INDIAN WELLS, California, EE.UU. (AP) — Venus Williams recibió una invitación para el cuadro individual y de dobles para disputar el Abierto de Indian Wells el próximo mes en el desierto del sur de California.

La tenista de 45 años hará su primera aparición en el torneo desde 2024, cuando perdió en la primera ronda como invitada. Ha sido semifinalista en tres ocasiones, la más reciente en 2018. Boicoteó el certamen entre 2002 y 2016 tras un incidente controversial en 2001.

“Es un honor otorgar la primera invitación de este año a Venus Williams”, indicó el viernes el director del torneo, Tommy Haas. “Venus es una leyenda del tenis y una de las jugadoras más laureadas que nuestro deporte ha visto”.

Será la décima participación de Williams en el torneo, que se disputará del 4 al 15 de marzo. Hace un año, le ofrecieron una invitación, pero no la aceptó.

“Estoy muy emocionada de volver a Indian Wells y no puedo esperar para regresar a casa y jugar en California”, indicó la tenista.

Compitió más recientemente en el Abierto de Australia, perdiendo en la primera ronda tanto en individuales como en dobles.

Williams tiene previsto competir en el ATX Open, un torneo WTA 250 en Austin, Texas, que comienza el sábado y se extiende hasta el 1 de marzo.

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Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/venus-williams-recibe-invitacin-para-volver-a-indian-wells-en-sencillos-y-dobles/ 

Por FRANKLIN BRICEÑO

LIMA (AP) — Un policía desapareció el viernes en el principal río de la capital peruana cuando intentaba rescatar a un perro atrapado en las aguas que se incrementaron por las intensas lluvias que han causado además dos muertos, así como cientos de casas y campos agrícolas afectados en distintos puntos del país.

El agente identificado como Patrick Ospina Orihuela ingresó por la mañana temprano al río Rímac para rescatar a un perro de pelaje negro atrapado luego que el caudal aumentó debido a las lluvias que arreciaron por el calentamiento de las aguas del Pacífico, según las autoridades.

Ospina, que también era bombero, “participaba en una acción coordinada destinada a salvaguardar la vida del animal atrapado”, dijo la compañía de bomberos de Perú en un comunicado. Videos difundidos por las televisoras mostraron cómo Ospina intentaba acercarse al perro, pero ambos fueron arrastrados por las aguas.

Las autoridades los buscaban usando drones y vehículos por los bordes del río que desemboca en el Pacífico y cuyo origen se encuentra en una zona de los Andes donde las lluvias son abundantes.

Las precipitaciones también provocaron la víspera dos muertos y más de 400 casas afectadas por el lodo en el sur del país, mientras que en el centro volcó un camión en una vía y en el norte destruyeron decenas de héctareas agrícolas, informaron el viernes las autoridades.

El centro de operaciones de emergencia de la región Arequipa indicó que las lluvias intensas, acompañada de rayos y truenos desatados la víspera, provocaron aludes de lodo y piedras que avanzaron por las calles de dos poblados provocando la muerte de Isidora Molina, de 80 años, y Moisés Gamio, de 42. Las televisoras locales también mostraron cómo torrentes de agua turbia arrastraban varios vehículos que chocaban entre sí.

Sergio Bolliger, alcalde de Yanahuara, un pueblo en la región Arequipa, dijo a la prensa que más de 20 vehículos habían sido arrastrados por las precipitaciones. “Estamos en un trabajo contra el tiempo porque las lluvias van a continuar por la tarde, mañana y pasado”, dijo mientras decenas de trabajadores municipales limpiaban las vías con palas y cargadores frontales.

Una carretera clave pegada al Pacífico y en el centro de Perú quedó cortada por un potente alud de lodo y piedras que volcó a un camión articulado de 40 toneladas. El bloqueo, ocurrido en la región Ica, provocó filas de casi 20 kilómetros de vehículos, de acuerdo con la agencia oficial de noticias Andina.

En el norte casi un centenar de hectáreas de bananos y arroz en pueblos de la región Tumbes, cercanos a la frontera con Ecuador, quedaron inundadas por copiosas precipitaciones, de acuerdo con datos oficiales.

Un conteo de la defensa civil que abarca el periodo entre diciembre e inicios de esta semana indica que 59 personas han fallecido por causas relacionadas a las lluvias, entre las que se incluyen descargas eléctricas o deslizamientos de lodo.

Con cierta frecuencia, en los tres primeros meses del año, los medios locales reportan historias de sobrevivientes a precipitaciones violentas causadas por el fenómeno climático de El Niño Costero.

Según las autoridades, existe un calentamiento de las aguas del Pacífico y se prevé que El Niño Costero se consolide de forma leve en marzo. El calentamiento de las aguas oceánicas provoca elevadas tasas de evaporación y lluvias extremas, así como el aumento del caudal de los ríos.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/fuertes-lluvias-dejan-2-muertos-en-per-y-polica-desaparecido-cuando-rescataba-a-un-perro/ 

Plans for a new Village Hall and upgrades to the Dempster Street Corridor are on the horizon in 2026 for north suburban Morton Grove, village leaders say – as the new Metra commuter station is welcomed.

“We’re making moves to make the village look and feel better,” said Morton Grove mayor Janine Witko, who is serving her first term as mayor after 12 years as a village trustee.

Witko and Village Manager Chuck Meyer told Pioneer Press about their lookahead for the town in 2026.

New ‘immaculately beautiful’ Metra commuter station

A newly-built Metra commuter rail station has opened in Morton Grove following a $4 million renovation. A $300,000 grant from Metra and $500,000 received with help from state Rep. Mike Kelly helped cover costs. Witko described the inside of the new train station – which had not been updated since the 1970s – as “immaculately beautiful” and the first sign of improvement in the village.

Further development is expected across the street from the station at 8500-8550 Lehigh Ave., where a new 60-unit mixed-use complex that includes apartments for rent, restaurants and retail, is proposed.

“It’s a complete transformation for the area,” Meyer said, adding the Metra station’s two-story structure features a clock tower, modern amenities and a clean aesthetic that “provide a new gateway to the village.”

The station is currently being used by commuters and a grand opening is planned for March or April. He said the village is also hoping to attract a coffee shop or restaurant for the retail space inside the station.

‘Excited’ for new Village Hall plans

Plans are also underway to construct a new Village Hall this year. The current one, at 6101 Capulina Ave., has been used by village staff and the police department since the 1980s. Once an elementary school dating back to 1895, the facility was originally intended to be a temporary location, Witko said.

In a unique public-private real estate sale and exchange, the village purchased a building and its surrounding 1.67 acres of property at 6201 Dempster St. for $1.4 million in December 2024. The building was previously owned and currently used by Fifth Third Bank.

Meyer said the same day the village bought the 6201 Dempster St. property, Fifth Third Bank finalized its purchase of a vacant village-owned parcel across the street at 6210 Dempster St. A 2,800-square-foot new bank building is currently under construction on that site. Once construction is complete and current bank staff occupy the new building, renovations and expansions will begin for the new Village Hall. Meyer said that is expected most likely in 2027.

“We’re excited for this, with police, community development and administration all in this new location which will serve people better,” Witko said. “It’s more centrally located and will be ADA accessible.”

According to village documents, the Morton Grove Park District also played a role in the December 2024 real estate transaction. The Park District swapped the property at 6201 Dempster St. for a slightly larger parcel of village-owned land at 6140 Dempster St., which will expand Harrer Park.

“It’s a good success story of intergovernmental cooperation with the Morton Grove Park District and with Fifth Third Bank,” Meyer said. “It’s a win-win for all parties.”

Meyer estimates the new Village Hall will cost about $30 million. Village staff is currently negotiating with a construction management company and working with architects to utilize the structure of the two-story bank building. A single-floor extension would be added to the south end of the building and serve as the police department. A total of 70 to 80 village employees, including police personnel, will eventually be located in the new facility.

Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and last 18 months, Meyer said, with an anticipated 2028 opening.

“We’ve asked the architect to give us options,” Meyer said. “The big thing for us is having a space that the public can easily use. We’re looking to add a multipurpose room that can function for formal board meetings and informal workshops to serve the community in a more flexible way, and we’re looking at more artistic options in and around the building.”

Making Dempster Street corridor welcoming

Witko said Dempster Street, one of the village’s main thoroughfares, is “not a welcoming area.” The mayor said village leaders sought input from residents on how to improve the area. The village hired consultant firm Teska Associates last year to conduct a residential survey “so everyone has a voice in the process and everyone’s ideas are shared,” she said.

“We have been in the planning stages of our Dempster Street Corridor, working with the regional authority and PACE to encourage and influence redevelopment,” Witko said of the streetscape on Dempster Street from Central Avenue west to Ozark Avenue. “We’re approving a TIF [tax increment financing] district for redevelopment efforts that will really change what Dempster Street looks and feels like.”

According to the village manager, the most significant issue with the area is walkability. The four-lane wide, east-west corridor is hard to maneuver for pedestrians.

“We have fantastic places along that corridor, and we’re finding ways we can help residents walk in the area and make it a more welcoming environment,” Meyer said.

Meyer said village leaders are starting the process of creating a TIF district from Central Avenue west to the Cook County forest preserves in Morton Grove. The village currently has a TIF district at Dempster Street and Waukegan Road for The Residences at Sawmill Station apartment complex.

Meyer said the current assessed value for the proposed TIF is $42 million, and the village’s consultant is estimating at the expiration of the TIF, the property values in that area could exceed $142 million. Meyer also said the current TIF redevelopment budget is estimated at $73 million to improve the area.

The village manager explained that consultants will be finalizing their plans in the coming weeks and presenting a report to the Village Board. His intention is to take feedback from that report and integrate approved ideas into the next fiscal year’s budget process.

Witko said “residents would like to see ice cream shops, and places they can stop off at while riding their bikes through the nearby forest preserve, little alcoves off the side of Dempster Street where people can gather. We’ll also be updating signage and making it a more aesthetic appeal.”

Metro on Main development recognized

One of the village’s more recent residential developments, Metro on Main with 89 townhomes, was recently recognized as the development of the year by “Chicago Agent Magazine.”

Witko said village leaders and staff are always in contact with property owners, trying to fill empty retail spaces and identifying new opportunities for development. One area Witko and residents have identified for improvement is the northwest corner of Dempster Street and Waukegan Road, which has been vacant for a long time.

In addition, residents and village staff would also like to see another grocery store in the village, the mayor said. There is already an Aldi store in town, but Amazon Fresh recently closed.

“We are aggressively engaging property owners throughout the village to connect them with good retail locations and good development opportunities,” Meyer said, hesitant to release details on any pending deals.

Witko said the village is proud of its tree canopy, with plans to plant 225 trees this year with aid from a grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Village leaders have plans for Morton Grove Days, the staple summertime festival that will run July 2 to July 5, to align with the country’s 250th anniversary.

“Morton Grove Days is one of the top events in this whole area over the summer,” Witko said. “I would invite anyone to join us this year. We hope to make it more special this year.”

Enhanced village-resident communications

Both the mayor and village manager consider it important for all village leaders and staff to be responsive to the more than 25,000 residents.

“When issues come up, not only big projects, but residents’ daily interactions with the village,” Meyer said, “we’re receptive to their concerns and work with them on any issues that come up.”

Witko said responsiveness is a top priority for her.

“Many residents will hear back from me the same day,” she said. “That’s a part of the job I take very seriously.”

Elizabeth Owens-Schiele is a freelancer.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/morton-grove-capital-plans-for-2026/ 

While questions remain about where the Chicago Bears will build a new stadium, the team reaffirmed Friday that its practice facility and corporate headquarters — Halas Hall — will remain in Lake Forest.

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The clarification came after Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott said during a Thursday press conference that Hammond’s Northwest Indiana stadium proposal includes a practice facility.

“That’s absolutely correct,” McDermott said when asked whether the proposal contemplates football operations in addition to a stadium. “They are talking about everything.”

Following those remarks, the Bears reiterated that Halas Hall will remain in Lake Forest, even as Northwest Indiana and Arlington Heights remain under consideration for a future stadium site.

The team had previously addressed the issue in December after Bears President Kevin Warren sent a letter to season ticket holders expressing interest in the Northwest Indiana location. At that time, team spokesman Scott Hagel said that regardless of where a new stadium is ultimately built, Halas Hall would stay in Lake Forest.

The Bears have maintained a presence in Lake Forest since 1975, operating at Halas Hall on the campus of Lake Forest College beginning in 1979 before moving to the current 38-acre Halas Hall complex in Conway Park in 1997.

Lake Forest City Manager Jason Wicha issued a statement following McDermott’s press conference.

“The City is not involved in any of the ongoing discussions and there is no indication that the Bears are giving any consideration to leaving the City of Lake Forest,” Wicha said.

In a subsequent interview, Wicha added that because Halas Hall is privately owned property, the Bears would not be under any formal obligation to notify city officials if plans were ever to change.

The current Halas Hall facility has been expanded twice since opening and has served as the site of the team’s summer training camp since 2020, with practices opening to the public beginning in 2021.

Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/chicago-bears-lake-forest-halas-hall-2/ 

The University of Chicago is among 31 universities nationwide to cut ties with The Ph.D. Project, an organization known for helping students of color attain professional degrees, amid an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education.

The organization, founded in 1994 to increase diversity among business school faculty, provides students of color access to job and mentorship opportunities to help them earn doctoral degrees.

The department’s Office for Civil Rights’ investigation into 45 university agreements with the organization started nearly a year ago as part of the Trump Administration’s goal to eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies in higher education.

The OCR concluded that institutions violated the federal Civil Rights Act by partnering with a program that “limits eligibility based on the race of its participants.”

But the University of Chicago told the Tribune Friday that it discontinued its engagement with the organization prior to receiving the notice of investigation from the Office for Civil Rights and “takes seriously its obligation to prohibit unlawful discrimination,” UChicago’s Director of Public Affairs Gerald McSwiggan said in a statement.

McSwiggan was not immediately available to answer follow-up questions, including what led the university to sever its ties with the organization.

Other institutions also terminated their agreements with The Ph.D. Project prior to the department’s investigation, while others have now agreed to end their memberships or partnerships, the department said in a letter.

Alongside UChicago, Yale University, New York University and Duke University were among the 31 institutions to sever ties with the organization.

“This is the Trump effect in action: institutions of higher education are agreeing to cut ties with discriminatory organizations, recommitting themselves to abiding by federal law, and restoring equality of opportunity on campuses across the nation,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a statement.

Other Illinois institutions, such as Northwestern University, have faced similar pressure from the White House regarding DEI policies. Northwestern agreed in November 2025 to review its international admissions policies and to terminate an agreement reached with pro-Palestinian demonstrators to restore its federal funding.

Each of the 31 universities has similarly agreed to conduct a review of their partnerships with external organizations to identify any that violate federal law by restricting participation based on race — making cuts to other university partnerships in the future possible.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/university-of-chicago-phd-project/ 

WASHINGTON — The late Rev. Jesse Jackson will not lie in honor in the United States Capitol Rotunda after a request for the commemoration was denied by the House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office due to past precedent.

Johnson’s office said it received a request from the family to have Jackson’s remains lie in honor at the Capitol, but the request was denied, because of the precedent that the space is typically reserved for former presidents, the military and select officials.

The civil rights leader died this week at the age of 84. The family and some House Democrats had filed a request for Jackson to be honored at the U.S. Capitol.

A titan of civil rights: Remembering Rev. Jesse L. Jackson

Amid the country’s political divisions, there have been flare ups over who is memorialized at the Capitol with a service to lie in state, or honor, in the Rotunda. During such events, the public is generally allowed to visit the Capitol and pay their respects.

Recent requests had similarly been made, and denied, to honor Charlie Kirk, the slain conservative activist, and former Vice President Dick Cheney.

There is no specific rule about who qualifies for the honor, a decision that is controlled by concurrence from both the House and Senate.

The Jackson family has announced scheduled dates for memorial services beginning next week that will honor the late reverend’s life in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and South Carolina. In a statement, the Jackson family said it had heard from leaders in both South Carolina, Jackson’s native state, and Washington offering for Jackson to be celebrated in both locations. Talks are ongoing with lawmakers about where those proceedings will take place. His final memorial services will be held in Chicago on March 6 and 7.

Typically, the Capitol and its Rotunda have been reserved for the “most eminent citizens,” according to the Architect of the Capitol’s website. It said government and military officials lay in state, while private citizens in honor.

In 2020, Congressman John Lewis, another veteran of the Civil Rights movement, was the first Black lawmaker to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda after a ceremony honoring his legacy was held outside on the Capitol steps due to pandemic restrictions at the time.

Later that year, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed services for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Capitol’s Statuary Hall after agreement could not be reached for services in the Capitol’s Rotunda.

It is rare for private citizens to be honored at the Capitol, but there is precedent – most notably Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks, in 2005, and the Reverend Billy Graham, in 2018.

A passionate civil rights leader and globally-minded humanitarian, Jackson’s fiery speeches and dual 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns transformed American politics for generations. Jackson’s organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, became a hub for progressive organizers across the country.

His unapologetic calls for a progressive economic agenda and more inclusive policies for all racial groups, religions, genders and orientations laid the groundwork for the progressive movement within the Democratic Party.

Jackson also garnered a global reputation as a champion for human rights. He conducted the release of American hostages on multiple continents and argued for greater connections between civil rights movements around the world, most notably as a fierce critic of the policies of Apartheid South Africa.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/mike-johnson-jesse-jackson-honor/ 

A Cook County judge on Friday ordered Dolton to develop a plan for paying a $33.5 million judgment and accrued interest from a police chase lawsuit filed in 2022.

Village officials presented concerns Tuesday that Judge William Sullivan would force the Dolton board to pass a bond that would drastically raise property taxes, as requested by attorneys for the plaintiffs in the police chase lawsuit.

Sullivan said the village has three options to pay off the debt, which has accrued 6% per year through interest, or about $2 million per year per the lawsuit petition: issue a bond, issue a tax levy increase or increases costs of services. As of Friday, the village owes $40.6 million to the families of John Kyles, who died following the 2016 police chase, and Duane Dunlap, who was left severely injured.

Mayor Jason House urged residents to attend Friday’s court hearing so “there are a lot of faces that demonstrate how interested we are and the impact that can have on us.” Many Dolton residents did show up and, in the comment section of the court hearing held via Zoom, asked the judge to show mercy on the village, where the median household income is about $58,000 and 22% of residents are below the poverty line.

Sullivan said he was concerned the village has yet to make payments on the $33.5 million or the interest.

But Sullivan also said he is privy to the difficulties residents would face if he instituted the $40 million 10-year bond requested by the plaintiffs’ attorneys. Dolton attorney Michael McGrath said Tuesday that issuing the bond would cost property owners with the village’s average $150,000 home value an extra $655 per year, at minimum.

“I want you to know that I have strongly considered the equities in the issuing of my ruling,” Sullivan said directly to Dolton residents attending Friday’s hearing.

Sullivan said the Village Board must approve a plan for paying the judgment by the next scheduled hearing at 10 a.m. on April 23.

Dolton Trustee Edward Steave, left, and Mayor Jason House speak as the Village Board gathers Feb. 17, 2026, to discuss the impact on taxpayers of a multimillion-dollar verdict on behalf of a man who died following a 2016 police chase. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

Dolton financial crisis

McGrath on Tuesday placed much of the blame for the village’s current financial crisis on former Mayor Tiffany Henyard.

Dolton recently brought a lawsuit against Fifth Third Bank, which it said aided in Henyard’s misappropriations by allowing her to sign payments to vendors with checks from the village that were missing the clerk’s signature.

But attorneys for the plaintiffs in the police chase lawsuit say the current administration’s inaction has cost the village more in interest than they say Henyard stole or misappropriated.

“When it comes to Dolton’s duty to pay the judgment, Dolton appears to have had no strategy other than foot dragging and kicking the can down the road,” attorneys for the administrator for Kyles and a guardian for Dunlap said in a Feb. 6 court filing. “Dolton has been acting like the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand.”

Attorneys for the plaintiffs offered a potential 5% discount on the 10-year bond as an incentive for the village to take out a bond by March 1. The first payment on the bond would be due Jan. 1, 2027.

McGrath said Tuesday the village was considering petitioning Gov. JB Pritzker to establish a financial planning and supervision commission to help the village develop a plan to alleviate its financial crisis, freezing all debts for up to two years.

“It might help you breathe a little bit and get through these tough times,” McGrath said.

Village attorneys also blame its former insurers, and wrote in court filings that forcing the village to acquiesce would have devastating financial effects on residents.

McGrath said Tuesday the village and the plaintiffs of the police chase lawsuit joined together to hire an outside law firm to sue the insurers for acting in bad faith. McGrath said the American Alternative Insurance Corporation refused to settle before and during the trial, leading to the $33.5 million judgment.

McGrath said attorneys hope to recover as much as $100 million from the insurance company, though “the outcome on that case, like any litigation, is certainly not certain.” He said he expects the federal case will continue for at least five years.

Dolton police case

The 2016 Dolton police chase stemmed from a traffic violation after the Kyles’ and Dunlap’s car skidded through a stop sign. Police chased the vehicle for about a mile until the vehicle crashed into a building.

Kyles died while Dunlap was left with “severe, catastrophic and permanent injuries,” according to the wrongful death lawsuit filed in November 2019. The ruling from the Appellate Court in Illinois’ 1st Judicial District said attorneys claimed the police vehicle had a dashboard camera with footage that, despite a court order, the village never produced.

“This is a case (the village) should have settled,” said Jon Loevy, an attorney representing the administrator for Kyles and a guardian for Dunlap. “They could have settled for a fraction of this.

ostevens@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/20/cook-county-judge-dolton-pay-33-5-million-judgment/