Posted in News

Photos: Winter weather hits Chicagoland

A winter storm watch will be in effect for much of northern and central Illinois and parts of northwest Indiana until 6 a.m. Sunday, with possible snow accumulations of over 6 inches.

Djuna Williams of Melrose Park, a librarian at the Naperville Public Library, shovels the walkway in front of the libraries entrance during a winter storm, Nov. 29, 2025, in downtown Naperville. “My coworker should get in about 8:30, I’ll give him the other side of the building,” Williams said. “Sharing is caring.” (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
Craig Jones stops under a bridge on the Naperville Riverwalk on his way to get coffee during a winter storm, Nov. 29, 2025, in downtown Naperville. “I’m from Houston, I forgot my hat,” Jones, who is visiting his mother for the holidays, said. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/29/photos-winter-weather-hits-chicagoland/ 

Posted in News

Indiana maternal, infant mortality data in the spotlight amid Dolton woman’s experience

Every woman deserves to deliver a baby how she wants and in a safe way, said Dr. Maya Dominique, a Northwest Indiana obstetrician and gynecologist.

However, Black women have a more difficult time getting what they need out of labor, which can lead to grave consequences.

Dolton resident Mercedes Wells was discharged from Franciscan Health Crown Point hospital early Sunday because nurses told her that labor wasn’t progressing and she was only dilated 3 cm, according to the family. They were driving to Munster’s Community Hospital about eight minutes later when they had to pull over the car where Mercedes delivered a healthy baby girl. (Wells family)

“Black babies have a higher risk of pre-term birth,” Dominique said. “But, it’s a really complex issue, and we can’t point to one thing and say, ‘That’s the reason.’”

Black women and children have greater risks of maternal and infant mortality, Dominique said, with the infant mortality rate being nearly double the numbers for white infants.

In 2023, in Indiana, 524 babies died before their first birthday, Dominique said, which is about 44 babies every month and 10 each week.

According to a 2023 report from the Indiana Maternal Mortality Review Committee, the state had 80 pregnancy-associated deaths in 2021, with the three top causes of death being substance use disorder, continuity of care and knowledge.

Per 100,000 live births, 156.3 Black women experienced pregnancy-associated deaths, while 90.7 white women experienced pregnancy-associated deaths, according to the Indiana Maternal Mortality Review Committee.

The experience of Dolton woman at a Crown Point hospital more than a week ago has put a spotlight on Indiana hospitals’ maternal and infant health policies.

On Nov. 16, Mercedes Wells and her family were driving through Northwest Indiana around midnight when she went into labor. After six hours at Franciscan Health Crown Point, she said she was told to leave the hospital as she was dilated 3 cm and her labor wasn’t progressing to the satisfaction of a nurse; Wells was never examined by a doctor, she said. Wells, 38, and her family drove to Community Hospital in Munster, but they had to pull over about eight minutes later and she gave birth to her fourth child, Alina, in the car, according to Post-Tribune archives. Wells told the Post-Tribune that she feared for her life during the incident.

Franciscan announced on Nov. 21 that it fired the nurse and doctor assigned to Wells and was retraining staff to adhere to protocols requiring every maternity patient be examined by both a doctor and a nurse.

Wells was readmitted to Community on Nov. 23 with post-birth complications, including hemorrhaging. She and her husband Leon appeared with U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Lynwood, at a Tuesday press conference where Kelly introduced legislation that will urge hospitals and birthing centers to develop and implement a safe discharge plan.

“I’ll live with this experience for the rest of my life,” Mercedes Wells said in a news release from Kelly’s office. “No expecting mother should be visited by this kind of horror. I’m ready to join Congresswoman Kelly in advocating for women like me. I’m ready to speak up and speak out so that one day, substandard medical care is a thing of the past.”

Mary Pell Abernathy, chair of the Indiana Maternal Mortality Committee, said that the committee has consistently seen a disparity between the rates for white and Black women throughout the course of five years.

“That being said, in Indiana, our numbers for (Black) maternal deaths is somewhat unstable, meaning it’s a lower number,” she said. “It’s sometimes hard or a little uncomfortable making sweeping generalizations from that data when the numbers are low.”

The committee doesn’t track mortality rates based on counties, but instead looks at districts. Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton and Jasper counties are part of District 1, Pell Abernathy said, which has about 10% of pregnancy-associated deaths.

“We probably won’t ever have something for the counties,” she said. “It’s just simply because there’s a lot fewer maternal mortalities than there are infant deaths (per county).”

Jill Inderstrodt, assistant professor in the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, said the leading cause of pregnancy-related death among Black women is cardiovascular complications, including preeclampsia and eclampsia, which occurs when a woman suffers from high blood pressure.

Because Black women might die because of those complications, Black infants are also at a greater risk of death, Inderstrodt said.

“If Black women are dying more frequently or if the babies of Black women are dying more frequently, that isn’t necessarily an indicator that something is wrong with Black women genetically or physiologically,” Inderstrodt said.

To change differences in Black and white maternal mortality rates, Inderstrodt said it’s important for providers to understand their patients and not place the burden of care on their patients.

“Doctors and clinicians in general often perceive Black women’s pain as different or less than white women’s pain,” she said. “Studies show that Black women might actually rate their pain higher than white women when they’re in labor, but they’re less likely to be prescribed the requisite painkillers that will temper their pain. I think one of the major talking points with maternal mortality in particular is that we need to believe Black women when they’re in pain.”

That stigma exists because of historical stereotypes that Black women have a higher pain tolerance than white women, Inderstrodt said, and that unconscious bias can make its way into medical school cohorts.

“Sometimes it’s not pain, sometimes it’s dizziness or lightheadedness or things that would indicate a higher blood pressure,” Inderstrodt said. “Not responding to warning signs in Black women … that can all be reasons (for a higher mortality rate).”

The Indiana Maternal Mortality Review Committee strives to help women get care to prevent any risks to them or their babies, Pell Abernathy said, including working with county and state departments to provide help.

According to a statement from the Indiana Department of Health, multiple initiatives are in place to decrease maternal and infant mortality statewide.

“IDOH is committed to using data-driven and evidence-based strategies to reduce maternal and infant mortality,” Lisa Welch, media relations coordinator, said in an email. “IDOH has initiatives focused on improving maternal and infant mortality at all levels…”

Initiatives include: connecting with and supporting community-based programs through Health First Indiana; providing home visiting, breastfeeding resources and infant safe sleep education; conducting comprehensive reviews of maternal and infant deaths; ensuring mothers and infants receive care at the best facilities; partnering with external stakeholders to bring care across the state; and running the Indiana Pregnancy Promise Program to offer support during the prenatal phase and first 12 months after birth.

In Lake County, Health First Indiana funds have been directed to strengthen maternal and child health, said Dr. Chandana Vavilala, health officer for the Lake County Department of Health.

“That includes expanding prenatal assistance programs to help pregnant residents navigate appointments, insurance, transportation and social needs,” Vavilala said in a statement.

The Department of Health has partnered with Dominique to create Early Connect: Community-Based Prenatal Safety Net Program in Merrillville, which Dominique said is part of the ZIP code that has the most infant deaths in Lake County.

The program aims to meet pregnant women where they are, Dominique said, because it’s easier to bring resources to them.

Doctors can refer patients to the program, Dominique said.

“Once we find out that a patient is pregnant from their ultrasound, we then surround them with the resources they need to have a successful pregnancy,” she said. “We contact the patient, we do our initial intake within 24 to 72 hours, and once that intake occurs, we connect them to prenatal care right away.”

The program provides expecting mothers with a maternal advocate, Dominique said, and they can call a hotline to get help when needed.

“Of course, we’re not their physician, but we can intervene and advocate for patients when needed,” she added.

In addition to its program with Dominique, the health department works to connect pregnant and postpartum mothers with necessary support, including hygiene items, baby formula, safe-sleep essentials, pregnancy and post-partum education, breastfeeding support and infection-prevention resources.

The department also expands HIV and sexually transmitted infections testing to pregnant women and provides access to maternal and infant food boxes to those struggling with food insecurity, Vavilala said.

“Together, these investments can help remove barriers, meet families where they are, and ensure that every pregnant person and infant in Lake County can access consistent, safe, and supportive care,” Vavilala said.

Beyond Lake County, women are working to make pregnancy safer for Black women, including Keyonna Tompkins, the Southside Health Community Organization’s program manager for maternal health. Tompkins’ organization helps provide Black mothers with free doulas on the south side of Chicago.

Tompkins said it was important for her to provide resources to Black expecting mothers because they deal with consistent prenatal care, which can be due to implicit bias in the health care system or medical conditions, including hypertension and diabetes.

“That particularly leads to delayed treatment, and it’s very important for our maternal patients to get to those appointments and be seen sooner,” Tompkins said. “These delayed treatments and missing warning signs can be very detrimental.”

Although the organization serves Chicago, Tompkins said seeing Mercedes Wells being denied care while in active labor in Crown Point, upset her.

Knowing a woman just across state lines was suffering made Tompkins upset, she said, and she’s worried about the future of Black maternal health if help is not provided.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to in my circle has the same concerns,” Tompkins said. “I just want to advocate and help be a key factor in closing those gaps to traditional care so we can have some improved birth outcomes.”

mwilkins@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/29/indiana-maternal-infant-mortality-data-in-the-spotlight-amid-dolton-womans-experience/ 

Posted in News

Indiana maternal, infant mortality data in the spotlight amid Dolton woman’s experience

Every woman deserves to deliver a baby how she wants and in a safe way, said Dr. Maya Dominique, a Northwest Indiana obstetrician and gynecologist.

However, Black women have a more difficult time getting what they need out of labor, which can lead to grave consequences.

Dolton resident Mercedes Wells was discharged from Franciscan Health Crown Point hospital early Sunday because nurses told her that labor wasn’t progressing and she was only dilated 3 cm, according to the family. They were driving to Munster’s Community Hospital about eight minutes later when they had to pull over the car where Mercedes delivered a healthy baby girl. (Wells family)

“Black babies have a higher risk of pre-term birth,” Dominique said. “But, it’s a really complex issue, and we can’t point to one thing and say, ‘That’s the reason.’”

Black women and children have greater risks of maternal and infant mortality, Dominique said, with the infant mortality rate being nearly double the numbers for white infants.

In 2023, in Indiana, 524 babies died before their first birthday, Dominique said, which is about 44 babies every month and 10 each week.

According to a 2023 report from the Indiana Maternal Mortality Review Committee, the state had 80 pregnancy-associated deaths in 2021, with the three top causes of death being substance use disorder, continuity of care and knowledge.

Per 100,000 live births, 156.3 Black women experienced pregnancy-associated deaths, while 90.7 white women experienced pregnancy-associated deaths, according to the Indiana Maternal Mortality Review Committee.

The experience of Dolton woman at a Crown Point hospital more than a week ago has put a spotlight on Indiana hospitals’ maternal and infant health policies.

On Nov. 16, Mercedes Wells and her family were driving through Northwest Indiana around midnight when she went into labor. After six hours at Franciscan Health Crown Point, she said she was told to leave the hospital as she was dilated 3 cm and her labor wasn’t progressing to the satisfaction of a nurse; Wells was never examined by a doctor, she said. Wells, 38, and her family drove to Community Hospital in Munster, but they had to pull over about eight minutes later and she gave birth to her fourth child, Alina, in the car, according to Post-Tribune archives. Wells told the Post-Tribune that she feared for her life during the incident.

Franciscan announced on Nov. 21 that it fired the nurse and doctor assigned to Wells and was retraining staff to adhere to protocols requiring every maternity patient be examined by both a doctor and a nurse.

Wells was readmitted to Community on Nov. 23 with post-birth complications, including hemorrhaging. She and her husband Leon appeared with U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Lynwood, at a Tuesday press conference where Kelly introduced legislation that will urge hospitals and birthing centers to develop and implement a safe discharge plan.

“I’ll live with this experience for the rest of my life,” Mercedes Wells said in a news release from Kelly’s office. “No expecting mother should be visited by this kind of horror. I’m ready to join Congresswoman Kelly in advocating for women like me. I’m ready to speak up and speak out so that one day, substandard medical care is a thing of the past.”

Mary Pell Abernathy, chair of the Indiana Maternal Mortality Committee, said that the committee has consistently seen a disparity between the rates for white and Black women throughout the course of five years.

“That being said, in Indiana, our numbers for (Black) maternal deaths is somewhat unstable, meaning it’s a lower number,” she said. “It’s sometimes hard or a little uncomfortable making sweeping generalizations from that data when the numbers are low.”

The committee doesn’t track mortality rates based on counties, but instead looks at districts. Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton and Jasper counties are part of District 1, Pell Abernathy said, which has about 10% of pregnancy-associated deaths.

“We probably won’t ever have something for the counties,” she said. “It’s just simply because there’s a lot fewer maternal mortalities than there are infant deaths (per county).”

Jill Inderstrodt, assistant professor in the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, said the leading cause of pregnancy-related death among Black women is cardiovascular complications, including preeclampsia and eclampsia, which occurs when a woman suffers from high blood pressure.

Because Black women might die because of those complications, Black infants are also at a greater risk of death, Inderstrodt said.

“If Black women are dying more frequently or if the babies of Black women are dying more frequently, that isn’t necessarily an indicator that something is wrong with Black women genetically or physiologically,” Inderstrodt said.

To change differences in Black and white maternal mortality rates, Inderstrodt said it’s important for providers to understand their patients and not place the burden of care on their patients.

“Doctors and clinicians in general often perceive Black women’s pain as different or less than white women’s pain,” she said. “Studies show that Black women might actually rate their pain higher than white women when they’re in labor, but they’re less likely to be prescribed the requisite painkillers that will temper their pain. I think one of the major talking points with maternal mortality in particular is that we need to believe Black women when they’re in pain.”

That stigma exists because of historical stereotypes that Black women have a higher pain tolerance than white women, Inderstrodt said, and that unconscious bias can make its way into medical school cohorts.

“Sometimes it’s not pain, sometimes it’s dizziness or lightheadedness or things that would indicate a higher blood pressure,” Inderstrodt said. “Not responding to warning signs in Black women … that can all be reasons (for a higher mortality rate).”

The Indiana Maternal Mortality Review Committee strives to help women get care to prevent any risks to them or their babies, Pell Abernathy said, including working with county and state departments to provide help.

According to a statement from the Indiana Department of Health, multiple initiatives are in place to decrease maternal and infant mortality statewide.

“IDOH is committed to using data-driven and evidence-based strategies to reduce maternal and infant mortality,” Lisa Welch, media relations coordinator, said in an email. “IDOH has initiatives focused on improving maternal and infant mortality at all levels…”

Initiatives include: connecting with and supporting community-based programs through Health First Indiana; providing home visiting, breastfeeding resources and infant safe sleep education; conducting comprehensive reviews of maternal and infant deaths; ensuring mothers and infants receive care at the best facilities; partnering with external stakeholders to bring care across the state; and running the Indiana Pregnancy Promise Program to offer support during the prenatal phase and first 12 months after birth.

In Lake County, Health First Indiana funds have been directed to strengthen maternal and child health, said Dr. Chandana Vavilala, health officer for the Lake County Department of Health.

“That includes expanding prenatal assistance programs to help pregnant residents navigate appointments, insurance, transportation and social needs,” Vavilala said in a statement.

The Department of Health has partnered with Dominique to create Early Connect: Community-Based Prenatal Safety Net Program in Merrillville, which Dominique said is part of the ZIP code that has the most infant deaths in Lake County.

The program aims to meet pregnant women where they are, Dominique said, because it’s easier to bring resources to them.

Doctors can refer patients to the program, Dominique said.

“Once we find out that a patient is pregnant from their ultrasound, we then surround them with the resources they need to have a successful pregnancy,” she said. “We contact the patient, we do our initial intake within 24 to 72 hours, and once that intake occurs, we connect them to prenatal care right away.”

The program provides expecting mothers with a maternal advocate, Dominique said, and they can call a hotline to get help when needed.

“Of course, we’re not their physician, but we can intervene and advocate for patients when needed,” she added.

In addition to its program with Dominique, the health department works to connect pregnant and postpartum mothers with necessary support, including hygiene items, baby formula, safe-sleep essentials, pregnancy and post-partum education, breastfeeding support and infection-prevention resources.

The department also expands HIV and sexually transmitted infections testing to pregnant women and provides access to maternal and infant food boxes to those struggling with food insecurity, Vavilala said.

“Together, these investments can help remove barriers, meet families where they are, and ensure that every pregnant person and infant in Lake County can access consistent, safe, and supportive care,” Vavilala said.

Beyond Lake County, women are working to make pregnancy safer for Black women, including Keyonna Tompkins, the Southside Health Community Organization’s program manager for maternal health. Tompkins’ organization helps provide Black mothers with free doulas on the south side of Chicago.

Tompkins said it was important for her to provide resources to Black expecting mothers because they deal with consistent prenatal care, which can be due to implicit bias in the health care system or medical conditions, including hypertension and diabetes.

“That particularly leads to delayed treatment, and it’s very important for our maternal patients to get to those appointments and be seen sooner,” Tompkins said. “These delayed treatments and missing warning signs can be very detrimental.”

Although the organization serves Chicago, Tompkins said seeing Mercedes Wells being denied care while in active labor in Crown Point, upset her.

Knowing a woman just across state lines was suffering made Tompkins upset, she said, and she’s worried about the future of Black maternal health if help is not provided.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to in my circle has the same concerns,” Tompkins said. “I just want to advocate and help be a key factor in closing those gaps to traditional care so we can have some improved birth outcomes.”

mwilkins@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/29/indiana-maternal-infant-mortality-data-in-the-spotlight-amid-dolton-womans-experience/ 

Posted in News

Ukraine Releases Footage Of Kamikaze Drone Boats Striking Russian Shadow-Fleet Tankers

Ukraine Releases Footage Of Kamikaze Drone Boats Striking Russian Shadow-Fleet Tankers

Two Russia-linked “shadow fleet” tankers suffered sequential strikes on Friday in Turkey’s Black Sea waters.

Preliminary reporting from Turkish authorities indicates both incidents resulted from external interference, consistent with a mine, drone, missile, or unmanned surface vessel.

By Saturday morning, Visegrád 24 circulated new footage from Ukraine showing explosive-laden kamikaze drone boats striking both tankers at the stern, rendering the vessels inoperable.

“Ukraine released videos of its naval drones striking two Russian shadow-fleet oil tankers off the Turkish Black Sea coast yesterday. The tankers were supposed to pick up oil in the Russian port of Novorossiysk,” Visegrád 24 wrote on X, posting accompanying footage showing both attacks.

BREAKING:

Ukraine releases videos of their naval drones striking 2 Russian shadow fleet oil tankers off the Turkish Black Sea coast yesterday.

The tankers were supposed to pick up oil in the Russian port of Novorossiysk. pic.twitter.com/z6JqiyUwRd

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 29, 2025

X account OSINTtechnical posted footage of tankers Kairos and Virat engulfed in fire.

Two Russian shadow fleet tankers were struck, and likely destroyed, north of the Bosporus while traveling to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk today. pic.twitter.com/kSHjayydQq

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) November 28, 2025

According to the OpenSanctions database, both Kairos and Virat are part of the Russian shadow fleet of tankers that were slapped with hefty Western sanctions following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine and its Western allies have spent the past several years targeting Russia’s oil and gas infrastructure with kamikaze aircraft and naval drones in an effort to pressure Moscow’s finances. This campaign, accompanied by sanctions, has yet to financially collapse Russia.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Trump moved closer to outlining a fledgling peace plan to end the nearly four-year war, which has been little more than a meat grinder on both sides.

Tyler Durden
Sat, 11/29/2025 – 09:55

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukraine-releases-footage-kamikaze-drone-boats-striking-russian-shadow-fleet-tankers 

Posted in News

Ukraine Releases Footage Of Kamikaze Drone Boats Striking Russian Shadow-Fleet Tankers

Ukraine Releases Footage Of Kamikaze Drone Boats Striking Russian Shadow-Fleet Tankers

Two Russia-linked “shadow fleet” tankers suffered sequential strikes on Friday in Turkey’s Black Sea waters.

Preliminary reporting from Turkish authorities indicates both incidents resulted from external interference, consistent with a mine, drone, missile, or unmanned surface vessel.

By Saturday morning, Visegrád 24 circulated new footage from Ukraine showing explosive-laden kamikaze drone boats striking both tankers at the stern, rendering the vessels inoperable.

“Ukraine released videos of its naval drones striking two Russian shadow-fleet oil tankers off the Turkish Black Sea coast yesterday. The tankers were supposed to pick up oil in the Russian port of Novorossiysk,” Visegrád 24 wrote on X, posting accompanying footage showing both attacks.

BREAKING:

Ukraine releases videos of their naval drones striking 2 Russian shadow fleet oil tankers off the Turkish Black Sea coast yesterday.

The tankers were supposed to pick up oil in the Russian port of Novorossiysk. pic.twitter.com/z6JqiyUwRd

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 29, 2025

X account OSINTtechnical posted footage of tankers Kairos and Virat engulfed in fire.

Two Russian shadow fleet tankers were struck, and likely destroyed, north of the Bosporus while traveling to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk today. pic.twitter.com/kSHjayydQq

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) November 28, 2025

According to the OpenSanctions database, both Kairos and Virat are part of the Russian shadow fleet of tankers that were slapped with hefty Western sanctions following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine and its Western allies have spent the past several years targeting Russia’s oil and gas infrastructure with kamikaze aircraft and naval drones in an effort to pressure Moscow’s finances. This campaign, accompanied by sanctions, has yet to financially collapse Russia.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Trump moved closer to outlining a fledgling peace plan to end the nearly four-year war, which has been little more than a meat grinder on both sides.

Tyler Durden
Sat, 11/29/2025 – 09:55

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukraine-releases-footage-kamikaze-drone-boats-striking-russian-shadow-fleet-tankers 

Posted in News

No. 2 Indiana moves to 12-0 and earns spot in Big Ten title spot after 56-3 win at Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Kaelon Black had two touchdown runs and Fernando Mendoza and Roman Hemby each ran for scores as No. 2 Indiana beat rival Purdue 56-3 on Friday, completing the first perfect regular season in school history and securing a Big Ten championship game berth.

The Hoosiers (12-0, 9-0, No. 2 CFP) also likely locked up a second straight College Football Playoff berth. They’ll find out Saturday whether they’ll play No. 1 Ohio State, No. 5 Oregon or No. 15 Michigan a week later for the conference title.

Indiana celebrated by hoisting the Old Oaken Bucket in the series’ 100th trophy game, while Curt Cignetti became the first Indiana coach since Bo McMillin in 1934-35 to win his first two matchups against Purdue.

Purdue (2-10, 0-9) endured more misery in the coldest game ever played at Ross-Ade Stadium, with a kickoff temperature of 24 degrees Fahrenheit. The Boilermakers closed coach Barry Odom’s first season with a 10th straight loss and posted their second straight winless season in conference play, the first since 1919-20.

It took the Hoosiers a quarter to adapt to the chilly conditions.

Mendoza, who grew up in Miami and previously attended California, struggled. He went 8 of 15 for 117 yards and two TDs in less than three quarters. So the Hoosiers flipped the script.

“We’ve had a hard time getting the passing game going, but we’ve been getting some explosive plays on the ground,” Cignetti said at halftime. “We’re pretty balanced, so if you take away one, the other usually opens up.”

Black opened the scoring with a 1-yard run, Mendoza scooted 7 yards to make it 14-3 early in the second quarter, and Black spun away from a defender for a nimble 16-yard TD run with 3:40 to play in the first half. Hemby closed out the first-half scoring with an 82-yard TD run down Purdue’s sideline, stiff-arming the only potential tackler who had a chance to catch him, for a 28-3 lead.

The Hoosiers sealed it with Mendoza’s two third-quarter TD passes — 17 yards to Elijah Sarratt and 43 yards to Omar Cooper Jr.

Hemby had 12 carries for a season-high 152 yards while Black ran 13 times for 66 yards. Indiana finished with 355 yards rushing, its second-highest total this season and sixth 300-yard game this season.

Purdue’s Ryan Browne was 25 of 47 for 238 yards and threw an interception on the second offensive play of the game. The Boilermakers had just 282 total yards.

The takeaway

Purdue: The Boilermakers were more competitive in 2025 than 2024. But the result was similar. Purdue enters next year on another losing streak, this time 10 games instead of 11, and still trying to snap its school-record 18-game skid in conference play.

Indiana: Many wondered if the Hoosiers would be one-hit wonders after last year’s historic season. But Cignetti promised there would be no decline in 2025 — and there wasn’t. With the nation’s second-best scoring offense and scoring defense, a Heisman Trophy front-runner and a perfect record, the Hoosiers are better positioned to make a playoff run than they were last year.

Up next

Purdue: Another offseason roster overhaul.

Indiana: The Big Ten championship game next Saturday in Indianapolis.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/29/indiana-football-perfect-season/ 

Posted in News

No. 2 Indiana moves to 12-0 and earns spot in Big Ten title spot after 56-3 win at Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Kaelon Black had two touchdown runs and Fernando Mendoza and Roman Hemby each ran for scores as No. 2 Indiana beat rival Purdue 56-3 on Friday, completing the first perfect regular season in school history and securing a Big Ten championship game berth.

The Hoosiers (12-0, 9-0, No. 2 CFP) also likely locked up a second straight College Football Playoff berth. They’ll find out Saturday whether they’ll play No. 1 Ohio State, No. 5 Oregon or No. 15 Michigan a week later for the conference title.

Indiana celebrated by hoisting the Old Oaken Bucket in the series’ 100th trophy game, while Curt Cignetti became the first Indiana coach since Bo McMillin in 1934-35 to win his first two matchups against Purdue.

Purdue (2-10, 0-9) endured more misery in the coldest game ever played at Ross-Ade Stadium, with a kickoff temperature of 24 degrees Fahrenheit. The Boilermakers closed coach Barry Odom’s first season with a 10th straight loss and posted their second straight winless season in conference play, the first since 1919-20.

It took the Hoosiers a quarter to adapt to the chilly conditions.

Mendoza, who grew up in Miami and previously attended California, struggled. He went 8 of 15 for 117 yards and two TDs in less than three quarters. So the Hoosiers flipped the script.

“We’ve had a hard time getting the passing game going, but we’ve been getting some explosive plays on the ground,” Cignetti said at halftime. “We’re pretty balanced, so if you take away one, the other usually opens up.”

Black opened the scoring with a 1-yard run, Mendoza scooted 7 yards to make it 14-3 early in the second quarter, and Black spun away from a defender for a nimble 16-yard TD run with 3:40 to play in the first half. Hemby closed out the first-half scoring with an 82-yard TD run down Purdue’s sideline, stiff-arming the only potential tackler who had a chance to catch him, for a 28-3 lead.

The Hoosiers sealed it with Mendoza’s two third-quarter TD passes — 17 yards to Elijah Sarratt and 43 yards to Omar Cooper Jr.

Hemby had 12 carries for a season-high 152 yards while Black ran 13 times for 66 yards. Indiana finished with 355 yards rushing, its second-highest total this season and sixth 300-yard game this season.

Purdue’s Ryan Browne was 25 of 47 for 238 yards and threw an interception on the second offensive play of the game. The Boilermakers had just 282 total yards.

The takeaway

Purdue: The Boilermakers were more competitive in 2025 than 2024. But the result was similar. Purdue enters next year on another losing streak, this time 10 games instead of 11, and still trying to snap its school-record 18-game skid in conference play.

Indiana: Many wondered if the Hoosiers would be one-hit wonders after last year’s historic season. But Cignetti promised there would be no decline in 2025 — and there wasn’t. With the nation’s second-best scoring offense and scoring defense, a Heisman Trophy front-runner and a perfect record, the Hoosiers are better positioned to make a playoff run than they were last year.

Up next

Purdue: Another offseason roster overhaul.

Indiana: The Big Ten championship game next Saturday in Indianapolis.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/29/indiana-football-perfect-season/ 

Posted in News

Up to 10 inches expected under winter storm warning

The National Weather Services said up to 10 inches of snow was possible this weekend under a winter storm warning issued after the Thanksgiving holiday.

On the North Side in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, residences saw snow on the windowsills Saturday morning as well as snow-covered streets. As of Saturday, a winter storm watch remained in effect until 6 a.m. Sunday for portions of central, north central, northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana.

Officials said heavy snow was expected in the area with possible snow accumulations between 6 and 10 inches with south west winds gusting to 30 mph.

Current morning conditions at O’Hare International Airport registered as light snow, fog and mist at 26 degrees with a windchill of negative three degrees. Farther south at Midway Airport conditions are the same.

Officials said the highest snowfall is expected Saturday afternoon with some blowing and drifting snow possible mixing with or transitioning to drizzle east of I-55 Saturday evening.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/29/10-inches-expected-under-warning/ 

Posted in News

Up to 10 inches expected under winter storm warning

The National Weather Services said up to 10 inches of snow was possible this weekend under a winter storm warning issued after the Thanksgiving holiday.

On the North Side in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, residences saw snow on the windowsills Saturday morning as well as snow-covered streets. As of Saturday, a winter storm watch remained in effect until 6 a.m. Sunday for portions of central, north central, northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana.

Officials said heavy snow was expected in the area with possible snow accumulations between 6 and 10 inches with south west winds gusting to 30 mph.

Current morning conditions at O’Hare International Airport registered as light snow, fog and mist at 26 degrees with a windchill of negative three degrees. Farther south at Midway Airport conditions are the same.

Officials said the highest snowfall is expected Saturday afternoon with some blowing and drifting snow possible mixing with or transitioning to drizzle east of I-55 Saturday evening.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/29/10-inches-expected-under-warning/ 

Posted in News

Brussels Bends The Knee: EU Signs Off On Deep Tariff Cuts For American Goods

Brussels Bends The Knee: EU Signs Off On Deep Tariff Cuts For American Goods

Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

European Union (EU) countries have endorsed sweeping tariff cuts for American farm and manufactured products, adopting negotiating mandates that move the bloc closer to eliminating all remaining duties on U.S. industrial goods and opening new preferential access for a broad range of American agricultural exports.

European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on July 16, 2025. Yves Herman /Reuters

The decision by the European Council, announced on Nov. 28, clears the way for talks with the European Parliament on two regulations that implement the tariff elements of the Aug. 21 EU–U.S. Joint Statement—an accord that aims to stabilize transatlantic trade ties, reduce tensions, and rebalance two-way commerce amid lingering disputes over metals, tariffs, and digital-sector rules.

The first regulation would zero out the EU’s remaining customs duties on U.S. industrial goods and establish new tariff-rate quotas and reduced tariffs for U.S. seafood and non-sensitive agricultural products, including a host of items identified in the joint statement—tree nuts, dairy, fruits and vegetables, processed foods, soybean oil, pork, bison meat, and planting seeds.

The second regulation would extend the bloc’s five-year duty suspension on live and frozen lobster past the July 2025 expiration date—and widen the scope to include processed lobster.

EU officials described the package as a major step toward restoring “stability and predictability” to the EU–U.S. trade relationship that accounts for 30 percent of global trade and roughly $2 trillion in goods and services annually, with mutual investment totaling $5.4 trillion in 2023.

The European Council’s Friday decision to endorse the two regulations comes in response to a late-August proposal by the European Commission to slash tariffs on U.S. industrial goods and extend preferential access for American seafood and non-sensitive agricultural products as required under the Aug. 21 trade deal.

Stronger Safeguards for Sensitive EU Sectors

While largely backing the European Commission’s proposal, EU governments added new protections for vulnerable domestic producers. The Council inserted a strengthened bilateral safeguard mechanism allowing the EU to respond quickly to import surges or evidence of injury caused by the expanded market access granted to U.S. exporters.

It also clarified rules-of-origin provisions to ease implementation and called on the commission to monitor the economic effects of the trade liberalization measures, with a report due by the end of 2028.

The lobster regulation passed without changes.

With the mandates now adopted, the EU will enter trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament, aiming for a final deal possibly early next year, reflecting Washington’s push for swift implementation of the August pact after months of friction over digital rules, metals tariffs, and a series of threatened U.S. duties on trucks, critical minerals, planes, and wind turbines.

The tariff moves are part of a broader realignment mapped out in the August agreement, a document officials on both sides have described as the most ambitious reset in EU–U.S. trade ties in two decades. Under the deal, the EU committed to eliminating all tariffs on U.S. industrial goods, expanding agricultural and seafood access, and extending the 2020 lobster agreement—while the United States set a 15 percent ceiling on most tariffs applied to EU goods.

Washington also agreed to roll back “Section 232” duties on EU autos and parts once the EU introduced its legislative proposals; reduce tariff exposure for items such as aircraft, cork, and generic pharmaceuticals; and limit Section 232 tariffs on sectors including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and lumber.

The U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum—set at 50 percent—remain unchanged, though both sides have pledged to explore joint solutions to global steel overcapacity, including possible tariff-rate quotas.

The framework also extends beyond tariffs, covering digital trade, non-tariff barriers, energy supply, critical minerals, defense procurement, and standards cooperation. The EU has committed to purchase $750 billion in U.S. natural gas, oil, and nuclear products through 2028, plus at least $40 billion in U.S.-made AI chips for European computing centers. EU companies also plan to invest another $600 billion in the United States through 2028.

Tyler Durden
Sat, 11/29/2025 – 09:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/brussels-bends-knee-eu-signs-deep-tariff-cuts-american-goods