Seth Brady, a social studies teacher at Naperville Central High School, has been recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education as a 2026 Regional Teacher of the Year for the far west suburbs and is now a finalist for the Illinois Teacher of the Year award.

Brady is one of 14 Teacher of the Year Cohort members honored by the state board of education.

On Wednesday, the state board also presented nearly 450 educators, administrators and other school staff with Those Who Excel awards for making a meaningful difference for students and in their schools.

Brady was selected for his career-long dedication to global education, civic engagement and his commitment to fostering inclusive, inquiry-based learning environments, a news release from Naperville School District 203 said.

He has taught at Naperville Central since 2004 and leads courses in Peace Studies, World Cultures, Anthropology, World Religions and the STEM/Humanities Capstone.

Under his guidance, students have helped author and inspire Illinois legislation on issues that include climate education, media literacy, fentanyl awareness and maternal health equity, the district said.

“We know Seth Brady as an outstanding Redhawk educator who has demonstrated commitment to implementation of inquiry-based classroom practices and learning experiences that build understanding of cultures, religions, ideologies and perspectives that promote equity and support the success of all students,” Central Principal Jackie Thornton said.

Brady also serves as the project director for the Illinois Global Scholar program, an initiative he co-designed to expand global education opportunities for students statewide.

In addition, he has helped shape Illinois’ social studies standards and co-authored national standards for constitutionally appropriate religious studies, officials said.

He has previously been recognized with the 2024 Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence and the 2021 Northwestern University Distinguished Secondary Teacher Award.

The state board of education will name the 2026 Illinois Teacher of the Year this spring from the 14 regional and specialized teachers of the year.

A record number of nominations were submitted for the 2026 Those Who Excel and Teacher of The Year awards, the state board of education said.

“These honorees have dedicated themselves to inspiring our students, setting the next generation up for success, and working tirelessly to make their schools — and our state — a premier place for education,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement.

Two other District 203 employees were recognized as part of the state awards.

Angelo Georgacopoulos, a student support personnel, was given the award of meritorious service and teacher Olivia Jaime was given the award of excellence.

Educators presented with the award of meritorious service have gone above and beyond in service to their school communities, the state board said. They are experienced educators who take on leadership opportunities and whose accomplishments uplift the culture of learning in their school.

Winners of the award of excellence must demonstrate a commitment to equity and to the success of all students, the state board of education said. Those educators regularly collaborate with colleagues, students and families to create positive school culture, connect their schools to the community at large and inspire other education professionals.

Three educators in Indian Prairie School District 204 also received state honors.

Teachers Sarah Brucher and Amy Melin were given the award of meritorious service and teacher Jessica Walsh was the recipient of an award of excellence.

Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/13/naperville-central-teacher-brady-state-finalist/ 

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday pardoned five former professional football players — one posthumously — for various crimes ranging from perjury to drug trafficking.

The pardons were announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson. Former NFL players Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry and the late Billy Cannon were granted the clemency.

“As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace and the courage to rise again. So is our nation,” Johnson wrote on social media as she thanked Trump for his “continued commitment to second chances.”

Johnson said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones “personally” shared the news with Newton, who won three Super Bowls with the team.

The White House did not return a request for comment Thursday night on why Trump, an avid sports fan, pardoned the players.

Klecko, a former star for the New York Jets, pleaded guilty to perjury after lying to a federal grand jury that was investigating insurance fraud. A defensive lineman, Klecko was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023. He was a two-time Associated Press All-Pro player and a four-time Pro Bowl selection.

Newton, an offensive lineman, pleaded guilty to a federal drug trafficking charge after authorities discovered $10,000 in his pickup truck as well as 175 pounds of marijuana in an accompanying car driven by another man. Newton was a two-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler.

Lewis, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, pleaded guilty in a drug case in which he used a cellphone to try to set up a drug deal not long after he was a top pick in the 2000 NFL draft. Lewis, a running back, was named an All-Pro once and made one Pro Bowl. He was named the 2003 AP Offensive Player of the Year.

Henry, who played for the Denver Broncos, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine for financing a drug ring that moved the drug between Colorado and Montana. He was a running back for three teams and a one-time Pro Bowler.

And Cannon — who played with the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs — admitted to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s after a series of bad investments and debts left him broke.

Cannon was a two-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler. He also won the 1959 Heisman Trophy while starring for LSU, where he had one of the most memorable plays in college football history: an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown to beat Ole Miss. He died in 2018.

Anderson reported from Las Vegas.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/13/donald-trump-pardons-former-nfl-players/ 

The Trump administration says it’s revoking more federal grant dollars in Illinois — this time for electric vehicle charging stations. 

On the chopping block in Illinois is a $100 million grant to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for electric vehicle charging stations and a $3.6 million grant to the Secretary of State’s office, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget said. 

The White House confirmed it was rescinding a total of more than $943 million in U.S. Department of Transportation funds from Illinois, Colorado, California and Minnesota, all of which are led by Democrats. The cuts, which were first reported by the New York Post, come alongside a planned $602 million in cuts to health care grants in the same states, though a federal judge has temporarily blocked the administration from rescinding those grants. 

The Illinois Secretary of State’s office said it had signed a contract for the execution of the $3.6 million grant with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, part of the federal transportation department, and had not been notified the grant was being rescinded. 

Scott Burnham, deputy secretary of state, said the grant was intended to fund three priorities related to commercial drivers licenses in Illinois: Studying the prevention of traffic crashes and fatalities related to large trucks and buses; implementing a new test proctoring program that would mitigate fraud on the written CDL exam; and translating the written CDL exam into Spanish. 

The White House, meanwhile, described the grant as “$3.6 million for the Illinois Secretary of State to conduct a research study on best practices for translating the commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) knowledge test into Spanish.”

Burnham said the exam translation portion of the grant was only worth $30,000. Furthermore, he said, the Secretary of State’s office had conducted that work with non-grant funds and already offers the written CDL exam in Spanish. 

The office had planned to redirect the $30,000 to fund other grant priorities, which is permitted under its agreement with the FMCSA, Burnham said. 

“The Trump administration is trying to cut funding for improving road safety, preventing crashes and saving lives in Illinois. This grant was awarded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and executed through a legal agreement between the agency and the Secretary of State’s office,” he said in a statement. 

“Attempts to cut this critical funding for political purposes is not only vindictive and irresponsible, but Illegal. The Secretary of State will fight to make sure Illinois gets every dollar that is owed.”

Earlier this week, Illinois — along with Minnesota, Colorado and California — sued over the Trump administration’s cuts to health care grants, which in Illinois included dollars that were supposed to go toward things like HIV prevention and infectious disease screenings. On Thursday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the feds from rescinding those dollars. 

A spokesperson for Gov. JB Pritzker’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether the state was considering a similar lawsuit over the transportation funds. 

The Illinois EPA did not respond to a request for comment about the electric vehicle-related grant. The state agency was awarded $100 million from the U.S. DOT to add more than a dozen charging stations along Illinois freight corridors, according to a 2025 news release from the governor’s office. 

An OMB spokesperson did not answer a question about whether any other U.S. DOT grants in Illinois were being cut. When asked why the Illinois funds had been targeted, the spokesperson alleged a “a history of fraud and mismanagement in your state,” without providing examples. 

It’s not the first time the Trump administration has withheld transportation dollars from Illinois. In October, the feds froze $2.1 billion in grant dollars for the CTA, most of which was intended to help the agency fund its years-in-the-making Red Line Extension.  

Those funds remain inaccessible to the agency as it continues early-stage work on the extension, which is intended to bring CTA rail access to the city’s Far South Side. The feds cited the agency’s diversity requirements for contractors when freezing the money and have said the CTA will need to “eradicate” certain diversity requirements to regain access to the funds. 

In October, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city was considering suing over the Red Line funds, but interim CTA head Nora Leerhsen indicated more recently that a lawsuit was off the table at this point. 

“Our focus is the exchange that we’re in with the federal government,” Leerhsen said last month, saying she hoped the CTA would be able to resolve the funding freeze “soon.” 

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is engaged in a separate threat-laden exchange with the CTA over another $50 million in federal funds. In that case, Trump’s Federal Transit Administration has cited violence on the CTA, including a particularly horrific November attack in which a young woman was doused in gasoline and set on fire on the Blue Line, as the reason it might withhold those funds. 

After rejecting a December plan from the CTA to boost security on the system as “materially deficient,” the feds gave the agency until the middle of March to submit a revised plan or lose funds. 

Violent crime on the CTA, while elevated above pre-pandemic levels, is down about 10% from 2022. 

tasoglin@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/13/trump-administration-transportation-grant-cuts/ 

EU Weighs Deploying Training Sites In Ukraine As Kremlin Warns: ‘Legitimate Targets’

Tyler Durden
Fri, 02/13/2026 – 12:40

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/eu-weighs-deploying-training-sites-ukraine-kremlin-warns-theyll-be-legitimate-targets 

In the fall, senior guard Sara Burzycki suffered a meniscus tear during the flag football season for St. Laurence. And in a way, she was actually happy about it.

See, during her junior year, she suffered a meniscus tear along with an ACL injury playing flag football and that wiped out her entire basketball season.

Missing a month this time didn’t seem so bad.

“Coming back from the ACL and the meniscus was hard enough,” Burzycki said. “But this year, when I only tore my meniscus, it was almost like good news. I was expecting the worst.

“So it was a month of (physical training) and I’m good.”

The 5-foot-7 Burzycki was good to go Wednesday night, pulling down 11 rebounds to go with five points for the Vikings in a 55-42 nonconference win over host Lincoln-Way Central in New Lenox.

St. Laurence’s Sara Burzycki (22) rebounds the ball against Lincoln-Way Central during a nonconference game in New Lenox on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Sean King / Daily Southtown)

Aaliyah Flores paced the Vikings (20-11) with a game-high 23 points, while Ciyah Thomas added 16 points and seven rebounds. Elle Rice had five rebounds.

Aubrey Birmingham led Lincoln-Way Central (12-19) with 11 points and Olivia Gehrke followed with eight. Christina Galka, a 5-3 junior guard, got all seven of her rebounds in the second half.

For Burzycki, being on the court again means everything. Even with the setbacks, she wasn’t ready to give up.

“Not at all,” Burzycki said. “I never doubted I was coming back.”

St. Laurence’s Sara Burzycki (22) plays the ball in the post against Lincoln-Way Central during a nonconference game in New Lenox on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Sean King / Daily Southtown)

If anyone knows about what Burzycki has been going through, it’s Flores. She missed last season with a meniscus injury.

“Sara went through a lot mentally and physically,” Flores said. “When you are injured, it’s not all physical. We went through a lot of it together last year. Her injury was more major than mine.

“But we were on the sidelines and we were there for each other. We were like sisters helping each other out. We talked about everything with each other.”

Flores pointed out that she and Burzycki are in a “great headspace” this season. And she’s happy to see Burzycki back on the court, especially because of her work on the boards.

St. Laurence’s Sara Burzycki (22) passes the ball to Aaliyah Flores (0) against Lincoln-Way Central during a nonconference game in New Lenox on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Sean King / Daily Southtown)

“Her rebounding is insane,” Flores said of Burzycki. “She’s probably one of the best rebounders I have seen for her size. She brings us so much.

“Aside from rebounding, she can get to the basket. She’s amazing.”

St. Laurence coach Claire Austin made sure to ease Burzycki into the lineup this season, but now things are back to normal. Burzycki played a little over a half Thursday.

“Honestly, she didn’t miss a beat,” Austin said of Burzycki. “That’s exactly how we expected Sara to be. She was out there six minutes, eight minutes, 12 minutes, and you could tell that she wanted to be out there the whole time.”

Burzycki has committed to Ohio Wesleyan. The Battling Bishops, who have been ranked in the top 10 in the nation in NCAA Division III, have posted a 16-game winning streak this season.

“I was a little nervous because I had to tell them about all the injuries that happened,” she said. “They saw video of me and they were still interested in me.”

St. Laurence’s Sara Burzycki (22) battles for a rebound with Lincoln-Way Central’s Olivia Gehrke, right, during a nonconference game in New Lenox on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Sean King / Daily Southtown)

It’s going to be a busy time for Burzycki as she closes out her senior year.

The Vikings open the postseason as the seventh seed of the Class 4A Hinsdale Central Sectional. They will face 10th-seeded Downers Grove South at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Downers Grove North Regional.

With everyone healthy, the Vikings are hoping for a deep run. And after the playoffs, Burzycki will have plenty to do as the school’s student council president.

“We plan pep rallies and blood drives and a lot of events,” she said, “There’s a lot of senior stuff going on and we will help with prom. I like being involved and helping people at the school.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/13/sara-burzycki-st-laurence-girls-basketball/ 

This photograph taken in June 1899 shows the Ladies Circle of the Congregational Church in Naperville. The women are identified as Mrs. Andrus, Mrs. B.B. Becker, Emma Bristol, Mrs. Frisbee, Ida Goodrich, Mrs. Granger, Myrtle Jenkins, Mrs. Ed. Jenkins, Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Marvin, Bessie McDowell, Mrs. McLaughlin, Emma Nadelhoffer, Mrs. Nichols, Mrs. Noble, Mrs. George Royce, Mrs. B.A. Scott, Maria Royce, Mrs. Willard Scott, Mrs. Ed Shaffer, Mrs. Sheldon, Mrs. Simpson, Mrs. Dr. Simpson, Mrs. Sprague, Mrs. Phil Strubler, Mrs. Thomas, Mrs. Tillson, Mrs. Tull, Mrs. Vallette, Mrs. Fred Wescott and Mrs. Barnard. (Naperville Heritage Society)

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/13/naperville-congregational-ladies-circle-photo-1899/ 

Students in Club America, the Carl Sandburg pilot program of the high school affiliate for Turning Point USA, held two meetings in January after a December meeting was delayed due to public controversy.

About 50 students attended meetings Jan. 13 and Jan. 28, where student identification cards were taken upon entry to the meeting.

Students set club priorities Jan. 13, such as ways to give back to veterans, support U.S. military and the country through hosting veterans and active duty military members for talks, learn about government and civic processes and develop responsible leadership characteristics, said Kelly Mendoza, the program’s faculty sponsor.

Students hosted two speakers Jan. 28 from the special operations Marines, Joe Malone and Mike Mendoza. Mendoza said the speakers shared their military experiences, why they chose to serve and what leadership means to them.

Mendoza said the students were highly engaged with the speakers and asked thoughtful, meaningful questions, which she said showed their interest and respect.

Students also announced their first service project at the second meeting, a fundraiser for St. Baldrick’s to support the fight against childhood cancer, Mendoza said.

Mendoza said the club raised $3,750 as of Feb. 10 toward its $10,000 goal for the St. Baldrick’s service project.

Mendoza said students are also raising money for homeless veterans in Illinois, an idea she said students developed and led themselves.

“I am incredibly proud of our executive board; these students have truly stepped up as confident leaders and serve as a positive influence on their peers,” she said.

But parents of students in the club alleged their students are harassed and threatened online due to their association in the club. When asked to comment, two parents of students refused due to fear of such harassment.

Christy Dominguez Schultz, a parent of students who graduated from Carl Sandburg in 2024 and 2025, said several parents of club members have told her they are nervous to comment.

Dominguez Schultz said the parents reached out to her privately after she started posting about the alleged harassment online.

“There should never ever be any reason that our children or teachers shouldn’t feel safe at that school,” Dominguez Schultz said.

Dominguez Schultz sent the Southtown several screenshots of online comments circulated under Club America posts threatening students with physical violence.

She said her children also experienced bullying when they attended Sandburg and that she felt brushed off by district administration. She said these threats need to be taken seriously.

“With threats like these not taken seriously … that’s when disaster hits, then it’s too late,” she said. “I feel bad for the kids and teachers at this school. It shouldn’t have to be this way.”

Carl Sandburg students gather Jan. 28, 2026, for a Club America in Orland Park. (School District 230)

Turning Point USA, a a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk, aims to identify, educate, train and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government, according to its national website. Club America is the high school affiliate.

Several students protested the club in December, claiming the program’s outside influence violates a section of the Equal Access Act prohibiting people outside a school from directing conduct, controlling or regularly attending student groups.

Students also claimed the club made them feel unsafe, due to the club’s association with the immigration enforcement raids in Chicago.

A few students said in January they noticed the club was a topic of conversation among students in classes, in the hallways or online.  A few students said teachers either disagree or agree with the club and said one teacher wore a Club America sweater in class.

Hani Haddad, a Sandburg sophomore, said a group of students debating about the club on his bus home. Senior Adam Mazoni said he has seen peaceful protests against the club.

“I don’t mind it as long as it doesn’t affect me,” Mazone said. “At the same time, the other clubs that were rejected should have the same opportunities as this one.”

Mendoza said in a statement the club is completely student-led and is dedicated to empowering students to become confident leaders within the school and community.

She said students learn how government and civic processes work and gain a deeper understanding of how these systems affect their communities.

District 230 Superintendent Robert Nolting said in mid-January that administrators at Sandburg and at the district level have been responsive to parent and student concerns.

“We have also worked with staff and student leadership within the club to make sure they are adhering to all school and district expectations that exist for all activities,” Nolting said.

District 230 communications director Jennifer Waterman said, as with any co-curricular in pilot status, the club’s participation levels will be reviewed regularly, and student engagement and adherence to schoolwide expectations will be monitored.

District 230 board member Tim Danlow speaks at a board meeting Jan. 29, 2026. (Addison Wright/Daily Southtown)

She said members of all clubs, both pilot and established, must abide by the code of conduct, and the sponsor must meet their expectations and responsibilities.

“The school and district administration will continue to communicate and inform those inside and outside the school community of our responsibilities and mandates as they relate to clubs and participation, while ensuring that school rules are followed and students exhibit appropriate behavior and remain safe,” she said.

Board member Tim Danlow spoke in support of the club in December, congratulating the students who founded.

“They have taken on a tremendous undertaking of civic discussion and respectful dialogue,” Danlow said. “I have 100% faith in our student body that this club will be a positive opportunity for any who choose to participate and a constructive addition to our school community.”

awright@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/13/sandburg-turning-point-club-harrassment/ 

Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tras cuatro años como el artista más escuchado a nivel global en Spotify, obtener el primer Grammy al álbum del año por “Debí tirar más fotos”, un disco completamente en español, y de encabezar un medio tiempo del Super Bowl que ha causado una gran impresión, Bad Bunny puede sumar a su lista de reconocimientos uno de la Academia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua Española.

A través de una resolución anunciada el jueves, la academia destacó de manera oficial la labor de Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, el nombre verdadero de Bad Bunny, por su “aportación excepcional a la difusión global de la lengua española”.

“Contribuyendo así a la valoración y visibilidad de una lengua que cuenta con más de 600 millones de hablantes en el mundo”, agregó.

La Academia señaló que el español puertorriqueño constituye un elemento esencial en la identidad y la obra artística del cantante, con una “marcada localidad de las referencias y formas lingüísticas empleadas en sus composiciones”.

A pesar de esta especificidad, la academia destacó que el proyecto cultural del artista urbano ha sido unificador.

“Ha ayudado a superar prejuicios hacia las formas comunicativas propias de las hablas populares, urbanas, juveniles o en contacto con otras lenguas”, señaló la academia. “Su mensaje ha logrado trascender fronteras geográficas, nacionales, generacionales e ideológicas”.

En 2020 Bad Bunny fue nombrado compositor del año en los Premios ASCAP de la Música Latina que otorga la Sociedad Americana de Compositores, Autores y Editores (ASCAP, por sus siglas en inglés). Cuenta con 17 Latin Grammy y 6 Grammy.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/13/bad-bunny-es-reconocido-por-academia-puertorriquea-de-la-lengua-espaola/ 

MILAN — The International Skating Union says it stands by the judging of ice dance at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, where the scores from the French judge earlier this week played a big role in the French couple of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron beating the American team of Madison Chock and Evan Bates.

The judge, Jezabel Dabouis, favored Beaudry and Cizeron by nearly eight points over the three-time world champions in the free dance, a margin so large that if her score were removed from the equation entirely, Chock and Bates would have won gold.

“It is normal for there to be a range of scores given by different judge in any panel and a number of mechanism are used to mitigate these variations,” the ISU said, adding it has “full confidence in the scores given and remains completely committed to fairness.”

There is little recourse for the U.S. team if the global governing body is unwilling to investigate the scoring discrepancy.

2026 Winter Olympics: Meet the medalists from the United States

This is not the first time Dabouis has turned in questionable scores for Beaudry and Cizeron. At the Grand Prix Final in December, when Chock and Bates beat them in their only other head-to-head matchup, the judge had the Americans narrowly beating them in the free dance despite two deductions, including an egregious fall. The French team wound up with a silver medal.

Dabouis also had a wide margin favoring the French couple in the Olympic rhythm dance, in which they also beat the U.S. team.

“Any time the public is confused by results, it does a disservice to our sport,” said Chock, who along with Bates won a second straight team gold medal earlier in the Games. “It’s hard to retain fans when it’s difficult to understand what is happening on the ice.

“People need to understand what they’re cheering for and be able to feel confident in the sport that they’re supporting.”

The most famous judging controversy in Olympic figure skating also involved a French judge.

During the 2002 Salt Lake Games, Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze of Russia won gold over the Canadian pair of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier. But allegations of vote-swapping and selling of votes by French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne led to an investigation by the ISU and the International Olympic Committee, and she was ultimately found guilty of misconduct and suspended.

Sale and Pelletier ultimately were elevated to gold while the Russian pair were allowed to keep their medals.

Two years later, the ISU eliminated its 6.0 judging system due to its inherent subjectivity. The replacement system, which has been tweaked over the years but remains in place, features two scores added together: one where each element is graded off a base value to establish a technical score and another where judges provide a component score for overall skating skill and performance.

Many critics have called the system overly confusing and still too subjective, and more than 10,000 people had signed a Change.org petition by Friday asking the ISU and IOC to investigate the latest scoring controversy.

“We did speak to our coach and we did talk to each other, and we know how we felt on center ice after we skated,” Bates said. “We felt like we delivered our absolute best performance that we could have. It was our Olympic moment. It felt like a winning skate to us, and that’s what we’re going to hold on to.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/13/olympic-ice-dance-scoring-french-judge/ 

Judge Halts Trump Admin’s $600 Million Public Health Funding Cut Targeting 4 Blue States

Tyler Durden
Fri, 02/13/2026 – 12:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/judge-halts-trump-admins-600-million-public-health-funding-cut-targeting-4-blue-states