Category: News
Grace Kole, who wants to be a dentist, keeps Evergreen Park smiling brightly about her efforts. ‘A real joy.’
For years, Evergreen Park’s Grace Kole resisted when it comes to basketball.
Because she’s tall, Kole was asked to play many times but turned down the opportunities.
“I did dance and swim,” she said. “But I wasn’t interested in basketball.”
As a freshman, however, she was talked into joining the team by Chris Burras, the Mustangs’ junior varsity coach. And she finally agreed to try it out.
“He said they needed me,” Kole said of Burras. “I gave in. I didn’t know anyone here and he got me out there. I realized basketball would be a good sport for me.
“I’m not going to lie, in my first year, it started out tough. But as the season progressed, I got better, and by the end of my freshman year, I got pulled up on varsity. That was really nice.”
Evergreen Park’s Grace Kole (15) grabs a rebound as Illinois Math & Science Academy’s Kate Honchar (22) defends during a nonconference game in Evergreen Park on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (James C. Svehla / Daily Southtown)
Kole had a really nice night Monday, chalking up seven points, seven rebounds and two steals for host Evergreen Park in a 57-13 nonconference win over Illinois Math and Science Academy.
Tatum Harris scored the game’s first nine points and finished with 14 for the Mustangs (4-3), who snapped a three-game losing streak. Shannon Farrell added 10 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Ella Throndson tallied nine points. Jordin Pittman grabbed eight rebounds off the bench.
For the past three seasons, Kole has been a mainstay for the Mustangs. The 6-foot-1 senior forward has become a scoring and rebounding threat. And she’s also doing well off the court.
At the end of November, she was one of 25 students from Evergreen Park to be recognized as an Illinois State Scholar. Last week, she was announced as one of the school’s 59 inductees for National Honor Society.
Evergreen Park’s Grace Kole (15) goes up for a shot against Illinois Math & Science Academy during a nonconference game in Evergreen Park on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (James C. Svehla / Daily Southtown)
Kole’s transfers that intelligence from the classroom to the basketball court, which showed in the easy win over IMSA (1-6).
“Grace has been a real joy to be around,” said George Shimko, who is in his second season as the Mustangs’ coach. “She tries really, really hard and she’s working more and more on her game.
“And she’s a really good teammate. Very rarely do negative things come out of her mouth. Her body language can be a little interesting but it’s because she cares.”
Shimko was happy to have a player with size and talent when he take over the program. He also believes that she’s a candidate to play basketball in college.
Evergreen Park’s Grace Kole (15) heads toward the basket for a shot against Illinois Math & Science Academy during a nonconference game in Evergreen Park on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (James C. Svehla / Daily Southtown)
Kole, though, isn’t exactly sure where her future lies. She wants to become a dentist.
“I would love to play basketball if I could, but I’m leaning toward academics,” she said. “If I could get an offer and any colleges want to look at me for basketball, I would be pleased to do that.
“But now it’s really academics.”
Kole plans on majoring in biochemistry. She originally wanted to be a lawyer but changed her mind after being inspired by All Family Dental and Braces in Chicago, where she had her braces done.
“I got really familiar with those dentists and that made me interested in dentistry,” she said. “I know what I can do and I feel like I can really get there.”
Evergreen Park’s Grace Kole (15) pulls up for a shot against Illinois Math & Science Academy during a nonconference game in Evergreen Park on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (James C. Svehla / Daily Southtown)
On top of that, she routinely puts bright smiles on the faces of her teammates.
“Grace brings a lot of rebounding and kickouts when we need them,” Harris said. “She’s great under the rim. If she can get the ball more, that would be great because she’s an overall good player.”
Kole also appreciated having Burras convince her to play basketball. She has grown to love it.
“I like having my teammates on the court,” she said. “I always have fun with them.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/08/grace-kole-evergreen-park-imsa-ihsa-girls-basketball/
Andrew Nembhard impulsa a los Pacers a una victoria 116-105 sobre los Kings
INDIANÁPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Nembhard anotó 28 puntos y repartió un máximo de temporada de 12 asistencias y ayudó a Indiana a recuperar el control en el último cuarto mientras los Pacers vencieron 116-105 a los Kings de Sacramento el lunes por la noche.
Bennedict Mathurin agregó 25 unidades y Pascal Siakam anotó 23 para los Pacers, quienes igualaron su mejor marca de la temporada con su segunda victoria consecutiva y mejoraron a 6-18 en general. Indiana ha ganado cuatro de seis después de comenzar 2-16.
Russell Westbrook terminó con 24 tantos, 14 asistencias y 13 rebotes para los Kings en su cuarto triple-doble de esta temporada y el 207 de su carrera. DeMar DeRozan añadió 20 puntos y Zach LaVine tuvo 16.
Indiana estuvo en control gran parte del camino, extendiendo una ventaja de 66-51 al medio tiempo a 77-58 con una bandeja de Nembhard cuando quedaban ocho minutos y medio en el tercer cuarto. Pero los Kings utilizaron un período de 37 puntos para reducir la diferencia a 92-88 al entrar en el cuarto, luego realizaron una racha de 11-0 para abrir una ventaja de 101-97 con una canasta de Westbrook a mitad del período.
Nembhard encestó un triple para detener la marea y Mathurin siguió con uno propio para poner a Indiana de nuevo en la cima con 103-101. Nembhard continuó con otro triple y una bandeja para extender la ventaja de los Pacers a 108-101.
Los Kings (6-18) venían de una victoria en Miami el sábado y estaban intentando ganar dos seguidos por segunda vez esta temporada.
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Governor Pritzker’s Sanctuary Policies Freed 1,700 Criminal Aliens Since January
Governor Pritzker’s Sanctuary Policies Freed 1,700 Criminal Aliens Since January
Illinois sanctuary policies have allowed more than 1,700 criminal illegal aliens to slip back onto the streets since President Trump took office on January 20, and the Department of Homeland Security is now calling out state officials for putting politics ahead of public safety. Among those released are individuals charged with or convicted of homicide, sexual assault, and kidnapping—crimes that should have kept them locked up and handed over to federal immigration authorities.
ICE Director Todd Lyons sent a letter to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul urging him to honor ICE detainers for over 4,000 criminal illegal aliens currently sitting in state custody. The letter marks the second attempt by federal officials to get cooperation from Illinois—the first, sent in September, was completely ignored.
The numbers are staggering. According to the Department of Homeland Security, “Illinois’ failure to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of 1,768 criminal illegal aliens since January 20. The crimes of these aliens include five homicides, 141 assaults, 23 burglaries, four robberies, 24 dangerous drugs offenses, 15 weapons offenses, and 10 sexual predatory offenses.”
And that’s just the ones who’ve already been let go. The 4,015 criminal illegal aliens still in Illinois custody with active ICE detainers have even grimmer records: 51 homicides, 1,134 assaults, 107 burglaries, 36 robberies, 275 dangerous drug offenses, 120 weapons offenses, and 813 sexual predatory offenses.
BREAKING – It has been revealed that since the beginning of 2025, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has released over 1,700 known criminal aliens who were charged with murder and rape in other countries in an attempt to hide them from ICE detainers. pic.twitter.com/9rsmuOHmYS
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) December 8, 2025
ICE reached out to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul in September, urging him to work with the agency and honor detainers on criminal illegal aliens, but Raoul’s office ignored the letter
“Gov. Pritzker and his fellow Illinois sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, pedophiles, and kidnappers back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “We are calling on Governor Pritzker and his administration to stop this dangerous derangement and commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 4,000 criminal illegal aliens in Illinois’ custody. It is common sense. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans.”
The Department of Homeland Security highlighted several cases of criminal illegal aliens who were released from custody and put back on the streets because of Prtizker’s sanctuary policies.
Under Governor Pritzker, Illinois’ sanctuary policies have led to the release of some of the most dangerous illegal immigrants, even when ICE had detainers and the offenders clearly threatened public safety: Victor Manuel Mendoza-Garcia, a Mexican national convicted of three counts of aggravated kidnapping for ransom and sentenced to 18 years. Cook County ignored ICE’s detainer, which meant that federal agents had to arrest him after his release.
Then there’s Juan Morales Martinez of Guatemala, who killed two people in a car crash and was found with ammunition and an extended magazine. Clark County also refused to work with ICE, so federal agents had to wait outside the jail to catch him the moment he walked free. He has since been removed from the country.
Amilcar Waldo Gonzalez-Jimenez, another Mexican national, had convictions for DUI, domestic battery, and multiple counts of criminal sexual assault. ICE’s detainer was ignored, and agents had to track him down on their own. The same story played out with Juan Alberto Caro Marin, convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a family member. Cook County let him walk despite ICE’s request to hold him.
Jose Manuel Fuentes-Vargas, also from Mexico, had a criminal history including domestic violence and the sexual assault of a child under 13. His detainer wasn’t honored either. Repeat border crosser Leonardo Ignot-Osto had been convicted of theft, child abduction, and had entered the U.S. illegally at least four times. Cook County still released him. ICE eventually found him and removed him.
The list continues with offenders like Jaime Mandujano-Nunez, convicted of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and sentenced to 17 years. The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) released him without notifying ICE. Federal agents later located and removed him. Alfonso Batalla Garcia had one of the most alarming records: attempted murder, aggravated sexual assault with bodily harm, and aggravated kidnapping. IDOC freed him anyway, ignoring ICE’s detainer, and ICE had to step in to clean up the mess.
And then there’s Guillermo Garcia-Porcayo, convicted of attempted murder with intent to kill. IDOC released him despite an active detainer. ICE finally apprehended him weeks later and removed him from the country.
These cases represent only a handful of the worst offenders.
Governor Pritzker is widely viewed as a likely contender for the Democrats’ 2028 nomination, and his sanctuary policies fit neatly with what the party activists want. They want a standard-bearer who treats resistance to President Trump as a defining principle, and Pritzker has been trying to position himself as that champion, even at the expense of the safety of his constituents.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/08/2025 – 22:10
Trump defiende segundo ataque con misiles a bote en el Caribe
Por AAMER MADHANI
WASHINGTON (AP) — El presidente Donald Trump justificó el lunes la decisión de las fuerzas armadas de Estados Unidos de disparar un segundo misil en un ataque muy criticado a un bote en el mar Caribe, alegando que dos presuntos narcotraficantes intentaban enderezar la embarcación después de que zozobrara en el ataque inicial.
Trump también se retractó en cuanto a si estaba dispuesto a publicar las tomas de video del segundo ataque. La semana pasada, el mandatario les dijo a periodistas que no tenía “ningún problema” en dar a conocer las imágenes, pero el lunes indicó que le dejaría la decisión al secretario de Defensa, Pete Hegseth.
El gobierno republicano enfrenta exhortaciones de legisladores demócratas para que se publiquen las imágenes de la operación del 2 de septiembre en el Caribe, la cual mató a nueve personas a bordo del barco en un ataque inicial, y luego a dos más que habían logrado sobrevivir.
“Estaban tratando de devolver el bote a una posición en la que pudiera flotar, y no queríamos ver eso porque ese bote estaba cargado de drogas”, declaró Trump el lunes.
Cuando un reportero le preguntó sobre sus comentarios de la semana pasada en los que planteó que estaba abierto a publicar las imágenes del segundo ataque, Trump negó que esa fuera su posición, y atacó acremente al reportero, calificándolo de “irritante” y “terrible”.
“Lo que Pete Hegseth quiera hacer está bien para mí”, manifestó Trump.
Sin embargo, en un diálogo con reporteros el miércoles pasado acerca de las imágenes del ataque, el mandatario señaló: “Cualquier cosa que tengan, ciertamente la publicaríamos”.
La operación del 2 de septiembre fue la primera en lo que se ha convertido en una serie de ataques estadounidenses a lo largo de meses a embarcaciones en el Caribe y el océano Pacífico oriental que, según Washington, se enfocan en traficantes de drogas que trabajan en nombre de cárteles, incluidos algunos controlados por el presidente venezolano Nicolás Maduro. Al menos 87 personas han muerto en 22 ataques conocidos.
Trump ha justificado ampliamente la campaña, diciendo que es necesaria para que su gobierno detenga el flujo de fentanilo y otras drogas ilegales hacia Estados Unidos. Dice que el país está en un conflicto armado con narcoterroristas.
En una entrevista con Fox News el sábado en la Biblioteca Presidencial Ronald Reagan en California, Hegseth indicó que funcionarios estaban revisando el video, pero no se comprometió a publicarlo. “Cualquier cosa que decidiéramos publicar, tendríamos que ser muy responsables” al respecto, expresó Hegseth.
El Pentágono no respondió de momento el lunes a una solicitud de comentarios sobre el estado de la revisión de Hegseth, ni confirmó la afirmación de Trump de que los sospechosos parecían estar tratando de enderezar la embarcación antes de que se efectuara el segundo ataque.
En el Capitolio, los legisladores exigen que el Pentágono entregue al Congreso “videos sin editar de los ataques” contra los cárteles de drogas, amenazando con retener una cuarta parte del presupuesto de Hegseth para viajes si no lo hace. La disposición está incluida en el proyecto de ley de defensa de 900 mil millones de dólares que se prevé que la Cámara de Representantes someta a votación esta semana.
Durante el fin de semana, el senador Tom Cotton, el republicano que encabeza la Comisión de Inteligencia del Senado, dijo que no se opondría a la publicación de las imágenes.
Pero Cotton —que está entre los principales legisladores en las comisiones de seguridad nacional que fueron informados por el almirante de la Armada que está al frente de esos ataques— se encuentra en desacuerdo con los demócratas sobre si el personal militar actuó legalmente al llevar a cabo el segundo ataque para matar a los dos sobrevivientes.
“No es espeluznante. No lo encontré angustiante ni perturbador”, señaló, y explicó por qué no tiene inconveniente en la publicación de todas las imágenes. “Se parece a cualquiera de las decenas de ataques que hemos visto contra jeeps y camionetas en Oriente Medio a lo largo de los años”.
El representante Jim Himes, el principal demócrata en la Comisión de Inteligencia de la Cámara de Representantes, dijo que el video “fue profundamente impactante”. Y el representante Adam Smith, el principal demócrata en la Comisión de Servicios Armados de la cámara baja, indicó que “no parecía que estos dos sobrevivientes estuvieran en posición de continuar la lucha”. Himes y Smith, que hablaron por separado en programas de entrevistas el domingo, han visto el video.
Las sesiones secretas en el Capitolio se llevaron a cabo después de un informe de que el almirante Frank “Mitch” Bradley había ordenado el ataque de seguimiento para cumplir con las exigencias de Hegseth.
Bradley dijo a los legisladores que Hegseth no ordenó “mátenlos a todos”, pero un video de toda la serie de ataques dejó a algunos legisladores con preguntas importantes. Expertos jurídicos han dicho que matar a los sobrevivientes de un ataque en el mar podría ser una violación de las leyes de la guerra.
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Los periodistas de la AP Konstantin Toropin, Ben Finley y Bill Barrow contribuyeron a este despacho.
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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.
Ola gigante deja 4 muertos y una persona desaparecida en una piscina natural de Tenerife, España
Por ALICIA LEÓN
MADRID (AP) — Una poderosa ola arrastró hacia el mar a un grupo de bañistas que se encontraba en una popular piscina de agua salada en la costa de Tenerife, España, dejando cuatro muertos y una persona desaparecida, dijeron las autoridades españolas el lunes.
Durante una importante operación de rescate en la que se utilizaron motos acuáticas y helicópteros para localizar y recuperar a todas las víctimas, los rescatistas recuperaron tres cuerpos el domingo: un hombre de 35 años, una mujer de 55 años y otro hombre sobre el cual no se proporcionó información.
La cuarta víctima, una mujer, falleció el lunes, un día después de ser reanimada en el lugar y trasladada a un hospital en helicóptero.
No se proporcionó información adicional sobre las identidades de las víctimas.
La piscina en Isla Cangrejo, en Los Gigantes, es sumamente popular entre los turistas extranjeros, según los medios locales. Bordeada por roca volcánica por un lado y separada del mar por cemento en el otro, la piscina se encuentra prácticamente al nivel del mar y puede ser muy peligrosa en condiciones de mares agitados, cuando las grandes olas pueden superar fácilmente la barrera de cemento.
Según la prensa local, al momento del incidente había en vigor un aviso meteorológico por mares agitados. Un medio de comunicación informó que la piscina había estado cerrada al público desde el 3 de diciembre.
Residentes del área dijeron que los nadadores habían ignorado las señalizaciones y vallas colocadas para evitar la entrada a la piscina debido a las condiciones meteorológicas. Añadieron que cualquier persona que sea arrastrada al mar tendría problemas para encontrar un punto de apoyo en las resbaladizas rocas bajo la piscina.
Emilio Navarro, el alcalde de Santiago Del Teide, ofreció sus condolencias a las familias de los fallecidos y dijo que los equipos de rescate continuaban buscando a la persona desaparecida.
Señaló que las autoridades toman medidas para advertir a los bañistas sobre los peligros e intentar disuadirlos de usar la piscina durante condiciones de mares agitados.
En noviembre, el intenso oleaje cobró la vida de tres personas y dejó a otras 15 heridas en Tenerife, después de que fueron arrastradas hacia el océano Atlántico durante una marea alta.
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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.
Terry Savage: How income can affect Medicare premiums
Every senior on Medicare should be intimately familiar with IRMAA — the initials that stand for Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount.
It’s the amount by which your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums increase each year, based on your recent modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). The more you earn while on Medicare, the higher your monthly premiums for the insurance will be!
It’s not just earnings from work that are counted in the IRMAA formula. If you take your required minimum distributions from retirement accounts, it will boost your income — perhaps into the IRMAA adjustment phase. Or if you convert a traditional IRA to a Roth, it could impact you in the formula, raising your Medicare premiums.
And those premiums really jump when you have more income. The standard Medicare Part B premium for 2026 is $202.90 per month, a $17.90 increase from 2025. For 2026, the IRMAA adjustment brackets increased about 9%.
The IRMAA brackets for 2026 are as follows:
—Single Filers:
$97,000 or less: Standard premium
$97,001 to $123,000: $65.90 surcharge
$123,001 to $153,000: $164.90 surcharge
$153,001 to $183,000: $263.90 surcharge
Above $183,000: $362.90 surcharge
—Married Filing Jointly:
$194,000 or less: Standard premium
$194,001 to $246,000: $65.90 surcharge
$246,001 to $306,000: $164.90 surcharge
$306,001 to $366,000: $263.90 surcharge
Above $366,000, $362.90 surcharge
Modified Adjusted Gross Income is your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), plus tax-exempt interest and dividends from municipal bonds. Your AGI is your total income from all sources minus certain adjustments such as student loan interest, alimony payments and retirement contributions.
Important note: There is a two-year look-back period for this income adjustment. So, even if you’ve been retired for a year and your income has dropped, you’ll still pay the higher monthly premiums based on your income before you retired. Your 2026 IRMAA adjustment is based on the income shown in your 2024 tax return.
Nearly 5 million people — roughly 7% of Medicare beneficiaries — pay higher monthly Medicare premiums based on their adjusted gross income. Although Medicare is individual, if you file a joint return there is a separate IRMAA calculation.
IRMAA and income spikes
If you’re about to retire or are already retired, you’ll want to be careful of one-time spikes in income that could impact your monthly Medicare premiums in two years. For example, if you do a Roth conversion of your IRA (or a series of annual conversions), that money is not only taxable in the year of the conversion, but it adds to the (MAGI) income considered for the IRMAA adjustment.
Your Roth conversion will give you years of tax-free future growth of your IRA, without annual RMD withdrawal requirements, but that benefit could be offset by significantly higher Medicare premiums starting in two years. On the other hand, taking the IRMAA penalty for one year means future tax-free Roth withdrawals won’t impact your MAGI in future years, avoiding IRMAA!
Similarly, if you sell the family home which you’ve owned for many years, you’ll be able to exclude $250,000 of capital gains for each owner, or $500,000 if the property is held jointly. But if your home has an even higher gain, it will be subject to capital gains taxes — and the IRMAA adjustment.
Taking a lump sum payout of a pension benefit, which becomes taxable income, could also impact the IRMAA adjustment, at least temporarily. Those are all considerations which should go into your financial planning. Consult your tax adviser!
Appealing IRMAA
Once you’ve been subject to IRMAA, it’s entirely possible that in future years your Medicare B and D premiums will automatically be increased for IRMAA — until they catch up on your lower income years. However, if your income spike was a one-time thing, or if you have recently lost a substantial portion of your income, you can appeal the IRMAA adjustment.
Medicare defines the basic qualification for an IRMAA appeal as: “Life-changing events include marriage, divorce, the death of a spouse, loss of income, and an employer settlement payment.”
There is a specific form, Form SSA 44, which you use to file an appeal, or you can call Social Security (which governs Medicare) at 800-772-1213. Many find it helpful to get IRMAA appeal help from private consultants who specialize in these appeals.
One such consultant is www.IRMAA.com, where you can pay a small fee to uses their professional services to help get your premiums lowered and get repayment of unjust past IRMAA deductions.
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When you consider that your monthly Medicare premium could be higher by more than $500 a month — $6,000 per year — based on IRMAA, you’ll understand why it is so important to factor this adjustment into your financial planning decisions. And that’s The Savage Truth.
(Terry Savage is a registered investment adviser and the author of four best-selling books, including “The Savage Truth on Money.” Terry responds to questions on her blog at TerrySavage.com.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/08/terry-savage-how-income-can-affect-medicare-premiums/
Immigration Gone Wild
Immigration Gone Wild
Authored by Victor Davis Hanson via American Greatness,
It is hard now even for Democrats to defend illegal immigration, given that the Biden administration allowed in more than 10 million entrants. Among them were an estimated 500,000 criminals. No one believes that was wise or should ever be repeated.
Worse, the message went out that there would be few, if any, deportations and no real ICE kinetic activity beyond the border.
The world’s poor, sick, both law-abiding and criminal, young and old, understood that anyone could now enter the U.S. at will. Deterrence and legality were lost.
In its place, the message went out that if it was permissible to cross the border unlawfully, then, by extension, it would be seen as equally fine to reside illegally as well—and perhaps further to ignore laws, on the theory that the host had sanctioned all such exemptions.
During the lockdown hysteria, some 8,000-8,500 U.S. soldiers were expelled from the military for refusing the experimental mRNA vaccine. State employees nationwide were being fired for refusing the government vaccines. Nevertheless, illegal aliens would have no such mandates or worries. They simply walked in without worries over vaccinations and current COVID status and surmised correctly that illegal aliens were part of a Biden-administration-protected and privileged category.
Indeed, between 2021 and 2025, in one of the most bizarre episodes in U.S. immigration history, the border simply disappeared. There were to be no background checks, no health audits, and no identification of the greatest influx in any four-year period in U.S. history.
No one knew why. All had their explanations.
Was the Biden handlers’ plan for more poor to grow the welfare state and expand liberal government?
Was it misplaced idealism to welcome in millions of the world’s poorest, who would soon make it even more difficult for the nation’s citizen poor to find affordable housing and health care?
Was the agenda to create future dependencies and constituencies for an otherwise ossified Democratic Party?
Or was it an effort to ensure, in DEI terms, that the oppressed and victimized would outgrow the inert white oppressors and victimizers?
Oddest of all has been the attitude of the left toward the past destruction of the border. They went mum about the rampant illegality as the border disappeared and as millions filtered throughout the nation. Americans had no idea who the newcomers were, or even where or why they were here.
Given that it is much easier to destroy the border and allow millions to enter than to restore it and find the millions who entered illegally, the Democrats’ response has been Orwellian. After assuming the law did not apply to illegal alien entrants, they now insist its full force must apply to each of 10 million aliens before they can be sent home.
There were no protests when an errant Biden ICE became dysfunctional due to massive illegality. But there is now outrage when it attempts to restore legality and follow the law.
The result, however, of such a massive nullification of immigration laws has been that the nation’s outrage over illegal immigration has now extended to legal immigration as well. At the current level of frustration, all legal immigration will likely soon be put on hold.
Why?
One, we are currently in a great experiment: never has the U.S. foreign-born resident population approached 50-55 million or 16 percent of the population.
Two, never has the once-time-tried melting-pot creed of assimilation, integration, and acculturation been under greater assault and ridicule—just when it is most needed.
The canon of DEI—the nation is divided between a mostly white oppressor class and the non-white oppressed—has served to amplify the effects of giving up on civic education and melting-pot assimilation.
Somehow, the left advanced the absurd notion that the salad bowl of immigrants, chiefly and permanently identified by tribal ethnicities, races, religions, and nationalities, and only secondly as new Americans, would radically change America for the better. And so ended the ancient notion of assimilation, now to be known as “cultural appropriation.”
Three, if millions of legal immigrants are not asked to assume fully American identities, and further, if they feel that there are exemptions and largesse to be had by emphasizing their tribal and victimized status, then will they also feel they are not subject to any American customs and laws?
Instead, immigrants under these new protocols will seek to carve out their own tribal communities, based both on ethnic chauvinism and a sense of exemption from accountability. And if they insist on identifying as collectives rather than unique individuals, they will become increasingly unpopular not just as ingrates, but as hypocrites whose greater affinity with the nation they abandoned does not extend to returning to it.
Indeed, they will appear to have arrived in America only to craft a cocoon of security, freedom, and prosperity lacking in their homeland, but otherwise not to become fully American or see their former homeland as incidental, not essential, to their new identities.
The logical result of such tribal immigration is now upon us. Somali immigrants, both legal and illegal, have pulled off a likely multi-billion-dollar welfare fraud in Minnesota—perhaps the greatest single heist of welfare funds in the nation’s history. They were empowered by the usual DEI boilerplate rhetoric from their Minnesota champions, Rep. Ilhan Omar (who claimed the U.S. was now “one of the worst countries in the world”), Governor Tim Walz, and Attorney General Keith Ellison.
The more criminality, theft, and fraud were uncovered, the more the Somali leadership screamed “racism,” with the Democrat apparat blaming everyone but the perpetrators themselves.
Meanwhile, California has issued at least 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses to illegal alien truck drivers, the majority of them non-residents with little if any prior trucking expertise or English facility. The result is a sort of road-warrior new atmosphere on the nation’s freeways, as a new generation of truckers ignores the norms of the past and rightly concludes that if they were given exemption to enter the U.S. illegally and further to drive without proper audits, then naturally no authorities would mind if they also violated American traffic laws.
There are roughly one million foreign students in the U.S., the majority from China, India, and the Middle East. After October 7, protests, often violent and in violation of campus rules, spread nationwide.
There was never much pushback from either campus official or law enforcement. Within a few months, our liberal bastions of higher education had become saturated with anti-Semitic rhetoric, protests, and occasional violence against Jews.
Middle-East guest students often openly cheered on Hamas, called for the destruction of Israel, and, despite being non-citizens, often declared campus areas as no-go zones for American Jews. They did so because they could and had fully absorbed the DEI mantras of exemption.
So often they screamed “Islamophobia” when called out on their anti-Semitism, damning their critics with slurs of “nativism,” “racism,” and “xenophobia.” Thousands of foreign students felt contempt for their hosts and rhetorically attacked the U.S. as much as they fought in reality to remain in America.
As for the millions who crossed the southern border, almost daily, a national news story relates that a DUI driver has killed an American family, or a U.S. citizen has been murdered or raped, by an “undocumented immigrant,” usually with a criminal record, several deportations, and revolving-door arrests.
In Los Angeles, we were treated to street scenes of immigrants, apparently both legal and illegal, waving the Mexican flag while occasionally burning the American flag, sending the message that they would resist returning to the country whose flag they chauvinistically waved but demanded permanent residence in the nation whose flag they trashed and burned.
The net result was that our recent generations of immigrants have done the impossible: turned the most generous nation in the world from the most welcoming to increasingly resistant to mass immigration of any sort.
Again, why the change? They have read the news of one too many horrendous semi-truck accidents, one too many horrific murders, one too many anti-Semitic screams, and one too many massive abuses of a generous welfare state.
In sum, Americans now believe that the current generation of immigrants interprets their magnanimity and generosity as weakness and stupidity to be manipulated and scorned, and rarely as generosity to be appreciated and reciprocated in kind.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/08/2025 – 21:45
Answer Angel: Sequins all the time? Sure!
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I just saw a fashion photo somewhere of a model wearing a Hermes cape as a hat. And that was being featured as a high-style look. Compared to that, my question seems pretty mainstream: Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved sequins. I have a number of formal dresses that feature plenty of sequins but they are suited only for fancy, formal evening wear.
Why not sequins for daytime dressing? Could I?
–Kelly W.
Dear Kelly: Oh yes you can! And the prices, thanks to modern machine sewing technology, have gone way, way down from the ball gown era. I mean way down. Like $29 for my black sequined bomber jacket from Nordstrom Rack, just to give one example.
An added plus is that manufacturers figured out how to sew on sequins so they don’t fall off like they used to. Head-to-toe sequins for day is still not recommended. But a sequin skirt, even with a basic white $10 T-shirt, is a great look for any time. Or a top — yes even a sequined T-shirt — worn with a basic fabric or leather skirt is a terrific look for anytime, day or night.
If that sounds like a little much, start small with a sparkly belt and wait for the compliments. You won’t have to wait long.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Your recent column about the huge variety of men’s hats reminded me of a question I keep mean to ask you abut women’s hats. Specifically hats for women with curly hair or hair that goes flat under any kind of hat. This is especially urgent for me because the weather is getting colder and so are my ears.
–Emily A.
Dear Emily: The ears-only is an easy fix. There are plenty of ear muffs that won’t flatten your hair—with muffs connected to a skinny wire headband that doesn’t do damage to your ’do. Another option wraps around the back of your head instead of over the top, where the most flattening damage occurs.
And bandless earmuffs also are readily available. These models slip over each ear separately. The only downside is that, just like gloves, it is amazingly easy to lose them—often maddeningly, just one! They come in cute colors and patterns, fuzzy or flat, starting at under $10.
But what about the rest of your head? The hood is your friend! They aren’t as heavy or tight as a traditional hat like a stocking cap. They’re still warm, sometimes attached to a knit, wool or cashmere scarf or neck warmer that does double duty. There are countless styles at every price point. Hairbrella (I’m a big fan of their products) makes a satin-lined option that is also waterproof that gets the job done without too much weight to flatten those curls ( hairbrella.com, $54). You’ll also find some interesting, creative options on etsy.com.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: A while ago you recommended Pinzon sheets, which I bought on amazon.com and like a lot. Now it seems they are not available. Have you found a good substitute for crisp sheets like grandma’s?
–Dorothy N.
Dear Dorothy: Pinzon was an Amazon-only brand. And I too miss them. The best substitute I have found so far is well-priced Linen Home 100% cotton sheets (they are actually not linen) (amazon.com, $39.99 for a queen set of 1 flat, 1 fitted sheet, 2 pillowcases, $39.99).
Angelic Readers 1
Frugal reader Donna P. has a suggestion for touching up your roots between salon visits without spending on expensive root concealers: “I have used powdered eye shadow with good luck. Great selection of colors — browns and blacks — and for not much money!”
Angelic Readers 2
From Barb G.: “For your reader Eileen C., who despaired of finding bedroom slippers in half sizes, please pass the word that Skechers makes slippers in half sizes! I have been buying them for years at Marshalls and T.J.Maxx. They are cozy and cushioned, and have non-slip soles, and the sizing matches that of Skechers athletic shoes. A quick online search has several styles available in-store and online at Macy’s, JCPenney, Zappos, DSW and Amazon.”
Angelic Readers 3
From Maggie K.: “Can you ask your readers for ideas? I’m looking for suggestions from anyone with fine, thin, straight hair if they have a conditioner they like that leaves the hair smooth and shiny, but not FLAT?” (From Ellen: Done!)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/08/answer-angel-sequins/
The Kid Whisperer: How to set a limit with another adult
Dear Kid Whisperer,
I can’t believe I am doing this, but I am actually writing to you to ask about dealing with my boyfriend’s behavior. I have been with him for 10 months and our relationship is not the best, and not the worst, but I really don’t like the way he treats my 9-year-old son. Some background: My son was a real handful in the past, but thanks to taking some advice from you and your column and some hard work on my part, I really don’t have problems with him anymore. Now, though, my boyfriend yells at my son for what I think is no reason. He just flies off the handle. There’s nothing physical, but he just yells very aggressively at my son, getting in his face, and I’m not OK with it. What should I do?
Answer: This has red flags all over it. I say that from the perspective of someone who is utterly unqualified to give relationship advice–not to mention the fact that I am not a relationship counselor. My own marriage is only successful because I married the best and most patient lady in the universe.
That said, I am just letting you know that this situation seems like a problem, and it seems like a boyfriend who aggressively yells at a 9-year-old who is not doing anything horribly wrong might eventually escalate that behavior. Again, it’s not my area, but just be cautious, do what is necessary to stay safe and healthy, and consult the proper professionals if and when you think it’s appropriate.*
*By the way, if there is a relationship counselor or even counselor or expert about abusive relationships (not saying that your relationship qualifies as such) who thinks I am leaving something out here, please contact me via our website and I may add to this answer.
What I am an expert at is setting limits and enforcing limits with jerks. It sounds like your boyfriend may be a jerk, so here’s how you set limits with this jerk.
I mean guy. This guy.
By the way, you are not alone. Having worked with parents for many years, I have helped many people to set and enforce limits with significant (and some insignificant) others. Setting and enforcing limits with another adult can change your life forever.
Here’s how I would set and enforce limits with your special friend if I were you:
Boyfriend: (To Kid ) HOW DARE YOU!!! I TAKE MY COFFEE WITH CREAM AND THIS IS BLACK!!
Kid Whisperer: Oh, boy. We will remain in your presence for as many seconds as you can be calm and respectful to me and my son.
Boyfriend: WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! YOU ARE SO STUPID AND YOUR SON IS GOING TO BE A FAILURE BECAUSE YOUR ARE RAISING HIM TO BE A FAILURE! I…
Kid Whisperer: Oh boy. For how long will we remain in your presence?
Kid Whisperer and Kid immediately and calmly leave and go to a safe place at another geographical location, far away from Boyfriend.
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Do not say anything else besides “Oh, boy” or try to improvise a response. Those words, though they may feel hokey, will be an alternative to any of the other words that you might otherwise say that could escalate the situation, and/or might make you regret them later.
Again, safety first. If you think that you may be in danger at any point, consult a professional in this area, forget everything I just suggested, and do what they tell you to do. Otherwise, this can be used as a way to set and enforce limits without escalating or saying or doing something that you might regret. Stay strong!
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/08/the-kid-whisperer-how-to-set-a-limit/
Ask Anna: Is he wasting my time?
Dear Anna,
I’m 28 and have been seeing a guy around my age for a few months. We clicked fast in conversation — texting every day and even saying good night, sharing long voice notes, that kind of early-stage excitement — but because of work and conflicting schedules, we’ve only managed a handful of actual dates.
Last week was my birthday, and I invited him to stop by for a low-key dinner with a few friends. Nothing intense — I was clear he could come as a friend, no “meet the inner circle” energy. He said he’d “probably swing by,” then on the day didn’t show. And it’s been pretty much radio silence since then.
I told him a few days later that I’d felt a little let down. He replied that he prefers to keep things “easy and unplanned,” and that he doesn’t want expectations put on him this early. Since then, I haven’t really heard from him at all. It’s been a few days of nothing.
I like him, and I don’t want to smother a slow-burn connection. But I’m also noticing the imbalance. I don’t want to chase someone who’s half-in, half-out, but I also don’t know how to pace myself with someone this cautious and inconsistent. How do you stay emotionally grounded with someone who moves slowly and keeps you at arm’s length? And how do you tell the difference between “slow pace” and “low effort”? — Trying to Invest Effectively, Decisively
Dear TIED,
There’s a special kind of hell that comes from dating someone who is warm in the abstract but lukewarm in real life. You’re getting the daily chatter, the good-night texts, the little hits of intimacy that make your brain go, Ah yes, connection! — but then when it comes time for actual presence, he dissolves like a ghost whose shift just ended.
Let’s start here: Behavior is the truth-teller. Not intention. Not vibe. Not the philosophical haze of “taking things as they come.” Behavior is the most reliable metric in dating.
And his behavior — skipping your birthday, going silent for days, treating communication as optional — tells you that you aren’t a big priority. Not because you’re not worthy of being prioritized, but because this is simply not the rhythm he is willing to show up for.
People who genuinely want to know you but are more slower-burn types still move, just slower and more deliberately. They don’t vanish. They don’t keep you at arm’s length while enjoying the perks of electronic closeness. They don’t outsource all momentum to you. They say: “I like this, I want this, but I need time.” And crucially, they pair that with consistent action.
Low effort/investment is: “I might show up to your birthday, I might disappear, the wind will decide.”
One is intentional. The other is passive avoidance dressed in a weather metaphor. (Sorry.)
What to do now? Have a clarifying conversation. Nothing dramatic, nothing scary, nothing designed to “make him realize.” Just honest information-sharing. Something like:
“I’ve enjoyed getting to know you, but the pace feels unclear for me, and I don’t want to guess. What kind of connection are you actually available for right now?”
You’re giving him a chance to articulate something he may not have taken the time to articulate even to himself. And you’re giving yourself the gift of no longer living in ambiguity. Be prepared for him to say he’s not ready for anything more than casual right now. And if that’s the case — believe him.
Believe what he says and what he shows. Believe the whole picture. Not the potential. Not the “spark.” Not the version of him that exists in your head on the days he’s communicative. Believe the actual data of how he moves in your life.
Because so many dating heartbreaks don’t come from what someone did — they come from the gap between who they actually are and who we’re hoping they might turn into with enough time, patience, and emotional scaffolding on our (usually women’s, let’s be honest) part.
You don’t need to adjust yourself to accommodate someone else’s emotional minimalism. You don’t need to “earn” consistency from someone who is rationing it. And you don’t need to position yourself as the patient exception to someone’s chronic ambivalence.
Instead, ask yourself the most important dating question there is:“Is the way this person shows up compatible with the way I want to be loved?”
If his answer (verbal and behavioral) is yes — great. If his answer is no — also great. Because now you’re free to stop contorting yourself to match an energy that doesn’t support you. If his answer is “let’s just feel it out,” that’s a non-answer, so also a no.
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Add this, too, because it’s the emotional hinge: You’re not auditioning. You’re observing. You don’t need to push. You don’t need to pull back. You just need to watch what he does when you stop compensating. If he steps forward with clarity, wonderful. If he stays blurry, that’s your clarity.
That’s the heart of it: clarity over chemistry. Reality over hope. Reciprocity over potential. Let his answers and behavior guide you toward the kind of connection you actually want to build.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/08/ask-anna-wasting-my-time/
