Category: News
When ‘every penny counts,’ Naperville’s Restaurant Week is important, business owners say
Winter months are tough for Mesón Sabika, its owner says.
In the winter, the restaurant — a 36-year fixture in downtown Naperville — cannot use its outdoor patio space. There are fewer weddings and parties. The holiday season is over, and people are watching their pennies and less inclined to venture out when it’s cold.
But in some ways, Restaurant Week is a celebratory event, Hossein Jamali says.
For Mesón Sabika, the volume of business during Restaurant Week, which this year started Friday and runs through Feb. 8, tends to go up 20% to 30%, Jamali said. It’s not always enough to make a huge profit, but it does help them stay afloat financially during the slow months.
“We are accustomed to not expecting to have a profit in January, February and March,” Jamali said, noting that the promotion helps reduce their losses by 2% to 3%. “The impact, I don’t want to say it’s minimal, but every penny counts, so it definitely helps to have Restaurant Week compared to not having it at all.”
Local businesses participating in Restaurant Week, which started in 2014, offer discounts and special prix fixe menus as customer incentives. Not only does it bring in more patrons, it’s good way for restaurants to introduce themselves to new clientele and showcase what they have to offer, owners say.
The inside of Lennon’s at 16 W. Jefferson Avenue on Aug. 8, 2025. Lennon’s is one of the 61 restaurants participating in Naperville Restaurant Week.
The Restaurant Week concept was introduced in New York City in July 1992, when restauranteurs Joe Baum and Tim Zagat came up with a special four-day event to attract people in town for that year’s Democratic National Convention by offering discounted or prix fixe lunches.
“Frankly, we thought it would be a short-term money loser but have long-term PR benefit for New York and the restaurant industry,” Zagat wrote in The Atlantic magazine in 2010.
Now, more than 30 years later, the event has become a widespread tradition in many cities across the country, and the “week” sometimes stretches beyond seven days. In Naperville, 61 restaurants will be offering deals for a two-week period.
For those who seek out Restaurant Week promotions, what Naperville has to offer is attractive because it has one of the strongest food scenes in the suburbs. According to a 2025 report by Melaniphy and Associates, since 2017 the city has consistently ranked second only to Chicago in dining and drinking sales.
“Restaurant Week has helped the city develop a food culture that makes us attractive for diners and restaurant operators,” said Monica Conners, president of the Naperville Development Partnership.
Aidan Brynes serves a meal to Len and Bobbi Pawlowski in 2021 at Fiammé. Will Cullen, whose restaurant group owns Fiammé, said that the prix fixe menu and special discounts during Restaurant Week entice people in Naperville to dine at local businesses during the winter months, which is generally a slower period for the restaurant industry. (Naperville Sun file photo)
Will Cullen, owner of the Empire Restaurant Group, said that one of the main appeals of Restaurant Week is the value that comes with the deals.
“It’s not a huge revenue driver, but it’s better than not participating in it,” said Will Cullen, owner of Empire Restaurant Group. “And it gives people, local residents a reason to kind of stay local, spend money local and kind of keep supporting not only the businesses, but the employees there that are working downtown.”
Empire Restaurant Group has participated in the event every year since being established nearly 10 years ago. In general, 10% of Restaurant Week customers have never dined at one of Empire’s businesses, which includes Fiammé, Empire Burgers + Brew and The George, Cullen said.
“The risks are you’re making a little less on some of those items that you’re putting on your Restaurant Week (menu),” he said. “But the upside outweighs those risks of rising costs on some of that stuff because, again, you’re exposing (your business to) what could be new customers.”
That’s the appeal as well for Jeff Chiang, owner of Wild Tuna Sushi and Grill. His restaurant, which has been in Naperville for 20 years, usually sees about a 20% dip in business during the winter months, he said. Last year was the first time his business participated in the promotion.
Jeff Chiang, owner of Wild Tuna Sushi and Grill, decided to serve an omakase menu for the first time during Naperville Restaurant Week this year. (Steve Metsch/Naperville Sun)
“We did see an uptick in business for sure,” Chiang said. “We had people wanting to try us and especially with (our) prix fixe deal last year, so I felt like it enticed people to come out.”
While it was not huge, his restaurant did fill an extra five or six tables a night during event, he said.
“The ultimate goal is to get repeat customers (and) we did see some people come back even after Restaurant Week, so that’s always a plus,” Chiang said.
This year he’s trying something he’s never done before: an omakase menu.
An omakase menu is one in which the chef chooses what is served rather than the patron selecting from a list or menu. It’s a way to showcase the depth of what his restaurant has to offer, Chiang said.
Chef Luis Alvarez cooks in the kitchen at Lennon’s on Aug. 23, 2025. (Lennon’s)
“We’re not just your boring, old sushi restaurant,” he said. “We can do some creative things too.”
It was a daunting task at first because he was uncertain about what ingredients he wanted to use and whether diners would be interested in it, he said.
“I don’t know any sushi restaurant in Naperville that does an omakase menu so we didn’t know how people would react. But it’s been pretty positive,” Chiang said, noting that as of Thursday afternoon, he had 15 bookings for it.
For new restaurants, any sort of marketing or exposure is critical, and Restaurant Week is one way to help get the word out.
“As a new restaurant, obviously we want to get as much exposure as we possibly can,” said Jeremy Stolberg, owner of Lennon’s, which opened in August. He’s excited to launch Lennon’s full-time lunch menu alongside the special prix fixe dinner and lunch options, he said.
“We are opening now for lunch and decided to have that coincide with Restaurant Week because hopefully there’s a little bit more traffic,” Stolberg said. “Another reason for people to come out, another reason for people to come here.”
cstein@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/24/restaurant-week-naperville-profit-exposure/
DHS Says 5-Year-Old Was “Abandoned” By Parents During ICE Operation In Minnesota
DHS Says 5-Year-Old Was “Abandoned” By Parents During ICE Operation In Minnesota
Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times,
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Jan. 23 refuted reports that ICE agents detained a 5-year-old boy in Minnesota, saying the child was abandoned by his parents during an immigration enforcement operation.
Columbia Heights Public School District had previously said that 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was taken into custody along with his father while in their driveway on Jan. 20. School officials said an ICE agent asked the child to knock on the door to see if there was anyone inside.
DHS on Friday provided details on the situation and said the primary concern of its officers was the child’s safety and welfare.
“ICE did NOT target, arrest a child or use a child as ‘bait.’ ICE law enforcement officers were the only people primarily concerned with the welfare of this child,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said on X.
McLaughlin said federal agents conducted a targeted operation to arrest the child’s father, identified as Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, an illegal immigrant from Ecuador, but he fled and abandoned his child.
For safety reasons, one ICE agent remained with the child while other officers apprehended Conejo Arias, according to McLaughlin.
McLaughlin added that officers had tried to ask the “alleged mother,” who was inside the house, to take custody of the child and assured her she would not be taken into custody, but she refused.
“During this situation, agitators swarmed the scene and began yelling and blowing horns, scaring the child,” McLaughlin said.
“Following the mother’s abandonment of the child, officers abided by the father’s wishes to keep the child with him and even got the child McDonald’s and played his favorite music. Father and son are together at Dilley,” she added.
According to McLaughlin, parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will arrange for the children to be placed with a safe person the parent designates.
The move, she said, aligns with how the former administration conducted immigration enforcement.
Zena Stenvik, superintendent of the Columbia Heights Public School District, told a press conference that another adult living in the home, who was outside during the encounter, had begged the agents to let them take care of the child, but was denied.
“Instead, the agent took the child out of the still-running vehicle, led him to the door, and directed him to knock on the door, asking to be let in, in order to see if anyone else was home—essentially using a 5-year-old as bait,” Stenvik said.
Stenvik said Liam’s middle-school brother came home 20 minutes later to find both his father and brother missing. Two school principals from the district came to the house to offer support to the family.
The superintendent said that four students from the district, including Liam, have been apprehended by ICE so far.
The operation in Minnesota is part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement targeting illegal immigrants.
As of Jan. 19, ICE has arrested 10,000 criminal illegal immigrants, many of whom were “killing Americans, hurting children, and reigning terror in Minneapolis,” according to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 01/24/2026 – 12:50
Shockwaves In Beijing: Xi Targets His Own Top General, Longtime Confidant, In Elite Purge
Shockwaves In Beijing: Xi Targets His Own Top General, Longtime Confidant, In Elite Purge
Another significant military purge appears underway in China, as Saturday morning the West woke up to news that China’s most senior military officer, who is second only to Xi Jinping, has been put under investigation over alleged “grave violations of discipline and the law.”
Gen. Zhang Youxia is a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, the Communist Party body that controls China’s armed forces, and this comes as somewhat of a major shock given he is widely regarded as President Xi’s closest ally within the military – or at least prior to this.
Another member of the commission, Gen. Liu Zhenli, has also been placed under investigation, according to the Defense Ministry on the same day. He’s in charge of the PLA military’s Joint Staff Department.
No further details have been given regarding the accusations against General Zhang Youxia, but such language is often presented in such crackdowns as a euphemism for corruption.
Xi has described corruption as “the biggest threat” to the Communist Party, having previously several times warned that the struggle against it “remains grave and complex.” But critics as well as Western observers say this has served as a convenient and public PR mechanism for sidelining political rivals, and strengthening Xi’s power and hold on the levers of power.
The Wall Street Journal’s Jonathan Cheng says that General Zhang’s downfall is surprising as not only has he known Xi for decades, but is the “most senior member of military hierarchy to face dismissal since fallout of 1989 Tiananmen protests.”
And a former Central Intelligence Agency analyst who follows Chinese elite politics, Christopher K. Johnson, tells the NY Times on Saturday, “This move is unprecedented in the history of the Chinese military and represents the total annihilation of the high command.”
Chinese social media rumors: Previously, on the evening of January 21, there were online rumors that Zhang Youxia’s suspected residence in Beijing was surrounded by plainclothes officers.
The rumors and speculation were rampant over the last several days, triggered by a conspicuous absence at a high-profile military event where Xi gave an address:
Two of China’s top generals, Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, apparently did not attend a gathering of all of China’s senior political leaders on Tuesday. Their absence has fired the starting pistol on speculation they have been purged, speculation that will now continue until confirmation or they appear in public.
The event in question was the catchily-titled Study Session for Principal Officials at the Provincial and Ministerial Level on Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. President Xi Jinping attended and gave an opening speech, flanked by all six members of the Politburo Standing Committee as well as the vice president.
Eagle-eyed observers quickly noticed that while the second-ranked Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Shengmin was sat in the audience, Zhang Youxia, who is the first-ranked vice chairman, and Liu Zhenli, who is the only non-ranking member, both appeared to be absent.
This is the latest ‘anti-corruption’ purge action since the October news of the expulsion of nine senior generals, which marked one of the largest such crackdowns of top military officials in decades.
Xi ongoing purge of nearly his entire top military ranks show his total control. Also shows Stalin-like paranoia against any potential rival power bases. This purge reminiscent of Stalin’s bloody purge of Marshal Tukhachevsky and his top Red Army generals, which greatly weakened… https://t.co/EozETHyj8q pic.twitter.com/tXZDlS6vDN
— Politics1.com (@Politics1com) January 24, 2026
Zhang’s political pedigree runs deep: his father was among the founding generals of the Chinese Communist Party. He joined the army in 1968 and is one of the few current senior leaders said to have actual combat experience. Zhang had remained in his post beyond the customary retirement age for military officials, which was understood as a sign Xi’s confidence in him, until now apparently.
Pro-Beijing pundits are offering an alternative take to the Western reporting…
China purging officials who send their spouse and children to live abroad so Western gov can’t use them as leverage pic.twitter.com/yJTSQk9Lvb
— Carl Zha (@CarlZha) January 11, 2026
More to come? It is likely as WSJ’s chief China’s correspondent Lingling Wei describes, “And this is far from the end. With thousands of officers having risen through the ranks under Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, these individuals now recognize they are primary targets for a systemic purge.” She reports that “Mobile devices have been seized across ranks and all units are now on high alert.”
Tyler Durden
Sat, 01/24/2026 – 12:15
Djokovic llega a 400 victorias en Grand Slam y empata récord de Federer en Australia
Por JOHN PYE
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Con 400 victorias en Grand Slam y 102 en Australia, el serbio Novak Djokovic sigue estableciendo récords en el tenis.
El ganador de 24 títulos de major se convirtió en el primer jugador en alcanzar 400 victorias en individuales de Grand Slam cuando venció el sábado por 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) a Botic van de Zandschulp en la tercera ronda del Abierto de Australia.
También mejoró su récord de victorias y derrotas a 102-10 en el Abierto de Australia, igualando la marca de Roger Federer de más victorias en el primer Slam del año.
Djokovic ha ganado el Abierto de Australia un récord de diez veces. A los 38 años, está en Australia con el objetivo de lograr su 25mo título de Grand Slam, lo que lo convertiría en el tenista más condecorado de todos los tiempos.
Estuvo en control desde el principio contra van de Zandschulp y no tuvo problemas, excepto por algunos momentos en el tercer set, cuando tropezó y cayó al suelo en el tercer game, y más tarde cuando enfrentó dos puntos de set en el duodécimo.
Un tiempo muerto médico en el cambio después del tercero, cuando el entrenador le vendó la planta del pie derecho, y un golpe ganador de derecha por la línea resolvieron los dos primeros de esos problemas.
Mientras Djokovic enfrentaba su segundo punto de set, el juez de silla John Blom tuvo que instar a la multitud, repetidamente, a no hacer ruido entre el primer y segundo servicio.
Un animado Djokovic salvó el siguiente punto, fingiendo cabecear la pelota como un jugador de fútbol mientras el tiro del holandés se iba más allá de la línea de fondo.
La multitud coreó “Nole, Nole, Nole” en apoyo antes de que produjera un saque ganador para forzar un desempate, que ganó.
Djokovic estaba contento de jugar un partido nocturno en un día en que se tuvo que invocar la política de calor extremo del torneo y el dos veces campeón defensor Jannik Sinner luchó antes de avanzar en las condiciones de la tarde.
“Logré tener una ‘buena’ caída, si se puede decir así, pude protegerme”, dijo Djokovic sobre la caída. “Las cosas podrían haber sido bastante feas”.
Dijo que su cuerpo se siente bien para esta etapa del torneo, pero no se adelanta demasiado después de llegar a las semifinales en los cuatro grandes torneos el año pasado.
“Debo decir que ha sido un gran comienzo de torneo”, afirmó. “El año pasado aprendí una lección. Me emocioné demasiado pronto en algunos de los Grand Slams… lesionándome en tres de cuatro”.
Sinner y Carlos Alcaraz se repartieron los cuatro grandes torneos entre ellos y, aunque Djokovic concede que “están jugando a un nivel diferente ahora mismo”, añadió: “Todavía estoy tratando de darles a estos jóvenes una carrera por su dinero”.
Con su victoria en la primera ronda sobre Pedro Martínez, Djokovic igualó dos récords históricos del tenis al comenzar su 21mo Abierto de Australia y su 81er evento de Grand Slam. Ahora añadió otro hito con su victoria número 100 en Melbourne Park.
Se convirtió en el primer hombre en ganar 100 o más partidos en tres superficies en los Grand Slams, con sus 102 en césped en Wimbledon y 101 en arcilla en Roland Garros.
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Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Hombre de 51 años baleado por agentes federales en Minneapolis ha fallecido, dice documento de hospital obtenido por AP
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Hombre de 51 años baleado por agentes federales en Minneapolis ha fallecido, dice documento de hospital obtenido por AP.
Bayern Múnich sufre su primera derrota en la Bundesliga al caer 2-1 con el Augsburg
Por CIARÁN FAHEY
BERLÍN (AP) — El mejor equipo de Alemania no es necesariamente el mejor de Baviera.
Bayern Múnich sufrió su primera derrota esta temporada en la Bundesliga al caer el sábado 2-1 en casa ante su rival bávaro, Augsburg, después de que Michael Olise golpeó el travesaño con el último disparo del partido.
Es la primera vez que el Bayern no logra al menos un punto en la liga desde el 8 de marzo del año pasado cuando perdió 2-1 en casa ante Bochum.
Augsburg, que estaba a solo tres puntos de la zona de descenso antes del partido, no había ganado un juego desde principios de diciembre. Y el equipo de Michael Baum tuvo que remontar en Múnich después de que el defensor del Bayern, Hiroki Ito, abriera el marcador con un cabezazo a un córner de Michael Olise a los 23 minutos.
El Bayern desperdició más buenas oportunidades y la primera mitad terminó con Robin Fellhauer golpeando el travesaño para Augsburgo.
Los visitantes presionaron con fuerza para conseguir el empate en la segunda mitad y Arthur Chaves lo logró con la parte trasera de su cabeza a un córner que el portero del Bayern, Jonas Urbig, no pudo alcanzar al 75.
Han-Noah Massengo anotó lo que resultó ser el gol de la victoria seis minutos después cuando Dimitrios Giannoulis avanzó por la izquierda y centró al medio para encontrarlo.
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Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Gobierno de Trump aumenta capacidad de agencia hipotecaria para comprar bonos
Por BRIAN SLODYSKO
WASHINGTON (AP) — El director federal de finanzas de vivienda del presidente Donald Trump, Bill Pulte, otorgó discretamente a los prestamistas respaldados por el gobierno la autoridad para casi duplicar una compra de bonos de 200.000 millones de dólares que Trump ordenó para intentar reducir las tasas hipotecarias, un movimiento que podría introducir un nuevo nivel de riesgo para las empresas.
Un correo electrónico obtenido por The Associated Press, enviado por la Agencia Federal de Financiamiento de la Vivienda a altos funcionarios de Fannie Mae y Freddie Mac, eliminó los límites que prohibían a los prestamistas tener más de 40.000 millones de dólares en bonos hipotecarios cada uno. El correo electrónico del 12 de enero dice que “con efecto inmediato” la nueva cantidad de bonos hipotecarios que podrían mantener en sus carteras se elevó a 225.000 millones de dólares cada uno.
Si los compradores de hipotecas actuaran en toda la extensión de esta nueva autoridad, eso equivaldría a un aumento de aproximadamente 170.000 millones de dólares en compras de bonos sobre lo que el presidente les instruyó comprar. Ni Pulte ni la agencia, conocida como FHFA, abordaron preguntas sobre si Trump o el secretario del Tesoro Scott Bessent fueron consultados antes de que se implementara el aumento.
Los cambios en las reglas de compra efectivamente revierten casi dos décadas de consenso bipartidista que imponía límites después de que el gobierno tuvo que rescatar a Fannie Mae y Freddie Mac tras la crisis financiera de 2008-09, lo que llevó a ambas a ser colocadas bajo una administración conservadora del gobierno.
Antes de que se publicara esta historia, Pulte recurrió a X, calificándola de “noticia falsa”.
“FHFA simplemente dio a cada entidad flexibilidad legal para ir más allá de sus límites anteriores”, escribió Pulte el viernes, agregando que a pesar de la nueva autoridad de compra de bonos de los prestamistas, no “excederían los 200.000 millones de dólares”.
Después de que se publicó la historia, la agencia emitió una declaración adicional diciendo que “Fannie y Freddie no podrán ir más allá de la compra del presidente”.
La Casa Blanca, Fannie Mae y Freddie Mac no respondieron a las solicitudes de comentarios. El Departamento del Tesoro, en un comunicado, dijo que Pulte ha sido “colaborativo y transparente” al trabajar con el departamento. El comunicado no abordó las compras de bonos.
Algunos miembros del Congreso que estuvieron estrechamente involucrados en las secuelas de la crisis financiera han expresado preocupaciones sobre Pulte y el nuevo enfoque de la administración republicana. Dicen que cualquier beneficio de la compra de bonos hipotecarios será efímero a menos que se pueda aumentar la oferta limitada de viviendas. Sin eso, argumentan, cualquier disminución en las tasas de interés solo aumentará los precios de las viviendas a medida que los vendedores se adapten al menor costo de los préstamos aumentando sus precios de venta.
“Esto es solo una cortina de humo para que Trump y Bill Pulte tuiteen al respecto; hará poco, si acaso, para reducir las tasas de interés hipotecarias a largo plazo y plantea preguntas sobre los riesgos aumentados para Fannie y Freddie”, declaró la senadora Elizabeth Warren de Massachusetts, la principal demócrata en el comité bancario del Senado.
Un perfil inusualmente alto
El episodio ofrece el último ejemplo del turbulento mandato de Pulte en una posición típicamente discreta en la burocracia federal.
Pulte, quien también se nombró a sí mismo presidente de Fannie Mae y Freddie Mac, ha utilizado el puesto para cultivar su propio perfil político y encabezó esfuerzos para iniciar investigaciones criminales federales de algunos de los principales antagonistas de Trump.
Pulte fue identificado como una fuerza impulsora detrás de la decisión de la administración de investigar criminalmente al presidente de la Reserva Federal, Jerome Powell, según Bloomberg News, provocando una protesta de algunos prominentes republicanos en el Congreso.
Pulte ha presidido el despido de ejecutivos en Fannie Mae y Freddie Mac, así como de funcionarios de ética en Fannie Mae que lo estaban investigando a él y a sus aliados. También ha presionado a Trump para que respalde ideas políticas que fueron ampliamente criticadas. En noviembre, Pulte convenció a Trump del atractivo de una hipoteca a 50 años como una forma de aumentar la compra y construcción de viviendas, una propuesta que aumentaría drásticamente el precio total de un préstamo.
Fannie Mae fue creada en 1938 como parte del New Deal para apuntalar la industria hipotecaria. El Congreso creó Freddie Mac en 1970 para proporcionar liquidez adicional al mercado de la vivienda. Las instituciones compran la gran mayoría de las hipotecas que los prestamistas emiten a los propietarios, que luego se empaquetan en bonos que se venden a los inversores.
Ambas ahora existen como empresas privadas, pero debido a sus estatutos gubernamentales, están sujetas a regulaciones adicionales y pueden pedir dinero prestado a costos mucho más bajos. Debido a esta afiliación gubernamental, los mercados también reconocen ampliamente los productos financieros que venden como garantizados por el gobierno federal.
Pero existe una tensión entre la misión pública de los prestamistas y su deseo de generar ganancias, lo que a veces ha llevado a ambos a asumir niveles elevados de riesgo, como fue el caso antes de la crisis financiera. Eso llevó a que ambas fueran colocadas bajo una administración conservadora del gobierno.
Como resultado, el gobierno federal obligó a Fannie Mae y Freddie Mac a reducir sus carteras de inversión hipotecaria, que el Tesoro limitó a 450.000 millones de dólares. La FHFA fue más allá, reduciendo gradualmente la cantidad de bonos hipotecarios que podían retener, que se estableció tan bajo como 25.000 millones de dólares a principios de este año, según muestran los registros.
Asumiendo mayores riesgos
Ahora Pulte está supervisando una reversión de eso. Ambos prestamistas todavía están sujetos al límite de 450.000 millones de dólares del Tesoro. Pero con sus nuevos límites otorgados, pueden ajustar sus carteras para adoptar un enfoque mucho más agresivo —y arriesgado— hacia la compra de bonos hipotecarios.
Al principio, Pulte adoptó un enfoque lento. En los últimos meses, la FHFA otorgó a Fannie Mae y Freddie Mac pequeños aumentos en sus capacidades de compra de bonos hipotecarios, que esencialmente sirvieron como una prueba para el anuncio de Trump este mes, según analistas del mercado de la vivienda.
Ahora que ambos prestamistas tienen la autoridad para tomar una posición más grande, podrían usarla para aumentar las ganancias antes de una oferta pública inicial anticipada que permitiría a los inversores comprar participaciones significativas en las empresas. Sin embargo, ninguna de las dos empresas parece tener suficiente efectivo o activos líquidos para realizar una compra de 225.000 millones de dólares, lo que podría requerir asumir deuda, dicen los analistas.
Aunque Pulte sostiene que Fannie Mae y Freddie Mac no comprarían más bonos de los que Trump ordenó, el correo electrónico que su agencia envió a los prestamistas no abordó directamente el tema.
El correo electrónico instruyó a las empresas a aumentar las inversiones en bonos para “ejercer una presión significativa a la baja” sobre las tasas. Ambas empresas fueron dirigidas a presentar planes de compra a la FHFA, pero la agencia también dejó claro que el “inicio de los aumentos” en las compras no requería su aprobación previa.
Los movimientos demuestran hasta qué punto las tasas de interés hipotecarias se han convertido en una responsabilidad política para Trump antes de las elecciones de mitad de período en noviembre, cuando el control republicano del Congreso estará en juego.
Pero el plan, tal como fue anunciado por Trump, ya ha sido criticado por muchos economistas y expertos en políticas de vivienda como un truco considerando el tamaño colosal del mercado hipotecario de 13 billones de dólares.
“Plantea la pregunta de si estamos dejando salir al genio de la botella nuevamente. Eso no sería tan preocupante si el genio no hubiera causado tanto daño la última vez”, dijo Jim Parrott, quien sirvió en el Consejo Económico Nacional durante la presidencia de Barack Obama y lo asesoró en temas de vivienda.
Edward Pinto, miembro residente del Instituto Americano de Empresa, de tendencia conservadora, comparó el anuncio inicial de 200.000 millones de dólares con un “subidón de azúcar”.
“Puede tener un efecto, pero será efímero”, observó Pinto, ex ejecutivo de Fannie Mae. Señaló que mientras el anuncio de Trump redujo brevemente las tasas hipotecarias, estas volvieron a subir después de que Trump amenazó con una toma de control de Groenlandia.
“Es fácil para el gobierno federal cometer un error aquí. Lo han hecho en el pasado”, dijo Pinto.
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El corresponsal Josh Boak contribuyó con esta nota.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Border Patrol Agent Shoots Armed Suspect In Minneapolis
Border Patrol Agent Shoots Armed Suspect In Minneapolis
Weeks after a left-wing legal observer was shot and killed in Minneapolis – and as left-wing nonprofits ignite protests and pressure campaigns against federal officers carrying out immigration enforcement operations in the sanctuary city – reports of another federal agent involved in a shooting have hit social media feeds.
“Multiple law enforcement sources tell me there has just been a Border Patrol involved shooting in Minneapolis near 26th Street & Nicollet Ave. with Border Patrol shooting a person. I’m told the person is “down” and medics are working on them. No details yet on who it was or what led up to the shooting. Working sources and will update when I have more,” Fox News reporter Bill Melugin wrote on X.
BREAKING: Multiple law enforcement sources tell me there has just been a Border Patrol involved shooting in Minneapolis near 26th Street & Nicollet Ave. with Border Patrol shooting a person. I’m told the person is “down” and medics are working on them. No details yet on who it…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 24, 2026
Melugin noted that the Department of Homeland Security told him the suspect was armed with a pistol. The reporter posted an image of what appears to be a Sig Sauer P320, possibly a 9 mm, with a Sig optic on the slide.
BREAKING: DHS tells @FoxNews the suspect was armed with a gun, which has been recovered by federal agents. pic.twitter.com/GLZJMdwIup
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 24, 2026
Citizen journalist Collin Rugg posted footage that appears to show the final moments before the suspect was shot. It appears he was in a struggle with multiple federal agents. About 20 seconds into the video, an apparent gunshot is heard, with the suspect lying on the ground.
JUST IN: There has been a Border Patrol-involved shooting in Minneapolis, according to Fox News’ @BillMelugin_.
The incident reportedly happened from across the street from Glam Doll Donuts near 26th St. and Nicollet Ave.
“I’m told the person is ‘down’ and medics are working on… pic.twitter.com/kVioh8lOTr
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 24, 2026
City of Minneapolis on X responds to the incident:
We are aware of reports of another shooting involving federal law enforcement in the area of 26th Street W and Nicollet Ave. We are working to confirm additional details. We ask the public to remain calm and avoid the immediate area.
— City of Minneapolis (@CityMinneapolis) January 24, 2026
Gov. Walz also responds:
I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening.
The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 24, 2026
*This story is developing. Check back for more updates.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 01/24/2026 – 11:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/border-patrol-agent-shoots-armed-suspect-minneapolis
Trump Says Canada Will Face 100% Tariffs if It “Makes A Deal With China”
Trump Says Canada Will Face 100% Tariffs if It “Makes A Deal With China”
Authored by Omid Ghoreishi via The Epoch Times,
U.S. President Donald Trump says Canadian goods exported to the United States would be hit with 100 percent tariffs if Canada makes a deal with China.
“If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken. China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on the morning of Jan. 24.
“If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The U.S. president wrote the remarks while posting a Jan. 23 article by Just the News titled, “Deal with the Devil: How Canada’s New Partnership With China Could Backfire.”
Trump’s reference to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as “Governor” marks a return to the relations the U.S. president had with Carney’s predecessor, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, using the title to reflect his view that Canada should be part of the United States. Trump had not previously used the title for Carney, saying on several occasions that he likes him, but relations soured after Carney delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, last week in which he levied heavy criticism at the United States.
Prior to arriving in Davos, Carney met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, where he signed a series of agreements that included slashing tariffs on Chinese EV imports from 100 percent to 6.1 percent for the first 49,000 units, in exchange for China cutting tariffs on Canadian canola from 85 percent to 15 percent until at least the end of the year. While in Beijing, Carney said Canada–China relations are entering a “new era,” and that Ottawa’s pursuit of a partnership with China “sets us up well for the new world order.”
The Epoch Times reached out to Carney’s office for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.
Cutting Tariffs on China
Trump had initially shrugged off Carney’s new deal with China, telling reporters on Jan. 16 that, “It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If he can get a deal with China, he should do that.”
But senior members of his cabinet were concerned. U.S. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said Canada will regret the decision to partner with Beijing and allow Chinese EVs into its market. “I love my friends in Canada, but they will live to regret the day they let the Chinese Communist Party flood the market with their EVs!” Duffy said in a Jan. 17 post on X.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC on Jan. 16 that the deal is “problematic for Canada,” and that Washington had imposed tariffs to protect autoworkers. He said that while Canada made the deal to bring relief to agricultural producers, in the “long run, they’re not going to like having made that deal.”
Canada first imposed 100 percent tariffs on Chinese EVs, along with levies on steel and aluminum, in 2024, in lockstep with the United States, which has long been concerned about China dumping products.
Canada’s other deals with China include agreements on energy, public safety, and lumber.
Davos Speeches
In his speech at the WEF in Davos on Jan. 20, Carney criticized U.S. pressure to acquire Greenland, while saying middle powers should band together to resist pressure from major powers. “Great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons, tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited,” he said.
Trump said the next day in his speech at the WEF that Carney “wasn’t so grateful,” adding that Canada “lives because of the United States.”
Carney said in another speech on Jan. 22 in Quebec City, this time to Canadians, that Canada “does not live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”
Later that day, Trump said he is rescinding his invitation to Carney to join the U.S.-led Board of Peace that is going to help rebuild Gaza.
In another Truth Social post on Jan. 23, Trump criticized Ottawa’s position on Greenland and China, saying, “Canada is against The Golden Dome being built over Greenland, even though The Golden Dome would protect Canada. Instead, they voted in favor of doing business with China, who will ‘eat them up’ within the first year!”
Meanwhile, Beijing’s envoy to Ottawa weighed in on the Greenland issue while taking a swipe at the United States, saying this week that Canada and China “see eye to eye” on supporting Greenland’s territorial integrity, according to The Canadian Press.
Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also criticized Carney’s recent comments and deal with China, suggesting that his recent remarks may be related to an upcoming election. He added that Ottawa’s EV deal with Beijing could jeopardize Ottawa’s chances when renegotiating the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement which is set for renewal this year.
“When the USMCA gets renegotiated this year… do you think the president of the United States is going to say you should keep having the second-best deal in the world?” he told Bloomberg on Jan. 22, making the point that Canada’s current trade deal with the United States ranks second after Mexico. Under the USMCA, 85 percent of Canadian goods are exempt from tariffs, while products not compliant with the trilateral deal face 35 percent tariffs. Mexico’s non-USMCA products are subject to 25 percent tariffs.
Carney hasn’t appeared at media press conferences since relations with Trump soured on Jan. 22, cancelling a scheduled press conference at the conclusion of a cabinet meeting in Quebec City on Jan. 23.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, who took questions from the press instead, said Carney couldn’t attend due to a “scheduling issue.”
Carney was asked by reporters about his talks with Trump late on Jan. 22 as he walked to a cabinet meeting. He responded, “Oh, that’s the most boring question. Think of a new one.”
Tyler Durden
Sat, 01/24/2026 – 11:40
Man shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis has died, hospital record shows
MINNEAPOLIS — A 51-year-old man shot Saturday by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis has died, a hospital record obtained by The Associated Press shows.
The person was shot amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, Gov. Tim Walz said. The details surrounding the shooting weren’t immediately clear. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the AP in a text messages that the person had a firearm with two magazines and that the situation was “evolving.”
The shooting happened amid widespread daily protests in the Twin Cities since the Jan. 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good, who was killed when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fired into her vehicle.
Walz, a Democrat, said in a social media post that he had been in contact with the White House after the shooting. He urged President Donald Trump to end what the Department of Homeland Security has called its largest-ever immigration enforcement operation.
“Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now,” Walz said in a post on X.
DHS distributed a photo of a handgun they said was on the person who was shot.
After the shooting, an angry crowd gathered and screamed profanities at federal officers, calling them “cowards” and telling them to go home. One officer responded mockingly as he walked away, telling them: “Boo hoo.” Agents elsewhere shoved a yelling protester into a car.
The shooting happened a day after thousands of demonstrators protesting the crackdown on immigrants crowded the city’s streets in frigid weather, calling for federal law enforcement to leave.
Associated Press writer Jim Mustian contributed from New York.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/24/minneapolis-immigration-shooting/
