Category: News
Shell Oil Sued Over “Causing Typhoon” In Philippines In Major Test Case
Shell Oil Sued Over “Causing Typhoon” In Philippines In Major Test Case
Authored by Chris Morrison via DailySceptic.org,
A massive ‘lawfare’ claim backed by Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth has been filed in the UK’s Royal Courts of Justice claiming that Shell Oil played a part in a devastating typhoon in the Philippines in 2021. At the centre of the case is a Green Blob-funded weather ‘attribution’ study that claims Typhoon Rai, also known as Odette, was made significantly worse due to human caused climate change. The study has been recently published and is heavily linked to academic institutions funded by the green billionaire investor Jeremy Grantham.
The action has been filed by a number of survivors of the Philippines storm that caused considerable damage in parts of the Philippines in late 2021. It claims financial compensation as well as “injunctive relief to curb Shell’s destructive activities”.
Typhoons are not unknown in this part of the world, but recent evidence suggests there has been little change in the overall trend over the last 100 years. Numbers and intensity of storms rise and fall over shorter periods but the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has seen little evidence that humans have recently caused the trend to get worse. In fact, a recent paper published in Nature found “robust declining trends in the annual number of tropical cyclones at global and regional scales during the 20th century”. The paper was titled: ‘Declining tropical cyclone frequency under global warming.’
The key attribution paper in the Shell case uses a standard technique measuring the outputs of two computer model simulations. This imagines an atmosphere where humans have emitted carbon dioxide by burning hydrocarbons and one where there is no such contribution. To say the process is controversial would be an understatement. It cannot count as scientific work under the Popperian principle since the results are unable to be tested and are unfalsifiable. The field of weather attribution is dedicated to grabbing media headlines and providing ammunition for lawfare cases.
If the Shell case ever gets to court, it will be interesting to see how weather attribution claims stand up to forensic cross examination. Shell could call on the services of the distinguished science writer Roger Pielke Jr., who has noted that he can think of no other area of research “where the relaxing of rigour and standards has been encouraged by research in order to generate claims more friendly to headlines, political advocacy and even lawsuits”. Pielke suggests that the rise of individual event attribution studies coincides with frustration that the IPCC cannot say that the frequency and intensity of most types of extreme weather have increased in an era where humans are using oil and gas. In his view, they offer “comfort and support” to those focused on climate advocacy.
The Typhoon Rai attribution paper is written by four academics from the University of Sheffield and Imperial College London. Both universities have financial links with Jeremy Grantham. The fourth author Nathan Sparks works at the Grantham Institute at Imperial. The Philippines’ Category 5 Cyclone Rai caused widespread damage across the southern-central part of the country, with compounding effects of extreme rainfall, high winds and storm surges. It is claimed that a “multi-method, multi-model probabilistic event attribution” found that wind speeds of landfalling storms like Rai had become 70% more likely due to humans emitting ‘greenhouse’ gases. Looking of course at you in particular Shell Oil. Lawsuits and lawyers thrive on precise numbers so “multi-method probabilistic” modelling along with “compound event attribution theory” produces the conclusion that human-caused climate change “has likely more than doubled the likelihood of a compound event like Typhoon Rai”.
As noted, it will be interesting to see how all this modelling stands up to examination in a civil law court. The less charitable might note that this probabilistic guff would not last five minutes in a criminal court where hard and conclusive evidence, such as DNA, fingerprints, confessions and observations, is generally considered a basic requirement to secure a conviction.
The Rai civil lawsuit has been filed under Philippines tort law in the London Courts due to the domicile of Shell in the UK. The case is backed by three large activist groups who are thought to be covering the legal and organisational costs. Greenpeace is providing advocacy, research and mobilisation support, while Legal Rights and Natural Resources Centre, the local member of Friends of the Earth International, is said to be handling local legal coordination matters. Also involved is a local grouping under the banner of Philippine Movement for Climate Justice. Shell is accused of being responsible for producing 2% of global fossil fuel emissions that have directly contributed to human-caused atmospheric warming. For good measure, Shell is said to have known about the alleged risks for decades, a common claim made by activists that will no doubt be tested in any future court hearing. The mainstream rules around ‘settled’ climate science, where discussion is effectively banned in the interests of promoting the Net Zero fantasy, are unlikely to apply in the London High Court.
The Shell litigation is an important test case.
Activists have spent years seeking financial support and recognition for their pseudoscientific claims that they can measure a chaotic and non-linear atmosphere. Such is the level of refinement and expertise that they claim, many people believe they are able to pin the blame for individual weather events on humans.
Most mainstream media hype their alchemistic pronouncements without question, but it will be interesting to see how the attribution claims stand up to the attention of m’Learned Friends in a combative court forum.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/17/2025 – 13:40
Column: ‘Rough and Rowdy’ Bob Dylan coming to Waukegan
Seldom do Nobel laureates visit Waukegan. One is coming this March.
Bob Dylan brings his “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour to the Historic Genesee Theatre in downtown Waukegan at 8 p.m. on March 30, 2026. The stop is one in smaller venues on the Midwest leg of the legendary artist’s latest traveling shows, which includes a 23-date European tour. Another show is set for Rockford’s Coronado Theatre on March 28.
Few seats remain for Dylan’s swing through Waukegan, and probably by the date of the concert, it will be a sellout at the comfortable 2,400-seat venue. The cheap seats went fast when ticket sales opened on Friday.
The show, like others on the tour, will be a phone-free experience, with all devices secured in Yondr pouches during the concert. Promoters warn concertgoers that the show will begin promptly on time.
If you hesitated, tickets were still available earlier this week. Prices range from $400 for two tickets in the mezzanine, to $1,821 for two seats in the left pit section. Steep prices for lunch-bucket Waukegan, although only 13 seats were available. Certainly too expensive for lowly scribes.
Those seats may be worth the price, though, seeing the 84-year-old rebel who many say is one of the most influential cultural figures of the 20th century. If you’re a fan, Waukegan could be a stop on his last tour, although other rock-and-roll octogenarians continue to perform with abandon. For example, 92-year-old Willie Nelson seems to be always on the road, again.
Dylan’s concert is one of a strong muster of live shows scheduled at the Historic Genesee, which might pique the interest of area artsy and musical folks. The lineup starts with two Nutcracker holiday performances by DanceCenter North on Thursday and Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Milwaukee rockers The Bodeans take the stage at 8 p.m. on Dec. 26, while John Oates, once part of the hit-making duo Hall and Oates, is slated for March 7. One-time country sweetheart LeAnn Rimes is scheduled for May 8.
Other intriguing acts coming to the Genesee include popular Jay Leno, the former late-night TV host, on Feb. 6, who’s on a stand-up comic tour; “Long Island Medium” Theresa Caputo on Feb. 4; and comedians Aziz Ansari on Jan. 24, and TV personality and comic George Lopez on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day.
Dylan’s appearance, though, is a score for Genesee promoters. Fans know he kept the folk movement alive with his protest songs and political anthems in the early 1960s until he was declared “a traitor” when he decided to “go electric” in 1965 at the famed Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island.
That was a defining moment for the Duluth, Minnesota-born musician. He went on to invent the folk rock genre with two 1965 albums, “Bringing It All Back Home” and “Highway 61 Revisited.” His writing and songs have continued over the decades, a voice of reason and motivation during times of political and national strife.
Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature by the Swedish Academy in 2016, “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” It was the first time the prestigious group named a musician/songwriter as a Nobel winner since the prizes began in 1901.
Besides his Nobel, Dylan was given a special Pulitzer Prize award in 2008, “for his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.” No doubt.
Other accolades include being inducted into Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 from President Barack Obama and becoming a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1997. He has released 40 studio albums, 21 live albums and is a noted author of 10 books of prose, poetry and art.
Dylan continues to be a subject of interest across several platforms since his classic sophomore studio album, “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” from the spring of 1963 jump-started his career. Forbes reported this week that a special edition reissue of the album unsurprisingly, “has become a quick bestseller throughout the world.”
Dylan was the focus of the 2024 Oscar-nominated biopic, “A Complete Unknown,” which detailed his early and youthful successes as a performer. The movie gave younger audiences a taste of his music and background to what has made him a musical icon in the U.S. and across the globe.
Legends don’t drop anchor in Waukegan often enough. Here’s a chance to see one up close and personal at the Historic Genesee. That is, if you want to pay premium prices for tickets.
Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor.
sellenews@gmail.com
X @sellenews
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/17/charles-selle-column-bob-dylan/
Anthony Rapp has an eclectic mix of songs for ‘Home for the Holidays’ at Lookingglass Theatre
Actor Anthony Rapp originated the role of Mark Cohen in the 1996 Broadway production of “Rent” and went on to appear in such Broadway shows as “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” (first seen in Skokie in 1998) and “If/Then.”
This weekend, he’s appearing at Lookingglass Theatre in an all-new seasonal cabaret show titled “Home for the Holidays,” which he has put together for the first time. He spoke over Zoom from his new home with his family in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, where they recently moved from New York. The following has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: So we can now call Anthony Rapp a Chicago actor?
A: With great pride, yes.
Q: Was that a quality-of-life decision to move to our beautiful city?
A: Quality of life and having kids. We were doing OK raising our kids in New York, but we would come visit our friends who lived in Andersonville and we started imagining the difference it could make to be here, and we decided to give it a shot. We’ve found a wonderful Montessori preschool. Living in Chicago has exceeded all of our hopes.
Q: You must travel?
A: I do concerts with Adam Pascal and also some convention work from my role on “Star Trek,” but that has been the bulk of it. I have young kids.
Q: Adam was your “Rent” co-star.
A: We do a lot of those concerts, typically two or three a month; they’ve been going very well. We feature the music we were listening to when we first met 30 years ago, some “Rent” music. And in this day and age, I think it is really important to honor live performance, so we do some songs by people I have seen perform live, like Peter Gabriel and the band The National. We also do a song from “Spring Awakening,” a show I feel followed on directly from “Rent.”
Q: You’re also on board for “Follies” this spring at Porchlight Music Theatre. I know they badly wanted you to be in the cast.
A: It was nice of them to reach out. I’ve sung Sondheim of course but I’ve never appeared in a Sondheim show. Coming back to Chicago, I am deeply aware of the very established and vibrant theater community here and I am grateful that people want to include me, but I also didn’t want to come here and stomp around and say “give me a job.” I want to earn it as much as I could.
Q: But first up is this holiday show at Lookingglass, for which you also have cast some local singers. What kind of show did you want to put together?
A: It was important to me that it be secular because I didn’t want to wade into any territory that could be exclusionary to anyone, or off-putting in any way. I wanted to find someone who could sing a great version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” because that is my favorite song. But I also hoped we’d have someone come in and do a beautiful version of Joni Mitchell’s “River,” which I think of as a song of the season. Honestly, I didn’t look at anyone’s resumes in the auditions; I just listened to them sing.
Q: You didn’t want to work solo?
A: Just me? That would have been weird. It’s me and six other singers and the set is from my list and from that of my longtime music director Rick Bertone, but also was informed by what the others brought in when they auditioned. It’s a nice eclectic mix of songs, some of which have the joy of the season, some of which a bit of the bittersweetness of the season and some of which are quite silly and goofy. There’s even one I’d never heard before. It’s going to be organic, conversational and informal and with the vibe of coming to somebody’s house party.
Q: No Broadway numbers?
A: There’s going to be a little “Charlie Brown” in there because, for me, Charlie Brown is synonymous with Christmas, or at least he was in my childhood.
“Home for the Holidays” plays through Saturday at Lookingglass Theatre in the Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St.; 312-337-0665 and www.lookingglasstheatre.org
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/17/anthony-rapp-holiday-show/
Fuertes vientos azotan noroeste de EEUU tras inundaciones
Por GENE JOHNSON
SEATTLE (AP) — Vientos fuertes derribaron árboles y cables eléctricos en partes del estado de Washington e Idaho, hiriendo gravemente a dos niños, dejando sin electricidad a miles de personas y agravando los daños ya causados por más de una semana de intensas lluvias e inundaciones.
Ráfagas de viento de hasta 136 kilómetros por hora (85 millas por hora) azotaron Pullman, Washington, y las ciudades de Moscow y Lewiston en Idaho el miércoles por la mañana. Más de medio millón de clientes de energía se quedaron sin electricidad en Idaho, Washington y Oregon, según el sitio web Poweroutage.com.
En el sur de Idaho, la policía del condado Twin Falls escribió en Facebook que los fuertes vientos provocaron la caída de varios árboles viejos y podridos internamente, derribando líneas eléctricas y hiriendo gravemente a dos niños. No divulgó de inmediato detalles adicionales sobre las circunstancias que llevaron a las lesiones.
La policía del condado Clearwater en el centro-norte de Idaho advirtió a los residentes que la mayoría de las carreteras del condado estaban bloqueadas por árboles caídos.
Los residentes del oeste de Washington, muchos en comunidades ya inundadas, informaron sobre transformadores explotados, árboles y líneas eléctricas caídas y techos dañados en publicaciones en redes sociales el miércoles por la mañana.
El gobernador de Washington, Bob Ferguson, declaró el martes que la magnitud del daño es profunda pero incierta, y se pronosticaron más aguas altas, deslizamientos de tierra y cortes de energía.
Una serie de tormentas de sistemas meteorológicos que se extienden a través del Pacífico ha dejado cerca de 0,6 metros (2 pies) de lluvia en partes de las Montañas Cascade, hinchando ríos mucho más allá de sus cauces y provocando más de 600 rescates en 10 condados.
Hasta el martes, solo había habido una muerte: la de un hombre que ignoró señales de advertencia hacia un área inundada, pero carreteras estaban enterradas o arrasadas, comunidades enteras habían sido inundadas y los diques saturados habían cedido. Podrían pasar meses antes de que la Ruta Estatal 2, que conecta ciudades en el oeste de Washington con el área de esquí de Stevens Pass y la ciudad turística bávara de Leavenworth a través de las montañas, pueda reabrirse, dijo Ferguson.
“Estamos en esto a largo plazo”, indicó Ferguson en una conferencia de prensa. “Si recibes una orden de evacuación, por el amor de Dios, síguela”.
No será hasta que las aguas retrocedan y el riesgo de deslizamientos de tierra disminuya que las cuadrillas podrán evaluar completamente los daños, dijo. El estado y algunos condados están poniendo a disposición varios millones de dólares para ayudar a las personas a pagar hoteles, comestibles y otras necesidades, a la espera de una asistencia federal más extensa que Ferguson y la delegación del Congreso de Washington esperan ver aprobada.
Según la oficina del gobernador, los socorristas habían realizado al menos 629 rescates y 572 evacuaciones. Hasta 100.000 personas habían estado bajo órdenes de evacuación en ocasiones, muchas de ellas en la llanura de inundación del río Skagit al norte de Seattle.
Los ríos elevados y el riesgo de inundación podrían persistir hasta al menos finales de este mes, según el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional.
Residentes cerca de un dique roto en Pacific, al sur de Seattle, reicibieron órdenes de abandonar sus hogares antes del amanecer del martes, solo unas horas después de que se levantara una alerta de evacuación para los residentes cerca de otro dique roto. La policía condado King utilizó un helicóptero equipado con un altavoz y llamó a las puertas, según Brandyn Hull, gerente de comunicaciones de la agencia.
Una llamada al 911 que informó sobre agua entrando en un apartamento en Pacific alrededor de la 1:20 de la mañana del martes fue el primer indicio de la ruptura del dique para la Autoridad Regional de Bomberos del Valle, señaló la portavoz Kelly Hawks. Las cuadrillas evacuaron a unas 100 personas temprano el martes, sacando a algunas personas por las ventanas de sus apartamentos en el primer piso, dijo.
Finalmente, los residentes de unas 220 casas fueron evacuados. No se reportaron heridos.
Ante la ruptura, el departamento de policía de Pacific hizo un llamado en las redes sociales el martes por la mañana para conseguir un tractor con un balde capaz de alcanzar 2,4 metros (8 pies) de altura, para llenar una máquina de ensacado de arena. Una vez adquirido el tractor, el departamento pidió a los miembros del público que ayudaran a llenar sacos de arena.
En el área de Snohomish, al noreste de Seattle, un hombre que condujo más allá de las señales de advertencia fue encontrado muerto temprano el martes en un automóvil sumergido en una zanja inundada. El conductor, al parecer un hombre de 33 años, fue declarado muerto en el lugar después de que las medidas de salvamento fallaran.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/17/fuertes-vientos-azotan-noroeste-de-eeuu-tras-inundaciones/
Demócratas del Senado de EEUU cuestionan a líder de Comunicaciones por polémica con Jimmy Kimmel
Por JOEY CAPPELLETTI y MATT SEDENSKY
WASHINGTON (AP) — Los demócratas del Senado de Estados Unidos criticaron duramente el miércoles al líder de la Comisión Federal de Comunicaciones (FCC, por sus siglas en inglés) por presionar a las emisoras para que sacaran del aire a Jimmy Kimmel, sugiriendo que estaba politizando una agencia independiente y pisoteando la Primera Enmienda.
El presidente de la FCC, Brendan Carr, compareció ante el Comité de Comercio del Senado y fue bombardeado con preguntas sobre su crítica a Kimmel, el presentador nocturno de ABC que provocó la ira de Carr por sus comentarios sobre el activista conservador asesinado Charlie Kirk.
Ed Markey, el senador demócrata de Massachusetts, le dijo a Carr: “Está convirtiendo en arma el estándar de interés público”, instando al comisionado a que renuncie.
Carr se negó a retractarse de sus comentarios sobre el presentador y reiteró que simplemente ha aplicado leyes que someten a las cadenas a un escrutinio más estricto que el cable y otras formas de medios.
“La FCC ha dejado de hacer cumplir el estándar de interés público y no creo que eso sea algo bueno”, dijo el funcionario.
Por su parte, los republicanos del comité parecían decididos a hablar sobre subastas de espectro de transmisión, infraestructura de cables submarinos, contenido impulsado por algoritmos, llamadas automáticas y casi cualquier cosa que no fueran las controvertidas declaraciones de Carr sobre Kimmel.
El presidente del comité, Ted Cruz, un republicano de Texas que anteriormente equiparó los comentarios de Carr con los de un mafioso y los calificó de “peligrosos como el infierno”, adoptó una postura mucho más suave en la audiencia del miércoles. Aunque desestimó a Kimmel calificándolo como “de mal gusto” y “sin gracia”, Cruz se apartó de su crítica anterior, profiriendo ataques contra la administración del expresidente Joe Biden, los cuales Carr repitió a lo largo de la audiencia.
La senadora demócrata de Minnesota Amy Klobuchar, respondió en un momento dado: “Joe Biden ya no es presidente”.
La audiencia ante el Comité de Comercio del Senado fue la primera con la FCC desde 2020 e incluyó también a las otras dos comisionadas de ese organismo, Olivia Trusty y Anna M. Gomez. Cada comisionada presentó declaraciones iniciales en las que Gomez, designada por Biden, señaló que la FCC ha “socavado su reputación como un organismo regulador estable, independiente e impulsado por expertos”.
“No hay lugar donde esa desviación sea más preocupante que en sus acciones para intimidar a los críticos del gobierno, presionar a las empresas de medios y desafiar los límites de la Primera Enmienda”, afirmó Gomez.
Carr fue nominado para la FCC por Trump y Biden, y confirmado unánimemente por el Senado en tres ocasiones. Sin embargo, más recientemente ha mostrado puntos de vista más abiertamente de derecha, escribiendo una sección sobre la FCC para “Proyecto 2025”, el plan general para desmantelar la fuerza laboral federal y desmontar agencias en el segundo mandato de Trump.
Desde su nombramiento como comisionado de la FCC este año, Carr ha puesto en marcha investigaciones separadas sobre las tres principales cadenas de transmisión. Después de que Kimmel provocara controversia con comentarios sobre el asesinato de Kirk, un aliado de Trump y voz líder de la derecha que fue asesinado en septiembre, el funcionario dijo: “Podemos hacer esto de la manera fácil o de la manera difícil. Estas empresas pueden encontrar formas de tomar medidas contra Kimmel o habrá más trabajo para la FCC por delante”.
Cruz fue implacablemente crítico en ese momento, diciendo: “Creo que es increíblemente peligroso que el gobierno se ponga en la posición de decir que vamos a decidir qué discurso nos gusta y cuál no, y vamos a amenazar con sacarte del aire si no nos gusta lo que estás diciendo”.
Aunque Cruz no repitió esas palabras el miércoles, fueron invocadas en varias ocasiones por los demócratas.
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Sedensky informó desde Nueva York.
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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.
Four Days Later: Brown University Shooter Still At Large As Bizarre Anomalies Mount In Investigation
Four Days Later: Brown University Shooter Still At Large As Bizarre Anomalies Mount In Investigation
Anger mounts as the investigation into the Brown University shooting runs into ongoing hurdles: no identifiable suspect, a series of dead-end leads involving so-called persons of interest, and bizarre anomalies as the probe enters its fourth day.
The shooting at Brown occurred Saturday afternoon at the Barus and Holley Engineering Building. Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov were both killed. Importantly, Cook served as the vice president of the Ivy League school’s College Republicans.
Brown University Republican Club VP Ella Cook’s family deserves answers. pic.twitter.com/heOL1hQj6x
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 17, 2025
Following the shooting, there have been multiple dead-end leads involving so-called “persons of interest.” Local police have released blurry footage of one individual, while one of the most heavily surveilled schools in the nation reportedly had no interior footage.
Incompetence from liberal elites?
🚨 U.S taxpayers deserve answers from our Secretary of Education.
Brown University President Christina Paxson has a salary of $3.1 MILLION. She will make $12,000 today.
$510 MILLION was given to Brown this year. No cameras worked. No sirens. She thinks everything went well. pic.twitter.com/dyS2ggswTs
— NizNellie3 (@NizNellie3) December 17, 2025
There has been no word from local police, investigators, or the school on how the shooter was able to enter the building, nor any indication of whether the attack was targeted.
Self-proclaimed investor and “CIA/NSA contractor/whistleblower” Tony Seruga wrote on X a list of anomalies he claims are highly suspicious in the ongoing investigation.
Nearly four days into the investigation, with no identified suspect, motive, or arrest.
Police detained (and held for a full day) the wrong “person of interest” before releasing them.
Release of low-quality (“potato quality”) surveillance footage despite Brown having nearly 800 campus cameras; later enhanced by the FBI, but still limited.
Officials in press conferences are refusing to provide basic descriptions (e.g., height/weight) of the shooter, deferring to online postings.
Claims of no internal security footage from the building and no working sirens on campus.
Providence leadership criticized as “clueless”: officials admitting they’re “tired” and needing slack; mayor reportedly going out for pizza while the suspect was at large.
Brown University scrubbing all online pages and references to student Mustapha Kharbouch shortly after the shooting.
Accusations of authorities “burying evidence,” local incompetence, and evading questions about motive or shouted phrases.
Officials (including Rhode Island AG) shutting down speculation about Kharbouch, calling it a “dangerous road” and denying any ethnic/political motive link.
After a uniform denial, the University eventually came clean, making a statement that explained profile removals as privacy/safety measures amid doxxing, but the explanation was totally inadequate.
🚨Bizarre Anomalies Mount in Ongoing Brown University Shooting Probe
—Nearly four days into the investigation, with no identified suspect, motive, or arrest.
—Police detained (and held for a full day) the wrong “person of interest” before releasing them.
—Release of… pic.twitter.com/rUW7HSsR3g
— Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga) December 17, 2025
Fox News’ Jesse Watters also asked the hard questions …
🚨 JUST IN: Another RIDICULOUS news conference on the Brown University shooting 🚨
We STILL don’t know what the shooter yelled, eyewitness accounts DON’T LINE UP, and the “random attack” claim is looking VERY shaky 👀
One witness says he looked the shooter DIRECTLY in the EYE —… pic.twitter.com/14aYcbfgnz
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) December 16, 2025
What’s going on here?
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/17/2025 – 13:20
Solid 20Y Auction Stops Through After Jump In Foreign Demand
Solid 20Y Auction Stops Through After Jump In Foreign Demand
With stocks selling off again, and with capital – especially tech capital – scrambling for a flight to safety, it should hardly surprise anyone that today’s 20Y auction was strong.
Pricing at a high yield of 4.798%, this was almost 10bps higher than the 4.71% stop in November (when the auction tailed by 0.2bps), and stopped through today’s When Issued 4.799% by 0.1bps, the 6th stop through in the past 7 auctions.
The bid to cover jumped from 2.41 in November to 2.67, just above the 2.65 recent average.
The internals were also solid, as foreigners (aka Indirects) took down 65.2% of the auction, the highest since July; and with Directs awarded 22.2%, a bit below the 25.3% recent average, Dealers were left holding 12.6%, up from 11.4% in November and above the six-auction average of 11.0%.
Overall, this was a solid auction, which is what one would expected today, and while yields moved lower by about a basis point on the news, the reaction was to be expected. The big question is what happens to both issuance and yields if and when the AI trade continues to blow up and Trump decides to shift their existential risk to the balance sheet of the US taxpayer, similar to what happened in 2008 when it was banks, not AI companies, that were seen as Too Big To Fail.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/17/2025 – 13:17
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/solid-20y-auction-stops-through-after-jump-foreign-demand
The Oscars will move to YouTube in 2029, leaving longtime home of ABC
In a seismic shift for one of television’s marquee events, the Academy Awards will depart ABC and begin streaming on YouTube beginning in 2029, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday.
ABC will continue to broadcast the annual ceremony through 2028. That year will mark the 100th Oscars.
But starting in 2029, YouTube will retain global rights to streaming the Oscars through 2033. YouTube will effectively be the home to all things Oscars, including red-carpet coverage, the Governors Awards and the Oscar nominations announcement.
“We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming,” said academy chief executive Bill Kramer and academy president Lynette Howell Taylor. “The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible — which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/17/oscars-abc-youtube/
Thornton Township passes tax levy increases, ballot questions for 2026 election
Thornton Township Supervisor Napoleon Harris said Tuesday the board would only raise property taxes 2% in the coming year, a smaller increase than in the previous year.
The board also approved three advisory questions to appear on the ballot for the 2026 primary election on March 17, 2026 that include a request for property tax relief.
Harris said the 2% tax increase will apply to the general fund and general assistance fund, while taxes going toward the road and bridge fund will increase 3%. Harris said the township under former Supervisor Tiffany Henyard raised all taxes 4% last year.
He also said the township administration, sworn in in May, has shown “commitment to being responsible financial stewards” as they brought forward savings that include a recently renegotiated contract. The board approved its first budget, for 2025-26, over the summer.
Over the past seven months, Harris touted savings of $674,000 via the township’s general fund and $150,000 via the general assistance fund.
“I want to thank this board for their indulgence and working with us collaboratively to make sure that the residents of Thornton Township’s services are not going to decrease. They’re going to increase, and we’re going to make sure that we do the best possible things we can to make sure that we’re spending the money in the proper way,” Harris said.
But several meeting attendees complained that Harris’ administration lacks transparency surrounding spending much like former Supervisor Henyard, who remains under federal investigation.
Harris, who is also a state senator, recently supported a bill in the General Assembly that allowed him to continue receiving Henyard’s $202,000 salary. He also earns a more than $103,000 in salary as senator, according to the state.
About 15 people attended Tuesday’s Thornton Township meeting where trustees approved a 2% tax levy increase. (Olivia Stevens/Daily Southtown)
Lansing resident Paul Robertz complained the township fails to provide total dollar amounts of expenses approved during meetings, while Ryan Sinwelski, of Harvey, said residents were not provided details about the tax levy before the board voted.
“This severely limits the public’s ability to respond to the idea of increasing our taxes, and I’m concerned that proceeding with the vote tonight undermines transparency,” Sinwelski said.
The board ultimately voted 5-0 in favor of the tax levy increase.
Ballot questions the board approved include a request for property tax relief drafted by officials from Thornton Township, Rich Township and Riverside Township, according to Clerk Casey Nesbit. Nesbit said they were asking for support to create a fund offering relief to homeowners, but did not say whether the relief would come from state or county governments.
Other advisory questions will ask if the township should provide more services, including snow removal.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/17/thornton-township-property-tax-increase/
California Allows Tesla To Continue Sales In State… For Now
California Allows Tesla To Continue Sales In State… For Now
Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has placed on hold an order suspending Tesla’s car sales in the state, granting the electric vehicle maker additional time to respond to allegations of misleading marketing and overstated self-driving capabilities.
DMV Director Steve Gordon told reporters on Tuesday that the agency adopted a judge’s recommendation for a 30-day suspension of Tesla’s manufacturing and sales licenses, but stayed the measures.
The stay lasts for 90 days on sales and indefinitely on manufacturing, which Gordon said provides Tesla “one more chance to be able to remedy the situation.” Gordon noted that he hopes Tesla will “find a way to get these misleading statements corrected.”
Tesla can appeal the order within the agency or in court, Gordon said.
The DMV first filed complaints in 2022, alleging that Tesla had made untrue or misleading statements about its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) features. According to regulatory filings, the agency claimed that the branding implied the vehicles could operate autonomously, in violation of state advertising regulations. A DMV spokesperson at the time indicated that successful action could require Tesla to better educate consumers about feature limitations and provide cautionary warnings.
In a 2024 ruling, a judge threw out Tesla’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, accepting the state’s argument that even with disclaimers, misleading terms could attract customers unlawfully. The DMV argued Tesla’s language led reasonable people to believe vehicles functioned autonomously, despite requiring active supervision.
A lawyer at Tesla stated in a hearing that the company had “clearly and consistently” explained that cars equipped with Autopilot and FSD software require driver supervision and are not autonomous.
“Tesla has never misled consumers. Never. And not even close,” the lawyer said.
Tesla is currently facing reduced demand for their electric vehicles after the end of key tax credits. CEO Elon Musk has shifted the company’s focus to robotaxis that use an unsupervised FSD version and humanoid robots.
Autopilot assists with highway tasks like acceleration, braking, and lane-keeping, while FSD enables lane changes, traffic signal obedience, and city driving—all under supervision. Tesla employs “supervised” FSD in consumer vehicles while “unsupervised” variants are used in factory operations and a monitored robotaxi service in Austin.
The DMV’s stance echoes broader scrutiny. In 2022, drivers filed a class-action lawsuit in San Francisco federal court alleging false claims about Autopilot and FSD, seeking damages for purchasers since 2016. That suit followed the DMV’s initial complaints.
The company was victorious in 2023 in a trial over a fatal crash involving Autopilot, with jurors finding that the company had provided sufficient driver warnings. In a separate 2024 ruling, fraud claims against Musk and officials were dismissed, finding that statements such as Autopilot being safer than average drivers were not fraudulent.
Additionally, a 2023 recall of 362,000 vehicles addressed FSD software bugs risking crashes at intersections, underscoring ongoing safety concerns. Federal probes by the Justice Department and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continue into Autopilot and range claims.
The automaker did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest developments.
Reuters contributed to this report
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/17/2025 – 13:00
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/california-allows-tesla-continue-sales-state-now
