Category: News
Renuncia jefe de organismo clave para la medición de la inflación en Argentina
Associated Press
BUENOS AIRES (AP) — El gobierno de Javier Milei sufrió la baja de un funcionario a cargo del organismo responsable de medir la inflación en Argentina justo a pocos días de estrenarse un nuevo método de cálculo del costo de vida.
Marco Lavagna, quien dirigía el Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) desde 2019, presentó el lunes su renuncia indeclinable, confirmó la oficina de prensa del organismo.
“En lo personal no es una decisión sencilla, pero es momento de encarar nuevos proyectos y desafíos, con la tranquilidad de haber compartido con ustedes una etapa intensa y valiosa”, expresó el economista en una carta dirigida al personal del INDEC.
El INDEC es el organismo público que confirma en las estadísticas el éxito o fracaso de las políticas de control de la inflación, entre otras funciones. Milei, un economista ultraliberal que llegó al poder en 2023 en gran medida por el agotamiento de los argentinos de convivir tantos años con alta inflación, implementó un plan de ajuste fiscal que logró con relativo éxito desacelerar los precios.
Argentina reportó en 2025 una inflación de 31,5%, la más baja de los últimos ocho años. Sin embargo, la medición mensual registró una variación de 2,8% en diciembre desde 2,5% del mes anterior.
La renuncia del jefe del organismo se da a una semana de la publicación del nuevo índice de precios al consumidor (IPC) de enero, que contempla cambios en la metodología de medición que rige desde 2017. Entre otras novedades, otorga más peso en el cálculo a los rubros vivienda, transporte y comunicaciones por sobre el precio de los alimentos.
“Nos pone en alerta la renuncia de Marco Lavagna a ocho días de la salida del Índice de Precios al Consumidor (IPC)”, expresó Raúl Llaneza, delegado en el INDEC del sindicato de trabajadores estatales (ATE), y recordó que en 2007, bajo la gestión del entonces presidente de centroizquierda Néstor Kirchner “se intervino políticamente nuestro organismo porque no gustaba el dato del IPC de enero” de ese año.
Aquella decisión marcó un punto de quiebre para el INDEC, ya que durante la década siguiente sus estadísticas quedaron teñidas de sospecha de manipulación política.
“Es un escenario en el que nuestro organismo va a estar en el centro de la opinión pública. Exigimos, históricamente, un INDEC independiente del poder político”, reclamó el sindicalista.
El ministro de Economía, Luis Caputo, adelantó el lunes en una entrevista que la inflación de enero se ubicará en 2,5%.
Pedro Lines, actual director técnico del INDEC, asumirá la dirección del organismo en reemplazo de Lavagna, informó el gobierno.
Devon And Coterra To Create Shale Giant In $58-Billion Merger Deal
Devon And Coterra To Create Shale Giant In $58-Billion Merger Deal
By Tsvetana Paraskova of OilPrice.com
Devon Energy and Coterra Energy announced on Monday a definitive agreement to merge and create a premier shale operator in an all-stock transaction, implying a combined enterprise value of about $58 billion.
The deal, announced today after weeks of speculation, would create a company with a significantly increased position in the premier part of the Permian Basin and operations in the Marcellus Shale and Anadarko Basin.
The deal will create one of the top shale producers with pro-forma third quarter 2025 production exceeding 1.6 million barrels of oil equivalent (Boe) per day, including over 550,000 barrels of oil per day and 4.3 billion cubic feet of gas per day, the companies said.
The combined company will be named Devon Energy and will be headquartered in Houston while maintaining a significant presence in Oklahoma City.
Devon and Coterra expect to realize $1 billion in annual pre-tax synergies with the deal.
Lower oil prices have shale producers considering how they can boost investor returns when expanding drilling at $60 a barrel oil or lower is eating the margins.
In terms of drilling opportunities, the combined company will have the largest inventory in the Delaware basin with a breakeven of below $40 per barrel, according to Devon’s presentation of the merger deal.
The combined company will also have top-tier capital efficiency in each basin, with operations in the Permian, Anadarko, Eagle Ford, Marcellus, and the Rockies regions.
Under the terms of the agreement, Coterra shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 0.70 share of Devon common stock for each share of Coterra common stock. Upon completion of the deal, Devon shareholders will own about 54% of the go-forward company and Coterra shareholders will own approximately 46%.
The transaction, which was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, including approvals by Devon and Coterra shareholders.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/02/2026 – 13:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/devon-and-coterra-create-shale-giant-58-billion-merger-deal
Ecuatoriano detenido en redada en Minneapolis niega haber abandonado a su hijo de 5 años
Por MIKE CATALINI
Un ecuatoriano que fue detenido por agentes de inmigración y retenido en una instalación federal en Texas negó el lunes las versiones del gobierno de que abandonó a su hijo de 5 años cuando ambos regresaban a Minnesota.
Adrián Conejo Arias dijo a ABC News que ama a su hijo, Liam, y que nunca lo abandonaría, disputando las declaraciones del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, que alegó que Arias había dejado a su hijo en un vehículo. También afirmó que el niño se enfermó estando bajo custodia federal, pero le negaron la medicina.
La subsecretaria de Seguridad Nacional, Tricia McLaughlin, dijo en un comunicado que Arias huyó a pie antes de ser arrestado, “abandonando a su hijo”. Afirmó que los agentes del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) se quedaron con el menor.
“Los hechos en este caso NO han cambiado: El padre que estaba ilegalmente en el país eligió llevar a su hijo con él a un centro de detención”, manifestó McLaughlin.
McLaughlin no abordó la declaración de Arias de que a su hijo se le negó medicación estando bajo custodia.
Arias también dijo que fue arrestado injustamente y sostuvo que estaba en el país legalmente, con una audiencia judicial pendiente para asilo.
El niño y su padre fueron detenidos el 20 de enero en un suburbio de Minneapolis y posteriormente fueron trasladados a un centro de detención migratoria en Dilley, Texas.
El fin de semana, un juez federal ordenó que ambos fueran liberados y el domingo regresaron a Minnesota, según el legislador de Texas, Joaquín Castro.
El arresto y la liberación de la familia se desarrollaron durante una de las redadas migratorias ordenadas por el gobierno del presidente Donald Trump, las cuales han generado protestas diarias que han incluido la muerte a tiros de dos ciudadanos estadounidenses baleados por agentes federales. La semana pasada, el presidente ordenó a su principal asesor fronterizo supervisar los operativos después del tiroteo fatal de Alex Pretti, de 37 años, un enfermero de cuidados intensivos en un hospital del Departamento de Asuntos de Veteranos.
El zar fronterizo Tom Homan sugirió que se han cometido errores, pero dijo que los agentes continuarán con las redadas y pidió a los funcionarios locales y estatales que cooperen con los federales.
La detención del niño provocó indignación cuando comenzaron a aparecer imágenes de agentes de inmigración rodeando al menor, quien iba con un gorro azul de conejo y una mochila de Spider-Man.
McLaughlin dijo que el ICE no iba por él ni lo arrestó, y repitió las afirmaciones de que su madre se negó a llevárselo después de la aprehensión de su padre. Su padre dijo a los oficiales que quería que Liam estuviera con él, señaló.
La subsecretaria también declaró que el niño fue abandonado y que los agentes intentaron que se quedara bajo custodia de la madre. “Los oficiales incluso le aseguraron que NO sería detenida”.
Vecinos y funcionarios escolares dijeron que los federales usaron al niño como “cebo”, diciéndole que llamara a la puerta de su casa para que su madre saliera. El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional disputó esa descripción.
Marcos Charles, director general asociado interino de operaciones de ejecución y remoción del ICE, culpó al padre por “abandonar a su hijo en medio del invierno en un vehículo”. Dijo a los reporteros que un agente se quedó con el niño mientras otros arrestaban al padre.
El padre del niño ingresó sin autorización legal a Estados Unidos proveniente de Ecuador en diciembre de 2024, de acuerdo con el gobierno. El abogado de la familia afirmó que el hombre tiene una solicitud de asilo pendiente que le permite permanecer en Estados Unidos.
La gran mayoría de los solicitantes de asilo quedan libres en Estados Unidos, y los adultos tienen elegibilidad para permisos de trabajo mientras sus casos avanzan en un sistema judicial saturado.
Los ecuatorianos, que han salido en grandes números de un país sumido en una crisis de seguridad, han tenido malos resultados en los tribunales de inmigración. Los jueces otorgaron asilo en el 12.5% de las decisiones durante un periodo de 12 meses que culminó en septiembre pasado, de acuerdo con datos de Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, una organización de recopilación de datos e investigación con sede en la Universidad de Syracuse.
Al ordenar la liberación de Liam y su padre, el juez federal de distrito Fred Biery criticó a la administración, escribiendo que el caso tenía “su génesis en la mal concebida e incompetentemente implementada persecución gubernamental de cuotas diarias de deportación, aparentemente incluso si requiere traumatizar a los niños.”
El expediente judicial en internet de la Oficina Ejecutiva de Revisión de Inmigración del Departamento de Justicia no muestra audiencias futuras para el padre de Liam. ______
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
How the Super Bowl halftime show evolved from pageantry to pop culture’s biggest stage
LOS ANGELES — Once upon a time, the Super Bowl halftime show belonged to marching bands and pageantry. But these days, it belongs to global pop stars, cinematic production and moments that ripple beyond the stadium.
Over the years, the league’s brief intermission has transformed into one of entertainment’s biggest stages, hosting era-defining performances from Prince in the rain to Rihanna’s record-setting return, Usher’s tightly choreographed showcase and Kendrick Lamar’s layered, visually driven storytelling.
What began as intermission filler has evolved into a global spectacle, rivaling the NFL’s championship game itself for attention from more than 100 million viewers worldwide.
That evolution continues this year as Bad Bunny prepares to take the halftime stage, placing Latin culture and Spanish-language music at the center of America’s most-watched television event.
“The halftime performance has come a long way,” said Dan Marino, the Hall of Fame quarterback who played 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins and competed in the 1985 Super Bowl. As an NFL analyst, Marino’s had a front-row seat to several halftime shows.
“Not a lot of people really watched it,” he continued. “But now, people love to watch the halftime show.”
That shift did not happen overnight. For decades, the halftime show reflected the NFL’s family-friendly image, built around marching bands, drill teams and patriotic spectacle. As the Super Bowl grew into an unofficial national holiday — and a global broadcast event — the league began rethinking the power of those 12 to 15 minutes, gradually turning the break into a cultural platform capable of launching careers, shaping narratives and, at times, sparking national conversation.
Last year, Lamar used the halftime stage as a narrative space, weaving choreography, costuming and staging to explore themes of identity, power and perception. The performance stayed within league parameters while still drawing broad interpretation and debate over its imagery and tone.
Lamar’s show became the most-watched halftime performance on record, drawing roughly 133.5 million viewers, surpassing Usher’s 2024 performance, which reached about 129.3 million. That number from Lamar’s set is about six million more than Fox’s broadcast of the Philadelphia Eagles’ 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I think the live element is pretty exciting for people because it’s a massive production and there’s so many moving pieces,” said actor Scarlett Johansson, who doesn’t consider herself a football enthusiast. But she’s intrigued by the unpredictability of the halftime show like Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson’s infamous “wardrobe malfunction,” Lady Gaga dropping from a stadium roof and Rihanna’s pregnancy reveal.
“You kind of watch with nervous excitement,” Johansson said. “You know at any moment something could maybe go wrong. That’s why it’s so fun to watch it because you’ve got all this anticipation. The production is so huge and so many people have come together to create this one moment. It’s kind of awesome.”
Kris Jenner agrees, calling the halftime show a “giant surprise.”
“The production level and how quickly they put it together as they’re breaking into commercial and come back with this fabulous, epic show,” said Jenner, the matriarch of “The Kardashians” reality television show. “Through all the years and technology, it gets better and better. It’s so exciting to watch and see what they come up with next and who is going to perform. It’s such a big deal.”
Usher said his appearance with the Black Eyed Peas during the 2011 Super Bowl taught him not to “take the moments for granted because you only get 13 of them.”
His show in 2024 was vastly different from the NFL’s first Super Bowl halftime show in 1967, which featured marching bands from the University of Arizona and Grambling State University, a historically Black college, along with hundreds of flying pigeons, thousands of balloons and two soaring men wearing jetpacks.
After the inaugural Super Bowl, the NFL kept bringing back other marching bands, drill teams, signed Chubby Checker and Up with People, an organization that stage positive thinking through dance and song performances. However, none of those acts were considered huge draws.
But as the Super Bowl’s popularity soared and game day emerged as an unofficial holiday in the U.S., the NFL wanted the halftime show to grow in the same capacity. The league tapped New Kids on the Block and Gloria Estefan the first two years of the ’90s. Then it saw a huge breakthrough when Michael Jackson headlined the 1993 show at the Rose Bowl in Southern California, where the King of Pop notoriously moonwalked across the stage and performed hits including “Billie Jean,” “Black or White” and “Heal the World.”
Jackson’s stellar performance opened the door for other stars like the Rolling Stones, Diana Ross, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira who are eager to perform.
The NFL handles production costs and expenses for performers — who don’t get paid — but the exposure to hundreds of millions of people worldwide is considered priceless.
Some notable examples include U2’s remembrance of the 9/11 victims; Beyoncé’s unapologetic Blackness and political activism through her Black power anthem “Formation”; and the first show to feature hip-hop artists led by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg in 2022.
Snoop praised NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Jay-Z for pushing the halftime show forward. The league worked with Roc Nation to help its Inspire Change initiative, created by the NFL after an agreement with a coalition of players who demonstrated during the national anthem to protest social and racial injustice in this country.
“Shout out to Jay-Z for changing the climate. Roger Goodell for giving him an opportunity,” Dogg said. “This is music. The music that dictates the world is what’s performing at halftime now. They’re starting to understand that it’s about what those players want to hear, what those fans want to hear, and what’s universally effective.
Snoop added: “It has no color on it now. Pop used to have a color on it. Now pop is popular. So, the most popular music is the music that we make. It makes sense to put those people on there that make that music.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/02/super-bowl-halftime-show-evolution/
Conservative Hardliner Elected President Of Costa Rica
Conservative Hardliner Elected President Of Costa Rica
High on the minds of Costa Rican voters as they went to the polls on Sunday was undoubtedly the surge in drug-related violence across the otherwise stable Central American country, which has been a trend for the region generally.
Conservative candidate Laura Fernandez by Monday morning was able to quickly declare victory in the presidential election after early results confirmed a decisive lead, causing her nearest rival to concede. She took nearly half the vote.
By early Monday, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal reported that ballots from 81% of polling stations had been counted, giving the Sovereign People’s Party candidate 48.9% of the vote. The figure clears the 40% threshold needed to avoid a runoff, effectively ending the race in the first round.
Her closest challenger, economist Alvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party, trailed far behind with 33%. A distant third was progressive architect and former first lady Claudia Dobles, who failed to reach 5%.
This marks another clear victory and mandate for the Right in Latin American politics. Ferdandez is vowing “deep and irreversible change”. The country’s second republic, born after the 1948 civil war, “is a thing of the past,” she’s declared in a victory speech.
The relatively young, 39-year-old leader told a large enthusiastic audience of flag-waving supporters, “It’s up to us to build the third republic” based on a vision that is “respectful and firm on the rule of law.”
“Any law that is ineffective, that has become obsolete, that has become a hindrance to development, will be modified or repealed,” she proclaimed.
Costa Rica, though long regarded as one of Central America’s safest and most stable democracies, has seen crime surge amid the regional expansion of transnational criminal gangs.
One regional monitor included rare mention of Costa Rica as giving increased cause for concern in a review of Latin American narco and crime hubs:
While it remains outside the most dangerous tier, its homicide rate has risen from 11.56 in 2015 to 16.6 in 2024. Key port cities like Limón are emerging as major cocaine export points, mirroring Ecuador’s descent into narco-violence.
#Nacional | 🗳️ Elecciones 2026: Nayib Bukele felicita a Laura Fernándezhttps://t.co/bDgy9i63aX
— MultimediosCR (@multimedioscr) February 2, 2026
Previously on the campaign trail Fernandez openly signaled admiration for El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, whose hardline and unapologetic security policies have driven murder rates sharply lower and earned him sky-high approval ratings at home.
Fernandez has said she will declare states of emergency in gang-dominated areas and complete construction of a high-security prison modeled on El Salvador’s Cecot facility.
International press reports have picked up on this trend:
The country of 5.2 million people, famous for its white-sand beaches, has long been seen as an oasis of stability and democracy in Central America.
But in recent years, it has gone from transit point to logistics hub in the global drug trade. Drug trafficking by Mexican and Colombian cartels have seeped into local communities, fuelling turf wars that have caused the murder rate to jump 50 percent in the past six years, to 17 per 100,000 inhabitants.
…Bukele was the first foreign leader to congratulate her.
Fernandez’s win confirms a rightward lurch in Latin America, where conservatives have ridden anger towards corruption and crime to win power in Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and Honduras.
A good map of how #LatinAmerica is finishing 2025. The map will get bluer starting in early 2026. @thetimes
Reasons for the rightward shift? Security, lack of economic growth, migration, and of course, the catastrophic failures of #Chavismo, #Castrismo, and #Orteguismo. pic.twitter.com/s94z5WI5ty
— Ryan Berg, PhD (@RyanBergPhD) December 27, 2025
She has shot back at critics who warn that her rule will serve to erode democracy and civil liberties, saying her leadership will uphold “dialogue and national harmony” but which is at the same time “firmly based in the rule of law.”
Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/02/2026 – 13:25
First-generation Americans face off in state House D52 primary
Erin Chan Ding of South Barrington and Maria Peterson of North Barrington are competing in the March 17 Democratic primary for their party’s nomination to represent the 52nd District in the Illinois House of Representatives.
Both Peterson and Ding share similar views on issues like affordability, education and property taxes, but they have one major disagreement — who is the best candidate to unseat state Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, in the Nov. 3 general election.
Running for the Illinois State Senate in 2022 against former state Sen. Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, Peterson came within 385 votes of ousting the then-GOP minority leader. In 2024, she lost to McLaughlin by 47 votes. She is confident now in what appears to be a Democratic year.
“Over multiple cycles, I’ve built a strong grassroots foundation, deep relationships across the district and a campaign operation that knows how to turn support into votes,” Peterson said. “I also bring real-world experience that translates directly into effective leadership.”
Ding, now in her second term on the Barrington Community Unit School District 220 Board of Education, believes her experience as an elected official balancing budgets and working with colleagues to enact policies benefitting people best positions her for November.
“I know how to build relationships and how to win,” Ding said. “I saved taxpayers $7.5 million during inflation’s height, overseen a $147 million referendum that enhanced 12 local school buildings, and made them safer and maintained (District 220’s) AAA bond rating.”
Erin Chan Ding (Erin Chan Ding campaign)
Democratic voters will decide when they cast their ballots by March 17 in Lake County and beyond whether Peterson or Ding will be the Democrats’ nominee to face McLaughlin, who is unopposed in the GOP primary, in November.
A retired attorney and a small business owner with a corrective exercise studio, Peterson, 63, said she is running again in part because of encouragement from supporters and to give residents of the 52nd District representation by someone who shares the values of a majority of them.
Elected to the District 220 Board of Education in 2021 and again in 2025, Ding, 44, worked as a reporter for the Detroit Free Press for five years before returning to the Chicago area with her husband, where she continues to work as an independent journalist.
While knocking on doors across the district, getting to know voters, Ding said frustration with affordability is a nearly universal concern. Whether it is the cost of groceries, healthcare or property taxes, making ends meet is a worry for many people.
Maria Peterson (Maria Peterson campaign)
“At every door they’re talking about it,” Ding said, “People are being stretched and burdened.”
Affordability is the overwhelming concern Peterson hears from voters as well. Though there are a variety of expenses that worry people, she said, real estate taxes, especially for seniors, are a major concern.
“Many of these people are on fixed incomes, which are not going up as much as their income,” she said. “The cost of health insurance is another concern. They’re being stretched.”
Relief for impacted homeowners could come from property tax relief. Peterson said she would like to see a constitutional amendment allowing voters to cast ballots for a “fair tax” proposal championed by former Gov. Patrick Quinn.
Peterson said the “fair tax” would place a 3% surcharge on all individual income earned greater than $1 million. The funds — an estimated $4.5 billion annually — would be used solely for property tax relief.
Tying property tax relief to funding for education, Ding said she wants to see the state’s evidence-based funding for public schools fully funded, and the bulk of the funds going to school districts in underserved areas.
“That will take some of the burden off property taxpayers,” Ding said.
Both Ding and Peterson are the daughters of immigrants, making the current federal immigration enforcement effort by the administration of President Donald Trump personal for both of them. Peterson’s parents came to the U.S. from Mexico, and Ding’s from Hong Kong.
“People are living in fear,” Ding said. “I hear about it at every door when I talk to people. Human rights are basic to all of us. I will work on legislation that will protect people and be effective.”
“As a first-generation American, this is really personal for me,” Peterson said. “I see innocent people being deported. People are living in fear of ICE.”
Peterson did accuse Ding of improper political behavior by circulating nomination petitions on public school grounds and campaigning there as well.
“This was an error in judgment,” Peterson said. “We’ve had enough of this from people like Trump and (former Illinois House Speaker Mike) Madigan.”
Ding said on two occasions she went to her children’s school as a parent for back-to-school events. She brought nomination petitions and asked people to sign them since she was there as a parent, not as a school board member.
“I should have been more careful and more vigilant,” she said. “And for that, I apologize to my fellow board members and to the community.”
The 52nd District includes all or part of Algonquin, Fox River Grove, South Barrington, Barrington, Barrington Hills, North Barrington, Lake Barrington, Tower Lakes, Island Lakes, Wauconda, Volo, Libertyville and Mundelein.
Early voting starts between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday at the Lake County Courthouse & Administration Building in Waukegan and expands to 11 other locations throughout the county on March 2.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/02/52nd-district-democratic-primary/
St. Charles seeking resident feedback on how to redevelop former police station site
Vacant since 2019, the former St. Charles police station site along the Fox River is set to be redeveloped in the future and St. Charles is looking for resident input on what it should be.
The former police station — at 211 N. Riverside Ave., along the downtown riverfront – has been vacant since 2019, according to a news release from the city, when the city’s police department moved its operations to a new facility at 1515 Main St.
The property was previously considered for redevelopment in 2021, according to the city’s website, but the City Council at the time rejected the four proposals that had been submitted and asked city staff to hire a firm to conduct a feasibility study looking at potential uses for the site.
Then, last September, the city released the feasibility study, outlining the site’s potential uses and evaluating considerations like parking and utilities. Among the possibilities for the site considered in the study were reusing the existing structure, turning the area into an open space for community events or constructing commercial or residential developments.
The city believes the property, which lies just north of St. Charles’ municipal building, is situated in a location that offers “a rare opportunity to create a dynamic space that reflects the community’s vision and priorities for downtown St. Charles,” according to the news release.
From 4 to 6 p.m. Feb. 19, St. Charles is hosting an open house at City Hall, 2 E. Main St., the news release from the city said, where residents can learn more about potential redevelopment concepts, rank the different options and speak with city staff and planning consultants involved in the project.
The city is also offering an online survey, which will be open through Feb. 22, per the news release, for community members to share their feedback and ideas on the potential redevelopment of the site.
Residents looking to learn more about the site can go to the city’s website at: https://www.stcharlesil.gov/Government/Projects/Downtown-Riverfront-Property?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.
Patriots y Seahawks levantan telón del Super Bowl con la noche de apertura y su frenesí mediático
Por ROB MAADDI
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Drake Maye y Sam Darnold enfrentarán un tipo diferente de blitz en la noche de apertura del Super Bowl.
Miles de reporteros de todo el mundo se reúnen para un espectáculo extravagante que da inicio a las festividades de la semana.
Maye y los Patriots de Nueva York (17-3) se enfrentarán a Darnold y los Seahawks de Seattle (16-3) el domingo en el Levi’s Stadium, hogar de los 49ers de San Francisco.
Primero, se encontrarán con más de 6.000 “reporteros” acreditados que los bombardearán con preguntas que van desde los temas estándar de fútbol americano hasta cosas tontas y fuera de lo común.
Un evento que comenzó como una presentación diurna de los equipos ha evolucionado en un espectáculo en vivo, con entradas, en horario estelar en la televisión nacional.
Quizás alguien le proponga matrimonio a Maye, como una reportera vestida de novia y con velo hizo una vez con otro mariscal de campo de los Patriots: Tom Brady.
Maye ya está casado y está aquí buscando un anillo de Super Bowl. Los Patriots aspiran a su séptimo trofeo Lombardi, un récord en la NFL, y el primero sin Brady y el entrenador Bill Belichick.
El entrenador Mike Vrabel, en su primer año al mando y quien conquistó tres Super Bowls como linebacker con Nueva Inglaterra, heredó un equipo con foja de 4-13 y los tiene al borde de su primer campeonato en siete años.
Maye tuvo una sensacional temporada de segundo año, convirtiéndose en finalista para los premios MVP y Jugador Ofensivo del Año de AP al liderarr a los Patriots a su duodécimo Super Bowl.
Una defensa asfixiante ha marcado la diferencia para los Patriots en los playoffs, manteniendo a tres oponentes en escasos 8,7 puntos por partido.
Este Super Bowl tiene como condimento el ofrecer revancha de uno de los Super Bowls más memorables de la historia reciente: en 2015, los Patriots aseguraron una victoria de 28-24 sobre los Seahawks después de que Malcolm Butler interceptó un pase de Russell Wilson en la yarda uno en el último minuto.
Los Seahawks tuvieron la defensa más férrea de la NFL esta temporada, liderada por el tackle Leonard Williams, el linebacker Ernest Jones IV y el cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Seattle permitió apenas 17,1 puntos por partido.
Pero el resurgimiento de Darnold será la historia principal de la semana. Tomado por los Jets de Nueva York como el número tres general del draft en 2018, Darnold ha resplancecido en su quinto equipo.
A pesar de ganar 14 juegos con Minnesota en 2024, los Vikings dejaron que Darnold se fuera en la agencia libre. Se convirtió en el primer quarteback en liderar a dos equipos a temporadas consecutivas de 14 victorias y ha demostrado que sus detractores estaban equivocados. Ahora, está tratando de ayudar a Seattle a ganar su segundo Super Bowl en la cuarta aparición de la franquicia en el juego.
Al menos Darnold ha experimentado las travesuras de esta semana. Fue mariscal de campo suplente de Brock Purdy cuando los 49ers perdieron ante los Chiefs de Kansas City en el Super Bowl hace dos años.
___
Deportes NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
News briefs: Black History Month, free kids dental exams and more
Valparaiso University hosts Black History Month events
Students in the Valparaiso University Black Student Organization (BSO) will celebrate Black History Month throughout February with a variety of campus events on campus, 1700 Chapel Drive, Valparaiso. The public is invited to attend. Flex your musical knowledge with “Guess the Song” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Loke Hall; a Soul Food Brunch will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Feb. 15 at Loke Hall; enjoy movie night with a screening Ryan Coogler’s 2025 horror film “Sinners” from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18 at Christopher Center Library Room 205; and the BSO and Latino in Valparaiso for Excellence (LIVE) will host a Poetry Slam event from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at B.B.’s in the Harre Union. For more information, email blackstudentorg@valpo.edu.
NAACP to host Jr. Image Awards, Talent Extravaganza
The Gary Branch of the NAACP will celebrate academic excellence, creativity, leadership and achievement among youth across Northwest Indiana during the Fourth Annual NAACP Jr. Image Awards and ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics) Talent Extravaganza. The event will take place Saturday at Indiana University Northwest, Savannah Hall, 3400 Broadway, Gary. Doors open at 3 p.m., with student exhibits and vendor participation from 3 to 5 p.m. The featured ACT-SO Talent Extravaganza will begin at 4:15 p.m. in the Bergland Auditorium. This family-friendly event spotlights outstanding high school students while showcasing the talents of young people of all ages through the NAACP’s nationally recognized ACT-SO program. The event will spotlight youth achievement across multiple disciplines, including dance, entrepreneurship, filmmaking, music, painting, photography, STEM, athletics and youth activism. This is a free, public event; tickets available via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gary-naacp-4th-annual-jr-image-awards-talent-extravaganza-tickets-1975066071788. For more information, email actso.gary.3050@gmail.com.
IU Northwest offers free dental exams, cleanings for children
The annual Give Kids a Smile event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Feb. 14 and Feb. 21 in the Indiana University Northwest Dunes Medical/Professional Building — Dental Clinic, Room 1030, Gary. Hosted by the Indiana University Northwest Dental Hygiene Program in partnership with the American Dental Association, Give Kids a Smile will provide free dental exams, dental cleanings, X-rays, fluoride treatments and oral hygiene instructions to children ages 5 to 12. Dental hygiene students from IU Northwest will provide care, alongside a licensed dentist and dental hygienists. Space is limited. To schedule an appointment, contact the Dental Clinic at 219-980-6772. Reference “Give Kids a Smile” program when scheduling. Walk-ins are not allowed.
Rotary Means Business NWI hosts networking event
Rotary Means Business Northwest Indiana (RMB NWI) is bringing Rotary Clubs from Merrillville, Schererville, Hammond and Valparaiso together for a networking event from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at NIRPC, 6100 Southport Road, Portage. Designed to connect and empower business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals and community leaders from across the Region, attendees will enjoy a structured yet engaging evening that includes: Open Networking; Program Introduction; Speed Networking Sessions; and Upcoming Rotary Volunteer Opportunities. This event is open to the public and ideal for business owners and nonprofit leaders. It is not required to be a Rotary Member to attend this event. For more information, email jskibbie@jrsmarcom.com.
Calumet Township Trustee’s Office distributes food
In a continued effort to combat food insecurity and support families in the community, Calumet Township Trustee’s Office will hold its Drive-Thru Pre-Packaged Food Distribution program Feb. 12 and 26 at the Calumet Township Multi-Purpose Center, 1900 W. 41st Ave., Gary. Registration begins at 8 a.m. with distribution immediately following. One per household. The program is open to residents of Gary and Unincorporated Calumet Township. ID is required. Residents are encouraged to come early; distribution is first-come, first-served while supplies last. For more information, call 219-880-4913.
County Board action pushes renovation of Beverly’s Pike House forward
Advancements to the Eugene S. Pike are underway as the Cook County Board unanimously approved a partnership between the Eugene S. Pike House Foundation and the Beverly Area Arts Alliance last month.
The organizations will work to rehabilitate the historic Pike House — which was labeled Illinois’ Most Endangered Historic Places by Landmarks Illinois in 2022 — as a cultural center. The work is set to be completed in three years.
The agreement to the partnership was the final step required for the Pike House Foundation to accept a $1.5 million grant from the state.
“This has been an idea or a dream that’s now being transformed into a project that we can actually get our hands on and start,” said Grace Kuikman, president of the Eugene S. Pike House Foundation.
The renovation has been years in the making, dating back to 2017, Kuikman said, and people have been waiting for the project to start.
Officials said they hope the renovation will inspire other communities to restore historical treasures.
“By forging this unprecedented path with the Forest Preserves, we are not only saving a piece of Beverly’s heritage but are also creating a blueprint for every community in Cook County to follow,” Cook County Commissioner Stanley Moore said in a statement. “This proves that with partnership and perseverance, we can transform neglected assets into thriving centers that celebrate our past and serve our future.”
Grant funds will be used to renovate the house into two phases, Kuikman said. The first phase will fix critical repairs in the home including the roof. The second phase will focus on putting in a heating system, adding electrical units and making sure things are up to code for the culture center, which will offer art residencies, galleries and music performances
Sal Campbell, the co-founder and lead curator at the Beverly Area Arts Alliance, said she wants people to get an idea of the history of the house while also celebrating art.
Local musicians, poets and creatives, as well as others on Chicago’s South Side, will display their talents when the culture center opens.
Eugene S. Pike House circa 1894. (Photo courtesy of Timothy Samuelson)
For Campbell, seeing progress being made toward the center is great. When the idea first spawned, she was left wondering how it was going to be done.
“It just seems like we just keep moving forward and doors keep opening up to us and opportunities keep opening up to us,” Campbell said. “It feels like we’re on the right track and that we’re doing something important and special and valuable for the community.”
The Pike House, at 1826 W. 91st St., in the Cook County Forest Preserves’ Dan Ryan Woods, was built in 1894 and is a historic site in Beverly. It was last used as a watchman’s residence, but has been vacant for more than a decade, leaving it in disrepair.
The Eugene S. Pike House Foundation in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood. (Eugene S. Pike House Foundation)
Kuikman said she’s working to raise funds and seeking help from other organizations. People can donate at pikehouse.org.
Campbell said a lot of work is still to be done, but will be worth it.
“We know this is going to take a long time, it’s going to take a lot of work, but we just feel like we’re on the right track.”
Cam’ron Hardy is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/02/cook-county-renovation-beverly-pike-house/
