Tag: second

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— ICE accelerates immigration arrests across US to 1,400 a day.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/22/ice-immigration-arrests-us/
— Michigan Avenue is improving. But State Street has never looked so shabby. DD: I spent many years in downtown Chicago. I took a) undergraduate classes at UIC 1966-1968, b) a graduate evening business class at UIC in 1971, c) graduate evening business classes at Loyola 1972-1976, d) graduate evening accounting classes at DePaul 1976-1980, e) an undergraduate evening internal auditing class at Roosevelt in 1980, f) a graduate evening internal auditing class at Roosevelt in 1981, g) Becker CPA Review classes 1978-1979, and h) graduate evening finance classes at IIT 1992-1997. I lived in my Outer Drive East studio condo part-time 1974-1976 and in my ODE one bedroom condo full-time 1976-1978. I worked in the Loop for IRS in 1971 and then 1973-1980 and then for GAO 1980-1997. I walked Michigan Avenue to/from my Loyola classes and my IRS job and my ODE studio condo 1974-1976 and then to/from my DePaul classes and my IRS job and my ODE one bedroom condo 1976-1978.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/23/editorial-michigan-avenue-is-improving-but-state-street-has-never-looked-so-shabby/
— Democrats try to harness data center backlash that’s dividing rural Republicans.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/23/democrats-data-center-backlash-rural-republicans/

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE WITH PHOTO: Free speech lawsuit against Downers Grove Park District settled out of court.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260722/news/free-speech-lawsuit-against-downers-grove-park-district-settled-out-of-court/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A state representative candidate who accused the Downers Grove Park District of violating her free speech rights by limiting where she could campaign in a public park has settled her lawsuit against the district. Laura Hois announced the settlement Wednesday. Federal court records indicate the case was dismissed by agreement June 9. In the agreement, the park district did not admit to any wrongdoing and agreed to pay Hois $32,500. Each side was responsible for paying their own costs and attorneys’ fees. The director of the park district could not be reached for comment Wednesday. In July 2024, Hois was a candidate for the DuPage County Board when she went to a concert at Fishel Park in downtown Downers Grove to speak with concertgoers about her campaign. The Downers Grove Republican claimed in her lawsuit that a park district worker told her that she was not allowed to engage in political conversations unless she stayed in a designated 15-by-15-foot free speech zone.)
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH PICTURE: ‘Taxation on auto-pilot’ vs. ‘an economic engine’: Speakers take sides on toll hike.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260722/transportation/taxation-on-auto-pilot-vs-an-economic-engine-speakers-take-sides-on-toll-hike/

PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— DD: Democrat leaders crow about their success in driving Trump’s approval rating down.
https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/politics/government/2026/07/23/what-is-trumps-approval-rating-in-illinois-latest-july-2026-polls/91014029007/

WSIL TV
— A growing movement to separate parts of Illinois from Cook County is gaining momentum, with nearly one-third of the state’s 107 counties voting to explore the idea of creating a new state.
https://www.wsiltv.com/news/growing-movement-to-split-illinois-gains-support-in-more-counties/article_812f3116-87f2-4372-8027-59ffc2da48b8.html

NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat leaders use redistricting to split up Republican areas.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-07-23/how-predominantly-black-areas-in-6-states-have-been-split-up-by-redistricting
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly side with Iran against America.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-07-23/trump-ramps-up-aggression-toward-iran-despite-dwindling-support-at-home

SHAW LOCAL
— DuPage County Fair. The DuPage County Fair is Thursday, July 23 through Sunday, July 26 at the fairgrounds in Wheaton. The fair will have animal exhibits, live music, a carnival, talent contest and more. Visit dupagecountyfair.org for more information and a schedule of events.
https://www.shawlocal.com/thescene/2026/07/22/5-things-to-do-dupage-county-fair-the-barricade-boys-chitown-exotic-car-show/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/07/23/schakowskys-aipac-pivot-01009020

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/07/23/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-776/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WIREPOINTS
— CPS Layoff Complaints Ring Hollow Amid Near-Empty Schools and Questionable City Spending Priorities.
https://wirepoints.org/wirepoints-mark-glennon-on-am560-cps-layoff-complaints-ring-hollow-amid-near-empty-schools-and-questionable-city-spending-priorities/

ILLINOIS FAMILY ACTION
— Social Security: Common-Sense Solutions for America’s Fiscal Future Rallies: Bolingbrook County Club August 4 and Bank of Springfield August 5  DD: Walker ran GAO while Diersen v. GAO was pending 1998-2005. I collected delinquent Social Security taxes for IRS 1971-1980.
https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2026/07/common-sense-solutions-for-americas-fiscal-future/
https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Save-America-Rallies-flyer-C.pdf
(FROM THE ARTICLE: America’s fiscal baseline is rapidly approaching a critical juncture. With the Social Security Trust Fund officially projected to be exhausted in 2032, everyday citizens and families are facing an uncertain economic horizon. If left unaddressed, the impending insolvency could trigger abrupt benefit reductions of 20% to 30%, destabilizing millions of households nationwide.
In response to these compounding challenges, Illinois Family Action is proud to host two ‘Save America Rallies’ featuring co-authors David M. Walker, the former Comptroller General of the United States, and Joe Penland, Sr., a renowned national business leader. Together, they will share a non-partisan, math-driven blueprint aimed at preserving Social Security, managing the ballooning national debt, and establishing sound financial stewardship within the federal government.)

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Illinois Federation of Teachers: 7 things the union doesn’t want teachers to know.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-federation-of-teachers-7-things-the-union-doesnt-want-teachers-to-know/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

CAMPUS REFORM
— Syracuse course to study queer and trans ‘digital resistance’ against ‘anti-gender politics’
https://www.campusreform.org/article/syracuse-course-study-queer-trans-digital-resistance-anti-gender-politics/30287

DAILY SIGNAL
— Victor Davis Hanson: Democrat Socialists Should Throw Away Their Porsches Before Criticizing America. Under capitalism, I was able to buy a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint ( https://over-drive-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1965-12-CD-1966-Pontiac-Tempest-Sprint-Test-1-4.pdf ) when I was 17 in 1966 with the money I earned washing dishes for the minimum wage part-time for 15 months and full-time for 3 months.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFabhrh4IvI
— Democratic Socialists Think America Is Somehow Worse Than Mass Murderer Mao Zedong.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/22/democratic-socialists-america-worse/

DAILY WIRE
— ‘The Odyssey’ Was Even Worse Than I Expected. Here’s Everything Wrong With It.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-odyssey-was-even-worse-than-i-expected-heres-everything-wrong-with-it

FOUNDATION FOR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
— Illegal Aliens Receive Welfare.
https://thefga.org/blog/yes-illegal-aliens-receive-welfare/

FOX NEWS
— Hannity: Democratic socialists want to ‘upend the American system.’
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401875475112
— Gutfeld: Socialism is a copying mechanism for the envious. DD: My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government were filled with envy. They were ever-increasingly furious at my and my wife’s ever-increasing net worth. To turn my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates against me, my Democrat superiors stressed a) the new cars that I bought when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc., b) the real estate that I bought when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, and 35, c) the collector cars that I bought when I was 40 and 45, d) the college degrees that I earned when I was 21, 27, 31, and 48, e) the professional certifications that I earned when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, f) the professional license that I earned when I was 32, g) the vacations that I took, h) etc.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401878384112
— Inside the DSA’s base: Who makes up the Democratic socialists’ core voters?
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401859642112

FOX NEWS RADIO
— Democratic Socialism is Taking Over the Left.
https://radio.foxnews.com/2026/07/22/how-is-democratic-socialism-taking-over-the-left/

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— DSA Members are Highly Educated and Downwardly Mobile. They’re gloomy about their own financial prospects, and feel aggrieved about the state of the country.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/07/poll-analyst-nate-silver-says-dsa-members-are-highly-educated-and-downwardly-mobile/
— Mamdani Encourages People to Protest Netanyahu Since He Cannot be Arrested.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/07/mamdani-admits-he-cant-arrest-netanyahu-instigates-street-violence/

NEWS BUSTERS
— Democrats in Denial About Socialist Politicians, Threat of Communism.
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2026/07/22/democrats-denial-about-socialist-politicians-threat

TOWNHALL
— Americans Should Not Be Falling for Socialism.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/print/2679932

U.S. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
— OPM Director Scott Kupor joined The Ingraham Angle to discuss the Trump Administration’s efforts to restore merit-based hiring, strengthen accountability across the federal workforce, and modernize the civil service by rewarding high performers and addressing underperformance. DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, veteran, disabled, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time. All of my coworkers who my Democrat superiors in the federal government promoted over me were Democrats a) were the aforesaid and b) 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. My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997 and gave my job and my preferred corner office to my Black Democrat subordinate. He had less education than I had. He had less work experience than I had. He had one professional certification while I had six. He had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.opm.gov/news/news-releases/icymi-opm-director-scott-kupor-discusses-merit-based-federal-hiring-and-restoring-accountability-on-the-ingraham-angle/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

USA TODAY
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2026/07/21/ice-detention-center-conditions-treatment-immigrants/90956750007/

KOTA RADIO
— GIANNO CALDWELL: Four years after my brother’s murder, I’m marching for justice.
https://www.kotaradio.com/2026/07/23/gianno-caldwell-four-years-after-my-brothers-murder-im-marching-for-justice/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Will Democrats Disavow the DSA Platform? It promises to ‘build a new society from the ground up,’ France tried that in 1792.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/will-democrats-disavow-the-dsa-platform-6a0c6bb2

BUSINESS
— Why Professional Development Is Important for Your Career. DD: To get promoted, I earned job-related college degrees, professional certifications, and a professional license and I served as a leader of a job-related professional association for 13 years. To get promoted, my Democrat coworkers in the federal government a) glorified and praised their superiors, b) pandered to their superiors, c) served as operatives and as dupes for their superiors, and d) worked against/discredited/destroyed their coworkers. I should write about my Democrat coworkers in the federal government who my Democrat superiors promoted over me. They all a) were minority, female, younger than me, and/or veteran and b) 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.
https://www.business.com/articles/benefits-of-professional-development/

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
— Model the Transformation You Expect Employees to Deliver. DD: My Democrat superiors and supervisors in the federal government always a) gave preference to their Democrat subordinates and especially to those who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran and b) discriminated against their Republican subordinates and especially those who were White, male, older, and/or nonveteran.
https://hbr.org/2026/07/model-the-transformation-you-expect-employees-to-deliver

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— Lawmakers look to avoid government shutdown, and reconsider getting rid of them entirely. DD: Democrats run the federal government. They use Republican-led budget cuts to waste the careers of and to get rid of their Republican employees who are White, male, older, and/or nonveteran.
https://www.govexec.com/management/2026/07/lawmakers-avoid-shutdown-and-reconsider-getting-rid-them-entirely/414949/
— Unions ask for injunction restoring collective bargaining at Defense. DD: The Democrats who ran GAO wasted my career and took many big adverse actions against me including forcing me to retire when I was 49 in 1997. GAO did not unionize until 2007. If GAO had unionized earlier, I might still be a GAO employee.
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2026/07/unions-ask-injunction-restoring-collective-bargaining-defense/414943/

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— One year later, my layoff from the federal government has become a banishment. DD: There are many similarities between a) Michael Duffin, Trump, and the State Department and b) Dave Diersen, Gingrich, and GAO.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/commentary/2026/07/one-year-later-my-layoff-from-the-federal-government-has-become-a-banishment/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In the year since my firing, I have experienced the full spectrum of emotions. Moments of excitement — interviews on “The Daily Show” and NPR — give way to anxiety and depression. Losing a professional identity is never easy, and watching former colleagues struggle to rebuild their lives is equally painful. Many, including myself, have applied for hundreds of jobs without a single offer. Some took service industry work after their unemployment checks ran out. Despite our grief and trauma, many of us still want to return to the State Department or another federal agency. But the path back does not exist. Most job postings now restrict applicants to “internal” only, bypassing a mechanism that would allow the Department to rehire fully vetted former employees at a lower cost to taxpayers. And other federal agencies are reluctant to hire people whom the administration previously fired. This is why we believe our firing was punitive, not a cost-saving measure. We are working with our local American Federation of Government Employees chapter to pursue legal remedies for reinstatement and urging Congress to pass legislation restoring our positions. The years of expertise that walked out the doors of the State Department and other executive branch agencies cannot be replaced by contractors, political appointees or artificial intelligence. Working for the federal government requires experts with deep institutional knowledge who will be there regardless of the outcome of future presidential elections. I left my hometown believing that public service was one of the highest callings an American could pursue. A year later, I still believe that. Washington just doesn’t seem to agree. . .Duffin is a Democratic candidate for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District.)

HR DRIVE
— Federal HR office lost more than a third of its workforce during Trump’s second term, GAO reports. GAO said the losses hampered “operational capacity” at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and “risk worsening pre-existing skills gaps.” DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, they used Republican-led budget cuts to get rid of half of the agency’s workforce. They got rid of all their Republican employees like me who were White, male, older, and/or nonveteran. My undergraduate and graduate majors were personnel management.
https://www.hrdive.com/news/federal-hr-office-lost-more-than-a-third-of-its-workforce-during-trumps-second-term-gao/825907/

ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE
— DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://www.epi.org/publication/trumps-deportation-agenda-will-destroy-millions-of-jobs-both-immigrants-and-u-s-born-workers-would-suffer-job-losses-particularly-in-construction-and-child-care/

FROM FOREIGN SOURCES

AL JAZEERA
— DD: Since the 1960s, EEOC collected workplace data to pressure/force employers to hire, to retain, and to promote Democrats who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran.
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/7/22/why-the-us-may-stop-collecting-workplace-race-and-gender-data