Category: News
Bruce Meyer elevated to MLBPA interim executive director after Tony Clark’s forced resignation
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Bruce Meyer was promoted to interim executive director of the baseball players association on Wednesday, a day after Tony Clark’s forced resignation.
It was a move for continuity ahead of the likely start in April of what figures to be contentious collective bargaining with team owners.
Matt Nussbaum was promoted to interim deputy executive director from general counsel.
Cubs and White Sox players tout unity after MLBPA leader Tony Clark’s abrupt resignation
The decisions were made by the Major League Baseball Players Association executive board during an online meeting. Both votes were unanimous.
A 64-year-old veteran labor lawyer, Meyer joined the union staff in 2018 and led negotiations through a 99-day lockout that led to a five-year agreement in March 2022. The deal barely avoided what would have been the first loss of regular-season games since 1995. He was promoted to deputy executive director in July 2022.
Meyer spent 30 years at Weil, Gotshal & Manges before joining the NHL Players Association in 2016 as senior director of collective bargaining, policy and legal.
Three members of the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee — Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ, Jack Flaherty and Lucas Giolito — were among the players who in March 2024 advocated for the ouster of Meyer in an effort led by former union lawyer Harry Marino. Clark backed Meyer, the effort failed and those three players were dropped off the subcommittee that December.
The subcommittee voted 8-0 against approving the 2022 labor contract, and Meyer had advocated pushing management for a deal more favorable to the union. Team player representatives, the overall group supervising negotiations, voted 26-4 in favor, leaving the overall ballot at 26-12 for ratification.
The current subcommittee includes Chris Bassitt, Jake Cronenworth, Pete Fairbanks, Cedric Mullins, Marcus Semien, Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Brent Suter.
A former All-Star first baseman who headed the union since 2013, Clark resigned Tuesday just months ahead of the expected start of bargaining for a labor contract to replace the deal that expires Dec. 1.
Tony Clark, right, executive director of the MLB players association, talks with reporters before Game 1 of the World Series on Oct. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP)
He was asked to resign by the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee after an investigation by the union’s outside counsel discovered evidence Clark had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, a union employee since 2023, a person familiar with the union’s deliberations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that detail was not announced.
“The information that really led to this came out within the last … 72 hours or so,” Meyer said earlier Wednesday. “So this is not something that has been kind of sat on. When the information came out, the players on the subcommittee made their feelings known. And Tony, to his credit, he’s always been about the players first, and Tony decided to take the action he did in the interest of the players.”
Clark did not respond to a text message seeking comment.
The start of the annual tour of spring training camps by union officials was pushed back a day and began Wednesday with the Kansas City Royals.
“Just on a personal level I think we’re all fairly devastated by things that have happened in the last 48, 72 hours,” Meyer said. “I’m not going to go beyond that in terms of personal feelings, but it’s fair to say that we were all personally upset, concerned about Tony. But I think this was something that the players determined had to happen at this particular point in time.”
Meyer, hired by Clark in 2018, headed the 2021-22 negotiations that led to an agreement on March 10 that ended a 99-day lockout. Meyer was promoted to deputy executive director in July 2022.
“I don’t anticipate that anybody’s going to be leading negotiations other than me,” Meyer said.
Clark’s departure took place during a probe by the U.S. Attorney in New York, into OneTeam Partners, a licensing company founded by the union, the NFL Players Association and RedBird Capital Partners in 2019.
“There have been some issues hanging over, as you know, and in some respects it’s good to get them out of the way sooner rather than later,” Meyer said.
Meyer said the union’s entire executive board of 72 players was eligible to vote for executive director: the executive subcommittee, 30 major league team player representatives and 34 minor-leaguers, who have been represented by the union since 2022.
MLB appears on track to propose a salary cap, which possibly could lead to a work stoppage that causes regular-season games to be canceled for the first time since 1995.
“We don’t expect anything to change in terms of bargaining,” Meyer said. “We’ve been preparing for bargaining for years. Players have been preparing. Players know what’s coming. At the end of the day leadership is important and leadership comes and goes, but what remains is the players. At the end of the day, it’s the players who determine the direction of the union. At the end of the day, it’s the players who determine our priorities and bargaining. Those priorities obviously have not changed and will not change.”
The union said it will resist a salary cap.
“Our position and the historic position of this union for decades on a salary cap is well known,” Meyer said. “It’s the ultimate restriction. It’s something that owners in all the sports have wanted more than anything and in baseball in particular there’s a reason for that, because it’s good for them and not good for players.”
Meyer wouldn’t directly address whether the union intends to restrict the hiring of family members.
“It’s fair to say there are issues that will be addressed,” Meyer said. “There are various issues that will be evaluated, reevaluated with the advice of counsel and, as always, at the direction of players.”
Nussbaum, 47, succeeded Ian Penny as general counsel in July 2022. The union hired him in 2011 as staff counsel.
Blum reported from New York.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/18/bruce-meyer-mlbpa-interim-executive-director/
Bill Ok’d adding Porter, LaPorte counties to state gun task force
A bill adding Porter and LaPorte counties to the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force passed unanimously out of the House Courts and Criminal Code committee Wednesday without amendments.
Senate Bill 148, authored by State Senators Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton, and Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, would add Porter and LaPorte counties to the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force beginning July 1, 2027.
The task force was created during the 2021 legislative session and there are currently 10 counties on the task force. Lake County was added to the task force during the 2025 legislative session.
Pol testified before the House Courts and Criminal Code committee that the task force has been “providing the coordination and collaboration between the different counties and the different levels of federal law enforcement (that) has really worked gangbusters.”
“Hundreds and hundreds of guns have been taken off the streets. Hundreds of people have been arrested and charged with crimes that have been interconnected with other crimes that they have committed in the past because of the great collaboration there,” Pol said.
Pol said he wants to include Porter and LaPorte counties to the task force because last year the counties saw “a rash” of murders and “a number” of retaliatory shootings that took place, Pol said.
“With the help of this task force, these are the types of proactive measures that we would take that we could avoid the unnecessary loss of life in my district and throughout the rest of the state,” Pol said.
Porter County Sheriff Jeffrey Balon testified before the committee in support of joining the task force.
“Guns have no borders. They go across the state. It makes sense for us to be a part of it based on the locality of Porter County,” Balon said.
State Rep. Gregory Steuerwald, R-Avon, who wrote the 2021 bill, created the task force to bring local, state and federal law enforcement officials together to remove guns from the street.
In its first year in Marion County, the task force confiscated 367 guns and arrested 390 people, Steuerwald said.
“This may be one of the most unknown things we’ve done in law enforcement that has done amazing stuff, and I’m all for taking it across the state,” Steuerwald said.
State Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, said the legislature typically likes to address a criminal matter by enhancing a penalty and “hope that there’s more deterrence and crime will go down.”
“We should be doing more bills like this, which actually get at how do you stop the crime, solve the crimes and get more time on task,” Pierce said.
The bill passed the committee 13-0. It heads to the House for further consideration.
CNN Issues Dire Warning To Democrats On 2026 Governors’ Races
CNN Issues Dire Warning To Democrats On 2026 Governors’ Races
Midterm elections have rarely been kind to the party in the White House. Republicans lost both chambers in 2006 under George W. Bush; Democrats were crushed under Barack Obama in 2010 and again in 2014; Republicans lost the House under Donald Trump in 2018; and Democrats narrowly lost the House under Biden in 2022. The lone exception was 2002, when Republicans gained seats in both chambers after 9/11. Otherwise, the pattern is clear: the president’s party almost always faces setbacks.
With the 2026 midterm elections months away, Democrats have many reasons to feel confident they will, at the very least, win back control of the House, which would be enough to effectively stall Trump’s agenda, and most certainly find something to impeach for.
Over at RealClearPolitics, Democrats currently hold an average lead in the generic congressional ballot of +4.6 points. Only one pollster in the average – RMG Research – shows Republicans ahead, and even then by just 2 points. The Democratic advantage isn’t particularly large, and there’s ample reason to believe that a strong economy could boost the GOP in November, but when you look at gubernatorial elections, the advantage is clearly with the Republican Party.
On Wednesday, CNN’s Harry Enten painted an unflattering picture of the Democrats when it comes to this year’s gubernatorial races.
“Look at this, a majority, a majority, 26. That is, at this point, the number of governors that are expected at least tilting towards the Republican Party at this point. Democrats come in at just 20. The rest of the races are toss-up,” Enten said. “Of course, you sum up to 50. And I will note that the Republicans right now hold a 26 to 24 gubernatorial seat advantage.”
That’s the current baseline. Republicans enter 2026 holding more governor’s mansions, and the trajectory doesn’t appear to favor a Democratic reversal. But, according to Enten, even accounting for toss-up races, the GOP is likely to come out ahead. “So at this point, it doesn’t look like Republicans on the net and the aggregate are actually going to lose any governorships. In fact, when you add in those toss-ups, they may gain,” he explained. “So this should stand as a major wake-up call to Democrats, because if there’s a wave building, it has not, at least at this point, hit the state level when it comes to governorships.”
Governor races nationwide should stand as a wakeup call for Dems.
At this point, the GOP will more likely than not continue to hold a majority of governorships post-election.
Dems haven’t held a majority of governorships since 2010 — their longest streak in over 100 years. pic.twitter.com/DRKAryEFL8
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) February 18, 2026
Democrats have not held a majority of governorships since 2010 – the longest stretch of gubernatorial minority status the party has endured in at least a century. Republicans have controlled a majority of state legislatures since 2012. One might call that a structural realignment that’s been hiding in plain sight while national media fixates on presidential elections and control of Congress.
Why does any of this matter? Enten answered that directly. “This is a massive problem for Democrats, because as we mentioned at the top, a lot of the policy is determined on the state level. And if all of a sudden you can’t actually lead a majority of governorships, the executive branch on the state level, that means Republicans are in fact forming and implementing most of the policies in the states, and therefore a lot of the policies nationwide,” he said.
The way Enten sees it, congressional seats may generate headlines, but governorships generate policy at the state level, which could have nationwide implications, including Medicaid expansion decisions, election integrity, redistricting, and regulatory enforcement – all of it flows through state executives.
Democrats clearly enter the 2026 midterm elections with a structural advantage in winning control of Congress, but the GOP may still have a hidden advantage due to its majority of governorships.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/18/2026 – 20:30
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/cnn-issues-dire-warning-democrats-2026-governors-races
Chicago Cubs top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins is learning in his first taste of big-league camp
MESA, Ariz. — Jaxon Wiggins’ first live batting practice of spring training provided a great challenge for the Chicago Cubs’ top pitching prospect.
On a backfield at the Cubs’ complex Friday, the 24-year-old right-hander faced off against first baseman Michael Busch and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. It provided a good gauge of how his four-pitch mix can play against big-league hitters. Wiggins’ stuff generated a couple of awkward swings by the pair of lefties.
After falling behind Busch in one at-bat, Wiggins, in his first big-league camp, battled back to work a full count before getting Busch to whiff at an offspeed pitch low and out of the zone.
“Those guys are super experienced, and they all have good tools, they know the zone, they know what they’re supposed to do, so going against those guys is really good for anybody,” Wiggins told the Tribune. “It definitely gives you confidence a little bit, but just try not to think about any of that, just doing what I do.”
Wiggins, a 2023 second-round draft pick, spent most of his offseason in Arizona working out at the Cubs’ complex. He focused on adding weight, estimating he added roughly 10 pounds of lean muscle to his 6-foot-6 frame, while continuing to hone his repertoire. He considers his changeup the lynchpin to his success and the implementation of a new slider grip at the beginning of last season — tweaking it to a spiked grip — gives it more of a bullet movement instead of a sweeper profile.
Wiggins, though, knows he needs to throw more strikes. He posted 4.1 walks per 9 innings between Low A and High A in 2024 and was almost at the same rate last season (4.2 BB/9) as he went through three minor-league levels. Although the walk rate wasn’t significantly different between seasons, Wiggins was encouraged by his 2025 performance. A 1.93 ERA in 10 starts with Double-A Knoxville, where he struck out 52 in 42 innings, earned him a taste of Iowa in September.
Pitcher Jaxon Wiggins throws in the bullpen area during spring training at Sloan Park on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
A shoulder issue sidelined Wiggins for a month last summer, preventing him from pitching in the Futures Game during MLB All-Star weekend.
“Obviously, it would have been fun to pitch in the Futures Game, I would have loved that a lot,” Wiggins said. “But it’s just one of those things that I had to take care of and make sure I’m healthy going forward and making sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Wiggins’ biggest asset to throwing more strikes this year will be more reps. After missing the 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery, he reached Triple-A Iowa at the end of the 2025 season, making three starts and throwing 9 2/3 innings.
Related Articles
Photos: An inside look at Chicago Cubs spring training
Today in Chicago History: Cubs announcer Harry Caray dies after collapsing on Valentine’s Day
Seiya Suzuki embracing his World Baseball Classic opportunity as springboard to a big season for Chicago Cubs
Cubs and White Sox players tout unity after MLBPA leader Tony Clark’s abrupt resignation
Kris Bryant is ‘in pain every day’ and can’t play baseball for Colorado Rockies — but he’s not retiring
“That’s, I think, what will happen with Jaxon,” manager Craig Counsell said. “If you watch him, he’s throwing very professional appearances in his bullpens and his live (BP), very professional. He absolutely has the ability to do it. But the reps take it because you’re stacking on better pitch shapes, execution, better hitters as you move up. So you’re just stacking all these things up and one of them is better execution.
“That comes from consistency in your delivery, consistency in your mental process, confidence, maturity, it keeps growing. And I think for Jaxon it’s continuing to grow.”
The Cubs have shown a willingness to give prospects a big-league opportunity when the organization feels their performance forces a promotion. They’ve given Wiggins the same message that National League Rookie of the Year runner-up Cade Horton got last spring: You aren’t on the team to start the season, but what you show will tell us when you’re ready.
“Guys have freedom when they think that way, like, ‘I’m just going to go do my work, I’m going to keep doing what I do, and then my time comes, we’ll know,’” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said to the Tribune. “For the year he had and where he’s been trending and to be on the radar, he’s definitely in that group of guys we’re going to keep our eye on. But he’s also a guy we don’t feel like we need to rush because we are going to have a lot of those others (among our depth). But I’d love to see him force his way into that conversation.”
Wiggins isn’t looking too far ahead. He enters the season with 36 career starts in the minors and knows he has more to accomplish.
“I do have some goals, but nothing like trying to make it (to the majors) this year,” Wiggins said. “You can’t put a timeline on that. It’s based on your performance, and there’s a lot that goes into your performance and how you prep for that.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/18/chicago-cubs-top-pitching-prospect-jaxon-wiggins/
Jefe del Comando Sur de EEUU visita Caracas y se reúne con presidenta encargada de Venezuela
CARACAS (AP) — El general Francis L. Donovan, comandante del Comando Sur de Estados Unidos, se reunió el miércoles en Caracas con la presidenta encargada de Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, para avanzar en una agenda de cooperación bilateral casi siete semanas después de la incursión estadounidense que depuso y capturó al exmandatario Nicolás Maduro.
Donovan, junto a Laura Dogu, la principal diplomática de Estados Unidos en Venezuela, sostuvieron “reuniones productivas” con Rodríguez, entre otros altos funcionarios venezolanos, informó la Oficina Externa de los Estados Unidos para Venezuela en su cuenta en la red social X.
Donavan y Dogu estuvieron acompañados por el subsecretario adjunto de Guerra para Asuntos de Seguridad del Hemisferio Occidental, Joseph M. Humire, se informó.
Durante el encuentro, los funcionarios estadounidenses “reiteraron el compromiso de los Estados Unidos con una Venezuela libre, segura y próspera, en beneficio del pueblo venezolano, de los Estados Unidos y del hemisferio occidental”, destacó la representación estadounidense en un comunicado.
“Las conversaciones se centraron en el entorno de seguridad, en los pasos necesarios para garantizar la implementación del plan de tres fases del Presidente Donald Trump —particularmente la estabilización de Venezuela— y en la importancia de una seguridad compartida en todo el hemisferio occidental”, agregó el escrito.
Además de Rodríguez, el jefe militar estadounidense se reunió con el ministro de Defensa, general en jefe Vladimir Padrino López, y el ministro de Interiores, Diosdado Cabello, confirmó el ministro de Comunicación e Información venezolano, Miguel Ángel Pérez Pirela también en X.
“Ambos países acordaron trabajar en el diseño de una agenda de cooperación bilateral para la lucha contra el tráfico de sustancias ilícitas en nuestra región, terrorismo y migración”, acotó Pérez Pirela.
“El encuentro ratifica que debe ser el camino diplomático el mecanismo para resolver divergencias y abordar temas de interés binacional y regional, de interés para todas las partes”, agregó el ministro.
Aunque Rodríguez ha criticado vehementemente la captura de Maduro por parte de Estados Unidos el pasado 3 de enero, desde que asumió el cargo ha promovido la reanudación de lazos diplomáticos, energéticos y comerciales, entre otros.
Luego de su captura, Maduro fue trasladado a Nueva York y el 5 de enero compareció ante un tribunal en Nueva York para enfrentar los cargos de narcoterrorismo de los que le acusa el gobierno de Trump. El depuesto mandatario se declaró no culpable.
Caracas y Washington rompieron relaciones en febrero de 2019 por decisión de Maduro y cerraron sus embajadas luego de que Trump, en su primer mandato, apoyó al líder opositor Juan Guaidó, entonces titular de la Asamblea Nacional, quien en enero de ese año se declaró presidente interino de Venezuela.
Mortgage Recast Versus Refinancing: Which Works For You?
Mortgage Recast Versus Refinancing: Which Works For You?
Authored by Anne Johnson via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
If you come into some extra funds, you might want to consider applying them to your mortgage. It’s a great way to pay down the principal or lower your monthly mortgage payment. Lowering your monthly mortgage payment is particularly helpful if you often have cash-flow issues.
There are ways to lower your monthly mortgage by using recasting or refinancing. Each option works differently, so it’s important to understand how they compare.
Recasting a Mortgage
Mortgage recasting is when you make a lump-sum payment to your principal balance. Once done, your lender then calculates a new, lower monthly payment. Your interest rate stays the same.
For example, suppose you owe $250,000 on your mortgage and receive a $50,000 inheritance. If you use all of it to recast your mortgage, your lender will recalculate your monthly payments based on a $250,000 balance, lowering your monthly payment.
Refinancing a Mortgage
With refinancing a mortgage, you take out a new home loan and use it to pay off the outstanding balance of your existing mortgage. This is often done to secure a lower rate. Typically, the new rate results in a lower monthly payment and less overall cost.
Refinancing doesn’t require a lump sum payment toward the principal.
Costs of Recasting and Refinancing a Mortgage
According to Experian, both recasting and refinancing come with costs. For example, you will be charged an administrative fee for a mortgage recast. This typically runs a few hundred dollars, depending on the lender.
Mortgage refinancing has a different cost structure. Closing costs can total two to five percent of the loan amount.
Can All Types of Mortgages Be Recast or Refinanced?
Conventional loans can be recast, but according to PNC Insights, not all mortgage types are eligible. Government-backed loans, including those from the Federal Housing Administration, Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are not eligible for recast.
Conventional and government-backed mortgages are eligible for refinancing.
When Do Borrowers Refinance or Recast a Mortgage?
Refinancing, technically, gives you a new mortgage with new interest and terms. For example, if you have a 30-year mortgage, you can refinance to a 15-year mortgage or vice versa.
Most borrowers refinance to obtain a better interest rate or switch from an adjustable-rate to a fixed mortgage. They also may use it to switch equity to cash.
A mortgage recast uses cash to pay down some of the loan’s principal. It is often used when a borrower receives a large sum of money, such as a bonus or an inheritance.
According to PNC Insights, it can be used when a borrower purchases a house before selling the current one. When the previous home sells, the proceeds can be used to recast the new home’s mortgage.
However, the lender may require two months of on-time payments before authorizing a recast.
Advantages of a Mortgage Recast
There are several benefits of a mortgage recast. By reducing your principal, you lower your monthly payment without extending your loan term.
A recast mortgage is not a new loan. So, you will not need a credit check or home appraisal to apply.
If you’re already locked into a low interest rate, it’s a way to keep your current rate while lowering your monthly payment.
There usually are lower administrative fees associated with a recast mortgage. According to Alcova Mortgage, they typically fall between $150 and $500.
According to SoFi Learn, if you make a lump-sum payment to bring your loan down to 80 percent of the home’s value, you can request to stop paying the private mortgage insurance or have it automatically dropped when the value reaches 78 percent.
Disadvantages of a Mortgage Recast
According to Rocket Mortgage, there are cons to a mortgage recast. One disadvantage is that your lender may not allow a recast. You are also limited to a conventional loan, because government-backed loans don’t allow a mortgage recast.
The loan-repayment term is not shortened, either. Your payment goes down, but if you have a 30-year loan, you can’t change it to a 15-year or other-year loan.
Losing access to equity is a problem. Your contributed cash will be tied up in your home equity. This means you’ll need to refinance or apply for a home equity loan or home equity line of credit if you need access to your home’s equity.
Refinancing Mortgage Advantages
You have options when refinancing. The loan conditions can be changed. For example, you can shorten or lengthen your term, take a lower interest rate or refinance to a new loan.
Almost any loan qualifies for a refinance. It may be your only option if you want a lower payment and you have a government-backed loan.
You also have the option to choose a new lender if you’re not satisfied with the current one.
Refinancing Mortgage Disadvantages
Refinancing is a new loan and usually has more costs than a recast. Refinanced loans include origination fees, appraisal fees, and other closing costs.
The clock turns back with a refinanced loan. This means if you’re 15 years into a 30-year loan, if you finance for another 30-year loan, it starts over. You lost the 15 years you already paid for.
With refinancing, since it’s technically a new loan, you pay more in interest at the beginning of your loan. You don’t start paying on the principal until later in the term. This means you could end up paying more interest throughout the life of the loan.
Mortgage Recasting and Refinancing
A mortgage recast lowers your monthly payments and saves you money on long-term interest. But you tie up equity.
However, not everyone qualifies for a recast. If you have a government-backed loan, for example, you’ll need to refinance.
The Epoch Times copyright © 2026. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times and ZeroHedge hold no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/18/2026 – 20:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/mortgage-recast-versus-refinancing-which-works-you
Brothers Oliver and Otis Davis find success together at Brother Rice. Next stop? State. ‘A beautiful thing.’
Oliver and Otis Davis have a bit of a sibling rivalry going on, to be sure. But the Brother Rice wrestling teammates are also each other’s biggest supporters.
And with only one season together, senior Oliver and freshman Otis wanted to make the most of it. The brothers earned the opportunity to compete together one more time at the state finals.
“It means a lot since it’s my senior year and we won’t get to experience this together again,” Oliver said. “It’s really cool to be going down there together this one year where it was possible.”
The Davis brothers both survived the blood round at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional and placed fourth, Oliver at 144 pounds and Otis at 165.
With that, they punched their tickets to the state meet, which was set for Thursday through Saturday at the State Farm Center in Champaign.
Brother Rice coach Jan Murzyn has seen the Davis duo fight for success on the wrestling mat, even when that means sometimes fighting each other.
Brother Rice’s Otis Davis, right, works against Sandburg’s Obaida Hasan in the 165-pound consolation semifinal of the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
“The total picture of it all is a beautiful thing,” Murzyn said. “But don’t kid yourself, there’s some head-butting between the two. At the end of the day, though, they’re there for each other.
“We’re a brotherhood at Brother Rice and it’s great to see them succeed together.”
The way Otis Davis sees it, he and his older brother might get on each other’s nerves sometimes, but they’re constantly providing each other with motivation.
“Sometimes, we curse at each other, but we fire each other up,” Otis said. “We always tell each other that if we want to go to state together, we’ve got to work extra hard.
Brother Rice’s Oliver Davis, top, works over Hinsdale Central’s Jonathan Martinez in the 144-pound consolation semifinal of the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
“Now, we made it to state.”
Not without some nervous moments for Oliver watching his younger brother get taken down early in his consolation semifinal match against Sandburg’s Obaida Hasan, with a trip to state on the line. Otis eventually ran away with a 21-9 major decision.
“Most of the time I trust him, but in that blood-round match, it got kind of scary,” Oliver said. “He got put on his back like three times, but it was good to see him pull it off.
“I want Otis to be everything I was and better. He can be great if he chooses to make himself be great.”
Brother Rice’s Otis Davis, right, gains control Sandburg’s Obaida Hasan in the 165-pound consolation semifinal of the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
Otis Davis (27-8) has had success at 165, an atypical spot for a freshman, holding his own against mostly older competition.
“Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve been doing it,” Otis said. “When I was in third grade, I was wrestling sixth graders, so I’m used to going against older people.”
Of course, that all started with taking on Oliver.
“I was his practice dummy when I was 2 years old,” Otis said. “I’d go to all his tournaments and just run around is what my dad would say. But he said I’d cheer him on and motivate him and just be a good brother. Then I started wrestling and following in his footsteps.”
Otis is determined to make a run to the podium at state after watching Oliver do just that last season, finishing fifth in Class 2A at 138.
Brother Rice’s Otis Davis, top, tries to take down Sandburg’s Obaida Hasan in the 165-pound consolation semifinal of the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
Now, the Crusaders are up in Class 3A and the challenge is bigger. Oliver (34-7) is ranked No. 5 at 144 by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association.
He feels ready for state after getting through a loaded sectional that featured wrestlers ranked Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7.
“I know that whoever I wrestle down there, I can win,” Oliver said. “In the semifinals, it might get tough, but I know I can do it.”
And he knows Otis will be there to cheer him on. And maybe throw in a little smack talk.
“Sometimes, it’s just friendly banter between us,” Oliver said. “Then when the matches come, we know when to lift each other up.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/18/oliver-otis-davis-brother-rice-wrestling/
Relevista venezolano de Dodgers Brusdar Graterol se perderá el inicio de la temporada
GLENDALE, Arizona, EE.UU. (AP) — El relevista venezolano de los Dodgers de Los Ángeles, Brusdar Graterol, no se espera que esté listo para el inicio de la temporada.
El equipo tomará con calma el regreso del derecho de 27 años tras someterse a una cirugía por un desgarro del labrum. Graterol lanzó por última vez para los Dodgers en la Serie Mundial de 2024.
El manager de Los Angeles, Dave Roberts, les comentó a los reporteros el miércoles que Graterol, de potente recta, no estará en el roster activo para el día inaugural.
Graterol fue operado del hombro derecho en noviembre de 2024, poco después de participar en tres partidos de la Serie Mundial en la que los Dodgers superaron a los Yankees de Nueva York. Sus únicos otros juegos con Los Ángeles ese año fueron siete apariciones como relevista (con efectividad de 2,45 en siete entradas y un tercio) durante la temporada regular, cuando se perdió tiempo por una inflamación en el hombro y una distensión en el tendón de la corva.
En enero aceptó un contrato de 2,8 millones de dólares para esta campaña para evitar el arbitraje salarial. Puede convertirse en agente libre la próxima temporada baja.
Graterol tiene marca de por vida de 11-9, con una efectividad de 2,78 y 11 salvamentos. Ha lanzado apenas 181 entradas en cinco temporadas con los Dodgers, aunque registró una efectividad de 1,20 en 2023, cuando estableció máximos de su carrera con 67 entradas y un tercio de labor y 68 apariciones.
Los Dodgers adquirieron a Graterol procedente de Minnesota al inicio de los entrenamientos de primavera en 2020, en un canje que envió a Kenta Maeda a los Mellizos.
___
Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
80% Plunge In Immigration Is Reshaping Labor Market Math, But AI Wildcard Looms: Goldman
80% Plunge In Immigration Is Reshaping Labor Market Math, But AI Wildcard Looms: Goldman
The Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration has resulted in an 80% collapse in net immigration to the USA, and has fundamentally altered the mathematics behind the nation’s labor supply to the point where the level of job growth needed to maintain economic stability is now far lower, according to a new Goldman analysis.
After a flood of more than 10.8 million illegal immigrants (official figure) entered the United States under Biden, net immigration – both legal and illegal – has gone from roughly one million people per year in the 2010s to around 500,000 in 2025, with a further drop to just 200,000 projected by Goldman for 2026. This has sharply reduced labor-force growth and lowered the economy’s “breakeven” pace of job creation, the bank opines.
Here’s Goldman vs. Brookings vs. the Congressional Budget Office on net immigration:
Now, the US will only need around 50,000 new jobs per month by the end of this year to keep the unemployment rate from rising, down from roughly 70,000 today.
At the same time, Goldman says labor demand still looks “shaky” because job growth is narrow and job openings are trending lower – with the main downside risk being a faster, more disruptive AI-driven adjustment that could tamp down hiring or raise job losses beyond current estimates.
Elevated deportations, tighter visa / green-card policies, a pause in immigrant visa processing that affects dozens of countries, and the loss of Temporary Protected Status for some groups, Goldman suggests there is additional downside risk to the workforce.
A shakier demand picture
Of course, new math on the labor supply doesn’t mean the labor market is strong (duh)… In fact, Goldman describes demand as “shaky,” writing that job growth has become increasingly narrow – dominated by healthcare – and that job openings have continued to fall. Openings are now around seven million, below pre-pandemic levels and still declining.
Because fewer new workers are entering the economy, hiring no longer needs to run as hot to prevent unemployment from drifting higher. “A small pickup is all that should be needed to sustain job growth at the breakeven pace,” according to the report, arguing that weaker-looking payroll numbers may increasingly mask a labor market that is merely treading water rather than deteriorating.
Official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a similar trend, with job openings drifting toward the mid-six-million range late last year. A continued slide in openings, Goldman warns, would increase the risk that unemployment rises more meaningfully, even with slower labor-force growth.
There is also a risk that tighter immigration enforcement is pushing more workers into informal or off-the-books employment. If so, official payroll data could understate the true level of labor-market activity, complicating the Federal Reserve’s task of gauging economic momentum.
AI looms as the wildcard
Goldman sees artificial intelligence (AI) as the largest downside risk to the labor outlook – not because it has already triggered mass layoffs, but because it may restrain hiring at the margin. So far, the firm estimates that AI-related substitution has shaved only 5,000 to 10,000 jobs from monthly growth in the most exposed industries. But a faster or more disruptive deployment could weigh more heavily on demand.
…the main reason that we worry about downside risk to our baseline forecast that the labor market will stabilize going forward is the possibility of a faster and more disruptive deployment of artificial intelligence (AI). While plenty of recent anecdotes point to a potentially faster rate of adoption and corresponding job losses, it is hard to know how these will translate to macroeconomic outcomes. -Goldman
The bank shows that job growth has slowed and turned slightly negative in several subindustries where AI is most ready to deploy, while company-level anecdotes indicate that AI is already reducing the need for workers. The impact, while visible, remains ‘moderate’ so far.
For now, the bank expects the unemployment rate to drift only modestly higher, toward 4.5%, while Goldman chief economist Jan Hatzius said in a separate note (available to Pro subs) that the probability of a recession next year is “moderate” at 20%. The labor market, in the firm’s words, is taking “early steps toward stabilization.”
The paradox is that stability may increasingly look like weakness. As immigration slows and the workforce grows more slowly, payroll gains that once signaled trouble may soon be enough to keep the labor market steady – at least on paper.
h/t Capital.news
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/18/2026 – 19:40
Mother Cabrini statue to replace Columbus at Arrigo Park, city officials say
A statue of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini will be installed at Arrigo Park in Little Italy to replace a removed one honoring Christopher Columbus, Chicago Park District and city officials announced Wednesday.
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini. (The National Shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini)
The saint best known as “Mother Cabrini” won overwhelming support among voters during a process to determine which statue would be selected to replace Columbus, according to a statement from the Park District and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
Mayor Brandon Johnson praised her work founding schools, orphanages and hospitals that cared for Italian immigrants in the city over a century ago.
“Mother Cabrini really embodies what I call the soul of Chicago,” he told reporters at an unrelated news conference. “We’re going to continue and always going to have conversations about how we honor cultural heritage in the city of Chicago, 77 neighborhoods, one of the most diverse cities not just in America, but around the globe.”
Cabrini, canonized in 1946, founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Italian American nun opened 67 orphanages, schools, hospitals and missionary orders before her 1917 death in Chicago.
The city will begin its search for artist proposals for the statue in the next two weeks, the statement said.
The Columbus statue at the park and another at Grant Park were taken down at the direction of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot amid racial justice protests in 2020.
Chicago’s three Christopher Columbus statues: A brief history
After the statues remained in political limbo for years, Johnson announced last May that they would not go back up and be replaced in an effort to show “our collective humanity.” He also said the city planned to loan the Arrigo Park statue to a planned Italian immigrant museum while clearing away the larger Grant Park statue’s base.
The decision was part of a deal that resolved a lawsuit filed by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans over the Arrigo Park statue removal.
At the time, the group’s president, Ron Onesti, said the deal gave his group a say in who would be memorialized and named Cabrini as a possible Columbus replacement.
“Sure we want it back where it was,” he said. “But the world has changed quite a bit.”
Vintage Chicago Tribune: Mother Cabrini’s Chicago milestones on her path to sainthood
Faint red paint can be seen on the hand of the Christopher Columbus statue in Arrigo Park on Oct. 7, 2017, after it was vandalized in Chicago’s University Village neighborhood. (Alyssa Pointer/ Chicago Tribune)
But another community group, the Italian American Human Relations Foundation of Chicago, blasted the agreement to get the statue back as “cultural treason.” The group’s president, Lou Rago, said then that the deal between the Park District and the JCCIA, which he was formerly president of, “is not a return,” but “a burial.”
“The statue will be hidden away indoors — out of public sight — as part of an undefined ‘museum-style’ exhibit,” Rago wrote. “A sad final disposition of a statue of the heroic navigator whose voyages led to the introduction of Western European civilization and culture to a new world.”
Johnson defended the process for selecting Cabrini as open. City officials also considered memorials honoring Renato Dulbecco, Enrico Fermi, Phillip Mazzei, Maria Montessori, Florence Scala, Antonin Scalia and Amerigo Vespucci, according to the Park District and DCASE statement.
