Category: News
Former Thornton Fractional High School teacher charged with sexual assault of student
A former Thornton Fractional South High School math teacher was arrested earlier this month in Lansing and charged with sexually assaulting two students, more than a year after his identical twin brother was charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old student.
Andre Richmond, 32, was charged Jan. 8 with criminal sexual assault and child pornography involving two high school students. His brother, former teacher and wrestling coach at Thornton Fractional South High School Aaron Richmond, was charged with sexual assault in December 2024. Both resigned from Thornton Fractional District 215 at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
Andre Richmond met both of the students he allegedly abused in his geometry class, prosecutors said. The first victim, who was 16, reported abuse occurring between December 2021 and May 2022, after she and Richmond began messaging on social media.
Prosecutors said the online relationship between teacher and student evolved during the school’s winter break, with Andre Richmond booking a room at the Red Roof Hotel in Lansing and taking the student there.
Andre Richmond met the student about eight times, and on one occasion in April 2022 requested to record their session on the student’s phone via Snapchat to be sent to him, according to prosecutors.
The student allegedly “made several outcries” while the abuse was ongoing, and investigators received the videos through a search warrant to Snapchat and from Richmond’s cellphone.
Andre Richmond was also charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student in his classroom between March and June 2024. Prosecutors said he instructed the student not to tell anyone about the abuse “or her grades would suffer.”
A parent of the student also filed a lawsuit against Richmond and Thornton Fractional High School District 215, alleging the district previously investigated and suspended Richmond for similar behavior.
Andre Richmond told the student to sit in the desk next to his and would occasionally ask her to sit with him at his own desk, according to prosecutors. On multiple occasions during class, Richmond allegedly used opportunities where other students weren’t paying attention to place his hand on the student and rub her inner thigh and more on one occasion, prosecutors said.
Richmond also allegedly forced the student to hug him before allowing her to leave his class and contacted her through social media, at one point inviting her to his house for a sleepover, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said the student refused Richmond’s advances and met with the school social worker in August 2024, disclosing the abuse. The social worker filed a report with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Investigators also interviewed a classmate of the student, who reported witnessing Richmond’s inappropriate behavior. She said Richmond told the victim she was “sexy” via text and turned down tutoring other students because he was busy with her.
District 215 did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Andre Richmond’s attorney, Daniel Hinich, said it’s early on in the case but said he plans to investigate the allegations brought against Richmond and “put together a vigorous defense.”
Aaron Richmond was arrested in Glenwood and charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Aaron Richmond picked up the victim from her home in March 2024 under the pretense he was taking her to a wrestling tournament in Springfield, prosecutors said. Richmond drove to his former home in Glenwood claiming he had to pack for the tournament, they said.
Aaron Richmond invited the girl inside to wait for him, but shortly after entering the residence he sexually assaulted her, prosecutors said. Richmond then drove the girl to the wrestling match and told her not to tell anyone what had happened, prosecutors said.
In May, the school contacted the girl’s mother after she had written a paper on inappropriate contact between staff and students, prosecutors said. After school staff investigated the paper, she told a staff member about the assault by Aaron Richmond, prosecutors said. The girl’s mother later found a picture the girl accidentally took of herself while Richmond was assaulting her, they said.
The girl filed an order of protection against Richmond in May, court records show. Three of the girl’s friends later told police that she told them what had happened to her, prosecutors said.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/thornton-fractional-teacher-charged-sexual-assault/
Work nearly complete on Red Rose Banquets on Big Timber Road in Elgin
More than a dozen years ago, Moiz Mohammed looked around Elgin and saw a void: No place on or near busy Randall Road at which parties and banquets — birthday celebrations, baby showers, wedding receptions — could be held.
“I had a vision, but was looking for the right opportunity,” Mohammed said.
That opportunity turned out to be a vacant bank building at 2000 Big Timber Road, which sat vacant for about 14 years until Mohammed bought it in November 2024.
After having contractors do an extensive remodel of the space, Mohammed is awaiting final inspections that will allow him to open the larger of two ballrooms and complete work on the second of his Red Rose Banquets locations.
“We’ve booked 10 events in Elgin so far, and hope to do 30 to 40 our first year,” he said.
Converting an old bank into a banquet facility involved removing outside ATM lanes, converting the drive-thru into a glass-and-brick extension of the building, removing safes and turning the vault into a bridal suite, its doors becoming an decorative part of the design.
“The extension was challenging as we had to pour in a new foundation to have glass windows all over the place and bricks/stones to match the existing structure,” he said. “It added three to four months of additional timeline.”
Mohammed envisions people using the extension or smaller ballroom for ceremonies, having refreshments served in a lobby area, and then moving to one of two ballrooms for dining and dancing. The plan is to only hold one reception at a time, with the setup able to accommodate 50 to 300 people.
A vacant bank building at 2000 Big Timber Road in Elgin has been converted into Red Rose Banquets, which will offer multiple room options for different types of events. (Red Rose Banquets)
While there is an area to warm food and refrigerator and freezer space, there is no kitchen. Those holding receptions can bring in catered food and beverages of their own choosing.
“As the Chicago area is a melting pot and multicultural, guests really love this as they are not just limited to specific kinds of food,” Mohammed said.
This is similar to how Mohammed said he operates his first Red Rose Banquets on Lake Street in Roselle. He opened that location in October 2023 in a building that now holds three other businesses in addition to the banquet facility.
Mohammed also is involved in construction, commercial real estate and runs Roselle-based BizNusSoft, a company specializing in HR software and field service management. What interested him about diversifying his holdings was the range of people he might meet through the banquet halls, he said.
Red Rose Banquets, a new party and event facility in Elgin, has been set up to accommodate a variety of gatherings, owner Moiz Mohammed says. He opened his first banquet hall facility, which goes by the same name, in Roselle in 2023. (Red Rose Banquets)
“I love to learn about different cultures, customs and being part of people’s most important dates,” he said.
As for choosing the name Red Rose, Mohammed said people love roses. He also picked it based on domain availability for the business’s website and social media presence.
Mohammed, a former Elgin resident who now lives in South Barrington, said he’s looking forward to operating in Elgin.
“I’m excited. Elgin is a good market. I have family and friends there. And we’re already seeing traction with people wanting to stop by to see and with bookings,” he said.
And Mohammed is already doing work on a third Red Rose location in McHenry, which he expects to open in April. It’s going into what had been a Bulldog Ale House on Route 31, allowing him to put the existing kitchen and bar space to use, he said.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
The Quiet Spread Of AI-Generated ‘Brainrot’ Across Social Media
The Quiet Spread Of AI-Generated ‘Brainrot’ Across Social Media
Authored by Jacob Burg via The Epoch Times,
Elephants drop-kicking crocodiles while breaking the laws of physics, bewildering deepfakes of politicians and deceased public figures, and seemingly animated children’s videos of Jesus fighting the Grinch: generative artificial intelligence (AI) is sweeping across online video platforms and may now account for a sizable portion of YouTube’s short-form video feed, recent research shows.
After being accused last year of causing users to end up in psychiatric wards and allegedly helping multiple depressed teenagers take their own lives, generative AI tools are also inspiring new genres of online content.
AI-generated images and clips were found in 21 percent of the 500 short-form videos screened in a study released last November by the video editing software company Kapwing, with some of the channels analyzed amassing millions of subscribers and billions of views.
Some, such as India-based channel Bandar Apna Dost, were estimated to generate millions of dollars in YouTube ad revenue annually. These channels are found worldwide, with those based in Spain and South Korea garnering the “most devoted viewerships,” according to the study.
“Generative AI tools have dramatically lowered the barrier to entry for video production,” Rohini Lakshané, an interdisciplinary technology researcher, told The Epoch Times.
“So, the channel can churn out massive amounts of content and maintain a high frequency of posting. Channels using these methods can flood recommendation feeds simply by volume, irrespective of intrinsic quality.”
Here’s what we know about “brainrot” and “AI slop,” what’s at stake for viewers and content creators, and why you might want to pay closer attention when browsing social media.
‘Brainrot’ and ‘AI Slop’
Kapwing determined that 33 percent of the videos it screened after creating a new account on YouTube appeared to have the hallmarks of “brainrot” content, which Oxford defines as “trivial or unchallenging” and considered to deteriorate a “person’s mental or intellectual state.”
Existing long before the advent of generative AI, “brainrot” includes memes, humor, nonsensical skits, videos of children or animals engaging in “silly” actions or behaviors, and other forms of content that minimally engage users intellectually or convey little or no meaning beyond randomness or absurdity.
Combining generative AI with “brainrot” characteristics gives rise to the emerging genre many refer to as “AI slop,” which Kapwing defines as “careless, low-quality content” generated with AI tools that is intended to “farm views and subscriptions or sway political content.”
By its definition, what content may be considered as “brainrot” or “low-quality” can vary from person to person. For example, one person might describe all short-form “comedy” videos as “brainrot,” while another might find them genuinely entertaining and choose a different label.
The same may be said about “AI slop,” as some content creators, such as Montreat College language professor T. Michael Halcomb, use generative AI tools as an extension of their own academic work.
Halcomb, who also parodies “AI slop” and “brainrot” with his student-led comedy club, told The Epoch Times that he uses AI tools to make short-form videos based on posts he writes on his blog, deploying the technology to create video clips, clone his voice for narration purposes, and generate text on the screen.
There’s a lot of overlap between users that maintain a human element while taking advantage of AI tools and those merely using AI to create what others would refer to as “slop” or mass-produced content aimed at farming views, he said.
“I do think the human element isn’t completely gone. It just allows humans to speed up things,” Halcomb said, adding that even some of the so-called “AI slop” channels such as Spain’s “Imperio de jesus,” which features AI-generated animations of Jesus fighting Satan and the Grinch, play into “shock humor” and absurdism—driving curiosity among viewers.
There’s also a “lore” element to many of these videos, as the channel above has repeated story tropes that build on previous videos, which Halcomb compared to “inside jokes” in comedy, allowing one video to lead to another, and so on.
Looking at the Bandar Apna Dost channel, which, according to its creators, features a “realistic monkey in hilarious, dramatic, and heart-touching human-style situations,” the videos utilize AI for everything from their visuals to background audio.
The videos are popular, Lakshané says, because they mimic scenes from popular Indian films and display “the trope of a hypermasculine male protagonist who commits illegal or abusive acts or commits superhuman feats, and, at times, has an outlandish amount of social or political power.”
“The videos in the channel are disjointed and do not follow a storyline or narrative. No prerequisite knowledge or context is required to watch the short videos. There are characters, such as one with a likeness of the Incredible Hulk—named Hulku—which gives the videos an appeal and broad demographic reach,” she said.
Other channels may use less overt AI, or AI harder to detect for some viewers, like a video found by The Epoch Times, which “looks” like a real safari video of an elephant protecting another from a crocodile.
But once viewers see the second elephant drop kick the crocodile more than 30 feet in a way that breaks the laws of physics, it becomes much clearer that the video was made with AI, even though its creator seemingly went to great lengths to make sure the OpenAI-made tool Sora’s watermark only appears on a single frame—three seconds in—on the eight-second video.
A screen displays examples of AI prompt-created videos, made with Xai’s Grok app in London on Jan. 12, 2026. Leon Neal/Getty Images
Risks of AI-Generated Videos
As with the example above, many AI videos are intentionally generated to look as lifelike as possible, which increases the risk of deception and misinformation online, some organizations say.
AARP, a nonprofit and advocacy group for Americans aged 50 and older, warned last month that “AI slop” videos are making it increasingly difficult for some users to “detect what is real.”
The organization noted ChatGPT creator OpenAI’s decision in October 2025 to block “disrespectful” AI-generated “deepfake” videos depicting the likeness of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in its Sora 2 video creation app.
Quickly generated “AI slop” deepfake videos also permeated online platforms throughout the 2024 presidential election, and the Brennan Center for Justice warned last March that AI videos could have serious impacts on future voting cycles.
Science researchers are worried this phenomenon may creep into medical information and educational videos, where there are “specific hazards to learning from purportedly educational videos made by AI without the use of human discretion,” according to a study released by the National Library of Medicine in November 2025.
That study screened 1,082 online videos in the “preclinical biomedical sciences” educational category and found that 5.3 percent appeared to be “AI-generated and low quality,” suggesting the technology is still in slow adoption among online medical information content, but that its proliferation may be slowly increasing.
Even in the absence of misinformation, the “AI slop” videos that are sweeping across YouTube and TikTok have psychological impacts on users, Jeff Burningham, a tech industry venture capitalist and author of “The Last Book Written by a Human: Becoming Wise in the Age of AI,” told The Epoch Times.
“I think it’s pretty probably self-evident as to why it’s becoming popular, and it’s not something that I or we as a collective society should be proud of,” he said.
“It preys on kind of our most base desires. And I think it’s an indication of dopamine over discernment … [and] engagement over insight.”
Burningham says in his book that the real danger with AI isn’t necessarily the technology itself, but the “atrophy of human attention and awareness.”
A woman holds a phone displaying the Youtube app, in this file photo, on Aug. 11, 2024. Oleksii Pydsosonnii/The Epoch Times
Results of Experiment
The Epoch Times created a new YouTube account using a new email address on a private web browser to prevent previous browser cookies from impacting the type or genre of videos first seen.
We then analyzed the first 300 short-form videos shown on YouTube after initially logging into the account and found that the vast majority—88 percent—had the characteristics of “brainrot,” with little or no meaning beyond the absurd, random, or attention-grabbing.
However, some of these videos fell into gray areas, particularly within the amorphous “comedy” genre, making it difficult to pin down exactly how many would fit the “brainrot” category, which Halcomb says is largely subjective.
In our analysis, only 8 percent of the first 300 videos seen on the new YouTube account appeared to be AI-generated, with some using AI-images, while others—like the elephant video and another that features a woman hiding in her car’s hatchback to escape a horde of wolves trying to attack her—appear to be fully AI-generated video clips.
We did not see videos from any of the channels mentioned in Kapwing’s study under its “Most Subscribed AI Slop YouTube Channels,” which may come down to location or other variables, particularly if previous browser cookies can influence which videos a new account sees on the platform.
Another possibility is that AI slop, even though it’s increasingly growing in popularity, is simply not yet outpacing the other forms of so-called “brainrot” that The Epoch Times did see in its experiment: meme videos, people performing skits in front of their cameras, and bizarre attempts at comedy that are otherwise filmed and edited by real people.
Even if AI-generated content explodes in prevalence as some predict, its rise may not be as apocalyptic as some fear as long as humanity can face this existential reckoning moment as an opportunity to evolve, Burningham said, describing AI technology as a “cosmic mirror to humanity.”
“A reflection can be a powerful thing, because you see yourself a little more clearly, and with that, you know additional clarity—you’re able to pivot or change. Now, will humans do this? I don’t know,” he said.
“It’s hard to be optimistic, but this is the opportunity that I think that AI allows us. These things thrive because right now, attention is cheap and it’s fragmented in a million different ways, and we’re exhausted. But my fear, obviously, and I think the danger of AI slop is when attention collapses, so does wisdom, so does memory, and so does meaning, and that’s a scary place for humanity.”
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/21/2026 – 16:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/ai/quiet-spread-ai-generated-brainrot-across-social-media
Of Notoriety: Valparaiso Artist Guild’s first exhibit of 2026 yields vibrant works
In March 2024, I announced the arrival of the Artists’ Guild of Valparaiso as a new non-profit art gallery and exhibition space located in the downtown Valparaiso complex at 257 Indiana Ave., just a stone’s throw from the courthouse square.
Created with the mission statement “to build a collection of artists who support each other to nurture visual artists, promote their work, and to expose them to the public, collectors, media, and cultural institutions,” two years seem to have flown by since I was asked to be the judge of their inaugural exhibit.
Nearly two years later, I had the honor of a return invite once again adorned with a judge ribbon on my lapel for last weekend’s opening exhibit of 2026.
Peter Steeves, a self-taught artist with a career that has spanned years exhibiting throughout the Chicagoland area, serves as president and nurse researcher Beth Vottero is treasurer, with arts advocate Joanne Urschel as vice president and media socialite Colleen Zana handling day-to-day duties as gallery manager.
With always free admission, the organization’s first opening reception two years ago showcased the work of more than 25 artists. Last weekend, the number of entrants was delightfully doubled with artistic works competing in every medium imaginable, from oil, photography and fabrics to drawings, abstracts and custom-sewn fashion pieces.
As for the weekend’s winners, whose works are on display in the exhibit through March 19, in the Next Gen Artists category designed to celebrate the works of younger artists, 9-year-old Bradley Kurek won third place with his painting “Wonder Woman,” 13-year-old Ava Johnson won second place with “Driver’s License” on acrylic, and 6-year-old Josie Smith won first place with her cozy 8-inch-by-8 inch “X Ray Cat,” also featured on acrylic.
Taking home honorable mention honors were Dina Hejiselaar with her 16-inch-by-20-inch photo “Ice Beasts,” Deb Shaffer with her repurposed jacket fabric art titled and themed for art icon “Van Gogh,” Steve Bensing with his photo “Pasadena Roses,” and Marcia Petrick with her 48-inch-by-36-inch “Dance Lucy Dance” on acrylic, the latter which represents (according to the pin card) “bioluminescence found in several species of deep sea micro plankton which even in the absence of light produce beautiful colors when the enzyme luciferase acts upon the substrate luciferin capturing the dancing organisms as they float with the water currents and appear to perform a colorful dance.”
The exhibition’s top awarded distinctions went to Larry Brown winning a third place ribbon with his 23.5-inch-by-19.5-inch photo showcasing “Speed On The Ice,” Colleen Zana winning second place with her 16-inch-by-20-inch photo on metal “The Zana’s At Sunset,” and Deb Shaffer bestowed a first place blue ribbon with her fiber art of cottony sheep, clouds and grazing fields as depicted in “Ewe Are Home.”
The “Best in Show” top honors ribbon was awarded to Bob Borowski and his expansive, 48-inch-by-60-inch “Give Receive” on acrylic.
AGV Membership costs $36 for the entire year with renewal annually, but if joining after January, the membership is prorated to the end of the year. This allows the members to submit entries in the 257 Wing of the gallery with a limit of three pieces per month, any of which cannot have been entered into a previous AGV member show. Entries in the Gallery 255 space are limited to one piece per show and cannot have been entered into a previous AGV member show.
Artwork must be original from a signed artist, framed properly, gallery-wrapped canvases without exposed staples and with finished edges, all as acceptable. The artwork must be wired and ready for hanging with the center of the hanging wire at least 1 1/2 inches from the top of the piece. Sawtooth hangers are not allowed. PThe paintingand frame must be dry. Maximum overall width should not exceed 48 inches. If these criteria are not met, the artwork may be rejected until corrected by the artist.
For Gallery 255 submissions, it is $20 per piece with a 30% commission to the gallery should the artist choose to sell the piece. For the 257 Wing, it is $10 per piece with a 15% commission to the gallery should the artist opt to sell the work. The Artists’ Guild of Valparaiso is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, visit www.agofvalpo.com.
Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and weekly radio host on WJOB 1230 AM. He can be reached at philpotempa@gmail.com.
Will County judge calls state actions disturbing in final Kee forfeiture case
After nearly three years in court, Will County Judge Brian Barrett dismissed the final forfeiture case Wednesday against two New Lenox business owners and said the state’s case had “no merit from the start.”
Barrett criticized state officials for using forfeiture law to harm its citizens, especially those who the state does not like in this case, without liability, he said.
Barrett said by seizing property first and justifying those actions later, it did not seem to matter if the state was right or just, the state intended to punish its suspects regardless.
“The government was going to get its pound of flesh and inflict its pain,” he said. “This is disturbing on so many levels.”
Barrett said part of the harm to the defendants was cost of litigation, loss of credit and loss of reputation.
In this case, the defendants’ property was taken for three years while litigation was pending, the judge said.
A spokesperson for the Will County state’s attorney’s office said Wednesday they are reviewing the court’s decision and exploring options. They had no other comment regarding Barrett’s accusations.
Greta Keranen and Jeffery Regnier were first charged with fraud charges in 2023. While investigating the business owners for money laundering, the state raided the couple’s house and seized four cars and several investment accounts valued at $5.5 million.
The couple was found not guilty of certain fraud charges in November 2025, and Barrett ordered the state to return two cars and the investment accounts in December.
Barrett said Wednesday it is a stretch to say that Regnier and Keranen knowingly committed a crime and said the other charges were just salt in the wound.
Barrett said the state’s arguments failed to prove criminal intent and in this case, “there is nothing but two individuals buying cars.”
He said the court is disturbed by the government’s authoritative actions in this case, specifically the state raiding the couple’s house.
He cited testimony by Regnier that his house was “flash banged” when militarized officials knocked down his door, took his children and family at gunpoint and handcuffed him for allegations.
Keranen said Wednesday that hearing the judge’s statements was “validating and overwhelming.” She said all the pressure that she has felt since the charges were first filed came to a head during the judge’s decision.
She said its hard to recover from all the damages over the years, such as the raid making it hard for her children to feel comfortable in their house. She said they still wake up in the middle of the night with those “traumatic memories.”
Keranen said the raid has even made it hard to instill respect for law enforcement in her children, which she said is a family value. Regnier’s father was cop, she said.
“I’ll never be able to go back to Feb. 27 and rewind that clock for my 8-year-old daughter or 10-year-old son,” Keranen said.
Keranen also said the damages to more than 30 years of business relationships cannot be erased.
Regnier said for the last few years, he felt like they have been running their own law firm.
“Constantly running and reading and doing research and trying to get your defense up and read laws,” Regnier said. “We just need time to heal, time to sit down somewhere and have a glass of wine and not worry about who you owe money to and how you’re going to get paid and if you’re going to go to jail for 36 years.”
Keranen and Regnier are set to receive their two seized cars from the state under Barrett’s orders. But Regnier claimed the cars returned under the last forfeiture case in December were damaged.
Keranen said Wednesday they have not received the spare keys for those cars and said the state still owes them some of the seized funds.
Defense attorney Frank Adreano said Wednesday a full criminal and internal investigation needs to be undertaken against the state for its actions.
“When a policeman is accused of wrong, there is an internal investigation,” Adreano said. “With the prosecutors, they’re kings, they’re above the law, and nobody can do anything about it.”
Adreano, who specializes in forfeiture cases, said the state’s forfeiture actions are incentivized because funds from forfeited property go to the state appellate prosecutor.
The New Lenox couple still face another round of charges, including money laundering and filing a fraudulent Illinois sales and use tax return in 2023. Those charges are scheduled for trial on March 2, with a pretrial hearing on Feb. 2.
awright@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/judge-state-action-disturbing-kee-forfeiture/
Minnesota statewide strike, economic blackout to protest ICE on Friday
Thousands of union members, religious faithful and ordinary citizens are expected to participate in a massive statewide economic strike on Friday that organizers are hoping will bring an end to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Minnesota.
The event, called “A Day of Truth and Freedom,” is being organized by union representatives, faith leaders and community members. They are urging Minnesotans not to go to work, school or go shopping in response to the ongoing federal immigration enforcement surge in the state.
Officials from Minnesota AFL-CIO, the state’s federation of more than 1,000 affiliated local unions, said Tuesday that they voted to endorse the event to protest “against ICE’s occupation of our communities and the unconstitutional detention of countless innocent Minnesotans, including a significant number of union members.”
“They are indiscriminately targeting Minnesotans of color, regardless of citizenship or immigration status,” Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham said. “Many people are fearful of daily activities like going to work, shopping for groceries and sending their children to school.”
He said union members on Friday would join fellow Minnesotans “to call for ICE to leave our state, no additional funding for ICE, legal accountability for ICE’s killing of Renee Good and for Minnesota’s large corporations to stop cooperating with ICE.”
Good, 37, of Minneapolis, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on Jan. 7. The shooting was recorded on several phones, including one held by Ross.
ICE enforcement in the state has intensified since the shooting, causing many workers to fear for their lives, said Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, president of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation of the AFL-CIO, which represents more than 175 local unions and 80,000 union members.
Some workers represented by the union have been detained or are afraid to go to work, Gabiou said at a press conference on Monday. “They’ve had to make gut-wrenching, life-altering choices about whether or not they’re going to go to work, so they can put food on the table, or whether they’re going to stay home, and stay safe, and stay alive,” she said.
Stores closing
Businesses and stores across the metro area have announced plans to be closed on Friday. Among them is Mississippi Market Co-op, which has three stores in St. Paul, joining forces with the two Wedge Community Co-ops in Minneapolis, Eastside Food Co-op in Minneapolis, the Seward Community Co-op locations in Minneapolis and River Market Co-op in Stillwater.
“As a cooperative, we believe our shared labor, time, and economic participation are powerful tools,” Mississippi Market officials wrote in a statement shared on social media. “This coordinated statewide pause reflects our commitment to democratic action, mutual responsibility, and concern for our communities. Acting together is one way we live our cooperative values. We stand with those calling for justice and demand ICE leave Minnesota now.”
Dozens of St. Paul restaurants and bars also are planning to close Friday in support of the strike, including 620 Club, the Black Hart of Saint Paul, Caydence Records and Coffee, Claddagh Coffee, Emerald Lounge, Estelle, Hyacinth, J. Selby’s, Lost Fox, Marc Heu Patisserie, Mucci’s Italian, Quixotic Coffee and others.
Craft stores Wet Paint and The Yarnery also plan to close for the day.
Some businesses are modifying their approach: Catzen Coffee, on Grand Avenue, plans to pause its regular business model to open for the day as a community space with free drip coffee.
Holly Weinkauf, the owner of the Red Balloon Bookshop on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, called the decision to shutter her shop on Friday “complex.”
“The biggest thing for us is wanting to be in solidarity with our community, with our neighbors who are being significantly impacted.”
Weinkauf said her employees were unanimous in their support of the closure. “Everyone felt that this was the best way to show up for our community,” she said. “They felt strongly that, whether they were paid or not, we should be closed. I made the choice that people will be paid for that day.”
The whole situation already is taking a financial toll on the Twin Cities, she said, but she thinks Friday’s strike will send a message if enough people participate.
“I do struggle with the financial impact to our cities that are already struggling with so much,” Weinkauf said. “It is important. It is beyond not normal.”
“We need to suspend the normal order of business and demand the immediate end of ICE actions in our state,” said Lisa Erbes, a co-leader for Indivisible Twin Cities, which is helping organize the event. “We demand that the federal agents who have caused loss of life and abuse to many Minnesota residents be held accountable, and we call for Congress to intervene immediately.”
ICE activity is “violating the Constitutional and human rights of Americans and our neighbors,” Erbes said, and businesses must “do their part in getting ICE out of Minnesota.”
Somali business owners were planning their own news conference Wednesday in Minneapolis to endorse the Friday shutdown.
Reflection, prayer, solidarity
Clergy from around the country are expected to come to Minnesota on Friday to participate in the economic strike.
Asad Zaman, executive director and Imam with the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, spoke at a press conference Tuesday morning at Redeemer Lutheran Church in St. Paul that was organized by St. Paul-based nonprofit ISAIAH.
“Over the last few weeks, Minnesotans have witnessed scenes we imagined do not happen in our country,” Zaman said. “We have witnessed elderly people dragged out of their homes in their underwear. We have witnessed workers being assaulted and kidnapped when they are at work trying to take the garbage out. We have witnessed people being beaten up for the simple act of videotaping and photographing activities. And we have witnessed a mother being murdered moments after she dropped off her child.”
While the “heavy-handed tactics” appear to be designed to spread fear, Minnesotans “have responded with calm … and peaceful protests, and we intend to continue to do so,” he said.
Clergy are asking for Friday to be a “day of reflection, of prayer, of invocation, and a day of solidarity,” he said. “We ask for all Minnesotans to stay home or to protest peacefully as they are called to do so. We call upon all employers to take the day off so the people can spend a day in solidarity and in quiet prayer and reflection.”
The Minnesota Nurses Association supports participation in the economic strike, but is not calling for a work stoppage or walkout.
“Nurses hold a unique and essential role as caregivers and patient advocates, and MNA encourages members to honor the no-strike provisions of their contracts and report to work as scheduled,” officials said in a statement. “Continuing to provide care is not an absence from this moment — it is an act of solidarity. By showing up for patients while standing together, nurses are protecting Minnesota’s most vulnerable community members in the ways only nurses can.”
The union represents nurses and healthcare workers, including many who are immigrants or have immigrant loved ones directly impacted by ICE enforcement, officials said.
The University of St. Thomas will continue with normal operations on Friday “to serve its students,” according to a statement from the university. “However, employees who wish to participate in this, or any other peaceful demonstration, can work with their managers and request time off to attend.”
A spokesman for Macalester College in St. Paul declined to comment.
A rally, march — and plea
“A Day of Truth and Freedom” will culminate in a 2 p.m. rally and march through downtown Minneapolis. The rally will start at 2 p.m. at The Commons, 425 Portland Ave. S., organizers say.
While the work stoppage will be hard on small businesses, business owners “recognize that this is an emergency,” said Kate Havelin, a spokeswoman for Indivisible Twin Cities. “We have to stop ICE. This is an emergency, and we have to deal with it.”
Organizers of the economic strike are particularly calling on officials at Target, Home Depot, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Hilton and Delta Airlines to “speak out and demand ICE leave Minnesota,” according to Havelin.
Two employees who were working at the Target in Richfield were arrested inside the store by ICE agents. Both young men were U.S. citizen, she said, and Target officials did not intervene.
“Target and other businesses could post signs saying ICE is not allowed in unless they have a signed warrant,” Havelin said. “There is something businesses can do to protect their workers and to protect their customers because when you are letting ICE wander into your store or hang out or stage in your parking lot, you are not protecting your staff, and you’re not protecting your customers. And that doesn’t seem like good business sense.”
Target officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/minnesota-statewide-strike-economic-blackout/
Pope Leo Evaluating US Invitation To Join Trump’s Gaza Board Of Peace
Pope Leo Evaluating US Invitation To Join Trump’s Gaza Board Of Peace
Pope Leo XIV has been invited to join President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace,” according to a fresh Wednesday statement from the Vatican’s secretary of state. “We’ve also received this invitation and the pope received it and we are looking at what to do. We are researching and I believe it’s a question that demands a little time to be considered in order to give a response,” the Vatican’s number two, Pietro Parolin, told journalists at an event in Rome.
So neither a yes or no has yet been given in response. The Vatican had throughout the 2-year long Gaza war constantly spotlighted the issue and called for immediate peace. But the Vatican could actually be “considering” the invitation.
Leo has also been outspoken on the protection of Palestinian Christians, also after his predecessor Francis was known to phone Gaza City’s lone Catholic Church each night in solidarity, when the strip was under constant bombardment from Israeli forces.
As the first American pope, he carried on Francis’ theme of standing up for the downtrodden, and his very first Christmas sermon stated that God had “pitched his fragile tent” among the people of the world. “How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold?” he posed.
However, Leo has generally been less ‘political’ and more diplomatic than his predecessor.
But this doesn’t mean his American cardinals have been quiet on world events. According to The Washington Post this week:
Echoing concerns of Pope Leo XIV over a new era of unilateralism and warfare, the three highest-ranking U.S. Catholic archbishops on Monday said “the moral foundation for America’s actions in the world” has been thrown into question by a resurgence in the use or threat of military force, including in Venezuela and Greenland.
The archbishops, Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of D.C. and Joseph Tobin of Newark, in a statement released Monday, amplified comments by Leo, the first U.S.-born pontiff, who earlier this month lamented the demise of multilateralism.
“In 2026 the United States has entered into the most profound and searing debate about the moral foundation for America’s actions in the world since the end of the Cold War,” the archbishops wrote. “The events in Venezuela, Ukraine and Greenland have raised basic questions about the use of military force and the meaning of peace.”
There are reports that some US Roman Catholic bishops have even said Catholic servicemembers could conscientiously object to carrying out orders to invade or occupy Greenland.
As for the Gaza board, invitations have been sent to a broad group of countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, including US allies and key regional players. Already, countries and leaders as different and geographically distant as Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Vietnamese Communist Party chief To Lam have accepted their invitations. Putin has also been invited.
It is shaping up to be a ‘mini UN’ of sorts, as the peace board plan calls for an international council to manage reconstruction financing, security coordination, and political cooperation in Gaza – all while working in cooperation with a Palestinian technocratic administration.
Yet there are other peculiar aspects. For example Bloomberg recently reported that the Trump administration is asking nations interested in holding a permanent seat on a proposed Gaza Strip “Board of Peace” to pledge at least $1 billion in funding. Otherwise they will just hold a three-year seat, according to some initial details. Would the Vatican contemplate this?
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/21/2026 – 15:40
Free Wi-Fi coming to downtown thanks to Waukegan-county pact: ‘Access to the internet is … essential’
Free, high-speed, public Wi-Fi is coming to the core of downtown Waukegan this spring courtesy of a cooperative effort between the city and Lake County.
The Waukegan City Council voted 6-2 to approve an intergovernmental agreement with the county on Tuesday at City Hall, creating a partnership providing internet service available to anyone with an appropriate electronic device throughout the downtown area.
Roughly bounded by Grand Avenue to the north, Sheridan Road to the east — with a carveout for the train station — Belvidere Road to the south and Park Avenue to the west, the county will install the network and cover the expense through the end of the year, according to the agreement.
Starting in 2027, the city will become responsible for the cost of the network and its maintenance. Matt Meyers, the county’s deputy administrator, said the expense this year will be covered by remaining COVID-relief funds.
Noelle Kischer-Lepper, the city’s director of community development, said she anticipates the cost of maintaining and providing the network starting in 2027 will be between $20,000 and $25,000 per year. It could be less under a multiyear contract.
Meyers said during a meeting on Jan. 5 that the network is part of the county’s digital growth initiative and fits the city’s plans to develop its downtown and lakefront area.
“In 2023, Lake County went forth with a vision where internet is accessible and affordable for all, and residents are equipped with the resources they need in a growing digital society,” Meyers said. “Everybody needs access for healthcare (and) jobs.”
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham said in a news release that the network will enable people working or visiting downtown to remain connected. That includes city and county employees, as well as College of Lake County students and staff.
“Access to the internet is no longer a luxury, but an essential,” Cunningham said. “This investment will allow visitors to stay connected, whether they are studying, working remotely, accessing services or enjoying everything that Downtown Waukegan has to offer.”
Waukegan Ald. Jose A. Guzman, 2nd Ward, tried to postpone the vote for two weeks so he could have more time for discussion of the issues. He said taxpayer money should not be used to benefit a small group of people, particularly the rich.
“There you go, catering to the rich, to everybody who has jobs and stuff,” Guzman said at a meeting on Monday. “The way I see it, everybody has a cell phone with unlimited internet access, so I don’t see how it benefits the regular person.”
Tom Maillard, who handles special projects and legislative affairs for the city, said at Monday’s meeting there is a strong need in the city, particularly downtown, for universal internet service.
“What we have found out is there are a lot of needs in this city,” Maillard said. “The easiest, first example is school kids. During COVID, it showed there is a desperate need. The school district was supplying thousands and thousands of hot spots to support our families.”
Maillard said the network also expands the city’s ability to have security cameras in the downtown area.
Ald. Victor Felix, 4th Ward, disputed Guzman’s contention that everyone has a cellular phone with unlimited internet service. He said there is a need. He mentioned the possibility of expanding to extended portions of downtown.
“Not everybody can afford, even now, a phone,” Felix said. “We’re not there yet. I don’t know we’ll ever be there yet for this technology to be free.”
Ald. Lynn Florian, 8th Ward, asked the council to override Guzman’s request to postpone the vote. The council members voted 6-2 to hold the vote on Tuesday and approved it.
Joining Florian and Felix voting for the intergovernmental agreement were Ald. Juan Martinez, 3rd Ward, Ald. Edith Newsome, 5th Ward, Ald. Michael Donnenwirth, 7th Ward and Ald. Thomas Hauyes, 9th Ward.
Ald. Keith Turner, 6th Ward, voted no with Guzman. Ald. Sylvia Sims Bolton, 1st Ward, was not at the meeting.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/waukegan-free-wireless/
Frank Nazar will return to the Chicago Blackhawks lineup Thursday for his 1st game in more than a month
Center Frank Nazar will be in the Chicago Blackhawks lineup for Thursday night’s road game against the Carolina Hurricanes. It will be his first game in 33 days.
“I’ve been ready for four weeks; now I’m allowed to (play),” Nazar said after practice Wednesday. “It was good to get up and down the sheet, play with some guys that I’ll probably be playing with and get those touches in of gamelike situations.”
The 22-year-old was injured in a Dec. 20 road loss to the Ottawa Senators when a deflected puck hit him in the face. He practiced with a face mask that he likely will wear for the time being.
“We anticipate him being in the lineup (after a) full go today,” Hawks coach Jeff Blashill said Wednesday. “Excited to have him back.”
Nazar has 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 33 games this season. He scored the first goal of the NHL season in the Oct. 7 opener at the Florida Panthers.
His offensive production had plateaued before his jaw injury. He went 21 games between Oct. 28 and Dec. 16 without a goal until he scored in a 4-1 road loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 18.
Nazar said he lost “seven or eight pounds” while his jaw healed. He has gained back half of the weight but said he hasn’t lost any stamina.
“I’m pretty up there,” he said. “My weight fluctuates anyway. It’s pretty normal.”
Both Nazar and Connor Bedard (shoulder) came back from their injuries at the start of a back-to-back. The Hawks host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday at the United Center.
“With those particular injuries, you can play a back-to-back,” Blashill said. “The only ones you probably worry about (is) like a groin or something like that.”
Blashill finally is getting some stability in his lineup. Injuries and a illness bug have plagued the Hawks in recent weeks.
“It’s nothing that we haven’t been through as a coaching staff,” Blashill said. “The biggest thing messaging-wise is zero excuse and go try to win a hockey game.”
André Burakovsky also will be available Thursday after missing Monday’s 2-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets in Jonathan Toews’ return because of illness.
Teuvo Teräväinen skated before practice in a noncontact jersey, but won’t travel with the team to Carolina. He’s dealing with an upper-body injury.
Blashill described Teräväinen’s situation as a “day-to-day thing.” He’s expected to be back before the Olympic break, when the 31-year-old center will play for Finland as the Hawks’ lone Olympian.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/chicago-blackhawks-frank-nazar-return/
Is DJ Moore to blame for OT interception, and could the Chicago Bears trade the receiver this offseason?
Who is to blame for the overtime interception?
With the Chicago Bears driving into Los Angeles Rams territory in sudden death Sunday, the Bears needed only a field goal to win the game. On second-and-8 from the 48-yard line, quarterback Caleb Williams launched a pass deep down the right side of the field intended for receiver DJ Moore, but it was Rams safety Kam Curl who caught it for an interception.
The pick sparked the beginning of the end. Matthew Stafford and the Rams drove into field-goal range and won 20-17 a short while later on a 42-yard kick from Harrison Mevis at Soldier Field.
The replay of the interception showed that Williams and Moore were not on the same page. Moore appeared to be running a deeper route, while Williams threw the ball shorter in his general area. Williams on Monday explained that he saw open space in the shorter area of the field and indicated he hoped Moore would adjust his route toward the open space.
“I felt like we had enough space over there so I tried to flatten him off,” Williams said Monday. “It was just a miscommunication. His route is to go deep and attack that angle, which he did. We thought we were going to go under the safety at that point. It didn’t happen that way.”
Whether it was Williams’ or Moore’s fault, the quarterback was careful not to throw his receiver under the bus. Williams called it a “learning experience.”
On Wednesday, general manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson spoke with members of the media addressing the season as a whole. Regarding the interception that all but ended the playoff run, Johnson pinned the blame on himself.
“If there was any sort of miscommunication, that’s my problem,” Johnson said. “That’s no one else’s but mine. I’ve got to do a better job coaching that up.”
Moore did not speak with reporters after the game Sunday or during locker clean out Monday. At one point during the game he went into the medical tent with an independent athletic trainer who monitors concussions at every NFL game. But Moore returned to the game after spending several minutes in the tent.
Johnson said he had a “really good” exit interview with Moore this week. Poles also praised Moore’s toughness. Moore appeared in every game this season, despite several nagging injuries, and finished the regular season with 50 catches for 682 yards and six touchdowns.
“I’ll use his words: He didn’t care about stats,” Poles said of Moore. “All he cared about was winning. This is the most winning DJ has ever had, probably since his high school. That’s all he cares about.”
Moore could emerge as one player whose name will be at the center of offseason speculation. Most notably, his 50 catches and 682 receiving yards were both career lows.
After the Bears traded for Moore as part of the deal that moved the 2023 No. 1 draft pick, he totaled career bests in yards (1,364) yards and touchdowns (eight) during the 2023 season with Justin Fields at quarterback. Since then, Moore has not hit 1,000 receiving yards in either of his two seasons with Williams at quarterback.
Beyond the production, Moore’s contract makes him a player to watch in the offseason. Per overthecap.com, the Bears are about $4 million over the salary cap for 2026. Poles will need to create cap space to sign any new players, including his 2026 draft picks, and the first place to look is always at the team’s biggest contracts.
Moore’s contract is a prime candidate for adjustment, either by a restructure or potentially a trade. The Bears signed Moore to a four-year, $110 million extension in July 2024. At the time, Moore still had two seasons remaining on his deal. The new money still hasn’t hit the books. Moore will cost $28.5 million against the cap next season, making him the highest-paid player on the team.
Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) catches a touchdown pass in the second quarter of an NFC divisional-round playoff game against the Rams on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, at Soldier Field. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Trading Moore could free up $16.5 million in cap space in 2026, according to overthecap.com, plus get his salary off the books for 2027-29. Additionally, $15.5 million of Moore’s 2027 salary becomes guaranteed if he remains on the roster March 13 of this year, two days after the NFL’s new league year begins. If the Bears were to consider moving on from Moore — still a big if — they almost certainly would do so before March 13.
“In terms of roster, like I said, we’ve got a lot of decisions to make and figuring that out,” Poles said when asked about Moore. “I think what stood out about DJ this year is the level of toughness, (it) rubbed off on our team. Guys if they were dinged up, like they almost had to go because DJ was going. He was able to fight through a lot. (I’ve) got a lot of respect for him.”
Poles will have other options for freeing up cap space, and trading any player means finding a buyer who is willing to pay him. Moving any big contract comes with difficulties.
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But the emergence of second-year receiver Rome Odunze and rookie Luther Burden III could have the Bears feeling good about where things stand in the receiver room. Before missing the final five games of the regular season, Odunze was on pace to lead the Bears in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Still, Moore brings a lot to the locker room that’s hard to quantify. He hasn’t missed a game since 2020, and teammates love him.
“He’s a player that I felt really helped us get to the point to where we were this year,” Johnson said. “We had an opportunity there, a couple games away from the Super Bowl, so I thought he was a huge contributor to getting us there.”
Johnson found ways to utilize Moore in the offense, and Moore made one of the more iconic touchdown plays in team history when he caught a walk-off overtime touchdown against the Green Bay Packers last month.
But the most important factor will be the fit within Johnson’s offense, something Johnson and Poles are likely to talk about in the coming weeks and months.
“(We’ll) get back together, look at the roster,” Poles said. “There’s some challenges and some big decisions we’ve got to make, but I’m excited for that. Usually that means you’re in a good position and you’re having success, and the more success you have, the more challenges and hard decisions you got to make, and those will be critical for us to sustain it.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/chicago-bears-dj-moore-offseason/
