September 2, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Survey shows Naperville residents highly satisfied with city.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/01/naperville-survey-satisfied-affordability-mobility/
— Barred from speaking, Trump to skip 9/11 25th anniversary ceremony in NYC. DD: I organized Wheaton’s 2003 and 2004 9/11 ceremonies. Sadly, my critics/opponents boycotted the events.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/28/trump-snubs-911-25th-anniversary-ceremony-ground-zero/

SOUTHERN
— Del Mar’s message to Southern Illinois targets cost of living, business growth.
https://thesouthern.com/people/del-mars-message-to-southern-illinois-targets-cost-of-living-business-growth/article_84fa8859-786e-582b-8c19-92f409b054b0.html
— Six objections filed to Republican caucus nominating Anthony Decker for Marion County sheriff.
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2026/09/01/six-objections-filed-to-republican-caucus-nominating-anthony-decker-for-sheriff/

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

JOHN KASS
— Vallas: SANCTUARY BOONDOGGLE
https://johnkassnews.com/sanctuary-boondoggle/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— House Democrats vow repercussions for centrists who bucked Jeffries and helped GOP force socialism vote.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/4708980/democratic-leadership-exploring-repercussions-gluesenkamp-perez-golden/

NEW YORK POST
— ICE nabs over 2K illegal migrants across NY in ‘Operation Rotten Apple’ — including child rapists, killers.
https://nypost.com/2026/09/01/us-news/ice-nabs-more-than-2k-illegal-migrants-across-new-york-in-operation-rotten-apple-including-child-rapists-murderers/
— Zuckerberg hatched secret jobs bloodbath plan to ax 60% of staff — and then it blew up in his face.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/28/tech/mark-zuckerbergs-secret-project-aimed-to-replace-60-of-staff-with-ai/

AMERICAN GREATNESS
— The Manufacture of the Left’s ‘White Adjacent’ Tactic.
https://amgreatness.com/2026/09/02/the-manufacture-of-the-lefts-white-adjacent-tactic/

DAILY WIRE
— ‘Operation Rotten Apple’: ICE Nabs Hundreds Of Illegals Released By Sanctuary New York.
“These individuals should’ve never been on our streets.”
https://www.dailywire.com/news/operation-rotten-apple-ice-nabs-hundreds-of-illegals-released-by-sanctuary-new-york
https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ew-260901

FOX NEWS
— Woke stunt goes horribly wrong as Michigan Dems open convention with brutal ‘land acknowledgment.’ Michigan Democratic Convention vice chair botched a land acknowledgement, mispronouncing Anishinaabe and Potawatomi. DD: My critics/opponents have never forgiven me for my ancestors on my father’s side homesteading a 240-acre farm in southeast Crete Township and my ancestors on my mother’s side sharecropping a 180-acre farm in Grant Park along the Indiana border.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/woke-stunt-goes-horribly-wrong-michigan-dems-open-convention-brutal-land-acknowledgment
— UN pushes nations to consider slavery reparations but legal group says idea ‘not going to fly in the US.’
https://www.foxnews.com/media/un-pushes-nations-consider-slavery-reparations-legal-group-says-idea-not-going-fly-us

HOMELAND SECURITY
— More than 120 Illegal Aliens Arrested at Memphis Nightclub.
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/09/01/more-120-illegal-aliens-arrested-memphis-nightclub

LAW ENFORCEMENT TODAY
— Chicago Mayor Takes Aim At Businesses With ICE Ties.
https://lawenforcementtoday.com/chicago-mayor-businesses-ice-law-enforcement

NEWSMAX
— 192 House Democrats Vote No on Anti-Socialism Measure.
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/house-democrats-condemn/2026/09/01/id/1268063/

PJ MEDIA
— House Democrats refuse to condemn socialism, giving Republicans a strong midterm advantage.
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/09/01/the-democrats-just-gave-republicans-a-huge-gift-before-the-midterms-n4956795

TOWNHALL
— Is He Running? Rahm Emanuel’s Comments on Education Sure Sound Like a 2028 Campaign Pitch.
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/09/02/rahm-emanuel-on-education-n2682269

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— ‘No polling’ where Trump is popular.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6063375-trump-haberman-approval-polls/

NEW YORK TIMES
— More Mail Ballots Are Arriving Late This Cycle, and They’re Getting Tossed. State officials say they worry about the Postal Service’s ability to deliver votes this fall. They are urging voters to mail their ballots early or use drop boxes so their votes count.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/us/politics/postal-service-mail-ballots-delays-midterms-voting.html
— It’s a Great Time to Be Rich in New York City. For pretty much everyone else, the picture is bleak. Income inequality is as entrenched as ever. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I have always been undeservedly rich. They stress that I was able to buy a) new cars when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc., b) buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, and 35, c) buy collector cars when I was 40 and 45, d) etc. In my defense, a) I worked my way through college, b) I earned college degrees when I was 21, 27, 31, and 48, c) I earned professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and d) I earned a professional license that I earned when I was 32.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/nyregion/new-york-income-inequality.html

BUSINESS
— Competition in the Workplace. DD: All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) who were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time. To get promoted, they a) stressed that they were Democrat, minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time, b) stressed that they were blindly loyal to the Democrat Party platform, c) painted themselves as being yes-men and yes-women, d) stressed that their spouse, if they had one, had little or no income, e) stressed if they had children, the tremendous amount of time and money they spent raising their children, and f) destroyed their fellow coworkers who were Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time.
https://www.business.com/articles/gal-rimon-workplace-competition/

INVESTOPEDIA
— Average Salary by Age: See How Earnings Progress and When Pay Peaks as You Advance in Your Career. DD: According to my critics/opponents, I was always grossly overpaid. They stress that while I was a federal union member for almost 12 years, almost 3 years while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969 and almost 9 years while I worked for IRS 1971-1980, a) my Post Office salary increased from $19.57/hour to $20.87/hour and b) my IRS salary increased from $56,409/year to $113,402/year in today’s dollars. In my defense, during that time, I earned a bachelor’s degree in management in 1970, I earned an MBA in 1976, I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, and I almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting. They stress that while I worked for GAO 1980-1997, my salary increased from $89,703/year to $154,682/year in today’s dollars. In my defense, during that time, a) I earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980, b) I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA in 1981, c) I earned four more job-elated professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and d) I earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading in 1997.
https://www.investopedia.com/average-salary-by-age-see-how-earnings-progress-and-when-pay-peaks-as-you-advance-in-your-career-12066343
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Workers ages 35 to 44 earn the highest median income at $72,020 per year, according to Federal Reserve data. Median earnings rise from about $40,092 for ages 16 to 24 to a peak in mid-career, before falling slightly as retirement nears. Comparing your salary to others your age can offer useful context on your career progress and earning potential over time.)

CATO
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.cato.org/testimony/re-sanctuary-policies-tragic-consequences

SLATE
— Voters Are Rejecting Elderly Politicians. So What’s This 80-Year-Old Senator’s Secret? Tonight’s big Senate primary is scrambling a national trend. DD: My Democrat IRS superiors started using my age against me big time when I was 25 in 1974, that is, they started using “up-or-out” against me big time when I was 25 in 1974. According to them, if you were the following, you had to make GS-13, currently $118,984/year, by the time you were 25, or you were out: Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran. I had only made GS-12, currently $100,059/year by the time I was 25. I finally did make GS-13, but it was not until I was 38 in 1986. By then, I had a) earned an MBA when I was 27, b) passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, c) transferred to GAO and earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, and d) passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA when I was 32. I never would have made GS-13 if the GAO manager who had arranged my transfer had not gotten back into power in 1985.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/09/ed-markey-seth-moulton-massachusetts-senate-primary-age.html

NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— John Fetterman’s Party-Switch Calculus. DD: Sooner or later, all my critics/opponents who claim to be Republican will officially announce that they really always have been Democrats.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/john-fettermans-party-switch-calculus.html

BUZZ FEED
— 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://www.buzzfeed.com/jeremyhayes/reasons-why-men-want-to-date-women

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

NATIONAL TRIBUNE
— Tiny Homes Address Housing Affordability And Supply. DD: I was able to buy a new townhome in University Park when I was 24 in 1972. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ . But it had only 1,000 square feet. In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $92,700. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.nationaltribune.com.au/tiny-homes-address-housing-affordability-and-supply/

IG METALL
— The Younger Generation: No Longer Interested in Work?
https://www.igmetall.de/en/jugend/junge-beschaeftigte/interview-so-denkt-die-junge-generation

September 1, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

DAILY HERALD
— Democrats try to brush aside ‘Woke 1’
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260901/syndicated-columnists/democrats-try-to-brush-aside-woke-1/

RIVER BENDER
— Pritzker Demands Relief For Farmers Facing Soaring Fertilizer Costs From Trump’s War With Iran.
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/gov-pritzker-demands-relief-for-farmers-facing-soaring-fertilizer-costs-from-trumps-war-with-iran-96358.cfm

WGLT
— McLean County GOP calls for Republican county auditor to resign.
https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-08-31/mclean-county-gop-calls-for-republican-county-auditor-to-resign
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Anderson was appointed county auditor in 2009 and has won election to the office four times. Anderson has often clashed with county officials over delayed payments, has faced questions about her office’s accounting practices and faced claims she is not responsive to county administrators and other elected officeholders. “These are not isolated political disagreements. They represent a continuing pattern involving delayed financial work, disrupted county operations, strained professional relationships and potential costs to taxpayers and community organizations,” the county GOP said, citing a 2024 WGLT report about delayed grant payments that caused the nonprofit McLean County Center for Human Services to fear for its long-term financial stability.)


COD COURIER
— COD Board Hears Renewed Concerns Over Student Trustee.
https://codcourier.org/campus-progress-and-student-concerns-recap-of-the-college-of-dupage-board-of-trustees-meeting/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Isabella “Luna” Escobar, 2025-26 student trustee, returned to public comment — speaking both for herself and on behalf of another speaker, Joanna Osorio, who could not attend — to press the board on transparency around Student Trustee Danna Gonzalez, who remained in her position following past use of racial slurs.)

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/01/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-798/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Grogan’s Unity Test: Will IL GOP Chair Condemn Close Ally Jim Durkin’s Attacks on Trump, Bailey? DD: My critics/opponents side with Durkin.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/08/grogans-unity-test-will-il-gop-chair-condemn-close-ally-jim-durkins-attacks-on-trump-bailey.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Illinois Republican Party Chairman Bob Grogan has made “party unity” the defining message of his young tenure. Now Grogan faces a simple test: Does that rule apply to his close friend and longtime political ally, former Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin? During a recent CBS News Chicago interview, Durkin launched a blistering attack on President Donald Trump and Republican gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey — declaring Bailey’s campaign “foolish” and blaming Trump and Bailey for Republican losses in Illinois. “There’s really no election in November,” Durkin said. “Darren Bailey, this is a foolish — uh, foolish campaign that he’s moving on. He adds nothing to the equation for Republicans. He’s not gonna help the Republican Party. He’s very intolerant.” Durkin predicted Bailey would receive “the same result that he got last time,” before adding: “We’ve lost more Republicans because of people like Darren Bailey and Donald Trump in Illinois.” That creates an uncomfortable problem for Grogan. Just weeks ago, Grogan was lecturing Republicans about the need to stop attacking one another. “We have to go back to the Reagan rule, where if somebody agrees with us 80 percent of the time, they’re not a 20 percent traitor,” Grogan told Capitol News Illinois in July. “Our entire Republican team is better than the entire Democratic team, and we need to pull together. We can’t purge our way to 51 percent.” Grogan has also warned that “fratricide isn’t a good campaign strategy.” Upon becoming chairman in May, Grogan proclaimed, “Illinois Republicans are united and I’m excited to get to work electing Republicans up and down the ballot in November.” Apparently, Durkin missed the unity memo. Rather than helping elect the Republican ticket, Durkin went on Chicago television and declared the party’s nominee for governor essentially defeated while attacking the Republican president. There is also rich irony in Durkin lecturing Republicans about losing elections. Republicans held 51 Illinois House seats following the 2016 election. By the time Durkin’s final election as Republican leader was over in 2022, the caucus had fallen to just 40 — a net loss of 11 seats. Republicans lost five seats in 2022 alone. Durkin then stepped aside as leader and ultimately resigned from the legislature. Yet today, he is blaming Trump and Bailey for Republicans disappearing from Illinois government. Grogan cannot have it both ways. He cannot demand that conservatives stop attacking establishment Republicans, preach that Republicans must embrace their “80-percent” allies and condemn intra-party “fratricide” — then remain silent when one of his closest political friends publicly torches Trump and the GOP nominee for governor. Bailey won the Republican primary. Trump leads the Republican Party nationally. And Grogan is chairman of the Illinois Republican Party. If Grogan’s unity message means anything, he should publicly separate himself from Durkin’s comments and make clear that Durkin does not speak for the Illinois Republican Party. Otherwise, Republicans may reasonably conclude that Grogan’s “unity” doctrine has an exception: His friends.)

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

NEW YORK POST
— Trump warns Chicago ‘will die’ if lefty Gov. Pritzker refuses federal help after bloody weekend leaves 41 shot.
https://nypost.com/2026/09/01/us-news/trump-warns-chicago-will-die-if-lefty-gov-pritzker-refuses-federal-help-after-bloody-weekend-leaves-41-shot/

BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Chicago’s new contract test: Is your company leadership ‘diverse’ enough?
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/31/chicagos-new-contract-test-is-your-company-leadership-diverse-enough-1657035/
— It’s time for young Americans to step up. DD: What did you do to qualify yourself for better paying jobs? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/08/31/its-time-for-young-americans-to-step-up-1656966/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Unfortunately, many students attend college without acquiring skills that employers value. They sometimes accumulate substantial debt for degrees that provide little earning power. Higher education deserves some blame for selling expensive programs with limited economic value. But students must also take responsibility for choosing an education that does not prepare them for the workplace. Government cannot guarantee prosperity. In fact, government has no money of its own. Every dollar it spends must first be taxed from someone who earned it, borrowed and repaid by future taxpayers, or created in a way that can produce inflation. America became the world’s largest and most prosperous economy because it emphasized individual freedom, personal responsibility, relatively low taxation and a limited role for government. Those principles encouraged people to work, save, invest, innovate and build. Young Americans have legitimate concerns about housing, wages and opportunity. But socialism would replace those problems with dependency, stagnation and lost freedom. The answer is not to wait for government to provide a comfortable life. It is to acquire valuable skills, embrace entrepreneurship and solve the problems standing in the way. It is time for young Americans to step up.)

BLAZE
— The left’s next phase is even worse than woke.
https://www.theblaze.com/shows/rufo-lomez/the-lefts-next-phase-is-even-worse-than-woke

BREITBART
— Feds Shut Down 270 Truck Driving Schools After 239 Deaths.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/31/sean-duffy-feds-shut-down-270-truck-driving-schools-after-239-deaths/amp/
— Woke 2: Democrats Say Illegal Aliens Better Than Americans.
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/31/woke-2-democrats-say-illegal-aliens-better-than-americans/
— Vance Excoriates Democrats for Giving CDLs to Illegal Aliens.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/31/jd-vance-excoriates-democrats-giving-cdls-illegal-aliens/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Race Over Merit: Higher Education Finds New Ways to Install DEI.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/31/even-after-affirmative-actions-fall-dei-thrives-at-elite-law-schools/

FOX NEWS
— House returns to session as lawmakers face shutdown deadline, socialism resolution.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6404389340112

NEWSMAX
— Feds Boot 110 Commercial Driver Training Providers.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/department-of-transportation-sean-duffy-dhs/2026/08/31/id/1267911/

POST MILLENNIAL
— Trump admin closes 270 truck driving schools for giving licenses to illegal aliens.
https://thepostmillennial.com/trump-admin-closes-270-truck-driving-schools-for-giving-licenses-to-illegal-aliens

TOWNHALL
— Trump Blows Up at Reporter Over Question About Iran and Nukes.
https://townhall.com/news/mattvespa/2026/08/31/trump-blows-up-at-reporter-over-question-about-iran-and-nukes-n2682206
— What the Socialists Get Wrong About the Affordability Problem. DD: What did you do to afford things? I took jobs that my peers would not stoop to take. I worked my way through college. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned a job-related professional license.
https://townhall.com/watch/2026/08/31/what-the-socialists-get-wrong-about-the-affordability-problem-is-everything-n2682233
— Supposed Feminist Kathy Hochul Bends the Knee to Islam.
https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/08/31/kathy-hochul-hijab-n2682161

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF WAR
— Hegseth Says Promotions, Retention to be Based on Meritocracy, Not Quotas. DD: For my Democrat GAO, IRS, and Post Office superiors, meeting/exceeding their race and gender promotion quotas was their top priority. All my coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me were Democrats a) who had less education than I had, had less work experience than I had, had no professional certification or fewer than I had, and/or had no professional license like the one I had and/or b) who were minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time.
https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4318944/hegseth-says-promotions-retention-to-be-based-on-meritocracy-not-quotas/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— Democrats propose counter to GOP’s anti-socialism resolution.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/6062370-democrats-socialism-resolution/amp/

REUTERS
— Trump’s approval stuck at 33%; Democrats appear more fired up for midterms.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-approval-stuck-33-democrats-appear-more-fired-up-midterms-reutersipsos-2026-08-31/

NEW YOR TIMES
— Army Secretary Resigns After Clashes With Hegseth Over Firings. DD: My critics/opponents were always overjoyed when my Democrat GAO, IRS, and Post Office superiors took adverse actions against me. They were overjoyed when my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997, always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance, kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO, got rid of the GAO manager in 1987 who had arranged my transfer from IRS in 1980 and was finally able to assign me to audits of IRS and to promote me to GS-13 in 1986, delayed my promotions and never promoted me to GS-14, and forced me to take a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS in 1980. They were overjoyed when my Democrat IRS superiors never promoted me to GS-13, disallowed my education deductions in 1978, disallowed my travel vouchers in 1974, and got rid of the IRS manager in 1974 who had promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. They were overjoyed when my Democrat Post Office superiors denied my sick leave requests in 1968 and 1969 and forced me to resign in 1969.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/08/31/us/trump-news

WASHINGTON POST
— Hegseth chose loyalty over leadership — and has crippled the military. The Iran quagmire wouldn’t have happened under Trump’s first-term military leaders.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/08/31/hegseths-purges-pentagon-leaders-threaten-national-security/

WFIN
— DSA leader’s working-class image takes hit as public records pile up contradictions. DD: 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. My mother never attended high school. My critics/opponent stress that my great grandfather and then my grandfather on my father’s side operated Crete’s only hardware store for many years and that my great grandfather and my grandfather on my mother’s side operated a farm in Grant Park along the Indiana border for many years.
https://wfin.com/fox-political-news/dsa-leaders-working-class-image-takes-hit-as-public-records-pile-up-contradictions/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Manuel Gordillo, Gordillo’s grandfather, immigrated from Peru to the United States to practice medicine in 1958. After settling in the United States, Manuel met his future wife in St. Louis, and the couple later had Gordillo’s father, Gustavo. The obituary also notes that Gordillo’s grandfather built a successful life as a psychiatrist in Ohio, at one point serving as the president of the Ohio Psychiatric Association, casting doubt on the socialist’s claim that his parents grew up in poverty.)

KNOWLEDGE AT WHARTON
— Why Workplace Success Isn’t Just About Merit. DD: What did your coworkers do to get promoted? To get promoted, my Democrat coworkers in the federal government a) stressed that they were Democrat, minority, female, younger, veteran, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or had ancestors who had not been in America for a long time, b) stressed that they were blindly loyal to the Democrat Party platform, c) painted themselves as being yes-men and yes-women, d) stressed that their spouse, if they had one, had little or no income, e) stressed if they had children, the tremendous amount of time and money they spent raising their children, and f) destroyed their fellow coworkers who were Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9m8K5nXoAQ

TRUTHOUT
— Trump Calls on FCC to Punish News Orgs That Publish His Bad Polling Numbers. DD: I should write about my critics/opponents and the adverse actions they had their operatives and their dupes take against me since 2000 because I included links in my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters to articles that they do not like.
https://truthout.org/articles/trump-calls-on-fcc-to-punish-news-orgs-that-publish-his-bad-polling-numbers/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

DAILY STAR
— Merit, not politics, should guide promotions.
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/merit-not-politics-should-guide-promotions-4255266

August 31, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

August 27, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

PBS
— Systemic racism continues. DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, females, younger people, etc., Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/annual-report-shows-systemic-racism-continues-to-bring-down-black-peoples-quality-of-life

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

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

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

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

August 24, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— An ethics watchdog, such as our state’s legislative inspector general, should know when to say ‘no comment.’ Former judge Michael McCuskey has been talking too much.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/22/patrick-pfingsten-michael-mccuskey-legislative-inspector-general-harry-benton/
— Recall referendum issue seems like Laesch vs. Irvin round two.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/23/column-recall-referendum-issue-seems-like-laesch-vs-irvin-round-two/
— Data centers near O’Hare win nearly $100M in local tax breaks, leaving suburban homeowners to cover the gap.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/23/special-report-data-centers-taxes/
— Mandatory service can renew young people’s faith in America. 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 there 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.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/24/opinion-national-service-renew-faith-america-patriotism/
— For tens of thousands in northwest Indiana, power outages mean much of August has been hell. ComEd took a few days to restore power after Aug. 11 storms. NIPSCO is taking two weeks. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/24/editorial-nipsco-commonwealth-edison-electricity-outages-storms/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: ‘Why is this OK?’  With no power and a spotty generator, every day is a struggle for a family of seven as they approach two weeks without electricity in Northwest Indiana. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/graphics/weather/powerless/12-nights-without-power-in-Gary-Indiana/

DAILY HERALD
— Geneva Concours highlights rare, unusual vehicles. DD: There were three 1972 Corvettes in the concours. I have owned my 1972 Corvette since October 14, 1971.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260823/festivals-and-fairs/a-fashion-show-for-cars-geneva-concours-highlights-rare-unusual-vehicles/
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/great-lakes/5008067-genevais-concours-dielegance-car-show-pics-lots.html

ABC7
— At least 17 shot, 4 fatally, in weekend gun violence across Chicago.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shootings-weekend-least-16-shot-4-fatally-gun-violence-city-police-department-says/19722721/

NBC5
— A $25-per-hour minimum wage? Some Illinois lawmakers are pushing for it. DD: I did not start earning $25/hour in today’s dollars until I had a) passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination and earned a bachelor’s degree in business from NIU when I was 21 in 1970 and b) got hired by IRS in 1971.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/a-25-per-hour-minimum-wage-some-illinois-lawmakers-are-pushing-for-it/3931575/

CBS2
— Frustration mounts for thousands still without power after deadly Indiana storms. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deadly-indiana-storms-frustration-mounts-thousands-still-without-power/
— Illinois politics are to blame for failure to secure stadium for Chicago Bears in state.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/expert-illinois-politics-blame-failure-secure-stadium-chicago-bears/

WGN9
— Indiana Gov. Mike Braun criticizes NIPSCO over ongoing outages; more than 15K remain without power. DD: The more that overhead lines bring power to your home, the more that those lines are near trees, the more that I recommend getting a whole-house backup electric generator.
https://wgntv.com/northwest-indiana/nipscos-latest-outage-numbers-gary-mayor-provides-update-at-wgn/

WBEZ
— DD: Democrat leaders fight standardized testing because those who have demographics that vote for Democrats get lower test scores than those who have demographics that vote for Republicans. I passed many standardized tests a) to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, b) to earn three job-related master’s degrees, c) to earn six job-related professional certifications, d) to earn a job-related professional license, and e) to get hired by the Post Office, IRS, and GAO. Overwhelmingly, those who took and passed standardized tests with me had demographics that vote for Republicans. 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.wbez.org/say-more-with-mary-dixon-patrick-smith/2026/08/18/should-colleges-and-universities-require-standardized-test-scores-for-admission

NORTHWEST HERALD
— Trump store in Crystal Lake is closing, owner announces – but then seemingly takes it back.
https://www.shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/2026/08/22/trump-store-in-crystal-lake-is-closing-owner-announces/

PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— What income is needed to live comfortably in Illinois: $244,109 for a family of 4 and $101,587 single
https://www.pjstar.com/story/business/economy/2026/08/24/salary-needed-to-live-comfortably-in-illinois-smartasset/91409434007/

ILLINOIZE
— Will there be gubernatorial debates?
https://www.theillinoize.com/articles/will-there-be-gubernatorial-debates

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Ocasio-Cortez endorses Massachusetts Senate incumbent Ed Markey. DD: I remember attending a meeting with Markey when I worked for GAO in the early 1980s.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4694506/ocasio-cortez-endorses-massachusetts-senate-incumbent-ed-markey-green-new-deal/
— California school district’s curriculum cites Osama bin Laden’s manifesto as proof US ‘targeted Muslim communities.’ DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly give more preference to Muslims.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/education/4696334/california-school-districts-curriculum-cites-osama-bin-ladens-manifesto-as-proof-us-targeted-muslim-communities/

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
— Inflation Pressures. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for inflation and for everything else that is bad.
https://www.aei.org/featured_data/inflation-pressures/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Colorado to constituents — no guns for you. Colorado leftists attempt an end run around the 2nd Amendment. DD: Colorado today, Illinois tomorrow.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/colorado-to-constituents-no-guns-for-you/

CATO
— Ten Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Arguments for Socialism and Why They’re Wrong.  DD: What were you able to do under capitalism? I was able to buy a 1958 Chevy BeAir when I was 16 in 1964 with money I earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers. I was able buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in 1966 with money I earned washing dishes for the minimum wage. I was able buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967 and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968 with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to graduate debt-free from NIU in 1970 owning that Charger with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to buy a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS. I was able to buy a new townhome in 1972 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS.
https://www.cato.org/blog/ten-democratic-socialists-america-dsa-arguments-socialism-why-theyre-wrong

CRISIS MAGAZINE
— In Defense of Private Property: Repelling the Rise of Socialism. DD: What were you able to do under capitalism? I was able to buy a 1958 Chevy BeAir when I was 16 in 1964 with money I earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers. I was able buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in 1966 with money I earned washing dishes for the minimum wage. I was able buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967 and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968 with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to graduate debt-free from NIU in 1970 owning that Charger with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to buy a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS. I was able to buy a new townhome in 1972 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS.
https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/in-defense-of-private-property-repelling-the-rise-of-socialism

DAILY SIGNAL
— Immigration Under the New Left.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/23/immigration-under-the-new-left/
— Why Are So Many Young People Drawn to Communism?
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/23/why-are-so-many-young-people-drawn-to-communism/

EPOCH TIMES
— Why Are So Many Young People Drawn to Communism?
https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/why-are-so-many-young-people-drawn-to-communism-6077478

FOX NEWS
— Socialists don’t believe in liberty of any kind.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403937012112
— Billions spent by key federal agency hasn’t made American dream of homeownership any easier. DD: I bought a new townhome in University Park when I was 24 in 1972. SEE: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/774-Sunset-Ct-5-University-Park-IL-60484/5451474_zpid/ . In today’s dollars, I paid about $180,000 for it and the down payment would have been about $36,000. In today’s dollars, my IRS Revenue Officer salary had just increased from $56,409/year to $68,999/year. The down payment came from what I had earned working for IRS for 15 months and for a Firestone Store part-time for 18 months and full-time for 7 months before that. According to Zillow, the townhome is currently worth $93,700. That says worlds about real estate values in University Park.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/billions-spent-key-federal-agency-hasnt-made-american-dream-homeownership-any-easier-report

NATIONALREVIEW
— Democratic Socialists of America Hate Billionaires — Except Fidel Castro.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/the-democratic-socialists-of-america-hate-billionaires-except-fidel-castro/

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— We Need To Remind Americans Why Capitalism’s Important.  DD: What were you able to do under capitalism? I was able to buy a 1958 Chevy BeAir when I was 16 in 1964 with money I earned doing yard work and delivering newspapers. I was able buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint in 1966 with money I earned washing dishes for the minimum wage. I was able buy a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967 and a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968 with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to graduate debt-free from NIU in 1970 owning that Charger with money I earned delivering mail. I was able to buy a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS. I was able to buy a new townhome in 1972 with money I earned working for Firestone Stores and IRS.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/2026/08/24/we_need_to_remind_americans_why_capitalisms_important_1201914.html
— DEI Refuses To Die.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/08/24/dei_refuses_to_die_154439.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

AOL
— Curfews, drones, and criminal charges: Cities differ on approaches to ‘teen takeovers.’  DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://www.aol.com/articles/curfews-drones-criminal-charges-cities-140006000.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— Moving to Florida. DD: More and more and more of those who are the following are moving to Florida: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/realestate/florida-retirement-residency-taxes.html

USA TODAY
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: The Democrat Party platform is extremely anti-religious. How successful have Democrats been taking over your church?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/08/22/democrats-use-faith-to-challenge-red-state-gop/91340610007/

USA HERALD
— California Wants Corporations to Confess Their Ties to Slavery — Under Oath. DD: According to Democrat leaders, the more of the following that you are, the more that you are tied to slavery: conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. In my defense, I stress that even though all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s, they always lived in northeast Illinois, they never were in a position to discriminate against anyone, and they never did discriminate against anyone.
https://usaherald.com/california-wants-corporations-to-confess-their-ties-to-slavery-under-oath/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— A Socialist Surprise in Florida.
https://www.wsj.com/video/wsj-opinion-a-socialist-surprise-in-florida/7780BE57-7ACC-4DD7-A963-30D1C441AB05

FORBES
— Unfair Advantages. DD: What unfair advantages do your critics/opponents say you have? According to my critics/opponents, the following are unfair advantages and I have them: White, male, Protestant, German American, and my ancestors have been in America since 1844. In addition, a) my parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools 1953-1962, b) my parents provided me with room and board while I attended UIC 1966-1968, weekends during my first semester at NIU in 1969, and the summer of 1969, and c) I avoided the Vietnam War draft. In my defense. neither of my parents attended college, my father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma, my mother never attended high school, and I had to work my way through college.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ruthgotian/2022/07/19/you-might-be-overlooking-your-unfair-advantage-heres-how-to-find-it/

MARKETPLACE
— Americans are retiring earlier than they’d like to. And not because they can afford to. DD: The more of the following that you are, the more that you should anticipate/expect that you will be forced to retire early: conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or if you have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/07/24/why-some-americans-are-forced-to-retire-too-soon

NEWS BREAK
— Sen. Duckworth Tells Hegseth to “Find a New Job and Let the Press Do Theirs” After Stars and Stripes Editor’s Firing. DD: Since 2000, my critics/opponents have hinted/implied/argued/shouted at the following that because I am a Republican Precinct Committeeman, they can and they should dictate the content of my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters: the leaders of the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization. I should write about the many big adverse actions that the aforesaid have taken against me since 2000.
https://www.newsbreak.com/combat-rated-361333999/4845203759286-sen-duckworth-tells-hegseth-to-find-a-new-job-and-let-the-press-do-theirs-after-stars-and-stripes-editor-s-firing

ATLANTIC
— High-School Reunions. Social media should have killed them. Instead, they’re popular again. DD: I just learned that my 1966 Crete-Monee High School class is going to have a reunion. Sadly, my interactions with my classmates was dramatically less during my junior and senior years because I spent 28 hours a week during the school years and 40 hours a week during the summer in between washing dishes in the basement of the SS Kresge in Chicago Heights. Sadly, that job did not paint me as being college material. Further, my not being able to run because I had a bone disease kept out of sports.
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2025/09/high-school-reunion-attendance/684097/

August 15, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

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

August 13, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NBC5
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Trump for everything that is bad including bad weather.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/as-dc-aims-to-cut-weather-forecasting-illinois-takes-nations-tornado-warning-lead/3974563/

WGN9
— GOP candidate for Lt. Governor Aaron Del Mar defends abortion comments: ‘I was expressing my personal feelings’
https://wgntv.com/news/politics/wgn-the-point-politics-chicago-illinois/gop-candidate-for-lt-governor-defends-abortion-comments-i-was-expressing-my-personal-feelings/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— ‘Steel Across America’ tour brings 9/11 memorial to Chicago ahead of 25th anniversary. DD: I organized Wheaton’s 2003 and 2004 9/11 ceremonies.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/12/september-11-memorial-chicago-steel-across-america/
— As police response times grow, people are taking defense into their own hands. DD: What is the police response time where you live?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/06/03/opinion-chicago-911-response-time-firearms-concealed-carry/

DAILY HERALD
— College of DuPage to commemorate 25th anniversary of 9/11. DD: I organized Wheaton’s 2003 and 2004 9/11 ceremonies.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260812/submitted-content/college-of-dupage-to-commemorate-25th-anniversary-of-9-11/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Ford to shift Lincoln production from China, potentially boosting Chicago plant.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/manufacturing-logistics/ccb-ford-china-lincoln-chicago-20260812/

WBEZ
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/08/12/colleges-scramble-after-court-strikes-down-in-state-tuition-for-illinois-undocumented-students

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Springfield food pantries struggle as SNAP cuts hit. DD: Democrat leaders want as many people as possible on SNAP because people on SNAP vote for Democrats.
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/local/2026/08/13/snap-cuts-strain-springfield-food-pantries/91235814007/

FOX ILLINOIS
— David Crowley’s razor-thin Wisconsin primary win sets up match against Trump pick.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/david-crowleys-razor-thin-wisconsin-primary-win-sets-up-match-against-trump-pick/article_63a00f27-53cd-5816-8c09-23a5d94f37be.html
— Republicans see Minnesota fraud scandal as a chance to go on offense in a blue state.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/republicans-see-minnesota-fraud-scandal-as-a-chance-to-go-on-offense-in-a-blue/article_1900df0e-d605-5312-a4fe-de1b007a9afd.html

GLEN ELLYN PATCH
— College of DuPage to Commemorate 25th Anniversary of 9/11. The ceremony will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York. DD: I organized Wheaton’s 2003 and 2004 9/11 ceremonies.
https://patch.com/illinois/glenellyn/amp/34631685/college-of-dupage-to-commemorate-25th-anniversary-of-9-11

POLITICO ILLINOIS
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/08/13/bustos-puts-her-network-to-work-01035668

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/12/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-577/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

JOHN KASS
— Vallas: CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION’S SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS IS A SCAM
https://johnkassnews.com/chicago-teachers-unions-sustainable-community-schools-is-a-scam/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Democrats cannot escape their overeducated socialist wing. Voters remain wary of a party increasingly shaped by entitled collectivists. DD: I avoided Democrat indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/democrats-cannot-escape-overeducated-socialist-wing/
— Far-left momentum meets resistance as energized Democrats search for winning formula.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/far-left-momentum-meets-resistance-energized-democrats-search-winning/
— Lindell refuses to concede in Minnesota’s GOP gubernatorial primary.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/mypillow-founder-mike-lindell-refuses-concede-minnesotas-gop/
— H-2A visa program should not become an amnesty, a permanent foreign-labor pipeline. 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. 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. Many, if not most, if not virtually all of my peers would not have stooped to take the aforesaid bad jobs that I took.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/h-2a-visa-program-not-become-amnesty-permanent-foreign-labor-pipeline/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Despite President Trump’s strong focus on immigration enforcement and protecting American workers, a bill to provide amnesty for illegal aliens and to broaden the use of work visas was recently introduced by the House Agriculture Committee chairman. The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026 (H.R. 9535), which has more than 50 co-sponsors including 47 Republicans, dramatically expands the scope of the H-2A program. This would allow employers to more easily replace Americans with foreign workers and would suppress wage growth while reducing incentives to recruit domestic labor, improve working conditions, or invest in productivity-enhancing technology. Supporters portray the bill as a response to labor shortages. But when workers are scarce, wages rise. Employers improve conditions. Businesses innovate and automate. The purpose of a market economy though is not to guarantee employers access to labor at a price they prefer; it is to allow supply and demand to determine wages and encourage productivity growth. H.R. 9535 violates this healthy market dynamic. The bill broadens eligible work to include not only traditional agricultural jobs, but also packing, processing, transportation, aquaculture, logging, equine-related activities, and even portions of meat and poultry processing. It also redefines “temporary” work to include contracts lasting up to 349 days, regardless of the employer’s underlying need.)

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— How ‘pro-union conservatism’ is a win for the radical Left. DD: I was a union member for almost 12 years.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/faith-freedom-self-reliance/4681478/pro-union-conservatism-win-for-radical-left-josh-hawley-labor-terms-mobilization/
— Mike Lindell lost because of immigration amnesty proposal despite Trump backing.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/state/4685105/mike-lindell-loss-immigration-amnesty-steve-bannon/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— DEI Fellowship Pledging To Recruit ‘Underserved’ Legal Talent Accepted Most Privileged Students in US.
https://freebeacon.substack.com/p/dei-fellowship-pledging-to-recruit

NEW YORK POST
— How Democrats’ DEI kept homebuyers in the dark about crime and schools. DD: When Democrats move in, poverty and crime increase.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/12/opinion/how-democrats-dei-kept-homebuyers-in-the-dark-about-crime-schools/
— Vanity Fair profile on Usha Vance claims she ‘built JD’ Vance. DD: My outstanding wife helped me a) pass the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, b) afford to take a $23,699 (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31, c) earn a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, d) pass the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32, e) become a licensed CPA when I was 32, f) earn four more professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48, g) get promoted when I was 38, h) earn a master’s degree in finance when I was 48, and i) afford to take a $86,042/year (56%) loss in income in today’s dollars to retire in 1997. But before we got married, I had a) gotten promoted when I was 23, 24, and 25, b) earned an MBA when I was 27, c) earned $100,066/year in today’s dollars, and d) almost completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/12/us-news/vanity-fair-profile-on-usha-vance-claims-she-built-jd-vance/

AMAC
— Air Traffic Control Hiring Surges Under Trump. A campaign targeting video gamers hired over 2,000 controllers and hit 94% of its goal, offering pay above $155,000 after three years of training. DD: 3 years after I started working for IRS in 1971, I was earning $100,000/year in today’s dollars.  According to my critics/opponents, I was grossly overpaid. I did not earn $155,000/year in today’s dollars until after I had a) worked for GAO for almost 18 years, b) worked for IRS for almost 9 years, c) earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance), d) 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).
https://amac.us/newsline/air-traffic-control-hiring-surges-under-trump

BLAZE
— Here’s the unfiltered truth about the ‘moderate’ who beat the America-hating socialist in Wisconsin.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/heres-the-unfiltered-truth-about-the-moderate-who-beat-the-america-hating-socialist-in-wisconsin

BREITBART
— Pro-migration activists have funded some 20,000 lawsuits to release roughly 17,300 illegal migrants — including many criminals — mostly with the aid of judges nominated by President Joe Biden.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/12/pro-amnesty-groups-fund-wall-of-20000-lawsuits-to-block-migrant-deportations/
— Lindell Loses Minnesota Primary After Embracing Amnesty.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/12/mike-lindell-loses-minnesota-primary-after-embracing-amnesty/
— The Radical Left Has Control of the Democratic Party.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/12/exclusive-rep-jim-jordan-the-radical-left-has-control-of-the-democrat-party/

DAILY WIRE
— Why Socialism Is Winning With America’s Youth. DD: Socialists hint/imply/argue/shout at youth and at everyone else that all you need to do to advance under socialism is to be a socialist. Democrats hint/imply/argue/shout at youth and at everyone else that all you need to do to advance under Democrats is to be a Democrat. I worked for the Democrats who ran the Post Office, IRS, and GAO for almost 30 years. None of my Democrat coworkers came close to doing what I did to advance. I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (management). I earned three job-related master’s degrees (business, accounting, and finance). I earned six job-related professional certifications (accounting, internal auditing, fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting). I earned a job-related professional license (CPA). But because my coworkers were Democrats, they were promoted them over me. They all 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.dailywire.com/news/why-socialism-is-winning-with-americas-youth
— Democrats’ ‘Moderate’ Wisconsin Nominee Has His Own Woke Skeletons In The Closet. DD: All my critics/opponents are woke to some degree, that is, they all reject some, many, most, virtually all, if not all conservative principles and planks in the Republican Party platform..
https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-moderate-wisconsin-nominee-has-his-own-woke-skeletons-in-the-closet

FOX BUSINESS
— Jonathan Turley warns of ‘DRESS UP’ socialism schtick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrqx_4QGXoo

FOX NEWS
— Biden-era directive for diplomats to peddle DEI on foreign governments scrapped by State Department. Trump administration says diplomats should advocate national interests, not ‘woke political dogmas,’ on the world stage.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-era-directive-diplomats-peddle-dei-foreign-governments-scrapped-state-department?lid=1ejfrqce3s10
— Hong’s defeat doesn’t mean we’re ‘out of the woods’ from the socialist threat.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403305979112
— Internal fight exists between ‘regular’ Democrats and ‘crazy’ socialists.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403291974112
— This is not the end of the socialist surge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnW24OghUSQ

NRCC
— Socialists Hijack the Democrat Party, America Is Next.
https://www.nrcc.org/2026/08/12/socialists-hijack-the-democrat-party-america-is-next/

NEWSMAX
— Why Socialist Hong Lost in Wisconsin.
https://www.newsmax.com/john-gizzi/david-crowley-francesca-hong-wisconsin/2026/08/12/id/1265932/

TOWNHALL
— Democrats Blame Capitalism for America’s Problems. But America Isn’t As Capitalist As You Think. DD: Democrat and RINO employers put hiring, retaining, and promoting Democrats and RINOs ahead of making profits.
https://townhall.com/news/dmitri-bolt/2026/08/12/is-it-socialism-or-capitalism-that-has-failed-the-united-states-n2681127

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NBC NEWS
— One year in, the National Guard continues to patrol Washington, D.C.  Taxpayers have spent at least $600 million on the federal deployment in the nation’s capital. President Donald Trump has declared victory, while residents call it an unnecessary “occupation.” DD: The Democrat Party platform promotes poverty and crime.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/one-year-national-guard-continues-patrol-washington-dc-rcna591956

NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Homeland Security Intensifies Pursuit of Noncitizens on Voter Rolls. Immigrants who said they inadvertently registered to vote while obtaining or renewing driver’s licenses are increasingly facing deportation under the Trump administration.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/us/politics/noncitizens-vote-crackdown.html
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote Islam.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/11/us/politics/muslim-voters-candidates.html

USA TODAY
— America’s 10 best colleges. DD: According to my critics/opponents, degrees from non-Ivy League colleges are worthless, that is, my 1970 degree from NIU, 1976 degree from Loyola, my 1980 degree from DePaul, and my 1997 degree from IIT are worthless.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/08/09/best-colleges-ranking-linkedin/91215754007/
— A pay cut for a steady job? Economic anxiety fuels forever jobs. DD: Who do you know who voluntarily took a pay cut to get promoted? I voluntarily took a $23,699/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980. I did that to get promoted to GS-13. My Democrat IRS superiors had made it very clear that they would never promote me to GS-13 because I refused to become a Democrat. They had gotten rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me when I was 23, 24, and 25. They had disallowed my travel vouchers when I was 25. They had disallowed my education deductions when I was 29. GAO ultimately did promote me to GS-13, but not until I was 38. By then, I had become a licensed CPA when I was 32, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32, earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31, passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30, and earned an MBA when I was 27. The Democrats who ran GAO would never have promoted me to GS-13 if the GAO manager who had arranged my transfer had not gotten back into power. They forced him to retire when I was 38.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personal-finance/2026/08/11/steady-job-pay-cut/91247904007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Rove: Seven Steps to Defeat Dems and the DSA. Far-left candidates give an opening to the GOP in the midterms. Can they use it wisely?
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/seven-steps-to-defeat-dems-and-the-dsa-d113b12b
— The Badger State Says No to Socialism.
https://www.wsj.com/video/series/potomac-watch-strassel/wsj-opinion-the-badger-state-says-no-to-socialism/7A61C74D-F7F4-43B0-B5D7-B588C82EBEFB
— Welfare Benefits and the ‘Disincentive Desert.’ How Americans become ensnared in the system. DD: Democrat leaders want as many people on welfare as possible because people on welfare vote for Democrats.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/poverty-welfare-benefits-work-incentives-22850530

FORBES
— Our First Socialist President.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jameskglassman/2026/08/12/our-first-socialist-president/

WASHINTON REPORTER
— Catalina Lauf ahead in final days of Florida House primary.
https://washingtonreporter.news/exclusive-catalina-lauf-ahead-in-final-days-of-house-primary-poll-shows/

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL
— DD: To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at them that Republicans cause all their problems.
https://lasentinel.net/the-american-dream-is-being-repossessed.html

HIGHER EDUCATION
— College costs for families up 10% from last year. DD: My critics/opponents ignore/dismiss/belittle my working my way through college because college costs were less back then.
https://www.highereddive.com/news/college-costs-for-families-up-10-from-last-year-poll-finds/827623/

CORNELL UNIVERSITY
— The Privilege Spectrum. DD: According to my critics/opponents, a) those who are White, male, older, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time are advantaged and b) those who are minority, female, younger, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time are disadvantaged. But not only that, that a) those who are advantaged cause all the problems that those who are disadvantaged have.
https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/high-road/buffalo/privilege-spectrum

FEDWEEK
— Shared Hiring Certificates DD: I never applied to work for IRS. IRS offered me a job when I was 22 in 1971 because I had taken and passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970.
https://www.fedweek.com/careers/shared-hiring-certificates-what-you-need-to-know/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A “shared certificate” is a list of job candidates who have already applied to a federal job announcement, been assessed against the job’s qualifications, and been found eligible for hire but who were not selected by the original hiring agency. Agencies that ran the original hiring action can share that certificate of eligible candidates (known as a “cert”) with other federal agencies looking to fill a similar position without those agencies having to post their own announcement.)
— Within Grade Increases and Who Gets Them. DD: My critics/opponents have always been furious that I got within grade increases while I worked for the Post Office, IRS, and GAO. In today’s dollars, my Post Office salary increased from $19.57/hour to $20.87/hour 1966-1969. My IRS salary increased from $100,059/year to $113,402/year 1974-1980. My GAO salary increased from $118,984/year to $154,682/year 1986-1997.
https://www.fedweek.com/ask/federal-pay/within-grade-increases/

MY FEDERAL RETIREMET
— 2027 CSRS / Social Security COLA Estimate DD: My critics/opponents were furious that I got COLAs while I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997 and that I have continued to get COLAs as a federal retiree since 1997.
https://www.myfederalretirement.com/cola-estimate/
https://www.myfederalretirement.com/fers-csrs-cola-watch/

PEW RESEARCH CENTER
— What the data says about food stamps in the U.S.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/11/14/what-the-data-says-about-food-stamps-in-the-us/

August 1, 2026

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NBC5
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/immigrant-children-could-face-court-hearings-without-lawyers-chicago-attorneys-warn/3969082/

CBS2
— Democrats in Congress demand training, vetting information on ICE agent who killed immigrant in Maine. DD: IRS would not have hired me to be a Revenue Officer when I was 22 in 1971 if I had not had a bachelor’s degree in business and had passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination. The first 6 months I worked for IRS was in classroom training.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democrats-congress-ice-maine-shooting-letter-training-vetting/
— People with disabilities fear service cuts as Trump’s DOJ questions legal protections. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO’s Chicago office 1980-1997, they had me supervise all the disabled employees they hired.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-doj-disability-rights-home-care/
— Noisy motorcycle caravans creating chaos downtown, raising safety concerns from neighbors.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/motorcycle-caravans-dan-ryan-expressway-south-loop-downtown/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A caravan of hundreds of motorcycles created a loud, chaotic, and potentially dangerous situation on the Dan Ryan Expressway and in the South Loop and downtown Chicago late Thursday night. Some Chicago neighbors said it has become a summer nuisance that comes with serious safety concerns. The Caravan of motorcycles made its way from the Dan Ryan through the South Loop to downtown, where residents said it’s nothing new, but time something is done. Police experts said the solution isn’t as easy as it appears.)

WCIA
— Pritzker signs Illinois ‘language equity’ law; 24% of residents don’t speak English. DD: Everyone in America speaking English made America great.
https://www.wcia.com/news/capitol-news/pritzker-signs-illinois-language-equity-law-24-of-residents-dont-speak-english/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: With nearly 24% of Illinois residents speaking a language other than English, with Spanish being the most common, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a new law to regulate language requirements at government agencies statewide. “Illinois is a diverse state made up of people with cultural and linguistic backgrounds from around the world—hundreds of unique languages are spoken in households across the state, and those people are equally as entitled to access public services as their English-speaking counterparts,” said Pritzker. The Language Equity and Access Act requires the Governor’s Office of New Americans to partner with the Illinois Department of Human Services to create, implement, and oversee statewide language access plans for state agencies. The act requires an annual compliance report to the Governor’s Office and the Illinois General Assembly. The state says, besides Spanish, Polish, Chinese, and Tagalog are the most spoken languages in the state. “Prioritizing accessibility for people who do not speak English as a first language will open new avenues of equitable opportunities for countless Illinoisans of differing backgrounds,” said state Rep. Theresa Mah (D-Chicago).)


FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Socialist candidates barnstorm country to grow ranks in Congress.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4671147/left-wing-candidates-flock-allies-campaign-trail-maximize-collective-influence/

NEW YORK POST
— Fed-up Spaniards lash out at socialist prime minister after migrant invasion: ‘A third-world country.’
https://nypost.com/2026/07/31/world-news/fed-up-spaniards-lash-out-at-socialist-prime-minister-after-migrant-invasion/

AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
— Import Socialists, Get Socialism. Democratic socialists haven’t learned hard lessons from their ancestral homelands.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/import-socialists-get-socialism/

AMERICAN GREATNESS
— The Fifth for Fauci and the Administrative State. Fauci was attempting to protect the myth behind the leftist narrative of “trust the science.”
https://amgreatness.com/2026/08/01/the-fifth-for-fauci-and-the-administrative-state/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Socialism and Islam: A tale of two psychoses. A dark night is descending over America.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/socialism-and-islam-a-tale-of-two-psychoses/

COLLEGE FIX
— Student debt is turning college grads into socialists.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/bulletin-board/student-debt-is-turning-college-grads-into-socialists-column/

DAILY SIGNAL
— The Democratic Socialist Rising Class.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/31/cut-flowers-democratic-socialist/

FOX NEWS
— Socialism has become a buzzword.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402556733112
— Shocking percentage of Democrats identify as ‘democratic socialists’ according to new poll: ‘Toxic policies.’ Democratic-aligned respondents who identify as democratic socialists were primarily young White Americans.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/shocking-percentage-democrats-identify-democratic-socialists-according-new-poll-toxic-policies
— Democratic Socialists of America activists signed pledge to support, defend ‘Chinese socialism.’ The statement expresses the view that ‘the record of the socialist countries is overwhelmingly positive.’
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democratic-socialists-america-activists-signed-pledge-support-defend-chinese-socialism

HANNITY
— Mamdani-Linked Socialists Sign China Loyalty Pledge.
https://hannity.com/media-room/commie-commitment-mamdani-linked-socialists-sign-china-loyalty-pledge/

NEWSMAX
— One-Third of Democrats Identify as Democratic Socialists.
https://www.newsmax.com/us/one-third-of-democrats-identify-as-democratic-socialists-cnn-poll-finds/2026/07/31/id/1264705/

PJ MEDIA
— Where Is the Socialist Wave Really Coming From?
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/07/31/where-is-the-socialist-wave-really-coming-from-n4955681

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— Vetting of ICE officer is under internal review after Maine shooting. DD: IRS would not have hired me to be a Revenue Officer when I was 22 in 1971 if I had not had a bachelor’s degree in business and had passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination. The first 6 months I worked for IRS was in classroom training.
https://apnews.com/article/maine-shooting-immigration-ice-vetting-9a8cfccc9e509766fb65effaa607a65b

ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
— DD: Ever-increasingly, those who come to America want/need/demand massive government assistance, lack education and/or job skills, and/or have health and/or other problems.  Ever-increasingly they talk and/or act like they want to impose their language and/or their religion on America, that is, to turn America into a clone of their motherland.
https://www.ocregister.com/2026/07/31/fear-the-day-when-talented-foreigners-dont-want-to-move-here/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Democratic Voters Are Battling Over What Their Party Stands For. Some are embracing insurgent socialist candidates, and others say the party is losing itself.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/democratic-socialists-voters-why-3d25da52
— The Smithsonian’s Disdain for America. The head of the National Museum of American History doesn’t want to talk about her exhibits.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-smithsonians-disdain-for-america-8edffb1e

24/7 WALL STREET
— The RMD Tax Trap That Costs Retirees Six Figures. A $1.6 million traditional 401(k) generates a mandatory $60,400 first RMD at 73, which counts as ordinary income and grows larger every year. Adding the RMD to Social Security can push MAGI above $109,000, triggering Medicare IRMAA surcharges that won’t appear until 2028 due to a two-year lookback.
https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/2026/07/30/the-rmd-tax-trap-that-costs-retirees-six-figures-without-these-three-moves-before-year-end/

NATIONAL TREASURY EMPLOYEES UNION
— Tell Congress to Adequately Fund Federal Agencies. DD: I was a NTEU member 1971-1980.
https://www.nteu.org/blog/2026/07/30/tell-congress-to-adequately-fund

FED SMITH
— Federal Employees Could Get 12 Weeks of Paid Leave Under New Senate Bill. DD: My critics/opponents have always been furious about the benefits that I got a federal employee for almost 30 years and that I have continued to get as a federal retiree for almost 29 years.
https://www.fedsmith.com/2026/07/31/federal-employees-12-weeks-paid-leave-senate-bill/

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— OPM cements major shift in federal employee appeals, RIF processes. 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.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2026/07/opm-cements-major-shift-in-federal-employee-appeals-rif-processes/
— HHS violated 5,000 probationary employees’ rights with 2025 terminations. DD: I transferred from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980. My Democrat GAO superiors were furious that they could not use probationary procedures to get rid of me.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce-rightsgovernance/2026/07/hhs-violated-5000-probationary-employees-rights-with-2025-terminations/
— Some federal careers are built to end early, so what comes next? DD: Federal employees under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) who are the following are expected/forced to retire as soon as they are eligible, that is, as soon as they have 30 years of service and are 55 years old: Republican, White, male, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. I am all of the aforesaid. I became eligible to take GAO’s early retirement “offer” when I was 45 in 1993. My Democrat GAO superiors succeeded in forcing me to take early retirement when I was 49 in 1997 because since I was 40 in 1988, I had been an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. That dramatically reduced my CSRS pension and my retirement savings.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/retirement/2026/07/some-federal-careers-are-built-to-end-early-so-what-comes-next/

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— New documentary recounts ‘free-for-all attitude of cruelty’ toward axed federal employees. The movie, which was filmed during the start of the second Trump administration, examines the human and societal effects of recent federal job cuts. DD: My critics/opponents continue to be overjoyed that my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. My critics/opponents continue to ignore/dismiss/belittle that while I was a federal employee for almost 30 years, I used my personal time and my salary 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.govexec.com/workforce/2026/07/documentary-recounts-cruelty-axed-federal-employees/415071/
— Veteran’s preference. DD: I avoided the Vietnam War draft. While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years, many, most, and at times, virtually all of my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and/or subordinates were Democrat veterans. They had no use for me, if not despised me, if not hated me. They blamed Republicans like me for America losing the Vietnam War. I should write about my Democrat veteran superiors who took the most/biggest adverse actions against me. They all stressed that if I had not avoided the Vietnam War draft, I would not have been able to a) earn a bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970 and master’s degrees when I was 27 and 31, b) earn professional certifications when I was 30 and 32, c) earn a professional license when I was 32, d) buy new cars when I was 19, 20, 23 25, and 29, e) buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, and 35, or f) get married when I was 29.
https://www.govexec.com/technology/2026/07/gsa-official-put-leave-social-media-post-saying-veterans-preference-federal-hiring-hampering-tech-recruiting/415122/

GAO
— Law Enforcement Officers: Observations on Recruitment and Retention at the Federal Level. DD: IRS and GAO have always been run by Democrats. I was an IRS Revenue Officer 1971-1980, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step-1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year. GAO audits IRS. I transferred from IRS to GAO when I was 31 in 1980 and worked for GAO for almost 18 years. My Democrat GAO superiors wasted my knowledge of IRS. Democrats do not want Republicans to audit Democrats. They refused to assign me to audits of IRS’s Collection Division. However, they did assign me to audits of IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division for 3 years.
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-108495
(FROM THE REPORT: From 2019 through 2024, officer resignations and retirements have increased, reducing staff at law enforcement agencies. Studies have shown that having more officers can improve public safety and reduce crime.)

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 27, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Trump demands Senate cancel August break until it passes voting bill.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/27/trump-senate-voting-bill/
— Trump administration urges Supreme Court to allow order targeting mail-in voting before midterms.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/27/trump-administration-supreme-court-mail-in-voting/
— Is the Smithsonian racist? MAGA makes a case using Newspeak.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/27/column-smithsonian-national-museum-of-american-history-donald-page-page/
—  Deerfield Public Schools District 109 Fight over trans-inclusive student policies has moved to courts: ‘The feds are coming’
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/27/lake-transgender-student-inclusion/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Rep. Delia Ramirez visits Chicagoans at Kentucky ICE detention center and calls conditions ‘devastating’
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/07/27/rep-delia-ramirez-chicagoans-kentucky-ice-detention-center-conditions

DAILY HERALD
— Naperville reigns as ‘retail mecca,’ producing $5.7B in sales last year.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260727/business/naperville-reigns-as-retail-mecca-producing-5-7b-in-sales-last-year/

WTTW
— Illinois Recognizes Gambling Addiction, Allowing New Treatment Options. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more vice.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/07/27/illinois-recognizes-gambling-addiction-allowing-new-treatment-options

CWB CHICAGO
— Large teen mobs are attacking and robbing victims in the Loop. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers?
https://cwbchicago.com/2026/07/large-teen-mobs-are-attacking-and-robbing-victims-in-the-loop-cpd-says.html

WHEATON PATCH
— Car Stolen At Gunpoint From Driveway In Wheaton. Police say Andrew Strong was armed when he knocked on the driver’s car window just after they had pulled into the driveway of their home.
https://patch.com/illinois/wheaton/car-stolen-gunpoint-wheaton

CAPITOL CITY NOW
— SNAP discussion. It’s difficult to find opportunities to fulfill work requirements. DD: My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that all the jobs I had were bad jobs that they would never stoop to take. 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. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-snap-discussion/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/27/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-564/
— Oberweis called ‘Career candidate, perennial loser’ in Florida TV ad.
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/27/oberweis-called-career-candidate-perennial-loser-in-florida-tv-ad/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Marengo Park District Seeks New Exec, Reports on Accomplishments
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/17/marengo-park-district-seeks-new-exec-reports-on-accomplishments/
— Appellate Court Keeps Gubernatorial Candidate Collin Corbett as Defendant in Defamation Case
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/17/appellate-court-keeps-gubernatorial-candidate-collin-corbett-as-defendant-in-defamation-case/
— John Howard Association Points to Lack of Oversight Agency for Corrections Department
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/17/john-howard-association-points-to-lack-of-oversight-agency-for-corrections-department/
— Three Years for Bribe-Taking Police Chief
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/17/three-years-for-bribe-taking-police-chief/
— Next Year’s Prevailing Wages Announced, Sample: Traffic Safety Worker 1 $44.65
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/18/next-years-prevailing-wages-announced-sample-traffic-safety-worker-1-44-65/
— “Rehabilitated Elected Official” Reflects on Downstream Effect from Small Things
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/18/rehabilitated-elected-official-reflects-on-downstream-effect-from-small-things/
— County Board Members Between a Rock and a Hard Place in Solar Farm Zoning Mandate for Approval from the Circuit Court
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/20/county-board-members-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place-in-solar-farm-zoning-mandate-for-approval-from-the-circuit-court/
— Prairie Grove School District 46 Deep Debt Point, Counter Point, Counter Counter Point
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/20/prairie-grove-school-district-46-deep-debt-point-counter-point-counter-counter-point/
— U.S. Attorney Reviews Last Six Months
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/20/u-s-attorney-reviews-last-six-months/
— Suburban Robbery Crew Member Gets Fifteen Years for ATM, Bank and Armored Truck Heists
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/21/suburban-robbery-crew-member-gets-fifteen-years-for-atm-bank-and-armored-truck-heists/
— What Headline Should I Use When I Print the Names of County Board Members Who Vote To Put Home Rule on the Fall Ballot?
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/21/what-headline-should-i-use-when-i-print-the-names-of-county-board-members-who-vote-to-put-home-rule-on-the-fall-ballot/
— Passage of a Home Rule Referendum Will Severely Limit County Board Members’ Power
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/21/passage-of-a-home-rule-referendum-will-severely-limit-county-board-members-power/
— What AI Says About Solar Farm Zoning Restrictions for Home Rule Counties
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/21/what-ai-says-about-solar-farm-zoning-restrictions-for-home-rule-counties/
— Passage of a Home Rule Referendum Will Severely Limit County Board Members’ Power
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/21/passage-of-a-home-rule-referendum-will-severely-limit-county-board-members-power/
— County Board Follows Directive of Court and Approves Solar Farm Zonings
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/21/county-board-follows-directive-of-court-and-approves-solar-farm-zonings/
— Binding Home Rule Referendum Defeated
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/07/21/binding-home-rule-referendum-defeated/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— Pritzker’s Presidential Dreams Continue to Fall Flat, Stuck at Just 2% in National Polls.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2026/07/jb-pritzkers-presidential-dreams-continue-to-fall-flat-stuck-at-just-2-in-national-polls.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

NEW YORK POST
— Trump trumpets tariffs, signs a Corvette, and tells Michigan autoworkers: ‘I’ve done more for you than your parents’
https://nypost.com/2026/07/27/us-news/trump-trumpets-tariffs-signs-a-corvette-during-visit-with-gm-autoworkers/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Trump triggers massive leftist hypocrisy on ‘transgenderism.’ When Trump cracked a Dylan Mulvaney joke at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, he must have known what would ensue.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/trump-triggers-massive-leftist-hypocrisy-on-transgenderism/

COLLEGE FIX
— Sesame Street accelerates white kids’ racism.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/sesame-street-accelerates-white-kids-racism-university-of-illinois-professor-says/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

REUTERS
— Accounting Degrees Downgraded by US Education Dept, Sparking Outrage. DD: I am outraged. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30 in 1979. I earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul when I was 31. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32. I became a licensed CPA when I was 32. I became a Certified Fraud Examiner when I was 41, a Certified Government Financial Manager when I was 45, a Certified Financial Services Auditor when I was 47, and a Forensic Accountant when I was 48. I worked for GAO 1980-1997. While Charles Bowsher ran GAO 1981-1996, he did everything that he could to get rid the agency’s employees who had degrees in business, accounting, and finance and to replace them with employees who had degrees in public administration from Ivy league  universities. That rendered my degrees, certifications, and license worthless.
https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/news/accounting-degrees-downgraded-by-us-education-dept-sparking-outrage/

FORTUNE
— ‘Accounting is absolutely a profession’: AICPA president pushes back after Education Department reclassifies accounting degrees
https://fortune.com/2025/12/08/is-accounting-considered-a-profession-new-education-department-standards/

CPA ADVISOR
— Department of Education Unclassifies Accounting as a Professional Degree. The definitions of professional degree programs help determine loan eligibility, which can be a critical differentiator for a student striving to complete an accounting degree program and become a CPA.
https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2025/11/24/department-of-education-unclassifies-accounting-as-a-professional-degree/173875/

FEDERAL NEW NETWORK
— Army speeds up its process of firing underperforming civilians while giving them less time to defend their work. 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. 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 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://federalnewsnetwork.com/army/2026/07/army-speeds-firing-process-for-civilian-employees/