Read full article here: Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts threatened to withhold$100 million of federal funding allocated to counties in his state if they mandate residents wear a face mask to protect against the coronavirus. NEBRASKA SEES FIRST CASES OF RARE CORONAVIRUS-LINKED INFLAMMATORY SYNDROME IN KIDSThe Republican governor has in the past encouraged the public to wear masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19 -- which has killed 240 people in the state and infected 17,415-- but says that counties that bar visitors from courthouses and other county officesbecause they arent wearing a mask, will not receive a portion of the $1 billion allocated by theCARES Act to help the state. "Counties are not prohibited from requiring masks, but if they want CARES Act money, they have to be fully open, and that means they cannot deny service for not wearing a mask," Taylor Gage,the governorsspokesman, told the Omaha World-Herald. Local officials have complained thatRicketts withholdingthe funds has caused them to change course on local mandates that would require a mask at city buildings and have taken the control out of the localities hands, even though they are more in touch with the needs of their counties. Wed like to have a little bit more ability to call the shots in our courthouse, but we realize that he has the right to set the rules, DebSchorr, aLancaster County Board member and past president of the Nebraska Association of County Officials, told the newspaper. In the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Ricketts held off on implementing a statewide shutdownand instead allowed counties to decide for themselves when to close their local businesses, despite warnings from health officials. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APPOn Thursday, Ricketts praised President Trump at a White House roundtable event about reopening small businesses across the country, saying: "We really appreciate your efforts, your leadership and that of your team to be able to help
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