The Ohio Department of Health was sued in federal court Thursday for its ban on “non-essential businesses” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full storyOhio Health Director Amy Acton Sued for Ban on Non-Essential Businesses
Author: Anthony Gockowski
Klobuchar Calls for National Vote by Mail in New York Times Op-Ed
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) called for nationwide mail-in voting in a recent op-ed published in The New York Times.
Read the full storyLawmaker Says Walz Leaving Fate of Minnesota’s Economy in Hands of Multi-State Pact
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday that he has joined a seven-state compact that will work in “close coordination” on plans to “reopen the economy in the Midwest region.”
Read the full storyTrump Tweets Support for Hundreds of Minnesotans Who Gathered Friday to Protest Gov. Walz
President Donald Trump expressed his support Friday for the hundreds of Minnesotans who gathered outside the Governor’s Residence in St. Paul to protest Gov. Tim Walz.
Read the full storyOhioans Protest Gov. DeWine for Third Time in Two Weeks
Protesters gathered outside the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus Friday to protest Gov. Mike DeWine’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic for at least the second time this week.
Read the full storyRural Lawmakers Ask Walz to Reconsider One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Pandemic
A group of rural Minnesota lawmakers want the governor to reconsider his one-size-fits-all approach to addressing the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full storyMore Than 38,000 Ohio Businesses Received Loans Under Depleted Paycheck Protection Program
More than 38,000 small businesses across Ohio have received forgivable loans from the federal government under the Paycheck Protection Program.
Read the full storyMinnesota Unemployment Applications Up 79,000 From Last Week
Minnesota has seen 464,513 new applications for unemployment insurance since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full storyMinnesotans Plan Friday Protest of Walz Outside Governor’s Residence: ‘Lives Are Being Destroyed’
More than 400 Minnesotans plan to participate in a protest Friday of Gov. Tim Walz outside the Governor’s Residence in St. Paul.
Read the full storyTennessee Small Businesses Have Received More Than $4 Billion Under Paycheck Protection Program
More than 19,000 small businesses across Tennessee have received forgivable loans from the federal government under the Paycheck Protection Program.
Read the full storyDFL-Controlled House Blocks Two Resolutions to End Minnesota’s Peacetime Emergency
The DFL-controlled Minnesota House voted Tuesday against two resolutions that would have ended Gov. Tim Walz’s peacetime emergency declaration and voided his coronavirus-related executive orders.
Read the full storyEmmer Slams Mainstream Media in New Column: ‘Lower Approval Rating Than President It Loves to Smear’
Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN-06) pummeled the mainstream media in a column published Tuesday, criticizing the corporate press for parroting propaganda issued by the Chinese Communist Party.
Read the full storyBill Hagerty Named to Advisory Board to Help Trump Reopen Economy
U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty of Tennessee announced Tuesday that he has been named to an advisory board that will help the president reopen the nation’s economy.
President Donald Trump is expected to make a formal announcement imminently on his plans to reopen the economy, but Hagerty revealed in a Tuesday statement that the president has asked him to help.
“I have always sought to answer the call to service, and in doing so, I’ve served my state as Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and served my country as the United States Ambassador to Japan. Now, President Trump has asked me to help on the economic advisory board. Team Hagerty will continue to volunteer in Tennessee as we fight the spread of the coronavirus and deal with its effects,” Hagerty said.
Read the full storyTennessee Department of Health Not Providing Number of Current COVID-19 Hospitalizations
The Tennessee Department of Health said 633 residents have been hospitalized with COVID-19, but that figure is a cumulative – not current – number.
“This number indicates the number of patients that were ever hospitalized during their illness, it does not indicate the number of patients currently hospitalized,” the Department of Health notes in its daily COVID-19 briefing.
Read the full storyAuthorities Plan to Issue Citations Against Ohio Amish Community for Holding Wedding Reception
Ohio authorities plan to issue citations against residents who planned an Amish wedding reception last week, various local outlets reported over the weekend.
Read the full storyEllison and U.S. Attorney Form Minnesota ‘COVID-19 Action Team’ to Enforce Walz Orders
Minnesota’s chief legal officers have formed a joint “COVID-19 action team” to enforce Gov. Tim Walz’s emergency executive orders.
Read the full storyTwitter Suspended Account for Steve Bannon Show Critical of Chinese Communist Party
Twitter suspended and then reinstated without explanation the account for “War Room: Pandemic,” a radio program founded by Steve Bannon and one of the first shows in the country to warn about the dangers of COVID-19.
Read the full storyOhio’s Health Director Amy Acton Unable to Name Number of Current COVID-19 Hospitalizations in State
Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton was unable to state how many residents are currently hospitalized with the coronavirus during a Monday press briefing.
Read the full storyMinnesota Republicans Introduce Bill to End Peacetime Emergency, Return Power to Legislature
Minnesota House Republicans introduced a resolution Monday that would end Gov. Tim Walz’s peacetime emergency declaration and restore power in responding to the pandemic to the State Legislature.
The resolution was introduced shortly after Walz announced that he has extended the state’s peacetime emergency for 30 days, which allows the governor to act unilaterally in adopting “necessary orders and rules.”
Read the full storyTennessee Dem Chair Criticizes Gov. Lee for Questioning Big Government Response to COVID-19
While Kentucky’s governor threatened to take down the license plate numbers of residents who dared to go to church on Easter, Gov. Bill Lee said he was contemplating how involved the government should be during a pandemic.
Read the full storyMinnesota Democrats Push for Ballot Harvesting, Drop Boxes in COVID-19 Response
Minnesota Democrats are pushing for several sweeping election changes to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, including universal mail-in ballots and even ballot drop-boxes.
Read the full storyLegal Groups Sue ICE to Force Release of Illegal Immigrants in Ohio
A group of legal organizations has sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seeking the release of illegal immigrants detained in Ohio.
The ACLU National Prison Project, the ACLU of Ohio, and the lam firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP announced Friday that they have filed a lawsuit against ICE “on behalf of immigrants detained in crowded facilities in Geauga and Seneca Counties.”
The lawsuit seeks the release of illegal immigrants who are in civil detention and at high risk of serious illness or death in the event that they contract COVID-19.
Read the full storyWalz Order Allows State to Share Addresses of COVID-19 Patients with Law Enforcement
Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order Friday afternoon that grants the Department of Health permission to share the addresses of COVID-19 patients with law enforcement agencies.
Read the full storyEllison’s Office Sues Landlords Who Pressured Tenants to Vacate During Pandemic
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has sued multiple landlords who have attempted to evict tenants during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency.
Read the full storyTen Nursing Homes in Tennessee Have Cases of COVID-19
The Tennessee Department of Health is now releasing the names and locations of nursing homes with positive cases of COVID-19.
Read the full storyTennessee Board of Education Lowers Graduation Requirements in Response to Coronavirus
The Tennessee State Board of Education made substantial changes to graduation requirements and grading protocols during a special meeting Thursday.
Read the full storyGov. Walz Faces Backlash Over Controversial COVID-19 Model
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called a press conference Friday afternoon to discuss the modeling the state is using in its coronavirus response, but faced harsh criticism for closing the briefing to the public.
Read the full storyCommissioner Malcolm Responds to Concerns About Reporting of COVID-19 Deaths
Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm responded Thursday to concerns about the accuracy of the number of deaths caused by COVID-19.
Read the full storyRepublicans Call Extension of Minnesota Stay at Home Order ‘Seriously Disappointing’
Some Republican lawmakers were disappointed in Gov. Tim Walz after he announced Wednesday that his stay-at-home order will be extended until May 4.
Read the full storyMinnesota Unemployment Claims Up to 385,000
Minnesota has seen 385,318 new applications for unemployment insurance since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove said Thursday.
Read the full storyTennessee Dem House Chair Wants ‘Statewide System to Trace the Steps’ of COVID-19 Patients
Tennessee House Democratic Caucus Chair Mike Stewart (D-Nashville) called on Gov. Bill Lee to create a “statewide system to trace the steps of those testing positive for COVID-19.”
“I call on Gov. Lee to use state resources to create a statewide contact tracing system including testing where necessary,” Stewart said in an interview with WKRN.
Read the full storyMark Green Says There Is a Coming Shortage of Sedatives Used for Patients on Ventilators
U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07), a physician, expressed concern in a recent interview about a potential shortage of sedatives for COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
Read the full storyDoctors Can Place COVID-19 on Death Certificates Without Confirmed Test Results, Minnesota Senator Says
State Sen. Scott Jensen (R-Chaska), a practicing physician, has sounded the alarm about a CDC guidance that gives doctors the authority to include “suspected or likely” cases of COVID-19 on death certificates.
Read the full storyDFL Leader Apologizes for Flipping Off Republican Colleagues
Minnesota House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley) apologized Tuesday after a video showed him flipping off his Republican colleagues.
Read the full story3D Printing Presents Possible Solution to Personal Protective Equipment Shortage
Mayo Clinic announced last week that it is exploring the possibility of 3D printing face masks and other personal protective equipment items to employ in the national fight against COVID-19.
The famous clinic said its 3D Anatomic Modeling Laboratories across the country as well as its Division of Engineering are working together to “reverse-engineer, 3D-print and machine solutions for patient care.”
Read the full storySenate Candidate Jason Lewis: ‘China Is Responsible for This Pandemic’
Republican Senate candidate Jason Lewis placed the blame for the coronavirus pandemic squarely on China’s shoulders in a new commercial released Monday.
Read the full storyLegal Motion Seeks to Block Implementation of Tennessee Education Savings Account Program
A legal motion filed Friday in Davidson County asks the courts to halt the implementation of the Tennessee Education Savings Account (ESA) Program.
Read the full storyOhio Department of Health COVID-19 Forecast Was Off by 850 Cases Monday, Actual Cases Just One-Third of ‘Mitigated’ Projections
Ohio health officials and Gov. Mike DeWine continue to reference a coronavirus model that hasn’t been updated since March 28.
The Ohio Star still hasn’t been provided with any information on the identities of the Ohio State University researchers behind the controversial model.
The Ohio Department of Health (OHD) claims on its website for the forecast model that it was “created based on current data” and becomes “more precise as more information is available.”
However, the model still predicts that the coronavirus pandemic will reach its peak in Ohio on April 25 when the state is projected to have 9,689 new cases. But that number is based on the information that was available as of March 28 and hasn’t been updated since.
Read the full storyWalz Launches ‘Bias and Discrimination’ Helpline for Reporting Incidents to the State
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Monday that his office has created a “discrimination helpline” amid “rising reports of discrimination from the Asian American community.”
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan claimed that America has a “distinct pattern” of “increased discrimination during uncertain and trying times, of needing someone to blame.”
“This is unacceptable and, as Minnesotans, we must work to break this cycle,” she added.
Read the full storyModel Lowers Projected Tennessee Coronavirus Deaths by More Than 2,000
A popular coronavirus model has lowered its total projected deaths for Tennessee by more than 2,000 since Gov. Bill Lee announced a statewide shelter-in-place order.
As of April 2, the University of Washington Institute for Health and Metrics Evaluation (IHME) predicted that Tennessee would have 3,259 deaths over the next four months. The IHME model estimated that the virus would reach its peak in the state on April 20 and would result in 159 fatalities in a single day.
The model now predicts that Tennessee will experience 584 COVID-19 deaths over the next four months – a drop of 2,675 projected deaths since last week. On Sunday, the model was predicting 1,000-plus deaths in Tennessee.
Read the full storyGovernor Bill Lee Signs Several Election Bills Into Law
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed several election-related bills into law last week, which were passed by the General Assembly before it took a two-month recess caused by the coronavirus.
The most controversial bill signed by Lee scales back restrictions on community voter registration efforts that were put in place in 2019 by the Republican-controlled Legislature. The new bill removes “misdemeanor penalties for not completing certain administrative requirements” and eliminates fines for submitting an abundance of incomplete voter registration forms.
Read the full storyOhio Will Appeal Ruling Allowing Abortion Clinics to Remain Open
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said he will appeal a federal judge’s ruling that exempts abortion clinics from a mandate to cancel all elective surgeries.
Several abortion providers sued the state last Monday seeking relief from the Ohio Department of Health’s order to cancel all elective and non-essential surgeries.
Read the full storyMinnesota Governor Walz’s Ten Minute State of the State Focused Only on Coronavirus
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz touched on nothing but the coronavirus pandemic during his second State of the State address Sunday night.
The address was originally scheduled to take place March 23 before a joint meeting of the House and Senate, but was canceled because of the pandemic. Instead, Walz delivered a televised address from the Governor’s Residence that was just over 10 minutes long.
Read the full storyIllegal Immigrants Eligible for Minneapolis’ Coronavirus Relief Funds
Minneapolis will provide financial relief to residents “irrespective of immigration or documentation status,” the city announced Friday.
Read the full storyGov. Walz Refuses to Take Down ‘Communist’ Hotline for Reporting Stay at Home Violations
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has rejected requests from Republican lawmakers to suspend a “communist” hotline that allows residents to report violations of the governor’s stay-at-home order.
Read the full storyHagerty Calls China’s Handling of Coronavirus ‘Crime of the Century’
Bill Hagerty, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Tennessee, called China’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic “the crime of the century” in a Friday interview.
Read the full storyCompanies Turn to 3D Printing Masks to Help in Coronavirus Response
Several companies in North Carolina are now 3D-printing protective face masks to provide locals with relief from the national shortage of N95 respirators.
Read the full storyTrump Clashes with 3M After Accusations That Foreign Countries Are Getting Face Masks First
President Donald Trump warned 3M on Twitter Thursday night that it will “have a big price to pay” after the company was accused of various wrongdoings surrounding its production of N95 respirator masks.
Read the full storyThales Academy Announces Reduced Tuition for Franklin Campus to Provide Economic Relief
Thales Academy, a college preparatory network of Pre-K-12 independent schools, announced Friday that it is offering a significant tuition reduction for its new campus in Franklin, Tennessee.
Read the full storyMinnesota Secretary of State Says Statewide Vote by Mail Possible for 2020 Election
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said his office is exploring a number of “pandemic election options,” including conducting the entire presidential election by mail-in ballots.
“The current public health crisis has been a serious test for all Minnesotans. It has also been a test for our democracy. I’ve heard from many Minnesotans who wonder how, or even if, we will vote in this high-stakes election year,” Simon said in a statement released last week.
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