Category: News
Federal judge to hold hearing on whether Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being vindictively prosecuted
A federal judge this week canceled the trial of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran man who was mistakenly deported, and scheduled a hearing on whether the prosecution is being vindictive in pursuing a human smuggling case against him.
Abrego Garcia has become a centerpiece of the debate over immigration after the Trump administration deported him in March to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Facing mounting public pressure and a court order, the Trump administration brought him back to the U.S. in June, but only after issuing an arrest warrant on human smuggling charges in Tennessee.
Abrego Garcia has denied the allegations, and argued that prosecutors are vindictively and selectively targeting him. Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. wrote in Tuesday’s order that Abrego Garcia had enough evidence to hold a hearing on the topic, which Crenshaw scheduled for Jan. 28.
At that hearing, prosecutors will have to explain their reasoning for charging Abrego Garcia, Crenshaw wrote, and if they fail in that, the charges could be dismissed.
When Abrego Garcia was pulled over in 2022, there were nine passengers in the car, and the officers discussed among themselves their suspicions of smuggling. However, Abrego Garcia was eventually allowed to continue driving with only a warning.
A Department of Homeland Security agent previously testified that he did not begin investigating the traffic stop until after the U.S. Supreme Court said in April that the Trump administration had to work to bring Abrego Garcia from El Salvador, where he was deported.
Years earlier, Abrego Garcia had been granted protection from deportation to his home country after a judge found he faced danger there from a gang that targeted his family. That order allowed Abrego Garcia, who has an American wife and child, to live and work in the U.S. under Immigration and Customs Enforcement supervision.
Members of President Donald Trump’s administration have accused Abrego Garcia of being a member of the MS-13 gang, but he has vehemently denied the accusations and has no criminal record.
Abrego Garcia’s defense attorney and the U.S. attorney’s office in Nashville did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/26/kilmar-abrego-garcia-prosecution/
ADL Goes Ballistic After Megyn Kelly Says Bari Weiss, Ben Shapiro Are ‘Making Antisemites’
ADL Goes Ballistic After Megyn Kelly Says Bari Weiss, Ben Shapiro Are ‘Making Antisemites’
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is furious with journalist Megyn Kelly after she accused prominent Jews in the media – Ben Shapiro and Bari Weiss – of “making antisemites” through their attempts to censor criticism of Israel.”
(If you don’t care about any of these people, feel free to stop reading here… fair warning)
To bring you up to speed: Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, podcaster Candace Owens pointed the finger at Israel, suggesting that Kirk’s shifting views on Israel made him a target – and suggesting that Israel and France plotted Kirk’s death. This drew sharp criticism from the Daily Wire‘s Ben Shapiro (Owens’ former boss), journalist Bari Weiss, and the ADL – with Shapiro further accusing Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson of amplifying ‘antisemitism’ by platforming Owens and refusing to condemn her claims, while Kelly says attempts to censor criticism of Israel is in fact ‘making’ people into antisemites.
So – a lot going on here. Prominent Jews are condemning conservatives who haven’t condemned Candace Owens – accusing them of fueling antisemitism, while Megyn Kelly says that in general, attempts to label conservatives critical of Israeli policy as ‘antisemites’ is actually creating antisemites.
Tensions peaked at Turning Point USA’s AmFest conference last week, where Shapiro downplayed the 1967 USS Liberty incident in which Israel attacked a US Navy ship that killed 34 Americans – calling it a ‘mistake’ that’s now largely irrelevant because it happened so long ago:
The TPUSA AmFest audience erupted in cheers after a young White attendee questioned Ben Shapiro about Israel’s 1967 attack on the USS Liberty.
Shapiro—who frequently invokes the Holocaust—dismissed the incident as largely irrelevant today because it occurred so long ago.… pic.twitter.com/TkuYLT6scM
— AF Post (@AFpost) December 19, 2025
To which Carlson suggested that Shapiro’s deflection the question vs. debating it wasn’t what the movement should be about:
Tucker Carlson bashed Ben Shapiro for calling a young man who posed a question about the USS Liberty as a “Hitlerite” moments prior.
Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/xSEwL5nUr2
— AF Post (@AFpost) December 19, 2025
The next day, Shapiro escalated during a speech at the Heritage Foundation in which he called Carlson an “enemy of the conservative movement” for promoting conspiracies.
Meanwhile, in a concurrent Vanity Fair interview, Megyn Kelly accused Shapiro and Weiss of “making antisemites” by aggressively labeling critics, calling Shapiro “Israel first,” and criticizing their alleged efforts to “cancel” her from the movement.
To recap the drama:
Moments after Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, opened the conference with a speech calling her late husband a “peacemaker” and urging an end to the squabbling, Shapiro issued a blistering jeremiad that recalled William F. Buckley Jr.’s attempted excommunication of the far right. “The conservative movement is in serious danger,” Shapiro said, “from charlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle but actually traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty, who offer nothing but bile and despair.”
He denounced Candace Owens—a podcaster he once employed at The Daily Wire, the media company he co-founded—who has emerged as the chief purveyor of conspiracy theories about Kirk’s murder. Her videos investigating the killing, infused with all the drama of a true-crime documentary, have been viewed millions of times.
Shapiro extended his criticism to those he said have “refused to condemn Candace’s truly vicious attacks,” naming Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, and Steve Bannon. A few hours later on the same stage, Carlson fired back. “To hear calls for like, de-platforming and denouncing people at a Charlie Kirk event, I’m like, what?” Carlson said, with an air of annoyed confusion. “I mean, this kind of was the whole point of Charlie Kirk’s public life, and I think that he died for it.” -Vanity Fair
And Kelly’s comments on Shapiro etc. ‘making antisemites’ for quashing criticism of Israel:
“What Charlie and I saw at the same time was that the country is turning,” Kelly said. “And young Republicans are turning on Israel.”
She argued that figures like Shapiro and Weiss are actually fueling the rise of antisemitism through their attempts to censor criticism of Israel. “They are making antisemites,” she said. “Tucker is not making antisemites. They are.” -Vanity Fair
The ADL replied to Kelly’s in a thread on X (with replies closed to anyone they don’t mention or follow):
1/ Megyn Kelly’s recent comments cross a dangerous line. Accusing Jews of “making antisemites” blames Jewish people for the hate directed against them—a classic victim-blaming trope. 🧵 https://t.co/OU0JCzYoEf
— ADL (@ADL) December 23, 2025
continued…
3/ Moreover, calling Ben Shapiro “Israel first” invokes the age-old antisemitic dual loyalty trope that has fueled persecution and hatred against Jews for centuries.
ADL has documented time and again how this kind of rhetoric from public figures helps normalize antisemitism and…
— ADL (@ADL) December 23, 2025
Kelly fired back, telling the ADL “Nice try but these labels don’t work anymore,” adding “Instead of attacking me they should listen to me. Or keep on keeping on & create more enemies!”
Nice try but these labels don’t work anymore. The @ADL has defanged itself. Instead of attacking me they should listen to me. Or keep on keeping on & create more enemies! https://t.co/WM6T8lNtvh
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) December 24, 2025
As a somewhat funny aside, pro-Israel accounts are calling Kelly ‘Grandma Groyper…‘
If you read this far, it’s kinda on you at this point.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 12/26/2025 – 21:00
Kane state’s attorney seeking more info before deciding on charges in ICE incident
Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser has asked Elgin police to further investigate two complaints filed in a Dec. 6 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation at which bystanders were pepper-sprayed.
While she wouldn’t confirm the incidents involve ICE agents or that charges would be filed, she did say the cases center on aggravated battery and criminal trespass to a residence.
“There’s more investigation that definitely needs to happen,” Mosser said.
She also said she would like to propose amendments to the state’s TRUST Act, which right now prevents local police officers from intervening in cases involving ICE agents.
Elgin police received 11 complaints stemming from an ICE operation Dec. 6 in which a car crash occurred when they tried to take a man into custody. That man was able to flee their vehicle and barricaded himself inside an apartment on Maple Lane, where a six-hour standoff ensued and a large group of protesters gathered.
After the incident was resolved, ICE released a statement alleging the man was a member of a Venezuelan gang, something his family disputes, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a news release in which they accused Elgin police of not protecting agents from protestors throwing “rocks and bottles.”
Police responded with a statement in which they said they found no evidence ICE agents were attacked after reviewing the body camera videos shot by police officers at the scene but did have footage of agents throwing pepper gas into the crowd. There was one video in which protestor threw a water bottle at an ICE vehicle as it drove away, the statement said.
Mosser said a decision on charges will be made after additional investigatative work is done, possibly by the end of the year.
The state’s attorney’s office can file charges anytime a state crime is committed, regardless of whether it involves a protestor or an ICE agent, she said. While she’s not heard of any cases being filed against federal immigration agents, she will not hesitate to pursue a case if she believes they have evidence of a federal agent violating the law, she said.
“It would just be the right thing to do. It doesn’t matter your position. You cannot violate state law,” Mosser said.
The difficult part of such a prosecution is determining an agent’s identity since most are masked and not required to identify themselves, she said.
If charges are filed, her office would need cooperation from the federal government, Mosser said. A “John Doe” case might have to be filed and a federal supeona issued to obtain the person’s identity, she said.
“It would be me going against the federal government essentially,” Mosser said.
That’s a role she’s not afraid to take on, she said.
“If we have to do this to make sure justice is done, I wouldn’t have any problem doing it,” Mosser said. “I would hope there would be that level of cooperation because I don’t believe the federal government would condone this type of behavior.”
She knows many communities, including Elgin, have passed ordinances and resolutions limiting federal immigration access to city property and urging the state to take more action, she said.
“A lot of the legislation (proposed) has been for political purposes and has very little effect on being able to do anything for what ICE is doing,” Mosser said. “Unfortunately, it’s been politics at this point instead of what’s the reasonable, ethical thing to do to protect people.”
The TRUST Act needs to be amended because it’s tying local police officers’ hands, she said. Passed in 2017, it prohibits local and state officers from interfering or helping ICE agents but allows them to assist in a limited capacity if a criminal warrant is involved, she said.
Mosser is drafting proposed changes but wants input from local law enforcement officials since they are the one who would benefit, she said.
“I think it would be great to amend the TRUST Act to allow more cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement to protect everybody,” Mosser said.
It’s sometimes hard for the public to understand how the TRUST Act limits a police officer’s role, she said, but police officers are “doing exactly what the state statute mandates.”
Local police need to be able to keep the peace and make sure everyone is safe, she said. This can include creating perimeters so protesters can express themselves without creating potential confrontations with ICE.
“We want to be able to de-escalate,” Mosser said.
One thing she would like to see is federal agents being required to contact local law enforcement about when and where they are doing immigration enforcement so local police can set up a perimeter and protect anyone who gathers, she said.
Mosser also recommends local law enforcement have a point of contact for ICE to provide information about what’s happening with its operations.
“I hope it’s something our legislators can take up and protect everyone, the protestors, the agents and law enforcement who are there,” she said.
Whether there is enough “political will” to amend the act may be the question, Mosser said.
“I know our local law enforcement would be grateful to be able to keep the peace in our communities,” she said. “We don’t want to see violations in Kane County or anywhere, so let’s work together to make sure our community is safe for everyone.”
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/26/kane-mosser-charges-ice-elgin-police/
The Stoic’s Guide To Life: Ancient Wisdom For Modern Struggles
The Stoic’s Guide To Life: Ancient Wisdom For Modern Struggles
Authored by Duncan Burch via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Epictetus, a Greek Stoic philosopher who flourished during the early second century, said the chief task in life is to separate what is within one’s control from what is not.
“Externals are not in my power; will is in my power,” the famed Stoic said, according to a series of teachings compiled by his student Arrian and known as “The Discourses.” “Where shall I seek the good and the bad? Within, in the things which are my own.”
The philosophy of Stoicism promotes the reliance on reason and logic to determine what is good or virtuous and calls on its adherents not only to make such a determination but to act on it.
Stoic ideas have had a profound effect on Western culture, including in the fields of philosophy, literature, ethics, and even mathematics, and many of the teachings remain popular today.
The word “Stoic” derives from the Greek term “Stoa Poikile,” or “painted portico,” which refers to a colonnade adorned with murals depicting famous battles in the central public hub of ancient Athens. It was along this decorated colonnade that Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism, walked with his students, imparting the tenets of his philosophy.
Born into a merchant family during the reign of Alexander the Great, Zeno initially took up his father’s trade. However, after surviving a shipwreck, he went to Athens, where he discovered teachings by Socrates and decided to devote himself to philosophy.
After studying under several prominent Athenian philosophers, Zeno opened up his own school. He taught regularly in the public marketplace for almost 40 years, until his death around 262 B.C., and his ideas became the foundation of what became known as Stoicism.
Although most of the writings of Zeno and the other early Stoic philosophers did not survive, their ideas had a profound influence on the philosophical discourse of the time, in Athens and beyond.
They became especially popular in the early period of the Roman Empire, where Stoic ideas were often part of the educational curriculum and espoused by prominent statesmen such as Cicero and Seneca, and even by the emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Zeno and other early Stoics were undoubtedly influenced by Socrates, and the philosophy of Stoicism shares certain basic ideas with other philosophers in the Socratic tradition.
The four cardinal virtues taught by the Stoics—prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice—were also discussed in the writings of both Plato and Aristotle. Stoics considered these virtues to be the highest virtues, on which all other virtues depend.
Prudence
“It’s not the accident that distresses this person,” said Epictetus, according to a short manual of practical Stoic ideas compiled by Arrian known as “Enchiridion.” “[It] is the judgement which he makes about it.”
Prudence comes from the Latin word “prudentia,” meaning foresight or sagacity. It is described by Stoics as the ability to discipline one’s thoughts and actions through the use of reason.
Stoics taught that each individual has the potential to think and act in accordance with the divine reason of the universe by employing the portion of reason that resides in his or her own mind. By applying the intellect to the impressions created by the universe, one can make logical judgments concerning what is good or virtuous and what is not.
One of the main themes of Stoic philosophy is distinguishing between external factors that one can’t control and internal factors that one can. While many things that occur in the world are beyond our control, what we can control are our thoughts, actions, and reactions.
Fortitude
Roman statesman Seneca, who faced his death at the order of Roman emperor Nero with Stoic calmness, had written in one of his letters: “He who has learned to die has unlearned slavery; he is above any external power, or, at any rate, he is beyond it. What terrors have prisons and bonds and bars for him?”
Fortitude refers not only to patience and endurance, but also to courage and bravery. Stoics pointed to the importance of forbearance, of calmly enduring those things in life that cause pain and suffering, and of accepting those things as part of the world in which we live.
Suffering is an inevitable part of human existence. Though we can’t stop or prevent it, we can control how we react to it. To consider it reasonably and bear it nobly is wisdom.
Yet it is not only suffering that must be faced with courage, but also fear. Whether the fear of battle, loss, poverty, or even death, Stoics believe that it should be overcome with reason and faced with bravery.
Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (121–180) is known for his “Meditations.” Biba Kayewich
According to his student Arrian in “Enchiridion,” Epictetus said, “I must die. If now, I am ready to die. If, after a short time, I now dine because it is the dinner-hour; after this I will then die. How? Like a man who gives up what belongs to another.”
Another theme that recurs frequently in Stoic writings is that of acting in accordance with one’s beliefs. It is not enough to merely attain wisdom; one must act in a manner that conforms to the wisdom one has attained. This is especially true when those actions might bring trouble, condemnation, or even death, as a violation of one’s conscience is worse than all of those.
Temperance
Temperance means self-control or self-restraint, and it was often used by Stoics to refer to guarding against both the indulgence in pleasure and the avoidance of pain.
The early Stoic philosopher Chrysippus described passion, or strong emotions, as a misleading force resulting from a failure to reason. In his treatise “On Passions,” Chrysippus identified the four primary passions to guard against: sorrow, pleasure, fear, and desire.
He referred to sorrow and pleasure as present emotions, while identifying fear and desire as emotions directed at the future. In all cases, he believed these emotions should be constrained by reason whenever they appear in one’s mind.
Stoics did not believe in seeking pleasure, nor in pursuing wealth, fame, or status. They also did not advise avoiding hardship or shying away from difficult, unpleasant, or uncomfortable tasks. They believed in using reason to determine what is right, and in acting on that determination regardless of whatever emotions may arise.
Justice
Cicero, who wrote extensively on Stoic ideas in “On Duties,” deemed justice as “the crowning glory of the virtues” and its primary duty to “keep one man from doing harm to another.”
He said that justice constitutes the common bond of human society and of a virtuous community of life. The Stoic virtue of justice is based on acting in accordance with the highest good.
In other words, justice compels each person to conscientiously perform whatever duties fall to them, and it requires doing what is best for the community in which one lives. Thinking and acting with justice means fulfilling your duties to your fellow man, whatever they may be.
Justice, then, to the Stoic, is not some external system of punishment and reward, but rather a way of thinking and acting.
“Neither the senate nor the people can give us any dispensation for not obeying this universal law of justice,” Cicero wrote in “Treatise on the Commonwealth.” “It needs no other expositor and interpreter than our own conscience.”
Enduring Value of Stoic Virtues
These four cardinal virtues of Stoicism—prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice—are interdependent.
Courage without prudence or temperance, or for purely selfish means, is not true courage, and neither is wisdom of any value without the fortitude to act on it. And of course, temperance, prudence, and fortitude are all necessary components of acting in service of the highest good, which is justice.
The virtues of Stoicism still provide guidance to the people living in modern society. The fact that this ancient philosophy has endured throughout the centuries and continues to inspire people around the world is a testament to its inherent value.
“The true felicity of life is to be free from perturbations, to understand our duties towards God and man, [and] to enjoy the present without any anxious dependence upon the future,” Seneca wrote in “Seneca’s Morals of a Happy Life, Benefits, Anger and Clemency.”
“[Rest] satisfied with what we have, which is abundantly sufficient; for he that is so, wants nothing,” he continued. “The great blessings of mankind are within us, and within our reach.”
Tyler Durden
Fri, 12/26/2025 – 20:30
https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/stoics-guide-life-ancient-wisdom-modern-struggles
Chinese Cargo Ship Converted Into Concealable Missile Destroyer
Chinese Cargo Ship Converted Into Concealable Missile Destroyer
Concealing missile and rocket artillery launchers, as well as loitering munition swarms, within civilian-style transport platforms such as container ships and commercial trucks is a long-established and well-documented tactic in asymmetric warfare.
Over the years, we have observed a wide range of these concealable missile systems:
Watch: Hellfire Missile Launcher Hidden Inside Civilian Box Truck
Ukraine Receives Missile System Disguised As “Ordinary” Shipping Container
There Are Growing Fears That China Could Be Hiding Missiles In Containerships Worldwide
Ukrainian Drone Swarm Attack Marks Grim “Inflection Point In History Of Warfare”
The latest example comes from a report published earlier this week by The War Zone, which documents a Chinese commercial cargo ship converted into a heavily armed vessel equipped with containerized weapons and high-tech sensors.
“It appears we are getting at least one installment of this in the form of a medium-sized cargo ship packed full of containerized vertical launchers, along with sensors and self defense systems,” TWZ’s Tyler Rogoway wrote in a note, adding, “The message is clear, China is making it known that it could, and likely will, turn ships from its behemoth of a commercial fleet into not just shooters, but arsenal ships.”
Rogoway noted that one of the most striking features is a deck covered with containerized vertical-launch system modules, providing an estimated 60 large launch cells, approximately two-thirds of the missile capacity of a U.S. Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer. This suggests that the vessel will serve as a multi-operational platform.
One factor that does make me wonder if this whole thing is real, however, is the text on the containers…
If one is able to read Chinese, the text is rather… amusing, for proper PLA projects. https://t.co/gmv3z2Pf1A pic.twitter.com/H6eq5kgDc8
— Rick Joe (@RickJoe_PLA) December 25, 2025
We have long pointed out that weaponized container ships constitute a credible asymmetric threat…
… with Beijing reportedly wargaming scenarios in the Caribbean theater amid elevated tensions over President Trump’s gunboat diplomacy aimed at destabilizing the Venezuelan and Cuban regimes, the big question is how many such ships China has already outfitted with VLS modules.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 12/26/2025 – 20:00
https://www.zerohedge.com/military/chinese-cargo-ship-converted-concealable-missile-destroyer
With top draft pick in play, Las Vegas Raiders to sit banged-up DE Maxx Crosby for game vs. New York Giants
HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders have decided to bench defensive end Maxx Crosby for Sunday’s home game against the New York Giants in a matchup of teams with the NFL’s worst records.
The loser has the inside track to the No. 1 draft pick, and the Raiders will be resting other key players this week.
Tight end Brock Bowers (knee) and safety Jeremy Chinn (back) were placed on season-ending injured reserve Wednesday. Bowers is a two-time Pro Bowl selection who earned first-team All-Pro honors last season.
Crosby has a knee injury that has led to him missing numerous practices this season, but he has started every game. Crosby left the team facility after the Raiders informed him of the decision.
“After an evaluation we did Monday or Tuesday, it just looks too bad,” coach Pete Carroll said Friday. “He didn’t want to take the news like that and I didn’t want to take the news like that, so we worked our way through to get to this point. He’s been practicing on Fridays. If we had let him, he would’ve gone out there and he would not have hesitated, but he knows that he’s banged up.”
Carroll said he expected Crosby’s negative reaction to the decision.
“He’s been fighting his (butt) off the whole time,” Carroll said. “He’s as good a competitor as you can be. You can’t battle more than he’s battled. He’d do anything to be able to be playing.”
Carroll said he didn’t know if Crosby would return next week for the season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs but acknowledged it was possible that Crosby would miss that game too.
The Raiders and Giants each head into their meeting with 2-13 records. The Raiders could use the top pick on a quarterback, such as Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, in hopes of addressing a longtime need for an organization that has gone more than two decades without a playoff victory.
Crosby is one of the league’s top pass rushers. He has 10 sacks and a career-high 28 tackles for a loss this season. Crosby has recorded double-digit sacks three of the past four seasons.
Crosby made clear earlier this week that winning was more important than getting the top draft selection.
“I don’t give a (expletive) about the pick,” Crosby said at the time. “I don’t play for that. That’s not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world, and that’s what I focus on every day and being a great leader and being an influence and on being that guy on a consistent basis for my team. The front office, the coaches, they do that.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/26/las-vegas-raiders-maxx-crosby-out/
Washington’s National Security Strategy Sends Mixed Signals To India
Washington’s National Security Strategy Sends Mixed Signals To India
Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack,
The worsening of Indo-US ties under Trump 2.0 has been one of the most unexpected foreign policy outcomes of his second presidency thus far, which this analysis here argues is due to him wanting to punish India for refusing to subordinate itself to the US.
Pakistani-US ties have inversely strengthened despite being very troubled under Trump 1.0, so much so that there’s been talk about Pakistan giving the US a commercial port for re-establishing its regional presence, which could have dual military purposes.
This background explains why Trump 2.0’s new National Security Strategy (NSS) was such a surprise for South Asian observers. Pakistan is only mentioned once and just in the context of Trump’s contentious boast of brokering a ceasefire between it and India even though Pakistan has been the centerpiece of this second administration’s regional policy up till this point. India is mentioned three other times in the document, however, with the next one pertaining to the Quad.
In their words, “We must continue to improve commercial (and other) relations with India to encourage New Delhi to contribute to Indo-Pacific security, including through continued quadrilateral cooperation with Australia, Japan, and the United States (‘the Quad’).”
They then proposed that “America should similarly enlist our European and Asian allies and partners, including India, to cement and improve our joint positions in the Western Hemisphere and, with regard to critical minerals, in Africa.”
In connection with that, “We should form coalitions that use our comparative advantages in finance and technology to build export markets with cooperating countries. America’s economic partners should no longer expect to earn income from the United States through overcapacity and structural imbalances but instead pursue growth through managed cooperation tied to strategic alignment and by receiving long-term U.S. investment.”
This can be interpreted as an allusion to India’s allegedly “unfair” trade practices.
The final reference was about “keep[ing] [South China Sea] lanes open, free of ‘tolls,’ and not subject to arbitrary closure by one country. This will require not just further investment in our military—especially naval—capabilities, but also strong cooperation with every nation that stands to suffer, from India to Japan and beyond, if this problem is not addressed.” In other words, building upon the second Quad-related reference, the US wants India playing a more active military role in the South China Sea.
Putting it all together, the US’ NSS sends mixed signals to India.
On the one hand, Pakistan’s conspicuous omission except in the context of Trump’s boast about brokering spring’s ceasefire should please India, provided that it believes that this presages a policy recalibration.
On the other hand, this is apparently conditional on India ramping up cooperation with the Quad, cooperating with the US on African mineral deals, opening its markets to more US exports, and containing China in the South China Sea.
Joint projects in third countries are possible as is India’s lowering of tariffs on US imports, but the Quad’s role has been overshadowed by AUKUS (and its informal NATO-like expansion of AUKUS+), while the incipient Sino-Indo rapprochement makes India reluctant to contain China outside of South Asia.
If the US’ attaches security strings to improving ties with India, particularly if it demands that India contain China in the South China Sea, then India will likely decline this proposal to avoid becoming the US’ proxy.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 12/26/2025 – 19:30
Revised Naperville Riverwalk 2031 plan removes overlook, adds south bank improvements
One major project has been removed from the Naperville Riverwalk 2031 Master Plan while another project has been added.
It is the latest update in the city’s years-long push to improve the DuPage River walkway in time for its 50th anniversary — and the city’s 200th — in 2031. There are a dozen projects the city plans to tackle as part of the plan, including such things as new path sections and ecological riverbank restoration.
Some of those projects, like the Paddleboat Quarry overlooks and the revamped Eagle Street Gateway, have already been completed.
However, an artist’s overlook, which was part of the original 2031 master plan, was taken out off the updated plan due to concerns about “project benefits and feasibility,” according to a memo written by Naperville Deputy City Engineer Andy Hynes.
Concerns around permitting for the project and a lack of interest in the overlook contributed to its removal, according to Jan Erickson, chair of the Naperville Riverwalk Commission.
“The whole idea originally came from one of our student commissioners, and we had a couple of folks on the commission at that point in time that were focused on the arts,” Erickson said.
Initially, the overlook was to be built along the east extension of the Riverwalk and include permanent easels for people of all skill levels to use. Early estimates for the addition put the cost at somewhere between $121,600 to $173,700.
But as commissioners talked more with Naperville residents about the ideas included in the master plan, there appeared to be little interest in the overlook.
This conceptual illustration shows proposed improvements to the Naperville Riverwalk’s Eagle Street south bank that have been added to Riverwalk 2031 Master Plan. (Riverwalk 2031 Master Plan)
“They talk about some of the other projects, but that one is really rarely mentioned, so you kind of get the idea that, well, maybe that’s something that we shouldn’t be doing,” Erickson said.
Beyond the cost was the fact that the overlook was to extend into the waterway, which would have required special permitting from DuPage County.
“There’s different kinds of permitting that has to happen through the county for stormwater conveyance and other kinds of things like that,” Erickson said. The time needed to go through the permitting process and the cost involved did not make the project worth it, she said.
Furthermore, while the artist’s overlook would have contributed to the overall appearance and hospitality of the Riverwalk, it would have had little impact on improving the ecology of the area, she said.
Instead, a new project has been conceived, spurred by the construction of the now revamped Eagle Street Gateway. Improvements are being proposed for the south bank of the river west of Eagle Street, located across from the gateway.
One of the original sections constructed for the Riverwalk in the 1980s, the 361-linear-foot walkway has an upper and lower levels. The upper portion provides views of the Landforms sculpture, Paddleboat Quarry, Millennium Carillon, Farmers Plaza and the Cliff Preston Memorial, according to the updated master plan.
“There was conversation about the new Eagle Street Gateway … and thinking in terms of people really having the opportunity to sit and enjoy the space looking south across the river toward the large quarry. And right now that particular stretch of the Riverwalk is not in great shape,” Erickson said.
The lower walkway, in particular, is in poor condition, lacking “barrier-free connectivity,” the master plan said. It should be updated to “ensure proper width and slope for safety and ADA purposes,” the plan said.
It’s also not completely accessible to the public, with a ramp that connects the lower walkway and the upper walkway ending in steps.
“If we can redo that lower walkway, add a real ramp that makes it completely accessible, it will become more stable, we can remove some of the invasive plantings that are between the lower walkway and the upper walkway, making it more lovely and feasible,” Erickson said.
Costs for the new project proposal are currently unknown.
This map shows the footprint of a park planned for 430 S. Washington St. as part of the Riverwalk 2031 Master Plan. It will serve as a gateway to downtown Naperville and North Central College. (Riverwalk 2031 Master Plan)
“There are about five or six different things that we consider when looking at a project: maintain or improve ecology and habitat, complete connectivity gaps, increase or expand capacity, make sure that it’s safe and accessible with hospitality and the appearance of what the Riverwalk currently is,” she said. “The new project hits all of those.”
Also slated for next year is construction on the South Gateway project, according to the Riverwalk plan.
The South Gateway project would improve a largely unused 1.8-acre segment along the southern end of walkway, allowing people to go from Edward Hospital’s campus across a new pedestrian bridge over an existing drainage channel near Martin Avenue, along the river and under the Hillside Road bridge.
Project estimates put the cost at about $5.15 million, up from a prior estimate of $3 million.
Construction on the park space at 430 S. Washington St. near Burger King is also scheduled for completion in 2026. The park addition, with a projected $2.25 million price tag, will serve as a gateway to downtown and North Central College, the updated master plan said.
cstein@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/26/naperville-riverwalk-2031-plan-overlook-south-bank/
Property tax workaround will distribute some money to local taxing bodies
Cook County taxing bodies that have waited months to get their cut of property tax revenues will receive a partial payment in the coming days, Treasurer Maria Pappas announced late Friday.
Schools, libraries, villages and park districts have been waiting for their share of revenue from taxpayers’ bills for months. Thanks to a rocky uptake of a new technology system that handles data between property tax offices, that distribution process has been doubly delayed: first when bills went out late and then again as county officials struggled with their “distribution” system to correctly apportion the $8 billion in collected dollars out to the county’s hundreds of districts after bills were paid.
Pappas’ staff worked over the holiday to build a stopgap solution to get those districts about 20% of their money via ACH, or automated clearing house transaction, according to a release. About $2.3 billion will be distributed from the county straight into about 500 taxing bodies’ accounts, according to Pappas’ office.
School districts that rely almost entirely on property tax revenue to operate have complained they have thrown money away on interest and administrative costs from borrowing or from cashing out other investments that would otherwise accrue interest in order to manage their cash flow. Without their distributions, those interests costs would continue growing.
The stopgap measure won’t replace the latest system fix, part of a roughly decade-long upgrade the county undertook with Texas-based vendor Tyler Technologies. Authorities will have to go through a true-up process after that fix is in to make sure final distributions are correct.
Problems have spanned across and between Tyler and the county’s main property tax offices — the clerk, treasurer, and assessor — over the years. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s office doesn’t have a statutory role in the property tax system, but her Bureau of Technology maintains the mainframe computers that hold decades of property tax data and has often served as referee.
Mark Hawkins, rear, president of the Tyler Technologies’ Property and Recording Division, listens as Cook County Chief Information Officer Tom Lynch addresses a meeting of the Cook County Board’s technology committee at the County Building in Chicago on April 9, 2025. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
The latest error cropped up when officials discovered Tyler had not been given the correct file to run their tests. Pappas last week blamed the Bureau of Technology, which originally maintained the data on the old system, and faulted Tyler’s past failures in a Friday release. Preckwinkle’s office said it functions essentially as a waiter and provide what’s asked. The problem “was the responsibility of the Treasurer, and no other office,” Preckwinkle’s office said in a statement.
As of Monday, there were about a dozen problems still to fix related to distributions on the county’s property tax tracker. Other fixes are still needed to handle refunds and certificates of error.
“It’s my hope that we will be able to distribute the remaining funds collected through Tyler’s system,” Pappas said in the release. “But if not, I will do whatever is necessary to get the taxing districts the money they so desperately need.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/26/cook-county-property-tax-schools/
Federal Judge Rules California Can’t Hide Child Gender Swaps From Parents
Federal Judge Rules California Can’t Hide Child Gender Swaps From Parents
A federal judge on Monday issued a permanent injunction – ruling that California can’t prevent parents from learning when their children switch genders.
US District Court Roger T. Benitez (Bush) entered the injunction barring officials from enforcing state policies, writing in in a 52-page decision “The State’s desire to protect vulnerable children from harassment and discrimination is laudable,” but that “the parental exclusion policies create a trifecta of harm: they harm the child who needs parental guidance and possibly mental health intervention to determine if the incongruence is organic or whether it is the result of bullying, peer pressure, or a fleeting impulse.”
“They harm the parents by depriving them of the long-recognized Fourteenth Amendment right to care, guide, and make health care decisions for their children, and by substantially burdening many parents’ First Amendment right to train their children in their sincerely held religious beliefs And finally, they harm teachers who are compelled to violate the sincerely held beliefs and the parent’s rights by forcing them to conceal information they feel is critical for the welfare of their students,” the decision continues.
Among California’s policies are rules prohibiting teachers from telling parents when their children begin going by a different name and/or gender, and forces teachers to use the child’s chosen names and pronouns when parents are not around. (Homeschooling FTW).
Lawyers for the state argued that the policies provide a safe learning environment such that children “can learn without fear of being outed to their parents before they are ready.”
In his ruling, Benitez said that the state’s interest is too broad and not narrowly tailored to respect parental rights.
“In articulating their interest, the State Defendants completely ignore the fact that parents of students possess a free exercise right to direct a child’s religious teaching,” he said.
As the Epoch Times notes further, the permanent injunction includes language that bars any employee in California’s education system from “misleading the parent or guardian of a minor child in the education system about their child’s gender presentation at school, whether by: (i) directly lying to the parent; (ii) preventing the parent from accessing educational records of the child; or (iii) using a different set of preferred pronouns/names when speaking with the parents than is being used at school.”
Attorneys for the Thomas More Society, who are representing teachers in the case, celebrated the ruling.
“The Court’s comprehensive ruling—granting summary judgment on all claims—protects all California parents, students, and teachers, and it restores sanity and common sense,” Paul Jonna, special counsel at the society, said in a statement.
“With this decisive ruling from Judge Benitez, all state and local school officials that mandate gender secrecy policies should cease all enforcement or face severe legal consequences.”
The Office of the California Attorney General has not yet released a statement on the decision, and an email seeking comment was not returned by publication time.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 12/26/2025 – 19:00
