Category: News
Chicago homicides in 2026: 10 people slain. Here’s how that compares with previous years.
Information about homicides is released daily by the city of Chicago. The release of homicide victims’ names is delayed by two weeks to allow time for the victims’ families to be notified of a death by Chicago police.
The homicide figures do not include killings that occurred in self-defense or in other circumstances not measured in Chicago police statistics. Homicide data from the Illinois State Police, which patrols the city’s expressways, also is not included here.
Chicago violence continued to plummet in 2025 despite high-profile crimes
After a two-year spike during the pandemic and national outrage over police accountability, Chicago began to see a decline in homicides in 2022. Homicide and nonfatal shooting totals fell again in 2023, but the city was roiled by robbery and carjacking crews responsible for an overall uptick in violence. Then 2024 was the third consecutive year of decreasing homicides in Chicago, and 2025 was the fourth.
Data, which is updated on this page weekly, is through Jan. 10, 2026.
The number of people slain so far in 2026: 10.
That’s one less person killed when compared with 2025.
South Shore has recorded the most homicides so far in 2026: 2.
Where each homicide occurred in 2026 (through Jan. 10)
Chicago’s homicide victims in 2026 are often young, Black and male.
Most homicide victims in Chicago in 2026 died as the result of gunshot wounds.
Sources: City of Chicago; Tribune reporting and archives
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/chicago-homicide-tracker/
Trump May Freeze Exxon Out Of Venezuela After CEO Darren Woods Called It “Uninvestable”
Trump May Freeze Exxon Out Of Venezuela After CEO Darren Woods Called It “Uninvestable”
Tensions flared between Exxon Mobil and the White House after CEO Darren Woods cast doubt on Venezuela’s appeal as an investment destination during a closed-door meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and other oil executives last week, according to Reuters.
Woods argued that without sweeping legal and regulatory changes, the country could not support major foreign investment, describing its current system as “uninvestable.”
Trump had convened the meeting only days after U.S. forces removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in an overnight operation and urged the industry to commit as much as $100 billion to rebuilding Venezuela’s energy sector. Instead of gaining momentum, the talks were quickly overshadowed by Woods’ skepticism.
Reuters writes that Trump publicly voiced his frustration on Sunday while returning to Washington aboard Air Force One. “I didn’t like Exxon’s response,” he said. “I’ll probably be inclined to keep Exxon out. I didn’t like their response. They’re playing too cute.”
Exxon has long been entangled in Venezuela’s oil history. Along with ConocoPhillips and Chevron, it was once a leading foreign partner of the state firm PDVSA before nationalizations under Hugo Chavez forced Exxon and ConocoPhillips to exit the country and pursue arbitration. Court rulings later ordered Venezuela to pay more than $13 billion collectively to the two companies for seized assets.
Woods reminded Trump of that history, saying, “We’ve had our assets seized there twice, and so you can imagine to re-enter a third time would require some pretty significant changes from what we’ve historically seen here.” He also stressed that investment protections and reform of the hydrocarbons law were essential, adding, “If we look at the legal and commercial constructs and frameworks in place today in Venezuela today, it’s uninvestable.”
ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance echoed the caution, telling Trump his company was the largest non-sovereign creditor in Venezuela and calling for a broad overhaul of the country’s energy system and debt structure. Trump replied that ConocoPhillips would recover much of what it was owed but insisted the future would begin anew. “We’re not going to look at what people lost in the past because that was their fault,” he said.
The president also made clear that Washington would control which companies are allowed to operate in Venezuela. “You’re dealing with us directly. You’re not dealing with Venezuela at all. We don’t want you to deal with Venezuela,” he said.
Recall, last week Trump met with leaders from Chevron, Exxon, ConocoPhillips, Continental, Halliburton, HKN, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Trafigura, Vitol Americas, Repsol, Eni, Aspect Holdings, Tallgrass, Raisa Energy and Hilcorp.
Trump has argued that Venezuela’s vast oil reserves could help revive its economy while also benefiting U.S. consumers and energy companies. In a recent interview, he said he wants companies to commit at least $100 billion to “rebuild the whole oil infrastructure” in the country.
The administration has tightened pressure on Venezuela through a new oil “quarantine,” including the seizure of another tanker Friday, the fifth such action in recent weeks. Rubio said the strategy gives the U.S. “tremendous leverage” and that Washington plans to sell up to 50 million barrels of sanctioned crude on the open market, with the proceeds under U.S. control.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/12/2026 – 14:05
Will County judge keeps Homer Glen candidate off county board ballot
A Homer Glen candidate for Will County Board will not appear in the Democratic primary in March after a judge affirmed the Electoral Board was correct when it voted to remove his name from the ballot.
Kevin Koukol planned to run in the Democratic primary for County Board District 4, which covers most of the Homer Glen and Mokena areas.
His petition papers were challenged after he wrote on his statement of candidacy that he was running for County Board District 6, which covers the Joliet region, and the paperwork was changed to County Board District 4 after it was notarized. Because of staggered terms, there is no election this year for District 6.
An Electoral Board ruled in December that writing the wrong district on his paperwork and altering it after it was notarized was enough of an error to be removed from the ballot.
The Electoral Board said last month that Koukol did not change the paperwork himself, but rather Mark Garwon, a former Homer Township trustee who was acting on Koukol’s behalf, crossed off the 6 and wrote in 4 at the county clerk’s office before submitting the paperwork.
The papers had already been notarized, and the Electoral Board last month said there was sufficient time for Koukol to submit his candidacy papers correctly before the close of the filing period.
Koukol appealed the decision, and a Will County judge on Friday affirmed the Electoral Board’s ruling.
Barring an appeal to the appellate court, Koukol’s name will not appear on the Democratic primary ballot.
Koukol’s attorney Robert Windon said he believed it was a minor error that should not have invalidated the candidacy papers. He said he will talk to Koukol to see if he is interested in taking the case to the appellate court. Koukol did not return a message seeking comment.
Perry Abbasi, an attorney for District 4 Democratic candidate Sheri Boniecki-Cooling, who filed the original objection to the petitions, said there were too many errors to ignore. The alterations were not minor, occurred after the paperwork was notarized, were not changed by Koukol and may have been altered without Koukol’s consent, Abbasi said.
The Democratic primary for District 4 will now be uncontested with two candidates, Boniecki-Cooling and William Pratt, seeking two seats.
Four candidates, Stephen Balich, James Richmond, Michael Lepore and Pawel Tyrala, are running in the Republican primary, with the top two vote-getters facing Boniecki-Cooling and Pratt in November.
Balich and Richmond are incumbents.
Garwon, who submitted Koukol’s nominating petitions to the Will County Clerk, signed a document saying he was the one who altered the County Board seat that Koukol was seeking. Garwon served in Balich’s administration when Balich was the Homer Township supervisor, and Balich notarized that document that explained the error.
Boniecki-Cooling said she believed the judge’s decision to affirm the Electoral Board’s ruling was a “win for voters” and upholds fair and honest elections.
“The court’s decision makes it clear election laws matter and attempts to bend the rules or game the system won’t succeed,” she said.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/homer-glen-candidate-county-board-ballot/
City lawyers call for $22M payout to family of man killed in police crash
City attorneys are recommending aldermen approve a $22 million settlement for the family of a 25-year-old man killed in a car crash that occurred as police chased somebody else.
lawyers representing the estate of Angel Eduardo Alvarez Montesinos say police recklessly broke department rules as they pursued a fleeing car that fatally struck him in North Lawndale.
Aldermen will weigh the costly settlement Wednesday, among the first they will consider this year after approving a record sum in such deals last year that, paired with court verdicts, approached $500 million.
Aldermen will also consider a $875,000 deal to settle a lawsuit filed by Black Lives Matter protesters who allege police violated their constitutional rights during May 2020 demonstrations.
If aldermen approve the Montesinos settlement, $2 million will be covered by the city’s insurance, while taxpayers will pick up the rest.
The lawsuit names three officers involved in the chase: Erik Arroyo, Carolyn La Placa and Michael Spilotro III. The officers failed to stop chasing the car as it sped through intersections and failed to follow the department’s strict char chase rules, according to court records.
The officers were chasing a Hyundai sedan driven by Martin Shuntrel, a minor at the time, according to the lawsuit.
Shuntrel — who had stolen the car and did not have a license — reached speeds near 90 miles per hour before the car crashed into Montesinos at the intersection of South Independence Boulevard and Roosevelt Road. Montesinos’s estate also sued both Shuntrel and his parents.
Court records tied to the Black Lives Matter protesters’ lawsuit shows that they accused police of “brutal, violent and unconstitutional tactics” that were “clearly designed to injure and silence protesters.”
The lawsuit also accuses former police Superintendent David Brown, also a defendant, of lying about how he and his department handled protests. It includes photos of dozens of injuries suffered by protesters allegedly at the hands of police.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/city-lawyers-22m-payout-family-man-killed-police-crash/
No. 23 Notre Dame and No. 25 Illinois enter the AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll
South Carolina climbed to No. 2, LSU and TCU jumped into the top 10 and The Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25 got a big shuffle Monday after another week that saw four of the top 10 teams lose.
Connecticut was the unanimous No. 1 choice for the first time this season, receiving all 32 first-place votes. The Huskies continue to cruise through Big East play, winning by an average of nearly 47 points. They were the only team in the top 10 to stay in the same place as the week before.
South Carolina was followed by UCLA and Texas, which dropped two spots after LSU handed the Longhorns their first loss of the season. No. 5 Vanderbilt, one of three unbeaten teams along with UConn and No. 17 Texas Tech, has its highest ranking since the final poll of 2002, when the Commodores were fourth.
LSU jumped six spots to No. 6. The Tigers, who beat Texas 70-65, were in the top 10 most of the season before losing their first two SEC games.
Kentucky, Michigan, Louisville and TCU rounded out the top 10.
In and out
Maryland and Oklahoma lost last week and fell out of the top 10 for the first time this season, dropping to 12th and 13th, respectively.
No. 21 Alabama, No. 23 Notre Dame and No. 25 Illinois entered the poll this week. The Crimson Tide, who beat Kentucky last week, have only one loss, to South Carolina.
Washington, USC and North Carolina lost at least one game last week and fell out of the poll. The Trojans had been ranked in 51 consecutive polls and the Tar Heels in 30 straight.
Falling Cyclones
After winning its first 14 games, Iowa State has dropped three straight and fell nine spots to 20th. The Cyclones are on the road at Colorado and Oklahoma State this week.
Conference supremacy
The SEC has nine teams in the Top 25, including five of the first seven. Only the Big Ten also has had nine teams ranked in a single week this season; it has eight ranked teams this week. The Big 12 has four ranked teams, the ACC two and the Big East and Ivy League one each.
Game of the week
No. 4 Texas at No. 2 South Carolina, Thursday: The Longhorns look to rebound from their first loss when they face the Gamecocks for the second time this season. The teams played in a tournament over Thanksgiving and Texas came away with a two-point win.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/ap-womens-basketball-poll-notre-dame-illinois/
Rams QB Matthew Stafford (finger sprain) expected to play vs. Bears, but CB Ahkello Witherspoon out for season
LOS ANGELES — Quarterback Matthew Stafford is expected to play for the Los Angeles Rams this weekend after tests revealed only a mild sprain of the index finger on his throwing hand.
Stafford injured his finger in the first half of the Rams’ 34-31 victory over the Panthers last Saturday when he banged his hand into the arm of a Carolina defender while throwing a pass.
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The MVP candidate was able to play through the injury in the wild-card round, leading the Rams’ dramatic comeback for the Super Bowl champion’s sixth career playoff victory.
Coach Sean McVay said Monday that Stafford will be available when Los Angeles (13-5) faces the Chicago Bears in the divisional round on Sunday.
“He’s as tough as it gets, but he’s feeling good,” McVay said. “He was able to push through it, and he’ll be good to go.”
McVay also said cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon will miss the rest of the Rams’ season after reinjuring his shoulder blade. The nine-year veteran will be placed on injured reserve.
The Rams got more encouraging news about Kevin Dotson, with McVay saying the right guard has “a good chance” to return this weekend from his sprained ankle.
Dotson, a key part of the Rams’ rushing attack, sprained his ankle last month when it was stepped on by Seattle linebacker Derick Hall, who received a one-game suspension for his actions.
Witherspoon began the season as a starter for the Rams, but he has played only seven games in a secondary that has been repeatedly exposed as the defense’s weakest link, with or without his presence.
Witherspoon broke his shoulder blade in Week 2 at Tennessee, although the injury initially was reported by the Rams as a broken collarbone. He missed 2 1/2 months before returning for the final four regular-season games as a reserve.
He played just 12 snaps at Carolina before getting hurt again, and McVay confirmed that Witherspoon’s ninth NFL season is over. Witherspoon had one interception and eight tackles for the Rams this season.
Cobie Durant moved into Witherspoon’s starting spot after Week 2, and he kept the spot after Witherspoon’s return. Durant had an early interception in the Rams’ win at Carolina.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/matthew-stafford-rams-bears-playoffs/
10Y Auction Stops Through In Solid Start For 2026 Treasury Sales
10Y Auction Stops Through In Solid Start For 2026 Treasury Sales
Shortly after a solid 3Y auction, the first of the year, priced just through the WI by 0.1bps, moments ago we got the first sale of benchmark 10Y paper for 2026 in what was another solid auction.
Today’s sale of $39BN in 10Y paper priced at 4.173% just after 1pm ET. This was barely changed from the 4.175% in December in what appears to be duration paralysis. And with the When Issued trading at 4.180%, the auction stopped through the WI by 0.7bps, this was the strongest 10Y auction since September.
More paralysis: the bid to cover was 2.554, virtually unchanged from last month’s 2.550, and just above the six-auction average of 2.51. As one can see in the chart below, we are now about a decade into the BtC being within 10-20bps of 2.50% in what may be the biggest autopilot trade in the US.
Turning to the internals, Indirects took down 69.7% of the auction, just a hair below last month’s 70.2% (and just above the 69.5% recent average). Directs took 24.5%, up from 21.0 in December and the highest since 2014. This left Dealers with just 5.8%, the second lowest on record with justs the 4.2% in Sept 25 lower.
Overall, this was a strong 10Y auction, and a solid start to the year for coupon issuance.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/12/2026 – 13:37
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/10y-auction-stops-through-solid-start-2026-treasury-sales
Matthew Stafford está sano, pero el CB de los Rams Ahkello Witherspoon queda fuera por lesión
Por GREG BEACHAM
LOS ÁNGELES (AP) — Se espera que el quarterback Matthew Stafford juegue para los Rams de Los Ángeles este fin de semana después de que las pruebas revelaran solo un esguince leve en el dedo índice de su mano de lanzar.
Stafford se lesionó el dedo en la primera mitad de la victoria de los Rams por 34-31 sobre los Panthers el sábado pasado cuando golpeó su mano contra el brazo de un defensor de Carolina mientras lanzaba un pase.
El candidato a MVP pudo jugar a pesar de la lesión en la ronda de comodines, liderando la dramática remontada de los Rams para la sexta victoria en playoffs de su carrera como campeón del Super Bowl.
El entrenador Sean McVay dijo el lunes que Stafford estará disponible cuando Los Ángeles (13-5) enfrente a Chicago en la ronda divisional el domingo.
“Es tan resistente como se puede ser, pero se siente bien. Pudo superarlo, y estará listo para jugar”, señaló McVay.
McVay también dijo que el esquinero Ahkello Witherspoon se perderá el resto de la temporada de los Rams después de volver a lesionarse el omóplato. El veterano de nueve años será colocado en la lista de reservas lesionados.
Los Rams recibieron noticias más alentadoras sobre Kevin Dotson, con McVay diciendo que el guardia derecho tiene “una buena oportunidad” de regresar este fin de semana de su esguince de tobillo.
Dotson, una parte clave del ataque terrestre de los Rams, se torció el tobillo el mes pasado cuando fue pisado por el apoyador de Seattle Derick Hall, quien recibió una suspensión de un juego por sus acciones.
Witherspoon comenzó la temporada como titular para los Rams, pero solo ha jugado siete partidos en una secundaria que ha sido repetidamente expuesta como el eslabón más débil de la defensa, con o sin su presencia.
Witherspoon se rompió el omóplato en la Semana 2 en Tennessee, aunque inicialmente los Rams informaron la lesión como una fractura de clavícula. Se perdió dos meses y medio antes de regresar para los últimos cuatro juegos de la temporada regular como suplente.
Jugó solo 12 jugadas en Carolina antes de volver a lesionarse, y McVay confirmó que la novena temporada de Witherspoon en la NFL ha terminado. Witherspoon tuvo una intercepción y ocho tacleadas para los Rams esta temporada.
Cobie Durant ocupó el lugar de titular de Witherspoon después de la Semana 2, y mantuvo el puesto tras el regreso de Witherspoon. Durant tuvo una intercepción temprana en la victoria de los Rams en Carolina.
___
Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
One arrested after SWAT callout in Portage
The Portage SWAT Team arrested a California man after he “wore out his welcome” at a relative’s house Sunday afternoon.
Officers were sent at around 2:14 p.m. January 11 to the 1300 of Camelot Manor for a drunk man wielding a shotgun and threatening to hurt people, Portage Police spokesman Sgt. Rob Maynard said in a release Sunday. The man, Benjamin Allison, 29, of Montrose, California, was staying with family for a short time but was asked to leave Saturday, Maynard said.
The relative with whom Allison was staying then texted him on Sunday to remind him he was no longer welcome and that he needed to leave, Maynard said, but Allison, who was “heavily intoxicated,” refused again. The relative and his wife returned to the house to demand he leave, and the three started arguing, at which point Allison grabbed a shotgun and pointed it at them.
The homeowner and his wife were able to flee the residence unharmed and contact police, but Allison refused to talk to officers who arrived, Maynard said, so officers told neighbors of the relatives to evacuate. After a half-hour of refusing to talk to officers, the department activated its SWAT and Crisis Negotiation teams, he said.
While negotiators were able to get Allison on the phone, he refused to surrender after an hour, so the SWAT Team detonated chemical agents into the home, Maynard said. Allison surrendered after 10 minutes without further incident, and officers retrieved a loaded 12-gauge shotgun from the house.
Allison was taken to the Porter County Jail and was charged with pointing a loaded firearm at a person, a Level 6 Felony, and intimidation while drawing or using a deadly weapon, a Level 5 Felony.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/12/one-arrested-after-swat-callout-in-portage/
Republicans Have Quickly Rallied Behind Trump On Venezuela
Republicans Have Quickly Rallied Behind Trump On Venezuela
A week after “Operation Absolute Resolve”, which saw the U.S. military attack targets in Venezuela to capture and extract President Nicolás Maduro, the international community is still grappling over the legality of the U.S. intervention.
While some experts are saying that the illegality of the U.S. attack is beyond doubt, U.S. allies are hesitant to openly denounce the U.S. actions.
The European Union, for example, issued a statement calling for calm and restraint by all parties involved. While acknowledging that Maduro lacked the legitimacy of a democratically elected president, the statement backed by 26 EU member states stressed that it was the right of the Venezuelan people to determine their own future. While calling for everyone, under all circumstances, to uphold the principles of international law and the UN Charter, the EU stops short of openly accusing the U.S. of violating these rules.
Meanwhile, as Statista’s Felix Richter reports, in the U.S., we saw a familiar story unfold, with a strong partisan divide opening up on a question that most Americans agreed on just a few months ago. “Would you support the U.S. using military force to invade Venezuela?”, YouGov asked in October 2025. Back then, just 15 percent of respondents – 7 percent of Democrats and 28 percent of Republicans – voiced their support. When YouGov posed the same question this week, i.e. after the raid that captured Maduro, replacing “would you” with “do you”, the picture looked entirely different: While support among Democrats was still very low at 13 percent, 74 percent of Republicans now said that they somehow or strongly supported the U.S. using military force in Venezuela.
You will find more infographics at Statista
These results highlight Trump’s still-intact ability to rally his supporters behind him by spinning the narrative in a way works in his favor.
Back in 2024, Trump ran on the promise to avoid getting dragged into wars overseas, much to the liking of his base.
A little more than a year later, the Trump administration appears to have abandoned this non-interventionist stance in favor of a new America-First foreign policy that stretches across the entire Americas, all the way from Greenland to Cape Horn.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/12/2026 – 13:25
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/republicans-have-quickly-rallied-behind-trump-venezuela
