Category: News
Professors: Does providing money to parents who have mistreated their kids actually improve child welfare?
Can giving parents more money keep children out of foster care?
Illinois has placed a big bet that the answer is yes. The state recently launched a project providing unconditional monthly checks — averaging $500 — to families who have abused or neglected their children. (Yes, you read that right. The cash is only available to parents who have already maltreated their children.)
The research team behind this project is confident that the cash will work. The project comes on the heels of two extraordinary claims emanating from numerous prominent academics, think tanks and foundations: Child welfare agencies routinely confuse poverty for neglect, removing children from otherwise functional homes because of dirty laundry or a small apartment and that there is an abundance of high-quality research demonstrating that modest economic supports prevent the need for foster care. As University of Kansas professor Donna Ginther puts it: “If a state is more generous with (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, that protects kids from entering foster care.”
But is the research really this clear-cut? In a recent report with The American Enterprise Institute, we reviewed the evidence.
Policymakers should be highly skeptical.
The idea that poverty drives some portion of child welfare involvement seems reasonable. In many states, neglect is a broad category that includes failure to provide food, shelter or medical care. And at least 80% of families reported for maltreatment are low-income. Advocacy groups across the political spectrum have embraced the claim that this is “not a parent problem, it’s a poverty problem.” The Chicago-based nonprofit Prevent Child Abuse America argues that child abuse and neglect are “most often a lack of resource problem” and calls for “affordable housing for everyone” to prevent maltreatment. The conservative America First Policy Institute agrees that “most child removals stem from poverty or parenting differences” — a position embraced by progressive groups seeking to “abolish” the child welfare system alongside prisons.
But we have yet to see a single study showing that child welfare agencies investigate and remove children for reasons of poverty. Rather, studies show that substance use, mental illness and family violence drive child welfare involvement.
How, then, are there so many research articles claiming that even small boosts in household resources substantially reduce child maltreatment and child welfare involvement? Some studies even assert that as little as a few hundred dollars a year could reduce maltreatment reports and foster care entries by up to 10%.
The sheer volume of studies linking economic support to reduced child welfare involvement — and their publication in prestigious medical and public health journals — gives the impression of rigor and credibility. But peer review is not the quality filter many imagine. We found consistent flaws in study design and interpretation that appear to have gone either unnoticed or unchallenged.
Many studies cited to advance arguments for cash examine employment-conditioned transfers, such as the refundable earned income tax credit. But most caregivers investigated for child abuse and neglect are not employed full time and may not earn enough to file taxes, let alone receive a sizable refund. Parents who are disconnected from the labor market may not spend additional income in the same ways — or to the same effect — as working parents.
The most recent universal cash pilot — RxKids of Flint, Michigan — throws more cold water on the hope of an easy answer. RxKids provided $1,500 during pregnancy and $6,000 in the first year of life for all children born in Flint — one of the most impoverished cities in the U.S. A recently released evaluation found that recipients of the cash transfers were no less likely to have allegations of child maltreatment during the first six months of life — a high-risk period for neglect.
RxKids findings follow other underwhelming results from a host of guaranteed income experiments. Given decades of evidence showing that drug addiction is a primary driver of child maltreatment and foster care entry for young children, the optimism surrounding cash and safety net solutions may have never been warranted.
Even so, unconditional cash and other income-support programs remain the centerpiece of a broad philanthropic and legislative effort to move “upstream” to prevent maltreatment rather than investing in better public-sector responses to its victims. Influential charitable organizations — including the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Casey Family Programs and the Child Welfare League of America — have issued calls to expand safety net programs as a maltreatment prevention strategy. Within Our Reach — named for the eponymous report seeking to eliminate child maltreatment fatalities — pronounced, “We must elevate our voices in support of economic supports as a core component of an evidence-based prevention policy agenda.”
Part of the momentum behind expanding economic support likely comes from broader disappointment with other child maltreatment prevention strategies. Billions in federal investment in home visiting yielded no reductions in maltreatment. Intensive family preservation programs also have a weak track record for improving child safety.
We need smarter investments in the far less glamorous, yet essential, work of ensuring often-resistant parents receive mental health and addiction treatment. Whether aimed at primary prevention or responding after child abuse or neglect has been alleged, economic supports fail to address the complex conditions that reproduce both chronic poverty and maltreatment.
Children’s safety requires confronting these challenges openly and directly — and targeting our prevention and intervention dollars accordingly.
Sarah Font is a professor of social work in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Emily Putnam-Hornstein is the John A. Tate Distinguished Professor for Children in Need at the School of Social Work at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/opinion-illinois-child-welfare-foster-care-payments/
Watch: German Streamer Attacked By Migrants While Trying To Prove Cologne Is Safe
Watch: German Streamer Attacked By Migrants While Trying To Prove Cologne Is Safe
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,
German Twitch streamer Kunshikitty set out on New Year’s Eve to demonstrate that the streets of Cologne are safe for women, streaming live to her audience. Instead, the broadcast captured two separate attacks on camera, forcing her to end the stream in distress.
The incident, which quickly went viral, underscores the ongoing public safety crisis in Germany, a decade after the infamous 2015 New Year’s Eve mass assaults in the same city.
In footage shared widely on social media, Kunshikitty, dressed in a bright pink outfit, is seen navigating crowded streets during celebrations. Fireworks explode in the background as groups of men approach her aggressively.
? JUST IN: Leftists are proven wrong again as a woman tries walking through 3rd world migrant-infested New Year’s Eve in Germany, and gets ATTACKED by Islamic men MULTIPLE times
“Ow, ow!!”
This is what importing Islam looks like.
No more nice things.pic.twitter.com/5ELLbNTP6o
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 1, 2026
One clip shows her being targeted with thrown objects, while another depicts physical harassment that leaves her visibly shaken.
This event revives haunting memories of the 2015–16 New Year’s Eve sexual assaults in Cologne, where over 1,200 women reported being groped, robbed, or raped by groups of men, predominantly asylum seekers and migrants from North Africa and the Middle East.
Much focus today on the grooming gangs in the UK but it’s also the 9th anniversary of the attempted cover-up of the 2015/2016 NYE Mass-Sexual Assaults in Cologne.
1200 women were sexually assaulted, raped or robbed in front of the Cologne Cathedral by nearly 2000 migrants ? pic.twitter.com/aqyXionGoh
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 1, 2025
Police reports at the time described organized mobs encircling victims in “taharrush gamea” tactics, a term for collective harassment imported from some Arab countries.
The fallout from those attacks exposed deep flaws in Germany’s open-door migration policy under Angela Merkel, which saw over a million migrants enter the country in 2015 alone.
The trend overwhelmed integration efforts and fueled a spike in crime, with official data later confirming disproportionate involvement of foreign nationals in violent offenses.
The situation has only worsened, with government figures revealing 135,668 crimes by Syrian suspects alone between 2015 and 2024. Violent crimes, including rapes and assaults, hit record highs in 2024, with 12,512 incidents involving Syrians.
Similar patterns plague other Western European nations. In Sweden, no-go zones in migrant-heavy areas have become notorious for gang violence and sexual assaults.
France grapples with riots and knife attacks in cities like Paris, while the UK faces grooming gangs and street crime linked to unchecked immigration.
Mass migration has reshaped demographics, straining resources and eroding cultural cohesion, all while globalist leaders prioritize open borders over citizen safety.
In many parts of Western Europe, New Year’s Eve has turned into a night when migrant gangs use fireworks to attack police, firefighters, ambulance drivers and regular civilians.
Cities like Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Berlin are turned into war zones. pic.twitter.com/O3UCEIN6Pq
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 1, 2026
AfD politicians like Alice Weidel have slammed the current government for its “failure in migration and security policy,” pointing out that more than half of German women no longer feel safe in public spaces.
Calls for mass deportations grow louder, yet, incidents like Kunshikitty’s stream highlight how denial persists among some, even as evidence mounts. The streamer’s ordeal isn’t isolated; recent arrests of Syrian suspects in gang rapes and arsons show the persistent threat.
As Europe rings in 2026, the message is clear: Ignoring the consequences of mass migration invites more chaos. It’s time for leaders to prioritize deportations, secure borders, and restore safety before more lives are shattered. The alternative is an entire continent forever altered, where even a simple walk on New Year’s Eve becomes a gamble.
Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/02/2026 – 05:10
Today in Chicago History: Oprah Winfrey debuts on ‘AM Chicago’
Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Jan. 2, according to the Tribune’s archives.
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Front page flashback: Jan. 3, 1999
Snow began falling Jan. 2, 1999, and didn’t stop for two days. Almost 22 inches of snow fell, making it the largest snowstorm in almost two decades and the second-largest snowfall in Chicago history. (Chicago Tribune)
Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
High temperature: 61 degrees (2004)
Low temperature: Minus 16 degrees (1879)
Precipitation: 1.24 inches (1999)
Snowfall: 18.6 inches (1999)
“The opening of the greatest ship canal ever constructed in America and the informal completion of one of the engineering feats in the world’s history was accomplished without ceremony,” the Tribune reported about the completion of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on Jan. 3, 1900. (Chicago Tribune)
1900: The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (a project long championed by the Tribune) was completed, reversing the flow of the Chicago River.
1984: Oprah Winfrey debuted as the new host of “AM Chicago.”
A woman fights the wind-blown snow as she tries to cross Wacker Drive near the Chicago River on Jan. 2, 1999. (John Lee/Chicago Tribune)
1999: The most devastating snowstorm to batter Chicago in two decades closed roads, canceled hundreds of flights and stranded thousands. From Jan. 1 to 3, 21.6 inches of snow fell, making it the second-largest snowstorm on record in Chicago history. Parks, vacant land and the Des Plaines River all became giant snow depositories.
Meteorologists likened the storm to the blizzard of 1979.
Chicago’s 10 largest snowfalls since 1886 — and how the Tribune covered them
Want more vintage Chicago?
Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago’s past.
Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather at krumore@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/january-2-chicago-history/
Trump’s Gunboat Diplomacy Triggers Sharp Drop In Venezuelan Oil Output
Trump’s Gunboat Diplomacy Triggers Sharp Drop In Venezuelan Oil Output
President Trump’s gunboat diplomacy in the Caribbean, designed to disrupt and dismantle Venezuelan oil flows to Asia in order to choke off the Maduro regime’s primary revenue stream and induce regime instability in Caracas, is now moving full steam ahead, as confirmed by the latest crude oil export data.
Bloomberg cites new internal data from Petróleos de Venezuela showing that oil production in the Orinoco Belt (which accounts for nearly two-thirds of Venezuela’s oil output) plunged by about 498,000 barrels per day on Monday, down roughly 25% over the past two weeks.
In recent weeks, Trump’s gunboat diplomacy has ramped up with multiple seizures of dark fleet tankers, offshore blockades, and sanctions against additional tankers that haul Venezuelan crude to China. The aim is to suppress Maduro’s cash flows, since more than 95% of the country’s revenue depends on oil sales.
“While military options still exist, the focus is to first use economic pressure by enforcing sanctions to reach the outcome the White House is looking (for),” a U.S. official told Reuters last week, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Trump administration is enforcing a two-month “quarantine” of Venezuelan oil, which may indicate the time needed to create immense financial pressure on Maduro and could lead to regime instability. If Caracas falls, Cuba would likely follow quickly.
Related:
New Trump-Xi Showdown Approaches As Chinese Tankers Press Ahead To Venezuela Despite Blockade
Crew Paints Russian Flag On Iran-Linked Tanker To Avoid US Seizure
Trump Blockade Leaves $1 Billion Of Venezuelan Crude Stranded On Tankers
CIA Drone Carried Out First Known Land Strike On Venezuela
China condemned Trump’s gunboat diplomacy in the Caribbean as illegal “unilateral bullying.” In response, Beijing aired a simulated war scenario on state television set in the Caribbean region.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/02/2026 – 04:35
Today in History: ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ captured
Today is Friday, Jan. 2, the second day of 2026. There are 363 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On Jan. 2, 1981, British serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, aka the “Yorkshire Ripper,” was captured after a series of killings bred fear across northwest England between 1975 and 1980. Subsequently convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the killings of 13 women, he died in 2020 at the age of 74.
Also on this date:
In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison appointed Alice Sanger as the first female White House staffer at a time of a growing movement for women’s rights.
In 1942, the Philippine capital of Manila was captured by Japanese forces during World War II.
In 1959, the Soviet spacecraft Luna 1 launched, becoming the first spacecraft to escape Earth’s gravity.
In 1971, 66 people were killed in a crush of spectators leaving a soccer match at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland.
In 1974, President Richard Nixon signed legislation requiring states to limit highway speeds to 55 mph as a way of conserving gasoline during an OPEC oil embargo. (The 55 mph limit was effectively phased out in 1987; federal speed limits were abolished in 1995.)
In 2016, a heavily armed group led by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, beginning a 41-day standoff to protest the imprisonment of two ranchers convicted of setting fires on public land and to demand the federal government turn over public lands to local control.
In 2023, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest after making a tackle during the first quarter of an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals, requiring life-saving treatment on the field. The game was canceled; Hamlin would recover fully and return to play the following season.
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In 2024, Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned amid plagiarism accusations and a backlash over her congressional testimony about antisemitism on campus. She was the Ivy League institution’s first Black president.
Today’s Birthdays: Filmmaker Todd Haynes is 65. Baseball Hall of Famer Edgar Martínez is 63. Actor-singer Tia Carrere is 59. Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. is 58. Model Christy Turlington is 57. Actor Taye Diggs is 55. Actor Renée Elise Goldsberry is 55. Actor-comedian Dax Shepard is 51. Actor Kate Bosworth is 43. Musician Trombone Shorty is 40. Singer-rapper Bryson Tiller is 33.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/today-in-history-yorkshire-ripper-captured/
Somali President Claims Somaliland Accepted Palestinian Resettlement In Exchange For Israel’s Recognition
Somali President Claims Somaliland Accepted Palestinian Resettlement In Exchange For Israel’s Recognition
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Israel’s recognition of Somaliland was “unexpected and strange,” warning that the move carries implications for Palestinians in Gaza, in comments to Al Jazeera on Wednesday.
Speaking from Istanbul, Turkiye, he outlined Somalia’s concerns and said Israel’s decision was abrupt and destabilizing. Mohamud said that Somaliland has pursued its secessionist claim for decades without international recognition, noting that “no one country in the world has recognized it,” while Somalia has sought reunification “in a peaceful manner,” making Israel’s move, after 34 years, “very unexpected and strange.”
According to Mohamud, Somali intelligence indicates Somaliland accepted three Israeli conditions in exchange for recognition. He listed them as the resettlement of Palestinians, an Israeli military base on the Gulf of Aden coast, and accession to the Abraham Accords.
Palestinian refugee camp, via Associated
In a speech delivered on December 28, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Ansarallah, said that any Israeli footprint in Somaliland would be treated as a legitimate “military target” by the Yemeni Armed Forces.
Mohamud said there is already “a certain level” of Israeli presence in Somaliland, describing the recognition as the public normalization of what had been happening covertly, adding that Israel’s presence “is not for peace,” and warned of plans to forcibly displace Palestinians to Somalia.
Mohamud also pointed to Israel’s interest in controlling strategic waterways linking the Red Sea, the Gulf, and the Gulf of Aden, as part of a wider Israeli push across West Asia and the Mediterranean.
A 20-point plan issued by Donald Trump ahead of a Gaza ceasefire said “no one will be forced to leave Gaza,” while allowing voluntary departure and return.
However, Mohamud said Israel has continued to explore displacement options, citing reports of mysterious flights to South Africa.
Israeli Channel 12 reported in February 2025 that Morocco, Puntland, and Somaliland were being considered under Trump’s plan to forcibly relocate Palestinians expelled from Gaza, as he reiterated his intent for the US to take “ownership” of the strip while seeking political incentives tied to recognition and strategic influence.
The Somali leader gave a joint news conference with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, both of them warning that the recognition could destabilize the Horn of Africa. Israel’s move was rejected by most members of the UN Security Council at an emergency meeting in New York.
The US was the sole member defending Israel, while stressing that its own position on Somaliland remained unchanged. Israel formally recognized Somaliland on December 26, becoming the first country to do so since the region declared independence in 1991, a move announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and framed as part of cooperation “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords.”
🇸🇴🇮🇱 ISRAEL–SOMALILAND DEAL? SOMALIA’S PRESIDENT CLAIMS SECRET ACCORD ON PALESTINIAN RESETTLEMENT, MILITARY BASE & ABRAHAM ACCORDS
Tensions are escalating in the Horn of Africa after Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud made explosive claims about covert agreements between… pic.twitter.com/lziXHUHlYh
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 31, 2025
The decision triggered swift regional condemnation, with Somalia rejecting it outright and Egypt, Turkiye, and Djibouti warning of destabilizing consequences for the Horn of Africa.
The recognition followed months of reports linking Somaliland to US-Israeli discussions on Palestinian resettlement from Gaza and potential military access near the Red Sea, claims that both Somali and Somaliland authorities had previously denied.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/02/2026 – 04:00
Ilya Mikheyev’s 2 goals lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 win — their 2nd over the Dallas Stars in 5 days
The first day of 2026 brought 18,801 fans to the United Center to watch the Chicago Blackhawks face the Dallas Stars. The Hawks upset the Stars at American Airlines Arena just five days prior, but they still faced a tall task Thursday night against a team that entered with the second-best record in the NHL.
Ilya Mikheyev scored two goals, and the Hawks held off a late Stars surge to open the new year with a 4-3 victory.
Mikheyev showcased his stick flair with a dazzling move at 9:14 of the second period, scoring to put the Hawks (15-18-7) up 3-1. Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen slammed his stick in frustration on the glass near the Stars bench, shattering it and causing a stoppage of play.
It was that type of night for the Stars (25-9-7).
Photos: Chicago Blackhawks 4, Dallas Stars 3
On Saturday, the Hawks left Dallas with a 4-3 shootout victory. Rookie Nick Lardis was the hero, scoring the game-winner in the fourth round of the shootout. Without their two best players — injured centers Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar — the Hawks have played comfortably in both matchups against one of the best teams in the league.
“We’ve got to find that consistency and not have those drops that we’ve been having, for example against Pittsburgh and the start of last game (versus the New York Islanders),” said forward André Burakovsky, who had two assists. “We’ve got to find a way to do what we’re supposed to every shift.
“There’s going to be shifts where they get momentum, but then you’ve got to defend well and stay on the right side and not do those simple mistakes that we do sometimes that cost us goals. Today was a game we have to look at and bring more of this into the next couple games here.”
So what is it about the Stars matchup that makes the Hawks play so comfortably?
“Last week we gave up more significant chances, although tonight we did too,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “We got good goaltending in both games and that’s a big factor in winning and losing.
“I’m glad we maybe caught them at a time when they maybe didn’t have it going full steam. They’re an excellent team, one of the very best in the league.”
Broken glass is is cleaned up from in front of the Stars bench in the second period against the Blackhawks on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Broken glass is carried away as new glass is prepared to be installed in front of the Stars bench in the second period against the Blackhawks on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Special teams was one of the reasons the Hawks were able to dominate. They had four power-play opportunities while not getting penalized until halfway through the third period.
“I think we were just ready to play today, we did the right things well, we won the little battles, especially along the wall,” Ryan Donato said after his two-assist night. “As funny as it seems, the cliché things you do in hockey, we did them well tonight and I think that’s what led to our success.”
Artyom Levshunov opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 11:48 of the first period, his second goal of the season. It was a relief for Levshunov after he had two shots hit the post in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Islanders on Tuesday.
“Something that we focus and continue to work on is his shot mechanics,” Blashill said. “There’s things that could improve there that can help elevate his ability to shoot even to a higher level.
“He’s had a lot of chances on those areas, so it’s great to see it go in. It’s a huge thing for confidence.”
Teuvo Teräväinen scored the Hawks’ other power-play goal just 13 seconds into the second period for a 2-1 lead. The Hawks easily killed their only penalty of the game — a Louis Crevier interference at 10:14 of the third.
Mikheyev added his second of the game and eighth of the season at 3:58 of the third for a 4-1 lead before Jason Robertson and Matt Duchene scored late to pull the Stars within one, but the Hawks held on.
Mikheyev would’ve had a hat trick had his empty-net attempt not hit the post. Still, he had plenty of reasons to celebrate.
“It’s more exciting, you know?” Mikheyev said about playing after the birth of his first child. “Life’s changing and I’m really happy with it.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/chicago-blackhawks-dallas-stars-ilya-mikheyev/
Asking Eric: Should I send gift cards instead of gifts?
Dear Eric: I send birthday and Christmas gifts to my great-niece (8) and great-nephew (3) who live in another country. I haven’t seen my great-niece since she was 6 months old and I’ve never met my great-nephew. I am not close to their parents, my nephew and his wife.
We communicate via WhatsApp. I ask them what the kids would like and get responses from them about things that interest the kids. I always tell them that if I send some things that the kids don’t want or need, they should feel free to return or exchange them.
If I receive a “thank you” from them for the gifts, it is very timid compared to their response to the gifts my sister sends them.
My sister is close to the parents, and they always make a big deal over the gifts she sends the kids. They send enthusiastic “thank yous” and pictures of the kids playing with the gifts or wearing them. These are posted on a shared WhatsApp that I can see. They post nothing about the gifts I send.
This has happened a number of times since we began using the shared WhatsApp. It seems that they are sending a message that my gifts are not appreciated or desired.
I’m inclined to send the parents gift cards for the kids in the future instead of gifts and tell them that they should use the cards to buy the kids something they’d like. I would also let them know that this approach is a better option for me. What do you think?
– Frustrated Gift-Giver
Dear Gift-Giver: I have yet to meet a kid who didn’t appreciate a gift card. This may be the best option. That said, I also want to acknowledge how frustrating it must be to feel like your gifts aren’t being appreciated. Switching over to gift cards or rethinking how you want to continue the relationship moving forward, will help you feel better. There are plenty of ways to keep showing up for the kids that don’t involve gifts at all.
Also, consider that the reaction to your sister’s gifts may not have anything to do with you at all. Perhaps the parents think that she wants or needs a big response. And perhaps they think that you don’t. The only way to know is to ask, but it’s probably easier to just let it go.
It sounds like it may be helpful to ask yourself how you’d like this relationship to grow in the future. Instead of mulling over whether the gifts aren’t appreciated or desired, ask yourself if this generosity is producing the result that you want. I suspect what you’d like is to feel closer to your relatives, even though they’re far away. Gifts may not be the best way to accomplish that, and you may find that if you stop the gifts, or pivot to something else, new options can open up.
Dear Eric: I had a friend with whom I texted frequently with excellent tips and attached articles relating important matters to him and never got words of appreciation for my thoughts. Many times, I expressed my disappointment and tried to let him understand that I wished to get a thanks.
Unfortunately, I did not succeed to change his attitude and consequently I decided to pause. I just cannot stand people who take everything for granted. Also, he never recognizes his mistakes and blames others. The above is all due to a complex of inferiority.
My defect is expecting people to behave as I do and if not, I just disconnect.
Recently I invited him for dinner for the holiday, and he said he had other plans. No thanks at all for my thought. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
What are your thoughts, please? Is my disappointment reasonable?
– Disappointed
Dear Disappointed: It sounds like your friendship has a communication problem. You’ve expressed a want and your friend didn’t acknowledge that want. It’s understandable, then, that you’d feel disappointed. I imagine that if he’s not hearing you when you ask for thanks, there may be other areas in which the two of you are disconnected. It’s worth taking a step back and asking yourself what is most important in this relationship and how you can meet each other in the middle.
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As you step back, you might also ask yourself why you want to hear thanks from your friend. What you want isn’t right or wrong, but you might consider that whatever validation you’re looking for can come in other ways. It’s also possible that your offerings aren’t what your friend wants or needs. From that view, you and your friend might be misaligned. Realizing this might help you to right-size your expectations and meet each other where you are.
(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/02/asking-eric-should-i-send-gift-cards-instead-of-gifts/
CFP: No. 6 Mississippi rallies to upset No. 3 Georgia 39-34 in Sugar Bowl for spot in semifinals
NEW ORLEANS — Trinidad Chambliss passed for 362 yards and two touchdowns, and Lucas Carneiro kicked his third field goal of the game with 6 seconds left to put No. 6 Mississippi in front for good in a 39-34 victory over No. 3 Georgia in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday night.
In an unusual twist, the Ole Miss was awarded a safety on its final kickoff when Georgia’s return team tried a cross-field lateral that hit the pylon.
Georgia then recovered an onside kick and ran one more play in which they executed numerous laterals before the play fizzled, sending Ole Miss (13-1) on to a semifinal against Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.
Kicking off on the heels of two lopsided CFP quarterfinals at the Orange and Rose bowls, the Sugar Bowl provided drama until the end.
After seeing a 21-12 halftime lead turn into a 34-24 deficit with 9:02 to play, Georgia (12-2) then rallied to tie it, first driving for Gunner Stockton’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Zachariah Branch before Peyton Woodring’s short field goal tied it with 55 seconds left in regulation.
Chambliss responded by setting up the winning kick with a 40-yard pass to De’Zhaun Stribling on third down from the Mississippi 30-yard line. A few plays later, Carneiro, who already had broken Sugar Bowl records with field goals of 55 and 56 yards, hit from 47 and sprinted triumphantly toward the Ole Miss sideline as the Rebels (13-1) jubilantly swarmed around him.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/01/mississippi-georgia-cfp-quarterfinals/
Photos: Chicago Blackhawks 4, Dallas Stars 3
Photos from the Chicago Blackhawks’ 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center.
Blackhawks players Ryan Donato (8), Ilya Mikheyev (95), Oliver Moore (11) and Ryan Greene (20) celebrate after their 4-3 victory over the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight makes a save in the second period against the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight (30) defends the net against Stars center Colin Blackwell in the second period on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks center Jason Dickinson (16) checks Stars defenseman Thomas Harley into the boards in the third period on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight makes a save in the third period against the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill, back left, yells out to his players on the bench in the third period against the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Stars center Matt Duchene (95) and Blackhawks center Oliver Moore battle for the puck in the first period on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks left wing Nick Lardis (76) takes a shot on goal in the first period against the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Broken glass is carried away from in front of the Stars bench in the second period of a Blackhawks-Stars game on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Broken glass is carried away as new glass is prepared to be installed in front of the Stars bench in the second period of a Blackhawks-Stars game on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Broken glass is is cleaned up from in front of the Stars bench in the second period of a Blackhawks-Stars game on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks right wing Ilya Mikheyev, right ,celebrates after scoring a goal in the second period against the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks right wing Ilya Mikheyev (95) and center Jason Dickinson celebrate after Mikheyev scored a goal in the second period against the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks right wing Ilya Mikheyev (95) hugs center Jason Dickinson after scoring a goal in the second period against the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks right wing Ilya Mikheyev, right, puts a move on Stars defenseman Esa Lindell before scoring a goal in the second period Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (59) takes a shot in the first period against the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov (55) celebrates after scoring a goal in the first period against the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov, second from right, celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in the first period against the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in the first period against the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (59) follows through on a shot beside Stars defenseman Alexander Petrovic in the first period on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks left wing André Burakovsky (28) tries to control the puck in the first period against the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Blackhawks center Oliver Moore tries to control the puck in the first period against the Stars on Jan. 1, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/01/photos-chicago-blackhawks-dallas-stars/
