Category: News
Three face murder charges in August shooting of Thornwood High athlete killed in ‘case of mistaken identity’
Three people were arrested, including one juvenile, and charged with murder in the Aug. 2 shooting death of Davell Holden, 16, of South Holland.
Charges were filed against Javan Moore, 21, the alleged shooter, Demon Smith, 20, and a 16-year-old juvenile. All three are from neighboring Phoenix.
“I am more than beyond relieved to see a happy conclusion, to have three offenders who were successfully charged and held accountable for this heinous act,” South Holland police Chief Shawn Staples said Monday.
Holden, who would be a junior at Thornwood High School, was shot Aug. 2 in the 16000 block of Drexel Avenue.
“Disgustingly, this is a case of mistaken identity,” South Holland officials said village in a news release. “The victim, Davell Holden, happened to be visiting his girlfriend, who lived on the same street as where the actual intended target recently lived, and he closely resembled him in appearance. Now, an innocent and promising young man is gone.”
An intensive investigation followed Holden’s death, with the village partnering with Father Michael Pfleger of Saint Sabina Church in Chicago to offer a reward of $10,000 for information leading to arrest.
“Davell, at only 16 years old, was an outstanding young man. He was an athlete, a basketball player at Thornwood High School and an honor student,” South Holland Mayor Don De Graf said. “He was an innocent victim.”
Holden’s mother, Angela Birts, thanked investigators at a Monday news conference, and the wider South Holland community, for supporting her family.
“This is an excellent community. I still believe in our faith and future and family in this community,” Birts said.
South Holland Mayor Don De Graf speaks at a news conference Monday regarding arrests in the August shooting death of Davell Holde. (Evy Lewins/Daily Southtown)
Cook County Judge James Costello ordered both Moore and Smith held in pre-trial detention. Preliminary hearings for Moore and Smith were scheduled for Tuesday morning.
In the court order detaining Moore, Costello referred to the killing as “a cold-blooded execution of the minor victim,” noting the shooting took place in daylight in a residential area. He said electronic monitoring options were “not designed to mitigate dangers of (defendants) who plan and commit assassinations.”
Staples said the investigation is still open.
“There’s still a lot more information coming in,” Staples said. “It is the kind of case that as more information comes in, we’ll use that toward the case.”
The village has asked for anyone with more information relating to the case to call South Holland Police Department detectives at 708-331-3131, ext. 2.
De Graf said it did not appear the police had received any tips eligible to claim the $10,000 prize.
elewis@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/15/murder-charges-thornwood-high-athlete/
Men’s college basketball: Nebraska hits its highest ranking since 1991 after beating Illinois at the buzzer
No. 1 Arizona and No. 2 Michigan remained locked in place atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll released Monday while No. 15 Nebraska jumped to its highest Top 25 ranking in nearly 35 years.
The Wildcats had 42 of 61 first-place votes to hold the top spot while the Wolverines received 15 to keep the teams at 1-2 for a second consecutive week.
The top 10 was largely unchanged, with No. 7 Gonzaga and No. 8 Houston swapping spots from last week the only new wrinkle. No. 3 Duke (three) and No. 4 Iowa State (one) were the only other teams to earn first-place votes.
UConn and Purdue were next after the Cyclones, and Michigan State and BYU rounded out the top 10.
The Cornhuskers (11-0) had the week’s biggest jump of eight spots after Saturday’s win at then-No. 13 Illinois on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. That marked the highest ranking for the program since it was No. 11 in March 1991 for the final poll of that season.
The now-No. 18 Illini and 23rd-ranked Florida had the week’s biggest slides, with each falling five spots.
Georgia was the lone new addition to the poll, moving in at No. 25 to replace UCLA.
Buzzer-beater sinks No. 13 Illinois in 83-80 loss to No. 23 Nebraska, which improves to 11-0
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/15/college-basketball-mens-rankings-nebraska-illinois/
Scheffler se une a Woods como los únicos en ganar el premio al Jugador del Año 4 años seguidos
Por DOUG FERGUSON
Scottie Scheffler vuelve a ser nombrado al lado de Tiger Woods. El lunes se le unió como los únicos jugadores en ganar el premio al jugador del año de la Gira de la PGA al menos cuatro veces consecutivas.
No fue difícil otorgarle nuevamente el Premio Jack Nicklaus a Scheffler. Sus seis victorias, que lideraron la Gira, representaron el doble que las de cualquier otro e incluyeron dos majors, el Campeonato de la PGA y el Abierto Británico, dejándolo al borde de un Grand Slam de carrera.
Se convirtió en el primer jugador desde Woods en 2000 en liderar la Gira de la PGA con el promedio de puntuación más bajo en cada una de las cuatro rondas.
Scheffler fue nominado junto a Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood y Ben Griffin. El premio es votado por los jugadores, aunque el PGA Tour no reveló qué porcentaje de los votos recibió Scheffler ni cuántos jugadores votaron.
Woods ha ganado el premio 11 veces, incluyendo cinco veces consecutivas desde 1999 hasta 2003.
McIlroy tuvo un gran año por derecho propio, nada más grandioso que su victoria en el desempate en el Masters para la última etapa del Grand Slam de carrera y una chaqueta verde que había estado persiguiendo durante 15 años. También agregó títulos en Pebble Beach y The Players Championship.
Sin embargo, Scheffler ha estado dando una clase magistral de consistencia desde que irrumpió con su primer título de la Gira en 2022. Junto con 19 victorias en sus últimos 80 eventos en el PGA Tour —sin incluir su medalla de oro olímpica el año pasado en París— Scheffler ha terminado entre los tres primeros en poco más del 46% de sus participaciones en la Gira de la PGA.
Solo esta temporada, Scheffler lideró el PGA Tour en 17 categorías estadísticas, que van desde su precisión de tee a green, la frecuencia con la que seguía un bogey con un birdie o mejor (36%) y las ganancias oficiales, que este año superaron los 27 millones de dólares.
Y efectivamente le dio a McIlroy y a todos los demás una ventaja inicial. Scheffler se cortó la mano derecha durante la Navidad del año pasado mientras usaba una copa de vino para cortar ravioles. Se perdió casi dos meses y realmente no encontró su ritmo hasta una semana antes del Masters cuando fue subcampeón en Houston.
Así comenzó una asombrosa racha en la que el peor resultado de Scheffler fue un empate por el octavo lugar el resto del año. Jugó sus últimos seis eventos de la Gira sin una ronda sobre par, y tuvo una racha de 21 rondas consecutivas en los 60.
También ganó su torneo local, la CJ Cup Byron Nelson en el área de Dallas, igualando el récord del PGA Tour para 72 hoyos con 253, una victoria por ocho golpes.
Ninguno de sus dos títulos importantes estuvo particularmente cerca. Ganó el Campeonato de la PGA en Quail Hollow por cinco golpes y ganó el Abierto Británico en Royal Portrush por cuatro golpes.
Aldrich Potgieter fue votado como novato del año de la Gira. Fue uno de los cinco novatos que ganaron este año, pero el sudafricano fue el único jugador en ganar un torneo que ofrecía puntos completos de la FedEx Cup y calificar para la postemporada.
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Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Oversized handmade switch lights Zion Christmas tree: ‘Now that’s a switch’
New this year at Friday’s fifth-annual Zion Park District Christmas Tree Lighting was the homemade festive light switch used to illuminate several large evergreens with multicolored bulbs.
The oversized switch took a few weeks for Park District former employee Terry Staples to make.
Flipping up the custom switch were Park District board President David Fermaint and Mayor Billy McKinney.
“It is absolutely fantastic, and I was going to say, in the words of Crocodile Dundee, ‘Now that’s a switch,’” McKinney said with a smile. Santa’s helper Staples was in the audience to witness the big illumination moment.
“It’s a great community gift that we’ll look forward to utilizing every year,” McKinney said.
The event, launched in 2021, began this year inside the gym of the Zion Park District Leisure Center along Shiloh Park. After the party, featuring saxophone quartet music and caroling plus visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, everyone headed outside for the flipping of the light switch.
Center, in white sweater, is Xcaret Anguiano, 11, a sixth-grader from Zion in the gym at the Christmas Tree Lighting event at the Zion Park District Leisure Center in Zion on Dec. 12, 2025. (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)
“The magnificent light this tree gives us signifies the unity, goodwill and the fundamental spirit of our community,” Fermaint said. “Our wish is that this season brings peace to every home, hope to every heart, and a lasting promise of harmony as we celebrate together.”
There were snacks, a free handheld laser wand for children from Santa and Mrs. Claus, plus ornament-decorating for the official community Positivi-Tree.
Carlotta Zickovich, 2, of Zion, shyly approached Santa and Mrs. Claus in the company of her parents Felicia Andrade and Justin Zickovich. Carlotta is hoping for “anything Blue” from Santa, her mother said, referring to toys associated with the popular “Bluey” animated franchise.
Local school districts came together to perform choir music.
Some of the 40 Zion school district choir members pose with Santa and Mrs. Claus in the gym at the Christmas Tree Lighting event at the Zion Park District Leisure Center in Zion on Dec. 12, 2025. (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)
“I love that our kids get to participate in community events, and get to come together to showcase their talents for the community,” said Kerri Gilbert, instructional program coordinator for Zion Elementary School District 6.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for them to be able to get in front of people that they know and show what they can do,” she said.
Four saxophonists performed before the choir caroling. The musicians in the quartet were Lindenhurst siblings Lucas and Nicholas Wertman, both on alto sax, tenor saxophonist Gabriel Hernandez of Lindenhurst, and baritone sax player Jay Young from Lake Villa.
“It’s very important,” Nicholas Wertman, 18, said of performing. “I grew up somewhat around Zion, and I have family here, so it’s a lot of fun. I get to play some Christmas music, and it’s great.”
Performing on baritone saxophone with a Lake County saxophone quartet is Jay Young from Lake Villa in the gym at the Christmas Tree Lighting event at the Zion Park District Leisure Center in Zion on Dec. 12, 2025. (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)
Lucas Wertman said music, “can bring cultures together, and it just provides a sense of happiness and joy. It brings the community together.”
“I think music has a way of just setting emotions without words,” Hernandez said.
Young added, “There’s a lot (of music) in my heart, but really what I think it is, is uniting each other with passion and bringing everybody together to feel that same love that music connects us with.”
The Home for the Holidays Lighted Christmas Trail offered the opportunity for motorists to drive through the Shiloh Park lighted trail south near the leisure center.
Not yet turned on. Seen on Dec. 12, 2025 in Zion. The festive switch took a few weeks to make by former Zion Park District employee Terry Staples of Zion. (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)
The traditional trail features more than 50 displays and 100,000 lights. The trail will be open through Jan. 2, open daily from 5 to 9 p.m.
A driver side mirror image of the Trail of Lights in Shiloh Park before the Christmas Tree Lighting event held nearby at the Zion Park District Leisure Center in Zion on Dec. 12, 2025. (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/15/zion-christmas-tree-lighting/
The Wealth Gap Widens: Survey Shows Rich Now Means $2.3 Million Net Worth
The Wealth Gap Widens: Survey Shows Rich Now Means $2.3 Million Net Worth
Authored by José Niño via Headline USA,
The benchmark for wealth in America has undergone a dramatic transformation. According to a report by Fortune, Americans now place the threshold for being considered wealthy at an average of $2.3 million – a 21 percent surge since 2021 that underscores how inflation and escalating expenses have fundamentally reshaped financial aspirations.
Though generational perspectives on wealth differ, there’s broad consensus that true prosperity encompasses far more than dollars alone, extending to security, wellness, and life quality.
Back then, a seven-figure net worth seemed like the ultimate financial destination. But with inflation and tariffs driving up prices across the board, that once-impressive sum has lost much of its luster.
The reality check comes from a Charles Schwab report showing that Americans now peg the wealth threshold at an average of $2.3 million.
The financial services giant polled 2,200 adults ranging from 21 to 75 years old between April 24 and May 23, capturing insights across multiple generations. Survey participants indicated that achieving “financial comfort” requires approximately $839,000.
Though the $2.3 million figure represents a modest decline from last year’s Modern Wealth Survey result of $2.5 million, it still towers 21% above the $1.9 million benchmark recorded in 2021.
Survey participants also expressed that the wealth threshold appears to be climbing, with 63 percent indicating it takes more money to achieve wealthy status today than a year ago, pointing to inflation, economic deterioration, and increased taxation as primary culprits.
Brad Clark, founder and CEO of financial advisory firm Solomon Financial, noted these views align closely with feedback from his clientele. While the United States boasts numerous millionaires when all assets are tallied, he explained to Fortune, this calculation typically incorporates home equity, leaving investable assets below the million-dollar mark for most.
“With so many middle-class Americans being considered millionaires, it stands to reason that the average individual would consider $2.3 million to be wealthy, as it may seem out of reach,” Clark said.
Yet financial professionals emphasize that wealth doesn’t automatically translate to lavish living across all dimensions.
The $2.3 million benchmark is “not luxury for everyone, but security. It’s wanting to have a house, retire well, have family, and have one’s time,” William “Bill” London, a lawyer and partner at Kimura London & White who routinely handles high-net-worth families and individuals in divorces and estate cases, told Fortune. “Affluence is not about excess, but about reducing anxiety.”
The Charles Schwab data reveals generational divides in wealth perception, with Gen Z establishing lower benchmarks for both wealth and financial stability—$1.7 million and $329,000, respectively. Millennials and Gen Xers place the wealth line at $2.1 million, while baby boomers set it at $2.8 million.
These disparities may stem from how different age cohorts view prosperity. Older generations like baby boomers tend to view wealth through the lens of stability, London explained, emphasizing property ownership, retirement income, and inheritable assets. Younger cohorts, conversely, prioritize experiences, debt elimination, and lifestyle autonomy.
“Millennials and Gen Z are justifiably pessimistic about the prospects of homeownership, which historically was the most common way for Americans to build wealth,” Markus Schneider, associate professor and chair of the economics department at University of Denver, told Fortune. “There are lots of reasons why millennials and Gen Z may feel less secure about the world than the boomers did when they were the same age, and that may also impact how they feel about their wealth.”
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/15/2025 – 13:05
“It’s Outrageous”: US Military Plane Nearly Collides With JetBlue Flight Off Venezuela
“It’s Outrageous”: US Military Plane Nearly Collides With JetBlue Flight Off Venezuela
A US military aircraft narrowly avoided a collision with a JetBlue passenger jet in skies near Venezuela after crossing into the commercial plane’s flight path without activating its transponder, according to air traffic control audio reviewed by The NY Times and others.
The JetBlue flight had departed from Curaçao, a Dutch Caribbean island roughly 40 miles off Venezuela’s coast, and was heading to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport when the near-miss incident occurred Friday. That it was headed for JFK from what’s a popular seasonal tourist destination suggests that most of the passengers were Americans on board.
“We almost had a midair collision,” the JetBlue pilot said in the recording. “They flew directly through our flight path … and they don’t have their transponder on. It’s outrageous.”
Illustrative: Imag via Lwashburn66/Reddit
The military aircraft was identified as a US Air Force aerial refueling tanker. The JetBlue pilot is heard in the audio confirming he was forced to halt its climb to avoid danger.
“We had traffic pass directly in front of us within about five miles – maybe as close as two or three miles,” he described. “It was an air-to-air refueler from the US Air Force at our altitude, and we had to stop climbing.”
Air traffic control also acknowledged that it was “outrageous” dealing with unidentified aircraft operating in the airspace. The following day on Saturday, air traffic controllers in Curaçao had warned three pilots about unidentified aircraft in the area as they were flying with transponders off. These were also believed to be US military aircraft, according to the NY Times.
The Trump administration has been threatening regime change targeting President Nicolás Maduro, and has been ramping up military flights right along Venezuelan airspace. Trump has lately said that land strikes could begin soon, but it might not be limited to Venezuela, suggesting anti-cartel operations in other parts of Latin America could ensue.
Recent polls have shown that a sizeable chunk of the American public, even the majority, views the possibility of a new US war in Venezuela in a negative light.
In scenario of a tragic incident involving civilian aviation, Americans would without doubt be furious.
Independent Max Blumenthal has accused the Trump administration of “playing with the lives of civilians” in the below commentary:
For weeks, the Trump admin’s “Operation Southern Spear” has been playing with the lives of airline passengers traversing the Caribbean. Throughout November, the US military employed electronic warfare to jam the GPS of passenger airline pilots to force international airlines to quit flying to Caracas Colombia’s Minister of Transport, María Fernanda Rojas slammed the cyberattacks targeting aircraft operating near Venezuela.
“Deceptive signals are being emitted—cyberattacks, signals intended to fool positioning equipment, GPS ” Rojas declared on December 2. “To technologically sabotage an air operation anywhere in the world is a crime. We cannot allow that .”
On December 12, a US army refueling tanker flying without its transponder on nearly collided with a Jet Blue flight traveling from Curacao to New York “They don’t have their transponder turned on, it’s outrageous,” the JetBlue pilot told an air traffic controller. “We almost had a midair collision up here.” The Trump admin is engaged in borderline terrorism against civilian airliners and endangering travelers across the Caribbean – all to further a deranged regime change operation now focused on stealing oil tankers. How much longer before a flight is sacrificed for Marco Rubio’s mania?
“Pasaron directamente en nuestra ruta de vuelo… No tienen su transpondedor encendido, es una locura”, dijo el piloto. https://t.co/VTGteOxPPX
— Telemundo51 (@Telemundo51) December 14, 2025
As of November, the FAA issued a high level security alert (NOTAM) for Venezuela, effective through February, warning ‘do not fly’. However, civilian aircraft have been operating over the broader Caribbean, and if American military planes increasingly traverse the same area with their transponders off, this could pose a serious and continuing danger.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/15/2025 – 12:45
Michael Bradley se convierte en el 21mo entrenador de los Red Bulls en 31 temporadas
HARRISON, Nueva Jersey, EE.UU. (AP) — El ex capitán de Estados Unidos, Michael Bradley, se convirtió en el 21er entrenador de los Red Bulls de Nueva York en 31 temporadas cuando fue ascendido el lunes para reemplazar a Sandro Schwarz. Bradley asumirá el puesto que su padre ocupó dos décadas antes.
Bradley fue contratado el 12 de junio como entrenador de los Red Bulls II, el equipo de la tercera división MLS Next Pro, y llevó al equipo al título de la liga.
Como jugador, Bradley, de 38 años, anotó 17 goles en 151 apariciones internacionales de 2006 a 2019 y pasó 20 años jugando para los New York/New Jersey MetroStars (2004-05), Heerenveen (2006-08), Borussia Mönchengladbach (2008-11), Aston Villa (2011), Chievo Verona (2011-12), Roma (2012-14) y Toronto (2014-23).
Bradley fue asistente de su padre Bob con el Stabaek de Noruega en 2023-24. Su padre entrenó a Estados Unidos de 2006 a 2011.
Nueva York no logró clasificar a los playoffs de la Major League Soccer, terminando en el décimo lugar en la Conferencia Este con 12 victorias, 15 derrotas y siete empates, y Schwarz fue despedido el 27 de octubre después de dos temporadas. El equipo fue séptimo en 2024 y avanzó a la final de la MLS, donde perdió ante el LA Galaxy.
Los Red Bulls comenzaron a jugar en 1996 como los New York/New Jersey Metrostars. Nunca han ganado el campeonato de la MLS.
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Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
México descarta impacto por acuerdo con EEUU para enviarle 249 millones de metros cúbicos de agua
Associated Press
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO (AP) — La presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum descartó el lunes que el reciente acuerdo con Estados Unidos para la entrega de 249 millones de metros cúbicos de agua pueda afectar a México y aclaró que el cumplimiento de la deuda mexicana de las cuencas fronterizas dependerá del ciclo de lluvias.
Así reaccionó Sheinbaum ante las preocupaciones que generó el acuerdo que concretaron el pasado viernes las autoridades mexicanas y estadounidenses para atender el déficit de agua, que según Washington era de alrededor de 246 millones de metros cúbicos.
México está obligado por el tratado de 1944 a enviar a Texas 430 millones de metros cúbicos (350.000 acres-pie) de agua por año o aproximadamente 2.150 millones de metros cúbicos (1,75 millones de acres-pie) en cinco años por el este de la frontera común (el río Bravo).
Estados Unidos, a cambio, le da a México aún más agua de otras fuentes ubicadas más al oeste (las cuencas del río Colorado y del río Tijuana).
“No es que estemos entregando más de lo que dice el tratado, ni tampoco estamos dando el agua que no tenemos o afectando al consumo humano y a la agricultura en México”, dijo Sheinbaum en su conferencia matutina al referirse al nuevo acuerdo que se dio pocos días después de que el presidente Donald Trump amenazó con aranceles de 5% si México no cumplía con sus obligaciones de envío de agua a Texas.
Ambos gobiernos informaron el pasado viernes en un comunicado conjunto que México tiene la intención de liberar a Estados Unidos 249 millones de metros cúbicos de agua a partir del 15 de diciembre para atender el “déficit excepcional del ciclo de agua anterior”.
En el escrito se detalla que Washington y México están en negociaciones y que tienen la intención de finalizar el plan para el 31 de enero del próximo año.
Sheinbaum negó que México no haya querido cumplir sus obligaciones e insistió en que “no ha llovido lo suficiente”.
La presidenta indicó que aún se mantienen las conversaciones sobre el tema y añadió que “se va a ver a partir de la cantidad de lluvia que hay en el período de lluvia cómo puede irse solventando lo que no se entregó de los cinco años anteriores producto de la sequía”.
En abril Trump también amenazó con imponer aranceles y sanciones si no se cumplía con las entregas de agua a Texas. En esa oportunidad, México se comprometió que de mayo a octubre enviaría a Estados Unidos entre 400 y 518 millones de metros cúbicos de agua para cumplir con el tratado bilateral y mitigar así los faltantes que generaron fricciones entre los dos gobiernos.
Column: Lake County towns to share Monsanto settlement funds
Christmas came early for a half-dozen Lake County communities thanks to the Monsanto Co. More monetary rewards for them may be in the pipeline for next year’s holiday season.
Beach Park, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, North Chicago, Winthrop Harbor and Zion will share in some $80 million from a settlement with Monsanto and two affiliated firms, which was announced earlier this month by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Lawyers in the office originally sued Monsanto in 2022 over PCB contamination from selling nearly 50 million pounds of the highly toxic chemical in the Land of Lincoln from 1960 to the mid-1970s.
The suit against Monsanto, now a subsidiary of German-based global chemicals giant Bayer, alleged the firm’s PCB products were harmful to people and the environment despite company officials’ repeated denials. Use of the synthetic compound polychlorinated biphenyl has been banned nationwide since 1979.
The total settlement amount is $120 million, with the state receiving a minimum of $40 million outright, with a maximum of $200 million. The higher figure depends on the outcome of related legal actions by Monsanto, which has sued its PCB customers, Raoul said in a statement.
Also in line for a split of the windfall, which is to be determined later, are Chicago and the northern Cook County suburbs of Evanston, Glencoe and Winnetka. Under the agreement, Illinois will receive $80 million by March 31, 2026, which will be allocated to the state and the nine municipalities impacted by PCBs and involved in the settlement.
Some have wondered and questioned why Waukegan wasn’t included in this recent settlement, as were the other Lake Michigan shoreline communities. Especially considering that for decades tons of PCBs, linked to liver damage and various cancers, were dumped in the city’s harbor.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1981 said Waukegan Harbor had the highest known concentrations of uncontrolled PCBs in the nation. Those PCBs were a byproduct of the hydraulic fluid manufacturing process for recreational pleasure boat engines at the lakefront plants of Johnson Motors and its bankrupt parent, Outboard Marine Corp.
Waukegan was not included in the settlement announced Dec. 1 by Raoul because the city received a PCB payout in 2023. The city was one of dozens of municipalities and states involved in another class-action lawsuit settlement involving damages from Monsanto’s design and manufacture of PCBs.
That amount totaled more than $1.7 million from the PCB Settlement Fund/PCB TMDL Fund on April 17, 2023, according to a city spokesman. TMDL is an acronym for Total Maximum Daily Load, a formula the EPA sets for pollution reduction goals necessary to improve the quality of polluted waters.
At one time, St. Louis-based Monsanto was the nation’s leading manufacturer of chemical compounds, including some questionable products such as the avian-deadly insecticide DDT and the virulent herbicide Agent Orange, which was used with abandon during the Vietnam War. Company chemists even invented AstroTurf, used at sports stadiums.
Most of the PCBs used by Illinois companies in a range of products from paints to electrical equipment to lubricants were manufactured by Monsanto’s facility in downstate Sauget, along the Mississippi River near St. Louis.
Ironically, Sauget originally was incorporated as Monsanto in 1926, and the old plant remains a Superfund site. It is not one of the towns involved in the settlement despite the company allegedly dumping hazardous waste into the city’s sewer system, which eventually found its way into the Mississippi.
Some may remember the PCB scourge at Waukegan Harbor and the EPA recommending in the 1980s that fish caught there, mainly salmon and trout species, should not be eaten. Since then, federal and state-funded cleanup efforts have removed PCB-contaminated sediment from the harbor, an EPA Superfund site.
The cleanup began in 1993, when dredging at Waukegan Harbor removed sediment contaminated with PCBs. By 2014, after 30 years of remediation and spending $150 million, Waukegan Harbor pollution had dropped enough that EPA officials said it could be considered for removal from the list of the Great Lakes’ most-polluted areas of concern.
Monsanto manufactured PCBs from 1935 to 1977, and continues to pay for production of the dangerous chemical, which many thought was a benign substance. This recent legal settlement continues to hold the firm accountable for its product, which created a pollution hotspot in Waukegan and impacted other Lake County shoreline communities.
Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor.
sellenews@gmail.com
X @sellenews
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/15/charles-selle-column-pcb-fund/
Policía de Los Ángeles: Nick, hijo de Rob Reiner, es acusado de asesinato tras la muerte del director-actor y su esposa
LOS ÁNGELES (AP) — Policía de Los Ángeles: Nick, hijo de Rob Reiner, es acusado de asesinato tras la muerte del director-actor y su esposa.
