Gaza Tent Cities Under Water Amid Deadly ‘Catastrophic’ Storm

Tyler Durden
Fri, 12/12/2025 – 20:55

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/gaza-tent-cities-under-water-amid-deadly-catastrophic-storm 

The Minnesota Wild have acquired Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in the biggest blockbuster trade of the NHL season.

The teams announced the seismic move Friday night after the 2024 Norris Trophy winner as the league’s top defenseman had been the most talked-about trade candidate over the last couple of weeks.

The Wild sent center Marco Rossi, defenseman Zeev Buium, winger Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick in the 2026 draft to suddenly the rebounding Canucks to complete the deal. Rossi at 24, Ohgren at 21 and Buium at 20 fit the young players the Canucks were speculated to be targeting if they were to trade Hughes.

Only 26 and considered the best at at the position behind the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar, Hughes has one season left on his contract after this one before he can become an unrestricted free agent. There has been plenty of buzz about Quinn wanting to play with brothers Jack and Luke with the New Jersey Devils.

They could potentially be teammates on the U.S. Olympic team, either in February in Milan or in 2030. Wild general manager Bill Guerin runs USA Hockey’s management team.

Hughes has two goals and 21 assists for 23 points in 23 games this season with the last-in-the-NHL Canucks. He was their captain since 2023, and his abrupt exit paves the way for more change in Vancouver 11 months since the trade of J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers and in the aftermath of coach Rick Tocchet’s departure rather than remain behind the bench there.

“With the circumstances surrounding JT and now Quinn, we are fortunate to acquire these very good young players from Minnesota,” Canucks President Jim Rutherford said. “They will be a key part of the rebuild that we are currently in, giving us a bright future moving forward. The hockey club will continue to build with talented young players using that as a blueprint to become a contender sooner rather than later.”

The Wild cannot extend Hughes until July 1, and it’s unclear if he would entertain signing another contract. He had nothing in the way of trade protection on his current deal, paying him an average of $7.85 million annually, that would have allowed him to block a trade anywhere.

The Wild are taking a shot at challenging the two top teams in the NHL, Colorado and Dallas, in the Central Division, which also includes reigning Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg. Hughes vastly upgrades their blue line, which already included captain Jared Spurgeon and smooth-skating Swede Jonas Brodin, and winger Kirill Kaprizov only this fall signed the richest deal in hockey history to stay with the team for eight more years.

It was the second major trade of the day after the two-time Stanley Cup Final runner-up Edmonton Oilers made a move for a goaltender, acquiring Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/12/minnesota-wild-quinn-hughes-vancouver-canucks-trade/ 

Flight Tracking Data Appears To Show US Fighter Jet Over Venezuelan Airspace

Tyler Durden
Fri, 12/12/2025 – 20:44

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/flight-tracking-data-shows-us-fighter-jet-over-venezuelan-airspace 

South Elgin’s Bear Family Restaurants is selling all of its McDonald’s restaurants, rebranding as BFRx Hospitality and starting a new endeavor to open eight K9 Resorts, including one in the Elgin area.

“We’re fully divesting, which is why we are rebranding,” said David Bear, who owns the company and serves as its president.

The new name leverages the company’s history, Bear said, and includes the “x” to represent their exponential growth into the hospitality industry. The newly branded business will remain operating out of its South Elgin office.

The McDonald’s restaurant on Larkin Avenue in Elgin, which dates back to 1966, was the site of the first dual-lane drive-thru system in the country, designed by owner Jerry Bear. The store’s original sign can be seen on the back of the building. (The Courier-News)

Bear’s parents, Jerry and Marcelle Bear, started the company in 1967 when they purchased the Larkin Avenue McDonald’s in Elgin from McDonald’s Corp. Over the years, the company grew to more than 30 McDonald’s franchises throughout the Chicago area.

As of Friday, his company sold nine McDonald’s locations and closed one it operated at Harlem Irving Plaza in Norridge.

On Monday, the remaining 25 restaurants will close at staggered times throughout the day for inventory work, Bear said. On Tuesday morning, they will reopen under the helm of a number of new owners, he said. That includes the five McDonald’s in Elgin and two in South Elgin.

The switch to a new line of K9 Resort franchises is tied to the love of dogs he and his wife, Nicole, share, he said. They refer to their female Labrador named Henley, after Don Henley of Eagles fame, as their “dog-ter,” he said.

The couple wants to bring more of the luxury pet hotel/day care franchises to the Chicago-area market with the same family business commitment to employees and guests that they offered with their restaurants, Bear said.

The Bears learned about New Jersey-based K9 Resorts through websites and trade publications. Brothers Steven and Jason Parker founded the business in 2005, began franchising in 2011, and have 47 current locations and more than another 100 in development in 28 states, according to a Franchise Times report.

Bear said that after he and his wife met with the brothers, they were immediately impressed and knew they wanted to work with them.

“They offer a level of passion, professionalism and commitment that’s similar to Ray Kroc’s,” he said.

The K9 Resorts website says, “At K9 Resorts, your furry friend isn’t just a pet — they’re family. Our award-winning luxury dog hotel offers a resort-style experience, combining familiar comforts with recreational fun.”

The BFRx Hospitality agreement with K9 Resorts will eventually lead to the company opening eight franchises in a protected territory in the Chicago market. Bear said he hopes to open two locations sometime in 2026 in or near towns where he owned McDonald’s.

Currently, the only Chicago-area K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel franchise is in Deerfield. It opened in June and is owned by Luxury Pet Hotel Investments LLC, according to an online news release.

Those owners have their own part of the Chicago market, Bear said. He plans to work closely with them.

Bear, his wife and Bear’s cousin, Gary Dayan, will be involved with the endeavor as will Bear’s grown children, Nicole and Adam.

He expects some of his current staff will be involved with the undertaking, learning the specific skills needed to run a pet resort and earning the required certifications. He plans to be operationally focused, learning the business from the ground up, he said.

“I’m looking forward to bringing our high level of service and experience to this part of the marketplace,” Bear said.

Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/12/bear-family-mcdonalds-k9-resorts/ 

The federal government’s crackdown on commercial driver’s licenses for immigrants has found problems in eight states so far in the wake of several deadly crashes.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has publicly threatened to withhold millions in federal money from California, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and now New York after investigations found problems such as licenses that remained valid long after an immigrant’s legal status expired. But the department quietly also sent letters detailing similar concerns to Texas, South Dakota, Colorado and Washington during the government shutdown after briefly mentioning those states in September.

Concerns about immigrant truck drivers gained attention after a tractor-trailer driver who was not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused an August crash in Florida that killed three people. A fiery California crash that also killed three people in October and involved a truck driver in the country illegally added to the worries.

Duffy proposed new restrictions in September that would severely limit which noncitizens could get a license to drive a semi or a bus, but a court has put the new rules on hold.

In addition, the Trump administration has been seeking to enforce existing English language requirements for truckers since the summer. As of October, about 9,500 truck drivers have been pulled off the road nationwide for failing to demonstrate English proficiency during traffic stops or inspections.

Here’s a summary of what has happened so far:

California

The Transportation Department focused first on California because the driver in the Florida crash got a license there. He also went to California after the crash and had to be extradited to face charges.

California fought back after Duffy threatened to pull $160 million from the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom sparred with Duffy in statements and social media posts defending the state’s practices by saying California officials had verified the immigration status of all these drivers through federal databases, as required.

But after that back-and-forth, California revoked 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses last month after confirming problems with them. That number has since grown to 21,000. So the Transportation Department hasn’t pulled that funding.

But Duffy did revoke a separate $40 million in federal funding because he said California is the only state not enforcing English language requirements for truckers.

Pennsylvania

The federal government might withhold nearly $75 million from Pennsylvania if it is not satisfied with the actions the state takes.

The Transportation Department said its audit found a couple of licenses out of 150 it reviewed were valid after the driver’s lawful presence in the country ended. In four other cases, the federal government said Pennsylvania gave no evidence it had required noncitizens to provide legitimate proof they were legally in the country at the time they got the license.

As it has done in all these states, the Transportation Department ordered Pennsylvania to stop issuing commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants until it completed a full review to ensure all the licenses it has issued remain valid and revoke any licenses that aren’t.

The federal government said that approximately 12,400 noncitizen drivers hold an unexpired commercial learner’s permit or commercial driver’s license issued by Pennsylvania.

Minnesota

Duffy threatened to withhold $30.4 million from Minnesota if that state doesn’t address shortcomings in its commercial driver’s license program and revoke any licenses that never should have been issued.

The Transportation Department found some licenses that were valid beyond a driver’s work permit and some where the state never verified a driver’s immigration status.

The head of Minnesota’s Department of Driver and Vehicle Services, Pong Xiong, said the state found a number of administrative issues in the 2,117 non-domiciled commercial licenses the state has issued and took action, including cancelling some licenses. Xiong said the federal audit largely just confirmed the issues Minnesota had already found and corrected.

The state planned to work with federal officials to resolve any remaining questions.

New York

Duffy highlighted concerns about the commercial licenses New York has issued to noncitizens Friday.

Federal investigators found that more than half of the 200 licenses they reviewed in New York were issued improperly with many of them defaulting to be valid for eight years regardless of when an immigrant’s work permit expires. And he said the state could not prove it had verified these drivers’ immigration status for the 32,000 active non-domiciled commercial licenses it has issued. Plus, investigators found some examples of New York issuing licenses even when applicants’ work authorizations were already expired.

“New York must act immediately to comprehensively audit its CDL program and revoke every single illegally issued licenses,” said Derek Barrs, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

State DMV spokesperson Walter McClure defended the state’s practices and said New York has been following all the federal rules for this kind of commercial license.

Texas

Nearly half of the 123 licenses investigators reviewed in Texas were flawed, so the Transportation Department threatened to withhold $182 million if the state doesn’t reform its licensing programs and invalidate any flawed licenses.

A spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement that “public safety is the Governor’s top priority, and we must ensure that truckers can navigate Texas roadways safely and efficiently. To support this mission, Governor Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to strictly enforce English language proficiency requirements and to stop issuing intrastate commercial driver’s licenses to drivers who do not meet those standards.”

South Dakota

Investigators found three commercial licenses the state issued that were valid longer than they should have been. South Dakota also issues several licenses to Canadian citizens who aren’t eligible to get one.

One problematic practice investigators found as they reviewed 51 South Dakota licenses was that the state routinely issues temporary paper licenses that are valid for one year regardless of the immigration status of a driver.

South Dakota officials didn’t immediately respond Friday to the concerns. The state could lose $13.25 million.

Colorado

Roughly 22% of the 99 licenses that were reviewed in Colorado violated federal requirements. That raises questions about the 1,848 active non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses in the state.

Investigators discovered a glitch in Colorado’s computer system that will revert to a license valid for four years when a worker has to do multiple searches in a federal immigration database. Unless the worker is vigilant, some of those extended licenses sneak through.

Eighteen Mexican citizens who weren’t eligible were also issued commercial licenses.

Jennifer Giambi, a spokesperson for the Colorado DMV, said the state is in the middle of auditing its licensing program to check for any additional problems, and that audit should be done by January. No new licenses are being issued in the program right now.

Washington

The state could lose $31.35 million if the Transportation Department isn’t satisfied with their response.

Investigators only found problems in about 10% of the 125 licenses they reviewed in Washington, but they were alarmed to learn that an internal state review discovered 685 immigrant drivers who were issued regular commercial licenses instead of the non-domiciled ones they should have received. The Transportation Department said that state officials often accepted the wrong documents in those cases.

Washington officials told the AP they couldn’t immediately respond Friday while the state is grappling with widespread flooding. But earlier this week, a state Department of Licensing spokesperson, Nathan Olson, said in an email to the Seattle Times that the errors had been addressed and Washington is working to improve its system and procedures.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/12/commercial-drivers-licenses-immigrants/ 

President Donald Trump was sued on Friday by preservationists asking a federal court to halt his White House ballroom project until it goes through multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded group, is asking the U.S. District Court to block Trump’s White House ballroom addition, which already has involved razing the East Wing, until it goes through comprehensive design reviews, environmental assessments, public comments and congressional debate and ratification.

The project has prompted criticism in the historic preservation and architectural communities, and among his political adversaries, but the lawsuit is the most tangible effort thus far to alter or stop the president’s plans for an addition that itself would be nearly twice the size of the White House before the East Wing’s demolition.

“No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever — not President Trump, not President Biden, and not anyone else,” the lawsuit states. “And no president is legally allowed to construct a ballroom on public property without giving the public the opportunity to weigh in.”

Additionally, the Trust wants the court to declare that Trump, by fast-tracking the project, has committed multiple violations of the Administrative Procedures Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, while also exceeding his constitutional authority by not consulting lawmakers.

No more work should be done, the Trust argues, until administration officials “complete the required reviews — reviews that should have taken place before the Defendants demolished the East Wing, and before they began construction of the Ballroom.”

White House maintains that Trump has ‘full legal authority’ over the building

Asked questions about the lawsuit, White House spokesman David Ingle responded with a blanket assertion that Trump is within his “full legal authority to modernize, renovate and beautify the White House — just like all of his predecessors did.”

Ingle did not specifically address an Associated Press question asking whether the president would consult Congress at any point.

The White House response correctly notes that essentially every president makes some changes to the White House. But Trump’s efforts are the most sweeping since a nearly complete gutting of the decaying interior of the oldest portion of the mansion during President Harry Truman’s tenure. Truman sought and received explicit authorization from Congress, along with appropriations. Further, he consulted the American Society of Engineers and the Commission on Fine Arts, and he appointed a bipartisan commission to oversee the project.

Trump, a Republican, has emphasized since announcing the project that he’s doing it with private money, including his own. But that would not necessarily change how federal laws and procedures apply to what is still a U.S. government project.

The president already has bypassed the federal government’s usual building practices and historical reviews with the East Wing demolition. He recently added another architectural firm to the project.

Trump has long said a White House ballroom is overdue, complaining that events were held outside under a tent because the East Room and the State Dining Room could not accommodate bigger crowds. Trump, among other complaints, said guests get their feet wet if it rains during such events.

The White House is expected to submit plans for Trump’s new ballroom to a federal planning commission before the year ends, about three months after construction began.

Will Scharf, who was named by Trump as chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, said at the panel’s monthly meeting last week that he was told by colleagues at the White House that the long-awaited plans would be filed in December.

“Once plans are submitted, that’s really when the role of this commission, and its professional staff, will begin,” said Scharf, who also is one of the Republican president’s top White House aides.

He said the review process would happen at a “normal and deliberative pace.”

Besides being too late, the Trust argues, that’s not nearly enough.

Federal law cites ‘express authority of Congress’ over D.C. projects

The Trust asserts that plans should have been submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts and Congress before any action. The lawsuit notes that the Trust wrote to those entities and the National Park Service on Oct. 21, after East Wing demolition began, urging a stop to the project and asking the administration to comply with federal law.

“The National Trust received no response,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit cites a litany of federal statutes and rules detailing the role the planning and fine arts commission and lawmakers play in U.S. government construction projects.

Among them is a statute: “A building or structure shall not be erected on any reservation, park, or public grounds of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia without express authority of Congress.”

The Trust notes also that the range design and environmental reviews, along with congressional deliberation, would involve public input.

“This public involvement, while important in all preservation matters, is particularly critical here, where the structure at issue is perhaps the most recognizable and historically significant building in the country,” the complaint says.

Besides the president, the lawsuit names as defendants the National Parks Service, the Department of the Interior, and the General Services Administration, along with leaders of those federal agencies.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/12/trump-sued-ballroom-project/ 

UBS Outlines Three Reasons For Sober Revolution Crushing Spirits Market

Tyler Durden
Fri, 12/12/2025 – 20:30

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/ubs-outlines-three-reasons-sober-revolution-crushing-spirits-market 

TORONTO (AP) — El lanzador derecho Chase Lee fue adquirido por los Azulejos de Toronto el viernes, procedente de los Tigres de Detroit, en un canje por el lanzador zurdo de ligas menores Johan Simón.

Lee debutó en las Grandes Ligas el 22 de abril y, a sus 27 años, tuvo un récord de 4-1 con una efectividad de 4.10 en 32 apariciones como relevista. Recetó 36 ponches y otorgó nueve bases por bolas en 37 innings y 1/3.

Simon, dominicano de 24 años, tuvo un récord de 3-3 con una efectividad de 3.42 este año para los equipos Dunedin de Clase A, Vancouver de High-A y Nueva Hampshire de Doble A, a lo largo de 31 apariciones como relevista.

Ponchó a 79 y otorgó 29 bases por bolas en 71 entradas.

_____

Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/12/azulejos-adquieren-al-derecho-chase-lee-de-tigres-a-cambio-del-zurdo-johan-simn/ 

Por DÁNICA COTO

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Los incentivos fiscales de Puerto Rico que han atraído a miles de estadounidenses ricos al territorio de Estados Unidos durante más de una década están bajo escrutinio después de que legisladores federales publicaron un informe el viernes de la Oficina de Responsabilidad Gubernamental (GAO).

El informe encontró que las exenciones de la isla podrían ascender a cientos de millones de dólares al año y urgió al Servicio de Impuestos Internos (IRS) a mejorar su supervisión, advirtiendo que algunos beneficiarios “podrían no estar cumpliendo con sus obligaciones fiscales federales”.

El informe fue solicitado en julio de 2023 por los demócratas de la Comisión de Recursos Naturales de la Cámara de Representantes para investigar cómo las exenciones fiscales “podrían crear un paraíso fiscal injusto para los ultrarricos y no hacer nada para beneficiar al pueblo de Puerto Rico”.

El congresista Jared Huffman, demócrata de California, afirmó en un comunicado el viernes que después de que la administración del presidente Donald Trump redujo el tamaño del IRS, “apenas queda alguien para verificar si este trasplante de riqueza está siquiera cumpliendo con las reglas y los requisitos básicos de residencia para justificar estas exenciones fiscales, y mucho menos contribuyendo a la comunidad”.

El IRS bajo escrutinio

El informe se deriva de una auditoría que comenzó en diciembre de 2023 y terminó este mes. Señaló que Puerto Rico otorgó más de 5.800 decretos de incentivos para inversores residentes y casi 3.900 para negocios de servicios de exportación desde 2012 hasta 2024.

La mayoría de los inversores residentes provienen de California, seguidos por Florida, Nueva York y Texas.

El IRS anunció en 2021 que investigaría las preocupaciones de que algunas personas podrían estar eludiendo sus obligaciones fiscales federales.

Esa “campaña hasta recientemente comenzó a mostrar resultados, en parte, debido a la complejidad de las auditorías de altos ingresos y grandes patrimonios, la falta de prioridad del IRS en el esfuerzo y las brechas de comunicación entre el IRS y Puerto Rico”, indicó el informe de la GAO.

También señaló que hasta este año, el IRS no pudo obtener datos completos sobre aquellos que reclamaban el incentivo para inversores con números de Seguro Social para garantizar el cumplimiento. La oficina hacendaria tampoco tenía planes de obtener datos actualizados de Puerto Rico y no persiguió a los contribuyentes estadounidenses que Puerto Rico identificó que no cumplían con los requisitos de residencia del territorio.

El informe ofreció un ejemplo de agosto de 2023, señalando que funcionarios puertorriqueños compartieron una auditoría que identificaba a 179 contribuyentes que no proporcionaron evidencia para cumplir con un requisito de residencia.

“Un funcionario del (IRS) revisó algunos casos antes de determinar que las referencias no necesitaban ser priorizadas”, afirmó la GAO.

La legisladora federal Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticó las exenciones, afirmando que “no solo esta política está aumentando la desigualdad de riqueza en la isla, sino que también está robando valiosos ingresos fiscales federales utilizados para financiar el Seguro Social, Medicare y otros programas federales esenciales de los bolsillos de los estadounidenses”.

La GAO señaló que en 2024, el personal demócrata de la Comisión de Finanzas del Senado lanzó una investigación independiente sobre la supervisión de las exenciones.

El IRS ha declarado que está de acuerdo con las recomendaciones de la GAO y que ha tomado medidas, incluyendo conversaciones con funcionarios del tesoro de Puerto Rico para acordar una solicitud anual de datos.

13 años de incentivos

Los incentivos, creados por el exgobernador Luis Fortuño en 2012 para impulsar la economía local, solo se aplican a aquellos que vienen de fuera de Puerto Rico y cumplen con ciertos requisitos.

Las exenciones han sido criticadas durante mucho tiempo en la isla de 3,2 millones de personas con una tasa de pobreza superior al 40%, y algunos funcionarios locales han dicho que estas han contribuido a un aumento en el costo de la vivienda, entre otras cosas.

La ley de servicios de exportación, comúnmente conocida como Ley 20, ofrece incentivos que incluyen una tasa impositiva corporativa del 4% y una exención del 100% en dividendos o distribuciones de ganancias.

Mientras tanto, la ley de inversores individuales conocida como Ley 22 está dirigida a individuos adinerados que se trasladan a Puerto Rico y ofrece una exención del 100% en dividendos, intereses y ganancias de capital a largo plazo.

Un estudio, encargado por el Departamento de Desarrollo Económico y Comercio de Puerto Rico y publicado en 2019, encontró que las exenciones crearon más de 36.200 empleos y generaron más de 2.500 millones de dólares en inversiones.

Un estudio de 2024 realizado por la agencia estimó que en 2022, los individuos que recibieron el incentivo habían establecido más de 1.000 negocios y pagado más de 200 millones de dólares en impuestos y donaciones a Puerto Rico, mientras que los incentivos le costaron al gobierno 184 millones. El estudio también estimó que las empresas de servicios de exportación empleaban directamente a unas 22.000 personas.

El Departamento de Hacienda de Puerto Rico ha estimado que de 2020 a 2026, el gobierno habrá dejado de percibir 4.400 millones de dólares debido a los incentivos para inversores individuales y 1.800 millones debido a los incentivos para negocios de servicios de exportación.

Mientras tanto, la GAO dijo que “la economía de Puerto Rico ha mostrado poco o ningún crecimiento” desde que se introdujeron los incentivos en 2012, pero agregó que “no es posible medir qué crecimiento o declive habría habido sin los incentivos”.

También señaló que dos huracanes importantes, una serie de terremotos y la pandemia han afectado los indicadores económicos.

Desde entonces, Puerto Rico ha endurecido los requisitos de cumplimiento e informes para los externos adinerados para abordar las preocupaciones y ayudar a impulsar la economía, incluyendo duplicar a 10.000 dólares una donación anual individual obligatoria para organizaciones sin fines de lucro.

______

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/12/reporte-pone-bajo-la-lupa-los-incentivos-fiscales-de-puerto-rico-que-atraen-a-estadounidenses-ricos/ 

This Elderly Man Gave Away His Gold After Fake US Marshal Called. He Isn’t The Only One.

Tyler Durden
Fri, 12/12/2025 – 20:05

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/elderly-man-gave-away-his-gold-after-fake-us-marshal-called-he-isnt-tthe-only-one