September 19, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Illinois marks 3-year anniversary of cash bail elimination amid debate over its impact.
https://abc7chicago.com/amp/post/safe-act-illinois-marks-3-year-anniversary-cash-bail-elimination-amid-debate-impact/19847701/

NBC5
— Trump says he’s banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. The president posted to his Truth Social account that he had banned the news organizations “as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” and threatened to ban other outlets. DD: The mainstream news media spins everything against Trump.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/trump-says-hes-banning-cnn-ms-now-and-politico-from-white-house/3990871/
— Forbes released their list of richest Americans for 2026. 18 of them are from Illinois. At the top of Forbes’ list, with a net worth of $908 billion was Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who lives in Texas.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/forbes-released-their-list-of-richest-americans-for-2026-18-of-them-are-from-illinois/3990815/

CBS2
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for everything that is bad.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/durbin-blames-trump-for-rising-gas-prices-record-diesel-prices-he-is-personally-responsible/

WGN9
— Illinois could bill gunmakers for costs of gun violence. DD: What about billing criminals and their protectors/promoters for the cost of gun violence?
https://wgntv.com/news/illinois/illinois-could-bill-gunmakers-for-costs-of-gun-violence/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Oak Park organizer pushes for right of recall question on April ballot.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/18/oak-park-organizer-recall-question-april-ballot/

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE WITH PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260918/news/bartlett-panel-still-considering-two-marijuana-dispensaries-across-street-from-each-other/

RIVER BENDER
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Iran against America.
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/duckworth-durbin-senate-democrats-call-on-hegseth-to-report-total-costs-of-iran-war-96838.cfm?

SHAW LOCAL
— Illinois food pantries get millions in grants as demand for food grows. DD: Soon, under the Democrats who run Illinois, everyone in Illinois will be a) handing out welfare and/or b) receiving welfare.
https://www.shawlocal.com/news/2026/09/18/illinois-food-pantries-get-millions-in-grants-as-demand-for-food-grows/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Trump pushes his $5,000 ‘dividend’ pledge if GOP wins midterms. Republican candidates, not as much.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/ap-trump-pushes-his-5000-dividend-pledge-if-gop-wins-midterms-republican-candidates-not-as-much/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/18/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-598/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What is your Republican Precinct Committeeman going to do to get out the vote? I am going to hand-deliver DuPage GOP-provided envelopes to the 660 registered Republican and Independent voters in 400 residences in my DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton. The envelopes will have DuPage County Election Division-provided mailing labels and contain a copy of the sample ballot, a Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO)-provided outstanding Voter Guide, and campaign literature from the Republican candidates who provided their literature to the MTRO. I want to start stuffing the envelopes ASAP. The 18 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. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Why do your critics/opponents get involved in Republican politics? My critics/opponents get involved in Republican politics to get the Republican party to officially dump its personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and/or equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks in its platform. I should write about my critics/opponents in the following who have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me since 2000 because I promote the aforesaid planks: Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— A “Declaration for Life” Introduced in the U.S. Senate.
https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2026/09/a-declaration-for-life-introduced-in-the-u-s-senate/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Dabrowski Skips the Fight for Bailey — Campaigning During General Election to Build His Own Brand Instead. DD: It would be great if Dabrowski and Mendrick would help elect Bailey.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/09/dabrowski-skips-the-fight-for-bailey-campaigning-during-general-election-to-build-his-own-brand-instead.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

BLAZE
— DD: Socialists side with Mexico and Mexicans against America.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/democrat-mexico-online-backlash

FOX NEWS
— Democratic socialists want to ‘strip’ America apart.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6405280122112
— Socialist Claire Valdez faces calls for federal probe after Mexico ‘fight’ pledge. DD: Socialists side with Mexico and Mexicans against America.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/socialist-claire-valdez-faces-calls-federal-probe-mexico-fight-pledge

DAILY SIGNAL
— Documentary Shows How Mass Muslim Migration Takes Advantage of America.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/09/18/documentary-shows-how-mass-muslim-migration-takes-advantage-of-america/

JUDICIAL WATCH
— Judicial Watch Uncovers Anti-Charlie Kirk Emails at Utah University.
https://www.judicialwatch.org/judicial-watch-uncovers-anti-charlie-kirk-emails-at-utah-university/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— DD: According to Democrat leaders, everything is bad and they blame Trump for everything that is bad.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6098451-donald-trump-us-economy-affordability-voters-survey/

NBC NEWS
— 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.nbcnews.com/video/which-party-will-win-on-affordability-270089285661

YAHOO & WFMD
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly crow about their success in promoting socialism.
https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/poll-young-adults-nearly-split-152600357.html
https://www.wfmd.com/2026/09/18/young-swing-state-voters-cozy-up-to-democratic-socialists-say-party-establishment-must-learn-from-dsa-wins/

REUTERS
— Amazon raises minimum hourly pay by $1 to $20 for US operations workers. DD: In today’s dollars, I started earning $19.57/hour working part-time for the Park Forest Post Office when I was 18 in 1966. I had earned a high school diploma and passed the postal employment test.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/amazon-raises-minimum-hourly-pay-by-1-20-us-operations-workers-2026-09-16/

NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Trump Says He Has Banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico From White House. The president cited reporting from the outlets that he deemed “fake news.” It was unclear how such a ban would be enforced or defended in court. DD: I have served as the GOPUSA Illinois reporter since 2000. I should write about the times when the following banned me from their events: a) Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization leaders, b) Republican leaders of Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton, and c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct. Those who banned me 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.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/business/media/trump-cnn-ms-now-politico-white-house-ban.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/09/18/lawsuits-eliminate-in-state-tuition-dreamers-are-cruel/

LOS ANGELES TIMES
— A border surge reshaped America. Now, data show who 4.5 million migrants were and where they went. DD: How many illegals are there in Illinois, your county, your township, your municipality, your school district, and your precinct?
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-09-17/new-data-show-who-4-5-million-migrants-were-where-they-went
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A decade-long border surge brought 4.5 million migrants from more than 150 countries, dramatically expanding America’s immigrant population and remaking communities from New York and Miami to Midwestern factory towns. Many newcomers are bypassing traditional gateways for smaller cities and suburbs, drawn to emerging enclaves from Cincinnati and Knoxville to Utah’s booming communities, even as Florida remains the top destination for some nationalities. The data reveal a sharp rise in women and children crossing the border and show Chinese migrants concentrating in Los Angeles and New York, while Trump’s revived deportation machine targets some migrant hubs, spares others. An unprecedented surge in border crossings over the last decade reshaped America: Millions of people from more than 150 countries arrived, bringing the U.S. immigrant population to its highest levels.)

FOX56
— Mortgage rates near 7%, raising affordability concerns for homebuyers. DD: Mortgage rates were 17% when I took out a mortgage to buy a new townhome in University Park in 1972. They were 11% when I took out a mortgage to buy a studio condo in downtown Chicago in 1974. They were 9% when I took out a mortgage to buy a one bedroom condo in downtown Chicago in 1976. They were 9% when my wife and I took out a mortgage to buy a home in Wheaton in 1978. They were 14% when my wife and I took out a mortgage to have a home built in Wheaton 1984.
https://fox56.com/news/local/mortgage-rates-near-7-raising-affordability-concerns-for-homebuyers

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Republicans in Tough Races Are Tip-Toeing Away From Trump. Some in the GOP are breaking with the president on data centers, immigration and other issues.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/republicans-in-tough-races-are-tip-toeing-away-from-trump-374ddd4f
— Socialist governments control production and allocate resources without regard to individual contribution. DD: I contributed far more than my Democrat coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me. None of my Democrat  coworkers did what I did. I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/socialism-and-entitlements-1eab1428
— Law Firms Have a Big Problem: Senior Partners Aren’t Retiring. DD: Democrats run the federal government. They force their Republican employees who are White, male, and/or non-veteran to retire as soon as they are eligible. I am all of the foresaid. I became eligible for early retirement when I was 45 in 1993. They succeeded forcing me to take their expiring early retirement “offer” when I was 49 in 1997. I would not have been eligible for regular retirement until I was 55 in 2003. I would not have survived those 4 years if I had not earned three job-related master’s degrees (1976, 1980, and 1997), six job-related professional certifications (1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997), and earned a job-related professional license (1981).
https://www.wsj.com/business/law-firms-retirement-incentives-packages-1e9bccbd

FORBES
— U.S. Army Sergeants To Receive Merit-Based Promotions Under New Policy. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, they ever-increasingly lowered standards to hire, retain, and promote more Democrats who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. That ever-increasingly rendered worthless my job-related bachelor’s degree, my three job-related master’s degrees, my six job-related professional licenses, and my job-related professional license. All my coworkers who they promoted over me were Democrats a) who were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran and/or b) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2026/09/18/us-army-sergeants-to-receive-merit-based-promotions-under-new-policy/

POLITICO
— Trump says he’s banning media outlets, including POLITICO, from White House. CNN and MS NOW are the other two outlets Trump announced can no longer send journalists into the White House. DD: The mainstream news media spins everything against Trump.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/18/trump-white-house-media-ban-politico-01084438

FROM OTHER SOURCES

CAR BUZZ
— Car Affordability Is Crumbling, And The Fed Just Piled On More Cost. DD: Back in the good old days, I bought a new 1972 Corvette for $6,000 in 1971. I took out a $3,000 car loan at 12% interest. Most of the rest came from an insurance settlement for the theft of my 1969 Dodge Charger SE. My IRS salary was $8,600/year.
https://carbuzz.com/car-affordability-federal-reserve-interest-rate-september-2026/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

TIMES
— The DSA is hosting date nights to ‘put the social into socialist.’ DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism. How did you meet your spouse?  I met my outstanding wife at a Presbyterian singles social event. I am Missouri Synod Lutheran and she is Catholic.
https://www.thetimes.com/us/american-politics/article/democratic-socialists-of-america-date-nights-03r2djm0v

September 18, 2026

DUPAGE COUNTY GOP
— DuPage County Republicans Bring More Than 100 Voters Together for Countywide Candidate Forum
https://dupagegop.com/
(FROM THE PRESS RELEASE: More than 100 DuPage County voters, Republican leaders, candidates, and supporters gathered Thursday evening at Harry Caray’s in Lombard for an energetic and informative countywide candidate event focused on the upcoming November 3 General Election. The evening brought together Republican candidates from across DuPage County and the region, giving attendees a chance to hear directly from those seeking elected office and learn more about the races on the November ballot. Among the candidates and elected Republican leaders attending were Don Tracy, candidate for U.S. Senate; Jeff Walter, candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 11th Congressional District; candidates for State Representative in the 49th, 56th and 85th Districts; a candidate for State Senate in the 23rd District; and candidates for DuPage County Board Districts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6. Tracy and Walter are listed among the Republican candidates for the 2026 General Election. The countywide portion of the program featured Gary Grasso, candidate for DuPage County Board Chairman; Patricia Kladis-Schiappa, candidate for DuPage County Clerk; Sean Noonan, candidate for DuPage County Sheriff; Carl Schultz, candidate for Forest Preserve President; and Amber Quirk, candidate for Regional Board of Education Superintendent. Candidates addressed issues important to DuPage County residents before taking questions from the audience during a lively Q&A.  Bob Schillerstrom, former 12-year DuPage County Board Chairman and former candidate for Governor of Illinois, moderated the forum. The event also brought together a broad cross-section of DuPage Republican leadership, including Illinois Republican Party Chairman Bob Grogan; DuPage County GOP Vice-Chair and Lisle Township Republican Organization Chairwoman Becky Rudolph; DuPage County GOP Secretary Jeff Castle, an ILSCC-06 member and Milton Township Republican Organization Chairman; Tony Schiappa, Downers Grove Township Republican Organization Chairman and Burr Ridge Village Trustee; Dave Rogers, Bloomingdale Township Republican Organization Chairman and Bloomingdale Township Trustee; Jerry Evans, Winfield Township Republican Organization Chairman; Dan Kordik, York Township Republican Organization Chairman; and JP Augustynowicz, Warrenville Alderman. Local candidates attending included: State Rep 49th John Paul Augustynowicz; 56th Rhys Read; & 84th Brian Scopa, State Senate 23 Linda Polacek, CB1  Paula Pezza; CB2  Theresa McClear & Rusty Stevens; CB 4 Isobel Michaud, C5  Daniel Lomeli & CB6  Kathy Zander. The evening provided voters with an opportunity to meet candidates, ask questions, learn more about the November election and connect with Republican organizations from throughout DuPage County. As the November 3 General Election approaches, attendees were encouraged to remain engaged, support their local candidates and campaigns, take advantage of early voting opportunities, and make a plan to vote. “Events like this are important to do because voters deserve the opportunity to meet our candidates, hear directly from them, and get a chance to ask them questions,” said Larisa Calvanese, Downers Grove TRO Secretary. “Bringing candidates, township leaders and voters together in one room strengthens the local political organizations and hopefully  keeps our communities engaged in the election process.” The DuPage County Republican organizations will continue working with candidates, volunteers and voters throughout the remainder of the 2026 election season.)

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— 5 Lincoln-Way East students withdraw from school after alleged racial harassment.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/5-lincoln-east-high-school-students-withdraw-alleged-racial-harassment-homewood-flossmoor-football-game-officials/19845507/

CBS2
— 6 Lincoln-Way East students allowed to withdraw from school after racist behavior during Homewood-Flossmoor football game.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/lincoln-way-east-students-withdraw-racist-behavior-homewood-flossmoor/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/17/operation-midway-blitz-claims/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Chicago’s Latino population is shifting west, with Belmont Cragin now the city’s largest Latino neighborhood.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/18/latino-population-chicago/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Lincoln-Way board votes to allow students involved in racist incident to withdraw instead of being expelled.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/high-school-football/2026/09/17/lincoln-way-east-homewood-flossmoor-racist-incident
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: Customs officer guilty of using gun, badge to sexually assault women in Chicago suburbs. DD: Uribe should not have been hired let alone retained.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/09/17/customs-border-protection-luis-uribe-chicago

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH PICTURE: Battle for control: DuPage County clerk takes fight to appellate court.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260917/local-politics/battle-for-control-dupage-county-clerk-takes-fight-to-appellate-court/

SHAW LOCAL
— Illinois food pantries get millions in grants as demand for food grows. State distributes $3.5M in grants to aid local food distributors across northern Illinois.
https://www.shawlocal.com/news/2026/09/18/illinois-food-pantries-get-millions-in-grants-as-demand-for-food-grows/

FOX32
— Aaron Del Mar responds after George Floyd remarks spark controversy.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/exclusive-aaron-del-mar-responds-after-george-floyd-remarks-spark-controversy

WTTW
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/09/17/15-illinois-residents-file-claims-against-dhs-alleging-they-were-victimized-federal

WBEZ
— A law requires Illinois schools to teach Asian American history. Is it happening? Five years ago, the TEAACH Act made Illinois the first state to require public schools to teach Asian American history. WBEZ checks in on its progress.
https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/09/17/teaach-act-faq-illinois-aapi-asian-american-history-public-schools

NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-09-18/a-dhs-email-raises-new-questions-about-the-trump-administrations-election-plans
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-09-18/republican-candidate-in-florida-runs-ads-criticizing-trumps-immigration-enforcement
— DD: The mainstream news media exists to defeat Republicans.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-09-18/what-do-trumps-supporters-think-of-the-political-pushback-hes-faced
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-09-18/trumps-week-of-setbacks-the-presidents-priorities-get-rare-pushback

25 NEWS NOW
— Former state GOP chair sees key decisions ahead after party leaders oust Salvi.
https://www.25newsnow.com/2026/05/20/former-state-gop-chair-brady-sees-key-decisions-ahead-after-party-leaders-oust-salvi/

VIDETTE
— Federal court decision changes tuition plans for undocumented students in Illinois. The ruling left undocumented students facing higher tuition bills.
https://www.videtteonline.com/news/federal-court-decision-changes-tuition-plans-for-undocumented-students-in-illinois/article_d6132135-b3d0-43cd-85e5-abaafcb6e8c7.html

BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— Park District Adds Homeless Specialist, More Surveillance As It Struggles To Address Encampments. The Chicago Park District is bringing more cameras online to monitor the encampments as a new staff person meets with residents living in parks around the city.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/09/15/park-district-adds-homeless-specialist-more-surveillance-as-it-struggles-to-address-encampments/

ILLINOIZE
— Del Mar Accuses Illinois GOP of Withholding Funding from Bailey.
https://www.theillinoize.com/articles/delmar-accuses-illinois-gop-withholding

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Pritzker presses Congress on AI
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/18/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-810/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/17/isabel%E2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-597/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What do you say to Republican candidates who lose Republican primary elections and then fail/refuse to help elect those Republican candidates who win those elections? I have been a Republican Precinct Committeeman (RPC) since 1999. RPCs can help elect whichever Republican candidates they want to in Republican primaries, but in general elections, they must help elect the Republican candidates who win those Republican primaries. I have always done that. Sadly, I am ever-increasingly discouraged from helping elect Republican candidates in Republican primary elections a) because too many Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct who lose Republican primary elections blame me and blame my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters for their defeats and b) because too many Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct who lose general elections blame me and blame my newsletters for their defeats. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— According to your critics/opponents, what disqualifies you as a candidate? My critics/opponents stress their success in having their operatives and their dupes take adverse actions against me. They stress their success in ousting me a) as an Illinois Republican Party State Convention Platform and Resolutions Committee member in 2024, b) as the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks in 2021, c) as the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman in 2012, d) as an Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) Steering Committee member in 2007, and e) as the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) webmaster in 2010 and 2004. They stress their success in a) gerrymandering my precinct in 2015, b) almost getting ICRC to censure me for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters in 2006, and c) defeating me 69 to 13 when I ran for the open MTRO Treasurer position in 2004. Since 2000, they have ever-increasingly demonized me, denigrated me, and condemned me as being too conservative, that is, that I promote too many planks in the Republican Party platform that they reject. They ever-increasingly blame me and blame my newsletter for all the defeats that Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct suffer. They ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that the more that I do to help elect Republican candidates, the fewer votes that they will get. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— According to Google AI. “Noblesse oblige is a French expression meaning “nobility obliges,” which describes the moral duty of wealthy, powerful, or privileged people to act honorably, generously, and responsibly toward others. Literal translation: “Nobility obliges”. Core idea: Privilege entails responsibility. Having status, wealth, or power means you must help and protect those with less. Modern use: The concept applies beyond old-money aristocrats to modern business elites, politicians, celebrities, or anyone in a high-status position.” DD: My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government believed in noblesse oblige big time. That is, they believed a) that the promotions that I got in 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1986 were because I was privileged and wealthy and b) that those promotions should have been given to my Democrat coworkers who were minority, female, and/or veteran. They stressed that I avoided the Vietnam War draft. They stressed that I bought new cars in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1978, etc. They stressed that I bought real estate in 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, and 1984. They stressed that I got married in 1978. They stressed that I bought collector cars in 1989 and 1994. They stressed that I earned a bachelor’s degree in 1970, master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and a professional license in 1981. They ignored/dismissed/belittled a) that to buy my first new car, I washed dishes for the minimum wage for 18 months and b) that I had to work my way through college and that did work my way through college. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

CHICAGO CONTRARIAN
— Blame Chicago’s Failing Media.
https://www.chicagocontrarian.com/blog/blame-chicago-failing-media

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Bob Grogan’s Unity Test: Will IL GOP Chair Condemn Close Ally Jim Durkin’s Attacks on Trump, Bailey? DD: I did a lot to help elect Grogan DuPage County Auditor in 2008 and to reelect him in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. I did a lot to help elect Durkin U.S. Senator in 2002. My critics/opponents side with Durkin.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/grogans-unity-test-will-il-gop-chair-condemn-close-ally-jim-durkins-attacks-on-trump-bailey.html

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Pritzker’s record: Illinois unemployment rate averages 3rd-highest in U.S.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-unemployment-rate-pritzker-record/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Capitalism beats socialism every time. Giving government more power will worsen young people’s woes.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/17/capitalism-beats-socialism-every-time/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Florida was top stated destination of illegal immigrants who arrived under Biden.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/4731331/florida-top-stated-destination-illegal-immigrants-joe-biden/
— ‘Break the law and get away with it’: Inside the youth group training campus radicals.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4729619/ydsa-student-militancy-political-violence-threat/

CHRISTIAN POST
— Socialism’s fatal flaw: Misunderstanding human nature.  DD: Socialism demotivates. Under socialism, to advance, all you need to do is to be a socialist. Under Democrats, to advance, all you need to do is to be a Democrat. That is a tremendous demotivator. Working for socialists is like working for Democrats. I worked for Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. Virtually all of my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were Democrats. None of them came close to doing what I did to advance. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. Virtually none of my Democrat Post Office coworkers did that. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license. None of my Democrat IRS and GAO coworkers did that. Notwithstanding the aforesaid that I did to advance, all my Democrat coworkers 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. They got promoted because they were Democrats.
https://www.christianpost.com/voices/socialisms-fatal-flaw.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: To quote Karl Marx, the central tenet of Marxism and socialism is: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” Every nation in the world that has tried to implement this dictum has resulted in massive economic dislocation and depressed living standards. . .Writing for The Wall Street Journal, James Grant noted: “The natural effort of every individual to better his own condition.”)

COLLEGE FIX
— Southern Illinois U. sends cops after student journalist for asking questions.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/southern-illinois-u-sends-cops-after-student-journalist-for-asking-questions/

CREATORS SYNDICATE
— Diet Coke Socialism.
https://www.creators.com/read/daily-editorials/09/26/diet-coke-socialism-d2f3b
— DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at non-Whites that Republicans have caused, are causing, and will forever cause all the problems that non-Whites have had, are having, and will have.
https://www.creators.com/read/bonnie-jean-feldkamp/09/26/i-grew-up-in-a-white-community-heres-how-i-didnt-become-a-karen

DAILY CALLER
— Government-Owned Capitalism: Brilliant Strategy Or Socialist Disaster?
https://dailycaller.com/2026/09/17/opinion-government-shareholder-companies-manufacturing-mark-minnella/

DAILY SIGNAL
— New Study Challenges Claim That Laws Restricting Transgender Medicine Increase Teen Suicide. DD: How much success have Democrat leaders had promoting LGBTQ in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/09/17/study-challenges-transgender-teen-suicide/

FOX BUSINESS
— Socialist ‘golden boy’ makes SHOCKING claim about US, Al Qaeda.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWDdINaQWGw
— Socialist streamer Hasan Piker under fire for comparing US to Al Qaeda.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6405217065112
— Rand Paul GOES OFF on socialism’s true cost: ‘Make us all impoverished.’
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Oh3ny18R4YE

FOX NEWS
— Socialist Seattle mayor UNDER FIRE as businesses revolt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHpDlzNT2J8
— Powerful teachers’ unions share striking link with states struggling to teach kids to read. The Progressive Policy Institute found eight (including Illinois) of the 10 lowest-scoring states for reading had strong labor unions.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/powerful-teachers-unions-share-striking-link-states-struggling-teach-kids-read

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Three “Students of Color” Programs At Bentley University Challenged By Equal Protection Project. “Students who identify as members of Bentley’s preferred racial, ethnic, and national origin groups are automatically eligible for these Programs, while students outside those groups must satisfy an additional condition…”
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/09/three-students-of-color-programs-at-bentley-university-challenged-by-equal-protection-project/

MANHATTAN INSTITUTE
— The Democratic Socialist Congregation.  DD: According to Google AI. “Noblesse oblige is a French expression meaning “nobility obliges,” which describes the moral duty of wealthy, powerful, or privileged people to act honorably, generously, and responsibly toward others. Literal translation: “Nobility obliges”. Core idea: Privilege entails responsibility. Having status, wealth, or power means you must help and protect those with less. Modern use: The concept applies beyond old-money aristocrats to modern business elites, politicians, celebrities, or anyone in a high-status position.” DD: My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government believed in noblesse oblige big time. That is, they believed a) that the promotions that I got in 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1986 were because I was privileged and wealthy and b) that those promotions should have been given to my Democrat coworkers who were minority, female, and/or veteran. They stressed that I avoided the Vietnam War draft. They stressed that I bought new cars in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1978, etc. They stressed that I bought real estate in 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, and 1984. They stressed that I got married in 1978. They stressed that I bought collector cars in 1989 and 1994. They stressed that I earned a bachelor’s degree in 1970, master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and a professional license in 1981. They ignored/dismissed/belittled a) that to buy my first new car, I washed dishes for the minimum wage for 18 months and b) that I had to work my way through college and that did work my way through college.
https://manhattan.institute/article/the-democratic-socialist-congregation
(FROM THE ARTICLE: How the DSA serves as a religion substitute for downwardly mobile elites. In August, when the New York Post profiled Grace Ryan—a 25-year-old NYU graduate, chocolate heiress, and socialist activist known online as “Lulu Lenin”—it supplied her critics with an irresistible caricature. Ryan had displayed the expensive clothes and vacations of a young woman born to wealth even as she was championing a movement devoted to dismantling class privilege. Confronted with the contradiction, she offered a defense more suited to an Edwardian drawing room than a Democratic Socialists of America meeting: “Y’all never heard of noblesse oblige?” Ludicrous and unknowing as Ryan’s remark was, it was revelatory nonetheless about something very real. The DSA attracts people who have benefited from capitalism but feel cheated by it. It provides them with a moral vocabulary that gives them room to reinterpret personal disappointment as systemic injustice. And, most important, it gives them somewhere to go on a lonely Tuesday night, just as, for thousands of years, religion provided a social basis for Mormons on a Monday, Muslims on a Friday, Jews on a Saturday, and Christians on a Sunday.)

NATIONAL REVIEW
— The Future of Woke.
https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2026/11/the-future-of-woke/

NEWSMAX
— Mark Vargas: Ill. GOP Doesn’t Want Trump’s Candidate To Win.
https://www.newsmax.com/markvargas/tiffany-wisconsin-grogan/2026/09/17/id/1269802/

POWERLINE
— Who Defends the Decline in Higher Education? The New York Times does, or at least one Miriam Pawal does, on the Times op-ed page.
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/09/who-defends-the-decline-in-higher-education.php

TOWNHALL
— America Is Exceptional, Which Is Why the Left Wants to Destroy It.
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/09/17/vip-south-african-amazed-were-not-killed-n2683133

WESTERN JOURNAL
— Country Club Karen Trashes Patient Golf Staffer.
https://www.westernjournal.com/watch-country-club-karen-trashes-patient-golf-staffer-friend-walks-pulls-rug-front-everyone/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A woman at Beverly Country Club on Chicago’s South Side unloaded on the pro shop after the summer looping kids went back to class, Golf Digest reported. Dan Proft posted the video. Millions watched a member treat a staffing shortage like a human rights infraction.)

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

MS NOW
— DD: Democrat leader use Critical Race Theory to destroy Republican.
https://www.ms.now/al-sharpton/politicsnation/watch/in-attempt-to-hide-from-the-truth-conservative-activists-weaponize-critical-race-theory-124503109826?showId=152

CBS NEWS
— The 80 Percent Rule. DD: My critics/opponents reject far more than 20% of the Republican Party platform.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-80-percent-rule/

NEW YOR TIMES
— Billions in Taxes Go Unpaid. Under Trump, the I.R.S. Won’t Say How Much. The absence of the annual estimate on the tax gap could make it more difficult to assess whether more taxes are going unpaid since President Trump took office. DD: I worked for the Democrats who ran IRS’s Collection Division for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year. My Democrat IRS superior wasted my IRS career. GAO audits IRS. I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO for almost 18 years. My Democrat GAO superiors refused to assign me to audits of IRS’s Collection Division. Democrats do not want Republicans to audit Democrats.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/business/trump-irs-tax-gap.html
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly crow about their success in promoting more hatred against Trump.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/us/politics/midterms-map-republicans-democrats.html
— An M.I.T. Report Warns A.I. Is Causing ‘Cognitive Surrender.’ Universities Are in a Bind. As A.I. upends education, university leaders have been all over the map about how to respond. It can be very confusing for students. DD: How will your critics/opponents use AI to destroy you?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/us/universities-ai-warnings-enthusiasm.html
— 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.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/us/politics/capitol-police-discrimination-lawsuit.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/us/politics/minnesota-judge-trump-immigration.html
— How Sept. 11 Paved the Way to Mideast Power for Iran. The American invasion of Iraq in 2003 set the path for Tehran to dominate its neighbor and whetted its appetite to expand its influence across the greater Middle East.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/world/middleeast/sept-11-iran-islamic-state-iraq.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Rahm Emanuel: Democrats Can Win Back the Midwest. Even Ohio and Iowa, after trending Republican for years, are battlegrounds in the midterm elections.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/democrats-can-win-back-the-midwest-a6d00f5d

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

MOSCOW TIMES
— How Russia Purged Opposition Candidates From the Ballot. DD: According to your critics/opponents, what disqualifies you as a candidate? My critics/opponents stress their success in having their operatives and their dupes take adverse actions against me. They stress their success in ousting me a) as an Illinois Republican Party State Convention Platform and Resolutions Committee member in 2024, b) as the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks in 2021, c) as the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman in 2012, d) as an Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) Steering Committee member in 2007, and e) as the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) webmaster in 2010 and 2004. They stress their success in a) gerrymandering my precinct in 2015, b) almost getting ICRC to censure me for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters in 2006, and c) defeating me 69 to 13 when I ran for the open MTRO Treasurer position in 2004. Since 2000, they have ever-increasingly demonized me, denigrated me, and condemned me as being too conservative, that is, that I promote too many planks in the Republican Party platform that they reject. They ever-increasingly blame me and blame my newsletter for all the defeats that Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct suffer. They ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that the more that I do to help elect Republican candidates, the fewer votes that they will get.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/17/bad-to-the-bone-how-russia-purged-opposition-candidates-from-the-ballot-a93730

NEWS24
— Democratic socialists personify ‘big government socialism.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wqc9PPqHPo

September 12, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Naper Pride Fest not happening this year.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/11/naper-pride-fest-naperville-canceled/

ABC7
— College of DuPage ceremony honors 9/11 victims and teaches new generation of first responders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhT0p1g95Q8
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dPTAECQyn0o

WGN9
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://wgntv.com/daytime-chicago/reeling-the-chicago-lgbtq-international-film-festival/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Not your parents’ pot: Experts push against teen use of highly concentrated THC products. Chicago parents say they came to the forum, held at Kenwood Academy Wednesday, to empower themselves — and their teens — with evidence-based information about cannabis use. DD: I never have used pot and I never will use pot. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton. If I had used pot, I would not have been able to get an ACT score of 24, graduate in the upper 20% of my class, work my way through college, earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, earn three job-related master’s degrees, earn six job-related professional certifications, earned a job-related professional license, etc.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2026/09/12/not-your-parents-pot-experts-push-against-teen-use-of-highly-concentrated-thc-products

DAILY ILLINI
— UI TPUSA chapter holds Charlie Kirk vigil.
https://dailyillini.com/news-stories/university-news/campus-events/2026/09/11/tpusa-charlie-kirk-vigil/

POSITIVELY NAPERVILLE
— Naperville Marks 25th Anniversary of Sept. 11 at Cmdr. Dan Shanower Memorial.
https://www.positivelynaperville.com/2026/09/11/naperville-marks-25th-anniversary-of-sept-11-at-cmdr-dan-shanower-memorial/161023

NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION
— DuPage County Board funds gun safe distribution at upcoming event.
https://www.nctv17.org/news/dupage-county-board-funds-gun-safe-distribution-at-upcoming-event/amp/

ELMHURST PATCH
— DuPage Settles Excessive Force Claims Against Sheriff Candidate.
https://patch.com/illinois/elmhurst/amp/34816677/dupage-settles-excessive-force-claims-against-sheriff-candidate

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— Twenty-Five Years Since 9/11 — Have We Fallen Asleep?
https://illinoisfamily.org/islam-sharia/twenty-five-years-since-9-11-have-we-fallen-asleep/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Denver Socialist Says She’s Qualified To Serve as Mayor Because She Was Convicted of Stealing Food Stamps.
https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/denver-socialist-says-shes-qualified-to-serve-as-mayor-because-she-was-convicted-of-stealing-food-stamps/

NEW YORK POST
— AOC spotted laughing next to Mamdani at 9/11 ceremony — as victims’ families weep during reading of names.
https://nypost.com/2026/09/11/us-news/zohran-mamdani-aoc-spotted-laughing-at-9-11-ceremony-while-victims-families-weep-during-reading-of-names/
— Personal responsibility isn’t racist.
https://nypost.com/2026/09/11/opinion/responsibilitys-not-racist-whats-new-york-hiding-and-other-commentary/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Tuskegee University’s recent request for “its mostly Black students to stop wearing revealing clothes to class” and “dressing down by wearing durags,” is a welcome bid “to end habits that hurt any Black youngster’s chances for success,” cheers Juan Williams in The Hill. These days, “any call for personal responsibility in Black America gets confused with partisan politics and ideological purity,” but: “Standards are not racist. Discipline is not disrespectful of Black culture.” Note that former President Barack Obama agreed that “too Black men were under the influence of negative stereotypes.” Tuskegee is doing its part to counteract the lie that “ ‘authentic’ Black life” should replicate “jailtime.” Instead of “surrendering to popular stereotypes,” the school is “preparing young people to win.”)

BREITBART
— Violence-Stoking Leftists Trash Charlie Kirk on One-Year Anniversary of His Assassination.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/11/violence-stoking-leftists-trash-charlie-kirk-on-one-year-anniversary-of-his-assassination/amp/

DAILY CALLER
— DSA Takeover Of The Democrat Party Is Nearly Complete.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/09/11/dsa-democratic-party-socialists-poll-quinnipiac/

FEDERALIST
— American Bar Association Keeps Proving It’s A Left-Wing Activist Group. It enforced a standard it knew was constitutionally infirm, cannot justify its own benchmarks, and has appointed itself an amender of the Constitution.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/09/11/american-bar-association-keeps-proving-its-a-left-wing-activist-group/

FOX BUSINESS
— Vance fires back at protester waving Mexican flag at RNC midterm convention.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6404925051112

FOX NEWS
— Americans react to socialists arguing U.S. deserved 9/11.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6404948314112
— ‘Trump-level’ smackdown earns Vance roaring praise as 2028 buzz builds at GOP convention.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-level-smackdown-earns-vance-roaring-praise-2028-buzz-builds-gop-convention
— 30% of college students say violence acceptable way to stop speakers on campuses.
https://www.wfmd.com/2026/09/11/30-of-college-students-say-violence-acceptable-way-to-stop-speakers-on-campuses-survey-finds/

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Berkeley Law Discriminated Against White and Asian Applicants.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/09/doj-u-c-berkeley-law-discriminated-against-white-and-asian-applicants/amp/

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Trump Joins Socialists, Embraces Bribery. His pledge of $5,000 ‘dividends’ to voters if Republicans win is just preposterous.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/09/trump-breaks-glass-joins-socialists-embraces-bribery/

PJ MEDIA
— Like Being on Another Planet: Socialism 2026 Chicago Conference.
https://pjmedia.com/rick-moran/2026/09/11/like-being-on-another-planet-socialism-2026-chicago-conference-n4957113

WHITE HOUSE
— America Will Never Be A Socialist/Communist Country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB2tJV8bMnU

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— McConnell’s return shines spotlight on older lawmakers.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/6085627-mitch-mcconnell-aging-lawmakers-term-limits-health-challenges/

CNN
— Charlie Kirk statue draws supporters to Times Square.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/11/us/video/charlie-kirk-statue-times-square-digvid-vrtc

REUTERS
— Trump and Musk super PACs unleash millions to boost Republicans in battleground races.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-musk-super-pacs-unleash-millions-boost-republicans-battleground-races-2026-09-11/

NEWSWEEK
— Student Loan Forgiveness Would Get Easier, Quicker for Many Under New Bill. DD: My critics/opponents ignore/dismiss/belittle/badmouth that I worked my way through college and paid for my bachelor’s degree (1970), three master’s degrees (1976, 1980, and 1997), six professional certifications (1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997), and a professional license (1981). They stress that costs were much lower back then.
https://www.newsweek.com/student-loan-forgiveness-would-get-easier-quicker-for-many-under-new-bill-12433966

NEW YORK TIMES
— ‘Mangionistas’ Who Present Themselves as Journalists.  DD: According to my critics/opponents, I never was a journalist, I am not a journalist, and I never will be a journalist a) because I do not have a degree in journalism, b) because no one has paid me for what I have done as the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, c) because all the money needed for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters and for my www.gopillinois.com website comes from my Civil Service Retirement System pension, my Social Security, and my retirement savings, d) because either my newsletters nor my website are paywalled or contain any advertising or donation requests, e) because I do not claim to be nonpartisan, f) because I fully disclose that I am conservative Republican, and g) because I fully disclose that I have been an elected Republican Precinct Committeeman since 2000. My critics/opponents ignore/dismiss/belittle/badmouth the fact a) that I worked for GAO as an Analyst for almost 18 years 1980-1997, b) that what GAO Analysts do is very similar to what journalists do, and c) that during my last 11 years at GAO, my salary increased from $118,984/year to $154,682/year in today’s dollars.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/10/nyregion/luigi-mangione-mangionistas-nyc-bill.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: To receive a press card, applicants must submit six or more “articles, commentaries, books, photographs, videos, films, or audios published, broadcast, or cablecast” within the 24 months before the application, according to the city agency. A member of the press can mean someone employed by a traditional news-gathering organization or a “self-employed newsperson.”

UTAH PUBLIC RADIO
— Thousands came to UVU to mourn Charlie Kirk. Others protested the memorial.
https://www.upr.org/utah-news/2026-09-11/charlie-kirk-memorial-anniversary

SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
— Modern-day martyr’: Charlie Kirk memorial draws thousands to Utah campus where he was killed. The event at Utah Valley University was headlined by major conservative names, including Glenn Beck and Michael Knowles.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2026/09/11/charlie-kirk-memorial-event-draws/

YORK NEWS TIMES
— Charlie Kirk Statue Unveiling Gets Ugly as Opposing Crowds Face Off in Times Square.
https://yorknewstimes.com/video_628b3ace-eabf-521a-ae59-c9cae9306227.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— A Democratic operative counsels his party to scrap its unpopular views and stand up to radical activists.
https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/supermajority-review-losing-dogmas-winning-elections-95971b61
— Populist Republicans and Democratic Socialists Are Starting to Merge. Call it the ‘Horseshoe party’: The extremes in both parties are starting to sound alike in their disdain for capitalism and centrism.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/populist-republicans-and-democratic-socialists-are-starting-to-merge-d6f5917e
— Pence: A Republican Time for Choosing. Will we remain the party of conservative principles or embrace progressivism in the guise of populism?
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/a-republican-time-for-choosing-c1f4f8a4
— Rules for Succeeding at Work. DD: If I had been a Democrat, my Democrat superiors in the federal government would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service long before I was 40 in 1988 even though I was not a minority, a female, or a veteran because I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21, I earned job-related master’s degrees when I was 27 and 31, I earned job-related professional certifications when I was 30 and 32, and I earned a job-related professional license when I was 32. None of my coworkers had come close to doing that.
https://www.wsj.com/business/new-rules-for-succeeding-at-work-success-331969f8
— DD: Democrat leaders blame Trump for India joining up with China.
https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/shifting-u-s-alliances-push-rivals-china-and-india-together-37c95b68

BUSINESS JOURNAL
— Who loses when standardized tests for college admissions are optional? DD: UIC would not have admitted me in 1966 if my ACT score and GPA had been lower. Loyola would not have admitted me in 1972 if my ATGSB score had been lower.
https://rbj.net/2026/09/11/who-loses-when-standardized-tests-for-college-admissions-are-optional/

HR EXECUTIVE
— Career success. DD: I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. Because I was not a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran, I had to do much more to advance. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, something very few of my Democrat Post Office coworkers did. I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license, something none of my IRS and GAO coworkers did.
https://hrexecutive.com/peace-over-promotion-how-gen-zen-is-redefining-career-success/

EDUCATION WEEK
— DD: The more that you condemn Charlie Kirk, the more that Democrats promote you.
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/disciplined-for-charlie-kirk-posts-these-teachers-fought-back-and-won/2026/09
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “He was a horrible person, a fascist full of hate for anyone who was different.”

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— Federal judge halts federal agencies from asking job applicants about their favorite Trump administration initiative, a question that civil service advocates call a “loyalty question.” DD: The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat who was minority, female, younger, or veteran and 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. To get rid of me, they disallowed my sick leave requests in 1968 and 1969 and forced me to resign in 1969. When I was 25 in 1974, my Democrat IRS superiors came to realize that I would never become a Democrat. To get rid of me, they got rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974, disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974, disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and made it clear that they would never promote me to GS-13. When I was 40 in 1988, my Democrat GAO superiors came to realize that I would never become a Democrat. To get rid of me, they threw me off audits of IRS, gave me a very bad job assignment, gave me very unfair performance expectations, gave me a very unfair performance appraisal, ranked me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance (PFP), and then always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for PFP. They forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. According to them, I held jobs and I got promotions that should have been given to my Democrat coworkers who were minority, female, younger,  and/or veteran.
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2026/09/judge-halts-favorite-eo-question-federal-job-applications/415952/%3Foref%3Dge-home-top-story

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

MEAWW
— Trump recounts Flight 93 hero’s final prayer before his defiant last words: ‘Let’s roll.’  President Trump described how Flight 93 passenger Todd Beamer reached out to an operator in Illinois and asked to join her in prayer.
https://news.meaww.com/trump-recounts-flight-93-heros-final-prayer-before-his-defiant-last-words-lets-roll

September 8, 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/graphics/immigration/2026/midway-blitz-by-the-numbers/
https://chicago.suntimes.com/bearing-the-blitz/2026/09/08/photos-what-operation-midway-blitz-left-behind
https://chicago.suntimes.com/bearing-the-blitz/2026/09/08/how-operation-midway-blitz-played-out
— 6 killed, 28 hurt in Labor Day weekend gun violence. Labor Day caps a historically peaceful summer in Chicago. The city had had 122 murders in June, July and August — the lowest summer total since 1965.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/09/07/labor-day-weekend-shooting
— Illinois joins lawsuit against latest Trump admin push to cut funding for youth gender-affirming care. DD: Ever-increasingly, to send your child to a public school is to make your child an LGBTQer.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/09/04/illinois-joins-lawsuit-against-second-trump-admin-push-to-cut-federal-funding-for-youth-gender-affirming-care

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders say the GOP was confident about keeping its Senate majority but now the fight for control is wide open.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/08/gop-senate-majority-control/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight illegal drugs.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/08/column-operation-southern-spear-drug-trafficking-donald-trump-depetris/
— 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/2026/09/08/illinois-in-state-tuition-changes/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/08/opinion-midway-blitz-one-year-later-donald-trump-ice/

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Suburban ‘Angel Mom’ turns grief into advocacy for immigration enforcement.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260907/news/suburban-angel-mom-turns-grief-into-advocacy-for-immigration-enforcement/
— How the suburbs will honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11. DD: I organized Wheaton’s 2003 and 2004 9/11 ceremonies. Sadly, my critics/opponents boycotted the events.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260908/news/we-remember-how-the-suburbs-will-honor-the-25th-anniversary-of-9-11/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Wheaton Sept. 11 Remembrance Ceremony: 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at Memorial Park band shell, 225 N. Karlskoga Ave. Join the city and Wheaton Park District in paying tribute to those lost in the terrorist attacks 25 years ago and the ensuing military conflicts, and honoring fire and police personnel. Ceremony participants will include Wheaton Mayor Philip Suess, members of the Wheaton police and fire departments and honor guard, local musicians, and community leaders. Visit www.wheaton.il.us .)

FOX ILLINOIS
— What to watch as Republicans gather in Dallas for Trump’s unusual midterm convention. Republicans will descend on Dallas this week for a two-day convention dreamed up by President Donald Trump to rally his party ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/what-to-watch-as-republicans-gather-in-dallas-for-trumps-unusual-midterm-convention/article_c00fea0e-313a-55b3-bb26-cef4bf45f167.html
— Trump wants voters to pretend he’s on the ballot. The Republican Party is going along for the ride. President Donald Trump may try to channel the role of cowboy as he heads to the first-ever off-year Republican convention in Dallas beginning Wednesday.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/trump-wants-voters-to-pretend-he-s-on-the-ballot-the-republican-party-is-going/article_bcb6cb69-2f16-53f4-9ea9-0bc25b61e1b7.html

POSITIVELY NAPERVILLE
— Naperville Jaycees’ Labor Day Parade 9/7/2026.
https://www.positivelynaperville.com/2026/09/07/photo-gallery-naperville-jaycees-labor-day-parade-9-7-2026/160933

NAPERVILLE PATCH
— Investigation Underway After Shots Fired Incident In Naperville. Police say they have interviewed “several subjects” who they believed were involved in the shots fired incident.
https://patch.com/illinois/naperville/investigation-underway-after-shots-fired-incident-naperville

CAPITOL CITY NOW
— IL reparations commission wants your input. DD: How strongly do Democrat leaders blame your ancestors for slavery?
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-il-reparations-commission-wants-your-input/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Democratic Senate nominee Juliana Stratton and Republican nominee Don Tracy are set to debate Oct. 20 on WTTW. Tracy recently released a new ad ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gCmzRelTbI ).
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/09/08/campaigns-hit-the-gas-01067063

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/08/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-802/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— GOP rep, Pritzker targeted with AI photo, death threats.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/gop-rep-pritzker-targeted-ai-150000531.html

WIREPOINTS
— Low Returns and a New Political Handout: How the Illinois Treasurer Invests Your Money.
https://wirepoints.org/low-returns-and-a-new-political-handout-how-the-illinois-treasurer-invests-your-money-wirepoints/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Too conservative? Since 2000, my critics/opponents have blamed me and have blamed my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters for defeats suffered by Republican candidates on ballots in my DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton. They hint/imply/argue/shout at Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders that is because I am too conservative, that is, because I promote too many conservative principles and too many planks in the Republican Party platform that they reject. Most commonly, they reject the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and/or equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. They stress the success they have had getting their operatives and their dupes to take adverse actions against me. According to them, the more that I do to help elect Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct, the fewer votes they will get. My more extreme critics/opponents discourage candidates and the Milton Township Republican Organization from giving me candidates’ campaign literature for me to distribute in my precinct. What do you say to my critics/opponents? – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Republicans should set midterm eyes on exposing leftist lunacy, lies, hypocrisies.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/8/republicans-set-midterm-eyes-exposing-leftist-lunacy-lies-hypocrisies/
— Why 30 million American men are single — and why that number keeps growing. DD: What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/7/analysts-see-social-economic-changes-pushing-men-not-marry/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Trump’s immigration enforcement was no miracle, just responsible government.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4714184/immigration-enforcement-responsible-government/
— Osama bin Laden is winning from the grave.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4713112/america-political-violence-bin-laden-logic/

NEW YORK POST
— Trump, GOP turn up the heat to ensure fairness, purge wokeism on campuses.
https://nypost.com/2026/09/08/opinion/trump-gop-turn-up-the-heat-to-ensure-fairness-purge-wokism-on-campuses/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Personal Finance and the Road to Reparations. The problem of poverty is not slavery. It is the black culture with single-parent families. It is the adoption of Democrat Party government programs that encourage dependency.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/09/personal-finance-and-the-road-to-reparations/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Government Employees Fight Trump’s Reforms From Within the Executive Branch. DD: Virtually all federal employees are Democrats.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/09/07/federal-unions-act-like-deep-state-suing-block-trump-policy/

FOX NEWS
— Five reasons the Democrat Party will only keep making a hard left turn. Government spending, union campaign finance and super PAC influence are pushing Democrats further left.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/five-reasons-democrat-party-keep-making-hard-left-turn
— Socialists wrestle with party strategy at annual conference in Chicago.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/socialists-wrestle-party-strategy-annual-233402075.html

LIBERTY NATION
— The Horrifying Legacy of Socialism.
https://www.libertynation.com/the-horrifying-legacy-of-socialism/

NATIONAL POLICE ASSOCIATION
— The National Police Association Investigates Who Was Behind Illinois Laws Targeting Federal Officers. DD: I enforced federal tax laws for IRS for almost 9 years a Revenue Officer, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year.
https://nationalpolice.org/the-national-police-association-investigates-who-was-behind-illinois-laws-targeting-federal-officers/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The National Police Association (NPA) has opened a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) public-records investigation into the origins of the Illinois Bivens Act and the Illinois Court Access, Safety, and Participation Act, laws designed to put the men and women enforcing federal immigration law personally in the crosshairs of lawsuits, punitive damages, and political retribution. The NPA’s FOIA requests are seeking drafts, redlines, legal memoranda, meeting records, emails, text messages, and other communications from the offices of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, State Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and the Illinois Senate. The records sought cover the conception, drafting, promotion, and planned enforcement of the laws, including any and all coordination with immigration organizations, civil-rights groups, legal-aid organizations, outside lawyers, lobbyists, and anti-police organizations. The laws create the authority for illegal aliens and others to sue federal immigration enforcement officers, turning Illinois courts into a venue for illegal aliens and their attorneys to extract money from federal agents. And Illinois lawmakers went further. An officer’s facial covering, identification practices, body-camera use, vehicle license plates, and even crowd-control equipment can become factors in determining punitive damages. Another provision restricts arrests in and around state courthouses and exposes federal officers to an additional $10,000 in statutory damages. The public has the right to know whether politicians in Springfield worked hand-in-glove with anti-law enforcement organizations to build this litigation scheme and whether those organizations expect to profit from the lawsuits the new laws authorize. “It is unacceptable for a state government to declare open season on federal officers because political leaders despise the federal laws those officers were sworn to enforce,” said Eddie Hutchison, President of the National Police Association. “Illinois politicians could not repeal federal immigration law, and they could not abolish ICE, so they appear to have chosen to make the enforcement of federal law as personally financially ruinous as possible,” Hutchison added. If that was the plan, then open the files and name the names: who conceived it, who wrote it, who helped arm it, and who intends to cash in as Illinois turns its courthouses into weapons against federal officers for doing their jobs enforcing America’s immigration laws. The NPA’s individual FOIAs can be viewed here. The National Police Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting for law enforcement through advocacy, education, and the courts.)

WESTERN JOURNAL
— Leftists Call for Murder of Liberal Financial YouTuber for Promoting Personal Responsibility to Overcome Debt.
https://www.westernjournal.com/leftists-call-murder-liberal-financial-youtuber-promoting-personal-responsibility-overcome-debt/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: You’ve likely seen viral clips of financial YouTuber Caleb Hammer. His channel boasts 3.7 million subscribers, mostly due to videos in which he sits down with guests to go over their spending habits. That might sound boring to the average viewer, but Hammer makes it wildly entertaining as he admonishes guests over their poor budget decisions and life choices that landed them in dire financial straits.)

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— Midterm elections head into the home stretch as candidates attend Labor Day events.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/midterm-elections-head-into-the-home-stretch-as-candidates-attend-labor-day-events

NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: As Midterms Approach, Republicans Find There Is No Escape From Trump. The president’s strategy, message and spending have left the G.O.P. in a difficult spot as lawmakers try to outrun his sagging approval ratings.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/us/politics/trump-miderm-elections-republicans.html
— Inside the Battle to Save One Pioneering General From Hegseth’s Purge. DD: There was no battle to save me from being purged by my Democrat GAO superiors when I was 49 in 1997. My critics/opponents continue to uses that against me. According to them, my being purged even though I had three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license proves that I brought it on myself, that I deserved it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/us/politics/hegseth-army-general-donahue.html

USA TODAY
— Trump bets on himself as midterm savior. Will ‘Trumpapalooza’ backfire?  Trump is putting himself center stage in the midterms with a Dallas convention, even as his low approval rating threatens to drag down GOP candidates.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/06/trump-midterm-election-convention-risk/91576603007/
– Single Americans who say income matters in a relationship expect a potential lifelong partner to earn an average of $139,000 a year. DD: In today’s dollars, I never earned more than $154,682/year and that was not until I was 49 in 1997. When I got married when I was 29 in 1978, my salary was only $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a 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.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/budget-and-spending/2026/09/03/single-americans-partners-earning-six-figures-study/91595118007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Socialism and the Dumbest Generation. Young people embrace an ideology that goes against everything they actually believe.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/socialism-and-the-dumbest-generation-687024bf
— The Unexpected Cost of Pet Care Has Young Adults Rethinking Their Finances. Pet ownership among Gen Z has spiked, but many are unprepared for the inevitable vet bills.
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/cost-pet-care-finances-5a1cd072
— American Workers Have Slammed the Brakes on Switching Jobs. The country is adding around 80,000 jobs a month, up from last year, but workers are still wary. DD: The longer that you are employed in the public sector, the more impossible it is to get a job in the private sector.
https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/american-workers-have-slammed-the-brakes-on-switching-jobs-767c45d1
— FRONT PAGE: Americans Without College Degrees Are Having One of the Best Job Markets in Years. Unemployment among younger workers who didn’t go to college has rarely been lower in recent decades. It is the opposite story for college grads. DD: If I had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business when I was 21 in 1970, Firestone Stores would not have hired me in 1970. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970, IRS would not have hired me in 1971. If I had not been taking graduate evening business courses, IRS would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had not earned an MBA in 1976 and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, GAO would not have hired me in 1980.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/americans-without-college-degrees-are-having-one-of-the-best-job-markets-in-years-5f37d00e

JOURNAL COURIER
— Demonization of Trump to blame for rise of socialism.
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/opinion/article/mark-serrano-demonization-trump-blame-rise-22411520.php

LA PROGRESSIVE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly demonize, denigrate, and condemn capitalism.
https://www.laprogressive.com/progressive-issues/socialism-in-the-dock

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

ECONOMIST
— How American universities get around the DEI backlash.
https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/09/07/how-american-universities-get-around-the-dei-backlash

September 7, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— A whiplash election year enters its final stretch as Trump holds wild cards.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/06/2026-midterms-final-stretch/

DAILY HERALD
— On Labor Day, the suburbs showed there’s still some summer left to enjoy.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260907/news/on-labor-day-the-suburbs-showed-theres-still-some-summer-left-to-enjoy/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The day stepped off with Schaumburg’s Labor Day parade along Summit Drive — a milelong, hourslong cavalcade of more than 70 marching units, including the high school bands from Schaumburg and Conant, folk dance performers, civic groups, and even the Wienermobile. Marchers handed out mini American flags and candy for the kids. There were politicians stumping for votes, too, including Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, GOP U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy, and 8th congressional district Democratic candidate Melissa Bean.)
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260907/news/having-faith-in-this-moment-a-year-after-midway-blitz-suburban-activist-is-undaunted/

ABC7
— As 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks approaches, ABC7 Chicago remembers local impact. Wheaton Academy graduate Todd Beamer died when Flight 93 crashed into a Pennsylvania field.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/25th-anniversary-911-attacks-twin-towers-pentagon-approaching-abc7-remembers-local-impact-todd-beamer-keating-crown/19803365/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicagos-little-village-grapples-impact-immigration-operation-known-midway-blitz-year-later/19803453/
— Chicago residents, activists call for stronger action after weekend street takeovers. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-street-takeover-residents-activists-call-stronger-action-weekend-takeovers/19800602/

CBS2
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-little-village-operation-midway-blitz-one-year-later/

WGN9
— Chicago street takeovers leave nearby residents frustrated. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://wgntv.com/news/chicagocrime/chicago-street-takeovers-leave-nearby-residents-frustrated/

FOX32
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chuy-garcia-chicago-immigration-crackdown

WTTW
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more gambling, pot, and other vices. In 2009, I led the successful effort to ban video gambling in Wheaton. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/09/04/illinois-regulators-propose-expanding-self-exclusion-program-compulsive-gamblers

KSDK
— Illinois GOP lieutenant governor candidate defends machine gun video, calls abortion a moot issue.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/illinois-gop-lieutenant-governor-candidate-defends-machine-gun-video-calls-abortion-a-moot-issue-in-interview-with-5-on-your-side/63-dd149e66-ba12-40be-a27e-bf5bff037251
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/illinois-gop-lieutenant-governor-candidate-220858387.html

COD COURIER
— College of DuPage to Honor 25th Anniversary of Sept. 11 Attacks with Memorial Event.
https://codcourier.org/college-of-dupage-to-honor-25th-anniversary-of-sept-11th-attacks-with-memorial-event/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— First-generation Americans fueling the DSA. We must be vigilant about screening immigrants’ sponsors.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/7/first-generation-americans-fueling-dsa/
— Never forget 9/11 requires more than a slogan. Memories from the Pentagon, ground zero and Flight 93 still carry urgent lessons. DD: I organized Wheaton’s 2003 and 2004 9/11 ceremonies. Sadly, my critics/opponents boycotted the events. I have flown an American flag off my front porch 24 hours a day since September 11, 2001.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/7/never-forget-911-requires-slogan/
— GOP throws midterm convention in Dallas to boost voter turnout in November.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/7/trump-palooza-gop-throws-midterm-convention-boost-voter-turnout/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Gary Sinise 9/11 documentary wants to inspire Americans with hope.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/entertainment/4713458/9-11-documentary-heroism-resiliency-gary-sinise/
— Candidates are not debating.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4712032/why-candidates-are-skipping-political-theatrical-debates/

NEW YORK POST
— Democrats’ faux affordability agenda will cost Americans big time.
https://nypost.com/2026/09/07/opinion/democrats-faux-affordability-agenda-will-cost-americans/

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Teachers Can’t Plaster Walls With Pride Flags, Second Circuit Rules.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/09/teachers-cant-plaster-walls-with-pride-flags-second-circuit-rules/

NEWS BUSTERS
— ABC’s ‘This Week’ Is the Only Sunday Show to Observe Charlie Kirk Assassination.
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jorge-bonilla/2026/09/06/abcs-week-only-sunday-show-observe-charlie-kirk-assassination

PJ MEDIA
— Democrats Don’t Need a Reason to Impeach Trump. They Just Will.
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/09/07/democrats-dont-need-a-reason-to-impeach-trump-they-just-will-n4956966
— America Must Stop Covering Up Muslim Crime.
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/09/07/america-must-stop-covering-up-muslim-crime-to-pander-to-woke-left-n4956979

TOWNHALL
— American Heroes of 9/11: Todd Beamer and the Passengers of Flight 93.
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/09/07/american-heroes-of-911-todd-beamer-and-the-passengers-of-flight-93-n2681975
— The Myth of the ‘Vital’ Illegal Immigrant Worker.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jeffdavidson/2026/09/07/the-myth-of-the-vital-illegal-immigrant-worker-n2682589
— More and More Germans Are Leaving Their Country.
https://townhall.com/columnists/rainerzitelmann/2026/09/07/more-and-more-germans-are-leaving-their-country-n2682547
— Allen West: Islamophobia
https://townhall.com/columnists/allenwest/2026/09/07/islamophobia-n2682515

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— Drone activity at U.S.-Mexico border drops 75% after U.S. uses laser weapon.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/laser-weapon-us-military-drone-activity-us-mexico-border/

September 7, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD; To vote for Democrats is to further diminish Second Amendment rights.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2026/09/07/washington-park-mass-shooting-gun-violence-manufacturers-anthony-douglas-selwyn-rogers
— DD: To get more votes from blue-collar union voters, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2026/09/07/blue-collar-voters-unions-november-polls-trump-labor-day-robert-forrant

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Labor Day kicks off Illinois’ fall campaign season. DD: I hope that each of the 18 Republican candidates on the November 3, 2006 ballot in my precinct will provide 400 of their campaign literature pieces to the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) that I can pick up and hand-deliver 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 18). 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, Harris, Drew, Soloman, Oakley, Lewis, Vrankovich, Grasso, Noonan, Schiappa, Henry, Eckhoff, Michaud, Schultz, Quirk, and Helland.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/07/illinois-election-labor-day/
— Every year, the Gallup organization asks Americans if they’re engaged with their work. And for years now, many American workers have responded with an emphatic, “No!” Employee engagement in the U.S. is hovering at its lowest level in more than a decade, Gallup reports. Workers on this Labor Day feel a growing sense of dissatisfaction and pessimism. 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 in 1970. 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.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/07/editorial-american-workers-have-come-a-long-way-yet-many-say-theyve-had-it-with-their-jobs/

DAILY HERALD
— Medinah, suburbs anticipating massive economic impact from Presidents Cup.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260906/other-pro-sports/medinah-suburbs-anticipating-massive-economic-impact-from-presidents-cup/
— Dancing in the streets of St. Charles to celebrate the Arcada’s 100th. DD: I miss the Lincoln-Dixie theater in Chicago Heights. I saw movies there in the 1950s and 1960s. It was opened on June 23, 1921. It was closed in 1970 and was left vacant to be boarded up following a fire. It was demolished in February 1972. SEE: https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8926  I worked in Chicago Heights 1964-1966 and 1970-1972.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260906/entertainment/dancing-in-the-streets-to-celebrate-the-arcadas-100th/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF TOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Something special in the air: Flight attendants reunite to mark 4 high-flying decades. DD: What connections do you have with your former coworkers? Sadly, I have virtually none. Virtually all of my coworkers were Democrats who disapproved of my being conservative, Republican, White, male, Vietnam War draft avoider, Protestant, German American, Crete resident 1948-1972, Wheaton resident since 1978, having ancestors who had been in America since 1844, and/or my and my wife giving up trying to have children. They disapproved of the Post Office hiring me in 1966, IRS hiring me in 1971 and promoting me in 1972, 1973, and 1974, and GAO hiring me in 1980 and promoting me in 1986.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260906/transportation/something-special-in-the-air-flight-attendants-reunite-to-mark-4-high-flying-decades/

NPR ILLINOIS
— Trump asks Supreme Court once again to allow USPS plan to restrict mail-in voting.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-09-07/trump-asks-supreme-court-once-again-to-allow-usps-plan-to-restrict-mail-in-voting

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct stressing the evils of socialism and that to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism? – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— RINOs have no problem with socialism, if not promote socialism. Socialists promote what Democrat leaders want: dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, pot and other vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Who are your critics/opponents and what do they want you to do? My critics/opponents reject some, many, most, virtually all, if not all the planks in the Republican Party platform. Most commonly, they reject the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and/or equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. Because I promote the aforesaid planks in my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters, they want to stop me from sending out my newsletters. Failing that, they want to stop everyone from reading my newsletters. Failing that, they want me to stop including links in my newsletters to articles that promote the aforesaid planks that they reject. I should write about my critics/opponents and the planks they reject and why they reject them. 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. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Socialism destroys motivation. Socialist leaders hint/imply/argue/shout that under socialism, all you need to do to succeed is to be a socialist, that is, that working under socialism is like being a Democrat working for Democrats in the public sector. I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. If I had been a Democrat, they would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service, currently $197,200/year, long before I was 40 in 1988. But because I was not a Democrat, in today’s dollars I did not earn $100,059/year until I was 25 in 1974, $113,402/year until I was 29, $118,984/year until I was 38, and $154,682/year until I was 49 when they forced me to retire. 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. None of my coworkers came close to doing what I did. I earned three job-related master’s degrees, I earned six job-related professional certifications, and I earned a job-related professional license. Socialism destroys motivation. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— Socialism Conference at Chicago’s Hyatt Regency – Stupidity and Hypocrisy in One Spot. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/09/06/socialism-conference-at-chicagos-hyatt-regency-stupidity-and-hypocrisy-in-one-spot

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democrats mull impeaching Trump, Hegseth in 2027.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/6/democrats-mull-impeaching-trump-hegseth-2027/
— Federal Communications Commission plans to warn broadcasters against airing ‘fake polls.’ DD:  During the last 8 years that I worked for GAO at the GS-13 Step 4-10 Levels, currently $130,844-$154,682/year in today’s dollars, I worked on major studies that involved major surveys.  SEE: https://www.gao.gov/products/ggd-94-133 and https://www.gao.gov/products/ggd-98-5  I learned a lot about survey methodology.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/6/federal-communications-commission-plans-warn-broadcasters-airing-fake/
— At 250, America faces the signs of civilizational decline. Debt, dependency and decadence now threaten the nation from within. DD: Because of Democrat leaders, in America today, a) what percent of young people believe that they cannot succeed without massive government assistance and b) what percent of minorities and females believe that Whites and males cause their problems?
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/6/250-america-faces-signs-civilizational-decline/
— Trump admin’s corporate stakes hand Democrats a socialist weapon.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/6/trump-admins-corporate-stakes-hand-democrats-socialist-weapon/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Independent voters increasingly identify as Democrats. DD: Ever since I became a Republican Precinct Committeeman in 1999, I have always encouraged both the registered Republican voters and the registered Independent voters in my precinct to vote for Republican candidates.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/4715260/voters-increasingly-democrat-poll/

NEW YORK POST
— Trump should draw a clear midterm line between his record and the blue wave of weirdo Dems.
https://nypost.com/2026/09/06/opinion/democrats-hoping-to-appear-normal-as-they-roll-out-their-blue-wave-of-weirdos-ahead-of-critical-midterms/

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— A Federal Jobs Guarantee. Its aim is to create full employment and price stability, by having the state promise to hire unemployed workers as an employer of last resort.” DD: According to my critics/opponents who are not now or were never federal employees, the federal government has always been the employer of last resort. According to them, people take federal jobs only because they cannot get jobs in the private sector. In my defense, 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. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on those who could not have gotten a federal job if they had tried. I would focus on those who lacked qualifications and/or could not pass a background investigation. If I had not passed the postal employment test and earned a high school diploma, the Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966 would not have hired me. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination and earned a bachelor’s degree in business, the Democrats who ran IRS in 1971 would not have hired me. If I had not been taking graduate evening business courses, my Democrat IRS superiors would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had not earned an MBA and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, the Democrats who ran GAO in 1980 would not have hired me.
https://www.aei.org/economics/underwhelming-ideas-a-federal-jobs-guarantee/

BLAZE
— Tired midterm voters want ‘normal’ — but that’s a costly trap. DD: Prior to Trump, the following was ever-increasingly increasing in America: dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, pot and other vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/tired-voters-want-normal-but-costly-trapwarns-glenn-beck

BREITBART
— Socialism is essentially communism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/09/06/gop-rep-gill-dems-can-call-it-democratic-socialism-leftism-it-is-essentially-communism/

CENTER SQUARE
— Voters rate Trump’s economy below his overall approval. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) paint everything in America, including America’s economy, as being bad and b) blame Trump for that.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_fce20440-6a4f-4305-8688-d28d086392fc.html
— 25 years after 9/11: A look back at decades of terror attacks on America.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_b9d9b8dd-c489-4f9a-90c1-143978d22aef.html
— Poll: Majority says student majors should dictate loan decisions. DD: In retrospect, with benefit of hindsight, I should have majored in accounting from the beginning. I erroneously thought that I could never pass the CPA examination. But I did pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30 in 1979. Then, I finished the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31. Then, I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA when I was 32. 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.thecentersquare.com/national/article_cd821ab0-bf96-4bef-bff5-716c32684e1c.html

COLLEGE FIX
— Georgetown U. students miffed pre-orientation program no longer ‘identity-focused.’ DD: Democrat leaders want citizens of America to first see themselves in terms of their race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, and national origin. Then, Democrat leaders want citizens of America who are  non-White, female, younger, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, and/or non-German American to see themselves as being discriminated against by citizens of America who are White, male, older, heterosexual, Protestant, and/or German American.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/georgetown-u-students-miffed-pre-orientation-program-no-longer-identity-focused/

DAILY SIGNAL
— The Promise of Socialism Is Misery for All.  DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/09/06/promise-socialism-is-misery-for-all/

DAILY WIRE
— Trump’s New Plan for Moms INFURIATES Lib Feminists.
https://www.dailywire.com/episode/michael-knowles-show-ep-2054

FOX NEWS
— Chicago socialism conference raises questions over far-left influence on Democratic Party. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6404682491112
— Socialists got their ‘prompt’ from the Democratic Party. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6404692949112
— Destroying the American way of life: El-Sayed’s political orbit complicates effort to moderate his image. The Democrat appeared alongside figures who praised Hamas and Hezbollah while insisting he believes in capitalism.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/destroying-american-way-life-el-sayeds-political-orbit-complicates-effort-moderate-his-image.amp

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Elite Formation Is Fueling the Socialist Project. America’s institutions are overproducing ambitious young people hungry for consequence. The DSA is exploiting that reality.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/09/elite-formation-is-fueling-the-socialist-project/

NEWSMAX
— Socialism ‘Alive and Well’ With Dems. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/kevin-hern-nkiyla-jasmine-thomas-ok-senate/2026/09/06/id/1268550/– Socialism ‘Alive and Well’ With Dems

PJ MEDIA
— Trump Is Looking to Make Sanctuary Cities Pay the Price for Protecting Violent Immigrants. DD: My critics/opponents reject the immigration plank in the Republican Party platform.
https://pjmedia.com/michael-a-letts/2026/09/06/trump-is-looking-to-make-sanctuary-cities-pay-the-price-for-protecting-violent-immigrants-n4956956
— 9/11 Families Were Right About Mamdani. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/09/06/911-families-were-right-about-mamdani-n4956947
— It’s Time to Examine the Union Mythology. DD: Realistically, I had no choice but to become a union member when I became a Post Office employee in 1966 and when I became an IRS employee in 1971. Virtually all, if not all, of my coworkers were union members. My critics/opponents outside of the executive branch of the federal government despise if not hate unions, union members, and past union members. I transferred from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980. GAO is part of the legislative branch of the federal government. My GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates looked down on, if not despised, if not hated union members and former union members like me. GAO did not unionize until 2007.
https://pjmedia.com/eric-florack/2026/09/06/its-time-to-examine-the-union-mythology-n4956944
— Asylum Denials Hit 94% in June.
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/09/06/fraud-was-rampant-judges-now-deny-94-of-asylum-claims-in-june-n4956946

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Leftists Storm the Midterms – Just Don’t Call Them Socialists.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2026/09/06/leftists_storm_the_midterms_ndash_just_donrsquot_call_them_socialists_710156.html

TOWNHALL
— Woke 2.0 Was Revealed at the Socialism 2026 Conference. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://townhall.com/news/josephchalfant/2026/09/06/woke-20-was-revealed-at-the-socialism-2026-conference-n2682576

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

REUTERS
— Pritzker’s Chicago Hotel Workers Protest Outside Socialism 2026 Conference.
https://www.reutersconnect.com/item/us-chicago-hotel-workers-protest-outside-socialism-2026-conference/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjY6bmV3c21sX09XU1BDQzI2MDE5MDQwMQ

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— Democrats promise a big agenda if they win control of Congress, but their unity is being tested. DD: RINOs and Democrat plants ever-increasingly use the Republican Party’s BIG TENT policy to destroy the Republican Party.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrats-promise-a-big-agenda-if-they-win-control-of-congress-but-their-unity-is-being-tested

CBS NEWS
— Chicago Mayor Johnson seeks to turn a new page in progressive politics. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-mayor-race-brandon-johnson/

NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Trump’s War on Mail-In Ballots Has Voters Baffled. That May Be the Point. From Oregon to Florida, officials are at once reassuring voters that their ballots are safe and encouraging them to use drop boxes or vote in person.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/us/elections/trump-mail-in-voting-confusion.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: ICE Skipped Basic Checks in Rush for Recruits. An official who oversaw the vetting of ICE recruits cited an “unprecedented lowering of standards” amid a hiring surge.  DD: IRS would not have hired me to be a Revenue Officer when I was 22 in 1971 if I had not had a bachelor’s degree in business and had passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination. The first 6 months I worked for IRS was in classroom training.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/us/ice-recruits-national-security-risk-whistleblower.html
— Men Are Onto Something. Quitting Is Great. DD: I should write about the many big adverse actions that my Democrat superiors took to get me to quit. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/30/opinion/women-men-gender-quit.html
— Workers are earning a smaller and smaller share of the economy’s income. Their cut — referred to by economists as “the labor share” — has been falling for decades. And it’s getting worse. During the past few years, it declined at a rapid clip and is now at its lowest level on record — about 53 percent of income, down from about 65 percent after World War II. DD: I was a wage earner 1964-1997. According to my critics/opponents, I was always grossly overpaid. They stress that while I was a federal union member for almost 12 years, almost 3 years while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969 and almost 9 years while I worked for IRS 1971-1980, a) my Post Office salary increased from $19.57/hour to $20.87/hour and b) my IRS salary increased from $56,409/year to $113,402/year in today’s dollars. In my defense, during that time, I earned a bachelor’s degree in management in 1970, I earned an MBA in 1976, I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, and I almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting. They stress that while I worked for GAO 1980-1997, my salary increased from $89,703/year to $154,682/year in today’s dollars. In my defense, during that time, a) I earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, b) I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981, c) I earned four more job-elated professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and d) I earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/07/opinion/labor-capitol-workers-income.html
— Putin Denies a Draft Is Coming, but Some Russian Men Are Taking No Chances. DD: Because I was not a veteran, but more significantly, because I avoided the Vietnam War draft, my Democrat Post Office, Firestone Store, IRS, and GAO superiors used the veterans’ preference to waste my career and to get rid of me. I should write about my many Democrat superiors and supervisors who took many big adverse actions against me. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me and who were Democrat veterans a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/05/world/europe/russia-war-mobilization-draft.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The DSA Is Using Coffee With Comrades and Socialist Softball to Convert the Curious. Fast-growing chapters use nonstop social activities to bring in new members and form closer bonds with existing ones. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/the-dsa-is-using-coffee-with-comrades-and-socialist-softball-to-convert-the-curious-ffcbcc65
— Upset About Data Centers? Big Tech and Trump Think You’re a Socialist Dupe. China is being blamed for stoking the grassroots revolt against AI in the U.S.
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/upset-about-data-centers-big-tech-and-trump-think-youre-a-socialist-dupe-1bb0ee55

FORTUNE
— Single Americans want potential partners earning at least six figures, according to new study. Millennials set the ‘ideal’ bar at $160,000. DD: In today’s dollars, I never earned more than $154,682/year and that was not until I was 49 in 1997. When I got married when I was 29 in 1978, my salary was only $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a 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://fortune.com/2026/09/02/single-americans-partner-earnings-ideal-study-millennials/

AXIOS
— Democrat governors weighing White House face the DeSantis trap.
https://www.axios.com/2026/09/06/democrats-governors-desantis-dilemma

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

JAPAN TIMES
— How much socialism is America willing to swallow? DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/09/07/world/american-socialism-surge/

August 27, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— A suburban challenge to Chicago’s monopoly on Lake Michigan water makes major waves
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/editorial-suburban-challenge-chicago-monopoly-100000841.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2026/08/26/lawmakers-advocates-allege-chicago-immigration-court-violated-due-process-for-minors-handed-removal-orders
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/08/26/defense-attorney-wants-broadview-6-prosecutor-on-the-stand-in-cbp-sex-assault-case-she-hasnt-testified

WGN9
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/illinois-leaders-slam-immigration-court/

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Will Supreme Court’s order on mail-in ballots impact voting in Illinois?
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/will-supreme-courts-order-on-mail-in-ballots-impact-voting-in-illinois/

NCTV17
— DuPage County Board, clerk at odds over November election funding.
https://www.nctv17.org/news/dupage-county-board-clerk-at-odds-over-november-election-funding/amp/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Corbett Plays Gender Card in Campaign for Governor on Women’s Equality Day.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/26/corbett-plays-gender-card-in-campaign-for-governor-on-womens-equality-day/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Illinois Review Calls for Attorney General Probe Into Possible Deletion of Lyons Township FOIA Video.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/illinois-review-calls-for-attorney-general-probe-into-possible-deletion-of-lyons-township-foia-video.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— AOC renews DSA membership after yearslong break ahead of possible 2028 bid.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/4701610/aoc-rejoins-democratic-socialists-2028-after-lapsed-membership-since-2019/

ADVOCATES FOR SELF GOVERNMENT
— 10 DSA Arguments for Socialism and Why They Fail.
https://www.theadvocates.org/socialism-cant-abolish-scarcity/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Air Force awarded nearly $750,000 for AI-powered DEI training tool under Biden.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/26/air-force-awarded-nearly-750000-for-ai-powered-dei-training-tool-under-biden-1656412/
— Hillary says bring on the socialist ‘experiment’ as Democrats chase young voters.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/26/hillary-says-bring-on-the-socialist-experiment-as-democrats-chase-young-voters-1656425/

BREITBART
— Gun Control Support Falls Among Likely U.S. Voters.
https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2026/08/26/rasmussen-gun-control-support-falls-among-likely-u-s-voters/amp/

CAMPUS REFORM
— Cal State San Bernardino requires DEI statement for baseball coaching job.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/cal-state-san-bernardino-requires-dei-statement-baseball-coaching-job/30482

CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES
— The Employment Effects of Immigration Enforcement.  DD: Unlike my critics/opponents, 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://cis.org/Academic-Articles/Employment-Effects-Immigration-Enforcement-Initial-Assessment

COLLEGE FIX
— Slavery does not explain black-white health disparities.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/bulletin-board/no-slavery-does-not-explain-black-white-health-disparities/

DAILY SIGNAL
— We Need to Stop Letting in Ungrateful Immigrants.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/26/victor-davis-hanson-we-need-to-stop-letting-in-ungrateful-immigrants/

DAILY WIRE
— Why Global Jihad Remains Invisible To The West.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-global-jihad-remains-invisible-to-the-west

FOX BUSINESS
— Democrats continue to embrace socialists in key races.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6404092708112
— RICH ELITES: Socialists are PRETENDING to help working class.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3r0c6VpXY18

HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— Inflated Federal Pay: How Americans Are Overtaxed to Overpay the Civil Service. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I have always been grossly overpaid. They stress that I was a federal union member for almost 12 years, almost 3 years while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969 and almost 9 years while I worked for IRS 1971-1980. In today’s dollars, a) my Post Office salary increased from $19.57/hour to $20.87/hour and b) my IRS salary increased from $56,409/year to $113,402/year. In my defense, during that time, I stress that I earned a bachelor’s degree in management in 1970, I earned an MBA in 1976, I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, and I almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting. In today’s dollars, while I worked for GAO 1980-1997, my salary increased from $89,703/year to $154,682/year. In my defense, during that time, I stress that I earned a master’s degree in accounting, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt, became a licensed CPA, earned four more job-elated professional certifications, and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading.
https://www.heritage.org/jobs-and-labor/report/inflated-federal-pay-how-americans-are-overtaxed-overpay-the-civil-service

HOT AIR
— DD: Wokeness is not in remission. My critics/opponents are woke.
https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2026/08/26/wokeness-is-in-remission-but-leftists-have-not-been-cured-n3818391

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Hillary Clinton Suggests Rise of Socialism in the Democratic Party is ‘Healthy.’
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/hillary-clinton-suggests-rise-of-socialism-in-the-democratic-party-is-healthy/

NEWS BUSTERS
— Violent Socialists Have Taken Over Messaging for Democrats.
https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/steve-malzberg/2026/08/26/cnns-jennings-rips-violent-socialists-who-have-taken-over

NEWSMAX
— The Left Clears the Way for Crime.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/katie-gorka-virginia-crime-left-policies/2026/08/26/id/1267449/
— 9 Weeks Left: Reframe Election to ‘Capitalism vs. Socialism’ for a Win. DD: Are the Republican candidates on the ballot in your precinct stressing that to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism?
https://www.newsmax.com/mclaughlin/capitalism-midterm-socialism/2026/08/26/id/1267365/
— America Doesn’t Guarantee Parity of Outcomes, and Shouldn’t. DD: My critics/opponents want equal outcome, that is, they reject equal opportunity. They want race and gender based preference giving. According to them, all the problems that minorities and females have are caused by Whites and men.
https://www.newsmax.com/judddunning/mao-marxism-truman/2026/08/26/id/1267399/
— Socialism Among History’s Greatest Failures.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/rudy-giuliani-socialism-new-york-city/2026/08/26/id/1267388/
— Mamdani’s socialism has to lead to dictatorship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PImjnhUb_UA

PJ MEDIA
— The DSA’s Revolution Will Be Funded by Mom and Dad.
https://pjmedia.com/david-manney/2026/08/26/the-dsas-revolution-will-be-funded-by-mom-and-dad-n4956502

REASON
— The GOP Is Becoming Anti-Conservative.
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/03/04/jonah-goldberg-the-gop-is-becoming-anti-conservative/

TOWNHALL
— The Case for Reparations Is Officially Closed.
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/08/26/mehdi-hasan-reparations-vip-n2681937
(FROM THE ARTICLE: One of the worst ideas the Left has ever had is that of reparations. The notion that people who didn’t commit atrocities must give money to people who didn’t experience atrocities in the name of historical fairness has always been a steaming pile of bull dung. As I have often said: I was born in 1983, not 1683. I didn’t own slaves; my ancestors didn’t own slaves. I grew up not benefiting from slavery in any way, shape, or form. Paying for slavery, therefore, is not my responsibility.)
— The DSA Civil War Being Fought on Wikipedia.
https://townhall.com/columnists/theodore-cazals/2026/08/27/the-dsa-civil-war-being-fought-on-wikipedia-n2681991

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ROLL CALL
— Facebook Hires Ex-GOP Senator To Advise On Anti-Conservative Bias.
https://rollcall.com/2018/05/04/facebook-hires-ex-gop-senator-to-advise-on-anti-conservative-bias/

CNN
— State Dept. looking to sell US embassy artwork official called ‘very woke.’
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/26/us/video/wiley-woke-artwork-vrtc-digvid

CNBC
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly discourage traditional marriage and family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5MKgZ24ZtE
— Working your way through college is practically impossible now. DD: I spent far too many hours washing dishes instead of studying during my junior and senior years in high school. My ACT score and GPA suffered. I spent far too many hours delivering mail instead of studying during my first 3 years in college. My GPA suffered.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/23/20-best-cities-for-students-working-their-way-through-college.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Those who promote woke destroy those who do not promote woke. My critics/opponents are woke. To be woke is to be anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-Christian, anti-German American, and/or anti-those who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/opinion/woke-right-trump-free-speech.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Republicans accuse Facebook of anti-conservative bias.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/republicans-accuse-facebook-of-anti-conservative-bias/2018/04/11/05628bc2-3db9-11e8-955b-7d2e19b79966_video.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— JD Vance Is the GOP’s Obama. He and the former president have much in common. And both disdain Republicans.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/jd-vance-is-the-gops-obama-2e35f480

FORBES
— What To Do When You Envy Your Colleague’s Success. DD: My coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran. While I could not change my race, gender, age, or veteran status, I could have become a Democrat. But I refused to do that.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ronashkenas/2014/12/12/what-to-do-when-you-envy-your-colleagues-success/
— OK Boomers, About That Working-Through-College Thing.  DD: I spent far too many hours washing dishes instead of studying during my junior and senior years in high school. My ACT score and GPA suffered. I spent far too many hours delivering mail instead of studying during my first 3 years in college. My GPA suffered.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickwwatson/2019/12/09/ok-boomers-about-that-working-through-college-thing/

24/7 WALL STREET
— Medicare Part B Went Up 9.7% This Year. Your Social Security Raise Was 2.8%.
https://247wallst.com/investing/etf/2026/08/26/medicare-part-b-went-up-9-7-this-year-your-social-security-raise-was-2-8-these-3-etfs-close-the-gap/

FREE PRESS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) blame capitalism for everyone’s problems and b) promote socialism to fix those problems.
https://www.thefp.com/p/honesty-project-capitalism-socialism-americans

CITY AND STATE
— AOC rejoined DSA this month after 7-year absence. The socialist standard-bearer apparently forgot to renew her annual DSA membership when it expired in 2019.
https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2026/08/aoc-rejoined-dsa-month-after-7-year-absence/415648/

WINSTON SALEM JOURNAL
— Will Black voters save the Democratic Party from socialism?
https://journalnow.com/opinion/column/article_47bdf39b-d6ca-56a1-bc2a-f3c40bb9b795.html

SPECTRUM NEWS
— Students working far more hours to pay for tuition than those 30 years ago. DD: I spent far too many hours washing dishes instead of studying during my junior and senior years in high school. My ACT score and GPA suffered. I spent far too many hours delivering mail instead of studying during my first 3 years in college. My GPA suffered.
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2023/02/09/students-have-to-tack-on-more-hours-of-work-to-afford-college-tuition-

COURTHOUSE NEWS
— Unions sue over new rules expanding feds power to fire workers. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors fired me, that is, they forced me to retire, because I was an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. According to the courts, that is OK.
https://www.courthousenews.com/unions-sue-over-new-rules-expanding-feds-power-to-fire-workers/

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— GAO finds 96% of DOGE’s claimed savings on federal grants cannot be verified.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-newscast/2026/08/gao-finds-96-of-doges-claimed-savings-on-federal-grants-cannot-be-verified/

NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON RETIREMENT SECURITY
— 80% of Americans Say U.S. Faces Retirement Crisis. 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://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/80-of-americans-say-us-faces-retirement-crisis-amid-affordability-pressures-and-debt-americans-wary-of-ai-financial-advice-and-crypto-in-retirement-plans-302860171.html

INVESTOPEDIA
— The College Majors Facing the Highest Unemployment Rates. DD: In retrospect, with benefit of hindsight, I should have majored in accounting.  I erroneously thought that I could never pass the CPA examination. But I did pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30 in 1979, earn a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, and passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA when I was 32. 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.investopedia.com/the-college-majors-facing-the-highest-unemployment-rates-in-today-s-challenging-job-market-12062003

INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— Wealthy students with high standardized test scores make up the majority of students at the most selective universities. DD: My critics/opponents 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.insidehighered.com/news/admissions/traditional-age/2026/08/27/new-paper-takes-aim-meritocratic-admissions-policies

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
— Champion of the Oppressed. DD: My critics/opponents paint minorities, females, and younger people as being oppressed and paint themselves as being champions of the oppressed.
https://online.ucpress.edu/jrpc/article-abstract/29/2/132/204315/Champion-of-the-OppressedRedescribing-the?redirectedFrom=fulltext

PHYS
— DD: According to my critics/opponents, minorities, females, and younger people are oppressed by Whites, males, and older people. My critic/opponents paint themselves as being champions for minorities, females, and younger people.
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-appropriated-racial-oppression-black-parents.html

MEDIATE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly paint today’s Republicans as being yesterday’s Confederates.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/house-democrat-says-confederacy-still-185729081.html

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

DAILY TELEGRAPH
— Socialists took over the Democratic Party.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/michael-knowles-socialists-took-over-the-democratic-party/video/fa388abe1182d9c0d09080422d3abfec

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 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 20, 2026

ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY
— SCC & RCCA 2026 Agenda.  DD: I have been a Republican Precinct Committeeman (RPC) since 1999. It would be great if RPCs got monthly emails from the Illinois Republican Party chairman, their IRP State Central Committee member, and their county/township/ward party leader that kept them up-to-date on what RPCs should know.
https://www.politico.com/f/?id=000001a0-1753-d3c1-a7b2-3f5bf2970000

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— According to Google AI, “Roughly 43% to 49% of Americans view the Republican Party’s political stance as “too conservative,” according to long-standing national tracking polls. The phrase “too conservative” is frequently used in American political discourse to describe public perception of the party’s platform, specific legislative proposals, and judicial rulings.” According to my critics/opponents, I have always been too conservative, that is, I have always promoted conservative principles and Republican Party platform planks that they reject, most commonly its personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. But political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative. Democrat leaders aggressively promote the anti-conservative Democrat Party platform. RINO leaders fail/refuse to defend and advance the Republican Party platform. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What motivates you to donate to Republican candidates’ campaigns? For me, it includes their demonstrated commitment, qualifications, and ability to defend and advance the Republican Party platform including its personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— 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 labels for the 660 Republican and Independent registered voters in my precinct. I have printed out those labels, I have affixing them to envelopes provided by MTRO, and put them into five batches in walk order. I will be stuffing those envelopes with MTRO’s voter guide, literature from the candidates, 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. Literature from the 17 Republican candidates on the ballot in my precinct, the voter guide, and the sample ballot is 19 X 400 or 7,600 pieces. As soon as I have at least 100 literature pieces from each of the candidates, I will start stuffing with the sample ballot to be added last. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS2
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/illinois-gov-jb-pritzker-bills-lgbtq-illinoisans/

WTTW
— At State Fair, Illinois Democrats Focused on Trump as They Seek Third Sweep of Statewide Races.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/08/19/state-fair-illinois-democrats-focused-trump-they-seek-third-sweep-statewide-races

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/20/illinois-regulators-propose-allowing-licensed-cannabis-producers-to-grow-outdoors/
— Orland Park to use $1 million grant for Marley Creek flood mitigation. DD: Since 1984, I have spent many thousands of dollars and lots of my labor mitigating flood risk for my home in Wheaton because the stormwater drainage plan for its subdivision was woefully inadequate and because of construction defects.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/18/orland-park-marley-creek-flood-mitigation/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Jesse White Tumbling Team eliminated from ‘America’s Got Talent.’ DD: During one of the 14 years that I raised $2,500/year from Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders 2005-2019 for “DuPage Republicans” to be the lead sponsor of Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks, Wheaton used the money to have the Jesse White Tumbling Team in the parade.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2026/08/19/jesse-white-tumbling-team-americas-got-talent-live-results-show

DAILY HERALD
— Bartlett has no marijuana dispensaries. It could soon have two at the same intersection. DD: In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260819/news/bartlett-has-no-marijuana-dispensaries-it-could-soon-have-two-at-the-same-intersection/

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Governor’s Day at Illinois State Fair focused on U.S. Senate race.
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/politics/state/2026/08/19/illinois-democrats-focus-on-trump-during-governors-day/91377294007/

WAND TV
— Democrats bash Trump, celebrate Durbin during Governor’s Day at Illinois State Fair.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/democrats-bash-trump-celebrate-durbin-during-governors-day-at-illinois-state-fair/article_17ebf0d0-13eb-4aa4-be57-ed32305c3518.html

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— GOP trails Democrats by 8 points on congressional ballot in new poll.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/gop-trails-democrats-by-8-points-on-congressional-ballot-in-new-poll/

DAILY LINE
— Illinois Democrats position state party’s success as an example for Democrats nationwide at annual Governor’s Day.
https://www.thedailyline.com/illinois-democrats-state-party-success-example-nationwide-governor-day

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Illinois Dems dodge left flank wars. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote first for socialism, then for communism, and then for totalitarianism. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct stressing that?
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/20/illinois-dems-dodge-left-flank-wars-01043103
(FROM THE NEWSLETTER: Party moves: Jeff Castle has been named State Central Committeeman for the 6th Congressional District. He replaces Bob Grogan, the Illinois GOP chair, who resigned from the committee seat. Castle is also chair of the Milton Republican Party and secretary of the DuPage Republican Party.)

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/20/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-795/
— Pritzker campaign launches ‘Too Extreme’ TV ad targeting Bailey. DD: Pritzker is extremely extreme.
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/20/pritzker-campaign-launches-%e2%80%98too-extreme%e2%80%99-tv-ad-targeting-bailey/
— Governor’s Day coverage roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/20/governors-day-coverage-roundup/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

RAY HANANIA
— Why is Pritzker pushing the massive 57 percent Tollway hike & other taxes? Pritzker needs the cash to cover his massive funding of undocumented residents (illegal aliens, non-citizens) by increasing more taxes. Meanwhile, seniors struggle under rising state taxes & fees.
https://hanania.substack.com/p/why-is-pritzker-pushing-the-massive

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— COLA increase estimated to be 3.2% in 2027. 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.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4686000/social-security-cost-of-living-adjustment-2027-inflation/

NEW YORK POST
— The SAT isn’t racist — but woke activists sure are. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I got an ACT score of 24 when I was 17 in 1966 because I benefitted tremendously from discrimination against minorities, females, non-Protestants, non-German Americans, and those whose ancestor had not been in America for a long time.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/20/opinion/the-sat-isnt-racist-but-woke-activists-sure-are/

1819
— Democrats’ disgusting and despicable embrace of socialist candidates. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote first for socialism, then for communism, and then for totalitarianism. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct stressing that?
https://1819news.com/news/item/they-actually-hate-america-britt-blasts-democrats-disgusting-and-despicable-embrace-of-socialist-candidates

AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
— Some Shattering Illusions of Our Declining Empire. Americans are waking up to ugly truths.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/some-shattering-illusions-of-our-declining-empire/

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— Underwhelming Ideas: A Federal Jobs Guarantee. DD: According to Google AI, “Perception of Productivity: Private-sector employers may view state-guaranteed jobs as inferior, creating a secondary tier of worker stigma for program participants. Association with Welfare: Public work programs targeted strictly at individuals unable to find traditional work can carry the cultural baggage of dependency or perceived personal failure.” Private sector employers look down on public sector employees. I was a public sector employee 1966-1969 and 1971-1997. According to my critics/opponents, if I had been a private sector employee, I never would have been able to earn $154,682/year in today’s dollars even though I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.  Even worse than that, according to my GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates, if GAO had hired me when I was 22 instead of IRS, GAO would not have promoted me when I was 23, 24, and 25. GAO employees look down on executive branch employees.
https://www.aei.org/economics/underwhelming-ideas-a-federal-jobs-guarantee/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In the smart and whimsical 1993 political comedy Dave, the eponymous character is the owner of a temp agency who has a side gig impersonating the president. And when the real deal suffers a stroke, a cabal of White House advisers offer Dave his own temp job: playing the commander-in-chief until the genuine article recovers. Many twists and turns later, the pretend president announces his very own plan to have Washington find a job for every American who wants one. Pull up the Wikipedia entry for Dave and you’ll see that last plot beat is hyperlinked. Clicking that link brings you to the Wikipedia entry for “job guarantee,” defined as an “economic policy proposal aimed at providing a sustainable solution to the dual problems of inflation and unemployment. Its aim is to create full employment and price stability, by having the state promise to hire unemployed workers as an employer of last resort.” So, yeah, it’s the kind of a silver-bullet solution a left-of-center screenwriter might think is pretty cool. Hey, if someone needs a job and can’t find a job, just have the government give them a job doing something or other. Public policy is so easy peasy.)

AMERICAN THINKER
— The Islamic Republic of NYC. Organized Radical Islam has learned that it is not necessary to mount a frontal assault on our buildings or hijack our planes.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/the-islamic-republic-of-nyc/
— Socialism’s rise is fueled by business leaders’ retreat.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/socialism-s-rise-is-fueled-by-business-leaders-retreat/

BREITBART
— DSA Is Absolutely Funded By and Tied to the Communist Chinese Party.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/19/anna-paulina-luna-dsa-is-absolutely-funded-and-tied-to-the-communist-chinese-party/amp/

COLLEGE FIX
— DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/peers-not-professors-push-students-left-politically-brown-u-study/

DAILY SIGNAL
— The Federal Bureaucracy Helped Build DEI’s Infrastructure. A New Rule Seeks to Change That. DD: While I worked 1964-1997, my employers were under ever-increasing pressure from the federal government to hire, to retain, and to promote minorities and females. I should write about that. Because of that, 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, I never would have earned $154,682/year in today’s dollars in 1997.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/19/the-federal-bureaucracy-helped-build-deis-infrastructure-heres-how-you-can-push-back/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A federal regulation intended to combat workplace racial discrimination has become a weapon for the race-obsessed diversity, equity, and inclusion movement—but President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to get rid of it. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency, has required specific employers to file an annual report summarizing data on their employees’ race and sex. The regulations currently apply to more than two million employers, at an estimated cost of $275 million each year and $4 million for the agency to administer the data collection. While the government required this data collection to prevent racial discrimination, it has arguably undermined the key goal of securing a colorblind workplace.)

FEDERALIST
— America Can’t Be A Welfare State And A Republic At The Same Time. DD: To get elected, Democrat and RINO candidates ever-increasingly promise more welfare.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/03/18/america-cant-be-a-welfare-state-and-a-republic-at-the-same-time/

FEDERATION FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION
— DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote first for socialism, then for communism, and then for totalitarianism. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct stressing that?
https://fee.org/articles/the-welfare-state-has-slowly-but-surely-eroded-nordic-character/

FOX BUSINESS
— Victor Davis Hanson condemns ‘Woke 1,’ raises concerns about second manifestation.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403730272112

LAW ENFORCEMENT TODAY
— Oregon Gun Buyers Raced Ahead Of New Restrictions. DD: Oregon today, Illinois tomorrow.
https://lawenforcementtoday.com/oregon-gun-background-checks-measure-114-surge
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Oregon voters narrowly approved one of the nation’s most restrictive gun control measures in 2022. It’s been a boondoggle process of court challenges and implementation delays since then. But Oregonians have responded to the impending restrictions by racing to exercise their Second Amendment rights before the government could make doing so substantially more difficult. New research now puts hard numbers behind that response. Researchers studying Oregon’s Ballot Measure 114 found firearm-related background checks surged 157 percent immediately following the election. The rush to lawfully purchase firearms wasn’t a flash in the pan, either. Eighteen months later, researchers still identified roughly 63,000 additional firearm-related background checks beyond what otherwise would have been expected. The message is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. When government threatens to put a constitutional right behind a permission slip, Americans exercise that right in massive numbers before the restrictions arrive. Oregonians Saw the Door Closing. Measure 114 passed with just 50.7 percent of the vote in November 2022. It created a permit-to-purchase requirement, mandated firearm safety training, implemented an additional completed background check before a permit could be issued and prohibited the manufacture, sale and transfer of magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds, with limited exceptions. NSSF challenged the ballot measure at the time as unconstitutional. Oregonians were clear-eyed about what was coming.)

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Democrats Choose Socialism in the Sunshine State.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/democrats-choose-socialism-in-the-sunshine-state/
— Don’t Fall for Fake Polls
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/dont-fall-for-fake-polls/

PJ MEDIA
— The Democratic Socialists of America Are ‘Deminazis.’ DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote first for socialism, then for communism, and then for totalitarianism. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct stressing that?
https://pjmedia.com/tim-o-brien/2026/08/14/the-democratic-socialists-of-america-are-deminazis-n4956152
(FROM THE ARTICLE: There is no entry in the Associated Press (AP) style book for “Deminazi,” and there likely never will be. That doesn’t make it any less accurate a descriptor for the dominant faction of the left known as the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The closest I could come to a correct usage is to refer back to the inspiration behind the term – Rush Limbaugh’s descriptor for the feminist movement: “feminazis.” All one word, no capital “n.” Works for me. Along these same lines, it’s a shame Graham Platner had to drop out of the Senate race in Maine and go home, taking his Nazi tattoo along with him. Since the DSA has conducted its takeover of the Democrat Party, that was the only notable instance of truth in advertising. Still, if we’re not careful, the socialists are on their way to taking over the country. Any DSA cult member who might read this would likely repeat the party’s key message point: “We’re not socialists, we’re Democratic socialists.” Right. Aesop, the creator of those classic and rather dark children’s fables, may have had the DSA in mind when he wrote “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.” He could just as easily have called the tale, “The Commie Who Will Lie and Do Anything It Takes to Win the 2026 Midterms.” That said, one of the tricks today’s “DSA wolf” uses to seduce young people and unsuspecting voters is to skip over all of the lessons of socialism and communism throughout history and go right back to that age-old doctrine on paper that sounds so good to so many. Concepts like: “Each according to his ability, to each according to his needs;” “People over profit;” “Redistribution of wealth;” and more bluntly, “Tax the rich.” All of it is designed to appeal to that part of us that just doesn’t always want to do the work it takes to succeed in life, but instead, to become a nameless, faceless part of a larger group that will take care of us. Those of us who ignore that part of ourselves are not the targeted market for the DSA. If you’re talking to the right people, usually the powerless or those who feel powerless, the concept practically sells itself. Just ask Lenin, Mao, Castro, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Hasan Piker, and now Abdul El-Sayed. Socialism is a loss leader for totalitarianism. Those who’ve actually read a history book or two know that socialism is always a soft-sell – the loss-leader, the gateway drug to communism. While the two aren’t interchangeable, they’re on the same road. While socialism calls for the state to own and control the means of production, in reality, once the state gets that far, it pretty much finishes the job and takes control of everything. Karl’s Marx’s vision for a communist utopia called for a classless society where there is common ownership of the means of production. Sounds just so nice, doesn’t it? Both socialist and communist idealism quickly falls apart when you realize that someone has to be in charge. Someone has to set priorities, oversee all of this, and be the boss. In other words, some human being still has to have more power than everyone else. But since under socialism and communism, self-governance is not really their thing (that would be something akin to American democracy), in practice, socialists find other ways to determine who’s in charge. In China, Mao Zedong rose to power through his own embrace and interpretation of Marxist ideology, applying it to Chinese society, particularly in rural areas. He became the dominant leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the mid-1930s. Then in 1949 he established the People’s Republic of China. Mao’s version of communism, the brand Piker seems to favor these days, was responsible for the deaths of 40 to 80 million Chinese, due largely to famine, but also a million or two were killed as part of his “Cultural Revolution.” People who weren’t quite on board with Mao suffered violent deaths through purges and in his famous “re-education camps.” Once someone decides your country is going to be socialist, which is a stepping stone to communism, you’ve pretty much given up your own rights and voice. You’ve surrendered them to the group. But since everyone else did the same thing, “the collective” will always consist of a small handful of people at the top (oligarchs) who knew all along it was a ruse, something they had to use to eventually win absolute power over you. Funny thing is, if you visit an American college campus this Fall, and you see that the DSA and socialism are all the rage, just like Taylor Swift and Black Lives Matter (BLM) were in recent years, none of those kids will know much about that whole absolute-power-over-you thing. They’re not thinking this through. Even if they did, they’d be hard-pressed to comprehend that socialist totalitarians have a tendency to let people die or actively kill them to consolidate power. Why totalitarians like socialism. One of the catchphrases about socialism is that, “Yes it has been tried before, but they have never done it the right way,” or some variation of that. In Russia, Vladimir Lenin led the Bolsheviks from the October 1917 Revolution until his death in 1924, which was preceded by a series of strokes. Like Mao, Lenin sold the people on what New York’s Mamdani has called “the warmth of collectivism.” They ate that stuff up. But as is always the case, since under socialism and communism, there is no democratic decision-making, the shots are called by one or two or a handful of people who aren’t bashful about grabbing power and wielding it, usually mercilessly, and often violently. Lenin personally oversaw something called “The Red Terror,” which killed 140,000 to 200,000 threats to his power. Joseph Stalin succeeded Lenin, and he wasn’t all that into empathy or mercy, either. His brand of socialism and communism looked much like that of every other socialist or communist leader, except to scale. To make sure the people knew who was in charge under “Stalinism,” he oversaw the direct killing of 6 million people who didn’t fall in line, but that number rises to 9 million if you count famine. From an economic standpoint, socialism and communism are shortcuts to mass starvation and death as well. At the same time, what always starts as an ideology that promises a perfect world through the power of the collective always ends with a totalitarian in charge. And to make sure that totalitarian stays in charge, many, many people have to pay the price, always with their freedom, often with their lives. This all brings us to perhaps the most notorious socialists in history and his fascist sidekicks, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Since both Hitler and Mussolini were known as much for waging war against the rest of the world as for destroying lives and killing large segments of their own populations, for our purposes here, we’ll keep the focus narrower and center on a couple of terms. This is important because one thing the DSA and its allies like to do is frame Hitler as “far right,” and fascism as far right. The presumption is that socialism by definition is leftist, and so it can’t be fascist. Hitler was a socialist. Hitler was part of and eventually led the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP), also known as the Nazi Party. Mention this to any leftist today, and you’ll hear a word salad about how Hitler’s version of socialism wasn’t the same thing that they espouse, or that he really wasn’t a true socialist because he was a fascist. The fact is, however, there was a reason Hitler called himself a socialist, and that’s because he was one. Then he did what just about all socialist leaders do when they get power: They add “totalitarian” to their resumes. Mussolini is credited with serving as the father of fascism, an ignoble moniker if ever there was one. He entered politics as a socialist and became a prominent member of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI). That party kicked him out in 1914 due to his advocacy for Italian intervention in the First World War. After that, he said something like, “Screw it, I’m just going to come up with my own thing and call it fascism,” though I believe he said it in Italian. Mussolini’s fascism retained or adapted several socialist characteristics, including the way the party was organized, the way the people were mobilized, a hatred of individualism, the rhetoric of revolution, and most importantly, the belief that your economic life exists to serve the larger collective. That’s Mussolini, the OG of fascism. The pattern through all of these examples is that socialism is an excellent pathway, and a well-worn one, on the way to communism, then to dictatorial fascism and totalitarianism. ‘Deminazis’ want to follow in the socialist tradition. Against this backdrop, the DSA today has built itself on a platform that may sound familiar to students of history, particularly students of German socialist or Nazi history. The DSA wants universal healthcare, which means government control over every citizen’s health decisions and health outcomes, not to mention government access to every citizen’s private health information. Imagine that kind of power in the hands of a totalitarian. The DSA wants “housing for all,” which like the healthcare item, puts government in control over every citizen’s home, whether he or she has a home, and the quality of that home. In the process, it puts government, and the small group of people in charge of government, in control over your quality of life. This sort of power can be wielded to reward you or punish you. The DSA wants free college for all. Not that universities need much encouragement here, but such a policy would codify that university campuses serve as nothing more than indoctrination camps. True to its organized labor roots, the DSA has much to say when it comes to work. Shorter workweeks, unionized workforces, higher wages, and likely higher union dues that end up finding their way back into “The Party.” To create dependency on government, rather than on individual industriousness, hard work, and innovation, the DSA really likes policies that require employers to pay people for not working, and policies that kill profitability and productivity. These agenda items include long periods of paid family leave, costly regulations tied to “climate change,” and higher taxes on businesses and business owners. The DSA’s “Free Palestine” pillar has been widely used as cover for antisemitism and all of the targeted discrimination and targeted and violent attacks on Jews, which are on the rise. It’s also been used to attack federal policymaking and foreign relations, including the country’s relationship with Israel. The DSA wants to cut U.S. military spending while knowing that the country’s adversaries, like China and Russia, are building their military strength. And why would that be? I’m getting a “Manchurian candidate” vibe here. The DSA is working to make it palatable to the masses to consider the piece-by-piece destruction of American democracy, starting with the dilution of citizen self-governance, declaring that non-citizens be given the same rights and the same voice in the nation’s governance. It wants to abolish the Senate, abolish the Electoral College, jerry-rig and expand Congress in accordance with its own designs, reduce the power of the Supreme Court, and pack the Supreme Court. None of this happens overnight, of course, but if they are eventually successful, it will be because we lost democracy piece by piece. Every single one of these items, if implemented, would help to put America on the same well-trodden path that failed socialist and communist states have followed before. But failure is in the eye of the beholder. If you really believe in socialism as written on paper, then maybe these others have failed. But if you see socialism as a pathway to totalitarianism, then they were wildly successful, the most notable one being the case of that little German guy with the funny mustache who showed us what socialism looks like if you follow it to its logical conclusion. In America, as we look ahead to the 2026 midterms, the DSA has enough momentum to constitute too much momentum. We as a nation should know by now socialism just can’t be on the table, but it is. And that’s why the Democratic Party is no longer a “democratic” party; it’s why the DSA has nothing to do with democracy; and it’s why the most fitting brand for the Democrats and the DSA is the “Deminazis.”)

TOWNHALL
— Back to Empty Classrooms.
https://townhall.com/columnists/johnandandyschlafly/2026/08/19/back-to-empty-classrooms-n2681500
— ICE Keeps Arresting Predators. Sanctuary Cities Keep Calling It Fearmongering.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jay-rogers/2026/08/20/ice-keeps-arresting-predators-sanctuary-cities-keep-calling-it-fearmongering-n2681552

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NBC NEWS
— Democratic candidate for FL governor says Trump is ‘promoting socialism’ as president.
https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/democratic-candidate-for-fl-governor-says-trump-is-promoting-socialism-as-president-268551237672

CNN
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/19/politics/video/we-are-united-dnc-chair-on-democrats-civil-war-amid-socialist-surge-lcl

NEWSWEEK
— Many Floridians Escaped Socialism; Now They Could Elect One to the Senate.
https://www.newsweek.com/many-floridians-escaped-socialism-now-they-could-elect-one-to-the-senate-12344087

NEW YORK TIMES
— Ocasio-Cortez Rewrites the Rules. The latest shot heard ’round the world came not from a gun but from a syringe of fertility hormones belonging to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/16/opinion/aoc-egg-freezing-women-politics.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Trump Fired the Watchdogs. Their Replacements Have a Different Mission. President Trump is installing his allies in the offices of inspector general, which are meant to provide independent government oversight. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997 and for the Democrats who ran the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996, I had lots of interactions with the Democrat Chicago offices of Inspector Generals. None of them came to my defense when my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. None of them were interested in hiring me.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/us/politics/trump-inspector-general.html
— Fake Polls in Wisconsin and California Were Part of a ‘Social Experiment.’
https://gvwire.com/2026/08/19/fake-polls-in-wisconsin-and-california-were-part-of-a-social-experiment/

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/19/how-democratic-socialist-angie-nixon-pulled-off-an-upset-win-florida/
— For the first time in 50 years, college grads are losing their edge. DD: If I had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business, Firestone Stores would not have hired me in 1970. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination, the Democrats who ran IRS would not have hired me in 1971. If I had not been taking graduate evening business courses, my Democrat IRS superiors would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had not earned an MBA and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, the Democrats who ran GAO would not have hired me in 1980. If I had not earned a master’s degree in accounting, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt, and became a licensed CPA, the Democrats who ran GAO would not have promoted me in 1986. If I had not been taking graduate evening finance courses, my Democrat GAO superiors might have succeed in forcing me to retire in 1993 instead of 1997.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/01/31/labor-market-gap-trade-workers-white-collar/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/09/28/golden-era-traditional-marriage-was-never-what-conservatives-thought/

USA TODAY
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/08/19/dsa-candidates-2026-midterms-democratic-socialism/91368818007/
— DD: To be woke is to be anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-Christian, anti-German American, and/or anti-those who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/19/woke-1-woke-2-meme-origin-aoc/91351078007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— How a Democratic Socialist Caught Fire in Florida. Angie Nixon scored an upset with her left-wing economic message but now faces an uphill battle against GOP Sen. Ashley Moody.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/how-democratic-socialism-caught-fire-in-florida-19333a53

FORBES
— Obama, Warren, Pritzker, & More Honor Dick Durbin’s Career In Senate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MK0s5ICRCs
— How To Build A Career That Isn’t Dependent On One Job.  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, my Democrat IRS superiors did everything they could to get rid of me. They got rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me in when I was 23, 24, and 25. 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 took 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 have 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.forbes.com/sites/shodewan/2026/06/26/how-to-build-a-career-that-isnt-dependent-on-one-job/

FAST COMPANY
— 5 underrated career strategies for getting promoted. DD: To get promoted, my Democrat coworkers in the federal government a) stressed that they were Democrat, minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time, b) stressed that they blindly loyal to the Democrat Party platform, c) painted themselves as being yes-men and yes-women, d) stressed that their spouse, if they had one, had little or no income, e) stressed the tremendous amount of time and money that they spent raising their children, if they had children, and f) destroyed their fellow coworkers who were Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91586421/5-underrated-promotion-strategies

MOTLEY FOOL
— Millions of Americans Are Retiring Earlier Than They’d Planned To. You will face multiple problems if you’re forced to retire early. DD: My retirement income and savings are dramatically less because my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. But far worse than that, my critics/opponents viciously use against me my being forced to retire early. They hint/imply/argue/shout that I am a bad person and that is why I was forced to retire early. They hint/imply/argue/shout that I am an extremely bad person because I was forced to retire even though I had three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. They stress that I passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt, something that none of my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, or subordinates did.
https://www.fool.com/retirement/2026/06/14/millions-of-americans-retiring-earlier-than-plan/

LAW
— DD: Democrats and RINOs will always use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.law.com/article/almID/900005518698/