May 11 Evening Edition

ABC7
— Gov. Pritzker staff member tests positive for COVID-19; IL cases top 77K with over 3K deaths
https://abc7chicago.com/society/gov-pritzker-staff-member-tests-positive-for-covid-19/6172169/
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters say “Trump faces coronavirus risk at home amid push to ‘reopen’ nation.”
https://abc7chicago.com/health/trump-faces-coronavirus-risk-at-home-amid-push-to-reopen-nation/6172521/

NBC5
— Top Illinois Republicans Call on Pritzker to Ease Restrictions in Phased Reopening Plan
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/top-illinois-republicans-call-on-pritzker-to-ease-restrictions-in-phased-reopening-plan/2270039/
— ‘Worse Than the Disease’: Rauner Blasts Pritzker’s Handling of Coronavirus
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/rauner-blasts-pritzkers-handling-of-coronavirus-says-policies-are-worse-than-the-disease/2270214/
— Illinois Coronavirus Cases Climb Near 80,000 as Deaths Reach 3,459 Illinois is currently in its seventh week of a statewide stay-at-home order and in the second phase of a five-stage reopening plan Illinois is currently in its seventh week of a statewide stay-at-home order and in the second phase of a five-stage reopening plan
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/illinois-coronavirus-cases-climb-near-80000-as-deaths-reach-3459/2270035/
— Member of Pritzker’s Senior Staff Tests Positive for Coronavirus Employees who had previously been reporting to work in person will work from home for an isolation period, Pritzker’s office said
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/member-of-pritzkers-senior-staff-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/2269830/
— All Illinois Regions on Track to Move to Next Phase of Reopening Except One, Pritzker Says No region can officially move forward until May 29, under the parameters of the governor’s plan
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/all-illinois-regions-on-track-to-move-to-next-phase-of-reopening-except-one-pritzker-says/2270110/
— Illinois May Not Hit Coronavirus Peak Until Mid-June, Pritzker Warns Models originally suggested the state would hit its peak in cases and hospitalizations in mid-May, but new models suggest that the peak could be stretched out into early-to-mid June
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/illinois-may-not-hit-coronavirus-cases-peak-until-mid-june-pritzker-warns/2270062/
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters say “Majority Disapprove of Coronavirus Protests.”
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/majority-disapprove-of-coronavirus-protests-poll/2269778/
— Elmhurst Mayor Asks Pritzker to Reconsider Reopening Plan, Health Care Region Grouping Elmhurst is included in the one Illinois health care region that hasn’t met the required metrics to move into phase three of the state’s reopening plan
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/elmhurst-mayor-asks-pritzker-to-reconsider-reopening-plan-health-care-region-grouping/2270234/

CBS2
— Illinois Supreme Court Declines To Intervene In Rep. Darren Bailey’s Lawsuit Against Gov. JB Pritzker’s Stay-At-Home Order
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/05/11/illinois-supreme-court-declines-to-intervene-in-rep-darren-baileys-lawsuit-against-gov-jb-pritzkers-stay-at-home-order/
— Senior Staffer In Gov. JB Pritzker’s Office Tests Positive For COVID-19
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/video/4545933-senior-staffer-in-gov-jb-pritzkers-office-tests-positive-for-covid-19/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— Governor Pritzker now says Illinois may not hit COVID-19 peak until mid-June
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/governor-pritzker-now-says-illinois-may-not-hit-covid-19-peak-until-mid-june
— Senior aide to Pritzker tests positive for COVID-19
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/senior-aide-to-pritzker-tests-positive-for-covid-19

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Pritzker says state’s predicted COVID-19 peak is now expanded from mid-May into mid-June
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-pandemic-chicago-illinois-news-20200511-4pamwbukjbgmtejy2ivrcuarja-story.html
— Projected peak for coronavirus in Illinois now mid-June says Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who’s now confined to his home after senior staffer tests positive for COVID-19 – JAMIE MUNKS and DAN PETRELLA
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-jb-pritzker-staff-20200511-pc2b5w74jvehfp7aisew7d42rm-story.html
— Wisconsin GOP lawmakers urge Washington to reject any ‘bailout’ money for Illinois: ‘Our neighbors to the south have spent decades spending and borrowing recklessly’ – RICK PEARSON
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-illinois-wisconsin-20200511-ce4kni72cjeitpos5y7mxmaz74-story.html
— Church leaders push back on Lightfoot and Pritzker stay-at-home orders: ‘We have to stand up for ourselves at some point’ – GREGORY PRATT, JAVONTE ANDERSON and DAN PETRELLA
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-lightfoot-criticizes-church-reopening-20200511-mobvjr473vfplecblpk4wrujqi-story.html
— Illinois General Assembly, get back to Springfield – THE EDITORIAL
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-illinois-legislature-get-to-work-20200511-prkywwij6zewddkaey5zf3n2wi-story.html
— Restaurateur: Let’s limit the damage and be a leader in helping restaurants stay in business – GABRIELLA LENZI LITTLETON
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-coronavirus-restaurants-illinois-phase-reopen-20200511-un67vo6uoffzzdprwfughcart4-story.html
— Sorry, but not all of us can vote from home – JAY YOUNG
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-mail-in-ballots-vote-from-home-20200511-ocgmepvt3zae5loeqr6vtdkyfa-story.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— 54 more die in Illinois of COVID-19 — and one new projection shows peak could hit 300 a day In total, 3,460 people have died of coronavirus in Illinois. The state also reported 1,266 new cases, bringing the total of positive cases to 79,007. The state received 12,441 tests results. – Tina Sfondeles
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/5/11/21254986/pritzker-daily-briefing-covid-19-coronavirus-projections-peak-reopen
— Pritzker and staff ordered to stay home after senior staffer tests positive for COVID-19 Gov. J.B. Pritzker himself has tested negative for the coronavirus, according to the governor’s office – Tina Sfondeles
https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2020/5/11/21254556/gov-jb-pritzker-staff-ordered-stay-home-after-senior-staffer-tests-positive-covid-19
— Lightfoot hopes to educate defiant church into compliance, avoiding mass arrests “We’re not gonna send in the police to arrest parishioners. People are exercising their faith, and I understand that,” the mayor said. – Fran Spielman
https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2020/5/11/21255185/chicago-mayor-lightfoot-elim-romanian-pentecostal-church-sunday-services-coronavirus
— Illinois families need monthly cash payments to weather COVID-19 crisis We need bigger, bolder policies to help people — recurring payments that last until the economy recovers and it is safe to return to work. – U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/5/11/21254874/coronavirus-unemployment-covid-19-stimulus-bill-cares-jan-schakowsky

DAILY HERALD
— Pritzker: Virus peak now mid-June, but end of May still the target for next reopening phase – Jake Griffin
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200511/pritzker-virus-peak-now-mid-june-but-end-of-may-still-the-target-for-next-reopening-phase-
— Top aide to Pritzker tests positive for COVID-19 – Marni Pyke
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200511/top-aide-to-pritzker-tests-positive-for-covid-19
— Underwood says stopping COVID-19 disinformation is a matter of ‘life and death’ – James Fuller
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200511/underwood-says-stopping-covid-19-disinformation-is-a-matter-of-life-and-death

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— 2.3 million more Illinois jobs at risk: The devastating economic toll of the virus in 6 charts – JONATHON BERLIN and ALLY MAROTTI
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-illinois-vulnerable-jobs-20200511-7ntwkhsllbblfkvnsu5xuigunu-htmlstory.html

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Pritzker path long, miserable – Editorial
https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-pritzker-path-long-miserable/article_83a651b3-b50a-5fcc-9b11-faaf46f46892.html

FOX ILLINOIS
— As Trump pulls back from virus, Congress races to fill void – AP
https://foxillinois.com/news/connect-to-congress/as-trump-pulls-back-from-virus-congress-races-to-fill-void-1

— More than 79,000 coronavirus cases in Illinois
https://foxillinois.com/news/local/more-than-79000-coronavirus-cases-in-illinois

NPR ILLINOIS
— Pritzker’s Plan Does Not Work For Springfield – MIKE SMITH
https://www.nprillinois.org/post/murphy-pritzkers-plan-does-not-work-springfield#stream/0

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— 4 PROBLEMS WITH PRITZKER’S REOPENING PLAN – Amy Korte
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/4-problems-with-pritzkers-reopening-plan/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— PLAINFIELD LAW FIRM SAYS PRITZKER’S EOS IMPAIR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS; POINTS TO OBAMA-SPONSORED LAW
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/plainfield-law-firm-says-pritzkers-eos-impair-fundamental-rights-points-to-obama-sponsored-law.html
— GOP US HOUSE LEADER ENDORSES OBERWEIS IN 14TH CD RACE
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/gop-us-house-leader-endorses-oberweis-in-14th-cd-race.html
— LAKE CO BOARD CHAIRMAN ENCOURAGES COVID-19 VIOLATION SNITCHING
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/lake-co-encourages-covid-19-violation-snitching-.html
— WEYERMULLER: WHEN DID CHURCH BECOME “NON-ESSENTIAL?”
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/weyermuller-when-did-church-become-non-essential.html
— CONSERVATIVE GROUP POSTS RESOURCES CHALLENGING GOV PRITZKER’S COVID EMERGENCY ORDERS
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/conservative-group-posts-resources-challenging-gov-pritzkers-covid-emergency-orders.html

CAPITOL FAX
— Supreme Court refuses to issue ruling on EO issue
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/11/supreme-court-refuses-to-issue-ruling-on-eo-issue/
— Member of Pritzker’s senior staff tests positive, so all employees will work from home
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/11/member-of-pritzker%e2%80%99s-senior-staff-tests-positive-so-all-employees-will-work-from-home/
— Opposition spreads
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/11/opposition-spreads/
— 1,266 new cases, 54 additional deaths
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/11/1266-new-cases-54-additional-deaths/
— Pritzker says yet again that Illinois is going it alone
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/11/pritzker-says-yet-again-that-illinois-is-going-it-alone/
— Pritzker talks numbers – Talks about infected staffer – Won’t divulge staffer’s name – Staffer works down the hall – Done contact tracing – Staffer asymptomatic – Says he’s at home in Chicago – Succession is in constitution – Says 44,000 successful connections for IDES today – But IDES site went down – Defends 28 days – Defends 28 days – Says reopening businesses are putting people and their regions at risk – Defends 28 days – Prisoners go through a monitored process before release – Talks contact tracing – Son cut his hair – Reopened churches “putting hundreds of people in danger” – Defends 28 days – Seniors in under-performing nursing homes can’t easily be moved – Defends 28 days – No assurances that R Naught won’t rise this summer – “Functions of the governor’s office have really been operating well” – Says worth looking into property tax relief – Says he believes legislature should convene – Very difficult to have in-person summer school – Comments on IL Supreme Court refusal to hear case – No forms request gender identity or sexual orientation – Dr. Ezike explains why Cook got the lion’s share of remdesivir – Says he misspoke on CNN about contact tracing – Defends 28 days – Looking into action on credit scores
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/11/pritzker-talks-numbers/
— COVID-19 roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/11/covid-19-roundup-35/

GOPUSA
— Liberal Lawmakers Push Coronavirus Recurring Crisis Payments Of $2,000 Per Month
https://www.gopusa.com/?p=88716
— Racism? Lawmakers Ask DOJ To Investigate Why Coronavirus Hits People Of Color Harder
https://www.gopusa.com/?p=88742

NEW YORK TIMES
— Employers Rush to Adopt Virus Screening. The Tools May Not Help Much. Symptom-checking apps and fever-screening cameras promise to keep sick workers at home and hinder the virus. But experts warn they can be inaccurate and violate privacy. – Natasha Singer
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/11/technology/coronavirus-worker-testing-privacy.html

WASHINGTON POST
— Most White House officials will be asked to wear masks, but directive will not apply to Trump
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/11/coronavirus-update-us/

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.