Category: News
Nearly 23% of Illinois high school students say they drink, according to report
Nearly 23% of Illinois high school students said they drank alcohol within the last 30 days when surveyed in 2021, according to a report released Monday by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Nearly 12% of the teens acknowledged binge drinking – consuming four to five drinks within a couple hours time.
The findings are part of a new, first-time report released Monday by the Illinois Department of Public Health that reveals a comprehensive view of alcohol use across the state.
“This report provides the most detailed picture to date of how alcohol use and misuse affect the health and safety of Illinois residents,” said Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, in a news release. “This report serves as a critical foundation for a more informed, coordinated response to the growing public health challenges posed by alcohol misuse across Illinois.”
The report also examined drinking by adults, pregnant women, deaths in alcohol-related vehicle crashes and the prevalence of diseases caused by alcohol.
The report also found that, among high schoolers, girls were more likely to say they drank and binge drank than boys. Higher percentages of white teens said they drank, compared with Black and Latinx teens. About 27% of white teens reported drinking, compared with about 15.9% of Black teens and 22.5% of Latinx teens.
The data came from surveys administered through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention every two years to a sample of ninth-graders through 12th-graders.
The report also examined drinking by Illinois adults, with nearly 56% of adults saying in 2023 that they’d had a drink the last 30 days. About 18% of adults said they binge drank, and 5.3% reported heavy drinking, defined as more than 15 drinks a week for men and more than eight drinks a week for women, according to the state health department.
People with higher incomes drank more than people with lower incomes, according to the report. About 69% of Illinois residents with incomes of $75,000 or more a year reported current drinking in 2023, compared with 49.2% of those earning $35,000 to $50,000 a year, and 35% of people who made less than $15,000 a year.
The percentage of people killed in Illinois in vehicle accidents where alcohol was involved rose between 2019 and 2022. In 2022, 37% of fatal crashes involved a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of at least .01, up from 33% in 2019.
Between 2020 and 2023, more than 2,300 Illinois residents died from illnesses caused by alcohol use, including alcoholic liver disease, alcohol dependency syndrome, excessive alcohol use and alcohol psychosis.
The report also noted that, in 2024, alcohol-related issues were the leading reason people called the Illinois Helpline, a free hotline that connects people with treatment for substance use disorders and problem gambling.
“This highlights a critical need for increased resources, data collection, and targeted community interventions to address the growing health threat alcohol use poses to Illinois communities,” according to the report.
More to come.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/15/alcohol-report-illinois-department-of-health/
Anger Mounts As Police Release Video That “Shows Nothing” In Brown University Shooting
Anger Mounts As Police Release Video That “Shows Nothing” In Brown University Shooting
Brown University has roughly one surveillance camera for every nine undergraduate students. Yet, despite that high level of surveillance, local authorities have not released a single clear, front-facing image of the shooter, who yelled “something unique” before killing two and injuring nine in a classroom that focused on the intersection of economics and Jewish studies.
Providence Police have not identified a suspect and appear to be pursuing multiple so-called “persons of interest,” underscoring, nearly 48 hours after the shooting, just how few leads investigators have to work with.
The FBI is searching in the snow and bushes on Waterman Street near where police just released a surveillance video of the Brown University suspect walking down the street moments after the shooting https://t.co/ZFd4fqwhAt pic.twitter.com/Kywv8eFXzP
— Steph Machado (@StephMachado) December 15, 2025
At 2:30 p.m. local time, the Providence Police released a new video of a “person of interest” and announced plans to release additional video as part of the ongoing investigation.
The closed-circuit video shows an individual wearing all black, walking along a street at an estimated distance exceeding 100 meters, with no discernible facial features or front-facing imagery. Despite the lack of actionable identifiers (aside from having two legs, two arms and wearing all black), police have issued a public request for tips via a hotline.
We are sharing a video of a person of interest and plan to release additional video as part of the ongoing investigation. If you recognize this individual, please contact our Tip Center online at https://t.co/wMDG5fF8y4 or call 401-272-3121 pic.twitter.com/LuPCx7mAV2
— Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) December 15, 2025
This highlights an alarming information gap confronting investigators.
X users blasted Providence Police:
Be on the lookout for a person with legs.
— october (@roboticpressure) December 15, 2025
I’ve seen better videos of bigfoot
— CrazySanMan (@CrazySanMan) December 15, 2025
800 cameras on campus and you’re putting this nonsense out? Why is Brown and the Providence Police working together to hide the killer’s identity?
— Savannah Insights 🎙️ (@BasedSavannah) December 15, 2025
Again, calling for the immediate resignation of @GovDanMcKee @ProvidenceRIPD chief Oscar Perez, and @PVDMayor this is extremely unacceptable.
— Don Hustles Daily – Don D (@DonHustlesDaily) December 15, 2025
There’s no reason to post this video, it shows nothing.
— Tristan48 (@Tristan48OnX) December 15, 2025
Dear lord, I got a much clearer video of my son taking a right on red with his ticket you sent.
— Lucythegreat (@lucythegreat123) December 15, 2025
At this point I’m thinking you’re either protecting this POS or the most incompetent police department on Earth.
— TTL Inc (@TTL_inc) December 15, 2025
The gunman who yelled “something unique” before shooting up a Brown classroom is still on the run.
This was six hours after the shooting. Incompetence?
🚨 HOLY CRAP. The Brown University President just got GRILLED.
REPORTER: “With all due respect, SIX HOURS after the shooting, you don’t know what was going on in that classroom? How does that happen?”
“I don’t know.”
REPORTER: “6 hours later. You’re the president. You don’t… pic.twitter.com/Nfloi23x4r
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 14, 2025
Yesterday’s person of interest turned out to be a dud (read the report). X users are asking whether this systemic incompetence by the police at a college with 800 cameras is an attempt to cover up the real identity.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/15/2025 – 15:45
Mellizos incorporan al primera base Josh Bell con por un año, según fuente
Por DAVE CAMPBELL
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Los Mellizos de Minnesota y el resistente toletero Josh Bell acordaron el lunes un contrato de un año por 7 millones de dólares, según una persona con conocimiento de las negociaciones.
La persona, que habló con The Associated Press bajo condición de anonimato porque la finalización del acuerdo estaba pendiente de un examen físico, dijo que Bell recibirá un bono por firmar de 250.000 y un salario de 5,5 millones en 2026. El acuerdo incluye una opción mutua para 2027 con una cláusula de rescisión de 1,25 millones.
Bell también obtendrá una suite de hotel en los viajes fuera de casa.
Se espera que Bell ayude a llenar un vacío en la primera base y como bateador designado con los Mellizos en su undécima temporada en las Grandes Ligas. Este año bateó para .237 con 22 jonrones y 63 carreras impulsadas para Washington.
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El escritor de béisbol de AP, Ronald Blum, contribuyó a este informe.
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Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Watch: Ukrainian Sea Drone In Direct Hit On Docked Russian Submarine
Watch: Ukrainian Sea Drone In Direct Hit On Docked Russian Submarine
In what appears an unprecedented first of the war, Ukraine is touting that it deployed a new underwater drone, named “Sub Sea Baby”, to sink a Russian Kilo-class submarine docked at the Black Sea Novorossiysk port.
While not specifying the date and time of the attack, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said Monday the operation was a success as it struck the “Russian submarine of the class 636.3 ‘Varshavyanka’” and as a result it “suffered critical damage and was actually put out of action.”
Illustrative photo: SBU drones strike Russian submarine.
The SBU further called it the first attack of its kind, describing the joint operation with the Ukrainian Navy, and shared video showing a large explosion at the sprawling Russian port, home to a number of naval assets.
“This class of submarine is also known as the ‘Black Hole’ due to the hull’s ability to absorb sound and remain inaudible to sonar,” the SBU said of the destroyed vessel.
Kyiv Post writes, “The SBU estimated the submarine’s cost at about $400 million, rising to as much as $500 million to replace due to sanctions, and said it can carry up to four Kalibr cruise missiles used in attacks on Ukrainian cities.”
Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said that given submarines are understood to be among the hardest targets to hit, the operation marked “another turning point” in the naval battle between Ukraine and Russia.
“This day once again upends the perception of the possibilities of naval combat in this war,” he said according to Reuters.
War monitors estimate that four submarines were stationed in Novorossiysk at the time of the attack, and now one is likely totally disabled, and immediate repairs would be risky as the port is still exposed to further sea or aerial drone attack.
Ukraine is currently seeking to claw back some leverage amid efforts to reach a peace deal with Russia. Ukrainian and US delegations are meeting in Berlin this week in order to hash out what might be acceptable compromise.
News: Ukrainian SBU special operation has hit a $400mn Russian submarine in Novorossiysk.
The Security Service of Ukraine conducted what it called a “unique special operation” targeting the port of Novorossiysk. “For the first time in history, underwater ‘Sub Sea Baby’ drones… pic.twitter.com/5ogO5dwJkx
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) December 15, 2025
Russia has been absorbing serious blows of late due to Ukraine’s drone warfare, especially at oil refineries and transport hubs; however, President Putin has still shown no signs that he intends to back down from pursuing the goals of the ‘special military operation’.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/15/2025 – 15:25
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/watch-ukrainian-sea-drone-direct-hit-docked-russian-submarine
Trinidad y Tobago abre sus aeropuertos a fuerzas de EEUU ante tensiones con Venezuela
Por ANSELM GIBBS
PUERTO ESPAÑA, Trinidad y Tobago (AP) — El gobierno de Trinidad y Tobago anunció el lunes que dará a fuerzas estadounidenses acceso a sus aeropuertos en las próximas semanas a medida que aumentan las tensiones entre Estados Unidos y Venezuela.
El anuncio se produce después de que el ejército norteamericano instalara recientemente un sistema de radar en el aeropuerto de Tobago. El gobierno del país caribeño ha dicho que el radar se está utilizando para combatir el crimen local y que la pequeña nación no se utilizaría como plataforma de lanzamiento para atacar a ningún otro país.
Estados Unidos usaría los aeropuertos para actividades que serían “de naturaleza logística, facilitando el reabastecimiento de suministros y rotaciones rutinarias de personal”, declaró el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Trinidad y Tobago en un comunicado. No proporcionó más detalles.
La primera ministra Trinidad ha elogiado previamente los ataques estadounidenses a presuntas embarcaciones de drogas en el Caribe.
Solo 11 kilómetros (7 millas) separan a Venezuela de la nación caribeña en su punto más cercano. Tiene dos aeropuertos principales: el Aeropuerto Internacional de Piarco en Trinidad y el Aeropuerto Internacional ANR Robinson en Tobago.
Horas después del anuncio, la vicepresidenta venezolana Delcy Rodríguez indicó que su país cancelaba de inmediato cualquier contrato, acuerdo o negociación para suministrar gas natural a Trinidad y Tobago.
Afirmó que el gobierno de Trinidad y Tobago participó en la reciente incautación por parte de Estados Unidos de un petrolero frente a la costa del país, calificándolo de “acto de piratería”.
También acusó a la primera ministra de Trinidad y Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, de tener una agenda hostil contra Venezuela, señalando que el ejército norteamericano instaló un radar en el aeropuerto de Tobago.
“Esta funcionaria ha convertido el territorio de Trinidad y Tobago en un portaaviones estadounidense para agredir a Venezuela, en un acto inequívoco de vasallaje”, señaló Rodríguez.
La oficina de la primera ministra de Trinidad de momento no ha respondido a un mensaje solicitando comentarios.
Trinidad y Venezuela habían alcanzado previamente un acuerdo sobre el desarrollo de un campo de gas en aguas venezolanas, cerca de la frontera marítima que separa a los dos países.
En diciembre de 2023, Venezuela otorgó una licencia para que la gigante petrolera Shell y Trinidad y Tobago produjeran gas del campo. En octubre, el gobierno de Estados Unidos otorgó a Trinidad y Tobago permiso para negociar el acuerdo de gas sin enfrentar sanciones estadounidenses impuestas a Venezuela.
Amery Browne, un senador de la oposición y exministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Trinidad y Tobago, acusó el lunes al gobierno trinitense de ser engañoso en su anuncio.
Browne sostuvo que Trinidad y Tobago se ha convertido en “facilitadores cómplices de asesinatos extrajudiciales, tensiones transfronterizas y beligerancia”.
“No hay nada rutinario en esto. No tiene nada que ver con la cooperación habitual y las colaboraciones amistosas que hemos disfrutado con Estados Unidos y todos nuestros vecinos durante décadas”, expresó.
Dijo que el “permiso general” con Estados Unidos lleva al país “un paso más hacia el camino de un estado satélite” y que adopta una filosofía de “la fuerza es el derecho”.
Los ataques estadounidenses comenzaron en septiembre y han matado a más de 80 personas mientras Washington construye una flota de buques de guerra cerca de Venezuela, incluido su portaaviones más grande.
En octubre, un buque de guerra estadounidense atracó en la capital de Trinidad, Puerto España, mientras la administración del presidente estadounidense Donald Trump aumenta la presión militar sobre Venezuela y el presidente Nicolás Maduro.
Los legisladores estadounidenses han cuestionado la legalidad de los ataques contra embarcaciones en el Caribe y el Océano Pacífico oriental, y recientemente anunciaron que habría una revisión congresional de los mismos.
___________________________________
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
San Diego Padres’ Yu Darvish, 39, not sure if he will pitch in big leagues again
Yu Darvish had surgery in October to repair a torn UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow. The San Diego Padres said the recovery time for the veteran pitcher would be 12 to 15 months.
Darvish said this in a social media post after the procedure that he will “work hard in my rehab to be able to throw a ball comfortably again.”
That might not be in the major leagues.
Darvish confirmed Monday that he is not certain he will pitch again.
“I’m not necessarily thinking about really pitching as I go through this rehab process right now,” Darvish said Monday through translator Shingo Horie.
“I don’t have that in my mind. I’m just trying to just rehab my arm right now. And if I get the urge to come back, if I feel that I can stand on the mound and come back, then I will go for that, but I’ll just leave it there for now.”
Darvish is under contract through 2028. However, he has since before the 2025 season been noncommittal about how long he will play.
Speaking Monday during an appearance at the Ronald McDonald House, for which he has been a benefactor, Darvish lamented how his 2025 season went.
“I don’t feel like I was able to really contribute to the team during that time while I was pitching,” Darvish said. “In my mind, I was thinking that maybe this could be it for me. So I was kind of, in a way, grinding through the season, trying to get the best out of myself for the team.”
Three sources have said this offseason that the 39-year-old Darvish is considering retirement.
A fourth source, while not explicitly saying the right-hander with a record 208 wins between MLB and Japan is calling it quits, said Darvish’s priorities after 21 years in professional baseball revolve around his family.
Among Darvish’s cherished rituals is playing catch with his sons. That was something he feared he would not be able to continue to do without surgery.
Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller did not get into specifics regarding Darvish’s future when asked about the pitcher at last month’s general managers’ meetings.
“We’ve got some more questions for the future and what does (the surgery) mean for Yu,” Preller said. “He’s a pro, and we have a ton of respect for him. We’re gonna let him go through his process and keep talking to him in the next couple of weeks.”
Yu Darvish #11 of the San Diego Padres looks on against the Chicago Cubs during Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field on Oct. 1, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The surgery rules him out for 2026, a season for which he is scheduled to be paid $16 million. He is due $15 million in both ‘27 and ‘28.
If he retires, at least some of that money is freed up for the Padres, who would welcome the infusion of available funds in their quest to add much-needed starting pitching.
Darvish, who turned 39 in August, has made more than $220 million in 14 seasons in the major leagues. He also played seven seasons in Japan and is believed to have made several million more in endorsements as one of that country’s most revered professional athletes.
In 2024, he voluntarily forfeited $4 million by going on the restricted list while attending to a personal matter. He was on the injured list at the time and could have stayed there and been paid.
Sources have indicated there could be negotiations regarding a buyout of the money remaining on Darvish’s deal.
Elbow issues have sidelined Darvish each of his five seasons with Padres, and he was handled with care as he and the Padres slow-played his return from one such issue that occurred in spring training.
He made his first start of the season on July 7 and ended up making 15 starts in the regular season. He was 5-5 with a 5.38 ERA in 72 innings, and the Padres were 9-6 in his starts before starting Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Oct. 2. He recorded just three outs and was charged with two runs, all in the second inning.
Yu Darvish #11 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Petco Park on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
In 115 starts for the Padres, he is 44-37 with a 3.97 ERA.
On July 30, Darvish won his 204th game between MLB (111) and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (93), becoming the winningest pitcher all-time between the two leagues.
Darvish is a two-time Cy Young Award runner-up, for the Rangers in 2013 and the Cubs in 2020. The Padres acquired him and catcher Victor Caratini on Dec. 28, 2020, in a trade that sent pitcher Zach Davies and four minor-leaguers to the Cubs.
Darvish’s 115 wins are the 13th most in the majors since 2012, his first season after pitching seven seasons for the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan. His 3.65 ERA is 14th in that span among pitchers with at least 1,500 innings. His 1,778 innings are more than all but 15 other pitchers despite his missing the 2015 season after Tommy John surgery.
His 2,075 strikeouts rank 44th all-time.
Padres pitcher Yu Darvish helped fund a rec room at the
Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego, 2929 Children’s Way. (Kevin Acee)
The appearance Friday at the facility that provides a place to stay and support for families with children undergoing treatment at neighboring Rady’s Children’s Hospital indicates Darvish remains plugged into the San Diego community.
He said he and the Padres are talking about ways he can be around and impact the team in 2026.
“I expect him to be around the team a lot,” manager Craig Stammen said last week. “Specifically, him and Randy Vásquez have a really tight, close relationship. … Yu was very instrumental in Randy’s season last year, of it getting better as the season went on, with gameplanning and knowing how to take care of his body. He’s going to be a huge asset for us, not just with Randy, but the entire team, specifically the pitching staff.”
Stammen also opined on the potential for Darvish to pitch again with both optimism and a level of uncertainty.
“I think so,” Stammen replied when asked if he understood Darvish was planning to continue his career. “I would not put anything past Yu Darvish. That guy has accomplished so many things in our game. … That guy is an amazing man, and he’s been an amazing baseball player for a long time. The work that he puts in, how articulate he is and how detailed he is with what he does on a daily basis, he’s going to come back from this injury. Whether he and his family decide whether he wants to pitch anymore, that will be up to him, but I know he can do it.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/15/yu-darvish-mlb-future/
Population Collapse, Fiat Money, And The Future Of The Global Economy
Population Collapse, Fiat Money, And The Future Of The Global Economy
Submitted by Thomas Kolbe
The fundamental problems of our society can largely be traced back to the collapse of reproduction rates. These are a symptom of dysfunction in the machinery of the social factory. People are losing faith in the future.
The dramatic decline in birth rates is no longer exclusively a Western phenomenon. China, long the epitome of demographic dynamism, has been in an open contraction process for about a year. The consequences are visible wherever political and social systems have been designed for steadily growing populations alongside rising economic productivity.
We know this problem from Germany. For the first time, the German society faces severe distribution conflicts and social struggles in its pay-as-you-go pension system as well as in healthcare provision for a rapidly aging population. The demographic foundation on which the welfare state was built is beginning to crumble. With its unprecedentedly naive immigration policy, the political class is operating like a dynamo, accelerating this development.
Much speculation surrounds the causes of this population decline. A valid point refers to the introduction of the contraceptive pill as a symbol of female emancipation – a medical-scientific intervention in reproduction rates that delivered a massive shock to 20th-century societies, still reverberating today.
The Eternal Reach into the Political Attic
To counter these trends, modern politics has devised a whole arsenal of monetary incentives: child allowances, tax incentives for marriage, joint taxation for couples, supplemented by a bouquet of state incentives. Yet all these measures have largely failed. Birth rates could not be sustainably stabilized, let alone increased.
A small anecdote illustrates how history repeats itself – at least in the sense that societies in demographic crises always fall back on the same reaction patterns. During the reign of Emperor Augustus, a decline in the Italian core population was met with a mix of monetary incentives for young parents and draconian tax penalties for childless members of the senatorial class. Both had little noticeable effect.
It is remarkable – and sobering – how persistently humans and political systems reproduce failed options, even when their failure is historically documented and empirically evident.
The Chinese example seems almost comical. During the population boom in the Middle Kingdom, a strict, heavily sanctioned one-child policy prevailed. Yet the population still grew – and with the now visible collapse of reproduction rates, Chinese leadership today follows the Western democratic model: offering child allowances while kindergartens visibly empty.
China is expected to lose about 20 percent of its population over the next 30 years.
There is no doubt this will have consequences for the global economy. Societies react reflexively to such developments. China responds with aggressive subsidies for its export engine to counter these domestic distortions, which primarily manifest economically as deflationary pressures.
Demographics, Intervention, and the Loss of the Generational Bond
Adjusting an economy to a shrinking population becomes increasingly difficult the higher the degree of political intervention. This is a central problem – not just for China, but also for Germany and Europe at large.
On a global scale, the population is expected to reach its peak in about ten years, around 9.7 billion. Currently, about 8.2 billion people live on the planet. Regions like China and Europe are already in a demographic downward spiral, while India and large parts of Africa continue to grow dynamically. This asynchrony exerts significant migration pressure on regions like Europe – leading to culturally consequential misjudgments, such as the EU’s planned relocation of millions of culturally foreign people to the continent.
Germany’s transformation into a kind of global welfare office has created a unique demographic situation. If open-border policies continue, the German population may even grow further in the coming years. Whether this is cause for celebration is debatable, given the state of German society.
But what has really happened here? The welfare state gradually transferred the responsibility for securing old age from the individual and their family to the institution itself. In the past, one’s old age was secured by children; today, the state assumes this role – financed by contributions from those still working. This increasingly dissolves the intergenerational bond between parents and children, both emotionally and economically – a kind of causal decoupling.
The emotional loss of family significance is difficult to overstate. The necessity for large families has disappeared.
The Fiat Money Shock
Examining demographic developments presents one of the most complex social structures imaginable. Remarkably, one central factor is consistently ignored: the monetary system under which these developments occur – the end of the gold standard.
By closing the so-called gold window in 1971, U.S. President Richard Nixon ended the dollar’s convertibility into a fixed gold equivalent – marking the transition into the era of fiat credit money.
Money was no longer tied to real scarcity but could be politically manipulated through deficit policies and expanded through credit processes on an unprecedented scale. Credit became money; credit products like government bonds formed the foundation of the global monetary system.
This decoupling had far-reaching consequences. States effectively subordinated their central banks, using them to finance permanent deficits – a policy that, as we can observe in Germany today, eventually spirals out of control. It is an attempt to pull future purchasing power into the present, creating fiscal and economic leeway. A classic Keynesian maneuver that leaves nothing but debt, asset bubbles, and inflation.
The consequences of this nearly unbacked credit creation, especially in private banking, are visible in asset price development since the beginning of this era. Real estate shifted from consumer goods to financial instruments, quasi-piggy banks in the battle against systemic money devaluation.
Today, for young families, purchasing a home without plunging into massive debt is nearly impossible. Dual-income households have become a prerequisite. The focus on child-rearing has not only been socially devalued amid waves of feminism but is now also practically impossible for many economically.
In a credit-driven economy, life becomes a scarce resource. Two incomes are required to close the wealth gap with owners and heirs. Children inevitably compete with career, income, and private retirement planning.
It is a fatal dysfunction of the social factory, whose incentive structure should ideally produce at least enough children to stabilize the population.
A return to sound money could be the key to an economic and social turnaround, which also lies ahead for German society at the end of its decline.
It would simultaneously end the postmodern hyperstate, which, through credit manipulation, deeply interferes with individuals’ economic dispositions. With sound money and technological progress, people could gain purchasing power through disciplined saving – translated into time. Time they could devote to their families, projecting themselves into the future with confidence under stable monetary processes.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/15/2025 – 15:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/population-collapse-fiat-money-and-future-global-economy
Former Goo Goo Dolls drummer Mike Malinin purchased $1.5M home in Winnetka
Mike Malinin, who was the drummer for the rock band the Goo Goo Dolls for almost two decades, and his wife, Krista, earlier this year paid $1.54 million for a four-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot house in Winnetka.
Malinin, 58, joined the Goo Goo Dolls in 1994 and remained in the band until his departure in 2013. From 2016 until 2023, he was the drummer for country singer Tanya Tucker.
Now, Malinin and his wife have moved from Franklin, Tennessee to the North Shore. In Winnetka, they bought a house that had been built in 1954 and was completely gut-renovated in 2015. The house has four bedrooms, hardwood floors, a recently expanded first floor, a great room with a fireplace, an office with a sliding barn door and a kitchen with a walk-in pantry, an island and a breakfast area.
Other features include a second-floor laundry room and a separate mud room entrance.
The house sold for above its asking price. It had been listed in March for $1.399 million and went under contract to sell just four days later.
Katie Moor of Compass, who represented the Malinins, declined to comment on the transaction or on why the couple moved to the Chicago area.
The house had an $18,710 property tax bill in the 2024 tax year.
In January 2025, the couple sold their five-bedroom, 3,761-square-foot house in Franklin, Tennessee’s Westhaven community for $2 million.
Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/15/goo-goo-dolls-drummer-mike-malinin-winnetka/
Michele Singer Reiner, photographer who influenced 1980s rom-com’s happy end, dies
LOS ANGELES — Michele Singer Reiner, a photographer and producer who inspired the happy conclusion in the 1980s romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally…,” has died.
Reiner and her husband, director Rob Reiner, were found dead Sunday at their home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Sunday and found a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman dead inside. The Reiners’ 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, was being held Monday in connection with their deaths.
Rob Reiner and Michele Singer met while he was filming “When Harry Met Sally…” and he told The Guardian in 2018 that influenced his decision to change the ending of the movie to a happier one.
Rob Reiner, son of a comedy giant who became one in turn, dies at 78
“Originally, Harry and Sally didn’t get together. But then I met Michele and I thought: OK, I see how this works,” he said.
He told The New York Times in 1989 that the cinematographer on the film, Barry Sonnenfeld, predicted he would marry her. She visited the set with Sonnenfeld’s then-fiancee, during a scene when the characters were having an argument, Rob Reiner said.
“I look over and I see this girl, and whoo! I was attracted immediately,” he said. “I wormed my way into their lunch. But that’s what he said to me: ‘You’re going to marry her.’ And one thing led to another and here we are.”
Trump levels political attack on Rob Reiner in inflammatory post after his killing
They married in 1989 and had three children: Nick, Jake and Romy.
Michele Singer Reiner was a producer for “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” “God & Country,” “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life” and “Shock and Awe,” according to IMDB. Earlier in her career, she photographed the cover image of Donald Trump for his 1987 bestseller “The Art of the Deal.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/15/michele-singer-reiner-dies/
Afternoon Briefing: Richton Park tree lot featured in Hallmark Christmas movie closes
Good afternoon, Chicago.
Renegade Chicago aldermen battling with Mayor Brandon Johnson over competing 2026 budgets announced tweaks to their proposal this morning, but withheld critical details.
The City Council majority group is dropping its plan to raise the garbage pickup fee, Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, said in a statement. The group will also maintain youth summer job funding at levels first proposed by Johnson after previously pushing for a smaller amount, Villegas said.
The changes are an apparent bid to convince more colleagues to join them and blunt Johnson’s near-daily criticism that their package would hurt working-class Chicagoans.
Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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A roadside Christmas tree lot along Sauk Trail in Richton Park had been providing seasonal memories for about 40 years, according to owner Rick Reinbold, including being the setting for a Hallmark Christmas movie. It didn’t open this year after Reinbold decided to “pull the plug” on the operation, he said. (Paul Eisenberg/Daily Southtown)
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