Category: News
How the Chicago White Sox secured Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami: ‘A significant moment’
Munetaka Murakami described Monday as feeling like he had “finally reached the starting line.”
The Japanese slugger signed a contract, put on a new hat and No. 5 uniform and took photos at Rate Field a day after agreeing to a two-year, $34 million deal with the Chicago White Sox.
His journey from the Nippon Professional Baseball Japanese Central League to Major League Baseball is underway.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to be able to play in front of these wonderful fans at Rate Field,” Murakami said through an interpreter at an introductory news conference. “My goal is to win, continuously grow, and to continuously challenge myself. No matter who the opponent is, I’m always willing to take the challenge on and I will never give up.
“I will contribute to this club to the best of my ability. I hope to express on the field how wonderful and great the game of baseball is.”
Murakami, 25, is known for the longball, hammering 246 home runs during eight seasons with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. That includes a whopping 56 home runs in 2022, the second-highest total in NPB history and the most by a Japanese player.
He earned Most Valuable Player honors in 2021 and 2022.
New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami walks onto the field during a news conference at Rate Field on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
General manager Chris Getz said Murakami’s arrival is “a significant moment for the Chicago White Sox.”
“To welcome one of the most prolific power hitters on the planet, and now knowing that he’s going to be on the South Side of Chicago wearing a Chicago White Sox uniform, is so significant, so special,” Getz said.
Getz credited the scouts on the ground in Japan and Sox special assistant to the general manager David Keller — who oversees international operations — for their roles throughout the process.
“This is (the) beginning of Year 2 for me (and) as a part of coming over, one of the things that Chris and I talked about is that good players come from everywhere,” Keller said. “So as part of that, we wanted to establish a presence in the (Pacific) Rim, and that starts with hiring a scout, Satoshi Takahashi. Once we were able to get him on board, I think that’s where those conversations became more real.
“Obviously there’s a whole pool of talented players in other parts of the world and opening ourselves up to that meant establishing a process that allowed us to evaluate them properly, assign value to them and hopefully acquire them in time. So really, right when I started with the White Sox is when we started to talk about that pool of players including Mune. It was a journey to get to this point obviously, but we feel like we’ve done our homework and due diligence and here we are.”
Getz said the two-year deal is “an opportunity for us to provide a runway to a really talented player in the city of Chicago.”
“That was really attractive to us,” Getz said. “Knowing that there’s only upside in this because you’re looking at someone that’s going to help our young players develop, it’s a chance for him to show Major League Baseball what he’s capable of doing and positive things will come from that.
“That’s the way I’m viewing it, this deal. And I think the simplicity of it is what got it done in the end. And the conversations were very direct, very honest, and they were efficient.”
Getz noted that every negotiation is unique. He felt the prospects of a deal became more of a reality on Thursday, saying that the posting window played a part. Murakami had until Monday afternoon to reach an agreement with an MLB club.
“We’ve got a strong relationship with Excel (Sports Management), with Casey (Close) and Bobby (Barad),” Getz said. “We stayed in touch. I’m certainly always very attracted to left-handed bats, and certainly if there’s power in there as well. As we put this team together, foundationally, you look at the catching position with Kyle Teal and Edgar Quero, up the middle we’ve got (second baseman) Chase Meidroth, (shortstop) Colson Montgomery and Luis Robert (Jr.) in center field.
“To get the chance to bring some real power and an offensive force like Mune, to really complement and drive this offense, when we got close for this to become a reality — and quite honest I don’t think it’s really sunk in quite yet, just to think about him in the lineup on a regular basis — it really starts years ago when we begin scouting him, learning more about the player, and we believe Mune is going to be a star in this game.”
Related Articles
Column: Cheese grater hats and a new Japanese slugger for the White Sox? It’s a Christmas miracle.
Chicago White Sox sign Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami to 2-year, $34 million deal
4 takeaways from Chicago White Sox finalizing Will Venable’s coaching staff, including striving for efficiency
Chicago White Sox complete major-league coaching staff, including adding a college teammate of Shane Smith
3 Chicago White Sox takeaways from winter meetings, including adding 2 pitchers and losing 1 in Rule 5 draft
The plan is for Murakami, who is listed as 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, to play first base.
Murakami said he saw the Sox as his “best fit,” adding that the team “would help me become the best player I am. And I really believe in the vision of this organization and would love to be a part of this.”
Asked about the length of the contract, Murakami reiterated, “My main priority was to find the best fit.”
“Whether the contract was long or not wasn’t really a factor for myself,” he said. “I just really believe in the city and the organization, (and I’m) really happy to be here.”
Murakami had heard that the Sox have “lost a lot of games in the past,” alluding to three consecutive 100-loss seasons.
“But that is in the past,” Murakami said. “I only look forward. I’m excited with the exciting young players that this club has and I’m ready to take on that challenge to grow with the group.”
Murakami began Monday’s event speaking in English with a direct message to fans, “White Sox nation, you guys are in my heart.”
He concluded his opening remarks returning to English and said, “Let’s get to work.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/chicago-white-sox-munetaka-murakami-news-conference/
Decisión de los Chiefs de dejar Kansas City deja desolados a los aficionados de Missouri
Por DAVE SKRETTA
KANSAS CITY, Missouri, EE.UU. (AP) — El estado de Missouri perderá su tercera franquicia de la NFL y la segunda en la última década. Pero la decisión de los Chiefs el lunes de abandonar su antiguo hogar en el Arrowhead Stadium por una nueva instalación con cúpula en Kansas puede ser la más dolorosa.
Los Chiefs anunciaron su intención de mudarse después de que los legisladores de Kansas aprobaran un paquete de bonos para ayudar a pagar la nueva instalación. El estadio se construirá cerca del Kansas Speedway y un distrito comercial conocido como The Legends en Kansas City, Kansas, a solo unos 30 millas del Arrowhead Stadium, pero una distancia que quizás nunca se haya sentido tan lejana.
“Hace años, cuando era niño, mi familia estuvo sin hogar por un tiempo y vivimos en un motel no muy lejos del estadio. Sabía que teníamos dificultades, pero creía que no había nada más genial que vivir a un tiro de piedra de lo que entonces y hoy considero el mejor estadio de fútbol americano”, indicó Quinton Lucas, el alcalde de Kansas City, Misuri, poco después del anuncio del equipo.
“Como muchos padres en el Reino de los Chiefs, mi madre soltera reunió algo de dinero para llevarme al Arrowhead para mi primer juego: nivel superior 300 para una derrota de pretemporada 30-siete contra los Buffalo Bills en 1993. Desde entonces estoy enganchado”.
Los legisladores de Missouri habían estado tratando desesperadamente de mantener a los Chiefs con su propio paquete de financiamiento. Celebraron una sesión legislativa especial en junio respaldada por el gobernador Mike Kehoe que autorizó bonos que cubrían hasta el 50% del costo de estadios nuevos o renovados, además de hasta 50 millones de dólares en créditos fiscales para cada estadio y ayuda no especificada de los gobiernos locales.
Lucas también había estado trabajando con legisladores locales en los últimos días en una contrapropuesta para mantener a los Chiefs en Misuri.
“Entendemos que nuestra oferta financiera que era muy justa, pero muy responsable de apoyo de los contribuyentes fue superada por un paquete de financiamiento público aún más robusto en Kansas”, dijo. “Los Chiefs tienen un negocio que dirigir y hoy tomaron una decisión empresarial. Les deseamos lo mejor”.
Los dos equipos anteriores de la NFL que dejaron Missouri estaban en San Luis. Los Cardinals, que vinieron de Chicago en 1960, se fueron a Phoenix en 1988 y ahora juegan en un estadio de última generación en Glendale, Arizona. Los Rams llegaron de Anaheim, California, en 1995, luego se dirigieron a Los Ángeles en parte debido a su incapacidad para asegurar financiamiento para reemplazar The Dome en el America’s Center.
Los Rams construyeron recientemente el SoFi Stadium en el suburbio de Inglewood, California, a un costo de más de 5.000 millones de dólares.
Otras franquicias deportivas profesionales que han dejado Missouri incluyen a los Atléticos de las Grandes Ligas, que se fueron de Kansas City a Oakland, California, después de la temporada de 1967; los Kings de la NBA que se mudaron a Sacramento, California, en 1985; y los Scouts de Kansas City Scouts de la NHL, que eventualmente se convirtieron en los Rockies de Colorado.
El Sporting Kansas City, un club de la Major League Soccer, una vez llamó hogar al Arrowhead Stadium. Ahora juega sus partidos en el lado de Kansas de la línea estatal en el Children’s Mercy Park, cerca de donde se espera que los Chiefs construyan su nuevo estadio.
“Me siento como si Kansas hubiera ganado el Super Bowl”, dijo Ty Masterson, el presidente del senado de Kansas.
Los Chiefs y los Reales de Kansas City han jugado durante más de cinco décadas en el Truman Sports Complex, donde los estadios Arrowhead y Kauffman están a un par de cientos de yardas de distancia. Ambos son venerados, el estadio de la NFL por la experiencia que les ofrece a los aficionados, y el estadio de los Reales por su pintoresco telón de fondo de brillantes fuentes en el campo exterior.
Una de las preguntas predominantes ahora es si los Reales seguirán la pauta de los Chiefs a través de la línea Kansas-Missouri.
Los Reales insisten en que no jugarán en el Kauffman Stadium más allá de la temporada 2031, y su preferencia ha sido construir un nuevo estadio en el centro de la ciudad. Pero una extensión del impuesto sobre las ventas que habría pagado por una renovación de 800 millones de dólares del Arrowhead y el nuevo hogar de los Reales fue rotundamente derrotada el año pasado por los votantes en el condado de Jackson, dejando a ambos buscando en otro lugar.
El anuncio de la mudanza de los Chiefs a Kansas generó una amplia reacción entre los fanáticos. Algunos estaban preocupados por el precio de las entradas en una nueva instalación, otros por el flujo de tráfico y la construcción, y otros más por el legado del Arrowhead Stadium.
“No creo que sea la mejor idea”, dijo Dustin Allen, quien vive en Blue Springs, Missouri, y estaba visitando Union State en el centro de Kansas City el lunes. “Creo que donde están es un lugar muy agradable. Diré que el tráfico por allí siempre es divertido. Creo que es agradable tenerlos en el centro de alguna manera, forma o manera”.
___
Contribuyeron los escritores de Associated Press John Hanna, David Lieb y Heather Hollingsworth.
___
Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Judge chides Ghislaine Maxwell for mentioning victim names in papers seeking to overturn conviction
NEW YORK — A judge on Monday scolded Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell for including confidential victim names in court papers seeking to set aside her 2021 sex trafficking conviction and free her from a 20-year prison sentence.
Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said exhibits included with Maxwell’s habeas petition — which she filed on her own, without a lawyer — will be kept under seal and out of public view “until they have been reviewed and appropriately redacted to protect the identities of victims.”
Any future papers Maxwell files must be submitted under seal, the judge wrote.
He said he “reminds Maxwell, in strong terms, that she is prohibited from including in any public filings any information identifying victim(s) who were not publicly identified by name during her trial.”
A message seeking comment was left with Maxwell’s lawyer, David Markus.
Maxwell filed the petition last Wednesday, two days before the Justice Department started releasing investigative records pertaining to her and Epstein in accordance with the recently enacted Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Maxwell contends that information that would have resulted in her exoneration was withheld and that false testimony was presented to the jury. She said the cumulative effect of the constitutional violations resulted in a “complete miscarriage of justice.”
Engelmayer said Maxwell has until Feb. 17, 2026, to notify him whether she plans to include any information from the so-called Epstein files in her petition and must file an amended version by March 31, 2026.
A slow, heavily redacted release of files
Protecting victim identifies has been a key sticking point in the Justice Department’s ongoing release.
The department has said it plans to release records on a rolling basis by the end of the year, blaming the delay on the time-consuming process of obscuring victims’ names and other identifying information. So far, the department hasn’t given any notice when new records arrive.
That approach angered some accusers and members of Congress who fought to pass the transparency act. Records that were released, including photographs, interview transcripts, call logs, court records and other documents, were either already public or heavily blacked out, and many lacked necessary context.
The Senate’s top Democrat on Monday urged colleagues to take legal action over the incremental and heavily redacted release.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced a resolution that, if passed, would direct the Senate to file or join lawsuits aimed at forcing the Justice Department to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law enacted last month that required disclosure of records by last Friday.
“Instead of transparency, the Trump administration released a tiny fraction of the files and blacked out massive portions of what little they provided,” Schumer, D-N.Y. said in a statement. “This is a blatant cover-up.”
In lieu of Republican support, Schumer’s resolution is largely symbolic. The Senate is off until Jan. 5, more than two weeks after the deadline. Even then, it’ll likely face an uphill battle for passage. But it allows Democrats to continue a pressure campaign for disclosure that Republicans had hoped to put behind them.
There were few revelations in the tens of thousands of pages of records that have been released so far. Some of the most eagerly awaited records, such as FBI victim interviews and internal memos shedding light on charging decisions, weren’t there.
Nor were there any mentions of some powerful figures who’ve been in Epstein’s orbit, like Britain’s former Prince Andrew.
Some files removed, then restored
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the Justice Department’s decision to release just a fraction of the files by the deadline as necessary to protect survivors of sexual abuse by the disgraced financier.
Blanche pledged that the Trump administration would meet its obligation required by law. But he stressed that the department was obligated to act with caution as it goes about making public thousands of documents that can include sensitive information. And he said legal precedent had long established that obligations to protect the privacy of victims permit authorities to go beyond deadlines to ensure they are protected.
Blanche, the Justice Department’s second-in-command, also defended its decision to remove several files related to the case from its public webpage, including a photograph showing Trump, less than a day after they were posted.
The missing files, which were available Friday but no longer accessible by Saturday, included images of paintings depicting nude women, and one showed a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers. In that image, inside a drawer among other photos, was a photograph of Trump alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Blanche said the documents were removed because of a concern that they might also show victims of Epstein. Blanche said the Trump photo and the other documents would be reposted once redactions, if necessary, were made to protect survivors.
The Trump photograph was returned to the public webpage without alterations Sunday after it was determined that a concern by some government workers that victims may have been depicted in the picture proved unfounded, the Justice Department said.
“We are not redacting information around President Trump, around any other individual involved with Mr. Epstein, and that narrative, which is not based on fact at all, is completely false,” Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Blanche said Trump, a Republican, has labeled the Epstein matter “a hoax” because “there’s this narrative out there that the Department of Justice is hiding and protecting information about him, which is completely false.”
“The Epstein files existed for years and years and years and you did not hear a peep out of a single Democrat for the past four years and yet … lo and behold, all of a sudden, out of the blue, Senator Schumer suddenly cares about the Epstein files,” Blanche said. “That’s the hoax.”
Associated Press reporter Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/ghislaine-maxwell-overturn-conviction/
Judge Green-Lights Secret Service Agent’s Retaliation Case
Judge Green-Lights Secret Service Agent’s Retaliation Case
Authored by Susan Crabtree via RealClearPolitics,
A federal judge has allowed most claims in a senior Secret Service agent’s lawsuit alleging a hostile workplace, retaliation, and discrimination to move forward despite Department of Homeland Security opposition, according to court documents.
Rashid Ellis, a 14-year veteran of the agency with expertise in drone systems, sued DHS, which oversees the Secret Service, three months before the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt against Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Ellis’ lawsuit accuses agency leaders of dismissing complaints, elevating problematic colleagues to oversight positions, and punishing him for advocating for advancements in drone technology and racial unity within the agency.
The claims of retaliation, discrimination, and hostile work environment took place when Alejandro Mayorkas was DHS secretary and Kimberly Cheatle ran the Secret Service. Cheatle was forced to resign after severe criticism of her testimony to Congress about the Butler failures.
Even though Ellis’ former agency is now led by Trump-appointed Secretary Kristi Noem and Secret Service Director Sean Curran, so far there has been no effort to settle the case out of court.
Ruling Preserves Ellis’ Core Allegations
U.S. District Judge Emmit Sullivan ruled in late September that most of the claims in Ellis’ lawsuit could proceed. The decision, which RealClearPolitics is first to report, rejects the government’s motion to dismiss the case, clearing the path for legal discovery into allegations of systemic leadership failings, which Ellis argues enabled bias, stifled innovation, and endangered the agency’s mission.
A graduate of The Citadel who was consistently awarded “exceeds expectations” ratings in his performance reviews, Ellis served on former President Joe Biden’s protective detail, the elite Counter Assault Team, and as an instructor at the Secret Service’s James J. Rowley Training Center on counter-surveillance and the use of drones. His role as the Secret Service point person for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers’ Association, a lobbying entity that offers legal services, retirement benefits, and other support, amplified his advocacy for racial equality. Ellis argues it also made him a target for Secret Service leadership.
Multiple Secret Service shortcomings were evident in Butler on the day Trump was nearly killed, including the failure to detect the shooter’s drone in the air over the rally site. On the one-year anniversary of the Butler assassination attempt, the Secret Service announced reforms, including the creation of an Aviation and Airspace Security division “dedicated to maintaining the agency’s critical aerial monitoring capabilities.”
Ellis’ lawsuit detailing his experiences with Cheatle at the helm, which RCP reported on last year, reads like a case study of the agency leaders’ long-running tendency to engage in petty squabbles, favoritism, and retaliation instead of keeping its focus on the big picture – its mission of protecting presidents, vice presidents, Cabinet members, and former presidents.
In a detailed 63-page opinion, Sullivan determined that Ellis had sufficiently alleged civil rights violations.
The judge was unpersuaded by DHS attorneys’ arguments, including that Ellis didn’t truly suffer any adverse action because he never lost his salary and that he didn’t exhaust administrative remedies on his charges before filing suit.
DHS attorneys also argued that federal employees are held to a higher standard than those in the private sector when it comes to experiencing adverse actions. Sullivan dismissed this last argument as one that has repeatedly failed in previous court decisions.
“As discussed below,” the judge wrote, “this theory has been rejected by every judge on this court to have considered it.”
Ellis’ attorney, David Blum of Alan Lescht & Associates, P.C., told RCP: “We look forward to litigating the merits of this case.”
The Secret Service has declined comment on Ellis’ case and ignored several separate questions about the agency’s history of resisting efforts to implement an extensive aerial drone program and the readiness level of that program. Prior to the assassination attempts, the Secret Service had an aerial drone program, but it was limited in scope, sources told RCP.
“As a matter of longstanding policy, the U.S. Secret Service does not comment on pending or proposed litigation,” a spokesperson told RCP last year. The agency did not respond to a request for comment on Sullivan’s ruling.
The lawsuit depicts a corrosive Secret Service culture in which leaders engage in intimidation, and supervisors ignore harassment reports, neglect investigations, and retaliate if personnel complain of mistreatment.
Ellis argues that Cheatle, then serving as the head of the Secret Service’s Office of Protective Operations, backed by human resource managers and other bureaucrats, blocked and retaliated against him for trying to transfer jobs to work full-time on a special drone project he was developing, according to three sources in the Secret Service community.
Some of these agency officials, Ellis asserts, also retaliated against him for lodging complaints about personal and inaccurate attacks based on his perceived religion.
Cheatle and a group of senior Secret Service officials went to great lengths to prevent Ellis from serving in a key role in the Airspace Security Branch of the Secret Service’s Special Operations Division, which oversees the drone program, according to court records Ellis filed last year.
Instead, the agency wanted to send him to the vice presidential detail to help provide security for Kamala Harris, her husband, and their extended family, and wouldn’t budge when he appealed the decision – even though the agency had formally listed the airspace position as “hard-to-staff.”
Ellis, who is black but eschews racial divisions, referring to himself as “American,” filed suit against DHS in April 2024 and amended the complaint in late July to outline a pattern of harassment. The lawsuit accuses agency officials of orchestrating an elaborate scheme, beginning in 2021, to undermine his career in retaliation for his efforts to transfer to an Airspace position. Ellis wanted the position so he could play a direct role in establishing and implementing “a special project involving drones,” according to the lawsuit.
Ellis’ lawsuit alleges that those who conspired against him include Cheatle; then-human resources head Susan Yarwood; Elizabeth Lewis, Yarwood’s then-deputy; then-Technical Services Division Assistant Director Darren Giacolleto; then-Human Resources supervisors Danielle Watson and Thomas Hamman; and others.
Specific Leadership Failures
Incidents of harassment Ellis endured include:
A fellow agent, whom the lawsuit identifies as Michael Hackney, allegedly used a training exercise to physically attack him and pulled a live weapon on him as a joke while he was working a protection detail. Ellis reported the incident to his superior, who took no action, telling him, “The juice isn’t worth the squeeze,” according to the lawsuit. Two years later, Hackney allegedly aggressively drove his SUV toward Ellis and his pregnant wife and one-year-old son as though he was going to run them over.
Another agent, who Ellis says witnessed the aggressive driving threat, warned him not to report Hackney because “that’s how some people joke.”
Ellis, a Christian, believes his complaints about Hackney, whom he said also misidentified him as Muslim and called him a “terrorist” based on his Islamic-sounding first name, contributed to his failure to land bids for two hard-to-staff positions in the agency’s Airspace branch, even though he argues he was eligible for both positions.
The lawsuit further alleges:
A senior official acknowledged agency-wide racism and backed Ellis’ 2021 drone position bid, calling him the “number one selection,” but failed to counter Human Resources’ disqualification. Lewis and Yarwood deemed him ineligible despite his qualifications and the endorsement.
After Ellis appealed that decision, Danielle Watson twisted his frustrated comment about the process “driving him to drink” into cynical claims that he admitted to abusing alcohol. Yarwood, after consulting Lewis, directed Watson to draft a memorandum falsely alleging Ellis admitted to drinking, family disputes, and related issues – proven false by video evidence. The agency then placed Ellis on administrative leave and forced him to surrender his gear while recommending a nine-month sobriety program. Those decisions were overturned shortly afterward, but nonetheless damaged Ellis’ reputation.
Cheatle supported the phony alcoholism narrative, recommending administrative leave and the sobriety program, and allegedly provided misleading statements in an affidavit about the sources of information that informed her decisions.
Giacoletto denied Ellis’ appeal the day the agency imposed the administrative leave and was involved in the initial disqualification.
A supervisor warned Ellis of “a lot of trouble” for pursuing grievances, while others told him that the real source of his troubles with the agency was his pro-drone advocacy.
These incidents, Ellis claims, reflect a Secret Service pattern of weaponizing human resources processes against those who complain of mistreatment, a similar refrain among numerous former agents and the lawyers who have represented them.
Connections to Broader Secret Service Challenges
Despite new leadership, the Secret Service has experienced a string of continued lapses and embarrassing incidents. As RCP first reported, two female officers were involved in a physical fight outside former President Obama’s D.C. residence; Secret Service officers also missed a Glock while screening bags at Trump’s Virginia golf course; a Uniformed Division officer fell asleep on the job and left his fully automatic rifle unattended while protecting the United Nations General Assembly in New York; and an agent openly celebrated Charlie Kirk’s assassination in a Facebook post. Trump’s detail also allowed protesters at a D.C. restaurant to get close to Trump and several of his top Cabinet members and taunt them.
Ellis’ lawsuit alleges that his blocked transfer to a leadership position in the drone program quite possibly hindered advancements that might have prevented the 2024 Trump assassination attempts. A Senate report on the Butler failures faulted Secret Service leaders for denying counter-drone requests and technical failures. Then-Acting Director Ronald Rowe admitted to lapses during congressional testimony last year.
Ellis himself ties the Butler failures to Cheatle and prior leaders’ DEI priorities, arguing they favored quotas over merit, eroding standards and morale and agent retention. As the discovery process proceeds, the case may force DHS to address these leadership decisions.
“The relentless push by Secret Service leadership to meet diversity quotas has compromised our ability to meet our protectees’ needs,” Ellis said in a video posted on the Independent Women’s Forum website. IWF is a nonprofit conservative advocacy organization.
Despite efforts to dismantle DEI under the current administration, Ellis cautions that it will take years for the agency to recover.
“If we do not clean out the rot, our people – and our protectees – will pay the price,” he warned.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/22/2025 – 18:25
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/judge-green-lights-secret-service-agents-retaliation-case
Pickleball Kingdom the 24th business to open this year in Waukegan: ‘The city is really cooking’
Debbie Shuppert of Gurnee pointed to pickleball paddles in racks outside one of the 13 courts at Waukegan’s newest business, Pickleball Kingdom. She explained the egalitarian concept of how people can find competition, whether they come along or with others.
“If a court isn’t open, you put your paddle there,” Shuppert said, referring to the racks. “The game goes to 11. You have to win by two. If people are waiting, they get to play next. You can put your paddle there and play again.”
Shuppert was one of more than 700 people who played at Pickleball Kingdom over the weekend, competing and then waiting for another game. She was pleased with the people she met and the level of competition.
“I like it, and I like the competition,” Shuppert said. “You can come alone and there are a lot of people you can play with.”
Pickleball Kingdom became the 24th business to open in Waukegan this year — and the 10th since early August — when it opened its doors Saturday on Lakehurst Road, after renovating a one-time toy store that had been vacant for 33 years.
Along with Pickleball Kingdom, the other new businesses — Family & Crab will the 25th when it opens Friday– include 14 restaurants or bars, four beauty or barber shops, two retail stores, an art gallery, a banquet hall, a tattoo parlor and a health care facility.
Holding the scissors to cut the ribbon officially opening Pickleball Kingdom in Waukegan are, from left, General Manager Felix Birman, franchise President Sheehan Lake and Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham. The facility is Waukegan’s newest and the 24th to open this year. (Steve Sadin/For the Lake County News-Sun)
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunninham helped cut the ribbon at the Pickleball Kingdom, and has done the same at many of the other new businesses. He said he is glad to see the businesses opening in different parts of the city.
“To open any business, a good business plan and an understanding of the market is essential,” Cunningham said. “They are showing Waukegan is a good place to be. Small businesses are coming to the city of Waukegan. It will have a trickle-down effect, and more will come.”
Cunningham said the city has also expedited the process to obtain a business license. City officials have identified the need to simplify getting a business venture off the ground with as little difficulty as possible.
Kevin Considine, the president and CEO of Lake County Partners, said he believes the flurry of new businesses opening in Waukegan is the start of more to come. He particularly likes what he sees in the downtown area and the lakefront.
Waukegan’s newest business, Pickleball Kingdom, opened Saturday in the Fountain Square neighborhood. It is the 24th business to open in the city this year. (Steve Sadin/For the Lake County News-Sun)
“We are on the cusp of a resurgence in downtown Waukegan, and other parts of the city,” Considine said. “The city is really cooking. It should have a better year next year and into 2027.”
Sheehan Lake, the president of Pickleball X, owns the franchise for Pickleball Kingdom in Illinois. Waukegan is the first in the state, with North Aurora opening early next year. Players can purchase an annual or monthly membership, or pay a daily fee.
“Each court has a scoreboard and an instant reply,” Lake said. “See all those cameras? They’re for the instant reply.”
Lake said courts are reserved online, and people who arrive on their own will be accommodated. It is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Felix Birman, the general manager, said free lessons are offered.
“We offer a pro and three-lesson, where three players are on the court with the pro,” Birman said.
Osiris Campos, who owns the Pink Cactus restaurant on Green Bay Road with her husband Edwin, opened their eatery on Nov. 15. It offers a variety of burgers, pizzas, salads and wings, along with Mexican dishes like tacos and burritos. There is also a brunch menu.
Named the Pink Cactus, Osiris Campos said the color pink is prominent around the restaurant for a reason. She wants to make the eatery a place where women feel at ease. There is an abundance of pink and flowers.
“We want to empower women to come in with their friends and be comfortable,” she said. “Men are welcome, but we want the women to feel at home. We want women to feel emboldened here.”
Domenique Guerro and Yesenia Jimenez are beauticians who have styled the hair of a clientele around Waukegan for more than five years. Guerro said they decided to become partners and open their own shop. They opened Yours Truly Beauty Salon on Oct. 18 in downtown Waukegan.
Along with Guerro and Jimenez, Guerro said there are four other beauticians in the shop who either rent a chair or work for commissions. Guerron first developed a clientele, styling women’s hair in her home. As her business grew, she decided to open her own shop with Jimenez.
“I felt, why not open our own salon?” Guerro said. “We both had our own client lists, but others are welcome.”
Other new Waukegan businesses opened this year include Concentra Immediate Care, Empress Beauty Studio, Botanero Latino, Tito’s Pizza, Fondita Miguel Restaurant, Forastero’s Tako, La Chuparosa, Chicken Miche, Adore Boutique, Liguez Brunch, I’ll Kut 2 U! and Alani Banquets.
More new businesses are Tacos El Vale, La Casa de Los Tamales y Mas, Sunset Chicken, ShadowboxX Gallery, Tough it out Tattoo, Dejavu Bar & Grill, Sabor Tierra Caliente and The Sip 21.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/waukegan-new-businesses-2/
Receptor de Steelers DK Metcalf suspendido dos juegos tras altercado con fan en Detroit
Por WILL GRAVES
PITTSBURGH (AP) — La NFL ha suspendido al receptor abierto de los Steelers de Pittsburgh, DK Metcalf, por dos juegos tras un altercado en el que Metcalf se vio involucrado con un aficionado durante la victoria del equipo sobre Detroit.
La liga determinó que las acciones de Metcalf violaron la política de la liga, que especifica que “los jugadores no pueden entrar en las gradas ni confrontar a los aficionados en ningún momento durante el día del juego y si un jugador hace contacto físico innecesario con un aficionado de cualquier manera que constituya conducta antideportiva o presente problemas de control de multitudes y/o riesgo de lesión, será considerado responsable.”
Metcalf será elegible para regresar al roster activo de los Steelers el lunes cinco de enero, después de los juegos del equipo en la Semana 17 contra los Browns de Cleveland y la Semana 18 contra los Ravens de Baltimore.
Bajo el acuerdo colectivo de trabajo, Metcalf puede apelar la suspensión. Se llevará a cabo una audiencia rápida por el comisionado o su designado.
Las cámaras de CBS-TV captaron a Metcalf y Ryan Kennedy, un aficionado de los Lions que llevaba una peluca azul y una camiseta azul y negra que coincidía con los colores de Detroit, teniendo un intercambio a lo largo de la barandilla en el segundo cuarto de la victoria de Pittsburgh por 29-24.
Kennedy se inclinó sobre la barandilla durante el intercambio, y la peluca azul cayó hacia adelante cubriendo su rostro. La interacción terminó con Metcalf extendiendo su brazo derecho hacia la cabeza de Kennedy, aunque leve, si hizo contacto.
Metcalf permaneció en el juego, terminando con cuatro recepciones para 42 yardas. No estuvo disponible para los reporteros después y no apareció en su casillero el lunes durante los 45 minutos de disponibilidad para los medios del club. Metcalf ha hablado regularmente los miércoles durante la temporada.
El entrenador de Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin, dijo el domingo que “escuchó sobre” el intercambio pero no lo vio y en ese momento no había tenido la oportunidad de discutirlo con Metcalf.
El ex receptor abierto de la NFL, Chad Ochocinco, dijo durante un podcast que co-presenta con el ala cerrada del Salón de la Fama, Shannon Sharpe, que Metcalf le dijo que el aficionado usó un insulto racial y menospreció a la madre de Metcalf.
Un comunicado emitido a The Associated Press en nombre de Kennedy por un bufete de abogados de Michigan el lunes dijo que Kennedy “niega categóricamente” haber usado un insulto o cualquier otra declaración despectiva durante el intercambio.
El comunicado emitido por Shawn Head y Sean Murphy del bufete de abogados Head Murphy calificó las acusaciones de “completamente falsas.”
“En ningún momento antes, durante o después del incidente, el Sr. Kennedy usó insultos raciales o discursos de odio de ningún tipo”, decía el comunicado. “Las afirmaciones que sugieren lo contrario son falsas y no están respaldadas por evidencia en video, testimonios de testigos o cualquier informe contemporáneo.”
El comunicado dijo que Kennedy no haría más comentarios porque “este asunto probablemente será ahora objeto de procedimientos legales formales.”
El comunicado agregó que Kennedy, quien dijo al Detroit Free Press que es de Pinckney, Michigan, a aproximadamente una hora al oeste de Ford Field, ha sido objeto de “acoso, amenazas y mensajes que abogan por la violencia” tras el incidente.
Kennedy dijo al periódico que Metcalf le rasgó la camiseta durante el incidente. Kennedy también dijo al Free Press que estaba llamando a Metcalf por su nombre de pila, DeKaylin.
El incidente no es el primero entre un atleta profesional y un aficionado durante un evento deportivo en vivo.
El intercambio entre Metcalf y el aficionado ocurrió cinco meses después de que el lanzador relevista de los Piratas de Pittsburgh, Dennis Santana, fuera suspendido y multado por MLB tras una confrontación con un aficionado en un juego entre los Piratas y los Tigres de Detroit en Comerica Park, que está a una cuadra de Ford Field.
El incidente más notorio entre jugadores y aficionados ocurrió en 2004 cuando varios miembros de los Pacers de Indiana, incluido el escolta Ron Artest (ahora conocido como Metta World Peace), pelearon con aficionados dentro del ahora demolido Palace en un juego entre los Pacers y los Pistons de Detroit en lo que se conoce universalmente como “La Batalla del Palace.”
___
Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
MSM Belatedly Details Syrian ‘Prisons Filling Up Again, Torture’ Under Jolani Regime
MSM Belatedly Details Syrian ‘Prisons Filling Up Again, Torture’ Under Jolani Regime
More than a year after Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow, and some mainstream media outlets are finally taking a critical eye to the new Sharaa/Jolani regime and its human rights abuses, religious oppression, and war crimes.
While the West and Gulf countries celebrated Assad fleeting the country for Russia in December 2024, with the al-Qaeda linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) taking over Damascus, the new government quickly got to work persecuting, massacring, and disappearing religious minorities.
Source: Christian Science Monitory/Getty Images
First Alawites were targeted last spring, then Christians, and more recently Druze – or anyone not acting according to the HTS brand of fanatical Islam and jihad. But CNN and other establishment news outlets have ‘moved on’ and are turning a blind eye.
But somewhat surprisingly, Reuters has issued a new report which highlights the country simply traded Assad’s ‘notorious prisons’ for Jolani’s dark dungeons:
The first wave of detentions in the new Syria came almost immediately – just after victorious rebels flung open the doors of Bashar al-Assad’s notorious prisons.
As ordinary Syrians stormed detention complexes last December to search for loved ones who had vanished under Assad’s rule, thousands of the deposed dictator’s soldiers who had abandoned their posts – officers and conscripts alike – were taken prisoner by the rebels.
Then came the second wave in late winter: Hundreds of people from Assad’s Alawite sect, mostly men, were seized by the new authorities throughout Syria. Their detentions spiked after a brief uprising along the coast in March killed dozens of security forces, sparking reprisals that left nearly 1,500 Alawites dead. Those arrests continue to this day.
In the next wave to be targeted for mass detentions by the new government were Druze, especially after fighting and unrest was sparked in the south between locals and Jolani’s Sunni security forces.
Reuters underscores, “Prisons and lockups that jailed tens of thousands of people during Assad’s rule are now crowded with Syrians detained by President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s security forces and held without formal charges.”
The outlet has compiled names of over 800 Syrians held under such circumstances, and says the true figure is likely much higher.
Syrian general security headed towards Aleppo calls Kurds pigs. Not the SDF. Not the Asayish. Kurds.
“We’ll step on your necks, God willing.”
This is the “inclusive” Syrian government. pic.twitter.com/LWzxJdX3ls
— Lindsey Snell (@LindseySnell) December 22, 2025
The secular rule of the Assad family over the years consistently saw widespread accusations of torture happening at government detention sites. But again, it seems the country has simply moved to jails now overseen by torturers who are bearded jihadists:
In December 2024, Sharaa pledged to “close the notorious prisons” of the fallen dictator. But Reuters found that at least 28 prisons and lockups from the Assad era have been operational again over the past year.
Asked for comment on the findings of this report, Syria’s Information Ministry said that the need to bring those involved in Assad’s abuses to justice explained many of the detentions and the reopening of some facilities.
“The number of people involved in crimes and violations in Syria under the former regime is very large, given the scale of the abuses committed,” the ministry said. “There are past crimes, involvement in new violations, and threats to security and stability by those associated with the regime, in addition to other crimes.”
So it seems this is more about mass revenge against non-Muslim communities, and detainees interviewed by Reuters say they’ve been insulted with fanatical and religious language. “You are infidels, you are pigs,” one Syrian farmer who was arrested by the new regime described.
Another Alawite man recounted, “Everyone ordered me to bark like a dog. They beat me with the butts of their rifles, their fists, their boots. I thought my life was coming to an end.”
Shocking how #ISIS has become more powerful and present in #Syria since Trump made #Jolani and the #NewSyria Takfiris part of the Anti-ISIS coalition. LOL pic.twitter.com/poM3LzwLnh
— Vanessa Beeley (@VanessaBeeley) December 17, 2025
Reuters also included the story of a Christian merchant who was tortured and killed under the new regime:
Among the dead was a detainee at Kafr Sousa, a 59-year-old Christian merchant named Milad al-Farkh. His family said he was arrested on August 24 on allegations of hiding weapons, working as an arms dealer and selling expired meat at his butcher shop.
Al-Farkh’s family described the arrest as an attempt to pressure them into paying $10,000 in protection money.
Two weeks later, an inmate at Kafr Sousa managed to get a call out to the family to tell them al-Farkh was near death from torture. The call from the hospital morgue came the next day, on September 9, the family said. One relative was arrested for demanding an autopsy.
Sadly, Syria’s new rulers – who resemble ISIS or al Qaeda in their words, actions, appearance, and beliefs – were installed with the help of the US, Turkey, and Gulf allies.
Below: “Details of the real-life experiences of the Orthodox Christian families and others who suffered at the hands of radical terrorists supported by countries and groups from outside Syria.”
The Book SYRIA CRUCIFIED offers unique stories of individual Syrian Christians telling of their war-torn homeland. Order your copy with the link below. https://t.co/tn0pfyQFS9 pic.twitter.com/zazLajtIsh
— Brad Hoff (@BradRHoff) December 28, 2021
President Trump even recently boasted, “It’s been amazing what — what’s taken place in Syria. We got rid of Assad.”
Amer Matar, a journalist and filmmaker briefly detained by ruling HTS forces this year has observed, “Those ruling today decided to turn the Assad prisons into new prisons… It’s the most absurd thing I have ever seen.”
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/22/2025 – 18:00
State Department Recalls 29 Biden-Appointed Ambassadors
State Department Recalls 29 Biden-Appointed Ambassadors
Authored by Jackson Richman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
The United States has recalled almost 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial roles.
All of the ambassadors were appointed under President Joe Biden and are senior members of the State Department’s Foreign Service, which produces career diplomats to serve in Washington and abroad.
These diplomats tend to stay in their roles for a few years and usually do not leave when there is a change in administration, as they are trained to carry out the president’s agenda, no matter which party occupies the White House.
The ambassadors were informed last week that their tenures will end in January. Those affected by the recalls will return to Washington and are able to take on other assignments.
A State Department official told The Epoch Times that ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president.
“This is a standard process in any administration,” the official said.
“An ambassador is a personal representative of the president, and it is the president’s right to ensure that he has individuals in these countries who advance the America First agenda.”
Politico first reported the ambassadorial recalls.
“One of the reasons why President Trump was elected is sort of an understanding among the American people that our foreign policy was in need of a complete recalibration because the world has dramatically changed,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Dec. 19
“Many of the institutions, policies, assumptions that our foreign policy was operating under were built upon a world that no longer existed, and it required us to re-examine that.”
The 29 ambassadors recalled included 15 from Africa: Algeria (Elizabeth Aubin), Burundi (Lisa Peterson), Cameroon (Christopher Lamora), Cape Verde (Jennifer Adams), Egypt (Herro Mustafa Garg), Gabon (Vernelle Trim FitzPatrick), Ivory Coast (Jessica Davis Ba), Madagascar (Claire A. Pierangelo), Mauritius (Henry Jardine), Niger (Kathleen FitzGibbon), Nigeria (Richard Mills Jr.), Rwanda (Eric W. Kneedler), Senegal (Michael Raynor), Somalia (Richard Riley), and Uganda (William Popp).
There were eight recalled from the Asia-Pacific region: Fiji (Marie Damour), Laos (Heather Variava), Marshall Islands (Laura Stone), Nepal (Dean Thompson), Papua New Guinea (Ann Marie Yastishock), the Philippines (MaryKay Loss Carlson), Sri Lanka (Julie Chung), and Vietnam (Marc Knapper).
Four of the recalled ambassadors were from Europe: Armenia (Kristina Kvien), Macedonia (Angela Aggeler), Montenegro (Judy Reinke), and Slovakia (Gautam Rana).
Two were from the Americas: Guatemala (Tobin Bradley) and Suriname (Robert Faucher).
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/22/2025 – 17:40
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/state-department-recalls-29-biden-appointed-ambassadors
Outdoors column: Joys and pitfalls of feeding birds in winter
The cheery call of the black-capped chickadee adds light to the darkest days of the year in late December and early January. That’s one reason why I enjoy feeding birds in winter.
It’s comforting to watch a chickadee snatch a sunflower seed and fly away to pound on it and open the protein-rich morsel inside.
If these birds can make it through a cold winter, then perhaps we can make it through difficult times, too.
Bird-feeding, if done properly, can help these birds survive. Black-capped chickadees, for example, have a much higher winter survival rate if they have easy access to food, such as sunflower seeds humans provide in feeders, according to one study.
By feeding birds, you’re also giving yourself some joy in the bleak season. It could even be a great hobby for youngsters, and what better time to start after the holidays when boredom sets in?
In Illinois, the most common bird species found at feeders include the northern cardinal, downy woodpecker, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, dark-eyed junco and red-bellied woodpecker, among others.
A fox sparrow below feeders. (Steven D. Bailey/For the Lake County News-Sun)
Choose foods that mimic what birds would normally find on their own outdoors, for example sunflower seeds, which cardinals and blue jays eat, and thistle seeds, which goldfinches and pine siskins will eat. Bread, crackers and other carbohydrate-filled human foods do not offer much nutrition to birds, and can even disturb some species’ digestive systems.
We grow many plants that hold their seeds throughout winter. On a cold, snowy day, I watched an American tree sparrow munching on seeds from a native goldenrod species in the front yard.
Feeding birds provides an opportunity to watch bird behavior or see a rare species. This season, after a heavy snow and cold spell, two fox sparrows showed up alongside juncos and American tree sparrows, and one white-throated sparrow in the front yard. Fox sparrows are among my favorite sparrow species — they stand out in a crowd of other sparrows with their long, rusty-colored tails and wings, some gray and rust on the head, and deep dark splotches on their bodies.
The fox sparrows scratched the ground incessantly to kick up fallen bird seed, while the more petite tree sparrows hopped and pecked at the same food. Just the other day, two pine siskins, winter visitors from up north, joined the gregarious American goldfinches on a thistle feeder. The goldfinches, which take on drab colors in winter, can be separated from the similarly sized siskins, which have thin streaking on their bodies.
The black form of a gray squirrel beneath feeders. (Steven D. Bailey/For the Lake County News-Sun)
On especially cold days, many birds congregate at and beneath the feeders, and sometimes the non-native house sparrows take over, even squabbling with each other and other species. I watched a tiny red-breasted nuthatch attempt four times to get at the sunflower seed feeder, which was dominated by house sparrows. But later, the nuthatch had the feeder to itself and got some nice rewards, plus it was stashing food all fall to prepare for winter.
The trouble with bird feeding, for some, is that they’re not just feeding the songbirds, they’re also sometimes feeding hawks.
The Cooper’s hawk, once threatened as a breeder in Illinois, has bounced back after DDT was banned. In winter, it visits bird feeding stations to get a live meal. More than once, a Cooper’s hawk this winter snatched a goldfinch right off the thistle feeder.
But Cooper’s hawks need to eat, too, and they sit at the top of the food chain, providing a balance in nature. It may not be pretty to see a hawk carry off a songbird, but remember, humans eat meat, too. And the Cooper’s hawk is a beautiful bird, with its blueish-gray back and wings and red bars across the underparts.
When a Cooper’s hawk enters the yard, birds will either fly away en masse or freeze at their perches to escape the predator. They know it’s there even before I do. On a recent morning, juncos, goldfinches, woodpeckers and sparrows were feasting on the ground and atop sunflower and thistle feeders.
Suddenly, whoosh, they were all gone. I knew a Cooper’s hawk was in the area. They all escaped. Just as mammalian predators in Africa don’t always get a meal, neither does the Cooper’s hawk.
You cannot talk about bird feeding without mentioning squirrels and ways to keep them off your feeders. Sometimes, squirrel baffles on feeders work; sometimes they don’t. Placement can help, for example, by moving the feeder away from a tree branch where the squirrels can easily jump on top of it.
Watching squirrels try to get to feeders can be fun, for someone, although I know many a bird-feeder who would prefer they would all go away. Recently, two black squirrels, a form of the gray squirrel, joined the scene with sparrows and juncos.
It was quite a menagerie, and I cherish watching such antics of birds and mammals each winter. If you have any questions about feeding birds in winter or want to share your experiences, feel free to email me.
Sheryl DeVore has worked as a full-time and freelance reporter, editor and photographer for the Chicago Tribune and its subsidiaries. She’s the author of several books on nature and the environment. Send story ideas and thoughts to sheryldevorewriter@gmail.com.
Neres da doblete y Napoli gana la Supercopa de Italia con victoria sobre Bolonia
Associated Press
RIYADH, Arabia Saudita (AP) — David Neres anotó en cada mitad para el Napoli, y el campeón vigente de la Serie A ganó la Supercopa de Italia por tercera vez el lunes, venciendo al Bologna 2-0 en Arabia Saudita.
Los equipos se enfrentaron en Riad para decidir un torneo jugado entre los ganadores y subcampeones de las competiciones de liga y copa de la temporada pasada.
El gol de apertura de Neres en el minuto 39 fue digno de ganar la copa, su magnífico disparo con el pie izquierdo desde 25 metros se curvó hacia la esquina lejana, sin dar ninguna oportunidad al estirado Federico Ravaglia en la portería del Bologna.
Su segundo gol mostró un lado diferente de su talento ofensivo, ya que, con casi una hora transcurrida, aprovechó un pase flojo de Ravaglia y despojó a John Lucumi antes de picar el balón sobre el portero postrado.
Fue la segunda vez que el ex extremo del Ajax y Sao Paulo anotó un doblete para el Napoli desde que se unió al club procedente del Benfica en agosto de 2024.
La victoria marcó el tercer triunfo del Napoli en la competición, tras las victorias en 1990 y 2014. El equipo de Antonio Conte ha ganado siete de sus últimos nueve partidos competitivos.
Se encuentra en tercer lugar en la Serie A, un punto detrás del AC Milan y dos puntos detrás del líder Inter de Milán.
___
Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
