<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.

Lori Lightfoot

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

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

Chicago

Crime

Fox News

Illinois

J.B. Pritzker

<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

Andrew Cuomo

Bill de Blasio

Gretchen Whitmer

Muriel Bowser

Ralph Northam

A downstate Illinois judge blasted both the state&#8217;s Democrat Governor, J.B. Pritzker, and the governor&#8217;s stay-at-home order in a ruling issued over the weekend, calling the continued coronavirus-related lockdown measures “insanity” and “completely devoid of anything approaching common sense.”
The <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/5/22/21267665/downstate-judge-blasts-illinois-governor-jb-pritzker-stay-at-home-order">Chicago Sun-Times reported</a>, earlier this week, that Clay County Judge Michael McHaney, who has already issued one ruling exempting a Republican state lawmaker from the governor&#8217;s lockdown orders, again issued a ruling granting a temporary restraining order, this time to James Mainer, an Iraq War veteran, and his business, HCL Deluxe Tan LLC, exempting Mainer and his business from the stay-at-home order.
In this ruling, though, McHaney let the governor have it, pointing out inconsistency after inconsistency in Pritzker&#8217;s orders, excoriating the Illinois state government for allowing marijuana dispensaries and Wal-Marts to operate but not small businesses and religious institutions, severely criticizing the state&#8217;s decision to allow abortions to continue during lockdown but not elective medical procedures, and dressing down the governor, who, McHaney claims, has far over-reached his authority and the extent of his emergency powers.
“Americans don’t get ruled,” McHaney said.
&#8220;Since the inception of this insanity, the following regulations, rules, or consequences have occurred: I won’t get COVID if I get an abortion but I will get COVID if I get a colonoscopy. Selling pot is essential but selling goods and services at a family-owned business is not,&#8221; McHaney railed. &#8220;The pot wasn’t even legal and pot dispensaries didn’t even exist in this state until five months ago and, in that five months, they have become essential but a family-owned business in existence for five generations is not.&#8221;
He then began listing the inconsistencies in the governor&#8217;s order.
&#8220;A family of six can pile in their car and drive to Carlyle Lake without contracting COVID but, if they all get in the same boat, they will,&#8221; McHaney said. &#8220;We are told that kids rarely contract the virus and sunlight kills it, but summer youth programs, sports programs are canceled. Four people can drive to the golf course and not get COVID but, if they play in a foursome, they will. If I go to Walmart, I won’t get COVID but, if I go to church, I will. Murderers are released from custody while small business owners are threatened with arrest if they have the audacity to attempt to feed their families.&#8221;
McHaney then took Pritzker to task for allowing his own family members to travel to Florida and Wisconsin while demanding Illinois residents stay put to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
&#8220;Our economy is shut down because of a flu virus with a 98 percent-plus survival rate,&#8221; McHaney explained. &#8220;Doctors and experts say different things weekly. The defendant cites models in his opposition. The only thing experts will agree on is that all models are wrong and some are useful. The Centers for Disease Control now says the virus is not easily spread on surfaces.&#8221;
&#8216;The defendant, in this case, orders you to stay home and pronounces that, if you leave the state, you are putting people in danger,&#8221; McHaney added, referring to Pritzker himself. &#8220;But his family members traveled to Florida and Wisconsin because he deems such travel essential. One initial rationale why the rules don’t apply to him is that his family farm had animals that needed to be fed. Try selling that argument to farmers who have had to slaughter their herds because of disruption in the supply chain.&#8221;
McHaney then zeroed in on Illinois&#8217; lockdown, calling it despotic.
&#8220;When laws do not apply to those who make them, people are not being governed, they are being ruled. Make no mistake, these executive orders are not laws. They are royal decrees. Illinois citizens are not being governed, they are being ruled. The last time I checked Illinois citizens are also Americans and Americans don’t get ruled.&#8221;
McHaney&#8217;s previous ruling, exempting a state lawmaker from the lockdown rules, still stands, but other rulings, challenging Pritzker&#8217;s authority to limit and, in some cases, ban religious services, are still under appeal. The United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit upheld the state&#8217;s lockdown rules as they apply to churches, ruling that the state&#8217;s stay-at-home order &#8220;does not discriminate against religious activities.”
That ruling is now being appealed to the Supreme Court and a request for an emergency stay of Pritzker&#8217;s order is under consideration by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The United States Department of Justice also issued a scathing notice to Pritzker on Wednesday, threatening to intervene in the state lawmaker&#8217;s case against the Illinois lockdown order, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-files-statement-interest-challenging-legality-illinois-governors-sweeping">according to the Sun-Times</a>, warning Pritzker that his “orders exceed the authority granted to the governor by the Illinois legislature.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

READ IT: Illinois Judge Blasts State’s Lockdown Regulations: ‘Americans Don’t Get Ruled’

The Department of Justice has issued a statement in support of a lawsuit filed by an Illinois lawmaker against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order.
ABC 7 <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/politics/doj-supports-downstate-lawmakers-lawsuit-stay-at-home-order/6205111/">reported</a> that state Rep. Darren Bailey (R) alleged in his lawsuit that “Pritzker&#8217;s actions were unlawful because the stay-at-home order extended beyond the 30-day time period imposed by the legislature.” The DOJ agreed in its statement of interest, saying “the Governor exceeded his authority when issuing the executive order.&#8221;
More from ABC 7:
<blockquote>Bailey&#8217;s lawsuit was filed in state court but Pritzker, through the Illinois Attorney General, sought to have Bailey&#8217;s case moved to the federal court. The Justice Department argues against that, saying, &#8220;the Governor cannot show that any federal issue is necessarily raised in the complaint.&#8221;
&#8220;When the Department of Justice speaks, it is generally at least listened to, and I expect that the judge will read this very carefully and consider the arguments,&#8221; said ABC7 Legal Analyst Gil Soffer.
The governor&#8217;s spokesperson responded, saying, &#8220;It&#8217;s unfortunate the Department of Justice is opposing state efforts to protect the people of Illinois from a virus that has already caused the deaths of 4,750 people here.&#8221;</blockquote>
The outlet reported that the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Illinois also released a statement supporting Bailey’s lawsuit.
&#8220;However well-intentioned they may be, the executive orders appear to reach far beyond the scope of the 30-day emergency authority granted to the Governor under Illinois law,&#8221; said U.S. attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. &#8220;Even during times of crisis, executive actions undertaken in the name of public safety must be lawful. And while the people of Illinois must be physically protected from the effects of this public health crisis, including by complying with CDC guidelines their constitutionally guaranteed rights and liberties must be safeguarded as well.&#8221;
The DOJ urged Illinois state court to rule on Bailey’s lawsuit “which, because of the sweeping nature of the Orders, may affect millions of lives and raise significant constitutional concerns in other litigation.&#8221;
Bailey filed the lawsuit in late April, saying in a statement: “Enough is enough. I filed this lawsuit on behalf of myself and my constituents who are ready to go back to work and resume a normal life.&#8221;
Bailey argued that “The governor&#8217;s one-size-fits-all thing was a little frustrating to me, and unbeknownst and then to find out some of these facts, I realize yeah, it&#8217;s indeed unconstitutional because he is not following Illinois law.&#8221; He came to that conclusion after learning Pritzker doesn’t have the authority to extend the lockdown order set by the legislature. Pritzker, however, thinks differently.
&#8220;It&#8217;s insulting,&#8221; he said, <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/health/judge-rules-in-favor-of-lawmaker-who-sued-over-illinois-stay-at-home-order/6132103/">according to ABC 7</a>. &#8220;It&#8217;s dangerous, and people&#8217;s safety and health has now been put at risk.&#8221;
&#8220;Our governor needs to focus on restoring this state and getting this state back up and running and making it better,&#8221; Bailey said later.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Governor Pritzker

DOJ Supports Lawsuit Against Illinois Stay-At-Home Order

Illinois Democrat Governor J.B. Prizker rescinded an order making failure to comply with his coronavirus-related lockdown regulations a &#8220;class A misdemeanor&#8221; punishable by up to a $2500 fine or up to a year in jail late Wednesday after a public outcry.
Last week, Pritzker issued the order codifying the failure to comply with his lockdown restrictions as a violation of Illinois Department of Health regulations, as The Daily Wire and <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/pritzker-order-reportedly-authorizes-new-punishment-for-businesses-violating-restrictions/2273474/">local outlets reported</a>.
Pritzker defended his order as recently as Monday in his daily coronavirus press conference noting that, “This rule can only impact a business and not individuals and is a response to only a select type of violation. This can’t be used to regulate individual conduct like not wearing a face covering.”
And although his general counsel and other Illinois officials claimed no business owner would be hit with the full measure of punishment prescribed for a &#8220;class A misdemeanor&#8221; or find themselves under arrest for defying Pritzker&#8217;s orders, Illinois legislators and members of the state&#8217;s law enforcement community expressed deep concerns about the change.
State Republicans complained both that the order was too vague &#8212; leaving the boundaries of enforcement in the hands of the governor and other executive authorities &#8212; and that it superceded the job of the legislature, which is charged with making changes to Illinois state law, including Department of Health regulations.
“These rules are a legal overreach and beyond the scope of the governor’s authority,” House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said in a statement to media last week. “It will be a dark day in Illinois when we charge small businesses with a jailable crime for salvaging their livelihoods.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-police-in-democratic-state-we-will-not-arrest-jail-any-individual-for-violating-lockdown-orders">The Daily Wire reported Wednesday</a> that Illinois State Police said they would not enforce the governor&#8217;s order.
Late Wednesday, Pritzker seemingly admitted that he&#8217;d gotten the message.
&#8220;Those tools are harsher measures than anybody, including me, is interested in pursuing,&#8221; the governor said in his daily press conference.
&#8220;Pritzker says he wants to work with lawmakers and write more definitive legislation while they are in session.  He says he&#8217;d rather see a business owner be fined with a citation than go to prison,&#8221; <a href="https://www.wqad.com/article/news/governor-jb-pritzker-reverses-misdemeanor-rule-targeting-business-owners-but-local-attorneys-say-they-still-have-to-obey-the-law/526-b0517251-4128-49c2-822d-5e0e89d9a8cf">local outlets reported</a>.
&#8220;A business that chooses not to follow the rules can recover from a fine,&#8221; Pritzker added. &#8220;It is much more expensive to be stripped of a license or forced to close.&#8221;
It is also likely more expensive for Illinois to enforce such an order, not because of initial cost, but because of potential, subsequent litigation. Officials in other states, including Michigan, are now facing a barrage of lawsuits stemming from administration decisions to revoke business licenses and are defending against claims that such measures are &#8220;a taking&#8221; and a violation of individuals&#8217; Constitutional rights.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

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