FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Rauner: When it comes to K-12 education, Illinois families deserve high standards and proven policies
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/opinion-illinois-k-12-education-standards/
— Vallas: Maduro is not just a corrupt leader. He’s also a direct threat to US security.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/opinion-venezuela-war-powers-venezuela-nicolas-maduro/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against Trump.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/column-venezuela-us-maduro-trump-depetris/
DAILY HERALD
— Every Chicago suburb should strive to meet the state’s affordable housing requirements. DD: How diverse is housing affordability in your precinct? There is tremendous diversity in my DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260106/editorials/daily-herald-opinion-a-group-effort-every-chicago-suburb-should-strive-to-meet-the-states-afforda/
WBEZ
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against Trump.
https://www.wbez.org/politics/2026/01/06/venezuela-occupation-not-good-for-venezuela-america-chicago-uchicago-professor-says
WAND TV
— Illinois bans life insurance companies from discriminating against people with criminal records. DD: Democrats ever-increasingly encourage people to engage in bad behavior.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/illinois-bans-life-insurance-companies-from-discriminating-against-people-with-criminal-records/article_e4b3f956-51fe-4289-a221-9dd7d5d0934c.html
FOX ILLINOIS
— Heightened security in DC after capture of Maduro
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/nicolas-maduro-court-capture-venezuela-strikes-president-trump-washington-dc-heightened-security-white-house-embassy-us-military-delta-force-team-narco-terrorism-marco-rubio-venezuelans-pete-hegseth
NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against Trump.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-05/trump-opposed-regime-change-but-now-he-says-the-u-s-is-in-charge-of-venezuela
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-05/former-trump-administration-officials-calls-on-president-to-let-venezuelans-run-their-country
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Giannoulias cash surge fuels City Hall buzz
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/01/06/giannoulias-cash-surge-fuels-city-hall-buzz-00712205
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/06/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-653/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Could $1.5 Million in Congressional Pork for DuPage County’s Prairie Food Co-op Inspire Woodstock’s Food Shed To Request the Same?
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/06/could-1-5-million-in-congressional-pork-for-dupage-countys-prairie-food-co-op-inspire-woodstocks-food-shed-to-request-the-same/
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What will your Republican Precinct Committeeman do to encourage voters in your precinct to cast Republican ballots in the March 17, 2026 primary? I will hand-deliver a sample ballot and the campaign literature that the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) provides me to the 400 residences in my precinct that have at least one registered Republican or Independent voter. The contested Republican races in my precinct are U.S. Senate, Illinois Governor, Illinois Attorney General, Illinois Secretary of State, Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court, and DuPage County Sheriff. I have obtained a PDF file from the DuPage County Election Division and printed individual mailing labels for the 800 registered Republican and Independent voters in my precinct. I have asked MTRO for 400 envelopes. As soon as the sample ballot is available, I will photocopy it and stuff the envelopes with them and the campaign literature that MTRO provides me with, put them in walk order, divide them into five batches, and hand-deliver them. I hope we have a mild winter. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What discourages people from visiting websites? Paywalls, advertising, popups, cookie permission requests, donation requests, and/or lack of full disclosure of sources, who is paying for the website, and who is running then. Visitors to http://www.gopillinois.com have never seen any of the aforesaid and they never will. But sadly, the many websites that I have to visit to put GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters together are ever-increasingly full of the aforesaid. Because news and commentary websites are overwhelming fronts for the Democrat and Libertarian parties, my having to visit them for opposition research is ever-increasingly stressful, painful, and disgusting. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Are you conservative? Are you Republican? I am. How hard have Democrat and RINO leaders tried to get you to leave Illinois? They have tried extremely hard to get me to leave Illinois. But I am not leaving. My ancestors have lived in northeast Illinois since 1844. I have lived in northeast Illinois since 1948, in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton since 1978, and in Wheaton’s West District and my precinct since 1984. My parents, brother, uncles, aunts, virtually all my relatives have died. I earned my four college degrees, six professional certifications, and professional license in Illinois. Hopefully, Democrat and RINO caused poverty and crime will not increase as much as I fear. I should write about those Democrat and RINO leaders who have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me to get me to leave Illinois. – 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 in conservative. RINO leaders have chosen. They have chosen to make the Republican Party the Democrat Lite Party, that is, they have chosen to dump conservative principles and virtually all the planks in the Republican Party platform. They have chosen to drive conservatives, that is, Republicans, out of the Republican Party. They have chosen to destroy the Republican Party. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— How Illinois has changed under Pritzker
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/presidential-profile-how-illinois-has-changed-under-pritzker/
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Fraud Targeting Children Went Unchecked for Years in Minnesota as Pritzker Praises Walz. DD: I became Certified Fraud Examiner in 1990 and a Forensic Accountant in 1997. I became a CPA in 1979, Certified Internal Auditor in 1981, and a licensed CPA in 1981. While I worked for IRS as Revenue Officer 1971-1980, I referred cases to IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) for investigation. I worked for GAO on audits of IRS’s CID 1986-1988.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/01/fraud-targeting-children-went-unchecked-for-years-in-minnesota-as-pritzker-praises-walz.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
NEW YORK POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/us-news/gavin-newsom-slams-donald-trump-for-nicolas-maduro-arrest/
— CIA concluded Maduro’s lackeys more likely to maintain order in Venezuela than opposition leader
https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/world-news/pro-maduro-thugs-ordered-to-hunt-down-us-collaborators-as-tension-fills-venezuelan-streets/
— Illegal immigrant trucker accused of causing fatal crash appears in court wearing turban he requested
https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/us-news/illegal-immigrant-truck-driver-accused-in-fatal-crash-appears-in-court-wearing-turban/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Trump freezes $10 billion in childcare social services funds for five blue states
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/06/trump-freezes-10-billion-in-childcare-social-services-funds-for-five-blue-states-1614170/
FOX NEWS
— Bondi says Trump ‘saved countless lives’ in Venezuelan dictator Maduro capture operation. Attorney general defends military operation as ‘well within’ presidential authority after Democratic criticism.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/bondi-says-trump-saved-countless-lives-venezuelan-dictator-maduro-capture-operation
— The ‘Jewish question’ was a needless distraction at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest
https://www.aol.com/articles/david-marcus-jewish-becomes-needless-184821505.html
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for inflation and for some people having less money than others.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-laser-focused-affordability-trump-softens-tariff-strategy.print
DAILY SIGNAL
— ‘Seize Private Property’: Mamdani and Lieutenants Were Serious About the Socialist Thing
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/01/05/seize-private-property-mamdani-and-lieutenants-were-serious-about-the-socailist-thing/
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— University of Illinois Hosted State-Funded Committee Meeting Where Professors Advocated for Reparations. “They shared with White workers labor exploitation. That is the hallmark of capitalism: theft.”
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/01/u-illinois-hosted-state-funded-committee-meeting-where-professors-advocated-for-reparations/
NATIONAL REVIEW
— The Crowd Cheered Ramaswamy. DD: Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Republican Party platform in conservative. RINO leaders have chosen. They have chosen to make the Republican Party the Democrat Lite Party, that is, they have chosen to dump conservative principles and virtually all the planks in the Republican Party platform. They have chosen to drive conservatives, that is, Republicans, out of the Republican Party. They have chosen to destroy the Republican Party.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-crowd-cheered-ramaswamy/amp/
(FROM THE ARTICE: Vivek Ramaswamy’s speech at Turning Point USA’s flagship event last month is worth watching — both for the content of the Ohio gubernatorial candidate’s remarks, and for the reaction of the crowd. Because of their growing numbers and influence, some on the right seem to believe that the political success of the GOP playing footsie with racists, bigots, and antisemites. But not Ramaswamy, who accurately argued that the political right currently faces a time for choosing: It is the American dream that makes American exceptionalism possible. And the answer of what it means to be a conservative — this is what it’s up to us to answer. It is a fork in the road for the future of the conservative movement right now. What does it mean to be a conservative? It means we conserve those ideals that define our country. And now is a moment, a time for choosing in the future of our conservative movement to determine with clarity who’s actually on that team of conserving the ideals versus who actually is not.)
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— DEI has no place in our K-12 classrooms
https://thehill.com/opinion/education/5673073-radical-activism-dei-antiracism/
— Trump moves to dominate Western Hemisphere
https://thehill.com/newsletters/morning-report/5674161-trump-venezuela-foreign-policy/
— Venezuelans praise Trump for taking out Maduro
https://thehill.com/opinion/robbys-radar/5673039-us-forces-oust-venezuelan-dictator/amp/
— Twenty-five years ago, Gallup began asking Americans if they were proud of their country. Nine out of 10 said yes, they were extremely or very proud of the United States. Things have changed. National pride has sunk to 58 percent, an all-time low. The response among young people is especially telling. Gallup found that the members of each new generation since 2001 have been less likely than the previous one to say they are very proud to be Americans. Only 41 percent of the Gen Z, the latest generation to reach adulthood, feels that way today. DD: Ever-increasingly since the 1960s, Democrat and RINO leaders have replace meritocracy with race and gender based preference giving.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5668737-we-need-a-program-of-national-service/amp/
ASSOCIATED PRESS
— DD: Anti-Americans ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-united-nations-maduro-trump-waltz-1433e10bbb800fb41b21a70c7501ad88
ABC NEWS
— DD: Anti-Americans ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-donroe-doctrine-seeks-influence-western-hemisphere-citing/story?id=128926397
CBS NEWS
— 2,000 federal agents deploying to Minneapolis in immigration crackdown, fraud probe. DD: I became Certified Fraud Examiner in 1990 and a Forensic Accountant in 1997. I became a CPA in 1979, Certified Internal Auditor in 1981, and a licensed CPA in 1981. While I worked for IRS as Revenue Officer 1971-1980, I referred cases to IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) for investigation. I worked for GAO on audits of IRS’s CID 1986-1988.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minneapolis-federal-agents-crackdown/
NBC NEWS
— DD: What percent of Venezuelans in America support Maduro?
https://www.nbcnews.com/video/venezuelan-americans-react-to-nicolas-maduro-s-removal-255445061938
NEW YORK TIMES
— Maduro’s Gesture Was Not Just a Peace Sign. The captured authoritarian leader flashed a symbol that many took to be a defiant peace sign. Loyal lawmakers repeated the gesture at a session in Caracas.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/world/americas/maduro-gesture-peace-sign.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/01/06/nytfrontpage/scan.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/world/europe/trump-venezuela-china-russia.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/us/politics/congress-venezuela-maduro.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/world/americas/maduro-new-york-arraignment-venezuela-protest.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/opinion/trump-venezuela-maduro-clausewitz-aquinas.html
— Hegseth Starts Proceedings Against Sen. Mark Kelly Over His Remarks. DD: I got no proceedings when my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997. If GAO had been unionized, there would have been.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/us/politics/hegseth-mark-kelly.html
WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/01/05/maduro-arraignment-international-law-trump-justified/
— Trump officials bar Head Start providers from using ‘women’ and ‘race’ in grant applications. The Trump administration is telling Head Start providers to avoid dozens of terms in federal grant applications, including “race,” “belonging” and “pregnant people.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/05/head-start-dei-women-race/79c256b0-ea80-11f0-91a9-9928b22be817_story.html
USA TODAY
— So now Democrats are mad that Trump ousted a dictator? Kudos to President Donald Trump and our military. I hope the president can finish the job and reinstate democracy to the Venezuelan people.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/01/05/democrats-criticize-trump-capture-maduro-venezuela/88017748007/
— Are opposing political views a bad thing at work? DD: To get rid of me, my Democrat GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates ever-increasingly asked me questions to get me to defend my conservative beliefs, to remind me that I was not welcome.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2025/12/30/how-to-address-clashing-political-viewpoints-work/87896476007/
— Is the 4% rule too stingy for your retirement? Try spending 5%. DD: My retirement 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://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/12/30/4-percent-rule-retirement-savings-spending/87922293007/
LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL
— Maduro action not without historical precedent
https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-maduro-action-not-without-historical-precedent-3604261/
WGME
— Noem: Venezuelan migrants under TPS can apply for asylum in the US
https://wgme.com/news/nation-world/venezuelan-migrants-under-tps-can-apply-for-asylum-in-the-us-noem-nicolas-maduros-migrant-joe-biden-threat-deportation
KSL
— Utah County GOP censures County Commissioner. DD: I should write about my critics/opponents who had their operatives and their dupes try to get the Illinois Center Right Coalition to censure me for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters in 2006. I would focus on those who continue to have lots of religious, government. political, and/or financial clout in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois.
https://www.ksl.com/article/51428753/utah-county-gop-censures-county-commissioner-amelia-powers-gardner
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Dow Jumps to Record After U.S. Captures Venezuela’s Maduro. Blue-chips close near 49000; gold, silver and copper rally.
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-01-05-2026
— Welfare Fraud Takes Out Tim Walz. Minnesota’s Governor ends his re-election run as the scandal bites. DD: I became Certified Fraud Examiner in 1990 and a Forensic Accountant in 1997. I became a CPA in 1979, Certified Internal Auditor in 1981, and a licensed CPA in 1981. While I worked for IRS as Revenue Officer 1971-1980, I referred cases to IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) for investigation. I worked for GAO on audits of IRS’s CID 1986-1988.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/tim-walz-ends-campaign-minnesota-welfare-fraud-7b276269
— Trump Administration to Freeze Social-Service Funds in More Democratic States. Government is pausing funds for child care and poor families in California, Colorado, Illinois and New York; expanding pause in Minnesota.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-administration-to-freeze-social-service-funds-in-more-democratic-states-bcb35c1d
BLOOMBERG
— Venezuela Swears in Rodríguez After Maduro Capture
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-01-06/venezuela-swears-in-rodriguez-after-maduro-capture
— Venezuela Regroups With New Leader, Old Repression Tactics
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-05/maduro-s-son-backs-rodriguez-even-as-she-extends-hand-to-trump
— Trump Asks Rubio to Lead Venezuela Overhaul After Maduro Arrest
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-06/trump-asks-rubio-to-lead-venezuela-overhaul-after-maduro-arrest?embedded-checkout=true
FORTUNE
— Trump’s strike on Venezuela gives the U.S. 30% of the world’s oil reserves on paper and a $100 billion rebuilding job in reality
https://fortune.com/2026/01/05/how-much-oil-is-in-venezuela-trump-maduro-jpmorgan-outlook/
GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— ICE more than doubled its workforce in 2025. The Trump administration has reconfigured its onboarding and training process to quickly deploy agents into the field.
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2026/01/ice-more-doubled-its-workforce-2025/410461/?oref=ge-featured-river-top
NPR
— Amid fraud claims, Trump admin announces more changes to federal child care funding. DD: I became Certified Fraud Examiner in 1990 and a Forensic Accountant in 1997. I became a CPA in 1979, Certified Internal Auditor in 1981, and a licensed CPA in 1981. While I worked for IRS as Revenue Officer 1971-1980, I referred cases to IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) for investigation. I worked for GAO on audits of IRS’s CID 1986-1988.
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/05/nx-s1-5667019/hhs-child-care-federal-funding
OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY
— Just Following Orders. DD: I never failed to follow orders from my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors to give preference to my Democrat subordinates who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. All those who they assigned me to supervise were the aforesaid. I gave them lots of preference. But that was not enough. They punished me severely a) because I complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination and b) because I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid when I was 40 years old in 1988.
https://outsidethebeltway.com/just-following-orders/
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
GUARDIAN
— Venezuela detains journalists and seizes communication devices after Maduro’s removal
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/06/venezuela-detains-journalists-after-nicolas-maduros-captured
CBC NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpQ_Rp1YDRQ
AL JAZERRA
— US critics and allies condemn Maduro’s abduction at UN Security Council
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/6/us-critics-and-allies-condemn-maduros-abduction-at-un-security-council
— Americans evenly split on Maduro’s abduction
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/6/americans-evenly-split-on-maduros-abduction-poll-shows
— DD: Anti-Americans ever-increasingly promote Maduro.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/1/6/live-un-security-council-members-slam-us-abduction-of-venezuelas-maduro
Tag: old
January 5, 2025
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/01/02/operation-midway-blitz-parents-children-immigration-detention-mental-health
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Admitting unprepared students into college isn’t equity
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/05/opinion-college-admissions-sat-act-test-scores-unprepared-students/
FOX ILLINOIS
— Trump warns Venezuela’s vice president of dire consequences if she defies US expectations. DD: I never defied orders from my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors to give preference to my Democrat subordinates who were minority, female, and/or veteran. All those who they assigned me to supervise were the aforesaid. I gave them lots of preference. But that was not enough. I suffered dire consequences a) because I complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination and b) because I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid when I was 40 years old in 1988.
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/trump-warns-venezuelas-vice-president-of-dire-consequences-if-she-defies-us-expectations
JC POST
— Recent college graduates face a world with fewer jobs — and loan payments are due soon. DD: Did you get a student loan? I did not. If I had gotten a student loan, I would not have had to work my way through college. My GPA would have been higher. I spent far too many hours washing dishes and delivering mail instead of studying. My ACT score would have been higher. My postal management test score would have been higher. My Federal Service Entrance Examination score would have been higher. I would have gotten a job that required a college degree sooner after I graduated from NIU when I was 21 years old in 1970.
https://jcpost.com/posts/dfed9403-4b0d-4569-bdd9-15d13e018886
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— 2026 predictions
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/01/05/2026-predictions-venezuela-vibes-00710459
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Republican Congressional/County Board Debate at MCC on January 22nd. DD: If I was still the chairman of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois and a member of the Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee, the organizations would still be hosting candidate debates.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/05/republican-congressional-county-board-debate-at-mcc-on-january-22nd/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
NEW YORK POST
— Red alert in NYC as nearly 60% of voters support Mamdani socialism
https://nypost.com/2026/01/04/us-news/red-alert-in-nyc-as-nearly-60-of-voters-support-mamdani-socialism-poll/
— Rubio mocks Kamala Harris for shocking double-standard after she criticized Maduro arrest
https://nypost.com/2026/01/04/us-news/rubio-mocks-kamala-harris-for-shocking-double-standard-after-she-criticized-maduro-arrest/
AMERICAN THINKER
— It’s 2026: Your Race Card Has Expired. Politics is simply gifting your supporters with tax money and grants and government regulations so that the grateful supporters will contribute to your next campaign.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/01/it_s_2026_your_race_card_has_expired.html
— The Devil wears blue. When policies consistently produce death, chaos, division, and decline — yet are defended with religious fervor — it is reasonable to ask whether something far darker than mere politics is at work.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/the_devil_wears_blue.html
— The Kinetic War on Drugs. This last few weeks, Donald Trump changed the war on drugs. He made it kinetic.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/01/the_kinetic_war_on_drugs.html
— Exposing the deep state fraud system. This time, they may have gone too far.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/exposing_the_deep_state_fraud_system.html
BLAZE
— Minnesota’s fraud scandal exposes a dangerously loose election system
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/minnesotas-fraud-scandal-exposes-a-dangerously-loose-election-system
BREITBART
— Newsom Defies Transportation Sec. Duffy, Extends Migrant Trucking Licenses
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/01/04/gov-newsom-defies-transportation-sec-extends-migrant-trucking-licenses/amp/
DAILY CALLER
— Democratic Lawmaker Says She Feels Guilty For Being White And Kids Should Too. DD: My critics/opponents agree with her. According to them, I owe all my successes in life to my benefitting from discrimination against those who are minority, female, younger, LGBTQ, veteran, unmarried, parents, non-Protestant, non-German American, non-citizen, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for as long as mine have been. In my defense, neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school. I had to work my way through college.
https://www.aol.com/articles/democratic-lawmaker-says-she-feels-182204161.html
EEOC
— Discrimination Against American Workers Is Against The Law. DD: Democrat and RINO employers ever-increasingly make it clear that they prefer citizens of foreign countries over citizens of America. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have.
https://www.eeoc.gov/discrimination-against-american-workers-against-law
FOX BUSINESS
— Starlink provides free internet to Venezuela following US arrest of Maduro
https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/starlink-provides-free-internet-venezuela-following-us-arrest-nicolas-maduro
FOX NEWS
— Trump says Cuba is ‘ready to fall’ after capture of Venezuela’s Maduro. President Trump predicted Cuba’s communist government is “ready to fall” following the U.S.-led capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/trump-says-cuba-ready-fall-after-capture-venezuelas-maduro
— Maduro and ‘Lady Macbeth’ Cilia Flores marriage spells ‘worst case’ custody scenario. Flores described as ‘original Chavista’ who helped construct Chávez’s revolutionary project before marrying Maduro in 2013.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/maduro-wife-face-manhattan-arraignment-expert-calls-us-custody-worst-case-scenario
REAL CLEAR MARKETS
— Contemplating the Difficult Labor-Market Conditions for U.S.-Born Men. DD: Democrats ever-increasingly a) destroy traditional marriage and family, b) destroy personal responsibility, and c) promote dependency on government and charity.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2026/01/05/contemplating_the_difficult_labor-market_conditions_for_us-born_men_1156577.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Thanks to Barack Obama’s relaxation of food stamp requirements, the number of able-bodied adults without dependents on the rolls tripled between 2007 and 2012, reaching the same number of single adults with dependent children. These patterns remained through 2023. Many also qualify for Medicaid. Thus, with government and family support, these idle men have been able to get by. The problem is that once these men are away from paid employment for an extended period, many no longer possess the behavioral requirements necessary to sustain permanent employment. This is why when some states a decade ago began to enforce very modest work-related requirements on this group, half left the rolls. This lack of appropriate behaviors helps explain why employers of semi-skilled workers, like Amazon distribution centers, often seek out immigrant workers. The controversy last year in Springfield (OH) focused on how a group of employers recruited Haitian immigrants from outside the state rather than seek local workers. Unlike many of the local young men, these immigrants were reliable: showing up for work every day, following orders, and working responsibly at their job. These immigrants may work for less, but it was their superior behavior that was crucial [editor’s emphasis]. Unfortunately, continuing to stress increasing the share of men in four-year colleges will only worsen the problem. A large share of boys has substandard 8th-grade reading and math skills. Given their weak skills, the highest-paid vocational occupations, like plumber and electricians, are beyond their reach. Instead, they unfortunately must be prepared for entry-level certificate programs as the necessary first step for future success. Only then can many of them gain the behavioral traits that will enable them to have productive lives, often by taking subsequent stackable certificates. Sadly, a significant share of these weakly-prepared high school students will not choose or be successful in these entry-level vocational efforts. They will become part of the disconnected population: neither in school nor in paid employment. Many will gravitate to the street life; relying on illegal activities. While few will end up with outcomes like George Floyd or Eric Garner, the vast majority will live a bleak existence on society’s margins.)
TOWNHALL
— The World is Cheering the Removal of Maduro, So Why are US Leftists Protesting, Supporting Mamdani?
https://townhall.com/columnists/rachelalexander/2026/01/05/world-cheering-the-removal-of-maduro-so-why-are-us-leftists-protesting-supporting-mamdani-n2668863
— What Do Democrats Prioritize? DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism, 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. RINO leaders fail/refuse to oppose the aforesaid. RINO leaders paint themselves as being Democrat Lite.
https://townhall.com/columnists/allenwest/2026/01/05/what-do-democrats-prioritize-n2668860
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Pope Leo calls for Venezuelan independence after Maduro ouster
https://thehill.com/policy/international/5672412-pope-leo-venezuela-sovereignty/
ABC NEW YORK
— Mamdani talks to Queens bus riders about plans for free service. DD: During the late 1950s and early 1960s, I paid for bus rides between Crete and Chicago Heights.
https://abc7ny.com/post/mayor-zohran-mamdani-talks-queens-bus-riders-plans-free-service/18353475/
REUTERS
— Cuba says 32 of its citizens killed in Maduro extraction
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cuba-says-32-its-citizens-killed-maduro-extraction-2026-01-05/
MSN
— 15 smart college majors for dependable, great-paying jobs. DD: I will forever regret not majoring in accounting from the beginning. I feared that I could never pass the CPA examination. But I started taking graduate evening accounting courses when I was 27 and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. But by then, because of my bad demographics, the accounting profession saw me as being too old to have a successful career in accounting. My earning a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31 and my passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and becoming a licensed CPA when I was 32 did not help.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/15-smart-college-majors-for-dependable-great-paying-jobs/ss-AA1TyP1J
— Why you don’t need a college degree to be successful in this generation. DD: Were you viewed as being college material? I was not. Neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school. My ACT score was only 24. I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class. I got no scholarships.
https://www.msn.com/en-ie/money/other/why-you-don-t-need-a-college-degree-to-be-successful-in-this-generation/ar-AA1TvxHY
NEW YORK TIMES
— Venezuela’s New Leader Softens Tone as Trump Threatens Colombia
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/04/world/trump-us-venezuela-maduro
— If You’re Struggling With Student Loans, Here’s What to Know for 2026. DD: Did you get a student loan? I did not. If I had gotten a student loan, I would not have had to work my way through college. My GPA would have been higher. I spent far too many hours washing dishes and delivering mail instead of studying. My ACT score would have been higher. My postal management test score would have been higher. My Federal Service Entrance Examination score would have been higher. I would have gotten a job that required a college degree sooner after I graduated from NIU when I was 21 years old in 1970.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/business/student-loan-debt-save-plan.html
— DD: For Democrats, the purpose of education is to crank out good little Democrats.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/29/opinion/harvards-campus-speech-trump.html
— FRONT PAGE: DD: Hate filled Trump-hating Trump-haters ever increasingly promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/us/politics/trump-congress-power-republicans-democrats.html
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for the high cost of healthcare.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/health/obamacare-subsidies-higher-premiums.html
WASHINGTON POST
— Trump threatens Venezuela’s interim leader as Maduro is set to be arraigned
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/01/04/us-venezuela-trump-maduro/
USA TODAY
— Many retirees aren’t taking required distributions. It can cost them.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/retirement/2025/12/28/retirees-dont-take-required-withdrawals-tax/87907996007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Venezuela’s Vice President Calls on U.S. to Release Maduro
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/venezuela-strikes/card/venezuela-s-vice-president-calls-on-u-s-to-release-maduro-qPGSe7dZLohY9ljvVSNx
— The Scandal of American Welfare Goes Beyond Fraud. California spends billions on programs that enrich insiders and don’t help the needy—and it’s all legal.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-scandal-of-american-welfare-goes-beyond-fraud-befdbeb4
— Elite Colleges Are Back at the Top of the List for Company Recruiters. As white-collar hiring slows down and corporate DEI goals vanish, where you went to college matters again. DD: According to my critics/opponents, degrees from non-Ivy League universities are worthless, that is, my 1970 NIU, 1976 Loyola, 1980 DePaul, and 1997 IIT degrees are worthless.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/elite-colleges-are-back-at-the-top-of-the-list-for-company-recruiters-ad9526ac
BLOOMBERG
— Trump’s Ouster of Maduro Shows America’s New World Order Is Here
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-01-05/trump-s-ouster-of-venezuela-s-maduro-puts-spotlight-on-cuba-greenland
FORTUNE
— Teen prodigy Kairan Quazi is ditching SpaceX for billionaire Ken Griffin’s Citadel Securities. DD: Were you a teen prodigy? I certainly was not. My critics/opponents have always stressed a) that my ACT score was only 24, b) that I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class, c) that I got no scholarships, and d) that I had to work my way through college.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/elon-musk-s-teen-prodigy-kairan-quazi-is-ditching-spacex-for-billionaire-ken-griffin-s-citadel-securities/ar-AA1KONTW
MONDAQ
— EEOC Issues New Guidance Regarding Anti-American Discrimination. DD: Democrat and RINO employers ever-increasingly make it clear that they prefer citizens of foreign countries over citizens of America. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have.
https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/employee-rights-labour-relations/1724842/the-eeoc-issues-new-guidance-regarding-anti-american-discrimination
JD SUPRA
— EEOC Highlights Discrimination Risks With New Anti-American Bias Guidance. DD: Democrat and RINO employers ever-increasingly make it clear that they prefer citizens of foreign countries over citizens of America. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/eeoc-highlights-discrimination-risks-5393104/
FED SCOOP
— OPM ‘loyalty question’ pushes potential applicants away. DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats, and especially Democrats who are minority, female, younger, veteran, disabled, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://fedscoop.com/federal-agency-jobs-trump-loyalty-question-opm-lawsuit/
ATLANTIC
— Trump Threatens Venezuela’s New Leader With a Fate Worse Than Maduro’s. The president told The Atlantic that Delcy Rodríguez needs to comply with U.S. wishes—or else. DD: I never defied orders from my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors to give preference to my Democrat subordinates who were minority, female, and/or veteran. All those who they assigned me to supervise were the aforesaid. I gave them lots of preference. But that was not enough. I suffered dire consequences a) because I complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination and b) because I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid when I was 40 years old in 1988.
https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/01/trump-venezuela-maduro-delcy-rodriguez/685497/?taid=695aa2ba1534bb0001d4bb54
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
POST
— Making a career choice that defines future you. DD: I will forever regret not majoring in accounting from the beginning. I feared that I could never pass the CPA examination. But I started taking graduate evening accounting courses when I was 27 and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. But by then, because of my bad demographics, the accounting profession saw me as being too old to have a successful career in accounting. My earning a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31 and my passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and becoming a licensed CPA when I was 32 did not help.
https://thepost.co.za/features/2026-01-05-making-a-career-choice-that-defines-future-you/
BUSINESS STANDARD
— Venezuela vice president Rodriguez in Russia, 4 sources say
https://www.tbsnews.net/world/venezuela-vice-president-rodriguez-russia-four-sources-say-1325481
TIMES
— Vladimir Putin may be seeking more secure lodgings. The US military operation in Venezuela might have the Russian dictator fidgeting nervously.
https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/vladimir-putin-may-be-seeking-more-secure-lodgings-zbdnvh23h
— The pension crisis. DD: My critics/opponents are ever-increasingly furious a) that I get a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension and b) that the federal government pays 72% of my and my wife’s healthcare insurance. In my defense, I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years. I paid 7% of my salary into the CSRS. I would not have become a postal employee when I was 18 in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment examination. I would not have become an IRS employee when I was 22 if my Firestone Store boss had not rudely fired me because I had accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile, an offer that Oldsmobile withdrew because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. Further, my CSRS pension is dramatically less because my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. Further, CSRS pensions can be as high as 80% of your ending salary. In today’s dollars, 80% of my $154,682/year ending salary would be $123,746/year. But my CSRS pension is only $68,640/year. that is, it is less than what my IRS salary was when I was 23 years old in 1972.
https://www.thetimes.com/money/pensions/article/the-pensions-crisis-isnt-ruining-just-your-savings-0h93rrc3v
INDEPENDENT
— ICE targets frustrated officers in fresh recruitment drive. DD: When I was 22 years old in 1971, I had to have a job. My Firestone Store boss had fired me because I had accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile, an offer that Oldsmobile withdrew because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. My financial hardship draft deferment application was pending. My father had died suddenly. I was helping support my mother and brother. IRS offered me a job which I took. But what if IRS had not offered me a job, but ICE did?
https://www.aol.com/articles/ice-targets-frustrated-officers-fresh-142336483.html
January 4, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— DD: Democrats rally in St. Charles to support ban on federal immigration enforcement agencies. Democrats ever increasingly a) encourage citizens of foreign countries to come to America illegally and b) fight their deportation. Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/st-charles-demonstrators-rally-support-ban-federal-immigration-enforcement-agencies-denounce-ice-border-patrol/18348183/
NBC5
— Protest in Chicago after U.S. military operation in Venezuela, president captured. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Maduro’s capture “violates international law and dangerously escalates the possibility of full-scale war,” in a statement Saturday. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/protest-in-chicago-after-u-s-military-operation-in-venezuela-president-captured/3870910/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasing fight deportation of their illegals.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/04/operation-midway-blitz-cost/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD IN NAPERVILLE SUN WITH BIG PICTURE: North Central University of Naperville? NCC considers name change as it grapples with brand recognition, identity. DD: According to my critics/opponents, degrees from non-Ivy League universities are worthless, that is, my 1970 NIU, 1976 Loyola, 1980 DePaul, and 1997 IIT degrees are worthless.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/north-central-college-naperville-name-change/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Republicans, and especially Republicans who are conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Ever-increasingly, to be a Democrat is to be a promoter of hatred.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/04/opinion-cancer-battle-systemic-racism/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Police chief is a top job, but not all Illinois’ top cops meet highest standards. Illinois should make certified law enforcement executive training a prerequisite to landing a job as a police chief, which could help weed out appointments based on loyalty, personal relationships or political convenience. DD: What if to be a county auditor, you had a) to have a degree in accounting, b) to have passed the CPA examination, c) to have passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination, d) to be a licensed CPA, and/or e) to have auditing work experience? I have a master’s degree in accounting. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt. I became a licensed CPA. I worked for GAO as an auditor for almost 18 years, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year. In addition, I became a Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Government Financial Manager, Certified Financial Services Auditor, and Forensic Accountant. I served on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter for 13 years.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2026/01/03/police-chief-hiring-illinois-should-require-certified-law-enforcement-executive-training-tom-weitzel
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Illinois holds its police officers to some of the highest professional standards in the country. Officers must be trained, certified and continually retrained. Supervisors must meet additional requirements. Specialized assignments demand advanced credentials and ongoing education. Yet the most powerful position in any police department — the chief of police — can still be filled with no mandatory statewide certification at all. It is a policy failure with real consequences.)
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for everything that is bad.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2026/01/03/college-career-professional-lived-within-means-unemployment-job-loss-economic-uncertainty-sarah-rand
DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE: Uber-wealthy Illinoisans already spending big on 2026 campaigns
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260103/us-congress-politics/uber-wealthy-illinoisans-already-spending-big-on-2026-campaigns/
(FROM TRHE ARTICLE: The Uihleins Founders of the Uline shipping- and business-supply company, the Uihleins have been among the nation’s leading Republican donors for years. They gave nearly $143.5 million to federal candidates and groups during the 2024 election cycle, records show, which placed them fourth on OpenSecrets’ nationwide list but first in their home state. So far this cycle, the Uihleins’ donations have included $7 million to a conservative political action committee called Restoration of America; $4 million to a committee called Fair Courts America; $620,200 to the National Senatorial Committee; and $620,200 to the National Republican Congressional Committee. The Uihleins also have donated to more than a dozen U.S. Senate and House candidates across the country this cycle — but none from Illinois, records show. Shirley W. Ryan Ryan — the philanthropic wife of billionaire Aon Corp. founder Pat Ryan and the namesake of a renowned rehabilitation hospital in Chicago and other venues — donated $32.2 million to federal Republican candidates and political groups during the 2024 cycle, landing her at 19th place on OpenSecrets’ Top 100. Ryan’s donations this cycle have included $51,000 to a Republican political action committee called Secure the Senate 2026 and $24,000 to another called Uphold the Senate, as well as thousands to U.S. Senate candidates outside Illinois. Janet J. Duchossois Oak Brook resident Janet J. Duchossois, the wife of Duchossois Group CEO and Chairman Craig Duchossois, donated $16.3 million to federal candidates and political groups in the 2024 cycle, placing her 34th on OpenSecrets’ list. Duchossois’ donations this cycle include $44,300 to the Republican National Committee, $41,300 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee and $46,300 to Uphold the Senate. Like the Uihleins and Ryan, she’s also backed U.S. House and Senate candidates outside Illinois, but not here.)
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more video gambling. In 2009, I led the successful effort to ban video gambling in Wheaton.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260102/business/st-charles-again-delays-push-tax-on-video-gaming-terminals/
JOURNAL COURIER
— More than half of Illinois to continue paying 1% grocery tax
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/illinois-1-grocery-tax-continuing-2026-half-state-21266702.php
LINCOLN COURIER
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.lincolncourier.com/story/news/local/2026/01/04/central-illinois-protests-against-trumps-military-action-in-venezuela/88007076007/
NPR ILLINOIS & WAND TV
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-03/maduro-faces-drug-charges-in-u-s-even-as-trump-freed-others-convicted-of-trafficking
https://www.wandtv.com/news/national/capture-of-maduro-and-us-claim-it-will-run-venezuela-raise-new-legal-questions/article_2bb82f1d-411d-5fc5-b34d-e86160b408bd.html
CWB CHICAGO
— He attacked and robbed pregnant woman in the Loop while on electronic monitoring
https://cwbchicago.com/2026/01/he-attacked-and-robbed-pregnant-woman-in-the-loop-while-on-electronic-monitoring-officials-say.html
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— IL U.S. Senate candidates differ on Affordable Care Act tax credits
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_d61bb46b-4e18-4b90-9717-b727d0588844.html
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— U.S. Indictment Accuses Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro and Wife of Running Decades-Long Cocaine Empire Targeting America
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/01/u-s-indictment-accuses-venezuelan-dictator-nicolas-maduro-and-wife-of-running-decades-long-cocaine-empire-targeting-america.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
AMERICAN THINKER
— Mamdani and the new collectivists. DD: My critics/opponents are collectivists.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/mamdani_and_the_new_collectivists.html
DAILY CALLER
— MAGA World Speaks Out On Trump’s Maduro Operation
https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/03/make-america-great-again-reacts-donald-trump-nicolas-maduro-venezuela-military-operation/
DAILY SIGNAL
— 7 Left-Wing Groups to Watch in 2026. DD: RINO leaders of the Illinois Republican Party (IRP), DuPage County Republican Central Committee (CRCC), and Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) have always demonized. denigrated, and condemned TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois and Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) as being right-wing groups and even worse things. They have always blamed TAPROOT and ICRC for losses suffered by the Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct. They had their operatives and their dupes destroy TAPROOT in 2012 and ICRC in 2007. I should write about those RINO IRP, DCRCC, and MTRO leaders. I would focus on those who have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me lately.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/01/03/7-left-wing-groups-watch-2026/amp/
EPOCH TIMES
— 9 Takeaways From Trump’s Address on Operation to Capture Maduro. The U.S. president previewed heavy investment in the nation’s oil industry to rebuild infrastructure and increase production.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/9-takeaways-from-trumps-address-on-operation-to-capture-maduro-5965704
(FROM THE ARTICLE: US to Run Venezuela Until Transition. . .US Will Tap Venezuela’s Oil Reserves. . . Threat of 2nd Attack. . .Operation Executed at Trump’s Direction. . .A Spectacular Assault. . .No Troops Killed, No Equipment lost. . .Maduro Was Given Many Chances. . .Monroe Doctrine. . .Cuba Next?)
FOX NEWS
— Maduro arrives in New York after capture, arraignment expected Monday.
https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/us-strikes-venezuela-maduro-captured-january-3-2026
— Venezuelan leader Maduro, wife arrive at Brooklyn detention facility after capture by US forces. Venezuelan leader faces narco-terrorism conspiracy charges along with his wife.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/venezuelan-leader-maduro-lands-new-york-after-being-captured-us-forces-drug-conspiracy-charges
— How a socialist cell in the US mobilized pro-Maduro foot soldiers within 12 hours. DD: How many socialist cells are there in Illinois, in your county, in your township, in your municipality, and in your school district?
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/second-front-how-socialist-cell-us-mobilized-pro-maduro-foot-soldiers-within-12-hours
— Maduro capture echoes Noriega takedown that used rock music as psychological warfare against dictator. Both operations proceeded without congressional authorization and targeted leaders accused of drug trafficking.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/maduro-capture-echoes-noriega-takedown-used-rock-music-psychological-warfare-dictator
— Black Republican calls for total, permanent abolition of DEI: ‘I want to earn every opportunity on merit.’ DD: My Black subordinate who my Democrat GAO superiors replaced me with when I was 49 years old in 1997 a) had less work experience than I had, b) had less education than I had, c) had one professional certification while I had six, and d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.aol.com/news/black-republican-calls-total-permanent-151042227.html
LAW ENFORCEMENT TODAY
— Trump Administration Shuts Down Minnesota’s Childcare Money Machine in Fraud Crackdown
https://lawenforcementtoday.com/trump-minnesota-fraud-child-care-money
NATIONAL REVIEW
— Cold, Confusion, and ‘Resistance’ Buttons: On the Ground at Mamdani’s Inauguration
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/01/cold-confusion-and-resistance-buttons-on-the-ground-at-mamdanis-inauguration/amp/
NEW AMERICAN
— Forever War — on Whites: Harvard Has Gone Full Racist
https://thenewamerican.com/us/education/forever-war-on-whites-harvard-has-gone-full-racist/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: It’s sadly ironic that a university founded in 1636 to train clergy has embraced the devilish religion of racist dogma. But this is the case, warns 40-year Harvard history professor James Hankins. In fact, it’s so bad that he has left the school. What’s at issue is damning, Hankins warns. Harvard University not only rejects teaching Western civilization’s virtues, but also won’t hire white males — no matter their qualifications. It has instead embraced a “hate whitey” philosophy that demeans the West and the European-descent peoples who birthed it. This is merely the latest, too, in the war on white men. Just last month, for example, an aspiring Hollywood writer documented entertainment’s, media’s, and academia’s refusal to hire white males. Also revealed in December was that a university writing center had claimed that emphasizing proper English is “linguistic white supremacy.”)
PJ MEDIA
— ICE Emphasizes the Impact of Sanctuary Districts Defying Detainers
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/01/03/ice-emphasizes-the-impact-of-sanctuary-districts-defying-detainers-n4947836
REAL CLEAR MARKETS
— Warm Individualism or Cold Collectivism? DD: My critics/opponents are collectivists.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/2026/01/03/warm_individualism_or_cold_collectivism_1156543.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Mamdani pledges to introduce ‘the Warmth of Collectivism’ DD: My critics/opponents are collectivists.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5670467-marxian-manhattan-mamdani-pledges-to-introduce-the-warmth-of-collectivism/
— Maduro capture adds to Hegseth’s combative first year at the Pentagon
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5671429-pentagon-hegseth-venezuela-maduro-capture/
NEW YORK TIMES
— Maduro’s Capture Prompts Protests and Celebrations in U.S. Cities. Opponents of the U.S. intervention in Venezuela called it illegal. Supporters celebrated the ouster of Nicolás Maduro, the country’s authoritarian president. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/world/americas/venezuela-chicago-washington-protests.html
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/us/venezuela-asylum-seekers.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/world/americas/maduro-last-interview-before-capture.html
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders give citizens of India and Indian Americans preference over Americans.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/29/opinion/indian-americans-trump.html
— Maduro, in Previous Stints in New York, Sought to Connect with Harlem. The self-described socialist leader tried to tie the Latin American fight against imperialism with the struggle of Black Americans against racism. DD: Maduro sounds like a typical Democrat, that is, he sounds like a typical anti-American.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/04/nyregion/maduro-earlier-nyc-visit.html
WASHINGTON POST
— Wisconsin judge convicted of obstructing arrest of immigrant resigns as GOP threatens impeachment. DD: Since I was 51 years old in 1999, my critics/opponents have used against me the many big adverse actions that the Republican leaders of Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton have taken against me. Since I was 49 years old in 1997, my critics/opponents have used against me my Democrat GAO superiors forcing me to retire. Before that, they used against me their always ranking me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, their delaying my promotions and never promoting me beyond GS-13, their keeping me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO, and their forcing me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980. Before that, they used against me my IRS superiors never promoting me beyond GS-12 and their disallowing my education deductions in 1978 and my travel vouchers in 1974. Before that, they used against me my Firestone Store boss rudely firing me in 1971. Before that, they used my Post Office superiors forcing me to resign in 1969 and disallowing my sick leave requests in 1969 and 1968.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2026/01/03/wisconsin-judge-resigns-immigration-ice/b6ed69d0-e8be-11f0-ae3e-837f914c795b_story.html
USA TODAY
— Here are the charges against Nicolás Maduro after US capture
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/03/charges-against-nicolas-maduro-venezuela-president/88006801007/
— Republicans rally behind Trump’s Venezuela strikes.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/03/trump-venezuela-strikes-maduro-reactions/88006247007/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/01/03/venezuela-maduro-capture-trump-illegal/88010497007/
LOS ANGELES TIMES
— Many U.S. Venezuelans praise Maduro capture. DD: Democrat leaders opposed Maduro until Trump took action against him.
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2026-01-03/many-u-s-venezuelans-praise-maduro-capture-but-some-protest-in-los-angeles
STAR TRINUNE
— DD: Hundreds of Democrats march through Minneapolis to protest Trump’s action in Venezuela. Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-venezuela-protest-maduro-us-military-emmer-klobuchar/601557029
FAST COMPANY
— How to make progress on your career goals. DD: What did you do to meet your career goals? When I became a federal employee when I was 18 years old in 1966, I soon learned a) that Democrats ran the federal government and b) that they used up-or-out to get rid of federal employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or nonveteran who they did not promote to GS-13 (currently $118,984/year) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $140,604/year) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $165,386/year) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $197,200/year) by age 40. To meet those promotion deadlines, a) I took the postal management test when I was 21, b) I took the Federal Service Entrance Examination (FSEE) when I was 21, c) I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21, d) I started taking job-related graduate evening courses when I was 22, e) I earned a job-related master’s degree when I was 27, d) I earned a job-related professional certification when I was 30, f) I earned a second job-related master’s degree when I was 31, g) I earned a second job-related professional certification when I was 32, and h) I earned a job-related professional license when I was 32. But obviously, I did not earn the aforesaid fast enough. Things that slowed me down were a) my not majoring in accounting from the beginning, b) my Democrat Post Office superiors forcing me to resign when I was 20, c) my not getting higher scores on the postal management test and the FSEE when I was 21, and d) my taking only one job-related graduate evening course at a time. Consequently, a) the Post Office never offered me a management job and b) IRS did not offer me a job until I was 22 and it was only at the GS-7 Level. I did not make GS-9 until I was 23, GS-11 until I was 24, and GS-12 until I was 25. By then, it was far too late for someone like me with my bad demographics. I did make GS-13 when I was 38. But again, by then, it was far too late for someone like me with my bad demographics.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91382022/how-to-make-progress-when-youre-in-a-slump
FEDERAL NEWS NEWORK
— 3 efforts federal employees should track from Trump’s management agenda: Future federal staffing plans, Accountability of federal employees, and Merit-based workforce reforms. DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats, and especially Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2026/01/3-efforts-federal-employees-should-track-from-trumps-management-agenda/
FED WEEK
— A provision in the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) guaranteeing certain veterans rights to compete for federal jobs does not apply to those who already are federal employees and are seeking merit promotions, a federal appellate court has ruled. DD: I am not a veteran. Even worse than that, I avoided the Vietnam War draft with student deferments 1966-1970 and a financial hardship draft deferment 1970-1971. While I was a Post Office employee 1966-1969, an IRS employee 1971-1980, and a GAO employee 1980-1997, my many Democrat superiors and supervisors who were veterans gave tremendous preference to their many employees who were veterans. That is, they discriminated tremendously against their non-veteran employees who were Republican like me and who were White, male, older, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time like me. I should write about that. Charles Bowsher, a veteran, who ran GAO 1981-1996 assured that GAO employees who were veterans would not suffer any adverse impacts from Gingrich’s massive budget cuts. My Democrat superiors in the federal government a) blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War and b) used the VEOA to punish their Republican non-veteran employees.
https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/veoa-rights-dont-apply-to-merit-promotions-court-holds/
POLITICO
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Maduro against America.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/03/trump-venezuela-democrats-2028-president-00709912
EDUCATION NEXT
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote dependency on government and dependency charity, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy personal responsibility. My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That motivated to work my way through college and 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.educationnext.org/whats-wrong-with-personal-responsibility/
AOL
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasing destroy traditional marriage. Under the Democrats, fewer and fewer and fewer people are marriage material. What helped make you 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. Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary for the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance in 1986. SEE: https://gopillinois.com/documents/
https://www.aol.com/finance/crippling-financial-anxiety-leading-gen-204426436.html
MEDIUM
— DD: What is your position on traditional marriage? According to my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors, if I had not gotten married when I was 29 years old in 1978, I would not have been able to a) to pass the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, b) to afford 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) etc. Further, we would not have been able a) to buy a home in Wheaton in 1978, b) to buy two new cars in 1978, c) to have a home built in Wheaton in 1984, d) etc. SEE: https://gopillinois.com/documents/ My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors painted my marriage as giving me tremendous unfair advantages in life.
https://medium.com/@tessjenner/the-shocking-truth-about-traditional-marriage-roles-thats-breaking-modern-families-2aa5008c6f79
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
VARSITY
— The myth of meritocracy. DD: My critics/opponents oppose meritocracy. According to them, meritocracy is not why those who share my demographics have successes in life. They have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that I passed the following tests because standardized tests are biased in favor of those who share my demographics: a) the postal employment test when I was 17 in 1966, b) the ACT test with a score of 24 in 1966, c) all the tests that I needed to pass to graduate in the upper 20% of my high school class in 1966, d) the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970, e) all the tests that I needed to pass to earn a bachelor’s degree from NIU in 1970 and master’s degrees from Loyola in 1976, DePaul in 1980, and IIT in 1997, f) the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. and g) the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981. In my defense, neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school. I had to work my way through college.
https://thevarsity.ca/2026/01/04/the-myth-of-meritocracy-2/
FROM OTHER SOURCES
REMAX
— FOR SALE: 1021 Greenwood Drive, Wheaton: $1,685,000
https://ronlewis.remax.com/holp/listing/103/12488277
— FOR SALE: 1219 Golf Lane, Wheaton: $625,000
https://ronlewis.remax.com/holp/listing/103/12467706
January 3, 2025
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— US strikes Venezuela and says its leader, Maduro, has been captured and flown out of country
https://abc7chicago.com/post/us-venezuela-news-strikes-country-says-venezuelan-president-nicols-maduro-captured-wife/18346121/
CBS2
— U.S. launches military strikes on Venezuela, Trump says Maduro captured and flown out of the country
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— US strikes Venezuela and says leader Nicolás Maduro has been captured and flown out of the country
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/03/us-strikes-venezuela-nicolas-maduro/
DAILY HERALD
— New laws: Illinois expands job-protected leave for parents with a newborn in a neonatal intensive care unit
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260102/business/new-laws-illinois-expands-job-protected-leave-for-parents-with-newborns-in-nicu/
— Illinois’ electric grids may soon face power shortages and further price increases as fossil fuel plants go offline and data centers fueling the rise of artificial intelligence demand ever-increasing amounts of power.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260102/business/as-state-regulators-warn-of-impending-energy-shortfalls-capacity-prices-rise-again/
JOURNAL COURIER
— Morgan Republicans plan meet-and-greet with gubernatorial candidate. DD: If I was still the chairman of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois and a member of the Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee, the organizations would still be hosting candidate forums.
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/morgan-republicans-set-gathering-gubernatorial-21272921.php
NPR ILLINOIS
— Naps, bruising, cognitive tests: Trump addresses aging questions. DD: How old are you? I am 77. What do you stress to defend your age? I stress the GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters that I put together and send out. Putting those newsletters together and sending them out takes lots of time and focus.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-02/naps-bruising-cognitive-tests-trump-addresses-aging-questions
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Trump tries to beat back questions about health: Key takeaways.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/hill-politics/trump-tries-to-beat-back-questions-about-health-key-takeaways/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— 9th Congressional District Democratic Party Hopeful Bushra Amiwala Joins Others in Attacking the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/03/9th-congressional-district-democratic-party-hopeful-bushra-amiwala-joins-others-in-attacking-the-american-israel-public-affairs-committee/
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Illinois local governments lose out on $10.9B in state taxes
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-local-governments-lose-out-on-10-9b-in-state-taxes/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
BREITBART
— 41 Percent of Netflix Shows for Children Contain LGBTQ+ Content in 2025
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/01/02/report-says-41-percent-of-netflix-shows-for-children-contain-lgbtq-content-in-2025/
CHRISTIAN POST
— Mamdani’s inaugural address: ‘Godless, rancid ideology’
https://www.christianpost.com/news/top-responses-zohran-mamdani-inaugural-address.html
EPOCH TIMES
— Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down California Ban on Open Carry of Firearms
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/federal-appeals-court-strikes-down-california-ban-on-open-carry-of-firearms-5965490
FOX NEWS
— Mamdani ignites fierce backlash on day one in office
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdL7ph03298
— Mamdani’s inauguration fuels debate over Gen Z shift toward socialism, away from free markets. Zohran Mamdani’s first moments in office embraced ‘collectivism’ as Republicans warn Gen Z is rejecting free markets.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mamdanis-inauguration-fuels-debate-over-gen-z-shift-toward-socialism-away-from-free-markets.amp
— Redistricting battles brewing across the country as parties compete for power ahead of 2026 midterms
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/redistricting-battles-brewing-across-country-parties-compete-power-ahead-2026-midterms.print
NATIONAL REVIEW
— Horse Therapy, Gender-Neutral Bathrooms, and Hate Crime Work Leave: The Wild Blue State Laws of 2025
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/horse-therapy-gender-neutral-bathrooms-and-hate-crime-work-leave-the-wild-blue-state-laws-of-2025/amp/
— Mamdani to Establish New ‘Office of Mass Engagement’ Led by Veteran Socialist Organizer
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/mamdani-to-establish-new-office-of-mass-engagement-led-by-veteran-socialist-organizer/
— Let’s Hire Professors Purely on Merit. DD: My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that I passed the following tests because standardized tests are biased in favor of those who share my demographics: a) the postal employment test when I was 17 in 1966, b) the ACT test with a score of 24 in 1966, c) all the tests that I needed to pass to graduate in the upper 20% of my high school class in 1966, d) the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970, e) all the tests that I needed to pass to earn a bachelor’s degree from NIU in 1970 and master’s degrees from Loyola in 1976, DePaul in 1980, and IIT in 1997, f) the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. and g) the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981. In my defense, neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school. I had to work my way through college.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/lets-hire-professors-purely-on-merit/
TOWNHALL
— Socialism in the City
https://townhall.com/columnists/christalgo/2026/01/03/socialism-in-the-city-n2668789
— Pritzker’s Pretzels
https://townhall.com/columnists/alanjosephbauer/2026/01/02/pritzkers-pretzels-n2668747
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Trump insults Pritzker with AI-generated social media post
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5670567-trump-pritzker-ai-image-feud/
NEW YORK TIMES
— Mamdani Acts on Vow to Protect Renters With Move Against a Big Landlord. DD: Have you been a landlord? I was reluctant landlord 1976-1984 because I could not sell my University Park townhome ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ) unless I took a big loss.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/nyregion/mamdani-pinnacle-housing.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly replace those in America who have demographics that vote for Republicans with those who have demographics that vote for Democrats.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/business/us-immigration-trump-1920s.html
YAHOO
— Nobody Cares About Your Career. DD: During my federal career working for the Democrats who ran the Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, 1997, only two of my superiors cared about my career. I should write the IRS manager who promoted me to GS-9 in 1972, GS-11 in 1973, and GS-12 in 1974. Because he did that, my Democrat IRS superiors forced him to transfer to Dallas. I should write about the GAO manager who arranged my transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980 and who was finally able to assign me to audits or IRS and to promote me to GS-13 in 1986. Because he did that, my Democrat GAO superiors forced him to retire in 1987. To get rid of me, my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974, disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and never promoted me to GS-13. To get rid of me, my Democrat GAO superiors a) forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars, a downgrade from GS-12 Step 5 to GS-9 Step 10, to transfer, b) delayed my promotions back to GS-12 Step 5, c) kept me off audits of IRS except 1986-1988, d) never promoted me to GS-14, e) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and f) forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. In today’s dollars, my Civil Service Retirement System pension is less that what my IRS salary was when I was 23 in 1972.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nobody-cares-career-mcdonalds-ceo-000116698.html
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The Corruption of the Welfare State
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/minnesota-welfare-fraud-immigrants-government-handouts-8076eb83
— Your Key Survival Skill for 2026: Critical Ignoring. DD: My critics/opponents want everyone to ignore my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus those who were/are a) leaders of the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization, b) elected Republican leaders in Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct, d) conservative leaders, and e) religious leaders.
https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/critical-ignoring-social-media-7e236f52
FORBES
— Should An Experienced Professionals Take Internships To Change Careers? DD: Have you changed careers? Have you wanted to change careers? I have not. Due to circumstances, I have wanted to be a career federal employee since I was 18 years old in 1966. However, to waste my federal career and get rid of me, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors outrageously, disgustingly, and unethically panted a) my earning a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21, b) my earning job-related masters degrees when I was 27 in 1976, 31, and 48, c) my earning job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and d) my earning a job-related professional license when I was 32 a) as being efforts by me to change my career and get a job in the private sector, b) as being justification to disallow my job-related education deductions in 1978, and c) to force me to take a $23,699 (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980. I should write about the aforesaid
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecenizalevine/2025/06/25/should-an-experienced-professional-take-internships-to-change-careers/
EDUCATION
— Professional Certifications Worth It in 2026. DD: What is your position on professional certifications? I sought and obtained professional certifications to defend/advance my federal career. I became a CPA when I was 30 in 1979, a Certified Internal Auditor when I was 32, a licensed CPA when I was 32, a Certified Fraud Examiner when I was 41, a Certified Government Financial Manager when I was 45, a Certified Financial Services Auditor when I was 47, and a Certified Forensic Accountant when I was 48. But my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors ignored/dismissed/belittled that a) because I was a Republican who complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination and b) because I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid when I was 40. I should write about the aforesaid.
https://vocal.media/education/is-investing-in-professional-certifications-worth-it-in-2026
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
DAILY MAIL
— Karoline Leavitt calls out Mamdani’s wife as White House quits playing nice with ‘communist’ mayor
https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/world/karoline-leavitt-calls-out-mamdani-s-wife-as-white-house-quits-playing-nice-with-communist-mayor/ar-AA1Ttrwy
— Mamdani unveils plan conservatives claim will usher in communism
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15429711/amp/zohran-mamdani-warmth-collectivism-socialist.html
BUSINESS STANDARD
— Mamdani takes action against Israel with his oath?
https://www.tbsnews.net/videos/tbs-stories/mamdani-takes-action-against-israel-his-oath-1325186
NDTV
— “Antisemitic Gasoline On Open Fire”: Israel vs Mamdani Over Revoked Orders
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/zohran-mamdani-vs-israel-over-revoked-order-on-antisemitism-definition-10237972
TIMES OF ISRAEL
— Anti-Zionism Was Never Harmless. Now It Governs. DD: Have your critics/opponents painted you as being an antisemite? Democrats have always painted Republicans as being antisemites. Because of my demographics, Democrats have especially painted me as being an antisemite. Needless-to-say, my Democrat Chicago office GAO superiors’ efforts to paint me as being an antisemite were stymied when I volunteered to work for their only Jewish group manager in late 1989. In 1989, to get rid of me because in late 1988, I had become the office’s only active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, they had a) thrown me off the group that audited IRS, b) gave me a very bad job assignment, c) gave me unfair performance expectations, d) gave me a very unfair performance appraisal, and e) ranked me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance. She managed the office’s group that audited federal financial industry regulators. She reluctantly had to accept me a) because very few of my coworkers would work for her because she was Jewish, b) because I had previously worked on audits of federal financial industry regulators, c) because I had become a licensed CPA in 1981, d) because I had passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, e) because I had earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, and d) because I had earned an MBA in 1976. She was very demanding. But beyond that, my coworkers were intimidated a) by her having an MBA from the University of Chicago, b) by her having passed the CPA examination on her first attempt, c) by her being wealthy, d) by her being younger, and e) by her being attractive. Because she demanded that her subordinates have master’s degrees in finance, I started taking graduate evening finance courses at IIT in 1992 and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997. I succeeded in making her a member of IIT’s advisory group for that graduate program. Further, I became certified fraud examiner in 1990, government financial manager in 1994, financial Services Auditor in 1996, and forensic accountant in 1997. I was her only defender/promoter in the office. But nevertheless, when my Democrat GAO Chicago office superiors decided to force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, she took the lead in doing that. I should write about the foresaid.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/anti-zionism-was-never-harmless-now-it-governs/
January 2, 2025
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— 2026 elections: What to know about major political races in Illinois this year
https://abc7chicago.com/post/2026-elections-what-know-illinois-governor-election-chicago-mayoral-midterm/18339645/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push medical pot to push recreational pot. Pot is poison, In 2019. I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/schaumburg-illinois-family-fights-keep-access-daughter-ashley-surins-medical-marijuana-patches/18340448/
WBBM
— New laws: Illinois education measures focus on immigrant rights in the classroom. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly replace American students with foreign students.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/new-laws-illinois-education-measures-focus-on-immigrant-rights-ai-in-the-classroom/ar-AA1Tiv7W
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: DD: Chicago Democrat leaders take credit for fewer murders.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/01/01/chicago-crime-murder-homicide-shooting-president-trump-mayor-johnson
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) flood America with their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/opinion-illinois-health-worker-shortage-immigration-raids/
NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-01-02/how-the-trump-administrations-freeze-on-child-care-funding-will-affect-families
ADVANTAGE NEWS
— Madison County Democrats make endorsements for 2026. DD: Officially, the Illinois Republican Party (IRP), DuPage County Republican Central Committee (DCRCC), and Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) do not endorse candidates in contested primaries, but unofficially, they do. I know that from being an IRP, DCRCC, and MTRO Precinct Committeeman (PC) since 1999. I know that the aforesaid organizations severely punish and do everything that they can to get rid of PCs who support Republican primary candidates who they did not endorse. I should write about that. I would focus on candidates on Republican primary ballots in my precinct since 2000 who I supported, but the aforesaid organizations did not endorse. I would focus on how they continue to severely punish me and do everything that they can to get rid of me because I supported Pat O’Malley instead of Jim Ryan in the 2002 Republican gubernation primary. Further, I would focus on what the aforesaid organizations have done to me because I supported candidates who they did not endorse in nonpartisan rases in Wheaton. I would focus on what they have done to me because I supported Alan Bolds for Wheaton Mayor instead of Mike Gresk in 2007.
https://www.advantagenews.com/news/local/madison-county-dems-make-endorsements-for-2026/article_485d59b7-3a9c-4c7e-afac-b918eca9a2f8.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Madison County Democrats met recently to choose candidates for endorsement in the 2026 primary elections. A total of 72 precinct committee members took part in the process. Following discussion and deliberation, they voted to issue endorsements in a wide range of federal, state, and county races, while choosing to remain neutral in several contested races.)
WREX
— New laws: Illinois education measures focus on immigrant rights in the classroom. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly replace American students with foreign students.
https://www.wrex.com/news/top-stories/new-laws-illinois-education-measures-focus-on-immigrant-rights-ai-in-the-classroom/article_97824d6c-b7e4-47f7-8668-78ec7b201c72.html
DAILY LINE
— Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Heidner raises more than $1.5M in large donations in fourth quarter
https://www.thedailyline.com/republican-gubernatorial-candidate-rick-heidner-raises-1-5m-large-donations-fourth-quarter
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Gubernatorial Forum Set by McHenry Township Republican Party. DD: If I was still the chairman of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois and a member of the Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee, the organizations would still be hosting candidate forums.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/02/gubernatorial-forum-set-by-mchenry-township-republican-party/
— Young People Find Fraud Across the USA
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/01/15614/
— Illinois Labor Department Rolls Out Accomplishments
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/01/illinois-labor-department-rolls-out-accomplishments/
— Another New Year’s Day Cartoon
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/01/another-new-years-day-cartoon/
— How Are New Year’s Resolutions Like Campaign Promises?
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/01/how-are-new-years-resolutions-like-campaign-promises/
— Bruce Leon “Pauses” Campaign for 9th District Democratic Party Congressional Nomination
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/12/31/bruce-leon-pauses-campaign-for-9th-district-democratic-party-congressional-nomination/
— Tribune 2026 First Baby Story Doesn’t Mention the $1,000 Trump Account for Which He Is Eligible
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/01/tribune-2026-first-baby-story-doesnt-mention-the-1000-trump-account-for-which-he-is-eligible/
— Fox River Grove Creating A New Tax Increment Financing District
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/01/fox-river-grove-creating-a-new-tax-increment-financing-district/
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Pensions make homeownership unaffordable in Illinois. DD: What is your attitude toward pensions and toward those who get them? My critics/opponents despise/hate my Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension and my and my wife’s 72% federal health insurance subsidy and therefore, they despise/hate me. In my defense, I would not have become a postal employee when I was 18 in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment examination. I would not have become an IRS employee when I was 22 if my Firestone Store boss had not rudely fired me because I had accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile that Oldsmobile withdrew because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. I paid 7% of my Post Office, IRS, and GAO salaries into the CSRS.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pensions-make-homeownership-unaffordable-in-illinois/
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— $22 Billion Wasted: Pritzker’s Big Government Spree Bleeds Illinois Dry as Residents Flee and Taxes Soar
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/01/22-billion-wasted-pritzkers-big-government-spree-bleeds-illinois-dry-as-residents-flee-and-taxes-soar.html
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
NEW YORK POST
— Mamdani’s lies about the rich are only meant to demonize — they already foot NYC’s bills
https://nypost.com/2026/01/01/opinion/mamdanis-lies-about-the-rich-are-only-meant-to-demonize-they-already-foot-nycs-bills/
CHRISTIAN NEWS
— Mamdani takes oath of office on Quran, becomes first NYC mayor to do so
https://christiannews.net/2026/01/02/zohran-mamdani-takes-oath-of-office-on-quran-becomes-first-nyc-mayor-to-do-so/
COLLEGE FIX
— DePaul University trains students on how to run pot shops. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push pot. Pot is poison. In 2019, I led the successful effort to ban the sale of pot in Wheaton.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/depaul-university-trains-students-on-how-to-run-pot-shops/
DAILY SIGNAL
— 4 Things to Expect From the Trump Administration in 2026
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/01/01/what-expect-trump-administration-2026/
FOX NEWS
— Mamdani’s WOKE policies will bankrupt the city
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay79V7Jmw8I
— Black Republican calls for total, permanent abolition of DEI: ‘I want to earn every opportunity on merit.’ ‘I never want to be chosen, promoted, or rewarded because of how I look,’ Rep. Wesley Hunt noted. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors promoted over me were Democrats who a) were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran and/or b) had less work experience than I had, had less education than I had, had no professional certifications or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/black-republican-calls-total-permanent-abolition-dei-i-want-earn-every-opportunity-merit
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Northwestern University Publishes Strategies to Anchor DEI in University Policies
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/01/northwestern-university-publishes-strategies-to-anchor-dei-in-university-policies/amp/
PJ MEDIA
— The Great Replacement Chronicles: White-Knighting For the Somalis. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly replace those who have demographics that vote for Republicans with those who have demographics that vote for Democrats.
https://pjmedia.com/benbartee/2026/01/01/the-great-replacement-chronicles-white-knighting-for-the-somalis-n4947770
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CBS NEWS
— Records reveal Minnesota’s long history with day care fraud warnings
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-day-care-fraud-warning-records/
MSN
— Mamdani takes oath on Quran as He is sworn in as New York mayor
https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/other/zohran-mamdani-takes-oath-on-quran-as-he-is-sworn-in-as-new-york-mayor/ar-AA1TnZ5H
NEW YORK TIMES
— Mamdani Vows to Govern ‘Audaciously’ and Protect New York’s Vulnerable. DD: According to Democrats and according to RINOs, those who are liberal/moderate, non-Republican, noncitizen, non-rich, minority, female, younger, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time NEED PROTECTION from those who are conservative, Republican, American, non-poor, White, male, older, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Democrats and RINOs ever-increasingly promise to provide that PROTECTION.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/nyregion/mamdani-inauguration-mayor.html
— Minnesota Families Are Rattled by Threat to Cut Federal Aid for Child Care. After the federal government threatened to withhold funds for Minnesota’s child-care program, citing fraud concerns, parents and providers warned that the effects could be dire.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/us/minnesota-child-care-funding-impact-fraud.html
USA TODAY
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, there will be more and more and more homeless.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2025/12/28/number-of-homeless-students-jumps/87620804007/
https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/nation/2025/12/30/us-students-forced-to-deal-with-reality-of-homelessness/87961285007/
https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/nation/2025/12/30/americas-growing-number-of-homeless-students/87959473007/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2025/12/17/homelessness-crisis-caregiving/87381952007/
— Donald Trump’s whirlwind year changed America. Here are eight ways.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2025/12/30/donald-trump-changing-america/87605660007/
NEWS NATION NOW
— Trump says fraud in California, New York, Illinois worse than Minnesota
https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/trump-fraud-california-new-york-illinois-worse-minnesota/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly a) flood America with their illegals, and b) fight their deportation. Democrat leaders because illegals vote for Democrats. RINO leaders because RINOs want cheap labor.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/why-trump-is-quickly-losing-hispanic-support-aa88d8d0
— The Hindu Attacks on India’s Christians. Modi stays silent as chauvinists in his party assault the religious minority.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-hindu-attacks-on-indias-christians-269f6d83
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
— In Unsteady Times, Job Seekers Need a Reality Check. Mentors Can Help. DD: What happened to those who helped your career? I should write the IRS manager who promoted me to GS-9 in 1972, GS-11 in 1973, and GS-12 in 1974. Because he did that, my Democrat IRS superiors forced him to transfer to Dallas. I should write about the GAO manager who arranged my transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980 and who was finally able to assign me to audits or IRS and to promote me to GS-13 in 1986. Because he did that, my Democrat GAO superiors forced him to retire in 1987. To get rid of me, my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974, disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and never promoted me to GS-13. To get rid of me, my Democrat GAO superiors a) forced me to take a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars, a downgrade from GS-12 Step 5 to GS-9 Step 10, to transfer, b) delayed my promotions back to GS-12 Step 5, c) kept me off audits of IRS except 1986-1988, d) never promoted me to GS-14, e) always ranked me in the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and f) forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. In today’s dollars, my Civil Service Retirement System pension is less that what my IRS salary was when I was 23 in 1972.
https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/job-seekers-need-a-reality-check-mentors-can-help
BANKING RATES
— Inflation Affects the Cost of Raising a Child. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors and supervisors always decried their cost of their raising their children. They all had spouses who had little or no income. They hinted/implied/argued/shouted that GAO employees who had children should be paid more than GAO employees who did not have children. They viciously used against me my and my wife’s giving up trying to have children, our not adopting, and our not becoming foster parents. They hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if my wife and I had children, I would not have been able to a) pass the CPA on my first attempt in 1979, b) earn a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, c) pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination in my first attempt in 1981, or d) become a licensed CPA in 1981. They stressed that without my wife’s income and savings, we would not have been able to a) buy a home in Wheaton in 1978, b) buy two new cars in 1978, c) have a new home built in Wheaton in 1984, d) etc.
https://www.aol.com/inflation-affects-cost-raising-child-120605680.html
AARP
— What to Do if You’re Forced Into Early Retirement. DD: Under the Democrats and under the RINOs, the more of the following that you are, the more that you should anticipate/expect that you will be forced to retire early: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America fora long time. I should write about that. Are you retired? I have been retired since I was 49 years old in 1997. If you are retired, were you forced to retire? I was. What would the rest of your employment had been like if you had not retired? If I had not retired when I did, I would not have eligible to retire for another 6 years. My Democrat GAO superiors had made it extremely clear that if I did not retire, they would make those 6 years a living hell. They would constructively if not literally demote me. They would give me adverse transfers. They would give me bad job assignments. They would give me unfair performance expectations. They would give me unfair performance appraisals. They would rank me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance. They would treat me like they had treated me in 1989. They could do all of the aforesaid because GAO was not unionized. GAO did not unionize until 2007. I considered asking my Congressman Henry Hyde to come to my defense like I had done in 1989, but I decided not to. There were too many around Hyde who were against me. Further, my Democrat GAO superiors had taken so many big adverse actions against me, I could not see myself surviving another them for another 6 years. But nevertheless, I will always ask myself, what would have happened if I had again asked Hyde to come to my defense. His coming to my defense in 1989 enabled me to survive until 1997. It motived me to earn job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. It motived me to earn a job-related master’s degree in 1997.
https://www.aarp.org/money/retirement/forced-into-early-retirement/
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
KHALEEJ TIMES
— Mamdani takes oath on Holy Quran, becomes NYC’S first Muslim mayor
https://www.pressreader.com/uae/khaleej-times/20260102/281801405328872
FINANCIAL EXPRESS
— Three Qurans, One Historic Moment: Mamdani Sworn In as NYC Mayor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHhlYw7y8A4
FROM OTHER SOURCES
MED CITY NEWS
— The Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) Adoption Gap Is Worse Than You Think. DD: I have type 2 diabetes. I delayed using a CGM because my Medicare and BC/BS insurance does cover it. But recently, I bought a Stelo CGM using Amazon for $100/month. It has immediately shown that my glucose spikes to over 250 after I eat, that is, I have high hyperglycemia. I am anxiously awaiting my diabetes doctor’s instructions.
https://medcitynews.com/2025/12/cgm-diabetes-healthcare/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A new study found that continuous glucose monitors can cut healthcare costs by about 20% while also improving outcomes for insulin-dependent diabetes patients, largely by reducing hospitalizations and emergency department visits. Despite these benefits and broad insurance coverage, roughly 80% of eligible patients still are not using the technology — highlighting a significant adoption gap.)
December 29, 2025
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
AMERICAN THINKER
— Polling Signals Trouble for Democrats — and Opportunity for Republicans
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/12/polling_signals_trouble_for_democrats_and_opportunity_for_republicans.html
— Tucker Carlson: Pro-Islam, Anti-American, And Toxic For Republicans
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/12/tucker_carlson_pro_islam_anti_american_and_toxic_for_republicans.html
DAILY CALLER
— Democratic Lawmaker Says She Feels Guilty For Being White And Kids Should Too. DD: My critics/opponents promote Affirmative Action and DEI. They want more and more and more preference to be given those who are minority, female, younger, unmarried, LGBTQ, have less money than others, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or are citizens of foreign countries.
https://www.aol.com/articles/democratic-lawmaker-says-she-feels-182204161.html
FOX NEWS
— Erika Kirk vows TPUSA will continue campus debates nationwide
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/we-not-afraid-erika-kirk-vows-tpusa-continue-campus-debates-nationwide
— Erika Kirk outlines Turning Point USA’s next chapter after Charlie Kirk
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6387005291112
— What the conservative think tank wars have to do with you. Mass exodus from Heritage Foundation reveals ideological split between populist Trump agenda and traditional conservative economics.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/david-marcus-what-conservative-think-tank-wars-have-do-you.amp
NEWSMAX
— DOJ Using Fraud Law to Target Companies on DEI
https://www.newsmax.com/us/doj-dei-fraud-law/2025/12/28/id/1239955/
POST MILLENNIAL
— Charlottesville ends license plate cameras over fears data could be used to identify illegal immigrants
https://thepostmillennial.com/charlottesville-ends-license-plate-camera-program-over-fears-data-could-be-used-to-identify-illegal-immigrants
TOWNHALL
— Infighting at TPUSA?
https://townhall.com/columnists/arthurschaper/2025/12/29/title-reflection-on-years-end-infighting-at-tpusa-n2668557
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The TPUSA audience and the general conservative movement are feeling Charlie Kirk’s passing more keenly, since the MAGA Coalition, which he helped forge and flourish, is beginning to fray. Divisions are the norm in politics, especially among party brass and grassroots activists. They all claim the right vision for their party’s standards, but rarely have the conflicts burst to the forefront as they did at TPUSA American First 2025.)
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ASSOCIATED PRESS
— A look at aging baby boomers in the United States. DD: I am 77, I am a baby boomer. Who speaks for the baby boomers in America, in Illinois, in your county, in your municipality, and in your school district?
https://apnews.com/article/census-baby-boomers-aging-america-demographics-ad275e223615952ce73d52ed714d24b0
(FROM THE ARTICLE: By the end of this decade, all baby boomers will be 65 and older, and the number of people 80 and over will double in 20 years. . .The share of senior citizens in the U.S. population is projected to grow from 18.7% in 2025 to nearly 23% by 2050, while children under 18 decline from almost 21% to a projected 18.4%. . .The projected average U.S. life expectancy at birth rises from 78.9 years in 2025 to 82.2 years in 2055, according to the CBO.)
USA TODAY
— MAGA split grows as Mike Pence group poaches from Heritage Foundation
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/maga-split-grows-as-mike-pence-group-poaches-from-heritage-foundation/ar-AA1SUXHy
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Mike Johnson: House Republicans Had a Great Year. In 2025 we passed tax cuts, helped businesses expand, and repealed harmful regulations.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/house-republicans-had-a-great-year-04efce46
— Justice Department Using Fraud Law to Target Companies on DEI. Google and Verizon among those being investigated under novel interpretation of law applying to government contractors.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-doj-dei-fraud-investigations-93213d52
FORBES
— Common Mid-Career Mistakes That Limit Advancement And Growth. DD: Democrats run the federal government. To advance in the federal government, you have to be more than just a Democrat, you have to excel at a) advancing Democrat employees who are minority and/or female and b) wasting the careers of and getting rid of Republican employees who are White and/or male.
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2025/12/08/common-mid-career-mistakes-that-limit-advancement-and-growth/
— DD: My Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors struggled to meet their Affirmative Action quotas, goals, and targets because few minorities and women want to work for the Post Office, IRS or GAO. Consequently, a) they gave tremendous preference to their Democrat employees who were minority and/or female and b) they wasted the careers of and got rid of their Republican employees who were White and/or male.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizelting/2025/04/09/as-workplace-gender-bias-stalls-career-growth-business-ownership-offers-opportunities-to-break-barriers/
24/7 WALL STREET
— Why Social Security’s COLA Formula Is Failing Baby Boomers in 2026. Over 50% of current Social Security recipients have cut living costs because prices rise faster than their benefits. Benefits have lost around 20% of buying power since 2010 due to the COLA formula underweighting healthcare and housing costs. The 2026 COLA is 2.8% but fails to match retiree inflation because it tracks urban wage earners instead of senior spending patterns.
https://247wallst.com/investing/2025/12/28/why-social-securitys-cola-formula-is-failing-baby-boomers-in-2026/
BUSINESS JOURNAL
— DD: To get more votes from females, Democrat and RINO candidates, elected officials, and party leaders ever-increasingly paint males as being barriers.
https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2025/12/womens-advancement-risk-leaders.html
MCKINSEY & COMPANY
— DD: To get more votes from females, Democrat and RINO candidates, elected officials, and party leaders ever-increasingly paint males as being barriers.
https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/women-in-the-workplace
https://www.mckinsey.com/about-us/new-at-mckinsey-blog/new-mckinsey-book-the-unwritten-rules-about-career-advancement-for-women
SHRM
— DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors promoted over me were Democrats who a) were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran and/or b) had less work experience than I had, had less education than I had, had no professional certifications or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.shrm.org/enterprise-solutions/insights/gender-pay-gap-addressing-systemic-modern-challenges
GALLUP
— Addressing the Barriers Blocking Employee Development. Less than half of U.S. employees participate in any education or training for their current job. DD: While I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969, Firestone Stores 1970-1972, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, virtually none of my Democrat coworkers took job-related courses like I did. I took job-related courses at UIC 1966-1968 and in 1971, at NIU 1969-1970, at Loyola 1972-1976, at DePaul 1976-1980, at Becker CPA review 1978-1979, at Roosevelt 1980-1981, at the Institute of Internal Auditors in 1981, and at IIT 1992-1997.
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/692642/addressing-barriers-blocking-employee-development.aspx
PRECINCT REPORTER
— DD: My Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors struggled to meet their Affirmative Action quotas, goals, and targets because few minorities and women want to work for the Post Office, IRS or GAO. Consequently, a) they gave tremendous preference to their Democrat employees who were minority and/or female and b) they wasted the careers of and got rid of their Republican employees who were White and/or male.
https://precinctreporter.com/2025/03/13/discrimination-career-barrier-for-black-women/
GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— DD: Democrats run the federal government. For them, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats, and especially Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. If I had been a Democrat, the federal government would have promoted me into its Senior Executive Service long before I was 40 because I had a) earned master’s degrees in business and accounting, b) passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt, and c) became a licensed CPA.
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/05/opm-merit-hiring-plan-includes-bipartisan-reforms-politicized-new-test/405687/
AARP
— 5 Ways AARP Is Fighting Age Discrimination. DD: According to my critics/opponents, age discrimination has never existed. They deny that my Democrat IRS superiors used up-or-out, that is, that they used age discrimination, to not promote me to GS-13. I ultimately did make GS-13 when I was 38 in 1986, but it was not until after I had a) earned an MBA in 1976, b) passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, c) transferred to GAO in 1980, d) earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, e) passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt tin 1981, and f) became a licensed CPA in 1981. My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors promoted many of my Democrat coworkers to GS-13 ahead of me a) who had less work experience than I had, who had less education than I had, who had no professional certifications, and/or had no professional license and/or b) who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran.
https://www.aarp.org/advocacy/fighting-against-age-discrimination/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: 1. Backing legislation that reinforces worker rights. On a national scale, AARP is backing bipartisan bills that support older workers. In May, AARP sent letters to the House and Senate endorsing the reintroduction of the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. This legislation would restore protections, which a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court decision stripped away, that required older workers to prove their age was the sole reason they experienced an adverse employment action. AARP also threw its support behind two more bipartisan bills in September. The Protecting Older Americans Act lets workers choose to pursue age discrimination claims in court rather than being forced into arbitration. The Protect Older Job Applicants Act would expand protections under federal law to include people who are applying for jobs, even before they have reached the hiring stage.)
AXIOS
— For the first time, there will be more workers in states with a minimum wage of $15 an hour or higher than those with the federal minimum of $7.25. More than a decade ago, labor advocates’ fight for a $15 an hour wage seemed radical — not so much anymore. DD: Back in the good old days, I worked for the minimum wage (about $13/hour in today’s dollars) part-time during my junior and senior years in high school and full-time the summer in between 1964-1966. With the money I earned, I bought a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint ( https://over-drive-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1965-12-CD-1966-Pontiac-Tempest-Sprint-Test-1-4.pdf ) in May or 1966.
https://www.axios.com/2025/12/28/2026-new-year-minimum-wage
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
BUSINESS TODAY
— DD: To get more votes from females, Democrat and RINO candidates, elected officials, and party leaders ever-increasingly paint males as being barriers.
https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/deep-dive/story/issues-women-face-at-work-the-silent-load-that-career-women-experience-508008-2025-12-24
STUDY INTERNATIONAL
— What women want: 9 best careers for women. DD: My Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors struggled to meet their Affirmative Action quotas, goals, and targets because few minorities and women want to work for the Post Office, IRS or GAO. Consequently, a) they gave tremendous preference to their Democrat employees who were minority and/or female and b) they wasted the careers of and got rid of their Republican employees who were White and/or male.
https://studyinternational.com/news/best-careers-for-women/
INDEPENDENT
— DD: To get more votes from females, Democrat and RINO candidates, elected officials, and party leaders ever-increasingly paint males as being barriers.
https://www.independent.co.uk/us/money/women-in-the-workplace-report-2025-findings-b2885110.html
December 28, 2025
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
DAILY HERALD
— Kane County’s top prosecutor Mosser seeks judicial seat
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251228/news/kane-countys-top-prosecutor-mosser-seeks-judicial-seat/
CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Barriers to upward mobility. DD: To get more votes from those who are minority, female, and younger, Democrat and RINO candidates and elected officials paint those who are White, male, and older as being barriers.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/study-education-still-pays-but-barriers-to-upward-mobility-persist-in-illinois/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— Sickness & Hypocrisy in Academia
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2025/12/22/sickness-hypocrisy-in-academia
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— I have started using Stelo by Dexcom to continuously monitor my blood sugar level. If you have type 2 diabetes like I do and use Stelo, please phone me at 630-653-0462. My blood sugar spikes to over 250 after I eat. That means I have high hyperglycemia. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Pence becomes unlikely face of conservative opposition to Trump and populism.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/4363005/pence-unlikely-face-conservative-opposition-trump-populism/
— With the impending rescheduling of marijuana in the U.S., the transportation industry is searching for answers on whether it still will legally be able to test employees before sending them on the road or in the air. DD: Pot is poison.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4363202/dot-realizes-road-safety-concern-with-marijuana-rescheduling/
— More Floridians, Californians moving to Texas
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4363199/more-floridians-californians-moving-to-texas-than-reverse/
— A dangerous Supreme Court decision. In a short three-page decision written with little briefing and no oral argument, a 6-3 majority denied the Justice Department’s request to stay a district court restraining order preventing President Donald Trump from deploying the National Guard in Chicago. The court’s holding is tenuously founded, rushed, and will endanger the lives of federal law enforcement officers.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4362312/dangerous-supreme-court-decision-national-guard/
NEW YORK POST
— Hating the rich may feel good — and win elections — but it’s self-destructive
https://nypost.com/2025/12/27/opinion/hating-the-rich-may-feel-good-and-win-elections-but-its-self-destructive/
AMERICAN GREATNESS
— The Pence Mirage: Why the Right Isn’t Leaving Trump. The Heritage Foundation “mutiny” isn’t a conservative realignment so much as the latest anti-Trump mirage, with Mike Pence cast as a moral standard-bearer no one is following.
https://amgreatness.com/2025/12/28/the-pence-mirage-why-the-right-isnt-leaving-trump/
— Let Americans Choose Their Cars—Not the Government. EVs aren’t failing because consumers don’t want them, but because tariffs block affordable competition—leaving Americans stuck with costly choices the rest of the world has outgrown. DD: I bought a 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T EV early this year. If it had been offered with a Hemi V-8, I would have bought that. I have owned a 2013 Charger R/T Max since 2012. I owned a 1968 Charger R/T 1994-2005. I owned a 1969 Charger SE 1968-1971.
https://amgreatness.com/2025/12/26/let-americans-choose-their-cars-not-the-government/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Third World cultures have a corruption problem, and Democrats capitalize on it
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/third_world_cultures_have_a_corruption_problem_and_democrats_capitalize_on_it.html
— The dangerous cost of erasing Western wisdom
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/victor_davis_hanson_on_the_dangerous_cost_of_erasing_western_wisdom.html
— Blue states surrendering to Somalis, Islam, and diversity
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/blue_states_surrendering_to_somalis_islam_diversity.html
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
— Federal workers with a professional degree or doctorate—about 10 percent of the federal workforce—earned about 29 percent less, on average, than their private-sector counterparts. DD: I worked for the Democrats who ran IRS 1971-1980 and I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997. I earned an MBA in 1976. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. I earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980. I passed Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981. I became a licensed CPA in 1981. I earned four more job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. I earned a master’s in finance in 1997. In today’s dollars, IRS paid me $112,280/year in 1980 and GAO paid me $153,151/year in 1997.
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60235
BREITBART
— TPUSA Continuing Campus Debates Nationwide
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/12/28/we-are-not-afraid-erika-kirk-says-tpusa-continuing-campus-debates-nationwide/
— Indian Government Protests Rubio’s Visa Curbs That Help Americans
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/12/27/indian-government-protests-rubios-visa-curbs-that-help-americans/
DAILY CALLER
— Minnesota’s Lt Gov Takes Pandering To Somalis To The Next Level
https://dailycaller.com/2025/12/26/minnesota-lt-gov-peggy-flanagan-hijab-somali-migrants/
LIFE NEWS
— New York and Illinois Glorify Suicide in the Name of Compassion
https://www.lifenews.com/2025/12/28/new-york-and-illinois-glorify-suicide-in-the-name-of-compassion/
TOWNHALL
— FBI Teases Denaturalizing, Deporting Eligible Minnesota Fraudsters
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/scott-mcclallen/2025/12/28/fbi-teases-denaturalizing-deporting-minnesota-fraudsters-n2668553
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— You cannot be America first and pro-Russia
https://thehill.com/policy/international/5664765-turner-russia-war-aggression-ukraine/
CNN
— It’s time for Republicans to start thinking about 2028 and the post-Trump era
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/28/politics/2028-presidential-election-republicans-vance-rubio-analysis
NBC NEWS
— Much of the Black middle class was built by federal jobs. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997 so that they could give my Black subordinate my job and my preferred corner office. He had less work experience than I had. He had less education than I had. He had one professional certification while I had six. He had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/black-federal-job-cuts-trump-musk-dei-middle-class-rcna191704
LOS ANGELES TIMES
— GOP coalescing behind Vance as Trump privately dismisses third-term run
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-12-28/gop-coalescing-behind-vance-as-trump-privately-dismisses-third-term-run
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Companies Are Outlining Plans for 2026. Hiring Isn’t One of Them. Large employers indicate that they either want to maintain the size of their teams next year or let go of workers; ‘Everybody’s afraid for their jobs’
https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/2026-job-hiring-growth-plans-10bc3470
— Pritzker’s Illinois Political Clout Faces Test in Senate Primary. Billionaire governor is backing his lieutenant governor in a Democratic face-off, but she has struggled to outshine two top rivals.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/jb-pritzkers-illinois-political-clout-faces-test-in-senate-primary-4140cfa1
— You Can’t Work Your Way Through College Anymore. DD: Back in the good old days, I worked my way through college. The money came from what I earned washing dishes 1964-1966, cleaning golf shoes, chipping slag, and pumping gasoline in 1966, delivering mail 1966-1969, and working on an automotive assemble line in 1970. My parents provided me with room and board in their Crete home 1966-1968, my first semester at NIU in 1969, and the summer of 1969. I graduated debt-free with a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in August of 1970 owning a 1969 Dodge Charger SE that I had bought new in 1968.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/you-cant-work-your-way-through-college-anymore-1521239612
FORBES
— OK, Boomer: Are Baby Boomers Preventing The Upward Mobility Of Younger Employees? DD: I am a baby boomer. My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997 so that they could give my Black subordinate my job and my preferred corner office. He had less work experience than I had. He had less education than I had. He had one professional certification while I had six. He had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2019/11/08/ok-boomer-are-baby-boomers-preventing-the-upward-mobility-of-younger-employees/
FORTUNE
— These 10 companies offer workers the best chance to advance. DD: Democrats run the federal government. For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats. To advance in the federal government you have to be a Democrat. The more of the following that Democrats are, the faster that they can advance: minority, female, and/or veteran.
https://fortune.com/2022/10/13/american-opportunity-index-best-places-to-work-worker-career-advancement/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: 1) AT&T, 2) American Express, 3) Cisco, 4) PG&E, 5) Microsoft, 6) Fiserv, 7) HF Sinclair, 8) Liberty Mutual, 9) International Paper, 10) Southwest Airlines)
HR DAILY ADVISOR
— Steps to Foster Internal Promotions and Career Advancement. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, they focused on making room at the top, that is, they focused on getting rid of their employees who they had not promoted to Senior Executive Service (currently $195,200/year) by age 40 and who were White, male, and/or non-veteran. That ever-increasingly rendered worthless my three job-related master’s degrees (1976, 1980, and 1997), my six job-related professional certifications (1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997), and my job-related professional license (1981).
https://hrdailyadvisor.com/2025/04/23/4-steps-to-foster-internal-promotions-and-career-advancement/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Create Room at the Top. A promotion pipeline’s useless if there’s nowhere to go. Stagnant org charts—where tenured folks squat in senior roles—kill mobility. Some firms hoard headcount, afraid to expand; others cling to “we’ve always done it this way” structures. Shake that up. Regularly audit roles: Are they still relevant? Can they split or scale? A bloated middle management layer might need pruning to open slots above. Turnover is not the enemy here—natural attrition (retirements, lateral exits) can unclog the system. Encourage it gracefully—exit packages or sabbaticals for long-timers can free space without bad blood. And don’t fear invention. If a star performer’s outgrowing their role, craft a new one. A tech firm once turned a standout engineer into a “solutions architect” rather than lose her to a rival. Flexibility beats rigidity.)
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT DAILY
— Upward mobility: Unlocking career advancement opportunities. DD: My critics/opponents have always used my having three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license against me. They have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that my having the aforesaid and my never having earned more than $153,151/year in today’s dollars and my being forced to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997 proves that I am seriously flawed, an abject failure, and even worse things.
https://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/75364/upward-mobility-unlocking-career-advancement-opportunities/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Access to education is a major deciding factor in determining someone’s eligibility for upward mobility. Society members with access to the best schools and universities will find it easier to find higher-paying jobs and qualify for promotions. Lower-income areas in the United States often have subpar educational facilities, making it more difficult for graduates to pursue upward mobility in society.)
HARVARD MAGAZINE
— The Upward Mobility Problem. Most Americans earn less than their parents did. DD: My father often decried his not having a college degree. That motivated me 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.harvardmagazine.com/faculty/features-upward-mobility-problem
WHARTON
— How Social Class Affects the Career Ladder. DD: What class were you born into? Neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school. I had to work my way through college.
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/podcast/knowledge-at-wharton-podcast/how-social-class-affects-the-career-ladder/
FORDHAM INSTITUTE
— Is military enlistment a pathway to upward mobility? DD: Because my parents lacked money, my plan to earn a college degree was to enlist and use the GI Bill. But because I was able to earn high enough grades taking college preparatory courses, to get an ACT score of 24, and to graduate in the upper 20% of my class, UIC accepted me in 1966. I worked my way through college. I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in 1970. I got student draft deferments 1966-1970 and a financial hardship draft deferment 1970-1971.
https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/military-enlistment-pathway-upward-mobility
TUFTS
— Upward mobility is becoming obsolete. DD: Back in the good old days, even though neither of my parents attended college, my father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma, and my mother never attended high school, I was able to work my way through college and earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. But because of my bad demographics, I doubt that I could do that today.
https://www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024/10/coffee-table-socioeconomics-upward-mobility-is-becoming-obsolete
BROOKINGS
— The American Dream in crisis: Helping low-wage workers move up to better jobs. DD: Back in the good old days, I was a low-wage worker. 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, 1971, and 1972. I delivered mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automobile assembly line in 1970. To qualify myself for better paying jobs, I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (1970). I earned three job-related master’s degrees (1976, 1980, and 1997). I earned six job-related professional certifications (1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997). I earned a job-related professional license (1981).
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-american-dream-in-crisis-helping-low-wage-workers-move-up-to-better-jobs/
POLITICO
— The 2028 Race Has Begun. Here’s Who’s Winning. White House hopefuls in both parties are maneuvering for the post-Trump era. Here’s where they stand at the end of 2025.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/12/28/presidential-race-2028-candidates-analysis-00695164
NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— Why History Points to Huge 2026 Losses for Trump’s GOP
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/why-history-points-to-huge-2026-losses-for-trumps-gop.html
December 26, 2025
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— At least 6 shot, 1 fatally, in Christmas night violence across city
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shootings-least-6-shot-1-fatally-christmas-gun-violence-police-department-says/18318233/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Illinois Democratic Senate primary race has started slow. But contrasts emerge in bid to replace Dick Durbin.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/26/illinois-us-senate-race-slow-start/
DAILY HERALD
— Stopping a frightening free-for-all: Fair maps amendment, protections needed more than ever
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251226/editorials/daily-herald-opinion-stopping-a-frightening-free-for-all-fair-maps-amendment-protections-needed-m/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly demonize, denigrate, and condemn Trump.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251226/syndicated-columnists/a-place-of-moral-leadership-this-is-no-person-for-this-job/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly encourage children to be sexually active LGBTQers.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251226/syndicated-columnists/transgender-teens/
FOX32
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly encourage children to be sexually active LGBTQers.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-r81src9y4xn5130p
KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE
— 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 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 elect and to reelect Jim Rasins and Bob Grogan as DuPage County Auditors. 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 and for GAO for almost 18 years as an Analyst, the last 11 years of at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $117,807-$153,151/year. I have master’s degrees in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.shawlocal.com/kane-county-chronicle/2025/12/25/kane-auditor-penny-wegman-named-auditor-of-the-year/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— “Home Alone” Beyond a Comedy
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/12/25/home-alone-beyond-a-comedy/
— Skinner 2025 Christmas Letter
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/12/25/skinner-2025-christmas-letter/
— The Best Legislative Christmas Greeting
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/12/25/the-best-legislative-christmas-greeting/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Congress should prioritize American graduates, not foreigners who promised to go home. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly glorify and praise citizens of foreign countries and give them preference over citizens of America.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/24/congress-prioritize-american-graduates-foreigners-promised-go-home/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Biden OK’d illegal immigrants ‘Elvis Presley’ and ‘Connie Chung’ into US
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washington-secrets/3919595/biden-administration-let-illegal-immigrants-elvis-presley-connie-chung-into-us/
— Biden’s DHS let migrants on bogus documents claim asylum
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/oct/16/bidens-dhs-catching-releasing-migrants-bogus-documents-audit/
NEW YORK POST
— Tim Walz’s daughter Hope wishes merry Christmas to illegal migrants that ‘ICE has been terrorizing’ in divisive holiday message
https://nypost.com/2025/12/25/us-news/tim-walzs-daughter-hope-wishes-merry-christmas-to-illegal-migrants-that-ice-has-been-terrorizing-in-divisive-holiday-message/
— We know the reasons for violence against Jews — but refuse to say them aloud. We know the causes. Anemic Western leaders — politicians, college presidents, media grandees and celebrities — fear Muslim terrorism, growing Muslim voters and their own growing antisemitic campus constituencies. So, they never call out antisemitic violence other than with nauseating nothings like, “Such violence has no place here.” Or “We condemn such violence in the utmost terms.” Or “This is not who we are.”
https://nypost.com/2025/12/25/opinion/we-know-why-jews-are-targets-of-violence-but-refuse-to-admit-it/
AMERICAN THINKER
— The Pope’s Christmas statements wrapped leftist political values in religious garb. DD: How strongly have Democrats taken over your church?
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/the_pope_s_christmas_statements_wrapped_leftist_political_values_in_religious_garb.html
BRIETBART
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly liken Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to Illegal Migrants on Christmas. How strongly have Democrats taken over your church?
https://www.breitbart.com/faith/2025/12/25/rep-eric-swalwell-likens-jesus-mary-and-joseph-to-illegal-migrants-on-christmas/amp/
CAMPUS REFORM
— Northwestern University releases pro-DEI instructions for educators to ‘anchor equity in strategy’
https://www.campusreform.org/article/northwestern-university-releases-pro-dei-instructions-educators-anchor-equity-strategy/29172
NEWSMAX
— Justices’ Ruling Clears Trump to Invoke Insurrection Act
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/supreme-court-donald-trump-insurrection-act/2025/12/25/id/1239688/
— DD: Democrats Ever-Increasingly Defend Their Illegals
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/art-del-cueto-democrats-illegal-aliens/2025/12/25/id/1239705/
LAW ENFORCEMENT TODAY
— Santa’s Naughty List Now Includes Illegal Aliens, Says ICE AI Video
https://lawenforcementtoday.com/santa-ice-ai-video-illegal-aliens-deport
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— CA-Based Operation Highway Sentinel Nets 101 Arrests in Crackdown on Illegals With CDLs
https://legalinsurrection.com/2025/12/ca-based-operation-highway-sentinel-nets-101-arrests-in-crackdown-on-illegals-with-cdls/
ONE AMERICA NEWS
— Hope Walz praises illegal immigrants while attacking ICE in Christmas message
https://www.oann.com/newsroom/hope-walz-praises-illegal-immigrants-while-attacking-ice-in-christmas-message/
REASON
— DD: Hate filled Trump-hating Trump haters not only hate Trump, but hate America and those who share Trump’s demographics: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://reason.com/2025/12/25/christian-nationalism-is-a-threat-to-americas-founding-principles/
TOWNHALL
— Trump’s DHS Pays Illegal Immigrants to Leave — Critics Ignore the Cost of Letting Them Stay
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2025/12/25/david-bier-what-if-biden-rewarded-illegals-n2668443
— Of Course, Politico Says Christmas Is a Right Wing Boogaloo
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2025/12/25/of-course-politico-says-christmas-is-a-right-wing-boogaloo-n2668468
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Trump Organization requested record number of foreign workers in 2025. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have.
https://www.aol.com/news/trump-organization-requested-record-number-034837590.html
FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— The creation of the Pathways Program came from the simple need to replace the government’s internship program. DD: Democrats run IRS and GAO. GAO audits IRS. Democrats do not want Republicans to audit Democrats. Were you an intern? To stop me from transferring from IRS to GAO when I was 31 years old in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors unsuccessfully tried to force me to become an intern, that is, to take a $71,982/year (64%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer, that is, to take a downgrade from GS-12 Step 5 to GS-4 Step 1. But they successfully forced me to take a $23,472 (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer, a downgrade from GS-12 Step 5 to GS-9 Step 10. Needless-to-say, that ruined my GAO career. My Democrat GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates viciously hinted/implied/argued/shouted that the downgrade a) proved that what I had learned working for IRS for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $99,069-$112,280/year, was WORTHLESS, b) proved that what I had learned passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 was WORTHLESS, c) that what I had learned earning an MBA in 1976 was WORTHLESS, and d) that what I was learning taking graduate evening accounting courses since 1976 was WORTHLESS. They used the aforesaid to ignore, dismiss, belittle a) my earning a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, b) my passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, and c) my becoming a licensed CPA in 1981. They succeed in a) delaying my promotions back to GS-11 Step 10 and GS-12 Step 5, b) keeping me off audits of IRS except 1986-1988, c) delaying my promotion to GS-13 until 1986, d) never promoting me beyond GS-13, e) always ranking me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and f) forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2025/04/the-pathways-program-transformed-agencies-approach-to-early-career-hiring/
NPR
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly crow about their success in getting religious leaders to do their bidding.
https://www.npr.org/2025/12/24/nx-s1-5619298/how-the-clergy-has-rallied-against-the-trump-administrations-immigration-policies
ATLANTA VOICE
— Controlling the Scores. Standardized testing has long been framed as a neutral measure of achievement. Yet, its origins in white supremacy reveal that it was designed to privilege white, middle-class norms while excluding others. DD: My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that I passed the following tests because standardized tests are biased in favor of those who share my demographics: a) the postal employment test when I was 17 in 1966, b) the ACT test with a score of 24 in 1966, c) all the tests I needed to pass to graduate in the upper 20% of my high school class in 1966, d) the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970, e) all the tests I needed to pass to earn a bachelor’s degree from NIU in 1970 and master’s degrees from Loyola in 1976, DePaul in 1980, and IIT in 1997, f) the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. and g) the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981. In my defense, neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school. I had to work my way through college.
https://theatlantavoice.com/testing-bias-black-students/
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
GUARDIAN
— US labor unions gear up to fight against Trump’s ‘Billionaire First’ agenda. AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler says union ready to stand up for struggling Americans: ‘Which side are you on?’ DD: If GAO had unionized sooner, my Democrat GAO superiors would not have been able to a) force me to take a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO, b) keep me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO, c) delay my promotions and never promote me beyond GS-13, d) always rank me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and e) force me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/25/trump-labor-unions-afl-cio
FEDERAL
— Trump administration ends H-1B visa lottery, shifts to skill-based system. DD: What skills do/did you have? I transferred from IRS to be a GAO Analyst when I was 31 in 1980. GAO audits IRS. The Democrats who ran GAO ignored/dismissed/belittled the analytical skills that I had because I was not a Democrat, minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. I acquired those analytical skills a) working for IRS for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $99,069-$112,280/year, b) passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, c) almost completing the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting, and d) earning an MBA in 1976. Much of what I did for IRS was very similar to what I would do for GAO. GAO’s forcing me to take a $23,472 (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars ruined my GAO career and proved GAO’s discrimination against those who are Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.
https://thefederal.com/category/international/trump-administration-ends-h1b-visa-lottery-skill-based-system-222170
FROM OTHER SOURCES
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
— College football’s highest-paid player takes a pay cut to chase 2026 championship. DD: Who do you know that has taken a pay cut? I took a $23,472/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, a downgrade from GS-12 Step 5 to GS-9 Step 10. My Democrat IRS superiors had made it clear that they would never promote me to GS-13 because I was a non-veteran Republican who had complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination. The GAO Staff Manager (Bill) who arranged the transfer promised me that he that would assign me to audits of IRS and rapidly promote me back to GS-12 Step 5 and then to GS13. But my Democrat GAO superiors almost immediately replaced Bill with Dave. Dave vehemently disapproved of me and my transfer. He gave me bad job assignments. He gave me unfair performance expectations. He gave me unfair performance appraisals. He delayed my promotions back to GS-11 Step 10 and GS-12 Step 5. He kept me off audits of IRS. He ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning an MBA in 1976, my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, my earning a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, my passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, and my becoming a licensed CPA in 1981. But in 1985, Dave went on extended sick leave. That enabled Bill to assign me to audits of IRS in 1986 and to promote me to GS-13 in 1986. But Dave came back in 1987. Dave forced Bill to retire in 1987. Dave threw me off audits in 1989. Dave again gave me bad job assignments. Dave again gave me unfair performance expectations. Dave again gave me unfair performance appraisals. Dave ranked me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance for 1989. GAO did not unionize until 2007. If GAO had been unionized in 1980, Dave would not have been able to take the adverse actions against me that he did.
https://www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/college-football-highest-paid-player-takes-pay-cut-to-chase-2026-championship-arch-manning
December 24, 2025
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Illinois joins lawsuit against White House’s attempted national ban on youth gender-affirming care. The Department of Health and Human Services this month unveiled a series of regulatory actions designed to block access to gender-affirming care for patients under 19, including threats to cut off federal Medicaid and Medicare funding from hospitals that provide care. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly encourage youth to be sexually active LGBTQers.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/2025/12/24/illinois-joins-suit-trump-administrations-attempted-nationwide-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-for-youth
DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251223/illinois-state-politics/doj-sues-illinois-governor-over-laws-protecting-immigrants-at-courthouses-and-hospitals/
NPR ILLINOIS
— Trump administration is recalling about 30 career diplomats. DD: Are/were you a career employee? I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years, almost 3 for the Post Office, almost 9 for IRS, and almost 18 for GAO. But my Democrat IRS superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates not only ignored/dismissed/belittled my postal employment, they used it against me; they were furious that I had almost 3 years of federal seniority when I started at IRS. And my Democrat GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates not only ignored/dismissed/belittled my IRS employment, they used it against me; they were beyond furious that I had almost 12 years of federal seniority when I started at GAO. Because of that seniority, I had more vacation day and sick days. Because of that seniority, I got a preferred corner office at GAO. Because of that seniority I got the “opportunity” to get a $25,000 buyout and to take early retirement when I was 45 in 1993.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-12-23/the-trump-administration-is-recalling-about-30-career-diplomats
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Military recruiting soars after Trump election and ‘woke’ policy rollback. DD: Did you enlist? Initially, my plan to get a college degree was to enlist and to use the GI Bill. If I had enlisted, I would not have been able a) to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21, b) to earn an MBA when I was 27, c) to pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, d) to earn a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, d) to pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32, and e) to become a licensed CPA when I was 32. I would not have been able a) to buy new cars when I was 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc., b) to buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, and 35, c) to get married when I was 29, d) etc.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/23/us-military-recruiting-hits-15-year-high-trump-administration/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Border Patrol ‘will go anywhere’ to arrest illegal immigrants in 2026
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/crime/4355660/border-patrol-travel-arrest-illegal-immigrants-2026-chief/
— Why is Mamdani surrounded by antisemites?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4356909/why-zohran-mamdani-surrounded-by-antisemites/
NEW YORK POST
— Why do pessimistic pundits keep getting Trump’s economy so wrong?
https://nypost.com/2025/12/23/opinion/why-do-pessimistic-pundits-keep-getting-trumps-economy-so-wrong/
— Mamdani doesn’t care about ‘upward mobility.’ DD: How upwardly mobile were you? Thanks to my outstanding parents and teachers, I was able to earn three master’s degrees, six professional certifications, and a professional license notwithstanding neither of my parents having attended college, my father being only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma, and my mother never having attended high school.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/mamdani-doesn-t-care-about-upward-mobility-and-his-charter-school-snub-proves-it/ar-AA1SQQnX
— DEI hollowed out a generation — and sapped America’s promise. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders use Affirmative Action and DEI to destroy Republicans who are conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America longer than their ancestors.
https://nypost.com/2025/12/22/opinion/dei-hollowed-out-a-generation-and-sapped-americas-promise/
BLAZE
— The Great Replacement isn’t a theory. It’s the plan. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly replace those who have demographics that vote for Republicans with those who have demographics that vote for Democrats. That will destroy America.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-auron-macintyre-show/the-great-replacement-isnt-a-theory-its-the-plan
BREITBART
— ICE Arrests 101 ‘Dangerous’ Illegal Alien Truckers on California Roads
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2025/12/23/report-ice-arrests-101-dangerous-illegal-alien-truckers-on-california-roads/amp/
— ICE Releases AI Video of Santa Rounding Up Illegal Aliens, Urges Self-Deportation to Avoid the ‘Naughty List’
https://www.breitbart.com/pre-viral/2025/12/23/watch-ice-releases-ai-video-of-santa-rounding-up-illegal-aliens-urges-self-deportation-to-avoid-the-naughty-list/
CAMPUS REFORM
— 5 times merit made a comeback in 2025. DD: My critics/opponents credit their successes to merit. They credit my successes to my benefitting from discrimination against those who are non-Republican, liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, veteran, unmarried, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or are noncitizens.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/5-times-merit-made-comeback-2025/29157
COLLEGE FIX
— Lawsuit challenges University of Rhode Island’s ‘preference’ for hiring union members. DD: When the Democrats who ran the Post Office hired me when I was 18, I felt that I had no choice but to join the union. When the Democrats who ran IRS hired me when I was 22, I felt that I had no choice but to join the union. When the Democrats who ran GAO hired me when I was 31, they made it clear that they despised/hated unions and union members. They hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if I had not been a union member, IRS would not have promoted me when I was 23, 24, and 25, that is, that IRS grossly overpaid me because I was a union member.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/lawsuit-challenges-u-rhode-islands-preference-for-hiring-union-members/
DAILY SIGNAL
— The Left Framed Trump on ‘Affordability’ Crisis. Here’s What Trump Must Do Now. DD: If there is something that you want to buy, but you can’t afford it, who do you blame? Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-hates want you to blame Trump. Who do you blame for your not having more money than you have? I blame my Democrat superiors in the federal government who wasted my career, who took many big adverse actions against me, and who forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/12/23/the-left-framed-trump-on-affordability-crisis-heres-what-trump-must-do-now/amp/
— Reversing Democrats’ ‘Affordability’ Trap on Trump Before Midterms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry49sksqMFg
FOX BUSINESS
— This is a good incentive for illegal aliens to leave voluntarily
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6386883945112
LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Systematic Scholarship Discrimination In Illinois Public Universities Challenged By Equal Protection Project. Our Civil Rights Complaint to the Department of Justice involves at least seventy-seven (77) scholarships and programs across seven institutions, including the flagship University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2025/12/systematic-scholarship-discrimination-in-illinois-public-universities-challenged-by-equal-protection-project/
NEW AMERICAN
— Top Democrats in Columbus, Ohio, Warn Illegal Aliens That ICE Is in Town
https://thenewamerican.com/us/immigration/top-democrats-in-columbus-ohio-warn-illegal-aliens-that-ice-is-in-town/
— University Writing Center Rejected Proper English, Calling It “Linguistic White Supremacy”
https://thenewamerican.com/us/education/university-writing-center-rejected-proper-english-calling-it-linguistic-white-supremacy/
— ICE Arrests More Than 100 Illegal Alien Truck Drivers in California
https://thenewamerican.com/us/immigration/ice-arrests-more-than-100-illegal-alien-truck-drivers-in-california/
PJ MEDIA
— Outrageous: Boasberg Demands Trump Return 130+ Terrorist Illegals to U.S.
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2025/12/23/boasberg-outrageously-demands-trump-return-130-criminal-illegals-to-us-n4947441
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals, b) fight their deportation, and c) make it clear that they despise/hate Republicans who are conservative, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My coworkers were overwhelmingly Democrats who were non-German American, had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time, non-Protestant, veteran, minority, female, and/or younger than me.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/us/politics/stephen-miller-trump-immigrants.html
— How Did DOGE Disrupt So Much While Saving So Little? The group’s biggest claims were largely incorrect, a New York Times analysis found. And its many smaller cuts added up to few savings. DD: If Gingrich had reformed GAO instead of gutting it, there would be no need for DOGE.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/us/politics/doge-musk-trump-analysis.html
WASHINGTON POST
— Trump administration abruptly recalls over two dozen career ambassadors. DD: U.S. ambassadors serve at the pleasure of U.S. presidents. Managers of GAO offices serve at the pleasure of those who run GAO. While I worked for GAO’s Chicago office 1980-1997, the Democrats who ran GAO got rid of the managers who they assigned who failed to get rid of enough of the office’s employees who were GS-14 and below and who were Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time. I should write about each of those managers and the employees who they got rid of.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/12/22/trump-ambassadors-recalled/
BOSTON HERALD
— Things are looking up, thanks to Trump
https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/12/24/moore-things-are-looking-up-thanks-to-trump/
SACRAMENTO BEE
— Here’s how Sacramento County residents can help with the upcoming homeless count. DD: As Democrats move into your county, township, municipality, and school district, homelessness will increase.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/homeless/article313927206.html
DAILY BEACON
— Check your privilege. DD: What are your demographics? If you are the following, my critics/opponents attribute your successes in life to your benefitting from discrimination against those who are not the following: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, married, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://utdailybeacon.com/87543/opinion/check-your-privilege/
WKBN
— DOJ to investigate ‘DEI wokeness’ after Pa. school bus driver fired for banning Spanish
https://www.wkbn.com/news/doj-to-investigate-dei-wokeness-after-pa-school-bus-driver-fired-for-banning-spanish/
WHYY
— Gen Z college graduates are facing tough odds in the job market. With a historically bad job market, phantom job listings and a loss of entry-level positions due to AI, young Philadelphians are sounding the alarm. DD: What entry-level jobs did you have? I had three. I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU when I was 21 years old in 1970. My first entry-level job was a Retail Sales Manager for a Firestone Store. My salary was about $50,000/year in today’s dollars for a 44-hour workweek. In 1971, my second entry-level job was a GS-7 IRS Revenue Officer. The salary was $55,850/year in today’s dollars. To get that job, I had passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination. My taking graduate evening business courses at Loyola helped me get promoted to GS-9 ($68,315/year) in 1972, to GS-11 ($82,655/year) in 1973, and to GS-12 ($99,069/year) in 1974. I earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976. In 1980, my third entry-level job was a GS-9 Step 10 GAO Analyst. The salary was $88,808/year in today’s dollars. To get that job, I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and almost earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul. My salary was $153,151/year in today’s dollars almost 18 years later in 1997, after I earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, after I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, after I became a licensed CPA in 1981, after I earned four more professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and after I earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997.
https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-gen-z-college-graduates-job-market/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— America Needs More Husband Material. Marriage, disdained by many elites, has collapsed among the working class. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasing destroy traditional marriage and family. Under the Democrats, fewer and fewer and fewer people are marriage material. What helped make you 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 $108,978/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.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/america-needs-more-husband-material-11ae071a?mod=opinion_lead_pos7
FORTUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders want the stock market to crash so that they can blame it on Trump.
https://fortune.com/2025/12/24/precarious-is-wall-streets-defining-word-for-2026/
— Why restricting graduate loans will bankrupt America’s talent supply chain. DD: I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I took only one course at a time because that was what I could afford in terms of time and money. Consequently, I did not earn an MBA until I was 27. I did not earn a master’s degree in accounting until I was 31. I did not earn a master’s degree in finance until I was 48. By then, it was too late.
https://fortune.com/2025/12/23/k-shaped-economy-education-graduate-loans-talent-supply-chain/
MONEY TALKS
— Here’s What Workers Say Matters Most in a Job in 2026 and What They’ll Do to Get It. DD: What about the importance of what employers do? The importance of what the Post Office does (deliver mail), Firestone Stores do (sell tires), Oldsmobile did (build cars), IRS does (collect taxes), and GAO does (audit federal agencies) motivated me to accept their job offers.
https://www.moneytalksnews.com/heres-what-workers-say-matters-most-in-a-job-in-and-what-theyll-do-to-get-it/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Key findings include: 85% of workers said remote work now matters more than salary when evaluating a job. 69% have switched, or seriously considered switching, career fields. Gen Z professionals reported struggling to build momentum and wanting stronger support. Working parents were stretched thin, with 65% saying remote work would better support their families. And across the workforce, return-to-office mandates have been straining trust and loyalty.)
LEGAL NEWSLINE
— DOJ says IL law can’t be used to limit, sue, ‘harass’ ICE agents
https://www.legalnewsline.com/madison-stclair-record/justice-department-battles-illinois-over-ice-limitations/article_df7e9ec0-7b26-4da6-a1a5-205da2d1962e.html
JD SUPRA
— The EEOC Issues New Guidance Regarding Anti-American Discrimination. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My coworkers were overwhelmingly Democrats who were non-German American, had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time, non-Protestant, veteran, minority, female, and/or younger than me.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/the-eeoc-issues-new-guidance-regarding-5111758/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The technical assistance document also offers examples of specific circumstances that may implicate this new guidance on national origin discrimination, including: Using discriminatory job advertisements, such as those that include the employer’s preference for or requirement of applicants from a particular country or with a particular visa status (e.g., “H-1B preferred” or “H-1B only”). Terminating American employees who are on the “bench” between job assignments at a higher rate than employees who are visa guest workers. Requiring American workers to participate in more burdensome application processes than H-1B visa holders during the PERM labor certification process. Allowing the harassment of employees based on their national origin, accent, or ethnicity, through unwelcome remarks or conduct. Retaliating against an employee who engaged in protected activity under Title VII, such as objecting to or opposing national origin discrimination at work, participating in employer or EEOC investigations, or filing an EEOC charge.
ATLANTIC
— DD: According to hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters, Trump Is looking a lot smaller and he is no longer dominating his party or the country in the way he once did.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2025/12/president-donald-trump-diminished/685427/
DAILY DISPATCH
— DD: I should write about anti-conservatives. I would focus on Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct since 2000. I would focus on leaders of the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization since 2000. I would focus on conservative leaders in Illinois since 2000. I would focus on religious leaders in Illinois since 2000. I would focus on those who continue to have lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois. I would focus on those who have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me lately.
https://www.dailydispatch.co.za/news/opinion/2025-12-24-conservative-american-manhood-has-hit-rock-bottom/
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
INDIA TODAY
— Disagree with me, you won’t get the job: Trump’s test for next Fed chair. DD: Democrats run the federal government. For them, the federal government exists a) to hire, retain, and promote Democrats and b) to advance the Democrat Party platform. 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. I qualified myself for the Post Office job by earning a high school diploma and passing the postal employment examination. I qualified myself for the IRS job by earning a bachelor’s degree in business and passing the Federal Service Entrance Examination. I qualified myself for the GAO job by earning an MBA and passing the CPA examination on my first attempt.
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/us-news/story/disagree-with-me-you-wont-get-the-job-trumps-test-for-next-fed-chair-glbs-2840797-2025-12-24
December 23, 2025 Evening Edition
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Supreme Court keeps Trump’s National Guard deployment blocked in the Chicago area, for now
https://abc7chicago.com/post/supreme-court-ruling-keeps-donald-trumps-chicago-national-guard-deployment-blocked-now/18309907/
— Pope disappointed over approval of assisted suicide legislation in his home state of Illinois
https://abc7chicago.com/post/pope-leo-xiv-news-catholic-church-leader-disappointed-approval-assisted-suicide-legislation-home-state-illinois/18310097/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Supreme Court deals Trump a defeat on bid to deploy National Guard in Illinois
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/23/supreme-court-trump-national-guard-illinois/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for inflation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/20/november-us-consumer-goods-price-tracker/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Pope disappointed by approval of Illinois’ assisted suicide legislation. Pope Leo XIV said he asked Gov. JB Pritzker not to sign legislation allowing assisted suicide in Illinois. “We were very clear about the necessity to respect the sacredness of life from the very beginning to the very end, and unfortunately … he decided to sign that bill.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/pope-leo-xiv/2025/12/23/pope-disappointed-over-approval-of-illinois-assisted-suicide-legislation
DAILY HERALD
— Why three congressional candidates could be booted from the ballot
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251223/us-congress-politics/why-three-congressional-candidates-could-be-booted-from-the-ballot/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Three congressional candidates vying to serve different parts of the Northwest or West suburbs will find out early next month if they’ll appear on March 2026 primary ballots or be booted. On the hot seat are Democrat Mark J. Pasieka Sr., a Chicagoan running in the 3rd District; and two Republicans running in the 11th District, Tedora Brown of Palos Park and Michael Pierce of Naperville.)
— DuPagePads opens new warming center in Wheaton
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251223/news/dupagepads-opens-new-warming-center-in-wheaton/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Quantifying the Tax Local Officials Did Not Vote To Impose, a “Would Have Been, Could Have Been” Article
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2025/12/23/quantifying-the-tax-local-officials-did-not-vote-to-impose-a-would-have-been-could-have-been-article/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Supreme Court rules against Trump on deploying troops to Chicago
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/23/supreme-court-rules-trump-deploying-troops-chicago/
— Medicaid wasted more than $200 million on dead enrollees in single year
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/23/medicaid-paid-200-million-care-deceased-patients-single-year/
— White House rebuffs Catholic bishops’ appeal for a Christmas pause in immigration enforcement
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/23/catholic-bishops-appeal-christmas-pause-immigration-enforcement/
— Military hits best recruiting numbers in 15 years
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/23/military-hits-best-recruiting-numbers-15-years-pentagon-says/
— Islam is still incompatible with America
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/23/december-2025-islam-still-incompatible-america/
— American families deserve real health care relief. There’s a better path than Obamacare.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/10/american-families-deserve-real-health-care-relief/
NEW YORK POST
— Toxic ideas fueling far-left terrorists came straight from our college campuses
https://nypost.com/2025/12/23/opinion/toxic-fuel-for-far-left-terrorists-came-straight-from-our-colleges/
AMERICAN THINKER
— The problem behind ‘affordability’
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/the_problem_behind_affordability.html
— NBC criticizes Trump admin for claiming ‘without evidence’ that white civilization is being erased
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/more_fake_news_nbc_criticizes_trump_admin_for_claiming_without_evidence_that_white_civilization_is_being_erased.html
— The ‘affordability crisis’ myth
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/11/the_affordability_crisis_myth.html
BREITBART
— SCOTUS Rules Against Trump Sending National Guard to Sanctuary Chicago
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/12/23/scotus-rules-against-trump-sending-national-guard-sanctuary-chicago/
CAMPUS REFORM
— Worst 5 examples of higher ed’s pro-abortion agenda in 2025. Abortion is celebrated and promoted on college campuses.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/worst-5-examples-higher-eds-pro-abortion-agenda-2025/29167
DAILY WIRE
— TPUSA Attendees Rally Around JD Vance At AmFest. “JD Vance represents the greatest conservative movement in over forty years.”
https://www.dailywire.com/news/tpusa-attendees-rally-around-jd-vance-at-amfest
EPOCH TIMES
— Federal Judge Strikes Down California’s Policies Hiding Gender Switches From Parents. The permanent injunction includes language that bars any employee in California’s education system from ’misleading the parent.’
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/federal-judge-strikes-down-californias-policies-hiding-gender-switches-from-parents-5961936
FOX NEWS
— Mamdani FIRES BACK after report exposes anti-Zionist appointees
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6386869048112
— 20% of NYC mayor-elect Mamdani transition appointees have anti-Zionist ties
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/20-nyc-mayor-elect-mamdani-transition-appointees-have-anti-zionist-ties-adl.amp
NEWSMAX
— California Auditor Flags Newsom Admin as High Risk, Citing Billions in Exposure
https://www.newsmax.com/us/california-gavin-newsom-audit/2025/12/23/id/1239457/
PATRIOT POST
— Slouching Toward Open Season on Jews. To catalog all the recent violence against Jews in the Western world would fill a book.
https://patriotpost.us/opinion/123805-slouching-toward-open-season-on-jews-2025-12-23
POST MILLENNIAL
— Vance overwhelmingly wins AmFest straw poll for 2028 GOP presidential nominee. The poll found that 84.2 percent of attendees want Vance for the spot, while no other figure in the poll received double-digit support.
https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-jd-vance-overwhelmingly-wins-amfest-straw-poll-for-2028-gop-presidential-nominee
REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— The NLRB Can Now Serve the American People, Not the Democratic Party
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2025/12/22/the_nlrb_can_now_serve_the_american_people_not_the_democratic_party_153661.amp.html
TOWNHALL
— Mamdani Chalks Up His Antisemitic Staff Problem As a ‘Wide Variety of Political Opinion’
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2025/12/23/mamdani-radical-staffers-wide-variety-of-political-opinion-n2668370
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
REUTERS
— US seeks to cancel thousands of asylum cases
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-seeks-cancel-thousands-asylum-cases-cbs-news-reports-2025-12-23/
CNBC
— Entry-level hiring is down 23% from March 2020. DD: What entry-level jobs did you have? I had three. I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU when I was 21 years old in 1970. My first entry-level job was a Retail Sales Manager for a Firestone Store. My salary was about $50,000/year in today’s dollars for a 44-hour workweek. In 1971, my second entry-level job was a GS-7 IRS Revenue Officer. The salary was $55,850/year in today’s dollars. To get that job, I had passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination. My taking graduate evening business courses at Loyola helped me get promoted to GS-9 ($68,315/year) in 1972, to GS-11 ($82,655/year) in 1973, and to GS-12 ($99,069/year) in 1974. I earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976. In 1980, my third entry-level job was a GS-9 Step 10 GAO Analyst. The salary was $88,808/year in today’s dollars. To get that job, I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and almost earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul. My salary was $153,151/year in today’s dollars almost 18 years later in 1997, after I earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, after I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, after I became a licensed CPA in 1981, after I earned four more professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and after I earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/23/this-is-linkedins-no-1-piece-of-advice-for-entry-level-job-seekers-in-2026.html
USA TODAY
— Turning Point exposes Republican infighting when we need unity. DD: If I was still the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman and an Illinois Center Right Coalition officer, those organizations would still be hosting candidate debates today.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/12/23/turning-point-republican-infighting-conservative-movement/87855762007/
INC.
— The Top 15 Highest-Paying Jobs for 2026 That Don’t Require a College Degree. DD: Firestone Stores would not have hired me as a Retail Store Manager in 1970 and IRS would not have hired me as a Revenue Officer in 1971 if I had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business in 1970. IRS would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974 if I had not been taking graduate business evening courses. GAO would not have hired me as an Analyst in 1980 if I had not earned an MBA in 1976 and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. GAO would not have promoted me in 1986 if I had not earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, and became a licensed CPA in 1981.
https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/the-top-15-highest-paying-jobs-for-2026-that-dont-require-a-degree/91281103
TALKING POINTS MEMO
— GAO Has Been Calling Out Trump’s Illegal Impoundment. That May Soon Change.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/one-agency-has-been-calling-out-trumps-illegal-impoundment-that-may-soon-change
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Throughout 2025, the Trump administration has, time after time, simply refused to spend funds that Congress appropriated. The obstinacy was without precedent in modern American governance; congressional Democrats suggested it had put the country on track toward a constitutional crisis. Republicans, who controlled both chambers of Congress, largely did nothing. Piping up occasionally to affirm to those who were paying attention that they had not entirely lost their minds was a relatively small watchdog agency housed within the legislative branch: The Government Accountability Office (GAO). . .Following Dodaro’s retirement, Congress will establish a bipartisan panel to recommend a replacement to the president. President Donald Trump will then nominate a candidate subject to Senate confirmation. But experts worry that the ostensibly bipartisan process will not be enough to force Trump to appoint someone who will live up to the agency’s nonpartisan mission, which includes investigating improper, wasteful and fraudulent use of the money Congress allocates. “It is very likely that Gene Dodaro is replaced with a Trump lackey,” Bobby Kogan, senior director of federal budget policy at the Center for American Progress, told TPM. Kogan worries that if Dodaro is replaced by a Trump loyalist, the agency will stop doing the “important part of what they have been doing, which is investigations, public oversight and accountability.” “GAO investigations are extremely important,” Georgetown Law professor David Super told TPM. “In many respects, it provides a better and more independent version of what the inspectors general used to provide,” he said, referencing the watchdogs who sit within many executive branch agencies — and who Trump fired en masse in 2025. “Since Trump has gotten rid of the inspectors general, we don’t have that independent site,” Super continued. “So having an independent GAO looking at things is extremely important. And, certainly, Congress would have a harder time doing its job without GAO.”)
PEW RESEARCH
— The Political Gap in Americans’ News Sources. DD: Since 2000, I have worked hard to fill an ever-increasing political news and commentary gap in Illinois with my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters. Tragically, there are fewer and fewer and fewer conservative news and commentary sources in Illinois.
https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2025/06/10/the-political-gap-in-americans-news-sources/