Category: News
La FAA investiga a aerolíneas de EEUU por recortes de vuelos durante el cierre gubernamental
Por RIO YAMAT
Las aerolíneas de Estados Unidos fueron notificadas esta semana de que se está llevando a cabo una investigación para determinar si cumplieron con una orden de emergencia que requería recortes de vuelos en 40 aeropuertos principales durante el cierre gubernamental, informó el viernes la Administración Federal de Aviación (FAA).
La FAA advirtió en cartas enviadas el lunes que las aerolíneas podrían enfrentar multas de hasta 75.000 dólares por cada vuelo que excediera las reducciones ordenadas, que fluctuaron entre el 3%, 4% y 6%. Las aerolíneas tienen 30 días para proporcionar documentación que demuestre que cumplieron con la orden, dijo la agencia en un comunicado.
El cierre de 43 días que comenzó el 1 de octubre provocó largas demoras ya que los controladores de tráfico aéreo faltaron al trabajo, citando estrés y la necesidad de asumir empleos adicionales debido a que no estaban recibiendo sus sueldos. La FAA afirmó que exigir a todas las aerolíneas comerciales que redujeran los vuelos nacionales era algo sin precedentes, pero necesario para garantizar un vuelo seguro hasta que se estabilizara el personal en sus torres de control e instalaciones.
Después de que el cierre terminó el 12 de noviembre, las aerolíneas parecían anticipar que la FAA levantaría o relajaría las restricciones. Con la orden aún vigente el 14 de noviembre que requería recortes del 6%, solo el 2% de las salidas programadas en Estados Unidos ese día fueron canceladas, según la firma de análisis de aviación Cirium.
Más de 10.000 vuelos fueron cancelados entre el 7 de noviembre, cuando la orden entró en vigor, y el 16 de noviembre, cuando la FAA levantó todas las restricciones de vuelo. Delta Air Lines dijo el miércoles que perdió 200 millones de dólares, siendo la primera divulgación por parte de una aerolínea importante sobre el impacto financiero del cierre.
El secretario de Transporte, Sean Duffy, no ha compartido los datos de seguridad específicos que él y el jefe de la FAA dijeron que motivaron los recortes, pero Duffy citó informes durante el cierre de aviones que se acercaban demasiado en el aire, más incursiones en las pistas y preocupaciones de los pilotos sobre las respuestas de los controladores.
Los aeropuertos principales en Nueva York, Chicago, Los Ángeles y Atlanta se vieron afectados por las cancelaciones. La FAA originalmente tenía un objetivo de reducción del 10%.
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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.
Líder sirio dice que Israel lucha contra “fantasmas” tras la guerra en Gaza
Por JOSEF FEDERMAN y SAMY MAGDY
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — El presidente interino de Siria acusó el sábado a Israel de luchar contra “fantasmas” y de buscar enemigos tras la guerra en Gaza.
El presidente Ahmad al-Sharaa afirmó en una conferencia internacional que, desde que asumió el poder hace un año, ha enviado “mensajes positivos sobre la paz y la estabilidad regional”.
Señaló que Israel ha rechazado sus propuestas, “extrapolando” su conflicto con los combatientes de Hamás y justificando lo que él calificó como una agresión en nombre de la seguridad. Prometió que Siria no se comportaría de esa manera.
“No estamos interesados en ser un país que exporta conflictos, ni siquiera a Israel”, expresó en el Foro de Doha.
Al-Sharaa, que alguna vez fue detenido por Estados Unidos por unirse a Al Qaeda en Irak, instó a Israel a retirar sus fuerzas de su país y a comprometerse nuevamente con un acuerdo de tregua de 1974. Hizo un llamado a la comunidad internacional para que presione a Tel Aviv y expresó su esperanza en que se pueda alcanzar una fórmula que satisfaga demandas de seguridad “razonables”.
“Actualmente hay negociaciones, y Estados Unidos participa y está comprometido en esas negociaciones”, manifestó.
Desde la caída del expresidente sirio Bashar Assad en diciembre de 2024, Israel ha ocupado una porción del sur de Siria que anteriormente era una zona de amortiguamiento patrullada por la ONU según un acuerdo de separación de 1974.
Israel dice que se apoderó de la zona desmilitarizada de 400 kilómetros cuadrados (155 millas cuadradas) en el sur de Siria como una medida preventiva para evitar que los combatientes se trasladaran al área después de que rebeldes islamistas derrocaran a Assad.
Las tropas israelíes han llevado a cabo regularmente operaciones en aldeas y pueblos dentro y fuera de la zona, que han incluido redadas para capturar a personas que, según dicen, son presuntos combatientes. Al menos 13 personas murieron en una operación israelí contra estos sospechosos el mes pasado.
A principios de este mes, el presidente Donald Trump dijo que estaba satisfecho con el desempeño de al-Sharaa y exhortó a Israel a no “interferir” en los asuntos de Siria.
“Es muy importante que Israel mantenga un diálogo sólido y verdadero con Siria, y que no ocurra nada que interfiera con la evolución de Siria hacia un Estado próspero”, escribió el mandatario en su plataforma Truth Social.
Israel también ha lanzado cientos de ataques aéreos en sitios militares sirios y ha presionado por la creación de una zona desmilitarizada al sur de Damasco.
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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.
New exhibit in Aurora showcases student art: ‘It’s important that their work gets shown’
The Winter Garden of Youth K-12 Art Exhibit opened Friday evening in downtown Aurora, featuring the work of more than 170 students representing 38 local schools.
Teresa Flores of Aurora and her third-grade daughter Kalila, 9, were at opening night of the annual exhibit at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place.
“My daughter has a piece of her artwork here and I’m proud. Her art was chosen from her art class at school,” Flores said. “I love it and all four of my girls like to do art. It’s a really proud moment and a beautiful thing to see that they have all this amazing work here from the schools. To see the kids express themselves in this format is amazing.”
Jon Zaghloul, communications manager for the city of Aurora, said the event has enjoyed great traction, calling it “one of the most popular exhibits each year for Aurora Public Art.”
“We’re able to showcase these great artistic talents from a bunch of students and ages and school district partners,” he said just before Friday’s opening. “It’s a cool way to bring the community together and celebrate our youth and their artistic talents.”
Curator Sangeeta Pande said submissions range anywhere from 100 to 200 each year and that students continue to want to show off their work, “because it’s a really interesting platform for the children to be able to showcase their works and have that pride in the selection process.”
Pande said for the first time there were submissions from the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora that “were very much catering towards engineering and the sciences.”
“You can see a distinct shift in the way their perception of art is as opposed to the normal perception of art,” she said.
Visitors enter the David L. Pierce Art and History Center in downtown Aurora on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, where an exhibit of student artwork opened. The exhibit will run through Jan. 17. (David Sharos/For The Beacon-News)
Pande said she put herself into a full-blown recruiting effort this year, making sure every public and private school was aware of the exhibit.
“I took it upon myself to approach every school and say here, this is going on, please give this information to the art teacher,” she said.
Cecilia Zepeda of Aurora on Friday said showcasing youngsters’ artwork is important.
“Absolutely, yes, it’s wonderful. I remember when I was a student I was in the arts and it’s really nice seeing all these little budding artists and parents who are super proud of what they do,” she said while visiting the exhibit. “It’s important that their work gets shown.”
Lauren Hansford of Aurora, who teaches at Rosary College Prep, said that four of her students have their work on display as part of the exhibit and that “three had done it before.”
Rosary College Prep instructor Lauren Hansford of Aurora stands in front of the artwork produced by four of her students at the Winter Garden of Youth K-12 Art Exhibit which opened Friday evening at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center in downtown Aurora. (David Sharos/For The Beacon-News)
“They were very eager (to show their work) and this platform is really special,” she said. “I grew up in Aurora and I was in this show when I was a student at Rosary and I think it’s a good time to show the kids that their work is supposed to be elevated. It’s supposed to be shown.”
The exhibit runs through Jan. 17 at the Art and History Center. Gallery hours are from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
Review: In its 10th year, the Joffrey Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’ is the best version of itself
There is a meme circulating on the internet that says, “Be like the Kennedy Expressway and never stop working on yourself.” That stretch of Interstate 90 was under construction when I moved to the Chicago area in 1989. And it still is.
I thought about that while watching the opening night of the Joffrey Ballet’s “Nutcracker” this year. For many families, the ballet is an annual tradition and signals the official start of the holiday season. Kids, decked out in their holiday finest, ooh-ed and aah-ed, some processing down the Lyric Opera House’s red carpeted aisles to get a peek into the orchestra pit. I was that kid. In some ways, I still am. Holidays, commence!
“The Nutcracker” runs four weekends at the Lyric, closing on Dec. 28.
The theater’s festive vibe paralleled the pure magic unfolding onstage Friday, for what felt like a caffeinated “Nutcracker” from music director Scott Speck’s first downbeat. Tempos were brisk. The dancers were on their legs. Transitions between scenes were fast and super smooth. That kind of ease with, and mastery of, what is a very challenging “Nutcracker” for everyone involved only comes with the time, money and heart Joffrey has invested in it, now for a decade.
You see, like the Kennedy, this “Nutcracker” has never stopped improving itself. The Joffrey has fiddled with costumes and sets, tweaked some of the choreography and reworked the party scene’s musical arrangements. This year, there’s an overhauled transition from the battle scene — in which life-sized mice and toy soldiers battle under the Christmas tree, like you do — to the snow scene, seamlessly and far more beautifully bridging those two magical realms that unfold in a young girl’s unfathomable dream. And the pièce de résistance: What was essentially a giant cardboard cutout of the Statue of the Republic sitting as the centerpiece of the ballet’s second act has been replaced by an actual statue, giving dimensionality and shimmer to what had been a flat and rather blah setting.
Launched in 2016, this “Nutcracker” replaced Robert Joffrey’s beloved version, which the company retired after three decades of performances. It is Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s first and only “Nutcracker,” custom-crafted for our ballet company and our city with a vision executed by the Joffrey team, plus a pack of high-profile designers and Caldecott-winning author Brian Selznick.
Selznick moves the plot from a Gilded Age mansion to Jackson Park, for the story of an immigrant family whose single mother (on opening night, Gayeon Jung) is a sculptor living among working-class laborers. It’s Christmas Eve 1892, the winter before the first Chicago World’s Fair is to open. Magic in the making.
A Daniel Burnham-type figure dubbed the Great Impresario of the Fair (on Friday danced by Stefan Gonçalvez) attends a merry holiday party in the family home of Marie (Amanda Assucena), brother Franz (Alan Ruesch) and their mother (Jung). Joined by apprentice Peter (Hyuma Kiyosawa), the Impresario comes bearing gifts (and sacks of coins, because he’s their boss, after all), including a special nutcracker doll for Marie. When mischievous Franz breaks the doll, we get glimpses of a burgeoning love story — not between Peter and Marie, as is often the case in “The Nutcracker,” but the Impresario and Marie’s mother. Fast-forward to the end of the ballet, and all the sweets, and treats, and magic and mystery of Marie’s dreams are small potatoes compared to a loving family eating breakfast together in their cozy, happy home. Money can buy you a World’s Fair, but it can’t buy happiness.
It’s taken me a while to warm up to this “Nutcracker.” The original ballet, choreographed in 1892 by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, used the E.T.A. Hoffmann fairy tale about a magical nutcracker doll as a mere container to house audience-pleasing displays of technical excellence and exploit Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score. Wheeldon endeavored to make it make sense, framing the second act divertissements as various global pavilions of the 1893 World’s Fair, complete with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West extravaganza, which took place at the same time just outside the fairgrounds.
In the process, Wheeldon kind of got in his own way, crafting intricate choreography imbued with purpose and meaning that has, for years, looked clunky and awkward.
Until it didn’t. Jung doubles as the gold-trimmed Sugar Plum figure, which in this ballet is a living, dancing version of the Statue of the Republic. Her pretzel-like pas de deux with Gonçalvez near the ballet’s conclusion extrapolates the turns and folds of the statue’s molded, shimmering clay. Neither Jung nor Gonçalvez has performed those roles on opening night before; they and others found the beating heart underneath the steps that’s likely been there all along. Other examples: The snow corps has eased into a less frenetic pace, making the scene’s shivering hands and architectural craftsmanship less of an intellectual exercise then in years past. Precise angularities and quick shifts of weight central to the Spanish quartet and Venetian trio are now second nature to these expert dancers. As Buffalo Bill, Valentino Moneglia Zamora even nails his lasso twirling, like the rodeo star he is.
Lauren Warnecke is a freelance critic.
Review: “The Nutcracker” (4 stars)
When: Through Dec. 28
Where: Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive
Running time: 2 hours, with one intermission
Tickets: $63-$232 at 312-386-8905 and joffrey.org
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/06/review-nutcracker-joffrey-2025/
Qatari leader says the Gaza ceasefire is at a critical moment
DOHA, Qatar — Qatar’s prime minister on Saturday said the Gaza ceasefire has reached a “critical moment” as its first phase winds down, with the remains of one Israeli hostage still to be handed over.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told a conference in the Qatari capital that international mediators, led by the U.S., are working “to force the way forward” to the second phase to cement the deal.
“What we have just done is a pause,” he told the Doha Forum. “We cannot consider it yet a ceasefire.”
He added: “A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of Israeli forces, there is stability back in Gaza, people can go in and out, which is not the case today.”
While the ceasefire halted the heavy fighting of the two-year war, Gaza health officials say that over 360 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the truce took effect on Oct. 10.
In new violence, two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike northwest of Gaza City, Shifa Hospital said.
Israel’s army said it wasn’t aware of an airstrike in that location. However, it said that Israeli soldiers on Saturday killed three fighters who crossed the “yellow line” into Israeli-controlled northern part of Gaza and “posed an immediate threat.”
The Israeli army has said it has carried out a number of attacks on Palestinians crossing the ceasefire line.
Second phase hasn’t begun
Under the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, the fighting stopped and dozens of hostages held in Gaza were exchanged for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prison. Israel sent a delegation last week to Egypt for talks on returning the remains of the last hostage.
The next phase has not begun. It includes the deployment of an international security force in Gaza, formation of a new technocratic government for the territory, disarmament of Hamas and an eventual withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Arab and Western officials told The Associated Press on Friday that an international body overseeing the ceasefire, to be led by Trump himself, is expected to be appointed by the end of the year. In the long term, the plan also calls for a possible “pathway” to Palestinian independence.
Qatar’s prime minister said that even the upcoming phase should be “temporary” and that peace in the region could only take place with the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state — something that is opposed by Israel’s hard-line government.
“If we are just resolving what happened in Gaza, the catastrophe that happened in the last two years, it’s not enough,” he said. “There is a root for this conflict. And this conflict is not only about Gaza.”
He added: “It’s about Gaza. It’s about the West Bank. It’s about the rights of the Palestinians for their state. We are hoping that we can work together with the U.S. administration to achieve this vision at the end of the day.”
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said there is a “big question” over the formation of an international security force for Gaza. Speaking at the conference, he said it’s unclear which countries will join, what the command structure would look like and what its “first mission” will be.
Turkey is one of the guarantors of the ceasefire, but Israel, which has rocky relations with the Ankara government, has rejected any Turkish participation in the force.
“Thousands of details, questions are in place,” Fidan said. “I think once we deploy ISF, the rest will come.”
UN agency seeks a clear role in Gaza
A day after an overwhelming international endorsement, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said its future role in Gaza is unclear.
Throughout the war, Israel and the United States have sidelined UNRWA, accusing it cooperating with Hamas, a charge UNRWA denies.
Tamara Alrifai, UNRWA’s director of external relations and communications, said the agency continues to offer humanitarian and educational services in Gaza. But she said UNRWA has been excluded from U.S.-led talks on the ceasefire’s second phase.
Alrifai said that UNRWA serves as the de facto “public sector” in Gaza. And with 12,000 employees, she said it will be nearly impossible for the international community to duplicate the agency’s network of services.
“If you squeeze UNRWA out, what other agency can fill that void?” she said on the sidelines of the Doha Forum.
The U.S., formerly the largest donor to UNRWA, halted funding to the agency in early 2024. On Friday, the U.N. General Assembly renewed UNRWA’s mandate through 2029. But Alrifai said the cash crisis continues.
“Votes are great. Cash is better,” Alrifai said.
Over 70,000 killed in Gaza
The war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters entered Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking over 250 people hostage. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed over 70,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says that nearly half the dead have been women and children. The ministry is part of Gaza’s Hamas government and its numbers are considered reliable by the U.N. and other international bodies.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/06/gaza-ceasefire-critical-moment/
Journal Retracts ‘Ghost Written’ Monsanto Study Claiming Glyphosate Is Safe
Journal Retracts ‘Ghost Written’ Monsanto Study Claiming Glyphosate Is Safe
Over the past year massive scandals involving academic research have come under the microscope, after dedicated researchers uncovered rigged studies that made it through peer-review with flying colors, and are now being retracted.
On Friday, the Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology journal announced that it has retracted a review, safety evaluation, and risk assessment of the herbicide Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, after it emerged that Monsanto was heavily involved in its production.
“This decision has been made after careful consideration of the COPE guidelines and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the authorship and content of this article and in light of no response having been provided to address the findings,” the journal said in a statement.
“Litigation in the United States revealed correspondence from Monsanto suggesting that the authors of the article were not solely responsible for writing its content,” and contributions by Monsanto employees were not disclosed, including in the acknowledgements section of the review.
The journal also said that the authors may have been paid by Monsanto – which was also not disclosed.
The Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology had been frequently cited in defending glyphosate, an ingredient in Roundup, including citations on Wikipedia, researchers said in a paper published in September. Since 2017, multiple juries have concluded that Roundup exposure has resulted in non-Hodgkin lymphoma in people. Bayer took over legal cases involving the matter after it purchased Monsanto in 2018, including a case that may be adjudicated by the Supreme Court. -Epoch Times
Meanwhile the study’s lead author, Gary Williams – a former pathologist at New York Medical College, is MIA, according to an Epoch Times inquiry.
An internal email from February 2015 presented as evidence in a 2017 court case revealed that Monsanto employees worked with the authors of the review, with one employee writing that it would be expensive to involve experts from all major areas in a review – and would be cheaper to simply involve certain experts and “we ghost-write” other sections.
“We would be keeping the cost down by us doing the writing and they would just edit & sign their names so to speak. Recall that is how we handled Williams Kroes & Munro, 2000,” the employee wrote.
So of course, the journal retracts the dodgy study almost 10 years later – even as other journals – including Critical Reviews in Toxicology, attached expressions of concern co-authored by Williams because they said they authors didn’t disclose the involvement of Monsanto employees and contractors in authoring their research.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 12/06/2025 – 12:15
Impeachment Mania Returns In Time For The Midterm Elections
Impeachment Mania Returns In Time For The Midterm Elections
The military has long had a saying that “when you only have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” When it comes to impeachment power, Democrats have long acted as if every problem is a high crime and misdemeanor.
After two impeachments against President Donald Trump (including what I labeled as an infamous “snap impeachment“), Democratic politicians and pundits are back calling for the impeachment of President Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) was the latest to prepare articles of impeachment. He is demanding the removal of Hegseth over his use of the encrypted messaging app Signal to convey battle plans and the “double tap” order on a disabled drug boat.
The Signal app controversy was a legitimate objection raised by critics. The Pentagon inspector general recently found that such use can endanger both missions and personnel, even though it did not appear to have resulted in damage in this case. Nevertheless, the Pentagon is claiming that the report is a “TOTAL exoneration of Secretary Hegseth.” That is hardly convincing. It is akin to Harris claiming that Gov. Josh Shapiro’s description of her book as “utter bulls**t” is a glowing review.
However, such a controversy does not even come close to meeting the constitutional standard for impeachment. Democrats did not call for the removal of Democratic presidents or cabinet members for such past controversies, including the use of social media and private email accounts.
The inclusion of the boat strike ignores how the war crimes story has collapsed this week. Even the New York Times and ABC News (and some Democratic members) now admit that it is not true that Hegseth gave an order to kill any survivors of these attacks or that such an order was issued by military commanders.
A finishing shot on a still floating vessel is not uncommon in war. There is a legitimate debate over the policy of striking these boats. However, in terms of the president’s inherent constitutional powers, he has the authority to strike such vessels outside the United States. Other presidents have asserted such authority. This includes President Barack Obama, who claimed in his “kill list” policy to have the right to kill even American citizens anywhere and at any time based on his unilateral decision that they represent an imminent threat to national security.
With respect to the laws of war, if the military had the authority to sink the boat, the commander could order a finishing shot or shots to complete the mission. It has long been common in war to deliver such finishing shots even when there are survivors on board or in the area of the vessel. The commander must not re-engage for the sole purpose of killing survivors. There is no evidence of any such order in this strike. The Washington Post based its sensational claim on a single anonymous source.
Throughout history (including the famed sinking of the Bismarck in World War II), there have been finishing shots delivered in sea engagements to destroy vessels.
The same is true with aerial attacks. It is common for the military to deliver multiple hits on a target if it is not completely destroyed despite the presence of wounded or survivors in the area. Once again, this does not mean the decision was correct or commendable in any given circumstance. Still, it falls within the discretion historically afforded to military commanders in achieving mission objectives.
In the end, the laws of war reflect the fluidity and uncertainty of military engagement. The “fog of war” is a reality of military conflicts, even with the added technological advances that we have today.
We still have not seen the full video and have not yet confirmed the timeline of orders. That will help establish if the successive strikes were plausibly tied to the mission objective of destroying the still floating vessel and stopping the salvaging of the drugs. It will also help establish that the boat and the drugs were indeed still viable targets. The latter recovery of survivors by the military would indicate that there was no “kill them all” policy with regard to survivors.
What is clear is that this is not even close to an impeachable offense.
Thanedar is not the only one reviving calls for impeachment.
Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta is calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump over his “hateful comments” about the Minnesota Somali community, which he claims are grounds for impeachment:
“What needs to be said that isn’t being said enough in our press over the last 24 hours is that the President of the United States said a blatantly, obviously racist thing in the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday when he said what he said about Somali immigrants in this country. That they don’t contribute anything, that they’re not of value. In no normal world should the President of the United States of America ever, ever say something like that to the American people or even say it privately… I mean, if the President of the United States says it privately, it means he’s a bad person, and we should get rid of him.”
But to me, that was an impeachable moment. There have been so many impeachable moments since Donald Trump has come back to the White House, but to blatantly say something as racist and as hateful and as nasty and cruel and mean-spirited as what he said yesterday. The impeachment proceedings should begin right now. But of course, they won’t.”
There is a reason why they won’t . . . because this is ridiculous. Many of us have objected to the President’s comments about whole groups in this country. It is wrong to attack all Somalis in this country. I have previously written about how many of these immigrants from authoritarian nations embrace the essence of our country in seeking a free and better life.
However, past presidents have also used offensive or objectionable terms to refer to groups in the United States from Hillary Clinton’s reference to black men as “super predators” to Joe Biden’s referring to school desegregation as forcing white students to study in a “racial jungle” or claiming that any blacks who do not support him “ain’t black.”
I also do not remember these critics denouncing the attacks on figures like Elon Musk over his nationality.
The suggestion that these comments by Trump are an impeachable offense is absurd.
There is little danger that such impeachments will move forward.
However, if Democrats retake the House, the impeachment impulse will be overwhelming.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 12/06/2025 – 11:40
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/impeachment-mania-returns-time-midterm-elections
Russia unleashes massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine as diplomatic talks continue
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia unleashed a major missile and drone barrage on Ukraine overnight into Saturday, after U.S. and Ukrainian officials said they’ll meet on Saturday for a third day of talks aimed at ending the nearly 4-year-old war.
Following talks that made progress on a security framework for postwar Ukraine, the two sides also offered the sober assessment that any “real progress toward any agreement” ultimately will depend “on Russia’s readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace.”
The statement from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner as well as Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov came after they met for a second day in Florida on Friday. They offered only broad brushstrokes about the progress they say has been made as Trump pushes Kyiv and Moscow to agree to a U.S.-mediated proposal to end the war.
Russia used 653 drones and 51 missiles in the wide-reaching overnight attack on Ukraine, which triggered air raid alerts across the country and came as Ukraine marked Armed Forces Day, the country’s air force said Saturday morning.
Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 585 drones and 30 missiles, the air force said, adding that 29 locations were struck.
At least eight people were wounded in the attacks, Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko said.
Among these, at least three people were wounded in the Kyiv region, according to local officials. Drone sightings were reported as far west as Ukraine’s Lviv region.
Nuclear plant temporarily cut off from power
Russia carried out a “massive missile-drone attack” on power stations and other energy infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions, Ukraine’s national energy operator, Ukrenergo, wrote on Telegram.
Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant temporarily lost all off-site power overnight, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Saturday, citing its Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
The plant is in an area that has been under Russian control since early in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and is not in service, but it needs reliable power to cool its six shutdown reactors and spent fuel, to avoid any catastrophic nuclear incidents.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that energy facilities were the main targets of the attacks, also noting that a drone strike had “burned down” the train station in the city of Fastiv, located in the Kyiv region.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its air defenses had shot down 116 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight into Saturday.
Russian Telegram news channel Astra said Ukraine struck Russia’s Ryazan Oil Refinery, sharing footage appearing to show a fire breaking out and plumes of smoke rising above the refinery. The Associated Press could not independently verify the video.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces later said Ukrainian forces had struck the refinery. Ryazan regional Gov. Pavel Malkov said a residential building had been damaged in a drone attack and that drone debris had fallen on the grounds of an “industrial facility,” but did not mention the refinery.
Months of Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries have aimed to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue the war. Meanwhile, Kyiv and its western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call “weaponizing” the cold.
Slow progress on agreeing security framework
The latest round of attacks came as U.S. President Donald Trump’s advisers and Ukrainian officials said they’ll meet for a third day of talks on Saturday, after making progress on finding agreement on a security framework for postwar Ukraine.
Following Friday’s talks, the two sides also offered the sober assessment that any “real progress toward any agreement” ultimately will depend “on Russia’s readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace.”
The statement from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner as well as Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov came after they met for a second day in Florida on Friday. They offered only broad brushstrokes about the progress they say has been made as Trump pushes Kyiv and Moscow to agree to a U.S.-mediated proposal to end nearly four years of war.
Zelenskyy is expected to meet Monday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, where the leaders will discuss the ongoing talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials aimed at finding an agreement on guaranteeing Ukraine’s postwar security.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/06/russia-drone-missile-attack-ukraine/
Juegos Olímpicos de Milán-Cortina siguen sin vender la mitad de las entradas a 2 meses del inicio
Por ANDREW DAMPF
ROMA (AP) — La construcción del estadio principal de hockey aún no termina. Las áreas para espectadores y medios en el controvertido recinto de deslizamiento también necesitan ser completadas.
A exactamente dos meses de los Juegos Olímpicos de Invierno de Milán-Cortina, hay otra área importante en la que los organizadores locales se están concentrando: solo un poco más de la mitad de los 1,5 millones de entradas para los juegos se han vendido.
Al comenzar el relevo de la antorcha en Roma el sábado, se habían vendido poco más de 850.000 entradas.
Mientras que las ventas en el extranjero están cumpliendo con las expectativas, el interés entre los italianos sigue siendo bajo.
“Eso es normal. Los aficionados locales se interesan más cerca del evento y creo que el inicio del relevo de la antorcha será un momento muy importante para que la gente se dé cuenta de eso”, comentó el CEO del comité organizador local, Andrea Varnier, a The Associated Press momentos antes de que comenzara el relevo.
Una promoción de Black Friday la semana pasada incluyó tres días de descuentos del 20% en las entradas. Y los compradores de entradas tanto para los Juegos Olímpicos como para los Paralímpicos tienen la oportunidad de obtener pases de esquí por ocho euros (nueve dólares) válidos en todas las áreas de esquí de Lombardía entre el nueve y el 22 de diciembre.
Esta semana, se pusieron a la venta más entradas para la ceremonia de apertura del seis de febrero en el estadio San Siro y para el partido por la medalla de oro de hockey masculino el 22 de febrero en Milán.
“Tuvimos algunas entradas en el mercado hace un par de días y se agotaron en solo un par de horas”, expresó Varnier. “Así que hay interés”.
Si la experiencia pasada es un indicador, la atmósfera fue memorable en los Juegos de Invierno de Turín 2006, la última vez que Italia fue sede de unos Juegos Olímpicos.
Aun así, los organizadores habrían esperado más demanda después de que los últimos Juegos de Invierno en Beijing en 2022 se llevaran a cabo mayormente sin aficionados debido a la pandemia de coronavirus.
Varnier señaló que las ventas han sido fuertes en la tienda recientemente inaugurada de Milán-Cortina frente a la catedral de la ciudad, Piazza del Duomo.
“La gente realmente está entrando y comprando nuestra mercancía, lo cual también es una buena señal”, manifestó.
El estadio de hockey ‘tiene que estar listo’
El evento de prueba programado para la próxima semana en el Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, el nuevo recinto de 16.000 asientos en las afueras de Milán, tuvo que ser pospuesto hasta enero.
“Sabíamos sobre los retrasos del estadio de hockey y estamos trabajando en ello, pero ahora estamos siguiendo el ritmo adecuado”, dijo Varnier. “Tiene que estar listo”.
La próxima semana, el estadio secundario de hockey que se ha instalado en el centro de convenciones Rho Fiera será probado al albergar juegos del campeonato mundial sub-20.
Múltiples ceremonias de apertura
Estos juegos se llevarán a cabo en una gran extensión del norte de Italia y los desfiles de atletas para la ceremonia de apertura también se realizarán simultáneamente en Cortina d’Ampezzo, Livigno y Predazzo además de Milán.
“Es un gran esfuerzo, es la primera vez”, comentó Varnier. “Es un mensaje muy importante tener a los atletas también permaneciendo en las aldeas de montaña para poder participar en la ceremonia. Esto fue muy bien recibido por los CONs (Comités Olímpicos Nacionales)… Además, las comunidades están muy felices de tener una parte de las ceremonias en sus ciudades”.
___
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Southern Oscillation Index Plunge Triggers “Big Winter Storm Signal,” Meteorologist Warns
Southern Oscillation Index Plunge Triggers “Big Winter Storm Signal,” Meteorologist Warns
Folks across the Mid-Atlantic, especially in the Washington, DC-Baltimore metro area, woke up to a rare December winter scene: a few inches of fresh snow on the ground. With a solid cold pattern locked in through the middle of the month, this early-season snow is something the region hasn’t seen this early in the cold season in many years.
#Snow falling on Friday at the Capitol in #DC! @capitalweather @KaitlynMcGrath pic.twitter.com/8vDSz7nSJ3
— Jeanne Stuart McVey (@RiverGirl707) December 5, 2025
With below-normal temperatures forecast across the Mid-Atlantic through at least mid-month – and potentially extending into the third week according to models, meteorologist Mark Margavage wrote on X that alarm bells are going off that signal a potential winter storm threat for the region could be a few weeks away.
Margavage pointed to a sudden plunge in the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), which measures the sea-level pressure difference between Tahiti and Darwin, Australia. Such a drop signals a shift from La Niña–like conditions (positive SOI values) toward neutral or even El Niño conditions (negative SOI values).
This transition weakens trade winds across the equatorial Pacific, warms sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, and disrupts the Walker circulation, leading to widespread global weather anomalies.
One such anomaly that may occur at a 2 to 3 week lag is the increased risk of major winter storms or polar vortex disruptions in the Eastern U.S.
Margavage explained more:
The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) is a key indicator of the strength and phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Sustained strongly positive SOI values (typically 30-day average > +7 or +8) are associated with La Niña conditions, and sustained strongly negative values with El Niño.
This graph shows a very sharp collapse of the SOI from strongly positive (La Niña-like) values around +18 in mid-to-late November 2025 down to slightly positive or near-neutral values by early December 2025.
According to @grok “This is one of the fastest SOI drops on record.”
After a sudden SOI plunge of this magnitude and speed, the most common lag time to the first big Eastern U.S. winter storm or polar vortex disruption-driven cold wave is about 2–3 weeks, with a broader 10–35-day window of elevated risk.
So for the drop shown in this image (finalized ~5 Dec 2025), the highest winter storm threat in the Eastern U.S. is roughly December 18 – January 10, peaking late December to very early January 2026. So Christmas could be extremely Wintery this year!
🚨Record Setting SOI Drop🚨
⚠️Big Winter Storm Signal⚠️
The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) is a key indicator of the strength and phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Sustained strongly positive SOI values (typically 30-day average > +7 or +8) are associated with… pic.twitter.com/qskr0SWRmP
— Mark Margavage (@MeteoMark) December 5, 2025
Cold is here.
First colder than normal EIA week of new pattern – from Fri Nov 28 to Thu Dec 4 – was coldest of 2000s for matching dates. pic.twitter.com/KdRTefqDOm
— Commodity Wx Group (@commoditywx) December 5, 2025
Cold just keeps coming. I just don’t see a end in sight. pic.twitter.com/Ks7zvCnNzH
— Mitch West (@SCweather_wx) December 6, 2025
Energy markets have responded:
Biggest NatGas Quarterly Spike In Decades As Deep Freeze Slams U.S. East
If Margavage is right about the downstream weather impacts in the Lower 48 from a plunging SOI, this could suggest rising odds of a white Christmas in portions of the Eastern U.S.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 12/06/2025 – 11:05
