NBC5
— Illinois Governor’s Race Spending Could Have a Negative Impact The winner of the potentially record-setting contest could face political fallout – Carol Marin and Don Moseley
https://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/illinois-governors-race-spending-could-have-a-negative-impact-488594911.html
CBS2
— Watchdog Report Urges EPA To Heighten Oversight In Wake Of Flint Water Crisis
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/07/19/watchdog-report-epa-flint-water-crisis/
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Gov. Rauner’s DC allergy successfully treated: Here for award, Trump tariff talk – Lynn Sweet
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/gov-rauner-allergy-treated-award-trump-tariff-talk/
— Aldermen demand inspections of facilities holding immigrant children – Michael Sneed
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/aldermen-inspections-immigrant-children/
— We spin American tales of uplift that celebrate the very privileged – Natalie Y. Moore
https://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/kylie-jenner-kardashian-clan-celebrating-weathy/
DAILY HERALD
— State Sen. Karen McConnaughay plans to work in private sector after leaving office – James Fuller
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180719/state-legislator-plans-to-work-in-private-sector-after-leaving-office
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— The hottest suburban housing markets in the first half – DENNIS RODKIN
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/realestate/20180719/CRED0701/180719858/the-hottest-suburban-housing-markets-in-the-first-half
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Here, in alphabetical order, are the 31 suburbs where more homes sold, at higher prices and faster, in the first half of 2018 than in the same period last year. In all cases, the number of home sales was 25 or more in both first-half 2017 and first-half 2018. Antioch, Bartlett, Brookfield, Buffalo Grove, Darien, Dolton, Elk Grove Village, Evergreen Park, Harvey, Hoffman Estates, Indian Head Park, Maywood, Midlothian, Morton Grove, North Chicago, Northfield, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Schiller Park, Tinley Park, Volo, West Chicago, Western Springs, Westmont, Willow Springs, Wilmette, Winthrop Harbor, Wood Dale and Woodridge.)
BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT
— Pence defends Trump during visit to region, is met by protesters at Bost fundraiser – KELSEY LANDIS AND ROBYN KIRSCH
https://www.bnd.com/news/local/article215156160.html
FOX ILLINOIS
— Gov. Rauner receives Fletcher Award
https://foxillinois.com/news/local/gov-rauner-receives-fletcher-award
NPR ILLINOIS
— GAO: VA Whistleblowers 10 Times More Likely Than Peers To Receive Disciplinary Action – ERIC WESTERVELT
https://www.npr.org/2018/07/19/630511652/va-whistleblowers-10-times-more-likely-than-peers-to-receive-disciplinary-action
CHICAGO READER
— Is a Puerto Rican native running for Chicago alderman the next Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez? Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez is a working-class Latina with Puerto Rican roots running as a democratic socialist. Sound familiar? – Ryan Smith
https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/is-a-puerto-rican-immigrant-running-for-chicago-alderman-the-next-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/Content
— Blindspotting and Sorry to Bother You expose the class tensions often obscured by race Two of the year’s best movies come rocketing out of Oakland, California. – J.R. Jones (DIERSEN: What class were you born into? Neither of my outstanding parents attended college. My father was the first of his ancestors to earn a high school diploma. He fought type 1 diabetes from age 14, worked in the office of a nasty chemical plant, almost always worked second jobs to pay the family’s bills, did not buy a new car until he was 45 and it was a bottom of the line 2-door Chevy, and died suddenly of heart failure when he was 47. My mother never attended high school.)
https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/blindspotting-sorry-to-bother-you-boots-riley/Content
DUPAGE COUNTY
— DuPage County Wins Distinguished Budget Award
http://dupageco.org/Content.aspx?id=57795
WILLIAM J. KELLY
— YouTube censors conservative reporter Citizen Kelly
https://www.williamjkelly.org/news/youtube-censors-conservative-radio-host-citizen-kelly
DUPAGE POLICY JOURNAL
— Ives blasts gun control measures, calls for veto on ‘gun shop’ bill – Glenn Minnis
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/511490223-ives-blasts-gun-control-measures-calls-for-veto-on-gun-shop-bill
— Khouri calls for lower property taxes on visit to Winfield, Wayne – Glenn Minnis
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/511490015-khouri-calls-for-lower-property-taxes-on-visit-to-winfield-wayne
CAPITOL FAX
— Sabato moves Illinois governor’s race to “Likely Democratic”
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/19/sabato-moves-illinois-governors-race-to-likely-democratic/
— AFSCME claims for every worker who dropped fair share, 10 have become full members (DIERSEN: GAO unionized in 2007. If GAO had been unionized in 1997, I might still be a GAO employee. If GAO had been unionized since 1980, my Democrat GAO superiors might very well have NOT been able a) to force me to retire in 1997 when I was 49 years old, b) to give me unfair performance expectations and appraisals, c) to always rank me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance purposes, d) to delay my promotion to GS-13 and to not promote me beyond GS-13, e) to get rid of my mentor in 1987, f) to keep me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO, and g) to force me to take an $19,203 pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980.)
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/19/afscme-claims-for-every-worker-who-dropped-fair-share-10-have-become-full-members/
— Rauner launches another anti-Madigan TV ad
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/19/rauner-launches-another-anti-madigan-tv-ad/
— Despite Rauner praise, Illinois hasn’t sent any data to Crosscheck since last year
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/19/despite-rauner-praise-illinois-hasnt-sent-any-data-to-crosscheck-since-last-year/
— There are upsides to having your own billionaire
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/19/there-are-upsides-to-having-your-own-billionaire/
— Because… Rauner and Trump!
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/19/because-rauner-and-trump/
— Because… Madigan!
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/19/because-madigan-51/
— The new gilded age
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/19/the-new-guilded-age/
— More government, education jobs drive up payroll numbers
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/19/more-government-education-jobs-drive-up-payroll-numbers/
WHITE HOUSE
— White House to make new vocational education push to help ‘forgotten men and women’ (DIERSEN: What did you do to qualify yourself for better paying Jobs? I earned 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.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2018/07/white_house_to_form_new_vocati.html
LIFE SITE NEWS
— America’s largest teachers union is run by radical, pro-gay extremists. Here’s proof – Linda Harvey
https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/a-ray-of-hope-for-public-education
FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE
— THE LEFT’S EMBARRASSING PLEA FOR OPEN BORDERS The real facts immigration anarchists try to hide from the public. – Michael Cutler
https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/270771/lefts-embarrassing-plea-open-borders-michael-cutler
GOPUSA
— UNACCEPTABLE: Non-citizens register to vote in San Francisco school elections
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=50582
— ‘Stop Oregon Sanctuaries’ initiative qualifies for November ballot
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=50494
— Gun Control: Obama’s education chief urges school boycotts
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=50584
DAILY CALLER
— GALLUP: IMMIGRATION IS THE TOP ISSUE FOR VOTERS HEADING INTO MIDTERM ELECTIONS – Will Racke
http://dailycaller.com/2018/07/19/gallup-immigration-voters-midterms/
— OBAMA ATTACKS WEALTHY FOR BIG HOUSES BEFORE RETURNING TO HIS $8 MILLION MANSION – Benny Johnson
http://dailycaller.com/2018/07/19/obama-house-rich/
DAILY SIGNAL
— Firing a Bad Federal Employee May Get a Little Easier – John York (DIERSEN: Of course, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that my Democrat superiors in the federal government took adverse actions against me BECAUSE I was a BAD employee and a) NOT because I complained about their political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation and b) NOT because I became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged them with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation when I was 40 years old in 1988. They dismiss the fact that I earned 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. They dismiss the fact that IRS promoted me to GS-12 (currently $81,071/year) in 1974 and GAO promoted me to GS-13 (currently $96,403/year) in 1986.)
https://www.dailysignal.com/2018/07/19/firing-a-bad-federal-employee-may-get-a-little-easier/
THE HILL
— Trump’s Florida golf club requests additional foreign workers for kitchen – EMILY BIRNBAUM (DIERSEN: Have you worked in a kitchen? I did 1964-1966. I washed dishes for the minimum wage in the basement of the S.S. Kresges in Chicago Heights while I was a junior and a senior at Crete-Monee High School 1964-1966 and the summer in between. From what I see, absolutely none of my critics/opponents, their operatives, or their dupes would have taken such a bad job. Back then, I had Osgood-Schlatter disease (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osgood%E2%80%93Schlatter_disease). My eyesight has never been correctable to 20/20. I have always had partial red/green color blindness.)
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/397786-trumps-florida-golf-club-requests-additional-foreign-workers-for
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Donald Trump Says He’s ‘Not Happy’ About Federal Reserve Interest-Rate Increases Comments break with tradition that presidents refrain from commenting on monetary policy – Nick Timiraos (DIERSEN: Generally, a) lower interest rates help barrowers who are generally younger and b) higher interest rates help savers who are generally older.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-says-not-happy-about-federal-reserve-interest-rate-increases-1532020248
FED SMITH
— MERIT Act Advances in House – Ralph R. Smith (DIERSEN: Of course, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes will use this to hint/imply/argue/shout that if the MERIT act had been in effect, a) the Post Office would NOT have hired me in 1966 or let me work there for almost 3 years, b) IRS would NOT have hired me in 1971 or let me work there for almost 9 years, c) IRS would NOT have promoted me in 1972, 1973, or 1974, d) GAO would NOT have hired me in 1980 or let me work there for almost 18 years, and e) GAO would NOT have promoted me in 1986.)
https://www.fedsmith.com/2018/07/18/merit-act-advances-house/
— House moves forward on federal employees-restricting bills – Jessie Bur (DIERSEN: Of course, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes will use this to hint/imply/argue/shout that if the MERIT act had been in effect, a) the Post Office would NOT have hired me in 1966 or let me work there for almost 3 years, b) IRS would NOT have hired me in 1971 or let me work there for almost 9 years, c) IRS would NOT have promoted me in 1972, 1973, or 1974, d) GAO would NOT have hired me in 1980 or let me work there for almost 18 years, and e) GAO would NOT have promoted me in 1986.)
https://www.federaltimes.com/federal-oversight/congress/2018/07/19/house-moves-forward-on-feds-restricting-bills/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The second bill, the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement and Transformation (MERIT) Act, would reduce the advance notice that an agency must provide to an employee it intends to discipline or remove from 30 days to 15 days. Employees then have, at maximum, seven days to answer to the proposed action against them. “The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 created a special authority to remove or demote poor performers. However, the GAO found that removing a poor performer under this special authority, which requires a performance improvement plan, can take six months to a year, and sometimes significantly longer. This does not reflect the significant time during an appeal, should things not proceed during the performance improvement plan,” said Rep. Paul Mitchell, R-Mich. “This bill repeals that special authority.” Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., characterized the bill as an attack on federal employees and their due process rights. “The provisions of H.R. 559 would allow broad congressional edict to micromanage agency personnel procedures and limit the ability of the federal workforce to seek justice when treated unfairly by management. The bill does not afford federal workers accused of performance or disciplinary issues adequate time to mount a credible defense and blurs the procedural line between performance-based and disciplinary actions,” the AFGE letter said. The bill passed on a vote of 19 to 11.)
GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— GAO: VA Is Letting Senior Officials Off the Hook While Disproportionately Punishing Whistleblowers – Eric Katz (DIERSEN: I blew the whistle on political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation while I worked for GAO 1980-1997, for IRS 1971-1980, and for the Post Office 1966-1969. To punish me, a) my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire in 1997 when I was 49 years old, gave me unfair performance expectations and appraisals, always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance purposes, did not promote me beyond GS-13, got rid of my mentor in 1987, kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO, and forced me to take an $19,203 pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980; b) my Democrat IRS superiors did not promote me beyond GS-12, disallowed my education deductions in 1978, got rid of my mentor in 1975, and disallowed my partial day per diem claims in 1974; and c) my Democrat Post Office superiors forced me resign in 1969 and disallowed my sick leave requests in 1969 and 1968.)
https://www.govexec.com/management/2018/07/va-letting-senior-officials-hook-while-disproportionately-punishing-whistleblowers-audit-finds/149897/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Congress has for years worked to reform the disciplinary process at VA, with President Trump last year signing into law new procedures that expedite firings and make it easier for the department to prove its case. Those changes may not have taken into account internal failings within VA, the Government Accountability Office found, as it consistently fails to document evidence against employees and notify them of their rights. Additionally, while last year’s Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act sought to protect employees who attempted to shine a light on shortcomings within the agency, GAO found whistleblowers were far more likely to face adverse actions after reporting misconduct. One in 10 employees who brought issues before the Office of Special Counsel were slapped with discipline that same year, compared to one out of 100 VA employees overall.)
SALON
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: An anti-Trump a) says “Trump-regret syndrome is spreading among Republicans after Helsinki” and asks “How far will it go?” and says “Many Republicans are turning their backs on Trump after the Helsinki disgrace.” and asks “Will they come crawling back?”
https://www.salon.com/2018/07/18/trump-regret-syndrome-is-spreading-among-republicans-after-helsinki-how-far-will-it-go/
