standardized-test-scores-for-admission
NORTHWEST HERALD
— Trump store in Crystal Lake is closing, owner announces – but then seemingly takes it back.
https://www.shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/2026/08/22/trump-store-in-crystal-lake-is-closing-owner-announces/
PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— What income is needed to live comfortably in Illinois: $244,109 for a family of 4 and $101,587 single
https://www.pjstar.com/story/business/economy/2026/08/24/salary-needed-to-live-comfortably-in-illinois-smartasset/91409434007/
ILLINOIZE
— Will there be gubernatorial debates?
https://www.theillinoize.com/articles/will-there-be-gubernatorial-debates
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Ocasio-Cortez endorses Massachusetts Senate incumbent Ed Markey. DD: I remember attending a meeting with Markey when I worked for GAO in the early 1980s.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4694506/ocasio-cortez-endorses-massachusetts-senate-incumbent-ed-markey-green-new-deal/
— California school district’s curriculum cites Osama bin Laden’s manifesto as proof US ‘targeted Muslim communities.’ DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly give more preference to Muslims.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/education/4696334/california-school-districts-curriculum-cites-osama-bin-ladens-manifesto-as-proof-us-targeted-muslim-communities/
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— Inflation Pressures. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for inflation and for everything else that is bad.
https://www.aei.org/featured_data/inflation-pressures/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Colorado to constituents — no guns for you. Colorado leftists attempt an end run around the 2nd Amendment. DD: Colorado today, Illinois tomorrow.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/colorado-to-constituents-no-guns-for-you/
CATO
— Ten Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Arguments for Socialism and Why They’re Wrong. DD: What were you able to do under capitalism? I was able to buy a 1958 Chevy BeAir when I was 16 in 1964 with money I earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers. I was able buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in 1966 with money I earned washing dishes for the minimum wage. I was able buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967 and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968 with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to graduate debt-free from NIU in 1970 owning that Charger with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to buy a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS. I was able to buy a new townhome in 1972 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS.
https://www.cato.org/blog/ten-democratic-socialists-america-dsa-arguments-socialism-why-theyre-wrong
CRISIS MAGAZINE
— In Defense of Private Property: Repelling the Rise of Socialism. DD: What were you able to do under capitalism? I was able to buy a 1958 Chevy BeAir when I was 16 in 1964 with money I earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers. I was able buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in 1966 with money I earned washing dishes for the minimum wage. I was able buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967 and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968 with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to graduate debt-free from NIU in 1970 owning that Charger with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to buy a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS. I was able to buy a new townhome in 1972 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS.
https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/in-defense-of-private-property-repelling-the-rise-of-socialism
DAILY SIGNAL
— Immigration Under the New Left.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/23/immigration-under-the-new-left/
— Why Are So Many Young People Drawn to Communism?
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/23/why-are-so-many-young-people-drawn-to-communism/
EPOCH TIMES
— Why Are So Many Young People Drawn to Communism?
https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/why-are-so-many-young-people-drawn-to-communism-6077478
FOX NEWS
— Socialists don’t believe in liberty of any kind.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403937012112
— Billions spent by key federal agency hasn’t made American dream of homeownership any easier. DD: I bought a new townhome in University Park when I was 24 in 1972. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ . In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $93,700. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/billions-spent-key-federal-agency-hasnt-made-american-dream-homeownership-any-easier-report
NATIONALREVIEW
— Democratic Socialists of America Hate Billionaires — Except Fidel Castro.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/the-democratic-socialists-of-america-hate-billionaires-except-fidel-castro/
REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— We Need To Remind Americans Why Capitalism’s Important. DD: What were you able to do under capitalism? I was able to buy a 1958 Chevy BeAir when I was 16 in 1964 with money I earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers. I was able buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in 1966 with money I earned washing dishes for the minimum wage. I was able buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967 and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968 with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to graduate debt-free from NIU in 1970 owning that Charger with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to buy a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS. I was able to buy a new townhome in 1972 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/2026/08/24/we_need_to_remind_americans_why_capitalisms_important_1201914.html
— DEI Refuses To Die.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/08/24/dei_refuses_to_die_154439.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
AOL
— Curfews, drones, and criminal charges: Cities differ on approaches to ‘teen takeovers.’ DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.aol.com/articles/curfews-drones-criminal-charges-cities-140006000.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— Moving to Florida. DD: More and more and more of those who are the following are moving to Florida: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/realestate/florida-retirement-residency-taxes.html
USA TODAY
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: The Democrat Party platform is extremely anti-religious. How successful have Democrats been taking over your church?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/08/22/democrats-use-faith-to-challenge-red-state-gop/91340610007/
USA HERALD
— California Wants Corporations to Confess Their Ties to Slavery — Under Oath. DD: According to Democrat leaders, the more of the following that you are, the more that you are tied to slavery: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. In my defense, I stress that even though all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s, they always lived in northeast Illinois, they never were in a position to discriminate against anyone, and they never did discriminate against anyone.
https://usaherald.com/california-wants-corporations-to-confess-their-ties-to-slavery-under-oath/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— A Socialist Surprise in Florida.
https://www.wsj.com/video/wsj-opinion-a-socialist-surprise-in-florida/7780BE57-7ACC-4DD7-A963-30D1C441AB05
FORBES
— Unfair Advantages. DD: What unfair advantages do your critics/opponents say you have? According to my critics/opponents, the following are unfair advantages and I have them: White, male, Protestant, German American, and my ancestors have been in America since 1844. In addition, a) my parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools 1953-1962, b) my parents provided me with room and board while I attended UIC 1966-1968, weekends during my first semester at NIU in 1969, and the summer of 1969, and c) I avoided the Vietnam War draft. In my defense. neither of my parents attended college, my father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma, my mother never attended high school, and I had to work my way through college.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ruthgotian/2022/07/19/you-might-be-overlooking-your-unfair-advantage-heres-how-to-find-it/
MARKETPLACE
— Americans are retiring earlier than they’d like to. And not because they can afford to. DD: The more of the following that you are, the more that you should anticipate/expect that you will be forced to retire early: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or if you have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/07/24/why-some-americans-are-forced-to-retire-too-soon
NEWS BREAK
— Sen. Duckworth Tells Hegseth to “Find a New Job and Let the Press Do Theirs” After Stars and Stripes Editor’s Firing. DD: Since 2000, my critics/opponents have hinted/implied/argued/shouted at the following that because I am a Republican Precinct Committeeman, they can and they should dictate the content of my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters: the leaders of the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization. I should write about the many big adverse actions that the aforesaid have taken against me since 2000.
https://www.newsbreak.com/combat-rated-361333999/4845203759286-sen-duckworth-tells-hegseth-to-find-a-new-job-and-let-the-press-do-theirs-after-stars-and-stripes-editor-s-firing
ATLANTIC
— High-School Reunions. Social media should have killed them. Instead, they’re popular again. DD: I just learned that my 1966 Crete-Monee High School class is going to have a reunion. Sadly, my interactions with my classmates was dramatically less during my junior and senior years because I spent 28 hours a week during the school years and 40 hours a week during the summer in between washing dishes in the basement of the SS Kresge in Chicago Heights. Sadly, that job did not paint me as being college material. Further, my not being able to run because I had a bone disease kept out of sports.
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2025/09/high-school-reunion-attendance/684097/
August 22, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: Gary storm victims fill generators at a gas station, watch DVDs in their car, eat hot lunch at a school. A historic power outage in northwest Indiana has left 52% of Gary’s NIPSCO customers without power for 11 days. We spoke with people about their experiences as they wait for electricity to be restored and debris to be cleared. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2026/08/21/gary-storm-victims-fill-generators-at-a-gas-station-watch-dvds-in-car-eat-hot-lunch-at-a-school
https://chicago.suntimes.com/weather/northwest-indiana-gary-no-power-storm-recovery
— Many Trump-endorsed candidates landing with a thud.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/21/trump-endorsed-candidates-loss-voters-republicans-midterms-s-e-cupp
— Tollway hike will improve infrastructure, save commute time, boost economy. DD: What section of the tollway do you use the most? For me, it is the I-88 section between Naperville Road and Route 59.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-the-editor/2026/08/22/illinois-tollway-airplane-toilets-roosevelt-trump-india-israel-animal-cruelty-ice-term-limits
FOX32
— What Illinois voters can expect on the 2026 general election ballot.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-ro8xjcgk3nqfxfrd
WGEM
— U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy makes stop in Quincy.
https://www.wgem.com/2026/08/22/us-senate-candidate-don-tracy-makes-stop-quincy/
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— DD: To vote for Democrats is to promote LGBTQ.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/25-6-million-lgbtq-adults-in-us-transgender-population-twice-prior-estimates-study/
ELMHURST UNIVERSITY
— Four Career Benefits to Completing Your Degree. DD: If I had not 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 never would have earned $154,682/year in today’s dollars in 1997. IRS would not have hired me in 1971 or promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. GAO would not have hired me in 1980 or promoted me in 1986.
https://www.elmhurst.edu/blog/four-career-benefits-to-completing-your-degree/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/21/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-584/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
JOHN KASS
— Vallas: Anti-Semitism and the Unholy Alliance Between the Far Left and Radical Islam.
https://johnkassnews.com/anti-semitism-and-the-unholy-alliance-between-the-far-left-and-radical-islam/
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— According to Google AI, campaign literature pieces cost roughly $290 per 5,000 from specialized political printers. I hope that each of the 17 Republican candidates on the November 3, 2006 ballot in my precinct will provide 400 of their pieces to the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) that I can pick them up and hand-deliver them to the 400 residences in my DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton that have at least one registered Republican or Independent voter. That is 7,200 pieces (400 X 17). So far, I have placed 660 DuPage County Election Division-provided mailing labels on 400 DuPage County GOP-provided envelopes. I have split them into five batches and put them in walk order. I want to start stuffing those envelopes with MTRO-provided outstanding Voter Guides and the literature pieces ASAP. I want to start stuffing as soon as I have at least 100 pieces from each of the candidates. As soon as the sample ballot for my precinct is available, I will make 400 photocopies, stuff them, and head out the door. The 18 candidates are Tracy, Bailey/Del Mar, Fioretti, Solomon, Harris, Drew, Soloman, Oakley, Lewis, Vrankovich, Grasso, Noonan, Schiappa, Henry, Eckhoff, Michaud, Schultz, Quirk, and Helland. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Bread lines or bread winning? The Democratic Party’s fatal leftward drift.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/4692671/democrats-socialism-vs-capitalism-economic-shift/
— Capitalism: The system Gen Z loves to roast but actually needs most. DD: What were you able to do under capitalism? I was able to buy a 1958 Chevy BeAir when I was 16 in 1964 with money I earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers. I was able buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in 1966 with money I earned washing dishes for the minimum wage. I was able buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967 and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968 with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to graduate debt-free from NIU in 1970 with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to buy a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS. I was able to buy a new townhome in 1972 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/equality-not-elitism/4680934/capitalism-system-generation-z-needs-most/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: At its core, capitalism is about private ownership and incentives. You have a right to own your property or ideas. You have the freedom to negotiate in your self-interest and engage in mutually beneficial agreements. Profit and competition motivate you to innovate. No one forces you to. . .Socialism relies on coercion as central planners decide what gets made, how much, and who gets it. Private ownership of land, factories, or businesses is limited or taken over. The government needs taxes, rules, or force to do that. Take Venezuela. History shows that top-down socialist directives and nationalization produced hyperinflation, shortages of food and medicine, poverty, and the collapse of public services. Under socialism, where private ownership and property rights do not exist, outcomes get worse, and innovation suffers. This is the classic tragedy of the commons problem. Imagine public transit: filled with litter, graffiti-covered cars, and slow. No private individual cleans it because “it’s the government’s problem,” and government workers are slow to do so because they get paid regardless. When the state or collective controls public services, resources are misallocated, and quality deteriorates.)
NEW YORK POST
— Democrats now overwhelmingly have a more favorable view of socialism than capitalism. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.aol.com/articles/dems-now-favor-socialism-over-205152000.html
— Why 58% of California Democrats lust after socialism. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/21/opinion/why-california-democrats-like-socialism/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Socialism, after all, is an ideology of oppression that’s brought mass death, forced labor, famine and executions to a long list of nations, including China, Cambodia, Vietnam, North Korea, and the former USSR. So … what gives in the Golden State?. . .Socialism (with a smile!) sells in blue enclaves in part because it’s faddish, on trend, of the moment. It’s a shiny object glorified on social media to an audience too young to remember the Cold War –– or the ghoulish history of socialist and communist regimes. It taps into disgruntlement, class envy, entitlement. And it sells utopian fantasies about, when it comes down to it, taking other people’s stuff.)
AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE
— We Must Save America’s Students from the False Promises of Socialism. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://aclj.org/radical-left/we-must-save-americas-students-from-the-false-promises-of-socialism
AMERICAN THINKER
— Illegitimate Elections Will Destroy the United States. ‘Sanctuary city’ secession is tearing the Union apart.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/illegitimate-elections-will-destroy-the-united-states/
BREITBART
— Chicago Threw $640M in Tax Dollars at Illegal Migrants Over Two Years.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/21/chicago-threw-640m-in-tax-dollars-at-illegal-migrants-over-two-years/amp/
COLLEGE FIX
— Education Dept. ends disparate impact, dropping requirement to balance racial outcomes. DD: When Whites and males do better on tests than minorities and females, Democrats and RINOs blame Republicans.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/education-dept-ends-disparate-impact-dropping-requirement-to-balance-racial-outcomes/
— Education Department praised for ending outcome-based discrimination rules. DD: When Whites and males do better on tests than minorities and females, Democrats and RINOs blame Republicans.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/bulletin-board/in-washington-post-education-department-praised-for-ending-outcome-based-discrimination-rules/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Ending the Welfare State as We Know It.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/21/ending-the-welfare-state-as-we-know-it/
DAILY WIRE
— Socialist Senate Nominee Called Charlie Kirk Supporters Tools ‘Of White Supremacy.’ DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/socialist-senate-nominee-called-charlie-kirk-supporters-tools-of-white-supremacy
FOX BUSINESS
— Virginia removes over 6,000 noncitizens from voter rolls.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403805538112
FOX NEWS
— Socialism surges among Democrats as party leaders reject DSA agenda. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/socialism-surges-among-democrats-party-leaders-reject-dsa-agenda-pack-fools
— Democrats have built a ‘COALITION OF TRIBAL GRIEVANCES.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQd2F3IEJM8
NATIONAL REVIEW
— The Path Ahead for Welfare Reform.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/the-path-ahead-for-welfare-reform/
PJ MEDIA
— Hegseth Used Slang for Transgender-Identifying Lefties.
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/08/21/pete-hegseth-used-slang-for-transgender-identifying-lefties-and-wokies-lost-their-marbles-n4956398
PRESS BANNER
— Planning Your Financial Future Under Socialism. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://pressbanner.com/finance-planning-your-financial-future-under-socialism/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Bernie Sanders won Santa Cruz County primaries twice and now Ocasio-Cortez, Mandami, El-Sayed and Flanagan gain power. DSA friendly candidates threaten moderate Democrats and independent votes enough to give MAGA a fighting chance in November. Democratic Socialists of America claim 95,000 members. Would socialism look more like DSA dreams, Republican nightmares or Nordic compromises? With threats from right and left, can personal financial planning survive? The DSA Program. In “What is Democratic Socialism,” the DSA proclaims: “We want a democracy that creates space for us all to flourish not just survive and answers the fundamental questions of our lives with the input of all. We want to collectively own the key economic drivers that dominate our lives, such as energy production and transportation.” On the site program.dsausa.org, the DSA shamelessly prophesies: “You work as much as you are able and no more than needed…You have no debt. You don’t need health insurance. You don’t pay a mortgage or have a landlord, because comfortable housing is a human right. Your retirement is publicly funded. Food, education, energy, medicine, and transportation aren’t for-profit businesses; they are common goods and utilities.” DSA would “Expand public resources to support recreation, learning, and social spaces accessible to all.” Sustainable publicly owned transit and energy replace fossil fuels. Investment, insurance and estate planning here is a question for government, not individuals. Mao’s Ideological Purity. The specter of Maoism transformed Chinese agricultural society down “the road of socialism under the leadership of the party.” So government controlled not only politics and religion, but production, borders, the arts and education. Peasants ate from common kitchens and married according to party needs. Individuals couldn’t even plan their daily dress. Estates of landlords — even poor landlords — and entrepreneurs were confiscated. Seized housing guaranteed housing “rights.” There were no stock or insurance markets and security was greatest for peasants who denounced neighbors publicly and worked harder and longer even when government horribly mismanaged steel production with backyard furnaces. To collectivize agriculture, the party appropriated food to starve tens of millions. Nordic Socialism? In UN World Happiness Reports, Nordics rank the happiest people and surely honest democracy, subsidized education and healthcare contribute. Unicameral legislatures and proportional representation model the DSA’s critique of America’s independent presidency and judiciary. Roughly 30% of the people work in health care, education and government and workers are highly unionized with government settling disputes. Unemployment insurance and government childcare are regular. But Deng Xiaoping brought markets back to China and the Swedish Social Democrats deregulated banking and currency in the 1980s. The financial crisis of 1990-94 resulted in deregulation. Socialists beware: Swedes get vouchers for educational choice and save in subsidized mutual fund accounts. Scandification.com says: “Sweden is a highly liberalized and competitive open-market economy. The country happily trades with countries all around the globe. Most Swedish enterprises are privately owned and pay quite low taxes compared to other parts of the globe.” The Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom ranks Sweden ahead of the United States! Questions for Socialists. What happens when socialism meets Amazon.com variety with bleak lifestyle choices? Canadians already venture abroad for delayed healthcare and Moscow bread lines were infamous. And we don’t all enjoy paying for solar panels on dull housing projects. F.A. Hayek says that the task of providing for everyone’s needs or wants while knowing all the human and natural resources is too much for any planning committee without the invisible hand of pricing. Mandami is already challenged delivering free buses. Poor worker motivation challenged Mao to lead constant rallies with art glorifying low-paid production — not short work and environmental purity. The DSO admittedly seeks “…aggressive wealth taxes on the richest individuals and corporations to spend on public goods and infrastructure.” Nordic countries tax over 40% of GDP versus OECD averages of 33.9%. Like our income tax, burdens start with the rich, but El-Sayed admitted that “you paid a little more in taxes” for free healthcare. Planning is impossible in Maoist China where planners would be lynched. Sweden’s welfare state hosts CFPs and tax planning with market investments flourishes. If Socialism — or Fascism — conquers America, we won’t have so many choices.)
REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Woke 2.0 and the False Promise of Socialist Division.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/08/21/woke_20_and_the_false_promise_of_socialist_division_154432.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Democrats hold more favorable view of socialism than capitalism. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.aol.com/articles/democrats-hold-more-favorable-view-172421000.html
— Gen Z turns against capitalism as DSA takes off. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/6042507-gen-z-capitalism-socialism-sports-betting-gender-political-divide/
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
— Republicans Must Stop Being Democrat-Lite.
https://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-the-gops-problem-in-its-strategies-or-its-policies/republicans-must-stop-being-democrat-lite
CNN
— 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.cnn.com/2026/08/17/politics/fact-check-trump-south-korea-cost-sharing-biden
AOL
— How Much Income You Need To Join the Top 10% in Every State. In Illinois it is $296,443/year.
https://www.aol.com/articles/much-income-join-top-10-142011000.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— The Socialist, a Million-Dollar Rowhouse and Unanswered Questions. Differing accounts of where Gustavo Gordillo, a leader of the Democratic Socialists of America, lives are raising doubts about whether the city’s left-wing organizers are ready for prime time. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/22/nyregion/nyc-gustavo-gordillo-democratic-socialist.html
— Journalism and Paywalls. An increasingly hostile environment for independent reporting in the United States and elsewhere has made our job harder, and more expensive. DD: My direct competitors continue to be furious that I have the money, time, motivation, ability, and experience to put together and send out my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletter every day without a paywall, without any advertising, and without any donation requests. All the money that I spend putting the newsletters together and sending them out comes from my Civil Service Retirement System pension, my Social Security, and my retirement savings. Far too many of my direct competitors destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate or dominate, b) who refuse to glorify or praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money. I should write about them.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/world/journalism-us-colombia-quake.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Some of you have written in, surprised and sometimes annoyed at the prospect of hitting the paywall. I get it. So in today’s newsletter, I want to explain why we need people who can afford it to pay for our journalism. Many of you already do. Thank you.)
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— College Enrollments Are Expected to Plunge. DD: Under the Democrats, anticipate/expect that fewer and fewer and fewer Whites and males will earn college degrees.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/why-college-enrollments-are-expected-to-plunge-a8e00d7d
FORBES
— Employee Engagement. DD: I was far more engaged than my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO coworkers. While I worked for the Democrats who ran the Post Office 1966-1969, I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree in management. While I worked for the Democrats who ran IRS 1971-1980, I earned an MBA, passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, and almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting. While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, I earned a master’s degree in accounting, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt, became a licensed CPA, served on the Association of Government Accountants Executive Committee for 12 years, served on the Illinois CPA Society Membership Committee for 8 years, earned professional certifications in fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting, and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading. None of my Democrat coworkers came close to doing what I did. To get promoted, all they had to do was to be “good little Democrats.”
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2026/08/20/12-employee-engagement-strategies-that-are-working-now/
— Career Slowdown. DD: My Post Office career more than slowed down, it crashed when my Democrat superiors disallowed my sick leave requests when I was 19 in 1968 and 20 and forced me to resign when I was 20 falsely claiming that I was not available to work enough part-time hours. My IRS career more than slowed down, it crashed when I was 25 when my Democrat superiors succeeded in getting rid of the manager who had promoted me when I was 23 (GS-9), 24 (GS-11), and 25 (GS-12). 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 expenses when I was 29. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. My GAO career more than slowed down, it crashed when I was 31 when my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to take a $23,699 (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS, disempowering the GAO manager who had arranged that transfer, gave me bad job assignments and unfair performance expectations and performance appraisals and kept me off audits of IRS. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31 and my passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination and becoming a licensed CPA when I was 32. GAO finally did promote me to GS-13 when I was 38, but that was only because the manager who arranged my transfer got back into power, assigned me to audits of IRS, and promoted me to GS-13. But when I was 39, they forced him to retire and things when from bad to worse. When I was 40, my career really crashed. They threw me off audits of IRS, gave me a very bad job assignment, very unfair performance expectations, and performance appraisal and ranked me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance (PFP). They ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for PFP from then on. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning four more professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48 and my earning a master’s degree in financial markets and training when I was 48. They forced me to retire when I was 49.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2026/02/21/4-tips-to-keep-up-when-your-coworkers-careers-move-faster/
KEISER UNIVERSITY
— Which College Majors Offer the Best Work-Life Balance? DD: My not majoring in accounting from the beginning was one of my biggest mistakes. I erroneously thought that I could never pass the CPA examination. I did pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30 in 1979, but by then it was too late. The accounting profession saw me as being far too old to have a successful career in accounting. On top of that, the profession was under tremendous pressure to hire, retain, and promote young minorities and young females.
https://www.keiseruniversity.edu/articles/careers-with-best-work-life-balance/
STANDARD EXAMINER
— DD: When Whites and males do better on tests than minorities and females, Democrats and RINOs blame Republicans.
https://www.standard.net/opinion/national-commentary/2026/aug/21/stossel-racist-tests/
NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
— Affordability For All. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://nul.org/news/affordability-all-its-time-rescue-american-dream
FROM OTHER SOURCES
MAYO CLINIC
— Type 2 diabetes over time: What to expect as you age. DD: My prescribed type 2 diabetes pills are: Glimepiride (2), Jardiance, Metformin, and Ozempic. I am using Stelo ( https://www.stelo.com/ ) to monitor my glucose levels.
https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/diabetes/type-2-diabetes-over-time-what-to-expect-as-you-age/
TOPSPEED
— 10 Affordable Cars That Make Perfect Daily Drivers. DD: Chevy Malibu is one of them. My 2021 Chevy Malibu Premier will me my daily driver if my 2018 Chevy Cruze LT is totaled or stolen.
https://www.topspeed.com/affordable-new-cars-for-daily-driving/
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 17, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
NBC5
— 16 teens arrested at vacant Congress Theater, 1 week after illegal rave. The teens, ages 13 to 19, were all charged with one misdemeanor count for criminal trespassing. The mass arrest comes after a local DJ held an unsanctioned rave at the theater on Aug. 8 that drew several young people. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/16-teens-arrested-at-vacant-congress-theater-1-week-after-illegal-rave/3976097/
— Frustrations grow as power outages persist in NW Indiana after derecho. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/video/news/local/frustrations-grow-as-power-outages-persist-in-nw-indiana-after-derecho/3976247/
CBS2
— 16 teenagers arrested after trespassing inside Congress Theater on Northwest Side. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/16-teenagers-arrested-trespassing-congress-theater/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/17/ice-out-chicago/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Darren Bailey accepts campaign money from sex offender who’s now pastor, attends service at his church. Victor D. Barr was convicted of sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl when she was a Rockford high school student and he was a teacher. He and his household have made three campaign donations to the Republican candidate for governor, who also visited Barr’s congregation in June. Bailey didn’t know Barr’s background and now plans to give the contributions to charity, an aide says.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2026/08/17/darren-bailey-campaign-money-registered-sex-offender-victor-barr-pastor-faith-center-rockford
— ALLL OF THE FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/08/17/broadview-six-judge-april-perry-trump-vance
DAILY HERALD
— Midwest shows DSA left could take over the Democratic Party.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260816/syndicated-columnists/midwest-shows-dsa-left-could-take-over-the-democratic-party/
WBEZ
— Muslim families look to Arabic immersion education to give their children a foundation in faith and identity. Chicago-area Muslim families are flocking to a small southwest suburban school for its rigorous, play-based curriculum taught entirely in Arabic. DD: Democrat leaders fight assimilation.
https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/05/30/chicago-muslim-families-arabic-immersion-education-faith-identity-bridgeview-quran-mas-blossoms
NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-08-16/what-are-we-going-to-do-the-mom-of-a-trans-teen-grapples-with-trumps-medicaid-move
— Staying in a job for the health insurance? About 1 in 4 Americans do. DD: The federal government paying 72% of my healthcare insurance since 1966 and then also paying 72% of my wife’s healthcare insurance since 1978 helped me endure tremendous efforts by my Democrat superiors in the federal government to waste my career and to get rid of me. For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://www.npr.org/2026/07/22/nx-s1-5902333/health-insurance-jobs-gallup
ILLINOIS TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.illinoistimes.com/news/democracy-rising-rally-held-at-old-state-capitol/
PATRICIA KLADIS-SCHIAPPA FOR DUPAGE COUNTY CLERK
— Burr Ridge park district cancels meet and greet event
https://www.facebook.com/61579580051028/posts/for-immediate-release-burr-ridge-illinois-8162026i-regret-to-inform-the-communit/122178940904986001/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— State Fair glow meets ethics shadow
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/17/state-fair-glow-meets-ethics-shadow-01038943
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Analysis of Catalina Lauf’s Probable Victory in Southwest Florida’s 19th Congressional District.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/16/analyzing-catalina-laufs-probable-victory-in-southwest-florildas-19th-congresisonal-district/
BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— AOC: Cunning and Callous
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/08/12/aoc-cunning-and-callous
— Abdul El-Sayed’s Equally Radical Half-Sister Eman Abdelhad. She is an assistant professor at the University of Chicago in the Department of Comparative Human Development.
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/08/14/abdul-el-sayeds-equally-radical-half-sister-eman-abdelhadi
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin sees room for leftists in ‘big tent’ party. Summer meeting ends without resolving ICE fight, Israel rift or midterm cash gap.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/16/democratic-national-committee-chair-ken-martin-sees-room-leftists-big/
— Democrats need an agenda before socialists write one for them. Empty opposition to Trump keeps handing energy to the party’s radical wing.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/16/democrats-need-agenda-socialists-write-one/
— Radical Democrats gearing up for woke 2.0. Slogans may change, but the extreme leftist agenda remains.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/16/radical-democrats-gearing-woke-20/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Half of Democratic voters hold negative view of capitalism. DD: How successful have Democrat leaders been promoting socialism in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/economy/4689225/half-democratic-voters-negative-view-capitalism-poll/
NEW YORK POST
— Dems now favor socialism over capitalism by this overwhelming amount.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/us-news/dems-now-favor-socialism-over-capitalism-by-this-overwhelming-amount-new-poll/
— Gingrich: Iran betting it can outlast Trump if Dems take Congress. ‘Trying to win in America politically’ like North Vietnam.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/us-news/iran-betting-it-can-outlast-trump-if-dems-take-congress-gingrich-says/
— If we don’t face WHY men are giving up on work, America’s future is grim. DD: Democrat and RINO employers ever-increasingly give more preference to young women and to young minorities.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/opinion/if-we-dont-face-why-men-are-giving-up-on-work-americas-future-is-grim/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: This dysfunction leads to higher rates of drug abuse and suicide, both far worse among men than women, as well as “failure to launch” that now sees one in five men aged 25 to 34 living “at home,” markedly more than their female peers. And men who can’t serve as the family’s prime breadwinners tend not to form families at all, driving both the rise in single-parent (almost always a woman) homes and the decline in US birth rates. Demographers predict that by 2038 more Americans will die than be born.)
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— DD: What do you say to those a) who are able-bodied, b) who refuse to work, and c) who demand welfare?
https://www.aei.org/commentary/are-you-a-bad-citizen/
BRETBART
— Democratic Committee Urges Congress to Defund ICE, Free Illegals.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/17/democratic-committee-urges-congress-to-defund-ice-free-illegal-migrants/amp/
— Democrats Swamp State Legislatures with 250 Pro-Migrant Bills to Obstruct Trump’s Deportation Mandate.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/16/democrats-swamp-state-legislatures-with-250-pro-migrant-bills-to-obstruct-trumps-deportation-mandate/
CAMPUS REFORM
— The new DEI witness protection program at universities. DD: Because of Affirmative Action and because of DEI, that is, because of political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination, those who are the following should anticipate/expect that will always have to do more to advance: conservative, Republican, White, male, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Because I am all of the aforesaid, to advance, I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license. If I had been liberal/moderate, Democrat, minority, female, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, the Democrats who ran the federal government would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service, currently $197,200/year, long before I was 40 years old. Instead, they wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/new-dei-witness-protection-program-universities-analysis/30401
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Changing the acronym may change the press release, but it does not change the requirements of federal civil rights law. At universities across the country, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices are undergoing transformations that would make the Federal Witness Protection Program proud. Diversity becomes “community.” Inclusion becomes “belonging.” Equity becomes “excellence.” Administrators acquire new titles. Departments get new signs.)
DAILY CALLER
— Chicago Has 7 Times The Murders Of Cities In State That Respects Gun Rights.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/16/a-study-in-contrasts-one-city-in-anti-2a-state-has-seven-times-the-murders-as-three-in-a-state-that-respects-2a-rights/
FOX NEWS
— Woke 1 looks TAME compared to Woke 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DfdhvAn5sKa8
— Reince Priebus: Donald Trump is the ‘biggest’ reason why ‘Woke 1.0’ is dead. DD: All my critics/opponents are some degree of woke.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403538809112
— Long Island street takeover erupts as drivers block road, perform donuts, burnouts. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://noticias.foxnews.com/us/long-island-street-takeover-erupts-drivers-block-road-perform-donuts-burnouts-police
HOT AIR
— Chicago Teachers Union’s Sustainable Community Schools Is a Scam.
https://hotair.com/headlines/2026/08/15/chicago-teachers-unions-sustainable-community-schools-is-a-scam-n3817991
TOWNHALL
— If Democrats Win, Trump Will Be Impeached Again.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jeffcrouere/2026/08/17/if-democrats-win-trump-will-be-impeached-again-n2681343
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Fetterman warns of socialism’s rise in the Democratic Party: ‘This is lunacy’
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6032418-fetterman-warns-socialism-rise/
NBC NEWS
— Tough economy forces Gen Z to rewrite the American dream playbook. Squeezed by high costs, an unwelcoming housing market and uncertain career prospects, younger adults are making hard choices — and getting creative. DD: How many Gen Zers are doing what I did? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I worked two jobs for 18 months. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/gen-z-rewrites-american-dream-playbook-rcna591764
CBS NEWS
— Most Americans believe a free market system is a good thing. Americans are net-negative on socialism. Capitalism is better-liked. But those ideas aside, right now they say it’s harder now to do things like buy a house, raise a family, and to just feel financially secure than for the last generation. Younger people are especially apt to feel opportunities are fewer. So most also call the current U.S. economic system unfair, in terms of the way it works for chances to get ahead. DD: To get ahead under socialists, you have to be a socialist. To get ahead under Democrats, you have to be a Democrat. To get ahead under RINOs, you have to be a RINO. To get ahead under Affirmative Action and DEI, you have to be a female or a minority.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democrats-socialism-economy-political-parties-opinion-poll/
NEWSWEEK
— Best Test Prep 2026. DD: I would not have passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30 in 1979 if I had not a) taken the Becker CPA Review, b) taken graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul, c) earned an MBA from Loyola, and d) worked for IRS for 8 years.
https://www.newsweek.com/readerschoice/best-test-prep-2026
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Becker provides professional education and exam preparation programs for individuals pursuing accounting, finance and business certifications. Best known for its CPA Exam review courses, Becker offers comprehensive study materials, practice questions, lectures and personalized learning tools. Its programs help students and professionals prepare for certification exams while building the knowledge and skills needed for career advancement.)
WASHINGTON POST
— His family fled socialism. He’s trying to spread it. A young Cuban American is selling democratic socialism door-to-door across Miami. But he cannot bring himself to discuss it across his family’s kitchen table.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/16/an-activist-tries-sell-socialism-miami-people-who-fled-castro/
USA TODAY
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for inflation.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/grocery/2026/08/10/families-using-credit-grocery-stores-costs/91128536007/
SEATTLE TIMES
— About one-third of single, unemployed Americans have paused dating. DD: What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/one-of-them-was-unemployed-could-they-afford-to-date/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Why White-Collar Workers Can’t Get Ahead. DD: What did you do to get ahead? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/why-white-collar-workers-cant-get-ahead-a5b4870e
— Democrats Try to End Internal Squabbling.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/democrats-turn-focus-to-winning-after-months-of-internal-fights-29c49635
FORTUNE
— Backstabbing is the new office norm: Gen Z and millennials are blame-shifting, snitching, and setting others up to fail—but so are managers. DD: Far too many of my Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were backstabbers. Far too many who claim to be religious, conservative, and/or Republican are backstabbers.
https://fortune.com/article/gen-z-millennials-backstabbing-get-ahead-career-new-office-norm-rto-research/
BUSINESS WIRE
— Getting ahead. DD: What did you do to get ahead? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260324580106/en/New-Employer-Ratings-Reveal-Where-Workers-Actually-Get-Ahead-Role-by-Role
24/7 WALL STREET
— A couple earning $110,000 combined with $65,000 in student debt got Ramsey’s green light to have a baby, thanks largely to $45,000 in imminent PSLF forgiveness. Staying a two-income household is the single variable that determines success. Dropping to $55,000 makes the $2,200 mortgage financially crushing. Jade Warshaw recommends building a faux budget before the baby arrives, modeling both dual- and single-income scenarios with real daycare quotes. DD: According my Democrat GAO superiors, if my wife and I had children, I would not have been able to a) pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, b) afford to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO and earn a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, c) pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and become a licensed CPA when I was 32, d) have a home built in Wheaton when I was 35, and g) buy a collector car when I was 40. My Democrat GAO superiors ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being disgusting selfish rich DINKs. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. They knew full-well that both my wife and I had major fertility problems. They painted themselves as being grossly underpaid. They decried the time and money they spent raising their children. They decried the little or no income that their wives had. Should I write about my Democrat GAO superiors?
https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/2026/08/16/dave-ramsey-tells-couple-earning-110000-they-can-afford-a-baby-but-one-decision-could-change-everything/
HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL
— Defining a “Good Job” DD: What jobs have you had? Overwhelmingly, when I was young, my peers a) had parents who had more money than my parents did, b) did not have to take jobs let alone take bad jobs, and/or c) viewed the jobs that I took as being bad jobs that they would never stoop to take. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/wiener/programs/economy/our-work/reimagining-economy-blog/daniel-schneider-defines-a-good-job
SHRM
— What’s the Difference Between a ‘Good’ Job and a ‘Bad’ Job? 10 Dimensions of Job Quality. DD: What about how jobs are viewed? All the jobs that I had were viewed as being bad jobs. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/employee-relations/whats-difference-good-job-bad-job
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Level of pay. Stable and predictable pay. Stable and predictable hours. Control over hours and/or job location. Job security. Employee benefits. Career advancement opportunities. Enjoying the day-to-day work. Having a sense of purpose and dignity at work. Having the power to change things that are unsatisfying at work.)
BEST COLLEGES
— 40 Companies That Pay for College With Tuition Reimbursement. DD: I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969, Firestone Stores 1970-1972, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997. Because they did not reimburse tuition or reimbursed only token amounts, I paid lots of my own money for tuition a) to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree from NIU in 1970 (many courses), b) to earn a job-related master’s degree from Loyola in 1976 (16 courses), c) to pass a job-related professional examination in 1979, d) to earn a job-related master’s degree from DePaul in 1980 (12 courses), e) to pass a job-related professional examination in 1981, and f) to earn a job-related master’s degree from IIT in 1997 (14 courses). To add insult to injury and to get rid of me, my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my education deductions in 1978 outrageously, disgustingly, falsely, and unethically arguing that the courses I took a) did not relate to my job duties, b) did not maintain or improve my job skills, c) were taken by me to get a job in the private sector, and d) qualified me for a new trade or business.
https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/companies-with-tuition-reimbursement/
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
— Student debt: The hidden affordability crisis. DD: Because I worked my way through college, I graduated debt-free with a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in August of 1970 owning a 1969 Dodge Charger SE. Not that I could have gotten a student loan, but if I had gotten one, I would not have been able to a) buy a new 1972 Corvette in October of 1971, b) pay tuition for graduate evening business courses starting in January of 1972, or b) buy a new townhome in September of 1972.
https://www.aft.org/column/student-debt-hidden-affordability-crisis
BUZZ FEED
— Jobs That Are Either Criminally Underpaid Or Wildly Overpaid. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I was always overpaid. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/29-jobs-either-criminally-underpaid-110103399.html
— Turning To Socialism. DD: To get ahead under Democrats, you have to be a Democrat. Because I refused to become a Democrat, I did not get ahead in the federal government. To get ahead under RINOs, you have to be a RINO. Because I refused to become a RINO, I did not get ahead in the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, or Illinois Republican Party.
https://www.aol.com/articles/fox-news-host-blaming-gop-202209000.html
POLITICO
— DD: Some blame Bernie Sanders for Hong’s defeat. I should write about the following who have blamed me and have blamed my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters the most for defeats suffered by Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct since 2000: past and present a) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Illinois Republican Party, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois, and Illinois Center Right Coalition, b) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct and their political consultants, major donors, fundraisers, pollsters, campaign managers, campaign staff members, and campaign volunteers, d) conservative leaders, and e) religious leaders.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/13/bernie-sanders-wisconsin-progressives-hong-01037121
AXIOS
— America is quickly becoming Sin Nation. Or, as President Trump put it while discussing prediction markets in the Oval Office last month: “The whole world, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a casino.” Why it matters: Once-forbidden vices — weed, gambling and porn — are no longer confined to back alleys or the desert. They’re ubiquitous, digital and spreading at a pace that has outstripped the country’s social and regulatory guardrails. Governments didn’t turn a blind eye to most of this behavior. They encouraged it. We’re scaling sin in real time.
https://www.axios.com/2026/05/12/america-gambling-weed-deepfakes
PSY POST
— DD: As fewer and fewer and fewer men earn college degrees, college women increasingly marry men without degrees. My wife and I got married when I was 29. She was impressed that I earned a bachelor’s degree in management when I was 21 and an MBA when I was 27 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses.
https://www.psypost.org/college-women-are-increasingly-marrying-men-without-degrees-as-college-demographics-shift/
August 16, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/la-voz/2026/08/13/tras-seis-meses-detenida-por-ice-una-vendedora-de-tamales-de-chicago-reconstruye-su-vida
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more Islam.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/15/muslim-politics-democrat-trump-el-sayed-mamdani-piker-rummana-hussain
— DD: Democrat leaders always hint/imply/argue/shout that police are racists.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2026/08/14/traffic-stops-racial-disparities-chicago-police-department-illinois-department-transportation-driving-while-black
ABC7
— A petition to declare U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra “persona non grata” and have him removed from his post had received more than 104,000 signatures as of Thursday. The petition was launched on Canada’s parliamentary petitions portal, where citizens and residents of Canada can set up petitions to parliament. DD: If/when my critics/opponents set up such a petition against me and against my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters, how many signatures will they get? My critics/opponents blame me and blame my newsletters for all the losses that Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct have suffered since 2000. I should write about my “Republican” critics/opponents who paint themselves as being Democrat Lite, if not RINO, if not Democrat or Libertarian Plant. They do not want Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders to defend or promote conservative principles and the following planks in the Republican Party platform: personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving).
https://abc7chicago.com/story/100000-sign-petition-declare-us-ambassador-canada-persona-grata/19672210/
NBC5
— Power outages in northwest Indiana are so bad you can see them from space. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/power-outages-in-northwest-indiana-are-so-bad-you-can-see-them-from-space/3975848/
RIVER BENDER
— DD: Ever-increasingly, the more of the following that you are, the more government assistance that you get: minority, female, younger, veteran, and/or citizen of a foreign country.
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/illinois-commission-on-equity-and-inclusion-announces-bep–vbp-certification-kickstart-workshop-95943.cfm
WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL
— Socialism lost in Wisconsin, but it’s winning in the Democratic Party.
https://madison.com/opinion/column/article_cf423347-2ce6-4bcd-b48a-a29010ef9780.html
WMOI
— LaHood, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Access to Low-Interest Mortgages for First-Time Homebuyers. DD: Mortgage interest rates were 7.4% when I bought a new townhome in University Park when I was 24 in 1972. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ . In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $94,500. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://977wmoi.com/2026/08/lahood-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-expand-access-to-low-interest-mortgages-for-first-time-homebuyers/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democrats plan decade-long strategy to push pro-transgender narrative. DD: How successful have Democrats been promoting LGBTQ in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/15/democrats-plan-decade-long-strategy-push-pro-transgender-narrative/
— The Democrat Party, since the presidential days of Bill Clinton, has been moving down a path toward communism.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/15/bold-blunt-socialism-nope-communism-fought/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Johnson launches website to teach young voters about socialism and communism ahead of midterm elections. DD: How successful have Democrats been promoting socialism in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4688861/mike-johnson-contrast-for-america-tour-midterm-elections/
— The Peter Pan generation chooses pets. DD: My former neighbor Dr. Dan Kiley wrote the Peter Pan Syndrome. SEE: https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Pan-Syndrome-Never-Grown/dp/0380688905
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/4667440/peter-pan-generation-chooses-pets-over-children/
— Democratic Socialists lack accountability by not facing the past.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AoDmip0KHh4
NEW YORK POST
— Socialist NY lawmaker Emily Gallagher says shoplifting for ‘biological need’ is OK.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/us-news/socialist-ny-lawmaker-emily-gallagher-says-shoplifters-have-a-biological-need-to-steal/
— DD: Democrat leaders dump Bill Maher because he thinks immigrants should assimilate and accept American values and principles.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/us-news/bill-maher-thinks-american-values-arent-negotiable/
— Dog owners’ average spending tops $4,000 a year—here’s the cost breakdown. DD: One reason why my wife and I have more money is our never owning pets.
https://nypost.com/lifestyle/true-cost-of-owning-a-dog/
AMERICAN THINKER
— How illegals plunder American billions, in broad daylight. And how Democrats enabled every dollar plundered.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/how-illegals-plunder-american-billions-in-broad-daylight/
— Mass immigration can only work if immigrants are introduced to a common American culture and expected to assimilate.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/america-s-stranger-problem/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Trump says AOC is misleading voters: ‘The woke will become woke again as soon as they get elected’
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/15/trump-says-aoc-is-misleading-voters-the-woke-will-become-woke-again-as-soon-as-they-get-elected-1654961/
BREITBART
— Democratic Socialists Have Been in Party for a While.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/15/progressive-caucus-chair-democratic-socialists-have-been-in-party-for-a-while/amp/
— Rise of Democratic Socialists is a Real Opportunity for the GOP.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/15/mark-levin-rise-of-a-democratic-socialists-a-real-opportunity-for-gop/
— Quarter of Americans Say Most Democrats Are Socialists.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/15/poll-quarter-of-americans-say-most-democrats-are-socialists/amp/
FOX NEWS
— A STEP TOWARD COMMUNISM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3vwDloUkxE
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— EEOC Sues Washington University in St. Louis For Firing Employee Who Complained About DEI Policy. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire not only because I complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination, but because I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/eeoc-sues-wash-u-for-firing-employee-who-complained-about-dei-policy/amp/
NEWSMAX
— The growing influence of democratic socialists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqIshMiul4U
PATRIOT LEDGER
— ‘We’re winning:’ Bernie Sanders and DSA see WI, MI results as progress. DD: How successful have Democrats been promoting socialism in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/08/16/bernie-sanders-dsa-wisconsin-michigan-progress/91276557007/
REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— The Woke Right Is Urging The Abandonment Of “Core Conservative Traditional Reaganite Principles.”
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/08/15/mark_levin_the_woke_right_is_urging_the_abandonment_of_core_conservative_traditional_reaganite_principles.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— The worse it gets, the better it is: American leftism is thriving on its own failures.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/6030675-american-left-politics-failure/
ABC NEWS
— 21% of Married Couples Have a Foreign Spouse. DD: All my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s from what is now Germany. They all married those who shared their national origin.
https://abcnews.com/ABC_Univision/News/census-report-reveals-21-married-couples-foreign-spouse/story?id=20171171
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The number of mixed-nativity married couple households corresponds with the increase in immigration to the United States over the last several decades. . .As the immigrant population has grown, so has the chance that a native-born person will meet and marry a foreign-born person.)
CBS NEWS
— Federal workers sour on government work. DD: I would not have spent almost 30 years of my life working for the federal government if my high school friend had not asked me to join him to take the postal employment test in 1966. Because I passed, I was a part-time postal employee while I attended UIC 1966-1968 and NIU in 1969. I graduated from NIU in 1970 and accepted the only job offer that I got, to be the Retail Sales Manager in a Firestone Store, a job that not really require a college degree. Potential employers saw me as being draft bait. They did not believe that my application for a financial hardship draft deferment to help support my mother and brother would be approved. I accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile in 1971, but Oldsmobile withdrew that offer saying it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. My Firestone Store boss rudely fired me because I had accepted that offer. Because I had to have a job, I accepted a job offer that I got from IRS. I had taken and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination while I was a NIU student as a backup because federal employees are viewed negatively.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-workers-survey-public-service-job-security/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Nearly two-thirds of U.S. federal workers said they wouldn’t enter public service again, citing eroding job security and benefits, according to a recent poll of active and retired government employees. Respondents’ views overwhelmingly reflected concerns about the current federal climate, rather than regret over having chosen careers in government, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) found in a July survey. The Trump administration has made sweeping cuts to the federal workforce by eliminating jobs and weakening civil service protections. In 2025, the White House announced a number of executive orders to slash government jobs, including a hiring freeze on civilian workers and directives to federal agencies to reduce their rolls. President Trump has said there are too many federal workers, pushing to reduce the size and scope of government while making agencies more efficient.)
NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/opinion/kansas-anti-trans-laws-drivers-license.html
WASHINGTON POST
— Democrats are calculating a left turn. The math is inescapable.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/08/07/2028-democratic-contenders-should-not-misread-primary-results/
USA TODAY
— College should be tough. Michigan’s grade plan coddles students. DD: What harmed your college GPA? For me, it was my working far too many hours delivering mail instead of studying.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/08/16/university-michigan-drops-grades-freshmen-lsa/91285520007/
FORTUNE
— Facing a decadeslong shortage, the FAA has now hired more than 2,000 air traffic controllers after its campaign recruiting Gen Z video gamers promising $155K payday. DD: I did not earn $155,000/year in today’s dollars until after I had a) worked for GAO for almost 18 years, b) worked for IRS for almost 9 years, c) earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), d) earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and e) earned a job-related professional license (CPA). 3 years after I started working for IRS in 1971, I earned $100,000/year in today’s dollars. I had completed 10 graduate business evening business courses. According to my critics/opponents, I was grossly overpaid.
https://fortune.com/article/why-is-trump-administration-hiring-gen-z-video-gamers-for-air-traffic-control/
FORBES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice including more pot.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajherrington/2026/07/21/more-employers-drop-marijuana-tests-despite-rising-positive-results/
— Envy. DD: My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government were filled with envy. They always painted themselves as being underpaid. They were ever-increasingly furious at my and my wife’s ever-increasing income and net worth. To turn them against me, my Democrat superiors stressed a) the new cars that I bought when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc., b) the real estate that I bought when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, and 35, c) the collector cars that I bought when I was 40 and 45, d) the college degrees that I earned when I was 21, 27, 31, and 48, e) the professional certifications that I earned when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, f) the professional license that I earned when I was 32, g) the vacations that my wife and I took, h) etc. Some of them circulated copies of Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on me and my wife. SEE https://gopillinois.com/documents/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolelipkin/2024/04/30/how-to-keep-envy-at-bay-by-creating-a-positive-workplace-culture/
— Better Safe Than Sorry Kills Your Career. DD: I knew that I was taking a big career risk when I suggested myself to be the subject of a “One Person’s Finances” article in Money Magazine when I was 28 in 1977. SEE: https://gopillinois.com/documents/ But my Democrat IRS superiors had made it very clear that they would never promote me to GS-13. They had ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976. They had gotten rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me when I was 23, 24, and 25. They had disallowed my travel vouchers when I was 25. SEE: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-180010.11-0 If you were me, would you have taken that risk?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2026/08/15/why-better-safe-than-sorry-kills-your-career-making-success-harder/
BLOOMBERG
— Trump’s ‘Golden Age’ Pitch Meets Affordability Frustration. DD: What did you do to afford things? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2026-08-15/trump-golden-age-pitch-meets-affordability-frustration-video
FORD FOUNDATION
— The Working Class. DD: I define the working class as being wage earners who earn less money. I was a member of the working class for 33 years. To earn more money, I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license. Notwithstanding the aforesaid, I never earned more than $154,682/year in today’s dollars. According to my critics/opponents, I was both grossly overpaid and an abject career failure.
https://www.fordfoundation.org/news-and-stories/stories/the-backbone-of-america-understanding-the-working-class/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The term “working class” often evokes narrow and outdated images in American culture. But in reality, today’s working class is often primarily defined by education rather than occupation: individuals without a four-year college degree. By that measure, the working class constitutes over 60% of the U.S. labor force—more than 93 million people as of 2023. This group is not only large, but richly diverse: Roughly 53% are non-Hispanic white, 13% Black, and 25% Hispanic. Approximately 44% are women.)
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
— Reskilling. Did you reskill? I certainly did. When I was 40 in 1988, to get rid of me, my Democrat GAO superiors made it very clear that they would never again assign me to audits of IRS. Because of that, I applied for and got accepted into their audit group that audited federal financial industry regulators in 1990. The leader of that group made it very clear that she wanted everyone in that group to have a master’s degree in finance. Because of that, I started taking graduate evening finance courses at IIT in 1992 and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in early 1997. But in August and September of 1997, she led her superiors’ successful effort to force me to retire. She gave my Black subordinate my job and my preferred corner office. He did not have a master’s degree in finance. He had less job-related education than I had. He had less job-related work experience than I had. He had one job-related professional certification while I had six. I had no job-related professional license like the one I had. She would not have had to do that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, veteran, or younger.
https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/want-workers-to-reskill-show-them-who-they-can-become
PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE
— Undermining independence and eroding transparency: Examining Schedule Policy/Career reclassifications. A Partnership analysis of recent federal job postings suggests that Schedule Policy/Career reclassifications reach far beyond policy-influencing roles. This apparent expansion runs contrary to the Trump administration’s statement that reclassifications were largely limited to the “highest-ranking career positions outside of the Senior Executive Service.” DD: As a GS-13 GAO Analyst, I had absolutely no policy-influencing roles. I had to do what my superiors told me to do and I did that. But that was not good enough for them.
https://ourpublicservice.org/know-the-facts/blog/examining-schedule-policy-career-reclassifications
PBS
— Forced Retirement: What is it and what can you do about it? DD: I should write about forced retirement. I have almost 29 years of direct experience.
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/chasing-the-dream/2019/03/forced-retirement/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The loss of a career can feel like a death. The resulting grieving process is similar to that following the death of a friend or loved one. The five stages in the process of grieving a loss after death and they’re similar for grieving after an involuntary retirement: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. Denial: You can’t believe this is really happening. You feel paralyzed. Anger: Once the shock has worn off, you begin to feel angry toward your company, supervisor and the world. For many retirees, the job is how they define themselves. When this is taken away, they feel frustrated and angry that they’ve lost their identity. Bargaining: You might want to try to get your job back, even with reduced pay, hours or responsibilities. This rarely works. Depression: Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness take hold and the future looks bleak. Acceptance: When your anger and depression are no longer consuming, you accept your new reality and begin to develop plans to make the most of your life. Each individual passes through these stages at his or her own rate and may move back and forth through some of the stages. The Suddenness of It All. A major problem of forced retirement is the lack of time to plan because of the suddenness of the termination. When someone voluntarily retires, there has been time to think about the future. Do you want to kick back and have a leisure filled retirement? Or do you plan to continue in some form of work or volunteerism? Is there some life passion you’ve been waiting to fulfill? The forced retiree hasn’t had the chance to think about these things. Work provides us with five important functions the forced retiree will suddenly lose. How will you deal with the changes in your financial situation? What about the time management and structure to your day that has been a major part of your working life? What will happen to the status you had and the recognition, reputation and sense of achievement that came with it? Where will you find the sense of usefulness you felt at your job? And how do you replace the social connections that are gone from your everyday life? These losses can lead to feelings of emptiness, shame, embarrassment and worry. You can feel like a failure.)
SHRM
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers reject E-Verify. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997. Many, if not most, if not virtually all of my peers would not have stooped to take the aforesaid bad jobs that I took.
https://www.shrm.org/mena/topics-tools/news/everify-proposal-could-create-new-hr-bompliance-burden
POLITICO
— Democrats finalize 2028 calendar that moves racially diverse states to the front. South Carolina will kick off a presidential primary process, followed by Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/15/democrats-finalize-2028-calendar-that-moves-racially-diverse-states-to-the-front-01038875
POLITIFACT
— How PolitiFact selects facts to check. DD: I often served as a fact checker while I worked for GAO 1986-1997 at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year.
https://politifact.com/video/how-politifact-selects-facts-check/
BUZZ FEED
— Why One Income Could Buy A House In The 1950s But Not Today. DD: My father died suddenly when he was 47 and I was 21 in 1969. He never earned more than $50,000/year in today’s dollars. My mother stayed home and raised me and my brother. He never bought a house. He rented from his parents. First, an apartment above their hardware store in Crete 1945-1954, and then their home at 1286 Wood Street in Crete. The lower rent he paid helped him afford sending me and my brother to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/victoriavouloumanos/people-debating-about-why-inflation-is-getting-worse
AXIOS
— College loses its monopoly on the American Dream. DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/15/college-bachelors-degree-shift-ai-america
NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at everyone that they cannot advance without massive government assistance. I never fell for that. Instead, to advance, I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://nul.org/news/affordability-all-its-time-rescue-american-dream
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
INDEPENDENT
— Meet the British former detective giving US churches AR-15s to defend against shooters. DD: What are churches in your county, township, municipality, and school district doing to defend themselves?
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-church-assault-rifles-simon-osamoh-protection-shootings-b3032594.html
August 12, 2016
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois and Chicago campaigns defy conventional monied wisdom.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/12/column-illinois-chicago-campagins-defy-convention-washington/
— Backlash against Meta’s smart glasses grows. DD: Republican Precinct Committeemen should consider wearing them to document threats against them when they hand-deliver sample ballots, campaign literature, and voter guides in their precinct.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/11/meta-smart-glasses/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The social media giant dominates the market for smart glasses, which allow people to capture photos and videos, listen to music, take phone calls and ask questions to an artificial intelligence assistant. Some people are using the glasses — which look like a pair of regular spectacles — to record people without their knowledge and publish the videos on social media. The users secretly videotape and share what happens when they try to pick up women. Now, a growing number of people are worried they could be covertly recorded at the gym or even during sex. The backlash has prompted Meta to update its glasses to address privacy concerns, and some places have banned them, adding to the angst surrounding technology that’s rapidly evolving. It’s too early to tell whether the criticism will dent sales of smart glasses, said Jitesh Ubrani, a director at the market research company IDC.)
— If you’re not wealthy, you’re making concessions on big-ticket purchases. Consumers are OK with not getting the fancy car. Homes? That’s a bigger problem.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/12/jd-power-zillow-auto-cars-homebuyers-housing-rich/
DAILY HERALD
— The persecution of Anthony Fauci, a public servant. DD: I should write about federal employees who have had big adverse actions taken against them, what those adverse actions were, who took those adverse actions against them, and those who could/should have come to their defense but did not, and why.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260812/syndicated-columnists/the-persecution-of-a-public-servant/
FOX32
— USDA: SNAP enrollment drops by 5.3 million following new work rules – State-by-state breakdown. DD: Democrat leaders want as many people as possible on SNAP because people on SNAP vote for Democrats.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/snap-fewer-recipients-after-new-rules-implemented
PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— Tracy labels Iran war costs ‘required sacrifices.’
https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/11/don-tracy-calls-iran-war-costs-required-sacrifices/91263175007/
EVANSTON NOW
— Uihlein family giving $35M to NU football.
https://evanstonnow.com/uihlein-family-giving-35m-to-nu-football/
FOX ILLINOIS
— DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, their top priority was hiring, retaining, and promoting Democrats who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/researchers-advocates-rail-against-governments-efforts-to-end-workforce-data-collection/article_36c0db76-e1b3-51f4-9ca6-0c160b2045d6.html
NPR ILLINOIS
— Trump-backed Mike Lindell loses primary for Minnesota governor to Lisa Demuth.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-08-11/trump-backed-mike-lindell-loses-primary-for-minnesota-governor-to-lisa-demuth
WGLT
— New Illinois law empowering sexual assault survivors runs into shortage of female officers.
https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-08-11/new-illinois-law-empowering-sexual-assault-survivors-runs-into-shortage-of-female-officers
WFMD
— Chicago’s South Side is drowning in excuses, dependency and decay.
https://www.wfmd.com/2026/04/28/chicagos-south-side-is-drowning-in-excuses-dependency-and-decay/
RACE AND EQUITY PROJECT
— Nowhere to go: Chicago teens on ‘takeovers,’ curfews, and lost community spaces. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://www.raceandequityproject.org/article/chicago-teen-takeover-police-hyde-park-community-spaces
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— DNC plans a Chicago bootcamp.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/12/dnc-plans-a-chicago-bootcamp-01034396
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/12/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-789/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/11/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-576/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
JOHN KASS
— Democrat Socialist of America: The Threat is Real.
https://johnkassnews.com/democrat-socialist-of-america-the-threat-is-real/
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— 10 Criminal Complaints Filed Against Federal Agents Over Operation Midway Blitz as DHS Calls Effort a ‘Political Stunt’
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/10-criminal-complaints-filed-against-federal-agents-over-operation-midway-blitz-as-dhs-calls-effort-a-political-stunt.html
— Why Are the Courts Clogged? Ask the Democrats Who Created the Crisis.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/why-are-the-courts-clogged-ask-the-democrats-who-created-the-crisis.html
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Pritzker record: He added $300 million last year to Chicago pension woes.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pritzker-added-300-million-last-year-to-chicago-pension-woes/
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Double-Dipping, Something Illinois Legislators Won’t Stop. DD: My critics/opponents have always been furious a) that I earned both Civil Service Retirement System and Social Security credits a) while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969 and b) for IRS and Firestone Stores 1971-1972.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/11/double-dipping-something-illinois-legislators-wont-stop/
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is be a Democrat. If I had listened to socialists, I would have become a Democrat. That would have discouraged me from doing what I did to advance. To advance, a) I worked my way through college, b) I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), c) I earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), d) I earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and e) I earned a job-related professional license (CPA). All of my coworkers who my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors promoted over were Democrats. None of them came close to doing what I did to advance. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Who do your critics/opponents blame problems on? My critics/opponent blame problems on conservatives who are White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, have more money than they do, and/or have more professional credentials than they do. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Men (not) at work: Social instability looms as men shun the labor force. DD: Since the 1960s, Democrat and RINO employers have ever-increasingly focused on hiring, retaining, and promoting women, and especially women who are minority and/or younger.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/men-not-work-social-instability-looms-men-shun-labor-force-analysts/
— Blame colleges for the socialist conquest. They recruit and tolerate Jew-hating professors, students.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/11/blame-colleges-socialist-conquest/
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Abdul El-Sayed Proclaimed ‘Obligation’ To Follow Sharia Law Until the Day He Dies.
https://freebeacon.substack.com/p/abdul-el-sayed-proclaimed-obligation
NEW YORK SUN
— Abdul El-Sayed’s Success Is Owed to Western Values and American Meritocracy That He Seeks To Abolish. He is one of the luckiest people to ever live, and an extremist by choice.
https://www.nysun.com/article/abdul-el-sayeds-success-is-owed-to-western-values-and-american-meritocracy-that-he-seeks-to-abolish
AMERICAN THINKER
— Learn to listen, listen to learn. Leftists today aren’t interested in respectful exchanges of viewpoints, or in offering rationales for their own ideas. Socialism is but a step toward communist oppression. Among the dangers it promotes is the abolition of popular dissent. DD: Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is be a Democrat. If I had listened to socialists, I would have become a Democrat. That would have discouraged me from doing what I did to advance. To advance, a) I worked my way through college, b) I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), c) I earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), d) I earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and e) I earned a job-related professional license (CPA). All of my coworkers who my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors promoted over me were Democrats. None of them came close to doing what I did to advance.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/learn-to-listen-listen-to-learn/
— The Diversity Blindspot. The Arday illusion: academia’s shameful infatuation with the diversity poster boy.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/the-diversity-blindspot/
AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY
— The Upward Mobility Act is a Step Forward on Welfare Reform. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://americansforprosperity.org/policy-corner/the-upward-mobility-act-is-a-step-forward-on-welfare-reform/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Trump administration has lost nearly 17,000 immigration rulings. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/11/report-trump-administration-has-lost-nearly-17000-immigration-rulings-1654342/
BLAZE
— DEI’s favorite trick: Failure proves discrimination. DD: Democrats shout at those who fail that Republicans caused their failures.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/deis-favorite-trick-failure-proves-discrimination
BREITBART
— Pritzker: Trump ‘Put People in Harm’s Way to Save Himself’
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/11/pritzker-trump-put-people-in-harms-way-to-save-himself/amp/
CAMPUS REFORM
— University of Illinois Chicago offers clinicians $5K stipend, abortion training fellowship. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more abortion.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/university-illinois-chicago-offers-clinicians-5k-stipend-abortion-training-fellowship/30380
CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES
— The Biggest Myth About H-1B Is That It’s ‘Broken.’ DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://cis.org/Miano/Biggest-Myth-About-H1B-Its-Broken
DAILY WIRE
— David Crowley Stuns Socialist Frontrunner In Wisconsin Dem Governor Primary. The result marked a dramatic reversal from pre-election polling.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/david-crowley-stuns-socialist-frontrunner-in-wisconsin-dem-governor-primary
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— What’s Wrong with Personal Responsibility? DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://www.aei.org/commentary/whats-wrong-with-personal-responsibility/
FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— A License to Kill on American Highways. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.fairus.org/opinion/license-kill-american-highways
FEDERATION FOR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
— Why States Should Ban Universal Basic Income Schemes. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://thefga.org/research/why-states-should-ban-universal-basic-income-schemes/
FOX BUSINESS
— A working-class party without workers. Why are leading Democrats welcoming socialists into their big tent.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/larry-kudlow-working-class-party-without-workers
— Socialists are going to give the GOP the Senate.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403227460112
FOX NEWS
— Democrat establishment strikes back as socialist candidate downed in battleground primary. Milwaukee County Executive backed by Gov. Tony Evers will face Republican nominee Tom Tiffany in the general election.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/wisconsin-governor-primary-crowley-hong
— Socialists are preparing to come for EVERYTHING you have. DD: The more that you have, the more that you should fight socialism. Anticipate/expect that the less that people have, the more that they will fight for socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcEeda5C8Ug
— Socialism has failed everywhere it has been tried.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403230468112
HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— Why the U.S. Has a Culture of Dependency. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/commentary/why-the-us-has-culture-dependency
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— FAA’s Gamer Recruitment Campaign Scores Over 2,000+ Air Traffic Controller Candidates. Hopefully, the rest of the FAA’s air traffic control enhancement plan will prove as successful.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/faas-gamer-recruitment-campaign-scores-over-2000-air-traffic-controller-candidates/
MINDING THE CAMPUS
— America’s Universities Are Still Shutting Out Conservative Faculty. Campuses are ideologically imbalanced, hostile to dissent, and unwilling to reform. Secretary McMahon’s call for accountability is much needed.
https://mindingthecampus.org/2026/08/11/americas-universities-are-still-shutting-out-conservative-faculty/
PJ MEDIA
— DSA on Illegals: ‘You Don’t Have to Have Papers to Have Power.’ DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2026/08/11/dsa-on-illegals-you-dont-have-to-have-papers-to-have-power-n4956025
— Can Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ride the socialist wave to lead Democrats in 2028 amid party shifts?
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/08/11/is-there-one-democrat-who-can-ride-the-socialist-wave-to-2028-n4956039
REASON
— Americans Grow Increasingly Dependent on Government Payments. Many citizens of the land of the free are hooked on government checks. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://reason.com/2024/10/04/americans-grow-increasingly-dependent-on-government-payments/
TOWNHALL
— Democratic Socialists Are Officially Part of the Democratic Party.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jtyoung/2026/08/12/democratic-socialists-are-officially-part-of-the-democratic-party-n2681026
U.S. HOUSE
— More Americans Dependent on Welfare Checks, at the Expense of Work. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2025/01/08/new-report-shows-more-americans-dependent-on-welfare-checks-at-the-expense-of-work/
— Growth of the Welfare State. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://oversight.house.gov/release/grothman-opens-second-hearing-on-examining-the-growth-of-the-welfare-state/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC NEWS
— Charlotte police chief proposes expanding curfew to combat ‘teen takeovers.’ DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://abcnews.com/US/charlotte-police-chief-proposes-expanding-curfew-combat-teen/story?id=135544849
NEW YORK TIMES
— If you’re single and unemployed, it may make sense to prioritize job hunting. But that doesn’t have to mean putting your life on pause. DD: I met my outstanding wife at a Presbyterian singles event. She is Catholic and I am Missouri Synod Lutheran. What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/11/business/dating-unemployed.html
— Optimizing your life. Instead of focusing solely on retirement savings balance, workers should figure out how they want to spend their time. DD: I spent a tremendous amount of my time and my money a) working my way through college, b) earning a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), c) earning three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), d) earning six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and e) earning a job-related professional license (CPA). My wife and I focused on saving money for child raising expenses, but when our fertility problems ended that, we focused on saving for our retirement.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/business/retirement-plan.html
WASHINGTON POST
— How today’s generation is turning homebuying on its head. DD: Extremely few of my peers did what I did. I bought a new townhome when I was 24 in 1972. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ . In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $93,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/brand-connect/nar/how-todays-generation-is-turning-home-buying-on-its-head/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Trump vs. Socialism: Which Do Voters Revile More? The midterms were the Democrats’ to lose. With candidates like Abdul El-Sayed, they just might.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trump-vs-socialism-which-do-voters-revile-more-2d0d0d10
— The GAO Precedent for Fed Independence. DD: GAO is not independent. GAO is non nonpartisan. Virtually all, if not all GAO employees are Democrats. When I was 31 in 1980, I was one of the last Republicans GAO hired. GAO wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. GAO would not have done that if I had been A democrat, minority, female, or veteran.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-gao-precedent-for-fed-independence-b7b37cc4
— AOC for President? Don’t Rule It Out. As Democrats flirt with socialism, she’s a serious candidate.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/aoc-for-president-dont-rule-it-out-084f5619
FORBES
— Millennials Want Workplace Diversity. Why Don’t They Ask For It? DD: To promote diversity is to dump meritocracy.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/adiaharveywingfield/2026/08/12/millennials-want-workplace-diversity-why-dont-they-ask-for-it/
FLORIDA POLITICS
— Kat Cammack, Greg Steube line up behind Catalina Lauf in contentious CD 19 Primary.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/812950-kat-cammack-greg-steube-line-up-behind-catalina-lauf-in-contentious-cd-19-primary/
FLORIDA CAPITOLIST
— Early turnout builds ahead of Florida primary. Catalina Lauf is the founder of Defense of Freedom PAC and has two previous runs for congress in Illinois. Jim Oberweis previously served in the Illinois Senate from 2013 to 2021 and has several unsuccessful runs under his belt in Illinois.
https://thecapitolist.com/early-turnout-builds-ahead-of-florida-primary/
HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTION
— DD: To promote Affirmative Action and DEI is to dump meritocracy.
https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/diversity-inclusion/us-boardrooms-are-rapidly-dropping-diversity-rules-hr-cant-ignore-the-fallout/585762
EDUCATION NEWS
— Merit or seniority? Teachers question TSC promotion scoring. Teachers are calling for greater emphasis on merit, competence and measurable performance in TSC promotions. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors promoted over me were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, b) who had less work experience than I had, c) who had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) who had no professional license like the one I had.
https://educationnews.co.ke/merit-or-seniority-teachers-question-tsc-promotion-scoring/
EDUCATION NEXT
— DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://www.educationnext.org/whats-wrong-with-personal-responsibility/
JD SUPRA
— Illinois’ Menopause Equity and Care Act Expands Employment Protections.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/illinois-menopause-equity-and-care-act-9912689/