Category: News
State Sen. Emil Jones III reaches deferred prosecution agreement ahead of retrial in bribery case
A month before his retrial on bribery charges, state Sen. Emil Jones III has agreed to enter into a deferred prosecution deal with prosecutors that will leave him with no conviction as long as he admits to certain illegal conduct and pays a fine.
The agreement was announced at a hearing Thursday before U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood and scuttles a trial that had been set for Jan. 12.
Under the terms of the deal, Jones would pay a fine of $6,800, agree to stay out of legal trouble, and make admissions about his meetings with FBI mole Omar Maani and agree that his later statements to the FBI about how much Maani paid Jones’ intern were false.
If Jones lives up to his end of the agreement, the charges against him will be dropped in December 2026.
Dressed in a brown suit, Jones stood at the lectern in court and told the judge he was satisfied with the work of his attorneys. Asked by Wood if he wished to enter into the agreement, he answered “Absolutely” in a deep voice.
Jones, 47, a Chicago Democrat and son of former Senate President Emil Jones Jr., was charged with agreeing to take bribes from an executive of a red-light camera company in exchange for Jones’ protection in Springfield against legislation that would hurt the company’s bottom line.
His first trial in April ended in a mistrial after the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision on all counts.
This is a developing story. Check back for details.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/11/state-sen-emil-jones-deferred-prosecution-agreement/
Senate Fails To Advance GOP Healthcare Plan After Collins, Murkowski, Hawley & Sullivan Break Ranks
Senate Fails To Advance GOP Healthcare Plan After Collins, Murkowski, Hawley & Sullivan Break Ranks
Update (1311ET): The Senate has failed to advance the GOP’s healthcare plan which would allow Obamacare subsidies to expire, and would give millions of Americans $1,000 – $1,500 in health savings accounts.
The plan failed by a vote of 51 yeas to 48 nays. Republicans needed 60 votes to pass it. Breaking ranks with the GOP were Republican Sens. Collins, Hawley, Murkowski and Sullivan.
51-48: Senate blocks the Democrats’ 3-year extension of the expiring enhanced ACA subsidies bill. 60 votes were needed.
4 Republican Senators Collins, Hawley, Murkowski and Sullivan voted Yes with all Democrats to advance it. Daines (R-MT) missed the vote. pic.twitter.com/NI2dzMbG7f
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) December 11, 2025
Looks like they did have a plan…
🚨 BREAKING:
The Senate has FAILED to advance the GOP healthcare plan, that would let Obamacare COVID-era subsidies EXPIRE and instead give some American’s $1000-$1500 in health savings accounts. pic.twitter.com/HlwNTD6jVH
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) December 11, 2025
Next up: the Democrats’ plan.
* * *
Authored by Lawrence Wilson & Nathan Worcester via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
The Senate is poised for a Dec. 11 vote on competing measures to resolve the standoff over extending the expiring subsidies for Obamacare.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.).
Both are likely to fall along party lines, and to fail to reach the 60-vote threshold required to advance legislation in the Senate.
The subsidies, officially known as enhanced premium tax credits, were created as a temporary measure in 2021 to blunt the economic impact of the COVID-19 national health emergency.
Originally offered for two years, the enhanced subsidies were further extended for three years and will expire at the end of this month.
Democrats, fearing that allowing the subsidies to expire now would cause financial hardship and cause millions of Americans to drop their health coverage, have proposed another three-year extension.
“Democrats have put forward the cleanest, fastest, most realistic solution, a three-year extension of the current tax credits,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Dec. 9.
Republicans, saying that the billions spent on these additional subsidies have contributed to rapidly rising insurance premiums and have given rise to opportunities for fraud, oppose an extension that does not address those issues.
“The bill [Democrats] are going to put on the floor will fail,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters on Dec. 9.
Republicans have proposed an alternative plan. It would replace the enhanced subsidies with a cash payment to eligible enrollees, to be placed in a Health Savings Account. The original Obamacare subsidies, distinct from the enhanced subsides, would remain in place.
Schumer on Dec. 9 criticized the proposal as “dead on arrival.”
Enhanced Subsidies
The enhanced subsidies enacted in 2021 expanded eligibility for Obamacare, offering subsidies for wage earners well into the middle class.
The original Obamacare subsidies are open to people making between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. That equates to a household income of between $32,150 and $128,600 for a family of four.
The enhanced subsidies increased the amount of the subsidies, removed the income limit, and capped out-of-pocket premium payments at 8.5 percent of household income. Some low-income enrollees are eligible for plans with no premium payment under the coverage expansion.
Obamacare enrollment more than doubled after the enhanced subsidies were introduced.
Standoff
Democrats pushed for a permanent extension of the enhanced subsidies early in the fall, refusing to authorize continued spending to fund the government until Republicans agreed to negotiate over this and other health-care-related proposals.
Republicans refused to consider the extension during the shutdown.
The government shutdown, which lasted for 43 days, ended when eight Democratic Senators voted with Republicans to approve stopgap funding to reopen the government, but on the condition that their party be given a vote this month on extending the subsidies.
Schumer revealed the Democrats’ proposal for a three-year extension on Dec. 4.
Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) released their plan on Dec. 8, and Republicans elected to present it for a vote alongside the Schumer plan on Dec. 11.
Other plans have been proposed by Senate Republicans, by bipartisan groups of House members, and by the House New Democrat Alliance.
Compromise Seekers
The latest compromise proposal has been put forward by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), joined by a bipartisan group of House members.
Fitzpatrick introduced a discharge petition that, if successful, could force the House to vote on his proposal. A discharge petition requires support from 218 House members.
The Fitzpatrick plan would extend the enhanced premium tax credits through 2027 to insulate consumers from sudden rate increases. It includes some measures to check fraud by unscrupulous insurance brokers and rein in some practices of pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen in the prescription drug supply chain.
The measure has the support of several moderate House members, including Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine), Michael Lawler (R-N.Y.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Thomas Suozzi (D-N.Y.), and Robert Bresnahan (R-Pa.).
The subsidies have taken on a sense of urgency as the Jan. 1 premium increases draw nearer. “This is personal to a lot of us because these are our friends and our neighbors that are losing sleep over this,” Fitzpatrick said.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) applauded the effort, saying it seemed similar to a three-year ramp-down of the subsidies that he suggested.
Tillis told The Epoch Times on Dec. 10 that any measure would need roughly equal support from both parties because hardliners on both sides would be likely to reject a compromise.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said, “Compromise should never be a dirty word.”
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said: “This should be a bipartisan. Let’s get together and figure this out.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, who has proposed no tax on health care premiums, deductibles, or copays, said lawmakers should explore every option for bringing down the cost of health care.
“I think it should be hard to go home and say to people whose premiums are doubling, ‘You know, we just couldn’t quite get it done,’” he said.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/11/2025 – 13:11
Dems Are “Greatest Con Artists” When It Comes To Inflation Disaster
Dems Are “Greatest Con Artists” When It Comes To Inflation Disaster
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,
In a fresh interview, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt exposed the left’s blatant hypocrisy on economic issues that have hammered everyday Americans for years.
Leavitt hammered Democrats for posing as saviors on affordability while ignoring their own role in fueling runaway inflation during the Biden era.
Appearing on Fox News, Leavitt labeled Democrats “the greatest CON ARTISTS in American politics!” She zeroed in on their empty rhetoric, stating, “They are pretending to champion the issue of affordability when they themselves created the worst inflation crisis in a generation.”
? BREAKING: Karoline Leavitt NUKES Democrats as “the greatest CON ARTISTS in American politics!”
“They are pretending to champion the issue of affordability when they themselves created the worst inflation crisis in a generation.”
“You can’t create a problem and then turn… pic.twitter.com/qBjEr1jQoV
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 9, 2025
She drove the point home, noting “You can’t create a problem and then turn around and say, I’m the best person to fix it!”
Leavitt emphasized that voters see through the charade, adding, “that’s why President Trump was reelected to fix it. And that’s exactly what he’s doing.”
The press secretary urged Republicans to step up their game, noting, “So as President Trump has been screaming from the rooftops, Republicans need to remain tough and smart, and they need to be more vocal about touting the accomplishments of this administration.”
She wrapped up by dismantling the Democrats’ claims to represent ordinary folks: “You can’t say you’re for the working man and woman when you vote to raise their taxes. Republicans and President Trump have a proven economic formula and agenda that’s working. It’s focused on bigger paychecks and lower prices, and that’s what President Trump will talk about tonight.”
Leavitt’s comments come against the backdrop of the Biden administration’s dismal economic track record, where inflation soared to levels not seen in decades. Under Biden, the average year-over-year inflation rate hit nearly 5%, with a peak of 9.1% in mid-2022 – a far cry from the stable, low-inflation environment of Trump’s first term.
Cumulative price increases reached a staggering 21.5% over Biden’s four years, squeezing family budgets on everything from groceries to housing.
This wasn’t some unavoidable global hiccup; it stemmed from reckless spending sprees and anti-energy policies that crippled domestic production.
Democrats flooded the economy with trillions in unchecked stimulus, igniting price hikes that disproportionately burdened working-class Americans. Meanwhile, their war on fossil fuels drove up energy costs, amplifying the pain at every turn.
Contrast that with Trump’s approach, which prioritizes unleashing U.S. energy independence and cutting red tape to boost growth. The results are already showing, proving Leavitt’s point that Republicans hold the winning formula for prosperity.
Nowhere is the Trump turnaround more evident than at the gas pump, where prices have tumbled to levels unseen in decades. Americans are stunned by the rapid drop, crediting President Trump’s pro-drilling policies and focus on energy dominance.
In Colorado, one driver captured the widespread disbelief: “I ain’t seen the gas $1.83 since the F-ing early 2000s! What the F goin’ on? What the hell goin’ on?!”
? WOW! Americans can’t BELIEVE how cheap President Trump got gas
Colorado: “I ain’t seen the gas $1.83 since the F-ing early 2000s!”
“What the F goin’ on? What the hell goin’ on?!” ??pic.twitter.com/rZfhFt9HxX
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 9, 2025
This sentiment echoes across the nation as Trump’s agenda slashes costs that skyrocketed under Biden. During Biden’s tenure, average gas prices hovered around $3.50 per gallon nationally, with spikes above $5 in some states – a direct hit from policies that hampered drilling and pipelines.
Under Trump, Americans are seeing multi-year lows, with Colorado’s current averages dipping below $2.50 and trending even lower in spots.
These plummeting prices aren’t magic – they’re the fruit of Trump’s drill-baby-drill strategy, reopening federal lands for exploration and fast-tracking infrastructure projects.
It’s a stark rebuke to the green zealots who prioritized climate virtue-signaling over affordable energy for families.
The facts are clear: When America produces its own energy, prices fall, and independence grows. Trump’s policies are restoring that edge, putting more money back in pockets and easing the affordability crunch Democrats exacerbated.
Leavitt’s call for Republicans to get louder about these successes couldn’t be timelier. With Democrats scrambling to rewrite history and claim credit for fixes they obstructed, the GOP needs to own the narrative. Trump’s playbook – tax cuts, deregulation, and energy freedom – is delivering bigger paychecks and lower costs, just as promised.
As inflation cools and gas flows cheaply, Americans are experiencing the tangible benefits of ditching globalist agendas for pro-worker priorities. The contrast exposes the left’s con game: They broke it, but Trump is fixing it.
Democrats’ affordability charade crumbles under scrutiny, while Trump’s results speak for themselves.
Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/11/2025 – 13:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/dems-are-greatest-con-artists-when-it-comes-inflation-disaster
Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt hospitalized after experiencing discomfort in his lungs
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt is in the hospital after experiencing discomfort in his lungs.
Team spokesman Burt Lauten said the seven-time All-Pro and 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year was sent to the hospital Thursday after initially reporting the discomfort to the team’s medical staff Wednesday.
The 30-year-old Watt’s status is uncertain for Monday night’s home game against the Miami Dolphins, Lauten said. Watt has started 56 straight regular-season games for the Steelers (7-6).
Watt has led the NFL in sacks three times in his nine seasons, all with the Steelers. He tied a league record in 2021 when he finished with 22½ sacks.
Watt has seven sacks in 2025 and recently surpassed older brother and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt on the league’s career sack list when he recorded his 115th last month.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/11/tj-watt-hospitalized-discomfort-lungs/
Bears honor Little Village grassroots leader Matt DeMateo with Inspire Change Changemaker Award
It hasn’t been a good year for the immigrant community in Chicago, said Matt DeMateo, a resident and grassroots leader in the Little Village neighborhood.
His team at New Life Centers of Chicagoland, an organization focused on helping underserved families and reducing street violence, had to shift its focus earlier this year to find ways to protect families affected by Operation Midway Blitz, the federal government’s most recent immigration enforcement in the city.
The operation, DeMateo said, filled Chicago’s immigrant communities with fear. Families stopped leaving their homes. Kids stayed home from school. Parents missed work. People were afraid to go to church. Still, DeMateo, the chief executive, rallied his team to keep their heads up, pushing to provide the resources their communities needed.
“We needed to keep safe spaces for our community to avoid more division,” DeMateo said.
Last week, the Chicago Bears surprised DeMateo, naming him the Inspire Change Changemaker Award winner in recognition of his work supporting immigrant and low-income families on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
Former Bears Jerry Azumah and Henry Melton helped deliver the news to DeMateo at the New Life Centers’ food pantry in Little Village. The recognition, which comes with a $10,000 grant, along with the Bears’ current season, “is a bright ray of hope,” for Chicago, DeMateo said.
The Changemaker award is presented annually by each NFL team to someone advancing social justice efforts in their community. Along with the financial award, DeMateo will also be recognized during the Bears game against the Packers on Dec. 20.
“Matt’s work reflects a level of commitment that has made a real difference for families across Chicago,” said Tanesha Wade, executive vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion & chief impact officer for the Bears. “He shows up consistently, listens to community members and responds in ways that create stability, opportunity and trust.”
DeMateo, who has lived in the Little Village area for about 25 years, said the recognition belongs to the larger community of volunteers, staff and residents who have kept New Life’s programs running through crisis after crisis.
“The Changemaker recognition is a huge blessing,” DeMateo said. “It’s not just an award for me, it’s for our entire team and for our community.”
Nonprofits such as New Life have faced increasing financial strain over the last year, losing nearly $2.5 million in funding across the board, according to DeMateo. Those cuts have forced the organization to reduce staffing for its migrant support team from 240 to only 40 people. The $10,000 donation that accompanies the Inspire Change award, DeMateo said, comes at a moment when demand for basic aid, especially food, is growing because of SNAP cuts and holidays.
Matt DeMateo, CEO of New Life Centers in the Little Village neighborhood, on Dec. 2, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
DeMateo has led New Life Centers for more than two decades, expanding the nonprofit from a small faith-based initiative into a major community organization focused on violence prevention, youth programming and food distribution. From his base in Little Village, DeMateo has helped build programs that now mentor roughly 600 young people and run athletic leagues serving more than 2,500 youth. The team also provides free groceries to about 10,000 residents each month through New Life’s Pan de Vida Fresh Market pantry.
In the past three years, the organization became one of the city’s central responders to the arrival of thousands of migrants bused from the southern border. Working with city, state and nonprofit partners, New Life helped open intake centers to greet newly arrived migrants, coordinated housing and distributed hundreds of thousands of basic necessities.
The group’s work has intensified in recent months during Operation Midway Blitz, a federal immigration enforcement surge that has heightened tensions across immigrant neighborhoods, especially Little Village. New Life has also lost staff members to ICE detention, and families have reported sudden disappearances of relatives who were taken into custody without warning.
Azumah, the son of Ghanaian immigrants and married to a first-generation Mexican American woman, said he understands the struggles facing immigrants.
“For us it’s really important, it’s important to give back, to help those in need. It’s been a rough road and everybody needs a little bit of hope,” Azumah said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/11/chicago-bears-changemaker-award-immigration-matt-demateo/
Waukegan D60 wrestling with school calendar for next 3 years: ‘Everybody couldn’t get what they wanted’
School may start a little later in August for the next three school years in Waukegan Community Unit School District 60, but the change will still allow high school students to take their final exams before winter break.
Faced with a dilemma of how to begin classes later in August but not create a situation forcing high school students to fret over final exams during their two-week winter break, the district’s Calendar Committee found a potential solution.
Nick Alatzakis, the Calendar Committee chair and the district’s communications director, said the only way to balance a roughly even number of days in each semester was to find middle ground. A compromise was necessary.
“Everybody couldn’t get what they wanted,” Alatzakis said. “How do we ensure we are still having a full first semester, as full as can be, so the high school students are getting their finals in, while also recognizing that would mean an Aug. 10 start date?”
The District 60 Board of Education is scheduled to vote on whether to approve the calendars for the next three school years on Tuesday at the Education Service Center in Waukegan, giving the administration some certainty for long-term planning.
Before the board on Tuesday will be the proposed calendar for the 2026-2027 school year, the 2027-2028 term and the 2028-2029 academic year. The board has the opportunity to vote on each calendar separately, or decide on all three at once.
If the calendars are approved as they are currently drafted, all three terms will start the third Monday in August — a week later than the current school year. Classes would begin Aug. 17 next year, Aug. 16 in 2027 and Aug. 14 in 2028.
Board members got their first look at the three calendars during a meeting of the board’s Operational Services Committee on Tuesday. Board member Anita Hanna said she was concerned about starting school in the first few weeks of August.
“It’s inconvenient because you’re cutting off the summertime,” she said. “My big point is how it’s impacting the families in the community that we are starting school early in August instead of going to the end of August which (has) historically been done.”
Alatzakis said school typically started the fourth week of August. The earlier start was implemented approximately six years ago to allow high school students to take their final exams before winter break.
“The idea of completing high school finals before winter break (is) so that students can go on winter break and not either forget the material they have learned, or have the stress of finals hanging over their head,” he said.
Hanna wanted to know what the students thought. Though a survey was taken to get the input of students, teachers, staff and parents, Alatzakis said most of the responses came from staff. The overwhelming majority — more than 70% — favored finals before winter break.
“We wanted to make sure the students had their finals before winter break,” Alatzakis said. That is the most student-centered thing we could have done. Adult-centered would have been for us to determine what was convenient for our vacation schedule.”
Board member Christine Lensing said scheduling final exams for high school students before winter break is important, but she wants to see precise data three years from now when the next trio of calendars is presented. Students as well as adults need time off, she said.
“I am in full support we should not do that to our kids,” Lensing said regarding finals in January. “ When you are on a break, take that break. Use your vacation. Use your mental health days. Take the break. I’m very happy that’s been prioritized.”
By moving the start of school a week later, Alatzakis said the semesters are not balanced. Ideally they should be 83 days. For the next two years, the first semester will be shorter and the second will be longer.
Amanda Milewski, the associate superintendent of strategy and accountability, said in an email after the committee meeting, there are “buffer” days in all semesters. Teachers can work together to make sure everything intended to be taught is imparted.
“To accommodate slight differences between the number of days in each semester, content teams of teachers can collaborate to determine what content and skills can be slightly adjusted based on priority standards,” Milewski said.
Though not part of the calendar package, Lensing said the school day starts too early for most youngsters. She wants to see the administration begin the school day later, and end it later, so students get their proper rest.
“Sleep is important to our growing minds,” she said. “Starting as early as we do has been a big pain point for me. The science does not back that.
“While the big impact is on middle and high school students, it may mean we also shift the elementary to accommodate that component,” Lensing said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/11/waukegan-school-board-calendar/
Elgin News Digest: Side Street Studio holding Holiday Art Clash Saturday; Dundee Library celebrating Scandanavian Hygge Night
Side Street Studio holding Holiday Art Clash Saturday
A Holiday Art Clash will be held at 7 p.m Saturday, Dec. 13, in the upstairs theater of Side Street Studio Arts, 17 Ziegler Court, Elgin.
Artists will compete in three rounds to create holiday-themed paintings, with audience members voting on who will win the cash prize, according to the Side Street Studio Arts website.
Tickets are $15 in advance online and $18 at the door.
To purchase tickets and for more information, go to www.sidestreetstudioarts.org/event-details/holiday-art-clash-2025?srsltid=AfmBOoptiFUeWsaEBCH-5lpDsTcu4f5nVBBalwA0CjqRaw36DfP0H1Cd.
Dundee Library celebrating Scandanavian Hygge Night
Hygge Night at the Dundee Library in East Dundee will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15.
Hygge (pronounced HOO-GAH) is a Danish and Norwegian word for cozy vibes and happy hearts, according to a library newsletter. Embracing that concept, the free event will feature ”low-fi beats, yummy desserts and slow, creative fun,” library officials said. The event is geared toward adults and teens.
For more information and to register, go to www.frvpld.info/event/dala-horse-ornament-83584.
Hanover Township distributing holiday meal boxes next week
Hanover Township will give out holiday meal boxes beginning Wednesday, Dec. 17, at the Astor Avenue Community Center, 7431 Astor Ave., Hanover Park.
Boxes also will be distributed Dec. 18-19 and Dec. 22-24. Distribution hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day other than Dec. 24, when the hours will be 9 a.m. to noon.
Each box contains a frozen turkey or ham, canned fruits and vegetables, coffee, dessert, gravy mix, potatoes and stuffing mix, according to a news release. Last December, 575 meal boxes were handed out.
Hanover Township residents in need of a box are asked to register by going to the community center and presenting a valid ID or utility bill.
This year’s holiday meal box sponsors include St. John the Evangelist Church in Streamwood, Bartlett Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus Mary’s Millennium Council No. 12801, Bartlett Lions Club and Streamwood Women’s Club.
For more information, call Hanover Township Human Services at 630-540-9085 or go to www.hanover-township.org.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/11/elgin-side-street-clash-hygge-dundee/
El Salvador y xAI lanzan programa de educación en escuelas públicas con inteligencia artificial
Associated Press
SAN SALVADOR (AP) — El gobierno de El Salvador y la empresa xAI, de Elon Musk, anunciaron el jueves una alianza para implementar el primer programa educativo nacional impulsado por inteligencia artificial en más de 5.000 escuelas públicas del país centroamericano.
El programa ofrecerá tutorías adaptativas alineadas con el currículo escolar, ajustadas al ritmo, las preferencias y el nivel de dominio de cada estudiante, garantizando que más de un millón de niños, desde centros urbanos hasta comunidades rurales, reciban una educación de nivel adaptadas a sus necesidades, según el acuerdo.
Además, miles de docentes participarán como aliados claves en el proceso de transformación digital del sistema educativo salvadoreño.
“Grok será utilizado a nivel nacional en El Salvador para educación personalizada”, dijo Musk en su cuenta de la red social X.
Tras el anuncio, el presidente Nayib Bukele aclaró en X que “como todas las invenciones transformadoras, la IA no es en sí misma ni la salvación ni la perdición, es un espejo. Refleja las intenciones de quienes la utilizan y somos nosotros quienes determinamos si contribuye a la destrucción o al florecimiento humano”.
La empresa xAI señaló que su misión es impulsar el descubrimiento científico y profundizar la comprensión colectiva del universo.
Agregó que “esta alianza encarna ese propósito al aprovechar las capacidades innovadoras de Grok para acelerar el aprendizaje a gran escala, reducir las brechas educativas y fomentar la innovación que beneficia a la humanidad. Es un paso hacia el acceso universal a la IA avanzada, reimaginando cómo las naciones construyen conocimiento para las generaciones futuras”.
“El Salvador demuestra que las naciones pueden alcanzar la cima mediante políticas audaces y una visión estratégica”, agregó el mandatario.
El Salvador empezó a implementar en noviembre una aplicación de salud complementada con inteligencia artificial que permite consultas médicas virtuales gratis y la disponibilidad de más de 1.400 médicos las 24 horas del día.
Disney invierte $1.000 millones en OpenAI para llevar personajes a Sora
Por KELVIN CHAN
Disney está invirtiendo 1.000 millones de dólares en OpenAI y llevará personajes como Mickey Mouse, Cenicienta y Luke Skywalker a la herramienta de generación de videos Sora de la compañía de IA, en un acuerdo de licencia que ambas empresas anunciaron el jueves.
Al mismo tiempo, Disney arremetió contra Google, exigiendo que la empresa tecnológica deje de violar sus derechos de autor al usar sus personajes para entrenar sus sistemas de IA.
El acuerdo con OpenAI convierte a The Walt Disney Co. en el primer socio importante de licencias de contenido para Sora, que utiliza inteligencia artificial generativa para crear videos cortos.
Bajo el acuerdo de licencia de tres años, los fans podrán usar Sora para generar y compartir videos basados en más de 200 personajes de Disney, Marvel, Pixar y Star Wars.
Los generadores de video de IA como Sora han sorprendido con su capacidad para crear rápidamente clips realistas basados únicamente en indicaciones de texto. Sin embargo, una avalancha de tales videos en las redes sociales, incluidos clips que representan a celebridades y figuras públicas fallecidas, ha generado preocupaciones sobre la proliferación de “videos basura” que desplazan el trabajo creado por humanos, junto con inquietudes sobre desinformación, deepfakes y derechos de autor.
Disney y OpenAI aseguraron que están comprometidos con el uso responsable de la IA que proteja la seguridad de los usuarios y los derechos de los creadores.
“Este acuerdo muestra cómo las empresas de IA y los líderes creativos pueden trabajar juntos de manera responsable para promover la innovación que beneficia a la sociedad, respetar la importancia de la creatividad y ayudar a que las obras lleguen a vastas nuevas audiencias”, declaró el CEO de OpenAI, Sam Altman.
El CEO de Disney, Robert Iger, expresó que el acuerdo “ampliará el alcance de nuestra narrativa a través de la IA generativa, mientras respeta y protege a los creadores y sus obras”.
Como parte del acuerdo, algunos videos generados por usuarios en Sora estarán disponibles en el servicio de streaming Disney+.
Disney también se convertirá en un “cliente importante” de OpenAI y utilizará su tecnología para desarrollar nuevos productos, herramientas y servicios. Además, implementará ChatGPT para los empleados.
También el jueves, Disney envió a Google una carta exigiendo que la empresa tecnológica deje de usar contenido de Disney sin permiso para alimentar y entrenar sus modelos de IA, incluidos su generador de videos Veo y los generadores de imágenes Imagen y Nano Banana.
Anteriormente, ha emitido cartas similares a Meta y Character.AI y ha presentado litigios con NBCUniversal y Warner Bros. Discovery contra el generador de imágenes de IA Midjourney y la empresa de IA Minimax.
Disney acusó a Google de “infringir los derechos de autor de Disney a gran escala”, según una copia de la carta fechada el 10 de diciembre vista por The Associated Press. La carta incluía ejemplos que, según Disney, los sistemas de IA de Google generaron fácilmente, como personajes de Star Wars, Los Simpson, Deadpool y El Rey León.
Disney dijo que Google también ha estado “amplificando intencionalmente” el problema al hacer que el contenido infractor esté disponible en sus numerosos canales, incluido YouTube.
Disney afirmó que Google no ha tomado ninguna medida para mitigar el problema a pesar de que ha estado planteando las preocupaciones durante meses. “La infracción masiva de las obras con derechos de autor de Disney por parte de Google debe detenerse”, dice la carta.
Google no ha respondido a una solicitud de comentarios.
___________________________________
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
North Central College kicker Aidan Ellison, a Naperville Central graduate, wins Fred Mitchell Award
North Central College senior Aidan Ellison is the 2025 winner of the Fred Mitchell Award, which recognizes the top college kicker outside of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.
Ellison, a Naperville Central graduate, has made 13 of his 14 field-goal attempts with a long of 57 yards for the defending Division III national champion Cardinals (12-0), who will play Bethel University in the quarterfinals on Saturday. His only miss was a 56-yard attempt.
Ellison is the second Division III player to win the award, which is named after former Chicago Tribune sports columnist and record-setting Wittenberg University kicker Fred Mitchell.
Ellison’s younger brothers Logan and Gavin also have kicked for Naperville Central.
