Category: News
‘It still doesn’t feel real’: NASCAR community mourns driver Greg Biffle and 6 others killed in plane crash
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hundreds in the NASCAR community gathered for a memorial service at Charlotte’s Bojangles Coliseum on Friday for former driver Greg Biffle, his family and others who were killed in a plane crash last month.
Biffle was among seven killed along with his wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, when the plane crashed as it returned to the airport in Statesville, N.C., according to authorities. Others on the plane were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack and Craig Wadsworth.
Driver/influencer Garrett Mitchell, known as “Cleetus McFarland” in his YouTube videos and a close friend of Biffle’s, was among those who spoke at the service.
“We have all been saying, ‘Be like Biff,’ since we lost our hero,” said Mitchell, who befriended Biffle later in his life. “What does that mean? That means to take opportunities when you see them. Whether you are taking opportunity to pass somebody on the track or getting off your couch to chase a dream you have only been talking about for the past five years.
“It means showing up for your friends and family. It means using your heart to make the world a better place. It means being generous whenever you can and helping other humans when they’re down. That is what it means to be like Biff,” Mitchell added.
Biffle, who was 55, was selected by NASCAR as one of its top 75 drivers in history, was a Hall of Fame nominee for the stock car series and drove for 18 years at the top of the sport.
He drew headlines last year for his tireless humanitarian efforts as a helicopter pilot supplying aid in the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene.
Biffle’s niece, Jordyn Biffle, told stories about Ryder’s hero being his father, Emma’s laughter and Cristina’s loving nature.
She said the Biffle family “lived fully, loved deeply and gave freely.”
“Their lives remind us that what matters isn’t how long we are here, but how we use the time we are given and how fiercely we love while we are here,” Biffle added. “And while this loss is devastating beyond words, their impact remains etched into all of us that were lucky enough to have known them, loved them and be changed by them.”
NASCAR’s Greg Biffle remembered for humanitarian efforts: ‘His tireless work saved lives’
In the parking lot outside of the coliseum, fans paused to peer inside three racecars Biffle drove during his career.
Inside, the pictures of the seven who lost their lives where shown on a videoboard above the makeshift platform in the center of the covered hockey rink. There were seven wreaths on the stage where Mitchell, Biffle and former drivers Jeff Burton and Phil Parsons addressed the crowd.
Dylan Zirkle, 28, of Archdale, N.C., worked one year for Biffle at Roush Racing as a pit support employee while he was in high school.
He said Biffle made a lasting impact on him, and felt he needed to attend.
“Greg was always a really good guy and I enjoyed being around him,” Zirkle said. “You could always talk to him at anytime and he was just a real person. You could talk to him about anything.”
Back home, Zirkle still has model racing trucks in his game room autographed by Biffle that he cherishes.
Zirkle said he didn’t believe the news of the crash when he heard it.
“It still doesn’t feel real,” Zircle said. “I was watching some of his YouTube videos the other night and it just doesn’t seem real at all.”
Tanner Roberts and Jassamin Green made the four-hour trek from Wilmington, North Carolina, with their 7-year-old son Bentley after hearing about the memorial.
“He was a good racecar driver and I enjoyed him,” Roberts said. “And he was a good person. I grew up watching him and Dale Earnhardt. Them two were my favorites. They were good people and they loved to race.”
The Cessna C550 carrying the Biffle family and the others erupted in flames when it hit the ground shortly after it had departed Statesville Regional Airport, about an hour’s drive north of Charlotte.
The plane crashed while trying to return and land, authorities said.
The crash a week before Christmas left the NASCAR community shaken and was another blow in a long offseason. Ten days later, on the 52nd wedding anniversary of Denny Hamlin’s parents, the house the future Hall of Famer built to repay them for their years of sacrifice burned down. His father, Dennis, was killed, and Mary Lou Hamlin was rushed to a hospital burn unit.
Sheriff’s deputies are also investigating an alleged break-in and theft last week at Biffle’s home in Mooresville that netted $30,000 in cash, some guns and memorabilia.
As part of the public tribute, Mitchell planned to do a burnout later Friday near Biffle’s marker along the North Carolina Auto Racing Walk of Fame in Mooresville.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/16/greg-biffle-nascar-memorial-service/
Director de la CIA se reúne con la presidenta interina de Venezuela en Caracas
Por DAVID KLEPPER
WASHINGTON (AP) — El director de la CIA, John Ratcliffe, viajó a Venezuela para reunirse con la presidenta interina Delcy Rodríguez, convirtiéndose en el funcionario de más alto rango del gobierno del presidente Donald Trump en visitar el país sudamericano tras la incursión estadounidense que capturó al exlíder Nicolás Maduro.
La reunión efectuada el jueves en Caracas, la capital, duró dos horas, según un funcionario del gobierno de Estados Unidos que no estaba autorizado para hablar públicamente del asunto y declaró el viernes bajo condición de anonimato.
El funcionario dijo que la reunión se produjo a instancias del presidente Donald Trump y tenía como objetivo demostrar el deseo de Estados Unidos de tener una mejor relación con Venezuela. Ocurrió el mismo día en que la líder opositora venezolana María Corina Machado presentó su medalla del Premio Nobel de la Paz a Trump en la Casa Blanca, aun cuando, en los hechos, él la ha dejado de lado.
La visita de Ratcliffe probablemente será vista como otra señal de la disposición de Trump para trabajar con Rodríguez, quien había sido la segunda al mando de Maduro hasta la audaz operación militar estadounidense realizada hace dos semanas que lo llevó a Estados Unidos para enfrentar cargos de narcotráfico.
La visita, en la que también participó un pequeño equipo de funcionarios estadounidenses y fue reportada por primera vez por The New York Times, tenía la intención de sentar las bases para una cooperación adicional entre el gobierno de Trump y los nuevos líderes de Venezuela, dijo el funcionario.
Ratcliffe habló de la posible colaboración económica entre los dos países y advirtió que Venezuela nunca más puede permitir la presencia de adversarios de Estados Unidos, incluidos los narcotraficantes, dijo el funcionario.
La CIA desempeñó un papel clave en la operación para aprehender a Maduro al proporcionar apoyo crítico de inteligencia, además de llevar a cabo un ataque previo con drones en un muelle utilizado por los cárteles, afirmaron funcionarios estadounidenses.
Un día después de la visita de Ratcliffe a Caracas, Machado dijo a los periodistas que rechazaba la noción de que Trump ha decidido trabajar con Rodríguez en lugar de su movimiento de oposición, que muchos creen que ganó las elecciones presidenciales de 2024.
El jueves, Rodríguez utilizó su primer mensaje a la nación como presidenta interina para abogar por la apertura de la crucial industria petrolera estatal a más inversión extranjera tras la promesa del gobierno de Trump de supervisar las ventas de crudo venezolano.
Trump ha planteado dudas sobre su compromiso declarado de respaldar el gobierno democrático en Venezuela, sin dar un calendario sobre cuándo podrían celebrarse elecciones. A su vez, Machado se esforzó el viernes por evitar dar detalles sobre sus planes para regresar a casa o cuándo podrían celebrarse nuevos comicios.
Trump ha dicho que sería difícil que Machado —que, desde hace mucho tiempo, ha sido el rostro de la lucha por la democracia en Venezuela— gobierne su país porque “no tiene ni el apoyo ni el respeto dentro del país”.
____
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Trump pardons convicted fraudster after earlier clemency grant
A San Diego businesswoman who was granted clemency by Donald Trump in 2021 and later convicted on new fraud charges received a pardon from the president on Thursday, according to a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The pardon involves Adriana Camberos, 55, convicted by jurors in 2024 of making tens of millions of dollars by selling wholesale groceries after lying to manufacturers about where the products would be sold, according to the Justice Department. Camberos was released from Bureau of Prisons custody on Thursday, according to an agency website.
Her brother, Andres, who was convicted with her at trial in 2024, also received a Trump pardon, the White House official said.
Separately, Terren Peizer, who was convicted in 2024 of insider trading and sentenced last year to 42 months in prison, also received a pardon, according to the White House official.
In all, Trump granted clemency on Thursday to 21 people, White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson said in a social media post. Trump has said he’s using his unchecked clemency powers to correct abuses in the criminal-justice system against those prosecuted for political reasons, particularly under former President Joe Biden. But Trump’s critics say he’s undermining the work of Justice Department prosecutors by giving pardons and commutations to undeserving recipients who gain access to him.
The White House official said the Camberos family was unfairly targeted and subject to political prosecution by Biden’s Justice Department after Trump commuted Adriana Camberos’s sentence in 2021 for another conviction. In the new case, prosecutors under Biden investigated a business practice that brought down the price of groceries, the official said.
Besides Adriana Camberos, other people granted clemency by Trump have committed new crimes. They include Eliyahu “Eli” Weinstein, a convicted Ponzi schemer whose 24-year prison term was commuted by Trump in 2021. In November, he was sentenced to 37 years behind bars for stealing $44 million from investors after he was released.
With assistance from Zeke Faux.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Dave Smith: “America First Means Non-Interventionism”; Republicans Debate GOP Schism
Dave Smith: “America First Means Non-Interventionism”; Republicans Debate GOP Schism
Yesterday, in a special ZeroHedge debate on What Is America First?, libertarian comedian Dave Smith and conservative filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza clashed over whether the slogan implies non-intervention abroad or a more assertive, national interest-driven foreign policy. Moderated by Judge Andrew Napolitano, the exchange cut directly to the fault lines dividing the modern right into what might be coined the Carlson and Shapiro camps.
Here were the highlights for those who missed it:
“America First means non-interventionism”
Smith argued America First ought to mean “a preference for republicanism, little ‘r’, over imperialism,” citing its earliest presidential use which followed that logic. Woodrow Wilson campaigned on America First by “promising to keep us out of World War I,” before reversing course, an example of how presidents often “campaign on one thing and then do the exact opposite.”
The phrase was later used “to oppose military adventurism,” by figures like Robert Taft and by the America First Committee, which opposed U.S. entry into World War II, and by Pat Buchanan. Donald Trump picked up “the exact same theme,” pledging to “break with neoconservatism,” reject “regime change wars,” and eventually boasting of “no new wars.”
Saying America First means “toppling the Ayatollah” or “flirting with wars of choice, and wars of aggression,” Smith said, “is nonsense.”
“We’re not gonna go fight wars to make the military industrial complex rich… we’re not gonna fight wars on behalf of Israel that are not in the interest of the United States of America.”
— ZeroHedge Debates (@zerohedgeDebate) January 15, 2026
“This is Idiocy”
D’Souza framed his rebuttal around national attachment: “This is our country and our patriotism is based on an attachment to our country.” Nations act on interests, where “this guy has a lot of oil and we could use some of that,” or “this country has rare earth minerals and we could use some of that.”
He stressed that the United States was no longer a weak republic. “We are a powerful country in the world today.” Early cautions by John Quincy Adams about not “go[ing] in search of monsters to destroy,” reflected, in his telling, the reality of a fledgling state. D’Souza compared that posture to “an infant in the playground” who avoided fights because “I’m three years old,” a position that changed “when his position of power is completely different.”
For D’Souza, this is realism: “We have ideals and interests and we live in a hostile world.” That world included actors who were “beneficial to our interests” and those who were “harmful or inimical to that.” He summarized the isolationist stance as “closing your eyes, sticking your two forefingers in your ears… this is idiocy.”
— ZeroHedge Debates (@zerohedgeDebate) January 15, 2026
The Israel Question
When the question was posed by the Judge, D’Souza rejected the idea that the United States is subservient to Israel, arguing the power relationship ran in the opposite direction.
“It makes no sense to talk about the rabbit controlling the elephant when quite clearly the elephant controls the rabbit.” As evidence, he pointed to Iran, saying Israel would have welcomed U.S. action to “wipe out the mullahs,” but “their hand was stayed” by Trump, “a clear indication of the United States calling the shots and not Israel.”
The value of a Jewish-Christian alliance, D’Souza said, is that the LGBT community and radical Islam are forming an unholy alliance and taking over the domestic United States.
Smith argued U.S.-Israel relationship has led only to “a lot of trouble and a lot of unnecessary wars.” He mocked the “fight them over there” justification, noting that after “two plus decades fighting them over there, slaughtering them by the millions, blowing trillions of dollars,” the argument simply shifted to “look, we got to fight them over here.”
Smith then described the pro-Israel security argument as circular. “If we support Israel, then a whole bunch of Muslims hate us because we support Israel,” he said, that hostility was then used as proof that “see, the Muslims hate us and therefore we have to keep supporting Israel.”
— ZeroHedge Debates (@zerohedgeDebate) January 15, 2026
Watch the full debate on X:
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) January 15, 2026
Or listen on Spotify:
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/16/2026 – 15:20
Indiana First Congressional District candidate files ballot name with Nazi salute
A Republican candidate with a history of failed campaigns on white supremacist platforms has filed for U.S. Representative in Indiana’s First District with the Nazi salute in his ballot name.
Richard Benedict Mayers filed as a Republican candidate for the First District and listed his ballot name as Richard Benedict (Sieg Heil) Mayers, according to election records.
Lake County Republican Party Chairman Randy Niemeyer issued a statement Thursday that he was aware of a candidate “using a blatantly antisemitic nickname.”
“The Lake County Republican Party does not condone nor offer any refuge or support to those who seek attention by these means,” Niemeyer said. “None of the offices of the Lake County Republican Party, Porter County Republican Party, LaPorte County Republican Party or Indiana GOP First District Committee has ever met the candidate and jointly express our disgust with this filing.”
The party will pursue legal avenues “to remove this moron” from the ballot in the primary election, Niemeyer said.
“Unfortunately, we witness ridiculous filings every election season,” Niemeyer said. “We will work to have him removed from the primary ballot.”
In January 2002, the Cook County electoral review board removed Mayers as a candidate in the Illinois 9th Congressional District Democratic primary after he did not have enough nominating petition signatures, according to the Evanston Review.
At the time, Mayers, who didn’t live within the Illinois 9th Congressional District, filed 203 signatures and needed 600 to get on the ballot, according to the Evanston Review.
Mayers, who filed last-minute against U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, said his election platform includes banning the abortion of white babies and giving judges the right to deport Black prisoners to Africa, according to the Evanston Review.
He also said he wanted to spend more federal money on education and change the government’s pro-Israeli Middle East policy, according to the Evanston Review.
“Some of my views are controversial,” Mayers told the Evanston Review. “But I think I could do good in some places. There could be some people that wouldn’t like me, but that’s the nature of politics.”
In Illinois, Mayers lost the 2000 Democratic primary against U.S. Rep. William Lipinski, D-3rd, of Chicago and lost a write-in campaign in that district in the 2000 general election. He also lost races for the 43rd state House district in 1998, for Berwyn Township Democratic committeeman in that year, and for a seat as a Berwyn alderman in 1993, according to the Evanston Review.
In 2000, Mayers was challenged for three constitutional amendments he filed in Cook County that would’ve banned interracial marriage, prohibited abortion of “healthy white babies” and sent Black prisoners “back to western Africa.”
The legal challenge to the referendum questions was filed because Mayers didn’t have the required number of signatures, according to WGN Chicago.
Indiana code stipulates that candidates for U.S. Representatives don’t need to collect signatures unless a candidate wants to file as a minor party or as an independent. If a candidate chooses to run as a minor party or an independent, then the Indiana Secretary of State “will determine whether enough valid signatures are certified for the candidate to be placed on the general election ballot,” according to the code.
Under Indiana code, there is no requirement that a candidate for United States Representative must reside within the district or be an inhabitant of Indiana until the date of the November 2026 general election.
To establish political party affiliation, a candidate for U.S. Representative has to have voted for candidates of the political party in at least two primary elections in Indiana or the political party chairman of the county in which the candidate lives in can certify the candidate’s party affiliation, according to Indiana code.
Officials with the Indiana Election Division did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman said Thursday she had been fielding calls about Mayers’ candidacy filing and called his ballot name “racist.” For federal office, candidates file in the Indiana Election Division in Indianapolis, she said.
Fajman shared with the Post-Tribune an email she sent to a constituent who reached out about Mayers’ candidacy. In the email, Fajman thanked the constituent for sharing concerns about the “nickname” a candidate for U.S. Representative used.
“While I understand your concerns, the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration does not have the authority to remedy this issue. The appropriate course of action is to file a candidacy challenge with the Indiana Election Division,” Fajman wrote.
In the email, Fajman included paperwork for candidacy challenges for the constituent to consider. The form is a sworn affidavit, which requires a notarized signature, and has to be returned to the election office before 12 p.m. Feb. 13, Fajman said.
“I have also sent you a list of Lake County legislators. You may wish to contact them regarding any potential changes to the law related to candidate nicknames,” Fajman wrote to the constituent.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, who serves in Indiana’s First Congressional District, said in a statement he agreed with the statement by Lake County Republican Chairman Niemeyer and shared in the “disgust and belief that the candidate is not reflective of our region’s Republican Party and public officials.”
“There is no place for racism of any form in our politics, and I believe the decision of the candidate in question to proclaim his antisemitism on the ballot is abhorrent and disqualifying from serving in public office,” Mrvan, D-Highland, said.
Porter County Commissioner Barb Regnitz, R-Center, who also has filed to run in the primary for the seat, agreed.
“This is a repulsive stunt that has absolutely no place in American politics. This individual is not a Republican and has no business running in this primary,” she told the Post-Tribune Friday.
Lake County Democratic Party Chairman Michael Repay said, “The climate on the Republican side seems to encourage that behavior.”
“It’s sad he thinks it’s okay,” Repay said. “We certainly don’t want him on anyone’s ballot – Republican or Democrat.”
akukulka@post-trib.com
Two days after grandmother’s death, Homewood-Flossmoor’s Toniya Brady plays in her honor. ‘Watching over me.’
For the past couple of years, senior guard Toniya Brady perked up when she saw her grandmother, Evelyn, sitting in the stands across the bench in Homewood-Flossmoor’s gym.
Evelyn, 80, died on Tuesday after battling cancer. Toniya said she will miss having her grandmother cheering from her customary spot.
“She was fighting breast cancer and then she was diagnosed with brain cancer,” Toniya said of Evelyn. “She was fighting for a long time. The doctors said in July that it wouldn’t be long.
“Right before Christmas they said it again and she fought for a couple of more weeks. She put up a fight.”
Inspired by her grandma’s fighting spirit, Brady erupted for 10 points Thursday night in the second quarter of a 57-40 SouthWest Suburban Conference win over Lincoln-Way West in Flossmoor.
Ziko Okolo led H-F (13-7, 9-1) with 15 points, 13 rebounds and two steals. Aunyai Deere added 10 points, eight rebounds and six steals. Laila Williams had nine points, five rebounds and two steals.
Homewood-Flossmoor’s Toniya Brady (2) drives into Lincoln-Way West’s Reagan McCracken during a SouthWest Suburban Conference game in Flossmoor on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (John Smierciak / Daily Southtown)
Ava Tisch paced Lincoln-Way West (12-8, 5-4) with 21 points, while Reagan McCracken tallied eight points, four points and three steals. Molly Finn grabbed six rebounds.
Brady, meanwhile, scored all 10 of her points in a span of less than two minutes in the second quarter to help give the Vikings a 27-14 lead.
The loss of Brady’s grandmother was felt by the whole team.
“She’s a tough kid — she’s a lot tougher than I am,” H-F coach Anthony Smith said. “I’m proud of her. It’s tough because she’s used to seeing her grandmother here. I’m used to her being there.
Homewood-Flossmoor’s Toniya Brady (2) drives on Lincoln-Way West’s Reagan McCracken (42) and Ava Tisch (5) in a SouthWest Suburban Conference game in Flossmoor on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (John Smierciak / Daily Southtown)
“We’re here to support her. That’s what a team is all about. We’re here for her.”
Smith often heard Evelyn from the stands.
“She used to get on me,” Smith said with a smile. “Toniya was her baby and she would come to all of the games. She was a big supporter and she liked her basketball.
“Win, lose or draw, she was always supportive and she could come and shake my hand and say, ‘Hey, let’s go.’’’
Homewood-Flossmoor’s Ziko Okolo (12) faces Lincoln-Way West’s Reagan McCracken (42) and Mackenzie Roesner (25) in a SouthWest Suburban Conference game on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (John Smierciak / Daily Southtown)
Okolo was impressed with Brady’s 10-point outburst.
“That was a great performance and it boosted the team’s morale,” Okolo said of Brady. “It was the boost we needed.”
Okolo has taken on some added responsibilities in the absence of 6-foot-3 Ihuoma Ozoh, a Clemson volleyball commit who missed the game due to club commitments.
“When we miss her, I feel like I have to work extra hard,” Okolo said of Ozoh. “When she’s not down there on the post, I have to do more.”
As a co-leader in the conference, H-F is one of the top teams in the area.
But before Christmas, the Vikings got a sour taste of national competition. They played in the Nike Tournament of Champions and lost on Dec. 18 to California powerhouse Archbishop Mitty 55-17.
Homewood-Flossmoor’s Toniya Brady (2) defends against Lincoln-Way West’s Mackenzie Roesner (25) during a SouthWest Suburban Conference game in Flossmoor on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (John Smierciak / Daily Southtown)
After a 47-41 loss to Maryland’s Mt. Zion and a 56-41 setback to Oklahoma’s Newcastle, the Vikings ended the trip to Arizona with a 45-38 win over Utah’s Lone Peak.
“We wanted to go out there and play well and get our name out there,” Brady said. “We tried. It didn’t end up the best for us, but we didn’t give up and we ended up winning that last game.
“We learned some lessons that we are going to carry on the rest of the season.”
Okolo also saw some progress.
“At first I feel like everybody was trying to play individual ball,” Okolo said. “But as the tournament went on, we were stronger as a team and we came together as a team.”
Brady, who’s looking forward to a big finish to the season, will continue to play hard for her grandmother.
“She was here,” Brady said. “She’s watching over me.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
Old Gary elevated train line envisioned as part of Marquette Greenway
For Gary Mayor Eddie Melton, an effort to revitalize abandoned elevated rail tracks is another example of how the city is growing and changing.
“We can’t do it all alone,” Melton said Thursday night. “Tonight is a historic moment when you all came together and talked about what we can do collectively as a community.”
A former elevated train bridge crosses Massachusetts Street near East 11th Avenue in Gary, Indiana on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
Melton joined about 30 Northwest Indiana community members for the Gary ELevated Coalition’s kickoff meeting at the city’s YWCA. The coalition will work to help convert the city’s elevated railroad in Midtown into a multi-use trail that will be part of the Marquette Greenway, which runs from Chicago to New Buffalo, Michigan.
The revitalization is a partnership between the city of Gary and the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission. The coalition is made up of community stakeholders that will meet quarterly, and they will help learn about the process, message information to constituents, provide ideas and set up meeting spaces.
“I think it’s a testament to the work that we’re doing in Gary,” Melton said about the coalition. “Having your voice … in this project is extremely important.”
Mitch Barloga, active transportation manager for NIRPC, said Thursday’s kickoff meeting was the “start of a long journey.” He hopes that revitalization work will start this year, and that part of the trail will open for residents to see the process.
Mayor Eddie Melton speaks during the informational and kickoff meeting for the Gary Elevated Coalition in Gary, Indiana on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
Christopher Harris, Gary’s executive director of redevelopment, said the city plans to host a trail day on April 25, where residents can see progress, including the clearing of brush and shrubs as well as other work to make the trail safe.
“We think it’s going to be really important for all of you stakeholders to see what could happen,” Harris said. “We’re very happy to be able to help execute this vision … because what’s happening is going to make our city an attractive place to live.”
The city of Gary already owns various parcels of what will be the elevated trail, Harris said, which will make the revitalization process easier. The city is working to acquire the other parcels as well, Harris said.
Gary already has bridges throughout Midtown, Barloga said, which will make the process easier and won’t take much to revitalize.
Active transportation manager for the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission Mitch Barloga gestures at the end of the informational and kickoff meeting for the Gary Elevated Coalition in Gary, Indiana on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
Barloga expects the revitalization will be complete in 2034. The project is inspired by similar elevated trails in other cities, including Chicago, Milwaukee and New York City.
“The advantages are obvious, with it being an elevated trail,” Barloga said. “People just dig that, being up high and being over the community. It’s very popular … and it’s going to go right through the heart of the Gary community.”
In addition to NIRPC — which will help plan the trail — the city will receive help from various partners, including consulting from the SmithGroup, a Chicago-based architecture firm. Purdue University landscape architecture students will also help design the trail, Barloga said, and he anticipates that the Rails to Trails Conservancy will provide grant funding.
Barloga anticipates the project will cost between $50-60 million, and each bridge will cost about $2 million to rehabilitate. He said it’s possible that the project could be cheaper.
Penelope Love looks on as attendees introduce themselves during the informational and kickoff meeting for the Gary Elevated Coalition in Gary, Indiana on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. Love represented the Aetna Manor Revitalization Program. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
Barloga is excited for the elevated trail project, and he thinks the coalition meeting was a good sign for its future.
“We have our passion, but if no one joins you in the passion, it’s a lonely party,” Barloga said. “This is a big deal, and the city is doing amazing work cleaning up, getting new jobs, getting new opportunities and seeing great growth.”
Afternoon Briefing: GOP governor hopeful apologizes for past Democratic donations
Good afternoon, Chicago.
In Rick Heidner’s very first campaign commercial, the Barrington Hills businessman dubs himself a “Trump Republican For Governor.” But in his very first public forum as a politician, the onetime-embattled video gambling operator did something President Donald Trump would never do: He apologized.
Participating with the three other major Republican candidates for governor running in the March 17 primary, Heidner found himself on the defensive last night when opponent Ted Dabrowski criticized Heidner’s business operation contributing $2,500 to the campaign of former Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and $25,000 to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson — two progressive Democrats frequently targeted by Republicans.
Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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Former Vice President Kamala Harris delivers the keynote address at the Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Breakfast, Jan. 16, 2026, at the Hilton Chicago. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Kamala Harris back in Chicago: ‘People are sick and tired of being sick and tired’
Former Vice President Kamala Harris tapped into local resentment against the White House today during a brief speech in Chicago, her latest post-election stop as she seeks to stay in the national spotlight while mulling whether will make another run for the Oval Office in two years. Read more here.
More top news stories:
Plight of Mama Africa’s Marketplace highlights South Shore’s increasing appeal ahead of Obama Center opening
Arlington Heights calls for state lawmakers to act on Chicago Bears proposed new stadium
An Italian beef and sausage combo by Mr. Beef is prepared Sept. 4, 2025, as the Chicago Bears showcase food offerings at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Bears’ playoff run means big postseason business for Soldier Field food service
No business is more directly connected to the Bears’ home playoff run than Chicago-based Levy, which is firing up its team of more than 1,200 mostly seasonal food service workers again this week to sate 60,000 boisterous Bears fans Sunday at Soldier Field. Read more here.
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Woldhuis Farms Sunrise Greenhouse open after fire, though food court and 1 greenhouse destroyed
Kevin Trudeau, onetime infomercial pitchman, paid $2.3M for River North condo
The Chicago Cubs introduce recently signed third baseman Alex Bregman at a news conference Jan. 15, 2026. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
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Kane County Board OKs rules on short-term home rentals, but some members eye total ban
Owners of short-term rental properties in unincorporated parts of Kane County will now have some new rules to follow, after months of discussion culminated in a close vote by the Kane County Board to implement some regulations on the practice.
On Tuesday, the Kane County Board passed a measure instituting rules and licensing requirements for Airbnbs, Vrbos and other short-term home rentals in unincorporated areas within the county. But some board members are still pushing for more — namely, whether the county can ban new short-term rental properties from cropping up in their areas entirely.
The Kane County Board began considering implementing regulations on short-term rentals several months ago, after hearing from a few residents concerned about the impact of such properties on their neighborhoods. Citing concerns about loud parties, party buses, overflowing street parking and the possibility of safety issues, concerned residents asked the County Board to consider instituting some regulations on the practice.
Ultimately, after several discussions, the board’s Executive Committee earlier this month recommended for approval a set of regulations governing short-term home rentals to be added to the county code. The matter then came to the full board on Tuesday for final approval.
Kane County is not alone in taking up the question of short-term home rentals — Skokie has discussed regulations on them and Chicago aldermen have mulled giving themselves the power to ban such rentals from opening in their wards. Lake County has outright prohibited them in unincorporated areas.
The regulations approved Tuesday for Kane County include, for example, the stipulation that short-term rental properties be licensed with the county. Operating a rental without a license could lead to a fee of up to $1,000. The provisions also limit properties to housing a maximum of two guests per bedroom, and prohibit parking things like campers, food trucks and portable hot tubs and saunas on site.
The code also requires, among other stipulations, that the property’s smoke and carbon monoxide detectors be tested regularly, that an emergency plan be made available to guests and that the property’s short-term rental license be in a location visible to guests.
Under the new rules, a rental in an unincorporated area of the county cannot have more than 12 rental contracts in a year, or 180 days’ worth of rentals, whichever is greater. A rental’s owner must also send a letter by mail to all adjoining property owners to let them know that the residence has been approved as a short-term rental at least one week before the first rental in a calendar year.
Violating any of the code’s provisions could result in suspension or revocation of a property’s rental license.
In addition to the regulations on short-term rental properties, the board on Tuesday approved two other related ordinances — one setting decibel limits for daytime and nighttime noise that can be enforced by the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, and another declaring trespassing on privately-owned land in unincorporated areas of the county a public nuisance.
As for the short-term rentals ordinance, at Tuesday’s board meeting, a few residents spoke against the regulations during the meeting’s public comment period. At the prior Executive Committee meeting, too, some residents argued that the county’s proposed ordinance doesn’t go far enough, and that it may effectively give a stamp of approval to short-term home rentals in the county more than it limits them.
Board members, too, voiced some hesitation.
“I think doing something is a great idea,” board member Jon Gripe said. “I think this is … kind of a good thing, but I’m not sure.”
Board member Michael Linder said that he, too, was “conflicted.” He noted that the restrictions put forth by the county on things like parking and number of occupants may discourage some people from using their property as a short-term home rental, but that the policy “puts the burden on the homeowners in the neighborhood to count the cars, count the people, call the sheriff, convince the sheriff that … there’s a violation.”
“This is a complex area, and we have to go slowly on it,” board member Mohammad Iqbal said Tuesday.
Some members of the County Board advocated for passing the ordinance, but said that the county shouldn’t stop there.
Iqbal, for example, suggested that the board pass the regulations, thereby implementing some rules for existing rentals, but continue to consider a ban.
Several noted the fact that the county would likely be unable to put current short-term rentals out of business, but said they may be able to prevent future rentals from starting up.
“I think these terms are probably fine for locking in the people that currently, as of the passage of the ordinance, have been engaged in this business, because I don’t think we can stop them,” Linder said. “But then, from there on, I think we need to move very quickly towards banning them altogether.”
Board member Ted Penesis, on the other hand, said he thought banning them altogether might not be the right approach, and noted that the county can adjust its regulations going forward.
Other board members asked about the specifics of the regulations, like whether short-term home rentals constitute special uses in the county’s zoning code, and there remained some hesitation about giving the amendments to the county code final approval.
“What’s the rush?” board member Clifford Surges asked. “Can we just move this back to committee and talk about this a little bit further and move it forward? Or, is there an urgency?”
Board member Bill Tarver made a motion to send the matter back to the committee level for further discussion, but that move failed narrowly, with some board members again pushing for the ordinance as a needed first step.
“The key thing that this does is to allow us to register these organizations and determine the extent of the problem,” board member Verner Tepe said.
“We don’t know how many Airbnbs we have out there,” board member Bill Roth added, indicating his opposition to sending the matter back to the committee level. “And this is the purpose of this, is trying to find that number out, knowing we’re going to have to make changes going forward.”
The vote on the ordinance ultimately passed 12-9 on Tuesday, but board members echoed the sentiment that this is likely not the last time the county will take up the matter.
Board Chair Corinne Pierog said the board can bring the matter “back to committee where it can be addressed again, when we can talk about zoning and other restrictions on this.”
“This could be amended,” board member Mavis Bates, who said she is in favor of looking at a ban, said of the regulations passed Tuesday. “I hope this is better than nothing.”
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/16/kane-county-board-oks-airbnb-regulations/
FTC Imposes 5-Year Ban On GM Disclosing Geolocation, Driver Data To Consumer Reporting Agencies
FTC Imposes 5-Year Ban On GM Disclosing Geolocation, Driver Data To Consumer Reporting Agencies
Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finalized an order banning General Motors (GM) from disclosing consumers’ geolocation and driver behavior data to consumer reporting agencies for a period of five years, the agency said in a Jan. 14 statement.
The FTC had filed a complaint against GM and its subsidiary OnStar LLC in January 2025.
GM “collected, used, and sold drivers’ precise geolocation data and driving behavior information from millions of vehicles—data that can be used to set insurance rates—without adequately notifying consumers and obtaining their affirmative consent,” the agency said at the time.
GM was encouraging customers to sign up for its OnStar connected vehicle service and the OnStar Smart Driver feature through a “misleading enrollment process,” the FTC said at the time.
During enrollment, the company did not “clearly disclose” that collected information—including data regarding speeding, late-night driving, and instances of hard braking—would be sold to third parties such as consumer reporting agencies, the commission said.
This information was used by reporting agencies to compile credit reports that were subsequently utilized by insurance companies to set rates and deny insurance, the commission said. The FTC said that tracking and collecting geolocation data was an invasion of privacy.
The five-year ban is part of the FTC’s settlement order with GM. The ban is appropriate “given GM’s egregious betrayal of consumers’ trust,” the FTC statement said. The order was issued against OnStar LLC, General Motors LLC, and General Motors Holdings LLC, which are all owned by the General Motors Company.
In addition, for the next 20 years of the order, GM is required to obtain “affirmative express consent from consumers prior to collecting, using, or sharing connected vehicle data” except under certain circumstances, such as providing location data to emergency first responders, the FTC said.
During that period, GM must ensure that U.S. customers can request a copy of their data, ask for their data to be deleted, and opt out of geolocation and driver behavior data collection.
“The Federal Trade Commission has formally approved the agreement reached last year with General Motors to address concerns,” a GM spokesperson told The Epoch Times on Jan. 15.
“As vehicle connectivity becomes increasingly integral to the driving experience, GM remains committed to protecting customer privacy, maintaining trust, and ensuring customers have a clear understanding of our practices.”
In a statement on Jan. 16, 2025, GM said that although Smart Driver was created to promote safer driving among users, the company ended the program following customer feedback.
“Last year, we discontinued Smart Driver across all GM vehicles, unenrolled all customers, and ended our third-party telematics relationships with LexisNexis and Verisk,” GM said at the time.
“The FTC consent order includes new measures that go above and beyond existing law, while capturing steps we’ve already taken to establish choices for customer data collection and communications about how the information is used.”
GM had affirmed that it would obtain customer consent before collecting, using, or disclosing certain types of connected vehicle data, in line with its agreement with the FTC.
Vehicle Data Collection
Multiple other car companies admit to collecting driver data as part of their privacy policies.
For instance, Honda gathers geolocation and driver behavior data, according to its data privacy practices webpage.
Driver behavior information includes “vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration and deceleration, pedal positions, engine speed, direction and time of travel, steering angle, yaw rate, vehicle control, and Honda Sensing or Acura Watch system settings and usage,” it said.
In a Jan. 6 statement, Toyota said it collects a vehicle’s precise location, within 1,850 feet. The company clarified that it does not use the location or driving data for marketing purposes or offer it to third parties.
Kia’s privacy policy states that the company collects geolocation data and other vehicle information that could be shared with third parties for purposes such as crash notification assistance, content-based services, roadside assistance, and determining driving score and usage-based insurance.
In April, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) introduced the Connected Vehicle National Security Review Act, which would allow the Department of Commerce to ban or restrict connected vehicles or components coming from China or other nations of concern if deemed to pose a threat to national security, according to an April 10, 2025, statement from the lawmaker’s office.
“Chinese vehicles, which are dirt cheap thanks to state subsidies, could collect full motion video of sensitive sites, 3-D mapping, and geolocation of individual drivers—all of which could be sent back to Beijing,” Slotkin said.
The bill was referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in June 2025.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/16/2026 – 15:00
