FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch’s office hires outside law firm for $450K sexual harassment review.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/11/13/house-speaker-emanuel-chris-welchs-office-hires-outside-law-firm-for-450k-sexual-harassment-review/
— FRONT PAGE: CPS Black Student Achievement Committee meets for the first time.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/11/13/afternoon-briefing-cps-black-student-achievement-committee-meets-for-the-first-time/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Illinois Republicans crash and burn in the burbs. DD: Anticipate/expect that RINO and Democrat plant leaders in Illinois will use November 3, 2026 Republican defeats a) to officially strike the conservative planks in the Illinois Republican Party platform, b) to get rid of conservatives once and for all, and c) to officially change that party’s name to “Democrat Lite.” I should write about how RINO and Democrat plant leaders in DuPage County a) welcomed Democrat invaders with open arms and b) got rid of conservatives to get votes from those invaders.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/11/14/illinois-republicans-democrats-chicago-suburbs-trump-rich-miller
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In DuPage County, the number of Republicans casting primary ballots for governor fell about 33 percent compared to four years ago. Pritzker is winning that former Republican bastion by almost two-to-one (63-33). He won DuPage four years ago by 15 points (56-41). As recently as 2018, DuPage was still a swing county. No more.)
DAILY HERALD
— House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch’s office hires outside law firm for $450K sexual harassment review.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20261113/illinois-state-politics/house-speaker-emanuel-chris-welchs-office-hires-outside-law-firm-for-450k-sexual-harassment-revi/
— Democrats are weighing impeachment of RFK Jr. while courting his supporters.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20261113/nation-and-world-politics/democrats-are-weighing-impeachment-of-rfk-jr-while-courting-his-supporters/
FOX32
— Loaded machine gun discovered during Naperville traffic stop.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/loaded-machine-gun-seized-during-naperville-traffic-stop
RIVER BENDER
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Iran against America. My Democrat superiors in the federal government who were veterans saw Republicans as siding with North Vietnam against America. They blamed Republicans for America losing the war. They took their anger against Republicans out on me, one of their very few Republican employees.
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/duckworth-rejects-funding-deal-for-trumps-iran-war-on-her-alive-day-98332.cfm
CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— While counties unlikely to really secede, individuals do it all the time.
https://archive.ph/eiyFS#selection-3548.0-3548.3
NPR ILLINOIS
— Hegseth’s failed impeachment was a warning to Democrats. Where will they go from here? DD: I should write about the failed attempt by my critics/opponents to get the Illinois Center Right Coalition to censure me for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters in 2006. My critics/opponents are anti-conservative.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-11-14/hegseths-failed-impeachment-was-a-warning-to-democrats-where-will-they-go-from-here
CWB CHICAGO
— Nine 911 calls. Hours without police. Chicago’s public safety failure is indefensible.
https://cwbchicago.com/2026/11/opinion-nine-911-calls-hours-without-police-chicagos-public-safety-failure-is-indefensible.html
CAPITOL NEWS ILINOIS
— First discretionary decertification of an officer takes place five years after the SAFE-T Act. DD: Constructively, my Democrat GAO superiors decertified me when I was 49 in 1997.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/policing-the-police/
ILLINOIS TIMES
— Chicago suburbs vote overwhelmingly Democratic. DD: Anticipate/expect that RINO and Democrat plant leaders in Illinois will use November 3, 2026 Republican defeats a) to officially strike the conservative planks in the Illinois Republican Party platform, b) to get rid of conservatives once and for all, and c) to officially change that party’s name to “Democrat Lite.” I should write about how RINO and Democrat plant leaders in DuPage County a) welcomed Democrat invaders with open arms and b) got rid of conservatives to get votes from those invaders.
https://www.illinoistimes.com/news-opinion/politics/chicago-suburbs-vote-overwhelmingly-democratic/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In DuPage County, the number of Republicans casting primary ballots for governor fell about 33 percent compared to four years ago. Pritzker is winning that former Republican bastion by almost two-to-one (63-33). He won DuPage four years ago by 15 points (56-41). As recently as 2018, DuPage was still a swing county. No more.)
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/11/13/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-cps-faces-280-layoffs-after-banking-on-150m-in-unapproved-state-funding/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/
WIREPOINTS
https://wirepoints.org/
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Orice Williams Brown, and before her, Gene L. Dodaro, rose through the ranks at GAO to become U.S. Comptroller Generals. Just kidding, again, just kidding, but in a different world, I could have risen through the ranks at GAO to became a U.S. Comptroller General. According to Google AI: U.S. Comptroller Generals should have: “Deep Auditing & Financial Expertise: Extensive background in auditing (including financial, performance, and internal audits), accounting, risk management, and the evolution of technology and data analytics.” I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year. Sadly, my Democrat GAO superiors ignored/dismissed/belittled a) my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, b) my passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, c) my becoming a licensed CPA in 1981, d) my becoming a certified fraud examiner in 1990, government financial manager in 1994, financial services auditor in 1996, and forensic accountant in 1997, e) my earning an MBA in 1976, f) my earning a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, g) my earning a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997, and h) my having worked for IRS 1971-1980, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year. They would not have a) ignored/dismissed/belittled the aforesaid, b) forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980, 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 18 years that I worked for them, e) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
(ACCORDING TO GOOGLE AI: The U.S. Comptroller General—the nonpartisan head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)—does not have a rigid statutory checklist of degrees or certifications in federal law, but federal standards and oversight groups require specific core qualifications and leadership traits: Core Qualifications & Expectations. Unwavering Integrity and Independence: Must possess an unassailable record of honesty, ethical conduct, and genuine independence from partisan or executive influence. Deep Auditing & Financial Expertise: Extensive background in auditing (including financial, performance, and internal audits), accounting, risk management, and the evolution of technology and data analytics. Executive Leadership: Proven experience leading large, complex organizations and understanding governance and federal oversight. Bipartisan Acceptance: Must be capable of earning strong bipartisan support from Congress, as the Comptroller General serves a single, nonrenewable 15-year term. The Selection Process. Congressional Commission: Nominees are traditionally recommended via a bipartisan, bicameral congressional advisory commission that puts forward a list of qualified candidates. Appointment: The candidate is nominated by the President and must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.)
— The U.S. Comptroller General heads GAO. Efforts are underway to install the next Comptroller General. Democrats do not want Republicans to audit Democrats. I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year. I sued those Democrats for their using Affirmative Action, up-or-out, subjectivity in their performance appraisal system, and budget cuts to waste my career and to force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. SEE: https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf I should write a book about GAO and its Democrat leaders. Charles Bowsher was the Comptroller General 1981-1997. Under him, the agency shrank from more than 6,000 employees to less than 3,000 employees. GAO is just a shell of what it once was. Of course, my Democrat GAO Chicago office managers dutifully carried out his directives. He had his managers take many big adverse actions against me and against GAO employees who shared my demographics: Republican, White, male, older, and non-veteran. He ignored/dismissed/belittled a) my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, b) my passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, c) my becoming a licensed CPA in 1981, d) my becoming a certified fraud examiner in 1990, government financial manager in 1994, financial services auditor in 1996, and forensic accountant in 1997, e) my earning an MBA in 1976, f) my earning a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, g) my earning a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997, and h) my having worked for IRS 1971-1980, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year. He would not have ignored/dismissed/belittled the aforesaid if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— As Democrat elected officials gain more power, they will ever-increasingly use government to take more of the following away from Republicans and to give it to Democrats: education and employment opportunities, financial assets, income, firearms, vehicles, real estate, etc. It is called redistribution of wealth. My Democrat Post Office superiors took away my job and gave it to my Democrat coworker in 1969. My Democrat IRS superiors took away my opportunities to be promoted to GS-13 after 1974 and gave those opportunities to my Democrat coworkers. My Democrat GAO superiors took away $23,699/year (21%) of my income in today’s dollars as a condition of my transferring from IRS to GAO in 1980. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. My Democrat GAO superiors delayed my promotions back to GS-11 and GS-12 and then to GS-13. They took away my opportunities to be promoted to GS-14 after 1986 and gave those promotions to my Democrat coworkers. My Democrat GAO superiors took away my job and gave it to my Democrat subordinate when I was 49 in 1997. He had less work experience than I had, less education than I had, one professional certification while I had six, and no professional license like the one I had. – Dave Diersen
http://www-gopillinois.com
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Candidate quality problem behind the Republican rout. DD: Have the Republican leaders of your municipality, your township, your county, and Illinois ever encouraged you to run for an office? My Republican leaders have not only not done that, they have discouraged me from running for offices big time. They have always considered me to be “too conservative.” They have always ignored/dismissed/belittled my work experience, education, professional certifications, and professional license. They have always stressed the many big adverse actions that my Democrat GAO, IRS, and Post Office superiors took against me. They have always stressed my “bad” demographics: White, male, old, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and my ancestors having been in America for a long time. They have taken many big adverse actions against me. Because of my qualifications, they have especially discouraged me from running for DuPage County Auditor. I worked for GAO as an Analyst for almost 18 years, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year. I worked for IRS as a Revenue Officer for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year. I passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt. I became a licensed CPA. I earned professional certifications in fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting. I earned master’s degrees in business, accounting, and finance. If I had been a moderate, minority, female, younger, and/or veteran, my Republican leaders would have strongly encouraged me to run for offices.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/4801101/republican-candidate-quality-problem/
AMERICAN THINKER
— MAGA voters deserve an apology. DD: Trump got elected and got reelected by promising to defend and advance the Republican Party platform. His critics/opponents can stress not only where he has not done that, but where he has dumped/rejected planks in the platform.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/11/maga-voters-deserve-an-apology/
— Universities expect a return to business as usual. Parents, employers, taxpayers and investors may have other ideas.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/11/universities-expect-a-return-to-business-as-usual/
BREITBART
— Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Delray Beach’s decision to cancel its 2027 St. Patrick’s Day parade and Pride festival is “not mandated by Florida law,” accusing the city of “malicious compliance.” DD: To get votes from those who are the following, Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly glorify and praise them: Democrat, RINO, liberal/moderate, non-White, female, younger, poor, unmarried, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or noncitizen.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/11/13/desantis-delray-beach-st-patricks-parade-dei-law/
CAMPUS REFORM
— University of Chicago panel to examine capitalism as ‘legal regime’ fueling inequality. DD: According to Democrats and according to RINOs, if you are the following and have less than others, it is because Republicans discriminate against you: Democrat, RINO, liberal/moderate, non-White, female, younger, unmarried, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or noncitizen.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/university-chicago-panel-examine-capitalism-legal-regime-fueling-inequality/30990
COLLEGE FIX
— Northwestern group cancels food fest rather than allow Israeli group to attend.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/northwestern-group-cancels-food-fest-rather-than-allow-israeli-group-to-attend/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Muslim Sen.-Elect El-Sayed to Take Oath on a Quran. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, America is ever-increasingly less Christian and less White.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/11/13/muslim-el-sayed-oath-on-a-quran/
FEDERALIST
— The Romney GOP Rises From Its Grave, Talking About ‘Principles’ Without Having Any.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/11/13/the-romney-gop-rises-from-its-grave-talking-about-principles-without-having-any/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
MS NOW
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.ms.now/opinion/stephen-miller-white-house-trump-dhs-democrats
— Ron DeSantis’ war on diversity puts city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade at risk. A new Florida law bars local governments from spending money on celebrations of gender identity, race and ethnicity — like, for example, the Irish. DD: To get votes from those who are the following, Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly glorify and praise them and promise to use government to give them more preference: Democrat, RINO, liberal/moderate, non-White, female, younger, poor, unmarried, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or noncitizen.
https://www.ms.now/opinion/delray-st-patricks-day-parade-canceled-ron-desantis-dei
ROLL CALL
— Bipartisan process for picking GAO chief breaks down. Law requires bipartisan panel recommend at least three candidates to president.
https://rollcall.com/2026/11/13/bipartisan-process-for-picking-gao-chief-breaks-down/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Republican leaders have skipped a bipartisan deliberative process for recommending the next comptroller general to head the Government Accountability Office, as lawmakers prepare to consider a nomination for the post from President Donald Trump. Sources said Trump is planning to nominate Eric Ueland, who currently serves as deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget. The White House submitted ethics paperwork on Ueland — required for nominations — to the GAO, according to a source. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Thursday posted notice of a committee hearing Nov. 19 to examine more than a dozen presidential nominees for executive and judicial offices, including “a nominee to be Comptroller General.” The post identifies by name all of the nominees except the candidate for comptroller general. The post has been filled by an acting comptroller general, Orice Williams Brown, since Gene L. Dodaro completed his 15-year term at the end of last year. The move by Paul to short-circuit the convening of a legislative commission to recommend candidates infuriated top Democrats, who excoriated the chairman in a joint statement Wednesday night. A special bipartisan, bicameral legislative commission is supposed to recommend at least three candidates for comptroller general to the president, according to statute.)
— Legislative Branch bill would hold off on GAO cuts. Watchdog office would see a nearly 6 percent increase from fiscal 2026.
https://rollcall.com/2026/11/13/legislative-branch-bill-would-hold-off-on-gao-cuts/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: With stopgap funding set to expire in less than a month, Senate Republican appropriators Thursday unveiled a roughly $5.3 billion draft fiscal 2027 Legislative Branch spending bill that would boost security funding and sidestep contentious debates over a key watchdog. The proposal would provide $965 million for Capitol Police, a nearly $83 million hike from fiscal 2026, but still short of the more than $1 billion the department requested as threats against lawmakers rise. And it would bump funding for the Government Accountability Office up to $860 million, an increase of nearly 6 percent from fiscal 2026. That stands in contrast to the version of the bill advanced by the House Appropriations Committee in May, which floated slashing the GAO by 25 percent. It joins several other draft spending bills released this week by Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is trying to kickstart bicameral negotiations as lawmakers stare down a Dec. 11 deadline to fund the government.)
THE HILL
— Credibility. DD: My critics/opponents have always attacked my credibility. In my defense I stress that I passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt. That I became a licensed CPA. That I earned professional certifications in fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting. That I earned master’s degrees in business, accounting, and finance. That I worked for GAO as an Analyst for almost 18 years, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year. That I worked for IRS as a Revenue Officer for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year.
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/5880879-trump-lies-threaten-us-alliances/
NEW YORK TIMES
— Republicans Begin Aggressive Lame-Duck Push to Install Trump Judges. The G.O.P. intends to win confirmation of about two dozen federal judges before the party loses power. But Democrats promise to do what they can to stop them.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/11/us/politics/trump-federal-judges-senate-republicans.html
— Mamdani Makes Deal With Trump to Delay SNAP Rules for Stores Across U.S.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/13/nyregion/mamdani-trump-snap-rule-delay.html
WASHINGTON POST
— Trump’s GOP was all they knew. Now some wonder if MAGA is dead. The movement’s rank and file, young and old, are soul-searching as they look to leaders outside the White House, cross over to Democrats or disengage from politics. DD: I have always been and I always will be a conservative. My critics/opponents always have been and always will be anti-conservative. Most commonly, they reject the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and/or equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks in the Republican Party platform.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/11/13/maga-voters-are-forced-confront-future-beyond-trump/
— Political affiliation discrimination. DD: For Democrat leaders, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats, and especially Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/16/trump-civil-service-loyalty-firings/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Trump’s Legacy-Defining Decision on Iran. He needs to settle the question in America’s favor before the next president takes office.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/trumps-legacy-defining-decision-on-iran-1a9f6a5c
— The Racial Progress Deniers. The midterm elections blow up Democratic myths about racism.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/midterms-minority-candidates-structural-racism-1d66f2d3
ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT
— Career Potential. DD: What factors limited your career potential? I did not earn an MBA until I was 27. I did not pass the CPA examination until I was 30. I did earn a master’s degree in accounting until I was 31. I did not pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination and become a licensed CPA until I was 32. I did not become a Certified Fraud Examiner until I was 41. I did not become a Certified Government Financial Manager until I was 45. I did not become a Certified Financial Services Auditor until I was 47. I did not become a Forensic Accountant until I was 48. I did not earn a master’s degree in financial markets and trading until I was 48.
https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/AMPROC.2026.13471abstract
FED WEEK
— Political affiliation discrimination. DD: For Democrat leaders, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats, and especially Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran.
https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/mspb-reiterates-concern-about-political-pressure-in-federal-workplace/
PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE
— Partnership for Public Service statement on the GAO comptroller general selection process.
https://ourpublicservice.org/know-the-facts/resource-library/press-room/partnership-for-public-service-statement-on-the-gao-comptroller-general-selection-process
POLITICO
— Senate committee schedules nomination hearing for Comptroller General as Democrats cry ‘sham.’ Democrats are accusing GOP congressional leaders of helping Trump install one of his allies atop GAO. The Senate is scheduled to hold a hearing next week on Trump still-secret nominee to run GAO as Democrats accuse Republicans of colluding to install a Trump ally.
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/11/12/congress/gop-moves-to-launch-gao-pick-01162555
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
GUARDIAN
— Yalta became a byword for betrayal. Will Trump, Xi and Putin enact another carve-up?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/nov/14/yalta-trump-xi-putin-china-apec
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/nov/08/ava-duvernay-interview-trump-documentary-film-14th-amendment
MUNK SCHOOL
— Inequality in the United States. DD: According to Democrats and according to RINOs, if you are the following and have less than others, it is because Republicans discriminate against you: Democrat, RINO, liberal/moderate, non-White, female, younger, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, non-German American, and./or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/csus/news/event-report-breaking-point-faculty-speaker-series-which-way-america-inequality-united-states