Category: News
Lincoln Park man to be extradited to Ohio for proceedings in alleged murder
A Lincoln Park man accused of killing his ex-wife and her husband in their Columbus, Ohio home will be sent back to Ohio to face charges in the couple’s deaths, according to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office.
Michael D. McKee, 39, waived his extradition during a brief appearance in Rockford Monday afternoon before Winnebago County Judge Donald P. Shriver, according to county court records and authorities.
McKee, listed in court records as a Lincoln Park resident, is charged with killing his ex-wife, 39-year-old Monique Tepe, and her second husband, 37-year-old dentist Spencer Tepe, late last year in a headline-making case.
The couple left behind two children, according to their obituary. According to a criminal complaint filed Saturday in Franklin County, Ohio, the children were found unharmed in the home when Columbus police arrived for a well-being check the morning of Dec. 30. Their parents had suffered fatal gunshot wounds, the complaint stated.
The complaint described how police used neighborhood security footage to track a suspect, later identified as McKee, to a vehicle near the scene of the crime. The car, which was linked to McKee, was found in Rockford on Saturday, according to the complaint. Columbus police said Saturday that McKee had been arrested “without incident” in Rockford.
It wasn’t immediately clear when Ohio authorities would get McKee, a Winnebago County sheriff’s spokesperson said.
States Poised To Win Supreme Court Battle Over Men In Women’s Sports, Legal Experts Predict
States Poised To Win Supreme Court Battle Over Men In Women’s Sports, Legal Experts Predict
Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
The U.S. Supreme Court will uphold two state laws that ban male athletes who don’t identify with their sex from competing on school sports teams intended for females, legal experts say.
The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Jan. 5, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times
Their comments come as the nation’s highest court prepares to hear back-to-back oral arguments on Jan. 13 in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J.
Idaho and West Virginia argue their respective laws comply with the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Its equal protection clause says no state “shall … deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
The states also say their laws do not violate Title IX, a federal civil rights law that forbids sex-based discrimination at any school that receives federal funding.
Currently, 27 states have bans preventing males who identify as transgender from participating in girls’ and women’s sports, according to a report by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.
Advocates for transgender participation on female sports teams say these state bans are discriminatory and divisive.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which is representing the transgender-identifying athletes in both cases, said in September 2025 that such athletes have been “the focus of a relentless media campaign designed to make their participation seem like a threat to girls who are not transgender.”
The group said those on the other side want “a sweeping legal precedent that endangers transgender people (and other people, including gay, lesbian, and bisexual people, and all women) across our lives, not just in sports.”
Idaho Case
Little v. Hecox is about Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, “which ensures that women and girls do not have to compete against men and boys, no matter how those men and boys identify,” according to the petition filed in the case.
Lindsay Hecox [seriously?], a male who identifies as female, wanted to compete on a university’s women’s track and cross-country teams. Hecox sued, arguing the law violates the equal protection clause and Title IX.
A federal district court issued a preliminary injunction blocking the act so Hecox could try out for the teams. The court ruled the act discriminates against transgender-identifying athletes.
“The physiological differences,” between females and males, “do not overcome the inescapable conclusion that the Act discriminates on the basis of transgender status,” the petition said.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the injunction, holding that laws making sex-based distinctions in schools serve as “proxy discrimination” against transgender-identifying athletes.
West Virginia Case
West Virginia v. B.P.J. is about that state’s Save Women’s Sports Act, which stipulates that female teams based on “competitive skill” or involving “a contact sport” must exclude males.
State lawmakers voted to keep the sexes separate in sports because of the “inherent physical differences between biological males and biological females,” according to the petition filed in the case.
B.P.J., a young male high school student who identifies as female, sued, arguing the law’s “biology-based distinction” violates Title IX and the equal protection clause. A district court initially blocked the law, then reversed itself, finding there was “no genuine dispute that biological males have physiological advantages over biological females.”
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reinstated the block, finding the district court was wrong to rule for the state because “there is a genuine dispute of material fact” over whether those born male “enjoy a meaningful competitive athletic advantage over” young women born female.
The circuit court also held that the district court should have granted summary judgment to B.P.J. on his Title IX claim because the state law unlawfully excluded him from participating in sports.
What the Lawyers Say
Jim Burling, senior counsel at Pacific Legal Foundation, a public interest law firm, said he is predicting the Supreme Court “is going to find that men are men and women are women.”
The court won’t find that gender identity is protected under Title IX, enacted in 1972, or the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, because the concept was unknown when they took effect, Burling told The Epoch Times.
Title IX was adopted to make sure that girls and women could participate in school sports on an equal basis with boys and men, he said. No one believes that transgender identity was part of what was being protected under the law, he added.
The text of the equal protection clause “doesn’t talk about transgenderism—it doesn’t even anticipate it being an issue,” he noted.
“You cannot graft a modern-day concern onto the language of a constitutional provision that’s over a century old,” he said.
Burling said the Supreme Court’s landmark decision last year in United States v. Skrmetti offers a clue as to how the court will rule.
The Tennessee law in Skrmetti forbids all medical treatments intended to allow “a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex” or to treat “purported discomfort or distress from a [disagreement] between the minor’s sex and asserted identity.”
The high court rejected the argument that Tennessee’s ban on transgender procedures for children, such as the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones on minors, was an example of discrimination, he said.
The ban was “an exercise of the state’s police power and power to regulate medical practice,” he added.
The conservative-leaning Supreme Court, which embraces “a text-based, originalist understanding of the Constitution,” will not find that state laws prohibiting males from competing in women’s sports are unconstitutional, he said.
“I think the statutes are going to be upheld at least by 5–4 or maybe 6–3,” Burling said.
Steven J. Allen, a senior fellow at the National Legal and Policy Center, said he expects the Supreme Court will uphold the state laws by a 6–3 or 8–1 vote.
The Supreme Court is not going to say you can’t segregate sports teams by sex because that would eliminate most women’s sports, Allen said.
Then there is the privacy issue, he said. In our society, people in public facilities shower with others of the same sex and use dressing rooms that are sex-segregated, “and there’s no way that could be unconstitutional,” he added.
Supreme Court ‘Can’t Invent New Constitutional Rights’
Carrie Severino, president of JCN (formerly the Judicial Crisis Network), predicted the Supreme Court “will clarify that transgender status is not a suspect or quasi-suspect class, as it doesn’t fit into the types of classes that have been recognized historically as suspect or quasi-suspect classes.”
“The court cannot simply invent categories of constitutional protection,” she told The Epoch Times.
In constitutional law, a suspect classification is a class or group of individuals meeting criteria that suggest they are likely the subject of discrimination.
A quasi-suspect classification refers to groups such as those based on gender or legitimacy of birth. When a law involves a suspect or quasi-suspect classification, courts apply strict scrutiny, meaning they look at whether the law at issue serves a compelling government interest and uses the least restrictive means to achieve that interest.
“For the Supreme Court to step in and invent new constitutional rights that would have been absolutely shocking to those people who ratified the 14th Amendment, for them to jump in and cut off the right of citizens to pass the laws that they feel are appropriate to protect women in their states, that would be inappropriate,” she added.
Kristen Waggoner, president of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a public interest law firm that is part of Idaho’s legal team in the Supreme Court case, said the statutes in Idaho and West Virginia serve the interests of women.
“Women deserve equal opportunity, fairness, and privacy, and states have the right to recognize biological distinctions when those distinctions matter, and they matter greatly on the athletic field,” she said at a Jan. 8 press conference.
When state laws protecting women’s sports aren’t allowed to be enforced, women and girls are “losing the opportunity to be on the field in terms of fairness,” but their safety and privacy in private spaces are placed in jeopardy, Waggoner said.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/12/2026 – 17:15
Lake Forest, Lake Bluff maintain triple A bond ratings from Moody’s Investor’s Services
Both Lake Forest and Lake Bluff have maintained top triple-A bond ratings from Moody’s Investors Service, a distinction that local officials say strengthens the communities’ financial positions as they prepare to undertake large capital projects.
In early January, Moody’s reaffirmed Lake Forest’s longstanding triple-A rating following a full review of the city’s finances, which was conducted as the city prepares to issue $20 million in debt for the renovation of a Conway Park office building into a new police station.
Such comprehensive reviews are typically completed when a municipality plans to issue debt, Lake Forest Finance Director Katie Skibbe said.
“With the higher bond rating, the city is in a position to secure a better interest rate,” Skibbe added.
City officials cited reduced pension liabilities and strong cash reserves as key factors in maintaining the top rating.
“Lake Forest is well-positioned for long-term financial sustainability due to decisions made by past and present City Councils,” Mayor Stanford “Randy” Tack said in a statement. “By prioritizing pension funding and responsible fiscal management, we are saving future taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.”
Lake Bluff has also maintained a triple-A bond rating for many years, according to village officials.
“It is an expression of your financial standing,” Finance Director Bettina O’Connell said.
The village may soon benefit from the rating as it advances a large stormwater deep tunnel project. O’Connell said Lake Bluff could issue approximately $10 million in debt for the initiative over the next 12 months.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/lake-forest-lake-bluff-bond-ratings/
Lake County commissioners talk convention center at Gary chamber meeting
Preparations have started for the Lake County Convention Center, and the county commissioners are excited for what the development will bring to Northwest Indiana.
“It will be a worthwhile investment,” said Commissioner Kyle Allen, D-1st. “Gaming revenue impacts every level of government — at the state level, at the county level and at the city level. We must remain competitive.”
The three members of the Lake County Board of Commissioners spoke about the Lake County Convention Center at the Gary Chamber of Commerce’s Monday meeting. Chuck Hughes, president and CEO of the Gary Chamber of Commerce, asked the commissioners — Allen; Jerry Tippy, R-2nd; and Mike Repay, D-3rd — questions about the convention center’s progress.
Tippy told audience members Monday that the process is “taking a little bit longer” than what commissioners originally wanted. They are working on a development agreement, Tippy said, and are close to finishing that and finalizing the financial plan.
In May, the commissioners selected Gary and Hard Rock Northern Indiana as the winning bid for the convention center, according to Post-Tribune archives. As the selected bid, Gary and Hard Rock plan to build a 145,000-square-foot convention center and Hard Rock hotel near the casino, and the property will have space for two additional hotels, including one REVERB by Hard Rock Hotel, and two restaurants and retail spaces.
State, county or local income taxes from other Northwest Indiana communities will not be used for the convention center, Tippy previously said, but Gary has the option to use their local taxes.
Gary plans to put money from gaming taxes toward the convention center, and Hard Rock plans to give $1.5 million per year for 20 years toward the construction, according to Post-Tribune archives. State matching grants of $100 million will be made available as well, which Indiana will pay over the course of 20 years.
The city of Hobart, partnered with Garfield Public/Private LLC, also submitted a convention center proposal. County commissioners could have chosen not to accept either proposal.
Months after the decision was made, Repay said the commissioners still stand by their unanimous decision on the winning proposal.
“I know how we think and what we care about,” Repay said. “And we care, ultimately, about what’s good for the county as a whole, and what we care about is good, smart government and good investment in the people and product of Lake County.”
The commissioners believe that the convention center will benefit the region, bringing more jobs and visitors to Northwest Indiana.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton previously told the Post-Tribune that the convention center will be positive for the city, and he’s excited for its future. In 2023, as an Indiana state senator, Melton created Senate Bill 434, which established the Lake County Convention Center fund, the blighted property demolition fund and new train station funding in downtown Gary.
“That’s going to be great for the city, and it’s going to lead to more property owners, developers, restaurants and jobs,” Melton said.
Allen also believes that the convention center’s location near Interstates 80 and 94 is strategically placed to increase the number of visitors. About 30 million cars pass through Gary and Hammond, Allen said, so the convention center will be on full display.
“If people saw the potential of Gary over a century ago, we should see the potential now,” he said. “We need to stay ahead of the curve and stay competitive.”
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com
Jalen Coker se consolida como receptor confiable para Bryce Young en Carolina
Por STEVE REED
CHARLOTTE, Carolina del Norte, EE.UU. (AP) — El quarterback de Carolina, Bryce Young, cuenta con un dúo confiable de receptores jóvenes para trabajar de cara a la próxima temporada, aunque no es el dúo que los Panthers esperaban.
La aparición de Jalen Coker hacia el final de la temporada como el receptor número dos del equipo, junto a la estrella emergente y candidato al Novato Ofensivo del Año de la AP, Tetairoa McMillan, trae esperanza al juego aéreo, que ocupa el puesto 26 en la liga.
Coker logró cuatro touchdowns en los últimos seis partidos de la temporada regular de Carolina y alcanzó máximos en su carrera con nueve recepciones y 134 yardas contra los Rams de Los Ángeles en el juego de comodines de la NFC el sábado, incluyendo una recepción de touchdown de ventaja de Young con dos 1/2 minutos restantes en el juego.
Los Panthers (8-10) perdieron 34-31 ante los Rams y fueron eliminados de los playoffs.
Sin embargo, la capacidad de Coker para realizar jugadas importantes ha ayudado a solidificar un juego aéreo que luchó durante la mayor parte de la temporada.
Los Panthers esperaban que Xavier Legette, selección de primera ronda del draft de 2024, fuera un receptor titular, pero ha sido una decepción hasta ahora y Coker ha aprovechado la oportunidad.
Coker, firmado como agente libre novato no reclutado en 2024, jugó el 88% de las repeticiones ofensivas del equipo contra los Rams en comparación con el 40% de Legette.
“Jalen y T-Mac (McMillan) produjeron para nosotros de una manera increíble, y la química con Bryce ciertamente ha crecido y van a tener la primera oportunidad de estar ahí para comenzar. Quieres a esos chicos en el campo por el impacto que han tenido”, señaló el entrenador de los Panthers, Dave Canales.
Lo que esto significa para Legette está por verse.
Terminó su segunda temporada en la NFL con solo 35 recepciones para 363 yardas y tres touchdowns, mientras que Coker tuvo 33 recepciones para 394 yardas y tres touchdowns a pesar de perderse los primeros seis juegos de la temporada por una lesión y tener que abrirse camino en la alineación.
Canales dijo que todavía tiene fe en Legette, agregando que “solo necesita seguir esforzándose” y construyendo su relación con Young.
Ejiro Evero probablemente regresará
A pesar de supervisar una unidad que tuvo problemas el sábado con la temporada en juego, parece que el coordinador defensivo Ejiro Evero estará de regreso la próxima temporada.
Después de que el touchdown de Coker le diera a los Panthers una ventaja de 31-27, los Panthers, que eran desvalidos por diez 1/2 puntos, solo necesitaban mantener a los Rams fuera de la zona de anotación para lograr la sorpresa.
En cambio, Stafford movió a los Rams por el campo con relativa facilidad contra la defensa de zona de Carolina, completando seis de siete pases para 71 yardas antes de conectar con Colby Parkinson con 38 segundos restantes para el marcador ganador.
Carolina terminó la temporada en el puesto 18 en defensa en la NFL, una mejora respecto a la temporada anterior, pero tuvo problemas para salir del campo en tercera oportunidad, terminando en el puesto 31 entre 32 equipos.
Cuando se le preguntó si planeaba mantener a Evero como coordinador, Canales dijo “absolutamente, sí, al 100%”, agregando que tiene “completa fe” en él.
“Me encanta la forma en que ha llevado a este grupo a jugar fútbol de calidad juntos. Me encanta nuestro esquema, me encanta lo que hacemos allí, y lograr que nuestros chicos jueguen juntos cuando ejecutamos este esquema, es realmente difícil jugar contra nosotros, y los chicos han encontrado una manera de jugar juntos, comunicarse juntos” señaló Canales.
El futuro de Dowdle
Los Panthers obtuvieron una gran producción a principios de la temporada del corredor Rico Dowdle tras una lesión del titular Chuba Hubbard. Dowdle tuvo tres juegos con al menos 130 yardas por tierra, incluyendo una actuación de 206 yardas contra Miami en camino a su segunda temporada consecutiva de 1,000 yardas.
Pero el tiempo de juego de Dowdle disminuyó drásticamente en la segunda mitad de la temporada regular, pasando de ser el corredor principal a compartir acarreos con Hubbard.
El sábado, quedó claro que Hubbard había recuperado su lugar como el corredor principal, llevando el balón 13 veces para 46 yardas y dos touchdowns, mientras que Dowdle tuvo solo cinco acarreos para nueve yardas.
Dowdle dejó claro el domingo que siente que es más productivo cuando recibe la mayor parte de los acarreos e insinuó que considerará mudarse cuando llegue al mercado de agentes libres esta temporada baja.
“Realmente no tengo una respuesta para esa pregunta si quiero volver o no. Solo voy a ver cómo van las cosas”, dijo Dowdle.
Puede ser una decisión mutua. Los Panthers todavía creen que Jonathon Brooks, selección de segunda ronda del draft de 2024, puede ser un gran factor en el juego terrestre si puede recuperarse de una segunda lesión importante que lo mantuvo fuera esta temporada pasada.
El equipo también reclutó a Trevor Etienne en la cuarta ronda este año pasado y podría ver un papel aumentado la próxima temporada si Dowdle no regresa.
Otros agentes libres
Se espera que el fondo del roster de los Panthers experimente una revisión significativa esta temporada baja.
Junto con Dowdle, los Panthers tienen 19 agentes libres sin restricciones, pero 14 de ellos son reservas o especialistas en equipos especiales. Dowdle, los linebackers DJ Wonnum y Christian Rozeboom, el safety Nick Scott y el liniero ofensivo Austin Corbett son los únicos titulares regulares que se convertirán en agentes libres sin restricciones, aunque la mayoría de ellos se consideran reemplazables.
El gerente general Dan Morgan ha puesto énfasis en desarrollar jugadores jóvenes y mejorar la profundidad del equipo desde su llegada.
Actualización de lesiones
El tackle izquierdo Ickey Ekwonu, la selección número seis del draft de 2022, sufrió una lesión significativa en la rodilla el sábado, dejando en duda su disponibilidad para la próxima temporada.
Con el tiempo de recuperación de Ekwonu siendo de seis a 12 meses dependiendo de la gravedad de la lesión, Canales admitió que los Panthers necesitarán mirar el draft de la NFL y la agencia libre para un posible reemplazo.
Los Panthers ejercieron la opción del quinto año en el contrato de Ekwonu en abril, y contará con 17.56 millones bajo el tope salarial.
Ese dinero está garantizado, independientemente de si Ekwonu juega en 2026. Es posible que el equipo busque extender su contrato a pesar de la lesión en un esfuerzo por distribuir su salario en los próximos años y reducir el impacto en el tope salarial de este año.
Número clave
Los Panthers no han ganado un juego de playoffs desde que capturaron el campeonato de la NFC en 2015.
Próximos pasos
Los Panthers tienen la selección número 19 en el draft de 2026 y tienen más espacio disponible en el tope salarial (28 millones) para gastar en 2026 que cualquiera de sus contrapartes de la NFC Sur. Si bien sus necesidades son muchas, mejorar el frente defensivo es una prioridad.
Carolina también podría necesitar un ala cerrada dinámico que atrape pases. Los cinco alas cerradas de Carolina se combinaron para atrapar 92 pases para 798 yardas y cinco touchdowns. Tommy Tremble lideró con 27 recepciones para 249 yardas y dos touchdowns.
___
Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Illinois and Chicago sue DHS over ‘militarized’ immigration-enforcement tactics
Saying immigration agents have acted more like an occupying military force than law enforcement, lawyers for the state of Illinois and Chicago sued the Trump administration in federal court Monday seeking to bar agents from using tear gas without sufficient warning, making warrantless arrests, and randomly stopping people to question them about their citizenship.
The 103-page lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court also seeks to ban agents from immigration enforcement operations from “sensitive” areas such as schools, courthouses and hospitals, and limit the use of “biometric” scanning of fingerprints and other personal information.
“Border Patrol agents and ICE officers have acted as occupiers rather than officers of the law,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a news release announcing the lawsuit. “They randomly, and often violently, question residents. Without warrants or probable cause, they brutally detain citizens and non-citizens alike. They use tear gas and other chemical weapons against bystanders, injuring dozens, including children, the elderly and local police officers.”
This lawsuit is one of around 50 Raoul has signed onto against Trump since the president’s second term began in January 2025.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker similarly spoke out against ICE and CBP’s tactics in Chicago and said in a post on X that the state was “standing up for our people.”
The suit, which comes less than a week after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis, borrows heavily from two pending cases in the same courthouse, one dealing with use-of-force tactics on protesters and media, and the other a consent decree involving so-called warrantless arrests.
In fact, immediately after filing Monday’s lawsuit, plaintiffs’ attorneys had moved to have it heard by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis, who issued a landmark preliminary injunction in November limiting the use of tear gas and requiring agents to wear body cameras and identification when dealing with the public.
Ellis’ injunction was later stayed by the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and the plaintiffs in that case have moved to dismiss the suit.
Still, Ellis is “thoroughly familiar” with the many of the facts alleged in the new complaint. which also has “overlapping legal issues concerning the same set of facts,” wrote Vikas Didwania, an attorney for the state and former federal prosecutor.
But it appeared that effort was unsuccessful, as the case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis on Monday afternoon.
Among those named as defendants in the suit was U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirsti Noem, ICE Director Todd Lyons, and Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino, who has became the public face of Midway Blitz and other similar operations around the country.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in an email statement that the department’s agents have acted lawfully and Illinois can not legally interfere with the federal government’s deportation efforts.
“It really is astounding that the Left can miraculously rediscover the Tenth Amendment when they don’t want federal law enforcement officers to enforce federal law — which is a clear federal responsibility under Article I, Article II and the Supremacy Clause — and then go right back to federalizing every state responsibility possible when they get back in power,” McLaughlin said in the statement.
“This is a baseless lawsuit, and we look forward to proving that in court,” she continued.
The lawsuit also alleges ICE agents violated state law by routinely concealing and swapping out license plates.
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It’s not the first time Illinois has taken offense to ICE agents swapping out their car license plates. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias sent a cease-and-desist letter to DHS demanding the agency stop swapping, concealing and tampering with car license plates.
In a social media video from October, an ICE agent told a bystander, who was recording the agent’s car license plate, that “You can record all you want. We change the plates out every day.”
The lawsuit describes a litany of now-infamous tactics used by immigration agents since Operation Midway Blitz began in early September.
It also describes familiar and controversial incidents that have unfolded over the past four months, including the killing of Silverio Villegas Gonzalez in Franklin Park in September, the militarized raid of an apartment building in South Shore later that month, and the shooting of Marimar Martinez by a Border Patrol agent in Brighton Park on Oct. 4 that left her with five bullet wounds.
Agents have also “arrested hundreds without warrants, randomly questioned hundreds more, and unleashed chemical weapons outside schools and in residential communities,” the plaintiffs said in a news release.
“The Trump administration has repeatedly violated the law and undermined public trust,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. “These actions weren’t just unlawful; they were cruel, needlessly inflicting fear and harm on our communities.”
Alexakis, meanwhile, had not set an initial hearing in the case as of Monday. She recently presided over the high-profile criminal case against Martinez, who was charged with assault of a federal agent after she was shot. Those charges were eventually dropped by the U.S. attorney’s office.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
Meta plans to cut about 10% of employees in Reality Labs business
SAN FRANCISCO — Meta plans to cut about 10% of the employees in its Reality Labs division who work on products including the metaverse, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions, as the company shifts priorities to build next-generation artificial intelligence.
The cuts to Reality Labs — which has roughly 15,000 employees — could be announced as soon as Tuesday. The layoffs would be a fraction of Meta’s total workforce of 78,000, but are set to disproportionately affect those in the metaverse unit who work on virtual reality headsets and a VR-based social network, said the people, who asked not to be identified since they were not authorized to discuss confidential decisions. The cuts could end up affecting more than 10% of the division, one of the people said.
Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s chief technology officer who oversees Reality Labs, has called a meeting for Wednesday and has urged staff to attend in person, according to a memo sent to employees last week, which was obtained by The New York Times. Bosworth said the meeting was the “most important” of the year but did not elaborate.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg asked top executives last year to make cuts in their 2026 budgets while he pours money into AI research. As Meta faces competition from companies such as OpenAI and Google, Zuckerberg has increased the budget for TBD Lab, the skunk works unit at Meta that aims to build superintelligence, a godlike AI system.
The company also plans to reallocate some of the money from virtual reality products to increase the budget for its wearables division, which builds smart glasses and wristband computing devices.
The layoffs are set to pump the brakes on building virtual reality for the metaverse, Zuckerberg’s far-flung vision of what social networking could look like in a VR-based version of the internet. He has chased that vision since 2014, when he bought Oculus, a virtual reality startup that became the foundation for Meta’s hardware division. In 2021, Zuckerberg rebranded the company Meta, officially moving away from its Facebook name.
But consumers have not flocked to buy Meta’s virtual reality headsets, even as the company has spent tens of billions of dollars building them.
At the same time, investors have grown wary of Meta’s spending as it has ratcheted up its work on artificial intelligence. The company expects to invest tens of billions of dollars on data centers, the computing facilities that power AI development, and it has handed out lavish pay packages to hire top AI researchers.
Meta declined to comment. In December, a company spokesperson said Meta was “shifting some of our investment from Metaverse toward AI glasses,” and was not planning “any broader changes.”
Bosworth’s memo was earlier reported by Business Insider.
Even as the AI race has ramped up, Meta has said it is not giving up on the metaverse. But the Silicon Valley company appears to be redefining exactly what that might look like.
The Reality Labs division that works on augmented reality, which builds hardware like glasses and wristbands that allow people to interact with computing menus and commands using voice and gesture commands, is expected to be largely spared from the cuts, two of the people said. That division is responsible for Meta’s Ray-Ban sunglasses, which have incorporated a camera and personal AI assistant. The glasses have been a surprise hit, selling more than 2 million units over the past few years, the company has said.
The augmented reality division is also responsible for the Ray-Ban Display smart glasses, which have a digital menu inside the lenses that can be navigated with a hardware wristband. At an industry event in Las Vegas last week, Meta said it was delaying the rollout of the Display glasses internationally, citing limited inventory and “unprecedented demand.”
On a call with investors in July, Zuckerberg said the smart glasses would be “the main way that we integrate superintelligence into our day-to-day lives.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/meta-reality-labs-layoffs/
House Republicans Coalesce Around Stock-Trading Ban For Lawmakers
House Republicans Coalesce Around Stock-Trading Ban For Lawmakers
House Republicans are lining up behind a long-sought effort to curb stock trading by members of Congress, signaling what party leaders say may be their strongest opportunity yet to address concerns that lawmakers can profit from insider information.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images)
The proposal, drafted by Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), chairman of the Committee on House Administration, would prohibit House and Senate members from purchasing individual stocks while in office. The measure, titled the Stop Insider Trading Act, has secured backing from House GOP leadership and support from Republicans across ideological factions. Steil plans to formally introduce the bill Monday.
Lawmakers first attempted to rein in congressional trading with the 2012 Stock Act, which expanded disclosure requirements and explicitly banned trading on nonpublic information. But repeated efforts to go further – by restricting trading outright – have stalled despite broad public support and bipartisan interest.
“I think we have an opportunity to improve upon the Stock Act, in particular to remove a lot of concerns Americans have that members of Congress are profiting off of insider information by engaging in stock trading,” Steil said in an interview ahead of the bill’s release. “Not only do I think this is the best chance, I think we will ultimately prove ourselves to be successful.”
Under the proposal, lawmakers would be barred from making new purchases of individual stocks but could continue to buy and sell diversified investment funds. Members would not be required to divest existing stock holdings. Instead, the bill would create a mandatory presale disclosure system requiring lawmakers to file a public notice between seven and 14 days before selling an individual stock, with the option to withdraw the notice if they decide not to proceed.
The legislation would also increase penalties for violations. Lawmakers who fail to comply would face fines equal to $2,000 or 10% of the value of the covered investment – whichever is greater – and could be required to forfeit any profits from the transaction. The bill does not address other asset classes such as bonds or commodities.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and his leadership team are backing the effort, along with several Republicans who previously advanced separate proposals to restrict trading.
“No member of Congress should be allowed to profit from insider information, and this legislation represents an important step in our efforts to restore the people’s faith and trust in Congress,” Johnson said. “Both Republicans and Democrats will have an opportunity to make their voices heard and affirm their support.”
Steil said he intends to move quickly, with committee debate and amendments expected as soon as this week. GOP leaders have pledged to bring the bill to the House floor once it clears committee.
“I’ve worked closely with Chairman Steil, who has been tirelessly putting together a bill that bans stock trading by Members of Congress, and would like to move this bill for a full House vote soon after it gets out of committee,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA).
The push follows a series of earlier efforts to force action on the issue. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) recently advanced a stock-trading ban through a discharge petition, a procedural move that allows lawmakers to bypass leadership if sufficient support exists.
Republicans from across the party’s ideological spectrum have signed on as original co-sponsors of Steil’s bill, including Luna; Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a member of the House Freedom Caucus; and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), a centrist member of the Problem Solvers Caucus.
“The people should be able to trust the motives of their representatives in Congress – yet active stock trading that enriches certain members has broken that trust,” Roy said. “This bill is a collaborative product that takes a giant step forward to restore trust by ending stock purchases and forging presale disclosure.”
Lawler argued that the proposal could help rebuild public confidence in Congress. “If you’re getting rich in Congress, you should get the hell out or be thrown out,” he said.
The restrictions would also apply to spouses and dependent children of lawmakers, barring them from purchasing securities of publicly traded companies. The bill includes exceptions for certain circumstances, such as ownership in small businesses, some trust-held investments, employment-related compensation, and cases in which a spouse or child’s primary occupation involves managing investments for others.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/12/2026 – 16:50
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/house-republicans-coalesce-around-stock-trading-ban-lawmakers
Community Vigil and Protest in Lake Zurich over fatal shooting in Minneapolis ‘I’m mad and I’m sad’
People braved the cold to stand outside in solidarity at a community vigil and protest on Sunday evening, Jan. 11, at the Ela Peace Pole in downtown Lake Zurich.
The event was organized by residents, artists of Preserve Collaborative, and supporters of the Ela Peace Project.
The event was promoted as a “protest for all people affected by the inhumane actions of ICE and in response to the killing of Renee Nicole Good, whose life was taken by a federal ICE agent on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis,” according to information published by organizers to spread the word about the gathering.
The community vigil and protest on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 at the Ela Peace Pole in downtown Lake Zurich. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
“We stand together in community and solidarity against injustice,” organizers also posted. All were welcome to bring a candle and attend with peaceful intent. People were asked to pause and reflect in silence, too, as a group.
Good, 37, was shot and killed while at the wheel of a moving vehicle during the confrontation with ICE agents.
Viewers who have seen the multiple video versions of the same incident are divided in their interpretations about how the situation should have been handled.
Lake Zurich residents Cathy McCauley (raised in Buffalo Grove), Alicia Timm, elected in 2025 as a Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 school board member, and Shari Gullo, active in the community, were the three protest organizers.
The community vigil and protest on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 at the Ela Peace Pole in downtown Lake Zurich. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
“We are in a profound moment in our country in the wake of the violence that’s taken place,” McCauley told those in attendance. “We stand together to honor the many lives taken by ICE.”
Organizers chose to share the words of Renee Good’s widow. All three organizers spoke, followed by remarks of local elected officials, Dist. 51 Illinois State Rep. Nabeela Syed and Jessica Vealitzek of Hawthorn Woods, Dist. 10, Lake County board member.
One vigil organizer told attendees there was a social media push to remove the word “protest” from the event name, but that request was refused with defiance.
Throughout the program’s duration, children were seen standing and sitting on raised playground equipment, watching the approximately 30-minute honorarium and protest.
Two people stood across Main Street holding counterprotest signs. One person at the protest made a point to stand with their backs to block the view of the two counterprotesters.
Another person attending the vigil held an illuminated hurricane-style candle and whispered, “I’m mad, and I’m sad.”
The community vigil and protest on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 at the Ela Peace Pole in downtown Lake Zurich. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
Installed at 95 E. Main St. next to the Ela Historical Society and Museum on May 11, 2023, and dedicated on Sept. 21, 2023, Lake Zurich’s peace pole stands at nearly 15 feet, made of stainless steel, and has the word “Peace” translated in 60 languages spoken in Ela Township. Included are references using Braille and sign language.
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/lake-zurich-community-vigil-and-protest/
PBS weekend newscasts shut down due to funding cuts, replaced by single-topic programs
PBS will premiere separate programs on science and foreign affairs next weekend after shutting the doors on its Saturday and Sunday breaking newscasts because of the federal government’s cut of $1.1 billion in funding to public broadcasting.
“PBS News Weekend” signed off Sunday, “at least for the foreseeable future,” anchor John Yang said. The weekend sister of “PBS NewsHour” began broadcasting in 2013 from New York, and moved to Washington in 2022.
Starting Saturday, PBS will air the weekly show “Horizons” on science and technology issues. The new show “Compass Points” will focus on foreign affairs Sunday. Both programs will be taped in advance during the week, enabling PBS to save money by cutting back on weekend staff, said Sara Just, senior executive producer for “NewsHour.”
The weekend newscast averaged 827,000 viewers per show, roughly 1 million less than what “NewsHour” gets during the week, according to the Nielsen company.
The Republican-controlled Congress, responding to President Donald Trump’s wishes, eliminated funding for PBS and NPR in July. The president has complained about news programming on public broadcasting being biased against conservatives.
During Sunday’s finale, highlights aired by PBS illustrated important news stories that broke over weekends — Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023, the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in summer 2024, and Joe Biden’s exit from the presidential race on a Sunday a few weeks later.
Asked if the weekend newscasts could return if a future government restores funding to PBS, Just said, “I never say never, but this is not a temporary decision.”
Also in response to funding cuts, PBS shut down a bureau in Arizona that had enabled “NewsHour” to update its broadcasts for West Coast viewers. But Just cautioned against interpreting the moves as an indication the weekday newscast is in any danger. Through TikTok and YouTube, the broadcast is seeing more exposure for its journalism, she said.
“I don’t see that program at risk in the near future,” she said.
Both “Horizons” and “Compass Points” will be 30-minute broadcasts. William Brangham will host “Horizons,” which will focus on a single topic each week, such as artificial intelligence, climate science or medical advances. Each episode of “Compass Points,” with Nick Schifrin as host, will also concentrate on one topic, PBS said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/pbs-weekend-newscasts-shut-down/
