Category: News
A Christmas Gift To The War Machine
A Christmas Gift To The War Machine
Authored by Ron Paul
Late last week, Congress passed and President Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill marks the first time the US military budget officially passed the one trillion dollar mark. Of course, when you add in other military-related spending such as interest on the debt, veterans’ affairs, and military components of other government agencies, the true number is at least one and a half times that amount.
To paraphrase the famous 1953 President Eisenhower speech, “The Chance for Peace,” each of these dollars spent on military offense and the maintenance of the US global empire rather than on defense of our own nation is taken from the mouths of the hungry and off the backs of hardworking American families.
Congress is so addicted to military spending that they appropriated even more money than President Trump requested, including an unconscionable $800 million for thoroughly corrupt Ukraine. Will Washington ever be called to answer for why Americans, who are seeing their standard of living eaten away by inflation and a declining economy, should continue to subsidize a criminal regime overseas whose ruling class enjoys the comfort of golden toilets?
The Ukraine money also undermines President Trump’s claim to be a neutral mediator in the conflict. How can you be a peacemaker when you are sending nearly a billion dollars in weapons to one side to help kill the other side? It makes no sense.
Congress even included measures in the bill that would prevent President Trump from bringing any US troops home from real “forever wars” in Korea and Europe. For how many more decades must the American worker continue to subsidize a US military presence in countries completely unrelated to our own security? World War II ended 80 years ago and the Korean war some ten years later. Yet the American military empire remains, at an incalculable cost to Americans.
Some fellow critics will say this is all about welfare for rich countries overseas, and that’s partly right. But more than that, it is welfare for the politically-connected US military-industrial complex at home. Imagine how many retired US military officers and former US officials-turned-lobbyists might be financially inconvenienced if we finally “just marched home”?
This week Western Christians will celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace, with the Orthodox celebrating a few days later. It is disheartening that so many Americans who call themselves Christians also hold fast to a view that we must bankrupt our country and impoverish our people by playing policeman to the world and arbiter of whose regime must be changed by Washington.
Christians are among the biggest victims in these overseas operations, including in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza. Yet many American Christians turn a blind eye to the suffering and misery produced by neocon-led militarism overseas. They don’t care that unquestioning support for Israel, for example, has nearly erased Christianity from where it was born.
Imagine if Jesus were born in the Holy Land today.
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” That is the message of the Savior whose birth we Christians celebrate this week. Continuing to bankrupt our country and export misery overseas in the futile pursuit of a global military empire places us in opposition to this worthwhile advice. Let us all join together and work for a real peace in the New Year!
Tyler Durden
Tue, 12/23/2025 – 17:00
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/christmas-gift-war-machine
Gol de Benzema impulsa al Al-Ittihad a la victoria en la Liga de Campeones de Asia
Associated Press
JEDDAH, Arabia Saudita (AP) — El gol de Karim Benzema en la segunda mitad fue suficiente para darle a Al-Ittihad una victoria de 1-0 sobre Nasaf Qarshi de Uzbekistán el martes, colocando a los campeones saudíes a las puertas de la ronda eliminatoria de la Liga de Campeones de Asia.
El delantero francés remató de volea desde cerca en el segundo palo después de 57 minutos, al recibir un centro del extremo portugués Roger Fernandes.
La victoria movió a Al-Ittihad al sexto lugar en el grupo occidental de 12 equipos. Con los ocho mejores del Este y del Oeste avanzando a la ronda de 16, una victoria contra el Al-Gharafa de Catar en el próximo partido aseguraría el avance para el bicampeón.
En otros lugares, Roberto Mancini entregó la primera victoria de Al-Sadd de manera dramática.
Perdiendo 2-1 ante Al-Ahli Dubai después de 90 minutos, el club catarí anotó tres goles en el tiempo de descuento para ganar 4-2, con el delantero español Rafa Mujica completando su triplete, y mantener vivas las escasas esperanzas de avanzar.
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Cuba critica a Trump de usar la crisis del fentanilo como excusa militar
Associated Press
LA HABANA (AP) — El gobierno cubano criticó el martes la decisión del presidente estadounidense Donald Trump de declarar al fentanilo como un arma de destrucción masiva y advirtió que el mandatario pretende usar el grave consumo de dicha sustancia como un excusa para atacar a países latinoamericanos.
“El consumo de fentanilo es un problema real y grave”, expresó el canciller Bruno Rodríguez en su cuenta en la red social X.
Sin embargo, “su designación como arma de destrucción masiva es otro esfuerzo del gobierno de EEUU por construir pretextos mendaces para desatar acciones de guerra contra Estados soberanos en América Latina y el Caribe, derrocar gobiernos legítimos y usurpar los recursos naturales de otros pueblos”, agregó el canciller cubano.
Trump firmó la semana pasada un decreto clasificando al fentanilo, poderosísimo fármaco opioide aprobado para uso analgésico pero que ocasionó un crisis sanitaria por adicción y sobredosis en Estados Unidos, como un “arma de destrucción masiva”.
La medida del mandatario incluso generó preocupación entre los países vecino s, sobre todo en México por las implicaciones políticas.
Según Rodríguez, el decreto de Trump “pretende desconocer el origen multifactorial de su consumo y los estragos provocados en territorio estadounidense”, así como “encubrir las malas prácticas de corporaciones farmacéuticas de ese país; el amplio mercado de estupefacientes existente en EEUU; la prescripción indiscriminada de opioides, anfetaminas y oxicodona; el limitado y costoso acceso a instituciones de salud”.
Tanto la clasificación de Trump como las preocupaciones de México y ahora de Cuba se enmarcan en una ofensiva de Estados Unidos contra las drogas que movilizó una importante flota en el Caribe y el Pacífico y amenazó directamente a Colombia y Venezuela.
El fentanilo suele usarse como un efectivo fármaco bajo prescripción profesional.
Según datos de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades de Estados Unidos (CDC, por sus siglas en inglés), se registraron aproximadamente 97.000 muertes por sobredosis de drogas en Estados Unidos durante el periodo de 12 meses que finalizó el 30 de junio.
En Cuba el consumo es limitado y suele estar mezclado con cannabinoides sintéticos. No se reporta una producción nacional y el que se sustrajo en algunos intentos de contrabando procedía principalmente de Estados Unidos.
Brosmer será titular como QB con Vikings ante Lions, McCarthy presenta fractura
Por DAVE CAMPBELL
EAGAN, Minnesota, EE.UU. (AP) — J.J. McCarthy tiene una pequeña fractura en la mano con la que lanza, lo que le impedirá jugar en el próximo partido de Minnesota contra Detroit, haciendo que Max Brosmer sea el quarterback titular esta semana.
El entrenador de los Vikings, Kevin O’Connell, dijo después de la práctica el martes que un examen más detallado de la mano derecha de McCarthy reveló la pequeña fractura, después de que las radiografías iniciales en el estadio el domingo no mostraran huesos rotos. McCarthy se lesionó al final del segundo cuarto contra los Giants de Nueva York y no pudo agarrar bien el balón, obligando a los Vikings a recurrir a Brosmer.
Con los Vikings recibiendo a los Lions el jueves como parte de la triple cartelera navideña de la NFL, había muy poco tiempo para que McCarthy se recuperara. O’Connell dijo que su capacidad para jugar en el final de la temporada contra Green Bay el tres o cuatro de enero dependería simplemente de su agarre.
McCarthy ha jugado en solo 8½ de los posibles 33 partidos en la NFL desde que fue seleccionado en la décima posición general en 2024, con un desgarro de menisco en su rodilla derecha que lo dejó fuera toda su temporada de novato, un esguince grave en el tobillo derecho que le costó cinco partidos esta temporada y una conmoción cerebral que lo dejó fuera de otro.
Brosmer fue titular en lugar de McCarthy esa vez el 30 de noviembre, cuando los Vikings perdieron 26-0 ante Seattle, líder de la NFC, después de que el novato no seleccionado lanzara cuatro intercepciones.
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Futuro incierto para el bourbon: Jim Beam cerrará destilería en Kentucky por un año
Por JEFFREY COLLINS
El fabricante de bourbon Jim Beam detendrá la producción en una de sus destilerías de Kentucky durante al menos un año mientras la industria del whisky estadounidense encuentra la manera de hacer frente a los aranceles que ordenó el gobierno del presidente Donald Trump y a la disminución en la demanda de un producto que necesita de varios años de añejamiento antes de estar listo.
La decisión de suspender la producción de bourbon en su instalación de Clermont durante 2026 le dará a la empresa más tiempo para invertir en mejoras en la destilería, indicó Jim Beam. Las operaciones de embotellamiento y almacenamiento en el lugar se mantendrán, así como el centro de visitantes y el restaurante de James B. Beam Distilling Co.
La destilería más grande de la compañía, en Boston, Kentucky, continuará operando, informó la empresa.
“Siempre estamos evaluando los niveles de producción para satisfacer la demanda del consumidor de mejor manera”, indicó la compañía en un comunicado.
Los empleados de la destilería están siendo reasignados dentro de la empresa y, por ahora, Jim Beam no planea despedir personal, según la sección local de United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, el sindicato que representa a los trabajadores.
Los fabricantes de bourbon tienen que apostar muy a futuro. El bourbon insignia de Jim Beam requiere de por lo menos cuatro años de añejamiento en barriles antes de su embotellamiento.
Los fabricantes de whisky están lidiando con discusiones sobre los aranceles en Europa y en Canadá, donde se inició un boicot después de que el gobierno de Trump insinuó una anexión del país a Estados Unidos.
Las exportaciones totales de licor estadounidense cayeron un 9% durante el segundo trimestre de 2025, en comparación con el año anterior, según el Consejo de Licores Destilados de Estados Unidos. La disminución más drástica se produjo en las exportaciones de licor estadounidense a Canadá, que cayeron un 85% durante el periodo de abril a junio.
La producción de bourbon ha crecido significativamente en los últimos años. En enero había alrededor de 16 millones de barriles de bourbon en los almacenes de Kentucky, más del triple de la cantidad almacenada hace 15 años, según la Asociación de Destiladores de Kentucky.
Pero las cifras de ventas y las encuestas muestran que los estadounidenses están bebiendo en su menor nivel en varias décadas.
Alrededor del 95% de todo el bourbon producido en Estados Unidos proviene de Kentucky. El grupo comercial calcula que la industria aporta más de 23.000 empleos y 2.200 millones de dólares al estado.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Supreme Court Rejects Trump Bid To Deploy National Guard In Chicago
Supreme Court Rejects Trump Bid To Deploy National Guard In Chicago
The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Trump’s emergency request to allow National Guard troops to be deployed in Chicago, dealing a setback to the admin’s attempts to curtail high crime rates in major cities.
The 6-3 decision left in force a judge’s ruling that has blocked the deployment since Oct. 9.
“At this preliminary stage, the government has failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to execute the laws in Illinois,” the majority said.
The government hadn’t shown the president could legally “federalize the Guard in the exercise of inherent authority to protect federal personnel and property in Illinois.”
It is an unusual loss on the Supreme Court’s emergency docket for the Trump administration.
In more than 20 other emergency appeals this year, the administration has won short-term rulings that allowed Trump to swiftly enact an array of policies that lower courts had blocked.
Justice Samuel Alito dissented from the high court’s ruling Tuesday, saying he had “serious doubts” about the majority’s reasoning.
“The Court fails to explain why the President’s inherent constitutional authority to protect federal officers and property is not sufficient to justify the use of National Guard members in the relevant area for precisely that purpose,” Alito wrote, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas.
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote a separate dissent, contending that the challengers to the National Guard deployment – the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago – had forfeited the argument about the meaning of “regular forces” by failing to present that issue in the lower courts.
Trump contends military force is needed to protect federal immigration agents from what he claims are violent protests.
The court deliberated over the case for more than two months, an unusually lengthy review for a request that claimed government officials were facing an imminent threat.
Trump told the justices in his Oct. 17 application that troops were needed “to prevent ongoing and intolerable risks to the lives and safety of federal personnel.”
Bloomberg reports that the case marked the high court’s first look at Trump’s fight to dispatch troops to cities where his immigration crackdown has drawn widespread protests.
The ruling means Trump, at least for now, can’t deploy hundreds of troops in the Chicago area.
The case is Trump v. State of Illinois, 25a443.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 12/23/2025 – 16:40
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/supreme-court-rejects-trump-bid-deploy-national-guard-chicago
Bolivia abre sus puertas a Starlink de Elon Musk y a otras empresas tecnológicas tras restricciones
Por CARLOS VALDEZ
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — El nuevo gobierno de Bolivia autorizó el martes a Starlink, de Elon Musk, y a otras compañías de internet satelital a operar en el país andino para competir con un satélite propio de tecnología china comprado en 2013 por el entonces presidente izquierdista Evo Morales y criticado por su servicio lento.
El decreto promulgado por el nuevo mandatario de centroderecha Rodrigo Paz también autoriza a OneWeb del grupo Eutelsat y Kuiper de Amazon para integrar a Bolivia a los estándares globales de conectividad.
Ninguna de esas compañías de telecomunicaciones satelitales de órbita baja operaba en el país por restricciones gubernamentales establecidas por las administraciones pasadas de Morales (2006-2019) y su sucesor Luis Arce (2020-2025).
El satélite nacional Tupaj Katari comprado por Morales con crédito chino está a punto de finalizar su vida útil y ha sido crítico por proporcionar una conectividad lenta.
“Buscamos reducir la brecha digital y garantizar el acceso universal a una conectividad de alta calidad para todos los bolivianos”, dijo el presidente Paz en rueda de prensa. “Bolivia quedó rezagada, fuimos espectadores mientras el mundo avanzaba. Eso terminó, esta nueva tecnología permitirá recuperar el tiempo perdido y colocar al país en la tendencia global”.
“Se ha gastado más de 200 millones de dólares en un satélite que no funciona”, acotó.
El rezago tecnológico tuvo un impacto dramático durante la pandemia de coronavirus cuando gran parte de los hogares de zonas rurales, incluso periurbanas, tenían deficiencias para conectarse a internet para pasar clases a distancia.
Starlink de Space X, la empresa espacial de Musk, no pudo ingresar al país andino mientras expandía sus servicios en todo el continente.
Paz anunció también que en enero empresas globales como Tesla, Amazon, Tether y Oracle anunciarán inversiones tecnológicas en el país en un centro de datos que su gobierno instalará en las ciudades de El Alto y Cochabamba.
Dijo que para ello desde febrero pondrá en marcha un programa de 10.000 becas junto a esas y otras empresas tecnológicas para formar a jóvenes en áreas estratégicas.
Tras su arribo al gobierno el mes pasado, Paz anunció una apertura a las inversiones extranjeras para sacar al país de la peor crisis económica en cuatro décadas y se acercó a Estados Unidos, con el que Bolivia no mantiene relaciones a nivel de embajadores desde la expulsión del representante estadounidense en 2008 durante el entonces gobierno de Morales, que pasó a formar parte del ALBA (Alianza Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América) junto a Venezuela, Nicaragua y Cuba.
El gobierno de Paz enfrenta estos días protestas callejeras tras haber derogado el subsidio a los combustibles cuya carga financiera agravó la crisis económica, según los expertos.
Injured WR Rome Odunze will ‘be able to help us this year,’ Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson says
While Chicago Bears wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III weren’t on the field Tuesday afternoon when practice at Halas Hall was open to reporters, coach Ben Johnson offered up some holiday hope.
It’s possible the Bears will be short-handed again Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium, but a lot of time remains in a juggled work week due to the holiday.
The Bears practiced Tuesday — a typical day off for players — so that players can be off for Christmas on Thursday. They will practice again Wednesday, when the first injury report of the week will be released, and Friday.
Odunze has missed the last three games with a foot injury. Burden was held out of Saturday’s win over the Green Bay Packers with an ankle injury. Getting both back would be a boost for quarterback Caleb Williams, who has leaned on veteran DJ Moore of late. Moore has nine catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns over the last two games.
Odunze scored five touchdowns in the first four weeks of the season but averaged only 37.6 yards per game in the five games since first appearing on the injury report before the Nov. 2 game in Cincinnati. The Bears gave him a week off Dec. 7 against the Packers and hoped he would be able to play Dec. 14 against the Cleveland Browns, but he aggravated the foot injury in pregame warmups and now it’s a waiting game.
The rookie Burden has been another big-play option for Williams.
Johnson said Odunze, who leads the team with 15 yards per reception, has been rehabilitating and is “right on track,” although the team hasn’t offered any sort of timeline for his recovery to know what that track is.
“He’s going to be in a good spot,” Johnson said.
Pressed on what that means, Johnson offered the best update yet.
“He’s going to be able to help us this year,” he said.
Whether “this year” means in 2025 or before this season is over, it’s good news either way. The next clue, at least in terms of Sunday’s game, will appear on Wednesday’s injury report.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/23/chicago-bears-rome-odunze-foot/
How Trump Can Turn The Midterms Around
How Trump Can Turn The Midterms Around
Authored by John Tillman via RealClearPolitics,
Midterm elections go one of two ways. They’re either a validation of the sitting president, or they’re a repudiation. Historically, they’ve almost always been a repudiation.
The 2026 midterms are shaping up to be no different – a firm rebuke to Donald Trump. That’s obviously bad for him. Congress will spend two straight years investigating and likely impeaching him.
But the bigger danger is to America. Democratic control of Congress will jeopardize Republicans’ efforts to restore an economy of opportunity for all. Worse, the left will lay the groundwork for recapturing the White House in 2028, at which point they’ll implement the most anti-opportunity agenda in American history. We’re talking welfare for all, funded by crippling tax hikes and a federal takeover of a once free economy.
Can Donald Trump turn the midterms around? Only if he, his fellow Republicans, and their allies on the right make immediate changes. If they do, they could stem the losses in November – and maybe even defy the odds to expand their majorities in the House and Senate.
First and foremost: They need to realize that midterms hinge on turnout.
The reason midterms are usually a presidential repudiation is because voters from the other party are more motivated. They feel greater anger and intensity, and they show up. The president’s supporters, meanwhile, usually think they did their job when they elected their man. Why bother showing up again?
If President Trump’s supporters don’t show up, Republican defeat is guaranteed. The most urgent need, therefore, is to invest in a massive get-out-the-vote operation. The GOP needs one the likes of which it’s ever seen.
But such an effort also needs a message – something that resonates with voters and sparks them to action. That’s the second area where change is needed. Because right now, Republicans don’t have any meaningful message at all.
The left certainly does. Democratic politicians, their allies in the media, and their associated army of activists and nonprofits have rallied around a single word: Affordability. They’re tricking voters into thinking that all the inflation and financial pain that Joe Biden caused is really the fault of Donald Trump. The call to action writes itself: If voters want to make ends meet, their only hope is to vote the GOP out.
This message works, but only because Republicans are letting it work. They’re largely silent in the face of Democratic attacks. Worse, in the president’s case, he’s calling affordability a “hoax.” For voters who supported him because of Joe Biden’s inflation, nothing could be worse. It’s tantamount to saying their problems don’t matter.
Republicans must reclaim the economic high ground. They need to relentlessly hammer the point that Joe Biden’s enormous failures will take time to fix. They need to point to the relief they’ve given, especially the tax cuts the president signed in July. Most importantly, they need to lay out a unified agenda that speaks to Americans’ deep concerns, convincing voters that the GOP will in fact make life more affordable.
Crafting that agenda is as much the work of policy wonks as it is public relations. Republicans and their allies should be relentlessly message-testing and focus-grouping to discover not only what policies Americans want, but how to sell the policies that Americans need – in health care, housing, and beyond. This can be done without compromising conservative principles. In fact, it’s essential if those principles have a path to becoming policies.
There’s one more message the GOP needs. It’s not enough to make the positive case for their own priorities. They need to relentlessly remind Americans of the danger posed by Democrats.
This isn’t hard. The return of crippling inflation. The collapse of our borders once again. Higher taxes on the middle class. Republicans have a simple case to make: If voters want all of America to look more like crime-ridden, welfare-defrauding, utterly unaffordable big blue cities, they should vote for Democrats.
Republicans needed these messages yesterday. They needed a turnout operation that was already delivering these messages to the base and undecided voters alike. If they and their allies don’t get their act together before the start of the year, the midterm elections will indeed be a repudiation of Donald Trump. Worse, they’ll put America’s future at risk. The clock is ticking.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 12/23/2025 – 16:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/how-trump-can-turn-midterms-around
Around the Southland: Palos Park Woman’s Club collects over 800 items for MVCC food pantry, more
Palos Park Woman’s Club collects over 800 items for MVCC food pantry
The Palos Park Woman’s Club chooses a charity to help as part of the club’s holiday party, and this year it was Moraine Valley Community College’s Project Care Food Pantry that earned that distinction.
The donation of more than 800 items for the pantry began when club member Susan O’Keefe, an adjunct faculty member at the college, called Jessica Contreras, who directs counseling and holistic student support at the college, which is based in Palos Hills. “When I arrived at their annual holiday event, I was genuinely taken aback by the sheer volume of donations already gathered,” Contreras shared via a news release.
Contreras and Moraine Valley President Pamela Haney spoke at the party. They said the pantry has seen a significant increase in student use and helps those who need food assistance.
Club members visited the pantry to drop off the items as well as cash donation. Co-presidents Ann Olive and Ronette Leal McCarthy, Treasurer Traci Dawodu and O’Keefe met with Haney, Contreras, student Ava Barba and Scott Friedman, dean of Student Engagement.
Metra offers special fares, schedule for holidays
Traveling on New Year’s Eve will be a little less expensive, thanks to Metra offering Family Fares early in the day and free rides after 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
The free rides will be for all trains arriving at or leaving from Metra’s downtown stations; alcohol will be banned on all trains after 7 p.m. New Year’s Eve. Trains will operate on reduced schedules, although the last outbound trains from downtown on the BNSF, Metra Electric, Union Pacific West, Heritage Corridor and Rock Island lines will be held until after 1 a.m. The last Southwest Service train leaves downtown at 12:42 a.m.
In addition, Family Fares have been extended to all weekdays through Jan. 2. The fares allow up to three children 11 and younger to ride free with each adult.
A special $7 pass on New Year’s Day will allow unlimited rides that day and can be bought from conductors, ticket vending machines and the Ventra app. Trains will run on Sunday schedules, which means no Southwest Service trains.
Library collecting warm items for BEDS Plus
Green Hills Public Library is hosting a collection drive through Jan. 4 for BEDS Plus, which helps individuals struggling with housing insecurity.
New hand warmers, new coats, new sweatpants and new legging, as well as low-denomination gift cards can be brought to the Patron Services Desk of the library, 10331 S. Interlochen Drive in Palos Hills. Donors will receive an ornament to put on the giving tree set up in the ground-floor lobby.
This year, BEDS Plus has assisted more than 5,8000 people in the south and west suburbs of Cook County. “The need is great, and unfortunately it’s something we see every day,” Library Director Jane Jenkins shared in a news release.
H-F park district earns association award
The Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association have recognized the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District as an Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency.
The two associations, which operate statewide, administer the program with a goal of better delivery of park and recreation services to residents. “This program gives recognition to park and recreation agencies, and forest preserve districts that demonstrate a strong commitment to providing exceptional programs, services, and facilities that enrich the lives of their communities and residents,” Suzi Wirtz, IPRA executive director shared in a news release. “Achieving Distinguished Park and Recreation Accreditation is a testament to the dedication of the agency, its staff, board, and community.”
The honor requires a lengthy process of application and evaluation. Management procedures, facilities and parks, personnel, finance and business operations, legal documentation and other factors such as safety manuals and mission statements are evaluable. The Homewood-Flossmoor district applied in the spring and received word of the status in November. It will be reevaluated in six years.
Father Perez KOC sets annual free throw contest
Boys and girls 9 to 14 years old can show off their basketball skills during the annual free throw contest offered by Father Perez Knights of Columbus Council 1444 from 11 a.m. to noon Jan. 4 in the main gym at Brother Rice High School, 10001 S. Pulaski Road, Chicago.
Participants register at the contest, which has no entry fee. Contestants will vie against others in their own gender and age group, and winners will advance to the district championships in February, followed by the regional competitions in March and state finals in April.
After up to three warm-up attempts, competitors shoot 15 consecutive free throw attempts. All National Federation of High School Association basketball free throw rules will be followed. Tie-breakers will be held if necessary. Email john.mikrut@icloud.com for information.
Lemont senior earns perfect ACT score
Kinga Strzalka, a senior at Lemont High School, earned a perfect score of 36 on the ACT earlier this year. She’s the ninth Lemont HS student to achieve the feat.
The ACT tests math, reading, English and science scored 1 to 36 points. A student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores.
Strzalka began taking accelerated math classes at the high school while still attending Old Quarry Middle School. She’s been with the girls’ swim team for four years and competes in Mathletes, Scholastic Bowl and Academic Challenge. She also belongs to Leo Club and has been inducted into the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta math honor society.
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