Category: News
UAE Firm Bought 49% Of Trump-Linked Crypto Startup For $500M: WSJ
UAE Firm Bought 49% Of Trump-Linked Crypto Startup For $500M: WSJ
Authored by Amin Hagshanas via Cointelegraph,
A UAE-backed investment vehicle quietly agreed to buy nearly half of World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency startup linked to President Donald Trump, just days before he returned to the White House, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Aryam Investment 1, an Abu Dhabi entity backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, signed a deal in January 2025 to purchase a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million, the Journal said, citing documents and people familiar with the matter.
Half of that amount was paid upfront, sending $187 million to Trump family-controlled entities, with additional tens of millions flowing to entities tied to co-founders, including relatives of US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, per the report.
The agreement was reportedly signed by Eric Trump. The Journal reported that the deal had not been publicly disclosed, despite World Liberty later revealing that the Trump family’s stake had fallen sharply.
Tahnoon’s ambitions grow after Trump election
Tahnoon, the brother of the United Arab Emirates president and the country’s national security adviser, has been central to Abu Dhabi’s push to become a global leader in artificial intelligence. Under the Biden administration, his efforts to secure advanced US-made AI chips were limited amid concerns that sensitive technology could reach China, particularly through companies such as G42.
Following Trump’s election, those efforts gained momentum. Tahnoon met multiple times with Trump and senior US officials, and within months the administration committed to granting the UAE access to hundreds of thousands of advanced AI chips annually.
Anatomy of the deal. Source: WSJ
The Journal reported that executives from G42 helped manage Aryam Investment 1 and took board seats at World Liberty as part of the deal, making Aryam the startup’s largest outside shareholder. Weeks before the US-UAE chip framework was announced, another Tahnoon-led firm, MGX, used World Liberty’s stablecoin to complete a $2 billion investment into Binance.
World Liberty and the White House have reportedly denied any wrongdoing. Spokespeople told the Journal that President Trump was not involved in the deal and that it did not provide any influence over US policy.
World Liberty faces US probe calls
Last year, Democratic senators called on US authorities to investigate alleged links between World Liberty Financial’s token sales and sanctioned foreign actors. In a Nov. letter to the Justice Department and Treasury, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jack Reed cited claims that WLFI governance tokens were bought by blockchain addresses tied to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, as well as Russian- and Iranian-linked entities.
The controversy is heightened by WLFI’s ownership structure, which gives Trump family-linked entities control over the majority of token revenue. Lawmakers argue this creates a direct conflict of interest, as most proceeds from token sales flow to the president’s family.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/02/2026 – 20:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/uae-firm-bought-49-trump-linked-crypto-startup-500m-wsj
California Plans “Mileage Tax” To Bleed Citizens For Even More Cash
California Plans “Mileage Tax” To Bleed Citizens For Even More Cash
Lawmakers in the California State Assembly have moved to direct the Transportation Commission to prepare a study on the effects of a road charge for delivery to the legislature. A road charge is a program that imposes fees based on the number of miles each citizen drives over a specified period, and is designed to offset gas tax losses from the wider use of electric cars on California roads.
In 2014, California passed Senate Bill 1077, authorizing a “Road Usage Charge Technical Advisory Committee” to explore whether the state could replace its gas tax with a mileage-driven tax. The project was based on the assumption that “cleaner vehicles” and a potential zero-emission future would lead to dwindling gas tax revenues.
The state has been running road charge pilot programs since 2016. Last year, a pilot project concluded where mileage rates were set at 2.5 cents per mile for light-duty vehicles, such as cars, and other vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds. The rate for heavy-duty vehicles is dependent on their weight.
Today, proponents complain that implementation is not going fast enough. The latest bill is being called an “extension” of the pilot project and not a move to pass the actual tax. Democrats assert that Republicans are interfering with the project and misrepresenting its intent. However, taxes based on climate ideology are often kept on the shelf by exploratory committees, waiting for politically opportune moments to pass them quickly with minimal public opposition or debate. The Democrats are simply biding their time.
It is not clear yet when the mileage tax will be made official or if it will replace the gas tax; it is far more likely that both taxes would ultimately exist in tandem. Republicans argue that the tax is unfair to residents of rural counties where driving distances are much greater and gas vehicles are common. The tax is useful, though, for climate “re-wilding”: The globalist idea of forcing people to abandon rural areas and move into population centers so that large swaths of the nation can be “returned to nature.”
California currently has the highest gas taxes in the country. Total state taxes and environmental fees frequently exceeding .90 cents per gallon, contributing significantly to the nation’s highest pump prices ($4.30 per gallon compared to a national average of $2.87).
Over the past few years Governor Gavin Newsom and Democrats have sought to deflect blame for the state’s exorbitant fuel costs by accusing oil companies of “price gouging” consumers; a claim which was ultimately proven false the government’s own investigations. State interference has led to multiple refinery closures and the loss of numerous small business gas stations; prices are expected to rise even further.
The relentless (and baseless) hostility towards the oil industry in liberal states is forcing citizens into electric vehicles, but officials have no intention of letting the public escape taxation. The concept goes well beyond the old school idea of toll roads. A charge for mileage could require intrusive surveillance technology, including “black box” GPS devices in every vehicle to track miles driven. Or, yearly inspections of odometers with arduous paperwork and bureaucratic red tape.
If they can’t tax the gas, they will tax residents simply for driving. Next comes a tax simply for breathing.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/02/2026 – 19:40
https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/california-plans-mileage-tax-bleed-citizens-even-more-cash
Invictus Theatre postpones show as artistic director steps away
The board of directors of Invictus Theatre told the Tribune late Monday that the theater company was postponing its February production of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and that the company’s founder and artistic director, Charles Askenaizer, was stepping away pending a third-party investigation into his conduct. All of the theater’s classes have also been canceled.
Allegations had emerged on social media of aggressive behavior within the rehearsal process of shows. Askenaizer could not immediately be reached for comment.
“The board of directors of Invictus Theatre is aware of online allegations regarding Charles Askenaizer in his role as Artistic Director,” the prepared statement read. “We are taking these concerns about the fair and respectful treatment of our theatre cast and staff seriously. The board is engaging a third-party investigator to conduct an independent analysis and, based on the findings, advise on appropriate next steps.”
The statement further said that Askenaizer (who is a board member himself) was stepping away in the best interests of the theater and “to allow this investigation to proceed without distraction.” Invictus, which performs at the former Windy City Playhouse on Irving Park Road, had been on a roll with a widely acclaimed production last summer of “Angels in America” that was extended several times. The theater also said that class fees and ticket purchases will be automatically refunded to students and patrons within the next seven to 10 days.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic (cjones5@chicagotribune.com)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/02/invictus-theatre-changes/
El comisionado de la NFL afirma que no hay conversaciones formales sobre agregar un 18vo juego
SAN JOSÉ, California, EE.UU. (AP) — El comisionado de la NFL, Roger Goodell, afirmó que no ha habido discusiones con el sindicato sobre la adición de un 18vo juego a la temporada y expresó que alargar el calendario nuevamente no es inevitable.
La NFL añadió un 17mo juego en 2021 y Goodell ha manifestado interés en el pasado por agregar un 18vo partido en lugar de uno de los tres juegos de exhibición que cada equipo juega cada pretemporada.
Goodell señaló que se tendrían que discutir varios temas con el sindicato de jugadores antes de añadir un 18vo juego, incluyendo si se necesitaría una segunda semana de descanso y el tamaño de las plantillas para asegurarse de que no tenga un impacto negativo en la seguridad de los jugadores y la competitividad.
“No hemos tenido ninguna discusión formal al respecto y, francamente, muy pocas conversaciones informales”, comentó Goodell. “No es un hecho que lo haremos. No es algo que asumamos que sucederá. Es algo que queremos discutir con el liderazgo del sindicato.”
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
U. of I. Republicans club faces backlash for post supporting ICE: ‘Only traitors help invaders’
The Illini Republicans club at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is facing backlash after posting an illustration on social media of a masked gunman holding a weapon to a kneeling man’s head — alongside the caption, “Only traitors help invaders.”
The Instagram post, published Friday, also says Alex Pretti and Renée Good — who were both fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis last month — had “voided their liberties the moment they decided they were above the law.”
“Our nation has come under invasion from the masses of the third world and those incompatible with Western civilization,” the post says. “Now, the current administration, as duly elected by its people to do so, has taken a stand against this invasion.”
The illustration was later deleted from the post, as first reported by the Daily Illini. But it prompted a complaint to the university’s Title VI Office, and drew a slew of criticism from U. of I. students online, who argue that it glorified the deaths of Pretti and Good as well as the unrest engulfing Minnesota.
“My first initial reaction was just disgust, horror and nausea,” said sophomore Rylee Graves, 19, a member of Illini Democrats. “For them to say that that post was not violent or they weren’t condoning violence is a lie, and they know exactly what they’re doing.”
The image, set against the backdrop of the American flag, depicts a bearded man with his back turned as the gunman looms above him. Some students said that both the man and the scene resembled the Jan. 24 killing of Pretti, who was shot multiple times in the back.
An illustration, posted by Illini Republicans on Instagram, depicts what appears to be a federal agent pointing a gun at a man’s head. The group has said it stands with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (Illini Republicans)
Illini Republicans wrote in an email to the Tribune that the image was removed “to prevent misinterpretation while we review concerns,” but it was “not an admission of wrongdoing.” They declined a request for an interview.
“We take concerns raised by others seriously and are committed to engaging in good-faith dialogue while exercising our right to express political viewpoints as a registered student organization,” the club wrote.
“The claim that the post glorifies or endorses violence is incorrect,” the club added. “At no point did it advocate harm, violence or extrajudicial action against any individual or group.”
The post is under review by the university’s Title VI Office, which investigates civil rights complaints, according to a statement from a U. of I. spokesperson. As a registered student organization, Illini Republicans are required to follow the student code of conduct, but U. of I. “cannot discipline them for the viewpoint or content of protected speech,” the spokesperson added.
“Hate and intolerance are not aligned with our university values,” the spokesperson said. “We strive to be a campus where every member of our community has a transformative and positive experience.”
More than 1,600 people have commented on the post since Friday. It was posted the same day as “ICE Out” demonstrations across the U.S., including a walkout on the Urbana-Champaign campus.
The intensified immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, dubbed Operation Metro Surge, began in December. Good was shot during an encounter with agents Jan. 7, and Pretti was shot Jan. 24. The Trump administration said the use of force was justified — but videos of both incidents contradict those claims.
When Lillie Salas saw the Illini Republicans’ post, her emotions fluctuated from disbelief to outrage. It’s jarring knowing that some of her classmates felt comfortable using phrases such as “foreign invaders” to refer to immigrants, the 22-year-old senior said.
Citizens who stand against Trump’s immigration aren’t “traitors” either, she added. She said that type of rhetoric is “racist” and shouldn’t be acceptable on campus.
“I honestly felt very concerned and scared,” Salas said. “It kind of hits differently to see groups so close to you spewing hate so outspokenly. … I know a lot of immigrants who are the most dedicated, hardworking people I’ve ever met in my life.”
It’s a feeling Salas, who is Mexican American, said she’s grown accustomed to during Trump’s immigration crackdown. She’s sensed anxiety on campus, particularly with her Hispanic friends who’ve told her about feeling “frozen in time “and “stuck.”
Cat Lodico, a 20-year-old sophomore, likewise, said she’s seen the stress her friends who are international students have faced in recent months. They worry that if they do or say the wrong thing, their visa will get revoked, and they won’t be able to continue their studies.
U. of I. has one of the largest international student populations in the country. The Illini Republicans post calls immigrants without legal status “enemies of the American people.”
“Although the main focus is studying and getting good grades and the normal college life, because of what’s going on in the country now, there is that anxiety and worriedness in the back of everyone’s mind,” Lodico said, adding that her mom also immigrated to the U.S. from China.
Lodico said as an engineering major, she’s not the most politically involved, but she tries to stay informed. Even still, she said she was shocked and “genuinely concerned” that people her age could agree with Illini Republicans’ post.
“Saying we stand with enforcement of the law, like is it really lawful for random (immigration agents) to be killing other people,” she said. “I just feel like it’s so backward.”
College campuses have increasingly become flashpoints in national debates over free speech.
In the wake of mass student protests over the war in Gaza in 2024, Republican lawmakers have criticized elite colleges and progressive campus culture. The Trump administration froze millions in federal research funding at universities, including at Northwestern University, accusing them of failing to address antisemitism.
Meanwhile, in September, the killing of Charlie Kirk — a right-wing activist and founder of Turning Point USA — ignited a surge of conservative activism on campuses.
Lodico said it seems hypocritical for Illini Republicans to seemingly make light of the deaths of Pretti and Good, given the outcry over Kirk’s killing.
“When people die from ICE suddenly it doesn’t matter? Suddenly it’s valid to shoot people? The logic is not logic-ing, you know,” she said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/02/uiuc-republicans-ice-social-media/
Border Czar Homan Says More Than 145,000 Illegal Immigrant Children Located
Border Czar Homan Says More Than 145,000 Illegal Immigrant Children Located
Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times,
U.S. authorities have located more than 145,000 illegal immigrant children who were previously unaccounted for under the Biden administration, border czar Tom Homan said on Jan. 30.
Homan said the findings came as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the FBI, and the Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Refugee Resettlement continue efforts to locate “more than 300,000 unaccompanied alien children” whom he said had been “turned over to unvetted sponsors, lost track of, and weren’t looking forward” under the Biden administration.
“Through their outstanding efforts, they have so far been able to locate more than 145,000,” the border czar said on X. Homan did not provide details on the status or condition of the children.
“President [Donald] Trump promised that we would find these children, and under his strong leadership and with his unwavering support, the patriots at these, and other partner, agencies have been—and will continue to do—just that,” he added.
The investigation followed an August 2024 report by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General, which showed that more than 323,000 illegal immigrant children were unaccounted for in the United States.
Of those, more than 291,000 unaccompanied migrant children had not been served court notices by ICE as of May 2024, while another 32,000 were served notices to appear in court but failed to do so, according to the report.
The Trump administration has launched efforts to find and track these children after taking office in January last year. In December, federal agencies located more than 129,143 illegal immigrant children, according to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
“Too many of these children were exploited, trafficked, and abused. We will continue to ramp up efforts and will not stop until every last child is found,” Noem said on Dec. 19, 2025.
DHS said last November that ICE launched an initiative with state and local law enforcement to conduct welfare checks on 450,000 illegal immigrant children who were placed with unvetted sponsors under the Biden administration. The initiative aims to ensure children’s safety and protect them from exploitation, the agency said.
DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the Trump administration has located more than 24,400 of those children through visits and door-to-door checks.
“Many of the children who came across the border unaccompanied were allowed to be placed with sponsors who were smugglers and sex traffickers,” McLaughlin said in a November 2025 statement.
“We’ve jump-started our efforts to rescue children who were victims of sex and labor trafficking by working with our state and local law enforcement partners to locate these children.”
“President Trump and Secretary Noem are laser-focused on protecting children and will continue to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement to reunite children with their families,” she added.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/02/2026 – 19:15
Trump afirma que no derribará el Centro Kennedy, pero debe cerrarse para reparaciones
Por DARLENE SUPERVILLE
WASHINGTON (AP) — El presidente Donald Trump aseguró el lunes que no ordenará la demolición del Centro Kennedy, pero señaló que el recinto necesita cerrarse durante aproximadamente dos años para que se lleven a cabo obras de restauración.
Los comentarios de Trump, sin embargo, dejan entrever que el interior del Centro John F. Kennedy para las Artes Escénicas será desmantelado como parte del proceso.
“No lo estoy demoliendo”, aseguró el mandatario a los periodistas tras un anuncio no relacionado en el Despacho Oval. “Voy a usar el acero. Así que estamos usando la estructura”.
Un proyecto de este tipo marcaría el más reciente esfuerzo de Trump por dejar su huella en una institución cultural que el Congreso designó como un monumento viviente al presidente Kennedy, un demócrata, además de intentar dejar su marca en Washington a través de otros proyectos, el más destacado de los cuales es la adición de un salón de fiestas en la Casa Blanca.
Trump anunció el domingo en redes sociales que tiene la intención de cerrar el Centro Kennedy a partir del 4 de julio y durante cerca de dos años, siempre que obtenga la aprobación de una junta liderada por muchos de sus aliados. Trump también es el presidente de la junta.
El anuncio se produjo después de destacados artistas, músicos y grupos han cancelado sus presentaciones en el recinto desde que el presidente destituyó a la dirección anterior y se añadió su nombre al edificio.
Recordando su carrera pasada en el desarrollo inmobiliario, Trump dijo: “quieres pensar algo por un tiempo antes de decidir qué quieres hacer”.
Al hablar sobre el Centro Kennedy, dijo: “Nos sentamos a platicar de eso. Lo manejamos. Está en muy mal estado”, afirmando que el edificio está “deteriorado”, “dilapidado” y “algo peligroso”.
“No puedes hacer ningún trabajo porque hay gente entrando y saliendo”, subrayó.
Estimó el costo de renovaciones en unos 200 millones de dólares, incluido el uso de “los mármoles de la más alta calidad, todo de la más alta calidad”.
“Tenemos todos los fondos y así que vamos a cerrarlo y vamos a dejarlo increíble, mucho mejor de lo que jamás fue, y podremos hacerlo correctamente”, declaró Trump.
El mandatario había publicado en redes sociales en octubre pasado que el lugar permanecería abierto durante la obra. Pero el lunes aclaró que ese plan no era factible.
“Estaba pensando que tal vez había una manera de hacerlo simultáneamente, pero realmente no la hay, y vamos a tener algo que, cuando se abra, será completamente nuevo, hermoso”, dijo Trump.
“El acero será completamente revisado porque quedará expuesto por completo”, señaló. “Ha estado allí por mucho tiempo, pero como cualquiera sabe, estaba en muy mal estado. No se le dio buen mantenimiento antes de que yo llegara”, dijo. “Así que vamos a hacerlo, creo que no habrá nada como esto en todo el país”.
Trump prometió sistemas de calefacción y aire acondicionado completamente nuevos como parte de sus más recientes proyectos de construcción. Desde que regresó a la presidencia, el Centro Kennedy es uno de los muchos puntos de referencia de Washington que ha buscado renovar en su segundo mandato.
Demolió el Ala Este de la Casa Blanca e inició un enorme proyecto de un salón de fiestas de 400 millones de dólares, busca activamente la construcción de un arco triunfal al otro lado del Puente Arlington desde el Monumento a Lincoln, y tiene planes para el Aeropuerto Internacional Washington Dulles.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Cook County state’s attorney’s office reviewing legality of mayor’s immigration executive order
The Cook County state’s attorney’s office on Monday said “a thorough analysis is being conducted” to assess the legality of a mayoral executive order that directs Chicago police to investigate potential wrongdoing by immigration agents, after the weekend signing was overshadowed by a political brouhaha due to social media pushback from the county’s top prosecutor.
For months, advocacy groups have pushed city, county and state officials to investigate and potentially prosecute immigration agents in connection with confrontations with civilians during the Trump administration’s aggressive Operation Midway Blitz this fall.
“These rogue federal agents are taking us backward as a city,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said Saturday. “The people of Chicago asked me to do more, so I’ve done more.”
But the announcement quickly led to a back-and-forth between Johnson and Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke, who posted on the social media platform X that her office “did not receive the Executive Order until it was released to the public. We do not provide legal approval of any matter until we’ve reviewed it.”
In response, Johnson’s office said the mayor’s team received feedback on some of the order’s language from Burke’s policy chief, Yvette Loizon. But Burke’s office fired back again, saying it “never received draft or final language from the Mayor’s office.”
Of particular note in the executive order is a passage that says: “CPD supervisors must ensure preservation of evidence relating to the incidents and reports described above and, at the direction of the Mayor’s office, make a referral of felony matters to the Cook County State’s Attorney.”
When seeking felony charges, detectives seek approval from the state’s attorney’s office’s Felony Review Unit. Involvement from the mayor’s office would be unusual.
In the prosecutor’s office’s statement, officials said they are reviewing the order for legality “because this order changes the process for how felony charges are evaluated.”
In a statement to the Tribune, the mayor’s office said that prosecutors have discretion on whether to file charges.
“The Mayor’s Office will review evidence with CPD when referring cases; however, the State’s Attorney will decide whether or not to bring charges,” according to the statement.
Sheila Bedi, Johnson’s policy chief, told the Tribune Saturday that referral decisions “would not be political” and she said the office is currently in the process of putting together the procedures.
“It’s going to be based on the facts of the underlying crime and an evaluation of whether or not the referral is the appropriate use of criminal justice resources,” Bedi said. “So we’re going to be looking big picture at the investigation that CPD pulls together, and whether or not that is an offense that should be referred.”
The Chicago Police Department declined to answer questions about how the order will be implemented. The department has one month to come into compliance.
As of Monday, CPD had yet to communicate to officers any potential changes to department policy.
The order — “ICE On Notice” — requires police to verify the names and badge numbers of immigration agents in leadership roles when responding to the scene of immigration enforcement actions. If federal agents do not comply, police should capture that denial with their body cameras, the order states.
It does make clear, though, that Chicago officers will continue to not interfere with federal immigration arrests.
“Nothing in this Order imposes any duty on CPD members to arrest federal agents during civil immigration enforcement operations,” the order reads. “Nothing in this Executive Order is intended to alter any of the Collective Bargaining Agreements between the City and the labor unions representing CPD members.”
John Catanzara, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, the union that represents rank-and-file officers and detectives, derided the order in a statement over the weekend:
“The same guy who hates the police now wants to use (them) for his own personal and political relevance,” Catanzara said on social media. “We will be exploring the legal jeopardy Brandon Johnson might be placing our members into.”
Johnson’s executive order comes as the matter of accountability for federal agents accused of wrongdoing in the wake of Midway Blitz weighs heavily, especially amid attempts by Minnesota officials to investigate the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
In Cook County, immigration Agent Adam Saracco became the first known federal agent to face charges in connection with a confrontation with a protester.
He is facing a misdemeanor battery charge after he allegedly threw a man who was filming him to the ground at a gas station while off-duty.
Chicago Tribune’s Jake Sheridan and Caroline Kubzansky contributed.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/02/ice-executive-order-cook-county/
Lincolnwood pouring more money into pandemic-born residential rat control efforts: ‘See signs of rat activity … report it’
For Lincolnwood homeowners who notice signs of rats in their yard – burrowing, droppings or dirt mounds – the village will help with abatement as part of a special program offered free of charge, officials announced.
Public Works Director John Welch told Pioneer Press that the rat control program for residential properties began in October 2021. Currently, the village contracts with MyPestCrew to provide the program’s services.
The rat issue “started back when COVID hit and the restaurants weren’t having as much activity because no one was going out to eat, so rats started migrating into the neighborhoods and trying to find other food sources. So (the rats) were being noticed more,” Welch said.
According to Welch, the Public Words Department has budgeted $12,000 for the rat control program in 2026.
Welch explained that $5,000 was budgeted for the service in 2025. However, that was upped this year because $10,871 was ultimately spent last year for the rat control program.
Calling MyPestCrew knowledgeable and easy to work with, Welch said the Chicago-based business has been the licensed contractor for the rat control program since summer 2024.
“They will look at the property for active burrows and treat the source of the burrows with basically a poison,” Welch said. “There’s a lot (of times) when MyPestCrew will go out and see that there aren’t active burrows and they’ll recommend no further action.”
According to information about the rat control program, signs of rats in a residential yard could include burrows, droppings or dirt mounds near fences or garages.
Welch said the contractor may make notes about a property, such as suggesting that residents clear debris and place piles of wood off the ground to make outdoor areas less attractive to rats.
Citing a weekly report from December, Welch said there has not been much rat activity lately. Only three locations out of nine that had been treated as part of the program still had active burrows and were recommended for follow-up treatment.
Rat activity “goes in waves depending on the time of year,” Welch said. “Let’s get a deep freeze for a good week and maybe it will kill a bunch of these rats. This winter we’ve already beat last year’s snow totals. We just really didn’t get the cold weather last winter.”
Referencing a weekly report from August, Welch said there were more than 25 locations that MyPestCrew visited at one point in summer.
Welch said the village reminds residents about the rat control program through various means, including through the Lincolnwood Connections village newsletter.
“Rats thrive in areas where they can find food, water and shelter,” officials state in the March/April 2025 newsletter. “Protect your properties and deter rats from making themselves at home.”
The newsletter article recommended eliminating food sources, removing water sources, sealing potential entry points, decluttering and maintaining landscaping, and keeping property clean.
According to the village website, garbage spilling out of dumpsters, not picking up pet waste, spilling birdseed from bird feeders, open compost bins, throwing food on the ground for birds, cats and other animals, and dumpsters and garbage containers in disrepair can be food sources for rats.
“This program is for residential properties and does not cover rodents found inside homes or businesses,” the website explains about the rat control program. “If you’re seeing rats in a commercial area, please report it to our Code Enforcement Team.”
The website explains that residents must fill out a waiver to participate in the rat control program and will have to allow unimpeded access to the backyard.
“The more neighbors who sign up, the more effective the program will be,” according to village officials. “If you see signs of rat activity, report it today and encourage your neighbors to do the same.”
Jessi Virtusio is a freelancer.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/02/lincolnwood-offering-free-residential-rat-abatement/
Dominicana vence a Puerto Rico y lidera la Serie del Caribe
Por The Associated Press
Los Leones del Escogido, campeones de la Liga Dominicana de Béisbol, atacaron temprano con tres carreras en la primera entrada y se encaminaron a una victoria por 5-3 sobre los Cangrejeros de Santurce de Puerto Rico, para asumir el liderato al inicio de la segunda jornada de la Serie del Caribe 2026, que se disputa en el Estadio Panamericano de Guadalajara.
Junior Lake, quien remolcó tres carreras y destacó a la defensiva en el triunfo de los dominicanos sobre México Rojo en la jornada inaugural, abrió la pizarra con un sencillo productor en el primer episodio. El ataque se completó con un doble remolcador de Cristhian Adames y un elevado de sacrificio de Ardelín Rodríguez.
En la segunda entrada, Erick González amplió la ventaja con un doble impulsor de una carrera, y en la quinta, otro doble productor de Adames colocó el juego 5-0 a favor de los Leones.
Puerto Rico reaccionó con tres anotaciones en el sexto episodio, pero el sólido relevo dominicano contuvo el intento de remontada y aseguró la victoria de los Leones del Escogido.
“Los muchachos supieron capitalizar desde temprano. Tenemos muchos brazos confiables en el bullpen y esa ha sido una de nuestras principales fortalezas, tanto en Dominicana como aquí. Creo que ahí estuvo la diferencia del juego”, señaló el manager dominicano, Ramón Santiago. “Tenemos que mantenernos enfocados, no confiarnos y seguir jugando con la misma determinación, porque cada partido es importante. Todavía queda mucho camino por recorrer”.
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
