Category: News
US Dept Of War Secures Silver Smelter Deal To Process LatAm Metals
US Dept Of War Secures Silver Smelter Deal To Process LatAm Metals
Authored by GoldFix’s Vincent Lanci via ScottsdaleMint.com,
Financed by JPMorgan, Jointly Owned by US DoD
Under the plan, the U.S. Department of Defense will hold a 40% stake in the JPM Financed smelter joint-venture.
GFN – WASHINGTON: Korea Zinc plans a $7.4 billion investment to construct a large-scale non-ferrous metals smelter in Clarksville, Tennessee, a project U.S. officials say will materially expand domestic critical minerals processing capacity and strengthen supply chain security.
Proposed site of the Clarksville, Tennessee smelter
The project, known as the “U.S. Smelter,” is expected to require approximately $6.6 billion in capital expenditures, with total investment reaching $7.4 billion including financing costs. It is being developed in coordination with the U.S. Department of War and the U.S. Department of Commerce, according to project materials and government statements.
Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg said the investment reflects a strategic shift in U.S. industrial and defense priorities.
“President Trump has directed his Administration to prioritize critical minerals as essential to America’s defense and economic security,” Feinberg said.
“The Department of War’s conditional investment of $1.4 billion to build the first U.S.-based zinc smelter and critical minerals processing facility since the 1970s reverses decades of industrial decline. The new smelter in Tennessee creates 750 American jobs and expands access to strategic minerals across aerospace, defense, electronics, and advanced manufacturing.”
Timeline of U.S. metals refining capacity since the 1970s
The Tennessee facility will be the first zinc refinery built in the United States in more than 50 years and will operate as an integrated smelter capable of producing 13 non-ferrous metals. Most of these materials are designated as critical minerals by the U.S. government due to their role in defense production, advanced electronics, and energy systems.
Under the current framework, the Department of War will arrange approximately $2.15 billion in financing alongside private investors. The Department of Commerce will provide $210 million in funding under the CHIPS Act to support domestically sourced equipment, with JPMorgan assisting in structuring the financing.
IEA outlook for global critical minerals demand under STEPS, APS, and NZE scenarios
U.S. officials have described the project as an example of allied cooperation to secure supply chains amid rising competition for strategic resources. Josh Phair, founder and CEO of Scottsdale Mint, said in a recent Yahoo Finance interview, “We’re in a metals war’. and securing supply is crucial now
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said the investment would expand U.S. production of strategically important minerals.
“Korea Zinc’s critical minerals project in Tennessee is a transformational deal for America,” Lutnick said.
“The United States will produce, in volume, 13 critical and strategic minerals vital to aerospace and defense, semiconductors, AI, quantum computing, autos, industrials, and national security.”
Korea Zinc plans to deploy technical personnel and operational expertise from its Onsan Smelter in Ulsan, South Korea, during early project phases. Onsan is the world’s largest single-site non-ferrous smelting complex and is known for processing low-grade and complex materials, including scrap with high impurity content.
North America’s role in global critical minerals mining and refining
Company officials said transferring this integrated zinc-lead-copper processing capability is intended to reduce commissioning risk and position the Clarksville facility among the most advanced smelters globally. Producing within the United States is also expected to reduce exposure to trade restrictions and logistics disruptions while enabling local sourcing of scrap and raw materials.
Despite government backing, the project has prompted shareholder resistance. An alliance led by MBK Partners and Young Poong has opposed the U.S.-backed joint venture, citing concerns over potential share dilution and governance control. The group has indicated it may seek legal action to block new share issuance.
Korea Zinc shares rose more than 26% following the project announcement before declining by over 13% as shareholder opposition became public.
Once fully operational, the U.S. Smelter is expected to process approximately 1.1 million tons of raw materials annually and produce roughly 540,000 tons of finished products.
Smelter output mapped to U.S. critical minerals list
Planned output includes base metals such as zinc, lead, and copper; precious metals including gold and silver; strategic minerals such as antimony, indium, bismuth, tellurium, cadmium, gallium, germanium, and palladium; and chemical products including sulfuric acid and semiconductor-grade sulfuric acid.
According to project disclosures, 11 of the 13 metals qualify as critical minerals under the 2025 U.S. Geological Survey list. Several, including indium and gallium, are fully import-dependent in the United States.
Site preparation is scheduled to begin in 2026, followed by full construction in 2027.
Phased commercial operations are expected to start in 2029, initially focused on zinc, lead, and copper production.
Clarksville was selected due to existing industrial infrastructure, including Nyrstar’s current zinc smelter, the only operating zinc refinery in the United States. Korea Zinc plans to acquire Nyrstar’s U.S. operations, subject to conditions, dismantle the existing facility, and replace it with a larger, modern plant.
Project planners also cited strong transportation links, favorable site conditions, a skilled local workforce with decades of smelting experience, and relatively low electricity costs, a key factor in smelting economics.
Chairman Yun B. Choi said the project aligns with long-term U.S. and South Korean economic security objectives.
“With its project in the United States, Korea Zinc will strengthen its role as a strategic supplier of essential minerals for aerospace and defense,” Choi said.
“This project will serve as a model for U.S.–ROK economic security cooperation at a time of heightened geopolitical risk.”
GoldFix Analysis: Why the Tennessee Smelter Matters
The Korea Zinc investment fits into a broader pattern across commodities, trade policy, and financial market structure. Recent developments point toward a renewed emphasis on supply security and domestic control over critical industrial inputs.
U.S. policy has increasingly focused on securing domestic processing capacity for materials already designated as critical. Mining location remains relevant, but refining and smelting capacity determines throughput control, resilience under stress, and bargaining leverage. The Tennessee project expands that capacity inside the United States for materials that have largely been processed offshore.
Josh Phair, CEO of Scottsdale Mint has previously linked metals availability to industrial positioning, noting that the rapid build-out of U.S. data centers and infrastructure requires reliable access to physical inputs.
“These data centers that are getting created so fast in the United States, the U.S. has to have it [silver] to protect its position in the world.”
The investment also aligns with policy actions aimed at reducing reliance on China-centered supply chains. Export controls, strategic stockpiling, and industrial subsidies have moved in the same direction. The smelter adds physical infrastructure to that framework, supported by defense and commerce financing and built in cooperation with an allied producer.
The financing structure adds another layer. JPMorgan Chase is involved in arranging financing for the project. Over recent months, JPMorgan has also reduced silver held in COMEX registered inventories and sourced physical metal from Latin America. These actions reflect activity in physical markets where logistics, jurisdiction, and custody increasingly influence procurement decisions.
Why JPMorgan’s 232 Advice Matters
JPMorgan sits at the center of the global silver ecosystem as demonstrated above. Its role as custodian, intermediary, and counterparty across physical markets, derivatives, and sovereign channels places it at the intersection of nearly all meaningful silver flows. Activity associated with JPMorgan therefore carries informational value.
Under Section 232 the United States does not restrict commodities it still needs to accumulate. Tariffs follow supply security, not the other way around.
Once domestic and hemispheric supply chains are deemed sufficient, pricing mechanisms change. Tariffs need not target silver explicitly to reshape its price. Broad commodity measures are enough. But tariffs could come anyway
Because the United States remains the marginal buyer at scale, if it did implement tariffs, its pricing decisions propagate globally. The tariff level becomes the reference price, as sellers rationally seek the highest available bid. JPMorgan is helping the US position itself as self sufficient in metals and at some point, price will rise even further pursuant to rule 232 if it is implemented for Copper (likely) and Silver (perhaps)
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/05/2026 – 15:25
US drops the number of vaccines it recommends for every child
WASHINGTON — The U.S. took the unprecedented step Monday of dropping the number of vaccines it recommends for every child — cutting protection against a half-dozen diseases in a move slammed by the nation’s pediatricians.
The overhaul is effective immediately, meaning that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will now recommend vaccines against 11 diseases. What’s no longer broadly recommended is protection against flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis or RSV. Instead, protections against those diseases are only recommended for certain groups deemed high-risk, or if their doctors recommend them in what’s called “shared decision-making.”
Trump administration officials said the overhaul, a move long sought by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., won’t result in families who want the vaccines losing access to them, and said insurance will continue to pay. But medical experts said the move increases confusion for parents and could increase preventable diseases.
The change came after President Donald Trump in December asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to review how peer nations approach vaccine recommendations and consider revising its guidance to align with theirs.
HHS said its comparison to 20 peer nations found that the U.S. was an “outlier” in both the number of vaccinations and the number of doses it recommended to all children. Officials with the agency framed the change as a way to increase public trust by recommending only the most important vaccinations for children to receive.
Among those left on the recommended-for-everyone list are measles, whooping cough, polio, tetanus, chickenpox and HPV.
“This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health,” Kennedy said in a statement Monday.
Medical experts disagreed, saying the change without public discussion or a transparent review of the data would put children at risk.
Dr. Sean O’Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics said countries carefully consider vaccine recommendations based on levels of disease in their populations and their health systems.
“You can’t just copy and paste public health and that’s what they seem to be doing here,” said O’Leary. “Literally children’s health and children’s lives are at stake.”
The new guidance also reduces the number of recommended vaccine doses against human papillomavirus from two or three shots to one for most children, depending on age.
The decision was made without input from an advisory committee that typically consults on the vaccine schedule, said senior officials at HHS. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the changes publicly.
“Abandoning recommendations for vaccines that prevent influenza, hepatitis and rotavirus, and changing the recommendation for HPV without a public process to weigh the risks and benefits, will lead to more hospitalizations and preventable deaths among American children,” said Michael Osterholm of the Vaccine Integrity Project, based at the University of Minnesota.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/05/us-vaccines-recommends-child/
The Golden Globes are this week. Here’s what to know about the first major show of awards season
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The Golden Globes return Sunday. The boozy, bubbly kickoff to Hollywood’s awards season will feature nominees including Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Emma Stone.
The 83rd Golden Globe Awards ceremony begins at 8 p.m. Eastern at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, and will be televised live on CBS and streamed live on Paramount+.
Critics Choice Awards 2026: The complete winners list
Here are more key things to know about the ceremony:
Who’s hosting the Golden Globes?
The comedian and actor Nikki Glaser will return as host for the second year, after a well-reviewed 2025 debut when she became the first woman to host the show solo.
Glaser didn’t go easy on the Hollywood crowd, but wasn’t nearly as barbed as she was in her star-making performance in a roast of Tom Brady. In her first monologue, she called the ceremony “Ozempic’s biggest night.”
When she was rehired, Glaser said in a statement that it was “the most fun I have ever had in my career.”
“I can’t wait to do it again, and this time in front of the team from ‘The White Lotus’ who will finally recognize my talent and cast me in Season Four as a Scandinavian Pilates instructor with a shadowy past,” she said.
Last year’s telecast drew an average of about 10 million viewers, holding steady from the year before. There are far fewer viewers then there were a decade ago, but the Globes remain the most watched awards show after the Oscars and the Grammys.
Who’s nominated for Golden Globes this year?
Oscar front-runner “One Battle After Another” leads all nominees with nine, including acting nods for DiCaprio and Chase Infiniti and a directing nomination for Paul Thomas Anderson.
The Globes divides films between drama and musical or comedy in the top categories, and “One Battle” was categorized as a comedy. Competing against DiCaprio will be Chalamet for “Marty Supreme” and George Clooney for “Jay Kelly.”
Infiniti’s competition includes Erivo for “Wicked: For Good,” Stone for “Bugonia” and Rose Byrne for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.”
The Danish film “Sentimental Value” was second with eight nominations, including an acting nod for star Renate Reinsve. Her competition on the drama side includes Jessie Buckley from “Hamnet,”Julia Roberts for “After the Hunt” and Jennifer Lawrence for “Die My Love.”
Male actors nominated for dramas include Jordan for “Sinners” and Dwayne Johnson for “The Smashing Machine.”
Grande, Teyana Taylor, Paul Mescal, Adam Sandler and Jacob Elordi are among those nominated in the supporting categories.
“The White Lotus” leads all TV nominees with six.
You can see a full list of nominees here: https://apnews.com/hub/golden-globe-awards
What are the Golden Globes?
The Globes, held annually in early January, are the first major ceremony of the awards season. They’re not exactly an Oscar bellwether — they have an entirely different voting base of journalists and critics — but they’re embraced as a champagne-soaked party with some of the biggest stars in film and television sitting together at tables like a nightclub.
A Globes win can still help build momentum for a movie or actor’s Oscar campaign, and it’s the first time the public may hear an acceptance speech that may be repeated with some variations for months, leading up to the Academy Awards, held this year on March 15.
Who’s getting a lifetime achievement award?
Helen Mirren will be honored with the Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Award for a life of work on screen, and Sarah Jessica Parker will get the Carol Burnett Award for her career in television.
Mirren and Parker this week will get a separate Beverly Hilton gala, a recording of which will air Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on CBS and also stream on Paramount+ on what’s being called “Golden Eve.”
Mirren, 80, an Oscar winner for her 2006 portrayal of Elizabeth II in “The Queen,” has also won three Golden Globes and is up for a fourth this year for her role in the series “MobLand.” She was named a Dame of the British Empire in 2003 in acknowledgment of her artistic achievements.
The DeMille award dates to 1952, when it was given to the legendary filmmaker himself. Other recipients include Walt Disney, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Sidney Poitier, Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks and Viola Davis.
Parker will get the much newer Carol Burnett Award, presented to an honoree who has “made outstanding contributions to television on or off screen.” The 60-year-old Parker, who won six Golden Globes and two Emmys as the star of “Sex and the City,” is being honored for her work as actor and producer.
The award was launched in 2019, when it went to Burnett. Other winners include Norman Lear, Ryan Murphy and Ellen DeGeneres.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/05/golden-globes-what/
Column: Recipients of federal food benefits need to be aware new eligibility rules
Recipients of federal government food assistance in the south and southwest suburbs, statewide and nationally need to be aware of changes going into effect this year that could cause them to lose benefits.
Those working to combat food insecurity say recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, should be taking steps now to protect their benefits and warn the changes will mean many more people will go hungry.
Starting Feb. 1, able-bodied adults who don’t meet new work, volunteer or training requirements or who aren’t exempt will only be eligible to receive three months of benefits, according to the Illinois Department of Human Services. After that, they will lose assistance entirely for three years starting May 1, stressed Man-Yee Lee, a spokesperson for the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
“We’re bracing ourselves for these historic changes coming to SNAP,” said Lee, adding more than 450,000 Illinoisans are estimated to be at risk of losing food access due to the new work reporting requirements.
“All of these changes are going to be leaving millions of SNAP participants across the country at risk of being kicked off the program,” she said.
Illinois was among states with high unemployment rates where federal waivers were in place, exempting more people from having to meet work requirements, Lee said. The budget reconciliation legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump last July took away those waivers.
Provisions of the legislation require people between age 18 and 64 to work or volunteer a minimum of 80 hours per month or participate in certain training or education to receive SNAP benefits. Most SNAP recipients need to meet the work requirements, according to the Illinois Department of Human Services.
There are some exceptions, notes the department, which is working to get the word out to SNAP recipients in part via information posted on its website. Those who don’t need to meet the new requirements generally include:
People younger than 18 or older than 64
A parent or other member of a household that includes a child under age 14
People who are medically certified as physically or mentally unable to work
People who are pregnant
A parent or other member of a household with responsibility for the care of an incapacitated person
A regular participant in a drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program
Some Native Americans
Under the old rules, the maximum age for work requirements was 54, and the work requirements didn’t apply to parents with any dependent child under the age of 18 living in the same household, the department said. The old rules also didn’t apply to veterans, young adults who grew up in foster care and people experiencing homelessness. These groups now must meet work requirements unless they fall into the exceptions outlined above.
The new rules “burden states and individuals who rely on this 100 percent federally funded benefits resource,” the department said in an email statement. “The Illinois Department of Human Services is communicating with SNAP participants regarding upcoming changes to SNAP and continues to provide support as people navigate new processes and changes imposed by the Trump Administration.”
The department notes to meet the work requirements, SNAP recipients must do one of the following or a combination:
Work paid or unpaid an average of 20 hours per week
Volunteer to take part and comply with a SNAP employment and training activity such as basic education, vocational training, work experience, community workfare, Earnfare
Do self-initiated community service with a community-based organization for an average of 20 hours per week
Annie Hill, who runs the Oak Forest-based VKMI Hattie B. Williams Food Pantry, said she expects to see more people coming in seeking help. She noted the number of clients the pantry serves has already increased.
Those who frequent the pantry have expressed concern about how the SNAP changes will affect them and their families and some have asked if they can volunteer at the pantry to help meet the new requirements, she said.
SNAP recipients who think they fall into the categories of recipients who don’t need to meet the work requirements should do their homework to make sure and confirm that the Illinois Department of Human Services knows that, said Lee.
“It becomes really, really important for people to update their details with the Illinois Department of Human Services if they think they are exempt or have been exempt in the past,” Lee said. “With the changes, just to be safe, check. Don’t leave it to chance.”
A food giveaway Nov. 1, 2025, at the Faith Community of Saint Sabina in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
If mistakes are made, they’re not reversible, so people need to make sure they aren’t accidentally shut out of the program, Lee said.
SNAP recipients subject to the new requirements should put plans in place now to see how they can satisfy the work and or volunteer requirements and look into free training programs to protect their benefits, Lee advised. But she notes many people won’t be able to meet the requirements.
“Work requirements don’t work,” she said. “They don’t increase the chances of people getting more jobs simply because there are very real barriers that people who are on SNAP are having to face. It’s not that they don’t want to work.”
Research consistently shows that SNAP time limits don’t increase long-term employment. Instead, they create administrative burdens and result in eligible people losing benefits due to paperwork errors, lack of child care and limited access to qualifying work or training, according to the Food Research and Action Center.
The changes will affect SNAP recipients and those not receiving SNAP benefits by having “a ripple effect in our community and on our businesses,” Lee said. “For every SNAP dollar that is spent in the community, it generates at least $1.50 back in economic activity.”
The food depository is anticipating increased demand for food from its pantry partners and will prepare to assist them as best it can.
“We’re always committed to providing as much food as our pantry partners need, but let’s be real,” Lee said. “The charitable organizations and the emergency food system will not be able to fill the gap. We’re already at full capacity because of elevated food prices, the elevated cost of health care and housing costs, so we know that lines at our pantries will grow and parents will skip meals so that their children can eat. Seniors will go without medicine so they can afford groceries.”
The food depository and others working to address food insecurity continue to urge people to let Congress know the changes to SNAP are going to be “catastrophic” and that Congress needs to reverse them, Lee stressed.
For more information on the changes, applying for benefits and eligibility requirements, visit abe.illinois.gov and www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=174038.
Francine Knowles at Fknowles.writer@gmail.com is a freelance columnist for the Daily Southtown.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/05/column-federal-food-recipients-new-eligibility-rules/
Afternoon Briefing: Palestinian orphanage gets van donated by Chicago nonprofit
Good afternoon, Chicago.
When Mohammed Abuobaid went to pick up a van for Palestinian orphans to go to school roughly two months ago, he was happier than if the vehicle were his own.
“The happiness felt is like walking in a cloud,” Abuobaid told the Tribune in Arabic, using Refugee Life Foundation co-founder Nader Abuzir as a translator.
The 15-seat 2022 GMC Savana gives about 30 children from the Center for the Protection of Childhood, an orphanage in the West Bank, a safe ride to and from school, he said. The large white van was funded by Chicagoans and others who took part in the Refugee Life Foundation’s Humanity 5K last April.
Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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Dayanne Figueroa, a U.S. citizen, in her mother’s backyard in Northlake on Oct. 26, 2025. An unmarked vehicle driven by federal agents collided with Figueroa’s car as the agents tried to speed away from a hostile crowd, multiple videos reviewed by the Tribune show. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago woman dragged out of her car after colliding with ICE demands accountability
As Dayanne Figueroa tried to drive through the 1600 block of West Hubbard Street on Friday, Oct. 10, an unmarked vehicle driven by federal agents collided with Figueroa’s as it tried to speed away from a hostile crowd, multiple videos reviewed by the Tribune show. Read more here.
More top news stories:
CPD Deputy Chief William Betancourt, a ‘great leader’ in the department, dies over the weekend
North Central University of Naperville? NCC considers name change as it grapples with brand recognition, identity
Illinoisans react with hope and dread after Venezuelan president ousted
The State/Lake CTA Station in Chicago on Dec. 4, 2025. The 120-year-old station closed Jan. 5, 2026 for construction and won’t reopen until 2029. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
State/Lake ‘L’ station in the Loop closed for 3-year rebuild
The station is slated to get demolished and rebuilt as part of a massive $444 million revamp the CTA and the Chicago Department of Transportation say will “improve safety, accessibility, and comfort for all riders.” Read more here.
More top business stories:
Company plans $58M in upgrades to Waukegan plant
Concerns raised about delay of NIPSCO’s Schahfer closure
Bears running back Kyle Monangai celebrates a first down in overtime against the Green Packers at Soldier Field on Dec. 20, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Bears’ 1st-round playoff game vs. Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on Saturday
It will be the first Bears playoff game since the 2020 season and the first playoff game at Soldier Field since the 2018 season, when kicker Cody Parkey missed a last-second field-goal try against the Philadelphia Eagles. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
Can Matas Buzelis take the reins as the primary playmaker for the injury-depleted Chicago Bulls?
Tyler Bertuzzi’s 5th career hat trick lifts Chicago Blackhawks to a 3rd straight win — all in extra periods
College football transfer portal tracker: Illinois signs QB Katin Houser — and kicker David Olano moves on
Owner Michael Hornick, center, talks with customers during the dinner rush at The Chicago Diner during its final day of business at the Logan Square location in Chicago, Dec. 12, 2025. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago’s vegan restaurants struggled in 2025. But the reasons why are complicated.
The Chicago Diner is one of at least four vegan or plant-based restaurants in the city that announced closures in late 2025. And several of them — like the diner on Milwaukee Avenue — had outwardly appeared to be prospering, only to suddenly shut down. Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
Tickets on sale this week for 2026 Chicago Theatre Week
Critics Choice Awards 2026: The complete winners list
President Donald Trump monitors U.S. military operations in Venezuela, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Jan. 3, 2026. (Molly Riley/The White House via AP)
Trump spurs speculation about his plans for Greenland, Cuba and Colombia after capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
A day after the audacious U.S. military operation in Venezuela, President Donald Trump yesterday renewed his calls for an American takeover of the Danish territory of Greenland for the sake of U.S. security interests and threatened military action on Colombia for facilitating the global sale of cocaine, while his top diplomat declared the communist government in Cuba is “in a lot of trouble.” Read more here.
More top stories from around the world:
Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says ‘I was captured’ as he pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges
Man who broke windows at Vice President JD Vance’s Ohio home is detained, Secret Service says
No charges after woman extracted from car after crashing into a pole on New Year’s Day in Niles
A vehicle was heavily damaged after its driver crashed into a pole and had to be extricated overnight on New Years Eve, but Niles police said no charges or investigation are pending, and the condition of the driver is unknown to authorities.
Emergency responders were called around 3 a.m. on Jan. 1 to the intersection of West Touhy and North Milwaukee avenues in Niles on a report of a crash. A fire department spokesman told Pioneer Press that the incident was a single-vehicle crash where the driver, identified only as a woman around 40 years old, slammed into a pole. She was the only occupant in the car.
There was a “large impact to the driver door,” according to fire department District Chief Evan Schachtel. He said the woman was conscious as emergency responders worked to pull her from the wreckage.
She was transported to Lutheran General Hospital.
Hours later, photos depicting the damage and condition of the car were posted on the Niles Fire Department’s Facebook page. There were pictures showing the vehicle with its windshield badly cracked and separated from the car frame. Also, the hood of the car, and other front end parts, were badly damaged.
Schachtel said it took firefighters about nine minutes to extricate the woman.
On Monday, a Niles police spokesman told Pioneer Press that the driver is not facing any charges and there is no pending investigation.
“It was just an accident,” the police spokesman said.
US Mainstream Media Had Prior Knowledge Of Trump’s Venezuela Assault But Withheld Coverage
US Mainstream Media Had Prior Knowledge Of Trump’s Venezuela Assault But Withheld Coverage
The two largest US newspapers learned in advance of the secret US raid to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but chose not to publish what they knew to avoid endangering US troops, Semafor reported on 4 January, citing two people familiar with the matter.
Despite their hostility toward US President Donald Trump regarding domestic issues, the New York Times (NYT) and Washington Post cooperated with his administration ahead of the operation to attack Venezuela.
US forces deployed more than 150 aircraft to eliminate air defenses, clearing the way for helicopters to insert troops who then moved on to President Maduro’s location.
After Maduro and his wife were abducted, President Trump and top administration officials praised the operation, citing both the lack of US casualties and the total secrecy surrounding it, including from the media.
“The coordination, the stealth, the precision, the very long arm of American justice – all on display in the middle of the night,” Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said.
Trump approved the assault at 10:46 pm Friday. Though aware of the decision, the NYT and Washington Post waited several hours before reporting it because the White House had warned that doing so would expose US troops performing the operation to danger.
However, the decision also showed disregard for the lives of Venezuelans.
US airstrikes accompanying the commando operation killed 40 people, including civilians and military personnel, a senior Venezuelan official told the NYT on Saturday.
One strike targeted a three-story civilian apartment complex in Catia La Mar, a poor coastal area just west of the Caracas airport, killing an 80-year-old woman, Rosa González, and seriously wounding a second person.
The leaks to the Press regarding the Venezula mission is dangerous. Anyone who saw those plans needs to be polygraphed.
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) January 5, 2026
Following the airstrikes, US President Donald Trump announced that US forces had “captured” Maduro and his wife, also telling reporters that Maduro had “offered everything” to the US, from Venezuelan oil and natural resources to mediation, according to reporters.
Spokespersons for the White House, the Pentagon, and the Washington Post declined to comment on the conversations between journalists and officials Friday night. A NYT spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/05/2026 – 14:45
Robbins Historical Society director aims to digitize and increase access to town’s Black history
Dawn Colquitt Anderson, who grew up in Robbins, said she felt dumbfounded, then embarrassed then angry when she took her first tour of the Robbins History Museum in 2018 and realized how little she and her family knew of their town’s history.
She said her 11-year-old niece asked her why she had not learned in school that Robbins, one of the first Black-led municipalities in the U.S., was home to the first Black-owned airport and flight school.
Anderson said that moment inspired her to study Robbins’ history for her doctoral dissertation and now, as the executive director of the Robbins Historical Society, she is working to digitize history to increase its accessibility.
She said passing on history is critical to giving the community roots and said learning her own history grounded her in a way she had never experienced.
“You are helping them to understand their place in society, in the world, in the country, and if they don’t know it then they go out in the world rootless, which means they can be swayed easier, like a boat without an anchor,” she said.
Anderson was appointed in August after director and founder Tyrone Haymore died suddenly in May, leaving the village without a critical advocate for its history.
Haymore was the last living member of the original historical society, which he founded in 1980.
Anderson, who has been on the Robbins Historical Museum board since 2018 and graduated with a doctorate in global inclusion and social development in May 2025, said she worked closely with Haymore for years.
She said he asked her to transition into the director position in 2023, but she was offered a Fulbright scholarship in Canada and had to delay the offer.
Anderson said she now lives in Harvey, where she takes care of her mother, and also Memphis, Tennessee, going back and forth as needed.
Four out of five members of the Robbins Historical Society and Museum board stand together in October 2025. (J. Anthony Williams)
Anderson said she chose to honor Haymore this year by starting to digitize his work, which she said would help make the community’s stories more accessible to scholars, educators and content creators.
Anderson launched a website for the historical society, which is still being built out, along with a Facebook account, where she posted some of the society’s archival material and her own interviews with elders.
She also started using social media to encourage residents to interview their own elders and share that with the museum.
Anderson said the response to these historical posts show residents are “hungry” for the village’s history.
“The people who are the keepers of our story, you know, they’re aging, they’re transitioning, memories are waning,” Anderson said. “I’m trying to encourage the generations that are here to participate in the historic preservation efforts of the village.”
Founded by Cornelius R. Coffey and John C. Robinson, the Robbins Airport was the first Black owned and operated airport in the United States. (Robbins Historical Society & Museum)
Anderson also said she hopes that digitizing the museum content will encourage educators and scholars at institutions to access and teach the village’s history.
She said teaching this local, culturally relevant history is “the key to closing academic gaps.” Students can relate to this history, she said, because it is local, tangible and a part of their community, sometimes even to their homes.
Anderson said she noticed students’ eyes light up when they learn a place they walk past regularly is connected to a national historical event. She observed this after creating a summer workshop focused on helping Robbins teachers share local history.
Anderson is working on establishing a wall dedicated to Haymore at the William Leonard Public Library, where historical information and photos can be displayed year round. She said this is scheduled to open Feb. 3.
She said she also aims to attain historic landmark status for the one-story former S.B. Fuller house at 135th Street and South Kedzie Avenue, which was donated to the historical society in 2015.
Haymore said in 2022 he wanted the move the museum from its storefront at 3644 W. 139th, to the Fuller house.
But fundraising has not been sufficient to pay for renovations to the Fuller home, and Anderson said she hopes establishing landmark status will help the historical society access more state and federal grants.
Tyrone Haymore, director of the Robbins History Museum, stands across the street from the S.B. Fuller Mansion on Kedzie Avenue in Robbins in February 2022. (Paul Eisenberg/Daily Southtown)
Anderson also said she is inspired by the “young” energy that Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant brings to the area’s history.
Bryant, who was youngest Black mayor in Illinois when he was elected in 2021, said he plans to honor Haymore’s legacy by continuing to improve the village and dispel negative stigma around Robbins as a low-income community.
Bryant referenced the village’s $30 million flood control and recreation project as part of his success.
He said it has been hard without Haymore, who he referred to as a mentor and “walking encyclopedia,” reminding the village of its own identity.
“If you’re not constantly repeating and looking yourself in the mirror, sometimes you lose a sense of identity or you just need to be reminded of who you really are,” he said.
Bryant said Robbins has been able to maintain its identity as the longest-standing Black community in the south suburbs due to its strong community foundation and religious faith, even through a history of “neglect” and financial instability.
Bryant said he plans a gala event for 2027 to recognize the 110th year since the village was incorporated Dec. 14, 1917.
awright@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/05/robbins-historical-society-digitize-access/
CPD Deputy Chief William Betancourt, a ‘great leader’ in the department, dies over the weekend
Chicago police are mourning the death of Deputy Chief William Betancourt, who died while he was off duty Saturday morning, officials said.
Betancourt, 60, served with the Chicago Police Department for nearly 30 years, going up the ranks from sergeant to deputy chief, according to his LinkedIn.
The department described him as someone who “embodied what it meant to be a public servant and a great leader throughout his career” at the department.
“He will be deeply missed by his brothers and sisters at the Chicago Police Department,” CPD said in a statement.
Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, mourned the loss of Betancourt on Facebook. “Our hearts are with his family, friends, and the Chicago Police Department in this moment of grieving,” he said.
Villegas said Betancourt had worked closely with his ward in Chicago’s Northwest Side for years.
“His dedication and desire to see better for our neighborhoods and communities were evident in his actions and his consistent presence every day that he showed up for work, striving for a better tomorrow,” Villegas said.
An autopsy performed by the Cook County medical examiner’s office found that Betancourt, who joined CPD in 1996, died of heart disease.
Before he was promoted to deputy chief, Betancourt served as commander of CPD’s Ogden (10th) District, which covers the Little Village and North Lawndale neighborhoods.
CPD records show the number of reported index crimes in the Ogden District consistently fell while Betancourt served as commander.
The Tribune’s Sam Charles contributed.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/05/cpd-chief-william-betancourt-dies/
Watch: Dems Screeched For Maduro’s Ouster… Until Trump Delivered It
Watch: Dems Screeched For Maduro’s Ouster… Until Trump Delivered It
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is rushing to block President Trump’s successful operation to arrest Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, labeling it “lawlessness” and a violation of congressional authority—despite Schumer himself and a string of Democrats and their media mouthpieces previously blasting Trump for failing to end the Maduro regime.
With Maduro now in custody and the U.S. overseeing a transition in Venezuela, Democrats have immediately cried foul, with Schumer appearing on ABC’s “This Week” to decry the move as unauthorized nation-building that will cost American lives and dollars.
Schumer declared, “The American people this morning are scratching their heads in wonderment and in fear of what the president has proposed,” adding, “We have learned through years when America tries to do regime change and nation building in this way, the American people pay the price in both blood and in dollars.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticizes the U.S strike in Venezuela and capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro: “It’s a violation of the law to do what they did without getting the authorization of Congress.” https://t.co/aSFDwCl1fl pic.twitter.com/6XgO2OVWwi
— ABC News (@ABC) January 4, 2026
Schumer further accused the Trump administration of bombing civilian sites and vowed to introduce a War Powers Act resolution, co-sponsored with Tim Kaine and Rand Paul, to halt further actions without congressional approval. “If it’s voted positively in both houses, then the president can’t do another thing in Venezuela without the OK of Congress,” Schumer stated.
Yet, this is the same Schumer who, in 2020, ridiculed Trump’s Venezuela policy for not going far enough. In a Senate floor speech, he declared, “The President brags about his Venezuela policy? Give us a break. He hasn’t brought an end to the Maduro regime.”
2020. Chuck Schumer criticizes Trump for not bringing an end to the Maduro regime.
Schumer: “The President brags about his Venezuela policy? Give us a break. He hasn’t brought an end to the Maduro regime.” pic.twitter.com/kMkwSWd0yl
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 4, 2026
The contrast couldn’t be starker: back then, Democrats demanded action against the narco-terrorist indicted on drug trafficking charges; now, they defend the status quo to spite Trump.
Democrats and their media allies are suddenly Maduro apologists, despite the fact that during Trump’s first term and beyond, they relentlessly pushed for the dictator’s removal, tying Maduro’s survival to Trump’s alleged weakness.
Watch: Sen. Chris Murphy just last year urging action against Maduro, only to flip and call Trump’s operation to remove him corrupt and unrelated to U.S. security.
Chris Murphy in 2024.pic.twitter.com/ZraWqvp8Xn https://t.co/PaOXDKuA0q
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 4, 2026
Murphy has been beating this drum since 2019. Now suddenly, he’s against it? Clown.
“getting rid of Maduro is good for the United States” – Chris Murphy, 1/23/19
What happened, Chris? https://t.co/trUmFj8kZc
— Kevin M. Nelson (@KevinMNelsonUSA) January 4, 2026
Watch: Sen. Chris Van Hollen echoed the call in 2024, declaring Maduro “absolutely lost the election, is not legitimate, and has to be removed from power.” His about-face now is laughable.
Here’s the grifter known as Chris Van Hollen in 2024 declaring that Maduro absolutely lost the election, is not legitimate, and has to be removed from power. https://t.co/p8Ayyq5yDx pic.twitter.com/k4rwJCjyFt
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 4, 2026
Watch: Rachel Maddow, in September 2024, lumped Maduro with dictators like Putin and Kim Jong Un, saying, “They want no one anywhere to think it is possible let alone desirable to throw a strong man out.” Now, with Trump succeeding where Biden failed, Maddow’s silence speaks volumes.
September, 2024. Rachel Maddow: Putin, Maduro, Trump, Kim Jong Un, and Xi Jinping are all the same.
Maddow: “They want no one anywhere to think it is possible let alone desirable to throw a strong man out.”
Nice call Madcow. pic.twitter.com/IH8hhu0VOF
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 4, 2026
Leftists and Dems all over MSNBC and CNN repeatedly claimed Maduro’s hold on power proved Trump was “Putin’s puppet,” ignoring how Biden’s policies later empowered the regime.
During Trump’s first term Maduro stayed in power after an illegitimate election.
The MSM/Democrats repeatedly claimed that Maduro remaining in power was proof that Trump was “Putin’s puppet.”
Everyone in this video will now be condemning Trump. It’s so pathetic. pic.twitter.com/EpCcOxESNP
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 3, 2026
Flash back to 2019: Bipartisan applause in Congress when Trump recognized Venezuela’s legitimate leader over Maduro. Democrats cheered then; now they whine.
2019. A rare bipartisan clap for Trump after he recognizes the true winner of the Venezuelan election.
In 2024 Maduro lost another election but he stayed in power. The Biden Admin began seizing some of his assets, including his plane. Many democrats called for him to be removed… pic.twitter.com/0el6qNoJP9
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 3, 2026
The hypocrisy peaks in Democrats’ past smears portraying Trump as Maduro’s ideological twin, craving the same authoritarian control.
The talking point was relentlessly hammered: Trump supposedly wants to be like Maduro, depriving people of freedom. They insisted Trump praises leaders like Maduro for their iron-fisted rule. Where are they now?
Democrat talking point repeated regularly during the Biden years.
Maduro is one of the worst people alive and Trump wants to be just like him. pic.twitter.com/uraZDCY6Im
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 3, 2026
“Fascism expert” Ruth Ben-Ghiat claimed in 2024 that Trump admires Maduro’s deprivation of freedoms. Her “expertise” crumbles now that Trump freed Venezuelans from that very tyranny.
2024. Ruth Ben-Ghiat (professor and so called “expert” on fascism and authoritarian leaders) says that Trump praises leaders like Maduro because he likes the way that they deprive their people of freedom.
What an expert. ? pic.twitter.com/W6fccS9LQI
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 3, 2026
Even Rep. Jamie Raskin joined in last year, demanding the world oppose Maduro’s “right-wing attack on democratic institutions.”
Last year, demanding the world oppose Maduro because he’s “right wing.” ? https://t.co/CkmO6f9XSZ
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 3, 2026
Predictably, Biden’s weakness invited this mess. In 2023, his admin eased sanctions on Venezuela for Maduro’s empty promise of fair elections—which he promptly stole in 2024, arresting opponents and clinging to power.
In 2023 the Biden Admin rolled back sanctions on Venezuela in exchange for a promise from Maduro that Venezuela would hold free and fair elections.
In 2024 Maduro lost the election, stayed in power, and had his opponents arrested or driven from the country. pic.twitter.com/PRBc8lpJjA
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 3, 2026
Then after it became clear what was happening, the Biden administration moved to pave the way for Maduro to be ousted.
VENEZUELA: Biden raised Maduro’s bounty to $25M, declared him a fugitive, & denied him head of state immunity making it lawful for US troops to arrest him on Venezuelan soil. Democrats now call the arrest Biden enabled and authorized ‘illegal’. pic.twitter.com/23ffxTIzYZ
— @amuse (@amuse) January 4, 2026
This is all about blind opposition to Trump. Democrats would now rather prop up dictators than admit Trump’s policies are working. With Maduro gone, the U.S. secures its borders, cuts off narco-flows, and weakens globalist foes.
Their blatant hypocrisy exposes the Democrats’ terminal case of Trump Derangement Syndrome: they oppose anything Trump does, even if it aligns with their past demands, simply because it’s him doing it and they have no other direction to steer their sinking rat infested husk.
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Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/05/2026 – 14:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/watch-dems-screeched-maduros-ouster-until-trump-delivered-it
