FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Brandon Johnson’s City Hall can’t find anyone willing to collect debt on the city’s behalf. Shocking, but hardly surprising. DD: Just kidding, but should form a company to collect those debts? I worked for IRS’s Collection Division for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/09/editorial-brandon-johnson-debt-collection-budget-banks-aldermen/
(FROM THE EDITORIAL: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has informed aldermen that a proposed sale of outstanding debts owed to the city of Chicago, which was supposed to net $90 million in this year’s budget, is garnering no interest from banks or other financial services firms. The apparent failure of the debt sale looks like it will blow a hole in the current year’s budget that will need to be addressed, although the size of that shortfall is yet to be determined. We certainly agree with members of the council majority who included the debt sale among other revenue-raising measures that the mayor and his administration gave their idea no real chance of succeeding. From the start, Johnson castigated the plan to sell some of the $8 billion owed to the city in unpaid ambulance charges, water bills, red-light and speeding camera tickets and other obligations as “immoral” and “morally bankrupt.” This page rejected his argument, saying among other things that it’s unfair to the people who pay their debts to give a tacit pass to those who just don’t. Johnson allowed the budget containing the proposed debt law to become law without his signature.)
HERALD WHIG
— Bailey pledges to lead Illinois with integrity.
https://whig.com/2026/08/08/bailey-pledges-to-lead-illinois-with-integrity/
BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/article_fbe4e232-596c-4374-8400-f8538c003d9e.html
ABC7
— DD: My “Republican” critics/opponents are really Democrat Lite, if not anti-conservative, if not Democrat plants. Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/jim-durkin-illinois-house-republican-resigning/12678017/
VILLA PARK PATCH
— League of Women Voters “Unite & Rise” for Voting Rights!
https://patch.com/illinois/villa-park-il/calendar/event/20260808/2f82b133-686c-4891-a6ff-41630e21389c/league-of-women-voters-unite-rise-for-voting-rights
JUSTICE FOR ALL
— Justice For All is an American Human Rights organization, specifically advocating for the rights of Muslim minorities. Its main office is located in Chicago, with additional teams in Washington DC, Boston, New York, Toronto, and Ottawa.
https://www.justiceforall.org/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
JOHN KASS
— The Democratic Socialists Are Coming!
https://johnkassnews.com/the-democratic-socialists-are-coming/
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— GOP State Senate Calls Out Democrats on Ethics
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/03/gop-state-senate-calls-out-democrats-on-ethics/
— 80 Years for Gun Toting Marengo Circle K Robber
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/03/80-years-for-marengo-circle-k-robber/
— DeWitte Criticizes Chicago School District’s Lust for Money from the Rest of Illinois
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/04/dewitte-criticizes-chicago-school-districts-lust-for-money-from-the-rest-of-illinois/
— Where School Spending Goes
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/04/where-school-spending-goes/
— State Senator Darby Hills Explains New E-Bike Law and Channel 7
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/04/darby-hills-explains-new-e-bike-law-and-channel-7/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— The media act like cheerleaders with press credentials — they’re supposed to be instant replay. DD: The mainstream news media exists a) to elect and to reelect Democrats and b) to defeat Republicans.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4674625/media-bias-objective-journalism-press-referees/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Wealth Taxes Don’t Work. Envy is the second of the seven deadly sins, and Zohran Mamdani seems to want a more envious New York (and America). Instead of worrying about how much money Ken Griffin has (reportedly some $50 billion), why not begin by starting wherever you are qualified and working your way up?
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/wealth-taxes-don-t-work/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Inciting envy is the modus operandi of all socialists. It is their means of fomenting division and attracting voters, but it is a particularly ugly way of doing so because it demeans the very people they would lead and creates the potential for violence. One reason envy is so destructive is that it saps the initiative of those who might otherwise be striving to improve their own situation. Instead of worrying about how much money Ken Griffin has (reportedly some $50 billion), why not begin by starting wherever you are qualified and working your way up? This has always been the American way, but socialists undermine this healthy instinct and replace it with the promise of equality of outcomes, which is their means of gaining power. Anyone who has studied the history of socialism knows that it does not produce equality.
Zohran Mamdani and others like to pretend wealth taxes can produce enough revenue to pay for their promises of free transportation, free daycare, subsidized groceries, and even Medicare for all.)
— How Little has Changed Between ‘Political Correctness’ and ‘Woke.’
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/how-little-has-changed-between-political-correctness-and-woke/
— The Democrat embrace of Islamo-socialism is party suicide.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/the-democrat-embrace-of-islamo-socialism-is-party-suicide-comments/
— The Mohammunist Manifesto—Public Or Private, Nothing Is Beyond Our Control. Whether the government is Islamic or communist, the leaders can reach into every sphere of life and can truly make the rules up as they go along.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/the-mohammunist-manifesto-public-or-private-nothing-is-beyond-our-control/
BREITBART
— Reject Cheap Foreign Labor. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/08/reject-cheap-foreign-labor-former-utah-rep-jason-chaffetz-condemns-sen-john-curtiss-amnesty-plan/
— Democrats Are Running to Destroy the Country, They Want to Blow Up the Constitution.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/08/blackburn-democrats-running-to-destroy-the-country-they-want-to-blow-up-the-constitution/amp/
COLLEGE FIX
— Illegal alien students demand U. California system comply with court ruling, hire them for campus jobs.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/illegal-alien-students-demand-u-california-system-comply-with-court-ruling-hire-them-for-campus-jobs/
— The Education Department is being praised by some for recently ending its disparate impact race-quota regulations, with an editorial in The Washington Post arguing civil rights laws “exists to protect individuals from discrimination, not to guarantee equal statistical outcomes.” The department in late July removed disparate impact from Title VI regulations, meaning it will no longer treat neutral school policies or practices that produce unequal outcomes by race as violations of federal law. DD: To curry favor with minorities and with females, my critics/opponents want equal outcome. Only about 20% of those who take the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations pass the examinations on their first attempt like I did. Virtually all of those who passed the examinations on their first attempt with me were White males.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/bulletin-board/in-washington-post-education-department-praised-for-ending-outcome-based-discrimination-rules/
FEDERALIST
— RINOs Are Tanking The Entire Republican Party, Not Just Trump. DD: RINOs fail/refuse to defend and advance the Republican Party platform.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/07/rinos-are-tanking-the-entire-republican-party-not-just-trump/
— The Average Man Rejected Socialism. White Affluent Liberals Chose It For Him. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/05/the-average-man-rejected-socialism-white-affluent-liberals-chose-it-for-him/
FOX BUSINESS
— America is the envy of the world.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403015347112
FOX NEWS
— Socialism appeals to young voters because the ideology allows them to blame external systems rather than taking personal responsibility. DD: According to my critics/opponents, if I had worked in the private sector instead of the public sector, I would not have gotten the promotions that I got. According to my Democrat GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates, if I had worked for GAO instead of IRS, I would not have gotten promoted to GS-9 (currently $68,999/year) when I was 23 in 1972, to GS-11 (currently $83,482/year) when I was 24 in 1973, and to GS-12 (currently $100,059/year) when I was 25 in 1974. They stress that I did not earn an MBA until I was 27 in 1976 and that I did not pass the CPA examination on my first attempt until I was 30 in 1979. They used that to force me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars, a downgrade from GS-12 Step 5 (currently $113,403/year) to GS-9 Step 10 (currently $89,703/year).
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/truth-socialisms-appeal-young-voters-115047273.html
— Gen Z spending faces scrutiny amid affordability concerns. DD: While I worked for IRS’s Collection Division for almost 9 years, I took and analyzed financial statements from many taxpayers who wanted payment agreements.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403080483112
— Vance slams blue states for failing to verify welfare eligibility.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403054464112
NATIONAL REVIEW
— Socialists Want the DNC to Sign Its Own Death Warrant.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/the-socialists-want-the-dnc-to-sign-its-own-death-warrant/
— A Foreseeable and Dire Munitions Crisis. DD: I worked for GAO on an audit of the Department of Defense FY 1990 ammunition budget request. SEE: https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-90-23.pdf
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/a-foreseeable-and-dire-munitions-crisis/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CNN
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/ar-AA28yb43
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/08/politics/video/smerconish-will-the-democratic-party-become-the-party-of-democratic-socialism
AOL
— DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.aol.com/articles/why-sending-kids-college-become-100232000.html
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
— Republicans Must Stop Being Democrat-Lite. DD: My “Republican” critics/opponents are really Democrat Lite, if not anti-conservative, if not Democrat plants. Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative.
https://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-the-gops-problem-in-its-strategies-or-its-policies/republicans-must-stop-being-democrat-lite
— Affordable New Cars With Lots of Horsepower in 2026. DD: Because I wanted to buy a new car before I graduated from Crete-Monee High School in 1966, In May of 1966, I bought a new Pontiac Tempest Sprint ( https://over-drive-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1965-12-CD-1966-Pontiac-Tempest-Sprint-Test-1-4.pdf ), a poor man’s GTO, instead of a GTO. But then my Park Forest Post Office salary enabled me to buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967 and then a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968.
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/cheap-cars-with-a-lot-of-horsepower
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Our Top Picks Overall: 2026 Ford Mustang — The Ford Mustang rolls into 2026 with a few styling tweaks and no other changes, which means this sports car is still a fantastic driving machine.)
NEW YORK TIMES
— Trump Gains a Loyal Enabler at the Justice Dept. DD: My critics/opponents was loyal enablers. They destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate or dominate, b) who refuse to glorify or praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on those who have lots of government, political, financial, and/or religious clout in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois. I would focus on those who have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me lately.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/08/us/politics/blanche-attorney-general-doj-trump-power.html
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/09/us/politics/gustavo-gordillo-democratic-socialists.html
— DD: Socialists win because they falsely hint/imply/argue/shout that if you do not get promotions, it is because of capitalism. Democrats win because they falsely hint/imply/argue/shout that if you do not get promotions, it is because of Republicans. All my coworkers who my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors promoted over me did little or nothing to get promoted. They got promoted because they were Democrats, minorities, females, and/or veterans. To get promoted, I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and a job-related professional license (CPA). All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had. Consequently, because I was not a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran, my Democrat Post Office superiors refused to promote me beyond GS-4, my Democrat IRS superiors beyond GS-12, and my Democrat GAO superiors beyond GS-13.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/08/opinion/socialist-wave-democratic-party.html
— The Bagpiper’s Endless Quest for a Place to Practice. DD: Between 2005 and 2019, I raised $2,500 a year from Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders for “DuPage Republicans” to be the lead sponsor for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks. My critics/opponents ended that by stopping sponsorships. $1,000 each year of the money I raised was for bagpipers to walk in the parades. My critics/opponents do not like, if not despise, if not hate bagpipers. For them, they walked too slow.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/01/nyregion/bagpipes-new-york.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG GRAPHIC: How a Nation of Immigrants Traces Its Roots. Melting pot, tapestry, mosaic, kaleidoscope, salad bowl. Every cliché is true. DD: My critics/opponents have always used against me the fact that all my ancestors immigrated from what is now Germany during the 1840s and 1850s when slavery was legal. In their defense, I have always stressed that they always lived in northeast Illinois.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/07/01/us/america-identity-ancestry-census.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: After 1840, immigration from Western Europe began to rise quickly as political instability in Germany and the famine in Ireland drove people to leave. Asian immigrants, drawn by the discovery of gold in California in 1848, were recruited to work on farms and railroads. Later in the 19th century, pogroms across Eastern Europe and the aftermath of Italian reunification drove a surge of migration to the United States. From 1880 to 1920, 24 million immigrants arrived. They went almost everywhere except the South, where the land-owning elite already had cheap labor from the formerly enslaved and poor tenant farmers. Cities swelled. In 1910, according to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, three-quarters of the residents of Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and New York City were immigrants or children of immigrants.)
— FRONT PAGE: For More College Graduates, Moving Home Is a No-Brainer. DD: I lived with and helped support my mother and brother in Crete for 25 months after I graduated from college. My father died suddenly when he was 47 and I was 21 in October of 1969. He was earning $50,000/year in today’s dollars. My mother had never attended high school, she had never worked outside the home, and my brother was having problems. I graduated from NIU in August of 1970 and I got a job working for the Firestone Store in Chicago Heights that month. I applied for and I got a financial hardship draft deferment. I lived with them in Crete and helped support them until September of 1972 when I bought a new townhome in University Park.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/02/business/college-graduates-living-at-home.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Moving Back Home After College? All Your Friends Are Doing It. More young adults are living with their parents. The development suggests that they face a weak job market, but also that fewer face stigma in returning to the roost.)
UNION LEADER
— Socialism is a sin and a death sentence for America.
https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/op-eds/mary-jane-beauregard-socialism-is-a-sin-and-a-death-sentence-for-america/article_5dd566ea-6124-47bb-82b0-66b1a4e219d9.html
DALLAS EXPRESS
— Why Young Americans Are Turning To Socialism — And What JD Vance Says Must Change.
https://dallasexpress.com/national/why-young-americans-are-turning-to-socialism-and-what-jd-vance-says-must-change/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Vance stated that “A lot of Americans look at this rising tide of socialism and say, ‘How did we get here?’ We got here by 40 years of bipartisan leaders selling our industrial base to foreign countries, allowing low-wage immigrants to come in and compete with Americans for jobs, by destroying the foundation of the middle class. That’s how you got socialism.” He continued: “How you fix that problem is by doubling down on Donald Trump’s economic nationalism, not going back to the way we’ve done things for the past 40 years. It’s failed everywhere it’s tried, and it always leads to socialism. It always leads exactly where we are. The only way to get out of it is to double down on the economics of the past 18 months.” Vance also described Democratic candidates he called “limousine socialists” as offering redistribution rather than industry or good jobs, saying manufacturing remains the foundation of middle-class prosperity.)
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— ICE Is Weaponizing Social Media Against Its Critics. Agency says its surveillance program searches for threats to agents, but critics see free-speech infringements.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/ice-surveillance-internet-critics-e3b22f49
24/7 WALL STREET
— Only 30% of Americans Ever Receive an Inheritance. Those Who Do Get It at 58, Not 30. DD: My wife and I never anticipated receiving inheritances. Therefore, we lived our lives like that. We saved as much as we could for our retirement.
https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/2026/06/24/only-30-of-americans-ever-receive-an-inheritance-those-who-do-get-it-at-58-not-30/
MONEY LION
— These 16 US Colleges Now Cost More Than $100K a Year. DD: University of Chicago is $103,821/year. Back in the good old days, in 1970, I was able to graduate debt-free with a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU and owning a 1969 Dodge Charger SE a) by working part-time for the Park Forest Post Office while classes were in session and full-time during the summers 1966-1969 and b) by living with my parents in Crete while I took classes at UIC 1966-1968, weekends during my first semester at NIU in 1969, and the summer of 1969. In today’s dollars, my postal salary increased from $19.57/hour to $20.87/hour.
https://www.aol.com/articles/16-us-colleges-now-cost-153011000.html
COMPLETE COLORADO
— Democratic socialism is just an opening act for communism. Socialism is a devil’s brew of delusional utopianism, economic malpractice, hatred of capitalism, and unlimited government control of every aspect of our lives. It’s a philosophy based on envy and resentment dressed up as “social justice.”
https://completecolorado.com/2026/08/03/democratic-socialism-opening-act-communism/
COLORADO POLS
— Pence Slams Trump at Revamped Western Conservative Summit. DD: Ever-increasingly, the more conservative that you are, that is, the more conservative principles that you promote, that is, the more planks in the Republican Party platform that you promote, the faster that you are gotten rid of. I am no longer a) the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks, b) the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, c) an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member, and d) the Milton Township Republican Organization webmaster.
https://www.coloradopols.com/diary/227239/pence-slams-trump-at-western-conservative-summit
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “In our movement there are people who have been nibbling away at the very principles that have made America strong and prosperous and free and have defined a conservative agenda,” said former Vice President Mike Pence, CCU’s newest 2026 faculty member, who refused President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. “In fact, in many respects in recent years we’ve seen our movement toss about at a tempest of populism, protectionism, and on occasion even isolationism. On the world stage, we saw the administration’s initial stops and starts when it comes to Ukraine after that brutal and unprovoked invasion by Russia four years ago. I have held since that moment that America, as the leader of the free world, should continue to marshal the West to give the brave Ukrainian people what they need to repel and defeat that Russian invasion. “At home, we’ve seen the rise of protectionist policies,” continued Pence. “The so-called ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs of a year ago represented the largest tax increase in American history, imposed on friend and foe alike. They impacted families, literally at the grocery store and at the counter. We’ve also witnessed populist policies that have taken on the free market tradition of our movement, nationalizing American businesses. The headlines this morning are that a dozen more businesses have received direct equity investments by the federal government. And we’ve seen price controls on everything from consumer credit to medicines. And perhaps most troubling to traditional conservatives like me is there’s been a marked departure, a marginalizing of our commitment to the sanctity of human life.”)
ALTOONA MIRROR
— Reunions a time to reflect, reconnect. DD: Sadly, it looks like there will not be a 60th reunion for my Crete-Monee High School Class of 1966. Sadly, my interaction with my classmates decreased dramatically during my junior and senior years because I worked 28 hours a week during the school years and 40 hours a week during the summer in between washing dishes for the minimum wage in the basement of the SS Kresge in Chicago Heights.
https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2026/08/reunions-a-time-to-reflect-reconnect/
POST AND COURIER
— Education pathways to prosperity. DD: When you were young, what did you do to advance your career? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970; job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997; job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997; and a job-related professional license in 1981.
https://www.postandcourier.com/moultrie-news/news/education-pathways-to-prosperity/article_8678cc81-0b75-40e0-a27c-9d7c1d27ff10.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: August marks back-to-school season. It’s a season filled with anticipation for new coursework and academic progress, but also a time for students and families to reflect on the career pathways that education can help make possible. It’s understandable that many young people are questioning the value of higher education. National student loan debt now exceeds $1.87 trillion, with borrowers in South Carolina carrying an average balance of about $34,000 per learner, slightly below the national average of roughly $37,000 to $39,000. Meanwhile, unemployment among South Carolinians ages 16 to 24 is approximately 9.2 percent, twice the state’s overall unemployment rate of 4.6 percent. While concerns about the value of college are very real, the data indicate that post-secondary education still provides the best pathways to increased lifetime income. In South Carolina, community college graduates will earn $220,000 to $335,000 more over their lifetime than those with just a high school diploma. Four-year graduates (including transfer students) will earn nearly $800,000 more over their lifetime. However, the biggest barriers to obtaining a college degree are cost, time to completion, accessibility and flexibility to accommodate competing life priorities. Certificates, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees. Post-secondary education provides multiple pathways to economic success through professional certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The key is to choose the pathways that offer the best job security and ROI. Professional certificates are the fastest and least expensive way to earn a credential that validates a desired skillset. Certificates can serve as a stackable on-ramp toward a degree, provide timely skills, or help you qualify for upward mobility.)
TRIB LIVE
— Potential of 3-year bachelor’s degrees spark debate of affordability, quality. DD: Immediately after I completed 16 graduate evening business courses one course at a time 1972-1976 and earned an MBA from Loyola, Loyola cut its requirement for an MBA to 12 courses if you had a bachelor’s degree in business which I did. My not earning an MBA sooner than I did harmed my IRS career.
https://community.triblive.com/news/4110996
CENTER FOR RETIREMENT RESEARCH
— Let’s Elect Candidates Who Will Make the Wealthy Pay Taxes. DD: The less income you have, the less income tax that you pay.
https://crr.bc.edu/lets-elect-candidates-who-will-make-the-wealthy-pay-taxes/
COMMON DREAMS
— Who Is ‘Authentically’ Working Class? DD: My critics/opponents look down on if not despise the working class. I was a member of the working class 1962-1997. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/who-is-the-working-class
LAW
— DD: Democrats and RINOs will always use Affirmative Action, DEI, and wokeness/wokeism to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.law.com/article/almID/53G6-WMG1-JBM3-R52C-00000-00/
FEDERAL RETIREMENT
— DD: My critics/opponents have always been furious that I qualified myself for both a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension, currently $68,640/year, and Social Security, currently $18,712/year. I paid into Social Security for 10 years and into CSRS for almost 30 years including into both at the same time for almost 3 years. While I worked part-time for the Post Office for almost 3 years, I paid into both Social Security and CSRS and got full-time CSRS credit even though I worked only part-time. They are beyond furious that because of a Bill that Biden signed, my Social Security increased from about $3,000/year to about $6,000/year and then to $18,712/year.
https://federalretirement.net/social-security/csrs-social-security/
COLLEGE NEWS
— Best U.S. Companies for Entry-Level Jobseekers. DD: After you earned your bachelor’s degree, what was your entry-level job? When I graduated from NIU with a bachelor’s degree in management in 1970, I accepted the only job offer that I got. It was to be the Retail Sales Manager for the Firestone Store in the Chicago Heights. Potential employers saw me as being draft bait. They did not believe that my application for a financial hardship draft deferment to help support my mother and brother would be approved. Because advancement working for Firestone looked bleak, I accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile in 1971, but Oldsmobile withdrew that offer saying it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. My Firestone Store boss rudely fired me because I accepted that offer. Because I had to have a job, I accepted a job offer that I got from IRS. I had taken and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination while I was a NIU student.
https://www.collegenews.com/which-are-the-best-us-companies-for-entry-level-jobseekers/
Tag: gun
August 6, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Community leaders call for accountability after Southwest Side street takeover. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-community-leaders-call-accountability-southwest-side-street-takeover-47th-cicero-avenue/19633041/
NBC5
— Dolton board votes to move up curfew, set penalty in effort to curb teen gatherings. The unanimously approved ordinance established a 9 p.m. curfew in Dolton for anyone under the age of 18, and any teens caught out without adult supervision could be fined between $250 to $2,500. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/dolton-board-votes-to-move-up-curfew-establish-penalty-in-effort-to-curb-teen-gatherings/3971192/
CBS2
— Chicago’s own Mamdani? Behind DSA’s fight to elect socialists to City Council first. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-mamdani-effect-dsa-election-socialism/
FOX32
— Dolton combatting teen takeovers with curfew of 9 p.m. for children. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-razxmsyro71otja5.amp
WTTW
— What Happened to the American Dream? New Documentary Asks 1,000 People Across 50 States. DD: When you were young, what did you do to pursue the American Dream? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970; job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997; job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997; and a job-related professional license in 1981. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/07/23/what-happened-american-dream-new-documentary-asks-1000-people-across-50-states
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Chicago grocers are severely affected by reductions to SNAP: ‘We need to bail out this industry.’ DD: How dependent on SNAP are the grocers in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/05/chicago-grocery-stores-snap-cuts/
— Disability advocates march on Gov. JB Pritzker’s office demanding more alternatives to nursing homes. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO’s Chicago office for almost 18 years, they assigned me to supervise all the disabled employees they hired.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/05/nursing-home-alternatives-rally-pritzker/
— Man who jumped fence into JB Pritzker’s backyard didn’t know it was governor’s home.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/05/jb-pritzkers-backyard/
— DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/05/letters-080526-democratic-socialists/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/05/chicago-dj-tunjo-ice-midway-airport/
BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
— Chicago grocers are severely affected by reductions to SNAP: ‘We need to bail out this industry.’ DD: How dependent on SNAP are the grocers in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://pantagraph.com/news/state-regional/business/article_845819ec-b858-589b-b99f-8a9f938898fb.html
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Alexi Giannoulias is spending six figures to introduce himself to Chicago voters as a mayoral candidate — not secretary of state.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/06/welch-hindsight-is-20-20-01026606
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/06/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-785/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/05/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-572/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER RIGHT SOURCES
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— To advance under socialism, all you need to do is be a socialist. To advance under Democrats, all you need to do is be a Democrat. When you were young, if America had been socialist, would your career have advanced more? My career would not have advance more because just like I refused to become a Democrat to advance, I would have refused to become a socialist to advance. While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, you had to be a Democrat to be promoted to GS-14. While I worked for the Democrats who ran IRS 1971-1980, you had to be a Democrat to be promoted to GS-13. While I worked for the Democrats who ran the Post Office 1966-1969, you had to be a Democrat to be promoted to GS-5. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Socialism disincentivizes work. Capitalism and pursuit of the American Dream motivated me to work my way through college and earn a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and a job-related professional license (CPA). Sadly, extremely few of my peers did anything close to that. My peers included my Crete-Monee High School classmates 1962-1966, my UIC classmates 1966-1968, my NIU classmates 1969-1970, my Post Office coworkers 1966-1969, my IRS coworkers 1971-1980, and my GAO coworkers 1980-1997. Under socialism, even fewer of my peers would have done anything close to what I did. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Back in the 1970s, the Democrats who ran IRS’s Chicago office wanted the broadest definition possible of Chicago’s commuting area to make it easier for them to meet their Affirmative Action quotas. My grievance frustrated that big time. SEE: https://www.gao.gov/assets/b-180010.11.pdf – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Indianapolis TV Station Features Vacation Spots in McHenry County
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/29/indianapolis-tv-station-features-vacation-spots-in-mchenry-county/
— Dem Says ICE Detention in Kentucky Devastating, They Could Be in McHenry County Jail without Dems’ Law
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/29/dem-says-ice-detention-in-kentucky-is/
— Corbett Calls Bailey Extremist on IDV, Relates Personal Experience
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/29/corbett-calls-bailey-extremist-on-idv-relates-personal-experience/
— Six Months for Libertyville Man Threatening Judges
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/29/six-months-for-libertyville-man-threatening-judges/
— Brilliant Takedown of an Unresponsive City Council
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/29/brilliant-takedown-of-an-unresponsive-city-council/
— Another Federal Gun Prosecution, This Time After Illinois Judge Releases Felon Under SAFE-T Act Rules
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/29/another-federal-gun-prosecution-this-time-after-illinois-judge-releases-felon-under-safe-t-rules/
— Juliana Stratton’s Position on Medicare for All Criticized by Washington Post: “Taxes for All”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/juliana-strattons-position-on-medicare-for-all-criticized-by-washington-post-taxes-for-all/
— Deep Southern Illinois Legislator Reveals Concern at Pritzker’s Moving Jobs into the Chicago Metropolitan Area
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/deep-southern-illinois-legislator-reveals-concern-at-pritzkers-moving-jobs-into-the-chicago-metropolitan-area/
— McLaughlin Warns of BIG Pension Problem
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/mclaughlin-warns-of-big-pension-problem/
— Part of Woman’s Head Decapitated When Speeding Boat Crashed into Her Boat Found in Fox River
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/part-of-womans-head-decapitated-when-speeding-boat-crashed-into-her-boat-found-in-fox-river/
— Pritzker Takes the Typical Democratic Party Attack Approach – “He’s Too Extreme!!”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/21424/
— Inspired by Constituent Tragedy, McLaughlin Law Requires Training in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver for Day Care Centers with More Than 12 Kids
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/21414/
— State Sets Up Whistle Blower Webpage for Many Licensed Professionals
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/31/state-sets-up-whistle-blower-webpage-for-many-licensed-professionals/
— The Results of One Party Government
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/01/21386/
— Kat Off the Hook, Whether It Helped or Hurt Her Campaign Up in the Air
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/05/kat-off-the-hook/
— Video of Apparition in McHenry County
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/26/video-of-apparition-in-mchenry-county/
— Illinois Stopped from Allowing Illegal Aliens Lower Tuition Than Americans Living Out of State
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/26/illinois-stopped-from-allowing-illegal-aliens-lower-tuition-than-americans-living-out-of-state/
— Support for Cessation of Treating Illegals Better Than American Citizens
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/27/support-for-cessation-of-treating-illegals-better-than-american-citizens/
— UPDATE: Allegedly Drunk Fox River Killer Boat Driver Set To Remain in McHenry County Jail Until August 5th; Before SAFE-T Act, Meeting Large Cash Bail Would Have Probably Gotten Him Out FROM STATE’S ATTORNEY
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/27/drunk-fox-river-killer-boat-driver-set-to-remain-in-mchenry-county-jail-until-august-5th-before-safe-t-act-meeting-large-cash-bail-would-have-probably-gotten-him-out/
— Republican Marty Mohr Gains Union Endorsement
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/28/marty-mohr-gains-union-endorsement/
— McHenry County Farmer Scores $45,000 of $4 Million Grant Money
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/28/mchenry-county-scores-45000-of-4-million-grant-money/
— Background Discussion on the Rodeo Ordinance That Didn’t Pass Last Tuesday
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/28/background-discussion-on-the-rodeo-ordinance-that-didnt-pass-last-tuesday/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump vows to punish ‘leakers’ who said U.S. munitions are running short. DD: I worked for GAO on an audit of the Department of Defense FY 1990 ammunition budget request.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/6/donald-trump-vows-punish-leakers-who-said-us-munitions-running-short/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Social media has jeopardized immigrant assimilation. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly discourage assimilation. Because my ancestors were slow to assimilate, my father was only the first of them to earn a high school diploma and my mother never attended high school. All my grandparents spoke German.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4666462/social-media-immigrant-assimilation/
— The conservative case for a market-based immigration system. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/4669862/conservative-case-market-based-immigration/
— America was never just an idea — or just a heritage. DD: America is a country with borders and laws.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/4669755/american-heritage-culture-creed-assimilation-immigrants/
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Mamdani Backs Squatters’ Rights in Video Demonizing ‘Billionaire’ Jewish ‘Slumlord.’
https://freebeacon.substack.com/p/mamdani-backs-squatters-rights-in-9f4
AMERICAN THINKER
— Catastrophe Is Left-Wing. When left-wing or socialist policies dominate power, crises not only arrive — they worsen.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/catastrophe-is-left-wing/
— Ceuta: The Time-Lapse Photo Of Western Collapse. Just one week in Ceuta provided a perfect microcosm of what’s been happening across Europe for a decade, and always with European governments’ connivance.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/ceuta-the-time-lapse-photo-of-western-collapse/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Major gun ruling could spark chain reaction ending at Supreme Court.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/05/major-gun-ruling-could-spark-chain-reaction-ending-at-supreme-court-1653543/
BREITBART
— Illegal Alien Caught with Several Molotov Cocktails in Mokena.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/05/prosecutors-illegal-alien-caught-with-several-molotov-cocktails-in-chicago-suburb/
— The Fatal Flaw With Democratic Socialists: ‘You Can’t Just Steal People’s Money’
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/08/05/joe-rogan-explains-the-fatal-flaw-with-democratic-socialists-you-cant-just-steal-peoples-money/amp/
CAMPUS REFORM
— Southern Illinois University system continues DEI agenda despite Trump’s crackdown. Southern Illinois University’s latest strategic progress report continues to identify DEI as a core institutional priority while celebrating a national DEI leadership award. The report comes as the Trump administration has directed federally funded institutions to eliminate DEI programs that may conflict with federal civil rights law. DD: Democrats use DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/southern-illinois-university-system-continues-anti-racism-dei-agenda-despite-trumps-crackdown/30373
DAILY CALLER
— Major Gun Ruling Could Spark Chain Reaction Ending At Supreme Court.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/05/third-circuit-ruling-could-thrust-another-case-to-supreme-court/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Senate Committee Votes to Hold Fauci in Contempt of Congress.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/06/all-he-had-to-do-was-tell-the-truth-senate-committee-advances-contempt-votes-on-fauci/
DAILY WIRE
— Socialists Sweep the Primaries.
https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-260806
EPOCH TIMES
— 12 Glaring Realities of Marxist Socialism.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/twelve-glaring-realities-of-marxist-socialism-6068509
— Progressive El-Sayed Wins Michigan’s Democratic Senate Primary. El-Sayed faced more than $60 million in outside spending in support of Stevens, compared with about $4.6 million spent to support his campaign. The race became a flashpoint in a wider ideological battle taking place nationwide in the Democratic Party between progressives and establishment centrists.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/progressive-el-sayed-wins-michigans-democratic-senate-primary-6070694
FOX BUSINESS
— Can Republicans beat socialism in the Midterms? The far-left of the Democratic party has a field day in the Michigan primaries.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/larry-kudlow-can-republicans-beat-socialism-midterms
FOX NEWS
— Taxpayer-funded housing for illegal immigrants in GOP’s crosshairs: ‘It’s got to stop.’ The legislation would also deny Community Development Block Grants to sanctuary cities and require citizenship verification. DD: The second audit I worked for GAO on in 1980 was of Community Development Block Grants in Aurora.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/taxpayer-funded-housing-illegal-immigrants-gops-crosshairs-got-to-stop
— Trump blasts Democratic socialist candidate as ‘full of s—‘ and Dems are skipping socialism ‘for communism.’ President argues Dems are embracing communism, calling it the greatest threat facing the US.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-blasts-democratic-socialist-candidate-full-dems-skipping-socialism-communism
NATIONAL REVIEW
— El-Sayed’s Coalition Is More Highly Educated and White Than He Lets On. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/el-sayeds-coalition-is-more-highly-educated-and-white-than-he-lets-on/
— The Pendulum Has Swung Back: Standardized Testing Is Again a Core Requirement in College Admissions.
https://natlawreview.com/press-releases/pendulum-has-swung-back-standardized-testing-again-core-requirement-college
NEWSMAX
— New York Business Leaders Cave to Mamdani.
https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/zohran-mamdani-socialism-new-york/2026/08/05/id/1265158/
— 62 Percent of Voters Support SAVE America Act.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/save-america-act-poll-majority-support/2026/08/05/id/1265183/
OPM
— OPM Launches Online Service for Former Federal Employees to Access Personnel Records. DD: I should take advantage of this.
https://www.opm.gov/news/news-releases/opm-launches-online-service-for-former-federal-employees-to-access-personnel-records/
PATRIOT POST
— Zohran Mamdani Should Be Barred From 9/11 Memorial.
https://patriotpost.us/articles/129680-zohran-mamdani-should-be-barred-from-9-11-memorial-2026-08-05
— Why Are Muslim American Politicians Uniformly Democrats? DD: Islam rejects democracy.
https://patriotpost.us/opinion/129710-why-are-muslim-american-politicians-uniformly-democrats-2026-08-05
TOWNHALL
— Driving DEI Through Litigation.
https://townhall.com/columnists/kenblackwell/2026/08/06/driving-dei-through-litigation-n2680746
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
— Illinois Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Failing to Pay Employment Taxes. DD: While I worked for IRS’s Collection Division 1971-1980, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, I collected lots of delinquent employment taxes.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwi/pr/illinois-man-sentenced-15-months-prison-failing-pay-employment-taxes
(FROM THE PRESS RELEASE: Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on July 30, 2026, United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller sentenced George Dilles (age 55) of Inverness, Illinois, to 15 months in prison. Dilles had pled guilty to one count of failure to truthfully account for and pay employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7202. According to court records, Dilles was the president and part-owner of NG Enterprises, Inc. (d.b.a. Visiting Angels), a company that provided elderly home personal care in the Milwaukee area and employed from 50 to 110 workers. Dilles was required to withhold federal income taxes, Social Security taxes, and Medicare taxes from his employees’ wages, hold those amounts in trust, and pay them over to the IRS. Additionally, he was responsible for filing quarterly tax returns (Forms 941) reporting those amounts to the IRS, and for paying the employer’s matching portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes. For 17 quarters from 2019 through 2023, Dilles willfully failed to file employment tax returns and pay over taxes to the IRS of more than $1.2 million. Dilles used some of the funds on personal expenses, including mortgage payments and purchases of a Maserati and a McLaren. He also used employment tax returns, which he had not filed with the IRS, to obtain a Paycheck Protection Program loan in the amount of $312,500. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Stadtmueller emphasized the serious nature of Dilles’ conduct, the substantial loss to the IRS, and the need to provide adequate deterrence to others who might engage in similar conduct. He also ordered Dilles to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release.)
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Democrats quickly coalesce around El-Sayed after Michigan primary win.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6011745-democrats-back-el-sayed-vs-rogers/
— Vance says El-Sayed has no ‘constituency among the working class.’ DD: I was a member of the working class 1964-1997, that is, I was a wage earner 1964-1997. My critics/opponents look down on the working class, that is, they look down on wage earners. According to them, wage earners are grossly overpaid. They stress that in today’s dollars, I was paid $154,682/year in 1997.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6012719-vance-criticizes-el-sayed-michigan/
CBS NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/how-democratic-socialism-is-shifting-politics-in-washington/
— Federal workers sour on government work, decrying eroding job security. DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. I am none of the aforesaid. To get rid of me, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors punished me a) for my not becoming a Democrat, b) for my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, c) for my complaining about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, and d) for my being an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-workers-survey-public-service-job-security/
— DD: What are you loyal to? I am loyal to conservative principles and to the Republican Party platform.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-attacks-supreme-court-justice-neil-gorsuch-loyalty/
NBC NEWS
— DD: What are you loyal to? I am loyal to conservative principles and to the Republican Party platform.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/trump-loyalty-test-thomas-massie-primary-kentucky-georgia-pennsylvania-rcna345556
REUTERS
— Republicans seize on Michigan progressives’ wins, but party is split on socialism message. DD: What positions on socialism do the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct have on socialism?
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/republicans-seize-michigan-progressives-wins-party-is-split-socialism-message-2026-08-05/
AOL
— Planning to work until 65 is a risky strategy. DD: Federal employees under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) who are the following are expected/forced to retire as soon as they are eligible, that is, as soon as they have 30 years of service and are 55 years old: Republican, White, male, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. I became eligible to take GAO’s early retirement “offer” when I was 45 in 1993. My Democrat GAO superiors succeeded in forcing me to take their early retirement “offer” when I was 49 in 1997 because since I was 40 in 1988, I had been an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. That dramatically reduced my CSRS pension and my retirement savings.
https://www.aol.com/articles/suze-orman-says-planning-until-104500000.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— Inside the Oval Office Showdown Between Trump and Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. She told Trump that his interior secretary, Doug Burgum, had misled him with a self-serving cover story for his own mistakes.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/us/politics/trump-jeanine-pirro-showdown.html
WASHINGTON POST
— July sees most ICE arrests of Trump’s second term. The agency continued its heightened enforcement efforts despite two fatal shootings, detaining more than 43,000 people last month.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/08/06/july-sees-most-ice-arrests-trumps-second-term/
— DD: To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push socialism on Blacks. Under Democrats, all you need to do to succeed is to be a Democrat. Under socialism, all you need to do to succeed is to be a socialist. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, b) who had less work experience than I had, c) who had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) who had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/08/05/black-voters-views-democratic-socialism-resist-categorization/
USA TODAY
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialists.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/08/04/michigan-primary-democrats-republican-scare-tactics/91152627007/
— This is the salary needed ($110,000/year) to afford a typical US home in 2026. DD: Back in the good old days, I bought a new townhome in University Park ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ) when I was 24 in 1972. In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it in today’s dollars and the down payment would have been about $36,000 in today’s dollars. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $92,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park. I did not earn $110,000/year in today’s dollars until I was 29 in 1978. I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a that townhome I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/08/05/income-needed-afford-typical-us-home-2026-redfin-report/91185869007/
FORTUNE
— Socialism is a disaster. DD: My critics/opponents blame some, many, most, virtually all, if not all their problems on conservative principles and on planks in the Republican Party platform, most commonly, its personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. But some, many, most, virtually all, if not all of them also blame capitalism.
https://fortune.com/2026/08/05/socialism-disaster-ackman-mamdani-left-wing-housing-policy-affordability/
24/7 WALL STREET
— A City Electrician Dreaded the Windfall Elimination Cut to His Social Security. Then a 2025 Law Erased It. DD: Because of that law, my Social Security increased from about $3,000/year to about $19,000/year.
https://www.aol.com/articles/city-electrician-dreaded-windfall-elimination-110124000.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Social Security Fairness Act repealed both WEP and GPO in January 2025, restoring benefits for roughly 2.7 million retirees and surviving spouses. Teachers, police, firefighters, and municipal workers who split careers between covered and non-covered jobs benefited most; lifelong private-sector workers saw no change. Affected retirees should confirm SSA recalculated their benefit by July 2025 and revisit tax withholding, since higher Social Security income can increase federal tax exposure.)
BLACK WALL STREET TIMES
— 600,000 Black Women Pushed Out of the Workforce. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) who were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran and/or b) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2026/08/05/600000-black-women-pushed-out-of-the-workforce-new-iwpr-report-examines-why/
BANKING RATES
— All the Jobs that you can get Notoriously Overpaid. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I was always grossly overpaid.
https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/jobs/overpaid-jobs/
NBC SAN DIEGO
— Housing affordability remains out of reach for most San Diegans; average home over $1M. In San Diego County, 17% of households could afford to purchase the county’s median-priced single-family home of $1.075 million during the second quarter, according to a new report by the California Association of Realtors. DD: What is the average home price in your precinct? What is the average household income in you precinct? Home prices and household incomes are extremely diverse in my DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton.
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/housing-affordability-holds-steady-in-san-diego-county/4057720/
ROCHESTER SENTINEL
— DD: To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promise to give Blacks more and more and more preference forever.
https://www.rochsent.com/news/national/white-parents-who-tell-their-kids-that-race-doesn-t-matter-are-ignoring-the-long/article_39cc079a-c883-5ad7-b4a2-48e8e6a707e5.html
KFOX TV
— Ted Cruz: Democrat El-Sayed’s primary success part of Islamic ‘takeover’ of US. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for Islam.
https://kfoxtv.com/news/nation-world/senator-ted-cruz-michigan-democrat-abdul-el-sayeds-senate-primary-success-part-of-islamic-takeover-of-us
JD SUPRA
— Illinois Employers Should Prepare for New Menopause Accommodation and Anti-Discrimination Requirements Under HB 5284. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO’s Chicago office for almost 18 years, they assigned me to supervise all the female \employees they hired.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/illinois-employers-should-prepare-for-4140607/
GOVERNING
— Promising Approaches for Keeping Our Seniors Housed and Healthy. States and localities need to improve housing affordability, availability and accessibility. DD: My wife and I saved far more for our retirement than our peers. My critics/opponents ignore/dismiss/belittle/badmouth that. They stress that I avoided the Vietnam War draft and that my wife and I gave up trying to have children without trying IVF, we did not adopt, and we did not become foster parents.
https://www.governing.com/urban/promising-approaches-for-keeping-our-seniors-housed-and-healthy
FED SMITH
— Facing a RIF, Suitability Action, or Probationary Firing? Here Is Your New, Narrower Appeal Process. RIF retention now runs on performance, not tenure, and appeals go to OPM instead of MSPB. Here is what federal employees need to know. DD: Federal employees who are the following have no Civil Service protections: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Unions provide some protection. But GAO did not unionize until 2007. If GAO had been unionized when I transferred from IRS in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors might not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did including forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.fedsmith.com/2026/08/04/new-narrower-appeal-process-for-rif-suitability-or-probationary-firing/
FED WEEK
— For 250 Years, Federal Workers Have Kept America Running. DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. I am none of the aforesaid. To get rid of me, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors punished me a) for my not becoming a Democrat, b) for my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, c) for my complaining about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, and d) for my being an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid.
https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/for-250-years-federal-workers-have-kept-america-running/
FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— Key parts of federal employee performance overhaul ‘non-negotiable,’ OPM says. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, they used the subjectivity in their employee performance systems a) to waste the careers of their Republican employees and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/unions/2026/08/key-parts-of-federal-employee-performance-overhaul-non-negotiable-opm-says/
— Comment on veterans’ preference shines a light on the broken hiring process. Pete Waterman touched the third rail of federal hiring. He publicly criticized the use of veterans’ preference. DD: Because I was not a veteran, but more significantly, because I avoided the Vietnam War draft, my Democrat Post Office, Firestone Store, IRS, and GAO superiors used the veterans’ preference to waste my career and to get rid of me. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me who were Democrat veterans a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had. I should write about my many Democrat superiors and supervisors who took many big adverse actions against me.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/hiring-retention/2026/08/comment-on-veterans-preference-shines-a-light-on-the-broken-hiring-process/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The thing about Waterman’s comments on his personal LinkedIn account, in which he expressed his frustrations with the process and how it kept FedRAMP from hiring the best and brightest cloud security engineers, is he said out loud what many federal executives have been saying privately for decades. The problem Waterman highlighted, maybe less eloquently than he should’ve, has nothing to do with not supporting veterans or recognizing their sacrifice for the country. The issue Waterman shined the light on is all about the federal hiring process. “Pete’s problem is he was dumb enough to stay it out loud, but he shouldn’t be punished for it. People have been saying this behind the scenes for years and have found ways around it,” said Traci DiMartini, the former chief human capital officer at the General Services Administration and the IRS. “It’s not veterans’ preference that is bad. It’s how we are adjudicating the best candidates for the job.”)
FACT CHECK
— DD: I often served as a fact checker while I worked for GAO 1986-1997 at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year.
https://www.factcheck.org/2026/08/trumps-cherry-picked-inflation-boast/
GALLUP
— 39% view socialism positively. DD: The more problems that you have, the more likely that you view socialism positively. What did you do to avoid problems? I worked my way through college and earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and a job-related professional license (CPA). Extremely few of my peers did anything close to that. My peers included my Crete-Monee High School classmates 1962-1966, my UIC classmates 1966-1969, my NIU classmates 1969-1970, my Post Office coworkers 1966-1969, my IRS coworkers 1971-1980, and my GAO coworkers 1980-1997.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/713144/americans-view-capitalism-socialism-free-enterprise.aspx
POLITICO
— Senate panel votes to hold Fauci in contempt.
https://www.paul.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ROM26376.pdf
— The new fight over who gets to be ‘working class.’ Candidates are struggling to define who’s struggling in an age of affordability woes. DD: I was a member of the working class 1964-1997, that is, I was a wage earner 1964-1997. My critics/opponents look down on the working class, that is, they look down on wage earners. According to them, wage earners are grossly overpaid. They stress that in today’s dollars, I was paid $154,682/year in 1997.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/06/the-new-political-arms-race-proving-youre-working-class-01023704
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
— DD: America-haters ever-increasingly encourage false amnesty claims.
https://www.amnestyusa.org/toolkits/a-guide-to-fighting-authoritarian-practices-in-the-u-s-without-losing-hope/
WORLD SOCIALIST WEB SITE
— Michigan primary shows continued shift to the left in US.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/08/06/ezkd-a06.html
August 5, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Dolton changes curfew to 9 p.m., adds penalty to prevent teen takeovers. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/04/dolton-changes-curfew-penalty-teen-takeovers/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— 10 arrested at muddy Lollapalooza, including a backstage brawler, drone operator and poncho seller.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/lollapalooza/2026/08/04/lollapalooza-crime-arrest-chicago-police
— DD: Democrats ever-increasingly promote dependency on government.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2026/08/05/public-owned-grocery-store-sav-a-lot-food-desert-south-west-sides-erion-malasi
HERALD WHIG
— Illinois joins lawsuit challenging federal data-sharing policy for welfare recipients. DD: Democrat leaders want as many voters on welfare as possible because they vote for Democrats.
https://whig.com/2026/08/03/illinois-joins-lawsuit-challenging-federal-data-sharing-policy-for-welfare-recipients/
CAPITOL CITY NOW
— Durbin to vote against Blanche. DD: My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty. They destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate or dominate, b) who refuse to glorify or praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on those who have lots of government, political, financial, and/or religious clout in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois. I would focus on those who have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me lately.
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-durbin-voting-against-blanche-nomination-says-he-cant-be-trusted/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Running for two jobs at once.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/05/running-for-two-jobs-at-once-01024633
(FROM THE NEWSLETTER: Darren Bailey says Chicago Pastor Corey Brooks has endorsed his campaign for governor and will join him on the campaign trail along with other pastors and churches around Chicago. “They know that change has to come, so they’re replicating that message,” Bailey said during a town hall in Lockport on Monday with his running mate, Aaron Del Mar. Leaning in: Bailey, the Republican candidate for governor, is leaning into a strategy that has long been a staple of Chicago politics — building relationships with faith leaders and using trusted community voices to mobilize voters. On the road: The Lockport event was one of a series of town halls and community stops Bailey has been making across Illinois as he builds his 2026 campaign. The money game: While Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker spent roughly $7 million on TV and digital advertising during the second fundraising quarter, Bailey has relied more heavily on face-to-face outreach. The Republican former state senator has raised just over $1.3 million during the same period, according to the latest campaign finance reporting. It’s a financial disparity that’s forced Bailey’s campaign to keep its messaging lean and heavily dependent on grassroots organizing. In addition to a statewide bus tour, Bailey’s campaign has spent more than $900,000 on direct-mail fundraising services used to solicit donations. Getting out the vote: Bailey, who lost to Pritzker by 12 points in 2022, said his focus is on motivating voters who already share his views to show up. “The key to winning, and that is exactly why we lost four years ago, friends, is people show up to vote,” Bailey told Monday’s crowd. “We’ve got everything at our fingertips to win if people show up to vote.” Bailey’s big worry: The midterm elections often fail to generate the kind of enthusiasm seen during presidential contests. The campaign is urging supporters to register voters, fill vacant Republican precinct committee positions and encourage friends, family and younger voters to participate. And his message: Bailey hopes voters’ concerns about the economy and public safety will help propel turnout, and he’s talking unity. “I don’t want any more political divide. It has to end,” he said. “That’s exactly what we’re focused on doing. And so far, it seems to be working pretty good.” PUSHBACK: Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker criticized Bailey for his town hall comments about immigration enforcement. Bailey said Operation Midway Blitz targeted “the most dangerous people,” a point that Pritzker’s team pushes back on, noting that “81 percent of those arrested had no criminal convictions.”)
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/04/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-570/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Sanctuary policies undermine laws and destroy trust in government.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/4669714/sanctuary-policies-undermine-laws-destroy-trust/
— Sanctuary cities are a national sovereignty problem.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/4667730/sanctuary-cities-national-sovereignty-problem/
— Assimilation. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly discourage assimilation because immigrants who do not assimilate vote for Democrats.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/4669658/american-citizenship-immigration-assimilation-culture/
— Ceuta and weapons of mass migration.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4674005/ceuta-and-the-weapon-of-mass-migration/
NEW YORK POST
— Socialist Mamdani launches new war on NYC business leaders — kicking them off mayor’s fund that backs city programs.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/04/us-news/socialist-mamdani-launches-new-war-on-nyc-business-leaders-kicking-them-off-mayors-fund-that-backs-city-programs/
— Markwayne Mullin is under attack because he’s doing his job right — and telling the truth on immigration.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/04/opinion/markwayne-mullin-is-under-attack-because-hes-doing-his-job-right-and-telling-the-truth-on-immigration/
— Democrats mock Trump’s alarm bells — but the DSA’s communist coup is real.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/05/opinion/democrats-mock-trumps-alarms-but-the-dsas-communist-coup-is-real/
AMAC
— House Passes AMAC Action-Backed “Deporting Fraudsters Act” to Punish Illegal Alien Welfare Fraud.
https://amac.us/advocacy/house-passes-amac-action-backed-deporting-fraudsters-act-to-punish-illegal-alien-welfare-fraud
AMERICAN GREATNESS
— DHS Confirms Over 3 Million Total Deportations, Highlights Arrests of Five More “Worst of the Worst’ Criminal Illegals.
https://amgreatness.com/2026/08/04/dhs-confirms-over-3-million-total-deportations-highlights-arrests-of-five-more-worst-of-the-worst-criminal–illegals/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Socialist Revival In Academia. The recurring nightmare: forced collectivism and the menace of historical amnesia.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/socialist-revival-in-academia/
AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY
— What Americans are telling us about the cost of living.
https://americansforprosperity.org/blog/what-americans-are-saying-about-the-cost-of-living-crisis/
CAMPUS REFORM
— DePaul, America’s largest Catholic university continues LGBTQ studies as critics question its mission. DD: I earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980. My wife earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/nations-largest-catholic-university-continues-lgbtq-studies-critics-question-mission/30360
CATO INSTITUTE
— Ten Democratic Socialists of America Arguments for Socialism and Why They’re Wrong.
https://www.cato.org/blog/ten-democratic-socialists-america-dsa-arguments-socialism-why-theyre-wrong
CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES
— Who Gets to Be a Citizen? International Experts Examine Citizenship Policies Around the World. DD: From wat I see, far too many citizens of foreign countries who are the following want to be citizens of America because Democrat and RINO leaders give them tremendous preference: minority, female, and/or younger.
https://cis.org/Transcript/Panel-Transcript-Who-Gets-Be-Citizen
COLLEGE FIX
— Black students don’t feel welcome at Hispanic-serving institutions.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/black-students-dont-feel-welcome-at-hispanic-serving-institutions-study-finds/
DAILY CALLER
— Democratic Socialists Of America Supporters Have These Demographics In Common. DD: Democrat socialists tend to be highly educated. I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance. Democrats and RINOs have always ignored/dismissed/belittled my credentials. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and a job-related professional license (CPA). I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years. If I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran, they would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service, currently $197,200/year, long before I was 40 years old.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/03/democratic-socialists-income-education-data/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Supporters of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) tend to be highly educated but fall into the lower-to-middle income brackets. The DSA voting bloc consists of voters who graduated college but are in the lower-to-middle income bracket. Eighty percent of DSA members aged 25 or older had bachelor’s degrees, while 45% had household incomes below $60,000 per year, according to the DSA North Star’s most recent survey from 2021. Thirty-five percent of this demographic earned graduate degrees, according to the survey. Common occupations among DSA members include teachers, social workers, non-profit and public sector employees, according to DSA North Star. A third of respondents were teachers, scholars, academics, private-sector white-collar workers, or tech workers. Fifteen percent of the voter bloc were also unemployed, disabled or retired, according to the survey. Just 4% were blue-collar workers.)
DAILY WIRE
— Dem Socialist Candidate Rails Against American ‘Cult Of Hard Work.’ DD: What did you do to qualify yourself for better paying jobs? I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and a job-related professional license (CPA).
https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-socialist-candidate-rails-against-american-cult-of-hard-work
FEDERALIST
— The Lawless Zone In Madison, Wisconsin Is A Preview Of America Under Socialism. DD: Where are the Democrat lawless zones in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/04/the-lawless-zone-in-madison-is-a-preview-of-america-under-socialism/
FOUNDATION FOR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY,
— Welfare doesn’t check if you’re really you, and fraudsters have noticed. DD: How many are on welfare in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct? Democrat leaders want voters on welfare because they vote for Democrats.
https://thefga.org/op-eds/welfare-doesnt-check-if-youre-really-you-and-fraudsters-have-noticed/
FOX NEWS
— Trump warns socialism will ‘ruin our country’
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402828044112
— ‘Squad’ socialist scores re-election nod as radical wave continues to sweep party. The DSA-backed ‘Squad’ member secured her fifth-term nomination as far-left candidates unseat incumbents across the country.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/squad-socialist-scores-reelection-nod-radical-wave-continues-sweep-party
— The GOP needs to offer an ‘alternative vision’ to socialism, Vivek Ramaswamy says. DD: Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative. There are far too many planks in the Republican Party platform that far too many Republican elected officials are failing/refusing to defend and advance.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402797299112
— Ramaswamy: The American Dream feels ‘unaffordable,’ especially for young people. DD: When you were young, what did you do to afford things? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970; job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997; job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997; and a job-related professional license in 1981. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402796098112
HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— Import Socialists, Get Socialism.
https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/import-socialists-get-socialism
INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY STUDIES
— America’s Demoralized Men. DD: To get more votes from women, Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly use Affirmative Action and DEI to give women more preference, that is, they ever-increasingly discriminate against men. All the women who Democrats and RINOs 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://ifstudies.org/report-brief/americas-demoralized-men-part-ii-lost-pathways-greater-struggles
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “Demoralized” is the term we use to characterize a state of mind reflected in agreement with such self-appraisals as “I am inclined to think that I am a failure” (43%), and such expressions of powerlessness as “I often feel that I have little control over the things that happen to me” (61%), and of being found insufficient, such as “I never seem to do enough to please people” (54%). We also report here on the dispiriting experience of feeling lonely (25%), isolated (26%) or lacking community (48%) much of the time.)
— What’s Behind America’s Marriage Divide? 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://ifstudies.org/blog/beyond-the-paycheck-whats-behind-americas-marriage-divide
— Demoralized But Not Defeated: What 2,000 Young Men Told IFS About Their Lives.
https://ifstudies.org/blog/demoralized-but-not-defeated-what-2000-young-men-told-ifs-about-their-lives
NRCC
— A new poll confirmed what Americans already knew: the Democrat Party has gone full socialist. One-third of Democrats identify as democratic socialists, and 64 percent of the remaining Democrats would be comfortable nominating one.
https://www.nrcc.org/2026/08/04/the-socialists-takeover-is-complete/
NEWS BUSTERS
— WHAT? NBC Nightly News Shows Socialism’s Unpopularity Among Voters.
https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jorge-bonilla/2026/08/05/what-nbc-nightly-news-shows-socialisms-unpopularity-among-voters
PJ MEDIA
— DePaul, the biggest U.S. Catholic University, should stop claiming to be Catholic. DD: I earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980. My wife earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/08/04/biggest-us-catholic-university-should-stop-claiming-to-be-catholic-n4955806
POST MILLENNIAL
— Abdul El-Sayed glad to campaign with Hasan Piker, promises drivers’ licenses to illegals, claims Trump is ‘fascist.’
https://thepostmillennial.com/abdul-el-sayed-glad-to-campaign-with-hasan-piker-promises-drivers-licenses-to-illegals-claims-trump-is-fascist
REAL CLEAR POLICY
— Deportation Is Key to Fixing Our Broken Immigration System.
https://www.realclearpolicy.com/2026/08/04/deportation_is_key_to_fixing_our_broken_immigration_system_1198388.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may face balancing act with democratic socialists.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6009035-aoc-democratic-socialist-endorsement/
— America’s retirement nightmare has arrived. 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.
https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/labor/6003046-ai-impact-job-market/
— Mamdani is open to slavery reparations.
https://www.aol.com/articles/mamdani-signals-open-slavery-reparations-161830000.html
REUTERS
— American Bar Association rejects plan to scrap DEI rule for law schools. DD: Democrats and RINOs use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/american-bar-association-rejects-plan-scrap-dei-rule-law-schools-2026-08-04/
NEWSWEEK
— Kids Who Joined Social Media Earlier Have Lower Test Scores.
https://www.newsweek.com/kids-who-joined-social-media-earlier-had-lower-test-scores-study-finds-12281673
ABC NEWS
— ICE arrests hit record high in July as enforcement quietly ramps up.
https://abcnews.com/Politics/ice-arrests-hit-record-high-july-enforcement-quietly/story?id=135356433
— Hegseth again looks to punish Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over military comments. DD: What have you been punished for? My Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors punished me a) for my not becoming a Democrat, b) for my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, c) for my complaining about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, and d) for my being an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid.
https://abcnews.com/Politics/hegseth-punish-democratic-sen-mark-kelly-military-comments/story?id=132853171
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that Jesus condemns the concepts of countries, borders, and laws.
https://abcnews.com/Politics/trumps-attacks-pope-leo-hurting-recent-gop-gains/story?id=132065847
— Some Haitian immigrants in Ohio told to report to ICE and given ankle monitors. The Trump administration last month ended TPS for about 350,000 Haitians.
https://abcnews.com/US/haitian-immigrants-ohio-told-report-ice-ankle-monitors/story?id=135356277
CBS NEWS
— Employers shift to merit-based pay increases. DD: In 1989, the Democrats who ran GAO instituted pay-for-performance (PFP) to get rid of their employees who they had not promoted to GS-15, currently $165,386-$197,200/year, and who were Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran. They used the subjectivity in their PFP system to always rank me in the bottom half of my coworkers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/peanut-butter-pay-raises-merit-based-pay-2027/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Economics Drive Populism and Socialism. Their solutions would make things worse, but real problems are behind their appeal.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/economics-drive-populism-and-socialism-8369a2b8
— Democratic Socialism Is No Tea Party. It’s far more dangerous to the country. But its appeal is similar to that of the 2009-10 GOP insurgency.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/democratic-socialism-is-no-tea-party-52937f87
— Socialists May Prove Surprisingly Strong in November. Democrats stayed away when Bernie Sanders came to Congress. Now he has become a kingmaker.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/socialists-may-prove-surprisingly-strong-in-november-e25ade15
DENVER 7
— New gun law requires approval from sheriff and safety courses to buy some semi-automatic firearms. Under the law, Coloradans who want to buy magazine-fed, gas-powered semi-automatic firearms must go through a new state process. DD: Colorado today, Illinois tomorrow.
https://www.denver7.com/news/politics/new-gun-law-requires-approval-from-sheriff-and-safety-courses-to-buy-some-semi-automatic-firearms
POST INDEPENDENT
— Personal responsibility. DD: My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.postindependent.com/opinion/whiting-column-personal-responsibility-requires-greater-independence/
HERALD BULLETIN
— Universities’ academic choices, polices discourage men. DD: To get more votes from women, Democrat and RINO leaders have ever-increasingly used Affirmative Action and DEI to give women more preference, that is, to discriminate against men. All the women who Democrats and RINOs promoted over me a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.heraldbulletin.com/opinion/richard-mcgowan-column-universities-academic-choices-polices-discourage-men/article_adfd01ef-4bd3-4a1a-b0db-ad9af51add89.html
MIT SLOAN
— The Elusiveness of Merit-Based Hiring. DD: To hire, retain, and promote Democrats and RINOs, employers replace objectivity with subjectivity. DD: If I had not earned a high school diploma and passed the postal employment test, the Democrats who ran the Post Office would not have hired me in 1966. If I had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business, Firestone Stores would not have hired me in 1970. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination, the Democrats who ran IRS would not have hired me in 1971. If I have not been taking graduate evening business courses, 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.
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-elusiveness-of-merit-based-hiring/
FAST COMPANY
— Where are Elon Musk’s former DOGE staffers now? The key figures behind DOGE have moved into federal agencies, Republican politics, and a new wave of AI and defense startups. DD: If Gingrich had reformed GAO, there would have been no need for DOGE. If Gingrich had reformed GAO, my Democrat GAO superiors would not have been able a) to force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, b) to always rank me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, c) delay my promotions and never promote me beyond GS-13, d) to keep me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 13 years that I worked for GAO, and e) to force me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91584801/where-are-elon-musks-former-doge-staffers-now
HR BREW
— DD: To get more votes from voters who are the following, Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems: liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, LGBTQ, veteran, poor, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://www.hr-brew.com/stories/new-york-citys-chief-equity-officer-on-her-herculean-job-achieving-racial-equity
SECRETS OF OPM
— Restoring Merit With the Right Civil Service Exam. DD: I took and passed the FSEE when I was 21 in 1970. Because of that and because I had earned a bachelor’s degree in business in 1970, IRS offered me a job in 1971 that I accepted.
https://usopm.substack.com/p/restoring-merit-with-the-right-civil
(FROM THE ARTICLE: 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. In FY1978, the government hired 152,771 people into the competitive service. Only 7,587 were hired via PACE. That is 4.97 percent. That’s not a typo, nor an off year: OPM’s own records show 8,254 PACE hires in FY1976 and 8,521 in FY1977. Go back further to the FSEE era and the numbers are the same order of magnitude: the FSEE was administered to roughly 150,000 applicants a year and used to fill about 10,000 positions annually — roughly five to seven percent of register-based hires.)
FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— OPM drops ‘disparate impact’ guidelines from federal hiring regulations. DD: According to Democrats and according to RINOs, whenever those who are White and/or male do better at something than those who are minority and/or female, it is because those who are White and/or male discriminate against those who are minority and/or female.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/hiring-retention/2026/08/opm-drops-disparate-impact-guidelines-from-federal-hiring-regulations/
COUTHOUSE NEWS
— Aging New York judges lose challenge to forced retirement at 76. DD: Federal employees under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) who are the following are expected/forced to retire as soon as they are eligible, that is, as soon as they have 30 years of service and are 55 years old: Republican, White, male, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. I became eligible to take GAO’s early retirement “offer” when I was 45 in 1993. My Democrat GAO superiors succeeded in forcing me to take their early retirement “offer” when I was 49 in 1997 because since I was 40 in 1988, I had been an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. That dramatically reduced my CSRS pension and my retirement savings
https://courthousenews.com/aging-new-york-judges-lose-challenge-to-forced-retirement-at-76/
LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
— Todd Blanche. DD: My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty. They destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate or dominate, b) who refuse to glorify or praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on those who have lots of government, political, financial, and/or religious clout in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois. I would focus on those who have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me lately.
https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/ldf-condemns-senate-judiciary-committee-approval-of-todd-blanche-for-u-s-attorney-general/
GOOD MEN PROJECT
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family. How successful have Democrat leaders been destroying traditional marriage and family in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/do-we-still-need-tradwives-in-2026/
PSYCHOLOGY TODAY
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family. How successful have Democrat leaders been destroying traditional marriage and family in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/staying-sane-inside-insanity/202204/is-marriage-a-lousy-deal-for-women
CHRONICLES MAGAZINE
— Meritocracy. DD: According to Democrats and according to RINOs, whenever those who are White and/or male do better at something than those who are minority and/or female, it is because those who are White and/or male discriminate against those who are minority and/or female. Virtually all those who took and passed on their first attempt he CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations with me were White and/or male.
https://chroniclesmagazine.org/web/gracie-abrams-and-the-myth-of-meritocracy/
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTERS
— Is Pope Leo a Socialist? DD: Socialists destroy all religions. Socialists replace religions with bigger and bigger and bigger government.
https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/pope-leo-democratic-socialist
GOVERNING
— Illinois County Clerks Work to Rebuild Confidence in Elections. DD: In 2019, oversight of elections in DuPage County was dramatically reduced when voters replaced DuPage County’s separate standalone election commission with a division withing the DuPage County Clerk’s office.
https://www.governing.com/politics/illinois-clerks-work-to-rebuild-confidence-in-elections
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
INDIA TIMES
— Punishment should fit the offender. DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. I am none of the aforesaid. To get rid of me, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors punished me a) for my not becoming a Democrat, b) for my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, c) for my complaining about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, and d) for my being an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/punishment-should-fit-the-offender-ex-judge-fined-5000-for-blocking-ice-arrest-no-jail-time/videoshow/132287361.cms
July 31, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
WTTW
— Judge Expands Lawsuit Accusing CPD of Targeting Black, Latino Chicagoans With Traffic Stops to Include All Black, Latino Drivers.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/07/30/judge-expands-lawsuit-accusing-cpd-targeting-black-latino-chicagoans-traffic-stops
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Urban League report says Trump administration is harming Black Americans’ chances at American Dream. DD: To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at Blacks that Republicans cause all the problems that Blacks have. My Democrat superiors in the federal government did that. They ever-increasingly hinted/implied/argued/shouted at my many Black superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates that I caused all their problems. It all culminated when they forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 and gave my job and my preferred corner office to my Black subordinate. He had less education than I had. He had less work experience than I had. He had one professional certification while I had six. He had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/urban-league-report-says-trump-administration-is-harming-black-americans-chances-at-american-dream
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/national-urban-league-declares-state-of-emergency-for-civil-rights-in-the-u-s-under-trump
— Most Black Americans say they never fly the American flag. DD: I have flown an American flag off my front porch 24 hours a day since September 11, 2001.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/06/30/black-americans-fly-flag-poll/
— Businesses should improve access for people with disabilities. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO’s Chicago office 1980-1997, they had me supervise all the disabled employees they hired.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/30/letters-073026-accessability-transit/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/07/29/immigration-midway-blitz-federal-agents-misconduct-legal-liability-guzman-state-laws
— Other cities also struggle with teen takeovers. What can Chicago learn from them? DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2026/07/30/chicago-teen-takeovers-other-cities-strategy-baltimore-detroit-philadelphia-washington
https://chicago.suntimes.com/teen-takeovers-chicago-public-schools-lollapalooza-tornadoes
— Illinois SNAP recipients kicked off the federal food program are getting $400 from the state. State officials estimate 100,000 people will receive the one-time benefit to help offset cuts in federal food assistance. DD: Democrat leaders want as many voters as possible on SNAP because they vote for Democrats.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/07/30/illinois-snap-recipients-kicked-off-the-federal-food-program-are-getting-400-from-the-state
SHAW LOCAL
— Illinois launches monthly payment program to help residents who lost SNAP benefits. DD: Democrat leaders want as many voters as possible on SNAP because they vote for Democrats.
https://www.shawlocal.com/news/2026/07/30/illinois-launches-monthly-payment-program-to-help-residents-who-lost-snap-benefits/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrats promote Democrats at Lollapalooza.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/07/31/the-politics-of-lolla-01018139
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/30/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-567/
— Pritzker calls Bailey a racist, in Spanish. DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly call Republicans racists.
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/30/pritzker-calls-bailey-a-racist-in-spanish/
(BAILEY RESPONSE: Friends, today JB Pritzker called me a racist. But this isn’t really about me. It’s about you, because this is what JB Pritzker does to people who disagree with him. If you don’t support his agenda, you’re not just wrong, you’re an extremist. You’re a racist. Tomorrow, you’re a fascist. JB will do everything that he can to make this election about anything except his own record. After nearly eight years in office, that’s the one conversation that he can’t afford to have. He doesn’t want to explain why property taxes keep climbing. He doesn’t want to explain why he doubled the gas tax. He doesn’t want to explain why Illinois families are staring at the biggest tax hike in Illinois history. He doesn’t want to explain why people are paying more and getting less, and he certainly doesn’t want to explain why repeat offenders are escaping justice. And not for nothing, when people in my own party mocked JB Pritzker’s weight, I called them out. I said it was wrong because politics should be about ideas, not personal attacks. It’s a shame that Governor Pritzker doesn’t have the class to treat the people of Illinois with that same respect. Friends, I’m not running to call people names. I’m running to lower your taxes, make Illinois affordable, give drivers a break at the pump, and keep the bad guys in jail. That’s the conversation Illinois deserves. Thank you, and God bless.)
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Pritzker Takes the Typical Democratic Party Attack Approach – “He’s Too Extreme!!”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/21424/
JOHN KASS
— Vallas: Governor Pritzker’s “Vulgar” Education Record.
https://johnkassnews.com/governor-pritzkers-vulgar-education-record/
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Thanks to gerrymandering, over 90% of recently passed bills in Illinois were sponsored by one party. DD: I live in the racially gerrymandered 3rd Congressional District.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/thanks-to-gerrymandering-over-90-of-recently-passed-bills-in-illinois-were-sponsored-by-one-party/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— About a third of Democrats identify as democratic socialists. DD: Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is to be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is to be a Democrat. I worked for Democrats for almost 30 years. I refused to become a Democrat. None of my Democrat coworkers who they promoted over me did anything close to what I did to advance. I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/30/third-democrats-identify-democratic-socialists-poll/
— DSA-backed candidates cannot legally be seated in Congress. Americans legally elected but unable to faithfully and truthfully take the oath of office because they support dismantling the Constitution cannot be seated. If you cannot take the oath, then you cannot serve.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/30/dsa-backed-candidates-cannot-legally-seated-congress/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— How universities taught an entire generation to hate the West. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4669133/postcolonial-theory-marxism-universities/
— Michigan primary tests socialism’s reach with black voters.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4668467/dsa-aligned-donavan-mckinney-sees-surge-support-cbc-members-will-black-voters-back-him/
— The government owns 28% of America — and has no clue what’s underneath it.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4669412/government-federal-land-critical-minerals/
— Trump’s failures on affordability are sinking the GOP ship for the midterm elections. DD: Democrats have always blamed Republicans for inflation. Then again, Democrats have always blamed Republicans for everything that is bad.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4669564/trump-failures-affordability-tariffs-sinking-gop-midterms/
— Government compels, culture persuades: Why Washington is ruining America. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, fewer and fewer and fewer Americans are becoming productive members of society.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4669387/government-overreach-civil-society/
NEW YORK POST
— Trump gives veterans priority pass for trucking jobs after New York and California busted for illegal immigrants on the road. DD: I often drove postal trucks while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/30/us-news/trump-gives-veterans-priority-pass-for-trucking-jobs-after-new-york-and-california-busted-for-illegals-on-the-road/
— Lonnie Bunch III, the Smithsonian Institution secretary who called DEI an “integral to excellence in museum practice,” raked in over $4.4 million from 2020-2024 in base salary and added benefits.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/31/us-news/smithsonian-exec-lonnie-bunch-iii-who-said-dei-must-be-at-center-of-institutions-is-raking-in-eye-popping-salary/
— Members of Mamdani’s DSA pledge to ‘support’ and ‘defend’ China: ‘Survival of Chinese socialism is a crucial matter’
https://nypost.com/2026/07/30/us-news/members-of-mamdanis-dsa-pledge-to-support-defend-china/
AMERICAN LIBERTY
— Now Is The Time To Address The Emerging Socialism Of JD Vance.
https://americanliberty.news/commentary/now-is-the-time-to-address-the-emerging-socialism-of-jd-vance/dsimon/2026/07/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Semiautomatic firearms selling like hotcakes as gun owners try to beat clock on Colorado licensing scheme. DD: Colorado today, Illinois tomorrow.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/07/30/semiautomatic-firearms-selling-like-hotcakes-as-gun-owners-try-to-beat-clock-on-colorado-licensing-scheme-1652854/
CREATORS SYNDICATE
— America’s Peak Socialism — Abandoned a Century Ago.
https://www.creators.com/read/michael-barone
DAILY CITIZEN
— Why Parents Everywhere Should Pay Attention to the DSA’s Public School Strategy in NYC.
https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/dsa-public-school-strategy/
FEDERALIST
— Barack Obama Fathered Today’s Marxist Democrat Party.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/30/barack-obama-fathered-todays-marxist-democrat-party/
FOX NEWS
— Trump admin’s push to scrap DEI in federal government takes landmark step with new hiring rule. DD: My Democrat superiors in the federal government ever-increasingly used Affirmative Action and DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-admin-push-scrap-dei-federal-government-landmark-step-new-hiring-rule
— Socialist surge: Inside the DSA’s funding.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402495662112
— Pro-migrant socialism brings thousands to Spain.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402485537112
— We must help more people buy a home. It’s key to the American Dream. DD: What did you do to buy your first home? I bought a new townhome in University Park ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ) when I was 24 in 1972. In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $93,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/we-must-help-more-people-buy-home-its-key-american-dream
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Teacher Training Program Paints Parents as Oppressors. DD: Democrats ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family. I owe all my successes in life to my parents and to their traditional marriage.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/07/teacher-training-program-allegedly-paints-parents-as-oppressors/
PRESIDENTIAL PRAYER TEAM
— Judge Stephen McGlynn, Southern Illinois U.S. District Court. DD: Judge McGlynn ran for chairman of the Illinois Republican Party in 2005. He was one of the candidates who attended a candidate forum that I organized in Springfield the evening before the election.
https://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/2026/07/30/judge-stephen-mcglynn-southern-illinois-u-s-district-court/
TOWNHALL
— The Socialist Monster Awakens.
https://townhall.com/columnists/victordavishanson/2026/07/30/the-socialist-monster-awakens-n2680404
WESTERN JOURNAL
— Mamdani Is Setting Stage to Saddle NYC with Cash Reparations for Slavery.
https://www.westernjournal.com/watch-mamdani-open-forcing-new-yorkers-pay-cash-reparations-slavery-says-complicit/
YOUR TANGO
— Gen X & Millennials Were Taught 8 Things About Success That Sound Completely Outdated To Gen Z. DD: To get promoted, I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.yourtango.com/career/things-gen-x-millennials-taught-about-success-gen-z-sees-outdated
(FROM THE ARTICLE: For older generations, they were taught that work ethic is how you get ahead in life. Even exhaustion is a badge of honor because it’s tied into someone’s work ethic. . .Things about success that sound outdated to Gen Z but were taught to Gen X and millennials: 1. Living to work. . .3. Climbing the corporate ladder is the goal. . .6. Hard work is the key)
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Most say they wouldn’t back democratic socialist presidential candidate. DD: Ever-increasingly, to be a Democrat is to be a socialist.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5999703-democratic-socialism-presidential-support-low/
— 1 in 3 Democrats now consider themselves democratic socialists. DD: Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is to be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is to be a Democrat. I worked for Democrats for almost 30 years. I refused to become a Democrat. None of my Democrat coworkers who they promoted over me did anything close to what I did to advance. I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5999669-democrats-identify-democratic-socialists/
CNN
— A third of Democrats now identify as democratic socialists. DD: Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is to be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is to be a Democrat. I worked for Democrats for almost 30 years. I refused to become a Democrat. None of my Democrat coworkers who they promoted over me did anything close to what I did to advance. I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/30/politics/cnn-poll-a-third-of-democrats-now-identify-as-democratic-socialists
CBS NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for inflation. Then again, Democrats have always blamed Republicans for everything that is bad.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbs-poll-analysis-cost-of-living-democrats-republicans/
NEW YORK TIMES
— Mamdani Leaves Door Open to Paying Reparations to Black New Yorkers. DD: To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promise them reparations.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/nyregion/mamdani-reparations-slavery.html
WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism. Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is to be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is to be a Democrat. I worked for Democrats for almost 30 years. I refused to become a Democrat. None of my Democrat coworkers who they promoted over me did anything close to what I did to advance. I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/30/most-americans-would-not-support-democratic-socialist-president-poll-finds/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Federal hiring. DD: The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966 hired as a GS-4, currently $19.57/hour, part-time postal employee when I was 18 because I had earned a high school diploma and passed the postal employment examination. The Democrats who ran IRS in 1971 hired me as a GS-7, currently $56,409/year, Revenue Officer when I was 22 because I had earned a bachelor’s degree in business and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination. The Democrats who ran GAO in 1980 hired me as a GS-9 Step 10, currently $89,703/year, Analyst when I was 31 because I had earned an MBA and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt. They hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/federal-hiring-isnt-a-one-test-fits-all-box-350cc742
NEW JERSEY
— New Jersey offers $20 million legal defense fund for noncitizens mistakenly registered to vote.
https://nj1015.com/noncitizen-voters-nj-legal-defense/
CHALKBEAT
— Teens feel unwelcome. DD: When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969,
https://www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia/2026/07/30/third-space-needed-to-address-philly-teen-safety/
FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— DD: Federal employees who are the following have no Civil Service protections: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Unions provide some protection. But GAO did not unionize until 2007. If GAO had been unionized when I transferred from IRS in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors might not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did including forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2026/07/a-key-mspb-ruling-threatens-civil-service-protections-democrats-warn/
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce-rightsgovernance/2026/07/encouraging-people-to-speak-up-is-one-challenge-protecting-them-afterward-is-another/
JD SUPRA
— Embedding E-Verify into Federal Funding: Where Immigration and Grant Compliance Converge. DD: Democrats and RINOs oppose E-Verify. Democrats because illegals vote for Democrats. RINOs because RINOs want cheap labor.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/embedding-e-verify-into-federal-funding-3801433/
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
WORLD SOCIALIST WEB SITE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly crow about their success in promoting socialism.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/07/31/ueag-j31.html
July 30, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— DeKalb Man, Naperville woman accused of breaking into Naperville home, fatally shooting dog.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/dekalb-man-andre-bridges-naperville-woman-nicole-smith-accused-animal-cruelty-alleged-capistrano-court-home-invasion/19598802/
CBS2
— Community helps food pantry in Wheaton affected by storms, power outages. Two coolers, three standing coolers and a walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer, all filled with food, had to be thrown away after the center lost power for 14 hours. DD: I bought a whole house backup generator in 2011. I should write about my Wheaton critics/opponents who have demonized/denigrated/condemned my decision the most.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/community-helps-food-pantry-in-wheaton-affected-by-storms-power-outages/
WGN9
— Illinois vote-by-mail applications open August 5
https://wgntv.com/news/illinois/illinois-vote-by-mail-applications-open-august-5/
FOX32
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/marijuana-daily-than-alcohol-cigarettes-federal-survey
WTTW
— Mayor Johnson Signs Executive Order Designed to Ban Purchases From Gun Dealers That Flout Laws.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/07/29/mayor-johnson-signs-executive-order-designed-ban-purchases-gun-dealers-flout-laws
— Chicago Can’t Keep Trying to Poison Its Way Out of Rat Problem.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/07/29/chicago-can-t-keep-trying-poison-its-way-out-rat-problem-watchdog-report
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/29/ice-venezuelan-brothers-kidney-transplant/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/30/courthouse-immigration-families/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/29/forest-park-cemetery-workers-arrested-during-operation-midway-blitz-seek-damages/
— What do Democratic socialists want? We took a look at their platform. DD: What do conservatives want? They want Republicans to defend and advance conservative principles. Failing that, to oppose liberal principles including the promotion of dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, wokeness/wokeism, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/30/editorial-what-do-democratic-socialists-want-we-took-a-look-at-their-platform/
— Former gubernatorial candidate Rick Heidner buys $5.2M Barrington mansion from Motorola Solutions CEO.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/29/rick-heidner-motorola-solutions/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Latino high schools hit especially hard by teacher cuts in CPS budget heading for vote.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2026/07/29/latino-high-schools-hit-especially-hard-by-teacher-cuts-in-cps-budget-heading-for-vote
DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Community rallies to help Wheaton pantry that lost three tons of food after storm. DD: I bought a whole house backup generator in 2011. I should write about my Wheaton critics/opponents who have demonized/denigrated/condemned my decision the most.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260729/news/so-caring-community-rallies-to-help-wheaton-pantry-that-lost-three-tons-of-food-after-storm/
CHALKBEAT
— As more teen boys turn to sports betting, financial literacy teachers rush to show gambling’s real odds. DD: Democrats ever-increasingly promote more vice.
https://www.chalkbeat.org/2026/07/29/sports-betting-among-teens-rises-as-teachers-warn-of-gambling-in-schools/
AXIOS CHICAGO
— THC drinks debut at Lollapalooza before Illinois regulates hemp market. DD: Democrats ever-increasingly promote more vice.
https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/07/30/thc-drinks-lollapalooza-illinois-hemp-pritzker-johnson-rythm-seniorita
POLITICO ILLINOIS
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/07/30/hanah-jubehs-political-pivot-01015959
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/30/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-781/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/29/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-566/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WIREPOINTS
— Pritzker Followed Fauci’s Guidance Blindly: The Illinois COVID Failures Nobody Owns.
https://wirepoints.org/from-faucis-mouth-to-pritzkers-rules-illinois-pandemic-blunders-wirepoints/
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Don Tracy: Washington Post Debunks Stratton’s Healthcare Tax Myth
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/30/juliana-strattons-position-on-medicare-for-all-criticized-by-washington-post-taxes-for-all/
— After announcing yesterday that his wife is pregnant with their second child, conceived naturally after their first child was born via IVF, Independent candidate for Illinois Governor Collin Corbett is raising awareness about the importance of fertility treatments for Illinois families while taking aim at his Republican opponent, Darren Bailey, for his extreme record against IVF.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/29/corbett-calls-bailey-extremist-on-idv-relates-personal-experience/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Illegal immigrant population surged to all-time high of 15.8 million under Biden.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/4667790/illegal-immigrant-population-surged-all-time-high-15-8-million-biden-study-says/
NEW YORK POST
— ICE is now busting migrants who overstayed visas when they check into airports — reversing a Biden policy.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/29/us-news/ice-arresting-visa-overstayers-at-us-airports-as-trump-admin-ramps-up-immigration-enforcement/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Demographics, debt, and destiny. DD: To get more votes from those who are the following, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems: liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, LGBTQ, poor, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/demographics-debt-and-destiny/
— Communism had little natural appeal to a people formed by Judeo-Christian values; it could only take root in soil that had already been prepared to receive it.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/the-sudden-long-goodbye/
— How the 1964 Civil Rights Act Eviscerated the American Constitution. James Madison would be horrified. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders use the 1964 Civil Rights Act to get rid of those who are conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/07/how-the-1964-civil-rights-act-eviscerated-the-american-constitution/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Trial lawyers quietly using woke lawfare to hamper American businesses.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/07/29/exclusive-trial-lawyers-quietly-using-woke-lawfare-to-hamper-american-businesses-1652683/
BLAZE
— As personal responsibility withers, governmental control increases. DD: To get more votes from those who are the following, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems: liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, LGBTQ, poor, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-most-seductive-lie-in-politics
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Personal responsibility used to be something that most Americans believed in. Most Americans still do, but pretty much nobody in our political class does, because the most seductive line in American politics is: “It’s not your fault.”)
COLLEGE FIX
— Columbia to offer new minor based on ‘what it means to live in a ‘just’ society.’ DD: According to Democrats, justice means taking opportunities, money, and everything else away from Republicans and giving it all to Democrats. My Democrat GAO superiors took my GAO job away from me and gave it to my Black Democrat subordinate.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/columbia-to-offer-new-minor-based-on-what-it-means-to-live-in-a-just-society/
DAILY WIRE
— The rise in “adultism” training that teaches children that their parents are the oppressors.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-teacher-training-trend-has-parents-in-its-crosshairs
— History Already Told Us How This Radical Alliance Ends. Islamists and Marxists have long been united in their pursuit to destroy the West.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/history-already-told-us-how-this-radical-alliance-ends
— Obama To Headline Dem Gerrymandering Fundraiser In Posh Martha’s Vineyard. The Massachusetts island is a popular getaway locale for Democratic political figures and donors.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/obama-to-headline-dem-gerrymandering-fundraiser-in-posh-marthas-vineyard
FEDERALIST
— NeverTrumpers Are Banking On Iran War To Drive MAGA Into Extinction.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/29/nevertrumpers-are-banking-on-iran-war-to-drive-maga-into-extinction/
— Counting Noncitizens In The Census Undermines American Democracy.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/29/counting-noncitizens-in-the-census-undermines-american-democracy/
FOX NEWS
— Trump taps veterans to fix illegal alien trucking problem plaguing US roadways. The program expands CDL eligibility for veterans while removing over 24,000 licenses under English proficiency rules. DD: I often drove postal trucks while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-taps-veterans-fix-illegal-alien-trucking-problem-plaguing-us-roadways
— Controversial teacher training targets parental authority as oppression.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/controversial-teacher-training-targets-parental-150037673.html
LEGAL NEWSLINE
— Chicago PD can’t curb class action over race-based traffic stops.
https://www.legalnewsline.com/cook-county-record/chicago-pd-can-t-curb-class-action-over-race-based-traffic-stops/article_85db0c61-4fdf-4268-b606-ccd64458ac27.html
NEWSMAX
— ICE Plans 5,500 New Detention Beds.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/ice-detention-centers-illegal-immigration/2026/07/29/id/1264484/
PJ MEDIA
— White House Streamlines the Deportation Process. Leftists Are Not Taking It Well.
https://pjmedia.com/tim-o-brien/2026/07/29/white-house-streamlines-the-deportation-process-leftists-are-not-taking-it-well-n4955562
TOWNHALL
— One Standard for Government Failure.
https://townhall.com/columnists/joe-abraham/2026/07/29/one-standard-for-government-failure-n2680309
— The New York Times Is Very Upset About ICE Enforcing Immigration Laws at Airports.
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/07/29/ice-detaining-people-at-airports-nyt-n2680314
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Deportation helps make affordability possible.
https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/5995665-immigration-drives-housing-costs/
— DD: Democrats and RINOs have joined up with America’s enemies to destroy America.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/opinion-fix-birthright-citizenship-declare-170000303.html
— DD: How has EEOC impacted you? EEOC had a tremendous impact on me. When I was 22 in 1971, I accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile. But Oldsmobile withdrew that job offer because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. Because I had accepted that offer, my Firestone Store boss rudely fired me. Because of that, I accepted a job offer from IRS.
https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/5994270-trump-anti-dei-campaign/amp/
LOS ANGELES TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote communism.
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-07-29/republicans-want-to-turn-clock-back-to-red-baiting-fifties
— DD: What harmed your ACT score and your high school GPA? Instead of studying, I spent far too many hours (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 while I was a Crete-Monee High School student 1964-1966.
https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/opinion/story/2026-07-29/apodaca-unwelcomereturn-of-sat-bias
MIAMI HERALD
— Best ACT Prep Courses. DD: What harmed your ACT score and your high school GPA? Instead of studying, I spent far too many hours (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 while I was a Crete-Monee High School student 1964-1966.
https://www.miamiherald.com/careers-education/best-act-prep-courses/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— FRONT PAGE: A Small Band of Socialists Is Sowing Panic in the Democratic Party. Once a fringe wing, the movement is wielding surprising political power, capitalizing on popular discontent. Mainstream Democrats see a ‘fundamental threat.’
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/democratic-socialists-mamdani-midterms-party-ca2ddf9a
— Democratic Socialists’ Rise Rattles Mainstream Democrats
https://www.wsj.com/world/democratic-socialists-rise-rattles-mainstream-democrats-e7ed7ee1
— Rove: Who’s Afraid of the DSA? Mark Kelly and Tim Kaine can’t find the courage to oppose their party’s radicals.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/whos-afraid-of-the-dsa-db539ece
— The ‘Downward Mobility’ of Struggling Young Baby Boomers. Staples of middle-class life now seem like luxuries. DD: While I am much more successful financially than what my father was, he was much less successful financially than what his father was, and his father was much less successful financially than what his father was.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-downward-mobility-of-struggling-young-baby-boomers-b82cab21
— Mamdani’s Class Enemies List. He publishes the names and addresses of his new pied-a-terre tax targets. DD: In Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on me ( https://gopillinois.com/documents/ ), to paint be as being grossly overpaid, it called my Outer Drive East condo a pied-a-terre because I owned a townhome in University Park at the time. I owned that townhome because I could not sell it unless took a big loss.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/zohran-mamdani-pied-a-terre-tax-list-ali-najmi-ed22425b
— ‘Restorative Justice’ Brings Violent Schools. Why would anyone think you could discipline bullies by inviting them to talk about their feelings?
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/restorative-justice-brings-violent-schools-e6a55a39
NATIONAL LAW REVIEW
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders use disparate impact to get rid of those who are conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://natlawreview.com/article/disparate-impact-name-only-what-federal-agencies-shift-intentional-discrimination
HR DRIVE
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers have used, are using, and will forever use DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.hrdive.com/news/pulling-back-from-dei-increases-legal-risk-women/826430/
FROM OTHER SOURCES
WRITERS COLLEGE
— Writing from Personal Experience. DD: To promote conservative principles, I cite my personal experiences. I urge all conservatives to do that. My following conservative principles enabled me to a) earn a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21, job-related master’s degrees when I was 27, 31, and 48, job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and a job-related professional license when I was 32, b) buy new cars when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29. etc. and collector cars when I was 40 and 45, c) buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, etc., d) get married when I was 29, e) etc.
https://www.thewriterscollege.com/writing-from-personal-experience-tips-and-techniques/
July 26, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— How lighthearted social media trend of ‘teen takeovers’ took serious turn in Chicago and across US. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://abc7chicago.com/post/teen-takeover-chicago-news-how-social-media-trend-took-serious-turn/19575868/
CBS2
— Teen takeover crowds Green Line ‘L’ terminal in Chicago’s Englewood community. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/teen-takeover-green-line-l-terminal-chicago-englewood-community/
WGN9
— Trump’s crusade against mail-in voting loses in federal court.
https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/president-trumps-crusade-against-mail-in-voting-loses-in-federal-court/
FOX32
— Illinois giving undocumented immigrants in-state tuition rate is unconstitutional.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-immigrants-tuition-ruling
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/2026/07/24/chicago-immigration-court-removal-orders-analysis/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/25/hundreds-march-to-trump-tower-vigil-for-ice-killings/
— Illinois Democrats’ single-party rule and diminished GOP may shield Springfield from Benton scandal reforms.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/26/harry-benton-election-impact/
WGN RADIO
— Matt Dietrich, Spokesperson for the Illinois Board of Elections on that the Illinois Board of Elections does to ensure that noncitizens aren’t able to register to vote.
https://wgnradio.com/john-williams/how-secure-are-elections-in-illinois/
HERALD WHIG
— Lieutenant governor candidate Aaron Del Mar calls for grace.
https://whig.com/2026/07/25/lieutenant-governor-candidate-calls-for-grace/
CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— These 9 Illinois communities say they’re interested in new nuclear facilities.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/these-9-illinois-communities-say-theyre-interested-in-new-nuclear-facilities/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— The DSA’s dumbed-down definition of working class is designed to deceive. DD: I was a member of the working class 1964-1997, that is, I was a wage earner 1964-1997. My critics/opponents look down on the working class, that is, they look down on wage earners.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/4657193/dsa-dumbed-down-definition-working-class-designed-to-deceive/
NEW YORK POST
— Socialists are on the march.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/25/real-estate/detroit-developer-cites-tax-hikes-as-reason-big-blue-cities-like-nyc-are-struggling-socialists-are-on-the-march/
— Team Trump is wisely pushing for most illegal migrants to go home voluntarily.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/25/opinion/team-trump-is-wisely-pushing-for-most-illegal-migrants-to-go-home-voluntarily/
— NYC promotes nearly 100% of students in grades 3-8 despite 40% of them failing standardized tests.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/25/us-news/city-promotes-nearly-100-of-students-in-grades-3-8/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Bombshell Biden memo: More illegals means more illegal voters.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/bombshell-biden-memo-more-illegals-means-more-illegal-voters/
— Texas to stop teaching capitalism? Texas parents have a new fight on their hands: keeping ‘anti-racism’ out of their children’s personal finance classes.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/texas-to-stop-teaching-capitalism/
— America’s Current Socialist Trend Could End Badly.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/07/america-s-current-socialist-trend-could-end-badly/
— Red better than blue. At least from an economics perspective.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/red-better-than-blue/
BLAZE
— The socialists are coming for the Senate.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-socialists-are-coming-for-the-senate
BREITBART
— Trump to Mamdani: Stop Destroying My Home Town.
https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2026/07/25/pinkerton-trump-to-mamdani-stop-destroying-my-home-town/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Capitalism Improves Human Lives, Socialism Does the Opposite. DD: Under socialism, to advance, all you need to do is be a socialist. Under Democrats, to advance, all you need to do is be a Democrat. For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, veteran, disabled, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/02/01/capitalism-improves-human-lives-socialism-does-the-opposite/
DAILY WIRE
— How Democratic Socialism Went Mainstream.
https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ben-shapiro-show-explains-the-dsa
FOX NEWS
— Majority of Democratic voters support socialism. DD: How soon, if not already, will Democratic Socialists take over the DNC, the Illinois Democratic Party, your Democratic county party, and your Democratic township party?
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402114830112
— Court checks Pritzker as Trump administration scores another immigration win. The ruling invalidates the RISE Act and Illinois DREAM Act, marking another win for Trump’s immigration agenda.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/court-checks-pritzker-trump-administration-scores-another-immigration-win
— Democrats concede NJ voter-roll failure was ‘horrible’ — but reject broader fraud fears. Senators and representatives called for election integrity reforms including paper trails and software reviews
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democrats-concede-nj-voter-roll-failure-horrible-reject-broader-fraud-fears
— Fight for Democratic Party’s future moves to Midwest as socialism gains traction. DD: How soon, if not already, will Democratic Socialists take over the DNC, the Illinois Democratic Party, your Democratic county party, and your Democratic township party?
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402121162112
— Cuban immigrant warns against rising socialism in US primaries.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402120321112
— AOC’s 2028 chances spark concerns about Democratic socialists’ rise.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402121973112?spark_wn=1
— Platner to be replaced with socialist Troy Jackson.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402114775112
— Far-left victories rip mask off Democrats as top conservative sounds alarm party is ‘way beyond socialism.’ The House Freedom Caucus chairman argues DSA-backed primary wins will make voters nervous ahead of midterm elections.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/far-left-victories-rip-mask-off-democrats-top-conservative-sounds-alarm-party-way-beyond-socialism
— The Democratic establishment fights back against the socialists.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4663234/democratic-establishment-fights-back-against-socialists/
— Economic democracy: The DSA’s plan to punish the productive and reward the lazy. DD: Virtually all my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were Democrats. Extremely few of my Post Office coworkers earned a job-related bachelor’s degree like I did. Few of my IRS and GAO coworkers earned job-related master’s degrees and professional certifications like I did. None of my coworkers earned a job-related professional license like I did. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/4659903/dsas-plan-to-punish-productive-and-reward-lazy/
— Fetterman: Socialism should be the UNACCEPTABLE view.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GueGDcRLX5s
— Democrats are in big trouble because Black and brown voters don’t want socialism.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/democrats-big-trouble-black-brown-voters-dont-want-socialism
LAW ENFORCEMENT TODAY
— The Anti-ICE Campaign Is BLM 2.0.
https://lawenforcementtoday.com/the-anti-ice-campaign-is-blm-2-0
MILITARY
— White House Wants Veterans to Replace Immigrant Truckers Who Lost Their Licenses in Crackdown. DD: I often drove postal trucks while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969.
https://www.military.com/white-house-wants-veterans-to-replace-immigrant-truckers-who-lost-their-licenses-in-crackdown
POST MILLENNIAL
— Federal judge strikes down Illinois sanctuary policy granting illegal immigrants in-state tuition, financial aid.
https://thepostmillennial.com/federal-judge-strikes-down-illinois-sanctuary-policy-granting-illegal-immigrants-in-state-tuition-financial-aid.
— Alaska sends over 3,000 letters asking voters to prove citizenship. DD: It seems that to prove that you were born in America and/or that either of your parents were American citizens is to prove that you are an American citizen.
https://thepostmillennial.com/alaska-sends-over-3000-letters-asking-voters-to-prove-citizenship
REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Karl Rove: Dem Socialism a Gift to GOP.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2026/07/25/karl_rove_dem_socialism_a_gift_to_gop_706151.html
TOWNHALL
— Democratic Socialists Are Obsessed With Abortion.
https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2026/07/26/democratic-socialists-are-obsessed-with-abortion-n2680134
— Communism—the Religion of Hate.
https://townhall.com/columnists/marklewis/2026/07/26/communismthe-religion-of-hate-n2680127
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Mamdani’s ‘fair share’ myth joins a growing corpus of socialist fables. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I was always grossly overpaid. In my defense, I worked my way through college and 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://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5989614-socialist-mythology-wealthy-taxpayers/
AOL
— The Minimum Salary You Need To Feel Financially Stable in Every State in 2026. DD: In Illinois, it is $83,000/year. I did not start earning $83,000/year in today’s dollars until I was 24 in 1973. By then, I had earned a bachelor’s degree in business from NIU, worked for IRS for 2 years, bought a new 1972 Corvette, bought a new townhome in University Park, and completed six graduate evening business courses at Loyola.
https://www.aol.com/articles/minimum-salary-feel-financially-stable-180011000.html
CNN
— GAO: More Amazon workers are turning to SNAP and Medicaid to make ends meet. DD: What did you do to qualify yourself for better paying jobs? I passed that postal employment test when I was 17 in 1966. I passed the Federal Entrance Examination when I was 21. I earned a bachelor’s degree in business when I was 21. I earned an MBA when I was 27. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. I earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32. I became a licensed CPA when I was 32. I earned four more job-related professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48. I earned a master’s degree in finance when I was 48.
https://www.wxow.com/news/top-stories/more-amazon-and-gig-workers-are-turning-to-snap-and-medicaid-to-make-ends-meet/article_a5034c35-42e9-521b-b91a-e6281fd08371.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Employed but still in need of assistance. GAO, which also looked at 2024 Census data, found that nearly 14 million adults who worked at some point that year were enrolled in Medicaid, and 10.6 million adults lived in households that received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the formal name for food stamps. They mostly worked full-time schedules, and a majority worked in one of five occupations, including transportation and food preparation and serving. In 2020, about 12 million wage-earning adults were covered by Medicaid, and 9 million received food stamps, according to the earlier GAO report, which looked at Census data from the prior year. To qualify for food stamps, applicants must earn less than 130% of the federal poverty level, or about $42,000 a year for a family of four. (Some states have higher income limits.) Medicaid recipients can earn no more than 138% of the federal poverty limit, or about $22,000 for an individual, though some states that did not expand the program to low-income adults have lower income thresholds.)
NEW YORK TIMES
— Democratic Socialists Are Winning Big. Now They Want Action. The Democratic Socialists of America, after a string of election victories in New York, is eager to tax the rich and enact anti-Israel policies. DD: How soon, if not already, will Democratic Socialists take over the DNC, the Illinois Democratic Party, your Democratic county party, and your Democratic township party?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/26/nyregion/dsa-tax-rich-hochul-mamdani.html
— Gen Z-ers Don’t See the Point of Ambition. DD: How ambitious were your peers? Virtually all my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were Democrats. Extremely few of my Post Office coworkers earned a job-related bachelor’s degree like I did. Few of my IRS and GAO coworkers earned job-related master’s degrees and professional certifications like I did. None of my coworkers earned a job-related professional license like I did. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/23/opinion/gen-z-ambition-millennials-career.html
USA TODAY
— What the Supreme Court’s test for gun rules could mean for AR-15 bans. After appearing to loosen a restrictive test for gun regulations two years ago, the Supreme Court tacked back to the right this term. An even bigger Second Amendment case is up next.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/07/26/supreme-courts-historical-test-guns-ar-15/91012945007/
— Student debt has grads becoming socialists. It’s not the answer.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/07/26/college-degree-jobs-money-socialism/91014847007/
— New cars cost nearly $50K. Here are 5 affordable car brands under $40K. DD: Back in the good old days, that is, during the 1960s and 1970s. I was able to earn enough money to buy new cars when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, and 29.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/cars/shopping/new-cars/2026/07/14/best-affordable-cars-under-40k/90915827007/
NEW YORK SUN
— Third World-ism Emerging as the Ultimate Driver of the Democratic Socialist Agenda. The far left aspires to fulfill President Obama’s goal of ‘fundamentally transforming’ America.
https://www.nysun.com/article/third-world-ism-emerging-as-the-ultimate-driver-of-the-democratic-socialist-agenda
— Silence of America’s Surging Socialists Speaks Volumes as Nicaragua’s Ortega Ends Democracy.
https://www.nysun.com/article/silence-of-americas-surging-socialists-speaks-volumes-as-nicaraguas-ortega-ends-democracy
DALLAS EXPRESS
— Just 12% Of U.S. Adults Call Four-Year Schools Affordable. DD: Back in the good old days, even though no one thought I was college material, I took college preparatory courses, I got an ACT score of 24, I graduated in the upper 20% of my high school class, I got accepted by UIC, I worked my way through college by working for the Park Forest Post Office part-time during the school years and full-time during the summers, and I graduated debt-free from NIU in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in business and owning a 1969 Dodge Charger SE. I could not have done that if my parents had not provided me with room and board while I took classes at UIC 1966-1968, weekends during my first semester at NIU in 1969 to keep my Post Office job, and the summer of 1969.
https://dallasexpress.com/education/college-costs-under-fire-just-12-of-u-s-adults-call-four-year-schools-affordable/
TAMPA FREE PRESS
— Wealthy Elites, Not The Working Class, Are Driving Socialist Push.
https://www.tampafp.com/victor-davis-hanson-wealthy-elites-not-the-working-class-are-driving-socialist-push/
YONKERS TIMES
— Should the United States Have a $25 Minimum Wage? DD: I did not start earning $25/hour in today’s dollar s until after I had earned a bachelor’s degree in business and had passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination.
https://yonkerstimes.com/should-the-united-states-have-a-25-minimum-wage/
COMMON DREAMS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/aoc-on-communism
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
— ‘Teen takeovers’ started as a social media trend. But now the phenomenon has taken a sinister turn. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/teen-takeovers-social-media-trend-us-police-chicago-b3021501.html
July 16, 2026 Evening Edition
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Funding for commercial flights to small airports around the country, including to three communities in Illinois, could be reduced under President Donald Trump’s budget proposal.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/president-donald-trumps-budget-proposal-could-threaten-airline-service-several-illinois-airports-decatur-quincy-marion/19521773/
— Hegseth directs troops over 30 to have testosterone checked. Those diagnosed with a deficiency have an option to undergo replacement therapy.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/hegseth-directs-troops-30-have-testosterone-checked/19515685/
CBS2
— Poll finds few Chicago voters want Mayor Brandon Johnson to run for re-election.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/mayor-brandon-johnson-mayoral-reelection-poll-university-chicago-mansueto-institute/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Republicans for everything that is bad, including bad weather.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/climate-extremes-wildfires-canada-us-west/
FOX32
— University of Chicago poll: Under 14% of voters approve of Mayor Johnson reelection run.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-8wrcaz77phzhwyst
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Republican Darren Bailey treads water in governor’s race as GOP candidates struggle to raise campaign cash.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/16/illinois-governor-senate-gop-fundraising-struggles/
— Mayor Brandon Johnson bats away low fundraising: ‘My confidence will always remain strong’
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/16/mayor-brandon-johnson-low-fundraising/
— Billions of dollars in spending has not saved Black Chicago from the scourge of gun violence.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/16/opinion-chicago-gun-violence-crisis-requires-leadership-not-more-money/
DAILY HERALD
— Kane County Board votes to put draft version of 2027 budget on display.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260716/news/kane-county-board-votes-to-put-draft-version-of-2027-budget-on-display/
WGN RADIO
— What is the best decade of life? DD: What was the best decade of your life? Things were looking up for me when I was 22-25 1971-1974 when IRS promoted me from GS-7 to GS-12, from $56,409/year to $100,059/year in today’s dollars. But then my Democrat IRS superiors got rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me, disallowed my travel vouchers, and disallowed my education expenses. Things were looking up for me when I was 37-40 1985-1988 when GAO assigned me to audits of IRS and promoted me to GS-13, $118,984/year in today’s dollars. But then my Democrat GAO superiors got rid of the GAO manager who had arranged for my transfer from IRS, got me assigned to audits of IRS, and promoted me.
https://wgnradio.com/john-williams/newsclick/the-john-williams-newsclick-what-is-the-best-decade-of-life/#/questions
FOX ILLINOIS
— Trump administration revives rule that could deny green cards to immigrants who use public benefits.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/trump-administration-revives-rule-that-could-deny-green-cards-to-immigrants-who-use-public-benefits/article_78dd61f3-1e49-5457-9487-5cf0ee495f1a.html
NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://www.northernpublicradio.org/2026-07-16/after-years-of-false-claims-on-voting-trump-to-give-an-address-on-election-integrity
CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Pritzker spends big in second fundraising quarter as Bailey struggles to keep up. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias also continued a hot fundraising streak.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/pritzker-spends-big-in-second-fundraising-quarter-as-bailey-struggles-to-keep-up/
CIVIC FEDERATION
— Springfield’s unfunded mandates are paving the local government road to fiscal hell.
https://www.civicfed.org/blogs/joe-ferguson-springfields-unfunded-mandates-are-paving-local-government-road-fiscal-hell
ILLINOIZE
— Bailey Takes a Page from Pritzker’s Yearbook…But Why?
https://www.theillinoize.com/articles/bailey-takes-page-pritzker-yearbook
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/16/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-557/
— Republicans called out for voting against state budgets and celebrating in-district spending.
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/16/repubs-called-out-for-voting-against-state-budgets-and-celebrating-in-district-spending/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Corbett Brags about Having Three Times as Much Cash as Bailey
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/16/corbett-brags-about-having-three-times-as-much-cash-as-bailey/
— McHenry County Libertarian Leader Trashes Home Rule & County Executive Form of Government by Asking Questions for Which No Answer Has Been Given
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/16/mchenry-county-libertarian-leader-trashes-home-rule-county-executive-form-of-government/
— Illinois Unemployment at 5.1%, Up Almost One Percentage Point from Last Year, Unemployed Up 16% Over Last Year
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/16/illinois-unemployment-at-5-1-up-almost-one-percentage-point-from-last-year-unemployed-up-16-over-last-yearr/
— $349,845 in Private Money for Each “Affordable Housing” Dwelling Unit Announced by Governor JB Pritzker
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/16/349845-affordable-housing-dwelling-united-announced-by-governor-jb-pritzker/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Black voters rejecting socialism. Democrats risk losing their most loyal voting bloc.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/16/black-voters-rejecting-socialism/
— Democratic governors want to destroy the economy over climate change. Leftists want to sue, legislate energy companies out of existence.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/16/democratic-governors-want-destroy-economy-climate-change/
— For the love of America, please stop calling them progressives.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/16/love-america-please-stop-calling-progressives/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Socialistic programs caused the affordability crisis. The DSA wants to double down.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4650588/socialistic-programs-caused-affordability-crisis-dsa-double-down/
NEW YORK POST
— Blame immigration chaos on Biden and Harris — not Trump.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/16/opinion/blame-immigration-chaos-on-biden-and-harris-not-trump/
— Another California city plots becoming sanctuary city for illegal migrants.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/16/us-news/another-california-city-plots-becoming-sanctuary-city-for-illegal-migrants/
— Humiliation for hundreds of California colleges whose alumni earn less than high school grads.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/16/us-news/humiliation-for-hundreds-of-california-colleges-whose-alumni-earn-less-than-high-school-grads/
— Californians hate Gavin Newsom’s gas vehicle ban.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/16/lifestyle/californians-hate-gavin-newsoms-gas-vehicle-ban-poll-shows/
DAILY SIGNAL
— 7 Colleges Suggest That White Supremacy Persists in America. DD: Because of Democrat and RINO leaders, Affirmative Action and DEI persist in America, that is, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination persist in America.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/16/dei-entrenchment-7-colleges-suggesting-that-white-supremacy-persists-in-america/
FOX BUSINESS
— Antisemitism, socialism are reshaping Democratic Party.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6401313522112
NATIONAL REVIEW
— America’s Asylum System Is Broken.
https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2026/09/americas-asylum-system-is-broken/?amp
TOWNHALL
— Who Will Be Held Accountable for the Border Policies of 2021–2025?
https://townhall.com/columnists/joe-abraham/2026/07/15/who-will-be-held-accountable-for-the-border-policies-of-20212025-n2679434
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
WASHINGTON POST
— Socialists think wealth is stolen. They’re wrong.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/07/16/socialists-think-billionaires-steal-wealth/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Hinsdale, Where Million Dollar Homes Sell in a Week. Demand is high in Hinsdale, which draws wealthy buyers for its historic properties and walkability.
https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/luxury-homes/hinsdale-illinois-home-prices-a3dccbdc
BUZZ FEED NEWS
— DD: He who sets the criteria determines the outcome.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/rondicker/laura-ingraham-worst-places-to-live-trump-won-fox-news
July 13, 2026 Evening Edition
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— At least 27 shot, 3 fatally, in weekend gun violence across Chicago.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shootings-weekend-least-21-shot-3-fatally-gun-violence-city-police-department-says/19493170/
— Darline Graham Nordone, sister of Lindsey Graham, picked to fulfill remainder of his US Senate term.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/who-could-replace-lindsey-graham-south-carolinas-steps-senators-death/19498038/
CHICAGO TRINUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders say Trump acted in bad faith. My Democrat superiors in the federal government acted in bad faith.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/13/trump-irs-lawsuit/
— Regulators issue new guidance on bank lending risk tied to borrowers living illegally in US.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/13/bank-lending/
DAILY HERALD
— Pay raises demonstrate lawmakers’ corruption.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260713/letters-to-the-editor/pay-raises-demonstrate-lawmakers-corruption/
STATELINE
— Felon on pretrial release arrested in JB Pritzker’s backyard.
https://www.mystateline.com/news/felon-on-pretrial-release-arrested-in-jb-pritzkers-backyard/amp/
WGLT
— How Lindsey Graham tried to stay ‘relevant’ in the Republican Party. DD: I try to stay relevant in the Republican Party by continuing on as the GOPUSA Illinois Editor and as a Republican Precinct Committeeman.
https://www.wglt.org/2026-07-13/how-lindsey-graham-tried-to-stay-relevant
WCIA
— U of I program aims to help veterans transition to college. 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 getting accepted by UIC and commuting to/from classes at UIC 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.wcia.com/news/champaign-county/u-of-i-program-aims-to-help-veterans-transition-to-college/
JOLET PATCH
— $316,000 For Black Lives Matter Will County, Money For 4 Other Organizations.
https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/316-000-black-lives-matter-will-county-money-4-other-organizations-revealed-senator
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/13/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-554/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Tollway Issues Press Release with Headline to Minimize Interest, Public Hearings on Toll Tax Hikes Listed
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/13/tollway-issues-press-release-with-headline-to-minimize-interest-public-hearings-on-toll-tax-hikes-listed/
— Pritzker Signs Bills Allowing School Debt to Increase without Referendums
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/08/pritzker-signs-bills-allowing-school-debt-to-increase-without-referendums/
— Animal Welfare Advocates Take on Ogle County
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/08/animal-welfare-advocates-take-on-ogle-county/
— State Trade Association Features District 155 Finance Guy Kevin Werner, Constituent Comments
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/08/state-trade-association-features-district-155-finance-guy-kevin-werner-constituent-comments/
— Corbett Points to Two Democratic Party State Representees’ Behavior as Demonstration of How Broken Illinois Government Is
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/08/20981/
— Disgraced Democratic Party State Rep. Resigned from the House, But Remains Wheatland Township Highway Commissioner, Where Loran Underwood Lives
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/08/disgraced-democratic-party-state-rep-resigned-from-the-house-but-remains-wheatland-township-highway-commissioner-where-loran-underwood-lives/
— Still Another Big Company–True Value–Taking Leave of Illinois
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/08/still-another-big-company-true-value-taking-leave-of-illinois/
— Governor Pritzker to the Future: All You Need Is Love
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/09/governor-pritzker-to-the-future-all-you-need-is-love/
— Tollway’s Fifteen Year Plan Ignores Jordan Tollway
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/09/tollways-fifteen-year-plan-ignores-jordan-tollway/
— Democrats Replace “Mother” with “Birthing Persons” in Press Release Announcing Midwives Eligible for Medicaid Coverage
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/09/democrats-replace-mother-with-birthing-persons-in-press-release-announcing-midwives-eligible-for-medicaid-coverage/
— County Continues Campaign to Convict Drug Sellers Whose Customers Die
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/09/county-continues-campaign-to-convict-drug-sellers-whose-customers-die/
— Jim Marter Challenges Democratic Party Opponent Lauren Underwood to Call for Harry Benton Benton’s Resignation from Wheatland Township Road Commissioner
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/09/jim-marter-challenges-democratic-party-opponent-lauren-underwood-to-call-for-harry-benton-bentons-resignation-from-wheatland-township-road-commissioner/
— ICE Asks Pritzker Not to Release Illegal Alien from Kane County Jail
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/09/ice-asks-pritzker-not-to-release-illegal-alien-from-kane-county-jail/
— Illegal Alien Arrested for Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault, Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, and Sexual Exploitation of a Child (Pingrey Grove 8 Years Old)
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/10/illegal-alien-arrested-for-predatory-criminal-sexual-assault-aggravated-criminal-sexual-abuse-and-sexual-exploitation-of-a-child-8-years-old/
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Illinois Politicians Stack Salaries, Benefits and Pensions – On Your Dime. DD: My critics/opponents are furious that I have gotten a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension since 1997 and Social Security since 2010. But I paid 7% of my federal salary into CSRS for almost 30 years and I paid into Social Security for 10 years.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/07/illinois-politicians-stack-salaries-benefits-and-pensions-on-your-dime.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Bernie Sanders’ revenge. The Democratic Socialists of America’s takeover of the Democratic Party.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/13/bernie-sanders-revenge/
— Freedom Caucus presses House leadership for a vote to make Trump’s border policies law.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/13/freedom-caucus-presses-speaker-mike-johnson-vote-make-donald-trumps/
— America cannot survive without moral boundaries. No guardrails, no freedom, no civil society.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/13/america-cannot-survive-without-moral-boundaries/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Marxists, socialists, and the ‘Red Star’: Here are the DSA’s most prominent caucuses.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4646135/six-democratic-socialists-america-most-prominent-caucuses/
BREITBART
— 15 Shot During Seven Hour Timeframe in Gun-Controlled Chicago.
https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2026/07/13/15-shot-during-seven-hour-timeframe-in-gun-controlled-chicago/amp/
— ICE Arrests Illegals Convicted of Murder, Manslaughter, Child Rape.
https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2026/07/13/exclusive-ice-arrests-illegal-aliens-convicted-of-murder-manslaughter-child-rape/amp/
FOX BUSINESS
— Democratic socialists expand influence, push radical agenda.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6401048687112
REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— The Media Is “Soft Peddling Socialists, Who Want To Deconstruct Our Society.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GumkNaGjSUA
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
NEWSWEEK
— DD: Democrat leaders rank Republican states to be the worst states to live in. He who sets the ranking criteria determines the outcome.
https://www.newsweek.com/ranking-10-worst-states-to-live-is-entirely-republican-sparks-backlash-12187925
NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders crow about their success in getting younger voters to propel the Democratic Socialist Surge in New York.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/nyregion/dsa-young-voters-primary-ny.html
WASHINGTON POST
— The DSA can’t hide its extremism. Its leaders may deny it, but this group has designs far beyond the social safety net.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/07/10/democratic-socialists-america-cant-hide-its-extremism/
WCBM
— ‘Now We’re in Congress:’ Rashida Tlaib Lays Out the Socialist Agenda in Rage-Filled Rant.
https://wcbm.com/national-headline/now-were-in-congress-rashida-tlaib-lays-out-the-socialist-agenda-in-rage-filled-rant/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Lindsey Graham’s Sister Named to Fill His Senate Seat.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/lindsey-graham-trump-replacement-sister-ed58d06d?mod=djemwhatsnews
— DD: Democrat leaders say Trump acted in bad faith. My Democrat superiors in the federal government acted in bad faith.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/judge-excoriates-trumps-irs-lawsuit-that-led-to-1-8-billion-fund-3a3c94fe
— Student loans. DD: I could not have gotten a student loan if I had tried. My ACT score was only 24. I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class. Therefore, to pay for my UIC and then NIU college expenses and to pay for new cars to drive to/from my parents’ home in Crete to classes at UIC and then NIU, I spent far too many hours washing dishes during my junior and senior years at Crete-Monee, during my first 2 years at UIC and my first semester at NIU. Therefore, my ACT score and my GPAs were lower. Therefore, when I graduated, the only job offer I got did not really require a college degree. I acknowledge that my wanting new cars resulted in a) my working more hours and b) my ACT score and GPAs being lower.
https://www.wsj.com/buyside/personal-finance/student-loans/best-private-student-loans
HR DRIVE
— DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 because I was an active member in class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation.
https://www.hrdive.com/news/white-employee-lawsuit-equity-mindset-requirement-survives/825048/
July 11, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
FOX32
— Push for youth-led violence prevention. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-teen-take-over-violence-prevention.amp
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/07/09/ice-arrests-increase-chicago-tactics-less-publicized-midway-blitz-back-yards-gage-brighton-park
— DD: Sooner or later, anchor babies will run America. What do anchor babies think of you? Democrat leaders shout at anchor babies that those who are the following cause all their problems: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/07/10/birthright-citizenship-supreme-court-250-america-trump-mona-charen
WBEZ
— Another surge in ICE activity. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.wbez.org/wbez-newsletter/2026/07/10/the-rundown-another-surge-in-ice-activity-legal-groups-say
ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
— DD: How soon will the Democrat Party officially change its name to the Socialist Party?
https://www.rrstar.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2026/07/11/a-case-for-capitalism-during-a-rise-in-american-socialism-opinion/90860207007/
STATELINE
— DOJ threatens prosecution over noncitizens voting in Illinois. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.mystateline.com/news/doj-threatens-prosecution-over-non-citizen-voting-in-illinois/
— Illinois FOID lawsuit: Federal challenge filed against state gun owner ID law. DD: I have had an FOID card since I was 20 in 1968.
https://www.mystateline.com/news/illinois-foid-lawsuit-federal-challenge-filed-against-state-gun-owner-id-law/
JOURNAL COURIER
— Illinois ‘reviewing’ DOJ’s threat to prosecute over non-citizen voting. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/state-reviewing-threat-prosecute-22339425.php
JOURNAL & TOPICS
— DD: Sooner or later, anchor babies will run America. What do anchor babies think of you? Democrat leaders shout at anchor babies that those who are the following cause all their problems: 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.journal-topics.com/articles/this-decision-is-personal-for-me-gong-gershowitz-reacts-quickly-to-scotus-ruling/
FOX ILLINOIS
— New York Times accuses EEOC of political retaliation in countersuit over discrimination case. The New York Times accused EEOC Friday of political retaliation and free speech infringement in a countersuit filed in response to a discrimination lawsuit NYT faces on behalf of a white male employee who was rejected for a role awarded to a multiracial woman. DD: All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) who were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran and/or b) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/new-york-times-accuses-agency-of-political-retaliation-in-countersuit-over-discrimination-case/article_f1724006-ed3c-5bdd-b4a6-9f1e7c195154.html
WSIL TV
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at Black women that Republicans who are the following cause all their problems: conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.wsiltv.com/news/southern-illinois-conference-puts-african-american-womens-health-front-and-center/article_df3e9af0-50ab-4aaa-a511-775e75c47fce.html
FOX49
— Rural Illinois wants to split from Chicago and form a new state, it’s not alone.
https://fox49.tv/news/nation-world/rural-illinois-wants-to-split-from-chicago-and-form-a-new-state-its-not-alone-cook-county-idaho-oregon-portland-indiana
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/10/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-553/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Illinois attorney general has paid private attorneys $2 million in recent years.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_5a68910d-34e6-4c28-ab13-1a59e9a658d3.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— A DSA governor? Francesca Hong tests whether socialism can win statewide in Wisconsin.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/state/4642553/francesca-hong-wisconsin-governor-primary-socialism/
— Newsom defends backing socialist candidates, calling party divides ‘healthy.’
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4644566/gavin-newsom-backing-socialist-candidates-party-divides-healthy/
AMAC
— Supreme Court Poised to Strike “Assault Weapon” Bans. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly diminish Second Amendment rights.
https://amac.us/newsline/politics/supreme-court-poised-to-strike-assault-weapon-bans/
AMERICAN THINKER
— In Illinois, leaving the state — and taking the state with them. How bad is one-party blue state rule? Well, in Illinois, 30 counties are looking to secede. DD: My critics/opponents make it ever-increasingly clear that they want those who are the following to leave Illinois: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. How many of the aforesaid are you?
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/in-illinois-leaving-the-state-and-taking-the-state-with-them/
BLAZE
— This birther tourism company helps illegals give birth in the state of Texas to create more anchor babies. DD: Sooner or later, anchor babies will run America. What do anchor babies think of you? Democrat leaders shout at anchor babies that those who are the following cause all their problems: 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.youtube.com/watch?v=eUYnaefytjI
BREITBART
— ‘I’ve Left Instructions’: Trump Reveals U.S. Response if Iran Kills Him.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/07/10/ive-left-instructions-trump-reveals-u-s-response-if-iran-kills-him/
DAILY SIGNAL
— The Media’s Dangerous Minimization of the Left’s Radical Turn to Socialism.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/10/socialism-media-dangerous/
FEDERALIST
— Equal Outcome v. Equal Opportunity. DD: My critics/opponents have always promoted equal outcome, that is, they have always rejected equal opportunity. According to my critics/opponents, I owe all my successes in my life to my tremendously benefitting from tremendous discrimination against those who do not share my demographics. Those who do not share my demographics are liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, poor, unmarried, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or non-citizen.
https://fedsoc.org/commentary/videos/disparate-impact-is-equal-outcome-the-same-as-equal-opportunity
FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— How Trump Can Still Beat the Birthright Citizenship Racket. DD: Sooner or later, anchor babies will run America. What do anchor babies think of you? Democrat leaders shout at anchor babies that those who are the following cause all their problems: 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.fairus.org/opinion/how-trump-can-still-beat-birthright-citizenship-racket
FOX NEWS
— Democratic socialists to release policy platform.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6400841122112
— Federal appeals court upholds controversial Illinois ban on semiautomatic guns. Chief Judge Michael Brennan dissented, saying the state’s ‘ban goes too far.’ DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly diminish Second Amendment rights.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/federal-appeals-court-upholds-controversial-illinois-ban-semiautomatic-guns
— Walz prioritizes illegal immigrants over US citizens.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6400833571112?dicbo=v2-zC7LoFt
LAW ENFORCEMENT TODAY
— The firearm industry trade association, NSSF, is disappointed by the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Barnett v. Raoul. NSSF respectfully disagrees with the Court’s decision to reverse and remand a lower court’s ruling — made after conducting a several-day bench trial — that Illinois’ law is unconstitutional and that Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) and standard-capacity magazines are “arms” protected by the Second Amendment.
https://lawenforcementtoday.com/ar-15-ban-court-ruling-supreme-court-second-amendment-fight
NEW AMERICAN
— Republicans Refuse to Back Down on Ending Birthright Citizenship.
https://thenewamerican.com/us/immigration/republicans-refuse-to-back-down-on-ending-birthright-citizenship/
NEWSMAX
— Federal Appeals Court Upholds Illinois Ban on Semiautomatic Weapons. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly diminish Second Amendment rights.
https://www.newsmax.com/us/illinois-semiautomatic-weapons-ban/2026/07/10/id/1262393/
— Democrats normalize socialism.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/democrats-normalize-socialism-042407207.html
TOWNHALL
— Federal Appeals Court Upholds Illinois AR-15 Ban. Here’s What They Said. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly diminish Second Amendment rights.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2026/07/10/federal-appeals-court-upholds-illinois-ar-15-ban-heres-what-they-said-n2679173
— Democrats Will Never Stop Trying to Abolish ICE.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/07/10/rep-mcgarvey-abolish-ice-n2679114
WARNER TODD HUSTON
— When slavery was abolished in Africa.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10163482504662807&set=a.10150615323797807
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
AOL
— Illinois Republicans urge immediate resignation of Democrat federally indicted. DD: My Democrat IRS superiors never indicted me, but they disallowed my travel vouchers when I was 25 in 1974 and treated that as being more than enough reason for me to resign. (SEE: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-180010.11-0 NOTE: Joliet and the Loop are not “nearby.”) Then they disallowed my education expenses when I was 29 in 1978 and again treated that as being more than enough reason for me to resign. My Democrat GAO superiors erroneously believed that their forcing me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars would stop me from transferring from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980.
https://www.aol.com/articles/illinois-republicans-urge-immediate-resignation-001755000.html
MSN
— Sunny Hostin slams Karoline Leavitt for marriage to wealthy older man. A 28 years old married to a 65-year-old.
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/other/sunny-hostin-slams-karoline-leavitt-for-marriage-to-wealthy-older-man/ss-AA27DVPu
NEW YORK TIMES
— Replacing a Senate Nominee Is Rare. Has It Ever Worked? Platner is one of just a handful of candidates in recent decades who have withdrawn from a Senate race after securing a major party nomination. DD: In 2004, as the Illinois reporter for GOPUSA, I reported on Jack Ryan’s U.S. Senate primary election campaign, his wining that campaign, his withdrawal, the selection of Alan Keyes to be his replacement, Keyes’ campaign, and Keyes’ losing to Obama. Obama and his wife walked in Wheaton’s 2004 Independence Day parade. Of course, my critics/opponents continue to blame me for Ryan winning the primary, for his withdrawing, for Keyes’ being selected to replace him, for Keyes’ campaign, for Keyes being defeated, and for Obama being elected.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/upshot/platner-senate-replacements-history.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: One of the lopsided races cleared the way for a new political career: Barack Obama beat a replacement Republican candidate in Illinois by more than 40 points in 2004. Mr. Obama’s initial opponent, Jack Ryan, dropped out after unsealed divorce papers revealed his ex-wife’s accusations that he had taken her to sex clubs. The candidate who replaced Mr. Ryan, Alan Keyes, had never lived in Illinois.)
— DD: How soon will the Democrat Party officially change its name to the Socialist Party?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/magazine/american-socialism-democratic-party.html
WASHINGTON POST
— DD: How soon will the Democrat Party officially change its name to the Socialist Party?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/07/10/what-difference-between-democrats-democratic-socialists/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/07/10/democratic-socialists-america-cant-hide-its-extremism/
USA TODAY
— DD: How soon will the Democrat Party officially change its name to the Socialist Party?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/07/11/democratic-socialist-versus-communists-trump/90839578007/
https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/news/politics/2026/07/11/democratic-socialist-candidates-photos/90842667007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Cuba’s Market Lesson for American Socialists. DD: Socialism replaces personal responsibility and equal opportunity with loyalty to political parties. If I had been loyal to the Democrat Party, my Democrat superiors in the federal government would not have wasted my career, taken many big adverse actions against me, and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. Instead, they would have promoted me into Senior Executive Service long before I was 40.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/cubas-market-lesson-for-american-socialists-19e7f19a
— Living With Mom and Dad Is Now a Savvy Money Move. DD: My father died suddenly when he was 47 and I was 21 in October of 1969. He was earning $50,000/year in today’s dollars. My mother had never attended high school, she had never worked outside the home, and my brother was having problems. I graduated from NIU and I got a job working for the Firestone Store in Chicago Heights in August of 1970. I applied for and I got a financial hardship draft deferment. I lived with them in Crete and I helped support them until September of 1972.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/living-with-mom-and-dad-is-now-a-savvy-money-move-baba9159
FORTUNE
— The American Dream failed millennials and Gen Zers—even DINKs earning over $100,000 say they can’t afford kids. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors 1980-1997 a) decried the time and money that they spent raising their children and b) decried the little or no income that their spouses had. They used against me big time a) my wife and I giving up trying to have children, our not adopting, and our not becoming foster parents and b) my wife’s good job. According to them, were it not for the aforesaid, we would not have been able to buy two new cars and a home in Wheaton in when we got married in 1978 and I would not have been able a) to pass the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, b) to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980, c) to earn a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, d) to pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, e) to become a licensed CPA in 1981, or f) to have a home built in Wheaton in 1984. My Democrat GAO superiors ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being disgusting selfish rich DINKs.
https://fortune.com/2024/11/22/dinks-millennials-genz-no-kids-thanksgiving-travel-vacation-economy-housing/
FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— Federal pay rates are falling nearly 25% short of the private sector. DD: In today’s dollars, when I was 49 in 1997, my salary was only $154,682/year working in the Democrat public sector. My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if I had worked in the private sector, I never would have earned that much. In my defense, I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. If I had been a Democrat, my GAO salary would have been $197,200/year in today’s dollars.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/pay/2024/11/federal-pay-rates-are-falling-nearly-25-short-of-the-private-sector/
— State Dept is looking to rebuild after major staffing cuts. Laid-off diplomats say they’re not welcome back.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2026/07/state-dept-is-looking-to-rebuild-after-major-staffing-cuts-laid-off-diplomats-say-theyre-not-welcome-back/
WEEK
— Why your salary should be public knowledge. In America, private-sector salaries are treated as secrets. Why? DD: My federal salary 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 was always public knowledge. Everyone saw that all of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) who were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran and/or b) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had. https://theweek.com/articles/570418/why-salary-should-public-knowledge
LAW AND THE WORKPLACE
— EEOC Issues Updated Guidance on National Origin Discrimination. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, employers ever-increasingly give more preference to those who are liberal, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or non-citizen, that they ever-increasingly discriminate against those who are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, heterosexual, Protestant, German American, have ancestors who have been in America for a long time, and/or are citizens of America.
https://www.lawandtheworkplace.com/2025/12/eeoc-issues-updated-guidance-on-national-origin-discrimination/
NATIONAL MEMO
— DD: Sooner or later, anchor babies will run America. What do anchor babies think of you? Democrat leaders shout at anchor babies that those who are the following cause all their problems: 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.nationalmemo.com/us-citizenship-naturalized-vs-birthright-equality
ATLANTIC
— Believe the Hype About Teen Takeovers. Outdoor street parties are turning into violent rumbles in D.C. and other large cities. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/07/teen-takeovers-violence-dc/687866/
NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— Replacing Senate Candidates Is a Risky Business. DD: In 2004, as the Illinois reporter for GOPUSA, I reported on Jack Ryan’s U.S. Senate primary election campaign, his wining that campaign, his withdrawal, the selection of Alan Keyes to be his replacement, Keyes’ campaign, and Keyes’ losing to Obama. Obama and his wife walked in Wheaton’s 2004 Independence Day parade. Of course, my critics/opponents continue to blame me for Ryan winning the primary, for his withdrawing, for Keyes’ being selected to replace him, for Keyes’ campaign, for Keyes being defeated, and for Obama being elected.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/replacing-senate-candidates-is-a-risky-business.html
MEDIAITE
— DD: Democrats and RINOs use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/pete-hegseth-gets-turning-point-usa-crowd-to-boo-idea-that-diversity-is-our-strength/
RASMUSSEN REPORTS
— DD: How soon will the Democrat Party officially change its name to the Socialist Party?
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration_second_term/50_worried_about_democratic_socialists
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
BUSINESS INSIDER
— Overpaid: Why Americans agree with the DOGE firings. DD: My critics/opponents who are/were not union members are vehemently anti-union. According to my critics/opponents, I have always been grossly overpaid. They have always been furious that while I was a union member when I was a postal employee for almost 3 years and then an IRS employee for almost 9 years, my salary increased from $19.57/hour to $113,402/year in today’s dollars. I my defense, during that time, I earned a bachelor’s degree in business, I earned an MBA, I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, and I almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting. In today’s dollars, my IRS salary was $56,409/year when I was 22 in 1971, $68,999/year when I was 23, $83,482/year when I was 24, $100,059/year when I was 25, and $113,402/year when I was 31. In today’s dollars, my GAO salary was $89,703/year when I was 31, $118,984/year when I was 38, and $154,682/year when I was 49. I earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32. I became a licensed CPA when I was 32. I earned four more job-related professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48. I earned a master’s degree in finance when I was 48.
https://www.businessinsider.com/why-americans-agree-with-doge-firings-federal-workers-pensions-pay-2025-5
DAILY STAR
— US birthright citizenship ruling eases fears among Indians. DD: Sooner or later, anchor babies will run America. What do anchor babies think of you? Democrat leaders shout at anchor babies that those who are the following cause all their problems: 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.thedailystar.net/news/world/news/us-birthright-citizenship-ruling-eases-fears-among-indians-4219661
GUARDIAN
— Credibility. DD: My critics/opponents have always attacked my credibility. They ignore/dismiss/belittle/badmouth a) my earning master’s degrees in business, accounting, and finance, b) my earning professional certifications in accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting, c) my earning a CPA license, d) my working for IRS for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, and e) my working for GAO for almost 18 years, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,684/year.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/26/john-edwards-lawyers-credibility-witness
MIBOLSILLO
— 12 U.S. Cities Where a $50,000 Salary Feels Like Six Figures. DD: None of them are in Illinois.
https://www.mibolsillo.co/12-u.s.-cities-where-a-50000-salary-feels-like-six-figures-t202607100043.html
— 11 U.S. Cities Where an Entry-Level Salary Is No Longer Enough to Live Alone. DD: Where did the money come from for your first down payment? When I was 24 in 1972, HUD made the new townhome that I bought in University Park ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ) affordable. I could not have afforded to buy that townhome if it had cost more. In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $92,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.mibolsillo.co/11-u.s.-cities-where-an-entry-level-salary-is-no-longer-enough-to-live-alone-t202607100041.html
FROM OTHER SOURCES
EXP REALTY
— FOR SALE: Plamondon Road, Wheaton – $3,300,000 DD: This home is in my DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59.
https://leeernst.exprealty.com/details.php?mls=103&mlsid=12664021
July 10, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly diminish Second Amendment rights.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/us-court-appeals-7th-circuit-upholds-illinois-assault-weapons-ban-supreme-takes-chicago-area-connecticut-bans/19476860/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly diminish Second Amendment rights.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/09/illinois-assault-weapons-ban-upheld/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly diminish Second Amendment rights.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/us-supreme-court/2026/07/09/assault-weapon-illinois-cook-county-supreme-court
DAILY HERALD & WQAD
— Republicans call for more transparency, accountability after ‘disgraceful week’ for House Democrats.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260709/news/republicans-call-for-more-transparency-accountability-after-disgraceful-week-for-house-democrats/
https://www.wqad.com/article/news/politics/illinois-politics/illinois-republicans-call-more-transparency-accountability-disgraceful-week-house-democrats-capitol-news/526-1f41d928-3b70-44c6-ae3a-bab634663775
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly diminish Second Amendment rights.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics-policy/ccb-court-upholds-illinois-assault-weapons-ban-20260709/
MLWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
— DOJ threatens to prosecute Wisconsin officials if noncitizens vote. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2026/07/09/doj-threatens-to-prosecute-wisconsin-officials-if-noncitizens-vote/90868441007/
WREX
— Illinois ‘reviewing’ DOJ’s threat to prosecute state election officials over noncitizen voting. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.wrex.com/news/illinois-news/illinois-reviewing-doj-s-threat-to-prosecute-state-election-officials-over-noncitizen-voting/article_6b2a04c7-de2f-4fbf-9821-9d73fb028ed7.html
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Trump says he’ll ask Supreme Court to rehear birthright citizenship case.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/trump-says-hell-ask-supreme-court-to-rehear-birthright-citizenship-case/
— Illinois Republicans urge immediate resignation of Democrat federally indicted. DD: My Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my travel vouchers when I was 25 in 1974 and treated that as being more than enough reason for me to resign. (SEE: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-180010.11-0 NOTE: Joliet and the Loop are not “nearby.”) My Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my education expenses when I was 29 in 1978 and treated that as being more than enough reason for me to resign. My Democrat GAO superiors erroneously believed that their forcing me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars would stop me from transferring from IRS when I was 31 in 1980.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/illinois-news/carol-ammons-resignation-demanded/
NPR ILLINOIS
— The ‘grandparent economy’ quietly keeping Americans afloat. DD: How much financial help are/did your parents getting/get from their parents? On my mother’s side, parents did not get any. On my father’s side, because my father never earned more than $50,000/year in today’s dollars, he got some help from his parents.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-07-09/the-grandparent-economy-quietly-keeping-americans-afloat
ADVANTAGE NEWS
— Census shows Illinois under-20 population declining. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly drive everyone out of Illinois, including those who have demographics that vote for Democrats.
https://www.advantagenews.com/news/local/census-shows-illinois-under-20-population-declining/article_69cc872c-65fd-4127-b3f4-b9a10af94aa4.html
BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/07/09/ice-arrests-are-on-the-rise-in-chicago-heres-what-immigrants-need-to-know/
ILLINOIS HUMAN RESOURCES
— Building Professional Credibility. DD: Should I start writing about those who have attacked my credibility the most?
https://humanresources.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Growth-Advancement_Individual_Building-Professional-Credibility.pdf
CHICAGO MAGAZINE
— DD: Democrats despise/hate farms, farming, and farmers. My great grandparents on my father’s side were farmers. My grandparents on my mother’s side were farmers. During the 1950s, I spent lots of time at their farm in Grant Park along the Indiana border.
https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/august-2026/meet-your-new-neighbor-darren-bailey/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/09/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-552/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
JOHN KASS
— Vallas: Progressive Policies Have Left Illinois the Least Equitable State in the Country.
https://johnkassnews.com/progressive-policies-have-left-illinois-the-least-equitable-state-in-the-country/
CHICAGO CONTRARIAN
— Chicago’s Streets Awash with Crime, Brandon Johnson Launches Meaningless Gun Violence Office.
https://www.chicagocontrarian.com/blog/chicago-streets-crime-brandon-johnson-gun-violence-office
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democrats silent on illegals’ murder victims. Left apparently has no time for ‘angels.’
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/9/democrats-silent-illegals-murder-victims/
NEW YORK POST
— Less than half of Americans think capitalism is working as patriotism, support for democracy tanks. DD: In today’s dollars, when I was 49 in 1997, my salary was only $154,682/year working in the Democrat public sector. My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if I had worked in the private sector, I never would have earned that much. In my defense, I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. If I had been a Democrat, my salary would have been $197,200/year in today’s dollars.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/09/us-news/under-half-of-americans-think-capitalism-works-well-survey-shows/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Texas hospital turns to ‘birth tourism.’
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/strained-by-illegals-free-health-care-texas-hospital-may-have-turned-to-birth-tourism-to-make-up-for-the-losses/
BREITBART
— Seventh Circuit Upholds Illinois ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban.
https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2026/07/09/seventh-circuit-upholds-illinois-assault-weapons-ban/
— Federal Appeals Court Ends Texas In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/07/09/federal-appeals-court-ends-texas-in-state-tuition-for-illegal-aliens/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Europe Is Being Destroyed From Within.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/09/europe-good-old-days-destroyed/
— Mamdani Erases Little Italy … and (Of Course) the Jews.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/09/mamdani-erases-little-italy-jews/
— California Was Once the American Dream. Now It’s Ranked the 3rd Worst State to Move To.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/09/california-ranked-3rd-worst-state/
— The Ungrateful Urban Class Turning Into the New Democratic Socialist Party.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/09/urban-class-democrat-socialist/
— Supreme Court Defies Woke Commandments on Sex.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/09/supreme-court-woke-commandments/
— Ilhan Omar Aims at Repealing Alien Enemies Act, Blocking Military Force Against Designated Terrorist Organizations.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/09/ilhan-omar-alien-enemies-act/
FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATIONJ REFORM
— ‘No Human Is Illegal’ Sounds Noble—Until You Examine What It Really Means. DD: Those who hate America hate the concepts of countries, borders, and laws.
https://www.fairus.org/opinion/no-human-illegal-sounds-noble-until-you-examine-what-it-really-means
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— DEI Rebranding On College Campuses.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/07/dei-rebranding-on-college-campuses-new-criticalrace-org-report-exposes-name-change-game/amp/
— NY Italian Community Furious After Mamdani Omits Little Italy on NYC Immigrant Neighborhood Map.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/07/italians-furious-after-mamdani-omits-little-italy-on-nyc-immigrant-neighborhood-map/
PJ MEDIA
— Sodom and Gomorrica: Sanctuary Cities, Redux.
https://pjmedia.com/benbartee/2026/07/09/sodom-and-gomorrica-sanctuary-cities-redux-n4954824
— It Looks Like the Democrats Have Been Sending Their Best All Along.
https://pjmedia.com/tim-o-brien/2026/07/09/it-looks-like-the-democrats-have-been-sending-their-best-all-along-n4954844
PATRIOT POST
— Allen West: It is a sad reality that in the Land of Lincoln, the Law of the Land, our Constitution, is rendered irrelevant.
https://patriotpost.us/opinion/128992-the-law-of-the-land-in-the-land-of-lincoln-2026-07-09
TOWNHALL
— The Return of Socialism and the GOP’s Golden Opportunity.
https://townhall.com/columnists/joshhammer/2026/07/10/the-return-of-socialism-and-the-gops-golden-opportunity-n2679152
— Trump Administration Threatens Oregon Leaders With Criminal Prosecution for Letting Illegals Vote.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/jeff-charles/2026/07/09/trump-administration-threatens-oregon-leaders-with-criminal-prosecution-for-letting-illegals-vote-n2679117
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
FOX DC
— Republicans sharpen “socialism” attacks as Democrats shift left. DD: In today’s dollars, when I was 49 in 1997, my salary was only $154,682/year working in the Democrat public sector. My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if I had worked in the private sector, I never would have earned that much. In my defense, I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. If I had been a Democrat, my salary would have been $197,200/year in today’s dollars.
https://www.fox5dc.com/video/fmc-bf0jtluxeh2394uv
NEWSWEEK
— Turning Point USA Blamed for Election Losses. DD: Ever-increasingly, since 2000, my critics/opponents have blamed me and blamed my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters for defeats suffered by Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct. Should I start writing about my critics/opponents? I would focus on those who continue to have lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois. I would focus on those who have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me lately.
https://www.newsweek.com/turning-point-usa-blamed-for-election-losses-11803898
AOL
— More Than 60% of Restaurant Workers Are Skipping Meals While They Feed the Rest of Us. DD: I was a restaurant worker 1964-1966.
https://www.aol.com/articles/more-60-restaurant-workers-skipping-130100000.html
MSN
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly destroy traditional marriage and family.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/11-reasons-why-more-women-are-walking-away-from-men-and-marriage/ss-AA1YvbfS?ocid=ob-fb-nlbe-SBS-NLBE-K3
USA TODAY
— FRONT PAGE: Americans are abandoning the workforce. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, ever-increasingly, the more of the following that you are, the more that you need not apply: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, heterosexual, married, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/economy/2026/07/09/why-americans-leave-workforce/90826379007/
NEWS & OBSERVER
— Teen takeover drew 8,000 young people, most from outside Raleigh. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article316414416.html
TAMPA FREE PRESS
— Gunfire Cuts Through Massive Pensacola Teen Takeover, Leaving One Dead And Six Injured. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.aol.com/articles/gunfire-cuts-massive-florida-teen-114911000.html
— Why Americans Are Trading Capitalism For Socialism. DD: In today’s dollars, when I was 49 in 1997, my salary was only $154,682/year working in the Democrat public sector. My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if I had worked in the private sector, I never would have earned that much. In my defense, I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. If I had been a Democrat, my salary would have been $197,200/year in today’s dollars.
https://www.aol.com/news/victor-davis-hanson-explains-why-161644567.html
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Iran Planned New Trump Assassination Attempt, Israel Warns U.S.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/iran-planned-new-trump-assassination-attempt-israel-warns-u-s-93f74c90
— Iran Hatched Fresh Plot to Kill Trump, Israel Told U.S.
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-hatched-fresh-plot-to-kill-trump-israel-told-u-s-1511d9d2
THE STREET
— America’s car affordability crisis is getting worse. DD: Back in the good old days, back when I was 17 in May of 1966, I had earned enough money working for the minimum wage washing dishes for 28 hours a week for 15 months and for 40 hours a week for 3 months to buy new Pontiac Tempest Sprint, a poor man’s GTO. SEE: https://over-drive-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1965-12-CD-1966-Pontiac-Tempest-Sprint-Test-1-4.pdf
https://www.thestreet.com/automotive/america-car-affordability-crisis-worse
INVESTOPIDIA
— Inflation Has Eroded Wages For the College Class of 2026. DD: My critics/opponents were, are, and will always be furious a) that I got COLAs when I was a federal employee 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and b) that I have gotten COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997.
https://www.aol.com/finance/inflation-eroded-wages-college-class-110000295.html
MONEY LION
— Why a $100K Salary Can Still Have You Living Paycheck to Paycheck. DD: Back in the good old days when I started earning $100,000/year in today’s dollars when I was 25 in 1974, I bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East building so I could walk to/from my IRS job in the Loop and graduate evening business classes at Loyola. I continued to own my townhome in University Park that I had bought new in 1972 because I would have had to suffer a big loss to sell it. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. My daily driver was a 1962 Chevrolet BelAir.
https://www.moneylion.com/trending/money/why-six-figure-salary-can-still-have-you-living-paycheck-to-paycheck
RASMUSSEN REPORTS
— More than a quarter of American voters now believe socialism is better than capitalism, and this preference is strongest among Democrats. DD: In today’s dollars, when I was 49 in 1997, my salary was only $154,682/year working in the Democrat public sector. My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if I had worked in the private sector, I never would have earned that much. In my defense, I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. If I had been a Democrat, my salary would have been $197,200/year in today’s dollars.
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration_second_term/support_for_socialism_still_growing
NOTUS
— Senate Candidates Have Been Replaced Before. Here’s How It Went. DD: In 2004, I reported on Ryan’s primary election win, his withdrawal, his replacement selection process, Keyes’ campaign, and Keyes’ defeat.
https://www.notus.org/analysis/graham-platner-senate-replacement-maine
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Perhaps the most cataclysmic mid-campaign change came in 2004. Illinois Democrats nominated an ambitious young state senator, Barack Obama, as their nominee. Republicans settled on Jack Ryan, a business executive with a deep background in charity. The public release of family custody records during divorce proceedings forced Ryan to bow out of the race. Illinois Republicans spent six weeks flailing in their bid to find a prominent politician to take the nomination, leading to a failed courtship with the famed Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka. Eventually they gave the nomination to Alan Keyes, a former Reagan administration official who became a prominent Black Republican commentator — even though he lived in Maryland. Obama won the election by more than 40 percentage points, and would be elected president four years later.)
AMERICAN PROSPECT
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism. DD: In today’s dollars, when I was 49 in 1997, my salary was only $154,682/year working in the Democrat public sector. My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if I had worked in the private sector, I never would have earned that much. In my defense, I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. If I had been a Democrat, my salary would have been $197,200/year in today’s dollars.
https://prospect.org/2026/07/09/un-mysterious-case-of-the-socialist-surge/