Category: News
4 Takeaways From Top Minnesota Officials’ Testimony On State’s Massive Fraud
4 Takeaways From Top Minnesota Officials’ Testimony On State’s Massive Fraud
Authored by Janice Hisle via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Two of Minnesota’s top officials, Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, testified before Congress for more than four hours on March 4 about their state’s multibillion-dollar fraud controversies.
During the latest hearing on Capitol Hill, Republicans tried to pin down when the two Democratic leaders were alerted to the fraud, why payments continued afterward, and what role politics may have played.
Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) summed up the scandal this way: “While whistleblowers were silenced, fraudsters got rich.” Comer chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which has now held two hearings on Minnesota fraud cases this year.
🚨 JUST IN: House Oversight Chair James Comer affirms whistleblowers testified UNDER OATH that they spent YEARS warning Tim Walz and Keith Ellison about rampant fraud
IT’S TIME FOR WALZ AND ELLISON TO BE JAILED.
US taxpayers are SICK AND TIRED of politicians stealing from them pic.twitter.com/n6K2lwalBi
— Javier Salazar (@ded_fx) March 5, 2026
Although Democrat members of the committee agreed with Republicans’ demand to hold fraudsters accountable, some Democrats pivoted away from the issue of fraud. They said the committee ought to instead focus on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Minnesota, where confrontations twice turned deadly in January.
Here are four takeaways.
Payments ‘Kept Flowing’ After Fraud Alarms
Walz has said that his administration acted quickly, but Comer said that claim “does not hold up to the facts.”
Even after fraud was “known, documented, and repeatedly brought to the attention of state leadership,” state employees “kept payments flowing,” Comer said.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said the committee’s investigation found that state agency leaders directly notified Walz’s chief of staff by May 2020 about concerns regarding Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that was paid to provide meals to children.
Its payments skyrocketed from $307,000 in 2018, a year before Walz took office, to nearly $200 million by 2021, Donalds said—despite the fraud alarms.
Authorities say the organization stole nearly $300 million; dozens of people, mostly Somalis, have faced related federal charges since 2022.
Several Republicans noted that Somalis overwhelmingly vote for Democrats and accused Democrats in Minnesota of turning a blind eye to retain that political support. Walz denied that accusation.300
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) confronted Walz for publicly stating that payments to Feeding Our Future restarted under a court order.
Ramsey County District Court Judge John H. Guthmann said he never issued any such order, according to a 2022 statement from the judge.
Jordan asked Walz, “Why didn’t you tell the truth?”
The governor responded, “The agency believed that the court had required them to make those payments.”
Tim Walz was exposed for resuming taxpayer payments to Somali fraudsters at Feeding Our Future and lying about it. During questioning, Rep. Jim Jordan challenged Walz on why he restarted the payments despite the court never ordering it, forcing Walz to deflect and claim he was… pic.twitter.com/KsOUv5tycc
— Americaforever (@onetexgal9) March 5, 2026
Republicans also cited significant Walz-era increases in funding for other programs in which fraud was uncovered, related to autism therapy, child care, and a housing-affordability program.
Walz said he was aware of systemic fraud allegations before he took office and that he took steps to address them.
However, he said that Minnesota is “not going to shut down programs” that are otherwise worth it.
Repeatedly, the governor denounced fraud, saying, “One dollar is too much.”
Whistleblower Retaliation Alleged and Denied
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told Walz, “Almost 30 whistleblowers accused you and your administration of retaliation.”
Walz responded: “I can tell you it didn’t happen. … There’s a zero tolerance for whistleblower retaliation in Minnesota.”
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) pointed to the case of a state employee—a lifelong Democrat—who “was called ‘racist’ and her work responsibilities were diminished” after she blew the whistle on fraud. Many whistleblowers have reported being called “racist” or “Islamophobic” for pointing out fraud allegations against Somalis, who are predominantly black Muslims.
In response, Walz said that Minnesota offers “very strong whistleblower protections.” He also said it is illegal to retaliate against whistleblowers or intimidate them.
Gill replied, “Your administration has treated whistleblowers like absolute dirt, and that’s a big reason why we’ve seen so much of our hard-earned tax dollars defrauded.”
Burchett also named some specific organizations that were never prosecuted.
“Every dad-gum one of you all ought to step down,” Burchett said.
Other Republicans also called for resignations from Walz and Ellison.
‘Compassion Over Compliance’
Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.) raised concerns about former and current Minnesota welfare agency employees’ statements that they were told to emphasize “compassion over compliance” when dealing with recipients of government aid.
Documents back up statements showing that employees were told that they should behave based on a “mindset” of 70 percent compassion, 30 percent compliance, Timmons said.
“After acknowledging how widespread and pervasive fraud is in Minnesota, how should your state employees prioritize program compliance? What is your message to people now relative to this compassion–compliance ratio?” Timmons asked.
Walz said he agreed with Timmons.
“It’s not an either-or, and it’s not a percentage,” the governor said.
“We’re not going to stop these programs … [but] we need to have fraud prevention and program integrity.”
Walz, Ellison Defend Record
Walz, in a written statement, said, “In Minnesota, if you defraud public programs, if you steal taxpayer money, we will find you, we will prosecute you, we will convict you, and we will throw you in jail.”
He acknowledged that the governor has an important role in fighting fraud and that “the buck ultimately stops” with him.
“I do not shy away from that responsibility, and I am prepared—as I have always been—to have a serious conversation with our federal partners about how to ensure fraudsters cannot take advantage of Minnesota taxpayers,” Walz wrote.
Tim Walz is getting FLUSTERED, PANICKING after he was exposed lying about covering up for Somali fraud
WALZ: “Our Medicare error late is lower than your rate!!”
JAMES COMER: “You have been defrauded! You have not been good stewards of the taxpayer dollars. And the Democrat… pic.twitter.com/NkzpqRbYPz
— Roy Rogue (@rogue185263) March 5, 2026
Walz also told Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) that he would like to hear specifics on how Wisconsin tackled its “improper payments” problem under former Gov. Scott Walker, also a Republican.
During the hearing, Walz and other Democrats alleged that President Donald Trump and his Republican administration have targeted Minnesota fraud and immigration enforcement for political reasons.
Republicans said immigration is intertwined with many other problems, including election fraud and welfare-program fraud.
Ellison testified that his office can prosecute only Medicaid fraud on its own; federal prosecutors are responsible for other types of fraud cases.
In his written statement, he said his office has “worked tirelessly to hold fraudsters accountable.”
He touted winning 300 Medicaid-fraud convictions and recovering $80 million in judgments and restitution. His office also has “dissolved 17 sham non-profits involved in federal child nutrition fraud” since 2019, Ellison wrote.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 03/06/2026 – 18:25
Gol de Valverde ‘in extremis’ corta mala racha del Real Madrid en visita al Celta
Un tanto de Federico Valverde en el cuarto minuto de descuento cortó la mala racha del Real Madrid, que se impuso el viernes 2-1 en su visita a Celta de Vigo y se acercó provisionalmente a un punto del Barcelona, líder de La Liga española.
El Madrid buscaba evitar lo que hubiera sido su primera seguidilla de tres derrotas consecutivas desde 2018 y necesitó una gran dosis de suerte para conseguir los tres puntos. Había sucumbido en jornadas sucesivas en el torneo doméstico: 2-1 de visita a Osasuna y luego 1-0 contra Getafe en su propio estadio Santiago Bernabéu.
Ahora ve un poco más de cerca la estela del Barça, aunque sea de forma temporal.
“Queda muchísimo: 33 puntos. Eso a estas alturas, es casi como si no hubiese empezado”, consideró un aliviado técnico Álvaro Arbeloa. “Ahora todos se juegan mucho y es una guerra cada partido. Tiene mucho mérito el partido que hemos hecho, por lo duro que es el Celta y el número de bajas (Mbappé, Bellingham, Eder Militao)”.
Además, el conjunto blanco recibió una inyección de confianza de cara al duelo de ida de los octavos de final de la Liga de Campeones, previsto para la próxima semana anter el Manchester City, una suerte de nuevo clásico europeo. Los dos clubes se han medido en las rondas de eliminación directa durante los cuatro años anteriores.
“Para mí es una victoria muy importante, porque encaras de otra forma el partido del miércoles”, reconoció Arbeloa. “Y guía un poco el partido que queremos seguir”.
Los merengues se adelantaron a los 11 minutos, cuando un disparo de Aurélien Tchouaméni apenas dentro del área dejó inmóvil al portero del Celta.
El experimentado delantero del Celta Borja Iglesias empató para el equipo local con su tercer gol en cuatro partidos a los 25 minutos, y su compañero de ataque Iago Aspas tuvo la mala fortuna de ver cómo su remate se estrellaba en un poste a falta de dos minutos, cuando ambos equipos buscaban el tanto de la victoria.
Pero un enorme golpe de suerte en los segundos finales le dio el triunfo al Madrid.
Un disparo del uruguayo Valverde desde fuera del área se desvió de forma fatídica en un codo de Marcos Alonso y dejó sin opciones al guardameta Ionut Radu quien se había vencido hacia el otro costado.
“Esto es el Real Madrid, pelear hasta el final, luchar, carácter”, resaltó Arbeloa. “Ojalá sea un punto de inflexión y a partir de aquí, todo vaya mucho mejor”.
El Celta se mantiene sexto con 40 puntos.
“Duele porque fue justo al final”, comentó Iglesias. “Es un poco frustrante”.
El Barcelona juega este sábado contra el Athletic Bilbao. El Madrid tiene 63 puntos, mientras que el Barcelona suma 64.
_____
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
From the Farm: Son of late Lawrence Welk Jr. responds; Ralna English shares fudge recipe
Last month, I penned and published a column about the continued popularity of “The Lawrence Welk Show,” which aired from the 1950s through the early 1980s. I mentioned I joined my parents, meeting many of the famous faces at The Welk Resort in Branson, Missouri, when the lodging property and theater opened in May 1994 under the Welk Resort Group, established as a side investment by the bandleader in 1964.
My same column alerted the public about the Feb. 5 death of Lawrence Welk Jr., age 85, who helped run the Welk Group as a side business venture for his maestro father, who died at age 89 in 1992, and for mom Fern, Welk Sr.’s wife, who died at age 98 in 2002.
Also in the same column, I shared a news release distributed to the media by Holtz Matthews LLP about filing a $30 million lawsuit on behalf of ailing Larry Jr. (just before his death) about what they described as his “illegal ousting from the family business.” The lawsuit is against his own younger son, Kevin, age 55, and also his nephew Jonathan Fredricks, son of Shirley Welk Fredricks, now age 93 and the daughter of the late bubbly bandleader.
Kevin contacted me through his representatives at The Welk Group and asked that I also publish their news release to fairly represent both sides.
“We want to share the Welk Group’s press release regarding their counterclaim,” wrote Hanna Morgan, on behalf of Kevin.
“We would truly appreciate it if you could include this in your piece so it’s a balanced account of the issues. The Welk Group also extends its deep condolences to the family of Larry Welk, Jr.”
The Welk Group release reads: “The grandsons of the late Lawrence Welk, who is well known as the host of the popular Lawrence Welk show, are speaking out after taking legal action against Larry Welk, Jr., the son of Lawrence Welk.
“‘When I was a kid, my dad (Welk Jr.) and I used to be really close which is what makes this so difficult and sad,’ said Kevin Welk, son of Larry Welk, Jr. and current president of Welk Music Group.
‘But I don’t recognize him anymore. He grossly misused our company funds, did little work to grow The Welk Group, filed meritless lawsuits and then maligned his family, including me, in the press. He has really tarnished the Lawrence Welk legacy.’
“The Welk Group, Inc., filed a counter complaint against Larry Welk, Jr., accusing him of misuse of company funds and financial misconduct when Larry was CEO of the Welk Group, according to Counsel Victoria Danna.
“The Welk Group is guided by a commitment to integrity, transparency, and respect for the Lawrence Welk Show and its legacy. Contrary to Larry Welk, Jr.’s false claims, his son Kevin Welk and nephew Jonathan Fredricks have spent decades building and growing successful hospitality and entertainment companies, with little involvement from Larry Welk,’ says Counsel Victoria Danna.
‘While his son Kevin was signing Grammy-award-winning artists for the Welk Music Group and Jon Fredricks was successfully managing and dramatically growing the hospitality/timeshare company, Larry Welk was excessively profiting for doing little or no work. He used company funds for excessive personal bonuses, private jet travel, and other unauthorized expenses unrelated to company business or his role as CEO.’
Ralna English, a star from the long-running Lawrence Welk show, is disheartened by the behavior.
“‘As someone who knew Lawrence Welk Sr. and performed with him for many years on the show, it really breaks my heart that his son Larry would behave in this egregious manner, ultimately undermining his dad’s legacy,’” English is quoted in the press release.
“The company’s board of directors ultimately voted to eliminate the CEO position, held by Larry Welk Jr. because of the changes in The Welk Group Inc’s assets, the fact that daily management of its existing assets is performed by third parties, and the elimination of the CEO position was expected to result in significant cost savings, according to counsel.”
“Also, according to counsel, Fredericks and Kevin Welk have overwhelming support from the shareholders.”
“‘Kevin Welk and Jon Fredricks have always operated with complete financial integrity, and are supported by every shareholder (19 of 21) with the exception of Larry Welk Jr. and his spouse,’ counsel Danna continues in the press release.
“‘It is despicable that Larry Welk would disparage their names and the legacy of this highly respected company by filing baseless claims with zero merit. As the legal proceedings move forward, The Welk Group and the balance of the Welk family remain focused on doing what is right for the company, its shareholders and the community, while preserving the legacy of Lawrence Welk.’”
While I’ve never met or interviewed the late Lawrence Welk Sr. or his son Larry III or any of his grandsons, I have met and interviewed singer Ralna English, who will turn 84 in June. She became a household name as one-half of her married singing duo career with husband Guy Hovis for 13 years during the show’s run. The couple married in 1969 and divorced in 1984. He died earlier this year on Jan. 22 at age 84.
Singer Ralna English, right, greeted columnist Philip Potempa’s mother Peggy in June 1994 and talked recipes at The Welk Resort in Branson, Missouri. (Photo by Philip Potempa)
When my mom met Ralna at the Welk Resort in 1994 following my interview with the singer, the two chatted recipes, with Ralna planning a family cookbook to be published someday. Her spiral-bound dream came true in 2007 when Ralna published “The Ralna English Family Cookbook,” featuring her own recipes as well as those from her two sisters, aunts, mother and grandmother.
Ralna’s family recipe for an easy, rich and delicious fudge is a sweet temptation during this Lenten Season.
Columnist Philip Potempa has published four cookbooks and is a weekly radio show host on WJOB 1230 AM. He can be reached at PhilPotempa@gmail.com or mail your questions: From the Farm, PO Box 68, San Pierre, Ind. 46374.
Ralna English’s Lotsa Fudge
Makes 4 pounds of fudge
INGREDIENTS
4 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
1/4 pound butter, softened
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 package (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow crème
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
Boil sugar, butter and milk for 6-7 minutes over high heat, stirring constantly.
Pour chocolate chips into a very large bowl, and then pour heated ingredients over chips and fold in marshmallow crème. Stir well to combine but do not beat.
Gently mix in vanilla and pecans and pour into a prepared buttered 9-inch-by13-inch glass dish and chill until set.
Artist pulls plug on ‘Light Anemones’ exhibit in Naperville following dispute with art agency
“Light Anemones,” an international art piece that was to receive $65,000 in city funding for an exhibition this fall, is no longer coming to Naperville, according to the artist who created it.
The piece — a series of sculptures that reflect natural light during the day and provide an illuminated kinetic display after dark — was to have been installed in the Paddleboat Quarry. Local nonprofit ArtForum Naperville proposed the artwork to the Naperville Park Board for display in December. A Canadian company called Wireframe was responsible for curating the exhibit.
Everyone seemed to be on board with one exception: Malte Kebbel, the Berlin-based artist who said he was unaware of plans to bring his sculptures to the city until he read a Naperville Sun article on the proposal.
Kebbel said he started working with Montreal-based Wireframe about four years ago and that the company was representing the “Light Anemones” sculptures at the 2025 Winter Festival of Lights in Canada, which were held from November to the beginning of January.
After that festival, Kebbel said Wireframe mentioned an opportunity for him “close to Chicago,” but he was unaware that any kind of arrangement for its exhibition had been made. When he learned the company was planning to bring it to Naperville, he was shocked, he said.
“My problem is that they made some deals without asking me where they need to ask me and this created a big, big mess,” Kebbel said.
Kebbel said he was eventually informed by Wireframe about the deal, including the amount of money he would have received from the exhibition.
“The contract which (Wireframe) wanted to give to me was somewhere about $8,000 Canadian,” Kebbel said.
That amount was too low for him to accept, leading Kebbel to pull the plug on the exhibit and to stop working with Wireframe. He also noted that confusion around how Wireframe planned to transport his piece following the Canadian exhibition contributed to his decision to end his partnership with company.
In an email, Wireframe said that while it can confirm it had agreements with Kebbel about the representation and display of “Light Anemones,” they declined to comment on their contractual arrangements with Kebbel and the details surrounding the Naperville exhibit.
ArtForum treasurer/board member Erin Franczyk said they are trying to sort out what’s happened.
“We were recently informed that the artist shared with the broker and company that he is no longer working with them,” Franczyk said. “As an organization, we’re currently in conversation with our partners to better understand the situation and determine next steps.”
Last month, ArtForum was approved to receive $65,000 in funding from the city’s Special Events and Community Arts program for the installation.
The SECA program funds artistic projects and community events in Naperville through a tax the city collects on food and beverage sales. While SECA would have funded part of the “Light Anemones” installation, ArtForum officials said they would raise the additional $25,000 needed to help bring the sculptures to Naperville.
“It’s disappointing to see a project shift in this way, especially after the time and energy so many people have invested,” Franczyk said. “But our focus now is on working collaboratively with our partners — including those involved through SECA — to move forward in the best way possible.”
Naperville city spokesperson Linda LaCloche said Thursday that the city has not been informed that “Light Anemones” has been canceled. Any SECA funding awarded for an event or program that doesn’t take place returns to the Food and Beverage Tax Fund.
cstein@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/06/light-anemones-naperville-art-kebbel/
How in-season development of younger relievers will be ‘crazy valuable’ for the Chicago Cubs bullpen
MESA, Ariz. — The volatility in bullpens inherently leads to roster-construction changes over the course of the season.
The Chicago Cubs bullpen last year looked very different from opening day to the end of the season. Over the course of the 162 games, only three relievers remained in the bullpen by October, and one of them, Colin Rea, pitched in a true relief role three times in his 32 appearances. The Cubs know they could have some roster churn among their relievers this year, too, whether from injury or poor performance.
For them to best withstand that, development of relief options from within the organization will be important in the coming months.
Column: Is it un-American to root against Team USA in WBC? Plus other pressing sports issues.
“It’s crazy valuable,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said Friday. “In the industry, you see how valuable it is when you can create internal bullpen options and back-end bullpen options. For the organization, it’s worth so much.”
Left-hander Luke Little and right-handers Porter Hodge, Ethan Roberts and Jack Neely likely will see big-league innings out of the pen this year. The Cubs worked with Roberts this offseason to increase his velocity, and the uptick has been showing in his spring outings, posting a 94.1-mph average on his cutter (up 2.7 mph) Tuesday against Team Italy while his sinker averaged 94.7 mph (up 1.7 mph).
Hottovy acknowledged that the Cubs didn’t utilize Roberts very well in 2025. The 28-year-old appeared in 10 games, the majority in the first month of the season. Hottovy credited Roberts for doing “everything we asked him to do,” at times involving big spots in which the Cubs were limited in their options because of usage.
“Ethan at 93, 94, up to 95 we’ve seen in games with that pitch movement is a completely different pitcher than the guy who needs to cover three innings and go and throw 91, so we knew that situation was part of where we were in the season, and he knew he was going to help us out and he played a big part in that,” Hottovy said. “But one big goal for Ethan was to get back to that explosiveness this offseason, and he did. He’s done a fantastic job.”
Little’s and Hodge’s struggles last year and this spring are very similar. Little has shown elite stuff in camp, but when his delivery gets out of whack, the lefty’s command and velocity take a hit. Little and the Cubs have worked on recapturing his athleticism. He hit off a tee a lot over the offseason to create a fun way to get out of his head and just pitch while working on his rotational movement.
Hottovy pointed to Little’s outing Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks as a great example of how the Cubs want the 25-year-old to focus on just pitching and relying on his stuff. After walking Craig Counsell’s son Brady on five pitches to open the inning, Little focused a lot of his energy to hold the runner by alternating the height of his leg kick, pickoff attempts and slide-stepping in his delivery. When Little returned to the dugout at the end of a scoreless inning, Hottovy told him that was the kind of stuff he had to do during his own career because he wasn’t a very good pitcher.
“You have elite stuff to beat anybody, so just bully people in the strike zone,” Hottovy said. “It’s just reminding guys of that. And they’re working on it, he’s working on his pickoff move. He’s working on things so he wants to go out there and showcase it. It’s just let the game bring that to you, not trying to go force it in the moment.”
Hodge came into last season looking to replicate his 2024 rookie-year success when he recorded a 1.88 ERA and nine saves in 39 games. Instead, he struggled with a 6.27 ERA in 36 games and dealt with two injuries. Hodge showed flashes of great stuff early in camp, but in-game spring results have been shaky, especially with inconsistent command that has resulted in seven walks through two-plus innings.
Chasing past results can be a slippery slope that can send players down the wrong path. The Cubs want Hodge worrying less about the minutiae of his delivery during games and just grip and rip it.
“It’s just taking the work that he puts in and then separating that from like going and competing,” Hottovy said. “He’s very thoughtful about the work he puts in, very thoughtful about delivery and grip and cues and all those things. But when you’re in the game, just go compete, go have fun.
“This offseason, I thought he did a great job of just getting back to a clean, athletic delivery, just ripping his fastball over the plate and then let the slider work off that. We saw it in the live BPs, he was like a 75-80% strike rate. And then the game happens, and you get back to those bad habits.”
Ben Brown stands with other Cubs pitchers before warming up at Sloan Park during the first full-squad workout at spring training on Feb. 16, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Of the bullpen-depth options, Roberts seemingly has the best path to making the team out of camp. But the Cubs also hold a bullpen wild card in right-hander Ben Brown.
Hottovy didn’t rule out the possibility Brown could begin the year in the bullpen to give the Cubs another multi-inning option early in the season when starters aren’t fully stretched out. The Cubs plan to be deliberate with Cade Horton’s and Edward Cabrera’s workload initially and don’t want either pitcher to jump right to 95-pitch outings. That adds value to potentially having Rea and Brown in the bullpen to open the season.
“I just don’t want to put him in a spot where he could very well be one of the best 14 pitchers we have in camp at the end,” Hottovy said of Brown. “And I don’t want to just be like, well, we need to send him to Triple A to continue working on becoming a starter because I think he’s got the stuff to be an elite back-end guy too. At the same time, we can still develop guys as starters, giving them length in the big leagues at times. And just because we make a decision on a guy like Ben, a lot of it is short-term decision-making, not long-term.
“Our goal is to put the best group together we can in April and see where things are from that point.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/06/chicago-cubs-bullpen-depth-options/
J Balvin rehace “Jump” de Van Halen como himno para el Mundial; dice que es “un rompecabezas”
Por MARIA SHERMAN
NUEVA YORK (AP) — ¿Necesitas una superestrella global para un himno deportivo? El astro colombiano J Balvin es el hombre indicado para el trabajo.
“Nuestros momentos más grandes en la historia, de felicidad, giran en torno al deporte. Claro, la música, pero el deporte tiene este poder de unir a todo un país y generar una vibra realmente positiva. Así que eso es parte de mi ADN”, dijo Balvin sobre Colombia
Balvin es una cuarta parte del himno oficial de Coca-Cola para la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026, una reinterpretación de “Jump” de Van Halen que también cuenta con el baterista Travis Barker, la cantante pop/R&B Amber Mark y el guitarrista Steve Vai.
El año pasado, Joshua Burke, jefe de marketing global de música y cultura de The Coca-Cola Company, se acercó a Balvin con la idea. Al principio, el cantante sintió aprensión.
“Soy muy precavido cuando se trata de canciones como esta. Es como tocar la Mona Lisa”, comentó Balvin.
“Siento muchísimo respeto por himnos así”, agregó. Por eso, tuvo que adoptar “un enfoque totalmente diferente” para que funcionara; quería evitar comparaciones directas con la grabación original.
“Fue como un rompecabezas”, explica.
La voz rica y cristalina de Mark es la primera que se escucha en la pista; ella canta la letra original en inglés. Vai transforma su icónica guitarra; Barker potencia su percusión.
La mayor diferencia está en las aportaciones de Balvin. Escribió un verso nuevo —en español— sobre una producción cortesía de su colaborador L.E.X.V.Z, un sonido que describe como “funk brasileño con cuerdas duras, algo así como hip hop”.
“’Jump’ no es una canción de fútbol”, dijo sobre la original. “Por eso tuve que poner el amor y la pasión latinos por el fútbol (en la letra)”.
“El fútbol es nuestro idioma / Aquí todos somos mi gente”, rapea.
“El fútbol consiste en reunir a todo el mundo”, afirma. Es un mensaje especialmente resonante mientras aficionados y organizadores deportivos consideran las maneras en que la ofensiva migratoria del presidente Donald Trump podría afectar el torneo.
“Ojalá esta administración abra la mente y vea que esto es un evento mundial. Esto es para todos nosotros. Que la gente de verdad se divierta, disfrute y demuestre que Estados Unidos definitivamente puede organizar una Copa Mundial”, señaló Balvin.
La nueva “Jump”, que sale el viernes, se lanzó a través del recién creado sello interno de Coca-Cola, Real Thing Records, en alianza con Capitol Records. El video de “Jump”, dirigido artísticamente y diseñado por McFlyy, está ilustrado al estilo del anime, lo que refuerza su objetivo de reflejar el interés cultural global.
Coca-Cola ha sido patrocinador oficial de la Copa Mundial de la FIFA desde 1978 y ha producido varios himnos propios para el evento, entre ellos “Colors” de Jason Derulo en 2018 y una reinterpretación de “A Kind of Magic” de Queen en 2022 con la participación de la cantante mexicana Danna Paola, la rapera egipcia Felukah y la cantante saudí TamTam.
“Reimaginar una canción tan icónica como ‘Jump’ de Van Halen conllevó un verdadero sentido de responsabilidad”, escribió Burke a The Associated Press en una declaración exclusiva. “Los cuatro artistas se volcaron en el proceso como si este fuera su propio sencillo. Nuestro objetivo era crear un himno que celebrara todo el espectro de emociones del torneo y que se sintiera igual de poderoso en un estadio que sonando a todo volumen desde un auto con tus amigos. Pudimos lograr exactamente eso”.
¿Y Balvin? Espera que la gente responda a la energía de la canción y que de verdad la vea como “una canción de fútbol, ¿sabes? Y que la gente conecte con ella”.
Y eso es fútbol — no soccer. No te confundas.
“Ni siquiera sé qué es ‘soccer’. Siempre ha sido fútbol”, bromeó.
“We Have An Emergency”: Newsom’s Climate Obsession Could Wreak Havoc California’s Oil Industry
“We Have An Emergency”: Newsom’s Climate Obsession Could Wreak Havoc California’s Oil Industry
The oil-and-gas industry is sounding the alarm over a tightening of California’s cap-and-invest program, warning that stricter emissions caps could drive up gasoline prices and jeopardize the viability of in-state refining.
The California Air Resources Board is advancing amendments to the cap-and-invest framework, a market-based mechanism requiring major emitters to purchase allowances for greenhouse-gas emissions, that would significantly reduce the supply of available credits and accelerate reduction targets through 2030, according to the New York Post. The program, extended through 2045 last year, generates revenue through quarterly auctions that has helped fund state priorities, including the beleaguered high-speed rail initiative.
Andy Walz, president of Chevron’s downstream, midstream and chemicals division, told KCRA in an interview this week that the forthcoming board vote on the changes could impose billions in additional costs on fuel producers.
“If they add this burden … it’s not whether refineries will close, it’s when,” the executive said.
Walz pointed to heightened geopolitical risks, including the spiraling U.S.-Iran war, as a reason to pump the brakes on reductions in domestic production capacity.
“That makes no sense when you look at global tensions right now,” Walz said.
Walz described the situation as an “emergency” for the state and highlighted potential national-security implications, noting California hosts 32 U.S. military bases that depend on reliable local fuel supply.
“It’s important to national security to have the fuel those facilities need,” he said. “This isn’t just a California issue.”
A study by Capitol Matrix Consulting estimates the proposal could saddle California refineries with $5.5 billion to $9 billion in added costs over the next decade, a burden that could erase much or all of their projected earnings in some cases.
Projections from industry sources, including Chevron, indicate the amendments could add more than $1 a gallon to gasoline prices by 2030, with the company specifically estimating an increase of $1.21 per gallon if allowance prices reach projected ceilings around $135. California pump prices already average about $1.54 above the national level, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Yet, Newsom has shown little concern about higher costs at the pump for California voters. Instead, the potential 2028 Democrat presidential contender has framed the state’s climate policies largely in opposition to President Donald Trump.
“We’re doubling down on our best tool to combat Trump’s assaults on clean air — Cap-and-Invest — by making polluters pay for projects that support our most impacted communities,” Newsom said in September.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 03/06/2026 – 18:00
UN climate expert: Sustainable development requires cooperation
The earth’s and its inhabitants’ standard of living is better and worse, if you ask Niclas Svenningsen.
Svenningsen, who is the Manager for Climate Action Outreach at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, told a group of about 40 students, professors and other audience members during Purdue Northwest’s inaugural Interdisciplinary Sustainable Development Academic Symposium that the changes that have made people’s lives easier are also the things that are killing the planet. And it’s all happened way faster than anyone imagined.
Marco Scassa, a Purdue Northwest senior, listens to Niclas Svenningsen, the Manager for Climate Action Outreach at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, speak at the inaugural Interdisciplinary Sustainable Development Academic Symposium on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (John Smierciak/for the Post-Tribune)
In 1905, when Svenningsen’s grandmother was a young child, there were 1.6 million people inhabiting the planet, and the world’s GDP was $1.1 trillion, he said. By time he was born in 1965, the earth’s population had reached 3.4 billion with a $18 trillion GDP, he said.
When his grandson was born in 2022, the population more than doubled to 8.3 billion with a $117 trillion GDP, he said.
Between 1905 and the 1960s, the world saw many things inventions, such as mass transport; the telegraph, radio and TV; synthetic fertilizer; refrigeration; and hot showers. During the same period, medical advances like penicillin, vaccines and contraceptives helped extend life expectancy. The 1980s then brought pacemakers, the CT scan, lithium batteries, the human genome map and mass-produced computers, he said.
“In less than 120 years, three generations have never been where we are today,” Svenningsen said. “Where extreme poverty was once 50% of the global population, it’s now only 10%, but still 700 million people; and most people of both genders can get an education. Child mortality is now 3.6%, down from 20%.”
Cassie Vickers (left) and Leo Winders review their project, “From injustice to dignity” to advocate for nutritious food for the unhoused during the inaugural Interdisciplinary Sustainable Development Academic Symposium at Purdue Northwest on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (John Smierciak/for the Post-Tribune)
All that sounds great until you realize that the entire animal population is down to 27% of what it was; coral reefs “are history” in the next 10 years; catastrophic warming is not only driving catastrophic weather events but spreading disease faster and making land harder to farm; and the multilateral governance the world enjoyed from 1945 is “under threat,” he said.
The UN meets every year to try and reach a consensus on how to beat back some of the biggest threats, Svenningsen said, but member countries are stuck in doing things the way they want in their own ways versus best practices, he said. Still, he remains hopeful that the 197 countries of the world will eventually pull together, especially with regard to climate change.
“Doing things piecemeal helps, but the better thing is writing policy upon failed experience. For example, fossil fuels cost the world $7 trillion per year. If we could get governments to push clean energy, we save $4 trillion,” he said. “We’ve also looked at one growth factor, GDP, and we realize we have to think differently, because development has to be inclusive: ‘growth in context,’” he said.
PNW’s Interdisciplinary Sustainable Development Program, created from a grant the school’s CHESS College received in 2025, asks students to look at the UN’s sustainable development goals to see how they can apply them to their communities. Two students, Cassie Vickers and Leo Winders, of Dyer, chose hunger as their research project.
Niclas Svenningsen, the Manager for Climate Action Outreach at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, speaks at the inaugural Interdisciplinary Sustainable Development Academic Symposium at Purdue Northwest on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (John Smierciak/for the Post-Tribune)
The two have been working with Citizens Concerned for the Homeless out of Michigan City, an organization with a shelter that houses children, and their goal is to have legislation implementing proper nutrition in homeless shelters written.
“CCH has a teaching kitchen, so we’ve tasked ourselves with coming up with recipe cards for different diets: regular, diabetic, vegetarian and gluten-free,” Winders, who’s working on his masters in social work, said. “Looking at studies, we found that shelters met only 38% of any nutritional guidelines and offer only one or two meals a day because of budget constraints or even lack of effort. And some homeless people qualify for SNAP, but some don’t.”
“They get donations of pastries, which is great, but if you’re just eating fats and sugars, you can’t function,” Vickers, an undergrad studying business, added.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Evanston Reparations Committee seeks new revenue streams as original funding dwindles
More than five years after Evanston’s Reparations Program made national history as the first-ever government-funded initiative to compensate longtime Black residents for suffering housing discrimination, the question facing city leaders is how to pay for them now that the funding source, cannabis tax revenue, is producing less revenue than expected.
The way forward is also somewhat clouded until a lawsuit is resolved.
Members of the Evanston Reparations Committee took up the question of funding at their March 5 meeting, exploring additional funding avenues that could support payments to the 44 direct descendants expected to receive $25,000 each from the program this year for housing-related expenses.
Two proposals emerged as contenders: The first, to allocate $310,000 from the sale of 2221 Keeney Avenue, Evanston, an abandoned building in the 9th Ward, and another to advance consideration of a municipal tax on Delta-8 THC products.
The committee in part proposed a tax on Delta-8, a psychoactive hemp-derivative commonly sold in the form of vape cartridges, edibles and gummies, because revenue from the city’s cannabis tax has fallen short of expectations, city officials said.
“We all know that we’re not bringing in as much revenue as the city initially projected, and I think both of these items on the agenda are an effort to try to provide more benefits to the many descendants that are waiting,” said Ald. Bobby Burns, 5th.
“Among those descendants are people who are older in age, and we all would agree that it’s important to try our best to get benefits to those recipients in particular, not that we can prioritize them…but the quicker we can get through the full list, the quicker we can make sure that everybody is receiving the benefits when they’re living strong and healthy lives.”
The recipients include Black Evanston residents who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969 or their direct descendants.
Evanston currently collects a 3% Cannabis Retailers Occupation Tax on recreational cannabis sales and uses the revenue to fund the reparations program, alongside funding from its real estate transfer tax.
In 2019, the city pledged to donate $10 million in total to the reparations fund. While Illinois law prohibits the disclosure of how much revenue has been generated for the fund from its cannabis tax, over $275,000 has been generated for reparations from the real estate transfer tax as of Jan. 31.
Tax revenue from cannabis sales may be low in part because Evanston currently has only two active dispensaries open – Zen Leaf at 1804 Maple Avenue and OKAY Cannabis at 100 Chicago Avenue.
Delta-8 products are considered one of the more affordable “cannabinoids” and are more widely accessible than their traditional Delta-9 counterparts, partly because they aren’t held to the same legal restrictions.
“Hemp is not the same as cannabis. Hemp products, some of them are legal, [but] cannabis is legal under the restrictions and regulations the state has laid out,” said Ald. Matt Rodgers, 8th, at the March 5 meeting.
Per Evanston’s corporation counsel, the city operates as a “home rule unit,” and has the authority to impose a new tax on products without having to wait for state or federal approval.
While committee members were unable to move either recommendation forward because a quorum of members was not present for the vote, Ald. Krissie Harris, 2nd, confirmed that both proposals would be reviewed again at the next meeting on April 2.
In order to tax Delta-8 products, the committee will have to submit a further referral to City Council with support from at least two Council members before being presented to the referrals committee for formal consideration, according to committee members.
“This is on the table for consideration; we will keep our eye on it, because if it has the potential to provide some funding to get through this system…those things weren’t thought about, those things weren’t happening when the legalization of cannabis was happening,” Harris said. “So we will keep you all updated as we know any information.”
Harris confirmed at the meeting that of the total of 456 descendants who have applied for reparations since 2021, Evanston residents with numbers from 127 to 171 should now expect to be contacted by the city to receive their payment.
If payments are disbursed to the 44 additional recipients this year, a total of over $4 million will have been distributed for 171 of 456 descendants.
All residents at the time of application were randomly assigned a number signifying their place in line to receive their payment. Harris said the committee has already met with and allocated compensation for descendants numbered one through 126.
“As a rapid response to (disbursed) direct benefits, the funding is really being passed through as we get it,” said Robin Rue Simmons, former 5th Ward Alderwoman and reparations committee member.
“We’re not holding onto a pot of money,” Assistant to the City Manager Tasheik Kerr added.
100% of the money in the reparation fund will go towards that purpose, Kerr clarified.
Harris acknowledged that the process for handing out reparations has moved more slowly than anticipated and that she was hesitant to reopen the applications to additional qualifying residents, especially since committee members were “still learning from the current process for things that make sense, don’t make sense, how to make it more equitable.”
“Until we get further down that line of 456 [descendants], I don’t feel it’s appropriate, I don’t know if anybody else has input, but we’ve got to work through who we’ve already promised and had communication with before we start communication with somebody else.”
Compounding the shortfall in cannabis tax revenue, the program has also faced legal challenges that have cast uncertainty over its future.
In May 2024, conservative activist group Judicial Watch filed a class action lawsuit against Evanston arguing the reparations program violated the 14th amendment’s equal protection clause by using race as an eligibility requirement.
“The program’s use of a race-based eligibility requirement is presumptively unconstitutional, and remedying societal discrimination is not a compelling government interest,” Judicial Watch stated in a response to the city’s motion to dismiss.
“Among the program’s other fatal flaws is that it uses race as a proxy for discrimination without requiring proof of discrimination.”
Judicial Watch originally filed the suit on behalf of six non-Black individuals whose ancestors also lived in Evanston during the same time period. According to Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse records, the case is still ongoing as of January 2026.
Committee members are expected to reconvene April 2 to further review both the 2221 Keeney sale and Delta-8 THC tax recommendations for consideration of additional reparations funding.
PSG deja puntos en la lucha por el título de la Ligue 1 tras caer 3-1 en casa ante Mónaco
PARÍS (AP) — El campeón reinante Paris Saint-Germain dejó escapar puntos en la carrera por el título de la liga francesa tras perder 3-1 en casa ante un inspirado Mónaco el viernes.
La cuarta derrota liguera del líder PSG en la campaña pudo haber sido incluso más abultada. Lens, su escolta inmediato, puede colocarse a un punto de la cima si vence al colista Metz el domingo.
El extremo Maghnes Akliouche abrió el marcador para Mónaco y el delantero estadounidense Folarin Balogun sentenció el triunfo con un remate desviado a los 73 minutos.
Mónaco venció 1-0 al PSG en la Ligue 1 en septiembre y tomó ventaja en el marcador en los cuatro partidos de esta temporada, incluidos dos en la Liga de Campeones.
El PSG recibirá a Chelsea en el partido de ida de su cruce de octavos de final de la Liga de Campeones el miércoles.
A los 27 minutos, Akliouche aprovechó una pésima defensa de Warren Zaïre-Emery, quien intentó salir regateando desde su área y perdió el balón.
Balogun reaccionó rápido para combinar con Akliouche a su derecha y estrelló el balón en el poste antes de que entrara.
Akliouche marcó en el mismo arco en el Parque de los Príncipes en el partido de vuelta del repechaje de la Liga de Campeones. El PSG avanzó 5-4 en el global.
Mónaco, quinto en la table, anotó su segundo gol a los 10 minutos de la segunda parte, cuando el mediocampista Aleksandr Golovin, que acababa de ingresar, colocó el balón en la esquina inferior tras enganchar un centro desde la derecha. Casi vuelve a marcar instantes después con un soberbio disparo con caída desde 25 metros.
Ousmane Dembélé, vigente ganador del Balón, entró por el PSG a la hora de juego, tras perderse los últimos tres partidos por una lesión en el gemelo, pero le faltó chispa.
El delantero Bradley Barcola recortó distancias a los 71 con un disparo raso desviado, pero Balogun restableció la ventaja de dos goles desde el borde del área cuando su remate se elevó por encima de la cabeza del portero Matvei Safonov.
Akliouche se postula para el Mundial
Akliouche ha disputado cinco partidos con Francia desde que se incorporó a la selección al inicio de la temporada, y refuerza sus opciones de ser incluido en la lista del entrenador Didier Deschamps para el Mundial más adelante este año.
Akliouche generó problemas durante todo el encuentro con sus arrancadas desde atrás, y el mediocampista Vitinha intervino justo a tiempo para impedir que volviera a rematar hacia el final de la primera parte.
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Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
