Forward Trinity Rodman has agreed to a record three-year contract to remain with the Washington Spirit, ending months of speculation about the Olympic gold medalist’s future in the National Women’s Soccer League.

ESPN reported that Rodman signed a multimillion-dollar deal making her the highest-paid player in league history at more than $1 million annually and the highest-paid female player in the world, according to her agent, Mike Senkowski, of Upper 90 Sports Group.

“I think I’ve always had a vision and an idea of what I wanted my legacy to be,” Rodman said at an event announcing her new deal Thursday in Los Angeles. “We’re doing that and I’m so grateful for that.”

The speculation over Rodman’s future with the Spirit spurred criticism of the NWSL salary cap and whether it hampered the league from attracting and maintaining top players.

Rodman, 23, became a free agent at the end of last season after five years with the Spirit. One of the biggest stars in the NWSL, keeping her in the league was considered vitally important as other U.S. national team stars, including Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson, opted to play in Europe.

Rodman, who won a gold medal with the United States at the Paris Olympics, has been drawn interest from European teams that don’t have a salary cap.

The Spirit and Rodman struck a multiyear deal that both parties maintained was in compliance with the salary cap, but it was rejected by the league because it went against the spirit of the rules.

The NWSL players association filed a grievance claiming that the NWSL’s rejection of the contract violated Rodman’s free-agency rights and violated the collective bargaining agreement.

To address the salary-cap issue, the NWSL in late December adopted a “high-impact player” mechanism that allowed teams to spend up to $1 million over the cap to sign players that meet certain criteria. Those included metrics like national team minutes, inclusion among the 30 candidates for the Ballon d’Or or player rankings by outlets such as the Guardian or ESPN.

The NWSLPA filed a grievance over the rule, claiming it violated the collective bargaining agreement and federal labor law because player compensation must be negotiated. The NWSLPA maintains the league had no authority to “unilaterally create a new pay structure.”

The NWSL’s salary cap is $3.5 million for each team for the 2026 season, although it will increase each year until it hits $5.1 million in 2030.

Rodman is with the national team in their annual January training camp in Carson, Calif. The team plays a match there against Paraguay on Saturday and then plays Chile on Tuesday in Santa Barbara.

Rodman has 47 appearances and 11 goals with the national team, more than any other player on the latest roster. She played in one U.S. match last year, a 2-0 victory over Brazil in April, because of injuries.

Tribune news services contributed.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/22/trinity-rodman-washington-spirit-contract-nwsl/ 

Massive Fraud Infuriates Minnesotans, Lawmakers, But Top Official Sees No Quick Fix

Tyler Durden
Thu, 01/22/2026 – 19:15

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/massive-fraud-infuriates-minnesotans-lawmakers-top-official-sees-no-quick-fix 

Chad Pinder recalled a message he often received from manager Bob Melvin during his time as an outfielder/infielder with Oakland.

“Bob Melvin would always jokingly say, ‘You’re going to manage one day,’” Pinder said during a videoconference call Thursday. “And in my head I was like, ‘I don’t want to do that.’”

After his playing days ended in 2023, Pinder pondered his next step.

“I tried a few different things, I started grad school,” Pinder, 33, said. “And ultimately my wife (Taylor) was like, ‘Why don’t you try to go back on the other side.’ She kind of gave me that push and it ended up working out to where I was able to go out to instruct with the (Chicago White) Sox and then (director of player development) Paul (Janish) offered me the job in (Class A) Kannapolis. So here I am now.”

Pinder is taking the leap from Class A to Triple A in the Sox organization after being announced as the manager for the Charlotte Knights on Thursday.

“We’re fired up and excited about him being in Charlotte,” Janish said during Thursday’s videoconference call. “He got to the big leagues and hung around because of who he is and how hard he worked. It’s a super-valuable trait. His accountability level is extremely high, and I think the players are going to feel that.”

Pinder played professionally for 13 seasons (2011-23), including parts of seven in the major leagues with the Athletics (2016-22). Last season was his first as a manager at Kannapolis. He’s thrilled for the next challenge.

“I firmly believe in development, it doesn’t stop,” Pinder said. “It doesn’t stop when you get into the big leagues. We’re here in Charlotte, we can continue to develop, and we can continue to get better and prepare ourselves for the next level. To have the crop of players that are coming in with the staff that they’ve put together here, I’m extremely excited to iron out some of those things.

“Ultimately I just want the guys to be ready and I want them to be able to play free — from stress, or from excuses, from assumptions. To give them the clarity, the direction of what the organization thinks and wants of them. Just prepare them so at 7 o’clock, all they have to worry about is go out and play baseball.”

The Sox on Thursday announced their entire 2026 player development staff. The list includes Patrick Leyland managing at Double-A Birmingham, Guillermo Quiroz at High A Winston-Salem, Jayson Nix at Kannapolis and Daniel González for the Arizona Complex League White Sox.

Leyland spent last season managing Winston-Salem. Quiroz, who led Birmingham to the Southern League title in 2025, is in his 10th season in the Sox system. González is back for his fourth consecutive season as manager of the ACL White Sox.

Nix is in his first year as a manager in the Sox system. He played seven seasons in the majors (2008-14), including parts of two years with the Sox (2009-10).

“The type of player that (Nix) was, I can sympathize with — he earned everything he got as a player,” Janish said. “There’s an edge to Jayson that I think is going to benefit our players.”

Here’s the full list of Thursday’s announcement.

Player development staff

Director, Player Development: Paul Janish
Director, Minor League Administration: Kathy Potoski
Senior Adviser to Pitching: Brian Bannister
Director of Hitting: Ryan Fuller
Director, Pitching Strategy: Rod Larson
Assistant Director, International Scouting/Latin America Operations: Louis Silverio
Manager, Player Development/International Operations: Grant Flick
Education Coordinator: Haley Poole
Special Assistant, Player Development: Phil Nevin
Special Assistant to the Executive Vice President/General Manager: Doug Sisson
Arizona Facility Manager: Joe Lachcik
Director, Clubhouse Staff: Dan Flood
Charlotte Clubhouse Manager: Bryant Biasotti
Assistant Charlotte Clubhouse Manager: Corbin Balzer
Birmingham Clubhouse Manager: Chance Miller
Winston-Salem Clubhouse Manager: Sean Thomas
Kannapolis Clubhouse Manager: Eli Fugitt

Player development instructors/rovers

Field/Infield Coordinator: Ryan Newman
Pitching Coordinator: Matt Zaleski
Assistant Pitching Coordinator: Curt Hasler
Lower-Level Pitching Coordinator: Hiram Burgos
Pitching Consultant: Zach McAllister
Hitting Coordinator: Sherman Johnson
Assistant Hitting Coordinator: Danny Santin
Catching Coordinator: Ross Steedley
Rehab Pitching Coach: Garvin Alston
Sports Science Coordinator: Joe D’Amato
Player Development Biomechanist: Motoki Sakurai
Player Development Analyst: Ethan Bain
Player Development Analyst: Zubin Srivastava
Nutritionist: Sarah Walsh
Mental Performance: Cristian Guzman

Medical Staff

Medical Coordinator: Kevin Pillifant
Physical Therapist: Cheyenne Conger
Physical Therapist: Melissa Tighe
Performance Coordinator: Sergio Rojas
Assistant Performance Coordinator: John Perry
Medical Administrator: Scott Takao

Triple-A Charlotte

Manager: Chad Pinder
Pitching Coach: Scott Aldred
Hitting Coach: Cam Seitzer
Bench Coach: Pat Listach
Catching/Development Coach: Ángel Rosario
Trainer: Carson Wooten
Performance Coach: George Timke

Double-A Birmingham

Manager: Pat Leyland
Pitching Coach: John Kovalik
Hitting Coach: Aaron Bray
Bench Coach: Daniel Millwee
Trainer: AJ Smith
Performance Coach: Juan Maldonado

Class High A Winston-Salem

Manager: Guillermo Quiroz
Pitching Coach: Jacob Dorris
Hitting Coach: Adam Sinkoe
Bench Coach: Tyler Coolbaugh
Trainer: Austin Smith
Performance Coach: Logan Jones

Class A Kannapolis

Manager: Jayson Nix
Pitching Coach: Rob Hardy
Hitting Coach: Charlie Romero
Bench Coach: Xavier Fernandez
Trainer: Kira Felise
Performance Coach: Rodain Delus

Arizona Complex League White Sox

Manager: Daniel González
Pitching Coach: Anders Dzurak
Hitting Coach: Gerardo Olivares
Bench Coach: Mike Gellinger
Development Coach: Miguel Gonzalez
Trainer: Abby McGurrin
Performance Coach: Max Huberman

Dominican Republic Academy | DSL White Sox

Manager, Complex Operations: Wellington Morrobel
Manager, Administration: Carolina Santos
Manager: Anthony Núñez
Pitching Coach: JC Sanner
Pitching Coach: Carlos Chavez
Infield Coach: Guillermo Reyes
Hitting Coach: Moisés Núñez
Development Coach: Rigaberto Silverio
Trainer: Gustavo De La Cruz
Assistant Trainer: Neftali Diaz
Performance Coach: Fran Batista
Assistant Performance Coach: Carlos Javier
Video Coordinator: Miguel Pérez
Lead Educator: Pablo Frías
Education Assistant: Rubén Benavides

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/22/chicago-white-sox-chad-pinder-player-development-staff/ 

Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on Thursday announced it has identified nearly $500 million it will keep in budget reserves following the governor’s request last year that state agencies identify 4% of their budgets to hold back amid federal budget uncertainty.

While the trims affect the current budget year, they come as Illinois lawmakers returned to the Capitol this month with a charge to plug a projected shortfall of more than $2 billion in the budget for next fiscal year, which starts this summer.

The announcement also came as the administration of President Donald Trump ordered a broad review of federal funding to Illinois and 13 other Democratic-controlled states, the Washington Post and CNN reported.

The governor’s fall executive order essentially codified his lack of confidence in Illinois’ ability to come out unscathed from Trump’s funding cuts and economic policies. The order applied to agencies that operate only under the governor and not the attorney general, secretary of state or other branches of government.

The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget outlook for next fiscal year “has not changed significantly since last fall,” Alexis Sturm, director of the office, wrote Thursday in a letter to Cabinet directors provided by the governor’s office. Most agencies will likely not see their full funding requests satisfied for next year, Sturm wrote, adding that prioritizing and limiting hiring and other costs associated with government operations “will be key.”

The reserves identified in this year’s budget primarily affect health and human services, with $361.5 million of the $481.6 million identified falling into that category, according to the document provided by the governor’s office.

The largest single chunk comes from a determination that the state could fulfill its obligations without depositing $200 million from its general fund into a Medicaid fund, as it had previously planned. While the state has said that recent federal moves could negatively affect Medicaid funding, those cuts generally are a concern for upcoming years, not this year, said Andres Correa, a Pritzker spokesperson.

Reserves in the Department of Human Services will come from hiring lags, reducing overtime and “reduced grants due to lower than expected caseloads,” according to the budget document.

“Savings were achieved through administrative efficiencies, staffing adjustments, lower-than-expected caseloads and cost controls, reflecting responsible fiscal management without reducing essential services,” a press release from the governor’s office said. “No funding for pensions or K-12 education was impacted.”

The governor’s office didn’t immediately provide a full list of grants or programs that will be reduced. Generally, spending withheld on the health and human services side involved delaying implementation or expansion of programs planned for 2026 into 2027, Correa said.

At the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, some job training and business development grants will be reduced due to factors such as a lack of applications, Correa said. Current grantees will not see reductions in services, he said.

There will also be operational spending withheld in public safety departments, including the Department of Corrections and Illinois State Police, though Correa said the departments’ ability to provide services will not be affected.

And state universities and the Illinois Community College Board are holding 2% in reserves, the document said.

Other reserves come from cost savings on insurance and other operational reductions across some departments, such as limiting travel and hiring.

Heading into the spring, Illinois is staring down a new budget negotiations process, with the governor’s budget address to the General Assembly scheduled for next month. The state has forecast a preliminary $2.2 billion shortfall heading into budget negotiations, amid shrinking federal support from the Trump administration.

It’s also an election year, and the state’s Democratic supermajority has generally resisted a more comprehensive approach to overhauling the tax system after Pritzker’s failed effort to amend the state constitution in 2020 to allow for higher rates on larger incomes.

Although the state budget process for the current fiscal year concluded in the spring, Pritzker and other state-elected officials have considered several measures to mitigate the influence of the Trump administration in Illinois, while also stressing that no state can make up for broad federal government cuts.

Following Trump budget cuts and his administration’s withholding of federal funds, for example, Illinois created a flexible $100 million fund that the governor can use to fill in fiscal gaps. Illinois also expanded the state treasurer’s emergency lending powers.

Pritzker, at times last year, blamed Illinois’ fiscal challenges on economic headwinds he says Trump created. In issuing the executive order in September, he specifically called out Trump’s tariff policies, and cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs, and taxes, especially for the wealthy. He’s also previously accused the Trump administration of improperly withholding nearly $2 billion in funding from the state.

In response to Pritzker’s order in the fall, House Republican Leader Tony McCombie of Savanna said her caucus had warned that the state budget was “irresponsible and overspent.” And Senate GOP Leader John Curran of Downers Grove said he’d like to see the governor work to cut spending “regardless of who is president.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/22/pritzker-budget-reserves/ 

A federal judge in Chicago on Thursday officially dismissed a lawsuit that led to her landmark injunction limiting the use of force by immigration agents during Operation Midway Blitz.

Though U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis agreed to dismiss the case “without prejudice,” which leaves open the possibility that the claims could be reinstated, it marked an anticlimactic end to a case that made national headlines as one of the first to challenge the tactics of immigration officials on the ground.

Ellis’ granting of the plaintiffs’ request to drop the case was largely a foregone conclusion. The judge did, however, press the pause button on making a decision after the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis on Jan. 7.

Ellis told the parties at that time she still had concerns over her obligation to protect the class of journalists, clergy and other protesters certified in the lawsuit, noting “if I dismiss this case the preliminary injunction ceases to exist.”

On Thursday, in addition to dismissing the suit, Ellis also decertified the class.

The case brought by the Chicago Headline Club and other media groups led to a sweeping preliminary injunction by Ellis in November limiting the use of tear gas and other chemical munitions against members of the media and protesters and also requiring agents to wear body cameras and clear identification.

The plaintiffs moved to drop the suit last month, however, following ominous signs from the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which called Ellis’ order overbroad and a potential infringement on the separation of powers.

In the request, the plaintiffs claimed victory, saying Bovino and his surge of agents left town soon after Ellis’ injunction was entered on Nov. 8 and that there had been no reports of any unconstitutional behavior by agents in the weeks that followed.

Since then, Bovino and a contingent of Border Patrol agents have already returned once to Chicago, in the form of a seemingly made-for-television jaunt shortly before Christmas. Agents made several arrests in supermarket parking lots and tamale stands while goading angry residents who confronted them and threatening to unleash tear gas.

People yell at U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino and other agents while they stop at a gas station as they conduct an immigration enforcement action on Dec. 17, 2025, in Evanston. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

As recently as Dec. 30, Bovino posted on social media: “If you think we’re done with Chicago, you’d better check yourself before you wreck yourself.”

An attorney for the administration of President Donald Trump said in a hearing Dec. 4 that, contrary to media reports, Operation Midway Blitz has not ended and that the Trump administration continues to carry out “lawful” immigration enforcement — though she declined to say when or if another surge in Border Patrol agents would hit the city.

Department of Justice attorney Elizabeth Hedges also claimed the dismissal of the lawsuit would bar journalists and protesters from bringing similar claims of constitutional violations in the future — an argument that was immediately called out by Ellis and plaintiffs’ attorneys as a misstatement of the law.

“While it was the government’s position that no agent did anything illegal or unconstitutional, having watched the videos, and having read the reports, and having listened to the witnesses, I strongly disagree,” Ellis said.

The Headline Club case came to symbolize the havoc Midway Blitz caused in Chicago and shed light on how the operation was carried out, through sworn depositions by Bovino and other leaders as well as the release of body-camera footage showing agents deploying tear gas, pointing guns from passing cars and tackling civilians on the street.

Ellis had tentatively set a hearing on a permanent injunction for March.

The 7th Circuit later granted an emergency stay of Ellis’ injunctive relief pending appeal, a process that will also be shelved once the dismissal is approved.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/22/lawsuit-immigration-agents-blitz-dismissed/ 

Curtis Evans, of Evanston, carries a U.S. flag through gas deployed by federal officers as they clear protesters from the entrance of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview, Illinois, on Sept. 19, 2025. Evans was a Marine during President Ronald Reagan’s term. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
A family walks away in tears after their mother was detained on June 4, 2025, outside an Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Chicago’s South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Handcuffed detainees are led into a van by federal agents as protesters demonstrate on June 4, 2025, outside an Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Chicago’s South Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
A protester is shot with a pepper ball outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility on Sept. 19, 2025, in Broadview, Illinois. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
U.S. Border Patrol agents detain a person while members of the community and activists protest in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood on Oct. 4, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
A woman has milk poured on her face after federal officers threw canisters of chemical agents at protesters from their vehicles while leaving Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood on Oct. 4, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Lisa Porter screams at federal agents to leave as they sit in their SUV along East Busse Avenue on Oct. 19, 2025, in Mount Prospect, Illinois. Porter and several neighbors and local patrollers were upset to see so many federal agents in their community searching on public and private property for a man agents claimed is a dangerous criminal. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Border Patrol agents detain painter Krzysztof Klim while verifying his identification on Oct. 31, 2025, next to Halloween decorations outside a house in Chicago’s Edison Park neighborhood. Klim, originally from Poland and now a U.S. citizen, was briefly detained and then released. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Ofelia Torres, 16, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, and her mother, Sandibell Hidalgo, sit in their Chicago home on Oct. 20, 2025. Torres’ father and Hidalgo’s husband, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at a Home Depot in Niles, Illinois. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Protesters tussle with federal agents as they block a vehicle from entering the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Illinois, on Sept. 19, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
A protester wearing a clown nose is detained by Illinois State Police during a protest near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility on Oct. 17, 2025, in Broadview, Illinois. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Residents watch while U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino and other federal agents finish their march along North Clark Street by the Newberry Library in Chicago’s Gold Coast area on Sept. 28, 2025, as part of a show of force. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Marimar Martinez is greeted by her family after being released from the Metropolitan Correctional Center on Oct. 6, 2026, in Chicago. Martinez was in custody after being shot by immigration agents and charged with assaulting federal officers during an incident in the city’s Brighton Park neighborhood two days earlier. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Ruben Torres Maldonado is reunited with his children, Nathan, 4, and Ofelia, 16, along with wife Sandibell Hidalgo, left, at the family’s home in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood on Oct. 30, 2025. An immigration judge granted bond to Torres the previous day. Torres was arrested by federal immigration agents at a Home Depot while daughter Ofelia was on a temporary break from treatment for Stage 4 cancer. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/22/photos-operation-midway-blitz/ 

With frigid temperatures sweeping into the region, Chicagoans are being asked to take precautions and make alternate plans as the brutal cold closes area schools and sinks plans for a weekend polar plunge.

The National Weather Service has issued an extreme cold warning from 3 a.m. Friday until noon for central Cook County, including Chicago, Cicero, Oak Park, Oak Lawn and La Grange. Weather officials warned residents ahead of the cold stretch to expect dangerously cold wind chills as low as 30 to 35 degrees below zero.

A cold weather advisory is also in effect starting midday Friday, with wind chills between minus 15 to minus 30 degrees possible through Saturday morning, per the weather service. Forecasts called for a high of around 1 degree Friday, with gusts as fast as 30 miles per hour. By Saturday, weather officials say there’s a 50% chance of snow, primarily in the afternoon.

A collapsing polar vortex brings Arctic blast to Chicago area. How long will it last?

The bitter temperatures are the result of a “collapsing” polar vortex, bringing a bout of frigid air from Siberia and the North Pole to the Great Lakes region. And while the multiday stretch of subzero conditions is nowhere near Jan. 20, 1985, when Chicago experienced its coldest day on record — minus 27 degrees and a wind chill of minus 57 — schools, organizations and agencies across the area are taking precautions to keep everyone safe as temperatures plummet.

Closures

From Chicago to the suburbs, closures have mounted amid the dangerous cold.

Chicago Public Schools canceled classes and after-school activities on Friday, with no remote learning and CPS buildings closing to the public. Schools are expected to reopen on Monday, according to district officials.

Several Chicago and suburban private schools also announced that they would be closed Friday or shift to remote learning. The 151 Catholic schools run by the Archdiocese of Chicago typically post updates on their individual websites.

Students brace for the cold as they leave Mollison Elementary School after dismissal on Jan. 22, 2026, in Chicago. Chicago Public Schools canceled Friday classes due to subzero temperatures expected to hit the area. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

In the suburbs, districts across Naperville, Aurora, Glenview, Park Ridge, Niles, Northbrook, Skokie, Evanston, Lake Forest and Winnetka have made similar moves to cancel for the day or go online, including Elgin-based School District U-46, the state’s second-largest school district.

College of DuPage’s main campus and centers will be closed and operate virtually Friday, the Glen Ellyn school announced on social media.

Cook County Circuit Court also announced it would be closed on Friday, with its pretrial division operating first-appearance hearings on a weekend and holiday schedule and juvenile hearings scheduled for initial appearances or detention hearings switching to remote court.

Kane County courthouses will be closed on Friday as well, and all court proceedings will be moved online.

Too cold for polar bears, too frosty for a fest

Organizers of a small annual polar plunge off Lake Shore Drive announced Thursday that their 2026 event set for Saturday would be canceled due to safety concerns.

“This was not a decision made lightly,” organizers said.

Since 2003, the Chicago Polar Bear Club has hosted an annual “plunge,” which sees participants take a dip in Lake Michigan each January, to raise money for local families in need. However, with the arctic blast hitting the city, organizers said it would be “irresponsible to go ahead” with the event this year, adding “the safety of our Polar Bears has to be our highest priority.”

While the plunge itself will not be taking place, the event’s planned after-party at HQ Barcade in River North will still be moving forward, organizers said.

“We are a community,” they said, “and that is what makes this event so special.”

In Aurora, the west suburban city’s annual Frosty Fest, originally planned for Saturday, was likewise called off.

“We’re really disappointed that it was too frosty for Frosty Fest this year,” Christy Graser, facility manager for Fox Valley Park District’s Red Oak Nature Center, said.

Staying warm

As subzero temps set in, Chicago officials are urging residents to stay inside, keep pets indoors, wear extra layers and check on older loved ones and neighbors.

Warming centers will be available citywide through Friday, the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications said in a news release. Warming center hours and locations can be found at http://bit.ly/4a8T3qD or by calling 311.

The city’s Garfield Community Service Center at 10 S. Kedzie Ave. was set to stay open overnight Thursday until 8 p.m. Friday, per OEMC. The Garfield center will also be open as a warming center from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Chicago Public Library and Chicago Park District locations will be open as spots to stay warm during operating hours, and Chicago police districts are open 24 hours.

Elsewhere in Cook County, anyone looking for a place to thaw can flock to Skokie, Maywood or Markham courthouses.

Across north and central Illinois, Salvation Army Corps Community Centers and 360 Life Centers will also be operating as warming centers.

A large storm system is expected to impact the central and eastern US this weekend. The potential for accumulating snow and associated travel impacts to reach northern IL and northwest IN continues to increase, though uncertainty remains. Stay tuned for updates! #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/q2DC4UlRpT

— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) January 22, 2026

“At the heart of this work is a belief that no one should be left alone or exposed to danger simply because they lack resources, stability, or a safe place to go,” the Salvation Army North and Central Illinois Division said in a news release.

OEMC advised motorists to winterize their vehicles and have necessary supplies stored should they brave the cold. The office also cautioned against unnecessary trips outside but advised that if people must go out, to limit their cold exposure.

The Illinois Tollway will have around-the-clock patrols through Monday to quickly locate and help drivers needing roadside assistance. Drivers with mechanical problems or who are stranded along the tollway during the upcoming dangerously cold weather should immediately dial 999 for roadside assistance and remain inside their vehicles until help arrives, tollway officials said in a news release.

tkenny@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/22/chicago-weather-artic-blast-school-closure/ 

NEW YORK — The U.S. has finalized its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, one year after President Donald Trump announced America was ending its 78-year-old commitment, federal officials said Thursday.

But it’s hardly a clean break.

The U.S. owes more than $130 million to the global health agency, according to WHO. And Trump administration officials acknowledge that they haven’t finished working out some issues, such as lost access to data from other countries that could give America an early warning of a new pandemic.

The withdrawal will hurt the global response to new outbreaks and will hobble the ability of U.S. scientists and pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines and medicines against new threats, said Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University.

“In my opinion, it’s the most ruinous presidential decision in my lifetime,” he said.

The WHO is the United Nations’ specialized health agency and is mandated to coordinate the response to global health threats, such as outbreaks of mpox, Ebola and polio. It also provides technical assistance to poorer countries; helps distribute scarce vaccines, supplies and treatments; and sets guidelines for hundreds of health conditions, including mental health and cancer.

Nearly every country in the world is a member.

Trump cited COVID-19 in pulling US from WHO

U.S. officials helped lead the WHO’s creation, and America has long been among the organization’s biggest donors, providing hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of staffers with specialized public health expertise.

On average, the U.S. pays $111 million a year in member dues to the WHO and roughly $570 million more in annual voluntary contributions, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In an executive order issued right after taking office, Trump said the U.S. was withdrawing from WHO due to the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global health crises. He also cited the agency’s “failure to adopt urgently needed reforms” and its “inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”

WHO, like other public health organizations, made costly mistakes during the pandemic, including at one point advising people against wearing masks. It also asserted that COVID-19 wasn’t airborne, a stance it didn’t officially reverse until 2024.

Another Trump administration complaint: None of WHO’s chief executives — there have been nine since the organization was created in 1948 — have been Americans. Administration officials view that as unfair given how much the WHO relies on U.S. financial contributions and on U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention personnel.

Public health experts say US exit will hobble responses to threats

Experts say the U.S. exit could cripple numerous global health initiatives, including the effort to eradicate polio, maternal and child health programs, and research to identify new viral threats.

Dr. Ronald Nahass, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, called the U.S. withdrawal “shortsighted and misguided” and “scientifically reckless.”

The U.S. has ceased official participation in WHO-sponsored committees, leadership bodies, governance structures and technical working groups. That would seem to include the WHO group that assesses what flu strains are circulating and makes critical decisions about updating flu shots.

It also signals the U.S. is no longer participating in global flu information-sharing that guides vaccine decisions.

Such disease intelligence has helped Americans be “at the front of the line” when new outbreaks occur and new vaccines and medicines are quickly needed to counteract them and save lives, Gostin said.

Trump administration officials say they already have public health relationships with many countries and are working to ensure direct sharing of that kind of information, rather than having WHO serve as a middleman. But U.S. officials did not give specifics about how many such arrangements are in place.

Gostin, an expert on international public health treaties and collaborations, said it’s unlikely the U.S. will reach agreements with more than a couple dozen countries.

Many emerging viruses are first spotted in China, but “is China going to sign a contract with the United States?” Gostin said. “Are countries in Africa going to do it? Are the countries Trump has slapped with a huge tariff going to send us their data? The claim is almost laughable.”

Gostin also believes Trump overstepped his authority in pulling out of WHO. The U.S. joined the organization through an act of Congress and it is supposed to take an act of Congress to withdraw, he argued.

US still owes money, WHO says

The U.S. is legally required to give notice one year in advance of withdrawal — which it did — but also to pay any outstanding financial obligations.

The U.S. has not paid any of its dues for 2024 and 2025, leaving a balance of more than $133 million, according to WHO.

An administration official denied that requirement Thursday, saying the U.S. had no obligation to pay prior to withdrawing as a member.

Shastri reported from Milwaukee.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/22/us-world-health-organization-withdrawal/