HIMS Shares Sink After FDA Vows “Swift Action” Against Copycat GLP-1 Drugs

Tyler Durden
Fri, 02/06/2026 – 08:05

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/hims-shares-sink-after-fda-vows-swift-action-against-copycat-glp-1-drugs 

For much of two decades, police, FBI agents and prosecutors investigated allegations that Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused underage girls. Now, the Justice Department has released much of what they found to the public.

The millions of documents comprise the most detailed look yet at the inner workings of the multiple investigations into Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell.

Those documents include some of the earliest police reports taken by police in Palm Beach, Florida, as well as recordings of some of Epstein’s victims speaking on the phone and to investigators. And it includes internal Justice Department emails from as recently as a few months ago.

Here is a timeline of the Epstein investigations and the efforts to open up the government’s files:

The investigation begins

March 2005: Palm Beach police begin investigating Epstein after the family of a 14-year-old girl reports she was molested at his mansion. Multiple underage girls, many of them high school students, would later tell police that Epstein hired them to give sexual massages.

May 2006: Police officials sign paperwork to charge Epstein with multiple counts of unlawful sex with a minor, but the county’s top prosecutor, State Attorney Barry Krischer, takes the unusual step of sending the case to a grand jury.

July 2006: Epstein is arrested after a grand jury indicts him on a count of soliciting prostitution. The relatively minor charge upsets Palm Beach police leaders, who publicly accuse Krischer of giving Epstein special treatment. The FBI begins an investigation.

2007: Federal prosecutors prepare an indictment, but for a year Epstein’s lawyers engage in talks with the U.S. attorney in Miami, Alexander Acosta, about a deal that would avoid federal prosecution. Epstein’s lawyers decry his accusers as unreliable.

Secret deal leads to a light jail term

June 2008: Epstein pleads guilty to state charges: one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18. He is sentenced to 18 months in jail. Under a secret arrangement, the U.S. attorney’s office agrees not to prosecute Epstein for federal crimes. Epstein serves most of his sentence in a work-release program that allows him to leave jail during the day.

May 2009: One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, files a lawsuit claiming Epstein and Maxwell arranged for her to have sexual encounters with “royalty, politicians, academicians, businessmen” and others. The lawsuit doesn’t name the men.

July 2009: Epstein is released from jail. For the next decade, Epstein’s accusers wage a legal fight to get his federal non-prosecution agreement voided.

News media and lawsuits keep public interest high

March 2, 2011: The Daily Mail publishes an interview with Giuffre in which she describes traveling with Epstein to London at age 17 and spending a night dancing with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, then known as Prince Andrew. The story and a photo of the prince with his arm around Giuffre creates a crisis for the royal family. FBI agents subsequently interview Giuffre.

Dec. 30, 2014: Giuffre’s lawyers file court papers claiming she had sexual encounters with Mountbatten-Windsor and other men, including “foreign presidents, a well-known Prime Minister, and other world leaders.” All those men deny the allegations.

November 2018: The Miami Herald revisits the handling of Epstein’s case in a series of stories focusing partly on the role of Acosta — who by this point is President Donald Trump’s labor secretary. The coverage intensifies public interest in Epstein.

New York prosecutors revive case

Dec. 6, 2018: FBI agents and the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan begin a new investigation into Epstein.

July 6, 2019: Epstein is arrested on new sex trafficking charges brought by the prosecutors in New York, who have concluded they aren’t bound by the earlier non-prosecution agreement with Epstein in Florida. Days later, Acosta resigns as labor secretary.

Aug. 10, 2019: Epstein kills himself in his jail cell in New York.

July 2, 2020: Federal prosecutors in New York charge Maxwell with sex crimes, saying she helped recruit and abuse Epstein’s victims.

Dec. 30, 2021: After a monthlong trial, a jury convicts Maxwell of sex trafficking and other crimes.

June 28, 2022: Maxwell is sentenced to 20 years in prison.

January, 2024: Public interest in the Epstein case surges again after a judge makes more court records public in a related lawsuit.

A new president and a fresh political crisis

Jan. 20, 2025: Trump, who was friends and neighbors with Epstein for years, becomes president again. During his 2024 campaign, he had suggested that he’d seek to open more government files on Epstein.

February 2025: Attorney General Pam Bondi suggests in a Fox News Channel interview that an Epstein “client list” is sitting on her desk. The Justice Department distributes binders marked “declassified” to far-right influencers, but much of the information had long been public.

April 25, 2025: Giuffre dies by suicide.

July 7, 2025: The Justice Department says Epstein didn’t maintain a “client list” and it won’t make any more files related to his sex trafficking investigation public.

July 15, 2025: Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduce the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which would force the Justice Department to make its investigative files on Epstein public.

July 17, 2025: The Wall Street Journal describes a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trump’s name and was included in a 2003 album for Epstein’s 50th birthday. Trump denies writing the letter and sues the newspaper.

July 24-25, 2025: In an effort to put a political crisis to rest, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviews Maxwell. She denies wrongdoing and says she never saw Trump involved in any sexually inappropriate activity. Afterward, she is moved from a low-security prison in Florida to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas.

A prince loses his royal title

Oct. 21, 2025: Giuffre’s posthumous memoir is published. In it, she revisits her claims that Epstein and Maxwell sexually trafficked her to powerful men, including Mountbatten-Windsor.

Oct. 30, 2025: King Charles III strips Mountbatten-Windsor of his remaining titles, meaning he can no longer be referred to as “prince,” and evicts him from his royal residence.

Nov. 12, 2025: A House committee releases a trove of email correspondence between Epstein and others, including Mountbatten-Windsor, Trump ally Steve Bannon, ex-Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman. In one 2019 email to a journalist, Epstein wrote that Trump “knew about the girls” but didn’t explain what he meant by that.

Nov. 14, 2025: At Trump’s urging, Bondi announces that the U.S. attorney in Manhattan will investigate Epstein’s ties to some of the Republican president’s political foes, including former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat; Summers; and Hoffman, a prominent Democratic donor. None of those men has been accused of misconduct by Epstein’s accusers.

Nov. 18, 2025: Congress passes the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Trump signs it into law the next day.

Dec. 19, 2025: The Justice Department begins releasing records. The batch includes snapshots that Epstein kept in his home of various famous people he met over the years, including Trump and Clinton. After releasing just a sliver of the available documents, though, the Justice Department halts disclosures, saying it needs more time to review the records.

Jan. 30, 2025.: The Justice Department begins releasing what Blanche says are more than 3 million pages of documents, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. The files are posted to the department’s website.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/jeffrey-epstein-investigation/ 

Former U.S. Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino was reportedly asked to leave a Las Vegas bar out of safety concerns for the venue’s customers.

Days after being removed from his post in Minneapolis, Bovino headed to Sin City, where he was spotted drinking wine at the multi-level Bottled Blonde sports bar on the Las Vegas Strip.

A representative from the establishment told the Daily Beast that the 55-year-old officer is no longer welcome there.

“Upon becoming aware of the individual’s presence, the patron was asked to leave the premises and was escorted out by staff in accordance with venue policy to maintain a safe and orderly environment for all patrons,” the venue said.

Bottled Blonde did not provide further details other than describing itself as a private business that “does not engage in political activity or affiliations” and “reserves the right to refuse service to any patron at its discretion.”

Bovino was filmed chugging wine with a group of young men at the Bottled Blonde on Jan. 30. He was also photographed strolling the Strip with that same group after being booted from the venue, according to the Daily Beast. He has not responded to the outlet’s request for comment.

The multi-level Bottled Blonde sports bar in Las Vegas. (Shutterstock)

Bovino headed operations in Minneapolis, where federal officers fatally shot protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti last month. He was replaced by Border Czar Tom Homan on Jan. 27.

In an interview that aired Wednesday, President Trump told NBC News that a “softer touch” was needed in Minnesota, where citizens have clashed with ICE and Border Patrol agents in recent weeks.

While the president successfully campaigned on a promise to removed undocumented migrants from the U.S., polling shows the heavy-handed fashion in which that’s being done doesn’t sit well with voters. An NPR/Marist poll published Thursday found 65% of respondents believed federal agents have gone too far.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/gregory-bovino-las-vegas/ 

Mittens versus gloves? Hats against headbands? Merino wool over Mongolian cashmere?

Fashion is its own competitor in any Olympics, from team uniforms at the opening and closing ceremonies to individual looks in the stadiums and — during the Winter Games — on the slopes.

2026 Winter Olympics: What to know about the Milan Cortina Games, including how — and who — to watch

There’s also the simmering rivalry between Europe’s top two fashion cities. The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics were heralded as the most stylish yet, but Milan is going for gold on the heels of its annual men’s fashion week and ahead of the women’s runway previews.

Athletes around the world have been ginning up anticipation by flooding social media with unboxing videos of their new swag. Before taking to the ice and (manufactured) snow, they will make their grand debut Friday night at the opening ceremony’s Parade of Nations.

Here’s a look at some of the outfits:

Italy and Armani

Team Italy’s uniforms are the last ever designed by Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani, who died in September at the age of 91.

The kit’s milky white color is meant to evoke harmony and snow-capped peaks, and includes a down jacket, thermal ski jacket and waterproof trousers. Its star piece, an oversized bomber jacket, is covered with “Italia” heat-printed all over and finished with a high knit collar in the red, green and white of the Italian flag.

This was Armani’s fourth Winter Olympics uniform for Team Italia, made under the athletic EA7 Emporio Armani label.

He will be honored in a separate tribute during the opening ceremony given his ties to Milan and his legacy as one of the founders of Italian ready-to-wear.

USA and Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren is channeling cozy Americana with its opening ceremony outfit, which was unveiled in December alongside other looks the Team USA athletes will wear throughout the Games.

Naturally it’s red, white and blue, exemplified by the Fair Isle knitwear with a U.S. flag and Olympic rings, matching tasseled hat and mittens. The prevailing mood for the opening ceremony uniform was winter white, in both a duffel coat and trousers. The choice was made with the athletes, and unofficially endorsed when Pantone made Cloud Dancer color of 2026 — coincidentally on the same day Ralph Lauren unveiled its Olympic uniforms.

“They thought it felt it felt like peace. They thought it was very ethereal,’’ chief branding officer David Lauren told The Associated Press at the Ralph Lauren palazzo in Milan on Thursday night.

The Ralph Lauren team has been designing Team USA’s Olympic apparel since 2008, and designers start on each Olympics’ looks about 2 1/2 years out from the Games.

Haiti and Stella Jean

Haiti’s two-man Olympic team will be sporting gear designed by Italian-Haitian designer Stella Jean and inspired by a Haitian artist’s painting.

The uniforms originally featured Toussaint Louverture, the former slave who led a revolution that created the world’s first Black republic in 1804, astride a red horse. But the IOC ruled that the image violated Olympic rules barring political symbolism, forcing Jean to paint over the nation’s founding father.

That left only Louverture’s charging steed — representing Haiti’s founding moment — against a lush tropical backdrop and azure sky. The IOC didn’t respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment, but no demonstration of political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic site or venue.

“Rules are rules and must be respected, and that is what we have done,’’ Jean told the AP at an exclusive unveiling at Haiti’s embassy in Rome.

Mongolia and Goyol Cashmere

Mongolian brand Goyol Cashmere launched its Olympic looks last month to instant internet acclaim. The designers were inspired by the “warrior spirit” of Mongolians who, for thousands of years, used cashmere to endure the brutal winters of the Central Asian highlands, the company wrote on social media.

The designers leaned heavily on attire dating back to the Great Mongol Empire between the 13th and 15th centuries, the brand said.

At the Milan Cortina Games, Mongolian athletes will wear cashmere ceremonial deels — traditional tunics or robes — with silk trimmings to honor the past and present.

More casual looks will also feature cashmere, such as knitwear that draws upon the alpine ski sweater style of Western mountain culture, and traditional Mongolian motifs.

Other teams

Many teams and designers are keeping hush-hush about their looks. They’re counting on a big reveal during the opening ceremony inside Milan’s 80,000-seat San Siro stadium.

Here’s a list of some other known collaborations:

Austria and AlphaTauri
Brazil and Moncler
Canada and lululemon
China and Li-Ning
Czech Republic and ALPINE PRO
Finland and Luhta
France and Le Coq Sportif
Germany and Adidas
Great Britain and Ben Sherman
Iceland and 66 North
Poland and Adidas
Spain and Joma
Sweden and UNIQLO
Switzerland and OCHSNER SPORT
Ukraine and 4F

Associated Press writer Alyce Brown in New York contributed to this report.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/fashion-olympics/ 

Benet senior guard Ava Thomas is a bit of an anomaly.

In an era when many kids prefer to shoot first and maybe play some defense later, the 5-foot-7 Thomas relishes her time without the ball just as much as her time with it in her hands.

“Actually, defending is probably my favorite, so that’s led to my motivation to want to guard so hard,” she said. “I love guarding the ball. I love pressing. I’ve always taken pride in my defense.”

Those are sentiments Benet coach Joe Kilbride loves to hear. Thomas’ defensive efforts earned her a place on the varsity team as a sophomore, a significant role off the bench as a junior and a spot in the starting lineup this season.

“Ava’s a really good player,” Kilbride said. “She’s an elite defender and a very good shooter. She takes care of the ball, she passes to her teammates and her assist-to-turnover is really good.

“She’s been great all year long. We need her to be great.”

Benet’s Ava Thomas (5) guards Maine South’s Amelia Fernandez (10) during a nonconference game in Lisle on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)

That’s true now more than ever. The Redwings’ depth has been severely tested over the past few weeks as three starters were sidelined with injuries.

Senior guard Sailer Jones suffered a torn ACL in early January and is out for the rest of the season. Junior point guard Ava Mersinger and sophomore forward Lucy Tierney suffered injuries during a 44-37 East Suburban Catholic Conference loss to Nazareth on Jan. 28 that ended Benet’s 20-game winning streak.

Of more significance, it was the beginning of heightened pressure on Thomas to do more for the Redwings (22-3, 10-1), who are ranked No. 4 in Class 4A in the poll by The Associated Press. She was averaging 5.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.9 steals and had a 2.67 assist-to-turnover ratio before Benet’s 65-49 conference win against Joliet Catholic on Wednesday.

“We’re all struggling a little bit right now with kids out and we’ve got people playing new positions,” Kilbride said. “We really need Ava to be a leader for us right now.

“She’s fully capable of that, and that’s my expectation.”

The Redwings beat Marian Catholic 47-32 in conference action Jan. 31, their first game without Mersinger and Tierney, who hope to return in time for the playoffs that start Feb. 14.

But visiting Maine South routed Benet 58-30 on Monday. That was the Redwings’ worst defeat since Bolingbrook beat them 75-46 in a 2012 4A sectional final and was their largest margin of defeat in a regular-season game since 2008.

“I definitely feel like there’s more pressure and more weight on my back,” Thomas said. “But I think that this is just a bump in the road for us and we’ll be able to push through together.”

Benet’s Ava Thomas (5) dribbles the ball up the court under pressure from Maine South’s Gianna LaVecchia during a nonconference game in Lisle on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)

Benet senior center Emma Briggs, a Furman recruit, thinks the Redwings will be fine with Thomas at point guard.

“It’s definitely a hard transition, but she’s transitioned seamlessly into it,” Briggs said. “She was our 2, but now she’s our 1. She was a shooter. She has changed her mindset to more ball-handling than she was in the 2 position.”

Regardless of which position Thomas plays, one thing remains the same — her defensive effort.

How did Thomas become such a defensive stalwart?

“Definitely getting in the gym any time I can and working on my craft,” she said. “My coach definitely fueled me. I know that I have to play a certain role on my team, and I just learned to love defense.”

Thomas is doing it well.

“She’s played great defense, she’s taken care of the ball and she’s made shots,” Kilbride said. “She’s found a way to impact winning.”

The Redwings have done a lot of winning this season. How much more they do will depend a lot on the health of Mersinger and Tierney, of course. But they’ll count on Thomas to excel too.

“She’s very important in our plays,” Briggs said. “She facilitates. She shoots the ball well. She knows a lot of positions. She is very important because she is well-rounded in all those aspects.

“She’s a good teammate to play with, obviously, and she’s a great person.”

Benet’s Ava Thomas, right, and Maine South’s Emily Currey try to get into position to rebound during a nonconference game in Lisle on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)

Thomas, who wants to play in college but has not received any offers yet, said playing for Benet is a great opportunity.

“I’m really thankful, and I give all the thanks to my family and to God,” she said. “I’m just trying to soak in this last year and get as far as we can.”

Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/benet-high-school-basketball-ava-thomas/ 

Good morning, Chicago.

The start of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy is here.

The torch relay is nearly complete and some of the top athletes are already making headlines. There are 16 sports in all, including some never seen before, and 116 gold medals are waiting to be awarded.

Milan’s San Siro stadium is the venue for today’s opening ceremony, which is usually the most viewed moment of the Games as millions around the world will watch on official broadcasters. Andrea Bocelli and Mariah Carey are among the performers. It begins at 8 p.m. local time (1 p.m. Central).

This will be the most spread-out Winter Games in history: The two primary competition sites are the city of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the winter resort in the Dolomites that is more than 250 miles away by road. Athletes also will compete in three other mountain clusters besides Cortina, while the closing ceremony will be in Verona, 100 miles east of Milan.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including how a campaign contribution loss has made crypto an issue in Illinois’ comptroller race, Illinois warns illegal online casinos to shut down operations and meet the Mexican immigrant who made retirement banners for Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Derrick Rose.

Today’s eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History

A federal immigration agent tackles a protester to the ground after another protester broke a window on an agent’s vehicle with a hammer as the agents tried to leave an intersection in Minneapolis on Feb. 3, 2026. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Government lawyer yanked from immigration detail in Minnesota after telling judge ‘this job sucks’

A government lawyer who told a judge that her job “sucks” during a court hearing stemming from the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota has been removed from her Justice Department post, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Marimar Martínez, who was shot five times by immigration enforcement agents in Chicago, testifies during a public forum on the violent use of force by Department of Homeland Security agents, at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Feb. 3, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Aaron Schwartz/Getty)

Marimar Martínez plans to attend Trump’s State of the Union speech, lawyer says

Marimar Martínez, the Chicago woman shot five times by a Border Patrol agent in October, will attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech before Congress later this month, her attorney said in a court filing.

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon heads into a news conference at Chicago Hope Academy on Feb. 5, 2026, in Chicago. McMahon and administration officials are visiting schools in 50 states to promote their “History Rocks!” initiative. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Education Secretary Linda McMahon visits Near West Side private school

Education Secretary Linda McMahon addressed students at a private Christian high school on the Near West Side, her latest stop on a national civics tour that some have criticized as bringing partisan politics into schools.

About 150 students at Chicago Hope Academy joined McMahon for the assembly, which was closed to the media. Half of the student body decided not to attend the optional event, according to Principal Ike Muzikowski.

Holly Kim, a candidate for Illinois comptroller, attends a rally on Jan. 20, 2026, in Chicago’s Federal Plaza to support democracy on the anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

How a campaign contribution loss in CHKN tokens has made crypto an issue in Illinois’ comptroller race

Months before Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim announced her bid for Illinois comptroller, she used about $8,300 in previously contributed campaign funds to invest in a cryptocurrency she founded called CHKN token — a digital asset inspired by her backyard flock of chickens.

By the end of 2025, the investment — totaling roughly 8.87 million tokens — had lost nearly all its value, dropping to just $34.59, according to filings with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Sept. 6: Rose pedals are seen floating in DuSable Harbor in Chicago as loved ones of Nabil “Captain Bill” Abzal are reflected in the water following a private memorial for the charter boat captain on the harbor dock. Divers recovered the body of Abzal from Lake Michigan near the harbor with his death being ruled a homicide by police. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Man charged with murder in drowning death of Chicago charter boat captain at DuSable Harbor

Cook County prosecutors have charged a man with murder in the August drowning death of a beloved Chicago charter boat captain, alleging that the man trespassed onto the DuSable Harbor docks and then punched the captain, causing him to fall and slip into the water.

A view of Levi’s Stadium ahead of Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, in Santa Clara. Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

With Super Bowl approaching, Illinois warns illegal online casinos to shut down operations

In advance of Super Bowl Sunday, the Illinois Gaming Board issued more than 60 cease-and-desist letters to illegal online gambling companies, demanding that they immediately block Illinois residents from accessing their websites and stop offering them prizes.

Operators who fail to comply may be subject to civil or criminal penalties.

Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu sits on the bench during the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at the United Center on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Artūras Karnišovas embraces change with Chicago Bulls after making 7 trades: ‘The play-in is not our goal’

Artūras Karnišovas is finally ready for the Chicago Bulls to take risks again.

The executive vice president of basketball operations made seven trades in six days this week, sending away eight players including longtime franchise staples Coby White, Nikola Vučević and Ayo Dosunmu. In exchange, the Bulls amassed a heap of second-round picks and a rag-tag group of mostly young players who might or might not return to the roster next season.

The result is a haphazard vision for a future that the Bulls still haven’t fully fleshed out.

Related: 

Column: Artūras Karnišovas finally gave the Chicago Bulls a complete makeover. But does he have a plan?
Chicago Bulls made 7 deals and parted with 8 players: Recapping their NBA trade deadline moves
NBA trade deadline wrap-up: 28 deals made in the last week — but Giannis Antetokounmpo stays in Milwaukee

Seamstress Maria Estela Parra displays an oversized Blackhawks banner she is working on at W.G.N. Flag and Decorating Co. in Chicago, Jan. 29, 2026. Parra has handcrafted banners and flags for Chicago’s leading sports teams for 40 years. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

Meet the Mexican immigrant who made retirement banners for Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Derrick Rose

“The Enormous Crocodile” is presented by the Roald Dahl Story Company of England at the Studebaker Theater. (Danny Kaan)

“The Enormous Crocodile” is presented by the Roald Dahl Story Company of England at the Studebaker Theater. (Danny Kaan)

Review: There’s an ‘Enormous Crocodile’ on the Studebaker stage, and kids can throw peanuts at him

As you enter the Studebaker Theater for “The Enormous Crocodile,” a visiting family show from the U.K.-based Roald Dahl Story Company, a foam monkey nut (aka a peanut) is helpfully provided. And, at the appropriate point in the show, you are encouraged to throw said goober at the performers.  Well, more specifically, you can lob it at the titular croc to try and dissuade the overgrown reptile from following his usual habit of eating children.

To say this was a moment of catharsis at the Chicago opening is to understate. Like a giant beast, the kids in the crowd flung their missiles toward the stage and their predator, who clearly was knocked off his game by the intensity of the reaction. Your friendly critic, of course, demurred, although it took some self-control.

Joe Bergantino, left, and Ricky Gonzalez sit in their Rogers Park home, which is part of this season of HGTV’s “Ugliest House in America,” on Jan. 19, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

A Rogers Park house was an HGTV ‘Ugliest House in America’ finalist. But it’s always been anything but.

The house on Pratt Boulevard goes by many names.

Most neighbors call it Candyland. The Rogers Park kids who once flocked here every day after school for art classes thought of it as the clubhouse of the Battling Butterfly Brigade. Others walk past its pastel stripes and think of it as the Easter House. Once, after that paint began cracking and the old Victorian no longer seemed so eye-popping, a small girl and her grandmother approached owners Joe Bergantino and Ricky Gonzalez and asked, earnestly: “Is this the trash house?”

The reputation of their home had long ago preceded it.

Long before the producers of HGTV’s “Ugliest House in America” ever called.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/daywatch-what-to-know-about-the-milan-cortina-games/ 

In 2015, Woody Allen and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn, went on a trip to Washington, D.C. With the help of their friend Jeffrey Epstein, they were able to tour the White House.

Allen’s friendship with Epstein has been known for years, but emails in the huge trove of records released by the Justice Department in recent days illustrate that relationship in new depth.

The filmmaker, his wife and Epstein were neighbors in New York City, and the three dined together often, records show. They offered each other emotional support during periods when they were being criticized in the media. They commiserated about being accused — unfairly, they told each other — of sexual misconduct.

And in 2015, Epstein used his connections to another friend who had been in President Barack Obama’s administration to help the couple get a White House tour.

“Could you show soon yi the White House,” Epstein wrote in a May 2015 email to former White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler. “I assume woody would be too politically sensitive?”

“I am sure I could show both of them the White House,” Ruemmler responded, although she doubted whether Epstein, who in 2008 had pleaded guilty to solicitating prostitution from an underage girl, would be allowed in.

“You are too politically sensitive, I think,” she added.

White House records show that Allen, Previn and Ruemmler visited on Dec. 27, a Sunday. Obama was in Hawaii at the time.

Ruemmler and Allen were among a long list of notable people who maintained friendships with Epstein for years, even though he was a registered sex offender who had been accused of abusing children, and whose legal problems had been widely covered in newspapers.

Some of the guests who accompanied Allen and Previn to dinners with Epstein included talk show host Dick Cavett, linguist Noam Chomsky and the late comedian David Brenner. Epstein also attended screenings of Allen’s movies and, according to emails, would visit with Allen so he could watch him edit his latest film.

“Wide variety of interesting people at every dinner,” was how Allen described some of their gatherings in a letter commissioned for a 2016 Epstein birthday party. “It’s always interesting and the food is sumptuous and abundant. Lots of dishes, plenty of choices, numerous desserts, well served. I say well served often it’s by some professional houseman and just as often by several young women reminding one of Castle Dracula where (actor Bela) Lugosi has three young female vampires who service the place.”

A message sent to an assistant for Allen and Previn via email seeking comment wasn’t immediately returned. Epstein killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Emails suggest that Previn, too, had a close relationship to Epstein and she often served as the intermediary between Epstein and Allen.

Numerous exchanges among Allen, Previn and Epstein refer to the scandals that began in the early 1990s when Allen acknowledged he was having an affair with Previn, the adopted daughter of his then-girlfriend Mia Farrow. Around the same time, he was investigated by state authorities over allegations he had assaulted their adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, while visiting Mia’s Connecticut home.

A Connecticut prosecutor said in 1993 that there was “probable cause” to charge Allen with molesting Dylan, but that he decided not to pursue the case.

Allen, who married Previn in 1997 and has since adopted two daughters, has denied any wrongdoing. Dylan’s allegations returned to the news in 2014 when an open letter from her was published in The New York Times. Allen has since been largely ostracized by the American film community.

In emails in 2016, Epstein, Previn and Allen compared their own scandals to another celebrity in the news at the time: Bill Cosby, who had denied allegations that he drugged and sexually assaulting numerous women.

“The crowd needs a witch to burn, and there are not many left,” Epstein wrote.

Allen replied, in a message relayed through Previn, that his own situation is “radically different” from Cosby’s.

“I do expect (and get) many ugly unfair accusations, (but) he has to battle 50 women and criminal charges,” Allen said, according to Previn’s email. “I have one irate mother whose case was investigated and discredited,” he said, referring to Mia Farrow.

Epstein replied that the public scorn Allen received was more likely related to his relationship with Previn, which he called a “publicly broken taboo.”

“Everything else is noise,” he added.

Allen, in comments relayed through Previn, responded that if the couple’s taboo relationship was the issue, “there’s nothing to be done.”

“I’m certainly not going to dump her and I’m not going to apologize because I don’t feel either of us did anything we have to apologize for,” he says. “Our romantic life is our business and not the business of the public so it’s a hopeless situation because there’s no way out if that’s what they’re holding against us.”

Epstein advised his friends to just enjoy themselves and in life.

“Some actors or actresses might decline a role,” Epstein wrote. “But, so what.”

Allen hasn’t been accused of having any involvement in Epstein’s alleged sexual abuse of girls and women.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/epstein-emails-show-he-helped-arrange-white-house-visit-for-woody-allen/ 

The European Union on Friday accused TikTok of breaching the bloc’s digital rules with “addictive design” features including autoplay and infinite scroll, in preliminary charges that strike at the heart of the popular video sharing app’s operating model.

EU regulators said their investigation found that TikTok hasn’t done enough to assess how its features could harm the physical and mental health of users, including children and “vulnerable adults.”

The European Commission said it believes TikTok should change the “basic design” of its service. The commission is the EU’s executive arm and enforcer of the 27-nation bloc’s Digital Services Act, a sweeping rulebook that requires social media companies to clean up their platforms and protect users, under threat of hefty fines.

TikTok denied the accusations.

“The Commission’s preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to challenge these findings through every means available to us,” the company said in a statement.

TikTok now has a chance to reply to the commission’s findings, which could lead to a so-called non-compliance decision and possible fine worth up to 6% of the company’s total annual revenue.

“Social media addiction can have detrimental effects on the developing minds of children and teens,” Henna Virkkunen, the commission’s executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said in a press statement. “The Digital Services Act makes platforms responsible for the effects they can have on their users. In Europe, we enforce our legislation to protect our children and our citizens online.”

The preliminary findings from Brussels are the latest example of pressure that TikTok and other social media platforms are facing over youth addiction.

Australia has banned social media for under-16s while governments in Spain, France, and Denmark want to introduce similar measures. In the U.S., TikTok last month settled a landmark social media addiction lawsuit while two other companies named in the suit — Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube — still face claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children.

The commission said that TikTok fuels the urge to keep scrolling because it constantly rewards users with new content, leading to reduced self control.

It said TikTok ignores signs that someone is compulsively using the app, such as the amount of time that minors spend on it at night, and how often the app is opened.

The company has failed to put in place “reasonable, proportionate and effective” measures to offset the risks, it said.

The commission said TikTok’s existing time management controls are easy to dismiss and “introduce limited friction,” while parental tools need “additional time and skills” from parents.

Changes that the commission wants TikTok to make include disabling features like infinite scroll; putting in more effective breaks for screen time, including at night; and changing its “highly personalized” recommender system, which feeds users an endless stream of video shorts based on their preferences.

TikTok says it has numerous tools, such as custom screen time limits and sleep reminders, that let users make “intentional decisions” about how they spend their time on the app.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/tiktok-design/ 

Nearly two years ago, Melissa Robertson was enjoying a spring day in her backyard when her neighbor shot her in what police and court documents say was a racially motivated attack.

Robertson suffered damage to her abdomen and hands. The shot to her stomach damaged her colon and spleen and shattered several ribs.

In the nearly two years since the shooting, she has undergone 21 surgeries and procedures and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. A former home health care provider, she has been unable to return to work.

But her faith has never wavered.

“I have zero doubt in my faith and that gives me so much comfort going forward,” Robertson said. “Some people are pure evil. I am not going to let that ruin us. At the end of this, we will put a smile on our faces.”

Her neighbor, John Shadbar, 72, of Lockport Township was sentenced Jan. 28 to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted firs-degree murder and hate crime charges for the shooting.

Robertson said she is pleased Shadbar will likely spend the rest of his natural life in prison.

“I”m perfectly happy for the time he received,” she said. “For him it’s a death sentence at his age.”

Robertson said while this chapter is over, she tells her story in hopes that it won’t happen to another family.

Court documents show Shadbar, who is white, yelled several derogatory racist and sexist slurs at his neighbors and had regularly harassed the family, including firing blank rounds toward Robertson’s home and throwing an M-80 type of firework over the fence into her yard.

Robertson and a friend were watching their children jump on a trampoline May 7, 2024, when Shadbar began loudly revving his motorcycle engine.

Robertson responded by blowing an air horn. According to court documents, Shadbar became agitated and threatened to kill the family, using a racist slur in his threats, presumably directed at Robertson’s sons who are Black. An adult son was not home at the time.

The children, who were playing on the trampoline, were brought inside after the verbal threats.

Neighbors told police they recorded the incident with cellphones and saw Shadbar shooting multiple times into Robertson’s backyard.

After Robertson was shot, she crawled back into her house where she was noted as conscious, but unable to speak and groaning in pain, court documents said. A friend called 911, and she was taken to Silver Cross Hospital, court documents said.

Robertson has been dealing with pain since the attack. She has complications due to scar tissue. Her left hand is still numb. When she gets stomach pains, she sees the doctor because it could potentially be a sign of a larger issue. Chores, such as grocery shopping, have been difficult.

“It’s taken a toll mentally,” she said. “In one day, my ability to work, take care of my son myself, was taken away from me in an instant. This has changed my whole life.”

Melissa Robertson with her son Amar. She said the two enjoy making people laugh and putting smiles on others people’s faces. (Family photo)

Her son Amar, who was 7 at the time, was taken inside and did not see the shooting, but was affected.

When the two of them hear fireworks or a loud noise, it can stop their whole day, Robertson said.

Robertson said her main job is to ensure her son feels safe. She said his school has been tremendous and has shown love and support.

“I don’t understand racism at all,” Robertson said. “(Amar) has seen unfortunately at a young age there is racism in this world and processes it as best as he can.”

Most importantly, Robertson said, “he does not feel there is anything wrong with the color of his skin.”

She said her son, now 9, does not believe most people are like Shadbar.

Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak sentenced Shadbar to 20 years in prison for the attempted murder charge and three years for the hate crime charge, to be served concurrently.

He will receive credit for 631 days spent in jail, according to the Will County state’s attorney’s office.

Robertson said she hopes Shadbar regrets the attack.

“To see that racism is heartbreaking,” she said. “Even on our worse days, we try to see the positives. I’ve had a great life before. This stopped life as we knew it. It’s all about … how you get through it.”

Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/lockport-resident-recalls-racial-shooting/