Category: News
EEUU impone sanciones a otros dos jueces de la Corte Penal Internacional por casos contra Israel
Por MATTHEW LEE
WASHINGTON (AP) — El gobierno de Estados Unidos impuso sanciones contra otros dos jueces de la Corte Penal Internacional por su papel en la investigación de funcionarios israelíes por posibles crímenes de guerra durante la guerra de Israel contra Hamás en Gaza.
El secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, anunció el jueves la designación de los jueces Gocha Lordkipanidze, originario de Georgia, y Erdenebalsuren Damdin, de Mongolia, para ser objeto de sanciones, las cuales pueden incluir el congelamiento de activos en jurisdicciones de Estados Unidos y la prohibición de viajar a Estados Unidos.
Se trata de los más recientes miembros de la CPI en ser objeto de medidas por parte de Washington por aprobar o avanzar denuncias penales contra Israel y Estados Unidos, que no pertenecen al organismo. El gobierno del presidente Donald Trump había sancionado previamente al exfiscal en jefe de la CPI y a nueve miembros del personal judicial y de apoyo, incluidos abogados e investigadores.
“La CPI ha seguido involucrándose en acciones politizadas en contra de Israel, lo cual establece un peligroso precedente para todas las naciones”, señaló Rubio en un comunicado. “No toleraremos los abusos de poder de la CPI que violan la soberanía de Estados Unidos e Israel y someten injustamente a personas estadounidenses e israelíes a la jurisdicción de la CPI”.
La CPI, con sede en La Haya, reaccionó rápidamente al anuncio, afirmando en un comunicado que “deplora” la medida.
“Estas sanciones son un ataque flagrante contra la independencia de una institución judicial imparcial que opera conforme al mandato conferido por sus Estados partes de diversas regiones”, señaló. “Tales medidas dirigidas a jueces y fiscales que fueron elegidos por los Estados partes socavan el estado de derecho. Cuando los actores judiciales son amenazados por aplicar la ley, se pone en riesgo al propio orden jurídico internacional”.
El comunicado indicó que la corte, que cuenta con 18 jueces, seguirá llevando a cabo su mandato “con independencia e imparcialidad”.
Las acciones de Washington se producen después de que un panel de jueces de la CPI emitió el año pasado órdenes de arresto contra el primer ministro israelí Benjamin Netanyahu y su exministro de Defensa, Yoav Gallant.
Netanyahu condenó la orden en su contra, afirmando que Israel “rechaza con disgusto las absurdas y falsas acciones” de la corte. Gallant expresó por su parte que la decisión “establece un precedente peligroso contra el derecho a la autodefensa y la guerra moral y fomenta el terrorismo asesino”.
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La periodista de Associated Press Molly Quell, en La Haya, contribuyó con este despacho.
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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.
Down to Business: Basics of skin care should include regular facials, Naperville specialist says
Business: Glos Skincare Studio
Address: 216 S. Main St., Naperville
Phone/website: 331-444-9464; www.glosskincarestudio.com
Owner: Daniela Condratiuc, 38, of Aurora
Years in business: 7
What does your business do? “I do skin care. It’s all customized treatments for skin care, like facials and chemical peels. It depends what my clients need,” Condratiuc said.
What happens when a new client comes in? “When the clients come in, they don’t know what they need. We’ll do a consultation, go through the skin care routine they do at home, talk about their life, talk about their work, how busy they are. Do you have time for skin care or just want to see me?”
This bright light helps Daniela Condratiuc give facials to clients at her Glos Skincare Studio in downtown Naperville. (Steve Metsch/Naperville Sun)
What sets you apart? “I don’t accept tips. I have a no-tip policy. I prefer them to use that (tip) money to come see me again. … I’ll never tell you if I see something wrong because many times people are used to something. I’ll ask what you are looking for, what bothers you.”
What’s your background? “Before I came to the states, I was a med student in Moldova. I wanted to be a plastic surgeon. … How did I get here? When I was a med student, an educational program opened up in the United States. I was 22. I was going to do it for the summer. … That was 16 years ago. Here I am. … I decided to study esthetics, skin care. I’d still be helping people. … I was in Vermont. I decided to move to Chicago. … I’m a city girl.
“I worked for a plastic surgeon, Dr. Steven Dayan, in downtown Chicago. I was assisting, paperwork, anything. … Then they hired me. I was in the right place at the right time. I became a medical assistant, helping them with patients, pre-surgery. I did it for a year, then I was head of the esthetic department for five years.”
What’s the goal? “I want the client to leave here feeling good overall, relaxed and refreshed. … My goal for them is to feel good and see a difference in their skin. … It’s all connected.”
Do you like your job? “I love my job. … I’m investing more in better products. … It’s not that I want to make a lot of money. I’m happy to make money, but my first priority is helping people and I love doing it.”
What’s your business philosophy? “It doesn’t matter how often you come in — every month, every six months, once a year — I’ll treat everybody the same. … This is a safe zone. I do my job and want to make sure you are happy. … When I leave work, I leave everything here. At home, rule No. 1 is we don’t talk about work.”
What’s the price? “It depends but it usually starts from $180 up to $375.”
What’s a chemical peel? “Chemicals that help your skin exfoliate.”
What should we know about skin? “Our skin regenerates every 28 days when we’re in our 20s. Every 10 years adds 10 more days. That’s why we find wrinkles. Our skin is exposed to sun, wind, heat. But I can’t tell people to not smoke. My husband smokes.”
What should we do for our skin? “Three steps. The basics. Wash your face, use a toner, use a moisturizer. Not too complicated.”
Is it best to moisturize at night or in the morning? “Both. In the morning and in the night. Wash your face and moisturize, especially when it’s cold outside like now. Use a moisturizer with sunscreen in the summer.”
A wide range of products allow clients of the Glos Skincare Studio in Naperville to care for their skin at home between appointments for facials. (Steve Metsch/Naperville Sun)
What about competition? “There are a lot of places around, but we are all different. … I feel that everyone has different knowledge, everybody has a different approach. The difference is I am connected to my clients. I take my time to listen to them. … I love competition because you always want to do it better. … If somebody comes to me and they went (before) to somebody else, I’ll never say any bad word about a different professional.”
How often should we have a facial? “Once a month.”
What are your hours? “Usually 9:30 to 3:15 Tuesday through Friday. On Saturdays, 9 to 5. I’m off Sunday and Monday. … Appointment only.”
Any negatives? “I have days when I say, ‘I’m done.’ We all have those days. … I don’t like the social media part. It’s not social media that brings in clients. Most are on referrals.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Go work for somebody (in that field) first. Get the experience. See how it is.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact him at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/18/naperville-skin-care-glos-facials/
Former Harvard Morgue Manager, Wife Sentenced For Stealing And Selling Body Parts
Former Harvard Morgue Manager, Wife Sentenced For Stealing And Selling Body Parts
Authored by Bill Pan via The Epoch Times,
A former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School has been sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing and selling human body parts donated for scientific research, the Department of Justice said.
Cedric Lodge, 58, was sentenced on Dec. 16 during a hearing in federal court in Pennsylvania. His wife, Denise Lodge, 65, received a sentence of 12 months and one day in prison.
The couple previously pleaded guilty to charges related to the interstate transportation of stolen goods. Cedric Lodge admitted to stealing body parts from cadavers donated to Harvard Medical School’s Anatomical Gift Program and selling them to buyers across the country.
Prosecutors said that between 2018 and March 2020, Cedric Lodge stole and trafficked “heads, brains, skin, bones, and other human remains” after the donated bodies had been used for teaching and research. Under agreements between donors and Harvard, those bodies were supposed to be cremated or returned to their families.
According to the federal indictment, Cedric Lodge transported the stolen remains from Harvard Medical School in Boston to his home in New Hampshire, where he stored and sold them. Prosecutors said Denise Lodge assisted in the scheme by communicating with buyers, accepting payments, and arranging shipments of the stolen remains. Payments were often made online through her PayPal account.
The remains were sold to Katrina MacLean, Joshua Taylor, and others, prosecutors said. MacLean allegedly resold the remains to buyers across the country, including through her curiosities store, and Taylor has been accused of purchasing body parts from Lodge for resale. Lodge also allowed MacLean, Taylor, and others to enter the morgue to select which remains they wished to buy, according to the indictment.
MacLean, of Massachusetts, and Taylor, of Pennsylvania, have both pleaded guilty this year for their roles in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. Several other buyers have already been sentenced to prison time.
The case has drawn widespread attention since federal authorities announced charges in 2023. Prosecutors brought the case in Pennsylvania because key elements of the crimes, including the shipping, receipt, and resale of stolen remains, took place in that jurisdiction.
“Today’s sentencing is another step forward in ensuring those who orchestrated and executed this heinous crime are brought to justice,” Wayne Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office, said in a statement.
Harvard Medical School officials said they were unaware of Cedric Lodge’s activities until notified by the FBI. The school placed him on leave in March 2023 after learning of the federal investigation and “immediately” suspended his campus access. He was fired in May of that year after investigators provided what the school said was “adequate information” to justify his termination.
Harvard, which hired Cedric Lodge in 1995, condemned his actions as an “abhorrent betrayal.”
“We owe it to ourselves, our community, our profession, and our patients and their loved ones to ensure that [Harvard Medical School] is worthy of the donors who have entrusted their bodies to us for the advancement of medical education and research,” Medical School Dean George Daley and Dean of Medical Education Edward Hundert wrote in a campuswide message following the indictment.
Although federal investigators did not find any criminal wrongdoing on Harvard’s part, the university is facing a class-action lawsuit brought by families affected by the scandal.
In February 2024, a Massachusetts Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit from family members of donors whose remains were stolen and sold. However, in October, a four-judge panel of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court revived the case, saying that the families had presented sufficient evidence to claim that Harvard failed to act in good faith in overseeing its morgue.
Harvard has maintained that Cedric Lodge’s conduct was “inconsistent with the standards and values of Harvard” and expressed “deep sorrow for the families of donors who may have been impacted,” according to student newspaper The Harvard Crimson.
An attorney representing Cedric Lodge did not respond to a request for comment.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/18/2025 – 13:00
Parlamento cubano sesiona de manera virtual debido a la crisis
Por ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
LA HABANA (AP) — La Asamblea Nacional de Poder Popular, el Parlamento unicameral cubano, comenzó este jueves su sesión plenaria de manera híbrida —en parte presencial y en parte virtual—, debido a la tensa situación económica que vive la isla y a fin de recortar el gasto.
La sesión, la última del año, fue encabezada por el presidente Miguel Díaz-Canel y mediante pantallas se conectó a los participantes de las provincias con el plenario en la capital.
Los parlamentarios en Cuba no son profesionales o de tiempo completo, por lo que entre sesión y sesión –que se realizan dos veces al año— permanecen en sus provincias y sus puestos de trabajo, lo que obliga cada vez a los cientos que no viven en La Habana a trasladarse por varios días. El Parlamento tiene 470 miembros.
En la apertura el presidente del Parlamento, Esteban Lazo, ratificó que la modalidad híbrida obedecía a la crisis económica y en base a la experiencia ganada con la pandemia de coronavirus para los encuentros remotos.
El líder de la revolución y expresidente Raúl Castro también se hizo presente de manera virtual. Las sesiones fueron transmitidas por la televisión cubana y según el cronograma solo durarán un día.
La agenda contempla la revisión de la situación económica del país, marcada por un nuevo año de decrecimiento. La semana pasada Díaz-Canel reconoció que al cierre de tercer trimestre del año el Producto Interno Bruto había caído un 4%, con lo que la pérdida de este indicador en los últimos seis años fue de 15%.
En estos meses al desabastecimiento de alimentos y medicinas o la falta de combustible se sumó una fuerte crisis energética que mantuvo a más de medio país apagado por horas en los momentos de consumo pico y hasta se produjo la caída parcial del sistema energético nacional.
Entre los motivos de la apagones están la deteriorada infraestructura de termoeléctricas con más de 30 años de operación y sin presupuesto para su arreglo, así como la falta de combustible que Cuba debe comprar en el mercado internacional, gran parte del cual le está vedado por las sanciones de Estados Unidos.
Durante la sesión parlamentaria el primer ministro Manuel Marrero dijo que el país había invertido este año 1.150 millones de dólares para “recuperar” el sistema energético nacional. El plan contempló la instalación de 41 parques solares fotovoltaicos con los cuales se espera ir cambiando paulatinamente la matriz energética de la isla.
Review: ‘Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs “A Christmas Carol” Again’ (and again) at Theater Wit
In a Wall Street Journal article about the stunningly lucrative nature of Christmas music, one executive likened holiday hits like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and Wham!’s “Last Christmas” to a “nice little ATM machine” that pops out cash at the end of every year, not just for the lifetime of the artist but, in the case of George Michael, well beyond.
Back in the 19th century, the equivalent of a LITE-FM playlist was a good gig reading your own work.
Charles Dickens certainly rode that particular Victorian-era gravy train, doing hugely successful live readings of “A Christmas Carol” for years beginning in 1853, traveling from Bolton to Boston and Newcastle to New York City. He rehearsed at length, came up with funny voices and even improvised from his own text in response to the reaction of his delighted audiences. He even came up with one of those “farewell” tours to juice business. “From these garish lights I vanish now for evermore,” he declared in 1870, “with a heartfelt, grateful, respectful, and affectionate farewell.” Sure.
Dickens may have said farewell, but we are stuck with his ubiquitous “A Christmas Carol.” Even a flood that ruined its set in August did not stop the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre from racing to build another one in time for opening night. Why? What gives with our obsession with this thing?
In its snarkier parts, Blake Montgomery’s “Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs ‘A Christmas Carol’ Again,” gets at that question. And there is a rather delicious cynicism loitering behind Montgomery’s solo show, which also lands a few licks at the expense of “that big theater downtown,” which trots out the title annually on the same set. A clown by trade and sardonic in attitude, Montgomery has for years mostly been both a highly skilled performer and a solo operator in the theater and that has given him some insight into what I’d call the cost of storytelling to the teller.
Blake Montgomery in “Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs ‘A Christmas Carol’ Again” at Theater Wit. (Joe Mazza)
“Charles Dickens” is hardly the first show to probe that issue; one other example is “An Iliad,” a brilliant theater piece that imagines the price paid by a poet who feels honor-bound to repeat his story of the horrors of war for each successive generation, not that anybody ever actually listens. Working with the director Jonathan Berry, Montgomery doesn’t go that far, mostly because he also wants to have a warm-centered Christmas attraction. (He even has a little tea stand for audiences to help themselves.) So I don’t want to imply that his little show at Theater Wit is all about serving up succor for Grinches. Not at all; it’s quite sweet and fun, notwithstanding some dead air early on. (The show needs to lose 10 minutes of running time.)
But for those who want their annual dose of Scrooge and also the chance to chortle at the whole industrial complex surrounding him at the same time should find a happy middle here. Dolled up as Dickens (the resemblance is striking), Montgomery works out his issues (and some of ours) as he deconstructs our most resilient of seasonal fables while revealing that he is just as much a softie at the holidays as the rest of us. God bless us, every one.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com
Review: “Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs ‘A Christmas Carol’ Again” (3 stars)
When: Through Dec. 28
Where: Theater Wit, 1229 Belmont Ave.
Running time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Tickets: $45 at 773-975-8150 and theaterwit.org
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/18/review-dickens-begrudgingly/
¿Qué lugar ocupará Mamdani en la lista de alcaldes de Nueva York?
Por JENNIFER PELTZ
NUEVA YORK (AP) — Zohran Mamdani podrá reclamar múltiples primicias cuando se convierta en alcalde de Nueva York el 1 de enero.
Además de ser el primer musulmán y la primera persona de ascendencia surasiática elegida para el cargo, el demócrata también está a punto de hacer historia en la ciudad al ser el 112do alcalde, en lugar del 111ero, como esperaba. Esto se debe a un antiguo error en el registro que recientemente ha adquirido nueva atención.
“Estoy emocionado de ser cualquier alcalde”, dijo Mamdani a los periodistas el miércoles, tras enterarse del contratiempo en el conteo. Esto muestra lo complicada que puede ser la aritmética de la historia.
Paul Hortenstine, historiador independiente que explora la participación de los primeros alcaldes de Nueva York en la época de la esclavitud, notó recientemente que, en la lista de alcaldes del gobierno de la ciudad, ampliamente utilizada, se omitía un segundo mandato de Matthias Nicolls, una figura de los primeros años del dominio colonial inglés en Nueva York.
Nicolls fue listado como el sexto alcalde, de 1671 a 1672, pero no se mencionó su regreso al cargo dos años después. En el ínterin, su sucesor John Lawrence asumió el puesto, y luego fue derrocado por una invasión holandesa que implementó brevemente una forma distinta de gobierno colonial. Holanda cedió finalmente el área a cambio de otras concesiones, y el nuevo gobernador inglés volvió a nombrar a Nicolls a finales de 1674.
Otros alcaldes fueron contados varias veces si sirvieron en términos no consecutivos, por lo que Hortenstine sugirió que Nicolls recibiera el mismo trato. La corrección implicaría renumerar 350 años de alcaldes subsecuentes, desde William Dervall (quien se convertiría en el número 9) hasta el actual Eric Adams (quien sería el número 111).
“La numeración de los alcaldes es un tema fascinante que es mucho más difícil de lo que parece a primera vista”, dijo Hortenstine por teléfono.
Investigador del área de Washington, D.C., Hortenstine tiene su propia historia con los alcaldes de Nueva York: trabajó para la campaña de reelección de Michael Bloomberg en 2009. (Bloomberg, con tres mandatos consecutivos, sería el 109no si la lista se renumera).
Espera que el debate despierte interés en los primeros alcaldes y su implicación personal y política con la esclavitud.
Como señaló el historiador, un exfuncionario de la Biblioteca del Estado de Nueva York, el fallecido Peter Christoph, señaló el error de numeración de Nicholls en 1989. Esta vez, después de que el sitio de noticias local Gothamist abordara el aparente fallo en el conteo de alcaldes, el Departamento de Registros y Servicios de Información de la ciudad lo investigó.
En una publicación de blog hecha el 11 de diciembre, el archivista de la agencia, Michael Lorenzini, trazó meticulosamente un rastro de complejidades y lagunas en registros de siglos de antigüedad. Cuando la ciudad comenzó a imprimir listas de alcaldes anteriores a mediados del siglo XIX, el segundo mandato de Nicolls no se incluyó.
“Parece que el 1 de enero de 2026, el alcalde Mamdani debería ser el alcalde número 112”, escribió Lorenzini y añadió que “la numeración de los ‘alcaldes’ de la ciudad de Nueva York ha sido algo arbitraria e inconstante”.
En la lista no se enumera a los “burgomaestres”, que eran funcionarios similares a alcaldes que sirvieron en parejas durante algunos períodos del gobierno holandés. No hay registro de ningún líder entre los nativos norteamericanos que vivieron en el área durante miles de años antes de la colonización. Se menciona a algunos alcaldes interinos, pero no se les asignan números, excepto en una versión más oscura de la lista, alojada en un documento de 2015 en los archivos de la ciudad.
Además, incluso equiparar “alcaldes” es, hasta cierto punto, comparar manzanas y naranjas. El alcalde inicialmente gobernaba una ciudad de Nueva York que solo comprendía Manhattan, antes de que el Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens y Staten Island se añadieran a finales del siglo XIX.
Entonces, ¿qué tan importante es la lista numérica?
“En algunos aspectos, es una especie de ejercicio académico”, dijo Lorenzini por teléfono esta semana. “Pero creo que lo que me resulta interesante es que todavía tenemos estos registros, y la gente aún puede sumergirse en ellos y encontrar algo nuevo o algo sobre lo que discutir. La historia sigue viva”.
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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.
China’s ‘Manhattan Project’ Builds Secret EUV Chip Machine Long Blocked By The West
China’s ‘Manhattan Project’ Builds Secret EUV Chip Machine Long Blocked By The West
Chinese scientists have built a prototype extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine in a high-security Shenzhen lab, a milestone Washington has long sought to block, according to a new report from Reuters. The machine, completed in early 2025 and now in testing, occupies nearly an entire factory floor and was developed by former ASML engineers who reverse-engineered the Dutch firm’s technology, two sources said.
EUV machines are central to advanced chipmaking, using extreme ultraviolet light to etch ultra-fine circuits. China’s prototype can generate EUV light but has not yet produced working chips. In April, ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet said China would need “many, many years” to develop the technology, but the prototype suggests Beijing may be closer to semiconductor independence than expected.
Speculation on Twitter this morning suggests China may have simply “stole the source”…
My sources on the ground says:
They stole the source… literally. Apparently they tried using a bunch of other versions for past decade could never get enough power out of it.
It’s hard to actually just rip one out of a functioning machine without being caught. So they think… https://t.co/1PR2DKGw49
— bubble boi (@bubbleboi) December 18, 2025
Reuters comments that China still faces major hurdles, especially in precision optics. Parts from older ASML machines sourced on secondary markets enabled the prototype, with an official target of producing chips by 2028, though insiders say 2030 is more realistic. Chinese authorities did not comment.
Reuters notes that the secret project caps a six-year push for semiconductor self-sufficiency under President Xi Jinping and is described by sources as China’s version of the Manhattan Project. Huawei coordinates thousands of engineers across companies and research institutes. “The aim is for China to eventually be able to make advanced chips on machines that are entirely China-made,” one source said. “China wants the United States 100% kicked out of its supply chains.”
Until now, only ASML has mastered EUV technology. Its machines cost about $250 million, took decades to commercialize, and have never been sold to China due to U.S.-led export controls. “It makes sense that companies would want to replicate our technology, but doing so is no small feat,” ASML said.
Those controls slowed China’s progress but did not stop aggressive recruitment of overseas talent, including retired, Chinese-born former ASML engineers working under aliases in secure facilities. Dutch intelligence has warned China uses extensive espionage and recruitment to obtain Western technology.
China’s prototype is much larger and cruder than ASML’s but operational. Progress has been limited by difficulty sourcing advanced optics from suppliers like Zeiss. Research institutes such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ CIOMP helped integrate EUV light into the system in early 2025.
Analyst Jeff Koch said China will have made “meaningful progress” if the light source proves powerful and reliable. “No doubt this is technically feasible, it’s just a question of timeline,” he said. “China has the advantage that commercial EUV now exists, so they aren’t starting from zero.”
Obviously would be very racist to suggest that when EUV light sources are one of our last 3 technical advantages over China, hiring “Lin Nan” as “head of light sources” might not be the greatest idea https://t.co/qOcAQQggHD pic.twitter.com/FolTvVUteU
— Curtis Yarvin (@curtis_yarvin) December 18, 2025
China has sourced components from older ASML systems, Japanese suppliers, and secondhand markets, sometimes using intermediaries. Around 100 young engineers are reverse-engineering parts under constant surveillance, with bonuses for success.
Huawei is deeply involved across the chip supply chain. Some staff sleep on-site with restricted phone access, and teams are isolated to protect secrecy. “The teams are kept isolated from each other to protect the confidentiality of the project,” one source said. “They don’t know what the other teams work on.”
Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/18/2025 – 12:40
Elle Duncan leaves ESPN for Netflix, where she will host sports and cultural live events
LOS ANGELES — Elle Duncan has signed a multi-year deal with Netflix to host its sports and other cultural live events.
The streamer made the announcement on Thursday.
Duncan had been with ESPN since 2016, where she hosted the 6 p.m. edition of “SportsCenter” along with the women’s NCAA Tournament and WNBA.
Her final “SportsCenter” appearance was on Tuesday.
“Elle Duncan’s proven ability to seamlessly move between hard-hitting sports analysis and warm, personality-driven cultural hosting makes her a perfect fit at Netflix. She immediately adds credibility and familiar star power to our global programming slate,” said Gabe Spitzer, Netflix’s vice president of sports.
Netflix has rapidly expanded its sports portfolio the past two years. It will have a Christmas Day doubleheader for the second straight year. It will begin doing Major League Baseball games next season that include an opening night matchup and the Home Run Derby.
Duncan’s first on-air hosting duties with Netflix will be early next year with Skyscraper Live. The event will feature free solo climber Alex Honnold’s attempt to scale Taipei 101, the tallest building in Taiwan.
“Joining Netflix feels like being invited to an already legendary party and somehow getting handed the aux cord! For a lifelong utility player, a multisport assignment is a full-circle moment,” Duncan said in a statement.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/18/elle-duncan-leaves-espn-for-netflix/
Carpentersville police chief retires Friday; deputy chief to be acting replacement
Carpentersville Police Chief Todd Shaver is retiring effective Friday.
“After much reflection and being in law enforcement for more than 33 years, I felt the time was right to step back and focus on the next chapter of my life,” Shaver said. “I’m looking forward to being able to spend time with my family and enjoy some quality retirement time.”
Upon Shaver’s retirement, Deputy Chief Kevin Stankowitz will assume the role as acting chief of police, Village Manager Brad Stewart said.
“There is no current plan to recruit outside for the position, and we look forward to seeing Deputy Chief Stankowitz’s leadership in action, in the role of chief, as we move forward,” Stewart said.
The village appreciates Shaver’s long career, he said, and wishes him the best in his retirement. The Carpentersville Village Board recognized him for his service at its Tuesday meeting.
Shaver said he started with the Carpentersville Police Department on June 26, 1999, and worked there for 26½ years. Prior to that, he worked for the Sleepy Hollow Police Department for about two-and-a-half years and the East Dundee Police Department for almost five years.
After rising through the ranks in Carpentersville, Shaver served as deputy police chief for eight years before being promoted to chief in March 2023. His training includes the FBI Academy for police officers and Northwestern University’s Staff & Command program. He has a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Judson University in Elgin.
Shaver replaced Patrick Hoey, who was named Carpentersville’s police chief in May 2021 after Michael Kilbourne retired from the post.
Of his own time with the Carpentersville Police Department, Shaver said his will miss the people with whom he has worked.
“We have a great police department, and I look forward to seeing what they accomplish in the future,” he said.
Shaver’s annual salary was $178,099.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/18/shaver-retiring-carpentersville-police-chief/
Officials say more seeking citizenship due to Trump policies: ‘People are afraid of being deported’
During the past year, the number of immigrants who are legal residents of the U.S. seeking citizenship has increased, in part because of fear in the community sparked by the immigration enforcement policies of President Donald Trump’s administration, local officials say.
Dulce Ortiz, the executive director of Mano a Mano Family Services and a Waukegan Township trustee, said she has seen an increase in people seeking citizenship since just before Trump’s election in November.
Martha Hernandez, the program manager for HACES’ New Americans Initiative, said she has also seen an increase this year. She believes it stems from fear arising from the enforcement actions of the Trump administration.
“People are afraid of being deported (even) with their permanent status,” Hernandez said. “A lot of people who are permanent residents want citizenship because only citizenship works to keep you from getting deported.”
Nearly 600 Lake County residents have taken their oath to become U.S. citizens since the first of the year, in part to gain the rights and protections of citizenship as opposed to legal permanent residents of the country.
Maria Elana Jonas, the executive director of HACES, said the first step toward citizenship is becoming a legal permanent resident of the country, also known as having a Green Card. It allows a person to live and work in the country permanently.
Once someone possesses a Green Card, Jonas said they can apply for citizenship after five years, or 3½ years if they are married to an American citizen. There is a thorough background check. A criminal record can be a disqualifier.
A 30-page application is also required. Jonas said it is very thorough in seeking information like country of origin, marital status, brushes with the law, and more. Eventually, there is an interview and a written test. Both HACES and Mano a Mano offer classes and legal services.
“The list goes on and on,” Jonas said of the application.
So far this year, Jonas said HACES has helped 484 people become citizens. At Mano a Mano, Joanna Jaimes, the program manager, said the organization has shepherded 107 people through the process into citizenship. They either took classes or used the organization’s legal services.
Jaimes said the test was recently changed. Applicants know all the questions — 128 increased from 100 before — but only a few will be on the exam. A 60% score is needed to pass. Until the change, the test had been the same since 2008.
“Before they would ask you 10 questions, and you had to answer six correct,” Jaimes said. “They added 28 questions. Now they ask 20, and you have to answer 12 correct. The issue was transparency. It’s up to us to see how the questions have changed.”
Both Ortiz and Jonas said their classes prepare people to take the test and get through the interview process successfully. A basic knowledge of English is necessary. There is an exception for older people who have been in the country legally long enough.
If someone is 50 years old or older and a lawful permanent resident for 20 years, or 55 years old or older and a lawful permanent resident for 15 years, they take the test in their native language.
Question topics include U.S. history, the Constitution, how many members are in Congress and what kind of government the country has. Jonas said HACES’ volunteer instructors are retired English as a second language teachers.
Going through the official citizenship process is not free. The applicant pays a fee. At Mano a Mano, helping to complete the application, going through the process, including the legal requirements, are all part of the program.
“Our Engaged Citizenship Program helps with the citizenship application,” Ortiz said. “There are scholarships based on income. We do the classes online or in person. They do mock interviews. We want them to become citizens and be able to vote.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/18/lake-county-citizenship-classes/
