CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Trump tweets support for Patti Blagojevich, doesn’t mention clemency – Rick Pearson
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-trump-blagojevich-tweet-20181216-story.html
— Wage gap even worse than we had thought – Jill Schlesinger (DIERSEN: If I had not been denied my 7th Amendment rights in Diersen v. GAO, I would have presented a jury with many examples in which GAO paid its female employees more than it paid its male employees who had more job-related work experience, education, professional certifications, and/or professional licenses.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/success/jillonmoney/tca-wage-gap-even-worse-than-we-had-thought-20181211-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: I know you probably want good news for the holiday season, but women workers — and the guys who root for them — it’s high time to argue for an end-of-year bonus or salary increase, because you are coming up short. According to a report from the Institute for Women’s Policy, the gender wage gap is even worse than previously thought. Unlike Census Bureau data that examines the current state of wage disparity in a given year, this report looked at a 15-year time period (from 2001 through 2015) to better gauge the gender wage gap that exists. The extended time period captures something called “work force attachment,” which takes into account when people leave the workforce voluntarily or involuntarily. (The study followed the same people over the time period.) While men were also penalized for time out of the workforce, women’s earnings losses for time out were almost always greater than men’s. With a longer lens, the gender wage gap balloons from the often-cited 20 percent to a jaw-dropping 51 percent. Did you catch that? Women made 49 cents for every dollar a man made.)
— To improve savings plan, imagine your retirement – Eileen Ambrose
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/success/kiplinger/tca-to-improve-savings-imagine-your-retirement-20181207-story.html
— Blue collar labor shortage means ‘lower income workers are doing better’ – Bloomberg
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-too-few-blue-collar-workers-20181217-story.html
— 25 best places to work – Peter Economy (DIERSEN: My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government hinted/implied/argued/shouted that the federal government would be a better place to work if it got rid of its employees who were Republican, and especially those who were White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/success/inc/tca-glassdoor-reveals-25-best-places-to-work-20181206-story.html
— White House closer to partial shutdown with wall demand – AP
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-border-wall-funding-shutdown-20181217-story.html
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— If you want to play with the big boys and girls, you’ve got to be one – Laura Washington
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/laura-washington-chicago-mayoral-election-petition-challenges/
WGN TV
— President Trump tweets support for Patti Blagojevich as husband seeks clemency
https://wgntv.com/2018/12/16/president-trump-tweets-support-for-patti-blagojevich-as-ex-governor-seeks-clemency/
DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH COLOR PICTURE OF UNDERWOOD: Suburban congressional newbies adjust to life in Washington – Marni Pyke (DIERSEN: Has Hultgren announced if he is going to run against Underwood in 2020? Has Roskam announced if he is going to run against Casten in 2020? In 1974, my Democrat IRS superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were furious when I got promoted to a GS-12 (currently, $81,071/year) Revenue Officer position in the Loop and bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East building so that I could walk to work and to graduate business classes at Loyola. In 1990, my Democrat GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were furious when I got to pick a better office in the new 200 West Adams building that GAO moved into because of the almost 12 years of federal seniority that I gained working for the Post Office 1966-1969 and for IRS 1971-1980.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20181217/suburban-congressional-newbies-adjust-to-life-in-washington
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Sean Casten is finalizing the purchase of a studio condo. . .The two suburbanites also participated in a tradition: entering a lottery for dibs on the best offices on Capitol Hill. Casten drew No. 80, putting him among the last to pick. “If you want to come over in the fall and see the (metal) rebar change colors, there’s a great view,” he said of his utilitarian space in the Cannon House Office Building. Underwood did a little better. She selected 70 and is ensconced in the Longworth House Office Building.)
NORTHWEST HERALD
— McHenry County GOP Treasurer Rachael Lawrence resigns – ED KOMENDA
https://www.nwherald.com/2018/12/15/mchenry-county-gop-treasurer-rachael-lawrence-resigns/a6edqg2/
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Catholic group prays for removal of Satanic Temple display in Capitol – Crystal Thomas
https://www.sj-r.com/news/20181216/catholic-group-prays-for-removal-of-satanic-temple-display-in-capitol
JOURNAL COURIER
— Legislation would make road district consolidation easier – Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Legislation-would-make-road-district-13471232.php
TIMES
— Illinois will roll out several new laws in 2019
https://www.mywebtimes.com/2018/12/15/illinois-will-roll-out-several-new-laws-in-2019/aelx6dw/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Now there’s a new chapter in the race as Krupa is having to answer for abusive behavior spelled out in a court filing. In 2017, he was accused of abuse by his former high school girlfriend. An emergency order of protection was granted in June 2017 and extended for nine months after Juliet Schmidt filed her complaint, according to court documents sent to POLITICO. The filing in the Circuit Court of Cook County Domestic Violence division describes Krupa as a “controlling” boyfriend who “isolated” Schmidt from her friends, whom he referred to as “liberal faggots.” The document details incessant text messages and an incident in which he chased Schmidt in his car while she was walking. “It was emotionally abusive,” Schmidt told POLITICO in an interview Sunday. “It wasn’t healthy for me to continue the relationship. He had a lot of issues of control. I could see him taking advantage of that in political office.” In seeking the order of protection, Schmidt wrote, “I am afraid that David Krupa will continue to physically abuse me, harass me, interfere with my personal liberty and stalk me. Therefore, I fear for the safety of myself.” The order of protection ran nine months and ended when neither Schmidt nor Krupa could agree on a hearing date, Schmidt said. The judge didn’t rule on the case and Schmidt left Chicago to attend college out of state. Krupa has denied the allegations. In a TV interview and with POLITICO, he accused Schmidt of being manipulated by Madigan because she had interned for the Madigan-Quinn service offices in 2016. Schmidt says the summer office internship isn’t connected to her court filing. In an interesting twist, POLITICO has learned Krupa also worked for Madigan-Quinn at one point. “I picked up garbage at a public park” in the summer of 2015, he said. “It was for a month. It was a minimum wage job and I don’t care about it.” But he did try to get rehired in 2016. He didn’t get the job, he says, because Madigan took retribution for Krupa’s father saying he wouldn’t vote for the House speaker. Krupa sees it as another effort by Madigan to “strong-arm” voters. – Shia Kapos
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2018/12/17/krupas-other-challenge-trump-tweets-about-blago-next-gigs-for-roskam-lisa-madigan-365577
— Attorney Gen. Lisa Madigan, who didn’t seek re-election, and U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, who lost his race, have been named fellows for the University of Chicago Institute of Politics for the upcoming winter quarter. U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, accused that chamber of being dysfunctional in her final Senate speech last week, also is part of the fellows group. Institute of Politics founder and director David Axelrod said fellows will interact with students looking to gain insight and experiences “at every level of government.” Two party leaders from other states as well as Chicago journalist Laura Washington also are among the group. – Shia Kapos
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2018/12/17/krupas-other-challenge-trump-tweets-about-blago-next-gigs-for-roskam-lisa-madigan-365577
JEANNE IVES
— Meet David Krupa and help him take out Mike Madigan’s General!
https://mailchi.mp/b6cf78490c1b/meet-the-college-kid-taking-on-madigan-he-deserves-our-support
PRAIRIE STATE WIRE
— Ives : Rauner’s lack of interest cheated GOP voters – Hoang Tran
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories/511677926-ives-rauner-s-lack-of-interest-cheated-gop-voters
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— THE TECHNOLOGY OF TOTALITARIANISM
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2018/12/the-technology-of-totalitarianism.html
— WHY YOU SHOULD BE A NATIONALIST
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2018/12/why-you-should-be-a-nationalist.html
CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS
— Did Trump Sign An Executive Order To Prevent Illegal Immigrants From Getting Welfare? – Emily Larsen
https://www.conservativedailynews.com/2018/12/did-trump-sign-an-executive-order-to-prevent-illegal-immigrants-from-getting-welfare/
TOWNHALL
— Pat Buchanan: We Are Not a Democracy—And the World Needs to Learn From Us – Arthur Schaper
https://townhall.com/columnists/arthurschaper/2018/12/17/mr-buchanan-we-are-not-a-democracyand-the-world-needs-to-learn-from-us-n2537569
PJ MEDIA
— Trump Aide Miller Says They Will Do ‘Whatever Is Necessary’ to Build Wall – RICK MORAN
https://pjmedia.com/trending/trump-aide-miller-says-they-will-do-whatever-is-necessary-to-build-wall/
AMERICAN THINKER
— The Immigration Ultimatum – John S. Allen
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2018/12/the_immigration_ultimatum.html
— Gun Confiscation Begins in New Jersey – Daniel John Sobieski
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2018/12/gun_confiscation_begins_in_new_jersey.html
AMERICAN GREATNESS
— The Globalist Mindset: They Hate You – Victor Davis Hanson
https://www.amgreatness.com/2018/12/16/the-globalist-mindset-they-hate-you/
DAILY CALLER
— PITTSBURGH MAYOR DECLARES INTENT TO BAN GUNS IN VIOLATION OF STATE LAW
https://dailycaller.com/2018/12/16/pittsburgh-mayor-declares-intent-to-ban-guns-in-violation-of-state-law/
WORLD NET DAILY
— THE ORWELLIAN LEXICON OF THE LEFT Lowell Ponte challenges Christians not to surrender to forces of darkness
https://www.wnd.com/2018/12/the-orwellian-lexicon-of-the-left/
NEWSMAX
— WSJ: Blue-Collar Vote Remains Up for Grabs in 2020 – Eric Mack (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes look down on if not despise blue-collar workers.)
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/bluecollar-voters-2020-republican/2018/12/16/id/894665/
GOPUSA
— Democrats blame Trump for death of child brought 2,000 miles by father
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=61158
— The Imbalanced Scales of Justice (DIERSEN: I should write a book about judges who by their rulings make it clear that they reject laws that prohibit political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation.)
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=61140
BREITBART
— Pope Francis Lauds U.N. ‘Global Compact’ for Immigration – Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2018/12/17/pope-francis-lauds-u-n-global-compact-for-immigration/
ABC NEWS
— Black conservatives to GOP: Reach out to black voters – BEATRICE PETERSON (DIERSEN: What are your demographics? How strongly does the GOP reach out to those who share your demographics? Democrats want the GOP to dump voters, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
)https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/black-conservatives-gop-reach-black-voters/story?id=59430955
NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: A Shutdown Looms. Can the G.O.P. Get Lawmakers to Show Up to Vote? – Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Emily Cochrane (DIERSEN: Has Hultgren announced if he is going to run against Underwood in 2020? Has Roskam announced if he is going to run against Casten in 2020?)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/16/us/politics/congress-trump-shutdown.html
— The Secret to Winning in 2020 – David Leonhardt (DIERSEN: From what I see, to win on April 2, 2019 and November 3, 2020, RINO political consultants in Illinois will advise Republican candidates in Illinois to hint/imply/argue/shout that they are not only anti-Trump, but that they are anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders, and anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time. These RINO political consultants will advise Republican candidates in Illinois a) to not read Diersen’s emails, b) to not return phone calls from Diersen, c) to not seek or take any advice from Diersen, d) to stop Diersen from learning about their press conferences, fundraisers, and other activities, e) to stop Diersen from promoting or attending their press conferences and fundraisers, f) to stop Diersen from asking questions or speaking with anyone at their press conferences and fundraisers, and g) to stop Diersen from reporting on their press conferences, fundraisers, and other activities.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/16/opinion/democrats-2020-election-economic-populism.html
— More Powerful Than a Russian Troll Army: The National Enquirer – Jim Rutenberg
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/16/business/media/national-enquirer-trump-mistresses.html
— ‘They’re Not Fact-Checking’: How Lies on College Applications Can Slip Through the Net – Anemona Hartocollis (DIERSEN: In 1978, my Democrat IRS superiors charged me with lying on my 1972 Loyola application and on my 1976 DePaul application. IRS encourages its Revenue Officers to take business, accounting, and law courses. But according to my Democrat IRS superiors, the real reason why I wanted to take graduate business courses at Loyola and graduate accounting courses at DePaul was TO GET A JOB IN PRIVATE INDUSTRY.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/16/us/college-admission-applications.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH COLOR PICTURE: HARDCOPY ARTICLE TITLE: In China, ‘Re-education’ Leads to Forced Labor – Chris Buckley and Austin Ramzy (DIERSEN: In America, Democrats want to re-educate you to be anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/16/world/asia/xinjiang-china-forced-labor-camps-uighurs.html
WASHINGTON POST
— Trump administration disputes falling federal employee engagement findings Criticism of leadership criticized – Joe Davidson (DIERSEN: While I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997, virtually all my superiors and supervisors were Democrats. They did not want me to be “engaged,” they wanted to get rid of me. They wanted to give my job to a Democrat, to a minority, to a female, to someone younger than me, and/or to a veteran. They were furious when I did things that demonstrated my “engagement” including my earning a) a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970 and job-related master’s degrees when I was 27, 31, and 48, b) job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and c) a job-related professional license when I was 32.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/17/trump-administration-disputes-falling-federal-employee-engagement-findings/
NEW YORK POST
— Don’t trust the government to make Big Tech behave – F.H. Buckley
https://nypost.com/2018/12/17/dont-trust-the-government-to-make-big-tech-behave/
USA TODAY
— Obamacare unconstitutional? That’s a cruel mistake, not ‘great news for America’ – Andy Slavitt (DIERSEN: If sought a government or a political office, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes would demonize, denigrate, and condemn the fact because I am a federal retiree, my wife and I pay only $6,000/year for $24,000/year worth of health, dental, and vision insurance.)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/12/16/trump-ensures-2020-another-health-care-debacle-republicans-column/2330158002/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— U.S. Homelessness Edges Higher Again After Seven Years of Declines Lack of affordable housing fuels the problem in major cities, though L.A. makes progress – Laura Kusisto and Nour Malas (DIERSEN: Since 1972, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have hinted/implied/argued/shouted that I should help the homeless a) because I bought a new town home in 1972 when I was 24 years old, because I bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East building in 1974, and because I bought a one bedroom condo in that building in 1976 and b) because my wife and I bought 1017 East Harrison in Wheaton in 1978 and because we had 915 Cove Court built in Wheaton in 1984.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-homelessness-edges-higher-again-after-seven-years-of-declines-11545022860
— Blue-Collar Voters Are Up for Grabs in 2020 Compounding the problem for Republicans may be a slowing automobile industry – Dante Chinni (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes look down on if not despise blue-collar workers.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/blue-collar-voters-are-up-for-grabs-in-2020-11544976000
— Tips on Deciding Which Tax-Filing Status Is Best for You Do you file jointly or separately? There may be some powerful reasons to do the latter. – Tom Herman (DIERSEN: My wife and I have paid the marriage penalty big time since we got married 40 years ago in in 1978.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/tips-on-deciding-which-tax-filing-status-is-best-for-you-11545015960
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Marriage bonus or penalty: Getting married this month, or postponing the official ceremony until next year, might have a surprising impact on your taxes in certain cases. For example, some two-income couples who get married this year and are in the top brackets may wind up owing more in combined federal income tax than they would if they had each remained single—commonly known as the marriage penalty tax. But in other cases, a married couple winds up paying less total tax than if each spouse had remained single. Lawmakers have taken steps to reduce or eliminate the marriage penalty in certain cases and to increase the amount of the bonus in many others. But these issues haven’t disappeared entirely.)
— Four Simple Changes to Bring Social Security Into the 21st Century The program was devised for a totally different era and now it’s time to update – Alicia H. Munnell (DIERSEN: My Social Security is dramatically reduced because I get a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension. My CSRS pension is dramatically reduced a) because my Democrat superiors in the federal government wasted my career and b) because they succeeded in getting me to take their early retirement “offer” in 1997 when I was 49 years old.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/four-simple-changes-to-bring-social-security-into-the-21st-century-11545016080
BLOOMBERG
— Nearly 156 People Leave Chicago Daily: Demographic Trends – Alexandre Tanzi and Wei Lu (DIERSEN: How many of these 156 a day a) move to Republican areas to take advantage of the prosperity and safety that Republicans created there and b) bring with them their hatred of Republicans, and especially their hatred of Republicans who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, White, male, older people, rich people, gun owners, German Americans, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time?)
https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/chicago-exodus-sees-city-shrink-by-156-daily-demographic-trends#gs.AUOw7HU
DAILY BEAST
— Log Cabin Republicans Plan to ‘Push’ Trump on LGBT Rights Jerri Ann Henry, the new executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, ‘would take a meeting’ to work on LGBT-related policy with President Trump, if he would meet with her. – Samantha Allen
https://www.thedailybeast.com/log-cabin-republicans-plan-to-push-trump-on-lgbt-rights
