One Illinois county has faced connectivity issues with its computer servers due to an alleged cyber-attack.
The Champaign County Clerk’s Office announced the issue in a statement on Tuesday following reports of voting issues at polling locations.
“The Champaign County Clerk’s Office is aware of connectivity issues and computer server performance being impacted. The Clerk’s Office believes these are due to cyber-attacks on the network and servers,” the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChampaignCountyClerk/posts/pfbid02cRixHtW5v27sbgBZC527P4zY5XyvK12wFrkszxc1xo6AUiGjuqEW9646VhUwScaHl?__cft__%5b0%5d=AZVQrppqh8ac7rdan8nR_4WJm-3Tj7cL_NVld5CVK--OqBeBtQR7TRBtGaoZqCRHxoyIYJ6AbSKsybF2PTsc4Pnu7pI7xw7ewkRn1uGpGP9XjRV5yx4g2nHg9kdsdNeKlYei6MtWzYzMMVObox4Dh88JwoIV7WXRMoX9KYIxYE-2RA&amp;__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> read.
The information also revealed that the county clerk’s website has been under repeated cyber-attacks over the past month.
“For the past month the Champaign County Clerk’s website has been the target of repeated D-DOS attacks, fortunately the reinforced security and response from the Clerk’s IT team has prevented these attacks from being successful and the Clerk&#8217;s website has remained secured. No data or information has been compromised and the election is secure,” it added.
The statement noted that the hacking efforts are a “strategic and coordinated effort to undermine and destabilize our democratic process.” The clerk’s office encouraged voters, “Please do not fall victim to this.”
“The Clerk&#8217;s Office is committed to ensuring every eligible voter in Champaign County has access to a fair, free, and accessible election. Please stay in line!” the statement encouraged voters.
A later <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChampaignCountyClerk/posts/pfbid0JsT4VSFdEFNTgi6USeE3Li6zkj6sT6k2qHUGY11ANPQrebqE2FULgsnCt6ZpaRfLl?__cft__%5b0%5d=AZU_uAcdG_NKcvdm0mYSvtHiF6SySl5kXoZkgH10Vx2No2Xdlb389qouKU_oHcedH8F6VPIBTfKqmwGc3q1nc9ygVOWRU56dW522eZoWxSrKEhFonISxZQF-E4db5bM9X0o8zZZvgVm5bZ8Q6zT0jUXQrbpWisSngZ7PiyL2ub3v6g&amp;__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update</a> by the office added that any voter in line by 7 p.m. Central Time will be processed regardless of how long it takes to make it through the line.
Illinois also allows eligible voters to register on Election Day. Anyone in line by 7 p.m. with appropriate identification can also register and vote.
The voting machine concerns come as Illinois voters seek to cast their ballots for the state’s governor. Current Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker faces Republican Darren Bailey for the leadership of the state. The most recent <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/governor/illinois/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> by FiveThirtyEight showed Pritzker ahead by 20 points in his reelection effort.
Pritzker has been criticized for his support of increased abortion access as well as high levels of crime in the state. He was also regularly attacked over his harsh pandemic lockdown measures.
The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-gov-pritzker-billionaire-family-at-forefront-of-radical-gender-ideology-push-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Pritzker and his powerful family have been at the forefront of pushing radical gender ideology in schools and medical facilities.
In the Senate, incumbent Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth faces Republican candidate Kathy Salvi. Duckworth led by 18 points in the latest FiveThirtyEight <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/senate/2022/illinois/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a>.
Champaign County also selects its House member for the 13th District. Democratic candidate Nikki Budzinski faces Republican Regan Deering in the district that covers parts of 14 counties in the state.

Illinois Capitol Building

Illinois County Computer Server Connectivity Disrupted With Alleged ‘Cyber-Attacks’

2022 Midterms

Elections

Illinois

J.B. Pritzker

Politics

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago</a> resident has been arrested and charged after he allegedly threatened <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/illinois" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Illinois</a> Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, promising to skin him alive and then feed his family to him.
Scott Lennox, 21, made the threats on Friday after an ad for Bailey ran on a television in a bar where he was having a drink with some friends, prosecutors said according to the <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2022/11/2/23436894/darren-bailey-voicemail-death-threat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago Sun Times</a>. Lennox reportedly became angry after the ad played, sparking an altercation with his friends — after which he called Bailey&#8217;s office in Springfield, IL, to complain further.
Prosecutors revealed some of what Lennox allegedly said in the voicemail:
<blockquote>&#8220;I’m going to skin Darren Bailey alive, making sure he is still alive, and I’m going to feed his f***ing family to him as he is alive and screaming in f***ing pain &#8230; He is a piece of white a** racist s***, and honestly if he doesn’t kill himself, I will. 
You know what? I know where he lives. I know where he sleeps. I know where his kids sleep. And I know the f***ing school he works at &#8230; the candidate teaching all this mother f***ing misinformation is going to die. So honestly he should just kill himself before anything else happens.
So f*** him for being a piece of s*** &#8230; So you know what? I am going to take anything and everything possible. You know what? I am going to make him scream. I am going to make him scream and suffer. Yeah, that’s right. So he better kill himself, and if he doesn’t, I am going to kill him.&#8221;</blockquote>
Prosecutors said Lennox also mentioned abortion in the voicemail, although they were not clear about context. They also said that Lennox admitted to not liking Bailey&#8217;s opponent — incumbent Democrat Illinois Governor <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/illinois-gov-pritzker-billionaire-family-at-forefront-of-radical-gender-ideology-push-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J. B. Pritzker</a>  — very much either, but said that he hated Bailey more.
A Chicago police report said that Lennox left the voicemail just before 10:30 p.m. local time on Friday, October 28th, the Chicago Sun Times reported. The Illinois Secretary of State Police did not initially take action, dismissing the threat as &#8220;not credible,&#8221; but further investigation led them to reverse course.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Lennox with one felony count each of threatening a public official, telephone harassment or harassment by electronic communications, and the schools associated with Bailey&#8217;s family were placed on soft lockdown. Bail was set at $75,000 for Lennox, who has not yet posted.
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Susana Ortiz also barred Lennox from any further contact with Bailey or any members of his family or staff, ordering him to be electronically monitored as well.
&#8220;This went above and beyond anything that is acceptable, even in the realms of political discourse. It simply will not be tolerated,&#8221; Ortiz said.
Further interviews with Lennox — conducted by police — indicated that the man was not only willing to admit what he had done, but that he was proud of it.
In a series of Snapchat messages that he turned over to law enforcement, Lennox boasted that he was essentially a &#8220;political terrorist&#8221; — and congratulated himself for forcing Bailey and his family into lockdown: &#8220;I feel so f***ing accomplished.&#8221;
Following the <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/darren-bailey-illinois-jb-pritzker-governor-school/12412062/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initial threat</a>, Bailey raised questions regarding the Secretary of State Police and their initial decision not to pursue the threat as &#8220;credible,&#8221; <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2022/11/2/23436894/darren-bailey-voicemail-death-threat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a>, &#8220;Divisive, inflammatory, and misleading rhetoric is driving hatred across our state as some attempt to label political opponents as dangerous threats.&#8221;
Pritzker pushed back, accusing Bailey of attempting to politicize the threat.

US-NEWS-ILLGOV-BAILEY-TB

‘If He Doesn’t Kill Himself, I Will!’: Chicago Man Threatens To Skin Illinois Republican Alive, Feed His Family To Him

Chicago Man Threatens To Skin Illinois Republican Alive, Feed His Family To Him

Death Threats

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lori-lightfoot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lori Lightfoot</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/j-b-pritzker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.B. Pritzker</a> created a very expensive enemy.
CEO Ken Griffin, the former richest man in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/illinois" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Illinois</a> and current chief executive of hedge fund Citadel, has contributed more than $100 million to Republican <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/2022-midterms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">midterm</a> candidates after moving his business and much of his personal estate from <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago</a> to <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/miami" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miami</a>.
The financier has donated over $48 million to Republicans running in federal races, including $18.5 million in contributions to the Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican Super PAC, according to <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/donor_detail/2022?id=U0000003655&amp;type=I&amp;super_only=N&amp;name=Griffin%2C+Kenneth+C.">data</a> from Open Secrets. Griffin also <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/07/citadels-ceo-ken-griffin-becomes-gop-100-million-midterm-megadonor.html">devoted</a> $50 million toward the unsuccessful Illinois gubernatorial campaign of Richard Irvin, who was defeated in the state’s Republican primary.
At the federal level, progressive billionaire George Soros has contributed more than any other donor. Griffin’s $48 million in contributions was also slightly surpassed by fellow Republican donor Richard Uihlein, a supply chain magnate.
Griffin boasts a net worth of $29 billion, placing him among the 50 richest men on the planet, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/">data</a> from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He began purchasing property in the Sunshine State earlier this year after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wealthiest-man-in-illinois-moves-his-business-from-chicago-to-miami-amid-feud-with-democratic-leadership">voicing concerns</a> about the lackluster business climate and rising violent crime in Chicago. He subsequently announced that Citadel, which manages $57 billion in assets, would likewise relocate to Florida.
During a recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-former-wealthiest-man-reveals-the-breaking-points-that-prompted-his-move-to-florida">interview</a>, Griffin indicated that a breaking point was the violent assault of two separate colleagues in the Windy City. The former was robbed after a person put “a gun to his head” during a coffee run, and another was attacked by “some random lunatic just trying to punch him in the head” while he was waiting for a car.
Griffin has since set his gaze on transforming Miami into “Wall Street South,” personally inviting other businessmen to pour their resources into Florida as officials in the state government prioritize a robust business climate. Citadel alone plans to invest as much as $1 billion in its new headquarters, while Griffin has spent $175 million on five acres of property in southern Florida and $450 million on land for a new estate north of Palm Beach.
“I’m going to work to create a building that’s iconic in Miami,” Griffin said. “If it takes longer to fill the building, so be it. It’s more important to me to create the right environment to draw human capital that drives Citadel.”
Meanwhile, Griffin has divested from the state of Illinois, selling his two penthouses in Chicago. During <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-governor-takes-parting-shot-at-states-richest-man-for-moving-to-florida">recent remarks</a> for a meeting of Florida Democrats, Governor J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) bashed Griffin for leaving his state.
“So like a spoiled rich kid, Griffin announced he was taking his toys and leaving Illinois,” Pritzker said. “Where did he move to? You guessed it. His $400 million, 20-acre Palm Beach estate. And he’s one of Ron DeSantis’ largest donors.”
Florida saw the country’s largest net domestic migration between July 2020 and July 2021, with over 220,000 people moving to the state, according to <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/2021-population-estimates.html">data</a> from the Census Bureau. Florida was followed by Texas and Arizona, while New York, California, and Illinois led the nation with respect to numeric decline.
Other businesses, such as construction manufacturer Caterpillar and aerospace firm Boeing, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enough-is-enough-business-owner-explains-why-he-finally-left-chicago">left</a> Illinois this year. Pritzker’s office has nevertheless insisted that “countless companies” are still opting to stay.

BIZ-REAL-FLA-KENGRIFFIN-TB

Billionaire Moved To Florida Because Of Crime In Chicago. Now He’s Giving $100 Million To Elect Conservatives.

The Republican Soros: Billionaire Who Ditched Chicago For Florida Gives $100 Million To Elect Conservatives

Chicago

Florida

Lori Lightfoot

Miami

Republican Party

Ron DeSantis

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/illinois">Illinois</a> business owner Gary Rabine told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/skyrocketing-chicago-crime-small-businesses-corporations-pack-their-bags">Fox News Digital</a> on Wednesday that he decided to stop doing business in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/chicago">Chicago</a> because of rising <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/crime">crime</a> and other issues.
Rabine — who owns 13 businesses — explained to the outlet that his employees and physical assets were no longer safe operating in Chicago.
&#8220;We would do thousands of jobs a year in the city, but as we got robbed more, my people operating rollers and pavers we got robbed, our equipment would get stolen in broad daylight and there would usually be a gun involved, and it got expensive and it got dangerous,&#8221; Rabine recounted, adding that security and insurance costs rendered the jobs “twice as much as they should be.”
Rabine’s employees now work in the suburbs of Chicago and in nearby Wisconsin. &#8220;What happened eventually is we said enough is enough,&#8221; he added.
Rabine, a Republican gubernatorial candidate for Illinois, is by no means the first business leader to leave Chicago in recent weeks. Ken Griffin — the founder of hedge fund Citadel and the richest man in Illinois — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wealthiest-man-in-illinois-moves-his-business-from-chicago-to-miami-amid-feud-with-democratic-leadership">announced</a> that he would move his business to Florida. “Chicago will continue to be important to the future of Citadel, as many of our colleagues have deep ties to Illinois,” he wrote in a letter to his employees. “Over the past year, however, many of our Chicago teams have asked to relocate to Miami, New York and our other offices around the world.”
Earlier this year, Griffin expressed concern about worsening crime in Chicago, noting that the city was a “really difficult backdrop” for attracting talent. Under the leadership of Mayor <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/lori-lightfoot">Lori Lightfoot</a> (D), the city of Chicago <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lightfoots-chicago-records-797-homicides-in-2021-most-among-u-s-cities">endured 797 homicides</a> in 2021 — the highest of any other American city.
Rabine reacted to the news by saying he is “confident that Citadel was losing people.”
&#8220;If you want a great culture in your company you have to have people that love being on the team and they don&#8217;t want to live in a violent area,” he told Fox. “They don&#8217;t want to live in a place where their kids can&#8217;t walk to school safely and their wives and kids can&#8217;t go shopping in a beautiful environment like Michigan Avenue which was once the safest place you could ever go shopping.&#8221;
Citadel — which manages over $51 billion in investment capital — is the third major company to move its headquarters out of Chicago in the past two months. Construction machinery maker <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/caterpillar-inc-to-move-global-headquarters-out-of-chicago-area-into-texas/2857142/">Caterpillar</a> and airplane manufacturer <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2022/05/05/boeing-will-move-headquarters-from-chicago-to-dc-metro-area/?sh=2ffb83d863cf">Boeing</a> are respectively moving to Irving, Texas, and Arlington, Virginia.
&#8220;We believe it&#8217;s in the best strategic interest of the company to make this move, which supports Caterpillar&#8217;s strategy for profitable growth as we help our customers build a better, more sustainable world,&#8221; Caterpillar CEO Jim Umpleby said in a statement.
Nevertheless, the office of Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/j-b-pritzker">J.B. Pritzker</a> (D) — with whom Griffin has feuded — said that “countless companies” are still opting to stay.
“We will continue to welcome those businesses — including Kellogg, which just this week announced it is moving its largest headquarters to Illinois — and support emerging industries that are already creating good jobs and investing billions in Illinois, like data centers, electric vehicles and quantum computing,” Pritzker spokeswoman Emily Bittner said.

‘Enough Is Enough’: Business Owner Explains Why He Finally Left Chicago

Business Owner Moves His Businesses Out Of Chicago Due To Rising Crime

Crime

Fox News

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jb-pritzker">Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker</a> and his powerful <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/pritzker/?sh=53c2d1f170f2">billionaire family</a>, including his transgender <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/jennifer-pritzker/?sh=52e350e25808">cousin</a>, are at the forefront of pushing a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/transgender">radical gender ideology</a> in schools and medical facilities, according to a <a href="https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/billionaire-family-pushing-synthetic-sex-identities-ssi-pritzkers">new report</a>.
The family, whose fortune was built on the Hyatt hotel chain, includes the governor, former Obama administration Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and philanthropist Jennifer Pritzker, who was born a male and served in the Illinois National Guard. An exhaustive report from <a href="https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/billionaire-family-pushing-synthetic-sex-identities-ssi-pritzkers">Tablet magazine</a> details how the wealthy family uses its philanthropic operation to “drive an ideology and practice of disembodiment into our medical, legal, cultural, and educational institutions.”
“Through investments in the techno-medical complex, where new highly medicalized sex identities are being conjured, Pritzkers and other elite donors are attempting to normalize the idea that human reproductive sex exists on a spectrum,” writes Jennifer Bilek.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Time to catch up on the Pritzker family both in Chicago, Illinois, and across the world. Gosh, they’ve been quite busy transing kids and making money. From ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/bjportraits?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bjportraits</a>⁩ The Billionaire Family Pushing Synthetic Sex Identities (SSI) &#8211; Tablet Magazine <a href="https://t.co/2LR06p3ZvV">https://t.co/2LR06p3ZvV</a>
&mdash; Partners for Ethical Care (@ethical_care) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethical_care/status/1537043113897754624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Bilek refers to the emerging, radical gender beliefs as “separate spheres ideology,” a term which goes beyond a push for equal rights for LGBTQ people and portrays biological sex as existing on a spectrum that can be altered with surgery and drugs. The Pritzkers are active in backing a “techno-medical complex” that includes big banks, pharmaceutical giants, and major corporations who seek to undermine the idea that humans are a species with two distinct sexes.
<div id="attachment_396341" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-396341" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-396341 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-823472128-864x576.jpg" alt="Jennifer Pritzker, (right), shown here with Brenda Cossman, director of Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies at University of Toronto, is a biological male who uses philanthropic donations of push radical transgender ideology." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-823472128-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-823472128-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-823472128-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-823472128-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-823472128.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/GettyImages-823472128-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Jennifer Pritzker, (right), shown here with Brenda Cossman, director of Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies at University of Toronto, is a biological male who uses philanthropic donations of push radical transgender ideology. (Vince Talotta/Toronto Star via Getty Images)</div>
The Prtizkers’ money goes toward not only the creation of new surgeries and drugs, but also toward promotion of cultural and linguistic changes “to prop up these new identities and induce institutions and individuals to normalize them,” writes Bilek.
Bilek cites as an example the 2018 effort by the Pritzker-funded Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA to coin the term “gender-affirming care” while offering medical procedures for young females who want to have their reproductive organs removed.
Jennifer Pritzker, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard and the parent of three children, was born James Pritzker and transitioned in 2013, more than a decade after forming the Tawani Foundation. Since then, writes Bilek, the governor’s cousin has used the foundation to fund institutions that support radical gender ideology, including the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the Williams Institute UCLA School of Law, the National Center for Transgender Equality, the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Palm Military Center, and the World Professional Association of Transgender Health.
While Jenifer Pritzker doles out money, J.B. Pritzker is changing policy in Illinois to support the family’s agenda, Bilek writes. In 2019, he issued an executive order titled “Strengthening Our Commitment to Affirming and Inclusive Schools,” to support trans children. He appointed a task force to show local school districts how “to strengthen protections for transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming students.”
Last August, Pritzker signed into law a new public schools sex education bill that promotes gender identity ideology and other related material in grades K-12.

Illinois Gov. Pritzker Attends Transgender Support Rally In Chicago

Illinois Gov. Pritzker, Billionaire Family At Forefront Of Radical Gender Ideology Push: Report

Transgender

Last week, Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield issued a blistering rebuke of Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker&#8217;s signing of legislation that repealed a state law requiring parents or guardians to be notified by abortion practitioners when their child was attempting to seek an abortion. The new law will go into effect in June 2022 and will allow those under 18 to obtain an abortion without parental consent.
PBS <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/illinois-governor-repeals-parental-notification-of-abortion">reported</a> that Pritzker signed the law last week and said that the potential repeal of Roe v. Wade makes the bill — officially titled Illinois Youth Health and Safety Act — necessary for &#8220;vulnerable pregnant minors&#8221;:
<blockquote>Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker called repeal “essential,” saying the 1995 act punished the most vulnerable pregnant minors — victims of rape and other abuse in unsafe homes. He and Democrats who voted this fall to repeal the notification requirement also referenced efforts to restrict abortion in other states and at the federal level.
“With reproductive rights under attack across the nation, Illinois is once again establishing itself as a leader in ensuring access to health care services,” Pritzker said.</blockquote>
Bishop Paprocki <a href="https://www.dio.org/communications/press-releases/bishop-paprocki-new-law-grants-five-part-victory-for-evil-in-our-state.html">slammed</a> the bill, saying that it &#8220;marks a dark and disgraceful moment in the history of the State of Illinois.&#8221;
&#8220;Those legislators who promoted and voted in support of this legislation, and the Governor who signed this unjust law, have granted a five-part victory to evil in our state,&#8221; he proclaimed.
“First, our government has granted a free pass to sex traffickers,&#8221; Paprocki continued.
&#8220;Those who enslave young women and girls throughout our state can now even more easily than ever before cover up their crimes with impunity,&#8221; he said while adding that authorities who fight this &#8220;evil&#8221; and seek to protect young girls &#8220;enslaved&#8221; in sex trafficking will now have a more difficult time doing their job.
“Second, our government has violated God’s will in stripping the authority and responsibility entrusted to parents,&#8221; he added. &#8220;This legislative action violates the most fundamental rights and duties entrusted by God to parents to ensure the health and safety of their children.
&#8220;This is a right and responsibility that God grants, and which no government can take away,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;In attempting to do so, this legislation acts directly against God’s will, which is the very definition of evil.&#8221;
The bishop also pointed out this law contradicts various laws on the books and endangers children.
&#8220;The government rightly exercises its authority by establishing laws that protect minors from making life-altering decisions that they are not equipped to make, establishing laws that prohibit children from tanning, buying lottery tickets, buying cigarettes, and purchasing alcohol and tobacco,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;Minors cannot get body piercings without parental consent, nor can they undergo every other invasive medical procedure without parental consent. Removing the requirement for parental notification, our government has knowingly put our children in mortal danger and physical danger.&#8221;
“Fourth, and most grievous, our government has promoted and facilitated murder,&#8221; he said, adding that Pope Francis has compared abortion to &#8220;hiring a hit man to solve a problem.&#8221;
“Fifth, the government has provided evil the cover of darkness in which it thrives,&#8221; he warned. &#8220;The devil desires darkness and despises the light. It is striking how much this legislation does to provide cover, secrecy, and darkness over evil deeds.&#8221;
The full statement can be read <a href="https://www.dio.org/communications/press-releases/bishop-paprocki-new-law-grants-five-part-victory-for-evil-in-our-state.html">here</a>.
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Illinois Catholic Bishop: Democrats Have Granted ‘Five-Part Victory To Evil’ After Repealing Law Requiring Parental Consent For Abortions

Abortion

The Illinois legislature has voted to repeal a law requiring that parents be notified if a child under the age of 18 seeks out an abortion and the state&#8217;s Democratic governor, J.B. Pritzker has vowed to sign the measure when it reaches his desk.
The Illinois Senate voted to approve the repeal on Tuesday and the Illinois House narrowly passed the same bill on Wednesday, leaving just Pritzker to sign the measure repealing the state&#8217;s requirement that parents be notified when their child seeks to obtain an abortion.
Supporters of the law, the Chicago Tribune noted, were &#8220;eager to affirm Illinois’ position as a bastion of abortion rights in light of a Texas law enacted earlier this year that essentially bans the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy and as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear a Mississippi case later this year that could undermine the landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade.&#8221;
Illinois has been at the forefront of liberalizing abortion laws, particularly following the passage of a Texas measure, which went into effect on September 1, effectively outlawing abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, around six weeks of pregnancy. Clinics in Illinois have been advertising themselves as &#8220;safe havens&#8221; for abortion, according to <a href="https://www.mystateline.com/news/local-news/illinois-accepting-out-of-state-patients-after-texas-abortion-law/">My Stateline Illinois</a>, attracting out-of-state patients who might have otherwise been prevented from ending the lives of their unborn children.
Pritzker has even touted the state&#8217;s abortion laws in open pitches to corporations considering moving to Illinois, per the <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/now/pritzker-touts-states-abortion-laws-170000910.html">Washington Examiner</a>. He &#8220;wrote to the CEOs of several Texas businesses, including Dell and Hewlett Packard, to encourage them to move to Illinois after Texas passed a law restricting abortion access,&#8221; the outlet noted.
Wednesday&#8217;s vote guarantees further liberalization of the state&#8217;s laws, allowing minors to seek abortions, even though minors in Illinois, according <a href="https://www.team-iha.org/files/non-gated/legal/consent-by-minors.aspx?ext=.">to the Illinois Health and Hospital Association</a> cannot &#8220;in general&#8221; consent to most medical treatment.
The Tribune noted that the law could become a political flashpoint because of the trend of parents demanding input in their children&#8217;s education and other decisions made outside the home.
&#8220;The Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act has been on the books since 1995 when Republicans controlled the governor’s office and both chambers of the General Assembly. It didn’t go into effect, however, until 2013, when the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the law was constitutional after years of legal challenges,&#8221; the Tribune noted.
It is currently one of 38 such parental notification laws on the books.
The law does have a &#8220;bypass&#8221; option, and minors may request such a &#8220;bypass&#8221; from a judge. The Tribune notes that 99.5% of those petitions have been granted. Planned Parenthood &#8212; one of the state&#8217;s largest abortion providers &#8212; told the Tribune that the bypass provision is inadequate, and implied that the presumption should be that the minor can seek the abortion.
“You have to go in and be prepared to share some of your most personal information about a very personal decision with a complete stranger who is not necessarily trained in counseling or health care,” Brigid Leahy, senior director of public policy for Planned Parenthood of Illinois told the paper. “Where you really should be is sitting down with a counselor, sitting down with a health care provider, and getting the information you need to be able to make the best decision that you can for yourself.”
&#8220;The Illinois House voted 62-51 on Wednesday night to give final approval to the legislation, which would repeal a 1995 law requiring that a parent or guardian be notified when girls younger than 18 receive an abortion,&#8221; The Hill reported. &#8220;Because the measure did not pass by a three-fifths majority, the law cannot take effect until June 1.&#8221;

JB Pritzker

Illinois Will Soon Allow Minors To Seek An Abortion Without Parental Consent

According to new rules put out by Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) on Monday, the state will no longer require people who are fully vaccinated to wear masks in most settings. 
The Chicago Tribune <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-illinois-mask-mandate-20210517-3wulwtdeo5ejtoev3sbh5icovq-story.html">reported</a> that the quick turnaround in guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week caused uncertainty in Illinois over the weekend as the governor’s administration said that it would be updating guidelines but did not release official information for several days. 
“One of the reasons that the CDC issued the rules as they did was the recognition that studies have now been done showing that if you’re vaccinated, you’re protected,” Pritzker said at an unrelated event Monday before the new guidance was announced. “If you’re unvaccinated, you are not protected. So I encourage people who are unvaccinated still to wear their masks but to go get vaccinated because I think we all want to get past this we all would like to take off our masks.” 
More information is set to come out on Tuesday from Chicago health officials, but Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday she will continue to wear her mask in most public settings and is encouraging other people to do so, as well. 
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-mass-confusion-former-surgeon-general-says-cdc-fumbled-new-mask-guidelines">reported</a> by The Daily Wire, the CDC caused confusion when it abruptly announced last week that it was changing guidance on mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
“If you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic,” the CDC said in its updated guidance. “Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”
CDC Director Rachel Walensky said: “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities — large or small — without wearing a mask or physically distancing. If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”
Lightfoot <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/illinois-lifts-mask-mandate-state-of-il-pritzker-update-order/10655064/">said</a> the announcement led to some people being confused, and that Chicago needs additional information before it amends its mask rules.
“I will just say for myself, I will continue to wear my mask, certainly indoors and in certain outdoor spaces, when I don&#8217;t know the people that I&#8217;m around, whether they have been fully vaccinated,&#8221; Lightfoot said.
When it comes to his own actions regarding wearing a mask, Pritzker said he would “take it gently and carefully going forward.”
“But I do think that the CDC guidelines are good ones, and we will follow them in Illinois,” he said.
The city of Chicago said in a <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/illinois-lifts-mask-mandate-state-of-il-pritzker-update-order/10655064/">statement</a> that it will &#8220;&#8230; support businesses who want to require masks inside their establishments &#8230; Chicago will broadly align with the CDC and State&#8217;s updated mask guidance &#8230; CDPH is reviewing the State&#8217;s new executive order and will provide a formal update tomorrow.” 
The CDC has come under widespread criticism for its handling of masking guidance. Former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-mass-confusion-former-surgeon-general-says-cdc-fumbled-new-mask-guidelines">said</a> the CDC did not roll out the information well. 
“I think this was an appropriate call based on the science,” Dr. Jerome Adams said Monday on CNN’s “New Day.” “I think the play call was right, but they fumbled the ball at the one-yard line in terms of communicating this to the public.” 
“I think you miss the nuance about protecting yourself versus protecting an organization,” Adams said. “It was a little bit of whiplash for the American public in terms of them saying just a week before, ‘Keep your mask on’ and then all of sudden they’re saying, ‘Now you can take them off.&#8217;”

632CCACC-ADBC-4FC3-B838-20889F3648D9_1_201_a

Illinois Ends Mask Requirement For Fully Vaccinated, Mayor Says She Will Still Wear Mask For Now

Face Masks

On Monday, Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker of Illinois signed a bill that is reportedly set to reform the criminal justice system and policing in the state. The bill not only includes massive police reforms, but it also makes Illinois the first state in the country to completely get rid of cash bail.
After signing House Bill 3653 into law, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/illinois-becomes-first-state-end-money-bail-part-massive-criminal-n1258679">NBC News</a> reports that Pritzker said the legislation comes at a critical time as calls have come from across the nation to address racial bias in the justice system, having grown stronger after the killing of George Floyd in May.
“This legislation marks a substantial step toward dismantling the systemic racism that plagues our communities, our state and our nation and brings us closer to true safety, true fairness and true justice,” he said. &#8220;All of this was fueled by the experiences of those who have lived with police brutality and discrimination in this terrible year in the middle of a brutal viral pandemic that hurt black people and brown people disproportionately.”
One of the most notable parts of the bill is the abolishment of the system of cash bail. This section is under the Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act, a part of HB 3653. <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/illinois-becomes-first-state-end-money-bail-part-massive-criminal-n1258679">NBC News reports</a>, &#8220;The new law eliminates wealth-based detention and instead gives judges a more strictly defined decisionmaking process based on a real risk of present threat or willful flight.&#8221; It also includes some of the most extensive police reforms, such as &#8220;a requirement that all police officers wear body cameras by 2025, a ban on all police chokeholds, new guidelines for &#8216;decertification&#8217; of police officers, and statewide standards and services for officers to receive regular confidential mental health screenings and assistance.&#8221;
Under HB 3653, police departments are also not allowed to purchase specific military equipment, &#8220;such as firearms and ammunition of .50-caliber or higher and tracked armored vehicles.&#8221;
The bill has received criticism from Illinois police and politicians, at one point calling the measure &#8220;a blatant move to punish an entire, honorable profession that will end up hurting law-abiding citizens the most,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-criminal-justice-reform-bill-eliminates-cash-bail">Fox News</a>.
Several Republican state legislators also said that the bill was hurried through the process during a lame-duck session.
In a statement provided to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-criminal-justice-reform-bill-eliminates-cash-bail">Fox News</a> on Wednesday, a group of law enforcement agencies in Illinois criticized Pritzker for reportedly choosing &#8220;to listen to a few strident political voices rather than the 120,000 petition signing citizens who plainly saw the bill for what it is.”
&#8220;Because we are sworn to protect and serve the public, we sincerely hope that we will not be proven right about this new law, that it won&#8217;t cause police officers to leave the profession in droves and handcuff those who remain so they can&#8217;t stop crimes against people and property,&#8221; continues the statement by the Illinois Law Enforcement Coalition. &#8220;Please don&#8217;t let us measure its dismal failure by the shattered lives it produces.&#8221;
Community groups that worked on the law have said that the bill came together over many years and was a long time coming for communities of color in Illinois.
The Coalition to End Money Bond, which was reportedly heavily involved in the bill over the years, said in a <a href="https://endmoneybond.org/2021/02/22/governor-pritzker-to-sign-the-pretrial-fairness-act-officially-end-money-bond-in-illinois/?fbclid=IwAR39oq8fqC3a_iwZI-Hlnpg7xl3y2jR-EUP9sBm05RaLhEzKufelj1pxfF8">statement</a> that the bill was developed in response to the Black Lives Matter protests that occurred around the state and country last summer.

82756970-3C95-497C-A055-A70363F5412B_1_201_a

Illinois Criminal Justice System Reform Law Criticized By Police

Black Lives Matter

Defund The Police

Like clockwork, another Democrat governor who placed severe restrictions on their state has begun easing lockdowns now that President Joe Biden was inaugurated.
The Chicago Sun-Times <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2021/1/23/22245873/chicago-bars-restaurants-reopen-pritzker-coronavirus-illinois-suburban-cook-county">reported</a> Saturday that Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) has lifted some coronavirus restrictions in Chicago, allowing restaurants and bars that serve food to reopen for indoor services at 25% capacity.
“Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s health team officially gave the green light Saturday for restaurants and most bars across Chicago and suburban Cook County to invite customers back inside for indoor service,” the outlet reported. “A day after officials said both regions were ‘on track’ for limited reopening, the city and Cook County suburbs saw their coronavirus infection rates improve for a third straight day to officially move from Tier 2 to Tier 1 of the state’s COVID-19 mitigation plan.”
The outlet reported that “coronavirus testing positivity rates and hospital admissions” are down to their lowest levels since October, when restrictions were put back in place ahead of the presidential election.
Bars and restaurants must still close by 11 p.m., and they can’t open until 6 a.m. the next day. The businesses can’t accept reservations over two hours and can seat parties no larger than four people. Customers are also required to wear masks except when “actively” eating or drinking, the Sun-Times reported.
In addition to bars and restaurants, the easing also allows gyms to operate at 50% capacity.
“The risk of a resurgence in Illinois, particularly with extremely contagious new variants, is serious,” Pritzker said on Friday. “Our ability to have limited indoor restaurant service and to restart youth sports could be cut short if we aren’t extremely careful.”
Cases in Illinois began rising at the end of October. On November 6, the Illinois Department of Public Health started combining the number of probable and confirmed cases when releasing new case totals, causing a massive jump in the alleged number of new cases and leading to widespread state lockdowns.
Chicago’s restaurant owners began defying Pritzker’s orders long before the restrictions were eased. In December, the Ann Sather restaurant, owned by Democrat Ald. Tom Tunney, was found to have violated the state’s orders, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/someone-ratted-us-out-restaurant-owned-by-chicago-alderman-caught-defying-indoor-dining-ban">reported</a>. Tunney told the Chicago-Sun Times that he made a mistake.
“We have, on occasion, sat regular diners in the back of the restaurant,” he <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/12/7/22158783/indoor-dining-restrictions-tom-tunney-ann-sather-restaurant-covid-19">told</a> the outlet. “I acknowledge that. It’s not OK. I made a mistake, and I’m owning up to it. I should have not sat regular customers in my restaurant whatsoever.”
“I have a lot of repeat customers over the years,” Tunney continued. “On a sporadic basis, I have let regular customers — very few and far between — in my store. I made an error.”
He then hung up.
An employee later told a reporter that “somebody ratted us out.”
Pritzker faced a backlash in May 2020 when he tried to make reopening during the pandemic a “Class A misdemeanor,” The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-democrat-governor-backs-down-rescinds-order-making-reopening-a-class-a-misdemeanor">reported</a>.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lori-lightfoot-defends-joining-large-biden-celebration-crowd-was-gathered-whether-i-was-there-or-not">defied</a> her own restrictions and statements about COVID-19 when she attended a large celebration after Biden was elected president, telling reporters the “crowd was gathered whether I was there or not.”
Illinois’ reopening plan comes after New York and Michigan’s governors made statements about reopening their economies.

Illinois Governor Latest To Ease Lockdown Restrictions Now That Biden Is President

COVID

Lockdowns

A popular Chicago restaurant owned by a city alderman was busted this week for secretly defying state and local lockdown orders prohibiting indoor dining, prompting the alderman to chalk it up to &#8220;an error in judgment.&#8221;
City inspectors paid a visit Monday to Ann Sather restaurant, a staple for breakfast in Chicago&#8217;s Lakeview neighborhood owned by Ald. Tom Tunney (D-44th Ward), after reports that they were seating patrons indoors, the <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-chicago-tunney-ann-sather-eat-inside-20201207-eha7abhigbgq7ik22j62b2vpoe-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chicago Tribune</a> reported.
Tunney&#8217;s restaurant was in blatant violation of Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker&#8217;s <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2020/10/27/21536879/illinois-indoor-dining-ban-lake-mchenry-county-chicago-next" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mandate</a> that shut down indoor dining beginning Oct. 30 to curb another spike in the state&#8217;s COVID-19 cases.
Tunney, whom Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot chose to serve as chairman of the City Council’s Zoning Committee, openly admitted to blowing off the order. “We have, on occasion, sat regular diners in the back of the restaurant,&#8221; he told a reporter with the <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/12/7/22158783/indoor-dining-restrictions-tom-tunney-ann-sather-restaurant-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chicago Sun-Times</a>. &#8220;I acknowledge that. It’s not OK. I made a mistake, and I’m owning up to it. I should have not sat regular customers in my restaurant whatsoever.&#8221;
“I have a lot of repeat customers over the years,&#8221; Tunney continued. &#8220;On a sporadic basis, I have let regular customers — very few and far between — in my store. I made an error.&#8221;
He then reportedly hung up on the interviewer.
Tunney later released a statement that said, &#8220;On a sporadic basis, we have allowed a very limited number of our regular diners to eat inside the restaurant while observing social distancing and mask-wearing rules. This was [an] error in judgment and won’t happen again.&#8221;
Pritzker <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/tom-tunney-ann-sather-chicago-covid-indoor-dining-restrictions/8586200/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">agreed</a> during a Monday news conference that Tunney had exhibited &#8220;an error in judgment,&#8221; and Lightfoot&#8217;s office said, &#8220;Any business found in violation of these guidelines has been and will be held fully accountable. No exceptions.&#8221;
An employee of Ann Sather told a reporter Monday that indoor seating ended Sunday after they were caught, according to <a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/12/07/chicago-aldermans-restaurant-caught-defying-indoor-dining-ban-someone-ratted-us-out-employee-says/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Block Club Chicago</a>. &#8220;We were seating some people, but somebody ratted us out,&#8221; the employee said.
The story was first broken by <a href="http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com/2020/12/operating-in-plain-sight.html?m=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Second City Cop</a>, a blog that usually covers stories related to the Chicago police. After receiving a tip that Ann Sather was thumbing its nose to the lockdown, a contributor investigated and discovered that not only was Tunney&#8217;s establishment breaking the rules, but it was also taking measures to hide what it was doing:
<blockquote>You enter the restaurant and ask the staff on the sly, &#8220;Can we dine in?&#8221; They&#8217;ll look around and whisper, &#8220;Yes&#8221; and take you to the &#8220;VIP Room.&#8221; Chances improve dramatically if they know you, and they knew our contributor.
[Ann Sather] has three seating areas for those unfamiliar &#8211; the main seating area along the windows and two overflow rooms. There are empty chairs and tables stacked in the main seating area so it looks like they aren&#8217;t serving people. The overflow room to the southwest has no exterior windows and the one window looking into the room not line-of-site so people can&#8217;t see in.
The wait staff admits this isn&#8217;t legit, but &#8220;Tom&#8221; told them it&#8217;s okay as long as they call it a &#8220;private party.&#8221; A quick headcount the day in question revealed far more than ten persons.
It is certainly surprising this was going on in a law abiding town like Chicago, especially when the mayor and governor have both said there is no indoor seating allowed in any restaurants, but two sets of rules you know.</blockquote>
Lightfoot and Pritzker, both Democrats, have also repeatedly violated their own COVID-19 lockdown rules. Lightfoot dismissed accusations of hypocrisy in April when she <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;ved=2ahUKEwih4vbmgL_tAhVo1lkKHYnzB8EQFjAAegQIBhAC&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fchicago-mayor-forced-to-defend-getting-a-haircut-in-violation-of-her-own-stay-at-home-order" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">got her hair done</a> during a time when even outdoor exercise was forbidden to Chicago residents. Lightfoot excused herself by maintaining that she is &#8220;the public face of this city.&#8221;
Lightfoot was called out again last month when she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lori-lightfoot-defends-joining-large-biden-celebration-crowd-was-gathered-whether-i-was-there-or-not" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">attended a large outdoor gathering</a> celebrating Joe Biden&#8217;s apparent electoral victory less than week before she shut the city down again. &#8220;That crowd was gathered whether I was there or not,&#8221; she said.
Pritzker, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-illinois-judge-blasts-states-lockdown-regulations-americans-dont-get-ruled" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">drew the ire of a downstate judge</a> when he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-governor-jb-pritzker-threatens-jail-time-if-business-owners-defy-coronavirus-lockdown-orders" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">threatened businesses with jail time</a> if they defy his lockdown orders, also participated in post-election celebrations. He and his family have also <a href="https://patch.com/illinois/chicago/pritzkers-turkey-saying-he-might-travel-thanksgiving" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">faced criticism</a> for flying to their $12 million equestrian estate in Florida while demanding other Illinois residents stay home.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-slap-in-the-face-10-times-democrat-politicians-blew-off-their-own-coronavirus-restrictions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘A Slap In The Face’: 10 Times Democrat Politicians Blew Off Their Own Coronavirus Restrictions</a>

Tom Tunney and Rahm Emmanuel at Ann Sather restaurant in 2015

‘Somebody Ratted Us Out’: Restaurant Owned By Chicago Alderman Caught Defying Indoor Dining Ban

Democratic Party

Nancy Pelosi

‘A Slap In The Face’: 10 Times Democrat Politicians Blew Off Their Own Coronavirus Restrictions

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