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Can Congress make democratic governance work?
This is a time of great testing for Congress. As it considers responses to the nation’s health and economic crises, it faces close scrutiny by ordinary Americans, financial markets and businesses large and small across the country. The pressure to move quickly is intense, and it is not an institution built for that purpose.

Plant this
A racist’s racist, Woodrow Wilson fired black federal employees while installing separate bathrooms, work stations and lunch areas for remaining ones. He also signed the Treaty of Versailles, which helped sow World War II and was never ratified by the Senate.

Limiting liability for health care workers
If medical facilities, communityintegrated living facilities, community mental health centers and others are providing COVID-19 health care services, they cannot be sued “for any injury or death alleged to have been caused by any act or omission by...

LETTERS
I can understand the necessity of medical facilities, grocery stores and pharmacies staying open, but what is the greater good of some stores being open but other private businesses must close at the whim of governmental fiat? There obviously were at least 148 customers – plus employees – packed together, defeating the lockdown edict.

Grocery shopping during the pandemic
“They’re (sanitizing them) so the customer sees – they just did this. So it’s another source of comfort for the customer,” said Gerry Kettler, director of consumer affairs for Quincy-based Niemann Foods, which owns more than 30 County Markets in Illinois.

CITY TACKLES PANDEMIC
The city of Springfield has allocated $100,000 for the Central Illinois Foodbank to feed those who need it during the pandemic. The money will be coming from federal block grants.

HOT REMATCH
Not even the coronavirus can kill a campaign. The race for the 13th congressional district is on. Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, a Democrat from Springfield, is sparring with incumbent Rep. Rodney Davis, a Republican from Taylorville. Londrigan celebrated her March 17 primary win by releasing herself from “self-quarantine.

New parties sue over Illinois election rules
Both are considered “new” parties under state election rules, meaning a candidate running for office under those banners must receive a greater number of in-person petition signatures than those with “established” parties – typically, the Democrats and Republicans.

What happened?
Human error contributed to the mishap, sources say. Mayor Jim Langfelder and corporation counsel Jim Zerkle said that problems in CWLP’s two oldest generators led to the fire at the utility’s third-oldest generator, which has been shut down ever since.

Overcoming trauma
The first time I met Dana Pfeiffer she picked the place. It was near her home in Pleasant Plains, a combination coffee shop slash auto detailer that employs people with disabilities to help them learn job skills. She wore a bright red hoodie. She was impossible to miss.

A hotel to call home
Coronavirus is especially risky when it comes to congregate settings. It spreads easily. Throughout the state there have been clusters of infection at correctional facilities and a nursing home. Some have died. And now, some are grappling with the best way to house survivors of domestic abuse who have left unsafe situations.

Beans, for hard times
My year working as a chef in Oklahoma City is coming to a close. The restaurant that dominated my life for 60 hours a week had to shutter and furlough its staff three weeks ago, and my newly acquired free time is being spent downsizing my belongings and packing for a new life living in a school bus.

U of I protests of the 1960s
Metz, who took part in the student movement, identifies the many student groups that organized on campus, provides biographical information about the main leaders and includes a section of first-person reflections by the leaders who went on to successful careers after graduation.

Movies to watch at home
Now that movie watching has become a home-viewing option for the time being, this space will be devoted to small reviews of films that can be seen on various streaming services, cable channels and video-on-demand. Stay safe and happy viewing!.

A really virtual reality
Greetings all, to week number four (I think) of our quarantined, social-distancing world of the present situation. First, before getting into any music talk, let’s send solace to the grieving who have lost loved ones and our respects to those lost souls taken by this virus and all others who’ve recently departed this plane for whatever reasons.

THE CALENDAR
More events, more details in our online calendar at illinoistimes.com.