Tag: pension

September 16, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

WGN9
— A kiss renews questions about why IL has so many townships?
https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-investigates/a-kiss-renews-questions-about-why-il-has-so-many-townships/

WTTW
— Former CPD Supt. Larry Snelling Starts Collecting $190K Annual Police Pension. DD: I got in line for a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension when I was 18 in 1966. While I worked part-time for the Post Office 1966-1969, I got both Social Security credits and full-time CSRS credits. My critics/opponents have always been furious about that. Further, they are furious that since I was 49 in 1997, I have gotten a CSRS pension, currently $68,640/year. So far, in today’s dollars, CSRS has paid me $2 million dollars. Further, they are furious that last year, my Social Security increased from $3,000/year to $19,000/year.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/09/14/former-cpd-supt-larry-snelling-starts-collecting-190k-annual-police-pension-records-show

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/16/deerfield-public-school-district-109/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Google’s Thompson Center debut delayed to 2028.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/real-estate/commercial/ccb-google-thompson-center-opening-delayed-20260916/

MUDDY RIVER NEWS
— Pritzker campaign seems to pay more attention to Trump endorsement than Bailey.
https://muddyrivernews.com/politics/pritzker-campaign-seems-to-pay-more-attention-to-trump-endorsement-than-bailey/20260915213302/

SOUTHWEST REGIONAL PUBLISHING
— Illinois Democrats raise $1 million at Navy Pier rally.
https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/2026/09/15/illinois-democrats-raise-1-million-at-navy-pier-rally/

WHEATON PATCH
— Man Set Fire To His Aunt And Uncle’s House In Wheaton. Nahom T. Abraha, 40, is being held at DuPage County Jail in connection with the Sept. 13 arson.
https://patch.com/illinois/wheaton/man-set-fire-his-aunt-uncles-house-wheaton-police

BUR RIDGE PATCH
— Burr Ridge Mayor Returns Indicted Restaurateur’s Campaign Donations. The mayor said he did not know about the contributions before Patch’s inquiry. He also returned the businessman’s donations in 2018.
https://patch.com/illinois/burrridge/amp/34838127/burr-ridge-mayor-returns-indicted-restaurateurs-campaign-donations

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— On the official (Democrat) campaign trail.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/09/16/on-the-official-campaign-trail-01078576

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/16/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-808/


FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES


WASHINGTON TIMES
— Florida restricts welfare benefits for ‘nonessential’ purchases. Items banned include vapes, tattoos, and spa services. DD: While I worked for IRS’s Collection Division for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, I took many financial statements from delinquent taxpayers who claimed an inability to pay.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/25/florida-restricts-welfare-benefits-nonessential-purchases/
— University of Maryland replaces DEI language with ‘belonging and community.’
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/15/university-maryland-replaces-dei-language-belonging-community/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— What Karl Marx got right about politics.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/courage-strength-optimism/4727637/what-karl-marx-got-right-about-politics-socialism-capitalism/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Mamdani Taps ‘Gay Communist’ for Senior Government Role: New Adviser Called for ‘Abolition of Police’ and ‘Undoing Capitalism,’ Condemned Gandhi as ‘Anti-Black Misogynist.’
https://freebeacon.com/democrats/exclusive-mamdani-taps-gay-communist-for-senior-government-role-new-adviser-called-for-abolition-of-police-and-undoing-capitalism-condemned-gan/

AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY
— What is socialism? Socialism is an economic system in which much of the economy is publicly owned or controlled rather than privately owned.
https://americansforprosperity.org/blog/what-is-socialism-what-people-get-wrong/

AMERICAN GREATNESS
— The Democrat Party and Its Supporters Are a Hive. Coordination emerges not primarily from explicit instruction but from shared ideological programming, financial incentives, and institutional culture.
https://amgreatness.com/2026/09/16/the-democrat-party-and-its-supporters-are-a-hive-part-one/

BREITBART
— Chicago’s Dem. Mayor Johnson Says Illegals Are an ‘Essential Part of Who We Are.’ DD: Democrat leaders have declared a Second Civil War on Republicans. Their illegals are their soldiers in their Democrat Army.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/15/chicagos-dem-mayor-johnson-says-illegals-are-an-essential-part-of-who-we-are/
— House Hearing on Voter Fraud. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/15/watch-live-house-hearing-on-voter-fraud/

CAMPUS REFORM
— Most MD programs still maintain DEI initiatives.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/report-finds-md-programs-still-maintain-dei-initiatives/30560

DAILY CALLER
— Conservative Leaders Call GOP-Led Amnesty Bill ‘Betrayal’ To Voters.
https://www.aol.com/articles/conservative-leaders-call-gop-led-184237000.html

DAILY WIRE
— Household Debt Is Getting Out Of Hand. Here’s Why It’s At An All-Time High. The bill for all of this excessive, wasteful spending is eventually going to come due.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/household-debt-is-getting-out-of-hand-heres-why-its-at-an-all-time-high

FOX NEWS
— Charlie Kirk’s family alleges Utah Valley University knew of rooftop security risk before his assassination. The notice alleges campus police had no written security plan and only six officers for 3,000 spectators.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/charlie-kirk-family-alleges-uvu-knew-rooftop-security-risk-before-assassination-legal-filing
— Smithsonian move reignites ‘woke,’ ‘Marxist’ criticism as Latino museum avoids congressional approval. Mike Gonzalez’s report argues the museum’s inaugural exhibition reflected anti-Western ideology and Marxist messaging.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/smithsonian-move-reignites-woke-marxist-criticism-latino-museum-avoids-congressional-approval

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NEW YORK TIMES
— Half of Voters Dislike Socialism Amid Progressive Wins.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/us/politics/democratic-socialism-poll.html
— DD: Democrat leaders have always used and abused Jews. My Democrat superiors in the federal government successfully forced my many anti-conservative anti-Republican Democrat Jewish superiors and supervisors to take many big adverse actions against me. They stressed that I was conservative, Republican, Protestant, German American, a Crete resident 1948-1972, and a Wheaton resident since 1978. My Jewish Post Office superiors a) disallowed my sick leave requests in 1968 and 1969 and b) forced me to resign in 1969. My Jewish IRS superiors a) forced the IRS manager who had promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974 to transfer to Dallas, b) disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974, c) disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and d) made it clear that they would never promote me again. My Jewish GAO superiors a) forced me to take a $23.699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer to GAO in 1980, b) delayed my promotions to GS-11, GS-12, and GS-13, c) made it clear that would never promote me to GS-14, d) kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO, 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.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/opinion/trump-antisemitism-israel-civil-rights.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Why Republicans struggle to prove the danger of socialism. When the GOP embraces big government, it’s harder to champion free markets.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/09/15/gop-socialism-lite-risks-midterms-without-free-market-contrast/

NBC DALLAS FORT WORTH
— Mortgage rates climb above 7%. DD: Mortgage rates were 17% when I took out a mortgage to buy a new townhome in University Park in 1972. They were 11% when I took out a mortgage to buy a studio condo in downtown Chicago in 1974. They were 9% when I took out a mortgage to buy a one bedroom condo in downtown Chicago in 1976. They were 9% when my wife and I took out a mortgage to buy a home in Wheaton in 1978. They were 14% when my wife and I took out a mortgage to have a home built in Wheaton 1984.
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/mortgage-rates-north-texas-homebuyers/4077739/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— This English Village Is Threatening to Quit the U.K. Over Planned Asylum Camp. Piddington, population 350, is up in arms over a proposal to house 1,250 asylum seekers at a former military site.
https://www.wsj.com/world/uk/this-english-village-is-threatening-to-quit-the-u-k-over-planned-asylum-camp-cd0d7610
— Pensions Were on the Brink of Extinction. Now Companies Are Bringing Them Back. Some companies are turning to the lost benefit to recruit employees or settle negotiations with labor unions. DD: I got in line for a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension when I was 18 in 1966. While I worked part-time for the Post Office 1966-1969, I got both Social Security credits and full-time CSRS credits. My critics/opponents have always been furious about that. Further, they are furious that since I was 49 in 1997, I have gotten a CSRS pension, currently $68,640/year. Further, they are furious that last year, my Social Security increased from $3,000/year to $19,000/year. So far, in today’s dollars, CSRS has paid me $2 million dollars.
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/retirement/pensions-were-on-the-brink-of-extinction-now-companies-are-bringing-them-back-81b009dc
— DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) who were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time and/or b) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had. None of my coworkers came close to doing what I did. I earned three job-related master’s degrees, I earned six job-related professional certifications, and I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.wsj.com/economy/gender-pay-gap-return-to-office-002bb828

TIME
— Relevant work experience. DD: To force me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors not only ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning an MBA in 1976 and my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, they outrageously/disgustingly/falsely/unethically ignored/dismissed/belittled the fact that GAO audits IRS and treated my almost 9 years of experience working for IRS, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, as being not only not job related, but worthless. They knew full-well that much of what I did for IRS was very similar to what I would do be doing for GAO. They would not have forced me to take the aforesaid pay cut if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran. They would have offered me a promotion to GS-13 to transfer, currently $118,984/year.
https://time.com/partner-content/charter/why-college-isn-t-enough-anymore/

KERA NEWS
— Karl Rove said he’ll break 30 years of only supporting Republicans to vote against ‘bigot’ Bo French. DD: I have always not only voted for the Republican candidates on general election ballots in my precinct, but also promoted them. That includes not only candidates who blame me for their defeats, but candidates who have taken big adverse actions against me.
https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2026-09-15/karl-rove-said-hell-break-30-years-of-only-supporting-republicans-to-vote-against-bigot-bo-french
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Karl Rove, former adviser to President George W. Bush and longtime Texas GOP political consultant, said he will vote for Jon Rosenthal, a Houston Democrat running to serve the Texas Railroad Commission, after Republican Bo French posted racist comments on Sunday about South Asian students at the University of Texas at Austin. Rove made the comments at a members-only lunch event at the Headliners Club in Austin, where he called French a “bigot,” according to three attendees to whom The Texas Tribune has granted anonymity to discuss the conversation. Rove said he has only ever voted for one Democratic candidate, Texas Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, who was up for reelection in 1994.)

AMERICAN BAZAAR
— Mamdani leads lawsuit challenging Trump’s new ‘public charge’ rule to deny green cards, visas. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to take bad jobs like I had to because they had wealthy parents. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://americanbazaaronline.com/2026/09/15/mamdani-leads-lawsuit-challenging-trumps-new-public-charge-rule-to-deny-green-cards-visas-488186/

FINDLAW
— Lawsuit Seeks to Block Trump Rule Linking Green Cards to Public Benefits. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to take bad jobs like I had to because they had wealthy parents. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/courtside/lawsuit-seeks-to-block-trump-rule-linking-green-cards-to-public-benefits/

HR DIVE
— DD: DEI-motivated hirings and promotions cost Accenture $25M in DOJ settlement. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) who were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time and/or b) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had. None of my coworkers came close to doing what I did. I earned three job-related master’s degrees, I earned six job-related professional certifications, and I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.hrdive.com/news/alleged-dei-motivated-hirings-promotions-cost-accenture-25m-in-doj-settlement/830448/

FINANCIAL POST
— Should you accept your employer’s invitation to resign rather than be fired? DD: My Democrat Post Office superiors forced me to resign when I was 20 in 1969 falsely saying that I was not going to be available to work enough part-time hours. My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 saying they would demote me, give me adverse transfers, give me unfair performance expectations, and give me unfair performance appraisals if I did not retire. If I had not taken their early retirement “offer,” I would not have been eligible to take regular retirement until I was 55 in 2003.
https://financialpost.com/fp-work/accept-employers-invitation-to-resign-or-be-fired

SCOTUS BLOG
— Court prevents Trump from firing Fed governor. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors hinted/implied that they forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 “for cause.” SEE: Diersen v. GAO at https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DiersenGAOFifthAmendedComplaint.pdf  Previously, they had a) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, b) delayed my promotions and never promoted me to GS-14, c) kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO, and d) forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS when I was 31 in 1980.
https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/06/court-prevents-trump-from-firing-fed-governor/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts contended that, if the Trump administration were correct, it “would in effect transform the Federal Reserve’s for-cause protection into at-will employment—an interpretive leap out of step with the statute Congress enacted and our Nation’s tradition of central banking protected from political interference.”

NPR
— DD: Democrats use “democracy” to take everything away from Republicans and to give it to Democrats.
https://www.npr.org/2026/09/15/nx-s1-5969741/state-of-u-s-democracy-reaches-new-low-report-finds

CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS
— DD: My Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors ever-increasing gave more preference to my Democrat coworkers who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. All my coworkers who they promoted over me were Democrats who were the aforesaid and had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had. None of my coworkers came close to doing what I did. I earned three job-related master’s degrees, I earned six job-related professional certifications, and I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/amid-rising-costs-the-gender-wage-gap-deepens-affordability-challenges-for-women/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

ECONOMIST
— In the coming years the “silent” and “baby boomer” generations in America—people born between the 1920s and 1960s—will pass $110 trillion in wealth to their children. DD: My father died suddenly in 1969 when he was 47 and I was 21. Of course, my critics/opponents are furious that I inherited money when my mother, aunt, and brother passed away recently.
https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2026/09/16/dont-fear-the-inheritocracy

HINDUSTAN TIMES
— New Green Card rule takes effect Sept 18: What changes for Indian applicants under the new public charge guidance? Starting September 18, Indian nationals applying for US green cards will face expanded public-charge assessments. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to take bad jobs like I had to because they had wealthy parents. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/nri/new-green-card-rule-takes-effect-sept-18-what-changes-for-indian-applicants-under-the-new-public-charge-guidance-101789543441057.html

TIMES OF ISRAEL
— Despite anti-Israel turmoil, 67% of US Jews plan to vote Democrat in midterms. DD: All my many Jewish superiors in the federal government were Democrats, that is, they all were anti-Republican, that is, they all were anti-conservative, that is, they all were anti-Israel.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/despite-anti-israel-turmoil-67-of-us-jews-plan-to-vote-democrat-in-midterms-poll/

September 15, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Pritzker praises Supreme Court for rejecting Trump’s mail-in ballot restrictions ahead of midterms. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/2026-election-news-us-supreme-court-ruling-blocks-donald-trump-mail-ballot-restrictions-ahead-midterm-elections/19836160/
— Air Force secretary acknowledges the US has weapons in space. Troy Meink’s statement is seen as a clear warning to China and Russia.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/air-force-secretary-acknowledges-us-has-weapons-space/19834965/

WGN9
— Illinois and Chicago among those suing over ‘public charge’ green card restrictions.
https://wgntv.com/politics-3/illinois-among-states-suing-over-green-card-restrictions/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://wgntv.com/news/operation-midway-blitz/the-harm-continues-gov-pritzker-reacts-to-impact-of-operation-midway-blitz-one-year-later/

FOX32
— Rep. Thomas Massie moves to impeach Pete Hegseth over Iran war.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/rep-thomas-massie-moves-impeach-pete-hegseth-over-iran-war

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois Democrats cheer Supreme Court mail-in voting order while President Trump lashes out at justices. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/15/supreme-court-mail-in-ballot/
— Will Iran become a two-front war?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/15/column-iran-problem-worse-houthis-depetris/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Larry Snelling now getting a $190,000 yearly pension after retiring as Chicago’s top cop. Fred Waller is serving as acting police superintendent for a second time amid a nationwide search for Snelling’s permanent replacement. Between his pension and city salary, Waller was making $374,695.32 a year as of late June.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/police-reform/2026/09/15/larry-snelling-fred-waller-police-superintendent-chicago

DAILY HERALD
— Illinois Democrats cheer Supreme Court mail-in voting order while President Trump lashes out at justices. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260915/news/illinois-democrats-cheer-supreme-court-mail-in-voting-order-while-president-trump-lashes-out-at-just/
— The League of Women Voters of Roselle-Bloomingdale Area has canceled its Sept. 20 candidate event for the Illinois Senate District 24 and Illinois House District 48 races.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260915/submitted-content/league-of-women-voters-cancels-sept-20-candidate-event-for-two-state-legislative-races/

NPR ILLINOIS
— Illinois, Chicago sue to block Trump plan to restrict green cards to legal Medicaid, SNAP users. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to take bad jobs like I had to because they had wealthy parents. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://www.nprillinois.org/government-politics/2026-09-15/illinois-chicago-sue-to-block-trump-plan-to-restrict-green-cards-to-legal-medicaid-snap-users

BUR RIDGE PATCH
— Burr Ridge’s decision to eliminate its property tax is a campaign ad that can write itself. The village’s mayor, Gary Grasso, is running as a Republican for DuPage County Board chairperson against Democrat Deb Conroy of Elmhurst.
https://patch.com/illinois/burrridge/burr-ridge-mayor-campaign-ad-writes-itself

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/15/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-595/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— State, local officials reflect on Midway Blitz, response to ICE ‘occupation.’
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_beeff635-d7ef-41af-b655-abe84c0c17c7.html

CHICAGO CONTRARIAN
— Chicago Private Schools Discriminated for Years to Further DEI and Now the IRS Wants Its Money Back.
https://www.chicagocontrarian.com/blog/chicago-private-schools-discriminated-for-years-to-further-dei-and-now-the-irs-wants-its-money-back
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Latin School of Chicago, Francis Parker, Shipley, and thousands of other National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) members could lose their non-profit status. The trade association that writes the DEI playbook for Latin, Parker, Shipley, and hundreds of other private schools just told its members, in writing, that they are probably breaking the law, and that the schools, not NAIS, are the ones facing liability.)

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Iran hit hundreds of buildings, dozens of aircraft as war drains U.S. munitions.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/15/iran-hit-hundreds-buildings-dozens-aircraft-mideast-war-drains-us/
— Republican Massie moves to impeach Hegseth.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/15/thomas-massie-moves-impeach-pete-hegseth/
— Trump’s federal worker buyouts cost $6.7 billion. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 years old 29 years ago. In today’s dollars, the Civil Service Retirement System has paid me $2 million dollars.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/15/donald-trumps-federal-worker-buyouts-cost-67-billion/
— George W. Bush still gets Islam wrong after 9/11. The 25th anniversary revives a debate over jihad, terrorism and what schools should teach.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/15/george-w-bush-still-gets-islam-wrong-911/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: On the eve of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, former President George W. Bush reiterated what he said less than a week after those attacks. “I also made it clear that Islam was a religion of peace, not a religion of war, and that [the 9/11 terrorists] subverted their religion. He could not be more wrong. One need only review the Quran and the history of Islam to come to the opposite conclusion. As “Reliance of the Traveler,” the most-relied-on book of Shariah says, “Jihad means to wage war against non-Muslims.” It is the obligation of the entire Muslim community, the ummah. “Reliance” goes on to quote the Quran, saying, “Fighting is prescribed for you (Quran 2:216),” “Slay them wherever you find them (Quran 4:89) and “The caliph makes war on Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians,” (“Reliance,” 09.8) and “Fight those who do not believe in Allah or the Last Day and who forbid not what Allah and His messenger have forbidden.” (Quran 9:29) To understand Islamic history, one needs to absorb not only that but also much more of the Quran. Islam originated in the seventh century of the Christian era in the divine visions of the Prophet Muhammad, which formed the Quran. Islam has never spread peacefully. For most of its history, Islam has inspired its adherents to invent solutions to the sometimes conflicting demands of warfare, imperial politics and missionary zeal. Within its first few centuries, Islamic armies had taken over most of the Mediterranean countries and Northern Africa. Muslim armies spread their religion through southern France, Persia, India and almost as far as China. They conquered with great speed and effectiveness, supplanting Christianity and Judaism along the way. This continued until Charles “The Hammer” Martel defeated Islamic forces at the Battle of Tours in 732. Charlemagne, who effectively succeeded Martel, became king of the Franks. His leadership was so effective in resisting Islamic incursions that he became known as the father of Europe. Islam remained relatively quiet until the 20th century, when enormous wealth, derived from oil, was brought to the Islamic states. Now, Islamic states threaten Christian nations not with armies, but with immigration. Last year, in its National Security Strategy, the Trump administration predicted “civilizational erasure” and economic decline for Europe.)
— America’s enemies are winning the anti-Israel PR war. Surreptitiously investing huge sums to influence U.S. public opinion.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/15/americas-enemies-winning-anti-israel-pr-war/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Blue cities sue Trump administration to keep immigrants on welfare.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/4727285/blue-cities-sue-trump-administration-immigrants-welfare/
— The right kind of immigrants.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/in_focus/4727769/right-kind-of-immigrants-bo-french-texas/
— Stop defending ‘democracy’ — it’s the republic we’re losing. DD: Democrats use “democracy” to take everything away from Republicans and to give it to Democrats.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4726082/stop-defending-democracy-restore-republic/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Trump v. Rove: POTUS lashes out at ‘stone cold loser’ over report he’s going to vote for Democrat.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/09/15/trump-v-rove-potus-lashes-out-at-stone-cold-loser-over-report-hes-going-to-vote-for-dem-1658997/

CAMPUS REFORM
— The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) School of Law allows students to use federal work-study funding for jobs with Planned Parenthood of Illinois, an abortion provider that operates clinics across the state.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/uic-law-approves-abortion-provider-planned-parenthood-federal-work-study-jobs/30583

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— President Trump blasted Republican strategist Karl Rove on Monday, calling former President George W. Bush’s White House adviser “so bad for the Republican Party.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6090127-donald-trump-karl-rove-criticism-republican-party-midterms/
— The Movement: Friction among conservative media grows as Trump’s approval falls.
https://thehill.com/newsletters/the-movement/6089349-conservative-media-trump-criticism/

CBS NEWS
— New photos show widespread damage at U.S. positions caused by Iranian missile, drone attacks.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-photos-damage-u-s-kuwait-saudi-arabia-iran-drone-missile-attacks/
— Trump administration will comply with mail ballot ruling by Supreme Court, Blanche says. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-mail-ballot-ruling-supreme-court-blanche/
— FBI director insists new hiring standards on prostitution and bestiality were only meant to assist sexual assault victims. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, they ever-increasingly lowered standards to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. That ever-increasingly rendered worthless my job-related bachelor’s degree, my three job-related master’s degrees, my six job-related professional licenses, and my job-related professional license.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kash-patel-fbi-hiring-standards-bestiality-prostitution/
— American households earned a record median income of $87,460 last year, according to new Census Bureau data. The catch? That figure is only slightly above the previous peak set in 2019. Adjusting for inflation, that means the typical household has gained little economic ground in six years marked by pandemic upheaval and surging consumer prices. In 2019, households had a median income of $85,320, a level that wasn’t surpassed until 2025, the Census said on Tuesday. DD: In today’s dollars, my IRS salary was $83,482/year when I was 24 in 1973 and it was $100,059/year in 1974.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/census-income-data-pandemic-levels/

WASHINGTON POST
— Why Republicans struggle to prove the danger of socialism. When the GOP embraces big government, it’s harder to champion free markets.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/09/15/gop-socialism-lite-risks-midterms-without-free-market-contrast/

BLOOMBERG
— Will an MBA pay off for you? My taking evening MBA courses helped me get promoted by IRS in 1972, 1973, and 1974. My earning an MBA in 1976 helped me get hired by GAO in 1980.
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/mba-return-on-investment/

NARFE
— Rep. Vindman and Rep. Subramanyam Introduce Federal Worker Protection Act to Bolster Whistleblower Protections. DD: I was a federal whistleblower. I ever-increasingly blew the whistle on my Democrat IRS superiors’ political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and retaliation. Because of that, to get rid of me, they ever-increasingly took more and bigger adverse actions against me.
https://www.narfe.org/blog/2026/09/15/rep-vindman-and-rep-subramanyam-introduce-federal-worker-protection-act-to-bolster-whistleblower-protections/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The bill would limit and condition the use of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) by federal agencies to prevent the chilling of whistleblowing, reinforcing existing protections under the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989. It would require that any covered NDA prominently include a disclosure specifying that the employee retains the right to make protected disclosures to enumerated entities including the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), any Inspector General, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congress and its committees or cleared staff, the Merit Systems Protection Board, federal courts, and any legally designated channel and that the NDA may not be enforced to penalize protected disclosures. Should employees be disciplined for violating their NDAs through whistleblowing, they will have the right to sue their agency.)

September 13, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Charlie Kirk supporters host vigil in hometown of Arlington Heights year after his killing.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/12/supporters-united-at-vigil-charlie-kirks-death/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/13/chicago-operation-midway-blitz-anniversary-city-on-guard/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/12/silverio-villegas-gonzalez-killing-anniversary/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/13/operation-midway-blitz-joaquin-brito/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/11/operation-midway-blitz/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD IN NAPERVILLE SUN: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/11/naper-pride-fest-naperville-canceled/
— DD: Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that if you disapprove of something Trump has said and/or done, you should vote for all the Democrats on your ballot.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/13/opinion-democrats-message-for-midterms-taxes/
— DD: For Democrat leaders, education exists to crank out good little Democrats.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/12/chicago-teens-peace-warriors-restorative-justice/
— A prevalent pattern in Gen Z: moving home after graduation. There are a myriad reasons. Most commonly, it makes financial sense to pay discounted or no rent in today’s economy. It’s a decision nearly 60% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 are making — or are forced to make — to live with their parents. DD: I lived with and helped support my mother and brother in Crete for 25 months after I graduated from college. My father had died suddenly when he was 47 and I was 21 in October of 1969. He was earning only $75,000/year in today’s dollars. My mother had never attended high school, she had never worked outside the home, and my brother was having problems. I graduated from NIU in August of 1970 and I got a job working for the Firestone Store in Chicago Heights that month. I applied for and I got a financial hardship draft deferment. In 1972, I was able to buy a new townhome in University Park. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ . But it had only 1,000 square feet. In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $92,300. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/12/young-adults-move-home-post-college/
— As Chicago Bears eye Indiana move, Arlington Heights extends lobbyist contract to lure team there.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/12/chicago-bears-indiana-arlington-heights-lobbyist-contract/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Lobbyist Matt Murphy — a former Republican state senator from Palatine — and firm principal Ryan McLaughlin were in the hallways of the Illinois state Capitol on Arlington Heights’ behalf in the waning days and hours of the spring legislative session.)
— Tracking COVID cash. Illinois, Chicago, Cook County got $11B in pandemic aid but there were gaps in oversight and transparency.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/13/illinois-pandemic-aid/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2026/09/11/ice-shooting-silverio-villegas-gonzalez-chicago-franklin-park
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/09/12/northwest-side-residents-demand-answers-amid-reports-of-ice-agents-staging-at-cpds-17th-district

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OD FOLD: Supporters united in Arlington Heights at vigil and remembrance on anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s death.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260912/news/supporters-united-at-vigil-and-remembrance-on-anniversary-of-charlie-kirks-death/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Even as Bears eye Indiana move, Arlington Heights extends lobbyist contract to lure team to suburbs.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260912/news/even-as-bears-eye-indiana-move-arlington-heights-extends-lobbyist-contract-to-lure-team-to-suburbs/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Lobbyist Matt Murphy — a former Republican state senator from Palatine — and firm principal Ryan McLaughlin were in the hallways of the Illinois state Capitol on Arlington Heights’ behalf in the waning days and hours of the spring legislative session.)
— FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260912/news/right-thing-to-do-or-feel-good-pr-suburbs-split-on-whether-ice-bans-on-municipal-property-actua/

EVANSTON ROUNDTABLE
— City honors Afghan refugee, former interpreter for U.S. military.
https://evanstonroundtable.com/2026/09/12/city-honors-afghan-refugee-former-interpreter-for-u-s-military/

LAKE MCHENRY SCANNER
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2026/09/12/cannabis-dispensary-in-woodstock-among-first-to-open-drive-thru-service-after-state-law-change-city-council-approval/

ILLINOIS VALLEY
— Darren Bailey to visit Sandwich Fair. Republican gubernatorial candidate set to appear on Sunday, Sept. 13.
https://www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley/2026/09/12/darren-bailey-to-visit-sandwich-fair/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What arguments would socialists use to sell you on socialism? They would argue to me that under socialism, I would be much better off today than I am. They would stress that even though I earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional licenses, and a job-related professional license, I never made more than $154,682/year in today’s dollars and that my Civil Service Retirement System pension is only $68,640/year. I would respond that if I had been a Democrat, the Democrats who ran the federal government would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service, currently $197,200/year, long before I was 40 in 1988 and let me work at least until I was eligible for regular retirement when I was 55 in 2003 even though I am not a minority, female, or veteran. All you need to do to advance under socialism is to be a socialist. All you need to do to advance under Democrats is to be a Democrat. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Judge boots Trump ‘loyalty’ question from civil service job applications. DD: Democrats run the federal government. They demand loyalty to 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 who was minority, female, younger, or veteran and who would take the job. They got rid of me because I refused to become a Democrat.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/12/judge-boots-trump-loyalty-question-civil-service-job-applications/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— The socialist takeover. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4717752/democratic-socialist-takeover-agenda/
— Fairfax County schools’ guidance on teaching 9/11 is ‘woke.’
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/entertainment/4724823/joe-concha-fairfax-county-school-9-11-woke/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha said Fairfax County Public Schools are more worried about people being “offended” than teaching what’s “factual and true” about 9/11. “If you take the whole ‘we can’t say Islam’ thing out of this, well, that’s central to this entire history lesson,” Concha said on Fox News’s Hannity on Friday.)
— Mamdani is importing Biden’s economic nightmare. It’ll cost you $664 a year.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4719965/mamdani-nyc-delivery-protection-act-cost-jobs-biden/

NEW YORK POST
– ‘Ungendered’ activist claims GLP-1s are ‘fascist’ and ‘genocide fat people’ in unhinged moment during DSA conference. DD: I take Ozempic to fight type 2 diabetes.
https://nypost.com/2026/09/12/us-news/unhinged-activist-claims-glp-1s-are-fascist-and-genocide-fat-people/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The extremist claimed the drugs, like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro — which were developed to treat diabetes are credited with lowering the risk of death from heart attack or stroke by 20% in high-risk patients — exist “to sustain a social order in which fat people are monitored, restricted, guilted, stolen from and punished.”)

NEW YORK SUN
— America’s Jobs Surge Is Good News for Trump’s Crackdown on Illegal Immigration. It’s no longer so easy for companies to abandon Americans by hiring foreign labor instead.  DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they did not have to take bad jobs like I had to because they had wealthy parents. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://www.nysun.com/article/americas-jobs-surge-is-good-news-for-trumps-crackdown-on-illegal-immigration

BREITBART
— Hollywood Power Players Mute Their Support for Democrats as Socialists Surge in Party. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/09/12/report-hollywood-power-players-mute-their-support-for-democrats-as-socialists-surge-in-party/
— Far-Left Authors Declare War on ‘Fascist’ Ozempic and Other GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs. DD: I take Ozempic to fight type 2 diabetes.
https://www.breitbart.com/social-justice/2026/09/12/video-far-left-authors-declare-war-fascist-ozempic-other-glp-1-weight-loss-drugs/amp/

CATO
— Redistributing Wealth Means Redistributing Power to the State.
https://www.cato.org/blog/when-government-redistributes-wealth-it-redistributes-power

CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES
— Since 9/11, the Number of Immigrants from the Muslim World Has Grown by 1.8 Million. Population doubling largely reflects legal immigration.
https://cis.org/Camarota/911-Number-Immigrants-Muslim-World-Has-Grown-18-Million
(FROM THE ARTICLE: As the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks approaches, some may wonder if increased vetting or possible distrust of Muslims in the United States caused fewer people from the Islamic world to immigrate here. An analysis of Census Bureau data shows that the immigrant population (also called the foreign-born) from predominantly Muslim countries has more than doubled since 2001.1 Not all immigrants from these countries are Muslims. (The Census Bureau does not ask about religion.) Nevertheless, the data indicate that the U.S. did not fundamentally change immigration policy after September 11th, nor does the desire of many people in the Muslim world to settle here seem to have changed much. As a result, the number of immigrants from these countries has soared. Key Findings: The number of immigrants — including naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents, long-term temporary visitors, and illegal immigrants — from the Muslim world increased from 1.7 million in 2001 to 3.4 million in 2024. This represents the net increase — new arrivals minus emigration and natural mortality. Immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries increased by 103 percent from 2001 to 2024. This is much faster than the growth in the overall foreign-born population (58 percent) and is nearly seven times faster than for the overall U.S.-born population. The decision to admit large numbers of people from Afghanistan after the U.S. withdrawal caused the population of Afghan immigrants to nearly double from 2020 to 2024, but Afghans accounted for only a quarter of the total increase from the Islamic world over this time period. Prior research indicates that 10 to 20 percent of immigrants from majority-Muslim countries may be illegal immigrants — lower than the 25 to 30 percent share for the overall foreign-born. The rapid increase in immigrants from the Islamic world overwhelmingly reflects legal immigration policies. Many top immigrant-sending countries in the Muslim world have hostile relations with the United States or struggle with powerful terrorist movements. From 2001 to 2024, the immigrant population increased by 202,000 (476 percent) for Afghanistan, 201,000 (93 percent) for Pakistan, 119,000 (41 percent) for Iran, 65,000 (109 percent) for Syria, 66,000 (416 percent) for Yemen, and 45,000 (87 percent) for Somalia. In addition to immigrants from majority-Muslim countries, there are 1.9 million U.S.-born individuals with parent(s) from such countries. The total number of immigrants from the Muslim world plus their U.S.-born offspring was 5.4 million in 2024, compared to 2.5 million in 2001 — a 118 percent increase. Assuming that recent trends continue, the number of immigrants from majority-Muslim countries and their U.S.-born offspring will nearly double to 10.4 million by 2050.)

DAILY SIGNAL
— Only Half of Traditional Republicans Are Excited to Vote. DD: Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that if you disapprove of something Trump has said and/or done, you should vote for all the Democrats on your ballot.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/09/12/republicans-vote-midterm-election/

DAILY WIRE
— 9/11 Lesson Plan Used By Schools Nationwide Omits Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, And Islam.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/9-11-lesson-plan-used-by-schools-nationwide-omits-bin-laden-al-qaeda-and-islam
— The 2026 Socialism Conference Reveals The Dangers Of The Marxist Mindset. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-2026-socialism-conference-reveals-the-dangers-of-the-marxist-mindset

FOX NEWS
— The Democratic Socialist of America are communists. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6404992292112
— DD: Because Democrat leaders say that Americans are being crushed by affordability, a growing trend of mayors push cash handouts as the answer. What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/americans-crushed-affordability-organization-claims-cash-handouts-answer

NATIONAL POST
— Diversity quotas reduce excellence. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, ever-increasingly, their meeting their Affirmative Action quotas was their top priority. That ever-increasingly rendered worthless my job-related bachelor’s degree, my three job-related master’s degrees, my six job-related professional licenses, and my job-related professional license.
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/christopher-dummitt-racism-accusations-cant-stifle-the-truth-about-diversity

TOWNHALL
— What Is Patriotism?
https://townhall.com/columnists/jackkerwick/2026/09/13/what-is-patriotism-n2682888

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— President Trump’s childhood home in Queens sells for nearly $2 million. DD: What is the status of your childhood home? I lived with my parents in an apartment above my grandfather’s hardware store in Crete 1948-1953 ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/214492231934655/posts/5573842849332873/ ). It was torn down in 1966. I then lived with my parents and brother in 1286 Wood Street in Crete 1953-1972 ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1286-Wood-St-Crete-IL-60417/5461313_zpid/ ), a home that my grandparents had built in 1926. I have since inherited it and sold it.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-childhood-home-queens-sells/

NEW YORK TIMES
— For Influencers, Convention Access Was Easy. Selling the Message Was More Complicated. Online media stars eager to promote President Trump and Republicans worked to find a message that would resonate with an audience that is struggling with an affordability crisis. DD: According to my critics/opponents, “You can’t tell Diersen what to do.” Of course, I take that as a badge of honor. According to my critics/opponents, I never was a journalist, I am not a journalist, and I never will be a journalist a) because I do not have a degree in journalism, b) because no one has paid me for what I have done as the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, c) because all the money needed for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters and for my www.gopillinois.com website comes from my Civil Service Retirement System pension, my Social Security, and my retirement savings, d) because either my newsletters nor my website are paywalled or contain any advertising or donation requests, e) because I do not claim to be nonpartisan, f) because I fully disclose that I am conservative Republican, and g) because I fully disclose that I have been an elected Republican Precinct Committeeman since 2000. My critics/opponents ignore/dismiss/belittle/badmouth the fact a) that I worked for GAO as an Analyst for almost 18 years 1980-1997, b) that what GAO Analysts do is very similar to what journalists do, and c) that during my last 11 years at GAO, my salary increased from $118,984/year to $154,682/year in today’s dollars.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/11/us/politics/trump-republican-convention-influencers-message.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: More than 100 influencers were invited to the midterm convention by members of the Republican National Committee, a committee spokeswoman said. They were given some of the best seats in the arena and special “creator” credentials that granted them access to a list of Republican Party leaders eager to sit for interviews. They recorded content from a special platform directly across from the stage where the president spoke. They partied after hours at an event hosted by TikTok, where they snacked on miniature cheesecakes and an assortment of cake balls. “We got great treatment in 2024,” said Xaviaer DuRousseau, who boasts well over a million followers across Instagram and TikTok, referring to the Republican National Convention two years ago. “But this is even better.” The difficult task facing these dozens of conservative influencers was figuring out how to boost the Republican Party, when the image of prosperity projected from the stage was different from the reality of surging costs.)

USA TODAY
— DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2026/09/12/democrats-dsa-midterm-elections-socialism-capitalism/91676903007/
— DD: Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that if you disapprove of something Trump has said and/or done, you should vote for all the Democrats on your ballot.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/09/13/trump-republican-convention-embarrassment-midterms/91695089007/

DETROIT FREE PRESS
— New car prices soared to the highest level yet this year. DD: Back in the good old days, in 1966, I was able to buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint with money I earned washing dishes for the minimum wage for 15 months part-time and 3 months full-time. In 1967, I was able to buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 with money I earned cleaning golf shoes, chipping slag, pumping gasoline, and delivering mail for 12 months part-time and 6 months full-time. In 1968, I was able to buy a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE with money I had earned delivering mail for 9 months part-time and 3 months full-time. In 1971, I was able to buy a new 1972 Corvette with money I earned delivering mail for 5 months part-time and 3 months full-time, working for a Firestone Store for 7 months full-time and 8 months part-time, and working for IRS for 4 months full-time.
https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2026/09/12/average-new-car-prices-soar-above-50000-for-the-first-time-this-year/91716076007/

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL
— The Democratic chicken or the socialist egg? DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/opinion-columns/victor-davis-hanson/victor-davis-hanson-the-democratic-chicken-or-the-socialist-egg-3885713/

KSL
— Vance pushes restoration of nuclear family, traditional marriage in convention speech.
https://www.ksl.com/article/news/politics/vance-pushes-restoration-of-nuclear-family-traditional-marriage-in-convention-speech/51622697

C-SPAN
— Vivek Ramaswamy Says Sanctuary Cities “Spit in The Face of The Rule of Law.”
https://www.c-span.org/clip/campaign-2026/vivek-ramaswamy-says-sanctuary-cities-spit-in-the-face-of-the-rule-of-law/5206165

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Meet the Factions Driving the Democratic Socialists of America. From cocktail-party pragmatists to Constitution-abolishing ‘theory bros,’ these groups are steering America’s largest socialist organization in its breakout year. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/meet-the-factions-driving-the-democratic-socialists-of-america-0c5e74f0

GEN ZER
— Gen Z’s skills seem to be on the decline. DD: What did you do to acquire, maintain, and improve your job skills?  I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://thegenzer.substack.com/p/gen-zs-skills-seem-to-be-on-the-declinebut

POYNTER
— Want to get promoted? Make sure you understand what your bosses want. My superiors in the federal government wanted me to become a Democrat. Because I refused, they wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/how-to-get-promoted-at-work/

PHYS
— Luck or merit? Not all inequality is equally acceptable. DD: Where does your income come from. My income comes from my Civil Service Retirement System pension, Social Security, and retirement savings. Where did the money come from for what you own? For me, it came from what I earned doing yard work 1962-1964, delivering newspapers 1962-1966, washing dishes 1964-1966, cleaning golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966, delivering mail 1966-1969, working on an automotive assembly line in 1970, selling tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971, pumping more gasoline 1971-1972, collecting delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980, and audit federal agencies 1980-1997. More recently, it has come from inheritances.
https://phys.org/news/2026-09-luck-merit-inequality-equally.html

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

ECONOMIC TIMES
— The Marxist-Socialist-Islamist alliance smiling. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEa3n0wmTNo

September 12, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— Federal judge halts federal agencies from asking job applicants about their favorite Trump administration initiative, a question that civil service advocates call a “loyalty question.” DD: The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat who was minority, female, younger, or veteran and who would take the job. When I was 19 in 1968, my Democrat Post Office superiors came to realize that I would never become a Democrat. To get rid of me, they disallowed my sick leave requests in 1968 and 1969 and forced me to resign in 1969. When I was 25 in 1974, my Democrat IRS superiors came to realize that I would never become a Democrat. To get rid of me, they got rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974, disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974, disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and made it clear that they would never promote me to GS-13. When I was 40 in 1988, my Democrat GAO superiors came to realize that I would never become a Democrat. To get rid of me, they threw me off audits of IRS, gave me a very bad job assignment, gave me very unfair performance expectations, gave me a very unfair performance appraisal, ranked me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance (PFP), and then always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for PFP. They forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. According to them, I held jobs and I got promotions that should have been given to my Democrat coworkers who were minority, female, younger,  and/or veteran.
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2026/09/judge-halts-favorite-eo-question-federal-job-applications/415952/%3Foref%3Dge-home-top-story

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

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

September 1, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Voters deserve to know when influencers are being paid to sell candidates. DD: I am a conservative Republican. All the money that I spend putting my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters together and sending them out comes from my Civil Service Retirement System pension, my Social Security, and my retirement savings. My direct competitors continue to be furious that I have the money, time, motivation, ability, and experience to put my newsletters together and to send them out every day free of charge and without any advertising or donation requests and post copies of them on a website with no paywall, advertising, or donation requests. According to my critics/opponents, “You can’t tell Diersen what to do.” Of course, I take that as a badge of honor. What do you say to my direct competitors who blame me and who blame my newsletters for the defeats that Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct have suffered since 2000?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/01/josh-greene-bernie-sanders-zohran-mamdani-brandon-johnson-politics-social-media-david-axelrod

DAILY HERALD
— DuPage County Board members Tuesday approved another $665,000 for election-related printing and postage expenses, even though the county clerk’s office could not guarantee the money would be spent as intended by the board.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260901/news/no-guarantee-dupage-clerk-wont-commit-to-using-665000-for-election-printing-and-postage/

ABC7
— Mayor Brandon Johnson responds to President Donald Trump’s comments on Chicago violence.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shootings-mayor-brandon-johnson-responds-president-donald-trump-comments-violence/19775272/

WGN9
— A new poll aims to measure how public employees like police officers, teachers, and municipal workers feel six months ahead of the upcoming mayoral election in Chicago.
https://wgntv.com/news/politics/wgn-the-point-politics-chicago-illinois/new-poll-gauges-public-employee-support-ahead-of-2027-election/

PEORIA JOURNL STAR
— Bailey splits from Trump on data centers.
https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/01/darren-bailey-splits-from-donald-trump-on-data-centers/91559752007/

INDY100
— DD: RINOs and Democrat plants use the Republican Party’s Big Tent policy to destroy the Republican Party.
https://www.indy100.com/politics/vance-republican-party-michigan-big-tent

CHICAGO PARENT
— Where your family can observe the 25th anniversary of 9/11 across Chicagoland. DD: I organized Wheaton’s 2003 and 2004 9/11 remembrance ceremonies.
https://www.chicagoparent.com/things-to-do/25th-anniversary-chicago-9-11-ceremonies/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Wheaton Remembrance Ceremony. Hosted by the City of Wheaton and the Wheaton Park District, this ceremony draws a big community crowd under the Memorial Park bandshell. Expect remarks from the mayor, an honor guard from the Wheaton police and fire departments, live music from the Wheaton Municipal Band, and a bagpiper. This year’s ceremony will mark the 25th anniversary specifically. Date: Friday, Sept. 11, 2026  Time: 10:30 a.m. Location: Memorial Park bandshell, 225 Karlskoga Ave., Wheaton)

CWB CHICAGO
— 42 people shot across Chicago, marking the second-worst weekend of the year.
https://cwbchicago.com/2026/08/42-people-shot-across-chicago-marking-the-second-worst-weekend-of-the-year.html

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup.
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/01/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-586/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Pritzker rejects Trump’s offer to send federal law enforcement to Chicago.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/1/jb-pritzker-rejects-donald-trumps-offer-send-federal-law-enforcement/
— Lawyers defending accused assassin of Charlie Kirk cite victim’s ‘hateful’ speech.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/1/lawyers-defending-tyler-robinson-accused-assassin-charlie-kirk-cite/
— Kirk assassination suspect must stand trial for murder, face death penalty, Utah judge rules.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/1/tyler-robinson-face-death-penalty-assassination-charlie-kirk-judge/
— Fewer Democrats back anti-socialism resolution than did last year, as DSA gains clout in their party.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/1/fewer-democrats-back-anti-socialism-resolution-last-year-dsa-gains/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— The five Republicans who defected on House rule condemning socialism.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/4708857/five-republicans-defected-house-rule-condemn-socialism/
— Asylum denial rates reach all-time high under Trump.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/4708277/asylum-denial-rates-all-time-high-trump/

NEW YORK POST
— Why the DSA’s agenda actually promises misery for all.
https://nypost.com/2026/09/01/opinion/why-the-dsas-agenda-actually-promises-misery-for-all/

FOX NEWS
— Corey Brooks: Gary, Indiana, can’t blame racism for every failure exposed by its catastrophic blackout. Rooftop Revelations: Gary is one of those places where the streak of bad luck never seems to run out.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/gary-indiana-cant-blame-racism-every-failure-exposed-catastrophic-blackout

PJ MEDIA
— Retired Port Authority Officers Urge Mayor Mamdani And Gov. Hochul To Skip 25th Anniversary 9/11 Ceremony.
https://pjnewsletter.com/hochul-mamdani-911/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described U.S. supporters of socialism Tuesday as “underachievers” who are “jealous” of others.  DD: My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government earned far fewer job-related college degrees, professional certifications, and professional licenses than I did and they were full of envy.
https://thehill.com/business/6063570-treasury-scott-bessent-socialism-underachievers/

CBS NEWS
— House adopts resolution condemning socialism, with 8 Democrats joining Republicans. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-vote-condemns-socialism-supports-save-act/
— IRS audit revenue plunged following workforce reductions. DD: I worked for the Democrats who ran IRS 1971-1980. They promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. But they would not have if Republicans had cut IRS’s budget at that time.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-revenue-decline-worker-cuts/
— Whistleblower warns Postal Service’s new mail ballot system has “potentially catastrophic problems.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whistleblower-postal-service-new-mail-ballot-system/

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Sooner or later, all my critics/opponents who claim to be Republican will officially announce that they really always have been Democrats.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/30/meet-ex-republicans-running-democrats-2026-midterms/

FORBES
— Trump Warns Of Federal Intervention In Chicago, Claiming ‘Unchecked’ And ‘Record’ Violence.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/09/01/trump-warns-of-federal-intervention-in-chicago-claiming-unchecked-and-record-violence/

POLITICO
— Markey defies age concerns, defeats Moulton in Massachusetts. The 80-year-old senator fended off the 47-year-old representative in a primary that offered a twist on anti-incumbent clashes this cycle.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/01/markey-wins-massachusetts-senate-primary-01061047

August 30, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Trump to attend Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club as tournament’s honorary chairman.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/29/trump-presidents-cup-chicago-honorary-chairman/
— Noncitizen voting claims animate President Trump’s attacks on midterms and set up potential result challenges. DD: Noncitizens have tremendous motivations to vote for Democrats because Democrats give noncitizens tremendous benefits.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/29/noncitizen-voting-claims-midterms/
— First electric commuter trains improved the air, spurred South Side development. DD: In 1971, I rode in very old electric train cars to get from Crete to my new job working for IRS in the Loop. In 1973, I rode in new electric double-decker train cars to get from my townhome in University Park to my job IRS there. In the interim, I worked for IRS in its Harvey, 63rd and Halsted, and Joliet offices.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/30/vintage-tribune-electric-trains/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “The Illinois Central Railroad’s suburban service had been electrified!” the Tribune exclaimed a day after four modern steel electric trains smoothly and noiselessly pulled into the Roosevelt Street depot in August 1926.)

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/29/trump-postal-service-mail-in-voting-supreme-court-marc-morial
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/08/28/trumps-blitz-on-chicago-targeting-the-worst-of-the-worst-only-detained-five-murderers-in-68-days

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Dillard presided over his final RTA board meeting Aug. 20. The new Northern Illinois Transit Authority replaces the RTA, effective Sept. 1.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260829/transportation/its-all-teed-up-dillards-last-stop-as-rta-chief-comes-as-new-agency-rises/

FOX32
— Tyson Foods shuts down Illinois meatpacking plant: cattle shortage or bad business climate?
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-6hoy7ej7g5ij5rbp

WAND TV
— Noncitizen voting claims animate Trump’s attacks on midterms and set up potential result challenges. DD: Noncitizens have tremendous motivations to vote for Democrats because Democrats give noncitizens tremendous benefits.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/national/noncitizen-voting-claims-animate-trumps-attacks-on-midterms-and-set-up-potential-result-challenges/article_0840ced5-c2f9-5e7f-b46d-b819cc07d8bb.html

KWQC
— Pritzker: Illinois is going to ‘fight like hell’ to find buyer for Joslin plant.
https://www.kwqc.com/2026/08/30/pritzker-illinois-is-going-fight-like-hell-find-buyer-joslin-plant/?outputType=amp

CHICAGO MAROON
— UChicago Enrolled More Male, Fewer Black Undergraduates Last Year.
https://chicagomaroon.com/53303/news/uchicago-enrolled-more-male-fewer-black-undergraduates-last-year/

JOLIET PATCH
— Joliet’s Black community pride was on display in a big way in downtown Joliet as Saturday afternoon marked the return of the Black Joy Parade celebrating Black Excellence in the community.
https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/13-amazing-photos-joliets-black-joy-parade-celebrating-black-excellence-our-diverse

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

JOHN KASS
— Chicago’s Political Dogs Walking Stiff-Legged Into Mayoral Race
https://johnkassnews.com/letting-my-big-mouth-do-the-talking/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What generation are you? I am a Baby Boomer. I was born in 1948. If I had been a Millennial or a Gen  Z, because of my bad demographics, I would not have been able to accomplish what I did. I am White, male, conservative, Republican, Protestant, German American, and my ancestors have been in America for a long time. Because of ever-increasing Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, because of ever-increasing discrimination against those who share demographics, I would not have been able to a) earn a job-related bachelor’s degree (management) when I was 21 in 1970, b) earn job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance) when I was 27, 31, and 48, c) earn job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting) when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and d) earn a job-related professional license (CPA) when I was 32. The Post office, Firestone Stores, IRS, and GAO would not have hired me when I was 18, 21, 22, and 31. IRS would not have promoted me when I was 23, 24, and 25. GAO would not have promoted me when I was 38. I would not have been able to buy new cars when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc. or collector cars when I was 40 and 45. I would not have been able to buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, etc. I would not have gotten married when I was 29. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— AOC renews DSA membership after 7-year lapse.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/29/aoc-renews-dsa-membership-7-year-lapse/
— A Honduran immigrant who earlier this year was convicted of blocking ICE operations now stands accused of illegally registering to vote in California.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/29/noncitizen-who-disrupted-ice-charged-illegally-registering-vote/
— Delusional DSA commemorates ‘fighter’ Fidel Castro.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/29/delusional-dsa-commemorates-fighter-fidel-castro/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Socialism didn’t die with the Soviets — Mamdani just brought it to City Hall.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4694926/mamdani-socialism-private-property-threat-new-york-city/
— Socialists fail math: Everyone can’t ride for free — so no one should. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism. Socialist leaders hint/imply/argue/shout that under socialism, all you need to do to advance is to be a socialist. Democrat leaders hint/imply/argue/shout that under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is to be a Democrat. That destroys motivation and meritocracy. None of my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO coworkers came close to doing what I did to advance. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) who were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4694556/free-rider-problem-welfare-state-socialism-immanuel-kant/
— Those who wish to breezily dismiss or ridicule the left-wing Democratic Socialists of America amid the organization’s ongoing hostile takeover efforts against the Democratic Party do so at their peril.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/4701113/the-revolution-will-not-be-peaceful/

NEW YORK POST
— ‘Illegal alien’ Milo Yiannopoulos kicked out of US one day after getting nabbed by ICE at airport.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/29/us-news/milo-yiannopoulos-deported-from-us-after-getting-nabbed-by-ice-at-airport/
— DSA’s ‘noblesse oblige’ motto isn’t just hypocrisy — it’s downright racist. DD: According to Democrat leaders, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats, and especially Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. 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. When I was 19 in 1968, my Democrat Post Office superiors came to realize that I would never become a Democrat and proceed to get rid of me. When I was 25 in 1974, my Democrat IRS superiors came to realize that I would never become a Democrat and proceed to get rid of me. When I was 40 in 1988, my Democrat GAO  superiors came to realize that I would never become a Democrat and proceed to get rid of me. According to my aforesaid superiors, I held jobs that should have been held by Democrats who were minority, female, younger than me, or veteran.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/29/opinion/dsas-noblesse-oblige-isnt-just-hypocrisy-its-downright-racist/
— Sen. Ed Markey, 80, defies call for new blood — as 43% doubt centrist Dem is mentally, physically capable of serving out his term.  DD: I remember attending a meeting with Markey when I worked for GAO in the early 1980s.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/29/us-news/markey-80-defies-call-for-new-blood-as-43-doubt-dem-is-capable-of-serving-his-term/
— Married Lyons Township Clerk Elyse Hoffenberg, 51, beats ‘blackmailers’ to the punch by publishing footage of scandalous kiss with Bridgeview mayor.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/29/us-news/married-illinois-politician-drops-smooch-video-after-alleged-blackmail-plot/
— Socialists offer more of the same decay while LA crumbles in the dark.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/29/opinion/inside-the-14b-los-angeles-governance-failure/
— NYC socialist leaders caught living large, quietly collecting millions from real estate flips.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/29/us-news/dsa-leader-sold-luxe-nyc-triplex-for-nearly-2-5-million-used-profits-to-buy-pad-in-brooklyn/

AMAC
— Universities Push AI Tools As Trojan Horse for DEI Agenda.
https://amac.us/newsline/report-universities-push-ai-tools-as-trojan-horse-for-dei-agenda

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— The Path Ahead for Welfare Reform. Our opportunity-focused safety net will reinforce the social norm of personal responsibility, which starts with employment for those who are able. The 1996 law was formally called the “Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act” for good reason. Its legacy should continue to advance that critical goal.
https://www.aei.org/commentary/the-path-ahead-for-welfare-reform/

AMERICAN PROSPECT
— How the Republican Party Forgot It Was Conservative. DD: Trump would not have won the Republican primary in 2016 if he had not promised Phyllis Schlafly that he would defend and advance the Republican Party platform if elected.
https://prospect.org/2026/03/27/apr-2026-magazine-how-republican-party-forgot-it-was-conservative/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— ‘Woke’ is poised to come roaring back with a vengeance.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/29/insider-dont-look-now-but-woke-is-poised-to-come-roaring-back-with-a-vengeance-1656801/

BLAZE
— DEI refuses to die.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/dei-refuses-to-die

BREITBART
— Top Democrat: Migrant Crime Is a ‘Fake Problem.’ DD: To come into a country illegally and/or to stay in a country illegally demonstrates gross disrespect for the rule of law and for that country.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/29/top-democrat-migrant-crime-is-a-fake-problem/

DAILY CALLER
— Major Corporations Are Keeping ‘Woke 1.0’ Alive.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/29/consumers-research-report-claims-corporations-embrace-diversity-equity-inclusion-practices/

DAILY WIRE
— Socialist Leader’s Immigrant Sob Story Keeps Getting Harder To Believe. The NYC DSA co-chair has portrayed his parents as penniless immigrants, but public records suggest otherwise.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/socialist-leaders-immigrant-sob-story-keeps-getting-harder-to-believe
— DD: My critics/opponents have always been woke, are woke, and always will be woke. To be woke is to be anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-Protestant, anti-German American, and/or anti-those who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.dailywire.com/episode/michael-knowles-show-woke-right-debate

FOX NEWS
— Steve Moore: Socialism creates ruination and deprivation.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6404285560112
— Mark Levin: Socialism requires the control of the entire individual. DD: According to my critics/opponents, “You can’t tell Diersen what to do.” Of course, I take that as a badge of honor. My critics/opponents destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate or dominate, b) who refuse to glorify or praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6404287607112
— Colorado congressman introduces House measure condemning all forms of socialism amid DSA rise.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republican-aims-put-democrats-record-over-dsa-resolution-condemning-socialism
— Socialists use the STRONG ARM of a police state.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StqJ6R42X28

JONATHAN TURLEY
— “Institutionalist” Becomes the New “Oligarch” Label for the Far Left.
https://jonathanturley.org/2026/08/29/f-that-noise-institutionalist-becomes-in-the-new-oligarch-label-for-the-far-left/

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— TX High Schoolers Could Soon Be Subjected to ‘Woke’ Finance Course That Promotes ‘Racial Justice.’  “…in reality, NGPF’s curriculum is a vessel for socialist propaganda and woke ideology that rejects the American notion of equality.”
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/tx-high-schoolers-could-soon-be-subjected-to-woke-finance-course-that-promotes-racial-justice/

PJ MEDIA
— Each Fake Asylum Claim Costs As Much As Treating One Pediatric Cancer Patient.
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/08/29/miller-each-fake-asylum-claim-case-costs-same-as-treating-one-pediatric-cancer-patient-n4956695

TOWNHALL
— Trump Admin Is Setting Sights on States That Give Massive Tuition Discounts to Illegal Aliens.
https://townhall.com/news/josephchalfant/2026/08/29/the-trump-admin-is-setting-sights-on-states-who-give-massive-tuition-discounts-to-illegal-aliens-n2682110

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Trump rejects traditional conservatism, embraces a Republican version of socialism. DD: Trump would not have won the Republican primary in 2016 if he had not promised Phyllis Schlafly that he would defend and advance the Republican Party platform if elected.
https://thehill.com/opinion/5870607-trump-republican-socialism-democrats/

CBS NEWS
— U.S. military uses laser to shoot down 3 cartel drones at southern border.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-military-laser-shoots-down-cartel-drones-southern-border-pentagon/

NBC NEWS
— Mike Pence says the Trump administration has ‘departed’ from conservative principles. DD: Trump would not have won the Republican primary in 2016 if he had not promised Phyllis Schlafly that he would defend and advance the Republican Party platform if elected.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/mike-pence-trump-departed-conservative-principles-anti-weaponization-rcna347743

NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Influencers Have a Lot to Say About Politics. Many Are Quietly Paid for It. Their videos have proliferated on social media, but the payments are frequently hidden from viewers. DD: My direct competitors continue to be furious that I have the money, time, motivation, ability, and experience to put together and send out my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletter every day without a paywall, without any advertising, and without any donation requests. All the money that I spend putting the newsletters together and sending them out comes from my Civil Service Retirement System pension, my Social Security, and my retirement savings. Far too many of my direct competitors destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate or dominate, b) who refuse to glorify or praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money. I should write about them.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/29/us/politics/campaigns-paid-influencers.html
— DD: My critics/opponents have always been woke, are woke, and always will be woke. To be woke is to be anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-Protestant, anti-German American, and/or anti-those who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/29/opinion/wokeism-restitution.html
— Thankful for. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I am not thankful enough for what I have. According to them, I have what I have because I benefitted tremendously from discrimination against those who do not share my demographics, that is, those who are liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, unmarried, LGBTQ, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, noncitizen, etc.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/briefing/what-youre-thankful-for.html
— Is This a New Era of Class Warfare? DD: According to my critics/opponents, I have always had too much money. They have always knowingly, outrageously, disgustingly, and falsely hinted/implied/argued/shouted that my parents were filthy rich and that is why I was able to get an ACT score of 24, graduate in the upper 20% of my class, get accepted by UIC, NIU, Loyola, DePaul, and IIT, earn six professional certifications, and earn a professional license. They have always known that I had to work my way through college.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/opinion/class-warfare-violence.html
— It’s One Parking Spot in New York City. What Could It Cost, $250,000?  Some New Yorkers are willing to pay condo-like prices for a bit of concrete convenience. DD: I have owned an Iron Gate Motor Condo in Naperville since 2020. Feel free to contact me about owning one.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/nyregion/private-parking-spots-new-york-city.html
— DD: Ever-increasingly, to get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout at Blacks that Republicans caused, are causing, and will forever cause all the problems that Backs had, have, and will have.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/29/realestate/washington-state-redlining-covenant-homeownership.html

TAMPA FREE PRESS
— Fetterman Rips Dem Socialists As ‘Deeply Unserious Hypocrites.’
https://www.tampafp.com/pennsylvania-sen-john-fetterman-rips-dem-socialists-as-deeply-unserious-hypocrites/

UNION BULLETIN
— Dolly Parton stood up for undocumented immigrants when few others would.
https://www.union-bulletin.com/opinion/opinion_columns/commentary-dolly-parton-stood-up-for-undocumented-immigrants-when-few-others-would/article_c7412eb3-8b39-446a-b22b-7101df4effaa.html

HARVARD GAZETTE
— Gen Z puts high priority on jobs with meaning, purpose, but sees daunting hurdles. DD: The purposes that the Post Office (delivering mail), IRS (collecting taxes), and GAO (fighting government waste, abuse, and fraud) have helped me endure tremendous efforts by my Democrat superiors to waste my career and get rid of me.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2026/08/gen-z-puts-high-priority-on-jobs-with-meaning-purpose-but-sees-daunting-hurdles/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

HINDUSTAN TIMES
— Chicago, Illinois mass shooting reports: At least 8 people shot near Washington Park. Reports of a mass shooting near Washington Park in Chicago, Illinois, have surfaced on social media.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/chicago-illinois-mass-shooting-reports-at-least-8-people-shot-near-washington-park-101788072984697.html

MEAWW
— ‘Big, big trouble’: Trump delivers new warning about Democrats. Trump said he had previously discussed socialism but argued that Democrats’ policies were ‘largely communism’ and ‘very dangerous’ for the country.
https://news.meaww.com/big-big-trouble-trump-delivers-new-warning-about-democrats

INDEPENDENT
— Consequences. DD: Since the 1960s, negative consequences have increased for being conservative, Republican, Protestant, German American, and/or having ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Ever-increasingly, those negative consequences have increased for being White, male, and/or older. Those who are not the aforesaid and those who curry favor with those who are not the aforesaid ever-increasingly demonize, denigrate, and condemn those who are the aforesaid as being racists, sexists, bigots, and even worse things.
https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/candace-cameron-bure-religion-hollywood-b3039652.html

FROM OTHER SOURCES

HR EXECUTIVE
— 1 in 3 employees say retirement is out of reach. DD: I got in line for a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension when I was 18 in 1966. I have been getting a CSRS pension, currently $68,640/year, since I was 49 in 1997. My critics/opponents have always been furious about that. In my defense, I paid 7% of my federal salary into the CSRS. Further, I would not have become a postal employee in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment test. Further, I would not have become an IRS employee in 1971 if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn a job offer that I had accepted because Oldsmobile had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.
https://hrexecutive.com/1-in-3-employees-say-retirement-is-out-of-reach/

ABC11
— Teacher can buy dream car after $10M scratch-off win. DD: What is your dream car? My dream car is a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T, as it came from the factory, numbers matching/correct, like new, 440 or 426, automatic, blue exterior, black vinyl roof, black leather interior, and air conditioning. There was one at the recent Wheaton concours with virtually all of the aforesaid. I owned a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T 1994-2005 and a 1969 Dodge Charger SE 1968-1971.
https://abc11.com/post/chatham-county-woman-can-buy-dream-car-10m-scratch-off-win/19755056/

August 29, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/28/mail-in-voting-rule/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-march-on-washington-rally-draws-attention-to-voting-rights-with-jeffries-sanders

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Illinois prosecutors fed ICE information about immigrants, leading to arrests and deportations.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2026/08/28/ice-trump-immigration-illinois-prosecutor

WTTW
— Pritzker to Trump: Don’t Force Illinois Farmers to ‘Pick Up the Tab’ for Iran War.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/08/28/pritzker-trump-don-t-force-illinois-farmers-pick-tab-iran-war

WGLT
— U.S. has entered deal with Venezuela to take control of 65 billion barrels of oil reserves.
https://www.wglt.org/2026-08-28/trump-says-u-s-has-entered-deal-with-venezuela-to-take-control-of-65-billion-barrels-of-oil-reserves

WFIW
— Illinois election officials are reviewing how a recent U.S. Supreme Court order could affect mail-in ballots ahead of the November 3 election.
https://www.wfiwradio.com/2026/08/29/illinois-election-officials-reviewing-mail-ballot-impact-after-supreme-court-order/

NPR ILLINOIS
— Experts warn more flooding might hit Nepal. DD: Of course, Democrat leaders blame that on “global warming” caused by Trump.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-08-28/experts-warn-more-flooding-might-hit-nepal-and-fed-chairman-to-give-key-address

CHICAGO MAROON
— Career Advancement Report Appears to Overstate Post-Graduation Student Outcomes. DD: After you earned your bachelor’s degree, how fast did your career advance? I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU when I was 21 in 1970. In today’s dollars, working for IRS, I earned $56,409/year when I was 22, $68,999/year when I was 23, $83,482/year when I was 24, $100,059/year when I was 25, and $113,402/year when I was 30. Working for GAO 1980-1997, earned $89,703/year when I was 31, $118,964/year when I was 38, and $154,682/year when I was 49. I earned job-related master’s degrees when I was 27 (business-Loyola), 31 (accounting-DePaul), and 48 (finance-IIT). I earned job-related professional certifications when I was 30 (public accounting), 32 (internal auditing), 41 (fraud examination), 45 (government financial management), 47 (financial services auditing), and 48 (forensic accounting). I earned a job-related professional license (CPA) when I was 32.
https://chicagomaroon.com/52872/news/career-advancement-appears-to-overstate-post-graduation-student-outcomes/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism. Socialist leaders hint/imply/argue/shout that under socialism, all you need to do to advance is to be a socialist. Democrat leaders hint/imply/argue/shout that under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is to be a Democrat. That destroys motivation and meritocracy. None of my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO coworkers came close to doing what I did to advance. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) who were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Ever-increasingly, in Democrat states, counties, townships, municipalities, and school districts, to be accepted, you have to be a Democrat. Democrats are liberal/moderate, minority, female, younger, unmarried, LGBTQ, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time. To be accepted, you cannot change your race, gender, age, national origin, or ancestors, but you can become a Democrat, liberal/moderate, LGBTQ, unmarried, and/or non-Protestant. In your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct, to be accepted, how many have become Democrat, liberal/moderate, LGBTQ, unmarried, and/or non-Protestant? – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— Socialism and Antipathy.
https://illinoisfamily.org/marriage/poisonous-lips-socialism-and-antipathy-2/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Champagne socialism: Far-left movement brimming with affluent leaders. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism. Overwhelmingly, my critics/opponents are wealthy. I should write about my critics/opponents and their operatives and their dupes.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/28/champagne-socialism-far-left-movement-brimming-affluent-leaders/
— Recall petition for Seattle’s socialist mayor withdrawn. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/28/recall-petition-katie-wilson-seattles-socialist-mayor-withdrawn/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— House will vote to denounce socialism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq8Bqy4Fyyw
— Americans care more about healthcare affordability than gas or groceries. DD: The federal government paying 72% of my healthcare insurance since 1966 and then also paying 72% of my wife’s healthcare insurance since 1978 helped me endure tremendous efforts by my Democrat superiors in the federal government to waste my career and to get rid of me.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/4704431/americans-care-healthcare-affordability-gabrielle-etzel/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Socialist Senate Nominee Angie Nixon’s ‘Cafe Resistance’ Features Wall Glorifying Black Power Militants—Including Convicted Cop-Killers. The café held a dance lesson where participants were asked to wear Black Panther attire, and, shortly after Charlie Kirk’s murder, hosted a professor ‘targeted’ by Kirk.  DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://freebeacon.com/democrats/exclusive-socialist-senate-nominee-angie-nixons-cafe-resistance-features-wall-glorifying-black-power-militants-including-convicted-cop-killers/

AMERICAN MIND
— The Disparity Obsession. Attempting to eliminate every unequal outcome inevitably produces discrimination.  DD: My critics/opponents want equal outcome. According to them, when Whites and males do better at something than minorities and females, it is because Whites and males discriminate against minorities and females. Overwhelmingly, those who earned college degrees, professional certifications, and a professional license with me were Whites and males.
https://americanmind.org/salvo/the-disparity-obsession/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: We are living through a decade of wokeism in which racial favoritism has graduated from an ostensibly temporary thumb on the scale for the almost-qualified to the kind of unqualified frenzy that attracts grifters and con artists. And, correspondingly, the discrimination against the disfavored has gone from ambient to so intense as to bar advancement in culturally prestigious industries. Contra to dismissive talking points from purveyors like AOC, Woke 1 has done real damage to many lives.)

AMERICAN THINKER
— The Big Secret about Teen Takeovers. There’s something big the mainstream media don’t want to tell you about these disruptive and dangerous events. The fact that these takeovers involve mostly black teens is rarely if ever mentioned in media accounts. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/the-big-secret-about-teen-takeovers/

BREITBART
— Mayor Karen Bass: Hands Off Thousands of Migrant Food Vendors Operating Illegally in L.A.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/28/mayor-karen-bass-hands-off-thousands-migrant-food-vendors-operating-illegally-l-a/
— Socialist Positions: Trans ‘Rights’ for Children, Crushing 2nd Amendment.  DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/28/dem-gubernatorial-candidate-david-jolly-shares-socialist-positions-trans-rights-for-children-crushing-2nd-amendment/
— Milo Yiannopoulos Could Be Deported Without a Chance to Return.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/28/milo-yiannopoulos-couldbe-deported-without-chance-return/amp/

CAMPUS REFORM
— NIU hosts socials connecting students with gender, sexuality programs.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/niu-hosts-socials-connecting-students-gender-sexuality-programs/30489

DAILY SIGNAL
— Major Companies Are Rebranding DEI or Sticking With It. DD: Democrat and RINO employers use DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/28/woke-alert-major-companies-are-rebranding-dei-sticking-with-it/
— Democrats Are Running From Hasan Piker—and He’s Exposing Their Socialist Agenda. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KI0kaDxgv48

DAILY WIRE
— Meet Democrat Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy Who Says Americans Are More Dangerous Than Illegals. The leftist Democrat argued that communities with large immigrant populations are safer than those with more native-born Americans.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/meet-the-dem-senator-who-says-americans-are-more-dangerous-than-illegals
— Why Democrat leaders want America To Be Racist. Because they can’t run on the issues, they run against pretend racism and bigotry.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-democrats-need-america-to-stay-racist
— Why We Can’t Let The Left Make Dolly Their Socialist Mascot. Parton embodied the reality that a person can be adored by the entire country not in spite of staying out of the political fray but because of it. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-we-cant-let-the-left-make-dolly-their-socialist-mascot

FEDERALIST
— American Culture, Not Mass Migration, Made America Great.
https://thefederalist.com/videos/davis-american-culture-not-mass-migration-made-america-great/

FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— All Quiet on the Southern Front, but Congress Will Need to Act to Keep it that Way.
https://www.fairus.org/opinion/all-quiet-southern-front-congress-will-need-act-keep-it-way

FOX BUSINESS
— Socialists have taken over the Democratic Party. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6404207223112

FOX NEWS
— The keys to the Democratic Party have been handed to the socialists. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaC4zDvGiaE
— Socialism creates ruination and depravation. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7duOWdEH2K0
— Right behind AOC is an army of ‘socialist foot soldiers.’ DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism. My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government were foot soldiers in the Democrat Party. They did everything that they could to waste my career and to get rid of me.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6404236805112

NEWSMAX
— Dems DC Socialist rally is a flop. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/dems-dc-socialist-rally-flop-021738404.html
— House to Vote on Resolution Denouncing Socialism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/house-vote-resolution-denouncing-socialism/2026/08/28/id/1267655/

PJ MEDIA
— Democrats Can’t Ignore Their Socialism Problem Much Longer. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/08/28/democrats-cant-ignore-their-socialism-problem-much-longer-n4956660
liberal/moderate, Democrat, minority, female, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
REAL CLEAR MARKETS
— DD: According to my critics/opponents those who are liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, noncitizen, minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time are victims of those who are conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-veteran, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. My critics/opponents paint themselves as being champions for victims.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2026/08/28/victimization_is_cancer_forgiveness_heals_responsibility_triumphs_1202977.html

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Democrats Try to Brush Aside ‘Woke 1.’ DD: My critics/opponents have always been woke, are woke, and always will be woke. To be woke is to be anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-Christian, anti-German American, and/or anti-those who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/08/28/democrats_try_to_brush_aside_woke_1_154451.html

SALEM NEWS CHANNEL
— Democrats Love Socialism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://salemnewschannel.com/watch/democrats-love-socialismwhy-6a92092ae3495825d7a339a8

TOWNHALL
— Everyone Knows Why Educational Declines Are Happening. DD: Democrat teachers ever-increasingly crank out good little Democrats.
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/08/28/educational-declines-n2681897
— Fetterman Calls Out His Party’s Socialism Problem. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://townhall.com/news/jeff-charles/2026/08/28/john-fetterman-says-democrat-party-has-a-socialism-problem-n2682072

WESTERN JOURNAL
— The Psychology Behind Republicans Who Support Amnesty for Illegals. Amnesty Republicans typically suffer from two dark malign personality traits: an unsavory need for approval from elites and a desire for intimacy with the Chamber of Commerce. DD: My critics/opponents want amnesty for illegals.
https://www.westernjournal.com/psychology-behind-republicans-support-amnesty-illegals/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Mamdani socialism and Trump socialism — reject them both. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/6051425-rejecting-left-right-socialism/
— Hegseth blocks promotions of 4 Army officers with ties to sacked generals. DD: To get rid of me, my Democrat IRS superiors got rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me when I was 23, 24, and 25. To get rid of me, my Democrat GAO superiors got rid of the GAO manager who had arranged for my transfer from IRS when I was 31 and was finally able to assign me audits of IRS when I was 37 and to promoted me when I was 38.
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/6058699-hegseth-blocks-army-promotions-ousted-generals/

CBS NEWS
— Far-right political commentator and deportation advocate Milo Yiannopoulos is in ICE custody facing a final removal order. Yiannopoulos came to the U.S. legally in 2019 but “chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/milo-yiannopoulos-ice-custody-agency-records/

AOL
— How Inflation Hits Retirees Differently Than Everyone Else. Social Security ‘Raises’ Do Not Keep Up With Inflation. DD: I have been retired since I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.aol.com/articles/inflation-hits-retirees-differently-everyone-130011000.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— Hegseth Blocks Promotions of Four Army Officers as Purge Widens. DD: I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO for almost 18 years 1980-1997. They gave all their Democrat managers who they sent to run their Democrat Chicago office lists of their employees who they wanted them to purge. Of course, I was on all those lists if not at the top of all those lists not only because I was a Republican, but because I was conservative, White, male, older, non-veteran, German American, and I had ancestors who had been in America for a long time. I never would have survived until I was 49 in 1997 if I had not a) earned an MBA when I was 27, b) passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, c) earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, d) passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination and became a licensed CPA when I was 32, e) earned four more job-related professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48, and f) earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading when I was 48.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/28/us/politics/hegseth-blocks-army-promotions.html

WASHINGTON POST
— The ugly truth about ‘merit’ promotion in the federal government. DD: My Democrat superiors in the federal government used the subjectivity in their performance appraisal procedures to waste my career and to force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. My Democrat Post Office superiors used that subjectivity to not promote me beyond GS-4 and to force me to resign when I was 20 in 1969.  My Democrat IRS superiors used that subjectivity to not promote me beyond GS-12.  My Democrat GAO superiors used that subjectivity a) to force me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS when I was 31, to delay my promotions back to GS-12, to delay my promotion to GS-13, to never promote me to GS-14, and to force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/03/22/federal-jobs-compost-toilets-potomac/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Busting the ABA’s Accreditation Monopoly. The bar association’s power over law schools gets a useful Trump challenge.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/aba-accreditation-trump-administration-education-department-626d3d11

NEWS PRESS
— DD: According to Democrats, when Republicans do better on tests than Democrats, it is because Republicans discriminate against Democrats.
https://www.news-press.com/story/opinion/2026/08/29/correlation-between-test-scores-and-actual-learning-is-weak-opinion/91486742007/

FORBES
— 4 Useful Tips For When Your Manager Is Sabotaging Your Career Growth. DD: My Democrat superiors in the federal government sabotaged my career. My Democrat Post Office superiors disallowed my sick leave requests when 19 and 20 and forced me to resign when I was 20. My Democrat IRS superiors a) got rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me when I was 23 in 1972, 24, and 25, b) disallowed my travel vouchers when I was 25, c) ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning an MBA when I was 27, d) disallowed my education deductions when I was 29, e) ignored/dismissed/belittled my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, and f) made it clear that they would never promote me to GS-13. My Democrat GAO superiors a) forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS when I was 31, b) ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning master’s degree in accounting when I was 31 and my passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and becoming a licensed CPA when I was 32, c) delayed my promotions back to GS-12, d) got rid of the GAO manager who had arranged for my transfer from IRS and had finally been able to assign me to audits or IRS when I was 37 and to promote me to GS-13 when I was 38, e) made it clear that they would never promote me to GS-14, f) always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and g) forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/heidilynnekurter/2021/08/19/4-useful-tips-for-when-your-boss-is-sabotaging-your-career-growth/

EXECUTIVE GOV
— OPM Urges Federal Agencies to Advance AI Use in Hiring Process. DD: Democrats run the federal government. Anticipate/expect that they will use AI to not hire those who are conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-veteran, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.executivegov.com/articles/opm-ai-use-federal-hiring

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— Trump formally proposes pay freeze for most federal workers, 3.8% increase for law enforcement. DD: As an IRS Revenue Officer 1971-1980, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, I enforced federal tax laws.
https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2026/08/trump-formally-proposes-pay-freeze-most-federal-workers-38-increase-law-enforcement/415707/

FEDERAL TIMES
— College grads shunning federal jobs. DD: Federal employees and federal retirees are looked down on if not despised if not hated. I was a federal employee for almost 30 years and I have been a federal retiree for almost 29 years. I would not have become a postal employee in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment test. Further, I would not have become an IRS employee in 1971 if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn a job offer that I had accepted because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. I had taken and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination while I was a NIU student as an employment backup because I had been a federal employee for almost 3 years and because federal employees are viewed negatively.
https://www.federaltimes.com/management/2022/08/26/few-recent-college-grads-are-considering-government-work-study-finds/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Less than half of recent graduates said they would consider federal employment. . .Very few recent college graduates are considering federal government jobs. According to the Qualtrics study, 20% of graduate respondents said they were not aware of federal jobs and 30% said the hiring process is too complicated. . .Minority graduates were even less likely to consider federal employment – only 40% said they would. Among minority students, 34% said they would consider federal employment and 37% were undecided.)

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— Office of Personnel Management is touting new raining opportunities its Senior Executive Service (SES) members. DD: If I had been a Democrat, and even though I was not a minority, female, or veteran, the Democrats who ran the federal government would have promoted me into their SES long before I was 40 in 1988. I had earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management) when I was 21 and job-related master’s degrees (business and accounting) when I was 27 and 31. I had earned job-related professional certifications (accounting and internal auditing) when I was 29 and 32. I had earned a job-related professional license (CPA) when I was 32. But because I was not a Democrat, they did not promote me to GS-12 until I was 25 and to GS-13 until I was 38 and never promoted me to GS-14.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/ses/2025/08/opm-launches-radically-different-training-program-for-federal-executives/

FED MANAGER
— Trump’s Budget Proposes Major Cuts to Federal Retirement System. Specifically, the budget calls for cutting the COLA by 0.5 percent for Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)  participants of what the typical formula currently allows. DD: My critics/opponents are furious that I get $18,712/year Social Security in addition to a $68,640/year Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension. But I paid into Social Security for 10 years and I paid into CSRS for almost 30 tears.
https://www.fedmanager.com/news/president-trumps-budget-proposes-major-cuts-to-federal-retirement-system

LEXOLOGY
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers use disparate impact a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=bf4f03b2-c94a-4fc1-a730-6d2f0e4116d4

INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— When Career Advancement Feels Impossible. Many Americans feel stuck professionally and don’t buy in to potential of education to change their career circumstances. DD: What did you do to advance? I earned a bachelor’s degree in management in when I was 21 in 1970. 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 the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981. I earned four more job-elated professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. I earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997. Nevertheless, notwithstanding all the aforesaid, I never earned more than $154,682/year in today’s dollars. My critics/opponents use that to imply/hint/argue/shout it proves that I am a career failure because I am a very bad person. They know full-well that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran, the federal government would have promoted me into its Senior Executive Service long before I was 40 in 1988.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/11/17/survey-many-americans-feel-powerless-over-ability-advance-professionally

ATLANTIC
— DD: My critics/opponents have always been woke, are woke, and always will be woke. To be woke is to be anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-Christian, anti-German American, and/or anti-those who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/08/claudia-rankines-new-post-woke-book/688436/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

DAILY MAIL
— Lyons Township Clerk Elyse Hoffenberg, 51, forced to release surveillance video of her KISSING mayor on lips for two seconds in back office, as she insists it was ‘non-romantic peck.’
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16087231/elyse-hoffenberg-mayor-steven-landek-kiss-illinois.html

MEAWW
— Fetterman says Democrats have a ‘socialism problem’, names candidates dragging them to the left. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://news.meaww.com/fetterman-says-democrats-have-a-socialism-problem-names-candidates-dragging-them-to-the-left

August 28, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Congressional committee requests information on Chicago Public Schools’ gender policies and curriculum.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/congressional-committee-requests-information-chicago-231100746.html
— Collin Corbett: Illinois’ ethics oversight system is broken. Here’s how to fix it..
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/28/opinion-illinois-ethics-oversight-michael-mccuskey/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Kiss video at center of Lyons Township FOIA fight could impact Cook County Board, Congress races.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/27/kiss-video-lyons-fight-cook-county-board-congress/

DAILY HERALD
— Ask — and explain. Cornered DuPage board deserves answers on clerk’s election-spending needs.
https://www.dailyherald.com/opinion/

NBC5
— 374K Cook County residents have requested mail-in ballots amid court fight.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/374000-cook-county-residents-have-requested-mail-in-votes-despite-trump-executive-order/3981555/

WGN9
— Chicago Scholars guiding students to career success. DD: In retrospect, with benefit of hindsight, I should have majored in accounting.  I erroneously thought that I could never pass the CPA examination. But I did pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30 in 1979. I earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA when I was 32. But by then it was too late. The accounting profession saw me as being far too old to have a successful career in accounting. On top of that, the profession was under tremendous pressure to hire, retain, and promote young minorities and young females.
https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/chicago-scholars-guiding-students-to-career-success/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— As midterm elections approach, Republican candidates weigh how closely to align with Trump.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/ap-as-midterm-elections-approach-republican-candidates-weigh-how-closely-to-align-with-trump/

POSITIVELY NAPERVILLE
— DuPage County to Host Special Call Meeting to Address Election Funding.
https://www.positivelynaperville.com/2026/08/28/dupage-county-to-host-special-call-meeting-to-address-election-funding/160707

WHEATON PATCH
— ‘I Was Cheated Out Of A Fair Playing Field:’ DuPage County Clerk. Clerk Jean Kaczmarek is alleging campaign finance violations were made to benefit Paula Deacon Garcia, who won the 2026 primary election.
https://patch.com/illinois/wheaton/i-was-cheated-out-fair-playing-field-dupage-county-clerk

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Closing the tourist visa loophole.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4702584/close-tourist-visa-loophole/

NEW YORK POST
— It’s the socialism, stupid: The DSA may cost Dems their blue wave.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/27/opinion/the-dsa-may-cost-democrats-their-blue-wave/

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— Welfare Reform 30 Years Later: How Has Government Assistance Changed?
https://cosm.aei.org/welfare-reform-30-years-later-how-has-government-assistance-changed/
https://www.aei.org/commentary/the-path-ahead-for-welfare-reform/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Dolly Parton versus the Democratic Socialists. The lesson Dolly Parton leaves us is a better one than what the DSA is selling.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/dolly-parton-versus-the-democratic-socialists/
— We will always love Dolly Parton’s America. Dolly Parton embodied America’s graciousness and kindness in everything she did.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/we-will-always-love-dolly-parton-s-america/

BLAZE
— Still OK with a candidate who calls Sharia criticism ‘white supremacy’?
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/pat-gray-unleashed/the-candidate-who-calls-sharia-criticism-white-supremacy

BREITBART
— Portland: 80% of Fentanyl Trafficking Arrests Are Illegal Migrants from Honduras.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/27/portland-80-of-fentanyl-trafficker-arrests-are-illegal-migrants-from-honduras/amp/

COLLEGE FIX
— ‘Academic crisis’: California GOP joins battle to quickly reinstate SAT for college admissions. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I got a higher ACT score (24), graduated in the upper 20% of my class, and got accepted by UIC because I benefitted tremendously from discrimination against my peers who were minority, female, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/academic-crisis-california-gop-joins-battle-to-quickly-reinstate-sat-for-college-admissions/
— George Washington medical school offers course to ‘change racist culture.’ DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, females, younger people, etc., Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/george-washington-medical-school-offers-course-to-change-racist-culture/
— Michigan State University opens $38 million ‘sanctuary’ for ‘minorities.’ DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, females, younger people, etc., Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans oppress them. My critics/opponents who are the aforesaid absolutely believe that Republicans oppress them.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/michigan-state-u-opens-38-million-sanctuary-for-minorities/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Rubio Puts Merit Over Seniority in Foreign Service Shake-Up. DD: My Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors never put seniority over merit. They put being Democrat, minority, female, younger, and/or veteran over being Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/27/rubio-reform-foreign-service/
— Dolly Parton, RIP: The Story of Her Most Famous Song Embodies Her Life Story—and the American Dream.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/27/dolly-parton-rip-most-famous-song-embodies-her-life-story-daily-signal-dolly-parton/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Parton was born dirt poor in 1946 to a loving family in the mountains of Tennessee. Her father couldn’t read or write, and often worked two jobs to make ends meet, but he inspired her strong work ethos. It was her mother who instilled in young Parton her love of music.)

FOX BUSINESS
— ‘A PACK OF LIES’: Florida congressman UNLOADS on socialism’s affordability promises.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMbmJj7DiLA

FOX NEWS
— Mail-voting crackdown moves ahead as Trump court win opens door to federal action. Federal agencies including USPS can now proceed with election-integrity order as states prepare fresh lawsuits.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mail-voting-crackdown-moves-ahead-trump-court-win-opens-door-federal-action?lid=5u6tm9mz7rhh

TOWNHALL
— States can prevent socialism’s spread by enforcing accurate education on communism in public schools.
https://townhall.com/columnists/christalgo/2026/08/28/states-can-help-nip-socialism-in-the-bud-n2682050
— Socialism: The Greatest Rebrand in Political History.
https://townhall.com/columnists/shabbos-kestenbaum/2026/08/28/socialism-the-greatest-rebrand-in-political-history-n2682049

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

YAHOO
— For Gen Z the American Dream Has No Borders. 82% of Gen Zs in the U.S. already see themselves as part of a global workforce. More than half of Gen Z would choose the world’s best company to work for over the best company in America. 64% said they would be very or extremely interested in temporary work opportunities in another country. 65% said they would be more likely to work for a company that demonstrates an ethical understanding of AI’s impact on people and communities. Only 19% gave Corporate America an ‘A.’  DD: What do Gen Zs think of you and why?
https://finance.yahoo.com/small-business/articles/gen-z-american-dream-no-120000693.html
— DOJ says George Washington University prioritized race over merit. DD: My critics/opponents have always prioritized a) liberals and moderates over conservatives, b) Democrats and RINOs over Republicans, c) non-Whites over Whites, d) women over men, e) younger people over older people, f) veterans over non-veterans, g) non-Protestants over Protestants, h) non-German Americans over German Americans, i) those whose ancestors have not been in America for a long time over those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time, and j) noncitizens over citizens.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/doj-says-george-washington-prioritized-212620947.html

NEWSWEEK
— DD: The mainstream news media exists to drive Trump’s approval rating down.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-approval-rating-underwater-issues-poll-12373563

NEW YORK TIMES
— Republicans Caught in a Bind With Trump as Midterms Near. The president’s pull with the party base has been clear and his resources are vast. But his low approval ratings make him a liability with swing voters.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/us/politics/trump-midterm-election-republicans.html
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/opinion/trump-canada-trade-war-dolly-parton.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The Media’s Lawfare Enabling. Legal journalists who know better cheer on meritless lawsuits against Trump.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-medias-lawfare-enabling-c54905c4
— What JD Vance Gets Wrong About Hamilton. The vice president rejects Milton Friedman’s free-market principles in favor of bigger government.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/what-jd-vance-gets-wrong-about-hamilton-b4eed1f1
— We the People Want Serious Welfare Reform. Congress may hem and haw, but the popular consensus is behind accountability and efficiency.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/we-the-people-want-serious-welfare-reform-91ec8522

FORBES
— Despite Recent Headlines, Most Colleges Remain Test-Optional For Admissions. DD: The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job. If I had not passed the postal employment test and earned a high school diploma, the Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966 would not have hired me. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination and earned a bachelor’s degree in business, the Democrats who ran IRS in 1971 would not have hired me. If I had not been taking graduate evening business courses, my Democrat IRS superiors would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had not earned an MBA and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, the Democrats who ran GAO in 1980 would not have hired me. If I had not earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980 and passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981, the Democrats who ran GAO would not have promoted me in 1986. If I had not earned job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997 and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997, my Democrat GAO superiors might very well have succeeded in forcing me to retire in 1993 instead of 1997.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2026/08/28/despite-recent-headlines-most-colleges-remain-test-optional-for-admissions/
— Long-Term Affordability: Finding The Cheapest New Vehicles To Own. DD: My critics/opponents could blast me for my buying a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint when I was 17 in 1966, a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967, a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968, and a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 instead buying of affordable cars. They could argue that I could have been studying instead washing dishes 1964-1966, cleaning golf shoes, chipping slag, and pumping gasoline in 1966, delivering mail 1966-1969, working on an automotive assemble line in 1970, and pumping more gasoline 1971-1972 to pay for the aforesaid cars.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2026/08/27/long-term-affordability-finding-the-cheapest-new-vehicles-to-own/

MOTLEY FOOL
— What Current Inflation Hints About Social Security’s 2027 COLA. Retirees may find a silver lining to the current inflation they’re facing. DD: What has helped you deal with inflation? COLAs have helped me deal with inflation big time. My critics/opponents are furious that I got COLAs while I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and that I have continued to get COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://www.fool.com/retirement/2026/08/27/what-current-inflation-hints-about-social-security/

REALTOR
— Retirees Get 265% of What They Paid Into Social Security—but Will Young Americans? DD: My critics/opponents are furious that I get $18,712/year Social Security in addition to a $68,640/year Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension. But I paid into Social Security for 10 years and I paid into CSRS for almost 30 tears.
https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/social-security-benefits-generational-wealth-divide/

FAST COMPANY
— Coworkers. DD: My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government painted themselves as being grossly underpaid. They decried their spouses having little or no income. They decried the costs of child raising. They were full of envy and were ever-increasingly envious of my and my wife’s income and assets.
https://www.fastcompany.com/video/91594997/what-to-do-if-your-coworker-is-lying

OPM
— Last Year’s Workforce Reductions Were Real. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1960-1997, Republicans reduced the agency’s workforce by 50%. My Democrat GAO superiors punished me viciously for that.
https://www.opm.gov/news/secrets-of-opm/last-year-s-workforce-reductions-were-real/

OPM & FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— Hey Siri, Hire a Federal Employee. Okay, we’re not quite there yet, but we are helping move the federal government a whole lot closer. Every federal agency is now capable of adopting AI in the hiring process. DD: The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job. If I had not passed the postal employment test and earned a high school diploma, the Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966 would not have hired me. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination and earned a bachelor’s degree in business, the Democrats who ran IRS in 1971 would not have hired me. If I had not been taking graduate evening business courses, my Democrat IRS superiors would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had not earned an MBA and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, the Democrats who ran GAO in 1980 would not have hired me. If I had not earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980 and passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981, the Democrats who ran GAO would not have promoted me in 1986. If I had not earned job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997 and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997, my Democrat GAO superiors might very well have succeeded in forcing me to retire in 1993 instead of 1997.
https://www.opm.gov/news/secrets-of-opm/hey-siri-hire-a-federal-employee/
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/artificial-intelligence/2026/08/opm-calls-for-wider-ai-adoption-in-federal-hiring-process/

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— Unions: OPM’s suitability and performance management overhauls assert ‘plenary’ authority over federal firing. A coalition of labor groups sued the Trump administration Monday, arguing recent moves to centralize authority within the Office of Personnel Management and insert subjective criteria into employee evaluations amount to an end-run around the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act. DD: My Democrat superiors in the federal government used the subjectivity in their employee evaluation procedures to waste my career and to force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2026/08/unions-opms-suitability-performance-management-overhauls-plenary-authority/415635/?oref=ge-topic-lander-featured-river

NFFE
— Trump attacks federal workers again. DD: I was a federal employee for almost 30 years and I have been a federal retiree for almost 29 years.
https://www.nffe.org/news/trump-attacks-federal-workers-again/

NEWS ITEM
— Few Democratic Socialists are blue collar.
https://www.newsitem.com/opinion/columnists/few-democratic-socialists-are-blue-collar/article_e286c9ab-21d2-439c-b77b-8fdd88f129e9.html

CREATORS SYNDICATE
— DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, females, younger people, etc., Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems.
https://www.creators.com/read/mona-charen/08/26/they-will-try-to-steal-the-2026-elections

GOVERNING
— DD: To promote DEI is to get rid of Republicans who are conservative, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.governing.com/management-and-administration/why-we-still-need-diversity-in-public-contracting

PENSION POLICY INTERNATIONAL
— 80% of Americans Say U.S. Faces Retirement Crisis. DD: I got in line for a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension when I was 18 in 1966. I have been getting a CSRS pension, currently $68,640/year, since I was 49 in 1997. My critics/opponents have always been furious about that. In my defense, I paid 7% of my federal salary into the CSRS. Further, I would not have become a postal employee in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment test. Further, I would not have become an IRS employee in 1971 if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn a job offer that I had accepted because Oldsmobile had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.
https://www.pensionpolicyinternational.com/80-of-americans-say-u-s-faces-retirement-crisis-amid-affordability-pressures-and-debt-americans-wary-of-ai-financial-advice-and-crypto-in-retirement-plans/

INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— 90% of Colleges Don’t Require Test Scores for 2026–27. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I got a higher ACT score (24), graduated in the upper 20% of my class, and got accepted by UIC because I benefitted tremendously from discrimination against my peers who were minority, female, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/admissions/traditional-age/2026/08/28/90-colleges-dont-require-test-scores-2026-27

NPR
— DD: To get more votes from those who are the following, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems: liberal/moderate, minority, female, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or are noncitizens.
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/30/nx-s1-5805050/supreme-court-voting-rights-congressional-black-caucus

NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— DD: Illegals are motivated to use their false identifications to vote for Democrats because Democrats give illegals tremendous benefits.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/non-citizen-voting-trump-new-york-city-local-law-11.html

FROM OTHER SOURCES

CORVETTE STORE
— Eric Stalfort’s 2005 C6 Corvette Coupe. DD: I have owned my 2005 Corvette Coupe since 2005. Please let me know if you share my interest in C6 (2005-2013) Corvettes. Sadly, because I lacked money and garage space in 2005, to buy and garage that car, I sold my 1968 Dodge Charger R/T collector car and my 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS collector car.
https://www.corvettestoreonline.com/blogs/customer-spotlights/fan-friday-eric-stalforts-2005-daytona-sunset-orange-c6-corvette-coupe

August 22, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: Gary storm victims fill generators at a gas station, watch DVDs in their car, eat hot lunch at a school. A historic power outage in northwest Indiana has left 52% of Gary’s NIPSCO customers without power for 11 days. We spoke with people about their experiences as they wait for electricity to be restored and debris to be cleared. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2026/08/21/gary-storm-victims-fill-generators-at-a-gas-station-watch-dvds-in-car-eat-hot-lunch-at-a-school
https://chicago.suntimes.com/weather/northwest-indiana-gary-no-power-storm-recovery
— Many Trump-endorsed candidates landing with a thud.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/21/trump-endorsed-candidates-loss-voters-republicans-midterms-s-e-cupp
— Tollway hike will improve infrastructure, save commute time, boost economy. DD: What section of the tollway do you use the most? For me, it is the I-88 section between Naperville Road and Route 59.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-the-editor/2026/08/22/illinois-tollway-airplane-toilets-roosevelt-trump-india-israel-animal-cruelty-ice-term-limits

FOX32
— What Illinois voters can expect on the 2026 general election ballot.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-ro8xjcgk3nqfxfrd

WGEM
— U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy makes stop in Quincy.
https://www.wgem.com/2026/08/22/us-senate-candidate-don-tracy-makes-stop-quincy/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— DD: To vote for Democrats is to promote LGBTQ.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/25-6-million-lgbtq-adults-in-us-transgender-population-twice-prior-estimates-study/

ELMHURST UNIVERSITY
— Four Career Benefits to Completing Your Degree. DD: If I had not earned a job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970, job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and a job-related professional license in 1981, I never would have earned $154,682/year in today’s dollars in 1997. IRS would not have hired me in 1971 or promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. GAO would not have hired me in 1980 or promoted me in 1986.
https://www.elmhurst.edu/blog/four-career-benefits-to-completing-your-degree/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/21/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-584/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

JOHN KASS
— Vallas: Anti-Semitism and the Unholy Alliance Between the Far Left and Radical Islam.
https://johnkassnews.com/anti-semitism-and-the-unholy-alliance-between-the-far-left-and-radical-islam/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— According to Google AI, campaign literature pieces cost roughly $290 per 5,000 from specialized political printers. I hope that each of the 17 Republican candidates on the November 3, 2006 ballot in my precinct will provide 400 of their pieces to the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) that I can pick them up and hand-deliver them to the 400 residences in my DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton that have at least one registered Republican or Independent voter. That is 7,200 pieces (400 X 17). So far, I have placed 660 DuPage County Election Division-provided mailing labels on 400 DuPage County GOP-provided envelopes. I have split them into five batches and put them in walk order. I want to start stuffing those envelopes with MTRO-provided outstanding Voter Guides and the literature pieces ASAP. I want to start stuffing as soon as I have at least 100 pieces from each of the candidates. As soon as the sample ballot for my precinct is available, I will make 400 photocopies, stuff them, and head out the door. The 18 candidates are Tracy, Bailey/Del Mar, Fioretti, Solomon, Harris, Drew, Soloman, Oakley, Lewis, Vrankovich, Grasso, Noonan, Schiappa, Henry, Eckhoff, Michaud, Schultz, Quirk, and Helland. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Bread lines or bread winning? The Democratic Party’s fatal leftward drift.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/4692671/democrats-socialism-vs-capitalism-economic-shift/
— Capitalism: The system Gen Z loves to roast but actually needs most. DD: What were you able to do under capitalism? I was able to buy a 1958 Chevy BeAir when I was 16 in 1964 with money I earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers. I was able buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in 1966 with money I earned washing dishes for the minimum wage. I was able buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967 and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968 with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to graduate debt-free from NIU in 1970 with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to buy a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS. I was able to buy a new townhome in 1972 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/equality-not-elitism/4680934/capitalism-system-generation-z-needs-most/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: At its core, capitalism is about private ownership and incentives. You have a right to own your property or ideas. You have the freedom to negotiate in your self-interest and engage in mutually beneficial agreements. Profit and competition motivate you to innovate. No one forces you to. . .Socialism relies on coercion as central planners decide what gets made, how much, and who gets it. Private ownership of land, factories, or businesses is limited or taken over. The government needs taxes, rules, or force to do that. Take Venezuela. History shows that top-down socialist directives and nationalization produced hyperinflation, shortages of food and medicine, poverty, and the collapse of public services. Under socialism, where private ownership and property rights do not exist, outcomes get worse, and innovation suffers. This is the classic tragedy of the commons problem. Imagine public transit: filled with litter, graffiti-covered cars, and slow. No private individual cleans it because “it’s the government’s problem,” and government workers are slow to do so because they get paid regardless. When the state or collective controls public services, resources are misallocated, and quality deteriorates.)

NEW YORK POST
— Democrats now overwhelmingly have a more favorable view of socialism than capitalism. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.aol.com/articles/dems-now-favor-socialism-over-205152000.html
— Why 58% of California Democrats lust after socialism. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/21/opinion/why-california-democrats-like-socialism/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Socialism, after all, is an ideology of oppression that’s brought mass death, forced labor, famine and executions to a long list of nations, including China, Cambodia, Vietnam, North Korea, and the former USSR. So … what gives in the Golden State?. . .Socialism (with a smile!) sells in blue enclaves in part because it’s faddish, on trend, of the moment. It’s a shiny object glorified on social media to an audience too young to remember the Cold War –– or the ghoulish history of socialist and communist regimes. It taps into disgruntlement, class envy, entitlement. And it sells utopian fantasies about, when it comes down to it, taking other people’s stuff.)

AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE
— We Must Save America’s Students from the False Promises of Socialism.  DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://aclj.org/radical-left/we-must-save-americas-students-from-the-false-promises-of-socialism

AMERICAN THINKER
— Illegitimate Elections Will Destroy the United States. ‘Sanctuary city’ secession is tearing the Union apart.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/illegitimate-elections-will-destroy-the-united-states/

BREITBART
— Chicago Threw $640M in Tax Dollars at Illegal Migrants Over Two Years.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/21/chicago-threw-640m-in-tax-dollars-at-illegal-migrants-over-two-years/amp/

COLLEGE FIX
— Education Dept. ends disparate impact, dropping requirement to balance racial outcomes.  DD: When Whites and males do better on tests than minorities and females, Democrats and RINOs blame Republicans.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/education-dept-ends-disparate-impact-dropping-requirement-to-balance-racial-outcomes/
— Education Department praised for ending outcome-based discrimination rules.  DD: When Whites and males do better on tests than minorities and females, Democrats and RINOs blame Republicans.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/bulletin-board/in-washington-post-education-department-praised-for-ending-outcome-based-discrimination-rules/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Ending the Welfare State as We Know It.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/21/ending-the-welfare-state-as-we-know-it/

DAILY WIRE
— Socialist Senate Nominee Called Charlie Kirk Supporters Tools ‘Of White Supremacy.’ DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/socialist-senate-nominee-called-charlie-kirk-supporters-tools-of-white-supremacy

FOX BUSINESS
— Virginia removes over 6,000 noncitizens from voter rolls.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403805538112

FOX NEWS
— Socialism surges among Democrats as party leaders reject DSA agenda. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/socialism-surges-among-democrats-party-leaders-reject-dsa-agenda-pack-fools
— Democrats have built a ‘COALITION OF TRIBAL GRIEVANCES.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQd2F3IEJM8

NATIONAL REVIEW
— The Path Ahead for Welfare Reform.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/the-path-ahead-for-welfare-reform/

PJ MEDIA
— Hegseth Used Slang for Transgender-Identifying Lefties.
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/08/21/pete-hegseth-used-slang-for-transgender-identifying-lefties-and-wokies-lost-their-marbles-n4956398

PRESS BANNER
— Planning Your Financial Future Under Socialism. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://pressbanner.com/finance-planning-your-financial-future-under-socialism/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Bernie Sanders won Santa Cruz County primaries twice and now Ocasio-Cortez, Mandami, El-Sayed and Flanagan gain power. DSA friendly candidates threaten moderate Democrats and independent votes enough to give MAGA a fighting chance in November. Democratic Socialists of America claim 95,000 members. Would socialism look more like DSA dreams, Republican nightmares or Nordic compromises? With threats from right and left, can personal financial planning survive? The DSA Program. In “What is Democratic Socialism,” the DSA proclaims: “We want a democracy that creates space for us all to flourish not just survive and answers the fundamental questions of our lives with the input of all. We want to collectively own the key economic drivers that dominate our lives, such as energy production and transportation.” On the site program.dsausa.org, the DSA shamelessly prophesies: “You work as much as you are able and no more than needed…You have no debt. You don’t need health insurance. You don’t pay a mortgage or have a landlord, because comfortable housing is a human right. Your retirement is publicly funded. Food, education, energy, medicine, and transportation aren’t for-profit businesses; they are common goods and utilities.” DSA would “Expand public resources to support recreation, learning, and social spaces accessible to all.” Sustainable publicly owned transit and energy replace fossil fuels. Investment, insurance and estate planning here is a question for government, not individuals. Mao’s Ideological Purity. The specter of Maoism transformed Chinese agricultural society down “the road of socialism under the leadership of the party.” So government controlled not only politics and religion, but production, borders, the arts and education. Peasants ate from common kitchens and married according to party needs. Individuals couldn’t even plan their daily dress. Estates of landlords — even poor landlords — and entrepreneurs were confiscated. Seized housing guaranteed housing “rights.” There were no stock or insurance markets and security was greatest for peasants who denounced neighbors publicly and worked harder and longer even when government horribly mismanaged steel production with backyard furnaces. To collectivize agriculture, the party appropriated food to starve tens of millions. Nordic Socialism? In UN World Happiness Reports, Nordics rank the happiest people and surely honest democracy, subsidized education and healthcare contribute. Unicameral legislatures and proportional representation model the DSA’s critique of America’s independent presidency and judiciary. Roughly 30% of the people work in health care, education and government and workers are highly unionized with government settling disputes. Unemployment insurance and government childcare are regular. But Deng Xiaoping brought markets back to China and the Swedish Social Democrats deregulated banking and currency in the 1980s. The financial crisis of 1990-94 resulted in deregulation. Socialists beware: Swedes get vouchers for educational choice and save in subsidized mutual fund accounts. Scandification.com says: “Sweden is a highly liberalized and competitive open-market economy. The country happily trades with countries all around the globe. Most Swedish enterprises are privately owned and pay quite low taxes compared to other parts of the globe.” The Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom ranks Sweden ahead of the United States! Questions for Socialists. What happens when socialism meets Amazon.com variety with bleak lifestyle choices? Canadians already venture abroad for delayed healthcare and Moscow bread lines were infamous. And we don’t all enjoy paying for solar panels on dull housing projects. F.A. Hayek says that the task of providing for everyone’s needs or wants while knowing all the human and natural resources is too much for any planning committee without the invisible hand of pricing. Mandami is already challenged delivering free buses. Poor worker motivation challenged Mao to lead constant rallies with art glorifying low-paid production — not short work and environmental purity. The DSO admittedly seeks “…aggressive wealth taxes on the richest individuals and corporations to spend on public goods and infrastructure.” Nordic countries tax over 40% of GDP versus OECD averages of 33.9%. Like our income tax, burdens start with the rich, but El-Sayed admitted that “you paid a little more in taxes” for free healthcare. Planning is impossible in Maoist China where planners would be lynched. Sweden’s welfare state hosts CFPs and tax planning with market investments flourishes. If Socialism — or Fascism — conquers America, we won’t have so many choices.)

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Woke 2.0 and the False Promise of Socialist Division.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/08/21/woke_20_and_the_false_promise_of_socialist_division_154432.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Democrats hold more favorable view of socialism than capitalism. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.aol.com/articles/democrats-hold-more-favorable-view-172421000.html
— Gen Z turns against capitalism as DSA takes off. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/6042507-gen-z-capitalism-socialism-sports-betting-gender-political-divide/

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
— Republicans Must Stop Being Democrat-Lite.
https://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-the-gops-problem-in-its-strategies-or-its-policies/republicans-must-stop-being-democrat-lite

CNN
— DD: I often served as a fact checker while I worked for GAO 1986-1997 at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/17/politics/fact-check-trump-south-korea-cost-sharing-biden

AOL
— How Much Income You Need To Join the Top 10% in Every State. In Illinois it is $296,443/year.
https://www.aol.com/articles/much-income-join-top-10-142011000.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— The Socialist, a Million-Dollar Rowhouse and Unanswered Questions. Differing accounts of where Gustavo Gordillo, a leader of the Democratic Socialists of America, lives are raising doubts about whether the city’s left-wing organizers are ready for prime time. DD: Ever-increasingly, to vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/22/nyregion/nyc-gustavo-gordillo-democratic-socialist.html
— Journalism and Paywalls. An increasingly hostile environment for independent reporting in the United States and elsewhere has made our job harder, and more expensive. DD: My direct competitors continue to be furious that I have the money, time, motivation, ability, and experience to put together and send out my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletter every day without a paywall, without any advertising, and without any donation requests. All the money that I spend putting the newsletters together and sending them out comes from my Civil Service Retirement System pension, my Social Security, and my retirement savings. Far too many of my direct competitors destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate or dominate, b) who refuse to glorify or praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money. I should write about them.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/world/journalism-us-colombia-quake.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Some of you have written in, surprised and sometimes annoyed at the prospect of hitting the paywall. I get it. So in today’s newsletter, I want to explain why we need people who can afford it to pay for our journalism. Many of you already do. Thank you.)

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— College Enrollments Are Expected to Plunge. DD: Under the Democrats, anticipate/expect that fewer and fewer and fewer Whites and males will earn college degrees.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/why-college-enrollments-are-expected-to-plunge-a8e00d7d

FORBES
— Employee Engagement. DD: I was far more engaged than my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO coworkers. While I worked for the Democrats who ran the Post Office 1966-1969, I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree in management. While I worked for the Democrats who ran IRS 1971-1980, I earned an MBA, passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, and almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting. While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, I earned a master’s degree in accounting, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt, became a licensed CPA, served on the Association of Government Accountants Executive Committee for 12 years, served on the Illinois CPA Society Membership Committee for 8 years, earned professional certifications in fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting, and earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading. None of my Democrat coworkers came close to doing what I did. To get promoted, all they had to do was to be “good little Democrats.”
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2026/08/20/12-employee-engagement-strategies-that-are-working-now/
— Career Slowdown. DD: My Post Office career more than slowed down, it crashed when my Democrat superiors disallowed my sick leave requests when I was 19 in 1968 and 20 and forced me to resign when I was 20 falsely claiming that I was not available to work enough part-time hours. My IRS career more than slowed down, it crashed when I was 25 when my Democrat superiors succeeded in getting rid of the manager who had promoted me when I was 23 (GS-9), 24 (GS-11), and 25 (GS-12). They disallowed my travel vouchers when I was 25. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning an MBA when I was 27. They disallowed my education expenses when I was 29. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. My GAO career more than slowed down, it crashed when I was 31 when my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to take a $23,699 (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS, disempowering the GAO manager who had arranged that transfer, gave me bad job assignments and unfair performance expectations and performance appraisals and kept me off audits of IRS. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31 and my passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination and becoming a licensed CPA when I was 32. GAO finally did promote me to GS-13 when I was 38, but that was only because the manager who arranged my transfer got back into power, assigned me to audits of IRS, and promoted me to GS-13. But when I was 39, they forced him to retire and things when from bad to worse. When I was 40, my career really crashed. They threw me off audits of IRS, gave me a very bad job assignment, very unfair performance expectations, and performance appraisal and ranked me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance (PFP). They ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for PFP from then on. They ignored/dismissed/belittled my earning four more professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48 and my earning a master’s degree in financial markets and training when I was 48. They forced me to retire when I was 49.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2026/02/21/4-tips-to-keep-up-when-your-coworkers-careers-move-faster/

KEISER UNIVERSITY
— Which College Majors Offer the Best Work-Life Balance? DD: My not majoring in accounting from the beginning was one of my biggest mistakes. I erroneously thought that I could never pass the CPA examination. I did pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30 in 1979, but by then it was too late. The accounting profession saw me as being far too old to have a successful career in accounting. On top of that, the profession was under tremendous pressure to hire, retain, and promote young minorities and young females.
https://www.keiseruniversity.edu/articles/careers-with-best-work-life-balance/

STANDARD EXAMINER
— DD: When Whites and males do better on tests than minorities and females, Democrats and RINOs blame Republicans.
https://www.standard.net/opinion/national-commentary/2026/aug/21/stossel-racist-tests/

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
— Affordability For All. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://nul.org/news/affordability-all-its-time-rescue-american-dream

FROM OTHER SOURCES

MAYO CLINIC
— Type 2 diabetes over time: What to expect as you age. DD: My prescribed type 2 diabetes pills are: Glimepiride (2), Jardiance, Metformin, and Ozempic. I am using Stelo ( https://www.stelo.com/ ) to monitor my glucose levels.
https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/diabetes/type-2-diabetes-over-time-what-to-expect-as-you-age/

TOPSPEED
— 10 Affordable Cars That Make Perfect Daily Drivers. DD: Chevy Malibu is one of them. My 2021 Chevy Malibu Premier will me my daily driver if my 2018 Chevy Cruze LT is totaled or stolen.
https://www.topspeed.com/affordable-new-cars-for-daily-driving/

August 18, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

FOX32
— Reaction after Chicago-area mayor grazed in deadly restaurant shooting. Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant was grazed when a masked gunman opened fire inside a restaurant early Saturday. A private security guard reportedly returned fire, killing the gunman. A DJ was also wounded. The gunman who died has been identified.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-5tngxhltxyhq6zkf

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— In Lake County, Democratic Socialists supporting like-minded candidates: ‘People who share our values.’ DD: How strongly are socialists promoting Democrat candidates in your county?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/17/lake-county-democratic-socialists/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Chicago Teachers Union sues Illinois Policy Institute for ‘toxic’ branding, ‘defamatory’ claims about audits. The CTU is framing the suit as its president, Stacy Davis Gates, “standing up to the multimillion dollar marketing firm Illinois Policy Institute,” the Liberty Justice Center and Austin Berg, IPI’s marketing vice president.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2026/08/17/chicago-teachers-union-illinois-policy-institute-defamation-lawsuit-stacy-davis-gates

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— JPMorgan Chase opens Mag Mile flagship as wealth management competition heats up. The financial center is dedicated to clients with investable assets between $1 million and $5 million — a segment of customers the bank began targeting in 2025. DD: According to Investopedia, About one in seven U.S. households headed by someone 65 or older has $1 million or more in financial assets. Married households are about three times as likely as single households to reach that mark. College graduates are several times more likely than those with only a high school diploma to have at least $1 million, as are homeowners compared with renters.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/banking-finance/ccb-jpmorgan-wealth-magnificent-mile-20260817/

WBEZ
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.wbez.org/immigration/2026/08/18/illinois-lawmakers-want-chaotic-mega-master-hearings-at-chicagos-immigration-court-to-end

WHEATON PATCH
— 2 Initiatives Introduced By DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office Signed Into Law.
https://patch.com/illinois/wheaton/amp/34654605/2-initiatives-introduced-by-dupage-county-states-attorneys-office-signed-into-law

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— School board showdown splits unions.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/18/school-board-showdown-splitting-unions-01039775

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/18/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-793/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Democrats embrace socialist calls to abolish ICE.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4689804/democrats-embrace-socialist-call-abolish-ice/
— Majority of Americans say they’re worse off financially since Trump took office again.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4689645/majority-americans-worse-off-financially-trump-second-term-poll/
— Trump approval sinks to new low as voters fear prolonged Iran war.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/4690392/trump-approval-rating-iran-war-poll/

CENTER SQUARE NEW YORK
— Second amendment groups sue New York over ‘Glock’ handgun ban.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/new_york/article_34a7616f-3cc6-4092-913e-979f5c74099d.html

CREATORS SYNDICATE
— Schumer Thanks Expletive-Using Duckworth for Her Beautiful Words.
https://www.creators.com/read/daily-editorials/08/26/schumer-thanks-expletive-using-senator-for-her-beautiful-words-1a8a0

COLLEGE FIX
— Indiana U. professor not reappointed after complaint she linked MAGA to ‘white supremacy. DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Republicans for all the problems that non-Whites have.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/indiana-u-professor-not-reappointed-after-complaint-she-linked-maga-to-white-supremacy/

DAILY WIRE
— The Hidden Way Corporate Lawfare Is Keeping DEI Alive.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-hidden-way-corporate-lawfare-is-keeping-dei-alive

EPOCH TIMES
— Why Teens Are Struggling to Find Summer Jobs. DD: When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/why-teens-are-struggling-to-find-summer-jobs-6050689

FOX BUSINESS
— ‘CHAMPAGNE SOCIALISTS’: Trump advisor CALLS OUT wealthy socialist leaders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlSmkcN4GPI
— Democrats are going to go down the path of where socialists will take them.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8gquzy5MHEY

FOX NEWS
— NY socialist defends shoplifting for ‘biological need.’
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403606093112
— Illegal immigrant learns fate after using stolen identity to vote in US elections for decades.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/illegal-immigrant-learns-fate-after-using-stolen-identity-vote-us-elections-decades

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— CBS News Poll Finds 58% of Democrats Have a Positive View of Socialism. Socialism finds more positive views among Democrats with college degrees than those without. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/cbs-news-poll-finds-58-of-democrats-have-a-positive-view-of-socialism/

NATIONAL REVIEW
— I Still Think IVF Should Be Banned.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/i-still-think-ivf-should-be-banned/

NEWSMAX
— Fetterman: Democrat Support of Socialism is Lunacy.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/john-fetterman-socialism-democrats/2026/08/17/id/1266373/

PJ MEDIA
— Fetterman Torches His Own Party After Poll Exposes Its Socialism Problem.
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/08/17/fetterman-trashes-socialism-in-his-party-n4956235

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Democrats hold more favorable view of socialism than capitalism.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6033535-cbs-yougov-socialism-poll-results/
— 23 percent of Republicans say they’re worse off since second Trump term began.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6032764-donald-trump-second-term-republicans-survey/

ABC NEWS
— Socialism more popular than capitalism among Democrats. DD: How strongly are socialists promoting Democrat candidates in your county?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8QyohAabwk

CBS NEWS
— DD: Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters blame Trump for the of socialism. Then again, they blame Trump for everything that is bad.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/how-economic-conditions-are-fueling-a-rise-of-us-socialism/

NEWSWEEK
— Trump’s approval rating is underwater in all but Idaho, West Virginia and Wyoming.
https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-only-three-states-that-approve-of-donald-trump-12333143

AOL
— Curfews, drones, and criminal charges: Cities differ on approaches to ‘teen takeovers.’  DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.aol.com/articles/curfews-drones-criminal-charges-cities-140006000.html
— Why the American Dream feels like a fantasy to many. DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.aol.com/articles/why-american-dream-feels-fantasy-160806000.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for inflation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/business/inflation-worker-pay.html

USA TODAY
— Socialist insurgency comes to Florida Democratic primaries Aug. 18.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/08/18/florida-primary-democratic-socialist-byron-donalds-governor/91343768007/
— Fetterman blasts Democrats on new socialism polling results.
https://www.usatoday.com/embed/video/91339455007/
— Half of workers fear they will never fully retire. DD: I got in line for a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension when I was 18 in 1966. I have been getting a CSRS pension, currently $68,640/year, since I was 49 in 1997. My critics/opponents have always been furious about that. In my defense, I paid 7% of my federal salary into the CSRS. Further, I would not have become a postal employee in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment test. Further, I would not have become an IRS employee in 1971 if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn a job offer that I had accepted because Oldsmobile had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personal-finance/2026/08/15/american-workers-fear-no-full-retirement/91277362007/
— DD: The more that you promote conservative principles, the more that you promote planks in the Republican Party platform, the more that Democrats and RINOs call you an extremist.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/08/09/republican-definition-extremism-democratic-socialist/91197531007/

ORLANDO
— Most Americans think the economic system is rigged. DD: Democrats run the federal government. They rig everything a) to favor their Democrat employees who are minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time and b) to waste the careers of and to get rid of their Republican employees who are White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/18/poll-most-americans-think-the-economic-system-is-rigged-and-its-shaping-midterm-politics/

MIAMI HERALD
— Becker CPA Review: Is the Prep Course Worth It? DD: I would not have passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30 in 1979 if I had not a) taken the Becker CPA Review, b) taken graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul, c) earned an MBA from Loyola, and d) worked for IRS for 8 years.
https://www.miamiherald.com/careers-education/becker-cpa-review/

WKDQ
— Traveling With Weed From Illinois Could Land You In Jail.
https://wkdq.com/ixp/722/p/cannabis-travel-laws-illinois/

NEWS24
— Democratic Socialists are desperate to tear the US down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkxdcNylghw
— Americans are ignorant of the long list of failed socialist states as DSA support continues to grow.
https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/americans-ignorant-to-long-list-of-failed-socialist-states-as-dsa-support-continues-to-grow/video/03c126ee47d49140ada8711716d5d6a0

NTD
— Socialists Do Not Want Progress, They Want Control.
https://www.ntd.com/ntdplus/economist-warns-of-the-socialist-trap-for-americans-they-dont-want-progress-what-they-want-is-control_1166829.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Bean Counting, Antisemitism and the EEOC. Reports on workforce demography not only encourage quotas but mask discrimination. DD: Ever-increasingly, since the 1960s, the top priority for those above me has been a) giving preference to those who are minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for the long time, and/or are noncitizens and b) getting rid of those who are not the aforesaid.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/bean-counting-antisemitism-and-the-eeoc-3b1531d5
— A Senate Food Fight on SNAP Welfare Waste. Democrats want the farm bill to delay state accountability for improper payments.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/gop-retreat-food-stamps-snap-improper-benefits-congress-0c7ac1a6

BLOOMBERG
— The American Dream Now Comes With a Survival Guide. DD: What has helped you deal with inflation? COLAs have helped me deal with inflation big time. My critics/opponents are furious that I got COLAs while I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and that I have continued to get COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2026-08-17/the-american-dream-now-comes-with-a-survival-guide

BLOOMBERG LAW
— Trump Defangs Independent Watchdog of Civil Service Disputes. DD: Federal employees who are the following have no Civil Service protections: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Democrats run the federal government. For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. I am none of the aforesaid. To get rid of me, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors punished me a) for my not becoming a Democrat, b) for my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, c) for my complaining about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, and d) for my being an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid. Unions provide some protection. But GAO did not unionize until 2007. If GAO had been unionized when I transferred from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors might not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did including forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/trump-defangs-independent-watchdog-of-civil-service-disputes

FORBES
— Reparations. DD: Affirmative Action (AA) and DEI are reparations. Blacks have been given many trillions of dollars in AA and DEI since the 1960s, that is, Blacks have been given many trillions of dollars in reparations since the 1960s. Democrats and RINOs make Republicans pay the price of AA and DEI, that is, they make Republicans pay the price of reparations. What my Democrat GAO superiors did to me is a classic example. They forced me to retire and gave my Black subordinate my job and my preferred corner office. He had less job-related education than I had. He had less job-related work experience than I had. He had one job-related professional certification while I had six. I had no job-related professional license like the one I had.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2026/08/14/leading-through-backlash-nycs-fight-for-reparations/

24/7 WALL STREET
— At 65, the FAA Forced Him Out of the Airline Cockpit. Social Security Still Called Him Two Years Early. DD: My critics/opponents stress that while my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, since then, a) I have gotten a Civil Service Retirement System pension, currently $68,640/year and b) the federal government has paid 72% of my and my wife’s healthcare insurance.
https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/social-security/2026/08/17/at-65-the-faa-forced-him-out-of-the-airline-cockpit-social-security-still-called-him-two-years-early/

FED SMITH
— Locality Pay: Why a GS-13 in San Francisco Earns About $30,000 More Than “Rest of U.S.” 2026 federal locality pay supplements range from 17.06% to 46.34%. See how it affects GS-13 salaries, high-3 averages, and annuities across top and bottom areas. DD: My critics/opponents have always been furious that I benefitted from locality pay 1994-1997.
https://www.fedsmith.com/2026/08/17/locality-pay-gs13-san-francisco-vs-rest-of-us/

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— The number of so-called TSP millionaires trends downward. As of April 1, there were about 185,000 Thrift Savings Plan participants with accounts totaling over $1 million. Compared with the previous fiscal quarter, that means there are now about 10,000 fewer TSP millionaires. Latest reports show that million-dollar accounts make up about 2.5% of the nearly 7.3 million total TSP accounts.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-newscast/2026/04/the-number-of-so-called-tsp-millionaires-trends-downward/

AFGE
— AFGE Highlights Administration’s Attacks on Federal Workers During NAACP Conference. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I have always been grossly overpaid. They stress that I was a union member for almost 12 years, almost 3 years while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969 and almost 9 years while I worked for IRS 1971-1980. In today’s dollars, a) my Post Office salary increased from $19.57/hour to $20.87/hour and b) my IRS salary increased from $56,409/year to $113,402/year. In my defense, during that time, I stress that I earned a bachelor’s degree in management in 1970, I earned an MBA in 1976, I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, and I almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting.
https://www.afge.org/article/afge-highlights-administrations-attacks-on-federal-workers-during-naacp-conference/

MONDAQ
— Illinois Curbs Ability To Require Driver’s License In Job Postings. DD: My Post Office, IRS, and GAO jobs required me to have a driver’s license. The Post Office paid me mileage for my using my 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint, 1968 Oldsmobile 442, and 1969 Dodge Charger SE to deliver mail. IRS paid me milage for my using my 1962 Chevrolet BelAir and my 1978 Chevrolet Chevette to make field calls. GAO paid me mileage for my using my Chevette to travel to audit sites.
https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/employee-rights-labour-relations/1831958/illinois-curbs-ability-to-require-drivers-license-in-job-postings

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

TIMES OF INDIA
— ‘Five to eight years behind’: UC Berkeley professor raises alarm over student math skills.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/five-to-eight-years-behind-uc-berkeley-professor-raises-alarm-over-student-math-skills/articleshow/133313658.cms