USA Rare Earth Shares Volatile After Accelerating Timeline For Commercial Production By Two Years

Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/10/2025 – 09:30

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The Willow Hill Lights Show has brought back its more than two million LED lights and 400 animated displays to Northbrook, and this holiday season officials have discovered that the display can appeal to more than the two-legged members of families who attend.

Doting dog owners dressed their pups in unwanted costume gear for festive photo ops on what was promoted as Willow Hill Howliday Lights on Nov. 25. The lights show continues through Jan. 4.

The canines got to experience the 2.5-mile festive, drive-through route of Willow Hill Lights. In its fifth year, it partners with Misericordia, a Chicago organization that supports children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In one car, Freddie, a 1-year-old male mixed breed dog from the western suburbs, wanted nothing to do with his red plaid Santa hat but was open to considering the complimentary pup cup of whipped cream from the concessions stand, despite being nervous at his first holiday light show.

Kent Knebelkamp of Northbrook, operator of Willow Hill amenities, gave Freddie and his family star treatment with a preview of the show before sunset.

“Everybody loves dogs,” Knebelkamp said, conversing while starting the two and a half mile drive through the show.

Freddie, 1, a male mixed breed pup from the western suburbs, gets his pup cup of whipped cream before driving with his family on Nov. 25, 2025 at the fifth annual Willow Hill Lights show in Northbrook at Willow Hill. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)

“Dogs are the best things in the world.”

Knebelkamp said many dogs love the lights so much that, “Oh my God, you’ll see dogs with their heads out of the roof.

“They’ve got the sun roof and the kids are holding them up and all the heads are out.”

Driving through the show on Nov. 25, 2025 at the fifth annual Willow Hill Lights show in Northbrook at Willow Hill. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)

Attractions to see on the lights show include Mount Rushmore, an orb experience, a section devoted to Jewish holidays, the 12 Days of Christmas, a patriotic section, tall trees, a rainbow tree section, a new Grinch section and more.  A concessions trailer on the way in provides an onsite way to quell hunger.

Willow Hill lights uses six people to install and maintain the lights.

Nick Pagano of Glenview, of the Glenbrook South High Class of 2019, director of operations, said, “We’ve grown so much since we first started, we’ve like doubled (in lights) since then.”

This coyote appeared of its own accord at the Willow Hill holiday lights show in Northbrook, Illinois, on a night welcoming canines, Nov. 25, 2025. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)

Dog owner Pagano also added, “Bring your pups, we love them, they’re all good.”

Pagano said he loves his dog, “with my whole heart.”

Besides the Tuesday Furry Friends Night, there are special nights honoring veterans, first responders and local organizations.

For Furry Friends Night, $10 of every ticket benefited Border Tails Rescue of Northbrook.

Driving through the show on Nov. 25, 2025 at the fifth annual Willow Hill Lights show in Northbrook at Willow Hill. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)

“Border Tails Rescue is sincerely grateful to Willow Hills Golf Course for generously hosting a fundraising event through ticket sales to the light show,” said Tami Reding-Brubaker of Glenview.

“As the outreach coordinator for BTR, I want to extend our heartfelt appreciation for this partnership and for the community support that makes our work possible,” Reding-Brubaker said, adding Willow Hill’s support is, “helping us continue our mission to save and care for dogs in need.”

Knebelkamp said he hopes the power of light, empowered by Willow Hill Lights, inspires people this season. Residents of The Lodge of Northbrook, a senior community residence along Willow Hill, have a sparking view of the lights in their backyard.

“Enjoy the holidays, it’s about our Lord Jesus Christ, and let’s celebrate him throughout the holidays, remember what this is all about,” Knebelkamp said.

“And this is bringing joy to people that might need a little bit of a jumpstart over the holidays.”

Willow Hill Lights, at Willow Hill Golf Course, 1350 Willow Road, Northbrook, is open Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Tickets cost $40 per car.

Find more information at willowhilllights.com.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/willow-hill-holiday-lights-display-in-northbrook-welcomes-dogs/ 

Por GRAHAM DUNBAR

GINEBRA (AP) — Tres esquiadores de Rusia y seis de Bielorrusia, incluidos ex campeones olímpicos y mundiales, recibieron el miércoles la aprobación para competir en eventos clasificatorios para los Juegos de Invierno de Milán-Cortina 2026 en febrero.

Su regreso tras la exclusión durante la invasión militar completa de Ucrania podría ser en cuestión de días en Davos, Suiza. Savelii Korostelev, ex campeón mundial juvenil de esquí de fondo, publicó “debut este fin de semana” en sus canales de redes sociales.

La Federación Internacional de Esquí y Snowboard (FIS) dijo que aprobó las solicitudes de los nueve para obtener el estatus de atletas neutrales y regresar a las competiciones por primera vez desde febrero de 2022.

La FIS no indicó si rechazó algunas solicitudes, ni cuántas, aunque la federación rusa de esquí dijo a la agencia estatal de noticias TASS que seis de sus atletas habían solicitado el estatus neutral.

Un nivel adicional de evaluación del Comité Olímpico Internacional debe ser superado antes de que cualquier atleta clasificado pueda ser invitado a los Juegos de Invierno que comienzan el 6 de febrero. Las directrices del COI para los organismos deportivos han mantenido a los atletas rusos excluidos de los eventos por equipos en un sistema aplicado para los Juegos de Verano de París el año pasado.

Los atletas que deseen competir como individuos neutrales sin ningún símbolo de identidad nacional no deben haber apoyado públicamente la guerra ni tener vínculos con agencias militares o de seguridad del estado.

Atletas ganadores de títulos

La esquiadora acrobática Hanna Huskova obtuvo el oro en saltos femeninos para Bielorrusia en los Juegos Olímpicos de Pyeongchang 2018 y la plata cuatro años después en Beijing.

Anastasia Tatalina fue campeona mundial de Big Air para Rusia en 2021 y quedó cuarta en el slopestyle en los Juegos Olímpicos de Beijing 2022. También compitió en Pyeongchang.

Los esquiadores de fondo rusos Korostelev y Dariya Nepryaeva también obtuvieron el estatus neutral antes de las carreras de la Copa del Mundo este fin de semana en Davos.

Ambos ganaron títulos mundiales juveniles el 25 de febrero de 2022, un día después de que comenzara la guerra, compitiendo en Noruega. Días antes, la hermana mayor de Nepryaeva, Natalya, dejó los Juegos de Invierno de Beijing con medallas de oro, plata y bronce en esquí de fondo.

Fallo judicial despejó el camino para Rusia

La federación rusa de esquí y los atletas ganaron un fallo la semana pasada en el Tribunal de Arbitraje Deportivo que obligó a la FIS a comenzar a procesar solicitudes para el estatus neutral.

Los atletas rusos y los oficiales del equipo podrían enfrentar desafíos para obtener visas para ingresar a algunos países que albergan eventos clasificatorios en los circuitos de la Copa del Mundo en esquí alpino, de fondo y acrobático, y snowboard.

La FIS dijo que los atletas aprobados pueden competir “siempre que acepten formalmente las condiciones asociadas con el estatus AIN”, citando el acrónimo francés del COI para Atleta Individual Neutral.

El organismo rector de esquí y snowboard dijo que se tomarán más decisiones sobre atletas neutrales en “los próximos días y semanas”.

El eventual grupo de atletas rusos que competirán en Italia en febrero probablemente será inferior a 20, una caída pronunciada de los más de 200 que fueron a los Juegos de Invierno de Beijing, donde ganaron 32 medallas, incluidas cinco de oro.

___

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

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/nueve-esquiadores-rusos-y-bielorrusos-obtienen-estatus-neutral-para-clasificatorios-olmpicos/ 

A man was pronounced dead after he attempted to accelerate a stolen vehicle when officers tried to approach and he was wounded during a struggle, Chicago police said.

Shortly before 10:30 p.m., tactical officers were conducting an investigation in the 5700 block of North Washtenaw Avenue in the West Ridge neighborhood when they spotted a stolen sedan that was parked and unoccupied, police said.

Another dark-colored sedan with two men and a woman pulled along side the stolen vehicle and the men got out and attempted to enter it, police said. The tactical officers approached to continue to investigate and one of the men fled on foot. As the officers approached, the man returned to the driver’s side of the stolen sedan. The officers ordered the man to exit the vehicle but he refused and a struggle ensued as they attempted to remove the man from the sedan, police said.

During the struggle, the man accelerated, dragging an officer when the other officer discharged their weapon, striking the man who suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The stolen sedan collided with another parked vehicle, police said.

Medical help was rendered to the man and paramedics arrived at the scene to treat the man who was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The woman was taken into police custody, and two weapons were recovered at the scene, police said.

The officer suffered minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital for treatment, police said.

The Investigative Response Team and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability are investigating the shooting.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/police-involved-shooting-north-side/ 

Highland Park junior point guard Kourtnie Halperin is a basketball player at heart.

But Halperin also has deep roots in tennis, which is a much different sport.

“Tennis is quiet, and it’s just you, the ball and the person you are playing,” she said.

The 5-foot-1 Halperin, who advanced to the Class 2A state meet with doubles partner Mira Schmidt in October, intends to help the Highland Park girls basketball team make more noise this season. She is one of three returning starters for the defending Central Suburban North champion Giants (5-2, 2-0), who will put a three-game winning streak on the line against league rival Vernon Hills on Friday.

“How I look at it is that as long as my team is succeeding, I’m succeeding,” Halperin said. “This season has gone great for me.”

Highland Park coach Jolie Bechtel said Halperin is definitely doing more in her third year as a starter. Halperin was an all-conference selection last season, when the Giants won 20 games.

“She was one of our better shooters last year, but her defense has gotten a lot better,” Bechtel said. “Her game is more complete. She is an impact player. This year her passing has been outstanding, and she’s become a bigger contributor on both ends of the floor.

“Her experience is really valuable. She loves basketball and is very intense and has a passion for the game.”

Teammates notice Halperin’s love for the sport too.

“Kourtnie does things that a lot of people can’t do while being the shortest player on the floor,” Highland Park senior forward Reese Crosby said. “She has a lot of passion for the game, and you can see it when she plays.”

Highland Park’s Kourtnie Halperin, left, hits a 3-pointer during a Central Suburban North game against Maine East in Park Ridge on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (John Konstantaras / News-Sun)

Crosby, a fourth-year varsity player who also earned all-conference honors last season, said Halperin’s shooting remains important for the Giants’ offense.

“Kourtnie brings the ability to stretch the floor,” Crosby said. “Opposing teams have to keep an eye on her at all times when she’s behind the 3-point line, which makes it easier for players like me to drive to the basket. Overall, Kourtnie is a key asset for our team.”

Highland Park junior center Esmae You said Halperin is a savvy player too.

“Kourtnie is such a talented basketball player on the court because of her basketball IQ,” You said. “She doesn’t let anything stop her from driving to the basket or from passing a dime down the court.

“She seems to be able to see the whole court and has a deep understanding of how the game works. This makes her a great communicator and support for our team. Without Kourtnie, our team would not function.”

Highland Park’s Kourtnie Halperin (5) races back on defense after scoring during a Central Suburban North game against Maine East in Park Ridge on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (John Konstantaras / News-Sun)

To that end, Halperin has also taken on a leadership role for the Giants this season.

“Being a point guard, you have to be a leader,” she said. “I’m one of the older players in the program, so just being someone the underclassmen can go to is huge. Being an upperclassman to me comes with a lot of responsibilities.”

Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/basketball-highland-park-kourtnie-halperin/ 

WASHINGTON — The House is expected to vote this week on a bill authorizing $900 billion for military programs, including boosting pay for service members, cutting Pentagon diversity efforts and requiring footage to be released of forces blowing up alleged drug boats.

The National Defense Authorization Act is traditionally a strong bipartisan bill that lays out the nation’s defense policies. But it’s coming up for a vote as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces mounting scrutiny over the boat strikes off Venezuela’s coast.

Lawmakers’ concerns are apparent in the compromise bill released Sunday by the House Armed Services Committee. While it incorporates many of President Donald Trump’s executive orders, the defense bill demands more accountability over the administration’s campaign against Latin American drug cartels. It also reasserts a U.S. commitment to Europe following intense criticism of allies in Trump’s recently released national security strategy.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tells congressional leaders he is weighing release of boat strike video

The House could vote as early as Wednesday on this year’s NDAA. Here are key things to know about the bill:

Demand for boat strike videos

Lawmakers are demanding the Pentagon hand over unedited video of strikes against drug cartels, threatening to withhold a quarter of Hegseth’s travel budget if it doesn’t.

The congressional committees overseeing the military have been pressing the Pentagon for more answers on a Sept. 2 strike following reports that U.S. forces fired on two survivors clinging to wreckage after their alleged drug-smuggling boat was attacked.

The legislation also requires the Pentagon to provide the orders behind each attack. Legal experts and some Democrats say the Sept. 2 follow-up strike violated the laws of war, despite the Trump administration’s assertions that the U.S. is in an armed conflict with drug cartels.

Aid for Ukraine

The legislation authorizes $400 million for each of the next two years to manufacture weapons to be sent to Ukraine.

The money represents only a small part of Kyiv’s overall needs for its fight against Russia, but it is still a show of support from Congress at a time when Trump’s backing for Ukraine has been in doubt.

The bill also requires the Pentagon to provide intelligence support for Ukraine, which the Trump administration had paused for several weeks earlier this year.

Keeping US troops in Europe, Korea

Congress is trying to reaffirm its commitment to European allies and NATO — a notable stance given the posture of the Trump administration.

One provision in the defense authorization bill requires the Pentagon to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment stationed in Europe unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests.

Around 80,000 to 100,000 U.S. troops are usually present on European soil. NATO allies have expressed concern that the Trump administration might drastically cut their numbers and leave a security vacuum as European countries confront an increasingly aggressive Russia.

The Army said in late October that the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division will return to its base in Kentucky as previously planned but that no other U.S. troops would rotate into Europe to replace it.

The Trump administration says it’s been reviewing its military posture in Europe and elsewhere. In a speech Saturday, Hegseth criticized previous U.S. policies that “turned American allies into dependents.”

The defense bill also contains a provision to keep U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, setting the minimum requirement at 28,500.

Lack of IVF coverage

The bill is notable for lacking a provision to expand coverage of in vitro fertilization for active duty personnel. An earlier version covered the medical procedure, known as IVF, which helps people facing infertility to build their families.

Rep. Sara Jacobs, a California Democrat, said Sunday that Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson removed her provision in the bill for military health insurance to cover IVF for American troops.

“It’s an unbelievably selfish and callous move against people who’ve served and sacrificed so much for us, especially when he and his own staff have access to health care plans that provide IVF coverage,” Jacobs said in a news release.

Johnson’s office did not respond to an email seeking comment. He praised the NDAA in a statement for delivering on “Trump’s promise of peace through strength,” while noting that it provides a nearly 4% raise for service members.

Iraq war resolution repeal

The legislation also would put an official end to the war in Iraq by repealing the authorization for the 2003 invasion.

Supporters in both the House and Senate say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner of the U.S. Both chambers voted earlier this year to include an amendment in the 2026 defense bill revoking the 2002 war resolution.

The 2002 resolution has been rarely used in recent years. But the first Trump administration cited it as part of its legal justification for a 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani.

Lifting final Syria sanctions

Congress would permanently remove the harshest U.S. sanctions left on Syria after the Trump administration has lifted many penalties.

Congress had imposed economically crippling sanctions on the country in 2019 to punish former leader Bashar Assad for human rights abuses during the nearly 14-year civil war. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is seeking to rebuild his nation’s economy after he led a successful insurgency that deposed Assad a year ago.

While the Trump administration had issued temporary waivers on the sanctions known as the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, they can only be permanently repealed by a vote in Congress.

Advocates of a permanent repeal have said international companies are unlikely to invest in projects needed for the country’s reconstruction as long as there is a threat of sanctions returning.

Cuts to climate and diversity initiatives

The bill makes $1.6 billion in cuts to climate change-related spending, the House Armed Services Committee said. The panel does not outline what would be eliminated, but the military has previously invested in hybrid electric ships and plans for adapting to a changing climate.

U.S. military assessments have long found that climate change is a threat to national security, with bases being pummeled by hurricanes or routinely flooded.

The bill also would save $40 million by repealing diversity, equity and inclusion offices, programs and trainings, the committee said. For example, the position of chief diversity officer would be cut.

The Trump administration has ordered climate and DEI programs cut across the federal government.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/defense-bill-boat-strike-what/ 

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told congressional leaders Tuesday that he was still weighing whether to release the full video of an attack on an alleged drug boat that killed two survivors, even as he faced intensifying demands from Congress for disclosure.

Hegseth provided a classified briefing for congressional leaders alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe at the Capitol. Inside the secure room, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer asked the defense secretary whether he would allow every member of Congress to view the video of the attack from September.

Schumer said Hegseth’s response was: “We have to study it.”

What to know about the massive defense bill that seeks release of boat strike videos and more

Lawmakers are demanding a full accounting from the Department of Defense on the military campaign and the particular attack that killed two people who were clinging to the wreckage of an initial strike. Legal experts say that action may have violated the laws governing the use of deadly military force. The situation has awakened the Republican-controlled Congress to its oversight role after months of frustration about the trickle of information from the Pentagon.

Schumer described the briefing as “very unsatisfying” and added that “Democrats and Republicans had a right to see it, wanted to see it, and should see it.”

Separately Tuesday, the U.S. Navy admiral who is retiring early from command of the campaign to destroy vessels allegedly carrying drugs near Venezuela spoke to key lawmakers overseeing the U.S. military. The classified video call between Adm. Alvin Holsey, who will be retiring from U.S. Southern Command in the coming days, and the GOP chair and ranking Democrat of the Senate Armed Services Committee represented another determined step by lawmakers to get answers about the operation.

Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, declined to discuss the specifics of the call, but described Holsey as a “great public servant.” He also said that the Pentagon is weighing whether releasing the video would disclose classified information.

In its annual defense authorization bill, which was crafted by both Republicans and Democrats, Congress is demanding that the Pentagon turn over unedited video of the strikes, as well as the orders authorizing the attacks. The legislation threatens to withhold a quarter of Hegseth’s travel budget if he refuses.

“There is a growing demand that everyone get a right in the Senate to see it,” said Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

He added that Holsey answered the senators’ questions but also said that “there are still many questions to be answered.” Reed later added that Holsey did not give a reason for his retirement other than saying it was a personal decision.

Congress presses for more information

Lawmakers are trying to understand the purpose and parameters of President Donald Trump’s campaign, which has struck 22 boats and killed at least 87 people since it started in September. Trump has also been making threats against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, sending a fleet of warships near the South American country, including the largest U.S. aircraft carrier.

On Tuesday, the U.S. military flew a pair of fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela in what appears to be the closest American warplanes have come to the country’s airspace since the start of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign.

Holsey became the leader of U.S. Southern Command just over one year ago, but in October, Hegseth announced that Holsey would be retiring early from his post. As commander of U.S. forces in the region, Holsey oversaw a command structure that has in recent years been mostly focused on building stability and cooperation across much of the region.

Trump’s drug boat campaign, however, has added a new, deadly dynamic to its mission. Rather than trying to interdict drug-carrying vessels, as forces like the U.S. Coast Guard have traditionally done, the Trump administration asserts that the drugs and drug-smugglers are posing a direct threat to American lives. Officials say they are applying the same rules as the global war on terror to kill drug smugglers.

Trump this week justified the Sept. 2 strike that killed two survivors by claiming that the two suspected drug smugglers were trying to right the part of the boat after it had capsized in the initial attack. However, Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley, the special operations commander who ordered the second strike, told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing last week that he ordered the follow-up strike to ensure that the cocaine in the boat could not be picked up later by cartel members.

The entire House Armed Services Committee will also hear from Bradley next week, said Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the panel.

“We need an all-member briefing for the House of Representatives,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told The Associated Press.

Lawmakers want access to boat strike video

For the last several months, the Trump administration has brandished videos of the strikes — black and white footage of boats exploding into flames — on social media. But access to the full, unedited videos has now become a point of contention between the Pentagon and Congress.

Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called it a “little strange” for officials to now claim that full, unedited video of the strike is classified and cannot be released even to members of Congress.

“We got a little pushback,” said Rep. Jim Himes the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, who acknowledged potential concerns over disclosing sources and methods used in the strikes. “But we said, ‘Look, you’re posting — every time we take a strike you post it.’”

The Democrats also say that the logic underpinning the entire operation is deeply problematic.

“They are using expensive, exquisite American military capabilities to kill people who are the equivalent of corner dealers,” said Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat.

Lawmakers are also questioning what intelligence the military is using to determine whether the boats’ cargo is headed for the U.S. As they have looked closer at the Sept. 2 strike, lawmakers learned that the destroyed boat was heading south at the time of the attack and that military intelligence showed it was headed toward another vessel that was bound for Suriname.

Still, it remains to be seen whether the Republican-controlled Congress will push back on the Trump administration’s campaign. Many have so far stood behind it, but worry is also growing about the prospect of war.

House Speaker Mike Johnson missed the classified briefing — the only leader to do so, according to two people familiar with the private session who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Johnson’s absence was notable from the speaker, who is second in line of succession to the president, especially as Congress is expected to have the final say on the military’s use of the nation’s war powers.

War powers resolution vote

A group of senators — three Democrats and one Republican — is also preparing to force a vote on legislation as soon as next week that would halt Trump’s ability to use military force against Venezuela directly without congressional approval.

The senators have already tried unsuccessfully to pass a similar resolution, but almost all Republicans voted against it. However, the senators say there is now renewed interest from GOP lawmakers.

“These follow-on strikes of people who are wounded in the ocean is really against our code of military justice,” said Sen. Rand Paul, the Kentucky Republican who is sponsoring the legislation. “They are illegal.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/hegseth-boat-strike-video/ 

NEW YORK — Pluck eyebrows. Buy less conspicuous shoes. Take a bus or a train west toward Cincinnati and St. Louis. Move around late at night. Stay away from surveillance cameras.

A to-do list and travel plans found during Luigi Mangione’s arrest and revealed in court this week shed new light on the steps he may have taken — or planned to take — to avoid capture after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing last year.

“Keep momentum, FBI slower overnight,” said one note. “Change hat, shoes, pluck eyebrows,” said another.

The notes, including a hand-drawn map and tactics for surviving on the lam, were shown on Monday at a pretrial hearing as Mangione’s bid to prevent prosecutors from using evidence seized during his Dec. 9, 2024, arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Excerpts of body-worn camera footage of the arrest, previously unseen by the press or the public, were released on Tuesday.

Police said they discovered the notes in Mangione’s backpack, along with a 9 mm handgun that prosecutors said matches the one used to kill Thompson five days earlier; a loaded gun magazine and silencer; and a notebook in similar handwriting which he purportedly described his intent to “wack” a health insurance executive.

Mangione’s lawyers haven’t disputed the authenticity of the notes or the provenance of the gun, pocket knife, fake ID, driver’s license, passport, credit cards, AirPods, protein bar, travel toothpaste, flash drives and other items seized from him and his backpack.

But they argue that anything found in the bag should be barred because police didn’t have a search warrant and lacked the grounds to justify a warrantless search. Prosecutors contend the search was legal — officers said they were checking for a bomb — and that police eventually obtained a warrant.

The notes, along with other evidence highlighted at the pretrial hearing, underscore that Mangione’s stop in Altoona, a city of about 44,000 people about 230 miles west of Manhattan, was only meant to be temporary.

One note said to check for “red eyes” from Pittsburgh to Columbus, Ohio or part way to Cincinnati (“get off early,” it reads). The map drawn below shows lines linking those cities, as well as other possible destinations, including Detroit, Indianapolis and St. Louis.

Thompson, 50, was killed as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for his company’s investor conference on Dec. 4, 2024. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind and then fleeing the area. Over the next hours and days, police released photos of a suspect — first showing him in a mask and hooded coat and then his face and thick eyebrows.

Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges. The pretrial hearing, which resumes for a sixth day on Thursday, applies only to the state case. His lawyers are making a similar push to exclude the evidence from his federal case, where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Among the notes revealed this week was one with a heading “12/5” and a starred entry that said: “buy black shoes (white stripes too distinctive).”

Another, also written in to-do list style, suggested spending more than three hours away from surveillance cameras and using different modes of transportation to “Break CAM continuity” and avoid tracking. Below that, it said: “check reports for current situation,” a possible reference to news reports about the search for Thompson’s killer.

According to prosecutors, Mangione fled to Newark, New Jersey, immediately after the shooting and took a train to Philadelphia. Among the evidence shown at the pretrial hearing was a Philadelphia transit pass purchased at 1:06 p.m. — a little more than six hours after the shooting — and a ticket for a Greyhound bus, booked under the name Sam Dawson, leaving Philadelphia at 6:30 p.m. and arriving in Pittsburgh at 11:55 p.m.

A note with the heading “12/8” lists a number of tasks, including an apparent trip to Best Buy to purchase a digital camera and accessories, “hot meal + water bottles,” and “trash bag(s).” Under “12/9,” the day of Mangione’s arrest, the note lists tasks including “Sheetz,” an Altoona-based convenience store chain, “masks” and “AAA bats.” Under “Future TO DO,” it listed “intel checkin” and “survival kit.”

Mangione had a Sheetz hoagie in his backpack when he was arrested, along with a loaf of Italian bread from a local deli, according to police officers testifying Monday and Tuesday. It had been raining, and the bag and items inside it were wet, the officers said. They were heard on body-worn camera footage played in court theorizing that Mangione had gotten soaked walking from the city’s bus station.

Police responded to the McDonald’s after a manager called 911 to relay concerns from customers who thought that Mangione, eating breakfast in a back corner, resembled the man wanted for killing Thompson. On the call, played in court, the manager could be heard saying that because Mangione was wearing a medical mask, she could only see his eyebrows and that she searched online for a photo of the suspect for comparison.

Altoona Police Officer Stephen Fox testified on Tuesday that Mangione, the Ivy League-educated scion of a wealthy Maryland family, expressed concern for the 911 caller’s wellbeing. Fox said Mangione asked if police had planned on releasing her name, which they didn’t. The officer recalled him saying: “It would be bad for her” and “there would be a lot of people that would be upset.”

At another point, Fox said, a shackled Mangione stumbled while trying to keep up with the brisk-moving officer. Fox said he apologized and said, “I forgot you were shackled.”

He said Mangione responded: “It’s OK, I’m going to have to get used to it.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/luigi-mangiones-notes/ 

MELBOURNE, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed a world-first social media ban for children younger than 16 that took effect Wednesday as families taking back power from tech giants but warned the implementation would be difficult.

Many children posted farewell messages, while parents reported distraught children discovering they’d been shut out of platforms as the landmark law took effect. Some young children reported fooling the platforms’ age estimation technology by drawing on facial hair. Parents and older siblings are also expected to help some children circumvent the restrictions.

“This is the day when Australian families are taking back power from these big tech companies and they’re asserting the right of kids to be kids and for parents to have greater peace of mind,” Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“This reform will change lives. For Australian kids … allowing them to just have their childhood. For Australian parents, enabling them to have greater peace of mind. But also for the global community, who are looking at Australia and saying: well, if Australia can do it, why can’t we?” Albanese later told a gathering of reform supporters at his official Sydney residence, including parents who blame social media for a child’s suicide.

Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32.9 million) from Wednesday if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the accounts of Australian children younger than 16.

Australia to report by Christmas if social media ban is working

The ban will be enforced by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. She said the platforms already had the technology and personal data about their users to enforce the age restriction with precision.

She would send the 10 targeted platforms on Thursday notices demanding information on how the age restriction was being implemented and how many accounts had been closed.

“We will provide information to the public before Christmas on how these age restrictions are being implemented and whether preliminarily we see them working,” Inman Grant said.

“The responses to these notices will form the baseline against which we will measure compliance,” she added.

Communications Minister Anika Wells said the age-restricted platforms “may not agree with the law and that’s their right — we don’t expect 100% universal support,” but that all had undertaken to comply with the Australian law. She said more than 200,000 TikTok accounts in Australia had already been deactivated by Wednesday.

Wells also warned young children who had so far evaded detection that they would eventually be caught. A child who used a virtual private network to appear to be in Norway would be caught out if they were routinely posting images of Australian beaches, Wells said.

“Just because they might have avoided it (detection) today doesn’t mean they will be able to avoid it in a week’s time or a month’s time because social media platforms have to go back and routinely check under-16 accounts,” Wells said.

“These social media platforms have so much data on us because we choose to give it to them because we like social media and because you’ve had your older brother scan their face for you today, which has bought you a bit of time, doesn’t mean that these accounts aren’t going to see you talking to other 14-year-olds tonight about the under-16 soccer carnival on weekend, about your upcoming school holidays and what your Year 10 teacher is next year,” she added.

Albanese said the implementation would be difficult and “won’t be perfect.”

“This is about, importantly, pushing back against big tech, saying that social media companies have a social responsibility,” he said.

Father of sextortion scam victim says social media ban is a start

Wayne Holdsworth, who became an age restriction advocate because his son Mac took his own life after falling victim to an online sextortion scam, described the new law as a start. Children must now be educated about online dangers before they turn 16.

“Our kids that we’ve lost haven’t died in vain because today they’ll be looking down very proud of the work that we’ve all done,” Holdsworth told the Sydney gathering.

Flossie Brodribb, a 12-year-old advocate for a social media ban for young children, told the gathering she hoped other countries would follow Australia’s lead.

“This ban is bold and brave and I believe it will help kids like me to grow up healthier, safer, kinder and more connected to the real world,” Flossie said.

Simone Clements said the social media ban would come at a financial cost to her 15-year-old twins Carlee and Hayden Clements. Carlee is an actor, model, dancer, singer and influencer. Her brother is an actor and model.

“I know that our situation is unique to our family because the kids are in the entertainment industry and social media goes hand-in-hand with the entertainment industry. We have used social media in the most positive way. And it’s a platform for them to basically show their portfolio, and … this is an income stream for the children,” the mother said.

Privacy commissioner unclear how social media will verify ages

Australia’s Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind said the platforms could potentially ask all account holders across the country to prove they were 16 or older.

The platforms’ age verification options were to ask for copies of identification documents, use a third party to apply age estimation technology to analyze an account holder’s face, or make inferences from data already available such has how long an account has been held, Kind said.

“There’s quite strong privacy protections in the legislation. They require social media platforms to delete any data they collect for the purpose of age assurance under this scheme and to not use it for secondary purposes unless they have individuals’ consent. And that’s a really strong and important safeguard,” Kind said.

The government has said requesting all account holders verify their ages would not be a reasonable step, given the platforms already held sufficient personal data of most people to perform that task.

The platforms also cannot compel users to provide government-issued identification.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/social-media-ban-australia-children/ 

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine is expected to hand its latest peace proposals to U.S. negotiators Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, a day ahead of his urgent talks with leaders and officials from about 30 other countries supporting Kyiv’s effort to end the war with Russia on acceptable terms.

As tension builds around U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for a settlement and calls for an election in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said his country would be ready for such a vote within three months if partners can guarantee safe balloting during wartime and if its electoral law can be altered.

Washington’s goal of a swift compromise to stop the fighting that followed Russia’s all-out invasion in February 2022 is reducing Kyiv’s room for maneuvering. Zelenskyy is walking a tightrope between defending Ukrainian interests and showing Trump he is willing to make some compromises.

Ukraine’s European allies are backing Zelensky’s effort to ensure that any settlement is fair and deters future Russian attacks.

The French government said Ukraine’s allies — dubbed the “Coalition of the Willing” — will discuss the negotiations Thursday by video. Zelenskyy said it would include those countries’ leaders.

“We need to bring together 30 colleagues very quickly. And it’s not easy, but nevertheless we will do it,” he said late Tuesday.

Zelenskyy’s openness to an election was a response to comments by Trump in which he questioned Ukraine’s democracy and suggested the Ukrainian leader was using the war as an excuse not to stand before voters. Those comments echo similar remarks often made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy told reporters late Tuesday he is “ready” for an election but would need help from the U.S. and possibly Europe to ensure its security. He suggested Ukraine could be ready to hold balloting in 60 to 90 days if that proviso is met.

“To hold elections, two issues must be addressed: primarily, security — how to conduct them, how to do it under strikes, under missile attacks; and a question regarding our military — how they would vote,” Zelenskyy said.

“And the second issue is the legislative framework required to ensure the legitimacy of elections,” he said.

Previously, Zelenskyy had pointed out that a ballot can’t legally take place while martial law — imposed due to Russia’s invasion — is in place. He has also asked how a vote could happen when civilian areas of Ukraine are being bombarded by Russia and almost 20% of the country is under Moscow’s occupation.

Zelenskyy said he has asked lawmakers from his party to draw up legislative proposals allowing for an election while Ukraine is under martial law.

Ukrainians have on the whole supported Zelenskyy’s arguments, and have not clamored for an election. Under the law that is in force, Zelenskyy’s rule is legitimate.

Putin has repeatedly complained that Zelenskyy can’t legitimately negotiate a peace settlement because his five-year term that began in 2019 has expired.

US seeks closer ties with Russia

A new U.S. national security strategy released Dec. 5 made it clear that Trump wants to improve Washington’s relationship with Moscow and “reestablish strategic stability with Russia.”

The document also portrays European allies as weak.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised Trump’s role in the Ukraine peace effort, saying in a speech to the upper house of parliament that Moscow appreciates his “commitment to dialogue.” Trump, Lavrov said, is “the only Western leader” who shows “an understanding of the reasons that made war in Ukraine inevitable.”

Trump’s peace efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands from Moscow and Kyiv.

The initial U.S. proposal was heavily slanted toward Russia’s demands. To counter that, Zelenskyy has turned to his European supporters.

Zelenskyy met this week with the leaders of Britain, Germany and France in London, the heads of NATO and the European Union in Brussels, and then to Rome to meet the Italian premier and Pope Leo XIV.

Zelenskyy said three documents were being discussed with American and European partners — a 20-point framework document that is constantly changing, a document on security guarantees, and a document about Ukraine’s recovery.

Military aid for Ukraine declines

Europe’s support is uneven, however, and that has meant a decrease in military aid since the Trump administration this year cut off supplies to Kyiv unless they were paid for by other NATO countries.

Foreign military help for Ukraine fell sharply over the summer, and that trend continued through September and October, a German body that tracks international help for Ukraine said Wednesday.

Average annual aid, mostly provided by the U.S. and Europe, was about $48.4 billion between 2022–24. But so far this year Ukraine has received just $37.8 billion, the Kiel Institute said.

“If this slower pace continues in the remaining months (of the year), 2025 will become the year with the lowest level of new aid allocations” since the war began, it said.

This year, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have substantially increased their help for Ukraine, while Germany nearly tripled its average monthly allocations and France and the U.K. both more than doubled their contributions, the Kiel Institute said.

On the other hand, it said, Spain recorded no new military aid for Kyiv in 2025 while Italy reduced its low contributions by 15% compared with 2022–2024.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/ukraine-peace-plan-us/