May 18 Morning Edition

ABC7
— 38 shot, 6 fatally, in Chicago weekend shootings
https://abc7chicago.com/38-shot-6-fatally-in-chicago-weekend-shootings/6192730/?cmp=emc-wls-news-headlines-5/18/2020
— 1st Ribfest to be held in Romeoville canceled amid COVID-19 health, safety concerns, Exchange Club of Naperville says
https://abc7chicago.com/ribfest-romeoville-naperville-moving/6191996/

NBC5
— Illinois Rep. Allen Skillicorn Threatens to File Recall Motion Against Pritzker for Unemployment Handling
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/state-rep-threatens-to-file-recall-motion-against-pritzker-for-unemployment-handling/2273646/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— How the pandemic unmasks Illinois’ feeble finances – EDITORIAL
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-illinois-states-pension-bailout-congress-20200518-fyt4lnbeh5a7je2celnvxrareu-story.html
— Americans need employment opportunities, not unemployment incentives – RACHEL GRESZLER
https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-coronavirus-congress-employment-heritage-20200515-ffjyyovy7bggron2lvkyl75pwa-story.html

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG COLOR PICTURE: Ever-increasingly Trump-haters use coronavirus to paint Republicans as being White supremacists, Nazis, KKK members, haters, racists, sexists, bigots, and even worse things.
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200518/why-covid-19-infections-are-surging-in-suburban-latino-communities
— How the post COVID-19 workplace will be different – John T. Slania (DIERSEN: Will employers use coronavirus to get rid of their employees who are older, who are obese, and/or who have underlying medical conditions including diabetes? Will organizations use coronavirus to get rid of their members who are older, who are obese, and/or who have underlying medical conditions including diabetes?)
https://www.dailyherald.com/business/20200518/how-the-post-covid-19-workplace-will-be-different
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH COLOR PICTURE: Don’t expect public transit to bounce back to ‘normal’ when COVID-19 retreats – Marni Pyke
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200518/dont-expect-public-transit-to-bounce-back-to-normal-when-covid-19-retreats
— The Deal at 30: Study suggests Hoffman would have grown without Sears – David Bernstein
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200516/the-deal-at-30-study-suggests-hoffman-would-have-grown-without-sears

BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
— Durbin defends Pritzker, says more federal COVID-19 funds needed – Brenden Moore
https://www.pantagraph.com/durbin-defends-pritzker-says-more-federal-covid-19-funds-needed/article_a86daa6f-fa2d-5fae-a745-c04ed437d8d7.html

ALTON TELEGRAPH
— Can we afford to wait out the coronavirus hit? – Editorial
https://www.thetelegraph.com/opinion/article/Editorial-Can-we-afford-to-wait-out-the-15276795.php

SUBURBAN LIFE
— DuPage Foundation awards $500,000 to numerous organizations
https://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2020/05/15/dupage-foundation-awards-500-000-to-numerous-organizations/awt5xbi/

FOX ILLINOIS
— A look into the world of ‘politicized medicine’ in the age of COVID-19 – Sharyl Attkisson
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/a-look-into-the-world-of-politicized-medicine-in-the-age-of-covid-19

WIREPOINTS
— Morning Raid to Crush Chicago Churchgoers: Entire Neighborhood Has Cars Towed – Mark Glennon
https://wirepoints.org/morning-raid-to-crush-chicago-churchgoers-entire-neighborhood-has-their-cars-towed-wirepoints/
— Pritzker Criminalizes Violators of His Shutdown Order Using His Own Rule-Making Power – Mark Glennon
https://wirepoints.org/pritzker-now-using-executive-rulemaking-to-criminalize-violations-of-his-emergency-shutdown-order-wirepoints/
— Gov. Pritzker’s overly-restrictive shutdown rules make Illinois a national outlier – Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
https://wirepoints.org/gov-pritzkers-overly-restrictive-shutdown-rules-make-illinois-a-national-outlier-wirepoints-quicktake/
— Illinois eying loan from Fed, but who would certify state is solvent? – Quicktake (DIERSEN: Just kidding, but to avoid bankruptcy, will the Democrats who run Illinois auction off some or all of Illinois’ 102 counties to neighboring states? How much would Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan bid for Illinois counties near their states?)
https://wirepoints.org/illinois-eying-loan-from-fed-but-who-would-certify-state-is-solvent-quicktake/

ILLINOIS LEAKS
— Our letter to JCAR to Object and Suspend IDPH emergency rule which makes criminals out of business owners – KIRK ALLEN
https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2020/05/our-letter-to-jcar-to-object-and-suspend-idph-emergency-rule-which-makes-criminals-out-of-business-owners/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— REP. CABELLO SOUNDS THE ALARM ON NEW CRIMINALIZATION OF NON-COMPLIANCE WITH HEALTH RULES; CALLS ON LEGISLATURE TO TAKE ACTION
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/rep-cabello-sounds-the-alarm-on-new-criminalization-of-non-compliance-with-health-rules-calls-on-leg.html
— REP. SKILLICORN: RECALL RESOLUTION ON THE TABLE IF GOV. PRITZKER FAILS TO FIX UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS WEBSITE
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/rep-allen-skillicorn-recall-resolution-on-the-table-if-gov-pritzker-fails-to-fix-unemployment-claims.html
— REP. WEHRLI DENOUNCES PRITZKER RULE THAT CRIMINALIZES “NON-ESSENTIAL” BUSINESSES THAT REOPEN
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/rep-wehrli-denounces-pritzker-rule-that-criminalizes-non-essential-businesses-that-reopen.html
— SEN. REZIN OPPOSES PRITZKER’S LATEST “RULE”
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/sen-rezin-opposes-pritzkers-latest-rule.html
— THORNER: RESPONSE TO CHINESE CORONAVIRUS REVEALS TRUE AUTHORITARIAN BENT OF ANTI-AMERICAN GLOBALISTS
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/thorner-response-to-chinese-coronavirus-reveals-true-authoritarian-bent-of-anti-american-globalists-1.html
— ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE WRITER SAYS PRITZKER SHOULD STALL AUTOMATIC PAY RAISES FOR STATE WORKERS (DIERSEN: Step increases recognize/reward work experience that employees gain. I should write a book about those who have demonized, denigrated, and condemned the work experience that I gained a) working for GAO for almost 18 years, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 levels, currently $101,176–$131,532/year and b) working for IRS for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step-1-5 levels, currently $85,084-$96,431/year. I should write a book about those who have demonized, denigrated, and condemned the experience that I gained a) passing the CPA and Certified Internal examinations on my first attempt and b) earning master’s degrees in business, accounting, and finance. I would focus on those in Wheaton’s West District, Wheaton, Milton Township, DuPage County, and Illinois who have/had lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout. I would focus on present/past leaders of the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce, Milton Township Republican Organization, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Illinois Republican Party, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois, Illinois Center Right Coalition, and American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter. I would focus on the aforesaid who blame me and my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails for their problems, for your problems, for my problems, and for everyone’s problems.)
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/illinois-policy-institute-writer-says-pritzker-should-stall-automatic-pay-raises-for-state-workers.html
— ILLINOIS BUSINESS OWNERS COULD DO JAIL TIME UNDER PRITZKER’S NEW EMERGENCY RULES
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/illinois-business-owners-could-do-jail-time-under-pritzkers-new-emergency-rules.html
— ILLINOIS SHERIFFS FIRE BACK AT GOV. PRITZKER: ‘WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE THREATENED’
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/illinois-sheriffs-fire-back-at-gov-pritzker-were-not-going-to-be-threatened.html
— 100,000 BUSINESSES HAVE PERMANENTLY COLLAPSED UNDER PANDEMIC LOCKDOWNS
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/100000-businesses-have-permanently-collapsed-under-pandemic-lockdowns.html
— THE US IS DRAMATICALLY OVERCOUNTING CORONAVIRUS DEATHS
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/the-us-is-dramatically-overcounting-coronavirus-deaths.html
— ROSSI: THE INSANITY AND MASSIVE PAIN OF THE COVID 19 SHUTDOWN
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/05/rossi-the-insanity-and-massive-pain-of-the-covid-19-shutdown.html

CAPITOL FAX
— IDPH issues new emergency rules
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/18/idph-issues-new-emergency-rules/
— IDPH weekend reports: 2,088 new cases and 74 additional deaths on Saturday, 1,734 new cases and 51 additional deaths on Sunday
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/18/idph-weekend-reports-2088-new-cases-and-74-additional-deaths-on-saturday-1734-new-cases-and-51-additional-deaths-on-sunday/

FOX NEWS
— Pelosi’s crazy $3T coronavirus spending bill may have secret purpose – Don’t underestimate her – Newt Gingrich
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/newt-gingrich-pelosis-crazy-3t-coronavirus-spending-bill-may-have-secret-purpose-dont-underestimate-her

GOPUSA
— NFL Considers Rewarding Teams With Favorable Draft Picks For Minority Hires (DIERSEN: While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years, to get promoted, Democrat politicians forced my superiors and supervisors to a) excel in retaining and promoting young Democrat minorities and young Democrat females and b) excel in getting rid of their 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. Obviously, the aforesaid is Affirmative Action, Diversity, Inclusion, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and up-or-out.)
https://www.gopusa.com/?p=89020

BREITBART
— Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) Introduces Bill to Ban ‘Ballot Harvesting’ – JOEL B. POLLAK
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/05/17/house-republican-introduces-bill-to-ban-ballot-harvesting/
— Union Workers Warn Nancy Pelosi’s Coronavirus Plan Guts Pensions – John Binder
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/05/17/union-workers-pelosi-coronavirus-gut-pensions/

COLLEGE FIX
— California lawmakers rush to impose race preferences in education during COVID-19 lockdown – ALEXANDER PEASE (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats force individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries to give preference 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. How strongly are the organizations that you are a member of giving preference to the aforesaid?)
https://www.thecollegefix.com/california-lawmakers-rush-to-impose-race-preferences-in-education-during-covid-19-lockdown/

THE HILL
— Critics say Trump, Congress fumbling economic response to COVID-19 – MIKE LILLIS
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/498224-critics-say-trump-congress-fumbling-economic-response-to-covid-19

POLITICO
— ‘Immunity passports’ won’t reopen America Antibody apps may still find a niche in the workplace. – JOANNE KENEN (DIERSEN: Will employers use coronavirus to get rid of their employees who are older, who are obese, and/or who have underlying medical conditions including diabetes? Will organizations use coronavirus to get rid of their members who are older, who are obese, and/or who have underlying medical conditions including diabetes?)
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/18/immunity-passports-reopen-america-264392
— Fed’s Powell warns unemployment could reach Depression-level 25 percent The Fed chief expressed hope that the economy would come out of recession in the second half of the year. – VICTORIA GUIDA
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/17/powell-unemployment-depression-25-percent-264500

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— LOCAL HEALTH AGENCIES STRUGGLE TO RAMP UP VIRUS TRACKING – Christina A. Cassidy
https://oilcity.news/associated-press/2020/05/16/local-health-agencies-struggle-to-ramp-up-virus-tracking/

CNBC
— 10% of retail demand might be lost forever – Lauren Thomas
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/13/10percent-of-retail-demand-might-be-lost-forever.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— ‘Geriatric,’ ‘China’s Puppet’: Trump Campaign Unleashes Ads Attacking Biden President Trump’s re-election team has launched a long-promised barrage of negative ads against Joseph R. Biden Jr., focusing on his age and his past comments on China. – Nick Corasaniti and Maggie Haberman (DIERSEN: Are you older? I am 71 years old. If your critics/opponents attacked your age, what would you stress? I would stress neither age problems nor any other kind of problem has stopped me from a) putting a GOPUSA ILLINOIS email together and sending it out each and every morning since 2004 and b) putting a GOPUSA ILLINOIS email together and sending it out each and every evening since 2015. Those emails included links to more than 367,800 articles and information on many upcoming events.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/us/politics/trump-ads-joe-biden.html
— Dump on Your Office All You Like. You’ll Miss It When It’s Gone. Your workplace shaped your identity in ways you never knew. – Jennifer Senior (DIERSEN: My Democrat GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were furious when in 1990, I got a preferred corner office in a new building ( https://200westadams.com/ ) a) because I had gotten promoted to GS-13 in 1986 and b) because of the almost 12 years of federal seniority that I had gained by working for IRS 1971-1980 and for the Post Office 1966-1969.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/17/opinion/coronavirus-office-telecommuting.html
— Congress Doesn’t Need to Meet in Person Lawmakers are just like the millions of other people who are working from home. – Josephine Wolff
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/opinion/virus-congress-remote-voting.html

WASHINGTON POST
— As coronavirus testing expands, a new problem arises: Not enough people to test – Steve Thompson, Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/as-coronavirus-testing-expands-a-new-problem-arises-not-enough-people-to-test/2020/05/17/3f3297de-8bcd-11ea-8ac1-bfb250876b7a_story.html
— Top Trump official says country safe to reopen as governors stress social distancing
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/17/coronavirus-update-us/

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
— NYC’s coming budget crisis: Mayor must start making responsible cuts in face of pandemic’s fiscal impact – Editorial
https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-edit-city-budget-coronavirus-covid-19-new-york-city-20200517-dmsnurexmvatxjhvpvcc5mah5q-story.html

USA TODAY
— FRONT PAGE: Aftershock: If coronavirus swells in a second wave later this year, will the nation be ready? – Dennis Wagner
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2020/05/17/coronavirus-peak-america-ready-second-wave-fall/3096338001/

DETROIT FREE PRESS
— Huge day as Detroit Three restart at least 52 plants shuttered since March by coronavirus – Phoebe Wall Howard, Jamie L. LaReau and Eric D. Lawrence
https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2020/05/18/ford-gm-fiat-chrysler-restart-plants-u-s-canada-mexico-amid-covid/5209746002/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Fed’s Jerome Powell Says Economy Faces Long, Uncertain Recovery It will be hard for public to be ‘fully confident’ without a coronavirus vaccine, central bank chairman says – Nick Timiraos
https://www.wsj.com/articles/feds-powell-says-economy-faces-long-uncertain-recovery-11589734446
— How Biden Can Win Over Progressives – Cenk Uygur (DIERSEN: Progressives want Biden to 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.wsj.com/articles/how-biden-can-win-over-progressives-11589741232
— Some Republicans Object to Trump’s Ousting of State Department Watchdog Lawmakers point to 2008 law that requires president to detail reasons for removing inspector general – Andrew Restuccia and Lindsay Wise (DIERSEN: If my Democrat superiors in the federal government had to truthfully detail the reasons why they took adverse actions against me, the reasons would be one or more of the following: a) they were carrying out orders from Democrat politicians and/or b) they disapproved of, despised, if not hated Republicans, conservatives, Protestants, German Americans, draft avoiders, Whites, males, older people, people who had more education than they had, people who had more professional certifications and/or licenses than they had, people who had more money than they had, and/or people whose ancestors had been in America longer than their ancestors.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/republicans-object-to-trumps-ousting-of-state-department-watchdog-11589729560
— Graduations, Campus Classes Canceled by Coronavirus Shock College-Town Economy – Justin Baer
https://www.wsj.com/articles/graduations-campus-classes-canceled-by-coronavirus-shock-college-town-economy-11589707800

BLOOMBERG
— Coronavirus Wreaks Havoc on the Future of U.S. Immigrant Labor – Eric Martin
https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2020-05-17/coronavirus-wreaks-havoc-on-the-future-of-u-s-immigrant-labor

ECONOMIST
— America’s far right is energized by covid-19 lockdowns
https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/05/17/americas-far-right-is-energised-by-covid-19-lockdowns

PEW RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
— Staffing Nursing Homes Was Hard Before the Pandemic. Now It’s Even Tougher. – Sophie Quinton
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2020/05/18/staffing-nursing-homes-was-hard-before-the-pandemic-now-its-even-tougher

NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— The GOP Is the Problem. Is ‘Human Identity Politics’ the Solution? – Eric Levitz
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/05/polarization-republicans-democracy-ezra-klein-book-review.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A large minority of African-American Democrats are social conservatives who believe that it is “always wrong” for two people of the same sex to engage in intercourse. One-third of Democratic voters believe that discrimination against whites is at least as big of a problem in the U.S. as discrimination against blacks. And for all of the talk of blue America’s supposed multiculturalism, a majority of Democratic voters agree with the statement “speaking English is essential for being a true American.” In other words: It isn’t actually the case that the median Democrat lacks all connection to the Republican Party’s dominant identity groups. There simply are not enough nonwhite (and/or enlightened white), secular, cosmopolitan, urban-dwelling people in the U.S. for a national party to be predominantly composed of them.)

MILWAUKEE INDEPENDENT
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: White-haters promote hatred of Whites.
http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/featured/myth-anti-whiteness-telling-truth-mischaracterized-attacking-whites/

SUBURBAN
— Combatting discrimination is a prominent pandemic issue – Patrick Lejtenyi (DIERSEN: Of course, Trump-haters will use coronavirus 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, obese, diabetic, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time, etc.)
http://www.thesuburban.com/life/education/combatting-discrimination-is-a-prominent-pandemic-issue-concordia-researcher/article_46269c8a-96e9-11ea-a325-f7a3c1fc2210.html

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.