Category: News
Apple Prioritizes Premium iPhone Rollout As ‘Great Memory Crunch’ Tightens Global Supply
Apple Prioritizes Premium iPhone Rollout As ‘Great Memory Crunch’ Tightens Global Supply
We have repeatedly warned about the “Great Memory Crunch,” driven by AI data center buildouts absorbing a growing share of global memory supply, and industry insiders now telling consumers and enterprises (read here) should accelerate purchases of electronics that use high-bandwidth memory before prices accelerate further, as supply shortages are expected through 2027.
One key signal that the memory shortage is worsening is that Apple, one of the world’s most valuable companies, is having to prioritize the production and shipment of its three most premium new iPhone models due to the memory crunch, according to a new report by Nikkei Asia.
Not even Apple can mitigate the threat of the HBM shortage.
Here’s more from the report based on industry insiders:
The U.S. tech giant will focus on delivering its first-ever foldable iPhone as well as two non-folding models with higher-end cameras and larger displays for its flagship launch in the second half of the year, said four people with knowledge of the matter. The standard iPhone 18 model will be scheduled for shipment in the first half of 2027, they said.
The move is intended to optimize resources and maximize revenue and profits from premium models amid surging prices for memory chips and other materials, multiple sources told Nikkei Asia. It is also critical for Apple to minimize any potential production hiccups while mass producing its first-ever foldable iPhone, which requires more complicated industrial techniques and new materials that could require more time to reach required levels of production quality, according to the people.
Choosing to focus on premium models in the second half of this year and targeting sales for its relatively standard models in the first half of 2027 could help the company better manage supply chain resources and develop a better and clear marketing strategy, one of the people said.
. . .
Apple has at least five new iPhone models in the pipeline: a revamped iPhone Air, its thinnest-ever model; the standard new iPhone; and three premium models. It is not yet clear when shipments of the Air will start, but they are not expected this year.
To visualize the HBM memory crunch, Amazon price-tracking website CamelCamelCamel shows a parabolic surge in the price of Crucial Pro DDR5 64GB RAM, rising from $145 to $790 in just six months.
More than one month ago, we cited Goldman analyst Maho Kamiya, who told clients that concerns about rising memory prices and the absence of top-down tailwinds had sent Nintendo shares spiraling.
TrendForce expects 70% of HBM chips produced this year will be consumed by data centers.
The list of memory-crunch victims has continued to grow.
Last week, we noted that smartphones, PCs, and other consumer electronics dependent on HBM were set to come under pressure. Goldman then followed with another note, warning that it had slashed global PC shipment forecasts due to soaring memory prices. That list continues to expand:
In addition to the Nikkei Asia report, Apple CEO Tim Cook told investors during an earnings call this past week that “We do continue to see market pricing for memory increasing significantly. As always, we’ll look at a range of options to deal with that.”
If even one of the world’s largest and most powerful companies is struggling to secure enough memory supply, the warning signs are flashing red: the Great Memory Crunch is rapidly accelerating and could impact product availability, while sending prices for popular electronics soaring.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/02/2026 – 14:50
Mokena village officials updating website, not logo, administrator says
Mokena Village Administrator John Tomasoski said he has received several calls inquiring about the village’s logo since an informal board discussion in November on a website redesign.
A few posts on social media since that meeting announced the village’s logo was changing, and one post by Mokena’s Front Porch podcast showed photos of a possible new logo.
But Tomasoski said the logo is not changing, and the mockup was just an idea “getting floated through” from a staff member and not a decision point.
The mockup presented in November was part of an informal discussion about the village’s larger project to redesign its website and revamp village operations, he said.
Tomasoski said village officials started rethinking village operations in late 2023, early 2024 when a new wave of staff members were hired after several retirements.
The influx of staff was a big change from when he started in 2015, he said, when the newest hire had been there for 15 years and some staff members had a tenure of more than 30 years.
Naturally, he said, the new staff members prompted new ideas and processes.
He said department administrators started discussing how to work more efficiently internally and externally, and staff members said the village website needed a fresh look.
Tomasoski said Friday a lot of changes are happening internally for village administration.
He said the village is undergoing a website redesign scheduled to finish by late spring or early summer.
He said village officials aim to provide a website that is easier, more effective and more efficient for the outside user and internal village staff to use. The redesign is driven by village staff, he said.
There is also new software installation for the village, he said. The village is implementing BS&A Software, which provides cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning software specifically for local governments.
The village is also updating its comprehensive plan for the next 10 to 15 years in an effort to improve the community. The village’s previous plan was adopted in 2002.
Tomasoski encouraged residents to get involved in plan development and said residents can find more information and give feedback at planmokena.org.
More than 100 residents packed the Mokena police station last April for a workshop on developing the new plan, according to the village website.
Tomasoski said residents can expect another workshop for the comprehensive plan, most likely in March.
He said village officials want to hear input and feedback from residents as the plan is drafted.
awright@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/02/mokena-updating-website-not-logo/
Presentation in Batavia focuses on links between quilts and the Underground Railroad
Residents and guests at the Covenant Living Holmstad in Batavia learned about “Civil War Quilts: Secret Codes to Freedom on the Underground Railroad” during a presentation last month by Aurora resident Connie Martin, an Illinois Humanities’ Road Scholar lecturer and former language arts teacher.
Martin shared stories about her relatives who were slaves and said that patterns in special quilts were used to convey secret information to those escaping slavery in the South through the end of the Civil War.
Martin’s presentation included 12 replica hand-sewn quilts that she said were made by her mother who was regarded as a master quilter. She said that an 1865 Martin family Bible recorded the secret messaging system in quilts.
“I’ve been doing presentations for 10 years. My mother, a historian, Dr. Clarice Boswell, created this presentation and performed this presentation for 16 years and then she gave it to me when I retired from teaching,” Martin said before the event began. “I recreated it and changed a few things and made a PowerPoint presentation. It’s the story diving into our family history, dating back six generations.”
Martin noted she has been very busy on the speaking circuit, adding that she does “about 70 presentations a year.”
“I have 26 booked this year for February,” she said, which is Black History Month. “I think this continues to have traction as it hits on three different areas of history: the first is the history of slavery, the discovery of the quilt codes and the history of the Underground Railroad and its safe routes from the south to the north.”
“People are really interested in the history of the Underground Railroad,” Martin added. “They come out to hear about it. There are many tours that people can take of underground safe stops in Illinois. People are interested in how a family came out of slavery and what their life was like on the plantation. Many of those who come to the presentations have a history of their own that they are interested in and want to share.”
Martin said the whole coded system in the quilts “was about survival” and helping those escaping the extreme cruelty that slaves were subjected to.
“Each and every person wanted to escape but not all of them could,” she said. “I hope people that come to these presentations appreciate the preservation of history and continue to want to do that – to want to tell the stories generation to generation about our ancestors and what enslaved people had to go through and why they were brilliant and genius to create these secret messages inside each quilt pattern.”
A crowd of more than 125 people attend a presentation called “Civil War Quilts: Secret Codes to Freedom on the Underground Railroad” at the Covenant Living Holmstad, 700 W. Fabyan Parkway in Batavia, in January. (David Sharos/For The Beacon-News)
A crowd of over 125 people attended the event in Batavia.
Kathy Cook of Campton Hills said she has a keen interest in quilting which is why she came to the event.
“I really want to learn how to quilt and I’m always interested in the history of quilts and that’s why I’m here,” she said. “The secret code that was invented – I admire the cleverness and perseverance of the people that did that.”
Barb Harris of Aurora said she has been part of a quilt guild for a long time in St. Charles.
“I wanted to come because I’ve been a quilter for a long time,” she said at the presentation. “I think it’s amazing that they were trying to help people at that time and using their quilts to do it. It’s humbling that a quilt was a way to try and save someone’s life.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
‘Your day will come’: Schaumburg man accused of threatening FBI agent after ICE shooting in Minneapolis
A Schaumburg man has been arrested on charges of doxing and threatening an FBI agent whose information was stolen from a government vehicle during a protest over an immigration-related shooting in Minneapolis last month.
Jose Alberto Ramirez, 28, was arrested Thursday in Schaumburg on a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis charging him with transmitting a threat to harm another, court records show.
Ramirez is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday to determine if he’ll be brought to Minnesota in custody. His court-appointed lawyer for those proceedings declined to comment.
The investigation stemmed from the Jan. 14 shooting of an immigrant by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a targeted arrest in Minneapolis, according to the complaint.
The shooting, which took place a week after a Border Patrol agent fatally shot U.S. citizen Renee Good, sparked a large and tense protest where FBI agents gathering evidence at the scene “were forced to evacuate the area on foot for their personal safety,” the complaint stated.
The agents left behind two government-owned vehicles, which were vandalized and ransacked of materials inside, including a rifle, a handgun, tactical vests, FBI identification, building access badges, and “rosters with employees’ phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses,” the complaint stated.
Within a day, agents whose information was contained in the documents were bombarded with threatening and disturbing phone calls, emails and social media messages, some targeting their children or other relatives. Others were subjected to “suspicious drive-bys” at the residences, according to the complaint.
One FBI agent, identified in the complaint as Victim A, received text messages, emails and voicemails from 23 different senders to the agent’s work cellphone, including several that were later linked to a phone number used by Ramirez, the complaint alleged.
“I know where your mom lives bro. And your dad. And your kids buddy,” one text from Jan. 15 linked to Ramirez’s phone stated, according to the complaint. “Get home safe and fast.”
That same day, someone called Victim A from the Ramirez-linked phone and left a seven-second voicemail calling the agent a “bitch ass (expletive)” and saying “your day will come, (expletive),” the complaint stated.
“The threatening communications have had a significant impact on Victim A’s personal and professional life,” the complaint stated, saying the agent is afraid for their family’s safety and “has had to take significant security precautions” at work and at home.
According to the complaint, a search of law enforcement records showed Ramirez’s phone was listed in a 2014 Schaumburg police report of a harassment complaint filed by a manager at the Woodfield Mall.
The report noted Ramirez had been fired for “threatening to shoot another employee,” and that he was “sending threatening messages that he would be returning to the workplace despite being fired,” the complaint stated. No criminal charges were filed as a result of that investigation.
Meanwhile, law enforcement traced Ramirez’s cellphone billing records to a large apartment building in the 1300 block of Valley Lake Drive in Schaumburg, where he was apparently living under an alias, the complaint stated.
Ramirez has a criminal history that includes misdemeanor domestic battery, felony burglary, and mob action, the complaint stated.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/02/schaumburg-man-charged-agent-threat/
Cómo el show de medio tiempo del Super Bowl pasó de ser un espectáculo a un ícono de la cultura pop
Por JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr.
LOS ÁNGELES (AP) — Érase una vez, el espectáculo de medio tiempo del Super Bowl pertenecía a las bandas de música y los desfiles ostentosos. Pero hoy en día, pertenece a estrellas del pop global, producciones cinematográficas y momentos que resuenan más allá del estadio.
A lo largo de los años, la breve pausa en el partido de campeonato de la NFL se ha transformado en uno de los escenarios más grandes del entretenimiento, al albergar actuaciones que definen épocas, desde Prince bajo la lluvia hasta el regreso de Rihanna, la presentación coreografiada de Usher y la narrativa visualmente impulsada de Kendrick Lamar.
Lo que comenzó como un relleno de intermedio ha evolucionado en un espectáculo global, que rivaliza con el propio juego de campeonato de la NFL por la atención de más de 100 millones de espectadores en todo el mundo.
Esa evolución continúa este año mientras Bad Bunny se prepara para tomar el escenario del medio tiempo, colocando la cultura latina y la música en español en el centro del evento televisivo más visto de Estados Unidos.
“El espectáculo de medio tiempo ha recorrido un largo camino”, dijo Dan Marino, el mariscal de campo miembro del Salón de la Fama que jugó 17 temporadas con los Dolphins de Miami y compitió en el Super Bowl de 1985. Como analista de la NFL, Marino ha tenido un asiento de primera fila en varios espectáculos de medio tiempo.
“No mucha gente realmente lo veía”, continuó. “Pero ahora, a la gente le encanta ver el espectáculo de medio tiempo”.
Ese cambio no ocurrió de la noche a la mañana. Durante décadas, el espectáculo de medio tiempo reflejó la imagen familiar de la NFL, construido alrededor de bandas de música, equipos de exhibición y espectáculos patrióticos. A medida que el Super Bowl se convirtió en una fiesta nacional no oficial —y en un evento de transmisión global— la liga comenzó a replantearse el poder de esos 12 a 15 minutos, convirtiendo gradualmente la pausa en una plataforma cultural capaz de lanzar carreras, moldear narrativas y, a veces, provocar conversaciones nacionales.
El año pasado, Lamar utilizó el escenario del medio tiempo como un espacio narrativo, entrelazando coreografía, vestuario y escenografía para explorar temas de identidad, poder y percepción. La actuación se mantuvo dentro de los parámetros de la liga mientras aún generaba una amplia interpretación y debate sobre sus imágenes y tono.
El espectáculo de Lamar se convirtió en la actuación de medio tiempo con el mayor nivel de audiencia registrado, atrayendo aproximadamente a 133,5 millones de espectadores, superando la actuación de Usher en 2024, que alcanzó alrededor de 129,3 millones. Esa cifra del espectáculo de Lamar es aproximadamente 6 millones mayor que la transmisión de Fox de la victoria de los Eagles de Filadelfia por 40-22 sobre los Chiefs de Kansas City.
“Creo que el elemento en vivo es bastante emocionante para la gente porque es una producción masiva y hay tantas piezas en movimiento”, dijo la actriz Scarlett Johansson, quien no se considera una entusiasta del fútbol. Pero está intrigada por la imprevisibilidad del espectáculo de medio tiempo, como el infame “error de vestuario” de Justin Timberlake y Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga descendiendo desde el techo de un estadio y la revelación del embarazo de Rihanna.
“Lo ves con una emoción nerviosa”, dijo Johansson. “Sabes que en cualquier momento algo podría salir mal. Por eso es tan divertido verlo, porque tienes toda esta anticipación. La producción es tan grande y tantas personas se han unido para crear este momento. Es algo impresionante”.
Kris Jenner está de acuerdo, llamando al espectáculo de medio tiempo una “gran sorpresa”.
“El nivel de producción y la rapidez con la que lo arman mientras están en comerciales y regresan con este fabuloso, épico espectáculo”, dijo Jenner, la matriarca del programa de televisión de realidad “The Kardashians”. “A través de todos los años y la tecnología, mejora cada vez más. Es tan emocionante ver y ver qué se les ocurre a continuación y quién va a actuar. Es un gran acontecimiento”.
Usher dijo que su aparición con los Black Eyed Peas durante el Super Bowl de 2011 le enseñó a no “dar por sentado los momentos porque solo tienes 13 de ellos”.
Su espectáculo en 2024 fue muy diferente del primer espectáculo de medio tiempo del Super Bowl de la NFL en 1967, que contó con bandas de música de la Universidad de Arizona y la Universidad Estatal de Grambling, una universidad históricamente negra, junto con cientos de palomas voladoras, miles de globos y dos hombres voladores con mochilas propulsoras.
Después del Super Bowl inaugural, la NFL siguió trayendo otras bandas de música, equipos de exhibición, firmó a Chubby Checker y Up with People, una organización que escenifica el pensamiento positivo a través de actuaciones de danza y canción. Sin embargo, ninguno de esos actos se consideraba un gran atractivo.
Pero a medida que la popularidad del Super Bowl se disparó y el día del juego emergió como una fiesta no oficial en Estados Unidos, la NFL quería que el espectáculo de medio tiempo creciera en la misma capacidad. La liga recurrió a New Kids on the Block y Gloria Estefan los dos primeros años de la década de 1990. Luego vio un gran avance cuando Michael Jackson encabezó el espectáculo de 1993 en el Rose Bowl en el sur de California, donde el Rey del Pop caminó de manera notoria por el escenario e interpretó éxitos como “Billie Jean”, “Black or White” y “Heal the World”.
La espectacular actuación de Jackson abrió la puerta a otras estrellas como los Rolling Stones, Diana Ross, Jennifer Lopez y Shakira que estaban ansiosos por actuar.
La NFL maneja los costos de producción y gastos para los artistas, quienes no reciben pago por su actuación, aunque sí la exposición a cientos de millones de personas en todo el mundo que se considera invaluable.
Algunos ejemplos notables incluyen el homenaje de U2 a las víctimas del 11 de septiembre; el poder negro sin concesiones de Beyoncé y su activismo político a través de su himno “Formation”; y el primer espectáculo en presentar artistas de hip hop liderados por Dr. Dre y Snoop Dogg en 2022.
Snoop elogió al comisionado de la NFL, Roger Goodell, y a Jay-Z por hacer evolucionar al espectáculo de medio tiempo. La liga trabajó con Roc Nation para ayudar a su iniciativa Inspire Change, creada por la NFL después de un acuerdo con una coalición de jugadores que se manifestaron durante el himno nacional para protestar contra la injusticia social y racial en este país.
“Un saludo a Jay-Z por cambiar el clima. Roger Goodell por darle una oportunidad”, dijo Dogg. “Esta es música. La música que dicta el mundo es la que se presenta en el medio tiempo ahora. Están comenzando a entender que se trata de lo que esos jugadores quieren escuchar, lo que esos fanáticos quieren escuchar y lo que es universalmente efectivo”.
Snoop agregó: “Ahora no tiene color. El pop solía tener un color. Ahora el pop es popular. Entonces, la música más popular es la música que hacemos. Tiene sentido poner a esas personas allí que hacen esa música”.
___
Esta historia se publicó por primera vez en enero de 2024 y se ha actualizado antes del Super Bowl de 2026.
Schools Closed For 8th Day Across Multiple States As Cold Weather Persists
Schools Closed For 8th Day Across Multiple States As Cold Weather Persists
Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,
Superintendents are keeping schools closed to students across multiple states on Feb. 2 as cold weather persists, leaving some roads and sidewalks difficult to navigate.
Officials in Montgomery County, Maryland; Fairfax County, Virginia; and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, North Carolina were among those announcing canceled classes on Monday for the eighth day in the wake of a storm that dumped snow and ice along the East Coast.
“Snow and ice removal from this winter weather event has been slow, where Monday will be the first day above freezing in 9 days,” Montgomery County Public Schools said on the district’s website.
“We know we will not have perfect conditions any time soon, but many streets and sidewalks are NOT passable for buses or safe for student walkers,” officials added later.
They said they want to resume classes on Tuesday, but doing so would be partially contingent on people clearing sidewalks around them.
Fairfax County Public Schools said on its website that classes were canceled because of “continued concerns about safe travel for students and staff to and from school.” The district did not commit to opening on Tuesday.
At least some employees in both counties are expected to report to work on Feb. 2, officials said.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools said on its website that schools were closed Monday “due to unsafe road conditions.”
Those three districts were among those not holding remote classes or instruction over the Internet.
Other districts, such as Randolph County Schools in North Carolina, were having a remote learning day rather than holding classes as normal in person.
Still others, including schools in Baltimore County in Maryland and the District of Columbia, opened for in-person instruction, but two hours later than usual.
A number of states are dealing with snow and ice brought by a January storm. Some areas reported multiple feet of snow. Many recorded at least eight inches.
Since then, freezing temperatures have persisted, keeping the snow and ice in place unless it is removed by hand or machine.
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for portions of Michigan and North Carolina on Monday due to freezing temperatures and additional accumulations of ice.
Forecasters also warned residents across Florida that temperatures as low as 30 degrees, with cold wind chills, were expected late Monday into early Tuesday.
The cold temperatures atypically affected the Southeast, including Alabama and Florida.
More snow is projected to fall in Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey, among other states, in the coming days, although the total would likely be no more than 1 inch in most areas and a maximum of 5 inches, the weather service said.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/02/2026 – 14:20
Illinois appeals court to review order sealing video in Krystal Rivera shooting
An Illinois appeals court may soon decide whether to undo a controversial order by a Cook County judge that kept video footage and other records sealed related to the slaying of Chicago police Officer Krystal Rivera, after media outlets and the state’s attorneys office asked for the ruling to be vacated.
Police Officer Krystal Rivera. (Chicago Police Department)
Such a ruling from the court would not necessarily mean video footage is released, as agencies that keep the records could deny public records requests on other grounds. In its response, filed last week, the state’s attorneys office made it clear that: “Vacating the order does not compel disclosure.”
But a decision in favor of undoing the order would remove at least one obstacle to public disclosure of information around the June 5 slaying of Rivera at the hands of her partner, Carlos Baker.
Rivera’s family, which is suing the police department, has raised questions about the shooting and called on officials to release body camera footage.
“From this moment forward, my purpose is simple: that those responsible for her death must be held accountable,” her mother, Yolanda Rivera, said in a press conference last year.
Baker has been stripped of his police powers, but is not facing any criminal charges.
The criminal cases at the center of the judge’s order to bar disclosure are against two men, Adrian Rucker and Jaylin Arnold, facing charges of armed violence and other felonies in connection with the underlying events around Rivera’s shooting.
Last year, Cook County prosecutors first asked that video footage be barred from disclosure via Freedom of Information laws, which was then granted by Judge Deidre Dyer.
Later, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Better Government Association, NBC Chicago and Jamie Kalven, founder of the Invisible Institute, filed a motion in court to intervene in the case, arguing that the state provided no “legal or factual justification” to deviate from public records laws.
Prosecutors then asked that Dyer’s order be vacated, and attorneys for Arnold and Rucker did not object.
In a surprise move though, Judge Barbara Dawkins denied the request and kept in place the order sealing the records, despite no parties continuing to ask for it.
The media outlets appealed the decision, arguing that Dawkins improperly denied the request, relying on “two different doctrines that apply in two very different contexts.”
“A court’s ability to control discovery does not grant it wide-ranging powers to impose secrecy on parties not before the court by prohibiting the release of their public records,” the media outlets argued in a brief to the appeals court.
In a response brief, the state’s attorney’s office did not staked out a position in opposition.
“Whatever authority the circuit court has to manage discovery and protect fair-trial interests, the continuation of a broad, injunction-like restraint on third-party agencies’ independent disclosure decisions is more extensive than necessary,” the office said in its briefing, “and should be vacated while still allowing the trial court to issue appropriately tailored protective orders concerning discovery in this criminal case.”
Still, it made clear that its position does not necessarily pave the way for the materials to be released.
“Vacating the order does not compel disclosure; it simply removes a blanket court-imposed prohibition so that any requests are handled in the ordinary course, with exemptions and privileges available to the custodians,” it said.
According to a briefing schedule, the appeals court has given the defendants in the case until Feb. 10 to file any response, if they would like to.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/02/cpd-krystal-rivera-video-footage-appeal/
Declaran culpable a capitán de buque ruso por muerte en choque con petrolero en Mar del Norte
Associated Press
LONDRES (AP) — El capitán ruso de un buque de carga fue declarado culpable el lunes de homicidio por negligencia grave luego que su embarcación chocara con un petrolero estadounidense en el Mar del Norte el año pasado, causando la muerte de un miembro de la tripulación.
Vladimir Motin había estado de guardia en solitario cuando su buque de carga, el Solong, colisionó con el anclado Stena Immaculate al noreste de Inglaterra el 10 de marzo de 2025. Ambos barcos transportaban carga inflamable, y la colisión provocó un enorme incendio que ardió durante ocho días.
El filipino Mark Angelo Pernia, de 38 años, que trabajaba en la proa del Solong, murió instantáneamente y su cuerpo nunca fue recuperado.
Los fiscales en el juicio en Londres alegaron que Motin, de 59 años, de San Petersburgo, no pidió ayuda, no redujo la velocidad, no activó la alarma ni inició una parada de emergencia como último recurso. Alegaron que el capitán mintió sobre lo sucedido.
“Esta fue una muerte trágica y completamente evitable de un miembro de la tripulación causada por una negligencia real y excepcionalmente grave”, afirmó el fiscal especialista sénior Michael Gregory. “Es extremadamente afortunado que nadie más haya muerto”.
Motin será sentenciado el jueves.
El Solong, que medía 130 metros (427) de largo, transportaba principalmente bebidas alcohólicas y algunas sustancias peligrosas y se dirigía al puerto de Róterdam en Holanda. El Stena Immaculate medía 183 metros de largo y transportaba combustible para aviones del ejército de Estados Unidos.
El jurado escuchó un largo silencio desde el puente del Solong antes que chocara con el petrolero a una velocidad de 15,2 nudos. Transcurrió un minuto completo antes que se escuchara a Motin reaccionar.
Un video de cámaras de seguridad capturó el momento en que ambos barcos quedaron atrapados las llamas provocadas por el combustible que se filtraba del Stena Immaculate.
“¿Qué nos acaba de golpear… un barco portacontenedores?”, se escuchó decir a la sorprendida tripulación a bordo del petrolero estadounidense en una grabación. “Esto no es un simulacro, esto no es un simulacro, fuego, fuego, fuego, hemos tenido una colisión”.
Los rescatistas salvaron a 36 personas de ambas embarcaciones.
___
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Crowd shows up for ICE response training in Valparaiso
Lali Cuevas, of East Chicago, organized a response team in Lake County after seeing a baker dragged away by immigration authorities last fall. On Sunday, she brought her message to Valparaiso.
So many people showed up for the training session at the Valparaiso Public Library that some were turned away. The room was already at capacity at 85 participants.
NWI Activists organizer Lisa Nicole said people were messaging her on the way to the training session, saying they wanted to help, too.
“We’re a protective presence and a resource network,” Cuevas said. “We’re dedicated to protecting and supporting our community.”
“We’ve been hoping to create a rapid response more local to Valpo,” said Leanne Blind, an NWI Activists organizer. “They have a really amazing template and resources.”
Blind, a meteorologist, got involved in activist protests in response to Trump administration funding cuts for science programs. Since then, “human rights have really become important to me,” she said.
Retired Valparaiso University law professor Sy Moskowitz sees echoes of what happened to his family during World War II. “Much of my family was killed by the Nazis and fascists in Europe,” he said. Now he’s seeing the growth of authoritarianism and fascism in the United States.
“We have masked, armed agents, surprise-arresting people,” Cuevas said.
Sunday’s program and its “know your rights” emphasis impressed Moskowitz. “These people are well organized, well informed, and doing amazing work in Lake County.”
Cuevas warns people keeping their eyes on Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts to be careful, especially after a number of incidents involving ICE agents killing, harming and intimidating observers.
“We really do feel accountability is paramount,” she said.
She’s not alone. A Pew Research Center survey conducted Jan. 20-26 found 74% of Americans say it is acceptable for ordinary people to record video of immigration officers while they make arrests, and 59% are OK with sharing information about where arrests are happening.
“We all know the Constitution guarantees rights for all people in the United States regardless of immigration status,” Cuevas said, but those rights are often ignored by ICE and other federal agencies involved with arresting immigrants and citizens.
Her group is emphasizing a “know your rights” campaign.
The U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech and peaceable assembly, both of which pertain to protesters and observers. The Fourth Amendment requires warrants be supported by probable cause and be specific about the search process.
“We have found that 9.5 out of 10 do not have a warrant” for a criminal arrest, Cuevas said.
One of the participants Sunday offered advice about the warrants. “It has to say your exact legal name, and it has to say your exact address, and it has to say the exact time,” the participant said. That means it should say your legal name, Mary A. Smith, not Mary Smith.
“It is never, ever, ever, ever, to be on the phone,” either. It has to be signed by a judge and indicate the court over which the judge presides.
It also has to give a time range, for example, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Beyond that, they can’t legally enter the house. That doesn’t necessarily stop them, though.
“You have a right to film or photograph ICE,” Cuevas said. Law enforcement can’t legally confiscate or demand to view your digital photos or video without a warrant, but that doesn’t necessarily stop them. Just in case, remove facial recognition and fingerprints to unlock your device and require a six-digit PIN every time, she advised.
“They don’t like our presence. I can tell you that,” Cuevas said. “I tell you what, they anger me. When I see them, they really anger me.”
“Being committed to the resistance requires commitment. I’ve been working tirelessly since Nov. 5, literally every day on this,” she said.
“You live on your phone” to help others, using an encrypted chat.
“We all monitor, we all have eyes on ICE every day on our way to work, on our way to the grocery store, all the time,” Cuevas said.
If you see an ICE raid, she said, “I would hope you would stop” and help, or at least document and support the family. If you do stop, pull to the side of the road and stop in a safe place, she said.
Knowing your rights is important. “We want all of you to feel ready and empowered,” Cuevas said.
People interested in joining the resistance movement might or might not be accepted. “Not just anybody can join us,” she said. There’s a screening process involved. “We don’t want someone infiltrating our team that could possibly ruin us.”
At Sunday’s meeting, a “Melt the ICE” bucket was available for donations, and the group was selling T-shirts to raise money, too, for flyers, door hangers and other resources.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/02/crowd-shows-up-for-ice-response-training-in-valparaiso/
What Corporate America Is Saying About AI Adoption On Earnings Calls
What Corporate America Is Saying About AI Adoption On Earnings Calls
With roughly 50% of the S&P 500’s market capitalization having reported results so far this earnings season, we are focusing on what companies are saying about artificial intelligence on earnings calls.
To do that, we lean on Goldman analysts led by Ben Snider, who track executive commentary focused on AI adoption.
“AI adoption has remained a popular topic on earnings calls this quarter, but only a handful of companies have quantified their productivity gains from AI use,” Snider said.
Those companies include:
Bank of America (BAC):
“We have 18,000 people on the company’s payroll who code – using the AI techniques, we’ve taken 30% out of the coding technique – the coding part of the stream of introducing a new product or service or change, that saves us about 2,000 people… And I use an example, our audit team has built a capability they think a series of prompts around doing audits and stuff to allow them to shape the head count back down that they had to grow during the regulatory onslaught over the last few years.”
C.H. Robinson Worldwide (CHRW):
“Our fleet of AI agents is growing quickly as we continue to pioneer new ways to automate manual tasks and supercharge our industry-leading freight experts to solve for complexity and deliver high-quality service to our customers and carriers… This includes an expectation that we will generate double-digit productivity improvements in both NAST and Global Forwarding in 2026, as we continue to implement agentic AI across our quote-to-cash lifecycle of an order… These digital capabilities also enabled us to continue delivering double-digit productivity increases in NAST in 2025. Since the end of 2022, we have delivered a more than 40% increase in shipments per person per day, and this is measured across the entirety of our NAST organization… Additionally, 95% of our checks on missed LTL pickups are now automated, saving over 350 hours of outsourced manual work a day… Take the example we give often around our request for freight quote operation… Previously, we were only getting to 60% of those requests; today, we get to 100%. Previously, it was taking a cycle time of 17 to 20 minutes; today, it takes less than 32 seconds… These new AI agents are tracking down missed pickups and using advanced reasoning to determine how to keep freight moving… As a result, shippers’ freight moves up to a day faster and return trips to pick up missed freight have been reduced by 42%… the growing automation across our quote-to-cash lifecycle enables us to decouple head count growth from volume growth and to create greater operating leverage and operating margin expansion… Our average head count was down 12.9% year-over-year in Q4 and was down 3.8% sequentially…”
Costco Wholesale (COST):
“An early use case has involved integrating AI into our pharmacy inventory system… autonomously and predictably reorders inventory, improving our end stocks to more than 98%. This change has played an important role in helping us achieve mid-teens growth in pharmacy scripts filled and has improved margins while lowering prices to our members. We are now in the process of deploying AI tools in our gas business, which we expect will improve inventory management and drive incremental sales by ensuring we’re always delivering the best value to our members.”
Meta Platforms (META):
“Since the beginning of 2025, we’ve seen a 30% increase in output per engineer with the majority of that growth coming from the adoption of agentic coding, which saw a big jump in Q4. We’re seeing even stronger gains with power users of AI coding tools, whose output has increased 80% year-over-year. We expect this growth to accelerate through the next half.”
Northern Trust (NTRS):
“You heard me mention our productivity for 2025 was about 4% of our expense base. And this year, we bumped that up. It’s going to be closer to 5%. And a lot of that is because of the impact we’re seeing of AI… we are simplifying processes, upgrading platforms, and applying AI to reduce friction in service delivery.”
Paychex (PAYX):
“We are excited to share that our first agentic AI pilots were a success this quarter. They autonomously handled thousands of payroll calls and emails with nearly 100% accuracy, decreasing payroll processing time and enabling our service teams to focus on higher value strategic advisory support.”
ServiceNow (NOW):
“AI is also driving significant cost efficiencies that have resulted in full-year profitability beats on top of our recently raised guidance… We expect an operating margin of 32%, up 100 basis points year-over-year driven by OpEx savings enabled by AI efficiencies.”
Travelers Companies (TRV):
“We’ve recently rolled out Gen AI agents to efficiently mine both internal and external data sources to better understand and synthesize the risk characteristics and ensure appropriate business classification. This capability both accelerates the underwriting process and results in improved risk classification and segmented pricing… In extensive testing, we achieve significantly improved engineering output and meaningful productivity gains… the efficiency gains in our claim organization come through loss adjustment expense, benefiting the loss ratio. As just one example, our claim call center population is down by a third. And this year, we’ll be consolidating four claim call centers down to two… Our AI investments to automate submission intake for new business reduced our time to ingest submissions from hours to just minutes… our renewal underwriting platform leverages generative AI… with early results showing more than a 30% reduction in average handle time.”
In a separate note, Goldman analyst Sarah Dong reported that the AI adoption tracker through December stood at 17.3%, with an expected target of 21.1% over the next six months.
Related:
What To Know About Corporate America’s Double-Digit AI Adoption Boom
Which Companies Will Benefit Most From AI Adoption?
October Layoffs Surge Most Since 2003 Amid Cost-Cutting, AI Adoption, Challenger Data Shows
We expect 2026 to be a year when AI-related layoffs accelerate as AI adoption gains traction across corporate America.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/02/2026 – 14:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/ai/what-corporate-america-saying-about-ai-adoption-earnings-calls
