FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC7
— 2 ex-Obama administration officials Bill Daley and Ray LaHood launch bipartisan effort to create fairer legislative maps in Illinois
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-redistricting-news-fair-maps-bill-daley-ray-lahood-seek-create-fairer-state-legislative/17589140/
FOX32
— Darren Bailey mulls another run for Illinois governor, matchup with Pritzker
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1693954
WTTW
— As Trump Vows to Eliminate Mail-In Voting, Illinois Elections Officials Say Fraud is ‘Extremely Rare’
https://news.wttw.com/2025/08/19/trump-vows-eliminate-mail-voting-illinois-elections-officials-say-fraud-extremely-rare
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Bipartisan group led by ex-Obama officials ‘rolling the dice’ on new remapping plan for Illinois legislature
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/19/illinois-legislative-independent-map-effort-2026/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly glorify and praise their illegals.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-the-editor/2025/08/19/immigrants-trump-violent-crime-putin-air-water-show-air-pollution-sensors
— New Illinois law guarantees immigrant students access to public education. The law prohibits public schools from denying access to a free education based on immigration status. It also requires schools to have procedures for law enforcement requests to enter a building. Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/08/19/illinois-law-immigrant-students-access-public-education
— To get more votes from minorities and females, Democrat leaders ever-increasingly give them more preference over Whites and males.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/work/2025/08/20/illinois-preapprenticeship-programs-women-minorities-construction
DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG PICTURE: Election lawyers, Obama alumni Bill Daley and Ray LaHood renew Illinois redistricting reform push
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250819/news/election-lawyers-obama-alumni-renew-illinois-redistricting-reform-push/
WBEZ
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more illegal immigration.
https://www.wbez.org/immigration/2025/08/19/illinois-law-immigrant-students-access-public-education
CHICAGO DEFENDER
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight deportation of their illegals.
https://chicagodefender.com/sick-pathetic-border-agents-appear-at-gavin-newsom-redistricting-rally/
SOUTHERN
— Trump says Smithsonian should portray America’s ‘Brightness,’ not ‘how bad Slavery was.’ America’s greatness put me on track a) to take college preparatory courses in high school 1964-1962, b) to get an ACT score of 24 in 1962, c) to graduate in the upper 20% of my class in 1962, d) to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970, e) to earn job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, f) to earn job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and g) to earn a job-related professional license in 1981. That put me on track to be hired by S.S. Kresge in 1964, Post Office in 1966, Firestone Stores in 1970, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980. That put me on track a) to buy new cars when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc. b) to buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, etc., and c) to get married when I was 29.
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2025/08/19/trump-says-smithsonian-should-portray-americas-brightness-not-how-bad-slavery-was/
SHAW LOCAL
— The Democrat Party platform promotes homelessness
https://www.shawlocal.com/news/2025/08/19/underwood-decries-yorkvilles-stance-on-fining-possibly-jailing-homeless-people-during-town-hall-meeting/
SUBURBAN LIFE
— When Ian Dimler, a St. Francis High School student from Glen Ellyn, recently achieved a perfect score on his ACT test. Since 1966, my critics/opponents have stressed that my ACT score was only 24. Instead of studying, I spent far too many hours washing dishes for the minimum wage in the basement of the S.S. Kresge in Chicago Heights during my junior and seniors years at Crete-Monee High School 1964-1966.
https://www.shawlocal.com/my-suburban-life/2025/08/19/st-francis-student-gets-perfect-score-on-act-test/
HOMETOWN REGISTER
— Illinois GOP U.S. Senate candidates point to economy, Trump gains
https://www.hometownregister.com/news/state/illinois-gop-u-s-senate-candidates-point-to-economy-trump-gains/article_678e5ae5-37d6-5206-8530-f055673c7106.html
NPR ILLINOIS
— Trump vows to lead effort to end mail-in voting
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-08-19/trump-vows-to-lead-effort-to-end-mail-in-voting
— Trump expands ‘woke’ criticism from Smithsonian to other museums. Democrats and RINOs use wokeness/wokeism to destroy Republicans.
https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-08-19/trump-expands-woke-criticism-from-smithsonian-to-other-museums
TRISTATES PUBLIC RADIO
— Illinois legislature passes bill to shed more light on how schools support homeless students. Just under 3 percent of Illinois students were considered homeless last year. That’s still more than 47,000 kids statewide.
https://www.tspr.org/illinois-public-radio/2025-08-20/illinois-legislature-passes-bill-to-shed-more-light-on-how-schools-support-homeless-students
CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote mail-in voting
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/hill-politics/trumps-war-on-mail-in-voting-could-boomerang-on-gop/amp/
WAND TV
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.wandtv.com/news/forsyth-cannabis-dispensary-joint-days-away-from-opening-doors/article_f090eb3f-c61f-45ed-95d1-c2423d3722d2.html
NORTHERN PUBLIC RADIO
— Trump says he’ll expand his focus on crimes to other Democratic-led cities. The Democrat Party platform promotes poverty and crime.
https://www.northernpublicradio.org/2025-08-19/trump-says-hell-expand-his-focus-on-crimes-to-other-democratic-led-cities
WCIA
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly push more pot.
https://www.wcia.com/business/press-releases/accesswire/1062432/pres-trumps-chance-to-fix-deas-marijuana-policy-failures-rescheduling/
UIC
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote more abortion.
https://today.uic.edu/uic-study-shows-how-abortion-provider-laws-hinder-access-to-womens-health-care/
CHICAGO MAROON
— College Sees Small Drops in Black, Hispanic Enrollment After Affirmative Action Ban. Affirmative Action is reverse discrimination.
https://chicagomaroon.com/48310/news/college-sees-small-drops-in-black-hispanic-enrollment-after-affirmative-action-ban/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Bill Daley, Ray LaHood revive Illinois map fight. Since 2000, Pearson has worked against me very hard.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2025/08/20/daley-lahood-revive-illinois-map-fight-00515793
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Diving into the details: The proposal would create a 12-member “Legislative Redistricting Commission,” by Capitol News’ Andrew Adams About Tuesday’s presentation: It was organized by the Lincoln Forum of Chicago, and the Tribune’s Rick Pearson moderated.)
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/2025/08/20/isabel%e2%80%99s-morning-briefing-572/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2025/08/19/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-365/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WIREPOINTS
— Pritzker is out of sync with what Illinoisans and Americans nationwide want
https://wirepoints.org/go-down-the-list-gov-pritzker-is-out-of-sync-with-what-illinoisans-and-americans-nationwide-want-wirepoints-on-am-560-chicagos-morning-answer/
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What do Affirmative Action, DEI, CRT, 1619, and wokeness/wokeism lead you toward? They lead you toward blaming your problems on those who are conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, married, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Question to ask candidates: What put you on track for your successes in life? For me, it was my following conservative principles. My parents were conservative Republicans who had me baptized as a Missouri Synod Lutheran (MSL) in 1948, sent me to MSL grade schools 1953-1962, and had me confirmed as a MSL in 1962. My parents and my teachers promoted conservative principles, and especially personal responsibility. That put me on track a) to take college preparatory courses in high school 1964-1962, b) to get an ACT score of 24 in 1962, c) to graduate in the upper 20% of my class in 1962, d) to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970, e) to earn job-related master’s degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, f) to earn job-related professional certifications in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and g) to earn a job-related professional license in 1981. That put me on track to be hired by S.S. Kresge in 1964, Post Office in 1966, Firestone Stores in 1970, IRS in 1971, and GAO in 1980. That put me on track a) to buy new cars when I was 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, etc. b) to buy real estate when I was 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, etc., and c) to get married when I was 29. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— What motivated you to get a college degree? For me, it included my father who frequently decried his not having a college degree. My IRS and GAO employee manuals motivated me a) to earn master’s degrees in business (1976), accounting (1980), and finance (1997), b) to earn professional certifications in accounting (1979), internal auditing (1981), fraud examination (1990), government financial management (1994), financial services auditing (1996), and forensic accounting (1997), and c) to earn a CPA license (1981). – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
JOHN KASS
— The Iron Triangle of Deception
https://johnkassnews.com/the-chicago-way-w-john-kass-the-iron-triangle-of-deception/
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
WASHINGTON TIMES
— Recent college grads struggle to find jobs amid AI boom, Trump tariffs. When you graduated, what frustrated your job search? When I graduated from NIU with a bachelor’s degree in business in 1970, potential employers saw me as being draft bait. They did not believe that my application for a financial hardship draft deferment would be approved.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/aug/19/recent-college-grads-struggle-find-jobs-amid-ai-boom-trump-tariffs/
NEW YORK POST
— Chicago residents blast ‘monstrosity’ Obama Presidential Center as displacement fears grow
https://nypost.com/2025/08/19/us-news/chicago-residents-blast-monstrosity-obama-presidential-center-as-displacement-fears-grow/
— Pritzker signs bill opening financial aid to all Illinois residents — including illegal immigrants
https://nypost.com/2025/08/19/us-news/illinois-gov-signs-bill-opening-financial-aid-to-all-residents-including-illegal-immigrants/
— Trump’s war on mail-in voting is futile — and could hurt the GOP. Democrat leaders promote mail-in voting.
https://nypost.com/2025/08/19/opinion/trumps-war-on-mail-in-voting-is-futile-and-could-hurt-the-gop/
BIZ PAC REVIEW
— Pritzker of cash-strapped Illinois signs ‘slap in the face’ bill giving financial aid to illegals
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2025/08/19/dem-governor-of-cash-strapped-blue-state-signs-slap-in-the-face-bill-giving-financial-aid-to-illegals-1577342/
BLAZE
— Pritzker hands tax dollars to illegal aliens for college tuition while Illinois drowns in debt
https://www.theblaze.com/news/democratic-governor-hands-tax-dollars-to-illegal-aliens-for-college-tuition-while-state-drowns-in-debt
COLLEGE FIX
— Open the Books announces a $25,000 Adam Andrzejewski Memorial Scholarship to help a high school or college journalist pay for school. Open the Books is a national government watchdog group which filed more than half a million Freedom of Information Act requests during Andrzejewski’s tenure.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/bulletin-board/govt-watchdog-offers-25000-college-scholarship-to-journalists-in-honor-of-deceased-founder/
— University of Wisconsin med school admits black students at 6 times rate of Asians
https://www.thecollegefix.com/u-wisconsin-med-school-admits-black-students-at-6-times-rate-of-asians/
— One in five faculty job ads require DEI statement. While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, ever-increasingly, to get promoted, you had to promote Affirmative Action and DEI, that is, you had to promote race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/survey-one-in-five-faculty-job-ads-require-dei-statement/
DAILY CALLER
— Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy introduces anti-sanctuary city legislation with the toughest provisions to date.
https://dailycaller.com/2025/08/19/chip-roy-to-hit-sanctuary-city-officials/
— Pritzker Signs Bill Giving Illegals Financial Aid For College
https://dailycaller.com/2025/08/19/jb-pritzker-illegal-immigrants-financial-aid-college/
DAILY WIRE
— Oklahoma To Require Ideology Test For Incoming Teachers From California And NY To Weed Out Wokeness. “We will not allow these leftists’ plans and schemes to take place here.” For Democrats, education exists to crank out good little Democrats.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/oklahoma-to-require-ideology-test-for-incoming-teachers-from-california-and-ny-to-weed-out-wokeness
EPOCH TIMES
— Trump Assures No US Boots on the Ground as Part of Ukraine Security Guarantees
https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/trump-assures-no-us-boots-on-the-ground-as-part-of-ukraine-security-guarantees-5903074
FOX BUSINES.
— The Left is so Trump-deranged they can’t root for peace.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6377057918112
FOX NEWS
— Chicago mayor says flood victims can get aid without revealing immigration status
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6377098393112
— Trump slams mail-in ballots as corrupt, but may not have the power to derail them. President calls mail-in ballots ‘corrupt’ and claims Putin advised him on election integrity. In America, and especially in Illinois, Democrats run elections.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-slams-mail-ballots-corrupt-may-not-have-power-derail-them
— Do you trust a system that’s failing at education to handle your child’s mental health? Rooftop Revelations: Mental health is deeply personal. No two kids are alike, and a one-size-fits-all tablet quiz in the classroom can’t capture that. According to Democrat leaders, if you are not a Democrat, you have mental problems.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/do-you-trust-system-thats-failing-education-handle-your-childs-mental-health
— DHS plans ‘Cornhusker Clink’ detention center as Trump expands immigration enforcement. DHS Secretary Noem warned illegal aliens could find themselves at the new facility in McCook, Nebraska, and encouraged self-deportation.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dhs-plans-cornhusker-clink-detention-center-trump-expands-immigration-enforcement
— Entire southern border wall to be painted black at President Trump’s request
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6377097677112
NEWSMAX
— Law Enforcement Must Unite, Halt Democrats Attacks on ICE
https://www.newsmax.com/clarencevmckee/booker-padilla-police/2025/08/19/id/1223102/
— Trump Admin Opens Sprawling ‘Lone Star Lockup’ Immigration Detention Center
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/immigration-detention-texas/2025/08/19/id/1223144/
— Dems Hypocrites on Redistricting
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/brian-harrison-texas-democrats/2025/08/20/id/1223213/
TOWNHALL
— Pritzker: We Can’t Afford Medicaid Cuts! But Also, Here’s Funding for Illegal Immigrants.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/dmitri-bolt/2025/08/19/illinois-governor-signs-bill-giving-student-financial-aid-to-illegal-immigrants-n2662027
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
ABC NEWS
— State Department revokes over 6,000 student visas, citing law breaking and overstays
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/student-visas-revoked-state-department/
CBS NEWS
— Gov. Josh Shapiro says Trump’s push to end mail-in voting won’t affect Pennsylvania elections
https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/mail-in-voting-trump-josh-shapiro/
ASSOCIATED PRESS
— Oklahoma ideology test for teachers from New York and California draws criticism. For Democrats, education exists to crank out good little Democrats.
https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-teacher-test-ideology-california-new-york-1d08d0ef4e6e3dc71d8537601d8455e9
— Trump says American troops will not be sent to defend Ukraine. If America had not sent troops to defend South Vietnam, my life would have been dramatically different. Since 1966, my critics/opponents have used my getting student draft deferments (1966-1970) and a financial hardship draft deferment (1970-1971) against me big time. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on my Democrat superiors and supervisors in the federal government who were veterans. They stressed that I was 1-A, conservative, and Republican. They blamed Republicans for America losing the war. They strongly hinted/implied/argued/shouted that I was both a hypocrite and a coward. They stressed that if I had served, I would not have been sent into combat anyway because I could not run because I had a bone disease, because my eyesight could not be corrected to 20/20, and because I had partial red/green color blindness.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-ukraine-war-defend-american-troops-85704282576324a36567798e9cb741ec
REUTERS
— What do your critics/opponents stress to make your ancestors responsible for slavery, and therefore, to make you pay reparations, that is, to make you pay the price of Affirmative Action and DEI? My critics/opponents stress that all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s. In my ancestors’ defense, I stress that they always lived in northeast Illinois.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-targets-smithsonian-again-says-it-focuses-too-much-how-bad-slavery-was-2025-08-19/
— Trump says US may provide air support to back a Ukraine peace deal
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trump-says-us-may-provide-air-support-back-ukraine-peace-deal-2025-08-19/
NEW YORK TIMES
— The mainstream news media exists to drive Trump’s approval rating down.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/donald-trump-approval-rating-polls.html
— What do your critics/opponents stress to make your ancestors responsible for slavery, and therefore, to make you pay reparations, that is, to make you pay the price of Affirmative Action and DEI? My critics/opponents stress that all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s. In my ancestors’ defense, I stress that they always lived in northeast Illinois.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/us/politics/trump-smithsonian-slavery.html
WASHINGTON POST
— Illinois could redistrict before the 2026 midterms. As Trump pushes for a more Republican-friendly House map, more than half a dozen states are potential targets for mid-decade tweaks to congressional boundaries.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/20/congressional-redistricting-states-midterms/
— While Biden was president, he viciously, but unsuccessfully, used the levers of presidential power to defeat Trump in 2024.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/19/trump-midterms-election-2026-voting-redistricting/541b2eb2-7d4f-11f0-971c-6c8e53bd2f21_story.html
— What percent of restaurant workers are illegals? I washed dishes for the S.S. Kresge in Chicago Heights 1964-1966. If there had been as many illegals back then as there are now, an illegal with “good papers” would have gotten my job. I was the only White male dishwasher that the S.S. Kresge in Chicago Heights employed. Many people look down on dishwashers. Nevertheless, the money that I earned washing dishes enabled me to buy a new base red 1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint ( https://over-drive-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1965-12-CD-1966-Pontiac-Tempest-Sprint-Test-1-4.pdf ), a poor man’s GTO, in May of 1966.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2025/08/19/dc-restaurants-business-down-police-crackdown/
— On Trump’s order, dozens arrested daily in D.C. The details are hidden.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/08/19/trump-crime-arrest-reports-hidden/
— Trump administration cancels annual employee survey amid civil service tumult. The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey has been sent to millions of federal workers over the years. I filled out annual employee surveys while I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997. I was one of the last Republicans who GAO hired. My Democrat GAO superiors talked and acted like the overwhelming majority of their employees wanted them to get rid of their employees who were conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or had ancestors who had been in America for a long time. I should write about that.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/19/federal-survey-employees-canceled/
— Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote crime and criminals.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/post-reports/fear-confusion-resistance-one-night-under-trumps-dc-crackdown/
LOS ANGELES TIMES
— How California plans to boost EVs with no federal help
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-08-19/california-officials-release-report-on-zero-emission-vehicle-goals
USA TODAY
— Guns or weed? Trump administration says you can’t use both. The Justice Department wants the Supreme Court to make clear that regular pot smokers, and other users of illegal drugs, cannot own guns.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/20/trump-gun-rights-drug-users-marijuana-supreme-court/85660246007/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Trump Administration to Screen Immigrants for ‘Anti-American’ Views. The new guidance builds on the agency’s policy of vetting social media for evidence of antisemitism.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/ice-immigration-social-media-vetting-9da2d2d1
FORBES
— Democrats and RINOs use DEI to get rid of Republicans who are White, male, older, non-veteran, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/teresahopke/2022/03/30/white-men-are-feeling-left-out-of-dei-diversity-equity–inclusion-why-should-we-care-and-what-should-we-do/
DUKE CHRONICLE
— The Class of 2028’s first year: Political beliefs and lifestyles. If you had responded to a survey like this when you were in college, how would you have responded? Ever-increasingly students are products of a) Democrat teachers, b) the Democrat mainstream news media, and c) the Democrat entertainment industry.
https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/duke-chronicle-class-of-2028-survey-political-beliefs-and-lifestyles-voting-activity-registration-conservative-liberal-institutional-neutrality-dei-affirmative-action-religion-election-first-year-alcohol-drugs-20250820
(FROM THE ARTICLE: For the eighth consecutive year, The Chronicle surveyed the first-year class about their political leanings, religious beliefs and lifestyles. As fervent policy debates with the potential to reshape the nation’s higher education landscape continue to reverberate across the country, we also asked the Class of 2028 for their stances on a few key issues: affirmative action, institutional neutrality, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Political leanings and voting habits Like classes before them, the Class of 2028 leans mostly to the left. Nearly two-thirds of respondents described their political views as somewhat liberal or very liberal — 33.9% and 29.9%, respectively. About a fourth of respondents — 24.1% — identified as moderate. Eleven percent of our respondents identified as somewhat conservative, and only 0.9% identified as very conservative. This is less than last year’s survey of the Class of 2027, which had 14.8% of respondents self-identify as conservative, but up from our surveys of the Classes of 2026, 2025 and 2024 with 9.9%, 6.6% and 6.4%, respectively. The 2024 election was a key piece to the Class of 2028’s fall semester. Many members of the class reported voting in what may have been the first election they were eligible. The vast majority of respondents — 83.0% — said they were registered to vote in the United States. 6.2% of respondents said they were not registered to vote in the U.S., while the remaining 10.7% were ineligible to vote because of citizenship status or age. . .Only two respondents identified as very conservative. Thus, The Chronicle excluded them from further written analysis. Members of the Class of 2028 of all political leanings were more likely to be registered to vote than not. But a sizable portion of moderate students, 18.5%, indicated they were eligible but not registered. A majority of students of all political affiliations said they voted in the most recent general election. . .Excluding the small sample of only two students who identified as very conservative, moderate students were least likely to report voting in the Nov. 5, 2024 general election. Respondents who identified as very liberal were most likely to have voted. 90.3% of respondents who voted in last November’s election said they did so in North Carolina. Political opinions The Class of 2028’s opinions on affirmative action, institutional neutrality and DEI tended to align with their political views. But students were more broadly divided over these issues than across the political spectrum in general, and many expressed ambivalence or uncertainty. Nearly half of respondents said they oppose the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling to end the use of race and ethnicity in college admission decisions — 28.1% were somewhat opposed, and 17.4% were strongly opposed. Just about a third of respondents — 32.1% — neither support nor oppose the decision, and under one-fourth of respondents strongly support or somewhat support the ruling: 7.1% and 15.2%, respectively. All students who self-identified as very conservative strongly supported the ruling, while four in five students identifying as very liberal opposed the decision. Students identifying as moderate were more likely than not to neither support nor oppose the decision. . .DEI has come under intense scrutiny at universities across the country, especially after the Trump administration took office in January. Duke indicated a shift to “inclusive excellence” in official messaging in June with the release of a potential new set of principles for the University. Our survey was conducted prior to that in March and April. Slightly over half our respondents said they thought Duke was putting just enough emphasis on DEI in hiring, curriculum, student life and campus activities generally. 29.9% thought the University was not giving enough attention to DEI, while 17.0% thought it was doing too much. Again, the Class of 2028’s policy stances generally correlated to their political beliefs. But, with the exception of the small sample of very conservative students, a plurality of respondents of each political leaning felt Duke was giving DEI just the right amount of attention. . .More generally, three in five respondents said they found it “very easy” or “somewhat easy” to express their political opinions freely on campus — 23.7% and 38.0%, respectively. 23.2% said they found it “neither easy nor difficult,” while 10.3% of respondents believe it is “somewhat difficult,” and only 4.9% find it “very difficult.” More than half of respondents who found it very difficult to express their political opinions freely on campus identified as conservative. Those who found it very or somewhat easy to express their political beliefs were significantly more likely to identify as liberal or moderate. . .Religion and lifestyle Nonreligious students saw the greatest representation in the Class of 2028 at 42.3%: 15.6% identified as atheist and 20.9% as agnostic, and 5.8% selected no religion. They were closely followed by Christian students at 41.1%, including just under one in six students who identify as Catholic. Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim students each made up less than 10% of our respondents. . .Reporting a religious affiliation did not necessarily indicate religiosity. Of the 144 respondents who did not consider themselves atheist or agnostic, nearly a third considered themselves not very religious or not religious at all — 27.1% and 4.2%, respectively. 22.9% of respondents said they were religious, while 38.2% considered themselves somewhat religious. Only 7.6% of respondents considered themselves very religious. Political preferences varied by religious affiliation. Many religious groups had small sample sizes, though, limiting the significance of our findings. . .Buddhist students were the only religious group where a majority identified as politically moderate, though there were only 7 Buddhist students in our sample. Students identifying as non-religious or Protestant Christian Protestant had the largest proportion of conservative respondents; these groups had 13 and 32 students, respectively. For many students, college marks the first taste of independence — and, for some, the first brush with alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or sex. Three in five respondents reported having drunk alcohol since arriving on campus. About 8.5% said they had obtained a fake ID since getting to Duke, although those who had a fake ID before moving to campus are not captured in our survey. 11.6% of respondents said they have used tobacco products since arriving on campus, and 16.5% said the same for marijuana products. 22.8% have had sex. Just over a third of respondents reported not having done any of these.)
AXIOS
— Trump administration revives plan to paint border wall black
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/19/trump-border-wall-black-paint-noem-immigration
— MAGA isolationists brace for details of Ukraine security guarantees
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/19/trump-ukraine-security-guarantees-maga-bannon
