Judge rules Illinois stay-at-home order an overreach

CHICAGO — A judge in southern Illinois ruled Monday that Gov. J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order to stem the spread of the coronavirus exceeds his emergency authority and violates individual civil rights. Clay County Circuit Judge Michael McHaney sided with Republican Rep. Darren Bailey, who sought a temporary restraining order against the Democratic governor's far-reaching executive order. Pritzker has relied on an April 2 statewide disaster declaration as authority to close schools, shut down nonessential businesses and limit movement by individuals from their homes because of the potentially deadly COVID-19. Given word of the ruling during his daily briefing in Chicago on the state's response to COVID-19, Pritzker accused Bailey, a Xenia resident, of being "blindly devoted to ideology and the pursuit of personal celebrity." "It's insulting. It's dangerous and people's safety and health have now been put at risk," Pritzker said. "There may be people who contract coronavirus as a result of what Darren Bailey has done."

Bailey did not immediately return a call seeking comment, but told reporters outside the courthouse in Louisville that civil liberties can be infringed when citizens don't challenge government power. "We continue now to do what we do best: Live safely, respectfully and … to take certain precautions, but not to be limited by government," Bailey said. Pritzker promised "swift" action to overturn the judge's order, which applies only to Bailey but allows other individuals and groups to challenge the movement restrictions while the highly contagious illness circulates.

The ruling came the same day House Republicans attacked Pritzker on another front, renewing demands for details on state prison inmates released early because of COVID-19 fears. Pritzker signed an order earlier this month allowing furloughs for elderly inmates or those with health conditions, who are considered "medically vulnerable" to contracting and spreading COVID-19. Roughly 36,000 people are incarcerated in Illinois facilities and civil rights advocates have raised concerns about inmate welfare. House Republicans hosted a video news conference Monday, saying their requests for information have been ignored, including details on how many have been freed and how the Illinois Department of Corrections determines who gets released. "Our concern is that the governor and IDOC are using this pandemic as a way to push their political agenda of releasing inmates, rather than actually looking out for the public safety," said Rep. Avery Bourne of Morrisonville. State officials have not been specific on the numbers.

Illinois' prison population has been reduced by about 1,300 inmates, Pritzker said Monday during his daily coronavirus news conference. He said that includes commutations and those included in his order but didn't specify a timeline or a detailed breakdown. He said he would gladly provide the necessary numbers and his spokeswoman suggested contacting IDOC for the information. But in response to an Associated Press public records request for the names of inmates released because of the pandemic, IDOC provided a link to an online document showing all inmates released since March 1. The list of roughly 3,900 inmates doesn't include the reasons for their release. An IDOC spokeswoman didn't return a message seeking comment Monday. There have been coronavirus outbreaks at the state's correctional facilities. State data show 153 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, with the vast majority at Stateville Correction Center in Crest Hill, where there have been 10 deaths. Overall, 147 corrections employees have also tested positive, with 74 at Stateville.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or modest symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe life-threatening illness, including pneumonia. Illinois officials reported 50 new deaths related to COVID-19 Monday, bringing the total statewide death toll to 1,983. The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported 1,980 new cases, for a total of 45,883 in Illinois.

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/judge-rules-illinois-stay-at-home-order-an-overreach/article_d1f56e21-eb8b-54c5-bf6a-47a1851edf7a.amp.html

The Secret Group of Scientists and Billionaires Pushing a Manhattan Project for Covid-19

They are working to cull the world’s most promising research on the pandemic, passing on their findings to policy makers and the White House

A dozen of America’s top scientists and a collection of billionaires and industry titans say they have the answer to the coronavirus pandemic, and they found a backdoor to deliver their plan to the White House. The eclectic group is led by a 33-year-old physician-turned-venture capitalist, Tom Cahill, who lives far from the public eye in a one-bedroom rental near Boston’s Fenway Park. He owns just one suit, but he has enough lofty connections to influence government decisions in the war against Covid-19. These scientists and their backers describe their work as a lockdown-era Manhattan Project, a nod to the World War II group of scientists who helped develop the atomic bomb. This time around, the scientists are marshaling brains and money to distill unorthodox ideas gleaned from around the globe. They call themselves Scientists to Stop Covid-19, and they include chemical biologists, an immunobiologist, a neurobiologist, a chronobiologist, an oncologist, a gastroenterologist, an epidemiologist and a nuclear scientist. Of the scientists at the center of the project, biologist Michael Rosbash, a 2017 Nobel Prize winner, said, “There’s no question that I’m the least qualified.”

This group, whose work hasn’t been previously reported, has acted as the go-between for pharmaceutical companies looking for a reputable link to Trump administration decision makers. They are working remotely as an ad hoc review board for the flood of research on the coronavirus, weeding out flawed studies before they reach policy makers. The group has compiled a confidential 17-page report that calls for a number of unorthodox methods against the virus. One big idea is treating patients with powerful drugs previously used against Ebola, with far heftier dosages than have been tried in the past. The Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs have already implemented specific recommendations, such as slashing manufacturing regulations and requirements for specific coronavirus drugs.

National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins told people this month that he agreed with most of the recommendations in the report, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and people familiar with the matter. The report was delivered to cabinet members and Vice President Mike Pence, head of the administration’s coronavirus task force. Dr. Cahill’s primary asset is a young lifetime of connections through his investment firm. They include such billionaires as Peter Thiel, Jim Palotta and Michael Milken—financiers who afforded him the legitimacy to reach officials in the middle of the crisis. Dr. Cahill and his group have frequently advised Nick Ayers, Mr. Pence’s longtime aide, and agency heads through phone calls over the past month. No one involved with the group stands to gain financially. They say they are motivated by the chance to add their own connections and levelheaded science to a coronavirus battle effort that has, on both state and federal levels, been strained. “We may fail,” said Stuart Schreiber, a Harvard University chemist and a member of the group. “But if it succeeds, it could change the world.”

Steve Pagliuca', co-owner of the Boston Celtics and the co-chairman of Bain Capital''—as well as one of Dr. Cahill’s investors—''helped copy edit drafts of their report, and he passed a version to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Chief Executive David Solomon. Mr. Solomon got it to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin'. The group’s members say they are aware that many of their ideas may not be implemented, and could be ignored altogether by the Trump administration. This account is based on interviews with scientists, businesspeople, government officials, as well as a review of related documents.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-secret-group-of-scientists-and-billionaires-pushing-trump-on-a-covid-19-plan-11587998993?mod=newsviewer_click

USDA let millions of pounds of food rot while food-bank demand soared

State officials and growers say Trump’s Agriculture Department has been woefully slow to respond to farm crisis caused by coronavirus. Tens of millions of pounds of American-grown produce is rotting in fields as food banks across the country scramble to meet a massive surge in demand, a two-pronged disaster that has deprived farmers of billions of dollars in revenue while millions of newly jobless Americans struggle to feed their families. While other federal agencies quickly adapted their programs to the coronavirus crisis, the Agriculture Department took more than a month to make its first significant move to buy up surplus fruits and vegetables — despite repeated entreaties.

“It’s frustrating,” said Nikki Fried, commissioner of agriculture in Florida. Fried, who is a Democrat, and much of the Florida congressional delegation asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue nearly a month ago to use his broad authority and funding to get more Florida farmers plugged into federal food purchasing and distribution programs as the food service market collapsed. “Unfortunately, USDA didn’t move until [last week].” Tom Vilsack, who served as agriculture secretary during the Obama administration, put it this way: “It’s not a lack of food, it’s that the food is in one place and the demand is somewhere else and they haven’t been able to connect the dots. You’ve got to galvanize people.” It has been six weeks since President Donald Trump and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first urged Americans to avoid restaurants as part of national social distancing guidelines to slow the spread of Covid-19 — a move that immediately severed demand for millions of pounds of food earmarked for professional kitchens across the country.

Just 50 miles from Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida growers, much of whose produce was destined for restaurant chains, faced an immediate crisis: Find customers for surplus crops or plow the fields under to avoid attracting pests. Images of farmers destroying tomatoes, piling up squash, burying onions and dumping milk shocked many Americans who remain fearful of supply shortages. At the same time, people who recently lost their jobs lined up for miles outside some food banks, raising questions about why there has been no coordinated response at the federal level to get the surplus of perishable food to more people in need, even as commodity groups, state leaders and lawmakers repeatedly urged the Agriculture Department to step in. Demand at food banks has increased an average of 70 percent, according to Feeding America, which represents about 200 major food banks across the country. The group estimates that 40 percent of those being served are new to the system.

In mid-April, USDA unveiled a long-awaited $19 billion aid program with $3 billion set aside to buy excess food, a pot of money that would cover a major ramp-up of fresh produce purchases, along with dairy and meats. But federal officials predicted it would take the better part of a month before that food is packed and shipped to food banks and other nonprofits in need. At that point, it will be too late for many produce growers who saw a huge drop in demand right at the peak of their season. “By the time that comes through, it won’t help Florida,” said Brittany Lee, a blueberry farmer and executive director of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association. Blueberry prices are about half of what they were this time last year, she said. The Agriculture Department said it has moved expeditiously to respond to the crisis. “USDA is committed to maximizing our services and flexibilities to ensure children and others who need food can get it during this coronavirus epidemic,” Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement to POLITICO. “This is a challenging time for many Americans, but it is reassuring to see President Trump and our fellow Americans stepping up to the challenges facing us to make sure kids and those facing hunger are fed.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/26/food-banks-coronavirus-agriculture-usda-207215

>>8945621

I like your idea, but lets up the ante maybe his family should get them first and he can administer the injection to each of them.

>>8945671

>>8945671

>he problem is someone has to harvest it and then transport it. Cost money to do that. Sad they just dont open the fields for gleaning like in the bible.

Isn't this how its done everyday? Moar money is wasted for evil than spent for good.

>>8945683

Indeed.

>>8945593

Hopefully soon, the world they created for all of us to live in will come crashing down on the reins they hold on so tightly to.

>>8945715

Teeth are also very wrong.

‘Tried To Scare Me’: Dem Lawmaker Vernon Jones Reveals What His Party Did To Him After He Endorsed Trump

A Democratic lawmaker who endorsed President Donald Trump over presumptive Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden opened up in an interview about what led to his decision, and also the immediate backlash he received from his party. Vernon Jones, the state representative for Georgia’s 91st House District since 2017, surprised the country when he announced his support for Trump’s 2020 re-election bid. The decision not only came as a shock to his colleagues in the Democratic Party, but perplexed those who knew the partisan makeup of his district, which votes overwhelmingly Democratic. However, Jones suggested the choice in November couldn’t be more clear. “We haven’t had a president like Trump in my lifetime as far as I’m concerned,” Jones said to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “He does what he says he’s going to do.”

The longtime Georgia politician pointed to three major issues that ultimately led him to endorse the current Republican president: criminal justice reform, support for historically black colleges, and opportunity zones — all initiatives taken up by the Trump administration. Trump passed the First Step Act in 2018, which allows non-violent criminals to be released from prison earlier by way of increased “earned time credits.” The president signed into law “groundbreaking” legislation in late 2019 that now provides permanent funding to historically black colleges and universities. Additionally, the administration’s creation of opportunity zone tax breaks has helped revitalize minority neighborhoods across the country, Jones said. All of these issues, Jones said, had a personal impact on his community. “I have personal friends and family members throughout my community who were impacted by that,” Jones told the DCNF, and added that he is a graduate of North Carolina Central University, an historically black college that, like many others, does not have to fight for funding every year now because of the legislation signed by Trump.

Jones not only spoke about his support for Trump’s agenda, but also compared it to that of former Biden, who is now the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. The Democratic lawmaker took particular umbrage with a crime bill spearheaded by Biden in 1994 that led to increased incarceration rates for African-Americans. “He likes to talk about Republicans putting you in chains, but Joe Biden did worse. Joe Biden put them in jail and stripped them of their livelihood,” Jones said. “At the same time, President Trump has come along and let many family members out.” Jones officially endorsed Trump on April 14, and since that time, he said the reaction from his Democratic colleagues has been nothing short of vicious. “When I exercised my constitutional right to freedom of speech, they attacked it. They tried to scare me and others by censoring us, wanting to silence us,” he said. “That’s voter suppression.” “I am a free-thinking, independent, conservative black man. The left-wing of the Democratic Party, they were mortified by that. They couldn’t believe it,” he continued. “The names that I was called. I was like ‘what in the world is this?'”

https://dailycaller.com/2020/04/27/vernon-jones-trump-endorsement-backlash-democratic-party/

>>8945782

I agree, the problem is the states have become overtly comfortable with deferring to the Federal Govt, while they over spend and over tax their residents. The problem with this ideology is that eventually they run out of OPM (other peoples money).

‘Are You Using This Crisis To Take Us Into Socialism?’: Maria Bartiromo Confronts Bill De Blasio About NYC Coronavirus Response

Fox News host Maria Bartiromo confronted Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday about whether he was “using” the ongoing coronavirus pandemic to “take us into socialism.” The “Sunday Morning Futures” exchange came after de Blasio explained how New York City would need “the support of the federal government” to get through the crisis.

“There’s no question in my mind, we must have the support of the federal government to do this, because, right now, to be able to have a strong economy again and really restart, we have to be able to provide the basic services that have made this place work, police, fire, sanitation, health care, education,” de Blasio said before describing over $10 billion in combined lost tax revenue and new expenses linked to the coronavirus fight. “The federal government must make us whole for us to be able to be in a position to restart,” he continued. “If we’re not whole, if New York City is not whole, it will drag down the entire region, and it will hold up the entire national economic restart.” When asked how much, the New York City mayor specified $7.4 billion, or all “lost revenue,” then compared his city’s situation to the government bailing out the airline industry.

“Let me ask you this,” said Bartiromo. “Are you using this crisis to take us into socialism?” “Oh, Maria,” de Blasio responded before the Fox News host jumped back in to offer some clarification with one of de Blasio’s own quotes. “I just saw you on the press conference, and you said this: ‘The bigger picture, a fair recovery for all, confront structural, economic and racial inequalities,'” she pressed. “Are you looking to change things that have nothing to do with the coronavirus and were not impacted by that, Mr. Mayor?” “Maria, I’m looking to go at the very things that the coronavirus has dredged up,” he responded. “And have we seen it all over the country. There are vast health care disparities that have come up that must be addressed for the good of all us of us. It’s the right thing to do, but also to have a strong, healthy society.” De Blasio ended his response by reiterating his city’s need to recoup the “missing $7.4 billion” from the federal government.

https://dailycaller.com/2020/04/26/maria-bartiromo-confronts-bill-de-blasio-socialism/

Trump claims he knows how Kim Jong Un is doing: 'I do have a very good idea'

President Trump in his Monday coronavirus briefing hinted that he knew the disputed status of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s health, but stopped short of filling in the White House press. “Yes I do have a very good idea,” Trump said when asked if he had any information on Kim’s health after unconfirmed reports circulated that he may have died after cardiovascular surgery. “I can’t talk about it now,” Trump continued. “I hope he’s fine, I do know how he’s doing, you’ll probably be hearing in the not too distant future,” the president added. Trump went on to say he has (used in present tense) a “very good relationship” with the North Korean dictator, adding that the U.S. would be at war with North Korea if Trump hadn’t been president.

The rumors about Kim’s health began to swirl after he missed the April 15 celebration of the 108th birthday of his grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung. His grandfather’s birthday is known as “Day of the Sun” and is the most important holiday in North Korea. The Daily NK, an online news periodical based in Seoul and run mostly by North Korean defectors, reported that Kim, who is believed to be 36, was recovering from surgery, which happened on April 12, at a coastal resort. However, a top South Korean official said his country is confident there are no “unusual developments” in North Korea and the rumors surrounding Kim’s health are untrue.

Foreign affairs expert and Asia analyst Gordon Chang told Fox News he’s suspicious of the South Korean claim that Kim is “alive and well,” telling “America’s Newsroom that “something is wrong” in North Korea. “I don't think the South Korean government is right when they say he is alive and well,” Chang said. “He very well may be alive, but the 'well' part of it is, I think, subject to question largely because this regime acts in patterns and when these patterns are broken, we know that something has occurred.”

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-claims-he-knows-how-kim-jong-un-is-doing