Category: News
College Cannot Force CA Professor To Embed DEI Practices In Classroom, Judge Rules
College Cannot Force CA Professor To Embed DEI Practices In Classroom, Judge Rules
Authored by Jennifer Kabbany via The College Fix,
A California community college professor cannot be required to embed diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility practices in his classroom, a federal judge has ruled.
The decision is the latest development in a nearly three-year-old lawsuit filed by Daymon Johnson, a history professor at Bakersfield College, part of the Kern Community College District.
Johnson is also faculty lead of the Renegade Institute for Liberty.
Two California Code of Regulations provisions would require Johnson to employ teaching, learning, and professional practices reflecting diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, or DEIA, as well as mandate the professor establish proficiency in DEI to teach or lead within California’s community colleges, the decision states.
But a faculty institute that Johnson leads does not conform to DEI concepts, as it is “dedicated to the pursuit of free speech, open inquiry, critical thinking to advance American ideals within the broader Western tradition of meritocracy, individual agency, civic virtue, liberty of conscience and free markets,” its website states.
“Johnson alleges that the DEIA regulations compel his speech and discriminate against his viewpoint in violation of the First Amendment,” wrote U.S. District Judge Kirk Sherriff.
“He alleges that he fears either being compelled to express a viewpoint with which he disagrees or being punished if he continues to refuse to express defendants’ desired viewpoint or if he expresses his contrary views,” the judge wrote.
Judge Sheriff agreed with that concern, and granted on Feb. 20 Johnson’s motion for a preliminary injunction that blocks college leaders from “investigating, disciplining, or terminating the history professor based on any of his speech in the classroom, his scholarship, or as a private citizen,” the scholar’s attorneys stated in a Feb. 23 news release.
Sheriff’s 27-page ruling stated: “Johnson has credibly identified specific speech that he reasonably fears would be proscribed by the DEIA regulations. And as the Ninth Circuit has found, he ‘has established a ‘concrete plan to violate the law’ based on his allegations regarding his desired speech and his refusal to express support for [DEIA] principles.’”
The Ninth Circuit in July 2025 had ruled Johnson could continue his lawsuit over the college district’s objections.
“The First Amendment forbids California from demanding that community college professors conform their speech to an official government ideology—including so-called ‘DEI’ and anti-racist ideologies,” said Institute for Free Speech Vice President for Litigation Alan Gura, lead counsel for Johnson, in a news release.
However, the judge did rule district leaders can require Johnson take mandatory DEI training as a requirement to participate on faculty screening committees, Courthouse News Service reported.
Kern Community College District leaders did not respond to an email from The College Fix on Tuesday requesting comment on the decision.
“The ruling is temporary, since it came in the form of a preliminary injunction, meaning the case is active and can still proceed to trial,” Courthouse News reported.
Reached for comment, a Kern district spokesperson told The Fix officials have received the court’s ruling regarding the motion for a preliminary injunction in the Johnson case.
“Our focus remains on ensuring a stable and productive environment for our entire campus community. In alignment with our core values, we remain dedicated to fostering an inclusive learning environment that celebrates the diversity of people, ideas, and learning styles. The District remains committed to legal compliance while fulfilling our mission of academic excellence and service to our students. As this is an ongoing legal matter, no further comments will be provided at this time,” the statement read.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/25/2026 – 19:15
Brote de gripe aviar en elefantes marinos de California obliga a cancelar visitas turísticas
Por REBECCA BOONE
Siete crías de elefante marino han arrojado positivo a un virus de gripe aviar en el Parque Estatal Año Nuevo, en California, y varios ejemplares más muestran signos de la enfermedad, informaron los investigadores el miércoles. El brote obligó a las autoridades del parque a cancelar los populares recorridos turísticos durante el resto de la temporada de reproducción de focas.
Investigadores de la Universidad de California en Santa Cruz y de la Universidad de California en Davis destacaron que se trata del primer brote detectado del virus entre mamíferos marinos en California.
El brote mundial de gripe aviar que comenzó en 2020 ha provocado la muerte de millones de aves domésticas y se ha propagado a la fauna silvestre en todo el mundo, y las focas y los leones marinos parecen particularmente vulnerables a la enfermedad. El virus ha causado la muerte de miles de leones marinos en Chile y Perú, miles de elefantes marinos en Argentina y cientos de focas en Nueva Inglaterra en los últimos años.
El virus es considerado de bajo riesgo para el ser humano, pero las autoridades indicaron que la gente debe evitar acercarse a las focas y mantener a sus mascotas lejos de estos animales.
Cada invierno, miles de elefantes marinos llegan al Parque Estatal Año Nuevo, ubicado a unos 90 minutos al sur de San Francisco, para pelear, aparearse y dar a luz. El espectáculo anual atrae a turistas y observadores de fauna silvestre que desean ver a las focas más grandes del planeta. Algunos miran desde plataformas públicas de observación y otros se inscriben en caminatas guiadas por voluntarios a través de las zonas de reproducción, conocidas como colonias.
Pero por ahora, el área de observación está cerrada y los recorridos en Año Nuevo ya fueron cancelados “para extremar precauciones”, indicó Jordan Burgess, superintendente adjunta de distrito del Departamento de Parques y Recreación de California. Las autoridades esperan que la medida ayude a evitar cualquier propagación de la enfermedad que pueda ocurrir si las personas transitan por las colonias de elefantes marinos, explicó.
“Definitivamente no estamos entrando en pánico por la exposición humana en este momento”, más bien se busca garantizar la salud de las focas y de las personas en general.
Christine Johnson, directora del Instituto de Perspectivas sobre Pandemias en la Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria Weill de UC Davis, señaló que el brote no tardó en detectarse debido a que los investigadores han estado en alerta máxima en los últimos años, atentos a cualquier señal de la enfermedad.
Después del avistamiento de animales muertos y enfermos entre el 19 y 20 de febrero, los investigadores recolectaron muestras para su análisis en el Sistema de Laboratorios de Salud Animal y Seguridad Alimentaria de California. El cribado mostró que los ejemplares estaban infectados con el virus H5N1 de la influenza aviar altamente patógena (HPAI, por sus siglas en inglés).
Los resultados de los análisis de muestras de otros 30 ejemplares siguen pendientes, señaló Johnson.
Los investigadores de las universidades están trabajando con administradores de vida silvestre estatales y federales y con The West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network para dar seguimiento a los animales.
___
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Illinois lawmakers approve Christopher Meister as state’s new auditor general
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois lawmakers approved the appointment Wednesday of a new leader of the state agency tasked with conducting audits of other departments that fall under state government.
Christopher Meister, the executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority, was approved 51-0 in the Senate and 97-1 in the House to succeed Frank Mautino, who is retiring as the state’s auditor general.
The legislative appointment begins May 1, when Meister will take over as auditor general, a constitutional office tasked with reviewing the use and management of public funds by state agencies from the Illinois Department of Corrections to the Illinois Department of Human Services. The office reviews financial records for agencies, as well as compliance with state and federal laws and program performance.
Under the leadership of Mautino, a former Democratic state representative from Spring Valley who has served as auditor general for a decade, the office last year uncovered how Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration vastly underestimated the cost and attraction of programs that have provided state-funded health insurance for immigrants who are not citizens. One of those programs, which provided Medicaid-style health care for middle-aged noncitizens, was cut by Pritzker last year to save the state hundreds of millions of dollars.
In 2024, Mautino’s office revealed that the Illinois Department of Employment Security, which is charged with distributing unemployment benefits, fell short in administering claims filed during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving auditors unable to determine if more than $6 million wound up in the appropriate hands. At the time, the audit drew more criticism of IDES after it had previously come under scrutiny for how it administered the distribution of unemployment benefits throughout the pandemic.
Another report from Mautino’s office, in 2022, reviewed a COVID outbreak that killed 36 elderly military veterans at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home in 2020, showing the state’s Public Health Department didn’t show up at the LaSalle home until 11 days after the outbreak began. The report blasted the agency for failing to “identify and respond to the seriousness of the outbreak.”
According to the Illinois Finance Authority’s website, Meister oversees financial products that include tax-exempt conduit bonds for nonprofits, industrial, commercial and agricultural sectors, and helps provide resources for economic development and climate energy-related projects.
As a self-funded agency that doesn’t rely on taxpayer funding, the agency since 2009 under Meister’s leadership has attracted more than $45 billion in private capital to issue bonds for various projects throughout the state, according to the website.
From 2016 to 2022, Meister served as a member of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board for the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and in 2012, he was chosen as a member of the inaugural Edgar Fellows program, which promotes bipartisan leadership in Illinois government and is named after its founder, the late Republican Gov. Jim Edgar.
Daily Horoscope for February 26, 2026
General Daily Insight for February 26, 2026
Soft focus helps us hear quiet truths. As the nurturing Moon enters Cancer, we lean toward comfort, choosing slower steps and kinder words in the early hours. Soon after, Mercury turns retrograde in Pisces at 1:48 am EST, asking us to review messages and renegotiate plans while intuition steadies tricky conversations. We can tidy calendars, revisit promises, and reply with patience, allowing knowledge to unfurl as we take the time to rewrite what no longer fits. Slow fixes today make future choices feel lighter.
Aries
March 21 – April 19
What stories do you tell yourself about your past? As adroit Mercury starts reversing through your contemplative 12th house, its retrograde invites you to press pause on the cosmic movie in favor of reviewing what’s already happened. Old issues can clutter your mind, making it tough to move forward. Protect the time you have to rest! If you must be busy, try to work on less immediately visible tasks or refine your next move. Quiet prep strengthens your courage for clearer starts.
Taurus
April 20 – May 20
Progress returns as you slow plans down. Your 11th House of Connected Communities calls for review as cerebral Mercury goes retrograde, so group efforts may stall around demands for clearer roles. Your steady nature helps people breathe while you confirm who does what (and when, and where). Don’t push through mixed signals — stop and clear them up! You could also revisit a long-range dream with an ally, because practical pacing protects the friendship’s shared goal. Choose patience to keep teamwork solid.
Gemini
May 21 – June 20
Thinking fast doesn’t always mean you make great decisions (not right now, at least). Mercury whirls retrograde in your 10th House of Purpose, pulling attention to your long-term goals and how you talk about them. Be wary of technology, especially if you’ve got big presentations to make. Ready yourself for some glitches! You may also need to accept a few edits, because otherwise you could write something that sounds clever to you, but confuses everyone else. Remember: measure twice, cut once!
Cancer
June 21 – July 22
This morning invites a thoughtful pause. Your 9th House of Growth receives the oft-muddled energy of Mercury Retrograde — travel plans, watch out! You’d be wise to spend this time planning a trip rather than actually booking or actively beginning one. When trying to learn something new, keep a careful eye on your sources to avoid accidentally memorizing false information. You can shine by helping others through this confusing time, particularly those who are learning or traveling at your side. Take your time.
Leo
July 23 – August 22
Shared truths grow when fertilized with trust and patience. This may look like nothing much is happening as clever Mercury goes retrograde in your 8th House of Mutual Bills, inviting you to review agreements and analyze trust. If a legal document looks off, don’t hesitate to get the details and ask respectful questions before you propose a fair fix. It’s okay to have personal rules about lending money or avoiding other, similar risks. Keep collaborating and communicating, and solutions will eventually come to light.
Virgo
August 23 – September 22
Limits are a universal factor in every connection at this time, but they don’t have to be painful. Partnership thrives when messages stay kind, even as mental Mercury goes retrograde in your 7th House of Partnerships. If a partner or a client misunderstands you, don’t let it go unacknowledged. Show them you get their concerns, then explain how you’d handle them. Your eye for detail becomes an even greater gift when you’re willing to improve your process. Choose transparency to strengthen shared plans.
Libra
September 23 – October 22
Where can simplicity bring harmony back? Small fixes prevent messes as information-gathering Mercury turns retrograde in your 6th House of Wellness, nudging you to refine routines and rest your body and mind. Be wary of double-booking yourself (or your entire group)! You may need to rework your schedule and send out a few apologies for missed commitments. Small adjustments brighten the day and let you enjoy working as a team without unfair stressors. Handle all details with care to support a continued steady peace.
Scorpio
October 23 – November 21
Welcome honesty as soon as it knocks. Mischievous Mercury spins retrograde in your 5th House of Charm, which makes this a better time for second drafts and continued efforts rather than fresh starts or totally new ideas. Be wary of the temptation to read between the lines — even if someone isn’t saying everything, it’ll be extra tough to tell what, exactly, they do mean. Your depth helps you swim through confusion into a rich pool of connection. Don’t settle for half-truths; seek meaningful joy.
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21
You love possibilities, so retrace your steps to find some extra ones. You may be in and out the door all day long with Mercury reversing course through your family-centric 4th house. Factor in excess time for deliveries or errands, because you never know when you’ll have to adjust your timeline during Mercury Retrograde. You can still dream big while you tidy your base camp, because a lighter home makes room for fresh adventures. Organize first to help freedom feel more spacious.
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19
Clear structure returns as you review messages. Your 3rd House of Day-tripping needs buffers as chatty Mercury goes retrograde, insisting upon all sorts of edits to plans you once thought were solid. Don’t take it too hard — just avoid making any particularly time-sensitive plans for this evening. Do your best to keep moving and stay level-headed. Your careful planning turns complex detours into smooth reroutes because you know the reliability of patience over speed today. Double-check directions to protect your responsible reputation.
Aquarius
January 20 – February 18
Morning checks help money choices stay clear. Your 2nd House of Self-Worth requests a review as studious Mercury twirls retrograde, prompting checks on prices and subscriptions while you choose what deserves your hard-won resources. If a charge looks odd, contact support and keep screenshots to prove your point. Be willing to pause a purchase until the details line up! Search for smarter ways to save or share with style without losing your spark. Spend with intention to feel grounded and free.
Pisces
February 19 – March 20
Your voice strengthens as you turn inward. Mercury is moving retrograde in your sign, shifting attention to how others perceive you in varying circumstances. You may feel unusually sensitive, so do your best to find time to recharge your social batteries as necessary. Otherwise, you risk running on empty in a very visible way! Practice a script that protects your needs and honors your generous spirit. Gaining this space should let you be a social butterfly and get the rest your heart needs.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/25/daily-horoscope-for-february-26-2026/
Daily Horoscope for February 26, 2026
General Daily Insight for February 26, 2026
Soft focus helps us hear quiet truths. As the nurturing Moon enters Cancer, we lean toward comfort, choosing slower steps and kinder words in the early hours. Soon after, Mercury turns retrograde in Pisces at 1:48 am EST, asking us to review messages and renegotiate plans while intuition steadies tricky conversations. We can tidy calendars, revisit promises, and reply with patience, allowing knowledge to unfurl as we take the time to rewrite what no longer fits. Slow fixes today make future choices feel lighter.
Aries
March 21 – April 19
What stories do you tell yourself about your past? As adroit Mercury starts reversing through your contemplative 12th house, its retrograde invites you to press pause on the cosmic movie in favor of reviewing what’s already happened. Old issues can clutter your mind, making it tough to move forward. Protect the time you have to rest! If you must be busy, try to work on less immediately visible tasks or refine your next move. Quiet prep strengthens your courage for clearer starts.
Taurus
April 20 – May 20
Progress returns as you slow plans down. Your 11th House of Connected Communities calls for review as cerebral Mercury goes retrograde, so group efforts may stall around demands for clearer roles. Your steady nature helps people breathe while you confirm who does what (and when, and where). Don’t push through mixed signals — stop and clear them up! You could also revisit a long-range dream with an ally, because practical pacing protects the friendship’s shared goal. Choose patience to keep teamwork solid.
Gemini
May 21 – June 20
Thinking fast doesn’t always mean you make great decisions (not right now, at least). Mercury whirls retrograde in your 10th House of Purpose, pulling attention to your long-term goals and how you talk about them. Be wary of technology, especially if you’ve got big presentations to make. Ready yourself for some glitches! You may also need to accept a few edits, because otherwise you could write something that sounds clever to you, but confuses everyone else. Remember: measure twice, cut once!
Cancer
June 21 – July 22
This morning invites a thoughtful pause. Your 9th House of Growth receives the oft-muddled energy of Mercury Retrograde — travel plans, watch out! You’d be wise to spend this time planning a trip rather than actually booking or actively beginning one. When trying to learn something new, keep a careful eye on your sources to avoid accidentally memorizing false information. You can shine by helping others through this confusing time, particularly those who are learning or traveling at your side. Take your time.
Leo
July 23 – August 22
Shared truths grow when fertilized with trust and patience. This may look like nothing much is happening as clever Mercury goes retrograde in your 8th House of Mutual Bills, inviting you to review agreements and analyze trust. If a legal document looks off, don’t hesitate to get the details and ask respectful questions before you propose a fair fix. It’s okay to have personal rules about lending money or avoiding other, similar risks. Keep collaborating and communicating, and solutions will eventually come to light.
Virgo
August 23 – September 22
Limits are a universal factor in every connection at this time, but they don’t have to be painful. Partnership thrives when messages stay kind, even as mental Mercury goes retrograde in your 7th House of Partnerships. If a partner or a client misunderstands you, don’t let it go unacknowledged. Show them you get their concerns, then explain how you’d handle them. Your eye for detail becomes an even greater gift when you’re willing to improve your process. Choose transparency to strengthen shared plans.
Libra
September 23 – October 22
Where can simplicity bring harmony back? Small fixes prevent messes as information-gathering Mercury turns retrograde in your 6th House of Wellness, nudging you to refine routines and rest your body and mind. Be wary of double-booking yourself (or your entire group)! You may need to rework your schedule and send out a few apologies for missed commitments. Small adjustments brighten the day and let you enjoy working as a team without unfair stressors. Handle all details with care to support a continued steady peace.
Scorpio
October 23 – November 21
Welcome honesty as soon as it knocks. Mischievous Mercury spins retrograde in your 5th House of Charm, which makes this a better time for second drafts and continued efforts rather than fresh starts or totally new ideas. Be wary of the temptation to read between the lines — even if someone isn’t saying everything, it’ll be extra tough to tell what, exactly, they do mean. Your depth helps you swim through confusion into a rich pool of connection. Don’t settle for half-truths; seek meaningful joy.
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21
You love possibilities, so retrace your steps to find some extra ones. You may be in and out the door all day long with Mercury reversing course through your family-centric 4th house. Factor in excess time for deliveries or errands, because you never know when you’ll have to adjust your timeline during Mercury Retrograde. You can still dream big while you tidy your base camp, because a lighter home makes room for fresh adventures. Organize first to help freedom feel more spacious.
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19
Clear structure returns as you review messages. Your 3rd House of Day-tripping needs buffers as chatty Mercury goes retrograde, insisting upon all sorts of edits to plans you once thought were solid. Don’t take it too hard — just avoid making any particularly time-sensitive plans for this evening. Do your best to keep moving and stay level-headed. Your careful planning turns complex detours into smooth reroutes because you know the reliability of patience over speed today. Double-check directions to protect your responsible reputation.
Aquarius
January 20 – February 18
Morning checks help money choices stay clear. Your 2nd House of Self-Worth requests a review as studious Mercury twirls retrograde, prompting checks on prices and subscriptions while you choose what deserves your hard-won resources. If a charge looks odd, contact support and keep screenshots to prove your point. Be willing to pause a purchase until the details line up! Search for smarter ways to save or share with style without losing your spark. Spend with intention to feel grounded and free.
Pisces
February 19 – March 20
Your voice strengthens as you turn inward. Mercury is moving retrograde in your sign, shifting attention to how others perceive you in varying circumstances. You may feel unusually sensitive, so do your best to find time to recharge your social batteries as necessary. Otherwise, you risk running on empty in a very visible way! Practice a script that protects your needs and honors your generous spirit. Gaining this space should let you be a social butterfly and get the rest your heart needs.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/25/daily-horoscope-for-february-26-2026/
Denis Bouanga acuerda extensión multianual con Los Angeles FC tras interés de Fluminense
Por GREG BEACHAM
LOS ÁNGELES (AP) — El productivo delantero Denis Bouanga ha acordado una extensión multianual de contrato con Los Angeles FC.
El club anunció el miércoles el acuerdo con Bouanga, quien ahora está firmado como jugador designado hasta 2028, con una opción que se extiende hasta la temporada 2029-30 de la MLS.
Bouanga ha sido uno de los mejores jugadores de la liga desde que llegó procedente del St-Étienne de la Ligue 1 de Francia en agosto de 2022. La campaña pasada, se convirtió en el goleador histórico de LAFC.
Suma 101 goles y 42 asistencias en 152 partidos con el cuadro angelino.
“Estoy agradecido con LAFC por la confianza que ha mostrado en mí. Desde el principio, mi familia y yo nos hemos sentido como en casa en Los Ángeles”, expresó Bouanga en un comunicado. “Es un honor representar a este club y a nuestros aficionados cada vez que me pongo la camiseta. Creo en lo que estamos construyendo aquí, y estoy motivado para seguir mejorando, ganar más trofeos y ayudar a este club a llegar aún más alto”.
Bouanga, de 31 años, tenía antes un contrato que expiraba en 2027, y había recibido muestras de interés antes de la campaña por parte del club brasileño Fluminense. Múltiples reportes de prensa sugerían que un acuerdo era inminente en las últimas semanas.
En cambio, LAFC ha asegurado a su pieza clave, la contraparte de la superestrella Son Heung-min, preservando su dinámica dupla goleadora al inicio de una temporada en la que el club espera pelear por títulos.
“Denis ha rendido a un nivel de élite con una consistencia histórica desde el día en que llegó, y nos ha ayudado a ganar múltiples trofeos”, recalcó el gerente general de LAFC, John Thorrington. “Este nuevo contrato refleja eso. Estamos orgullosos de lo que ha logrado aquí y estamos motivados para seguir construyendo juntos sobre ese éxito”.
Bouanga empezó a marcar goles importantes casi de inmediato tras su llegada en 2022, al desempeñar un papel clave en la marcha de LAFC hacia el trofeo del Supporters’ Shield y su único cetro de la MLS.
El francés, que representa a Gabón a nivel internacional, igualó el récord de la franquicia de LAFC con 38 goles en todas las competiciones en 2023, mientras obtenía la primera de tres selecciones consecutivas al Once Ideal de la MLS. Luego, Bouanga terminó 2024 como subcampeón en la disputa por la Bota de Oro con 20 goles, a la vez que consiguió su segunda selección consecutiva al Juego de Estrellas.
_____
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Norcorea dice que podría destruir Surcorea si se ve amenazada
Por KIM TONG-HYUNG
SEÚL, Corea del Sur (AP) — El mandatario norcoreano Kim Jong Un afirmó que su país podría “destruir por completo” a Corea del Sur si su seguridad se viera amenazada, y reiteró su negativa a dialogar con Seúl, informaron el jueves medios estatales. Sin embargo, dejó abierta la puerta al diálogo con Washington, al concluir un congreso del partido gobernante en el que expuso sus objetivos de política para los próximos cinco años.
Medios estatales informaron el jueves que Kim también pidió desarrollar nuevos sistemas de armas para reforzar a su ejército, incluidos misiles balísticos intercontinentales que podrían lanzarse desde debajo del agua, y un mayor arsenal de armas nucleares tácticas —tales como artillería y misiles de corto alcance— dirigidos contra Corea del Sur.
Manifestó que el desarrollo acelerado de su programa nuclear y de misiles “consolidó de forma permanente” el estatus del país como Estado con armas nucleares, y le pidió a Estados Unidos que abandone lo que dijo eran políticas “hostiles” hacia Corea del Norte como condición previa para reanudar un diálogo estancado hace tiempo.
El congreso del Partido de los Trabajadores, que comenzó el jueves pasado en Pyongyang, se llevó a cabo mientras Kim forja una presencia regional más enérgica, aprovechando la expansión de su programa nuclear militar y un creciente alineamiento con Moscú. Ambas cosas han profundizado sus enfrentamientos con Washington y Seúl.
La agencia noticiosa oficial Korean Central News Agency informó que Corea del Norte realizó un desfile militar en la capital el miércoles al concluir el congreso, que Kim ya había llevado a cabo anteriormente en 2016 y 2021.
Se tenía previsto que Kim haría esos comentarios en el congreso, pues ha estado expresando posturas cada vez más de línea dura hacia Corea del Sur desde 2024, cuando descartó el objetivo de larga data de Pyongyang de una reunificación pacífica entre las Coreas divididas por la guerra, y declaró que Corea del Sur era un enemigo permanente. Pero los analistas esperaban que Kim adoptara un enfoque más mesurado hacia Washington para preservar la posibilidad de un diálogo futuro, con el objetivo a largo plazo de lograr que Estados Unidos alivie las sanciones y se reconozca tácitamente a Corea del Norte como Estado nuclear.
Recientemente, Kim le ha estado dando prioridad a Rusia en su política exterior, enviando miles de soldados y grandes cantidades de equipo militar para apoyar la guerra de Moscú en Ucrania, posiblemente a cambio de ayuda y tecnología militar. Pero tendría sentido mantener sus opciones abiertas, ya que la guerra en Ucrania podría ir llegando a su fin, lo que potencialmente haría a Corea del Norte menos valiosa para el Kremlin, dicen los expertos.
En un informe que puso fin al congreso, Kim dijo que su gobierno mantenía la “postura más dura” contra Washington, pero añadió que “no hay razón por la que no podamos llevarnos bien” con los estadounidenses si retiran su supuesta “política hostil” hacia el gobierno norcoreano. Corea del Norte suele usar el término para describir la presión y las sanciones lideradas por Estados Unidos por las ambiciones nucleares de Kim. Sus comentarios concuerdan con la posición previa norcoreana de pedirle a Washington que abandone sus exigencias de desnuclearización del gobierno norcoreano como condición previa para reanudar las conversaciones.
Corea del Norte ha rechazado repetidamente las exhortaciones de Washington y Seúl para reanudar la diplomacia destinada a reducir su programa nuclear, que se descarriló en 2019 luego de que se vino abajo la segunda cumbre de Kim con el presidente de estadounidense Donald Trump durante su primer mandato.
Las perspectivas de las relaciones entre la Casa Blanca y Corea del Norte “dependen enteramente de la actitud de Estados Unidos”, explicó. “Ya sea coexistencia pacífica o confrontación permanente, estamos listos para cualquiera de las dos, y la elección no nos corresponde”.
———
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
“You Owe Us” Is The Mantra Of The Left
“You Owe Us” Is The Mantra Of The Left
This is a lightly edited transcript of a segment from today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words” from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to Hanson’s own YouTube channel to watch past episodes.
Sami Winc: Two things that came together for me. One was [New York City Mayor Zohran] Mamdani’s 9.5% increase in the property tax for New Yorkers, but not that alone. I’m sure our audience has read about that. But I was looking at Power Line. I always like to give a shout-out to them because they have some great articles, and they were comparing New York State’s budget versus Florida’s budget.
And they came up with, well, it’s only half at the state level. So, I thought, well, let’s look at the city level, New York City versus Miami. And while the billions that each of them has to spend is not meaningful in and of themselves. So, for example, New York City’s budget is $127 billion while Miami’s is only $3.4.
But that being said, per citizen, what has to be paid into these cities? And so, for Mamdani, each of his citizens has to pay $14,431 in for his budget. And in Miami, it’s just half of that, at just under $7,000 per citizen.
Victor Davis Hanson: And it’s more disproportionate because in New York, the number of people who are actually paying taxes is a much smaller percentage than in Miami.
He inherited the city that was this blue-chip financial market, this cultural, financial capital of the world, and the first thing he did was raise spending by $11 billion.
Second thing he did was prove that he couldn’t get the trash or the snow off the street during the storm.
Third thing he did, it was very hard to find an appointee who somewhere in their dark history had not issued or written something antisemitic.
All he does is smile and try to be … basically, his message is: I’m not Lenin, and Trotsky or Stalin.
I’m the nice, happy-faced communist, and you’re going to like me, and you’re going to like my communism. We’re all going to get along.
I mean, if you’re in New York, if you’re in California, you got a choice.
If you’re in California and this billionaire tax passes, and you’ve got to come up with $50 million, you’re going to flee. If you’re in New York, and they’re going to raise your property tax on these multimillion-dollar buildings, you’re talking what could be $20 or $30, $40, $50 million more a year, then you’re going to flee, get out.
If you don’t, they’re just going to keep doing it.
They’re going keep targeting you because they have an idea. I don’t think people realize that.
The socialist mind … I knew a lot of socialists in the universities and some friends of mine, and they always think…
The whole core of socialism is, I work hard, and no one knows how I suffer at my job as a nurse, as a farmer, whatever. And I believe in the labor theory of value.
Why is it that when Victor had a Ph.D. but he was pruning vines, he was only making $4 an hour—I was for three years—and then all of a sudden, five years later, he is an academic, and he is sitting in between classes and having coffee and he’s making $50 an hour. That’s not fair.
And so, they don’t think about supply and demand, expertise, education, nothing.
And somebody would say, “Well, when Victor was pruning vines, a lot of people could not only prune them, they could probably prune them better.”
When he was teaching a particular Greek literature class, and they thought that was an important class to offer. Questionable, but that’s what they said. Very few people could do it. They don’t accept that.
And so, they run on this envy that we work hard, and we get up, and we do things, and therefore we should be compensated.
And that’s what a socialist is, and they’re going keep raising taxes.
The other thing about it is, when they raise taxes, they don’t ever say thank you.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, even former Sen. Dianne [Feinstein], they’re all wealthy, but they never said, “We want to thank the people in California that are the 1% that are paying 50% of the income tax.”
And by the way, the 50% of the income tax in California, there’s only about, I don’t know what there is, 250 billionaires? They usually pay capital gains tax. They pay at about, I don’t know, 28%. The people in that 1% of Californians are highly compensated professionals and small business-people who make a million or two million, three million dollars, and then they get hit with a 13.3% tax rate, plus their federal plus Medicare.
So, they’re paying 55% of their income and nobody ever says, “Thank you for doing that, you people, we have a very skilled elite that allows us to have this huge budget.”
They don’t.
The attitude is always, “They have to. They have to pay more.”
I remember in 1991 there was a fiscal crisis in California and the state was broke.
Well, it’s always broke. It always has a deficit, but this was a really bad deficit. So, they decided to go after all state agencies, and one of them was the California State University system. In the past you always could lay off part-time lecturers. But then they got the idea, we exploit those people so well. We pay them so little that by laying them off—we really reduce about 40% of our classes, which are big money earners. And they don’t cost us anything. We exploit them. No benefit. But the ones that really are the high-priced assets, if you’re going to go after budget cuts, are the tenured full professor, top step in fields that we feel are not essential.
I disagreed with that. So they started laying off Russian professors, classics professors—I was on leave that year—dance professors, which was bad. It was really bad. But when you listen to them, and I knew them very well, they’d say, “Well, these people can pay. Why aren’t we taxing more? Why don’t we raise taxes?”
I said, “We already have the highest income tax.” Well, they have a lot of money, or they wouldn’t be able to pay what they do. But they never made the connection that their job was dependent on somebody being willing. So, they had just contempt for the people that were already paying their salaries.
And some of these classes had three and four people in them. But it was just outrage. It was never, “Why don’t we cut our expenses and save the taxpayer?” It was always, “Ah, they owe us. They owe us.” And that’s the attitude of the Left.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/25/2026 – 18:30
Jurado de Texas no presentará acusaciones en caso de ciudadano de EEUU muerto por agente migratorio
Por JESSE BEDAYN y MICHAEL BIESECKER
Un jurado investigador rechazó el miércoles presentar acusaciones por los disparos letales efectuados el año pasado por un agente federal de inmigración contra un ciudadano de Estados Unidos en un encuentro de tránsito en Texas, informaron los fiscales.
Los balazos contra Ruben Ray Martinez el 15 de marzo de 2025, perpetrados por un agente de la Oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional, no fueron divulgados públicamente por el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS, por sus siglas en inglés) hasta que The Associated Press y otros medios lo informaron la semana pasada.
La Fiscalía de Distrito del condado Cameron indicó en un comunicado que un jurado investigador declinó presentar acusaciones después de que se le expuso el caso. La fiscalía no proporcionó más detalles.
El DHS ha alegado que Martinez “atropelló intencionalmente a un agente especial de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional”, lo que provocó que otro agente disparara “tiros defensivos para protegerse a sí mismo, a sus compañeros agentes y al público en general”.
La balacera sería la primera de al menos seis tiroteos mortales cometidos por agentes federales desde que el presidente Donald Trump lanzó una batida migratoria a nivel nacional en su segundo mandato.
Un pasajero que iba en el auto con Martinez, Joshua Orta, había cuestionado la versión del DHS en un borrador de afidávit preparado el año pasado, según los abogados de la familia de Martinez. Orta, un testigo clave del encuentro, murió en un accidente automovilístico el fin de semana pasado.
Martinez y Orta estaban de viaje en South Padre Island, en Texas, cuando se acercaron a agentes locales y federales que dirigían el tránsito en torno a un accidente automovilístico en una intersección concurrida, según el borrador del afidávit.
En el borrador, Orta presuntamente dijo que Martinez no golpeó a un agente con su vehículo, que el auto en el que iban “apenas avanzaba”, y que un agente federal disparó a través de la ventanilla del conductor sin “dar ninguna advertencia, órdenes u oportunidad de cumplir”.
Los abogados de la familia de Martinez no respondieron de momento a una solicitud de comentarios.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
In Critical Minerals, US Transitions From Lender To Market-Maker
In Critical Minerals, US Transitions From Lender To Market-Maker
A 13-page report from FTI Consulting is providing some insight on how the U.S. government has rewritten the rules for critical minerals.
Our readers have been ahead of this curve for months. We have covered the accelerating U.S. push extensively, including our heads up way back in July to keep an eye on MP Materials and USA Rare Earth Corp. Our article was immediately followed by the Pentagon investing in MP Materials and eventually the U.S. government investing in USA Rare Earth. We even noted some abnormal call buying in USAR just before the market closed the trading day prior to the government investment announcement.
USA Rare Earth (USAR) gamma squeeze (or just takeover bet): more than 8k of June $43 calls were bought for up to ~$3
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) January 22, 2026
We’ve been repeatedly pounding the table on the other domestic developments in the critical mineral and rare earth element base with additional coverage of Trump’s Section 232 Proclamation and Project Vault.
With China already $57 billion deep in investments with their domestic copper, cobalt, nickel, lithium, and rare earth mines and processing facilities through 2021, the U.S. is grossly behind with barely $5 billion invested in similar markets so far.
Here’s what FTI calls the new playbook for critical minerals…
Long-tenor debt & guarantees: DOE’s $2.3 billion loan to Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass, restructured with warrants delivering equity upside. Multi-hundred-million EXIM letters of interest for projects like Ivanhoe Electric’s Santa Cruz copper play.
Direct equity & quasi-equity: Office of Strategic Capital’s $150M deal with MP Materials that included a 15% government stake plus long-term price floor. 10% direct stake in USA Rare Earth as part of a $1.6 billion package. Golden shares and board influence are now potential asks.
Market-shaping mechanisms: Government offtakes with price floors, the proposed $2.5 billion Strategic Resilience Reserve, and Project Vault’s $12 billion stockpile operation. Billions more via DFC into allied production in Brazil and Africa to reroute supply chains away from Beijing.
“The U.S. Government is therefore no longer just de-risking projects. It is increasingly shaping markets, prices and industrial outcomes.”
Private capital is rushing in behind the federal anchor. JPMorgan has earmarked $10 billion “to help select companies primarily in the United States enhance their growth, spur innovation, and accelerate strategic manufacturing”. The Office of Strategic Capital has already deployed over $4.5 billion. EXIM and DFC balance sheets have been weaponized. For project developers and miners, the shortest path to a bankable Final Investment Decision now runs through Washington.
This is a novel industrial policy, a sort of American-ized state capitalism. It may be necessary to counter China’s dumping and supply weaponization. But it also hands bureaucrats enormous power to pick winners, puts taxpayer capital at risk on the cap table, dilutes shareholders, and opens the door wide to cronyism and execution risk on top of the usual permitting nightmares.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/25/2026 – 18:10
https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/us-transitions-lender-market-maker
