August 21, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Tracy: “We believe in equal opportunity. They believe in equal outcomes. We believe in rewarding success. They want to redistribute success.”
https://abc7chicago.com/post/republican-candidates-midterm-election-share-message-unity-2026-illinois-state-fair/19709027/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative. Trump defends and advances many planks in that platform. Democrat and RINO leaders blame Proft for Republican losses in Illinois, but they really blame Trump and the Republican Party platform. To win elections, they want the Republican Party to become the Democrat Lite Party, that is, to officially dump Trump and to officially dump the party’s conservative base, that is, to officially dump the platform’s personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks, that is, to officially dissolve. Democrat candidates win in Illinois because they and their mainstream news media aggressively promote the anti-conservative Democrat Party platform.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/21/illinois-republicans-dan-proft-richard-uihlein-tony-mccombie-ryan-spain-republicans/

WMBD
— With Trump barely mentioned, Illinois Republicans focus on common enemy: Pritzker.
https://wmbdradio.com/2026/08/21/676221/

CAPITOL CITY NOW
— Illinois GOP chief Grogan on 2026 election: ‘It’s common sense versus communism’
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-illinois-gop-chief-on-2026-election-its-common-sense-versus-communism/

CHRONICLE ILLINOIS
— Different state, same results for Catalina Lauf, Jim Oberweis.
https://chronicleillinois.com/news/different-state-same-results-for-catalina-lauf-jim-oberweis/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— DD: According to Democrat and RINO leaders, to win, Illinois Republican candidates have dumped Trump.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/21/gop-says-affordability-trumps-trump-01044966
(FROM THE NEWSLETTER: Trump who? One thing Bailey and other Republicans largely avoided discussing – except when asked – was President Donald Trump.)

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/21/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-796/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— Chicago Public Schools students return amid low proficiency, underused schools.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-public-schools-back-to-school-performance-2026/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— Adam Smith’s Warning for America’s New Socialists.
https://www.aei.org/commentary/adam-smiths-warning-for-americas-new-socialists/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Dividing America On Race: Russia’s Enduring Geopolitical Strategy. Thanks to the Soviet Union, America, rather than moving into a post-racial era after the Civil Rights Movement, has remained stuck in a racial time loop.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/dividing-america-on-race-russia-s-enduring-geopolitical-strategy/

COLLEGE FIX
— UC Berkeley’s top feeder school has 6% math proficiency.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/uc-berkeleys-top-feeder-school-has-6-math-proficiency/
— Trump admin unveils new rule to crack down on DEI in higher ed accreditors.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/trump-admin-unveils-new-rule-to-crack-down-on-dei-in-higher-ed-accreditors/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Democrats’ Minimum Wage Hike Would Make Life Less Affordable. To increase the federal minimum wage to $25/hour would cost the U.S. economy 5 million jobs and especially harm workers ages 16 to 24. DD: I did not start earning $25/hour in today’s dollars until after I had passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination, earned a bachelor’s degree in business, and got hired by IRS.
https://www.chronicle.com/article/no-the-sat-is-not-a-beacon-of-meritocracy

FEDERALIST
— Watchdog Asks Ed Department To Block American Bar Association’s Renewal As Law Schools’ Sole Accreditor. The Trump administration on Wednesday published rules that would open the door for other accreditors to be recognized across American higher education, as Trump himself recognizes that accreditation is the “secret weapon” for controlling universities.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/20/exclusive-watchdog-asks-ed-department-to-block-american-bar-associations-renewal-as-law-schools-sole-accreditor/

FOX NEWS
— As Chicago Suffers, City Found $639.6 Million for Illegals.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2026/08/20/as_chicago_suffers_city_found_6396_million_for_illegals_708439.html
— Want to stop socialism? A modern civic education needs a lot more than you’d think. Only about one-quarter of students who began college in 2012 received any college-level economics instruction.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/stop-socialism-modern-civic-education-needs-lot-more-than-youd-think
— New report lays out plan to tackle America’s affordability crisis. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403787257112
— California lawmakers want corporations to disclose ties to slavery. DD: According to Democrat leaders, the more of the following that you are, the more that you are tied to slavery: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. In my defense, I stress that even though all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s, they always lived in northeast Illinois, they never were in a position to discriminate against anyone, and they never did discriminate against anyone.
https://noticias.foxnews.com/media/california-lawmakers-push-corporate-slavery-disclosure-bill-despite-uncertain-future-reparations

NANCY MACE
— Rep. Nancy Mace Introduces Bill To Ban Non-Citizens From The Federal Workforce. DD: Because my parents lacked money, I had to compete against noncitizens for jobs. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://mace.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-nancy-mace-introduces-bill-ban-non-citizens-federal-workforce

POST MILLENNIAL
— San Francisco drag queen stuns audience with Charlie Kirk assassination reenactment at LGBTQ nightclub.
https://thepostmillennial.com/san-francisco-drag-queen-stuns-audience-with-charlie-kirk-assassination-reenactment-at-lgbtq-nightclub

REASON
— Do
You Have the Right to Possess an AR-15? The Supreme Court Will Soon Decide. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a pair of cases involving rifle restrictions imposed by Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly erode Second Amendment rights.
https://reason.com/2026/10/01/scotus-takes-up-assault-weapon-bans/

TOWNHALL
— Socialists Shove the Resistance Aside in Florida.
https://townhall.com/columnists/michaelbarone/2026/08/21/socialists-shove-the-resistance-aside-in-florida-n2681621
— California Democrats Want to Force Companies Into Their Reparations Agenda. DD: According to Democrat leaders, the more of the following that you are, the more that you are tied to slavery: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. In my defense, I stress that even though all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s, they always lived in northeast Illinois, they never were in a position to discriminate against anyone, and they never did discriminate against anyone.
https://townhall.com/news/jeff-charles/2026/08/20/california-democrats-want-to-force-companies-into-their-reparations-agenda-n2681592

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CNBC
— Affordability is a ‘defining challenge’ for Americans. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/05/affordability-grocery-prices.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: My critics/opponents are woke, that is, they promote dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/12/style/woke-1-aoc-dsa.html
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/20/us/politics/trump-nevada-voter-election-fraud.html
— Envy. DD: To promote envy against me, my Democrat GAO superiors stressed to my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates how much money my wife and I had saved for our retirement. They stressed a) my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, b) that we gave up trying to have children without trying IVF, we did not adopt, and we did not become foster parents, c) my wife’s salary, d) the home we owned in Wheaton, e) our cars, and f) our having no debts.  https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/14/well/mind/envy-friends.html

USA TODAY
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/08/20/nixon-florida-primary-win-fundraising-polling-midterms/91370815007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The End of Harry and Meghan’s American Dream. DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.wsj.com/world/uk/the-end-of-harry-and-meghans-american-dream-172623fd
— Paul Ryan and Les Ford: Americans Are Getting Caught in the Safety Net. The 1996 welfare reform helped move people from dependency to work. We need to do that again.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/americans-are-getting-caught-in-the-safety-net-fed222f4
— Trump Administration Attacks Bar Association’s Power to Accredit Law Schools. The move escalates a feud with the nation’s premier legal organization.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/aba-american-bar-association-law-schools-accredit-trump-education-e56f4cbc

24/7 WALL STREET
— AOC Just Revealed Her Net Worth Is Less Than $100,000, Here’s How Much Fidelity Says She Should Have Saved For Retirement Before She Turns 40. AOC’s 2025 financial disclosure shows a net worth as low as negative $33,000, despite earning roughly $1.22 million in congressional salary since 2019. Fidelity’s 3x-by-40 benchmark applied to AOC’s $174,000 salary sets a $522,000 retirement savings target she needs to hit by October 2029.
https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/2026/08/20/aoc-just-revealed-her-net-worth-is-less-than-100000-heres-how-much-fidelity-says-she-should-have-saved-for-retirement-before-she-turns-40/

FORTUNE
— Gen Z forced to rewrite the American Dream in the ‘Great Postponement’: Fixer-uppers, side hustles and doing life out of order. DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://fortune.com/2026/08/20/gen-z-american-dream-great-postponement-affordability/

INVESTOPEDIA
— Most Americans Say They Won’t Save Enough for Retirement, Even After Decades of Work, DD: To promote envy against me, my Democrat GAO superiors stressed to my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates how much money my wife and I had saved for our retirement. They stressed a) my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, b) that we gave up trying to have children without trying IVF, we did not adopt, and we did not become foster parents, c) my wife’s salary, d) the home we owned in Wheaton, d) our cars, and f) our having no debts.
https://www.investopedia.com/why-most-americans-say-they-won-t-save-enough-for-retirement-even-after-decades-of-work-12009710

PENNSYLVANIA
— More Former Federal Employees Are Choosing the Commonwealth to Continue their Public Service Careers. With 1,350 former federal employees hired since last March, the Shapiro Administration continues to deliver results by helping ensure state agencies have the staff they need to deliver high-quality and responsive services to Pennsylvanians. DD: When my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, the Democrats and the RINOs who ran Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton had absolutely no use for me.
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/oa/newsroom/more-former-federal-employees-are-choosing-the-commonwealth-to-c

CHICO ENTERPRISE RECORD
— Socialism distributes poverty instead of wealth.
https://www.chicoer.com/2026/08/21/letter-to-the-editor-socialism-distributes-poverty-instead-of-wealth/

NEWS34
— Youth group organizers call for more safe spaces for teens in Charlotte amid curfew proposal. 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.aol.com/articles/youth-group-organizers-call-more-210422000.html

CENTRAL FLORIDA PUBLIC MEDIA
— Can Government Really Make Life More Affordable? DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.cfpublic.org/podcast/engage/2026-08-20/can-government-really-make-life-more-affordable

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— DD: Federal employees have file financial disclosure statements. Republican federal employees should anticipate/expect that their Democrat superiors will use that information against them. The more income and assets that you have, the more that they will leak that information to promote envy against you. My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government painted themselves as being grossly underpaid. They decried their spouses having little or no income. They decried the costs of child raising. They were ever-increasingly envious of my and my wife’s income and assets.
https://www.govexec.com/management/2026/06/practical-steps-agencies-mitigate-financial-disclosure-controversies/414003/

NEW YORK REVIEW
— As Democratic Socialists rack up primary victories, the moderate wing of the Democratic Party looks increasingly out of touch.
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2026/08/20/whose-party-democratic-socialists-of-america/

JACOBIN
— How China Picks Its Winners and Losers. China’s university entrance exam is one of the most competitive in the world — a reflection of the cutthroat reality of the country’s labor market. DD: My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors were furious when I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981 because my Democrat coworkers who they wanted to promote over me either a) failed/refused to take the examinations or b) failed to pass them.
https://jacobin.com/2026/08/china-education-inequality-gaokao-exams

WASHINGTON STAND
— DD: How strongly does your church promote the anti-religious Democrat Party platform?
https://washingtonstand.com/article/most-american-churchgoers-say-their-clergy-address-political-issues-poll-finds

NPR
— Should the U.S. have a mandatory retirement age? DD: Federal employees under the Civil Service Retirement System and who are the following are forced to retire as soon as they are eligible, that is, when they are 55 and have 30 years of service: conservative, Republican, White, male, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. I became eligible for early retirement when I was 45 in 1993. My Democrat GAO succeeded in forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 when their early retirement “offer” expired. I would not have been eligible for regular retirement until I was 55 in 2003. They made it very clear that if I did not take their “offer,” they would make those 6 years a living hell for me. They would constructively demote me, give me adverse transfers, give me unfair performance expectations, give me unfair performance appraisals, and even worse things.
https://www.npr.org/2026/08/14/nx-s1-5924910/should-the-u-s-have-a-mandatory-retirement-age

CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
— DD: When Whites and males do better on tests than minorities and females, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Republican discrimination against minorities and females.
https://www.chronicle.com/article/no-the-sat-is-not-a-beacon-of-meritocracy

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

CHINA ACADEMY
— Can Gen Z Socialism Shake the Stronghold of Western Capitalism?
https://thechinaacademy.org/can-gen-z-socialism-shake-the-stronghold-of-western-capitalism/

GUARDIAN
— From McDonald’s to Congress: can a former fry cook flip a key district for Democrats? DD: What are you a former? I am a former yard worker,  newspaper boy, dish washer, golf shoe cleaner, slag chipper, gasoline pumper, mailman, automotive assembly line worker, tire, automotive service, and major appliance salesman, tax collector, and auditor.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/20/mcdonalds-congress-affordability-democrats

ECONOMIC TIMES
— DD: Democrats encourage illegal immigration because illegals vote for Democrats. RINOs encourage illegal immigration because RINOs want cheap labor.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/migrate/america-sold-the-world-a-dream-and-kept-millions-chasing-it/articleshow/133394322.cms


August 19, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Chicago Cubs warn Crosstown Classic attendees about behavior after fight breaks out in bleachers.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-cubs-white-sox-game-today-north-side-team-warns-fans-disruptive-behavior-will-not-tolerated-fight-breaks/19699019/
— 7 teens shot, 1 fatally, in separate shootings across Chicago.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shooting-7-teens-shot-1-fatally-separate-shootings-city-tuesday-night-wednesday-morning/19701723/

CBS2
— Pentagon orders “research security audit” at University of Illinois, 29 other schools.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/department-of-defense-research-security-audit-university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/

WGN9
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://wgnradio.com/lisa-dent/senator-tammy-duckworth-ice-has-been-detaining-military-and-military-spouses/

WBEZ
— Should colleges and universities require standardized test scores for admission? DD: UIC would not have accepted me in 1966 if my ACT score had not been 24 and I had not graduated in the upper 20% of my class.
https://www.wbez.org/say-more-with-mary-dixon-patrick-smith/2026/08/18/should-colleges-and-universities-require-standardized-test-scores-for-admission

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— CTU sues Illinois Policy Institute, Liberty Justice Center, alleging ‘ongoing smear campaign.’
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/18/ctu-sues-illinois-policy-institute/
— 3 arrested at Wrigley Field during City Series, but none related to viral brawl in bleachers.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/18/man-arrested-wrigley-field-fight/
— Free Illinois tollways? Show us the math, Darren Bailey. But keep the conversation going.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/19/editorial-free-illinois-tollways-show-us-the-math-darren-bailey-but-keep-the-conversation-going/
— The growing political isolation of the Chicago Teachers Union.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/19/editorial-chicago-teachers-union-stacy-davis-gates-illinois-policy-institute/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Pritzker pours $65M into his campaign fund ahead of November elections. While speculation is rampant about whether he will run for president in 2028, the Democratic governor cannot transfer funds from his state campaign fund to run for federal office.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2026/08/17/gov-jb-pritzker-pours-65m-into-his-campaign-fund-ahead-of-november-elections
— A ‘black book’ lists 34 people banned from Illinois casinos. It’s rarely updated and likely missing names. Answering to Gov. JB Pritzker, the Illinois Gaming Board has added just a dozen names to its “involuntary exclusion” list, as the black book is formally known, in his seven-plus years in office. Why certain nefarious characters are banned while others get a pass is a mystery.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2026/08/18/illinois-gaming-board-governor-jb-pritzker-involuntary-exclusion-list-marcus-fruchter-casinos
— Pumpkins, pensions, and the CTU’s ‘cooked’ books. A Chicago Teachers Union lawsuit shines a light on Illinois Policy Institute accusations. Is that smart?
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/18/chicago-teachers-union-defamation-lawsuit-illinois-policy-institute-cooked-books

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Giannoulias calls for $22 minimum wage. DD: I did not start earning $20.87/hour in today’s dollars until I was 20 in 1968 and had worked for the Park Forest Post Office for 2 years and I had completed many undergraduate courses at UIC. Before that, I worked for the minimum wage washing dishes 1964-1966. I today’s dollars, it was $13.47/hour.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics-policy/ccb-alexi-giannoulias-minimum-wage-20260818/

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Del Mar charges Pritzker has ill-served public.
https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/columns/jim-dey-gop-candidate-charges-pritzker-has-ill-served-public/article_c80c1df4-abf4-481a-9151-4c6b2037691b.html

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN
— Is the American dream still within reach for young Americans? DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.nbc26.com/politics/economy/is-the-american-dream-still-within-reach-for-young-americans

VERMILION COUNTY FIRST
— Del Mar Encourages Republicans all Over the State to GET OUT TO VOTE, and BE PROUD. DD: What is your Republican Precinct Committeeman going to do to get out the vote? As the Republican Precinct Committeeman for DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton, I will hand-deliver to the 400 residences in my precinct that have at least one Republican or one Independent registered voter a copy of the sample ballot, campaign literature from all the candidates who provide their literature to the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO), and a MTRO voter guide. I have obtained a PDF file from the DuPage County Election Division mailing with labels for the 660 Republican and Independent registered voters in my precinct. I have printed out those labels, affixed them to envelopes provided by MTRO, and put them into five batches. I am now putting them in walk order. I will be stuffing those envelopes with MTRO’s voter guide, literature that candidates provided MTRO, and the sample ballot. The Republican candidates on the ballot in my precinct are: Tracy, Bailey/Del Mar, Fioretti, Harris, Drew, Soloman, Oakley, Lewis, Vrankovich, Grasso, Noonan, Schiappa, Henry, Eckhoff, Michaud, Schultz, Quirk, and Helland.
https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/2026/08/18/gop-lt-governor-candidate-aaron-del-mar-encourages-republicans-all-over-the-state-to-get-out-to-vote-and-be-proud/

NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-08-18/families-struggle-with-the-financial-impact-of-fighting-trumps-deportation-campaign
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-08-19/groups-sue-trump-administration-over-new-foreign-student-visa-rule

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— With $65M infusion, Pritzker has now self-funded $439M since 2018 campaign launch.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/with-65m-infusion-pritzker-has-now-self-funded-439m-since-2018-campaign-launch/

HINSDALE PATCH
— Hinsdale Conservative Kristina McCloy Claims Role In Bailey Campaign; Campaign Won’t Say. She has denounced Black people, “Mexican parades,” Muslims and the LGBTQ community.
https://patch.com/illinois/hinsdale/hinsdale-conservative-claims-role-bailey-campaign-which-wont-say

WHEATON PATCH
— The Wheaton Concours Car Show will bring exotic cars, super cars, classic coupes and other unique vehicles to Memorial Park on Aug. 22. The family-friendly event will also feature live DJ music and food vendors. Proceeds benefit Special Olympics Illinois.
https://patch.com/illinois/wheaton/see-exotic-cars-classic-coupes-more-wheaton-concours-car-show

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— The breakfast Durbin built.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/19/the-breakfast-durbin-built-01041282

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/19/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-794/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/18/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-581/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WIREPOINTS
— Glennon guest on AM560 with Chris Krok discussing CTU lawsuit against Illinois Policy Institute.
https://wirepoints.org/wirepoints-mark-glennon-guest-on-am560-with-chris-krok-discussing-ctu-lawsuit-agains-illinois-policy-and-more/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to replace capitalism first with socialist and then with communism. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct stressing that? On the Democrat road first to socialism and then to communism, Democrat elected officials ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government. They ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that to advance under Democrats, all you need to do is to be a Democrat. None of my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO coworkers came close to doing what I did to advance. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me a) were Democrats who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

ILLINOIS FAMILY ACTION
— The Clean Face of a Dirty Business.
https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2026/08/the-clean-face-of-a-dirty-business/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Pritzker Dumps Another $65 Million Into Campaign as Self-Funding Tops $326 Million.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/pritzker-dumps-another-65-million-into-campaign-as-self-funding-tops-326-million.html
— $42M-Backed PAC Shuts Down With No Statewide Wins After $1.1M Paid to Proft’s Consulting Firm.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/42m-backed-pac-shuts-down-with-no-statewide-wins-after-1-1m-paid-to-profts-consulting-firm.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— The World War II Memorial still has a lesson for us. The Greatest Generation was as varied as the country it saved.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/17/world-war-ii-memorial-still-lesson-us/
— Young Democratic Socialists of America members: Unemployed, but maybe not so educated. Given universities’ long decline, don’t be fooled by survey findings.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/18/young-democratic-socialists-america-members-unemployed-maybe-not/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Trump’s Iran struggle comes through on campaign stump.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/4692031/trump-iran-struggle-campaign-stump-speeches-teleprompter/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— ICE may pay for liability insurance for police who help with immigration.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/4690981/ice-may-pay-liability-insurance-for-police-who-help-immigration-report/
— DSA chapter plans ‘Riots and Uprisings’ reading club to study ‘how people struggled.’
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/crime/4691311/dsa-dc-chapter-riots-and-uprisings-reading-club/

NEW YORK POST
— UC Berkeley’s ban on standardized tests produces failure — as predicted. DD: My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors were furious when I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981 because my Democrat coworkers who they wanted to promote over me either a) failed/refused to take the examinations or b) failed to pass them.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/opinion/uc-berkeleys-ban-on-standardized-tests-produces-failure-as-predicted/

AMAC
— Democratic Socialist Plan to Reshape the American Left Through Labor Unions. A DSA pamphlet titled “Why Socialists Should Become Teachers” urges members to take jobs in schools, logistics and health care to push unions further left.
https://amac.us/newsline/the-little-known-democratic-socialist-plan-to-reshape-the-american-left-through-labor-unions

BREITBART
— Moskowitz: My District Has People Who ‘Escaped Socialism’, They Reject DSA. DD: Private sector employers look down on public sector employees. The longer that you work in the public sector, the harder it is to get a job in the private sector. My having been a public sector employee for almost 3 years harmed my efforts to get good job in the private sector after I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU when I was 21 in 1970. In anticipation of that, as a fallback, I took and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination before I graduated. I would not have become an IRS employee when I was 22 a) if my Firestone Store boss had not rudely fired me because I had accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile and b) if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn that offer because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. Because I refused to become a Democrat, starting in when I was 25, my Democrat IRS superiors did everything they could to get rid of me. They disallowed my travel vouchers when I was 25. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning an MBA when I was 27. They disallowed my education deductions when I was 29. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. They ever-increasing made it clear that they would never promote me to GS-13. Of course, the aforesaid made it ever-increasingly impossible for me to get any kind of job anywhere. Because of the aforesaid, to get promoted to GS-13, I had to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer to GAO. My Democrat GAO superiors did promote me to GS-13, but not until I was 38. They would never had promoted me a) if I had not earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, b) if I had not passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32, c) if I had not became a licensed CPA when I was 32, and d) if the GAO manager who had arranged my transfer had not gotten back into power.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/18/moskowitz-my-district-has-people-who-escaped-socialism-they-reject-dsa/

CREATORS SYNDICATE
— Socialism in the Open and on the Right.
https://www.creators.com/read/daily-editorials/08/26/socialism-in-the-open-and-on-the-right-30a47

DAILY WIRE
— VERY SAD IF NOT TRAGIC: Trump has again endorsed a Republican congresswoman leading the fight for amnesty on the Right. DD: Unlike Trump, because my parents lacked money, I had to compete against noncitizens for jobs. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-endorses-congresswoman-at-center-of-amnesty-fight

DISPATCH
— Affordability and the Problem With Populist Pandering. Lessons from Zohran Mamdani and Donald Trump. DD: What did you do to afford things? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://thedispatch.com/article/affordability-trump-mamdani-populism/

FOX BUSINESS
— New York City rent freeze squeezes landlords while DSA targets Gen Z to fuel rise of socialism.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403656155112

FOX NEWS
— Socialist candidates can delete old posts, but they can’t erase their radicalism.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/socialist-candidates-delete-old-posts-cant-erase-radicalism

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Adam Smith’s Warning for America’s New Socialists.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/adam-smiths-warning-for-americas-new-socialists/

NEWSMAX
— An Unexpected Win for Socialist Dems in Florida Senate Primary. DD: Anticipate/expect that wherever Republicans create prosperity and safety, Democrats will move in and create poverty and crime.
https://www.newsmax.com/john-gizzi/vindman-florida-angie-nixon/2026/08/18/id/1266575/
— Colo. Sheriffs, NRA Push Back on New Semiautomatic Gun Law.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/colorado-jared-polis-steven-nowlin/2026/08/18/id/1266556/

PJ MEDIA
— The Democrats’ ‘Big Tent’ With Socialists Is Doomed. Here’s Why.
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/08/18/the-democrats-big-tent-with-socialists-is-doomed-heres-why-n4956262

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Trump-endorsed Lauf loses GOP primary for open Donalds seat in Florida.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6033754-catalina-lauf-loses-florida-house-primary/
— Democratic socialist notches surprise win in Florida Senate primary. DD: Anticipate/expect that wherever Republicans create prosperity and safety, Democrats will move in and create poverty and crime.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6036787-nixon-vindman-peltola-primaries/

ABC NEWS
— Push to punish parents for ‘teen takeovers’ after brawl at DC Chipotle. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://abcnews.com/video/133100696/

CBS NEWS
— DD: Democrats ever-increasingly promote DEI. To promote DEI is to get rid of those who are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dei-policies-company-stock-performance-study/

NEWSWEEK
— Trump-Backed Catalina Lauf Loses Florida Primary Race.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-backed-catalina-lauf-loses-florida-primary-race-12340239

REUTERS
— Trump approval falls to 33%, lowest of his presidency. DD: What is your approval rating? My critics/opponents have always done everything they could to lower my approval rating. They have had their operatives and their dupes take many big adverse actions against me.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-approval-falls-33-lowest-his-presidency-reutersipsos-poll-finds-2026-08-17/

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
— What Is the Average American Net Worth by Age? DD: My net worth is dramatically less because my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/what-is-the-average-american-net-worth-by-age

AOL
— DD: When you met your wife, what impressed you about her? Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. After we got married in 1978, she earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.aol.com/articles/m-letting-jesus-handle-65-050103000.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— Florida Primary Underscores State’s New Identity as a Republican Juggernaut. Republicans hold every statewide elected office and have drastically swung voter registration in the state. A newly gerrymandered congressional map has added four Republican-leaning seats.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/us/politics/florida-primary-republican-dominance.html
— Yes, Woke 1.0 Was Crazy. Now Where’s the Accountability?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/opinion/woke-liberals-restitution.html
— Google Just Made It Easier for Campaigns to Send You Fund-Raising Emails. DD: I should write about how Google has treated my GOPUSA ILLINOIS website and emails.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/us/politics/google-political-campaigns-email-spam.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Noncitizens vote for Democrats because Democrats give noncitizens tremendous benefits.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/18/trump-revives-unverified-claims-noncitizen-voting-2020/
— Key witness in Trump impeachment trial loses to democratic socialist in Florida Senate primary. DD: Anticipate/expect that wherever Republicans create prosperity and safety, Democrats will move in and create poverty and crime.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/results/2026/08/18/florida-us-senate-special-primary-election-results-2026-live-updates/

USA TODAY
— Florida Senate primary winner Angie Nixon is a Democratic Socialist. DD: Anticipate/expect that wherever Republicans create prosperity and safety, Democrats will move in and create poverty and crime.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/19/angie-nixon-dsa-democratic-socialist-florida-election/91364091007/

SCRIPPS NEWS
— Young Americans redefine the American dream as costs rise and priorities shift. DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.scrippsnews.com/politics/economy/young-americans-redefine-the-american-dream-as-costs-rise-and-priorities-shift

NEWS24
— Democratic Socialists of America’s biggest success comes from high-income districts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB3FyQS29tk
— Radical left wants to ‘burn it all down’ amid Democratic Socialists’ rise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on1AX4_idnE
— Privileged Democratic Socialists try to tell voters the system is rigged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGI3iQug0-o

WEEKLY TIMES NOW
— Democratic socialists trying to tear down the system that has given them success.
https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/democratic-socialists-trying-to-tear-down-the-system-that-has-given-them-success/video/0717f51c1258201dc3bc238c0ad08fa5

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— How Radical Will the Democrats Get? Frustration with the economy is fueling the rise of the DSA, and it may not fade by 2028.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/how-radical-will-the-democrats-get-8381ee72
— Key Florida Takeaways: A Socialist Upset and Far-Right Flops. In other contests, scandal sinks Cory Mills while Byron Donalds stays on track to make history. DD: My critics/opponents have always demonized me, denigrated me, and condemned me as being far right. My critics/opponents reject some, many, most, virtually all, if not all conservative principles and planks in the Republican Party platform. I should write about my critics/opponents and the conservative principles and planks they reject.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/key-florida-takeaways-a-socialist-upset-and-far-right-flops-51c25c75
— The Young MAGA Socialists Are Here. Many conservatives in Generation Z think the American Dream is gone. Some of us are building it.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-young-maga-socialists-are-here-8c941877

FORBES
— Trump’s Approval Rating Drops 8 Points Among Republicans. More than half of voters said they are worse off financially since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. DD: I have been worse off financially big time since I was 49 in 1997 when my Democrat GAO superiors succeeded in forcing me to retire. In today’s dollars, my GAO salary was $154,684/year, but my Civil Service Retirement System pension has only been $68,640/year in today’s dollars since then, or 56% less.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/08/18/trump-approval-rating-reaches-second-term-low-in-latest-poll-as-80-think-iran-war-will-drag-on/

MARKET WATCH
— Here’s the net worth you need to start getting ahead in your 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond in the U.S.  About three-fourths of Americans lack the wealth needed to prosper in today’s economy, according to a new benchmark developed by the Aspen Institute. DD: My net worth is dramatically less because my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-the-net-worth-you-need-to-start-getting-ahead-in-your-20s-30s-40s-and-beyond-in-the-u-s-520c8d72

KIPLINGER
— What Is the Magic Number to Retire Comfortably? The amount you need might surprise you. Are you on track? DD: My net worth is dramatically less because my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/magic-number-to-retire-comfortably

USA FACTS
— Average wage in Illinois is $63,180/year. DD: In today’s dollars, my IRS salary was $56,409/year in 1971, $68,999/year in 1972, $83,482/year in 1973, and $100,059/year in 1974. I had earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in 1970 and I had started taking four graduate evening business courses a year at Loyola in January of 1972. According to my critics/opponents, I was grossly overpaid.
https://usafacts.org/answers/what-is-the-average-wage-in-the-us/state/illinois/

FEDWEEK
— Guidance Recommends Messaging to Employees about Forced Ratings Distribution. DD: The Democrats who run the federal government use the subjectivity in their rating systems to waste the careers of and to get rid of their employees who are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/guidance-recommends-messaging-to-employees-about-forced-ratings-distribution/
https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/forced-distributions-will-apply-to-current-ratings-cycle-says-opm/
— Job Candidate Vetting Process at USPS Improved but Still Has Gaps, Says IG. DD: If I had not earned a high school diploma and passed the postal employment test, the Democrats who ran the Post Office would not have hired me in 1966. The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job.
https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/job-candidate-vetting-process-at-usps-improved-but-still-has-gaps-says-ig/

FED SMITH
— Is Your Federal Retirement on Track? DD: Until just before their early retirement “offer” expired on September 30, 1997, my Democrat GAO superiors falsely led me to believe that they were going to let me work until I could take regular retirement when I was 55 in 2003.
https://www.fedsmith.com/2026/08/18/is-your-federal-retirement-on-track-a-comprehensive-planning-guide/

NEW YORKER
— Why Millennial Professionals Are Embracing Socialism.  DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/fault-lines/how-i-became-a-subaru-socialist
— How I Became a Subaru Socialist. By the time Bernie Sanders ran for President, in 2015, I was financially secure. But the previous decade had left a mark. DD: If I had become a Democrat, the Democrats who ran the federal government would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service, currently $197,200/year, long before I was 40 in 1988. For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. I am none of the aforesaid. To get rid of me, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors punished me a) for my not becoming a Democrat, b) for my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, c) for my complaining about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, and d) for my being an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid. Unions provide some protection. But GAO did not unionize until 2007. If GAO had been unionized when I transferred from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors might not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did including forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/fault-lines/how-i-became-a-subaru-socialist

CHALKBEAT
— How American higher education helps the rich get richer. DD: My parents were not rich. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.chalkbeat.org/2026/08/18/selective-colleges-have-funding-advantage-study-finds/

INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— Students’ Roommates. DD: I spent three semesters at University Plaza dormitory ( https://www.uplaza.com/ ) in DeKalb 1969-1970. I should write about the impact that my roommates who University Plaza assigned me had on me.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2026/08/19/students-choices-fueling-polarization-higher-ed

August 16, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/la-voz/2026/08/13/tras-seis-meses-detenida-por-ice-una-vendedora-de-tamales-de-chicago-reconstruye-su-vida
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more Islam.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/15/muslim-politics-democrat-trump-el-sayed-mamdani-piker-rummana-hussain
— DD: Democrat leaders always hint/imply/argue/shout that police are racists.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2026/08/14/traffic-stops-racial-disparities-chicago-police-department-illinois-department-transportation-driving-while-black

ABC7
— A petition to declare U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra “persona non grata” and have him removed from his post had received more than 104,000 signatures as of Thursday. The petition was launched on Canada’s parliamentary petitions portal, where citizens and residents of Canada can set up petitions to parliament. DD: If/when my critics/opponents set up such a petition against me and against my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters, how many signatures will they get? My critics/opponents blame me and blame my newsletters for all the losses that Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct have suffered since 2000. I should write about my “Republican” critics/opponents who paint themselves as being Democrat Lite, if not RINO, if not Democrat or Libertarian Plant. They do not want Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders to defend or promote conservative principles and the following planks in the Republican Party platform: personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving).
https://abc7chicago.com/story/100000-sign-petition-declare-us-ambassador-canada-persona-grata/19672210/

NBC5
— Power outages in northwest Indiana are so bad you can see them from space. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/power-outages-in-northwest-indiana-are-so-bad-you-can-see-them-from-space/3975848/

RIVER BENDER
— DD: Ever-increasingly, the more of the following that you are, the more government assistance that you get: minority, female, younger, veteran, and/or citizen of a foreign country.
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/illinois-commission-on-equity-and-inclusion-announces-bep–vbp-certification-kickstart-workshop-95943.cfm

WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL
— Socialism lost in Wisconsin, but it’s winning in the Democratic Party.
https://madison.com/opinion/column/article_cf423347-2ce6-4bcd-b48a-a29010ef9780.html

WMOI
— LaHood, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Access to Low-Interest Mortgages for First-Time Homebuyers. DD: Mortgage interest rates were 7.4% when I bought a new townhome in University Park when I was 24 in 1972. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ . In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $94,500. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://977wmoi.com/2026/08/lahood-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-expand-access-to-low-interest-mortgages-for-first-time-homebuyers/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democrats plan decade-long strategy to push pro-transgender narrative. DD: How successful have Democrats been promoting LGBTQ in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/15/democrats-plan-decade-long-strategy-push-pro-transgender-narrative/
— The Democrat Party, since the presidential days of Bill Clinton, has been moving down a path toward communism.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/15/bold-blunt-socialism-nope-communism-fought/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Johnson launches website to teach young voters about socialism and communism ahead of midterm elections. DD: How successful have Democrats been promoting socialism in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4688861/mike-johnson-contrast-for-america-tour-midterm-elections/
— The Peter Pan generation chooses pets. DD: My former neighbor Dr. Dan Kiley wrote the Peter Pan Syndrome. SEE: https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Pan-Syndrome-Never-Grown/dp/0380688905
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/4667440/peter-pan-generation-chooses-pets-over-children/
— Democratic Socialists lack accountability by not facing the past.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AoDmip0KHh4

NEW YORK POST
— Socialist NY lawmaker Emily Gallagher says shoplifting for ‘biological need’ is OK.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/us-news/socialist-ny-lawmaker-emily-gallagher-says-shoplifters-have-a-biological-need-to-steal/
— DD: Democrat leaders dump Bill Maher because he thinks immigrants should assimilate and accept American values and principles.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/us-news/bill-maher-thinks-american-values-arent-negotiable/
— Dog owners’ average spending tops $4,000 a year—here’s the cost breakdown. DD: One reason why my wife and I have more money is our never owning pets.
https://nypost.com/lifestyle/true-cost-of-owning-a-dog/

AMERICAN THINKER
— How illegals plunder American billions, in broad daylight. And how Democrats enabled every dollar plundered.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/how-illegals-plunder-american-billions-in-broad-daylight/
— Mass immigration can only work if immigrants are introduced to a common American culture and expected to assimilate.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/america-s-stranger-problem/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Trump says AOC is misleading voters: ‘The woke will become woke again as soon as they get elected’
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/15/trump-says-aoc-is-misleading-voters-the-woke-will-become-woke-again-as-soon-as-they-get-elected-1654961/

BREITBART
— Democratic Socialists Have Been in Party for a While.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/15/progressive-caucus-chair-democratic-socialists-have-been-in-party-for-a-while/amp/
— Rise of Democratic Socialists is a Real Opportunity for the GOP.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/15/mark-levin-rise-of-a-democratic-socialists-a-real-opportunity-for-gop/
— Quarter of Americans Say Most Democrats Are Socialists.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/15/poll-quarter-of-americans-say-most-democrats-are-socialists/amp/

FOX NEWS
— A STEP TOWARD COMMUNISM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3vwDloUkxE

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— EEOC Sues Washington University in St. Louis For Firing Employee Who Complained About DEI Policy. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire not only because I complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination, but because I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/eeoc-sues-wash-u-for-firing-employee-who-complained-about-dei-policy/amp/

NEWSMAX
— The growing influence of democratic socialists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqIshMiul4U

PATRIOT LEDGER
— ‘We’re winning:’ Bernie Sanders and DSA see WI, MI results as progress. DD: How successful have Democrats been promoting socialism in your county, township, municipality, and school district?
https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/08/16/bernie-sanders-dsa-wisconsin-michigan-progress/91276557007/

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— The Woke Right Is Urging The Abandonment Of “Core Conservative Traditional Reaganite Principles.”
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/08/15/mark_levin_the_woke_right_is_urging_the_abandonment_of_core_conservative_traditional_reaganite_principles.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— The worse it gets, the better it is: American leftism is thriving on its own failures.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/6030675-american-left-politics-failure/

ABC NEWS
— 21% of Married Couples Have a Foreign Spouse. DD: All my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s from what is now Germany. They all married those who shared their national origin.
https://abcnews.com/ABC_Univision/News/census-report-reveals-21-married-couples-foreign-spouse/story?id=20171171
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The number of mixed-nativity married couple households corresponds with the increase in immigration to the United States over the last several decades. . .As the immigrant population has grown, so has the chance that a native-born person will meet and marry a foreign-born person.)

CBS NEWS
— Federal workers sour on government work. DD: I would not have spent almost 30 years of my life working for the federal government if my high school friend had not asked me to join him to take the postal employment test in 1966. Because I passed, I was a part-time postal employee while I attended UIC 1966-1968 and NIU in 1969. I graduated from NIU in 1970 and accepted the only job offer that I got, to be the Retail Sales Manager in a Firestone Store, a job that not really require a college degree. Potential employers saw me as being draft bait. They did not believe that my application for a financial hardship draft deferment to help support my mother and brother would be approved. I accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile in 1971, but Oldsmobile withdrew that offer saying it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. My Firestone Store boss rudely fired me because I had accepted that offer. Because I had to have a job, I accepted a job offer that I got from IRS. I had taken and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination while I was a NIU student as a backup because federal employees are viewed negatively.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-workers-survey-public-service-job-security/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Nearly two-thirds of U.S. federal workers said they wouldn’t enter public service again, citing eroding job security and benefits, according to a recent poll of active and retired government employees. Respondents’ views overwhelmingly reflected concerns about the current federal climate, rather than regret over having chosen careers in government, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) found in a July survey. The Trump administration has made sweeping cuts to the federal workforce by eliminating jobs and weakening civil service protections. In 2025, the White House announced a number of executive orders to slash government jobs, including a hiring freeze on civilian workers and directives to federal agencies to reduce their rolls. President Trump has said there are too many federal workers, pushing to reduce the size and scope of government while making agencies more efficient.)

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/opinion/kansas-anti-trans-laws-drivers-license.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Democrats are calculating a left turn. The math is inescapable.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/08/07/2028-democratic-contenders-should-not-misread-primary-results/

USA TODAY
— College should be tough. Michigan’s grade plan coddles students. DD: What harmed your college GPA? For me, it was my working far too many hours delivering mail instead of studying.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/08/16/university-michigan-drops-grades-freshmen-lsa/91285520007/

FORTUNE
— Facing a decadeslong shortage, the FAA has now hired more than 2,000 air traffic controllers after its campaign recruiting Gen Z video gamers  promising $155K payday. DD: I did not earn $155,000/year in today’s dollars until after I had a) worked for GAO for almost 18 years, b) worked for IRS for almost 9 years, c) earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), d) earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and e) earned a job-related professional license (CPA). 3 years after I started working for IRS in 1971, I earned $100,000/year in today’s dollars. I had completed 10 graduate business evening business courses. According to my critics/opponents, I was grossly overpaid.
https://fortune.com/article/why-is-trump-administration-hiring-gen-z-video-gamers-for-air-traffic-control/

FORBES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice including more pot.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajherrington/2026/07/21/more-employers-drop-marijuana-tests-despite-rising-positive-results/
— Envy. DD: My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government were filled with envy. They always painted themselves as being underpaid. They were ever-increasingly furious at my and my wife’s ever-increasing income and net worth. To turn them against me, my Democrat superiors stressed a) the new cars that I bought when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc., b) the real estate that I bought when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, and 35, c) the collector cars that I bought when I was 40 and 45, d) the college degrees that I earned when I was 21, 27, 31, and 48, e) the professional certifications that I earned when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, f) the professional license that I earned when I was 32, g) the vacations that my wife and I took, h) etc. Some of them circulated copies of Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on me and my wife. SEE https://gopillinois.com/documents/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolelipkin/2024/04/30/how-to-keep-envy-at-bay-by-creating-a-positive-workplace-culture/
— Better Safe Than Sorry Kills Your Career. DD: I knew that I was taking a big career risk when I suggested myself to be the subject of a “One Person’s Finances” article in Money Magazine when I was 28 in 1977. SEE: https://gopillinois.com/documents/ But my Democrat IRS superiors had made it very clear that they would never promote me to GS-13. They had ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976. They had gotten rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me when I was 23, 24, and 25. They had disallowed my travel vouchers when I was 25. SEE: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-180010.11-0  If you were me, would you have taken that risk?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2026/08/15/why-better-safe-than-sorry-kills-your-career-making-success-harder/

BLOOMBERG
— Trump’s ‘Golden Age’ Pitch Meets Affordability Frustration. DD: What did you do to afford things? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2026-08-15/trump-golden-age-pitch-meets-affordability-frustration-video

FORD FOUNDATION
— The Working Class. DD: I define the working class as being wage earners who earn less money. I was a member of the working class for 33 years. To earn more money, I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license. Notwithstanding the aforesaid, I never earned more than $154,682/year in today’s dollars. According to my critics/opponents, I was both grossly overpaid and an abject career failure.
https://www.fordfoundation.org/news-and-stories/stories/the-backbone-of-america-understanding-the-working-class/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The term “working class” often evokes narrow and outdated images in American culture. But in reality, today’s working class is often primarily defined by education rather than occupation: individuals without a four-year college degree. By that measure, the working class constitutes over 60% of the U.S. labor force—more than 93 million people as of 2023. This group is not only large, but richly diverse: Roughly 53% are non-Hispanic white, 13% Black, and 25% Hispanic. Approximately 44% are women.)

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
— Reskilling. Did you reskill? I certainly did. When I was 40 in 1988, to get rid of me, my Democrat GAO superiors made it very clear that they would never again assign me to audits of IRS. Because of that, I applied for and got accepted into their audit group that audited federal financial industry regulators in 1990. The leader of that group made it very clear that she wanted everyone in that group to have a master’s degree in finance. Because of that, I started taking graduate evening finance courses at IIT in 1992 and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in early 1997. But in August and September of 1997, she led her superiors’ successful effort to force me to retire. She gave my Black subordinate my job and my preferred corner office. He did not have a master’s degree in finance. He had less job-related education than I had. He had less job-related work experience than I had. He had one job-related professional certification while I had six. I had no job-related professional license like the one I had. She would not have had to do that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, veteran, or younger.
https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/want-workers-to-reskill-show-them-who-they-can-become

PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE
— Undermining independence and eroding transparency: Examining Schedule Policy/Career reclassifications. A Partnership analysis of recent federal job postings suggests that Schedule Policy/Career reclassifications reach far beyond policy-influencing roles. This apparent expansion runs contrary to the Trump administration’s statement that reclassifications were largely limited to the “highest-ranking career positions outside of the Senior Executive Service.” DD: As a GS-13 GAO Analyst, I had absolutely no policy-influencing roles. I had to do what my superiors told me to do and I did that. But that was not good enough for them.
https://ourpublicservice.org/know-the-facts/blog/examining-schedule-policy-career-reclassifications

PBS
— Forced Retirement: What is it and what can you do about it? DD: I should write about forced retirement.  I have almost 29 years of direct experience.
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/chasing-the-dream/2019/03/forced-retirement/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The loss of a career can feel like a death. The resulting grieving process is similar to that following the death of a friend or loved one. The five stages in the process of grieving a loss after death and they’re similar for grieving after an involuntary retirement: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. Denial: You can’t believe this is really happening. You feel paralyzed. Anger: Once the shock has worn off, you begin to feel angry toward your company, supervisor and the world. For many retirees, the job is how they define themselves. When this is taken away, they feel frustrated and angry that they’ve lost their identity. Bargaining: You might want to try to get your job back, even with reduced pay, hours or responsibilities. This rarely works. Depression: Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness take hold and the future looks bleak. Acceptance: When your anger and depression are no longer consuming, you accept your new reality and begin to develop plans to make the most of your life. Each individual passes through these stages at his or her own rate and may move back and forth through some of the stages. The Suddenness of It All. A major problem of forced retirement is the lack of time to plan because of the suddenness of the termination. When someone voluntarily retires, there has been time to think about the future. Do you want to kick back and have a leisure filled retirement? Or do you plan to continue in some form of work or volunteerism? Is there some life passion you’ve been waiting to fulfill? The forced retiree hasn’t had the chance to think about these things. Work provides us with five important functions the forced retiree will suddenly lose. How will you deal with the changes in your financial situation? What about the time management and structure to your day that has been a major part of your working life? What will happen to the status you had and the recognition, reputation and sense of achievement that came with it? Where will you find the sense of usefulness you felt at your job? And how do you replace the social connections that are gone from your everyday life? These losses can lead to feelings of emptiness, shame, embarrassment and worry. You can feel like a failure.)

SHRM
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers reject E-Verify. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997. Many, if not most, if not virtually all of my peers would not have stooped to take the aforesaid bad jobs that I took.
https://www.shrm.org/mena/topics-tools/news/everify-proposal-could-create-new-hr-bompliance-burden

POLITICO
— Democrats finalize 2028 calendar that moves racially diverse states to the front. South Carolina will kick off a presidential primary process, followed by Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/15/democrats-finalize-2028-calendar-that-moves-racially-diverse-states-to-the-front-01038875

POLITIFACT
— How PolitiFact selects facts to check. DD: I often served as a fact checker while I worked for GAO 1986-1997 at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year.
https://politifact.com/video/how-politifact-selects-facts-check/

BUZZ FEED
— Why One Income Could Buy A House In The 1950s But Not Today. DD: My father died suddenly when he was 47 and I was 21 in 1969. He never earned more than $50,000/year in today’s dollars. My mother stayed home and raised me and my brother. He never bought a house. He rented from his parents. First, an apartment above their hardware store in Crete 1945-1954, and then their home at 1286 Wood Street in Crete. The lower rent he paid helped him afford sending me and my brother to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/victoriavouloumanos/people-debating-about-why-inflation-is-getting-worse

AXIOS
— College loses its monopoly on the American Dream. DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/15/college-bachelors-degree-shift-ai-america

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at everyone that they cannot advance without massive government assistance. I never fell for that. Instead, to advance, I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://nul.org/news/affordability-all-its-time-rescue-american-dream

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

INDEPENDENT
— Meet the British former detective giving US churches AR-15s to defend against shooters. DD: What are churches in your county, township, municipality, and school district doing to defend themselves?
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-church-assault-rifles-simon-osamoh-protection-shootings-b3032594.html

August 14, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DuPage board rejects referendum on eliminating elected coroner position.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/13/dupage-board-referendum-coroner-examiner/

DAILY HERALD
— DuPage board rejects proposed referendum on eliminating coroner elections.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260813/news/dupage-county-board-rejects-proposal-for-referendum-on-coroners-office/
— A twofold mission: Historic cemeteries deserve to be both preserved and visited. DD: I served as a Trustee of the Milton Township Cemeteries Authority 2001-2004.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260814/editorials/daily-herald-opinion-a-twofold-mission-historic-cemeteries-deserve-to-be-both-preserved-and-visite/

CBS2
— Chicago’s Agents of Hope Training & Information Center works to connect refugees with jobs. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997. Many, if not most, if not virtually all of my peers would not have stooped to take the aforesaid bad jobs that I took.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicagos-agents-of-hope-training-information-center-refugees/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Bears keep Illinois on hold.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/14/bears-keep-indiana-on-hold-01037042

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/14/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-791/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/13/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-578/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Illinois taxpayers provide nearly $190 million for state fair.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_5c826519-4401-4b3a-9c8e-3062a52233e3.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democrats pick classic tax-and-spend leftist David Crowley for Wisconsin governor. Milwaukee’s county executive brings higher taxes, bigger government and socialist-friendly policies.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/13/democrats-pick-classic-tax-spend-leftist-david-crowley-wisconsin/
— America’s marijuana addiction fuels a public-health crisis. Daily use now outpaces cigarettes and alcohol as high-THC products raise risks for teens, drivers and workers. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/editorial-americas-marijuana-addiction-fuels-public-health-crisis/
— Radical Islam’s three-stage framework for cultural capture. America now faces the point where accommodation turns into political power.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/13/radical-islams-three-stage-framework-cultural-capture/
— State Department cancels DEI diplomacy; ‘White Fragility,’ BLM lessons expunged from training.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/13/state-department-cancels-dei-diplomacy-white-fragility-blm-lessons/
— The Democrats’ socialist moment: Revolution or rebranding? Hillary Clinton is worried that GOP branding of progressive candidates as communists ‘is going to be a very effective attack.’
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/democrats-socialist-moment-revolution-rebranding/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— 26,000 truckers can’t read English road signs. Why are they driving 80,000-pound missiles?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4684338/commercial-trucker-english-proficiency-rule/
— State Department abolishes ‘ideologically extreme and discriminatory’ DEI policies in Foreign Service.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/foreign-policy/4686789/state-department-abolishes-dei-policies-foreign-service/
— Dearborn isn’t a ‘walk for peace’: How Tehran launders the extremism America refuses to see.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4685462/dearborn-walk-for-peace-tehran-extremism-americas-streets/
— The most dangerous socialists aren’t in DC. They’re running for governor.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4684714/most-dangerous-socialists-running-for-governor-francesca-hong-wisconsin/
— California is democratic socialism’s future — and it’s dead last.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4685813/blue-state-affordability-crisis-capitalism/
— COLA increase estimated to be 3.2% in 2027 after summer inflation reports. DD: COLAs have helped me deal inflation big time. My critics/opponents are furious that I got COLAs while I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and that I have continued to get COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4686000/social-security-cost-of-living-adjustment-2027-inflation/
— Catalina Lauf takes on the ‘swamp’ in her new book. Now she wants a seat in it.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4683661/catalina-lauf-new-book-congress/

NEW YORK POST
— NYC will spend $180K in effort to curb rampant dog poop problem.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/13/us-news/nyc-will-spend-180k-in-effort-to-curb-rampant-dog-poop-problem/
— Vance warns Republicans not to blame young Americans for the appeal of socialism. DD: Republican-haters love it that Vance blames Republicans when young people blame capitalism for their problems and want socialism to fix their problems. I never blamed capitalism for my problems. What problems have you had?  My critics/opponents stress that under capitalism, even though I did the following, I never earned more than $154,682/year in today’s dollars. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management). I earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance). I earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting). I earned a job-related professional license (CPA). In my defense, I stress that I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government. For them, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats. Because I refused to become a Democrat, they wasted my career and got rid of me.  If I had become a Democrat, they would have forgiven my avoiding the Vietnam War draft.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/14/us-news/jd-vance-warns-republicans-not-to-blame-young-americans-for-the-appeal-of-socialism/

AMERICAN GREATNESS
— Nearly Half of Young Americans Still Living With Parents as Affordability Squeeze Delays Adulthood. DD: I lived with and helped support my mother and brother in Crete for 25 months after I graduated from college. My father had died suddenly when he was 47 and I was 21 in October of 1969. He was earning only $50,000/year in today’s dollars. My mother had never attended high school, she had never worked outside the home, and my brother was having problems. I graduated from NIU in August of 1970 and I got a job working for the Firestone Store in Chicago Heights that month. I applied for and I got a financial hardship draft deferment. I lived with mother and brother in Crete and helped support them until September of 1972 when I bought a new townhome in University Park.
https://amgreatness.com/2026/08/13/nearly-half-of-young-americans-still-living-with-parents-as-affordability-squeeze-delays-adulthood/

AMERICAN THINKER
— If Democrats Walk Like Socialists And Talk Like Socialists, They’re Socialists. The media and other Democrats keep trying to tell us there’s daylight between the Democrat and the Democrat Socialists, but that’s increasingly hard to believe.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/if-democrats-walk-like-socialisst-and-talk-like-socialists-maybe-they-re-socialists/
— The Mohammunist Manifest—Trojan-Horsing Society’s Institutions. When they are weak, communists and Muslims create seemingly durable pluralist partnerships that they then ruthlessly destroy once they achieve power.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/the-mohammunist-manifest-trojan-horsing-society-s-institutions/
— AOC retains the option to become a ‘birthing person.’  AOC has debilitating daddy issues. She also has malevolent mental issues. In fact, the former often exacerbates the latter.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/aoc-retains-the-option-to-become-a-birthing-person/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Colorado’s planned purchase permit system for semi-auto guns just got slapped with legal hurdle.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/13/colorados-planned-purchase-permit-system-for-semi-auto-guns-just-got-slapped-with-legal-hurdle-1654696/

BREITBART
— Dallas Airport Installing Foot Washing Stations for Muslim Travelers.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/13/dallas-airport-installing-foot-washing-stations-for-muslim-travelers/
— 52 Percent of Gen Z Morons Have Moved Money From Investments to Sports Betting. DD: Sports Betting is a vice.
https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2026/08/13/nolte-52-percent-of-gen-z-morons-have-moved-money-from-investments-to-sports-betting/
— Socialists and Islamists have this in common: anti-Jew, anti-Israel, and covetousness.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/13/exclusive-dennis-prager-the-one-thing-socialists-and-islamists-have-in-common/

FEDERALIST
— Lawsuit: It’s Unconstitutional That Education Is ‘Free,’ But Only At Government Indoctrination Mills. DD:  My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools 1953-1962. That put me on track to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/13/lawsuit-its-unconstitutional-that-education-is-free-but-only-at-government-indoctrination-mills/

FOX NEWS
— Speaker Johnson slams Dems after noncitizens were charged with illegally voting in battleground state.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/speaker-johnson-slams-dems-after-noncitizens-charged-illegally-voting-battleground-state

NEWSMAX
— Eight Senate Democrats, including Schumer call on GAO to audit Trump’s White House ballroom project, citing concerns over its funding, contracting practices, and lack of congressional oversight.
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/gao-white-house-ballroom/2026/08/13/id/1266017/

REAL CLEAR MARKETS
— Socialism’s Failures Run Roughshod Over Its Promises.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/2026/08/14/socialisms_failures_run_roughshod_over_its_promises_1200303.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— DD: Republican-haters love it that Vance blames Republicans when young people blame capitalism for their problems and want socialism to fix their problems. I never blamed capitalism for my problems. What problems have you had?  My critics/opponents stress that under capitalism, even though I did the following, I never earned more than $154,682/year in today’s dollars. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management). I earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance). I earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting). I earned a job-related professional license (CPA). In my defense, I stress that I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government. For them, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats. Because I refused to become a Democrat, they wasted my career and got rid of me.  If I had become a Democrat, they would have forgiven my avoiding the Vietnam War draft.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6028771-vance-gop-socialism-young-voters/

CNN
— As Chicago rethinks its monuments, an artist surrounds George Washington with ‘Other Washingtons.’
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/11/style/chicago-washington-monument-amanda-williams

AOL
— Why Traditional Middle-Class Milestones Like Kids, Marriage, and Cars Are Out of Reach for Many Americans. DD: What did you do to qualify yourself for better paying jobs? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.aol.com/articles/why-traditional-middle-class-milestones-190500000.html

NEWSWEEK
— How China Is Changing Its Social Credit System. DD: What costs you points in the Democrat/RINO Social Credit System? For me, it is my being  conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and my having ancestors who have been in America for a long time. For me, it is my promoting conservative principles and the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks in the Republican Party platform.
https://www.newsweek.com/how-china-changing-its-social-credit-system-11079499

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: My critics/opponents are woke, that is, they promote dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/14/opinion/republicans-woke-radical.html

USA TODAY
— College costs are rising. Here’s what the average family pays. DD: Back in the good old days, in 1970, I was able to graduate debt-free with a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU and owning a 1969 Dodge Charger SE a) by living with my parents in Crete while I took classes at UIC 1966-1968, weekends during my first semester at NIU in 1969, and the summer of 1969 and b) by working part-time for the Park Forest Post Office while classes were in session and full-time during the summers of 1967, 1968, and 1969. In today’s dollars, my postal salary increased from $19.57/hour to $20.87/hour.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personal-finance/2026/08/12/college-costs-inflation-student-loans-tuition/91257662007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— AOC Tries to Make a Joke of Woke. Ask those who were canceled, or killed by released criminals, how funny it was. DD: My critics/opponents are woke, that is, they promote dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/aoc-tries-to-make-a-joke-of-woke-f5ca5733?mod=opinion_lead_pos8

NAPLES DAILY NEWS
— Things continue to worsen in the American classroom. In the U.S., test scores have been sliding since 2013, while students in Japan, Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, South Korea and many European countries have made steady improvements. DD: Democrats run education in America. For Democrat educators, cranking out good little Democrats is their top priority.
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/opinion/2026/08/14/things-continue-to-worsen-in-the-american-classroom-opinion/91284126007/

WBUR
— Is upward mobility still possible? Fewer Americans out-earn their parents than in previous generations. DD: Back in the good old days, I was able to out-earn my father when I was 21 in 1970 because I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU.
https://www.wbur.org/the-wbur-festival/2026/08/13/wbur-fest-chetty-boston

WBAP
— State Department Ends DEI Agenda In Foreign Service, Restores Merit-Based Standards. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.wbap.com/2026/08/13/state-department-ends-dei-agenda-in-foreign-service-restores-merit-based-standards/

NEWS 24
— Democratic socialists are people of privilege.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7ER_IEiInQ

CBS12
— Single adults need to make over $100,000 to live comfortably in Florida. DD: I did not start earning $100,000/year in today’s dollars until I was 25 in 1974. I had worked for IRS for 3 years. I had completed ten graduate evening business courses at Loyola.
https://cbs12.com/news/local/gallery/single-adults-need-to-make-over-100000-dollars-to-live-comfortably-in-florida-smartasset-study-says-palm-beach-county-109200-martin-county-101338-st-lucie-county-99341-cost-of-living-expense-inflation-earnings-families-affordability

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
— Grant County auditor candidates discuss experience, qualifications. DD: I worked hard to elect Grogan and reelect Grogan as DuPage County Auditor in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. Grogan and I are both long-time DuPage County residents, Republican Precinct Committeemen, licensed CPAs, Certified Fraud Examiners, and members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and Illinois CPA Society. Grogan represented me on the IRP State Central Committee 2018-2022.
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2026/jul/28/grant-county-auditor-candidates-discuss-experience-qualifications/

FLORIDA POLITICS
— Catalina Lauf send cease and desist letter to Jim Oberweis over attack ads.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/813658-catalina-lauf-send-cease-and-desist-letter-to-jim-oberweis-over-attack-ads/

POLITICO
— Trump backs Catalina Lauf for Congress to replace Byron Donalds. Lauf worked as a Commerce Department adviser in Trump’s first administration.
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026/08/trump-backs-catalina-lauf-for-congress-to-replace-byron-donalds-01037485
— Trump waged war on EVs. Now he’s helping them out.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/12/trump-waged-war-on-evs-now-hes-helping-them-out-01032336

FORTUNE
— Here’s Why China’s Social Credit System Is So Warped. DD: What costs you points in America’s Social Credit System? For me, it is my being  conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and my having ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://fortune.com/media/8abcdbb2-0402-4e44-bf8e-c2f606286669/

FACT CHECK
— DD: I often served as a fact checker while I worked for GAO 1986-1997 at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year.
https://www.factcheck.org/2026/08/trump-uses-deceptive-chart-in-false-inflation-boast/

NEWS ONE
— The Anti-DEI Trump Admin Is Boasting About Speedily Hiring Video Gamers As Air Traffic Controllers. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that his office has taken a huge step towards solving the nation’s air traffic controller shortfall problem by recruiting video gamers to do the job. DD: According to Google AI, “In the United States, video game player ethnicity data shows that approximately 68% of gamers are White/Caucasian, 22% are Hispanic, 15% are Black/African American, 4% are Native American/Alaskan, and 2% are Asian/Pacific Islander.)
https://newsone.com/6868990/video-game-players-air-traffic-controllers/

PROGRESSIVE
— ‘We Are Coming to Get Our Check.’ Black Americans have sought reparations for slavery since the Emancipation Proclamation. DD: Affirmative Action (AA) and DEI are reparations. Blacks have been given many trillions of dollars in AA and DEI since the 1960s.
https://progressive.org/magazine/we-are-coming-to-get-our-check-baker-20260813/

COMMON DREAMS
— Can AOC Win the Working Class? Before running for president, she needs to prove she can build a national working-class coalition. DD: What did you do to qualify yourself for better paying jobs? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/aoc-win-working-class

August 11, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Pritzker and Bailey spar over Trump tariffs and farm economy at ag forum.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/10/jb-pritzker-darren-bailey-ag-forum/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/10/column-democrats-democratic-socialism-progressives-donald-trump-red-scare-page/

SHAW LOCAL
— ‘This race is winnable’: Bailey calls on La Salle County Republicans for support in quest for governor’s chair. Candidate stopped in Mendota for appearance in Sweet Corn Fest Grand Parade.
https://www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley/2026/08/10/this-race-is-winnable-bailey-calls-on-la-salle-county-republicans-for-support-in-quest-for-governors-chair/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Governor candidates fight for the farmers vote.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/your-local-election-hq/illinois-gov-candidates-agriculture/

CAPITOL CITY NOW
— Illinois Republicans fight for name recognition.
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-il-republicans-fight-for-name-recognition/

CHICAGO PARENT
— These are the 10 best places to raise a family in Chicagoland. Explore the top family-friendly suburbs in Chicagoland with great schools, low crime rates and affordable housing. DD: If your municipality is not on the list, why is that?
https://www.chicagoparent.com/how-do-i/these-are-the-10-best-places-to-raise-a-family-in-chicagoland-cbd38771

CHICAGO READER
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://chicagoreader.com/city-life/chicago-gay-games-2006/

BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/08/10/chicagoans-alleging-crimes-by-ice-agents-seek-police-help-after-feds-fail-to-act/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Is Wisconsin becoming Illinois north?
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/11/is-wisconsin-becoming-illinois-north-01032223

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/11/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-788/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/10/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-575/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Dangers of issuing commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. States that weaken CDL standards put American families at deadly risk.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/10/dangers-issuing-commercial-drivers-licenses-illegal-aliens/
— Trump says Democrats are electing ‘jihadists.’
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/10/trump-says-democrats-electing-jihadists/
— Young adults are having trouble finding potential spouses. DD: I met my outstanding wife at a Presbyterian singles event. She is Catholic and I am Missouri Synod Lutheran. What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/10/young-people-looking-love-wrong-places/
— Ceuta invasion another step toward a Muslim Europe. Americans can ill afford to be smug.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/10/editorial-ceuta-invasion-another-step-toward-muslim-europe/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Rainbow reds are more dangerous than communists of old.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/community-family/4680978/rainbow-reds-more-dangerous-communists-no-god-debasing-science-pampered/
— Too conservative. DD: According to Democrats and according to RINOs, I am too conservative, that is, I promote too many conservative principles, that is, I promote too many planks in the Republican Party platform. Most commonly, they reject the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/in_focus/4681101/new-fusionism-blueprint-uniting-gop/
— AOC, 2028, and the coming of woke 2.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/4682228/aoc-2028-woke-1-socialist-democrats/
— Democrats try to dodge ‘Woke 1’
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4681169/the-democrats-crazy-woke-1-dodge-past-comments-trailing-candidates/
— ‘We have to smash the state’: The Left prepares for war.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/in_focus/4681140/we-smash-state-left-prepares-war/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Move Over, Thanksgiving: Francesca Hong Hosted ‘Feast of the Feminine.’
https://freebeacon.substack.com/p/move-over-thanksgiving-francesca

NEW YORK POST
— DSA darling Francesca Hong doesn’t just want to cancel Thanksgiving — here’s all her nuttiest takes ahead of pivotal Wisconsin primary.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/10/us-news/dsa-darling-francesca-hong-doesnt-just-want-to-cancel-thanksgiving-all-her-nuttiest-takes-ahead-of-pivotal-wisconsin-primary/
— Democratic socialists will act like communists once elected.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/10/opinion/fresh-proof-that-democratic-socialists-will-act-like-communists-once-elected/
— Judge Wayne Ozzi derails Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax. DD: I had a second home in the Outer Drive East building in downtown Chicago 1974-1978, but only because I would have had to suffer a big loss if I had sold my University Park townhome.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/10/opinion/judge-squelches-mamdanis-enemies-list-but-the-socialists-have-still-put-you-on-notice/

AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
— Do Hegseth’s Reforms to Military Universities Go Far Enough?  Wokeness isn’t the only problem at war colleges and service academies.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/do-hegseths-reforms-to-military-universities-go-far-enough/

BLAZE
— Socialism’s favorite bait-and-switch.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/socialisms-favorite-bait-and-switch

DAILY CALLER
— Woke 2
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/11/duke-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-woke-1-crazy-francesca-hong/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Far-Left Democrats Lose to Far-Far-Left DSA Challengers.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/10/far-left-democrats-far-far-left-dsa-challengers/

DAILY WIRE
— America’s Professors Break Century-Long Precedent To Go Full Socialist.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/americas-professors-break-century-long-precedent-to-go-full-socialist

FOX BUSINESS
— Let’s not punish the rich.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403158657112

FOX NEWS
— Socialist tax-the-rich plan to face NY judge. DD: Who wants you to pay more taxes and why? My critics/opponents have always wanted me to pay more taxes. Their justifications include a) my having avoided the Vietnam War draft, b) my having worked for the Post Office 1966-1969, for IRS 1971-1980, and for GAO 1980-1997, c) my being a federal retiree since 1997, d) my getting promotions in 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1986, e) my wife and I giving up trying to have children without trying IVF, our not adopting, and our not becoming foster parents, and f) me and my wife having itemized. According to my critics/opponents, I have always had more income because I benefit from discrimination against those who share their demographics.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403179217112
— Will Wisconsin be the place that stops socialism?
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403165635112
— Mamdani clashes with Democratic Socialists’ push to abolish police and prisons. DD: Of course, criminals vote for socialist candidates.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/mamdani-clashes-democratic-socialists-push-abolish-police-prisons

GREENWALD
— The tactic of AOC and her allies to giggle away the ‘craziness’ of Woke-era abuses should not be tolerated. The so-called “Woke 1” period is not something to laugh off. It was a repressive and destructive mob rule which unjustly destroyed careers and requires a reckoning.
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/the-tactic-of-aoc-and-her-allies

HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— Some Migrants Hate America on Arrival.
https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/some-migrants-hate-america-arrival

INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY STUDIES
— It’s still not good for man to be alone. New research on the state of men in America shows the benefits of marriage, family, and work.
https://wng.org/opinions/its-still-not-good-for-man-to-be-alone-1786340259

JONATHAN TURLEY
— “Niceness as Whiteness”: Professors Denounce Niceness as White Privilege.
https://jonathanturley.org/2026/08/11/niceness-as-whiteness-professors-denounce-niceness-as-perpetuating-white-privilege/comment-page-1/amp/

NEWSMAX
— Democrats Are Embracing Communism.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/russell-fry-democrats-communism/2026/08/10/id/1265670/
— ICE Arrests Hit Record Highs.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/tom-homan-newsmax-ice/2026/08/10/id/1265685/

TOWNHALL
— Congress Can Still Act on Birthright Citizenship.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jeremy-beck/2026/08/11/congress-can-still-act-on-birthright-citizenship-n2680998
— A Staten Island judge has blocked a tax hike on second homes proposed by Mamdani. DD: I had a second home in the Outer Drive East building in downtown Chicago 1974-1978, but only because I would have had to suffer a big loss if I had sold my University Park townhome.
https://townhall.com/news/josephchalfant/2026/08/10/new-york-judges-halts-mamdanis-aggressive-socialist-policy-n2681015
— Wisconsin Will Stop the Socialist Wave.
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/08/10/tom-tiffany-wisconsin-will-stop-socialism-n2680967
— Did Abdul El-Sayed Really Say This About White Truck Drivers?
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/08/10/abdul-el-sayed-afraid-of-white-truck-drivers-n2680973

WESTERN JOURNAL
— The House’s Push to Purge LGBT Propaganda from Children’s Shows.
https://www.westernjournal.com/houses-push-purge-lgbt-propaganda-childrens-shows/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— DD: The more problems that Democrats and RINOs have, the more likely that they will a) blame capitalism for their problems and b) want socialism to solve their problems. What did you do to avoid problems? 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.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdSicnRRBC0

AOL
— Illinois breaks top 20 best states to live in. DD: The more of the following that you are, the better that Illinois is for you: liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, unmarried, LGBTQ, veteran, poor, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or are in America illegally.
https://www.aol.com/articles/study-illinois-breaks-top-20-175518000.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— Homeland Security Intensifies Pursuit of Noncitizens on Voter Rolls.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/us/politics/noncitizens-vote-crackdown.html
— Women’s Share of Top Military Promotions Falls as Hegseth Blocks Nominees. DD: All my coworkers who were women and 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) no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/upshot/military-promotions-women-hegseth.html
— Now Coming to a Black Media Outlet Near You: Mayor Mamdani. Zohran Mamdani’s “all of the above” media strategy, which encompasses ethnic media, influencers and content creators, has led to a recent Black media blitz. DD: Everyone sees how the following treat me and treat my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters: past and present a) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Illinois Republican Party, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois, and Illinois Center Right Coalition, b) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct, d) conservative leaders, and e) religious leaders.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/09/nyregion/black-media-mamdani.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Trump administration takes aim at website listing diversity scholarships. DD: My critics/opponents have always used my not getting scholarships against me.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/08/10/trump-administration-takes-aim-website-listing-diversity-scholarships/

USA TODAY
— $110,000 needed to afford a typical US home in 2026. 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 $92,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/08/05/income-needed-afford-typical-us-home-2026-redfin-report/91185869007/
— As Trump drastically rolls back rules for Head Start, some Republicans are wary. DD: My critics/opponents have always used my parents’ sending me to kindergarten at Trinity Lutheran Grade School in Crete in 1953 to falsely hint/imply/argue/shout that they were filthy rich.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/09/head-start-trump-rfk-jr-preschool-senate-republicans-alarmed/91213407007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong’s Wisconsin Primary Lead Alarms Establishment Democrats. Party insiders worry Hong would lose the general election for governor in November.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/democratic-socialist-francesca-hongs-wisconsin-primary-lead-alarms-establishment-democrats-e3b9a1ce
— How to Plan for the Staggering Costs of Fertility Treatments. The amount of money spent can rival a house purchase or college tuition. It’s crucial for couples to figure out the financial equation ahead of time. DD: In 1989, my Democrat GAO superiors pulled out all the stops to get rid of me. That included their viciously demonizing, denigrating, and condemning me for my wife and I giving up trying to have children without trying IVF. They stressed that my wife’s health insurance covered the costs. They ignored/dismissed/belittled our doctor’s advising against it because we both had major fertility problems. They viciously demonized, denigrated, and condemned our not adopting and our not becoming foster parents. They painted themselves as being grossly underpaid. They decried the time and money they spent raising their children. They decried the little or no income that their wives had.
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/fertility-treatment-costs-planning-976703b7

FORTUNE
— We have a happiness-segregated society by marriage. DD: My Democrat IRS superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were furious when I got married when I was 29 in 1978. To get rid of me, they had ever-increasingly painted me as being so bad that I would never get married. They were especially furious because my wife had a good job. SEE: https://gopillinois.com/documents/
https://fortune.com/2026/08/10/americans-unhappy-marriage-rates-peltzman/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The first instinct is to blame money, but Peltzman says it’s not that simple. Yes, while grocery bills and gas prices have soared, blaming the affordability crisis would make sense if the unhappiest Americans were the ones getting squeezed hardest. But Peltzman’s data says the opposite. The people who fell furthest after 2020 were the ones who had the most going in: white, high-income, college-educated, right-leaning Americans. “The affordability business is not an upper-income kind of concern,” he said. “It’s a lower-income kind of concern, and the upper-income people have been hit hardest in the happiness crash. “Any story which says that it’s inequality,” Peltzman said, “those kind of stories are not consistent with the facts.” ‘We have a happiness-segregated society by marriage’ Married people are still, on net, happy. Unmarried people, about 45% of American adults, are now, on net, unhappy. “The only people who are positive, where there’s a clear positive balance in happiness, are married people,” Peltzman said. “We have a happiness-segregated society by marriage.” The obvious next question is whether this is just the marriage rate falling and the crash is only picking that up. It isn’t. The marriage rate itself hasn’t moved in 15 years: “It’s 55/45, and it’s been that way,” Peltzman said. Marriage rates did decline for decades, from the 1970s through the early 2000s, and in an earlier paper, Peltzman found that decline explained most of the happiness slide that came before the pandemic. But that slide had already leveled off well before 2020. The country’s split between married and unmarried adults going into the crash is the same split as today. What changed was not how many people are married, but how much worse it now feels to be unmarried, while married people mostly held their ground.)
— Jamie Dimon says Gen Z is wrong to give up on the American Dream—but admits it’s dying for the bottom 20% of households. DD: Neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. He never earned more than $50,000/year in today’s dollars. He almost always worked second jobs to pay the family’s bills. He died suddenly when he was 47 and I was 21, My mother never attended high school. All my grandparent spoke German. I had to work my way through college.
https://fortune.com/2026/08/10/jamie-dimon-gen-z-giving-up-american-dream-wrong-understandable/?ref=biztoc.com

BUSINESS INSIDER
— Job loss. DD: After my Democrat GAO forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, I soon gave up searching for a job appropriate for someone with my work experience, education, professional certification, and professional license because my Democrat GAO superiors had damaged me so much. Prior to their forcing me to retire, they had a) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, c) delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13, d) kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 13 years that I worked for GAO, and e) forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980.
https://www.businessinsider.com/laid-off-single-mom-part-time-garden-new-perspective-2026-8

WEEK
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://theweek.com/politics/should-democrats-embrace-democratic-socialists

FLORIDA POLITICS
— Super PAC’s new CD 19 ads warn voters: Don’t let Catalina Lauf ‘Illinois our Florida.’ In the Republican Primary to succeed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, “Illinois” is now a verb. A week after loading three out-of-state candidates into an AI-generated clown car, Southwest Florida First is back with ads aimed at just one of them: Catalina Lauf. DD: My critics/opponents in DuPage County have always stressed that I did not move to DuPage County until I was 29 in 1978.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/812570-super-pacs-new-cd-19-ads-warn-voters-dont-let-catalina-lauf-illinois-our-florida/

ALTERNET
— Former GOP chair Michael Steele: Republicans are socialists — but only for themselves.
https://www.alternet.org/trump-farmers-2677684186/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: President Donald Trump is accusing Democrats of being “communists” and “socialists,” but as a former Republican National Committee chair pointed out on Monday, he supports socialist policies… as long as they benefit Republican constituencies like farmers. “People fundamentally do not understand socialism,” MS NOW commentator and former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele said on Monday. “They do not understand communism. What is it — the median grade level in the United States is eighth grade. Okay? We’re not teaching civics. We’re not teaching world history. We’re not teaching the fundamentals of how all of this comes together. So these terms from the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s are being thrown out into the ecosystem.” He then mentioned Trump’s proposed $17.3 billion bailout to farmers, a group that has been disproportionately economically harmed by his tariffs, his mass deportations and his war against Iran. “Y’all know the Farm Bill is socialism; y’all know that, right?” Steele said.)

LAW
— DD: Democrats and RINOs use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.law.com/article/almID/900005518698/
— STOP THE CLOCK ON AGE RETIREMENTS. DD: Federal employees under the Civil Service Retirement System and who are the following are forced to retire as soon as they are eligible, that is, when they are 55 and have 30 years of service: conservative, Republican, White, male, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. I became eligible for early retirement when I was 45 in 1993. My Democrat GAO succeeded in forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 when their early retirement “offer” expired. I would not have been eligible for regular retirement until I was 55 in 2003. They made it very clear that if I did not take their “offer,” they would make those 6 years a living hell for me. They would constructively demote me, give me adverse transfers, give me unfair performance expectations, give me unfair performance appraisals, and even worse things.  SEE: https://www.law.com/article/almID/53G5-97S1-JBM3-R0DM-00000-00/https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf

FED SMITH
— Beyond One Senate Race: What AFGE’s Endorsement Reveals About Federal Employee Unions. AFGE’s endorsement of Abdul El-Sayed highlights the political role of federal employee unions and raises questions about representing a non-partisan workforce. DD: Virtually all federal employees are 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. Many if not most of them a) paint themselves as being “in need” and b) blame Republicans for their many problems. While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, none of my coworkers did what I did. I earned a) three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), b) six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and c) a job-related professional license (CPA).
https://www.fedsmith.com/2026/08/10/afge-endorsement-federal-unions-senate-race/

PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE
— Civil Service Protections. DD: Democrats run the federal government. 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. 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 to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors might not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did including forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://ourpublicservice.org/know-the-facts/blog/merit-systems-protection-board-mspb-removal-conditions-retaliation-protections

HIGHER EDUCATION DIVE
— Elite colleges are returning to the SAT and ACT. Will others follow? Top-ranked colleges and the Trump administration are embracing the exams, but that doesn’t mean test-optional policies are falling out of favor everywhere. DD: UIC would not have accepted in 1966 if my ACT score had not been 24 and I had not graduated in the upper 20% of my class.
https://www.highereddive.com/news/elite-colleges-are-returning-to-the-sat-and-act-will-others-follow/827299/

DAILY KOS
— DD: Democrat leaders continue to reject the fact that in 2024, voters elected Trump and gave control of the House and Senate to Republicans.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/10/800082538/community/forget-the-socialist-scare-americas-crisis-is-capitalism-without-democracy/

August 8, 2026

If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— GAO: DOGE’s claim of $110B in savings was vastly inflated and riddled with errors. DOGE couldn’t verify 96% of reported grant savings, a review found. DD: If Gingrich had reformed GAO instead of gutting it, there would have been no need for DOGE and my Democrat GAO superiors would not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/doges-claim-110b-savings-was-vastly-inflated-riddled-errors-gao/19641452/

WGN9
— Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s media tour in the wake of the Harry Benton scandal did little to restore top House Republican Tony McCombie’s confidence in the Illinois House leader.
https://wgntv.com/news/politics/wgn-the-point-politics-chicago-illinois/illinois-house-gop-leader-not-swayed-by-speaker-welchs-apology-tour/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Darren Bailey’s running mate Aaron Del Mar maintains abortion is ‘sin against God.’  Del Mar railed against Illinois’ abortion laws during a six-minute speech in Springfield this week, and said Gov. JB Pritzker is “willing to murder millions of babies.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2026/08/07/aaron-del-mar-darren-bailey-abortion
https://www.wbez.org/politics/2026/08/07/aaron-del-mar-darren-bailey-abortion

SHAW LOCAL
— Joliet GOP candidate for secretary of state Diane Harris hopes to capitalize on Giannoulias’ run for Chicago mayor. ‘Is this what the voters are voting him in on – to be secretary of state for three months? ‘
https://www.shawlocal.com/news/2026/08/08/joliet-gop-candidate-for-secretary-of-state-hopes-to-capitalize-on-giannoulias-run-for-chicago-mayor/

NORTHWEST HERALD
— McHenry Outdoor Theater to host private cannabis-themed event. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/2026/08/08/mchenry-outdoor-theater-to-host-private-cannabis-themed-event/

ROYS REPORT
— Wheaton College hid a predator for decades. Now his victims are speaking out.
https://roysreport.com/wheaton-college-hid-a-predator-for-decades-now-his-victims-are-speaking-out/comment-page-1/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/07/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-574/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Republicans Should Stop Preaching to the Choir. Stop Waiting to Win and Start Learning How.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/08/republicans-should-stop-preaching-to-the-choir/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Socialism destroys motivation. Being a socialist is like being a Democrat. Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is to be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is be a Democrat. To advance, none of my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO coworkers came close to doing what I did. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (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) no professional license like the one I had. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform is conservative. What are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct doing a) to defend and advance conservative principles and the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks in the Republican Party platform and b) to oppose liberal principles including the following planks in the Democrat Party’s platform: 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? – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— The Muslim Brotherhood: A Clear and Present Danger.
https://illinoisfamily.org/islam-sharia/the-muslim-brotherhood-a-clear-and-present-danger/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Republicans must counter the lies of socialists with inspiration and truth. DD: Capitalism is what made America great. If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/6/republicans-must-counter-lies-socialists-inspiration-truth/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Universities are fueling the radicalism in American politics.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4679553/universities-fueling-radicalism-american-politics/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Electric Vehicle Exec Identified as CCP Member Has Given $450K to Democrats This Campaign Season—Including $71K for Senate Nominees Juliana Stratton, Roy Cooper. Stratton, running to replace retiring Sen Dick Durbin, welcomed CCP-tied firm to Illinois as lieutenant governor.
https://freebeacon.com/china/electric-vehicle-exec-identified-as-ccp-member-has-given-450k-to-democrats-this-campaign-season-including-71k-for-senate-nominees-juliana-stratton-roy-cooper/

NEW YORK POST
— NY 3rd-5th graders fail basic reading tests with more than half not even proficient. DD: My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools 1953-1962. 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://nypost.com/2026/08/07/us-news/more-than-half-of-ny-3rd-5th-graders-fail-reading-proficiency-tests-data/

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— States Can Strengthen Families and Fight Welfare Dependence and Fraud. DD: What are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct doing to fight dependency on welfare?
https://www.aei.org/commentary/states-can-strengthen-families-and-fight-welfare-dependence-and-fraud/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Democratic socialists seek to cripple American AI. Democratic Socialists of America have organized a national campaign this summer against AI and data centers under the “Ecosocialism Transition Committee.” DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/democratic-socialists-seek-to-cripple-american-ai/

COLLEGE FIX
— Duke Law School illegally discriminated against white, Asian applicants, DOJ finds.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/duke-law-school-illegally-discriminated-against-white-asian-applicants-doj-finds/

FOX BUSINESS
— Kellyanne Conway: The GOP needs to show why socialism is bad, not just say it. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403016350112

FOX NEWS
— DNC is in shambles amid rise of socialism. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403035978112
— Socialism leads to a failed, third-world state. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403030022112
— Democrats have capitulated to socialism. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403023974112

NATIONAL REVIEW
— The Unwelcome Return of Sentimental Socialism.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/the-unwelcome-return-of-sentimental-socialism/
— Who Really Speaks for the Working Class?
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/who-really-speaks-for-the-working-class/

NEWSMAX
— GOP to Cast Midterm Convention as Case Against Socialism.
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/gop-midterm-convention-dallas/2026/08/07/id/1265428/

NEW AMERICAN
— Democratic Socialists of America Now Controlled by Communists. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://thenewamerican.com/us/politics/ex-dsa-member-democratic-socialists-of-america-now-controlled-by-communists/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— Trump’s firings of federal officials set stage for next test of presidential power. DD: Diersen v. GAO ( https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf ) reaffirmed the federal government’s power to fire not only its employees because they are active members in class action lawsuits that charge its agencies with political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, or retaliation, but also because they are Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-firings-federal-workers-presidential-power/

AOL
— It’s not them; it’s you: Why you’re failing at online dating. DD: I met my outstanding wife at a Presbyterian singles event. She is Catholic and I am Missouri Synod Lutheran. What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.aol.com/articles/not-them-why-failing-online-115630000.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— Fact-Checking Trump. 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.nytimes.com/2026/08/01/us/politics/trump-iran-war-toll-oil-fact-check.html
— Republicans Cannot Possibly Let Congressman Max Miller Go On. DD: Have you wanted to run for a government office? Since I was 49 years old in 1997, my DuPage County critics/opponents have falsely hinted/implied/argued/shouted that I wanted to run for DuPage County Auditor. To discourage/stop me from considering doing that, they have taken many big adverse actions against me. I should write about my DuPage County critics/opponents and the many big adverse actions that they have taken against me. Of course, they ignore/dismiss/belittle/badmouth what did to help elect and to reelect Jim Rasins DuPage County Auditor in 2000 and 2004 and Bob Grogan in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. My critics/opponents base their false accusations against me on my being highly qualified for the office. I became a licensed CPA. I passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt. I earned professional certifications in fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting. I worked for IRS for almost 9 years as a Revenue Officer, the last 5 1/2 years at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year and I worked for GAO for almost 18 years as an Analyst, the last 11 years of at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year. I have master’s degrees in business, accounting, and finance. I first visited the DuPage County Auditor’s office in 1986 when I became the Membership Director for the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) Chicago Chapter (CC). I remember recruiting Rasins to speak at an AGA CC event.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/07/opinion/max-miller-moreno-ohio-congressman.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Democrats are calculating a left turn. The math is inescapable. Recent primary results could steer presidential hopefuls in the wrong direction for 2028. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/08/07/2028-democratic-contenders-should-not-misread-primary-results/
— George F. Will: DSA socialism is Peter Pan politics for sandbox revolutionaries.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/08/07/dsa-zohran-mamdani-infantilism-todays-socialism/
— The federal government has just radically changed the way it measures higher education outcomes. Now for the first time, all programs that participate in the federal student loan program will be held accountable for the earnings of their graduates. DD: After earning a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in 1970, earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, earning a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, becoming a licensed CPA in 1981, earning four more job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and earning a master’s degree in finance from IIT in 1997, my IRS salary was salary in today’s dollars $56,409/year in 1971, $68,999/year in 1972, $83,482/year in 1973, $100,059/year in 1974, and $113,402/year in 1980 and my GAO salary was $89,703/year in 1980, $108,533/year in 1981, $118,984/year in 1986, and $154,682/year in 1997.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/ripple/2026/07/16/measuring-competencies-modern-economy/

NORTH STATE JOURNAL
— The inadequacy of opposing socialism. DD: If elected, sooner or later, all the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct will replace capitalism with socialism, that is, they will destroy your municipality, your township, your county, Illinois, and America.
https://nsjonline.com/article/2026/08/joecks-the-inadequacy-of-opposing-socialism/

OGLETREE DEAKINS
— Indiana’s New FAIRNESS Act Bars Employers From Employing Undocumented Immigrants. 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://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/indianas-new-fairness-act-bars-employers-from-employing-undocumented-immigrants/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Fewer Workers Keep Unemployment Low. DD: After my Democrat GAO forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, I soon gave up searching for a job appropriate for someone with my work experience, education, professional certification and professional license because my Democrat GAO superiors had damaged me so much.
https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/jobs-report-unemployment-rate-labor-force-70e22c6c

24/7 WALL STREET
— 56% of Workers Plan to Retire at 65 or Later. The Average American Is Out at 62, and Not by Choice. DD: I should write about forced retirement.
https://www.aol.com/articles/56-workers-plan-retire-65-160832000.html
— Retired School Principal Discovers Pension and 403(b) Together Just Triggered a Medicare Hike. DD: My wife and I pay much more for Medicare because of IRMAA.
https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/2026/08/07/retired-school-principal-discovers-pension-and-403b-together-just-triggered-a-medicare-hike/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Social Security Fairness Act restored full benefits for millions of public workers but can push retirees past the $109,000 IRMAA threshold. Crossing the IRMAA cliff by even $1 raises Part B premiums from $203 to $284 monthly, plus a $15 Part D surcharge. Roth conversions and Qualified Charitable Distributions up to $105,000 annually are the two tools to shrink MAGI before RMDs begin at 73.)

MONEY & MARKETS
— Private Sector vs. Public Sector. DD: I worked in the private sector for 10 years, then in the public sector for 30 years, and concurrently in both for 2 years. According to my critics/opponents, the public sector grossly overpaid me. In today’s dollars, when I was a postal employee for almost 3 years 1966-1969 and then an IRS employee for almost 9 years 1971-1980, my salary increased from $19.57/hour to $113,402/year. In my defense, during that time, I earned a bachelor’s degree in management, 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, $108,533/year when I was 32, $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 and 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. If I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran my Democrat superiors would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service, currently $197,200/year, long before I was 40.
https://moneyandmarkets.com/private-sector-jobs-support-58-percent-of-population/

BLOOMBERG LAW
— Civil Service Protections Benefit the Public, Not Just the Feds. DD: Democrats run the federal government. 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. 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 to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors might not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did including forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/legal-exchange-insights-and-commentary/civil-service-protections-benefit-the-public-not-just-the-feds

CENTER FOR RETIREMENT RESEARCH
— Married Women are Upwardly Mobile. Singles – not so Much. DD: Things that continue to impress me about my outstanding wife include 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, and then for MacNeal Hospital, and then for Central DuPage Hospital. 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://crr.bc.edu/married-women-are-upwardly-mobile-singles-not-so-much/

BALLS AND STRIKES
— Upwardly Mobile Black People. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors certainly made my Black subordinate upwardly mobile when I was 49 in 1997. They forced me to retire and gave him my job and my preferred corner office. 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://ballsandstrikes.org/law-politics/disparate-impact-trump-going-away-except-in-this-one-situation-haha/

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— Veterans’ preference, merit hiring and the federal government’s obligation to follow the law. DD: Because I was not a veteran, but more significantly, because I avoided the Vietnam War draft, my Democrat Post Office, Firestone Store, IRS, and GAO superiors used the veterans’ preference to waste my career and to get rid of me. I should write about my many Democrat superiors and supervisors who took many big adverse actions against me. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me and who were Democrat veterans a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/commentary/2026/08/veterans-preference-merit-hiring-and-the-federal-governments-obligation-to-follow-the-law/

AFGE
— Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Illinois’ Juliana Stratton for Election to U.S. Senate. DD: I was a union member for almost 12 years. If had been Democrat or a veteran, the National Treasury Employees Union would have come to my defense when my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my education deductions in 1978.
https://www.afge.org/publication/largest-federal-employee-union-endorses-illinois-juliana-stratton-for-election-to-us-senate/

FROM OTHER SOURCES

EXP REALTY
— FOR SALE IN MY PRECINCT: 25W451 Plamondon Road, Wheaton: $3,300,000
https://leeernst.exprealty.com/details.php?mls=103&mlsid=12664021
(FROM THE LISTING: A once-in-a-generation opportunity to own one of Wheaton’s most prestigious and architecturally significant estates. Tucked away on an ultra-exclusive private lane and backing directly to the legendary Chicago Golf Club-the oldest 18-hole golf course in North America-this remarkable residence offers a setting that simply cannot be replicated. Few homes anywhere can claim a backyard bordering such a historic and revered golf course.)

August 7, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Trump signs executive orders that target birthright citizenship. One of the orders bans “birth tourism.”
https://abc7chicago.com/post/trump-signs-executive-orders-target-birthright-citizenship/19637385/

NBC5
— Data shows costly CPS program fails to make the grade.
https://www-nbcchicago-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/nbc-5-investigates-costly-cps-program-fails-to-make-the-grade/3971089/

CBS2
— Chicago-based DJ Tunjo and partner in ICE custody after arrest at Midway Airport.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-dj-tunjo-ice-arrest-midway-airport/
— Trump issues new executive orders aimed at birthright citizenship after Supreme Court ruling.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/trump-new-executive-orders-birthright-citizenship/
— Feds threaten to prosecute Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart if ICE can’t access jail.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/cook-county-sheriff-tom-ice-jall-prosecution-threat/

FOX32
— Why some of Gen Z is embracing socialism. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-xj16ea8s8zh2p1ki
— Dr. Fauci held in contempt of Congress by Senate committee.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/dr-fauci-held-contempt-congress-senate-committee

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Feds threatened Sheriff Tom Dart with criminal charges over access to jail for immigration enforcement.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/06/cook-county-sheriff-tom-dart-ice-threat/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ICE threatens to file criminal charges against Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart for not turning over inmates. The Trump administration sent similar threats to the sheriff of Minnesota’s Hennepin County, which was targeted in an aggressive deportation campaign after Operation Midway Blitz rocked the Chicago area.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/08/06/ice-tom-dart-trump-immigration

WSIU
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.wsiu.org/politics-elections/2026-08-06/trump-administration-adds-roadblocks-for-people-seeking-asylum-in-the-u-s

POLITICO ILLINOIS
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/07/why-rhymefest-hit-the-brakes-01028419

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/06/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-573/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

AWAKE ILLINOIS
— Girls Have Civil Rights. Defend Them: Launch Of Title IX Resource Hub, Yesterday’s Chicago Press Conference, and the Federal Appeal to Protect Female Students
https://www.awakeil.com/profile/3b879406-9747-41d2-862b-0b7a049c31d4/profile

MCHENRY COIUNTY BLOG
— Ness Scores National Legislative Position
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/01/ness-scores-national-legislative-position/
— Governor Signs Human Rights Bill He Says Provides Protections Federal Law Does Not
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/01/governor-signs-human-rights-bill-he-says-provides-protections-federal-law-does-not/
— Lake in the Hills Police Continue Helping State Police with FOID Cards
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/01/lake-in-the-hills-police-continue-helpingstate-police-with-foid-cards/
— Trump’s Corporate Welfare
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/02/trumps-corporate-welfare/
— Fauci vs. DeSantis: The Florida Governor Gets the Last Laugh
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/02/fauci-vs-desantis-the-florida-governor-gets-the-last-laugh/
— “Best States” Ranking: Illinois vs. Florida
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/02/best-states-ranking-illinois-vs-florida/
— Democrats Quarter Percent Sales Tax for Mass Transit Has Taken Effect
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/02/democrats-quarter-percent-sales-tax-for-mass-transit-went-into-effect-yesterday/
— Is This the Worst Prison in Illinois?
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/03/is-this-the-worst-prison-in-illinois/
— Kirk Donald, Vice Chairman of the McHenry County Republican Party, Writes To His Precinct
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/03/kirk-donald-vice-chairman-of-the-mchenry-county-republican-party-writes-to-his-precinct/
— Corbett Critiques Pritzker’s 10-Day Sales Tax Holiday
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/03/21521/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Nearly half of Americans see nothing good in socialism. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/6/nearly-half-americans-see-nothing-good-socialism-poll/
— DOGE exaggerated its savings; GAO audit questions 96% of Musk office’s claims. DD: If Gingrich had reformed GAO instead of gutting it, there would have been no need for DOGE and my Democrat GAO superiors would not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/6/doge-exaggerated-savings-gao-audit-questions-96-elon-musk-offices/
— Marijuana’s lies are endangering Americans. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/6/marijuanas-lies-endangering-americans/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Post-woke America? Think again. DD: Democrats and RINOs will always use Affirmative Action, DEI, and wokeness/wokeism to get rid of Republicans.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/in_focus/4677564/post-woke-america-think-again/
— Conservatives must embrace personal responsibility and reject victimhood. DD: Because I refused to become a Democrat, my Democrat superiors wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. Because I refused to become a RINO, RINO leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Illinois Republican wasted me and got rid of me.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/in_focus/4563730/conservatives-must-embrace-personal-responsibility-reject-victimhood/

NEW YORK POST
— The GOP has wrapped itself in a silly burrito beef while ignoring cheesed-off voters.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/06/opinion/the-gop-has-wrapped-itself-in-a-silly-burrito-beef-while-ignoring-cheesed-off-voters/
— Why some of America’s most desirable women only want to date older men. 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://nypost.com/2026/08/06/lifestyle/sugar-babies-are-rebranding-themselves/

AMAC
— The Bold New Proposal to Stop Socialism and Save the American Family. The Young American Family Act would end federal income taxes for married couples under 35 raising children. 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. In anticipation of our having children, when my wife and I got married in 1978, we lived on just one of our salaries and saved as much as we could. But because we both had major fertility problems, we gave up trying to have children without trying IVF. We did not adopt or become foster parents. My Democrat GAO superiors used that against me viciously. According to them, if we had children, 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, f) to have a home built in Wheaton in 1984, and g) to buy a collector car in 1989. My Democrat GAO superiors ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being disgusting selfish rich DINKs. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. They knew full-well that both my wife and I had major fertility problems. Should I write about my Democrat GAO superiors?
https://amac.us/newsline/the-bold-new-proposal-to-stop-socialism-and-save-the-american-family

BREITBART
— Homeland Security and Transportation Departments Remove Hundreds More Illegal Migrant Truckers in Midwest.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/06/homeland-security-and-transportation-departments-remove-hundreds-more-illegal-migrant-truckers-in-midwest/amp/

CAMPUS REFORM
— Socialist candidate Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan primary despite losing all counties with low shares of college degrees. DD: Everyone knows that to advance, you need a college degree. What were the reasons why you earned a college degree? For me, the main reason was my father’s often decrying his not having one. He had brittle type 1 diabetes from childhood. His doctors discouraged him from seeking a college degree because of the stress that would cause him. He often decried his being passed over for promotions. He often decried his not being able to keep up with Jones. He died suddenly in 1969 when he was 47 and I was 21. He never earned more than $50,000/year in today’s dollars. The aforesaid motivated me to work my way through college and earn a college degree.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/socialist-candidate-abdul-el-sayed-wins-michigan-primary-despite-losing-counties-low-shares-college-degrees/30387

DAILY CALLER
— If Republicans Want To Beat Socialists, They Need To Acknowledge A Hard Truth. DD: Ever-increasingly, since the 1960s, because of Affirmative Action and DEI, it has been harder and harder and harder for White males to advance. Employers have ever-increasingly given more and more and more preference to minorities and to females. All my many coworkers who were minority and/or female who my superiors promoted over me were 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) no professional license like the one I had.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/06/opinion-republicans-socialists-hard-truth-michael-collins/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Americans Are Embracing Communism.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/06/communism-jin-felt-iron-fist/

FOX BUSINESS
— Democratic leaders decline to rebuke party’s socialist wing. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6402948356112
— Affordability crisis fuels support for Democratic Socialists of America. 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.foxbusiness.com/politics/larry-kudlow-democratic-party-socialism-unaffordable.amp
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6402925402112
— Why have Democratic socialists suddenly gotten ‘POWER?’ DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUYwGstzBJc
— Here’s the income needed to afford the typical American home. 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 $92,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/heres-income-needed-afford-typical-american-home.amp

FOX NEWS
— Radical socialists had seized control of Democratic Party. DD: Moderates, that is, anti-conservatives, have seized control of the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402964526112

NEW AMERICAN
— Far-left Think Tank: $2K-plus to Deport an Illegal Is Too Much. Data: Illegals Cost Taxpayers $150B Annually.
https://thenewamerican.com/us/immigration/far-left-think-tank-2k-plus-to-deport-an-illegal-is-too-much-data-illegals-cost-taxpayers-150b-annually/

NEWSMAX
— El-Sayed Win Exposes Dems’ Socialist Shift.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/greg-steube-abdul-el-sayed-michigan/2026/08/06/id/1265311/
— How the Socialist Tail Will Wag the Democrat Dog in the House.
https://www.newsmax.com/morris/dsa-house-jeffries/2026/08/06/id/1265321/
— Making Merit Great Again. 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://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/making-merit-great-again-211350005.html

PJ MEDIA
— Socialism Keeps Returning Because America Keeps Forgetting.
https://pjmedia.com/david-manney/2026/08/06/socialism-keeps-returning-because-america-keeps-forgetting-n4955876

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— One Third of Democrats Now Call Themselves Socialists. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/08/06/schweizer_one_third_of_democrats_now_call_themselves_socialists.html
— Socialism is Evil, But Why Is Socialism So Appealing To People With Less Money? 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 be a Democrat. 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.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/08/06/vance_socialism_is_evil_but_we_have_to_ask_why_is_socialism_so_appealing_to_people_with_lower_assets_comments.html

TOWNHALL
— Testimonies From People Who Have Lived Under Socialism. DD: I have not lived under socialism, but I have lived under Democrats and under RINOs. They have no use for conservatives, if not despise conservatives, if not hate conservatives.
https://townhall.com/columnists/calthomas/2026/08/06/testimonies-from-people-who-have-lived-under-socialism-n2680743
— This Is How to Stop the Socialist Juggernaut. The victory of Abdul El-Sayed in the Democratic Party primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan confirms that socialism is gaining a foothold in America. Never mind that El-Sayed coyly claims that he is a “capitalist,” not a socialist nor a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). His policy platform reveals the truth. DD: Far too many falsely claim to be Republican to get leadership roles in Republican organizations and/or to get elected. Once in, they destroy the Republican Party. They have had great success in destroying the Republican Party in Illinois, in DuPage County, in Milton Township, and in Wheaton. I should write about them.
https://townhall.com/columnists/christalgo/2026/08/07/this-is-how-to-stop-the-socialist-juggernaut-n2680828

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— GAO: DOGE’s “wall of receipts” riddled with inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims. DD: If Gingrich had reformed GAO instead of gutting it, there would have been no need for DOGE and my Democrat GAO superiors would not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doge-wall-of-receipts-elon-musk-government-accountability-office/
— Trump denies U.S. running low on some munitions, says vast resupplies being produced. 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.cbsnews.com/news/trump-us-munitions-shortages-iran-war/
— Democratic Socialist organizer says people “have been feeling left out.” DD: Because I am much too conservative for them, the following have left me out: past and present a) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Illinois Republican Party, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois, and Illinois Center Right Coalition, b) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct, d) conservative leaders, e) religious leaders, and d) my Democrat superiors in the federal government.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/democratic-socialist-people-have-been-feeling-left-out/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Moderate Democrats Prepare for ‘War’ Against an Ascendant Left. One moderate group says the progressive wins are “deeply troubling” and is planning a $15 million effort against democratic socialism. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/us/politics/democratic-party-socialists-moderates.html
— Gen Z Fell Out of Love With Work. DD: What generation are you? 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.nytimes.com/2026/07/23/opinion/gen-z-ambition-millennials-career.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Socialism Is Here—and It’s Serious. As religion recedes, politics takes its place. As confidence fades, political movements grow radical. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/socialism-is-hereand-its-serious-2b3fc422
— Can Democrats Resist Socialism? The signs aren’t good. Schumer backs El-Sayed and touts the party’s ‘big tent-ism.’ DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/can-democrats-resist-socialism-20092dff
— Why Democratic Socialism Feels Good. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/why-democratic-socialism-feels-good-10adfbbe

BLOOMBERG
— Watch Affordability is Top Issue for Midterms. 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.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2026-08-06/affordability-is-top-issue-for-midterms-rep-clark-video

AFGE
— Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed for Election to U.S. Senate.
https://www.afge.org/publication/largest-federal-employee-union-endorses-michigans-abdul-elsayed-for-election-to-us-senate/

PHOENIX
— The myth of personal responsibility. DD: What do your critics/opponents attribute your successes to? My critics/opponents attribute my success to my benefitting tremendously from tremendous discrimination against those who do not share my demographics: liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, parent, unmarried, LGBTQ, veteran, poor, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://swarthmorephoenix.com/2016/09/15/the-myth-of-personal-responsibility/

GRIO
— More than 25 million young adults now live with their parents as affordability worsens. Experts say soaring rents, home prices and everyday costs are making independent living harder to afford. The financial pressures facing younger Americans are reshaping living arrangements across the country, with a record number of adults under 35 now living with their parents, according to new housing data. 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 $92,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://thegrio.com/2026/08/06/record-young-adults-living-with-parents-housing-costs/

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

August 3, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

FOX BUSINESS
— The rise of ‘Gen Z affordability socialism,’ why younger voters are embracing government intervention to address the cost-of-living crisis. DD: When you were young, what did you do to afford things? I did not seek government intervention. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970; job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997; job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997; and a job-related professional license in 1981. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aCddPoh6WQ

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

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

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

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

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

TOWNHALL
— All the Democrats Are Marxists.
https://townhall.com/columnists/allenwest/2026/08/03/dont-be-fooled-all-the-democrats-are-marxists-n2680492
— Democrats Want to Close the Prisons, Except Not for People Like You.
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2026/08/03/democrats-want-to-close-the-prisons-except-not-for-people-like-you-n2680504
— For people who scream about wanting affordability, Democrats have yet to deliver on any of it. They have made education, housing, and healthcare costs skyrocket thanks to government intervention under the guise of “lowering costs.” DD: When you were young, what did you do to afford things? I did not seek government intervention. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970; job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997; job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997; and a job-related professional license in 1981. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/08/02/sun-vip-ny-dems-nuke-affordability-10-percent-discount-on-self-checkout-n2680469
— The Trump Administration Just Prosecuted Another Case of Election Fraud.
https://townhall.com/news/josephchalfant/2026/08/02/the-trump-administration-just-prosecuted-another-case-of-election-fraud-n2680527

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

August 2, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Judge rules Illinois not required to turn over voter rolls to Feds. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to stop voter fraud.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/01/judge-rules-illinois-not-required-to-turn-over-voter-rolls-to-feds/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use MLK to promote more hatred against Republicans, that is, to get more votes from Blacks.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/01/marchers-return-to-marquette-park-60-years-after-historic-mlk-visit/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/02/dick-durbin-retiring-dream-act/
— Financially plan ahead for having children. DD: In anticipation of our having children, when my wife and I got married, we lived on just one of our salaries. But because we both had major fertility problems, we gave up trying to have children without trying IVF. We did not adopt or become foster parents. My Democrat GAO superiors used that against me viciously. They decried the time and money that they spent raising their children. They decried their wives having little or no income. They ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being selfish disgustingly rich DINKs. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. I should write about Democrat GAO superiors.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/07/27/jill-on-money-managing-the-high-cost-of-kids/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-the-editor/2026/08/01/dhs-ice-durbin-retail-immigrants-children-race-riot-1919-flooding-healthcare-joliet-ac
— DD: Democrats and RINOs use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/01/dei-black-consumers-businesses-diversity-equity-inclusion-marc-morial

EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER
— Illinois election law gives political parties too much power over voters.
https://www.theintelligencer.com/opinion/article/illinois-open-primary-ballot-access-22360592.php

ADVANTAGE NEWS
— State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, praises federal ruling blocking in-state tuition benefits for students in U.S. illegally.
https://www.advantagenews.com/news/local/illinois-lawmaker-praises-federal-ruling-blocking-in-state-tuition-benefits-for-students-in-u-s/article_1411a678-6da5-4545-8de2-672fa0b371c5.html

CITIES 92.9
— Parental rights concerns raised after Illinois expands minors’ access to birth control. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.cities929.com/2026/08/01/parental-rights-concerns-raised-after-illinois-expands-minors-access-to-birth-control/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democratic socialist is socialist, and socialist is communist.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/1/democratic-socialist-socialist-socialist-communist/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— The Heritage Foundation still leads the conservative movement. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I have always been too conservative because I promote the following planks in the Republican Party platform: personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. My critics/opponents reject some, many, most, virtually all, if not all of the aforesaid planks.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/4421947/heritage-foundation-still-leads-conservative-movement/
— American citizenship is being exploited.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4669902/birthright-citizenship-legal-immigration-exploited-reinforce-citizenship-significance/
— The Peter Pan generation chooses pets. DD: My former neighbor Dr. Dan Kiley wrote the Peter Pan Syndrome. SEE: https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Pan-Syndrome-Never-Grown/dp/0380688905
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/4667440/peter-pan-generation-chooses-pets-over-children/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Accusations of Peter Pan syndrome have long dogged Generation Z and millennials. And young Americans have given their critics fresh ammunition: they prefer pets to children during their prime family-forming years. A new Harris Poll revealed that 40% of Americans selected pets when forced to choose. Make no mistake: respondents were also offered the option of having both children and pets, which 39% chose. Still, the plurality of Americans who would rather forgo children altogether is cause for concern. Young Americans are apprehensive about marriage and family. As previously reported, Americans believe 26.5 is the ideal age for marriage and that married couples should have their first child a year later. But the median age at first marriage has risen to 28.6 for women and 30.2 for men, years beyond Americans’ preferred timeline for marriage and family. In other words, there is a schism between the family timeline Americans consider ideal and the one they can achieve. Alas, 45% of those who prefer pets believe they are currently incapable of raising children. Some see pets as a cheaper alternative to children. But many more have resigned themselves: just over half of Gen Z and millennials who are not parents “have thought about building a life around pets instead of having children.” Amid a growing number of chronically single Americans, 49% of pet owners rely on their animals for the companionship they no longer seek from a significant other. Americans believe the rite of homeownership should precede child-rearing. In fact, young Americans view their inability to afford a home as an obstacle to forming families. Half of adults ages 18 to 26 consider a fenced backyard essential when buying a home — a nod to the traditional vision of a home, a white picket fence, and two and a half children. Curiously, their fervor for spacious yards does not extend to children’s playrooms or double sinks in primary bathrooms. Why? Renters offer a clue. City dwellers have developed a new fixation beyond the coveted dishwasher or in-unit laundry. They now seek “pet-friendly” apartments. More than a third organize birthday parties, subscribe to monthly care packages, and purchase strollers for their furry friends. Pet-friendly cafes and “bark mitzvahs” are increasingly common. Hotels offer “dog butlers” and canine treats on holiday menus. And yet, the same childless pet owners roll their eyes at toddlers crying in restaurants or on airplanes. They would like more “adults-only” options for dining and vacations. Almost two-thirds of Gen Z and millennials opt for home cooking, and many give up pricey grocery brands and other creature comforts to afford pet expenses. Perhaps financial responsibility has found an unlikely instructor. Despite economic pressures, the American Pet Products Association reports that Gen Z and millennials remain steadfast in their commitment to pet ownership. But can young pet owners actually balance their books? About 30% are carrying pet-related debt, compared with 14% among Generation X and baby boomers. Worse, nearly a third say they have “delayed paying off debt,” 4 in 10 say they take on extra work to afford their pets, and a quarter skip medical appointments to cover pet expenses. It is no wonder that a supermajority of pet owners would claim their pets as dependents if legally permitted and demand tax breaks for expenses similar to child-related deductions. Amanda Reynolds, a New York City resident, filed a lawsuit against the IRS in June of last year. She claimed that her golden retriever, Finnegan, meets the functional criteria for defining dependents. The IRS, she argued, violated the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause because the agency unfairly treats taxpayers with nonhuman dependents. Rest assured: young Americans are capable of responsibility, sacrifice, and concern for something beyond themselves. Don’t parents seek housing best suited to their children? Don’t they budget for clothes, toys, and treats, and celebrate birthdays? Parents often feel squeezed, taking on debt to ensure that their children’s childhoods remain carefree. I grant your objection: children are not pets. But devotion is no symptom of Peter Pan syndrome, either. Young Americans are marrying later than they would like. The age of first-time homebuyers has risen well beyond the age at which they would like to have their first child. Young Americans’ parental instincts toward their pets prove that they are capable of caring for others. Conservatives must offer solutions in earnest, not patronize them as overgrown children.)

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— Wokeness in Higher Education Is Still Alive and Kicking. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.aei.org/commentary/wokeness-in-higher-education-is-still-alive-and-kicking/
— American Men Need to Start Taking More 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.aei.org/multimedia/american-men-need-to-start-taking-more-personal-responsibility/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Victim/Oppressor Golf. ​Who knew golfing, skydiving, and scuba diving were a “white” thing?
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/victim-oppressor-golf/

BREITBART
— Trump Admin Cancels 28,000 Trucker Licenses Held by Illegal Aliens.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/01/trump-admin-cancels-28000-trucker-licenses-held-by-illegal-aliens/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Victor Davis Hanson: The Socialist Monster Awakens.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/01/socialist-monster-awakens/
— Mamdani’s Tax List Reveals the Dark Side of Socialist Class Warfare. DD: To get more votes from those who have less money than others, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more class warfare.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/28/mamdani-tax-list-socialist-class-warfare/

FOX NEWS
— Trump admin’s push to scrap DEI in federal government takes landmark step with new hiring rule. DD: The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-admin-push-scrap-dei-federal-government-landmark-step-new-hiring-rule
— Senate Republican pushes merit-based military promotions, targets Biden-era DEI policies. Jim Banks’ measure would refocus promotion boards on merit and replace DEI training with military values instruction.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-republican-pushes-merit-based-military-promotions-targets-biden-era-dei-policies

HEARTLAND
— Class Warfare. DD: To get more votes from those who have less money than others, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more class warfare.
https://heartland.org/opinion/class-warfare/

NEW AMERICAN
— TV Is Too White, Woke Professor Claims — and It Intensifies White Kids’ Racism. DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Whites.
https://thenewamerican.com/us/culture/tv-is-too-white-woke-professor-claims-and-it-intensifies-white-kids-racism/

OPM
— Merit-Based Federal Hiring and Restoring Accountability. DD: The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job.
https://www.opm.gov/news/news-releases/icymi-opm-director-scott-kupor-discusses-merit-based-federal-hiring-and-restoring-accountability-on-the-ingraham-angle/

U.S. HOUSE
— DEI is Discriminatory and Illegal. DD: Democrats and RINOs use Affirmative Action and DEI to get rid of Republicans.
https://oversight.house.gov/release/hearing-wrap-up-dei-is-discriminatory-and-illegal/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Class warfare is smoldering in America — and it’s about to catch fire. DD: To get more votes from those who have less money than others, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more class warfare.
https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/5880610-working-class-anger-arson-wake-up/

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— DD: To get more votes from minorities, females, younger people, veterans. those who have less money than others, non-Protestants, non-German Americans, and those whose ancestors have not been in America for a long time, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at those who are the aforesaid that Republicans cause all the problems that those who are the foresaid have.
https://philasun.com/week-in-review/urban-league-report-says-trump-administration-is-harming-black-americans-chances-at-american-dream/

NEW YORK TIMES
— It Wasn’t a ‘Civil War.’ It Was the Slaveholders’ Rebellion. DD: My critics/opponents have always used against me the fact that all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s. In their defense, I have always stressed that they always lived in northeast Illinois.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/02/opinion/civil-war-slaveholders-rebellion-slavery.html
— DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Whites
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/opinion/elon-musk-far-right-remigration.html
— Heritage Foundation. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I have always been too conservative because I promote the following planks in the Republican Party platform: personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. My critics/opponent reject some, many, most, virtually all, if not all of the aforesaid planks.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/magazine/heritage-foundation-trump-republicans.html
— Nike Was the Poster Child for Diversity Efforts. That Made It a Trump Target. DD: GAO was a poster child for political affiliation discrimination. That made it a target for Republican budget cuts.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/us/politics/nike-dei-trump-eeoc.html
— Are You a Jerk or a Sucker? Do only creeps or chumps still believe in the American dream? DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I followed conservative principles. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree and three job-related and master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/26/opinion/your-friends-and-neighbors-apple-tv.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: G.O.P. Kills Bid to Expand I.V.F. Access in the Military. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors 1980-1997 a) decried the time and money that they spent raising their children and b) decried the little or no income that their spouses had. They used against me big time a) my wife and I giving up trying to have children without trying IVF, our not adopting, and our not becoming foster parents and b) my wife’s good job. According to them, were it not for the aforesaid, we would not have been able to buy two new cars and a home in Wheaton when we got married in 1978 and I would not have been able a) to pass the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, b) to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980, c) to earn a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, d) to pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, e) to become a licensed CPA in 1981, and f) to have a home built in Wheaton in 1984. My Democrat GAO superiors ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being disgusting selfish rich DINKs. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. They knew full-well that both my wife and I had major fertility problems. Should write about my Democrat GAO superiors?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/us/politics/gop-ivf-military.html

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL
— What happened to 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.reviewjournal.com/opinion/letters/letter-whatever-happened-to-personal-responsibility-3732141/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— India’s Affirmative-Action Lesson for America. Quotas hold the country back, even as China’s meritocracy fuels its economic advancement.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/indias-affirmative-action-lesson-for-america-26f2dbaf
(FROM THE ARTICLE: India’s long-running debate about affirmative action has a new point of comparison: China. As Indians argue about expanding caste quotas in government jobs and public higher education, opponents of affirmative action want their country to learn from its northern neighbor. They compare India’s quota-ridden system—DEI on steroids—with China’s brutal meritocracy, which has produced economic and technological results that many Indians envy.)

BLOOMBERG LAW
— The Trump administration plans to dramatically reduce discrimination complaint processing options for federal workers, according to two people familiar with the proposal. 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://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/federal-worker-eeo-process-eyed-for-major-overhaul-in-trump-plan

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— Essay questions on many federal job applications, asking candidates how they would advance the Trump administration’s policies.  DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/hiring-retention/2026/04/federal-job-applicants-cant-skip-loyalty-question-that-opm-says-is-optional-court-filings-claim/
— Trump administration tosses degree requirements. DD: If I had not earned a high school diploma and passed the employment test, the Democrats who ran the Post Office would not have hired me in 1966. If I had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business, Firestone Stores would not have hired me in 1970. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination, the Democrats who ran IRS would not have hired me in 1971. If I have not been taking graduate evening business courses, 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.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/hiring-retention/2026/04/trump-administration-tosses-degree-requirements-for-federal-it-managers/

FINANCIAL EXPRESS
— DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, Pritzker ever-increasingly promotes more hatred against Trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVLKVZ7Qq1Y

URBAN INSTITUTE
— DD: What are the biggest personal choices that you made? Mine include earning a job-related college degree even though no one saw me as being college material.
https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/poverty-results-structural-barriers-not-personal-choices-safety-net-programs-should-reflect-fact

BROOKINGS
— DD: What are the biggest personal choices that you made? Mine include earning a job-related college degree even though no one saw me as being college material.
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/following-the-success-sequence-success-is-more-likely-if-youre-white/

YALE INSIGHTS
— Are Leaders Responsible for Employee Wellbeing? DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, they ever-increasingly worked harder to get rid of me. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran.
https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/are-leaders-responsible-for-employee-wellbeing

ATLANTIC
— DD: What are the biggest personal choices that you made? Mine include earning a job-related college degree even though no one saw me as being college material.
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/07/get-out-of-poverty-success-sequence/566414/

POLITICO
— Heritage Foundation. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I have always been too conservative because I promote the following planks in the Republican Party platform: personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. My critics/opponent reject some, many, most, virtually all, if not all of the aforesaid planks.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/08/01/heritage-foundation-young-republicans-groypers-hiring-01006937

NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER
— Vatican issues sweeping defense of traditional marriage. DD: My critics/opponents fail/refuse to promote traditional marriage.
https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-issues-sweeping-defense-traditional-marriage-pushing-back-polygamy

PSYCHOLOGY TODAY
— Sometimes, the best next step forward is a step back. DD: When I was 31 in 1980, to get promoted to GS-13, I took a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO. My Democrat IRS superiors had made it very clear that they would never promote me to GS-13 even though I had earned an MBA when I was 27 and had passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. They had gotten rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me when I was 23, 24, and 25. They had disallowed my travel vouchers when I was 25. They had disallowed my education deductions when I was 29. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-awesome-career/202604/why-your-next-career-move-might-be-a-demotion

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

MEAWW
— Hegseth: Meritocracy reigns supreme in the Pentagon. DD: To promote Affirmative Action and DEI is to dump meritocracy. 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 and/or b) who were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://news.meaww.com/meritocracy-reigns-supreme-hegseths-pentagon-fires-back-after-mark-kellys-race-and-gender-claims