Illinois Review

Two Years Ago Today: First Illinois COVID 19 case reported

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) continues to urge people to get vaccinated and boosted as it marks the two-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 case reported in Illinois.  Two years later, IDPH is reporting more than 30,000 COVID-19 deaths in Illinois and 2.86 M cases in a state with 12.67 M residents. 

“On January 24, 2020 when we announced the first case of COVID-19 in Illinois, we were not imagining that two years later we would still be battling the virus with this ferocity,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.  “While we have seen the highest number of cases and hospitalizations throughout the entire pandemic this January, we are cautiously optimistic that those numbers will continue to decrease as quickly as they rose due to the Omicron variant.”

“We have learned a great deal in the two years since the first case was reported in Illinois and we continue to learn as this virus and its variants are constantly changing.  We now have safe and effective vaccines; we have oral antiviral and monoclonal antibody treatments; and we know that proper masking, testing, and isolation and quarantine can help slow the spread of the virus.

“As COVID-19 evolves, so too will our recommendations and guidance.  Our goal remains the same – to protect the health and safety of all Illinois residents as we explore how we will coexist with COVID-19.”

Stossel: Evil Florida

By John Stossel - 

Omicron spreads. The media say, “Governments must act!”

Many have, bringing back mask mandates and closing schools.

Do these rules work?

No.

Gov. Ron DeSantis ended pandemic restrictions last spring and refuses to impose new ones. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,” he said. Lockdown states let “hysteria drive them to do really damaging things.”

The media hate him for saying things like that.

“Some governors are putting their own political gain ahead of children’s lives,” said CNN anchor Don Lemon.

If you watch most TV news, you’d think the rules, bans and shutdowns really save lives. Florida killed people because Florida didn’t impose tougher rules, we’re told.

More HERE

Beware, America’s Youth Is Embracing Authoritarianism

One of the more peculiar developments over the past few decades is the rather sudden transformation of America’s youth from independent-minded, anti-establishment, culture warriors into like-minded, pro-establishment, collectivist cowards.

 

Although the seeds of this conversion were planted years ago, they are now in full bloom.

Consider, for example, how America’s youth have reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more than two years, thousands of colleges and high schools have remained closed for in-person learning for extended periods of time, literally ruining the lives of untold young Americans.

Ordinarily, at least in years past, this spectacle would have produced a backlash of epic proportions. See, for instance, college students’ Vietnam draft protests in the 1960s.

However, here we are in 2022, with millions of young Americans being deprived of a proper education, with nary a peep of protest.

In fact, instead of demonstrating against the tyrannical edicts that have turned their lives upside-down, it appears as if a significant number of young Americans actually agree with creeping authoritarianism.

The COVID-19 pandemic, or more rather, the authoritarian reaction to it, seems to sit all too well with today’s youth, which is something that should concern the rest of us.

The results of a new poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports and The Heartland Institute illustrate the degree to which young Americans are acceptive of authoritarianism.

More HERE

Shapiro: The Quest to Destroy Work

By Ben Shapiro - 

This week, after spending time vacationing in the disease-ridden hellscape known as Florida, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., came down with COVID-19. It was a tragic blow to the irrepressible Instagram star, who was forced to quarantine. But then, like an extraordinarily inaniloquent phoenix rising from the ashes of the dread omicron variant, she returned to her web audience with a message for the ages.

“Welp, so it happened,” she wrote, in truly Tolstoyan fashion. “Got COVID, probably omicron. As of today I am thankfully recovered and wrapping up quarantine, but COVID was no joke. For a while I’ve noted the term ‘mild’ is misleading when the bar is hospitalization and death.” After dispensing with the preliminary medical advice, Ocasio-Cortez got down to business — or rather, to the business of avoiding doing business. She explained, “The idea of forcing people to work just 5 days after symptoms start is sociopathic and 100% informed by a culture that accepts sacrificing human lives for profit margins as a fair trade.”

More HERE

When progressives side with criminals

Recent studies support a long-standing theory connecting police protests and rising violent crime.

The father of a UCLA grad student, Brianna Kupfer, who was stabbed to death last week, is giving voice to the gut-wrenching human toll of the violent crime wave ravaging the nation — and the social and political forces enabling it.

“What’s endemic in our society right now is that everyone seems oriented on giving back rights and bestowing favor on people that rob others of their rights,” said the grieving dad on Fox News.

Thorner: Shots, Shots, And More Shots. But Are They Working?

By Nancy Thorner - 

Israel has one of the most COVID-19 vaccinated populations in the world. About 60% of the nation’s entire population of 9.3 million has received at least one vaccine dose, reported Reuters. Among adults, about 85% have been vaccinated, which means that Israel’s vaccinated community is five times larger than its unvaccinated community.

Israel recently rolled out a fourth COVID vax – see CNN story here, Dec. 21, 2021. 

There is now Israel data for Jan. 2022.  When checking out the data presented below, you will find that this vaccine urgency is not working as well as the experts hoped. Macau Business, part of the Xinhua agency, stated Jan. 23, 2022 that “The number of active cases in Israel reached a new record of 442,229, while the positive rate of all daily COVID-19 tests in Israel hit a record of 20.61 percent." 

 

The WHO site itself has put Israel's number as 240,510 confirmed cases and 8,484 deaths

 

But not to worry.  The FIFTH and SIXTH COVID booster shots will fix everything... right?

Dear Editor: I support Jack Lombardi for Congress

Jack Lombardi GOP candidate for IL 14 CD

Dear Editor,

One year ago Joe Biden was sworn into office and it has cost us dearly.  Gas has doubled and food bills are up 20 percent.  Now we learn that price of cleaning our clothes is escalating.  I have had enough.

Our current Congresswoman Lauren Underwood has done nothing to stop inflation.  She acts like it is not happening.  That’s why I am going to vote for Jack Lombardi for Congress.  He gets it.  Like us, he is worried about inflation and how it is killing household budgets.

As a family man, we can trust that Jack Lombardi will make stopping inflation a top priority as our next Congressman.  He is the only choice!

Thank you,

Heather Falkenthal

Di Leo: An Afternoon with Darren Bailey, GOP 2022 Candidate for Governor

By John F. Di Leo - 

photos by Mark Weyermuller

Looking back at the Founding Era after 250 years, we often think of the challenges the Framers faced.  A single legislature, or a bicameral arrangement?  A strong head of state or a figurehead… or none at all?  How often should terms last?

What we tend to forget is that the first debate, before they could even get started in planning all this in the summer of 1787, was the question of whether any of it was possible at all.

Our Founding Fathers were educated in the history of government; they had studied political science for years, even decades.  And there were two conclusions that seemed almost certain, and had been agreed-upon for centuries: First, that direct democracy can only work in the smallest of towns, and second, that even a representative republic could probably work as a city-state or similarly small country, but most likely couldn’t be successful in a large nation… because you could never know your representative personally, if the country was too large.

Thorner: Maine Doctor Suspended for ‘public dissemination of ‘misinformation’

Dr. Meryl Nass of Maine

By Nancy Thorner - 

Dr. Meryl J. Nass had her license suspended by a licensing board in Maine after accused of sharing COVID-19 misinformation. She must undergo a psychiatric evaluation.  The Soviet Union's manipulation tactics, including psychiatry as a punishment and/or to authenticate its rule, is back.

A doctor with decades of experience can’t practice medicine after her license was temporarily suspended over complaints that she shared coronavirus misinformation, according to a Maine licensing board. The board has ordered her to undergo a neuropsychological evaluation, it said.

Dr. Meryl J. Nass, who got a license to practice medicine in Maine in 1997, had her license “immediately” suspended for 30 days after a board investigation and review of complaints against her on Jan. 12, according to a suspension order from the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine.

Nass, who is an internist in Ellsworth, must “submit” to an evaluation by a “Board-selected psychologist” on Feb. 1, the board’s evaluation order issued Jan. 11 said. “I have no comment about submitting to a neuropsych exam, except that the board ordered me to do so on shaky grounds,” Nass told McClatchy News.

Rossi: President Biden’s “Alternate Universe” Press Conference

By Randy Rossi - 

Democrat President Biden’s bizarre and incredibly destructive press conference last week proves that he is living in an alternate universe. You know things are really bad for Biden when even CNN tore him apart for his bizarre and destructive press conference which essentially encouraged Russia to invade Ukraine and bragged about his “awesome” first year as president while his ratings have crashed to the floor. As Biden claimed to have accomplished more than any other president in his first year, his approval ratings have cratered. A recent Quinnipiac poll has his approval rating at 33% which is a disaster. According to another poll, 64% of Americans don’t want him to run for president again including 28% of Democrats.

Of course the worst thing President Biden did in his press conference was to essentially encourage Russia to invade Ukraine as long as it is a “minor incursion”. I guess he compares that to the “minor incursion” of 2 million illegal immigrants into America in his first year through our open southern border which he has no problem with that is destroying America’s national sovereignty and security!

Di Leo: Pharmaceutical Dos and Don'ts in the Age of Covid

By John F. Di Leo - 

I have a few medical questions...not for experts, just for regular folks like you and me.

• Should you take antibiotics if you don't have a bacterial infection?
• Should you take phenobarbital if you don't have a seizure disorder such as epilepsy?
• Should you take nitroglycerin if you don't have some kind of heart trouble?
• Should you undergo chemotherapy if you don't have cancer?

Most likely, we all have the same gut reaction to all of these questions: "Probably not.  In fact, very probably not."

This isn't to say there aren't other uses for each of these medicinal miracles, but they all have primary purposes.

Sometimes they are good for other purposes, too.  Some of our greatest discoveries have been when a drug developed for one purpose surprisingly turned out to have another benefit as well (famous examples include Cortisone, Rogaine, and Viagra).

More, in the American Thinker, here:

It’s Official: It’s OK to Be Racist If You’re the Left Pushing COVID-19 Mandates

Biden cries ‘gouging’ as businesses face higher costs. Andy Puzder and Will Coggin write:

Following the lead of other leftist-run cities, the District of Columbia just instituted a new COVID-19 mandate that requires anyone who wants to dine at a restaurant, go to a movie, or workout at a gym to show proof of vaccination.

But a big part of the story that many in the media seem to ignore is that in this majority-black city, run by a black mayor, the D.C. government is also requiring people to show a photo ID to prove that they are the actual owner of the vaccination card they present.

Virtue, Liberty, and the Market: What the Left Will Never Understand About Capitalism

(Photo: Brendan Smialowski, AFP/Getty Images)

“There’s No Free Lunch” by David Bahnsen can teach us so much about why free markets work. Richard Reinsch writes:

Does America still believe that it is an immensely gifted wealth-creating country? And does it further believe itself capable of producing not only the highest forms of technology, products, and services, but in a manner that lifts the sails of vast numbers of Americans?

There are grave reasons to doubt an affirmative answer to both questions when we look to new progressive policies and the arguments that have produced them.

Fascism: Socialism’s Smarter Brother

In recent years, American politics has been plagued with mutual assertions on both sides of the aisle that the other party is pursuing a fascist agenda. It would therefore behoove many – especially those on the far left claiming to be fascism’s diametric opponents – to gain a greater understanding of what fascism actually entails. They might find that fascism and socialism are far from mutually exclusive.

In fact, fascism and socialism are fundamentally unified around one guiding principle: societal revolution, and the subsequent totalitarian ideological control by the state.

Merriam-Webster defines fascism as “A political philosophy, movement, or regime…that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stand for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.”

Historian Emilio Gentile – one of the world’s foremost scholars of fascism – describes it as a political ideology with an “extra ingredient” that creates a “political religion.” Gentile contends that this ingredient – essentially, totalitarian control – is found in fascist and Bolshevik states alike.

More HERE

Does a statewide candidate's voting history matter?

AURORA - Does it matter to Illinois Republicans whether their candidate for governor has a history of voting Democrat? Should it matter?

Or should Illinois Republicans give up on the concept of a candidate with proven Republican conservative values ever winning a statewide race? 

With the announcement of Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin running for governor, an array of information has been bombarding the internet - especially as it becomes more well known that Irvin and his running mate state Rep. Avery Bourne are being directed by the same consulting group that ran Bruce Rauner's campaign in 2014 and his re-election campaign in 2018.

The group ran the Rauner campaign both years - alienating, ridiculing and ignoring the state's grassroots conservative base and their principles.

Illinois location appears to reflect vaccination percentages

SPRINGFIELD - The farther one gets from Illinois' population centers, the less likely he or she will choose to be vaccinated, a map published by Wirepoints.com appears to show. 

Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 183,722 new COVID cases and 746 deaths since January 14. 

Chicago, its surrounding Cook, DuPage, Will and Lake counties as well as Downstate Sangamon, Champaign, McLean and Monroe counties report the highest percentages of residents that chose to receive the COVID vaccines. 

Farther south and away from population centers, the number of those fully vaccinated falls significantly, according to Wirepoints.com map, down to the lowest - 22% - in far south Alexander County. 

Of Illinois’ total population, more than 74% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 65% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated, and almost 49% boosted according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  

Wirepoints.com also features a graph that shows of the 29,708 Illinoisans that died due to COVID, 88% of them were among those 60 years and older. 

Illinois mandatory vaccine registry measure hearing rescheduled for next Wednesday

SPRINGFIELD - A measure to require Illinois doctors and pharmacies to enter administered vaccines into a state-run and -controlled registry was postponed this week and re-scheduled for next Wednesday - despite over 14,000 opposition slips filed with the Illinois General Assembly website. 

Earlier this week, Illinois Review reported on a bill introduced in the Illinois General Assembly that would require all doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and medical centers to register their patients' personal immunizations with a state-run database.  Currently, participation in the state immunization registry in place is optional. 

UPDATE: THOUSANDS FILE OPPOSITION TO MANDATORY VACCINE REGISTRY IDEA 

Lake County state Rep. Bob Morgan seems to not be intimidated by the rare outpouring of opposition to HB 4244. After the Human Services Committee was postponed this week, it was rescheduled for Wednesday January 26 at 9:00 am, and HB 4244 is on the docket for the hearing. 

For the most part, those 14,000 plus that have filed opposition witness slips are representing themselves or their families, while the less than 300 proponents represent medical facilities, hospitals, pediatricians and other medical professionals.  

For more information on the measure and those on the hearing committee, see Illinois Review's "UPDATE: THOUSANDS FILE OPPOSITION TO MANDATORY VACCINE REGISTRY IDEA" 

For those interested, witness slips for HB 4244 may be created at this link: https://my.ilga.gov/Hearing/HearingDetail/18945 

News from Illinois Congressional campaigns and offices

CHICAGO - News about Illinois candidate campaigns for US Congress began pouring in this week - from Republican Esther Joy King in the 17th CD to Michael Pierce in the 11th CD, as well as from Congress members Rodney Davis and Mary Miller, vying to represent the 15th CD. 

From Esther Joy King  in Illinois' "toss-up" 17th CD who is raising lots of money - 

EAST MOLINE, IL –  Esther Joy King, Republican candidate for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, raised over $625,000 in the fourth quarter ending December 31 and will report more than $1,000,000 cash on hand. 

“Our campaign is driven by grassroots supporters who are tired of the way things are going and want leaders who will fight for them,” said King. “I am honored by the outpouring of support we have received. Every day, people in this district are seeing the price of gas, groceries, and other essentials go up and up while Democrats in Congress and President Biden keep talking about more spending and higher taxes. Enough is enough. The people of the 17th Congressional District are worth the fight. I can't wait to win this and get to work for my fellow Illinoisans."

Esther Joy King is the top fundraising challenger in the state of Illinois. National political forecasters believe the 17th Congressional District will be one of the most competitive races in 2022, and key to Republicans winning back the House. The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball have both rated IL-17 as a “Toss Up” seat, despite being 53% Democrat.

From Michael Pierce, who is dropping out of the 11th CD race -

‘Unheard of’ 40 percent Increase in Deaths Among Working-age People – Insurance Executive

Life insurers have noticed an unusual jump in the number of deaths of people 18 to 64 years of age, and not just from COVID-19, says Scott Davison, the CEO of OneAmerica, a mutual insurance holding company based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“We are seeing, right now, the highest death rates we have seen in the history of this business, said Davison, at an online news conference organized by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, on December 30. “The data is consistent across every player in that business.” OneAmerica  sells group life insurance plans to employers

More HERE

Team Biden’s January 6 Coverup

AP photo 

Jan. 11, 2022 is the day when top law enforcement officials at the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation came to Capitol Hill to testify about what happened on January 6th. At least that is what the Senate Judiciary Committee was purportedly about.

Imagine the surprise of Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) when the Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Division of the Justice Department (DOJ) Matthew Olsen testified that he “was not aware” if there were any plain clothes FBI or Justice Department officers among the crowd on January 6th.

More HERE