Carl Wolf, executive director of the nonprofit Respond Now, said the holidays were particularly challenging this year for families in Chicago’s south suburbs.

He said the Chicago Heights nonprofit, which offers immediate food and housing support, served about 20% more families, or about 346 families, during the annual holiday giveaway compared to last year. He cited recent events that increased stress for families, such as the temporary halting of food stamps and the presence of federal immigration enforcement officers in the area.

Wolf also said the nonprofit received an overwhelming increase in support and donations in response to these events, with supporters telling him they are concerned about “threats” communities face.

Dozens of community members, including donors, nonprofit partners and volunteers, showed up to the nonprofit’s holiday giveaway Dec. 17, also known as the Christmas Store, and helped give hundreds of pound of food and over 1,000 clothing and toy items to families, including more than 840 children.

“We understand that times are very precarious, and there’s just a lot of stress in the communities,” Wolf said. “The community’s response has shown that people want to try and make our communities better by stepping up in a variety of ways.”

The holiday giveaway was hosted at the Marian Catholic High School and St. Agnes Parish, now part of Our Lady of the Heights Parish in Chicago Heights. Wolf said parents talked with volunteers about what toys their children wanted, then volunteers found similar toys from what the organization had. The families also went home with an Aldi gift card, a turkey and other food.

Toys, food and items were donated from over a dozen nearby companies and charities, along with individual families and residents. The nonprofit also raised more than $13,000 at its Home for the Holidays event in early December.

Respond Now volunteers helped provide food, clothes and toys to more than 300 families at the nonprofit’s holiday giveaway Dec. 17. (Respond Now)

Wolf said that the biggest challenge was supporting families during the temporary loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, known as SNAP, in November.

He said when the benefits were paused, his nonprofit, at 1439 Emerald Ave., was in between locations due to renovations scheduled to finish by Jan. 5. He said they had just finished using a temporary location at Bethel Family Resource Center and had a month gap without a place to host the pantry.

“We thought that would be fine, you know, that we’ve just got some work to take care of around the facility, but a week or so into that we realized that the stamps were going to be cut off,” Wolf said.

He said his staff scrambled, and Emmaus Church in Olympia Fields provided a pop-up site for the pantry that month, even providing coffee and doughnuts for residents. He said it was still difficult, though, because people that they usually served were unsure where to go.

Wolf said although benefits were restored, he is concerned with stricter federal work requirements for SNAP, slated to begin Feb. 1 and outlined in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The new requirements state people ages 18 to 64 must work or volunteer a minimum of 80 hours per month or participate in certain training or education to receive SNAP benefits, with some exemptions.

Wolf said his nonprofit serves families who might not meet the work requirements necessary to maintain their food stamp benefits. There are 16,828 people who receive benefits in the Chicago Heights, Sauk Village and Lynwood area, according to data from the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

“It’s a concern because if people get cut off, what we do with the food pantry is just simply not going to make up for that,” Wolf said.

Wolf said he is also unclear about what federal funding for permanent supportive housing will look like over the next three to six months, which he said has housing advocates on pins and needles. He said his organization serves up to 70 units of supportive housing.

The funding concern, he said, stems from a November funding notice from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that presented new restrictions on grant funding that supports permanent housing and other related housing programs.

A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from imposing these restrictions Dec. 19, but Wolf said he is still concerned with funding application deadlines approaching. He said his organization needs to renew funding for one program by April, which he said his staff usually begins to apply for by July. He said the federal changes this year have set that process back.

Despite recent concerns, Wolf said he looks forward to renovations being completed, giving the food pantry more space and allowing it to be open five days a week instead of three. Residents can use the pantry twice a month, and there will be self-service stations, he said.

He said before the renovations, the more than 30-year-old building was a little dilapidated, but said the renovation emphasizes a feeling of “worth and dignity.”

“It was charming, but not completely warm and comforting,” Wolf said. “We’ve redone it and people can walk in and really feel, really know, they’re important.”

awright@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/24/respond-now-chicago-heights-nonprofit/ 

Good morning, Chicago.

The National Weather Service considers Christmas to be white only when snow depth on the ground is 1 inch or more the morning of Dec. 25.

So, any snow that could fall later that day? Pretty, but it doesn’t count.

On Christmas Day, the only thing blanketing Chicago rooftops will likely be fog, and the only thing falling from the sky might be an intermittent drizzle. Meteorologists are forecasting no snow in the Chicago area on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Rather, temperatures will be unseasonably warm in the 40- to 50-degree range.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including the Supreme Court dealing President Donald Trump a defeat on his bid to deploy the National Guard in Illinois, the NWSL creating a “high-impact player” rule and our 20 New Year’s Eve picks.

Today’s eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History

Members of the Texas National Guard arrive, Oct. 7, 2025, at the Army Reserve Training Center in Elwood. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Supreme Court deals Trump a defeat on bid to deploy National Guard in Illinois

The U.S. Supreme Court denied a request from President Donald Trump’s administration yesterday to allow the Republican president to deploy National Guard troops to Illinois streets while a court battle over a restraining order plays out.

Pope Leo XIV talks to journalists as he leaves the Castel Gandolfo residence to head to the Vatican, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope disappointed over approval of assisted suicide legislation in his home state of Illinois

Pope Leo XIV said yesterday he was “very disappointed” that his home state of Illinois had approved a law allowing for medically assisted suicide, and he called for greater respect of life.

Leo said he had spoken “explicitly” with Gov. JB Pritzker and urged him to not sign the bill into law. Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich did the same, Leo told reporters as he left his country house in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.

Mayor Brandon Johnson signs an executive order in his ceremonial office at City Hall on Dec. 23, 2025, ahead of a news conference about the city’s 2026 budget. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)

Mayor Brandon Johnson surrenders in budget fight, will not veto opponents’ package

Speaking outside the mayor’s office on the fifth floor of City Hall, Mayor Brandon Johnson confirmed he will not veto the $16.6 billion counterproposal to his spending plan for next year, despite his ongoing objections to his council rivals’ package, which nixes his corporate head tax. His decision comes days before the end-of-year deadline to either finalize a budget or imperil vital city services as well as tens of thousands of paychecks.

A CTA Red Line train travels through the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway south of the Chicago skyline, Dec. 15, 2025. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Ready, set, soon? Trump admin’s funding freeze threatens Red Line Extension.

Banners posted at the Chicago Transit Authority’s 95th Street station promise: “Ready, set, soon! The Red Line Extension is coming.”

Anticipation for the rail project has been building since January when, just 10 days before President Donald Trump took office, the CTA locked down almost $2 billion in federal grant dollars to help extend the Red Line from 95th Street to 130th Street. But in October, the Trump administration froze the Red Line grant dollars, citing the transit agency’s diversity requirements for contractors.

Jan M. Grayson, who was appointed as director of the Illinois’ Department of Commerce and Community Affairs by then-Gov. Jim Edgar, stands in the James R. Thompson Center in April 1991. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune)

Jan Grayson, who led state’s department of commerce and chaired Chicago Architecture Foundation board, dies at 84

Jan Grayson led the state agency formerly known as the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs — the state’s economic development arm — for four years during the administration of the late Gov. Jim Edgar, and he later chaired the board of the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

“Jan was an affable business leader and problem solver,” said Regional Transportation Authority Chair Kirk Dillard, who served as Edgar’s chief of staff. “He was instrumental in the early 1990s in guiding Illinois’ economy through a severe national economic downturn.”

The U.S. Department of Education building is seen in Washington, on Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Student loan borrowers in default may see wages garnished in 2026

The Trump administration said that it will begin garnishing the wages of student loan borrowers who are in default early next year.

The department said it will send notices to approximately 1,000 borrowers the week of Jan. 7, with more notices to come at an increasing scale each month.

Injured Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze walks the field before the game against the Packers on Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Injured WR Rome Odunze will ‘be able to help us this year,’ Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson says

While Bears wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III weren’t on the field yesterday afternoon when practice at Halas Hall was open to reporters, coach Ben Johnson offered up some holiday hope.

5 things we learned from the Bears: Caleb Williams fueled by naysayers when told ‘I can’t win here’
Bears Q&A: Would Ben Johnson rest players for the playoffs? Will Nahshon Wright be re-signed?

Washington Spirit’s forward Trinity Rodman runs for a ball during the first half of a NWSL soccer match against Bay FC on Aug. 23, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)

NWSL creates ‘high-impact player’ rule allowing clubs to sign stars such as Trinity Rodman over the salary cap

The National Women’s Soccer League has created a rule to give clubs flexibility to sign “high-impact players” to contracts that go over the salary cap.

The issue has attracted attention as the Washington Spirit have attempted to re-sign Trinity Rodman, one of the league’s biggest stars.

Record label co-founder John Corbett and saxophonist Ken Vandermark, at the Empty Bottle in Chicago circa 2000. (Provided by John Corbett)

When a rock dive became a jazz destination: New album ‘The Bottle Tapes’ revisits epochal Empty Bottle series

A time capsule hit shelves physical and digital: “The Bottle Tapes,” a six-CD box set released on the Corbett vs. Dempsey label. To curate the set, John Corbett parsed through 250 hours of recordings, most of them by Malachi Ritscher, an avid listener and anti-war activist who recorded thousands of Chicago concerts from the 1980s through the mid-aughts. Thanks to Ritscher, many earth-shaking live shows have been preserved for posterity — a minor miracle in the ephemeral world of free improvisation.

New Year’s Eve fireworks explode over the Chicago River on Jan. 1, 2024, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

New Year’s Eve 2025: Our 20 from ‘Rockin” downtown fireworks to the concerts and dance parties

The mainstage Chicago event for New Year’s Eve has, for the past several years, been the downtown fireworks — this year to be shared with the nation via the cameras for “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” But there’s lots more going on for the big night.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/24/daywatch-will-chicago-see-a-white-christmas-2/ 

KYIV, Ukraine — The United States and Ukraine have reached a consensus on several critical issues aimed at bringing an end to the nearly four-year conflict, but sensitive issues around territorial control in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, along with the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, remain unresolved, Ukraine’s president said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy briefed journalists on each point of the plan on Tuesday. His comments were embargoed until Wednesday morning. The draft proposal, which reflects Ukraine’s wishes, intertwines political and commercial interests to safeguard security while boosting economic potential.

Asked about the plan, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow would set out its position based on information received by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who met with U.S. envoys in Florida over the weekend.

Peskov declined to share further details, saying that Moscow believed it was “highly inappropriate to conduct any kind of communication via the media.”

At the heart of the negotiations lies the contentious territorial dispute concerning the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, known as the Donbas. This is “the most difficult point,” Zelenskyy said. He said these matters will be discussed at the leaders level.

Russia continues to assert maximalist demands, insisting that Ukraine relinquish the remaining territory in Donbas that it has not captured — an ultimatum that Ukraine has rejected. Russia has captured most of Luhansk and about 70% of Donetsk.

In a bid to facilitate compromise, the United States has proposed transforming these areas into free economic zones. Ukraine insists that any arrangement must be contingent upon a referendum, allowing the Ukrainian people to determine their own fate. Ukraine is demanding the demilitarization of the area and the presence of an international force to ensure stability, Zelenskyy said.

How the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest plant in Europe which is under Russian occupation, will be managed is another contentious issue. The U.S. is proposing a consortium with Ukraine and Russia, with each party having an equal stake in the enterprise.

But Zelenskyy countered with a joint venture proposal between the U.S. and Ukraine, in which the Americans are able to decide how to distribute their share, presuming it would go to Russia.

“We did not reach a consensus with the American side on the territory of the Donetsk region and on the ZNPP,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the power plant in Zaporizhzhia. “But we have significantly brought most of the positions closer together. In principle, all other consensus in this agreement has been found between us and them.”

A free economic zone compromise

Point 14, which covers territories that cut across the eastern front line, and Point 12, which discusses management of the Zaporizhzhia plant, will likely be major sticking points in the talks.

Zelenskyy said: “We are in a situation where the Russians want us to leave the Donetsk region, and the Americans are trying to find a way so that it is ‘not a way out’ — because we are against leaving — they want to find a demilitarized zone or a free economic zone in this, that is, a format that can provide for the views of both sides.”

The draft states that the contact line, which cuts across five Ukrainian regions, be frozen once the agreement is signed.

Ukraine’s stance is that any attempt to create a free economic zone must be ratified by a referendum, affirming that the Ukrainian people ultimately hold the decision-making power, Zelenskyy said. This process will require 60 days, he added, during which time hostilities should stop to allow the process to happen.

More difficult discussions would require hammering out how far troops would be required to move back, per Ukraine’s proposal, and where international forces would be stationed. Zelenskyy said ultimately “people can choose: this ending suits us or not,” he said.

The draft also proposes that Russian forces withdraw from Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv regions, and that international forces be located along the contact line to monitor the implementation of the agreement.

“Since there is no faith in the Russians, and they have repeatedly broken their promises, today’s contact line is turning into a line of a de facto free economic zone, and international forces should be there to guarantee that no one will enter there under any guise — neither ‘little green men’ nor Russian military disguised as civilians,” Zelenskyy said.

Managing Zaporizhzhia power plant

Ukraine is also proposing that the occupied city of Enerhodar, which is connected to the Zaporizhzhia power plant, be a demilitarized free economic zone, Zelenskyy said. This point required 15 hours of discussions with the U.S., he said.

For now, the U.S. proposes that the plant be jointly operated by Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia, with each side receiving dividends from the enterprise.

“The USA is offering 33% for 33%f or 33%, and the Americans are the main manager of this joint venture,” he said. “It is clear that for Ukraine this sounds very unsuccessful and not entirely realistic. How can you have joint commerce with the Russians after everything?”

Ukraine offered an alternative proposal, that the plant be operated by a joint venture with the U.S. in which the Americans can determine independently how to distribute their 50% share.

Zelenskyy said billions in investments are needed to make the plant run again, including restoring the adjacent dam.

“There were about 15 hours of conversations about the plant. These are all very complex things.”

A separate annex for security guarantees

The document ensures that Ukraine will be provided with “strong” security guarantees that mirror NATO’s Article 5, which would obligate Ukraine’s partners to act in the event of renewed Russian aggression.

Zelenskyy said that a separate bilateral document with the U.S. will outline these guarantees. This agreement will detail the conditions under which security will be provided, particularly in the event of a renewed Russian assault, and will establish a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire.

This mechanism will utilize satellite technology and early warning systems to ensure effective oversight and rapid response capabilities.

“The mood of the United States of America is that this is an unprecedented step towards Ukraine on their part. They believe that they are giving strong security guarantees,” he said.

The draft contains other elements including keeping Ukraine’s army at 800,000 during peace time, and by nailing down a specific date for ascension to the European Union.

Elections and boosting the economy

The document proposes accelerating a free trade agreement between Ukraine and the U.S. once the agreement is signed. The U.S. wants the same deal with Russia, said Zelenskyy.

Ukraine would like to receive short-term privileged access to the European market and a robust global development package, that will cover a wide-range of economic interests, including a development fund to invest in industries including technology, data centers and artificial intelligence, as well as gas.

Also included are funds for the reconstruction of territories destroyed in the war.

“Ukraine will have the opportunity to determine the priorities for distributing its share of funds in the territories under the control of Ukraine. And this is a very important point, on which we spent a lot of time,” Zelenskyy said.

The goal will be to attract $800 billion through equity, grants, loans and private sector contributions.

The draft proposal also requires Ukraine to hold elections after the signing of the agreement. “This is the partners’ vision,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine is also asking that all prisoners since 2014 be released at once, and that civilian detainees, political prisoners and children be returned to Ukraine.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/24/us-ukraine-consensus-key-issues/ 

Trump’s Gunboat Diplomacy Intensifies Against Darkest Corner Of Oil Fleet Propping Up Venezuela

Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/24/2025 – 07:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/us-shifts-additional-stealth-jets-troops-caribbean-gunboat-diplomacy-itensifies 

A news segment about the Trump administration’s immigration policy that was abruptly pulled from “60 Minutes” was mistakenly aired on a TV app after the last minute decision not to air it touched off a public debate about journalistic independence.

The segment featured interviews with migrants who were sent to a notorious El Salvador prison called the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, under President Donald Trump’s aggressive crackdown on immigration.

The story was pulled from Global Television Network, one of Canada’s largest networks, but still ran on the network’s app. Global Television Network swiftly corrected the error, but copies of it continued to float around the internet and pop up before being taken down.

“Paramount’s content protection team is in the process of routine take down orders for the unaired and unauthorized segment,” a CBS spokesperson said Tuesday via email.

A representative of Global Television Network did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the story, two men who were deported reported torture, beatings and abuse. One Venezuelan said he was punished with sexual abuse and solitary confinement.

Another was a college student who said guards beat him and knocked out his tooth upon arrival.

“When you get there, you already know you’re in hell. You don’t need anyone to tell you,” he said.

The segment featured numerous experts who called into question the legal basis for deporting migrants so hastily amid pending judicial decisions. Reporters for the show also corroborated findings by Human Rights Watch suggesting that only eight of the deported men had been sentenced for violent or potentially violent crimes, using available ICE data.

The decision to pull a story critical of the Trump administration was met with widespread accusations that CBS leadership was shielding the president from unfavorable coverage.

The journalist who reported the story, Sharyn Alfonsi, said in an email sent to fellow “60 Minutes” correspondents that the story was factually correct and had been cleared by CBS lawyers and its standards division.

CBS News chief Bari Weiss said Monday that the story did not “advance the ball” and pointed out that the Trump administration had refused to comment for the story. Weiss said she wanted a greater effort made to get its point of view and said she looked forward to airing Alfonsi’s piece “when it’s ready.”

The dispute put one of journalism’s most respected brands — and a frequent target of Trump — back in the spotlight and amplified questions about whether Weiss’ appointment is a signal that CBS News is headed in a more Trump-friendly direction.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/24/60-minutes-segment-trump-immigration-policy/ 

A Christmas Eve Powerball drawing could add new meaning to holiday cheer as millions of players hope to cash in on the $1.7 billion prize, which comes after months without a jackpot winner.

The United States’ 4th-largest jackpot on record comes after 46 consecutive draws without someone claiming to have all six numbers. The last contest with a jackpot winner was on Sept. 6. The game’s long odds have people decking the halls and doling out $2 — and sometimes more — for tickets ahead of Wednesday night’s live drawing.

It’s a sign the game is operating as intended. Lottery officials made the odds tougher in 2015 as a mechanism for snowballing jackpots, all the while making it easier to win smaller prizes.

The Christmas holiday is not expected to impact the drawing process should there be a winning ticket, a Powerball spokesperson said.

Here is what to know about Wednesday’s drawing:

Christmas Eve cha-ching

That ticket placed in a stocking or under the tree could be worth a billion bucks — but with some caveats.

Powerball is played in 45 states, along with Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most of those areas require players to be 18 or older, though some states have steeper requirements. In Nebraska, players have to be at least 19 years old, and in Louisiana and Arizona, people can’t buy tickets until they are 21.

Winning tickets also must be cashed in the states where they were bought. And players can’t buy tickets in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada or Utah.

Other than that, lottery officials argue there is a chance a lucky Powerball ticket could be a gift that keeps on giving.

Charlie McIntyre, the New Hampshire Lottery’s executive director, said Tuesday: “Just think of the stories you can tell for generations to come about the year you woke up a billionaire on Christmas.”

A range of prizes can be presents

Wednesday’s $1.7 billion jackpot has a cash value of $781.3 million.

A winner can choose to be paid the whole amount through an annuity, with an immediate payment and then annual payments over 29 years that increase by 5% each time. Most winners, however, usually choose the cash value for a lump sum.

The odds are high for the top prize, but there are smaller prizes players can reap.

At the last drawing, players in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin each won $1 million. There are also prizes outside the jackpot, ranging from a few dollars to $2 million.

One woman told Powerball officials that she already made plans for her $1 million win: “We’re going to pay off our cars and credit cards and get a bigger house!”

And Thomas Anderson of Burlington, North Carolina, said he intended to use his $100,000 Powerball win from earlier this month to go back to school, according to Powerball.

Long odds for the billion-dollar jackpots

Lottery officials set the odds at 1 in 292.2 million in hopes that jackpots will roll over with each of the three weekly drawings until the pool balloons so much that more people take notice and play.

The odds used to be notably better, at 1 in 175 million. But the game was made tougher in 2015 to create the out-of-this-world bounties. The tougher odds partly helped set the stage for back-to-back record-breaking sweepstakes this year.

The last time someone won the Powerball pot was on Sept. 6, when players in Missouri and Texas won $1.787 billion, which was the second-highest top prize in U.S. history.

The U.S. has seen more than a dozen lottery jackpot prizes exceed $1 billion since 2016. The biggest U.S. jackpot ever was $2.04 billion back in 2022.

More about those unfavorable odds

It’s hard to explain what odds of 1 in 292.2 million mean. Even if halved, they remain difficult to digest.

In the past, one math professor described the odds of flipping a coin and getting heads 28 straight times.

Tim Chartier, a Davidson College math professor in North Carolina, on Monday compared the odds of a winning lottery ticket to selecting one marked dollar bill from a stack 19 miles (31 kilometers) high.

“It’s true that if you buy 100 tickets, you are 100 times more likely to win. But in this case, ‘100 times more likely’ barely moves the probability needle,” Chartier said. “Using the time analogy, buying 100 tickets is like getting 100 guesses to name that one chosen second over nine years. Possible — but wildly improbable.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/24/powerballs-jackpot-christmas-eve/ 

Por LORNE COOK

BRUSELAS (AP) — La Comisión Europea, la rama ejecutiva de la Unión Europea, advirtió el miércoles que tomaría medidas contra cualquier “medida injustificada” después de que el Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos prohibiera la entrada a cinco europeos a quienes acusa de presionar a las empresas tecnológicas estadounidenses para censurar o suprimir puntos de vista estadounidenses.

Los europeos fueron descritos por el secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos, Marco Rubio, como activistas “radicales” y organizaciones no gubernamentales “instrumentalizadas”. Entre ellos se encuentra el excomisario de la UE responsable de supervisar las normas de las redes sociales, Thierry Breton.

Breton, empresario y exministro de Finanzas de Francia, chocó el año pasado en redes sociales con el multimillonario tecnológico Elon Musk por la transmisión de una entrevista en línea con Donald Trump en los meses previos a las elecciones en Estados Unidos.

La Comisión Europea, la poderosa rama ejecutiva de la UE que supervisa la regulación tecnológica en Europa, afirmó que “condena enérgicamente la decisión de Estados Unidos de imponer restricciones de viaje” y que ha solicitado aclaraciones sobre la medida. El presidente francés Emmanuel Macron también la condenó.

“Si es necesario, responderemos rápida y decisivamente para defender nuestra autonomía regulatoria contra medidas injustificadas”, dijo la comisión en un comunicado, sin dar más detalles.

Rubio escribió en una publicación en X el martes que “durante demasiado tiempo, los ideólogos en Europa han liderado esfuerzos organizados para coaccionar a las plataformas estadounidenses a castigar los puntos de vista estadounidenses que ellos rechazan”.

“El gobierno de Trump ya no tolerará estos actos atroces de censura extraterritorial”, publicó.

La Comisión Europea respondió que “la UE es un mercado único abierto y basado en normas, con el derecho soberano de regular la actividad económica de acuerdo con nuestros valores democráticos y compromisos internacionales”.

“Nuestras normas digitales garantizan un campo de juego seguro, justo y equitativo para todas las empresas, aplicadas de manera justa y sin discriminación”, afirmó.

Macron dijo en X que las restricciones de visa “equivalen a intimidación y coerción destinadas a socavar la soberanía digital europea”.

El mandatario galo señaló que las normas digitales de la UE fueron adoptadas mediante “un proceso democrático y soberano” que involucró a todos los países miembros y al Parlamento Europeo. Dijo que las normas “aseguran una competencia justa entre plataformas, sin apuntar a ningún tercer país”.

Subrayó que “las normas que rigen el espacio digital de la Unión Europea no se van a determinar fuera de Europa”.

Breton y el grupo de europeos se vieron afectados por una nueva política de visas anunciada en mayo para restringir la entrada de extranjeros considerados responsables de la censura de discursos protegidos en Estados Unidos.

Los otros cuatro son Imran Ahmed, director ejecutivo del Centro para Contrarrestar el Odio Digital; Josephine Ballon y Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, líderes de la organización alemana HateAid, y Clare Melford, quien dirige el Índice Global de Desinformación.

Rubio dijo que los cinco habían promovido campañas de censura de gobiernos extranjeros contra estadounidenses y empresas de Estados Unidos, lo que, según él, planteaba la posibilidad de “serias consecuencias adversas de política exterior” para Estados Unidos.

La acción de prohibirles la entrada a Estados Unidos forma parte de una campaña del gobierno de Trump contra la influencia extranjera sobre el discurso en línea, que emplea la ley de inmigración en lugar de regulaciones o sanciones de plataformas.

En una publicación en X el martes, Sarah Rogers, subsecretaria de Estado de Estados Unidos para diplomacia pública, calificó a Breton como el “cerebro” detrás de la Ley de Servicios Digitales de la UE, que impone un conjunto de requisitos estrictos diseñados para mantener a los usuarios de internet seguros en línea. Esto incluye señalar contenido dañino o ilegal como discursos de odio.

Breton respondió en X señalando que los 27 países miembros de la UE votaron a favor de la Ley de Servicios Digitales en 2022. “A nuestros amigos estadounidenses: ‘La censura no está donde ustedes piensan que está’”, escribió.

___

Angela Charlton contribuyó a este despacho desde París.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/24/la-ue-advierte-de-posibles-medidas-tras-el-veto-de-eeuu-a-cinco-europeos-acusados-de-censura/ 

The playoff-bound Chicago Bears are on to the next goal: securing a division title with one more win or one more Green Bay Packers loss.

Could achieving that objective cause the Bears to consider resting players for the postseason. The Tribune’s Brad Biggs answers that and much more in his weekly Bears mailbag.

If the Ravens beat Green Bay on Saturday, the Bears clinch the NFC North. When should they start to rest and protect players prior to playoffs? Ben Johnson did state the No. 1 seed as his third goal. — @greggisp

This was a very popular question this week. Securing the No. 1 seed was the third goal Johnson listed Monday when he met with virtually with reporters. The first two goals did not include finding ways to keep key players on the sideline. Johnson doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who would coach scared at any point — ever. Of course, there are times when common-sense decisions need to be made, but if there’s a situation in which players can be rested, you’re talking about only a couple of guys who actually could be pulled out. There just isn’t a whole lot of flexibility with game-day rosters.

Week 16 photos: Chicago Bears 22, Green Bay Packers 16 (OT)

“Step No. 1 was to get to 11 (wins), and the whole reason why that was the number, there’s really only been one 10-win team not to make it,” Johnson said, referring to the seven-team playoff format. “There’s never been an 11-win team to not make it, so we felt pretty good about that being the number going into the season.

“Step 2 is we want to win this division. We want to have at least one home playoff game, and then Step 3 would be clinch a No. 1 seed. So there’s a lot of things still out there to play for.”

If the Bears, who will host the Detroit Lions in Week 18, and an NFC West team are vying for the No. 1 seed, there’s a decent chance the NFL would schedule those games to start at the same time. That’s not a lock but it wouldn’t surprise me. Right now the Bears are one game behind the Seattle Seahawks for the No. 1 seed, but if the Bears win out and Seattle loses one game, Johnson’s team would vault into the top position. Let’s say the Seahawks remain a game up on the Bears going into Week 18 and the games start at the same time. How is Johnson supposed to rest players then?

There’s maybe one scenario I can think of in which the Bears would consider resting a player or two, but it requires a ton of what-ifs. Let’s say the Bears, Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles all lose this week and the Seahawks win. A Green Bay loss would clinch the NFC North for the Bears, and a loss by the Eagles would ensure the Bears are ahead of them at the end of the season. If the Seahawks win, the Bears would not be able to catch them in Week 18. So then you’re looking at the Bears being locked into the No. 2 seed. Perhaps it becomes a discussion for them at that point.

Can you break down what needs to happen for the Bears to regain the No. 1 seed? — @bearsfanpete

The Bears are one of four teams in the hunt for the top seed in the NFC along with the Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. Here’s the current order:

Seahawks (12-3 overall, 7-3 in NFC). Remaining: at Panthers, at 49ers.
Bears (11-4, 7-3). Remaining: at 49ers, vs. Lions.
49ers (11-4, 8-2). Remaining: vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks.
Rams (11-4, 6-4). Remaining: at Falcons, vs. Cardinals.

Let’s assume there are no ties involving these teams in the final two weeks. The Bears would need to win out and have the Seahawks lose at least one game. The Bears would win a tiebreaker with Seattle and get a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the NFC playoffs.

The good news is the Bears are in a good position to secure at least the No. 2 seed. They would win the division with one victory or one loss by the Packers, who host the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday and close the season at Minnesota. Winning the division would ensure the Bears a top-four seed and at least one home playoff game. The Eagles also have an outside shot at the No. 2 seed. They would have to win out and the Bears would have to lose their final two games.

With the great cornerback play from Nahshon Wright, do you think there is a scenario where the Bears sign him to an extension and move on from another cornerback in the group? — @zelenikt

Cornerback Nahshon Wright celebrates after the Bears stopped the Packers on fourth down in overtime Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Wright has been a fantastic story this season and one that should only get better for him in the offseason. I imagine the Bears will want to bring him back. I also believe he will have a solid market in free agency. If Wright isn’t involved in another takeaway this season, he’ll go to market as a guy who had five interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. A lot of teams would love to have a cornerback with that kind of ball production and length. He also has been a willing tackler against the run.

Wright hit the jackpot being the right guy in the right spot at the right time, and he has maximized his opportunity in just about every way you can imagine. He has a close relationship with passing game coordinator/secondary coach Al Harris, who was in Dallas when the Cowboys drafted Wright. I’m sure Wright would love to stick around with the Bears. Generally speaking, “hometown discounts” apply in free agency only when the discount is really, really small. Wright turns 28 next September, and this will be his chance at a contract that can set up him and his family for the rest of his life.

We’ll see what happens. After a number of years of having a wide-open salary-cap situation, the Bears will have to be more selective in 2026. First they’ll have to rate what their needs are and then assess what’s available. I imagine they will look for a way to retain Wright. It will be really interesting to see what kind of market there is for him because he didn’t do much in his career until this season. Given a chance, he has proved he’s a starter capable of making big plays.

I don’t know that the Bears would look to shed any cornerbacks. That’s a position where you want depth, and as you’ve seen at the nickel position, it’s needed. Kyler Gordon isn’t going anywhere. They just paid him. It has been a disappointing season for Jaylon Johnson because of health issues. The guaranteed money in his deal is up, but I’d imagine the team will bet on a bounce-back season.

Your opinion on Austin Booker, his performance this year and can he be the solution to the edge rusher issues? — @john_vent2

Bears defensive end Austin Booker tackles Packers quarterback Jordan Love in the first quarter Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. Booker was called for roughing the passer on the play. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Booker can be part of the solution. He’s not the kind of player who will lift a pass rush by himself. To be fair, only a small handful of players across the league can do that on a consistent basis.

Booker is coming off two very impactful games. He would have been credited for 1½ sacks against the Packers if he hadn’t been called for roughing the passer on the hit that knocked Jordan Love out of the game with a concussion. Tough play there for Booker, but he can’t lower his head when making contact in that situation. He had two sacks the previous week against the Cleveland Brown and he has five quarterback hits in the last two weeks — six if he hadn’t been dinged for the penalty.

I like Booker. He has a high motor on the field and really pushes himself to improve. Healthy over a full season, it’s easy to envision him as the kind of guy who can produce eight to 10 sacks. He’s also young. He turned 23 this month and there’s no question his best football is ahead of him. He just doesn’t have the high-end traits to be a game wrecker each and every Sunday, and that’s the kind of player you’re alluding to when you talk about the team needing a solution.

Montez Sweat has gotten on a nice heater and has produced 8½ sacks over the last 10 games. That’s a welcome sight for the coaches and front office.

“Since the bye week, he’s playing some of the best ball of his career,” Ben Johnson said. “He would probably tell you the same thing. He’s one of our most consistent run defenders. He’s been racking up, slowly but surely, a sack a game it almost feels like. A guy that we can consistently count on to win one-on-one matchups and pressure the quarterback. I feel really strongly about the way he’s playing right now.

“I feel really strongly about the person too. I love seeing him in the building. He’s one of the many that haven’t really experienced what we’re experiencing right now, where it’s not just winning football but a chance at the postseason and playing meaningful games down the stretch like this.”

I tend to think the Bears will look for ways to boost the pass rush in the offseason. How? We’ll have to see. Let’s focus on the opportunities they have on the field moving into January and keep an eye out for Booker, who is playing well.

If Cairo Santos knocks that field goal in before the two-minute warning instead of on the number, do the Bears still onside kick? — juz44

Bears kicker Cairo Santos celebrates after an overtime victory over the Packers on Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

There aren’t a lot of questions in the mailbag where I pause for a minute and really have to think about it. This is a really good question. While Ben Johnson didn’t specifically touch on the subject, he did make some insightful remarks about the timing of the process and how he wants to be better in the future.

The Bears had two timeouts remaining, and when they snapped the ball on third down, 2:44 remained on the clock. On third-and-9, Caleb Williams completed a short pass in the middle of the field to DJ Moore that went for only 5 yards.

Johnson sent on the field-goal unit, and between that and the officials having to switch out the football — this was definitely a situation in which the Bears wanted the K ball to be in play — a lot of time wound up bleeding off the clock. I asked Cairo Santos about it after the game, and he said that of course he hoped to make the field goal before the two-minute warning, but the delay for the K ball and the desire to make sure everything was right to accomplish the most important goal — making the 43-yard kick — slowed the process.

“We could’ve handled that third down into fourth down better as an offense and as a special teams unit, and that’s on me,” Johnson said. “That is 100% on me. I have to do a better job coaching that with all the players involved, all the coaches involved, and I think we’ll be better for that going forward.”

What was interesting is Johnson went back to his play call on third down in assessing the situation.

“I don’t want to put our field-goal unit in that position to start with, with the clock running like that,” he said. “Ideally, that third-down throw is either past the sticks or it’s clearly going to be out of bounds to where we’re not having a running clock and we’re forcing our field-goal unit out there. I can do a better job communicating that we need to kick that thing as soon as we possibly can.

“That being said, you know, they’re getting the K ball in there — at one point that thing was fumbling around on the ground, and the umpire stood over the ball for a longer period of time than I had hoped for. So we weren’t able to get the kick off nearly as quickly as I had foreseen in my head. So there were a number of things that had happened there.”

Back to your question about the decision to onside kick. If the Bears had the two-minute warning plus their two timeouts, I think they probably would have kicked off if they had made the field goal with 2:20 or so remaining on the clock. In that scenario, with three stops they could have forced the Packers to punt coming out of the two-minute warning. Let’s keep in mind, though, they needed a touchdown, and the math is a heck of a lot different if you require only a field goal in that situation.

Because the Bears needed a touchdown, my guess is they would have attempted the onside kick if the clock was closer to the two-minute warning and there was a chance for Green Bay to possess the ball beyond that point.

The bottom line is an onside kick is a last-ditch resort for coaches to turn to because the odds of a recovery are so low. Fortunately for the Bears, Santos hit a perfect ball and then Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs was way too indecisive before he muffed the recovery.

Interesting that the Bears won the toss in overtime and chose to kick. Looked like a smart move. What did you think? — Bill F., Waynesboro, Va.

Good question. That’s the general trend with the current NFL rules, which guarantee both teams a possession. By kicking off to begin overtime, coaches know what they will need when they get their turn with the ball — a touchdown to win or tie or a field goal to win or tie.

What was interesting about Ben Johnson’s decision is he put his defense on the field first when his offense had momentum and his defense hadn’t stopped Green Bay from moving the ball all game. The Packers had 46 or more net yards on every possession in regulation with the exception of a kneel-down at the end of the second quarter and the sack they took on the lone play of their final possession at the end of the fourth quarter.

Sure enough, the Packers started overtime by moving the ball. They went 43 yards in six plays — including a 31-yard completion from Malik Willis to Jayden Reed — and reached the Bears 36-yard line before the bungled snap on fourth-and-1.

The Bears knew they could win with a field goal, but Johnson dialed up a shot play — probably knowing the Packers would be hunting a big play — and it hit with Caleb Williams’ bomb to DJ Moore.

Olamide Zaccheaus has had a lot of drops, including another one on Saturday when the ball hit him square in the numbers. With Jahdae Walker coming through clutch in that game (a 15-yarder and the game-tying catch), will Walker now be taking snaps from Zaccheaus? — Pat R., Chicago

Bears wide receiver Jahdae Walker catches a touchdown pass against the Packers in the fourth quarter Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

We won’t get an answer on that question until Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III are back in the mix. If Odunze and Burden still are missing Sunday at San Francisco, it will be all hands on deck.

Right now, Zaccheaus probably has a better mastery of the offense as a whole, especially for doing some of the dirty work over the middle, which is where he was when he dropped the pass you’re referring to. But you’ve brought up a good question and it wouldn’t surprise me if the coaches look for expanded opportunities for Walker, who could be in some 12 personnel groupings with DJ Moore.

Zaccheaus played 55 snaps against the Packers and Walker played 17 snaps, mostly in 11 personnel groupings. That discrepancy could become much smaller.

The run defense has gotten better but it’s still a concern. Which player needs to step up? — @noflyzone_1

It’s not a cop-out answer to say they all do. The Packers had a lot of success running the ball, piling up 192 yards, the second-most an opponent has had versus the Bears all season. I asked nose tackle Andrew Billings about it after the game, and he said it was a matter of the defense needing to have better run fits.

My guess is the Bears will have their final full-pads practice of the regular season Wednesday. That’s a chance to fine-tune some of that stuff. The San Francisco running game has been pretty sluggish most of the season, which is a little surprising given coach Kyle Shanahan’s track record, but Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers are capable of going off at any time. All 11 defenders need to be involved for better run defense.

When is Kyler Gordon eligible to return? — @pauliuskase

Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon signs autographs for fans before facing the Commanders on Oct. 13, 2025, at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

The earliest the Bears can open a return-to-practice window for Gordon is Jan. 5, the day after the regular-season finale against the Lions at Soldier Field. That will be the fourth game Gordon is required to miss while on injured reserve with a groin injury.

“It’d be great to get Kyler back potentially in the postseason,” Ben Johnson said. “We’ll see where it’s going. He’ll be down for four weeks and we’ll assess it as we go here. We were always hopeful of that.”

Gordon’s availability is of even greater interest with C.J. Gardner-Johnson now dealing with a knee injury he suffered in the end zone after trailing Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs on a 33-yard touchdown at the end of the third quarter. The Bears turned to Nick McCloud with Gardner-Johnson sidelined, and we’ll see what kind of information is on the injury report later in the week. It’s another instance of Gardner-Johnson being challenged in coverage when he can’t re-route a wide receiver off the line of scrimmage.

As far as Gordon, maybe he can get back on the field, but he has missed nearly the entire season so I’m not sure what the team would expect from him if he is cleared. The good news is Johnson says the team is hopeful, and that indicates there is a chance.

Why does it seem like the Bears are dragging their feet on a stadium when several teams have reached deals so easily? — @2lohaymmah

What to know about the Chicago Bears’ possible move from Soldier Field

Money. Every team’s push for a stadium is about one factor and one factor only: money.

The Kansas City Chiefs announced Monday they are crossing the border from Missouri to Kansas to a new stadium that is expected to be ready for the 2031 season. Kansas is expected to pay nearly $1.8 billion of the estimated $3 billion it will cost for the stadium to be built. Development around the stadium will put the state on the hook for another huge chunk of money, reportedly as much as $975 million — meaning the state could be all in for more than $2.7 billion.

Owning an NFL franchise is good business these days, and it’s even better when public funding supports the cause. To be clear, the Bears have repeatedly said they aren’t seeking public money to construct a stadium. In Arlington Heights, they have been asking for infrastructure support around the stadium, which could run up to $855 million, and they have sought tax breaks.

If the Bears can get Illinois or Indiana to throw around the kind of money Kansas is, I promise you will see their feet moving in a jiffy.

Was DJ Moore’s touchdown catch in spite of pass interference by Keisean Nixon? — Pete J., Kuwait

It sure looked like Nixon had his arms and hands all over Moore before the ball arrived. It was as good of a catch as you’re going to see.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/24/chicago-bears-mailbag-ben-johnson-playoffs/ 

The Chicago Bears have had some of their most memorable moments in postseason games.

Here’s a look back at each of the Bears’ playoff games — including two trips to the Super Bowl — since 1932.

1932

Iced out of Wrigley Field, the Chicago Bears beat the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans 9-0 inside Chicago Stadium for the National Football League title on Dec. 18, 1932. (Chicago Herald and Examiner)

Playoff (Dec. 18, 1932)

Champions — since the NFL was established in 1920 — were determined based on their standings at the end of the regular season. In 1932, however, there was a tie. For the first time, a one-game playoff was needed — between the Bears and the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans.

The Chicago Bears moved their NFL title game inside to Chicago Stadium due to zero-degree weather and 5 inches of ice at Wrigley Field.

The Bears beat the Spartans before 11,000 fans on a field reduced to 80 yards in length and 145 feet in width and scored the game’s only touchdown on a fourth-down play-action 2-yard pass from Bronko Nagurski to Red Grange.

The 1932 NFL championship. Indoors at Chicago Stadium. How one of the strangest — and most influential — games in Bears history changed the league.

A circus had just played in the stadium. So the straw made a softer field than frozen turf. However, the other elements left behind by horses and elephants made the place “a little too aromatic,” according to one media critic.

Virginia Halas McCaskey didn’t hesitate when asked in 2019 about her lasting memory of the Bears’ 9-0 victory.

“Just the odor,” she said with a laugh. “It was almost overwhelming.”

Result: Bears 9, Spartans 0

1933

The Chicago Bears won the first professional football championship in 1933. (Chicago Tribune)

Championship (Dec. 17, 1933)

The Bears won the inaugural NFL championship 23-21 over the New York Giants at Wrigley Field.

The Bears came from behind in the final three minutes, taking over at the Giant 46-yard line. After two plays gained 13 yards, Bronko Nagurski threw a jump pass to Bill Hewitt, who gained 14 yards and then lateraled to Bill Karr, who went the remaining 19 for the winning score.

“Six times the lead changed, and on each occasion that New York or Chicago went to the fore the tension increased,” the Tribune’s Wilfrid Smith wrote. “The Bears, whose fourth period rallies now have become famous, completed a forward-lateral pass with only three minutes of the game remaining and tacked the final victory statistics securely to the green scoreboard in center field.”

Result: Bears 23, Giants 21

1934

The New York Giants attempt to wrestle the Chicago Bears’ Bronko Nagurski, far right, to the ground during a football game at the Polo Grounds in New York on Dec. 9, 1934. New York won 30-23. (UPI)

Championship (Dec. 9, 1934)

Students of early NFL history know that the New York Giants upset the Chicago Bears 30-13 at the Polo Grounds for the 1934 title because the Giants donned sneakers to help their footing on the icy field. But how many know that Abe Cohen was a hero in the so-called “Sneakers Game?”

Cohen was a tailor, a fan, and a sometimes-clubhouse attendant. Giants trainer Gus Mauch served a similar role at Manhattan College. When coach Steve Owen wondered where he could find enough gym shoes on a Sunday to outfit his club, Cohen was dispatched in a cab to Manhattan College. There, by hook or by crook, he entered the gym, opened lockers and returned with a cab full of rubber-soled shoes.

In what became known as the “Sneakers Game,” the New York Giants beat the Chicago Bears 30-13 on Dec. 9, 1934, at the Polo Grounds in New York. The Giants swapped their cleats for rubber-soled shoes due to the field’s icy conditions. (Chicago Tribune)

The Giants rallied from an early 10-3 deficit to score four unanswered touchdowns in the last 10 minutes and win. Lewis Burton in the New York American wrote: “To the heroes of antiquity, to the Greek who raced across Marathon Plain and to Paul Revere, add now the name of Abe Cohen.”

Result: Giants 30, Bears 13

1937

In this Dec. 12, 1937, file photo, Washington Redskins quarterback Sammy Baugh (33) is brought down after a gain by the Chicago Bears during the NFL Championship game on a frozen Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Redskins won 28-21. (AP)

Championship (Dec. 12, 1937)

The Redskins — in the team’s first year in Washington after moving from Boston — rallied to a 28-21 victory over the Bears on an icy Wrigley Field in 15-degree weather. Rookie quarterback Sammy Baugh completed 18 of 33 passes for 354 yards.

Result: Redskins 28, Bears 21

1940

George McAfee (5) runs the famous “T-formation” for the Chicago Bears for a touchdown in the fabled 73-0 win over the Washington Redskins on Dec. 8, 1940. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

Championship (Dec. 8, 1940)

The Bears shut out the Redskins 73-0 in the 1940 NFL championship game. It still stands as the biggest blowout in the league’s championship history and helped earn the Bears the “Monsters of the Midway” nickname.

On the second play of the NFL title game at Griffith Stadium, Bill Osmanski ran for 68 yards and a touchdown, and the rout was on. The Bears scored three touchdowns in the first 12 minutes, 10 seconds. They also rushed for 501 yards, led by Osmanski’s 109. Hampton Pool, George McAfee and Bulldog Turner all returned interceptions for touchdowns. In all, the Bears rushed for 381 yards and intercepted eight passes.

Result: Bears 73, Redskins 0

1941

The Chicago Bears’ locker room was a scene of joy as Owner/Coach George Halas, far left, led players, staff members and well-wishers in a rousing cheer after the team’s 33 to 14 victory over the Green Bay Packers at Wrigley Field on Dec. 14, 1941, in a playoff for the Western Division National League title. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

Division (Dec. 14, 1941)

Just a month after the Green Bay Packers pulled off a monster upset, and one week after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, 43,425 attended the game played at Wrigley Field on a 16-degree day. It was the first NFL game conducted with rules allowing for sudden-death overtime.

The Packers scored first after Hugh Gallarneau fumbled the opening kickoff, but Gallarneau quickly scored on an 81-yard punt return and George McAfee ran for 119 yards as the Bears scored 30 unanswered points.

Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have played 212 times in the past 100 years: How the rivalry has unfolded

The Bears’ dressing room was a scene of joy. Owner-coach George Halas celebrated with players, members of the staff and well-wishers after Chicago’s 33-14 victory over the Packers in the playoff for the Western Division National League title — the first playoff game between the teams.

Result: Bears 33, Packers 14

Championship (Dec. 21, 1941)

The Bears organize for a brief cheering session in their dressing room after a 37 to 9 victory over the New York Giants in the National Football League title game on Dec. 21, 1941. They are (1) Jack Manders, (2) Dick Plasman, (3) Trainer Homer Cole, (4) George McAfee, (5) Billy Anderson, (6) Coach Hunk Anderson, (7) Coach Luke Johnsos, (8) Bob Snyder, (9) Al Matuza, (10) John Federovitch, (11) Coach George Halas, (12) Bob Swisher, (13) Ray McLean, (14) John Siegal, (15) Ray Nolting, (16) Trainer Andy Lotshaw, (17) Joe Mihal, (18) Joe Maniaci, (19) Bulldog Turner, (20) Dan Fortmann, (21) Al Baisi, (22) Ray Bray, (23) George Musso, (24) Lee Artoe, (25) Al Forte, (26) Joe Stydahar, and (27) George Wilson. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

The Bears topped the New York Giants 37-9 in the NFL title game at Wrigley Field for the team’s fifth championship — and first back-to-back titles. All four of the Bears’ touchdowns were scored in the second half.

The Bears’ 37th and final point was scored on a drop kick from Ray “Scooter” McLean. It was the last time a drop kick was used successfully in the NFL until Jan. 1, 2006. That’s when New England Patriots quarterback Doug Flutie — in his final NFL game — converted a point-after-touchdown by drop kick against the Miami Dolphins. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the drop kick remains a legal maneuver in the NFL.

Result: Bears 37, Giants 9

1942

“A football dynasty fell with a thud today on the frozen turf of Griffith Stadium where two years ago it came into power,” wrote Tribune reporter Edward Prell when the Chicago Bears lost to the Washington Redskins 14-6 on Dec. 13, 1942 in the NFL championship. (Chicago Tribune)

Championship (Dec. 13, 1942)

The Redskins stunned the unbeaten Bears — who had defeated 11 opponents by an average of nearly 27 points — with a 14-6 win.

U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr George Halas, center, sits on the bench at Griffith Stadium on Dec. 13, 1942, as his former charges, the Chicago Bears, took it on the chin, 14-6, in the NFL championship game against the Washington Redskins. Two years earlier, on the same field, Halas led the Bears to a 73-0 victory. With him are Paddy Driscoll, left, backfield coach, and Hunk Anderson, right, line coach. (William J. Smith/AP)

The Bears grabbed a 6-0 lead but never scored again. Sammy Baugh’s end-zone interception stopped one drive and a penalty nullified a touchdown run by Hugh Gallarneau.

Result: Redskins 14, Bears 6

1943

 

The Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Redskins 41-21 at Wrigley Field on Dec. 26, 1943, to win their sixth NFL championship. (Chicago Tribune)

Championship (Dec. 26, 1943)

After five years out of football and on the pro wrestling circuit, Bronko Nagurski returned in 1943 for one final season. NFL rosters were depleted by the war and Nagurski agreed to play only tackle, but at age 35, he finished the season at fullback, getting the Bears into the championship and scoring the first touchdown in the title game.

For Bears opponents, Wrigley Field was the unfriendly confines

Sid Luckman threw five touchdown passes — two each to Harry Clark and Dante Magnani — and the defense knocked Redskins quarterback Baugh groggy.

Result: Bears 41, Redskins 21

1946

Chicago Bears quarterback Sid Luckman, left, gets a hug and a kiss from teammate George McAfee, center, as Ray McLean watches in the locker room following Chicago’s defeat of the New York Giants for the NFL championship at the Polo Grounds in New York on Dec. 15, 1946. Luckman’s 19-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter broke a 14-14 tie. The Bears won 24-14. (J.D. Collins/AP)

Championship (Dec. 15, 1946)

Luckman’s surprise 19-yard touchdown run broke a 14-14 tie with the Giants in the fourth quarter, before a record crowd of 58,346 at New York’s Polo Grounds.

In the final quarter, coach Luke Johnsos, up in the press box, sent down a message to Bears coach George Halas on the sideline during a timeout: “Now!”

Quarterback Sid Luckman approached Halas and asked, “Now?”

“And I,” Halas recalled, “told him, ‘Yes, now.’”

They all agreed that, with the score tied 14-14 and the ball on New York’s 20-yard line, it was time to call “Bingo Keep It,” the play Luckman had practiced all season in the hope he would have an opportunity to use it.

The Chicago Bears beat the New York Giants 24-14 at the Polo Grounds in New York on Dec. 15, 1946, to earn the team’s seventh championship. (Chicago Tribune)

New York’s linebackers were keying on George McAfee, so Luckman faked a handoff to his All-Pro halfback. As the blockers pulled one way, Luckman bootlegged the ball on his hip and swept the other way. He evaded a defender at the 10, picked up blocks from center Bulldog Turner and guard Ray Bray and scored his only touchdown of the season.

”Nobody touched me,” said Luckman. ”Easiest run of my life.”

Pregame headlines screamed about a “Fix Scare.” Commissioner Bert Bell announced that two Giant stars — quarterback Frank Filchock and fullback Merle Hapes — had been offered $2,500 apiece, a $1,000 bet on the game and an offseason job if they would “ease up.” The players rejected the offers but failed to report them.

After both players talked to the police, Bell ruled that Filchock could play against the Bears but Hapes could not. Filchock, who had his nose broken on the fourth play, passed for both Giant touchdowns.

“We lost, but we lost on the square,” said Steve Owen. “I’ll never believe that Hapes or Filchock had anything to do with gamblers.”

Result: Bears 24, Giants 14

1950

The Los Angeles Rams beat the Chicago Bears 24-14 on Dec. 17, 1950 in a divisional playoff game to determine the National Conference (Western Division) champion. (Chicago Tribune)

Division (Dec. 17, 1950)

The teams broke a conference tie before 83,501 fans at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. Quarterback Bob Waterfield hit Tom Fears for touchdown passes of 43 and 68 yards and kicked a 43-yard field goal.

“So the Rams, professional football’s greatest scoring team of all time, won both by their passing and by stopping the Bears’ air attack,” Tribune reporter Edward Prell wrote. “There was no comparison on the ground where the Bears ground out 232 yards against 85.”

Result: Rams 24, Bears 14

1956

New York Giants’ Mel Triplett (33) picks up a block and then charges past Chicago Bears players and over umpire Sam Wilson for 17 yards and a touchdown — the first of the game — at Yankee Stadium in New York City on Dec. 30, 1956. The Giants routed the Bears 47-7 to take the NFL championship. Identifiable players are: Alex Webster (29), Stan Wallace (40). (Harry Harris/AP)

Championship (Dec. 30, 1956)

The game in Yankee Stadium was reminiscent of the 1934 game, with the Giants again wearing basketball shoes and trouncing the Bears. Although the Bears also wore rubber-soled shoes, they weren’t helped by them. Mel Triplett’s 17-yard scoring run on the Giants’ first possession gave New York an early lead, and it was 20-0 Giants before the Bears scored on Rick Casares’ 9-yard run.

The next morning’s front-page headline in the Tribune: “Bears crushed and why!”

Result: Giants 47, Bears 7

1963

Bill Wade (No. 9, at right center) plunges into the line to score the Chicago Bears’ winning touchdown in the NFL championship game on Dec. 29, 1963 against the New York Giants. (Tony Berardi Jr./Chicago’s American)

Championship (Dec. 29, 1963)

A crowd of 45,801 endured a 9-degree temperature and an 11 mph wind at Wrigley Field to watch a dominant Bears defense intercept five passes by Giants quarterback Y.A. Tittle — who was hobbled from a hit by Larry Morris, the game’s MVP. Quarterback Bill Wade sneaked for both touchdowns after interceptions of Tittle passes by Morris and Ed O’Bradovich.

It was the final championship for George Halas as coach.

Result: Bears 14, Giants 10

1977

They call it the Doomsday II defense, and the advance publicity wasn’t wrong as the NFL’s leading defensive unit came within a 34-yard touchdown pass of shutting out the Chicago Bears on Dec. 26, 1977 at Texas Stadium. For Walter Payton, most of his 19 carries attracted a host of Dallas Cowboys, as four converged on him. The league’s leading ground gainer during the regular season was held to 60 yards. (Phil Mascione/Chicago Tribune)

Division (Dec. 26, 1977)

The Cowboys romped past the wild-card Bears in this first-round playoff game at Texas Stadium. Dallas scored the first time it had the ball, a 79-yard drive in eight plays ending with Doug Dennison’s 2-yard touchdown run. Roger Staubach threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Billy Joe DuPree and a 21-yard field goal by Efren Herrera made it 17-0 at the half.

That’s when a “new song” by Waylon Jennings, Jerry Jeff Walker, Johnny Rodriguez, Hank Williams Jr. and Alex Harvey was played inside the stadium: “Jingle spurs, Jingle spurs, Cowboys all the way. Oh what fun it is to win, the playoff game today.”

“Then the Chicagoans buried themselves with seven turnovers in eight possessions, turning the game into a 37-0 rout by early in the fourth quarter,” Tribune reporter Don Pierson wrote.

Result: Cowboys 37, Bears 7

1979

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Reggie Wilkes sends Greg Latta of the Chicago Bears head over heels after the tight end caught a pass during the NFC wild-card game on Dec. 23, 1979. Latta caught only two passes for six yards as the Bears lost 27-17. (Ed Wagner Jr./Chicago Tribune)

Wild card (Dec. 23, 1979)

Ron Jaworski completed 12 of 23 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns, including two in a second-half comeback to lead the Eagles past the wild-card Bears at Veterans Stadium. Walter Payton scored both Bears touchdowns but had an 84-yard touchdown run early in the second half called back because of an illegal motion penalty.

Result: Eagles 27, Bears 17

1984

Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann is grounded by Otis Wilson and Richard Dent of the Chicago Bears with Mike Singletary (50) ready to join the fun on Dec. 30, 1984 at RFK Stadium. The Bears won 23-19. (Ed Wagner Jr./Chicago Tribune)

Division (Dec. 30, 1984)

The divisional playoff game at RFK Stadium saw the Redskins take a 3-0 lead on Mark Moseley’s 25-yard field goal midway through the first quarter. But the Bears took a 10-3 halftime lead on Bob Thomas’ 34-yard field goal and Payton’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Pat Dunsmore in the second quarter. Payton also carries 24 times for 104 yards.

Steve Fuller and Willie Gault hooked up on a 75-yard pass play 26 seconds into the third quarter and Fuller hit Dennis McKinnon for 16 yards and a touchdown. Fuller completed 9 of 15 passes for 211 yards. Washington’s John Riggins closed out the third quarter with his second 1-yard plunge. The Bears defense repeatedly held off the Redskins in the final period. Richard Dent sacked Joe Theismann three times and Dan Hampton got him twice.

Result: Bears 23, Redskins 19

Conference (Jan. 6, 1985)

The Chicago Bears lost the NFC Championship to the San Francisco 49ers 23-0 on Jan. 6, 1985, at Candlestick Park. (Chicago Tribune)

The NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park saw the 49ers take a lead 6-0 at halftime on 21- and 22-yard field goals by Ray Wersching. Wendell Tyler scored on a 10-yard run in the third quarter; in the fourth quarter, Fred Solomon scored on a 10-yard pass from Joe Montana and Wersching booted a 34-yard field goal. The Bears were able to gain only 186 yards, a dismal 37 passing. Steve Fuller was sacked nine times for 50 yards in losses.

The Bears lost 23-0 — the first time they were shut out since a 10-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 19, 1982, in Mike Ditka’s second game as head coach. The two best teams of the regular season — the 49ers (15-1) and the Miami Dolphins (14-2) — advanced to Super Bowl XIX.

“No offense, not enough defense,” Don Pierson wrote in the Tribune. “It was not the kind of link to the past the Bears were trying to establish.”

Yet, 49ers coach Bill Walsh called the Bears “the team to beat next year,” with quarterback Jim McMahon expected to return from a lacerated left kidney he suffered Nov. 4, 1984, against the Oakland Raiders.

“I appreciate that,” Ditka said. “I apologize to our fans and to the team. We’ll be back. The 49ers are a better football team than us right now. They just beat the butt off us, that’s all.”

Result: 49ers 23, Bears 0

1985

Bears linebacker Mike Singletary closes in on Giants quarterback Phil Simms, who was sacked six times in the NFC semifinal game on Jan. 5, 1986, at Soldier Field. The Bears won 21-0. (Bob Langer/Chicago Tribune)

Division (Jan. 5, 1986)

“What if we had lost? What would 15-1 mean?” Jay Hilgenberg asked. “It wouldn’t have meant anything. It would have been ugly. What 15-1 does is make us feel a certain responsibility to win these games. We just don’t want to be second best. Nobody remembers who finished second or third.”

Don Pierson: The Bears became somewhat of a traveling circus for the playoffs in going to Suwanee, Ga., to practice. Even though they had earned home-field advantage, there was no home facility for practice in the winter. They immediately embraced the national spotlight.

Defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan predicted a shutout in the NFC Divisional title game against the Giants. Jim McMahon was asked if he would predict a Super Bowl victory the way idol Joe Namath had for the 1969 Jets. “If we get there, yeah, I’ll say we’ll win it,” McMahon said.

Chicago Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl run: Don Pierson’s game-by-game breakdown from the ‘most memorable season’

Richard Dent’s first of three and a half sacks set up a punt in the first quarter and the cold Soldier Field wind blew the ball off punter Sean Landeta’s foot. Shaun Gayle returned it five yards for a touchdown. Ryan also used backup safety Gayle in what he called a “Smurf 46” defensive alignment.

Jim Covert kept feared pass rusher Lawrence Taylor away from McMahon, who threw two touchdown passes to McKinnon in the third quarter.

“You can go back the 20 years I’ve been around and be hard-pressed to find a defensive end play any better in a big game than Richard Dent played,” Ditka said. Dent’s agent used the compliment to issue the unlikely threat of withholding Dent’s services from a Super Bowl if a contract extension couldn’t be reached.

Stat line: Kevin Butler, who made 22 straight field goals from inside the 40, missed them from 26, 49 and 38 yards — all kicking against the wind. He cheered when he made the extra point against the wind to make it 14-0.

Result: Bears 21, Giants 0

Conference (Jan. 12, 1986)

Bears’ Wilber Marshall glides into the end zone after scooping up a fumble and running 52 yards during the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship game against the Rams on Jan. 12, 1986, at Soldier Field. The Bears won 24-0. (Bob Langer/Chicago Tribune)

“Eleven years of climbing mountains and all the sweat finally paid off,” Walter Payton said. “I wish this was the Super Bowl.”

Don Pierson: Everybody remembers when the snowflakes started to fall at Soldier Field in the final minutes of the NFC title game after Richard Dent sacked quarterback Dieter Brock and forced a fumble that Wilber Marshall returned 52 yards to the end zone. It looked like confetti sent from heaven by Bears founder George Halas as the Bears earned their first Super Bowl trip. “He sent the sunshine, the snow, the touchdowns, everything,” coach Mike Ditka said.

Defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan had predicted three fumbles by running back Eric Dickerson, who dropped it twice. “If they would have run him more, he would have had three,” Ryan explained. Jim McMahon ran 16 yards for a touchdown that was supposed to be a pass and later passed 22 yards to Willie Gault for a touchdown that was supposed to be a run.

Vintage Chicago Tribune: 10 memorable moments from the 1985 Bears

“The coach sent in a draw play I didn’t agree with, so I called my own,” McMahon said. It was not the first or last time the “punky QB” would be defiant. He wore a “ROZELLE” headband to remind NFL commissioner Pete he didn’t appreciate the $5,000 uniform violation fine for wearing an “Adidas” headband.

The Bears wished they were replaying the Dolphins, but the Patriots beat them for the AFC title, which made Patriots castoff Steve McMichael happy.

Stat line: The Bears entered Super Bowl XX as the only team ever to record two straight playoff shutouts.

Result: Bears 24, Rams 0

Super Bowl XX (Jan. 26, 1986)

Bears coach Mike Ditka, right, and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan are carried off the field after beating the Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX on Jan. 26, 1986, in New Orleans. (Ed Wagner/Chicago Tribune)

“Isn’t there any other news?” complained team President Michael McCaskey about Jim McMahon.

Don Pierson: With the circus invading New Orleans, there were more stories than the 26 Tribune reporters on site could wish for. Yet McMahon managed to overshadow all, starting with calling out McCaskey for not allowing his personal acupuncturist on the plane to tend to his sore rear end. Then he mooned a TV helicopter sent to spy on practice. Then he gathered a new collection of headbands to defiantly display. Then he was falsely accused on the radio for unkind observations he didn’t make about local females. Later, he revealed he was getting death threats. It was stunning how much pressure was building for the QB, unless it was all intentional.

“He’s a guy who is really kind of immune to all the pressures,” Matt Suhey said. Single-handedly, intentionally or not, McMahon removed all the pressure from his teammates and coaches and put it on himself. That’s why I was one of the Super Bowl MVP voters who wrote down McMahon’s name instead of the deserving winner, Richard Dent.

The Bears had seven sacks and held the Patriots to seven yards rushing. But it was McMahon who plunged for two touchdowns and directed an offense to the 46 points that cemented Buddy Ryan’s “46” defense into football immortality. McMahon’s only regret was not defying Mike Ditka again and letting Walter Payton score the final touchdown instead of William Perry, a mistake also regretted by Ditka and lamented by Payton more than he let on at the time.

The Bears’ William Perry (72) dives for a 1-yard touchdown during Super Bowl XX on Jan. 26, 1986, at the Superdome in New Orleans. (Ed Wagner Jr./Chicago Tribune)

“Yes, I was surprised,” said Payton of not getting the ball in close. “Yes, I was disappointed.”

Also disappointed? The Honey Bears. The cheerleaders performed their last routine as part of the Bears organization at halftime of Super Bowl XX.

A touchdown would have helped ease the memory of Payton’s fumble on the second play of the game that set up a Patriots field goal and prompted Patriots fans to march through the New Orleans airport the next day chanting, “We scored first! We scored first!”

On Super Bowl eve, Ryan had strongly hinted he would soon be named head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, prompting McMichael to throw a chair that stuck into the blackboard of their meeting room. The defense responded by terrorizing quarterback Tony Eason, who was replaced after completing none of his six passes.

The Bears had just completed what I believe remains the most memorable single season in NFL history. The game drew a television audience of 127 million, replacing the final episode of “M*A*S*H” as the largest in TV history. But the day after the freezing celebration parade in Chicago, the space shuttle Challenger exploded after takeoff in Florida, putting an abrupt end to national merriment.

Result: Bears 46, Patriots 10

1986

George Rogers of the Washington Redskins prepares to spike the ball after making a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the fourth quarter of the NFC playoffs at Soldier Field in Chicago on Jan. 3, 1987. The Redskins beat the Bears, 27-13. (John Swart/AP)

Division (Jan. 3, 1987)

After a 14-2 regular season, the Bears were upset by Washington at Soldier Field in their opening playoff game, with Doug Flutie (11 of 31, two interceptions) at quarterback.

Result: Redskins 27, Bears 13

1987

Walter Payton eludes a Washington Redskins tackler during playoff action at Soldier Field in Chicago on Jan. 10, 1988. (John Swart/AP)

Division (Jan. 10, 1988)

“A whole bunch of eras ended for the Bears Sunday in Soldier Field, where the Washington Redskins knocked them out of the NFC divisional playoffs for the second year in a row, 21-17,” Tribune reporter Don Pierson wrote. “It was a cold thing coach Joe Gibbs and the Redskins did, pulling the magic carpet out from under Jim McMahon just when everything appeared warmed up for a National Conference title game next week against the Minnesota Vikings.”

With a temperature of just 4 degrees at kickoff, it was the third-coldest Bears game ever at the venue.

Brrrrr down: The coldest Chicago Bears games played at Soldier Field

After an 11-4 regular season, the Bears were upset by Washington at Soldier Field in their opening playoff game, with McMahon (three interceptions) at quarterback.

It was Payton’s final NFL game. After the other players left for the locker rooms, Payton sobbed by himself on the bench, looking down with his hands covering his helmeted head.

Result: Redskins 21, Bears 17

1988

Officials keep their eyes on the ball as it sails toward the uprights during “Fog Bowl,” the game played at Soldier Field on Dec. 31, 1988 between the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles. (Bob Langer/Chicago Tribune)

Division (Dec. 31, 1988)

The “Fog Bowl” — which marked the first time the Bears ever played on New Year’s Eve — is now one of the franchise’s most memorable games. It also marked the first time in three seasons the Bears advanced past their first playoff game.

Fans at Soldier Field on Dec. 31, 1988, settled in to watch a divisional playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles in unexpected comfort. There was bright sunshine, little wind and temperatures heading for the 40s.

Until a sudden slap in the face.

The Chicago Bears have played 4 times on New Year’s Eve and 5 on New Year’s Day. Here’s how they’ve done since 1988.

“A fog that rolled in from the lake late in the first half left the spectators to stare into a gray shroud from which the players would emerge with maddening infrequency,” Tribune reporter Phil Hersh wrote at the time.

Few of the 65,534 spectators were able to see the final moments of the Bears’ 20-12 victory due to the thick haze.

Mistakes by the Eagles — two touchdowns called back by penalties in the first 21 minutes and a dropped touchdown pass — allowed the Bears to preserve a lead before the fog rolled in. Still, the Bears weren’t perfect. Quarterback Mike Tomczak threw three passes for interceptions and was flattened by Reggie White late in the third quarter and forced out of the game due to injury.

A look back at ‘The Fog Bowl’ on Dec. 31, 1988: ‘Steam from the bowels of Hell’

Kicker Kevin Butler made a 46-yard field goal but missed one at 51 yards. Eagles coach and former Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan refused to shake hands with Bears coach Mike Ditka.

Since then, the Bears have played on Dec. 31 three more times and on Jan. 1 five times.

Result: Bears 20, Eagles 12

Conference (Jan. 8, 1989)

Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka argues with the officials about a penalty he thought should have been called on the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter of the NFC Championship game on Jan. 8, 1989 at Soldier Field in Chicago. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune)

The Bears lost to quarterback Joe Montana in the NFC title game at Soldier Field. The San Francisco 49ers earned “a trip to the warmth of Miami by knocking the Bears stone cold in their own frozen backyard,” Tribune reporter Don Pierson wrote.

Result: 49ers 28, Bears 3

1990

Chicago Bears running back Neal Anderson (35) gains yardage against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC wildcard playoff game on Jan. 6, 1991 at Soldier Field in Chicago. (Bob Langer/Chicago Tribune)

Wild card (Jan. 6, 1991)

The Bears’ coaching staff felt the Saints didn’t have a snowball’s chance of beating the Bears at Soldier Field — and they were right. Running back Neal Anderson and fullback Brad Muster deflected big-play responsibility from backup quarterback Mike Tomczak, who had been criticized by fans.

Result: Bears 16, Saints 6

Division (Jan. 13, 1991)

Players from the New York Giants and Chicago Bears kneel in prayer at midfield following their NFC playoff game on Jan. 14, 1991, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The players were praying for American armed forces involved in Operation Desert Shield. In the game, the Giants won 31-3. (Mark Lennihan/AP)

After erasing a disastrous 1989 season (6-10) by going 11-5 and making the playoffs, the Bears lost to the Giants with Tomczak (two interceptions) at quarterback.

Result: Giants 31, Bears 3

1991

The Dallas Cowboys’ Emmitt Smith (22) picks up yardage during the third quarter of NFL playoff action against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 30, 1991 at Soldier Field in Chicago. Smith gained 105 yards and had one touchdown in the Cowboys 17-13 win over the Bears. (John Swart/AP)

Wild card (Dec. 29, 1991)

Despite an 11-5 regular season, the Bears lost to the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field in the first round of the NFC playoffs with Jim Harbaugh (two interceptions) at quarterback. The Bears invaded the Cowboys’ 10-yard line four times, but came away with only 10 points.

Emmitt Smith ran for 105 yards and a touchdown as the Cowboys won the first playoff game of their 1990s dynasty.

Result: Cowboys 17, Bears 13

1994

Chicago Bears quarterback Steve Walsh celebrates during the Bears’ playoff victory against the Minnesota Vikings on Jan 1, 1995. (Jim Prisching/Chicago Tribune)

Wild card (Jan. 1, 1995)

The Bears scored an improbable road victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL wild-card game after losing twice to them during the regular season.

It was the Bears’ first playoff victory since Jan. 6, 1990, and first road playoff triumph since Dec. 30, 1984. Vikings quarterback Warren Moon, who wore a brace on his sprained left knee, finished with 292 yards on 29-of-52 passing, but threw two interceptions and was erratic much of the game. Bears end Trace Armstrong sacked Moon twice.

Other Bears defenders with big plays: Barry Minter had his first interception of the year, Mark Carrier broke up a probable touchdown pass to Qadry Ismail and Kevin Miniefield iced the game when he picked up Amp Lee’s fumble and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown.

Result: Bears 35, Vikings 18

Division (Jan. 7, 1995)

San Francisco 49ers’ William Floyd (40) spikes the ball after his first quarter, two-yard run, against the Chicago Bears in the NFC divisional playoffs on Jan. 7,1995, at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. (Susan Ragan/AP)

The Bears entered as 17-point underdogs and left as 29-point losers. It’s easy to forget that an Alonzo Spelman fumble recovery and Kevin Butler’s 39-yard first quarter field goal provided an early 3-0 lead for the Bears. The 49ers then responded with 37 consecutive points. They had seven scoring drives, one turnover and only two punts with fullback William Floyd scoring three touchdowns.

Candlestick burns: Bears usually leave San Francisco embarrassed

Steve Young’s 6-yard TD run made it 30-3 just before halftime and ended with Shaun Gayle delivering a shot on the 49ers quarterback a few beats after he reached the end zone. Young then spiked the ball at Gayle’s feet and a brief brawl broke out as the 49ers came to their quarterback’s aid. Said Jerry Rice: “We had to protect our livelihood. This is the guy that’s going to get us over the hump.”

Result: 49ers 44, Bears 15

2001

Chicago Bears running back James Allen watches the remaining minutes in the team’s 33-19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 19, 2002 at Soldier Field in Chicago. (Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune)

Division (Jan. 19, 2002)

Chicago native Donovan McNabb burned his hometown team, completing 26 of 40 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. The Eagles quarterback also ran eight times for 37 yards and a score during the last game played at Soldier Field before its major renovation.

Bears quarterback Jim Miller suffered a separated right shoulder on a hit from Hugh Douglas in the second quarter and left the game after completing 3 of 5 passes for 23 yards. Shane Matthews replaced Miller and went 8-for-17 for 66 yards and threw two interceptions. The Bears took a 14-13 lead early in the third quarter on Jerry Azumah’s 39-yard interception return for a touchdown, but the Eagles pulled away, sealing the win in McNabb’s 5-yard scoring run with 3 minutes, 21 seconds left.

Result: Eagles 33, Bears 19

2005

The Chicago Bears’ Brian Urlacher is unable to bring down Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme during the third quarter of their game at Soldier Field in Chicago on Jan. 15, 2006. The Panthers won 29-21. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune)

Division (Jan. 15, 2006)

Jake Delhomme threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns, two to Steve Smith, who caught 12 passes for 218 yards. The Carolina Panthers racked up 434 yards of offense, and Delhomme’s passer rating was 120.6. The Bears closed to within 23-21 when fullback Jason McKie scored his first career touchdown on a 3-yard run with 12:23 remaining. But the Panthers responded by marching 62 yards in seven plays. Smith’s 22-yard run on an end-around provided momentum, and Delhomme capped it with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kris Mangum.

Result: Panthers 29, Bears 21

2006

Robbie Gould celebrates with Brad Maynard his game-winning field goal against the Seattle Seahawks in their division playoff game at Soldier Field in Chicago on Jan. 14, 2007. The Bears won 27-24. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune)

Division (Jan. 14, 2007)

Robbie Gould hit a 41-yard field goal with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 24, then nailed a 49-yarder in overtime to give the Bears their first playoff victory since 1995 and their first at home since 1991. Rex Grossman threw for 282 yards and a touchdown, and Thomas Jones ran for two scores for the Bears.

Result: Bears 27, Seahawks 24 (OT)

Conference (Jan. 21, 2007)

Virginia Halas McCaskey with Terry Bradshaw after the Chicago Bears beat the New Orleans Saints 39-14 to win the NFC Championship game on Jan. 21, 2007 at Soldier Field in Chicago. (John Smierciak/Chicago Tribune)

Thomas Jones ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bears scored the last 23 points of the game to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1985 season. Rex Grossman completed only 11 of 26 passes for 144 yards, but he connected with Bernard Berrian for 85 yards on five catches, including a 33-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter. Robbie Gould kicked three field goals, and the Bears forced four turnovers — three fumbles and an interception — and limited the high-scoring Saints to two touchdowns.

It registers as the most significant victory of Lovie Smith’s nine seasons as Bears head coach. And when the George Halas Trophy was presented to Halas’ daughter and team owner Virginia Halas McCaskey, the fairy-tale feeling spread. Said Grossman: “All the intensity that came with that season heightened at that moment. It was relief. It was excitement. It was pride. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime feeling.”

Result: Bears 39, Saints 14

Super Bowl XLI (Feb. 4, 2007)

Brian Urlacher walks off the field after Super Bowl XLI in Miami on Feb. 4, 2007. (Jim Prisching/Chicago Tribune)

Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown — still the only opening kickoff return for a score in Super Bowl history (though nine others have been made during Super Bowls). But Rex Grossman threw interceptions on back-to-back second-half possessions — including a 56-yard pick-six to Chicagoan Kelvin Hayden in the fourth quarter — lost a fumble and produced only three points over the final 3½ quarters in the loss. Super Bowl XLI MVP Peyton Manning and his crew pretty much had their way with the Bears defense, gouging it for 430 yards and 24 first downs.

Result: Colts 29, Bears 17

2010

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) celebrates a touchdown pass in the first quarter of an NFL divisional playoff game on Jan. 16, 2011 between the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field. The Bears won 35-24. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Division (Jan. 16, 2011)

The Seahawks became the first team to win a division with a 7-9 record, finishing atop the lowly NFC West. And they shocked the league by upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion Saints in the wild-card round. The Bears entered the game as 10-point favorites, and Lovie Smith’s defense overwhelmed the Seahawks, who punted on their first eight possessions. The Bears led 28-0 late in the third quarter en route to a comfortable victory. Jay Cutler threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, and the Bears had 437 yards of offense, the most in the postseason for the team during the Super Bowl era. The defense limited the Seahawks to 34 rushing yards, and Tommie Harris sacked Matt Hasselbeck twice.

Result: Bears 35, Seahawks 24

Conference (Jan. 23, 2011)

Green Bay Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji (90) scores a touchdown on an interception of Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Hanie’s (12) pass in the NFC Championship game at Soldier Field in Chicago on Jan. 23, 2011. (José M. Osorio/ Chicago Tribune)

In the biggest game of his career, Jay Cutler completed just 6 of 14 passes for 80 yards and an interception before leaving early in the third quarter with a left knee injury. Todd Collins was ineffective in relief and was replaced by third-stringer Caleb Hanie, who led the Bears on two fourth-quarter touchdown drives, the second capped with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Earl Bennett to pull the Bears within 21-14 with 4:43 left.

Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have played 212 times in the past 100 years: How the rivalry has unfolded

With the Bears driving late for a potential tying score, Sam Shields intercepted a Hanie pass at the Packers 12-yard line with 47 seconds left to seal the win.

Result: Packers 21, Bears 14

2018

Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey (1) misses a potential game-winning kick on Jan. 6, 2019, in an NFC Wild Card playoff game at Soldier Field. The Bears lost to the Eagles, 16-15. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Wild card (Jan. 6, 2019)

The Bears pulled ahead 15-10 on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Mitch Trubisky to Allen Robinson with 9:04 left in the fourth quarter. The Bears’ vaunted defense almost closed things out, stopping the Eagles on three consecutive plays from the 2-yard line in the game’s final two minutes. But on fourth-and-goal with 1:01 left, Nick Foles hit Golden Tate on a sprint-out to the right, and the Eagles surged ahead. Tarik Cohen returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards, and Trubisky pinpointed his second pass on the final drive for a 25-yard completion to Robinson, putting the Bears quickly into field-goal range.

Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey nailed a 43-yard kick with 10 seconds left — only he would have to try once more because the Eagles canceled it with a timeout. His second attempt clanked off the uprights — hitting the left upright before bouncing off the crossbar. Parkey’s “double doink” cost the Bears the game and a chance to advance in the playoffs.

Result: Eagles 16, Bears 15

2020

New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore deflects a pass intended for Chicago Bears wide receiver Javon Wims in the third quarter of a playoff game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in New Orleans. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Wild card (Jan. 10, 2021)

The Bears offense managed only 239 yards — 99 on their last, meaningless touchdown drive — and didn’t find the end zone until the final play of the game at the Superdome in New Orleans. Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky completed 19 of 29 passes for 199 yards and a 19-yard touchdown to Jimmy Graham as time expired. The Bears were 1-for-10 on third down, their only conversion coming on the final drive. The Bears trailed only 7-3 at the half, but the Saints broke through in the second half to score two touchdowns. Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 28 of 39 passes for 265 yards with two touchdowns, and running back Alvin Kamara had 23 carries for 99 yards and a score. The Bears finished with nine penalties for 50 yards.

Result: Saints 21, Bears 9

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Greta Thunberg Arrested Under The UK’s Terrorism Act

Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/24/2025 – 06:55

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/greta-thunberg-arrested-under-uks-terrorism-act