US Threatens To Quit IEA Over Green Energy Advocacy

Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/18/2026 – 12:50

https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/us-threatens-quit-iea-over-green-energy-advocacy 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio thoroughly deserved the standing ovation he received on Feb. 14 at the annual NATO Munich Security Conference.

From the start of his remarkably articulate, persuasive presentation, the tone was friendly if not accommodating, and he rightly emphasized that the ties that bind are far stronger than any forces pulling us apart.

He gave special emphasis to shared cultural heritage and commitment to the rule of law.

Early in the address, his statement that “the two great wars of the 20th century serve for us as history’s constant reminder that our destiny is and always will be intertwined with yours,” brought sustained applause.

Secretary Rubio reiterated areas of serious disagreement, including climate policy and alleged insecure supply chains, and media comments predictably have highlighted such matters. That overlooks the fundamental fact that disagreements among allies are inevitable, and shared institutions exist to try to reconcile differences.

The conference represents the durability of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The alliance was founded in 1949 to resist the expansion of the Soviet Union.

An immediate impetus was Moscow’s 1948 blockade of West Berlin; divided Berlin was located deep inside the Soviet occupation zone of divided Germany. More broadly, however, the comprehensive Cold War had already begun. Rubio underscored that history of the division of Europe.

Originally envisioned as temporary, pending a comprehensive peace settlement after victory over Nazi Germany, the occupation zones solidified, and the East-West division endured throughout the Cold War. The end of that conflict followed the people’s dismantling of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the reunification of Germany and finally the disintegration in 1991 of the Soviet Union.

Alliances involve tensions and conflicts, inevitably, as officials regularly point out. Recent Republican administrations have been relatively challenging. President Donald Trump has been harshly, publicly disruptive in vocally pressing Europeans to devote more to defense. In fact, during the Cold War, Western Europe, especially West Germany, directly supported several hundred thousand U.S. troops on its territory.

The alliance is fundamentally anomalous. An organization founded to oppose Soviet expansion saw that mission end successfully several decades ago, yet continues to exist. Cold War victory has resulted in debate about the best future roles, not the abandonment of the institution.

Terrorist killers on 9/11 triggered NATO for the first time to defend an ally under attack. French aircraft patrolled North American skies to free our own for attacks in Afghanistan, which became a NATO theater of operations. After 9/11, Munich themes expanded to include cooperation to fight terrorist groups.

After 9/11, Japanese warships patrolled the Indian Ocean for the first time since 1945, as part of a collective response under UN auspices. The APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) organization, created during the administration of President George H.W. Bush, is one relatively recent Asian initiative, and is still defining its operational roles.

NATO was vital to the Cold War victory, and reflects the importance of handling military challenges through alliance structures whenever possible, a basic lesson of World War II.

The Munich conference represents NATO’s strong foundation for policy moves by North American, European and other nations. As Rubio indicated, future efforts must transcend traditional military security concerns.

Promising Asia developments today include not just APEC, but also expanding Japan-South Korea security cooperation, growing Australia-India-Japan-United States defense cooperation (known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, QSD, or simply “the Quad,” and reemphasis of commitment to defend Taiwan.

NATO provides the example for expanding global security.

Arthur I. Cyr is author of “After the Cold War – American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia” (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan). Contact acyr@carthage.edu.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/18/cyr-column-rubio-munich/ 

Por JAKE COYLE

TORONTO (AP) — Durante la escena final, emocionalmente devastadora, de “Hamnet”, Jessie Buckley y Paul Mescal tuvieron un problema.

“Hubo momentos en que la cámara nos obstruía”, recuerda Buckley. “Y era como: ‘No, tenemos que vernos’”.

“Y en cuanto nos vimos, fue como: ‘Oh, no’”, comenta Mescal, riéndose. “Qué cosa tan gloriosa”.

En “Hamnet”, la adaptación de Chloé Zhao de la premiada novela de 2020 de Maggie O’Farrell, Mescal interpreta a William Shakespeare y Buckley a su esposa, Agnes. Es un drama ficticio y especulativo, con base en hechos históricos. Uno de los tres hijos de la pareja, Hamnet, murió en 1596 a los 11 años. En cuestión de unos pocos años, “Hamlet” se estrenaría en el Teatro Globe. Los nombres, han señalado los académicos, eran esencialmente intercambiables en la Inglaterra del siglo XVI.

La película de Zhao imagina la posible conexión entre la muerte del hijo de los Shakespeare y el nacimiento de la obra más grande del dramaturgo. Es un retrato de un matrimonio, entre el duelo y la grandeza literaria. En muchos sentidos, también es una película sobre ver y ser visto. Tanto William como Agnes se sienten atraídos el uno por el otro como casi marginados incomprendidos. A William lo desestiman como “un erudito de cara pálida”. A Agnes la etiquetan como una “bruja del bosque”. Las brechas de percepción equivocada y soledad se salvan con el amor en la primera mitad de la película, y con el arte en su abrumador acto final.

En ambos casos, los ojos de Buckley y Mescal cuentan gran parte de la historia. Sus interpretaciones —crudas, terrenales, llenas de alma— han sido aclamadas como de las mejores del año. El filme ganó el Globo de Oro a mejor película dramática y ha sido nominada a ocho Oscar, incluyendo mejor película, dirección y actriz para Buckley. Aunque actuaron en líneas temporales separadas en la película de 2021 “The Lost Daughter” (“La hija oscura”), de Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Hamnet” es la primera vez que estos dos jóvenes y aclamados astros irlandeses comparten pantalla.

“Entramos en la película en el momento perfecto. Sentía un enorme respeto por Jessie y me encantó pasar tiempo con ella”, manifiesta Mescal. “Pero también estábamos en un punto en el que no nos conocíamos tan bien. Así que había una especie de misterio”.

Antes de iniciar la producción, Zhao organizó una prueba de química para los dos. Podría pasar a la historia como la prueba de química más innecesaria en la historia de Hollywood. “Se nos olvidaba que estábamos diciendo diálogos”, cuenta Mescal, sentado junto a Buckley.

“Ya había una energía cinética entre nosotros”, coincide Buckley. “Simplemente se sentía tan posible”.

Sueños y meditaciones

Buckley y Mescal se reunieron con este reportero a principios de este otoño, justo cuando “Hamnet” estaba teniendo su estreno premiado en el Festival Internacional de Cine de Toronto. Para entonces, la extrema carga emocional de la película ya se estaba ganando una reputación casi mítica por el charco de lágrimas que extrae de los espectadores.

Pero Buckley, la estrella de 35 años de “Wild Rose” (“Wild Rose: sigue tu propia canción”) y “Wicked Little Letters” (“Pequeñas cartas indiscretas”), y Mescal, de 29, que pronto iba a embarcarse en interpretar a Paul McCartney en la serie de cuatro películas de Sam Mendes, entraron joviales y con bromas agudas. Buckley, madre reciente, hizo un comentario sobre la lactancia antes de pedir que no se publicara, y luego se retractó. “Ah, publícalo. ¡Qué me importa!”

Sin embargo, una vez que se acomodaron, a ambos actores les costó captar la enormidad de su experiencia al hacer “Hamnet”. Si “Hamnet” ha conmovido al público, también ha sacudido a sus protagonistas.

“Trabajamos con Kim (Gillingham, una coach) en el subconsciente y los sueños. Ella te plantea estas preguntas a medida que empiezas a trabajar. Una era: ¿Por qué la estás haciendo?”, recuerda Mescal, volviéndose hacia Buckley. “No quiero entrar en por qué al principio creí que la estaba haciendo. Pero recuerdo estar sentado contigo y mirar las estrellas a las dos semanas. Antes había estado pasando algo personal en mi vida. Recuerdo que me volví hacia ti y dije: ‘Oh, ese pensamiento era demasiado pequeño’”.

Se sabe poco sobre la vida de Shakespeare y aún menos sobre la de Agnes. Eso significaba que los actores estaban usando sus propias experiencias como artistas para intentar comprender mejor a sus personajes. Cada día de rodaje, Zhao guiaba al elenco en una meditación de tres respiraciones profundas, una práctica que ha mantenido en las proyecciones.

“Como actores, a veces la gente solo quiere que te pongas una máscara y te pongas abrigos, y eso nunca me resulta satisfactorio”, afirma Buckley. “Lo que Chloé quiere que hagas es moverte hacia un lugar más profundo dentro de ti para encontrarte con la persona a la que vas a llegar a comprender. No se trata de máscaras. Si acaso, se trata de volverse más humano y quitarse una capa de piel que quizá has mantenido demasiado apretada alrededor de ti”.

Abrir portales

Zhao, la directora ganadora del Oscar por “Nomadland”, quien también dirigió la película de Marvel “Eternals”, dice que retó a Mescal y a Buckley a interpretar “lo masculino extremo y lo femenino extremo”. Desde que se dio a conocer con un par de dramas líricos lakota, “Songs My Brothers Taught Me” y “The Rider”, Zhao ha refinado un naturalismo áspero y artesanal hacia el que los actores se sienten atraídos. Para encontrar un Shakespeare muy distinto, se apoyó en esos instintos.

“Lo que tenemos que hacer como artistas es tratar de encontrar esa cosa en común que trasciende el tiempo y el espacio y el género y la religión”, explica Zhao. “Te preguntas: ¿Cuál es la humanidad, hasta los huesos, de ese hombre que también está en Paul Mescal? Ese es mi trabajo: abrir ese portal”.

“Hamnet” se atreve a suponer que todo arte, incluso algo tan fijo en una época como “Hamlet”, proviene de algún lugar profundamente personal. El Shakespeare de Mescal, por ejemplo, no va por ahí recitando versos elocuentemente.

“¡Qué aburrido sería eso!”, sostiene Mescal. “Cualquiera que escriba así no anda por ahí hablando de manera lírica. Creo que hay un motor real debajo de él. Hay alguien que quería escapar de su vida y amar su vida al mismo tiempo. Amaba su vida y amaba su trabajo. Ese conflicto constante en él, recorriendo su vida, inquieto”.

“Eso también eres tú”, interviene Buckley.

“Esa era simplemente la versión de él que más sentido me hacía”, responde Mescal. “Estoy seguro de que habrá alguien en Oxford que dirá: ‘Habría hablado con un acento híbrido raro por la época’. OK, lo que sea. No me importa”.

Un clímax que casi no fue

“Hamnet” alcanza un crescendo notable en una representación de “Hamlet” en el teatro Globe que abre pozos profundos de tristeza y océanos de empatía. Ya se ha convertido en uno de los finales más comentados del año, y es cuando la creencia de la película en la transferencia del sentimiento se vuelve más palpable. Sin embargo, cámaras aparte, fue una escena que les costó encontrar.

“Para ser completamente honesta, habíamos hecho este viaje gigantesco y épico del corazón. Llegamos al Globe. Yo no tenía ni idea de qué hacer. Estaba totalmente perdida. Creo que Chloé estaba perdida”, relata Buckley. “El Globe se inundó. Hubo una tormenta durante dos días. Haces este viaje enorme y piensas: ¿Dónde termina esto?”

Pero al tercer día, algo hizo clic para Buckley cuando “On the Nature of Daylight”, del compositor Max Richter, sonó en su lista de reproducción. Se la compartió a Zhao y algo cambió.

“A veces, como actor, sientes que tienes que hacerlo tú solo”, comenta Buckley. “Ella era como una loba solitaria en medio de este océano de gente. Me di cuenta al tercer día de lo crucial que era todo el mundo a mi alrededor. Se volvió algo de rendirse ante la comunidad del sentir”.

Buckley y Mescal ya han decidido que volverán a trabajar juntos.

“Siento que vamos a encontrarnos en las cimas de nuestras vidas y ayudarnos a desentrañar la siguiente capa”, dice Buckley.

“Sin duda, fue una de las colaboraciones más importantes que he tenido”, asegura Mescal. “Sería una locura que esa fuera la única vez que lo hagamos”.

Pero también es posible que los momentos finales de “Hamnet” se queden con ellos para siempre. La fuerza de la escena se debe, además, a los cientos de extras que desempeñan un papel conmovedor. Los ojos de Buckley y Mescal están fijos el uno en el otro, pero la obra es lo esencial: no solo la transmutación de su duelo privado, sino la resonancia de la obra con todos los que los rodean.

“Porqué vamos al cine, porqué vamos al teatro, porqué contamos historias, es para que esos lugares contengan las partes de nosotros mismos que son demasiado difíciles de sostener por nuestra cuenta”, expresa Buckley. “Hay un océano no dicho entre la persona sentada a tu lado y la historia, y la obra es el recipiente a través del cual eso lo trasciende”.

Buckley niega con la cabeza. “Fue increíble. De pie al borde del escenario, podía sentir un tsunami de 300 personas detrás de mí abriendo sus corazones”.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/18/jessie-buckley-y-paul-mescal-hallan-el-poder-emocional-de-hamnet/ 

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

Burbank

UNDELIVERED DRUGS: A package of baby wipes scheduled to be delivered to a person in Maywood Jan. 26 instead ended up being taken to a local officer who found one gram of suspected cocaine inside, police said. A ride-share service courier told the officer he couldn’t locate the recipient, became suspicious and contacted Maywood law enforcement who referred him to Burbank, police said.

RESTAURANT BURGLARY: Three masked males broke through the glass door of a restaurant in the 7800 block of Cicero Avenue early Jan. 26, failed to access the cash register and safe, consumed alcohol and left with an ATM, police said.

Calumet City

AGGRAVATED CARJACKING: Several males in a car stolen from Oak Lawn took a car at gunpoint early Feb. 10 from a gas station in the 2000 block of Sibley Boulevard, police said.

Homewood

THEFT: Kayla Carson, 27, 3100 block of Peoria Street, Steger, was arrested Jan. 13 at a gas station in the 18000 block of Halsted Street and accused of theft in connection with $202.55 taken while she was working.

THEFT: Aleara Scott, 25, Chicago, was arrested Jan. 15 at a store in the 18300 block of Kedzie Avenue and accused of theft in connection with forged customer signatures and a payment claim for unworked hours, police said.

THEFT: Stanley Morris Jr., 31, Glendale Heights, was arrested Jan. 16 and accused of theft at a home improvement center in the 17500 block of Halsted Street in connection with picking up merchandise retailing for $1,550 that was purchased online Aug. 4 with a another person’s credit card number, police said.

Lansing

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT: Jaylin R. Clemons, 30, 16500 block of Evans Court, South Holland, was arrested Jan. 10 in that block and subsequently charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest and obstructing after nearly driving into an officer while exiting a motel parking lot in the 17300 block of Oak Avenue, police said.

New Lenox

IDENTITY THEFT: Jamal A. Abdelhadi, 36, 15300 block of Silver Bell Road, Orland Park, is scheduled to appear in Will County court Feb. 24, charged with identity theft, according to court records online. Abdelhadi used his position as an employee at Speedway, 471 Nelson Road, to copy a customer’s credit card information and then use it to make $872.56 and $476.32 purchases from a cellphone store in Chicago on Sept. 10, police said.

Orland Park

RETAIL THEFT: Antonio Robinson, 39, Chicago, was arrested Jan. 23 at Orland Square and separately charged with misdemeanor retail theft after taking clothing collectively selling for $364 from a sports apparel store and felony retail theft after taking clothing and jewelry collectively selling for $545 from a department store, police said.

GUN POSSESSION: Quavon T. Hamilton, 25, Chicago, was arrested Jan. 30 in a parking lot in the first block of Orland Square Drive and subsequently charged with being an armed habitual offender after officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber handgun and loaded 9 mm pistol with loaded extended magazines following a brief chase, police said. Hamilton’s passenger, Tatyanna Y. Ellis, 27, Chicago, was charged with aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, police said.

STOLEN CAR: Husamuldeen Abed, 31, Elk Grove Village, was arrested Jan. 31 and subsequently charged with aggravated possession of a stolen vehicle after officers arrested him in the 14400 block of LaGrange Road in a 2023 Rolls-Royce Cullinan owned by a professional athlete now living in North Carolina, police said.

Palos Heights

IDENTITY THEFT: Sahran Almasri, 37, 16300 block of Parliament Avenue, Tinley Park, turned himself in Feb. 13 on a charge of aggravated identity theft/victim over 60, police said. Almasri made a $9,100 charge Aug. 19, using a credit card from the mail while presenting a driver’s license containing the victim’s information and Almasri’s photo, police said.

STALKING ALLEGED: Kate Capuano, 53, 13400 block of Westview Drive, Palos Heights, appeared in Cook County court at Bridgeview Feb. 17, charged with felony stalking in connection with 225 voicemails employing harassing and threatening language left on the department’s non-emergency line that were primarily directed at an employee, police said.

Palos Hills

IDENTITY THEFT: A resident reported Feb. 10 that a stranger in Jackson Heights, New York had drained the resident’s bank account of about $251,000 after tapping into the resident’s account with Zelle, a payment software program.

Park Forest

DUI CRASH: Wesley J. Sims, 33, 400 block of Arquilla Drive, Glenwood, was arrested Jan. 18 and accused of drunken driving, driving under the influence of alcohol and intoxicating compounds, failing to reduce speed to avoid a collision, improper lane use and failing to provide proof of insurance during an investigation of a car crashing into a tree in the 200 block of Monee Road, police said.

DEALING ALLEGED: Jacobee D. Perkins, 26, 1200 block of Barbara Lane, Chicago Heights, was arrested Jan. 20 and accused of possessing more than 100 grams of cannabis with intent to deliver, possessing a controlled substance and possessing drug paraphernalia after officers recovered nearly 8 ounces of marijuana in 17 individual bags, four suspected opiate-based pills and a straw containing suspected opiate-based residue during a stop in the 1400 block of Western Avenue, police said.

Tinley Park

BURGLARY ALLEGED: Mark J. Zbroszczyk, 57, 12500 block of Ashland Avenue, Calumet Park, was arrested Feb. 3 near a restaurant in the 7300 block of 183rd Street and accused of felony burglary, possession of burglary tools, and resisting arrest, police said. Officers responding to a 10:17 p.m. burglar alarm recovered a sledgehammer, screwdriver and cash while apprehending Zbroszczyk, police said

University Park

AGGRAVATED BATTERY: Tyjuan A. Smith, 18, 19900 block of Erika Court, Lynwood, was scheduled to appear in Will County court Feb. 17, charged with aggravated domestic battery/strangulation, according to court records online. Smith was arrested Jan. 11 on the charge, which stems from an Oct. 24 domestic violence call at the Prairie Place dormitory at Governors State University, the school said.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/18/southland-crime-palos-heights-governors-state/ 

A nearly 23-inch-long catfish was the biggest fish caught this year at Saturday’s 66th-annual Northern Illinois Conservation Club Ice Fishing Derby in Antioch.

Fish caught during the competition were brought to shore, where they were measured at the Turtle Beach Marina by NICC volunteers.

The Valentine’s Day ice on Channel Lake was about a foot thick for the 130 registrants.

In recent years, the ice was not thick enough to safely support the weight of ATVs, but on the day of this year’s derby, anglers were able to drive their vehicles and grill on the ice like the event was one big tailgate party.

Children skated and tried to catch fish with their hands by the pier. The walkability of the ice was doable if your boots had enough traction, but regular footwear seemed to work if you walked on the crunchy areas of the ice. One cyclist biked across the frozen lake.

The weather was partly sunny and more than 50 degrees.

From left to right, Mike Holstrom of Antioch and Marty Dschida of Antioch with some of the catches of the day on Feb. 14, 2026 at the 66th annual NICC Ice Fishing Derby in Antioch at the Turtle Beach Marina on Channel Lake. (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)

“Couldn’t pass up today, weather’s perfect,” said regular tournament angler Brian Conzen of McHenry, who brought in bluegill for measuring.

David Battershell of Antioch carried a yellow bucket of white bass to shore.

“So you can win small fish, and big fish, and species too, so that’s why I got a whole bunch,” he said. “The fishing’s pretty good.”

Battershell said he participates, “to have fun, support Lake County and fishing, and just show people that you can have fun in the wintertime ice fishing.”

A cyclist bikes on Channel Lake estimated by ice fishing enthusiasts to be one foot thick on Feb. 14, 2026 at the 66th annual NICC Ice Fishing Derby in Antioch at the Turtle Beach Marina on Channel Lake. (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)

The NICC tournament is a fishing tradition with a goal to encourage interest early in children, and to introduce ice fishing to interested adults, NICC President Leonard Dane said.

“We need to really help promote getting youth into the sport, whether it’s fishing or any outdoor activities, to keep these kinds of events going,” Dane said. “That’s why we do them, to get the kids and children and more people involved.

“Get youth involved in the outdoors because there’s not as much activity going on with youth in the outdoors,” he continued. “Getting them out in the wild is gaining an appreciation for nature.”

Longtime tournament participants Mike Holstrom and Marty Dschida, both of Antioch, support newcomers to the sport. Their group sat on folding chairs outside in a circle where multiple fish were in a mound in the center. No tent here.

Brian Osowski of Antioch, Anthony Zito of Chicago Irving Park, Kevin Osowski of Spring Grove, Randy Osowski of Saint Peters, Missouri, Caden Osowski, 14, a high school freshman from Mount Prospect, Henry Marshall, 11, a sixth-grader from Antioch, Dan Osowski of Carol Stream and son Aaron Osowski, 9, a third-grader of Carol Stream are sharing this blue tent on Feb. 14, 2026 at the 66th annual NICC Ice Fishing Derby in Antioch at the Turtle Beach Marina on Channel Lake. (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)

Holstrom and Dschida look for people needing an ice tent and instruction. The philanthropists will drill holes with their pro device and lend equipment to deserving anglers.

“We’re looking for people who don’t have anything, and we just enjoy it,” said Holstrom, who grew up along the Chain O’Lakes. “It’s what we do. Pay it forward.”

On this year’s menu for Holstrom’s and Dschida’s group was the grilled hind quarter of venison plus a gallon of chili. Anglers could stop by to enjoy food and beverages with neighbors.

“Everybody’s invited,” Holstrom said. “If you’re out here braving the weather, whoever comes around is invited.”

The catch of the day by the angler group of Mike Holstrom of Antioch and Marty Dschida of Antioch on Feb. 14, 2026 at the 66th annual NICC Ice Fishing Derby in Antioch at the Turtle Beach Marina on Channel Lake. (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)

One other extended family and friends group, in their 17th year of participation, also grilled venison. Their deer came in the form of brats made into sausage by a Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, butcher.

“We harvest our own meat,” Brian Osowski of Antioch said. “We get ours in Wisconsin mainly.”

By midday, the fishing haul for the group was “two baby fish,” Osowski said with a laugh. “There’s been a couple of years where we had no ice whatsoever, and one year we didn’t fish at all. Most of the time we’re out here to be together.”

Father and son duo Dan and 9-year-old Aaron Osowski  of Carol Stream checked inside a blue tent where fishing holes had monitoring equipment.

Here with extended family of Antioch and entering the tent is Dan Osowski of Carol Stream to assist son Aaron Osowski, 9, on Feb. 14, 2026 at the 66th annual NICC Ice Fishing Derby in Antioch at the Turtle Beach Marina on Channel Lake. (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)

“I think it’s a really fun sport,” Aaron said.

Inside the cabana, people could order food and buy tickets for the meat raffle, or to win gift baskets and prizes set on long tables, many items with Valentine’s Day themes.

Jordan Marcelain of Winthrop Harbor was the meat raffle emcee at a fishing derby considered to be the kick-off to their 2026 fishing season.

“Who doesn’t need more meat in their freezer?” Marcelain said. “All the money we raise from this event goes to different events,” to keep, “conservation going in Lake County.”

Bob Huebner of Antioch won a jar of pickles in the meat raffle and said, “It’s like winning an Olympic gold medal.”

Center, holding the bucket to have fish measured on shore is David Battershell of Antioch on Feb. 14, 2026 at the 66th annual NICC Ice Fishing Derby in Antioch at the Turtle Beach Marina on Channel Lake. (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/18/antioch-ice-fishing-derby/ 

Por SUZAN FRASER

ANKARA, Turquía (AP) — Un comité parlamentario turco recomendó el miércoles una serie de reformas para impulsar una nueva iniciativa de paz con el grupo armado Partido de los Trabajadores del Kurdistán, o PKK, al tiempo que subrayó que los pasos legales deben estar vinculados a que las instituciones de seguridad del Estado verifiquen que el grupo ha entregado las armas.

En las recomendaciones, aprobadas de forma abrumadora por la Comisión de Solidaridad Nacional, Hermandad y Democracia, se pide una medida legal temporal para reintegrar a los miembros del PKK que renuncien a la violencia, según el borrador final de un informe puesto a disposición de los periodistas.

La comisión también pide medidas para ampliar la libertad de expresión, liberar a presos de edad avanzada o enfermos y garantizar que los actos no violentos no sean procesados según las leyes antiterroristas. También propone dar fin a la práctica de designar interventores del gobierno para sustituir a alcaldes electos del partido prokurdo del país.

Designado como organización terrorista por Turquía, Estados Unidos y la Unión Europea, el PKK ha librado una insurgencia armada desde 1984 que se ha cobrado decenas de miles de vidas y se ha extendido a Irak y Siria, países vecinos de Turquía.

El grupo buscó inicialmente un Estado kurdo independiente, pero más tarde cambió su enfoque para exigir autonomía y ampliación de derechos en Turquía.

En el informe de la comisión se indica que la verificación por parte del Estado de que el PKK ha depuesto las armas y se ha disuelto es “el umbral más crítico del proceso”.

Las recomendaciones no llegan a proponer la libertad condicional del líder encarcelado del PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, y en su lugar, instan a cumplir los fallos del Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos y del Tribunal Constitucional de Turquía para mejorar las condiciones de detención. En un reflejo de la fuerte oposición pública a la indulgencia hacia el PKK, el borrador del informe evita pedir una amnistía general y sugiere, en cambio, que los casos de los combatientes se revisen de manera individual.

“El informe no es un acuerdo de amnistía”, recalcó el presidente del Parlamento, Numan Kurtulmuş, antes de la votación, y describió el trabajo de la comisión como “una clara expresión de la determinación de construir el futuro juntos sin negar nuestro sufrimiento”.

En el informe se afirma que “las regulaciones legales no deben crear en la sociedad una percepción de impunidad o amnistía”.

Las recomendaciones fueron aprobadas con 47 votos a favor, dos en contra y una abstención, informó la cadena Haberturk.

Aún no se sabe cuál sería el siguiente paso del proceso.

La comisión se formó en agosto para supervisar el esfuerzo de paz después de que el PKK, tras un llamamiento de Ocalan, anunciara en mayo que se desarmaría y se disolvería, poniendo fin a más de cuatro décadas de hostilidades. Posteriormente, el grupo celebró una ceremonia simbólica de desarme en el norte de Irak y comenzó a retirar de Turquía a sus combatientes restantes.

Hasta el momento, no ha habido declaraciones por parte del PKK, que ha presionado para que el gobierno otorgue garantías legales formales a fin de que el proceso avance.

En un mensaje televisado, el presidente turco Recep Tayyip Erdogan acogió con satisfacción el informe de la comisión y sostuvo que ha “planteado una perspectiva que dará impulso” a los esfuerzos de reconciliación.

En el borrador del informe también se recomienda dar pasos más amplios de democratización, incluida una revisión de las leyes de medios para garantizar que se protejan la libertad de expresión y el derecho a la crítica legítima. Se propone que, si un alcalde es destituido del cargo, el sucesor sea elegido mediante una votación interna del concejo municipal en lugar de ser designado por el gobierno.

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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.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/18/legisladores-turcos-apoyan-reformas-de-paz-con-grupo-armado-kurdo/ 

When Team USA bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor won gold Monday night, I let out a little cheer.

We had just watched a lovely segment on NBC about her path to the 2026 Winter Olympics, which included returning to the sport after her two sons were born — one of whom spent his first eight days of life in the NICU and both of whom were born deaf.

Meyers Taylor and her husband, Nic, learned they both carried a gene mutation that can result in a child being deaf, according to the Athletic. Nico, their older son, also has Down syndrome. They quickly learned sign language to communicate with their growing family, and Meyers Taylor spent the days leading up to her final two monobob runs teaching them “gold medal.” Just in case.

She told Athletic reporter Lindsay Schnell she considers careening down the ice at 75 mph in a bobsled her “me time.”

How could you not cheer for this hero?

Her latest medal (she has six) makes her the oldest woman (age 41) to win an individual gold in Winter Games history and ties Bonnie Blair’s record for the most medals by a U.S. woman in the Winter Games. Even before she won gold, Meyers Taylor was the most decorated Black Winter Olympian of all time.

Despite all that, she almost didn’t compete in Milan. Shortly before Christmas, according to ABC News, she texted her husband from Norway: “I’m done.”

But Nic Taylor, a former bobsledder, works as a performance coach for the San Antonio Spurs. And a Spurs player who wishes to remain anonymous, heard about the text and bought Nic Taylor a ticket to Norway, ABC reported. 

She wasn’t done, it turns out. And on a Monday night in February, there was Meyers Taylor on my TV, signing to one of her sons: “Mommy won.”

Swoon.

And if all of that wasn’t magical and moving and inspiring enough, Meyers Taylor topped it all off with something truly revolutionary. 

She thanked her nannies. 

“It took so many people to be here,” she said through tears after grabbing the gold. “It took so much work for everybody. My husband. My kids. My nanny Macy. My nannies along the way. My parents. Everybody. I’m just so grateful right now.”

My nanny Macy. My nannies along the way.

I see athletes thank God. I see athletes thank their trainers. I see athletes thank their parents and coaches and spouses. All beautiful and appropriate.

I don’t usually see athletes thank their nannies. I love it.

As Dr. John Trainer puts it: “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.”

And it takes a lot of work to raise them. Righteous, rewarding, wonderful, grueling work. Work we chronically undervalue and underpay and under-showcase.

It’s also work that matters. Tremendously. The learning, the brain development, the capacity to care and connect that happen in children’s first five years of life are never again matched. It’s truly the most rapid period of human development. 

The caregivers who fill children’s early years with love and safety and playgrounds and books and songs and snacks aren’t doing it so their parents can go off and do more important things, like win gold medals. 

They’re doing it because important things — essential things, life’s biggest things — happen simultaneously. Take root simultaneously. Grow into something beautiful and world-changing simultaneously.

And it takes many hands to help ensure they do. Caregivers — nannies, child care workers, preschool teachers, stay-at-home parents, grandparents who swoop in to help — work diligently behind the scenes. But that’s not because their scene isn’t worth our gaze. It’s because we rarely, as a society, train our lens there.

Meyers Taylor just did. 

If you asked the history-making, record-breaking, gold medal-winning mom which means more to her, her sons or her medals, I’m guessing she would look at you like you had three heads. Her sons, without question.

But she gets to have both. And both — her boys and her sport — get to have her. And that changes the world, in all the best ways.

And that’s thanks, in large part, to her nannies. It’s no wonder they popped into her mind during the biggest moment of her career.

I love that she didn’t leave them there. I love that she shouted them out, alongside her husband and parents and kids. I love that she trained our lens where it too rarely goes — to the quiet heroes doing the most important work.

Join the Heidi Stevens Balancing Act Facebook group, where she continues the conversation around her columns and hosts occasional live chats.

Twitter @heidistevens13

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/18/heidi-stevens-olympics-mom-nannies/ 

General Mills is forecasting a drop in sales this fiscal year as many Americans continue to cut back in the grocery aisle.

The Minnesota-based food company lowered its outlook in the face of “historically low consumer sentiment, heightened uncertainty and significant volatility,” CEO Jeff Harmening said at the Feb. 17 Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference.

“The cumulative impact of inflation, SNAP [food stamp] benefit reductions, geopolitical uncertainty and other factors have led to significant consumer stress, especially for the middle- and lower-income groups,” he said.

After initially projecting organic net sales to land between a 1% loss and a 1% gain, General Mills is now anticipating a loss of 1.5% to 2% for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. Year-to-date growth in cereal, snacks and dog food, in particular, fell below expectations, Harmening said.

Though the U.S. economy is growing, economists are increasingly describing a “K-shaped” economy, in which a small upper class accumulates wealth and drives spending while everyone else falls to the bottom. It’s a sharp turn from the early post-pandemic days, when a hot job market and stockpiled savings fueled consumer spending despite high inflation.

General Mills has recently zeroed in on the idea of “value,” including lower prices, to keep people buying Cheerios, Chex Mix and pizza rolls. Still, Harmening said, the company is seeing budget-conscious shoppers buying more products on sale.

“The prevalence of financially stressed consumers only reinforces our view that working to bring consumers more value is the right approach, and it’s important to reinforce that price is just one aspect of how consumers define value,” he said.

The company is expecting net sales from new products to rise about 25% this fiscal year. Harmening said the company plans to focus on “bold flavors,” the growing appetite for protein and fiber, and “increased demand for familiar and fun food experiences that help consumers find joy and comfort amid ongoing uncertainty.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/18/general-mills-consumers/ 

Record Taiwan Arms Deal In ‘Limbo’ As White House ‘Vacillates’ Amid Xi Pressure: Report

Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/18/2026 – 12:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/record-taiwan-arms-deal-limbo-white-house-vacillates-amid-xi-pressure-report