Category: News
Preparan evacuación de zona aledaña a volcán Puracé en Colombia por riesgo de erupción
Associated Press
BOGOTÁ (AP) — Las autoridades colombianas preparaban el miércoles la evacuación preventiva de cientos de pobladores de las zonas aledañas al volcán Puracé, ubicado en el suroeste del país, tras el aumento de su actividad sísmica, un indicador de que podría producirse una erupción en los próximos días o semanas.
El volcán Puracé tiene una altura de 4.640 metros sobre el nivel del mar y es considerado uno de los volcanes activos en Colombia. Su última erupción significativa se registró en 1977, según el Servicio Geológico Colombiano.
En el área de influencia del volcán se ubica el municipio de Puracé, de una población de aproximadamente 15.000 personas, incluyendo comunidades indígenas.
El alcalde de Puracé, Humberto Molano, dijo el miércoles a Radio Nacional de Colombia que calculan que deben ser evacuadas cerca de 1.500 personas, especialmente en zonas rurales cercanas al cráter. Explicó que están preparando el decreto de evacuación.
El Servicio Geológico Colombiano elevó el sábado el estado de alerta del volcán de “amarilla” a “naranja”, que indica que es probable una erupción en términos de días o semanas mientras que el rojo es cuando la erupción es inminente o está en curso.
El más reciente reporte dado el miércoles indicó que continuaba el mismo estado de alerta y detalló que el volcán registró columnas de gases y ceniza de hasta 700 metros de altura.
La Unidad Nacional de Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres, encargada de coordinar la respuesta en las emergencias, indicó el miércoles en la red social X que recomienda la evacuación de la población en zona de riesgo en al menos tres alojamientos temporales.
Jack Smith Subpoenaed For Deposition Before House Judiciary Committee, Jordan Says
Jack Smith Subpoenaed For Deposition Before House Judiciary Committee, Jordan Says
Jack Smith has been called to the House for a deposition before the House Judiciary Committee, after Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) fired off a subpoena to the former special counsel.
In a Wednesday letter to Smith, Jordan instructed him to show up before the House committee on Dec. 17 at 10am ET.
“Due to your service as Special Counsel, the Committee believes that you possess information that is vital to its oversight of this matter,” Jordan wrote in the letter to Smith which he also posted to his X account. “Based upon communications with your counsel, we understand that you are available to testify at a deposition” on the aforementioned date.
Jack Smith Subpoenaed. pic.twitter.com/hjqInNjGSG
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) December 3, 2025
As the Epoch Times notes further, Jordan’s subpoena also included a request for communications and documents connected to Smith’s investigation as special counsel, which involved charges being brought against President Donald Trump in two cases.
Smith had charged Trump in Washington over his challenging the results of the 2020 election, and charged him in Florida with illegally retaining classified documents. Trump had pleaded not guilty to the charges, while Smith ultimately dropped both cases.
Weeks before Trump took office a second time, Smith released a report in January that defended his special counsel investigation and the charges that were brought. The former special counsel argued that the charges were dropped due to a longstanding Department of Justice policy that discourages the prosecution of sitting presidents, but stressed that he believed in the merits of the charges.
“It is equally important for me to make clear that nobody within the Department of Justice ever sought to interfere with, or improperly influence, my prosecutorial decision making,” Smith said in the Jan. 7 letter that was sent to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The Department of Justice under the Biden administration also never sought to “improperly influence my decision as to whether to bring charges” against Trump, Smith said.
The allegation that “my decisions as a prosecutor were influenced or directed by the Biden administration or other political actors is, in a word, laughable,” he also said.
The House Judiciary Committee has already sent several letters to Smith so far this year, including one in October that alleged Smith may have obtained phone records of sitting Republican lawmakers as part of his investigation. Several former members of Smith’s team have testified or have been called to testify before the Judiciary panel, Jordan has said.
In a letter sent to Smith, Jordan wrote at the time that his “testimony is necessary to understand the full extent to which the Biden-Harris Justice Department weaponized federal law enforcement.”
“As the Special Counsel, you are ultimately responsible for the prosecutorial misconduct and constitutional abuses of your office. Your misdeeds were so flagrant that the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility confirmed to the Committee in November 2024 that it had opened an inquiry into the tactics of your office,” Jordan wrote.
In his first public remarks since leaving the government, Smith told a panel hosted by former FBI counsel Andrew Weissman that allegations he was operating in a politicized manner are incorrect. Smith also said he was concerned about attempts to demonize career DOJ officials to score political points.
The Epoch Times contacted Smith’s legal team for comment on Dec. 3.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/03/2025 – 18:00
Snowstorm blows into Portage City Council meeting
Last weekend’s snow drifted into Tuesday’s Portage City Council meeting, affecting everything from cars parked on snowy roads to Small Business Saturday.
The city received 9 inches of snow, requiring snowplows to drive 2,800 miles to clear the roads, Streets and Sanitation Superintendent Randy Reeder told the council.
“I have seen a lot of plow trucks and salt trucks out constantly,” Councilwoman Penny Ambler said.
Complicating efforts were vehicles parked on the street in violation of an ordinance that requires vehicles to be moved off roadways when 2 or more inches of snow fall.
“Get off the street, in the driveway, park somewhere else,” Reeder said. “It really helps us to clear out those subdivisions.”
The city is planning to make signs next year to remind people of the ordinance. It might be worth strengthening the law next year, he added.
“I don’t know if people don’t know or they don’t care about moving their cars,” Police Chief Michael Candiano said. “That’s the last thing we want to do in a snowstorm.”
Police knocked on doors to urge residents to move vehicles, he said.
“Crazy stuff happens in snowstorms,” Candiano said, like people wanting to get a loaf of bread instead of waiting for conditions to improve.
The number of traffic accidents increased with all the snow, Fire Chief Chris Crail said. In November, 71% of the department’s calls required an EMS response.
Police would rather be available to respond to emergencies than tell people to move their cars, Candiano said. “We just want to get the dang streets cleaned,” so first responders can get where they need to, along with clearing roads for people to get in and out of neighborhoods.
Mayor Austin Bonta said he hears complaints about towing cars and, from neighbors, about police knocking on doors before towing cars.
He pulled out a Bible story to describe those neighbors. God sent Jonah to Nineveh to warn them to change their ways. When they did change, Jonah got mad because he wanted the city destroyed instead of God showing mercy.
“There seem to be people who think this is a tyrannical thing,” but it’s not, he said.
“We just want people to courteously move their car out of the way,” Bonta said. “The goal is not to make money; the goal is not to ticket.”
In addition to dealing with vehicles parked on the street and responding to accidents, police have been doing a lot of welfare checks, stopping by houses to make sure residents are OK when relatives or friends are concerned about a person’s substance abuse or physical or mental well-being, Candiano said.
For people upset about mailboxes being hit by a snowplow, there’s a section on the street department’s website with a form to fill out and information about getting a temporary replacement and then a permanent one installed when weather permits, Reeder said.
Leaf collection will resume when weather conditions permit, he said.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/03/snowstorm-blows-into-portage-city-council-meeting/
Fuentes AP: Pentágono sabía que ataque a bote dejó sobrevivientes, pero lanzó un segundo bombardeo
Por LISA MASCARO
WASHINGTON (AP) — El Pentágono sabía que había sobrevivientes después de que lanzó ataque en septiembre pasado contra una embarcación que presuntamente llevaba drogas por el mar Caribe, y de igual forma el ejército de Estados Unidos lanzó una segunda ofensiva de seguimiento, según dos personas al tanto del asunto.
La justificación para el segundo ataque fue que era necesario hundir la embarcación, según las dos personas al tanto del tema, quienes hablaron bajo condición de anonimato porque no estaban autorizadas a discutir el incidente públicamente. El gobierno del presidente Donald Trump afirma que las 11 personas a bordo del bote murieron.
Lo que sigue sin estar claro es quién ordenó los ataques y si el secretario de Defensa Pete Hegseth estuvo involucrado, dijo una de las personas. Eso será parte de una sesión informativa clasificada del Congreso el jueves con el comandante que, según el gobierno, ordenó el segundo ataque, el almirante Frank “Mitch” Bradley.
Hegseth ha defendido el segundo ataque como algo que surgió entre la “neblina de la guerra”, diciendo que no vio sobrevivientes pero que tampoco “se quedó” para el resto de la misión.
Hegseth enfrenta una creciente presión debido a los ataques militares contra presuntos narcotraficantes en el Caribe y el Pacífico. Expertos legales y algunos legisladores aseguran que una ofensiva que abatió a sobrevivientes habría violado las leyes de conflicto armado.
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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.
Trump To Roll Back Biden-Era Fuel Standards, Admin Says It Will Save Americans $109 Billion
Trump To Roll Back Biden-Era Fuel Standards, Admin Says It Will Save Americans $109 Billion
Authored by Travis Gillmore via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
President Donald Trump will eliminate fuel standard regulations imposed by President Joe Biden when he signs an executive order on Dec. 3 in the Oval Office.
His directive will reduce the number of miles a vehicle must travel on a mile of gasoline, a move that will mitigate car price increases of about $1,000 and save Americans approximately $109 billion, according to administration officials.
Representatives from Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis are expected to join the president for the signing ceremony.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the Department of Transportation, oversees the Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations—enacted by Congress in 1975 to reduce fuel consumption by setting miles per gallon standards for vehicles.
A difference of opinion in recent administrations—with Democrats preferring electric vehicles and pushing to increase fuel efficiency for gas-powered vehicles, while Trump’s presidencies have focused on reducing costs and regulations—resulted in a series of policy reversals.
Biden strengthened fuel economy standards in June 2024 by 2 percent annually for passenger vehicles and light trucks.
Increases of 8 to 10 percent annually were proposed for some new vehicles.
President Barack Obama ramped up standards and set a goal in 2012 of achieving 54.5 miles per gallon for light passenger vehicles by 2025.
Trump rolled back Obama’s initiatives in 2020 during his first term in office.
The president also rescinded California’s electric vehicle mandate, which sought to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2030, when he signed three related congressional acts on June 12, including one that revoked the Golden State’s ability to impose tailpipe emissions limits.
Trump signed dozens of executive orders since taking office in January, including one called “Unleashing American Energy,” aligned with his agenda of increasing domestic energy production and limiting regulations that he said are negatively affecting the economy and driving inflation.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/03/2025 – 17:40
Perú propone en la OEA reformar las reglas del asilo diplomático, México se opone
LIMA (AP) — Perú propuso el miércoles en la Organización de Estados Americanos reformar las reglas del asilo diplomático para que los países que evalúan concederlo analicen obligatoriamente la información otorgada por el estado territorial sobre los posibles delitos del solicitante, mientras México se opuso a la iniciativa en medio de profundas diferencias entre ambos países.
Perú y México tienen rotas sus relaciones diplomáticas desde noviembre luego de que México otorgó asilo a la ex primera ministra peruana, Betssy Chávez, condenada a 11 años de cárcel por un delito de conspiración para rebelión y está asilada en la embajada mexicana de Lima esperando que Perú le otorgue un salvoconducto.
En la reunión del Consejo Permanente de la OEA en Washington, a pedido de Perú, el canciller Hugo de Zela indicó que la propuesta busca que los asilos se basen en procedimientos que aseguren “objetividad, trazabilidad y responsabilidad”. Añadió que desean evitar que el asilo se conceda por “criterios ideológicos” o se convierta en una vía para escapar de la justicia local y lograr impunidad.
Más tarde, Luz Baños, representante de México en la OEA, indicó que la sesión del Consejo Permanente no era el “espacio competente para evaluar la aplicación de la Convención sobre Asilo Diplomático de 1954… mucho menos con miras a revisarla, reinterpretarla o proponer modificaciones”.
Baños también recordó que Perú convocó al Consejo Permanente de la OEA luego de que México otorgó el asilo y pidió el salvoconducto para la exprimera ministra peruana a inicios de noviembre. Añadió que las reglas de la Convención sobre Asilo Diplomático son “claras, precisas y vigentes” desde hace décadas.
Perú ha indicado que no pretende que el Consejo Permanente reforme las reglas del Asilo Diplomático de forma directa, sino que se autorice a realizar consultas al Comité Jurídico Interamericano, el cuerpo consultivo de la OEA, para que la propuesta sea analizada de forma técnica.
Hace dos semanas de Zela informó a la televisora CNN que decidió “demorar” la concesión del salvoconducto “para tener tiempo de hacer consultas con otros países de la región, de la OEA particularmente, para ver” si la Convención sobre Asilo Diplomático de 1954, que norma el asilo diplomático, “se adecúa a la realidad de hoy”.
El 27 de noviembre un tribunal de Perú condenó al expresidente Pedro Castillo a más de 11 años de prisión por el delito de conspiración para rebelión por su intento de cerrar el Congreso en 2022, lo que devino en su destitución. Chávez también fue condenada por el mismo delito a más de 11 años de cárcel.
La esposa y los dos hijos menores de Castillo están asilados en México desde 2022 luego que el expresidente peruano fue detenido.
Plan for mixed-use development going before Aurora City Council faces pushback
Plans for a mixed-use development on Orchard Road near Interstate 88 in Aurora, which are set to go before the Aurora City Council for approval next week, are facing pushback for including a gas station that developers say is key to the project.
The project, planned for the corner of Orchard and Sullivan Road, would include 10 acres of townhouses and 11 acres of commercial development. Within the commercial area is planned a QuikTrip gas station, a day care center and a mix of restaurants, including a Panda Express and something full-service.
Although representatives of developer GTZ have said at recent meetings that the project cannot move forward without the gas station, as QuikTrip is paying for needed infrastructure improvements to the site, its inclusion in the project has seen opposition from some Aurora residents, a Kane County Board member and city of Aurora planning staff.
City staff really supports the plan except for the gas station, which they instead recommended prohibiting from the site, according to Aurora Senior Planner Jill Morgan. The city has been working with the land owner and Kane County for many years to bring high-end commercial development to this area, a vision that might be hindered by the gas station, she said at the Aurora City Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday.
Aurora Chief Development Services Officer John Curley also noted that the city’s 2019 sustainability plan talks about using existing transportation infrastructure and services to capacity plus reducing the city’s carbon footprint, among other things. He said staff was trying to strike a balance between economic development and those sustainability goals.
The parts of the project that city staff are in favor of, which is everything but the gas station, includes a speculated six commercial buildings that might include restaurants with drive-thrus, a sit-down restaurant and a day care. Discussions are already happening with companies that may occupy those spots, with some deal terms already set for Panda Express and Kiddie Academy, Jeremy Forman of GTZ Properties said at the Tuesday meeting.
Talks are also ongoing with residential developers to build an anticipated 60–70 townhouses on the 10 acres to the north of the property, which is the side closest to the interstate, he said.
Entrances to the site are planned for both Orchard Road and Sequoia Drive.
City staff have been working with the developers on the project for a couple of years, but this summer was the first time that developers were told that city staff didn’t want a gas station there, said the attorney representing those proposing the project, John Philipchuck, at a meeting of the Aurora City Council’s Building, Zoning and Economic Development Committee on Nov. 26. The development is more than just the gas station, he said, which makes up only 2.8 acres of the site.
The QuikTrip convenience store is expected to be nearly 6,500 square feet and be the company’s latest model, according to Skyler Evans, the project manager for QuikTrip. Outside are planned 10 gas pumps, two with auto diesel, along with 50 parking spaces, he said at Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting.
The gas pumps don’t play music or have any video screens, Evans said, and the diesel pumps aren’t suitable for tractor trailers.
Kane County Board member Mavis Bates, who represents this part of Aurora, also spoke against the gas station portion of the project at both Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting and last month’s Building, Zoning and Economic Development Committee meeting. It would be bad for the environment, public health, economic development and quality of life, she said.
In particular, she said the gas station could harm ecosystems through runoff that gets into local waterways and could pollute ground water because of leaks in underground storage tanks. Plus, the land would be condemned, she said, since cleanup is expensive.
According to Evans, QuikTrip uses double-walled underground storage tanks and pipes, along with sensors, to mitigate underground leaks.
There are already gas stations nearby, Bates said, including across the street. Plus, they aren’t needed as much anymore with the growing sales of electric vehicles, she said.
Marissa Martinez, another Aurora resident, said at Tuesday’s meeting that QuikTrip shouldn’t be allowed to build and leave without addressing the impact to the community. She recommended the company pay into a community benefits fund and asked for the vote to be delayed to include this in the plan.
Ald. Carl Franco, 5th Ward, who represents this area on the Aurora City Council, said the project was a “no-brainer” for him and the majority of the people he represents. He’s been hearing for 11 years that there needs to be more commercial on Orchard Road, he said, and this is a prime spot for it.
Against staff’s recommendation, the plans were approved with the gas station by both the Building, Zoning and Economic Development Committee and the Planning and Zoning Commission. Now, those plans are set to go before the Aurora City Council for final approval on Dec. 9.
If the current proposal gets final approval, the nearly 30-acre site would be rezoned to allow for the planned residential and commercial development, as well as stormwater detention. However, the project would still need further approvals in the future for more concrete site plans.
Currently, the site is zoned as an Office, Research and Light Industrial District, meaning that a data center or warehouse could go in this spot if the proposal is shot down, city staff have said.
Another QuikTrip gas station was approved by the Aurora City Council earlier this year, although that project was not part of a larger development like this proposal. That gas station is set to be located on the southeast corner of Eola Road and Diehl Road, which is across the street from the CyrusOne data center and a short ways away from Metea Valley High School.
rsmith@chicagotribune.com
Of Notoriety: Barker Mansion ‘decked,’ dogs bark for ‘Busy Bee,’ Scots host symposium, Advent gets ‘cheesy’
The invitation to step back in time to the yuletide celebrations of yesteryear at 631 Washington St. in Michigan City is the annual seasonal gift of the Barker Mansion, built in 1905 by freight car magnate John H. Barker and later donated as a public museum.
Throughout December is the opportunity to visit the property’s quaint Barker Christmas Cottage to capture charm paired with creativity for learning about new holiday traditions as an outing ideal for families and friends. Admission into the space is $5 per person, or know that it’s included with mansion general admission tour tickets, the latter of which range from $10 to $16.50.
There are “Christmas Candlelight Tours” at The Barker Mansion main house at 6 p.m. on the Fridays of Dec. 12 and 26. Guests are guided along the hallways, staircases and various wings of the manor on a candlelight tour complete with facts, lore and legend of the Barker Family and “the Gilded Age Christmas” celebrations from more than a century ago. As the scents of fresh pine, cinnamon and inviting aromas fill the air, the tour finale offers all gathered to join a spirited holiday sing-along. Tickets are $25.
The man in red makes time to greet guests at Barker Mansion for three dates this month, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays Dec. 14 and 21, and Saturday, Dec. 20. Children will find Santa’s lap and listening ear awaiting in the festively decorated drawing room. Each child enjoys a personal visit with the bonus of stories and songs. Advance tickets are strongly recommended as entry requires a tour ticket for admission.
For parents and anyone in need of a night away, there’s also the “Mansion After Hours: Yuletide Favorites” event at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17. Step into the glow of twinkling Christmas lights for an evening of dramatic readings of beloved holiday stories, including “Gift of the Magi,” “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus,” and selections from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “A Christmas Story” and “The Santaland Diaries.” Tickets are $25.
Santa is the mansion’s guest of honor at one event only for “An Evening Visit with Santa at the Mansion” 4-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, inviting all to relive the wonder of a Victorian Christmas at nightfall with St. Nick’s arrival as the finale, along with plenty of holiday cheer. Join the fun with the purchase of a general admission tour ticket.
The mansion property is closed Mondays and open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more information and tickets, visit www.barkermansion.org or 219-873-1520.
Jane Lynch, with Rumi, one of her three prized pooches at her Los Angeles home, displays a stuffed “Busy Bee” dog toy replica created by Purina as a promotion to salute the 25th anniversary of the film comedy “Best of Show,” which starred Lynch as a militant dog trainer. (Photo courtesy of Purina)
Dog gone
It was the midnight black and beautiful Soleil, a Belgian Sheepdog, who won the “Best in Show” at the 2025 National Dog Show, beating out more than 1,900 dogs in this year’s competition broadcast on Thanksgiving Day as hosted by the resonant voice of actor John Hurley. Sponsored by Purina, the iconic dog food company based in St. Louis and branded with their familiar checkerboard logo, this year’s event included a nod to the 25th anniversary of the silly, parody film “Best of Show.” The flick boasted an all-star cast, including our own Jane Lynch, 65, a local Hollywood claim-to-fame with her funny roots planted in Dolton, Illinois. In homage to the movie, Purina gave pet owners the chance to go online through Dec. 1 to claim one of 2,500 stuffed replicas of “Busy Bee,” the beloved lost dog toy referenced in the film that caused so much grief for fussy dog owners played by Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock as the yuppy couple from Chicago who seemed in far more distress than did their bewildered prized Weimaraner pup “Beatrice.”
My favorite fun fact from this year’s dog show is newspaper-related, yet has nothing to do with tips about housebreaking a new puppy. It is newspaper chain mogul Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, among other holdings, and rival to William Randolph Hearst, who shipped the first Hungarian hunting dog the “Visla” from Europe, a breed dating back to the 10th Century and now prized for popular use as guide dogs.
Scots giving back
Thank you to the readers who alerted about a free opportunity hosted by the Chicago Scots, Illinois’ first and oldest nonprofit organization on the books, for a leadership symposium in partnership with The Center for Gerontology at Concordia University Chicago from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at The Center for Gerontology, 7400 Augusta St., about the latest findings and research for dementia patients. It will be moderated by Gus Noble OBE, President of the Chicago Scots, and reps from Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care, and will include a keynote address by The Right Honorable Henry McLeish, former First Minister of Scotland and the current Ambassador for the group Alzheimer Scotland. Attendance is complimentary, with registration required. Following the symposium, the Chicago Scots will celebrate Scotland’s national day, Saint Andrew’s Day, at the 180th Annual Feast of the Haggis on Saturday, Dec. 6, downtown at the Palmer House, with proceeds supporting memory care. To attend the free symposium, register at www.chicagoscots.org.
Kraft Cheese created a limited edition 2025 Advent Calendar, complete with daily drawers filled with surprises to count down the December days of holiday celebrations. (Photo courtesy of Kraft)
A cheesy scene
Much media has been given in the recent week about the City of Chicago demanding a cap on the number of visitors allowed admission to stroll this year’s Christkindlmarket, the annual European holiday marketplace in Daley Plaza. Limited to 1,000 people at a time to shop the vendors, for those among the masses to get inside, there’s an opportunity to follow one floating aroma leading to free cheese, or at least a sampling. Kraft Natural Cheese, with headquarters in Chicago, has created a 12-day cheese and dairy themed 3-D standing “Holiday Advent Calendar” with the bonus of 12 pull-out drawers containing surprises like recipes, socks and trinkets and designed in fromage, er, HOMAGE, to the brand’s iconic tiny blue house logo. An initial free giveaway promotion online has been exhausted in available freebies, but a $250 value version is available until Dec. 13 at the Christkindlmarket with details at www.kraftnaturalcheese.com. Now until Dec. 13, guests browsing the Chicago Christkindlmarket can step inside a life-size version of this same calendar while snacking on free cheese and a chance at winning free prizes at the Kraft-sponsored booth. Sounds gouda!
Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and weekly radio host on WJOB 1230 AM. He can be reached at philpotempa@gmail.com.
Lions y Cowboys necesitan ganar el jueves para mejorar su posición de cara a los playoffs de la NFL
Por LARRY LAGE
DETROIT (AP) — Los Lions de Detroit y los Cowboys de Dallas son los dos mejores equipos en la búsqueda de un comodín de la Conferencia Nacional y aún mantienen la esperanza de competir por los títulos de su respectiva división.
Detroit (7-5) recibe a Dallas (6-5-1) el jueves por la noche y el ganador mejorará su posición en el panorama de los playoffs, mientras que el perdedor puede no tener tiempo para recuperarse del revés en el último mes de la temporada regular.
“Nuestro margen de error es muy pequeño en este momento”, afirmó el entrenador en jefe de los Lions, Dan Campbell. “Tenemos que encontrar la manera de ganar el próximo partido que tenemos delante. El tiempo se está acabando”.
Después de comenzar 5-2, los campeones defensores del Norte de la NFC han perdido tres de cinco para quedar detrás de Chicago (9-3), líder de la división, y de Green Bay (8-3-1), que ocupa el segundo lugar.
Mientras tanto, los Cowboys están avanzando hacia la contienda de postemporada gracias a una defensiva revitalizada.
Están por encima del .500 por primera vez este año gracias a tres victorias consecutivas, incluida una sobre Filadelfia, para potencialmente desafiar a los Eagles (8-3), líderes de la NFC Este, por el título de la división.
El quarterback de Dallas, Dak Prescott, reconoció que revisó el panorama de los playoffs de la NFC esta semana después de ver el resumen de la AFC en la televisión.
“Si ganamos y hacemos nuestro trabajo, nos pondremos en una gran posición”, expresó Prescott.
Llámalo un regreso
El cazamariscales de los Lions, Aidan Hutchinson, se rompió la pierna izquierda en dos sitios en la victoria por 47-9 al inicio de la temporada pasada en Dallas, lo que puso fin a su temporada.
Hutchinson tiene ocho y media capturas, un récord personal de cuatro balones sueltos forzados y 24 golpes al mariscal de campo esta temporada.
“Sabiendo lo buen jugador que es, tendremos los ojos puestos en él y tantas manos como podamos”, comentó Prescott.
Aunque Hutchinson ha tenido un impacto en la mayoría de los juegos, no tuvo una captura ni un golpe al quarterback en la derrota de la semana pasada ante Green Bay.
Probando una tendencia
Detroit ha jugado 56 partidos de temporada regular en más de tres años sin perder dos seguidos. Si los Lions ganan el jueves por la noche, la racha sin derrotas consecutivas será la más larga de la liga desde la seguidilla de 57 juegos de Nueva Inglaterra que terminó en 2006, según Sportradar.
Partido decisivo
Los Cowboys y los Lions juegan por tercer año consecutivo después de dividir los dos últimos enfrentamientos memorables en Dallas.
Detroit terminó una racha de seis derrotas consecutivas contra Dallas con una victoria de 47-9 en el AT&T Stadium la temporada pasada. Fue la derrota más desigual bajo el propietario Jerry Jones, quien compró a los Cowboys en 1989.
Hace dos años, Detroit perdió en Dallas 20-19 después de que un pase de conversión de dos puntos al liniero ofensivo Taylor Decker fue anulado porque los oficiales dijeron que el liniero ofensivo Dan Skipper se reportó como elegible y Decker no.
Cada vez que Skipper se ha reportado como elegible en los juegos en casa desde entonces, la multitud ha rugido por un jugador que se ha convertido en un favorito inesperado de los fanáticos.
“Es confiable, fiable, y hace muchos trabajos para nosotros”, dijo Campbell.
Posible tiroteo
Dallas tiene la ofensiva mejor clasificada de la NFL, promediando 393 yardas por juego, y ocupa el segundo lugar con 29,3 puntos por juego. Detroit promedia 376 yardas de ofensiva, ocupando el tercer lugar, y 29,2 puntos para empatar en el tercer lugar de la liga.
El juego contará con equipos que promedian al menos 375 yardas y 29 puntos por solo la quinta vez desde 1970.
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Agricultores mexicanos endurecen protesta y bloquean el Congreso en rechazo a legislación de agua
Por CLAUDIA ROSEL
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO (AP) — Decenas de agricultores bloquearon el miércoles con tractores una entrada de la Cámara de Diputados en la capital mexicana para protestar contra una nueva legislación impulsada por el gobierno de Claudia Sheinbaum que busca imponer controles más estrictos sobre las concesiones y el uso del agua.
A menos de una semana del levantamiento de los bloqueos de vías en algunos puntos del país tras un acuerdo con el gobierno, un grupo de agricultores del centro y este del país decidió retomar las protestas y acudió al Congreso para manifestar contra una nueva Ley General de Aguas y la reforma a la Ley de Aguas Nacionales que discutirá esta semana la Cámara de Diputados, de mayoría oficialista.
“Queremos que se respeten nuestros derechos al agua”, afirmó Octavio Lomeli, un agricultor de 66 años, a las puertas del Congreso al expresar su rechazo a la iniciativa promovida Sheinbaum, que según dirigentes campesinos de concretarse pondría en riesgo la actividad agrícola en algunas regiones del país que enfrentan problemas de sequía.
Al respecto, Eraclio Rodríguez Gómez, dirigente del Frente Nacional para el Rescate del Campo Mexicano, dijo esta semana que los productores están en “alerta máxima” por las dificultades que podrían enfrentar para el riego de los campos.
La iniciativa que discutirá el Congreso prevé un nuevo modelo de gestión que prohíbe la transmisión de las concesiones del uso del agua entre particulares y el cambio de uso sin autorización de la estatal Comisión Nacional del Agua (Conagua).
Ante las protestas de los campesinos, Sheinbaum descartó que se vaya a detener la iniciativa y dijo el miércoles en su conferencia matutina que lo que se busca es “proteger el recurso natural, evitar su sobreexplotación y garantizar el derecho al agua, y dejar de ver el agua como una mercancía”.
La mandataria atribuyó las protestas a la desinformación y planteó que “quien no está de acuerdo es quien tiene muchísimas concesiones de agua, que no usan muchas de ellas, o concesiones ilegales de agua que hoy se tienen que poner en orden”.
La semana pasada varios grupos de agricultores y transportistas bloquearon algunas vías en al menos siete de los 32 estados del país en protesta contra la inseguridad y la legislación sobre el agua y para exigir incrementos en los precios del maíz y el trigo. Los bloqueos se levantaron luego que el gobierno llegó a un acuerdo con los productores y transportistas para atender sus reclamos.
