Category: News
La líder de Japón dice que Trump la llamó mientras persisten las tensiones con China
Por MARI YAMAGUCHI
TOKIO (AP) — La primera ministra de Japón, Sanae Takaichi, quien recientemente provocó la furia de China por un comentario sobre Taiwán, dijo que recibió una llamada del presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, justo después de que él habló con el líder chino.
Takaichi, una ultraconservadora, comentó que Trump le expresó su amistad en una llamada que le hizo después de una conversación telefónica con el líder chino Xi Jinping.
“El presidente Trump me dijo que él y yo somos extremadamente buenos amigos y que debería llamarlo en cualquier momento”, afirmó Takaichi en breves declaraciones a los periodistas en sus oficinas en Tokio. Sin embargo, no mencionó si discutieron su comentario sobre Taiwán.
Solo semanas después de asumir su cargo como la primera mujer primera ministra de Japón, Takaichi enfureció a China al sugerir que Japón podría responder militarmente si China intenta tomar el control de Taiwán, la isla autónoma que Beijing reclama como propia.
El comentario a principios de este mes rompió con la política de ambigüedad estratégica de larga data de Japón. Takaichi dijo que un ataque chino a Taiwán podría constituir “una situación que amenaza la supervivencia” de Japón, requiriendo el uso de la fuerza.
China respondió con enojo y ejerciendo presión económica sobre Japón. El domingo, el ministro chino de Exteriores, Wang Yi, dijo que Takaichi “cruzó una línea roja”. Afirmó que China “respondería resueltamente” a las acciones de Japón y que todos los países tienen la responsabilidad de “prevenir el resurgimiento del militarismo japonés”.
Takaichi comentó que Trump la informó sobre su llamada telefónica con Xi y el estado actual de las relaciones entre Estados Unidos y China. Dijo que ella y Trump también discutieron el fortalecimiento de la alianza Japón-Estados Unidos y “el desarrollo y los desafíos que enfrenta la región del Indo-Pacífico”.
“Confirmamos la estrecha coordinación entre Japón y Estados Unidos”, expresó.
Sin embargo, se negó a dar más detalles de sus conversaciones con Trump, citando el protocolo diplomático.
Japón ha buscado desescalar la disputa, pero China no ha mostrado signos de disminuir su furia y ha cancelado reuniones oficiales e intercambios privados y ha aconsejado a sus ciudadanos no viajar a Japón.
Japón ha resistido la demanda de China de que Takaichi retire el comentario, repitiendo que su apoyo a una resolución pacífica del problema del Estrecho de Taiwán no ha cambiado.
Estados Unidos no ha tomado partido sobre la soberanía de la isla autónoma, pero se opone al uso de la fuerza para tomar Taiwán. Trump ha mantenido una ambigüedad estratégica sobre si se enviarían tropas estadounidenses en caso de una guerra en el Estrecho de Taiwán.
El mandatario estadounidense no dijo nada públicamente sobre Taiwán, mientras que una declaración china dijo que Trump le dijo a Xi que Estados Unidos “entiende cuán importante es la cuestión de Taiwán para China”.
La disputa entre los vecinos asiáticos se ha trasladado al ámbito internacional, ya que Beijing ha llevado la disputa con Japón a la ONU y ambas partes califican las acusaciones del otro como “erróneas”.
_______
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Ukraine Tentatively Agrees To Trump-Backed Peace Plan, Sending Oil Sliding
Ukraine Tentatively Agrees To Trump-Backed Peace Plan, Sending Oil Sliding
A US official privy to negotiations is claiming major progress Tuesday, telling ABC News the Ukrainian delegation has agreed to the United States’ potential peace plan, at a moment it’s still being hotly debated, especially among the Europeans.
“The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal,” the US official said, but without specifying much in the way of details. “There are some minor details to be sorted out but they have agreed to a peace deal.”
Of course, the proverbial devil is in the details, along with each side’s ‘red lines’ – and so this claim should be taken with caution at this still very early point.
The Trump White House has set a deadline of Thursday, or Thanksgiving Day in America, for the warring sides to reach a deal. This suggests these talks are moving along with intensity and a sense of urgency.
“United States Army Secretary Dan Driscoll held secret talks on Monday with a Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to follow up on this weekend’s talks with Ukraine in Geneva that were intended to move the Ukraine peace process forward,” ABC cites a US official further as describing.
Oil slides on the optimistic headline that Ukraine has tentatively agreed to the Trump-backed deal…
As we described Monday evening, the Zelensky government has still appeared publicly resistant to any deal which cedes territory to Russian forces.
Also most importantly is that the Ukrainian government has said it will reject outside attempts to control its future alliances, which is a reference to the US plan’s call for a commitment that Ukraine never join NATO.
But Zelensky in his latest statement on X pledged that Ukraine would “never be an obstacle to peace” – but also emphasized the importance of his country remaining independent and sovereign. What that means by the end of this process is still very up in the air at this point.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 11/25/2025 – 08:10
Evan Nagler shows why this is a season full of promise for Deerfield. Is he ‘the best shooter in the state’?
Welcome to the new season, Evan Nagler.
The Deerfield senior guard emphatically announced his return during the first round of the Mundelein Thanksgiving Tournament on Monday.
“It wasn’t something that just clicked today,” Nagler said. “It comes from months and months of preparation, hard work, always in the gym, always shooting. The months leading up to today is what got me going, not waking up this morning.”
Whatever the reason, Nagler may never play a better half of basketball. Beginning a season full of promise, the 6-foot-2 Case Western Reserve commit scored 24 points, making all five of his 3-point attempts, in the first half of the Warriors’ 68-33 win over Antioch.
In the second quarter alone, Nagler put up 16 points, five more than the Sequoits mustered in the half.
“Credit to him, when the shots were there, he was ready to take them,” Deerfield coach Dan McKendrick said. “I thought the kids did a really nice job realizing he was pretty hot, and they were looking for him and trying to set him up.”
Deerfield’s Evan Nagler (5) puts up a shot as Antioch’s Miles Marabella (12) defends during a game in the Mundelein Thanksgiving Tournament on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (Brian O’Mahoney / News-Sun)
That assessment covered only Nagler’s shooting. The third-year starter did a lot more.
Two of his three assists in the first half resulted in dunks by 6-8 senior forward Jake Pollack, a Dartmouth commit. The first was a no-look pass into the paint in transition, and the other was a pinpoint alley-oop lob that came seconds after Nagler blocked a shot on the other end. On Nagler’s third assist, he drove through the lane and found senior guard Ethan Weiner for a corner 3-pointer.
“We’ve been playing with each other since we were kids, and I know where he is all the time, and he knows where I’m going to be,” Pollack said of Nagler. “He found me a few times, and we got him open. He’s the best shooter in the state, and he hit a few.”
On the first possession of the second quarter, Nagler kept the ball alive on the defensive boards, and his tap was grabbed by junior guard Tommy Donahue. On the possession after Pollack’s second dunk, Nagler shook free in transition and delivered a soaring dunk over an Antioch defender.
“Sometimes I feel he doesn’t get the credit for the athlete he is,” McKendrick said. “He may not look like it, but man, he can get up and down. He can handle the ball, he’s super-skilled and he steadies our mindset.”
Pollack’s presence also is vital for the Warriors, whose 2024-25 season ended with a loss to eventual Class 3A state champion DePaul College Prep in a sectional final. He’s the focus of opponents’ scouting reports, and Nagler stands to benefit.
“My teammates are super unselfish,” Nagler said. “All five of us know that the order of hierarchy goes where Jake gets the most touches. Once teams hone in on Jake, it opens up everyone else. Today, it was me hitting them. Other days, it’ll be some other guys.”
Deerfield’s Evan Nagler, right, looks for a teammate during a game against Antioch in the Mundelein Thanksgiving Tournament on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (Brian O’Mahoney / News-Sun)
Once coaches grade the film, it’s highly likely that Nagler will score well in the points-gathering system that accounts for intangibles that don’t appear in a box score.
“In our program, we track what we call ‘95% points,’ something we stole from the Oregon men’s basketball team,” Nagler said. “You only have the ball for 5% of the time when you’re on the court, so what are you doing the other 95%? How are you going to impact the game? Are you boxing out? Tipping a ball to teammates? Finding open teammates? All of those little things add up.”
Nagler noted the Warriors averaged about 110 such points in wins last season, but that number was closer to 80 in losses. That disparity helps create buy-in.
Not that Nagler needs any more motivation.
“I really wanted to commit before the season so I could focus on our team,” he said. “Our goal this year is to win the 3A state championship, and if I was thinking about recruiting before that, it would have been tough. So definitely a weight off my shoulders.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/25/basketball-deerfield-evan-nagler/
Why Did Democrats Suddenly Go Quiet On Epstein Files?
Why Did Democrats Suddenly Go Quiet On Epstein Files?
Why did Democrats suddenly go quiet on the Epstein files?
Democrats whipped themselves into a frenzy trying to manufacture a “gotcha” moment for President Trump and the GOP over the Epstein files.
According to Bloomberg data, the headline count in MSM for “Epstein” erupted on the day when President Trump signed a spending bill to reopen the federal government after Democrats caved. This was nothing more than a headline deflection by Democrats.
But in recent days, the Epstein story count in MSM has fallen off a cliff. You don’t hear much from the Democrats who chanted “release the files” every day …
That’s because the Democrats’ ongoing information war to delegitimize the president backfired, and the unhinged left fell silent once their colleagues’ coordination with Epstein, Democrat fundraisers, and other politically displeasing headlines started emerging.
Democrats’ Epstein Email Dump Backfires As Trump Sets DoJ On Clinton, Summers, Hoffman, Et Al.
Democrat Plaskett Digs Deeper Grave On Epstein Ties
Democrats did get the headlines they wanted:
And a recent Politico report cited a White House official who stated, “The Democrats are going to come to regret this.”
Tyler Durden
Tue, 11/25/2025 – 07:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/why-did-democrats-suddenly-go-quiet-epstein-files
Daywatch: Winnetka mansion sale sets new record
Good morning, Chicago.
A five-bedroom, 16,000-square-foot Georgian-style mansion on Lake Michigan in Winnetka sold for $34.5 million including personal property — a Chicago-area sales record for the sale of any single residential property in history.
The mansion’s sellers, Jeffrey Quicksilver, who cofounded real estate investment firm Walton Street Capital, and his wife, Ashley, who owns the high-end Winnetka women’s boutique Athene, bought the property in 2013 for $8 million from Carry Buck, the ex-wife of Chicago developer John Buck. The Quicksilvers then knocked down the Bucks’ longtime 13-room mansion and built the mansion that they just sold.
And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including why residents of a raided apartment building formed a union, why Bears defensive end Montez Sweat is heating up and reviews of two bakeries in Chicago.
Today’s eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History
President Donald Trump talks after meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office of the White House, Nov. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
White House circulates a plan to extend Obamacare subsidies as Trump pledges health care fix
The White House is circulating a proposal that would extend subsidies to help consumers pay for coverage under the Affordable Care Act for two more years, as millions of Americans face spiking health care costs when the current tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year.
In this July 30, 2008, file photo, Jeffrey Epstein, center, appears in court in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Uma Sanghvi/The Palm Beach Post)
Justice Department renews bid to unseal Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury materials
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton cited the Epstein Files Transparency Act — passed by Congress last week and signed into law by President Donald Trump — in court filings asking Manhattan federal Judges Richard M. Berman and Paul A. Engelmayer to reconsider their decisions to keep the material sealed.
Southside Together member Alajah Wills, center, holds a sign while participating in a chant with tenants and community members in front of the recently raided South Shore apartment building on Nov. 24, 2025. The news conference announced the formation of the 7500 South Shore Tenants Union. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Federal agents raided a Chicago apartment building two months ago. Now its residents have formed a union.
Almost two months after the militarized raid that roused them from their sleep and made international headlines, those who remain living — or trying to live — at 7500 South Shore Drive gathered yesterday morning in the cold outside their deteriorating apartment building in a show of solidarity.
Amid five floors of mostly empty units — some still boarded up from the nighttime immigration raid Sept. 30 — the 36 people who still live there have united to form the 7500 South Shore Tenants Union. The move to unionize comes after a Cook County judge earlier this month appointed a third-party receiver to manage the property and ordered the building to be vacated.
A police investigator walks through the scene of a shooting involving several young people outside the Chicago Theatre in the 100 block of North State Street on Nov. 21, 2025, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Investigation continues into pair of downtown shootings, including one that took the life of ‘vibrant’ teen Friday night
Chicago police continue to investigate a pair of shootings that unfolded in the Loop Friday night, leaving a 14-year-old boy dead and eight other teens wounded in the latest “teen takeover” that marred the city’s start of the holiday season.
Scores of teens were among the crowd that gathered downtown for the city’s annual tree-lighting ceremony in Millennium Park on Friday.
Northwest Indiana Forum President and CEO Heather Ennis tells Lake County Advancement Committee members, Oct. 2, 2025, about a new study on the importance of arts and cultural programs in Northwest Indiana. (Doug Ross/for Post-Tribune)
Amazon plans $15B data center campuses in Northwest Indiana for state’s largest construction project
Amazon plans to spend $15 billion for the largest construction project in Indiana history, building data center campuses in Northwest Indiana and creating 1,100 new jobs, officials said.
Sites for them have not yet been finalized, although AWS is in negotiations with multiple communities, he said yesterday.
Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat (98) celebrates after the Chicago Bears defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-28 at Soldier Field on Nov. 23, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
With 2 sacks against the Steelers, Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat is heating up at the right time
Sunday marked Bears defensive end Montez Sweat’s sixth game with two or more sacks in his seven-year NFL career, and his first since he had a career-high 2 1/2 sacks against the Cleveland Browns in 2023, not long after the Bears traded to acquire him.
Coach Ben Johnson awarded Sweat with one of two game balls in the locker room after Sunday’s victory. Sweat now has 7 1/2 sacks on the season, including 6 1/2 of those over the last six games.
Bears Q&A: What to make of strength and training staffs in light of injuries? More prime-time games?
Column: One more documentary on the 1985 Bears, the team that keeps on giving
Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese warms up before a game against the Aces at Wintrust Arena on Aug. 25, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago basketball report: Angel Reese goes for gold — and Jon Scheyer comes home for Thanksgiving Classic
Angel Reese was one of 10 first-time invitees to December’s Team USA senior national team camp, where she’ll join notable names such as Kahleah Copper, Brittney Griner, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers.
And a look at upcoming college basketball matchups, including a Chicago-based company that is bringing a Thanksgiving Day doubleheader to the United Center.
Is Nikola Vučević underrated — or overhated — with Bulls? ‘Whatever. Who cares? He’s super important.’
Bulls lose 143-130 to New Orleans, giving the Pelicans’ interim coach his first win
A view of a DC Comics, Superman No. 1 issue is shown, Nov. 24, 2025, in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a rare Superman comic book! And it fetched $9.12M!
A copy of the first Superman issue, unearthed by three brothers cleaning out their late mother’s attic, netted $9.12 million this month at a Texas auction house which says it is the most expensive comic book ever sold.
Zach Bryan performs at the United Center in Chicago on March 5, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Zach Bryan announces 2026 US and international tour dates
Zach Bryan is set to embark on his biggest international tour yet, “With Heaven on Tour,” a U.S. and European run of dates kicking off March 7, 2026 in St. Louis at the Dome at America’s Center.
The ricotta and pumpkin cruffin is served at Bad Butter in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood. Their cruffin is a cross between a croissant and muffin. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
Restaurant reviews: Bad Butter, a cult favorite bakery, and Blame Butter, a pietisserie, in Chicago
Bad Butter and Blame Butter tell the tales of two bakeries in Chicago. It is the best of times, and it is the butteriest of times. The former is a cult favorite preorder bakery at a hotel in the West Loop. The latter is a pop-up pie shop in the back of a poke shop in River North. By the end of the year, both will be gone as we know them.
My reviews won’t be starred due to the imminent changes, but I had to share in this peak pie and pastry season, writes Louisa Kung Liu Chu.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/25/daywatch-winnetka-mansion-sale-sets-new-record/
The Decline Of Developed Nations’ Fiat Money
The Decline Of Developed Nations’ Fiat Money
Governments assume they can print as much currency as they like and it will be accepted by force. However, the history of fiat currencies is always the same: first governments exceed their credit limits, then ignore all the warning signs and finally see the currency collapse.
Today, we are living the decline of developed economies’ fiat currencies in real time. The global reserve system is slowly but decisively diversifying away from a pure fiat currency anchor towards a mixed regime where gold plays the dominant role, not fiat currencies.
IMF COFER data show that, while the US dollar still dominates, its share of reported reserves has drifted down towards the high 50s. Gold has overtaken the US dollar and euro as the main asset in central banks for the first time in 40 years.
There is a reason for this historic change. Developed economies have surpassed all their limits to indebtedness.
Public debt is currency issuance, and the credibility of developed nations as issuers is fading fast. It started when the ECB, the Fed and major global central banks reported large losses. Their asset base was yielding negative returns as inflation and solvency issues became evident. Mainstream economists and governments dismissed these losses as insignificant, yet they demonstrated the extreme risk associated with the asset purchases made in previous years.
Inflation is a form of de facto gradual default on issued obligations, and global central banks are avoiding the debt of developed nations because they see a deterioration in the fiscal and inflationary outlook. Sovereign debt is not a reserve asset anymore.
Global public debt has reached about 102 trillion dollars, a new historical record, well above pre‑pandemic levels and close to the peaks hit during the most aggressive monetary expansion. Sovereign debt has driven this phenomenal rise, with countries like France and the United States running enormous annual deficits in non-crisis periods. Bidenomics in the United States was the clearest evidence of imprudent fiscal policy, running record deficits and increasing spending by more than two trillion US dollars in a period of strong economic recovery.
How did this loss of confidence happen? Monetary sovereign nations do not have an unlimited ability to issue currency and debt. They have clear limits that, when surpassed, generate an immediate loss of global confidence. Developed economies have breached the three limits, especially since 2021:
The economic limit is reached when ever-higher debt leads to a decrease in marginal growth. Government spending has bloated GDP, but productivity has stalled and net real wages are stagnant or declining.
The fiscal limit arises from the crowding out of productive investment by interest expense and entitlement spending. Despite financial repression, low rates, and monetary stimulus, interest expenses are taking up larger portions of developed nations’ budgets, making financing government obligations more expensive, even as the annualised CPI moderates.
The inflationary limit is reached as repeated monetary financing of government spending erodes confidence in the purchasing power of fiat money and cumulative inflation outpaces real wages, creating an affordability crisis.
The recent combination of high nominal debt, rising interest expense, and structural fiscal deficits in major advanced economies proves this crossing of all limits.
Central banks understand fiat money and know that sovereign debt is not the safe asset that provides stability and real economic returns anymore. Thus, they have responded with an unprecedented wave of gold purchases. Net official buying exceeded 1,100 tonnes in 2022 and remained above 1,000 tonnes in both 2023 and 2024, more than double the annual average between 2010 and 2021. By 2024, central banks officially purchased 1,045 tonnes of gold, marking the third consecutive year above the 1,000‑tonne level and extending a 15‑year streak of net additions. However, unofficial purchases are estimated to be significantly larger. Surveys show that around a third of global central banks plan to increase their gold holdings in the coming years, and more than four‑fifths expect global official gold holdings to keep rising due to concerns over persistent inflation, financial stability, and solvency issues.
The record gold demand is a direct answer to the lack of confidence in the sustainability of fiat liabilities issued by over‑indebted sovereigns. Gold has no default risk and no central bank control, making it a suitable investment when central banks themselves doubt the long‑term credibility of large nations’ currencies.
Many reserve managers believe that the way governments are heavily increasing their money supply during crises, along with only slow returns to normal policies, means that inflation and financial control are now permanent parts of the system instead of just temporary fixes. Thus, purchasing gold reserves is an insurance policy against the gradual taxation of savers through negative real yields and inflation.
Such an outcome does not mean an imminent collapse of the US dollar nor a dedollarisation process, but an unquestionable loss of confidence in fiat currencies altogether, from the euro and the pound to the yen and the US dollar. Indeed, the US dollar remains the dominant fiat currency, accounting for 89% of global transactions and holding 57% of global reserves. But it leads a declining empire of fake money.
Investors and central banks are moving to a hybrid reserve order in which fiat currencies coexist with a structurally higher allocation to gold but also a rising use of decentralised cryptocurrencies.
Some central banks are in panic. The ECB aims to enforce the use of the euro by implementing a central bank digital currency, but this misguided approach reflects both desperation and a desire for control. The Fed and the US government are incentivising stablecoins backed by Treasury bonds as a way of boosting demand for the dollar. This seems a better idea than imposition and repression, especially when the US government seems focused on reducing the deficit and debt. However, if the US government does not accelerate measures to reduce debt through growth policies and spending cuts, the confidence in the currency may weaken fast.
No government in advanced economies wants to cut spending, except perhaps the US administration, which is doing so modestly, despite evidence indicating a loss of confidence in its solvency. With economies facing government debt ratios above 100 percent of GDP, persistent primary deficits, and political resistance to serious spending cuts, fiat currency issuers are likely to remain trapped beyond economic, fiscal, and inflationary limits.
We are living through a historical monetary change that will have long-term implications. Global central banks have stopped believing in paper promises and demand real money. The first nation to adopt sound money and fiscal policies will win. The rest will lose.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 11/25/2025 – 07:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/decline-developed-nations-fiat-money
Trump administration plans to review refugees admitted under Biden, memo obtained by The AP says
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration plans a review of all refugees admitted to the U.S. during the Biden administration, according to a memo obtained Monday by The Associated Press, in the latest blow against a program that has for decades welcomed people fleeing war and persecution into the country.
The review is likely to sow confusion and fear among the nearly 200,000 refugees who came to the United States during that period. It is likely to face legal challenges from advocates, some of whom said the move was part of the administration’s “cold-hearted treatment” of people trying to build new lives in the U.S.
The memo, signed by the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, and dated Friday, said that during the Biden years “expediency” and “quantity” were prioritized over “detailed screening and vetting.” The memo said that warranted a comprehensive review and “re-interview of all refugees admitted from January 20, 2021, to February 20, 2025.”
The memo indicated that there will be a list of people to re-interview within three months.
Advocates of the refugee program say that refugees are generally some of the most vetted of all people coming to the United States and that they often wait years to be able to come.
The memo also immediately suspended green card approvals for refugees who came to the U.S. during the stated time period.
If the agency determines that a person shouldn’t have qualified for entry as a refugee, the person “has no right to appeal,” according to the memo, although if they are put in removal proceedings and sent to immigration court, they can then plead their case there. The memo also stated that even those who have already received their green card would be reviewed.
“USCIS is ready to uphold the law and ensure the refugee program is not abused,” Edlow wrote.
People admitted to the U.S. as refugees are required to apply for a green card one year after they arrive in the country and usually five years after that can apply for citizenship.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of Homeland Security and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The moves described in the memo are the latest to take aim at the refugee program, which the administration suspended earlier this year and later set a limit for entries to 7,500 mostly white South Africans — a historic low of refugees to be admitted to the U.S. since the program’s inception in 1980. The Trump administration more broadly has ramped up immigration enforcement as part of its promise to increase deportations of illegal immigrants.
The Biden administration admitted 185,640 refugees from October 2021 through September 2024. Refugee admissions topped 100,000 last year, with the largest numbers coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela and Syria.
Refugee advocates slammed news of the review, saying that it will traumatize people who have already gone through extensive vetting to make it to the U.S. in the first place.
Related Articles
As ICE detains longtime Chicago street vendors with no criminal history, neighbors rally with emergency funds
US Rep. Lauren Underwood warns Chicago immigration crackdown not over as ICE plans major staff expansion
Federal agents raided a Chicago apartment building two months ago. Now its residents have formed a union.
International student enrollment declines at nearly two dozen Illinois universities
Chicago immigrants left with hope, trauma and resolve after Operation Midway Blitz
“This plan is shockingly ill-conceived,” said Naomi Steinberg, vice president of U.S. policy and advocacy at HIAS, a refugee resettlement agency. “This is a new low in the administration’s consistently cold-hearted treatment of people who are already building new lives and enriching the communities where they have made their homes.”
USCIS expects to have a priority list for re-interviews within 90 days, Edlow wrote. His language points to a rigorous revisiting of why refugee status was granted in the first place.
“Testimony will include, but is not limited to, the circumstances establishing past persecution or a well-founded fear for principal refugees, the persecutor bar, and any other potential inadmissibilities,” he wrote.
Sharif Aly, President of the International Refugee Assistance Project, an advocacy group, criticized the administration’s actions in a statement late Monday, saying that refugees are “already the most highly vetted immigrants in the United States.”
“Besides the enormous cruelty of this undertaking, it would also be a tremendous waste of government resources to review and re-interview 200,000 people who have been living peacefully in our communities for years,” Aly said.
IRAP is currently part of a lawsuit seeking to overturn the administration’s suspension of refugee admissions.
Spagat reported from San Diego.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/25/trump-administration-refugees-review/
Agencia de la ONU estima que el norte de Nigeria experimentará un hambre sin precedentes para 2026
Por OPE ADETAYO
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Un aumento en los ataques milicianos en el norte de Nigeria está “llevando el hambre a niveles nunca antes vistos” y se espera que resulte en los peores niveles de inseguridad alimentaria en África el próximo año, según un informe del Programa Mundial de Alimentos publicado el martes.
La agencia alimentaria de las Naciones Unidas proyectó que 35 millones de personas probablemente experimenten hambre severa en Nigeria para 2026, la cifra más alta en el continente y la mayor desde que la agencia comenzó a registrar datos en Nigeria.
El PMA también predijo que al menos 15.000 personas en el estado de Borno, el epicentro de la crisis de seguridad de Nigeria, experimentarán hambre catastrófica, incluidas condiciones similares a la hambruna el próximo año. La situación en Borno será clasificado como Fase 5, la categoría más alta de inseguridad alimentaria de la agencia, similar a lo que se ha visto en algunas partes de Gaza y Sudán.
“El norte de Nigeria está experimentando la crisis de hambre más severa en una década, con las comunidades rurales agrícolas siendo las más afectadas”, afirmó el PMA en un comunicado.
Los ataques generalizados por parte de varios grupos armados han disuadido a los agricultores de utilizar sus tierras, dijeron los funcionarios.
En octubre, la filial de Al Qaeda Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin se responsabilizó de su primer ataque en Nigeria, sumándose a la lista de grupos armados que cometen ataques en el país.
Más de 300 estudiantes y 12 profesores fueron secuestrados de una escuela en el estado de Níger el 21 de noviembre, apenas cuatro días después de que otros 25 escolares fueran secuestrados a 170 kilómetros (106 millas) de distancia en el vecino estado de Kebbi.
Nigeria también se ha visto gravemente afectada por una reducción masiva de la asistencia alimentaria de la ONU tras la decisión del presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, de recortar la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional.
El recorte de USAID detuvo la financiación al PMA, que dijo que se quedará sin recursos para asistencia alimentaria y nutricional de emergencia en diciembre. Nigeria es uno de los pocos otros países en la región donde el recorte ha profundizado la crisis alimentaria. En julio, la agencia suspendió la asistencia alimentaria en toda África Occidental y Central.
“Sin financiación confirmada, millones se quedarán sin apoyo en 2026, alimentando la inestabilidad y profundizando una crisis que el mundo no puede permitirse ignorar”, indicó la agencia.
___
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
TJ Hillman is the center of attention for Naperville Central. In more ways than one.
Naperville Central senior point guard TJ Hillman knows many people question how successful the team will be this season.
But no one doubts what role Hillman will play.
“Be the leader, be the role model and let the younger guys look up to me and try to be the best guy that I can as a person and a player,” Hillman said. “I’m super excited. I love the group of guys we have.
“I had great leaders when I was a sophomore and junior, and I’m looking to replicate what they did.”
By all accounts, Hillman is off to a good start. The third-year starter is the most experienced and talented player for the Redhawks, who hope Hillman can lead them to greener pastures after they went a combined 24-64 the past three seasons.
“TJ’s leadership is a huge impact on our team,” Naperville Central senior guard Matt Sands said. “He’s pretty much our glue.
“He’s the reason why we’re all giving it 100% in practice. He’s the reason why we care as much as we do for the game, not just on the court but off the court.”
Indeed, Hillman’s leadership began during the offseason, when he made sure the players amped up their work ethic in the gym and in the classroom.
“He’s making sure we’re tight with our grades, and it’s not like he’s bossy,” Sands said. “He does it in a friendship way. He’s a great kid, great player, great person to look after.”
Naperville Central coach Mike Wilson quickly found that out after taking over the program last season. He identified Hillman as someone with potential to be a great senior leader.
“We knew he was going to be a captain from day one,” Wilson said. “We do a lot of open gyms, and we do a lot of weight room, and he’s leading it.
“I don’t have to get on guys to get there because he’s doing it for me.”
Hillman thinks the Redhawks can do more winning this season. It didn’t show in the season opener against Wheaton St. Francis, which got off to a hot start and rolled to a 53-38 victory at Geneva’s Bob Schick Thanksgiving Tournament on Monday.
Hillman picked up two early fouls, and his playing time was limited before he fouled out with 4:05 left in the fourth quarter. Even so, he scored a team-high 11 points to go with two assists.
Naperville Central’s TJ Hillman sets up a play during a game against Wheaton St. Francis in the Bob Schick Thanksgiving Tournament in Geneva on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (H. Rick Bamman / Naperville Sun)
Sands added nine points, all on 3-pointers. But the Redhawks shot 12 of 54, including 9 of 37 from beyond the arc.
The Redhawks played without post players Casey Cooperkawa and Oskar Eriksson, and the Vikings took advantage, with 6-foot-8 center Ben Whorlow scoring a game-high 20 points to go with nine rebounds and three blocks. Naperville Central was outrebounded 39-26.
“Having our big guys out for the game, I knew we were going to be a little bit overmatched on the glass,” Wilson said. “So we’re hoping to get them back next week.”
That would take some of the pressure off of Hillman, who often sees double-teams.
“You could kind of see his soccer player motor in him,” Wilson said. “He doesn’t really get tired.
“Obviously, he got limited with fouls a bit tonight, and we struggled to see the ball go in the basket. I know he was disappointed tonight, but we’ve got 29 more games, and this is his third year playing varsity, so he knows what the games look like, and he knows there are sometimes games like this that happen.”
Hillman, who took several knocks in the game, did put the result in perspective.
“Take away the positives but see the negatives, that’s what I think,” Hillman said. “We’re going to watch film and see what we need to do better.
“I think there were some positives — energy-wise, we were there the whole game. We really did try.”
Naperville Central’s TJ Hillman (1) and coach Mike Wilson talk during a game against Wheaton St. Francis in the Bob Schick Thanksgiving Tournament in Geneva on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (H. Rick Bamman / Naperville Sun)
Hillman, who has offers from several Division III colleges, made sure of that.
“We’ve put in so much work all summer,” he said. “Tonight, it wasn’t showing what we showed all summer. We’ll be a better team than last year.”
Sands also thinks better days are ahead for Hillman and the Redhawks.
“I won’t be surprised if TJ gets a ton of offers from big schools,” Sands said. “Central could shock a lot of schools this year with a lot of impressive wins.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/25/basketball-naperville-central-tj-hillman/
The good (and bad) from the Chicago Blackhawks through the first quarter of the NHL season
The 2025-26 season of the NHL is a quarter of the way through. Most teams have 55-plus games left to play, but standards are starting to take place.
The Colorado Avalanche (16-1-5) have only one regulation loss and have made themselves Stanley Cup favorites. Other teams are trending in every which way, with some going in unexpected directions.
The Chicago Blackhawks are a ways away from reaching Stanley Cup contention status, but they have notably improved from last season. That leap has come with its highs and lows.
Here’s all the good and bad the Hawks have shown in the first quarter of the season.
All stats are as of noon on Nov. 24.
Good: Goal scoring
Chicago Blackhawks left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (59) scores a goal on Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord (35) in the second period of a game at the United Center in Chicago on Nov. 20, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
To win in the NHL, teams have to score goals. While this is an obvious fact, keep in mind that the Hawks have struggled to do this for quite some time, especially in 5-on-5 play.
In 2024-25, the Hawks ranked 30th in full-strength goals-for/against ratio. The roster was older last season, but the experience didn’t create the offense that general manager Kyle Davidson had hoped for.
That led to their 2.73 goals per game average. If you pointed the finger at the reasons why — lack of chemistry with Connor Bedard and his linemates, turnovers in every zone, the snail-like pace — you’d run out of fingers.
This year’s Hawks get on the puck faster and are somewhat more decisive. They’re second in the NHL in shooting percentage (13.1%) and close behind the league-leading Montreal Canadiens.
Bedard’s two hat tricks, Tyler Bertuzzi’s presence in front of the net and the passing skills of the defensemen have helped with the offensive increase. They are currently 11th in the league in scoring, averaging 3.14 goals per game.
Bad: Shots on goal
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Sam Rinzel (6) is unable to score on Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord (35) in the second period of a game at the United Center in Chicago on Nov. 20, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
The positive is that many of the Hawks’ shots on goal find the back of the net. The problem is that they aren’t producing many shots.
They’re bottom three in shots per game average (24.9) and 5-on-5 scoring chance percentage (44.9%). The reason may be the team’s inability to finish breakaways.
On Sunday against the Avalanche, the Hawks’ breakaway attempts were constantly cleared by defenders. Passes by Bertuzzi were fumbled in front of the net by various skaters.
Too many giveaways, especially in the offensive zones, have killed many Hawks possessions. Less sloppy play could make this offense elite, but that will come with time.
Good: Competitiveness and physicality
Shane Pinto of the Ottawa Senators and Colton Dach of the Chicago Blackhawks crash into the boards during the first period at the United Center on Oct. 28, 2025. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Bedard set the precedent after the Hawks’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins. “We’re not taking any (expletive), even if they’re a little bigger.”
And he was right. The Hawks are not pushovers anymore.
Beating them now is not a given. The Hawks have scored first in 15 games, as well as either leading or being tied going into the third period in 15 games. They’ve spent the second-lowest time trailing (80:13) and the fourth-most time tied (355:07) in the NHL.
The Hawks have become a scrappy bunch. On Thursday, Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren delivered a hard hit on André Burakovsky, knocking him out for the rest of the game. The second period was filled with Hawks hits of their own, and Blashill said after the game that he thought his team reacted the right way.
Colton Dach is third in the NHL in hits at 88. When teams play the Hawks, they’re going to get bruised up.
Bad: The second period
Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar (8) celebrates with teammates Tristen Nielsen (57) and Jason Polin (14) after scoring a goal during the second period against the Chicago Blackhawks, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, at the United Center. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
The Hawks looked great after one period versus the Avalanche. Colorado outshot the Hawks 19-1 in the second.
The Hawks were up on the Ottawa Senators 3-0 after the first on Oct. 28. The score ended up 4-3 after the second.
The Hawks saw a scoreless tie turn into a 2-0 deficit in the second in Seattle on Nov. 3. The final score was a 3-1 loss.
It’s an unwelcome trend. And it’s costing them games.
There’s no clear reason as to why the Hawks struggle in the second period, as Jason Dickinson would tell you. It’s always a different reason each game.
They have a minus-9 plus/minus in the second period, the third-worst in the NHL behind the Toronto Maple Leafs (-11) and the St. Louis Blues (-13). Hawks coach Jeff Blashill knows that better second-period play will result in more victories.
“We got to play a similar game but play a little better in the second,” Blashill said after the 1-0 Avalanche loss. “If you do that, you put yourself in position to win games.”
Good: Special teams
Chicago Blackhawks right wing Ilya Mikheyev (95) and Seattle Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans (41) get tangled up in the third period of a game at the United Center in Chicago on Nov. 20, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Hawks skaters go to the penalty box often. The Hawks are fourth in the NHL with an average of 12.1 penalty minutes a game. Connor Bedard’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in the third period led to the Kraken’s game-winning goal in the Hawks’ crushing 3-2 loss to Seattle.
That penalty proved brutal as the loss ended their six-game point streak. A positive, though, is that the penalty kill has helped in previous games.
The Blackhawks have killed 83.3% of their penalties so far, about a 4 percentage point increase from last season. Ilya Mikheyev has been the highlight of the PK units, intercepting passes to end possessions.
The Hawks have 62 power play opportunities through 22 games, which is on pace for approximately 231 for the season. That would be an improvement from the 189 chances they had last year.
Bertuzzi and his teammates know how to draw penalties and the Hawks are learning to take advantage as they did in their 5-1 win in Detroit.
Bad: Faceoffs
The Hawks haven’t been a good faceoff team for a while. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, they rank last in faceoff win percentage (45.7%).
They’ve lost almost 55% of their faceoffs in their defensive zones this year, which leads to opportunities for opponents to rack up shots on goal. The Hawks have spent 42.8% of this season in their defensive zones (1.7 percentage points higher than league average), meaning more icings and having their backs against the wall.
It may not be detrimental, given that the past six Stanley Cup champions were all outside the top 10 in faceoff win percentage. The Hawks, though, need the puck as much as possible to solidify their offensive identity and winning faceoffs could be a step in the right direction.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/25/chicago-blackhawks-quarter-season-report/
