Category: News
Chicago Bears fans celebrate winning season as team considers move to Indiana: ‘They need to stay in Illinois’
Crossing the line.
That’s what the Chicago Bears are considering amid growing concerns that Illinois lawmakers will not approve the financial incentives needed to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights and look at northwest Indiana as a possible new home.
“They need to stay in Illinois,” said Tony Huette, of Moline, as he tailgated with Charlie McGuire in the Waldron parking lot next to Soldier Field on Saturday before the Chicago Bears’ 22-16 overtime win against the Green Bay Packers.
Chicago Bears say they’re looking into building a new stadium in northwest Indiana
“I know other teams are in different states — Washington plays in Maryland and New York is in New Jersey,” McGuire, also of Moline, said. “I just don’t like it. Would I still go to the game? Yeah. Would we like it? No.”
The talk of relocation comes as Bears fans celebrate the team’s exhilarating 11-4 record this season — capped by Saturday night’s stunning overtime comeback from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit. The win has put the team in contention to win the NFC North and clinch a playoff spot.
“Suggesting the Bears would move to Indiana is a startling slap in the face to all the beloved and loyal fans who have been rallying around the team during this strong season,” Pritzker spokesman Matt Hill said in a statement to the Tribune earlier this week.
But where the Bears go, the fans will follow, many said before the game.
“I’ll follow them anywhere — same thing like my (White) Sox, talking about moving them,” said Xavier Romero, a Griffith, Ind., resident. “No matter where I go, I follow them. But I don’t know how you get the Bears out of Chicago, I don’t think they’ll let it happen.”
While he thinks a new home for the Bears is “all talk,” he wouldn’t mind the move. Where it takes him 25-30 minutes to drive to Soldier Field, he said he’d be 10-15 minutes if a Bears stadium were to go to Gary.
Niyi Kuye, of Plainfield, is a 12-year Bears season ticket holder. He said he would prefer the team to stay in Chicago. But he understands that it’s not just a team. It’s also a business.
“Nobody wants to lease if you own something — you’re giving away too much of your revenue,” he said. “As a fan, I don’t want them to leave, but as a business? I get it. It’s like McDonald’s. McDonald’s can go anywhere it wants to go and people are going to buy. But a lot of fans aren’t looking at it as a business.”
Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren wanted to break ground on a new stadium in 2025, and finish the three-year construction in time for the 2028 season. The plan is contingent on the General Assembly letting the team negotiate its long-term property taxes with local schools and other taxing bodies.
Pritzker has expressed openness to the state paying for infrastructure costs, but said it’s up to the Bears, valued at nearly $9 billion, to pay for their stadium. Despite the team having the oldest and smallest stadium in the NFL, Warren said, state leaders have told the Bears that their project will not be a legislative priority in 2026.
The legislation would cost the state nothing, and could apply to any “megaproject,” like a stadium, large factory or corporate headquarters. But Chicago lawmakers have resisted the measure, with Pritzker and others suggesting the team should help pay off the more than $500 million debt from the renovation of Soldier Field in 2003.
Erica Soria and José Mata of Portage Park go to a handful of Bears games a year. She doesn’t mind if the Bears move to Indiana because it might be cheaper for the fans. Regardless, Soria will follow.
“Sometimes it feels like a road trip just to get from my neighborhood to downtown for a game, Indiana will be a road trip.”
But Katryna Horn of Romeoville thinks of the Colts, not the Bears, when thinking about Indiana.
“I think it needs to stay in Chicagoland. Although Gary is an extension of Chicago … they have a whole other area code!” she said. “I think it would be great for Gary or Valpo, but the Bears in Indiana is not right. Not to mention every time you go that route, the infrastructure would have to be good because any inch of snow that happens over there, the roads are terrible.”
To be sure, this isn’t the first time the Bears have threatened such a move. In 1995, the team explored moving to a proposed entertainment complex by Gary’s airport. But some fans expressed anger at the idea, and that plan went nowhere.
Nate Hughes, of Plainfield, said Indiana will do what it can to lure the Bears over.
“I do know that Indiana should be willing to give up any and everything they got to get them,” he said. “Financially it might make sense. No one wants to pay for a new stadium, but Indiana will. It’s not that far. “
It may not be far. But it’s still a state away, said some fans.
“The Indiana location they’re talking about is 31 minutes away and Arlington is 35 minutes away,” said Sidney Thompson of Bolingbrook. “But it’s not Chicago.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/21/chicago-bears-fans-stadium-indiana/
Bitcoin’s Quantum Debate Is Resurfacing & Markets Are Starting To Notice
Bitcoin’s Quantum Debate Is Resurfacing & Markets Are Starting To Notice
Authored by Shaurya Malwa via CoinDesk.com,
What to know:
The majority of Bitcoin developers argue that quantum computing does not pose an immediate threat to the network, with machines capable of breaking its cryptography unlikely to exist for decades.
Critics express concern over the lack of preparation for quantum threats, as governments and companies begin adopting quantum-resistant systems.
The Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP)-360 aims to introduce quantum-resistant address formats, allowing users to gradually transition to more secure cryptographic standards.
Quantum computing and the threat it poses to encrypted blockchains has once again crept into online bitcoin conversations, raising concerns that it poses a long-term risk that investors and developers are still struggling to talk about in the same language.
The latest flare-up in the debate followed comments from prominent Bitcoin developers pushing back against claims that quantum computers pose any real risk to the network in the foreseeable future. Their view is straightforward: that machines capable of breaking Bitcoin’s cryptography do not exist today and are unlikely to for decades.
Adam Back, co-founder of Bitcoin infrastructure firm Blockstream, described the risk as effectively nonexistent in the near term, calling quantum computing “ridiculously early” and riddled with unresolved research problems. Even in a worst-case scenario, Back argued, Bitcoin’s design would not allow coins to be instantly stolen across the network.
i think the risks are short term NIL. this whole thing is decades away, it’s ridiculously early and they have massive R&D issues in every vector of the required applied physics research to even find out if it’s possible at useful scale. but it’s ok to be “quantum ready” and
— Adam Back (@adam3us) December 18, 2025
Back’s assessment is broadly shared among protocol developers. Critics, however, say the problem isn’t the timeline, but it’s the lack of visible preparation.
Bitcoin relies on elliptic curve cryptography to secure wallets and authorize transactions. As CoinDesk previously explained, sufficiently advanced quantum computers running Shor’s algorithm — a quantum algorithm used to find the prime factors of big numbers — could derive private keys from exposed public keys, putting a portion of existing coins at risk.
The network wouldn’t collapse overnight, but funds sitting in older address formats — including Satoshi Nakamoto’s 1.1 million bitcoins, which have been untouched since 2010 — could become vulnerable to threat actors
For now, that threat remains theoretical. Yet governments and large enterprises are already acting as if quantum disruption is inevitable. The U.S. has outlined plans to phase out classical cryptography by the mid-2030s, while companies such as Cloudflare and Apple have begun rolling out quantum-resistant systems.
Bitcoin, by contrast, has not yet agreed on a concrete transition plan. And that gap is where market unease is creeping in.
Nic Carter, a partner at Castle Island Ventures, said on X that the disconnect between developers and investors is becoming hard to ignore. Capital, he argues, is less concerned with whether quantum attacks arrive in five years or 15, and more focused on whether Bitcoin has a credible path forward if cryptography standards change.
The discrepancy between capital and developers on this issue is massive. Capital is concerned and looking for a solution. Devs are mainly in complete denial. Inability to even acknowledge quantum risk is already weighing on the price.
— nic carter (@nic_carter) December 18, 2025
Plans to fight back
Developers counter that Bitcoin can adapt well before any real danger appears. Proposals exist to migrate users toward quantum-resistant address formats and, in extreme cases, restrict spending from legacy wallets. All of this would be preventive rather than reactive.
One such plan is the Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP)-360, which introduces a new type of Bitcoin address designed to use quantum-resistant cryptography.
It provides users with a means to transfer their coins into wallets that rely on different mathematical algorithms, which are believed to be far more resistant to cracking by quantum computers.
BIP360 outlines three new signature methods, each offering varying levels of protection, so the network can gradually shift rather than force a sudden upgrade. Nothing would change automatically. Users would opt in over time by moving funds to the new address format.
A plan to Quantum proof Bitcoin. This is who YOU need to harass!
First up Bitcoin core devs. It’s time to get vocal on this and target the coders.
We must finalize, test and deploy BIP-360 in 2026. pic.twitter.com/pQrpaxHCMT
— Charles Edwards (@caprioleio) December 18, 2025
Supporters of BIP360 argue the proposal is less about predicting when quantum computers arrive and more about preparation. Moving Bitcoin to a new cryptographic standard could take years, involving software updates, infrastructure changes, and user coordination.
Starting early, they say, reduces the risk of being forced into rushed decisions later.
However, Bitcoin’s conservative governance becomes a challenge when addressing long-horizon threats that require early consensus.
Quantum computing is not currently an existential threat to Bitcoin, and no credible timeline suggests otherwise.
However, as capital becomes more institutional and long-term, even distant risks require clearer answers.
Until developers and investors converge on a shared framework, the quantum question will continue to linger — not as a panic, but as a quiet friction weighing on sentiment.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ZeroHedge.
Tyler Durden
Sun, 12/21/2025 – 11:40
https://www.zerohedge.com/crypto/bitcoins-quantum-debate-resurfacing-markets-are-starting-notice
Woman killed and man injured after shooting and car crash in South Deering
A 22-year-old woman was killed and a man was seriously wounded after a shooting led to a car crash Saturday morning in the South Deering neighborhood.
The woman was driving a dark blue Honda SUV along the 2200 block of East 103rd Street around 8:20 a.m. when someone from inside another vehicle pulled up and shot at the car, according to the Chicago Police Department.
The woman crashed into a tree and was transported to Advocate Trinity Hospital where she was pronounced dead after sustaining crash related injuries, police said.
A 28-year-old man riding as a passenger in the SUV was also injured from the crash and taken to University of Chicago hospital in serious condition.
The offenders fled the scene, and no other injuries were reported.
No one is in custody and detectives are investigating.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/21/woman-killed-man-injured-chicago-shooting/
Christensen del Barcelona estará fuera por largo tiempo tras sufrir lesión en un entrenamiento
BARCELONA (AP) — El defensor del Barcelona, Andreas Christensen, enfrenta un largo período fuera de las canchas tras romperse el sábado el ligamento anterior cruzado de la rodilla izquierda durante un entrenamiento.
Barcelona informó el domingo en un comunicado en la red social X que la lesión ocurrió cuando el defensor central danés se torció la rodilla.
El Barcelona lidera la clasificación de La Liga y más tarde enfrenta al Villarreal.
Christensen, de 29 años, tiene 97 apariciones para el Barça desde que se unió en 2022. Ha jugado 79 veces para Dinamarca.
Es muy probable que la lesión lo deje fuera de la semifinal del playoff de la Copa del Mundo de Dinamarca contra Macedonia del Norte el 26 de marzo.
Las finales del playoff europeo son cinco días después contra República Checa o Irlanda, y el ganador entrará en el Grupo A de la Copa del Mundo junto al coanfitrión México.
___
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Shorts Weather For Santa!
Shorts Weather For Santa!
The coldest stretch of winter weather across the eastern half of the U.S. is now largely behind us, following an unseasonably cold first half of December that brought accumulating snow to much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
As Christmas approaches in just a matter of days, the odds of a Lower 48 White Christmas are fading fast. A milder weather pattern is taking hold, allowing temperatures to moderate after weeks of dangerously cold air that kept much of the eastern half in Arctic-like conditions.
“It could be the warmest Christmas on record for parts of 18 states,” meteorologist Ben Noll wrote in a post on X. “Temperatures are forecast to reach the 60s, 70s, and/or 80s across the Southwest, Rockies, Plains, Midwest, and South. Shorts weather for Santa!”
It could be the warmest Christmas on record for parts of 18 states.
Temperatures are forecast to reach the 60s, 70s and/or 80s across the Southwest, Rockies, Plains, Midwest and South.
Shorts weather for Santa! pic.twitter.com/wKbzXjwiqB
— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) December 19, 2025
Noll noted, “Christmas dinner… with a side of humidity?! Not only is it forecast to be the warmest Christmas on record in parts of 18 states, but humidity will be noticeable too — from the Southwest to the Midwest and South. Some people may turn their air conditioner on.”
Christmas dinner… with a side of humidity?! 😳
Not only is it forecast to be the warmest Christmas on record in parts of 18 states, but humidity will be noticeable too — from the Southwest to the Midwest and South.
Some people may turn their air conditioner on. pic.twitter.com/ihTG8cI4qW
— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) December 20, 2025
Our weather reporting this month has focused on the polar vortex coldspell, along with the emerging warm-up:
After Polar Vortex US Freeze, Global Warming Returns Before Christmas
Where Did Global Warming Go? US East Sees Snowiest Start In Nearly Two Decades
Related:
Major Climate Crisis Study Retracted Over “Inaccuracies” As Doom Narrative Collapses
Should we thank Al Gore for “Making Global Warming Great Again” ahead of Christmas?
It’s time to get outside and rebuild those firewood stockpiles ahead of the next polar vortex cold blast.
Tyler Durden
Sun, 12/21/2025 – 11:05
Senate bill would reverse law, restore IU alumni votes on trustees
A proposed state Senate bill would restore the right of Indiana University alumni to select three members of the university’s Board of Trustees, reversing a late addition to the 2026-27 budget bill passed earlier this year that granted the governor authority to name all nine trustees at the state’s largest university.
The move angered many IU graduates who lost their vote and it came just before the session adjourned, leaving no time for public comment.
The authors of Senate Bill 110 are Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, and Sen. Susan Glick, R-LaGrange. Both are IU graduates.
Their bill reverts to its previous appointment authority, granting the governor six appointments. One must be a student, named with input from IU students.
The three new members, appointed by Gov. Mike Braun in June, would be replaced by alumni appointments. Braun named attorneys James Bopp Jr., and Brian Eagle, and former ESPN sportscaster Sage Steele to the board. They took office immediately even though the terms of the alumni board members hadn’t expired.
The bill from Walker and Glick represents another push back on Braun’s agenda. The two also opposed a redistricting bill rejected by the Senate last week.
Their trustees’ bill was referred to the Education and Career Development committee. No hearing date has been set.
The General Assembly opened its session earlier this month to vote on President Trump’s request to redistrict congressional seats to boost the GOP advantage in the U.S. House. The bid failed after the Senate rejected it, 31-19.
The legislature will reconvene its short session on Jan. 5.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
La Confederación Asiática de Fútbol lanzará la Liga de Naciones de la AFC
KUALA LUMPUR, Malasia (AP) — La Confederación Asiática de Fútbol anunció el domingo que lanzará una Liga de Naciones para impulsar la competencia entre sus países miembros.
El movimiento sigue a la introducción de una Liga de Naciones por parte de la UEFA en 2018, en la cual los equipos nacionales europeos se dividen en niveles y juegan durante ventanas internacionales designadas.
El anuncio se produce un día después de que la Confederación Africana de Fútbol anunciara la implementación de un torneo similar en 2029.
“La utilización efectiva de las ventanas de partidos internacionales de la FIFA se ha vuelto cada vez más desafiante debido a la disponibilidad limitada de oponentes, el aumento de los costos operativos y las complejidades logísticas, lo que a menudo disminuye el valor deportivo de los encuentros internacionales”, afirmó la AFC en un comunicado.
“Tras un proceso exhaustivo de revisión interna y consulta, la confederación ha decidido, en principio, introducir una Liga de Naciones de la AFC”.
La Liga de Naciones de la UEFA se introdujo para permitir que los equipos jueguen más partidos contra rivales de similar clasificación.
Los resultados también impactan en la clasificación para el Campeonato Europeo y la Copa del Mundo, dándoles más posibilidades de clasificación para los torneos importantes a los equipos de menor clasificación.
Los detalles sobre el formato, el cronograma y la implementación se anunciarán más adelante después de las consultas con las partes interesadas, dijo la AFC.
___
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Crece la emoción mientras Marruecos se prepara para inaugurar la Copa Africana de Naciones
Por CIARÁN FAHEY
RABAT, Marruecos (AP) — Aficionados emocionados vestidos de rojo y verde se dirigían al estadio horas antes del inicio del partido mientras Marruecos se prepara para el partido inaugural el domingo de la 35ta Copa Africana de Naciones.
La fiesta comenzó la noche anterior con un desfile de aficionados por la capital, Rabat.
Los Leones del Atlas, como se conoce al equipo local, están entre los favoritos para levantar lo que sería apenas su segundo título de la Copa Africana, 50 años después de su único éxito en 1976. La final será el 19 de enero del próximo año.
Comienzan su campaña contra la nación insular Comoras, un equipo clasificado en el puesto 108 del mundo y que hace apenas su segunda aparición en la competición.
Ningún anfitrión ha perdido el partido inaugural del torneo desde Burkina Faso en 1998.
Marruecos es el equipo africano mejor clasificado del mundo, en el puesto número 11. Los Leones del Atlas se convirtieron en el primer equipo africano en llegar a las semifinales de la Copa del Mundo en 2022, y el país ha emprendido una de las expansiones de infraestructura más agresivas en la historia deportiva africana para establecerse como una potencia futbolística. El Reino también será coanfitrión de la Copa del Mundo 2030 junto con España y Portugal.
El partido inaugural se jugará en el renovado Estadio Príncipe Moulay Abdellah de Rabat, con capacidad para cerca de 70.000 personas, uno de los nueve recintos en cinco ciudades que fueron construidos o renovados especialmente para el torneo.
La mascota del torneo es un león llamado Assad, inspirado en los leones de Berbería que una vez merodearon por las montañas del norte de África. La última fotografía conocida de un león salvaje en Marruecos fue tomada por el fotógrafo del ejército francés Marcelin Flandrin desde un vuelo sobre las montañas del Atlas en 1925.
Egipto busca su octavo título récord –y el primero de Mohamed Salah– contra Zimbabue en Agadir el lunes. El campeón defensor Costa de Marfil comienza la defensa de su título el miércoles contra Mozambique en Marrakech. Senegal y el cinco veces campeón Camerún también están entre los favoritos, mientras que Argelia es el único otro país aparte de Marruecos que ha agotado todas sus entradas.
El futuro del torneo bienal se alteró el sábado con el anuncio de que se moverá a un ciclo de cuatro años para alinearse con el calendario de la FIFA.
___
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
The Christmas Gift That Climate Grinches Can’t Abide
The Christmas Gift That Climate Grinches Can’t Abide
Authored by Vijay Jayaraj via American Greatness,
The quietude of looking out the kitchen window on a December morning at a meadow dusted in snow is magical. A deer pauses at the edge of the wood, breath steaming in the cold air, grazing on whatever bits of green poke through the snow. It is a scene replicated on greeting cards and stamped on cookie tins.
Part of the magic behind that tableau—from the roast in the oven to the cranberries on a plate, from the pine and hardwoods standing tall outside to the browsing fauna—is a phenomenon the establishment media ignore: CO₂-driven, NASA-acknowledged greening of Earth.
Satellite data from the last four decades confirm a significant increase in vegetation over as much as half the globe. During this period, atmospheric CO₂ increased from about 350 parts per million (ppm) to more than 400 ppm, mostly from the burning of fossil fuels.
It is a gift arriving right on cue to meet a continuous increase in population and demand for food. This basic sustenance allows for all other human endeavors—developments in artificial intelligence, medicine, and more. It is difficult to write computer code on an empty stomach.
Behind this gift of plenty is a process fundamental to all life, starting with plants: Photosynthesis is a mechanism by which plants use CO₂, water, and sunlight to make sugars for food. When atmospheric CO₂ rises—whether from the emissions of human activity or any other source—plants grow faster. A side benefit is that they use water more efficiently, making them more resilient to arid conditions and extending their geographic range.
The degree to which plants respond to more CO₂ varies, but it is always positive. An increase in CO₂ to 800 parts per million (ppm) or so—more than double the current atmospheric concentration—increases yields by 10% to 100%.
In greenhouse farming, carbon dioxide levels are elevated to 1,000 ppm or so to increase the yields of tomatoes and cucumbers by 20% to 40%. Plants, such as corn, sugarcane, and millets, also benefit from higher atmospheric CO₂, whose positive effect on them is even more evident in the presence of drought.
For many, a cold Christmas morning is warmed by coffee, especially festive offerings like peppermint mocha and gingerbread latte. Well, the good news is that even coffee plants are boosted by the rise of CO₂. Studies in Latin America found that elevated carbon dioxide boosted coffee plant photosynthesis and increased yields by 12% to 14%.
People forget that the Little Ice Age—lasting from about 1300 to 1850—brought crop failures and famine to large sections of Europe and Asia. Rivers froze, and growing seasons shrank. Many communities struggled during periods of cold-induced scarcity.
The 20th century delivered the opposite: the longer growing seasons of a modestly warmer climate paired with higher levels of CO₂. This is hardly the making of a catastrophe that some would have us believe. In fact, a 2025 analysis projected changes in global average yields across all crops to be neutral or positive up to 5 degrees Celsius of warming into the future.
Only the Climate Grinches would oppose such a bounty of greening from modern warmth and CO₂ concentrations. These are the characters who have dominated headlines in popular media and policy roundtables in Brussels and Washington. They steal not only the joy of experiencing this natural abundance by spreading false fears but also the prosperity and sovereignty of nations.
Climate Grinches look at a greening planet and see disaster. When NASA announces that Earth has added vegetation equivalent to two American continents, they warn that this cannot last, that benefits are temporary, and that doom still awaits. When farmers report bumper harvests enabled by longer growing seasons and CO₂ fertilization, the Climate Grinches insist that gains are outweighed by unspecified future horrors.
So, this Christmas season, when you gather with your family, look at the spread before you with new eyes. Reject the guilt that climate orthodoxy seeks to place on our shoulders.
Modern lifestyles are not destroying the planet. We are basking in a vibrant ecosystem that supports more greenery, more people, and more human potential than at any other time in history.
Tyler Durden
Sun, 12/21/2025 – 10:30
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/christmas-gift-climate-grinches-cant-abide
Tearful Bowen Yang departs ‘SNL’ after emotional Christmas episode hosted by Ariana Grande
NEW YORK — Bowen Yang bid an emotional farewell to “Saturday Night Live” with music, laughter and help from his “Wicked” buddy Ariana Grande.
Yang starred in the night’s final sketch, playing a retiring airport lounge worker working his final shift on Christmas Eve, serving eggnog to travelers. He sang “Please Come Home for Christmas” and was joined by Grande, the night’s host, and Cher, its musical guest. The women joined Yang in song and hugged him.
The sketch gave Yang a chance to say goodbye to some castmates — he delightfully sprayed Kenan Thompson with eggnog — and its premise gave a chance for Yang to deliver lines about moving on. “I just wanted to enjoy it for a little longer,” an emotional Yang said. By the end of the performance, he was in tears.
The show closed with a brief photo tribute to slain director Rob Reiner and the cast curtain call.
“We love you so much,” Grande told Yang, who was a constant presence throughout Saturday’s show and drew huge applause with each appearance.
Yang joined the show as a writer in 2018, became a featured player the following season and was promoted to the main cast two seasons after that. Yang was a fan favorite with five Emmy nominations over the years.
In an Instagram post Saturday, Yang wrote: “i loved working at SNL, and most of all i loved the people. i was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 rock taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile.”
Yang, coming off a huge year or two of projects, departed “SNL” mid-season.
Grande helped kick off Saturday’s show with a parody of “All I Want for Christmas is You” about buying gifts for people you barely know during her opening monologue. Yang slid onto the stage to huge cheers and helped her complete the song.
The friends appeared together often during the show, including a dance class sketch and a pre-recorded “Home Alone” sketch in which the McCallister family meet violent ends from Kevin’s leftover traps.
Word of Yang’s departure came after a major exodus of cast members last summer ahead Season 51’s start. They included Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim and John Higgins.
The news wasn’t entirely a surprise. Yang had publicly discussed the idea, telling People in September he had mulled it over with the NBC sketch comedy show’s creator Lorne Michaels. He got a vote of confidence from Michaels and decided to stay at that time.
“Lorne was like, ‘You have more to do,’ and that means a lot, because I even confessed to him. I was like, ‘I feel the audience is maybe getting sick of me.’ And he was like, ‘That’s not true. There’s more for you to do. I need you,’” Yang said.
Of Michaels, Yang added: “That man has changed my life, and I owe a lot of my life to that show. And I love working there. The people are the best. I really love each of them so much.”
In addition to “SNL,” Yang co-hosts the pop culture podcast “Las Culturistas” with his friend and fellow comedian Matt Rogers. He was in “Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good” as Pfannee and co-starred in the remade “The Wedding Banquet” this year.
In 2023, he appeared in “Dicks: The Musical” and “Fire Island” the year before that. He also co-starred in “Awkwafina is Nora from Queens” from 2020 to 2023.
Yang and Rogers hosted the spoof Las Culturista Culture Awards on Bravo last summer. Yang posted on Instagram that the two will be back for more pop culture comedy on the awards next year.
Mid-season departures from “SNL” are not unprecedented. Cecily Strong did it in December 2022.
Among the bits that earned Yang breakout status was his turn as the Titanic iceberg on the recurring “Weekend Update” segment, his favorite place on the show, according to an October interview with Esquire. He also played George Santos, a straight man who hooks up with Gina Gershon and Sydney Sweeney, and a gay Oompa Loompa. And he spoofed Vice President JD Vance.
Yang made a final “Weekend Update” appearance alongside former “SNL” cast member Aidy Bryant, playing characters who offered viewers tips on what trends are in and which are out for the holidays and 2026.
Yang, the son of Chinese immigrants, was Esquire’s recent cover star. In an Oct. 28 interview accompanying his cover shoot, he told the magazine: “There’s an idea that all of what I do is queer and Asian, which I don’t think is true. I get sick of people reducing the work I do on the show to those identifiers.”
Work, he said, “is not the most meaningful thing for me anymore. The things I like are spending time with friends, working every now and then, not being caged by it.”
Yang noted some advice he once received from Kristen Wiig when she hosted “SNL.”
“She was like, ‘Have fun. It’s the most fun job in the world, and you’ll miss it when it’s done. You won’t realize how much you miss it until you leave.’”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/21/bowen-yang-departs-snl/
