Category: News
Bound for IHSFCA Hall of Fame, Lake Forest coach Chuck Spagnoli feels ‘very lucky.’ His impact is real.
Lake Forest football coach Chuck Spagnoli didn’t enter the profession to pursue individual accolades.
Spagnoli has always loved football, and coaching presented an opportunity to remain close to the sport and extend the lessons he learned during his playing days. After more than four decades, he remains as dedicated to his student-athletes as ever.
But the spotlight has found Spagnoli, who will be inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame.
“Something like this is very humbling,” he said. “I’m very lucky. The biggest part of it is that I’ve been fortunate to be around good people for so long who were able to make me look good — and another big part of it is that I’m old.”
Spagnoli, who will be honored at the IHSFCA’s annual Hall of Fame banquet in Champaign on March 28, isn’t wrong. He has coached for a long time and in a wide variety of roles in both high school and college.
Spagnoli first coached in 1984 after he graduated from Illinois State, where he played the last two years of his college career. His first stop came at his alma mater, Niles West, where his former line coach, Bill Richardson, had become the head coach. After four years there, Spagnoli received his first job as a head coach at De La Salle, where he stayed for three seasons.
Spagnoli then coached in college for 12 years. He was the defensive coordinator at Evansville for eight seasons and the offensive coordinator at Carthage for four seasons.
“I think the only real position group that I’ve never coached is wide receiver,” he said. “There are people around you who help forge your philosophy, and you take lessons from some, and some you see maybe how you don’t want to do things.”
One former student-athlete who is uniquely qualified to assess Spagnoli’s coaching style is Rocky Lane, who played for Spagnoli as a quarterback at De La Salle and as a running back at Evansville.
“He’s very prepared, and he knows the game inside and out,” Lane said. “But what stuck with me is how he can motivate a team and his players to do more than is expected. He has a way of getting the most out of his players.”
Lake Forest football coach Chuck Spagnoli watches the action during a North Suburban Conference game against Mundelein in Lake Forest on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (Judy Fidkowski / Pioneer Press)
That’s a hallmark of many of Spagnoli’s teams at Lake Forest, where he has been at the helm since 2003, compiling a 139-101 record, including playoff appearances in 16 of 23 seasons. The 2012 team advanced to the Class 6A state semifinals, while six other teams, most recently in 2024, reached the quarterfinals.
One of Spagnoli’s few teams that didn’t make the playoffs, and the only one not to do so during a 15-year stretch of full seasons, entered 2009 with exceedingly high expectations. A big reason for those hopes was the presence of Notre Dame-bound quarterback Tommy Rees.
But the Scouts stumbled in a season-opening loss to Palatine. Rees threw three interceptions in that game, and after one of them, he threw his helmet to the ground in disgust as he approached the sideline.
Rees, whom the Atlanta Falcons have hired to be offensive coordinator, remembers being summoned to Spagnoli’s office after the team’s bus arrived back at school that day. Spagnoli made abundantly clear, in colorful and direct fashion, that another such behavioral display would result in an irreversible ticket to the bench, regardless of Rees’ pedigree.
“That was the best thing he could have said to me at that moment,” Rees said. “I still think about that because it showed such great perspective on his part. He said that how you handle yourself will resonate with others and that I needed to lead from the front. I’ve now communicated that same message countless times as a coach myself.”
Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, a former Lake Forest star, communicates with players before a game against the San Francisco 49ers in Cleveland on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (Sue Ogrocki / AP)
Missing from that exchange was any mention of on-field performance, and that was intentional. It had more to do with the culture that Spagnoli sought to build at Lake Forest. He wanted teams to play hard-nosed, gritty football in an environment where everyone feels like they’re part of an extended family.
Former Lake Forest linebacker Mac Uihlein, a 2026 NFL draft prospect after five seasons at Northwestern, fondly recalls another simple but unforgettable tradition. The team would gather before practice, and Spagnoli would ask the birthday boy whether he had anything to say. The player would respond that it was his birthday, resulting in a rapturous ovation and a special invitation from Spagnoli.
“He would say, ‘Go get yourself a Gatorade milkshake,’” Uihlein said. “A lot of times the bottles were expired, but it was a great gesture, and we had so much fun with it.
“We had a lot of great wins and playoff games, but a lot of what you remember are the guys and the experiences that coach helped facilitate.”
Another example is the annual preseason trip to Parkside in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It includes several practices, a session-ending scrimmage and a Sunday barbecue that families attend before they bring their kids home.
“Even after my experience in college, one of my biggest takeaways from high school was how close our locker room was,” Uihlein said. “The main reason was that coach did such a good job building an environment where 60, 70 or 80 guys banded together to become best friends.”
Lake Forest football coach Chuck Spagnoli, center, talks with his players during a practice on the west campus on Tuesday, June 30, 2015. (Mark Ukena / News-Sun)
That didn’t happen by accident, and it undoubtedly made a difference on the field. But Spagnoli can’t help but credit everyone else for the success that has led him to the IHSFCA Hall of Fame.
“I did not earn this,” he said. “We have such great support from families in our community. I have gotten so much more out of this job than I’ve given.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
“The Expansion Has Cooled”: US Manufacturing, Service PMIs Both Miss, Signal 1.5% GDP Growth
“The Expansion Has Cooled”: US Manufacturing, Service PMIs Both Miss, Signal 1.5% GDP Growth
With global PMIs today printing on the softer side (especially in France where the service PMI tumbled to 47.9 on expectations of a 50.3 print), moments ago it was the US’ turn to join the parade of soggy prints. Here is what S&P Global reported for the January Prelim PMIs:
Manufacturing PMI: 51.9, up from 51.8 in Dec, but missing estimates of 52.0
Services PMI: 52.5, unchanged from December’s 52.5, and also missing estimates of 52.9
Composite PMI Output Index: 52.8, up from December’s 52.7), and also missing estimates of 53.0
While US business activity growth ticked higher in January, it remaining subdued compared to the typical rate of expansion seen in the second half of 2025, according to the PMI report. Manufacturing growth accelerated to outpace that of services, but the January survey brought further signs that underlying order book growth has softened in both sectors recently, led by falling exports. Job numbers consequently remained little changed in January.
Curiously, when taking a closer look at the data, we find improvement across both employment and inflation:
Employment rose in January following a similarly weak increase reported in December. The near-stalled job market reflected concerns from companies over rising costs and softer sales growth in recent months. Only a marginal rise in payroll numbers was reported across the service sector while manufacturing jobs growth weakened to a sixmonth low. Some companies also continued to report difficulties finding staff, often struggling to fill vacancies and meet demand. These capacity issues contributed to the largest rise in backlogs of work since last August, albeit largely confined to the service sector.
Also, so much for inflation: input costs moderated from December’s seven-month high to sit at the weakest since last April. The moderation reflecting a cooling of input cost inflation in the service sector, as manufacturing input prices rose at the fastest pace since last September, once again widely blamed on tariffs.
Commenting on the report, S&P GMI chief economist, Chris Williamson, said that “The flash PMI brought news of sustained economic growth at the start of the year, but there are further signs that the rate of expansion has cooled over the turn of the new year compared to the hotter pace indicated back in the fall.”
“The survey is signalling annualized GDP growth of 1.5% for both December and January, and a worryingly subdued rate of new business growth across both manufacturing and services adds further to signs that first quarter growth could disappoint.”
“Jobs growth is meanwhile already disappointing, with near stagnant payroll numbers reported again in January, as businesses worry about taking on more staff in an environment of uncertainty, weak demand and high costs.”
“Increased costs, widely blamed on tariffs, are again cited as a key driver of higher prices for both goods and services in January, meaning inflation and affordability remains a widespread concern among businesses.”
Confidence in the year ahead outlook meanwhile remained positive but dipped slightly lower, as hopes for sustained economic growth and favorable demand conditions were somewhat offset by ongoing worries over the political environment and higher prices.
While elevated rates of input cost and selling price inflation were again commonly attributed to tariffs, especially in the manufacturing sector, where price pressures intensified in January, service sector inflation moderated, linked in part to intensifying competition.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/23/2026 – 10:00
Trump enfurece a los británicos tras minimizar la participación de la OTAN en Afganistán
Por PAN PYLAS
LONDRES (AP) — El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, provocó indignación y malestar a muchos británicos el viernes al insinuar de que las tropas de los países de la OTAN, excepto las estadounidenses, se mantuvieron lejos de la línea del frente durante la guerra en Afganistán.
En una entrevista realizada el jueves con Fox News en Davos, Suiza, el republicano dijo que no estaba seguro de que la OTAN estuviera allí para apoyar a Estados Unidos cuando se le solicitara.
“Siempre he dicho, ¿estarán allí si alguna vez los necesitamos?, y esa es realmente la prueba definitiva y no estoy seguro de eso”, dijo Trump. “Nunca los hemos necesitado, realmente nunca les hemos pedido nada. Ya sabes, dirán que enviaron algunas tropas a Afganistán, o esto o aquello, y lo hicieron, se quedaron un poco atrás, un poco fuera de las líneas del frente”.
En octubre de 2001, casi un mes después de los ataques del 11 de septiembre, una coalición encabezada por Estados Unidos puso en marcha una invasión de Afganistán para destruir a Al Qaeda, que había utilizado el país como su base, y a los anfitriones talibanes del grupo. Junto a Estados Unidos estaban tropas de docenas de países, incluidos de la OTAN, cuyo mandato de defensa mutua se activó por primera vez tras los ataques en Nueva York y Washington.
El sacrificio de Reino Unido
En Reino Unido, la reacción a los comentarios de Trump fue severa y se instó al primer ministro Keir Starmer a solicitar una disculpa al mandatario estadounidense.
Después del 11 de septiembre, el entonces primer ministro Tony Blair dijo que el Reino Unido “estaría hombro con hombro” con Estados Unidos en respuesta a los ataques de Al Qaeda. Las tropas británicas desempeñaron un papel clave en muchas operaciones durante la guerra hasta su retirada en 2014, particularmente en la provincia de Helmand, en el sur del país. Las tropas estadounidenses permanecieron en Afganistán hasta su caótica retirada en 2021, cuando los talibanes volvieron al poder.
Más de 150.000 soldados británicos sirvieron en Afganistán en los años posteriores a la invasión liderada por Estados Unidos en 2001, el contingente más grande después del estadounidense.
El secretario de Defensa británico, John Healey, dijo que el Reino Unido y los aliados de la OTAN “respondieron al llamado de Estados Unidos” en ese momento y que más de 450 efectivos británicos perdieron la vida en Afganistán.
“Esas tropas británicas deben ser recordadas por lo que fueron: héroes que dieron sus vidas al servicio de nuestra nación”, afirmó.
Ben Obese-Jecty, un legislador que sirvió en Afganistán como capitán en el Regimiento Real de Yorkshire, dijo que era “triste ver cómo el sacrificio de nuestra nación, y el de nuestros socios de la OTAN, es considerado tan a la ligera por el presidente de Estados Unidos”.
Trump y Vietnam
“Es tremendamente irónico que alguien que supuestamente eludió el servicio militar en la Guerra de Vietnam haga una declaración tan vergonzosa”, dijo Stephen Stewart, autor de “The Accidental Soldier” (“El Soldado Accidental”), un relato del tiempo que pasó como reportero con las tropas británicas en Afganistán.
Trump recibió una exención que le permitió no servir en Vietnam debido a espolones óseos, pero no ha podido recordar en qué pie, lo que ha hecho que se le acuse de evadir el servicio militar.
Los repetidos desaires de Trump a la OTAN
No es la primera vez que Trump minimiza el compromiso de los países de la OTAN en los últimos días. Esta fue una de sus principales líneas de ataque mientras intensificaba sus amenazas de apoderarse de Groenlandia, un territorio semiautónomo perteneciente a Dinamarca.
El argumento de que los países de la OTAN no estarán allí cuando se les solicite contrasta marcadamente con la realidad.
La única vez que se ha utilizado el Artículo 5 del tratado fundacional de la OTAN fue en respuesta a los ataques del 11 de septiembre en Estados Unidos. Dicho artículo es la cláusula clave de defensa mutua, que obliga a todos los países miembros a acudir en ayuda de otro miembro cuya soberanía o integridad territorial pueda estar bajo amenaza.
“Cuando Estados Unidos nos necesitó después del 11 de septiembre, estuvimos allí”, dijo el excomandante de pelotón danés Martin Tamm Andersen.
Dinamarca fue un aliado inquebrantable de Estados Unidos en Afganistán, donde murieron 44 soldados daneses, el índice de mortalidad per cápita más alto entre las fuerzas de la coalición. Ocho más murieron en Irak.
La más reciente controversia en torno a Trump se produce al final de una semana en la que ha enfrentado críticas y resistencia por sus amenazas a Groenlandia.
Trump también amenazó con imponer aranceles a las naciones europeas que se oponen a sus ambiciones de anexar Groenlandia, lo que planteó dudas sobre el futuro de la OTAN. Y aunque dio marcha atrás después de una reunión con el secretario general de la OTAN, Mark Rutte, en la que dijo que formaron el “marco” para un acuerdo sobre la seguridad ártica, las relaciones transatlánticas han sufrido un duro golpe.
No es probable que sus comentarios recientes mejoren las relaciones.
Diane Dernie, cuyo hijo, Ben Parkinson, sufrió lesiones horribles cuando un Land Rover del Ejército Británico pisó una mina en Afganistán en 2006, dijo que los comentarios de Trump fueron “el mayor insulto” y pidió al primer ministro británico Keir Starmer que se enfrente a Trump debido a ellos.
“Enfréntelo”, dijo. “Haga una declaración por aquellos que lucharon por este país y por nuestra bandera, porque es simplemente increíble”.
___
El periodista de The Associated Press Anders Kongshaug, contribuyó a este informe desde Copenhague, Dinamarca.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Millions of Americans prepare for potentially catastrophic ice storm. Here’s what the numbers show.
KENNESAW, Ga. — Millions of Americans from New Mexico to the Carolinas are bracing for a potentially catastrophic ice storm that could crush trees and power lines and knock out power for days, while Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston could see enough snow to make travel very difficult or nearly impossible, forecasters say.
About 160 million people — nearly half the population of the United States — were under a variety of watches, warnings and other alerts associated with the winter storm, the National Weather Service announced Thursday afternoon. The alerts stretched from Arizona and Montana in the West to the Carolinas and Maine in the east.
The storm, expected to begin Friday and continue through the weekend, is also projected to bring heavy snow and all types of wintry precipitation, including freezing rain and sleet. An atmospheric river of moisture could be in place by the weekend, pulling precipitation across Texas and other states along the Gulf Coast and continuing across Georgia and the Carolinas before heading northeast, forecasters said.
Arctic blast brings warnings, closures and cancellations to Chicago area
“Snow amounts could reach a foot or more in the I-95 major cities from D.C. to Boston,” said weather service forecasters on the East Coast, who are increasingly confident the storm will strike the big cities.
In Washington, D.C., “the combination of heavy snow and ice alongside prolonged very cold temperatures presents a unique and significant risk to life and property across virtually the entire region,” forecasters said in the weather service’s Washington/Baltimore office warned.
Here’s a look at the approaching storm and how people are preparing for it, by the numbers:
0
The number of snowplows owned by the city of Jackson, Mississippi, where a mix of ice and sleet is possible this weekend. The city uses other heavy machinery like skid steers and small excavators to clear roads, said James Caldwell, deputy director of public works. Jackson also has three trucks that carry salt and sand to spread across roads before freezing weather.
0.5
The amount of ice — half an inch, or 1.27 centimeters — that can lead to a crippling ice storm, toppling trees and power lines to create widespread and long-lasting power outages. The latest forecasts from the weather service warn of the potential for a half-inch of ice or more for many areas, including parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee.
1
The number of Nashville snowplows named after country music legend and Tennessee native Dolly Parton (Dolly Plowton). Another snowplow in East Tennessee was named Snowlene after her classic hit song “Jolene” as part of a 2022 naming contest.
3
The number of layers needed to keep warm in extreme cold. AP video journalist Mark Vancleave in Minnesota explains the benefits of all three — a base layer, a middle layer and an outer shell — in this video.
4
The number of major U.S. hub airports in the path of the southern storm this weekend, when ice, sleet and snow could delay passengers and cargo: Dallas-Fort Worth; Atlanta; Memphis, Tennessee, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Still more major airports on the East Coast could see delays later, as the storm barrels east.
12
The number of beet juice-dispensing trucks in the city of Chicago, according to Cole Stallard, Chicago’s commissioner of Streets and Sanitation. The natural sugars of beet juice lower the freezing point of water, allowing salt mixtures to work at much lower temperatures and preventing refreezing, while also helping salt stick to the road longer.
15
The number of snow and ice removal trucks operated by Memphis, Tennessee’s Division of Public Works. The city also has six trucks that spread brine, a mixture designed to melt wintry precipitation. Statewide, the Tennessee Department of Transportation has 851 salt trucks and 634 brine trucks, and most of the salt trucks double as plows.
19
Parts of at least 19 states in the storm’s path were under winter storm watches by late Wednesday, with more watches and warnings expected as the system approaches. They include Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. An estimated 55 million people are included in these winter storm watches, the weather service said.
32
The degree in Fahrenheit when water freezes, equivalent to 0 Celsius. This is a magic number when it comes to winter weather, said Eric Guillot, a scientist at the weather service. If the temperature is slightly above 32, it will be mostly liquid. But the colder it is below the mark, the more efficiently precipitation will freeze.
45
The number of snowplow trucks at the ready in Nashville, Tennessee, according to the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure.
50 below zero
The windchill value — how cold it feels to a person when winds are factored in — that is expected in parts of the Northern Plains, the weather service projects. That equates to minus 45.6 Celsius and is forecast for parts of northern Minnesota and North Dakota.
“When the weather forecast says, ‘feels like negative 34,’ it’s just a matter of covering skin and being prepared for it,” said Nils Anderson, who owns Duluth Gear Exchange, an outdoor equipment store in Duluth, Minnesota.
600
The number of miles added last year to snowplow routes in Nashville, Tennessee. That was done “to get deeper into our neighborhoods — roads that had never been plowed before,” said Alex Apple, a spokesperson for Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
1,000-plus
Texas has this number of pieces of winter weather equipment, including snowplows, motor graders and brine tankers, Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson Adam Hammons said. He said the agency also works with state partners and contractors to get more equipment when needed. In the Dallas area, “right now our main focus is treating our roadways in advance of the storm,” agency spokesperson Tony Hartzel said Wednesday.
78,000
The number of cubic yards of salt on hand at the Arkansas Department of Transportation. The state has 121 salt houses around the Arkansas, plus 600 salt spreaders and 700 snowplows, said Dave Parker, an agency spokesperson.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/catastrophic-ice-storm/
TikTok finalizes a deal to form a new American entity
TikTok has finalized a deal to create a new American entity, avoiding the looming threat of a ban in the United States that has been in discussion for years on the platform now used by more than 200 million Americans.
The social video platform company signed agreements with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX to form the new TikTok U.S. joint venture. The new version will operate under “defined safeguards that protect national security through comprehensive data protections, algorithm security, content moderation and software assurances for U.S. users,” the company said in a statement Thursday. American TikTok users can continue using the same app.
President Donald Trump praised the deal in a Truth Social post, thanking Chinese leader Xi Jinping specifically “for working with us and, ultimately, approving the Deal.” Trump add that he hopes “that long into the future I will be remembered by those who use and love TikTok.”
Adam Presser, who previously worked as TikTok’s head of operations and trust and safety, will lead the new venture as its CEO. He will work alongside a seven-member, majority-American board of directors that includes TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew.
The deal ends years of uncertainty about the fate of the popular video-sharing platform in the United States. After wide bipartisan majorities in Congress passed — and President Joe Biden signed — a law that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if it did not find a new owner in the place of China’s ByteDance, the platform was set to go dark on the law’s January 2025 deadline. For a several hours, it did. But on his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep it running while his administration sought an agreement for the sale of the company.
“China’s position on TikTok has been consistent and clear,” Guo Jiakun, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson in Beijing, said Friday about the TikTok deal and Trump’s Truth Social post, echoing an earlier statement from the Chinese embassy in Washington.
Apart from an emphasis on data protection, with U.S. user data being stored locally in a system run by Oracle, the joint venture will also focus on TikTok’s algorithm. The content recommendation formula, which feeds users specific videos tailored to their preferences and interests, will be retrained, tested and updated on U.S. user data, the company said in its announcement.
The algorithm has been a central issue in the security debate over TikTok. China previously maintained the algorithm must remain under Chinese control by law. But the U.S. regulation passed with bipartisan support said any divestment of TikTok must mean the platform cuts ties — specifically the algorithm — with ByteDance. Under the terms of this deal, ByteDance would license the algorithm to the U.S. entity for retraining.
The law prohibits “any cooperation with respect to the operation of a content recommendation algorithm” between ByteDance and a new potential American ownership group, so it is unclear how ByteDance’s continued involvement in this arrangement will play out.
“Who controls TikTok in the U.S. has a lot of sway over what Americans see on the app,” said Anupam Chander, a professor of law and technology at Georgetown University.
Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX are the three managing investors, each holding a 15% share. Other investors include the investment firm of Michael Dell, the billionaire founder of Dell Technologies. ByteDance retains 19.9% of the joint venture.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/tiktok-deal-american-entity/
Why Is “Canadian Warren Buffett” Panic-Buying Under Armour Stock
Why Is “Canadian Warren Buffett” Panic-Buying Under Armour Stock
Our shift in coverage on Under Armour began in late September, when we flagged a UBS report from analyst Jay Sole, who forecasted a major inflection point for the long-struggling Baltimore-based apparel company. Sole argued that sentiment would turn positive in FY27, setting the stage for stock outperformance. That bullish thesis has certainly seen its timeline accelerated, with a surge in heavy insider buying igniting a sharp rally this month.
Shares of UAA have surged this month, with year-to-date gains of 27.5%.
If these gains hold through year-end, it would mark the best year for Kevin Plank’s company since 2014.
Let’s begin with UBS analyst Sole’s inflection point call after a ten-year bear market:
Then what really piqued our interest was Fairfax Financial Holdings’ disclosure earlier this month of a 22.2% ownership stake in UA, making it the company’s largest shareholder.
Insider buying has continued. Bloomberg insider transaction data shows Fairfax Financial continues to panic-buy UA stock, with 5 million more shares disclosed on Wednesday. Last week, the firm bought 3.61 million shares.
Latest data from Bloomberg shows a sudden surge in Fairfax Financial’s buying spree, with total shares nearly 42 million, at a market value of $266 million. Fairfax Financial is run by Prem Watsa, often called “Canadian Warren Buffett.”
The timing of Fairfax Financial’s UA buying spree comes as the company is in a turnaround pattern.
Latest UA developments:
Data breach probe: Under Armour is investigating claims of a November data breach allegedly impacting about 72 million email addresses
Leadership changes: Effective February 2, Kara Trent becomes Chief Merchandising Officer and Adam Peake is named President, Americas.
Street Views
Citi: Raised price target to $6.50 from $5, kept Neutral.
Truist: Raised target to $6 from $5, kept Hold.
We must also point out that Bloomberg data has UA’s float 35% short. A squeeze candidate for sure.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/23/2026 – 09:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/why-canadian-warren-buffett-panic-buying-under-armour-stock
Waubonsee Community College to offer free tax preparation services at Aurora campus
Waubonsee Community College, in partnership with Ladder Up, will provide free tax preparation services at the college’s downtown Aurora campus at 18 S. River St. beginning later this month.
The services will be available to the community from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, Jan. 31 through April 11, according to a press release from the college.
Services will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis only, and the site will close when capacity is reached, according to the release.
Trained volunteer tax preparers will be on-site to prepare and electronically file federal and state income tax returns at no cost, officials said. These walk-in sessions will be available to households earning up to $40,000 or individuals earning up to $30,000.
To check eligibility requirements and review the list of documents to bring, go to goladderup.org.
Ladder Up is a non-profit organization committed to providing low-income families with the financial tools and resources necessary to achieve economic stability, the release said.
Risks of lead exposure topic of webinar
The Kane County Health Department will host a free public webinar called “What Families Need to Know About Lead Poisoning” at 10 a.m. on Feb. 19, the department said in a press release.
The webinar is designed to help families and caregivers understand the risks of lead exposure and learn practical steps to protect young children and expectant parents, the release said.
In 2025, there were 121 confirmed cases of lead poisoning in children in Kane County, according to the release.
Lead is a toxic metal that can be hard to see but is extremely harmful, officials said in the release. There is no safe level of lead exposure, and even small amounts can cause long-term harm.
Exposure to lead can cause lasting problems with a child’s growth, learning and behavior, according to the release. During pregnancy, lead exposure can also pass to the baby and affect development before birth, officials said.
The webinar is intended for parents and caregivers of infants and young children, expectant parents, child care providers, early childhood educators, home visitors and anyone who works with or cares for young children in Kane County, the release said. Spanish interpretation will be available.
The webinar is free, but advance registration is required. To register, go to https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/iqwcuGbKS7-Gmgc69uwmmA#/registration
Program to discuss ‘Secrets of the Wine World’
Sommelier Timothy Campbell will discuss “Secrets of the Wine World” at a program at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, at the St. Charles Public Library, 1 S. Sixth Ave. in St. Charles.
The program will be an exploration of the history of wine and recent changes in the world of wine, library officials said. This is a lecture only, and no samples will be served.
Attendees will learn about winemaking techniques and styles, from classic regions to emerging hot spots, and discover the rise of artisanal producers, event organizers said. The program also covers how to identify common wine faults, how to pair wine with any type of food and how climate change and globalization are influencing today’s wine industry.
To register for the event, go to scpld.org or call 630-584-0076.
Mental health first aid training offered in Kane County
The Kane County Health Department is working with Family Service Association of Greater Elgin to offer mental health first aid training in Kane County.
Kane provided a federally-funded grant of $75,000 to to Family Service Association to provide initial training to 15 trainees, who in turn will offer low-cost training to other community members throughout 2026, according to a news release.
The goal is to have 2,000 county residents trained using an evidence-based, early intervention approach. Participants will be taught how to identify and respond to signs of mental illnesses or substance use disorders and will learn risk factors and warning signs.
Organizations, businesses and individuals interested in being trained in mental health first aid should contact Ashley Kellenberger at AKellenberger@fsaelgin.org or 847-695-3680.
Massive winter storm threatens heavy snow and ice to more than 170 million people across US
DALLAS — Texas and Oklahoma braced for heavy snow and ice that could make roadways treacherous Friday in what is expected to be some of the initial effects of a huge, dayslong winter storm threatening catastrophic damage, extensive power outages and bitterly cold weather to more than 170 million people across the nation, the National Weather Service says — about half the population.
A combination of heavy snow, freezing rain and sleet is in store from the Southern Rockies to New England through Monday, the agency said.
Arctic blast brings warnings, closures and cancellations to Chicago area
And even when that’s over, a round of extremely cold air will hit areas of the Southern Plains to the Northeast next week, the weather service said.
More than 800 flights within, into, or out of the United States were delayed or canceled for Friday in advance of the storm, including at airports in Dallas, Atlanta, and Oklahoma, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.
Oklahoma’s Department of Transportation pretreated roads with salt brine. The state Highway Patrol canceled days off for troopers so more will be out assist and said it was partnering with the National Guard to send teams out to help stranded drivers.
“Travel is going to become more and more treacherous starting late Friday afternoon and lasting through the rest of the weekend,” the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, posted online.
Oklahoma City Public Schools officials canceled all classes and activities Friday due to predicted deteriorating road conditions. Frigid temperatures closed Houston schools Friday with an e-learning day for public school students. In Dallas, schools were expected to open, but officials said after-school activities were canceled Friday and throughout the weekend.
In the Houston area, a utility company had 3,300 employees ready to work the winter storm.
“It’s all hands on deck,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire posted online. “We’re hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst.”
Snow, freezing rain, sleet and low temps for many
The massive storm system is expected to bring a crippling ice storm from Texas through parts of the South, potentially more than a foot (30 centimeters) of snow from Oklahoma through Washington, D.C., New York and Boston, and then a final punch of bitterly cold air that could drop wind chills to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 Celsius) in parts of Minnesota and North Dakota.
Forecasters are warning the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival a hurricane. Many people were under winter storm or cold weather watches or warnings — and in many places both.
Cold air streaming down from Canada caused Chicago Public Schools and Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa to cancel classes Friday, as well. Wind chills predicted to be as low as minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 37 Celsius) could cause frostbite within 10 minutes, making it too dangerous to walk to school or wait for the bus.
The cold punch coming after means it will take a while to thaw out, an especially dangerous prospect in places where ice and snow weighs down tree branches and power lines and cuts electricity, perhaps for days. Roads and sidewalks could remain icy well into next week.
Ice can add hundreds of pounds to power lines and branches and make them more susceptible to snapping, especially in windy weather.
Freezing temperatures are expected all the way to Florida, forecasters said.
A severe cold snap five years ago took down much of the power grid in Texas, leaving millions without power for days and resulting in hundreds of deaths. Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that won’t happen again, saying the power system “has never been stronger.”
Winter storms can be notoriously tricky to forecast, with forecasters saying the places with the worst weather can’t be pinned down until the event starts.
States of emergency declared in Georgia and Mississippi
Governors in Georgia and Mississippi have declared states of emergency.
In Huntsville, Alabama, employees from Jomo’s Power Equipment, Parts & Service Inc. sold dozens of generators within about a day and ordered an emergency shipment to meet customer demand.
“I’d say 95% of the calls were generator-related or either service or ‘Do you have any generators in stock,’” Bryan Hill, the store’s manager, said Thursday.
Lindsay Sylvester in Toney, Alabama, stocked up early in the week on bread and other supplies at her home and sent her son, who is in college, bread, gloves, candles and hand warmers.
Sylvester said she went to the store early in the week because she knew supplies would be depleted close to the weekend.
“A couple of people I heard talking about they had gone to Walmart and there was no milk, no bread,” she said. “All the necessities were gone.”
As a precaution, North Carolina’s largest public school system prepared for potentially several days out of physical classrooms next week, telling its teachers to create three days of assignments accessible online or through paper copies.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger told residents to prepare for days without power or the ability to leave their neighborhoods. And in a nod to the politics of the time, the newly inaugurated Democrat said people should not be scared to call 911 in an emergency just because of the immigration crackdowns going on in places like Minnesota.
Arkansas Department of Transportation spokesperson Dave Parker pleaded for people to be patient and stay home if possible once the storm hits.
At a busy grocery store near downtown Dallas, Kennedi Mallard and Frank Green loaded two shopping carts full of supplies into their car. They said there were some bare shelves inside.
“No water, no eggs, no butter, no ground meat,” Green said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/massive-winter-storm-us/
Minnesota gears up for a mass anti-immigration enforcement protest despite the dangerous cold
MINNEAPOLIS — A vast network of labor unions, progressive organizations and clergy has been urging Minnesotans to stay away from work, school and stores Friday to protest against immigration enforcement in the state.
Minneapolis and St. Paul have seen daily protests since Renee Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Jan. 7. Federal law enforcement officers have surged in the Twin Cities for weeks and have repeatedly squared off with community members and activists who track their movements.
“We really, really want ICE to leave Minnesota, and they’re not going to leave Minnesota unless there’s a ton of pressure on them,” said Kate Havelin of Indivisible Twin Cities, one of the more than 100 groups that is mobilizing. “They shouldn’t be roaming any streets in our country just the way they are now.”
On Thursday, a prominent civil rights attorney and at least two other people were arrested for their involvement in an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a Sunday service at a church in St. Paul.
Vice President JD Vance meanwhile visited Minneapolis to meet with ICE officials and address reporters. He encouraged protesters to remain peaceful and urged city and state officials to cooperate with federal forces to ease the fraught situation in Minneapolis.
Organizers hope Friday’s mobilization will be the largest coordinated protest action to date, with a march in downtown Minneapolis planned for Friday afternoon. The National Weather Service warned of dangerously cold weather, and early Friday, the temperature in Minneapolis was minus 21 with a wind chill of minus 40.
Havelin compared the presence of immigration enforcement to the winter weather warnings.
“Minnesotans understand that when we’re in a snow emergency … we all have to respond and it makes us do things differently,” she said. “And what’s happening with ICE in our community, in our state, means that we can’t respond as business as usual.”
More than a hundred small businesses in the Twin Cities, largely coffee shops and restaurants, said they would close in solidarity or donate part of their profits, organizers said.
Somali businesses especially have lost sales during the enforcement surge as workers and customers, fearing detention, stay at home.
Some businesses are choosing to close in solidarity with the protesters rather than the “unscheduled interruption” of having agents apprehend staff, said Luis Argueta of Unidos MN, a civil rights group.
Many schools were planning to close Friday, but cited different reasons. The University of Minnesota and the St. Paul public school district said there would be no in-person classes because of the extreme cold. Minneapolis Public Schools were scheduled to be closed “for a teacher record keeping day.”
Clergy planned to join the march as well as hold prayer services and fasting, according to a delegation of representatives of faith traditions including Buddhist, Jewish, Lutheran and Muslim.
Bishop Dwayne Royster, leader of the progressive organization Faith in Action, arrived in Minnesota on Wednesday from Washington, D.C.
“We want ICE out of Minnesota,” he said. “We want them out of all the cities around the country where they’re exercising extreme overreach.”
Royster said at least 50 of his network’s faith-based organizers were joining the protest. About 10 were traveling from Los Angeles while others from the same group planned a solidarity rally in California, said one of the organizers there.
“It was a very harrowing experience,” said the Rev. Jennifer Gutierrez of the large immigration enforcement operation in Los Angeles last year. “We believe God is on the side of migrants.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/minnesota-mass-anti-immigration-enforcement-protest/
Chicago faith leaders recount harm from immigration agents: ‘Prayers and thoughts was not going to stop ICE’
John-Michael Villarreal, a bishop and former high school teacher, was teaching a five-person advanced Spanish class in the Chicago area last year when he noticed his students weren’t acting like their usual, upbeat selves.
Villarreal said he asked the students, all native Spanish speakers who have immigrant parents, what was wrong. A student, with her voice shaking, replied that federal immigration agents were in her neighborhood. She didn’t know what to do if they knocked on her door, Villarreal said.
“I had no clue what to answer, because prayers and thoughts were not going to be enough,” he said. “Prayers and thoughts was not going to stop ICE from knocking and pounding down their doors. Prayers and thoughts was not going to change the situation.”
Villarreal spoke this week at a public hearing of the Human Rights, Anti-Authoritarianism, Reparatory and Restorative Truth Telling Commission, held at the McCormick Theological Seminary in the Hyde Park neighborhood. During two days of testimony, faith leaders and elected officials shared various harms and civil rights violations they alleged to have witnessed during Operation Midway Blitz, the monthslong aggressive immigration enforcement campaign waged in Chicago.
Federal agents arrested thousands of immigrants, most of whom didn’t have a criminal record, and repeatedly deployed tear gas and pepper spray during the operation. Various initiatives, including a state accountability commission and the ICE Accountability Project launched by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, are also attempting to publicly document agents’ actions.
“ICE raids and other fear-based policing produce predictable human-rights violations, because human dignity is not negotiable,” said Iva Carruthers, the director of McCormick Theological Seminary’s Center for Reparatory Justice, Transformation and Remediation.
Villarreal, a pastor at Asamblea Misionera del Evangelio Completo, testified that the primary concern of his students weren’t themselves, but their family members.
“They didn’t have questions of, ‘What am I going to wear to prom?’ They didn’t have questions of, ‘What movie am I going to see next week,’” he said. “Their questions were, ‘What am I going to do if Mom doesn’t come home?’ Their questions were, ‘What am I going to do if Dad is stopped on our way to church?’”
He noted that the students in this particular class were high-achievers who had 30 college credit hours before they graduated high school. Many of them had emergency bags backed just in case of an arrest, Villarreal said.
“These are not troubled students, but these children are learning fear before they learn hope,” Villarreal said. “These families I’m talking about, they’re not criminals, they’re not drug dealers. They’re cooks, they’re janitors, they’re caregivers, they’re landscapers, they’re factory workers, they’re churchgoers.”
Villarreal also said, for the first time in his life, he felt nervous speaking Spanish in public because of the operation. He said he was getting pizza with a friend from Mexico when he saw federal immigration agents. Other Latino U.S. citizens have told the Tribune of instances when they were racially profiled by agents during the operation.
“I fit the profile, (my friend) fit the profile of who they were looking for,” Villarreal said. “Even though they were not there for enforcement, and they were there to just eat, in that moment, fear entered my heart.”
Tariq El-Amin, the resident imam of Masjid Al-Taqwa in Calumet Heights, testified that he witnessed the aftermath of a vehicle crash involving a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle in October. Federal agents deployed tear gas on a residential block of the East Side neighborhood as residents demanded they leave. El-Amin said the atmosphere was one of powerlessness and confusion.
“Neighbors were present. Children were present. Elders were present,” El-Amin said. “By the time I arrived, the agents were gone, but the trauma remained.”
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Even in places of worship, people don’t entirely feel safe, El-Amin said. He said members of his congregation have asked what happens if agents target their worship space.
“(Masjid Al-Taqwa) is a place of prayer, a place of healing, of community service and spiritual refuge. But even that sense of sanctuary has been shaken,” El-Amin said. “The question is not what our response would be. The question is why people now feel unsafe in spaces that should be protected. When fear enters places of worship, something fundamental has been damaged.”
Several local officials testified at the hearing. Stacy Davis Gates, the Chicago Teachers Union president, said the union created “sanctuary teams” to help protect students during Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. Communities also formed “walking school buses” to transport kids as well as mutual aid groups to deliver groceries and homework during the heightened immigration enforcement.
She also criticized the Trump administration’s dismantling of the Education Department, saying “they are defunding the public good in order to finance the war on Minneapolis, the same one that they are roving around the country and have promised to return to our neighborhoods.”
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said federal immigration agents used “unlawful and violent” tactics while in Illinois, including during a raid on a South Shore apartment building, where agents reportedly forced residents out of their homes and zip-tied some of their hands.
On Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Human Rights filed a housing discrimination charge alleging the owner and management of the complex prompted the raid by telling the federal government there were Venezuelan immigrants living in the complex who were “unauthorized occupants …”
Raoul said Trump’s “circumvention of the rule of law” has required a “multifaceted approach” from his office. He pointed to the lawsuit Illinois joined last year challenging the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship as something personal to him as the child of Haitian immigrants.
“African Americans and other historically marginalized groups should not have to fear being unlawfully detained by federal officers or any law enforcement,” Raoul said. “We should not have to fear the loss of citizenship, employment, legal protections, military recognition or face inequities in health care, education or other opportunities.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/chicago-faith-leaders-ice/
