August 12, 2016

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois and Chicago campaigns defy conventional monied wisdom.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/12/column-illinois-chicago-campagins-defy-convention-washington/
— Backlash against Meta’s smart glasses grows. DD: Republican Precinct Committeemen should consider wearing them to document threats against them when they hand-deliver sample ballots, campaign literature, and voter guides in their precinct.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/11/meta-smart-glasses/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The social media giant dominates the market for smart glasses, which allow people to capture photos and videos, listen to music, take phone calls and ask questions to an artificial intelligence assistant. Some people are using the glasses — which look like a pair of regular spectacles — to record people without their knowledge and publish the videos on social media. The users secretly videotape and share what happens when they try to pick up women. Now, a growing number of people are worried they could be covertly recorded at the gym or even during sex. The backlash has prompted Meta to update its glasses to address privacy concerns, and some places have banned them, adding to the angst surrounding technology that’s rapidly evolving. It’s too early to tell whether the criticism will dent sales of smart glasses, said Jitesh Ubrani, a director at the market research company IDC.)
— If you’re not wealthy, you’re making concessions on big-ticket purchases. Consumers are OK with not getting the fancy car. Homes? That’s a bigger problem.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/12/jd-power-zillow-auto-cars-homebuyers-housing-rich/

DAILY HERALD
— The persecution of Anthony Fauci, a public servant. DD: I should write about federal employees who have had big adverse actions taken against them, what those adverse actions were, who took those adverse actions against them, and those who could/should have come to their defense but did not, and why.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260812/syndicated-columnists/the-persecution-of-a-public-servant/

FOX32
— USDA: SNAP enrollment drops by 5.3 million following new work rules – State-by-state breakdown. DD: Democrat leaders want as many people as possible on SNAP because people on SNAP vote for Democrats.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/snap-fewer-recipients-after-new-rules-implemented

PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— Tracy labels Iran war costs ‘required sacrifices.’
https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/11/don-tracy-calls-iran-war-costs-required-sacrifices/91263175007/

EVANSTON NOW
— Uihlein family giving $35M to NU football.
https://evanstonnow.com/uihlein-family-giving-35m-to-nu-football/

FOX ILLINOIS
— DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, their top priority was hiring, retaining, and promoting Democrats who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/researchers-advocates-rail-against-governments-efforts-to-end-workforce-data-collection/article_36c0db76-e1b3-51f4-9ca6-0c160b2045d6.html

NPR ILLINOIS
— Trump-backed Mike Lindell loses primary for Minnesota governor to Lisa Demuth.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-08-11/trump-backed-mike-lindell-loses-primary-for-minnesota-governor-to-lisa-demuth

WGLT
— New Illinois law empowering sexual assault survivors runs into shortage of female officers.
https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-08-11/new-illinois-law-empowering-sexual-assault-survivors-runs-into-shortage-of-female-officers

WFMD
— Chicago’s South Side is drowning in excuses, dependency and decay.
https://www.wfmd.com/2026/04/28/chicagos-south-side-is-drowning-in-excuses-dependency-and-decay/

RACE AND EQUITY PROJECT
— Nowhere to go: Chicago teens on ‘takeovers,’ curfews, and lost community spaces. 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.raceandequityproject.org/article/chicago-teen-takeover-police-hyde-park-community-spaces

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— DNC plans a Chicago bootcamp.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/12/dnc-plans-a-chicago-bootcamp-01034396

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/12/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-789/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/11/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-576/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

JOHN KASS
— Democrat Socialist of America: The Threat is Real.
https://johnkassnews.com/democrat-socialist-of-america-the-threat-is-real/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— 10 Criminal Complaints Filed Against Federal Agents Over Operation Midway Blitz as DHS Calls Effort a ‘Political Stunt’
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/10-criminal-complaints-filed-against-federal-agents-over-operation-midway-blitz-as-dhs-calls-effort-a-political-stunt.html
— Why Are the Courts Clogged? Ask the Democrats Who Created the Crisis.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/why-are-the-courts-clogged-ask-the-democrats-who-created-the-crisis.html

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Pritzker record: He added $300 million last year to Chicago pension woes.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pritzker-added-300-million-last-year-to-chicago-pension-woes/

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— 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 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/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is be a Democrat. If I had listened to socialists, I would have become a Democrat. That would have discouraged me from doing what I did to advance. To advance, a) I worked my way through college, b) I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), c) I earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), d) I earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and e) I earned a job-related professional license (CPA). All of my coworkers who my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors promoted over were Democrats. None of them came close to doing what I did to advance. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Who do your critics/opponents blame problems on? My critics/opponent blame problems on conservatives who are White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, have more money than they do, and/or have more professional credentials than they do. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Men (not) at work: Social instability looms as men shun the labor force. DD: Since the 1960s, Democrat and RINO employers have ever-increasingly focused on hiring, retaining, and promoting women, and especially women who are minority and/or younger.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/men-not-work-social-instability-looms-men-shun-labor-force-analysts/
— Blame colleges for the socialist conquest. They recruit and tolerate Jew-hating professors, students.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/11/blame-colleges-socialist-conquest/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Abdul El-Sayed Proclaimed ‘Obligation’ To Follow Sharia Law Until the Day He Dies.
https://freebeacon.substack.com/p/abdul-el-sayed-proclaimed-obligation

NEW YORK SUN
— Abdul El-Sayed’s Success Is Owed to Western Values and American Meritocracy That He Seeks To Abolish. He is one of the luckiest people to ever live, and an extremist by choice.
https://www.nysun.com/article/abdul-el-sayeds-success-is-owed-to-western-values-and-american-meritocracy-that-he-seeks-to-abolish

AMERICAN THINKER
— Learn to listen, listen to learn. Leftists today aren’t interested in respectful exchanges of viewpoints, or in offering rationales for their own ideas. Socialism is but a step toward communist oppression. Among the dangers it promotes is the abolition of popular dissent. DD: Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is be a Democrat. If I had listened to socialists, I would have become a Democrat. That would have discouraged me from doing what I did to advance. To advance, a) I worked my way through college, b) I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), c) I earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), d) I earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and e) I earned a job-related professional license (CPA). All of my coworkers who my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors promoted over me were Democrats. None of them came close to doing what I did to advance.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/learn-to-listen-listen-to-learn/
— The Diversity Blindspot. The Arday illusion: academia’s shameful infatuation with the diversity poster boy.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/the-diversity-blindspot/

AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY
— The Upward Mobility Act is a Step Forward on Welfare Reform. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://americansforprosperity.org/policy-corner/the-upward-mobility-act-is-a-step-forward-on-welfare-reform/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Trump administration has lost nearly 17,000 immigration rulings. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/11/report-trump-administration-has-lost-nearly-17000-immigration-rulings-1654342/

BLAZE
— DEI’s favorite trick: Failure proves discrimination.  DD: Democrats shout at those who fail that Republicans caused their failures.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/deis-favorite-trick-failure-proves-discrimination

BREITBART
— Pritzker: Trump ‘Put People in Harm’s Way to Save Himself’
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/11/pritzker-trump-put-people-in-harms-way-to-save-himself/amp/

CAMPUS REFORM
— University of Illinois Chicago offers clinicians $5K stipend, abortion training fellowship. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more abortion.
https://www.campusreform.org/article/university-illinois-chicago-offers-clinicians-5k-stipend-abortion-training-fellowship/30380

CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES
— The Biggest Myth About H-1B Is That It’s ‘Broken.’ DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://cis.org/Miano/Biggest-Myth-About-H1B-Its-Broken

DAILY WIRE
— David Crowley Stuns Socialist Frontrunner In Wisconsin Dem Governor Primary. The result marked a dramatic reversal from pre-election polling.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/david-crowley-stuns-socialist-frontrunner-in-wisconsin-dem-governor-primary

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— What’s Wrong with Personal Responsibility? DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://www.aei.org/commentary/whats-wrong-with-personal-responsibility/

FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— A License to Kill on American Highways. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.fairus.org/opinion/license-kill-american-highways

FEDERATION FOR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
— Why States Should Ban Universal Basic Income Schemes. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://thefga.org/research/why-states-should-ban-universal-basic-income-schemes/

FOX BUSINESS
— A working-class party without workers. Why are leading Democrats welcoming socialists into their big tent.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/larry-kudlow-working-class-party-without-workers
— Socialists are going to give the GOP the Senate.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403227460112

FOX NEWS
— Democrat establishment strikes back as socialist candidate downed in battleground primary. Milwaukee County Executive backed by Gov. Tony Evers will face Republican nominee Tom Tiffany in the general election.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/wisconsin-governor-primary-crowley-hong
— Socialists are preparing to come for EVERYTHING you have. DD: The more that you have, the more that you should fight socialism.  Anticipate/expect that the less that people have, the more that they will fight for socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcEeda5C8Ug
— Socialism has failed everywhere it has been tried.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403230468112

HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— Why the U.S. Has a Culture of Dependency. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/commentary/why-the-us-has-culture-dependency

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— FAA’s Gamer Recruitment Campaign Scores Over 2,000+ Air Traffic Controller Candidates. Hopefully, the rest of the FAA’s air traffic control enhancement plan will prove as successful.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/08/faas-gamer-recruitment-campaign-scores-over-2000-air-traffic-controller-candidates/

MINDING THE CAMPUS
— America’s Universities Are Still Shutting Out Conservative Faculty. Campuses are ideologically imbalanced, hostile to dissent, and unwilling to reform. Secretary McMahon’s call for accountability is much needed.
https://mindingthecampus.org/2026/08/11/americas-universities-are-still-shutting-out-conservative-faculty/

PJ MEDIA
— DSA on Illegals: ‘You Don’t Have to Have Papers to Have Power.’ DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2026/08/11/dsa-on-illegals-you-dont-have-to-have-papers-to-have-power-n4956025
— Can Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ride the socialist wave to lead Democrats in 2028 amid party shifts?
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/08/11/is-there-one-democrat-who-can-ride-the-socialist-wave-to-2028-n4956039

REASON
— Americans Grow Increasingly Dependent on Government Payments. Many citizens of the land of the free are hooked on government checks. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://reason.com/2024/10/04/americans-grow-increasingly-dependent-on-government-payments/

TOWNHALL
— Democratic Socialists Are Officially Part of the Democratic Party.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jtyoung/2026/08/12/democratic-socialists-are-officially-part-of-the-democratic-party-n2681026

U.S. HOUSE
— More Americans Dependent on Welfare Checks, at the Expense of Work. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2025/01/08/new-report-shows-more-americans-dependent-on-welfare-checks-at-the-expense-of-work/
— Growth of the Welfare State. DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://oversight.house.gov/release/grothman-opens-second-hearing-on-examining-the-growth-of-the-welfare-state/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC NEWS
— Charlotte police chief proposes expanding curfew to combat ‘teen takeovers.’  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://abcnews.com/US/charlotte-police-chief-proposes-expanding-curfew-combat-teen/story?id=135544849

NEW YORK TIMES
— If you’re single and unemployed, it may make sense to prioritize job hunting. But that doesn’t have to mean putting your life on pause. DD: I met my outstanding wife at a Presbyterian singles event. She is Catholic and I am Missouri Synod Lutheran. What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/11/business/dating-unemployed.html
— Optimizing your life. Instead of focusing solely on retirement savings balance, workers should figure out how they want to spend their time. DD:  I spent a tremendous amount of my time and my money a) working my way through college, b) earning a job-related bachelor’s degree (management), c) earning three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), d) earning six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting), and e) earning a job-related professional license (CPA). My wife and I focused on saving money for child raising expenses, but when our fertility problems ended that, we focused on saving for our retirement.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/business/retirement-plan.html

WASHINGTON POST
— How today’s generation is turning homebuying on its head. DD: Extremely few of my peers did what I did. I bought a new townhome 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 $93,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/brand-connect/nar/how-todays-generation-is-turning-home-buying-on-its-head/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Trump vs. Socialism: Which Do Voters Revile More? The midterms were the Democrats’ to lose. With candidates like Abdul El-Sayed, they just might.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trump-vs-socialism-which-do-voters-revile-more-2d0d0d10
— The GAO Precedent for Fed Independence. DD: GAO is not independent. GAO is non nonpartisan. Virtually all, if not all GAO employees are Democrats. When I was 31 in 1980, I was one of the last Republicans GAO hired. GAO wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. GAO would not have done that if I had been A democrat, minority, female, or veteran.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-gao-precedent-for-fed-independence-b7b37cc4
— AOC for President? Don’t Rule It Out. As Democrats flirt with socialism, she’s a serious candidate.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/aoc-for-president-dont-rule-it-out-084f5619

FORBES
— Millennials Want Workplace Diversity. Why Don’t They Ask For It? DD: To promote diversity is to dump meritocracy.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/adiaharveywingfield/2026/08/12/millennials-want-workplace-diversity-why-dont-they-ask-for-it/

FLORIDA POLITICS
— Kat Cammack, Greg Steube line up behind Catalina Lauf in contentious CD 19 Primary.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/812950-kat-cammack-greg-steube-line-up-behind-catalina-lauf-in-contentious-cd-19-primary/

FLORIDA CAPITOLIST
— Early turnout builds ahead of Florida primary. Catalina Lauf is the founder of Defense of Freedom PAC and has two previous runs for congress in Illinois. Jim Oberweis previously served in the Illinois Senate from 2013 to 2021 and has several unsuccessful runs under his belt in Illinois.
https://thecapitolist.com/early-turnout-builds-ahead-of-florida-primary/

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTION
— DD: To promote Affirmative Action and DEI is to dump meritocracy.
https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/diversity-inclusion/us-boardrooms-are-rapidly-dropping-diversity-rules-hr-cant-ignore-the-fallout/585762

EDUCATION NEWS
— Merit or seniority? Teachers question TSC promotion scoring. Teachers are calling for greater emphasis on merit, competence and measurable performance in TSC promotions. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors promoted over me were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, b) who had less work experience than I had, c) who had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) who had no professional license like the one I had.
https://educationnews.co.ke/merit-or-seniority-teachers-question-tsc-promotion-scoring/

EDUCATION NEXT
— DD: The Democrat Party platform a) discourages personal responsibility and b) promotes dependency on government.
https://www.educationnext.org/whats-wrong-with-personal-responsibility/

JD SUPRA
— Illinois’ Menopause Equity and Care Act Expands Employment Protections.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/illinois-menopause-equity-and-care-act-9912689/

August 7, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

NEW YORK POST
— The GOP has wrapped itself in a silly burrito beef while ignoring cheesed-off voters.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/06/opinion/the-gop-has-wrapped-itself-in-a-silly-burrito-beef-while-ignoring-cheesed-off-voters/
— Why some of America’s most desirable women only want to date older men. DD: What helped you become marriage material? By the time I got married when I was 29 in 1978, I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years and my salary was $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976 and I was taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul. I lived in a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building that I had bought in 1976. I was renting out a town home in University Park that I had bought new in 1972. I owned a 1972 Corvette that I had bought new in 1971. See Money Magazine’s 4-page February 1978 article on my wife and I at https://gopillinois.com/documents/ Things that impressed me about my outstanding wife included that her first job after high school was working for the FBI. She soon became the Corporate Secretary of the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. She did much to help elect Big Jim Thompson governor in 1976. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul in 1986.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/06/lifestyle/sugar-babies-are-rebranding-themselves/

AMAC
— The Bold New Proposal to Stop Socialism and Save the American Family. The Young American Family Act would end federal income taxes for married couples under 35 raising children. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors 1980-1997 a) decried the time and money that they spent raising their children and b) decried the little or no income that their spouses had. In anticipation of our having children, when my wife and I got married in 1978, we lived on just one of our salaries and saved as much as we could. But because we both had major fertility problems, we gave up trying to have children without trying IVF. We did not adopt or become foster parents. My Democrat GAO superiors used that against me viciously. According to them, if we had children, I would not have been able a) to pass the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, b) to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980, c) to earn a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, d) to pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, e) to become a licensed CPA in 1981, f) to have a home built in Wheaton in 1984, and g) to buy a collector car in 1989. My Democrat GAO superiors ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being disgusting selfish rich DINKs. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran. They knew full-well that both my wife and I had major fertility problems. Should I write about my Democrat GAO superiors?
https://amac.us/newsline/the-bold-new-proposal-to-stop-socialism-and-save-the-american-family

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

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

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

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

FOX BUSINESS
— Democratic leaders decline to rebuke party’s socialist wing. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6402948356112
— Affordability crisis fuels support for Democratic Socialists of America. DD: When you were young, what did you do to afford things? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970; job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997; job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997; and a job-related professional license in 1981. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/larry-kudlow-democratic-party-socialism-unaffordable.amp
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6402925402112
— Why have Democratic socialists suddenly gotten ‘POWER?’ DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUYwGstzBJc
— Here’s the income needed to afford the typical American home. DD: What did you do to buy your first home? I bought a new townhome in University Park ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ) when I was 24 in 1972. In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $92,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/heres-income-needed-afford-typical-american-home.amp

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

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

NEWSMAX
— El-Sayed Win Exposes Dems’ Socialist Shift.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/greg-steube-abdul-el-sayed-michigan/2026/08/06/id/1265311/
— How the Socialist Tail Will Wag the Democrat Dog in the House.
https://www.newsmax.com/morris/dsa-house-jeffries/2026/08/06/id/1265321/
— Making Merit Great Again. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) who were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran and/or b) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/making-merit-great-again-211350005.html

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

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— One Third of Democrats Now Call Themselves Socialists. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/08/06/schweizer_one_third_of_democrats_now_call_themselves_socialists.html
— Socialism is Evil, But Why Is Socialism So Appealing To People With Less Money? DD: Under socialism, all you need to do to advance is to be a socialist. Under Democrats, all you need to do to advance is be a Democrat. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, b) who had less work experience than I had, c) who had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) who had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/08/06/vance_socialism_is_evil_but_we_have_to_ask_why_is_socialism_so_appealing_to_people_with_lower_assets_comments.html

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— GAO: DOGE’s “wall of receipts” riddled with inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims. DD: If Gingrich had reformed GAO instead of gutting it, there would have been no need for DOGE and my Democrat GAO superiors would not have been able to take the many big adverse actions against me that they did.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doge-wall-of-receipts-elon-musk-government-accountability-office/
— Trump denies U.S. running low on some munitions, says vast resupplies being produced. DD: I worked for GAO on an audit of the Department of Defense FY 1990 ammunition budget request. SEE: https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-90-23.pdf
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-us-munitions-shortages-iran-war/
— Democratic Socialist organizer says people “have been feeling left out.” DD: Because I am much too conservative for them, the following have left me out: past and present a) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Illinois Republican Party, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois, and Illinois Center Right Coalition, b) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct, d) conservative leaders, e) religious leaders, and d) my Democrat superiors in the federal government.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/democratic-socialist-people-have-been-feeling-left-out/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Moderate Democrats Prepare for ‘War’ Against an Ascendant Left. One moderate group says the progressive wins are “deeply troubling” and is planning a $15 million effort against democratic socialism. DD: To embrace socialism is to reject capitalism. Capitalism is what made America great. How strongly are the Republican candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct speaking out against socialism?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/us/politics/democratic-party-socialists-moderates.html
— Gen Z Fell Out of Love With Work. DD: What generation are you? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970; job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997; job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997; and a job-related professional license in 1981. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/23/opinion/gen-z-ambition-millennials-career.html

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

BLOOMBERG
— Watch Affordability is Top Issue for Midterms. DD: When you were young, what did you do to afford things? I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970; job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997; job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997; and a job-related professional license in 1981. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2026-08-06/affordability-is-top-issue-for-midterms-rep-clark-video

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

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

GRIO
— More than 25 million young adults now live with their parents as affordability worsens. Experts say soaring rents, home prices and everyday costs are making independent living harder to afford. The financial pressures facing younger Americans are reshaping living arrangements across the country, with a record number of adults under 35 now living with their parents, according to new housing data. DD: What did you do to buy your first home? I bought a new townhome in University Park ( https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ ) when I was 24 in 1972. In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $92,200. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://thegrio.com/2026/08/06/record-young-adults-living-with-parents-housing-costs/

August 3, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

July 28, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Ethics report expected to scrutinize IL House Speaker Welch’s handling of harassment complaints.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/report-expected-detail-illinois-house-speaker-emanuel-chris-welchs-handling-harassment-complaint-harry-benton/19586740/

CBS2
— 3 men charged with stealing, vandalizing automated license plate reading cameras in Lisle.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/3-men-charged-stealing-alpr-cameras-lisle/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois GOP’s anemic fundraising underscores its life in the political wilderness
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/28/darren-bailey-jb-pritzker-margaret-croke-juliana-stratton-don-tracy/
(FROM THE EDITORIAL: Money talks, particularly in politics. And, right now, campaign donations are underscoring just how much of a one-party state Illinois has become. Democrats are dominating Republicans not just in the marquee races, but nearly every statewide contest. Consider the assets of our two major-party gubernatorial candidates. Incumbent JB Pritzker started July with over $3.1 million in his JB for Governor campaign fund. Republican Darren Bailey, on the other hand, began the month with less than $128,000. The fact that enthusiasm isn’t high given that Bailey lost to Pritzker in 2022 likely explains some of the disparity. So does billionaire Pritzker’s ability to self-finance — he has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars of his own fortune across his gubernatorial campaigns and seeded this reelection effort with another $25.5 million last fall. Not helping either is the shadow of an unpopular Trump administration. With conservative megadonor Richard Uihlein opting to observe from the sidelines, Republican funding has dried up. We’d argue that perhaps this is a prime opportunity for someone with more moderate conservative instincts to swoop in and fill the gap — Uihlein’s cash was both a blessing and a curse, as it tended to come with strings attached. In 2022, Uihlein gave more than $12 million directly to Bailey, doubling down on his commitment to oust Pritzker by pouring $42 million into an outside super PAC. This cycle, he has largely stayed out of statewide races. Among Bailey’s largest donors is former 2022 gubernatorial candidate Gary Rabine, who chipped in $25,000; a large sum, to be sure, but unless Bailey can start courting similar investments from other folks it won’t bridge the gap. But it’s not just the competition for governor, as Tribune reporting laid out last week. Don Tracy’s U.S. Senate bid has drawn far less financial support than his opponent, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. Stratton emerged victorious in a challenging primary thanks in large part to $10 million from Pritzker. From April 2025 through June 2026, Stratton accepted roughly $5.3 million in general-election campaign contributions, according to FEC records. Tracy’s campaign, on the other hand, took in less than $2.5 million from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, including a $2 million personal loan he made to his own campaign. In the race for comptroller, Democratic nominee Margaret Croke has double the cash on hand compared with her Republican opponent. In spite of this vast gulf, this is currently the most competitive race for a constitutional office, based on fundraising. The bigger question isn’t whether the GOP can close the fundraising gap, but whether Illinois’ increasingly one-sided political landscape is healthy for voters, who benefit most when both parties are capable of mounting a serious challenge. We don’t think so. When one party no longer worries about losing elections, the incentives change. The pressure to compromise weakens. Difficult reforms become easier to postpone. The opposition becomes less capable of forcing uncomfortable but necessary debates. That truth is made evident repeatedly. Weak political competition doesn’t affect only elections — it affects governing. A recent headline in this paper read, “Illinois Democrats’ single-party rule and diminished GOP may shield Springfield from Benton scandal reforms.” That’s our sad reality. Whether it’s Springfield’s failure to confront Illinois’ property tax burden, billion-dollar spending plans that avoid structural reform, or another legislative session that produces hundreds of new laws with comparatively little attention paid to tackling our most pressing fiscal and economic challenges, our lopsided state government isn’t yielding the results Illinois needs. A more competitive political playing field would offer voters something they’re perpetually lacking these days: Options. A little variety, which is said to be the spice of life. Or, in politics, the push and pull needed to rein in the worst impulses of both sides. It’ll take funding to give voters more of a choice in November. But cash requires confidence. And the Illinois GOP isn’t doing enough to inspire it.)
— Andy Shaw: The side of Illinois JB Pritzker would rather ignore.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/28/opinion-darren-bailey-jb-pritzker-illinois-bureaucracy/
— Chicago shouldn’t give up on addressing food deserts.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/28/editorial-save-a-lot-south-west-side-yellow-banana-grocery-food-deserts/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders want as many voters as possible on SNAP because they vote for Democrats.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/07/27/illinois-sees-16-drop-in-snap-enrollment-one-year-after-food-program-overhaul

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260727/news/daughters-fight-for-release-of-their-mother-a-green-card-holder-arrested-in-des-plaines-by-ice-last/

ALTON TELEGRAPH
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice.
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Godfrey-to-discuss-video-gaming-cannabis-kratom-14444276.php

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Trump defends his sweeping tariffs and watches ‘America First’ drag races during Michigan stop.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/business/ap-trump-is-set-to-defend-his-economic-policies-in-michigan-where-new-canadian-tariffs-may-sting/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Trump visited a sprawling General Motors facility in the Detroit suburb of Milford that is a testing ground for its vehicles. He pumped a fist after watching a trio of drag races that involved muscle cars and luxury vehicles like the Corvette Z06, Cadillac Escalade V, and EV Hummer — events the announcer promised were “all America First power.” It was the kind of thundering speed the president is expecting at an IndyCar race in Washington next month, which is part of America’s 250th birthday celebrations.)

25 NEWS NOW
— Area lawmakers weigh in on speaker’s handling of allegations against disgraced representative.
https://www.25newsnow.com/2026/07/28/area-lawmakers-weigh-speakers-handling-sexual-harassment-allegations-against-disgraced-representative/

ADVANTAGE NEWS
— GOP makes political push in House races amid lawmaker controversies.
https://www.advantagenews.com/news/local/gop-makes-political-push-in-house-races-amid-lawmaker-controversies/article_93f65954-1401-4498-8eb7-17992d93e599.html

CAPITOL CITY
— Brad Cole to retire from IL Municipal League. Rockford mayor Tom McNamara will succeed him.
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-brad-cole-to-retire-from-il-municipal-league/

BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote mote LGBTQ.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/07/27/taylors-tacos-is-offering-tacos-and-lgbtq-representation-on-the-west-side/

NIC FLOSI
— Chicago man led police on 100 mph chase after Wheaton carjacking.
https://www.aol.com/articles/chicago-man-led-police-100-123804000.html

POLITICO ILLINOIS
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/07/28/governors-unlikely-group-chat-01013209

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/28/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-779/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Support for Cessation of Treating Illegals Better Than American Citizens.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/27/support-for-cessation-of-treating-illegals-better-than-american-citizens/

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— DD: Pritzker ever-increasingly promotes more hatred.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_ad83d3c8-b90c-4305-84a9-572daef08c00.html

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Illinois sales taxes near top in U.S.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-sales-taxes-near-top-in-u-s/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
— The Lingering Miasma of Marxism. No matter how many times it’s defeated, the politics of resentment always has an audience.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-lingering-miasma-of-marxism/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Imagine America under Sharia.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/07/imagine-america-under-sharia/

BLAZE
— Rush University Medical Center still promoting DEI and trans ideology despite federal funding.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/trans-dei-hospital-federal-funds

BREITBART
— Wikipedia Labels Feminists Opposing Transgenderism Like J.K. Rowling ‘Exclusionary’
https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2026/07/27/terf-war-wikipedia-labels-feminists-opposing-transgenderism-like-jk-rowling-exclusionary/

COLLEGE FIX
— UBuffalo dental school forces freshmen through DEI training on ‘structural marginalization’
https://www.thecollegefix.com/ubuffalo-dental-school-forces-freshmen-through-dei-training-on-structural-marginalization/

DAILY CALLER
— US Medical Schools Still Promote DEI Efforts.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/07/27/university-iowa-medical-school-dei-do-no-harm/

DAILY WIRE
— ‘A Car Plowed’? NYT Shredded For Sanitizing Muslim Terrorist Attack. “Was the car a Chevrolet radicalized Muslim?”
https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-car-plowed-nyt-shredded-for-sanitizing-muslim-terrorist-attack

FOX NEWS
— GIANNO CALDWELL: We marched for every family blue city politicians left behind. The people of Chicago deserve leaders who show up, not just at election time, but when it matters most.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/gianno-caldwell-marched-every-family-blue-city-politicians-left-behind.amp
— Trump admin targets woke schools accused of hiding students’ gender transitions from parents.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-admin-targets-woke-schools-accused-hiding-students-gender-transitions-parents

NATIONAL REVIEW
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/vice-in-america-the-new-issue-of-nr-is-out/

TOWNHALL
— Chicago Residents Are Livid After Losing More Grocery Stores.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/07/27/7-grocery-stores-shut-down-in-chicago-n2680171

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NEW YORK TIMES
— Vice and the Crisis of Liberalism. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/opinion/vice-liberalism-addiction-gambling-drugs.html
— DD: When you graduated from college, what frustrated your job search? For me, it was employers seeing me as being draft bait. They did not believe that my application for a financial hardship draft deferment would be approved. Further, my GPA was not that great because I had spent far too many hours working instead of studying. Further, I had the stigma of having been a federal employee for almost 3 years.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/05/business/college-graduates-job-market.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— America Is Awash in Vice. Gambling, drugs and pornography were once held at bay by the country’s Judeo-Christian moral consensus. Not any more. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/america-is-awash-in-vice-a720daac
— It Bears Repeating: Your Life Is in Your Own Hands. DD: What do your critics/opponents hold you personally responsible for? My critics/opponents hold me personally responsible for my being forced to retire when I was 49 in 1997 and for all the other adverse actions that my Democrat superiors took against me. They hold me personally responsible for all the adverse actions that the defendants in the lawsuits I filed and their lawyers have taken against me. They hold me personally responsible a) for my being thrown off the Illinois Republican Party State Convention Platform and Resolutions Committee in 2024, b) for my being stopped from serving as the Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks in 2021, c) for my precinct being gerrymandered in 2015, d) for my being dumped from my TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairmanship position in 2012, e) for my being dumped from the Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) Steering Committee in 2007, f) for my almost being censured by ICRC for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters in 2006, g) for my being dumped from my Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) webmaster position in 2004 and 2010, and h) for my being defeated 69 to 13 when I ran for MTRO Treasurer in 2004.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/it-bears-repeating-your-life-is-in-your-own-hands-a46aeee9

FORBES
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/willyakowicz/2026/07/17/where-is-cannabis-legal-a-guide-to-all-50-states/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/willyakowicz/2022/09/29/mr-vice-guy-meet-the-hedge-fund-vulture-who-made-120-million-betting-on-casinos-and-cannabis/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/willyakowicz/2021/12/31/forbes-vices-awards-2020-circa-downtown-vegas-first-new-casino-in-40-years/

TIME
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders have always used demographic data to get rid of Republicans who are conservative, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://time.com/article/2026/07/22/trump-administration-eeoc-worker-demographic-data-requirement/

NATIONAL AFFAIRS
— The Case for Prohibiting Vice. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice.
https://nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/case-prohibiting-vice

DEFENSE SCOOP
— Hegseth directs removal of underperformers. DD: My Democrat superiors always hinted/implied that I underperformed and that was why they took adverse actions against me. They always used the subjectivity in their performance systems against me. In my defense, extremely few of my Post Office coworkers earned a job-related bachelor’s degree like I did. Very few of my IRS and GAO coworkers earned job-related master’s degrees and professional certifications like I did. None of my coworkers earned a job-related professional license like I did. All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had. My Democrat GAO superiors used the subjectivity in their performance appraisal systems to a) force me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, b) always rank me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, c) delay my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13, and d) force me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980. My Democrat IRS superiors used that subjectivity to never promote me beyond GS-12, disallow my education deductions in 1978, and disallow my travel vouchers in 1974. My Democrat Post Office superiors used that subjectivity to force me to resign in 1969 and disallow my sick leave requests in 1969 and 1968. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran. For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time.
https://defensescoop.com/2025/10/02/dod-civilian-employee-removal-procedures-underperformers-hegseth-tata-memos/

PSY
— What influences teens’ career expectations? DD: My father’s often decrying his not having a college degree had a big impact on me. It motivated me to work my way through college and to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://phys.org/news/2026-07-qa-teens-career.html

ATLANTIC
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice.
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/2025/11/american-vice-national-character/684785/
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/02/legalized-gambling-marijuana-use-addiction/673028/

ECONOMIST
— Knowing what your colleagues earn. DD: Federal employees have always known what their superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates earn, that is, what GS Grade and Step they were. My GAO, IRS and Post Office superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates always saw that those who my Democrat superiors promoted over me a) had less education than I had, b) had less work experience than I had, c) had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or d) had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.economist.com/business/2025/01/23/knowing-what-your-colleagues-earn

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

INDIA TIMES
— Four in 10 employees admit sabotaging colleagues to get ahead. DD: To get promoted, my Democrat GAO, IRS, and Post Office coworkers sabotaged me. They stressed that I was conservative, Republican, draft avoider, Protestant, German American, Crete resident 1948-1972, Wheaton resident since 1978, and my ancestors had been in America since 1844.
https://hrme.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/four-in-10-employees-admit-sabotaging-colleagues-to-get-ahead-survey-finds/132574317

JUSTICE FOR ALL
— India: Caste And Implications. DD: What Caste were you born into? Neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. He never earned more than $50,000/year in today’s dollars. He almost always worked second jobs to pay the family’s bills. He died suddenly when he was 47 and I was 21, My mother never attended high school. All my grandparent spoke German. I had to work my way through college. Nevertheless, my critics/opponents have always outrageously, disgustingly, falsely, and unethically painted my parents as having been filthy rich. They have always known full-well that I did yard work 1962-1964, delivered newspapers 1962-1966, washed dishes 1964-1966, cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966, delivered mail 1966-1969, worked on an automotive assemble line in 1970, sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971, pumped more gasoline 1971-1972, collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980, and audited federal agencies 1980-1997. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on those whose parents were the wealthiest.
https://www.justiceforall.org/india-caste-and-implications/

July 17, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more LGBTQ.
https://abc7chicago.com/amp/videoClip/19521831/

NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-07-16/in-primetime-speech-trump-doesnt-provide-evidence-for-illegal-voting

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Pritzker’s Spanish-language play
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/07/16/pritzkers-spanish-language-play-01002287

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— The interim dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine testified before Congress that the school has taken steps to address antisemitism.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_3aac5a69-252d-4a14-922f-882ca8af102b.amp.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

BLAZE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more Islam.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/child-content-creator-ms-rachel-accused-soft-pedaling-islam

BREITBART
— Trump Says U.S. Election System Is ‘Broken’ and ‘Vulnerable’ After DHS Review Found Noncitizens on Voter Rolls.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/07/16/trump-says-u-s-election-system-is-broken-and-vulnerable-after-dhs-review-found-noncitizens-on-voter-rolls/
— Trump Slams NBC, ABC for Not Covering Election Integrity Speech: ‘They Want to Protect the Radical Left’
https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2026/07/16/president-trump-slams-nbc-abc-not-covering-election-integrity-speech-protect-radical-left/amp/

CAMPUS REFORM
— Trinity College course will teach students to ‘unsettle’ the ‘white gaze.’ The spring 2027 anthropology course will ask students to turn their ‘anthropological gaze upon whiteness itself.’ The course description contends that ‘white supremacy and racial capitalism structure our world.’
https://www.campusreform.org/article/trinity-college-course-will-teach-students-unsettle-white-gaze/30271

CITY JOURNAL
— How Socialism Captured the West Coast. Cities including Seattle, Portland, and Los Angeles have become new political battlegrounds for a socialist resurgence. DD: Socialists hint/imply/argue/shout that under socialism, all that employees need to do to get hired, retained, and promoted is to be a socialist just like all that federal employees need to do to get hired, retained, and promoted is to be a Democrat.
https://www.city-journal.org/article/west-coast-socialism-political-candidates-elections

DAILY CITIZEN
— Rep. Mary Miller Calls Out Gender and DEI Ideology in Medical Schools.
https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/rep-mary-miller-calls-out-gender-and-dei-ideology-in-medical-schools/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Why Mamdani Wants to Erase Europeans From New York’s Immigration History.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/16/mamdani-erase-new-yorks-history/

FEDERALIST
— DHS: More Than 250,000 Noncitizens Are Registered To Vote In Four States.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/16/dhs-more-than-250000-noncitizens-are-registered-to-vote-in-four-states/
— In Massive Military Bill, Congress Considers Putting Anti-DEI Protections Into Law.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/16/in-massive-military-bill-congress-considers-putting-anti-dei-protections-into-law/

FOX NEWS
— Socialism is one of the ‘greatest frauds’ burdened on humanity.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401354548112
— DHS: More than a quarter-million noncitizens may be registered to vote in 4 key states. California tops the list with nearly 191,000 flagged registrations as states are asked to verify voter rolls.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/quarter-million-noncitizens-registered-vote-4-key-states-dhs-alleges
— Socialism or capitalism? Americans in Denver make their choice. DD: Socialists hint/imply/argue/shout that under socialism, all that employees need to do to get hired, retained, and promoted is to be a socialist just like all that federal employees need to do to get hired, retained, and promoted is to be a Democrat.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401333438112
— ‘Woke’ military academies targeted in new blueprint for sweeping warfighting overhaul. The blueprint calls for merit-based admissions, 75% warfighting curriculum and an end to tenure.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/woke-military-academies-targeted-new-blueprint-sweeping-warfighting-overhaul

PJ MEDIA
— Chicago Reporters Doubted the Gang. The Court Files Didn’t.
https://pjmedia.com/david-manney/2026/07/16/chicago-reporters-doubted-the-gang-the-court-files-didnt-n4955129

TOWNHALL
— Mural of Slain Ukrainian Woman Painted Over With ‘Abstract Art’ in Chicago.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/julia-cassidy/2026/07/16/mural-of-slain-ukranian-woman-painted-over-with-abstract-art-in-chicago-n2679552

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NBC NEWS
— DHS: More Than 250,000 Noncitizens Registered to Vote. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.nbcnews.com/video/shorts/why-public-voter-rolls-can-produce-inaccurate-lists-of-non-citizens-266817093817

NEW YORK TIMES
— Younger Voters Are Propelling the Democratic Socialist Surge in New York. Age seemed to be the predominant factor in the Democratic Socialists of America’s primary wins in House races in New York City. DD: Socialists hint/imply/argue/shout that under socialism, all that employees need to do to get hired, retained, and promoted is to be a socialist just like all that federal employees need to do to get hired, retained, and promoted is to be a Democrat.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/nyregion/dsa-young-voters-primary-ny.html
https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000011024674/a-vision-of-a-society-without-capitalism.html
— DHS: More Than 250,000 Noncitizens Registered to Vote. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/us/politics/trump-again-makes-unfounded-claims-of-noncitizen-voting.html
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise China and b) demonize, denigrate, and condemn America.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/world/asia/pew-opinion-survey-china-united-states.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— New York’s DSA Holds One Political Party After Another. From a book club to a hootenanny, it wins over the young by putting the ‘social’ into socialism. DD: Socialists hint/imply/argue/shout that under socialism, all that employees need to do to get hired, retained, and promoted is to be a socialist just like all that federal employees need to do to get hired, retained, and promoted is to be a Democrat.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/new-yorks-dsa-holds-one-political-party-after-another-df06811d
— DHS: More Than 250,000 Noncitizens Registered to Vote. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.wsj.com/video/trump-claims-more-than-250000-noncitizens-registered-to-vote/3EE1E08C-B211-47D3-90FC-01957FEC2053
— Less Is More in Higher Education. A bachelor’s degree in three years would cut costs and curb waste. DD: Immediately after I completed 16 graduate evening business courses one course at a time 1972-1976 and earned an MBA from Loyola, Loyola cut its requirement for an MBA to 12 courses if you had a bachelor’s degree in business which I did. My not earning an MBA sooner than I did harmed my IRS career.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/less-is-more-in-higher-education-3f1c39da

FORTUNE
— Musk says he’s blocked from South Africa because he’s white. Amazon just moved in.
https://fortune.com/2026/07/16/musk-white-south-africa-amazon-starlink/

WTOP
— Former federal workers, lawmakers, mark a year after DOGE purge. DD: Were you purged? My critics/opponents had their operatives and their dupes purge me from the following: a) Post Office employment 1969, b) Firestone Store employment in 1971 and 1972, c) GAO employment in 1997, d) Milton Township Republican Organization webmaster position in 2004 and 2010, e) Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee membership in 2007, f) TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairmanship position in 2012, g) Republican fundraiser for Wheaton Independence Day parades and fireworks role in 2021, and h) Illinois Republican Party State Convention Platform and Resolutions Committee membership in 2024.
https://wtop.com/liveblog-today-on-the-hill/2026/07/former-federal-workers-lawmakers-mark-a-year-after-doge-purge/

DESERT SUN
— DD: What do your critics/opponents hold you accountable for? My critics/opponents hold me accountable for all the defeats that Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct have suffered since 2000. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/readers/2024/06/03/hold-trump-accountable-in-november/73923292007/

EXPONENT
— Career successes. DD: What do you attribute your career successes to? I attribute my career successes to earning a) a job-related bachelor’s degrees, b) three job-related master’s degrees, c) six job-related professional certifications, and d) a job-related professional license. My critics/opponents attribute my career successes to my benefitting tremendously from tremendous discrimination against those who do not share my demographics: liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or non-citizen.
https://www.purdueexponent.org/campus/alumni-attribute-career-successes-to-boilermaker-education-during-old-masters/article_324cde5a-ff67-11e9-8d96-4f71a1a74efa.html

GILLETTE NEWS RECORD
— Candidate survey asking their positions on party platforms. DD: The more planks in the Republican Party platform that the following reject, the harder that they have their operatives and their dupes work against me: past and present a) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Illinois Republican Party, b) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct and their political consultants, major donors, fundraisers, pollsters, campaign managers, campaign staff members, and campaign volunteers, d) conservative leaders, and e) religious leaders.  Most commonly, they reject the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and/or equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on those who have had their operatives and their dupes take the biggest/most adverse actions against me lately.
https://www.gillettenewsrecord.com/news/local/article_c76e68f6-9cc4-40fe-be8a-6678b26fadba.html

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— DD: Laid off federal employees decry the loss of agency expertise.  When my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, they flushed down their toilets what I had learned a) working for GAO for almost 18 years, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 Levels, currently $118,984-$154,682/year, b) working for IRS 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, c) earning three job-related master’s degrees, d) earning six job-related professional certifications, and e) a job-related professional license. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2026/07/laid-off-federal-employees-spotlight-lasting-impacts-of-state-dept-rif/

FED AGENT
— Federal Employee Performance Ratings Get Major Overhaul. DD: Democrats run the federal government. They use the subjectivity in their performance rating systems a) to waste the careers of Republican employees and b) to get rid of federal employees.
https://www.fedagent.com/news/federal-employee-performance-ratings-get-major-overhaul-under-new-opm-rule

INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— Student success. DD: What harmed your success as a student? For me, it was my spending far too many hours a) washing dishes in Chicago Heights instead of studying while I was Crete-Monee High School student 1964-1966 and b) delivering mail in Park Forest instead of studying while I was a UIC student 1966-1968 and a NIU student in 1969.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/college-experience/2026/07/17/how-4-colleges-are-expanding-student-success

July 15, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Graham Platner’s implosion should be a dire warning to Democrats. Is the party listening?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/15/editorial-graham-platners-implosion-should-be-a-dire-warning-to-democrats-is-the-party-listening/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism. How soon will the Democrat Party officially change its name to the Socialist Party? For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/15/column-socialist-democrats-center-majority-washington/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2026/07/14/maine-ice-shooting-man-killed/4e1a0ba8-7f8f-11f1-8a16-393bd03340b0_story.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/14/ice-suspends-most-vehicle-stops/

ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
— DOJ threatens to prosecute election officials over noncitizen voting
https://www.rrstar.com/story/news/state/2026/07/15/doj-threatens-state-officials-with-prosecution-over-noncitizen-votes/90701312007/

EVANSTON NOW
— Mayor Daniel Biss Monday night defended an Evanston pro-Palestine group’s participation in the 4th of July parade against claims by members of a Jewish group that it should have been banned. DD: I should write about my critics/opponents who have done the most since 1978 to diminish/stop Republican participation in Wheaton Independence Day parades.
https://evanstonnow.com/biss-defends-parade-free-speech/

STATE LINE
— Pritzker signs Certificate of Innocence Act to expand Illinois restitution laws. DD: My critics/opponents have taken many big adverse actions against me. Should I try to get exonerated?
https://www.mystateline.com/news/gov-pritzker-signs-certificate-of-innocence-act-to-expand-illinois-restitution-laws/

WBEZ
— Mayor Johnson’s controversial plan to crack down on ICE agents now faces City Council scrutiny
https://www.wbez.org/politics/2026/07/15/brandon-johnson-city-council-ice-immigration-midway-blitz

POLITICO ILLINOIS
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/07/15/pritzker-hochul-diverge-on-data-centers-00997971

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Illinois Second in Loss of Millionaires from 2010 thru 2022
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/14/illinois-second-in-loss-of-millionaires-from-2010-thru-2022/

BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— Ammons Indictment Exposes the Useless NGO Spending in the IL Budget
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/07/13/ammons-indictment-exposes-the-useless-ngo-spending-in-the-il-budget

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— The New York Times stumped for Stalin. Now it’s mooning over Mamdani.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4645547/new-york-times-mooning-over-mamdani-socialism/

NEW YORK POST
— Maine socialists try again — with another he-man fake to sub for Graham Platner.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/14/opinion/maine-socialists-boost-another-he-man-fake-after-graham-platner/
— DD: LGBTQ advocates destroy those who do not advocate LGBTQ.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/14/us-news/west-hollywoods-lindsey-graham-tribute-sparks-debate-over-his-lgbtq-record/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— The birthright citizenship battle is back.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/07/14/the-birthright-citizenship-battle-is-back-and-the-left-is-nervous-1650502/
— CNBC mocked for list of top 10 worst states to live – they are ALL red.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/07/14/cnbc-mocked-for-list-of-top-10-worst-states-to-live-they-are-all-red-1650489/

BLAZE
— CNBC’s ‘worst states’ ranking under fire for scoring conservative policies as negatives.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/cnbcs-worst-states-ranking-under-fire-for-scoring-conservative-policies-as-negatives

BRITBART
— Socialists Will ‘Absolutely Rip Apart’ the Democrat Party.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/07/14/gop-rep-gill-socialists-will-absolutely-rip-apart-the-democrat-party/

DAILY CALLER
— Deranged American Rich Kids Are America’s Greatest Threat.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/07/14/ingersoll-deranged-american-rich-kids-leftists-marxism-education/

DAILY SIGNAL
— New York Times Countersues Trump Admin in DEI Hiring Case. DD: The Democrats who ran the Post Office in 1966, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980 hired me because they could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/14/new-york-times-countersues-dei/

FOX BUSINESS
— Democratic socialists erupt over 2028 endorsement.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6401119900112

FOX NEWS
— College students reveal political ignorance on Trump, Iran and socialism.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401116345112

NEW AMERICAN
— DSA’s New Plan: Abolish Senate, Amnesty for Illegals — Deliver Madison’s “Tyranny”
https://thenewamerican.com/uncategorised/dsas-new-plan-abolish-senate-amnesty-for-illegals-deliver-madisons-tyranny/

U.S. HOUSE
— DEI is Discriminatory and Illegal. DD: Since the 1960s, my critics/opponents have used Affirmative Action and DEI against me.
https://oversight.house.gov/release/hearing-wrap-up-dei-is-discriminatory-and-illegal/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

YAHOO
— Johnson warns of socialist, communist, ‘barbarians in the gate,’ during GOP briefing.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/johnson-warns-socialist-communist-barbarians-210303192.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/us/hegseth-blocks-navy-promotions.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Federal Hiring. If I had not earned a high school diploma and passed the employment test, the Democrats who ran the Post Office would not have hired me in 1966. If I had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business, Firestone Stores would not have hired me in 1970. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination, the Democrats who ran IRS would not have hired me in 1971. If I have not been taking graduate evening business courses at Loyola, my Democrat IRS superiors would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had not earned an MBA from Loyola and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt, the Democrats who ran GAO would not have hired me in 1980.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/federal-hiring-isnt-a-one-test-fits-all-box-350cc742

DESERET NEWS
— The socialists trying to reshape the Democratic Party. Is communism making a comeback?
https://www.deseret.com/politics/2026/07/14/are-democratic-socialists-of-america-communists-like-president-trump-says/

DALLAS EXPRESS
— What The Democratic Socialists Of America Want.
https://dallasexpress.com/national/democratic-socialists-of-americas-plan-to-remake-america/

INTER NEWS GROUP
— JD Vance’s New Neighbors Are Furious About His Arrival. DD: Those who have demographics that vote for Democrats do not want those who have demographics that vote for Republicans to be their neighbors. I base that on my having been the Republican Committeeman for my precinct since 1999. Since then, about 4 out of every 5 times when a Republican home is sold in my precinct, Democrats buy it. Since Trump got elected in 2016, things have gotten ever-increasingly worse. Democrat homebuyers especially do not want Republican neighbors who share Trump’s demographics: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, draft avoider, Protestant, German American, and have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. Because I share all of the aforesaid demographics with Trump and because I am their Republican Precinct Committeeman, I am ever-increasingly unpopular in my precinct, if not persona non grata, if not despised/hated. The hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters in my precinct ever-increasingly take their hatred against Trump out on me. It is caller displaced aggression. Should I write about that? Should I wear a body camera when I go door-to-door delivering Republican campaign literature for my self-defense?
https://internewsgroup.com/2026/07/jd-vances-new-neighbors-are-furious-about-his-arrival/

FORBES
— Meritocracy. DD: All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2026/05/19/the-myth-of-meritocracy-and-other-outdated-beliefs-women-are-told-at-work/

CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS
— Lessons In Vetting: Don’t Just Google Your Candidate. Before you agree to work for a political candidate make sure you do more than a Google search. This article lays out the key rules for vetting candidates. DD: Far too many run for offices as Republicans and get elected as Republicans who have far too much baggage, that is, far too many skeletons in their closets. I should write about candidates on ballots in my precinct since 2000 who ran as Republicans, but had far too much baggage, that is, far too many skeletons in their closets. I would focus on those who had their political consultants, major donors, pollsters, campaign managers, campaign staff members, and campaign volunteers destroy me because I refused to cover up their wrongdoing.
https://campaignsandelections.com/industry-news/lessons-in-vetting-don-t-just-google-your-candidate/

NEW REPUBLIC
— The ICE agent who shot and killed a 26-year-old Colombian immigrant in Biddeford, Maine, Monday morning had been with the agency for just a few short months. DD: The first 6 months that I worked for IRS in 1971 was in classroom training.
https://newrepublic.com/post/213081/new-details-ice-agent-fatal-maine-shooting

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

STANDARD
— Meritocracy: The foundation of strong institutions and national prosperity. DD: All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/health/amp/opinion/article/2001552327/meritocracy-the-foundation-of-strong-institutions-and-national-prosperity

July 14, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

FOX32
— DuPage County rat infestation isn’t over, and neighbors say they’re facing backlash.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/dupage-county-rat-infestation-neighbors-facing-backlash
— A federal judge referred for disciplinary action one of the lawyers representing President Donald Trump in his lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and stated the case was filed for an “improper purpose.” DD: All of the adverse actions that were taken against me were taken for improper purposes. All the adverse actions that my Democrat superiors in the federal government took against me were to punish me for my refusing to become a Democrat, then for my complaining about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination, and then for my becoming an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid. All of the adverse actions that Republican politicians have taken against me were to punish me for my refusing to be manipulated or dominated by them, for my refusing to glorify or praise them, for my refusing to pander to them, for my refusing to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, for my refusing to cover up their wrong doing, and/or for my refusing to give them money.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/federal-judge-rips-president-donald-trumps-irs-lawsuit-refers-his-lawyer-disciplinary-action

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Naperville home goes for $8.3 million in record-breaking residential sale.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/14/naperville-home-sold-record-price/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: The Rainbow Coalition carries on. I should write about those who destroyed TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois in 2012 and Illinois Center Right Coalition in 2007.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/07/14/civil-rights-rainbow-beach-wade-racism-norman-velma-hill-ben-jealous

DAILY HERALD
— Dropping candidates is getting to be a habit — and it’s not a sign of strength. DD: Far too many run for offices as Republicans and get elected as Republicans who have far too much baggage, that is, far too many skeletons in their closets. I should write about candidates on ballots in my precinct since 2000 who ran as Republicans, but had far too much baggage, that is, far too many skeletons in their closets. I would focus on those who had their political consultants, major donors, pollsters, campaign managers, campaign staff members, and campaign volunteers destroy me because I refused to cover up their wrongdoing.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260714/syndicated-columnists/dropping-candidates-is-getting-to-be-a-habit-and-its-not-a-sign-of-strength/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Ken Griffin ramps up GOP giving ahead of midterms.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics-policy/ccb-ken-griffin-citadel-gop-contributions-20260714/

WAND TV
— Pritzker signs the Certificate of Innocence Act that improves compensation for exonerees. DD: My critics/opponents have taken many big adverse actions against me. Should I try to get exonerated?
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/pritzker-signs-bill-improving-compensation-for-exonerees/article_aad2d1d7-12d6-4812-8907-55d1f3f9a202.html

SUBURBAN LIFE
— Petitions for Wheaton municipal election available beginning July 28 at City Hall.
https://www.shawlocal.com/my-suburban-life/2026/07/14/petitions-for-wheaton-municipal-election-available-beginning-july-28-at-city-hall/

BURR RIDGE PATCH
— A state appeals court on Monday sided with Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso in his 7-year-old lawsuit over defamation. In the 2019 election, Grasso’s then-opponent, Zach Mottl, alleged that Grasso defrauded the government out of $36,000 in property tax exemptions. Three years ago, Grasso and Mottl settled the lawsuit out of court, with Mottl giving his rival an undisclosed amount of money. But Mottl’s political consultant, Collin Corbett, and Corbett’s firm, Cor Strategies, remain as defendants.
https://patch.com/illinois/burrridge/burr-ridge-mayor-wins-battle-defamation-case-against-political-consultant

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/14/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-555/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Two Champaign County Democrats Indicted for Kickback, Conspiracy
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/10/21045/
— Federal Requirements for Financial Election Assistance
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/11/federal-requirements-for-financial-election-assistance/
— Indicted Democratic Party State Representative Says She’s “Innocent”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/11/indicted-democratic-party-state-representative-says-shes-innocent/
— A Republican Politician Reflects on Lessons from the World Cup
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/12/a-republican-politician-reflects-on-lessons-from-the-world-cup/
— Pritzker Sitting on Billions of Road Money
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/12/pritzker-sitting-on-billions-of-road-money/
— Evidence of the Covid Vaccine Coverup
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/12/evidence-of-the-covid-vaccine-coverup/
— An Idea I had in the 1970’s Resurfaces
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/12/an-idea-i-had-in-the-1970s-resurfaces/
— Wilcox Sponsoring Event Where People Can Find Lost Money; Over $30,000 Found at Hills’ Event
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/13/wilcox-sponsoring-event-where-people-can-find-lost-money/
— Toll Tax Hearing in Huntley Tuesday Evening
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/13/toll-tax-hearing-in-huntley-tuesday-evening/
— Tollway Issues Press Release with Headline to Minimize Interest, Public Hearings on Toll Tax Hikes Listed
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/13/tollway-issues-press-release-with-headline-to-minimize-interest-public-hearings-on-toll-tax-hikes-listed/
— Lake County Man Gets Three Years for Threatening Public Officials, Including President Trump
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/13/lake-county-man-gets-three-years-for-threatening-public-officials-including-president-trump/
— UPDATE: Still Another Big Company–True Value–Taking Leave of Illinois, INDIANA KICKING IN $3.4 MILLION
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/13/still-another-big-company-true-value-taking-leave-of-illinois/
— AI Regulations Law Signed
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/14/ai-regulations-law-signed/
— Metra Closes Passenger Service to Chicago Sunday, July 19th
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/14/metra-closes-passenger-service-to-chicago-sunday-july-19th/
— Northwest Herald Reporter Misses Real Reason Municipalities and McHenry County Want Home Rule Power
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/14/northwest-herald-reporter-misses-real-reason-municipalities-and-mchenry-county-wants-home-rule-power/
— Illinois Second in Loss of Millionaires from 2010 thru 2022
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/14/illinois-second-in-loss-of-millionaires-from-2010-thru-2022/
— “Court rules McHenry County must allow solar farms after County Board rejects them”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/14/court-rules-mchenry-county-must-allow-solar-farms-after-county-board-rejects-them/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— The 14th Amendment was written for one people. Courts have treated the Constitution’s citizenship clause more broadly than the framers intended.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/6/14th-amendment-written-one-people/
— Biden and the radical left allowed thousands of terrorists into the U.S.  Trump’s arrests expose the danger created by reckless vetting and open borders.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/14/editorial-biden-rabid-left-allowed-thousands-terrorists-us/
— Democrats embrace Marxist playbook for America.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/14/democrats-embrace-gramscis-marxist-playbook-america/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Trump’s $5.6 million payout electronically wired to E. Jean Carroll after judge’s order.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/4647766/trump-e-jean-carroll-defamation-settlement-wired-judge-order/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Chicago Teachers Union Hosts Israel-Hating Communist Convention Where Radicals Call for Sabotaging US Ports, Backing Iran.
https://freebeacon.substack.com/p/itll-be-violent-chicago-teachers

BREITBART
— Debunking CNBC’s Rigged Survey Smearing 10 Red States as ‘Worst to Live In’
https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2026/07/14/nolte-debunking-cnbcs-rigged-survey-smearing-10-red-states-worst-live/amp/

FOX NEWS
— Pritzker skewered as ‘victim of his own’ policy after repeat offender arrested in governor’s backyard.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/pritzker-skewered-victim-own-policy-171456668.html

SALEM NEWS CHANNEL
— Democrats Put Criminal Illegals Above Americans.
https://salemnewschannel.com/watch/democrats-put-criminal-illegals-above-americans-6a566970ecd22fa09d21c212

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/immigration-rights-groups-reaction-ice-agents-halt-vehicle-stops/
— DD: Democrat leaders want as many people as possible on Medicaid.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/medicaid-funding-work-requirement-states-walmart-amazon/

FORTUNE
— Judge said Trump’s $10 billion leaked IRS tax return lawsuit was filed for ‘improper purpose.’ DD: All of the adverse actions that were taken against me were taken for improper purposes. All the adverse actions that my Democrat superiors in the federal government took against me were to punish me for my refusing to become a Democrat, then for my complaining about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination, and then for my becoming an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with the aforesaid. All of the adverse actions that Republican politicians have taken against me were to punish me for my refusing to be manipulated or dominated by them, for my refusing to glorify or praise them, for my refusing to pander to them, for my refusing to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, for my refusing to cover up their wrong doing, and/or for my refusing to give them money.
https://fortune.com/2026/07/14/judge-trump-irs-lawsuit-improper/

July 14, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Growing downstate Illinois secessionist movement deserves more than smirks from Chicagoland.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/14/new-illinois-illinois-separation-downstate-secession-illinois/
— Do elected officials owe their constituents health reports?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/14/editorial-do-elected-officials-owe-their-constituents-health-reports/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Pritzker’s high school years. DD: What did you do during your junior and senior years in high school? While I was a Crete-Monee High School junior and senior 1964-1966, I washed dishes for the minimum wage in the basement of the SS Kresge in Chicago Heights for 28 hours a week during the school years and for 40 hours a week during the summer of 1965. I got to/from my parents’ home in Crete and that job with a 1958 Chevrolet BelAir that I bought with money I had earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers. I used the money I earned washing dishes buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint ( https://over-drive-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1965-12-CD-1966-Pontiac-Tempest-Sprint-Test-1-4.pdf ) in May of 1966 to use to commute to/from my parent’s home and UIC. Even though I spent far too many hours washing dishes instead or studying, I got an ACT score of 24 and I graduated in the upper 20% of my class, but only just barely, and I got accepted by UIC. Because of my dishwashing, my interaction with my classmates was very limited.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/07/14/summer-break-not-quite-00995832
(FROM THE NEWSLETTER: OPPO MEETS NOSTALGIA: Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey appears to have gone digging through Gov. JB Pritzker‘s high school yearbook, posting images and comments from it and demanding answers about phrases including, “funny things on your knees” and “drugged for drugs.” Pritzker didn’t exactly take the bait. Instead, the governor responded as though he were signing the yearbook all over again: “This was a great year. Thanks for the reminder, Darren.” Here’s the post)

CAPITAL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/14/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-769/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

NEW YORK POST
— New revelation about Muslim ‘grooming gangs’ is yet one more way progressives have let women down.
https://nypost.com/2026/06/18/world-news/progressives-continue-to-let-women-down-with-victim-hierarchy/

1819 NEWS
— Combatting the rise of socialism in America.
https://1819news.com/news/item/kristin-landers-combatting-the-rise-of-socialism-in-america

FOX NEWS
— Democratic socialists erupt over 2028 endorsement as AOC speculation grows.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democratic-socialist-party-infighting-erupts-pick-president-aoc-rumors-loom-dangerous-path

FOX BUSINESS
—  Lack of leadership allowed socialism’s influence to grow.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6401066135112
— Destructive socialist policies.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6401067182112

HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— The Case for Capitalism. DD: To advance under socialism, you have to be a socialist. To advance in the Democrat-run federal government, you have to be a Democrat. When I was 49 in 1997, my salary was only $154,682/year in today’s dollars working in the Democrat public sector. My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if I had worked in the private sector, I never would have earned that much. In my defense, I had earned three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. If I had been a Democrat, my GAO salary when I was 49 in 1997 would have been $197,200/year in today’s dollars.
https://www.heritage.org/conservatism/commentary/the-case-capitalism

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

MSN
— 2027 Social Security COLA forecast rises on inflation surge. DD: My critics/opponents were, are, and will always be furious a) that I got COLAs when I was a federal employee 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and b) that I have gotten COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997 and as a Social Security recipient since 2010.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/2027-social-security-cola-forecast-rises-on-inflation-surge/gm-GM56D67C7D

NEW YORK TIMES
— Tension Emerges Among Democratic Socialists Over 2028 Endorsement.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/13/nyregion/dsa-endorsement-aoc-new-york.html
— Our Never-Ending Race to the Bottom. Something is wrong if vice is all on their side and virtue is all on yours. DD: Far too many run for offices as Republicans and get elected as Republicans who have far too much baggage, that is, far too many skeletons in their closets. I should write about candidates on ballots in my precinct since 2000 who ran as Republicans, but had far too much baggage, that is, far too many skeletons in their closets. I would focus on those who had their political consultants, major donors, pollsters, campaign managers, campaign staff members, and campaign volunteers destroy me because I refused to cover up their wrongdoing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/opinion/paxton-talarico-platner-trump.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: This brings me to three of my least favorite politicians: Donald Trump, Ken Paxton and Graham Platner. Why have so many people so vigorously supported such deeply flawed men? Why are their supporters so loyal, so vociferous, even after scandal after scandal?
And why are their supporters often such raging hypocrites — gleefully pointing out the sins and flaws in others while ignoring or rationalizing their own candidate’s profound faults?)

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time. Virtually all federal employees are Democrats who are one or more of the aforesaid. All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats who a) had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/13/colorblind-constitution-concept-underlies-key-supreme-court-rulings/

USA TODAY
— Leaving for a better job. DD: I had to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980 even though I had earned an MBA in 1976 and I had passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. My IRS supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were furious about the precedent
that the aforesaid pay cut set for them. I would stress to my Democrat IRS superiors, coworkers, and subordinates a) that none of them came to my defense when my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974, disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and never promoted me beyond GS-12 and b) that was why I had to take the aforesaid pay cut to transfer.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2026/07/07/is-it-disloyal-to-leave-supportive-company-job/90820006007/
— DD: Communism is taking over the Democrat Party.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/07/01/trump-communism-democrat-socialists-midterms/90752688007/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG GRAPHIC: Democrat leaders crow about their success in driving Trump’s approval rating down.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/07/12/trump-approval-rates-fall-rural-white-working-class-voters/90864576007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Capitalism Gets a Bum Rap. DD: Do/did you work in the private sector or the public sector? I planned to work in the private sector, the automotive industry to be exact. But my high school friend asked me to join him to take the postal employment test. 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. 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. 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.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/capitalism-gets-a-bum-rap-c36d1cdf
— Mick Jagger Doesn’t Love Us Anymore. The Rolling Stones’ new song ‘Ringing Hollow’ knocks Trump and the country that elected him. DD: The more demographics that you share with Trump, the more that hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters promote hatred against you.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/mick-jagger-doesnt-love-us-anymore-fea5c9cc
— Jewish Democrats have found their loyalty to the party isn’t being returned. DD: Democrat leaders are ever-increasingly antisemitic. My Democrat superiors in the federal government had my many Jewish superiors and supervisors take many big adverse actions against me.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/schumers-tragedyand-ours-39091bf2
— Why White-Collar Men Are Obsessed With the Perfect Lawn. DD: I am one of the few who continue to mow and edge their lawn, trim bushes, kill yard weeds and insects, rake leaves, shovel snow, etc.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/why-white-collar-men-are-obsessed-with-the-perfect-lawn-d2c0487d
— More U.S. Workers Are Testing Positive for Marijuana. Fewer Employers Are Concerned. DD: Pot is poison. Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot. Sooner or later, Democrat pot will destroy America. I never used pot and I never will. If I had used pot, the Post Office would not have hired me in 1966. Firestone Stores would not have hired me in 1970. IRS would not have hired me in 1971. GAO would not have hired me in 1980. I would not have been able to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/more-u-s-workers-are-testing-positive-for-marijuana-fewer-employers-are-concerned-550bf186
— Chicago’s Coming Pension ‘Pneumonia.’ The Illinois comptroller warns of big trouble in a stock-market downturn.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/susana-mendoza-chicago-pensions-stock-market-aaa2f9c6?st=1szpdx&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

FORBES
— Getting promoted. DD: What did you do to get promoted? I focused on my job duties and I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. What delayed/stopped your promotions? For me, it was my refusal to become a Democrat. Then it was my complaining about political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination. Then it was my becoming an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged my superiors with the aforesaid when I was 40 in 1988.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/10/24/16-mistakes-employees-make-when-trying-to-get-a-promotion/
— Workplace Favoritism. DD: My Democrat and RINO superiors have always favored those who are liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time, and/or non-citizen.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2025/04/23/workplace-favoritism-one-in-10-are-quitting-over-it/

NPR
— How Lindsey Graham tried to stay ‘relevant.’ DD: I try to stay relevant in the Republican Party by continuing on as the GOPUSA Illinois Editor and as a Republican Precinct Committeeman.
https://www.npr.org/2026/07/13/nx-s1-5891751/how-lindsey-graham-tried-to-stay-relevant

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
— Veterans and the GI Bill. DD: My initial plan was to enlist and to earn a bachelor’s degree with the GI Bill. But then I saw that my high school neighbor friend in Crete was on track to get accepted by UIC and to commute to/from classes at UIC from his parents’ home. I adopted that plan, I took college preparatory classes, got an ACT score of 24, and I graduated in the upper 20% of my 1966 Crete-Monee High School class. My high school neighbor friend commuted in a new 1965 base Chevelle that his father bought for him. I commuted in a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint that I paid for with money that I earned washing dishes for 28 hours a week during my junior and senior years 1964-1966 and for 40 hours a week during the summer of 1965.
https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2014/08/back-to-school-veterans-and-the-gi-bill/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

ECONOMIC TIMES
— DINKs. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors 1980-1997 a) decried the time and money that they spent raising their children and b) decried the little or no income that their spouses had. They used against me big time a) my wife and I giving up trying to have children without trying IVF, our not adopting, and our not becoming foster parents and b) my wife’s good job. According to them, were it not for the aforesaid, we would not have been able to buy two new cars and a home in Wheaton in when we got married in 1978 and I would not have been able a) to pass the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, b) to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980, c) to earn a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, d) to pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, e) to become a licensed CPA in 1981, or f) to have a home built in Wheaton in 1984. My Democrat GAO superiors ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being disgusting selfish rich DINKs. I should write about my Democrat GAO superiors?
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/canada/psychology-explains-why-modern-couples-prefer-being-dinks-instead-of-having-children/articleshow/132106673.cms

THE WORLD
— India’s Caste system persists across the globe. DD: What Caste were you born into? Neither of my parents attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. He never earned more than $50,000/year in today’s dollars. He almost always worked second jobs to pay the family’s bills. He died suddenly when he was 47 and I was 21, My mother never attended high school. All my grandparent spoke German. I had to work my way through college. Nevertheless, my critics/opponents have always outrageously, disgustingly, falsely, and unethically painted my parents as having been filthy rich. They have always known full-well that I did yard work 1962-1964, delivered newspapers 1962-1966, washed dishes 1964-1966, cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966, delivered mail 1966-1969, worked on an automotive assemble line in 1970, sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971, pumped more gasoline 1971-1972, collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980, and audited federal agencies 1980-1997. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on those whose parents were wealthy.
https://theworld.org/segments/2026/07/13/how-indias-caste-system-persists-across-the-globe

July 13, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— At least 27 shot, 3 fatally, in weekend gun violence across Chicago.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shootings-weekend-least-21-shot-3-fatally-gun-violence-city-police-department-says/19493170/
— Darline Graham Nordone, sister of Lindsey Graham, picked to fulfill remainder of his US Senate term.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/who-could-replace-lindsey-graham-south-carolinas-steps-senators-death/19498038/

CHICAGO TRINUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders say Trump acted in bad faith. My Democrat superiors in the federal government acted in bad faith.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/13/trump-irs-lawsuit/
— Regulators issue new guidance on bank lending risk tied to borrowers living illegally in US.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/13/bank-lending/

DAILY HERALD
— Pay raises demonstrate lawmakers’ corruption.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260713/letters-to-the-editor/pay-raises-demonstrate-lawmakers-corruption/

STATELINE
— Felon on pretrial release arrested in JB Pritzker’s backyard.
https://www.mystateline.com/news/felon-on-pretrial-release-arrested-in-jb-pritzkers-backyard/amp/

WGLT
— How Lindsey Graham tried to stay ‘relevant’ in the Republican Party. DD: I try to stay relevant in the Republican Party by continuing on as the GOPUSA Illinois Editor and as a Republican Precinct Committeeman.
https://www.wglt.org/2026-07-13/how-lindsey-graham-tried-to-stay-relevant

WCIA
— U of I program aims to help veterans transition to college. DD: My initial plan was to enlist and to earn a bachelor’s degree with the GI Bill. But then I saw that my high school neighbor friend in Crete was on track to getting accepted by UIC and commuting to/from classes at UIC from his parents’ home. I adopted that plan, I took college preparatory classes, got an ACT score of 24, and I graduated in the upper 20% of my 1966 Crete-Monee High School class. My high school neighbor friend commuted in a new 1965 base Chevelle that his father bought for him. I commuted in a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint that I paid for with money that I earned washing dishes for 28 hours a week during my junior and senior years 1964-1966 and for 40 hours a week during the summer of 1965.
https://www.wcia.com/news/champaign-county/u-of-i-program-aims-to-help-veterans-transition-to-college/

JOLET PATCH
— $316,000 For Black Lives Matter Will County, Money For 4 Other Organizations.
https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/316-000-black-lives-matter-will-county-money-4-other-organizations-revealed-senator

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/13/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-554/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Tollway Issues Press Release with Headline to Minimize Interest, Public Hearings on Toll Tax Hikes Listed
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/13/tollway-issues-press-release-with-headline-to-minimize-interest-public-hearings-on-toll-tax-hikes-listed/
— Pritzker Signs Bills Allowing School Debt to Increase without Referendums
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/08/pritzker-signs-bills-allowing-school-debt-to-increase-without-referendums/
— Animal Welfare Advocates Take on Ogle County
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/08/animal-welfare-advocates-take-on-ogle-county/
— State Trade Association Features District 155 Finance Guy Kevin Werner, Constituent Comments
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/08/state-trade-association-features-district-155-finance-guy-kevin-werner-constituent-comments/
— Corbett Points to Two Democratic Party State Representees’ Behavior as Demonstration of How Broken Illinois Government Is
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/08/20981/
— Disgraced Democratic Party State Rep. Resigned from the House, But Remains Wheatland Township Highway Commissioner, Where Loran Underwood Lives
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/08/disgraced-democratic-party-state-rep-resigned-from-the-house-but-remains-wheatland-township-highway-commissioner-where-loran-underwood-lives/
— Still Another Big Company–True Value–Taking Leave of Illinois
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/08/still-another-big-company-true-value-taking-leave-of-illinois/
— Governor Pritzker to the Future: All You Need Is Love
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/09/governor-pritzker-to-the-future-all-you-need-is-love/
— Tollway’s Fifteen Year Plan Ignores Jordan Tollway
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/09/tollways-fifteen-year-plan-ignores-jordan-tollway/
— Democrats Replace “Mother” with “Birthing Persons” in Press Release Announcing Midwives Eligible for Medicaid Coverage
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/09/democrats-replace-mother-with-birthing-persons-in-press-release-announcing-midwives-eligible-for-medicaid-coverage/
— County Continues Campaign to Convict Drug Sellers Whose Customers Die
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/09/county-continues-campaign-to-convict-drug-sellers-whose-customers-die/
— Jim Marter Challenges Democratic Party Opponent Lauren Underwood to Call for Harry Benton Benton’s Resignation from Wheatland Township Road Commissioner
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/09/jim-marter-challenges-democratic-party-opponent-lauren-underwood-to-call-for-harry-benton-bentons-resignation-from-wheatland-township-road-commissioner/
— ICE Asks Pritzker Not to Release Illegal Alien from Kane County Jail
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/09/ice-asks-pritzker-not-to-release-illegal-alien-from-kane-county-jail/
— Illegal Alien Arrested for Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault, Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, and Sexual Exploitation of a Child (Pingrey Grove 8 Years Old)
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/10/illegal-alien-arrested-for-predatory-criminal-sexual-assault-aggravated-criminal-sexual-abuse-and-sexual-exploitation-of-a-child-8-years-old/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Illinois Politicians Stack Salaries, Benefits and Pensions – On Your Dime. DD: My critics/opponents are furious that I have gotten a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension since 1997 and Social Security since 2010. But I paid 7% of my federal salary into CSRS for almost 30 years and I paid into Social Security for 10 years.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/07/illinois-politicians-stack-salaries-benefits-and-pensions-on-your-dime.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Bernie Sanders’ revenge. The Democratic Socialists of America’s takeover of the Democratic Party.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/13/bernie-sanders-revenge/
— Freedom Caucus presses House leadership for a vote to make Trump’s border policies law.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/13/freedom-caucus-presses-speaker-mike-johnson-vote-make-donald-trumps/
— America cannot survive without moral boundaries. No guardrails, no freedom, no civil society.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/13/america-cannot-survive-without-moral-boundaries/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Marxists, socialists, and the ‘Red Star’: Here are the DSA’s most prominent caucuses.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4646135/six-democratic-socialists-america-most-prominent-caucuses/

BREITBART
— 15 Shot During Seven Hour Timeframe in Gun-Controlled Chicago.
https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2026/07/13/15-shot-during-seven-hour-timeframe-in-gun-controlled-chicago/amp/
— ICE Arrests Illegals Convicted of Murder, Manslaughter, Child Rape.
https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2026/07/13/exclusive-ice-arrests-illegal-aliens-convicted-of-murder-manslaughter-child-rape/amp/

FOX BUSINESS
— Democratic socialists expand influence, push radical agenda.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6401048687112

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— The Media Is “Soft Peddling Socialists, Who Want To Deconstruct Our Society.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GumkNaGjSUA

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NEWSWEEK
— DD: Democrat leaders rank Republican states to be the worst states to live in. He who sets the ranking criteria determines the outcome.
https://www.newsweek.com/ranking-10-worst-states-to-live-is-entirely-republican-sparks-backlash-12187925

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders crow about their success in getting younger voters to propel the Democratic Socialist Surge in New York.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/nyregion/dsa-young-voters-primary-ny.html

WASHINGTON POST
— The DSA can’t hide its extremism. Its leaders may deny it, but this group has designs far beyond the social safety net.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/07/10/democratic-socialists-america-cant-hide-its-extremism/

WCBM
— ‘Now We’re in Congress:’ Rashida Tlaib Lays Out the Socialist Agenda in Rage-Filled Rant.
https://wcbm.com/national-headline/now-were-in-congress-rashida-tlaib-lays-out-the-socialist-agenda-in-rage-filled-rant/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Lindsey Graham’s Sister Named to Fill His Senate Seat.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/lindsey-graham-trump-replacement-sister-ed58d06d?mod=djemwhatsnews
— DD: Democrat leaders say Trump acted in bad faith. My Democrat superiors in the federal government acted in bad faith.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/judge-excoriates-trumps-irs-lawsuit-that-led-to-1-8-billion-fund-3a3c94fe
— Student loans. DD: I could not have gotten a student loan if I had tried. My ACT score was only 24. I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my high school class. Therefore, to pay for my UIC and then NIU college expenses and to pay for new cars to drive to/from my parents’ home in Crete to classes at UIC and then NIU, I spent far too many hours washing dishes during my junior and senior years at Crete-Monee, during my first 2 years at UIC and my first semester at NIU. Therefore, my ACT score and my GPAs were lower. Therefore, when I graduated, the only job offer I got did not really require a college degree. I acknowledge that my wanting new cars resulted in a) my working more hours and b) my ACT score and GPAs being lower.
https://www.wsj.com/buyside/personal-finance/student-loans/best-private-student-loans

HR DRIVE
— DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 because I was an active member in class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation.
https://www.hrdive.com/news/white-employee-lawsuit-equity-mindset-requirement-survives/825048/

July 13, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Medical examiner reveals preliminary findings in Sen. Lindsey Graham’s cause of death.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/lindsey-graham-cause-death-us-senator-dies-71-brief-sudden-illness-office-says-heres-what-know/19494199/
— Durbin remembers Sen. Lindsey Graham.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-us-senator-dick-durbin-remembers-south-carolina-sen-lindsey-graham-fierce-republican-key-bipartisan-ally/19493797/

CBS2
— Illinois U.S. senators pay tribute late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/illinois-u-s-senators-pay-tribute-late-sen-lindsey-graham/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Should the fear of soccer-based violence qualify you for asylum in the US? The World Cup has been joyous but the game’s fans can be anything but beautiful.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/13/bojan-andric-serbia-red-devils-asylum-immigration-immigration-reform/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: DD: Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters ever-increasingly promote Pritzker.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2026/07/09/pritzker-for-president-handicapping-the-illinois-governors-political-future
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/07/07/chicago-man-deported-in-error-by-ice-struggling-to-adjust-since-the-feds-returned-him-to-the-u-s

DAILY HERALD
— David Steiner is holding Americans’ ballots hostage.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260713/columns/david-steiner-is-holding-americans-ballots-hostage/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Lindsey Graham’s journey from a pool hall to the heights of political power.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/national/ap-lindseys-grahams-journey-from-a-pool-hall-to-the-heights-of-political-power/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/07/13/reading-between-the-ad-lines-00994276

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/13/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-768/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Speaker Welch Quiet on Double-Dipping of State Rep. He Asked to Resign
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/02/speaker-welch-quiet-on-double-dipping-of-state-rep-he-asked-to-resign/
— Federal Chicago Violence Reduction Program Snags 17, 24 Children Bought Home
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/02/federal-chicago-violence-reduction-program-snags-179-24-children-bought-home/
— The Letter from Governor Pritzker in America’s Time Capsule To Be Opened 250 Years from Could Not Be Found by Governor’s Staff
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/03/the-letter-from-governor-pritzker-in-americas-time-capsule-to-be-opened-250-years-from-could-not-be-found-by-governors-staff/
— Bob Anderson Documents That Thornton Township Supervisor (and State Rep.) Does Not Live in His Township, As Required by Law
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/03/bob-anderson-documents-that-thornton-township-supervisor-and-state-rep-does-not-live-in-his-township-as-required-by-law/
— County Home Rule, That Is, “May We Raise Your Taxes WITHOUT Your Referendum Approval?” Surfaces on County Board Committee Agenda
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/03/county-home-rule-that-is-may-we-raise-your-taxes-with-your-referendum-approve-surfaces-on-county-board-committee-agenda/
— WBEZ (Chicago Public Radio) Includes Nippersink Creek in Its List of Creeks to Paddle
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/04/wbez-chicago-public-radio-includes-nippersink-creek-in-its-list-of/
— Sunday Rodeo Prompts Request for Oversight & Enforcement of County Ordinances and State Law
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/04/sunday-rodeo-prompts-request-for-oversight-enforcement-of-county-ordinances-and-state-law/
— Young People Moving Out of Illinois Faster Than from Any Other State
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/05/young-people-moving-out-of-illinois-faster-than-from-any-other-state/
— Comparing Budgets of JB Pritzker and Ron DeSantis
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/05/comparing-budgets-of-jb-pritzker-and-ron-desantis/
— Repealed Special State Funds
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/06/repealed-special-state-funds/
— To Save Money County Now Posting Assessment Notices on Internet Instead of Mailing Notices – Richmond Township First
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/07/to-save-money-county-now-posting-assessment-notices-on-internet-instead-of-mailing-notices-richmond-township-first/
— Prairie Grove Grade School District Put Deeply in Debt Without Voter Approval
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com
— Law Makes Governor’s Budgeting Less Transparent
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/07/law-makes-governors-budgeting-less-transparent/
— How School Boards Can Put Taxpayers in Deep Debt Without a Referendum
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/07/the-d46-leaks-leaked-emails-expose-how-taxpayer-hero-engineered-8-million-backdoor-debt-loophole/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democratic socialism offers communism with better branding. Rhetoric may sound softer, but the hostility to capitalism and private property remains.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/12/democratic-socialism-offers-communism-better-branding/
— Islam has no place in America’s public life. Our nation was founded on the Judeo-Christian ethic.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/12/islam-no-place-americas-public-life/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— How hostile nations use US legal residency to spy. DD: Ever-increasingly, immigrants talk and/or act like they remain loyal to their motherland, if not like they came to America to turn America into their motherland, if not like they are paid agents of their motherland.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/3390907/russia-china-cuba-iran-use-us-legal-residency-espionage/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The discussion about U.S. border security focuses on mass migration and foreigners who circumvent our legal immigration system, but those aren’t the only valid concerns. What are the espionage risks to U.S. national security posed by legal immigration? First, it must be understood that the vetting scheme employed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement is broadly inadequate from a counterintelligence viewpoint. ICE looks more for criminals and immigration fraudsters than foreign spies. The espionage threat from legal immigrants can be broken into two categories. First, there are spies coming to America on a secret espionage mission, which they don’t declare to ICE. Second are immigrants who, after their arrival in the United States, decide to commit espionage, usually on behalf of their homeland. Both groups are difficult for our counterintelligence to detect — the latter is especially so.)
— Leftward, ho! How socialists would shape a new Democratic majority.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/4641323/how-socialists-would-shape-democratic-majority/

NEW YORK POST
— Never mind socialism — the rebellious kids are all conservative and love America.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/12/opinion/loving-america-is-the-most-rebellious-thing-kids-can-do/
— Lindsey Graham’s sudden death could hamstring Trump’s Senate agenda — after rogues and Mitch McConnell cut margin.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/12/us-news/lindsey-grahams-sudden-death-could-hamstring-trumps-senate-agenda/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Open Borders Are a Death Sentence to Western Nations. Governments have refused to respect the wishes of their citizens.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/07/open-borders-are-a-death-sentence-to-western-nations/
— What’s really in the rebooted Democratic Socialist platform. Sheltered in the Democrat party’s big tent, the DSA members are leaning even further left than most people realize. DD: Socialism destroys personal responsibility.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/what-s-really-in-the-rebooted-democratic-socialist-platform/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Medicare for all, free college education for all, public ownership of housing, establish permanent rent control, 32-hour work week, mandatory union membership, tax the rich, mandatory Green New Deal regulations, rescinding economic sanctions levied on Iran, Russia, and Cuba, ending legal restrictions on marriage, legalizing polygamy, expanding paid family leave, free universal childcare, public ownership of major transportation industries, massive public investment in green energy projects, end all economic aid and weapon sales to Israel, close all overseas American military bases, demilitarize and open the United States borders, abolish the Border Patrol agency, end deportation and detention of criminal aliens, provide access to jobs, social services, and health care to all immigrants regardless of immigration status, extend voting rights to all convicted felons and all non-citizens, statehood for Washington, D.C., replace the 2-party political system with a representative multi-party government and expand the House of Representatives.)
— Is America traveling down the road to another Holocaust? Those paying attention have noticed eerie similarities between Germany in the 1930s and America today. DD: Democrat leaders are ever-increasingly antisemitic. My Democrat superiors in the federal government had my many Jewish superiors and supervisors take many big adverse actions against me.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/is-america-traveling-down-the-road-to-another-holocaust/

BLAZE
— Where is the outrage over our stolen birthright?
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/where-is-the-outrage-over-our-stolen-birthright

CITY JOURNAL
— The Scourge of Teen Takeovers. Why youths are rampaging in cities across America—and how to stop it. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? What did you do when you were a teen? 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.
https://www.city-journal.org/article/teen-takeovers-streets-us-cities-looting

HOUSE REPUBLICANS
— House Republicans Stand for Homeland Security while Democrats Defend Violent Illegals. DD: Ever-increasingly, immigrants talk and/or act like they remain loyal to their motherland, if not like they came to America to turn America into their motherland, if not like they are paid agents of their motherland.
https://www.gop.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3157

TOWNHALL
— Absent 250th ‘Celebrities’ Did Not “Punish” Trump—They Dishonored Our History.
https://townhall.com/columnists/douglasmackinnon/2026/07/06/absent-250th-celebrities-did-not-punish-trump-they-dishonored-our-history-n2678834

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

AOL
— DD: What did you do to achieve the American Dream? I worked my way through college and earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.aol.com/articles/middle-class-american-dream-crumbling-143016320.html

MSN
— 1960s. DD: When were you born? I was born in 1948. What did your parents and teachers promote? My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. During the 1960s, 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. That enabled me to buy a 1958 Chevrolet BelAir in 1964, a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in 1966, a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 1967, and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968. I worked my way through college and I graduated debt-free from NIU in 1970 owning that Charger.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/15-life-lessons-from-1960s-childhoods/ss-AA27r3LV
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Children growing up in the 1960s often developed independence, resilience, and practical skills through everyday experiences. Strong family bonds, close-knit neighborhoods, and shared responsibilities shaped their values, while social movements and cultural shifts encouraged adaptability, civic engagement, and environmental awareness. Outdoor play, slower-paced living, and simple home activities fostered creativity, connection, and appreciation for life’s basic pleasures.

NEW YORK BOOKS
— DD: My critics/opponents are woke and/or want to curry favor with those who are woke. They destroy those like me who are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, heterosexual, married, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.nybooks.com/online/2026/07/12/the-freedom-to-be-woke/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Socialists Lead Democrats Into the Tea-Party Trap. Extremist candidates make it harder for a party to win and make a victory perilous for the country.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/socialists-lead-democrats-into-the-tea-party-trap-c991b290
— A Socialist Welfare Takeover. The young American voter and 1960s hippy voters cling to the myth that under the socialists, they are better off. DD: Socialism destroys personal responsibility.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/a-socialist-welfare-takeover-514ed056
— A Student Loan Subsidy for Government. Forgiveness favoritism for public and nonprofit workers has cost taxpayers some $91 billion.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/a-student-loan-subsidy-for-government-73eea243

FORBES
— Codes of ethics. DD: What codes of ethics are you under? I am under nine codes of ethics. I have been a CPA since I was 30 in 1979, a Certified Internal Auditor since I was 32, a licensed CPA (inactive since 2000) since I was 32, a Certified Fraud Examiner since I was 41, a Certified Government Financial Manager since I was 45, a Certified Financial Services Auditor since I was 47, a Forensic Accountant since I was 48, a FINRA arbitrator since I was 49, and an American Association of Political Consultants member since I was 50. My critics/opponents have always despised/hated codes of ethics. They destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate/dominate, b) who refuse to glorify and praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on those who still have lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout in Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois and who have had their operatives and their dupes take the biggest adverse actions against me lately.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsegal/2021/12/29/codes-of-conduct-and-ethics-can-help-guard-against-and-address-crisis-situations/

HARTFORD BUSINESS
— The American Dream is still alive. DD: To what do you attribute your success in achieving the American Dream? I attribute my success to my parents and to my teachers who promoted personal responsibility and conservative principles. My critics/opponents attribute my success to my benefitting tremendously from tremendous discrimination against those who do not share my demographics.
https://hartfordbusiness.com/article/opinion-at-250-the-american-dream-is-still-alive/

NEW UNIVERSITY
— The American Dream in 2026. DD: To what do you attribute your success in achieving the American Dream? I attribute my success to my parents and to my teachers who promoted personal responsibility and conservative principles. My critics/opponents attribute my success to my benefitting tremendously from tremendous discrimination against those who do not share my demographics.
https://newuniversity.org/2026/07/12/the-american-dream-in-2026/

CONVERSATION
— How ancient Rome dealt with the Barbarians at the gate. DD: Barbarians destroyed Rome. Barbarians are at America’s gate. How soon will they destroy America?  Ever-increasingly, immigrants talk and/or act like they remain loyal to their motherland, if not like they came to America to turn America into their motherland, if not like they are paid agents of their motherland.
https://theconversation.com/immigration-how-ancient-rome-dealt-with-the-barbarians-at-the-gate-109933
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Roman border control rarely made use of massive walls, but depended on natural barriers in the landscape. This was particularly true on the northern border, which heavily relied on the Rhine and Danube rivers. Rome’s borders were gradual transitions more than hard and fast lines. When migrating tribes asked to be admitted to the empire, the Romans tended to follow a fairly standard policy. Tribes were broken up into smaller groups and sent to underpopulated regions. They were forced to surrender their weapons, renounce their loyalty to their tribal leaders, and commit a certain number of fighting men to the Roman legions. These policies had served the empire well for centuries. By diluting tribal loyalty and disarming the newcomers, the Romans strengthened their economy, increased tax revenue, and swelled the ranks of the army.)

U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
— Professional certifications and licenses. DD: My critics/opponents, and especially those who do not have a professional certification or license, despise/hate those like me who have professional certifications and licenses. I have been a CPA since I was 30 in 1979, a Certified Internal Auditor since I was 32, a licensed CPA (inactive since 2000) since I was 32, a Certified Fraud Examiner since I was 41, a Certified Government Financial Manager since I was 45, a Certified Financial Services Auditor since I was 47, a Forensic Accountant since I was 48, a FINRA arbitrator since I was 49, and an American Association of Political Consultants member since I was 50.
https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2019/article/professional-certifications-and-occupational-licenses.htm

GOVERNING
— DD: Barbarians destroyed Rome. Barbarians are at America’s gate. How soon will they destroy America? Ever-increasingly, immigrants talk and/or act like they remain loyal to their motherland, if not like they came to America to turn America into their motherland, if not like they are paid agents of their motherland.
https://www.governing.com/context/the-stubborn-catch-22-of-the-u-s-immigration-puzzle

PEW RESEARCH
— U.S. Unauthorized Immigrant Population Reached a Record 14 Million in 2023. Preliminary data indicates continued growth into 2024 and a decrease in 2025. DD: Barbarians destroyed Rome. Barbarians are at America’s gate. How soon will they destroy America?  Ever-increasingly, immigrants talk and/or act like they remain loyal to their motherland, if not like they came to America to turn America into their motherland, if not like they are paid agents of their motherland.
https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/08/21/u-s-unauthorized-immigrant-population-reached-a-record-14-million-in-2023/

ADVOCATE
— DD: LGBTQ advocates demonize, denigrate, and condemn Lindsey Graham. My critics/opponents are furious that I got married when I was 29 in 1978 and that I have stayed married.
https://www.advocate.com/obituaries/lindsey-graham-dead
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Born July 9, 1955, in Central, South Carolina, Graham grew up in the business his parents operated, which included a restaurant, bar, and pool hall. Both parents died while Graham was in his early 20s, and he helped care for his younger sister, Darline Graham Nordone. Graham earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina. He joined the Air Force as a military lawyer and continued to serve in the South Carolina Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, eventually retiring as a colonel. Graham was elected to the House in 1994 and took office in January 1995. He gained national attention as one of the House managers who presented the impeachment case against President Bill Clinton in the Senate. He won election to the Senate in 2002, succeeding Strom Thurmond, and took office in January 2003. He served for more than 23 years. For much of his early Senate career, Graham was closely associated with Arizona Sen. John McCain. The two promoted an interventionist foreign policy and occasionally joined bipartisan negotiations, most notably the 2013 effort to overhaul the country’s immigration system. The measure passed the Senate but did not receive a vote in the House. Graham mounted a brief campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. During the primary, he called Trump a “kook” and a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.” Trump retaliated by reading Graham’s personal cellphone number aloud during a campaign event. After Trump won the presidency, Graham underwent one of Washington’s most conspicuous political transformations. He became a golfing companion, an informal adviser, and a vigorous defender of the president. As chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2021, Graham helped advance Trump’s judicial nominees, including Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court. He defended Trump during both impeachment trials. Graham briefly appeared to break with Trump after the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. “Count me out. Enough is enough,” Graham said on the Senate floor. The separation did not last. Graham returned to Trump’s side and remained one of his most visible congressional allies through Trump’s second administration.)

FROIM FOREIGN SOURCES

GUARDIAN
— The barbarians are at the gate but Europe’s leaders are too busy infighting to notice. DD: Barbarians destroyed Rome. Barbarians are at America’s gate. How soon will they destroy America? Ever-increasingly, immigrants talk and/or act like they remain loyal to their motherland, if not like they came to America to turn America into their motherland, if not like they are paid agents of their motherland.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/16/trump-putin-xi-strongmen-are-at-the-gate-but-europes-leaders-are-too-busy-infighting-to-notice
— Trump is turning the organs of the state against his personal enemies. DD: GAO audits IRS. After I earned an MBA when I was 27 in 1976, after I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, after I almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting, and after I had worked for IRS for almost 9 years, I transferred from IRS to GAO when I was 31. To waste my GAO career and to get rid of me, my Democrat GAO superiors outrageously/disgustingly/falsely/unethically hinted/implied/argued/shouted that the only reason why I transferred and the only reason why I asked to be assigned to audits of IRS was that I wanted to get power to punish my IRS superiors who had a) disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974, b) disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and c) failed/refused to promote me beyond GS-12. They used that to keep me off audits of IRS until I was 37 and then again after I turned 40 and for the rest of me GAO career. Of course, I never asked to be assigned to audits that involved my IRS superiors who had taken the aforesaid adverse actions against me. I stressed that my knowledge of IRS would help me contribute more to GAO’s audits of IRS. I stressed that I was under seven codes of ethics because I had been CPA since I was 30, a Certified Internal Auditor since I was 32, a licensed CPA since I was 32, a Certified Fraud Examiner since I was 41, a Certified Government Financial Manager since I was 45, a Certified Financial Services Auditor since I was 47, and a Forensic Accountant since I was 48. My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors knew full-well that my punishing anyone would violate those codes of conduct.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/06/trump-e-jean-carroll-justice-department
— DD: What do your critics/opponents want you to do? I should write about my critics/opponents who are the following who have made it the most clear that they want me a) to stop sending out GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters and b) to resign as a Republican Precinct Committeeman: past and present a) leaders of the Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Illinois Republican Party, b) Republican leaders of Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois, c) Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct, d) Republican political consultants, fundraisers, major doners, pollsters, campaign managers, campaign staff members, and campaign volunteers, e) conservative leaders, and f) religious leaders. I would focus on those who have had their operatives and their dupes take the most/biggest adverse actions against me. I would focus on those who reject the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks, and/or other planks in the Republican Party platform. I would focus on those who destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate/dominate b) who refuse to glorify and 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 focus on those who blame me and blame my newsletters the most for their problems, for your problems, for my problems, and for everyone’s problems.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/26/tucker-carlson-marjorie-taylor-greene-republican-split
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/02/tucker-carlson-new-political-party-idea-interview