Ship Orders From South Korea Are Surging Thanks To U.S. Fees On Chinese-Made Ships

Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/16/2026 – 14:00

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/ship-orders-south-korea-are-surging-thanks-us-fees-chinese-made-ships 

Associated Press

LOS ÁNGELES (AP) — Robert Duvall, el actor ganador del Oscar de una versatilidad y dedicación inigualables, cuyos papeles clásicos incluyeron al intrépido consigliere de las dos primeras películas de “The Godfather” y al cantante de música country venido a menos en “Tender Mercies”, murió a los 95 años.

Duvall murió “pacíficamente” en su casa el domingo en Middleburg, Virginia, según un anuncio de su publicista y un comunicado publicado en su página de Facebook por su esposa, Luciana Duvall.

“Para el mundo, era un actor ganador del Premio de la Academia, un director, un narrador. Para mí, era simplemente todo. Su pasión por su oficio sólo era comparable a su profundo amor por los personajes, una gran comida y por ser el centro de atención. En cada uno de sus muchos papeles, Bob lo dio todo por sus personajes y por la verdad del espíritu humano que representaban”. escribió Luciana Duvall.

En 2005, Duvall recibió la Medalla Nacional de las Artes.

Llevaba actuando unos 20 años cuando “The Godfather”, estrenada en 1972, lo consolidó como uno de los intérpretes más solicitados de Hollywood.

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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/2026/02/16/muere-a-los-95-aos-robert-duvall-actor-ganador-del-oscar-y-figura-de-the-godfather/ 

Por ELENA BECATOROS

ATENAS (AP) — Grecia informó que intentará obtener fotografías que aparentemente muestran los momentos finales de 200 griegos que fueron ejecutados por un pelotón de fusilamiento nazi en Atenas durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, luego que las imágenes, hasta ahora desconocidas, aparecieran en un sitio de ventas en internet.

Las imágenes que aparecieron en eBay durante el fin de semana supuestamente muestran a los hombres siendo conducidos a la muerte el 1 de mayo de 1944, en un campo de tiro del suburbio de Kaisariani, en la capital griega. Aunque las ejecuciones eran bien conocidas, no existían fotos ni documentación fílmica conocida del hecho.

El Ministerio de Cultura de Grecia indicó que “es muy posible que se trate de fotografías auténticas”, y añadió que buscará obtenerlas como archivos históricos después que un coleccionista en Bélgica de objetos de recuerdos militares alemanes las pusiera a la venta el sábado.

La serie de fotos muestra a hombres siendo conducidos a través de un portón y por un sendero. Permanecen erguidos cuando los alinean frente a un muro.

Las ejecuciones en Kaisariani de 200 prisioneros políticos comunistas fueron una de las peores atrocidades durante la ocupación de Grecia por el Tercer Reich y siguen siendo un momento fundamental para el país.

Al terminar la Segunda Guerra Mundial, estalló una guerra civil brutal entre las fuerzas gubernamentales respaldadas por Occidente y los combatientes comunistas, y se prolongó hasta 1949. Sus heridas aún no han sanado por completo.

Poco después que las fotos se publicaran para su venta, un memorial en el lugar dedicado a los asesinados fue vandalizado, y se destrozaron las placas con sus nombres.

“La memoria histórica no será borrada, por más que moleste a algunas personas”, afirmó el municipio de Kaisariani en un comunicado publicado en su página de Facebook. Agregó que reparará el monumento. Las fotos, señaló, habían provocado “un escalofrío de emoción por la postura heroica y valiente de los 200 héroes comunistas que se enfrentaron al pelotón de fusilamiento”.

El Ministerio de Cultura señaló que existen “bastantes complicaciones legales” para reclamar las imágenes. Indicó que expertos del Ministerio ya estaban en contacto con el coleccionista que las puso en subasta y que lo visitarán en Gante, Bélgica, para examinar “la autenticidad y la legalidad de su origen”.

Una comisión del Ministerio también se reunirá el miércoles para determinar si clasifica las fotografías como parte del patrimonio griego.

Si se determina que las imágenes son auténticas y que fueron obtenidas legalmente, “el Ministerio de Cultura finalizará de inmediato las medidas para su adquisición por los medios legales correspondientes”, indicó.

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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/2026/02/16/grecia-buscar-obtener-fotos-de-ejecuciones-nazis-ofrecidas-a-la-venta-en-internet/ 

Michigan is No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the first time in 13 years, ending Arizona’s nine-week reign.

The Wolverines (24-1) claimed 60 of 61 first-place votes in Monday’s poll to climb one spot and supplant the Wildcats, who were unbeaten entering last week before falling at Kansas and at home to Texas Tech.

“Not much,” Michigan coach Dusty May said when asked by the AP after Saturday’s rout of UCLA about the significance of potentially topping the poll. “It means we haven’t drank our own Kool-Aid. We’ve put ourselves in a position to be playing the types of games in mid-February that we want to be in, but we’ve got to continue to improve.”

Michigan had been ranked No. 2 behind Arizona for six of the Wildcats’ nine weeks at the top, but the Wolverines were No. 1 in analytics rankings by KenPom, Evan Miyakawa and Bart Torvik last week.

Now the Wolverines have their first AP No. 1 ranking since January 2013.

Houston and Duke each moved up one spot to sit behind Michigan, with the second-ranked Cougars claiming the remaining first-place vote. The Wolverines and Blue Devils are set to meet Saturday (5:30 p.m., ESPN) in a marquee nonconference matchup in the nation’s capital.

Arizona dropped three spots to No. 4. Connecticut was next, followed by Iowa State, Purdue, Kansas, Nebraska and Illinois to round out the top 10.

Wisconsin went from receiving no votes in last week’s poll to No. 24 after back-to-back wins against top-10 opponents Illinois and Michigan State last week. Alabama was the other new addition at No. 25.

Clemson (No. 20) and Kentucky (No. 25) fell out of last week’s poll.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/ap-top-25-mens-basketball-poll-michigan-illinois/ 

The city of Aurora offered a remembrance event at City Hall on Sunday to honor the victims of the mass shooting seven years ago at the Henry Pratt Co. facility in the city.

On Feb. 15, 2019, five Henry Pratt employees were killed after a disgruntled co-worker opened fire during a termination meeting inside the company’s warehouse.

The gunman later died after a confrontation and shootout with police.

In addition to those killed, five Aurora police officers and a Pratt employee were wounded during the mass shooting in 2019.

The five victims of the mass shooting – Russell Beyer, Vicente Juarez, Clayton Parks, Josh Pinkard and Trevor Wehner – were honored during the ceremony on Sunday that included city officials as well as family members of the victims.

A ceremony at Aurora City Hall on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, marking the seventh anniversary of the mass shooting at the Henry Pratt Co. facility in Aurora features a table with photos of the five victims killed during the tragedy – Josh Pinkard, Vicente Juarez, Trevor Wehner, Clayton Parks and Russell Beyer. (David Sharos/For The Beacon-News)

Shannon Cameron, chief of staff for the city of Aurora, said Sunday’s event was about “honoring those victims and saying their names – just calling attention to that remembrance and not forgetting them.”

“Also, we want to speak to the response – our APD and AFD were a huge part of that but it was a mutual aid program spanning more than just Aurora,” she said. “We are honoring their response and the trauma that was felt by those responding. Our interest is not to retraumatize people but keep a simple memorial. This really was a time when Aurora came together to support the victims’ families.”

More than 100 people attended the event Sunday including family members of the victims.

Leo Deleon of Aurora and his wife Maria, the sister of Vicente Juarez, one of those killed during the mass shooting, were at City Hall for the remembrance event.

“Vicente was my brother-in-law and it’s been very hard on my wife, especially, as she is the youngest of the family and it hit her very hard,” Leo Deleon said. “Remembering this every year does kind of open wounds but these people here – they remember, and it’s very important.”

Abby Parks, widow of Clayton Parks, offered remarks at the podium as she stood with their son Axel during a public comment session that followed remarks from Mayor John Laesch.

Abby Parks, the widow of Clayton Parks, who was killed seven years ago during the mass shooting at the Henry Pratt Co. facility in Aurora, and son Axel attend the memorial event on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, at Aurora City Hall marking the seventh anniversary of the tragedy. (David Sharos/For The Beacon-News)

“Every year I think I say I’m not going to speak and this sweet little voice next to me says to say something about Dad, so I do,” she said of her son. “This day carries a lot, but I know that we’re not doing it alone. I’m reminded of that every year when I come here and when I talk with people in this community – police, firefighters that were there and risked their lives that day. I’m here with a community that has helped to lift me up.”

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/aurora-event-honors-those-killed-in-2019-mass-shooting-at-henry-pratt-warehouse/ 

Robert Duvall, who won an Oscar for “Tender Mercies” and was nominated for his roles in films including “The Godfather,” “Apocalypse Now,” and “The Great Santini,” has died. He was 95.

Duvall’s death was announced on Facebook via a statement from his wife, Luciana Duvall.

Duvall’s gruff naturalism came to define the acting style of a generation  that included Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman in such films as “Network” and “The Apostle,” which he also directed.

And while he may never have been as big a star as DeNiro, his unshowy ability to fully embrace the characters he played earned him respect both from his peers and from critics. As Francis Ford Coppola once told the New York Times, at a certain point, it’s “hard to say the difference between leading men and great character actors.”

He was an actor’s actor who drew seven Oscar nominations but also found time to shine in TV vehicles such as “Lonesome Dove” and “Broken Trail,” drawing a total of five Emmy nominations and winning twice.

His first bigscreen role, and one of his most memorable, was the scary Boo Radley in 1962’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” While Duvall’s career took some time to get off the ground despite the strong start, by the early to mid-’70s he had come into his own, combining the abilities for seamless character acting with occasional strong forays into larger roles.

In 1969 he paired with a young director, Francis Ford Coppola, on intimate drama “The Rain People,” and the next year got the juicy role of Frank Burns in Robert Altman’s “MASH.” He also starred in George Lucas’ experimental “THX 1138.” And the actor was doing interesting work onstage.

But the movie that turned it all around was 1972’s “The Godfather,” in which he played the patient and sly consigliere Tom Hagen, the role that brought him his first Oscar nomination. He reprised as Hagen in “The Godfather: Part II” in 1974. He also appeared in Coppola’s “The Conversation” and as Dr. Watson in Herbert Ross’ “The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.”

In 1976 he had a memorable role as a ruthless television executive in “Network,” and three years later as Colonel Kilgore he uttered the memorable “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” lines in Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now,” walking off with a second Oscar nomination.

In 1977 he and Ulu Grosbard paired to bring David Mamet’s “American Buffalo” to Broadway to mixed notices. The same year he made a rural documentary called “We’re Not Jet Set” and in the early ’80s directed the small, finely observed “Angelo, My Love.”

It was not, however, until “The Great Santini,” in which he played the title character, a blustery, militaristic father, that he established his leading man credentials on film, garnering his first Oscar nomination as best actor in 1980. The following year he won kudos at the Venice Film Festival opposite Robert De Niro in “True Confessions.”

Then, in 1984, his quiet, detailed performance in “Tender Mercies,” written by Horton Foote and directed by Bruce Beresford, brought him the Oscar as best actor.

Thereafter, however, he often received top billing for secondary or co-lead roles, as in “The Natural,” “Colors,” “Days of Thunder,” “Rambling Rose,” “Geronimo: An American Legend” and “Deep Impact.”

Duvall received considerable attention for his 1997 film “The Apostle,” which he directed and toplined. He was Oscar nominated for best actor for his role as a womanizing Texas preacher who must start again after committing an act of violence. At the Independent Spirit Awards, “The Apostle” took best picture and twin nods for Duvall as actor and director.

Duvall drew an Oscar nomination for supporting actor the following year for his role as a brilliant but eccentric lawyer who is attorney John Travolta’s nemesis in the courtroom drama “A Civic Action.”

Other efforts included the Nicolas Cage actioner “Gone in Sixty Seconds” and Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi thriller “The Sixth Day”; sports pic “A Shot at Glory” in which he tried a Scottish brogue and hostage drama “John Q.”

Duvall wrote, directed and starred in enigmatic 2003 film “Assassination Tango,” about a hitman with obsessive tendencies who’s sent to Argentina and becomes involved with a dancer.

He returned to the Western genre in Kevin Costner’s 2003 film “Open Range,” then actor portrayed Gen. Robert E. Lee in “Gods and Generals,” and starred in “Secondhand Lions,” a small film in which he and Michael Caine got to riff off each other as a pair of eccentric great-uncles to young Haley Joel Osment.

Duvall was a crusty cop in James Gray’s “We Own the Night,” but the actor had some fun lampooning his notoriously crusty characters in a small roles in “Four Christmases” and the 2005 satire “Thank You for Smoking.”

The actor did not slow down as he neared his 80th birthday: In 2009 he appeared in John Hillcoat’s “The Road”; starred in the small but well-liked “Get Low,” in which he played a bearded hermit who is, to use Roger Ebert’s phrase, “a sly old twinkler”; and did a supporting turn in and produced “Crazy Heart,” which reminded many of Duvall’s “Tender Mercies.”

The actor reunited with “Lonesome Dove” screenwriter Bill Wittliff for 2014’s “A Night in Old Mexico” and the same year starred in “The Judge” as a jurist accused of a hit-and-run murder and defended by the son (Robert Downey Jr.) who represents everything he despises about the law. The film, said Variety, “pivots on a simple yet inspired stroke of casting, pitting Duvall’s iconic gravitas against Downey’s razor-sharp wit, and then supplying no shortage of opportunities for both men to chew the scenery.”

Duvall drew his seventh Oscar nomination for his work in the film.

In 2015, the actor’s first directorial effort since 2002’s “Assassination Tango,” ambitious indie feature “Wild Horses,” premiered at SXSW.

One of his final screen roles came in Scott Cooper’s “The Pale Blue Eye” in 2022.

Born in San Diego, Duvall was the son of a Navy rear admiral and grew up in various parts of the country but especially Annapolis, Md., site of the U.S Naval Academy. It was actually at the insistence of his parents and teachers that Duvall began to study drama. After graduation from Principia College and the completion of his military service, Duvall studied under Sanford Meisner at New York’s Neighborhood playhouse.

He hung out with friends like Robert Morse, Hackman and Hoffman. A one-night only performance of Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge” in 1957 directed by Grosbard led to television work on “Naked City” and guest appearances on “The Defenders,” “Armstrong Circle Theater,” “The FBI” and other shows.

Through the ’60s, even after the enormous success of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” he subsisted on character roles in films including “Captain Newman M.D.,” “The Chase,” “The Detective,” “True Grit” and “Bullitt.” And he was a staple in Westerns such as “Lawman,” “The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid” and “Joe Kidd.”

But he was also doing fine work in the theater in “Mrs. Warren’s Profession,” “Call Me by My Rightful Name,” “The Days and Nights of Beebee Fenstermaker” and a full-fledged Off Broadway production of “A View From the Bridge” in 1965, co-starring Jon Voight and Susan Anspach.

Urban crime dramas were his other staple along with Westerns. They included, during the 1970s, “Badge 373,” “Breakout” and Sam Peckinpah’s “The Killer Elite.”

TV occasionally offered the actor a juicy, fully dimensional role. In 1979 he starred in the TV movie “Ike” as General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Ten years later he starred in the highly praised CBS miniseries “Lonesome Dove,” picking up an Emmy nomination. He starred as the Soviet dictator in the 1992 HBO film “Stalin,” for which he earned a second Emmy nom. In 1997, he drew an Emmy nomination for his role as the title Nazi in “The Man Who Captured Eichmann”; and in 2006, he not only toplined but also exec produced the miniseries “Broken Trail,” whose success put cabler AMC on the map as a producer of original content — and earned Duvall two Emmys, one for his performance and another, shared with the other producers, for outstanding miniseries. For HBO, he appeared in the 2012 telepic “Hemingway and Gelhorn,” in which he played a Russian general.

He is survived by fourth wife Luciana Pedraza, with whom he starred in “Assassination Tango.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/robert-duvall-dies/ 

Por TALES AZZONI

José Mourinho cree que el Real Madrid está herido tras sufrir una orpresiva derrota ante Benfica y no piensa que haga falta un milagro para volver a sacudir al gigante español en la Liga de Campeones.

Benfica venció 4-2 al Madrid en la última jornada de la fase de liga para quedarse con el último boletos para los repechajes y, de paso, sacó al 15 veces campeón de la zona de ocho puestos de clasificación directa a los octavos de final.

El Benfica de Mourinho y su antiguo equipo se vuelven a enfrentar en Lisboa el martes en el partido de ida.

“Sabemos lo que les hicimos a los reyes de la Champions League… están heridos. Y un rey herido es peligroso”, dijo Mourino.

El entrenador portugués reconoció que el Madrid sigue siendo amplio favorito y que Benfica necesitaría una actuación casi perfecta para avanzar.

“No creo que haga falta un milagro para pasar, necesitamos un nivel máximo, pero no un milagro”, manifestó. “El Madrid es historia, pero somos dos clubes gigantes. Ganar al Madrid es algo muy difícil. Hacerlo dos, tres veces, eliminarlos”.

“Es el rey, con todo lo que ello significa. No es solo historia, vamos a jugar contra quien seguramente sea el máximo favorito para ganar esta competencia”, añadió.

La dramática victoria de Benfica en Lisboa hace tres semanas se produjo gracias a un cabezazo de último minuto del arquero Anatoliy Trubin, lo que permitió al equipo quedarse con el 24º y último puesto para los repechajespor diferencia de goles.

“Trubin no estará en el ataque esta vez”, bromeó Mourinho.

“Estoy muy acostumbrado a este tipo de eliminatorias, lo he hecho toda mi vida”, señaló. “La gente a menudo piensa que necesitas un determinado resultado en el partido de ida por esta o aquella razón. Yo digo que no hay un resultado definitivo”, remarcó.

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

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/mourinho-dice-que-no-har-falta-un-milagro-para-tumbar-al-herido-real-madrid-en-la-champions/ 

Black History Month provides the opportunity to reflect on the countless positive contributions Black Americans have made to the world. Below Black voices from the south suburbs share their thoughts on who have been, for them, among the most inspirational deceased and living African American history makers.

Jada Curry

Lynwood Mayor Jada Curry draws inspiration from the late U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm.

“Her boldness and willingness to run for Congress and become the first Black woman elected to Congress serves as the foundation for someone like me, who took a leap of faith and became the first Black, female Mayor of Lynwood,” Curry said. “Her famous quote, ‘You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas,’ continues to be the motivation for my willingness to serve.”

Curry also draws inspiration from civil rights advocate Ruby Bridges, the first Black child to attend an all-white school in the south who had to be accompanied by U.S. marshals.

Bridges is now an author who has traveled the world sharing her story and whose Ruby Bridges Foundation’s mission is to empower young minds, inspire change and promote equality in education. Curry heard her speak at a conference.

“I was fascinated by the fact that although she was a child when she became the first African American student to attend William Frantz Elementary School, she completely understands as an adult the weight of that boldness,” Curry said. “Her foundation continues to promote the values of tolerance, respect and appreciation of all differences. In this current climate, we need all that Ruby stands for if we are truly going to make a difference in this world.”

Alonzo Abron Jr.

For Alonzo Abron Jr., CEO of A. Progeny Global, an Oak Forest-based full-service real estate firm, inspiration has come from the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Arthur George Gaston Sr. In the face of discrimination in the deep south, Gaston, the grandson of a slave, built one of the most successful business empires addressing needs he saw in the Black community.

Alonzo Abron Jr., CEO of A. Progeny Global, an Oak Forest-based full-service real estate firm. (Alonzo Abron Jr.)

“His legacy reflects how I believe real change is built,” said Abron. “Gaston didn’t seek the spotlight. He built systems. At a time when Black business ownership itself was radical, he quietly created banks, insurance companies, construction firms and real estate that provided stability, opportunity and leverage for thousands of people.”

Abron also is inspired by billionaire Robert F. Smith, founder, chairman and CEO of private equity firm Vista Equity Partners. Abron said Smith built private-equity infrastructure, technology platforms and capital engines while deliberately reinvesting in education, workforce development and community capacity building.

“Though separated by generations, both men focused on control, governance and durability rather than applause, understanding that lasting influence comes from owning and managing the systems that expand opportunity for people and communities alike,” he said.

Lisa Green

Dr. Lisa Green, CEO and co-founder of Harvey-based Family Christian Health Center, is inspired by the late musical icon and opera singer Marian Anderson as well as pioneering engineer Marian Croak, a vice president of engineering at Google.

Dr. Lisa Green, CEO and founder of Family Christian Health Center

“Marian Anderson has always inspired me, partly because my parents were both history enthusiasts, and she was one of my mother’s favorites,” Green said. “I didn’t fully understand why until I was older. As I learned more about her life, I realized that she used her voice literally and figuratively to create change on a national and global scale.”

In 1939, after being denied the chance to perform at Constitution Hall because of her race, Anderson sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, and that performance drew one of the first large, integrated audiences in American history, Green noted.

In 1955, Anderson became the first African American to sing a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera, “proving that talent and dignity could transcend prejudice,” Green said.

Present day history maker Croak is the embodiment of innovation, resilience and humility, Green said.

“Many people don’t know her name, yet her work shapes how the world communicates,” Green said. “She is a powerhouse, an engineer and inventor best known for pioneering Voice over Internet Protocol, the technology that makes modern internet calling, video conferencing and global communication possible.”

What inspires Green the most about Croak’s journey is that it wasn’t an easy one.

“Despite struggling with aspects of technology earlier in life, she went on to file more than 200 patents and helped advance digital communication in ways that changed everyday life,” said Green.

Green noted Croak also led the development of text-to-donate systems — technology that raised millions of dollars for disaster relief efforts.

Gail Howard Johnson

The late civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, a key adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., has been a source of inspiration for Crete resident and retiree Gail Howard Johnson. She is Black history coordinator at Lynwood-based Living Grace Church and a former family educator for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Gail Howard Johnson, a retiree, Crete resident, Black History coordinator at Lynwood-based Living Grace Church and a former family educator for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. (Gail Howard Johnson)

Johnson was privileged to meet Rustin many years ago when she was a sophomore at St. Elizabeth High School in Chicago and selected to attend a Black History Roundtable program. He was one of the speakers at one of the sessions, she said.

“I did not know his importance at that time to the Civil Rights Movement or his critical relationship to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Johnson. “He spoke about civil rights and the importance of economic freedom for Black people.”

Johnson said she later learned Rustin had studied the nonviolent teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, which he shared with King and that it was Rustin who came up with the idea for and led the organizing effort for the 1963 March on Washington.

She also cites former President Barack Obama as a source of inspiration.

“He represents the culmination of centuries of the Black struggle,” Johnson said. “President Obama showed what excellence in the White House that Black people built looked like. He opened the door for other young Black children to be able to follow in his footsteps.”

Rashidah Muhammad

The late novelist Toni Morrison, winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature, is a “shero” for Rashidah Muhammad, professor of English and secondary education at Governors State University.

Rashidah Muhammad, professor of English and secondary education at Governors State University. (Governors State University)

“One of the things that really captures me about her writing is her ability to put us in a scene historically,” as well as her focus on helping readers understand all sides, said Muhammad

She also points to Obama as a source of inspiration as the nation’s first Black President.

“He honors all people and celebrates diversity, celebrates inclusion. He continues to be at the forefront of what we need to do to challenge leaders in this country that don’t want to include people. He’s my living hero.”

Francine Knowles, at Fknowles.writer@gmail.com, is a freelance columnist for the Daily Southtown.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/black-history-month-south-suburban-residents/ 

PEORIA, Arizona, EE.UU. (AP) — Los Padres de San Diego acordaron una extensión de contrato multianual con el gerente general A.J. Preller, el ejecutivo con la segunda permanencia más larga entre los jefes de operaciones de béisbol en las Grandes Ligas, únicamente por detrás de Brian Cashman, de los Yankees de Nueva York.

San Diego, que anunció el acuerdo el lunes sin revelar los términos, ha accedido a la postemporada en cuatro de los últimos seis años, tras una racha de 13 temporadas sin clasificarse a los playoffs que comenzó en 2007, siete años antes de que el club contratara a Preller. Cashman ha sido gerente general de los Yankees desde 1998.

Preller, de 48 años, quien también ostenta el cargo de presidente de operaciones de béisbol, orquestó las contrataciones como agentes libres de Manny Machado y Xander Bogaerts; canjes que trajeron a jugadores como Fernando Tatis Jr. y Juan Soto; y un sistema de ligas menores que forjó al jardinero central Jackson Merrill, quien fue All-Star como novato en 2024.

Preller fue suspendido 30 días en 2016 después de que MLB investigó el manejo de información médica en un canje entre San Diego y Boston. Los Medias Rojas enviaron al cotizado prospecto lanzador Anderson Espinoza, a los Padres a cambio del zurdo All-Star Drew Pomeranz. Boston tenía dudas sobre si había recibido toda la información médica relevante sobre Pomeranz.

Los Padres vienen de temporadas consecutivas de 90 victorias por primera vez en la historia de la franquicia y han establecido récords de asistencia en Petco Park en cada una de las últimas tres temporadas. San Diego alcanzó la Serie de Campeonato de la Liga Nacional en 2022, perdiendo ante Filadelfia en cinco juegos.

“Bajo su guía, nuestra organización ha seguido invirtiendo en talento de élite tanto a nivel de Grandes Ligas como de ligas menores, al tiempo que construye un sólido grupo de operaciones de béisbol, scouting y desarrollo de jugadores”, indicó el presidente de los Padres, John Seidler. “Confiamos en que seguirá persiguiendo incansablemente el primer campeonato de la Serie Mundial para San Diego”.

Los Padres contrataron a Preller procedente de los Rangers de Texas, donde era el gerente general adjunto. Preller pasó los tres años anteriores en operaciones de béisbol con los Dodgers de Los Ángeles, el mayor rival de San Diego.

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

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/padres-amplan-contrato-del-gerente-general-a-j-preller-2do-con-ms-antigedad-tras-cashman/