Category: News
Handpicked board votes to rename performing arts center the Trump-Kennedy Center
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s handpicked board voted Thursday to rename Washington’s leading performing arts center as the Trump-Kennedy Center, the White House said.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the vote on social media, saying it was because of the “unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building. Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation.”
Trump, a Republican who’s chairman of the board, often refers to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which is named for a Democratic predecessor, as the “Trump Kennedy Center.”
Asked on Dec. 7 as he walked the red carpet for the Kennedy Center Honors program whether he would rename the venue after himself, Trump said such a decision would be up to the board.
Earlier this month, Trump talked about a “big event on Friday at the Trump Kennedy Center” before saying, “excuse me, at the Kennedy Center,” as his audience laughed. He was referring to the FIFA World Cup soccer draw for 2026, in which he participated.
A name change won’t sit well with some Kennedy family members.
Maria Shriver, a niece of John F. Kennedy, referred to the legislation introduced in Congress to rebrand the Kennedy Center as the Donald J. Trump Center for the Performing Arts as “insane” in a social media post in July.
“It makes my blood boil. It’s so ridiculous, so petty, so small minded,” she wrote. “Truly, what is this about? It’s always about something. ‘Let’s get rid of the Rose Garden. Let’s rename the Kennedy Center.’ What’s next?”
Trump earlier this year turned the Kennedy-era Rose Garden at the White House into a patio by removing the lawn and laying down paving stones.
Another Kennedy family member, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., serves in Trump’s Cabinet as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/18/washington-performing-arts-center-trump-kennedy-center/
Boeing employees host gift giveaway at Gary elementary school
As about 30 children, in a single file line, walked into the gymnasium at Banneker at Marquette Elementary School, Mark Jackson remembered why he likes to give back to the community.
“The holidays are a great time for us to give back,” said Jackson, Boeing’s director of executive flight operations. “Getting the contributions and the donations from the team is the first step, and then coming here and being able to distribute the gifts, and it’s really great to see the joy in the kids’ faces. … It’s priceless.”
Bernice Billups (right), Executive Director of Strategy Advocacy & Global Engagement at Boeing, hands out stockings during the Spirit of the Holidays Drive to support over 240 students at Banneker at Marquette Elementary School in Gary on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (John Smierciak/for the Post-Tribune)
About 240 students at Banneker at Marquette Elementary in Gary received gifts from Boeing on Wednesday. Boeing employees donated personal funds, which were matched by the Boeing Company gift match program.
Jackson said that the program had double the number of participants this year.
“We look around and see other people in need and want to do our part to make a difference in our community,” he added. “I think it’s just that element of recognizing what’s around you.”
Students received a $25 wrapped gift, a Christmas stocking, and a cupcake on Wednesday. Some gift choices include Barbie dolls, remote control cars, or arts and crafts kits.
Second grader Victoria Rodriguez, 7, (center) shows off one of her gifts during the Spirit of the Holidays Drive to support over 240 students at Banneker at Marquette Elementary School in Gary on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (John Smierciak/for the Post-Tribune)
Each holiday season, Boeing employees give back to at least school in Gary and Chicago, said Bernice Billups, Executive Director of Strategy Advocacy and Global Engagement.
“We support the communities that our employees live and work in,” Billups said. “Boeing has a presence here at the (Gary/Chicago International Airport) with our executive flight operations, so it’s important for us to support the community in Gary as well.”
Boeing has about 100 employees at the Gary airport, and five employees volunteered during Wednesday’s gift giveaway. The company also partnered with Project SYNCERE, a STEM organization, to give away gifts as well.
“It warms your heart to be able to participate in an initiative that brings joy to children who, based on their family situation, might not be receiving other gifts this year,” Billups said. “The holiday season can be one of the most challenging from an emotional standpoint for children and families. We know families are under a lot of stress this time of year as they’re trying to manage bills and provide gifts for their children.
Third grade teacher Anastasia Kleine (right) leaves with her students dressed as a Christmas Tree during the Spirit of the Holidays Drive to support over 240 students at Banneker at Marquette Elementary School in Gary on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (John Smierciak/for the Post-Tribune)
Banneker Principal Chaitra Wade said Boeing last came to the school in 2021, and she was happy to have them back this year. She thinks it’s important to have community partners work with the schools each year and to be present with residents.
“This event just adds to how we’re teaching to show appreciation when someone does something nice for us,” Wade said. “These memories are some that last for a lifetime, and our children are learning what Boeing is and what they do for our community.”
Wade enjoys watching the children get their gifts, she said.
“Being able to see them be happy brings me so much joy,” Wade said. “It’s just things like this that I love to capture and keep as a memory of what our students felt and how it changed the atmosphere of the school one day. That’s something that we want to remember and carry on.”
Naperville Park Board approves $55.2 million budget with tax hike
The Naperville Park Board has approved a $55.2 million budget for 2026 that includes a 3.9% property tax hike.
Park district officials estimate the tax levy hike will translate to about $17 more per year in propery taxes for an average homeowner with a house assessed at $515,000. Under that scenario, the portion of the tax bill paid to the district will climb to $458, representing about 5% of the overall amount paid in property taxes.
More than half of the district’s budget is supported by property tax revenue, which funds daily operations, capital projects, ADA improvements, inclusion services and debt obligations.
Board members approved a $27 million tax levy for the $55.2 million spending plan, which includes $37.5 million for day-to-day operations, $14 million for capital improvements and $3.7 million for debt retirement.
The new budget comes as district officials continue to deal rising costs while trying to maintain affordability, a high bond rating and consistent services and programming for residents, officials said. Costs for insurance, employee benefits and supplies are among the items going up, they said.
For example, compared to 2025, the cost of flowers and plants has risen by 8%. Park supplies such as paint, salt, garbage bags and gloves is up by an average 5%. Janitorial supply costs increases are ranging from 4% to 10% more, health insurance benefits are up 11%, and business and liability insurance has seen an average increase of 12%, officials said.
Program fees make up 29% of the district’s overall income. Some fees are expected to increase next year “due to growing expenses associated with supplies, transportation, contractual program fees and instructor wages,” according to the budget plan.
At Springbrook and Naperbrook golf courses, some private lessons and select greens and range fees will increase, while junior and family golf rates will stay the same, officials said. Specifically, the district is planning a “$1 fee increase for most regular season green fees and riding fees at the two golf courses.”
Outside of golf, fees for park district programs like gymnastics, day camp and preschool are also expected to see increases. Fees at Centennial Beach and the Fort Hill Activity Center will remain unchanged in 2026.
As for capital improvement projects, the district plans to prioritize playground renovations at Apache Park, Burr Oak, Fox Hill Greens, Knoch Park, Queensbury Greens, Springhill Park and Wil-O-Way Park. Continued work on the permeable paver parking lot installation and site improvements at the Ron Ory Community Garden Plots is also planned.
Other budget priorities for next year include engaging Naperville residents through informational initiatives related to the park district referendum, which will appear on the ballot in March. The $120 million bond sale is earmarked for the construction of a new activity center, including indoor swim facilities, at Frontier Sports Complex in south Naperville and acquiring more open land and trails.
cstein@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/18/naperville-park-budget-tax-increas/
South suburban programs seek to make seniors feel ‘needed and wanted,’ especially around holidays
Christmas may be a time of joy and togetherness for many people, but for the elderly, especially those who are homebound or living alone, advocates say holidays can intensify feelings of depression and social isolation.
The village of Matteson’s check-in campaign, a collaboration between the village and Rich Township to make sure seniors have social contact, aims to fight those feelings of isolation and keep elderly residents from slipping through the cracks.
The goal is ensure senior citizens feel they are “needed and wanted and a part of this overall society,” said Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin.
Rich Township Supervisor Calvin Jordan said he had family members who had struggled with mental health around the holidays.
“Thanksgiving and Christmas is a tough time,” Jordan said. “You get people, before, where Thanksgiving meant a lot, but lose a brother, lose a sister or lose a mom, and it’s not the same anymore. But when you get them involved, it makes a huge difference.”
While the main component of the program is a messaging campaign encouraging people to reach out to and check in on their neighbors, Chalmers-Currin and Jordan are also organizing social events for seniors, such as a luncheon this past Tuesday at Ridgeland Senior Living.
Chalmers-Currin recalled one veteran telling her “I have no family. I have no husband, no children, and if I didn’t have you guys to reach out to me, what would I do?”
“To hear that from anyone makes me sad,” Chalmers-Currin said.
Yollanda Thompson, a Matteson resident and recent retiree, said those sorts of outreach efforts are very important to her.
“They keep us activated,” Thompson said. “You don’t have to stay at home. There’s always something for us to do.”
As part of the campaign, officials recorded videos to run on the local access channel encouraging people to check on their older neighbors.
Matteson Village Trustee Carolyn Palmer checks in with an attendee Tuesday at a Christmas senior social at Ridgeland Senior Living. (Evy Lewis/Daily Southtown)
“Everybody doesn’t have money to give, but a simple phone call, a simple text, a simple check-in can go a long way in order to combat those sort of ailments, and then ultimately to reduce suicide,” said Deputy Village Administrator Keith Chambers. “Suicides in the surburban, south suburban area have been up over the last couple years.”
A report on suburban suicide rates released by the Cook County Department of Public Health in October found that while suicide rates in the suburbs as a whole are lower than national averages, racial and ethnic disparities are growing, with the suicide rate among Black residents having more than doubled in the last five years.
“My daily business is the funeral business,” said Matteson Village Trustee Stacy Leak, who works at his family’s business, Leak and Sons Funeral Home. “So unfortunately, I have seen the results of people not checking in.”
Pathlights, a nonprofit based in Palos Heights, runs several programs that support and provide social contact to senior citizens in the south and southwest suburbs, including home meal delivery.
Soul musician Joe Barr sings Tuesday at Ridgeland Senior Living. (Evy Lewis/Daily Southtown)
“A lot of these seniors who qualify for the home-delivered meals program, they are homebound,” said Lily Becker, a Pathlights social worker and program manager. “When someone is homebound, they’re not getting out, they’re not going to the grocery store, they’re not going to church likely.”
Because of that, Becker said, home meal deliveries also function as well-being checks.
“I think it can be easy to forget those that are socially isolated around the holidays, because we are thinking about our own families, our own friends. You might not think about that neighbor down the street,” Becker said. “It’s so lonely if you don’t have family, and there’s a lot of clients we have who don’t have family in Illinois.”
Social isolation can be particularly pressing for people with memory issues, Becker said, who may become confused or distressed in public and so often don’t get the chance to go out. Pathlights implemented memory cafes, safe spaces where people with dementia and their caregivers can come and socialize in an understanding environment.
Attendees queue up for lunch, including chicken and catfish, at Ridgeland Senior Living on Tuesday. (Evy Lewis/Daily Southtown)
Like Chalmers-Currin, Becker said the best thing people can do is check in on their neighbors.
“People should maybe think to check in a little bit more on maybe a stranger, or someone that you notice that doesn’t maybe leave their home often,” Becker said. “You can just knock on their door, and say ‘hey, how are you? I’m so-and-so, I just want to check in.’”
The goal of all Pathlights’ senior programs, Becker said, is to combat the negative effects of isolation, most notably depression and cognitive decline. Social isolation can increase the risk of dementia by up to 60%, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.
Isolation can also increase the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity, and weaken the immune system, while older adults who are socially isolated are more likely to drink to excess, smoke, avoid exercise and have insomnia, according to Pathlights.
“Any of us could be in that position at some point in our lives,” Chalmers-Currin said. “So I’m hoping that what we’re doing for them now, someone will do for me later.”
elewis@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/18/south-suburban-programs-senior-isolation-holidays/
Federal Judge Won’t Block White House Ballroom Construction
Federal Judge Won’t Block White House Ballroom Construction
Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times,
A federal district judge on Dec. 17 allowed the ongoing ballroom construction project at the White House to continue, turning away a preservation organization’s request to halt it, at least for the time being.
The litigation is still underway, and a court hearing is scheduled for January.
Construction on the project, which involves demolishing part of the executive mansion and building a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, began in September. The project is expected to cost about $300 million, all of which is expected to be funded by private donors, including President Donald Trump himself. The Trump administration released a list of the private donors in October.
Trump has said the ballroom project is necessary because the East Room—the largest room for gatherings in the White House—is too small and in poor shape. A government official said in a declaration filed with the court that the facilities at the White House are inadequate for large-scale events, which are instead held on the lawn, under tents.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit against Trump and federal agencies on Dec. 12 over the project. The National Trust is a private, charitable, educational nonprofit corporation that Congress chartered in 1949.
The legal complaint, filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, sought a judicial declaration that the project violates several federal statutes.
The National Trust also asked for an injunction to pause work on the project “until the necessary federal commissions have reviewed and approved the project’s plans; adequate environmental review has been conducted; and Congress has authorized the Ballroom’s construction,” according to the complaint.
In his new order, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon denied the group’s request for a temporary restraining order, but deferred his ruling on the request for a preliminary injunction until after the court conducts a hearing in January.
Leon said he was rejecting the plaintiff’s argument that he should stop the project because the group believes it would be harmed by not being allowed to participate “in the review process for the proposed ballroom.”
The judge noted in his order that the federal government has said it would begin “consultation processes with the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts by the end of the month.”
“The Court will hold the Government to its word,” he added.
Leon also rejected the plaintiff’s claim of “aesthetic harm,” noting that such a claim could not be evaluated because plans for the ballroom have not been finalized.
Aesthetic harm takes place when an unpleasing alteration to property diminishes its value or the extent to which people enjoy it. Courts have recognized aesthetic harm as a legitimate basis for standing in lawsuits. Standing refers to the right of someone to sue in court. The parties must show a strong enough connection to the claim to justify their participation in a lawsuit.
Although below-grade demolition and excavation at the East Wing are underway, the government has said below-grade structural work will not commence “until January 2026 for the colonnade and February 2026 for the ballroom,” the judge said.
The judge said that at the court’s Dec. 16 hearing, the government indicated that “nothing about the ballroom has been finalized, including its size and scale.” Based on those representations, “there is no sufficiently imminent risk of irreparable aesthetic harm warranting a temporary restraining order halting construction,” he added.
The court “takes seriously” the government’s representations that the building plans are not yet final, that it will consult with the National Capital Planning Commission and Commission of Fine Arts by month’s end, and that “no above-grade construction will take place before April 2016,” the judge said.
At the hearing on Dec. 16, Leon previewed how he would rule, saying he was unlikely to block the construction project for now.
He said at that time that any violation of the plaintiff’s procedural right to comment on the plans before the project got underway was probably not enough to show irreparable harm, and did not justify the National Trust’s request for a temporary emergency block.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/18/2025 – 13:40
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/federal-judge-wont-block-white-house-ballroom-construction
Principal central sindical de Argentina en pie de guerra contra reforma laboral de Milei
Associated Press
BUENOS AIRES (AP) — La principal central sindical de Argentina, respaldada por el peronismo opositor y organizaciones sociales de izquierda, se movilizaba el jueves en Buenos Aires contra el proyecto de reforma labora l que el presidente ultraliberal Javier Milei envió al Congreso y que contempla modificaciones al régimen actual de indemnizaciones, horario de la jornada laboral y vacaciones.
La marcha hacia la histórica Plaza de Mayo convocada por la Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT) ocurre en momentos en que la iniciativa oficial se discute en comisiones del Senado y, de conseguir dictamen favorable, será debatida en el recinto el viernes 26 de diciembre.
El mandatario, un economista que viene aplicando desde su llegada al poder a fines de 2023 políticas de ajuste económico y reformas en distintos ámbitos, firmó el proyecto de Ley de Modernización Laboral, al que califica como “la transformación más grande” de la historia argentina en la materia, justo en un país donde los sindicatos han bloqueado en el pasado toda iniciativa que implique un desafío a su status quo.
“Quieren trabajadores baratos, disciplinados y sin voz. Los derechos se defienden con más organización y en la calle”, expresó la CGT en su convocatoria. Multitudinarias columnas de los gremios del transporte, la construcción, metalúrgica, comercio, trabajadores estatales y de otras ramas avanzaban por las calles céntricas de la capital argentina rumbo a la Plaza de Mayo, donde se montó un escenario desde el cual está prevista la lectura de un documento contra el gobierno.
Referentes del peronismo opositor, como el gobernador de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, y organizaciones de izquierda, históricamente enfrentada a la CGT por el control de los sindicatos, también se sumaron a la convocatoria.
Empoderado por su triunfo en las elecciones de medio término de octubre, que le permitió sumar más legisladores en ambas cámaras del Congreso, Milei propone un nuevo régimen laboral que entre sus puntos principales redefine la base de cálculo indemnizatorio, excluyendo vacaciones, aguinaldos (dos sueldos extras al año) y premios y fija límites a las indemnizaciones.
Para costear los despidos, los empleadores podrán establecer un Fondo de Asistencia Laboral que se integra con un aporte equivalente a 3 puntos porcentuales de la masa salarial. A su vez, las empresas reducirán sus contribuciones al sistema jubilatorio estatal por el mismo porcentaje.
La iniciativa habilita pagos a los trabajadores por productividad o mérito, que podrían negociarse por empresa. En cuanto al salario podrá abonarse en dinero, ya sea en moneda nacional o extranjera, o en especie, habitación o alimentos.
También crea un banco de horas de carácter voluntario, que permitirá compensar jornadas extensas con otras más breves.
El proyecto también limita el derecho de huelga para servicios esenciales y actividades calificadas como de “importancia trascendental” como las relacionadas con la educación y la salud.
La reforma laboral es una de las exigencias del Fondo Monetario Internacional (FMI) en el marco del programa de ayuda financiera que ha firmado con Argentina a principios de año. También es apoyada por las principales cámaras empresarias, que desde hace tiempo reclaman bajar los costos laborales.
La tasa de informalidad laboral en Argentina es de 43,2%, según los últimos datos oficiales conocidos.
Para su aprobación, el oficialismo deberá sumar el apoyo de fuerzas aliadas conservadoras en ambas cámaras. En el Senado —de 72 integrantes— el oficialismo amplió de 7 a 20 los miembros de su bancada tras el triunfo de octubre. En la Cámara de Diputados suma 95 legisladores, siendo así la primera minoría en el cuerpo de 257 miembros.
Legisladores demócratas publican más fotos de las propiedades de Epstein
Por STEPHEN GROVES
WASHINGTON (AP) — Representantes demócratas publicaron el jueves decenas de fotografías adicionales de la finca del delincuente sexual convicto Jeffrey Epstein, exponiendo su relación con personas ricas y famosas, mientras el Departamento de Justicia tiene hasta el fin de semana para dar a conocer muchos de sus archivos sobre el caso del difunto financiero.
Las fotos publicadas el jueves son parte de las más de 95.000 que ha recibido la Comisión de Supervisión de la Cámara de Representantes desde que emitió una citación para obtener las fotografías que Epstein tenía en su poder antes de quitarse la vida en su celda en una cárcel de Nueva York en 2019.
El Congreso también ha aprobado, y el presidente Donald Trump ha promulgado, una ley que requiere que el Departamento de Justicia libere a más tardar el viernes sus archivos sobre el caso de Epstein y su antigua novia y confidente Ghislaine Maxwell. Existe una enorme anticipación sobre lo que mostrarán esos archivos después de haber sido objeto de teorías de conspiración y especulación sobre la amistad de Epstein con Trump, el expresidente Bill Clinton, el ex príncipe Andrés y otras figuras.
Los representantes demócratas ya han publicado decenas de fotos de la finca de Epstein en las que aparecen Trump, Clinton y Andrés, quien perdió su título y privilegios reales este año en medio del escrutinio de su relación con el acaudalado financiero.
Las fotografías publicadas el jueves mostraban a Epstein cocinando junto al sultán Ahmed bin Sulayem, un empresario emiratí. Las fotos también incluyen al multimillonario Bill Gates e imágenes de una cena en 2011 con reconocidas figuras y filántropos organizada por un grupo sin fines de lucro. La comisión no acusó a las personas que aparecen en las fotos de haber incurrido en algún ilícito.
También había imágenes de pasaportes, visas y tarjetas de identificación de Rusia, República Checa, Ucrania, Sudáfrica y Lituania en las que se censuró información personal identificativa, así como fotos de Epstein con mujeres o niñas cuyos rostros estaban oscurecidos. Según el panel, ha censurado información de las fotos que pudiera llevar a revelar la identidad de las víctimas.
El representante Robert Garcia, el demócrata de mayor rango en el panel de supervisión, afirmó en un comunicado que las “nuevas imágenes plantean más preguntas sobre lo que exactamente el Departamento de Justicia tiene en su poder. Debemos poner fin a este encubrimiento de la Casa Blanca, y el DOJ debe liberar los archivos de Epstein ahora”.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Grupo paramilitar sudanés mató a más de 1.000 civiles en campamento de refugiados en abril: ONU
Por FAY ABUELGASIM
EL CAIRO (AP) — Más de 1.000 civiles fueron asesinados en un ataque de tres días perpetrado por el grupo paramilitar Fuerzas de Apoyo Rápido (FAR) a principios de este año en el campamento de desplazados más grande del oeste de Sudán, indicó la Oficina de Derechos Humanos de la ONU en un informe publicado el jueves.
Las FAR tomaron por asalto el campamento de Zamzam en abril como parte de su asedio a la ciudad de el-Fasher, la capital provincial de la provincia de Darfur del Norte.
En el ataque, cientos de personas fueron ejecutadas sumariamente, según el informe. Todas ellas fueron asesinadas en redadas casa por casa y en el mercado principal, así como en escuelas e instalaciones de salud. En el informe se detallan patrones de violencia sexual, “incluyendo violación individual y tumultuaria, así como esclavitud sexual”.
En el informe se describe “un patrón constante de graves violaciones del derecho internacional humanitario y abusos flagrantes de las leyes internacionales de derechos humanos”. El documento surge pocas semanas después de que Amnistía Internacional acusara a las FAR de cometer crímenes de guerra en su ataque al campamento.
Zamzam era el campamento de desplazados más grande de Sudán y contaba con más de 500.000 personas antes de los ataques de abril. Las FAR bloquearon la entrada de alimentos y otros bienes esenciales al campamento durante meses antes del ataque, según el informe de la ONU.
El campamento de Zamzam se estableció en 2004 para albergar a personas que habían sido desplazadas de sus hogares por ataques de la milicia sudanesa Janjaweed. Ubicado justo al sur de el-Fasher, se expandió a lo largo de los años para cubrir un área de 8 kilómetros (5 millas) de largo por aproximadamente 3 kilómetros (2 millas) de ancho.
Las FAR han estado en guerra con el ejército sudanés desde abril de 2023. El conflicto ha provocado la muerte de cerca de 40.000 personas, aunque algunos grupos de derechos humanos dicen que el número de muertos es significativamente mayor, y ha generado la peor crisis humanitaria del mundo, con más de 14 millones de personas desplazadas. Muchas áreas han experimentado hambruna, entre ellas, el campamento de Zamzam.
“Los hallazgos contenidos en este informe son otro contundente recordatorio de la necesidad de emprender una acción rápida para poner fin a los ciclos de atrocidades y violencia, y para garantizar la rendición de cuentas y reparaciones para las víctimas”, señaló Volker Türk, Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos.
Türk advirtió que los patrones de violencia en Zamzam se repiten en el-Fasher ahora que las FAR tomaron el control de la ciudad.
“Estos horribles patrones de violaciones, cometidos con impunidad, coinciden con lo que mi oficina ha documentado repetidamente, incluso durante la toma de el-Fasher por parte de las FAR a finales de octubre”, afirmó Türk.
En otros hechos, el principal general de Sudán se reunió el jueves con el presidente egipcio Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi en El Cairo en medio de la creciente presión para resolver la guerra en Sudán.
La reunión de Burhan con el-Sissi se produjo después de que el general sudanés mantuviera conversaciones con funcionarios saudíes en Riad a principios de esta semana. El enviado estadounidense Massad Boulos también estuvo en esa ciudad en esos días y se reunió con autoridades saudíes. No se anunció públicamente que Burhan se reuniera con el funcionario estadounidense.
Boulos escribió en X el miércoles, tras reunirse con funcionarios saudíes, entre los que estaba el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores saudí, el príncipe Faisal bin Farhan, que hubo un acuerdo con Arabia Saudí sobre pasos prácticos “hacia una tregua humanitaria, estabilidad duradera y acceso humanitario y asistencia ampliados para el pueblo sudanés”.
Estados Unidos y Arabia Saudí son mediadores y forman parte de un grupo conocido como el Cuarteto junto con Egipto y Emiratos Árabes Unidos.
Burhan rechazó en noviembre una propuesta de alto el fuego, calificándola de inaceptable y “la peor hasta ahora”, y acusó a los mediadores de ser “parciales” en sus esfuerzos por poner fin a la guerra.
En un comunicado emitido después de la reunión, la presidencia egipcia reafirmó su apoyo a Sudán, pero también rechazó “el establecimiento de cualquier entidad paralela o su reconocimiento, considerando esto una violación de la unidad e integridad territorial de Sudán”, agregando que hay “líneas rojas” que no se pueden cruzar. En julio, las FAR anunciaron un gobierno paralelo llamado la Alianza Tasis.
En el comunicado también se indica que Egipto afirma “su pleno derecho a tomar todas las medidas y acciones necesarias garantizadas por el derecho internacional y el Acuerdo de Defensa Conjunta entre los dos países hermanos para asegurar que estas líneas rojas no sean violadas o cruzadas”.
La lucha ahora se concentra en el sur, principalmente en los estados ricos en petróleo de Kordofán. La Red de Médicos de Sudán, un grupo de profesionales sanitarios que dan seguimiento a la guerra, dijo el jueves que 16 personas habían sido asesinadas en las últimas 48 horas por bombardeos de artillería en la asediada ciudad de Dilling, en Kordofán del Sur, donde ahora existe un riesgo de hambruna. El grupo culpa a las FAR y grupos aliados por el ataque, calificándolo de flagrante violación del derecho internacional, y pidió a la comunidad mundial que presione al grupo para que detenga sus ofensivas.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
US Approves Largest Taiwan Arms Package In History At Over $11BN
US Approves Largest Taiwan Arms Package In History At Over $11BN
Just a day ago the US administration communicated to China that it is ready to defend American interests in the Pacific region. Now, it’s being reported that the US has approved $11.1 billion in arms-sales for Taiwan, the single largest ever such announced transfer and clear show of support from Washington.
Unveiled late Wednesday, the major arms sales are intended to support Taipei’s efforts to “modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability,” according to the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
The biggest chunks of the package include some $4 billion of Himars truck-based missile launchers, enough for 82 of the advanced systems.
There’s further more billions earmarked for 60 of the most up to date howitzers:
“The eight arms sales agreements announced Wednesday cover 82 high-mobility artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS, and 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS — similar to what the U.S. had been providing Ukraine during the Biden administration to defend itself from Russia — worth more than $4 billion.”
Also included are anti-tank drones and missiles, among other items which are intended to make any potential future Chinese invasion of Taiwan incredibly difficult, or enough to ensure Chinese forces would feel significant pain. And more:
UAV systems, valued at more than $1 billion
Military software, valued at more than $1 billion
Javelin missiles and TOW missiles, worth more than $700 million combined
Helicopter spare parts, $96 million
Refurbishment kits for Harpoon missiles, $91 million
The Himars have enough range to be able to reach targets on China’s east coast, which introduces a new level of ‘deterrence’ from Taipei’s and Washington’s perspectives.
China’s Foreign Ministry has predictably blasted the planned transfers. “The ‘Taiwan independence’ forces on the island seek independence through force and resist reunification through force, squandering the hard-earned money of the people to purchase weapons at the cost of turning Taiwan into a powder keg,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun in reaction.
“This cannot save the doomed fate of ‘Taiwan independence’ but will only accelerate the push of the Taiwan Strait toward a dangerous situation of military confrontation and war. The U.S. support for ‘Taiwan Independence’ through arms will only end up backfiring. Using Taiwan to contain China will not succeed,” he added.
The prior largest US arms sale to Taiwan occurred in 2019, when the first Trump administration authorized an $8 billion deal for 66 F-16V fighter jets.
🇺🇸🇨🇳 Continuity of Agenda – US Approves Massive Arms Package for Separatist Administration on Chinese Island Province of Taiwan
Hopefully this finally puts to rest theories the US is “backing away” from the containment of China and toward any sort of “accommodation” of it.… pic.twitter.com/cALBIjfdJk
— Brian Berletic (@BrianJBerletic) December 18, 2025
The current Trump administration began its Taiwan arms sales last month, approving a $330 million package for aircraft components. All the while, Trump has softened his anti-China rhetoric and is seeking to improve bilateral relations, according to most media presentations. But this massive arms sign-off for Taiwan doesn’t point in the direction of ‘softening’ tensions with China.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/18/2025 – 13:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-approves-largest-taiwan-arms-package-history-over-11bn
Oswego OKs concept plan for development at old school site
The Oswego Village Board recently approved a revised concept plan with fewer units for a proposed residential project on the former Traughber Junior High School site in Oswego.
The development is proposed for a 12.34-acre property – owned by Oswego-based School District 308 – at the northeast corner of Route 71 and Washington Street close to the village’s downtown.
The former Traughber Junior High School building on the site would be razed as part of the proposed project, now set to feature 161 apartments and townhomes.
School District 308 officials said the Traughber building has remained in disrepair, causing the district to invest more than $250,000 annually for maintenance and other expenses.
Village staff was directed to negotiate a redevelopment agreement between the village, school district and the developer for the project, called Traughber Estates.
JM Development – a joint venture – originally presented a proposal to the Oswego Planning and Zoning Commission in September about the project at the former school site. That plan featured 239 residential units. However, the commission recommended denial of the plan based on the density.
The developer modified the concept plan based on public feedback before bringing the proposal on Oct. 21 to the Oswego Village Board, which has the final say on the project. That plan featured 202 units. Trustees were not receptive to a five-story building proposed for the site.
The developer revised the site plan based on the initial reviews, village officials said.
“The most significant change is that the proposed five-story building along Route 71 has been removed and replaced with two three-story apartment buildings,” Oswego Development Services Director Rod Zenner said in a report to trustees.
The overall number of units has been reduced by 41 units from the October plan and there are 78 fewer units compared to the proposal rejected by the Oswego Planning and Zoning Commission in September, village officials said, with the number of units now set at 161.
The concept plan features two types of housing. Along the south side of the site adjacent to Route 71 and centrally located on the site are five three-story apartment buildings with a total of 125 units. There would also be six two-story owner-occupied townhome buildings along the north and west side of the development with a total of 36 units.
Trustee Karin McCarthy-Lange said she would vote in favor of the concept plan even though she said it’s not the ideal project.
“This is not my favorite project but I don’t want to stand in the way of helping the school district financially,” McCarthy-Lange said.
Developers told trustees they are willing to work with the village to increase the scope of a traffic study to address concerns within the immediate area.
School District 308 has marketed the property planned for the project over the years. Several potential buyers were interested in reuse of the site, including Resurrection Church of the Fox Valley in 2019, which has a storefront church near Fox Valley Mall in Aurora.
The church, however, determined it would be too expensive to remodel the former school on the property.
Oswegoland Park District was not interested in the site either, village officials said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
