Category: News
NIH Lab Studying Deadly Pathogens Reported Biological Incident In November: Federal Records
NIH Lab Studying Deadly Pathogens Reported Biological Incident In November: Federal Records
The White Coat Waste Project – which you may remember for exposing Dr. Anthony Fauci’s sick experiments on beagles in 2024 – has obtained a document revealing that the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) in Hamilton, Montana reported a biological incident in November 2025.
RML, which operates BSL-2, BSL-3, and BSL-4 ‘full suit’ laboratories notably studies viral hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola, Marburg and Lassa virus, as well as coronaviruses, dangerous bacteria, tuberculosis, tick-borne pathogens (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, for example), West Nile virus, Prion diseases, and others.
According to a November 2025 biosafety report obtained by WCWP, a ‘Form 3’ was reported to the Federal Select Agent Program on Nov. 13, 2025. Form 3 is a mandatory notification form used to alert the Federal Select Agent Program of any ‘theft, loss, or release’ involving select agents or toxins, Infowars’ Breanna Morello reports after interviewing WCWP’s Justin Goodman – who called Rocky Mountain Laboratories ‘one of the most dangerous biolabs in the country.‘
White Coat Waste Project obtained this BSO report from RML, via Infowars
Watch:
🚨EXCLUSIVE🚨
A Fauci federal bio lab in Montana can’t locate a biological agent.
The biological agent is either stolen, lost or was released, according to documents obtained by The White Coat Waste Project.
SVP @JustinRGoodman joins me to detail the new documents. pic.twitter.com/NmwQ70tod9
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) January 20, 2026
Partial transcript below:
Morello: “You’ve recently obtained these documents over at the White Coat Waste Project, which detail specifically the threat that a bio agent, which apparently is classified as potentially posing a severe threat to public health, has been either stolen, lost, or released. What are some of the details behind this concerning story?”
Goodman: “Now, we recently—last week—exposed how Jay Bhattacharya, NIH director, just gave another $2 million to a bat lab being built at Colorado State University to provide animals for infection studies. Both the Colorado State and, as you mentioned, the Rocky Mountain Lab… Now, the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Montana is run by Fauci’s former NIH division, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“It is very infamous. The Rocky Mountain Lab is where ticks were weaponized with NIH and DOD to spread Lyme and other diseases back to the 1960s and ’70s. More recently, White Coat Waste exposed how—a couple years prior to the pandemic—the Rocky Mountain Laboratory was cloning coronaviruses that Peter Daszak and the Wuhan lab were finding out in bat caves in Wuhan. They were cloning those viruses at Rocky Mountain Laboratory.”
“These are the same viruses that the Wuhan Lab was doing gain-of-function with, putting spike proteins around at around the same time. The Rocky Mountain Lab has a very sordid history doing the most dangerous experiments in this country—Ebola, plague, anthrax, lots of different hemorrhagic fevers that have no cure and 90-95% kill rates in people. So we’ve been following the money to the Rocky Mountain Lab because this new Colorado State bat lab is going to be supplying bats to these facilities.
“Now, what we just uncovered is that in November 2025—just a couple months ago—quietly, NIH posted a biosafety test to see if there’s any from Rocky Mountain Lab, indicating that a select agent… Now, select agents are very deadly pathogens—serious health concerns for both humans and livestock. These are things used as bioweapons, things like ricin, anthrax, Ebola, tularemia. The Rocky Mountain Lab report just has a very benign item—if you didn’t know what we were looking for—one of these pathogens was either accidentally released, lost, or stolen from this NIH-funded bioagent lab that participates in dangerous animal experiments with the military.
“So we don’t know exactly what that agent was and what happened, but we do know there’s a serious biosafety breach at one of the most dangerous biolabs in the country, run by the NIH. And we only know about this because we stumbled upon this document when we were digging into what’s currently happening at the Rocky Mountain Lab because of its tie to this very controversial bat lab project at Colorado State, which has gone viral—pun intended—over the last couple weeks.”
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/21/2026 – 23:00
Los Mets dadquieren al lanzador estelar Freddy Peralta en un canje con los Cerveceros, según fuentes de AP
NUEVA YORK (AP) — Los Mets dadquieren al lanzador estelar Freddy Peralta en un canje con los Cerveceros, según fuentes de AP.
Like Stephen Curry, Lincoln-Way West’s Drake Been delivers record-breaking 3-point surge. ‘Know I can make it.’
Lincoln-Way West’s Drake Been has been on the kind of shooting streak that might make Stephen Curry jealous.
In a two-game stretch last week, Been hit a combined 16 3-pointers. The senior guard tied a program record with nine in a Jan. 13 win over Stagg.
Needless to say, Been is feeling comfortable any time he gets the ball in his hands.
“It’s been going in a lot lately,” Been said. “It feels great. My teammates are finding me open, so that makes it so much easier. When I’m open, I’m ready to shoot it and I know I can make it.”
Been had a bit of a quiet night by his recent standards Wednesday, but he still made three 3-pointers and finished with 12 points to help the host Warriors pick up a 70-60 nonconference win over Bremen in New Lenox.
Luke Gouty led Lincoln-Way West (12-10) with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Eiden Kubilius also scored 16 points, while Ryan Hegji contributed 14 points.
Lincoln-Way West’s Drake Been (14) shoots a free throw against Bremen during a nonconference game in New Lenox on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
Kishawn Gantt poured in 22 points for Bremen (9-12). Josh Johnson finished with 11 points and five rebounds, while Jalen Clardy added 10 points.
Not to be denied, Been came out of the gates on fire, knocking down three 3-pointers in the first quarter. And Lincoln-Way West coach Tanner Mitchell has gotten used to seeing that.
“Drake has been on an absolute heater the last two or three weeks,” Mitchell said. “He’s really shooting the ball well. He’s shooting with confidence.
“He’s been on one of those stretches where it’s like he’s throwing the ball in the ocean.”
Lincoln-Way West’s Drake Been (14) dribbles up the court against Bremen during a nonconference game in New Lenox on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
Been credits his family — and boredom — with turning him into a great shooter.
“My cousins always made me shoot the ball,” he said. “We played together all the time and they pushed me to get better.
“I’m always getting shots up in the summer, too. I don’t have much else to do.”
On his record night, which came in a 71-51 win over Stagg, Been was tipped off that he was nearing history.
Lincoln-Way West’s Eiden Kubilius (23) goes up for a layup against Bremen during a nonconference game in New Lenox on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
“Someone mentioned it during a timeout when I was at eight,” Been said. “After that, I missed two in a row but then I made one from the corner and they all just went crazy.
“Tyler Gabriel, who had the record, texted me and said, ‘Congrats.’ Knowing my name will be up there with his feels good.”
On Wednesday, Bremen put its defensive attention squarely on Been after his fast start. That helped lead to a big night for Gouty, who is having a blast playing alongside Been.
“It’s always great when you pass it out and he makes it every time,” Gouty said. “It’s a lot of fun having him on your team. His work ethic has really made him quite good.
“He’s practicing all the time and he’s gotten better every year.”
Been knows he will likely see more opponents making game plans around him. He feels ready to adjust.
“I don’t like it, but it opens things up for my teammates,” Been said. “My teammates can all shoot the ball, so eventually they’re going to have to sag off me and I’ll find my openings.”
Lincoln-Way West’s Drake Been (14) pushes the ball up the court against Bremen during a nonconference game in New Lenox on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
Behind Been’s early 3-pointers, Lincoln-Way West raced to a 27-16 lead in the first quarter and never trailed.
Bremen fought tough, though, and was down just 49-46 late in the third quarter before the Warriors went on an 8-0 run to take control.
“They kept coming back and coach told us we needed to put them away,” Gouty said. “We hung in there, held our ground and finished it off.”
Been, meanwhile, is also a golfer for Lincoln-Way West. He takes contrasting mindsets into the two sports.
“I’m honestly two different people when I play golf and basketball,” Been said. “When I golf, I’m more relaxed and I don’t really have emotions.
“In basketball, I’m very emotional. I really want to win.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/drake-been-lincoln-way-west-bremen-ihsa-boys-basketball/
Illinois officials launch investigation into landlord’s role in South Shore raid
Nearly four months after the high-profile immigration raid of a South Shore apartment complex, Illinois officials are launching an investigation into claims that the building’s managers played a role in what became one of the most infamous moments of Operation Midway Blitz.
The Illinois Department of Human Rights on Wednesday filed a housing discrimination charge alleging the owner and management of 7500 South Shore Drive prompted the September raid by telling the federal government there were Venezuelan immigrants living in the complex without authorization.
IDHR, in its charge filing, goes on to allege building managers tipped off federal officials to “intimidate and coerce the building’s Black and Hispanic tenants into leaving their apartment units, based on stereotypes toward Venezuelan immigrants.”
Three weeks into Midway Blitz — the Trump administration’s local mass deportation campaign last fall and early winter — agents dressed for combat rappelled from helicopters onto the roof of 7500 South Shore Drive. They broke through windows and stormed inside, where they crashed through doors and placed residents in zip ties and on buses or in the back of box trucks. Many Venezuelan migrants lived in the building and were taken in the raid.
Officials said at the time the operation was meant to target Tren de Aragua gang members. The Tribune reported exclusively in October that no public criminal charges had been filed against anyone in connection with the raid.
Meanwhile, the operation exacerbated a housing complex already in crisis, as deteriorating living conditions had plagued the building long before the agents arrived. Two months after the raid, the Circuit Court of Cook County issued an order mandating that any tenants remaining — who had formed a union in the wake of the operation — vacate the building by early December.
Despite a last-minute plea for more time, residents were forced to pack.
Last week, former resident Samantha Stamps, who police said had been experiencing homelessness since facing eviction, was reported missing, though family has since posted on social media that Stamps was found and receiving care in the hospital.
IDHR’s charge was filed against 7500 Shore A LLC, Trinity Flood and Strength in Management LLC, who own and manage the building.
An attorney for 7500 Shore A LLC could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday night. The Department of Homeland Security also did not immediately return a request for comment.
Among the allegations made in its charge, IDHR states federal agents “forcibly removed Black and Hispanic tenants from their apartments, detained and separated tenants based on their race, ancestry, and national origin.”
Residents, speaking with the Tribune after the raid, recalled witnessing agents leading zip-tied people to separate buses that night: one for migrants and one for Black people. The department also alleges that agents destroyed tenants’ belongings and “rendered their residences uninhabitable,” adding that within hours of the raid, workers employed or contracted with building management were “tossing tenants’ belongings in the trash and clearing out units vacated by the raid.”
IDHR further maintains in its filing that building management “perpetuated stereotypes about Venezuelan gang members to send a message that tenants born outside of the United States were considered gang associates, even if they were law-abiding.”
In the aftermath of the raid, it was unclear how many, if any, of the 37 people ultimately detained were gang members or associates.
IDHR charges that the alleged tip to federal officials was a pretext for discrimination against Venezuelan tenants and resulted in agents “terrorizing” the entire 130-unit building.
“All tenants of 7500 S Shore, even those who were not Venezuelan, were predictably harmed by these discriminatory practices,” IDHR’s charge filing reads.
The department-initiated charge does not mean that IDHR has already investigated or made any findings as to the alleged discrimination, the department stated in a news release announcing the filing. Rather, the charge just marks the start of a formal investigation. Should IDHR find evidence of discrimination, the department may file a complaint with the Illinois Human Rights Commission on behalf of those living in 7500 South Shore Drive at the time of the raid.
“The conduct alleged in this matter reflects more than isolated harm,” IDHR director Jim Bennett said in a statement. “It describes a pattern of intimidation that reverberates through our communities.”
He added, “Illinois law is clear. Every person within our state is entitled to freedom from housing discrimination and to the protection of their dignity, rights, and personal safety.”
Chicago Bears RBs coach Eric Bieniemy returning to Kansas City Chiefs as offensive coordinator
Chicago Bears running backs coach Eric Bieniemy is set to become the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator, according to an NFL Network report Wednesday. Bieniemy will resume a role he held in Kansas City from 2018-22.
Bieniemy’s stint with the Bears was brief but productive. In his lone season on coach Ben Johnson’s staff, the Bears went from 25th in the league in rushing in 2024 (102 yards per game) to No. 3 (144.5 ypg).
Bieniemy originally worked his way up the coaching ladder as a running backs coach. He coached Adrian Peterson with the Minnesota Vikings in the mid-2000s, among other high-profile backs.
He was the Chiefs running backs coach from 2013-17. When offensive coordinator Matt Nagy left Kansas City in 2018 to become the Bears head coach, the Chiefs promoted Bieniemy to replace him. Bieniemy won two Super Bowls as the Chiefs coordinator.
Now, with Nagy’s contract expired, the Chiefs are bringing back Bieniemy to once again replace Nagy.
Johnson said during his end-of-season news conference Wednesday that several of his coaches had received interview requests in recent days.
“When you have success and you win games, normally that’s what happens,” Johnson said. “I know we already have some slips coming through that other teams would like to interview some of our guys, and I’m all for it, man. I want these guys to continue to ascend. Anything I can do to help them out, I think they all know I’m more than willing to do that.”
Under Bieniemy’s tutelage, Bears running back D’Andre Swift produced career highs with 1,087 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. Rookie Kyle Monangai, a seventh-round draft pick, totaled 783 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
“He has meant a lot,” Monangai said of Bieniemy on Monday. “Most of all, he helped me to understand what it takes to be a great running back in this league and the amount of detail, the focus, the preparation and all those things.
“Just learning from him as a running back coach, someone who has been a former OC and has coached great players, he definitely helped me out a lot from OTAs when we first met until now.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/chicago-bears-eric-bieniemy-kansas-city-chiefs-oc/
How Canada’s Only Leverage Over America Disappeared In An Instant
How Canada’s Only Leverage Over America Disappeared In An Instant
Authored by E.J. Antoni via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
I’d like to talk today about the recent events in Venezuela, specifically from an economic point of view, and who are the real winners and losers.
Let’s start with the obvious. The Venezuela operation is a win for America and the Venezuelan people. American consumers and businesses will benefit from lower prices while oil companies have a chance for bigger profits.
Venezuelans will benefit from increased investment, jobs, and profits in their country as well. This is why their stock market jumped 50, 60, 70, 80 percent after the U.S. takeover.
And if we recall that economic security is national security, then the new order in South America also simultaneously supports U.S. national security while undermining our greatest rival, China. In war, dependable access to oil is as important as dependable access to kinetic arms.
Access to ample, reliable flows of oil represents a key strategic interest. Removing one such flow from the Chinese sphere of influence and bringing it into our own is tremendous progress toward this goal. But the biggest loser of all isn’t China or Russia, it’s Canada.
Western Canada sends over four million barrels a day of heavy crude to American refiners that are equipped to handle this type of oil. But now, with access to the massive flows of Venezuelan crude, which is similar to the Canadian flavor, the United States no longer needs to rely on Canada to keep the refineries on the Gulf of America running at full capacity.
Instead, the oil shipments that previously went to China are already being redirected to American refiners—tens of millions of barrels worth just days after Maduro’s capture. And while the United States is paying full market price for that oil, don’t be surprised if oil prices start coming down because of this redirection.
After all, increasing supply puts downward pressure on prices. As American investment rebuilds Venezuela’s severely neglected oil infrastructure, we can expect production and exports to the United States to only increase, simultaneously benefiting the American and Venezuelan people.
That’s why this is such a massive economic win for American families and businesses who will benefit from lower prices, courtesy of more energy supplies. And since energy affects the price of everything else in an economy, lower prices for products like gasoline will put downward pressure on countless other prices, providing relief after four years of inflation under the Biden administration.
Consider when you go to a grocery store how much of the price of food you’re buying is dependent on energy prices. First off, farmers and ranchers are fueling their tractors and other vehicles with diesel and gas. They’re also using synthetic fertilizers created with natural gas.
But how did the gallon of milk, the carton of eggs, or the bag of bread get to grocery store in the first place? It got there on a trunk. Fueled by oil. What I’m getting at here is that we seriously underestimate just how much the price of energy affects everything we do and everything we buy.
Bring down energy prices, and you put downward pressure on prices throughout the economy. That’s a win for American consumers and businesses alike.
And U.S. control of Venezuela is also a second chance for jilted American oil companies to again profit from nearly one-fifth of the world’s proven oil reserves.
Years ago, those American companies poured investment into Venezuela to essentially modernize the entire industry there. For their troubles, these oil firms had their physical property confiscated and their intellectual property copied as the communists “nationalized” Venezuelan oil.
Of course, communist rule there was a disaster, as it has been everywhere, and the oil industry languished as infrastructure decayed, investment lagged, and production fell well below its potential. Venezuela pumps much less oil today than they did a quarter century ago. But this is poised to reverse.
Venezuela will now assuredly receive billions of dollars of investment from American oil companies, many of whom are champing at the bit to regain access to the largest reserves in the world. That will mean a windfall of jobs and income for the Venezuelan people, all of which could have been Canada’s, bringing us back to the story of the biggest economic loser here.
It didn’t have to be this way for the fifty-first state. But instead of welcoming oil and gas investment from the United States and building valuable infrastructure like pipelines, Canada has preferred to prioritize far-Left causes and an anti-energy agenda.
After recent events, not only is Canada losing its biggest crude customer, but it’s also losing its only real leverage in trade talks with the United States. This is an economic reality that few professional pundits seem to have grasped.
To be clear, the flood of cheap Venezuelan crude will not arrive in the United States overnight. It will take time, years in fact, to rebuild Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and really ramp up production to replace most Canadian crude imports. But the writing is on the wall.
The United States, for a change, is firmly in the driver’s seat and master of its own destiny—and hemisphere.
The economic story here also goes well beyond oil too, although that’s what has gotten most of the attention. Venezuela is a veritable goldmine of other natural resources like rare earth minerals, lumber, bauxite (the primary source of aluminum), natural gas, and more. Canada just lost not only its leverage with oil, but just about every other one of its exports too.
Since the Canadian economy is much more dependent on exports than the U.S. economy is, and since nearly all Canadian exports come to the United States while relative few of ours go to Canada, the slowdown in trade between our two countries has very unequal effects.
In short, this has been very harmful to Canada and will be devastating in the long run. But it’s little more than a speedbump here in America.
President Donald Trump has effectively barred the door on Canada, and the latter will have few alternatives to completely opening every one of its markets to free and fair competition.
Of course, Canada can always choose to fall further into irrelevance and economic impoverishment by stubbornly continuing to snub American manufacturers, farmers, and workers.
Let me close by saying that if the Monroe Doctrine warned Europeans to stay out of the Western Hemisphere and the Roosevelt corollary established American intervention therein, then the Trump corollary has put a finer, and more economic, point on the matter that’s best summed up in two words: America first.
Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ZeroHedge.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/21/2026 – 22:35
https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/how-canadas-only-leverage-over-america-disappeared-instant
Knicks humillan a Nets por 120-66 y rompen racha de 4 derrotas con una paliza histórica
NUEVA YORK (AP) — Los Knicks de Nueva York rompieron una racha de cuatro derrotas sin despeinarse, al apabullar el miércoles 120-66 a los Nets de Brooklyn y lograr la mayor paliza en la historia de la franquicia.
Jalen Brunson anotó 20 puntos y Landry Shamet acertó seis de seis triples para añadir 18 unidades a la causa de los Knicks, que llegaron a ostentar una ventaja de 59 tantos antes de la victoria por 54 que superó el anterior margen de victoria más grande, de 48.
Los Knicks habían perdido nueve de sus últimos 11 duelos, así que este era un buen momento para jugar contra Brooklyn. No pierden normalmente contra los Nets en estos días.
Nueva York ganó su 13º encuentro consecutivo en la rivalidad local.
Los Knicks ya estaban encaminados a ganar este partido fácilmente antes de superar a los Nets por 16-0 para abrir el último cuarto, extendiendo una ventaja de 32 puntos a 104-56.
Michael Porter Jr. atinó cuatro de 14 disparos y se limitó a 12 puntos, pero aún así fue el máximo anotador de un equipo de los Nets que ha perdido ocho de nueve.
Dos días después de que los Knicks fueron abucheados frecuentemente mientras perdían por 30 puntos en la primera mitad de su derrota 114-97 ante Dallas, el marcador se inclinó claramente a su favor.
_____
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Iran Vows Prolonged All-Out War If Attacked As Trump Still Seeks ‘Options’
Iran Vows Prolonged All-Out War If Attacked As Trump Still Seeks ‘Options’
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi penned an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday warning the United States that Tehran will be “firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack” – following President Trump reiterating threats against the Islamic Republic.
“Our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack,” he wrote in reference to the 12-day war of last June.
AFP/Getty Images: Iran is prepared for war but ready to negotiate, Iran’s FM has made clear.
The top Iranian diplomat stated that this was not a “threat” but a “reality I feel I need to convey explicitly, because as a diplomat and a veteran, I abhor war.”
Araghchi said his country is ready for all-out war, describing that “an all-out confrontation will certainly be ferocious and drag on far, far longer than the fantasy timelines that Israel and its proxies are trying to peddle to the White House. It will certainly engulf the wider region and have an impact on ordinary people around the globe.”
What’s more is he described the most violent part of protests in Iran, which were met with vehement denunciations and warnings by Trump, in reality the result of an anti-Tehran conspiracy and effort by externally supported groups to sow chaos, destabilization, and to begin an insurgency:
As black-clad groups of masked terrorists used rifles and handguns to infiltrate protests and mow down innocent demonstrators on our streets, reports emerged in various media claiming that big cities in Iran had “fallen.” Other reports alleged the continuation of widespread armed violence. In reality, the violent phase of the unrest lasted less than 72 hours.
By many accounts, the ballistic and even hypersonic missiles which fell on Israel last June did significant damage, and put fear into Israeli leadership given just how many among the hundreds of projectiles sent, including drones, were able to evade Israel’s anti-air defenses.
Iran’s foreign ministry is issuing such forceful warnings given the crisis between Tehran and Washington doesn’t appear fully over, at a moment a US carrier group and additional military assets are headed to the Middle East region. WSJ notes that ‘options’ are still being weighed by the administration:
After pulling back from strikes on Iran last week, President Trump is still pressing aides for what he terms “decisive” military options, U.S. officials said, as Iran appears to have tightened its control of the country and targets protesters through a crackdown that has killed thousands.
Meanwhile the WSJ, along with others among the mainstream media, is questioning where Trump the hawk is and why he’s exercised restrained on the Iran question – in the typical fashion of the warmongering media. WSJ’s editorial board wrote:
Araghchi’s not-so-implicit threat of war if President Trump orders help for the protesters… This is a threat against Americans, an attempt to intimidate the Trump Administration. We wonder how President Trump sees this threat, especially since the regime so clearly crossed his “red line” against shooting protesters.
Regardless, the American public won’t stomach yet another drawn out forever war in the Middle East. Poll after poll shows Bush’s overthrow of Saddam Hussein is among the most deeply unpopular US military actions in history.
The dust has barely settled on 20+ year fruitless and deadly occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the severe limitations of US empire were confirmed (also as the Taliban remains in Kabul, and Shia pro-Iran governance is stronger than ever in Baghdad), and yet already the armchair interventionist chickenhawks in the media are eyeing another regime change war.
WOW. Strategic advisor to Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mahdi Mohammadi:
“We know that we are facing a regime-change war in which the only way to achieve victory is to make credible the threat that, during the 12-day war, although it was ready, did not get the opportunity to be…
— Sharmine Narwani (@snarwani) January 19, 2026
Probably (or rather, hopefully) Trump senses this, and is seeking de-escalation, also perhaps knowing there will be other future Iran protests and ‘opportunities’ to pull the trigger against Tehran. But it won’t be some kind of easy in, easy out Venezuela scenario – and American troops might die.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/21/2026 – 22:10
After coming up empty last season, St. Rita’s Jack Hogan keeps eye on the prize. ‘Definitely gives me hunger.’
St. Rita’s Jack Hogan discovered a bittersweet lesson about how much past performance means.
After finishing third as a sophomore at 106 pounds in Class 2A, he was ready to move up higher on the podium last season. But he went 2-2 at 120 and ended up outside of the medal round.
“That definitely gives me hunger,” said Hogan, who’s now a senior in his final high school season. “I’m constantly chasing the goal of being a state champion. It’s something I think about every day.
“Honestly, it’s been on my mind for the past three years.”
Humble and motivated, Hogan is the top-ranked wrestler this season at 144 pounds in Class 2A, according to the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association website.
All of the defeats for Hogan (28-4) this winter have come against Class 3A wrestlers. He went 2-2 Saturday, taking fourth place in the Catholic League Meet at De La Salle in Chicago.
Micah Spinazzola, a senior ranked No. 4 at 165 for the Mustangs, has been impressed by Hogan.
“Jack is a hard-working individual who really does his own thing and doesn’t care what anybody thinks,” Spinazzola said. “His discipline shows inside and outside of the wrestling room.
“He has great energy to be around, and he’s a natural leader.”
Luke Pappalas, a senior who’s ranked No. 9 at 138 for St. Rita, called Hogan relentless.
St. Rita’s Jack Hogan, right, tangles with Chicago Kennedy’s Victor Alvarado in the 120-pound match of the McLaughlin Classic at Joliet Central High School on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (James C. Svehla / Daily Southtown)
“His best quality is that he never gives up any position and he finishes every move at 100%,” Pappalas said. “He works hard and he has integrity. His grit and determination are amazing.
“Not just to strive for his own goals but to help everybody else.”
Defeat is sometimes inescapable part, but that hasn’t detracted from Hogan’s larger goals.
“Going against tougher guys is important,” Hogan said. “You don’t want to lose, but not every match goes your way. I use them as learning experiences instead of just marking them down as losses.”
Lean and angular, the 5-foot-9 Hogan has grown into his frame. His length is like a force multiplier. He generates aggressive offensive actions from distance and lessens vulnerability at his end.
“I didn’t really get this length until my sophomore year,” Hogan said. “It’s still kind of new to me, and I just try to stay in a good position and create space.
“I use it to my advantage with my shots and my leg riding on top.”
His older brother, Kevin, also was a state qualifier for St. Rita. He’s now a senior wrestler at Central College in Iowa. The brothers were introduced to the sport by Jim Ferguson, an uncle who wrestled at Rutgers.
St. Rita’s Jack Hogan, left, tries to gain control on Chicago Kennedy’s Victor Alvarado in the 120-pound match of the McLaughlin Classic at Joliet Central High School on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (James C. Svehla / Daily Southtown)
Jack Hogan, meanwhile, is an avid outdoorsman who also loves to swim at the family pool. It marks a strong contrast to physical and psychological demands of wrestling.
“The mental side is huge,” Hogan said. “It takes a toll on your body and your mind. Working through that every year helps you deal with situations — not just wrestling but life.”
Hogan has won tournaments at Addison Trail and Plano and the Al Dvorak Invitational at Harlem. He has already defeated the wrestlers in his weight class ranked No. 2 and No. 3.
“I feel like I’ve earned that spot,” Hogan said. “I know there’s a target on my back, but I’m not worried about protecting it. I want to keep pushing myself and not overlook anyone.
“Even if you beat someone earlier in the season, you still have to go out and win.”
His quest for an individual state title begins on Jan. 31 in the Class 2A Ag Science Regional.
The time, for Hogan, is now.
“I’d say I’m aggressive but patient,” he said. “I wait for what’s there and take my shot when it opens. I want to be the guy nobody wants to wrestle. No matter the situation, I want to come out on top.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/jack-hogan-st-rita-ihsa-boys-wrestling/
Andrej Stojaković’s season-high 30 points lead No. 11 Illinois past Maryland 89-70 for 8th straight win
CHAMPAIGN — Andrej Stojaković scored a season-high 30 points and added nine rebounds to lead No. 11 Illinois to an 89-70 victory over Maryland on Wednesday night.
David Mirković had 15 points and nine rebounds, Keaton Wagler scored 13 points and Jake Davis had 12 points for the Illini (16-3, 7-1 Big Ten), who won their eighth straight.
The Illini played without senior guard and second-leading scorer Kylan Boswell, who suffered a broken right hand in practice Monday, will have surgery Thursday and is expected to be sidelined until mid-February. Boswell is averaging 14.3 points.
He had played in all 124 games in his college career — 71 in two seasons at Arizona and 53 in two seasons at Illinois — before Wednesday.
Diggy Coit, who scored 43 points Sunday in Maryland’s win over Penn State, was held to 15 points and guarded primarily by Stojaković.
Andre Mills had 16 points and Solomon Washington had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Terrapins (8-11, 1-7), who are in a stretch of four of five games on the road.
Illinois led 47-30 at halftime thanks to a 25-4 run to end the half.
The Illini were 9 of 22 on 3-pointers in the first half and 15 of 40 in the game. Maryland made six of its first seven shots but ended the night shooting just 40% from the field.
The last Illini home win over the Terrapins before Wednesday was a 76-64 victory on Jan. 6, 2022. Maryland is now 7-3 in its last 10 games at the State Farm Center.
Up next
Illinois: at No. 4 Purdue on Saturday.
Maryland: at No. 10 Michigan State on Saturday.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/illinois-maryland-andrej-stojakovic-big-ten/
