March 15 Evening Edition

ABC7
— Coronavirus update: All Illinois restaurants, bars to close for inside dining for 2 weeks to limit COVID-19 spread, governor says – Will Jones, Michelle Gallardo and Jesse Kirsch
https://abc7chicago.com/health/all-illinois-restaurants-bars-to-close-to-limit-covid-19-spread/6015454/
— Federal Reserve slashes interest rates to near zero amid COVID-19 pandemic – AP
https://abc7chicago.com/politics/federal-reserve-slashes-interest-rates-to-near-zero/6016141/

NBC5
— Illinois Orders All Restaurants to Close to Dine-In Customers “This is not a joke,” Gov. Pritzker said Sunday. “No one is immune to this and you have an obligation to act in the best interest of everyone in this state”
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/illinois-orders-all-restaurants-to-close-to-dine-in-customers/2237617/
— Trump Calls on Americans to Cease Hoarding Food, Supplies; Fauci Open to 14-Day ‘National Shutdown’ “I think we should really be overly aggressive and get criticized for over-reacting,” Fauci said – Hope Yen and Aamer Madhani 
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/fauci-americans-are-going-to-have-to-hunker-down-significantly-more-to-fight-coronavirus/2237615/

CBS2
— Coronavirus In Chicago: While Acknowledging Worries, Preckwinkle Says ‘Our Civic Duty Is Voting’
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/03/15/coronavirus-in-chicago-while-acknowledging-worries-preckwinkle-says-our-civic-duty-is-voting/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— Primary election in Illinois will happen as planned on Tuesday
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/primary-election-in-illinois-will-happen-as-planned-on-tuesday
— Illinois Governor: Ordering all bars and restaurants to close as of Monday night through March 30
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-governor-ordering-all-bars-and-restaurants-to-close-as-of-monday-night-through-march-30

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Trump calls on Americans to cease hoarding food, supplies Trump assured Americans, after speaking with leading grocery chain executives, that grocers would remain open and that the supply chain remained healthy. – AP
https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2020/3/15/21180968/trump-calls-on-americans-to-cease-hoarding-food-supplies

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DuPage declares disaster after Willowbrook nursing home resident tests positive for coronavirus
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-dupage-coronavirus-nursing-home-st-0316-20200315-hzwo5eb4dbhhfmdlzpb7sbpoha-story.html
— Chicago breaks World War II-era record for vote-by-mail applications; election officials encourage early voting – Hannah Leone
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-chicago-elections-early-voting-20200315-tsslpfwu6vfsxipuq4cyz76yyu-story.html
— US moves nearer to shutdown amid coronavirus fears – AP
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-coronavirus-united-states-20200315-x4lkxne65bakvfqwzmude7wvry-story.html
— For the people of Illinois, a call to arms against COVID-19 – Editorial
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-coronavirus-covid-19-illinois-pritzker-restaurant-bar-20200315-xjq733ndinfshbs7ds4slzryji-story.html

DAILY HERALD
— DuPage County declaring disaster in wake of first confirmed COVID-19 case – Steve Zalusky
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200315/dupage-county-declaring-disaster-in-wake-of-first-confirmed-covid-19-case
— Pritzker orders all restaurants and bars closed by Monday night – Charles Keeshan
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200315/pritzker-orders-all-restaurants-and-bars-closed-by-monday-night
— Election-year spread of misinformation challenges local news – AP (DIERSEN: According to my critics/opponents, all government and political news and commentary is misinformation except for the government and political news and commentary that They put out or bless.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20200315/news/303159989/
— ‘The time for action is now Pritzker orders bars, restaurants closed – Charles Keeshan and Steve Zalusky
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200315/the-time-for-action-is-now-x2022-pritzker-orders-bars-restaurants-closed

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Pritzker orders shutdown of all bars and restaurants The governor says St. Patrick’s Day reveling forced his hand. Meanwhile, he’s also announcing a doubling of federal immigration staff at O’Hare. – GREG HINZ
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg-hinz-politics/pritzker-orders-shutdown-all-bars-and-restaurants
— Where you’ll vote Tuesday is still far from clear Amid extraordinary virus-related scrambling, officials say they’re getting close but aren’t yet announcing locations for 168 precinct polling spots in the city and up to 100 locales in suburban Cook County. – GREG HINZ
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg-hinz-politics/where-youll-vote-tuesday-still-far-clear
— Pritzker on NBC: Eyeing lockdowns—and angry at Trump about O’Hare nightmare “We’re on our own out here. I wish we had leadership from Washington. We’re not getting it.” – JOHN PLETZ
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/airlines-airports/pritzker-nbc-eyeing-lockdowns-and-angry-trump-about-ohare-nightmare
— Lightfoot limits bar capacity to curb coronavirus spread “The Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection and the Chicago Police Department are enforcing all business establishments that sell liquor to have less than half of their regular max capacity. Additionally, any establishments that sell liquor will have a max capacity of 100 persons.” – A.D. QUIG
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/restaurants/lightfoot-limits-bar-capacity-curb-coronavirus-spread

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Area teens ready to vote for the first time Tuesday – Steven Spearie (DIERSEN: Democrats shout at young people, and at everyone else, that Republicans are White supremacists, Nazis, KKK members, haters, racists, sexists, bigots, and even worse things who should be gotten rid of once and for all.) 
https://www.sj-r.com/news/20200315/area-teens-ready-to-vote-for-first-time-tuesday

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Meet the realists who dare to question Pritzker’s financial forecast – Jim Dey
https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/columns/jim-dey-meet-the-realists-who-dare-to-question-pritzker/article_01bcd643-3d61-5546-a87a-6ea0d1b34da7.html

BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
— Central Illinois restaurant owners ‘devastated’ by Pritzker’s order; Renner ‘very, very worried’ – Kevin Barlow
https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/central-illinois-restaurant-owners-devastated-by-pritzker-s-order-renner/article_442e5cf2-0eb1-50d4-b46f-a9276457e5f8.html

NORTHWEST HERALD
— Endorsement: 6th Congressional District (Republican): Gordon ‘Jay’ Kinzler
https://www.nwherald.com/2020/03/13/our-view-6th-congressional-district-republican-gordon-jay-kinzler/axe85i9/

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— IL-14: Sue Rezin Sends Last Minute Hit Piece Against Ted Gradel
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/03/15/il-14-sue-rezin-sends-last-minute-hit-piece-against-ted-gradel/

CAPITOL FAX
— Congressional candidate Betsy Dirksken Londrigan self-quarantining until March 22
https://capitolfax.com/2020/03/15/congressional-candidate-betsy-dirksken-londrigan-self-quarantining-until-march-22/
— Madigan COVID-19 campaign guidance falls far short of other caucus advice
https://capitolfax.com/2020/03/15/madigan-covid-19-campaign-guidance-falls-far-short-of-other-caucus-advice/
— Pritzker: Feds doubling staff at O’Hare; Closing all bars and restaurants beginning Monday; Asked for end to overnight food delivery ban; 29 new cases; Will not delay election “unclear when we might be able to hold another one”
https://capitolfax.com/2020/03/15/pritzker-feds-doubling-staff-at-ohare-closing-all-bars-and-restaurants-beginning-monday/
— Some more COVID-19 updates
https://capitolfax.com/2020/03/15/some-more-covid-19-updates/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Is CNN ready to call Mexico ‘racist’ for thinking of shutting its borders to halt coronavirus? – Monica Showalter
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/03/is_cnn_ready_to_call_mexico_racist_for_thinking_of_shutting_its_borders_to_halt_coronavirus.html

DAILY WIRE
— Trump Taunted In Spanish Over Coronavirus: ‘The Wall Is To Protect Mexicans!’ – Joseph Curl
https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-taunted-in-spanish-over-coronavirus-the-wall-is-to-protect-mexicans

PJ MEDIA
— AOC Squad Member Calls for Freeing Prisoners and ICE Detainees for Our Health, Of Course! – VICTORIA TAFT
https://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/aoc-squad-member-calls-for-freeing-prisoners-and-ice-detainees-for-our-health-of-course/

THE HILL
— Illinois governor ‘looking hard’ at closing bars, restaurants: ‘We need to go on lockdown’ – REBECCA KLAR 
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/487638-illinois-gov-looking-hard-at-closing-bars-restaurants-we-need-to-go-on
— Biden, Sanders seek to show contrast with Trump on coronavirus – JULIA MANCHESTER (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats will use coronavirus to destroy Trump.)
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/487513-biden-sanders-seek-to-show-contrast-with-trump-on-coronavirus
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “Trump’s go-to political strategy isn’t working for pandemic response.”
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/487634-trumps-go-to-political-strategy-isnt-working-for-pandemic-response
— Fed cuts interest rates to zero percent, announces $700B in bond purchases – SYLVAN LANE
https://thehill.com/policy/finance/487692-fed-cuts-interest-rates-to-0-percent-announces-700b-in-bond-purchases?rnd=1584306886?rnd=1584228749

HUFFINGTON POST
— U.S. Moves Closer Towards National Shutdown To Limit Coronavirus Spread Restaurants, bars and schools have been shuttered, and the top infectious diseases expert said he’d like to see a 14-day national shutdown imposed. – AP
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-national-shutdown_n_5e6eb670c5b6bd8156f9f468

CNN
— The CDC recommends organizers cancel or postpone events with 50 people or more for 8 weeks – Madeline Holcombe and Dakin Andone
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/15/health/us-coronavirus-sunday-updates/index.html
— Trump administration weighing more steps to encourage social distancing for Americans – Kevin Liptak
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/15/politics/trump-administration-coronavirus-social-distancing/index.html
— There are now more than 3,000 cases of coronavirus in the US – Madeline Holcombe and Dakin Andone
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/15/health/us-coronavirus-sunday-updates/index.html?utm
— Top infectious disease expert doesn’t rule out supporting temporary national lockdown to combat coronavirus – Devan Cole and Alison Main
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/15/politics/anthony-fauci-national-lockdown-bars-restaurants-cnntv/index.html
— President Trump declares Sunday as ‘National Day of Prayer’ amid coronavirus concerns (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those paint themselves as being religious and who focus on destroying me. They talk and act like they paint themselves as being religious to give standing to destroy me. They stress that I am not a member of a church, that I do not attend church services, and that I do not give money to a church.)
https://www.kveo.com/news/president-trump-declares-sunday-as-national-day-of-prayer-amid-coronavirus-concerns/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Fed Slashes Rates to Near-Zero; New Restrictions on International Travel Bring Chaos
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/15/world/coronavirus-live.html
— HARDCOPY EDITORIAL TITLE: Opposing Paid Sick Leave Risks Lives (DIERSEN: Since I became a federal employee in 1966 when I was 18 years old, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have been furious that I benefitted from the federal government’s sick leave policy.) 
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-paid-sick-leave.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “A Deadly Lack of Leadership.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/15/opinion/coronavirus-trump-leadership.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Spiking U.S. coronavirus cases could force rationing decisions similar to those made in Italy, China – Ariana Eunjung Cha
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/03/15/coronavirus-rationing-us/
— With unprecedented force and speed, a global recession is likely taking hold – David J. Lynch and Heather Long 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/14/recession-economy-coronavirus-jobs/
— Federal Reserve slashes interest rates to zero as part of wide-ranging emergency intervention The Fed took the most dramatic steps since the 2008 financial crisis to bolster the U.S. economy in the face of coronavirus. – Heather Long
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/15/federal-reserve-slashes-interest-rates-zero-part-wide-ranging-emergency-intervention/

NATIONAL INTEREST
— Democrats Will Use Coronavirus To Get What They Wanted All Along Pelosi has even admitted it. – Matt Weidinger (DIERSEN: Democrats are moral relativists who believe that their end justifies their means.) 
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/democrats-will-use-coronavirus-get-what-they-wanted-all-along-132672
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Rahm Emanuel, then chief of staff to President-elect Obama, famously said in late 2008 “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that

[is]

it’s an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.” Dubbed “Rahm’s rule,” the same principle may be informing some policy responses to the coronavirus. Indeed, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are packaging significant chunks of their longstanding legislative agenda under the guise of responding to the coronavirus: “In light of reports that the Trump administration is considering new tax cuts for major corporations impacted by the coronavirus, we are demanding that the administration prioritize the health and safety of American workers and their families over corporate interests.”)

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— White House Asks Agencies to Stop All Travel That Is Not Mission Critical Work trips to areas with community spread of the virus should only be undertaken if they are critical to protecting life and property, OMB says. – Amelia Gruber

https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2020/03/white-house-asks-agencies-stop-all-travel-not-mission-critical/163790/

LGBTQ NATION
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: LGBTQers blame coronavirus on Republicans.
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/03/republicans-good-making-epidemics-much-worse/

GUARDIAN
— Coronavirus: governor (Pritzker) tells Trump to ‘get shit together’ amid airport chaos – Martin Pengelly
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/15/coronavirus-governor-pritzker-trump-shit-together-airports-chicago-ohare

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.