Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet, running back Kyle Monangai and defensive end Daniel Hardy served around 130 meals at the Salvation Army Chicago Temple Corps Community Center on Dec. 9, 2025, in Chicago.

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet, running back Kyle Monangai and defensive end Daniel Hardy serve a holiday luncheon to people at the Salvation Army Chicago Temple Corps Community Center on Dec. 9, 2025, in Chicago. They served about 130 meals to people young and old. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai gets his photo taken with Michelle Wilder, center, her daughter Nala Pointer and two grandchildren, Ade Pointer, 8, and Amir Jones, 4, following a holiday meal at the Salvation Army Chicago Temple Corps Community Center on Dec. 9, 2025, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet gets his photo taken with fan Norman Ferguson following a holiday meal at the Salvation Army Chicago Temple Corps Community Center on Dec. 9, 2025, in Chicago. Ferguson gushed about the players and said it took him two weeks to pick out his outfit which included a Bears santa hat and other swag. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai chats with Annette Carr following a holiday meal at the Salvation Army Chicago Temple Corps Community Center on Dec. 9, 2025, in Chicago. They served about 130 meals to people young and old. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai, left, and defensive end Daniel Hardy joke with people as they serve a holiday meal at the Salvation Army Chicago Temple Corps Community Center on Dec. 9, 2025, in Chicago. They served about 130 meals to people young and old. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Decked out in a leopard-pattern shirt, Linda Nevel, second from the right, makes Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai and defensive end Daniel Hardy laugh as they serve up a holiday luncheon to people atat the Salvation Army Chicago Temple Corps Community Center on Dec. 9, 2025, in Chicago. Nevels lives in an ajoining senior building and said, “I don’t know nothing about football or who they are, but I’m glad they came here. It’s wonderfult they took the time come.” On the left is tight end Cole Kmet. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai, left, and defensive end Daniel Hardy joke with people as they serve a holiday meal at at the Salvation Army Chicago Temple Corps Community Center on Dec. 9, 2025, in Chicago. They served about 130 meals to people young and old. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/photos-chicago-bears-meals-salvation-army/ 

Rejoice, New Year’s dieters: Oreos are getting a sugar-free option.

Mondelez said Tuesday that Oreo Zero Sugar and Oreo Double Stuf Zero Sugar will go on sale in the U.S. in January. They’re a permanent addition to the company’s Oreo lineup.

It’s the first time Mondelez has sold sugar-free Oreos in the U.S. They’re already sold in Europe and China, the company said.

Mondelez said consumers are increasingly seeking what it calls “mindful indulgence,” and the new Oreos will fill an existing gap in the market for sugar-free sandwich cookies.

Others have also noted the trend toward healthier snacks. In a report earlier this year, the market research company Circana found that a majority of Americans are seeking out snacks they consider “good for them.” Conagra Brands, which makes popcorn and Slim Jim meat snacks, said in a recent snacking report that Millennials and Generation Z consumers, in particular, are seeking portion-controlled and wellness-focused snacks.

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, which was introduced in 2017, saw sales jump 9% last year, while original Coke sales grew just 2%. Mondelez is also facing competition from Hershey, which sells zero sugar versions of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and other candies, and Voortman, a sugar-free wafer cookie brand.

Mondelez said it spent four years developing no-sugar Oreos so it could ensure the cookies still tasted like the originals. For sweetening, the Oreos contain maltitol, a type of sugar alcohol that’s also found in some fruits and vegetables; polydextrose, a soluble fiber; sucralose, a sweetener derived from sugar; and acesulfame potassium, a synthetic sweetener.

Comparing the nutrition data on Zero Sugar and regular Oreos is tricky, since the serving sizes differ.

A serving of Oreo Zero Sugar cookies, which is defined as 22.6 grams, has 90 calories, 4.5 grams of fat and 16 grams of carbohydrates. A serving of regular Oreos, which is defined as three cookies or 34 grams, has 160 calories, 7 grams of fat and 25 grams of carbohydrates.

The biggest difference: a serving of regular Oreos contains 13 grams of added sugars, or 26% of the recommended daily amount. Zero Sugar Oreos contain none.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/oreo-zero-sugar-cookies/ 

ROME — Pope Leo XIV insisted Tuesday that Europe must have a role in any Ukraine peace deal and criticized what he said was the Trump administration’s effort to “break apart” the long-standing U.S.-European alliance.

Leo spoke to reporters after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is on another tour to rally European support for Kyiv. The American pope said they discussed the need for a ceasefire and the Vatican’s efforts to facilitate the return of Ukrainian children taken by Russian authorities.

Leo was asked about the U.S. peace proposal and the seeming sidelining of European powers in the process. Speaking as he left his vacation home in Castel Gandolfo, Leo insisted that Europe’s role was crucial to any deal.

“Seeking a peace agreement without including Europe in the talks is unrealistic, given the war is in Europe,” he said. “Guarantees are also being sought for security today and in the future. Europe must be part of this, and unfortunately not everyone understands this, but I think there is a great opportunity for European leaders to unite and seek a solution together.”

Zelenskyy has said there are three documents in the peace agreement being discussed with U.S. and European partners, a framework document of 20 points, a second document with security guarantees, and a third document about Ukraine’s recovery.

Leo was asked about the U.S. peace plan for Ukraine but appeared to respond to a broader question about the Trump administration’s views on the U.S.-Europe alliance. Just last week, the Trump administration released its U.S. national security strategy, which questions the U.S.-European alliance and stresses a desire to improve U.S.-Russia relations.

Leo said what he had read would “make a huge change in what was for many, many years a true alliance between Europe and the United States.” Additionally, some comments by U.S. President Donald Trump suggest an effort “trying to break apart what I think needs to be an alliance today and in the future.”

While some people in the United States may agree with that effort, “I think many others would see things in a different way,” Leo said.

The Holy See has tried to remain neutral in Russia’s war while offering solidarity and concrete assistance to what it calls the “martyred” people of Ukraine. Leo has met now three times with Zelenskyy and has spoken by telephone at least once with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The American pope has called for a ceasefire and urged Russia in particular to make gestures to promote peace.

The Vatican has also tried to facilitate the return of Ukrainian children taken by Russian authorities, and last month Leo met with some returned children at the Vatican.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/pope-leo-us-europe-alliance/ 

A planned Chanukah celebration with a public menorah lighting from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday is only the beginning for the Chabad Jewish Center of Hinsdale.

The free event is scheduled to take place at the Lodge at Katherine Legge Memorial Park, 5901 S. County Line Road, and also will include Chanukah arts and crafts, music, and light refreshments. Additional information and RSVP details can be found at JewishHinsdale.com/Chanukah25.

Rabbi Yisroel Lifshitz called the Chabad Jewish Center of Hinsdale a warm, welcoming community where everyone, regardless of background or affiliation, can feel connected and inspired.

“At Chabad, our mission is to reach every single Jew,” Lifshitz said. “To ensure that each and every Jew has the opportunity to connect to God, the Torah and Mitzvos, and just as importantly, to each other.”

Lifshitz said there are approximately 1,500 Chabad Centers throughout the United States, including 50 throughout Illinois.

“The time had come to reach further and find a place that wasn’t being adequately serviced and develop a thriving Jewish community there,” he said. “We settled on Hinsdale, as there isn’t any existing Jewish infrastructure, despite having a sizable Jewish community. Many residents have already reached out to display their excitement about the new center.”

Lifshitz said that in addition to this Chanukah celebration, the Chabad Jewish Center of Hinsdale is planning Jewish education classes, Shabbat dinners and services, holiday celebrations, youth programs, and social services.

“We will work tirelessly to ensure that the physical and spiritual needs of the Jewish community will be met and that each individual Jew has a space which they can call home,” he said. “We look forward to meeting all of the Jews in Hinsdale and the surrounding villages.”

Lifshitz said there are plans to begin synagogue services in the near future; however, the location has yet to be determined.

Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/hinsdales-new-chabad-jewish-center-plans-chanukah-celebration/ 

A Naperville police squad car was flipped onto its roof Monday night during a crash near Route 59 and 95th Street, officials said.

An officer was responding to a call about a patient not breathing about 6 p.m. when the three-vehicle collision occurred, according to a social media statement from the Naperville Police Department. No details on what occurred have been released, but the officer and two other people were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash remains under investigation, Naperville police Cmdr. Rick Krakow said. No arrests were made following the incident.

An image of the squad flipped on to its roof was circulating on social media Monday, including on Reddit and Facebook.

“Thanks to everyone who has reached out to check on our officer,” police said in their social media post. “We’re glad to report that he’s ok.”

cstein@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/naperville-squad-flipped-roof-crash/ 

Por The Associated Press

NUEVA YORK (AP) — Raul Malo, el tenor lleno de alma y líder de la banda ganadora del Grammy que desafía géneros, The Mavericks, ha fallecido. Tenía 60 años.

Malo murió el lunes por la noche, según publicó su esposa, Betty Malo, en su página de Facebook. El líder de The Mavericks había documentado sobre su estado de salud en redes sociales desde que reveló en junio de 2024 que estaba recibiendo tratamiento para el cáncer de colon.

En septiembre de 2025, Malo dijo en Instagram que estaba luchando contra la LMD, o enfermedad leptomeníngea, una rara complicación cuando el cáncer se extiende a las membranas que rodean el cerebro y la médula espinal.

El diagnóstico obligó a The Mavericks a cancelar fechas con Dwight Yoakam en medio de una gira conjunta. Malo dejó su hogar en Nashville, Tennessee, para buscar tratamiento en Houston, manteniendo a sus fanáticos actualizados a lo largo de su viaje de salud.

“Fue llamado para hacer otro concierto, esta vez en el cielo, y está volando alto como un águila”, escribió Betty Malo. “Nadie encarnó la vida y el amor, la alegría y la pasión, la familia, los amigos, la música y la aventura como lo hizo nuestro amado Raul. Ahora nos mirará desde arriba con todo lo que el cielo permita, iluminando el camino y recordándonos saborear cada momento”.

La banda de Malo elogió su profundo compromiso con la “preservación del repertorio musical estadounidense multilingüe” y su firme defensa de “la educación musical como inspiración para cada niño en Estados Unidos y en todo el mundo”.

Su nombre de pila era Raul Francisco Martínez-Malo Jr., nació en Miami de padres cubanos, cofundó The Mavericks en 1989 con el baterista Paul Deakin y el bajista Robert Reynolds. Su álbum debut homónimo fue lanzado al año siguiente en el sello independiente con sede en Miami, Y&T Music.

Algunos llaman a la banda alt-country. Otros la describen como Americana, roots, latina, tejana o swing. Es todo lo anterior y más, impulsado por las canciones escritas por Malo, su estilo expansivo de guitarra y su amplio rango vocal, desde un barítono aterciopelado y elevado hasta notas altas operísticas.

Su destreza musical estaba en la mezcla, incorporando también rock, country tradicional y surf. En los primeros días en Miami, The Mavericks tocaban en clubes de punk y rock para dar a conocer su sonido.

“Crecí en un hogar donde escuchábamos todo tipo de música”, dijo Malo en una entrevista de NPR en 2020. “Solo recuerdo que era una celebración de todas estas culturas.”

En ese momento, The Mavericks acababan de lanzar un álbum completamente en español, “En Español”, con canciones originales y clásicos estándares latinoamericanos. En 2002, Malo lanzó un álbum completamente en español para niños, “El Cancionero de la Familia Volumen 1”, con voces de su hermana, Carol, su esposa, Betty, y su madre, Norma, junto con otros invitados.

La banda ha tenido varias alineaciones a lo largo de los años a medida que algunos miembros iban y venían. The Mavericks también se disolvieron un par de veces. Malo lanzó una decena de álbumes en solitario y proyectos de colaboración, incluyendo su instrumental “Say Less”, “You’re Only Lonely” y “Sinners & Saints”.

The Mavericks lanzaron su 13º álbum de estudio, “Moon & Stars”, en 2024. Entre ese y su debut, la banda recibió un Grammy, dos premios de la Asociación de Música Country y tres premios de la Academia de Música Country.

Raul tiene un premio BMI por composición, por “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down”, y fue nominado a varios Grammy en solitario, incluyendo uno por su álbum “Lucky One” y otro por su trabajo con el supergrupo latino “Los Super Seven”.

Le sobreviven su esposa desde hace 34 años, Betty; sus hijos Dino, Víctor y Max, su madre Norma, su hermana Carol, y sus compañeros de banda de The Mavericks, Paul Deakin, Eddie Pérez y Jerry Dale McFadden.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/raul-malo-el-tenor-de-the-mavericks-fallece-a-los-60-aos/ 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s decision to pull the plug on an approved grant to pay for half of a $2.25 million a Naperville electric utility project means the city is on the hook for the full cost.

In early October, amid the federal government shutdown, federal officials announced the termination of 321 financial awards for 223 projects, totaling roughly $8 billion. States that did not vote for President Trump in the 2024 election were primarily affected, with Illinois seeing $583 million in cuts for projects.

In a news release, the Department of Energy said the projects were canceled because they did not “adequately advance the nation’s energy needs, were not economically viable, and would not provide a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars.”

Russell Vought, director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, made the announcement shortly after Congress forced the federal government into a shutdown. On social media, he called the grant funds that were targeted “green new scam funding to fuel the left’s climate agenda.”

The money earmarked for Naperville was to help pay for a major system upgrade to help the manage electricity outages and ensure grid reliability.

Naperville was notified of the cancellation on Oct. 2, after the city had been awarded the grant and fully negotiated terms with the department in August 2024, according to Brian Groth, the city’s electric utility director.

The city began the appeals process for the grant on Oct. 23 but there has been no resolution.

“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first federal grant that was awarded to the city and later canceled,” Groth said in an email to the Naperville Sun.

The Department of Energy did not respond to a request for comment, but according to a city memo, it was not due to any action or inaction by Naperville. Rather, the Department of Energy determined the “project no longer aligns with the agency’s priorities,” the memo said.

“This is something that the electric utility needs to do,” Groth said at the Naperville City Council meeting last week when asked whether the city should move forward without the funding. “Our system is old and realistically it seems like there may be a predetermined outcome or whatnot, so I think that moving forward with this, it’s the right time to get this done.”

The upgrade is for multiple systems in the city’s electric utility. The first is for the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, which is used by the utility’s system controllers to remotely operate substation and field equipment, Groth said. SCADA enhances grid visibility for the electric utility, reduces outage durations and improves operational efficiency in Naperville, according to the city memo. The city’s current version of SCADA will become obsolete in 2028.

Naperville’s Outage Management System, which helps system controllers better manage electrical outages in the city, also is being upgraded, and Naperville plans to deploy one additional systemto allow the utility to better “manage generation resources, storage resources and load within the city,” Groth said.

When the project is finished, there will be improved “remote operation of utility equipment and dispatching of utility crews” as well as improved communication “between departments as to the status of outages,” he said. Naperville residents will benefit from the “integration of distributed energy resources … to make a more resilient electrical grid,” he said.

Even with the loss of funding, the city still “has the financial means to complete this project without the grant,” Naperville Finance Director Ray Munch said.

“Grants typically serve as a supplemental funding source and are not the sole determining factor in whether a project is financially feasible,” Munch said, noting that the city assesses those risks “at the outset of any grant funding project to determine if it is financially feasible with or without supplemental funding.”

As a result of the grant loss, it is likely that other capital improvement projects will need to be deferred, Munch said. It is currently unknown which projects will be affected, city spokeswoman Linda LaCloche said.

“I’m curious what we do in a situation like that where the city is now on the hook for money which was allocated through a lawful process and seems sort of arbitrarily was taken,” Councilman Ian Holzhauer asked at last week’s council meeting. “Is there a way we potentially ever sue the federal government?”

Naperville City Attorney Michael DiSanto said that were the city to sue, it would likely be something “through the attorney general’s office on behalf of different municipalities in the state of Illinois.”

LaCloche said the city “has not yet reached out to state representatives or the Illinois attorney general concerning legal action or alternative funding paths,” but plans to do so in the near future.

A spokesperson for the Illinois Attorney General’s office said they are aware of the grant terminations and are “evaluating” the situation. A spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, said Foster joined other congressmen in signing a letter demanding the Department of Energy reverse the funding cuts.

“I’m hoping we can follow the appeals process,” Councilwoman Mary Gibson told the Naperville Sun in an interview. “If this grant was awarded to us and then abruptly terminated without justification or reasoning, that doesn’t seem right to the people of Naperville or to federal taxpayers as well.”

cstein@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/naperville-grant-funding-federal-canceled-cut/ 

“This Is Bad”: First Brands Liquidation Looms As DIP Loan Collapses

Tyler Durden
Tue, 12/09/2025 – 15:40

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/bad-first-brands-liquidation-looms-dip-loan-collapses 

Adam Schiff Laments Trump Wasn’t Jailed Sooner As DOJ Turns On Him

Tyler Durden
Tue, 12/09/2025 – 15:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/adam-schiff-laments-trump-wasnt-jailed-sooner-doj-turns-him 

Good afternoon, Chicago.

The administration of President Donald Trump has issued a blistering order for the city and state to come up with a safety plan to boost police on the CTA and take other steps or once again risk vital federal funding.

In letters yesterday to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker, Trump’s Federal Transit Administrator Marc Molinaro threatened to withhold funds if the CTA does not comply with the demands of a “special directive” issued by the feds by the start of next week.

Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.

Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History

The Karner blue butterfly, which has been placed on the Illinois Endangered Species Protection list, at the Field Museum in Chicago on Nov. 12, 2025. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

Illinois has its latest list of endangered species — the end result of many difficult choices

Every five years, a small group of biologists and environmentalists assemble in a large corner office in Springfield with long glass windows. Inside that room, they weigh in on the fate of every animal and plant that exists in Illinois. Read more here.

More top news stories:

Gov. JB Pritzker signs Illinois immigration law that curbs courthouse arrests and expands right to sue agents
Border Patrol agent charged with robbing, raping women in Chicago suburbs in 2022
Chicago weather: Wintry mix to usher in snow starting tonight

A ComEd headquarters building is seen on July 17, 2020, in the 3400 block of North California Avenue in Chicago. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

ComEd offers customers $803 million in energy credits while seeking $268 million reconciliation rate hike

After a summer of sky-high electric bills, ComEd is offering Chicago customers some relief next year with $803 million in state-mandated nuclear energy credits and a new low-income discount program. Read more here.

More top business stories:

Federal Reserve likely to lower borrowing costs this week, but follow-up rate cuts face longer odds 
Takeover bid of parent company means limbo for CNN and some fellow cable networks 

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza celebrates after defeating Ohio State 13-10 in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 6, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

QB Fernando Mendoza is the 2025 Chicago Tribune Silver Football winner — Indiana’s 1st winner in 24 years

The Tribune presents the Silver Football in partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago to the Big Ten’s best player.  Read more here.

More top sports stories:

Chicago Tribune Silver Football: What to know about the Big Ten’s highest honor
Chicago basketball report: Bulls offense is at a standstill — and this Notre Dame guard is averaging 25.9 ppg
Chicago Cubs have said all the right things about Matt Shaw — but could Alex Bregman still be an option?

Kyuramen opened a new location at 1727 Freedom Drive in Naperville this week. It also has restaurants in Oak Park, Vernon Hills and Chicago. (R. Christian Smith/Naperville Sun)

Japanese ramen chain Kyuramen opens Naperville location

Kyuramen, a fast-growing Japanese ramen brand with more than 120 locations in Japan and the U.S., opened a location yesterday in Naperville. Read more here.

More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:

Review: In ‘Marjorie Prime’ on Broadway, the disquieting robot future is here
Today in History: ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ airs

Rohullah R., who did not want his face to be shown or to disclose his last name out of fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is photographed at his home in North Highlands, California, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

ICE arrests of Afghans are on the rise in the wake of National Guard attack, immigration lawyers say

Coming just days after the shooting of two National Guard troops by an Afghan national suspect, federal authorities have carried out increased arrests of Afghans in the U.S., immigration lawyers say as Afghans both in and outside the country have come under intense scrutiny by immigration officials. Read more here.

More top stories from around the world:

Justice Department can unseal Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking case records, judge says
Judge orders the release of an immigrant with ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/afternoon-briefing-chicago-tribune-silver-football-winner-named/