Category: News
From vapes to Mass, deacon ministers to mariners’ needs
Buying vapes might not seem like ministry work, but for Robert Petro, it’s all in the line of duty to make seafarers comfortable in the United States.
This isn’t just putting them in pews for a worship service to attend to the spiritual needs. Petro, a deacon based at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Chesterton, deals with seafarers’ more basic needs, too.
A standard request might be, “I haven’t touched ground in four months. We have no deodorant. We have no toothpaste. Can you take us to Walmart?”
Then there’s the seafarer who needed vapes. That led Petro, a nonsmoker, to ask strangers in a Walmart parking lot, “Who knows where I can buy vapes?”
For Ukrainians, it’s a different dynamic. “They want to go shopping. They want to buy stuff.” They also know they can’t go home.
One sailor from Mariupol said 99% of his family is gone. Much of his town is gone. He thought he might be able to meet what’s left of the family in Bulgaria.
“That type of ministry, when you’re doing shopping runs, you just sit with them quietly,” Petro said. “I’ve seen them fall asleep; they get so relaxed.”
On one shopping trip, Petro took a Ukrainian captain and first mate to Walmart in Merrillville. “Life in America is easy, isn’t it?” the captain remarked.
“It’s just a whole different way of living. We’re very blessed in this country, really,” Petro said.
A crew from India wanted to go to Mass, so he took them to Mass. “Usually, I offer to feed them.”
That includes offering them a home-cooked meal. “In my 15 years of being a seafarer, I’ve never had someone invite me into their home,” one man told him.
Often, seafarers who come to the Port of Indiana in Portage are on nine-month contracts. “Give them some solid ground, some home,” he said.
Petro has been doing this ministry for about a year, after being ordained June 8, 2024. As part of becoming a deacon, you get your parish assignment and an outside ministry, too, he explained. As he explored his options, the Stella Maris ministry felt well grounded.
Water is in his blood.
His great-uncle was a merchant marine in World War II when the ship was sunk on its way to Murmansk in what is now Russia. “The Germans said they were going to obliterate the entire convoy, and they pretty much did,” Petro said.
That great-uncle became a prisoner of war.
Petro’s father enjoyed time on the water, too. “My dad had a little sailboat when I was in high school,” tooling around on Cedar Lake.
Petro learned his way around a boat growing up. “Port is four letters, and so is the word left,” he explained, as he memorized port from starboard, fore from aft.
“We have port chaplains all over the country,” serving over 100 ports in the United States, he said.
Stella Maris UK, “they’ve been doing Stella Maris the longest,” offering protection and aid to seafarers.
“The biggest challenge in the ministry is that the time at port is getting shorter and shorter,” Petro said. Before, the captain and crew might have had an entire shift off, but ships are unloaded quickly and then move on to the next destination.
“The industry’s getting leaner and meaner from that perspective.”
“They’re constantly tired, it seems like,” working six hours on, six hours off. “How do they get any sleep?”
Petro cited a sailor from Yemen with satellite communications aboard a ship. “They all get off their shift and they go to the bunks and get on their phones,” he said.
Port Director Ryan McCoy said he values the work of Petro and others in ministering to the seafarers’ needs.
“I believe the Stella Maris and other ministries are important to the seafarers. They spend long periods of time at sea, away from their families,” he said. “We know they deal with personal issues such as loneliness while they are away from their families.”
“What they do for the global supply chain is critically important to keep goods and commodities moving. When they come to our port, they are eager to get to town for supplies, a good meal and some for religious reasons. The local shipping agents and ministry services help them with all of these needs,” McCoy said.
Petro began his Stella Maris ministry focused on the south end of Lake Michigan, but he’s now also working to help provide services throughout the Great Lakes and Mississippi River.
“I’m trying to help us nationally,” he said. “The need is great, but the workers are few.”
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/26/from-vapes-to-mass-deacon-ministers-to-mariners-needs/
Victim in fatal Crown Point multi-vehicle crash identified
The Lake County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim of a Tuesday fatal multi-vehicle crash in Crown Point as a 31-year-old man from Hebron.
Daniel Collins died at 6:11 p.m. Tuesday at the Franciscan Health Crown Point Emergency Room, according to the coroner’s office.
He died from blunt force trauma from a motor vehicle accident, and his death was ruled an accident. Toxicology results are pending.
Around 5:36 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23, the Crown Point police and fire departments responded to a serious crash in the 11200 block of Broadway, according to a post on the police department’s Facebook page.
According to a preliminary investigation, a 2010 Chevy Silverado was traveling southbound on Broadway when the driver crossed into the northbound lanes and collided head-on with a 2014 Mercedes-Benz SUV, police said.
After the initial impact, the SUV spun around and hit a 1994 GMC truck that was also headed southbound. As the accident was unfolding, a 2023 Dodge Charger was traveling northbound behind the SUV.
In an effort to avoid the crash, the driver of the Dodge Charger changed lanes and collided with the spinning Chevy Silverado.
Three people involved sustained non-life-threatening injuries. All involved in the incident were transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
Collins, the driver of the Chevy Silverado, suffered serious, life-threatening injuries and was transported to Franciscan Health Crown Point, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.
The Crown Point Emergency Management Agency also responded to the scene. The South Lake County Crash Reconstruction Team investigated the crash.
Community news: New community center underway in Elmhurst, youth basketball in Franklin Park, more
Elmhurst starts work on new community center
Elmhurst Park District officials were on hand to mark the start of demolition of the community center, which is being torn down to make space for the new Joanne B. Wagner Community Center at 615 N. West Ave., which will have 127,250 square feet and cost nearly $85 million to construct.
Those at the ceremony included Park Board President Kevin Graf, Vice President Claire Kubiesa, Executive Director Jim Rogers and Commissioners Vince Spaeth, Meghan Scarsella, Carolyn Ubriaco and Susan Smentek.
The new center, which will be built by McHugh Construction, will add more recreation and early childhood programming, thanks to being about four times larger than the previous center.
It will feature a full-size gymnasium, indoor artificial turf field, three-lane elevated walking track, expanded gymnastics and dance studios, an indoor play area, early childhood and preschool classrooms with a separate entrance, administrative offices and multipurpose community rooms. It is expected to open in fall 2027.
The new community center in Elmhurst, shown in a rendering, will feature a mass timber canopy and glass entry facade. (Dewberry)
Leyden Youth Basketball League starts soon
Children in first to eighth grade can participate in the Leyden Youth Basketball League from Jan. 10 to March 27 with the Park District of Franklin Park.
Players can work on their ball skills, exercise teamwork via games and once-weekly 60-minute practices and build confidence. Teams are formed from Franklin Park and nearby communities.
The fee includes a T-shirt uniform. Resident passholders in first and second grade pay $105 and others pay $115. Older grades pay $130 for resident passholders and $140 for others.
A late fee of $15 will be charged for those who register after Jan. 3. Sign up by calling 847-455-2852 or online at fpparks.org.
Learn about winter birds at forest preserve program
The Forest Preserve District of Will County presents Backyard Winter Birds from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Jan. 11 at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook.
Participants can learn which birds migrate through Will County and which stay during the winter, as well as how to attract them to a yard.
The program includes a short guided hike and indoor bird viewing with a warm drink. Register by Jan. 10 by calling 815-722-4121 or online at reconnectwithnature.org. It’s free and open to anyone 10 and older.
Storyteller highlights his new book in La Grange
Master storyteller Nestor Gomez will present stories from his new book, “Rescue Me,” at 7 p.m. Jan. 7 at the La Grange Public Library, 10 W. Cossitt Ave.
The book explores his four-legged family members and the bonds formed with them. Attendees can buy copies of his book, and a portion of proceeds will be donated to local animal shelters.
The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Registration is required by visiting lagrange.library.org or calling 708-215-3200.
Women of natural history star at garden club meeting
The Darien Garden Club presents Women of Natural History from 6:0 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 5 at St. John Lutheran Church, 7214 S. Cass Ave. in Darien.
Kim White, a local master naturalist, will talk about some of the women who have contributed to natural history from 1458 BC to the current century, shining a light on women who rarely were given credit for their accomplishments, Dame Jane Goodall and Queen Hatshepsut are among those who will be highlighted.
A general meeting follows the presentation. All are welcome. Learn more at dariengardenclub.com.
Send news to pioneerwest@tribpub.com.
Afternoon Briefing: Naval Station Great Lakes sailors get taste of home
Good afternoon, Chicago.
Tynehsa McCarty-Wroten, who gained infamy online for allegedly livestreaming herself while driving when she struck and killed a man last month, has been taken into custody and faces two felony charges, according to a Zion Police Department news release. According to the release, McCarty-Wroten was arrested as she left her home “with several packed bags.”
Darren Lucas, 59, was leaving his job at Torres Fresh Market and crossing Sheridan Road after work on Nov. 3 when he was struck and killed by a vehicle, authorities said. A woman under the pseudonym tea_tyme_3, streaming herself live on TikTok the same day, suddenly screamed and swore and said she had hit someone, according to reports.
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.
Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History
Navy recruit Amber Rens, of Wisconsin, right, introduces her friend and fellow recruit Rae Inting, of Florida, to her parents on the phone, Dec. 25, 2025, at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights. It was the 13th year that the school hosted recruits from the Naval Station Great Lakes on Christmas. Recruits are not allowed unlimited phone calls on base but were allowed to use the phones for the day to talk to loved ones. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
Naval Station Great Lakes sailors get taste of home at Arlington Heights celebration
On a not-so-white Christmas Day, 50 recruits from Naval Station Great Lakes walked into a roaring welcome at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights, a tradition embraced by the community for 13 years. Read more here.
More top news stories:
Geneva commission again denies demolition request for landmarked structure at old Mill Race Inn site
Two employees, driver taken to hospital after vehicle crashes into Batavia pizza parlor, police say
Dozens of varieties of cannabis flower are on display inside Lume Cannabis Co. on Dec. 17, 2025, in Berkley, Michigan. (Katy Kildee/The Detroit News)
Michigan marijuana businesses, customers see hazy future with new tax
Metro Detroit cannabis dispensaries say sales have ticked up in recent weeks as customers stock up ahead of a new 24% tax set to take effect Jan. 1. Read more here.
More top business stories:
US stocks hover at record highs in quiet trading as gold and silver jump
American Airlines testing new boarding technology at DFW Airport
Boxing legend Jack Johnson, right, in 1910. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)
Today in Chicago History: Chicago resident Jack Johnson becomes first Black heavyweight boxing champ
Jack Johnson — who lived in Chicago and owned a short-lived cafe in the Bronzeville neighborhood — became the first Black heavyweight boxing champion on this day in 1908. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
WR Rome Odunze will miss 4th consecutive game for Chicago Bears, but Luther Burden III poised to return
NFL playoff picture: 3 spots remain open — only 1 in NFC — after Detroit Lions are eliminated
Garrett Forrestal plays Jerry Lee Lewis in “Million Dollar Quartet,” the inaugural production at Paramount Theatre’s new Stolp Island Theatre in downtown Aurora. The 98-seat venue is designed to get the audience close to the action onstage. (Liz Lauren)
Paramount extends run of ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ at Stolp Island Theatre in Aurora
“Million Dollar Quartet” inaugurated Paramount’s new Stolp Island Theatre in July 2024, and has since been extended three times due to popular demand, theater officials said. Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
Times Square to feature patriotic ball drop for New Year’s Eve
Jimmy Kimmel jokes about fascism in an ‘alternative Christmas message’ for Britain
A person carries a shopping bag in Philadelphia on Dec. 10, 2025. (Matt Rourke/AP)
Why your holiday gift returns might go to a landfill and what you can do about it
Returns come with an environmental cost, but there’s a lot consumers and companies are doing to minimize it. Read more here.
More top stories from around the world:
President Donald Trump says US struck Islamic State targets in Nigeria after group targeted Christians
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will meet with Trump in Florida on Sunday
“You Know Who I Am, Right?” Viral Video Shows Entitled Democrat Taunt Cops, Play Victim During DUI Stop
“You Know Who I Am, Right?” Viral Video Shows Entitled Democrat Taunt Cops, Play Victim During DUI Stop
What is the next worst thing to being arrested for DUI just before Christmas with a viral video of you berating an officer? Being confused with that person by irate citizens because you share the same name, Maria Bucci. It is particularly unwelcome when you are a substance abuse counselor.
On December 18, Maria Bucci, a 51-year-old Rhode Island political figure, was pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving by an officer in East Greenwich. The Chairwoman of the Democratic Committee in Cranston is shown on the police bodycam video invoking her special or influential status: “You know who I am right?”
The Cranston Herald reported Bucci is a former Cranston mayoral candidate who previously served on the City Council and made an unsuccessful bid for the Rhode Island House of Representatives last year.
The officer responds by saying, “I don’t know who you are, miss. You can start throwing out names and start doing out what you need to do, it’s not going to work with me, I’m telling you right now, I’m not the guy for that.”
That only seemed to set Bucci off, who then abused the officer. The most ironic statement was the following:
“Call my husband right now, and call the attorney general and everybody else in town, cause this is disgusting, God forbid I was a Black person, I’d be arrested.”
So, after invoking a special privilege or status, Bucci attacked the officer as presumptively racist for not arresting white people for crimes that Black people are arrested for.
He then arrested her for a misdemeanor as she declared, “You’re a d**k … Like I am not drinking, you’re a loser.”
If she were drunk, it would seem a case of in vino veritas, or “in wine there is truth.” The immediate response of this politician is to reveal a deep dislike of police officers and her view of officers as inherently racist.
Bucci will have to deal with the consequences, but it should be the right Bucci. While the real Bucci asked “You know who I am, right?” some appear to have done little to answer in the affirmative before going on the attack.
The problem is that East Greenwich has a second Maria Bucci, who is also a substance abuse counselor. She was apparently deluged by trolling and angry citizens.
The “other” Maria Bucci is also from Cranston but works in East Greenwich. She is 61 years old and was surprised to find herself taking the heat for someone else over the holiday.
It was bad enough that East Greenwich News ran a story to ask people to stop harassing the poor woman, noting that the newspaper:
“typically doesn’t use names when people who get arrested unless there is a public service aspect. We did not consider Bucci’s arrest rose to that level but we are writing about it now to clarify that the Maria Bucci who works for the Town of East Greenwich is not the same Maria Bucci arrested by EGPD Dec. 18 (here is that arrest report: 25-251-AR).”
Legally, the “other” Maria Bucci could sue for a publication that falsely claims she was responsible for this viral encounter. (So far, no news organizations have committed that error). However, such litigation is expensive and trolls are notoriously difficult to track down. That leaves Maria Bucci in the unfortunate class of others who share names with notorious figures, as Dr. Jeffrey Epstein recently learned after a bizarre shoutout from ep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). Indeed, even spelling “Madoff” with one “f” does not help when you are scooped up in the sensation of a crime.
Bucci is clearly not on the same level as an Epstein or a Madoff. This is, after all, a still unproven misdemeanor. However, in the community of Cranston, Rhode Island (pop. 84,934), it is hard to shake a viral story with your name. The greatest penalty likely to befall the real Maria Bucci is the reputational damage, which should not be shared with that “other” Maria Bucci.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 12/26/2025 – 15:05
President Trump launched global tariff wars in 2025. Here’s a recap of his trade actions this year.
It’s been a rollercoaster of a year for U.S. trade policy.
President Donald Trump launched a barrage of new tariffs in 2025, plunging the U.S. into trade wars with nearly every country in the world. Volley after volley of threats and steeper import taxes often arrived erratically — with Trump claiming that such levies needed to be immediately imposed to close trade imbalances and take back wealth that was “stolen” from the U.S.
But the president also turned to tariffs amid personal grudges, or in response to political critics. And the whiplash of on-again, off-again duties — and responding retaliation — fueled widespread uncertainty for businesses and consumers alike, all while households continue to face rising prices.
Here’s a summary of how Trump’s biggest trade actions unfolded over the last year, broken down by key months.
January-March
In his first few months back in office, Trump focuses his new tariffs on America’s three biggest trading partners: Canada, Mexico and China. On-again, off-again levies and responding retaliation begin to bubble up.
Worldwide, the U.S. also heightens import taxes on steel and aluminum to 25% — expanding Trump’s previously-imposed 2018 import taxes.
April
Trump’s trade wars escalate to new heights in April. The president unveils sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs on almost every country in the world — sending the stock market tumbling. And more turbulence follows after he tells investors that it’s a “great time to buy”mere hours before postponing dozens of steeper import taxes.
China is the exception. Washington and Beijing trade more and more sky high, tit-for-tat levies — reaching 145% and 125%, respectively.
Separately, Trump’s 25% auto tariffs begin, plunging the industry into uncertainty and bringing more retaliation from trading partners like Canada.
May-July
The Trump administration spends much of the summer boasting about trade “framework” deals with countries like China, the U.K. and Vietnam. But his administration sends letters to dozens of other nations promising that heightened levies are on the way — and notably escalates trade wars with Brazil and India.
Otherwise, Trump continues to expand sector-specific tariffs, hiking steel and aluminum taxes to a punishing 50%.
Meanwhile, a key legal challenge over Trump’s tariffs gains traction. A federal court blocksTrump from imposing some of his most sweeping levies under an emergency-powers law — but an appeals court temporarily halts the order, allowing tariff collections to continue as the case wends through court.
August
Heightened U.S. tariffs on more than 60 countries and the European Union kick in. After several delays, most of these rates span from April’s “Liberation Day” — but separately, Trump hikes import taxes on Canada to 35%.
Punishing 50% levies on goods from Brazil and India also take effect, along with a new 50% rate on most imported copper worldwide. And low-value imports coming into the U.S. lose their duty-free status with the end of the “de minimis” rule.
Separately, the U.S. extends its trade truce with China. And a U.S. appeals court rules that Trump went too far when he declared national emergencies to justify his tariffs — but doesn’t strike them down entirely, allowing the administration to take its case to the Supreme Court.
September-December
The Trump administration officially takes its tariff fight to the Supreme Court. In initial oral arguments, the justices appear skeptical about the president’s authority to impose such sweeping levies.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to promise more sectoral tariffs — and 25% levies on kitchen cabinets and other furniture take effect. But other threats get delayed. Amid rising price pressures, the president also lowers or scraps a few previous tariffs, notably for goods like beef and fruit. He also suggests that Americans will receive a $2,000 dividend from new tariff revenue — but details remain very scarce.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/26/president-trump-trade-wars-timeline/
WR Rome Odunze will miss 4th consecutive game for Chicago Bears, but Luther Burden III poised to return
Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze will miss his fourth consecutive game after he was ruled out Friday afternoon ahead of Sunday night’s matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.
Odunze sat out the entire week of practice with a foot injury that has been nagging him for several weeks. The 2024 first-round draft pick hasn’t played since the Nov. 28 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Before his recent absences, Odunze caught 44 passes for 661 yards and six touchdowns. He led the team in all three categories before the foot injury sidelined him.
Earlier this week, Bears coach Ben Johnson said Odunze is “going to be able to help us this year.” But it won’t be this weekend.
The Bears played without Odunze and rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III in last week’s win over the Green Bay Packers. DJ Moore stepped up and made the game-winning catch in overtime.
In positive injury news, the Bears should have Burden back this week. He injured his ankle against the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 14 but was back at practice this week and holds no injury designation for the 49ers game. His return would give Moore some help.
Cornerback Nick McCloud (illness) also was ruled out. Cornerbacks Josh Blackwell (illness), C.J. Gardner-Johnson (knee) and Nahshon Wright (hamstring/illness), linebacker T.J. Edwards (glute) and guard Luke Newman (foot) are listed as questionable.
A number of players have been sick this week.
“It’s this time of year,” Johnson said Friday. “I doubt we’re the only team dealing with it. We’re washing our hands, we’re being very diligent. Guys have masks on. You do what you can.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/26/chicago-bears-rome-odunze-san-francisco-49ers/
Comer: The ‘Walls Are Caving In’ On Tim Walz
Comer: The ‘Walls Are Caving In’ On Tim Walz
House Oversight Chairman James Comer declared this week, “The walls are caving in on Tim Walz,” as a federal probe into Minnesota’s sprawling fraud scandal intensifies. Whistleblowers, mayors, and lawmakers now enter the fray, spotlighting waste in social programs that hammer everyday residents.
The fraud Comer described reaches far beyond accounting errors. Minnesota taxpayers now must endure cuts to basic services because billions of dollars earmarked for social programs vanished due to fraudulent schemes, most of which are tied to the state’s Somali community. The scale of the fraud has forced state officials to slash budgets and shift costs to local governments, leaving mayors across Minnesota scrambling to maintain essential services like police protection, infrastructure maintenance, and emergency response without bankrupting residents through property tax hikes.
The House Oversight Committee is coordinating with federal agencies and preparing subpoenas for records and testimony to trace the money and identify the culprits.
Comer stopped short of demanding Walz resign but made it clear that the governor cannot escape accountability. “He deserves due process, and we’re going to give him due process,” Comer said.
Walz, of course, isn’t happy about the federal investigations and insists he can
“This [was] on my watch,” Walz said last week. “I am accountable for this, and more importantly, I am the one that will fix it.”
Walz added, “Unlike the president, I’m governor now [and] whether these programs happen before we got here or afterwards, it doesn’t matter. We’re here now. We’re the ones fixing it. You have my guarantee on this, that I certainly will have this thing fixed.”
A Walz spokesperson dismissed the congressional probe as partisan theater designed to muzzle a vocal Trump critic. “This is clearly a coordinated political attack to try to silence one of the President’s most effective critics,” the spokesperson stated. “The Governor takes fraud seriously and wishes they would too.”
Comer, however, dismissed Walz’s suggestion that the Oversight Committee should step aside and let him investigate the fraud. “No one in America believes that. We are going to investigate this,” Comer said.
The scandal traces back to at least 2020 and involves fraudulent billing across numerous government programs, concentrated heavily but not exclusively within the Somali population. Federal prosecutors revealed that the Feeding Our Future case alone, which already resulted in charges against nearly 80 people, involved roughly $250 million in bogus claims for pandemic nutrition aid. Last week, prosecutors revealed the total fraud across Minnesota’s social services system could reach $9 billion or more.
Comer emphasized that successful congressional investigations depend on insiders willing to break ranks, and he now has them. “The key to a good congressional investigation is having whistleblowers. And, fortunately for us, we have some state employees who have bravely stepped forward. We’re going to get them under oath, and they’re going to tell us everything they know. And we’re going to go from there.”
The revolt against Walz extends beyond Washington. Nearly 100 Minnesota mayors delivered a stinging rebuke Monday in a letter to Walz and state legislative leaders, blaming fraud, reckless spending, and erratic fiscal management in St. Paul for crippling their cities. “Fraud, unchecked spending, and inconsistent fiscal management in St. Paul have trickled down to our cities,” the mayors wrote. “Our state owes it to our citizens to practice responsible fiscal management and to stop taxing our families, seniors, and businesses out of Minnesota.”
The mayors also pointed to Minnesota’s declining position in national economic rankings over the past six years, echoing a Minnesota Chamber of Commerce report that described the state’s trajectory as a wake-up call. Once boasting an $18 billion surplus under Walz’s watch, Minnesota now faces a projected $3 billion deficit for the 2028-29 budget cycle. This means that the mayors are now being forced to raise taxes, cut services, delay infrastructure projects, or stretch municipal employees even thinner.
With subpoenas imminent and state employees preparing to testify under oath, Walz is staring down a political reckoning that could permanently end his career. The investigation is tightening, the facts are coming to light, and the collapse of trust alone may prove impossible to overcome.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 12/26/2025 – 14:40
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/comer-walls-are-caving-tim-walz
Aurora home deemed uninhabitable after Christmas Day fire
An Aurora home has been deemed uninhabitable after a fire on Christmas Day, Aurora Fire Department officials said.
Around noon on Thursday, the Aurora Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire in the 1900 block of Sedgegrass Trail, according to a press release from the department.
Multiple 911 calls were received from neighbors reporting flames visible from the home, the release said.
A total of four engine companies, two truck companies, three medic units and two chief officers — 26 personnel in all — responded to the scene, officials said.
First-arriving crews encountered heavy fire along the side of a two-story single-family home, with smoke pushing from the roof eaves, according to the release.
Firefighters began extinguishing the fire from the exterior before making entry to the second floor, officials said. Additional crews conducted searches, deployed backup hose lines, ventilated the roof and performed overhaul operations on the exterior.
The fire was brought under control within approximately 30 minutes, the release stated.
All residents safely evacuated before firefighters arrived, and no injuries were reported, according to the release.
Due to significant fire damage, the home was declared uninhabitable, officials said. Fire crews remained on scene to assist the homeowner with retrieving personal belongings and securing the property, while ComEd and Nicor shut off utilities, the release stated.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials said in the release.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/26/aurora-home-deemed-uninhabitable-after-christmas-day-fire/
Mortgage Rates Dip To 3-Year-Lows As Home-Sellers Outnumber Buyers
Mortgage Rates Dip To 3-Year-Lows As Home-Sellers Outnumber Buyers
Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,
The weekly mortgage rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.18 percent for the week ending Dec. 24 as the housing market continues to lean in favor of buyers.
The 6.18 percent rate is the lowest level since 2022 and a slight decline from 6.21 percent the previous week, according to Freddie Mac data. The current rate is 0.86 percentage points below the yearly peak of 7.04 percent reached in mid-January.
The recent rate decline comes as the U.S. housing market registered 37.2 percent more sellers than buyers in November, real estate brokerage Redfin said in a statement on Dec. 23.
“That’s the largest gap in records dating back to 2013 aside from this summer. It compares with 35.6 percent a month earlier and 17 percent a year earlier,” the brokerage said.
“Redfin defines a market with over 10 percent more sellers than buyers as a buyer’s market. By this definition, it has been a buyer’s market since May 2024.”
The 37.2 percent gap translates into 529,770 more sellers in the market.
Among the 50 most populous U.S. metropolitan regions, Austin, Texas, was the strongest buyer’s market last month, with 114 percent more sellers than buyers, according to Redfin.
This was followed by San Antonio, Texas; Nashville; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, each of which had sellers outnumbering buyers by more than 100 percent.
Out of the 50 metros, 36 were buyer’s markets, seven were balanced, and the remaining seven were seller’s markets.
The number of home buyers hit the second-lowest level on record in November, as many backed off amid economic uncertainty and high housing costs, the statement said.
“A modest improvement in housing affordability could bring some homebuyers off the sidelines in 2026, which could narrow the gap between homebuyers and sellers,” Redfin senior economist Asad Khan said.
“But the housing market is likely to remain in buyer’s market territory for the foreseeable future, with sellers cutting prices or offering concessions to lure buyers.”
Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes inched higher this month despite businesses facing challenges such as rising construction costs, economic uncertainty, and buyer hesitation, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) said in a Dec. 15 statement.
“In positive signs for the market, builders report that future sales expectations have been above the key breakeven level of 50 for the past three months, and the recent easing of monetary policy should help builder loan conditions at the start of 2026,” NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz said.
The Federal Reserve has cut its benchmark interest rates three times this year, pushing it down to a range of 3.5 to 3.75 percent.
In a Dec. 11 commentary, Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at real estate data company Bright MLS, suggested that even if mortgage rates were to decline further, other concerns are weighing on prospective buyers’ minds.
On the positive side, Sturtevant expects mortgage rates to fall further.
“Expect mortgage rates to ease somewhat in 2026, though Bright MLS forecasts are for rates to remain above 6 percent through the end of next year,” she wrote.
“Slightly lower rates and slower price growth should improve affordability a little, which could bring more buyers into the market.”
President Donald Trump has vowed to lower mortgage costs.
“I will announce some of the most aggressive housing reform plans in American history,” he said during a televised address on Dec. 17.
Trump said he plans to announce a new Federal Reserve chairman who will support lower interest rates, which will trigger further decline in mortgage rates.
He suggested that illegal immigration under the Biden administration contributed significantly to housing costs.
“Over 60 percent of growth in the rental market came from foreign migrants,” the president said. “For the first time in 50 years, we are now seeing reverse migration as migrants go back home, leaving more housing and more jobs for Americans.”
Tyler Durden
Fri, 12/26/2025 – 14:15
