Category: News
Favelas de Río se convierten en popular destino para turistas que desean una inmersión cultural
Por LUCAS DUMPHREYS y ELÉONORE HUGHES
RÍO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A medida que un número récord de turistas arriba a Río de Janeiro, muchos desean ir más allá de los emblemáticos puntos de referencia de la ciudad, optando por recorridos en las favelas para aprender más sobre esos territorios a menudo estigmatizados, los cuales también son faros de cultura y arte urbano.
La afluencia de visitantes curiosos ha inspirado a los residentes de esas comunidades de bajos ingresos a recurrir al turismo para generar ingresos, entre ellos el guía local Vitor Oliveira.
Oliveira, anteriormente conductor de mototaxi en Rocinha —la favela más poblada de Río—, indicó que comenzó a ofrecer recorridos después de notar un aumento en los visitantes internacionales. El turismo, expresó, es ahora su principal fuente de ingresos.
Río recibió a 12,5 millones de turistas en 2025, incluidos 2,1 millones de visitantes internacionales, según la alcaldía de Río. El número de turistas internacionales aumentó 44,8% en comparación con 2024, generando 7.800 millones de reales (1.500 millones de dólares) para la economía de la ciudad.
En un concurrido día de la semana a finales de enero, Rocinha estaba llena de turistas de Chile y Francia. Entre la multitud, Oliveira guiaba a Oscar Jara, un paraguayo, y a su sobrino, José Martínez, por las estrechas calles de la favela.
“Venir a Río y sólo visitar la playa de Copacabana, la estatua de Cristo y el Pan de Azúcar, no es realmente visitar Río. Estás visitando un lado elegante y caro de Río”, observó Oliveira. “Pero la esencia de Río proviene de las favelas”.
Rocinha se extiende por una colina con vista a muchos de los principales puntos de referencia de Río. Usualmente Oliveira comienza su recorrido con visitas a miradores, luego lleva a los turistas a lugares culturales, tales como presentaciones de capoeira y galerías de artistas. Los clientes incluso pueden elegir terminar el paseo con una parrillada brasileña en su propio balcón.
Los turistas buscan cada vez más experiencias auténticas sobre lo que significa ser de Río, señaló Caroline Martins de Melo Bottino, profesora del departamento de turismo de la Universidad Estatal de Río de Janeiro. “La gente entiende que las favelas de Río cumplen muy bien con estas expectativas”, agregó.
A medida que aumentan los visitantes, ahora están disponibles casas abiertas y nuevos bares con balcones para que los turistas se tomen selfies, e incluso algunos ofrecen servicios de grabación de video con drones panorámicos.
Algunos de estos videos, tomados por influencers, se han vuelto virales en redes sociales y son parte de la razón del crecimiento en visitantes. Oliveira indicó que cientos de turistas lo contactaron después de que apareció en un video de YouTube de un turista español que recibió miles de visitas.
Jara, el turista paraguayo, señaló que algunos de esos videos virales le dan confianza a la gente para visitar sin miedo. Él mismo buscó a Oliveira después de ver uno de sus videos. “Es un turismo muy auténtico… no está diseñado para turistas, no está diseñado para mostrar algo superficial”, expresó Jara.
Jara no es el único que ha sucumbido al encanto de Rocinha. La superestrella global Rosalía pasó los últimos días de 2025 en Río, y su estancia incluyó un viaje a Rocinha, donde en imágenes de video se le ve aprendiendo el famoso paso de baile passinho.
Cosme Felippsen, un guía turístico que trabaja en su favela natal de Morro da Providencia, así como en Rocinha, dice que muchos guías adaptan específicamente sus recorridos para ir más allá de simplemente beber una caipirinha en una favela.
“Vamos a llevar a la gente para crear conciencia, para contar la historia de estos territorios a través de los ojos del personaje principal: el residente”, apuntó.
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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.
Suburban substitute teacher fired after Naperville student abuse case, others exposed
A substitute teacher working at a Catholic school in Evergreen Park has been fired after his long history of child molestation allegations — including a 2007 conviction related to incidents at Naperville School District 203 — came to light.
In Naperville, the man, known as Brett Zagorac before legally changing his name, was accused of inappropriate student contact while employed as a district substitute teacher for three years. He was charged in DuPage County with the criminal sexual abuse and battery of 13 elementary school students in Naperville and Downers Grove.
Before the case went to trial, he pleaded guilty to one count of battery for which he was sentenced to 20 days in jail. The record of that case and those that occurred before it was erroneously expunged in 2009, officials said.
The Archdiocese of Chicago, once it learned of his longtime history, fired him from his substitute teacher job at Evergreen Park’s Queen of Martyrs Catholic School, according to a letter sent to Catholic school families Sunday.
The teacher worked at at least four schools on the South Side of Chicago and in the south suburbs over the past 16 months, the archdiocese said.
“Upon learning these allegations, we took immediate action to bar him from our schools and he has been terminated,” said the letter, signed by Superintendent of Schools Greg Richmond and Leah Heffernan, director of the achdiocese’s office for the protection of children and youth
The teacher has faced allegations of child molestation in Illinois and other states, the archdiocese said, and has gone by several names while seeking employment at schools and offering tutoring services to families. He was hired by the archdiocese in 2024, having passed background and fingerprint checks, the archdiocese said.
A spokesperson for the Illinois State Police said it completed a criminal history test based on a fingerprint, which would reveal criminal history including unsealed convictions and sealed felony convictions, but said that is not a full background check.
“ISP will provide the criminal history information to the requesting organization, but the organization will determine what is done with that information and make the hiring decision,” the spokesperson said.
An archdiocese spokesperson said St. Walter-St. Benedict School in Chicago, where the teacher was a substitute during the 2024-25 school year, initiated a nationwide background check on the teacher. It was completed by the Illinois State Police “and third-party companies the archdiocese retains for these purposes,” the archdiocese said.
The teacher passed the Illinois State Police name and fingerprint tests, the archdiocese said.
“Neither his current name nor previous names appears on any convicted sex offender list in the country,” the archdiocese said. “We are still working to determine how these government systems on which we and other schools rely did not identify him.”
The archdiocese said it is not aware of any allegations of sexual misconduct while the teacher worked at its Catholic schools. There are no pending criminal charges against him.
He worked as a long-term substitute teacher at St. Walter-St. Benedict School in Chicago during the 2024-25 school year, as a third party vendor at Pope John Paul II Catholic School in Chicago at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year and as a substitute teacher at Queen of Martyrs Catholic School in January 2026.
The archidiocese’s letter listed several names it said the teacher has used in the past, including Brett Zagorac before his legal name change. The Chicago Tribune previously outlined numerous charges and accusations against Zagorac.
Zagorac was charged in 2002 with two counts of misdemeanor battery in Lake County, Indiana, for inappropriately touching two students while he was working at Peifer Elementary School in Schererville. He was convicted a year later and sentenced to 90 days in jail, fined $250 and placed on one year of probation, according to the Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana archives.
While working as a substitute teacher at Edison Elementary School in Hammond in 2005, Zagorac was charged with child molestation for allegedly touching an 8-year-old boy inappropriately two years earlier, according to Post-Tribune archives. Police reported that Zagorac touched the student’s rear, put his hand under his shirt, rubbed his back and fondled him outside his clothing after calling him up to the teacher’s desk to talk about an assignment.
The first trial ended in a mistrial, and the charges were later dropped after the victim’s mother said the boy was ill and afraid to come to court to testify.
Zagorac was fired from substitute teaching jobs in Naperville District 203, Hinsdale District 181 and Schaumburg District 54 in 2005 after the districts realized their background checks did not extend beyond Illinois’ borders, according to a Naperville Sun report.
He was accused of inappropriately touching or taking an unusual interest in at least seven preteen students while working for District 203, though Naperville police at the time said no complaints had been filed locally.
He was later charged with criminal sexual abuse and battery of 13 elementary school students in Naperville and Downers Grove. On the day he was to go to trial in 2007, he pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor battery charge involving a child and was sentenced to 20 days in the DuPage County jail and fined $250, according to the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.
He served just half of his sentence, the Naperville Sun reported, and Assistant DuPage County State’s Attorney Jeff Muntz said at the time he did not have to register as a sex offender.
In 2009, Zagorac’s arrest record was expunged erroneously from the FBI National Crime Information Center computer, according to the Post-Tribune, after defense attorney Christopher Schmidgall filed a petition for the expungement. Lake Superior Court Judge pro tem Susan Severtson, acting on the recommendation of Magistrate Natalie Bokota, directed authorities to reconstruct his arrest record.
Zagorac was convicted of misdemeanor battery again in 2010 for inappropriately touching a 5-year-old student he was tutoring in Portage, Indiana, in 2009. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail but was released at the time because he had already served 184 days while awaiting trial on the original charges of felony child molestation, according to the Post-Tribune.
In 2015, he pleaded guilty to battery, aggravated sexual abuse and grooming in Wilmette, though the Cook County court records remain sealed. According to the Post-Tribune, he was working as a tutor and babysitter at the time, and was accused of sexually abusing a 9-year-old boy in 2014.
After the child’s parents learned about the man’s background, police said, the boy disclosed the incident to his parents. Police said the man used several aliases, one of which he provided to the family.
Queen of Martyrs school advisory board said in a letter Saturday that its parents came together “to express concerns, ask hard questions and advocate for change.” They met with representatives from the archdiocese and continue to discuss improving hiring practices, procedures and safety protocols at Queen of Martyrs, the letter stated.
The school affirmed that after concerns were brought forward, the teacher was fired and his access to the school was suspended. An open house for current and prospective families was held Sunday following its regular Mass.
The archdiocese thanked parents of students at Queen of Martyrs, who it said “have been instrumental in shedding light on this situation.” The archdiocese is cooperating with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Evergreen Park and Orland Park’s police departments, it said.
“The presence of this individual in some of our schools and with some of our students is very alarming,” the archdiocese said. “We regret that this individual has been in several of our schools and are deeply committed to providing a safe environment for all our students.”
The archdiocese encouraged parents of children who interacted with the teacher in any ways that made them uncomfortable to contact the DCFS Hotline at 1-800-252-2873, their local police department and/or the archdiocese office for the protection of children and youth at 312-534-5254.
Christin Lazerus of the Post-Tribune contributed to this report.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/28/substitute-teacher-zagorac-naperville-evergreen-convicted/
3 takeaways as the Chicago Bulls collapse in a 113-110 loss to the worst team in the Eastern Conference
INDIANAPOLIS — Good luck will always run out.
That’s a guarantee. It’s only ever a matter of time. And Wednesday night, the clock ran out on the Chicago Bulls in a 113-110 loss to the Indiana Pacers despite leading by double digits with nearly five minutes remaining in the game.
The collapse came out of nowhere — even for the Bulls who were on the court. Chicago held a 14-point lead over the Pacers with just under eight minutes left in the game. It wasn’t their most commanding offensive performance of the season, but holding a double-digit advantage with the final five minutes within reach seemed like it should be enough.
As the Pacers made one final, desperate surge at a comeback, the Bulls defense melted into passivity. They missed cutters on the backside and lost track of assignments on baseline out-of-bounds plays. They hacked at Pascal Siakam as he powered his way to the rim and allowed Jay Huff to rain down a game-tying 3.
Coach Billy Donovan attempted to shore up the defense by pulling Josh Giddey off the court for nearly three minutes of clutch time, swapping the guard for Jalen Smith to bolster the team’s rim protection. But even that wasn’t enough to fend off the length and physicality of Indiana. In a blur, the Pacers scored 28 points over the course of seven minutes and 30 seconds.
“When you up by double digits in the fourth, you’ve got to put teams away,” Coby White said.
Indiana Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith hits a baskets over Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vučević in the closing seconds of the second half in Indianapolis, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Aaron Nesmith landed the final blow of the game, stepping back to sink an unlikely midrange floater with 39 seconds remaining. White attempted to drive to the basket for a go-ahead layup with two seconds left only to find Nesmith playing hero again, swatting the ball away with his longer reach.
This loss highlighted a glaring weak point for the Bulls. Despite sitting well above them in the rankings, they have failed to beat the Pacers — the worst team in the Eastern Conference — in three meetings so far this season. As a result, the Bulls have handed the Pacers three of their 12 total wins.
Crumbling against beatable competition is a common theme for the Bulls, who have balanced out upset victories against teams like Minnesota and Boston with complete collapses against Brooklyn and Indiana. The Bulls are now 3-9 against lower-ranked teams in the Eastern Conference.
“I don’t look at a team’s record,” Donovan said. “We don’t have those kinds of margins to look at it that way. We’re a team that’s striving and fighting to earn whatever it is we can earn. We don’t have the luxury to look at anybody and just sit there and say, ‘OK, we’re gonna just go out there and win.’ I don’t believe that. To me, there’s a level of entitlement there where we can’t have that kind of approach or attitude. We’ve got to be hungry. We’ve got to realize that on any given night, we can beat anybody and on any given night, anybody can beat us.”
Here are three takeaways from the loss.
1. Lineup shakeup
Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker drives on Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey during the first half in Indianapolis, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Giddey returned to the starting lineup against the Pacers, his first start since suffering a hamstring strain that sidelined him for 11 games. This is a positive sign for Giddey, who will attempt to play both games of the back-to-back against Indiana and Miami. Although the guard remains under a minutes restriction — which Donovan described as a hard cap at 30 minutes — his availability over this upcoming stretch of four games in five days will be crucial for the Bulls to sustain their offense.
This meant moving away from the Bulls’ preferred starting lineup, which features a double-big combination of Jalen Smith and Nikola Vučević. Although the Bulls typically prefer this rotation, it was necessary to move Smith back to the bench to preserve the center pairing through this stretch of back-to-backs.
2. Changing tides
The Bulls went 4-1 over their last five-game stretch — recalibrating their record to .500 in the process — by averaging 20.2 3-pointers per game while shooting 44.7% from behind the arc. This is a scorching trend that the Bulls, realistically, always knew would have to come to an end.
The Bulls did not see a noticeable dip in their accuracy against the Pacers, shooting 40% from behind the arc. But they did not produce the same volume of attempts from long range, making only 12 shots from 3-point range (representing a more than 24-point decrease from their recent hot streak). Matas Buzelis, Smith and Vučević combined for 10 of these 12 makes.
3. Fortune’s favor
Fortune favored the Bulls in the clutch for most of this season. Before Wednesday, the Bulls were 16-11 in games with a margin of five or fewer points in the final five minutes — and 12-3 in games that came down to a one-possession deficit in the final 10 seconds.
White acknowledged that a combination of luck and home-court advantage has often bolstered the Bulls in these scenarios, making the team wary of becoming overconfident in close games.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/28/chicago-bulls-collapse-indiana-pacers/
New Footage Appears To Show Alex Pretti Spit At ICE, Break SUV Tail Light In Prior Minneapolis Confrontation
New Footage Appears To Show Alex Pretti Spit At ICE, Break SUV Tail Light In Prior Minneapolis Confrontation
The killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last Saturday sparked national outrage – particularly when it comes to the 2nd Amendment and his right to carry while protesting. The incident resulted in two federal agents involved in the shooting being placed on leave, and the ouster of US border patrol chief Gregory Bovino as the face of the Trump administration’s mass deportation drive.
While the circumstances of his death are still under investigation – many believe this gun went off after an agent took it off his body, spooking the shooter or shooters – he was known to federal authorities, and had suffered a broken rib during a violent confrontation with agents about a week before his death, CNN reported Tuesday.
Now, new footage appears to show Pretti armed and spitting at ICE agents before he smashes the taillights of their black SUV during a wild confrontation roughly a week before his death.
Screenshot via The News Movement
The video, verified by the BBC, captures what appears to be Pretti screaming at federal agents while they were driving away during a Jan. 13 protest. As their SUV leaves, he kicks the taillight – breaking it, causing agents to exit the vehicle and tackle him to the ground.
The agents continue to hold him down until he retreats and joins a crowd shouting at agents, as his gun is visibly tucked into the back of his pants.
Screenshot via The News Movement
Watch:
Video of Peaceful Alex Pretti helping old ladies cross the street and doing volunteer work at the orphanage
OR
Swearing like a drunken sailor, spitting and destroying property pic.twitter.com/FChuxZ7Zwy
— Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) January 29, 2026
Prior to the protests, Pretti’s parents specifically warned him against engaging.
“We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so, you know, that go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically,” said Michael Pretti. “And he said he knows that. He knew that.”
While this changes nothing about an American’s 2nd Amendment rights, it certainly changes the narrative insofar as whether ICE agents identified Pretti prior to his death and considered him to have an elevated risk profile.
So the “hero nurse” was actually a crazy psycho spitting on ICE agents and attacking their vehicle. Guy should have been charged for this. Might still be alive if he had been. He was looking for trouble for weeks. https://t.co/owRNNIvTRD
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 29, 2026
Well this aged incredibly poorly https://t.co/TBRPcVurG6
— Ian Miller (@ianmSC) January 28, 2026
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/28/2026 – 23:00
The Campaign Against ICE Is All About Open Borders
The Campaign Against ICE Is All About Open Borders
Authored by Kevin M. Spivak via RealClearPolitics,
Most of the recent vitriolic opposition to ICE is a feint by unrepentant open-borders progressives. They won the first round when Joe Biden was elected president, lost the second when Donald Trump returned to office, and are back for a rematch.
Democratic leaders portray ICE agents as violent Gestapo thugs and murderers. They claim ICE kidnaps good people off the street, rips apart their families and communities, and deprives them of due process. They give lip service to deporting the “worst of the worst,” but they lead sanctuary cities that release hardened criminal illegal aliens and incite protesters to harass and prevent ICE from arresting rapists, child predators, and killers.
For most, the venom has little to do with how ICE performs its mission and everything to do with preventing the Trump administration from undoing Biden’s brazen deluge of illegal migrants. But for the protests, ICE would be nearly invisible to most Americans, who abhor these violent confrontations. Instead, two Americans have tragically died in Minneapolis.
Democratic leaders deflect when challenged with the fact that disruption and mistakes would be greatly reduced if sanctuary cities turned over criminals already confined. Minnesota alone refuses to comply with 1,360 detainers for illegal aliens in its jails, including 500 previously ordered to be deported by federal judges.
The Democratic establishment sees mass immigration as the path to secure permanent rule, with much of the radical left expecting immigrants to force America to abandon its traditional values.
A refresher on how the Biden administration unlawfully admitted at least 12 million unvetted migrants underscores the radical left’s deep commitment to open borders. It also explains why Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Alan Frey flirt with insurrection by inflaming rage-filled protesters who accost ICE agents, invade churches, and protect criminals.
On his first day in office, Biden stopped construction of Trump’s border wall and ended the “Remain in Mexico” policy. He dismantled virtually all Trump immigration policies, exempted most illegal immigrants from deportation, granted protected status to about 1 million illegals, boosted refugee admissions, issued green cards to immigrants who required public benefits, allowed Title 42 authority to lapse – increasing illegal immigration by nearly one million migrants each year, distributed free cell phones and housing subsidies to entice even more illegal immigration, and, in the dead of night, flew hundreds of thousands of migrants from the southern border into American cities and towns.
In 2024, just five of 203 Democrats in the U.S. House supported legislation requiring proof of citizenship to vote, and the Biden Justice Department sued Virginia to prevent it from removing noncitizens from its voter rolls.
Trump won his second term on a platform of closing the borders and deporting illegal aliens, particularly those admitted by Biden or who had committed other crimes. Polls show majority support for deporting all illegal immigrants, and 78% support (including 69% of Democrats) for deporting criminal illegal aliens.
Despite Minnesota’s refusal to cooperate, ICE has already arrested 3,000 illegal aliens in Operation Metro, including migrants convicted of murder, aggravated assault, domestic abuse, drug trafficking, and other serious crimes. Claims that ICE’s mandate is unlawful or unconstitutional, or that it requires permission from sanctuary cities, is nonsense, repudiated by the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, 250 years of jurisprudence, and well-settled federal law.
So far, Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez has refused to grant the temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop ICE sought by Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul in a frivolous lawsuit that inverts the 10th Amendment into a right for states or even cities to veto federal laws they dislike. Though, in a separate lawsuit, she ordered ICE not to arrest or tear-gas peaceful demonstrators who are not obstructing ICE or who are “safely” following from an “appropriate” distance. That virtue-signaling order, now stayed by the Eighth Circuit pending an appeal, largely summarizes existing law. It likely would not have applied to Renee Good or Alex Pretti.
Contrary to Democratic spin, Good was part of a group that sought to derail ICE operations. She had been stalking ICE, and obstructed its vehicles with her SUV. Instead of complying with instructions to step out of her SUV, she abruptly accelerated, hitting an ICE agent hard enough to cause internal bleeding. As her SUV leapt forward, the agent fired, killing her.
Good either intended to strike the agent, or she acted recklessly by hitting the accelerator on a snowy, icy road in an SUV surrounded by agents. The legally relevant question for the agent is whether he reasonably believed that he or others were in “imminent danger” of death or serious injury.
It is unclear why a Border Patrol agent fatally shot Pretti on Saturday, during yet another protest. Video shows that he intervened between an agent and a woman. To the administration, he was an “armed domestic terrorist.” To Democrats, he was a “murdered nurse.” Both include some truth and premature conclusions. What is known is that he was doing something he should not have been doing because Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. shamelessly ignored America’s sovereignty to admit tens of millions of illegals, and now Democratic leaders and the progressive media are willing to sacrifice people like Good and Pretti on the corrupt altar of open borders.
Polls show that the all-out Democratic campaign to vilify ICE; disturbing video of militarized law enforcement officers in gas masks and fatigues; a growing toll of injuries and fatalities, regardless of fault; adverse court decisions, though many are reversed on appeal; and the administration’s caustic rhetoric are eroding support for ICE and Trump’s deportation program, and may imperil Republican control of the House.
The administration requires support from the public to keep ICE and the public safe, and for ICE to be effective. Democrats sense weakness, and will do everything they can to prevent that. The administration must be the adult in this situation. It must soften its language. ICE should avoid militarized operations and more clearly focus on deporting criminal aliens, and unvetted illegal aliens admitted during the Biden administration. Although it’s time for a reset, backing down is not an option.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/28/2026 – 22:35
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/campaign-against-ice-all-about-open-borders
Los Hawks cobran venganza de una abultada derrota al vencer 117-106 a los Celtics
BOSTON (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker anotó 21 puntos, Jalen Johnson sumó 19 unidades y 14 rebotes, y los Hawks de Atlanta vencieron 117-106 a los Celtics de Boston el miércoles por la noche para vengar una abultada derrota en casa.
Onyeka Okongwu añadió 17 tantos, Dyson Daniels tuvo 15 y Corey Kispert 13 para ayudar a los Hawks a ganar su cuarto partido consecutivo.
Jaylen Brown lideró a Boston con 21 puntos. Lanzó nueve de 20, fallando sus cinco intentos de triples.
Los Hawks acertaron el 42,9% de sus triples (18 de 42) y tuvieron 29 asistencias en 45 canastas. Boston embocó nueve de 34 desde más allá del arco.
Al entrenador de los Hawks, Quin Snyder, se le preguntó antes del partido si su equipo recordaría una derrota en casa por 132-106 el 17 de enero en el último encuentro entre los clubes. Él respondió: “Quieres sentirlo”.
Parecía que su equipo lo hizo desde el principio. Estuvieron concentrados defensivamente, abriendo una ventaja de 21 puntos al final del primer cuarto con un triple de Alexander-Walker.
Mantuvieron una ventaja de 60-38 con un triple de Kispert desde la parte superior en el segundo cuarto antes de que Boston cerrara la primera mitad con una racha de 8-0.
Los Celtics hicieron algunos breves intentos en la segunda mitad por meterse al juego, pero no redujeron su déficit por debajo de 12 puntos. El entrenador Joe Mazzulla retiró a la mayoría de sus titulares y muchos fanáticos se dirigieron a las salidas con los Celtics perdiendo 115-96 con cuatro y medio minutos restantes.
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Putin Hosts Syria’s Sharaa As Russian Forces Exit North In Tandem With US Drawdown
Putin Hosts Syria’s Sharaa As Russian Forces Exit North In Tandem With US Drawdown
Syria’s self-declared President Ahmad al-Sharaa is in Moscow on Wednesday, where he has met with President Vladimir Putin, at a moment Russia’s long-running presence in Syria is in question. Sharaa, formerly Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, who founded Syrian al-Qaeda and began fighting the ousted President Assad under the flag of ISIS, is trying to shore up international recognition for his rule.
“Russia has supported Syria’s territorial integrity and unity, and has also played a historic role in the stability of the region,” President Putin stated during the meeting. “I would like to emphasise the need to preserve Syria’s unity and territorial integrity.”
He hinted that ending the American occupation of the oil and gas rich northeast is paramount. “The return of eastern Syria to Damascus’s control is an important step,” Putin said.
But while Russian forces are still present at historic bases on the coast, there are signs of a final Russian withdrawal from the country underway, also as US troops appear to be making a slow exit:
Days before the scheduled meeting, Russian forces began a phased withdrawal from Qamishli Airport in northeast Syria, relocating personnel and equipment to the Hmeimim Air Base in Latakia, according to a security source cited by Shafaq News last week.
…The final stage involved the relocation of what the source described as an “elite team,” marking the departure of the last Russian contingent stationed at the airport. The redeployment was carried out in coordination with both Syrian and US sides, according to the same account.
AP journalists who visited the base next to Qamishli airport reported it was guarded by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters, who said Russian troops had been “evacuating bit by bit” over several days.
Conflict has been engulfing the same region, as Syrian forces loyal to Sharaa attack Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces. While the US trained and weaponized the SDF for years, Washington appears to be throwing its Kurdish allies under the bus once again.
ISIS/Daesh hits the Kremlin.
After being normalized in Washington and Brussels.
Realpolitik may take precedence, but the optics are dreadful. pic.twitter.com/LGODGRvxqw
— Pepe Escobar (@RealPepeEscobar) January 28, 2026
Kremlin spokesman Peskov had previously said ahead of Sharaa being hosted in Moscow that “the presence of our soldiers in Syria” would be discussed.
According to Al Jazeera:
Moscow had been worried about the possibility of a “populist anti-Russia” government emerging in Damascus when Bashar al-Assad was overthrown, Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the London-based RUSI think tank, told Al Jazeera.
“They feared he [al-Sharaa] would squeeze them out, but the Russians have been pleasantly surprised, even if they’ve had to downgrade their ties from before,” Ramani added.
Indeed Moscow has sought to keep its lone deep water port and Mediterranean base at Tartus, and this appears to be happening. But there has been a military and equipment draw-down, and now the Russian operations are said to be ‘humanitarian-focused’.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa:
“Russia has supported Syria’s territorial integrity and unity, and has also played a historic role in the stability of the region.”
Russian President Putin:
“I would like to emphasise the need to preserve Syria’s unity and territorial… pic.twitter.com/96lFJuMNPN
— Levent Kemal (@leventkemaI) January 28, 2026
Russia seems to be hinting that it is OK with a draw down so long as the Americans exit the region too. One irony in all this is that Assad and his family are currently living in exile from their homeland at a posh Moscow apartment, keeping a very low profile.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/28/2026 – 22:10
Republicanos temen que caos migratorio les reste posibilidades en las elecciones legislativas
Por MEG KINNARD y JOEY CAPPELLETTI
WASHINGTON (AP) — Miembros del Partido Republicano se muestran cada vez más preocupados ante la posibilidad de que las redadas migratorias se conviertan en una carga política de cara a las próximas elecciones legislativas, luego de que dos personas fueron abatidas por agentes federales durante los operativos en Minneapolis.
Aunque son pocos los que están dispuestos a distanciarse públicamente del presidente Donald Trump, las críticas han ido en aumento mientras los republicanos presionan a la Casa Blanca a cambiar de dirección. Un inminente plazo para aprobar una iniciativa presupuestaria para el final de la semana ha llevado el tema a un punto crítico en el Congreso, donde los demócratas prometen bloquear la financiación de Seguridad Nacional si no hay cambios significativos.
“Esto se trata de recuperar la confianza del pueblo estadounidense en este tema, y realmente creo que vamos perdiendo en un asunto en el que deberíamos ir ganando”, aseguró el senador Thom Tillis.
Tillis, un republicano por Carolina del Norte, se retirará al final de su mandato, por lo que está más dispuesto que otros miembros de su partido a hablar con franqueza sobre cómo están lidiando con la indignación por las muertes en Minneapolis al tiempo que tratan de evitar enfrentarse a Trump.
Pero hay otros republicanos que han alzado la voz después de las muertes de Alex Prett y Renee Good en Minneapolis en las últimas semanas.
“El gobierno ha perdido el control de la narrativa”, dijo Jason Roe, estratega republicano que trabaja en campañas rumbo a los próximos comicios. “No podemos escapar de lo que está sucediendo en Minneapolis”.
Históricamente, el partido en control de la Casa Blanca pierde terreno en el Congreso durante las elecciones de mitad de período. Los republicanos también han tenido dificultades en elecciones en las que Trump no aparece en la boleta, un patrón que continuó el año pasado en Nueva Jersey y Virginia.
“Los demócratas están muy, muy enojados y están impacientes por ir a votar”, explicó Roe. “Y simplemente no veo eso en ninguna encuesta que haya visto del lado republicano”.
Noem en la mira de las críticas
Para los republicanos que no se sienten cómodos con las tácticas del gobierno, pero que se han mostrado reacios a criticar directamente a Trump, la secretaria de Seguridad Nacional, Kristi Noem, se ha convertido en el punto focal de su ansiedad.
“Creo que en estos momentos tenemos una secretaria que necesita rendir cuentas del caos y algunas de las tragedias que hemos visto”, subrayó la senadora Lisa Murkowski, quien afirmó que Noem debería renunciar. Añadió que “necesitamos claridad y responsabilidad por el caos y la tragedia que hemos visto”.
Trump ha dicho que Noem está “haciendo un muy buen trabajo” y permanecerá en el cargo. Los demócratas señalaron que debería ir a juicio político, aunque no tienen la influencia necesaria en el Capitolio para iniciar un proceso.
La inmigración ha sido uno de los temas emblemáticos de Trump y los votantes se mostraron más propensos a aceptar su postura en 2024 que en campañas anteriores. Los republicanos mantienen un abrumador apoyo a su trabajo en materia de inmigración, según una encuesta de Associated Press y el Centro NORC para la Investigación de Asuntos Públicos realizada en enero.
Tillis, quien también ha pedido la salida de Noem, aseguró que el presidente está poniendo en riesgo ese apoyo.
“Ganó con un mensaje contundente sobre inmigración”, subrayó Tillis. “Y ahora nadie habla de eso. Nadie habla de fronteras seguras. Hablan de la incompetencia de la titular de Seguridad Nacional”.
Las preocupaciones se han extendido a Maine, hogar de una de las contiendas para el Senado más competitivas del país. La senadora Susan Collins, quien busca la reelección, dijo el martes que había pedido al gobierno la suspensión de las redadas migratorias en su estado y en Minnesota.
Republicanos usan financiación del gobierno para expresar su oposición
Los legisladores están utilizando el plazo del 31 de enero para aprobar una iniciativa de financiación gubernamental como una táctica de presión para provocar cambios. Trump ya ha promulgado seis de los 12 proyectos de ley de gasto anual para el ejercicio fiscal actual, pero otros seis siguen a la espera de su aprobación en el Senado, incluida la financiación para Seguridad Nacional.
Cada vez más senadores republicanos han dicho que estarían abiertos a la exigencia de los demócratas de separar los fondos para Seguridad Nacional de un paquete más amplio para un debate adicional, mientras aprueban los iniciativas restantes.
Otros republicanos han adoptado una postura más cautelosa. El senador Ted Budd publicó en redes sociales que, aunque apoya los objetivos de Trump en materia de inmigración, conserva la esperanza de que la decisión del presidente de reorganizar al personal en Minnesota conduzca a operaciones “ordenadas y sistemáticas” enfocadas en los delincuentes más peligrosos.
Ha habido un notable cambio de tono en la cúpula después de que Pretti fue abatido el sábado. En una entrevista con la cadena ABC News la noche del martes, el presidente dijo que esperaba que la presencia del zar fronterizo Tom Homan —quien esta semana reemplazó al comandante de la Patrulla Fronteriza Gregory Bovino como su punto de contacto en el terreno— permita una operación “un poco más relajada” y “desescalada” en Minneapolis.
Pero Trump reaccionó con enojo cuando el alcalde de Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, dijo que quería que el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional ponga fin a su operación “lo más rápido posible”, respondiendo en redes sociales que el alcalde estaba “jugando con fuego”.
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Kinnard informó desde Columbia, S.C. Está en X como: http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
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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.
Free Speech Isn’t Free and It Cost Charlie Kirk Everything
Free Speech Isn’t Free and It Cost Charlie Kirk Everything
Authored by Kristan Hawkins via RealClearPolitics,
The First Amendment protections for free speech have inspired people worldwide and laid the foundation not just for American society but also for entire industries – from social media to this very publication. But as someone who travels the country both speaking and setting up events on college and university campuses, I can tell you that “free speech” isn’t free.
Nobody knows that better than those of us mourning Charlie Kirk’s passing. At this time last year, Students for Life of America honored Charlie as our “Defender of Life” at our sold-out National Pro-life Summit, and this year at the National Pro-Life March, our signs and messaging will create a sea of thousands of young people celebrating his legacy. But in the wake of his murder, I continue to reflect on the high cost of free speech for those of us who refuse to abandon college and university campuses.
Manipulative schools have worked hard to develop financial and logistical obstacles to student speech – from special, additional, and often last-minute insurance to requirements for bomb-sniffing dogs. And everything comes with a price tag.
To practice “free” speech, we start with time-consuming permits with the endless, additional, and sometimes arbitrary requirements that come with a cost.
Special event insurance can run from $800 to $5,000, though in Washington, D.C., it can easily run close to $15,000 or higher. We were actually quoted a $20,000 fee in required event insurance to chalk pro-life messages in Miami.
And if you need to rent a bomb-sniffing dog – because why not – it usually runs $650. My Kevlar vest set me back $1,000. And police, on campus or off, with or without weapons, county, city, or state (which has a range), commonly add $1,200 per event. Private security, if needed, has a price of about $600 per professional. Equipment rental for security wands or metal detectors may be needed. And we can’t forget that a commitment to free speech is a decision to keep lawyers on retainer, especially for the last-minute “requirements” from school administrators.
Even before the tragedy that ended my dear friend’s life, security costs for our Students for Life events had risen about 25%, putting the average cost of a campus event at $4,000. That’s a lot of money for a passionate student to raise, and we work with them to make it happen.
But not everyone can afford free speech.
Students for Life’s Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement just released our 2026 Survey USA poll, looking at the abortion views of registered youth voters.
They understand that free speech comes at a high cost. Asked about whether colleges and universities should prioritize and financially support free speech, more than nine in 10 (93%) said yes, with 33% saying it’s extremely important.
But they are worried about those engaging on campus. Almost half (49%) of registered youth voters think violence on college campuses and in public spaces has increased, and more than nine in 10 (92%) are concerned about violence directed at those using their free speech rights, with one in four extremely concerned.
Their fears are probably heightened by the 2025 Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) annual College Free Speech Rankings survey, which reported that one in three students thought it was acceptable to use violence to stop speech.
Previously, the most common attacks on free speech have been:
A Vandals Veto seen in destroyed messaging and outright theft of displays and signs, and lately in a trend of protestors eating rubber fetal models brought to illustrate the size of babies in the womb.
A Heckler’s Veto, in which schools cancel or move events when extremist groups or a disgruntled student oppose a speaker.
A Slow-Walk-to-Nowhere when a pattern of delays for approval of events or clubs creates a virtual veto of student speech.
A Not-Even-Separate-but-Equal Accommodation as schools refuse similar support for pro-life students as given to others.
A Religious Gag Rule in which schools may allow students to speak as long as they stay silent about faith.
A Required “Trigger Warning” in which the school signals through signs posted in the areas where pro-life speech is taking place that such speech is controversial and offensive, to be possibly avoided or protested.
A Power-of-the-Purse Veto involving biased use of student fees.
A Threat-of-Violence Veto, making school administrators unwilling to allow any speech that might be confrontational.
And a Big Brother’s Threat of Doxxing move.
But now we deal with a supersized Virtual Poll Tax on some students’ speech.
Our team has endured bomb threats, vandalizations, stolen and damaged property, physical attacks, urine throwing, stalking, student doxxing, and general cruelty, all of which can raise the emotional cost of public speech. Threats of rape and murder are common, and we keep a file, just in case.
Such opposition is surely designed to discourage those who wish to participate in the free marketplace of ideas. Silence Dogood, believed to be a pseudonym of Benjamin Franklin, wrote, “Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.”
But it’s not free. And without better support, many will be priced out of the public arena.
Kristan Hawkins is president of Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action, with more than 1,600 groups on middle and high school, college and university, medical and law school campuses in all 50 states. Follow her @KristanHawkins or subscribe to her podcast, The Kristan Hawkins Show.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/28/2026 – 21:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/free-speech-isnt-free-and-it-cost-charlie-kirk-everything
Cops: American Red Cross SUV stolen from Near West Side
An SUV belonging to the American National Red Cross was stolen earlier this week in the Illinois Medical District on the city’s Near West Side, according to police and Red Cross officials.
The 45-year-old Red Cross employee noticed the missing white 2019 Chevrolet Traverse between 4 and 5 p.m. in the 500 block of South Leavitt Street, according to a Chicago police report.
The employee reported that the vehicle was locked and that no key was present when it was stolen, according to the report.
In a written statement, a Red Cross Illinois spokesperson expressed gratitude to donors who provide vehicles “that enable our volunteers to reach families in crisis and provide comfort, care, and assistance after home fires and other emergencies.”
“We are working closely with local law enforcement and encourage anyone who may spot the vehicle to contact police. For everyone’s safety, we also gently remind the public to ask to see official Red Cross identification if approached by someone claiming to represent the Red Cross.”
Authorities had no description of the thief, but stated that the missing vehicle had an Illinois license plate BA34667.
The vehicle remained missing as of Wednesday evening, with no arrests as Belmont Area detectives continued their investigation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/28/cops-american-red-cross-suv-stolen-from-near-west-side/
