FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— US military says its withdrawal of troops from Iraq is complete, ending 12-year mission to fight ISIS.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/us-military-says-withdrawal-troops-iraq-is-complete-ending-12-year-mission-fight-isis/19891058/
CBS2
— 11 current, former Ford Heights, Illinois, officials to appear in court on charges of misusing funds. DD: What is your connection with Ford Heights? While I worked for the Firestone Store in Chicago Heights 1970-1972, it sold Philco appliances, some of which I delivered in Ford Heights. While I worked for IRS in its Harvey office 1972-1973, I collected delinquent federal taxes in Ford Heights.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/current-former-ford-heights-illinois-officials-in-court-misusing-funds/
— Hegseth to announce a 20% cut to generals and admirals. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, Gingrich led Republicans who shrank the agency from more than 6,000 employee to less than 3,000 employees.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hegseth-20-cut-generals-and-admirals-military-pentagon/
FOX32
— Park Forest mayor sues village over legal fees in restaurant altercation lawsuit. DD: I delivered mail for the Park Forest Post Office 1966-1969, 25 months part-time and 9 months full-time.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/park-forest-mayor-sues-village-over-legal-fees-in-restaurant-altercation-lawsuit
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Illinois Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) succeed in diving voters out of Illinois who have demographics that vote for Republicans and b) succeed in keeping voters and attracting voters who have demographics that Democrats. That ever-increasingly discourages candidates from running for offices as Republicans.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/30/gop-ilgop-republicans-congres-midterms-elections-donald-trump/
— Split, stalled and stonewalled: CPD oversight body beset with division over follow-up to Operation Midway Blitz.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/30/split-stalled-and-stonewalled-cpd-oversight-body-beset-with-division-over-followup-to-operation-midway-blitz/
— Hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin gives record $3B to Carnegie Mellon to build Miami campus.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/30/ken-griffin-carnegie-mellon/
— Ed Hershey, Patty García, Chris Getty, and Lupe Castillo participate in a candidate debate for the Illinois 4th Congressional District seat at FOX 32. DD: When will a 3rd Congressional District candidate debate be held? Angel Oakley’s outstanding campaign literature piece was one of the 14 candidate literature pieces that I hand-delivered last week to the 370 residences in my DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton that have at least one registered Republican voter or one registered Independent voter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/29/illinois-4th-district-race-rivals-hit-patty-garcia-over-ballot-moves-in-race-to-succeed-chuy-garcia/
— Test-optional colleges are seeing the consequences of ill-prepared students.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/30/opinion-college-admissions-loan-underwriters/
WAND TV
— DD: Illinois Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.wandtv.com/2026/09/30/springfield-city-council-approves-800k-cannabis-tax-revenue-help-small-businesses/
SHAW LOCAL
— Illinois Governor’s race: Candidates talk data center costs, infrastructure.
https://www.shawlocal.com/news/election/2026/09/30/illinois-governors-race-candidates-talk-data-center-costs-infrastructure/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Pritzker and Emanuel are both headed to South Carolina in the coming weeks — a notable stop in a state that Democrats have positioned at the front of their presidential nominating calendar.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/09/30/testing-the-carolina-waters-01098441
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
EPOCH TIMES
— A Chinese Battery Plant Moved Into Manteno on State Money. Its Residents Can’t Vote It Out. Its fire district took on a 2-million-square-foot lithium-battery plant, and the fire risk that comes with it, for about $140,000 a year.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/a-chinese-battery-plant-moved-into-this-illinois-town-on-state-money-its-residents-cant-vote-it-out-6078010
FOX NEWS
— DHS sends ominous warning as migrant caravan heads toward US-Mexico border from Honduras. The caravan of hundreds departed San Pedro Sula on September 20 and is moving north toward the US-Mexico border.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/dhs-send-ominous-warning-migrant-caravan-heads-toward-us-mexico-border-from-honduras
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC NEWS
— DD: To elect Democrats, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly drive consumer confidence down.
https://abcnews.com/Business/wireStory/americans-growing-pessimistic-economy-prices-gas-items-remain-136853575
WASHINGTON POST
— ICE plans push for 5,000 new hires in coming months. The immigration agency has faced scrutiny for fast-paced efforts to bring on thousands of new officers. DD: The first 6 months that I worked for IRS as a Revenue Officer in 1971 was in classroom training.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/09/29/ice-plans-push-5000-new-hires-coming-months/
LAW
— New Rules Could Make Firing Federal Employees Easier. DD: According to my critics/opponents, because my Democrat GAO superiors were able to fire me even though I had the following, I must be an extremely bad person: three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.law.com/2026/09/29/new-rules-at-obscure-agency-could-make-firing-federal-employees-easier-/
Tag: township
September 8, 2026 Evening Edition
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CBS2
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/one-year-later-operation-midway-blitz-lawsuits/
FOX32
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/immigration-enforcement-fears-impact-chicago-mexican-independence-day-celebrations
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Pritzker launches congressional PAC and heads to Texas to rally Democrats as GOP holds Dallas convention.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/08/pritzker-federal-pac-texas/
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Pritzker-backed PAC plans to bankroll anti-Trump candidates nationwide.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics-policy/ccb-pritzker-pac-anti-trump-candidates-20260908/
— ABA repeals diversity standards for law schools amid pressure from Trump administration.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/law/ccb-aba-law-school-dei-standards-20260908/
— Trump threat puts Bombardier’s Chicago-area operation in spotlight.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/manufacturing-logistics/ccb-bombardier-trump-20260908/
SOUTHERN
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://thesouthern.com/news/siu-hosting-7th-annual-hemp-cannabis-symposium/article_d44251c9-6c75-5a4c-8efb-7fc74ed15eea.html
WSIU
— Aaron Del Mar, Republican Lt. Gov. candidate campaigns across Illinois.
https://www.wsiu.org/politics-elections/2026-09-08/aaron-del-mar-republican-lt-gov-candidate-campaigns-across-illinois
BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation. How dependent on Democrat illegals are your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/09/08/chicago-area-businesses-lost-1-2-billion-because-of-immigration-enforcement-report-says/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/08/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-590/
— Pritzker launches $20 million PAC for national midterm push.
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/08/pritzker-launches-20-million-pac-for-national-midterm-push/
— ILGOP circular firing squad makes a feeble return.
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/08/the-ilgop-circular-firing-squad-makes-a-feeble-return/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— U.S. Illinois Democratic Party Members of Congress Who Voted For Socialism.
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/09/06/u-s-illinois-democratic-party-members-of-congress-who-voted-for-socialism/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— A Muslim NATO? Concerns over U.S. reliability, Israel’s rise fuel new Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi alliance.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/4/muslim-nato-concerns-us-reliability-israels-rise-fuel-new-turkey/
— America’s millionaire boom proves capitalism works. Millions of households have built wealth through work, investment and opportunity.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/8/americas-millionaire-boom-proves-capitalism-works/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Here’s what socialists are actually saying.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4714856/how-to-speak-socialist/
AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY
— AFP at Chicago Socialism Convention to Contrast More Government with More Freedom.
https://americansforprosperity.org/press-release/icymi-afp-at-chicago-socialism-convention-to-contrast-more-government-with-more-freedom/
DESERT REVIEW
— The Promise of Socialism Is Misery for All.
https://www.thedesertreview.com/opinion/columnists/the-promise-of-socialism-is-misery-for-all/article_f864052d-0b56-4b18-a870-388baa2842ac.html
FOX BUSINESS
— Dallas mayor warns of ‘grave threat’ to cities from socialism movement.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6404769012112
— Why socialism turns on Gen Z.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6404765437112
NEWSMAX
— Newsom, Harris cozy up to socialists ahead of 2028.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pDp0coY2iw
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
THE HILL
— Trump is using the IRS and nonprofit status to chill affirmative action.
https://thehill.com/opinion/education/6073732-new-regulations-target-diversity-admissions/
CBS NEWS
— Why some battleground GOP candidates are skipping this week’s Trump-backed midterm convention.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-gop-convention-republican-house-senate-candidates/
NEW YORK TIMES
— Pritzker, Eyeing 2028, to Help Midterm Democrats With a $20 Million Group. JB Pritzker, the billionaire governor of Illinois, is continuing to expand his national footprint, this time by using a new group to target Republicans in battleground races.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/us/politics/jb-pritzker-2028-brandon-herrera-max-miller.html
WFMD
— Newsom: Democratic socialist ideas are mainstream in Democrat party and pretty aligned.
https://www.wfmd.com/2026/09/08/newsom-admits-democratic-socialist-ideas-mainstream-in-democrat-party-pretty-aligned/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Children learn a great deal about race and gender in schools these days, but not nearly enough about reading and math. A big reason is the colleges that teach the teachers, and a new report forthcoming Wednesday brings more insight into how they promote politics instead of the basics of instruction.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/graduate-schools-of-education-critical-theory-aei-report-daniel-buck-d3fc6285
BLOOMBERG LAW
— America’s Disgruntled Youth Sell Democratic Socialism to Masses
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/americas-disgruntled-youth-sell-democratic-socialism-to-masses
GAO
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-107498
NPR
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation. How dependent on Democrat illegals are your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.npr.org/2026/09/08/nx-s1-5955787/new-report-shows-the-economic-toll-of-ice-raids
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
NEWS24
— US schools blasted for teaching victimhood instead of the dangers of socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=robqIurAZYc
September 8, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/graphics/immigration/2026/midway-blitz-by-the-numbers/
https://chicago.suntimes.com/bearing-the-blitz/2026/09/08/photos-what-operation-midway-blitz-left-behind
https://chicago.suntimes.com/bearing-the-blitz/2026/09/08/how-operation-midway-blitz-played-out
— 6 killed, 28 hurt in Labor Day weekend gun violence. Labor Day caps a historically peaceful summer in Chicago. The city had had 122 murders in June, July and August — the lowest summer total since 1965.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/09/07/labor-day-weekend-shooting
— Illinois joins lawsuit against latest Trump admin push to cut funding for youth gender-affirming care. DD: Ever-increasingly, to send your child to a public school is to make your child an LGBTQer.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/09/04/illinois-joins-lawsuit-against-second-trump-admin-push-to-cut-federal-funding-for-youth-gender-affirming-care
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders say the GOP was confident about keeping its Senate majority but now the fight for control is wide open.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/08/gop-senate-majority-control/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight illegal drugs.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/08/column-operation-southern-spear-drug-trafficking-donald-trump-depetris/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH PICTURE: DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/08/illinois-in-state-tuition-changes/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/08/opinion-midway-blitz-one-year-later-donald-trump-ice/
DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Suburban ‘Angel Mom’ turns grief into advocacy for immigration enforcement.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260907/news/suburban-angel-mom-turns-grief-into-advocacy-for-immigration-enforcement/
— How the suburbs will honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11. DD: I organized Wheaton’s 2003 and 2004 9/11 ceremonies. Sadly, my critics/opponents boycotted the events.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260908/news/we-remember-how-the-suburbs-will-honor-the-25th-anniversary-of-9-11/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Wheaton Sept. 11 Remembrance Ceremony: 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at Memorial Park band shell, 225 N. Karlskoga Ave. Join the city and Wheaton Park District in paying tribute to those lost in the terrorist attacks 25 years ago and the ensuing military conflicts, and honoring fire and police personnel. Ceremony participants will include Wheaton Mayor Philip Suess, members of the Wheaton police and fire departments and honor guard, local musicians, and community leaders. Visit www.wheaton.il.us .)
FOX ILLINOIS
— What to watch as Republicans gather in Dallas for Trump’s unusual midterm convention. Republicans will descend on Dallas this week for a two-day convention dreamed up by President Donald Trump to rally his party ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/what-to-watch-as-republicans-gather-in-dallas-for-trumps-unusual-midterm-convention/article_c00fea0e-313a-55b3-bb26-cef4bf45f167.html
— Trump wants voters to pretend he’s on the ballot. The Republican Party is going along for the ride. President Donald Trump may try to channel the role of cowboy as he heads to the first-ever off-year Republican convention in Dallas beginning Wednesday.
https://www.foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/trump-wants-voters-to-pretend-he-s-on-the-ballot-the-republican-party-is-going/article_bcb6cb69-2f16-53f4-9ea9-0bc25b61e1b7.html
POSITIVELY NAPERVILLE
— Naperville Jaycees’ Labor Day Parade 9/7/2026.
https://www.positivelynaperville.com/2026/09/07/photo-gallery-naperville-jaycees-labor-day-parade-9-7-2026/160933
NAPERVILLE PATCH
— Investigation Underway After Shots Fired Incident In Naperville. Police say they have interviewed “several subjects” who they believed were involved in the shots fired incident.
https://patch.com/illinois/naperville/investigation-underway-after-shots-fired-incident-naperville
CAPITOL CITY NOW
— IL reparations commission wants your input. DD: How strongly do Democrat leaders blame your ancestors for slavery?
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-il-reparations-commission-wants-your-input/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Democratic Senate nominee Juliana Stratton and Republican nominee Don Tracy are set to debate Oct. 20 on WTTW. Tracy recently released a new ad ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gCmzRelTbI ).
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/09/08/campaigns-hit-the-gas-01067063
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/08/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-802/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— GOP rep, Pritzker targeted with AI photo, death threats.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/gop-rep-pritzker-targeted-ai-150000531.html
WIREPOINTS
— Low Returns and a New Political Handout: How the Illinois Treasurer Invests Your Money.
https://wirepoints.org/low-returns-and-a-new-political-handout-how-the-illinois-treasurer-invests-your-money-wirepoints/
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Too conservative? Since 2000, my critics/opponents have blamed me and have blamed my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters for defeats suffered by Republican candidates on ballots in my DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton. They hint/imply/argue/shout at Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders that is because I am too conservative, that is, because I promote too many conservative principles and too many planks in the Republican Party platform that they reject. Most commonly, they reject the personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and/or equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) planks. They stress the success they have had getting their operatives and their dupes to take adverse actions against me. According to them, the more that I do to help elect Republican candidates on ballots in my precinct, the fewer votes they will get. My more extreme critics/opponents discourage candidates and the Milton Township Republican Organization from giving me candidates’ campaign literature for me to distribute in my precinct. What do you say to my critics/opponents? – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Republicans should set midterm eyes on exposing leftist lunacy, lies, hypocrisies.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/8/republicans-set-midterm-eyes-exposing-leftist-lunacy-lies-hypocrisies/
— Why 30 million American men are single — and why that number keeps growing. 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.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/7/analysts-see-social-economic-changes-pushing-men-not-marry/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Trump’s immigration enforcement was no miracle, just responsible government.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4714184/immigration-enforcement-responsible-government/
— Osama bin Laden is winning from the grave.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4713112/america-political-violence-bin-laden-logic/
NEW YORK POST
— Trump, GOP turn up the heat to ensure fairness, purge wokeism on campuses.
https://nypost.com/2026/09/08/opinion/trump-gop-turn-up-the-heat-to-ensure-fairness-purge-wokism-on-campuses/
AMERICAN THINKER
— Personal Finance and the Road to Reparations. The problem of poverty is not slavery. It is the black culture with single-parent families. It is the adoption of Democrat Party government programs that encourage dependency.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/09/personal-finance-and-the-road-to-reparations/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Government Employees Fight Trump’s Reforms From Within the Executive Branch. DD: Virtually all federal employees are Democrats.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/09/07/federal-unions-act-like-deep-state-suing-block-trump-policy/
FOX NEWS
— Five reasons the Democrat Party will only keep making a hard left turn. Government spending, union campaign finance and super PAC influence are pushing Democrats further left.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/five-reasons-democrat-party-keep-making-hard-left-turn
— Socialists wrestle with party strategy at annual conference in Chicago.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/socialists-wrestle-party-strategy-annual-233402075.html
LIBERTY NATION
— The Horrifying Legacy of Socialism.
https://www.libertynation.com/the-horrifying-legacy-of-socialism/
NATIONAL POLICE ASSOCIATION
— The National Police Association Investigates Who Was Behind Illinois Laws Targeting Federal Officers. DD: I enforced federal tax laws for IRS for almost 9 years a Revenue Officer, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 Levels, currently $100,059-$113,402/year.
https://nationalpolice.org/the-national-police-association-investigates-who-was-behind-illinois-laws-targeting-federal-officers/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The National Police Association (NPA) has opened a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) public-records investigation into the origins of the Illinois Bivens Act and the Illinois Court Access, Safety, and Participation Act, laws designed to put the men and women enforcing federal immigration law personally in the crosshairs of lawsuits, punitive damages, and political retribution. The NPA’s FOIA requests are seeking drafts, redlines, legal memoranda, meeting records, emails, text messages, and other communications from the offices of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, State Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and the Illinois Senate. The records sought cover the conception, drafting, promotion, and planned enforcement of the laws, including any and all coordination with immigration organizations, civil-rights groups, legal-aid organizations, outside lawyers, lobbyists, and anti-police organizations. The laws create the authority for illegal aliens and others to sue federal immigration enforcement officers, turning Illinois courts into a venue for illegal aliens and their attorneys to extract money from federal agents. And Illinois lawmakers went further. An officer’s facial covering, identification practices, body-camera use, vehicle license plates, and even crowd-control equipment can become factors in determining punitive damages. Another provision restricts arrests in and around state courthouses and exposes federal officers to an additional $10,000 in statutory damages. The public has the right to know whether politicians in Springfield worked hand-in-glove with anti-law enforcement organizations to build this litigation scheme and whether those organizations expect to profit from the lawsuits the new laws authorize. “It is unacceptable for a state government to declare open season on federal officers because political leaders despise the federal laws those officers were sworn to enforce,” said Eddie Hutchison, President of the National Police Association. “Illinois politicians could not repeal federal immigration law, and they could not abolish ICE, so they appear to have chosen to make the enforcement of federal law as personally financially ruinous as possible,” Hutchison added. If that was the plan, then open the files and name the names: who conceived it, who wrote it, who helped arm it, and who intends to cash in as Illinois turns its courthouses into weapons against federal officers for doing their jobs enforcing America’s immigration laws. The NPA’s individual FOIAs can be viewed here. The National Police Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting for law enforcement through advocacy, education, and the courts.)
WESTERN JOURNAL
— Leftists Call for Murder of Liberal Financial YouTuber for Promoting Personal Responsibility to Overcome Debt.
https://www.westernjournal.com/leftists-call-murder-liberal-financial-youtuber-promoting-personal-responsibility-overcome-debt/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: You’ve likely seen viral clips of financial YouTuber Caleb Hammer. His channel boasts 3.7 million subscribers, mostly due to videos in which he sits down with guests to go over their spending habits. That might sound boring to the average viewer, but Hammer makes it wildly entertaining as he admonishes guests over their poor budget decisions and life choices that landed them in dire financial straits.)
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ASSOCIATED PRESS
— Midterm elections head into the home stretch as candidates attend Labor Day events.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/midterm-elections-head-into-the-home-stretch-as-candidates-attend-labor-day-events
NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: As Midterms Approach, Republicans Find There Is No Escape From Trump. The president’s strategy, message and spending have left the G.O.P. in a difficult spot as lawmakers try to outrun his sagging approval ratings.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/us/politics/trump-miderm-elections-republicans.html
— Inside the Battle to Save One Pioneering General From Hegseth’s Purge. DD: There was no battle to save me from being purged by my Democrat GAO superiors when I was 49 in 1997. My critics/opponents continue to uses that against me. According to them, my being purged even though I had three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license proves that I brought it on myself, that I deserved it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/us/politics/hegseth-army-general-donahue.html
USA TODAY
— Trump bets on himself as midterm savior. Will ‘Trumpapalooza’ backfire? Trump is putting himself center stage in the midterms with a Dallas convention, even as his low approval rating threatens to drag down GOP candidates.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/06/trump-midterm-election-convention-risk/91576603007/
– Single Americans who say income matters in a relationship expect a potential lifelong partner to earn an average of $139,000 a year. DD: In today’s dollars, I never earned more than $154,682/year and that was not until I was 49 in 1997. When I got married when I was 29 in 1978, my salary was only $110,066/year in today’s dollars. I had worked for IRS for almost 7 years. 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.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/budget-and-spending/2026/09/03/single-americans-partners-earning-six-figures-study/91595118007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Socialism and the Dumbest Generation. Young people embrace an ideology that goes against everything they actually believe.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/socialism-and-the-dumbest-generation-687024bf
— The Unexpected Cost of Pet Care Has Young Adults Rethinking Their Finances. Pet ownership among Gen Z has spiked, but many are unprepared for the inevitable vet bills.
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/cost-pet-care-finances-5a1cd072
— American Workers Have Slammed the Brakes on Switching Jobs. The country is adding around 80,000 jobs a month, up from last year, but workers are still wary. DD: The longer that you are employed in the public sector, the more impossible it is to get a job in the private sector.
https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/american-workers-have-slammed-the-brakes-on-switching-jobs-767c45d1
— FRONT PAGE: Americans Without College Degrees Are Having One of the Best Job Markets in Years. Unemployment among younger workers who didn’t go to college has rarely been lower in recent decades. It is the opposite story for college grads. DD: If I had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business when I was 21 in 1970, Firestone Stores would not have hired me in 1970. If I had not passed the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970, IRS would not have hired me in 1971. If I had not been taking graduate evening business courses, IRS would not have promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. If I had not earned an MBA in 1976 and passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, GAO would not have hired me in 1980.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/americans-without-college-degrees-are-having-one-of-the-best-job-markets-in-years-5f37d00e
JOURNAL COURIER
— Demonization of Trump to blame for rise of socialism.
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/opinion/article/mark-serrano-demonization-trump-blame-rise-22411520.php
LA PROGRESSIVE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly demonize, denigrate, and condemn capitalism.
https://www.laprogressive.com/progressive-issues/socialism-in-the-dock
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
ECONOMIST
— How American universities get around the DEI backlash.
https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/09/07/how-american-universities-get-around-the-dei-backlash
September 4, 2026
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CBS2
— House of Representatives adopt resolution condemning socialism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism. What positions on socialism do each of the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct have on socialism?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVgo6G5hURc
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/04/will-county-grant-immigration-services-unpaid/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more hatred against Hegseth.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/09/04/pete-hegseth-iran-wars-military-dei-woke-trump-s-e-cupp
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: ComEd customers pay billions to keep the lights on during storms. Will it be enough? The Gary power debacle is a warning of what can go wrong with the electric system as extreme weather fueled by climate change upends disaster planning. 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/environment/2026/09/02/chicago-comed-power-grid-outage-storms-electric-bills-weather-gary-indiana-climate-change
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/bearing-the-blitz/2026/09/04/south-shore-immigration-raid-midway-blitz-resident-is-still-homeless
DAILY HERALD
— DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism. What positions on socialism do each of the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct have on socialism?
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260904/syndicated-columnists/arthurdale-and-the-socialism-debate/
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Illinois hospitals to lose billions through Medicaid policy change.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/health-care/ccb-illinois-hospitals-medicaid-cuts-20260903/
WGN RADIO
— Trump promises to campaign for Republicans and says they have a winning midterm message.
https://wgnradio.com/news/political-news/ap-trump-promises-to-campaign-for-republicans-and-says-they-have-a-winning-midterm-message/
COOK COUNTY RECORD
— Sheriffs: ‘Assault weapon’ bans in Cook County, elsewhere endanger law-abiding citizens.
https://www.legalnewsline.com/cook-county-record/sheriffs-assault-weapon-bans-in-cook-county-elsewhere-endanger-law-abiding-citizens/article_9474f606-f270-4963-ab38-a34458dbacef.html
NORTHERN STAR
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote non-Whites because non-Whites overwhelming vote for Democrats.
https://northernstar.info/137437/opinion/diversity-is-more-than-a-celebration/
DAILY EGYPTIAN
— Del Mar pitches affordability, ‘energizes Republican base’ at Du Quoin State Fair.
https://dailyegyptian.com/124993/showcase/del-mar-pitches-affordability-energizes-republican-base-at-du-quoin-state-fair/
NPR ILLINOIS
— DD: IRS targets private schools that discriminate.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-09-04/irs-targets-private-schools-that-help-racial-minority-students
WFMD
— DOJ threatens to cut billions in welfare funding from states for failing to report illegal migrants.
https://www.wfmd.com/2026/09/03/doj-threatens-to-cut-billions-in-welfare-funding-from-states-for-failing-to-report-illegal-migrants/
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/04/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-801/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/09/03/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-588/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
BAILEY FOR ILLINOIS
— PRESS CONFERENCE: On Friday, September 4, at 10:00 AM, former state senator and candidate for governor, Darren Bailey, and his running mate, Aaron Del Mar, will host a press conference in front of the JB Pritzker-owned Hyatt Hotel in Chicago to discuss the socialist takeover of the Democratic Party ahead of the Socialism Conference being held this weekend.
https://baileyforillinois.com/news/
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism. What positions on socialism do each of the Democrat candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot in your precinct have on socialism? Sooner or later, the Democrat Party will officially rename itself the Socialist Party. What did capitalism allow/encourage you to do? It allowed/encouraged me a) to work my way through college, b) to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, c) to earn three job-related master’s degrees, d) to earn six job-related professional certifications, and e) to earn a job-related professional license. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Pritzker’s record: Over $35 billion in personal income left Illinois during his first term.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-outmigration-irs-income-loss/
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Crystal Lake, Harvard & Marengo Score “Teacher Vacancy” Grants (Link to Other 97 Winning School Districts)
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/09/03/crystal-lake-harvard-marengo-score-teacher-vacancy-grants/
— Circuit Clerk Announces Amnesty Week to Help People Pay Past-Due Court Fines
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/09/03/circuit-clerk-announces-amnesty-week-to-help-people-pay-past-due-court-fines/
— Pritzker Rolls Out New Commercial Attacking Curriculum of Bailey School, Labeling Him “Extreme” Again
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/09/03/pritzker-rolls-out-new-commercial-attacking-curriculum-of-bailey-school-labeling-him-extreme-again/
— Dems Enact Bill for “Women and Individuals Who Menstruate”
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/09/03/dems-enact-bill-for-women-and-individuals-who-menstruate/
— Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Releases Ad Attacking Democratic Party Candidate
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/09/02/republican-u-s-senate-candidate-releases-ad-attacking-democratic-party-candidate/
— You Couldn’t Find New Posts Yesterday Because I Was Reading a Really Funny Political Book
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/09/02/you-couldnt-find-new-posts-yesterday-because-i-was-reading-a-book/
— Chicago Tribune Joins Bob Anderson’s Campaign Against Double Dippers
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/31/chicago-tribune-joins-bob-andersons-campaign-against-double-dippers/
— Jeanne Ives Does the Math on Another “Affordable” Housing Project
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/31/jeanne-ives-does-the-math-on-another-affordable-housing-project/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— IRS says it will deny tax-exempt status to private schools that practice affirmative action. DD: Affirmative Action is discrimination against Whites and males.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/3/irs-says-deny-tax-exempt-status-private-schools-practice-affirmative/
— ICE whistleblower warned of ‘unprecedented lowering of standards’ during hiring spree. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, to hire, retain, and promote young Democrat minorities and young Democrat females, they ever-increasing lowered standards. That ever-increasingly rendered worthless my job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/3/ice-whistleblower-warned-unprecedented-lowering-standards-hiring/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The rapid pace of the hiring, fueled by a $50,000 signing bonus, raised concerns about the quality of the new employees. An investigation by The Associated Press found that some of the new hires had serious financial problems in their backgrounds, had been accused of misconduct in prior jobs, and had checkered employment histories. . .The whistleblower complaint said that “systemic breakdowns in vetting” violated several federal rules and standards designed to ensure candidates are suitable for sensitive law enforcement and national security positions.
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— DEI isn’t dead. It’s mutating.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4709530/dei-survival-higher-education-mutating/
AMAC
— 192 Democrats Vote Against Resolution Condemning Socialism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://amac.us/newsline/192-democrats-vote-against-resolution-condemning-socialism-supporting-constitution-and-secure-elections
AMERICAN DECENCY
— El-Sayed: Harbinger of Perilous Times.
https://americandecency.org/2026/el-sayed-harbinger-of-perilous-times/
BLAZE
— Sorry, socialists: The internet saved your homework. Abdul El-Sayed, Darializa Avila Chevalier, and others are learning that political maturation requires more than just scrubbing the awkward bits. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/sorry-socialists-the-internet-saved-your-homework
— AOC made socialism cool. Now the socialists want her gone. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/aoc-made-socialism-cool-now-the-socialists-want-her-gone
CHRISTIAN POST
— Episcopal Church celebrates first trans dean — woman in lesbian marriage to trans-identified pastor. DD: How strongly have Democrats taken over your church? The Democrat Party platform is extremely anti-religious.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/wisconsin-cathedral-gets-episcopal-churchs-first-trans-dean.html
DAILY SIGNAL
— Times Square Massacre Ends Bank of America VP’s Life— Socialists Call It ‘Justice.’ DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-QQGnMirow
DAILY WIRE
— China, DSA, And Unions Are Teaming Up To Transform America.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-china-dsa-and-unions-are-teaming-up-to-transform-america-conservative-group-warns
FEDERALIST
— Wealth gap. DD: Who are you peers? One could argue that your peers are your high school classmates who share your demographics and graduated with you. Why do you have more money than your peers? None of my peers did what I did. I earned three job-related master’s degrees. I earned six job-related professional certifications. I earned job-related professional license.
https://thefederalist.com/2026/09/03/the-wealth-gap-is-real-and-washington-created-it/
FOX BUSINESS
— Fetterman calls to ‘divorce’ Democratic Party from far-left socialists. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6404545654112
— Socialism’s rising influence in the Democratic Party. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6404540105112
— 81% of Americans support capitalism. To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6404539086112
FOX NEWS
— America’s quiet socialist takeover is spreading from town halls to classrooms. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/americas-quiet-socialist-takeover-spreading-town-halls-classrooms
— DD: What did capitalism allow/encourage you to do? It allowed/encouraged me a) to work my way through college, b) to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, c) to earn three job-related master’s degrees, d) to earn six job-related professional certifications, and e) to earn a job-related professional license.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/cure-socialism-giving-more-americans-stake-capitalism
— Talarico brings a touch of Trotsky to the Texas Senate race. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/jonathan-turley-talarico-brings-touch-trotsky-texas-senate-race
NEWSMAX
— Wealthy brats who tout socialism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MICPYHSJEZE
— Socialism Destroys Freedom, Economic Opportunity. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/young-kim-newsmax-socialism/2026/09/03/id/1268288/
— Social Security Crisis Is a Ruse for Socialists to Impose a Wealth Tax. DD: The more money that you spend on immediate pleasures, the less wealth that you will have.
https://www.newsmax.com/finance/peter-morici/social-security-crisis-democratic-socialists/2026/09/03/id/1268299/
POST MILLENNIAL
— Only 8 Democrats back House resolution condemning socialism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://thepostmillennial.com/only-8-democrats-back-house-resolution-condemning-socialism
REAL CLEAR MARKETS
— Zohran Mamdani’s Socialist Revolution Care of ‘Influencers.’ DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism. My critics/opponents are soft on socialism if not pro-socialism. They do not want me to be an anti-socialist influencer. My critics/opponents destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate or dominate, b) who refuse to glorify or praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money. I should write about my critics/opponents.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/2026/09/04/zohran_mamdanis_socialist_revolution_care_of_influencers_1204240.html
TOWNHALL
— Mamdani Says Capital Flight Is a Myth As New Yorkers Flee His Socialist Affordability Crisis. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://townhall.com/news/dmitri-bolt/2026/09/03/mamdani-myth-of-capital-flight-n2682420
WESTERN JOURNALISM
— Dems Admit They Might Sanction Moderates in Their Party Who Voted With GOP Because They’re Afraid of Socialists. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.westernjournal.com/dems-admit-might-sanction-moderates-party-voted-gop-afraid-socialists/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
NEW YORK TIMES
— DD: To get more votes from non-Whites, Democrats ever-increasingly promote race based preference giving.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/business/economy/trump-irs-college-nonprofits.html
— Jay Leno’s Classic Car Bill Passes in California Legislature. The bipartisan bill, backed by Mr. Leno, the comedian and car collector, would exempt some older vehicles from having to meet California’s stringent emissions rules.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/us/jay-leno-law-classic-cars-emissions.html
LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL
— Democrat leader saves wrath for moderates, not socialists. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-democrat-leader-saves-wrath-for-moderates-not-socialists-3881588/
ROCKEY MOUNTAIN VOICE
— Mamdani’s socialism leaves private property perpetually insecure. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism. I promote capitalism. When did you start buying property? I bought a 1958 Chevy BelAir when I was 16 in 1964. I bought a new 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint when I was 17. I bought a new townhome when I was 24.
https://rockymountainvoice.com/2026/09/03/sloan-mamdanis-socialism-leaves-private-property-perpetually-insecure/
FLORIDA VOICE
— 192 House Democrats refuse to denounce socialism. DD: To vote for Democrats is to vote for socialism.
https://flvoicenews.com/192-house-democrats-refuse-to-denounce-socialism-reject-election-security-bill-ahead-of-midterms/
FORBES
— Pushing Their Party Further And Further Left. DD: Democrat plant and RINO leaders have ever-increasingly pushed the Illinois Republican Party (IRP), DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and Milton Township Republican Organization to the left, that is, to dump more planks in the IRP platform.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gty_0gS-2lU
INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— DD: To get more votes from minorities and from females, Democrats and RINOs ever-increasingly give minorities and females more preference over Whites and males.
https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2026/09/04/latest-trump-move-threatens-colleges-seeking-promote-equality
PEOPLE’S WORLD
— DD: Sooner or later, Democrats will call you a red-baiter if you do not vote for Democrats, that is, if you do not promote socialism.
https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/house-approves-anti-socialist-red-baiting-resolution/
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
ECONOMIST
— Woke 1 was about identity. Woke 2 is about class. DD: What class 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 $75,000/year in today’s dollars. My mother never attended high school.
https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/09/03/woke-1-was-about-identity-woke-2-is-about-class
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
August 26, 2026 Evening Edition
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Pritzker kicks off statewide bus tour as part of reelection campaign against Bailey.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/il-democratic-gov-jb-pritzker-kicks-off-statewide-bus-tour-governor-election-race-republican-darren-bailey-continues/19739557/
— Federal judge lifts all blocks on Trump mail-in ballots executive order.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/federal-judge-lifts-blocks-trump-mail-ballots-executive-order/19739846/
— State Department preparing to cancel tens of thousands of visas held by asylum seekers.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/state-department-preparing-cancel-tens-thousands-visas-held-asylum-seekers-officials/19738439/
NBC5
— Mayor Brandon Johnson defends administration’s approach to teen takeovers. DD: What is your municipality doing to stop Democrat teen takeovers? When you were a teen, what did you do when you were not in school? I did yard work 1962-1964. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivered mail 1966-1969.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/mayor-brandon-johnson-defends-administrations-approach-to-teen-takeovers/3980831/
CBS2
— Grocery stores in Gary, Indiana, restocking after weeks 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://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/gary-crocery-stores-short-supply/
WBEZ
— Mayor’s executive order targets companies helping with deportation campaign. A national group behind the order says the city holds $3.19 billion in contracts with 42 companies doing business with ICE.
https://www.wbez.org/city-hall/2026/08/26/mayor-brandon-johnson-executive-order-contracts-city-business-deportation-campaign
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Pritzker pounces on President Donald Trump in campaign bus tour kickoff.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/26/gov-jb-pritzker-pounces-on-president-donald-trump-in-campaign-bus-tour-kickoff/
— Illinois joins lawsuit to block Postal Service from deciding mail-in voting eligibility.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/26/illinois-mail-in-ballot-lawsuit/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/26/chicago-immigration-court/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/26/immigration-enforcement-contracts/
— Arab American activists rally outside Oak Lawn Village Hall, say police placed 14-year-old in chokehold.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/26/arab-american-activists-rally-oak-lawn/
— Today in Chicago History: 1968 Democratic National Convention begins with ‘the whole world watching.’ What did you do during August of 1968? I lived with my parents and brother in Crete. I delivered mail full-time for the Park Forest Post Office. I drove my 1968 Oldsmobile 442.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/26/august-26-chicago-history/
DAILY HERALD
— ‘Our contingency plans have contingency plans’: Officials preparing for potential changes ahead of Election Day.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260826/nation-and-world-politics/our-contingency-plans-have-contingency-plans-suburban-officials-preparing-for-potential-changes-a/
— Bailey implores GOP to improve turnout as campaign’s focus shifts to suburbs. DD: I hope that each of the 18 Republican candidates on the November 3, 2006 ballot in my precinct will provide enough of their campaign pieces to the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) so that I can pick them up 400 pieces and hand-deliver them to the 400 residences in my DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton that have at least one registered Republican or Independent voter. That is 7,200 pieces (400 X 18). So far, I have placed 660 DuPage County Election Division-provided mailing labels on 400 DuPage County GOP-provided envelopes. I have split them into five batches and put them in walk order. I want to start stuffing those envelopes with MTRO-provided outstanding Voter Guides and the literature pieces ASAP. I want to start stuffing as soon as I have at least 100 pieces from each of the candidates. As soon as the sample ballot for my precinct is available, I will make 400 photocopies, stuff them, and head out the door. The 18 candidates are Tracy, Bailey/Del Mar, Fioretti, Solomon, Harris, Drew, Soloman, Oakley, Lewis, Vrankovich, Grasso, Noonan, Schiappa, Henry, Eckhoff, Michaud, Schultz, Quirk, and Helland.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260826/illinois-state-politics/bailey-implores-gop-to-improve-turnout-as-campaigns-focus-shifts-to-suburbs/
— Clerk’s tantrum doesn’t justify elections ‘blank check.’
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260826/letters-to-the-editor/clerks-tantrum-doesnt-justify-elections-blank-check/
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Johnson puts city contractors on notice over ties to ICE.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics-policy/ccb-brandon-johnson-ice-executive-order-20260826/
— Illinois joins renewed push to stop Trump mail-ballot curbs.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics-policy/ccb-mail-ballots-lawsuit-supreme-court-20260826/
QUAD CITY TIMES
— Bailey speaks at Tyson plant.
https://qctimes.com/news/local/business/article_526f3c45-1c05-4d84-8e7f-0f48a8efdc1e.html
CITY OF WHEATON
— Community Invited to September 11 Remembrance Ceremony. DD: I organized Wheaton’s 2003 and 2004 9/11 remembrance ceremonies.
https://page.alertsense.com/content/1745/196982
(ALSO FROM WHEATON: Wheaton Car Show Draws Thousands to Memorial Park. The Wheaton Concours Car Show was a tremendous success, with an estimated 5,000 attendees gathering at Memorial Park on August 22. The free event, hosted in partnership with the Wheaton Police Department and The Hamilton Collection, brought the community together to see an impressive collection of exotic cars, supercars, classics and American muscle cars while supporting Special Olympics Illinois. Thank you to everyone who attended, participated and helped make the event such an incredible day in Wheaton!)
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Pritzker record: Illinois loses tens of thousands of residents during his tenure.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-population-loss-pritzker/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Half of America’s power plants are sitting idle while your electric bill soars.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4691404/building-transmission-lines-impact-electricity-prices-bottlenecks-cost-allocation/
BREITBART
— Trump Pauses Immigrant Visas Globally for Training to Avoid Deadbeats, Troublemakers.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/08/26/nolte-trump-pauses-immigrant-visas-globally-for-training-to-avoid-deadbeats-troublemakers/
NATIONAL REVIEW
— It’s No Mystery Why Young Men Are Leaving the Workforce. DD: If I had been a woman, the Democrats who ran the federal government would have promoted me into their Senior Executive Service long before I was 40 in 1988. While I worked for them, I earned a bachelor’s degree in management, an MBA, and master’s degrees in accounting and in financial markets and trading. I passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt. I became a licensed CPA. I earned professional certifications in fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting. But they delayed my promotions and never promoted me beyond GS-13. None of my Democrat coworkers who were women who my Democrat superiors promoted over me came close to doing what I did.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/08/its-no-mystery-why-young-men-are-leaving-the-workforce/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “American women now hold 176,000 more payroll jobs than American men,” according to the Wall Street Journal and July data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For many years under progressive administrations and in major companies, the DEI regime has reigned. A lot of firms had either official or unofficial gender and/or race targets they were striving to meet. The NASDAQ, which includes more than 3,000 major companies, had rules requiring its listees to publicly disclose diversity statistics and to have — or explain why they did not have — at least two directors who are minorities, including one who self-identifies as female. Though not a strict numerical quota, such forced diversity disclosure served as a moral litmus test for companies. Though a court eventually struck down the rules, the exchange for over three years signaled that females should be privileged in C-suites. That and other virtue-signaling memos trickled down through the culture to this generation of young men. In college, I remember a male friend’s frustration as he and other finance undergrads competed for a small pool of jobs while big banks clamored to fill spots with females, despite their having, in his telling, less impressive applications. Before President Trump issued executive orders prohibiting DEI in the federal government, affirmative action in the awarding of government contracting was widespread, effectively a different kind of cronyism. The message was the same in college admissions. Before the Supreme Court declared affirmative action in admissions unconstitutional in 2023, colleges participated in discrimination against white men by applying racial preferences. Even now, some schools, including Duke Law, have tried to circumvent the Supreme Court’s Harvard ruling via proxy discrimination, developing mechanisms to flag for ostensibly marginalized backgrounds in admissions essays and usher in minority candidates. As for women, their rising numbers in colleges were aided by the lifting of artificial caps on female enrollment. Before the 1970s, schools such as Yale University limited female enrollment to a small fraction of the class. With affirmative action and Title IX, universities dropped these ceilings and invited many new female students. However, some STEM institutions didn’t just open the doors — they gave favorable consideration to women to counter underrepresentation. “Girls are twice as likely as boys to get into Caltech or MIT, to make up for the fact that they are half as likely to apply,” the Washington Post wrote in 2024. To be fair, now that females make up nearly 60 percent of all college students nationwide, some colleges have allegedly practiced gender balancing in the other direction. Dubbed “affirmative action” for men, this isn’t the way, either. But even if female enrollees didn’t technically steal spots that would otherwise go to men, the disproportionate number changed the constitution of the average college. It is not a coincidence that gender studies, which is based on the idea that the patriarchy is the root of evil in society, has exploded as a discipline across academia in the past decade. With women dominating, colleges have evolved to focus on women’s concerns, as Helen Andrews wrote in her essay “The Great Feminization.” Gee, maybe that was a deterrent to men? If colleges are increasingly adopting an ideological tone that treats maleness as problematic, that might chase men out or keep men away. A conscious policy choice that has displaced young men in the workforce involves legal immigration programs such as H-1B, which, aside from being a corrupt labor arrangement, takes jobs from young men in technical fields. For those who would argue that these immigrants bring special genius and expertise that Americans cannot provide, there is no highly skilled worker shortage in the United States. Rather, it is more likely that the infusion of foreign labor depresses wages for Americans, disincentivizing them from putting their STEM degrees to use or pursuing them in the first place. That being said, there is a whole sector begging for young men to join. An analysis this year found that nearly 1.4 million trade jobs across seven essential industries will be unfilled by 2030. Since the turn of the century, labor force participation has steadily declined across the board. As tradesmen retire, new apprentices aren’t replacing them fast enough. For every five tradesmen who leave the workforce, only two younger workers step up. There is incredible financial opportunity for young men in vocations if they want it. It’s true that for many years, young men have repeatedly run into walls erected by politicians and corporate partners who determined that the appearance of equity was more important than fairness. The trend of the stay-at-home boyfriend is partly a consequence of a workforce now dominated by women, which was not so much an organic development as one that was socially engineered. Their disengagement from American life did not happen in a vacuum. Young men feel defeated, and they cannot be entirely blamed for that. But the answer is not to grovel to despairing young men or treat them with kid gloves. The Trump administration has done the foundational work of ripping up the institutional barriers standing against men, though some remain. We, as a culture, must continually affirm that young men are valuable parts of our economy and our future. And entrepreneurship and getting your hands dirty are still paths welcome to young men who desire to build.)
REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— The Cost of California’s ‘Sanctuary’ Policies – In Human Lives.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2026/08/26/the_cost_of_californias_sanctuary_policies_-_in_human_lives_709063.html
WHITE HOUSE
— Trump Delivers: 14 Recent Wins You May Have Missed.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2026/08/trump-delivers-14-wins-you-may-have-missed/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CBS NEWS
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-arrests-record-high-july-new-data/
NEW YORK TIMES
— Stop Trying to Make Everyone Go to College. DD: My father often decried his not having a college degree. That motivated me to earn not only four college degrees, but a six professional certifications, and a professional license even though no one saw me as being college material. My ACT score was only 24 and I only just barely made it into the upper 20% of my class.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/opinion/college-technical-vocational-education.html
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— States Face Election Confusion as Trump Administration Upends Mail-Ballot Rules. With clock ticking and litigation raging, new Trump-favored postal regulations threaten to disrupt midterms.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/states-face-election-confusion-after-postal-service-upends-mail-ballot-rules-6525fe7d
FORBES
— There Are 5 Mentors Your Career Needs. How Many Do You Have? DD: To get rid of me, my Democrat IRS superiors got rid of the IRS manager who had promoted me when I was 23, 24, and 25. To get rid of me, my Democrat GAO superiors got rid of the GAO manager who had arranged for my transfer from IRS when I was 31 and was finally able to assign me audits of IRS when I was 37 and to promoted me when I was 38.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andymolinsky/2026/04/20/there-are-5-mentors-your-career-needs-how-many-do-you-have/
— Job Ads Deter Applicants Age 40 And Older.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sheilacallaham/2022/09/26/new-research-shows-job-ads-deter-applicants-age-40-and-older/
LAW
— Discouragement. DD: To get rid of me, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors discouraged me from earning job-related college degrees, professional certifications, and professional licenses. Nevertheless, I earned a bachelor’s degree in management, an MBA, and master’s degrees in accounting and in financial markets and trading. I passed the CPA and Certified Internal Auditor examinations on my first attempt. I became a licensed CPA. I earned professional certifications in fraud examination, government financial management, financial services auditing, and forensic accounting. None of my Democrat coworkers who my Democrat superiors promoted over me came close to doing what I did.
https://www.law.com/2026/08/24/how-i-made-law-firm-leadership-do-not-let-being-underestimated-discourage-you-says-hillary-nappi-of-awk-survivor-advocate-attorneys/
FROM FOREIGN SOURCES
TIMES OF INDIA
— Generac has a $1.6 billion data-center order backlog.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/wisconsin-based-generator-company-has-a-1-6-billion-data-center-order-backlog-ceo-says-the-question-is-/articleshow/133455798.cms
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 20, 2026 Evening Edition
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Republican leaders urge supporters to mobilize ahead of November election at Illinois State Fair.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/republican-candidates-midterm-election-share-message-unity-2026-illinois-state-fair/19709027/
NBC5
— What it’s like to live without power as thousands struggle for days in northwest Indiana. As of 4 p.m. Thursday, they are among 68,000 customers still without power as a result of last week’s catastrophic 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.nbcchicago.com/news/local/what-its-like-to-live-without-power-as-thousands-struggle-for-days-in-northwest-indiana/3978094/
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/thousands-without-power-in-nw-indiana-after-pole-fire-downed-lines/3978066/
WGN9
— Republicans look to focus messaging during GOP Day at the Illinois State Fair.
https://wgntv.com/politics-3/republicans-look-to-focus-messaging-during-gop-day-at-the-illinois-state-fair/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYwubVSMr3M
— Darren Bailey tries to stay on message on Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair
https://wgntv.com/news/politics/wgn-the-point-politics-chicago-illinois/darren-bailey-tries-to-stay-on-message-on-republican-day-at-the-illinois-state-fair/
WTTW & HERALD REVIEW & EVANSTON NOW
— Amid Democratic scandals, Illinois Republicans hoping to flip legislative seats.
https://news.wttw.com/2026/08/20/amid-democratic-scandals-illinois-republicans-hoping-flip-legislative-seats
https://herald-review.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_79c8ae4e-ed69-541b-85c3-ccb6c16b0104.html
https://evanstonnow.com/illinois-gop-hopes-to-flip-legislative-seats/
WTTW & WQAD & CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
https://news.wttw.com/2026/08/20/trump-barely-mentioned-illinois-republicans-focus-common-enemy-pritzker
— With Trump barely mentioned, Illinois Republicans focus on common enemy: Pritzker. GOP officeholders, candidates lay blame for high prices, taxes on Democrats.
https://www.wqad.com/article/news/politics/illinois-politics/trump-barely-mentioned-illinois-republicans-focus-pritzker-capitol-news/526-a078daa5-b980-4ba1-99d9-e99d1383db4c
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/with-trump-barely-mentioned-illinois-republicans-focus-on-common-enemy-pritzker/
WBEZ
— As Trump pushes sweeping changes to mail voting, here’s where things stand in Illinois. In Illinois, there have been no major changes to voting — though voters are confused about their rights, including whether they need to bring proof of citizenship to the ballot box. DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight efforts to fight voter fraud.
https://www.wbez.org/elections/2026/08/20/donald-trump-changes-mail-in-voting-illinois-outlook-explainer
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders use the state fair to badmouth Republicans.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/20/republican-day-illinois-state-fair/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Illinois Republicans set state fair sights on Gov. JB Pritzker and ‘flat-out crazy’ Democrats. GOP governor nominee Darren Bailey and other Republicans mostly steered clear of mentioning President Donald Trump as they kicked off their run to the general election.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/springfield/2026/08/20/darren-bailey-illinois-republicans-state-fair-pritzker
DAILY HERALD
— Amid Democratic scandals, Illinois Republicans hoping to flip legislative seats.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260820/illinois-state-politics/illinois-republicans-are-hoping-to-buck-historic-midterm-election-trends-by-focusing-on-affordabilit/
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Illinois Republicans bash economic outlook under Gov. Pritzker.
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/state/2026/08/20/illinois-republicans-bash-gov-pritzker-downplay-trump-at-state-fair/91384412007/
WAND TV
— Republicans bash Pritzker, push for red wave during GOP Day at Illinois State Fair.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/republicans-bash-pritzker-push-for-red-wave-during-gop-day-at-illinois-state-fair/article_30b3253f-7226-4cc7-985e-c9e7bece2cb4.html
DAILY NEWS LINE
— Illinois Democrats position state party’s success as an example for Democrats nationwide at Annual Governor’s Day.
https://www.thedailyline.com/illinois-democrats-state-party-success-example-nationwide-governor-day
CAPITOL CITY NOW
— Illinois Republicans fire back on their day at the Illinois State Fair. Bailey: Pritzker only agreed to one debate because he’s afraid I’ll win.
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-illinois-republicans-fire-back-on-their-day-at-the-illinois-state-fair/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/20/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-583/
— Campaign roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/20/campaign-roundup-13/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Pritzker’s financial disclosure less transparent than Trump’s. Rules are stricter for federal officials than for Illinois politicians.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-financial-disclosure-laws-pritzker/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Pentagon orders 30 colleges to sever ‘problematic’ ties to China, Russia, Iran.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/20/pentagon-cracks-colleges-security-protocols/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
MIAMI HERALD
— Republican voters nominated Floridians in primaries, not carpetbaggers. DD: My critics/opponents in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton have always stressed that I have lived in the aforesaid only since I was 29 in 1978, that I have never attended any schools there, that I have never attended any churches there, and that I have never raised any children there.
https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/article316939032.html
NPR
— 400,000 kids are on waitlists for federal childcare assistance. DD: Because those who need/want/demand government assistance vote for Democrats, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly provide more government assistance.
https://www.npr.org/2026/08/19/nx-s1-5920326/childcare-assistance-waitlists
August 19, 2026 Evening Edition
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— Democrats rally at Illinois State Fair ahead of midterms, decrying costs and corruption.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-state-fair-2026-governors-day-democrats-rally-springfield-ahead-midterm-election/19703516/
https://abc7chicago.com/videoClip/19704715/
— Illinois Tollway board votes to approve toll increases.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-tollway-board-vote-toll-increases/19701930/
CBS2
— Crowd turns out to honor U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin at brunch in Springfield.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/crowd-turns-out-honor-u-s-sen-dick-durbin-springfield/
— More than 83,000 buildings, homes still without power 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://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/buildings-homes-still-without-power-northwest-indiana/
WGN9
— Democrats rally for Pritzker at Illinois State Fair ahead of gubernatorial rematch with Bailey.
https://wgntv.com/news/politics/democrats-rally-for-pritzker-at-illinois-state-fair-ahead-of-gubernatorial-rematch-with-bailey/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi7u2jipwuQ
FOX32
— Illinois sues Trump admin. over CDL records. Attorney General Kwame Raoul discusses Illinois’ lawsuit against the Trump administration over demands for personal information from millions of commercial drivers.
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-unwo4l5f9wgl4sgv
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois Democrats tout party dominance at State Fair but it’s clouded by harassment scandal and fraud case.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/19/democrats-illinois-state-fair/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Welch skips Illinois State Fair, where Democrats focus on Trump instead of harassment scandal. Democrats headed into the home stretch of the campaign season by hammering a familiar foe, while Chicago mayoral politics also made their way downstate.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/springfield/2026/08/19/chris-welch-state-fair-illinois-house-sexual-harassment-harry-benton
— What about Trump’s obsession with his critics? DD: My critics/opponents have taken many big adverse actions against me. They assume that because they have lots of clout, I will not take adverse actions against them in response.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-the-editor/2026/08/19/trump-bears-illinois-indiana-stadium-ballys-city-council-traffic-stop
DAILY HERALD
— Illinois Democrats focused on Trump as they seek third sweep of statewide races.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260819/illinois-state-politics/illinois-democrats-focused-on-trump-as-they-seek-third-sweep-of-statewide-races/
— Tollway imposes 57% hikes on cars, 30% for trucks, with more to come.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260819/transportation/tollway-imposes-57-hikes-on-cars-30-for-trucks-with-more-to-come/
CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— In Illinois, Warren urges Democrats to unite behind all party nominees. Massachusetts senator delivers keynote in event honoring retiring Sen. Dick Durbin.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/in-illinois-warren-urges-democrats-to-unite-behind-all-party-nominees/
CAPITOL CITY NOW
— Warren rallies Illinois Democratic troops. The US senator from Massachusetts praised Gov Pritzker as a fighter: “Go, JB!”
https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-warren-rallies-illinois-democratic-troops/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/19/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-582/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY
— ILGOP Announces Jeff Castle as New State Central Committeeman for CD6
https://illinois.gop/news/
(THE PRESS RELEASE: Today, the Republican Party of Illinois announced that ILGOP Chairman Bob Grogan has resigned from his position as State Central Committeeman for the 6th Congressional District. Effective today, Grogan will be replaced by Jeff Castle, the Chairman of the Milton Republican Party and Secretary of the DuPage Republican Party. ILGOP Chair Bob Grogan released the following statement: “I always want to be replaced by someone better than me – and I have the perfect replacement in Jeff Castle. Jeff is the hardest-working volunteer in DuPage County and has been instrumental in moving the party forward, especially in the Collar Counties. Jeff will continue to be a fantastic champion for northern Illinois.” The Republican Party Chairs of the 6th Congressional District, consisting of Cook County and DuPage County, elected Castle unanimously. Castle was nominated by Cook County Chairman, Terrance Carr.)
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— Illinois Tollway board approves largest passenger toll hike in Illinois history.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-tollway-hike-approved/
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Corbett Complains That State Fair Has Only Democrat and Republican Days
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/19/corbett-complains-that-state-fair-has-only-democrat-and-republican-days/
— Democrats Pass Another Law That Would Keep ICE from Putting Illegals in McHenry County Jail
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/19/democrats-pass-another-law/
— Law Allows More Flexibility When Dealing with Juvenile Domestic Violence Situations
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/19/law-allows-more-flexibility-when-dealing-with-juvenile-domestic-violence-situations/
— Algonquin Township Board Doesn’t Use Robert’s Rules of Order
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/19/algonquin-township-board-doesnt-use-roberts-rules-of-order/
— Next Spring’s Election Petitions Now Available
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/19/next-springs-election-petitions-now-available/
— Catalina Lauf Loses Third Congressional Race
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/18/catalina-lauf-loses-third-congressional-race/
— Facebook Marketplace Deal Goes Awry
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/18/facebook-marketplace-deal-goes-awray/
— Newsletter Following Florida Politics Awards Illinois Ex-Pat Catalina Lauf “The Apprentice: Carpetbagger Edition,” Latest Polling Shows Close Race
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/18/newsletter-following-florida-politics-awards-illinois-ex-pat-catalina-lauf-the-apprentice-carpetbagger-edition-latest-polling-shows-close-race/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Not so socialist: DSA leader lives in $1.5 million NYC row house purchased by his parents.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/19/not-socialist-dsa-leader-gustavo-gordillo-lives-15-million-nyc-row/
— Medicare for All: The Democratic Socialists of America’s Trojan horse. Government-run healthcare means rationing, fewer choices and more federal control.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/19/medicare-democratic-socialists-americas-trojan-horse/
— Who should control your life: You or the federal government? Young voters need more than warnings about communism’s bloody history.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/19/who-control-life-federal-government/
NEW YORK POST
— SF high school where 94% flunk math has California’s highest Berkeley acceptance rate.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/us-news/mission-high-boasts-top-berkeley-admit-rate-despite-math-failures/
— Deadbeat AOC’s student-loan mooching should be a red flag to her 2028 supporters.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/19/opinion/deadbeat-aocs-student-loan-mooching-should-be-red-flag-to-her-2028-supporters/
AARP
— What the Unemployment Rate Means for Older Adults. The rate for older workers increased in July as the nation lost jobs overall. DD: If you are forced to retire early, anticipate/expect that you will not be able to find a job appropriate for your work experience, education, and professional certifications/licenses. That is especially true if you are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.aarp.org/work/job-search/unemployment-rate-older-workers/
— Unemployed Older Adults Encounter Age Discrimination.
https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/work-finances-retirement/employers-workforce/long-term-unemployment-survey/
AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY
— DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy personal responsibility. My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to work my way through college, to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, to earn three job-related master’s degrees, to earn six job-related professional certifications, and to earn a job-related professional license.
https://americansforprosperity.org/policy-corner/the-upward-mobility-act-is-a-step-forward-on-welfare-reform/
DAILY CALLER
— Colorado faced a new legal hurdle to a permit-to-purchase system that took effect August 1 when the National Rifle Association joined a state affiliate in seeking an injunction blocking the scheme. In April 2025, Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation initially introduced as an outright ban on so-called “assault weapons” that required anyone wishing to buy a modern semiautomatic firearm, including the AR-15 rifle, to first receive a firearms safety course eligibility card, then complete a firearms safety course within five years.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/13/blue-states-planned-purchase-permit-system-for-semi-auto-guns-just-got-slapped-with-legal-hurdle/
HERITAGE FORNDATION
— U.S. Has a Culture of Dependency. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy personal responsibility. My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to work my way through college, to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, to earn three job-related master’s degrees, to earn six job-related professional certifications, and to earn a job-related professional license.
https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/commentary/why-the-us-has-culture-dependency
— The Rise in Dependency. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy personal responsibility. My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to work my way through college, to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, to earn three job-related master’s degrees, to earn six job-related professional certifications, and to earn a job-related professional license.
https://www.heritage.org/commentary/the-rise-dependency
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, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy personal responsibility. My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to work my way through college, to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, to earn three job-related master’s degrees, to earn six job-related professional certifications, and to earn a job-related professional license.
https://reason.com/2024/10/04/americans-grow-increasingly-dependent-on-government-payments/
US HOUSE
— More Americans Dependent on Welfare Checks, at the Expense of Work. DD: Democrat and RINO leaders ever-increasingly promote more dependency on government, that is, they ever-increasingly destroy personal responsibility. My parents and teachers promoted personal responsibility. That put me on track to work my way through college, to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, to earn three job-related master’s degrees, to earn six job-related professional certifications, and to earn a job-related professional license.
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
MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT
— Sheriffs, NRA oppose law requiring training for gun purchases. Opponents sue Colorado over new requirement for purchasers of semiautomatic firearms, rapid-fire devices.
https://www.mtdemocrat.com/news/national/sheriffs-nra-oppose-law-requiring-training-for-gun-purchases/article_6302cacf-de53-5865-a86c-4b42ff420a32.html
FORBES
— During a Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association event on Wednesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) criticized the Republican Party.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Eg0Ct7r1s8
FINANCIAL POST
— With $2.4 million in assets, does George need to double that to retire at 50? DD: My retirement income and savings are dramatically less because my Democrat superiors wasted my career and forced me to retire when I was 49 in 1997.
https://financialpost.com/personal-finance/family-finance/does-george-need-double-assets-retire-50
PARADE MAGAZINE
— Being Forced Into Retirement Is One of the Most Damaging Things That Can Happen to You. DD: I should write about that.
https://parade.com/living/being-forced-into-retirement-can-negatively-impact-mental-health
ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE
— Educated, experienced, and out of work. Long-term joblessness continues to plague the unemployed.
https://www.epi.org/publication/issuebriefs_ib198/
August 17, 2026 Evening Edition
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— New recruits joining military in big numbers, but not for reason Hegseth says. The economy is driving young Americans’ enlistments, according to Pentagon data.
https://abc7chicago.com/story/us-military-news-new-recruits-enlisting-big-numbers-not-reason-defense-secretary-pete-hegseth-says/19693144/
— Dramatic decline in people becoming new citizens in Chicago area this year. DD: Democrat leaders give tremendous benefits to noncitizens.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-area-naturalizations-drop-dramatically-more-80-2026-federal-citizenship-data-shows/19599022/
— Bailey calls for ending tolls; Pritzker questions funding plan. Toll revenues fund construction projects.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/republican-illinois-governor-candidate-darren-bailey-calls-ending-tolls-gov-jb-pritzker-questions-funding-plan/19694196/
NBC5
— Wheaton ZIP code 60187 named among America’s hottest housing markets for 2026.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/suburban-chicago-zip-code-named-among-americas-hottest-housing-markets-for-2026/3976579/
CBS2
— Some NIPSCO customers in northwest Indiana frustrated after nearly week 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://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/northwest-indiana-power-outage-nipsco/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois spent big during COVID and the migrant crisis. Who was watching the bills?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/17/favorite-staffing-covid-migrants-contractor-chris-meister/
— Northwest Indiana communities frustrated with extended NIPSCO outages. 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/2026/08/17/northwest-indiana-frustrated-extended-nipsco-outages/
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/17/ice-legal-insurance-local-officers/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Thousands of Gary residents still without power after last week’s deadly storms. As of Monday afternoon, more than 100,000 Indiana residents were without electricity, according to utility company NIPSCO, after over 300,000 people lost power because of the 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://chicago.suntimes.com/weather/2026/08/17/gary-indiana-residents-without-power-deadly-storms
— DD: To get more votes from Blacks, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly shout at non-Whites that Republicans cause all the problems that non-Whites have.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2026/08/17/anti-dei-trump-chicago-cps-firefighters-black-brown-equity-donathan-brown
DAILY HERALD
— Geneva’s annual Concours d’Elegance returns Aug. 23 with 200 vintage cars.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260817/submitted-content/genevas-annual-concours-delegance-returns-aug-23-with-over-200-vintage-cars/
SAUK VALLEY
— Tri-County GOP candidates’ meet-and-greet event set for 3 counties at 3 locations at 3 times Sept. 24.
https://www.shawlocal.com/sauk-valley/2026/08/17/tri-county-gop-candidates-meet-and-greet-event-set-for-3-counties-at-3-locations-at-3-times-sept-24/
BURR RIDGE PATCH
— Burr Ridge Park District Bars Patricia Kladis-Schiappa’s Event. The candidate is asking the agency to reconsider. She says she cannot accept “the suppression or cancellation” of a community discussion.
https://patch.com/illinois/burrridge/burr-ridge-agency-wont-allow-local-politicians-event
IPM NEWS
— Bailey on SAFE-T Act, budget, and Illinois schools.
https://ipmnewsroom.org/republican-gubernatorial-candidate-darren-bailey-on-safe-t-act-budget-and-illinois-schools/
CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/08/17/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-580/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What is your Republican Precinct Committeeman going to do to get out the vote? As the Republican Precinct Committeeman for DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton, I will hand-deliver to the 400 residences in my precinct that have at least one Republican or one Independent registered voter a copy of the sample ballot, campaign literature from all the candidates who provide their literature to the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO), and a MTRO voter guide. I have obtained a PDF file from the DuPage County Election Division mailing with labels for the 660 Republican and Independent registered voters in my precinct. I have printed out those labels and I am in the process of affixing them to envelopes provided by MTRO and putting them into five batches in walk order. I will be stuffing those envelopes with MTRO’s voter guide, literature that candidates provided MTRO, and the sample ballot. The Republican candidates on the ballot in my precinct are: Tracy, Bailey/Del Mar, Fioretti, Harris, Drew, Soloman, Oakley, Lewis, Vrankovich, Grasso, Noonan, Schiappa, Henry, Eckhoff, Michaud, Schultz, Quirk, and Helland. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— New Law Allows Veterans Second Set of Special License Plates
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/15/new-law-veterans-second-set-of-special-license-plates/
— State Believes It Can Create and Preserve Affordable Housing
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/15/state-believes-it-can-create-and-preserve-affordable-housing/
— Steve Willson’s Letter Blasting Proposed Rockford-Chicago Passenger Trains Make Front Page of Rockford Register-Star Email
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/15/steve-willsons-letter-blasting-proposed-rockford-chicago-passenger-trains-make-front-page-of-rockford-register-star-email/
— Running for Chicago Mayor, Mike Quigley Willing to Risk His Future to Save Chicago, Is Trump Willing to Do the Same to Beat Iran?
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/08/15/running-for-chicago-mayor-mike-quigley-willing-to-risk-his-future-to-save-chicago-is-trump-willing-to-do-the-same-to-beat-iran/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote voters who are anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-Christian, anti-German American, and/or anti-those who have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. That is, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote the Democrat Party’s base.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/17/catholic-league-warns-massachusetts-legislation-would-give/
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Democrats are embracing socialism. Americans aren’t.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4687755/democrats-embracing-socialism-polling/
NEW YORK POST
— Shoplifting isn’t need, it’s just plain greed.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/17/opinion/hey-progressives-shoplifting-isnt-need-its-just-plain-greed/
DAILY SIGNAL
— The DSA Has a Diversity Problem.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/17/the-dsa-has-a-diversity-problem-dsa/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
FLORIDA POLITICS
— Millions were spent in CD 19 GOP Primary, but will a late Donald Trump endorsement decide the race?
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/814362-millions-were-spent-in-cd-19-gop-primary-but-will-a-late-donald-trump-endorsement-decide-the-race/
PEW RESEARCH
— Refugee admissions to the U.S. are dropping sharply in Trump’s second term.
https://www.pewresearch.org/publications/
FROM OTHER SOURCES
REALTOR
— FOR SALE IN MY WHEATON PRECINCT:
25W451 Plamondon Road – $3,300,000
25W471 Plamondon Road – $2,400,000
1021 Greenwood Drive – $1,000,000
1160 Midwest Lane – $1,000,000
1028 Lodalia Court (lot) – $415,000
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/60189/sby-2
HOMES
— FOR SALE IN MY WHEATON PRECINCT: 25W328 Plamondon Road (lot) – $299,900
https://www.homes.com/property/25w328-plamondon-rd-wheaton-il/n6npjnwsm9jnz/