December 17 Evening Edition

WGN TV
— US jobless claims rise to 885,000 amid resurgence of virus
https://wgntv.com/news/us-jobless-claims-rise-to-885000-amid-resurgence-of-virus/

NBC5
— Illinois Overpaid Coronavirus Unemployment Claims: Now The State Wants Its Money Back. Workers who received unemployment benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program are now on the hook to repay some of the money. – Lisa Parker and Courtney Copenhagen
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/illinois-overpaid-coronavirus-unemployment-claims-now-the-state-wants-its-money-back/2397597/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— DuPage County receives 13,650 doses of COVID-19 vaccine
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/dupage-county-receives-13650-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— AS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY’S STRANGLEHOLD ON ILLINOIS, ON COOK COUNTY, AND ON CHICAGO TIGHTENS: Black lawmakers in Springfield look to take on criminal justice reform, systemic racism in lame duck session – Rachel Hinton
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/12/16/22179373/legislative-black-caucus-criminal-justice-reform-illinois-springfield-kimberly-lightford
— A police raid on a terrorized innocent woman shouts out for true reform. We are scandalized that once again we are left with questions about the conduct of Chicago police that we hoped we would never have to ask again. – Editorial
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/12/17/22187531/chicago-police-raid-terrorized-innocent-woman-shouts-out-true-reform

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois and dozens of other states sue Google, allege search giant is illegal monopoly – AP
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-google-antitrust-lawsuit-20201217-ydgdjbq6xbhqxgzw6f7wpffm6q-story.html
— Count the failures in CPD’s botched raid. There are plenty. – Editorial
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-chicago-police-anjanette-young-lightfoot-20201217-bfjc4exlhrfsdnd35dwtri3mqy-story.html
— People are using more alcohol, weed and drugs because of COVID-19. If you’re in over your head, we have help. – STEPHANIE REYNOLDS
https://www.chicagotribune.com/living/health/ct-life-alcohol-weed-drugs-health-covid-19-roundup-20201217-qquxy3hrgjcrjjhqiegwfjo6jm-story.html
— EEOC guidance: Yes, employers can require the COVID-19 vaccine – ALEXIA ELEJALDE-RUIZ
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-employer-covid-vaccination-eeoc-guidance-20201217-u5skkon6mvbcziedh5tagydepi-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In essence, the EEOC said employers can require that employees get inoculated as a condition of going to work, unless an employee declines because of a disability or a sincerely held religious belief. In such cases, the employer must offer a reasonable accommodation to the employee, such as working remotely, as long as the accommodation doesn’t cause “undue hardship” for the employer. If there is no accommodation possible, then an employer may prohibit the employee from entering the premises but not necessarily fire the worker. The employer must see if the employee has any other rights under federal or local laws, including the ability to take unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, before an employer can exclude a worker from the physical worksite, the employer must determine if the unvaccinated employee presents a significant risk in harm to health or safety that cannot be eliminated or reduced through reasonable accommodations.)
— Cook County becomes largest county to officially recognize Juneteenth as paid holiday for its employees – ALICE YIN
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-juneteenth-cook-county-paid-holiday-20201217-qbrw7gmokragrltyie45cm3yli-story.html

DAILY HERALD
— Northfield Republicans present township candidates
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20201216/northfield-republicans-present-township-candidates

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Illinois helped fuel unexpected rise in national jobless claims. Applications for U.S. state unemployment benefits jumped to the highest level in three months, reflecting rising claims here and in California.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/employment/illinois-helped-fuel-unexpected-rise-national-jobless-claims
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/marijuanacannabis/deals-show-desire-cash-illinois-weed-market

ALTON TELEGRAPH
— Vaccines roll out as virus deaths keep rising – Ron DeBrock
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Vaccines-roll-out-as-virus-deaths-keep-rising-15812511.php

NPR ILLINOIS
— Google Hit With Another Lawsuit Challenging Its Dominance – SHANNON BOND
https://www.nprillinois.org/post/google-hit-another-lawsuit-challenging-its-dominance#stream/0

ILLINOIS PATCH
— Illinois Sues Google For Alleged Illegal Search Engine Monopoly. “Google’s actions have not only negatively affected competition … but have also risked the privacy of consumers,” IL AG Kwame Raoul said. – J. Ryne Danielson
https://patch.com/illinois/across-il/il-sues-google-alleged-illegal-search-engine-monopoly

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— PENSIONS SET TO CONSUME 29% OF ILLINOIS’ BUDGET AMID $7 BILLION DEBT INCREASE – Adam Schuster
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pensions-set-to-consume-29-of-illinois-budget-amid-7-billion-debt-increase/
— ILLINOIS UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS APPROACHING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN LEVELS – Brad Weisenstein
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-unemployment-claims-approaching-covid-19-lockdown-levels/

CAPITOL FAX
— 8,828 new confirmed and probable cases; 181 additional deaths; 4,751 hospitalized; 1,056 in the ICU; 8.4 percent case positivity rate; 10.0 percent test positivity rate
https://capitolfax.com/2020/12/17/8828-new-confirmed-and-probable-cases-181-additional-deaths-4751-hospitalized-1056-in-the-icu-84-percent-case-positivity-rate-100-percent-test-positivity-rate/

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Georgia announces signature matching review in all counties – Alex Swoyer
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/dec/17/georgia-announces-signature-matching-review-all-co/

GOPUSA
— Mitt Romney Illustrates How To Lose, Boosts Biden, Not So Sure ‘Trumpism Is Going Away’
https://www.gopusa.com/?p=99318
— Money From Facebook’s Zuckerberg Used To Undermine Election, Violate Law
https://www.gopusa.com/?p=99376
— Media Gets An F For Mocking Trump Claim Vaccine Could Be Available By The End Of The Year
https://www.gopusa.com/?p=99332
— Pelosi, The Press, And The 25th Amendment — Parts Of A Plan? – Chad Groening
https://www.gopusa.com/pelosi-the-press-and-the-25th-amendment-parts-of-a-plan/

RUSH LIMBAUGH
— 74 Million-Plus Americans Won’t Sit Down and Shut Up (DIERSEN: 2,446,891 voted for Trump in Illinois. 193,611 voted for Trump in DuPage County. 20,080 in voted for Trump in Milton Township. 157 voted for Trump in my precinct.)
https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2020/12/16/74-million-plus-americans-are-mad-as-hell/

BLAZE
— Health care worker without history of allergies hospitalized in ICU following severe allergic reaction after receiving COVID-19 vaccine – Sarah Taylor
https://www.theblaze.com/news/health-care-worker-hospitalized-covid-vaccine
— Sen. Rand Paul says voter ‘fraud happened’ and ‘the election in many ways was stolen’ Will the Kentucky Republican challenge the Electoral College votes? – Breck Dumas
https://www.theblaze.com/news/sen-rand-paul-says-voter-fraud-happened-and-the-election-in-many-ways-was-stolen

DAILY CALLER
— New Jobless Claims Increase To 885,000, Economists Expected 808,000 – THOMAS CATENACCI
https://dailycaller.com/2020/12/17/new-jobless-claims-increase-above-economists-expectations/

FEDERALIST
— With Election Over, Facebook and Twitter Pause Some Efforts To Crush Conservatives – Jordan Davidson
https://thefederalist.com/2020/12/17/with-election-over-facebook-and-twitter-pause-some-efforts-to-crush-conservatives/

NEWSMAX
— It’s Over? ‘Not My President’ to Be Taken to New Heights – Sid Dinerstein
https://www.newsmax.com/siddinerstein/its-over-democrats-defections-cheat/2020/12/16/id/1001854/

LAKE SUPERIOR NEWS
— Identity politics is an evil virus spreading across society – Gerry Bowler
https://lakesuperiornews.com/Opinion/identity-politics-is-an-evil-virus-spreading-across-society

POLITICO
— Top Biden aide walks back expletive description of Republicans. “I used some words that I probably could have chosen better,” Jen O’Malley Dillon said of her recent interview with Glamour magazine. – QUINT FORGEY and MATTHEW CHOI
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/17/biden-aide-republicans-description-447703

CNN
— House conservative pushes back on ‘surrender caucus’ after McConnell urges senators to let election results stand – Manu Raju and Daniella Diaz
By Manu Raju and Daniella Diaz
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/16/politics/mo-brooks-surrender-caucus/index.html

NBC NEWS
— Virginia GOP censures lawmaker who officiated gay wedding. Rep. Denver Riggleman went “against the values and principles of the Republican party” by officiating the same-sex nuptials, the unanimous resolution stated. – Cynthia Silva (DIERSEN: I should write a book about the 2006 effort to get the Illinois Center Right Coalition to censure me for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails.)
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/virginia-gop-censures-lawmaker-who-officiated-gay-wedding-n1251524

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— These Are the U.S. Antitrust Cases Facing Google, Facebook and Others. Various federal agencies and state attorneys general are launching competition-focused probes and lawsuits against Big Tech. – John D. McKinnon
https://www.wsj.com/articles/these-are-the-u-s-antitrust-cases-facing-google-facebook-and-others-11608150564

NEWSWEEK
— ‘Can Trump Still Win Election?’ Searches Surge As Supporters Hope for Miracle – DARRAGH ROCHE
https://www.newsweek.com/can-trump-still-win-election-searches-surge-supporters-hope-miracle-1555524

PRESS GAZETTE
— Most popular subscription news websites in the world revealed – William Turvill (DIERSEN: The list includes: New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Guardian, Atlantic, Telegraph, McClatchy, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, New Yorker, Boston Globe, and Minneapolis Star Tribune.)
https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/news-publishers-surpassed-100000-digital-subscriptions/

NEW YORKER
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-hater says “Trump’s New Brand Is Loser.”
https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/trumps-new-brand-is-loser

Author: David Diersen

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