Category: News
Federación alemana de fútbol descarta boicot al Mundial pese a llamados a oponerse a Trump
Por CIARÁN FAHEY
La federación alemana de fútbol descartó un boicot al Mundial a pesar de las llamadas internas para enviar un mensaje al presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump.
“Creemos en el poder unificador del deporte y en el impacto global que puede tener una Copa Mundial de la FIFA”, afirmó la federación en un comunicado emitido el viernes por la noche. “Nuestro objetivo es fortalecer esta fuerza positiva, no impedirla”.
La federación, conocida como la DFB, dijo que su comité ejecutivo se reunió y discutió la opción de un boicot al torneo en Estados Unidos, Canadá y México, una consideración propuesta por primera vez la semana pasada por el vicepresidente de la DFB, Oke Göttlich.
Göttlich, quien también es el presidente del club de la Bundesliga St. Pauli, se refirió a las recientes acciones y declaraciones de Trump y dijo que era momento de “considerar seriamente” un boicot.
Sin embargo, en lo que parece ser una reprimenda pública a Göttlich, la DFB dijo que “los debates sobre política deportiva deben llevarse a cabo internamente y no en público”.
La DFB afirmó que un boicot “no está actualmente en consideración. La DFB está en contacto con representantes de la política, la seguridad, los negocios y el deporte en preparación para el torneo” del 11 de junio al 19 de julio.
Trump ha sembrado discordia en Europa con su intento de adquisición de Groenlandia y amenazas de imponer aranceles a los países europeos que se opusieron, mientras que las acciones de Estados Unidos en Venezuela y en casa al tratar con las protestas en ciudades estadounidenses también han generado alarma.
El ex presidente de la FIFA, Joseph Blatter, aconsejó la semana pasada a los aficionados que se mantuvieran alejados del torneo.
Sin embargo, cuando era presidente, Blatter se opuso a las llamadas para boicotear la Copa Mundial de 2018 en Rusia por preocupaciones sobre Ucrania.
“El fútbol no puede ser boicoteado en ningún país”, dijo en ese momento.
Antes del torneo de este verano, los aficionados tienen preocupaciones sobre los altos precios de las entradas, mientras que las prohibiciones de viaje impuestas por la administración Trump también podrían prohibir a los seguidores de algunas naciones competidoras asistir.
El equipo de Alemania, al menos, estará allí.
“Queremos competir de manera justa contra los otros equipos calificados el próximo verano”, dijo la DFB. “Y queremos que los aficionados de todo el mundo celebren un festival pacífico de fútbol en los estadios y en las zonas de aficionados, tal como lo experimentamos en el Campeonato Europeo de 2024 en nuestro propio país.”
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Unrivaled sets professional women’s basketball attendance record in 3-on-3 league’s Philadelphia debut
PHILADELPHIA — Natasha Cloud rooted for the 76ers as a kid growing up in suburban Philadelphia and — like so many hoopsters back in the day — idolized Allen Iverson.
So when the former WNBA champion and current New York Liberty standout hit the same court where Iverson once dazzled, Cloud couldn’t help but look up to his retired No. 3 jersey in the rafters and let the moment truly sink in; that women’s professional basketball was back in Philadelphia for the first time in nearly 30 years — and she was a key figure in the comeback.
“Man, like how crazy it is that I’m standing here about to play for the first time professionally in my home city,” Cloud said.
Cloud plays for Phantom BC, one of the teams in the burgeoning 3-on-3 women’s professional basketball league, Unrivaled. Unrivaled hit the road for the first time in its brief history, breaking free of its Florida bubble to expand its reach and stage two games on Friday night in Philadelphia.
The first tour stop was a smashing success.
Cloud held an “Abolish Ice” sign as she was introduced to a roaring ovation from a professional women’s basketball regular-season record crowd of 21,490 that included “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts, Sixers guard Kyle Lowry, and comedians Leslie Jones and Wanda Sykes.
The previous regular-season attendance record of 20,711 was set in the WNBA by the Indiana Fever and Washington Mystics on Sept. 19, 2024.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 30: Kiki Iriafen #44 of the Phantom puts up a shot against Paige Bueckers #5 of the Breeze during the first half of the Unrivaled 2026 game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
Kelsey Plum scored 22 points to lead the Phantom to a 71-68 win over the Breeze in the first game. Marina Mabrey then gave the record-setting crowd a record to cheer on — she scored an Unrivaled-high 47 points to lead the Lunar Owls to an 85-75 win over Philly native Kahleah Copper and league champion Rose.
Copper, the 2021 WNBA NBA Finals MVP for the Chicago Sky, played her role as both tour guide — she took her teammates to Dalessandro’s Steaks — and promoter — she needed 64 tickets to the event — to perfection.
“I think the city is ready for women’s professional sports,” Copper said. “I’m excited that, one, that it’s here, and two, that I’m a part of it.”
Philly’s rich basketball history is largely comprised of household name Hall of Famers and All-Stars out of the men’s game. Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant played high school basketball in the area. Sixers stars from Iverson to Julius Erving to Joel Embiid have brought fans to their feet for decades.
Yet no women’s pro game had been played in the city since 1998 when the Philadelphia Rage played for the now-defunct American Basketball League. Philly native Dawn Staley, who attended the doubleheader, has carried the banner for women’s basketball out of the city — her hometown street was named in her honor in 2017 — but the college teams have largely been immaterial on the national scene.
Unrivaled’s debut is the expected first step toward Philly basketball breaking into the conversation as a women’s hotbed of hoops. Pep rallies and watch parties sprouted Friday night around Philly and a pair of lower bowl tickets on the secondary markets matched the price and high demand of recent Sixers’ games.
Philadelphia is planning on a new arena that will be completed hopefully by 2030 and will serve as the new home for the WNBA team set to join the league.
For all the hype in the city — Cloud gave a shoutout to a credentialed media member wearing a Philly Loves Women’s Sports sweatshirt — Unrivaled’s doubleheader also comes at a pivotal moment for a league experiencing growing pains in televised viewership in its second season.
The eight-team league is averaging 92,000 viewers on TNT and truTV, down 49% from last year through the comparable number of games (183,000 through 26 games). Unrivaled telecasts on TNT in primetime are averaging 68% fewer viewers than primetime programming on TNT the four weeks prior to Unrivaled starting (93,000 viewers vs. 291,000).
While ratings matter to prove 3-on-3 is more than a novelty act, Cloud focused more on the packed house later that night as proof of “how hot, booming, (in)-demand, that women’s sports, women’s basketball in general is, right now.”
Co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, Unrivaled’s first tour stop in Philadelphia could represent a proving ground on whether taking the product on the road can lead to new revenue and expand the league’s fan base, while recalibrating a business model that was originally rooted in centralization.
“I would love to see Unrivaled tour more often,” said Breeze forward Cameron Brink. “We saw that this is a city that wants to cheer on women’s basketball.”
Brink flashed a TikTok-worthy moment when she dunked at practice Thursday for the first time since the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks star suffered a torn ACL in her left knee in June.
Breeze and former UConn star Paige Bueckers — the 2021 AP Player of the Year — are just two of the players responsible for packing the place on Friday night. Unrivaled players participated in community events and connected with fans — especially young girls — that opened their eyes to how starved the Philly sports scene is for professional women’s basketball.
“To see the turnout, to see the sold-out arena, to just see the love that they have for women’s sports, it means a lot for the future too in terms of getting a WNBA team,” Bueckers said. “It’s really cool just for the game to continue to expand and for us to see that turnaround and for us to see that support everywhere we go.”
Unrivaled CEO Alex Bazzell did not specifically take questions Friday but popped into the press room for a brief rah-rah speech and suggested more touring dates could be ahead.
“We’re going to continue to make the sports world proud by the product we put out,” Bazell said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/31/unrivaled-womens-basketball-attendance-record/
Latest Epstein Emails Reveal Bill Gates Slipped Wife Antibiotics For STD He Got From Russian Hookers
Latest Epstein Emails Reveal Bill Gates Slipped Wife Antibiotics For STD He Got From Russian Hookers
Democrats thought that the firehose release of Epstein files would “finally” bring down Trump. Instead, not only is that not happening (one can argue the latest batch of docs further cements Trump’s claim that he had distanced himself far enough from Esptein in recent decades as this admission from Epstein himself to his favorite scribe Michael Wolff reveals), but it is taking down Democratic “thought titans”, each one bigger than the next: first it was Larry Summers, then Bill Clinton, now it’s Bill Gates.
In what can only be described as the latest chapter in the never-ending saga of elite depravity, the DOJ coughed up over three million pages of Jeffrey Epstein’s sordid files – a treasure trove of smut, scandal, and schadenfreude that puts the spotlight squarely back on billionaire vaccine-pusher and Microsoft mogul Bill Gates. Released on Friday, these documents include draft emails from Epstein to himself, painting a picture of Gates as a man entangled in extramarital escapades involving “Russian girls,” desperate pleas for antibiotics to hide an STD from his then-wife Melinda, and even bizarre anatomical descriptions that no one asked for. Gates’ camp, predictably, is screaming “fake news” from the rooftops, but let’s dive into the dirt and see if this smells like another cover-up in the making.
According to the newly unsealed emails, drafted in July18, 2013 but unclear if ever sent, Epstein rants about Gates severing ties with him, accusing the tech titan of hypocrisy after allegedly benefiting from his seedy network. “To add insult to injury you then subsequently with tears in your eyes, implore me to please delete the emails regarding your std, your request that I provide you with antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda, and the description of your penis,” Epstein reportedly wrote in one typo-riddled tirade. He went on to claim he helped Gates “deal with consequences of sex with Russian girls,” implying Epstein played pimp in these alleged trysts. The only question for the FBI: were they underage?
Epstein, ever the aggrieved party in his own mind, positions himself as the jilted enabler who got Gates out of jams, only to be ghosted when the heat got too hot. “I have been caught up in a severe marital dispute between Melinda and Bill,” he laments in another note, adding that Gates asked him to partake in “things that have ranged from the morally inappropriate to the ethically unsound” and “potentially over the line into illegal.” This comes amid Epstein’s supposed resignation from roles tied to the Gates Foundation and BG3, Gates’ think tank.
And what’s this?
Btw: The Bill Gates STD email was in July, 2013 pic.twitter.com/qCvmAThSOI
— Retard Finder (@IfindRetards) January 30, 2026
A spokesperson for Gates didn’t mince words in response: “These claims – from a proven, disgruntled liar – are absolutely absurd and completely false.” Fair enough, but let’s not forget Gates has been tap-dancing around his Epstein ties for years. He once called those dinners with the pedophile financier a “huge mistake” in a 2021 CNN interview, downplaying them as mere fundraising schmoozes.
Flashback to our 2019 exposé: “Bill Gates Was Much Closer To Jeffrey Epstein Than He Initially Let On,” where we detailed Gates’ flights on Epstein’s infamous ‘Lolita Express’, yes, after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor. Then there was “Why Did Bill Gates Fly On Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’ After Pedophile’s Prison Stint?” And who could forget this 2023 bombshell: “Bill Gates ‘Blackmailed’ By Jeffrey Epstein Over Affair With Russian Bridge Player,” revealing Epstein’s alleged leverage over Gates’ fling with Mila Antonova, a young Russian card shark introduced by none other than Epstein himself. That story tied into reports of Epstein paying for Antonova’s coding classes, only to later dangle the affair as blackmail fodder when Gates balked at a shady investment scheme.
The Russian angle keeps popping up like a persistent virus, no pun intended. In our 2021 piece “‘Furious’ Melinda Gates Warned Bill Over Jeffrey Epstein Escapades,” we highlighted how Melinda was reportedly livid about Bill’s cozying up to Epstein, with meetings starting as early as 2011 and contributing to their 2021 divorce. Fast-forward to last year’s “Go Talk To Bill Gates About Me”: How JP Morgan Enabled Jeffrey Epstein’s Crimes, Snagged Netanyahu Meeting,” which exposed Epstein name-dropping Gates to JPMorgan execs as a reference, further entangling the billionaire in Epstein’s web of influence-peddling.
This latest DOJ dump – which also drags in figures like former UK ambassador Lord Peter Mandelson (Epstein allegedly sent money to his husband post-prison), Prince Andrew (invited to the Palace amid fresh dirt), and even photos of Epstein hobnobbing with Trump, Clinton, and Gates – feels like the establishment’s reluctant confession booth. Deputy AG Todd Blanche announced the release more than a month after a December 19, 2025, deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, with much of it redacted or already public. But the Gates emails? Fresh meat for the conspiracy mill.
As we noted in “There Is No Epstein List, But We Got Names,” the real scandal isn’t a mythical “client list” – it’s the web of enablers and elites who skated free. Gates’ name keeps surfacing alongside heavyweights like Ehud Barak, Les Wexner, and Glenn Dubin, all fingered in past allegations. And let’s not overlook our recent “Never-Before-Seen Photos Inside Jeffrey Epstein’s Creepy Mansion,” which included a framed $1 bill scrawled with Gates’ handwriting: “I was wrong!” – prophetic, perhaps?
And while in “A Contrarian Take On The Epstein Case,” we questioned whether the whole blackmail ring was overhyped, these new emails suggest otherwise: Epstein wasn’t just a pervert; he was a grudge-holding chronicler of the powerful’s peccadilloes. Gates may dismiss this as the ravings of a “disgruntled liar,” but in the face of this new ‘release’ added to his history with Epstein, the denials ring hollow.
The question remains: How much longer can Gates play the philanthropist card – or rather how much longer will the world allow him to – while his Epstein skeletons keep rattling? Even Larry Summers was forced to exit polite society stage left after his batch of revelations hit last year.
As markets digest this elite drama, keep an eye on Microsoft stock – because if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that scandals like these have a way of infecting even the bluest of blue chips. Stay tuned; this rabbit hole just got deeper.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 01/31/2026 – 09:56
Elena Rybakina wins Australian Open by beating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka for her 2nd Grand Slam title
MELBOURNE, Australia — Elena Rybakina finally won her second Grand Slam title with a victory over top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open on Saturday, and it was something of a testament to quiet achievers.
After some tumult at the start of 2025, including the suspension of her coach, Rybakina finished off last year with a title at the WTA Finals in November. And now she has started the new year with a major championship.
Her low-key celebration was symbolic of her understated run through the tournament: a small fist pump, a quick embrace with Sabalenka, a handshake with the chair umpire, a smile, and a few hand claps on the strings of her racket and a wave to acknowledge the crowd.
It happened quickly after Rybakina closed with an ace to cap a third-set comeback and a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over a regular rival who beat her in the final here in 2023.
“The heart rate was definitely beating too fast. Even maybe (my) face didn’t show, but inside it was a lot of emotions,” the 26-year-old Rybakina, who was born in Moscow but represents Kazakhstan, said of her calm and clinical finish.
She knew she had to capitalize quickly this time, after she admitted getting tight and needing almost a half-hour from her first match point to her match-winning point in a semifinal win over Jessica Pegula.
Three years ago, Rybakina won the first set of the Australian final but lost it in three.
This time, after breaking in the first game and taking the first set, she rallied after losing the second set and going down 3-0 in the third. She won five straight games to regain control.
“It gives me a kind of relief,” she said, “also, a lot of confidence for sure for the rest of the season.”
It was a second major title for fifth-seeded Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022 and entered that Australian final three years ago as the only major winner in the contest.
While Sabalenka went on to win another three majors, including back-to-back triumphs in Australia and the 2024 and ’25 victories at the U.S. Open, Rybakina’s results dipped and she didn’t reach another major final until this tournament.
Career change
A win over Sabalenka at the season-ending WTA Finals has changed her career trajectory. She has the most match wins on tour since Wimbledon, and is now on a roll of 20 wins from 21 matches.
“Last year I didn’t start so well,” she said. “I qualified for the (WTA) Finals late. I just hope I can carry this momentum. Do a good job with the team and continue this way.”
Rybakina is 10-0 in her last 10 matches against Top 10 players, and she’ll return to No. 3 in the rankings.
Kazakhstan’s flag was unfurled on the court at Rod Laver Arena after Rybakina had paraded the trophy around and posed for photos with her team.
Coaching team
She paid tribute to her coach, Stefano Vukov, who spent time under suspension last year by the women’s tour. Vukov received a silver plate from the tournament organizers for being the champion’s coach.
“Of course I would like to thank my team,” she said. “Without you it wouldn’t have been possible. Really. We had a lot of things going on (last year). Thank you to all of you, and hopefully we can keep on going strong this year.
“It’s a win for all the team, all the people who support me,” she said. “I just hope that I can carry this moment throughout the whole season and keep on improving.”
She said she’d been working Vukov since 2019 and she finds it helpful to hear the constant stream of technical and tactical advice he conveys from his seat beside the court. The more, the better, she said, because eventually she listens.
“We won many titles together,” Rybakina said. “And even last year in Ningbo, WTA Finals, and now this trophy I felt just, again, proud and thankful to my team for the work.”
Win some. Lose some
For Sabalenka, it’s back-to-back losses in the final in Australia after going down in an upset last year to Madison Keys.
“Of course, I have regrets. When you lead 3-Love and then it felt like in few seconds it was 3-4, and I was down with a break — it was very fast,” she said. “Great tennis from her. Maybe not so smart for me.
“But as I say, today I’m a loser, maybe tomorrow I’m a winner. Hopefully I’ll be more of a winner this season than a loser. Hoping right now and praying.”
Rybakina went on the attack from the start and her serve was strong, with six aces and — apart from the two breaks at the end of the second set and the start of the third — she fended off six of the breakpoint chances she faced.
While Sabalenka’s emotions intensified, Rybakina maintained a determined quietness throughout.
In the end, she let her tennis do the talking.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/31/elena-rybakina-wins-australian-open/
Powerful storm threatens East Coast including parts unaccustomed to heavy snow
NASHVILLE — A powerful storm bore down on the East Coast on Saturday, with forecasters warning of howling winds, flooding and heavy snow, including in some Southeast coastal communities more accustomed to hurricanes than blizzards. Temperatures plummeted even as tens of thousands of homes and businesses remained without power.
In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — whose official seal is the sun, palm trees and a seagull — 6 inches of snow was expected. The city has no snow removal equipment, and authorities planned to “use what we can find,” Mayor Mark Kruea said.
Subfreezing weather was forecast into February, with heavy snow in the Carolinas, Virginia and northeast Georgia over the weekend including up to a foot in parts of North Carolina. Snow was also said to be possible from Maryland to Maine.
Saturday night and early Sunday, forecasters said, wind and snow could lead to blizzard conditions before the storm moves out to sea.
The frigid cold was expected to plunge as far south as Florida.
Temperatures neared the teens in Nashville, Tennessee, and frustrations bubbled up for those who spent a week without power.
Terry Miles, a 59-year-old construction worker whose home has had no electricity since a previous storm struck Sunday, resorted to using a fish fryer for heat and worried about the danger of carbon monoxide.
“I’m taking a chance of killing myself and killing my wife, because — Why?” Miles said after attending a Nashville Electric Service news conference intended to showcase the utility’s repairs on poles and lines. He then pointed to officials.
More than 170,000 homes and businesses were without electricity, mostly in Mississippi and Tennessee, according to the outage tracking website poweroutage.us. That included more than 57,000 in Nashville as of Friday night.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said he shared “strong concerns” with leadership of Nashville Electric Service, adding that residents “need a clear timeline for power restoration, transparency on the number of linemen deployed, and a better understanding of when work will be completed in their neighborhood.”
The utility has defended its response, saying the storm that struck last weekend was unprecedented.
Mississippi officials said the massive winter storm was its worst since 1994. About 80 warming centers were opened, and National Guard troops delivered supplies by truck and helicopter.
Experts warned of the growing risks of hypothermia. Frostbite was also a concern in the South, where some people may lack sufficiently warm clothing, said Dr. David Nestler, an emergency medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
More than 100 people have died from Texas to New Jersey, roughly half of them in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana. While some deaths have been attributed to hypothermia, others are suspected to be related to carbon monoxide exposure. Officials have not released specific details about some deaths.
In North Carolina, hundreds of National Guard soldiers readied to help and state workers worked to prepare roads.
The city of Wake Forest saw a steady stream of people filling propane tanks Friday at Holding Oil and Gas, including José Rosa, who arrived after striking out at three other places.
“I’m here in this cold weather, and I don’t like it,” Rosa said as he held a 20-pound tank.
In Dare County, home to much of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, residents worried that more unoccupied houses in communities like Rodanthe and Buxton could collapse into the Atlantic Ocean.
Associated Press writers Jeff Martin in Kennesaw, Georgia; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; Jonathan Mattise and Travis Loller in Nashville, Tennessee; Allen G. Breed in Wake Forest, North Carolina; Sarah Brumfield in Washington; David Fischer in Fort Lauderdale; Devi Shastri in Milwaukee and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/31/east-coast-winter-storm/
Neil Young Encounters The Most Boomer Leftist Problem Imaginable
Neil Young Encounters The Most Boomer Leftist Problem Imaginable
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.News,
Aging rocker Neil Young has encountered perhaps the most boomer of leftist boomer issues, and of course it’s all President Trump’s fault.
He can no longer use his ancient flip phone because orange man bad.
In a rambling post on his website, Young details his epic struggle to ditch Verizon service, convinced that every dollar he spends fuels a “Trump Fascist regime.”
Neil Young seeks to boycott all Trump-supporting companies, calls out Apple and Verizonhttps://t.co/0AMWGjKZcp
— Stereogum (@stereogum) January 28, 2026
It’s peak boomer leftist TDS paranoia, where everyday consumer choices somehow morph into grand acts of resistance.
Young kicks off his diatribe with the revelation that his flip phone bears the Verizon logo. “Mornin’ folks….It’s a new day….a big day for my Flip phone. I noticed it says VERIZON on it. Of course I can’t use a Verizon phone. Verizon is a supporter of TRUMP with big $!” he writes, as if discovering a hidden swastika etched into the device.
He floats the idea of switching to T-Mobile, only to immediately shoot it down. “I’m going to see if I can just drop Verizon and move to T-Mobile,” he muses, before adding, “But wait….T-MOBILE donated to TRUMP’s Ballroom, which has gone from 200 million to 400 million suddenly. Where is that money going? There is no accounting. So T-Mobile is apparently out.”
The “ballroom” obsession is particularly unhinged; Young fixates on the White House renovation project, questioning “What favors? What companies are donating? Why?” as if uncovering a vast conspiracy.
The absurdity escalates when Young realizes he’s typing on an Apple computer. “HEY THIS IS AN APPLE COMPUTER!—— I have to stop and re-assess. No more upgrades! That feeds Apple, Apple supports ‘The Regime’ with donations,” he exclaims.
He even calls his business manager mid-rant to halt any future Apple spending, decrying CEO Tim Cook for “kissing ass” at a White House event.
Young then threatens to sue Apple if his computer stops working without upgrades, expressing a desire to cling to current versions of Pages and FaceTime because he likes them as they are and doesn’t want them to change.
It’s a hilarious snapshot of boomer tech illiteracy colliding with political zealotry—refusing modern conveniences to own the MAGA crowd.
Young ties it all back to his broader crusade, referencing a list of companies “backing the Fascist Trump Regime” on his website’s editorial page.
“One by one, I am cancelling all contact with each of them. This is not easy, but the alternative – me giving money I got from you, for my music, to the Regime that backed the illegal killings of two Americans. That can’t happen,” he declares.
Young’s rants are getting more and more loony. As we previously covered, he pulled his music from Spotify in 2022 to protest Joe Rogan’s supposed “COVID disinformation,” only to slink back two years later when the pandemic froth died down.
Rogan mocked him mercilessly: “Great to know you got some ethics.”
Now, Young’s Trump fixation has seeped into his music too—his recent songs obsess over the former president, and one of his latest videos is bizarrely fixated on White House renovation footage, as seen in this clip where he rails against the ballroom like it’s Watergate 2.0.
Young ends his post pondering his record label, Warner Brothers, hinting at more boycotts to come. “I’ll keep you posted folks,” he signs off, as if anyone’s waiting breathlessly for updates on his flip phone saga.
Trump Derangement Syndrome has turned Young into a caricature, boycotting his way into irrelevance. Meanwhile, real Americans are focused on freedom, not phantom fascist ballrooms.
If Young wants to live in the Stone Age to spite conservative Americans, that’s his prerogative—but it’s a stark reminder of how the left’s obsessions with Trump blind them to actual threats to freedom like tech censorship and surveillance overreach.
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Tyler Durden
Sat, 01/31/2026 – 09:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/neil-young-encounters-most-boomer-leftist-problem-imaginable
No. 3 Michigan beats No. 7 Michigan State 83-71 to take sole possession of 1st place in the Big Ten
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Yaxel Lendeborg had 26 points and 12 rebounds, Elliot Cadeau scored 17 and Morez Johnson added 12 points to lead No. 3 Michigan to an 83-71 victory over seventh-ranked Michigan State on Friday night.
The Wolverines (20-1, 10-1 Big Ten) moved into sole possession of first place in the conference, coming off a win over previously unbeaten and fifth-ranked Nebraska.
The Spartans (19-3, 9-2) missed 14 of their first 18 shots. They finished the half with more turnovers (11) than field goals (seven) and trailed by as much as 18 points.
Michigan State went on a 13-2 run early in the second half to pull within three and Jaxon Kohler made a tying 3-pointer with 7:57 left.
Jeremy Fears, who scored a career-high 31 points, had a steal and layup that put the Spartans ahead 57-55 with 7:27 to go for their first lead that didn’t last long.
Michigan responded with clutch shooting, making 5 of 6 shots, while holding Michigan State scoreless for more than three minutes to seal its sixth straight victory.
Kohler had 12 points while Coen Carr and Jordan Scott scored 10 points apiece for the Spartans, whose seven-game winning streak was stopped.
Michigan had a big advantage in outside shooting, making 8 of 21 on 3-pointers while Michigan State missed 19 of 23 shots from beyond the arc.
The sold-out game at Breslin Center included Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell, sitting next to Michigan State’s bench, and two-time World Series champion Kirk Gibson, who played baseball and football for the Spartans.
Michigan will host Michigan State in the second game of the season series on March 8 to close the regular season.
Up next
Michigan: Hosts Penn State on Thursday night
Michigan State: At Minnesota on Wednesday night
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/31/michigan-michigan-state-big-ten-basketball/
Iran Hits Back At EU: Designates European Armies As ‘Terrorist Entities’
Iran Hits Back At EU: Designates European Armies As ‘Terrorist Entities’
Iran is saying two can play at the West’s game: on Friday the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council blasted the EU’s decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a “terrorist organization,” warning that Europe’s own militaries would now be viewed through the same lens.
“The European Union certainly knows that… the armies of countries that have participated in the European Union’s recent resolution against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are considered terrorist entities,” Ali Larijani wrote in a post on X. He added bluntly: “Therefore, the consequences of that shall be borne by the European countries that undertook such an action.”
However, there’s probably nothing in the way of European military assets for the Islamic Republic to sanction, so this ‘action’ by Tehran will remain largely symbolic. Iran does have assets held in various places of Europe though.
EU foreign ministers agreed on Thursday to formally classify the IRGC as a “terrorist organization” and urged member states to implement the designation without delay – after a few longtime holdouts flipped.
Among those recently changing their stance include France, Spain, and Italy – but apparently the recent deadly protests, and Trump’s pressure, had an impact.
One bit of irony is that the West has over the past year removed its designation of Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), after Jolani took over Damascus. HTS is literally the founding al-Qaeda group in Syria.
The IRGC stands accused by the West of directing Iran’s crackdown of domestic unrest, after economic-driven protests took over town and city streets this month.
Thousands died, but Iran officials have pointed to armed saboteurs being mixed in among the peaceful demonstrators, leading to mayhem and a high death toll.
The United States, Canada, and Australia had already blacklisted the IRGC, while Germany and the Netherlands have for years pressed the rest of the EU to follow suit.
But Tehran sees the Guard Corps as part of, or also chief safeguard of the nation’s security and military. It is envisioned as ‘protecting’ the ‘Islamic Revolution’ since 1979. In the past, some countries even gave top IRGC officials diplomatic credentials.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 01/31/2026 – 08:45
AP Explica: ¿Qué impacto tendría orden de Trump de castigar a países que vendan petróleo a Cuba?
Por ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
LA HABANA (AP) — Apoyándose en su narrativa dura contra Cuba, el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump firmó una orden ejecutiva que impondría aranceles a los países que se atrevan a vender o enviar petróleo a la nación caribeña.
La amenaza cayó como un balde de agua fría en las calles del país donde muchos ciudadanos comunes ya están bastante afectados por una profunda crisis económica.
Incluso, algunos expertos advierten que la medida podría ser en lo interno tan grave como para provocar una “crisis humanitaria”.
¿Qué dice la orden ejecutiva de Trump?
El documento establece la imposición de un arancel sobre los bienes de los países que suministren “directa o indirectamente” a Cuba “cualquier petróleo”, bloqueando así las posibilidades de la isla de obtener el vital combustible para mover su economía.
El argumento del mandatario estadounidense se basa en que la nación caribeña “constituye una amenaza inusual y extraordinaria” para “la seguridad nacional y la política exterior de Estados Unidos” por lo que el gobernante declaró una “emergencia nacional” con respecto a dicho supuesto peligro.
Según cifras oficiales, Cuba produce apenas el 40% del combustible que necesita, pero dada las condiciones técnicas este apenas puede usarse para las ocho grandes termoeléctricas, unas obsoletas instalaciones –con más de 30 años de uso—; el resto se genera mediante plantas menores que consumen diésel, el cual debe ser importado. El gobierno tiene un incipiente programa de energía solar reforzado desde el año pasado.
Los expertos internacionales estiman que hasta comienzos de mes, cuando Venezuela todavía enviaba su crudo a la isla —se desconocen nuevas partidas— y en virtud de una estrecha cercanía comercial e ideológica, Cuba recibía unos 35.000 barriles diarios del país sudamericano y 5.500 barriles diarios de México, sumados los 7.500 barriles diarios desde Rusia.
Aún así los apagones ya se suceden desde los últimos tres años con cortes de más de ocho horas, afectando el abasto de agua y trastornando la vida de los cubanos que dependen en su mayoría de la luz para cocinar.
Impacto dramático: una crisis humanitaria
“Esto es devastador porque de por sí la economía cubana ha estado trabajando a mínimos y al anunciar esta orden (Trump) está usando un arma más letal que diferentes formas de acción militar porque el impacto es generalizado”, expresó a The Associated Press el economista Arturo López Levy, investigador del Instituto de Estudios Regionales Comparados de la Universidad de Denver.
“No es difícil pronosticar un aumento significativo de la migración y los que han abogado por esta política (deben) mirar que aquí se está creando una crisis humanitaria”, expresó alarmado López Levy. “Este camino lleva a (la) población cubana a condiciones de hambre porque si no hay petróleo, ni siquiera hay forma de mover los alimentos a las ciudades”.
Cuba tuvo una caída del 15% en su Producto Interno Bruto en los últimos seis años, una crisis multifactorial producida por la paralización de la pandemia de la COVID-19, un incremento radical de las sanciones de Estados Unidos y una reforma financiera interna que disparó la inflación.
Ricardo Torres, economista cubano de la Universidad Americana de Whashington, por su parte destacó que al final “el combustible es horizontal” a todos los sectores de la sociedad y nada se mueve sin él, desde el transporte y las locomotoras, hasta los regadíos o la industria.
Una ayuda de los amigos.
Lo que varios expertos consultados por la AP se cuestionan es cuánto podría aguantar la maltrecha economía sin suministro de crudo.
“La pregunta que tenemos y no hay respuesta es la cantidad de días que Cuba tiene disponible de combustible”, expresó Jorge Piñon, del Instituto de Energía de la Universidad de Texas. “Esto es peor que un huracán que se acerca a Cuba”, agregó el especialista.
Piñon consideró que tras la salida de Venezuela de la ecuación abastecedora y las presiones que está recibiendo México para dejar de proporcionar crudo a la isla por parte de Estados Unidos, apenas queda Rusia.
China, otro amigo de la isla, no es productor de petróleo –y los créditos no servirían de nada–, aunque quedan entre los históricos aliados de Cuba –y que son productores–, Argelia, Angola y eventualmente Brasil que no se ha pronunciado, reflexionó Piñon.
¿Qué dice Cuba?
La reacción de las autoridades y medios de prensa en la isla fue inmediata y lo primero que destacaron es que no hay pruebas de que la pequeña nación —de apenas unos nueve millones de habitantes—, más allá de su distancia ideológica con el modelo político estadounidense, sea realmente una “amenaza” para el vecino país.
“Bajo un pretexto mendaz y vacío de argumentos, vendido por quienes hacen política y se enriquecen a costa del sufrimiento de nuestro pueblo, el presidente Trump pretende asfixiar la economía cubana”, escribió en su cuenta de X el mandatario cubano Miguel Díaz-Canel.
Más aún funcionarios enfatizaron en que Trump buscaba poner a los gobiernos de terceros países en la tesitura de tener que elegir bandos.
En las calles junto con algunas expresiones de nacionalismo por el perjuicio causado por un país extranjero, muchos ciudadanos se preocupaban por el impacto en sus vidas.
“Es una medida injusta de este presidente, esta medio loco y empecinado”, dijo a la AP Eddy Porto, un vendedor ambulante de 70 años. “¿Que culpa tenemos nosotros… de esa ambición que tiene (Trump) de poderío?
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La corresponsal Dánica Coto contribuyó con este reporte
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Siga a Andrea Rodríguez en X: https://x.com/ARodriguezAP
Separatistas matan a 21 personas, incluidos civiles, en múltiples ataques en Pakistán
Por ABDUL SATTAR y MUNIR AHMED
QUETA, Pakistán (AP) — Separatistas de la provincia de Baluchistán en Pakistán se responsabilizaron de casi una docena de ataques coordinados en el sur de Pakistán el sábado temprano, que tuvieron como objetivo a civiles, una prisión de alta seguridad, estaciones de policía e instalaciones paramilitares. Once civiles, diez miembros de las fuerzas de seguridad y 67 insurgentes murieron, informaron las autoridades.
Aunque los separatistas baluches y los talibanes paquistaníes frecuentemente atacan a las fuerzas de seguridad en Baluchistán y en otras partes del país, los ataques coordinados de esta magnitud son inusuales. Las autoridades dijeron que al menos 108 milicianos han sido abatidos en todo Baluchistán en las últimas 48 horas, incluidos 67 el sábado.
Entre los muertos se encontraban 11 civiles, entre ellos tres mujeres y tres niños, en la ciudad de Gwadar en Baluchistán, según el oficial de policía Ibad Khan. Dijo que los civiles muertos eran de etnia baluche. Khan manifestó que la policía respondió rápidamente al ataque y mató a todos los atacantes.
El ministro del Interior de Pakistán, Mohsin Naqvi, dijo en un comunicado que diez oficiales de seguridad fueron asesinados.
El Ejército de Liberación de Baluchistán (BLA) se atribuyó la responsabilidad de los ataques, durante los cuales también se robaron algunos bancos. Publicó videos que mostraban a mujeres participando en los ataques, aparentemente como parte de una propaganda para resaltar el papel de las mujeres entre los milicianos.
Shahid Rind, portavoz del gobierno de Baluchistán, dijo que la mayoría de los ataques fueron frustrados. Ocurrieron un día después de que el ejército dijo que las fuerzas de seguridad esta semana asaltaron dos escondites de milicianos en el suroeste del país, matando a 41 insurgentes en enfrentamientos separados.
El jefe de ministros provincial, Sarfraz Bugti, escribió en X que las fuerzas de seguridad estaban persiguiendo a los insurgentes. Dijo que al menos 700 fueron abatidos por las fuerzas de seguridad en el último año.
Según la policía de Baluchistán y funcionarios del gobierno, al menos 37 atacantes fueron abatidos inicialmente y 30 más fueron localizados y abatidos. Más temprano el sábado, las autoridades dijeron que los insurgentes destruyeron vías férreas, lo que llevó a los Ferrocarriles de Pakistán a suspender los servicios de tren desde Baluchistán a otras partes del país.
Milicianos lanzan ataques el sábado
Los ataques comenzaron casi simultáneamente en toda la provincia, dijo el ministro de Salud provincial, Bakht Muhammad Kakar. Dijo que dos oficiales de policía murieron en un ataque con granada a un vehículo policial en Quetta, la capital provincial. El gobierno declaró una emergencia en todos los hospitales.
Docenas de insurgentes también atacaron una prisión en el distrito de Mastung, liberando a más de 30 reclusos, según la policía. En otros ataques, los milicianos intentaron asaltar la sede provincial de las fuerzas paramilitares en el distrito de Nushki, pero el ataque fue repelido, dijo la policía.
Los insurgentes lanzaron granadas contra la oficina de un administrador del gobierno en el distrito de Dalbandin, pero una rápida respuesta de las fuerzas de seguridad los obligó a huir, según las autoridades locales. Los ataques a puestos de seguridad en los distritos de Balincha, Tump y Kharan fueron frustrados, mientras que en Pasni y Gwadar, los insurgentes intentaron secuestrar a pasajeros que viajaban en autobuses por las carreteras, dijo la policía.
El BLA está prohibido en Pakistán y Estados Unidos lo designó organización terrorista. Ha estado detrás de numerosos ataques en los últimos años, y Pakistán dice que el grupo cuenta con el respaldo de India, una acusación que Nueva Delhi niega. Islamabad asegura que los separatistas baluches, los talibanes paquistaníes y otros milicianos están utilizando suelo afgano para lanzar ataques dentro de Pakistán. Kabul lo niega.
Los grupos separatistas baluches y los talibanes paquistaníes, conocidos como Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), han intensificado los ataques en Pakistán en los últimos meses. El TTP es un grupo separado pero aliado con los talibanes de Afganistán, que regresaron al poder en agosto de 2021.
Baluchistán ha sido durante mucho tiempo el sitio de una insurgencia por parte de grupos separatistas que buscan la independencia del gobierno central de Pakistán en Islamabad.
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Ahmed informó desde Islamabad, Babar Dogar en Lahore, e Ishtiaq Mahsud en Dera Ismail Khan, contribuyeron a este informe.
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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.
