Category: News
Column: Aurora African American Heritage Board names ‘beautiful spirit’ its Leader of the Year
A press release came out this week revealing the Aurora African American Heritage Advisory Board’s Leader of the Year, who will be honored Feb. 27 as part of Aurora’s Black History Month events.
AP style dictates that after first reference I should refer to the winner, Shirley Payne, by her last name. To the community, however, she is known only as “Ms. Shirley.” And as the owner of James-Payne Funeral Service – the only Black-owned funeral home in the Fox Valley, according to several sources – that name has become synonymous with compassion.
“No matter your church, neighborhood, alma mater, political party, fraternity or sorority, “ said Clayton Muhammad, “if you’re part of the Aurora Black community, more times than not, Ms. Shirley is our common denominator and caretaker at our darkest moments in life.”
Muhammad, a former top official with the city of Aurora, would know. It was Payne, along with the late Aurora Ald. Scheketa Hart-Burns, who helped him through the loss of his mother in 2017. And it was also Payne who helped Scheketa’s widower William Burns navigate the sudden death of his wife in June of 2023, which is also the year Payne became owner of the funeral service.
“For us, she was family first and then funeral director,” Burns said. “But for so many others, she is the funeral director who becomes family … and that role remains long after the service and season are over.”
Sherman Jenkins, former Aurora alderman and executive director of the Aurora Economic Development Commission, and past board chair of the Quad County African American Chamber of Commerce, called Payne “an inspiration” to Black business owners who has taken many “entrepreneurs under her wings and demonstrated to them how persistence and determination are keys to being successful.”
“You won’t find anyone,” Jenkins added, “to say a negative thing about her.”
Still, Payne’s rise to a leadership role in the community did not come easy. She arrived in Aurora from Memphis in 1979, newly divorced with three small children, and found work as a porter – often driving pilots to and from airports – at the North Aurora Holiday Inn along Orchard Road.
Determined and with a gift for numbers, Payne quickly climbed that proverbial ladder to become general manager of the facility, which by then was a Super 8. And she did so by also working two part-time jobs at Kmart and Fermilab.
Payne started as a part-timer at James mortuary in 1986. She went full-time in 1995, helping transition the business a couple years later from Galena Boulevard to the present location on Hill Avenue, and became general manager in 2005 after the death of Roland James.
It was a career path that required plenty of business acumen, of course. But in an industry that deals with grief and death, it’s the heart more than the brain that has to show up each and every day.
“She has been a staple in our community for a very long time,” said the Rev. James Barry, who has known “Ms. Shirley” since he was the teenage son of pastors performing funerals himself. Even years prior to becoming leader of Harvest of Faith Church in Aurora, Payne taught him to “remain calm,” he told me, when dealing with the “good, bad and ugly” that often accompanies end-of-life services.
“Because a funeral director comes in contact with a lot of people in the African American community, she has built many relationships” to the point, Barry said, people will drop in on a regular basis just to talk to “Ms. Shirley.”
It’s her “authentic spirit” that resonates so strongly with people, Barry added. So it’s no wonder 73-year-old Payne – who has successfully grown the Aurora funeral service since taking ownership, according to multiple sources – doesn’t like to use the word “work” when talking about her career, preferring instead to think of herself as “counseling” those in grief and “praying with them.”
In addition to her critical professional role, Payne’s bio notes she’s active in her church and has been honored multiple times by the city of Aurora for her service and charitable contributions. Among them: she sits on Aurora’s Aging-in-Community Advisory Board and served as vice president of the Hill Avenue Business Association. She is also a chaplain and member of the senior citizens committee for the Top Ladies of Distinction West Suburban Chicago Chapter, whose President Cheryl Woods-Clendening described her to me as “a beautiful spirit.”
Those three words would hit home to Rita Robinson, whose son Richard “Tre” Winfrey died in September after living for nearly two decades as a quadriplegic from a 2007 drive-by shooting in Aurora.
Although “Ms. Shirley” would always greet her with a smile, a hug and encouraging words, when the day came this grieving mother had to make arrangements for her son’s funeral, “she really helped me through this difficult time,” said Robinson, “… letting me know that she is walking with me and everything will be fine … reminding me of my strength and the love I had for my son.”
“Miss Shirley Payne is the perfect blend of compassion, tenderness and reason, paired with a soothing or calming disposition when dealing with people who are in the throes of a tumultuous storm of grief and perplexity,” said the Rev. Gregory Jones, pastor of Greater Mount Olive Church of God in Christ in Aurora.
“She is an asset to society,” Jones said. “The world is better because she is part of it.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com
Lawsuit Challenges Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ Visa Program
Lawsuit Challenges Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ Visa Program
Authored by Bill Pan via The Epoch Times,
A national university faculty group is suing to shut down President Donald Trump’s “Gold Card” visa, arguing that the new, expedited pathway to permanent residency for wealthy foreigners is unlawful.
In a lawsuit filed Feb. 3 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and several foreign professionals say the program benefits rich applicants at the expense of “qualified, merit-based” candidates, such as scientists, engineers, and doctors.
The Trump Gold Card program, which formally went live on Dec. 10, 2025, was created by executive order and described by the president as a “green card on steroids.” Individual applicants must pay a nonrefundable $15,000 processing fee to enter the pipeline and, after clearing background checks, make a $1 million “gift” to the government.
Employers can apply for a corporate Gold Card for workers by paying the same $15,000 fee plus a $2 million contribution per employee.
The Gold Card does not have its own visa category. Instead, Trump’s executive order directs agencies to use existing EB-1 “extraordinary ability” and EB-2 “exceptional ability” green card categories and to treat the required payments as evidence that the applicant will substantially benefit the United States.
Both EB-1 and EB-2 categories fall under the employment-based immigration system, which is capped at 140,000 visas annually. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), EB-1 and EB-2 visas account for about 80,000 of those slots.
Because those green cards are limited and already in high demand, the AAUP lawsuit says, opening a fast lane for Gold Card applicants will increase wait times for existing applicants, forcing them to remain longer on temporary visas and disrupting the work they do.
“Rather than reserving those visas for the world’s best and brightest, the Gold Card program converts the visas into revenue-generating commodities sold to those who can pay $1 million or more,” the complaint states.
The plaintiffs argue that the Gold Card conflicts with the Immigration and Nationality Act’s merit-focused criteria for EB-1 and EB-2 visas. They also contend that, at the very least, the administration violated procedural law by skipping the customary notice-and-comment rulemaking before rolling out the program.
Among the individual plaintiffs are a Colombian electronic engineer, a Taiwanese cancer biologist, and a Mexican biomedical scientist. All are seeking EB-1 or EB-2 green cards and say the Gold Card will push them further back in an already backlogged system.
The lawsuit asks the court to declare the Gold Card unlawful and halt its continued operation. It names the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Commerce, and State, the USCIS, and officials involved in creating and administering the program as defendants.
The agencies did not respond to requests for comment.
While opponents of the Gold Card warn that it will drive away talent, Trump has described the program as a way for companies to retain highly skilled graduates from elite American colleges who might otherwise have to leave the country after finishing their studies.
“They graduate from the top schools,” Trump said last December. “These people want to hire them. Now you’re able to buy a card and you’re able to keep people in the country.”
According to the president, more than $1.3 billion from Gold Cards was generated in the program’s first week.
The administration is also developing a Trump “Platinum Card,” which would require a $5 million payment and allow foreign nationals to spend up to 270 days a year in the United States without being subject to U.S. taxes on income earned abroad. That program has not yet launched but is already accepting sign-ups for a waiting list.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/04/2026 – 15:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/lawsuit-challenges-trumps-gold-card-visa-program
Wizards adquieren a Anthony Davis de Mavericks en canje de ocho jugadores, según fuente de AP
Por SCHUYLER DIXON
DALLAS (AP) — Los Wizards de Washington adquirieron el miércoles a Anthony Davis en un intercambio de ocho jugadores con los Mavericks que incluye selecciones de draft para Dallas, informó el miércoles una persona con conocimiento del acuerdo.
La operación es una señal de que los Mavericks están dejando atrás el ampliamente criticado canje que envió a la superestrella Luka Doncic a los Lakers de Los Ángeles a cambio de un paquete de jugadores encabezado por Davis el año pasado.
El exgerente general Nico Harrison, quien fue despedido por Dallas en noviembre, orquestó un acuerdo en medio de la noche que enfureció a los fanáticos. Las conjeturas sobre un intercambio apuntaban a Davis desde que Harrison fue despedido tras mal comienzo de la temporada.
Los Wizards cederán a Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham y Marvin Bagley III a los Mavericks junto con dos selecciones de primera ronda y tres de segunda ronda, dijo la persona a The Associated Press bajo condición de anonimato porque el acuerdo aún no había sido aprobado por la NBA.
Washington recibirá a tres escoltas de Dallas: de Dallas: Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell y Dante Exum.
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Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Chicago Bulls trade Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets for a package including Collin Sexton
After seven years with the team, Coby White no longer will wear a Chicago Bulls jersey.
The Bulls traded White to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday along with Mike Conley Jr., getting back Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng and three second-round draft picks.
The No. 7 pick in the 2019 draft, White was the last remaining player acquired before vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas took the reins in the front office in April 2020. He was a rare source of consistency for the Bulls through two roster overhauls, developing from a score-first guard as a promising rookie into the anchor of the Bulls offense.
White was averaging 18.6 points and 4.7 assists in 29 games this season after missing nearly half the season with a series of calf injuries.
Despite his importance to the roster, White, 25, emerged as a leading trade asset for the Bulls because of his expiring contract. While his three-year, $36 million deal — inked in 2023 shortly before a breakout season — was considered a steal, White’s contract expectations in his upcoming unrestricted free agency didn’t fit with the Bulls’ priority of creating financial flexibility to build around younger players such as Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey.
The Bulls sought a first-round pick in exchange for White throughout trade talks this season, a source said, but ultimately couldn’t find a trade partner willing to exchange that level of draft capital for White’s expiring deal.
White stamped a name for himself as a shooter — starting in college, where he broke North Carolina’s freshman record for 3-pointers. He is a career 36.8% shooter behind the arc and averaged a career-high 2.9 made 3s last season.
But White took a true leap when he developed his game to become a well-rounded playmaker, embracing challenges from coach Billy Donovan to expand into a combo guard who could help helm the Bulls offense. He finished second behind the Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey in voting for the 2023-24 Most Improved Player award after doubling his points and assists per game from the prior season.
Despite his longevity in Chicago, White played in only five playoff games with the Bulls. The team missed the postseason entirely in his first two seasons and was eliminated in the play-in tournament the last three seasons. His sole playoff experience remains a 4-1 first-round series loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022.
He returns to his home state to join a rising Hornets team anchored by LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel — and will join a campaign to potentially knock the Bulls out of play-in tournament position. The Hornets are one game behind the 10th-place Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings.
Sexton, 27, is another guard in his mid-20s on an expiring deal, an archetype the Bulls have loaded up on during a flurry of deadline trades. The No. 8 pick in the 2018 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sexton was averaging 14.2 points in 42 games this season, mostly off the bench, after the Utah Jazz traded him to the Hornets last summer.
The 22-year-old Dieng — who was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Hornets earlier in the day as part of a three-team deal that sent Jared McCain from the 76ers to the Thunder — could address the Bulls’ lack of size after they traded away center Nikola Vučević on Tuesday. The 6-foot-9 Dieng can play the four or five, fitting the versatile player type the Bulls are seeking from two-big rotations.
The No. 11 pick in 2022, Dieng struggled to find playing time on a stacked Thunder roster, logging only 27 appearances off the bench this season. His age fits the timeline the Bulls are working on with Giddey, 23, Buzelis, 21, and Ousmane’s fellow Frenchman Noa Essengue, 19.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/04/chicago-bulls-trade-coby-white/
Humo de incendios forestales causa 24.100 muertes anuales en EEUU, dice estudio
Por DORANY PINEDA
La exposición crónica a la contaminación por incendios forestales se ha vinculado a decenas de miles de muertes anuales en Estados Unidos, según un nuevo estudio.
El artículo, publicado el miércoles en la revista Science Advances, encontró que desde 2006 hasta 2020, la exposición a largo plazo a partículas diminutas del humo de los incendios forestales contribuyó a un promedio de 24.100 muertes al año en los 48 estados contiguos.
“Nuestro mensaje es: El humo de los incendios forestales es muy peligroso. Es una amenaza creciente para la salud humana”, declaró Yaguang Wei, autor del estudio y profesor asistente en el departamento de medicina ambiental en la Escuela de Medicina Icahn en Mount Sinai.
Otros científicos que han estudiado el número de muertes por el humo de los incendios forestales no se sorprendieron por los hallazgos.
“Las estimaciones que están proponiendo son razonables”, indicó Michael Jerrett, profesor de ciencia de la salud ambiental en la Universidad de California, Los Ángeles, quien no participó en el estudio. “Necesitamos más de ellas. Solo si realizamos múltiples estudios con muchos diseños diferentes ganamos confianza científica en nuestros resultados”.
“Estas son vidas reales” que se pierden debido al humo de los incendios
Los investigadores del artículo se centraron en las muertes vinculadas a la exposición crónica a material particulado fino, o PM2.5, la principal preocupación del humo de los incendios forestales.
Estas partículas pueden alojarse profundamente en los pulmones y entrar en el torrente sanguíneo. La exposición a corto plazo puede desencadenar tos y ojos irritados, pero a largo plazo, pueden empeorar problemas de salud existentes y llevar a una variedad de problemas de salud crónicos y mortales, incluidas enfermedades respiratorias, cardiovasculares y neurológicas, y muerte prematura.
“El PM2.5 del humo de los incendios forestales ha surgido como un peligro ambiental significativo en Estados Unidos, y está impulsado por la creciente frecuencia e intensidad de los incendios forestales debido al cambio climático”, explicó Min Zhang, estudiante postdoctoral en la Escuela Icahn y autor del estudio.
Junto con décadas de mala gestión forestal, el creciente desarrollo en áreas propensas a incendios ha expandido la “interfaz urbano-silvestre”, aumentando el riesgo de incendios forestales con consecuencias reales para la salud humana, apuntó Jerrett.
“Nadie va a tener ‘muerte por incendio forestal’ en su certificado de defunción a menos que el fuego realmente los haya quemado o un árbol les haya caído encima o algo así”, señaló Jerrett. “Pero muchas de las personas que están muriendo por esta exposición son aquellas que ya son más vulnerables. Estas son vidas reales que se están perdiendo. Esto no es un concepto estadístico arbitrario y abstracto”.
Cómo los investigadores abordaron el estudio
Los autores del estudio analizaron el vínculo entre la exposición promedio anual al PM2.5 del humo de los incendios forestales y las muertes por condado en los 48 estados contiguos. Utilizaron datos federales de mortalidad en 3.068 condados de todas las causas de muerte y varias específicas: enfermedades circulatorias, neurológicas y respiratorias, así como trastornos mentales y del comportamiento, tumores y enfermedades endocrinas, nutricionales y metabólicas.
También incluyeron muertes relacionadas con caídas y accidentes de transporte, que son poco probables de estar vinculadas al humo de los incendios forestales, para asegurar que sus otras observaciones no estuvieran sesgadas.
“No encontramos asociación para accidentes automovilísticos y caídas, mientras que para otras enfermedades encontramos efectos estadísticamente significativos”, aseguró Wei.
Las muertes por enfermedades neurológicas vieron el mayor aumento con la exposición a estas partículas.
La relación entre la exposición a partículas y la muerte varió según la temporada y la demografía. Una asociación más fuerte apareció durante períodos más fríos, y las personas en áreas rurales y comunidades más jóvenes parecían ser más vulnerables.
Los investigadores también encontraron que con cada aumento de 0,1 microgramos por metro cúbico de PM2.5 en todos estos lugares, aproximadamente 5.594 personas más morían cada año.
Jerrett aseveró que el estudio tiene la ventaja de una gran población de muestra y que incluye la mayoría de las causas de muerte en Estados Unidos. Pero señaló que los datos a nivel de condado podrían haber llevado a sobreestimaciones o subestimaciones porque el humo de los incendios forestales es muy dinámico. “No cubre simplemente un gran condado de una vez. Habrá partes del condado que lo recibirán mucho peor”.
El estudio tampoco tuvo en cuenta otros factores importantes, como si una persona fuma, dijo.
Los retrocesos federales en la política climática plantean riesgos, dicen los autores
Kai Chen, profesor asociado de ciencias ambientales en la Escuela de Salud Pública de Yale, quien también ha estudiado el tema, comentó: “Realmente me gusta que examinaran tanto el humo como el PM2.5 sin humo”. Varias investigaciones han encontrado que el PM2.5 del humo de los incendios forestales tiene mayores impactos en la salud que la contaminación de otras fuentes, como las emisiones de automóviles, explicó Chen, quien no participó en el estudio, en un correo electrónico.
La anulación de medidas contra el cambio climático durante la presidencia de Donald Trump en Estados Unidos, en momentos en que los incendios forestales más destructivos se vuelven más frecuentes en gran parte debido al calentamiento global, plantean riesgos críticos, manifestaron los autores del estudio. Cuantificar la amenaza mortal que el PM2.5 de los incendios forestales representa para la salud humana muestra la necesidad de estrategias de mitigación efectivas y urgentes, respaldadas por el monitoreo y la regulación de la Agencia de Protección Ambiental, expresaron.
Chen coincidió: “Esto resalta la importancia de controlar el PM2.5 de origen forestal, que actualmente no está regulado por la (agencia ambiental estadounidense) ya que generalmente se considera desastres naturales”.
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The Associated Press recibe apoyo de la Walton Family Foundation para la cobertura de políticas ambientales y sobre agua. La AP es la única responsable de todo el contenido. Encuentra los estándares de la AP para trabajar con organizaciones filantrópicas, una lista de las fundaciones y las áreas de cobertura que financian en AP.org.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Afternoon Briefing: Whistleblower lawsuit against former COPA chief dismissed
Good afternoon, Chicago.
A federal judge has dismissed a whistleblower lawsuit brought by a veteran police misconduct investigator against the city and the former chief administrator of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability who resigned last year.
The lawsuit brought by Matthew Haynam claimed that his First Amendment rights were violated when he was fired by former COPA chief administrator Andrea Kersten in August 2024 after he reported her alleged malfeasance to the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability and the city’s Office of Inspector General.
Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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Juan Espinoza Martínez is seen with his three U.S.-born children. Espinoza Martínez is facing deportation despite a jury finding him not guilty of putting a hit on Gregory Bovino, chief of Border Patrol, during Operation Midway Blitz. (Family photo)
Indiana judge bars feds from deporting Chicago man acquitted of Gregory Bovino murder-for-hire
A federal judge in Indiana has temporarily barred federal officials from deporting a Chicago man acquitted last month of charges he offered money for the killing of Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino. Read more here.
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Cook County court clerk piloting electronic traffic tickets
Suspect in slaying of Momence bar owner in custody, officials say
Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) scores a layup in the fourth quarter during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Dec. 26, 2025, at the United Center in Chicago. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey buys River North home for $4.45M
A native of Melbourne, Australia, the 6-foot-7 Josh Giddey, 23, was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder and then was traded to the Bulls in 2024. He signed a four-year, $100 million contract with the Bulls in early September. Read more here.
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Today in Chicago History: CTA derailment in the Loop during rush hour kills 11 people
Artūras Karnišovas, Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations, speaks during an end-of-season news conference at the Advocate Center on April 17, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Are the Chicago Bulls finally tanking? How their deadline trades could plot a path to a lottery pick.
After years of relative reticence at the NBA trade deadline, Artūras Karnišovas, executive vice president of basketball operations, came into this week swinging. Read more here.
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Chicago Bulls trade Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets for a package including Collin Sexton
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Jack Saunders and Kate McQuillan, with Connor Ripperger, Colette Todd and Jackson Mikkelsen, in “Diana” by Theo Theatre. (Time Stops)
Nominations for Non-Equity Jeff Awards: Theo and Kokandy lead the list for 2026
Nominations are in for the 52nd anniversary Non-Equity Jeff Awards with Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre leading the way with 20 nominations in total, including 10 for “Diana the Musical.” Read more here.
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Law enforcement officers are present outside the home of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, near Tucson, Arizona, Feb. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Sejal Govindarao)
What to know about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of ‘Today’ show’s Savannah Guthrie
Authorities are looking for the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie after they say she was taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona, against her will over the weekend. Here’s what to know about the case. Read more here.
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Major Medical Group Advises Against Gender Procedures On Children
Major Medical Group Advises Against Gender Procedures On Children
The admonition to “first, do no harm” is an ancient cornerstone of medical ethics. With that in mind, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons broke ranks with other medical organizations on Tuesday, recommending that member physicians refrain from performing gender transition surgeries on anyone under age 19. The major milestone in Western society’s nascent recovery from gender-transition madness follows a landmark courtroom victory for a young woman whose breasts were removed at age 16, and the AMA has already signaled it will follow the ASPS’s lead.
The ASPS’s position statement uses pointed language that echoes the profound concerns that have long been raised by gender-transition skeptics:
“When uncertainty concerns not just the magnitude of benefit but the existence of benefit in and of itself, and when potential harms are irreversible and identity-defining, the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence require a more precautionary approach.”
The group’s adoption of a new philosophy followed a review of research about the long-term outcomes for transitioned youngsters. “There’s no data to suggest that you can predict who will benefit from surgery and who will have a negative outcome,” former ASPS president Scot Bradley Glasberg told the New York Times. “That requires taking the side of caution, which means deferring or postponing these surgeries until the age of 19.”
The overwhelming majority of gender-altering surgeries performed on minors are mastectomies. Last week, a New York jury found a psychologist and a surgeon liable for malpractice after they convinced a 16-year-old girl to lop off her breasts. It was the first medical malpractice case involving a de-transitioner to reach a verdict. That 16-year-old is now 22 and identifies as a woman. She also now identifies as a millionaire, after being awarded $2 million in damages, comprising $1.6 million for past and future pain and suffering, and $400,000 for future medical expenses.
During the proceedings, the victim, Fox Varian, said she had the sense she’d made a colossal error as soon as she saw the scars on her chest. “I immediately had a thought that this was wrong, and it couldn’t be true,” she said, adding that the surgery left her with ‘searing hot’ nerve pain.” There was also emotional damage. “Shame. I felt shame. It’s hard to face that you are disfigured for life.”
Megyn Kelly @megynkelly drops an absolute truth bomb on Bill Maher and his liberal audience
“It’s the issue of our time with both respect to children and women’s rights” 🔥pic.twitter.com/A24RBpkw1l
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 26, 2024
In its statement, ASPS pointed to Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, who’ve all updated their guidance to recommend against endocrine and surgical interventions for minors. The plastic-surgeon group became the first major US medical organization to counsel against gender-morphing procedures for children.
A similar announcement by the American Medical Association may be imminent. Asked on Tuesday if the powerful group would update its stance, the AMA told National Review that, because “the evidence for gender-affirming surgical intervention in minors is insufficient for us to make a definitive statement . . . the AMA agrees with ASPS that surgical interventions in minors should be generally deferred to adulthood.”
More are sure to follow, in light of growing state-level regulatory restrictions and last week’s landmark liability ruling — doubtless the first of many that will hammer overly-eager doctors, psychologists and counselors for their malpractice. “Knowing now that a jury will feel comfortable holding doctors accountable for this is something that I think every doctor should take seriously,” Adam Deutch, the lawyer who represented Varian in the New York case, told the New York Post. (When will we see the first case filed by a child against their parents?)
Public opinion will also play a part, and opposition to gender-transitioning children is mounting among the public. A February 2025 Pew Research poll found that 56% of Americans favor a ban on gender-transitions for minors, with only 26% opposing a ban, and 17% unsure. As more horror stories come to light via court cases, we expect many of those undecided people will come off the fence and land on the side of protecting children from irreversible harms springing from decisions driven by fleeting adolescent angst.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/04/2026 – 15:00
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/major-medical-group-advises-against-gender-procedures-children
Trump Signals Openness To China, India Investing In Venezuela’s Oil, While Tightening Rules
Trump Signals Openness To China, India Investing In Venezuela’s Oil, While Tightening Rules
Authored by Sean Tseng via The Epoch Times,
President Donald Trump says he is open to China and India investing in Venezuela’s oil sector, but new U.S. rules show that any reopening of Venezuela’s oil trade will come with strict legal and financial conditions designed to keep Washington firmly in control.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Jan. 31, Trump said China is “welcome to come in and we’ll make a great deal on oil.” He also said the United States is working with India on a plan to buy Venezuelan crude instead of oil from Iran, adding that the basic “concept” has already been agreed upon.
Those remarks came as the U.S. Treasury Department rolled out a new Venezuela-related oil license that lays out who can participate, how money moves, and where disputes are settled.
Together, Trump’s remarks and the new rules point to a cautious reopening of Venezuela’s oil trade—one that allows limited activity while channeling it through a system the United States can closely monitor and enforce.
A License That Opens Doors—But Narrows the Path
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License 46, which authorizes certain Venezuela-related oil activities. It allows established U.S. entities to lift, ship, buy, sell, store, and refine Venezuelan-origin oil.
But the authorization comes with tight conditions.
Contracts covered by the license must be governed by U.S. law, and any disputes must be handled in U.S. courts. Payments to sanctioned or blocked parties cannot be made directly; instead, they must be placed into U.S.-designated “Foreign Government Deposit Funds,” where access and use are restricted.
The license also draws clear red lines. It does not authorize transactions involving Russia, Iran, North Korea, or Cuba.
China-linked structures face additional limits. The license bars covered transactions involving U.S.- or Venezuela-based entities that are owned or controlled by, or operate in joint ventures with, individuals or companies based in or organized under the laws of the “People’s Republic of China.”
In effect, companies seeking to operate under U.S. authorization must accept U.S. legal jurisdiction, U.S. oversight, and U.S.-controlled payment channels—conditions that significantly narrow how Chinese-linked firms can participate when U.S. banks, approvals, or services are involved.
Alongside the license, the White House issued an executive order on Jan. 9 to establish and protect the Foreign Government Deposit Funds system. Under this structure, Venezuela-related oil revenues that move through U.S.-designated accounts are held under U.S. custody, with limits on how the funds can be transferred or used.
The stated aim is to keep transactions compliant with sanctions and prevent money from flowing directly to blocked actors. The system also shields funds from creditors and certain judicial claims while giving Washington greater leverage over how oil revenues are handled.
India’s Return to Venezuelan Oil
India has a history as a buyer of Venezuelan oil. Before sanctions and political risk narrowed Venezuela’s export options, India was a significant customer. In 2019, India imported around 300,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan crude on average, according to S&P Global. Those purchases fell sharply as U.S. sanctions tightened in 2020.
Trump on Jan. 2 said the United States and India have reached a trade agreement and will begin lowering tariffs on each other’s goods immediately. He also said India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil, a move he argued would help pressure Moscow and shorten the war in Ukraine.
Russia depends heavily on energy exports to fund the war, now nearing its fifth year, and India and China have been among the largest buyers of discounted Russian crude since Western sanctions were imposed.
Trump added that India is interested in buying “much more” oil from Venezuela. That interest comes as Venezuela recently amended its hydrocarbons law to loosen state control and attract more foreign investment into its oil sector.
For New Delhi, Venezuelan oil could provide an alternative supply that aligns more closely with U.S. policy, even if it means accepting U.S. oversight of contracts and payments.
China’s Deeper Stake—and Higher Risk
China’s position in Venezuela is deeper and more complicated. Over two decades, Beijing became one of Caracas’s main financial backers, extending an estimated $60 billion in loans since 2007 through so-called “loans-for-oil” deals, according to a Jan. 7 analysis by Columbia University.
Much of Venezuela’s oil exports to China have been used to repay that debt. By 2023, about 68 percent of Venezuela’s oil exports were going to China, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data.
If the United States succeeds in directing Venezuela’s oil flows under its own framework, China could face losses of $10 billion to $12 billion on outstanding loans, the Columbia analysis suggests.
Asked aboard Air Force One on Jan. 31 whether China would ever recoup the money it lent Venezuela, Trump said, “I don’t know.”
Venezuela’s Oil is Vast—But Hard to Ramp Up Quickly
Even if political and legal hurdles are cleared, Venezuela’s oil output cannot rise quickly.
The country holds an estimated 303 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, among the largest in the world, according to the EIA. Much of that oil is heavy or extra-heavy crude concentrated in eastern Venezuela, requiring blending or specialized processing. That adds cost and complicates refining and transport.
Years of mismanagement, sanctions, infrastructure decay, and the loss of skilled workers have further weakened the industry. Venezuela produced around 3.5 million barrels per day in the late 1990s. By late 2025, output was estimated at about 1.1 million barrels per day, according to the International Strategic Action Network for Security.
U.S. import data underline how limited current flows remain. EIA figures show U.S. crude imports from Venezuela at roughly 72,000 to 120,000 barrels per day during several weeks in January 2026—up from near-zero levels, but still small in global terms.
Wall Street sees room for growth, but not a rapid rebound.
JPMorgan Chase, in a Jan. 8 report, estimated that under a new administration, output could rise to 1.3 million to 1.4 million barrels per day within two years.
Goldman Sachs analysts, in a Jan. 5 interview, projected that if production reaches 2 million barrels per day, global oil prices could fall by about $4 a barrel—a boost for U.S. consumers, but a deflationary shock for other producers.
Trump’s remarks point to a broader willingness to bring more countries into Venezuela’s oil trade. But the new U.S. license makes clear that any authorized activity must run through U.S. legal jurisdiction and U.S.-controlled payment channels, with restrictions on sanctioned countries and certain China-linked entities.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/04/2026 – 14:40
“I Deeply Regret”: Bill Gates, Reid Hoffman Deny Epstein Malarkey, And Here’s Some Weird Sh*t
“I Deeply Regret”: Bill Gates, Reid Hoffman Deny Epstein Malarkey, And Here’s Some Weird Sh*t
As the latest Epstein Files release continues to provide premium toilet reading and no arrests, tech billionaires Bill Gates and Linkedin founder Reid Hoffman are in full damage control mode, while President Donald Trump – whose name is all over the files as well, is back to asking if we can just move on. Other notables mentioned in the release are Steve Tisch, Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Harvey Weinstein, Leon Black, Peter Mandelson (who just imploded), Sergey Brin, Jason Calacanis, Howard Lutnick and the Nobel Prize committee (more on that later, it’s a fun one), and of course Ehud Barak.
To review – Gates, whose ex-wife Melinda says he ‘needs to answer to those things‘ in the Epstein files – was featured in a 2013 email Epstein sent to himself – three months after the disgraced financier appears to have brought top Gates ‘assistant’ Boris Nikolic and ‘two Russian girls’ to Richard Branson’s island for a crypto summit. According to Epstein, Gates – who apparently severed ties with Epstein after some incident involving Boris, ‘implored’ Epstein to ‘delete the emails regarding your std, your request that I provide you with antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda and the description of your penis.’
Gates Denies
Gates responded to the latest email, claiming it was ‘never sent’ (incorrect) and that it’s ‘false,’ (though he did offer $100k to anyone that can make a ‘next generation’ condom earlier that year).
Bill Gates responds after Epstein files suggest he got an STD from “Russian girls” and planned to secretly medicate his then-wife, Melinda.
REPORTER: “You’ve no doubt seen the allegations… Are they true?”
GATES: “No. Apparently, Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. That email… pic.twitter.com/TpwRmuISCK
— Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) February 4, 2026
Hoffman vs. Musk
Meanwhile, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman – who went to Epstein’s island, was invited to his weird fertility ranch, and apparently left his passport in a ‘gift bag’ for Epstein – has been trading Epstein ‘gotchas’ with Elon Musk, who asked Epstein if he could bring his ex-wife to the island for a ‘wild’ party. Hoffman claims he was only on Epstein’s island to fundraise with former MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito, while Musk claims Epstein used the fact that Hoffman was on the island to try to get him to go.
Feb 1: Musk drops ‘reid was on the island last weekend,’ email Epstein sent him, and notes that Hoffman brought ‘gifts’ to Epstein.
Hoffman, who says he deeply regrets associating with Epstein post-conviction, defended his visit, replying to ZeroHedge after we asked to clarify that he went to Epstein island to raise money for MIT.
Yes, with Joi Ito, the Director of the MIT Media Lab, who had asked me to help MIT fundraise from Epstein. I regret ever interacting with Epstein.
Trump’s own FBI looked into me and found “no hits.”
We should focus on prosecuting those who committed crimes and finally getting… pic.twitter.com/kc7yy4gGJp
— Reid Hoffman (@reidhoffman) February 4, 2026
He also posted an email from Musk to Epstein asking what day “will be the wildest party on your island?” for Musk and ex-wife Talulah to visit. Musk replied; “The big difference between you and me, Reid, is that you went and I did not.”
And, as the email shows, I obviously didn’t anticipate anything actually shady, as I was bringing my wife at the time (Talulah).
Nonetheless, UNLIKE YOU, I came to my senses and declined to go. Epstein tried to get me to go to his island so many times that eventually I just…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2026
When asked if President Trump deserves the same ‘assumption of innocence’ that you are claiming, Hoffman pivots, saying he’s “been calling for an investigation,” adding “No one will need to assume anything if Trump releases all of the files, and we conduct a transparent investigation into those implicated in crimes.”
Shockingly, not everyone is buying Hoffman’s story…
🎯
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2026
TL;DR – Hoffman went to the island, he says, to raise money for MIT, brought gifts, and left his passport in a gift bag, and now regrets it. Musk was invited, and/or asked, to visit Epstein’s island with his ex-wife, which never happened.
Weird Shit and Other Novelties
Aside from all that BS, there are some very odd things that also appear in the files…
Epstein was living with the Pope, in the Vatican?
An extremely disturbing diary entry or entries from a victim allegedly held at Epstein’s New Mexico ranch, where she was an ‘incubator’ for bearing children.
Jeffrey Epstein’s 10,000 acre ranch in New Mexico, known as Zorro, was miles from civilization and featured a massive underground lair that an IT contractor compared to a dungeon outfitted with cameras.
It also had an airstrip, a helicopter pad, and much more—including,… pic.twitter.com/Q1KsrY53Oh
— Frankie Stockes (@realStockes) February 3, 2026
Is the DOJ protecting someone here here, when we were reliably told that only victims would be redacted? Or is this a woman referring to herself as ‘your littlest girl?’
Sultan Bin Sulayim, CEO of DP World, to Epstein: “I am off to sample a fresh 100% female Russian on my yacht.”
Epstein said he wants ‘nothing to do with India, hot ,smells like shit, filthy…’ (eh, I mean…)
British biotech investor, Nicole Junkermann, asked Epstein if he wanted to have a baby almost exactly 2 years after his 2008 conviction for child sex trafficking.
NEW:
🇺🇸 🇬🇧 British biotech investor, Nicole Junkermann asked Epstein if he wanted to have a baby with her:
“Will you have a baby with me?
Where is the best place to do so?” pic.twitter.com/2gfb3uoYO7
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) February 4, 2026
The Rothschilds are being deleted from the files… (among other reported ‘prunings’ since the latest release). Epstein notably told Peter Thiel “I represent the Rothschilds.”
So we started at 12073 results for the term “Rothschild”
Later yesterday it was 11912
And a couple of hours ago we’re down 11860
Has anyone saved the entire batch immediately after release lol? https://t.co/nMwjJ9PuAn pic.twitter.com/2shU99VMp5
— dart (@poordart) February 3, 2026
Was Epstein a “multinational covert operation” belonging “to both U.S. and allied intelligence services”?
Epstein and Ghislaine were involved in Bitcoin and Ripple from the earliest days, directly corresponding with Satoshi (who told him to fuck off).
Check back for more!
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/04/2026 – 14:20
Naperville council votes to pause contract talks with electricity provider IMEA
Contract negotiations with the city’s longtime energy provider Illinois Municipal Electric Agency were put on hold Tuesday by the Naperville City Council, giving the city an opportunity to explore other electricity sources.
The city is locked into a contract until 2035 with IMEA, a nonprofit joint action agency that sells electric power to municipally-owned utilities. The council’s action comes in response to IMEA’s request that the city extend its contract to 2055, something to which 29 of its 32 member municipalities have already agreed.
Contract renewal discussions have been ongoing for nearly two years, and in August the council voted to negotiate independently with IMEA on a number of provisions that could be included in a future contract with the agency.
On Tuesday night, the council heard from Naperville residents in favor of and opposed to extending the IMEA deal, with more than 20 people speaking on the topic.
“Tonight, here we are again without a firm counter offer and without a firm plan to move on — just more vagaries,” Naperville resident Marilyn Schweitzer said. “Enough waffling. It is time to move on. … Vote yes to explore seriously options other than IMEA with firm commitments and a clear plan, something that many in the community have been advocating for many years.”
But resident Michael Lapinski urged the council to use common sense in how it proceeds for the sake of future stability.
“We expect your sensibility over a short-term, feel-good vote that has a long-term cost burden to ratepayers and each of you,” Lapinski said. “The way forward with stable prices, stable supply, reduced infrastructure complexity and renewable supply capability is with IMEA. … This is your time to step up and cast your vote for the citizens you represent and approve the new IMEA contract.”
There were eight contract points on which city staff were authorized to negotiate, including the ability for Naperville to leave the IMEA contract in 2045, increasing Naperville’s voting rights within the IMEA and provisions that would allow Naperville to lower its carbon footprint.
The city’s current contract with IMEA does not allow the city to procure energy from other sources, but IMEA members who sign the new 20-year agreement can utilize a Member-Directed Resource allocation to obtain a percentage of their electricity from a renewable or cleaner energy source.
As part of the provisions in its contract negotiations, Naperville proposed increasing the city’s Member-Directed Resource allocation if IMEA, which relies heavily on coal as an electricity source, fails to meet its carbon milestones by a percentage equal to the shortfall.
Another provision would have increased Naperville’s “by-right” allowance of Member-Directed Resources to 20% of capacity or 50% of energy consumption, with the option to sign a power purchase agreement for a variety of carbon-free resources, including nuclear energy.
In September, city staff issued a Request for Proposals to assess what clean energy vendors would be available for the Member Directed Resource allocation. Of the 552 requests sent to potential suppliers, only four complete responses were received alongside one bid and one incomplete response.
Since then, IMEA has provided responses to Naperville’s proposal. Notably, it rejected the city being allowed to leave the contract early and to increasing its voting rights. The agency also rejected much of what the city proposed as carbon-free milestones and any increase in its by-right allowance in the power sales contract.
Council members voted 6-3 to pause negotiations, with Mayor Scott Wehrli and Councilmen Josh McBroom and Nate Wilson voting against the action.
Council members who voted to pause negotiations cited a lack of clarity on IMEA’s future power sources and costs as a major factor as well as a desire to consider alternative options before making a final decision on the future of Naperville’s power supply.
“(The proposed) contract has no cost guarantees, no early termination clauses, no flexibility in return (in) terms of full requirements clause,” Councilwoman Mary Gibson said. “We are in a rapidly changing market and if Naperville’s needs don’t dictate that we make this long-term decision now, we should wait until those needs dictate that we start looking at our future options.”
Councilman Benny White said he would like to see the city follow its standard procurement practices to “identify the most responsible and cost effective providers capable of supplying power” to Naperville.
He also would like to see the city create a strategy and define what its priorities are for energy sources, noting that it may be a while before the city starts looking into other energy providers.
“I do think we’re probably a few years early … probably about 2029 or so is when those discussions need to take place,” White said. “If we do it too soon, the technology, it’s a good chance that will change. We see how things are changing so quickly in this market.”
Wehrli cautioned against pausing negotiations, saying that as experts warn of future chronic power shortages and higher monthly bills in Illinois, it could be difficult to find bidders wanting to provide electricity to the city.
“I don’t see what we gain by walking away now,” the mayor said. “If we stop negotiations or discussions … we effectively lock ourselves and future councils into our current generation mix and cost structure for nearly the next decade with no possibility of a change. That limits Naperville’s ability to reduce costs, adopt clean air technology and receive a bond for a rapidly changing energy landscape.”
As for exploring and selecting alternative energy providers, the timeline would be dictated by the strategy the council chooses for how it wants to proceed, said Brian Groth, the city’s electric utility director.
If it’s decided the city will build its own energy resources, the lead time would be about eight to 10 years, Groth said. If it chooses to contract with a power marketer, the lead time would likely be one to two years, he said.
cstein@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/04/naperville-imea-electricity-contract-hold/
