Category: News
Caleb Williams, Connor Bedard, Derrick Rose and more: The 11 No. 1 draft picks made by Chicago’s pro sports teams
There will be a new No. 1 — pick, that is. The Chicago White Sox secured on Tuesday the first pick in the 2026 Major League Baseball draft by winning the league’s lottery at the annual winter meetings. The Sox get first dibs for the first time in 49 years — since the team selected Harold Baines in 1977.
The most recent No. 1 pick was USC quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, who the Chicago Bears selected in the 2024 NFL draft.
Williams joined 10 other athletes who were selected at the top of their draft classes by Chicago teams since 1940. (The Bears did have the first pick for the first time in 77 years in 2023’s NFL draft but traded it to the Carolina Panthers.)
Here’s a look back at these athletes and how they fared.
Bears: Tom Harmon
Michigan back Tom Harmon on Nov. 20, 1940, in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Drafted: Dec. 10, 1940
Bears owner George Halas’ “astute handling of trades,” as the Tribune called it, gave the team three of the first 10 picks in the 1940 draft, including the top spot.
Halas selected Harmon, a Gary native considered by many who covered college football — including the Tribune — to be its best player that year. When the Tribune awarded him its Silver Football trophy in early 1941, he said, “This moment is perhaps the happiest in my life.” That was just months after the Michigan running back became the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner.
Yet Harmon had his sights set elsewhere. Instead of signing a contract with the Bears, he signed one for $15,000 with Columbia Pictures — to star in a film called “Harmon of Michigan.”
Harmon did play football in Chicago in 1941 but not for the Bears — before more than 98,000 fans at Soldier Field as part of the Chicago Tribune All-Star Charity Football Game.
Bears: Bob Fenimore
Bears owner and coach George Halas, left, watches as Bob Fenimore signs a contract with the team on Jan. 18, 1947.
Drafted: Dec. 16, 1946
Unlike Harmon, Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) halfback “Blonde Bomber” Fenimore did sign with the Bears — but not before a trade was considered with the Buffalo Bisons of the All-America Football Conference. Trade talk was abandoned, however, after Bisons team doctors reported calcium spots on Fenimore’s injured knee.
As he prepared to play in the College All-Star Game in August 1947, Fenimore told reporters: “I don’t wear a knee brace. I should, but it slows me down. Every bit of speed counts, you know.” He didn’t participate in the game, however, because of the injury.
Fenimore played in 10 games for the Bears during the 1947 season but wrote a letter to Halas stating he would sit out the next season because of back and groin injuries incurred from exercising on a horse apparatus at a gym. He remained in Oklahoma, where he became an insurance salesman.
Bears: Caleb Williams
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams speaks in his introductory news conference on Friday, April 26, 2024, at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. The Bears selected Williams with the No. 1 pick in the draft a night earlier. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Drafted: April 25, 2024
Williams, who had been notably relaxed during his time in Detroit, appeared to get a major adrenaline rush. With an enthusiastic speed walk, he roared with excitement as he reached the draft stage.
“I didn’t know how I was going to react in the moment,” he said. “I was trying to think it through in my head throughout the process. But nothing feels better than actually being in the moment, actually getting that call. I didn’t feel nervous. I didn’t feel any of that. I was anxious and ready to go.”
Blackhawks: Patrick Kane
Patrick Kane, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NHL draft, tries on his Blackhawks sweater alongside general manager Dale Tallon.
Drafted: June 22, 2007
The Hawks won the NHL draft lottery in 2007. Instead of picking fifth, as the standings dictated, they garnered the first selection for the first time in franchise history.
The Hawks interviewed Kane, Kyle Turris and James van Riemsdyk several times in the weeks leading up to the draft in Columbus, Ohio. Of the three, only Kane said publicly that he wanted to play in the NHL the next season — Turris and van Riemsdyk wanted to play college hockey.
The Hawks selected Kane, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., with the No. 1 pick, and van Riemsdyk was chosen second by the Philadelphia Flyers, making it the first time the first two selections were U.S.-born players.
“It’s unbelievable if you look at players who have gone No. 1,” Kane says. “(Vincent) Lecavalier, (Sidney) Crosby, (Alexander) Ovechkin all went No. 1, and they seem to be taking over the league.”
The Hawks front office hoped Kane’s selection — “a historic pick,” as general manager Dale Tallon called it — would become the future of the franchise sooner rather than later. Just hours before making the selection, Tallon cleared some payroll and picked up two young players by trading the team captain, often-injured veteran defenseman Adrian Aucoin, to the Calgary Flames.
“We’re going to be a young team, so he will get every opportunity to play,” Tallon said after choosing Kane. “We’ll put him with good players and see what happens.”
During his 16-year tenure with the Hawks, Kane won three Stanley Cups. His 1,225 points, 1,161 games and 67 game-winning goals rank second, third and fourth in franchise history, respectively. He was traded to the New York Rangers in 2023.
Blackhawks: Connor Bedard
Connor Bedard is selected by the Blackhawks with the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft on June 28, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn.
Drafted: June 28, 2023
The Blackhawks took about a minute and a half once the clock started during the 2023 NHL draft to select Connor Bedard with the No. 1 pick, christening him as the “cornerstone” of their attempt to build the next Chicago sports dynasty.
With fans at Bridgestone Arena chanting, “Let’s go, Hawks,” general manager Kyle Davidson stepped onto the podium and said: “I’d like to say hi to all the Blackhawks fans back in Chicago, Blackhawks fans here today and Blackhawks fans watching around the world.
Connor Bedard’s rookie season: Tracking the goals of the Chicago Blackhawks’ No. 1 pick
“And with the first overall selection in the 2023 NHL draft, the Chicago Blackhawks are very proud to select, from the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, Connor Bedard.”
During Bedard’s 39th game of the 2023-24 season — just 24 hours after he was named an NHL All-Star — he suffered a fractured jaw and went on injury reserve. He returned to the ice Feb. 15, 2024 against the Pittsburgh Penguins and picked up an assist in 21 minutes, 17 seconds of ice time in the Hawks’ 4-1 loss. Bedard led the Blackhawks — as well as all NHL rookies — with 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 68 games.
Bulls: Elton Brand
Bulls first-round draft choice Elton Brand enters the United Center before an exhibition game with the Clippers on Oct. 16, 1999.
Drafted: June 30, 1999
Then-Tribune columnist Skip Bayless said the Bulls should consider the top pick “more as a potentially tradable commodity than a cornerstone” during a draft class that had no clear favorite. That’s why he said the team should choose Rhode Island standout Lamar Odom.
The Bulls did the opposite. They chose the 6-foot-8, 275-pound Brand and established the 20-year-old power forward as the cornerstone of a rebuilding effort.
Brand arrived in Chicago after two years at Duke — the first player to leave Mike Krzyzewski’s program early — where he earned national player of the year honors from seven outlets. He earned NBA Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie honors, then was traded two years later to the Los Angeles Clippers — where Odom was still on the roster.
Bulls: Derrick Rose
Bulls top pick Derrick Rose meets with reporters along with general manager John Paxson on June 30, 2008, at the United Center.
Drafted: June 26, 2008
The 19-year-old Englewood native returned home. Rose led Simeon to back-to-back state titles, was named Mr. Basketball of Illinois in 2007 and was the point guard on a Memphis team that was runner-up in the NCAA Tournament.
“Of course it’s going to be pressure,” Rose said via conference call from New York. “But I’m used to playing in Chicago, so I don’t think that will matter.
“It means a lot to play at home. They had great players like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, all of them, B.J. Armstrong. Just knowing I can be a part of that history, it’s amazing. Playing there for the Bulls, I just can’t wait.”
The Bulls selected Rose over Kansas State power forward Michael Beasley, a player they liked so much that sources confirmed they made trade overtures to the Miami Heat for the second selection. Those were rebuffed, and the Bulls focused on Rose.
“For us right now (Rose is) a perfect fit,” general manager John Paxson said. “He’s a very, very talented young man. In this league, point guards are really hard to find. He has a strength about him at that position that most guards don’t have in this league. Great burst, very fast with the ball.
“I think he’ll make other players better. And he’ll give us some leadership abilities as we go on, which we really need.”
Like Brand and Michael Jordan, Rose was named Rookie of the Year. He became the youngest MVP in NBA history at age 22 in 2011 and was named an All-Star three times. But injuries derailed his trajectory. Rose tore the ACL in his left knee on April 28, 2012, then had surgeries to repair torn right menisci in November 2013 and February 2015.
“It may be simplistic to say Rose’s left ACL tear serves as the delineation for the too-good-to-be-true ascension for Rose and his subsequent falling out of favor. But it’s true,” Tribune reporter K.C. Johnson wrote when Rose was traded to the New York Knicks in 2016, and retired in 2024.
Cubs: Shawon Dunston
Cubs shortstop Shawon Dunston forces out Steve Sax during a 5-4 win over the Dodgers on May 4, 1987, at Wrigley Field.
Drafted: June 7, 1982
Dunston did not have an agent. The New York native never had been to Chicago and knew about Wrigley Field only from seeing it on television.
“An old park but a nice one,” the 19-year-old shortstop said after the Cubs picked him.
After seven seasons as the Cubs’ starting shortstop, which included two All-Star selections, Dunston missed most of the 1992 and ’93 seasons after back surgery, then the final 49 games of the 1994 season because of the MLB players strike. All that waiting gave Dunston, whose contract with the Cubs was for one more season, plenty of time to think about his future.
“I feel I want to sign one more contract and then go on,” he told the Tribune in February 1995. “I want to be with my wife and kids. People say it’s boring, but when you get away from your family two or three days, you miss them.”
But Ryne Sandberg’s return to the Cubs after the 1995 season meant Dunston’s exit. He became a free agent coming off a season in which he hit .296 with 14 home runs, 69 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. His batting average and RBI total were career highs for the 32-year-old. He signed with the San Francisco Giants but returned to the Cubs for a season in 1997.
When asked how fans in the bleachers who kept a Shawon-O-Meter would go on without him, Dunston responded: “They move on, just like when (Greg) Maddux left and Andre Dawson left and Rick Sutcliffe left and everyone else left. I am no one special. They are going to remember me, don’t get me wrong. But it is not like I am the greatest Cub who ever played.”
Stars: Zakiya Bywaters
Zakiya Bywaters, right, of the U.S. and Sarah Steinmann of Switzerland battle for the ball during the 2010 Women’s World Cup on July 17, 2010, in Dresden, Germany.
Drafted: Jan. 18, 2013
The Pac-12 Player of the Year at UCLA was the first draft pick in the NWSL, which started after the bankruptcy of the Women’s Professional Soccer League.
Bywaters scored two goals in six games her rookie year despite being sidelined for majority of the season. She scored two more goals in 19 games in 2014. Unfortunately, Bywaters would never recover fully from her injury and the Red Stars eventually waived her.
White Sox: Danny Goodwin
Danny Goodwin of the Minnesota Twins in 1979.
Drafted: June 8, 1971
It wasn’t a surprise when the Sox took the 17-year-old catcher from Peoria — the team announced its decision a day before the draft. Yet it was a shock when the 6-foot-1 star chose to get a college education at Southern University in Louisiana — with the goal of becoming a dentist — instead of signing with the team. He was selected with the No. 1 pick again by the California Angels in 1975.
White Sox: Harold Baines
Harold Baines rips an RBI double off the Royals’ Charlie Leibrandt during a 4-2 White Sox victory on May 16, 1986.
Drafted: June 7, 1977
Sox owner Bill Veeck scouted the 6-2, 175-pound left-handed hitter himself — Baines lived near Veeck’s former home in Maryland.
“He’s got good speed and he’s a natural hitter,” Veeck told the Tribune in 1977. “I saw him play in Little League, and he impressed me even then. I’ve been watching him for six years.”
Baines made his major-league debut April 10, 1980, starting in right field in a 5-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Comiskey Park, facing ace Jim Palmer and winding up 0-for-4. Veeck sold the team in 1981 to a group led by Jerry Reinsdorf, and Baines said he didn’t get to know the maverick owner who supposedly discovered him.
“He was a nice man with no money,” Baines said. “I’m always thankful because he gave me my start. He took me over (Paul) Molitor and people like that. He didn’t have to do that.”
After a couple of nondescript seasons, Baines came of age in 1982, hitting 25 home runs and driving in 105. The next season he helped lead the Sox to the American League West title, finishing 10th in AL Most Valuable Player voting.
He was in the prime of his career in 1989 when the Sox sent him to the Texas Rangers on July 29, along with infielder Fred Manrique, for a package of young players that included Sammy Sosa and Wilson Alvarez.
The deal upset many in the Sox clubhouse, including catcher Carlton Fisk.
“Harold and Freddy, two major-leaguers for one,” Fisk said. “And not just a major-leaguer — Harold Baines. Harold Baines! You know what I mean? Harold Baines!”
No one knew at the time Sosa would go on to become one of the game’s most prolific home run hitters after being dealt to the Cubs. While running for president in 2000, former Rangers managing partner George W. Bush was asked during a GOP debate what the biggest mistake of his adult life had been.
“I signed off on that wonderful transaction: Sammy Sosa for Harold Baines,” Bush cracked.
Baines played 14 of his 22 seasons for the Sox in 1980-89, 1996-97 and 2000-01 and had 2,866 hits and 1,628 RBIs in his 22-year career.
He was emotional when a life-size bronze statue of his likeness — replete with right leg kick — was unveiled at Guaranteed Rate Field in 2008.
The six-time All-Star was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame along with former Cubs closer Lee Smith via the Today’s Game Era ballot. The selection became a heavily debated topic. Baines and Smith joined Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina and Mariano Rivera in the Hall’s Class of 2019.
“When you see a guy like Hank Aaron and guys like that, and you’re in their midst, yeah, that’s very special,” Baines said of the Hall ceremony. “I never envisioned myself being on the same stage with a person like that. All of them, they all deserve to be there and it’s very special to be a part of that.”
He was inducted on July 21, 2019. Fellow Sox Hall of Famers Fisk, Tim Raines, Frank Thomas and Jim Thome were among those in attendance on Aug. 11, 2019, as the Sox honored the longtime outfielder and designated hitter’s induction and accomplishments.
Sources: Tribune reporting and archives; the teams; NWSL; NFL
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New York Archdiocese Agrees To Mediation For Settling 1,300 Claims Of Sexual Abuse
New York Archdiocese Agrees To Mediation For Settling 1,300 Claims Of Sexual Abuse
Authored by Melanie Sun via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
The Roman Catholic Church in New York and more than 1,300 people who have accused its priests and lay employees of sexual abuse have agreed to enter mediation to resolve the claims.
Announcing the negotiations on Dec. 8, the Archdiocese of New York said it hopes to reach a global settlement that would provide victim-survivors with “the most financial compensation possible.”
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who has led the archdiocese since 2009, said in an open letter that “darkness has cast a shadow” on the church.
“As we have repeatedly acknowledged, the sexual abuse of minors long ago has brought shame upon our Church. I once again ask forgiveness for the failing of those who betrayed the trust placed in them by failing to provide for the safety of our young people,” Dolan said. “Yet, as our faith teaches us, light will always conquer darkness.”
The Archdiocese of New York, which serves 2.5 million Catholics across nearly 300 parishes—the second-largest population of registered Catholics nationwide after the Archdiocese of Los Angeles—has taken the significant and necessary further steps to allow it to “bring peace and consolation to victim-survivors and their families,” Dolan said.
Adding to voluntary compensation efforts by the archdiocese in 2016, dubbed the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP), the cardinal said the church has “made a series of very difficult financial decisions” that, when finalised, should liquidate at least $300 million “to provide compensation to survivors of sexual abuse.”
The decisions included laying off staff, cutting 10 percent of the operating budget, and selling significant real estate assets. The sales include the former archdiocesan headquarters on First Avenue in Manhattan.
Dolan also said the compensation efforts were being complicated by ongoing legal struggles with Chubb Insurance Companies, which has refused to pay claims for policies that included “coverage for sexual misconduct claims, for itself and the parishes, schools, and archdiocesan charitable organizations.” The church said it had purchased such general liability insurance coverage for the decades coinciding with the allegations of abuse.
“Despite accepting millions in premiums from the archdiocese, Chubb has steadfastly refused to honor the policies it issued,” the cardinal said.
Chubb accused the archdiocese of tolerating and covering up child sexual abuse for decades and called for more transparency, saying the archdiocese has refused to share “what they knew and when.”
“The insurance that the Archdiocese bought covers accidents, it does not provide compensation for knowingly allowing a pattern of abuse to persist for many years,” Chubb said in a statement. “There’s a reason insurance doesn’t cover this kind of behavior as it would reward those who facilitate criminal conduct rather than those who take vigilant steps to mitigate risk and protect children from abuse.”
‘Time for Reckoning’
The settlement is to be negotiated by a third-party mediator, whom both sides agreed would be retired Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Daniel Buckley.
Buckley successfully negotiated the $880 million settlement between the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and 1,353 victim-survivors of sexual abuse in 2024. That archdiocese is the largest in the nation, with about 4.4 million registered Catholics.
Dolan also said that the parish in the archdiocese where most of the claims of abuse were filed has declared bankruptcy. That parish—Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Scarsdale—is facing imminent court proceedings related to “alleged abuse by a former lay employee at the parish,” the cardinal said.
Most of the lawsuits against the archdiocese were filed after New York’s Child Victims Act was enacted in 2019. It extended the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits involving child sexual abuse, creating a one-year retrospective window that allowed petitioners to file historical claims of clergy abuse.
Before this, under the archdiocese’s voluntary compensation effort established by Dolan to compensate victims abused by priests or deacons of the archdiocese, 189 victim-survivors were recognised by the church and compensated more than $40 million.
Attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents some 300 of the 1,311 accusers whose claims date from 1952 to 2020, said that the archdiocese agreed to negotiate settlements over the next two months. This is ahead of civil litigation against it that is due to come to trial next year.
“The time for reckoning is now, and it’s long past due,” he said.
He added that any settlements will have to be accompanied by full disclosure of wrongdoing and measures to prevent future abuse.
According to the archdiocese’s website, since the Catholic Bishops of the United States adopted the Charter on the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002, the church has implemented preventive measures through the “Safe Environment Program,” designed to prevent and respond to any incidents of child sexual abuse.
“We are dedicated to insure the safety of children and young people who have been entrusted to our care in our parishes, schools, religious education classes and other programs,” the website notice reads.
The archdiocese said that since the charter’s adoption, it has identified only one case of credible sexual abuse of a minor involving an active clergyman. Law enforcement was immediately notified and handled the case. The priest was also removed from ministry by the archdiocesan review board.
“Please join me in praying for the victim-survivors, their families, and all who have experienced the horror of abuse,” Dolan said. “It is my heartfelt prayer that together as a family of faith, we may experience healing, hope, and light this Christmas season.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 12/09/2025 – 20:55
Las pérdidas de balón de Jalen Hurts condenan a Eagles a su 3ra derrota seguida
Por DAN GELSTON
FILADELFIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts incurrió en cinco pérdidas de balón. Es el mismo número que las derrotas sufridas en esta campaña por los Eagles.
Y el revés de los campeones del último Super Bowl ante los Chargers elevó el pánico en Filadelfia a tal nivel que el equipo decidió usar a su quarterback suplente.
Cuanto más fracasan ofensivamente los Eagles, más preguntas surgen sobre Hurts y por qué ha sido en gran medida ineficaz esta temporada, apenas meses después de haber ganado los honores de Jugador Más Valioso del Super Bowl. Mientras que el coordinador ofensivo Kevin Patullo ha sido el objeto de las críticas, más dedos señalan repentinamente hacia Hurts como el culpable por su aparente incapacidad para guiar la ofensiva hacia cualquier tipo de producción explosiva.
Hay que considerar que los Eagles no han logrado anotar más de 21 puntos en cinco duelos consecutivos, su racha más larga desde 2005.
Hurts tiene que asumir la responsabilidad en este caso.
“Tenemos que salir ahí y hacerlo bien”, dijo Hurts. “El ‘nosotros’, lo veo como ‘yo’ y comienza conmigo. Comienza conmigo y cómo juego, cómo lidero. Debo tener capacidad para salir ahí y resolverlo”.
Los Eagles (8-5) tienen la fortuna de que el resto de la División Este de la Liga Nacional se encuentra en un estado tan deplorable que ni siquiera tres derrotas consecutivas no los han derribado del primer lugar.
El duelo ante Los Ángeles pudo ser el peor en su corta lista de malos partidos como titular. Hurts lanzó cuatro intercepciones y perdió un balón suelto — increíblemente, tuvo uno de cada uno en la misma jugada — y su última intercepción fue la fatal.
Hurts lanzó profundo a Jahan Dotson en doble cobertura solo para que el safety Tony Jefferson mantuviera sus pies dentro del campo e hiciera la intercepción en la línea de una yarda, para la jugada final del partido.
“No jugué lo suficientemente bien”, admitió Hurts. “Demasiadas pérdidas de balón. Muchas oportunidades, especialmente cuando llegamos al otro lado de la 50 y no pude meternos en la zona de anotación”.
El entrenador de los Eagles, Nick Sirianni, apoyó a Patullo y le dio votos públicos de confianza incluso cuando la presión externa aumentaba para hacer un cambio. Y parece improbable que Sirianni envíe a Hurts a la banca por Tanner McKee.
Hurts ha lanzado cinco intercepciones en los últimos dos duelos después de haber sufrido sólo una en los primeros 11. Tiene apenas tres pases de touchdown (ninguno contra los Chargers) en los últimos tres partidos después de haber lanzado hasta siete combinados en encuentros consecutivos de octubre contra los Giants y Vikings.
Los Eagles llegarán tan lejos como Hurts los lleve y, por mucho que la victoria en el Super Bowl signifique para la franquicia, el equipo está al borde de su segundo colapso en tres temporadas.
Qué funciona
La defensa. Los Eagles capturaron a Justin Herbert siete veces, y cinco jugadores fueron acreditados con al menos media captura. Jalyx Hunt (2 1/2), Byron Young (1 1/2), Jordan Davis (1 1/2) y Nakobe Dean (1) tuvieron sus mejores marcas personales en capturas durante un solo partido. Zack Baun logró ocho tacleadas, Adoree’ Jackson agregó una intercepción, y Dean forzó un balón suelto después de la segunda intercepción de Hurts.
Qué falta
Hurts fue el principal problema, pero sus receptores no le hicieron ningún favor. A.J. Brown tuvo seis recepciones para 100 yardas, pero soltó un par de envíos cruciales, uno en la zona de anotación que obligó a los Eagles a conformarse con un gol de campo en las postrimerías.
___
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Oil Trading Giant Warns Of Looming “Super Glut” Due To Supply Surge
Oil Trading Giant Warns Of Looming “Super Glut” Due To Supply Surge
Echoing what has become a now daily refrain by commodity bears everywhere, Saad Rahim, chief economist of commodity-trading giant, Trafigura, said that the oil market faces a “super glut” next year as a burst of new supply collides with weakness in the global economy. According to Rahim, new drilling projects and slowing demand growth would weigh further on already depressed crude prices next year.
“Whether it’s a glut, or a super glut, it’s hard to get away from that,” Rahim said in remarks alongside the company’s annual results.
Brent crude has fallen 16% this year, on track for its worst year since 2020. Prices are expected to be further damped by major projects coming online next year, including in Brazil and Guyana.
The glut thesis is hardly new, and has been popularized by banks such as Citi and Goldman for the past year. As Goldman analyst Daan Struyven wrote in his latest oil tracker note, “global visible oil stocks have built by nearly 2mb/d over the past 30 days.” The banks expects them to grow significantly more in the coming years.
Meanwhile demand from China, which is widely seen as aggressively stocking its strategic petroleum reserve by 500kb/d (and as much as 1 mm/d according to some estimates) and is the world’s biggest oil importer, is expected to grow more slowly next year due to its huge fleet of electric vehicles, which have sharply reduced petrol demand. Low prices this year have prompted China to buy more crude to fill its strategic stockpile.
“China needs to keep buying at this rate, for that super glut to not show up even earlier,” Rahim added.
The US government has also been trying to keep oil prices low, and President Donald Trump has pledged to “drill, baby, drill” in a push to increase American production. There has also been speculation that the US will also refill its SPR which was largely emptied by Biden but since that will promptly drive prices higher, so far this has been nothing but speculation, and meanwhile the US barely has any reserves for a true emergency.
Ben Luckock, head of oil trading at Trafigura, said in October that he expected oil prices could fall below $60 a barrel before rallying. “I suspect we’ll go into the $50s at some point across Christmas and the new year,” he said at the time.
According to the FT, Trafigura reported net profits of $2.7bn during the fiscal year that ended in September, down slightly from $2.8bn the previous year, and a five-year low after years of bumper profits linked to Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine when most commodity traders were breaching sanctions and making a killing in the process.
Its non-ferrous metals trading division reported a record year, due in part to the profits made by shipping copper into the US amid the disruptions caused by whipsawing tariff rules, according to people familiar with the matter.
Trafigura CEO Richard Holtum said “significant headline-driven volatility” had been a major driver for markets this year and that the trend would continue in 2026.
“Trading conditions were not easy last year and our trading team put on a really credible performance across all divisions,” said Holtum.
However, the small drop in profits, combined with rising payouts to Trafigura’s employee-shareholders, meant group equity fell slightly, to $16.2bn, from $16.3bn the previous year, marking the first time this figure has shrunk since 2018.
Payouts to Trafigura’s employees rose to $2.9bn, up from $2bn during the prior year. The company, whose top management is based in Geneva, pays out “dividends” to its employee-shareholders, including by buying back the shares of departing employees over time.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 12/09/2025 – 20:30
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/oil-trading-giant-warns-looming-super-glut-due-supply-surge
Demócrata gana la alcaldía de Miami por primera vez en casi 30 años
Por ADRIANA GÓMEZ LICÓN
MIAMI (AP) — La demócrata Eileen Higgins ganó el martes la contienda por la alcaldía de Miami, derrotando a un republicano respaldado por el presidente Donald Trump para poner fin a casi tres décadas de derrotas de su partido y darle un impulso al Partido Demócrata en una de las últimas disputas electorales antes de los comicios legislativos de 2026.
“Esta noche, el pueblo de Miami hizo historia”, afirmó Higgins en un comunicado después de darse a conocer los resultados.
Higgins, de 61 años, será la primera mujer en gobernar Miami, una ciudad de mayoría hispana. En sus discursos, habló frecuentemente sobre la represión migratoria de Trump, diciendo que ha escuchado de muchas personas en Miami que estaban preocupadas por la detención de sus familiares. Se postuló como demócrata a pesar de que, oficialmente, la contienda no era partidista y venció al candidato respaldado por Trump, Emilio González, un exadministrador de la ciudad, quien dijo que llamó a Higgins para felicitarla.
“Nunca he estado más orgullosa de ser demócrata”, expresó Higgins a The Associated Press antes de su victoria. “Vivimos en el estado de Florida, donde tenemos a personas que están construyendo jaulas para nuestros residentes en lugar de viviendas asequibles para ellos”.
La contienda local no es indicativo de lo que pueda suceder en las urnas el próximo año. Pero atrajo la atención de los dos principales partidos políticos del país. La victoria le proporciona a los demócratas cierto impulso de cara a una elección de mitad de período de alto riesgo, en la que el Partido Republicano busca mantener su control en Florida, incluido un distrito de mayoría hispana en el condado de Miami-Dade. La zona se ha inclinado cada vez más hacia la derecha política en los últimos años, y la ciudad podría convertirse en el hogar de la biblioteca presidencial de Trump.
“El resultado de esta noche es otra señal de advertencia para los republicanos de que los votantes están hartos de su agenda desconectada que está aumentando los costos”, dijo Ken Martin, presidente del Comité Nacional Demócrata, en un comunicado.
Algunos renombrados demócratas a nivel nacional apoyaron a Higgins, incluido el exsecretario de Transporte Pete Buttigieg. El senador federal Ruben Gallego y el exalcalde de Chicago Rahm Emanuel viajaron entre domingo y lunes a Miami lunes para movilizar a los votantes a favor de la demócrata, quien fue comisionada del condado de Miami-Dade durante siete años.
Higgins, quien habla español, representó a un distrito de inclinación conservadora que incluye al barrio cubano de La Pequeña Habana. Cuando entró en la política en 2018, eligió presentarse a los votantes como “La Gringa”, un término que los hispanohablantes usan para referirse a los estadounidenses blancos, debido a que muchas personas no sabían cómo pronunciar su nombre.
“Simplemente ayuda a la gente a entender quién soy, y ¿sabes qué? Soy una ‘gringa’, así que, ¿qué voy a hacer, negarlo?”, declaró a la AP.
Aumenta la ansiedad entre los republicanos
Los republicanos en Florida han encontrado un fuerte apoyo de votantes con orígenes en Cuba, Venezuela y Nicaragua, porque comparan a algunos miembros del ala progresista del partido demócrata con políticos de los gobiernos de los que huyeron. Trump y otros republicanos han explotado esa sensación durante los últimos ocho años.
Sin embargo, algunos republicanos locales están cada vez más frustrados desde noviembre pasado, cuando los demócratas obtuvieron victorias en las contiendas para gobernador en Nueva Jersey y Virginia, donde los candidatos ganadores tuvieron un buen desempeño entre los votantes de minorías raciales.
Los resultados de esas contiendas fueron considerados como un reflejo de las preocupaciones sobre el aumento de precios y las agresivas políticas migratorias del gobierno federal.
La representante federal Maria Elvira Salazar, una republicana cuyo distrito es blanco de críticas demócratas e incluye la ciudad de Miami, calificó las elecciones en otros lugares como un “llamado de atención”. Aseguró que los hispanos también quieren una frontera segura y una economía saludable, pero algo de alivio para “aquellos que han estado aquí durante años y no tienen antecedentes penales”.
“El voto hispano no está garantizado”, dijo Salazar en un video publicado en la red social X. “Los hispanos se casaron con el presidente Trump, pero sólo están saliendo con el Partido Republicano”.
Higgins gana plataforma nacional
La alcaldía de Miami es un cargo más ceremonial, pero Higgins prometió desempeñar el papel a tiempo completo.
La ciudad es parte del condado de Miami-Dade, que Trump ganó el año pasado, una drástica mejoría frente a su derrota por 30 puntos porcentuales ante la demócrata Hillary Clinton en 2016.
Como la segunda ciudad más grande de Florida, Miami es considerada la puerta de entrada a América Latina y atrae a millones de turistas. Su importancia global le da a Higgins un escenario significativo como alcaldesa.
Su discurso a los votantes incluyó encontrar terrenos que sean propiedad de la ciudad que puedan convertirse en viviendas asequibles y reducir gastos innecesarios.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell is ‘very optimistic’ Shota Imanaga will get back to his old form
ORLANDO, Fla. — The return of left-hander Shota Imanaga on an accepted qualifying offer gave the Chicago Cubs clarity on how their rotation might take shape in 2026.
With Imanaga back in the fold, Cubs manager Craig Counsell believes the 32-year-old lefty’s mindset this offseason and into the season will be about getting better and putting himself in a place where he should be.
“I’m really excited about Shota, I think he is in a really good place,” Counsell said Tuesday at MLB’s annual winter meetings. “I think sometimes not achieving what we want or not getting the opportunities we want or not performing how we want is the best teacher for us and it’s the best motivator for us.
“I think Shota is going to take his lessons from last year and be better for them, so I’m very optimistic about what we’re going to get from Shota. … I think he feels like he has something to prove, and that’s a great mindset for an athlete to be in.”
Imanaga’s hamstring injury that kept him out seven weeks clearly compromised him, especially during the last month of the season and into the playoffs. Counsell noted that Imanaga’s initial results (3.24 ERA in a 12-start span) after coming off the injured list covered up underlying issues. But that didn’t negate the problems that eventually affected the results over the final weeks of the season.
Imanaga and the Cubs have had a chance to take a step back and evaluate where things went awry within his delivery and arm action. The offseason is the ideal time to tackle those problems at all levels and figure out how he can better execute. Counsell expressed his confidence in the version of Imanaga the Cubs will see in 2026.
“There’s no question about it, he got off track,” Counsell said. “But maybe one of the reasons we were collectively unable to help him get back on track is that it was so close that it was hard to see, and I think sometimes just to step back and you’re out of competition and a little perspective helps you get back to that place — and a challenge, frankly, right? The challenge of the struggles helps you have a little clarity on getting back to your best self and maybe even a better self.
“So someone who, the diligence and the intelligence that he approaches pitching and problems around pitching, I think he’s going to come back from this with a lot of success.”
Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele pitches during the second inning against the Chicago White Sox during spring training at Sloan Park on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Mesa, Arizona. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
The Cubs are still exploring starting pitcher upgrades while knowing they will get a boost to the rotation with left-hander Justin Steele coming back from left elbow surgery. Counsell didn’t want to estimate when Steele would be ready to rejoin the rotation, wanting to wait until the team reports to spring training to see how the 30-year-old is progressing in his rehab. Counsell already ruled out that Steele won’t be ready for opening day, rather somewhere within the first half of the season.
“That’s an important part of the season, but it’s also something for us to just consider is that the starting pitching injuries, they can be very significant, and there’s very few position player injuries that keep you out for the season,” Counsell said. “It happens more on the starting pitcher side, but getting a player back of that caliber is important, absolutely. It is important.”
General manager Carter Hawkins acknowledged there is some uncertainty about the kind of performance the Cubs might get from Steele in 2026, coming off the surgery. The Cubs know the impact Steele is capable of having on the mound.
“What’s not unknown is just how much of a competitor he is,” Hawkins said Tuesday. “So, assuming health, we kind of assume that he’s going to figure out ways to get outs. He’s a guy that goes out there and figures out a way, whether he’s at 88, 92 (mph). His last start (in April) was unbelievable, he was pitching through what he had, so a ton of confidence in him. We want to make sure that he’s healthy before we put him out there, but a ton of confidence that he’s going to help us once he does get out there, just because of the type of competitor he is.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/chicago-cubs-craig-counsell-shota-imanaga/
Democrat wins Miami mayor’s race for the first time in nearly 30 years
MIAMI — Democrat Eileen Higgins won the Miami mayor’s race on Tuesday, defeating a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump to end her party’s nearly three-decade losing streak and give Democrats a boost in one of the last electoral battles ahead of the 2026 midterms.
“Tonight, the people of Miami made history,” Higgins said in a statement after the results were announced.
Higgins, 61, will be the first woman to lead the city of Miami. She spoke frequently in the Hispanic-majority city about Trump’s immigration crackdown, saying she has heard of many people in Miami who were worried about family members being detained. She campaigned as a Democrat despite the race being officially nonpartisan and beat Trump-backed candidate Emilio Gonzalez, a former city manager, who said he called Higgins to congratulate her.
“I’ve never been prouder to be a Democrat,” Higgins told The Associated Press before her victory. “We’re living in the state of Florida, where we have people that are building cages for our residents rather than affordable housing for them.”
The local race is not predictive of what may happen at the polls next year. But it drew attention from the two major national political parties and their leaders. The victory provides Democrats with some momentum heading into a high-stakes midterm election when the GOP is looking to keep its grip in Florida, including in a Hispanic-majority district in Miami-Dade County. The area has shifted increasingly rightward politically in recent years, and the city may become the home of Trump’s presidential library.
“Tonight’s result is yet another warning sign to Republicans that voters are fed up with their out-of-touch agenda that is raising costs,” said Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, in a statement.
Some nationally recognized Democrats supported Higgins, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel traveled to Miami on Sunday and Monday to rally voters for the Democrat who served as a Miami-Dade county commissioner for seven years.
Higgins, who speaks Spanish, represented a district that leans conservative and includes the Cuban neighborhood of Little Havana. When she first entered politics in 2018, she chose to present herself to voters as “La Gringa,” a term Spanish speakers use for white Americans, because many people did not known how to pronounce her name.
“It just helps people understand who I am, and you know what? I am a ‘gringa,’ so, what am I going to do, deny it?” she told the AP.
Republicans’ anxiety grows
Republicans in Florida have found strong support from voters with heritage from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, because they likened some members of the Democratic party’s progressive wing with politicians from the governments they fled. Trump and other GOP members have tapped into those sentiments over the past eight years.
However, some local Republicans are growing increasingly frustrated since November’s elections when Democrats scored wins in New Jersey and Virginia, where both winning gubernatorial candidates performed strongly with nonwhite voters.
The results from those races were perceived as a reflection of concerns over rising prices and the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies.
U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican whose district is being targeted by Democrats and includes the city of Miami, called the elections elsewhere a “wake-up call.” She said Hispanics also want a secure border and a healthy economy but some relief for “those who have been here for years and do not have a criminal record.”
“The Hispanic vote is not guaranteed,” Salazar said in a video posted on X. “Hispanics married President Trump, but they are only dating the GOP.”
Miami mayor-elect gains national platform
The mayoral position in Miami is more ceremonial, but Higgins promised to execute it like a full-time job.
The city is part of Miami-Dade County, which Trump flipped last year, a dramatic improvement from his 30 percentage point loss to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
As Florida’s second-largest city, Miami is considered the gateway to Latin America and attracts millions of tourists. Its global prominence gives Higgins a significant stage as mayor.
Her pitch to voters included finding city-owned land that could be turned into affordable housing and cutting unnecessary spending.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/eileen-higgins-miami/
Conrad Black: Trump’s Approach To Curbing Crime Is Proving Effective
Conrad Black: Trump’s Approach To Curbing Crime Is Proving Effective
Authored by Conrad Black via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
There’s no doubt that President Donald Trump’s campaign to reduce urban crime is fundamentally popular. The overwhelming majority of Americans oppose crime, particularly violent crime that threatens them in their homes or while engaging in daily activities on city streets and sidewalks.
Some Democrats continue to align themselves with individuals and groups broadly disapproved of by the public, including violent criminals who entered the country illegally and whose civil rights are defended on technical grounds prior to deportation. The same is true for disruptive university activists who block respected speakers and threaten Jewish students.
There is broad public support for Trump’s efforts to seal the southern border and reduce the number of illegal immigrants entering the country—from approximately 3 million annually under President Joe Biden to near zero today. Understandably, urban crime and illegal immigration are closely linked in the public’s mind. While the public supports the administration’s primary goals—to sharply reduce crime and completely end unlawful entry—the president is sometimes perceived as heavy-handed. A more refined approach could help secure the support these policies warrant.
The deployment of National Guard troops in Washington has been notably effective. Even the strongly partisan Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, thanked the president for their presence. Violent crime has declined by more than 50 percent, and petty crimes have dropped 40 to 50 percent. At the same time, the administration has begun restoring Union Station—a historic structure long plagued by vagrancy and drug use—revamping the Kennedy Center, and adding a grand ballroom to the White House, all reportedly without taxpayer cost. The president’s commitment to restoring Washington as a city of grandeur and civic pride is widely supported, both by Washingtonians and the public at large.
Meanwhile, some Democratic leaders in cities such as Chicago have accused the federal government of an “occupation,” suggesting it has no jurisdiction, despite Chicago being part of the United States. Such objections come as Metropolitan Chicago’s gun-related crime rate is reportedly 10 times that of similarly sized Toronto. Greater law-enforcement presence is clearly needed. However, the National Guard is a costly option, especially when guardsmen are deployed from out of state. For instance, guardsmen in Washington are from West Virginia, as Democratic governors of neighboring states declined to assist. Their deployment over four months has cost more than $200 million.
The National Guard has also been deployed to Los Angeles and other cities to contain riots opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Border Czar Tom Homan has stated that 74 percent of deportees have violent histories and pose a threat to public safety. President Trump has emphasized that ICE targets “the worst of the worst.” While these claims may be accurate, they’re not universally accepted and would benefit from clear substantiation.
Critics—including many in the national political media—allege that the administration is targeting law-abiding, family-oriented individuals who entered illegally years ago and have since become productive residents, while some dangerous individuals escape detection. Even if the administration’s numbers are correct, that still suggests that 24 percent of deportees, according to Homan, aren’t dangerous. These individuals often become the focus of sympathetic features in outlets such as The New York Times. As with tariffs and other complex policies, the administration would benefit from refining its enforcement strategy to transform it into a broadly accepted success.
Given the sharp increase in attacks on ICE agents, it’s reasonable for agents to wear masks and body armour and to move discreetly when detaining suspects. The president’s strong defence of ICE appears justified, provided enforcement efforts truly focus on serious offenders rather than longtime residents who have otherwise complied with the law.
The administration might consider a version of President Bill Clinton’s initiative to fund 100,000 additional police officers—provided they’re deployed to high-crime areas rather than low-risk districts or desk roles. A balanced combination of National Guard support and increased local policing might be effective if Democratic mayors, often resistant, can be persuaded to cooperate. If not, federal authorities may need to persist with guard deployments, but should require local governments to share the financial burden.
Less than a year into his presidency, President Trump is fulfilling his campaign promises and has broad public backing. It would be a political setback if minor adjustments in policy execution prevent his administration from securing unambiguous public support. He should take steps to prevent inflammatory comparisons—such as those likening of his administration’s approach to that of Nazi Germany’s—from gaining traction. Politicians making such remarks should be held accountable not only for the deterioration of major cities but also for perpetuating inflammatory rhetoric.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 12/09/2025 – 20:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/conrad-black-trumps-approach-curbing-crime-proving-effective
EEUU envía 2 aviones de combate al Golfo de Venezuela mientras sigue escrutinio por ataques a botes
Por KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
WASHINGTON (AP) — El ejército de Estados Unidos voló un par de aviones de combate sobre el Golfo de Venezuela en lo que parece ser la aproximación más cercana de aeronaves de guerra estadounidenses al espacio aéreo del país sudamericano desde el inicio de la campaña de presión de la administración Trump.
Sitios web públicos de seguimiento de vuelos mostraron un par de aviones de combate F/A-18 de la Marina de Estados Unidos volando sobre el Golfo, un cuerpo de agua delimitado por Venezuela y de solo unos 241 kilómetros (150 millas) en su punto más ancho, y pasando más de 30 minutos volando sobre el agua. Un funcionario de defensa de Estados Unidos confirmó que un par de aviones realizaron un “vuelo de entrenamiento rutinario” en la zona.
El funcionario, que habló bajo condición de anonimato para poder informar de operaciones militares sensibles, no pudo decir si los aviones estaban armados, pero señaló que permanecieron en el espacio aéreo internacional durante su vuelo.
El funcionario comparó el vuelo de entrenamiento con ejercicios anteriores que tenían como objetivo mostrar el alcance de los aviones estadounidenses y dijo que la maniobra no tenía la intención de ser provocativa.
El ejército ha enviado previamente bombarderos B-52 Stratofortress y B-1 Lancer a la región, pero esos volaron hasta la costa de Venezuela y a lo largo de ella. No hubo indicios de que esos aviones volaran tan cerca del territorio del país como los aviones de combate F/A-18 del martes.
Los vuelos son la acción más reciente del ejército de Estados Unidos mientras construye su mayor presencia en la región en décadas y ha lanzado una serie de ataques mortales contra presuntas embarcaciones de contrabando de drogas en el mar Caribe y el océano Pacífico oriental. El presidente Donald Trump dice que los ataques terrestres llegarán pronto, pero no ha ofrecido detalles sobre la ubicación.
El presidente venezolano Nicolás Maduro asegura en que el verdadero propósito de las operaciones militares de Estados Unidos es forzarlo a dejar el cargo.
La administración Trump enfrenta un creciente escrutinio por parte de los legisladores estadounidenses sobre la campaña de ataques a barcos que ha matado al menos a 87 personas en 22 bombardeos conocidos desde principios de septiembre, incluyendo un ataque de seguimiento que mató a dos sobrevivientes que se aferraban a los restos de una lancha después del primer impacto.
Los legisladores quieren ver los videos sin editar de los ataques, pero el secretario de Defensa, Pete Hegseth, dijo a los líderes del Congreso el martes que aún estaba evaluándolo. Hegseth proporcionó una sesión informativa clasificada para los líderes del Congreso, junto al secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, y otros altos funcionarios de seguridad nacional.
El mismo día por separado, el almirante Alvin Holsey, quien estaba al mando de la campaña para destruir lanchas que supuestamente transportan drogas y se retirará del Comando Sur de Estados Unidos esta semana, habló con los principales líderes republicano y demócrata en la Comisión de Servicios Armados del Senado.
Trump ha justificado los ataques como una escalada necesaria para detener el flujo de drogas hacia Estados Unidos y afirma que el país está involucrado en un “conflicto armado” con los cárteles.
Flightradar24, uno de los sitios web que permite ver públicamente los aviones volando en tiempo real, dijo que las aeronaves militares fueron las más seguidas en su sitio en ese momento.
Venezuela afirma que el cuerpo de agua es parte del territorio nacional, pero esas afirmaciones han sido desafiadas por académicos legales de Estados Unidos y el ejército durante décadas.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Yorkville Sons of American Legion to host breakfast with Santa
The Yorkville Sons of The American Legion will hold its monthly breakfast fundraiser – which this month is its Christmas breakfast with Santa – from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at the Yorkville American Legion, 9054 E. Veterans Parkway in Yorkville.
The breakfast buffet will consist of biscuits and gravy, pancakes, scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, tomato juice, orange juice, milk, coffee and an omelet station, according to a press release about the event.
The cost of the breakfast, which is open to the public, is $12 for adults 18 to 54 years old, $10 for those 55 years old and older and $8 for those 6 to 17 years old, the release said. Children 5 years old and younger eat for free.
Seminar on handling grief during the holidays planned
The Kane County Health Department will present the seminar “Heading Into the Holiday Season: Holding Space for Grief” from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 12, online through Zoom.
The free presentation led by Alison Still, a licensed clinical professional counselor, will provide a trauma-informed look at how to navigate the holiday season with compassion and resilience, according to a health department newsletter. It will explore emotional exhaustion, the impact of collective stress and practical ways to hold space for yourself and others during busy times.
Participants will learn ways to recognize stress responses, set boundaries and cultivate new, meaningful traditions, according to the newsletter.
To register to attend, go to us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/CBu_8UtWRkya1IVlAGpzkw#/registration.
