Category: News
Cocoa Prices Set For Worst Monthly Drop On Record As Demand Craters
Cocoa Prices Set For Worst Monthly Drop On Record As Demand Craters
Cocoa futures in New York tumbled to two-year lows as fresh grinding data confirmed that consumers are balking at high chocolate prices.
Contracts are now down more than 28.5% on the month, and if the decline holds through the end of next week, January would register the largest monthly percentage drop on record, with Bloomberg data going back to 1970.
The great cocoa panic of 2023-24, which sent prices from $2,190 a ton to as high as $13,000 a ton by December 2024, has now retraced nearly the entire bull move to the 76.4% Fibonacci level. This latest downward pressure comes as new grinding data in Europe, cited by Bloomberg, shows clear demand deterioration:
Demand is deteriorating: European cocoa grindings fell to the lowest quarterly level since 2013, Asia also declined, while North America was roughly flat.
Reduced grindings have hit processors hard: Barry Callebaut AG reported a 22% drop in cocoa division volumes and nearly 10% lower overall sales volumes.
Goldman analyst Natasha de la Grense provided clients with more color on Barry Callebaut’s earnings, which showed negative market demand for chocolate:
Barry Callebaut – Q1 volumes in line (-9.9%) with a better outcome in Gourmet (-3.6% vs -5.5%) and Food Manufacturers (-7.4% vs -8.0%) offset by worse volumes in Cocoa Products (-22% vs -16.5%). The miss at the latter was impacted by negative market demand notably in AMEA and the prioritisation of volume towards higher return segments. Pricing was +19% YoY (vs +40% last quarter) so sequentially improving and now passed its peak. They say that global chocolate volumes were -6.8%. No change to FY26 outlook but they note lower bean prices are encouraging for chocolate market stabilisation. With this release, a new CEO has been announced which is a bit of a surprise (and Mr Feld is leaving almost immediately). However, the newly appointed Mr Schumacher is former CEO of Unilever and well-liked by investors. On the call, the Chairman suggested there will be no major change in strategy or need for reinvestment under new management. Note that BC also said it is committed to its integrated business model which should pour cold water on speculation around a split.
Barry Callebaut CFO Peter Vanneste told investors on an earnings call, “We believe consumers will adapt and adjust to these new price levels and ultimately continue to buy chocolate given the high engagement of the category.”
We told readers in December that sliding cocoa prices would produce “Tailwinds” for the badly beaten-down Hershey stock …
Read the note here.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 01/22/2026 – 05:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/cocoa-prices-set-worst-monthly-drop-record-demand-craters
Today in History: Theodore Kaczynski pleads guilty
Today is Thursday, Jan. 22, the 22nd day of 2026. There are 343 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On Jan. 22, 1998, Theodore Kaczynski pleaded guilty in Sacramento, California, to being the “Unabomber” responsible for three deaths and 23 injuries in a mail-bombing campaign. In return for the pleas in federal court, he received a sentence of life in prison without parole.
Also on this date:
In 1901, Britain’s Queen Victoria died at age 81 after a reign of more than 63 years; she was succeeded by her eldest son, Edward VII.
In 1944, during World War II, Allied forces began landing at Anzio, Italy.
In 1947, America’s first commercially licensed television station west of the Mississippi, KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, made its official debut.
In 1953, the Arthur Miller drama “The Crucible” opened at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York.
In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its Roe v. Wade decision, declared a nationwide constitutional right to abortion. (The court would overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, in the decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.)
In 1973, former President Lyndon B. Johnson died at his Texas ranch at the age of 64.
In 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points, the second-highest single-game point total in NBA history, in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 122-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors. (Wilt Chamberlain set the record with 100 points in 1962 for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 win against the New York Knicks.
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Today in Chicago History: Minus 27 degrees — the city’s all-time low temperature
Today in History: Martin Luther King Jr. Day observed for the first time
In 2017, an outbreak of tornadoes in the U.S. Southeast killed at least 16 people in Georgia after claiming four lives in Mississippi.
Today’s birthdays: Celebrity chef Graham Kerr (TV: “The Galloping Gourmet”) is 92. Singer Steve Perry is 77. Film director Jim Jarmusch is 73. Actor Linda Blair is 67. Actor Diane Lane is 61. DJ Jazzy Jeff is 61. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri is 58. Actor Olivia d’Abo is 57. Actor Gabriel Macht is 54. Actor Balthazar Getty is 51. Rapper Logic is 36. Actor Daryl McCormack is 33. Actor Sami Gayle is 30. R&B singer Ravyn Lenae Washington is 27. WNBA point guard Caitlin Clark is 24.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/22/today-in-history-theodore-kaczynski-pleads-guilty/
Today in Chicago History: Naked bodies of the Grimes sisters found near Burr Ridge
Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Jan. 22, according to the Tribune’s archives.
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Front page flashback: Jan. 22, 1973
The Tribune front page from Jan. 23, 1973, focused on the death of former President Lyndon B. Johnson and the U.S. Supreme Court decision that gave women the right to an abortion. (Chicago Tribune)
1973: The U.S. Supreme Court, in its Roe v. Wade decision, declared a nationwide constitutional right to abortion.
Vintage Chicago Tribune: From 1800s to now, history of abortion access in Illinois
The decision was overturned in 2022, but abortion remains legal in Illinois.
Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
High temperature: 59 degrees (1909)
Low temperature: Minus 17 degrees (1936)
Precipitation: 1.39 inches (1887)
Snowfall: 6.2 inches (2005)
Flashback: Mercy Hospital’s major milestones
1849: Illinois General Hospital of the Lakes — later known as Mercy Hospital — was established at Rush Street and the Chicago River, making it the first hospital in Chicago.
The building formerly housed Lake House, an opulent hotel.
The father of sisters Barbara and Patricia Grimes identified their bodies, which were discovered on Jan. 22, 1957, near Burr Ridge. The girls disappeared in December 1956. (Chicago Tribune)
1957: The nude bodies of sisters Barbara and Patricia Grimes were found along a rural road near Burr Ridge. The girls slipped away from their home in Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood a month earlier to see an Elvis Presley movie at a nearby theater, but never returned.
Investigators didn’t find enough evidence to explain their deaths. The official cause of death was exposure to winter cold, and despite an exhaustive investigation and widespread media attention, the case remains one of the Chicago area’s most notorious unsolved mysteries.
A crowd gathers outside the Chicago apartment rented by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta at 1550 S. Hamlin Ave. in Chicago on Jan. 26, 1966. (Tom Kinahan/Chicago Tribune)
1966: It was revealed that Martin Luther King Jr. planned to live in a four-room, third-floor walk-up apartment on South Hamlin Avenue in North Lawndale. Rent was $90 per month (about $840 in today’s dollars). He moved in a few days later.
Today the site is home to the Dr. King Legacy Apartments, which were constructed in 2011.
“Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski pleaded guilty in January 1998 almost 20 years to the day after the Unabomber’s first pipe bomb exploded to three bombing murders and the maiming of two other people and agreed to a life sentence in prison without the possibility of release. He avoided the death penalty and a trial where he would have been portrayed as mentally ill. (Chicago Tribune)
1998: “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski pleaded guilty — almost 20 years after his first pipe bomb exploded — choosing to spend life in prison rather than be portrayed at trial as mentally ill.
The Chicago Bears sent out a news release at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 22, 1999, in which David McGinnis was named as the 12th head coach in franchise history. There was just one problem McGinnis had not agreed to terms with the Bears. (Chicago Tribune)
1999: The Chicago Bears wrongly announced Dave McGinnis as the team’s 12th head coach.
McGinnis, defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals and linebackers coach with the Bears from 1986-95, was upset the “news” was broadcast and that it had reached Cardinals team owner Bill Bidwell and coach Vince Tobin, as well as family and friends, before he even had considered the offer.
Dick Jauron was announced two days later as Dave Wannstedt’s replacement.
From George Halas to Ben Johnson: What was said about every Chicago Bears coach when they were hired
Want more vintage Chicago?
Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago’s past.
Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather at krumore@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/22/january-22-chicago-history/
UK Data Center Planning Hits Record High Amid Scramble For AI Infrastructure
UK Data Center Planning Hits Record High Amid Scramble For AI Infrastructure
Data centre planning applications in England and Wales jumped 63% in 2025, driven largely by AI-related demand and investor enthusiasm.
Developers are increasingly targeting unconventional sites, from abandoned hotels to former coal mines and landfills, to secure planning approval.
Power availability and grid constraints are likely to limit how many approved projects are ultimately built, encouraging “bring your own power” models.
Data centre planning applications hit an all-time high in the UK in 2025, City AM can reveal, as investors rushed to gain a foothold in the burgeoning AI market.
More than 60 separate planning applications for the construction of new data centres were filed in England and Wales over the course of the year, according to a City AM analysis of more than 300 local authority planning databases, representing an increase of 63 per cent compared to 2024.
The analysis excluded extensions to existing data centre sites, revisions to past applications and applications for other developments which included a data centre as part of the plans, meaning the true figure for the number of data centres seeking planning approval is likely to be significantly higher.
The surge in applications lays bare the scale of the demand for compute by the nascent AI industry, with large language models requiring more and more power to operate, and property businesses racing to re-invent themselves as data centre developers to cash in on investor appetite.
Dame Dawn Childs, chief executive of Pure Data Centres, told City AM: “With this AI bubble that everyone’s talking about…because of the increased valuations for powered land, everyone’s trying to get a piece of the pie, and that creates a bunch of fizziness.
“We’re seeing lots of people who are sending out on a daily basis: ‘we’ve got this significant plot of land with all of these megawatts of power in the middle of nowhere, it’ll be an AI gigafactory, buy it for a gazillion pounds’ – they’re absolutely trying to get increased valuations for scrappy industrial land.”
The lion’s share of the demand came from AI applications by Magnificent 7 firms, Childs said, but added that even without AI, there would likely have been a significant increase in applications due to increased cloud computing adoption across the British economy.
The analysis found that around half of the planning applications were situated in London and the South East, regions known as a European hotspot for data centres, though there were also signs of a growing number of data centres being constructed across different parts of the UK. Seven different applications were submitted in Wales during the year, along with another seven in the East Midlands, four in the North West and four in Yorkshire.
The analysis also found property firms becoming more and more creative over the sites chosen to redevelop into data centres in a scramble to gain planning approval. In Watford, developers picked the site of an abandoned Mercure hotel to build a data centre, while in Hackney, the old Truman brewery has been earmarked for conversion. In Nottinghamshire, a shuttered coal mine could be turned into a data centre, while in Chesterfield, a former landfill site could find a new lease of life churning out AI content.
These more ambitious developments were being led by technological advances by data centre hyperscalers, Childs said.
“Previously they needed their cloud regions to be within a certain geography, driven by the cost of power, the availability of power and the price of land,” Childs said.
“They’ve extended that margin now and for some of them they’ve actually doubled the circumference within which they’d be happy to have a child data centre site linked back to their central hub in a cloud region.”
The surge in data centre planning applications is also thought to have been propelled by the launch of the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan just under a year ago, in which it called for the creation of ‘AI Growth Zones’ – areas designed to build AI infrastructure and attract outside investment and expertise. To date more than 200 submissions for AI Growth Zones have been made by local authorities across the UK.
Planning and power challenges
But the total number of AI data centres ultimately built is likely to be substantially lower than the number of planning applications filed, amid competition for investment and a scarcity of power supplies.
Google’s first UK owned and operated data centre, which opened last year, suffered a series of setbacks before it was ultimately completed.
When the first planning application for the site was submitted in 2018, Thames Water warned it had “identified an inability of the existing water network infrastructure to accommodate the needs of this development proposal”, while a utilities report found the local power supply was inadequate and a new 6km-long cable would have to be dug underground (including drilling under the M25) to connect up to a second National Grid substation.
As a result of power constraints, the “bring your own power” model is also being seen more and more across Europe, in which data centre developers partner with energy specialists to ensure power demands can be met, Childs said.
“Investors are either cautious and savvy and really understand the market… or they are new entrants who are just throwing their hat in the ring to jump on the bandwagon.”
Tyler Durden
Thu, 01/22/2026 – 05:00
US Lawmakers Push $2.5B Plan To Break China’s Grip On Critical Minerals
US Lawmakers Push $2.5B Plan To Break China’s Grip On Critical Minerals
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has proposed creating a new $2.5 billion agency to accelerate U.S. production of rare earths and other critical minerals, according to AP and MSN.
The effort comes as the Trump administration has already taken aggressive steps to weaken China’s control over materials vital to high-tech products, electric vehicles, and advanced weapons systems.
While it remains unclear how the legislation would align with White House policy, pressure is growing to cut U.S. dependence on China after Beijing used its dominance in the critical minerals market during the trade war. Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping agreed last October to a one-year truce under which China would continue exports while the U.S. eased some technology restrictions.
The Pentagon has spent nearly $5 billion over the past year to secure access to these materials, highlighting how reliant the U.S. remains on China, which processes more than 90% of the world’s critical minerals. To counter that dominance, Washington has begun taking equity stakes in mining companies and, in some cases, guaranteeing prices—an approach more commonly associated with China’s industrial policy.
The Senate bill, introduced by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Todd Young of Indiana, would establish an independent agency to build mineral stockpiles, stabilize prices, and encourage production in the U.S. and allied countries to support both national defense and the broader economy.
Shaheen called the legislation “a historic investment” to strengthen the U.S. economy against China’s leverage, while Young said the proposal is “a much-needed, aggressive step to protect our national and economic security.” Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia introduced a companion bill in the House.
The AP report says that the urgency escalated after China imposed export restrictions last spring in response to U.S. tariffs, forcing Washington to seek a truce. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon has recently “deployed over $4.5 billion in capital commitments” to close deals that will “help free the United States from market manipulation.”
Those efforts include investments in domestic alumina, gallium, and rare earth production, as well as partnerships to strengthen the supply chain for rare earth magnets. Trump reinforced the strategy this week, declaring the U.S. is “too reliant” on foreign critical minerals and ordering negotiations for stronger supply terms.
“Reshoring manufacturing that’s critical to our national and economic security is a top priority for the Trump administration,” a White House spokesperson said.
Some analysts view the strategy as a shift toward state-backed industrial policy. “Despite the dangers of political interference, the strategic logic is compelling,” wrote Elly Rostoum, adding that it could be “a prudent way for the U.S. to ensure strategic autonomy and industrial sovereignty.”
Industry leaders have largely welcomed the approach. “He is playing three-dimensional chess on critical minerals like no previous president has done. It’s about time too, given the military and strategic vulnerability we face,” said Jim Sims of NioCorp.
Alongside domestic investment, the administration is also working with allies, including major mining agreements with Australia and coordinated discussions among G7 finance ministers on supply chain resilience.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 01/22/2026 – 04:15
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/us-lawmakers-push-25b-plan-break-chinas-grip-critical-minerals
Corte filipina condena a reportera por financiamiento de terrorismo. Grupos de prensa critican fallo
Por JIM GOMEZ
MANILA, Filipinas (AP) — Un tribunal filipino declaró culpable el jueves a una periodista filipina de financiar el terrorismo, en un veredicto que fue condenado por los defensores de la libertad de prensa pero bien recibido por funcionarios anticomunistas que combaten la insurgencia.
La jueza presidenta Georgina Pérez del Tribunal Regional de Primera Instancia en la ciudad central de Tacloban condenó a Frenchie Mae Cumpio y a la misionera de derechos humanos Marielle Domequil —que llevan casi seis años en prisión— por cargos de financiar el terrorismo. Fueron absueltas de cargos separados de posesión ilegal de armas de fuego y explosivos, dijeron funcionarios del tribunal.
Se impusieron penas de prisión de 12 a 18 años a Cumpio y Domequil, quienes podrían apelar los veredictos, dijo Ailene Balatay, la abogada de la secretaria del tribunal.
Los cargos derivan de acusaciones de que Cumpio y Domequil proporcionaron apoyo financiero y de otro tipo a los insurgentes comunistas del Nuevo Ejército Popular en 2019 en la provincia oriental de Samar. Fueron arrestadas en febrero de 2020 bajo cargos de posesión ilegal de un arma de fuego y una granada.
Ambas negaron vehementemente las acusaciones. Los cargos contra Cumpio, de 26 años, han sido descritos por activistas como un nuevo ejemplo de los riesgos que enfrentan los reporteros en Filipinas, considerado uno de los lugares más peligrosos para los periodistas en el mundo.
Reporteros Sin Fronteras y organizaciones aliadas condenaron las condenas como una “clara injusticia” y dijeron que una investigación del grupo de defensa de los medios encontró que los cargos contra ambas eran fabricados.
“La condena de Cumpio representa un fracaso devastador por parte del sistema de justicia filipino y el flagrante desprecio de las autoridades por la libertad de prensa”, dijo Aleksandra Bielakowska, gerente de defensa en Reporteros Sin Fronteras, en un comunicado.
“Filipinas debería servir como un ejemplo internacional de protección de la libertad de los medios, no como un perpetrador que señala, procesa y encarcela a periodistas simplemente por hacer su trabajo”, dijo el grupo, también conocido por su acrónimo en francés RSF.
En el momento de su arresto en 2020, Cumpio era la directora ejecutiva de un sitio web de noticias provincial y presentadora de noticias de radio que informaba sobre presuntos abusos policiales y militares junto con problemas de bienestar social en el centro-este de Filipinas, dijo RSF.
Cristina Palabay, secretaria general de la coalición izquierdista de derechos humanos Karapatan, dijo que la desestimación por parte del tribunal de los cargos de posesión ilegal de armas de fuego y explosivos “confirma que las acusaciones presentadas por las fuerzas de seguridad del estado fueron fabricadas desde el principio”.
“Sin embargo, las mismas mentiras y testimonios falsos se utilizaron para forzar una condena en el caso de ‘financiamiento del terrorismo’”, dijo.
Irene Khan, la relatora especial de la ONU para la libertad de opinión y expresión, ha expresado consternación por la larga detención preventiva de Cumpio y agregó que los cargos en su contra “después de meses de ‘etiquetado rojo’, vigilancia, intimidación y acoso, parecen haber sido presentados en represalia por su trabajo como periodista”.
Un grupo de trabajo del gobierno filipino que supervisa los esfuerzos para poner fin a las décadas de insurgencia comunista en el país dijo que aquellos que critican el fallo como un acto de intimidación contra periodistas o trabajadores de derechos humanos estaban recurriendo a “una mentira destinada a proteger la responsabilidad criminal con chantaje moral”.
“Fueron condenadas por financiar una organización terrorista, simple y llanamente”, dijo el subsecretario del grupo de trabajo Ernesto Torres Jr. “No se lavan fondos terroristas y luego se esconden detrás de la libertad de prensa o la Biblia”.
Aquellos que no estén de acuerdo con el fallo deberían considerar una apelación, “no incitación, no propaganda internacional, y no deslegitimar el sistema de justicia”, dijo Torres.
___
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Despite Rapes And Violence, Netherlands To Keep Migrant-Student Integration Project Alive
Despite Rapes And Violence, Netherlands To Keep Migrant-Student Integration Project Alive
Despite sparking global news coverage documenting violence, sexual assaults, and drug-related crimes in the shared living integration project “Stek Oost,” the city of Amsterdam refuses to shut the project down.
According to public broadcaster BNNVARA, the municipality has rejected calls to shutter the facility early and plans to run the project until its scheduled end in April 2028.
The project, which launched in 2018, was the subject of a recent NPO 2 report where residents detailed an environment of frequent violence. Records indicate that the housing association responsible for the site, Stadgenoot, had requested an intervention plan from police and city officials as early as 2019 to address sexual abuse.
The news report highlighted serious cases and interviewed the victims in some instances, which has been translated by Remix News.
A Syrian resident was linked to a rape in 2019, but the case was initially closed due to insufficient evidence. However, the individual remained at the dormitory until March 2022, when a second sexual offense led to his expulsion and a subsequent prison sentence.
The former resident said that a Syrian raped her after she went to his room to watch a film and he would not let her leave.
He then raped her.
The woman, Amanda, said: “He wanted to learn Dutch, to get an education. I wanted to help him.”
In addition, students living in the shared spaces reported being threatened with kitchen knives. One student described a 20-centimeter-long blade.
Stadgenoot reportedly considered pulling out of the project in 2023 after its own employees faced threats.
“Stek Oost” was designed to foster social cohesion by housing asylum seekers and Dutch students together.
Initially, the 250 apartments were split in half between the two groups, so 125 places for each group. However, the ratio of asylum seekers was later reduced to 30 percent.
A “buddy system” was implemented to connect the groups and promote integration.
Despite the controversies, the City of Amsterdam has blocked attempts to close the project. District President Carolien de Heer (PvdA) defended the decision to the broadcaster, stating that “250 people could not be put on the streets at once.”
However, what he does not note is that the refugees could simply be removed to another facility, which would not total 250 people.
The project has long been a source of political friction. In 2022, Green Mayor Femke Halsema acknowledged she was aware of the ongoing problems. By 2024, parties including the VVD and JA21 called for the project’s termination.
A scheduled debate on the facility was recently removed from the Municipal Council’s agenda, despite a request for discussion from Anton van Schijndel of the nationalist FvD party (Forum for Democracy).
Now, there are potential political implications to closing the project early, which could be seen as a failure of integration, even when forced and facilitated by the state in a controlled environment.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 01/22/2026 – 03:30
This French beef casserole is the best thing you’ll make all winter
French hachis Parmentier is the kind of dish that sneaks up on you. At first glance, it’s humble — ground beef, onions, and carrots baked beneath a layer of mashed potatoes — but just like its cousin, shepherd’s pie, it’s deeply comforting, surprisingly nuanced, and exactly what you want on a frigid night. But hachis Parmentier is a little softer and more classic; it’s focused on coaxing out the best flavor from good ingredients.
Hachis Parmentier is named for Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, an 18th-century French pharmacist and agronomist who is most known for his advocacy on a topic near and dear to me: People should eat more potatoes. Apparently at the time, potatoes were not particularly popular (they were feared, actually) in France — and Parmentier was really out there doing the most to change that. He published research on potato safety, and when that didn’t work he hosted potato-themed dinner parties for local celebrities like Benjamin Franklin and staged potato publicity stunts. Hachis Parmentier was named after Antoine-Augustin in part for the potato topping, and in part due to the dish’s resourcefulness. Originally, it was meant as a way to use up leftover minced pot au feu meat.
My version, like many today, relies on ground beef simmered with carrots and onions in red wine and beef broth. I like to add a dollop of Dijon mustard; it’s not traditional, but the sharpness balances the rich beef flavor in a way that tastes right to me. I add Gruyere cheese, egg yolks, and grated nutmeg to my mashed potato topping to ensure it’s rich, with a nutty depth that adds layered flavor to every bite. The top gets extra-golden in the oven, and every bite will make you extra-happy.
Why you’ll love it
It’s make-ahead-friendly. You can assemble the entire dish a day ahead and bake when you’re ready to wow a crowd (or just yourself)!
An all-in-one meal. You’re getting beef, vegetables, and starch (in the form of perfectly cheesy mashed potatoes) in every bite.
Key ingredients in hachis Parmentier
Cheesy mashed potatoes: Mash creamy boiled gold potatoes with Gruyere cheese, egg yolks, heavy cream, butter, and a little nutmeg for the perfect casserole topping.
Ground beef: Lean ground beef is ideal so you don’t have to fuss with draining off excess grease.
Aromatics: Garlic, carrots, and onions create a flavorful foundation for the beef filling.
Dijon mustard: It’s not strictly traditional, but a spoonful of Dijon mustard adds a little sharp tang to cut through the rich beef filling and add balance.
Red wine: You’ll only need 1/2 cup, so pick something you’ll enjoy drinking.
Helpful swaps
You can swap the Gruyere cheese for Comte or less-traditional (but still delicious) aged white cheddar.
Add chopped leeks, mushrooms, or celery to the beef filling.
Storage and make-ahead tips
The casserole can be assembled up to one day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Uncover before baking, and add 10 minutes to the baking time.
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days.
Hachis Parmentier
Serves 6 to 8
For the potato topping:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 pounds gold potatoes (about 9 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
3 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
For the beef filling and assembly:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (4 sprigs), plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Make the potato topping:
1. Place 2 1/2 pounds peeled and cut gold potatoes in a large saucepan or pot and add enough cold water to cover by about 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes are knife-tender, 15 to 25 minutes. (This is a good time to start cooking the filling.)
2. Drain the potatoes. Pass the potatoes through a ricer into the now-empty pot, or return the potatoes to the pot and mash with a potato masher until smooth.
3. Whisk 1/3 cup heavy cream, two large egg yolks, 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, and the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl until combined.
4. Add the cream mixture and 6 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter to the potatoes. Stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is combined. Gently fold in 3 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed. Cover to keep warm.
Make the beef filling:
1. Heat the oven to 425º F.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add two finely chopped medium yellow onions and three peeled and diced medium carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in six finely grated garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes.
4. Add 1/2 cup dry red wine and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the liquid is nearly evaporated, about 1 minute.
5. Stir in 2 cups low-sodium beef broth, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by about 3/4, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed.
Assemble the casserole:
1. Transfer the filling to a 9-by-13-inch or other 3-quart baking dish and spread into an even layer. Dollop the potato topping over the filling with a flexible spatula, then spread the topping evenly over the filling, going all the way to the edges of the baking dish. Dice the remaining 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and scatter over the potatoes.
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The Kitchn: These Southern deviled eggs will be the hit of your New Year’s Eve party
2. Bake until the potatoes are browned in spots and the filling is warmed through and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves if desired. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
(Rachel Perlmutter is a culinary producer for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/22/french-beef-casserole/
Tesla Cuts Berlin Gigafactory Workforce By 1,700 Employees
Tesla Cuts Berlin Gigafactory Workforce By 1,700 Employees
Tesla’s workforce at its Gigafactory near Berlin has fallen by about 1,700 employees, according to a report by Germany’s Handelsblatt.
An internal document cited by the paper shows the Gruenheide site—Tesla’s only European production hub—now employs 10,703 people, a decline of roughly 14% from staffing levels disclosed ahead of works council elections in 2024. The company did not immediately comment, according to Handelsblatt.
The reduction follows CEO Elon Musk’s April 2024 announcement that Tesla would cut more than 10% of its global workforce to curb costs and boost productivity.
The move also fits a broader pattern in early 2026, as manufacturers and technology firms continue to streamline operations amid slower demand growth, tighter financing conditions, and a push to protect margins after several years of aggressive expansion.
In 2025, Tesla spent much of the year shifting from rapid expansion to consolidation. Management emphasized cost control, factory efficiency, and cash preservation as aggressive price cuts and softer demand compressed automotive margins.
Even as its traditional auto operations lost momentum, Tesla’s stock has been relatively resilient. Investors have increasingly focused on the company’s longer-term ambitions in robotaxi services, autonomous driving software, and artificial intelligence, viewing these as potential high-margin growth engines.
That optimism has helped support the share price despite slowing vehicle sales and a wider backdrop of job cuts across manufacturing and technology in 2026, as companies adjust to weaker growth and higher financing costs.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 01/22/2026 – 02:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/tesla-cuts-berlin-workforce-1700-employees
Trump presenta su Junta de Paz en Davos mientras se cuestiona el liderazgo de EEUU
Por JOSH BOAK y AAMER MADHANI
DAVOS, Suiza (AP) — El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, quiere poner el foco en su propuesta de “Junta de Paz” en el Foro Económico Mundial el jueves, con el fin de impulsar un proyecto que esta semana ha quedado eclipsado primero por sus amenazas de hacerse con el control de Groenlandia, y luego por una dramática renuncia a esa propuesta.
La nueva junta se concibió inicialmente como un pequeño grupo de líderes mundiales que supervisarían el alto el fuego en Gaza, pero se ha transformado en algo mucho más ambicioso, y el escepticismo sobre su composición y mandato ha llevado a algunos aliados tradicionales de Washington a rechazarlo hasta ahora.
Trump se mostró confiado con su idea antes de lo que la Casa Blanca calificó como un “anuncio de su carta fundacional” en un aparte del foro que se celebra en los Alpes suizos.
“Tenemos mucha gente excelente que quiere unirse”, dijo Trump con el presidente egipcio, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, a su lado durante una reunión el miércoles. Egipto es uno de los países que ha anunciado que se unirá a la iniciativa del mandatario republicano. “Va a ser la junta más prestigiosa jamás formada”.
Unos 35 países habrían aceptado unirse al proyecto, según dijo un alto funcionario del gobierno estadounidense a reporteros, y 60 han sido invitados a participar. El funcionario habló bajo condición de anonimato en cumplimiento con las directrices de la Casa Blanca.
Trump, que ha mencionado que la junta podría reemplazar algunas de las funciones de Naciones Unidas, llegando incluso a dejarla obsoleta, dijo que algunos líderes han indicado que planean sumarse a su iniciativa pero necesitan la aprobación de sus parlamentos. Su gobierno está recibiendo consultas sobre la membresía de naciones que no habían sido invitadas, agregó.
Aún no está claro quién se unirá
Sin embargo, quedan grandes incógnitas por resolver. El presidente de Rusia, Vladímir Putin, indicó que el Kremlin sigue consultando con sus “socios estratégicos” antes de decidir comprometerse. El mandatario tiene previsto recibir el jueves al presidente palestino, Mahmud Abás, para conversaciones en Moscú.
Otros han planteado preguntas acerca de por qué Putin y otros líderes autoritarios han sido invitados a unirse. Trump dijo que quería a “todos” los que fueran poderosos. “Tengo algunas personas controvertidas. Pero estas son personas que hacen su trabajo. Son personas que tienen una tremenda influencia”.
Mientras, algunas naciones europeas han rechazado su invitación. Noruega y Suecia revelaron que no participarán, después de que lo hiciera Francia. Las autoridades francesas subrayaron que, aunque apoyan el plan de paz para Gaza, le preocupa que la junta pudiera buscar reemplazar a la ONU como el principal foro para la resolución de conflictos.
El primer ministro de Eslovenia, Robert Golob, apuntó que “aún no ha llegado el momento de aceptar la invitación”, de acuerdo con la agencia noticiosa STA. Su principal preocupación sería que el mandato de la junta podría ser demasiado amplio y podría socavar el orden internacional basado en la Carta de Naciones Unidas.
Reino Unido, el brazo ejecutivo de la Unión Europea, Canadá, Rusia, Ucrania y China tampoco han indicado aún su respuesta a la invitación de Trump. Que el líder estadounidense haya cancelado los elevados aranceles con los que amenazó por Groenlandia podría aliviar la reticencia de algunos aliados, pero la cuestión está aún lejos de resolverse.
La junta surgió de la propuesta de alto el fuego
La idea de la Junta de Paz se expuso por primera vez en el plan de alto el fuego de 20 puntos de Trump para Gaza, e incluso fue respaldada por el Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU.
Las cartas de invitación a los líderes mundiales antes de Davos indicaron que la labor del panel podría no limitarse al sitiado territorio palestino.
Cuando un reportero le preguntó a principios de semana si la junta debería reemplazar a la ONU, Trump respondió que “podría”. Además, afirmó que el organismo mundial “no ha sido muy útil” y “nunca ha estado a la altura de su potencial”, pero también dijo que Naciones Unidas debería seguir existiendo “porque el potencial es muy grande”.
Las esperanzas de Trump para la junta recibieron buenas noticias el miércoles, cuando el primer ministro de Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, anunció que había aceptado unirse. En un primer momento, su oficina había criticado la composición del comité de la junta encargado de supervisar Gaza.
Meses después del inicio del alto el fuego, más de dos millones de palestinos en Gaza continúan sufriendo la crisis humanitaria desatada por más de dos años de guerra. Y la violencia, aunque no al mismo nivel que antes del acuerdo de octubre y de la liberación de los rehenes, continúa.
La clave para que la tregua en Gaza continúe es el desarme de Hamás, algo a lo que el grupo insurgente que controla el enclave desde 2007 se ha negado y que Israel considera no negociable.
Trump dijo el miércoles que su gobierno debería saber en las próximas semanas si Hamás aceptará deponer las armas.
“Si no lo hacen (…) serán eliminados. Muy rápidamente”, declaró.
Protestas en Irán como telón de fondo
El impulso de Trump por la paz se produce también después de que este mes amenazara con una acción militar contra Irán por su violenta represión a algunas de las mayores protestas callejeras en años, que causó miles de fallecidos.
Por el momento, el líder estadounidense ha señalado que no llevará a cabo nuevos ataques contra la República Islámica después de que, según dijo, recibió garantías de que el gobierno no llevaría a cabo las ejecuciones planeadas de más de 800 manifestantes.
Pero incluso mientras se preparaba para presentar su Junta de Paz, Trump alegó que su postura hacia Teherán —incluyendo los ataques a las instalaciones nucleares iraníes en junio— fue crucial para la consolidación del acuerdo de alto el fuego entre Israel y Hamás. Irán era el principal patrocinador del grupo insurgente, proporcionándole cientos de millones de dólares en ayuda militar, armas, entrenamiento y apoyo financiero a lo largo de los años.
“Si no hubiéramos hecho eso, no habría habido posibilidad de alcanzar la paz”, manifestó Trump acerca de Irán.
Reunión con Zelenskyy
Trump también espera hablar con el presidente de Ucrania, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, el jueves, aunque no estaba claro si la conversación sería en Davos o por teléfono.
Pero Trump, quien continúa intentando que Zelenskyy y Putin acuerden los términos para poner fin a su guerra de casi cuatro años, volvió a mostrar su frustración con ambos el miércoles.
“Creo que ahora están en un punto donde pueden reunirse y llegar a un acuerdo”, señaló. “Y si no lo hacen, son estúpidos, eso va para ambos”.
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Madhani informó desde Washington.
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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.
