Category: News
Armchair detectives flood social media as search for Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother continues
Moments after the news broke about the apparent abduction of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, the floodgates opened on social media.
Influencers relayed the timeline from the hours after Nancy Guthrie was last seen and posted photos of the blood found on her front porch that later was a match for the 84-year-old grandmother. Others called out individuals connected to the case as looking “sus” or filmed themselves walking through her neighborhood to help find her.
The desperate search for Guthrie, who authorities believe was taken a week ago against her will from her home just outside Tucson, Arizona, has become the latest investigation to pique the widespread interest of online armchair detectives.
As the search continues with no suspects or persons of interest, posts across Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook and YouTube have put millions of eyeballs on tips and theories surrounding her disappearance. But they’ve also helped to amplify rumors and forced law enforcement to repeatedly set the record straight on at least one crucial detail.
What to know about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of ‘Today’ show’s Savannah Guthrie
Michael Alcazar, adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and retired New York Police Department detective, said overall the positives outweigh the negatives when it comes to the onslaught of social media posts.
“More people are aware; It keeps people alert,” he said. “If they know she hasn’t been found yet, perhaps people will remember that and if they see something, they might say something.”
He compared it to the widespread online response to the disappearance and death of Gabby Petito in 2021 and the impact that may have had on her body being found.
Two YouTubers said at the time that an image they posted showed Petito and her boyfriend’s white van and that it led investigators to the area where her body was found. But the FBI didn’t specify what led to the discovery.
“I think it’s just something that we have to adapt to as far as law enforcement,” Alcazar said. “The true crime community is growing. … There’s a lot of people out there that want to help.”
But with the widespread posts also comes the proliferation of misinformation.
Ashleigh Banfield, from the cable network NewsNation, announced on her podcast Wednesday that a law enforcement source told her a Guthrie family member is the prime suspect. She seemed to quickly walk-back the statement seconds later, saying the person “may be a prime suspect,” and adding that family members are often looked at first. The information quickly took off across social media, with people posting photos of the person she named.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos addressed the rumor early in a news conference Thursday, saying authorities don’t have any suspects or persons of interest. That remained the case Friday.
“I plead with you to be careful of what it is we put out there. … You could actually be doing some damage to the case, you could do some damage to the individual, too,” he said later in the news conference. “Social media’s kind of an ugly world sometimes.”
Other posts have included a medium expressing her feeling that Guthrie is close by and a woman using astrology to point her viewers in the direction of what may have happened.
Calvin Chrustie, who has more than three decades of experience in negotiations for kidnapping, ransom and extortions, said if the public truly understood the toll those situations can have on family and law enforcement, they might not hastily post unsubstantiated information.
“This stuff on X and other stuff out there that’s pure speculation is actually making it more difficult for the families and making it more difficult to the police to secure the safe, you know, the safe return of the hostage,” he said.
Julie Urquhart, an elementary school teacher in New Brunswick, Canada, has been posting about the case on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. She said she was drawn to the disappearance because she has a mother near Guthrie’s age and was fascinated that someone could have taken her seemingly without a trace.
Urquhart said her information comes from national news sites and law enforcement news conferences. One of her posts on TikTok and Instagram amassed more 4 million views, she said.
“That’s 4 million eyes that now saw that story and now maybe will see something or know something or know someone who does,” she said. “There’s just so many people it hits.”
Associated Press reporter Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/07/armchair-detectives-savannah-guthrie-missing-mother/
Presidenta de Caucus Negro del Congreso dice que video enviado por Trump es “racista y prejuicioso”
Por BILL BARROW y RIVER ZHANG
WASHINGTON (AP) — Desde que el presidente Donald Trump envió un video racista por redes sociales, la Casa Blanca ha ofrecido respuestas cambiantes.
Primero desestimó la “indignación falsa”, luego eliminó la publicación y culpó a un subalterno.
Trump posteriormente dijo a los periodistas el viernes que “no cometí un error”. El presidente republicano insistió en que antes de que se publicara el video, nadie vio la parte que representaba al expresidente Barack Obama y a la ex primera dama Michelle Obama como primates en la jungla.
Pero la presidenta del Caucus Negro del Congreso tuvo una explicación diferente cuando habló con The Associated Press.
“Es muy claro que había una intención de lastimar a alguien, de herir a alguien, con este video”, declaró la representante Yvette Clarke, demócrata por Nueva York.
La AP entrevistó a Clarke, quien lidera el grupo de más de 60 legisladores negros en la Cámara de Representantes y el Senado, horas después de que el video fuera borrado y fue implacable en su crítica. “Como diría mi madre, ‘Demasiado tarde. Ya no hay misericordia’”, indicó Clarke.
Aquí hay una transcripción de la entrevista, editada por longitud y claridad.
AP: ¿Cuál fue su reacción cuando vio la publicación?
CLARKE: Estamos lidiando con un régimen intolerante y racista. … Cada semana, nosotros, como pueblo estadounidense, nos vemos en la posición de tener que responder a algo muy cruel o algo extremadamente desagradable que hace esta administración. Es parte de su modus operandi en este momento.
AP: ¿Cree en la explicación de la Casa Blanca de que fue un error de un asistente?
CLARKE: No dicen la verdad. Si no hubiera un clima, un clima tóxico y racista dentro de la Casa Blanca, no veríamos este tipo de comportamiento sin importar de quién provenga. … Aquí estamos, en el año 2026, celebrando el 250 aniversario de los Estados Unidos de América, el 100 aniversario de la conmemoración de la historia negra, y esto es lo que sale de la Casa Blanca un viernes por la mañana. Está por debajo de todos nosotros.
AP: ¿Ha habido algún contacto entre la Casa Blanca y el Caucus Negro del Congreso sobre esto? ¿Podría haber algún intercambio de buena fe?
CLARKE: No ha habido ningún acercamiento por parte de la Casa Blanca. Ciertamente no esperamos que lo haya. El acercamiento tiene que ocurrir antes de este tipo de payasadas juveniles.
AP: La crítica republicana vino más rápidamente el viernes que en controversias anteriores de Trump. ¿Qué opina de eso?
CLARKE: No se les escapa, a nuestras comunidades que representamos, que se acercan las elecciones. Así que tampoco se les escapa a mis colegas. Si quieren alinearse con este tipo de imágenes realmente profanas, este tipo de ataque intolerante y racista a un expresidente y su esposa, están echando su suerte con un individuo que se ha mostrado como una desgracia.
AP: No es común que el presidente Trump retracte algo. ¿Qué le indica eso que lo haya hecho?
CLARKE: Creo que es más una conveniencia política que un compás moral. … Como diría mi madre, “Demasiado tarde, ya no hay misericordia”.
AP: ¿Qué más espera ver de la Casa Blanca sobre esto?
CLARKE: Mi esperanza es que podamos contener el daño que están haciendo. Hay niños negros que están escuchando a su presidente … viendo lo que está publicando en Truth Social (y) tendrá un impacto en cómo ven el liderazgo de su propio país. … Creo que esta administración tiene la oportunidad de cambiar de rumbo. Siempre la tienen. Dejamos espacio para eso. Pero, desafortunadamente, Donald Trump está programado de esta manera.
AP: ¿Hay algo más que le gustaría agregar?
CLARKE: Como democracia, tenemos que unirnos contra este tipo de racismo, este tipo de intolerancia, este tipo de odio que proviene del presidente de los Estados Unidos y de quienes lo rodean. … Es muy claro que había una intención de lastimar a alguien, de herir a alguien, con este video. De lo contrario, no habría permanecido 12 horas.
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Barrow reportó desde Atlanta.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
State’s attorney: ‘ICE on notice’ executive order would compromise investigations of immigration agents
In a memo sent to employees on Friday, 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.
In an email to staff sharing the memo, Burke called the executive order “wholly inappropriate” and said it “jeopardizes our ability to effectively prosecute and secure convictions when federal law enforcement agents have committed a crime.”
The document, signed by policy chief Yvette Loizon, sheds more light on the conflicts surrounding the executive order that led to unusually public quarrels between Burke and Johnson, who oversees the Chicago Police Department which would largely be responsible for investigating possible offenses in the city of Chicago and referring them to Burke’s office.
Johnson’s spokesperson Cassio Mendoza was not immediately available for comment Friday evening.
Earlier this week, he responded to Burke’s criticisms that his order would politicize investigations into federal officers by saying that concern will be addressed during a “rule-making process” laying out the process.
“This concern will be addressed through the rule-making process, which is built into the executive order,” Mendoza wrote in a statement on Wednesday. “We have attempted to clarify this with the CCSAO directly but they have been largely unresponsive to outreach, outside of their public statements to the press. It is premature of the CCSAO to draw conclusions about specific terms absent the interpretive guidance that will accompany the rules.”
The public rift is a first between Johnson and Burke who have mostly enjoyed a cordial relationship despite coming from different corners of the city’s political spectrum. Burke ran as the moderate Democrat in the 2024 primary, but Trump’s second term has made her a target of the city’s left amid frustration over federal immigration raids.
Later on Saturday, progressive groups including the Chicago Teachers Union, Johnson’s closest ally, planned to protest downtown to demand Burke prosecute ICE agents, according to a media advisory.
The memo, which was also shared with the mayor’s office, also says the prosecutor’s office has finished its legal review of the order.
The area of particular concern for the state’s attorney’s office is a line in the executive order that says: “CPD Supervisors must ensure preservation of evidence relating to the incidents and reports described above and, at the direction of the Mayor’s Office, make a referral of
felony matters to the Cook County States Attorney.”
Usually, it is law enforcement that makes referrals to prosecutors asking them to approve felony charges, and involvement from the mayor’s office would not be typical.
“The injection of the Mayor’s Office into CPD’s decision to refer a case to CCSAO for felony charges compromises the integrity of the investigation and would similarly compromise the prosecution,” the memo says. “The defense would undoubtedly use this unprecedented approach as a mechanism for characterizing any prosecution of a federal immigration agent as political and would likely attempt to discredit CPD personnel called as witnesses by suggesting that their investigation was ‘directed’ by the Mayor’s Office.”
It also said that any written documents, notes or text messages created by the mayor’s office prior to giving direction to the Chicago Police Department to refer a case for charges would be subject to discovery by the defendant. Prosecutors have a legal obligation to turn over all potential evidence to the defense, which would include any such material generated by the mayor’s office.
“Whatever Mayoral staff member that gave the directive to refer the case to the CCSAO would also likely be called as a witness, creating serious litigation issues and jeopardizing our ability to secure a conviction and justice for victims of crime,” the memo says.
According to the memo, the office will not “conduct felony review on cases that have been referred to us at the direction of any non-law enforcement or non-investigative entity.”
Johnson’s executive order directs Chicago police to collect evidence, investigate and potentially refer for felony prosecution criminal charges against federal immigration agents accused of misconduct.
The move came as advocacy groups for months have pushed city, county and state officials to investigate and potentially prosecute immigration agents in connection with confrontations with civilians during the Trump administration’s aggressive Operation Midway Blitz this fall.
“These rogue federal agents are taking us backwards as a city,” Johnson said last weekend. “The people of Chicago asked me to do more, so I’ve done more.”
But the announcement quickly received pushback from Burke, who posted on X that her office “did not receive the Executive Order until it was released to the public. We do not provide legal approval of any matter until we’ve reviewed it.”
El partido de Rayo Vallecano contra Oviedo pospuesto por condiciones inseguras del campo
Por TALES AZZONI
MADRID (AP) — El partido en casa del Rayo Vallecano contra el Oviedo en la liga española el sábado fue pospuesto con poca antelación debido a preocupaciones de seguridad sobre el campo en el Estadio de Vallecas.
La liga también pospuso el partido entre el Sevilla y el Girona debido a condiciones meteorológicas adversas en España.
La Liga dijo que la decisión de posponer el partido del Rayo, que se tomó solo unas horas antes del inicio programado a primera hora de la tarde del sábado en Madrid, tenía como objetivo “garantizar la seguridad física de los jugadores”.
“La decisión se tomó después de determinar que el campo no cumple con las garantías necesarias para que el partido se juegue de manera segura”, dijo la liga en un comunicado.
El Oviedo dijo que entendía la decisión pero criticó la poca antelación, con el equipo y sus aficionados ya en la capital española. El club dijo que consideraría acciones legales.
“Esta decisión claramente perjudica al club desde una perspectiva deportiva, organizativa y financiera. El club estudiará y emprenderá todas las acciones legales apropiadas con las autoridades pertinentes, con el objetivo de salvaguardar el resultado del partido y asegurar una competencia justa”.
El resultado del partido podría afectar la lucha por el descenso. El Rayo tiene 22 puntos, seis más que el Oviedo, que está en último lugar. Aún no había una nueva fecha para el partido.
Los jugadores del Rayo, junto con la asociación de jugadores de España, habían expresado preocupaciones sobre el estado del campo en un comunicado a principios de la semana.
La liga dijo el sábado que el Rayo había hecho esfuerzos significativos durante la semana, incluyendo una nueva superficie de juego, para salvar el partido.
“Las condiciones meteorológicas adversas durante la ejecución de estos trabajos, así como el pronóstico para las próximas horas, que predice lluvias continuas, han impedido que el campo alcance la condición óptima necesaria”, dijo la liga.
El Sevilla solicitó el aplazamiento de su partido en casa contra el Girona, que estaba programado para más tarde el sábado, debido a las condiciones meteorológicas en el sur de España.
La liga también pospuso el partido de segunda división entre el anfitrión Cádiz y Almería que estaba programado para la noche del sábado.
El mal tiempo ya había llevado a La Liga a posponer el partido de segunda división entre el anfitrión Ceuta y Córdoba el domingo.
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Goldman Finds Consumer Trends Remain Solid Amid K-Shaped Economy Fears
Goldman Finds Consumer Trends Remain Solid Amid K-Shaped Economy Fears
Goldman analysts Scott Feiler and Eric Mihelc updated clients this week with the latest read on consumer health.
The key takeaway: spending trends remain resilient heading into spring, even as the K-shaped economy narrative dominates the news cycle and the Trump administration continues to push affordability measures.
“It seems like consumer trends are still solid. It’s not a clean sweep, but we’re seeing January growth as strong, or stronger than December for most companies we have heard from,” Feiler said.
There was good news earlier this morning: University of Michigan consumer sentiment rose unexpectedly to a six-month high, driven largely by higher-income households benefiting from stock market gains. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had expected a reading of 55, but the index came in at 57.3. The report also suggests that tariff-linked inflation fears have eased among Democratic-leaning respondents (read the report).
Back to Feiler’s note, where the key takeaway is that consumption trends remain solid:
I wanted to briefly highlight the conversations we are having, inbounds we are getting from investors and stocks in focus on the back of these themes.
1. Health of the Consumer. Fine, Right?: It seems like consumer trends are still solid. It’s not a clean sweep, but we’re seeing January growth as strong, or stronger than December for most companies we have heard from. Last night, COST beat January sales and saw a 50 bps acceleration vs December. BOOT guided last night and spoke to broad-based acceleration in January comp. CMG spoke to momentum in January. Importantly, Visa provided a table showing acceleration in January trends vs the last 3 months. There are also expectations for very strong revenues later this morning from TPR, RL & EL.
Bottom-line, any challenges with the market are not a result of any change to consumption trends, which are generally strong.
2. Under The Hood: At this point, it’s not a growth scare. Momentum trades & pockets of TMT are clearly the setter of price each day. Our generally US High Beta Momentum basket was -10% yesterday, its worst day since 2020 and 2nd worst day in the last 20 years. It’s barely a blip on the long-term chart. The difference between this episode and others is most seem to be struggling to pinpoint the exact reason for why (i.e. positioning, technicals, capex surprises, commodities, software worries spreading, etc). It’s not a consumer growth scare though.
3. Are Consumer Momentum Names Impacted? The Consumer Momentum (high vs low) pair was “only” down -3.7% yesterday, so certainly an impact this week, but not as bad as at the TMT or market level.
4. Which Consumer Stocks Have Been Impacted to the Downside From the Momentum Factor?: The names that did come up in conversations as fitting this theme and seeing some relative weakness were CVNA, SN, ONON, AS, W, CELH, MNST & ROST (albeit small).
5. How are Consumer Investors Feeling?: Consumer Discretionary & Staples have both been substantial outperformers the last week and YTD (+600 bps), with the majority of that spread the last few days. Do investors seem happy about this? Feedback is not that positive, which is supported by outPB data. Why? A few of the pain points have been grocer outperformance, the move higher in WMT (shares short at 8 year highs), general staples strength, some underperformance in off-price and the choppiness in the cruise line pair trades.
6. GARP in Consumer? Expecting pushback here (given a debate about what’s a “reasonable price”). There has been a clear move the last few days into GARP in the market. We can debate whether some of these valuations actually fit the theme but some of the names it has impacted the last few trading sessions are WMT, SBUX in consumer, while Pete Callahan (TMT) highlighted AAPL, DIS, MA, ADI in other sectors. Any good GARP ideas? Happy to discuss as that’s where the search is for, based on feedback with all the other GS sector specialists.
7. Pressure Point Themes: Grocery outperformance, total staples outperformance vs most discretionary and cyclical pockets, momentum underperformance (of course), the lag (last week) in off-price and outperformance of Vegas-centric casinos.
8. Some Consumer Names in Focus:
WMT to all-time highs TGT rally (covering or real buying?)
SN weakness (just the momentum unwind? we think yes)
SBUX small bounce back part of the hunt for GARP (many would disagree the valuation fits GARP)
AS (part of the momentum factor, or something else?)
CPRI (one of the most 2-way debated names and active trading stocks on our desk)
9. From PB – 1st Time Since Covid: Yesterday’s moves severely impacted all equity strategies simultaneously, with more than two thirds of funds in each index down (GS PB data). The last time all three strategies were down more than 75 bps in a single day happened during the COVID sell-off. Systematic L/S was down 76 bps yesterday, the worst day since 2nd October 2025 (still +2.5% YTD). Fundamental L/S down 84 bps (still +2.3% YTD). Within this, TMT focused managers were down 278 bps on the day. Multi-Strats equity portfolios were down 190 bps, the worst day since 9th April 2025 (still +3.9% YTD).
10. This Table From Our Baskets Team Yesterday is Awesome, With Consumer a Standout:
Separate from Feiler’s note, which presents no immediate alarm about the consumer, are the AI disruption risk and the software sell-off, which have dominated headlines this week.
Here’s the latest from our market desk:
What’s Priced In? Goldman Says Tech Wreck Leaves Software ‘Cheapest Since 2010’
Goldman Calls The Bottom For The Historic Software Rout: Here’s Why
“Room For Relief”: JPMorgan Traders See ‘Rebound Possible’ After Historic De-Grossing
Let’s not forget that last month, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promised consumers “substantial refunds” and bigger paychecks this spring as President Donald Trump’s economic agenda begins to deliver results.
The looming threat for the consumer is still the K-shaped economy…
Professional subscribers can learn more about the consumer space on our new Marketdesk.ai portal.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 02/07/2026 – 11:05
Man United gana de nuevo y suma cuatro victorias seguidas con el nuevo técnico Michael Carrick
Por JAMES ROBSON
MANCHESTER, Inglaterra (AP) — Son cuatro victorias consecutivas en la Liga Premier para el Manchester United bajo la dirección de Michael Carrick, y una temporada que se estaba desmoronando hace solo unas semanas ahora parece llena de promesas.
Una victoria por 2-0 contra el Tottenham el sábado extendió el inicio del 100% de Carrick como entrenador en jefe y fortalecerá aún más su caso para ser considerado para el puesto de manera permanente.
“Michael ha ganado todo aquí y sabe lo que significa para estos aficionados, lo que significa para el club ganar y cuánto se necesita para ganar en este fútbol. Creo que eso añade algo especial al equipo”, señaló Bruno Fernandes, capitán del United, a TNT Sports.
Era la primera vez en dos años que el United ganaba cuatro partidos consecutivos de liga, lo que aumentó sus esperanzas de regresar a la lucrativa Liga de Campeones después de perderse los últimos dos años.
Bryan Mbeumo y Fernandes anotaron en cada mitad en Old Trafford en un partido en el que los Spurs se quedaron con diez hombres después de que el capitán Cristian Romero fuera expulsado en el minuto 29.
Carrick ha transformado la fortuna del United desde que fue llamado para reemplazar al despedido Ruben Amorim el mes pasado. Inicialmente se le dio un contrato hasta el final de la temporada —habiendo tenido previamente un período interino de tres partidos en 2021— su impresionante impacto probablemente lo pondrá en seria consideración para mantener el puesto mientras la jerarquía del club considera sus planes a largo plazo.
El United está en cuarto lugar y, después de subir a 44 puntos, el campeón inglés 20 veces ya ha superado el total de 42 puntos de la temporada pasada.
Una historia de dos capitanes
El gol de Fernandes, con un remate controlado con la espinilla en el minuto 81, fue su participación número 200 en goles desde que se unió al United en 2020.
Selló la victoria después de que Mbeumo le diera la ventaja al United en el minuto 38 al disparar para anotar su décimo gol de su temporada debut en el club.
Mientras que el capitán del United fue inspirador, el de Tottenham, Romero, no hizo ningún favor a su equipo con su expulsión en la primera mitad.
Habiendo descrito como “vergonzoso” el hecho de que los Spurs se redujeran a 11 jugadores aptos para el empate con el Manchester City el fin de semana pasado, Romero apenas ayudó a la causa de su equipo con su tarjeta roja por una entrada peligrosa sobre Casemiro.
El socio de estadísticas de la liga, Opta, dijo que fue la sexta expulsión de Romero desde que se unió al club en 2021, más que cualquier otro jugador de la Liga Premier League en ese tiempo.
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James Robson está en https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Gary art exhibit celebrates youth, Black History Month
Sutorria Lee, 19, had never sewn before, but she loves clothes and wanted to try.
“I have this vision, and I just want my vision to come to life,” said Lee, an Ivy Tech student. “I’m making a skirt that represents how I feel about myself, and how through all the trials and tribulations, I still pulled through.”
River Forest High School student Mariah Smith, 14, speaks about her role as host for an upcoming Black History Month program and exhibit at the Gardner Center for the Arts in Gary Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
Lee is also using the skirt to pay homage to her roots, using traditional African fabric and mixing it with denim.
“It’s going to be a mix between traditional and modern,” she said. “I can’t wait.”
Lee’s skirt is one of about 30 pieces featured in the “Colors of Culture: A Celebration of Black Creativity” art exhibit at the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts in Gary’s Miller neighborhood. The exhibition is youth-led and celebrates Black History Month.
The exhibition opened with a Friday celebration that featured poetry, live art and two short films. The artwork will be on display through March 13.
Art by local students is on display at the Gardner Center for the Arts in Gary, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, as part of a Black History Month exhibit. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
The Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts is open from 11 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and between 2 and 4 p.m. on Sunday. The center is closed on Monday.
“This is important to me,” Lee said. “I’m doing something for the community, and I’m also helping to show our history. … I’m happy to do something that makes me happy and brings pride to Gary.”
Jamika Smith, board member for the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts, helped curate the exhibition. She said the show features artists ranging from 11 to 26 years old.
Featured pieces range in mediums, Smith said, with some being paintings, drawing and sculptures.
Art by local students is on display at the Gardner Center for the Arts in Gary, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, as part of a Black History Month exhibit. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
“We just wanted to spotlight the work of young artists,” Smith said. “This shows artwork that reflects their identity, heritage, resilience and imagination across disciplines.”
Smith believes Northwest Indiana has “so many talented young artists,” whose work might not always get showcased and appreciated. By doing this exhibition, she hoped that they would understand the importance of their work.
“I’m an artist, and my daughter is an artist,” Smith said. “Art is near and dear to my heart, and sometimes I think there’s not enough programs that showcase the talents and creativity of young African American artists.”
Jamika Smith’s 14-year-old daughter, Mariah Smith, did not create a piece for this year’s Black History Month exhibit, but she still helped with the exhibition. Mariah Smith knows Lee and other artists through Uthiverse, a Merrillville-based teen organization, which helped them connect with her mom.
River Forest High School student Mariah Smith, 14, rehearses for her upcoming role as host for a Black History Month program and exhibit at the Gardner Center for the Arts in Gary Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
Mariah Smith was also the hostess of Friday’s opening celebration. She helped introduce those performing and keep the event moving.
Although she might not have a piece in this year’s show, Mariah Smith said she loves seeing what everyone else created.
“I get so geeked when I see so much talent and so much potential,” she said. “One of these pieces was created by a person from my school. It was a portrait of Marilyn Monroe and Janet Jackson, and it’s a pencil portrait. It looks so good, and I just think he needs to be recognized for his talent.”
Ja’Miayah Griffith, 17, participated in the art show as a DJ for the opening celebration. Although she didn’t have a piece in the show, Griffith was inspired by the work.
Artist Sutorria Lee, on left, dresses her model with help from Ja’Miayah Griffith as student artists set up contributions to a Black History Month exhibit at the Gardner Center for the Arts in Gary Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
Griffith also helped Lee and some of the artists set up their work, she said. She’s excited to see the community’s response to the exhibition.
“I see it as a way for us to get visibility as young people, as teenagers,” Griffith said. “I think people will see that young people can do more than they thought, and they’ll see how important Black culture is to us.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/07/gary-art-exhibit-celebrates-youth-black-history-month/
US Retains Right To ‘Militarily Secure’ Chagos Air Base, Trump Says
US Retains Right To ‘Militarily Secure’ Chagos Air Base, Trump Says
Authored by Evgenia Filimianova via The Epoch Times,
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 5 he retained the right to “militarily secure” the U.S.–UK Diego Garcia air base in the Chagos Islands, if future arrangements threatened American access.
Trump has criticized the UK’s decision to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, calling it an “act of total weakness” last month. Under the agreement, signed in October 2025, the Diego Garcia military base would remain under UK control for at least 99 years, ensuring continued access for U.S. forces.
Trump said in a Feb. 5 post on Truth Social that he held “productive discussions” with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the issue.
“I understand that the deal Prime Minister Starmer has made, according to many, the best he could make,” he said. “However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers U.S. operations and forces at our base, I retain the right to militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia.”
The base is regarded by the United States as a critical hub for operations across the Middle East, East Africa, and the Indo-Pacific.
Trump cited its strategic location and “great importance” to the U.S. national security.
“We have the most powerful Military in the World. Our Military Operations, over the course of the last year, were successful because of the strength of our warfighters, modern capability of our equipment and, very importantly, the strategic location of our Military Bases for staging, and other reasons,” he said. “Let it be known that I will never allow our presence on a Base as important as this to ever be undermined or threatened by fake claims or environmental nonsense.”
A Downing Street spokesperson said in a Feb. 5 statement that Starmer and Trump “agreed on the importance of the deal to secure the joint UK-U.S. base on Diego Garcia, which remains vital to shared security interests.”
“The UK and US will continue to work closely on the implementation of the deal, they agreed,” the spokesperson added.
An undated photograph shows an aerial view of Diego Garcia. U.S. Navy via AP
Starmer said in January that the issue had been raised repeatedly with the White House and maintained that the Trump administration had already reviewed and supported the agreement at an agency level.
Legislation to implement the Chagos treaty is currently in the final stages of British parliamentary scrutiny, known as “ping pong,” as amendments are exchanged between the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
The deal, which includes 3 billion pounds ($4 billion) to be paid by the UK to Mauritius over the term of the agreement, with an option for a 50-year extension, is opposed by a number of Conservative Party lawmakers.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch last month told lawmakers in Parliament that Starmer is “giving away” UK territory and paying 35 billion pounds ($47.5 billion) “for the privilege.”
“Donald Trump is right: Labour are betraying Britain by giving away the Chagos Islands. Keir Starmer is *paying* Mauritius £34bn to seize our sovereignty and make us a tenant in our own military base. He needs to end this self-sabotage,” Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith said in a Jan. 20 post on X.
Addressing lawmakers during a debate in Parliament on Jan. 28, British Foreign Office Minister Seema Malhotra said that the treaty protected British and allied interests.
She said that the deal “guarantees full UK operational control of Diego Garcia for generations to come.”
Malhotra also said that the opposition’s cost estimates were “wildly exaggerated” and that government figures had been independently verified.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 02/07/2026 – 10:30
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-retains-right-militarily-secure-chagos-air-base-trump-says
Recuperan los restos de seis obreros atrapados tras la explosión en una mina informal de Colombia
Associated Press
BOGOTÁ (AP) — Tras dos días de la explosión en una mina informal de carbón en el centro de Colombia, los restos de cuatro de los seis mineros que quedaron atrapados y que aún permanecían en el interior del socavón, fueron localizados el sábado, informaron las autoridades.
Los dos primeros cuerpos fueron hallados el viernes y entregados a la unidad de investigación de la fiscalía colombiana. Otros dos cuerpos fueron ubicados la madrugada del sábado y poco después se localizaron los dos restantes. “Con este hallazgo, se completa la recuperación de los seis mineros” atrapados, confirmó la Agencia Nacional de Minería en la red social X,
La explosión por acumulación de gas metano ocurrió el jueves en la mina Mata Siete en la región Guachetá, en Cundinamarca —120 kilómetros al norte de Bogotá—, una zona donde proliferan las minas de extracción de carbón.
La mina Mata Siete operaba con “título caducado”, se dedicaba la “extracción ilícita de carbón” y contaba con una orden de cierre desde marzo de 2019, había informado previamente el organismo de control minero.
El gobernador de Cundinamarca aseguró el sábado en su cuenta de X que las tareas de búsqueda y rescate se desarrollaron en condiciones “altamente complejas” y requirió la presencia de cuadrillas de socorristas.
La zona constituía un área de alto riesgo debido a la acumulación de gas metano por lo que primero se debió ventilar el lugar, extraer el carbón y analizar la estructura que podía estar afectada por la explosión, según los bomberos de la localidad.
La Agencia Nacional de Minería resaltó que se investiga el hecho y que se tomarán medidas para evitar futuros incidentes, esto pese a que el año anterior se produjeron varias emergencias en zonas mineras del país.
US gave Ukraine and Russia a June deadline to reach agreement to end war, President Zelenskyy says
KYIV, Ukraine — The U.S. has given Ukraine and Russia a June deadline to reach a deal to end the nearly four‑year war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters, as Russian strikes on energy infrastructure forced nuclear power plants to cut output on Saturday.
If the June deadline is not met, the Trump administration will likely put pressure on both sides to meet it, he added.
“The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule,” Zelenskyy said, speaking to reporters on Friday. Zelenskyy’s comments were embargoed until Saturday morning.
“And they say that they want to do everything by June. And they will do everything to end the war. And they want a clear schedule of all events,” he said.
He said the U.S. proposed holding the next round of trilateral talks next week in their country for the first time, likely in Miami, Zelenskyy said. “We confirmed our participation,” he added.
Zelenskyy said Russia presented the U.S. with a $12 trillion economic proposal — which he dubbed the “Dmitriev package” after Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Bilateral economic deals with the U.S. form part of the broader negotiating process.
Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure continued with over 400 drones and about 40 missiles launched overnight Saturday, Zelenskyy said in a post on X. Targets included the energy grid, generation facilities and distribution networks.
Ukrenergo, the state energy transmission operator, said the attack was the second mass strike on energy infrastructure since the start of the year, forcing nuclear power plants to reduce output. Eight facilities in eight regions came under attack, it said in a statement.
“As a result of missile strikes on key high-voltage substations that ensured the output of nuclear power units, all nuclear power plants in the territories under control were forced to reduce their load,” the statement said.
It said the power deficit in the country has increased “significantly” as a result of the attacks forcing an extension of hourly power outages in all regions of Ukraine.
The latest deadline follows U.S.-brokered trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that produced no breakthrough as the warring parties cling to mutually exclusive demands. Russia is pressing Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas, where fighting remains intense — a condition Kyiv says it will never accept.
“Difficult issues remained difficult. Ukraine once again confirmed its positions on the Donbas issue. ‘We stand where we stand’ is the fairest and most reliable model for a ceasefire today, in our opinion,” Zelenskyy said. He reiterated that the most challenging topics would be reserved for a trilateral meeting between leaders.
Zelenskyy said no common ground was reached on managing the Russian‑held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and expressed skepticism about a U.S. proposal to turn the Donbas region, coveted by Russia, into a free economic zone as a compromise.
“I do not know whether this can be implemented, because when we talked about a free economic zone, we had different views on it,” he said.
He said in the last round of talks the negotiators discussed how a ceasefire would be technically monitored. He added that the U.S. has reaffirmed it would play a role in that process.
Repeated Russian aerial assaults have in recent months focused on Ukraine’s power grid, causing blackouts and disrupting the heating and water supply for families during a bitterly cold winter, putting more pressure on Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said the U.S. again proposed a ceasefire banning strikes on energy infrastructure. Ukraine is ready to observe such a pause if Russia commits; but he added that when Moscow previously agreed to a one-week pause suggested by the U.S., it was violated after just four days.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/07/us-ukraine-russia-peace-deal-deadline/
