Category: News
Bill would hold data centers responsible for energy costs and environmental protections
After passing a series of landmark environmental bills in Illinois over the last few years, advocates and legislators are hoping to use that momentum to push through a new law that would regulate the growing data center industry in the state, ensuring efficient energy and water use and protections for ratepayers from rising utility bills.
“We cannot afford to be complacent now. As new industries emerge, we must continue strengthening regulations,” Lucy Contreras, Illinois state program director for GreenLatinos, said at a Wednesday news conference.
The growing use of artificial intelligence has drawn water-intensive data centers to regions where the resource is abundant, such as the Great Lakes, where experts say not all communities have the capacity to sustainably support the industry. The facilities also use massive amounts of energy that are driving electricity rates up for neighbors and nearby residents.
The POWER Act, introduced in collaboration with the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, would incentivize data centers to obtain power from local renewable energy sources and batteries, increase local accountability by setting water and electricity reporting requirements and water efficiency standards, and ensure community engagement.
“This is not too much to ask,” state Sen. Ram Villivalam, the bill’s House sponsor and a Democrat from Chicago, said at a news conference. “By establishing policies that ensure data centers, not consumers, bear the increasing energy costs and critical protections for our environment and sustainable water use, we can work towards a future built for technology to support our daily lives, not deplete our resources and price us out of our homes.”
The growth of this industry has brought forth a host of other challenges, including implications for labor — from economic opportunities created by new developments and from losses of jobs to artificial intelligence — as well as tight privacy laws in the state that pose hurdles for the industry.
Brad Tietz, director of state policy at the Data Center Coalition, said an “increasingly challenging regulatory environment” in Illinois has “unfortunately” led, in part, to billions in data center projects to bypass the state in favor of neighboring ones.
“While there are aspects of the bill we look forward to discussing, the Clean Jobs Coalition’s proposal as a whole would create significant uncertainty and market friction,” Tietz said in an emailed statement. “This would put the long-term viability of data center investment in the Illinois market at risk, at a time when Illinois has already become a declining data center market.”
The industry, he said, is “committed to working with policymakers and other stakeholders to promote policies that would help Illinois remain a competitive marketplace for data center investment.”
Lawmakers and advocates who are leading the bill say it creates plenty of incentives to keep the industry’s interest in operating in the state, within certain parameters.
“We don’t think it’s zero-sum,” said Brad Klein, managing attorney at the Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Center, who was involved in drafting part of the bill. “We don’t think it’s either-or.”
These include water and energy sustainability, as well as community participation.
Despite the abundance of surface freshwater in the Great Lakes — the largest system of its kind on Earth, providing for 40 million people — and of groundwater in the basin, a volume equal to that of Lake Huron, experts consider it a finite resource. Besides precipitation and snowmelt, inflow from aquifers helps replenish the massive bodies of water. But that still happens very slowly: Each year, only 1% of the Great Lakes is recharged.
“The region could go down a dangerous, unstable and inefficient path that impacts water supplies, businesses and water production,” said Andrea Densham, director of regional governmental affairs at the nonprofit Alliance for the Great Lakes. The resource “must be managed responsibly, for today and for tomorrow.”
A Meta data center operates Feb. 3, 2026, in DeKalb. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimated that in 2023, data centers across the country consumed 17 billion gallons of water to cool down the massive, overheating computers and servers inside. It also projected that those figures could double or quadruple by 2028. This unprecedented demand, which uses water faster than it can be replenished, threatens to cause shortages in regions where the resource is already scarce and even where it is abundant.
Currently, data centers don’t have to report their water consumption; since the majority of data center operators obtain water from municipal supplies, like regular citizens, these companies are considered customers and not required to publicly disclose their usage or report it to a regulatory body. But it means communities cannot plan or anticipate demand or make informed decisions to ensure the availability of clean water, Densham said.
The POWER Act would also require data centers to assess cooling alternatives, such as closed-loop systems or reclaimed wastewater.
“By ensuring standardization and reporting requirements across this emerging industry here in Illinois, we can safeguard sustainable water and protect our state’s critical water supply for generations to come,” she said. “No more can data centers operate in the shadows. The public is demanding sunshine and transparency.”
The industry presents a similarly unprecedented strain on energy resources. A new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit organization, found that current policies and regulations — or lack thereof — in Illinois, data center growth would increase electricity system costs by $24 billion to $37 billion by 2050 in order to build new generation sources. Recent trends indicate that data centers could account for almost 75% of electricity demand in the state by 2030.
“Such large increases in demand for electricity put pressure on our grid reliability and result in higher costs to ensure (a) stable supply,” said James Gignac, Midwest policy director for the Climate and Energy program at the union.
Klein with the Environmental Law and Policy Center said it would require the current electric grid to double in size.
“And that’s just not going to happen — economically, and just the laws of physics do not allow ComEd to magically double the size of its grid,” he said. “Nor do we have the generation in place to serve that much new demand.”
And, if the facilities are not required to obtain their power from clean sources but rely on gas and coal-fired plants, which release heat-trapping greenhouse gases, data centers could represent $2 billion in health costs and $124 billion in climate damages by 2050.
“All of these numbers have real-world impacts without safeguards in place,” Gignac said.
He said the POWER Act would create a “race to the top” by rewarding data centers that bring clean energy capacity and battery storage online with a faster grid connection.
It would also “encourage these new data center customers to get more creative,” said Klein.
The legislation also seeks to regulate data center siting so that vulnerable communities are not additionally overburdened — securing not just basic protections, but also real benefits, said Contreras, of GreenLatinos, a national network of Latino leaders advocating for a clean environment.
“Major industries repeatedly target vulnerable communities, like mine, for large developments, and data centers are no exception,” Contreras said. “These massive facilities drive up energy costs, drain precious water resources and worsen air pollution, yet they are often built with little to no community (involvement), leaving residents to shoulder the burdens while having no real say over the decisions that affect their air, water and land. This is unacceptable.”
Some protections and benefits included in the bill are requirements for cumulative impact assessments for siting near vulnerable communities, guarantees for public engagement through community benefit agreements and prohibitions on nondisclosure agreements with local governments, and a fund maintained by data centers to assist communities with energy bills, air quality monitoring and water infrastructure.
“Illinois is a top target for data center development, and without commonsense guardrails in place, we will no doubt suffer the consequences of the rushed buildout of these behemoth facilities,” said Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “We can show the rest of the country that it’s possible to encourage responsible economic development while also protecting our water, energy, ratepayers and frontline communities.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/11/illinois-data-centers-energy-environment/
Pentágono dejó a la CBP usar láser antidrones antes de que la FAA cerrara espacio aéreo de El Paso, dicen fuentes de AP
Pentágono dejó a la CBP usar láser antidrones antes de que la FAA cerrara espacio aéreo de El Paso, dicen fuentes de AP.
India’s Coal Use Could Double By 2050
India’s Coal Use Could Double By 2050
By Charles Kennedy of OilPrice.com
India’s coal demand could more than double by 2050 from current levels under current policies, a new report by NITI Aayog, the policy think tank of the Indian government, showed on Tuesday.
Under the Current Policy Scenario (CPS), coal demand in India is forecast to rise even through 2070, according to the projections.
In this scenario, long-term demand could more than double to 2.615 billion tons by 2050, up from 1.256 billion tons in 2025, the think tank’s analysis found.
If India keeps the current policies, coal demand will be higher even in 2070 compared to 2025 levels.
The share of coal is set to drop from 73% in 2025 to 47% in 2070, thanks to the rise of renewable energy.
This suggests that coal will still be king in India if current policies are kept.
Even in the net-zero scenario (for India, the net-zero goal is 2070), coal demand will rise to 1.827 billion tons by 2050, up from 1.256 billion tons in 2025. But then demand will collapse to only 161 million tons by 2070.
Despite the fact that renewables now dominate new power additions, India needs coal to continue to provide “dependable, cost-effective baseload power, anchoring system reliability as cleaner sources expand,” the government think tank said in the report.
To manage the transition, India needs to scale up rapidly energy storage, flexible generation, and stronger transmission and distribution networks, the report noted.
Despite booming renewable capacity additions, India continues to rely on coal to meet most of its power demand as authorities also look to avoid blackouts in cases of severe heat waves.
Coal will still be a key part of India’s power system for the next two decades, Rajnath Ram, adviser for energy at NITI Aayog, said in September 2025.
“We cannot be subjective about coal. The question is how sustainably we can use it,” the official noted.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/11/2026 – 19:15
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/indias-coal-use-could-double-2050
Lazio vence al campeón defensor Bologna por penales y avanza a semifinales de la Copa Italia
BOLOGNA, Italia (AP) — La Lazio se impuso en una tanda de penales el miércoles para vencer al campeón defensor Bologna y avanzar a las semifinales de la Copa Italia.
Tijjani Noslin anotó por el conjunto siete veces campeón, al inicio del complemento para borrar una desventaja de un gol y llevar el partido a la serie decisiva, después de que terminó 1-1 en el tiempo regular.
El equipo visitante ganó 4-1 en la tanda, luego de que Lewis Ferguson y Riccardo Orsolini no lograron convertir desde el punto penal.
El argentino Santiago Castro puso en ventaja a Bologna con un cabezazo tras un saque de esquina a la media hora.
La eliminación fue otro golpe para Bologna, que venía de perder cuatro partidos consecutivos en la Serie A italiana.
Ubicado actualmente en el 10mo puesto de la liga, la defensa del trofeo copero parecía la única manera de que Bologna volviera a clasificarse a competiciones europeas.
Como avanzó a las semifinales de la Copa de Italia el martes por primera vez en 40 años, tras vencer al campeón de liga Napoli en tanda de penales, para pactar una semifinal contra el Inter de Milán.
Lazio se medirá con Atalanta, que eliminó 3-0 a la Juventus, 15 veces monarca.
___
Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Portillo’s taps new CEO, an industry veteran who held executive roles at Outback Steakhouse and Ruby Tuesday
Portillo’s, the Chicago-based restaurant chain that has recently scaled back expansion plans amid sluggish sales, has a new CEO.
Portillo’s has tapped Brett Patterson as its new CEO. (Portillo’s)
Industry veteran Brett Patterson, whose resume includes executive roles at Outback Steakhouse, Ruby Tuesday and Olive Garden, will take the reins of Portillo’s on Feb. 23, the company announced Wednesday.
Patterson will also join the Portillo’s board.
“Brett has all the right qualities to lead Portillo’s into its next chapter of growth,” Michael Miles, chairman and interim CEO of Portillo’s, said in a news release. “He brings the strategic mindset, operations expertise, and leadership style needed to grow this brand, while preserving what makes Portillo’s so special and unique.”
Most recently, Patterson has served as CEO of Miller’s Ale House, a Florida-based sports-themed restaurant chain with more than 100 locations in 10 states, including five in suburban Chicago.
Miles praised Patterson as a restaurant executive who “worked his way up through the ranks” and understands the business, while Portillo’s also touted his ability to deliver strong returns and long-term profitability, metrics that have dogged the iconic Chicago chain for several years.
In September, Portillo’s announced the abrupt departure of CEO Michael Osanloo amid disappointing sales, a sinking stock price and downsized expansion plans.
Osanloo, who had been president and CEO of Portillo’s since 2018, oversaw the Oak Brook-based restaurant chain through an initial public offering and an ambitious growth plan, which was scaled back last year as part of a strategic reset for the company.
Miles, the former COO of Pizza Hut and Portillo’s chairman since 2014, became interim CEO while the board conducted a search for Osanloo’s successor. Patterson will soon have his shot at leading Portillo’s, famous for its Italian beef, hot dogs and other Chicago-style offerings, into the future.
As Portillo’s CEO, Patterson, 57, will be paid a base salary of $800,000 per year, as well as a one-time sign-on award of $400,000 in restricted stock units that vest over two years, according to an 8-K filing Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Patterson will also be eligible for an annual bonus and an annual long-term equity plan target of $3 million.
“I am incredibly excited and honored to join Portillo’s,” Patterson said in the news release. “This is a tremendous brand with a powerful culture, an incredibly passionate fan base, a long runway for growth, and a team that truly cares about delivering great experiences.”
After launching Portillo’s as a Villa Park hot dog stand in 1963, Dick Portillo expanded his menu to include Italian beef, burgers, salads and more, and built his chain to 38 restaurants in Illinois, Indiana, California and Arizona before selling to private equity firm Berkshire Partners in 2014.
When Portillo’s went public in October 2021, it had 67 restaurants in nine states, raising $405 million through the offering with an ambitious plan to expand to 600 locations nationwide.
Since then, Portillo’s has grown to more than 100 restaurants across 11 states, but its stock has fallen about 90% from the post-IPO high and the chain has been under pressure from activist investors Engaged Capital over concerns about flat sales and expensive restaurant buildouts.
Slowing down the expansion of Portillo’s into new markets is a key part of the recently announced reset strategy. The chain plans to open eight new restaurants this year.
It is also building smaller restaurants as it expands, lowering projected construction costs to less than $5 million per store this year.
Portillo’s is scheduled to announce its fourth quarter and full-year earnings on Feb. 24.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/11/portillos-names-new-ceo-2/
Manifestantes presionan a Target para que se oponga a redadas migratorias en Minnesota
Por ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
NUEVA YORK (AP) — Activistas planeaban protestas el miércoles en más de dos docenas de tiendas Target en Estados Unidos para presionar a la cadena minorista a que adopte una postura pública contra las redadas migratorias, iniciadas hace 5 semanas en su estado de origen, Minnesota.
ICE Out Minnesota, una coalición de grupos comunitarios, líderes religiosos, sindicatos y otros críticos de la operación federal, convocó a que las sentadas y otras manifestaciones continúen en locales de Target durante una semana completa. La sede de la compañía está en Minneapolis, donde el mes pasado agentes federales mataron a dos residentes que habían participado en protestas contra el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés), y su nombre adorna el estadio de béisbol de las Grandes Ligas de la ciudad y un estadio donde juega su equipo de baloncesto.
“Dicen ser parte de la comunidad, pero no se enfrentan al ICE”, declaró Elan Axelbank, integrante del capítulo en Minnesota de Socialist Alternative, que dice ser un grupo político revolucionario. Él organizó una protesta el miércoles afuera de una tienda Target en el distrito comercial Dinkytown de Minneapolis.
Además se programaron manifestaciones en St. Paul, Minnesota; Boston; Chicago; Honolulu; Filadelfia; Pittsburgh; Raleigh, Carolina del Norte; San Diego; Seattle y otras ciudades, al igual que en zonas suburbanas de Minnesota, California y Massachusetts. Target declinó el miércoles hacer comentarios sobre las protestas.
Target se convirtió por primera vez en un blanco para los críticos del incremento en las redadas migratorias por parte del gobierno del presidente Donald Trump después de que un video, ampliamente difundido, mostrara a agentes federales deteniendo el mes pasado a dos empleados de Target en una tienda en el suburbio de Richfield, en el área de Minneapolis. Luis Argueta, portavoz de Unidos Minnesota —una organización de defensa de la justicia social liderada por inmigrantes e integrante de la coalición ICE Out Minnesota—, dijo que su grupo está concentrando sus protestas en la tienda de Richfield.
Una de las exigencias de las protestas del miércoles es que Target niegue la entrada a agentes federales a sus tiendas, a menos que cuenten con órdenes judiciales que autoricen efectuar arrestos.
Algunos abogados han sostenido que cualquiera, incluidos agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza y del ICE sin órdenes firmadas, puede entrar a las áreas públicas de un negocio cuando lo desee. Esas áreas públicas incluyen zonas de restaurantes, estacionamientos abiertos, vestíbulos de oficinas y pasillos de compras, pero no oficinas traseras, cocinas cerradas u otras áreas de un negocio que por lo general están vedadas al público y donde razonablemente cabría esperar privacidad, según esos abogados.
Target no ha comentado públicamente sobre la detención de empleados de la tienda. Su director general, Michael Fiddelke —quien asumió la dirección de Target el 2 de febrero—, envió un mensaje en video a los 400.000 trabajadores de la empresa dos días después de que un agente de la Patrulla Fronteriza y un oficial de la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza (CBP, por sus siglas en inglés) le dispararan el 24 de enero a Alex Pretti, un residente de Minneapolis, quitándole la vida.
Fiddelke dijo que la “violencia y la pérdida de vidas en nuestra comunidad es increíblemente dolorosa”, pero no mencionó las redadas migratorias ni la muerte a tiros de Pretti, un enfermero de terapia intensiva en un centro médico en Minneapolis para veteranos de guerra, y de Renee Good, madre de tres hijos, a quien un agente del ICE le disparó dentro de su automóvil.
Fiddelke fue uno de 60 directores generales de empresas con sede en Minnesota que, tras la muerte de Pretti, firmaron una carta abierta en la que pidieron “una distensión inmediata de las tensiones, y que funcionarios estatales, locales y federales trabajen juntos para encontrar soluciones reales”.
Las protestas por su presunta falta de oposición a las redadas migratorias en Minnesota llegan un año después de que Target enfrentara protestas y boicots por la decisión de la empresa de dar marcha atrás a sus iniciativas en pro de la diversidad, la equidad y la inclusión. En ese momento, los críticos dijeron que la decisión representaba una traición al compromiso filantrópico del gigante minorista de combatir las disparidades raciales y promover valores progresistas en Minneapolis, una ciudad de tendencias liberales, y más allá.
La cadena minorista también lidia con una persistente caída en las ventas. Los críticos se han quejado de que las tiendas están desordenadas y les hace falta el estilo de bajo costo que hace mucho le valió al minorista el apodo de “Tarzhay”.
Aunque las protestas del miércoles apuntaron a una fracción diminuta de las casi 2.000 tiendas de la empresa, la atención negativa está siendo otra distracción para el negocio de Target, señaló Neil Saunders, director general de la división minorista de la firma de investigación de mercado GlobalData.
“Esto ha secuestrado la agenda”, apuntó Saunders. “Y para Target es una distracción que preferirían evitar”.
En días recientes, una coalición nacional de congregaciones menonitas organizó cerca de una decena de manifestaciones dentro y fuera de tiendas Target en todo el país, cantando e instando a Target a pedir públicamente al Congreso que le retire los fondos al ICE, entre otras exigencias.
Un portavoz de Mennonite Action indicó que la coalición no estaba vinculada formalmente con ICE Out, pero que seguía el ejemplo de los organizadores en Minneapolis.
La reverenda Joanna Lawrence Shenk, pastora asociada de la Iglesia First Mennonite de San Francisco, indicó que el grupo no planeaba efectuar acciones el miércoles, pero que estaba trazando eventos de canto colectivo para el fin de semana en sucursales de Target de un puñado de pueblos y ciudades, incluidos Pittsburgh y Harrisonburg, Virginia. Calculó que cuando concluya el fin de semana habrán participado más de 1.000 miembros de las congregaciones.
Shenk indicó que los menonitas cantan “This Little Light of Mine” y otras canciones e himnos góspel.
“El canto fue una expresión de nuestro amor por los vecinos inmigrantes que están en riesgo ahora mismo, y que también forman parte de nuestra congregación”, apuntó Shenk. “Para nosotros, no se trata sólo de solidarizarnos con los demás, sino también de proteger a las personas vulnerables”.
_____
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Daily Horoscope for February 12, 2026
General Daily Insight for February 12, 2026
Progress might require a roundabout path at present. As the emotional Moon enters practical Capricorn, we may be eager to take responsibility for our priorities and protect our time and energy. When warrior Mars runs into tension with expansive Jupiter at 8:15 pm EST, our efforts and expectations could hit roadblocks, asking us to adjust plans rather than push harder. Trimming scope and agreeing on clearer roles in our connections may provide more realistic paths forward. Answers that work are worth waiting for!
Aries
March 21 – April 19
Balancing competing obligations could be a challenge today. As fiery Mars in your 11th House of Friendship distracts you from expansive Jupiter in your domestic 4th house, your bold instinct may say yes to group plans. However, your home life might ask for a quieter pace. Perhaps you can shorten a social commitment rather than dropping it entirely. Your energy stretches further when your personal rhythms feel respected, so be real with your friends about what you’re able to deliver.
Taurus
April 20 – May 20
Keeping your choices simple may be important today. As the impulsive Moon enters your 9th House of Travel and Learning, the prospect of a grand adventure might grab your attention. The more you talk to the people around you about it, the bigger the idea could grow! Wait until your energy feels steady before you book anything, though. There’s no shame in selecting a shorter distance or smaller itinerary, so try to stay realistic regarding what you’ll truly find comfortable and achievable.
Gemini
May 21 – June 20
Making contact with reality could bring the clarity you currently need. As action-oriented Mars in your adventurous 9th house goads expansive Jupiter in your 2nd House of Money and Values, your curious mind is probably drawn to anything new and exciting, and your budget may be tempted to stretch to match. If a potential travel partner seems to rain on your parade, however, take a careful look at the numbers they’re bringing up. They might have a valid point about curbing expenses!
Cancer
June 21 – July 22
Having gentler expectations for others might bring better results today. As passionate Mars in your sharing sector engages with bold Jupiter in your 1st House of Identity, you may be eager to tell significant people in your life something you’ve recently come to understand about yourself. However, you’re probably still feeling a bit vulnerable regarding this development. If your audience doesn’t react to your announcement in just the right way, can you handle it? Think that through before you divulge.
Leo
July 23 – August 22
Your care for your nearest and dearest could currently compete with the quiet your spirit craves. As ambitious Mars in your relationship sector contests abundant Jupiter in your 12th House of Rest and Reflection this evening, you may feel internal pressure to live up to your own high standards in supporting a partner or friend. Your needs matter too, though. Don’t risk unloading your resentment on your loved one — call it a night when you realize you’re running out of energy.
Virgo
August 23 – September 22
Letting your longing to optimize everything rest might be a wise move at the moment. When the nurturing Moon enters your playful 5th house, embracing simple joy is a perfectly valid use of your time! Your precise eye might overwork a fun project, so set a small scope and leave room for laughs during a single, easy activity. Taking a relaxed approach keeps creativity bright rather than brittle. You can always come back and refine later, so just let the inspiration flow for now.
Libra
September 23 – October 22
Putting up a poker face could be necessary now. As fiery Mars in your 5th House of Creativity and Romance tangles with conspicuous Jupiter in your 10th House of Career and Reputation, you may yearn to show affection to a sweetheart or let your goofy side fly. However, these impulses might not mesh well with your established public persona. Stability and self-expression are both valid needs. That said, be realistic about what’s best kept in the safety of your private life.
Scorpio
October 23 – November 21
Progress is likely to return after you strengthen private boundaries. Your 4th House of Home and Family hosts warrior Mars, where it quincunxes joyous Jupiter in your 9th House of Travel and Learning. Deep focus belongs at home today, even though distant plans may tug at you. Making a smaller promise you can keep right now will give you the win you need. Allow yourself plenty of time to take care of your domestic priorities — a secure home base will ultimately support your adventures!
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21
Thoughtful edits and moderation could improve your message today. As action-oriented Mars in your 3rd House of Communication riles up overbearing Jupiter in your 8th House of Shared Resources, your upbeat voice might oversell an idea, potentially setting off the money sensitivities of your audience in the process. Slow the pitch and check details before you promise anything. Putting the basic facts in writing can protect trust and prevent avoidable stress. Taking extra time now beats experiencing confusion and regret later!
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19
Listening to your instincts could currently help you rein in a plan that’s gotten out of control. Your 1st House of Identity welcomes the emotional Moon, nudging you to honor your pace and present a clear, steady image. Perhaps someone you’re working with is all over the place, adding more and more priorities to your plate. Although you’re willing to carry heavy responsibility when needed, you can also say no to extras that blur your focus. Prioritize real progress over looking busy.
Aquarius
January 20 – February 18
A creative pivot could keep you on your course today. As ambitious Mars in your 1st House of Identity runs into resistance from bloated Jupiter in your 6th House of Daily Routines, your desire to move forward could be hampered by all the tasks you think are necessary for maintenance. You’ll have to look closely at the habits you take for granted and see whether they still serve you. A leaner schedule is probably possible, and it would give you more room to pursue fresh ideas!
Pisces
February 19 – March 20
Keeping a cherished passion private might be the best option at the moment. While active Mars in your secretive 12th house experiences tension with buoyant Jupiter in your 5th House of Pleasure, there’s probably a part of you that wants to be vocal about something you really enjoy. However, the norms of your peer group are potentially on your mind as well. Introducing the possibility of their judgment could spoil your fun, so just keep it limited to the people who definitely understand for now!
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/11/daily-horoscope-for-february-12-2026/
‘There’s unfinished business’: Chicago Cubs open camp with high expectations — and embrace the challenge
MESA, Ariz. — The Chicago Cubs are not shying away from lofty goals.
Pitchers and catchers held their first spring training workout Wednesday, and on Day 1 they already are embracing the challenges they will face over the next nine months.
3 Chicago Cubs storylines to watch in spring training, including how they will optimize their bench
“If you don’t talk about them they’re not real, so we’ve got to absolutely talk about our goals,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Everybody in this industry wants expectations. You work hard to get expectations. … You work really hard to build a roster that has expectations, work really hard to get on a team that has expectations. So that’s what we want.
“We’re truly excited that we have expectations. It’s not easy to get them.”
Coming off a 92-win season and National League Division Series appearance elevates the standard of what this group can accomplish.
“There’s unfinished business,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Wednesday. “In a lot of ways, that’s the best kind of spring training when there’s hunger. So I think the expectations don’t create anxiety, they create hunger with this group, and this group’s excited to get started.”
The Cubs aren’t going to be a plucky underdog. They come into camp projected to be one of the best teams in Major League Baseball. Anything less than a playoff appearance and deeper run in October would be an underwhelming season. Returning all but one of their starting position players plus signing star third baseman Alex Bregman with Kyle Tucker’s departure gives the Cubs a proven group to complement a rotation that added hard-throwing right-hander Edward Cabrera.
“This is not a place now where guys are coming to necessarily just hope they can steal some playing time — we have a good reputation on the coaching side and the development side, but I also think guys come here now expecting to win, which is a cool shift to see and feel,” veteran starter Jameson Taillon said. “The work seems different than years’ past. I know it’s a spring training cliché, but guys show up and it doesn’t seem as rah-rah exciting, it seems more like let’s-get-to-work exciting, if that makes sense, so it should be an exciting year.”
The Cubs begin camp with, encouragingly, no significant injuries. Although left-hander Justin Steele continues to work back from elbow surgery in April and will not be ready for opening day, the 30-year-old has been throwing off the mound. The Cubs have avoided putting a timeframe on when he will rejoin the rotation, but sometime early in the season is a realistic scenario.
Right-hander Trent Thornton, a nonroster invitee, is behind on his buildup coming off an Achilles injury. Three players — catcher Moisés Ballesteros, right-hander Javier Assad and catcher Christian Bethancourt — were not at the complex for Wednesday’s workout because of visa issues. Counsell said the trio is expected to arrive in camp “shortly.”
Cubs President Jed Hoyer, left, and general manager Carter Hawkins address the media at a news conference on the first day of spring training Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (Meghan Montemurro/Chicago Tribune)
Creating roster depth coming into camp and the regular season was a focal point for Hoyer and the front office. It’s impossible to fully predict the type of injuries or underperforming production the Cubs will get from the roster, but they want to combat that as best as they can at this point of the year by bringing in players who give them depth at vulnerable positions.
“I felt like last year, if you kind of look at the way the end of the season went and the postseason, it felt like we got thin from a starting pitching standpoint,” Hoyer said. “Continuing to add these arms because you don’t know how things are going to play out and you’ve got to make sure you have enough arms.
“Our job is to think about every pitfall and every issue, and we try to do it every day, and we’re still doing that now. We’ll be on the phone with agents today talking about various players that are still out there that can add depth and help alleviate those challenges.”
Related Articles
Art Institute acquires Norman Rockwell’s ‘The Dugout,’ his famous painting of the Cubs
Chicago Cubs extend nonroster invitations to 18 players for spring training
Anthony Rizzo, Clayton Kershaw and Joey Votto will join NBC Sports broadcasts as MLB analysts
Terrance Gore, a speedy outfielder who played for the Chicago Cubs and 3 World Series champions, dies at 34
3 Chicago Cubs storylines to watch in spring training, including how they will optimize their bench
Part of the pitching puzzle to work out over the next six weeks is the bullpen, both who will be part of the opening-day pen and the internal options in-season. The Cubs spent the offseason retooling the unit that transformed into a weapon by the postseason but features just two key returning arms, Daniel Palencia and Caleb Thielbar.
“The potential upside of those guys and which one will be the next guy that hits, which one’s the guy that’s going to be throwing in the sixth, seventh inning and high-leverage situation for us, we don’t know yet,” general manager Carter Hawkins said. “But we feel really confident that out of the group there’s some guys that are going to hit that way, and we’re really looking forward to seeing them in competition and being able to get a better sense.
“But a lot of the guys that broke camp last year in that bullpen weren’t in that bullpen in October, so we also understand that a lot of things will change there.”
The Cubs know they can’t look too far ahead. The daily work this spring will help set the foundation for the season. The vibe around camp sets the standard for what is to come.
“Everybody works really hard to create a team like this,” Counsell said. “So, it’s a bit ceremonial. Obviously nothing crazy is happening today, but it’s fun to get at least the first group of pitchers and catchers started.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/11/chicago-cubs-spring-training-expectations/
Cámara de Representantes frena aranceles de Trump a Canadá en inusual reprimenda bipartidista
Por LISA MASCARO y KEVIN FREKING
WASHINGTON (AP) — La Cámara de Representantes votó el miércoles a favor de rechazar los aranceles del presidente Donald Trump a Canadá, una reprimenda poco común —aunque en gran medida simbólica— a la agenda de la Casa Blanca, después de que los republicanos se sumaron a los demócratas pese a las objeciones de la cúpula del Partido Republicano.
El resultado de 219 votos a favor por 211 en contra marca una de las primeras veces que la mayoría republicana en la cámara baja se ha opuesto a una de las políticas emblemáticas del mandatario, quien no tardó en criticar el resultado.
La resolución busca poner fin a la declaratoria de emergencia nacional de Trump para justificar los aranceles, aunque para poder revertir realmente la medida se requeriría del apoyo del propio Trump, algo muy poco probable. La resolución pasa ahora a manos del Senado.
Trump cree en el poder de los aranceles para obligar a los socios comerciales de Estados Unidos a ir a la mesa de negociación. Pero los legisladores se enfrentan a la inquietud de las empresas de sus distritos que han quedado atrapadas en guerras comerciales, así como de los electores que lidian con los altos precios.
“La votación de hoy es simple, muy simple: ¿Votarás para bajar el coste de vida de la familia estadounidense o mantendrás los precios altos por lealtad a una sola persona — Donald J. Trump?”, señaló el representante Gregory Meeks, el demócrata de mayor rango en la Comisión de Asuntos Exteriores de la Cámara y autor de la resolución.
Minutos después, Trump lanzó una severa advertencia a cualquier miembro del Partido Republicano que se atreviera a desafiarlo.
“¡Cualquier republicano, en la Cámara de Representantes o en el Senado, que vote en contra de los aranceles sufrirá seriamente las consecuencias cuando llegue el momento de las elecciones, y eso incluye las primarias!”, publicó el presidente en redes sociales.
El momento ofrece un vistazo al malestar de la Cámara de Representantes sobre el rumbo que lleva el presidente, especialmente de cara a las elecciones de mitad de mandato, cuando los temas económicos resuenan entre los votantes. El Senado ya votó a favor de rechazar los aranceles de Trump a Canadá y a otros países como muestra de descontento. Pero ambas cámaras tendrían que aprobar la revocación de los aranceles y enviar la resolución a Trump para su firma — o veto.
Trump amenazó recientemente con imponer un arancel del 100% a los bienes importados desde Canadá debido a la propuesta de acuerdo comercial de Ottawa con China, intensificando una disputa con el viejo aliado de Estados Unidos y con el primer ministro Mark Carney.
__
La periodista de The Associated Press Seung Min Kim contribuyó con este despacho.
___
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Trump Pushes To End Senate ‘Blue Slips’ As GOP Confirms Judges At Record Pace
Trump Pushes To End Senate ‘Blue Slips’ As GOP Confirms Judges At Record Pace
In just the past week, the Senate confirmed half a dozen of Trump’s judicial nominees, continuing a streak that’s left Democrats visibly frustrated.
Since the start of Trump’s second term, 33 judges have sailed through confirmation — already eclipsing his entire first-term total. By comparison, during Trump’s first year in office, the Senate confirmed 19 Article III judges, including Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.
While Senate Republicans are moving fast and confirming judges at a blistering pace, there are mounting calls to scrap one of the Senate’s oldest customs — the “blue slip.”
The century-old practice has long allowed home-state senators to weigh in on judicial nominations before they advance, but Democrats have been abusing it, turning it into a de facto veto on nominees they don’t like.
Trump has wanted the tradition gone because of the way Democrats have abused it.
Last year, he reportedly told Senate Republicans to “get rid of blue slips, because, as a Republican President, I am unable to put anybody in office having to do with U.S. attorneys or having to do with judges.”
Some Republicans sympathize with Trump’s view, seeing the blue slip as an outdated relic that slows confirmations.
But others see danger in dismantling another institutional guardrail.
“Nuking the blue slip would be a huge mistake,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told Fox News Digital, joining several colleagues warning that a short-term rules victory could backfire the next time Democrats control the Senate.
For them, the issue isn’t about speed — it’s about reciprocity.
They argue the GOP will one day need the same courtesy they’re now being pressured to destroy.
While that is certainly true, like the filibuster, it is likely to be nuked by Democrats the next time they’re in power if they feel this guardrail hampers their ability to get what they want. In fact, that’s exactly why the blue slip started to get abused in the first place. In 2017, Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley was forced to reshape the practice after Democrats used it as a veto on Trump’s judicial nominees during his first term.
Grassley noted at the time that the blue slip began as a “courtesy to get insights on federal court nominees from home-state senators in an era when such information was hard to come by.” It was never, he argued, meant to give senators “veto power over the president’s judicial nominations.” Grassley also reminded Democrats that their predicament was self-inflicted. “Democratic senators’ recent calls for an ahistorical interpretation of the blue slip courtesy stem from a decision they made in 2013 to end the 60-vote filibuster for lower court nominees. This move, often referred to as the ‘nuclear option,’ effectively silenced half of the Senate during confirmation votes.
At the time, many Democratic senators argued it was unfair for a minority of senators to block nominees with majority support.” he wrote.
“Now that they are in the minority, Democrats are scrambling to cope with the fallout from their decision.”
That history lesson seems lost on much of Washington. For now, the tension within the GOP shows no signs of easing, and despite his earlier move, Grassley remains a proponent of blue slips in theory.
“Because it’s a question of 110 years, and everybody in the Senate wants to maintain the blue slip,” Grassley said.
That is likely wishful thinking. During the Biden years, Senate Democrats ignored the spirit of the tradition whenever it suited them, confirming 42 judges in the first year of Biden’s presidency — a pace even faster than Trump’s current term.
Trump’s allies argue that the President’s judicial agenda is too critical to be slowed by Senate traditions that Democrats themselves long abandoned.
Others, however, believe that retaliating by erasing every trace of procedural courtesy risks making future confirmations impossible when Democrats are back in power.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/11/2026 – 18:50
