Just minutes after celebrating Naperville Central’s most memorable win in recent history, senior guard Trinity Jones got some unexpected news.

The 6-foot-2 Clemson commit had scored 43 points against defending Class 4A state champion Kenwood to break the Redhawks’ single-game record held by former WNBA star Candace Parker. The look on Jones’ face said it all — surprise mixed with elation.

So which was better, the win or the record?

“Honestly, I would just say winning the game,” Jones said. “All the accolades, that matters, but it really doesn’t. The biggest thing is we came back, and we won together as a team.”

Jones had no idea she was nearing Parker’s record of 42 points as she rallied the Redhawks to an improbable 72-71 victory on the opening night of the Naperville Central Tip-Off Tournament.

The Broncos used a 12-2 run to erase a 62-55 deficit at the start of the fourth quarter and led 71-70 with 28 seconds left.

Naperville Central’s Trinity Jones, right, goes for a layup against Kenwood during a Naperville Central Tip-Off Tournament game in Naperville on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)

But Jones, who scored the final 12 points for the Redhawks (2-0) and 25 of their 30 in the second half, caught a pass from junior center Annabelle Kritzer and was fouled with 8.4 seconds left. Jones sank both free throws.

“The two free throws at the end were huge, just huge,” Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum said. “I thought she was absolutely outstanding. I’ve run out of words.”

Jones and the Redhawks then made sure the clock ran out on the Broncos (1-1), who were unable to get off a shot before time expired.

“We just talked and rotated, and we made sure we got out there,” Jones said. “We knew if we wanted to win, we had to play together, obviously.

“So each time we got in the huddle, each time there was a timeout called, we just talked, and we made some adjustments. Our biggest thing was we had to talk and play together the whole game, start to finish.”

That the Redhawks did. Jones made 17 of 26 shots and all seven of her free-throw attempts to go with nine rebounds, four steals and two assists, but she had plenty of help.

Kritzer scored eight early points and finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds, and senior guard Erin Hackett added 14 points, three assists and two steals. Senior guard Colette McInerney didn’t score but contributed five assists, four steals and four rebounds.

“It was a great game just to play in and be a part of,” Kritzer said. “I’ve never played with someone like Trinity before, but I’ve loved it so far. It’s fun to be on the court with her, and I think she’s done a really good job.”

Naperville Central’s Annabelle Kritzer, left, comes down with a rebound against Kenwood during a Naperville Central Tip-Off Tournament game in Naperville on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)

Indeed, Jones is averaging 36.5 points through two games.

“I think I did good,” she said. “My defense needs some improvement as well as I’m a little bit out of shape, but that will come. I think I’ll be all right.”

Nussbaum called the victory the Redhawks’ most memorable since their triple-overtime win over Naperville North in a regional final in 2018. But he tempered that by noting it is just one in a series of early season games against tough opponents that also include Homewood-Flossmoor, Benet, Phillips and Butler.

“We said Kenwood won the state championship last year, but they didn’t win our tournament,” Nussbaum said. “This is really nice. We wanted to win bad, we’re happy to win, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.

“It’s a November game, not a February game, and the real goal is February.”

Jones echoed those sentiments when asked if beating Kenwood gives the Redhawks a confidence boost.

“No boost,” she said. “I know in practice we’re going to work on things that we didn’t do well, and we’re going to come back and compete. We’re warming up.”

Naperville Central’s Trinity Jones, center, passes the ball as Kenwood double-teams her during a Naperville Central Tip-Off Tournament game in Naperville on Friday, November 21, 2025. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)

Kritzer’s connection with Jones, who missed last season with a torn ACL, is just getting warmed up.

“As the season goes on, it will have to get better, but I think so far we’re doing pretty well,” Kritzer said. “I know sometimes they double- or triple-team her, and she’s able to recognize that and be able to pass it to the open person.

“I know that happened tonight. I got some wide-open layups from Trinity.”

And Jones still broke the record.

Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/basketball-trinity-jones-breaks-candace-parker-scoring-record/ 

The holidays will be a little brighter for children in foster care and those waiting to be adopted, thanks to Let It Be Us. The child welfare nonprofit, based in Barrington, will host both a Toy Drive and a Candy Cottage for a Cause: Gingerbread Holiday Fundraiser for Foster Care and Adoption, an event for adults that will benefit foster care and adoption.

New, unwrapped toys will be collected from 2-7 p.m. Dec. 10 and 11 at the headquarters of Let It Be Us, 145 W. Main St. in Barrington. Requested toys are listed on the Toy Drive Event Page, https://letitbeus.org/event/toy-drive-for-children-in-foster-care-2. The organization will also purchase gifts on behalf of donors through its Toy Drive Donation Page, Donate | Let It Be Us. They are especially in need of gifts for older kids. The organization also collects wrapping paper and bows.

“The Toy Drive has been going on almost since the inception of Let It Be Us,” said Dr. Susan McConnell of Barrington, who founded the organization in 2014. “It’s a way for people to be involved in a tangible way and to give something that will directly go to a child,” she said.

Let It Be Us, a Barrington-based child welfare nonprofit, is holding its annual Toy Drive, Dec. 10-11, to support children in foster care and those waiting to be adopted. (Let It Be Us)

McConnell reported that they usually collect around fifteen hundred toys. The organization will deliver the toys to DCFS offices and group homes. The case workers at those locations wrap the toys and distribute them to the kids.

Candy Cottage for a Cause: Gingerbread Holiday Fundraiser for Foster Care and Adoption will be 5:30-8 p.m. Dec. 4 at Butterfield Country Club, 2800 Midwest Rd. in Oak Brook. This is the 4th year of the event.

“We’re going to have a chef lead the people who attend, and they’ll go home with a beautiful gingerbread house that they constructed themselves,” McConnell said. The event will include hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, and some surprises. The ticket costs $100. For tickets, visit https://letitbeus.org/event/candy-cottage-for-a-cause-gingerbread-holiday-fundraiser-for-foster-care-adoption-2/. Proceeds will support the organization’s programming to place children in homes.

McConnell said that she started Let It Be Us because she had worked with the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) on a recruitment project for adoptive parents for over ten years. “I was an adoptive parent and I saw that there were a lot of children in need,” she said. “I started Let It Be Us to bring some innovation and to help.”

She chose that name for the organization “so that people could belong,” McConnell said. “The name means come on and help.”

McConnell noted that the goal of the organization is to “always provide innovative solutions for foster parent adoption.” She added that they have built very comprehensive databases of parents who are licensed and people who want to become licensed to facilitate this process.

The organization’s proudest accomplishment so far is procuring a contract with DCFS to do foster parent adoption statewide in Illinois.

They work on about 500 cases each year. “We’re able to make placements in about 25 percent of our cases,” McConnell reported.

The latest accomplishment of Let It Be Us is being contracted to serve as consultants with the organization that handles foster recruitment for the State of Ohio.

Kaycee Coles of Barrington has been a volunteer with Let It Be Us for about five years and on its board for two years. She has been serving as Vice Board Chair for around six months.

“I love their mission,” Coles said. “I started volunteering through their Toy Drive and organically grew more involved as I helped out.”

Coles encourages people to contribute to the organization’s Toy Drive because “most of those toys are going to kids who aren’t in a home or in a shelter and won’t receive any Christmas gifts at all,” she said. “It’s a great time to be giving so why not give to a little kid who’s hoping for a happy Christmas. Without those toys, they might not have it.”

Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/barrington-based-nonprofit-fundraising-to-make-holidays-brighter-for-children-in-foster-care/ 

Naperville will fully fund a specialized mental health police crisis response unit for next year, adding $1.26 million in spending to what city staff say is an already tight budget.

A version of the program, called the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team (MCIT), already exists within the Naperville Police Department, but Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres has previously said that a more fleshed out version of the program is important to adequately address mental health crises in the city.

Under the version approved by council, which received a 7-2 vote, the program would have six full-time dedicated officers. The police department would also invest in additional equipment, training and a K-9 as part of the program. Police Chief Jason Arres estimated that it would take about six to 12 months before the program is fully up and running.

It is not the first time funding for MCIT has been considered. A scaled back version of the program was budgeted for 2025 with three officers and one sergeant, but ultimately did not receive that funding due to then-uncertainty about grocery tax revenue and negotiations with the police and fire department.

Councilman Ian Holzhauer earlier this month advocated for adding the program back into the 2026 budget, arguing that it is an essential city service. Earlier this year, the city was staring down both a $6.5 million budget shortfall from the elimination of the state grocery tax and a separate $4 million deficit. City staff have since found ways to plug both, but the planned budget for next year includes no new positions and few new programs.

Naperville Finance Director Ray Munch presented the city council on Tuesday with the cost breakdown for adding either two, four or six officers to the MCIT program. Munch also cautioned the council against adding the program into the budget for this year, citing financial uncertainty in the year ahead.

The total funding for two officers for next year, the only option that did not include purchasing a K-9, came out to $452,040. Total funding for four officers was $953,684 and the total funding for six officers was $1.26 million for next year.

“I think throughout this budget season, I have conveyed a message of caution,” Munch said. “Much of it is based on the data we’ve seen, but there are also many signals in the economy that would tell you that we are probably entering a period of fiscal tightening.”

As that period approaches, Munch said that the city is cautious about its property tax. At this point in the budget season, however, Munch indicated that the property tax levy is the “only logical place to effectuate that increase” to financially support MCIT.

“An important point here is that if the council desired to go down that path, that does require a long-term commitment,” Munch said. “If you fund a program through a property tax, I think it’s safe to assume that the property tax needs to support that in future years.”

With the full hiring solidified for MCIT, the proposed 2025 total property tax levy now sits at $60.69 million. If the funding had not been pursued, the total property tax levy would have been set at $59.73 million. Council will hold a truth-in-taxation hearing at its Dec. 16 council meeting for the proposed tax levy before finalizing it.

The full six officers also puts the new proposed tax levy rate at 0.5595, an increase from the originally proposed rate of 0.5506. According to Munch, a median valued home in Naperville is about $580,000, which means adding the full six officers would create a bill increase of $16 for next year.

One financial uncertainty Munch pointed to in the meeting was a bill being considered by the state legislature regarding police and fire pension system funding that could cause an “immediate increase of $2.8 million a year” and a “total of $170 million over the next 30 years” in Naperville’s police and fire pension system, if the bill were to pass.

Mayor Scott Wehrli suggested a more “conservative approach” to hiring the additional officers for the MCIT by starting off with hiring two officers in the first half of next year and then hiring more officers in the second half of the year. Councilman Holzhauer, however, disagreed with Mayor Wehrli’s offer and pushed for the hiring of the full six officers.

“That’s actually the decision we made last year, we actually voted for the hiring of police officers in the second half of 2026, it didn’t happen,” Holzhauer said. “My fear is if we put similar measures in place, we are just asking for the same result, which is that an essential service will not be provided for more time.”

Councilwoman Mary Gibson also voiced support for the measure, pointing to a statistic Chief Arres gave at a budget workshop meeting earlier this month.

“I think 900 calls a year … is a staggering number,” Councilwoman Gibson said, referring to the number of mental-health related calls the police department receives. “If we can do something to address that, I think we have an obligation to do that. Waiting doesn’t do much to help those members of our community.”

Councilmen Josh McBroom and Nate Wilson were the lone ‘no’ votes on fully funding the program, both citing concerns with future city finances.

“Given the budget constraints here, I don’t think I’d be on board with this and would like to revisit it next year,” Councilman Wilson said.

Councilman McBroom made a similar point, acknowledging that while the city is still overall in good financial standing, the fiscal unknowns he has seen other local governments grapple with give him pause for Naperville’s financial future.

McBroom also took to social media following the Tuesday meeting to further slam his colleagues for voting to add the full version of the MCIT program to the budget.

“It’s completely financially reckless,” Councilman McBroom said.

Mayor Scott Wehrli emphasized during discussion on the MCIT program that regardless of whether the program is fully funded, Naperville police are well trained in crisis intervention.

“Over 93% of our police officers are crisis intervention team trained and certified, which is a huge statistic over most peer departments,” Mayor Wehrli said. “So we do have a large number of CIT officers now, so regardless of whatever transpires tonight, we have a well-equipped crisis intervention team.”

cstein@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/naperville-city-council-mcit-fully-funded/ 

Like most of his teammates, long snapper Scott Daly wasn’t around when Aaron Rodgers bossed around the Chicago Bears.

But he gets it.

Daly grew up in Downers Grove, attended Downers Grove South and played college ball for Chicago’s adopted team, Notre Dame.

He knows that when Rodgers, now a Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, amassed a 25-5 record against the Bears during his 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, he didn’t just “own” the Bears, as Rodgers said, he owned Chicago’s psyche.

“When I played him for the first time my rookie year (with the Detroit Lions), it was definitely one of those experiences I didn’t forget, you know, being from Chicago and watching him, growing up, playing the Bears,” Daly said.  “All those great games and a great rivalry. It was really cool for me to be able to play against him in person, to see the way that he operated.”

Daly personally has a 3-1 record against Rodgers — but he and the Lions lost that first meeting.

“He’s a heck of a player, obviously a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and he’s taken this league by storm ever since he came in with Green Bay,” said Daly, adding “it would be awesome playing against him” Sunday when the Bears face the Steelers at Soldier Field.

That’s if Rodgers plays.

He suffered a fracture on his left, non-throwing wrist during the first half of Sunday’s 34-12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Rodgers missed practice Wednesday but took a limited part of Thursday’s and Friday’s sessions while wearing a brace.

He was listed as questionable on the final injury report.

“We’re going to be ready for whoever’s out there,” Daly said.

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) holds his left wrist after a taking a hit against the Bengals on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (Matt Freed/AP)

Bears quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett said he believes Rodgers will feel discomfort even though the injury doesn’t directly affect his throwing hand.

“I mean, quarterback, everything we do is with our hands,” said Barrett, who started the 2014 season for eventual national champion Ohio State. “There’s probably a lot of things that you wouldn’t necessarily think (of) off the top that probably could have an effect on that. But we’ve all seen Aaron Rodgers, he’s tough as (crap). … I have no doubt he can do whatever he wants in being able to battle that out.”

The Bears aren’t taking the bait that this development represents a significant setback for Rodgers or the 6-4 Steelers and thus an advantage for the hosts.

“(Steelers offensive coordinator) Arthur (Smith) has been doing this for a long time, (previously with) Tennessee and Atlanta,” coach Ben Johnson said. “There’s a pretty good track record of what he wants to be about. I just keep talking about the physicality — that’s what this game’s going to be on both sides of the ball.”

How has Aaron Rodgers’ game changed since the Chicago Bears last saw him? Here’s what the numbers say.

Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said his staff has studied plenty of tape on both Rodgers and Mason Rudolph. Rudolph has played in 32 games between the Steelers and Tennessee Titans and is 9-8-1 in 18 starts. He has never faced the Bears.

“He’s a bigger, strong-armed quarterback,” Allen said. “He pushes the ball down the field pretty consistently, so we’re going to have to make sure we keep a roof on the coverage.”

And with Rodgers, it’s a chess match.

Now in his 21st NFL season, “he has seen it all. It’s hard to fool him,” Allen said. “So you have to be able to affect him in the pocket.”

Easier said than done.

“I still think he moves around in the pocket well,” Allen said of Rodgers, who turns 42 on Dec. 2. “I don’t know that he’s creating plays down the field as much with his legs as he did when he was a little bit younger. … (But) It’s hard to get to him. He gets the ball out of his hands really quickly, throws the ball accurate. Good timing. …

“He plays a cerebral game at the quarterback position. That’s challenging for us.”

Added cornerback Tyrique Stevenson: “Pretty sure he can read coverages in his sleep. So the best thing we could do is just get him probably a little bit mobile, get him running around, have him thinking after the snap.”

Johnson said of Rodgers: “If he doesn’t have the fastest snap-to-throw time in the league right now, he’s got to be close.”

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers scrambles against the Packers on Oct. 26, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (Matt Freed/AP)

Actually, Johnson’s not far off: Rodgers ranks second in time-to-throw (2.64 seconds) behind the Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa (2.58) among qualified passers, according to NFL Pro.

“He’s doing a really good job right now of spitting it out,” Johnson said.

Does this matchup still have meaning?

It’s well-established what beating Rodgers would mean for the franchise, especially considering this could be the final time they’ll ever face him. He said before the season that he’s “pretty sure” this will be his last.

The question is, does Rodgers still possess some psychological hold over the Bears?

A good portion of the starters are either young — rookies and second-year players — or they weren’t with the Bears the last time Rodgers beat them, 28-19 on Dec 4, 2022. Only eight current Bears played in that game at Soldier Field.

Even Rodgers tried to downplay his role as Chicago’s villain.

“I’d rather not be, I mean, I’m not in Green Bay anymore,” Rodgers said. “I feel like we can let bygones be bygones. Maybe? I can (grins). It’s a great rivalry. In the history of all sports, you talk about the Lakers and the Celtics, the Red Sox and the Yankees, you’ve got to talk about the Packers and the Bears.

“And there have been some great memories there. When I first got to Green Bay, the Bears had the all-time series lead. When I left, the Packers did.  Since J-Love (Jordan Love) has taken over it’s even gotten better.”

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers points to Packers fans in the stands as he exits Soldier Field after a victory over the Bears on Dec. 4, 2022. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

What happened to not playing the villain?

“I hope those (Bears) fans can put that behind them — I’m sure they can’t. Don’t expect them to.”

For Bears players, there may not be much to put behind them.

Several who talked with the Tribune at Halas Hall said they didn’t feel a personal connection to the Rodgers rivalry, but they understood its weight.

“I definitely missed out on those good games and those rivalries, but I’m excited,” rookie running back Kyle Monangai said. “Everybody’s told me about it, I’ve heard about it, and I was obviously watching those games as a kid and growing up till now. ….

“I don’t think it makes me think of the game any differently, but I know this game means a lot more, going against him, for the fans and for the city of Chicago, for sure.”

The respect remains.

Caleb Williams has a healthy reverence for his veteran counterpart.

“There are probably a couple quarterbacks in the world that have been able to spin the ball the way that he does,” he said. “Growing up as a kid, when you find and realize how hard it is to play this position, you admire some of the things he’s been able to do over this long career he’s had.”

Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky hugs Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers after the Bears defeated the Packers to clinch the NFC North title on Dec. 16, 2018, at Soldier Field.

Williams hopes to join a handful of Bears quarterbacks who won a matchup in which Rodgers started. That includes Mitchell Trubisky on Dec. 16, 2018 at Soldier Field; Josh McCown, who beat fellow backup Seneca Wallace after Rodgers was injured on the first series after Shea McClellin sacked him Nov. 4, 2013 at Lambeau Field; Jay Cutler on Nov. 26, 2015, at Lambeau Field; Cutler on Sept. 27, 2010, at Soldier Field; and Kyle Orton on Dec. 22, 2008, at Soldier Field;

Williams is rooting for Rodgers to play.

“You always want their best out there, and he’s one of the best in the world and he’s been one of the best in the world for however long he’s been in the league,” Williams said. “Hopefully (I) get to say what’s up to him and shake his hand out there.”

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Johnson never had to worry about game-planning Rodgers when he was an offensive coordinator with the Lions, but it’s different as a head coach.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Aaron Rodgers,” he said. “He’s done this at a high level for an incredible amount of time and if he’s ready to go this week, I would love nothing more than to compete against him.”

Respect doesn’t equate to fear, however.

Rodgers has thrown 64 touchdowns against the Bears, more than any other team, but he also has thrown 10 interceptions. Stevenson hopes to add to that pick list.

“Definitely a (legendary) quarterback, so definitely looking forward to going up against him,” he said. “My only goal this week is to get an interception. If I pick Aaron Rodgers, that (trophy ball) is definitely going at the top of the closet, make sure not dust or anything get up on it. But definitely (that’s) one of the games I’ll be able to tell my kids about.”

Chicago Tribune reporter Sean Hammond contributed.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/chicago-bears-pittsburgh-steelers-aaron-rodgers/ 

French General: We Must Be Ready To ‘Lose Our Children’ In War With Russia

Tyler Durden
Sat, 11/22/2025 – 07:00

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/french-general-we-must-be-ready-lose-our-children-war-russia 

Por DASHA LITVINOVA

TALLIN, Estonia (AP) — Cuando los rusos echen la vista atrás al año 2025, podrían recordarlo como el año en que el gobierno tomó un control aún más estricto del internet.

Tarjetas de crédito con las que no se pueden comprar boletos para el transporte público. Cajeros automáticos que no se conectan a una red. Aplicaciones de mensajería que no funcionan. Celulares que no reciben mensajes de texto ni datos después de un viaje al extranjero. Madres de niños diabéticos que se quejan alarmadas por no poder monitorear los niveles de glucosa en sangre de sus hijos durante los cortes.

Los cortes de internet en los celulares —que supuestamente sirven para frustrar los ataques de los drones ucranianos— llevan meses afectando a docenas de regiones del país. Las aplicaciones de mensajería populares también están restringidas, y el gobierno promueve en su lugar una app controlada por el estado que los críticos consideran una posible herramienta de vigilancia.

Aunque el acceso a internet de banda ancha y Wi-Fi no se ve afectado, los rusos contactados por The Associated Press describieron las desconexiones digitales en sus vidas cotidianas. Todos hablaron bajo condición de anonimato por preocupaciones de seguridad.

Apagones y “listas blancas” forman parte de la estrategia

Los cortes generalizados de móvil comenzaron en mayo y persistieron durante el verano y hasta el otoño. En noviembre, una media de 57 regiones rusas reportaron interrupciones diarias en las conexiones de telefonía móvil, según Na Svyazi, un grupo activista que monitorea los apagones.

Las autoridades sostienen que estas interrupciones están diseñadas para impedir que los aviones no tripulados de Ucrania empleen las redes móviles para la navegación.

Según el portavoz del Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, son “absolutamente justificados y necesarios”. Pero la analista Kateryna Stepanenko, del Instituto para el Estudio de la Guerra, con sede en Washington, indicó que no han sido efectivos a la hora de frenar la intensidad de las operaciones con drones de Kiev “dada la cantidad de ataques que hemos visto en los últimos meses contra refinerías de petróleo rusas”.

En muchas regiones, solo un puñado de webs y servicios online aprobados por el gobierno ruso —agrupados en “listas blancas”— están disponibles durante los apagones.

El contenido de las “listas blancas” varía según el proveedor e incluye webs oficiales, plataformas de correo electrónico y redes sociales, dos mercados online y el motor de búsqueda ruso Yandex y sus servicios. Un proveedor ofrece acceso a una aplicación bancaria, pero otros no. Las autoridades han prometido aumentar los listados.

Marina, que vive en Vladivostok, una ciudad en la costa del Pacífico, describió su ansiedad al descubrir que, durante los apagones, solo funcionaba una aplicación de un banco controlado por el gobierno, y se preguntó qué significaba eso para el futuro.

“Para mí, esto es lo más aterrador”, dijo. “La pérdida de información, la pérdida de libertad, esencialmente, es lo más deprimente para mí”.

En la ciudad de Ulyanovsk, en el río Volga, a unos 700 kilómetros (435 millas) al este de Moscú, un residente contó cómo su tarjeta de crédito no funcionó cuando la pasó por el terminal de pago en un tranvía durante un apagón. No llevaba suficiente dinero en efectivo.

Las familias con niños diabéticos señalan que no pueden monitorear los niveles de glucosa de los pequeños a través de aplicaciones especiales cuando están en la escuela y se caen las conexiones móviles. En publicaciones en redes sociales, las explican que los niños pueden a menudo pasar por alto el momento en que sus niveles de azúcar en sangre cambian, lo que requiere una intervención, y que las apps especiales permitían a los padres controlarlos de forma remota y avisarles. Los cortes en las conexiones lo interrumpen.

Las autoridades han intentado promocionar las ventajas de reconectar con un estilo de vida alejado de la tecnología.

La agencia reguladora de internet, Roskomnadzor, publicó en redes sociales una viñeta en la que se veía a un mismo chico en dos situaciones distintas: una en un apartamento oscuro mirando su teléfono y paseando felizmente en un parque, con una taza de café y un libro.

Desconectarse “no significa perder el contacto. A veces significa ponerse en contacto con uno mismo”, aconseja el personaje.

Pero la publicación recibió mayoritariamente comentarios airados y sarcásticos.

Restricciones a las tarjetas SIM

Una reciente restricción antidrones establece “períodos de enfriamiento” de 24 horas durante los cuales se bloquean los datos y mensajes de texto en las tarjetas SIM que estuvieron en el extranjero o llevan 72 horas inactivas. El propietario puede desbloquearla a través de un enlace enviado por mensaje de texto.

Sin embargo, desbloquear una SIM utilizada en aparatos o equipos conectados a internet sin interfaces para recibir mensajes de texto, como enrutadores Wi-Fi portátiles, autos o contadores, es una misión imposible.

El legislador Andrei Svintsov indicó que el país tiene muchos contadores de electricidad que funcionan con tarjetas SIM que transmiten su lectura una vez al mes.

”¿Significa esto que todos dejarán de funcionar? ¿Todos las calderas de calefacción se apagarán y todos los autos chinos dejarán de funcionar? Este es un problema masivo, y no sé si el gobierno está siquiera al tanto”, agregó.

Aplicaciones de mensajería en el blanco

Otras restricciones apuntaron a dos populares apps de mensajería: WhatsApp, con alrededor de 96 millones de usuarios mensuales en octubre, y Telegram, con 91 millones, de acuerdo con el grupo de monitoreo de medios Mediascope.

Las autoridades comenzaron a restringir las llamadas a través de esas aplicaciones en agosto, supuestamente para frenar las estafas telefónicas, y las están limitando en algunas zonas del país. Yelena, en la ciudad de Krasnodar, en el sur del país, recordó un momento en octubre en el que Telegram no estaba disponible en absoluto, lo que afectó a su trabajo y al de sus compañeros.

Ninguna de esas aplicaciones está en la “lista blanca” del gobierno.

El lístado si incluye a MAX, un servicio de mensajería ruso. Las autoridades lo promocionan de forma activa y, desde septiembre, es obligatorio que esté preinstalado en todos los celulares en Rusia. Los críticos lo ven como una herramienta de vigilancia ya que MAX declara abiertamente que compartirá datos de usuarios con las autoridades a demanda. Los expertos señalan además que no utiliza cifrado de extremo a extremo.

Se está animando a instituciones estatales, funcionarios y empresas a trasladar sus comunicaciones y blogs a MAX. Marina, la residente en Vladivostok, dijo que sus jefes insisten en que se use MAX, aunque con poco entusiasmo. Afirmó que no planea instalarlo, una opinión que comparten otros contactados por la AP.

Los desarrolladores de MAX se jactan de que unos 50 millones de usuarios se han registrado en la plataforma, que según dicen ofrece servicios de mensajería, entre otros.

De acuerdo con Mediascope, MAX tenía alrededor de 48 millones de usuarios mensuales en octubre, pero apenas una media de 18,9 millones de usuarios diarios, muy lejos del promedio total diario de 81 millones de personas en WhatsApp y de los 68 millones de Telegram.

Los rusos se arrugan ante las restricciones

Denis Volkov, director del Centro Levada, el principal encuestador independiente de Rusia, señaló que la actitud de muchos rusos con respecto a las restricciones es la misma que frente al clima: en última instancia, no se puede hacer nada al respecto.

La estrategia de las autoridades parece ser complicar el acceso de los usuarios promedio a “contenido alternativo” para que finalmente dejen de buscarlo, indicó Volkov. Aquellos “que no están tan interesados elegirán canales y formas más simples” para navegar por internet, agregó.

Esa sensación era compartida por el residente de Ulyanovsk, que contó que usa una red privada virtual para acceder a algunas de las webs y plataformas bloqueadas, pero las VPN también quedan inutilizadas habitualmente, por lo que debe instalar una nueva cada pocos meses.

Su círculo cercano de amigos intercambia recomendaciones sobre VPN, pero cree que la mayoría de la población no se tomará tantas molestias.

Para Mikhail Klimarev, director ejecutivo del grupo activista Sociedad de Protección de Internet, internet está vinculado a demasiadas actividades económicas como para bloquearlo por completo.

“Los alimentos se envían a las tiendas a través de internet, tanto el pedido como el procesamiento y otras cosas”, dijo. “Un camión que circula por la carretera está conectado a un sistema de información, mapas, navegación”.

En cambio prevé restricciones de sitios web, VPN y plataformas, incluyendo el bloqueo total de apps como Telegram y WhatsApp, y otras posibles medidas inesperadas.

“Honestamente, lo estoy viendo todo con sorpresa. Parece que ya lo habían pensado todo, y siguen ideando cosas nuevas”, aseveró.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/crece-la-frustracin-en-rusia-por-cortes-de-internet-mvil-que-afectan-a-la-vida-cotidiana/ 

New Trier High School students may soon be able to intern at area schools, work on a personal trainer certification or earn college credit in new and existing English classes if school board members approve a slate of new course proposals next month.

Five new course proposals were presented to Board of Education members at Monday’s meeting, including three new Advanced Placement courses. Board members will vote at their next meeting, in December, whether to approve the new offerings.

“This is about new opportunities for students, meeting student interests and student needs, and providing access and opportunity to rich coursework,” said Chimille Tillery, assistant superintendent for teaching and instruction.

A semester-long teaching internship builds upon a new course offered this school year and could place students in partner elementary and middle schools as soon as the 2027-2028 school year, Tillery said, while a semester-long personal training class designed with the American Council on Exercise will prepare students to take the ACE’s Personal Trainer certification as soon as spring 2027.

Also in the proposals are plans to expand AP credit offerings to Integrated Global Studies School students and allow students enrolled in an existing class on post-colonial literature to take the AP Literature exam.

Post-colonial literature, a long-standing senior course offering, focuses on contemporary literature from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, with students reading works like Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” as well as more recent works like Jamaica Kincaid’s “Annie John.”

Integrated Global Studies School is a “school-within-a-school” experiential study program for New Trier juniors and seniors.

If approved, IGSS students’ junior and senior English courses will qualify as AP Seminar and AP Research courses, respectively. Tillery said these will be the first AP Seminar and Research courses offered by the school.

“Our IGSS curriculum is already strongly aligned with the individualized, inquiry-based approach of AP Seminar, so this is less of a shift and more of a new opportunity for students,” Tillery said.

The new AP curriculum will require approval from the College Board, which administers AP exams.

Board members responded positively to Tillery’s presentation, with board member Sally Tomlinson expressing support for the addition of more semester-long, as opposed to year-long, courses.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/new-trier-courses-internships-personal-training/ 

After the village of Skokie was able to keep its property tax levy flat for 35 years, Village Manager John Lockerby announced at the Nov. 17 Board of Trustees meeting that the village will need to raise its property tax levy for the first time since 1990.

In his presentation to the Board, Lockerby said the costs to provide village services have increased or outpaced inflation. The proposed 4.8% property tax increase on the village’s portion of a property tax bill will mean a $21.34 increase for the average resident, and a $57.56 and $137.35 increase for commercial and industrial property owners, according to village documents.

The board did not make a binding vote to raise property taxes at its meeting, but voted to allow the village’s administration to draft an ordinance to raise the property tax levy.

The village of Skokie has long enjoyed large shopping malls Westfield Old Orchard and Village Crossing as big revenue generators. According to prior reporting, 72% of the village’s revenue is closely tied to the village’s gas tax, food and beverage tax and sales tax. The two are large reasons why the village has been able to keep its property tax levy flat for as long as it has been able to.

According to the village’s finance director Julian Prendi, 23% of Skokie’s revenue comes from sales taxes, a quarter of which come from Westfield, he said. Cell phone data showed that 90% of that revenue came from people who live outside Skokie, he added.

“Sales taxes, our largest single source of revenue, went through significant stagnation leading up to the COVID pandemic and only in the last three fiscal years have recovered sufficiently to produce inflation-like growth year-over-year,” Lockerby wrote in a memo to the board of trustees.

Another blow to Skokie’s revenue is the village’s loss of its federal SAFER grant, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant paid through FEMA to assist funding local fire departments. The grant, anticipated to expire at the end of 2026, funds three firefighter positions for the Skokie Fire Department.

In the past, the village’s budget has dealt with economic downturn, meaning less dollars spent on shopping malls, with reductions in staffing. In 2010, the village set a hiring freeze that is still in place, affecting 39 positions.

However, now the loss of those positions is impacting services the village provides, Lockerby wrote in his memo. To keep up with the needs of the village’s residents, the village will need to raise its property taxes, he said.

While Westfield Old Orchard Shopping Mall, pictured, provides significant sales tax revenue to the village of Skokie, the manager said increased costs for village services will necessitate the first property tax increase since 1990. (Karie Angell Luc/for Pioneer Press)

When asked, Prendi said the property tax increase could fund three positions, but that the administration has not made a decision on which three positions to fund, and if those three will be enough to address the village’s needs.

Per data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a dollar in 1990 has the buying power of $2.55, for an inflation rate of 154.9%.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/skokie-may-raise-property-taxes-for-first-time-since-1990/ 

It’s a story repeating itself: Border Patrol agents flooding immigrant neighborhoods, showing dramatic force, storming Home Depot parking lots and preying on people at courthouses. 

Those arrests erupted in Chicago. Then they were 750 miles away in Charlotte, North Carolina. And they will keep roving across the country. 

But no matter where they go, Chicagoans will try to stop them. 

As President Donald Trump’s ramped-up Border Patrol action hits city after city, Chicago’s immigration-focused community organizers are following. They aim to pass on what they learned to foster pushback in Operation Midway Blitz.

The resistance effort, which was backed by top elected officials in Illinois, provides a blueprint for immigration activists nationwide: lawsuits, whistles, cellphone cameras and more.

Chicago’s immigration advocacy groups, which played an integral role organizing on-the-ground rapid responders, are now sharing their information nationwide. 

Veronica Castro, deputy director at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said she has been in at least half a dozen calls with organizations, mutual aid groups and government entities outside of Chicago, including Boston and North Carolina on best ways to prepare for immigration enforcement. 

“We definitely want to share information with other folks,” she said. Earlier in the year, Castro and her team reached out to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., to prepare for the immigration crackdown in Chicago and is now circling back to them to “compare notes.”

Casa Central, a Hispanic social services agency in Chicago, is planning a conference call with 304 invited affiliates of Unidos US to discuss rapid response tactics and insights from immigration enforcement in Chicago, according to Unidos’ director of immigrant integration, Laura Vázquez.

The call will feature information on the long-lasting humanitarian impact of what happens to family members after some of them, often the primary income earners, are detained, said Vázquez.

“There is tremendous value in bringing people together so organizations can learn lessons and effective tactics,” said Vázquez, who noted interest went beyond North Carolina, from New Orleans to New York City, where threats of similar immigration operations loom.

The federal action centered in Charlotte last week, where Trump’s Border Patrol chief, Gregory Bovino, led a weeklong arrest spree that quickly started after agents left Chicago.

Pooja Ravindran, who lived for a decade in North Carolina and is now chief of staff for Chicago City Council’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights, once again couldn’t look away as the arrests hushed cherished hometown bakeries, coffee shops and an elementary school in Charlotte. 

Ravindran has met online around 10 times with groups in Charlotte to present tactics learned organizing alongside Ald. Andre Vásquez, the committee’s chair.  

“I can’t be at all places at once, I can’t be in all of the areas where I call home to prep everyone,” Ravindran said. “To see the resistance, but also the devastation, there is just a whirlwind of emotions.” 

Inside Chicago’s growing resistance movement against Operation Midway Blitz: ‘Small acts have huge consequences’

Earlier this week, Protect Rogers Park community organizer Gabe González said he planned to travel to Charlotte, where he was set to speak with hundreds to try to pass the information baton. 

“We learned from Los Angeles and D.C. and it’s our turn to share what we learned with the cities facing it now,” said González, co-founder of Protect Rogers Park. 

Just as González was preparing to discuss safe resistance techniques with the North Carolina crowd, Border Patrol reportedly ended its operations in Charlotte dubbed “Charlotte’s Web.” But González is skeptical that the actions will truly end.

“Today it’s in Charlotte, tomorrow it might be in New Orleans, and in March it might be back in Chicago,” said González, who is also in touch with community organizers in New Orleans and Memphis, Tennessee.

Chicago’s top elected leaders have gotten involved too, from the City Hall to Springfield. 

Gov. JB Pritzker spoke to North Carolina’s Gov. Josh Stein about dealing with masked federal agents, tear gas deployment and documenting activity when rights were being violated, his office said in a statement. 

The governor has stayed in touch with California, Oregon and other states in an effort to “push back against these authoritarian power grabs and curb normalizing the militarization of American communities,” the statement said.

On Friday, Beatriz Ponce de León, Chicago’s deputy mayor for immigrant, migrant and refugee rights, met with leaders in St. Paul, Minnesota, where federal agents arrested over a dozen people Tuesday at a manufacturing plant. 

Ponce de León shared strategies Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has used to push back, like lawsuits, executive orders and close collaboration with community groups.

“Chicago clearly is front and center in the response to these militarized immigration tactics,” she said. “We are all in this together … Why would we not share what we learned?” 

When other cities reach out, Ponce de León often offers advice she got from people in Washington, D.C.: “This is a moment to be very clear and bold and not to shrink away.” 

The quick response from Charlotte community groups to respond to and document arrests occurred in part because of what people there learned from Chicago, she said. And someday, the connections made by City Hall now could shape its own response if federal agents return en masse. 

“As the federal actions evolve, we all have to evolve and be as prepared as possible to maintain and to protect the things that are important to us and to our cities,” she said. 

West Chicago brothers are on the front lines against ‘Operation Midway Blitz.’ And they’re only teenagers.

At the online meetings Ravindran helps organize, other cities are getting everything from advice on how to fight for more legal protection funds in budgets to tweakable scheduling documents for volunteer patrols outside schools.  

“People were just so grateful that they didn’t have to think about protocol,” Ravindran said. “This documentation has created the opportunity for them to spend more time doing the actual recruitment of folks.” 

It was an emotional homecoming for Ravindran, who first engaged in community organizing as a University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill student and then continued that work in Charlotte. 

But the incremental progress does not erase what Ravindran has witnessed in one home, then another. 

“It’s really hard to see, the detentions in your community, over and over again.”

Chicago Tribune’s Olivia Olander contributed.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/chicago-border-patrol-resistance/ 

I bought a hibiscus this past spring and have really enjoyed it. Did I misunderstand the salesperson who told me to plant it in the garden? For now, I am keeping it in my unheated garage, but I wonder if I should plant it outside.

— Sue Kach, Glencoe

You have a tropical hibiscus that will not fare well over winter in your garage, especially since it is unheated. Tropical hibiscus cultivars like hot weather and provide vibrant flowers through the summer. Many gardeners in this area grow them in pots. These plants will not survive outside during winter in this region. Tropical hibiscuses have glossy, deep-green leaves and large orange, red, yellow, pink, peach, salmon or double flowers. Many tropical hibiscuses have more than one color in a bloom. They perform best if left in a container through the summer and then brought inside to overwinter. Digging them up from a bed to bring inside puts stress on the plants.

Since this hibiscus is tropical and does poorly in cold, rainy weather, it is best to bring it inside before night temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. A light freeze over a couple of nights can kill these plants. Your garage may have protected it enough from the last cold spell. Keep your plant in a relatively small pot, as hibiscuses flower best when their roots are crowded. Try giving your plant a rest for a few months when you bring it in by minimizing pruning, reducing watering and moving it to a cool room with bright light. Do not push it to flower over winter and save old foliage. It is likely that some leaves will turn yellow and fall off as the plant adjusts to a new indoor environment. In March, cut the stems back, move the plant into a sunny location and increase watering. When new growth appears, start fertilizing lightly every couple of weeks. Five to six hours of full sunlight daily is important for these plants to perform well indoors.

Gradually expose your hibiscus to the outdoors in spring when night temperatures are staying above 55 degrees. Start the plant in shade and gradually increase the time in full sun over a period of seven to ten days. It may lose some leaves as it adjusts to the outdoor environment. Hibiscus flowers on new wood, so your plant should eventually start to bloom as the new growth matures.

For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information Service at the Chicago Botanic Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org. Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/22/tropical-hibiscus-winter-outdoors-plant/