Category: News
Column: Park Forest resident Leanna Tomlin celebreates 100th birthday
There are certain touchstones of life that demand a respectful response.
Birth and death come to mind.
Then there is age and the esteem we show to one who lives the long, strong, loving life.
On Feb. 8, 1926, a quiet, yet determined force of nature was unleashed on the world when Leanna Tomlin, the 10th of 12 children of a family entered the world in Sunflower County, Mississippi.
“It has been a happy hundred years,” she once told me, and at a celebration of her birthday last Saturday, at a house in Flossmoor, one day before this Park Forest resident legally reached the age of 100, this petite ball of fervor warned everyone “I’m not done yet. I’m not going to leave soon.”
Along with a small corps of well-wishers in the house, a group of more than 20 friends and family spanning the nation from the Carolinas to California wished her well on Zoom in a 90-minute period of love, memory and more than 40 photos.
She knew them all, chatted with them, and connected with kin around the country.
Her personal history is wrapped in the patterns of a society into which she was born. We were told her grandmother was a slave and she never mentions the names of her parents.
“My father told me never to tell their names” she says and will not say more.
Names are not important one thinks. She was named Leannar but somewhere along the line dropped the last letter.
Well, OK, but for years her family nickname has been “Aunt Big Baby.”
The 12 children in the family were equally divided into six boys and six girls. Three boys became ministers and six, including the birthday girl were teachers.
During World War II, and still in her teens, she traveled alone to Chicago to live with a sister and, as she says, “to seek an education.” She went to school and in due time became a teacher in Harvey.
“I was a public servant and very proud of it,” she says. “My greatest pride was my teaching experience.”
She set a lifestyle for so many people, both children and parents, and her marriage to Irvin Tomlin produced one child, Bregiete Bullock, who lives in Schererville.
And then there is a grandson and three great-grandchildren.
A devout church goer who routinely attends the Harvest Time Worship Center in Richton Park, she has a personal philosophy which stems from what might be her personal philosophy she maintains — “to give praise to God, mind my business and leave yours alone.”
So, it was not unusual for her to quote a passage from Psalm 91 and to join in a song or two at the Saturday celebration. When a recording of the Mississippi Mass Choir “When I Rose This Morning” was played, she lent her voice to the loud joyful tempo.
She was born when Calvin Coolidge was president of the United States and has lived through the reigns of 17 others. A century on earth saw her through the Great Depression, World War II, the wars in Korea and Vietnam along with various flareups through years, 9/11 and COVID-19 to name a few.
The years leave an unforgettable impression. The first Black History Month event was held in 1926. The first public display of something called television took place in 1926. Winnie the Pooh arrived that year as did Queen Elizabeth II of England, Marilyn Monroe, Fidel Castro, Hugh Hefner and the start of the national Broadcasting Company (NBC).
The drumbeat of the years is can be deafening. Yet the English poet Robert Browning understood the honor of old age when he wrote a tribute to the art of aging.
Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made;
Our times are in His had Who saith “A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God; see all, nor be afraid.”
Jerry Shnay is a freelance columnist for the Daily Southtown.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/09/column-park-forest-resident-100th-birthday/
Daywatch: Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was close to art
Good morning, Chicago.
Let me be straight here and say I just finished watching Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show and since I’m supposed to write down a few thoughts, long story short: Holy smokes. How could you not swoon over that? I even felt a chill or two, writes Christopher Borrelli.
It was rousing, funny, surprisingly touching. Understand, I love Super Bowl halftime shows, but usually because they’re bonkers. For decades, they went beyond nuts. Until a few (Prince in 2007; Madonna in 2012; Beyoncé in 2013) transcended nuts. Bad Bunny’s was closer to a cultural moment, a paradigm shift, a reimagining of how much a halftime spectacle can resemble art. It was a love letter to home and a hand extended outward, inviting you to dance with him. No question, here was one of the more understandable halftimes.
Read the full column from the Tribune’s Christopher Borrelli and see photos from the performance.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including the return of the Chicago Auto Show, exploring whether the Bears are serious about a new stadium in Gary and what to know about Chicago Black Restaurant Week.
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Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke speaks at a City Club of Chicago luncheon, Dec. 2, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Johnson’s ICE executive order would compromise investigations of immigration agents, state’s attorney says
In a memo sent to employees, the policy chief for Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke said the city’s “ICE on notice” executive order compromises potential prosecutions of federal agents by politicizing the investigations.
The executive order announced by Mayor Brandon Johnson last Saturday has resulted in ongoing strife between the mayor and the county’s top prosecutor, who would be responsible for bringing any charges against immigration agents whose conduct in the Chicago area has drawn scrutiny and condemnation.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle speaks during a press conference on Dec. 31, 2025, to highlight the expiration of ACA tax credits. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Toni Preckwinkle didn’t seek Chicago Teachers Union’s endorsement. Why not?
When the Chicago Teachers Union unveiled its latest political endorsements last week ahead of the March primary, one name was notably absent: Toni Preckwinkle.
Charlize Hernandez, from left, Evalize Hernandez and Daniel and Luis Sanchez play with magnets at the youth space at Hillside Public Library in Hillside on Feb. 6, 2026. While most other taxing districts had received about 87% of their due taxes near the end of last month, Hillside had gotten just 10%. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)
Late Cook County property tax distributions spell trouble for libraries
Village library leaders have added their voices to the chorus of complaints about delayed and sporadic distributions of Cook County property tax revenues, saying the situation has drained their reserves, making it harder to hire or buy new books.
And in the latest complication in Cook County’s ongoing property tax woes, about $175 million in excess money was sent to taxing bodies that weren’t expecting it.
Incoming U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky is the center of attention on Nov. 13, 1998, as she and the new representatives gathered on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington for a formal picture. (Pete Souza/Chicago Tribune)
Illinois 9th District race tests long Jewish legacy in 15-way Democratic Party fight to succeed Schakowsky
For nearly eight decades, Illinois’ 9th Congressional District has been a Democratic stronghold with an almost unbroken tradition of Jewish representation — a political lineage stretching back to the aftermath of World War II and shaped by generations of voters clustered around historically Jewish suburbs and neighborhoods.
That history now collides with a changing district and a crowded, high-stakes Democratic Party field vying to succeed longtime U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who will retire after 28 years in Congress.
Laura Evans’ neighborhood, along Shetland Lane, is about a block away from the CyrusOne data center, as seen on Feb. 2, 2026, in Aurora. Evans and her family moved into the neighborhood 30 years ago. Construction on the data center began 17 years ago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Amid chaotic data center debates, industry warns Illinois will miss out unless privacy law weakened
Artificial intelligence companies are threatening to shun Illinois and build their most advanced data centers in Wisconsin and Indiana if the state doesn’t dilute its privacy law, the toughest in the country.
Lots of Illinoisans won’t be running to their defense.
People ride in a 2026 Jeep Wrangler during the media preview day at the 2026 Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place, Feb. 6, 2026. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Auto Show returns with plenty of EVs and a resurgence of gas-powered muscle
In recent years, the Chicago Auto Show has been steering toward electric vehicles, following the ambitious state and national agenda to convert the industry from combustion engines to cleaner technology, incentivized by governmental tax credits and rebates.
While EVs are still center stage at the 2026 auto show at McCormick Place, there may not be quite as much buzz this year with slumping sales and the end of federal tax credits under President Donald Trump.
A mural by artist Felix Maldonado of the the Jackson 5, from Gary, along Broadway in downtown Gary on Feb. 4, 2026. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Long-beleaguered Gary is serious about the Bears. Are the Bears serious about Gary?
There is a plan, however rough or premature. However fantastical or far-fetched. There is a plan, with a Bears stadium somewhere near Miller Beach, with retail, restaurants and places of gathering: a year-round, multipurpose attraction near Indiana Dunes National Park, amid the hiking trails and kayaking spots and not far from city streets full of so much amassed heartbreak and neglect.
That it is a possibility at all, however remote and unlikely, has inspired an uncommon belief in this long-beleaguered city. Could it be Gary’s time after so many years of sorrow? Or is this nothing but a cruel dangling of possibility for a place so accustomed to loss and false hope?
What to know about the Chicago Bears’ possible move from Soldier Field
This combination of images shows the United States’ Lindsey Vonn crashing during an alpine ski women’s downhill race in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Lindsey Vonn breaks leg in downhill crash at Winter Olympics, in stable condition after surgery
Lindsey Vonn’s defiant bid to win the Winter Olympic downhill at the age of 41, on a rebuilt right knee and a badly injured left knee, ended yesterday in a frightening crash that left her with a broken leg and saw her taken to safety by a rescue helicopter for the second time in nine days.
Breezy Johnson’s winding road leads to Olympic downhill gold for US on day marred by Lindsey Vonn’s crash
US Olympians speaking up about politics at home face online backlash — including from Donald Trump
2026 Winter Olympics: Meet the medalists from the United States
Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) makes a touchdown catch during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the New England Patriots, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Seattle Seahawks ride their ‘Dark Side’ defense to a Super Bowl title, pounding the New England Patriots 29-13
Defense won this championship.
Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Byron Murphy and the rest of Mike Macdonald’s ferocious unit pummeled Drake Maye, and the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl.
Nicole Williams, left, reacts as Chef B, right, adds the flair of fire to her steak and lamb chop meal at Chemistry Chicago in Hyde Park, Feb. 5, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Black Restaurant Week returns for its 11th year, celebrating Black culinary excellence
Chicago Black Restaurant Week returns for its 11th year, spotlighting Black-owned restaurants and businesses across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
Running from Feb. 8 through Feb. 22, the annual event follows Chicago Restaurant Week and invites diners to support local Black-owned establishments through curated food and drink specials.
The garlic pizza at Great Lake in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood on Feb. 5, 2026. The garlic pizza may be the only one available with a bright tomato sauce, out of three or four on the daily changing menu. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Restaurant review: Great Lake, reincarnated as a grocery and bakery, still makes profound pizza in Chicago
Great Lake makes the most profound and puzzling pizza in Chicago, but it is not a pizzeria.
It’s a small grocer and small bakery, said Nick Lessins, co-owner and co-operator with Lydia Esparza. The spouses reopened their business in Andersonville last June. It is more of a reinvention.
Green Illusion Suffers Major Setback As Stellantis Takes Massive €22BN EV Write-Down
Green Illusion Suffers Major Setback As Stellantis Takes Massive €22BN EV Write-Down
Submitted by Thomas Kolbe
Automotive giant Stellantis is reporting multi-billion-euro write-downs for the second half of 2025. At the same time, management announces a strategic return to traditional internal combustion engines and a stronger focus on hybrid powertrains. The wall of the green transformation illusion has suffered another breach.
It was a black day for Stellantis, the parent company of brands like Fiat, Chrysler, and Opel. On Friday, in response to catastrophic business results, the company executed its EV strategy and reported write-downs totaling €22 billion, incurred solely in the second half of last year. On the books, this translates to a loss of €19–21 billion for Europe’s second-largest automaker in that period.
The first victims of this economic disaster are the shareholders: the dividend for the current year was immediately canceled. In the coming years, a quick recovery is not expected. The stock lost up to 25% in a single day, dragging the entire sector down.
Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa commented on the massive write-downs, describing the situation as a “business reset.” For Filosa, the burden stems from an overestimated pace of the energy transition, which disconnected the company from the actual needs, possibilities, and desires of many car buyers. The losses also reflect past operational mismanagement, which his new team now aims to gradually correct. A remarkable turnaround, now forced by market realities and the lack of EV demand.
A symbol of the strategic shift: Stellantis acquired a Canadian battery plant for a symbolic $100 — a project that once consumed billions. In the U.S., the all-electric RAM 1500 REV pickup is being entirely discontinued. The company is returning to traditional ICE vehicles and hybrid models. The same applies to delayed EV plans at Alfa Romeo and a general reduction in all-electric compact and midsize offerings.
Political Markets vs. Market Reality
So far, the politically hyped EV boom has failed to materialize. After years of automotive decline, during which manufacturers were seduced by political narratives of green transformation and buyers enticed with EV subsidies, the hangover follows the artificial euphoria.
Going forward, Stellantis will focus more on actual demand and less on political mandates. EV development will continue, but market-driven and aligned with buyer needs.
Once again, the lesson of classical tragedy proves true: humans learn only through painful experiences.
Stellantis is just the latest symptom of the crisis afflicting European automakers. Late last year, supplier Bosch announced 13,000 more global job cuts and a realignment of its internal EV strategy. Meanwhile, German media attempts to blame U.S. President Donald Trump, citing policy reversals, subsidy cuts, and new emissions standards for a collapse in EV demand.
A tsunami of bad news is hitting ideology-driven policies. German automakers are following suit, delaying EV plans, investing again in combustion engines, and hybridizing projects once intended to be fully electric. Porsche has reduced EV rollouts in favor of hybrids.
How long until the politically enforced ICE bans collapse under economic reality?
Medium-term, hybrids and efficient ICE engines are likely to win, as no one can decouple from the U.S. domestic market. Competitiveness, especially against Chinese rivals, demands this approach.
U.S. Market as Priority
The toxic mix of self-inflicted energy crises, restrictive green regulations, and fierce overseas competition has hit German automakers hardest. Production in Germany has fallen since 2019’s pre-pandemic levels: last year only about 4.15 million cars were produced, an 18% decline.
Manufacturers are increasingly shifting production to other European sites like Hungary, Poland, or the Czech Republic. The VDA reports roughly 55,000 jobs lost in the past two years due to production cuts in this still-critical industry.
Against this backdrop, Stellantis now prioritizes the U.S., where it operates 34 factories and employs 48,000 workers. Plans call for $13 billion in investments to return to growth, signaling Europe’s declining strategic importance in corporate planning.
Separate from the human toll of the Stellantis crisis, the case offers a stark glimpse into the devastation political-ideological systems can cause. The wider the gap between political ambitions of zero-emission mobility and market reality, the costlier the experiment. The classic intervention spiral gains momentum.
Germany’s government, meanwhile, is reactivating failed EV incentives with billions in taxpayer money — confirming the thesis.
It will be interesting to see the outcomes of European automakers’ strategic pivots when policymakers realize the industry no longer follows prescribed transformation logic. Sometimes, creating facts and moving beyond media-driven theater like crisis summits and subsidy promises is the only way forward. Even Germany’s transformation-entranced automotive bureaucrats are likely beginning to recognize this.
* * *
About the author: Thomas Kolbe, a German graduate economist, has worked for over 25 years a journalist and media producer for clients from various industries and business associations. As a publicist, he focuses on economic processes and observes geopolitical events from the perspective of the capital markets. His publications follow a philosophy that focuses on the individual and their right to self-determination
Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/09/2026 – 07:20
Bad Bunny Halftime Show Versus Turning Point USA Alternative Highlights A Divided Nation
Bad Bunny Halftime Show Versus Turning Point USA Alternative Highlights A Divided Nation
Last night was the biggest television event of the year: the Super Bowl.
Yet the NFL decided that Puerto Rican native “Bad Bunny” was the best fit for the halftime show, performing his entire set in Spanish and leaving tens of millions of English-speaking Americans in the dark. Some even tuned into an alternative halftime show produced by Turning Point USA.
The big question is why the NFL forced Americans to watch the entire Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show in Spanish when English is the official language.
Lo único más poderoso que el odio, es el amor.
The Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate is Love. @sanbenito #AppleMusicHalftime pic.twitter.com/0VDQlSjet9
— NFL (@NFL) February 9, 2026
It seems political, yet another sign that the U.S. is in the middle of a cultural war.
The NFL having a Super Bowl Halftime Show where their performer sings ENTIRELY in Spanish & waves other nation’s flags, is 💯% a political statement.
Bad Bunny will go down as the worst halftime show in the history of the league.
America deserved better for its 250th birthday. pic.twitter.com/Glu9BLT5Tp
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) February 9, 2026
But as the Latin trap artist performed, some viewers reached for translator apps on their phones to understand the lyrics, while others switched to Turning Point USA’s halftime show, which featured Kid Rock, Lee Brice, Bradley Gilbert, and Gabby Barrett. The broadcast appeared to be popular, drawing an estimated 10 million viewers.
🚨 BREAKING: TPUSA’s All-American Halftime Show just got over 10 MILLION live viewers and 25 MILLION social media views, in a huge victory for the culture
Wow! That’s HUGE!
They said it was impossible, but it just happened 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
pic.twitter.com/XRBQXsc6qp
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 9, 2026
Bad Bunny was criticized by Americans on Sunday night. Even President Trump chimed in:
The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence. Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World.
This “Show” is just a “slap in the face” to our Country, which is setting new standards and records every single day — including the Best Stock Market and 401(k)s in History! There is nothing inspirational about this mess of a Halftime Show and watch, it will get great reviews from the Fake News Media, because they haven’t got a clue of what is going on in the REAL WORLD — And, by the way, the NFL should immediately replace its ridiculous new Kickoff Rule. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP
Immediately after the Super Bowl performance, Bad Bunny deleted his entire Instagram feed …
Bad Bunny has wiped his Instagram following his #SuperBowl halftime show. pic.twitter.com/McpZbitbWj
— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 9, 2026
The NFL chose a Latin trap artist to wave foreign flags at the halftime show on the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
And in the end, Bad Bunny’s halftime show versus Turning Point USA’s alternative halftime show underscored one important theme: a nation divided.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/09/2026 – 07:20
Quince muertos en el derrumbe de un edificio en Líbano
Associated Press
BEIRUT (AP) — Quince personas murieron en el colapso de un edificio en la ciudad de Trípoli, en el norte de Líbano, informó el lunes la prensa estatal.
Otras ocho personas resultaron heridas, según informó la Agencia Nacional de Noticias, gestionada por el estado. La defensa civil de Líbano indicó que al menos una persona sufrió una herida de bala. Residentes de la zona se reunieron alrededor del cráter donde había caído el edificio y dispararon al aire tras el colapso.
El edificio de apartamentos de seis pisos en el empobrecido barrio de Bab Tabbaneh se derrumbó el domingo por la tarde. Los residentes de Trípoli, la segunda ciudad más grande de Líbano, se han quejado durante mucho tiempo del abandono gubernamental y de la infraestructura deficiente.
Los colapsos de edificios no son infrecuentes en Trípoli debido a los pobres estándares de construcción, pero el incidente del domingo provocó una indignación particular debido al alto número de víctimas mortales.
Los edificios circundantes en la zona fueron evacuados por temor a que su estructura también pudiera estar comprometida.
Las autoridades han prometido investigar la causa del siniestro y tomar medidas legales contra aquellos que se encuentren responsables.
___
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/2026/02/09/quince-muertos-en-el-derrumbe-de-un-edificio-en-lbano/
Evanston-Skokie District 65 gets a seventh member; will be able to break tie votes
After an Evanston-Skokie School District 65 Board member resigned in early November, hobbling the Board from moving forward on several crucial matters, the district has finally gotten a successor trustee, who will bring the Board back up to seven members and be able to break the tie votes that left the Board at an impasse several times.
Regional Superintendent of Schools April Jordan has appointed Chris Van Nostrand as District 65’s seventh School Board member, filling the seat vacated by Omar Salem, who resigned in early November.
Van Nostrand, a District 65 parent and founder of fitness company Strength Wise Barbell, was the fifth-highest vote getter in the last Board election, which had four seats available.
Twenty-eight candidates applied to fill the seat in November after Salem resigned, and Board members could not get a majority vote to confirm one.
“The Board did not come to a consensus for a Board appointment; therefore, the matter was forwarded to the Executive Director/Regional Superintendent, who has the authority to fill the vacancy within 30 days,” wrote Pat Anderson and Nichole Pinkard, Board president and vice-president, respectively, on the District 65 website.
On Feb. 2, the final deadline allowed under the Illinois School Code, Jordan notified Board leadership of the decision to appoint Van Nostrand to fill the board vacancy.
Van Nostrand said he was officially notified of the appointment by Jordan when the rest of the board was informed. He declined to comment further at this time.
Van Nostrand was set to be sworn in Feb. 9 at the Board’s Committee of the Whole meeting and will serve the remainder of Salem’s term, which runs through the April 2027 board election, according to an announcement from Anderson and Pinkard.
“We believe that Chris’s perspective as a D65 parent and his administrative experience will be extremely beneficial to our governance discussions,” they wrote.
The appointment comes amid significant financial strain in District 65. District officials have projected millions in cuts to balance the current budget under its Structural Deficit Reduction Plan, citing ongoing financial deficits as well as declining enrollment. Earlier cost-cutting measures included $13.3 million in reductions and the elimination of 73 full-time staff positions, approved for the 2024-2025 school year.
The ongoing financial pressures have forced the Board to consider school closures to help balance the budget. In addition to fiscal challenges, the district has been grappling with the indictment of former superintendent Devon Horton, who is facing federal charges, along with three of his associates, for wire fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion. Horton, along with his three associates, have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Board first voted on school closure proposals in November, shortly after Salem’s resignation. However, the Board deadlocked 3-3 on a proposal to close both Kingsley and Lincolnwood elementary schools. A second voting measure in December came to a tie vote and failed as well, despite warnings from officials that inaction on school closures would lead to the elimination of more staff positions.
Finally, the Board voted unanimously in early January to close Kingsley School, and adopt a wait-and-see stance on Lincolnwood School. If the district does not meet certain conditions by October, the plan calls on the Board to recognize the necessity of closing Lincolnwood as well.
Column: Despite the fire sale, Chicago Bulls players aren’t interested in the rebuild narrative
The new Chicago Bulls played well for three quarters Saturday in their first game at the United Center since Thursday’s trade-deadline fire sale.
They hustled and rebounded and showed some grit, like when Matas Buzelis tried to wrestle the ball from the Denver Nuggets’ mountain man, 6-foot-11 Jonas Valančiūnas, during a dead-ball timeout in the second quarter.
It was man-child against beast, and Buzelis would give no quarter.
The Bulls eventually collapsed in a 136-120 loss to the Nuggets before a sellout crowd of 20,939, but the start of the latest rebuild that can’t be called a rebuild was off to an interesting first step nonetheless.
“It was definitely hard to sleep last night,” guard Collin Sexton said. “I was so ready, I was super, super excited. So today was definitely a good day.”
Sexton, one of the seven new players who took the court Saturday, scored 17 points in his debut after coming over from the Charlotte Hornets in the Coby White trade. Buzelis led the Bulls with 21 points, including four 3-pointers, and Guerschon Yabusele, the former New York Knick, scored 12 on four 3s.
The Bulls took a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter before the Nuggets scored the first 12 points of a 24-4 run that sealed it. The Bulls were held without a field goal in the fourth until Buzelis’ 3 at the halfway mark. Nuggets center Nikola Jokić had a triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 17 assists, passing Oscar Robertson on the all-time list with the 182nd triple-double of his career.
The Bulls (24-29) have lost seven of their last eight games since briefly going over the .500 mark and have given up 130 points or more in three of their last four games. They fell a game behind the Hornets for 10th place in the Eastern Conference and find themselves on the outside looking in for the play-in tournament.
“We’ve got to get much better defensively,” coach Billy Donovan said, though he cut the players some slack since it was the first time the Chicago 7 had played together.
The Expenda-Bulls aren’t willing to feed into the rebuild narrative.
Photos: Denver Nuggets 136, Chicago Bulls 120
“We definitely can be very special,” Sexton said. “I feel like for us to have one walk-through and to go out there pretty much jelling and making the right reads and doing this together. … It was super fun. At the end of the day, I know something good is coming.”
Sexton has taken it upon himself to serve as the de facto social chairman, saying it’s his personality to get the guys together to bond. They’ll head on a mini-trip Monday with a game in New York against the Brooklyn Nets, followed by Wednesday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics and old friend Nikola Vučević. Then comes the All-Star break and the second-half auditions to find out who will stay and who will go.
Donovan said it’s still strange to walk into the locker room.
“The first guy I see is Vooch, and he’s not there,” he said.
Isaac Okoro moved into Vučević’s locker, and some others moved around as well. The Bulls began to deal with the reality that new veteran leadership must emerge.
Perhaps the player making the toughest transition is Buzelis, who is suddenly expected to be the focus of the offense with former teammates gone and Josh Giddey sitting out with a left hamstring strain.
Donovan said Buzelis got his first “taste of this (league) as a business” and was “still processing” what had happened.
“It’s tough, of course, but at the end of the day you’ve just got to accept what happens,” Buzelis said. “That’s just what it is. I’m happy to see these guys here. I think we’ve got something special and we can make it work, but it’s tough, losing all my brothers.
“It is what it is, and you’ve got to accept it. … Those guys are always going to be part of my circle. They impacted me as a player. I’m never going to forget the relationships I’ve built with them over the years. They were great vets to me.”
The Bulls are no doubt in a rebuild, even as management prefers to call it “a stage.” But Donovan is not coaching like someone who is interested in tanking for a better draft pick, and the players aren’t accepting that notion.
“Coach made it a point to say that if we want to win, then that’s what we’re going to do,” guard Rob Dillingham said. “I want to win. I don’t play games to lose.”
Dillingham, acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Ayo Dosunmu deal, played 22 minutes and scored nine points with four assists, including some nice lob passes.
While the players are all too young to know much about this team’s history, the Bulls had a famous episode in the 1985-86 season when they were accused of trying to tank it for the draft. The one accusing them was none other than star Michael Jordan, who was returning from a broken foot and was placed on a minutes limit.
Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf had said in December 1985 that he wouldn’t allow tanking.
“That’s losing, and I don’t like losing on purpose,” Reinsdorf said. “I don’t ever want to be party to losing on purpose. Losing breeds losing, and pretty soon you’re losing respect for yourself.”
But the story took a wild turn when Jordan eventually came back from the injury that spring and fought with management over the minutes restriction, claiming the Bulls were trying to lose.
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“Losing games on purpose reflects what kind of person you really are,” Jordan said. “No one should ever try to lose to get something better. You should always try to make the best with what you have. If they really wanted to make the playoffs, they’d have me in there whenever we had a chance to win a game.”
General manager Jerry Krause then criticized Jordan in a comment that would haunt him for years.
“Jerry Reinsdorf is running this franchise,” Krause said. “No one player is bigger than the franchise, no matter who he is.”
That, of course, was the season Jordan scored an NBA-record 63 points in a double-overtime loss to the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. If there was one player bigger than the Bulls franchise, it was Jordan.
Times change, but 40 years later, some are thinking the Bulls need to tank to get a better pick next summer. But the new Bulls aren’t buying it.
“We want to win every game,” Buzelis said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/09/chicago-bulls-players-not-interested-rebuild/
Dems Melting Down Over Voter ID As DHS Shutdown Talks Hit Wall
Dems Melting Down Over Voter ID As DHS Shutdown Talks Hit Wall
Update on the latest negotiations to keep the Department of Homeland Security funded beyond next Friday, which requires at least 60 votes to pass unless the filibuster is done away with.
Recall: Congress passed five out of six appropriations packages on Feb. 3, ending a brief partial government shutdown that began on Jan. 31 – while giving DHS, which controls ICE, a lifeline until Feb. 13 as Democrats and Republicans hash out reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after two white knight protesters were shot while interfering with lawful ICE operations.’
Democrats have a list of 10 ‘non-negotiable’ reforms that they insist must be included in any DHS funding bill, including;
Requiring judicial warrants signed by a judge before agents can make arrests in homes or private spaces.
Mandating body-worn cameras for all enforcement actions – though serious pushback has emerged from the left over fears that facial recognition technology will be used to catalogue and track protesters.
Democratic lawmakers are now seeking to ban ICE and CBP from using facial recognition and other biometric ID technologies altogether. [ZH: Things are always interesting when the shoe is on the other foot, but why stop at DHS / CBP? Maybe protect all of us from this shit?]
Prohibiting agents from wearing masks or face coverings during operations to ensure identification.
Implementing new use-of-force standards to prevent excessive violence.
Ending racial profiling in enforcement activities.
Requiring clear identification of DHS officers (e.g., visible badges and agency markings).
Other provisions for “real accountability,” such as oversight mechanisms and restrictions on certain tactics.
Republicans are pushing to attach their own priorities to the DHS bill – primarily the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and presentation of ID to cast ballots.
The SAVE Act, which was passed by the House in April and is currently stalled in the Senate – would require voters to present an eligible photo ID, while also requiring proof of citizenship be presented in person when registering to vote, such as a passport or birth certificate. It would also require states to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls.
GOP leaders like Speaker Johnson and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna arguing it’s necessary for election integrity. Some Republicans also want restrictions on “sanctuary cities” that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, and broader measures to crack down on illegal immigration.
Democrats Melt Down Over Voter ID
For some strange reason, Democrats are vehemently opposed to election integrity – and have brought back the well worn trope that voter ID disenfranchises people who are somehow able to produce ID to open a bank account, buy alcohol or tobacco, and obtain welfare (in states that require it!), despite scant calls to reform those activities over disenfranchisement.
🚨 WOW. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries has now ADMITTED he’s refusing to pass a law ensuring only citizens can vote in elections
“That’s NOT happening.”
Democrats ADMIT they rely on voter fraud. PASS THE SAVE AMERICA ACT! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/C3uQFz0lRX
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 31, 2026
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) last week called the SAVE Act ‘Jim Crow 2.0 across the country,’ and says that the Democrats are “going to do everything we can to stop it.”
“It’s really important for us to be clear that we should be making it easier, more accessible for Americans, for U.S. citizens, to vote,” said Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ). “The SAVE Act is far from a bill that’s actually making it more possible for people to vote, and when you’re suppressing so many people, especially because of their last name, because of women, because of many reasons, I think that it makes it really difficult for us to want to support a bill like that.”
Yet, there is broad support for voter ID, including among blacks and hispanics.
Democrats in both chambers struggled to reconcile their diehard opposition when 82% of Hispanic voters and 76% of Black voters support a photo ID requirement at the polls, according to a Pew Research Center survey last year.
The survey also found that 85% of White voters and 77% of Asian American voters support requiring a government-issued photo ID to vote.
While a photo ID requirement is more popular among Republican voters, 95%, Democratic voters also widely support it, at 71%. –Washington Times
Even CNN noticed.
POLL: Support for Voter ID:
Black Voters: 76%
White voters: 85%
Latino voters: 82%
Pass the SAVE Act.
— America (@america) February 3, 2026
Assuming this impasse remains… an impasse, eliminating the Senate filibuster – aka, the ‘nuclear option,’ would allow Republicans to bypass the 60-vote threshold to invoke cloture (ending debate) on most legislation. With Republicans currently holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, the nuclear option would allow them to pass the SAVE Act along with overall DHS funding.
The filibuster isn’t in the Constitution – it’s a Senate rule (primarily Rule XXII) that can be changed via the nuclear option, a procedural maneuver requiring only a simple majority. This has been used before: by Democrats in 2013 for executive and lower-court nominations, and by Republicans in 2017 for Supreme Court nominees. Here’s the step-by-step process, which could be applied to appropriations bills like DHS funding or election-related legislation like the SAVE Act:
Here’s what that process would look like to push through appropriations bills such as the DHS funding bill with the SAVE Act attached;
Introduce the Bill: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) brings the DHS funding bill (potentially with the SAVE Act attached) to the floor via a motion to proceed. Democrats begin filibustering by extending debate.
Raise a Point of Order: A Republican senator (e.g., during debate on the motion to proceed or cloture) raises a point of order, asserting that the Senate rules should be interpreted to allow cloture on this type of bill (e.g., appropriations or election integrity measures) with a simple majority of 51 votes, rather than 60.
Ruling by the Presiding Officer: The presiding officer (typically the Vice President, JD Vance in this case, or a Republican senator) rules on the point of order. If they rule in favor (agreeing cloture needs only 51 votes), it sets a new precedent. More commonly, they rule against it to follow tradition, forcing the next step.
Appeal the Ruling: If the presiding officer rules against the point of order, a Republican senator appeals the decision. This appeal is non-debatable (no filibuster possible here).
Vote to Overrule: The Senate votes on the appeal. A simple majority (51 votes) is needed to overrule the chair and establish the new precedent that cloture requires only 51 votes for the specified category. With 53 Republicans, this would pass along party lines.
Invoke Cloture and Pass the Bill: With the new precedent, Republicans move to invoke cloture with 51 votes, ending debate. They then pass the bill with another 51-vote majority. The bill goes to the House (where Republicans also hold a majority) for concurrence, then to President Trump for signature.
Clock’s ticking…
Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/09/2026 – 06:55
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/dems-melting-down-over-voter-id-dhs-shutdown-talks-hit-wall
El primer ministro británico lucha por su puesto tras revelaciones sobre Mandelson y Epstein
Por JILL LAWLESS
LONDRES (AP) — La posición del primer ministro británico, Keir Starmer, pendía de un hilo el lunes mientras intentaba persuadir a los legisladores de su Partido Laborista para que no lo destituyeran de su cargo después de apenas un año y medio en el puesto.
El jefe de comunicaciones de Starmer, Tim Allan, anunció que renunciaba el lunes para permitir “la construcción de un nuevo equipo” de gobierno. El primer ministro perdió a su jefe de gabinete el domingo y está perdiendo rápidamente el apoyo de los legisladores laboristas tras las revelaciones sobre la relación entre el exembajador británico en Washington, Peter Mandelson, y el difunto delincuente sexual Jeffrey Epstein.
Starmer tiene previsto dirigirse a los legisladores laboristas a puerta cerrada más tarde el lunes en un intento por reconstruir parte de su autoridad quebrantada.
La tormenta política deriva de la decisión de Starmer en 2024 de nombrar a Mandelson para el puesto diplomático más importante de Reino Unido, a pesar de saber que tenía vínculos con Epstein.
Starmer despidió a Mandelson en septiembre después de que se publicaran correos electrónicos que mostraban que mantenía una amistad con Epstein después de la condena del financiero en 2008 por delitos sexuales que involucraban a una menor. Los críticos dicen que Starmer debería haber sabido que era mala idea nombrar a Mandelson, de 72 años, una figura controvertida cuya carrera ha estado salpicada de escándalos por dinero o ética.
Un nuevo conjunto de archivos de Epstein publicados en Estados Unidos ha revelado más detalles sobre la relación y ha aumentado la presión sobre Starmer.
Starmer se disculpó la semana pasada por “haber creído las mentiras de Mandelson”.
Prometió publicar documentación relacionada con el nombramiento de Mandelson, que el gobierno dice mostrará que Mandelson engañó a los funcionarios sobre sus vínculos con Epstein.
La policía está investigando a Mandelson por posible mala conducta en el cargo público debido a documentos que sugieren que pasó información gubernamental sensible a Epstein hace una década y media. El delito conlleva una pena máxima de cadena perpetua. Mandelson no ha sido arrestado ni acusado, y no enfrenta ninguna acusación de conducta sexual inapropiada.
El jefe de gabinete asumió la culpa por el nombramiento de Mandelson
El jefe de gabinete de Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, asumió la responsabilidad de la decisión al renunciar el domingo, diciendo que “aconsejé al primer ministro hacer ese nombramiento y asumo toda la responsabilidad por ese consejo”.
McSweeney ha sido el asistente más importante de Starmer desde que se convirtió en líder laborista en 2020, y se le considera un arquitecto clave de la victoria aplastante del Partido Laborista en las elecciones de julio de 2024. Pero algunos en el partido lo culpan por una serie de errores desde entonces.
Algunos funcionarios laboristas esperan que su partida le dé al primer ministro tiempo para reconstruir la confianza con el partido y el país. La legisladora veterana Emily Thornberry dijo que McSweeney se había convertido en una “figura divisiva” y su partida brindaba la oportunidad de un reinicio.
Ella dijo que Starmer es “un buen líder en el sentido de que es fuerte y claro. Creo que necesita dar un paso adelante un poco más de lo que ha hecho”.
Otros dicen que la partida de McSweeney deja a Starmer débil y aislado.
Starmer ha tenido dificultades en el cargo
La líder del opositor Partido Conservador, Kemi Badenoch, dijo que Starmer “ha tomado una mala decisión tras otra” y “su posición ahora es insostenible”.
Desde que asumió el cargo, Starmer ha tenido dificultades para cumplir con el prometido crecimiento económico, reparar los servicios públicos deteriorados y aliviar el costo de vida. Prometió un regreso a un gobierno honesto después de 14 años de gobierno conservador manchado por escándalos, pero ha estado plagado de errores y cambios de rumbo sobre recortes de bienestar y otras políticas impopulares.
El Partido Laborista aparece de forma continuada por detrás del partido de extrema derecha Reformar Reino Unido en las encuestas de opinión, y su incapacidad para mejorar había desatado un debate sobre una moción para cambiar de líder, incluso antes de las revelaciones sobre Mandelson.
Según el sistema parlamentario británico, los primeros ministros pueden cambiar sin la necesidad de una elección nacional. Si Starmer es desafiado o renuncia, se celebrará una votación dentro del partido para elegir al siguiente líder laborista. El ganador se convertiría en primer ministro.
Los conservadores pasaron por tres primeros ministros entre las elecciones nacionales de 2019 y 2024. Una de ellos, Liz Truss, duró solo 49 días en el cargo.
Starmer fue elegido con la promesa de poner fin al caos político que sacudió los últimos años de poder de los conservadores. Eso resultó ser más fácil de decir que de hacer.
El legislador laborista Clive Efford dijo que los críticos de Starmer deberían “tener cuidado con lo que desean”.
“No creo que la gente aceptara los cambios de primer ministro cuando los tories estaban en el poder”, dijo a la BBC, empleando un término coloquial para los conservadores. “No les hizo ningún bien”.
___
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
British architect wins world’s largest architecture prize
British architect, designer and urban planner John Simpson is the winner of this year’s Driehaus Prize in Architecture, backed by the Chicago-based Driehaus Trust and given by the University of Notre Dame.
The award of $200,000 is the largest cash prize in the world of architecture.
Simpson was selected for “his lifelong dedication to and outstanding achievements in traditional urbanism and architecture,” according to an announcement Monday.
Subscribing to the New Classical movement of contemporary architects designing in classical styles, Simpson’s most noted works include buildings at the Royal College of Music in London, a master plan for the area around St Paul’s Cathedral in London, and a museum at Kensington Palace, opened by Queen Elizabeth II for her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. He was also the architect of the University of Notre Dame’s own Walsh Family Hall of Architecture on its campus in Indiana.
“John Simpson has long maintained that traditional forms are environmentally sound and contribute to the sense of local identity,” said Stefanos Polyzoides, dean of Notre Dame’s School of Architecture, in part in a statement. Polyzoides led the jury that selected the winners.
Additionally, French architect Philippe Villeneuve will receive the university’s 2026 Henry Hope Reed Award, a recognition with a cash prize of $50,000. Villeneuve specializes in historic monument conservation and restoration and was selected for his “visionary leadership” in the restoration of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris after a devastating fire in 2019. The landmark cathedral reopened in late 2024.
The jury credited Villeneuve for advocating that Notre-Dame de Paris be rebuilt in its original construction methods and returned to its original form.
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech to construction workers inside the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral after visiting the restored interiors on Nov. 29, 2024, in Paris. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool via AP)
The Richard H. Driehaus Prize is presented annually by the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture in recognition of that year’s laureate’s body of work. It’s given in the name of the founder of Chicago-based Driehaus Capital Management and the award will be presented in a ceremony at 11 a.m. March 21 at Chicago’s Driehaus Museum (50 E. Erie St.).
Following the ceremony, there will be a tribute to architect Léon Krier, the “godfather of the New Urbanism movement,” who was the first Driehaus Prize laureate in 2003 and who died in June 2025 at age 79.
dgeorge@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/09/british-architect-wins-worlds-largest-architecture-prize/
