Chicago trading card magnate Matthew Bayer and his wife, Joyce, who are the mystery buyers who paid $14.25 million in 2024 for a seven-bedroom, 15,000-square-foot Lincoln Park mansion, are trying to sell their penthouse condominium on the 46th floor of Streeterville’s One Magnificent Mile building.

Features in the six-bedroom, 9,000-square-foot condo, which was redesigned by Wheeler Kearns Architects, include eight full bathrooms, three half bathrooms and seven-inch wide-plank European white oak floors. The condo also has Grigio Piesantina limestone, Crestron lighting, a “sculptural staircase,” floor-to-ceiling windows, a great room with a custom burl wood wet bar and a glass wine room, a private terrace off the great room and a Valcucine kitchen with Sub-Zero and Miele appliance, according to listing information. Other features include a primary suite with a sitting area and two custom walk-in closets, and a second-level private wellness and entertainment sanctuary that contains a sunroom with a marble-clad wet bar.

Listing agents Ryan Preuett and Tim Salm did not respond to requests for comment.

Bayer and his wife first listed the condo for $5.995 million in September. They cut their asking price to $5.5 million in January.

The couple assembled the duplex in stages between 2010 and 2014. It has homeowners association dues of $12,081 a month.

The couple’s identity as the buyers of the $14.25 million Lincoln Park mansion in 2024 has not been revealed publicly until now.

Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/one-magnificent-mile-matthew-bayer/ 

Good afternoon, Chicago.

Former President Barack Obama said he did not see evidence that aliens “have made contact with us,” after sending social media abuzz by saying aliens were real on a podcast over the weekend. During a lightning round of questions with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama was asked, “Are aliens real?”

“They’re real,” he answered, continuing: “But I haven’t seen them. And, they’re not being kept in Area 51.”

The former president released a statement on Instagram yesterday, appearing to clarify what he meant by his comments that have since gone viral.

Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.

Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History

The farmhouse on the Joseph P. Bartlett Farm in Campton Township in Kane County is seen on Feb. 1, 2026. The home is the first site in Kane County to be verified as a designated safe house through a National Park Service initiative, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Kane County farmhouse verified as former Underground Railroad safe house in National Park Service initiative

The home is the first site in Kane County to be verified as a designated safe house through a National Park Service initiative, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, a program created in 1998 to show the history of resistance to enslavement. Read more here.

More top news stories:

Architecture and Design Film Festival opens with climate change as the subtext
Man accused in Portage TV theft scam is on the lam

Portage Mayor Austin Bonta speaks to financier Lou Weisbach during a news conference concerning the proposed Chicago Bears stadium and development in the city on Feb. 11, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

Win or lose, baiting the Chicago Bears could pay off for Portage. Here’s why.

Even if the Bears hibernate at another location, Portage’s pitch for a stadium could end up benefiting the city. Lou Weisbach, the man behind the financing for the proposed stadium, is connected with a capital C. Read more here.

More top business stories:

BP Whiting workers rally for fair contract as potential strike looms
Chicago Fire player Mauricio Pineda buys Loop condo for $680,000

Chicago Tribune reporter and sports columnist Ring Lardner, circa 1926. (Chicago Herald and Examiner)

Column: Ring Lardner’s ‘In the Wake of the News’ columns remain timeless more than a century later

Ring Lardner was one of the original occupants of the “In the Wake of the News” column, which dates to 1907 and remains the longest-running sports column in America. Read more here.

More top sports stories:

Chicago Cubs’ Tom Ricketts calls Marquee ‘maybe the smartest thing we’ve done’ amid shifting TV landscape
Figure skating is a young woman’s sport. Park Ridge native Deanna Stellato-Dudek wants to change that.

A red carpet was laid out in front of Symphony Center on Michigan Avenue during the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s fall opening weekend on Sept. 20, 2025. The CSO was the busiest orchestra in the world last year, according to Bachtrack. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

The Chicago Symphony is the world’s busiest orchestra — how that’s counted and what that means

A British publication recently affirmed what Chicago Symphony Orchestra audiences already know: the City of the Big Shoulders is home to a just-as-hardworking orchestra. Read more here.

More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:

Review: ‘Hamnet’ is rendered on stage by Royal Shakespeare — but haunted by a movie
Robert Duvall, star of ‘The Godfather’ and ‘The Great Santini,’ dies at 95

Bacon’s Castle in Surry is North America’s oldest brick dwelling. The Virginia home built was in 1665. (Bill Tiernan/The Virginian-Pilot)

The oldest building in Virginia is set to undergo a restoration

The historic Bacon’s Castle, the oldest building in Virginia and the oldest brick dwelling on the continent, is set to undergo a rare series of repairs to help preserve it. Read more here.

More top stories from around the world:

Rivian finds a way to shine even as the EV market struggles in the dark 
Venezuelan housing prices jump as emigres consider buying 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/afternoon-briefing-kane-county-farm-verified-as-former-underground-railroad-site/ 

MESA, Ariz. — The local TV broadcast landscape in Major League Baseball is a growing problem.

Beyond the looming labor strife, the regional sports network (RSN) model has been floundering for many teams. Nearly half of the teams’ game broadcasts will be produced by MLB for the 2026 season after nine more came under its purview during the offseason following missed RSN payments from the previous providers.

The Chicago Cubs have largely avoided a significant financial impact in the shift from the traditional RSN setup to more direct-to-consumer options that other MLB franchises have endured the last couple of seasons. The economic environment clearly has become volatile on the TV side, though, and it’s an issue that won’t be going away.

“If you look at baseball right now, there’s a lot of really nice tailwinds: attendance is up, ratings are up, there’s a lot of things going the right direction,” Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said Monday. “We’ve got a lot of good young stars and exciting young players, and that’s all going well.

“There are some challenges. I mean, the regional sports network model has been under pressure for the last few years. Certain teams felt it the most this offseason and it’ll take a while for it to work out, but it’s certainly a challenge for the entire league.”

Looking back at the Cubs’ decision to launch Marquee Sports Network in 2020, Ricketts said he wouldn’t do anything differently.

“Given all the market headwinds for RSNs, I think Marquee is one of the best things we ever did,” he said. “To be in control of our own destiny and be able to produce the games we want to produce the way we want to produce them, with the right people and the right staff and the right level of production quality, for us it’s been a huge home run. It’s been able to give us a chance to control our own destiny for a while and has been maybe the smartest thing we’ve done in all these years.”

Although the Cubs so far have avoided the RSN limbo other teams are dealing with, they haven’t escaped the economic realities of the traditional TV business model. Marquee laid off multiple employees in December, most notably in the digital content departments, and essentially shuttered its website, which included the elimination of written coverage of the Cubs and Bears.

“I’m very happy with the product, everyone is,” Ricketts said. “We’ve won tons of Emmys and we get great feedback. We have broadcasters who are loved by the fans and we do a great game-day production, but we also have the economic realities that are facing other sports networks and the declining revenue model.

“So we just have to balance that out and try to focus our efforts where we can. Get a great experience and a great production for fans and just being mindful of expenses because it’s getting tougher.”

Ricketts acknowledged the speculation that MLB could try to put all RSNs together under league distribution, but he didn’t want to delve too deeply into the topic.

“We love the network and we love our independence,” Ricketts said.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/chicago-cubs-tom-ricketts-marquee-future/ 

After three community meetings, the village of River Forest is moving ahead with plans to redevelop vacant, village-owned lots at the northeast corner of Madison Street and Ashland Avenue.

River Forest village President Cathy Adduci and village administrator Matt Walsh said the plan is advancing to the Development Review Board, which handles Planned Unit Development applications for large-scale projects. Walsh said the meeting would only be an introduction of the proposal, and no vote will be taken – but the residents will be able to weigh in. The meeting is at 7 p.m. Feb. 19 at River Forest Village Hall.

Chicago-based Five Thirty-One Partners proposed to build a five-story mixed use development with retail on the first floor and apartments on the four floors above. The proposal was unveiled in mid-January, and village officials have held three community meetings to give residents a chance to look at the proposal and offer comments. Adduci said traffic and parking were major concerns – something that she said will be addressed before anything goes up for approval.

The property is made up of three lots: 7612-7620 Madison used to be home to Lutheran Child and Family Services. The two lots behind it, at 10 Lathrop Ave. and 11 Ashland Ave., were private homes. By the time River Forest acquired them in the late 2010s, the buildings had been vacant for years.

Adduci said redeveloping the property as a mixed-use building was part of the village’s 2019 comprehensive plan, which she described as “our guiding North Star.” The plan, she said, generally seeks to revitalize the River Forest side of Madison Street. The village is also looking to increase housing stock – always a tricky feat for a landlocked municipality. Adduci said that they bought the three lots specifically so that there would be as much room to redevelop as possible.

River Forest demolished the structures in 2023. Two years later, it hired Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. to market the properties.

Five Thirty-One Partners is proposing to build a five-story building with retail on the first floor, 72 apartments and a rooftop deck. Parking would be located on the first floor and the two rear lots.

Adduci said officials believe the development will be a good fit for the area. The two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four-bedroom units would suit young professionals who want to start a family, while the one-bedroom units would be a good fit for empty-nesters who want to downsize without leaving the village – something that Adduci said she could relate to as an empty-nester.

“I think that’s what we all want,” she said. “We want young professionals to come back to River Forest and raise their families in the community. We want empty nesters to stay in River Forest, because they love it here.”

Pragmatically, Adduci said, River Forest, as well as local school districts and other government bodies that serve the village, need more revenue. The proposed development would bring in property taxes and sales taxes. Walsh said River Forest expects the development to generate around $600,000 in property taxes. The sales tax revenue, he said, would be hard to estimate until the village knows what type of business would go into the retail space.

The development sits on the River Forest side of the village’s border with Forest Park. Walsh said that he’s been regularly meeting with his Forest Park counterpart, village administrator Rachell Entler.

“We want to keep the (Madison Street corridor) vibrant for both communities,” he said.

Adduci said that, in the wake of the meeting, one thing she wanted to be clear on was that the new tenants would not be allowed to park in front of the nearby homes. Five Thirty-One Partners will be required to submit a traffic study.

Adduci said that the village is sensitive to concerns about increased traffic and parking, and with it, increased emissions. The proximity to Pace bus 318 and the CTA Blue Line Forest Park terminal, should help address that.

“One of the goals is to reduce cars and traffic,” Adduci said, calling the project a “transit oriented development.”

Walsh encouraged residents to take part in the online survey at the proposal’s website, at vrf.us/Madison, as well as to attend the Feb. 19 meeting to comment in person. Afterwards, there will be a meeting specifically for neighbors – followed by more community development meetings.

“Were very excited,” Walsh said. “The Village Board is excited about brings this project forward and getting something on this site.”

Igor Studenkov is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/river-forest-madison-street-plan/ 

Renee Turpa spent 17 years as girls varsity basketball coach, becoming one of the winningest coaches in Portage history for any sport. Her legacy lives on at the Portage High School gym named in her honor.

The gym was dedicated Friday night at halftime of the boys basketball game against Chesterton.

Athletic Director Brett St. Germain praised Turpa’s “leadership, her passion and her unwavering belief in teamwork and integrity.”

“Her influence extended beyond Portage as she served on the board of directors for the National High School Basketball Coaches Association and the National Organization of Coaches Association Directors,” St. Germain said.

“In 2021, she became the first female coach in Indiana history inducted into the National High School Basketball Coaches Association,” he added.

At a reception before the game, her legacy shone in the eyes of people whose lives she touched.

Carrie Biggs, a Title 1 teacher at Aylesworth Elementary School, said she approached Superintendent Amanda Alaniz with the idea of naming the gym for Turpa. “She loved it. She high-fived it,” Biggs said.

Former coach and teacher Renee Turpa, center, poses for a photo with Portage Township Schools Superintendent Amanda Alaniz, on left, and Portage Township School Board vice president Wilma Vazquez during a reception to recognize the renaming of the Portage High School gym in Turpa’s honor on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

“I knew she had some accolades,” Biggs said, but didn’t realize how many until she went online to learn more about turpa.

Biggs ran cross country and played basketball under Coach Turpa, graduating in 1987.

On the basketball court, Biggs was a point guard. “The friendships we built,” she said, were lasting.

“We wanted to pay for Renee. She had that drive for us,” Biggs said. “She just had a good group for support,” including assistant coaches.

“I always wanted to get into education, and she was a role model,” Biggs said. “I can hear some of her words resonate” while teaching.

Turpa was a special education teacher at PHS, drafting the adaptive physical education curriculum in use today.

Former coach and teacher Renee Turpa, center, smiles as she poses for a photo with visitors to a reception to recognize the renaming of the Portage High School gym in Turpa’s honor on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

Nicole McDonald Brown, of Carmel, graduated in 2004, having played basketball for four years. “I think she gave me all of my passion for basketball,” Brown said.

Practices were “hard, very hard, lots of running,” Brown said. “She didn’t care if you were tired or had a game the next day.”

Summer leagues were more laid back. “Summer league was awesome,” she said.

Several teammates, including Brown, recall Turpa taking them to Indianapolis to see state championship games to inspire the Portage athletes.

Dawn Kaling Waters, of Portage, played volleyball after graduation, with Turpa on her team.

Waters described Turpa as a “very good player, competitive,” with a positive attitude.

Daun Bieda, of Paw Paw, Michigan, and Tracy Sulich Cale, of Carmel, played to Turpa 1986 through 1990.

“Renee has a lasting impression on me,” Bieda said. “She had some specifics and ethics and rules and expectations of her players.”

Bieda grew up in a single-parent household and appreciated the extra parental influence Turpa offered. Coach was kind but tough.

“If you missed free throws, you were here at 5 a.m.” to practice, Bieda said. If you missed catches, she would put you in a box and throw basketballs at you at 30 mph to bring you up to speed, Bieda added.

The high school athletes were expected to help younger girls improve their basketball skills in the summer, Cale said. “Back then, we didn’t have a lot of camps and things.”

“She knew the inside tricks before they were tricks,” Bieda said. That included practicing basketball with boys, not just other girls.

Turpa is “just a big voice for women’s sports, period,” Bieda said.

Former coach and teacher Renee Turpa, on right, hugs former basketball player Tracy Sulich Cale during a reception to celebrate the renaming of the Portage High School gym to the “Renee Turpa Gymnasium” on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

On Friday, Turpa wore a shirt that read, “Girls who play sports become leaders.”

“She is an advocate for sports in general,” Cale said.

Cale served as a peer tutor in Turpa’s classes, and the special education students Turpa taught would come to games to cheer for the girls. “Everybody loved her.”

Cale praised Turpa for her “kindness mixed with discipline.”

“She had just the right amount of ingredients to feed us,” Bieda said.

“It’s a sign of a good coach to know each player personally and know what it takes to encourage and motivate them,” Cale said.

“She always had a hoarse voice at the end of the game because she yelled so much,” Bieda said.

Ruth Aydelotte Parks, a retired teacher, called Turpa “bubbly, sweet, humble.”

“I was her assistant cross country coach,” Parks said. “She was good. A lot of the runners are here tonight.”

Turpa received a standing ovation at Friday’s game.

“When I walked in tonight, I didn’t see the gym. I saw 6 a.m. free throws. I saw multiple cross country routes around the bridge. I saw my adaptive PE class. But most of all, I saw the faces that made this place home,” she said.

“The gym is really not just sports. It teaches students how to win with grace, how to lose with dignity,” Turpa said. “For my name to be attached to a place like that is an honor I will never forget.”

“I’m deeply, deeply humbled by the fact that my name is listed beside legends” like Dusty Rhodes, for whom a pool is named; Les Klein, for whom the football field is named; and Larry Casbon, for whom the baseball diamond has been named. “They were giants in the community,” Turpa said.

Turpa grew up in Valparaiso, where her high school coach was special education legend Lorrie Woycik, who inspired Turpa to teach special education.

Aylesworth teacher Carrie Biggs , who initially suggested that the Portage High School gym be renamed in honor of former coach and teacher Renee Turpa, laughs with other visitors to a reception to celebrate Turpa on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

On her first day as a new teacher at the new Portage High School, Turpa met Pete, the man she would marry. “There might have been pursuit on my part,” she said. They have been married 45 years.

Teaching special education and being a coach put Turpa in a position to achieve a record she’s proud of. “We actually were the very first unified basketball champions in 1978,” she said.

She began teaching girls basketball but added cross country and track to her roster. She started the girls cross country team in 1981 when some of her athletes wanted to compete. “I said, hey, I’ll coach them,” Turpa said.

At Ball State University, “I literally lived Title IX,” the federal law that requires schools to offer equal opportunities for women to participate in sports, among other provisions. Turpa played basketball, notably, but earned six varsity letters there; one each for golf and softball and four for basketball.

Her first year at Ball State, she won a spot on the basketball team. Sophomore year, she got a half-tuition scholarship and used the same jerseys as the softball team.

Her third year, she got a full-ride scholarship for basketball. Senior year, they rode team buses to and from games.

“It’s been a long journey, a lot of fun experiences,” Turpa said. “I remember everything because we had so much fun there.”

Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/portage-gym-named-for-renee-turpa/ 

Por GREG BEACHAM

INGLEWOOD, California, EE.UU. (AP) — Si aun así no te gustó el formato más nuevo del Juego de Estrellas de la NBA, probablemente es que simplemente no te gustan los Juegos de Estrellas.

Ese pareció ser el consenso en el mundo del deporte después de que el torneo todos contra todos de Estados Unidos contra el resto del mundo del domingo produjera tres emocionantes minipartidos y varias actuaciones individuales impresionantes. Algo en el planteamiento obligó a estas estrellas a rendir en esta exhibición a un nivel mucho más cercano a la competencia real de lo habitual.

“Creo que, sinceramente, todos los equipos querían ganar”, indicó Devin Booker, de Phoenix, integrante del conjunto Stars que resultó vencedor.

No es una afirmación menor sobre un evento que se había convertido en una seudocompetencia de mitad de temporada sin sentido, en una farsa que hacía perder el tiempo a los aficionados y producía un espéctaculo televisivo imposible de ver. Los jugadores simplemente intentaban terminar cuanto antes.

Esa es precisamente la razón por la que la NBA concibió su cuarto formato en cuatro años, al enfrentar un equipo del Mundo y dos equipos de estadounidenses para disputar partidos de 12 minutos.

Para sorpresa de quienes asumían que este evento no tenía salvación, en realidad funcionó para la mayoría.

“Yo lo he estado pidiendo, los aficionados lo han estado pidiendo, los medios lo han estado pidiendo, y siento que después de hoy, creo que todos pueden ver que la competencia está ahí”, comentó Karl-Anthony Towns, el dominicano que jugó para el equipo del Mundo. “Creo que hoy todos lo dimos, aportamos un sentido de esfuerzo. Espero que los aficionados y todos ustedes lo aprecien”.

Sin embargo, no se concretó un desenlace de estadounidenses contra el resto del mundo. En su lugar, el equipo de estadounidenses ligeramente más jóvenes arrolló al equipo de estadounidenses ligeramente mayores.

Aun así, ese desenlace tuvo sus puntos entretenidos.

La NBA no ha declarado un formato para el Juego de Estrellas del próximo año en Phoenix, y el componente del Mundo tiene problemas potenciales dependiendo de cuántos jugadores internacionales estén teniendo temporadas dignas de ser All-Star.

Varios jugadores, entre ellos LeBron James y Kawhi Leonard, señalaron que todavía quieren un regreso al formato clásico de Este contra Oeste, el que produjo suficientes malos partidos como para obligar a la NBA a intentar algo diferente en primer lugar.

Cuesta imaginar que el baloncesto en su estado actual produzca un Juego de Estrellas significativamente mejor que este, pero no todo en el fin de semana del All-Star en el Intuit Dome fue agradable.

Los altibajos de un fin de semana movido en Inglewood:

Clavadas deslucidas

Justo cuando la NBA podría tener arreglado su Juego de Estrellas, el Concurso de Clavadas fue lo bastante decepcionante como para provocar que los aficionados debatieran cómo salvar una competencia venerable que se está quedando sin impulso.

El evento inmortalizado por figuras como Julius Erving, Michael Jordan y Kobe Bryant fue mayormente atractivo por malas razones este año, aunque Keshad Johnson de Miami lo hizo lo suficientemente bien como para unirse a Damian Lillard, el campeón del Concurso de Triples, en una barrida de jugadores nacidos en Oakland de los dos eventos principales del All-Star del sábado.

En la ronda inicial, el pívot de los Lakers Jaxson Hayes hizo un intento que atrajo críticas en internet de sus propios aficionados. Jase Richardson de Orlando sufrió una caída espantosa sobre la espalda y la cabeza cuando su brazo golpeó el tablero en un intento de giro de 360 grados. Richardson estaba bien, pero el momento aterrador subrayó los peligros de este evento.

Johnson ganó scuando Carter Bryant de San Antonio no pudo completar una impresionante segunda clavada después de haber obtenido un 50 perfecto en la primera.

¿Puede la NBA convencer a las estrellas de volver al concurso? ¿Pueden los participantes redescubrir la creatividad que llevó a Blake Griffin a saltar sobre un auto, a Gerald Green a apagar con un soplido la vela de un bizcocho en el aro, a Dwight Howard a ponerse una capa y a Vince Carter a meter todo el brazo en la canasta?

Eso no es pan comido.

La ráfaga de Kawhi

Kawhi Leonard anotó 31 puntos en 12 minutos mientras guiaba a su equipo a la victoria en el tercer minipartido del domingo. El siete veces All-Star encestó 11 de 13, con seis triples, deslumbrando a sus compañeros All-Stars e incluso provocando que Victor Wembanyama, de 2,24 metros, intentara marcarlo por desesperación.

Si el equipo de Leonard hubiera ofrecido más resistencia en la final, probablemente hubiera sido el MVP en lugar de Anthony Edwards. Leonard anotó apenas un punto, y se le vio sin energía, al igual que sus compañeros, en su tercer partido consecutivo.

“Eso es lo que la afición local quería ver. Me alegra haber podido hacer algo en ese partido”, dijo Leonard.

El dominio de Dame

Durante su año alejado del juego por lesión, Lillard le recordó al mundo por qué es uno de los mejores tiradores de su generación con una actuación estelar para ganar el Concurso de Triples por tercera vez. Se une a Larry Bird y Craig Hodges como los únicos jugadores en lograrlo.

El escolta de Portland, de 35 años, contuvo a Booker en una final tremendamente emocionante, al imponerse 29-27 cuando Booker falló sus últimos tres tiros.

Lillard se rompió el tendón de Aquiles el pasado abril, y su inclusión en este concurso comenzó inicialmente como una broma que tenía con un ejecutivo de la NBA. Pero el californiano de nacimiento recibió la llamada y estaba lo suficientemente sano como para encestar a placer en Inglewood.

Su actuación fue otro ejemplo de un regreso impresionante tras esa lesión grave. Jayson Tatum, quien también se rompió el tendón de Aquiles en los playoffs de la primavera pasada, ha vuelto a entrenar con el equipo de la G League de Boston.

Tras ver la actuación de Lillard, Stephen Curry anunció que va a competir en 2027, y espera que lo acompañe su “Splash Brother”, Klay Thompson.

___

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

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/buen-partido-mal-concurso-de-clavadas-lo-mejor-y-lo-peor-de-un-movido-all-star-de-la-nba/ 

NASA Awards Next 2 Private Astronaut Missions To International Space Station

Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/16/2026 – 14:30

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/nasa-awards-next-2-private-astronaut-missions-international-space-station 

Rivian shocked the market with strong earnings results last week, proving itself an outlier in the electric vehicle market, which has been struggling with the end of government subsidies and cooling consumer excitement.

The shares of the Irvine-based high-end EV manufacturer skyrocketed 27% on Friday after it announced stronger-than-expected results, indicating that, after years of struggling with losses, it may have at last found a path to profitability.

On Thursday, Rivian reported gross profits for 2025 of $144 million, compared with a net loss in 2024 of $1.2 billion.

In its earnings release, Rivian credited the swing to gross profit to “strong software and services performance, higher average selling prices, and reductions in cost per vehicle.”

Last October, it laid off roughly 600 employees, more than 4% of its workforce.

Rivian delivered 42,247 vehicles in 2025 and produced 42,284 vehicles. The company still reported a $432-million net loss for the year for automotive profits, an improvement from 2024.

“It’s a turnaround for the ages,” said Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. “The past few years have been very frustrating for investors.”

Rivian was founded in Florida in 2009 and made its initial public offering in 2021. It competes with Tesla and other automakers selling all-electric vehicles for a premium price.

Following the expiration in September of the $7,500 federal tax credit for new electric vehicles, companies have been under pressure to offer lower sticker prices. Last year, Tesla launched new variations of the Model 3 and Model Y that start at roughly $5,000 less than the more expensive versions of the same models.

Investors said the discounts weren’t enough and the vehicles, still priced above $35,000, remained out of reach for many consumers. There are only a handful of EVs on the market available for under $35,000.

Rivian is banking its future on the success of its own lower-priced R2 model, which is expected to start around $45,000 with deliveries slated to begin this spring.

The least expensive Rivian model available now, the R1T pickup truck, starts at $72,990.

The company has received positive early feedback on its R2 SUV, according to the earnings release.

“It’s incredibly exciting to see the early strong reviews of the R2 pre-production builds, and we can’t wait to get them to our customers next quarter,” Rivian founder and chief executive, RJ Scaringe, said in a statement.

Ives said the popularity of the R2 will be pivotal for Rivian, which laid off nearly 1,000 workers in 2025.

“It’s going to be the epicenter of their success or challenges,” Ives said.

Rivian shares have risen more than 33% over the last year but are down 8% since the start of 2026.

“They’re back on their flight path with still some turbulence in the air,” Ives said.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/rivian-finds-a-way-to-shine-even-as-the-ev-market-struggles-in-the-dark/ 

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

A 26-year-old woman from Roselle was arrested on charges of failure to signal when required, improper lane usage, driving with expired license plates and driving under the influence of alcohol at 1:17 a.m. Feb. 9 in the 800 block of North Mill Street.
A 47-year-old man from Glen Ellyn was arrested on charges of driving with expired license plates and driving on a suspended license at 4:20 p.m. Feb. 9 at Book Road and West 75th Street.
A 25-year-old man from Aurora was arrested on six counts of unauthorized video recording/transmission without consent at 5:38 p.m. Feb. 9 at the police station, 1350 Aurora Ave.
A 53-year-old woman from Naperville was arrested on a warrant at 8:46 p.m. Feb. 9 in the 100 block of 4th Avenue.
A 28-year-old man from Aurora was arrested on charges of improper display of registration plate, obstructing identification, driving without insurance and driving without a license/never issued at 3:08 a.m. Feb. 10 at West Ogden Avenue and Benedetti Drive.
A 36-year-old man from Addison was arrested on charges of driving on a registration suspended for non-insurance, transportation or possession of open alcohol by a driver, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of controlled substance and driving without insurance at 7:55 p.m. Feb. 10 at North Naper Boulevard and East Ogden Avenue.
A 23-year-old woman from Chicago was arrested on a warrant and on a charge of retail theft not exceeding $300 at 11:32 p.m. Feb. 10 in the 3000 block of South Sacramento Avenue in Chicago.
A 19-year-old man from Naperville was arrested on a charge of speeding 35 mph or more over the limit at 8:05 p.m. Feb. 10 at Seiler Drive and Knoch Knolls Road.
A 38-year-old man from Justice was arrested on a warrant at 9:24 p.m. Feb. 10 in the 600 block of North Route 59.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/naperville-police-arrests-blotter-february-3/