August 31, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Naperville’s Last Fling featuring a little of everything — including breakdancing. DD: Democrats and RINOs banished bagpipers from Wheaton’s Independence Day parades because they walk too slow and because they were sponsored by DuPage Republicans.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/30/last-fling-naperville-labor-day/
— Bovino was under internal investigation by Border Patrol when he retired. DD: My critics/opponents hint/imply/argue/shout that my Democrat GAO superiors did not force me to retire because I was an active member in a class action federal lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, but because I discriminated against my Democrat subordinates who were minority, female, younger, veteran, disabled, and/or had performance problems. All my subordinates who my Democrat superiors assigned me to supervise were some, many, most, or virtually all of the aforesaid. They could not get any of them to testify against me because I gave them lots of preference.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/31/bovino-retired-internal-investigation-border-patrol/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Trump administration announces trucking school crackdown. A new federal task force includes two downstate Illinois federal prosecutors.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2026/08/31/trump-administration-illinois-trucking-school-crackdown
— Chicago offering $10,000 grants to help support food access on South and West sides.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/money/2026/08/31/chicago-neighborhood-market-10-000-grants-food-access-south-west-sides

DAILY HERALD
— DD: Democrat leaders promote Pritzker’s bus tour.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260831/illinois-state-politics/on-statewide-bus-tour-pritzker-pledges-to-stay-on-team-fight/

ABC7
— Trump asks Supreme Court to allow immediate firing of 29 transgender military service members. DD: Federal courts allowed my Democrat GAO superiors to fire me, that is, to force me to retire, because I was an active member in a class action federal lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/trump-asks-supreme-court-allow-immediate-firing-29-transgender-military-service-members/19770854/

NBC5
— Pritzker says Trump is ‘neither wanted here nor needed here’ ahead of Chicago-area visit. The governor has frequently criticized the president, with the two often exchanging barbs in recent years, particularly over crime in Chicago and immigration policy.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/pritzker-says-trump-is-neither-wanted-here-nor-needed-here-ahead-of-chicago-area-visit/3983112/

WBEZ
— Chicago offering $10,000 grants to help support food access on South and West sides.
https://www.wbez.org/money/2026/08/31/chicago-neighborhood-market-10-000-grants-food-access-south-west-sides

WQRF
— Illinois food stamp enrollment hits 13-year low following new work requirements.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/illinois-food-stamp-enrollment-hits-133429182.html

ABC4
— Washington Park: Pack of dogs attacks worker on smoke break, mauls him to death in ditch.
https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/washington-park-illinois-pack-stray-dogs-attacks-two-people-kills-james-l-gibson-rental-property-smoke-break-residents-report-frequent-escapes-cincinnati-fatal-attacks-mauled-animal-control-says-no-complaints-about-dogs-in-area

ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat employers use Workforce Demographic Reporting a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://dhr.illinois.gov/about-us/news-and-media/all-news/illinois-joins-states-to-urge-eeoc-to-preserve-workforce-demogra.html

DARIEN PATCH
— DD: SPLC manufactures racism to justify its existence.
https://patch.com/illinois/darien-il/group-accused-darien-man-racist-posts-trouble-feds

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/31/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-585/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— The Ridiculous “Best of CPS High School List”
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/08/30/the-ridiculous-best-of-cps-high-school-list

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump plans federal pay freeze in 2027, raising hackles among Democrats and unions.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/31/trump-plans-federal-pay-freeze-2027-raising-hackles-among-democrats/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Young Americans need to learn communism’s true history.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/4704571/young-americans-need-to-learn-communisms-true-history/
— Octogenarian Ed Markey’s progressive credentials outweigh age concerns in Massachusetts. DD: I remember attending a meeting with Markey when I worked for GAO in the early 1980s.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4704764/seth-moulton-age-ed-markey-massachusetts-senate/

BREITBART
— Pritzker Apologizes for Saying Trump’s Name in Church: ‘I Should Probably Use Code’
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/31/democrat-gov-jb-pritzker-apologizes-for-saying-trumps-name-in-church-i-should-probably-use-code/
— Biden’s Illegal-Migrant Truckers Killed Hundreds of Americans.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/31/markwayne-mullin-bidens-illegal-truckers-have-killed-hundreds-of-americans/

CAMPUS REFORM
— University of Illinois medical school rebrands DEI office as ‘Advocacy and Engagement.’
https://www.campusreform.org/article/university-illinois-medical-school-rebrands-dei-office-advocacy-engagement/30511

DAILY SIGNAL
— DEI Thrives at Elite Law Schools. DD: DEI is political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination against those who are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, Protestant, and/or German American.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/31/even-after-affirmative-actions-fall-dei-thrives-at-elite-law-schools/

FOX BUSINESS
— House GOP anti-socialism resolution forces Democrats on record.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6404365173112

REAL CLEAR POLICY
— Don’t Let the Left Make Dolly a Socialist Mascot.
https://www.realclearpolicy.com/2026/08/31/dont_let_the_left_make_dolly_a_socialist_mascot_1203393.html

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Democrat leaders blame Trump for the rise of socialism.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/08/31/dems_demonization_of_trump_to_blame_for_rise_of_socialism_154460.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Republicans ready for very hasty Trump convention in Texas.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6058289-rnc-midterm-convention-dallas/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Postal Service Rule Could Bar Millions From Voting by Mail.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/30/us/politics/mail-voting-trump-midterms-supreme-court.html

ENTERTAINMENT WEEK
— Trump threatens to report Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker to FCC for ‘punishment.’ DD: I should write about my critics/opponents and the adverse actions that they had their operatives and their dupes take against me since 2000 because I included links in my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters to articles that they did not like.
https://ew.com/donald-trump-threatens-nbc-news-kristen-welker-with-punishment-from-fcc-12073377

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 27, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Trump signs order renaming Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’ in the United States. Trump cannot force Canada to follow his preferred naming convention.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/trump-signs-order-renaming-lake-ontario-america-united-states/19745641/

CITIES 92.9
— $34.9M Chicago development provides ‘affordable’ homes. DD: What enabled you to afford your first home? I bought a new townhome in University Park when I was 24 in 1972. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ . In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $94,600. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.cities929.com/2026/08/27/illinois-quick-hits-34-9m-chicago-development-provides-affordable-homes/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Parent group raises concerns over Glenbrook North course.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_267d4ee4-a227-4448-85d4-3734c384cbc9.html

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— How can CPS address its 54% of underused buildings?
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-public-schools-underutilized-academic-impact/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— George Washington University Medical School intentionally and illegally gives Black and Hispanic applicants an advantage in admissions, the Justice Department said Thursday.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/27/george-washington-university-med-school-illegally-discriminates/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Charlie Kirk’s murder is a basic ethical litmus test.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/4702870/charlie-kirk-murder-basic-ethical-litmus-test/
— Democrats try to brush aside ‘Woke 1.’
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/4702376/democrats-try-brush-aside-woke-1/

AMERICAN THINKER
— ‘It Can’t Happen Here’? Are You Sure? Why do young people love communism so much nowadays?
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/it-can-t-happen-here-are-you-sure/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— AOC rejoins DSA as socialist diva mulls 2028 White House bid.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/27/aoc-rejoins-dsa-as-socialist-diva-mulls-2028-white-house-bid-1656535/

BLAZE
— America’s young are being recruited into socialism — one dance party at a time.
https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/americas-young-are-being-recruited-into-socialism-one-dance-party-at-a-time

CAMPUS REFORM
— New Jersey course teaches that ‘white supremacy,’ ‘white privilege’ remain ‘institutionalized.’ DD: Under the Democrats, hatred against Republicans is institutionalized, and especially against Republicans who are White, male, older, non-veteran, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/new-jersey-course-teaches-white-supremacy-white-privilege-remain-institutionalized/30487

CENTER SQUARE
— Majority of voters concerned with rise of socialism, communism.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_3d1d2d52-4cad-4a2d-907b-0ed3f57c0fd9.html
https://www.aol.com/articles/poll-majority-voters-concerned-rise-133000000.html

DAILY SIGNAL
— When the Left Ignores Federal Law and Sounds Like Neo-Confederates.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/27/hanson-left-ignores-federal-law/
— Housing Affordability Crisis Results From ‘Too Much Socialism,’ Not Too Little.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/27/housing-affordability-crisis-results-from-too-much-socialism-not-too-little-report/

FEDERALIST
— Democrats’ Racial Grievances Are Just A Cynical Grift.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/27/democrats-racial-grievances-are-just-a-cynical-grift/

FOX BUSINESS
— Democrats’ socialist agenda will make affordability worse.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6404130506112

FOX NEWS
— AOC’s socialist credentials face fresh scrutiny after glaring 7-year gap surfaces: ‘Very convenient’
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/aocs-socialist-credentials-face-fresh-scrutiny-after-glaring-7-year-gap-surfaces-very-convenient

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Gary, Indiana’s Power Outages Aren’t Because Of Racism.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/gary-indianas-power-outages-arent-because-of-racism/

PJ MEDIA
— As Islamic Socialism Rises, a Dem Congressman Says the Real Enemy Is… Christian Nationalism?
https://pjmedia.com/scott-pinsker/2026/08/27/as-islamic-socialism-rises-a-dem-congressman-says-the-real-enemy-is-christian-nationalism-n4956611

REAL CLEAR MARKETS
— 100 Million Reasons To Support Capitalism.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/2026/08/27/100_million_reasons_to_support_capitalism_1202662.html

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Laura Ingraham: Republican Candidates Have Not Been Effective In Taking On Democrats And Their Tilt Toward Socialism.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/08/27/laura_ingraham_republican_candidates_have_not_been_effective_in_taking_on_democrats_and_their_tilt_toward_socialism_comments.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Mamdani socialism and Trump socialism — reject them both.
https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/6051425-rejecting-left-right-socialism/

CBS NEWS
— Fired Stars and Stripes journalists sue Hegseth and Pentagon spokesperson. DD: Since 2000, my critics/opponents have not succeeded in getting a registered Republican voter in my precinct to run against me for Precinct Committeeman.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fired-stars-and-stripes-journalists-sue-hegseth-and-pentagon-spokesperson/
— Fed’s Lisa Cook pushes back on Trump firing threat, says she “never committed mortgage fraud.” DD: Since 2000, my critics/opponents have not succeeded in getting a registered Republican voter in my precinct to run against me for Precinct Committeeman.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lisa-cook-denies-trump-mortgage-fraud-allegations/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-arrests-record-high-july-new-data/

NBC NEWS
— The job market for new college grads keeps getting worse. DD: When you graduated from college, what harmed your job search? When I graduated from NIU with a bachelor’s degree in management when I was 21 in 1970, potential employers saw me as being draft bait. They did not believe that my application for a financial hardship draft deferment to help support my mother and brother would be approved. Further, potential employers were under tremendous pressure to hire minorities and females. Consequently, I accepted the only job offer that I got, to be the Retail Sales Manager in a Firestone Store, a job that not really require a college degree. Because my future there was bleak, I accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile in 1971. But Oldsmobile withdrew that offer saying it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. My Firestone Store boss rudely fired me because I had accepted that offer. Because I had to have a job, I accepted a job offer that I got from IRS to be a Revenue Officer. I had taken and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination while I was a NIU student as a backup because I had been a federal employees for almost 3 years and because federal employees are viewed negatively.
https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/job-market-new-college-grads-keeps-getting-worse-2026-rcna588700

NEWS24
— Democrats brainwashing impressionable voters into socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y6Gc4H0F2Y

INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— Student indoctrination. DD: For Democrat leaders, education exists to crank out good little Democrats.
https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2023/07/18/we-couldnt-indoctrinate-students-if-we-wanted-opinion

BROOKINGS
— Public schools. DD: For Democrat leaders, education exists to crank out good little Democrats.
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/perceptions-of-us-public-schools-political-leanings-and-the-federal-role-in-education/

PBS
— Systemic racism continues. 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.pbs.org/newshour/nation/annual-report-shows-systemic-racism-continues-to-bring-down-black-peoples-quality-of-life

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN
— What Women’s Equality Day Means NOW. DD: To get more votes from women, non-Whites, younger people, etc., Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems.
https://now.org/media-center/press-release/what-womens-equality-day-means-now/

ALTER NET
— White-collar jobs crisis comes home to roost in Trump’s America. DD: When you graduated from college, what harmed your job search? When I graduated from NIU with a bachelor’s degree in management when I was 21 in 1970, potential employers saw me as being draft bait. They did not believe that my application for a financial hardship draft deferment to help support my mother and brother would be approved. Further, potential employers were under tremendous pressure to hire minorities and females. Consequently, I accepted the only job offer that I got, to be the Retail Sales Manager in a Firestone Store, a job that not really require a college degree. Because my future there was bleak, I accepted a job offer from Oldsmobile in 1971. But Oldsmobile withdrew that offer saying it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. My Firestone Store boss rudely fired me because I had accepted that offer. Because I had to have a job, I accepted a job offer that I got from IRS to be a Revenue Officer. I had taken and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination while I was a NIU student as a backup because I had been a federal employees for almost 3 years and because federal employees are viewed negatively.
https://www.alternet.org/trump-white-collar-unemployment/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

ECONOMIC TIMES
— DD: Pritzker ever-increasingly promotes more hatred against Trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_cZLX_Z_3c

August 23, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE: DuPage County clerk warns of ‘unprecedented disaster’ in November election if funding shortfalls aren’t addressed.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260822/news/dupage-county-clerk-warns-of-unprecedented-disaster-in-november-election-if-funding-shortfalls-are/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Kaczmarek, who lost a bid for reelection in the March primary, says her office is about $2.5 million short of what is needed to run the election. If the gap isn’t addressed, Kaczmarek said it could lead to cuts resulting in fewer polling places, a later start date for early voting and fewer election judges. . According to budget figures provided by county officials, the clerk’s office has spent 99.8% of its postage budget. The county budgeted $277,050, a 201% increase over what was spent in 2022, for postage, and the clerk’s office already has spent $276,569. In her proposed spending plan last year, Kaczmarek requested $734,672 for postage and $623,226 to cover election-related printing costs. County officials also noted the clerk’s office already has spent 74% of its printing budget, or money used to print ballots and other election materials. The county budgeted $474,700, a 15% increase over actual expenses in 2022, the last year of a gubernatorial election. The clerk’s office already has spent $351,126. . .Kaczmarek said she is reviewing her options for the November election with her office’s election attorney. She does not intend to be at Tuesday’s county board meeting.)

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/immigration/2026/08/21/deported-operation-midway-blitz-asif-amin-cheema-pakistan-best-sub-humboldt-park-addison

ABC7
— ComEd crews deployed to NW Indiana as NIPSCO power outages, storm recovery continues. Chicago Bears announce $200,000 in donations for storm relief efforts. 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://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-area-storm-recovery-comed-sending-crews-illinois-assist-nipsco-nw-indiana-power-restoration/19719373/

WGN9
— US Postal Service issues rule to tighten requirements for mail-in voting despite courts looking to block.
https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/us-postal-service-issues-rule-to-tighten-requirements-for-mail-in-voting-despite-courts-looking-to-block/

FOX32
— Here’s how much it costs to live comfortably in your state for 2026: Illinois: $244,109 for a family of 4 and $101,587 single
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/heres-how-much-costs-live-comfortably-your-state-2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— And now the Democrat Party moves into open Marxism territory.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/22/democrat-party-moves-open-marxism-territory/
— Trump moves to cancel American Bar Association accreditation of law schools.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/21/trump-moves-cancel-american-bar-association-accreditation-law-schools/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— RNC raised $19 million in July and has $130 million for midterm elections.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4692615/rnc-touts-record-cash-on-hand/

NEW YORK POST
— DSA’s foreign-policy agenda has one goal: weaken America so that world’s worst regimes can reign instead.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/22/opinion/dsas-foreign-policy-agenda-weaken-america-strengthen-foes/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Socialists aiming to make ‘educational’ indoctrination ‘free.’ Socialists target educational systems for a reason.  DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/socialists-aiming-to-make-educational-indoctrination-free/

DAILY WIRE
— DD: According to Democrats, Jesus is a Democrat who condemns the concepts of countries, borders, laws, and private ownership. According to Democrats, Jesus wants dependency on government and charity, LGBTQ, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, vices, diminishment of Second Amendment rights, and Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination. According to democrats, Jesus condemns those who are conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. How strongly have Democrats taken over your church?
https://www.dailywire.com/episode/michael-knowles-show-socialism-christianity-debate

FOX NEWS
— Schumer touts Democrats as ‘big tent party’ amid socialist surge.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403876623112
— AOC’s ‘Woke 1’ comment conceals a dangerous pivot to socialist class war.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/aoc-woke-1-comment-conceals-dangerous-pivot-socialist-class-war-media-chief-warns.amp
— DD: According to my critics/opponents, I got a higher ACT score 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.foxnews.com/media/california-professor-cited-irony-removing-act-sat-didnt-help-disadvantaged-groups-intended
— Trump’s welfare reforms are a major victory; bureaucrats could still wreck them.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/trumps-welfare-reforms-major-victory-bureaucrats-could-still-wreck-them

HOT AIR
— DD: According to my critics/opponents, I got a higher ACT score 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://hotair.com/john-stossel/2026/08/22/racist-tests-n3818242

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Maoist Faction of the DSA Claims Ocasio-Cortez too ‘Moderate’ to Run for President.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/maoist-faction-of-the-dsa-claims-ocasio-cortez-too-moderate-to-run-for-president/amp/

NEWSBUSTERS
— The Media Struggles with Socialism and ‘Progressive Credentials.’
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jeffrey-lord/2026/08/22/2026-media-struggles-socialism-and-progressive-credentials

PJ MEDIA
— The Democrats Have Already Lost to the Socialists.
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/08/22/the-democrats-have-already-lost-to-the-socialists-n4956436

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

AOL
— The Rise of Democratic Socialists After Primaries.
https://www.aol.com/articles/definitely-growing-cnn-data-guru-135328000.html
— Democrats Have a More Positive View of Socialism Than Capitalism By a 26-Point Margin.
https://www.aol.com/articles/poll-democrats-more-positive-view-164901000.html

CNBC
— The top 10 colleges for financial aid in 2026, according to The Princeton Review — and what families actually pay. DD: My critics/opponents have always used my not getting any scholarships against me big time.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/18/colleges-best-financial-aid-2026-princeton-review.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: I should write about the lawsuits that I have filed. I would focus on the defendants and the big adverse actions that they and their attorneys have taken against me.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/19/opinion/trumps-revenge.html

USA TODAY
— Fetterman calls Dems the party of socialism.
https://www.aol.com/articles/fetterman-calls-dems-party-socialism-165228000.html
— What affordability really means. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/nletter/2026/08/21/affordability-prices-inflation-debt-credit-money/91335601007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Cracks in the Blue Wall Against Voter ID.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/cracks-in-the-blue-wall-against-voter-id-79da7f93

SCRIPPS NEWS
— A growing number of six-figure earners say the American Dream feels out of reach. DD: How old were you when you started earning $100,000/year in today’s dollars? For me, it was when I was 25 in 1974. I had worked for IRS for 3 years. I had completed 10 graduate business evening business courses at Loyola.
https://www.scrippsnews.com/politics/economy/a-growing-number-of-six-figure-earners-say-the-american-dream-feels-out-of-reach

LAS VEGAS JOURNAL REVIEW
— Everyone is campaigning on ‘affordability’ that no one can deliver. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/jonah-goldberg-everyone-is-campaigning-on-affordability-that-no-one-can-deliver-3868118/

NEWS REVIEW
— Affordability is a real issue for Generation Z. DD: What did you do to afford things when you were young? 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.petoskeynews.com/story/opinion/columns/2026/08/22/affordability-is-a-real-issue-for-generation-z-opinion/91286235007/

CONCORD MONITOR
— Consider this before running for office. DD: What are your demographics? From what I see, because the following demographics are ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned, the more of the following that you are, the more likely that you will lose: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.concordmonitor.com/2026/08/23/my-turn-candidates-american-values-unity/

ALASKA NATIVE NEWS
— A Government of the Rich, by the Rich, for the Rich: Nearly 60 Top Trump Officials Worth $100 Million or More.
https://alaska-native-news.com/a-government-of-the-rich-by-the-rich-for-the-rich-nearly-60-top-trump-officials-worth-100-million-or-more/85802/

ATLANTIC
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/08/socialism-rich-kids-gordillo/688382/

FEDERAL RETIREMENT
— Federal employee retirement benefits are generous. Health, dental, and vision insurance cost the same in retirement as they did while working. DD: My critics/opponents are furious about me and my wife benefitting from that.
https://federalretirement.net/benefits/

SHRM
— Multi-Generational Workforce Poses Challenges for HR Professionals. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, their top priority was getting rid of their older employees who were Republican, White, male, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time.  In 1993, when I was 45 years old, to get rid of their employees who were the aforesaid, they “offered” early retirement.
https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/employment-law-compliance/multi-generational-workforce-poses-challenges-hr

LEGIS
— Federal Probationary Workers Leaving Jobs at Higher Rates. DD: After I transferred from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors were furious when they learned that they could not use probationary procedures to get rid of me. Nevertheless, they did everything that could to get me to transfer back to IRS, transfer to another federal agency, or quit. They gave me bad job assignments, unfair performance expectations, and unfair performance appraisals. They kept me off audits of IRS. They delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13. Further, previously, in 1970, my Chicago Heights Firestone Store boss refused to let me start until after I passed a 2-week probationary period in Indiana. He would never had hired me, but his boss had assigned me to him. He did not have a college degree and he disapproved of my avoiding the Vietnam War draft, my being Protestant, my being German American, my having ancestors who had been in America since 1844, and my living in Crete.
https://legis1.com/news/federal-probationary-workers-separation-rates

DAILY KOS
— DD: According to Democrats, a) slaves built America and b) the longer that your ancestors have been in America, the more that you have benefitted from slavery and the more reparations that you should pay. Democrats have always wanted me to pay lots of reparations because all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s. In their defense, they always lived in northeast Illinois, they never were in a position to discriminate against anyone, and they never did discriminate against anyone.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/23/800087432/community/what-does-it-mean-to-remember-slavery/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES
— The New American Divide, Not Dream: Where You Start May Shape Where You End. DD: What helped you earn more than your parents did? 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. My father had brittle type 1 diabetes from childhood. He was only the first of his ancestors to earn a high school diploma. Because of his diabetes, he never attended college. My mother never attended high school.
https://www.ibtimes.sg/new-american-divide-not-dream-where-you-start-may-shape-where-you-end-92697
(FROM THE ATICLE: The share of American children who earn more than their parents has fallen from about 90% among those born in 1940 to roughly 50% among children born in the 1980s. The decline has affected the entire income distribution, but the fall has been particularly pronounced for the middle class.)

FROM OTHER SOURCES

CHICAGO MOTOR CARS & HAMILTON COLLECTION
— What a great day at the Wheaton Concours! DD: It was an outstanding event! 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 concours with virtually all of the aforesaid. I owned a 1968 R/T 1994-2005 and a 1969 SE 1968-1971.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcWahdYRneo/
https://www.chicagomotorcars.com/
https://thehamiltoncollection.com/

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 21, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NEWS34
— Youth group organizers call for more safe spaces for teens in Charlotte amid curfew proposal. DD: When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://www.aol.com/articles/youth-group-organizers-call-more-210422000.html

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

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

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

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


August 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

August 16, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

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

August 15, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

FOX32
— DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-wpszr7ochva90k0q

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Potential candidates get a lesson in what it takes to run for office from those who have won elections.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/14/lagrange-forum-potential-candidates/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Free summer YMCA memberships draw 3,000 Chicago teens. More than a thousand teens signed up at the South Side YMCA alone. Teens there are playing basketball, lifting weights or just hanging out with friends — and hoping the program continues next year. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2026/08/13/free-summer-ymca-memberships-draw-3-000-chicago-teens
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Trump.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/08/14/trump-dictator-reflecting-pool-vandals-vaccines-todd-blanche-mona-charen
https://www.news-herald.com/2026/08/14/s-e-cupp-donald-trumps-third-world-presidency/

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— DD: Democrat leaders demonize, denigrate, and condemn whatever Trump wants.
https://www.sj-r.com/videos/news/2026/07/24/poll-shows-disapproval-of-trumps-dc-changes/91036540007/

SHAW LOCAL
— Underwood calls for removing Trump from office: ‘Unstable,’ ‘dangerous,’ ‘unable to function.’  Congresswoman spoke at town hall meeting at Northern Illinois University.
https://www.shawlocal.com/news/2026/08/14/underwood-calls-for-removing-trump-from-office-unstable-dangerous-unable-to-function/

WHEATON PATCH
— DuPage Regional Office of Education Expands Student Health and Wellness Supports Ahead of New School Year. Partnerships, training, and early-intervention resources help schools create safer, more supportive learning environments.
https://patch.com/illinois/wheaton/dupage-regional-office-education-expands-student-health-wellness-supports-ahead-new

BLACK CHRONICLE
— The executive director of a Chicago violence prevention group has been charged with sexually assaulting a juvenile family member and grooming. Englewood First Responders executive director Charles McKenzie, 37, was arrested Aug. 5 in the 6700 block of South Emerald Avenue.
https://blackchronicle.com/midwest/illinois/illinois-quick-hits-violence-prevention-group-leader-arrested/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/14/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-579/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Trump Endorses Catalina Lauf for Congress in Southwest Florida, Victory Almost Certain
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/14/trump-endorses-catalina-lauf-for-congress-in-southwest-florida-victory-almost-certain/
— Florida Law Preventing Minors from Attending Drag Shows Upheld 8-5 by Federal Appellate Court
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/14/florida-law-preventing-minors-from-attending-drag-shows-upheld-8-5-by-federal-appellate-court/
— Safe-T Act Failure
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/13/safe-t-act-failure-2/
— The Potential Data Center Problems
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/13/the-potelxntial-data-center-problems/
— Vaccine Exemptions
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/12/vaccine-exemptions/
— Triple Shot Vaccinations Led to Hours of Keening
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/11/21787/
— On the National Front
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/10/on-the-national-front/
— Double-Dipping, Something Illinois Legislators Won’t Stop. DD: My critics/opponents have always been furious a) that I earned both Civil Service Retirement System and Social Security credits for almost 5 years a) while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969 and b) for IRS and Firestone Stores 1971-1972.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/11/double-dipping-something-illinois-legislators-wont-stop/
— Group Seeks to Stop Flock Cameras in Woodstock
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/11/group-seeks-to-stop-flock-cameras-in-woodstock/
— Republicans Followed Pritzker’s 2022 Strategy in Wisconsin to Elect the Weakest Candidate in the Opposite Party–Francesca Hong, It Didn’t Work
— https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/11/republicans-follow-pritzkers-2022-strategy-tn-wisconsin-to-elect-the-weakest-candidate-in-the-opposite-party-francesca-hong/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Democrats turn their DEI strategy toward Muslim voters.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4687851/democrats-turn-dei-strategy-toward-muslim-voters/
— ’Tax the rich’ is a scam. You’re the one getting the bill.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4685821/why-taxing-the-rich-hurts-middle-class/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— The carpetbagger primary: Meet the cast of characters running for this Florida House seat. DD: My critics/opponents continue to stress that I have lived in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton only since I was 29 in 1978 and that I never attended schools or churches or worked there. They continue to stress that they have lived in DuPage County, Milton Township, and/or Wheaton their entire lives and that they attended schools and churches there and worked there.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4687660/florida-19th-congressional-district-candidates-carpetbagger-primary/

NEW YORK POST
— Hegseth fumes over the Army’s decision to withdraw new academic standards for college students in the ROTC program — including requiring a SAT score of at least 1000 — to ensure that “stupid people” are not becoming military officers. DD: According to Google AI, an  ACT score of 24 equals a SAT score of 1200–1220. My ACT score was 24.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/14/us-news/hegseth-angry-as-army-scraps-new-sat-minimum-for-rotc-to-screen-out-stupid-officers/
— AOC’s student debt unpaid as she embarks on costly egg-freezing journey.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/14/us-news/aocs-student-debt-unpaid-as-she-embarks-on-costly-egg-freezing-journey/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has made at least $174,000 annually for nearly eight years as a member of Congress, but like many of her “Squad” colleagues, she has yet to put a substantial dent in her student loan debt, according to House financial disclosures. The Bronx and Queens Democrat has owed between $15,001 and $50,000 in federal student loan debt since her election to the House in 2018. That’s the same amount she owes now, according to her August disclosure, where lawmakers report ranges for debt and income. The “Tax the Rich!” pol reported less than $81,000 in total assets. Recently, Ocasio-Cortez has suggested that she’d been saving up for some time instead to freeze her eggs, a process that can cost between $10,000 and $20,000 per cycle. “I got sworn into the House of Representatives when I was 29 years old,” she said in an Instagram video. “There’s this flip side where you have to then grow up in the public eye in a time that most people usually get to grow more privately.” Ocasio-Cortez amassed the loans while attending Boston University as an international relations and economics major between August 2007 and May 2011 — and went on to tend bar in Manhattan before her successful run for Congress. The “Squad” Democrat has consistently backed student debt cancellation. During former President Joe Biden’s term, she even pushed the 46th commander-in-chief to cancel as much as $50,000 in debt per student borrower. But she’s not the only US lawmaker who’s still holding student loans. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has held up to $50,000 over the past eight years in student debt — despite her net worth ballooning for a time to as much as $30 million due to her husband’s winery and venture capital businesses. Not all her colleagues who entered the same freshman class of 2018 have failed to pay off their student debts. Fellow “Squad” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) had up to $100,000 in law school loans that have been partially paid off in the same time period — but could still amount to as much as $50,000 too, per House disclosures. Meanwhile, moderate Rep. Jared Golden (R-Maine) similarly held up to $100,000 in outstanding student debt but paid off at least half of it by his last House filing.)

AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
— ‘Woke 1’ Never Really Went Away. Progressives may be less forthcoming, but they haven’t changed their beliefs since the mass lunacy of 2020.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/woke-1-never-really-went-away/

BLAZE
— Wokeism is just the ‘smoke screen’ — Nick Freitas warns of the far more dangerous ideology quietly dismantling the West.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/making-the-argument-with-nick-freitas/wokeism-is-just-the-smoke-screen-nick-freitas-warns-of-the-far-more-dangerous-ideology-quietly-dismantling-the-west

COLLEGE FIX
— 40% won’t hire Trump voters. DD: In Illinois, your primary voting record is public knowledge, it is in the public realm. Employers can easily find out if you cast a Republican primary ballot or a Democrat primary ballot.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/40-wont-hire-trump-voters-new-report-details-higher-educations-ideological-divide/

FEDERALIST
— America lives or dies based on how we address the very real problems that have put the American Dream far out of reach for most people. DD: When I was young, I believed that the American Dream was in my reach even though neither of my parents had attended college, my father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma, my mother had never attended high school, my ACT score was only 24, and I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class. That motivated me to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. But if I was young today and with the aforesaid limitations, I question if I would believe that the American Dream was in my reach. Since I was young, those who share my demographics are ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/14/we-cant-save-the-american-dream-by-pretending-everything-is-just-fine/
— If You Want To Be A Grandparent One Day, Raise Your Kids To Get Married And Want Babies ASAP. DD: My wife and I did not get married until I was 29 and she was 27. We did not know that we both had major fertility problems. We did not try IVF because our problems were so great. We did not adopt. We did not become foster parents. My Democrat GAO superiors used that against me big time.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/14/if-you-want-to-be-a-grandparent-one-day-raise-your-kids-to-get-married-and-want-babies-asap/
— Stepping Down To Raise Her Kids Makes Karoline Leavitt An Even Better Role Model. DD: According my Democrat GAO superiors, if my wife and I had children, I would not have been able to a) pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, b) take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31 and earn a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, c) pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32 and become a licensed CPA when I was 32, d) have a home built in Wheaton when I was 35, and g) buy a collector car when I was 40. My Democrat GAO superiors ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being disgusting selfish rich DINKs. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. They knew full-well that both my wife and I had major fertility problems. They painted themselves as being grossly underpaid. They decried the time and money they spent raising their children. They decried the little or no income that their wives had. Should I write about my Democrat GAO superiors?
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/13/stepping-down-to-raise-her-kids-makes-karoline-leavitt-an-even-better-role-model/
— The Problem With DSA Democrats Isn’t Socialism, It’s Third-Worldism.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/12/the-problem-with-dsa-democrats-isnt-socialism-its-third-worldism/

FINANCIAL CONTENT
— IRS Collections Surge: What 11.5M Delinquent Accounts Mean for You. DD: The Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997 wasted my knowledge of IRS. GAO audits IRS. After working for IRS’s Collection Division as a Revenue Officer for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year, I transferred from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980. My Democrat GAO superiors wasted my knowledge of IRS’s Collection Division. The kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for them. While they did assign me to audits of IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division for 3 years, they never assigned me to audits of IRS’s Collection Division. Democrats do not want Republicans to audit Democrats.
https://www.financialcontent.com/article/getnews-2026-8-15-irs-collections-surge-what-115m-delinquent-accounts-mean-for-you
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The IRS is collecting again, and it’s not being subtle about it. The IRS Data Book FY2024 reported over 11.5 million delinquent taxpayer accounts in active inventory, with the agency’s compliance and enforcement division posting measurable increases in both automated notices and field revenue officer assignments. For the millions of Americans carrying unpaid tax balances, that shift isn’t abstract. It means liens, levies, and wage garnishments are moving from paper threats to real collection events at a pace not seen in several years. Noble Tax Relief is responding directly to that shift, offering structured tax resolution services built for taxpayers who are already in the IRS’s line of sight. The IRS Data Book FY2024 recorded 11.5 million delinquent accounts in the IRS’s active collection inventory IRS enforcement revenue from collection activities reached approximately $63.6 billion in FY2024, up from prior pandemic-era lows, per IRS Data Book FY2024 The Inflation Reduction Act directed roughly $45.6 billion of the IRS’s $80 billion funding boost specifically toward enforcement, per the Congressional Budget Office’s August 2023 report “Effects of the Inflation Reduction Act on CBO’s Projections of Federal Tax Revenues” Tax practitioners working IRS Installment Agreement and Offer in Compromise cases consistently report longer resolution timelines when taxpayers wait until a notice of levy or lien has already been filed Noble Tax Relief works with individuals and businesses across delinquent filing situations, unpaid balances, and active IRS collection cases, applying IRS resolution frameworks including Installment Agreements (Form 9465), Currently Not Collectible status, and the Offer in Compromise program The IRS’s own acceptance rate for Offers in Compromise has historically ranged between 30% and 40% depending on the tax year, per IRS Data Book annual records, meaning eligibility analysis before submission is what separates accepted cases from rejected ones. The IRS spent several years pulling back on aggressive enforcement during and after the pandemic. That period is over. With fresh funding, restored staffing in key compliance units, and a mandate to close the estimated $688 billion annual tax gap (IRS Tax Gap Estimates for Tax Years 2014-2016, updated 2023), the agency has both the resources and the political instruction to pursue unpaid accounts more systematically. Taxpayers who received a first notice and sat on it hoping things would quiet down are now finding out that the queue didn’t clear. It moved forward.)

FOX BUSINESS
— Green Beret combat veteran calls out anti-men rhetoric from ‘Woke 1’
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403423368112

FOX NEWS
— Trump: New York is a ‘disaster,’ sanctuary cities protect criminals.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403409149112
— Hannity: The rise of the Democratic socialist movement is no surprise. DD: Both socialists and Democrats promote dependency on government.  According to socialists, all you need to do advance is to be a socialist. According to Democrats, all you need to do advance is to be a Democrat. None of my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO coworkers came close to doing what I did to advance. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403430164112
— Lefties backtrack on ‘woke-ism’
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403432784112

FREE PRESS
— Abdul El-Sayed’s Victory and the Democrats’ Anti-American Turn.
https://www.thefp.com/p/abdul-el-sayed-anti-american-turn

INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY STUDIES
— America’s Demoralized Men, Lost Pathways, Greater Struggles. DD: If Affirmative Action and DEI had been stronger when I was young, I might very well have not have able to achieve what I did. I earned a bachelor’s degree from NIU in 1970. IRS hired me and I bought a new 1972 Corvette in 1971. IRS promoted me and I bought a new townhome in University Park in 1972. IRS promoted me in 1973. IRS promoted me and I bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East (ODE) building in 1974. I earned an MBA from Loyola and bought a one bedroom condo in the ODE building in 1976. My wife and I got married and we bought a home in Wheaton and two new cars in 1978. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. I transferred from IRS to GAO and earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981. My wife and I had a home built in Wheaton in 1984. GAO promoted me in 1986. I earned four more job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. I earned a master’s degree in finance from IIT in early 1997.
https://ifstudies.org/report-brief/americas-demoralized-men-part-ii-lost-pathways-greater-struggles

NEWSMAX
— Vote GOP to Stop Socialism.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/mike-lipetri-tom-suozzi-new-york/2026/08/14/id/1266180/
— AOC is rushing to the middle, backing away from past positions.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/aoc-moore-socialists/2026/08/14/id/1266164/

TOWNHALL
— Economic Case for Mass Deportations.
https://townhall.com/news/dmitri-bolt/2026/08/14/scott-bessent-deportations-are-driving-down-costs-and-improving-wages-n2681247
— Stop Dooming. We’re on the Cusp of the Golden Age. DD: What were your best years? My best years include 1970 when I earned a bachelor’s degree from NIU, 1971 when IRS hired me and I bought a new 1972 Corvette, 1972 when IRS promoted me and I bought a new townhome in University Park, 1973 when IRS promoted me, 1974 when IRS promoted me and I bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East (ODE) building, 1976 when I earned an MBA from Loyola and bought a one bedroom condo in the ODE building, 1978 when my wife and I got married and we bought a home in Wheaton and two new cars, 1979 when I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, 1980 when I transferred from IRS to GAO and earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul, 1981 when I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA, 1984 when my wife and I had a home built in Wheaton, 1986 when GAO promoted me, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997 when I earned four more job-related professional certifications, and early 1997 when I earned a master’s degree in finance from IIT. What were your worst years? My worst years include 1969 when my Democrat Post Office superiors forced me to resign by falsely claiming that I was not available to work enough part-time hours and my father died suddenly, 1971 when Oldsmobile withdrew a job offer that I had accepted because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint and my Firestone Store boss fired me because I had accepted that offer, 1974 when my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my travel vouchers, 1978 when my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my education deductions, 1980 when I had to take a $23,699 (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO, 1989 when my Democrat GAO superiors threw me off audits of IRS, gave me a very job assignment, gave me very unfair performance expectations, gave me a very unfair performance appraisal, and began ranking me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and 1997 when they forced me to retire.
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2026/08/14/stop-dooming-were-on-the-cusp-of-the-golden-age-n2681207
— PETA Isn’t Going to Condemn Dog-Killer Democrat Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
https://townhall.com/news/josephchalfant/2026/08/14/shocker-peta-isnt-going-to-condemn-dog-killer-abdul-el-sayed-n2681291

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— For Democrats, it’s the best of times and the worst of times. DD: What were your best years? My best years include 1970 when I earned a bachelor’s degree from NIU, 1971 when IRS hired me and I bought a new 1972 Corvette, 1972 when IRS promoted me and I bought a new townhome in University Park, 1973 when IRS promoted me, 1974 when IRS promoted me and I bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East (ODE) building, 1976 when I earned an MBA from Loyola and bought a one bedroom condo in the ODE building, 1978 when my wife and I got married and we bought a home in Wheaton and two new cars, 1979 when I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, 1980 when I transferred from IRS to GAO and earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul, 1981 when I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA, 1984 when my wife and I had a home built in Wheaton, 1986 when GAO promoted me, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997 when I earned four more job-related professional certifications, and early 1997 when I earned a master’s degree in finance from IIT. What were your worst years? My worst years include 1969 when my Democrat Post Office superiors forced me to resign by falsely claiming that I was not available to work enough part-time hours and my father died suddenly, 1971 when Oldsmobile withdrew a job offer that I had accepted because it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint and my Firestone Store boss fired me because I had accepted that offer, 1974 when my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my travel vouchers, 1978 when my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my education deductions, 1980 when I had to take a $23,699 (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO, 1989 when my Democrat GAO superiors threw me off audits of IRS, gave me a very job assignment, gave me very unfair performance expectations, gave me a very unfair performance appraisal, and began ranking me at the bottom of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, and 1997 when they forced me to retire.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5893340-democrats-poll-setbacks-congress/

AOL
— Why the American dream feels like a fantasy to many. DD: If Affirmative Action and DEI had been stronger when I was young, I might very well have not have able to achieve what I did. I earned a bachelor’s degree from NIU in 1970. IRS hired me and I bought a new 1972 Corvette in 1971. IRS promoted me and I bought a new townhome in University Park in 1972. IRS promoted me in 1973. IRS promoted me and I bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East (ODE) building in 1974. I earned an MBA from Loyola and bought a one bedroom condo in the ODE building in 1976. My wife and I got married and we bought a home in Wheaton and two new cars in 1978. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. I transferred from IRS to GAO and earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981. My wife and I had a home built in Wheaton in 1984. GAO promoted me in 1986. I earned four more job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. I earned a master’s degree in finance from IIT in early 1997.
https://www.aol.com/articles/why-american-dream-feels-fantasy-160806000.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/us/politics/trump-immigration-crackdown.html
— Conservatives Don’t Like Sociology. Some Sociologists Don’t Either. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/14/us/activist-sociology-independent.html
— Can an 80-Year-Old Senator Outrun the Age Issue? Ed Markey is hoping that his progressive politics will save him in Massachusetts. DD: I remember attending a meeting with Markey when I worked for GAO in the early 1980s.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/14/us/politics/ed-markey-senator-age.html
— Hegseth Is Pressed to Clarify Lawyer’s Role in Promotion Decisions. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me a) were Democrats who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time. Consequently, because I was not a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran, my Democrat Post Office superiors refused to promote me beyond GS-4, my Democrat IRS superiors refused to promote me beyond GS-12, and my Democrat GAO superiors refused to promote me beyond GS-13.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/us/hegseth-jason-crow-military-promotions.html

WILX
— 1 in 5 adults in Michigan choose not to have children. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors viciously used against me a) my wife and I giving up trying to have children without trying IVF, b) our not adopting, and c) our not becoming foster parents. They painted themselves as being grossly underpaid. They decried the time and money they spent raising their children. They decried the little or no income that their wives had. They willfully and falsely ignored/dismissed/belittled our both having major fertility problems. They ever-increasingly hinted/implied/argued/shouted that we lied about our wanting to have children. They ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being disgusting selfish rich DINKs. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. Should I write about my Democrat GAO superiors?
https://www.wilx.com/2026/08/14/1-5-adults-michigan-choose-not-have-children-according-new-research/

BULWARK
— ‘A Slaughter in Our Industry’: Home Builders Say ICE is Destroying Their Business.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/a-slaughter-in-our-industry-home-builders-ice-destroying-business-construction-immigration-vance

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— How Colleges Produce Socialists. When your first brush with adulthood involves endless consumption and no cost, it gives you the wrong idea of how the world works. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/how-colleges-produce-socialists-41fe4257

BLOOMBERG
— First-Time Homebuyers Find American Dream in Midwest. DD: My critics/opponents have always been furious that I was able to buy a new townhome when I was 24 in 1972. They have always stressed that if I had not avoided the Vietnam War draft, I would not have been able to do that.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2026-08-14/first-time-homebuyers-find-american-dream-in-midwest-video

JD SUPRA
— DD: Democrat and RINO employers use disparate impact a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/illinois-joins-other-states-in-4203071/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

TELEGRAPH
— Reform would end student loans for ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/08/02/reform-would-end-student-loans-for-mickey-mouse-degrees/