Facebook event pages with incorrect information about the St. Charles Electric Christmas Parade and Holiday Homecoming are circulating online, the St. Charles Business Alliance is warning.

The annual holiday celebration will be taking place on Nov. 28 and 29 in downtown St. Charles, with the Lighting of the Lights event at 5 p.m Friday, Nov. 28, and the Electric Christmas Parade starting at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29, a news release from the business alliance said. The alliance’s official Facebook event page can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/events/2698579370483717.

The business alliance said the fraudulent online event pages can’t be removed “due to Facebook restrictions,” but, in the news release, offered a few suggestions for residents to determine if they are looking at the official event listing.

Among them are: ensuring the Facebook event page notes the correct dates, that the St. Charles Business Alliance and the city are listed as event hosts on the posting, that the listing contains a link to the official Holiday Homecoming website and that the location listed is 2 E. Main St. in St. Charles.

The release also noted that the official event is free, does not require a ticket, has no vendor opportunities and will not be livestreamed, so listings claiming otherwise are not representative of the official event.

The business alliance also noted that the city website features information on the event. Individuals with questions about the event can go to www.stcholidayhomecoming.com and can direct other questions to the alliance at 630-443-3967.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/19/st-charles-business-alliance-says-fake-holiday-homecoming-event-information-is-circulating-on-facebook/ 

Gov. JB Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker met with Pope Leo XIV in Rome on Wednesday, where they discussed the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the two formally invited the pope to visit Chicago, the governor’s office said.

“It was an honor for MK and me to meet with @Pontifex – a son of Illinois – to express the pride and reverence of the people of this great state,” Pritzker wrote on social media. “Pope Leo XIV’s message of hope, compassion, unity, and peace resonates with Illinoisans of all faiths and traditions.”

Leo, who was born Robert Prevost in Chicago and grew up in south suburban Dolton, discussed with Pritzker their shared concerns about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement practices in Chicago, and pride in the people of Chicago for “speaking up,” Pritzker spokesperson Matt Hill said early Wednesday.

Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, helped arrange the meeting, Hill said. Anne Caprara, the governor’s chief of staff, also attended, according to Pritzker’s office.

Earlier this week, the pope backed U.S. bishops who condemned the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and urged Americans to treat migrants humanely, the Associated Press reported.

The Trump administration’s enforcement actions, which have been winding down in the Chicago area in recent days, received widespread criticism from neighborhood residents, local officials and local federal judges.

The administration has said the mass deportation was part of an effort to rid the nation of the “worst of the worst” of undocumented people in the country who both have a criminal record and lack proper documentation. But even as the Trump administration has highlighted some individuals who fit that description, records suggest that has rarely been the case.

Of 614 people whom the Trump administration identified as having been arrested in the Chicago area, just 16 had criminal histories that present a “high public safety risk,” according to a list of immigration arrests produced last week as part of an ongoing lawsuit.

Federal immigration agents in recent days have directed their attention to target Charlotte, N.C., following the operation in Chicago.

The meeting between Leo and the Pritzkers lasted about 40 minutes, according to the governor’s office.

The Pritzkers presented the pope with art and a letter from a woman incarcerated at Logan Correctional Center; a book about Abraham Lincoln; a pack of Burning Bush Brewery’s “Da Pope”-themed ale; and a copy of MK Pritzker’s own book about the Illinois governor’s mansion, the governor’s office said.

The governor, in an interview with NBC 5, said the pope was “optimistic” about returning back to visit Chicago.

“I expressed to him just how proud we are that he is a product of Chicago and that he’s perhaps more popular than Michael Jordan,” Pritzker said in the interview.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/19/gov-jb-pritzker-pope-rome-trump-immigration-crackdown/ 

The following items were taken from police and court reports and news releases. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.

Bridgeview

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY: Fadi S. Alasmer, 33, 6300 block of Birmingham Street, Chicago Ridge, was arrested and charged with residential burglary and unlawful use of another’s credit card on Oct. 27. Police said Alasmer entered an acquaintance’s home in the 8200 block of Odell Avenue between 5 and 6 a.m. Oct. 26, took cash, a prescription and car keys, used the keys to access a car, removed a credit card and cash from a wallet in the car, used the credit card to purchase a gold bracelet from a jewelry store for $560 and sold the bracelet at another jewelry store for $280.

Burbank

ID THEFT: Jay M. Gorel, 29, homeless, Burbank, was arrested Oct. 29 and subsequently charged with aggravated identity theft and forgery, police said. Gorel obtained a blank personal check left in a residential mailbox on May 28, signed the payer’s name, entered $450 as the dollar amount, signed his name as the payee and deposited it into his bank account on June 3, police said.

SCHOOL CRASH: No one was injured but an unoccupied portion of St. Lawrence High School sustained structural damage when a Chicago man drove into it at 3:40 p.m. Nov. 4, police said. Juan M. Aguilar-Pulido, 34, was arrested and accused of driving on a suspended license, failing to reduce speed to avoid a collision and improper lane use, police said.

Ford Heights

GUN POSSESSION: A Ford Heights man who ran from Cook County sheriff’s police during a traffic stop is scheduled to appear in court at Markham Nov. 24, charged with aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon and resisting arrest, according to sheriff’s police and jail records online. Investigators from the department’s organized crime division recovered a loaded handgun dropped by Trevon Walker, 28, 1500 block of Congress Lane, during the chase and determined he lacked a gun permit and that the weapon was reported stolen, sheriff’s police said.

Glenwood

MAN SHOT: A north Sycamore Lane resident was taken Nov. 12 to a medical facility for treatment of a gunshot wound sustained outside his home, police said. The resident and another person were standing in his driveway at 4 p.m. when several people emerged from a car that had just arrived, began shooting at them and then fled in the car, police said.

Homewood

ARMED ROBBERY: A Freeport man displayed a handgun while demanding $300 from a clerk at a gas station in the 17500 block of Dixie Highway, police said. Devon Smallwood, 35, was arrested Nov. 1 and is charged with armed robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, police said.

SEX OFFENDER: A Harvey man convicted in Cook County of sexual assault against a young teen when he was 36 and the victim was 16 was arrested Oct. 20 in the 14600 block of Center Avenue and accused of failing to register as a sex offender, according to police and the state sex offender registry. Kevin Williams, 63, 14600 block of Center Avenue, is a sex predator who has repeatedly failed to register as a sex offender, according to the online registry.

Oak Lawn

UNLICENSED DUI: Domingo Garcia, 51, Chicago, was arrested Oct. 11 in the 12800 block of La Grange Road and subsequently charged with drunken driving, driving without a license, speeding and illegal transportation of alcohol, police said.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY: Michael J. Walla, 52, Chicago, was arrested Oct. 31 in the 9700 block of 54th Avenue and subsequently charged with residential burglary after a trick-or-treater pointed out the home he was in to officers, who found Walla in a bathroom, police said.

Oak Forest

ABUSE CHARGED: Froylan Bahena-Vargas, 62, Markham, is scheduled to appear in Cook County court at Markham Dec. 5, charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse, police said. Bahena-Vargas  inappropriately touched a girl on Nov. 3 at a gas station in the 5500 block of 159th Street, police said.

Orland Park

FELONY SHOPLIFTING: Keisha Keller, 39, Chicago, was charged Oct. 11 with felony retail theft after taking cosmetics collectively selling for $1,053 from a beauty products store at Orland Square mall, police said.

FELONY SHOPLIFTING: Kelly J. Scott, 38, 100 block of Treehouse Road, Matteson, was charged Oct. 11 with retail theft and resisting arrest after taking 11 articles of clothing collectively selling for $1,200 from a department store at Orland Square all, police said.

AGGRAVATED BATTERY: Wanda D. Williams, 60, 100 block of 10th Street, Chicago Heights, was arrested Oct. 22 and subsequently charged with aggravated battery to a police officer after spitting in two officers’ faces, police said. Williams was also accused of disorderly conduct for appearing partially disrobed at a facility for children in the 15500 block of 94th Avenue, police said.

Palos Hills

STOLEN VEHICLE: A vehicle reported stolen Oct. 6 from a driveway in the 13200 block of Greenleaf Court turned up in Blue Island a short time later, police said.

HOSPITAL BATTERY: A Palos Hills man who refused to leave Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital after being discharged, is scheduled to appear in Cook County court Dec. 15, charged with battery and criminal trespass to property, police said. Tomasz Fijalkowski, 35, 11100 block of 84th Avenue, punched a security officer in the chest on Oct. 25 after he was told to go, police said.

Park Forest

SLEEPING DRIVER: Lionell R. Martin, 54, 3300 block of Savanna Lane, Matteson, was arrested Oct. 29 and accused of drunken driving, parking in the roadway, impeding traffic, illegally transporting alcohol, driving on an expired license and no proof of insurance after an officer found him asleep at the wheel on Westwood Drive near Willow Street, police said.

Steger

REVOKED LICENSE: Louis A. Mendez, 36, first block of 33rd Place, Steger, was arrested Nov. 14 and charged with driving on a revoked license, hit-and-run and driving without insurance during a crash investigation in the first block of East Steger Road, police said.

Tinley Park

IDENTITY THEFT: Duane Green, 60, 10100 block of Pulaski Road, Oak Lawn, was indicted Oct. 30 in Will County court, charged with identity theft, unlawful use of another’s credit/debit card and theft, according to court records online. Green used credit cards taken in a Sept. 26 car burglary to obtain cash from an ATM at a gas station in the 7200 block of 183rd Street on Sept. 27, police said.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/19/southland-crime-man-shot-glenwood/ 

The Porter County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the death of a 3-month-old girl from Pleasant Township who died Sunday, according to a release.

Deputies were called around 11:47 a.m. Nov. 16 to a residence on County Road 1050 S for an infant girl who was found unresponsive, according to a release from Sgt. Ben McFalls, public information officer for the sheriff’s department.

The family and EMS at the scene initiated life-saving measures before the infant was transferred to Northwest Health-Porter, where she was pronounced deceased, police said.

Detectives with the sheriff’s department are investigating, according to McFalls, who added that no further information is available for release at this time.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/19/police-investigate-infants-death-outside-of-kouts/ 

Saint Anthony Hospital is investigating a breach of its email system that may have exposed the personal information of 6,679 people.

The Little Village hospital learned in February that an “unauthorized party” may have accessed a number of hospital employee email accounts, according to a notice on the hospital’s website.

Though the hospital is still investigating, with the help of cybersecurity experts, it’s learned that information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, patient account numbers, prescription information, and medical histories may have been exposed.

At this point, the hospital said it has no evidence that any of the information has been used for identity theft or fraud. The hospital said it will notify individuals if it learns that their information has been affected.

The hospital is encouraging patients and employees to protect themselves by placing a fraud alert/security freeze on their credit files, getting free credit reports, and reviewing their financial account statements and credit reports. People with questions about the incident can call 877-580-4384 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Cybersecurity incidents have become increasingly common at hospitals and health systems in recent years, which are often targeted because of their size and the wealth of personal information they hold.

In May, UChicago Medicine disclosed that the personal information of about 38,000 patients of a UChicago Medicine medical group may have been exposed in an incident involving one of the group’s vendors. A month earlier, Loretto Hospital on the city’s West Side said it was the victim of a hacking incident that may have exposed the information of more than 500 people.

Health system Ascension and Lurie Children’s Hospital were also targeted last year.

Health systems must report breaches of protected health information affecting 500 or more people to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, which posts reports on a public website.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/19/saint-anthony-hospital-email-breach/ 

‘Russia Feels It’s Being Heard’: Trump Advancing Secret 28-Point Plan To End Ukraine War

Tyler Durden
Wed, 11/19/2025 – 11:05

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-feels-its-being-heard-trump-advancing-secret-28-point-plan-end-ukraine-war 

Local author talks environmentally-minded shopping

Diane Osgood, a local environmental economist and author, will talk about shopping with the environment in mind during a free event at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21 at the McDonald Farm, 10S404 Knoch Knolls Road, Naperville.

Osgood’s presentation, “Your Shopping Superpower,” will explore how purchasing power can work for the environment instead of against it, a news release said.

Osgood, of Oswego, is the author of “Your Shopping Superpower: Follow Your Values and Better Your World One Purchase at a Time,” which offers practical strategies for making environmentally conscious purchases.

Friday’s event is open to the public and will feature interactive demonstrations, light refreshments and ideas for sustainable gift-giving and holiday supplies, the release said.

Registration is recommended at https://bit.ly/4nP58EZ.

For more information, contact the Conservation Foundation at 630-428-4500 or theconservationfoundation.org

Naperville comedian returns home for one-night show

Comedian Chris Ryan, a Naperville native and graduate of Naperville Central High School, will perform in his hometown at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12 at Meiley-Swallow Hall on North Central College’s campus, 31 S. Ellsworth St.

The show, “Nothing Means Anything,” will be performed in Naperville for one night only.

After 20 years away from the stage, Ryan last year performed three runs of his hour-long show, “Thermometer” to sold-out crowds in Indianapolis and Chicago.

His latest set dives into parenting chaos, aging, identity and the absurdity of modern life, a news release said.

Tickets are $25 each and can be bought at www.northcentralcollege.edu.

Park District and YMCA plan annual Christmas luncheon

Naperville senior citizens and families in need have until Monday, Dec. 8 to sign up for the annual Community Christmas Luncheon.

The luncheon, which is co-hosted by the Naperville Park District and the Fry Family YMCA, will be held at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24 at the Chicago Marriott Naperville, 1801 N. Naper Blvd.

The luncheon has been held for more than 40 years. Seniors and families in need can enjoy the holidays with a complimentary meal, which is made possible by donations.

Anyone wishing to support this initiative can make a monetary donation at www.napervilleparks.org/donate.

Those interested in attending the luncheon must reserve a space by Dec. 8 by contacting Myles Cochran at mcochran@ymcachicago.org or at 630-904-9595. Guests should include their names, phone numbers and the number of people who will be attending.

Naperville residents earn DuPage County scholarships

Two Naperville residents were among those recently awarded college scholarships through DuPage County’s Community Services Block Grant Scholarship program.

DuPage County awarded $54,000 to 10 area residents who demonstrated “inspiring traits and achievements while persevering through significant life experiences,” such as being first-generation college students and single mothers returning to school, a news release from the county said.

The recipients were awarded anywhere from $2,000 to $8,500 each, and scholarships were based on financial need, academic achievement, community and school involvement and interest in high-demand employment sectors, the release said.

Naperville recipients include Francesca Mosley, who is studying to be a certified paralegal assistant at the College of DuPage and Shavonne, whose last name was withheld and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Lewis University.

“Education has always been a guiding light of hope in my life’s path,” Mosley said in a statement. “I do not view this scholarship solely as just an investment in me, but it is an investment that will be utilized indirectly to pour back into the community I plan to serve with it.”

The scholarships supplement the cost of tuition, books, supplies and other school expenses, the news release said. It is funded and designed in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for low-income individuals with high academic potential.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/19/naperville-news-digest-shopping-environmentally-local-comedian-returns/ 

Por CHAN HO-HIM y KELVIN CHAN

HONG KONG (AP) — Holanda está renunciando al control del fabricante de chips de propiedad china Nexperia, aliviando un enfrentamiento con China que amenazaba el suministro de semiconductores vitales para la fabricación global de automóviles.

El ministro de Asuntos Económicos, Vincent Karremans, manifestó que estaba suspendiendo una orden anterior para tomar el control de Nexperia bajo una ley de la era de la Guerra Fría que rara vez se invoca.

El gobierno holandés había citado preocupaciones de seguridad nacional y “graves deficiencias de gobernanza” cuando tomó el control efectivo de Nexperia, que tiene su sede en la ciudad de Nijmegen pero es propiedad de Wingtech Technology de China. Los funcionarios declararon que estaban tratando de prevenir la pérdida de conocimientos tecnológicos cruciales que podrían amenazar la seguridad económica de Europa.

Los chips de Nexperia son ampliamente utilizados por fabricantes de automóviles en América del Norte, Japón y Corea del Sur. Los fabricantes de automóviles advirtieron en las últimas semanas que estaban quedándose sin chips, y Honda se vio obligada a cerrar una fábrica en México que producía su popular crossover HR-V para los mercados de América del Norte.

Karremans expresó que estaba suspendiendo su orden emitida a finales de septiembre como una “muestra de buena voluntad” en una decisión que se produjo después de “reuniones constructivas” con las autoridades chinas en los últimos días.

“A la luz de los desarrollos recientes, Holanda considera que es el momento adecuado para dar un paso constructivo suspendiendo mi orden bajo la Ley de Disponibilidad de Bienes”, indicó en un comunicado.

“Somos positivos respecto a las medidas ya tomadas por las autoridades chinas para asegurar el suministro de chips a Europa y al resto del mundo”.

El Ministerio de Comercio de China dio la bienvenida a la decisión, pero advirtió que es solo un “primer paso” para resolver el problema.

Una decisión de un tribunal holandés que limita el control de Wingtech sobre Nexperia “sigue siendo un obstáculo clave para resolver el problema”, señaló el ministerio. Añadió que ambos países deberían continuar trabajando juntos en el asunto.

La disputa es un ejemplo de cómo Europa se encuentra atrapada entre Washington y Beijing en su rivalidad sobre comercio y tecnología. Holanda emitió su orden de incautación después de que Estados Unidos el año pasado incluyera a Wingtech en su “lista de entidades” de empresas que enfrentan controles de exportación, y luego la expandió en septiembre para incluir subsidiarias, incluida Nexperia.

La batalla en la sala de juntas incluyó la destitución del CEO chino de Nexperia y fundador de Wingtech, Zhang Xuezheng. Funcionarios estadounidenses habían dicho al gobierno holandés que debería ser reemplazado para evitar restricciones comerciales, según un documento judicial.

Beijing respondió bloqueando la exportación de chips de Nexperia desde su fábrica china a principios de octubre, una prohibición que levantó en los últimos días como parte de una tregua comercial con China tras la reunión del presidente estadounidense Donald Trump con el líder chino Xi Jinping.

Aun así, la unidad china de la empresa y su sede holandesa han continuado enfrentándose por el suministro de obleas desde plantas de fabricación en Europa a su centro de ensamblaje en China.

A pesar del anuncio de Karremans, la disputa aún no está completamente resuelta, según las empresas.

Wingtech sostuvo que si el gobierno holandés tiene “la sinceridad para resolver el problema”, debería presentar un aviso “retirando explícitamente su apoyo” a los procedimientos judiciales que resultaron en la suspensión de Zhang como CEO.

Los procedimientos judiciales son una amenaza para la continuidad de Nexperia y “por lo tanto para la seguridad económica de Holanda y Europa, que es el mismo argumento que el gobierno holandés hizo anteriormente en apoyo de la intervención judicial”.

Wingtech aseguró que rechaza firmemente las acusaciones de Karremans de que Zhang estaba detrás de “varios actos de supuesta mala gestión”, diciendo que no se ha proporcionado ninguna prueba.

Nexperia aseveró que el anuncio del gobierno holandés es una señal de progreso significativo, pero “la restauración completa de la cadena de suministro requiere una cooperación activa adicional de las entidades de Nexperia en China”.

Nexperia fue anteriormente parte del gigante electrónico holandés Philips y finalmente fue comprada por Wingtech en 2018. Fabrica chips básicos y estandarizados esenciales para el funcionamiento de numerosas funciones automotrices, como operar luces, sistemas de airbags o frenos antibloqueo. Los automóviles modernos pueden requerir cientos de estos componentes.

___________________________________

Kelvin Chan reportó desde Londres.

___________________________________

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

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/19/holanda-cede-control-de-empresa-china-de-chips-aliviando-enfrentamiento/ 

The city of Aurora will officially welcome in the holiday season on Friday with the annual Winter Lights Fest from 6 to 9 p.m. downtown.

A parade led by Santa and Mrs. Claus will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Downer Place and Water Street and head west on Downer Place to River Street. The Christmas tree-lighting ceremony will follow at the GAR Memorial Hall, 23 E. Downer Place, where Mayor John Laesch will join Santa and Mrs. Claus and lead the crowd in a countdown to flip the switch and illuminate the city’s new holiday tree.

“After the tree lighting, the downtown Aurora sky will be brightened by a drone light show along the banks of the Fox River,” a press release from the city about the event said. “After the drone show, Stolp Avenue, between Downer Place and Galena Boulevard, will be filled with food vendors, roaming costumed characters and musical entertainment at Millennium Plaza.”

Sam Loveland, communication coordinator for the city of Aurora, said the Winter Lights Fest has been going on for “at least 15 years and has become an annual tradition.”

“People come to expect the tree lighting, the parade, Santa. Each year the Events Department steps it up,” she said. “We’ve got a drone show, Stolp Avenue is going to be alive with characters and inflatables and there’s going to be a trackless train and photo ops.”

At the GAR Memorial Hall location, free photos with Santa will be available immediately following the drone show.

Loveland said that downtown businesses “would be doing a window decorating contest” adding that “a map for people will be available to kind of go and explore that part of downtown.”

The contest, she said, “fell off for a couple of years and had been headed by the Events Department and has been taken over by the Economic Development Department.”

“More than a handful of businesses are decorating their windows in a snowflake theme and this week … a panel of judges will be walking around and deciding on the winner and that winner will be announced at the Winter Lights Fest parade,” she said. “We also have a handful of city-owned buildings and windows that will be decorated through Aurora Public Art.

“We will put out a map for folks to see where they can go and catch all the decorated windows to sort of guide them through downtown,” Loveland added. “It’s another fun, kind of artistic endeavor to amplify our businesses downtown and hopefully bring people down to see those businesses.”

Businesses with decorations include McCarty Mills Taproom, Offbeat Vintage and Society 57, along with about nine others. Check https://www.aurora.il.us/Recreation-and-Amenities/Events/Special-Events/Winter-Lights for map information.

Loveland said Winter Lights Fest normally draws about 1,000 people and that the good weather predicted for Friday would likely bring more.

“We run between 6 and 9 p.m. and most families arrive early for the tree lighting and parade,” she said. “Then, we spread downtown as the night goes on. We’ve got food trucks and a DJ playing music, and it sort of has the atmosphere of First Fridays – businesses are open and they have specials running and it’s definitely the start of seasonal festivities in Aurora.”

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/19/aurora-winter-lights-fest-to-feature-parade-tree-lighting-drone-show-and-more/