May 23 Evening Edition

ABC7
— Coronavirus Illinois: COVID-19 cases top 107K with over 4K deaths as Memorial Day weekend gets underway
By Eric Horng, Craig Wall and Liz Nagy
https://abc7chicago.com/politics/illinois-covid-19-cases-top-107k/6206947/

NBC5
— Illinois Reports 2,352 New Coronavirus Cases, 75 Additional Deaths The state reported 25,114 new test results on Saturday
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/illinois-reports-2352-new-coronavirus-cases-75-additional-deaths/2277240/

CBS2
— Coronavirus In Illinois: 2,352 New COVID-19 Cases, 75 Additional Deaths
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/05/23/coronavirus-in-illinois-2352-new-covid-19-cases-75-additional-deaths/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— Illinois reports 75 coronavirus deaths Saturday and more than 2,300 new cases
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-reports-75-coronavirus-deaths-saturday-and-more-than-2300-new-cases

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— 75 more Illinois coronavirus deaths; state testing tops 700K More than half the deaths have occurred during the first three weeks of May, during what Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office has said is a plateau period for the outbreak’s impact on Illinois that could last through June. – Mitchell Armentrout
https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2020/5/23/21268596/illinois-coronavirus-cases-deaths-pritzker-reopening-may-23
— Illinois House clears Chicago casino measure in waning hours of special session There were several amendments flying around Saturday morning, but ultimately, bill sponsor state Rep. Bob Rita was able to round up enough support. The measure was pushed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and is essential in helping the city’s police and fire pensions. – Tina Sfondeles
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/5/23/21268597/chicago-casino-bill-fix-springfield-illinois-house-pass-pritzker-gambling-expansion

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Age is more than a number for nation’s geezer politicians – CHARLES SELLE (DIERSEN: What do you say to those who promote age discrimination?)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/opinion/ct-lns-selle-older-politicians-st-0526-20200522-eebmt7cwbfc4fpmxqxgndmplee-story.html
— Chicago faith leaders divided on whether to reopen for in-person service as state adds more than 2,300 new COVID-19 cases – MADELINE BUCKLEY
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-chicago-illinois-update-churches-20200523-bccarmy2y5gznm5rminnpiooci-story.html
— Illinois House passes legislation sought by Mayor Lori Lightfoot in her effort to land a casino in Chicago – JAMIE MUNKS and DAN PETRELLA
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-chicago-casino-legislation-20200523-c5sem6ajmrgspme53h2mzgo4gy-story.html

DAILY HERALD
— Illinois reports 2,352 new COVID-19 cases, 75 more deaths Saturday
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200523/illinois-reports-2352-new-covid-19-cases-75-more-deaths-saturday

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Mark Curran takes on Durbin but also some in GOP – Bernard Schoenburg
https://www.sj-r.com/news/20200523/curran-takes-on-durbin-but-also-some-in-gop

BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT
— Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s executive orders are unconstitutional, lawsuit argues – REBECCA ANZEL
https://www.bnd.com/news/politics-government/article242962006.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Two parties in the lawsuit are George Pearson, the Will County Republican Committee chairman, and Steve Balich, a member of the Will County Board. Both claim the state’s restrictions “deprived” them of income. Pearson claims he cannot perform his duties to nominate candidates for the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Balich claims he cannot “effectively represent his constituents” or run for reelection.)

KANKAKEE DAILY JOURNAL
— ‘Freedom is important:’ Few hundred rally to demand reopening of region, state – Lee Provost
https://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/freedom-is-important-few-hundred-rally-to-demand-reopening-of-region-state/article_cd5dc5c8-9bcd-11ea-bd6f-ff3051750016.html

FOX ILLINOIS
— Pandemic halts vaccination for nearly 80 million children – AP
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/pandemic-halts-vaccination-for-nearly-80-million-children
— Memorial Day spurs worries of spikes in cases while warnings come of second outbreak – Ahtra Elnashar
https://foxillinois.com/news/coronavirus/memorial-day-spurs-worries-of-spikes-in-cases-while-warnings-come-of-second-outbreak
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters say “Virus, economy, Trump and cash hamper GOP’s bid for House.”
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/virus-economy-trump-and-cash-hamper-gops-bid-for-house

NPR ILLINOIS
— Evangelical Leader Cites ‘Growing Angst’ With Guv’s Covid-19 Response – MAUREEN FOERTSCH MCKINNEY
https://www.nprillinois.org/post/evangelical-leader-cites-growing-angst-guvs-covid-19-response#stream/0

WEST SUBURBAN JOURNAL
— Lightford announces $31.5 million in grant opportunities for historically underserved communities (DIERSEN: Why do some communities need more service than others?)
https://westsuburbanjournal.com/lightford-announces-31-5-million-in-grant-opportunities-for-historically-underserved-communities/

EVANSTON NOW
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Democrat push pot to push reparations.
https://evanstonnow.com/story/government/bill-smith/2020-05-22/84623/reparations-rally-promotes-more-funding

CHICAGO READER
— When it comes to pandemic planning, is the mayor responsive and collaborative, or dismissive and combative? – Dave Glowacz
https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/lightfoot-covid-19-funding/Content?oid=80102325&mc_cid=1a233b50a1&mc_eid=c968c7978e

CENTER SQUARE
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Illinois has 9,176 legal cannabis industry jobs, study finds
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/illinois-has-9-176-legal-cannabis-industry-jobs-study-finds/article_a61092be-9aa3-11ea-be40-07b038e94c45.html

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— ILLINOIS TOPS LIST FOR HARSHEST COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS IN AMERICA – Ben Szalinski
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-tops-list-for-harshest-covid-19-restrictions-in-america/

CAPITOL FAX
— 2,352 new cases, 75 additional deaths
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/23/2352-new-cases-75-additional-deaths/
— Amendment introduced to allow remote legislating
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/23/amendment-introduced-to-allow-remote-legislating/
— House approves gaming bill 77-32
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/23/house-approves-gaming-bill-77-32/
— Sen. Dale Righter cleans up Eastern Bloc member’s mess
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/23/sen-dale-righter-cleans-up-eastern-bloc-members-mess/
— IDPH stops reporting historical nursing home COVID-19 outbreak data
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/23/idph-stops-reporting-historical-nursing-home-covid-19-ourtbreak-data/
— End of session cheat sheet
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/23/end-of-session-cheat-sheet/
— New approp, BIMP amendments surface, casino push continues, cannabis bill hits a snag with Pritzker thumbs down
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/23/new-approp-bimp-amendments-surface-casino-push-continues-cannabis-bill-hits-a-snag-with-pritzker-thumbs-down/

NEWSMAX
— Illegal Aliens Have Major Role in Food Supply – James Walsh
https://www.newsmax.com/jameswalsh/immigration-food-supply/2020/05/22/id/968538/

THE HILL
— Trump campaign: Biden remarks about black people ‘racist and dehumanizing’ – JONATHAN EASLEY
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/499143-trump-campaign-biden-remarks-about-black-people-racist-and-dehumanizing
— Trump escalates fight against mail-in voting – BRETT SAMUELS
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/499269-trump-escalates-fight-against-mail-in-voting

NBC NEWS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters say “More Americans are souring on Trump’s coronavirus handling.”
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/05/22/more-americans-are-souring-on-trumps-coronavirus-handling-new-polling-shows/24389274/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Biden’s ‘Breakfast Club’ Controversy Shows What His Rivals Already Knew – Tariro Mzezewa
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/us/politics/joe-biden-breakfast-club.html

BLOOMBERG LAW
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Cannabis Binge in Quarantine Lifts Hope for Federal Legalization – Patrick T. Fallon/
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/coronavirus/quarantined-americans-embrace-cannabis-reshaping-an-industry

JD SUPRA
— Seven Things To Consider When An Employee Refuses To Return to Work (DIERSEN: What percent of employees will use coronavirus to refuse to return to work until their employer gets rid of all its employees who are older, obese, and/or have health problems including diabetes? What percent of members of organizations will use coronavirus to refuse to stay a member until the organization gets rid of all its members who are older, obese, and/or have health problems including diabetes?)
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/seven-things-to-consider-when-an-45827/

ACLU
— America, It Is Time to Talk About Reparations – Jeffery Robinson (DIERSEN: If the leaders of your municipality imposed reparations, which residents would they require to pay the most reparations – those who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, heterosexual, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time?)
https://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/america-it-is-time-to-talk-about-reparations/

May 23 Morning Edition

ABC7
— Cook County Board resolution instructs county health officials to give COVID-19 patient addresses to first responders – Chuck Goudie and Barb Markoff, Christine Tressel, and Ross Weidner (DIERSEN: How soon will addresses of those who are older, obese, and/or have health problems, including diabetes, be given to first responders?)
https://abc7chicago.com/health/cook-co-covid-19-patient-addresses-to-be-given-to-first-responders-after-county-board-vote/6205478/

NBC

— 2,758 New Coronavirus Cases Reported in Illinois, With State 1 Week Away From Potential Phase 3 All four state healthcare regions remain within the limits outlined by the governor’s phased reopening plan, meaning that they will likely be eligible to move to phase three of the plan by month’s end
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/2758-new-coronavirus-cases-reported-in-illinois-with-state-1-week-away-from-phase-3/2276819/?amp
— Chicago Pastor Applauds President Trump’s Decision to Call Churches ‘Essential’ The president on Friday threatened to “override” governors who defy him in blocking religious services – Regina Waldroup
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-pastor-applauds-president-trumps-decision-to-call-churches-essential/2277058/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— Illinois construction workers traveling to Wisconsin to work on Pritzker’s farm amid stay-at-home order – Dane Placko
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-construction-workers-traveling-to-wisconsin-to-work-on-pritzkers-farm-amid-stay-at-home-order#new_tab

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Springfield springs into action: Lawmakers pass mail voting, property tax, jobless, borrowing bills — and plan to return Saturday The wheels were rolling on Friday — all day — on several key issues, including measures to delay property tax payments during the pandemic and allow a ”bridge loan” from the federal government — up to $5 billion — to help fill a revenue gap caused by COVID-19. – Tina Sfondeles and Neal Earley
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/5/22/21267824/springfield-lawmakers-mail-voting-property-tax-unemployment-federal-loan-saturday

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Kane sheriff’s office sets up COVID-19 online ‘needs form’
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/ct-abn-aurora-community-briefs-st-0525-20200523-i6zpuufmlvd3rjby46mfnsfdje-story.html

— With growing anger over shutdown, Republicans saw opportunity to send a message in special pandemic session – RICK PEARSON, JAMIE MUNKS and DAN PETRELLA
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-legislature-special-session-roundup-20200523-twl7cgkeknefpp2bf44g2aof4e-story.html

ROCK RIVER TIMES
— Illinois House extends special session, will meet Saturday – Jim Hagerty
http://rockrivertimes.com/2020/05/22/illinois-house-extends-special-session-will-meet-saturday/

LINCOLN COURIER
— Senate Republicans want legislature to stay longer to discuss economic reopening – Kade Heather
https://www.lincolncourier.com/news/20200522/senate-republicans-want-legislature-to-stay-longer-to-discuss-economic-reopening

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Lawmaker gains U.S. attorney general’s office as an ally in case against Pritzker – REBECCA ANZEL (DIERSEN: In Diersen v. GAO, the Republican-appointed U.S. Attorney sided with the Democrat GAO, that is, the U.S. Attorney approved of GAO’s policy of getting rid of its employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who had not made GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40, that is, the U.S. Attorney approved of GAO’s political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation policies.)
https://www.capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/lawmaker-gains-us-attorney-generals-office-as-an-ally-in-case-against-pritzker

WIREPOINTS
— Pritzker doubles down on linking critics and Republicans to Nazism, anti-Semitism or whatever – Quicktake
https://wirepoints.org/pritzker-doubles-down-on-linking-critics-and-republicans-to-nazism-anti-semetism-or-whatever-quicktake/

PRAIRIE STATE WIRE
— State House candidate Breen says governor’s COVID-19 mandates are ‘desperate’ acts of a ‘failed despot’ – Glenn Minnis
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories/537452245-state-house-candidate-breen-says-governor-s-covid-19-mandates-are-desperate-acts-of-a-failed-despot

DUPAGE POLICY JOURNAL
— Sean Casten Voted to Give Nancy Pelosi Your Vote
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/537859524-sean-casten-voted-to-give-nancy-pelosi-your-vote
— GOP House candidate Ives says governor’s response to COVID-19 is full of hypocrisy – Glenn Minnis
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/537452236-gop-house-candidate-ives-says-governor-s-response-to-covid-19-is-full-of-hypocrisy

ILLINOIS LEAKS
— AG to Judge: Governor can extend disaster until everyone is vaccinated – KIRK ALLEN
https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2020/05/ag-to-judge-governor-can-extend-disaster-until-everyone-is-vaccinated/#new_tab

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— PRITZKER FAMILY FIRM HAS TIES TO COVID-19 TESTING COMPANIES – Joe Barnas
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pritzker-family-firm-has-ties-to-covid-19-testing-companies/

FOX NEWS
— Cook county slammed for vote to disclose coronavirus patient data: ‘Terrible decision’ – Adam Shaw
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/illinois-county-disclose-coronavirus-patient-data

CNN
— CDC estimates that 35% of coronavirus patients don’t have symptoms – Arman Azad
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/05/22/health/cdc-coronavirus-estimates-symptoms-deaths/index.html
— Election watchdog regains policing powers with new member – Fredreka Schouten (DIERSEN: Of course, candidates resist disclosure of anything that their critics/opponents might use against them. What have your critics/opponents used against you? My critics/opponents have used the following against me: I am a Trump supporter, Protestant (baptized, raised and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran), conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, old (born in 1948), non-poor, gun owner, draft avoider, 100% German American, Crete resident 1948-1972, my ancestors have been in America since 1844, federal employee for almost 30 years, federal retiree for almost 23 years, no children, and non-dog owner. I oppose promoting LGTBQ activity, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, booze, gambling, pot, and other vices, abolition of the First and Second Amendments, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation for opposing the aforesaid. I am no longer a TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member, Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO) webmaster, Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member, American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member, GAO employee, etc. The adverse actions that my Democrat superiors in the federal government took against me. The lawsuits that I have filed. The Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and MTRO do not encourage Republicans to read my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails.)
http://www.wicz.com/story/42149605/election-watchdog-regains-policing-powers-with-new-member

NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: What Role Should Employers Play in Testing Workers? – Steve Eder, Ellen Gabler, Sarah Kliff and Heather Murphy (DIERSEN: What role should organizations play in testing their members? Of course, Democrats and Democrat plants, Libertarians and Libertarian plants, Greens and Green plants, and RINOs want the Republican National Committee, Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Milton Township Republican Organization, etc. to bar Republican candidates, bar Republican elected officials, bar Republican party leaders, bar Republican Precinct Committeemen/Captains, bar etc. who are old, obese, and/or have health problems from attending Republican events unless they are tested and pass. How soon, if not already, will the aforesaid organizations officially dump all those who are old, obese, and/or have health problems?)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/business/employers-coronavirus-testing.html
— Hertz, Car Rental Pioneer, Files for Bankruptcy Protection – Niraj Chokshi
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/business/hertz-bankruptcy-coronavirus-car-rental.html
— Will the Coronavirus Kill What’s Left of Americans’ Faith in Washington? In 2019, just 17 percent of Americans said they trusted the federal government to do the right thing. The pandemic appears to be eroding their faith even more. – Sabrina Tavernise (DIERSEN: I should write a book about the ever-increasing hatred of federal employees and the ever-increasing hatred of federal retirees.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/us/coronavirus-government-trust.html
— Pandemic Has Increased Money Anxiety. Therapists Hope to Cure That. Interest in financial therapy rose after the 2008 recession, as Americans confronted their fears about money. The field has become relevant again, professionals say. – Paul Sullivan (DIERSEN: Investing money in the stock market is ever-increasingly stressful. But seeing the purchasing power of money invested in fixed income decrease is also stressful.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/your-money/coronavirus-money-fears-financial-therapy.html
— Another Casualty of the Coronavirus: Summer Internships Like so much else, summer internships have been upended by the pandemic, with hundreds of companies canceling their programs and rescinding offers. – David Yaffe-Bellany (DIERSEN: Did you have any summer internships? I did not. I washed dishes during the summer of 1965 in Chicago Heights. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline during the summer of 1966 in Flossmoor and Chicago Heights. I delivered mail during the summers of 1967, 1968, and 1969 in Park Forest.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/business/coronavirus-summer-internships.html
— How the Trump Effect Could Lift Democratic Senate Candidates Republican incumbents in swing states have struggled to disentangle themselves from President Trump, whose voters are loyal but represent a minority of the electorate. (DIERSEN: What do you say to Republican candidates who hint/imply/argue/shout that they are anti-Trump? Such candidates certainly do not want me to help elect them. They discourage me from sending out GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails. They discourage everyone from reading those emails.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/us/politics/polling-senate-races.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats demonize, denigrate, and condemn Blacks who do not vote for Democrats.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/opinion/stacey-abrams-coronavirus-black-voters-2020.html
— Biden’s Online Campaign Is Still Loading As Trump hogs the cameras, the homebound presumptive nominee’s video presence is a limbo of “virtual rallies,” glitches and … birds. – James Poniewozik
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/arts/television/biden-campaign.html

NEW YORK POST
— Fauci warns overextending coronavirus lockdowns could cause ‘irreparable damage’ – Vincent Barone
https://nypost.com/2020/05/22/what-overextended-coronavirus-lockdowns-could-cause-fauci/amp/

WASHINGTON POST
— Women 55 and older who lose their jobs in the pandemic face greater risk of long-term unemployment – Michelle Singletary
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/personal-finance/women-55-and-older-who-lose-their-jobs-in-the-pandemic-face-greater-risk-of-long-term-unemployment/2020/05/22/7df768ea-9c3b-11ea-ac72-3841fcc9b35f_story.html
— Study estimates 24 states still have uncontrolled coronavirus spread – Joel Achenbach, Rachel Weiner and Isaac Stanley-Becker
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/study-estimates-24-states-still-have-uncontrolled-coronavirus-spread/2020/05/22/d3032470-9c43-11ea-ac72-3841fcc9b35f_story.html
— The lockdown is very hard for small businesses, including mine – Stephanie Lundquist-Arora, Springfield (DIERSEN: My Civil Service Retirement System pension is only 41% of what my GAO salary was in 1997 in today’s dollars.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-lockdown-is-very-hard-for-small-businesses-including-mine/2020/05/22/02f572b2-9ab1-11ea-ad79-eef7cd734641_story.html
(FROM THE LETTER: I have sympathy all around and worry for the most vulnerable people (health-wise). I am also increasingly concerned for the people who are not federal employees, public officials, teachers or private-sector employees continuing to work remotely. . .Even with significant financial losses, I am fortunate that my husband is a federal employee. We have many friends in the county who do not have this privilege.)

LOS ANGELES TIMES
— Businesses are reopening. If you’re older or sick, what happens to your job? – LAURENCE DARMIENTO (DIERSEN: From what I see, ever-increasingly, governments, businesses, and organizations will use coronavirus to get rid of their employees and members who are older, who are obese, and/or who have health problems. They will use budget cuts and “up-or-out” policies as pretexts to accomplish the aforesaid. Expect that the Democrat and Republican parties will officially dump their precinct committeemen who are White and/or male who fail to make township/ward party chairman by age 30, county party chairman by age 35, state central committee member by age 40, state party officer by age 45, and state party chairman by age 50.)
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-05-22/coronavirus-reopening-preexisting-conditions-seniors-older-workers
(FROM THE ARTICLE: With some 39 million Americans filing jobless claims since the pandemic broke out and fears growing of another Great Depression, getting workplaces open has become a priority. That’s a tricky proposition as the number of coronavirus cases and deaths mount, even if the rate of transmission slows in some places. But for workers especially vulnerable to complications from COVID-19, a return to work can feel like a death sentence. That’s not a small group. Some 41 million Americans ages 18 to 64 are at risk for serious complications from COVID-19 due to underlying conditions such as diabetes, uncontrolled asthma and heart disease, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis. Also at risk are Americans 65 and older, about 10.4 million of whom remain in the workforce — an age group that accounts for 80% of U.S. COVID deaths. . .While federal law provides special protections for workers who have disabilities or are older, ultimately they can be recalled to the workplace, even if it can’t be made 100% safe. And should employers try to prevent certain employees from returning to their jobs, they could face discrimination claims from older workers and disabled workers. . .Workers who are diabetic or asthmatic or have other conditions that are considered disabilities are offered special protections by the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires employers to provide so-called “reasonable accommodations” as needed. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act offers workers older than 40 protections against discrimination on the basis of their age. Questions linger about whether and how such protections will shield workers who are older or have medical conditions in the time of the coronavirus. “It’s definitely a minefield for employers,” said Walter Stella, a labor and employment attorney at Cozen O’Connor, which represents employers. “The traditional reasonable accommodation analysis requires employers to accommodate disabled employees so that they can continue to perform the essential functions of their jobs. The focus of the law is not to give employees a reasonable accommodation so that they don’t get the coronavirus.” That legal analysis rubs up against the demands of employee advocates who say that providing a safe workplace is the fundamental duty of employers amid the pandemic.)

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Approaches 100,000 More than five million people have been infected world-wide with over 1.6 million of those cases in the U.S. – Frances Yoon
https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/coronavirus-latest-news-05-23-2020-11590223953
— Beware of Moralistic Narratives of the Lockdown Debate The effort to reopen is not a neat fable with villains and heroes – Gerard Baker (DIERSEN: In your neighborhood, in you precinct, in your municipal district, in your municipality, in your township, in your county, and in Illinois, who takes the lead in demonizing, denigrating, and condemning those who want the lockdown lifted?)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/beware-of-moralistic-narratives-of-the-lockdown-debate-11590166671
— The Germs That Transformed History For eons, epidemics have caused mass deaths and social upheaval, with far-reaching effects on politics, trade, migration, colonization and conquest – Jared Diamond
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-germs-that-transformed-history-11590159271
— So You’re Getting a Pandemic Puppy. Here’s What It Will Cost. A furry quarantine buddy is often an impulse decision that can quickly add up in expenses – Amber Burton
https://www.wsj.com/articles/so-youre-getting-a-pandemic-puppy-heres-what-it-will-cost-11590139800
— The Job Market’s Long Road Back Job losses were sudden and swift. At first, workers and employers thought they would be temporary. For many, that is starting to look like wishful thinking. – Eric Morath
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-job-markets-long-road-back-11590206400
— A Vote-by-Mail Nightmare Trump or Biden by a whisker, with a million ballots thrown out. – Editorial (DIERSEN: What percent of ballots mailed in by Republicans will be “lost in the mail?”)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-vote-by-mail-nightmare-11590189749
— California’s College Testing Mistake The state university system puts racial politics above merit. – Editorial (DIERSEN: What tests have you passed? I passed a) the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 when I was 30 years old, b) the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, c) all the tests necessary to earn a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997, d) all the tests necessary to earn a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, e) all the tests necessary to earn an MBA from Loyola in 1976, f) all the tests necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in 1970, g) the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970, and h) the Post Office employment examination in 1966.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/californias-college-testing-mistake-11590189601

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
— How U.S. Companies Can Support Employees of Color Through the Pandemic – Laura Morgan Roberts , Courtney L. McCluney , Erin L. Thomas and Michelle Kim (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, since the 1960s, Affirmative Action, Diversity, and Inclusion have required governments, businesses, and organizations to give preference to their employees and members who are minority and/or female, and more recently, to their employees who are LGBTQ. Consequently, ever-increasingly, governments, businesses, and organizations get rid of their employees and members who are White, male, older, heterosexual, and/or non-veteran.)
https://hbr.org/2020/05/how-u-s-companies-can-support-employees-of-color-through-the-pandemic

NEWSWEEK
— DOJ Files Brief in Federal Court Against Illinois Governor’s Stay-At-Home Order – AILA SLISCO (DIERSEN: In Diersen v. GAO, the Republican-appointed U.S. Attorney sided with GAO, that is, the U.S. Attorney approved of GAO’s policy of getting rid of its employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who had not made GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40, that is, the U.S. Attorney approved of GAO’s political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation policies.)
https://www.newsweek.com/doj-files-brief-federal-court-against-illinois-governors-stay-home-order-1506136

FIVE THIRTY EIGHT
— The Gap Between Democrats And Republicans Is Growing On The Coronavirus Crisis – Geoffrey Skelley
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/democrats-and-republicans-are-increasingly-split-on-the-coronavirus-crisis/amp/

FORD AUTHORITY
— 2020 New York Auto Show Officially Cancelled Due To COVID-19 – Brett Foote
https://fordauthority.com/2020/05/2020-new-york-auto-show-officially-cancelled-due-to-covid-19/

May 22 Evening Edition

ABC7
— Illinois vote by mail bill passes Senate, heads to Governor JB Pritkzer for signature
https://abc7chicago.com/politics/illinois-vote-by-mail-bill-passes-senate-heads-to-governor-for-signature/6205072/
— Coronavirus Chicago: Here’s what businesses can reopen next – and when – Sarah Schulte, Jessica D’Onofrio
https://abc7chicago.com/business/chicago-wont-begin-reopening-until-early-june-lightfoot-says-/6203672/

NBC5
— Illinois Senate Passes Vote-by-Mail Expansion Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said he looks forward to signing the legislation
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/illinois-senate-passes-vote-by-mail-expansion/2277018/
— Trump Declares Churches ‘essential,’ Calls on Them to Reopen – Jill Colvin and Zeke Miller
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/trump-calls-on-churches-to-reopen-this-weekend/2276774/
— Justice Department Supports Lawsuit Challenging Pritzker’s Illinois Stay-at-Home Order The lawsuit filed by State Rep. Darren Bailey claims that state law gives the governor only a 30-day period for exercising emergency powers
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/justice-department-supports-lawsuit-challenging-pritzkers-stay-at-home-order/2276953/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— Illinois lawmakers wrap up Springfield special session It’s been an eventful few days for Illinois lawmakers at the special session in Springfield. – Mike Flannery
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/686957
— Illinois continues to increase COVID-19 testing capacity as state reports 2,758 new cases
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-continues-to-increase-covid-19-testing-capacity-as-state-reports-2758-new-cases
— Biden says he was too ‘cavalier’ about black Trump backers – Bill Barrow
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/biden-says-he-was-too-cavalier-about-black-trump-backers

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Pritzker says he plans to sign vote-by-mail expansion into law Democrats supported the measure saying they worried about a second-wave of the coronavirus suppressing voter turnout for the 2020 election. Republicans contended the bill would make Illinois’ election more vulnerable to fraud. – Neal Earley
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/5/22/21267994/vote-by-mail-expansion-senate-pritzker-covid-19-coronavirus
— Downstate judge blasts Pritzker’s stay-at-home-order: ‘Americans don’t get ruled’ Justice Department also sides with Darren Bailey, says he makes a strong case that Pritzker’s orders “exceed the authority granted to the governor by the Illinois legislature.” – Jon Seidel
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/5/22/21267665/downstate-judge-blasts-illinois-governor-jb-pritzker-stay-at-home-order
— Reopening churches ‘dangerous and foolish,’ Lightfoot tells Trump At a Friday press conference announcing plans to “cautiously reopen” parts of Chicago, Lightfoot said people have to recognize that “virtually everything [Trump] says has a political undertone and basis for it.” – Rachel Hinton and Mitchell Armentrout
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/5/22/21267936/churches-lori-lightfoot-donald-trump-coronavirus-covid-worship

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Department of Justice declares its support of lawsuit challenging Pritzker’s stay-at-home order – Robert McCoppin
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-illinois-stay-at-home-order-justice-department-20200523-upjahom3tfdpbizw5ehswtdfoy-story.html
— Elburn business owners say they are just ‘hanging on’ as pandemic continues – MEGAN JONES
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/ct-abn-elburn-businesses-urge-to-reopen-st-0525-20200523-5l3qe2zmeja43pyug5fhqcgv3y-story.html

DAILY HERALD
— Illinois budget plan needs $6B in federal aid to balance – AP
https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20200522/news/305229923/
— Suburban election clerks ask state to prepare for record demand for vote-by-mail – James Fuller
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200522/suburban-election-clerks-ask-state-to-prepare-for-record-demand-for-vote-by-mail
— Senate Republicans: Stay in session until legislature reaches a bipartisan reopening plan – Jerry Nowicki
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200522/senate-republicans-stay-in-session-until-legislature-reaches-a-bipartisan-reopening-plan

WGN RADIO
— COVID-19: Can Illinois crawl out of $7 billion budget hole? – Roe Conn
https://wgnradio.com/roe-conn/covid-19-can-illinois-crawl-out-of-7-billion-budget-hole/

ILLINOIS PATCH
— Job Openings In IL: CDC Hiring Contact Tracers To Fight Pandemic The CDC is looking for contact tracers, who can make up to $65,000 a year and just need a bachelor’s degree and a positive attitude. – J. Ryne Danielson
https://patch.com/illinois/across-il/job-openings-il-cdc-hiring-contact-tracers-fight-pandemic

GENEVA PATCH
— Families Sue Bria Of Geneva Alleging Negligence Amid Coronavirus The families of two residents who died at the senior living facility filed lawsuits Monday and Tuesday. – Jason Addy
https://patch.com/illinois/geneva/families-sue-bria-geneva-alleging-negligence-amid-coronavirus

PROPUBLICA ILLINOIS
— More Than 1 in 5 Illinoisans Living in State Homes for Adults With Disabilities Have Tested Positive for the Coronavirus In Illinois, at least 355 people who live in state-run homes for adults with disabilities have tested positive for the coronavirus. “They don’t know why their family has stopped coming to visit,” a relative said. – Jennifer Smith Richards and Jodi S. Cohen
https://www.propublica.org/article/more-than-1-in-5-illinoisans-living-in-state-homes-for-adults-with-disabilities-have-tested-positive-for-the-coronavirus

ILLINOIS LEAKS
— Clay County Judge issued Restraining Order against Gov Pritzker – JOHN KRAFT
https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2020/05/clay-county-judge-issued-restraining-order-against-gov-pritzker/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— 20 GOP IL HOUSE MEMBERS FORM “IL TAXPAYER FREEDOM CAUCUS”
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/20-gop-il-house-members-form-il-taxpayer-freedom-caucus-.html
— THORNER: HOW MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL END FAIR AND FREE ELECTIONS
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/thorner-hallmark-of-a-democratic-republic-free-and-fair-elections.html
— WHO ARE THE COVID-19 DICTATORS?
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/who-are-the-covid-19-dictators.html
— WEYERMULLER: CHICAGO CATHOLIC FAITHFUL REJECT CARDINAL’S PLAN TO RE-OPEN CHURCHES
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/weyermuller-chicago-catholic-faithful-reject-cardinals-plan-to-re-open-churches.html
— PILL PUSHERS EXPLOITING COVID-19 TO PROMOTE RISKY TELEMEDICINE ABORTIONS
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/pill-pushers-exploiting-covid-19-to-promote-risky-telemedicine-abortions.html

CAPITOL FAX
— Madigan: House will convene tomorrow
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/22/madigan-house-will-convene-tomorrow/
— Thursday session roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/22/thursday-session-roundup/
— $5.8 billion budget hole to be (mostly) “filled” with borrowed federal money, paid back (hopefully) with federal assistance
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/22/58-billion-budget-hole-to-be-mostly-filled-with-borrowed-federal-money-paid-back-hopefully-with-federal-assistance/
— Elections omnibus bill clears Senate on final passage
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/22/elections-omnibus-bill-clears-senate-on-final-passage/
— Pritzker announces childcare reopening schedule – Will use federal $ to pay for federal borrowing – Will be “very disappointed” if legislature doesn’t pass legislation addressing withdrawn IDPH rule – Legislature can stay in town if it wants to – Says “look at the log data” will show only one person accessed IDES info – Says he “regularly” talks to clergy – Asked why legislators haven’t taken up a bill on African Americans, Latinos – Supports Chicago casino bill – Republicans “linked themselves” to fringe protesters – Clay County ruling will only apply to Clay County – Plans to stay in Springfield through end of session – Lightfoot decision to go slower is hers to make – Comments on FEMA letter warning law enforcement about funding – Hasn’t seen Sen. Rose’s letter – Children over 2 will wear masks – Called out on food claim – Dr. Ezike explains spread at restaurants – Dr. Ezike says no easing of nursing home visit restrictions
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/22/pritzker-announces-childcare-reopening-schedule/
— 2,758 new cases, 110 additional deaths
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/22/2758-new-cases-110-additional-deaths/

WASHINGTON TIMES
— U.S. intervenes in case challenging Pritzker’s COVID-19 moves – AP
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/may/22/us-intervenes-in-case-challenging-pritzkers-covid-/

DAILY SIGNAL
— 1% of Counties Home to Half of COVID-19 Cases, Over Half of Deaths – Norbert Michel
https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/05/13/covid-19-tracker-shows-cases-deaths-cluster-in-specific-areas/

NBC NEWS
— Justice Department joins push against Illinois coronavirus restrictions DOJ suggested Gov. Pritzker has exceeded his authority with his stay at home orders, and also sent a warning letter to LA Mayor Eric Garcetti
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/justice-department-joins-push-against-illinois-coronavirus-restrictions-n1213491

NEW YORK TIMES
— Trump Orders States to Allow Places of Worship to Open, Though He Has No Authority To
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/us/politics/trump-churches.html

NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— Coronavirus May Derail the Republican Convention After All – Ed Kilgore
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/05/coronavirus-may-derail-the-republican-convention-after-all.html

May 22 Morning Edition

ABC7
— Why the COVID-19 pandemic is deepening a racial divide in Chicago area communities – Chuck Goudie, Barb Markoff, Christine Tressel, Ross Weidner, Jonathan Fagg and Adriana Aguilar
https://abc7chicago.com/health/why-the-pandemic-is-deepening-a-racial-divide-in-chicago-area-communities/6203131/
— Chicago issues thousands of citations to businesses operating in violation of stay-at-home order – Jason Knowles and Ann Pistone
https://abc7chicago.com/coronavirus-chicago-illinois-stay-at-home-order-non-essential-businesses/6201791/

NBC5
— Pritzker ‘Very Concerned’ About Surge of Coronavirus Cases in Fall A surge is likely, Gov. Pritzker said, if a vaccine or very effective treatment isn’t available
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/pritzker-very-concerned-about-surge-of-coronavirus-cases-in-fall/2276187/

WGN TV
— Chicago area governments laying off workers as revenues fall amid coronavirus – Ben Bradley, Andrew Schroedter (DIERSEN: During the 1980s and 1990s, the Democrats who ran GAO used Republican-led budget cuts to get rid of their employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who they had not promoted to GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40.)
https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-investigates/chicago-area-governments-laying-off-workers-as-revenues-fall-amid-coronavirus/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Donning masks and rolling up sleeves, lawmakers tackle vote-by-mail, pot tweaks — with budget, COVID-19 relief looming No mask faceoffs added any drama to Day Two of the special legislative session. State Rep. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, entered the Bank of Springfield Center wearing a face covering. State Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, went a little further, donning a complete face shield. – Tina Sfondeles and Neal Earley
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/5/21/21266946/lawmakers-masks-vote-mail-legal-pot-budget-covid-19-relief-bailey-oberweis-coronavirus
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater uses Phyllis Schlafly to demonize, denigrate, and condemn the 53% of White women who voted for Trump.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2020/5/21/21266599/phyllis-schlafly-feminism-equal-rights-amendment-mrs-america-era-culture-wars

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois unemployment rate hit 16.4% in April, a 44-year high, as coronavirus-related job losses multiplied – Abdel Jimenez (DIERSEN: What were you doing in 1976? I turned 28 years old. I worked for IRS in its Loop office as a GS-12 Step 3 (currently $90,758/year) Revenue Officer assigned to its Special Procedures Staff. I traded in to the building’s developer my studio condo for a one bedroom condo in the Outer Drive East building in downtown Chicago. I completed the requirements for an MBA from Loyola and started taking graduate accounting classes at DePaul. I rented out my town home in University Park. I drove a 1962 Chevy BelAir and garaged my 1972 Corvette at my mother’s home in Crete.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-illinois-april-unemployment-rate-20200521-gfg675giqbcqtaahirsrmyaaga-story.html
— Judgment just as contagious in our culture war of wearing masks in public – JERRY DAVICH (DIERSEN: If you demonize, denigrate, and condemn people for not wearing a mask, you should be wearing one yourself.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/opinion/ct-ptb-davich-wearing-masks-in-public-culture-war-controversy-st-0517-20200515-liwsboclbrdljhsuprp2hivo24-story.html

DAILY HERALD
— In close vote, Cook County Board agrees to release COVID-19 patient addresses – Christopher Placek
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200521/in-close-vote-cook-county-board-agrees-to-release-covid-19-patient-addresses-
— Masks are for protection of others, not political symbols – Editorial (DIERSEN: If you demonize, denigrate, and condemn people for not wearing a mask, you should be wearing one yourself.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20200522/editorial-masks-are-for-protection-of-others-not-political-symbols

WBEZ
— Coronavirus In Illinois: Unemployment Rate Is Now The Highest It’s Been Since 1976
https://www.wbez.org/stories/coronavirus-in-illinois-unemployment-rate-is-now-the-highest-its-been-since-1976/b9d4bbde-4bde-48e1-810b-5cc7df506ca0
— Illinois Lawmakers Push Vote-By-Mail Expansion – But Not Much Else – During Emergency Session – Tony Arnold, Dave McKinney
https://www.wbez.org/stories/illinois-lawmakers-push-vote-by-mail-expansion-but-not-much-else-during-emergency-session/7c1e0966-07b0-43ea-818f-9bf3aa28f358

ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
— Thousands still await COVID-19 test results in Winnebago County – Isaac Guerrero
https://www.rrstar.com/news/20200521/thousands-still-await-covid-19-test-results-in-winnebago-county

WJOL
— Many Illinois Residents Still Struggling With Unemployment Claims
https://www.wjol.com/many-illinois-residents-still-struggling-with-unemployment-claims/

WCIA
— Righter rebukes Bailey’s mask antics: ‘Half the game is showing up’ – Mark Maxwell (DIERSEN: According to your critics, what should you have NOT done?” According to my critics, I should NOT have been a Republican, been conservative, avoided the draft, opposed political affiliation discrimination, opposed reverse discrimination, opposed age discrimination, opposed the traffic signal at Harrison and President in Wheaton, filed lawsuits, became an active member in a class action lawsuit that charged my superiors with reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation, opposed promoting booze, pot, and other vices, opposed promoting LGBTQ activity, opposed promoting abortion, opposed promoting mass/illegal immigration, opposed promoting abolition of the First and Second Amendments, failed/refused to become one of their operatives/dupes, failed/refused to pander to them, failed/refused to give them money, etc. )
https://www.wcia.com/news/capitol-news/righter-rebukes-baileys-mask-antics-half-the-game-is-showing-up/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The veteran downstate legislator who is preparing to pass the legislative baton of his rural State Senate district over to House Representative Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) next January was not entertained by Bailey’s public act of defiance when he refused to wear a face mask on the floor of the Illinois House on Wednesday. “I would not have done that,” Senator Dale Righter (R-Mattoon) said in an interview Thursday morning, arguing that in orchestrating his own ejection from the House floor, Bailey also effectively abandoned his duties as an elected official in the legislature. Bailey won the March primary election to replace Righter, who is retiring from the statehouse after 23 years in office. Bailey is running unopposed for the Senate seat in November.)

FOX ILLINOIS
— Coronavirus-triggered layoffs in US hit nearly 39 million – AP
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/millions-more-people-likely-sought-us-unemployment-benefits

KENDALL COUNTY NOW
— GOP lawmakers to offer free masks, milk and food at Kendall County Food Pantry Saturday
https://www.kendallcountynow.com/2020/05/20/gop-lawmakers-to-offer-free-masks-milk-and-food-at-kendall-county-food-pantry-saturday/aixpb1y/

WIRE POINTS
— Big raises for Chicago Teachers Union, state’s AFSCME shows where federal aid to Illinois will end up – Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
https://wirepoints.org/big-raises-for-chicago-teachers-union-states-afscme-shows-where-federal-aid-to-illinois-will-end-up-wirepoints/

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— ILLINOIS BILL WOULD MAKE ELECTION DAY A HOLIDAY, BUT ONLY FOR GOVERNMENT WORKERS – Joe Barnas
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-bill-would-make-election-day-a-holiday-but-only-for-government-workers/

FOX NEWS
— Sanders delegates push back at agreements prohibiting convention dissent: ‘It’s ridiculous’ – Paul Steinhauser (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those who have painted themselves as being attack dogs for activists, candidates, elected officials, party leaders, major donors, political consultants, campaign managers, those who I have sued, etc. I would focus on those who have lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout in Wheaton’s West District, Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois. I would focus on those who blame me and my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails for their problems, for your problems, for my problems, for everyone’s problems, and for all the problems that the following have had: Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Illinois Republican Party, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Center Right Coalition, American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter, etc. I might title the book “The Scapegoaters.”)
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sanders-convention-delegates-push-back
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The agreements – first reported by the Washington Post and confirmed by Fox News – call on Sanders delegates to “Refrain from making negative statements about other candidates, party leaders, Campaigns, Campaign staffers, supporters, news organizations or journalists. This Campaign is about the issues and finding solutions to America’s problems. Our job is to differentiate the senator from his opponents on the issues — not through personal attacks.” Another of the 10 rules listed in the document states: “Do your best to avoid online arguments or confrontations. … If engaging in an adversarial conversation, be respectful when addressing opposing viewpoints or commenting on the opposition.” And the agreement states that “If a member of the media contacts you about a posting of any kind: do not respond.” Instead, it directs them to contact the Sanders press team. The document states that “failure to comply with these expectations may result in disciplinary action, including but not limited to your removal from the delegation.” The agreements were sent to some Sanders delegates across the country last week.)

BREITBART
— Pew Research: Less Than 3-in-8 Americans Support Coronavirus Relief for Illegal Aliens – John Binder
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/05/21/pew-research-less-than-3-in-8-americans-support-coronavirus-relief-for-illegal-aliens/

TOWNHALL
— Trump Administration Extends Border Restrictions Amid Coronavirus Pandemic – Bronson Stocking
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bronsonstocking/2020/05/21/cdc-extends-title-42-following-major-success-slowing-illegal-immigration-at-the-border-n2569259

FEDERALIST
— California Democrats Try To Legalize Racial Discrimination During Pandemic – Kenny Xu
https://thefederalist.com/2020/05/21/californa-democrats-try-to-legalize-racial-discrimination-during-pandemic/

HERITAGE FOUNDATION
— “Hate Speech” and the New Tyranny over the Mind – Arthur Milikh
https://www.heritage.org/civil-society/report/hate-speech-and-the-new-tyranny-over-the-mind

CNN
— The pandemic could cause long-term damage to how we get our food – Bob Ortega
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/05/business/coronavirus-food-supply-invs-cnnphotos/
— Coronavirus ‘immunity passports’ are a terrible idea that could backfire, experts warn – Faith Karimi and Maggie Fox (DIERSEN: Of course, according to Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, and RINOs, if you have immunity, it is because you unfairly benefitted from your parents’, grandparents’, great grandparents’, and the rest of your ancestors’ discrimination against minorities, against females, against poor people, against Democrats, against Libertarians, against Greens, against RINOs, against non-Protestants, against non-German Americans, against those whose ancestors have not been in America for a long time, against etc.)
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/22/health/immunity-passport-coronavirus/index.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— Fed Chair Warns This Is a ‘Downturn Without Modern Precedent’ – Jeanna Smialek and Alan Rappeport
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/business/economy/fed-chair-warns-this-is-a-downturn-without-modern-precedent.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats stimulus dollars to go to those who are 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/2020/05/21/opinion/coronavirus-stimulus-women.html
— University of California Will End Use of SAT and ACT in Admissions The change is expected to accelerate the momentum of American colleges away from the tests, amid concern that they are unfair to poor, black and Hispanic students. – Shawn Hubler (DIERSEN: What tests have you passed? I passed a) the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 when I was 30 years old, b) the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, c) all the tests necessary to earn a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997, d) all the tests necessary to earn a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, e) all the tests necessary to earn an MBA from Loyola in 1976, f) all the tests necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in 1970, g) the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970, and h) the Post Office employment examination in 1966.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/us/university-california-sat-act.html
— A Wave of Small Business Closures Is on the Way. Can Washington Stop It? Bipartisan proposals address weaknesses of a hastily passed aid program. – Neil Irwin
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/upshot/virus-small-business-closures.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater asks “How Many Will Die for the Dow?”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/opinion/trump-coronavirus-dow.html
— The First Invasion of America And the cultural earthquake it’s unleashing. – David Brooks (DIERSEN: The first invasion of America was by citizens of Mexico.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/opinion/us-coronavirus-history.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: FRONT PAGE: Trump-haters say “Host of Virus Alarms Ignored By a Single-Minded President.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/us/politics/presidents-daily-brief-trump.html
— Many Jobs May Vanish Forever as Layoffs Mount With over 38 million U.S. unemployment claims in nine weeks, one economist says the situation is “grimmer than we thought.” – Patricia Cohen
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/business/economy/coronavirus-unemployment-claims.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats use coronavirus to promote hatred against Republicans.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/21/us-them-pandemic-shows-america-is-still-impervious-black-pain/
— Shrinking newsrooms could affect how we view the coronavirus pandemic Journalists of color are particularly susceptible to layoffs, and that can distort coverage of the crisis – Marian Liu (DIERSEN: Virtually all federal employees are Democrats. They are protected, and especially those who are minority, female, younger, and/or veteran, because the federal government gets rid of its employees who are Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who do not make GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40. Extremely few federal employees make the aforesaid promotion deadlines.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/21/diversity-coronavirus-coverage/
— Trump’s purge of inspectors general is alarming. His replacements may be worse. – David C. Williams (DIERSEN: I should write a book about all my coworkers in the federal government who my Democrat superiors a) promoted over me and/or b) retained instead of me. They all were Democrats, minorities, females, younger than me, non-Protestant, non-German American, veterans, their ancestors had been in America for less time than mine, they had less work experience than I had, they had less education than I had, and/or they had fewer professional certifications and/or licenses than I had.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/21/trumps-widespread-removal-inspectors-general-is-alarming-so-are-his-appointments/
— Antimalarial drug touted by President Trump is linked to increased risk of death in coronavirus patients, study says – Ariana Eunjung Cha and Laurie McGinley
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/22/hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus-study/

NEW YORK POST
— Joe Biden asks Amy Klobuchar to undergo VP vetting process, report says – Ebony Bowden (DIERSEN: Needless-to-say, if you have skeletons in your closets, you should not seek or hold any kind of government or political office, and especially if you paint yourself as being religious, conservative, and/or Republican.)
https://nypost.com/2020/05/21/joe-biden-asks-amy-klobuchar-to-undergo-vp-vetting-process-report/

USA TODAY
— Food prices soar to highest one-month increase since 1974; price of eggs up 16% in April – Susan Selasky
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/05/20/food-prices-soar-coronavirus-covid-19/5226969002/
— How Joe Biden is working to win over progressive voters – Rebecca Morin (DIERSEN: To win over progressive voters, Biden will promise to use the federal government to get rid of the following once and for all: individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/05/21/joe-biden-bernie-sanders-work-together-bring-progressives-board/5155900002/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— How to Keep Workers Off the Job More evidence that the enhanced $600 unemployment benefit will slow the recovery and keep the jobless rate high. – Editorial
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-keep-workers-off-the-job-11590103444
— The Covid Surcharge: Companies Confront the Unforgiving Economics of Coronavirus Rising costs, weak demand and customer limits challenge efforts to reopen for business – Matt Grossman
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-covid-surcharge-companies-confront-unforgiving-economics-of-coronavirus-11590139802
— Behind Trump’s Removal of Inspectors General: Support for His Agenda He views himself ‘a victim of overly aggressive actions,’ according to one senior administration official – Catherine Lucey and Gordon Lubold
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-moves-to-make-own-picks-for-oversight-posts-11590064279

BLOOMBERG
— Lockdowns Haven’t Proved They’re Worth the Havoc – Joe Nocera
https://www.yahoo.com/news/lockdowns-haven-t-proved-worth-100003823.html

WCNC
— Minorities carrying the biggest financial burden of COVID-19 crisis In April, the unemployment rate soared to 14.7%, minority groups were hit the hardest with 19% of Hispanic workers and almost 17% of black workers unemployed. – Billie Jean Shaw
https://www.wcnc.com/article/money/minorities-carrying-the-biggest-financial-burden-of-covid-19-crisis/275-062fbd49-70ae-41b9-bb05-0560b3ff3add

NEWSWEEK
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Trump-haters side with Communist China against America.
https://www.newsweek.com/trumps-blame-china-re-election-strategy-might-seriously-backfire-opinion-1505813

NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— Just Give People Handouts – Sarah Jones (DIERSEN: How soon, because of efforts to fight coronavirus, will everyone in the world be getting welfare and/or handing out welfare?)
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/05/people-need-money-not-skills-retraining.html

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— These Federal Agencies Have Seen the Most COVID-19 Deaths Nearly 130 federal workers have died from the coronavirus pandemic. – ERIC KATZ
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2020/05/these-federal-agencies-have-seen-most-covid-19-deaths/165578/

FORD AUTHORITY
— Ford Will ‘Likely’ Conduct Daily Employee COVID-19 Tests When It’s Possible – Brett Foote
https://fordauthority.com/2020/05/ford-will-likely-conduct-daily-employee-covid-19-tests-when-its-possible/

SUN
— Michigan Attorney General says Trump is NOT welcome in the state after flouting mask rules ‘like a petulant child’ – Mollie Mansfield
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11681799/donald-trump-michigan-attorney-general-not-welcome/

NATIONAL HERALD INDIA
— Amid reports that Google has reduced diversity and inclusion training programmes fearing conservative backlash, CEO Sundar Pichai denied any digression from company’s commitment to promoting diversity (DIERSEN: Democrats use Affirmative Action, Diversity, Inclusion, up-or-out, budget cuts, etc. to not hire Republicans and to get rid of their employees who are Republican, and especially those who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/international/have-more-resources-invested-in-diversity-than-ever-google-ceo

ZILLOW
— FOR SALE: 921 James Court, Wheaton – $650,000
https://www.zillow.com/wheaton-il/X1-SS1apc9gppw622z_3o1g1_sse/4448311_zpid/

May 21 Evening Edition

ABC7
— Maskless Trump tours Michigan Ford plant producing ventilators – AP
https://abc7chicago.com/politics/maskless-trump-tours-michigan-ford-plant-producing-ventilators/6201653/

NBC5
— Illinois Sets Single-Day Testing Record as 2,268 New Coronavirus Cases Reported Health officials also reported 87 additional deaths Thursday afternoon
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/illinois-coronavirus-cases-rise-to-102686-as-state-reports-2268-new-cases/2276050/
— Pritzker Favors Expanding Vote-by-Mail Program Despite Criticism from Republicans
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/pritzker-favors-expanding-vote-by-mail-program-despite-criticism-from-republicans/2276182/
— Illinois Lawmaker Wears Mask Day After Being Booted From Legislative Session Over Refusal Rep. Darren Bailey has been a frequent critic of coronavirus restrictions, including filing suit against Gov. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order – Shelby Bremer and James Neveau
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/illinois-lawmaker-wears-mask-day-after-being-booted-from-legislative-session-over-refusal/2276011/
— Pritzker Moves Bailey’s Lawsuit Over Stay-at-Home Order to Federal Court State Rep. Darren Bailey’s argument that the governor’s order violated his civil rights provided the basis for the Illinois attorney general’s motion to transfer the case – Shelby Bremer
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/pritzker-moves-baileys-lawsuit-over-stay-at-home-order-to-federal-court/2275951/
— Illinois Lawmakers, 6 Feet Apart, Catch Up on Delayed Work – John O’Connor
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/illinois-lawmakers-6-feet-apart-catch-up-on-delayed-work/2275775/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— Illinois processes 29,307 coronavirus tests in last 24 hours – the state’s highest total to date
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-processes-29307-coronavirus-tests-in-last-24-hours-the-states-highest-total-to-date
— Vote-by-mail expansion ready for Illinois House floor vote – AP
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/vote-by-mail-expansion-ready-for-illinois-house-floor-vote-1

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois House committee advances legislation to expand vote-by-mail program despite questions from GOP – JAMIE MUNKS
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-mail-in-voting-20200521-zadsqoq56vh6lf4dhhxumusqta-story.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— 87 more Illinois coronavirus deaths as state unemployment tops 16% More than 1.2 million people have filed for unemployment benefits since the beginning of March. More than 4,600 people have died of the coronavirus in Illinois over that time, too. – Mitchell Armentrout
https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2020/5/21/21266637/pritzker-illinois-coronavirus-reopening-cases-deaths-may-21
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “Trump smashes the right’s ability to police itself.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2020/5/21/21266542/michelle-malkin-proud-boys-paul-nehlen-vdare-groypers-neo-nazis-mona-charen

DAILY HERALD
— State’s COVID-19 infection rate continues to decline; 87 more dead – Jake Griffin
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200521/states-covid-19-infection-rate-continues-to-decline-87-more-dead
— State has spent nearly $240 million on COVID-19 response – Jake Griffin
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200521/state-has-spent-nearly-240-million-on-covid-19-response

WTTW
— Illinois Set to ‘Chase’ Voters to Mail In Their Ballots – Amanda Vinicky
https://news.wttw.com/2020/05/21/illinois-set-chase-voters-mail-their-ballots

FOX ILLINOIS
— Trump slams mail-in balloting promoted by his own campaign – AP
https://foxillinois.com/news/coronavirus/trump-slams-mail-in-balloting-promoted-by-his-own-campaign

NEWS CHANNEL 20
— Number of unemployed Illinois workers jumps 280%
https://newschannel20.com/news/local/number-of-unemployed-illinois-workers-jumps-280

CRYSTAL LAKE PATCH
— McHenry County Challenges Pritzker’s Executive Order Illinois’ defense of Gov. JB Pritzker’s ban on large church gatherings “is on dangerous ground,” argued McHenry County State’s Attorney. – Danny Wicentowski
https://patch.com/illinois/crystallake/mchenry-states-attorney-challenges-pritzker-executive-order

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— PRITZKER THREATENS LOCAL POLICE WHO DON’T ENFORCE HIS STAY-AT-HOME ORDER – Ben Szalinski
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pritzker-threatens-local-police-who-dont-enforce-his-stay-at-home-order/

CAPITOL FAX
— Pritzker says vote by mail bill “a reasonable compromise” – Explains federalism – Explains state needs legislation to distribute federal $ to local governments – Explains federalism – Talks about new job report – Dodges childcare question – Concerned about privacy issues with contact tracing apps – Repeats need for federal money – Repeats need for federal money – Repeats need for federal money – Repeats need for federal money – “Running government is not like running a business” – Now unsure about state fairs – IDPH working on guidance for youth sports – Won’t apologize to Florida and Georgia – State workers coming back in Phase 3 – Asked about hiring Illinois union contractors during a recession to work on his Wisconsin farm – Happy for a workers’ comp deal – Still wants a Chicago casino – “An awful lot can happen in a day and a half” – Defers lawsuit question to AG
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/21/pritzker-says-vote-by-mail-bill-a-reasonable-compromise/
— 2,268 new cases, 87 additional deaths
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/21/2268-new-cases-87-additional-deaths/
— COVID-19 roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/21/covid-19-roundup-42/
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Pritzker supporters blast Bailey
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/21/the-democrats-favorite-republican/
— AG Raoul files notice to remove Bailey’s case to federal court
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/21/ag-raoul-files-notice-to-remove-baileys-case-to-federal-court/
— Illinois’ April unemployment rate was 16.4 percent
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/21/illinois-april-unemployment-rate-was-164-percent/
— Illinois eyes borrowing $4.5 billion from Federal Reserve program
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/21/illinois-eyes-borrowing-45-billion-from-federal-reserve-program/
— Illinois set to greatly expand vote by mail
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/21/illinois-set-to-great-expand-vote-by-mail/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Illinois Senate Republican leader Bill Brady files bill to reopen Illinois business by June – Cole Lauterbach
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/senate-republican-leader-files-bill-to-reopen-illinois-business-by-june

CBN NEWS
— 16 Facts That Prove America Is in Deep Trouble and Why ‘The Return’ Is so Critical – Jonathan Cahn, Kevin Jessip
https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2020/may/16-facts-that-prove-america-is-in-deep-trouble-and-why-the-return-is-so-critical

THE HILL
— Trump says US won’t close over second COVID-19 wave – MORGAN CHALFANT
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/499054-trump-says-he-will-not-close-country-if-there-is-a-second-wave-of

May 21 Morning Edition

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois and other states should get a lot of federal money – Steve Chapman
https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/steve-chapman/ct-column-coronavirus-federal-aid-states-chapman-20200520-d62q7wd26bg6rktj4udsjrbcna-story.html
— Court hearing Friday is latest round in battle over legality of Illinois stay-at-home order – ROBERT MCCOPPIN
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-illinois-stay-at-home-legal-fight-20200521-fqrhqhrygnbtzograqlrm62kye-story.html
— Comparing Pritzker to Hitler always wrong – Richard Porter, Chicago, Illinois Committeeman to the Republican National Committee
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/letters/ct-letter-vp-052120-20200520-scgcqrcqf5d65ab7jku2noxesi-story.html
— ‘Sad day’ when citizens can’t question government – Mark Glennon, Wilmette
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/letters/ct-letter-vp-052120-20200520-scgcqrcqf5d65ab7jku2noxesi-story.html
— Is Pritzker’s coronavirus levee about to break? – John Kass
https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/john-kass/ct-coronavirus-illinois-churches-kass-20200521-o2pk6tvcprhwvblo5mvfntuwoa-story.html
— Nearly 39 million US layoffs during coronavirus pandemic; more than 1 million Illinois jobless claims since mid-March – AP
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-biz-coronavirus-unemployment-pandemic-20200521-2jygua5a5bcotcmyo46ku37n6i-story.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— HARDCOPY ARTICLE TITLE: As impersonal as 2019 was, it could become good old days to millennials – Jennifer Rosen (DIERSEN: When were your good old days? Mine include 1970 when I earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU and Firestone Stores hired me; 1971 when IRS hired me and I bought a new 1972 Corvette; 1972, 1973, and 1974 when IRS promoted me; 1976 when I earned an MBA from Loyola; 1978 when I got married; 1979 when I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt; 1980 when GAO hired me and I earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul; 1981 when I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA; 1986 when GAO promoted me; 1986, 1987, and 1988 when I worked for GAO on audits of IRS; and 1997 when I earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/5/19/21262701/millennial-dating-pandemic-lockdown-remote-work-from-home-zoom-jennifer-rosner

WBBM
— DuPage County Lays Out What Is Needed To Get Through COVID-19 Pandemic – JENNIFER KEIPER
https://wbbm780.radio.com/articles/dupage-county-lays-out-needs-for-covid-19-pandemic

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— GOP wants vote on reopening plan – Doug Finke
https://www.sj-r.com/news/20200520/GOP-wants-vote-on-reopening-plan

FOX ILLINOIS
— Legislation introduced to help safely reopen Illinois
https://foxillinois.com/news/local/legislation-introduced-to-help-safely-reopen-illinois
— Pandemic exposes need to bring some manufacturing back to U.S. – AHTRA ELNASHAR
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/pandemic-exposes-need-to-bring-some-manufacturing-back-to-us

NEWS CHANNEL 20
— Downtown Springfield protest of Pritzker’s stay at home order draws hundreds – Matt Roy
https://newschannel20.com/news/local/protesters-crowd-downtown-springfield-calling-for-freedom

CHEROKEE TRIBUNE LEDGER NEWS
— Will Illinois switch to all vote-by-mail in November? It could cost counties millions – Kelsey Landis
https://www.tribuneledgernews.com/extra/news/will-illinois-switch-to-all-vote-by-mail-in-november-it-could-cost-counties-millions/article_96d4ea0e-6da4-5ed0-a7b3-92dc113807c6.html

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Reopened states revive economy as doomsday predictions don’t materialize – Dave Boyer
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/may/20/reopened-states-revive-economy-doomsday-prediction/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Democrats’ ‘whose side?’ rhetoric takes on dark connotation as they heighten the culture wars – Timothy P. Carney (DIERSEN: I should write a book about RINO activists, candidates, elected officials, party leaders, major donors, political consultants, etc. who ever-increasingly talk and/or act like they are going over to the other side.)
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/democrats-whose-side-rhetoric-takes-on-dark-connotation-as-they-heighten-the-culture-wars

BREITBART
— Illinoisans Revolting Against Lockdowns as Chicago Mayor Orders Parking Bans Around Churches to Thwart Services – WARNER TODD HUSTON
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/05/21/illinoisans-revolting-against-lockdowns-as-chicago-mayor-orders-parking-bans-around-churches-to-thwart-services/
— Colorado State Offers $1,500 Coronavirus Aid Checks to Illegal Alien Students – TOM CICCOTTA
https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/05/20/colorado-state-offers-1500-coronavirus-aid-checks-to-illegal-alien-students/
— Trump Cuts Illegal Immigration Strain on American Hospitals by 94 Percent – John Binder
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/05/20/trump-cuts-illegal-immigration-strain-on-american-hospitals-by-94-percent/

LIFE SITE NEWS
— Pro-lifers plan protest Friday against new Chicago-area Planned Parenthood Pro-Life Action League president Eric Scheidler noted that Planned Parenthood has a history of using deception to sneak into Illinois communities.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pro-lifers-plan-protest-friday-against-new-chicago-area-planned-parenthood

POLITICO
— Facebook grows, unfazed by Washington – ALEXANDRA S. LEVINE (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, members of the following groups promote Facebook: anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-heterosexuals, 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.politico.com/newsletters/morning-tech/2020/05/20/facebook-grows-unfazed-by-washington-787758

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— Pelosi: ‘Morbidly obese’ was taste of Trump’s ‘own medicine’ – LAURIE KELLMAN
https://apnews.com/6f658ee91cc411eb2ed54b535d35314f

NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters say “Lockdown Delays Cost at Least 36,000 Lives.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/us/coronavirus-distancing-deaths.html
— Fed Is Wary That Economic Pain Could Last, April Minutes Show – Jeanna Smialek
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/business/economy/fed-virus-economy-april-minutes.html
— As Reopening Starts, Americans Expect Recovery to Take Years Even those financially unaffected by the coronavirus shutdown don’t foresee a rapid rebound for the economy, a Times survey finds. – Ben Casselman and Jim Tankersley
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/business/economy/coronavirus-economy-survey.html
— Coronavirus Shut Down the ‘Experience Economy.’ Can It Come Back? Large-scale gatherings are on hold for the foreseeable future. That is taking a toll on the live events industry and society at large. – David Gelles
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/business/public-gathering-events-coronavirus.html
— After Coronavirus, Office Workers Might Face Unexpected Health Threats Stagnant plumbing systems in emptied commercial buildings could put returning employees at risk of Legionnaires’ and other illnesses. – Max Horberry
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/health/coronavirus-legionnaires-offices.html

WASHINGTON POST
— ‘A callous disregard for life’: GOP lawmaker kicked out of Illinois legislative session over refusal to wear mask – Meagan Flynn
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/21/illinois-gop-lawmaker-removed-mask/
— 2.4 million Americans filed jobless claims last week, bringing nine-week total to 38.6 million Americans continue clamoring for aid as a fight has broken out in Washington about whether to renew expanded benefits past July. – Tony Romm and Jeff Stein
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/21/unemployment-claims-coronavirus/

USA TODAY
— Millions more expected to file jobless claims, as coronavirus layoffs wind on – Charisse Jones
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/05/20/millions-more-expected-file-unemployment-amid-coronavirus/5227975002/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Will Bernie Take Over the Biden Campaign? Radicals handpicked by Sen. Sanders will help his old opponent decide what to believe. – Karl Rove (DIERSEN: I should write a book about “Republican” candidates, elected officials, and party leaders who talk and/or act like they are taking advice from “Republican” political consultants and campaign managers to dump voters who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/will-bernie-take-over-the-biden-campaign-11590016248
— Google’s Diversity Inquisition – Editorial (DIERSEN: Democrats use Affirmative Action, Diversity, Inclusion, up-or-out, budget cuts, etc. to not hire and to get rid of employees who are Republican, and especially those who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/googles-diversity-inquisition-11590016961
— Nearly Half of Adults Live in U.S. Households That Lost Income Since Lockdowns Started Census Bureau report also shows more than a third expect to lose income over next four weeks in fallout from coronavirus pandemic, despite reopening efforts – David Harrison and Paul Overberg
https://www.wsj.com/articles/nearly-half-of-u-s-households-have-lost-income-since-lockdowns-started-11589997049
— U.K. Government Sells Bonds at Negative Yield for First Time – Caitlin Ostroff
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-government-sells-bonds-at-negative-yield-for-first-time-11589984194

FORBES
— OK Boomer, OK Millennial: Why We’re Not OK At Work Together – Mark C. Perna (DIERSEN: To get rid of their employees a) who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran and/or b) who they had not promoted to GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40, my Democrat GAO superiors encouraged their employees who were Democrat, minority, female, younger, and/or veteran to help them.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2020/05/21/ok-boomer-ok-millennial-why-were-not-ok-at-work-together/#2678164426ff

PBS
— PBS documentary series takes an in-depth look at ‘how Asians shape America’ – THEODORA YU (DIERSEN: How did those who shared your national origin and your religion shape America, Illinois, your county, your township, your municipality, your municipal district, your precinct, and your neighborhood?)
https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article242856316.html

NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— Trump Threatens to Cut Off Funds for States That Expand Voting by Mail – Ed Kilgore
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/05/trump-threatens-funds-for-states-expanding-by-mail-voting.html

FED SMITH
— 26.71% Federal Employee Pay Disparity Says Federal Salary Council – Ralph R. Smith (DIERSEN: How much is someone working in the private sector who has the following qualifications being paid today: a) passed the CPA and the Certified Internal Auditor examinations on their first attempt, b) has master’s degrees in business, accounting, and finance, c) became a licensed CPA, Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Government Financial Manager, Certified Financial Services Auditor, and Forensic Accountant, and d) has 27 years of work experience. I had the aforesaid qualifications in 1997 when I was 49 years old and GAO paid me $131,532/year (GS-13, Step 10) in today’s dollars.)
https://www.fedsmith.com/2020/05/19/26-71-federal-employee-pay-disparity-says-fsc/
— Group Calls for 20% Pay Cut for All Federal Employees – Ian Smith (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those who demonize, denigrate, and condemn federal employees and federal retirees. I was a federal employee for almost 30 years and I have been a federal retiree for almost 23 years. Many millions have not and will not seek a job with the federal government a) because the pay and benefits are terrible, b) because the advancement opportunities are terrible, c) because they lack required education, work experience, professional certifications, and/or professional licenses, d) because they cannot pass an employment examination, e) because they cannot pass a background investigation, f) because they cannot pass a physical examination, g) because they cannot take the demonization, denigration, and condemnation that comes with being a federal employee or federal retiree, and/or h) because they are Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran and they know that the federal government discriminates against the aforesaid.)
https://www.fedsmith.com/2020/05/20/group-calls-20-pay-cut-all-federal-employees/

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— Federal Advisory Group Finds Feds Are Paid 26.71% Less than Private Sector Counterparts – Erich Wagner
https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2020/05/federal-advisory-group-finds-feds-are-paid-2671-less-private-sector-counterparts/165544/

BBC
— Nancy Pelosi accused of fat-shaming ‘obese’ Trump (DIERSEN: How soon, if not already, will employers and organizations officially get rid of their employees and members who have a BMI over 30, who are old, and/or who have health problems including diabetes?)
https://www.bbc.com/news/52733199

INDEPENDENT
— Economically the young are suffering most in this crisis – and they need special support coming out of it – Ben Chu (DIERSEN: But young healthy employees will benefit as employers ever-increasingly get rid of their employees who are old, who have a BMI over 30, and/or who have health problems including diabetes.)
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/young-people-coronavirus-uk-economy-jobs-housing-generations-equity-a9521766.html

May 20 Evening Edition

ABC7
— Coronavirus Illinois: COVID-19 cases top 100K with over 4K deaths; changes to Phase 3 include outdoor dining, state parks reopening, Pritzker says Illinois SNAP recipients to be able to buy food online, Pritzker says – Jessica D’Onofrio
https://abc7chicago.com/politics/pritzker-announces-major-changes-for-next-phase-of-reopening-/6198318/

NBC5
— Restaurants Can Open With Outdoor Seating in Phase 3 of Illinois’ Reopening: Pritzker The move is a shift from the state’s original guidelines, though restaurants still cannot reopen for dine-in service until phase four
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/restaurants-can-open-with-outdoor-seating-in-phase-3-of-illinois-reopening-pritzker/2275370/
— Illinois Lawmaker Booted From Legislative Session After Refusing to Comply With Mask Requirement Rep. Darren Bailey has been a frequent critic of coronavirus restrictions, including filing suit against Gov. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order – Shelby Bremer and James Neveau
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/illinois-lawmaker-booted-from-legislative-session-after-refusing-to-comply-with-mask-requirement/2275488/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— Illinois seeing decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations, people in ICU and on ventilators: IDPH
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-seeing-decrease-in-covid-19-hospitalizations-people-in-icu-and-on-ventilators-idph

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Bare-faced Bailey gets the boot: Downstate Republican ousted from House for violating COVID-19 rules Democratic Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch made a motion to remove Rep. Darren Bailey from the House proceedings after the Republican responded “I will not,” when he was asked to come into compliance with the face covering requirement. The House voted 81-27 to remove Bailey.
— Tina Sfondeles and Neal Earley
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/5/20/21265240/protests-lawmakers-springfield-faces-covered-durkin-pritzker-madigan-covid-19-coronavirus

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois restaurants and bars can go al fresco as soon as next Friday as Gov. J.B. Pritzker nods to reopening pressure – BILL RUTHHART, LOUISA CHU and NICK KINDELSPERGER
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-illinois-pritzker-restaurants-outdoor-dining-golf-20200520-co7snfsaezffpez4o6nhxhrnhq-story.html
— Pritzker backs down, unmasked lawmaker escorted out: First day of legislature’s special pandemic session a mix of political drama and showmanship – JAMIE MUNKS, DAN PETRELLA and RICK PEARSON
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-legislature-special-session-day-one-20200520-2ope7nh4ufa7pjlzkwbmj3wada-story.html
— Naperville council adopts resolution denouncing racism and lauding diversity in wake of ‘carpetbagger’ comment – ERIN HEGARTY
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-anti-discrimination-racism-resolution-naperville-st-20200520-jbe3pmimyzhvramxk2mu7hsze4-story.html
— AP poll: Americans harbor strong fear of second wave of coronavirus infections, back precautions amid openings – AP
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-poll-coronavirus-attitudes-20200520-5mzt7qichje5zojh27mv2z6ki4-story.html

DAILY HERALD
— Illinois Legislature meets to OK budget under COVID-19 cloud – AP
https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20200520/news/305209945/
— Judge denies Lake County sheriff’s request for information on COVID-19 patients – Doug T. Graham
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200520/judge-denies-lake-county-sheriffs-request-for-information-on-covid-19-patients
— Kane County health official urges everyone get tested regardless of symptoms – James Fuller
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200520/kane-county-health-official-urges-everyone-get-tested-regardless-of-symptoms
— McHenry County Board members refuse vote on salary reduction, timesheet requirement – Kelli Duncan
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200520/mchenry-county-board-members-refuse-vote-on-salary-reduction-timesheet-requirement

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Here’s the plan lawmakers are drafting to balance Illinois’ 2021 budget It involves a $4.5 billion loan, for starters. – GREG HINZ
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg-hinz-politics/heres-plan-lawmakers-are-drafting-balance-illinois-2021-budget
— McDonald’s tells franchisees they may need to downsize or sell The company has earmarked about $40 million in aid for restaurant owners that are in crisis following the COVID-19 lockdown, but it likely won’t be enough.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/restaurants/mcdonalds-tells-franchisees-they-may-need-downsize-or-sell
— Ford briefly stops lines at Chicago plant after 2 workers test positive The two employees had made it through Ford’s temperature scanner and daily health survey screening process. – MICHAEL MARTINEZ
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/manufacturing/ford-briefly-stops-lines-chicago-plant-after-2-workers-test-positive
— Pritzker clearing the way for outside activities, including dining The governor says as health numbers improve, he’s easing rules on some popular pursuits as soon as May 29. – GREG HINZ
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg-hinz-politics/pritzker-clearing-way-outside-activities-including-dining

SUBURBAN LIFE
— McSweeney sends letter to attorney general to investigate Pritzker’s “unconstitutional” stay-at-home order – NABIHA ASIM AND KATIE SMITH
https://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2020/05/20/mcsweeney-sends-letter-to-attorney-general-to-investigate-pritzkers-unconstitutional-stay-at-home-order/agzpyyk/

FOX NEWS ILLINOIS
— Illinois GOP leaders’ first priority is reopening the state – Matt Roy
https://foxillinois.com/news/local/gop-leaders-first-priority-is-reopening-the-state

ILLINOIS NEWS 20
— Rep. Bailey removed for refusing to wear mask
https://newschannel20.com/news/local/rep-bailey-removed-for-refusing-to-wear-mask

ILLINOIS LEAKS
— Naperville Park District sues Governor Pritzker – KIRK ALLEN
https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2020/05/naperville-park-district-sues-governor-pritzker/
— Pritzker hit with Restraining Order motion yesterday – IDPH withdraws their illegal rule today! – KIRK ALLEN
https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2020/05/pritzker-hit-with-restraining-order-motion-yesterday-idph-withdraws-their-illegal-rule-today/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— PRITZKER BACKS OFF ATTEMPT TO IMPOSE MISDEMEANOR CHARGES ON IL BUSINESSES VIOLATING COVID EO
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/pritzker-backs-off-attempt-to-impose-misdemeanor-charges-on-il-businesses-violating-covid-eo.html
— REP. BAILEY: WHEN WILL PRITZKER’S EMERGENCY POWERS END?
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/rep-bailey-when-will-pritzkers-emergency-powers-end-.html
— GOV PRITZKER BLASTS “RE-OPEN ILLINOIS” PROTESTS; ACCUSES GOP LAWMAKERS, US SENATE CANDIDATE OF BEING “DANGEROUS”
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/video-shows-re-open-illinois-supporters-complained-to-chicago-cops-about-nazi-flag-bearer.html
— RE-OPEN ILLINOIS GROUP RESPONDS TO “ANTI-SEMITIC CONCERNS”
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/re-open-illinois-group-responds-to-anti-semitic-concerns.html

CAPITOL FAX
— Pritzker changes course, state will allow limited outdoor seating at bars, restaurants in Phase 3 – Boating, camping up to 10 people – Tennis facilities to open – Golf foursomes – All state parks to open
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/20/pritzker-changes-course-state-will-allow-limited-outdoor-seating-at-bars-restaurants-in-phase-3/
— 2,388 new cases, 147 additional deaths
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/20/2388-new-cases-147-additional-deaths/
— House votes 81-27 to remove Rep. Bailey from the House floor
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/20/house-votes-81-27-to-remove-rep-bailey-from-the-house-floor/

FOX NEWS

— Chicago fines churches for holding services in violation of statewide lockdown order – Matt Finn, Tyler Olson
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/chicago-fines-churches-violation-statewide-lockdown-order
— CDC now says coronavirus ‘does not spread easily’ via contaminated surfaces – Madeline Farber
https://www.foxnews.com/health/cdc-now-says-coronavirus-does-not-spread-easily-via-contaminated-surfaces
— Americans are rebelling against neurotic, dumb leaders and extreme coronavirus lockdowns – Tucker Carlson
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-americans-are-rebelling-against-neurotic-dumb-leaders-and-extreme-coronavirus-lockdowns

May 20 Morning Edition

ABC7
— GOP lawmakers set to challenge Gov. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order – Jessica D’Onofrio
https://abc7chicago.com/politics/il-gop-lawmakers-set-to-challenge-pritzkers-stay-at-home-order/6198318/
— Oprah donates $5M to support Chicago coronavirus fight in communities of color (DIERSEN: In your municipal district, in your municipality, in your township, and in your county, to what extent are minorities and poor people dying from coronavirus compared to Whites and rich people, and why is that?)
https://abc7chicago.com/society/oprah-donates-$5m-to-fight-covid-19-in-chicago-communities-of-color/6197541/?cmp=emc-wls-news-headlines-5/20/2020

WGN TV
— For those dealing with substance abuse, pandemic can cause more anxiety. – Dina Bair, Katharin Czink (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, and RINOs promote substance abuse.)
https://wgntv.com/news/medical-watch/for-those-dealing-with-substance-abuse-pandemic-can-cause-more-anxiety-experts-say-reach-out-for-help/
— Temperature scanners may be the future of re-entry – Dina Bair, Katharin Czink
https://wgntv.com/news/medical-watch/temperature-scanners-may-be-the-future-of-re-entry/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois General Assembly returns to Springfield as pandemic drives partisan politics and rocks budget plans – RICK PEARSON, JAMIE MUNKS and DAN PETRELLA
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-legislature-special-session-20200520-wgqpyzcv5nbzhmu2jdrjdjwyue-story.html
— Nominate your company as a Top Workplace (DIERSEN: One would expect that the more preference that employees get in a workplace, the more highly that they will rate that workplace. While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years, my superiors were always under tremendous pressure from Democrat politicians to give preference to their employees who were Democrat, minority, female, younger, and/or veteran. Virtually all my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were members of one or more of the aforesaid groups.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/careers/top-workplaces/ct-biz-top-workplaces-2020-nominations-20200501-bvjl4sbbjfakdp2rr5v7hj62em-story.html
— The key to restoring a robust economy: Protecting public health – Steve Chapman (DIERSEN: How strongly is/will getting rid of those who are older, who are obese, and/or who have health problems including diabetes be viewed as “protecting public health?”)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/steve-chapman/ct-column-coronavirus-economy-reopen-chapman-20200515-k2gk2tbba5dutntxkf2yaurvsm-story.html
— City dwellers headed to the suburbs after pandemic? Only time will tell – DENISE CROSBY
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/opinion/ct-abn-crosby-suburban-advantage-st-0515-20200517-gigbzqwk7jgmfauau2vtsb2rv4-story.html

DAILY HERALD
— Historic legislative session amid COVID-19 crisis holds plenty of minefields – Marni Pyke
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200520/historic-legislative-session-amid-covid-19-crisis-holds-plenty-of-minefields
— Local governments showing public sector, too, must endure job, pay cuts – Editorial (DIERSEN: In response to Republican-led budget cuts during the 1980s and 1990s, GAO employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who had not made GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40 were gotten rid of by the Democrats who ran GAO.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20200520/editorial-local-governments-showing-public-sector-too-must-endure-job-pay-cuts
— McHenry County residents may choose moving to Wisconsin over paying increased property taxes – Kelli Duncan
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200519/mchenry-county-residents-may-choose-moving-to-wisconsin-over-paying-increased-property-taxes

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— What’s on the agenda—and what’s not—as lawmakers head back to Springfield Look for a budget, a hospital assessment plan, a push for early voting and maybe a dust-up over wearing face masks. – GREG HINZ
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg-hinz-politics/whats-agenda-and-whats-not-lawmakers-head-back-springfield

DEKALB DAILY CHRONICLE
— Republicans hope to block rules making some business openings a crime Joint Committee on Administrative Rules to meet Wednesday – PETER HANCOCK
https://www.daily-chronicle.com/2020/05/20/republicans-hope-to-block-rules-making-some-business-openings-a-crime/av4yxiq/

WTTW & PBS
— VIDEO: Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words
https://video.wttw.com/video/created-equal-clarence-thomas-in-his-own-words-rymp6z/
https://www.pbs.org/show/created-equal-clarence-thomas-his-own-words/

SUBURBAN LIFE
— IDPH Director Ezike says trend of new cases ‘may be going down’ for the first time Illinois now conducting more COVID-19 tests than New York, on a per capita basis – KELLI SUNCAN (DIERSEN: How soon, if not already, will employers and organizations require their employees and members who are older, who have a BMI over 30, and/or who have underlying conditions, including diabetes, to be tested before they can keep their job or membership?)
https://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2020/05/19/idph-director-ezike-says-trend-of-new-cases-may-be-going-down-for-the-first-time/a91wl56/
— AS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY’S STRANGLEHOLD ON ILLINOIS AND ON THE 6TH, 14TH, and 11TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS TIGHTENS: Casten, Underwood, Foster highlight structural inequalities in communities of color affected by COVID-19 – JOSHUA WELGE (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats blame Republicans for all the problems that the following have: individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that are 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.mysuburbanlife.com/2020/05/19/casten-underwood-foster-highlight-structural-inequalities-in-communities-of-color-affected-by-covid-19/aqtjnk6/

EVANSTON ROUNDTABLE
— City’s Reparations Subcommittee to Host Virtual Town Hall on May 21 (DIERSEN: If the leaders of your municipality imposed reparations, which residents would they require to pay the most reparations – those who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, heterosexual, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time?)
https://evanstonroundtable.com/Content/City-News/City-News/Article/City-s-Reparations-Subcommittee-to-Host-Virtual-Town-Hall-on-May-21/15/26/17973

COLUMBIA CHRONICLE
— Political pandemic: scope of local and national politics altered due to coronavirus – Lauren Leazenby (DIERSEN: Of course, Democrats shout at everyone that if you do not like how Trump is handling the pandemic or how he is handling anything else, vote for all the Democrats on the November 3, 2020 ballot in your precinct.)
https://columbiachronicle.com/political-pandemic-scope-of-local-and-national-politics-altered-due-to-coronavirus

CHICAGO NOW
— Illinois Rep. Darren Bailey ain’t through with Gov. Pritzker, not by a long shot – Dennis Byrne
http://www.chicagonow.com/dennis-byrnes-barbershop/2020/05/illinois-rep-darren-bailey-aint-through-with-gov-pritzker-not-by-a-long-shot/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Joint Statement in Opposition to Emergency Rules Filed by Pritzker Administration – Illinois Senate Republican Caucus and Illinois House Republican Caucus (DIERSEN: Anti-conservative Republican organizations, anti-conservative Republican candidates, and anti-conservative Republican elected officials in Illinois a) fail/refuse to keep diersen@aol.com on their press advisory and press release lists and b) pander to Rich Miller and the rest of the Democrat news media in Illinois. I should write a book about the aforesaid.)
https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000172-31bb-dc3e-aff6-3dbf7eff0000&nname=illinois-playbook&nid=00000150-1596-d4ac-a1d4-179e288b0000&nrid=00000150-705d-d7de-afdb-7d7f3ea90001&nlid=639163

WIREPOINTS
— COVID-19 spreads to half of all Chicagoland retirement homes. How did this happen? – Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
https://wirepoints.org/covid-19-spreads-to-half-of-all-chicagoland-retirement-homes-how-did-this-happen-wirepoints/
— “People are waking up. Overwhelmingly people are indignant about this emergency rule.” – Mark Glennon with Steve Cortes
https://wirepoints.org/people-are-waking-up-overwhelmingly-people-are-indignant-about-this-emergency-rule-mark-glennon-with-steve-cortes/

ILLINOIS LEAKS
— Legal Dubiousness of En Masse State Lock-Downs and “Shelter-in-Place” Orders as a Response to COVID-19 – JOHN KRAFT
https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2020/05/legal-dubiousness-of-en-masse-state-lock-downs-and-shelter-in-place-orders-as-a-response-to-covid-19/

ILLINOIS FAMILY ACTION
— Pritzker, Planned Parenthood, and the Pandemic – Laurie Higgins
https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2020/05/pritzker-planned-parenthood-and-the-pandemic/

ILLINOIS FAMILY ACTION
— ILLINOIS HAS MOST CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS IN COUNTRY: STUDY
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/illinois-has-most-coronavirus-restrictions-in-country-study.html

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Pelosi bails out Post Office in name of coronavirus relief – Ryan Ellis
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/pelosi-bails-out-post-office-in-name-of-coronavirus-relief

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Minnesota Governor Stonewalls Conservative Journalist Democrat Tim Walz has refused to tell a conservative journalist why his office isn’t allowing him to participate in the state’s coronavirus briefings – Collin Anderson (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those who have treated me like I am not a journalist, that is, those who have accused me of falsely claiming to be a journalist. Better yet, I should sue them. I would focus on activists, candidates, elected officials, party leaders, major donors, political consultants, campaign managers, etc. who claim to be religious, conservative, and/or Republican. I would focus on those who pander to Rich Miller and to the rest of the Democrat news media in Illinois.)
https://freebeacon.com/coronavirus/minnesota-governor-stonewalls-conservative-journalist/
— Joe Biden Just Urged a Majority of Americans Not to Vote for Him A lot of voters think Tara Reade is telling the truth, polls show
https://freebeacon.com/satire/joe-biden-tara-reade-poll/

FOX NEWS
— Illinois governor’s family firm owns stake in companies involved in coronavirus testing – Andrew O’Reilly
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/illinois-governors-family-firm-owns-stake-in-companies-conducting-coronavirus-testing

GOPUSA
— Would Americans Submit To A Second Lockdown? – Patrick J. Buchanan
https://www.gopusa.com/?p=89050

FREEDOM’S JOURNAL
— THEY SHOOT OLD PEOPLE, DON’T THEY? – Patrick Hall (DIERSEN: Who works the hardest to promote age discrimination in your municipal district, in your municipality, in your township, in your county, and in Illinois? I should write a book about those in Wheaton’s West District, Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois who work the hardest to promote age discrimination. I would focus on those who are older, anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, 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://freedomsjournalinstitute.org/latest-news/opinion/they-shoot-old-people-dont-they/

DAILY CALLER
— Trump Tells Governors He’ll ‘Step In’ If They Fumble Reopening Plans – WILLIAM DAVIS
https://dailycaller.com/2020/05/19/trump-governors-step-in-reopening-coronavirus/

TOWNHALL
— Contact Tracing? No Thanks. – John and Andy Schlafly
https://townhall.com/columnists/johnandandyschlafly/2020/05/20/contact-tracing-no-thanks-n2569115

PJ MEDIA
— California Governor to Feds: Give Us the Money or the First Responders ‘Get It’ – VICTORIA TAFT (DIERSEN: During the 1980s and 1990s, the Democrats who ran GAO made it very clear that if Republicans cut GAO’s budget, they would use those cuts to get rid of GAO employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who they had not promoted to GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40.)
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/victoria-taft/2020/05/19/california-governor-to-feds-give-us-the-money-or-the-first-responders-get-it-n408022

LIFE SITE NEWS
— Chinese government scheming to spread influence inside America, Pompeo warns The Chinese Communist Party is striving to embed itself in U.S. institutions, Trump’s secretary of state declared, and ‘we’re doing everything we can to push back against that.’ – Calvin Freiburger
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/chinese-government-scheming-to-spread-influence-inside-america-pompeo-warns

NATIONAL REVIEW
— COVID-19 Makes the Reinvigoration of American Manufacturing a National-Security Concern – VARSHA KODUVAYUR & GREG EVERETT
https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/05/coronavirus-reinvigorating-american-manufacturing-national-security-concern/

THE HILL
— Chicago blocks church parking lots to enforce stay-at-home order – JUSTINE COLEMAN
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/498475-chicago-blocks-church-parking-lots-to-enforce-stay-at-home-order

POLITICO
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “Trump’s push to reopen schools and day care gets chilly reception from voters.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/19/trumps-push-to-reopen-schools-and-day-care-gets-chilly-reception-from-voters-269430

CNN
— Nancy Pelosi called President Trump ‘morbidly obese.’ Is he? – Chris Cillizza (DIERSEN: How soon, if not already, will employers and organizations officially get rid of their employees and members who have a BMI over 30, who are old, and/or who have health problems including diabetes?)
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/19/politics/nancy-pelosi-donald-trump-fat-hydroxychloroquine/index.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Generally speaking, it defines obesity as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher. (BMI is calculated by taking “a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters,” according to the CDC website.) Within “obese,” the CDC has three distinctions: 1) Those with a BMI between 30 and 35 2) those with a BMI between 35 and 40 and 3) those with a BMI over 40, which the CDC categorizes as having “extreme” or “severe” obesity. While the CDC doesn’t describe that third category as “morbid obesity,” it is referred to that way by other sites including Web MD (aka the scourge of every hypochondriac’s life). How large would you need to be to qualify as having “severe” or “morbid” obesity? According to this BMI calculator, a 6 foot tall man weighing 300 pounds would have a BMI of 41 — and would be considered in a state of “morbid” obesity. Which is not Donald Trump, at least according to the White House physician. In his February 2019 annual physical, Trump, who is 6’3″, tipped the scales at 243 pounds. That gave him a BMI of 30.4 — just over the edge of obesity but far from the technical definition of “severe” or “extreme” (or “morbid”) obesity.)

REUTERS
— Crucial Latino voters seek more attention from Biden – Saundra Amrhein, Simon Lewis (DIERSEN: To promote preference giving is to reject equal opportunity. To give preference to one group is to discriminate against another group. To give preference to Latinos is to discriminate against Blacks, Asians, Whites, etc. To give preference to women, younger people, people who have less money, non-Protestants, non-German Americans, non-draft avoiders, and/or to those whose ancestors have not been in America for a long time is to discriminate against men, older people, people who have more money, Protestants, German Americans, draft avoiders, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-latinos/crucial-latino-voters-seek-more-attention-from-biden-idUSKBN22V1B2?il=0

NEW YORK TIMES
— Emulating Democrats, G.O.P. Ties House Hopes to Diverse Recruits “We need candidates other than boring old white people”: House Republicans are betting on a group of diverse candidates with compelling biographies to help them reclaim lost seats. – Catie Edmondson (DIERSEN: How soon, if not already, will the Republican National Committee, Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Milton Township Republican Organization, etc. officially dump those who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time, those who are obese, and those who have health problems including diabetes?)

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/us/politics/republicans-house-diversity-election.html
— Race and income are the key factors that decide who dies from Covid-19 and who survives – Michael Schwirtz and Lindsey Rogers Cook (DIERSEN: In your municipal district, in your municipality, in your township, and in your county, to what extent are minorities and poor people dying from Covid-19 compared to Whites and rich people, and why is that?)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/nyregion/coronavirus-deaths-nyc.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/us/politics/republicans-house-diversity-election.html
— The Right of the People to Protest Lockdown Although some states have tried to ban them, anti-lockdown demonstrations are protected by the First Amendment. – Floyd Abrams and John Langford (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, if you protest lockdowns, members of the following groups call you a White supremacist, Nazi, KKK member, hater, racist, sexist, bigot, and even worse things: 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, ant-draft avoiders, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/opinion/coronavirus-first-amendment-protests.html

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “Trumpites dish out abuse, but they can’t take it: On the reaction to Pelosi’s morbidly obese crack.”‘
https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-trumpites-dish-out-abuse-cant-take-it-20200519-ulfp2isuqzgl7fugza6uc2jhza-story.html

DETROIT NEWS
— Trump visit to Rawsonville Ford plant will proceed despite governor’s order – Keith Laing
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2020/05/19/trump-visit-rawsonville-ford-plant-proceed-despite-governors-order/5221559002/

MISSOULIAN
— Employment and stigma of those who are sick – BECKY FRANKS (DIERSEN: While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years, I had better health than most, if not virtually all, of my Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates. Of course, they hinted/implied/argued/shouted that I did not earn or disserve my good health. Many hinted/implied/argued/shouted that if I had not avoided the draft, I would not have had good health.)
https://missoulian.com/opinion/columnists/employment-and-stigma-of-those-who-are-sick/article_d7dd82b2-1841-5978-a0ac-189195f16c45.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— U.S. Birthrates Fall to Record Low Last year’s data are another sign of how American childbearing, which began declining during the 2007-09 recession, never fully rebounded – Janet Adamy
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-birthrates-fall-to-record-low-11589947260
— U.S. Economic Recovery Will Drag On Through Next Year, CBO Says Congressional Budget Office sees sharpest labor-market deterioration since 1930s amid coronavirus – Paul Kiernan
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-economy-likely-to-shrink-5-6-this-year-amid-coronavirus-cbo-says-11589918370
— ‘One Mighty and Irresistible Tide’ Review: How They Became Us Deciding exactly whom we should welcome to our shores is a matter of ever-shifting public debate and ever-changing public sentiment. – Philip Terzian (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, under the Democrats, immigrants are 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, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-mighty-and-irresistible-tide-review-how-they-became-us-11589927080

BLOOMBERG
— Ford Backs Off Mask-Wearing Requirement for Trump’s Factory Tour – Keith Naughton and Jordan Fabian
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-19/ford-says-trump-will-be-expected-to-wear-a-mask-on-plant-tour

FORBES
— The Pandemic Paradox For Older Workers – Richard Eisenberg (DIERSEN: How soon, if not already, will employers and organizations officially get rid of their employees and members who have a BMI over 30, who are old, and/or who have health problems including diabetes?)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2020/05/19/the-pandemic-paradox-for-older-workers/#6b68de16dee7

NATIONAL LAW REVIEW
— COVID-19: Plan Now For Bringing Back Your Workforce (DIERSEN: How soon, if not already, will employers and organizations officially get rid of their employees and members who have a BMI over 30, who are old, and/or who have health problems including diabetes?)
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/covid-19-plan-now-bringing-back-your-workforce-part-iv
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Before we discuss the guidance itself, we offer this important context. Some epidemiologists and other experts note that the most important metric relating to resuming more full-scale economic activity is getting the rate of spread down to less than one new infection per existing infection. This is known as the R0 factor. The Massachusetts High Tech Council, for example, recommends that to get that metric to R<1, employers should segment their workforces by vulnerability to COVID-19, bringing back younger and healthier workers first, and workers over 60 or with certain medical conditions last. The goals are laudable: to continue driving down the infection rate and protect the health care system. But is the practice legal?)
— Risky Business: COVID-19 Employment Litigation Claims Will Be on the Rise (DIERSEN: How soon, if not already, will employers and organizations officially get rid of their employees and members who have a BMI over 30, who are old, and/or who have health problems including diabetes?)
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/risky-business-covid-19-employment-litigation-claims-will-be-rise

INSURANCE JOURNAL
— U.S. Employers Shying Away From Using Coronavirus ‘Immunity’ Tests in Reopening – Caroline Humer and Timothy Aeppel (DIERSEN: How soon, if not already, will employers and organizations officially get rid of their employees and members who have a BMI over 30, who are old, and/or who have health problems including diabetes?)
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2020/05/19/568971.htm

POLITIFACT
— Donald Trump doesn’t meet the definition of morbidly obese – Emily Venezky (DIERSEN: How soon, if not already, will employers and organizations officially get rid of their employees and members who have a BMI over 30, who are old, and/or who have health problems including diabetes?)
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/may/19/nancy-pelosi/no-he-not-morbidly-obese/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Officially, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not define the threshold needed for someone to be considered “morbidly obese.” Instead, the CDC says that “Class 3” obesity, sometimes categorized as “extreme” or “severe” obesity, is defined as having a body-mass index, or BMI, of 40 or higher. Other medical sources list a definition of “morbidly obese” as equivalent to a BMI of 40 or higher. Some available data about Trump comes from his most recent periodic physical exam. In a 2019 memo, Trump’s physician Dr. Sean Conley said Trump was 6 feet, 3 inches tall and 243 pounds. Trump, who was 72 at the time, had gained 4 pounds since his 2018 exam, when his previous doctor, Ronny Jackson, said Trump’s “overall health is excellent” but “he would benefit from a diet that is lower in fat and carbohydrates and from a routine exercise regimen.” Officially, Trump’s height and weight would correlate to a BMI of 30.1, just a bit over the 30.0 level to be considered obese — the lowest of three levels. That is not high enough to count as Class 3 obesity.)

JD SUPRA
— Avoiding Potential Workplace Claims Arising from Reopening of Businesses (DIERSEN: How soon, if not already, will employers and organizations officially get rid of their employees and members who have a BMI over 30, who are old, and/or who have health problems including diabetes?)
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/avoiding-potential-workplace-claims-54653/

LAWYERS
— Protecting Your Business From Employment Discrimination Claims – Gregory G. Brown (DIERSEN: Political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination were the real reasons why my Democrat superiors in the federal government got rid their employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who they had not promoted to GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40.)
https://blogs.lawyers.com/attorney/business-law/protecting-your-business-from-employment-discrimination-claims-62441/

MASSACHUSETTS LAWYERS WEEKLY
— Employment – Age discrimination – Pretext (DIERSEN: Political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, and age discrimination were the real reasons why my Democrat superiors in the federal government got rid their employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who they had not promoted to GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40.)
https://masslawyersweekly.com/2020/05/19/employment-age-discrimination-pretext-13/

May19 Evening Edition

ABC7
— Coronavirus Illinois Live: COVID-19 cases top 98K with over 4K deaths as Republicans criticize Pritzker’s order allowing businesses to be penalized – Jessica D’Onofrio
https://abc7chicago.com/society/illinois-covid-19-cases-top-96k-with-over-4k-deaths-/6195552/?cmp=emc-wls-news-headlines-5/19/2020
— Reopening Illinois: Rockford mayor calls for restaurants, childcare facilities to reopen on June 1 – Diane Pathieu
https://abc7chicago.com/business/rockford-mayor-calls-for-restaurants-childcare-facilities-to-reopen-on-june-1/6196016/

NBC5
— Lawmakers Can Be Kicked Out of House for Not Wearing a Mask Under Madigan’s Proposed Rules At least three Republicans in the House had previously indicated that they would not be wearing face coverings when legislators return to Springfield on Wednesday
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/lawmakers-can-be-kicked-out-of-house-for-not-wearing-a-mask-under-madigans-proposed-rules/2274775/
— Illinois Hits Significant Coronavirus Testing Milestone
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/illinois-hits-significant-coronavirus-testing-milestone/2274786/
— Illinois GOP Says Graduated Tax ‘Cash Grab’ Will Stifle Pandemic Recovery – John O’Connor
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/illinois-gop-says-graduated-tax-cash-grab-will-stifle-pandemic-recovery/2274493/
— Illinois Bar Sent Cease and Desist After Opening in Defiance of Stay-at-Home Order JB’s Hideout in Blue Mound, located just outside of Decatur and near Springfield, opened up on Friday for what owner Jason Bliesner called an “anti-corona party”
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/illinois-bar-sent-cease-and-desist-after-opening-in-defiance-of-stay-at-home-order/2274563/
— States Accused of Fudging or Bungling COVID-19 Testing Data The result is Americans who are making decisions about reopening and other day-to-day risks are being left with a false impression – Michelle R. Smith, Colleen Long and Jeff Amy
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/states-accused-of-fudging-or-bungling-covid-19-testing-data/2274807/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— Illinois overtakes NY in COVID-19 testing per capita; state on track for Phase 3 by May 31
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-overtakes-ny-in-covid-19-testing-per-capita-state-on-track-for-phase-3-by-may-31

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Pritzker says state now leads nation in per capita daily COVID-19 tests as officials report 1,545 new known cases and 146 more deaths
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-pandemic-chicago-illinois-news-20200519-tclvoywcnre3tb5cpvwedj2hkm-story.html
— The glaring hole in Springfield’s to-do list: A corruption cleanup bill – Editorial
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-illinois-corruption-ethics-reform-20200519-u4dqm7b435fepa6plbhqzev2wy-story.html
— Will masks be a magnet for racial profiling? Some African Americans put in a tough spot – NAOMI ISHISAKA
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-coronavirus-masks-racism-20200519-bactfujmgvfhdazfvpn337lhmi-story.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— 146 more Illinois coronavirus deaths, but state still on track for next stage of reopening
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/5/19/21263435/latest-coronavirus-news-live-updates-chicago-illinois-2020
— Madigan to make masks a must? Speaker wants bare-faced members booted from session “Staff and members of the public not observing the rules will be asked to leave the premises immediately,” Madigan said “I look forward to focusing on the critical work needed to ensure our state can continue to respond to the COVID-19 health crisis and provide relief to people struggling around the state and not on needless distractions.” – Mitchell Armentrou
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/5/19/21264048/madigan-springfield-house-masks-face-speaker-session-bailey-covid-19-coronavirus
— A pandemic does not suspend the rule of law Courts are beginning to recognize that a government’s public health powers, while broad, are not a blank check. – Jacob Sullum
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2020/5/19/21264001/pandemic-rule-law-personal-liberties-constitution

DAILY HERALD
— 146 more dead from COVID-19, another 1,545 infections reported – Jake Griffin
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200519/146-more-dead-from-covid-19-another-1545-infections-reported
— Bipartisan group seeks to reduce size of DuPage County Board – Robert Sanchez
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200519/bipartisan-group-seeks-to-reduce-size-of-dupage-county-board
— Elmhurst mayor to governor: Let us reopen sooner – Bob Smith
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200519/elmhurst-mayor-to-governor-let-us-reopen-sooner

NORTHWEST HERALD
— Franks fined after refusing to disclose details about Illinois Integrity Fund ‘Friendly contempt’ order allows county board chairman to seek additional appeal – KATIE SMITH
https://www.nwherald.com/2020/05/19/franks-fined-after-refusing-to-disclose-details-about-illinois-integrity-fund/avvknv6/

SOUTHERN
— Illinois Republicans hope to block rules that making some business openings a crime – PETER HANCOCK
https://thesouthern.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/illinois-republicans-hope-to-block-rules-that-making-some-business-openings-a-crime/article_e9a238a3-42fb-59d7-8848-45126f32814c.html

ALTON DAILY NEWS
— Illinois GOP Take on Governor – Cole Lauterbach
http://altondailynews.com/news/details.cfm?clientid=17&id=304228#.XsRAfSN_OM8

NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION
— DuPage County Sheriff’s Office Won’t Enforce Stay-At-Home Order
https://www.nctv17.com/news/dupage-county-sheriffs-department-wont-enforce-stay-at-home-order/
— Chamber of Commerce hosts Virtual Town Hall with Lawmakers
https://www.nctv17.com/news/chamber-of-commerce-hosts-virtual-town-hall-with-lawmakers/

WTMJ-TV MILWAUKEE
— Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has been spending time in Wisconsin during quarantine – Tess Klein
https://www.tmj4.com/news/coronavirus/illinois-governor-has-been-spending-time-in-wisconsin-during-quarantine

WREX
— Pritzker expresses concerns after Reopen Illinois rallies – Mike Miletich
https://wrex.com/2020/05/19/pritzker-expresses-concerns-after-reopen-illinois-rallies/

WSIL TV
— President Trump calls out Pritzker for coronavirus response efforts
https://wsiltv.com/2020/05/19/president-trump-calls-out-pritzker-for-coronavirus-response-efforts/

ILLINOIS PATCH
— Illinois Has Most Coronavirus Restrictions In Country: Study Here’s how strict Illinois has been with its stay-at-home order compared to other U.S. states, according to WalletHub. – Rebecca Bream
https://patch.com/illinois/across-il/illinois-has-most-coronavirus-restrictions-country-study

ELMHURST PATCH
— Elmhurst Mayor Keeps Emergency Powers The City Council extends the emergency powers for Mayor Steve Morley, who is calling for the governor to end his stay-at-home order. – David Giuliani
https://patch.com/illinois/elmhurst/elmhurst-mayor-keeps-emergency-powers

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO NEWS
— Will coronavirus-related job losses eventually return? Chicago Booth scholar estimates 42% of pandemic-related layoffs could be permanent
https://news.uchicago.edu/story/will-coronavirus-related-job-losses-eventually-return

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Jack Franks Held in Indirect Contempt of Court & Fined $100 a Day for Refusing to Answer Questions in Illinois Integrity Fund Suit by County Clerk Joe Tirio
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/05/19/jack-fr-anks-held-in-indirect-contempt-of-court-fined-100-a-day-for-refusing-to-answer-questions-in-illinois-integrity-fund-suit-by-county-clerk-joe-tirio/
— Millionaire Jack Franks Wants to Cut Salaries of Lower Income Elected Officials
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/05/19/millionaire-jack-franks-wants-to-cut-salaries-of-lower-income-elected-officials/
— Photos from Woodstock’s Friday Rally Against Pritzker’s Coronavirus Order
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2020/05/18/photos-from-woodstocks-friday-rally-against-pritzkers-coronavirus-order/

ILLINOIS LEAKS
— Governor Pritzker’s financial disclosure raises questions – you may not like the answer – KIRK ALLEN
https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2020/05/governor-pritzkers-financial-disclosure-raises-questions-you-may-not-like-the-answer/
— Pritzker’s nightmare hit the court docket in Clay County today – Legal Brief in Support of Darren Bailey Motion for Summary Judgment – KIRK ALLEN
https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2020/05/pritzkers-nightmare-hit-the-court-docket-in-clay-county-today-legal-brief-in-support-of-darren-bailey-motion-for-summary-judgment/

CAPITOL FAX
— JB’s Hideout gets hit with a cease and desist order
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/19/jb-cannot-hide-out-at-jbs-hideout/
— 1,545 new cases, 146 additional deaths
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/19/1545-new-cases-146-additional-deaths/
— Dr. Ezike upbeat about latest numbers – Pritzker says no to lump-sum budget – Dr. Ezike talks data challenges, death counts – With $240 million spent on purchases, Pritzker says state watching for fraud – Pritzker says new emergency rule will be re-tooled in 10 days – Refuses to bend to mayors – Dr. Ezike talks excess deaths – “Disgusted by the failure of so many people” to call out extremism at rallies – Will be in Springfield Wednesday – “Optimistic that we are falling from a peak” – Dr. Ezike says it will take some time to see if peak has passed – “The very definition of a blind trust is that it’s blind” – Again commits to making full pension payment – Defends decision not to cut staff – Addresses mask scam – Can’t do widespread testing without more tests – Dr. Ezike says feds urge go-slow on nursing home visits
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/19/dr-ezike-upbeat-about-latest-numbers-pritzker-says-no-to-lump-sum-budget/
— COVID-19 roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/19/covid-19-roundup-41/
— Madigan proposes changes to House rules requiring masks, temperature checks – Violators could be removed by vote of the chamber
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/19/madigan-proposes-changes-to-house-rules-requiring-masks-temperature-checks-violators-could-be-removed-by-vote-of-the-chamber/
— Some of what you can expect this week
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/19/some-of-what-you-can-expect-this-week/
— A poorly drafted rule is causing unnecessary panic and may even be unneeded
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/19/a-poorly-drafted-rule-is-causing-unnecessary-panic-and-may-even-be-unneeded/

BLAZE
— House Democrats just informed the Supreme Court that they may impeach President Trump again by the end of this year – Phil Shiver
https://www.theblaze.com/news/house-democrats-may-impeach-trump-again
— California governor says first responders will be ‘first ones laid off’ without federal government bailout Economic shutdowns taking their toll – Aaron Colen (DIERSEN: GAO employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who had not made GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40 were gotten rid of first by the Democrats who ran GAO in response to Republican-led budget cuts during the 1980s and 1990s.)
https://www.theblaze.com/news/california-governor-first-responders-laid-off-bailout

NEWSMAX
— Rep. Rodney Davis to Newsmax TV: Dems Want to Weaponize Election Process With Ballot Harvesting – Solange Reyner
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/democrats-davis-trump-election/2020/05/18/id/967934/

JP MEDIA
— IL Governor Pritzker Announces What Will Happen to Business People Who Defy Restrictions – RICK MORAN
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/rick-moran/2020/05/19/il-governor-pritzer-will-jail-business-people-who-defy-restrictions-n404232

NATIONAL REVIEW
— How Long Should We Keep Bribing People Not to Work? – ROBERT VERBRUGGEN
https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/05/how-long-should-we-keep-bribing-people-not-to-work/

ATLANTIC
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “We Can Prevent a Great Depression. It’ll Take $10 Trillion. Don’t think of that number as “big” or “bold.” Just think of it as the appropriate dosage for a once-in-a-century economic affliction.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/we-can-prevent-a-great-depression-itll-take-10-trillion/611749/

May 19 Morning Edition

ABC7
— Illinois gun sales surge amid coronavirus pandemic, shop owners say; upswing echoed nationwide – Chuck Goudie and Barb Markoff, Christine Tressel, and Ross Weidner
https://abc7chicago.com/covid-19-fuels-gun-sales-surge-in-illinois-and-nationwide-shop-owners-say/6194802/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Talk of the County: Government assistance allows people to ‘spend all of the extra money on marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes and gambling’
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/opinion/ct-lns-talk-of-county-st-0520-20200518-qwdw56almzdejdqboy4dnjysue-story.html
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Southland colleges offer courses for cannabis industry job seekers and aspiring entrepreneurs – FRANCINE KNOWLES
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-knowles-column-st-0519-20200518-lnpxugzjnngefbn47l44lk2s6a-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “Rushing to reopen the economy won’t help American workers — it will kill them.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/ct-nyt-opinion-coronavirus-reopen-economy-workers-20200518-va75vbwvx5gkddihk5tfqv7zou-story.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Rep. Garcia urges Gov. J.B. Pritzker to ensure Illinois Hispanics are hired as contact tracers Garcia said, “Keep in mind, Governor, there is a body of these folks who are experienced, who people trust and they know how to knock on doors when it is safe to do so.”- Lynn Sweet (DIERSEN: GAO hired me in 1980 because it could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job. IRS hired me in 1971 because it could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, or veteran who would take the job. The Post Office hired me in 1966 because it could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, or veteran who would take the job.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2020/5/18/21263129/rep-jesus-chuy-garcia-urges-gov-j-b-pritzker-to-hire-illinois-hispanic-contact-tracers
— Mike Ditka’s restaurant in Gold Coast is closing COVID-19 and a short-term lease are blamed for “the extremely difficult decision.” – Darel Jevens
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/5/18/21263210/ditkas-closes-restaurant-chicago-gold-coast-chestnut-mike

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— It’s time for Illinois to start rethinking ‘normal’ We cannot afford to hide from this virus forever. Living with it is our best hope, most likely for many months to come. And so, it is time for a new approach and, in some cases, to recalibrate our thinking. – Editorial
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/its-time-illinois-start-rethinking-normal

WBBM
— Top Mayoral Aide Says COVID-19 Pandemic To Cost Chicago ‘Probably In Excess Of $500 Million’ – KEITH JOHNSON
https://wbbm780.radio.com/articles/top-mayoral-aid-covid-19-to-cost-chicago-in-excess-of-500m

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— What to expect when legislature returns Wednesday – Kade Heather
https://www.sj-r.com/news/20200518/what-to-expect-when-legislature-returns-wednesday

BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT
— Plummer accuses Pritzker of creating ‘autocracy’ – MIKE KOZIATEK AND HANA MUSLIC
https://www.bnd.com/news/coronavirus/article242803566.html

KANKAKEE DAILY JOURNAL
— Census outreach ‘incredibly stymied’ by COVID-19 pandemic – Jerry Nowicki
https://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/census-outreach-incredibly-stymied-by-covid-19-pandemic/article_05f91d08-98ed-11ea-86c6-13c6256917ec.html

SUBURBAN LIFE
— Pritzker to critics of emergency rule: Defying IDPH rules was already a misdemeanor IDPH: 59 more COVID-19 deaths, 2,294 new confirmed cases – SEAN HAMMOND
https://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2020/05/18/pritzker-to-critics-of-emergency-rule-defying-idph-rules-was-already-a-misdemeanor/am46rmh/

FOX ILLINOIS
— Businesses violating stay-at-home order could be cited, fined
https://foxillinois.com/news/local/businesses-violating-stay-at-home-order-could-be-cited-fined

NEWS CHANNEL 20
— Illinois Republicans upset with Gov. Pritzker’s power – Matt Roy (DIERSEN: If Rauner had done what Pritzker has done, the Democrats would have removed him from office by now.)
https://newschannel20.com/news/local/illinois-republicans-upset-with-gov-pritzkers-power

WSPY
— Illinois GOP Again Push to Remove Graduated Income Tax Amendment From November Ballot; Legislators Send Letter on Mental Health
http://www.wspynews.com/news/local/illinois-gop-again-push-to-remove-graduated-income-tax-amendment-from-november-ballot-legislators-send/article_fa1ae5c2-99d0-11ea-bb9f-23c3e0bae433.html

WEEK
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Trump-haters promote hatred against those who do not hate Trump.
https://week.com/2020/05/19/theres-no-place-for-hatred-in-our-state-addressing-the-trend-at-reopen-illinois-rallies/

NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS INDEPENDENT
— Four Illinois counties to vote on secession from Chicago. What if they succeed? – Matthew Rago (DIERSEN: Do the leaders of your county want secession from Chicago or do they want to get rid of the county’s residents, organizations, companies, and governments that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, non- poor, gun owners, German American, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time?)
https://neiuindependent.org/16823/opinions/four-illinois-counties-to-vote-on-secession-from-chicago-what-if-they-succeed/

WISCONSIN EXAMINER
— Trump’s defamation suits pose a chilling prospect for the press The eyes of the nation turn to Rhinelander, WI — population 7,632 – Bob Lewis (DIERSEN: In your municipal district, in your municipality, in your township, and in your county, who takes the lead in defaming people? I should write a book about those in Wheaton’s West District, Wheaton, Milton Township, and DuPage County who take the lead in defaming people. I would focus on those who have lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout. I would focus on those who paint themselves as being religious, conservative, and/or Republican to give themselves standing to defame those who are religious, conservatives, and/or Republican. Of course, they have their operatives and their dupes do their dirty work, so I would focus on them too.)
https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2020/04/27/trumps-defamation-suits-pose-a-chilling-prospect-for-the-press/

CHICAGO LAW BULLETIN
— FROM THE ARTICLE: 38 out of 177 lawmakers in the 101st Illinois General Assembly as attorneys.
https://www.chicagolawbulletin.com/getdoc/58ee96b1-7f43-4a61-afa5-e8b007b1f0d0/introducing-lawyers-in-the-legislature-20200515

ROBERT FEDER
— WIND’s Amy Jacobson barred from governor’s media briefings (DIERSEN: I do not claim to be impartial. I am conservative and I state that I am conservative. I am Republican and I state that I am Republican. It is called full disclosure. According to Democrats and to according RINOs, only those who claim to be impartial can be journalists or reporters. I should write a book about mainstream journalists and mainstream reporters who falsely claim to be impartial. They talk, act, and/or write like they are not only liberal and/or Democrat, but like they are anti-conservative and/or anti-Republican. Further, I should write a book about pot pushers who have lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout in DuPage County who sided with other pot pushers against me when I spoke out against pot at a DuPage County Board meeting last year. They said that lobbyists cannot be journalists or reporters. They said that I was a lobbyist, and that therefore, I was not a journalist or a reporter, that is, they charged me with failing to register as a lobbyist with the State of Illinois. They know that by definition, lobbyists are paid to lobby and that I have never been paid to lobby. I should have sued them.)
https://www.robertfeder.com/2020/05/19/winds-amy-jacobson-barred-governors-media-briefings/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Jacobson’s participation prompted others in the media to question whether she had forfeited her standing as a journalist by becoming an advocate and activist. Capitol Fax editor Rich Miller wrote: “Give a speech at a rally and then expect to be treated like a reporter? Nope.” Chicago Tribune chief political reporter Rick Pearson tweeted: “And we are the ones accused of being ‘fake news.’” On Monday Pritzker’s press secretary, Jordan Abudayyeh, notified Jacobson that she was persona non grata. “This weekend you attended and spoke at a political rally to fire up the crowd opposing the Governor’s policies to combat COVID-19,” Abudayyeh wrote in an email Jacobson made public. “That rally was attended by people holding hateful Nazi imagery. An impartial journalist would not have attended that rally in that capacity and therefore you will no longer be invited to participate as an impartial journalist.” Jeff Reisman, regional vice president and general manager of AM 560 The Answer, questioned the decision and said he hoped Jacobson would be readmitted. “I am disappointed that the governor has decided to limit the scope of questions he receives from the media,” Reisman said. “Amy Jacobson has had a long career as a journalist in Chicago, and she has routinely been asking questions that AM 560’s listeners want to have answered. “In this time of uncertainty, I would hope that Gov. Pritzker and his staff would be more transparent and accountable to the people of Illinois. Picking and choosing which media outlets are allowed to ask questions creates the impression that Gov. Pritzker isn’t willing to answer difficult questions. I hope this decision would be reversed immediately and that Amy would be given access once again.” Muller also defended Jacobson, saying: “Why is it we have to agree with Governor Pritzker to ask him questions? . . . Regular people are hurting. That is who Amy and I speak with on our different radio shows. Pritzker allows no followup questions and no real questions from anyone but sycophants.” Jacobson has harshly criticized Pritzker’s handling of the shutdown and challenged the governor on why his family recently traveled from a home in Florida to one in Wisconsin in apparent violation of his statewide order. She said she plans to talk about the ban on Tuesday’s show. Before she joined the news/talk station in 2010, Jacobson worked for more than 10 years as a general assignment reporter at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5.)

PRAIRIE STATE WIRE
— Pritzker bans AM 560’s Jacobson from daily press conferences, claims she isn’t “impartial” (DIERSEN: I do not claim to be impartial. I am conservative and I state that I am conservative. I am Republican and I state that I am Republican. It is called full disclosure. According to Democrats and to according RINOs, only those who claim to be impartial can be journalists or reporters. I should write a book about mainstream journalists and mainstream reporters who falsely claim to be impartial. They talk, act, and/or write like they are not only liberal and/or Democrat, but like they are anti-conservative and/or anti-Republican. Further, I should write a book about pot pushers who have lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout in DuPage County who sided with other pot pushers against me when I spoke out against pot at a DuPage County Board meeting last year. They said that lobbyists cannot be journalists or reporters. They said that I was a lobbyist and that therefore, I was not a journalist or a reporter, that is, they charged me with failing to register as a lobbyist with the State of Illinois. They know that by definition, lobbyists are paid to lobby and that I have never been paid to lobby. I should have sued them.)
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories/537599785-pritzker-bans-am-560-s-jacobson-from-daily-press-conferences-claims-she-isn-t-impartial
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Abudayyeh criticized Jacobson for her attendance at a downtown Chicago rally of Pritzker critics on Saturday. “This weekend you attended and spoke at a political rally to fire up the crowd in opposing the Governor’s policies to combat COVID-19,” Abudayyeh said. “An impartial journalist would not have attended that rally in that capacity and therefore you will no longer be invited to participate as an impartial journalist.”)

WIREPOINTS
— Trading at junk levels: Illinois borrowing costs 5 times higher than AAA-rated states – Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
https://wirepoints.org/trading-at-junk-levels-illinois-borrowing-costs-5-times-higher-than-aaa-rated-states-wirepoints/

ILLINOIS LEAKS
— Pritzker bans AM 560’s Jacobson from daily press conferences, claims she isn’t “impartial” – JOHN KRAFT
https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2020/05/pritzker-bans-am-560s-jacobson-from-daily-press-conferences-claims-she-isnt-impartial/

CAPITOL FAX
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Republican-haters side with Republican-haters.
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/18/politicizing-grandstanding-and-twisting-the-facts/

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Nancy Pelosi: ‘Morbidly obese’ Trump shouldn’t be taking hydroxychloroquine – Victor Morton (DIERSEN: How soon, if not already, will laws be enacted that bar those who are older, those who are overweight, those who have health problems including diabetes, etc. from seeking or holding government or political offices?)
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/may/18/nancy-pelosi-donald-trump-morbidly-obese-shouldnt-/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Top White House staffers are working from home as West Wing coronavirus fears build – Katherine Doyle
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/top-white-house-staffers-are-working-from-home-as-west-wing-coronavirus-fears-build
— Polls Show Trump Holds Enthusiasm Edge Over Biden – Kimberly Ross
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/polls-show-one-huge-problem-for-the-biden-campaign

BREITBART
— Migration Advocates: Open the Borders to Asylum Seekers with Coronavirus – NEIL MUNRO
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/05/18/migration-advocates-open-the-borders-to-asylum-seekers-with-coronavirus/

CNS NEWS
— HEROES Act Would Benefit Murderers and Illegal Aliens – Hans Bader
https://cnsnews.com/commentary/hans-bader/heroes-act-would-benefit-murderers-and-illegal-aliens

DAILY SIGNAL
— A Proposed ‘Health Defense Operations’ Slush Fund Won’t Protect US From Future Pandemics – Romina Boccia
https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/05/18/a-proposed-health-defense-operations-slush-fund-wont-protect-us-from-future-pandemics/

PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY
— Feminists Use COVID-19 To Abolish The Family – Ed Martin
https://www.phyllisschlafly.com/family/feminists-use-covid-19-to-abolish-the-family/
— Restart Sports Without Gambling – John & Andy Schlafly
https://www.phyllisschlafly.com/featured-top/restart-sports-without-gambling/

LIFE SITE NEWS
— Facebook announces progress in developing AI to silence ‘hate speech’ The social media platform says it now detects and removes 88.8 percent of what it considers ‘hate speech.’ (DIERSEN: According to Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, and RINOs, everything is hate speech except for what they say, write, or bless.)
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/facebook-announces-progress-in-developing-ai-to-silence-hate-speech
— Chicago Catholic group: Cupich’s plan to re-open churches is ‘betrayal of Christ’ Cardinal Cupich’s plan has ‘yielded the authority of the Church and subjugated the primacy of her worship to laws of man,’ they say. – Stephen Kokx
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/chicago-catholic-group-blasts-cupichs-plan-to-re-open-churches-monstrous-betrayal-of-christ

NEWSGUARD
— Major Republican and Democratic campaign organizations are using shady “news” sites to spread political propaganda (DIERSEN: As everyone knows, he who pays the piper calls the tunes. As everyone knows, 100% of the time and the money needed to put GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails together and to send them out comes from me. Not one penny comes from the Republican National Committee, Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Milton Township Republican Organization, or any Republican candidate. I should write a book about efforts by the aforesaid and others a) to stop me from putting GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails together and sending them out and b) to stop everyone from reading the emails.)
https://www.newsguardtech.com/misinformation-monitor-may-2020/

THE HILL
— Biden: Trump’s coronavirus response has been ‘nakedly xenophobic’ – JONATHAN EASLEY (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats use coronavirus to demonize, denigrate, and condemn Republicans.)
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/498350-biden-trumps-coronavirus-response-has-been-nakedly-xenophobic

HUFFINGTON POST
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters promote hatred against Trump.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lincoln-project-ad-trump-lie-die-covid-19_n_5ec34bebc5b6e7a7cb8fcf3c

MCCLATCHY NEWS DC
— Underfunded pensions make GOP leaders reluctant to send federal aid to states like California – DAVID LIGHTMAN
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/congress/article242761156.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— If Democrats Hold a Big Convention, Will Anybody Come? The Times interviewed 59 delegates who will help nominate Joe Biden. Most said they don’t want to risk their own health, or the health of others, by attending a full-scale convention in Milwaukee. – Reid J. Epstein (DIERSEN: What is the status of the Illinois Republican Party State Convention? How many delegates are there in total and from each county, township, and Chicago ward?)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/us/politics/democratic-convention-virus.html
— Trump Threatens to Leave W.H.O. and Permanently End Funding The president said the organization had made missteps during the pandemic that “have been extremely costly for the world.” A claim he takes hydroxychloroquine was criticized by doctors.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/us/coronavirus-updates.html
— Virus Forces Conference Planners to Go Back to Go “No one really had this in their playbook,” one planner said. At the moment, there are more questions than answers on what business meetings will look like. – Martha C. White
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/business/coronavirus-business-travel-conferences.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Trump-haters use coronavirus to demonize, denigrate, and condemn Trump supporters.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/opinion/coronavirus-reopen-workers.html
— FRONT PAGE: Freed by Court Ruling, Republicans Step Up Effort to Patrol Voting Officials seek to recruit 50,000 poll watchers and spend millions to fight voter fraud. Democrats say the real goal is to stop them from voting. – Michael Wines
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/us/Voting-republicans-trump.html
— Germany’s Coronavirus Protests: Anti-Vaxxers, Anticapitalists, Neo-Nazis The pandemic marginalized the far right, as Germans rallied behind Angela Merkel. But the reopening has brought them back, and they are preparing to seize new opportunities. – Katrin Bennhold
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/world/europe/coronavirus-germany-far-right.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Facing Adulthood With an Economic Disaster’s Lasting Scars Those entering the job market in a downturn may never catch up in pay, opportunities or confidence. – Eduardo Porter and David Yaffe-Bellany (DIERSEN: Democrats run the federal government. Will the federal government extend its promotion deadlines? If you are a federal employee who is Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran, the federal government gets rid of you if you do not make GS-13 (currently $101,176) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $119,559) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $140,634) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $170,800) by age 40. Extremely few federal employees make the aforesaid promotion deadlines. It is called Affirmative Action, Diversity, Inclusion, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and up-or-out.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/business/economy/coronavirus-young-old.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Why Does Reopening Polarize Us? The divide over lockdowns reflects deeper differences in attitudes about risk, liberty and morality. – Dan Crenshaw
https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-does-reopening-polarize-us-11589842995
— Why Coronavirus Increasingly Exacerbates the Red-Blue Divide Democratic states feel they aren’t getting the help they need from GOP senators, while Republican ones think they bear an unfair economic burden – Gerald F. Seib
https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-coronavirus-increasingly-exacerbates-the-red-blue-divide-11589810871
— Will a Face Mask Protect You? Maybe a little, but washing your hands and social distancing are far more effective. – Marc Siegel
https://www.wsj.com/articles/will-a-face-mask-protect-you-11589842953

FORBES
— COVID-19 Recession Projected To Cost Jobs For 22% Middle Income Older Workers, 15% Higher Income – Ted Knutson (DIERSEN: From what I see, ever-increasingly, businesses and organizations will use coronavirus to get rid of their employees and members who are older, obese, and/or who have health problems including diabetes.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedknutson/2020/05/18/covid-19-recession-projected-to-cost-jobs-for-22-middle-income-older-workers-15-higher-income/#404273316206
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Ghilarducci says this recession is likely to hit older workers harder than economic downturns of the past because the widely publicized larger vulnerability of the aged to COVID-19 is going to increase age discrimination in hiring. She adds older workers are usually the first to get laid off and the last to be re-hired.)

BLOOMBERG
— Pritzker Finds Running Most-Troubled U.S. State Only Gets Harder – Shruti Singh
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-18/billionaire-s-fight-to-keep-illinois-from-junk-just-got-harder
— Investors Don’t Share Trump’s Scorn for Blue States Republican-dominated states lag in growth and debt performance. – Matthew A. Winkler (DIERSEN: What percent of investor money in America is controlled by the following: Foreigners, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, RINOs, and Republicans?)
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-05-18/coronavirus-economy-investors-don-t-share-trump-blue-state-scorn

GUARDIAN
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters say “U.S. lockdown protests may have spread virus widely.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK
— Coronavirus and career – Mike Causey (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those who demonize, denigrate, and condemn federal employees and federal retires. I was a federal employee for almost 30 years and I have been a federal retiree for almost 23 years. Many millions have not and will not seek a job with the federal government a) because the pay and benefits are terrible, b) because the advancement opportunities are terrible, c) because they lack required education, work experience, professional certifications, and/or professional licenses, d) because they cannot pass an employment examination, e) because they cannot pass a background investigation, f) because they cannot pass a physical examination, g) because they cannot take the demonization, denigration, and condemnation that comes with being a federal employee or federal retiree, and/or h) because they are Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran and they know that the federal government discriminates against the aforesaid.)
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/mike-causey-federal-report/2020/05/coronavirus-and-career-the-a-rod-j-lo-rule/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: They say that the coronavirus is a threat, a deadly threat, to all of us regardless of who we are and where we live. That regardless of who we are, where we live and what we do, we are all in the same boat. And that’s true — up to a point. Then it isn’t anymore. And while we can’t pick our parents, decide our birth date or where we grow up — Bangladesh or Brooklyn — the career path we followed is very important. Especially when times get tough — like now — when having more money, which is almost always a good thing, is better than having little or none. Which is also true when times are good — having a good job or steady income is a good thing, now more than ever! And even if you believe that all of us are created equal, life teaches us that that doesn’t last long. While they face many of the same challenges we all do, some people are in a slightly better place at times like now.)

FED SMITH
— DISGUSTING, OUTRAGEOUS: No COLA in 2021? – Ralph R. Smith (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, the purchasing power of the following is dramatically reduced: my Civil Service Retirement System pension, my Social Security, and my retirement savings.)
https://www.fedsmith.com/2020/05/18/no-cola-2021/

(FROM THE ARTICLE: COLA Does Not Match Retiree Expense Increases Since 2000, Social Security COLAs have increased benefits by 53% but the prices of what retirees typically buy have increased by about 99.3%. Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket costs, housing costs, and homeowner’s insurance costs—have been the most rapidly-rising costs in the past year. So far in 2020, there has been a decrease of 0.27% in the third quarter of 2019 over the relevant Consumer Price Index used to calculate any COLA increase. As discussed in previous FedSmith articles, the Social Security COLA is based on the consumer-price index (CPI) for urban workers. Another CPI, known as CPI-E, tracks the spending of older Americans. The difference in these CPI measurements is largely in the cost of health care and housing. Medicare premiums and homeowners’ insurance often grow rapidly from year over year. The COLA adjustments do not take into account the larger percentage spent by older Americans on these expenses.)