Tag: retirement

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— House Speaker Mike Johnson says President Donald Trump’s $5,000 ‘dividend’ needs congressional approval.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/13/johnson-trumps-5000-dividend-congrssional-approval/
— Decision on Aurora recall referendum expected Monday.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260913/local-politics/decision-on-aurora-recall-referendum-expected-monday/
— Illinois farmers are farming the government for cash.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/14/farm-bill-china-farmers-illinois-soybeans/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Under the Democrats, poverty ever-increasingly increases in Chicago.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/09/14/new-report-finds-35-of-chicago-households-dont-have-sufficient-food
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/arts-and-culture/2026/09/13/mexican-independence-day-parade-operation-midway-blitz-year-later

NPR ILLINOIS
— Trump returns home to drum up voter support for GOP candidates ahead of midterms.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-09-14/trump-returns-home-to-drum-up-voter-support-for-gop-candidates-ahead-of-midterms

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— DD: Democrat ever-increasingly blame Trump for inflation.
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/hill-politics/republicans-fearing-voter-anger-about-costs-clash-over-economic-strategy/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Johnson’s reelection bet: the left
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook

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

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— Radical IL Dems Running For Office and Don’t Ignore The Lessons of 9/11.
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/09/13/radical-il-dems-running-for-office-and-dont-ignore-the-lessons-of-9-11
— Socialism 2026 Conference Worse Than Expected.
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/09/10/socialism-2026-conference-worse-than-expected

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— House Speaker Mike Johnson calls Trump’s $5,000 checks an ‘idea’ Congress will consider.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/13/house-speaker-mike-johnson-calls-trumps-5000-checks-idea-congress/
— Most colleges ignored the Declaration’s 250th anniversary. Higher education missed a chance to examine the nation’s founding principles.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/13/colleges-ignored-declarations-250th-anniversary/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Happy Constitution Day: The states retain responsibilities, not just rights. DD: Under the Democrats, more and more and more Democrat states are moving toward secession.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/premium/4719179/constitution-day-please-check-your-assignment/

NEW YORK POST
— Charlie Kirk statue vandalized outside TPUSA’s Phoenix HQ days after it was unveiled.
https://nypost.com/2026/09/13/us-news/new-charlie-kirk-statue-vandalized-outside-tpusas-phoenix-hq/
— Hollywood’s crusade against Jews and Israel is unconscionable.
https://nypost.com/2026/09/13/opinion/hollywoods-bias-against-jews-and-israel-is-unconscionable/
— Left’s push to delay deporting illegal-migrant criminals imposes huge costs on taxpayers.
https://nypost.com/2026/09/14/opinion/lefts-push-to-delay-deporting-illegal-migrant-criminals-imposes-huge-costs-on-taxpayers/

1819 NEWS
— Americans have got to wake up. The leftist takeover of Democrat Party must rouse voters.
https://1819news.com/news/item/the-american-people-have-got-to-wake-up-strong-argues-leftist-takeover-of-democrat-party-must-rouse-voters

AMERICAN THINKER
— Increasingly obvious: Islam is incompatible with Western Civilization. Democrats are embracing Islam’s incompatibility with civilization.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/09/increasingly-obvious-islam-is-incompatible-with-western-civilization/
— Shall we be a socialist paradise like France? Let’s take a look at what France is actually like.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/09/shall-we-be-a-socialist-paradise-like-france/

BREITBART
— Brandon Johnson Will Seek Second Term as Mayor of Homicide-Plagued Chicago.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/13/brandon-johnson-will-seek-another-term-as-mayor-of-homicide-plagued-chicago/amp/

COLLEGE FIX
— Universities are embedding DEI concepts into AI programs.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/universities-are-embedding-dei-concepts-into-ai-programs-watchdog-warns/

COLLEGE VOICE
— Why I Started a Turning Point USA Chapter. DD: What are the Turning Point USA chapters in Illinois?
https://thecollegevoice.org/2026/03/26/why-i-started-a-turning-point-usa-chapter/

DAILY WIRE
— Charlie Kirk Statue Defaced With Red Paint After Unveiling. The eight-foot bronze statue was unveiled just three days earlier to mark the anniversary of Kirk’s assassination.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/charlie-kirk-statue-defaced-with-red-paint-after-unveiling

FEDERALIST
— Schools, Corporate Media Rewrite Islamic Terrorists Out Of 9/11.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/09/12/schools-corporate-media-rewrite-islamic-terrorists-out-of-9-11/

FOUNDATION FOR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
— Government dependency. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government. According to them, you cannot succeed in America without massive government assistance. According to my critics/opponents, I owe all my successes in life to my working for the federal government. But my federal employers did not reimburse the money I spent to earn my job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. Many big private sector employers reimburse such expenses. If I had not earned the aforesaid degrees, certifications, and license, the Democrats who ran IRS in 1971 would not have hired me or promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974 and the Democrats who ran GAO in 1980 would not have hired me or promoted me in 1986. I would not have become a postal employee in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment test. Further, I would not have become an IRS employee in 1971 if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn a job offer that I had accepted because Oldsmobile had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.
https://thefga.org/blog/if-work-is-punitive-what-is-a-lifetime-of-government-dependency/

FOX BUSINESS
— Millennials may believe in socialism but they BENEFIT from capitalism.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/am-uc35on54

FOX NEWS
— Democrat leaders punish Democrats who put working Americans ahead of party loyalty. DD: RINOs leaders punish Republicans who promote planks in the Republican Party platform that they reject. Most commonly, RINO leaders reject the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and/or equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/democrats-punish-members-put-working-americans-ahead-party-loyalty
— Trump DEMANDS Smithsonian replace ‘WOKE’ exhibits.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6405008476112
— DSA-backed candidates are winning primaries and their vision for America is very different
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dsa-backed-candidates-winning-primaries-vision-america-different
— There is no ‘moderate socialism.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6405017175112

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Vandals Deface Charlie Kirk Memorial, Cross Out Jesus.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/09/vandals-deface-charlie-kirk-memorial-cross-out-jesus/

HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— Why the U.S. Has a Culture of Dependency. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government. According to them, you cannot succeed in America without massive government assistance. According to my critics/opponents, I owe all my successes in life to my working for the federal government. But my federal employers did not reimburse the money I spent to earn my job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. Many big private sector employers reimburse such expenses. If I had not earned the aforesaid degrees, certifications, and license, the Democrats who ran IRS in 1971 would not have hired me or promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974 and the Democrats who ran GAO in 1980 would not have hired me or promoted me in 1986. I would not have become a postal employee in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment test. Further, I would not have become an IRS employee in 1971 if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn a job offer that I had accepted because Oldsmobile had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.
https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/commentary/why-the-us-has-culture-dependency

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Pushing Back Against DEI Capture of Mandatory Continuing Legal Education.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/09/pushing-back-against-dei-capture-of-mandatory-continuing-legal-education/amp/

NATIONAL REVIEW
— The March of School Choice. DD: My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools. That put me on track 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.nationalreview.com/magazine/2026/10/the-march-of-school-choice/
— Personal Responsibility in Modern American Life. DD: My parents sent me to Missouri Synod Lutheran grade schools. That put me on track 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://natlawreview.com/press-releases/why-shit-matters-challenges-readers-rethink-responsibility-modern-american
(FROM THE ARTICLE: At 72, Jim Crupi draws on a lifetime of experiences that inform the perspectives explored throughout the book. He credits a strong family upbringing, a 50-year marriage, two successful children, and a career spanning more than 40 years in aviation as important foundations for his observations about responsibility and character.)
— Trump’s Reckless $5,000 ‘Dividend.’
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/09/trumps-reckless-5000-dividend/

PJ MEDIA
— What Happens When We Elect People to Congress Who Hate America. DD: Under the Democrats, more and more and more Democrat states are moving toward secession.
https://pjmedia.com/robert-spencer/2026/09/13/what-happens-when-we-elect-people-who-hate-america-to-congress-this-n4957200
— The American Left Is Irredeemable. DD: The American Left is ever-increasingly anti-American.
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/09/13/is-the-american-left-irredeemable-n4957198

REAL CLEAR MARKETS
— Socialists Are Sapping U.S. Cities: Money Is Running Out.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/2026/09/14/socialists_are_sapping_us_cities_money_is_running_out_1205673.html

REASON
— Americans Grow Increasingly Dependent on Government Payments. Many citizens of the land of the free are hooked on government checks. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government. According to them, you cannot succeed in America without massive government assistance. According to my critics/opponents, I owe all my successes in life to my working for the federal government. But my federal employers did not reimburse the money I spent to earn my job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. Many big private sector employers reimburse such expenses. If I had not earned the aforesaid degrees, certifications, and license, the Democrats who ran IRS in 1971 would not have hired me or promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974 and the Democrats who ran GAO in 1980 would not have hired me or promoted me in 1986. I would not have become a postal employee in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment test. Further, I would not have become an IRS employee in 1971 if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn a job offer that I had accepted because Oldsmobile had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.
https://reason.com/2024/10/04/americans-grow-increasingly-dependent-on-government-payments/

TOWNHALL
— Charlie Kirk Statue Vandalized Days After Unveiling at TPUSA HQ.
https://townhall.com/news/scott-mcclallen/2026/09/13/charlie-kirk-statue-vandalized-days-after-unveiling-at-tpusa-hq-n2682903
— America Has Not Learned the Right Lessons From Charlie Kirk’s Murder.
https://townhall.com/columnists/joshhammer/2026/09/11/america-has-not-learned-the-right-lessons-from-charlie-kirks-murder-n2682802
— Why People Prefer Socialism to Capitalism. DD: To get ahead under socialism, all you have to do is be a socialist. To get ahead under Democrats, all you have to do is be a Democrat. To get ahead under RINOs, all you have to do is be a RINO. To get ahead under Affirmative Action and DEI, all you have to be is a minority or a female.
https://townhall.com/columnists/marklewis/2026/09/14/why-people-prefer-socialism-to-capitalism-n2682900

U.S. HOUSE
— More Americans Dependent on Welfare Checks, at the Expense of Work. DD: To avoid welfare, I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. I took bad jobs that my peers would never stoop to take. I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent federal taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997. I would not have become a postal employee in 1966 if my high school friend had not asked me to join him in taking the postal employment test. Further, I would not have become an IRS employee in 1971 if Oldsmobile had not withdrawn a job offer that I had accepted because Oldsmobile had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.
https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2025/01/08/new-report-shows-more-americans-dependent-on-welfare-checks-at-the-expense-of-work/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote socialism.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/us/politics/trump-democrats-communism-midterms.html

USA TODAY
— DD:: Democrat leaders blast Trump and the GOP convention.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/11/trump-republican-midterm-convention-pledge-allegiance-takeaways/91656650007/

SARASOTA HERALD TRIBUNE
— Trump, MAGA saved America. Don’t let socialism ruin it.
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/opinion/letters/2026/09/14/trump-maga-socialists-left/91754827007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Yes, Children Really Are Getting Dumber. Covid shutdowns, grade inflation and now AI are degrading the quality of American education.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/yes-children-really-are-getting-dumber-fa4cb20c
— The Road to a Universal Basic Income. An expanded child tax credit is the first step. The bidding is underway.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-road-to-a-universal-basic-income-ee06f422
— Andrew M. Cuomo: Antisemitism Surges 25 Years After 9/11.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/antisemitism-surges-25-years-after-9-11-2327f95c

FORBES
— ‘I Like The Candidate From Illinois’: Trump Praises GOP Candidate For IL Governor Darren Bailey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QnJGu0Q09o

FORTUNE
— Amazon workers on food stamps have tripled despite its record revenue—and it’s just the latest evidence of the new economy of shrinking labor shares. DD: In Illinois, you qualify for food stamps if you earn less than $25,824/year or $12.42/hour. In today’s dollars, I worked for $12.74/hour washing dishes 1964-1966.
https://fortune.com/2026/09/13/amazon-workers-food-stamps-tripled-record-revenue-labor-share/
— Life Lessons Learned From Saving for Retirement. DD: My wife and I always made saving for our retirement a top priority.
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/retirement/wsj-readers-share-the-life-lessons-learned-from-saving-for-retirement-494cf093

FORBES
— Mike Johnson Blasts ‘Marxist Socialist Left,’ Urges Americans To Vote For GOP in Midterms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIsTK4KZBpE

NPR
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote reparations in Evanston.
https://www.npr.org/2026/09/14/nx-s1-5869793/evanston-illinois-reparations-trump-administration

YALE DAILY NEWS
— First campus Turning Point USA event nods to Charlie Kirk’s legacy. On the one-year anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Yale’s chapter of Turning Point USA hosted its first public event with Nick Shirley, a conservative influencer, who highlighted the importance of independent journalism.
https://yaledailynews.com/articles/first-campus-turning-point-usa-event-nods-to-charlie-kirk-s-legacy
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Yale’s chapter of Turning Point USA invited Nick Shirley, an independent journalist and conservative influencer, on Thursday, the one-year anniversary of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Turning Point USA was founded in 2012 by Kirk and his mentor, Bill Montgomery, to advocate for conservative principles on high school and college campuses across the United States. Kirk was killed in a shooting last September at a speaking event at a university in Utah, and Turning Point USA’s Yale chapter was founded this spring. During the off-the-record event, Shirley detailed his investigations into fraud and emphasized the importance of independent journalism, which he predicted would become increasingly popular in the future, according to audience members. . .Turning Point USA has over 800 college chapters, according to its website.)
— The class of 2030, by the numbers. DD: 11.7% are bisexual, 8.9% are gay/lesbian, 3.4% are queer, 3.2% are questioning/curious, 1.2% are asexual, .6% are pansexual, 56.8% are not very religious or spiritual, 19.5% are agnostic, 15% are Protestant, 13.3% are Catholic, 8.9% are Jewish, 52% speak more than one language, 54.1% receive financial aid, 10% took out loans, 20.9% receive full financial aid, 94% receive partial financial support from their parents, 4% are working their way through college, 17% of their parents have at least a bachelor’s degree, 23.8% a doctoral degree, and 42.8 a master’s or professional degree, and of those who submitted their ACT score, only .6% had a score of 24 or lower.
https://yaledailynews.com/articles/the-class-of-2030-by-the-numbers

LIVING WAGE
— Calculator. DD: The living wage for a single person with no dependents in Will County is $55,952/year. In today’s dollars, when I was 22 in 1971 and living with and helping support my mother and brother in Crete, my IRS salary was $56,409/year. I had earned a bachelor’s degree in business from NIU in 1970. In today’s dollars, my IRS salary increased to $68,999/year when I got promoted in 1972. That enabled me to buy a new townhome in University Park in 1972. Previously, with my full-time Firestone Store salary 1970-1971 and then part-time salary 1971-1972, I was able to buy a new 1972 Corvette in 1971 and to pay for tuition and books for graduate evening business courses at Loyola in 1972.
https://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/17043

FROM OTHER SOURCES

BEST COLLEGES
— 40 Companies That Pay for College With Tuition Reimbursement. DD: I worked for Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997. My entire life would have been different if they had reimbursed my tuition expenses. Except for some small token amounts, they did not reimburse the money I spent to earn my job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970, my job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, my job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and my job-related professional license in 1981. Many big private sector employers including UPS, FedEx, Fidelity, and JP Morgan Chase, reimburse such expenses. Further, to get rid of me, my Democrat IRS superiors disallowed my education expenses in 1978. They outrageously, disgustingly, falsely, and unethically argued that the courses I took a) did not relate to my job duties, b) did not maintain or improve my job skills, c) were taken by me to get a job in the private sector, and d) qualified me for a new trade or business. They ignored/dismissed/belittled the fact that my IRS employee manual encouraged me to take the courses. They ignored/dismissed my job descriptions and the Loyola and DePaul course descriptions.
https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/companies-with-tuition-reimbursement/