Category: News
Earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 rattles southern and central Mexico
MEXICO CITY — A strong earthquake rattled southern and central Mexico on Friday, interrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first press briefing of the new year as seismic alarms sounded.
The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 and its epicenter was near the town of San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero near the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco, according to Mexico’s national seismological agency.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 21.7 miles (35 kilometers), 2.5 miles north-northwest of Rancho Viejo, Guerrero, which is in the mountains about 57 miles northeast of Acapulco.
Sheinbaum resumed her press briefing a short time later and said that she had spoken with Guerrero’s Gov. Evelyn Salgado, who told her there was no serious damage reported so far.
Residents and tourists in Mexico City and Acapulco rushed into the streets when the shaking began.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/earthquake-southern-central-mexico/
Kendall Coyne Schofield set to make 4th Olympics appearance as US women’s hockey unveils 23-player roster
Hilary Knight is set to make her fifth Olympic appearance, and this time lead a younger, faster U.S. women’s national team that’s favored to win gold at the Milan Cortina Winter Games next month.
The 36-year-old Knight headlines the list as USA Hockey released its 23-player Olympic women’s roster on Friday.
It’s a group that returns just 11 members from the team that won silver at the 2022 Beijing Games, and features several newcomers, highlighted by defender Laila Edwards. From Cleveland, the 21-year-old Wisconsin senior is set to become the first Black female hockey player to compete for the U.S. at the Olympics.
“It still hasn’t really kicked in yet. Getting that call is like a dream come true,” Edwards said. “Always had dreams of playing in the pros, but the biggest dream was to go the Olympics for sure.”
As for Knight, she will set a U.S. women’s hockey record for most Winter Games appearances after winning gold in 2018 and three silver medals. The Seattle Torrent captain previously announced these will be her final Winter Games, while planning to continue her PWHL career.
US men’s hockey picks a 4 Nations-heavy roster for Milan Olympics, including ex-Blackhawk Seth Jones
The U.S. roster features various familiar faces, including forward Kendall Coyne Schofield and defender Lee Stecklein, who will both be competing in a fourth Winter Games. Other returnees include forwards Alex Carpenter and Kelly Pannek, and defenders Megan Keller and Caroline Harvey, who at 23 is completing her senior season at Wisconsin.
The roster has otherwise been transformed under coach John Wroblewski, who placed an emphasis on a youth movement upon being hired in June 2022.
The Americans relied mostly on veterans and appeared a step behind in finishing 5-2 — with both losses to Canada — in Beijing under former coach Joel Johnson.
This year’s team features seven players still competing at college, with 20-year-old Ohio State forward Joy Dunne being the youngest. The goalie trio is also new, with projected starter Aerin Frankel, projected backup Gwyneth Philips, and third-stringer Ava McNaughton set to make their Olympic debuts.
Wroblewski’s imprint on the roster was evident particularly in the most recent Rivalry Series, in which the Americans swept all four games by out-scoring the Canadians by a combined margin of 24-7. The U.S. is also the defending world champions after a 4-3 overtime win against Canada in April.
The Americans open the Olympics facing the Czech Republic on Feb. 5, with the gold-medal game set for Feb. 19.
The U.S. is favored to win its third Olympic gold medal, and first since defeating Canada at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games. The Americans also won the inaugural tournament at Nagano in 1998, with the Canadians winning gold at the other five Olympic competitions.
These are the first Olympics since the PWHL began play in 2024, with the now eight-team league expected to make an impact by raising the level of international competition and bridging the gap among nations trailing the two global powers U.S. and Canada.
The U.S. roster features 16 PWHL players.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/us-womens-hockey-olympic-roster/
Tesla Q4 Deliveries Fall 16% As Investors Pivot Toward Robotaxi, Optimus
Tesla Q4 Deliveries Fall 16% As Investors Pivot Toward Robotaxi, Optimus
Tesla delivered 418,227 vehicles in Q4 2025, below Wall Street’s expectation of roughly 426,000 deliveries, according to CNBC and the company. Production totaled 434,358 vehicles. For the full year, Tesla delivered 1.64 million vehicles in 2025, down 9% from 2024 and marking the second consecutive annual decline in deliveries.
Shares are now down about 10% from recent highs, despite the stock holding relatively firm given the disappointing numbers so far today.
On December 29, the company publicly released its own analyst delivery consensus for the quarter via a press release on its investor relations website — a significant departure from its normal practice. Tesla typically compiles these estimates but only shares them privately with a select group of analysts and major investors.
The decision to publish the consensus suggested the automaker was trying to manage expectations ahead of what it appeared to anticipate would be a disappointing report.
That internal survey of 20 analysts projected 422,850 deliveries for the quarter, far below the broader public consensus at the time, which ranged from roughly 440,000 to 450,000 vehicles. Even Tesla’s lowered benchmark proved too high.
Fourth-quarter deliveries declined 16% from a year earlier, when Tesla delivered 495,570 vehicles. Production fell 5.5% from the 459,445 vehicles the company built in the same period last year.
EV blog electrek wrote in response to the numbers:
“This is pretty much exactly what we expected: a 15% drop year-over-year and a quarter-over-quarter as Tesla loses incentives in the US and its decline in Europe and China continues. Tesla did report of 14.2 GWh of energy storage deployment, a new record. It’s a silverlining, but it won’t be enough to compensate for the significant drop in electric vehicle deliveries.
Tesla will end 2025 with a second consecutive year of decline in revenue and earnings despite being a “leader” in the globally booming EV market. There’s room for concern: unless you 100% believe in Musk’s pivot to AI. Then, you have nothing to worry about.”
The company’s deliveries peaked at 1.81 million vehicles in 2023 before its growth began to stall amid intensifying global competition and an aging vehicle lineup.
Tesla’s fourth-quarter breakdown showed 406,585 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles delivered, along with 11,642 deliveries from its other models, for a total of 418,227.
The pressure on Tesla’s core auto business has become especially visible in Europe. While the company does not provide geographic delivery data, figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association show Tesla’s registrations in the region fell 39% in the first 11 months of 2025, even as overall battery-electric vehicle adoption increased. During the same period, Chinese rival BYD’s European registrations surged 240%.
Tesla now faces fierce competition from a growing list of global automakers, including BYD, Xiaomi and Geely in China, Hyundai and Kia in South Korea, and Volkswagen in Europe. At the same time, political controversies surrounding CEO Elon Musk have contributed to consumer backlash in both Europe and the United States, further weighing on the brand.
The company’s energy business offered a bright spot. Tesla said it deployed 14.2 gigawatt-hours of battery energy storage products in the fourth quarter, up from a record 12.5 GWh in the prior period. The division supplies large-scale systems to utilities and data centers as well as backup batteries for homes.
Some analysts believe Tesla’s newly introduced lower-priced Model Y standard, launched in October, could help stabilize sales in coming quarters, particularly in emerging markets such as Brazil, Thailand and Vietnam. Still, Tesla enters 2026 facing its most uncertain growth outlook in more than a decade, as investors increasingly weigh Elon Musk’s ambitious long-term vision for robotaxis and humanoid robots against the near-term realities of slowing vehicle demand.
Tesla is scheduled to report its full fourth-quarter financial results on Jan. 28.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/02/2026 – 09:45
Could Electricity Prices Become A Structural Inflation Problem
Could Electricity Prices Become A Structural Inflation Problem
Most Americans are paying higher electricity prices, and the pressure is unlikely to ease anytime soon.
According to the Wall Street Journal, electricity prices have risen meaningfully across much of the country since 2022, and the drivers extend well beyond the frequently cited surge in data-center demand.
While electricity prices had historically tracked inflation, that relationship broke down after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent natural gas prices sharply higher.
Since then, utilities have faced rising fuel costs, storm damage from hurricanes and wildfires, and the need to replace aging grid infrastructure.
State-level renewable energy mandates have also driven up costs in regions where wind and solar resources are less efficient, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Looking ahead, the pressure is set to intensify.
The Energy Department expects average residential electricity prices to rise another 4% in 2026, following a nearly 5% increase this year. Investor-owned utilities are projected to spend roughly $1.1 trillion between 2025 and 2029 on transmission, distribution, and generation. That’s double what they spent in the prior decade, and those costs are typically passed through to customers over time.
For consumers, electricity is already the second-largest energy expense after gasoline.
For investors, persistently rising power costs risk becoming a more durable source of inflation than policymakers anticipate.
Even if headline inflation cools, higher utility bills could continue to pressure household budgets, complicate the Fed’s disinflation narrative, and weigh on consumer-driven growth.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/02/2026 – 09:35
Woman killed in suspected mountain lion attack in Colorado
A woman was killed Thursday afternoon in what Colorado wildlife officers are investigating as a potential mountain lion attack on a trail near Estes Park, according to state officials.
Hikers on the Crosier Mountain Trail in unincorporated Larimer County, south of Glen Haven, spotted a mountain lion near a woman who was lying on the ground at around 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said.
As the hikers approached, they threw rocks at the mountain lion to scare it away from the woman’s body, Van Hoose said. One of the hikers, a physician, examined the woman and couldn’t find a pulse, she said.
The woman, who investigators believe was hiking alone on the trail, died from unspecified injuries and will be publicly identified by the Larimer County Coroner’s Office. The office also will release her cause of death.
State and local authorities searched on the ground and by air for the animal believed to be involved in the fatal attack and euthanized two mountain lions near the scene, Van Hoose said.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists will examine the euthanized mountain lions to find any abnormalities or diseases that may have affected the animals.
The wildlife agency’s northeast regional office announced it was investigating a suspected mountain lion attack south of Glen Haven just before 4:45 p.m. Thursday. Glen Haven is about 7 miles northeast of Estes Park and just over a mile north of Crosier Mountain.
All three Crosier Mountain trailheads — Glen Haven, Rainbow and Garden Gate — were shut down Thursday afternoon after the attack, according to the Glen Haven Area Volunteer Fire Department.
The nearby Houston Heights trailhead also was closed, the department said.
Investigators are working to determine if one or several mountain lions were involved in the attack, she said.
Colorado is home to 3,800 to 4,400 mountain lions, according to estimates from Parks and Wildlife.
“Mountain lions are most active from dusk to dawn, although they travel and hunt in daylight,” agency officials wrote on a webpage about the species. “Mountain lions stalk prey and attack with a rush, often from behind. Their powerful bite crushes the windpipe of their prey or breaks the neck during a kill.”
People should walk or hike in groups and make noise to avoid surprising a mountain lion in its territory, according to Parks and Wildlife.
If hikers do run into the animal, they should speak calmly, move slowly and avoid running, agency officials said. People should also raise their arms, open their jacket and pick up small children or pets to appear larger.
“If the lion behaves aggressively, throw objects, wave your arms and speak firmly,” agency officials wrote. “If the lion does not leave the area, face the lion and slowly back away. Fight back if attacked.”
Before Thursday’s fatal incident, Colorado Parks and Wildlife had recorded only 28 mountain lion attacks on humans since 1990, Van Hoose said. The most recent fatal attack happened in 1999, according to the agency.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/colorado-mountain-lion-attack/
US men’s hockey picks a 4 Nations-heavy roster for Milan Olympics, including ex-Blackhawk Seth Jones
Tage Thompson and Clayton Keller helped the U.S. win the world hockey championship for the first time since 1933, while Seth Jones was a key part of the Florida Panthers’ second consecutive Stanley Cup run.
Those contributions earned them a spot on the U.S. Olympic team as the only three additions from the 4 Nations Face-Off early last year.
USA Hockey unveiled its roster Friday on the “Today” show, with a vast majority of it made up of players who took part in the NHL-run international tournament in February, when the Americans made the final before losing to Canada in overtime. The only ones not back from the 4 Nations are forward Chris Kreider and former New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox.
“It was incredibly difficult for our management group to get to the final roster and that’s a credit to so many in our country, including all those at the grassroots level who help make our sport so strong,” general manager Bill Guerin said. “There’s nothing like the Olympics and I know our players and staff will represent our country well and work hard to achieve our ultimate goal.”
Keller, who’s captain of the Utah Mammoth and tied for their lead in scoring, wore the “C” at worlds. Thompson, who plays for the Buffalo Sabres, was a point-a-game producer.
The U.S. followed Canada’s lead after its northern neighbor also chose a 4 Nations-heavy roster. But while Canada made some changes in net beyond starter Jordan Binnington, the Americans went with the same three goaltenders: Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman.
Left off were Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars, who’s leads U.S. players in points this season, and a couple other elite goal scorers, Cole Caufield and Alex DeBrincat.
Guerin and his management staff, along with coach Mike Sullivan, prioritized experience and players they knew well. That meant sticking with depth forwards Vincent Trocheck and Brock Nelson over Robertson and others.
Teams are allowed 25 players at the Olympics, up from 23 at the 4 Nations, and can dress 20 skaters — typically 13 forwards and seven defenseman, along with two goalies. The first U.S. game is Feb. 12 against Latvia.
Team Canada completes its Olympic roster — with Macklin Celebrini but no Connor Bedard
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/us-mens-hockey-olympic-roster/
Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Strikes Near Mexico City
Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Strikes Near Mexico City
A powerful magnitude 6.3 earthquake was just detected 13 miles northwest of Ayutla de los Libres, Mexico, or about 220 miles from Mexico City.
“Not sure what the damage is yet, but a pretty big earthquake just hit Acapulco. My building shook for a good 10 seconds here in Mexico City, about 190 miles away,” one X user said.
Not sure what the damage is yet, but a pretty big earthquake just hit Acapulco.
My building shook for a good 10 seconds here in Mexico City, about 190 miles away. pic.twitter.com/l9GQAAOCrx
— BowTiedPassport (@BowTiedPassport) January 2, 2026
Footage:
❗️ 6.5 Earthquake in Guerrero, Mexico causes entire building to SWAY
HUNDREDS evacuated from apartment buildings — ITVNews https://t.co/Ga3J8WVqJ3 pic.twitter.com/Yh3KNpTDXW
— RT (@RT_com) January 2, 2026
VIDEO: Moment earthquake hits Mexico https://t.co/jlK0zh27za pic.twitter.com/rHctOn79Jr
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 2, 2026
Mexico
Earthquake
Mexico city
Temnlor#earthquake #mexicoxity pic.twitter.com/2TSj1Fy9Gi
— Shikha Panchhi (@ShikhaPanchhi) January 2, 2026
Strong earthquake shakes Mexico- 6.5 in San Marcos, Guerrero – video from center of Mexico City pic.twitter.com/fuHIIAWQqK
— Andalalucha (@Andalalucha) January 2, 2026
A happy new year earthquake in Mexico City.
Just got woken up by the earthquake alarm and a short sharp skake… pic.twitter.com/JeKmy5hVwj
— Ioan Grillo (@ioangrillo) January 2, 2026
Mexican President Sheinbaum’s presser was disrupted.
WATCH: Moment earthquake triggers alarm during Mexican President Sheinbaum’s conference, reporters rushed out pic.twitter.com/3CNd8jweTW
— Rapid Report (@RapidReport2025) January 2, 2026
*Developing…
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/02/2026 – 09:21
https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/magnitude-63-earthquake-strikes-near-mexico-city
SBA Suspends 7,000 Minnesota Borrowers Over “Suspected Fraudulent Activity”
SBA Suspends 7,000 Minnesota Borrowers Over “Suspected Fraudulent Activity”
Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced late Thursday that nearly 7,000 Minnesota borrowers have been suspended over suspected fraud. The move follows a bombshell report last week by citizen journalist Nick Shirley, who detailed alleged large-scale fraud tied to daycare centers operated by Somali-linked networks. The revelations sparked national outrage, with many Americans angered that their taxes are funding what appears to be industrial-scale migrant welfare fraud.
“Over the last week, SBA has reviewed thousands of potentially fraudulent pandemic-era PPP and EIDL loans approved in Minnesota,” Loeffler said Thursday on X.
She continued:
Today, our agency took action to suspend 6,900 Minnesota borrowers amid suspected fraudulent activity. In total, these borrowers were approved for 7,900 PPP and EIDL loans worth approximately $400M. These individuals will be banned from all SBA loan programs, including disaster loans, going forward.
We will also refer every case, where appropriate, to federal law enforcement for prosecution and repayment.
After years, the American people will finally begin to see the criminals who stole from law-abiding taxpayers held accountable, and this is just the first state.
Over the last week, SBA has reviewed thousands of potentially fraudulent pandemic-era PPP and EIDL loans approved in Minnesota.
Today, our agency took action to suspend 6,900 Minnesota borrowers amid suspected fraudulent activity. In total, these borrowers were approved for…
— Kelly Loeffler (@SBA_Kelly) January 2, 2026
Early in December, Loeffler announced a full investigation into “the network of Somali organizations and executives” implicated in Covid-era fraud schemes in the corrupt Democratic-run state.
Tim Walz’s state has been in the spotlight over allegations of industrial-scale fraud, with US Attorney Joe Thompson recently warning that the total could top $9 billion across 14 Medicaid programs.
The scandal began at nonprofit Feeding Our Future, based in Minnesota, which was accused of stealing from the Federal Child Nutrition Program by falsely claiming to distribute meals during the Covid pandemic.
A Christopher F. Rufo report alleged that some of the welfare fraud was funneled into an overseas terrorist organization…
Shirley’s bombshell report of what appeared to be “empty” day care and autism centers run by Somali operators only suggests possible front companies to maximize extraction from taxpayer programs while minimizing detection.
In response, as we coined “The Shirley Effect,” citizen journalists have flooded Democratic-run states and cities to search for fraud, and what they have found in just one week is deeply alarming (read here).
The Somali “daycare manager” appears to be wearing $2,500 glasses. https://t.co/MeIx3wDQPu pic.twitter.com/1nFylQJNkL
— Nathan Hansen (@nathanmhansen) December 31, 2025
By late week, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it had frozen federal child care payments nationwide, citing mounting reports of suspected fraud.
“MN mom” panics after seeing “fraud is bad” in her script pic.twitter.com/EaV2Ptjssh
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 31, 2025
The nation has been shocked this week, not just because corporate media tried to downplay and discredit Shirley’s report, which led to CBS panicking by late week, but also because average folks, swamped by taxes, overregulation, and elevated costs of living, all leftovers from disastrous “Bidenomics,” now see their tax dollars funding the lives of migrants milking the welfare system in what could be one of the largest welfare schemes in years.
Americans are reaching a breaking point.
Fraud fatigue is now a very real thing.
People are not only questioning the system, but are completely done with the system and considering not even paying taxes.
Why should we? It only gets sent to Somali Pirates, and fraudsters and… pic.twitter.com/9kAumrr7Cx
— AmericanPapaBear™ (@AmericaPapaBear) December 31, 2025
Americans are reaching a breaking point. Fraud fatigue is real.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/02/2026 – 09:15
Berry Wallace scores 22 points in Illinois’ 11th straight win — a 73-70 upset over No. 7 Maryland women
CHAMPAIGN — Berry Wallace scored 22 points — including two free throws with 15.6 seconds left — to lead the Illinois women to a 73-70 victory over No. 7 Maryland on Thursday.
Maryland’s Saylor Poffenbarger missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer. The previously undefeated Terrapins (14-1, 2-1 Big Ten) had won 42 straight games and were 78-1 over four seasons when leading going into the fourth quarter. The Terps led the Illini 54-52 after three quarters.
It was the 11th consecutive win for Illinois (13-1, 3-0), which is off to the best start in program history.
Cearah Parchment had 17 points and eight rebounds and was 8 of 10 at the free-throw line for the Illini, who were 20 of 23 on foul shots overall.
Gretchen Dolan scored 17 points including two free throws with 1:05 to go to put the Illini up 71-68. Maryland’s Yarden Garzon cut Illinois’ lead to 71-70 with a pair of free throws with 50.5 seconds to go.
Garzon scored 17 points and had seven rebounds for the Terps, who were 1 for 12 from deep and committed 18 turnovers after scoring at least 80 points in 13 of their first 14 games.
Poffenbarger had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists and Oluchi Okananwa had 12 points for Maryland.
The Terps led 39-35 at halftime.
It was 20-16 for Maryland at the end of a foul-filled, cold-shooting first quarter in which the teams had combined for 15 free throws and shot 11 of 33 from the field.
Up next
Maryland: Hosts Indiana on Sunday to conclude a week with three games in seven days.
Illinois: Plays at No. 24 Michigan State on Sunday.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/berry-wallace-illinois-basketball/
Georgia Tech women beat No. 18 Note Dame in OT to snap Irish’s 5-game win streak
ATLANTA — Talayah Walker scored 24 of her career-high 33 points after halftime and finished with 10 rebounds and six assists Thursday night to help Georgia Tech beat No. 18 Notre Dame 95-90 in overtime and snap the Fighting Irish’s five-game win streak.
Walker, who had seven points in overtime, made 10 of 17 from the field and hit 12 of 14 from the free-throw line. La’Nya Foster scored a career-best 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting for Georgia Tech (6-9, 1-2 ACC), and Catherine Alben added 18, which included four 3-pointers. Erica Moon had 12 points and six assists, and Brianna Turnage finished with 13 rebounds and 10 assists to go with three points.
Foster made a layup with 3:48 left that made it 83-81 and gave the Yellow Jackets their first lead since the first half. Cassandre Prosper and Hannah Hidalgo answered with back-to-back layups to give Notre Dame a two-point lead with 2:58 to go, but Alben hit a 3-pointer 19 seconds later. Walker then made a layup and then four consecutive free throws to make it 92-85 with 34 seconds remaining.
Hidalgo had 26 points and tied a season-high with 10 assists for Notre Dame (10-3, 2-1). Prosper added 19 points and 10 rebounds while Vanessa de Jesus scored 16 points, Malaya Cowles 14 and Iyana Moore 10.
Hidalgo had her 61st career game scoring 20-plus points, breaking Arike Ogunbowale’s program record.
Foster hit a contested jumper from the left elbow late in the shot clock, and Alben made a fast-break reverse layup before Moon stole a pass and went the other way for a basket to spark a 12-4 run that made it 78-all with 1:42 left in regulation. Hidalgo made a jumper 29 seconds later before D’Asia Thomas-Harris tapped a pass across the lane to Foster for a layup that made it 80-80 and, after a sloppy final 45 seconds, forced overtime.
Up next
Notre Dame: Visits Duke on Sunday.
Georgia Tech: Plays Sunday at SMU.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/notre-dame-women-lose-georgia-tech/
