December 28, 2025

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

DAILY HERALD
— Kane County’s top prosecutor Mosser seeks judicial seat
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251228/news/kane-countys-top-prosecutor-mosser-seeks-judicial-seat/

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Barriers to upward mobility. DD: To get more votes from those who are minority, female, and younger, Democrat and RINO candidates and elected officials paint those who are White, male, and older as being barriers.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/study-education-still-pays-but-barriers-to-upward-mobility-persist-in-illinois/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— Sickness & Hypocrisy in Academia
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2025/12/22/sickness-hypocrisy-in-academia

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— I have started using Stelo by Dexcom to continuously monitor my blood sugar level. If you have type 2 diabetes like I do and use Stelo, please phone me at 630-653-0462. My blood sugar spikes to over 250 after I eat. That means I have high hyperglycemia. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Pence becomes unlikely face of conservative opposition to Trump and populism.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/4363005/pence-unlikely-face-conservative-opposition-trump-populism/
— With the impending rescheduling of marijuana in the U.S., the transportation industry is searching for answers on whether it still will legally be able to test employees before sending them on the road or in the air. DD: Pot is poison.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4363202/dot-realizes-road-safety-concern-with-marijuana-rescheduling/
— More Floridians, Californians moving to Texas
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4363199/more-floridians-californians-moving-to-texas-than-reverse/
— A dangerous Supreme Court decision. In a short three-page decision written with little briefing and no oral argument, a 6-3 majority denied the Justice Department’s request to stay a district court restraining order preventing President Donald Trump from deploying the National Guard in Chicago. The court’s holding is tenuously founded, rushed, and will endanger the lives of federal law enforcement officers.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4362312/dangerous-supreme-court-decision-national-guard/

NEW YORK POST
— Hating the rich may feel good — and win elections — but it’s self-destructive
https://nypost.com/2025/12/27/opinion/hating-the-rich-may-feel-good-and-win-elections-but-its-self-destructive/

AMERICAN GREATNESS
— The Pence Mirage: Why the Right Isn’t Leaving Trump. The Heritage Foundation “mutiny” isn’t a conservative realignment so much as the latest anti-Trump mirage, with Mike Pence cast as a moral standard-bearer no one is following.
https://amgreatness.com/2025/12/28/the-pence-mirage-why-the-right-isnt-leaving-trump/
— Let Americans Choose Their Cars—Not the Government. EVs aren’t failing because consumers don’t want them, but because tariffs block affordable competition—leaving Americans stuck with costly choices the rest of the world has outgrown. DD: I bought a 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T EV early this year. If it had been offered with a Hemi V-8, I would have bought that. I have owned a 2013 Charger R/T Max since 2012. I owned a 1968 Charger R/T 1994-2005. I owned a 1969 Charger SE 1968-1971.
https://amgreatness.com/2025/12/26/let-americans-choose-their-cars-not-the-government/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Third World cultures have a corruption problem, and Democrats capitalize on it
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/third_world_cultures_have_a_corruption_problem_and_democrats_capitalize_on_it.html
— The dangerous cost of erasing Western wisdom
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/victor_davis_hanson_on_the_dangerous_cost_of_erasing_western_wisdom.html
— Blue states surrendering to Somalis, Islam, and diversity
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/blue_states_surrendering_to_somalis_islam_diversity.html

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
— Federal workers with a professional degree or doctorate—about 10 percent of the federal workforce—earned about 29 percent less, on average, than their private-sector counterparts. DD: I worked for the Democrats who ran IRS 1971-1980 and I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997. I earned an MBA in 1976. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. I earned a master’s degree in accounting in 1980. I passed Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981. I became a licensed CPA in 1981. I earned four more job-related professional certifications in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. I earned  a master’s in finance in 1997. In today’s dollars, IRS paid me $112,280/year in 1980 and GAO paid me $153,151/year in 1997.
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60235

BREITBART
— TPUSA Continuing Campus Debates Nationwide
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/12/28/we-are-not-afraid-erika-kirk-says-tpusa-continuing-campus-debates-nationwide/
— Indian Government Protests Rubio’s Visa Curbs That Help Americans
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/12/27/indian-government-protests-rubios-visa-curbs-that-help-americans/

DAILY CALLER
— Minnesota’s Lt Gov Takes Pandering To Somalis To The Next Level
https://dailycaller.com/2025/12/26/minnesota-lt-gov-peggy-flanagan-hijab-somali-migrants/

LIFE NEWS
— New York and Illinois Glorify Suicide in the Name of Compassion
https://www.lifenews.com/2025/12/28/new-york-and-illinois-glorify-suicide-in-the-name-of-compassion/

TOWNHALL
— FBI Teases Denaturalizing, Deporting Eligible Minnesota Fraudsters
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/scott-mcclallen/2025/12/28/fbi-teases-denaturalizing-deporting-minnesota-fraudsters-n2668553

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— You cannot be America first and pro-Russia
https://thehill.com/policy/international/5664765-turner-russia-war-aggression-ukraine/

CNN
— It’s time for Republicans to start thinking about 2028 and the post-Trump era
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/28/politics/2028-presidential-election-republicans-vance-rubio-analysis

NBC NEWS
— Much of the Black middle class was built by federal jobs. DD: My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997 so that they could give my Black subordinate my job and my preferred corner office. He had less work experience than I had. He had less education than I had. He had one professional certification while I had six. He had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/black-federal-job-cuts-trump-musk-dei-middle-class-rcna191704

LOS ANGELES TIMES
— GOP coalescing behind Vance as Trump privately dismisses third-term run
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-12-28/gop-coalescing-behind-vance-as-trump-privately-dismisses-third-term-run

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Companies Are Outlining Plans for 2026. Hiring Isn’t One of Them. Large employers indicate that they either want to maintain the size of their teams next year or let go of workers; ‘Everybody’s afraid for their jobs’
https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/2026-job-hiring-growth-plans-10bc3470
— Pritzker’s Illinois Political Clout Faces Test in Senate Primary. Billionaire governor is backing his lieutenant governor in a Democratic face-off, but she has struggled to outshine two top rivals.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/jb-pritzkers-illinois-political-clout-faces-test-in-senate-primary-4140cfa1
— You Can’t Work Your Way Through College Anymore. DD: Back in the good old days, I worked my way through college. The money came from what I earned washing dishes 1964-1966, cleaning golf shoes, chipping slag, and pumping gasoline in 1966, delivering mail 1966-1969, and working on an automotive assemble line in 1970. My parents provided me with room and board in their Crete home 1966-1968, my first semester at NIU in 1969, and the summer of 1969. I graduated debt-free with a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in August of 1970 owning a 1969 Dodge Charger SE that I had bought new in 1968.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/you-cant-work-your-way-through-college-anymore-1521239612

FORBES
— OK, Boomer: Are Baby Boomers Preventing The Upward Mobility Of Younger Employees? DD: I am a baby boomer. My Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997 so that they could give my Black subordinate my job and my preferred corner office. He had less work experience than I had. He had less education than I had. He had one professional certification while I had six. He had no professional license like the one I had.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2019/11/08/ok-boomer-are-baby-boomers-preventing-the-upward-mobility-of-younger-employees/

FORTUNE
— These 10 companies offer workers the best chance to advance. DD: Democrats run the federal government. For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats. To advance in the federal government you have to be a Democrat. The more of the following that Democrats are, the faster that they can advance: minority, female, and/or veteran.
https://fortune.com/2022/10/13/american-opportunity-index-best-places-to-work-worker-career-advancement/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: 1) AT&T, 2) American Express, 3) Cisco, 4) PG&E, 5) Microsoft, 6) Fiserv, 7) HF Sinclair, 8) Liberty Mutual, 9) International Paper, 10) Southwest Airlines)

HR DAILY ADVISOR
— Steps to Foster Internal Promotions and Career Advancement. DD: While I worked for the Democrats who ran GAO 1980-1997, they focused on making room at the top, that is, they focused on getting rid of their employees who they had not promoted to Senior Executive Service (currently $195,200/year) by age 40 and who were White, male, and/or non-veteran. That ever-increasingly rendered worthless my three job-related master’s degrees (1976, 1980, and 1997), my six job-related professional certifications (1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997), and my job-related professional license (1981).
https://hrdailyadvisor.com/2025/04/23/4-steps-to-foster-internal-promotions-and-career-advancement/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Create Room at the Top. A promotion pipeline’s useless if there’s nowhere to go. Stagnant org charts—where tenured folks squat in senior roles—kill mobility. Some firms hoard headcount, afraid to expand; others cling to “we’ve always done it this way” structures. Shake that up. Regularly audit roles: Are they still relevant? Can they split or scale? A bloated middle management layer might need pruning to open slots above. Turnover is not the enemy here—natural attrition (retirements, lateral exits) can unclog the system. Encourage it gracefully—exit packages or sabbaticals for long-timers can free space without bad blood. And don’t fear invention. If a star performer’s outgrowing their role, craft a new one. A tech firm once turned a standout engineer into a “solutions architect” rather than lose her to a rival. Flexibility beats rigidity.)

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT DAILY
— Upward mobility: Unlocking career advancement opportunities. DD: My critics/opponents have always used my having three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license against me. They have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that my having the aforesaid and my never having earned more than $153,151/year in today’s dollars and my being forced to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997 proves that I am seriously flawed, an abject failure, and even worse things.
https://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/75364/upward-mobility-unlocking-career-advancement-opportunities/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Access to education is a major deciding factor in determining someone’s eligibility for upward mobility. Society members with access to the best schools and universities will find it easier to find higher-paying jobs and qualify for promotions. Lower-income areas in the United States often have subpar educational facilities, making it more difficult for graduates to pursue upward mobility in society.)

HARVARD MAGAZINE
— The Upward Mobility Problem. Most Americans earn less than their parents did. DD: My father often decried his not having a college degree. That motivated me to earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license.
https://www.harvardmagazine.com/faculty/features-upward-mobility-problem

WHARTON
— How Social Class Affects the Career Ladder. 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. My mother never attended high school. I had to work my way through college.
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/podcast/knowledge-at-wharton-podcast/how-social-class-affects-the-career-ladder/

FORDHAM INSTITUTE
— Is military enlistment a pathway to upward mobility? DD: Because my parents lacked money, my plan to earn a college degree was to enlist and use the GI Bill. But because I was able to earn high enough grades taking college preparatory courses, to get an ACT score of 24, and to graduate in the upper 20% of my class, UIC accepted me in 1966. I worked my way through college. I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in 1970. I got student draft deferments 1966-1970 and a financial hardship draft deferment 1970-1971.
https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/military-enlistment-pathway-upward-mobility

TUFTS
— Upward mobility is becoming obsolete. DD: Back in the good old days, even though neither of my parents attended college, my father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma, and my mother never attended high school, I was able to work my way through college and earn a job-related bachelor’s degree, three job-related master’s degrees, six job-related professional certifications, and a job-related professional license. But because of my bad demographics, I doubt that I could do that today.
https://www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024/10/coffee-table-socioeconomics-upward-mobility-is-becoming-obsolete

BROOKINGS
— The American Dream in crisis: Helping low-wage workers move up to better jobs. DD: Back in the good old days, I was a low-wage worker. 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, 1971, and 1972. I delivered mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automobile assembly line in 1970. To qualify myself for better paying jobs, I earned a job-related bachelor’s degree (1970). I earned three job-related master’s degrees (1976, 1980, and 1997). I earned six job-related professional certifications (1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997). I earned a job-related professional license (1981).
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-american-dream-in-crisis-helping-low-wage-workers-move-up-to-better-jobs/

POLITICO
— The 2028 Race Has Begun. Here’s Who’s Winning. White House hopefuls in both parties are maneuvering for the post-Trump era. Here’s where they stand at the end of 2025.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/12/28/presidential-race-2028-candidates-analysis-00695164

NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— Why History Points to Huge 2026 Losses for Trump’s GOP
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/why-history-points-to-huge-2026-losses-for-trumps-gop.html

Author: David Diersen

The opinions that I express in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are based on experience that I have gained doing many things since 1948. I base my opinions on what I learned a) working for the federal government for almost 30 years -- Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, serving on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996, and being a union member while I worked for the Post Office and IRS; b) earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, a masters degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, and a masters degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997; c) passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981; c) serving as a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999, the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois Chairman 2005-2012, a member of the 2008 Illinois Republican Party (IRP) Platform and Resolutions Committee, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member 2003-2011, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, and an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004; d) attending the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 IRP State Conventions as a delegate; e) being the subject of a nasty 4-page article in the February 1978 issue of Money Magazine; f) pursing litigation including Diersen v. GAO and Diersen v. Chicago Car Exchange; g) being married since 1978; h) living in Crete 1948-1972, in University Park 1972-1976, in Chicago 1976-1978, and in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton since 1978; and i) being baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran.