Category: News
President Donald Trump leaves Venezuela’s opposition sidelined and Nicolás Maduro’s party in power
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s opposition supporters have long hoped for the day when Nicolás Maduro is no longer in power — a dream that was fulfilled when the U.S. military whisked the authoritarian leader away. But while Maduro is in jail in New York on drug trafficking charges, the leaders of his repressive administration remain in charge.
The nation’s opposition — backed by consecutive Republican and Democratic administrations in the U.S. — for years vowed to immediately replace Maduro with one of their own and restore democracy to the oil-rich country. But U.S. President Donald Trump delivered them a heavy blow by allowing Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control.
Meanwhile, most opposition leaders, including Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, are in exile or prison.
“They were clearly unimpressed by the sort of ethereal magical realism of the opposition, about how if they just gave Maduro a push, it would just be this instant move toward democracy,” David Smilde, a Tulane University professor who has studied Venezuela for three decades, said of the Trump administration.
The U.S. seized Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores in a military operation Saturday, removing them both from their home on a military base in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. Hours later, Trump said the U.S. would “run” Venezuela and expressed skepticism that Machado could ever be its leader.
“She doesn’t have the support within, or the respect within, the country,” Trump told reporters. “She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.”
Ironically, Machado’s unending praise for the American president, including dedicating her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump and her backing of U.S. campaigns to deport Venezuelan migrants and attack alleged drug traffickers in international waters, has lost her some support at home.
The rightful winner of Venezuela’s presidential election
Machado rose to become Maduro’s strongest opponent in recent years, but his government barred her from running for office to prevent her from challenging — and likely beating — him in the 2024 presidential election. She chose retired ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia to represent her on the ballot.
Officials loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner mere hours after the polls closed, but Machado’s well-organized campaign stunned the nation by collecting detailed tally sheets showing González had defeated Maduro by a 2-to-1 margin.
The U.S. and other nations recognized González as the legitimate winner.
However, Venezuelans identify Machado, not González, as the winner, and the charismatic opposition leader has remained the voice of the campaign, pushing for international support and insisting her movement will replace Maduro.
In her first televised interview since Maduro’s capture, Machado effusively praised Trump and failed to acknowledge his snub of her opposition movement in the latest transition of power.
“I spoke with President Trump on Oct. 10, the same day the prize was announced, not since then,” she told Fox News on Monday. “What he has done as I said is historic, and it’s a huge step toward a democratic transition.”
Hopes for a new election
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday seemed to walk back Trump’s assertion that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela. In interviews, Rubio insisted that Washington will use control of Venezuela’s oil industry to force policy changes, and called its current government illegitimate. The country is home to the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves.
Neither Trump nor Rodríguez have said when, or if, elections might take place in Venezuela.
Venezuela’s constitution requires an election within 30 days whenever a president becomes “permanently unavailable” to serve. Reasons listed include death, resignation, removal from office or “abandonment” of duties as declared by the National Assembly. That electoral timeline was rigorously followed when Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez, died of cancer in 2013.
On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally who traveled with the president on Air Force One on Sunday, said he believes an election will happen but did not specify when or how.
“We’re going to build the country up – infrastructure wise – crescendoing with an election that will be free,” the South Carolina Republican told reporters.
But Maduro loyalists in the high court Saturday, citing another provision of the constitution, declared Maduro’s absence “temporary” meaning there is no election requirement. Instead, the vice president — which is not an elected position — takes over for up to 90 days, with a provision to extend to six months if approved by the National Assembly, which is controlled by the ruling party.
Challenges lie ahead for the opposition
In its ruling, Venezuela’s Supreme Court made no mention of the 180-day limit, leading to speculation that Rodríguez could try to cling to power as she seeks to unite ruling party factions and shield it from what would certainly be a stiff electoral challenge.
Machado on Monday criticized Rodríguez as “one the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, narco-trafficking … certainly not an individual that can be trusted by international investors.”
Even if an election takes place, Machado and González would first have to find a way back into Venezuela.
González has been in exile in Spain since September 2024 and Machado left Venezuela last month when she appeared in public for the first time in 11 months to receive her Nobel Prize in Norway.
Ronal Rodríguez, a researcher at the Venezuela Observatory in Colombia’s Universidad del Rosario, said the Trump administration’s decision to work with Rodríguez could harm the nation’s “democratic spirit.”
“What the opposition did in the 2024 election was to unite with a desire to transform the situation in Venezuela through democratic means, and that is embodied by María Corina Machado and, obviously, Edmundo González Urrutia,” he said. “To disregard that is to belittle, almost to humiliate, Venezuelans.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/07/trump-venezuela-opposition-maduro-party/
US Discusses Ways To Acquire Greenland; Military Use On Table
US Discusses Ways To Acquire Greenland; Military Use On Table
Authored by Kimberley Hayek via The Epoch Times,
President Donald Trump is seeking to acquire Greenland as a U.S. national security priority necessary to deter adversaries in the region and may consider military action, the White House said on Tuesday.
“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to The Epoch Times on Tuesday.
“The President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal.”
The foreign ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden in a joint statement issued on Monday said that they are dedicated to Arctic security and that decisions in regard to Denmark and its autonomous territory of Greenland belong to the two of them.
They expressed support for NATO’s growing vigilance in the area and noted increases in Arctic security investments, with readiness to discuss further enhancements with the United States and other allies.
The statement invoked core principles of the U.N. Charter and international law, such as border inviolability. It noted Denmark’s NATO founding membership and its historic collaboration with the United States on Arctic security, citing the 1951 Defense Agreement.
“We collectively reiterate that matters concerning Denmark and Greenland are for Denmark and Greenland to decide alone,” the ministers concluded.
This position appears to address recent U.S. statements regarding Greenland, the world’s largest island with a population of about 57,000.
Since at least 2019, Trump has publicly emphasized Greenland’s importance to American national security, while more recently he appointed Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland in December.
“Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World,” Trump said in a Dec. 21 Truth Social post.
Landry, whose term as governor runs through 2028, acknowledged his appointment on X. “It’s an honor to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S. This in no way affects my position as Governor of Louisiana!”
Trump has tied U.S. interest in Greenland to warding off foreign threats.
“We need Greenland for national security, not for minerals. … If you take a look at Greenland, you look up and down the coast, you have Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” he told media on Dec. 22, 2025.
“We need it for national security. We have to have it.”
In response to Wall Street Journal reporting that Secretary Rubio told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing, that Trump seeks to buy Greenland rather than invade it, a State Department spokesperson told The Epoch Times that the United States wants to build lasting commercial relationships that benefit Americans and the people of Greenland.
Mr. Rubio did not go into detail on what he meant by buying Greenland.
“Our common adversaries have been increasingly active in the Arctic. That is a concern that the United States, the Kingdom of Denmark, and NATO Allies share,” the said in the statement on Tuesday.
“President Trump reiterated the importance of Greenland to U.S. defense and underscored his commitment to the relationship by designating Governor Landry as Special Envoy to Greenland.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was also asked by a reporter if Rubio had said in the meeting that Trump “preferred to buy Greenland” to which Johnson replied: “I don’t remember that statement—he might have said it in jest.”
Greenland’s location has made it crucial to the defense of North America since World War II. The land mass sits off the northeastern coast of Canada, with more than two-thirds of its territory lying within the Arctic Circle. It also shares a short land border with Canada on Hans Island.
The U.S. Department of Defense operates the remote Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) in northwestern Greenland. Built following a 1951 defense agreement between Denmark and the United States, it supports missile warning, missile defense, and space surveillance operations for both the United States and NATO.
On Denmark’s mainland, the co-operation between Copenhagen and Washington has been long-standing. The Danes buy American F-35 fighter jets and last year, Denmark’s Parliament voted in favor of a bill to allow U.S. military bases on Danish soil. The legislation builds on a 2023 military agreement, made with the Biden administration, where U.S. troops had broad access to air bases in Denmark. Opponents say that last year’s vote ceded Danish sovereignty to Washington.
The United States has expanded ties with Greenland to counteract Russian and Chinese activities, including Beijing’s “Polar Silk Road” initiative.
“There’s not a huge daylight between the two administrations in terms of the assessment that there’s a risk in the region,” U.S. foreign policy expert Michael Walsh said about continuity between the Trump and Biden administrations on the Greenland issue.
Walsh said: “It stirs discussion and debate. And you’re seeing that right now.”
Gordon Chang, an analyst on China, said Greenland has taken center stage because the Arctic has become important.
“And China and Russia are seeking to control the Arctic.”
Greenland’s officials have rebuffed United States acquisition desires with the autonomous territory’s leader, Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, posting on Facebook on Dec. 22, 2025: “We have woken up again to a new announcement from the U.S. president. This may sound big, but it does not change anything for us. We decide our own future.”
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called the envoy appointment “completely unacceptable” and intended to summon the U.S. ambassador.
Greenland has alternatively expressed interest in U.S. economic partnerships, particularly in mining.
Greenland had been a colony of Denmark for hundreds of years, becoming an integral part of the Danish state in 1953—granting Greenlanders full Danish citizenship. The U.S. government recognized Copenhagen’s right to the whole of Greenland at the beginning of the 20th century, when it was under direct Danish rule.
Greenland became self-governing in 2009, with legislation recognizing its right to independence under international law. While the independence option was favored by a majority (56 percent) of Greenlanders according to a 2025 poll, this appears unlikely with island’s economy heavily dependent upon Danish subsidies.
Greenland has untapped resources, including nearly 90 billion barrels of oil, 1,669 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and trillions of dollars worth of minerals, including rare earth elements needed for technology and defense.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/07/2026 – 07:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-discusses-ways-acquire-greenland-military-use-table
Chicago Bulls are being forced to play small again. Absence makes the heart grow fonder for double-big lineups.
Sometimes, going big is better.
That’s been a new trick for the Chicago Bulls this season. Small ball wasn’t cutting it. So when the season got tough, the Bulls got tougher by playing two centers at the same time, rolling out a more extensive look at a type of rotation that coach Billy Donovan has tinkered with for years.
The trend hit a snag when both Zach Collins (toe sprain) and Jalen Smith (concussion) were sidelined this week. And losing these two-center rotations has only taught the Bulls just how much they’ve come to cherish their bigs.
The Bulls like their two-big look. A lot. It provides a fix to many of the team’s weaknesses, namely their lack of rim protection and their inefficiency in rebounding the ball. For instance, the Bulls gobble up 83.3% of their defensive rebounds with Smith and Nikola Vučević on the floor — a steep increase from their season average of 71.5%.
But while the Bulls regularly voice a soft spot for these rotations, in reality, they haven’t played all that much basketball with two bigs on the court. So far this season, they played a total of 170 minutes with two centers on the court — 90 with Smith and Vučević, 71 with Smith and Collins, and only nine minutes pairing Vučević and Collins together.
After the Bulls prioritized a guard-heavy roster for the past two seasons, the frontcourt voiced support for the increased focus on pairing big men together.
Chicago Bulls center Zach Collins makes a layup in the first quarter during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, at the United Center in Chicago. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
“The position is still evolving where you have to do a lot on the floor, but I grew up a big so it’s good to see how relevant they are and actually being in the game when it’s time to win,” Collins told reporters in December. ‘‘I remember when I got to the league, in late-game situations the bigs rarely would stay in. There are still some teams like that now, but it’s good to see.
The Bulls began leaning into this rotation when they figured out how to make it work. It doesn’t make sense to simply throw two centers on the low blocks and clog up the paint. The preference is to utilize Smith at the four, which is why he has played the bulk of these two-big minutes.
This has been a welcome adjustment for Smith, who was practically played out of his minutes after Collins joined the team via trade at the deadline last February. Smith was a healthy scratch for 13 of the last 26 games of the 2025-26 season. He somewhat regained his footing in the rotation this season purely due to Collins’ absence — a 21-game hiatus due to preseason wrist surgery — but dropped out of the rotation once again when his fellow center returned.
But opting for two-big rotations gave Smith a second chance to carve out a role for himself in the Bulls’ rotation. At 6-foot-8, Smith can be slightly undersized to defend opposing fives, but sliding in next to another center allows him to create more spacing and show off his 3-point shooting (36% on the season). He averaged 11 points and 9.6 rebounds in his last five games before his concussion.
Playing Smith with another center helped the Bulls apply even more pressure on the rim, where they take and make the second-most shots in the league. Scoring in the paint doesn’t necessarily require hefty output from the centers — after all, wings and guards like Coby White, Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey are also at their best when more than half of their points are being scored at the rim. But it will be difficult for the Bulls to get back to this strong suit until their centers return.
Monday’s loss to the Boston Celtics highlighted the despair in the state of the current Bulls backcourt. The Celtics pounded the paint with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, a pair of bruising bigs who can still force the issue from 3-point range despite their lumbering dispositions.
The Bulls, in turn, called up Lachlan Olbrich from the G League to back up Vučević down low. An undersized rookie on a two-way contract, Olbrich couldn’t do much more than bang bodies with Garza in the paint, finishing without a single point.
Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith dunks over Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero in the first quarter at the United Center on Jan. 2, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Uncertainty clouds the future for both Collins and Smith. Donovan couldn’t offer a clear-cut timeline for either player’s recovery. Collins will be reassessed later this week, at which point he will optimistically be cleared for a ramp-up procedure barring further pain. But Smith is in a more complicated situation under the league’s concussion protocol.
Donovan noted that NBA medical staffs now steer away from the grade designations — i.e. Grade 1, Grade 2 — previously utilized to assess the severity of a concussion. This means the team does not have specific information to communicate the expected longevity of a player’s return process. On Monday, Smith had not yet begun to clear the tests necessary to return to the court.
“I don’t know how long it will take,” Donovan said. “A lot of this can be predicated on the symptoms of how he’s doing and that’s going to be up to the medical guys.”
Sooner is also better for the Bulls, who could use reinforcements — and a new spark — as they sink back below .500 during another string of injuries.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/07/chicago-bulls-small-ball/
FCS championship notes: Illinois State QB Tommy Rittenhouse praised as ‘a competitor’
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Brent Vigen had just won his first FCS national championship with Montana State in their third trip to the game together.
Amid the Bobcats’ celebration of their 35-34 overtime win over Illinois State on the field at FirstBank Stadium, the Montana State coach found ISU senior quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse for a quick word.
Rittenhouse threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns and helped the Redbirds score 21 points in the second half to force the first overtime in the 48-year history of the FCS title game. He then had a go-ahead touchdown on ISU’s overtime drive, but a blocked extra point paved the way for Montana State’s win.
“You just appreciate the type of competitor that he is and was tonight,” Vigen said. “That was not a flash tonight. That’s what we’ve seen on film. You appreciate guys that can compete, and they do everything they can for your team, and I caught him, and I wanted to tell him just that.”
ISU coach Brock Spack said he thought Rittenhouse settled down in the second half to help will the Redbirds back into the game despite a 14-point third-quarter deficit. He had a couple of misses in the first half, including overthrowing open wide receiver Dylan Lord on a deep shot in the second quarter.
The performance was a bittersweet ending to Rittenhouse’s ISU career. The Geneva native and former St. Francis quarterback finished the season with an ISU record 40 touchdown passes, along with 3,568 passing yards. For his career over 44 games, he threw for 7,117 yards and 60 touchdowns.
“I don’t know what’s after football for me, future opportunities,” Rittenhouse said. “But I just feel blessed. I feel grateful for this team and the season and run we had, the ISU community, the city of Bloomington-Normal. It’s a real special place, and I wouldn’t trade my experience for the world.”
Here are more notes from the championship game.
Taco of the town
Montana State wide receiver Taco Dowler dives into the end zone for a touchdown during the second half of the FCS championship against Illinois State, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Spack said he knew Montana State wide receiver Taco Dowler was good from watching the tape, but the 5-foot-9, 170-pound redshirt junior from Billings, Mont., was even better in person.
“He’s a handful,” Spack said.
Dowler rushed for a 22-yard touchdown and had eight catches for 111 yards — none bigger than the winning 14-yard touchdown from quarterback Justin Lamson on fourth-and-10 in overtime.
The Redbirds had success pressuring Lamson in the second half, but it didn’t work on the final play. Just before he was hit, Lamson launched the pass to Dowler, who had broken to the front left corner of the end zone to get open.
“We wanted to take all the run lanes away from (Lamson) and try to get the ball out fast and try to put color on the receivers,” Spack said. “Sometimes it worked really well, and the last touchdown didn’t. We got beat on kind of a big box fade. It’s kind of the nemesis or the negative towards zero coverage, because you’ve got to get there. Just a step or two too late.”
Vigen and Lamson said offensive coordinator Pete Sterbick had called the same play earlier in the drive, but Lamson’s pass to Jabez Woods was off. But Sterbick saw Dowler could win on the play.
“So he came back to it. That’s just good stuff out of a really good OC,” Lamson said. “Taco is wide open. I got hit, so I just kind of gave him a chance, and the rest is history.”
Lord’s big night
Illinois State wide receiver Dylan Lord celebrates his touchdown with running back Wenkers Wright during the second half of the FCS championship against Montana State, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Monday night was a career game for Illinois State redshirt freshman wide receiver Dylan Lord, a former walk-on who had 13 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He had the tying 25-yard scramble in the fourth quarter — in which he said he relied on “instinct” to spin and fight through defenders — and a 10-yard overtime catch to briefly put the Redbirds ahead.
Lord’s performance was big for ISU as Montana State focused on minimizing leading wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz, a senior.
“They seemed to double the singles side a lot, which Dan is the single,” Lord said. “We saw some openings when we were watching film. We knew it was going to be a big day for the slots, and Tommy made some great throws, and I was able to capitalize on it.”
Lord played in only three games last season before breaking his leg, but he finished the 2025 season with 74 catches for 734 yards and five touchdowns.
“He’s a great competitor,” Spack said. “That’s going to be a really good football player. He’s already a good football player.”
Big-man TD
It’s not every day an offensive lineman scores a touchdown in the national championship game.
But Logan Brasfield acted swiftly when he saw the football in the end zone after ISU running back Victor Dawson fumbled in the third quarter.
“That was kind of crazy,” Brasfield said. “I just saw the ball laying there in the end zone, and I was like, ‘I gotta get it.’ Jump on the ball. Anything for the team. And it just happened to be in my arms.”
Brasfield, a Yorkville graduate, said he “kind of blacked out” after scoring because he was in such shock. The fumble recovery touchdown cut Montana State’s lead to 21-14 in the third quarter.
“It was definitely one I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” Brasfield said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/07/illinois-state-fcs-championship-tommy-rittenhouse/
NFL coaching and GM tracker: Atlanta Falcons to interview Chicago Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham
The NFL head coach and general manager hiring cycles went into full force this week. As of Tuesday evening there were two GM openings (Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins) and seven head coach openings (Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans).
Candidates will interview over the the next month. With their success under first-year coach Ben Johnson, the Chicago Bears are happy to be talking about the playoffs rather than the hiring cycle.
But the hires that happen in the coming weeks still could affect the Bears. NFL teams love to hire head coaches and coordinators from successful teams, and at 11-6 the NFC North champion Bears would qualify.
If a team wanted to interview a candidate on Johnson’s staff for its head coach opening, an initial virtual interview cannot happen until Jan. 13. Teams generally won’t begin interviewing candidates for coordinator positions until after they’ve hired a head coach.
Here’s the latest NFL hiring news that could be of interest to Bears fans.
What are the NFL’s rules about timing and interviews for coaching searches during the playoffs?
Falcons request interview with Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham
Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, left, and general manager Ryan Poles walk the field before the team faced the Ravens on Oct. 26, 2025, in Baltimore. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Ryan Poles’ right-hand man is once again a candidate for an NFL GM job. The Falcons, who fired GM Terry Fontenot along with coach Raheem Morris on Sunday, have requested an interview with Cunningham, per multiple reports.
Cunningham has interviewed with numerous teams for GM jobs over the past few hiring cycles. A year ago he interviewed for the Titans job and was one of five finalists for the Jacksonville Jaguars job. In 2024, he was reportedly a finalist for the Washington Commanders job.
Cunningham, a former college offensive lineman like Poles, has been in his role as Bears assistant GM since 2022. He was one of Poles’ first hires after taking over as Bears GM, and the two have worked side by side ever since. The Bears signed Cunningham to a contract extension in 2024.
Before joining the Bears, Cunningham worked in the front offices of the Philadelphia Eagles (2017-21) and Ravens (2008-16). He was a part of Super Bowl titles with both franchises.
The Falcons reportedly are considering hiring former quarterback and league MVP Matt Ryan as their new president of football. Poles and Ryan played college football together at Boston College, so Ryan wouldn’t have to look far for a recommendation for Cunningham.
Cowboys fire former Bears coach Matt Eberflus
Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus stands on the sideline during the second half against the Eagles on Sept. 4, 2025. (Elías Valverde II/Dallas Morning News)
The Dallas Cowboys fired Eberflus as their defensive coordinator Tuesday. The former Bears coach lasted just one season under Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer.
The Cowboys defense was among the worst in the NFL in 2025, ranking 30th in total yards allowed and 32nd against the pass. It didn’t help that the team traded star pass rusher Micah Parsons just days before the season.
The Bears fired Eberflus on Nov. 29, 2024, one day after a stunning Thanksgiving Day loss in Detroit. Eberflus went 14-32 as the Bears coach.
He reunited last January with the Cowboys, with whom he coached linebackers from 2011-17. But his second stint in Dallas was short-lived.
Former Bears coach Matt Nagy to interview for Titans head coaching job
Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy walks the sideline during a preseason game against the Jaguars on Aug. 10, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)
Another former Bears coach is in the news during this hiring cycle. Nagy, currently the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator, will interview for the Titans head coaching job, according to NFL Network.
Nagy coached the Bears from 2018-21, amassing a 34-31 regular-season record with two playoff appearances. He returned to the Chiefs as senior assistant and quarterbacks coach in 2022 and was promoted to offensive coordinator a year later.
Nagy interviewed for the New York Jets head coaching job last year but lost out to former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Nagy is very familiar with Titans GM Mike Borgonzi, who worked in the Chiefs front office for more than 15 years — including as assistant GM from 2021-24 —.before landing the Titans GM job a year ago.
The Titans were the first team to fire their coach this season when they let Brian Callahan go in October.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/07/nfl-coaching-gm-tracker-chicago-bears/
Chicago Bears Q&A: Does Saturday’s result influence view of the season? Why aren’t they playing on Sunday?
The regular season is in the books. The NFL playoffs are here — and for the first time in five years, the Chicago Bears are part of the postseason field.
Before Saturday night’s wild-card game kicks off at Soldier Field against the rival Green Bay Packers, the Tribune’s Brad Biggs reaches into his weekly Bears mailbag.
How do you view this season and how much is it influenced by what happens in the Packers playoff game? Big picture very bright regardless? — @jtbcubs
This season is a rousing success no matter what happens Saturday night at Soldier Field. If you disagree, that’s fine, but I don’t know many people who were forecasting a division title in August without using their team-issued orange-and-navy glasses to see into the future.
It’s OK to move the goalposts at this time of year and reset the outlook, but only if you maintain a wide vision in understanding where the franchise has come from and how the first week of January has been a carnival after so many previous seasons in the last decade and a half.
Week 18 photos: Detroit Lions 19, Chicago Bears 16
Ben Johnson came in with a goal of changing the culture in the building and providing legitimate hope to the locker room. He has checked those boxes already. The second initiative was getting the offense going in quarterback Caleb Williams’ second season, and the improvement there has been easy to identify.
This isn’t like the recent past with Bears quarterbacks, when folks would tie themselves into knots trying to convince you legitimate progress was being made when there was none. Williams has made huge strides when you use the eye test, and look at the numbers: 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns, seven interceptions and only 24 sacks. That’s 44 fewer sacks than in 2024!
I’m pretty sure Johnson would tell you they’re just beginning to scratch the surface with Williams, too, and he’s far from being what he can become and ultimately what the team needs. There’s real optimism that 2026 will bring more growth.
So you have a roster that has belief, you have exciting young players in the fold, you have a legitimate possibility of having a franchise quarterback and the Bears won the NFC North with an 11-6 record. I don’t know how the result Saturday night possibly could change that. If the Bears win, it only will increase belief.
If they lose, there will be disappointment and it will sting for the coaches, players and fans. But I agree with you, in the big picture, the future is bright and ultimately that’s what the organization was seeking — a complete turnaround. Winning the division and earning the No. 2 seed with Williams (and many others) improving along the way makes Johnson’s debut season a smash success no matter which way Saturday’s game goes.
Why would the NFL put the Bears on Saturday night and not in one of the two later slots on Sunday? — Robert F., Chicago
Logistics probably played some part in the decision as three of the six wild-card games feature a West Coast team traveling to the East Coast. I imagine the NFL wanted to put at least two of those games on Sunday considering the cross-country travel, and it accomplished that goal with the San Francisco 49ers at the Philadelphia Eagles at 3:30 p.m. Central time and the Los Angeles Chargers at the New England Patriots at 7 p.m.
That left the Los Angeles Rams at the Carolina Panthers for 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the least appealing of the weekend television slots. That’s no surprise considering Charlotte is a smaller TV market and the 8-9 Panthers don’t generate a lot of interest nationally. Similarly, the Jacksonville Jaguars were an easy choice for the noon Sunday slot because they aren’t a big draw nationally, even if the game involves the Buffalo Bills and star quarterback Josh Allen.
One other thing: The NFL has used the Monday night slot for a 4-vs.-5 matchup and chose the Houston Texans at the Pittsburgh Steelers. That probably forced the league to have two AFC games on Sunday. Otherwise, the Texans-Steelers winner possibly would have had a two-day rest disadvantage for the divisional round.
If the seventh-seeded Chargers upset the second-seeded Patriots, you’re looking at the Chargers at the top-seeded Denver Broncos in the divisional round, with the Texans-Steelers winner playing the Bills-Jaguars winner. If the Bills-Jaguars game had been played Saturday, you’d be looking at a significant rest advantage.
The Bears defense has been a mess most of the year, especially the last month. Is Dennis Allen on the hot seat? If not, should he be? While the defense lacks talent, Allen seems to get very little from the talent he has. His reputation as a strong defensive coach should not overshadow the poor job he has done this year. — Jim A., Plymouth, Minn.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen congratulates cornerback Nick McCloud (24) as injured linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, right, watches after a 31-28 win over the Steelers on Nov. 23, 2025, at Soldier Field. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Allen is not on the hot seat, and I think he’s done a pretty good job this season, especially if you had a realistic view of what the Bears had defensively. They lost starting defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo for the season in Week 9. Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett missed time with a knee injury and hasn’t been at full strength really at any point this season. Linebackers T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds missed chunks of the season, and we’ve gotten only brief glimpses of what you’d consider a starting secondary with Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon on the field at the same time. Nearly all of the Bears’ injury issues have been on that side of the ball.
The Bears led the NFL in takeaways and finished middle of the pack (15th) in the red zone. If you think the defense lacks talent, then I don’t know how you can beat up Allen unless you’re saying he should be better with smoke and mirrors. There’s an old saying that Jimmys and Joes are always more important than X’s and O’s, and if you subscribe to that, has Allen really underachieved? Get him some better players — especially an improved and more consistent pass rush — and I think you’ll be a lot happier with the results. I’d be stunned if Allen is on the hot seat, and I think he’s someone Ben Johnson really leans on for guidance at times.
Why did the Bears play so much man defense when they clearly didn’t have the speed in the secondary to keep up with the Lions wide receivers? Tom Brady seemed befuddled by the Bears defensive scheme all game. Jaquan Brisker said as much in his postgame interview. — Brie B., Chicago
The Bears probably went to a little more man coverage because they wanted to pressure Detroit quarterback Jared Goff. That didn’t work very well, but we can’t ignore the reality that Goff also chewed up the defense when it played zone. Here are the numbers from the game:
Goff vs. man coverage: 17 of 30, 228 yards, 7.6 yards per attempt
Goff vs. zone coverage: 10 of 12, 103 yards, 8.6 ypa
That’s what wise former Bears coach Dick Jauron would have called a conundrum.
Do Ben Johnson and/or Dennis Allen not like Tyrique Stevenson for any specific reason? I know Nahshon Wright has made some big plays but Stevenson is the better player, right? — @chainscooper91
Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson breaks up a pass for Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs in the end zone in the second quarter Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
There were a lot of questions in the mailbag this week about Stevenson not playing against the Lions. He had been rotating with Jaylon Johnson in previous weeks and his playing time had been going down — from 33 snaps versus the Cleveland Browns to 27 against the Packers and then 18 at San Francisco. So Stevenson’s role was being reduced as the coaching staff felt Johnson was ready for more action and, finally on Sunday, a full game.
The issue is none of the cornerbacks played well against the Lions. Goff tore up the secondary hitting crossers and dig routes all game, and that’s primarily how Detroit rolled up 433 yards of offense — the fifth time this season an opponent has had 431 or more. As has been the case in a handful of close games, the Bears played well in the red zone.
The question now is will the coaches adjust in preparation for Green Bay and quarterback Jordan Love and use Stevenson in place of either Johnson or Wright, who has five interceptions? Wright has tremendous length and we’ve seen that be a factor on some of his highlight plays. He also lacks short-area quickness and is tight-hipped, so receivers can create separation coming out of breaks against him. Stevenson has gotten lots of playing time this season (588 snaps), so he has been on the field for plenty of good and bad.
It will be very interesting to see what the Bears do with their personnel in the secondary and how Kyler Gordon looks if he gets an opportunity to play. Here’s one thing I know for certain: No matter who is lined up at cornerback, the defense needs to do a much better job of matching up pressure on the front end with coverage on the back end. Otherwise, Love could be poised for a big game.
What is contributing to the Bears’ rushing game changing from being one of the tops in the league to average at best? What are they doing to correct it? — @aslandayle
The Bears didn’t run the ball particularly well against the Lions. They had some missed assignments up front, and the running backs probably would tell you they could have done a better job hitting their tracks on a few plays.
But nothing has changed with the ground game. Let’s keep in mind the last two games were against a couple of secondaries that were beat up and had played poorly of late. There were major opportunities in the passing game against the Lions and 49ers.
Why is it that the defense looks worse now that all of the starters minus Kyler Gordon are back? — @balakay
Lions quarterback Jared Goff throws for a first down during the second quarter against the Bears on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, at Soldier Field. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Well, in the last five weeks they’ve faced Jordan Love (with Malik Willis) twice, Brock Purdy, Jared Goff and Shedeur Sanders. In the seven games before that, they played Spencer Rattler, Tyler Huntley, Joe Flacco, Jaxson Dart and Russell Wilson, J.J. McCarthy, Mason Rudolph and Jalen Hurts.
The defense had maybe its finest game of the season in Philadelphia, although the Eagles were missing a few key players, including elite right tackle Lane Johnson. I’d say the degree of difficulty was turned up for the defense as the schedule got more challenging. There won’t be any easy outs in the postseason. The margin for error is reduced.
While I basically agree with Ben Johnson, play football and don’t rest guys, I’m wondering if fatigue is catching up with them. Not only did they have the earliest bye but their “mini-bye” was from a Friday game, not Thursday. The Packers also had the early bye but had the mini-bye from a Thursday game and they chose to rest guys. The Eagles prioritized rest also (which kind of backfired since the Bears lost) but may work out if the Bears don’t win Saturday. Do you think they look tired and, given the circumstances, should they have rested guys on Sunday? — David K.
Fair question. I think Johnson, who puts a lot of stock in full-pads practices during the regular season as the collective bargaining agreement allows, has been mindful of rest and recovery, especially in the last five or six weeks. The Bears have gone to more walk-throughs early in the week to allow players to get their legs back under them.
I asked right guard Jonah Jackson after Sunday’s game if the Bears were perhaps a little fatigued after returning from a night game at San Francisco the week before.
“Not at all,” he said. “Ben does a good job of taking care of us. It is Week 18, so you are going to feel something. At the end of the day, it’s time to go on game days.”
How do the equipment folks keep the face shields some of the players wear, such as Caleb Williams, from steaming up when the weather is cold? — @frontrowrx
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams prepares to face the Packers on Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
I had to consult equipment director Tony Medlin, who has been with the organization since 1987, for the answer to this question. Medlin told me the visors some players wear are produced by Oakley, and the company provides a spray that helps prevent the shields from fogging up.
Medlin said the spray isn’t perfect — there are still times when the visors will fog over — but it helps.
Why does the NFL continue to give home playoff games to division winners that have poor records like the Panthers? Wouldn’t it make more sense to seed the playoffs by teams’ records, period? — Shaun B., Carol Stream
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In a scenario like you describe, the fourth-seeded Panthers, who at 8-9 are the fifth team in a non-strike season to reach the playoffs with a losing record, would be the seventh seed in the NFC. Also the NFC North champion Bears (11-6) would go from the No. 2 seed to No. 4, falling behind the Rams (12-5) and 49ers (12-5), so you’d be looking at the Bears hosting the Eagles this weekend in a 4-vs.-5 game.
In the AFC, the Steelers are the No. 4 seed with a 10-7 record as the AFC North winner. The Texans (12-5), Bills (12-5) and Chargers (11-6) are all seeded lower.
The common answer you get when you ask this question is that the league wants to provide a reward to division winners — that finishing first in your division should have some value to it.
The thing the NFL has run into the last couple of seasons is there has been a bunch of dog games on the schedule in Weeks 17 and 18, especially when teams with playoff spots secured have rested starters and key players. Of course, Game 272 on Sunday night between the Steelers and Ravens was a doozy. That was a grand way to close the regular season and head into the playoffs.
You can make a case for more compelling viewing late in the season if the NFL ordered the playoffs strictly based on record. If the league ultimately views that as a potential means to drive interest and television ratings, it might eventually happen.
When is the last time teams faced each other three times in six weeks like the Bears and Packers are going to do in the wild-card round? — Jeff R., Bloomington
The Packers were involved the last time it happened at the end of the 2012 season and into the playoffs in January 2013.
Week 13: Packers 23, Vikings 14 at Lambeau Field
Week 17: Vikings 37, Packers 34 at the Metrodome
Wild-card round: Packers 24, Vikings 10 at Lambeau Field
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/07/chicago-bears-mailbag-playoffs-green-bay-packers/
Russia Deploys Submarine As US Chases Dark Fleet Oil Tanker Across Atlantic
Russia Deploys Submarine As US Chases Dark Fleet Oil Tanker Across Atlantic
In what can only be described as straight out of a Cold War techno-thriller, The Hunt for Red October vibes, the U.S. Coast Guard is chasing a rusting oil tanker formerly known as Bella 1, now renamed Marinera, flying the Russian flag about 300 miles south of Iceland as it heads toward the North Sea.
On Tuesday, Russian outlet RT News posted an exclusive video on X showing Marinera being chased by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter in the North Atlantic.
BREAKING WORLD EXCLUSIVE: RT obtains FIRST footage of Russian-flagged civilian Marinera tanker being CHASED by US Coast Guard warship in the North Atlantic https://t.co/sNbqJkm5O5 pic.twitter.com/XtbBML3a6j
— RT (@RT_com) January 6, 2026
The Wall Street Journal then reported overnight that Russia is countering the Trump administration’s attempt to seize Marinera by deploying a submarine and other warships to escort the allegedly now-empty tanker.
The chase in the North Atlantic follows last month’s incident near Venezuelan waters, when the tanker – then stateless and flying a false flag – was subject to a U.S. judicial seizure order. As the Coast Guard attempted to board, the crew switched the ship’s registration to Russia, prompting Moscow to demand that the U.S. halt its pursuit.
Trump’s gunboat diplomacy in the Caribbean, along with a broader push for Western Hemisphere defense – what some have called the “Don-roe Doctrine” – has set the tone for the year: U.S. forces intend to control the seas in the Americas, not China and not Russia.
One key question is why Washington is hyper-focused on this particular tanker, given that the global dark fleet numbers more than 1,000 tankers hauling sanctioned crude worldwide. The ship’s quick registration in Russia, without inspection or formalities, may only suggest that the tanker, which departed Venezuelan waters, could be carrying other cargo bound for Russia.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/07/2026 – 06:55
Jazz for winter 2026: Concerts to heat up the cold months
I’ll say it: winter is my favorite season for jazz in Chicago. Summer may be busier and splashier, but there’s nothing quite like nestling into a darkened club, cheeks flushed from the cold, for a singular and inventive night of music. It does more than thaw frozen fingers: It exhilarates, inspires and inflames, in the best way.
Everywhere from concert halls to holes-in-the-wall, these 13 shows will be portals to a happier clime in the coming weeks. And if you’re still hankering for more, keep your eyes on your favorite clubs: Many have yet to announce their late winter lineups.
Our picks:
Berman on the Brainstage
Cornetist and curator Josh Berman looks like he’s time-traveled from a different era: sweaters, collared shirts, horn-rimmed glasses, dress shoes. But his music is bracingly current: On most nights, you’ll find him in various free-improv configurations around the city. This month, his many projects converge via a residency at the Hungry Brain, where he used to curate the Sunday series.
9 p.m. Thursdays through Jan. 29 at the Hungry Brain, 2319 W. Belmont Ave.; $21 advance online, $15 door; hungrybrainchicago.com
New year, new album
Stalwart trumpeter and educator Pharez Whitted settles in at the Showcase to celebrate “The Lindy Bop,” a new release with old friends. One of them, tenorist Eddie Bayard, joins him for this weekend run of performances, as does pianist Isaiah Jones Jr., bassist Daniel Ellis Perez and drummer Xazavian Valladay.
Pharez Whitted Quintet, Jan. 22-25 at the Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Court; $25 general admission Jan. 22, $30 Jan. 23-25; jazzshowcase.com
In case you missed it
Singer Dee Dee Bridgewater and guitarist Bill Charlap toured together last year, but the second of two local appearances — with Charlap’s trio at Symphony Center last March, and at City Winery in October — had to be rescheduled. The all-star duo makes good on the lost booking later this month.
Two sets at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Jan. 17, City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph St.; tickets $66-$90; tickets.citywinery.com
Dee Dee Bridgewater performs during the 37th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival in Millennium Park on Sept. 5, 2015. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune)
Of music and memory
Vocalist Julia Keefe’s CV looks a lot like that of other high-flying jazz musicians — she’s passed through prestigious music programs and shared stages with Tony Bennett and Esperanza Spalding. But her childhood on the Nez Perce (Nimíipuu) reservation in Idaho inspired her to seek out fellow Native American jazz musicians all the while. Today, she fronts a big band’s worth; Keefe appears with the University of Chicago with a group taken from its ranks.
Julia Keefe Indigenous Jazz Ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Logan Center for the Arts Performance Hall; $43 general admission, $22 patrons under 35, $12 students; chicagopresents.uchicago.edu
A smoldering debut
Ishmael Ali has already turned heads in hard-driving experimental ensembles. But Ali’s assured, fiercely original solo-and-bandleader debut, “Burn the Plastic, Sell the Copper,” is doubtlessly an arrival for the cellist and composer, and one of 2026’s best local releases so far. He leads a record release show a week before the album drops on Amalgam Music, the label he co-runs with bandmate Bill Harris.
8:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave.; tickets $15; constellation-chicago.com
Orchestra Hall homages
Winter at Symphony Center starts and ends with two tributes. Singer José James and Chicago’s own Lizz Wright mark the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You,” then pianists Gonzalo Rubalcaba and John Beasley join the centennial chorus for Miles Davis, who would have been 100 in May. Between them is a globetrotting double bill of U.K. saxophone sensation Nubya Garcia and the Illinois-born, Africa-oriented vocalist Somi, curated by Hyde Park Jazz Festival director Kate Dumbleton.
“José James with Lizz Wright: Marvin Gaye’s I Want You,” 8 p.m. Feb. 6, tickets $49-$199; Nubya Garcia and Somi, 8 p.m. March 13, tickets $39-$199; “Miles Davis at 100: Gonzalo Rubalcaba / Unlimited Miles,” 8 p.m. March 27, tickets $49-$199. All at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; cso.org
Orbert Davis, conductor of the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, performs “Ellingtonia,” a suite about jazz great Duke Ellington, at Kehrein Center for the Arts in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood on Feb. 8, 2025. (Talia Sprague/for the Chicago Tribune)
Remembering 1968
Chicago Jazz Philharmonic director Orbert Davis brings a historian’s touch to his multi-hour epics for the ensemble. This one — on the local legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — is no exception. “When the West Side Burned” transports audiences to the day King was assassinated and the destructive aftermath in the concert’s backyard. Haven’t been to a CJP concert before? The price is certainly right: Both days of programming will set you back just three bucks.
Open rehearsal and talkback 10:30 a.m. Feb. 6, tickets start at $1; documentary showing, panel and concert 4 p.m. Feb. 7, tickets start at $2; both at the Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd.; chijazzphil.org
Listening to Du Bois
Like Davis, the multihyphenate Angel Bat Dawid, a recent Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz, often sources a playbook for the future through great thinkers of the past. Dawid embraces W.E.B. Du Bois in her 14-movement “Souls of Black Folk Suite,” premiered by her Great Blk Music Infinity Ensemble and string musicians from D-Composed.
“Mix at Six: The Souls of Black Folk Suite,” 6 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; tickets $23; harristheaterchicago.org
Angel Bat Dawid at Elastic Arts in Chicago on Dec. 3, 2021. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
Middle East meets Midwest
Born in Ramallah, Wanees Zarour immigrated to the U.S. as a preteen. More recently, he and guitarist Fareed Haque revived the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra, a Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events ensemble whose founding principle has taken on new resonance in the age of Operation Midway Blitz. Zarour’s East Loop band reflects his biography, superimposing Arabic maqam modes — which he plucks out on oud or buzuq — atop a jazzy foundation. The group releases its debut album, “Silwan,” with a concert at Constellation.
8:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave.; $36 advance, $30 door; constellation-chicago.com
SPACE stars
The Evanston venue’s lineup this winter is as sterling as ever. Two unmissables: the energetic, inventive pianist Emmet Cohen, tipping his hat to Miles Davis and John Coltrane, and 21st century bard Cécile McLorin Salvant, her first local appearance since autumn’s rangy, whimsical “Oh Snap.”
Emmet Cohen in “Miles and Coltrane at 100,” four shows 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Feb. 24 and 25, tickets $27-$86; Cécile McLorin Salvant, two shows 7 and 9:30 p.m. March 23, tickets $74-$113; both at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston; evanstonspace.com
Hannah Edgar is a freelance critic.
Germany’s Chancellor Warns Of Economic Collapse… Then Doubles Down On Central Planning
Germany’s Chancellor Warns Of Economic Collapse… Then Doubles Down On Central Planning
Submitted by Thomas Kolbe
In a letter to members of the governing coalition that has so far only become known in fragments, Chancellor Friedrich Merz warns of a severe economic crisis and calls for reforms. Yet the circulating and quotable elements of the document from the Chancellery reveal no deviation whatsoever from the course already taken.
Friedrich Merz begins the new year with party-internal messaging. In a letter to members of the governing coalition of the Union parties and the SPD—so far known only in excerpts—the chancellor invokes a common struggle against the economic crisis. Once again, he calls for a “year of reforms,” after the loudly announced “autumn of reforms” last year slipped through his fingers like sand.
Once again, Merz risks seeing a rhetorical initiative dissipate in the void of coalition dynamics—dynamics that, under the dogma of firewall politics, are pushing his government ever deeper into ideological waters that even Social Democrats of the old Helmut Schmidt school would likely consider unacceptably far to the left of economic reason.
The Miracle of Realization
In his letter, Merz warns—while a tremor of startled realization is almost palpable—that dangerous job losses have set in across all sectors and that the situation is dramatic. It is, he writes, high time to enable new growth through better location conditions and to prevent the labor market from tipping over. In short: more competition, more growth, less bureaucracy, lower energy costs.
A profound insight, one that seems to have come over the chancellor as if in a fever dream of his ecologically ambitious “dream Germany.”
It is not as if commentators and industry have not been discussing the causes of deindustrialization and the catastrophic state of the economy for years. But the ideological opinion bubble in Berlin—the tightly drawn belt of NGOs and government-affiliated, sympathetic media—has done its job, preserving within political circles the illusion of success of the green transformation.
How could it be that an economic crisis lasting more than seven years—beginning in the core sectors of German industry and now seeping deep into the entire economy—has only now arrived at the Chancellery with such urgency? That Germany has long been caught in a spiral of deindustrialization is no new insight. It was triggered by an ideologically driven green transformation, by overregulation and fiscal overburdening. To Merz’s credit, he has recognized this. His solution, however: further subsidies for collapsing, politically promoted green structures; subsidies for media-powerful big industry; slogans of endurance—and scolding of the Mittelstand.
Yet even this supposedly simple diagnosis remains incomplete, misunderstood, and carefully obscured. In the known passages of the letter, there is not a word about the migration chaos that for a decade has dragged down social security systems like lead and shaken internal security. Not a word about the naive belief that complex economies can be steered toward a green planned economy in the style of Robert Habeck. Not a word about the fact that Germany’s welfare state has produced tax and contribution burdens that are no longer internationally competitive.
From the looming catastrophe in the Donbas, the chancellor derives nothing more than unwavering loyalty to Kyiv—whatever the cost. After all, it is not his money.
Coalition Without Course Correction
Friedrich Merz already demonstrated last year that, if in doubt, he is prepared to make any concession necessary to preserve his coalition. One need only recall the relabeling of “citizen’s income” into the largely unchanged “basic security”—no one need fear financial cuts if, after skipping appointments twice, they manage to report in time to the relevant welfare administration office for full social provisioning.
The debate about a genuine migration turnaround, about deportations of illegal migrants, has been completely smothered. Instead, we witness media-friendly individual actions designed to conceal the fact that Merz, Klingbeil, and their allies agree on the fundamentals: the EU Commission’s course toward a net-zero economy and a policy of open borders are to be continued—whatever the cost.
We are well acquainted with the missing diagnosis and the formulaic solutions: cutting bureaucracy, subsidized industrial electricity prices, a corporate tax cut vaguely promised for 2028. All of this amounts to little more than white ointment. The real ideological hammers—from the Supply Chain Act to the Heating Act and the recently increased CO₂ levy—are being defended with full force.
Taxpayers and the Mittelstand are being bled in the hope of eventually reaching a green Elysium. Merz sees the state as the decisive player in the economy. Key sectors are to be fully controlled: from green cultural industries to the newly expanding military sector to basic materials—naturally dressed in the green costume of long-failed products like “green steel.” This direction is shared by the German government’s partners in Paris and Brussels.
The fatal belief in the omniscience of the central planner is dragging the country downward like lead.
Capital Flight as a Vote With the Feet
It is remarkable with what chutzpah Friedrich Merz repeatedly points to tax cuts and investment incentives—and to alleged preparatory work by the coalition last year. We have heard it all before. In the end, it is always entrepreneurs who are blamed for the decline. That nothing moves in Germany, of course, has nothing to do with the Kafkaesque overregulation that alone in the past three years forced the economy to create 325,000 new jobs merely to cope with new regulatory requirements.
The hyper-state is overflowing, growing obese, and now outsourcing its tentacular bureaucratic labor.
In reality, capital is voting with its feet. Year after year, Germany loses between €60 and €100 billion in net direct investment. This is no coincidence but a clear verdict on the catastrophic conditions at the location.
As an answer to this state-engineered bloodletting of the economy, the chancellor presents his so-called “Germany Fund”: a state investment fund intended to channel private capital into allegedly promising growth sectors. More planned economy, this time in the guise of innovation promotion. Capital allocation by political decree.
The self-inflicted debt crisis, triggered by the dismantling of the debt brake, is conveniently ignored by Merz in his letter—future generations of politicians and taxpayers will have to deal with that disaster.
“Germany Fund”—when things get uncomfortable, the same political class that otherwise categorically rejects any national reference suddenly reaches for patriotic symbols. A transparent maneuver that fits seamlessly into the media games of the Chancellery: from the corporate coffee klatch “Made for Germany” (as Apollo News reported) to appeals to entrepreneurs to invest in Germany after supposedly brilliant political groundwork. Merz repeatedly stages himself as a business-friendly chancellor—apparently unaware that credibility and trust have long since been squandered.
Friedrich Merz acts like a central planner without an ordoliberal compass. His time as a ceremonial executive at BlackRock seems not to have granted him access to the secret knowledge of market processes. Perhaps he should have gone to school with the much-maligned Javier Milei to understand that an ecological restructuring of the economy according to a state master plan is doomed to fail.
In the next circular, Merz will likely roll out his familiar catalogue of endurance slogans and Mittelstand platitudes—buying time in what is becoming an unavoidable fight against decline.
* * *
About the author: Thomas Kolbe, born in 1978 in Neuss/ Germany, is a graduate economist. For over 25 years, he has worked as a journalist and media producer for clients from various industries and business associations. As a publicist, he focuses on economic processes and observes geopolitical events from the perspective of the capital markets. His publications follow a philosophy that focuses on the individual and their right to self-determination.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/07/2026 – 06:30
Yoonshin Park includes students’ artwork in upcoming ‘Prompt and Prompted’ exhibit
The fascination with paper making has always been inside of Yoonshin Park. Her newest exhibit, “Prompt and Prompted,” at the Hyde Park Art Center, showcases reimagined structures of what books can be in an art form known as artist books.
The exhibit, which runs Jan. 24 through May 10, will also offer free hands-on workshops for guests to make their own artist books on select dates.
Park came to Chicago from South Korea to study at Columbia College Chicago in the early 2000s. She teaches at the Hyde Park Art Center as well as the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and has shown other exhibits focusing on the medium of artist books at Concordia University and the Chicago Artists Coalition. But this time, she is showing some of her students’ pieces in the show as well.
Park selected a dozen of her students’ artworks to display at the exhibit.
“They’re absolutely excited because those people who are in the exhibition have taken my classes more than twice, so they are well aware of the differences between traditional book form and they understand the qualities of this book medium,” she said.
Rebecca Kelly, one of Park’s students, is looking forward to having her work be shown and has an appreciation for Park.
“I feel that she’s incredibly generous to acknowledge that her teaching impacts her art and that we play a role in that process,” Kelly said. “It shows her great generosity as a spirit, as an artist and as a human being that she would share the stage of a solo show with 12 of her students.”
John-Michael Korpal taught at the Hyde Park Art Center, where he met Park. He’s taken about six of her classes, where he said he’s learned a lot.
“I love the fact that she gives us permission to make mistakes and learn and that’s really powerful when you’re making art because the inner critic is so loud that to have someone doing that is really comforting,” he said.
He’s had his work in other exhibits, but he said that this is the first time he feels like he’s doing it with a group of friends.
“Usually when you apply for a show, you’re competing with the other people, whether you get chosen or not, and this still had that element, but this is more like a family or community that we were all happy to be part of and very supportive,” Korpal said.
Park wanted to “expand the possibilities” of what could be made with artist books in the new exhibit.
For over 20 years, Park has contributed to paper art and is showing some of her older and newer artworks with the exhibit. She is feeling excited to show off her passion.
“This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for me to promote this unique and special creative medium to the general audience,” Park said.
“Prompt and Prompted” runs Jan. 24 through May 10 at the Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave., hydeparkart.org
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/07/yoonshin-park-prompt-prompted/
