Category: News
200 FBS quarterbacks went into portal, and the best ones came out with promises of big paychecks
About 200 Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks entered the transfer portal by last week’s deadline. That doesn’t mean it’s a buyer’s market.
The top programs in the power conferences are paying a premium for players at the most important position on the field. Experienced starters commanded financial packages worth north of $3 million, according to media reports.
Among the 68 quarterbacks who were starters in 2025 at power conference schools and Notre Dame, 24 are out of eligibility, 16 entered the portal and 28 indicated they would return to their teams.
On paper, that would leave 40 open starter’s jobs in the Power Four in 2026. In reality, many of those have been spoken for by starters moving from one school to another.
A rundown of the top quarterback transfers, based on 247Sports rankings.
Sam Leavitt, LSU
Lane Kiffin was able to swoop in, get Leavitt and fend off multiple suitors to sign the top-ranked player in the portal. A foot injury limited Leavitt to seven games for Arizona State this past season. Last year, he led the Sun Devils to an 11-2 record, Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff. He threw for 4,513 yards and 34 TDs with nine interceptions in 20 games at Arizona State.
Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech
At a reported $5 million, Sorsby received the most lucrative financial deal of the portal period to move from Cincinnati to his home state for his final season. In 35 career games at Indiana and Cincinnati, including 31 starts, he’s thrown for 7,208 yards and 60 touchdowns and rushed for 1,295 rushing yards and 22 TDs.
Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
Mestemaker is following coach Eric Morris from North Texas to Oklahoma State after one of the most productive seasons in history for a freshman. He led the nation with 4,379 yards passing and 34 touchdowns through the air and will have three years of eligibility. Also following Morris to Stillwater is UNT offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Sean Brophy.
DJ Lagway, Baylor
A change of scenery could do wonders for Lagway after two seasons at Florida, where he won his last four starts in 2024 but was 4-8 in 2025. Injuries hampered him and fans turned on him after he threw five interceptions in a loss to LSU and three in a loss to Kentucky. The 6-foot-3, 247-pound Lagway’s raw talent is unquestioned.
Dylan Raiola, Oregon
Raiola was the highest-rated recruit in Nebraska history but was just 13-9 as the starter the last two years and he took 54 sacks. His 2025 season ended with a broken leg against Southern California on Nov. 1. With Dante Moore returning to Oregon instead of entering the NFL draft, Raiola will be the backup before taking over in 2027.
Darian Mensah, TBD
Mensah left Duke in a lurch when he announced he would enter the portal just ahead of the deadline. Duke sued Mensah on Tuesday for breach of contract. His expected landing place is Miami, if he gets through the litigation. Interestingly, Mensah already has helped Miami by leading Duke past Virginia in the ACC championship game to get the Hurricanes their CFP bid.
Husan Longstreet, LSU
Longstreet will be backup to Leavitt after appearing in four games as a freshman at Southern California. He was a five-star prospect, the No. 1 player in California and the nation’s No. 3 quarterback when he was coming out of high school in Corona, California.
Deuce Knight, Mississippi
Knight, who appeared in two games at Auburn as a freshman, jumped at the opportunity to return to his home state when the NCAA denied Trinidad Chambliss’ petition for a sixth season of eligibility. Chambliss is taking the NCAA to court but, regardless, the Rebels had to get a QB when Chambliss’ backup, Austin Simmons, transferred to Missouri.
Byrum Brown, Auburn
Brown followed coach Alex Golesh from South Florida and will enter his fourth season running his head coach’s offense. Brown led FBS quarterbacks with 42 total touchdowns and averaged 347.2 yards of offense per game in 2025. Brown will be joined by six receivers who also transferred from South Florida.
Rocco Becht, Penn State
Becht won 26 of his 39 starts for Iowa State and went with head coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser to Happy Valley for his final season. He led the Cyclones to the Big 12 title game in 2024 and had a nation-leading streak of 22 games over two seasons with at least one touchdown pass.
US NatGas Poised For Biggest Weekly Spike On Record As “Blizzard Of ’96” Fears Resurface
US NatGas Poised For Biggest Weekly Spike On Record As “Blizzard Of ’96” Fears Resurface
U.S. natural gas futures are on pace for the largest weekly increase on record, according to Bloomberg data spanning more than 35 years.
An Arctic air invasion of the eastern half of the US, combined with the increasing risk of a major winter storm stretching from Texas through the Mid-Atlantic and into the Northeast by this weekend, has triggered sharp upside repricing and panic-style buying in NatGas futures.
As of Wednesday morning, New York NatGas futures are up another 19%. Combined with earlier gains this week, prices have jumped roughly 50% so far. If these gains are sustained through Friday, it would mark the largest weekly increase in NatGas on record, going back to 1990.
The sharp repricing of NatGas futures nearly sent prices to the $5 level earlier in the trading session.
We have documented the incoming cold blast and winter storm threats, with impacts on energy markets in the last five days:
NatGas Futs Erupt As Arctic Air Invasion Penetrates Deep Into US South
US NatGas Spikes Most Since Ukraine Invasion On Arctic Blast, Major Winter Storm Threat
Ranald Falconer, a derivatives trader at Goldman, provided clients with more color on what could be a historic cold blast for the eastern half of the Lower 48:
Henry Hub on an absolute tear overnight! Front natural gas contracts hit a $4.95 high overnight, peaking just before the London open. The over-riding story here has not changed a great deal, as I mentioned yesterday when looking at Europe, cold weather fronts have been pushed deeper into Jan, and now Feb.
That draw on gas for heating has obviously pushed flat price in Q1 higher, and with it we have seen shorts get stopped out. That isn’t new; I mentioned some sizable Feb/Mar shorts being bought back end of last week, and yesterday similar in TTF. Overnight though, that is one heck of a move! If that is flat price stops in Feb and Mar, it is a strange time of day to put that sort of volume through the screens. I have Feb and Mar trading 3.5x and 4.0x their normal daily accumulated volume at this point.
This note is slightly later than I would have been able to bash it out, but I have had about 6 or 7 separate conversations on the topic with people a lot smarter in the gas world than me. Most poignant comment was that they had not seen such a dramatic change in the weather runs.
The NOAA chart below is probably the most simplistic way to visualise this without going into the weeds on the vortex and disruption there. Simply put, a strong high pressure area over Northern Canada is stretching the vortex north to south, which displaces the vortex core and causes northerly flow over the Eastern States.
I don’t think I have ever seen that shade of blue on the short term forecasts on NOAA, not sure I would want to be in New York over the next week.
Alongside the cold temperatures, NOAA forecasts frigid cold air to be accompanied by gusty winds taking the wind chill factor into play too. The kicker to the Jan balmo is that these forecasts now stretch into Feb; note that the Euro Weekly data had Feb at max warm in early Feb not that long ago.
With this spike we will be pricing in LNG shut-in too as export facilities continue to pull feed gas from domestic production, this may now be required for HHDs.
Fundamentally, there has been no disruption that I can see or read, so this is all weather and a severe volume move overnight. It will be interesting to see how positioning in Q2 stacks up as we move into spring forecasts.
The latest models from private weather forecaster BAMWX of the upcoming storm have some of us reminiscing about the January 1996 blizzard that blanketed the Washington, DC, region with feet of snow…
The January 1996 blizzard:
Stay warm! Prepare.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/21/2026 – 08:45
Buster Posey takes center stage among the newcomers for next year’s Hall of Fame ballot
These days, Buster Posey’s focus is on trying to build a winner as president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants.
Eleven months from now, however, writers will be evaluating an earlier part of his career.
Posey is expected to be the top newcomer on the 2027 Hall of Fame ballot. There are no first-ballot inductees this year after the results were announced on Tuesday night. Holdover candidates Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were the only ones voted in.
Beltrán and Jones were the top returning vote-getters from 2025, so it wasn’t a shock when they received the necessary 75% approval from members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. It helped that the newcomers to the ballot didn’t draw too much attention. Of that group, only Cole Hamels even cleared the 5% threshold to avoid being dropped from future votes.
Next year, Posey has a chance to make the Hall on his first try. A seven-time All-Star who led the Giants to three World Series titles, the star catcher was the National League batting champion and MVP in 2012.
Catcher can be a tough position to predict when it comes to Hall voting, but Joe Mauer made it two years ago on his first opportunity.
“I remember doing like a poll before that ballot came out, just gauging what people thought would happen with Mauer, and the results were all over the place,” said Ryan Thibodaux, who runs an online ballot tracker prior to the announcement of each year’s results. “Some people thought he’d get like 20% and some people thought he’d get elected. I think the sense with Posey, maybe because of Mauer a little bit, is that he could very well get in on the first ballot.”
Surging starters
Andy Pettitte’s vote jumped from 27.9% to 48.5% this year, and Félix Hernández’s increased from 20.6% to 46.1%. That does not mean their chances of being inducted are that similar. Pettitte only has two more years on the ballot before exhausting the 10-year limit. Hernández, on the other hand, has only been on it twice and has plenty of time.
Lately, voters have been quite open to considering the top starting pitchers on the ballot. CC Sabathia was a first-ballot inductee last year, and now Pettitte and Hernández have had big jumps in approval. And Hamels earned 23.8% support in his first time on the ballot.
A concern for Hamels is the fact that eventually, the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer — each of whom has three Cy Young Awards — will be on the ballot. It’ll be harder for other starters if they’re being compared directly to those three.
But Hernández might get in before that becomes an issue.
Top returner
The highest vote-getter who didn’t reach 75% this year is Chase Utley, who moved from 39.8% to 59.1%. This was only his third time on the ballot.
“It looks like Utley got himself into a position where he might be elected as soon as next year, although a 16% gain is not easy,” Thibodaux said. “He’ll probably get close if he doesn’t actually get all the way.”
Last chance
Only one player will be in his 10th year on the ballot next time. That’s Omar Vizquel, who received only 18.4% approval this year.
The slick-fielding shortstop was at 52.6% in 2020, but he was accused of domestic violence by his ex-wife and his support cratered. He was also sued over claims of sexual harassment by a former minor league bat boy.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/hall-of-fame-ballot-up-next/
Futures Slide To Session Low As Bounce Fizzles With All Eyes On Trump In Davos
Futures Slide To Session Low As Bounce Fizzles With All Eyes On Trump In Davos
Futures have reversed modest overnight gains and are trading near session lows while small caps continue to outperform (for a record 12th day in a row) even as Japanese and global bond yields stabilize and the market awaits today’s major catalysts including Trump’s speech in Davos due within the hour after flight had to be changed due to mechanical issues, while the Supreme Court will consider whether Trump can fire the Fed’s Cook.Selling pressure initially eased after Trump struck a more conciliatory tone ahead of his departure for the World Economic Forum, even as he continued to insist the US should take control of the Danish territory. As of 8:00am, S&P futures are down 0.1%, while Nasdaq futures drop 0.3% with Mag7 names mixed in premarket trading, semis are bid; discretionary leading Staples; energy / mats seeing significant outperformance. Bond yields are 1-2bp lower and USD is once again lower on the day. Commodities are seeing strength in ags, natgas and precious, with gold approaching a record high at 4,900 The macro focus today is Davos and housing related data.
In premarket trading, Magnificent Seven stocks are mostly lower (Nvidia +0.1%, Meta +0.01%, Tesla -0.2%, Amazon -0.3%, Microsoft -0.3%, Alphabet -0.9%, Apple -0.2%)
Biohaven (BHVN) rises 3% after RBC upgraded the drugmaker to outperform, citing recent supportive data that reduces risk.
Halliburton (HAL) climbs 2% after the fracking company reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share that beat the average analyst estimate.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) falls 1% after posting fourth-quarter sales.
Kraft Heinz (KHC) declines 5% as Berkshire Hathaway may soon sell some or all of its stake in the company, just months after the cheese and ketchup maker announced plans to split into two.
Nathan’s Famous (NATH) rises 8% as Smithfield Foods agreed to buy the company for $102 a share.
Netflix (NFLX) falls 7% after the streaming giant forecast first-quarter earnings below the average analyst estimate. The company also plans to pause its share buybacks in an effort to accumulate cash to fund the pending acquisition of Warner Bros.
Progress Software (PRGS) rises 6% after the company’s 2026 revenue forecast exceeded Wall Street expectations.
United Airlines (UAL) rises 3% after the carrier beat Wall Street estimates for the fourth quarter and anticipates a strong 2026, driven by demand from high-spending domestic passengers and international travelers.
In corporate news, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund is said to have considered separating its overseas holdings from its domestic portfolio. Kraft Heinz is lower in premarket trading after registering up to 325 million shares held by Berkshire Hathaway for potential sale.
The market’s mood remains extremely shaky (and even more illiquid with top of book collapsing 60% overnight according to Goldman) with gold continuing to hit new highs. JPMorgan AM CIO Bob Michele said Tuesday’s market selloff should be a message to Trump to take action to restore calm. Still, the moves weren’t nearly as dramatic as April’s selloff, leaving the TACO trade with a problem: If TACO means investors don’t need to panic, then there are no market collapses violent enough to spook Trump into backing down.
Meanwhile, Trump expressed confidence that the EU would continue to invest in the US even if he imposed new tariffs related to his quest to annex Greenland. He is due to speak in Davos at 8:30 a.m. New York time, though his travel was delayed after an electrical issue with Air Force One. His threat of tariffs in pursuit of Greenland, and refusal to rule out military options, are giving the equity bull run its biggest test since the trade turmoil of April, even as investor optimism remains elevated amid a broadening rally. Sill, selling pressure initially eased after Trump struck a more conciliatory tone ahead of his departure for the World Economic Forum, even as he continued to insist the US should take control of the Danish territory.
In other newsflow out of Davos, Bessent said Powell is “politicizing” the Fed and cautioning European nations against ramping up their military presence on Greenland. That followed news of France requesting that NATO carry out a military exercise. And there’s also drama over a Deutsche Bank analyst note that suggested European investors may dump US assets.
A sharp rebound in long-dated Japanese bonds offered a lift to global debt markets, with the yield on 30-year US Treasuries holding steady as shorter-term rates eased. Precious metals remained the haven of choice as gold closed in on $4,900 an ounce. The dollar’s slide extended to a fourth day.
“Despite all the geopolitical noise, we’re in a purely technical correction in equity markets, not a widespread risk-off episode,” said Roberto Scholtes, head of strategy at Singular Bank. “Conciliatory remarks by Trump would surely improve the mood in markets but, in my view, wouldn’t trigger a strong rally unless yield curves come down.”
Rotation continues, with the Russell 2000 now outperforming the Mag 7 by more than 10% year-to-date. Tesla closed below its 100-DMA for the first time since July, while Netflix’s disappointing guidance will do little to help tech in the short-term. Today’s Taking Stock highlights strategists seeing a buying opportunity — they reckon risk assets have long looked past geopolitics, except when unrest causes oil prices to spike.
While Trump earlier played down the likelihood that the standoff over Greenland would jeopardize his trade deal with the European Union, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent kept up the administration’s offensive on Wednesday. Speaking in Davos, Bessent dismissed concerns about Denmark and other nations pulling out of Treasuries, saying Danish investment in US bonds was “irrelevant.” He also cautioned European nations against ramping up their military presence in Greenland.
JPMorgan Asset Management’s Bob Michele said the selloff in markets was a message to the White House to restore calm. “Things are a bit chaotic and the markets do feel a bit panicked,” Michele, chief investment officer and global head of fixed income, told Bloomberg TV. “The market had a fit in April and then they backed off of a lot of things and then calm ensued. We need to hear some of the same kinds of things.”
Investors will also follow arguments in the US Supreme Court over whether Trump can fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. The hearing coincides with a Justice Department criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell, together serving as tests of the central bank’s independence.
Elsewhere, as earnings season kicks into full swing, strategists said a sustained upswing in stocks will depend on strong forecasts and signs that capital investments in big tech are starting to pay off. “We’ve overstretched in many different assets over the past two weeks, which meant that you’ve got to overbought territories and so you had to have a bit of a healthy correction,” said Georges Debbas, head of European equity and derivatives strategy at BNP Paribas.
European stocks have also drifted lower throughout the morning with markets tentative ahead of President Donald Trump’s Davos appearance. The Stoxx 600 falls 0.6%, weighed down by financials and tech. Materials and luxury names outperform. Here are the biggest movers Wednesday:
European mining stocks are leading gains on the Stoxx 600 benchmark
Rio Tinto rallied as much as 5.2% in London, to its highest intraday level since May 2021 after copper and iron ore production topped analyst estimates
Burberry shares jump as much as 6.6%, after a third-quarter sales update that was perceived positively by analysts who see it as another sign that the UK fashion brand’s turnaround strategy is paying off
Barry Callebaut shares surge as much as 7.9%, the most in a month, after the Swiss bulk chocolate maker reported sales that beat estimates and replaced its chief executive officer
Quilter shares rise as much as 4.9%, the most in three months, as the UK wealth manager reports a record quarter for net inflows
JD Sports shares climb as much as 3.2% after the sportswear retailer’s results reveal
Danone falls as much as 12% before trimming the decline. Traders point to broker commentary around an announcement by the Singapore Food Agency recalling additional infant formula products
DocMorris shares drop as much as 8.3% in Zurich, after the online pharmacy provided a trading update, with Barclays analysts noting “some disappointment” around the limited prescription growth in Germany in 4Q
JD Wetherspoon shares fall as much as 8.5%, marking the biggest drop since March, as the pub chain tempered profit expectations for this year after warning costs have increased more than anticipated
Apotea falls as much as 18%, the most since its 2024 IPO, after the Swedish online pharmacy issued a profit warning for the fourth quarter on Friday evening
Earlier in the session, Asian stocks dropped but were off the worst level of the session: mainland China indexes gain ground, while those in Japan move off worst levels and Kospi flips to a modest advance. The ChiNext index outshines regional peers with an almost 1% rally.
In FX, the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index is down 0.1% with the greenback mixed versus peers. The kiwi and krone are top of the leaderboard, while the franc and pound are at the bottom. The latter saw little immediate reaction to a larger-than-expected uptick in headline inflation, with the increase expected to be temporary.
In rates, treasuries are up a few ticks with yields across the curve down 1-2bps as the yield curve continuing to steepen. The initial bid in bunds that was triggered by a recovery in JGBs overnight has fizzled out. A sharp rebound in long-dated Japanese bonds during Asia session provided support, however S&P 500 futures have erased their rebound following 2.1% cash-market slump. US front-end yields are about 2bp richer on the day with 5s30s spread steeper by about 2bp. 10-year near 4.28% is about 1bp lower, outperforming German counterpart by about 2bp. UK 10-year yield is also marginally lower on the day following December inflation data. JGB market saw calmness restored after political leader Tamaki suggested debt buybacks and reducing 40-year bond issuance as next steps.Treasury auctions resume Wednesday with $13 billion 20-year bond reopening. WI 20-year yield near 4.875% is ~8bp cheaper than last month’s auction, which stopped through by 0.1bp. A $21 billion 10-year TIPS auction follows on Thursday. Focal points of Wednesday’s US session include a 20-year bond auction and US President Trump speech in Davos at 2:30pm local time (8:30am in New York).
In commodities, the rally in precious metals has continued with spot gold and silver higher by 2.2% and 0.2% respectively – the former hit another all-time-high and is just over $100 away from the $5,000/oz mark. Crude has turned positive. Bitcoin is down 0.7%. Natural gas futures surged as much as 27% as weather forecasts call for a deep freeze to grip much of the country during the weeks ahead. The IEA increased its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2026 for a third consecutive month, trimming a projected supply glut.
The US economic calendar includes October construction spending and December pending home sales (10am). Fed officials are in communications blackout ahead of the Jan. 28 policy decision
Market Snapshot
S&P 500 mini +0.2%
Nasdaq 100 mini +0.2%
Russell 2000 mini +0.3%
Stoxx Europe 600 -0.4%
DAX -0.7%
CAC 40 -0.2%
10-year Treasury yield -2 basis points at 4.28%
VIX -0.5 points at 19.62
Bloomberg Dollar Index little changed at 1205.65
euro -0.2% at $1.1705
WTI crude -0.6% at $60.01/barrel
Top Overnight News
President Donald Trump arrived in Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum and is set to deliver his speech at its scheduled time despite his flight being delayed by a mechanical issue.Trump arrived on a smaller Boeing 757 plane typically used by the US vice president and other Cabinet members, in lieu of the 747 aircraft he initially planned to use for the transatlantic trip. Among other things, Trump’s speech will touch on Venezuela and Greenland: BBG
A Supreme Court hearing starts today over Trump’s effort to oust Lisa Cook from the Fed over mortgage-fraud allegations that she denies. BI gives her a 60% chance of winning given the justices’ previous signal of a higher bar for removing Fed governors. BBG
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. WSJ
Japanese bonds rebounded after Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama called for calm after a rout had pushed super-long yields to record highs. BBG
Germany has joined France in saying it will ask the Commission to explore unleashing the Anti-Coercion Instrument at the emergency EU leaders’ summit in Brussels on Thursday evening if Trump doesn’t walk back his Greenland threats. Politico
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi may struggle to calm a bond market jolted by her vow to cut the consumption tax rate. The BOJ could intervene in markets and adjust its taper or conduct buying operations, but the central bank “has a very high bar” for such actions. RTRS
China is expanding its lead over the US in power generation, adding 7x more new capacity in 2025 to help keep electricity costs down as Beijing seeks to overcome the American lead in AI based on chip performance. Nikkei
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the infrastructure around AI will need trillions of dollars in additional investment over the coming years on a global basis, and the industry will create jobs. BBG
Inflation in the U.K. rose a little more than expected in December, as BoE policymakers mull when next to cut their key interest rate. Britain’s annual rate of consumer-price inflation was 3.4% in December, up from 3.2% in November in the first increase since July. WSJ
US natural gas futures jumped more than 22% on a freezing weather outlook. The IEA raised its 2026 oil demand growth forecast for a third month. Oil fell. BBG
Air Force One carrying US President Trump has turned back to Joint Base Andrews due to a ‘minor electrical issue’ on the aircraft, Axios reported; Trump will board another plane and continue towards Davos.
The White House releases President Trump’s executive order to restrict Wall Street firms from buying single-family homes.
Trade/Tariffs
USTR Greer said EU trade agreement focuses on trade rather than national security; however, relationship with EU negotiator remains great. Are in a good spot with China. It is important to talk with Congress on export controls.
US Treasury Secretary Bessent said there are no US-UK talks scheduled at the moment.
US Treasury Secretary Bessent speaking at Davos said free trade should be fair trade.
US President Trump said tariff revenue replacing income tax is an option.
South Korean President Lee said he is not worried about the current talks on US chip tariffs, could accelerate US inflation.
USTR Greer and US Treasury Secretary Bessent are highly likely to meet their Chinese counterparts before April, Fox News reported.
A more detailed look at global markets courtesy of Newsquawk
Asia-Pac stocks traded mixed, with initial downside paring back as the session continued. ASX 200 held onto earlier losses, with downside in IT and Financials counteracting the gains seen in miners following the rise in metals. Nikkei 225 continued its recent weakness for a fifth straight session, weighed on by banks and exporters, as worries over Japan’s fiscal sustainability hit Japanese markets. KOSPI chopped throughout the session, as the South Korean market traded on either side of the unchanged mark. Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp. traded with slight gains, albeit very modestly, but limited with a lack of catalysts
Top Asian News
New Zealand’s PM Luxon called for the General Election to be held on November 7th.
European bourses (STOXX 600 -0.2%) are mostly trading lower as uncertainty over trade tensions, sparked by developments surrounding Greenland, continues to weigh on sentiment. European sectors are mixed. Leading are Basic Resources (+3.1%), Automobiles & Parts (+0.9%) and Chemicals (+0.9%). Basic Resources is the clear outperformer, supported by stronger metal prices, with gold hitting a fresh all-time high during the APAC session and copper rebounding. Movers in the early morning trade include Burberry (+4.8%) after the Co. announced a strong Q3 trading update.
Top European News
UK CPI YoY (Dec) Y/Y 3.4% vs. Exp. 3.3% (Prev. 3.2%); All Services 4.5% (prev. 4.4%). ONS. “Inflation ticked up a little in December, driven partly by higher tobacco prices, following recently introduced excise duty increases.”. “Airfares also contributed to the increase with prices rising more than a year ago, likely because of the timing of return flights over the Christmas and New Year period.”. “… partially offset by a fall in rents inflation and lower prices for a range of recreational and cultural purchases.”.
FX
DXY is essentially flat this morning, with the Dollar attempting to stabilise following selling pressure in the prior session; currently holding within a narrow 98.45 to 98.64 range, sitting below its 100 DMA at 98.69. Focus remains centred on President Trump and his speeches in Davos. The Greenland situation remains tense, with EU leaders pushing back on the recently imposed US tariffs. As it stands, the subject matter of Trump’s speech is unknown, but could touch on a multitude of different factors, including Ukraine/Russia, Greenland, trade/tariffs, Fed independence, defence spending and credit card caps. Trump is pencilled in to speak at 13:30 GMT, but could be subject to change as Trump’s plane to Davos was delayed by around 3 hours.
G10s broadly are mixed vs the Dollar, with mild outperformance in the Antipodeans (AUD +0.3%, NZD +0.3%), whilst the CHF (-0.3%) lags vs peers. Nothing behind the pressure in the Swiss Franc, but perhaps some paring of the outperformance seen in the prior session as the risk tone attempts to improve today. That aside, SNB’s Schlegel said they could have negative inflation this year, though it is not a problem in the short-term. Elsewhere, attention this week has been on the JPY – which is currently posting very mild gains vs the USD. Stabilisation in the JPY comes as the recent JGB weakness subsided overnight.
GBP is currently flat vs the USD. Earlier, a mixed inflation report will do little to shift the dial at the BoE in the near-term. Headline topped expectations, but was subject to caveats, whilst the Core Y/Y metrics printed either in line or cooler-than-expected. ING opines that despite the uptick in the headline figure, UK inflation should still fall to 2% in April, and see cuts in both March and June. Cable currently trades within a 1.3414 to 1.3456 range.
Fixed Income
A firmer start for fixed benchmarks. A move that is largely a rebound from the significant selling pressure seen on Tuesday. Once again, JGBs in focus with overnight commentary helping the benchmark pare yesterday’s downside and is back to the 131.45 region. However, in recent trade global paper dipped off best levels, but lacked a clear driver.
USTs in the green, posting gains of six ticks at most, but have slipped off best levels in recent trade. The docket for the US is firmly focused on Davos, where President Trump will be speaking. However, due to a flight issue, he is around three hours delayed; the original schedule had him down for 13:30GMT/08:30ET. Hit 111-19 at best, firmer but well within yesterday’s 111-09 to 111-30+ band. Trump aside, today’s docket also turns to the SCOTUS, where arguments in Fed Governor Cook’s case will be heard. Furthermore, we could get an opinion on the tariff matter, though, as usual, this is not known in advance.
Bunds following suit, as high as 128.25, which marginally took the benchmark above Tuesday’s 128.19 peak, but unsurprisingly still someway shy of the week’s 128.32 opening level. Though the broader complex took a hit, which took Bunds to a session low of 127.94. The German auction thereafter, was mixed, but ultimately spurred little action in the benchmark.
Gilts gapped higher by 26 ticks before extending to just above the 92.00 mark, hitting a 92.03 peak with gains of 45 ticks at most. Though, as above, this is still shy of Monday’s 92.50 opening mark. A move driven by Gilts catching up to the relative recovery seen in benchmarks overnight. Additionally, impetus may have been derived from the morning’s CPI series as, while the headline was above consensus, that is caveated by fiscal/one-off related impacts, while the Services and Core figures were in-line or cooler-than-expected, depending on the provider. Overall the report will not shift much for the BoE in the near term.
Japan’s SMFG (8316 JT) plans big JGB purchases after selloff, Bloomberg reported.
Commodities
Crude curtailed by a pickup in the USD and after the geopolitical remarks re. Ukraine on Tuesday. US Envoy Witkoff, on Tuesday, said that discussions with Russian counterpart Dmitriev were “very positive”. A remark that seemingly sparked a bout of pressure in Crude, causing the benchmarks to drift into the early APAC session before stabilising and then dipping once again to troughs of USD 59.22/bbl and USD 63.61/bbl for WTI and Brent, respectively. Currently, the complex holds around USD 0.60/bbl off those lows, but remains in the red by around USD 0.50/bbl on the session.
A familiar story for spot gold, at another ATH of USD 4888/oz. The narrative for the yellow metal is much the same as in recent sessions.
Base peers in the green, 3M LME Copper firmer by over 1%. Action spurred by the stabilisation of the risk tone seen in some regions overnight and amid gains in China, though the region’s strength lacked a specific fundamental driver.
Chevron (CVX) aims to finalise the sale of its oil assets in Singapore in Q1.
IEA OMR: raises 2026 average oil demand growth forecast to 930k bpd (prev. forecast 860k bpd). Sees total world oil supply 3.69mln bpd higher than demand in 2026 in monthly report (prev. report 3.84mln bpd). Estimates OPEC+ supply growth at 1.3 mln b/d in 2025. Further decline in global oil supply in December continued to narrow surplus.
Thai’s Central Bank Chief said they will introduce a daily cap on gold trading at 50mln or 100mln Baht from the 29th of January.
US Southern Command announced and published footage of its seventh boarding and seizure of a sanctioned crude oil tanker, reportedly the Liberian-flagged, in the Caribbean Sea.
Geopolitics: Ukraine
A planned announcement of an USD 800bln ‘prosperity plan’ between Ukraine, Europe and the US has been delayed due to Europe’s opposition from President Trump to acquire Greenland, the FT reported citing officials.
US special envoy Witkoff reports significance progress on Ukraine and Russia in recent weeks. Adds that land deal remains the sticking point. Scheduled to meet Putin on Thursday. On the Middle East: Hamas is receptive to the idea of demilitarisation. Not negotiating with Iran right now but says its hard to tell if Iran is still killing protestors.
Geopolitics: Middle East
Iran’s Foreign Minister warns Washington that any all-out confrontation with Iran would be fierce and engulf the entire region, Sky News Arabia reported.
US President Trump said Iran will be “wiped off the face of the Earth” if Iran attempts to carry out an assassination threat against him, NewsNation reported.
US President Trump is still pressing aides for “decisive” military options on Iran, WSJ reported citing officials.
Geopolitics: Other
NATO’s Rutte said the allies must defend the Arctic region amid rising Chinese and Russian activity.
EU’s von der Leyen said the EU is fully prepared to act over Greenland if necessary.
France and Germany reportedly appear to agree on placing the ACI on the table, though not necessarily activating it, Politico reported citing sources; a shift as Germany is now reportedly willing to at least explore the concept of using the ACI.
The French Presidency announces it has requested NATO exercise in Greenland and said it is ready to participate.
US President Trump said having Greenland makes a much more effective golden dome, will probably be able to work something out with Europe at Davos.
The US is to pull 200 military personnel from NATO and its advisory groups amid escalating EU-US tensions, the FT reported citing sources.
US Interior Secretary Burgum said that markets have it wrong today about Greenland; the US would build up Greenland in a similar fashion to Alaska if it was owned.
US reportedly plans to reduce involvement in some NATO advisory groups, WaPo reported.
US Event Calendar
7:00 am: United States Jan 16 MBA Mortgage Applications, prior 28.5%
10:00 am: United States Oct Construction Spending MoM, est. 0.1%
10:00 am: United States Dec Pending Home Sales MoM, est. -0.25%, prior 3.3%
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/21/2026 – 08:29
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/futures-slide-session-low-bounce-fizzles-all-eyes-trump-davos
Veteranos daneses que pelearon con EEUU se sienten traicionados por amenazas de Trump a Groenlandia
Por ANDERS KONGSHAUG
COPENHAGUE, Dinamarca (AP) — Hace más de 15 años, el comandante de pelotón danés Martin Tamm Andersen lideraba a sus compatriotas y a marines de Estados Unidos a través del calor y la arena del sur de Afganistán tras un ataque talibán.
Mientras el vehículo de Andersen se movía al final de la columna, todo era normal, hasta que en un instante el mundo se tornó color arena. Su cuerpo tembló violentamente. “No tenía idea de lo que estaba pasando”, recordó. Pasó sus manos por sus brazos y piernas para asegurarse de que aún estaban allí.
Cuando el polvo se asentó, vio a uno de sus soldados sangrando profusamente de la cara. Otro había sido lanzado desde la torreta y yacía en el suelo, gimiendo de dolor, con la espalda fracturada en dos. La explosión había destrozado el vehículo.
Andersen pidió ayuda a los marines estadounidenses, quienes detuvieron un tiroteo con talibanes, regresaron para asegurar el lugar, atendieron a los heridos y ayudaron a prepararlos para la evacuación.
En ese momento, las tropas estadounidenses y danesas eran camaradas en armas que arriesgaban sus vidas unos por otros en una causa común.
Andersen apenas puede creer lo que ha sucedido con la alianza entre Estados Unidos y Dinamarca hoy en día, mientras el presidente Donald Trump intensifica sus amenazas de apoderarse de Groenlandia, un territorio semiautónomo perteneciente a Dinamarca. Trump repite que Estados Unidos debe tomar el control de la isla estratégicamente ubicada y rica en minerales, y considera la fuerza como una forma de lograrlo.
“Cuando Estados Unidos nos necesitó después del 11 de septiembre, estuvimos allí”, dijo el veterano de 46 años en una entrevista con The Associated Press.
“Como veterano y como danés, sabes, te sientes triste y muy sorprendido de que Estados Unidos quiera apoderarse de parte del Reino de Dinamarca”, expresó. “Es una traición a la lealtad de nuestra nación hacia Estados Unidos y hacia nuestra alianza común, la OTAN”.
Habló desde el Museo de la Guerra Danés en Copenhague, donde se exhibe su vehículo blindado de transporte de personal que golpeó el artefacto explosivo improvisado en 2010 en la provincia de Helmand.
Antes de su despliegue en Afganistán, Andersen también estuvo en Irak. Buenos amigos murieron y resultaron heridos en ambas guerras. Creía que su servicio en las guerras de Estados Unidos servía a la causa de la libertad y la democracia.
“Se siente surrealista”
A medida que Estados Unidos intensifica sus amenazas de apoderarse de Groenlandia, ese shock inicial sentido por muchos en toda Europa ha evolucionado hacia un profundo sentido de tristeza, traición y miedo sobre lo que tal movimiento podría significar para la seguridad de Europa en un momento de agresión rusa. La primera ministra de Dinamarca ha dicho que significaría el fin de la OTAN.
Para los veteranos daneses, se siente profundamente personal.
Miembro de la OTAN desde 1949, Dinamarca ha sido un aliado inquebrantable de Estados Unidos. Cuarenta y cuatro soldados daneses murieron en Afganistán, la tasa de mortalidad per cápita más alta entre las fuerzas de la coalición. Ocho más murieron en Irak.
“Se siente surrealista. Se siente como si fuera una mala broma de alguna manera”, dijo Andersen. “Quiero decir, realmente no puedes comprender que esto es algo que se está diciendo en voz alta. Simplemente parece demasiado loco”.
Guardando una medalla y una bandera de EEUU
Søren Knudsen, un veterano danés que sirvió dos veces en Afganistán, estaba viendo televisión el año pasado cuando escuchó al vicepresidente de Estados Unidos, JD Vance, decir en Fox News que Dinamarca “no estaba siendo un buen aliado”. Vance estaba argumentando que Estados Unidos necesitaba tomar más “interés territorial” en Groenlandia por el bien de la seguridad de Estados Unidos, y acusaba a Dinamarca de “no hacer su trabajo”.
No podía creerlo. En su casa en Copenhague, Knudsen, de 65 años, guarda una foto donde sale flanqueado por niños en la ciudad afgana de Qalat. La misión, como Knudsen la entendía en ese momento, era ayudar a los estadounidenses a salvaguardar el futuro de la juventud de Afganistán. Al final de su segunda gira, sus colegas de Estados Unidos le dieron una bandera estadounidense como regalo de despedida.
Durante años exhibió con orgullo la bandera enmarcada y una Estrella de Bronce de Estados Unidos que honraba su servicio en Afganistán junto a otras medallas de su servicio militar.
Retiró la medalla y la bandera con angustia y las guardó.
Le dijo a su esposa que las sacará nuevamente hasta que se restablezca la alianza entre Estados Unidos y Dinamarca.
Knudsen, quien es el vicepresidente de la Asociación de Veteranos Daneses, dijo que escucha diariamente de otros veteranos que expresan tristeza y dolor por cómo la administración de Estados Unidos se ha vuelto contra Dinamarca.
“Muchos veteranos que tienen heridas, ya sea en su alma o en su cuerpo, ciertamente sienten esto como una ofensa directa a su corazón”, manifestó.
Entendiendo las necesidades de seguridad de EEUU
Los veteranos daneses están furiosos por cómo la retórica de la Casa Blanca ignora el derecho a la autodeterminación de Groenlandia y Dinamarca. También objetan fuertemente la afirmación de Trump de que Dinamarca, después de luchar junto a las fuerzas estadounidenses en tiempos de guerra, es incapaz de proteger los intereses de seguridad de Occidente en el Ártico.
Tanto Andersen como Knudsen dicen que entienden las preocupaciones sobre la seguridad en la región, pero están convencidos de que Dinamarca está lista para continuar haciendo lo que sea necesario dentro de la alianza de la OTAN para defender la región.
Ambos hombres describen mantener un vínculo y amistad con las tropas estadounidenses con las que sirvieron. La esposa de Knudsen nació en Estados Unidos, y su cuñado es un marine estadounidense. Están convencidos de que sus antiguos camaradas no comparten las opiniones de Trump sobre los daneses.
Los daneses a menudo señalan que Estados Unidos ya tiene acceso a Groenlandia bajo un acuerdo de defensa de 1951, y en el noroeste de la isla se ubica la base militar estadounidense Pituffik que está bajo la Fuerza Espacial del Pentágono. Fue Estados Unidos quien eligió reducir su presencia militar en Groenlandia en los últimos años, y Dinamarca y Groenlandia han dicho que acomodarían una presencia militar estadounidense reforzada.
Pero Trump dijo al The New York Times la semana pasada que “la propiedad te da cosas y elementos que no puedes obtener solo firmando un documento”.
Knudsen dice que una invasión estadounidense de Groenlandia “probablemente me haría llorar”.
“Lo lamentaría mucho si sucediera, porque también vería esto como los momentos finales de la alianza de la OTAN”, señaló. “Y probablemente lo vería como el momento final de mi admiración y amor por lo que ha sido el experimento estadounidense durante 250 años”.
______
Vanessa Gera y Claudia Ciobanu en Varsovia, Polonia, Stefanie Dazio en Berlín y Lorne Cook en Bruselas contribuyeron a este informe.
______
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Emboscada en noroeste de Nigeria deja cinco soldados y un policía muertos
Por DYEPKAZAH SHIBAYAN
ABUYA, Nigeria (AP) — Cinco soldados y un policía murieron en una emboscada en el noroeste de Nigeria, informó el ejército.
El ataque ocurrió en el estado de Zamfara el lunes, indicó el portavoz del ejército, David Adewusi, en un comunicado el martes.
Las autoridades no dieron detalles sobre quién fue responsable de la emboscada, pero se refirieron a los atacantes como “terroristas”.
“A pesar de la sorpresa de la emboscada, las tropas respondieron valientemente, enfrentándose a los terroristas y previniendo más daños a las comunidades cercanas”, declaró Adewusi. “Lamentablemente, cinco soldados y un policía pagaron el máximo sacrificio durante el encuentro”.
La emboscada siguió a operaciones exitosas en Zamfara la semana pasada, cuando tres sospechosos fueron arrestados y se recuperaron armas, añadió.
Soldados nigerianos también rescataron a 62 rehenes en una operación separada en la región noroeste del país el miércoles.
Otro portavoz del ejército, Olaniyi Osoba, señaló que los rehenes fueron liberados en el Bosque de Munhaye, un conocido escondite del notorio cabecilla criminal Kachalla Alti, que también se encuentra en el estado de Zamfara.
“Se están realizando esfuerzos para reunir a los rehenes liberados con sus familias”, expresó.
El norte de Nigeria ha sido la parte más afectada del país, con un aumento en los secuestros por parte de hombres armados en las regiones del noroeste y centro-norte en los últimos meses, junto con una insurgencia en el noreste.
Boko Haram, los yihadistas nigerianos, tomaron las armas en 2009 para luchar contra la educación occidental e imponer su versión radical de la ley islámica.
La insurgencia ahora incluye una rama del grupo Estado Islámico conocida como la Provincia de África Occidental del Estado Islámico o ISWAP. Se ha extendido a otros países como Níger, matando a unas 35.000 personas y desplazando a más de dos millones, según las Naciones Unidas.
El mes pasado, Estados Unidos lanzó ataques aéreos en el norte de Nigeria, apuntando al Estado Islámico, tras acusaciones de que el país de África Occidental no logró controlar los ataques contra cristianos.
___________________________________
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
After Trump Meeting, Slovak PM Fico Says ‘EU Is Not Taken Seriously’ By World Leaders
After Trump Meeting, Slovak PM Fico Says ‘EU Is Not Taken Seriously’ By World Leaders
Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News,
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said the European Union is “not taken completely seriously” by world leaders because of its “suicidal migration policy” and “nonsense climate goals,” after a phone call on Monday with German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
According to the government’s press office, cited by the TASR news agency, Fico told Merz that he would send an open letter on Tuesday to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and circulate it to all EU prime ministers and heads of state, in which he would express concerns relayed to him following a meeting with U.S. President Trump at the weekend and offer solutions.
“I have proposed several solutions to the Federal Chancellor, and I hope that he will visit Slovakia soon, as he promised. We have something to talk about,” Fico said. He added that several hundred German companies operate in Slovakia and that the Slovak economy is particularly dependent on German economic development because of the high concentration of car production.
Fico said he and Merz discussed the current “serious international situation,” including the escalating transatlantic tensions over the future of Greenland, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He told the German chancellor about his conversation over the weekend with U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
“The U.S. president is clearly pursuing the nation-state interests of the U.S. If the EU had acted this way, we would be in a completely different place than we are now,” Fico said, again arguing that the European Union is not taken seriously on the world stage.
🇺🇸🇪🇺 EPIC phone call between Slovakia’s PM Fico with Germany’s Merz, after Fico met Trump.
PERFECTLY sums up the situation between the U.S. and the EU regarding Greendland
Prime Minister Fico:
– “The President of the United States is clearly pursuing the nation state interests… pic.twitter.com/aXFOa6wcXL
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 19, 2026
The Slovak government described the Fico-Trump meeting as informal and a sign of respect and trust. The talks covered the war in Ukraine, the European Union, and bilateral relations, and were attended by U.S. and Slovak foreign ministers Marco Rubio and Juraj Blanár.
On Ukraine, Fico said he reiterated his long-held positions to the American president. “All my positions are well-known, and I repeat them in the same wording at every meeting,” he said, declaring “Slovakia’s peaceful position and the opinion that diplomacy and mutual listening must take precedence over military solutions.”
According to Fico, he and Trump shared the view of the European Union as “an institution in deep crisis” in relation to its competitiveness as well as its energy and migration policies. They also discussed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in nuclear energy, ceremonially signed in Washington before the Florida meeting. “Both countries are fully aware that solving serious energy challenges is not possible through wind turbines or photovoltaics, but that the basis for the future is the rapid development of nuclear energy,” Fico said.
THE TRIP TO THE UNITED STATES AND TALKS WITH PRESIDENT D. TRUMP WERE SOVEREIGN, CONFIDENT, AND EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT FOR SLOVAKIA FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ENERGY SECURITY.
I understand that anti-Slovak media and the opposition are being torn apart by envy and hatred. I have… pic.twitter.com/7rjoxPWLIR
— Robert Fico 🇸🇰 (@RobertFicoSVK) January 18, 2026
Fico also said he presented Trump with a Slovak postage stamp depicting a U.S. Marine Corps soldier of Slovak origin, Michal Strank, noting that a photograph of Strank raising the American flag on Iwo Jima in February 1945 later became the model for a major military monument at Arlington National Cemetery.
“The trip to the USA was our next success, as was the case with visits to Russia, China, and many other countries. We make many decisions prematurely… Luck favors the brave, sovereign, and proud. The trip to the USA, from which we are now returning, was a sovereign, self-confident, and useful representation of our homeland,” the prime minister concluded.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/21/2026 – 07:45
Legisladores de la UE votan para bloquear acuerdo con Mercosur por preocupaciones legales
BRUSELAS (AP) — Legisladores de la Unión Europea votaron el miércoles para bloquear el acuerdo comercial con el grupo Mercosur de países sudamericanos debido a preocupaciones sobre la legalidad del arreglo.
En una votación en Estrasburgo, Francia, los legisladores aprobaron por un estrecho margen enviar el acuerdo al tribunal superior de Europa para que dictamine si está en línea con los tratados del bloque. Los legisladores votaron con 334 votos a favor, 324 en contra y 11 abstenciones.
El acuerdo de libre comercio fue firmado el sábado. Tenía como objetivo fortalecer los lazos comerciales ante el creciente proteccionismo y las tensiones comerciales en todo el mundo.
—
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Daywatch: Chicago matches rare January mark with seven homicides in a day
Good morning, Chicago.
Sunday was one of the most violent winter days in Chicago’s recent history.
Seven people were shot and killed across the city in less than 18 hours. City violence data shows it was just the fourth January day to see at least seven homicides since 1991.
At least three of the victims were teenagers. Another was a woman, reportedly a mother of five, killed outside her home as she was on her way to church. A pair of home invasions on the West Side left two other men dead.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Sam Charles.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including Mayor Brandon Johnson addressing speculation of the city trying to buy back Chicago parking meters, who the Chicago White Sox traded to the New York Mets and our guide to the Chicago Sake Crawl.
Today’s eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History
Attorney General Kwame Raoul leaves after a news conference addressing his office’s efforts to combat unlawful actions by the Trump administration, at the State of Illinois building on Jan. 20, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Gov. JB Pritzker, Attorney General Kwame Raoul look back on first year of Trump 2.0
Gov. JB Pritzker and other Illinois leaders yesterday marked the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term by vowing to keep pushing back on the administration’s actions, while acknowledging that months of uncertainty, funding cuts and legal fights had taken a toll.
Despite frigid temps, crowd turns out in Federal Plaza to protest the Trump administration
President Donald Trump arrives in Switzerland, where his quest to own Greenland could overshadow his other goals
The former Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights is covered in snow on Jan. 16, 2026. The 326-acre site is owned by the Chicago Bears and is being considered as a location for the team’s new domed stadium and entertainment district. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Gov. JB Pritzker’s office inks new deal with outside lawyer to advise in Chicago Bears stadium talks
Gov. JB Pritzker’s office signed a new $25,000 contract late last month with an outside attorney to continue advising the administration in negotiations with the Chicago Bears through the end of June as the NFL franchise seeks to pressure Springfield to act this spring on a proposal that would aid plans for a new stadium in Arlington Heights.
The Pritzker administration’s top lawyer signed the agreement with Steve Argeris, a partner with New York-based law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, on Dec. 22, five days after the Tribune first reported Bears executives were widening the scope of their stadium-site search to include northwest Indiana.
Mayor Brandon Johnson arrives to talk about the city’s parking meters, at the Chicago Cultural Center on Jan. 20, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Brandon Johnson says he will not try to buy back Chicago parking meters
Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city will not try to buy back Chicago’s parking meters after all, following days of speculation over whether he would attempt to find a way out of an infamous sale almost two decades ago.
Dino Zavoli reads the Daily Herald at Encore Village on April 8, 2025, in Schaumburg. (Audrey Richardson/Chicago Tribune)
Daily Herald, longtime suburban Chicago newspaper, notifies state of potential sale
The publisher of the Daily Herald filed notice with the state this month that it is considering a sale of the northwest suburban newspaper.
U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino walks with agents after detaining a person while conducting an immigration enforcement operation in Little Village on Dec. 16, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Jury selected in trial of Chicago man accused of promoting gang bounty on Greg Bovino
After a daylong process that took place partially out of public earshot, a jury was selected yesterday in the trial of a Chicago man accused of passing along a gang bounty allegedly placed on the head of controversial Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino.
Jawad Fakroune is charged with beating and extorting a Chicago restaurateur in 2024 over a $1.5 million loan. This surveillance image allegedly shows Fakroune entering an Italian restaurant in New York City on Dec. 18, 2024, after federal agents went to arrest him at an apartment and he fled nearly naked out the back door. The circle annotation is contained in the court filing. (U.S. attorney’s office)
Trial opens for alleged con man accused of extorting local restaurateur
Chicago’s restaurant industry harbors a few colorful characters, and their dealings aren’t always pretty.
Prosecutors yesterday argued that Jawad Fakroune’s alleged attack on Adolfo Garcia in the back room of Garcia’s now-shuttered martini and oyster joint Yours Truly went way beyond the occasionally cutthroat interactions that can characterize the seedier side of the city’s restaurant scene and the people who make their living by it.
Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) runs to the dugout during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Opening Day at Rate Field on March 27, 2025, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago White Sox trade CF Luis Robert Jr. to New York Mets for INF Luisangel Acuña and RHP Truman Pauley
Luis Robert Jr.’s name had been mentioned in trade speculation several times over the past couple of years. He remained with the team after last July’s trade deadline passed. In November, the White Sox exercised his $20 million club option, but the buzz about a possible trade remained.
And yesterday, it became a reality.
Former White Sox outfielder Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltrán elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti lifts the trophy after defeating Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Column: Indiana’s epic run from losers to 16-0 national champs rivals the 2016 Chicago Cubs’ journey
There’s really no debating that Indiana’s journey from losingest team ever to national champion is the greatest story in college football history, writes Paul Sullivan.
Thaddeus Tukes, Jazz Institute Jazz Links alumnus, performs before a press conference at the Chicago Cultural Center, Jan. 20, 2026, announcing the performer lineup and programming for the UNESCO International Jazz Day 2026 that will be held in Chicago. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago will host International Jazz Day. Here’s what’s coming this spring.
Alongside city and state officials, representatives for the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz announced details for the 15th annual International Jazz Day, a month of jazz programming culminating in a globally broadcast concert at the Lyric Opera House on April 30.
Joe Sayekh drinks sake during a food and sake event at Akahoshi Ramen in the Logan Square neighborhood, Dec. 11, 2025. Ticketed guests were given three dishes paired with three temperatures of Kanbara Bride of the Fox Japanese sake. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
The Chicago Sake Crawl: A neighborhood guide to the city’s most compelling pours
For all its culinary breadth, Chicago is rarely framed as a sake destination. Yet over the past decade, it’s developed a close-knit but serious sake scene — shaped by Chicago’s walkable neighborhoods and an openness that has allowed sake to be explored across cuisines and cultures.
Parlamentarios europeos votan por bloquear acuerdo con Mercosur por objeciones legales
BRUSELAS (AP) — Parlamentarios europeos votan por bloquear acuerdo con Mercosur por objeciones legales.
