Trump Ditches ‘The Weave’, Delivers Sales Pitch Susie Wiles Asked For

Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/22/2025 – 15:25

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-ditches-weave-delivers-sales-pitch-susie-wiles-asked 

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and safety Kevin Byard III drew the fourth- and fifth-most fan votes for the Pro Bowl, according to the final results released by the NFL.

The online fan voting, which ended Dec. 15, counts for a third of the weight toward determining the AFC and NFC rosters, which will be announced Tuesday at 9 a.m. NFL players and coaches, who make up the other two-thirds, voted on Friday.

Williams was third among quarterbacks in fan voting (216,838), but was the top vote-getter in the NFC ahead of the Los Angeles Rams’ Matt Stafford (fifth), Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott (sixth) and Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love (seventh).

Chicago Bears clinch their 1st playoff spot since 2020

As of Monday, Williams ranked 20th in quarterback rating (89.5%) and 26th in completion percentage (57.8%) among qualified quarterbacks, but he has engineered six fourth-quarter comeback victories and led the Bears to their first playoff berth since 2020.

Byard (203,638 votes), a 32-year-old two-time Pro Bowler, entered Monday night leading the NFL with six interceptions.

Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, who is considering retirement, gained the most votes at 420,383, despite a down year by his standards that included the Chiefs being eliminated from the playoffs for the first time after 10 consecutive appearances.

Here’s the breakdown of the top five overall votes:

Travis Kelce, tight end, Kansas City Chiefs: 420,383
Josh Allen, quarterback, Buffalo Bills: 263,127
Drake Maye, quarterback, New England Patriots, 259,978
Caleb Williams, quarterback, Chicago Bears: 216,838
Kevin Byard III, free safety, Chicago Bears, 203,638

While fans’ votes won’t ensure a spot on the 88-man Pro Bowl roster (44 for each conference), they give several candidates quite a head start.

Bears fans (and perhaps many impressed NFL fans) showed up in force, helping place 26 Bears among the top-10 vote-getters in 18 of the 20 positions. Fullback (the Bears don’t use one) and kicker were the two positions Chicago didn’t crack the top 10.

The Bears led all teams in total votes.

To put it into context, between Nov. 27 at 10 a.m. and Dec. 15 (with the ballot closing that night), no Bears landed in the top 10 among vote totals through NFL.com and team websites. But Williams and Byard made the top five in the final tally of all fan voting by Monday.

In fact, the Bears boasted 10 first-place vote-getters their positions, including running back D’Andre Swift, cornerback Nahshon Wright, guard Joe Thuney, center Drew Dalman, offensive tackle Darnell Wright, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, free safety Byard, strong safety Jaquan Brisker, punter Tory Taylor and return specialist Devin Duvernay.

The Pro Bowl also recognizes players who typically operate in obscurity, such as special team coverage players.

The Bears’ Josh Blackwell has been involved in a couple of pivotal plays this season: a game-clinching blocked field goal kick against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4 (for which he was NFC Special Teams Player of the Week) and Saturday’s onside kick recovery that was key to the Bears’ fourth-quarter comeback against the Packers.

Bears coach Ben Johnson said Monday, “(We were) talking as a staff yesterday, where does Blackwell look like relative to the league? We feel like he’s one of the best special teams players in the NFL right now. Whether he gets that recognition or not publicly, I don’t know.

“Yet, he’s a part of our success as a team, our special teams unit as a whole. He’s really found quite a niche there.”

Beyond the Bears’ 10 first-place-holders, here’s how the other 16 finished:

Second place: guard Jonah Jackson, defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, long snapper Scott Daly and special teams player Josh Blackwell
Third: tight end Colston Loveland and defensive end Montez Sweat
Fourth: cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett
Sixth: cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and wide receiver Rome Odunze
Seventh: defensive tackle Andrew Billings and wide receiver Luther Burden III
Eighth: defensive end Austin Booker and cornerback Nick McCloud

The Pro Bowl — as a flag football game — is scheduled for Feb. 3 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. Live coverage of the festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN, with the game airing at 7 p.m.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/chicago-bears-caleb-williams-kevin-byard-pro-bowl/ 

Chicago Board of Education President Sean Harden pulled a proposed property tax hike from the school board’s agenda last week that, if passed, would have netted the district roughly $25 million.

Each year, Chicago Public Schools has consistently raised its property tax levy to the maximum allowable amount. In August, the board passed a budget with a levy of more than $4.24 billion.

But a later assessment found that amount was slightly below the legal limit, sources told the Tribune. The resolution, which would have been up for vote at a board meeting last Thursday, captured that remaining $25 million in revenue. The sources declined to be identified, citing concerns of professional reprisal.

Harden’s maneuver came amid City Council’s high-stakes budget battle — and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s push to frame himself as a defender against rising taxes. Harden was hand-picked by Johnson last year to helm the hybrid school board.

But Harden told the Tribune Monday the decision to withdraw the resolution was tied to “outstanding questions” from board members, and unrelated to Johnson or City Council’s budget fight.

“It reflected a need to understand more about the levy itself,” Harden said. “We all take the fiscal part of our jobs very seriously. There are no rubber stamps.”

While a $25 million bump is a fraction of CPS’ total revenue, it would still be a boost for the cash-strapped district. In theory, the board could still call a special meeting to vote on the levy increase later this month.

State law requires CPS to finalize its property tax levy by the last Tuesday in December, which this year is Dec. 29. If the hike is not implemented, it would be the first time since 2009 that the district doesn’t seek the legal limit.

That has long-term implications, because tax increases are cumulative: Forgoing the hike now reduces the baseline during future budget seasons.

In August, CPS closed a $729 million budget deficit, in part through the layoffs of central office staff, custodial workers and crossing guards. Multiple school services also took a hit, such as the district’s afterschool meal program. CPS still owes billions in long-term debt.

Through it all, Johnson, Harden and board members have advocated for additional CPS funding from the city and state. This year, the district’s budget banks on $522 million from tax increment financing districts, after Johnson proposed a record-breaking $1 billion surplus.

But property taxes are by far the district’s largest source of revenue. The board’s budget in August included a 2.9% raise to the property tax levy, up $232.2 million from the year prior.

Meanwhile, Johnson and his progressive allies have cast the city’s budget fight as a tug-of-war between the ultra-wealthy and low-income residents. The mayor framed his corporate head tax — which was voted down in committee — as a way to ease the financial pressures on the working class.

A surprise property tax hike perhaps runs counter to that messaging. It underscores a growing tension: While the transition to an elected school board was championed by progressives, at times, it has emerged as a challenge to Johnson’s authority. A fully-elected board will be seated by 2027.

An alternative budget supported by a bloc of council moderates passed Saturday in a historic revolt, but could still be vetoed by the mayor. The city must finalize its 2026 budget by Dec. 31.

The median property bill for Chicago homeowners jumped 16.7% this year, with some South and West Side neighborhoods seeing the largest increases. The school district makes up the largest portion of Chicagoan’s bills.

CPS’ ability to raise property taxes is governed by the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law. To protect residents, the annual increase is capped at the lower of either 5% or the rate of inflation.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/cps-board-president-property-tax/ 

Iran Holds Surprise Missile Drills Near Cities Amid Fears Of New Israel War

Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/22/2025 – 15:05

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-holds-surprise-missile-drills-near-cities-amid-warnings-new-war-israel 

Porter and LaPorte County state legislators shared their relief that mid-census redistricting didn’t pass in Indiana, discussed the impacts of the state’s property tax law that passed earlier this year, and looked ahead to the 2026 legislative session during a Saturday town hall meeting.

State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton, said as the Senate talked about mid-census redistricting, there was “a lot of outside influence that I think really backfired.” President Donald Trump and his administration have been pressuring Republican-led states, including Indiana, to redraw Congressional maps so that Republicans could maintain a majority in 2026.

“There are a lot of people that are in those positions that still are small government-minded. They still are constituent-minded,” Pol said. “When people feel like, well, you’re not voting for me, you’re picking who you vote for, I think at their core they knew that was wrong. To see that play out on a national stage … I never thought I would see something like that.”

Pol said he was proud of Indiana for saying no to redistricting, and particularly that Northwest Indiana will remain in one Congressional district because it will give the region “a unified voice.”

State Rep. Randy Novak, D-Michigan City, said most House Republicans didn’t want to vote for mid-census redistricting, but they voted in favor of the bill because they were under immense pressure.

State Rep. Randy Novak, D-Michigan City, speaks about his utility bills during a democratic town hall in Chesterton on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

Novak, who was caucused in to replace former State Rep. Pat Boy, said he has served in his role for eight weeks, so addressing mid-census redistricting at the start of the 2026 session was a whirlwind.

State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, said he “found hope” in the Indiana State Legislature when it defeated the mid-census redistricting bill.

“I saw hope and courage last week in the Indiana Senate,” Moseley said. “It took a lot of courage for a lot of Republican senators to stand strong and do the right thing.”

Hoosiers contacted their legislators and showed up at the statehouse to voice their opposition as the House and Senate discussed proposed Congressional maps, which split Porter County between the First and Second congressional districts, and to allow for mid-census redistricting, Moseley said.

“We have only you to thank for that. You were the reason that we don’t have new maps in Indiana today. We were just the messenger, you were the people that went out that did the work and made it happen, and that’s fantastic,” Moseley said. “Indiana shouted the loudest no that we’ve heard in this country for a very, very long time.”

State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, speaks during a town hall in Chesterton on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

SEA 1

Senate Enrolled Act 1 established a new property tax system by saving two-thirds of taxpayers up to $300 on their 2025 property tax bill, while local governments will lose $1.4 billion through 2028.

As the bill moved through the legislature, county, city and municipal leaders came to the legislature to testify about its financial impacts. Legislatures told the local leaders that they could lean on local income tax to make up any budgetary shortfalls.

State legislators used Carmel as an example of local governments having too much money because the city built many roundabouts and other infrastructure projects, Pol said.

“To use that as the example was really, really a disservice to the rest of local governments,” Pol said. “The smallest towns will be the ones that will be hurt the most. These really small towns … were already on shoestring budgets that are getting their budgets slashed by 30% to 40% in some cases.”

Porter County will lose approximately $13 million in 2026, approximately $14.6 million in 2027 and approximately $21.50 million in 2028 as a result of SEA 1, Pol said. The Duneland School Corporation is projected to receive $8.25 million less in property tax revenue over the next three years as a result of SEA 1, he said.

Porter resident Judy Chemma asks about rising utility and internet prices during a town hall in Chesterton on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

Through 2026-2028, Burns Harbor will lose approximately $264,600, Chesterton will lose approximately $1.6 million, Dunes Acres will lose approximately $57,800 and Porter will lose approximately $569,300, Pol said.

The Westchester Public Library will lose approximately $146,400 in 2026, approximately $138,700 in 2027 and $250,700 in 2028, Pol said.

Democratic and Republican legislators alike have filed many bills to address some of the cuts SEA 1 made, he said, like homestead property tax freezes for low-income seniors and property tax deductions for disabled veterans.

“SEA 1, what we do know is this: that was a permanent solution for a temporary problem. These were permanent cuts that were made in the law that would impact us going forward, even when the housing market goes back down,” Pol said.

Novak, who previously served on the LaPorte County Council, said he and LaPorte County officials met privately with Gov. Mike Braun after SEA 1 passed. Novak said he told the governor that because of SEA 1, LaPorte County will lose out on $6 million through 2028.

Porter resident Eugene Chemma asks voices concerns about data centers in the region during a Democratic town hall in Chesterton on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

Braun asked him where he got those figures, Novak said. The calculation came from the statehouse, Novak said.

“He goes, ‘First time I’ve heard that,’” Novak said.

While state legislators told local officials they could utilize local income tax, Novak said the legislature also changed the law to require voter approval for increases in local income tax after 2028.

“The state doesn’t keep a dime of your property taxes. So all they did was cut local government,” Novak said.

2026 session

During the upcoming 2026 session, Pol said the Senate Democrats will focus on child care, housing, health care and utilities.

Chesterton resident Rich Hardin asks about solar energy net metering, a process which allows a homeowner to sell electricity back to the grid when generating solar power, during a Democratic town hall in Chesterton on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

To address childcare, Senate Democrats will file bills to restore funding for On My Way Pre-K and Child Care and Development Fund and to create statewide paid family leave, Pol said.

After the legislature funded the CCDF vouchers, which partially pay for On My Way Pre-K, the Braun administration slashed the funding over the summer, Pol said.

The goal of the childcare bills, Pol said, is to ensure that parents can keep their jobs while their children receive early child education and care.

“People can’t afford to go to work, a lot of times, because you’re taking essentially a paycheck and you’re handing it to your childcare provider,” Pol said.

As it relates to housing, Senate Democrats will file bills to establish a $3,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit, expand renter tax deductions, allow homeowners to build rental units and turn empty buildings into housing, prevent landlords from conducting hard credit checks and cut red tape that blocks affordable developments, Pol said.

For healthcare, Senate Democrats will file bills to cap insulin at $35 per month, require insurers to pass cost savings to patients, reform Medicaid redetermination and access to prevent wrongful coverage loss and address medical debt, Pol said.

Visitors applaud during a town hall in Chesterton on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

For utilities, Senate Democrats will file bills to repeal the 7% sales tax on utility bills, cap utility payments at 6% of household income, freeze rate hikes for 3 years, create stronger accountability for rate-setting processes, prohibit summer shutoffs for low-income residents and eliminate reconnection fees, Pol said.

“Affordability is now becoming much more part of the lexicon that you’re hearing in American politics because it’s a real thing. It’s not a hoax. You know what your wallets are telling you, you know what the grocery store prices are telling you, you know what the healthcare costs are telling you, you know what your NIPSCO bill is telling you,” Pol said.

When it comes to affordability, Moseley said what also has to be talked about is affordability in government. The 2025 session ended with the state sending the message that Indiana is fiscally conservative and that it can’t afford to fund things like Medicaid or child care, he said.

At the end of the 2025 session, the state had a $2.5 billion surplus, Moseley said. The Indiana Budget Committee announced Thursday that the state will have a projected surplus of about $5 billion in 2027, Moseley said.

“What I’ve struggled with is, they say it’s their money. It’s not their money, it’s our money. Why can’t we have a conversation that they’ll be willing to listen to about government affordability versus personal affordability? We’re going to start to shout loud about that in the coming weeks and months,” Moseley said.

To address affordability for utilities, Moseley said he will file House Bill 1068, which would call for the members of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to be placed on ballots so that voters could decide which members should remain on the commission.

A visitor holds a paper detailing Indiana Senate Democrats plans for 2026 during a town hall in Chesterton on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

Moseley said he will also file a bill to change the way Indiana determines workers’ compensation.

“If you lose an arm in the state of Indiana, it’s worth about half as much as an arm in Illinois. I don’t think that’s a good thing. I think we need to keep working to see if we can fix that problem,” Moseley said.

House members are allowed to file five bills in the 2026 session, Novak said, so his five bills will focus on public safety, he said. Novak, who worked for the Michigan City Fire Department, said he will file a bill to increase from $100 to $250 the clothing and vehicle allowance that Indiana volunteer firefighters receive.

The 2026 session reconvenes Jan. 5, 2026.

akukulka@post-trib.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/porter-laporte-county-state-legislators-discuss-property-tax-bill-impacts-2026-session/ 

Good afternoon, Chicago.

Nearly 30 volunteers packed their cars to the brim with boxes and bags to deliver essential items like food and clothing to more than 100 immigrant families in Chicago and Aurora on Saturday afternoon. The items were delivered to families as part of a broader initiative coined Operation Midway Bliss, started by William McNiff as a way of countering the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown named Operation Midway Blitz.

“This is how I envision society to be,” McNiff said at the volunteering site at the Right Bee Cider brewery in the city’s Hermosa neighborhood. “When there’s someone (who) needs a hand up, people are there.”

Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.

Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History

Dita De Leeuw, a community organizer and volunteer, greets friends at Yalda, a Persian festival celebrating the winter solstice, at the Feldman Recreation Center in Niles on Dec. 19, 2025. De Leeuw has helped Afghan immigrant and refugee families settle in Chicagoland for the past four years. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Afghans in Chicago are saddened after last month’s National Guard shooting, and now fear deportation

On Friday night, about 250 Afghans and others in the community gathered in Niles at a celebration of the Persian tradition of Yalda, a winter solstice festival that signifies rebirth. There they honored Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, who was killed, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, who was critically wounded in the Washington, D.C., attack. Read more here.

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Woman killed and man injured after shooting and car crash in South Deering
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A Union Pacific freight train crosses over I-290 on Dec. 8, 2025. Union Pacific plans to double the number of trains on a 2-mile stretch of track on Chicago’s West Side. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

Union Pacific’s plan to add trains in the Chicago area raises alarms

To make money on its proposed cross-country railroad, Union Pacific plans to double the number of trains on a 2-mile stretch of track on Chicago’s West Side where workers still throw switches by hand and trains crawl across century-old bridges at less than 15 miles per hour. Read more here.

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Minnesota Frost forward Kendall Coyne Schofield (26) tries to score on Ottawa Charge goaltender Gwyneth Philips (33) in the second period during the PWHL Takeover Tour at Allstate Arena on Dec. 21, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago makes an unofficial audition for a future PWHL team in league’s tour stop: ‘An excellent hockey city’

The Professional Women’s Hockey League made its first stop in the Chicago area on Sunday as a part of the league’s Takeover Tour. It was the second of 11 cities to host the tour this season. Read more here.

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Column: Chicago Cubs’ Matt Shaw enters a new world with his Turning Point USA appearance
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Shea Serrano on a basketball court that he frequented when he was younger in San Antonio, Texas, on May 3, 2023. (Carter Johnston/The New York Times)

Shea Serrano tackles Michael Jordan’s numerology and Dennis Rodman’s brilliance in ‘Expensive Basketball’

When he began working on his fifth book, “Expensive Basketball” — available now in hardcover through Grand Central Publishing — Shea Serrano knew he couldn’t avoid writing about Michael Jordan. Read more here.

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President Donald Trump holds a cellphone with a call to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as he departs on Air Force One at Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport in North Carolina on Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon/AP)

President Donald Trump removes nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial positions

The chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were informed last week that their tenures would end in January, according to two State Department officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel moves. Read more here.

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https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/afternoon-briefing-chicago-makes-an-unofficial-audition-for-a-future-pwhl-team/ 

Por MIKE SCHNEIDER

ORLANDO, Florida, EE.UU. (AP) — Abogados de los detenidos en un centro de detención de inmigrantes en Florida conocido como “Alcatraz con Caimanes” pidieron a una jueza realizar una visita sorpresa a la instalación para ver de primera mano si los reclusos están teniendo acceso a abogados.

Los abogados pidieron el viernes a la jueza Sheri Polster Chappell que realice la visita dentro de los próximos dos meses para evaluar si a los detenidos se les permite reunirse con sus abogados de manera confidencial y regular. La instalación fue construida este verano en una pista de aterrizaje remota en los Everglades de Florida por la administración del gobernador republicano Ron DeSantis.

La demanda federal de los detenidos afirma que sus abogados deben hacer una cita con tres días de anticipación, a diferencia de otros centros de detención de inmigrantes donde los abogados pueden simplemente presentarse durante las horas de visita; que los detenidos a menudo son trasladados a otras instalaciones después de que sus abogados han hecho una cita para verlos; y que los retrasos han sido tan prolongados que los detenidos no pueden reunirse con sus abogados antes de fechas importantes.

“Los tribunales federales rutinariamente realizan visitas a sitios como una herramienta válida de investigación de hechos, especialmente en casos que involucran condiciones de confinamiento”, escribieron los abogados de los detenidos en su solicitud.

Pero los abogados del estado de Florida se opusieron “enérgicamente” a la visita, diciendo que un juez federal no tiene autoridad para inspeccionar una instalación estatal y que una visita supondría riesgos significativos para la seguridad.

“También impondría una gran carga al personal de la instalación e interrumpiría significativamente las operaciones de la instalación”, dijeron los abogados del estado de Florida.

Hasta el lunes, la jueza no había tomado una decisión sobre la solicitud.

La jueza, que tiene su sede en Fort Myers, Florida, ordenó a los abogados de los detenidos y a los abogados del estado y del gobierno federal reunirse la semana pasada en un esfuerzo por resolver el caso. Pero no pudieron llegar a una resolución a pesar de nueve horas de conversaciones.

El caso sobre el acceso al sistema legal es una de las tres demandas federales contra el centro de detención. Otra demanda presentada por los detenidos en un tribunal federal en Fort Myers argumenta que la inmigración es un asunto federal, y que las agencias de Florida y los contratistas privados contratados por el estado no tienen autoridad para operar la instalación bajo la ley federal. La semana pasada, un juez denegó una solicitud de los detenidos para una orden judicial preliminar para cerrar la instalación.

En la tercera demanda, un juez federal en Miami ordenó el verano pasado que la instalación redujera sus operaciones durante dos meses porque los funcionarios no habían realizado una revisión del impacto ambiental. Pero un panel de la corte de apelaciones suspendió esa decisión por el momento, permitiendo que la instalación permanezca abierta.

Los detenidos se han quejado de inodoros malogrados, pisos inundados con desechos fecales, y la proliferación de mosquitos y otros insectos. El presidente Donald Trump recorrió el centro de detención el verano pasado, sugiriendo que podría ser un modelo para futuros centros de detención en todo el país mientras su administración se apresura a expandir la infraestructura necesaria para aumentar las deportaciones.

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Siga a Mike Schneider en Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social

___________________________________

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

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/abogados-instan-a-jueza-a-visitar-centro-de-detencin-de-inmigrantes-en-florida/ 

The Christmas season in Aurora was celebrated in a different way on Sunday as three local churches came together for a Steeple Walk to benefit the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry.

All of the proceeds from ticket sales for the event –  tickets were $10 for individuals and $20 for families – went to the pantry, organizers said.

Beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday, those participating met at Wesley United Methodist Church at 14 N. May St. for some seasonal music and a short tour before moving on to Our Savior Lutheran at 420 W. Downer Place for music and another tour. The walk then concluded at New England Congregational, 406 W. Galena Blvd., where refreshments including cocoa and more fellowship were offered.

The Rev. Tammy Scott, lead pastor of Wesley United Methodist, said the Steeple Walk seemed like a nice event to hold during the holiday season.

“We heard about similar events in other towns and know that we’ve got three pretty amazing sanctuaries, and so we wanted to invite people into our spaces and hear some Christmas music and explore the architecture of the individual buildings,” Scott said. “We’re just trying to get people in the mood and into the Christmas spirit.”

Scott said the walk itself was rather easy, given that “the three buildings are probably within about a half mile of each other.”

David Morlock of Aurora took part in the Steeple Walk on Sunday.

“I wanted to do this,” Morlock said during the event. “It’s a beautiful day, there are the churches and, of course, fellowship and marvelous music.”

Morlock said he is “a traditionalist, so I do like the architecture of the older churches in Aurora and the Fox Valley area.”

Bob Bridgman of Aurora, a member of New England Congregational, said he had a hand in coming up with the Steeple Walk event.

“I was part of the group that initiated the idea and it’s because we heard that Geneva had done a rather popular one with four churches there,” Bridgman said. “The idea came from someone in our group who had attended their Steeple Walk. For a lot of us, we’ve been here for years and people talk about these buildings but until you go in them you’ve never really seen them.”

The Steeple Walk on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, gave participants a chance to visit three churches in Aurora, including Wesley United Methodist Church at 14 N. May St. (David Sharos/For The Beacon-News)

The Rev. Eric Miller of Our Savior Lutheran on Sunday said he “was excited because it’s the first time I’ve participated in something like this.”

“I’m looking forward to going to one church and then another,” Miller said before the event began. “My music director will be playing at mine and I’m very excited. I know people will be seeing other people and their churches and eventually coming back in the weeks ahead to their own, but for me, it’s all about simple community togetherness and Christian families coming together and sharing the birth of Christ and celebrating that.”

Jane Fisher of Aurora said she thought “it would be fun to see Christmas in other churches” during the Steeple Walk.

“I love music and meeting people and that’s why I’m here,” she said.

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/steeple-walk-in-aurora-gets-participants-into-the-christmas-spirit/ 

Por RONALD BLUM

NUEVA YORK (AP) — La experiencia de Jorge Polanco en la primera base se reduce a un lanzamiento, cuando Wilmer Flores de San Francisco conectó un sinker con el extremo de su bate hacia el jardín derecho en la novena entrada de un juego empatado el 6 de abril pasado.

“Es como siempre dicen, cada vez que entras al juego, la pelota siempre te encuentra”, recordó Polanco a través de un traductor el lunes. “Cuando la pelota fue golpeada, pensé que venía directamente hacia mí”.

El hit de Flores estaba demasiado hacia la segunda base para que Polanco tuviera una oportunidad y le dio a San Francisco una victoria por walk-off sobre Seattle.

La primera base parece ser la posición principal de Polanco el próximo año como reemplazo de Pete Alonso, tras la decisión de Polanco de firmar un contrato de dos años y 40 millones de dólares con los Mets.

“Estaba ofreciendo mis servicios a los equipos como primera base, segunda base, tercera base, así que cuando los Mets preguntaron si podía hacer eso, jugar un poco de primera, jugar un poco de tercera, definitivamente estaba dispuesto a hacerlo”, dijo Polanco en una conferencia de prensa por Zoom.

Alonso, un favorito de los fanáticos y cinco veces All-Star, dejó a los Mets como agente libre por un contrato de cinco años y 155 millones de dólares con Baltimore.

Cuando se le preguntó si espera que la primera base sea su posición principal, Polanco respondió: “Eso creo… Me dijeron que jugaría una buena cantidad de primera base, pero que también podría estar rotando”.

Un bateador ambidiestro de 32 años que ha bateado .260 contra derechos y .270 contra zurdos, Polanco fue All-Star en 2019 y estableció sus mejores marcas personales tres años después cuando logró 33 jonrones y 98 carreras impulsadas.

Fue principalmente un campocorto hasta 2020 y luego un segunda base de 2020 a 2024. El año pasado, comenzó principalmente como bateador designado para los Marineros, quienes estuvieron a una victoria de su primer viaje a la Serie Mundial.

El entrenador de banca de los Marineros, Manny Acta, y el entrenador de infield, Perry Hill, se acercaron a Polanco este año para prepararlo para jugar en la primera base.

“Fue muy fácil porque ya había hablado con mi agente sobre comenzar a trabajar en la primera base y tratar de convertirme en un jugador de béisbol más versátil”, dijo Polanco. “Así que cuando nos acercamos a ellos, esencialmente se estaban acercando a nosotros al mismo tiempo. Así que fue realmente fácil y una transición muy fluida”.

Polanco bateó .265 con 26 jonrones, 78 carreras impulsadas, 30 dobles y un OPS de .821 en 138 juegos para Seattle la temporada pasada, su segunda con los Marineros después de una década con Minnesota.

Aunque no llegó a comenzar en la primera base, encontró invaluable el trabajo con los entrenadores.

“La mayor diferencia es la posición en la que te colocas para recibir los pickoffs”, dijo. “Esa fue la transición más difícil para mí porque es muy diferente de cuando estás jugando en el medio del infield. Pero creo que con mi experiencia jugando segunda, short, tercera, me permite ser un atleta y creo que mi atletismo me ayudará mientras juegue en la primera base.”

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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/jorge-polanco-con-poca-experiencia-en-primera-base-dispuesto-a-llegar-a-los-mets/ 

Construction on the new $360 million Hollywood Casino-Aurora resort has shifted indoors as officials say the outside is nearly complete.

The new location of the city’s Hollywood Casino — which is located along Farnsworth Avenue and Bilter Road, across the street from Chicago Premium Outlets mall and near the Interstate 88 interchange — is set to replace the casino currently in downtown Aurora. Construction officially broke ground in November 2023.

In a recent interview with The Beacon-News, Hollywood Casino-Aurora Vice President and General Manager Greg Moore said the new casino and resort is still on track to open in the first half of 2026. The exterior of the building is mostly done, except for some digital billboards that still need to be hung, and much of the landscaping is in, he said.

In December 2024, Moore said that the casino resort’s hotel had been built to its full seven-story height, the entertainment center was fully enclosed and the pre-cast 1,000-car parking garage was nearly complete. Then, in February, city officials said the parking garage had been fully built and around three-fourths of the windows had been installed on the hotel.

By March, the hotel’s glass exterior had been completed, and crews were going to be working on interior construction going forward, Moore said at the time.

Despite unusually heavy and record-breaking snowfall in the Chicago area this season, there haven’t been any major delays due to the weather, according to Moore. He said recently that construction crews worked hard to make sure the building was weather tight before the challenging weather began.

Construction on the inside of the building is “coming along very nicely,” Moore said. Crews have installed bathrooms on the lower floors of the hotel and are working their way up, a lot of work on the back-of-house kitchens is done, and work to install the raised gaming floor is set to begin soon, he said.

Plus, there’s a lot of wiring that has to get done to accommodate a casino floor, according to Moore.

The new casino and resort is expected to have 1,200 gaming positions, about 220 hotel rooms, a retail sportsbook, an outdoor entertainment area, a full-service spa, a roughly 12,000-square-foot event center with meeting areas and a number of bars and restaurants.

Earlier this year, it was announced that celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis will open an Italian steakhouse called Sorella at the new Aurora site. The restaurant is expected to have outdoor seating and an open kitchen with a menu including fresh pasta, steaks, Roman-style pizza and other Italian dishes.

Also coming to the Aurora site is the Boulevard Food & Drink Hall, which is set to include Lucky Goat, a new burger restaurant by celebrity chef Stephanie Izard, the first suburban locations for Antique Taco and Pretty Cool Ice Cream, and the debut of Five50 Pizza in the Chicago market.

The food hall is being developed in partnership with McClain Camarota Hospitality, the restaurant group of James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Shawn McClain.

Joliet’s new Hollywood Casino location is also getting the food hall and a restaurant by De Laurentiis.

The new Hollywood Casino location in Aurora is expected to open with 800 employees, Moore said, up from the mid-300s that the current casino location had at the start of the year. Already, the company has made “quite a few” hires for the new location, putting the Aurora casino’s current employee count over 400, he said.

The company has held a number of job fairs to prepare for the opening of the new location, and Moore said more are planned for next year.

One is planned for Jan. 17, with more details available on the company’s website: www.hollywoodcasinoaurora.com/new-casino-information/careers/job-fair. Another is planned for Feb. 21, and a recruitment center is coming soon to the Chicago Premium Outlets mall, according to Moore.

rsmith@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/22/construction-on-new-hollywood-casino-resort-in-aurora-making-progress/