September 30, 2026

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-/

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.